ã€ŠThe Hero Returnsã€‹


 Chapter 1

    The sky was blue, and the smell of the rich, earthy soil was carried by a seasonal breeze.

    The sight still came to him when he closed his eyes.

    As it could never be seen again, it was much more precious.

    ¡°The past is the past.¡±

    He looked up only to see the black sky. Instead of the smell of soil, the smell of blood was everywhere. Was it a seasonal smell? No, there was only a repetitive, freezing winter that made the world nearly uninhabitable.

    [Name: Kim Sung-in] [Another name: Hero]

    [Spell counts: 97] [Spell grade: 9]

    Sung-in went through his Ability Record in his mind, which was initially not a lot, but now it had become comprehensive. Among those statuses, he checked his one specific status.

    [Fatigue level: 88]

    ¡°I knew it,¡± he murmured as he checked his fatigue level on the bottom. ¡°That¡¯s why my body feels so heavy.¡±

    The fatigue level showed a numerical representation of his current fitness state, with 0 meaning the best physiological condition and 100 meaning the opposite. 88 was quite high. No wonder his body felt as heavy as soaked cotton. Normal people couldn¡¯t even move their bodies in such a state.

    Sung-in sighed as he looked around him. All he could see was the corpses of monsters, piles of them from a distance. That was his masterpiece.

    Thump, thump.

    He heard footsteps in the distance, and one set sounded particularly familiar.

    ¡°You guys are so fast.¡± He was being sarcastic.

    They must have noticed the fight, but they were still so late. He realized it was their strategy to get rid of him once and for all. That meant all those monsters had just been decoys.

    This is the end. He thought this would be the last, but it was not as bad as he thought.

    The reason was obvious. There was no more reason to resist.

    ¡°Now¡­¡± Sung-in stood up from the pile of dead monsters. ¡°It is time to die.¡±

    * * *

    The Hero.

    That was another name for Sung-in. The title was from his ability, which increased his physical and magical damage by 20% and reduced the damage he would receive.

    However, that was not just another name for Sung-in.

    ¡°Spell power of 9 grade? Was there such a magical awakener?¡±

    ¡°For a guy like you, it may be.¡±

    ¡°It might be possible. No, it has to be possible.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he may be able to restore our world?¡±

    He¡¯d heard those kinds of words many times.

    At the time, he didn¡¯t know what they meant. No, he knew what they meant but wasn¡¯t able to understand.

    They demanded a lot of things from him.

    They said, ¡°Sung-in, you are our hope.¡± ¡°You know what a hero is? The person who can save the world. You should consider yourself a hero. You understand what Mommy means, right?¡± That was his mother.

    He was a good son, and at one point, he did consider himself a hero.

    ¡°You are the hero.¡±

    ¡°Please, please, save this world.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Kim, you are the only one now.¡±

    Hero, hero, hero¡­ That almost drove him crazy. Stop calling me that. Are you not getting tired of the word?

    It had been about 40 years ago when the monsters first appeared. Many magical awakeners like him had become heroes as they fought the monsters. The monsters had been too many and indeed so strong that even those heroes with magical powers struggled. People needed a stronger hero, and Sung-in had been one of them.

    ¡°Hero, my ass.¡±

    He plunged to the ground and looked up, but only the dark, murky sky came to his sight. His vision was slowly getting blurry.

    Fafnir. An ancient hero, a dragon that was killed by Sigurd.

    But Fafnir was a nickname for a giant with a dragon head, who had killed so many human heroes. The war was becoming advantageous for the monsters. Even Sung-in had to fight the giant for three years straight, although he had been the one who frequently retreated. Fafnir was not to be defeated easily by any human.

    [Though you are my enemy, I admire your power], Fafnir said.

    That isn¡¯t really surprising. For a monster like Fafnir, anything he did was not that surprising anymore. He was almost like a demigod; being able to speak a human language was nothing compared to his other powers.

    ¡°Bull¡­sh*t¡­¡± Sung-in mouthed. ¡°Do you also think I¡¯m a hero?¡±

    [You are indeed a hero. You deserved that title, even if it is from others], Fafnir said.

    A hero created by others. He sounded like he knew everything. Obviously, he knew about Sung-in, as he must have spied on him ever since they first fought.

    But that wasn¡¯t like him. That wasn¡¯t like a monster.

    [You are the last one.]

    The last. That was self-explanatory; everyone had been killed.

    For the past year, there had been no one other than Sung-in. He had been fighting alone for all that time. And here was the outcome: let¡¯s fight until one of us dies.

    Fafnir had destroyed the whole world. Sung-in may as well pay the worth of his name.

    ¡°I¡¯ll die with Fafnir and kill as many monsters as I can. What¡¯s the point of dwelling on this destroyed world with no one else around?¡±

    However¡­

    ¡°This is what I¡¯ve got.¡± Sung-in laughed at his own poor condition.

    Only

    Fafnir was much more powerful than he had thought. He was also without any weak points. He still had billions of his monsters, and Sung-in was all alone. Even worse, Fafnir didn¡¯t seem to move until Sung-in moved first.

    Even if his fatigue level was 0, it would still be a struggle to win.

    Fafnir finally opened his enormous mouth.

    [By eating your flesh, I will be devouring this world.]

    A story of a hero who killed an evil monster and saved the world. That kind of happy ending was far from being realistic.

    ¡°So, basically, you mean I won¡¯t be a hero.¡±

    Crash¡ª

 Chapter 2

    In a room in a Dong-ha University hospital, Su-hyeun was changing his clothes as he was listening to his doctor.

    ¡°Please make sure to avoid any intensive exercise and come back if you feel sick again.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, doctor.¡±

    Su-hyeun kept on buttoning his clothes. Beside Su-hyeun, Shin Su-yeong, his mother, thanked the doctor.

    While they were talking, Su-hyeun looked out the window at the sight of the city beneath the hospital building and the blue sky above. With a flock of cumulus clouds slowly flying over the sky, the whole world seemed placid and peaceful.

    ¡°It¡¯s rather awkward everytime I see it.¡±

    It had been a month since he was hospitalized. For four weeks of recovery, he had looked out the window like this every day as he enjoyed the peaceful sight.

    ¡°This sight ¡ª it will be all gone by 2030. All that will remain is pictures and paintings.¡±

    2018.

    Everytime he checked his smartphone, he was surprised by the year and date.

    Back in the past, in a different person¡¯s body.

    His death from the battle with Fafnir would occur more than 20 years later.

    Now, there was only news of a monster and dungeon. The outbreak and the initial invasion of monsters had yet to happen.

    ¡°I¡¯ve come back to the past.¡± However, not in Sung-in¡¯s body, but Su-hyeun¡¯s.

    He took out a hand mirror from the drawer. He was slightly smiling.

    ¡°Why is he smiling?¡±

    Since it wasn¡¯t his face, Su-hyeun¡¯s smile felt quite awkward. But, after about a month, he¡¯d begun to acknowledge it as his own.

    ¡°Mom, please. Shall we go now?¡± he asked, stopping to look at Su-hyeun¡¯s smile while his mother was still talking to the doctor.

    ¡°Wait a second. You should properly thank the doctor before you leave.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry for anything other than tasteless hospital food.¡±

    ¡°You want to eat out? I actually have to go back to work soon.¡±

    For the past month, he had learned about his mother¡¯s personality as he talked with her.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Mom. I want your delicious cooking,¡± he said, implying that her food was the most delicious in the whole world. And being so sweet paid off.

    ¡°Okay. If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s hurry and go home. Goodbye, doctor.¡±

    The doctor moved on to the next patient. As they were leaving the hospital, Sung-in snuck a peek at Shin Su-yeong.

    ¡°So this is Su-Hyeun¡¯s mother.¡±

    No, now she was his mother.

    Though it was confusing at first, it wasn¡¯t hard to accept as time passed. He was now quite attached to Shin Su-yeong.

    She was quite different from his real mother in every way. She was so cheerful that it made him think maybe all mothers were supposed to be like her.

    ¡°I want nothing but for you to stay healthy.¡±

    Comparing Shin Su-yeong, who wanted nothing but her son¡¯s wellness ¡ª

    ¡°I believe you will do better than this.¡±

    ¡ª to his previous mother, who wanted her son to be the best in every possible way, they were so different. He felt a huge discrepancy and awkwardness.

    His previous mother was too cold, too strict. It wasn¡¯t just because she wanted him to be a hero. From just this one month, he felt he had learned much more about his new mother than his old one.

    Shin Su-yeong had come to see her son every day to check on him after work. She never forgot to do so even though she got tired from work.

    Su-hyeun looked at his mother again, and their eyes meet.

    ¡°Why do you keep looking at me, Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, Mom.¡± He nonchalantly turned to attention to his smartphone.

    ¡°Su-hyeun, I feel that you¡¯ve changed.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°You speak differently these days. More politely, I suppose.¡±

    Right, that must be why she seemed a little taken aback when I first spoke to her in the hospital.

    ¡°You¡¯re like a totally different person.¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± He wondered what he should say. ¡°I¡¯ve just decided to change.¡±

    ¡°Change?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He said whatever popped into his mind, but it was partly true because he was still Sung-in, not Su-hyeun. It was not possible to be like Su-hyeun completely, as he didn¡¯t know what Su-hyeun was like to begin with.

    Shin Su-yeong hugged him all of a sudden.

    ¡°Mom?¡± he asked, quite surprised. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Su-hyeun?¡± She continued, ¡°No matter how you change, you know I always love you.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s all we need to know as long as you don¡¯t do anything bad and we stay near each other.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Good. You¡¯re the only one I care about.¡± She released him after she heard his answers.

    ¡°Actually, Mom. I need to go somewhere,¡± Su-hyeun said as he checked his phone.

    ¡°Where? You¡¯re not 100% well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back before dinner. You can go back to your work.¡± As he said this, he walked away.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t be late.¡± Shin Su-yeong waved at him.

    With Shin Su-yeong¡¯s voice far behind him, he shook his head sideways.

    ¡°That always gives me goosebumps.¡±

    He was still not used to his new mother¡¯s affectionate expressions that sometimes came so suddenly. He wasn¡¯t sure how to react to it.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t dislike it. Rather, it made him feel good.

    ¡°Right! I don¡¯t have much time before dinner.¡± He planned to go back home before Shin Su-yeong came back from work; he didn¡¯t want to make her worry.

    Using his smartphone app, he navigated toward his destination, although it took him a long time. The place he arrived at turned out to be an alley inside a small residential area.

    ¡°Ah, finally you came.¡±

    ¡°That was so fast.¡±

    Some guys in a shaded spot beckoned him to come near. All four of them were around Su-hyeun¡¯s age.

    ¡°Are you guys the people I¡¯ve been looking for?¡± Su-hyeun asked as he checked with his phone.

    ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m right.¡±

    He checked a text message he got from a guy named Gwan Jang-hyeok.

    ¡ªI heard you¡¯ve been in a hospital.

    ¡ªWhen are you coming back? I want to see you.

    ¡ªI¡¯m a little strapped for cash these days. Can you help?

    ¡ªAre you f*cking ignoring me? Pick up your damn phone.

    ¡ªYou said you¡¯re coming back today. I¡¯m where we last met. Come right away, otherwise I¡¯ll get you rehospitalized.

    The text messages were all so mean. They didn¡¯t seem to care if he called the police.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time, anyway. He could see how they bullied Su-hyeun.

    He had learned from his mom that Su-hyeun dropped out of high school. Perhaps those guys were the main reason for that.

    ¡°Did you bring my money?¡±

    So Su-hyeun was supposed to bring some money to them.

    ¡°Sure. I should also get rid of all the scumbags like you.¡±

    ¡°What the f*ck?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡±

    ¡°Have you gone crazy?¡±

    One of the guys nearest to Su-hyeun swung his fist.

    Then, all of sudden, ¡°AHH!¡±

    Su-hyeun snatched his fist and twisted it. The man screamed, looking at his broken wrist.

    ¡°What the ¡ª?¡±

    While the rest of them were caught off guard, Su-hyeun had already become aware of his surroundings. There were no passersby who could witness anything and no surveillance cameras. That was probably why they had called him here in the first place.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make it quick.¡± He walked toward the now frightened men.

    ***

    Ahh¡­

    Ahhhhh¡­

    It felt nice to beat up all the bullies who were now squirming in pain like worms.

    That was easy.

    It was nothing to him. He had been through much harder fights countless times before, as it was important for heroes to practice fighting in order to defeat monsters. Comparing this to those occasions, those four bullies did not have any special fighting skills; they were absolutely nothing.

    Of course, Su-hyeun must have been the same as them, helpless and weak, but basic experience and insight made the huge difference.

    He could tell how ruthlessly they must have tormented Su-hyeun, judging by all those evil text messages from them.

    Just from those guys.

    All he needed was a little bit of courage. Su-hyeun also could get help from law enforcement, but what appeared to work best for the bullies was a little bit of a lesson from Su-hyeun himself.

    Su-hyeun threw the clubs and metal pipes right beside Gwan Jang-hyeok. Those weapons are all theirs.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­. Yes¡­. Sir.¡± Jang-hyeok was obviously terrified.

    What a dumbass! You¡¯d been bullied by those cowards for years during school?

    ¡°Tell me. Why did you bring all these pipes and weapons?¡±

    ¡°Well, that was just¡­.¡± Su-hyeun could tell he was trying to give him an answer that would save himself.

    ¡°You were trying to kill me, right?¡±

    Jang-hyeok went pale at his question.

    ¡°Then I suppose I can kill you too. Self-defense, you know. ¡±

    As he said this, he picked up one of the metal pipes that was thrown beside him. He swung it toward Jang-hyeok¡¯s head. As it almost landed on him. ¡°Ahh, please save me!¡±

    Tap¡ª

    It just lightly tapped his head. At that moment, Jang-hyeok wet himself.

    He was such a coward.

    Su-hyeun leaned toward him. ¡°If you do this again¡­¡±

    Bump¡ª!

    Su-hyeun said this as he beat him on his forehead. He gave all of the others the same warning. He didn¡¯t know how it would turn out, but surely, they had learned their lesson.

    Only

    So, I got one out of the list.

    As he walked out of the alley, he checked his phone. October 2018.

    He thought about what he was doing in his former life around this time of year.

    My school.

    At that time, before he became a hero, he was just an ordinary college student.

    Dong-ha University.

    He realized where to go next. Before he went back home, he needed to check his past life.

 Chapter 3

    Act 2

    Dong-ha University was one of the top three renowned universities in Korea. Su-hyeun was still attending this school until the day before, when he was Sung-in in his past life. But¡­.

    ¡°It¡¯s not here?¡±

    ¡°How many times must I tell you?¡± The man who looked like the faculty¡¯s teaching assistant replied nervously. Su-hyeun knew him. It was the same teaching assistant back when he had studied here. It was this school, but¡­.

    ¡°Student number 201413109, Kim Sung-in. This student isn¡¯t from our school. You may have come to the wrong place; it¡¯ll be faster for you to double-check.¡± It was evident that the teaching assistant was suppressing his anger while answering. Perhaps he should have been, since he was wasting his time on something so time-consuming. Su-hyeun could only trudge out of the faculty department.

    As classes ended, students came pouring out of the classrooms. Seeing this brought a probable thought to Su-hyeun¡¯s mind. However, no one knew of the student named Kim Sung-in, even if he remembered their faces and names.

    It couldn¡¯t be¡­.

    A sudden thought got Su-hyeun to flip out his smartphone. Su-hyeun opened his bank¡¯s website and entered his name and resident number, which then brought him to the authentication page.

    The result: The name and resident number do not match.

    The result was the same, regardless of how many times he tried. Could he have misremembered? No, it couldn¡¯t be. Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t be able to get into Dong-ha University if he couldn¡¯t even remember his resident number. Did I¡­ disappear?

    It was hard to believe. As Su-hyeun¡¯s mind turned blank and cooled, his steps steered toward one direction. He immediately headed to his old house.

    Su-hyeun rang the doorbell to his old house in Pyeongchon, Anyang. Ding-dong. The bell rang. Su-hyeun¡¯s heart started racing, and his blank mind was immediately filled with complicated thoughts as soon as the door opened. ¡°Who is this?¡±

    It was his mother. Not Su-hyeun¡¯s, but Kim Sung-in¡¯s mother. Why was she home? She wouldn¡¯t be in most of the time, except for a day or two a month. Should he consider himself lucky? But Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak in front of his mother. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­.¡± Su-hyeun then forced a smiling face and asked, ¡°Is there¡­ someone named Kim Sung-in here?¡±

    ¡°Kim Sung-in? No, I live alone here. Did you perhaps get the wrong place?¡± As expected, the answer was no different. It was his mother, not anyone else. Su-hyeun half-expected that she might not have remembered him. He was now certain that his life as Kim Sung-in did not exist in this world.

    ¡°Ha¡­.¡± It eventually came to this. It didn¡¯t take him long to get this straight in his mind. It was one of the possibilities he had in mind.

    That¡¯s true ¡ª I¡¯m here. There shouldn¡¯t be another me since I¡¯m here. It was easier to think of it that way.

    If so, mother too¡­ would not have remembered Su-hyeun. It was an awkward feeling. The woman standing in front of him now was no longer his mother. But why? She didn¡¯t look disturbed. It was just him who felt confused. If so¡­.

    As expected, I can¡¯t get any closer.

    Su-hyeun lowered his head and bowed. ¡°I seem to have found the wrong place. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Su-hyeun left the premises and headed towards town with a knotted heart. He gradually calmed down as he walked along the busy streets.

    I¡¯m Kim Su-hyeun. There was a question that he had been asking himself numerous times for the past month: Am I Su-hyeun or Sung-in? And the answer to his question finally came. I¡¯m now¡­ Su-hyeun.

    He repeated this countless times in his head so as to not be wavered by it, and to avoid confusion. Out of nowhere, he heard Shin Su-yeong¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯ll not ask why you¡¯re trying to change. Just don¡¯t go astray, and don¡¯t go too far away from home.¡±

    Why would she say that? Now he seemed to have understood. Shin Su-yeong felt anxious. Su-hyeun realized that she too had the same worries that he was having now ¡ª that he might leave for somewhere further away, that he might go somewhere far away and not return at all.

    He slapped both his cheeks hard with his hands. That woke him up. He was no longer attached to his past life. There was no one to remember him and nothing else for him to leave or regret.

    No, just one. Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes sank as he started to walk. Fafnir.

    Not from the past, but the future. No, more accurately, something that he would encounter in the future. If it was 2018 now, Fafnir would appear someday, and this world would fall. If this was a world where Kim Sung-in did not exist, then this world would only become worse, not better. That is, if he did nothing.

    On his way home, Su-hyeun observed his surroundings while walking on the busy streets. The sky was blue. Being in the bustling and lively landscape seemed to make one feel strangely excited. Until now, he would not have thought that he would miss this moment. In this landscape, in this setting. He wanted to protect the future that he would be living in.

    To do that, first¡­. Su-hyeun turned his head and muttered while looking far into the horizon. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to suffer for a while.¡±

    * * *

    Su-hyeun took the bus and arrived home. It wasn¡¯t hard finding his way back. While preparing to be discharged, he noted down his house address in advance. A two-room semi-basement apartment. Su-hyeun entered the house feeling awkward. Click¡ª

    As soon as Su-hyeun entered after opening the door with his keys, he could see the small living room and two rooms at once. It wasn¡¯t that small for two to live, but it was apparent that they were not so well-to-do since it was a semi-basement.

    Seems that she isn¡¯t back yet. It was early evening. Though it was time for the office workers to get off from work, Shin Su-yeong had yet to return. She usually ended late.

    I think we may have a late dinner¡­. There¡¯s still some time. Su-hyeun went into what seemed to be his room of the two. In a small room of 10 square meters, Su-hyeun sat on the bed that took up half that space.

    Although it was his first time, it did not feel unfamiliar. A weird feeling came to him. It was a different sense of relief and comfort as compared to when he stayed in the hospital. It seemed that his body remembered this place.

    Pull yourself together. He was quite affected by Shin Su-yeong. It wasn¡¯t in the wrong way. Instead, he liked the comfort, relief, and warmth, which was different from before. But from now on, these emotions would become poison to him.

    Smack¡ª

    Su-hyeun slapped both of his cheeks hard. Pull yourself together, he repeatedly muttered in his mind.

    From now on¡­ I¡¯ll be back as Sung-in. He had lived as Su-hyeun for the past month, and it would stay that way in the future. But besides that, as a Magical Awakener, no one else would be able to catch up to Kim Sung-in.

    I¡¯m now¡­. As if chanting a spell, Su-hyeun continued muttering in his mind. Sung-in. As the spell was finally controlling Su-hyeun. Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand stretched forward and grasped his wide-open hand tightly. Rip! Su-hyeun made a tear in the air, and a space formed. A ¡°doorway¡± was made such that only Su-hyeun could see it.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked towards the door. And after taking the first step, the landscape changed in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun opened his eyes. The white space came back to him. A familiar place, one that he had seen before. The warm feeling from earlier subsided quickly. Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes changed to those from his past life.

    [Welcome to the Tower of Trials.]

    [Kim Su-hyeun, will you start the trials now?]

    It started.

    The Tower of Trials. A place commonly referred to as an abyss by outsiders. Those who passed the first floor would be able to gain their abilities and become ¡°Magical Awakeners.¡± Of course, it was just the first step, but that performance was also equivalent to the Magical Awakener¡¯s level of awakening. If so, how could one enter the Tower of Trials?

    No precise requirements were stated yet. And that was the same for Su-hyeun when he was still Sung-in who lived in the future. It was such that one would know when the moment arrived. For Su-hyeun, the moment he opened his eyes in this life, he realized the method of entering the Tower of Trials. No, more accurately, it seemed as though he remembered the way to enter it. His past life had a positive influence. However, Su-hyeun delayed the beginning of the trials until now.

    And the only reason. In the best condition.

    For the past month, Su-hyeun had been hospitalized. He had been waiting for his fractured bone to heal and for his health to recover fully. His body now had been fully recovered. While he was hospitalized, he had also done rehabilitation training on his own. He was convinced that this was sufficient.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±

    [Kim Su-hyeun, the trials start now.]

    [Choose the level of difficulty.]

    [Levels 1~10]

    [As the level goes up, the level of difficulty increases, and the reward for clearing each level gets better.]

    The explanation for the trials appeared in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. The trials were divided into a total of 10 levels. The most manageable level started at Level 1, and the difficulty would have reached its highest point at level 10.

    It was a tough question. There was no right answer, and since there was no wrong answer, it was even tougher ¡ª to choose level 1 and clear the level with perfection, or to choose a higher level and scrape through the level.

    The choice was up to him. And¡­.

    ¡°Level 10.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s choice was already made.

    Only

    [You have chosen Level 10.]

    Su-hyeun had chosen Level 8 in his past life. It was quite difficult, and as tough as it was, the bounty was quite rewarding.

    The trials did not start easy. But¡­. It¡¯s not enough with just this.

    There was no end to the Tower of Trials. No one knew how many floors existed within this colossal tower. That was how it was known as being endless. But going up the higher floors did not mean that one was deemed to be stronger. There were cases where some Magical Awakeners who only cleared a few levels were stronger than those who completed dozens of levels. That was the difference when clearing levels and the levels of difficulty for the Tower of Trials.

    High risks, high returns. Su-hyeun thought as the world began its fall. What would happen if he had chosen a level of greater difficulty? What if he had taken a tougher route? Su-hyeun soon came to regret his choice for the first time.

    This time¡­. That was how he made up his mind then.

    [Level 10 of the Tower of Trials¡¯ First Floor will start.]

 Chapter 4

    A dull voice was heard as the scene before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes changed.

    The white scene from before had colors added to it. The precious scene was one of those that couldn¡¯t be seen outside the Tower of Trials.

    The chilly air tickled his skin.

    The background of the trials was the Colosseum.

    Grrr¡ª

    Kyaaa¡ª!

    The Colosseum was empty, but the cries of the monsters could be heard from somewhere.

    What great sound effects.

    Starting from the first floor, the background looked great.

    One floor, ten levels ¡ª he knew about its theme.

    Though the trials vary from the second floor onwards, the first level¡¯s trial was determined by its difficulty.

    There was almost no one who cleared the first level trials.

    Su-hyeun, too, had internal conflicts.

    Would this be the right choice? On the contrary, wouldn¡¯t choosing those with greater difficulties bring worse results?

    But his concern did not last long.

    Nothing changes if there are no differences.

    Change does not come without one¡¯s will. There¡¯s nothing else as stupid and selfish as expecting positive changes while doing nothing.

    [Choose your weapon.]

    A variety of weapons appeared around Su-hyeun.

    Sword, spear, katana, ax, hammer, bow, etc.

    Just the weapon types alone went well over the hundreds.

    And Su-hyeun knew how to use more than half the weapons.

    But there was no need to contemplate over which weapon to choose. Though Su-hyeun knew how to use more than half of them, there was the only one which he knew inside out.

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed the sword.

    The best weapon that was prepared to deal with Fafnir, the Balmung.

    It was a sword type weapon, and Su-hyeun had used it for the longest time.

    In terms of skills, no other weapons are on par with the sword.

    [You have chosen the ¡®Silver Longsword.¡¯]

    [Check its state.]

    As Su-hyeun ascended the levels, the explanations would get less amiable, and the difficulty would get higher. Compared to that, the description now was so much friendlier.

    ¡°State.¡±

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Strength: 11] [Agility: 12]

    [Health: 10] [Reflex: 14]

    [Fatigue: 10]

    Its overall stats were not inferior.

    The average stats could be seen as 10, so there weren¡¯t any stats lower than that.

    Particularly, the reflex stat was well above average.

    ¡°Why did I get beaten up so much with such stats?¡±

    Perhaps Su-hyeun¡¯s personality was the most significant contributing factor.

    ¡°Although my magic level and magic count were not evaluated¡­¡±

    It was not bad at this level.

    All preparations were completed.

    Up until then, nothing had happened in the Colosseum.

    It seemed that time was given to the newcomer to check his own condition and adapt to the new environment.

    No matter how Su-hyeun thought about it, the system was treating him quite well up until now.

    Of course, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t need this friendliness.

    Su-hyeun stood in the middle of the Colosseum and looked up into the sky.

    ¡°Stop wasting time and start now.¡±

    [Do you wish to start now?]

    Indeed, the system here felt vaguely like a game.

    Like a meticulously built artificial intelligence, it understood every intention and gave the right replies.

    It was a very convenient point.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    [The trials starts now.]

    [Fight and obtain victory.]

    Simple and concise.

    There¡¯s no need to complicate things. Su-hyeun knew what to do as soon as he saw the monsters appear in front of him.

    Plonk, grrrr¡ª

    A red-furred wolf growled as it watched Su-hyeun.

    If there was one more unique feature, it would be its third eye.

    He wasn¡¯t sure where it came from. Not from the sky, nor from the ground.

    There would be people flustered at the monster which appeared suddenly. But Su-hyeun knew about the trials beforehand, as well as the beast standing before him.

    The Vampire Wolf.

    Amongst all monsters, the Vampire Wolf was considered the weakest and of the lowest rank.

    Its physical and abilities did not have much of a difference from ordinary wolves.

    But the tricky part was its ¡°bloodsucking¡± trait.

    ¡°Its bloodsucking trait helps strengthen itself. On the other hand, a small amount of poison on its teeth reduces its movement speed.¡±

    Plonk¡ª!

    The Vampire Wolf dashed towards Su-hyeun.

    At that moment.

    Slam¡ª!

    Splat¡ª!

    Su-hyeun swung his sword at the charging Vampire Wolf and chopped off half its head.

    It was a masterpiece done at a timely moment with a fully prepared stance.

    Although Su-hyeun could not completely chop off its head due to lack of strength, it made the Vampire Wolf plunge headfirst onto the floor as if losing its breath.

    Squash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun picked up his sword and swung in the opposite direction, cutting off the wolf¡¯s head entirely.

    Its breathing stopped.

    [You have gained 10 achievement points.]

    [You have killed your first enemy.]

    [You have gained 1 strength point.]

    The reward at the beginning was great.

    It was a great kill that gained Su-hyeun a precious point in stats.

    Could there be more rewards?

    Every time a floor was cleared in the Tower of Trials, rewards were given based on the results and permission to advance to the next floor was given.

    In some cases, rewards were also given while clearing the floor. But those were sporadic cases.

    Grrrr¡ª

    Plonk, plonk¡ª!

    The slain Vampire Wolf¡¯s corpse disappeared, and two other Vampire Wolves materialized.

    Two more.

    It was still manageable.

    Su-hyeun raised his sword again.

    This time, Su-hyeun made his move first.

    Slide¡ª

    Su-hyeun slid his newfound body between the two Vampire Wolves.

    It wasn¡¯t as quick. This was the movement limit of Su-hyeun¡¯s newfound body.

    The Vampire Wolves, too, began running at the same time Su-hyeun did.

    And at that moment, Su-hyeun withdrew his body deep into the ground.

    At the same time, he swung his sword upwards.

    Slit¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    A large cut was made across the Vampire Wolf¡¯s abdomen as it flew above Su-hyeun.

    The other Vampire Wolf missed its target and landed lightly. The injured wolf cried painfully while squirming about on the floor.

    Dash¡ª!

    It wasn¡¯t certain if it was because of the death of its friend or its instinctive hunger for blood, but the remaining Vampire Wolf ran tirelessly towards Su-hyeun.

    And¡­

    Rip¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword ripped the running Vampire Wolf¡¯s mouth apart.

    Thud¡ª!

    The two injured Vampire Wolves were not dead.

    Of course, they would gradually die if he left them alone.

    Shaking off the blood off his sword, Su-hyeun muttered.

    ¡°Indeed¡­ I still haven¡¯t gotten used to it.¡±

    He was hospitalized for a month and still hasn¡¯t gotten used to fighting in a new body.

    If he could use his strength to the fullest, he could have amputated the heads of the Vampire Wolves.

    ¡°But it was pretty good earlier,¡± he added, referring to him making use of the opponent¡¯s charging momentum to fly the counter.

    It was the best way that Su-hyeun could come up with from his current strength and agility, which were lower than before.

    To make use of the counter, Su-hyeun had to continuously observe his opponent¡¯s movement and lure them into action.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to get used to it bit by bit.¡±

    The trials on the first floor until then were splendid.

    As the theme was the Colosseum, only simple battles with the low-rank monsters occurred.

    There was no better way than this for Su-hyeun to adjust to his new body.

    Poke, poke¡ª

    Su-hyeun did not forget to kill off the Vampire Wolves that were lying on the floor.

    [You have gained 20 achievement points.]

    The second reward popped up in Su-hyeun¡¯s mind.

    Unfortunately, no stats were increased this time.

    What was the difference?

    There was no other way to test the hypothesis that he came up with besides continuing the battle.

    Grrr¡ª

    Plonk, plonk¡ª!

    Another two Vampire Wolves appeared before Su-hyeun.

    This time, it wasn¡¯t just the Vampire Wolves.

    Different from the Vampire Wolves, what could be called something close to a real monster had appeared.

    Grrr¡ª

    A beast with dark red fur and a build smaller than the Vampire wolf.

    Even though it had two eyes closed, its third eye was wide open. It was drooling as if watching Su-hyeun as its meal.

    ¡°Mad Wolf.¡±

    Also known as the Rabid Wolf.

    The reason why the level 10 trial was so tough was due to this beast.

    Of course, the Vampire Wolf was not an easy opponent for normal humans, but as long as one had a weapon in his hands, it was manageable.

    But the beast ahead was the real deal.

    It wasn¡¯t one that should appear on the first floor.

    It was a monster that even well-trained soldiers couldn¡¯t catch.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s level 10.¡±

    Grin¡ª

    It had been a while.

    Su-hyeun felt as though he was back in his past life.

    The bodily senses from his past life seemed to have recovered.

    But Su-hyeun was still alert.

    ¡°I¡¯m Su-hyeun.¡±

    He mustn¡¯t be mistaken.

    Any small delusion would bring about a considerable side effect.

    Putting aside his emotions, he had to view this situation objectively.

    And objectively¡­

    ¡°Now.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun took a step towards the Mad Wolf and two Vampire Wolves.

    ¡°I¡¯m stronger.¡±

    Plonk, plonk¡ª!

    Grrr¡ª

    The Vampire Wolves and Mad Wolf howled menacingly at Su-hyeun.

    But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even snort.

    Su-hyeun had fought with monsters for many years in his past life.

    And he knew instinctively that the monsters are scared of him now.

    If so¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    It was now or never.

    Tap¡ª

    The Mad Wolf was running towards Su-hyeun.

    At the same time, the Mad Wolf, who was the size of a tiger, stretched its claws swiftly towards Su-hyeun. The Vampire Wolves were no different.

    Slide¡ª

    Rip¡ª

    Su-hyeun did not go deep.

    Instead, he dodged the Mad Wolf¡¯s claws and left a long cut along its side.

    At the same time he dodged, his body flew past the Vampire Wolves, taking care to avoid their sharp claws and teeth.

    A dig, and an immediate escape. Su-hyeun¡¯s lack of agility was replaced with his high concentration and broad vision.

    That was Su-hyeun¡¯s strategy.

    But it was only for that moment.

    Grr¡ª

    Plonk, plonk¡ª

    The reactions of the two Vampire Wolves had changed.

    The Vampire Wolves that barred their teeth at Su-hyeun looked at Mad Wolf.

    ¡°The unique feature of the Vampire Wolf is that it can¡¯t use blood unnecessarily.¡±

    It couldn¡¯t have the blood of the same race; unfortunately, for the Mad Wolf, he was not a member of their family.

    It was just a coincidence that their priority was focused on Su-hyeun.

    But since the Vampire Wolves have smelt blood¡­

    Only

    Plonk, plonk¡ª!

    They started dashing towards the Mad Wolf.

    And soon a fight between the two Vampire Wolves and the Mad Wolf started.

    Not a three vs one, but a one vs one vs two fight.

    No, more accurately¡­

    ¡°Only the winner comes this way.¡±

    The winner from their fight would go against Su-hyeun.

 Chapter 5

    Su-hyeun¡¯s past life, Sung-in, excelled in every way.

    Not only were his overall stats remarkable thanks to his regular exercises since his youth, but due to his mother¡¯s influence, he knew the signs of his awakening and thus had received various training.

    He understood the characteristics of the monsters, clearly knew their weaknesses, and came up with strategies to handle them.

    Injuring the Mad Wolf and making use of the Vampire Wolves¡¯ instinct to engage them in a fight was thanks to that.

    Ugh, ugggh¡ª

    Even though blood was gushing out and life was slowly draining, Mad Wolf was still drooling and swallowing its saliva.

    Its instinct for food was more of an obsession. It didn¡¯t think of running away even though it was close to dying.

    ¡°But that was better for me.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be as knotty if it used its quick movement to escape and fought back.

    Thankfully, it was an insane monster that lived up to its name. Its intelligence wasn¡¯t that high.

    Stab¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword penetrated deep into the Mad Wolf¡¯s head through the eye on its forehead.

    At that moment, the Mad Wolf, which was barely alive, died.

    [You have gained 50 achievement points.]

    [You have passed the first floor¡¯s trial.]

    [You have gained 300 achievement points.]

    [All stats have been increased by 5 points.]

    It was the end of the first floor.

    Su-hyeun was wide-eyed.

    ¡°What a reward¡­¡±

    300 achievement points.

    All stats increased by five.

    The reward exceeded his expectations.

    Besides the achievement points, the reward was hard to accept as it was rare to be awarded an increase for all stats.

    Plus, it was increased by 5 points for all.

    No matter if this was a level 10 trial, the reward was beyond imagination.

    ¡°I knew the rewards would depend on the course of the trial and the performance, but¡­¡±

    It did not occur to him that the difference would be this great.

    Perhaps being rewarded with a stat increase for the first Vampire Wolf kill could be due to the time taken to finish it off.

    Whatever the reason, it was satisfying for Su-hyeun.

    If he were to be continuously rewarded in this way, he would be able to earn much more than he did in his previous life.

    [You may use the first floor¡¯s store.]

    [Do you wish to advance to the next level?]

    Another message appeared later on.

    It was the message that Su-hyeun was waiting for.

    At the store, one could use their achievement points to purchase various weapons, shields, armor, and other equipment.

    Currently, Su-hyeun had a total of 380 achievement points.

    It was quite a substantial amount of achievement points earned from the first floor. It was thanks to the fact that Su-hyeun managed to swiftly pass the trial that got him a higher amount of points.

    ¡°Store.¡±

    Su-hyeun opened the store immediately.

    Various categories appeared before him, such as equipment, consumer goods, medication, food, etc. As long as one had achievement points, he could do anything in this world.

    Amongst them, there was only one that Su-hyeun was thinking of.

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    [Lowest grade mana catalyst: 300p]

    The item that came into Su-hyeun¡¯s view was a small bottle located in the consumer goods section.

    The small bottle containing a violet-colored potion was the first item that Su-hyeun had wanted to purchase long ago.

    ¡°I thought it would only be available for purchase at the second level¡­.¡±

    It was thanks to the high achievement points he was rewarded that his plans were hastened.

    ¡°Purchase.¡±

    [You have purchased the lowest grade mana catalyst.]

    [You have used 300 achievement points.]

    As soon as the purchase had been confirmed, the violet-colored potion appeared in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    Su-hyeun opened the thumb-sized bottle cap and gulped the potion down.

    Gulp¡ª

    The catalyst had no taste to it.

    But a bitter aftertaste came later.

    It was inevitable since the catalyst had been diluted in water.

    ¡°Pant¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun threw the now empty bottle on the floor.

    He flopped down to take a seat.

    ¡°Pant¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun exhaled long and deep, focusing on the catalyst that was spreading throughout his body.

    The magic factor also referred to the maximum amount of mana in his body.

    If the magic level measures the power level, the magic factor would determine how much magic power could be released.

    The awakener could never ignore neither the magic factor nor the magic level.

    If the level was low, the overall power that could be released would be weak no matter how high the factor is; and if the factor was low, no matter how high the magic level is, only a small amount of magic power could be used.

    ¡°Firstly, mana¡¯s maximum limit.¡±

    Currently, his body wasn¡¯t carrying any magic powers.

    The mana catalyst acts as a stimulant that forces the awakener to have magic power.

    Of course, if an average person were to drink a small amount like this, it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference¡­.

    Wiggle¡ª

    Since Su-hyeun had been dealing with magic for a long time, he reacted to the catalyst¡¯s effect of magic awakening quite sensitively.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    [Responding to magic power.]

    [Your magic factor has been increased by 1 point.]

    [Responding to magic power.]

    [Your magic level has advanced by 1 level.]

    ***

    One point.

    It was slightly humiliating.

    However, not many would be able to respond to magic power from the first floor. If it weren¡¯t for this particular case, one would only encounter this on the third floor.

    Initially, the first floor¡¯s level 10 was only a trial testing on one¡¯s physical abilities, and not related in any way to the magic power.

    Whirl, whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª

    Su-hyeun sent magic power into the sword in his hands.

    He felt the sword feeling better in his hands. But it was hard to have the magic power wrap around the sword itself.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hold this out for too long¡­.¡±

    It might have been better to get items like a sword or armor than to raise his magic level and factor.

    But Su-hyeun was considering the long run.

    ¡°I should get stronger on this floor while I can.¡±

    The items couldn¡¯t be taken out of the Tower of Trials anyway.

    The only thing he could take out would be the body that he built.

    ¡°For the sake of the future¡­.¡±

    As the sword¡¯s magic power ran out, Su-hyeun lowered it.

    ¡°As expected, magic power is most important.¡±

    [Will you advance to the next floor?]

    As if knowing that Su-hyeun has finished using the store, the system asked if he would like to advance to the next floor.

    Would he?

    Or would he stop here, and pause the trials temporarily?

    Or¡­

    ¡°No.¡±

    Su-hyeun expressed his refusal when the system asked if he would like to advance to the next floor.

    Grrr¡ª

    Kyaaa¡ª!

    Su-hyeun heard the monsters growling in the Colosseum and said, ¡°Call the next one out.¡±

    No pain, no gain.

    You must suffer the equivalent hardship before gaining something.

    It was the principle that Su-hyeun had from his past life, and it was also the truth in this life.

    Even if he couldn¡¯t endure it, it was still a go.

    There was no stopping.

    ¡°Before we advance, we should see it until the end, shouldn¡¯t we?¡±

    Act 3

    In the Tower of Trials, there were some rules to adhere to get stronger.

    ¡ªChoose the higher levels.

    ¡ªClear the higher floors.

    ¡ªGive a better performance.

    Although there were several other expedients like the catalyst that Su-hyeun used, they were just additives.

    The crucial point was how high the level, the floor, and how to get a better performance to clear the trials.

    And depending on the circumstances, it was better to find a way to get a better performance at certain levels instead of the predetermined.

    [Will you advance to the next floor?]

    There were two choices to this question.

    Yes and No.

    Most would choose ¡°Yes,¡± as they would have decided to start the next floor of trials by quickly heading to the next floor.

    But occasionally, there was another type of trial that is similar to the one Su-hyeun was at now.

    A bonus mission that could be taken up after the trial ended.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the end of this Colosseum?¡±

    A fight that only had three battles.

    Su-hyeun thought it was boring.

    All his stats had increased, and now that he had his magic awakened, fighting would be a lot easier.

    It was a pity to stop here. Also, it was apparent that the trial¡¯s achievement level would get higher after clearing and getting more bonus missions.

    No words were needed for the rewards. Plus, Su-hyeun was taking on level 10 of the trial at the moment.

    Su-hyeun took on the Colosseum¡¯s next challenge.

    And the one after.

    And¡­.

    [You have cleared stage 10 of the first floor.]

    [There is nothing else after this.]

    [You have flawlessly cleared the first trial.]

    [You will be ranked according to your achievement.]

    [You are ranked first.]

    [You have gained 1000 achievement points.]

    [All stats have been increased by 1 point.]

    [Your magic factor has been increased by 2 points.]

    [Your magic level has increased by 1 level.]

    ¡°Pant, pant¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at the great wolf that was the size of a bull lying on the floor.

    This wolf, whose whole body had been raked, was called the ¡°Raked Wolf.¡± It was a monster that had relatively keen senses.

    It was hard for even a skilled magic awakener to deal with this beast, and it appeared on the first floor of the trials.

    ¡°I wondered what happened.¡±

    He did expect that it wouldn¡¯t be easy when he decided to clear all the 10 stages on the first floor.

    But never did he expect to meet the Raked Wolf on the first floor.

    ¡°But still¡­¡±

    As tough as it was, the reward was bountiful.

    It was a given to be ranked first in the trials¡¯ ranking. Su-hyeun was also ranked first in most of the records in his past life.

    But he never expected to be able to gain a magic level of 2 on just the first floor.

    ¡°Status.¡±

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic Factor: 8] [Magic Level: 2]

    [Strength: 28] [Agility: 29]

    [Health: 28] [Reflex: 34]

    [Fatigue: 55]

    His overall stats had increased tremendously.

    One would not have thought that he had just cleared the first floor of the trials.

    This situation surpassed his expectations much more than he had imagined.

    ¡°Should I continue on to the second floor now?¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head at the sudden thought which surfaced in his mind.

    ¡°No. Let¡¯s stop here for today.¡±

    He could not ignore his level of fatigue now.

    He needed enough rest, had used his achievement points, and was required to maintain himself. Furthermore, he could not ignore the reality.

    ¡°I¡¯m returning.¡±

    [Your qualifications are distinct.]

    [You have cleared the first floor.]

    [You will now exit the Tower of Trials.]

    The world before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes changed once again.

    * * *

    Cut, cut, cut, cut.

    Boiling, boiling.

    As Su-hyeun stepped into the now-familiar room, he heard sounds coming from the living room ¡ª the sounds of soup boiling and some excellent cutting skills.

    Su-hyeun opened his room door and went out to the living room.

    ¡°Oh, son, you were home?¡±

    Shin Su-yeong, who was preparing dinner, turned around.

    Su-hyeun nodded his head slightly and looked at the food set on the dining table. He was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Pork rib stew, stir-fried mix vegetable noodles, and bean paste soup¡­ Why did you prepare so much?¡±

    Although the house was small, the dining table had a sumptuous feast that would make many feel envious. Just by looking at it, one could tell it was a feast that needed a lot of preparations.

    ¡°My son just got discharged, so of course I have to prepare this much.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just come back from work?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The soup is almost ready, so take a seat. I¡¯ll get you a bowl of rice.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll get it myself.¡±

    Su-hyeun checked small the wall clock hung on one side of the living room. It had been well after 10PM.

    Shin Su-yeong arrived back home after work at around 9PM.

    If it were other families, their son would be eating alone at this time. Nevertheless, it seemed that Shin Su-yeong had been preparing dinner that late into the night every day after work.

    As soon as the soup was done, Su-hyeun got his bowl of rice and sat down at the dining table. They turned on the television and started their meal.

    ¡ªRecently, there has been an increase in the number of dungeons. When comparing the first-time dungeons that appeared back in 2013, in 2018, it was discovered that the number has multiplied by threefold.

    As expected, the issues raised in the news recently were about dungeons and magical awakeners. As it was something Su-hyeun was used to, he did not show much interest in it.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you fascinated at it?¡±

    ¡°What about?¡±

    Su-hyeun focused on his meal and replied to Shin Su-yeong¡¯s question in a mundane manner.

    If she asked about fascination, his answer was predetermined. To him, it was his daily life and lifestyle.

    ¡°Suddenly monsters and people with weird supernatural powers are appearing. These only came out in the comics and stuff that you liked when you were young.¡±

    ¡°Well, it has now come to reality.¡±

    That¡¯s right. It had become a reality.

    ¡ªMeanwhile, the prices of energy sources and ether stones found in the dungeons continue to skyrocket due to its wide variety of uses. Though some people mentioned the dangers of the phenomenal dungeon outbreak, it still has had a positive impact on our society¡­

    Of course, the reality wasn¡¯t as hopeful as what was reported on the television.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t hope, but more of desperation.¡±

    This happiness would not go on for long.

    The dungeons that came to the world with a hopeful image would soon change into a huge disaster.

    Knowing this fact, Su-hyeun could not accept the news that this was being reported as a trivial story.

    They ended their meal, and Su-hyeun pushed Shin Su-yeong into her room, saying that he would do the dishes.

    Su-hyuen went back into his room after he finished doing the dishes.

    Creak¡ª

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve finished doing the.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s voice turned softer.

    During that short time, Shin Su-yeong fell asleep while lying against the wardrobe.

    It seemed that she was quite exhausted, seeing that she might not have known how she fell asleep.

    Su-hyeun looked quietly at the sleeping Shin Su-yeong before spotting a folded blanket on the side and covering her with it.

    ¡°Mother.¡±

    Looking at her face, his insides turned.

    He still felt awkward at that term. Even though he had decided to live as Su-hyeun, he nevertheless felt some awkwardness.

    But¡­

    Of course, it would be hard for anyone to understand why her devotion to Su-hyeun was so great.

    ¡°Just wait a while more.¡±

    Only

    He wanted to repay as much as he had received.

    Even though it was a devotion that wasn¡¯t directed entirely at him¡­.

    The end of this devotion must not lead to the end of this world.

    ¡°Even though I can¡¯t become your real son¡­¡± he thought while he closed his eyes and held her hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely make you happy.¡±

    Certainly.

    He would not have anyone die under his watch.

 Chapter 6

    Shin Su-yeong woke up late from her sleep. In the wee hours of the morning, dawn had just started to break.

    ¡°When did I fall asleep?¡±

    She rubbed her blurry eyes and looked around her.

    Got to do the laundry and clean the floor¡­. House chores are piling up like a mountain. But ¡ª

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    The room was clean.

    The untidy pile of clothes had been neatly folded and the floor had been cleaned without a single strand of hair left behind. The piling trash can in the living room had been emptied as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±

    Shin Su-yeong turned around.

    Su-hyeun was carrying a change of clothes and a bag. Shin Su-yeong, in turn, spoke to Su-hyeun while she looked inside the recently cleaned room.

    ¡°You did all this?¡±

    ¡°The cleaning?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Since you were sleeping, I didn¡¯t want to wake you up. I didn¡¯t know where to put the laundry, so I just left it aside. Please do it later. The toilet was dirty, so I cleaned it as well.¡±

    Shin Su-yeong stared blankly with a loss for words. Although he did occasionally clean the floor and do simple household chores, she never thought that her son would clean up the house so neatly while she was asleep.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much left for me to do.¡±

    It seemed that she could sleep more before heading to work.

    ¡°But son, where are you heading at this hour? Do you have plans?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the library.¡±

    ¡°The library?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I might stay at my friend¡¯s house for the night, too. My phone will be turned off, but don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°To study?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have to attend university.¡±

    It was a lame excuse, but there were no other excuses that he could come up with.

    Su-hyeun scratched his head and turned away.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Su-hyeun put on his shoes and headed out.

    Shin Su-yeong looked out into the dark, early morning sky where the sun had yet to rise and muttered.

    ¡°Oh my, what is going on?¡±

    It might have been too much to go back to sleep immediately.

    * * *

    Trudge, trudge.

    5AM in the morning. It was dark out on the streets. It was quiet outside except for the sounds of a few people who started work early in the morning.

    ¡°I should start studying for a bit.¡±

    Since he used studying as an excuse, he couldn¡¯t help but do it.

    ¡°Although I won¡¯t need it much.¡±

    Anyway, he did more than enough studying in his past life.

    He had been admitted into a reasonably respectable university and still remembered a fair bit from those times. It had been a short-term investment while he was recovering from his fatigue.

    ¡°Before that¡­¡±

    Slide¡ª

    Su-hyeun headed into a deserted alley. The narrow alley wasn¡¯t hard to find, as this was an area where few people lived. He came up with the excuse of going to the library to explain his long absences, but actually, he had something else to do.

    ¡°Ha. What am I even doing?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t a criminal, but found himself pathetic to be hiding away in a place like this.

    ¡°I had to hide it immediately, so I had no choice.¡±

    It had only been a few years since the appearance of magical awakeners and dungeons. As precious as each magical awakener was, great attention was also given to every new magical awakener.

    Therefore, moving on with the Tower on Trials in the middle of the streets would only garner more attention.

    ¡°I would never be able to go back again.¡±

    Su-hyeun reached out and shook his head clear when he thought about where he belonged in his past life.

    Rip¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s grasp tore a space in the air. The entrance to the Tower of Trials appeared before him. The gigantic tower could be seen once he stepped in.

    Step, step¡ª

    He had become familiar with the route towards the tower. Su-hyeun could now pass the doors without any hesitation.

    The landscape turned white before him and was recolored once again, revealing a completely different scene. Regardless of how many times he had crossed the entrance to the tower, he would always find this change fascinating.

    [Welcome to the Tower of Trials.]

    The message appeared in his mind.

    Su-hyeun stood in the middle of the vast city, where people were walking in the square around the lake.

    ¡°Tower of Trials.¡±

    In the outside world, it was known as ¡°The Abyss.¡±

    Different from its dark and dreary title, this world was quite habitable. One could live considerably well without having to clear the floors of the tower.

    ¡°It¡¯s a nice place.¡±

    Compared to the nearly destroyed future, the world now was very much better to live in.

    ¡°Because of that day, the Day of Selection¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head. It was too far into the future to think about it now. Instead, now he had to resolve issues and prepare for the Day of Selection.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun immediately headed to a large department store located outside of the square. It was composed of a dwellers who did not appear to have any items on display, but the place was clearly meant to be a store.

    A voice piped up while Su-hyeun walked in. ¡°What are you here for?¡±

    A beautiful lady with black hair, soft skin, and a slender jawline gained Su-hyeun¡¯s attention.

    ¡°If you¡¯re here to buy stuff, come here. Are you looking for anything in particular?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at her.

    What a charming lady. Su-hyeun knew just who she was.

    Dark Elf Velly. One of the merchants found on the second floor of the Tower of Trials selling skill books.

    Dark Elf was a nickname that was widely known amongst the magical awakeners. Although Velly was not an elf, it meant that her beauty was equivalent to one.

    Su-hyeun walked towards Velly¡¯s calling. Velly leaned her face and body up close to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Is this your first time?¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing you, but your eyes don¡¯t seem so. It¡¯s as if you¡¯ve returned to someplace familiar.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. Just think of me as a passing customer.¡±

    ¡°How snippy. So, what are you looking for? I usually sell skill books. If you¡¯re not looking for anything in particular, shall I show you the whole list?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at her seductive appearance from the bottom up. It wouldn¡¯t be weird if anyone were to commit an impulse purchase to win her favor. It seems that many stupid customers would fall for this.

    Those stupid customers would not live for long. Su-hyeun ignored Velly¡¯s gaze and spoke.

    ¡°Do you sell the transfiguration skill?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sell what?¡±

    Velly¡¯s eyes turned small with Su-hyeun¡¯s question. With that change in expression, Su-hyeun was able to confirm that he had found the right place.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go around in circles finding it.¡±

    Su-hyeun bent down to meet Velly¡¯s eyes. Velly pulled back and distanced herself from him.

    ¡°How much is it? I¡¯m looking for it.¡±

    ¡°I do have it¡­ But why are you looking for it?¡±

    ¡°Because I need it.¡±

    ¡°And you can afford it? Even if it costs a whopping 1,000 points?¡±

    1,000 points. A ridiculous amount for someone who just cleared the first floor. It was rare to gain stats or achievement points at the first level, especially since it was just a level to be cleared for formality¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Even so, the transfiguration skill is only accessible for those with magic level 2. You¡¯re just a newbie who recently cleared the first floor¡­.¡±

    ¡°Stop your nagging and give it to me. I have the 1,000 points.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    Velly considered Su-hyeun¡¯s request for a moment and slowly took out a book.

    ¡°Here it is. The transfiguration skill book.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Su-hyeun took the book from Velly. At the same time:

    [You have used 1,000 achievement points.]

    The achievement points which he had accumulated were gone. Although there were still some left, most of them were used.

    ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve just cleared the first floor? You were looking for the transfiguration skill, and you already had that many points as well¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop being nosy. I won¡¯t be staying here for long, either.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Forget it. Give me the leap skill. It¡¯s 150 points, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you really supposed to be on the second floor?¡±

    Velly looked suspiciously at Su-hyeun. But still took out the leap skill book and handed it to him.

    Soon, her expression changed into curiosity, much like when he first met her. Su-hyeun judged that Velly must have known the value of the transfiguration skill. Indeed, she¡¯s not a normal lady.

    How did she come to live here? All dwellers here had their own unique story to tell. Velly probably had something similar.

    ¡°I¡¯m off.¡±

    Su-hyeun walked into another store and bought some simple equipment.

    To move equipment from the Tower of Trials a separate item was needed, one different from skills. But that item was not available to purchase on the second floor, so the equipment that Su-hyeun had got to use was quite a steal.

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad for this much.¡±

    A total of 200 achievement points.

    Add another 100 points for dry rations, bandages, medication, and more.

    The remaining 700 points were used to purchase a low-grade mana catalyst.

    ¡°Appraisal.¡±

    [Transfiguration Skill.]

    -Magic level: 2

    -LV: 1

    -Can mimic a specific target¡¯s physical ability. Depending on the transfiguration level, the level of imitating the opponent will increase.

    [Leap.]

    -Magic level: 2

    -Ability: 0.

    -Able to do one more leap in the air. Depending on the ability, the number of leaps and height will increase.

    These were the two skills bought from Velly. They were the two most useful skills known to Su-hyeun on the second floor.

    ¡°It was an excellent choice to purchase transfiguration skill.¡±

    A skill worth 1,000 achievement points.

    In fact, it was almost impossible to obtain it. The person whom Su-hyeun knew to have gotten this skill appeared only 10 years later. That person was a magical awakener who chose the ninth level, and like Su-hyeun, had out-performed when clearing the first floor.

    Although he used up 1,000 points in one go, he didn¡¯t find it to be a waste.

    ¡°Level-dependent skill.¡±

    Unlike the leap skill, which was determined by ability, the transfiguration skill was determined by magic level. A skill¡¯s required magic level was the minimum needed to learn it, and at the same time, it referred to its own level as well.

    Of course, it was a skill that showed excellent efficiency anytime, anywhere, regardless of the level. It was similar to the leap skill in that it could perform evasions and deceptions in various situations.

    But most of the skills were not like that. Thus, this level-dependent skill was one that many magical awakeners would kill to have while they ascended the tower.

    ¡°Still, I have no use for it now.¡±

    He was prepared to the best of his ability. Su-hyeun used 50 points to purchase a small pouch to contain his rations and some thin armor that would not hinder his movement.

    He had used up all his achievement points gained from the first floor ¡ª it was all to achieve even better performance on the next floor.

    ¡°Before that, first¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun went to book his accommodation. All the tower¡¯s dwellers used achievement points as currency. The remaining small amount of achievement points were used to rent a place for himself.

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun stepped in and placed the sword and spear, which were slung over his shoulder, in a corner. He then pulled out the violet-colored bottle from the small pouch hung around his waist.

    Only

    [Low-grade mana catalyst.]

    -Mana catalyst diluted with distilled water. Depending on the user¡¯s level, it permanently amplifies the magic level and factor.

    Such a slipshod explanation for an item that could make one waste 700 points if misused.

    In fact, it was common to see many magical awakeners who wanted high magic factor to not see much effect after taking the catalyst. Because of this, the catalysts were often described as a lottery amongst magical awakeners.

    ¡°Strictly speaking, they aren¡¯t lotteries.¡±

    But now, Su-hyeun did not even have an item like this.

    Pop¡ª

    Su-hyeun sat down and immediately opened the catalyst¡¯s lid.

 Chapter 7

    Gulp, gulp¡ª

    As if downing a hot drink, the feeling of the catalyst flowing down his esophagus was intense. Su-hyeun put the empty bottle down beside him. He could feel the same intensity that he had felt when he first had the low-grade mana catalyst.

    Focus, focus. Like a spell, he chanted it twice in his mind. From now on, the value of the catalyst would vary depending on how focused he was. The 700 points which he spent might be for naught if there was no effect, but on the contrary, it could also worth thousands of points.

    Wriggle¡ª

    The catalyst that went into his body started reacting. It was the real deal now.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Sizzle¡ª

    The magic¡¯s build started growing after reacting with the catalyst. Its properties did not change. If it did change, it would have meant that the magic level had increased.

    Greed was taboo. Instead of the properties, it was more important to focus on the maximum amount of mana, which in this case was the magic factor.

    [Your magic factor has increased by 1 point.]

    [Your magic factor has increased by 1 point.]

    [Your magic factor¡­]

    As the magic properties increased, the magic factor increased as well. Su-hyeun tried to ignore the message that popped up in his head. If he lost focus now, all that he had done up until now would have been for nothing.

    Tch¡ª

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    At that moment, some changes were visible in the magic properties. Now is the time.

    Although he tried not to be greedy, the situation changed. The effect of the catalyst was beyond his expectations. Su-hyeun quickly focused on the remaining catalyst. The magic properties changed rapidly in response to it. The color changed slowly from one to another until it was one of a better grade.

    The results.

    [Your magic level has increased by 1.]

    Compared to the first time, the effect had exceeded expectations.

    ¡°Huuuu¡ª¡± After the last message popped up, Su-hyeun let go of his breath, which he had held for so long. At the same time, he let go of his concentration, and the magic that gathered at the catalyst had dissipated.

    But the magic that had undergone change once would not change anymore. After sweating it out, Su-hyeun laid on the floor. As expected¡­ It¡¯s tiring.

    Extreme concentration brought severe fatigue. As his vision blurred, all his energy left his body. He needed to rest.

    Great. Awesome. Unlike the fatigue in his body, Su-hyeun¡¯s mind was feeling quite refreshed. Magic level of 3. On top of that, he also attained a magic factor of 16. The maximum amount of mana had definitely changed. Not only that, but the magic properties had also increased to a higher level.

    I¡¯ll rest for awhile¡­ Su-hyeun took smaller breaths and closed his eyes.

    And move on to the next floor.

    Act 4

    Su-hyeun headed out to the square after taking a rest. The second floor of the Tower of Trials was a city so vast it was as if it had no end. In the city existed several squares, and most of the squares had portals that were linked to the upper floors.

    ¡°Looking for people to challenge the third floor! Willing to compromise on the level!¡±

    ¡°Cleared level 5 challenger attempting level 4! 2-person party, looking for one more to join!¡±

    It was as if looking at a scene from a game. There were those who were reluctant to head up to the next floor on their own. They introduced themselves and started to look for parties to head up with.

    ¡°Are you going up to the next floor?¡± An amiable looking young man appeared beside Su-hyeun. He looked almost the same age as Su-hyeun. It seemed like he, too, would like to challenge the next floor.

    ¡°I want to go to level 8. Do you want to join? You seem to be quite skillful, judging by your equipment.¡±

    Level 8. A fairly high-level challenger. Seeing that the young man was as well-equipped as Su-hyeun himself, it seemed that he had passed the first floor with a high performance.

    Where have I met him before? Su-hyeun did not answer immediately, but instead scrutinized his face ¡ª it looked familiar. Soon, Su-hyeun was able to recall where he had seen the young man.

    Choi Hak-joon.

    He was labeled as a genius amongst the promising magical awakeners at a certain point in time. Unfortunately, he had lost his life in an accident. He had seen him a few times before, but he did not look this young even then. More accurately, it wasn¡¯t just his face that was different.

    His aura feels different. The Hak-joon he remembered was not this affectionate and sociable. Even his expression was different. That was why Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t recognize him at first.

    Some events had caused people to change, and it seemed that it was before the accident happened. That accident¡­ which guild¡¯s extermination was it?

    The accident was the wipeout of the guild that he was in. It was a relatively large guild, and the future Hak-joon was a highly skilled magical awakener. News of a guild being wiped out was the talk of the town. Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t strange if one had enemies amongst the magical awakeners. Hak-joon was finally acquitted when the relationship between him, the guild, and the syndicate came to light.

    Level 8¡­ Although he did challenge a higher level, Su-hyeun shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hak-joon smiled awkwardly with a look of regret on his face at Su-hyeun¡¯s refusal.

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s quite a high difficulty, isn¡¯t it? If I can¡¯t get anyone to join me today, I might have to head up on my own.¡±

    Most would not bother to challenge level 8. It was because the moment one cleared level 5, the subsequent levels¡¯ difficulty would increase exponentially. Hak-joon thought that it was because of the high difficulty that Su-hyeun had to consider joining him. But it was actually the opposite, and Su-hyeun did not bother to explain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to lower the difficulty?¡± Su-hyeun became curious about the man standing before him. As Hak-joon passed on too early, he never had the chance to talk to him. On top of that, the Hak-joon he remembered wasn¡¯t such an amiable person.

    Something must have triggered a change in him. Exactly what had made him change? Hak-joon answered Su-hyeun¡¯s question. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why must you challenge level 8 then?¡±

    ¡°The higher levels seem to be a lot tougher¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t level 8 of a high difficulty as well?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Hak-joon shook his head to avoid answering the question.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. If it¡¯s tough for you, I¡¯ll just go by myself.¡± Su-hyeun also had no intention of forcing an answer from him. Eventually, Su-hyeun left Hak-joon and went into the square.

    Hoping to find others who would join him, Hak-joon approached some others who were equipped well enough. Others had also expressed interest, but only for a while.

    Although some saw Su-hyeun¡¯s equipment and approached him to clear the levels together, he rejected them all.

    No one would want to attempt level 10, right? Even if there was someone, he wouldn¡¯t want to do it together.

    Chuck¡ª

    Su-hyeun went into the portal located in the center of the square. His vision turned white, and he felt his body float in the air. Soon, a message appeared in his mind.

    [Kim Su-hyeun, your second-floor trial starts now.]

    [Choose the level of difficulty.]

    [1~10 Lv.]

    [The difficulty gets higher as you go up the levels. The reward after you clear the level would also get better.]

    His decision had already been made. ¡°Level 10.¡±

    Although he could choose the level of difficulty at each floor, Su-hyeun had already decided on the difficulty himself. High risks, high returns. This absolute principle would never fail on its own.

    [Level 10. The second-floor trial will begin.]

    The white space in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was colored again. The landscape and the temperature on his skin changed. It was not clear if the surroundings changed with Su-hyeun in the center, or if he fell into another world. But this feeling was not bad. Su-hyeun observed his surroundings.

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    Hwing¡ª!

    There were the calls of some unknown species of birds and a chilly wind blowing. Before he knew it, Su-hyeun was standing in the middle of the deep forest.

    [The trial begins now.]

    [You are being pursued. Your opponents are the Shayres, a species that dominates this forest.]

    [You must take the Shayres¡¯ treasure and escape from the forest. If it is stolen or if you die, you will fail this trial.]

    [Survive.]

    [Protect the treasure.]

    As soon as the message ended, a necklace appeared in Su-hyeun¡¯s hands. He didn¡¯t know when he started carrying the necklace. It was most likely the treasure that was mentioned before. The treasure of Shayres.

    He knew what species they were. Although they were categorized as a species, the magical awakeners identified them as monsters that moved in tribes.

    Hunter-type monsters. They were excellent at tracking. It definitely would not be easy trying to escape from them in this dense forest. Although the Shayres did not have exceptional physical abilities, they were hard to deal with, especially for someone who was just about to take on the second floor¡¯s challenge.

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun wore the necklace that he was holding onto. There was no effect from it. It didn¡¯t look like a treasure at all. It could also be that only after clearing the trial that the necklace show its effect.

    It would have been better if the necklace were sealed. Sealed items had a far better effect than ordinary objects. Treasure of the Shayres¡­

    Crack, caw¡ª!

    Caw¡ª!

    A terrible cry could be heard from somewhere within the woods. It was the cry of a Shayre. It seemed outraged by the fact that its treasure had disappeared.

    ¡°It seems to be quite angry.¡± Su-hyeun grinned.

    Protect the treasure, escape, and survive. Now he clearly understood the objective of this trial. If so¡­ ¡°Forget about escaping.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun started walking towards the Shayres¡¯ cries. I¡¯ll face them head-on.

    * * *

    A monster with an oval-shaped face, no facial features, and white skin appeared before him. The Shayres were quite intelligent monsters. While their physical abilities were not particularly outstanding, they were civilized and moved in groups, which made them a species that was quite difficult to deal with.

    Crr, crrr¡ª

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    The Shayres were outraged. The reason was simple: their treasure had disappeared. Tens of Shayres sat on the trees above and looked at one side of the forest. The treasure was nearby; the Shayres knew this because a unique scent had been sprayed on the necklace for them to track it easily.

    Crr, crack¡ª

    It was him. The human who had stolen their treasure. The human was coming closer ¡ª not escaping, but returning again? It was weird.

    The Shayres were intelligent creatures. There was no way that the human would return here without any reason. But even so, they would not be scared enough of just one human being to retreat.

    Creak, creak¡ª

    The leader of the Shayres raised his hand. The others widened their formation and got prepared. It was not for pursuit, but to prepare for defense. The culprit would soon enter their territory.

    Only

    Step, step¡ª

    The human walked in slowly. He wore thin armor and had a sword and spear slung over his shoulders. He was strolling. Su-hyeun greeted the Shayres.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you are the predators in this part of the forest.¡± Su-hyeun spoke as he held the sword and spear in each of his hands. ¡°So¡­¡±

    Crr¡ª?

    Unable to understand Su-hyeun, the Shayres¡¯ leader tilted his head to one side. At that moment ¡ª

    Sleek¡ª

    Plop¡ª!

    The spear came flying and pierced the Shayre leader¡¯s head into the tree. As soon as they were angered, Su-hyeun raised his sword. ¡°From now on, I will change the predators of this forest.¡±

 Chapter 8

    The night grew deeper in the forest.

    Shuffle, shuffle¡ª

    The forest shook in an uproar. Countless shadows were in pursuit of one human.

    Creak, creak¡ª!

    Squeal¡ª!

    The Shayres pulled their bows with a lunatic cry. And at that moment:

    Snap, snap¡ª

    Su-hyeun lightly stepped on a few branches. He was waiting for that moment.

    Swoosh¡ª!

    The arrows flew in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction, but they couldn¡¯t hit him. As the thin branches snapped, Su-hyeun¡¯s body bounced upwards.

    Plat¡ª

    He had used the Leap skill. The unexpected movement got the flustered Shayre to take off.

    Slash¡ª!

    [You have gained 20 achievement points.]

    The Shayre¡¯s throat was slashed and bright red blood came gushing out like a fountain.

    Wooong¡ª

    Plat, plat¡ª

    Su-hyeun moved fast. He focused the magic on his legs and was able to move around in the forest¡¯s complicated terrain freely. Even the Shayres, who dominated the forest, were unable to catch up to him.

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    The Shayres panicked as half of their tribe was lost. They had to run. They were not the hunters. At this moment, the hunter was Su-hyeun. But¡­

    Jingle¡ª

    ¡°Going to run?¡± Su-hyeun said as he showed them the necklace on his neck. The Shayres turned furious upon seeing the necklace, though they did not understand his words. The remaining Shayres headed towards Su-hyeun in unison. They probably realized that bows would not work on Su-hyeun, who could leap into the air. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s right.¡±

    Pssh¡ª

    Plop¡ª!

    The spear in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand pierced through the forthcoming Shayre¡¯s head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to drag it on any further¡­.¡±

    Pick, pick¡ª

    Tung¡ª

    Su-hyeun slashed the two Shayres near him and leaped to get to the Shayres that were in the distance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish up quickly.¡±

    Slash¡ª!

    He slashed the last Shayre.

    [You have gained 20 achievement points.]

    [Your strength has increased by 1 point.]

    Drip, drip¡ª

    His blood dripped on the floor and covered his body. The tension in Su-hyeun eased and fatigue came over him. ¡°Huuu¡ª¡±

    He lost count of how many tribes there were. The numbers were increasing. There¡¯s no end to them.

    Although it was a level 10 trial, not all the rewards were equivalent to the effort put in the trials. Su-hyeun had the first-hand experience of clearing the level with better than expected performance, where the reward was even more bountiful than usual.

    Su-hyeun had thought about it when he started the second floor¡¯s trial here. If the purpose was to run away from the Shayres and survive without losing the treasure¡­

    It would end if the Shayres were wiped out, regardless of how long it took. It was best to get the highest reward possible if he were to continue challenging the level 10 trials for each floor. To do that, Su-hyeun did not run from the Shayres, but chose to face them head-on instead.

    The numbers are slowly increasing. No, it wasn¡¯t just the numbers. Even amongst the Shayres, there were the strong and the weak. Not only were their numbers increasing, but their level was also getting higher as well.

    I¡¯ll stop here for today. His fatigue level was increasing. Not only had his stamina reached its limits, but the magic that he had been cherishing was also nearly used up.

    It wasn¡¯t a trial that could be cleared in a day or two. One also needed to know when to stop and take a rest to complete this long-running marathon.

    Su-hyeun went into a nearby cave that he found. He could see light coming through the ceiling as he entered the deep cave.

    [You have entered a safe zone.]

    [You are safe from attackers here.]

    He had found a safe zone, also known as a neutral zone. It was first place Su-hyeun entered after his fight with the Shayres. There were several other safe zones in different types of trials. Although there were some trials where safe zones did not exist, they were uncommon. Additionally, the safe zones were treated as separate spaces, disconnected from the trial.

    ¡°Status.¡±

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic Factor: 16] [Magic level: 3]

    [Strength: 32] [Agility: 31]

    [Health: 30] [Reflex: 35]

    [Fatigue: 79]

    The increase in the stats range was quite slow compared to the first floor, but Su-hyeun thought that it was fast enough. As each stat increased, a vast difference could be seen, and it also got harder to increase.

    It was not advisable to become too ambitious. Although things seemed slow on the second floor, it was imperative to increase his stats and magic factor steadily.

    Fatigue has piled up, as expected¡­. He needed to rest right now. Thankfully, it was a trial without any time limit. Su-hyeun just couldn¡¯t focus on clearing the floors now.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to head back.¡± There was no reason for him not to take a rest here. Su-hyeun reached his hand out.

    Rip¡ª!

    Once again, Su-hyeun opened the door back to reality.

    * * *

    It was late at night in reality. Su-hyeun hurried down the mountain and headed home. Although he was exhausted from fighting all day, he had no intention of worrying Shin Su-yeong.

    11PM. It was nearly time for the library to close. As Su-hyeun turned on his mobile phone, a few missed calls from Shin Su-yeong popped up.

    She must have been quite worried. He did tell her that he might stay out for the night just in case, but of course, such words would not make her worry less.

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun unlocked the door as he arrived home. The light in the living room was turned on, but it was dead quiet.

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Su-hyeun stood stiff at the entrance as he spoke in a small voice. Food was laid on the dining table, and Shin Su-yeong was there asleep. How long did she wait? Su-hyeun went to shake Shin Su-yeong¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°¡­Mom. Sleep in your room.¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­ Umm¡­ Son¡­ You¡¯re back?¡± Shin Su-yeong asked as she rubbed her eyes and stretched her back.

    ¡°Yes. Did you not eat?¡±

    ¡°I ate first since I was hungry. You¡¯d better eat, too.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Go to bed first.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll have to do the dishes and the floor¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Hurry.¡± Su-hyeun adamantly pushed Shin Su-yeong into her room. Although Su-hyeun had been taking mixed grains and dry food to keep himself satisfied, he could not turn away from Shin Su-yeong¡¯s food.

    He finished his meal and did the dishes. He even cleaned the floor thoroughly, took a shower, and returned to his room.

    Whirl¡ª

    The old computer turned on with a loud whirl. It took quite a while to boot up.

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun opened the Internet browser and searched ¡°Abyss Online.¡± It was a representative site for magical awakeners that had over a million members. Of course, most of them were ordinary people. In fact, the site was for the public to be updated about news related to magical awakeners and not meant solely for the magical awakeners themselves. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is here.

    Su-hyeun grinned after checking out some of the articles on the main page. He knew even just by reading the headlines whether the author was a real magical awakener or he was just trying to show off.

    2018 October. Su-hyeun took out a notebook that was stuck in the corner of his desk. He took a pen and recorded today¡¯s date.

    What I have to change. What I must not change. What I must achieve.

    Complicated thoughts filled his mind. In the past month, he did not waste his time while he was hospitalized. He was organizing his future plans in his mind during that time. He worked hard to not forget the future events. The final goal was Fafnir.

    Firstly, the fourth floor is my target. In 2018, around this time, the appearances of magical awakeners were not a public issue. The dungeons appeared and were swiftly dealt with by the awakeners, and the resources collected were treated as new energy and raw materials for social development.

    But as time passed, the monsters in the dungeons became more robust for the awakeners to deal with alone.

    ¡°Thankfully¡­ it¡¯s still manageable now.¡± The atmosphere on the Abyss Online was lively. There were many humor-related posts, and some were related to ranked awakeners. There was even an article about a celebrity¡¯s awakening on the bulletin board.

    It¡¯s almost like entertainment.

    Up until now, the appearance of dungeons and awakeners was nothing but the start of a new topic in society.

    A dungeon attack led by top-notch awakeners was filmed on-air and boasted a dramatic amount of viewership ¡ª its popularity did not lose out to any celebrities or politicians. Abyss Online became a platform for people to communicate with their favorite awakener, much like a fan cafe.

    It was clear that the dungeons had yet to become a huge social issue. Until now, that is.

    One of the reasons why Su-hyeun wanted to check out the posts on Abyss Online was to gather information on the current events between the dungeons and awakeners around the world.

    Even at this period, Su-hyeun was not an awakener. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t aware of the happenings in this period; if he did, it was vague.

    ¡°There are no visible problems right now¡­.¡± Su-hyeun sent a couple of links to his email. ¡°But there were still some catches.¡±

    Although there¡¯s no way to verify them now, there were signs that something was about to happen. As he read some tabloids and posts, he began to recall some memories from before. Amongst them was some information that he wasn¡¯t aware of. Meanwhile¡­

    [A divinity appeared on the second floor of the Tower of Trials.]

    Shivers went down his spine. A new post appeared. Su-hyeun clicked on it with doubts in his mind.

    Title: A Divinity Appeared on the Second Floor

    Content: 2,230 points lolololololol is this possible? What did he do to get that record on the second floor?

    ¡ªno no how did he get 2,230 points on the second floor lolololololol

    Only

    ¡ªhow many points can you get from the first floor?

    ©¸ probably 940 points?

    ¡ªno. you can check the rank in the northern square. A rookie named kim su-hyeun was ranked first.

    An exploding reaction.

    One could even get his face on the main page if the reaction was this huge. The click count was already in the ten thousands. And one of the comments under that post¡­

    ¡ªI¡¯m Kim Min-soo, an awakener from the Blue Dragon Guild. Kim Su-hyeun, if you are reading this, please contact me here. We at Blue Dragon¡­

    ¡ªI¡¯m Yoo Jung-gyu, an awakener from the Ares Guild. If you¡¯re reading this post¡­

    There was a message left for him. Groups that were centered on the awakeners were interested in ¡°Kim Su-hyeun,¡± who appeared on the second floor.

 Chapter 9

    Are they fostering new clan members? Some awakeners created guilds through mutual cooperation. They were a kind of faction; they were also created for more effective dungeon attacks.

    Having a great awakening was also directly connected to the guild¡¯s status and power. As a result, guilds also recruited awakeners and even trained budding rookie awakeners.

    Blue Dragon, Paradise, Association¡­ Quite a number came.

    Though he thought this would happen, the reaction came earlier than expected. Not even a day had passed and there was already a post about him.

    True, the points themselves were quite ridiculous.

    The person who ranked first before Su-hyeun had recorded 940 points. Since the difference between the first and second place was huge, it was expected that the appearance of divinity would appeal to many.

    Still, there is a difference between the present and the future.

    In the future, a system was made to optimize data compiled on awakeners who were heading to the next floor. It was the result of a long period of countless guilds and organizations studying the awakeners. But that system had not been created in this world yet.

    In fact, if anyone who challenged from the second floor onwards recorded 1,000 points, it would be of note to them. Even if it were the same floor, the standard would be different.

    This isn¡¯t good.

    Su-hyeun did not want his name to be known so soon. If his name were made known, problems would become inevitable; additionally, he did not want to worry Shin Su-yeong too much.

    There are not many benefits.

    No matter how amateur an awakener was, there was something for one to benefit from by joining a guild. The resources and items related to the Tower of Trials would be of enormous help. But to Su-hyeun, that information was not required. Instead, they needed help from him.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much they could tell just by my name¡­.¡±

    He ignored it for now. Su-hyeun had no intention to join any organization or guild from the start. Su-hyeun ideally wanted to be a mercenary soldier, not belonging anywhere.

    It was best for him since he knew about the future. Su-hyeun, who had decided his path, turned off the computer and went to bed. Now, what he needed most was not a guild, but rest.

    Act 5

    Kim Su-hyeun. The name that excited many guilds. The second floor¡¯s new awakener, who just stepped into the tower. It wasn¡¯t enough for the guilds to notice someone usually; instead, it was because of his record and ranking.

    ¡°Hak-joon, do you know of a guy named Kim Su-hyeun?¡± Ares Guild¡¯s leader, Jung Dong-yeong, asked.

    Hak-joon, who sat on the hard sofa in a spacious office, shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Really? I heard that he just entered the second floor like you.¡±

    ¡°The second floor is so vast. Although it¡¯s incomparable to the upper floors, what would the probability be of me meeting a certain person in that vast city?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± Jung Dong-yeong lightly smacked his lips. It seemed that he was also coveting for the new awakener, Kim Su-hyeun. Hak-joon could easily sense that.

    ¡°So, what happened to the third floor¡¯s attack?¡± Jung Dong-yeong asked again after organizing his thoughts.

    Hak-joon was one of the new awakeners that the Ares Guild was supporting. They were supporting him with various information as well as equipment. He had the talent and had already proven it on the first floor. He, too, knew that he was supported by the Ares Guild.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one suitable to join me yet. If I can¡¯t get someone by tomorrow, I might have to head up myself.¡±

    ¡°Really? Good. If you maintain this, just head up till the tenth floor. Until then, we¡¯ll give you our full support.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°You know what to do next, right?¡± Hak-joon closed his eyes and nodded at Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s question.

    Of course he knew. How could he not know? He had been asked countless times. Did Jung Dong-yeong like the obedient Hak-joon? Jung Dong-yeong put on a satisfied expression and waved his hand.

    ¡°Go on. Let¡¯s go over it again a week from now. If possible, try to beat Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡± Hak-joon slightly bowed his head and hurried out the office.

    Kim Su-hyeun, Kim Su-hyeun¡­ The name was left in his head. At the same time, a familiar face appeared in his mind.

    Could it be him? The guy whom he approached to join hands together. Hak-joon had a sudden thought that he might be Kim Su-hyeun.

    He couldn¡¯t be. Even if he was right, there was no way to verify. Hak-joon shook his head.

    No other thoughts were needed. He just had to focus on his goal now. Now, he was exhausted just looking after himself.

    * * *

    Plat, plat, plat¡ª

    Swoosh¡ª

    Countless arrows fell overhead like rain. To avoid them, Su-hyeun hid behind a tree.

    Pababak¡ª!

    Pong, pong¡ª!

    Due to some of the Shayres¡¯ special items or energy, a few arrows made a large hole in a tree, but Su-hyeun was no longer behind the tree that they were targeting.

    Swoosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun sneaked up on the Shayre who had used magic and slashed its neck using the sword in his hand. This was the priority of a fight: when there was one that used magic, exterminate it immediately. Su-hyeun was reminded of it the moment he encountered them.

    Creak, creak¡ª!

    Squeal¡ª!

    With a grotesque cry, the Shayres drew their swords. Su-hyeun distanced himself from the Shayres and looked at the gigantic Shayre standing amongst them.

    The Shayres¡¯ chief.

    The ruler of this vast forest.

    It looked at Su-hyeun with terrified eyes. The Shayres here were the remaining ones who survived after a month-long battle. If they were considered seasoned troops, the Shayre chief was the final boss of this trial.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you fight me head-on?¡±

    Though he did not expect it to understand his words, he was confident that his intention was conveyed. Sure enough, the Shayre chief raised its hand and walked towards Su-hyeun.

    Creak, creak¡ª

    Clang¡ª

    The Shayres that stood between their chief and Su-hyeun started murmuring. They were possibly saying that there was no need for the chief to do it personally. But it seemed the chief had no wishes to lose more men, and he asked them to step back as he walked up to Su-hyeun.

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    The size of the nearing chief was enormous. Unlike a usual Shayre, who was a head taller than a grown man, the chief had a build that was many times taller than Su-hyeun. Furthermore, its body was entirely made of muscles.

    ¡°You should have done this earlier,¡± Su-hyeun said, but he was glad to see such a reaction from the chief.

    I¡¯ve waited for a long time.

    It had been an entire month. Su-hyeun was buried in the second floor¡¯s trial while moving between reality and the Tower of Trials during this period. It wasn¡¯t easy meeting the Shayres¡¯ chief. Their chief was surrounded by numerous Shayres, and the chief seemed to have no intention of taking the first action. Eventually, Su-hyeun made the decision to wipe them all out.

    Creak, creak¡ª

    The chief said something to Su-hyeun. Of course, Su-hyeun could not understand. But he understood the gist of it.

    ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ll avenge your men?¡±

    Creak¡ª

    The chief nodded. Su-hyeun turned speechless. How did he understand my words enough to nod his head?

    He didn¡¯t understand why he was trying to communicate with a monster. Su-hyeun sighed and picked up his sword. ¡°Forget it¡­¡±

    Pat, pat¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯m sick of this. Let¡¯s end it.¡± Su-hyeun leaped and jumped a few flights of stairs in a flash.

    Zong-!

    The chief¡¯s ax blocked Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. As his magic-filled sword and the chief¡¯s ax struck, a sharp pain was left on Su-hyeun¡¯s grip.

    Pat¡ª!

    The chief swung its ax again, this time passing by Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    Swish¡ª

    A thin cut. At the same time, Su-hyeun shrunk his body downwards.

    Slash¡ª

    Stab, stab¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword stabbed deep into the chief¡¯s shoulder.

    Splash, splash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun stabbed the chief continuously, but none of his blows were deadly. If he got ambitious, the chief¡¯s ax might still swing towards him if he wasn¡¯t careful.

    Slowly, steadily. No matter how small the stabs were, if they accumulated, the chief would eventually fall. If the opponent were superior in health, Su-hyeun would merely crumble when going head-on. Thus, he needed a more flexible fight.

    Roarrrr¡ª!

    The chief couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and had an outburst. At that moment, the chief had gotten more agile. His pure white skin turned red.

    Stomp¡ª!

    Soon enough, the chief dashed towards Su-hyeun and swung its ax widely.

    Fwooom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body flew up as the strong wind ripped the still air. The faceless Shayre¡¯s chief looked up following Su-hyeun¡¯s body. The chief stepped back and took out a huge bow and arrow in its hands from behind.

    Stretch¡ª

    The bowstring was stretched taut and aimed at Su-hyeun. A force was applied on the bow, which was similar to the magic that awakeners use.

    Twang¡ª!

    Swoooosh¡ª!

    The arrow flew at a terrifying speed too fast to avoid. However, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t looking at the chief¡¯s arrow, but its hand.

    Boom¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body bounced forward. The repeated leap was not restricted to just leaping upwards. It was possible to go in any direction one wanted.

    ¡°Bingo.¡±

    Screeeech¡ª

    A bow that he picked up from one of his previous fight was in his hands. Su-hyeun held the bow at the chief¡¯s head the moment he reduced the distance between himself and the chief.

    Twang¡ª!

    Swooosh¡ª

    The arrow went flying as soon as the bowstring was released.

    Stab¡ª!

    Kyaaaaaaa¡ª!

    The chief grabbed the arrow stuck in its head and screamed.

    Swash, swash¡ª

    The other Shayres who were watching started to move. As it wasn¡¯t a fair fight from the start, the Shayres came forward to protect their chief.

    It was expected.

    Pooot¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed the spear from behind him after releasing the arrow.

    ¡°I said to end this quickly, right?¡± This time, Su-hyeun¡¯s body became the bow. He widely swung the spear and released it.

    The magic filled spear smashed the chief¡¯s head. It was a moment when no other Shayres could have helped. Suddenly:

    [You have gained 300 achievement points.]

    [Your Health has increased by 1 point.]

    [The Shayres have been defeated. There is no other enemy who can harm you.]

    [You have perfectly passed the second floor¡¯s trial.]

    [Your achievement will be ranked.]

    Only

    [You are ranked first.]

    [Your Strength has increased by 2 points.]

    [Your Agility has increased by 1 point.]

    [Your Reflex has increased by 1 point.]

    [You have gained 25,000 achievement points.]

    [Your Magic Factor has increased by 3 points.]

    [You have obtained the Shayres¡¯ treasure.]

    [Will you advance to the next floor?]

 Chapter 10

    It was a pleasing message. Su-hyeun liked that the message said he had perfectly cleared the trial. He was right to exterminate the Shayres.

    The slowly increasing stats and magic factor had risen by a few points at once, as well as his achievement points. Not to mention, he had obtained even more stats and achievement points from battling the Shayres in the past month. Since the Leap skill¡¯s mastery had increased, it wasn¡¯t a waste of time.

    I¡¯ve stayed for too long. Although he very much wanted to advance to the next floor, there was something else he had to do.

    Creak, creak¡ª

    Su-hyeun, who watched as the remaining Shayres escaped, looked back at their chief. And¡­

    ¡°Transfiguration skill.¡±

    The moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

    [The transfiguration skill will be used with the ¡°Shayre Chief¡± as the target.]

    [Some parts of the target¡¯s characteristics will be absorbed.]

    [Trait: ¡°Berserk¡± has been acquired.]

    Berserk. Su-hyeun had known of its trait.

    ¡°A trait that increases the physical ability in proportion to one¡¯s fatigue, health, and blood loss.¡±

    It was quite the useful trait. One¡¯s physical ability would naturally decrease as fatigue and health got worse. But the berserk traits could reverse the effect exponentially. It would be quite handy in times of emergency.

    It was worthwhile learning the transfiguration skill, capturing the chief, and obtaining this trait.

    In the meantime, there¡¯s no need to change the trait.

    The Shayre chief was a monster similar to the Shayre¡¯s boss. If it was the monster boss¡¯s trait, a normal monsters¡¯ trait would be incomparable. If there was only one trait that could be attained through the transfiguration skill, there would be no use for others for the time being.

    Anyway, I¡¯ve been here for way too long.

    It was only the second floor. There were many more floors to ascend. Although Su-hyeun chose a higher difficulty level to receive better rewards, he could not continue to stay on the lower floors.

    Time to speed up. Su-hyeun increased his abilities while hunting the Shayres in the past month. Although his magic level did not increase, his magic factor increased. His stats, too, had been raised significantly, and he accumulated a large number of achievement points.

    He could get himself a few more useful skills with this amount of achievement points. It would be much easier to climb the tower. In the next year.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed. The goal¡­ tenth floor.

    It was easier to make concrete plans with a clear goal. Su-hyeun quickly organized his future plans and goals in his mind. The determined Su-hyeun finally spoke.

    ¡°Next.¡± Su-hyeun immediately ascended to the third level. He had spent a month there, as well as on the fourth and fifth floors. Su-hyeun ascended the floors without rest. A year had passed.

    * * *

    Wednesday, December 7, 2019. It was a day that caught the hearts of many students. There were some satisfied with their results after a long period of suffering, but most were disappointed and frustrated.

    It¡¯s alright. Su-hyeun headed out after verifying his results slip in the mail.

    Eating out¡­ It was rare for Su-hyeun and Shin Su-yeong to dine outside. If it were a special day, Shin Su-yeong would prepare a fancy feast, but Su-hyeun would bring up the excuse of studying and not make time for it.

    But now he could no longer use that as an excuse. The exams were over, and the results of Su-hyeun¡¯s studies were shown to Shin Su-yeong. I can¡¯t afford to use working part-time as an excuse.

    He thought it would be better if he were to live independently. Otherwise, I¡¯ll reveal the truth.

    It wasn¡¯t easy hiding the truth for a year. Moreover, Su-hyeun felt guilty about it. Su-hyeun left the house and took the subway. Although Shin Su-yeong ended work late, Su-hyeun personally went to find her at her workplace.

    Su-hyeun arrived at the subway station by bus and took Line 1 towards Suwon Station. Although it was after office hours, the station was still packed.

    Screech¡ª

    Clank¡ª

    It was noisy. Although Su-hyeun had earphones plugged in, he couldn¡¯t focus on the music.

    It¡¯ll soon be¡­ 2020? It was now December 2019. Time flew quickly.

    Su-hyeun looked out of the window in the crowded subway. The densely packed buildings and people passing through them looked peaceful at that moment.

    Crash¡ª!

    Shatter¡ª

    The world turned upside down in front of his eyes, and everything was destroyed. The buildings crumbled, the people who were smiling brightly turned bloody. The sky turned black, and hot flames rose above the ground.

    Part of the world, destroyed. This would probably be how it would look like after a few decades.

    Again¡­

    Su-hyeun shut his eyes tightly. One, two, three. He opened his eyes after counting to three. Thankfully the world was still the same.

    ¡°Huu¡ª¡± He was sick of it. He occasionally had thoughts that everything was an illusion, and the world had been destroyed. Everyone else besides him had died, and the world had been burned down to ashes.

    He might still be dreaming, and the moment he woke up, the destroyed world would appear before him. He had seen this illusion countless times and feared it every single time.

    He was afraid that he would be left alone. Fearful that all these days were just lies.

    However, it had improved lately, since he had seen these illusions numerous times. He probably would feel better staying in the Tower of Trials.

    Has it been a month? He should have accepted reality at this rate.

    Whatever they are, they are not illusions. The destroyed world ¡ª and the remaining part of this world, too ¡ª were both true. There was no need to take it badly. He just had to make sure the illusions he saw were not turned into reality.

    Screech¡ª

    The subway soon arrived at Suwon Station. Su-hyeun alighted the subway and walked towards Shin Su-yeong¡¯s store.

    ¡°Su-hyeun, you¡¯re here? Wait a minute.¡±

    Shin Su-yeong was closing the store. Su-hyeun asked while helping her out.

    ¡°Did you sell a lot today?¡±

    ¡°Why should I sell so much? My salary would still be the same.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no bonus?¡±

    ¡°The boss is so stingy. She¡¯s rich but such a miser.¡± She said it half-jokingly.

    Su-hyeun now smiled frequently while conversing with Shin Su-yeong. He had changed quite significantly in the past year.

    They walked towards a barbeque restaurant nearby. It had been a while since they had grilled meat cooked over charcoal instead of in a pan.

    As soon as the meat was cooked, Shin Su-yeong said, ¡°Eat a lot, son. You¡¯ve worked hard studying so much.¡±

    Although he felt guilty for lying, Su-hyeun still nodded his head. ¡°Thank you for the food.¡±

    ¡°Right. How were your results?¡±

    It seemed that Shin Su-yeong did not forget that the results would be released today. Su-hyeun shrugged knowingly, took out his results slip from his bag, and handed it to her. He was about to put the wrapped meat into his mouth.

    ¡°My gosh, son! Are these really your results?¡±

    ¡°You surprised me. Did you think I would steal someone else¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°My gosh, my gosh!¡±

    Not realizing that the meat was getting burnt, Shin Su-yeong smiled brightly at the results slip. The tired face after work was nowhere to be seen. Su-hyeun had never seen Shin Su-yeong smiling so brightly.

    ¡°Son. I hope for you to graduate from university, but it¡¯s alright if it¡¯s a normal university¡­¡±

    Most parents would want their children to attend a good university. It was the same for his mother from his past life. Although attending university would not guarantee a good future, but it would be advantageous to have a higher educational background.

    University. Although it would be deemed useless in a few years, Su-hyeun wanted to fulfill her wishes. Thus, Su-hyeun took out some of his sleep time to study a month before the exams. It wasn¡¯t difficult. He had done the same in his past life anyway.

    There was no need to attend a good university, too.

    Su-hyeun attended Dong-ha University in his past life. It was one of the three top universities in Korea. For Su-hyeun, who had studied so intensely, it wasn¡¯t that tough to study again.

    ¡°The meat is getting burnt. Let¡¯s dig in.¡±

    ¡°Aigoo, I¡¯m full even if I don¡¯t eat. I¡¯m proud of you, son!¡±

    Shin Su-yeong, who was still beaming, seemed to not care about the meat. The string of compliments got Su-hyeun to turn red. He couldn¡¯t taste the meat properly.

    How happy she must have been. She couldn¡¯t hold it any longer and started calling someone to boast about it. Su-hyeun eventually bowed his head and sighed as he watched.

    Su-hyeun thought the results weren¡¯t good enough. This was enough, he thought. But if it were the university from his past life? No way. It was just enough to get him into a university in Seoul. As time passed, it seemed even more challenging to get such high grades in his past life.

    Should I have worked even harder? If she was delighted with results like this, what if he had gotten even better results?

    She would be grinning from ear to ear. He felt good just imagining it. A smile crept up Su-hyeun¡¯s face, too.

    Only

    Suddenly, he heard a voice in his ears.

    ¡°I thought you would do even better¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Shin Su-yeong¡¯s voice ¡ª it was a voice from his past life. The words were spoken by Sung-in¡¯s mother. The results had been a lot better back then. But why¡­?

    Why did she have such a disappointed look? Was it because he did not meet expectations? Instead, he had hoped that she would be as happy as if he had done his best.

    I don¡¯t know anymore. Su-hyeun shook his head.

    I¡¯m not even going to attend university religiously.

    He only took the exams to make her happy. Su-hyeun had no intention of attending university earnestly.

    Because I¡¯ll soon¡­ Su-hyeun glanced at Shin Su-yeong¡¯s smiling face¡­ Have to take action here as well.

 Chapter 11

    Act 6

    After they finished their meal, they left to get a few beers at a pub. Coincidentally, Shin Su-yeong did not have to work the next day, so she could let go and stay out for longer.

    Su-hyeun hurried to bed after returning home a little after midnight. He woke up again in the wee hours of the morning and left his room after finishing his preparations.

    ¡°Su-hyeun, you¡¯re leaving?¡±

    Shin Su-yeong met Su-hyeun at the front door with a disheveled face. Wanting to leave quietly, Su-hyeun nodded and said, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°You said you¡¯re going on a trip? For how long?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I¡¯ll head to wherever my feet take me.¡±

    After his exam results were released, Su-hyeun had said that he would be going on a trip. As much as he studied over the past year, Shin Su-yeong did not oppose it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stay out too late. And call me when you can.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My phone will be switched off, so don¡¯t call me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing it again. ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Su-hyeun grabbed his backpack and left. As if it were a daily routine, Su-hyeun took a deep breath before heading deep into the mountains.

    It took a while. Although it took just a little over a year, he still made it here.

    Tenth floor. It was the minimum criteria he had in mind. He had no intention of breaking it himself. But Su-hyeun realized that his initial goal was harder to achieve than expected.

    It took longer than I had expected. His goal was to clear all the trials with almost perfect records. He thought it would be possible to complete the tenth floor within a year when he was clearing the first two floors. But it eventually took over a year. The level 10 trial was much more formidable than anyone could have imagined.

    Rip¡ª! Once again, Su-hyeun opened the doors to the Tower of Trials.

    * * *

    The city on the tenth floor was always dark and dull. Unlike the city on the second floor, it was hard to even come across a dweller in this empty and quiet place.

    The world that people avoid the most. The Tower of Trials was a world packed with numerous floors, and each floor had its own world. Although it was a gigantic tower, each had its own environment, climate, and culture.

    Amongst them, most would avoid the tenth floor. The sun never rose, and the dwellers always looked depressed. Even those who wanted to forget and live anew in the tower also avoided the tenth floor.

    Su-hyeun walked north to the ends of the tenth floor, where the route was blocked by a black wall. People often called this place the ¡°end of the world.¡± There was a massive portal in front.

    ¡°Are you going in?¡±

    A gatekeeper was guarding it. A middle-aged man with a long, stiff face sat on the floor and looked up at Su-hyeun. He was the gatekeeper who guarded the portal.

    ¡°Payment.¡± The gatekeeper reached out his hand towards Su-hyeun. Others may have misunderstood him as a beggar asking for money, but Su-hyeun knew.

    He was the so-called informant, the one and only informant who would provide you with legitimate information about the tenth floor. How he knew the details of each awakener¡¯s trials was a mystery. However, the information he gave was credible.

    Su-hyeun grabbed his outreached hand. And¡­

    [You have used 5,000 achievement points.]

    Quite a bit of achievement points were used in a flash. Even though Su-hyeun had accumulated quite a considerable amount of achievement points as he ascended the floors, using this many points was still quite a burden.

    But Su-hyeun made the payment in a heartbeat. The gatekeeper¡¯s eyes grew. ¡°You¡¯re quite generous.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re that valuable.¡±

    The gatekeeper smiled at his answer. ¡°Thanks for the compliment. Which trial do you wish to attempt?¡±

    ¡°Level 10. I want the highest difficulty.¡± The gatekeeper¡¯s eyes grew even bigger. His expression had changed drastically as compared to his stiff face.

    As his expressionless face returned, he said, ¡°It¡¯s as if I¡¯ve taken a hit. I must provide you with some information after receiving so much.¡±

    It seemed that paying the gatekeeper a high amount was the right choice. The gatekeeper felt conflicted for a while, contemplating on what information to provide.

    Hopefully, it¡¯s a piece of valid information¡­. For those who climbed the tower, the tenth floor was a form of crisis.

    This was because the trials¡¯ difficulty jumped every 10 floors. Some would say that the 11th and 12th floors were more manageable than the 10th. Moreover, Su-hyeun was challenging the trial with the highest level of difficulty.

    No one had yet to clear the level 10 trial at the 10th floor as of yet, to Su-hyeun¡¯s knowledge. Normally, certain sections on the tenth floor have their level of difficulty reduced by one or two levels.

    It was a tip that could be easily obtained through Abyss Online, but Su-hyeun knew how harmful it was. If the difficulty gets lowered once, the following floors would also become a crisis.

    Once one started, one would never be able to advance further. Instead, one would continue to find ways to lower the level of difficulty.

    Su-hyeun decided that it would be better to pay more to the gatekeeper to continue receiving reliable information and challenge higher difficulty trials than to reduce them. The still contemplating gatekeeper finally said, ¡°Beware of the village chief.¡±

    ¡°The village chief?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can say. I wish you all the best.¡± The gatekeeper ended the conversation.

    The information felt a little off. It was too vague to be worth 5,000 points. The prices of intel seemed to increase as the level of the trials gets higher.

    Beware of the village chief¡­. Su-hyeun repeatedly reminded himself of those words. There was no reason for the gatekeeper to lie to him.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Su-hyeun walked towards the portal. The view before Su-hyeun turned white as he stood on the portal, and a familiar message popped up.

    [Kim Su-hyeun, the 10th-floor trial begins now.]

    [Please choose the level of difficulty.]

    [Level 1 ~ 10.]

    [The level of difficulty and rewards obtained increases as the level gets higher.]

    It was the start. A good amount of nervousness filled his chest every time a new trial began. He always gave the same answer.

    ¡°Level 10.¡±

    [Level 10. The 10th-floor trial starts now.]

    The white scene before him changed once more. The landscape of a village appeared before him. The sky was black. A dark atmosphere and stale air filled the village, similar to a simple and quiet countryside.

    Su-hyeun looked up to the sky. The landscape looked strangely familiar.

    [The trial begins now.]

    [You have entered an unfamiliar village. The village is now in a massive crisis.]

    [Rescue the village.]

    [And survive.]

    [The reward varies according to your performance.]

    The trial¡¯s explanation was straightforward. He wondered if there was a better explanation, since it was frustrating that it did not provide clear instructions. There were loopholes in the explanation.

    Rescue the village. Survive. Survive what?

    He recalled the gatekeeper¡¯s words. He said to take extra notice of the village chief.

    He thought that he should find the village chief first. A warning to be careful of the village chief could have also meant that the chief would be the key to clearing this trial.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun started walking into the village. Instead of looking around the village, Su-hyeun looked up at the sky. Su-hyeun¡¯s face darkened. ¡°It feels¡­ more familiar here.¡±

    The awkward black sky seemed to be inked. The black sky felt different from a moonlit sky. Su-hyeun had not seen this sky for over a year.

    He suddenly felt awkward at the thought of a clear, blue sky. The color of this sky, which he often saw in his illusions, felt more familiar. It was the same for this village.

    Step, step¡ª

    He then felt eyes on him. It was one of the strangers looking at him. A skinny mother with a baby in her hand, an old man, and a few other men. They stood at a distance, unable to get close to Su-hyeun. They looked frightened in the dark.

    People. It wasn¡¯t the first time he met people in the trials. But it was his first to see such realistic expressions and reactions. It felt that way for their familiar reactions.

    I have definitely¡­ He recalled. In the future, he had felt similar eyes from a particular village.

    ¡°So that was it.¡± He seemed to have understood what the theme of this tutorial was. This place must have been part of their destroyed world. No, more accurately, it was a world close to destruction.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Su-hyeun smiled and approached the villagers.

    The villagers did not hide their defensive response towards Su-hyeun. When the child tried to approach Su-hyeun, the mother pulled him back.

    My, I¡¯m hurt. As it was his first time to see people so afraid of him, he did not know how to respond.

    Su-hyeun sighed before continuing. ¡°I want to stay here for a few days before leaving. Is there any way I can do that?¡±

    The question was directed towards everyone, but not one of them responded. It would have been better to point out someone to talk to¡­

    ¡°Where is the village chief?¡±

    ¡­like the village chief. A commotion stirred amongst the people as he questioned. It seemed the people, too, thought that it would be better to talk to the village chief.

    Only

    Su-hyeun observed the villagers silently. He was certain about one thing just by observing them.

    They are uncomfortable with outsiders. It could be from their experience.

    Drugs, murders. The societal problems that surfaced in a collapsing world. It was the same, even though the civilizations are different. Human nature was not much different anywhere.

    It was a pity. It would have been better to cooperate and help each other out at times like this.

    It¡¯s a utopia. Anyone could paint a utopia in their minds, but it was literally nothing more than just an ideal world. Such worlds would never exist unless the evil in human nature was removed.

    The man who Su-hyeun was waiting for finally appeared.

    ¡°I¡¯m the village chief here.¡±

    A hunchbacked old man walked out towards Su-hyeun.

 Chapter 12

    With a face filled with aging pigmentations and droopy eyes, he was a gentle-looking old man. He didn¡¯t look like anyone to be cautious of.

    ¡°I heard that you were looking for me. What is it?¡± The village chief was wary of Su-hyeun, just like the rest of the villagers.

    ¡°I was just passing by and saw a village here. I would like to stay for a few days. Is it possible?¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have any other motives?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to take from us. Not even a speck of dust, so leave.¡±

    Su-hyeun seemed to be regarded as an uninvited guest who was here to loot the village. Persuasion was required.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want anything; I just hope for a place to sleep. I brought rations with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    The village chief¡¯s eyes brightened at the word rations.

    Su-hyeun nodded, answering, ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯m willing to share my rations, too. Even if the monsters are here¡­¡±

    ¡°The monsters don¡¯t come to our village!¡± a child screamed.

    Su-hyeun turned his head immediately. The child¡¯s mother hugged him close to her chest. Then, the village chief spoke. ¡°If so, alright. There are a few empty houses, so you can use one of them. As for the food¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    He was greeted with thanks. Do they have problems with food, too?

    There were a few severe issues in the destroyed world, and one of them was food. In a world where neither rice nor wheat could be grown again, food became scarce to the point when cannibalism began. This village had yet to arrive at that stage, but it might arrive there soon due to limited food resources.

    But¡­ Su-hyeun looked at the child who screamed earlier. The monsters don¡¯t come.

    As Su-hyeun went deep into his thoughts, the village chief turned around and spoke, ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll show you an empty house.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Su-hyeun bowed and followed the village chief. His worries did not end.

    * * *

    The empty house that the village chief brought him to was a shabby tent that could not even keep the wind out. Its shabbiness was worse than his semi-basement apartment. One had to wonder: how could this be called a house?

    I didn¡¯t know our house could feel so luxurious. Su-hyeun left his bags in the tent. Su-hyeun took out bread, nuts, beef jerky, water, and more rations that filled his small pouch.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    As Su-hyeun stepped out, the child from earlier was waiting for him. It was a little girl, about six or seven years old. She looked at Su-hyeun with her filthy face.

    ¡°Were you waiting?¡± Su-hyeun bent down.

    She looked at the bundle in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand as she nodded. ¡°You want to eat this?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Su-hyeun offered a piece of bread from the bundle.

    It was when the girl reached out. ¡°What are you doing now?!¡± The village chief roared.

    It was an unbelievably loud and high-pitched voice coming from such a small build. ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me?! If I provide you with a bed, you¡¯ll hand me your rations!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she from your village?¡± Su-hyeun asked, dumbfounded.

    The village chief¡¯s gentle expression was suddenly replaced by an intimidating look.

    ¡°What does she know?! She only knows to fill her stomach, and that¡¯s it. You might not know this, but food is equivalent to our lives here.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t an incomprehensible remark. But¡­

    Su-hyeun looked back at the little girl. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±

    He patted the little girl¡¯s head as she silently sobbed and held the bundle out towards the village chief.

    ¡°Take it. The food that I promised to give you is here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Don¡¯t be too upset over this. It¡¯s all for the villagers.¡±

    The village chief came up to Su-hyeun and took it. His eyes went huge as he verified the contents. Su-hyeun hated the sight of him, and not just because of the gatekeeper¡¯s words. He seemed indifferent, at least to the feelings of others.

    ¡°Please leave.¡±

    ¡°Uh-hmm. Hmm.¡± The village chief left, making a few exaggerated coughs. The little girl soon burst into tears.

    That moment, her mother walked up quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t hate the village chief.¡±

    She seemed to have overheard their conversation earlier while looking for her daughter. The mother looked in the direction where the village chief left and said.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite tiring on him. He worked hard for this village his whole life¡­. And I believe he has something else on his mind.¡±

    ¡°You mean he is so preoccupied that he can¡¯t share a piece of bread?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I ¡ª no, we ¡ª believe so.¡± Her voice wavered at the end. There might have been something else that made her hesitate while she said that.

    What could it be? Just what did the village chief mean to them? That thought did not last long. Su-hyeun took out a piece of bread and handed it to the little girl who wouldn¡¯t seem to stop crying. ¡°Here.¡±

    The child¡¯s mother was startled.

    ¡°Is, is this alright? What if the village chief finds out¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I took it out from my own rations, so the village chief can¡¯t say anything about it.¡±

    ¡°But still¡­¡±

    ¡°If you still feel uneasy, you can take it. The village chief can¡¯t possibly say anything if an adult accepted this, right?¡±

    Whether given to the child or the mother, the little girl would still get to eat it. Su-hyeun forced the piece of bread into her hand. Su-hyeun patted the little girl¡¯s head again and stood up.

    As he walked around the village, Su-hyeun looked at the mother who was nagging her daughter. It feels kind of weird.

    The villagers had much faith in their chief, but he felt another feeling besides belief from her eyes. It was nothing other than fear. The village chief felt almost like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

    I¡¯ll need to verify it.

    Protect the village and survive. The trial¡¯s subject was still vague about what he was supposed to protect the village from and what he had to survive.

    * * *

    There were divided opinions on the village people by those met from the trials.

    Some said that it was like a program made for each floor of the trials, much like a Non-Player Character (NPC). The rationale was that when they attempted the trial again after failing it, the people could not remember them.

    Some others said they were probably real people living in another world. Their rationale was that the appearances and mindsets did not look like they were made from a program.

    Indeed¡­ Su-hyeun thought while looking around the village.

    I¡¯m not sure yet.

    Were the villagers¡¯ expressions, speaking, lifestyle, and civilization all made up? Or could they be real living humans? Nothing could be confirmed, but Su-hyeun was certain of one thing.

    They are, at the very least, reacting based on their thoughts and emotions. So, he would have to treat them the same as humans.

    Su-hyeun tried finding out about the village chief ¡ª what kind of person he is, how had he lived his life ¡ª but everyone¡¯s response to those questions was cold.

    ¡°Why do you ask that?¡±

    ¡°You have something up your sleeves, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare harm our village chief, otherwise I¡¯ll¡ª!¡±

    Full-blown reactions. Nevertheless, Su-hyeun was able to hear a rough story when he approached a mild-looking middle-aged lady.

    ¡°Please understand. We react this way because our village got looted by outsiders quite often. Although I do not know what the village chief is thinking, we do feel uneasy accepting outsiders.¡±

    He had expected that. Weak villages would only get looted in this world. But Su-hyeun was curious about something else.

    ¡°Why does everyone trust the village chief so much?¡±

    ¡°That is because the village chief is a hero to the villagers.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes wiggled at her answer. It was a word so familiar that it felt annoying.

    ¡°¡­Hero?¡± That old man? Su-hyeun asked about the details. He wanted to know what had happened to make everyone here regard him as a hero.

    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know. I can only tell you this much.¡± Even the lady who was less wary about Su-hyeun shook her head and turned away. Su-hyeun¡¯s mind got complicated.

    Hero. There were a couple things he was sure of if the village chief was called by that title: the village chief saved the villagers, and it must have been through an extreme method.

    ¡­He didn¡¯t seem to be that kind of person. It was something he would come to know without the gatekeeper¡¯s warning. As he went deeper into his thoughts, Su-hyeun¡¯s mind got more complicated.

    Either the gatekeeper¡¯s warning was wrong, or the villagers are blind. It was one or the other, and Su-hyeun was betting on the latter.

    Su-hyeun had observed the village for a while. It wasn¡¯t long until he started to widen his area of search. There was nothing else he could fish out from the villagers. They were definitely with the village chief. He could only find out new information by himself.

    Only

    First, I¡¯ll need to find out¡­ From what did he have to protect the village from? He required an answer to that.

    But as he left the village¡¯s entrance, a strong smell stimulated Su-hyeun¡­ a familiar smell. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be.¡±

    As soon as he smelt it, Su-hyeun¡¯s face cringed. Su-hyeun looked around him, and the doubt soon became the truth.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    Su-hyeun had seen the ugly side of men for a long time. As the world was collapsing, he learned that even good men would turn evil, and their smell was evidence.

    ¡°Beware of the village chief.¡± He needed a little more verification.

    Somehow¡­ Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed at the source of the smell.

    I have got to be more assertive than this.

 Chapter 13

    Act 7

    The night went by, and the morning sky came. The village chief came looking for Su-hyeun, calling for him in front of the tent.

    ¡°Are you in?¡±

    There was no answer. After he called out a few more times without hearing any response, the village chief opened the doors and stepped in.

    ¡°Until when are you going to¡­ Oh?¡± It was empty inside.

    He looked around the tent and came out. There was a vague sense of uneasiness. ¡°Where did he go?¡±

    He definitely said he was looking for a place to rest. The village chief came out of the tent and looked around in the village.

    ¡°Village chief, where are you heading to?¡± One of the villagers approached him. The village chief answered him, still looking around.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the outsider who arrived yesterday. Did you see him?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. What is it about?¡±

    ¡°He disappeared suddenly. I¡¯m worried that he might be up to something in the village.¡± The chief¡¯s worry was not just his own. Looting by outsiders happened quite often in the village. Many came as guests like Su-hyeun but looted the village through the night.

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh! Lower your voice. Didn¡¯t I say that we can¡¯t help it?¡±

    ¡°But even so¡­¡±

    ¡°Just sleep and stay quiet. Got it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    The village chief looked disapprovingly at the man who lowered his head. Right, he thought. We can¡¯t help it.

    The village chief looked at the small bottle he held in his hand. It was a powerful medicine that could make one sleep for over 10 days. Indeed, the village chief was hungry for the food that Su-hyeun had.

    And the one asleep is¡­ The village chief looked around the village quickly. At that moment, a woman approached the chief.

    ¡°Village chief, village chief!¡± The woman who was running helter-skelter stopped before him. She took a while to catch her breath.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°At the village¡¯s shopping district¡­¡± The village chief¡¯s eyes grew wide as he listened. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer and made his way towards the shopping district.

    It was a central district that merchants used as a marketplace before the world collapsed. The villagers crowded around the area.

    ¡°What is this?!¡± The village chief¡¯s roar drew everyone¡¯s attention.

    Fear and uneasiness could be seen on their faces. The village chief pushed through the huge crowd and found Su-hyeun amongst them. Su-hyeun raised his hand, greeting the village chief. ¡°Did you just arrive?¡±

    ¡°I asked what this is!¡±

    ¡°By that, possibly¡­¡±

    Poke¡ª

    Su-hyeun poked at the gigantic snake¡¯s head that was placed beside him. ¡°Did you mean this?¡±

    The village chief did not answer. The village chief¡¯s mind got complicated, wondering what it was all about.

    Su-hyeun spoke again with a grin. ¡°Why are you so angry? I took care of the monster hidden in the basement.¡±

    ¡°What, what? That was uncalled for¡­!¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t unnecessary?

    ¡°Yes! That monster was protecting our village!¡±

    Indeed. The smile left Su-hyeun¡¯s face. ¡°Why did you think that it was protecting you?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a thought, but the truth!¡±

    ¡°And for that¡­¡± Su-hyeun looked at the villagers and asked.

    ¡°Do you make human sacrifices one by one?¡± The village chief¡¯s eyes widened at his question. He was so surprised that he took a few steps back, before gritting his teeth and asked.

    ¡°How¡­ did you know?¡± It was the village¡¯s secret. More accurately, it was something that Su-hyeun must not know of. From the chief¡¯s point of view, it was incomprehensible that he severed the beast¡¯s head.

    ¡°I know a bit about this monster.¡± The head of the gigantic snake was about a meter wide in diameter. Su-hyeun knew its name.

    ¡°It¡¯s called the Predatory Snake. Except during meals, it¡¯s lazy and spends most of its time sleeping.¡± As soon as the monster¡¯s name was spoken, everyone¡¯s, including the village chief¡¯s, face visibly stiffened. In fact, they did not know the monster¡¯s name.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t care about anything else besides satisfying its belly. It searches for a hunting ground and, until it leaves, marks its own territory so that weaker monsters can¡¯t even come near.¡±

    ¡°Stop, stop it!¡± The village chief panicked as Su-hyeun spoke as if he knew everything.

    His uncomfortable body walked towards Su-hyeun; however, Su-hyeun continued on. ¡°Eventually, you will have to keep feeding it food. That way, it won¡¯t run away. But you know what¡¯s funny?¡±

    ¡°I said stop it!¡±

    ¡°This beast does not see the person who feeds it as its prey.¡± There it was: the truth that he did not wish to be known. His words stirred a considerable commotion.

    ¡°Is that the truth?¡±

    ¡°He said so?¡±

    ¡°So, then¡­ the chief made us¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, the monster did not even try to eat the chief, right? What actually happened?¡±

    Here was what happened: One day, the village chief brought the Predatory Snake and said, ¡°Listen to me. If we let it stay here, it¡¯ll keep us safe.¡±

    But there was a condition to it.

    ¡°This beast will only be full if it eats a human every three days. If we are to live, we have to make a human sacrifice every three days. Let¡¯s draw lots. And¡­ I¡¯ll become the first offering.¡±

    The village chief claimed himself to be the first offering, but the Predatory Snake did not eat him. They had no choice but to offer someone else.

    ¡°You seem to have taken someone else as an offering before bringing it here,¡± Su-hyeun said after he listened to the villagers with contemptuous eyes.

    ¡°You b*stard.¡±

    ¡°Lies! It¡¯s all lies!¡± The village chief shouted in a fit.

    Disbelief grew in the villagers¡¯ eyes. The village chief had never been looked upon like this in his whole life. ¡°Thank you, village chief. It was thanks to you that our village could survive,¡± someone said.

    ¡°It was thanks to you that we can finally sleep in peace. You are our village¡¯s hero.¡±

    ¡°Village chief¡­¡±

    Amongst them were people who made ¡°inevitable¡± sacrifices.

    ¡°My son, not my son! Village chief, please!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s inevitable. Please understand.¡±

    ¡°Village chief, village chief!¡±

    ¡°That¡­ bad guy¡­¡±

    ¡°He fooled us!¡±

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t get duped by the outsider!¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re fooled! I wondered why the monster did not eat the village chief!¡±

    ¡°Calm down and¡­¡±

    ¡°He made my husband into that monster¡¯s food! Why would he do that? Why?!¡±

    The villagers were outraged. Su-hyeun¡¯s words were reasonably trustworthy. Without his knowledge of the Predatory Snake¡¯s habits, they would never have found out. Still, however, some people still believed in the village chief.

    ¡°My son, my son¡­¡±

    ¡°My gosh¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh my! Max, Max!¡±

    Su-hyeun watched as they mourned loudly. An inevitable sacrifice. Must be endured. There were those who had pent-up resentment at those words.

    Rescue the village. Survive.

    Survive from what? The questions had already been answered by the gatekeeper. The village chief could not do anything more.

    ¡°From now on¡­¡±

    Stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun stomped the ground. The magic that accumulated on his feet spread into the ground. The commotion ceased in a flash.

    ¡°Everyone, please answer.¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°You can decide the deposition for your village chief. You can either wait until he becomes prey for the monster, or¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes met the chief¡¯s.

    ¡°Hick!¡±

    The frightful village chief lost all strength and flopped onto the ground.

    ¡°Everyone will make the call.¡±

    Suddenly a young man stood out. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much to ask us to make a decision after you¡¯ve killed the monster? We might be dying right now because of you!¡±

    The young man was trembling. He was a coward. Even if he himself were a coward, everyone would be the same.

    The chief was, so to speak, the much-needed evil. Although he shamelessly sacrificed others to save himself, it was evident that his role contributed to the safety of the village.

    ¡°So, are you going to wait until he becomes prey to another monster?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°Also, there¡¯s one more thing that you¡¯re not aware of.¡±

    ¡°What else do we not know?¡±

    ¡°The Predatory Snake lays about six to eight eggs once a quarter.¡±

    The villagers were not the only ones surprised at Su-hyeun¡¯s words. The village chief¡¯s eyes widened once more at this fact.

    ¡°If you keep offering human sacrifices every three days, the number would increase each time. Here is the problem.¡±

    Su-hyeun asked, looking around. ¡°How long will it take for everyone here to end up in the snake¡¯s stomach?¡±

    The villagers kept quiet. They had quite a number of people, despite being just a village, but what if the number of people they sacrificed increased exponentially? It wouldn¡¯t be that way for long.

    Silence.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to know for certain. You could roughly guess. If you need verification, I could show you the eggs in the basement.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, ahh¡­¡±

    Despair. The thought of being able to live a bit longer was actually a shortcut to death. A dark shadow cast on all of their faces, losing even the faintest trace of hope.

    ¡°There¡¯s a method.¡±

    ¡°¡­A way?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    The villagers pricked up their ears. They thought all hope was lost¡­. But was there really a method? As they needed a more detailed explanation, Su-hyeun had more to say.

    ¡°There¡¯s a way for everyone to live,¡± Su-hyeun spoke, looking at the villagers surrounding him.

    ¡°Will you listen to me?¡±

    The villagers made a decision concerning the village chief.

    Death. There was no other way of repaying his actions for fooling the villagers. He had already offered the villagers to the Predatory Snake as prey. The village chief, who could not endure floggings and beatings, shouted furiously.

    ¡°You lot are being fooled! All of you are being fooled by him!¡± Some were wavered by his screams. It was true that the village chief had devoted his whole life to the village, and Su-hyeun was an outsider who arrived just yesterday.

    The anger of the villagers whose family had become prey to the Predatory Snake was not easily shaken by his play.

    Su-hyeun brought six robust young villagers down into the basement.

    ¡°What is happening here?¡± One of them soothed his shivering forearm. The Predatory Snake lived in the village¡¯s basement, which was connected to the chief¡¯s house. Although Su-hyeun killed it, the young men did not wish to enter after knowing the truth.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there¡¯s a way for everyone to live?¡±

    Only

    ¡°Is the method right here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The basement was dark and humid. As they followed the stairs, they arrived at a huge cave. The sound of something crawling could be heard.

    Screech, screech¡ª

    Their eyes were glistening in the dark. The young men who followed Su-hyeun down stepped back in astonishment.

    ¡°M-m-monster¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugggh¡­¡±

    The monsters were the babies of the Predatory Snake.

 Chapter 14

    It was a total of six. Su-hyeun nodded his head after counting their numbers.

    Thankfully, they have all hatched. The snakelets had the body size of an adult male. Although they were young, they were still twice the size of an anaconda. Their growth period would end within a few months.

    Adult Predatory Snakes usually slept soundly for a day after a meal. On the contrary, the snakelets would eat much more than that.

    Creak¡ª

    The six snakelets showed their teeth as they approached Su-hyeun, who was taking the lead. Although they were smaller than the adults, their build was still a lot larger than humans; hence, the young men are intimidated by them. But¡­

    ¡°Close your mouths.¡±

    Creak, creeeak¡ª

    Su-hyeun spoke again, walking towards the snakelets. ¡°Close your mouths.¡±

    Gu, guuu¡ª

    The wide cave shook. Not only the young men, but also the snakelets that were facing them were in disarray.

    Seuk, eukkk¡ª

    A pair of magic-filled eyes looked at the snakelets. The snakelets were frightened and cowered at Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. The young men watching Su-hyeun saw him once again as a monster.

    W-what is that?

    I knew he wasn¡¯t normal when he killed that monster¡­

    Is he human?

    A human overpowering a monster with his eyes alone? It was impossible. Just one of those snakelets could turn the village into nothing. The Predatory Snake was a monster of that capacity.

    ¡°W-why did you show them to us?¡±

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Disbelief was in their eyes. They thought that Su-hyeun might throw them to feed the snakelets. The fear made them unable to think.

    ¡°What are you guys thinking of?¡± Su-hyeun shook his head and spoke while looking at the young men.

    ¡°We will be training them from now on.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®training them?''¡±

    Su-hyeun started explaining to them as they looked confused. ¡°I have explained to you that the habits of Predatory Snakes are that they sleep soundly after meals and do not prey on the one who feeds them.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°Those habits are for the normal Predatory Snakes. Though they have similar habits, the snakelets have one more habit. It¡¯s a normal one, not much different from animals.¡±

    ¡°No way¡­¡± They must have understood after listening to this explanation. Su-hyeun nodded at the men¡¯s suspicions.

    ¡°Right. They would regard the person who feeds them like their mother.¡±

    So they had to train the Predatory Snakes. That was what Su-hyeun was suggesting. In this era, monsters were evil and predators to humans. It was absurd to think of taming them.

    ¡°Taming these guys¡­ means the villagers would once again¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did you think that its food has to be humans?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there food for them outside the village?¡±

    ¡°Outside the village?¡± They showed faces that could not comprehend. Su-hyeun nodded towards the green-horned beasts.

    ¡°They eat humans, but there¡¯s no rule that they can¡¯t eat other monsters.¡±

    ¡°A-are you suggesting to feed them the monsters outside the village?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible! How can we¡­¡±

    ¡°Who asked you to catch those monsters?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Su-hyeun was faced with puzzled expressions. Su-hyeun let out a deep sigh. He picked only the most robust men from the village, but they had more fear than he thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ll catch the monsters. You guys would just have to feed them to the snakelets.¡± There was a reason why the Predatory Snake gave birth to snakelets at the start of the trial. Su-hyeun took advantage of it to pass the trial.

    The trial occasionally gave extremely tough missions. This trial could be said to have the theme of endless dedication. Asking to rescue the village with no strings attached was not a problematic mission for Su-hyeun.

    It¡¯s me. Though it might have felt relatively easy, as time went on, it became more ridiculous. What if he had not known about the Predatory Snake? What would have happened if he did not heed the gatekeeper¡¯s advice and trusted the village chief?

    He would have fallen into the trap that the chief made without getting a clue and would have been sent as the Predatory Snake¡¯s prey.

    [Accomplished: 30%]

    [Will you complete the trial?]

    These were the messages that appeared in his mind when he killed the Predatory Snake and suggested to kill the village chief. They were a different style of message. It didn¡¯t say that the trial had ended, but instead gave him the choice to end it himself.

    He had encountered these types of trials in his past life. There were times where you could choose when to complete the trials.

    Is dealing with the village chief and the Predatory Snakes the minimum requirement for clearing?

    The trial seemed more irresponsible than he had imagined.

    I can¡¯t treat what I¡¯ve done so far as rescuing the village. The village was nearly at its end when the chief died and they lost the Predatory Snake¡¯s protection. It was evident that they would soon be attacked by monsters.

    Although he did not know when it would happen, he knew at the very least that it would not be in the distant future. ¡°30% accomplished¡± definitely meant that the village was still not completely safe.

    From now on, Su-hyeun had to find a way to protect the village and increase his level of accomplishment.

    It was a purposeful installment of the snakelets¡­ The key point was how he made use of the installment.

    It would have been impossible to clear the mission without knowledge of the Predatory Snakes¡¯ habits. Su-hyeun came to that conclusion. It was apparent every time, but the level 10 trials did not just require one¡¯s strength. As the trials got harder, they required something more.

    It was the evening. Nevertheless, dark clouds brought upon total darkness in the sky. Su-hyeun was familiar with this world, which could not even see dusk.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done babysitting.¡± Su-hyeun muttered after stepping out of the village. The Predatory Snakes¡¯ territory had been maintained for a month.

    The Predatory Snake marked its territory with bodily fluids secreted from its mouth, and the nasty smell made weaker monsters stay away. As per the villagers, the territory would only last for 15 days. He had to train them within that period.

    ¡°Six snakelets¡­¡±

    One snakelet per day. He had to fill the stomach of six snakelets.

    ¡°I have to work hard for quite some time.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun stopped in his tracks and observed the surroundings. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to.¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    As soon as he stepped out of the territory, he detected several signs of monsters.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as much of a nuisance as expected.¡±

    He did not have to search for the monsters. They lurked around the predatory snake¡¯s territory, targeting the people coming out of the village.

    ¡°Here! Your prey is here!¡±

    [You used the skill ¡°Leap.¡±]

    [Excluding the targeted object, the surrounding enemies perceived you as an enemy.]

    Kyaaaa¡ª!

    Stomp, stomp¡ª!

    The monsters that were salivating as Su-hyeun came rushing towards them.

    Clang, clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun grabbed his sword and spear in his hands. And at the same time, Su-hyeun leaped forward.

    Ssss¡ª!

    Rippp¡ª!

    A monster¡¯s body with the face of a huge wolf was slashed half. After avoiding the forthcoming monsters with Leap, he leaped once more in the air.

    He leaped twice in total. As the skill¡¯s ability increased, the number of times he could use the skill increased as well.

    ¡°Hoop¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun looked down as he leaped high in the air. He fixed on his target.

    Paang¡ª!

    Swooooosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun bent his body into a bow and threw the spear.

    Plat¡ª!

    The massive spider monster¡¯s heart was destroyed. Su-hyeun first finished the trickiest monster, which secreted venom.

    Hwooong¡ª!

    The next monster that came running was a translucent goblin type monster with no form. It swung Su-hyeun¡¯s body around and emitted dark energy. It was an energy that made human flesh age and rot.

    Whoosh¡ª

    That moment, the end of Su-hyeun¡¯s sword was engulfed in blue flames.

    [The skill ¡°Flame¡± was used.]

    Hwaaa¡ª!

    Slash¡ª!

    Not only did Su-hyeun¡¯s sword cut the dark energy, but it also slashed the formless goblin.

    Su-hyeun, who leaped high in the air, returned to the ground. The monsters hesitated.

    They focused on the flame, which engulfed the sword. Su-hyeun instinctively sensed that the blaze was more dangerous than anything else.

    It was at that moment when the monsters were afraid of Su-hyeun. ¡°Where are you heading to?¡±

    [The skill ¡°Provocation¡± was used.]

    Once again, Su-hyeun made the monsters turn back. ¡°I would be sad.¡±

    Flame. Su-hyeun obtained that reward on the eighth floor. Su-hyeun chose not to learn too many skills. If the skills were not used at the right time and place, he thought that it would be pointless to obtain them as well. Thus, Su-hyeun chose to focus on learning the most useful skills.

    Leap and Provocation were the most-used skills by magical awakeners and were also proven to be effective. And amongst them, Flame was a skill that the picky Su-hyeun liked.

    [Flame.]

    -Magic Level: 4.

    Only

    -Level: 1.

    -Ability: 15.5%.

    -A sacred fire that burns magic. It inflicts fatal wounds on dark-type enemies and its power is determined by the magic level.

    It was a level-dependent skill. Firstly, he liked this part. Level-dependent skills, like the Transfiguration skill, were more efficient. In particular, many of the dark-type monsters were quite tricky. There were some enemies in soul forms that would not be harmed by physical attacks.

    It¡¯s certainly the best skill in terms of power. Su-hyeun¡¯s assessment of Flame was quite generous. Amongst all the top-notch skills that Su-hyeun had seen, giving the Flame skill such high evaluation meant that it was quite exceptional.

    Besides high magic consumption, it has quite a heavy pressure on health too.

    It was too excessive a skill to be used on small monsters. Nevertheless, Su-hyeun used Flame for just one reason.

    When else can I increase my ability other than at this point?

 Chapter 15

    The skills¡¯ powers were classified into two categories.

    Firstly, the most basic requirement of a skill was its magic level. The second was its ability.

    Thus, regardless of how high the skill level was, if the ability was meager, one would not be able to use it to its fullest potential. In this regard, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to make use of this trial to raise Su-hyeun¡¯s skill ability.

    >

    As he watched the surrounding monsters¡¯ corpses burn, he let out a breath of exhaustion.

    ¡°Huu¡ª¡±

    The Flame skill¡¯s ability had increased.

    It was the same with the Provocation skill. There was nothing better than real battles to increase a skill¡¯s ability.

    >

    Su-hyeun clicked his tongue as he watched the corpses lying on the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s not here.¡±

    The 10th floor.

    Regardless of how difficult it was, the trial would not arrange monsters that were impossible for awakeners to deal with. It would be surprising to see monsters of a higher caliber than the Predatory Snake.

    ¡°Well, if a tougher monster than the Predatory Snake appears, the mission would not be valid.¡±

    The Predatory Snake¡¯s territory created a deterrence to other monsters. If there were stronger monsters, the village would have been destroyed much earlier.

    ¡°This should be enough.¡±

    He had sufficient corpses to feed the snakelets. The rest were hunted to increase Su-hyeun¡¯s skill¡¯s proficiency. Su-hyeun brought out the six young men who were supposed to feed the snakelets.

    ¡°A-all of these¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you catch all of these?¡±

    The six young men looked wearily at Su-hyeun.

    There were countless bodies. Most of them were black as if they had been burnt to death.

    ¡°Drag those bodies there onto the cart. They should sustain the snakes for a few days.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ What will our benefactor like to do? Will you be returning with us immediately?¡±

    Benefactor? Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed at the awkward, burdensome title.

    ¡°I¡¯ll catch up in a while.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave with us?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go together. Mealtime is already over, too¡­¡±

    It seemed that they were worried that Su-hyeun might disappear without a trace.

    Even though Su-hyeun was an awkward and unfamiliar person at first, he was now the only person they could rely on.

    Su-hyeun was aware of their worries. But before that, he had something he needed to do.

    ¡°The snakelets take time to mark their territory. No matter how fed and bloated they are, it¡¯s going to take around a month.¡±

    ¡°S-so¡­ In the coming month¡­¡±

    The young men¡¯s faces turned pale at Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words meant that in the following month, the village would be unsafe from the monsters outside. They didn¡¯t know it, but it was part of the trial that Su-hyeun was given.

    ¡°I¡¯ll protect the village for the next month.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± asked one of the men.

    ¡°Personally, by the benefactor?¡± asked another.

    ¡°But why¡­¡±

    It should have been a happy matter, but they could not bring themselves to feel that way. The question of why came naturally.

    Why was it that Su-hyeun wanted to help them like this? It was an overly one-sided relationship. And if you were no fool, you would know that one-sided good deeds without reason were not something you could easily come across.

    However, such doubts from the young men did not matter to Su-hyeun. No matter how they saw him, Su-hyeun would only take one action.

    ¡°Anyway, I will catch all the monsters around the village, so don¡¯t worry. Just return to the village. I will also return before the sun sets.¡±

    The young men had no choice but to nod their heads, leaving Su-hyeun at that spot.

    >

    >

    After a moment of rest, Su-hyeun wandered around the village and began calling for monsters.

    Just like that, all day long, Su-hyeun caught the monsters again and again.

    Act 8

    Time passed quickly.

    Luckily, the village was recognized as a safe zone, so Su-hyeun was able to come and go between the real world and the village. Occasionally, Su-hyeun would return to the real world to contact Shin Su-yeong and then return to the village to repeat his hunts.

    The villagers¡¯ attitude towards Su-hyeun had also changed. At first, their gazes towards Su-hyeun were full of suspicion. They thought he might be approaching the village with an ulterior motive. However, their suspicions cleared up as time passed.

    Perhaps, just like what Su-hyeun had said, they could see that the snakelets were becoming tamer. The snakelets grew day by day. The young men had begun to train them in various ways according to Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    Late one night, Su-hyeun finished his hunt and returned to the village. His skill¡¯s proficiency was progressing steadily.

    [Accomplishment: 65%]

    Su-hyeun was satisfied after checking his accomplishments.

    >

    As the snakelets grew, his accomplishment percentage increased. That steady rise in accomplishment was also proof that Su-hyeun was on the right track.

    Flop¡ª

    Su-hyeun returned to his shabby tent house and laid down on the hard floor. He was exhausted.

    After fighting monsters all day long, his body felt drained of strength. Recently, it felt as if he had gone back to the past.

    >

    This place was very similar to the world he lived in: a destroyed world, anxious people, the black, dead sky and earth.

    It was swarming with monsters outside the village. It might have been set up as such to match the stage of the 10th floor, as there were no monsters above a certain level.

    >

    Just as Su-hyeun was about to close his eyes, he heard some rustling.

    He felt a presence outside the tent house. It was a very small presence.

    Dragging his tired body, Su-hyeun stood up from his spot. He walked towards the door and saw a familiar face outside.

    ¡°Kid.¡±

    ¡°Hic.¡±

    It was the same six or seven-year-old kid that he saw a few days back. The child who came to find Su-hyeun seemed so afraid that she covered herself behind the tree in the distance.

    Looking at the child who was half-covered, Su-hyeun said with a small smile, ¡°I can see you. Are you looking for me?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    The child was cute. Su-hyeun continued talking, holding back his laughter that was threatening to burst because of the child¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Since you are looking for me, could you come nearer? If you stand so far away, Uncle would not be able to hear you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid! I¡¯m Mellie!¡±

    Upset by being called a kid, the child cried out.

    She was an interesting child. With seemingly no thoughts of going closer, Mellie kept her distance while stealing glances at Su-hyeun. He waited until the girl came closer.

    Mellie approached Su-hyeun slowly after making eye contact several times.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    After moments of fidgeting, Mellie came near and held out her hand towards Su-hyeun. In her palm was a small piece of bread slightly smaller than a fist.

    ¡°What could this be?¡± Su-hyeun asked. ¡°Is this for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just thankful.¡±

    ¡°Thankful?¡±

    ¡°I heard that you were protecting our village. Thank you for protecting our village.¡±

    It seemed like rumors had spread throughout the village.

    ¡°Did you know that? Actually, the village chief was a horrible person. I knew that¡­but¡­¡±

    ¡°How did you know that?¡±

    ¡°My elder brother was taken away by the village chief. And he did not come back.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s heart sank at Mellie¡¯s answer. This young child was aware of everything. She was aware of the sadness of losing her brother and was holding onto the grief.

    That was why while the others called the village chief a hero, Mellie seemed unable to do so. Mellie looked up at Su-hyeun with shining eyes and continued speaking.

    ¡°Well, they said that you are our village¡¯s hero. The other uncles said that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hero?¡±

    ¡°Yes. So, I will give you this. Take it.¡±

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    As she passed over the bread, a sound of hunger could be heard from Mellie¡¯s stomach. Without batting an eye, Mellie held out the bread to Su-hyeun, hurrying him to take it. Something inside of him choked up.

    Why was this young child given such a difficult task as starvation? What was it that made this young child unable to express her hunger?

    He closed his eyes. Anger flared up.

    >

    He was not a hero. He had already felt that fact, bone-deep, in his past life. However, in this young child¡¯s eyes, his unremarkable self seemed like a real hero.

    Su-hyeun opened his eyes. He looked at Mellie¡¯s eyes again.

    ¡°No, Uncle is¡­¡±

    >

    Would it be right to say this?

    Was it right to destroy this child¡¯s fantasies and hopes that were instilled in these words? There was a moment of hesitation.

    ¡°Mellie! You can¡¯t do that! I¡¯m sorry, so sorry.¡±

    Mellie¡¯s mother appeared and swept her up in her arms. The woman might not have even known what she is sorry for. Knowing this, Su-hyeun hurriedly waved his hands.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I was bored and had fun because of Mellie.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Mom, you don¡¯t even know.¡±

    ¡°Mellie!¡±

    As if asking her to please be quiet, Mellie¡¯s mother placed a finger to her lips. She bowed her head to Su-hyeun once again.

    ¡°No. I should have been keeping an eye on her¡­she has no manners¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Really.¡±

    The woman had a look of relief after studying Su-hyeun¡¯s expression. Luckily, Su-hyeun had not shown any displeasure.

    ¡°Uncle, are you not going to eat this?¡±

    Mellie once again held out the piece of crumbly and slightly dusted bread towards Su-hyeun. The girl¡¯s mother started nagging at Mellie again, but Su-hyeun laughed lightly and accepted the bread.

    ¡°Since Mellie gave me a present, I¡¯ll have to repay her, right?¡±

    The crumbly, small bread returned as a piece of soft and warm bread.

    Mellie¡¯s face brightened as she saw a piece of large bread emerge from Su-hyeun¡¯s pouch. ¡°Wow!¡±

    Mellie laughed excitedly. Her mother looked troubled once again. She looked between Mellie and Su-hyeun, unable to do anything.

    Only

    ¡°Mellie, you are really¡­ I¡¯m sorry. You do not have to eat that¡­¡±

    Before the woman ended her words, Su-hyeun put the bread in his mouth and ate it. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    In fact, it wasn¡¯t even chewable. But¡­

    ¡°Really, it was delicious.¡±

    Those were sincere words.

    It was tough to swallow that dry and tough piece of bread without water. It tasted nothing like food.

    He would not forget the bread he ate that day for the rest of his life ¡ª it was, indeed, that gratifying.

 Chapter 16

    Creak, creak¡ª

    Slither, slither¡ª

    Six snakelets.

    More accurately, half of them, now grown to be adult Predatory Snakes, darted their tongues.

    They had a considerable physical build that spanned two meters in diameter. The triangular headed Predatory Snakes had venom in their teeth and saliva dripping from their mouths.

    >

    It had been a month and a half. Although it was hard to discern whether they had developed into adults, they would be no match for the fair number of monsters lurking around the village.

    ¡°How was the hunt today?¡± Su-hyeun asked the six young men who were managing the predatory snakes. They seemed to have gotten familiar with training the snakes.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many monsters left around the village. I think we may have to broaden the hunting ground slowly.¡±

    ¡°What about the food rations?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°We found potatoes and some rotten wheat in a distant village. We should have no problems with food for the next three months.¡±

    ¡°Please search for other food that can be self-cultivated, since there will be a limited amount of food sourced from outside.¡±

    ¡°We got it.¡±

    The village became livelier. Regardless of the situation outside the village, at least the village was now safe from monsters.

    There were no more humans sacrificed for the predatory snakes. Before that, the villagers feared that they would be sacrificed for the snakes, rather than the monsters outside.

    >

    Su-hyeun suddenly felt entirely unfamiliar with this world. Though it was similar to the destroyed world he knew, the system organized it well.

    >

    In the past month and a half, Su-hyeun did not spot any other monsters that could invade the Predatory Snakes¡¯ territory, but it was unclear as to how much longer the village would be safe.

    Even if they domesticated the six Predatory Snakes, if there were a monster stronger than them, the peace would vanish in a flash.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun left the basement where they were training the Predatory Snakes and walked through the village. A lot had changed during this period.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the hero uncle!¡±

    ¡°Uncle, where are you heading?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Su-hyeun, are you heading out of the village again today?¡±

    It was the villagers¡¯ attention and hospitality towards Su-hyeun. Their initial impression of Su-hyeun had long been erased. Now, in their eyes, Su-hyeun was the hero who saved their village.

    Su-hyeun felt burdened with those looks. It was especially true when the children called him a hero openly.

    Su-hyeun spoke to Mellie¡¯s mother. ¡°I have to verify again if any more monsters are lurking around the village.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hard work. Because of us, every day¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s my duty.¡±

    He had meant it. His actions now were only part of the process to pass the trial. The mission was now at its final stage.

    As the Predatory Snakes were growing into adults, the trial¡¯s accomplishment increased quickly, depending on the village¡¯s safety. The rewards would be great as it was a trial that required an extended period of time; the lingering attachment was higher than anticipation.

    >

    Would it return to its original state, as if Su-hyeun had never set foot there? Or would it maintain the status quo with the newly domesticated Predatory Snakes?

    If so¡­ would the village stay safe forever?

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Su-hyeun was organizing his train of thoughts when a stream of vulgarity unknowingly came out. The frightened children backed away in the tense atmosphere. The same went for Mellie¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Why¡­ Did something bad happen?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no.¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head at the foul words he had just said. He looked at the children and smiled at them once again.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Su-hyeun left the village after those words. Strangely, the weird feeling did not go away. As Su-hyeun felt that he was unnecessarily concerned, he checked the trial¡¯s status.

    [Accomplishment: 99 percent.]

    Why?

    There had been no change in the accomplishment level for a few days. Obviously, the village would be safe if nothing else were to happen.

    >

    It was because of the remaining 1% that he was unsatisfied and did not choose to clear this trial.

    The Tower of Trials¡¯ system never lied. Failure to achieve 100% in accomplishment meant that the village was not completely safe.

    Since Su-hyeun could have already cleared this trial when he had killed the village chief and the first Predatory Snake, there would not be much of a problem if the trial ended here.

    But¡­

    >

    Even if his goal was just to clear the trial with perfection, he had to do something.

    >

    With the sudden strange thought creeping into his mind, Su-hyeun shook his head vigorously.

    >

    Su-hyeun then left the village. No other monsters remained outside the village. They were mostly dealt with in the past month and a half.

    >

    He had to find out the reason.

    Su-hyeun did not return to the village, even when the sky had turned completely dark at night.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun was now quite a distance from the village. He felt the eyes of various monsters on him, but he could sense something larger amongst them.

    He looked down beneath his feet. It was directly beneath him.

    ¡°¡­So, it was you.¡±

    Its eyes only opened at dawn. As it was quite a distance from the village and barely active during the day, he could not have sensed it.

    The Flame skill was used on Su-hyeun¡¯s sword.

    The flame¡¯s size was a lot larger than the first time. This was thanks to the hunted monsters that increased his skill¡¯s proficiency.

    Su-hyeun used his magic to bring out the flame as much as he could, and using the sword as a counterweight, stabbed it into the ground.

    Stab¡ª!

    The flames permeated into the ground. Su-hyeun consistently sent the fire into the ground. Soon, he got a reaction.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    The ground beneath him shook and its surface burst open. Soon, something huge appeared above ground.

    Su-hyeun avoided it by leaping into the air. He could verify the monster¡¯s form by leaping a few times more into the air.

    Kyaaaaa¡ª!

    A gigantic earthworm.

    It was an earth-colored monster without any eyes, nose, or limbs. The only body part it had on its lengthy build was a hideous mouth that unleashed a loud groan.

    Its form was similar to the Predatory Snake¡¯s. But Su-hyeun knew.

    >

    It was the only remaining threat to the village in this trial: the Earthworm.

    Its body had even more venomous poison than the Predatory Snake. If both the Earthworm and Predatory Snake met, the Predatory Snake would be paralyzed and die from the Earthworm¡¯s venom in an instant.

    >

    The trial could be cleared without even catching the monster. In other words, one could catch it if possible; otherwise, he would have to return to the Tower.

    Su-hyeun observed the Earthworm¡¯s movement, and its related information appeared.

    The Earthworm belonged to the boss level monsters. Its lifeline was lengthy and not to be taken lightly. Moreover, the most important point was its venom. Even for Su-hyeun, it was tough to be safe from the Earthworm¡¯s poison without toxic-resistant skills.

    >

    Su-hyeun set the flame ablaze once more and charged towards the earthworm.

    * * *

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Pant, pant¡ª

    Su-hyeun let out a heavy breath and stumbled, exhausted.

    The Earthworm¡¯s green blood flowed into the dirt. Su-hyeun¡¯s feet seemed to burn wherever he stepped on the blood-stained ground.

    Creak, creak¡ª

    The Earthworm was not dead yet. A few fragments of its body were prolonging its life.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡±

    Su-hyeun finally gathered the last of his magic and severed its head.

    Slash¡ª!

    Kya¡ª

    [You have gained 1,000 achievement points.]

    [You have attained the highest accomplishment.]

    [You have passed the 10th-floor¡¯s trial with perfection.]

    [You can choose an additional reward. The additional rewards depend on your accomplishment level. The command is ¡°Select.¡±]

    [Your achievement will be ranked.]

    [You have ranked first.]

    [Your Strength has increased by 1 point.]

    [Your Agility¡­]

    ¡­

    [You have gained 50,000 achievement points.]

    [Your magic level has increased by 1 level.]

    [Your magic factor has increased by 2 points.]

    [Will you ascend to the next floor?]

    The allocated achievement points were not as generous as he had expected.

    But the other rewards were that his magic level had increased and that he was allowed to choose his additional reward.

    >

    ¡°Haa¡ª¡±

    Whatever the additional reward, Su-hyeun trudged heavily and sat on a dry patch of ground where there was no Earthworm¡¯s blood.

    He could not even open the door to reality in his current state.

    A considerable amount of concentration was needed to open it. Thus, it was impossible to open the door when Su-hyeun was poisoned.

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun held the necklace that was hanging around his neck in his hand. It was the treasure that was obtained on the second floor: the Sharyes¡¯ treasure. Though he did not have many chances to use it, it was useful every time.

    >

    Although it would cost quite a considerable amount of achievement points, it was an item that valuable.

    Whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª

    As Su-hyeun activated the necklace, a light came out and enveloped Su-hyeun¡¯s body. A bright light green light fully wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s body and soon dissipated.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s poisoned body felt lighter and more relaxed.

    >

    It was an item that recovers the users¡¯ health three times.

    These types of items were rare. Unfortunately, as its recovery speed was slow, it was difficult to be used in combat, but it couldn¡¯t be matched with natural recovery.

    Initially, the poison would have gradually spread in the body, and overcoming it naturally would have had taken a long time.

    Perhaps parts of the body that could not be recovered would be permanently paralyzed or led to an early death, but the Sharyes¡¯ treasure was slowly neutralizing the poison.

    Only

    >

    He could only use it two more times. He had expected to use up one chance when he started the fight with the Earthworm and did not regret it.

    >

    The Tower of Trials¡¯ system never lied. Su-hyeun believed so.

    The lingering feeling had lessened. Thanks to that, Su-hyeun could ascend to the next floor without worries.

    >

    There was the additional reward that he could choose after his accomplishment level had passed the 30 percent mark.

 Chapter 17

    ¡°Select.¡±

    [The command has been entered.]

    [Please choose your reward.]

    A long list of rewards appeared as soon as Su-hyeun spoke those words. Very much similar to a website, various items were listed from top to bottom.

    The ordinary stores used achievement points as their exchange currency, but these were different.

    [Stored accomplishment points: 70.]

    <>

    Although he had heard of some selected stores using a different method, he had not encountered any in his past life.

    Su-hyeun looked through the list of rewards.

    It might have been hard to stumble upon this chance again in the future. He had to be careful with his choice.

    <>

    There were many items worth purchasing using his accomplishment points.

    There were skills, equipment, and consumer goods. Unfortunately, the skills that Su-hyeun was unable to learn yet were not available for purchase.

    Skills with a low requirement for magic level required fewer accomplishment points. Su-hyeun could have bought a few skills, but he quickly turned them away.

    <>

    Su-hyeun turned to the equipment and consumer goods. Unfortunately, none of the skills he could learn right now were better than Flame. On the contrary, there were a lot more useful items under the equipment category, some of which were of similar standards to what he had used in his past life.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than I thought.¡±

    As it was tough gauging the difficulty on the 10th floor, it was the same for the rewards.

    Su-hyeun swiped down the rewards list. The items got more expensive as he went down the list, but it also meant that those were much more valuable.

    <>

    Similarly to skills, he thought the same way about equipment.

    Instead of carrying several pieces of equipment on him, owning just one an outstanding weapon or set of armor would be more efficient.

    Su-hyeun went to the last item on the equipment and consumer goods category. The most expensive was 65 points.

    <>

    He felt that something was lacking.

    It was the armor category. Named the Heavenly God¡¯s Armor, the item had the effect of changing its form according to the user¡¯s wishes. It also served as an extra lifeline, with resistance to various attributes like fire, electric, poison, and more. It was great.

    In truth, it was a piece of equipment that wouldn¡¯t normally be obtained on the 10th floor.

    But¡­

    [Others.]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes turned to the last remaining category. It wasn¡¯t skills, equipment, or consumer goods, but ¡°others.¡±

    All other random items were gathered here. Su-hyeun did not pay special attention to it at first, but he had decided to take a look at it; it didn¡¯t matter if it was lacking.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just take a look.¡±

    He selected the category, and various items appeared before him. Indeed, there was a wide variety.

    From musical instruments to water tanks and fashion items, some would make one wonder why they were on sale. It was quite a spectacle. There were some useful items amongst them, but they would be a waste of the points.

    ¡°All that for nothing.¡±

    However, the last item on the list caught Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    [Unidentifiable God¡¯s Egg]

    [An unidentifiable egg. Not sure what will be hatched.]

    An item worth 70 points.

    But why is this even called an item? It was evident that something would be hatched, but there was no way to tell what it would be.

    ¡°God¡¯s Egg.¡±

    It was the item¡¯s name that caught Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    He was confident that he would somehow be able to get the other items.

    No matter how valuable the equipment was, Su-hyeun knew how to obtain the hero level weapons, like Balmung, that he had used in his past life.

    But it was different for God¡¯s Egg.

    In fact, if an awakener was lucky enough to get this egg, the hatched item could elevate the awakener¡¯s rank. It was one of the few items that Su-hyeun knew of but did not know how to obtain.

    ¡°Although the unidentifiable explanation is quite worrying¡­.¡±

    But it seemed that there was no other better option.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡±

    [You have used 70 accomplishment points.]

    [You have purchased the ¡°Unidentifiable God¡¯s Egg.¡±]

    As soon as he made the transaction, an egg with the size of a fist appeared before him. It was a white egg without any patterns. Su-hyeun accepted it carefully with both hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s smaller than I thought¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun had thought it would be around the size of his body since it was called God¡¯s Egg. As it was his first time seeing the Unidentifiable God¡¯s Egg, he didn¡¯t know if it was normal.

    ¡°Anyway, with this, my job on the 10th floor is done¡­.¡±

    It was time to head back.

    Most of the poison had been neutralized. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to move about. Su-hyeun stood up and reached his hands out.

    And with all his strength, he grasped the air and opened the door.

    Rip¡ª!

    The door back to reality opened. Su-hyeun¡¯s expression calmed down as he stepped out.

    ¡°With this¡­ Did I meet the minimum standards that I had planned out?¡±

    He had cleared the 10th floor. It was the minimum standard that Su-hyeun had in mind initially.

    That was what he had been working hard towards. However, the results were beyond his expectations.

    ¡°Although it took longer than expected¡­¡±

    Step¡ª

    He grinned slightly as he passed the door.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger than I had planned.¡±

    The standard was no different from when he cleared the eighth floor and obtained the Flame skill.

    ¡°I can¡¯t delay any further.¡±

    Act 9

    Time flowed differently in the Tower of Trials and reality. Although it was dawn on the 10th floor, in reality, it was just 2 PM.

    Su-hyeun headed to the nearest bank. He inserted his card and verified his bank balance. A total of 1,210,000 Korean won was all that Su-hyeun had.

    He had saved all the allowance that Shin Su-yeong sent him every month. The fact of the matter was he had no use for the money. His only expenses were the occasional gifts for Shin Su-yeong, so he had saved quite a lot.

    Whirl¡ª

    He withdrew all the money at once.

    Su-hyeun took the money and headed to Seoul by bus. He had to rely on his memories to find his way from Seoul Station. Su-hyeun finally found the place he was looking for, which was located in a reasonably large area.

    The Awakeners Accreditation Authority.

    It was a state-run institute that evaluated the awakeners¡¯ ranks, but wasn¡¯t just that; the institute also monitored the foreign awakeners¡¯ movements and managed the local awakeners.

    ¡°It has been a while.¡±

    The awakeners who got stronger every singe time they ascended the tower would sometimes increase their skills and request reassessments. Therefore, an average awakener would visit the institution three to four times in his life.

    But of course, it was different for Su-hyeun.

    There was no reason for him to be elevated in the first place. Su-hyeun was previously a local awakener, but he wasn¡¯t a normal awakener.

    He started heading in. He took his time, reminiscing about old times, as he had been living all the while as Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    A staff member greeted Su-hyeun brightly as he stepped into the lobby.

    ¡°I came to be evaluated.¡±

    ¡°Is this your first time as an awakener?¡± The female staff member, who appeared to be in her mid-20s, smiled and spoke calmly. She must have been one of those people in Korea who had seen many awakeners in her life.

    ¡°It has been a while.¡±

    ¡°It might take a while according to procedures. Please follow me.¡±

    Guided by the staff, Su-hyeun went through several procedures to verify his identity and headed to the first floor. Several chairs were placed in the middle of a spacious room, and many people were standing. As soon as Su-hyeun saw the five people sitting on the chairs, he realized that they were awakeners like him.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Su-hyeun recognized one of their faces.

    ¡°Choi Hak-joon?¡±

    He was the awakener he had chanced upon at the Tower of Trials not too long ago. It seemed that Choi Hak-joon had also come to be evaluated as an awakener.

    ¡°Please wait for 30 minutes until the ranking evaluation is prepared. You will be called accordingly.¡±

    The woman who guided Su-hyeun quickly left after she finished speaking. Soon, everyone in the room looked towards Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Unlike the other awakeners, Hak-joon narrowed his eyes and waved his hands as he seemed to have recognized Su-hyeun, but he soon tilted and scratched his head as if he was afraid that he recalled the wrong person. True, it would not be easy to recognize Su-hyeun right away after only one encounter.

    ¡°It has been a while.¡±

    Since he had time, Su-hyeun approached Hak-joon. Actually, he was also curious as to what kind of person he actually was.

    Hak-joon asked, delighted that his memory did not fail him, ¡°Indeed, we have met before, right?¡±

    ¡°We did have a small encounter once on the second floor.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I remember it now.¡±

    Hak-joon clapped his hands and laughed while looking at Su-hyeun. It seemed that Su-hyeun¡¯s first impression was too intense to be forgotten.

    ¡°Are you here to be re-evaluated again?¡±

    It seemed that Hak-joon had been evaluated once before.

    Su-hyeun shook his head.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a re-evaluation.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s your first time?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t a year passed since we last met?¡±

    Usually, after a person has awakened, they were evaluated within a month because it was the first time that they are magically awakened. After that, one would usually get re-evaluated every time their magic level increased. It was the only reason why awakeners were evaluated. One had to be ranked in order to enter the dungeons, and then one could earn some big bucks there.

    In this regard, it was rare to see someone doing their evaluation a year after awakening.

    ¡°If you¡¯re unsure about the rank evaluation for awakeners¡­¡±

    Only

    ¡°I¡¯m fully aware.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not here for the money?¡±

    There had been occasional instances, too, when those who awakened but did not care about the money did not receive rank evaluations. They were usually rich enough to decide not to work as an awakener.

    ¡°My objective¡­¡±

    Truthfully speaking, it wasn¡¯t for the money at all ¡ª it was because that was the minimum requirement to work as an awakener.

    But¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s not my purpose, but I sort of need it.¡±

    He did not intend to let Shin Su-yeong suffer forever.

 Chapter 18

    Hak-joon tilted his head at Su-hyeun¡¯s answer. He did not know how to accurately interpret Su-hyeun¡¯s response.

    <>

    Hak-joon figured that if money were his objective, this would not have been his first evaluation.

    Su-hyeun and Hak-joon continued to talk for quite a while. The conversation was mostly Su-hyeun questioning Hak-joon. Su-hyeun was most curious about which floor of the Tower of Trials had Hak-joon reached up until this point.

    <<15th floor¡­ He has gone up quite high.>>

    They had first met on the second floor, but Hak-joon had now reached the 15th floor.

    It was quite a feat considering that as one ascended the floors, the difficulty of the trials increased as well. Moreover, Hak-joon had always chosen Level 8 trials, the same as Su-hyeun had done in his past life.

    <

    Su-hyeun¡¯s perception of Hak-joon had changed a little. Hak-joon was better than the person he had remembered. Su-hyeun felt a need to continue observing him.

    As time went by, everything had been prepared for the evaluation. There were large palm-shaped boards ¡ª with machines as tall as men ¡ª and the institute¡¯s awakeners, who would be notarizing.

    ¡°Ares Guild¡¯s awakener Mr. Choi Hak-joon! Your evaluation will start now!¡±

    Hak-joon, who had arrived the earliest, headed up upon being called.

    <>

    Ares Guild had been reaching out to Su-hyeun via Abyss Online, asking him to join them. Although he did not have any intentions to join a guild, he recalled the name as it was related to Hak-joon.

    <>

    Joining hands with a crime syndicate, the guild had been supported in the dark to foster power.

    Hak-joon and Ares Guild would meet in the future, and the guild would disappear by the high-profile awakener¡¯s hand. Su-hyeun had considerable interest in this matter when he had learned of it. He had also planned to meet with the Ares Guild sometime, but of course, not so soon.

    Whirl, whirl¡ª

    Hak-joon injected magic into his palm and placed it on a large plate.

    Soon, a stone that turned blue shined brightly. The examiner checked the machine beside him and announced the results.

    ¡°Level four, Factor 44. Rank B!¡±

    ¡°Rank B?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°He looks quite young¡­ Already?¡±

    The other awakeners started murmuring upon the examiner¡¯s announcement.

    A B-rank awakener.

    They were labeled the so-called high-class awakeners of the top 10 percent. Anyone above a magic level of four, or with a magic factor over 40, was given the qualification. Of course, on top of this, there were other methods to measure an awakener¡¯s rank.

    There were cases where one was measured by their skills stats, magic, sense of battle, and other awakener¡¯s abilities through a particular examiner.

    ¡°B-rank within a year¡­ Is that good?¡±

    Though Su-hyeun knew that B-rank wasn¡¯t a low rank, it felt weird that the people around him were reacting quite wildly to it. He thought that it was a given to be ranked B if Hak-Joon had been challenging the level 8 trials up to the 15th floor.

    <>

    Come to think of it, he did not know anything about awakeners¡¯ standards. Su-hyeun only had his first awakening half a year ago, and he did not have any exchange with other awakeners.

    <>

    There were quite a lot of eyes here as the ranks were announced in a public area.

    Each guild had Scouters. Their sharp eyes were watching out for any useful awakeners to invite to join their guild.

    ¡°Next, Red Devil Clan¡¯s¡­¡±

    The next awakener after Hak-joon was called up for evaluation. Hak-joon returned with a cheerful face. It seemed that he was quite satisfied with his own rank.

    They announced the ranks of the other four awakeners: C, C, D, D.

    ¡°Why am I a D-rank? Why?!¡± the last evaluated person shouted furiously. The machine that verified the magic level had shown a magic level of three.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see? Damn it! Don¡¯t you know the C-rank¡¯s standards?¡±

    The by-products one could get from the dungeons between a C-rank and D-rank were quite different, thus his huge reaction towards the results.

    ¡°Well¡­ the readings kept changing, and we can¡¯t do anything about that either¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an error, so why lower the rank? Are you guys kidding me?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t do much about it. The manual says so¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn it, then do the evaluation again!¡±

    The commotion continued. It didn¡¯t seem like it would end anytime soon.

    Seemingly disliking the commotion, Hak-joon frowned and pointed at the awakener¡¯s wrist. ¡°Did you think you were the only person to have thought of using items to cheat your way through?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re scared, take off the bracelet and do the evaluation again. I don¡¯t know how you could bring an item like that here in the first place¡­.¡±

    ¡°Damn you¡­¡±

    The flushed man muttered something to Hak-joon, then turned and left the room.

    Su-hyeun grinned at Hak-joon, who was pouring out foul language. He had a more refreshing personality than expected.

    ¡°You talk really well.¡±

    ¡°He would be found out either way when taking the evaluation. There wasn¡¯t a need to waste time, was there?¡±

    ¡°How did you know he used expedients?¡±

    ¡°I felt the magic flowing out from the bracelet. It could be an artifact that amplifies magic.¡±

    An artifact that amplifies magic¡­ An expensive item that could increase the magic factor or level according to one¡¯s original level. There was no knowing how a C-rank was able to obtain such an item, but Hak-joon saw through it accurately.

    <>

    Hak-joon was clearly a promising awakener.

    <>

    Even the part where he had passed each floor¡¯s Level 8 trials mirrored Su-hyeun¡¯s past life.

    Hak-joon had the talent and took a smooth-sailing path in his guild. If he continued on, he would be able to reach a similar standard as the past Su-hyeun.

    <>

    Choi Hak-joon had started to take a wrong path at some point in his life. He ignored other¡¯s deaths and formed a twisted mindset. Eventually, he got himself killed.

    In the future, Su-hyeun had coincidentally met him for the first time during a massive outbreak from a particular dungeon.

    ¡°Outbreak? What has that got to do with me? Why should I care who dies or not?¡± he asked indifferently.

    Su-hyeun was curious as to whether the Choi Hak-joon he had met in his past life and the one he saw now were the same person.

    <>

    Had this man standing before him bring upon that disaster? Or had he seen Hak-joon in the wrong light? Su-hyeun¡¯s thoughts grew deeper and deeper.

    ¡°Next, Mr. Kim Su-hyeun! Please come forward!¡±

    The commotion died down, and Su-hyeun¡¯s name was called out. Su-hyeun stood up from his seat. As soon as his name was called, all eyes had gathered on him and their looks changed.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°That kid?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Kim Su-hyeun.

    The name that became the most famous over the past year. He had broken all the records from the first through the ninth floors in the Tower of Trials.

    However, his ascending speed wasn¡¯t that high. Compared to the other awakeners, he was slow as a larva.

    <>

    Level 10.

    It was the highest difficulty level in the Tower of Trials, and it was known that the trials were almost impossible to complete. Just by clearing the trial alone was enough to garner interest on Kim Su-hyeun as an awakener. Moreover, the overwhelming achievement points recorded on each floor added to his appeal.

    ¡°That guy? Really¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun was young in Hak-joon¡¯s eyes. He recalled that strangely alienated feeling he had from Su-hyeun when they first met. That feeling was within reach.

    Was he the Kim Su-hyeun that he knew?

    It was understandable that he rejected his offer of challenging the Level 8 trial. It was not that it was too difficult, but rather, it was too easy.

    It was not only Hak-joon.

    The others locked their eyes on Su-hyeun¡¯s back, thinking that they could somehow finally uncover that mysterious veil and find out who the famous Kim Su-hyeun really was.

    ¡°Mr. Kim Su-hyeun, please place your hand on this board and inject your magic. It will evaluate your rank according to your magic level and factor.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded.

    <>

    As expected, the examiner was a B-rank awakener as well. Although he had given up climbing the Tower of Trials, he knew the name Kim Su-hyeun through the grapevine.

    It would be the same if one logged into Abyss Online now. There was a commotion on Abyss Online every time Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s name appeared on the ranking system. He had been waiting for Kim Su-hyeun to get his evaluation done.

    ¡°Please, inject your magic.¡±

    As soon as the examiner spoke, Su-hyeun placed his palm on the board.

    And soon, his magic was injected.

    Whirl, whirl¡ª

    Sizzle¡ª

    The board shook lightly, and a blue light flowed out.

    Everyone¡¯s hearts started racing.

    Those sensitive to magic focused on it, and those who were not as sensitive had their focus on the number appearing on the machine. After a while, Su-hyeun¡¯s magic level and factor appeared above the machine.

    The examiner who verified it announced with a disappointed face.

    ¡°Level 3, Factor 29. Rank¡­ C.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°I had half-expected it.¡±

    Disappointed voices echoed throughout the place. There was no way such results would appear if it were the Kim Su-hyeun they had known.

    Although a C-rank wasn¡¯t considered low, the Kim Su-hyeun who had broken all those records should have at least received a B-rank.

    <>

    As he was looking closely at Su-hyeun, the examiner¡¯s face turned weird.

    <>

    Su-hyeun, who hadn¡¯t revealed his identity to the public, could not have been evaluated at such a public place ¡ª Su-hyeun could have applied for another way of evaluation just to hide his identity from the public.

    <>

    The examiner looked at Su-hyeun, who was returning to his seat, in suspicion.

    <>

 Chapter 19

    The sudden thought got the examiner shaking his head.

    <>

    It was possible to fake one¡¯s magic factor. One would just have to reduce the amount of magic that was injected. Still, it wasn¡¯t an easy feat. Aside from just having a high magic level and factor, a high level of control was needed just to change one¡¯s magic properties.

    He could count with his fingers the number of people he knew who had that much control over magic. They were world-class awakeners.

    The first man amongst all awakeners who entered the Tower of Trials and had survived until now had that level of magic control.

    <>

    Moreover, what other reasons could there be for hiding his capabilities? The examiner found his thoughts to be overboard. He started clearing up the place after putting aside his interest in Su-hyeun.

    Hak-joon found a black vehicle waiting for him after he exited the institution. It was an expensive foreign car, but it wasn¡¯t that expensive for a somewhat established awakener.

    Whirl¡ª

    The backseat window was drawn down. The Ares Guild leader, Jung Dong-young, who was waiting in the backseat, spoke to Hak-joon.

    ¡°All done?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Click¡ª

    Hak-joon opened the backseat door and hopped in next to Jung Dong-young. Jung Dong-young signaled the driver to get going.

    ¡°How did it go?¡±

    ¡°I got a B rank.¡±

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    It was quite a satisfying outcome. Getting a B-rank just after a year of climbing the Tower of Trials was a rare achievement. B-rank awakeners were one of the top ranks now.

    ¡°What is the A rank¡¯s standard?¡±

    Hak-joon¡¯s question contained his earnestness to achieve his next rank as soon as possible. Feeling happy, Jung Dong-young laughed and replied.

    ¡°Level 6 and above, factor 55 and above.¡±

    ¡°Do I have to meet both requirements?¡±

    ¡°Of course. The institution is also paying attention to awakeners of A-rank and above. In fact, those who are above A-rank are the driving forces of this era.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re indirectly complimenting yourself. How great.¡±

    Jung Dong-young was one of the few A-rank awakeners in Korea.

    Although it was almost the same as complimenting himself, his words weren¡¯t entirely wrong. In fact, the main leaders of each existing guild were all A-ranked awakeners.

    ¡°Besides that, I heard that there was an awakener called Kim Su-hyeun in the evaluation today?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I heard his ranking was bad. Was it someone else with the same name?¡± Even if the results were out, he seemed to be quite concerned. In fact, most guilds were eager to recruit the rookie awakener Kim Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ What are the chances of him faking his magic level?¡±

    ¡°You know that can¡¯t happen, right?¡±

    It was nearly impossible, even for Jung Dong-young, to have that level of magic control. Regardless of if he were a genius, it wasn¡¯t something that Kim Su-hyeun, who was just in his first year, could do.

    Still, Jung Dong-young smacked his lips at the thought of it being fishy.

    Compared to Hak-joon, Kim Su-hyeun, who had broken each floor¡¯s records, was more talented.

    <>

    Not receiving his evaluation until now would mean that the possibility of him not receiving his re-evaluation was higher.

    Jung Dong-young thought that Kim Su-hyeun might just be a child from a well-off family.

    <>

    Su-hyeun picked up his bag and checked his new awakener¡¯s registration card. The letter C that was clearly printed on the card was evidence enough. This card was required before entering public dungeons.

    <>

    Although he felt guilty for faking his magic level, he could not freely reveal his identity either. He hated the fact that so many people were focused on him. Furthermore, the institute¡¯s eyes were on him, too.

    <>

    It wasn¡¯t time for him to step into the limelight yet. Hence, he chose not to undergo a confidential evaluation either. Regardless of confidentiality, as long as one had to receive an evaluation, the institute would still find out about it.

    <>

    It wasn¡¯t tough to change his magic attributes. There might have been no other awakeners in the guilds with better magic control than Su-hyeun.

    No, it wasn¡¯t only that. Even in the future, there were no other awakeners with better magic control than Su-hyeun. In terms of magic control, Su-hyeun was too remarkable for any awakener to follow.

    Deceiving magic attributes? So long as it was not increasing his magic level, it was as natural as breathing to Su-hyeun.

    <>

    This annoyingly sluggish computer was testing his patience. Suddenly, he felt lucky to have gotten his awakener registration card.

    <>

    He just had to endure this frustration until then.

    After he had logged into Abyss Online, Su-hyeun looked up ¡°Ares Guild.¡± Quite a few articles appeared in the search results. It wasn¡¯t a huge guild, as Su-hyeun had expected, but it was on the larger side.

    <>

    It wasn¡¯t just how large Ares Guild was that got them famous.

    ¡°Guild leader Jung Dong-young. Former gang member. Fistfighter that suppressed all of Gyeonggi Province, except for Seoul.¡±

    Jung Dong-young had an impressive portfolio. Apparently, he lent his fists to loan sharks and even touched on human trafficking, as well as private loans and ring payments.

    It was revealed that the guild was training its own awakeners, and it was gaining higher profits than before. Although they knew he was running a cleaner business than before, those who knew Jung Dong-young said that he still hadn¡¯t cleaned his filthy hands yet.

    <>

    No matter how great a gangster he was previously, Jung Dong-young could never make a name for himself amongst awakeners as a fistfighter. Besides being known as a fistfighter, he was also a great awakener. There weren¡¯t many A-rank awakeners in this era.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    In the end, the Ares Guild that Hak-joon belonged to wasn¡¯t a good guild. Even though all awakeners in the guild weren¡¯t corrupt, there was no way the subordinates would be competent if the higher-ups weren¡¯t scandal-free.

    <>

    There was no way of knowing now. Su-hyeun stuck out his chin and started reading the past trending articles on Abyss Online. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have much knowledge of issues that had happened before 2020.

    <>

    Most of the articles until now were about specific large scale guilds, celebrities¡¯ awakenings, and politics and laws about the awakeners. He had no interest.

    Compared to what would be happening not too long from now, these were just minor issues for pure entertainment. Su-hyeun briefly read through and remembered the comments circulating on Abyss Online. Amongst them¡­

    [January 1. We¡¯re gathering C-rank and above awakeners for a new dungeon attack that appeared in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. It is an orange level dungeon. For more details¡­]

    There it was.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes lit up slightly at the post.

    ¡°January 1, 2020.¡±

    The part of the future that he had to change.

    The beginning was right in front of him.

    Act 10

    Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.

    It was around a week ago when a dungeon had appeared on Yakshi Mountain, just a short distance away from City Hall. Its difficulty level, orange, was second to last on the easy side of the scale, with the easiest being red.

    Lee Ju-ho, who was head of the Dungeon attack and a B-rank awakener, sat down and laid across a table in the cafe.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t there more people applying¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the year-end. On top of that, the frequency of dungeons appearing recently has increased rapidly.¡±

    The man who sat across him, Kim Ba-reum, was Lee Ju-ho¡¯s co-leader of the dungeon attack and also his long-time friend. They needed at least seven awakeners in a team but had only gathered six, including both of them.

    ¡°Damn it. It¡¯s getting tougher now, too. As dungeons keep appearing, the price of Ether is getting lower and people aren¡¯t gathering as much.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by getting tougher? Even if the prices fall, you could still make a few hundred million won out of them.¡±

    Kim Ba-reum waved his hand as if telling his friend to not be funny. Lee Ju-ho grinned and picked up his half-emptied Americano, knowing that his own words were silly.

    ¡°But the things that happened recently have been quite weird. Aside from the increasing number of dungeons appearing, the number of deaths is also increasing during dungeon attacks.¡±

    ¡°Since when was there no awakener who overestimated themselves and died during dungeon attacks? The death count would increase as much as the numbers of amateurs increase.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t mishear that it¡¯s actually the Tower of Trials¡¯ death count that is increasing? If it¡¯s so, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho did not pay much attention to Kim Ba-reum¡¯s words.

    In the first place, his job as an awakener warranted high risks as well as high returns. Of course, there weren¡¯t as many deaths from dungeon attacks up until now. Amongst awakeners¡¯ accidental deaths, almost 99 percent had happened in the Tower of Trials.

    Because of that, those awakeners who were guaranteed a certain level of safety had given up on climbing the tower.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho was a B-rank awakener. When Lee Ju-ho first started climbing the tower, he had aimed precisely for a B-rank status. Even if a B-rank awakener joined a dungeon attack, the allocated rewards were different. In fact, being a B-rank awakener in this industry was quite a success.

    The money he had earned over the past year had led him to live a decent life where he could afford expensive foreign cars and lavish apartments.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho had thought that his life from now on would be smooth sailing.

    Ding¡ª

    Just then, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s smartphone rang. Who had contacted him? He checked his phone. He quickly sat up while still checking the message.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°Really? Now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a C-rank awakener.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s not just phishing information? You uploaded that post on Abyss Online.¡±

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be. I definitely said those who contacted needlessly would be sued.¡±

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

    No one would probably play a prank like this with the risk of getting sued. It meant that they had really found the last member of the team.

    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s special. You should have heard of it too.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun? Really?¡±

    Any awakener would have known of the name. Kim Su-hyeun was the rookie who had been breaking records starting from the lower floors. The other reason why he got famous was also that he was a hidden figure without any rank.

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be him. He¡¯s still a C-rank. If he¡¯s as good as the rumors say, he should be at least a B-rank.¡±

    ¡°True. So two of the same name?¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t belong to any guild?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he doesn¡¯t belong to any. There¡¯s not much information on his profile either.¡±

    While typing on his smartphone to reply to the other party, Lee Ju-ho said, ¡°This guy is just right.¡±

    It was the new year. The year 2020.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s feeling this morning was very different from yesterday¡¯s. Impossible as it was, he had hoped for this day to not arrive.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    In the wee hours of the morning, Su-hyeun had his breakfast and finished his preparations. As if Shin Su-yeong wasn¡¯t scheduled to work for the day, she yawned and returned to her room after preparing breakfast for Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Are you coming back late?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Give me a call if you¡¯re staying out late.¡±

    There weren¡¯t many times when Su-hyeun returned early in the past year. He came back even later than Shin Su-yeong, who always returned home late after work.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll drop a text.¡±

    Su-hyeun said those words and left the house. In fact, he, too, had no idea how long it would take this time.

    Su-hyeun took the subway and bus. He finally arrived in front of Gwangju¡¯s City Hall in Gyeonggi Province. Su-hyeun fished out his phone and dialed a number. Then, a group of people who gathered on one side of the City Hall waved towards him.

    ¡°Over here.¡±

    There were a total of six people waving at him. They were the team of awakeners who Su-hyeun would be entering the orange dungeon with.

    ¡°Are you Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to have met you. I¡¯m Lee Ju-ho. Over here¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho introduced the others who were on the team. It seemed that both Lee Ju-ho and Kim Ba-reum knew each other, and the others joined them for the first time at the dungeon.

    ¡°Are you possibly that Kim Su-hyeun¡­¡±

    A female C-rank awakener, Lee Eun-mi, looked at Su-hyeun with sparkly eyes. Indeed, the name Kim Su-hyeun had always brought about huge interest.

    It wasn¡¯t only her. The others ¡ª seemingly with the same thoughts ¡ª pricked up their ears, curious to hear Su-hyeun¡¯s answer.

    But that answer was filled in not by Su-hyeun, but Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°Aye, he shouldn¡¯t be. Kim Su-hyeun here had recently received his C-rank evaluation not long ago.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Aha.¡±

    Their faces were saying ¡°Of course.¡±

    Su-hyeun laughed lightly at their reactions. He felt lucky that they understood immediately, and he did not have to come up with excuses every time.

    ¡°You¡¯ve requested for the dungeon attack party with the institute, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I did it yesterday.¡±

    ¡°What is your position? Please give an introduction of which skills or weapons you usually use.¡±

    ¡°I usually use the sword and my auxiliary weapon is the spear. I don¡¯t have any items yet, so the sword I borrowed from the institute is all I have.¡±

    A Property of Dimension Order Form was needed to bring items from the Tower of Trials into reality. It was tough for awakeners below rank B to obtain the order form, as a substantial amount of achievement points was required as payment. Thus, Su-hyeun could only use the sword which he had loaned from the institute for now. Although it was a considerable amount to rent, if he joined in on one dungeon attack, he would receive enough to pay for it.

    ¡°If this is your first time at a dungeon attack, you might be slightly confused. I will explain to you more about dungeons on the way there.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    As they started heading to the dungeon, Lee Ju-ho shared various stories with Su-hyeun. Most were tips related to dungeon attacks, but amongst them, quite a few portions were mixed with foolish advice ¡ª it seemed as though an elementary student was teaching a college professor. Su-hyeun only felt frustration throughout the explanation.

    They hopped on two vehicles that were prepared for them and arrived near the Yashi Mountain, where the dungeon appeared. The dungeon¡¯s entrance was a cave with a glaring orange light. A few supervisors were on call at the entrance of the dungeon, where it was marked with an off-limits sign. Lee Ju-ho approached them as the party¡¯s leader and started with the procedures. Several conditions had to be met to enter a public dungeon, and the appropriate procedures were laid out.

    Kim Ye-eun, a short-haired female, walked towards Su-hyeun and said, ¡°Surprisingly, you don¡¯t seem to be nervous.¡±

    She seemed to be around Su-hyeun¡¯s age and despite not wearing any makeup, it was clear she had a fair-toned and pretty looking face. Although the average age of awakeners wasn¡¯t that high, they were still quite young.

    Su-hyeun replied in a low whisper to her as she approached. ¡°I¡¯m actually quite nervous.¡±

    ¡°Really? It doesn¡¯t seem like it at all.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t usually show on my face.¡±

    ¡°Really? We¡¯re quite similar. I¡¯m quite nervous, too.¡± Ye-eun shuddered quite a bit after those words.

    ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± Su-hyeun asked. ¡°Is this also your first dungeon attack or¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡±

    ¡°Then what is it?¡±

    ¡°Actually, those people make me feel a little uncomfortable,¡± Ye-eun said, pointing to Lee Ju-ho and the other members of the party.

    Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes at Ye-eun¡¯s answer.

    ¡°How so? Did those people turn you into an outcast or something?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that, but¡­¡±

    Ye-eun shook her head.

    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just a feeling.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded his head at Ye-eun¡¯s reply, seemingly to understand her point of view. Delighted, Ye-eun patted his shoulder lightly.

    ¡°Indeed, we have the same thoughts, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, just a little¡­¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s words trailed off. There was no other reason to continue, but there was one thing that he was sure of.

    <>

    As he looked at the glaring orange dungeon entrance, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but give a suspicious look.

    <>

    There was a minimum requirement of seven members in a party to enter the dungeon. The reason why the dungeon was the talk of the town was that nearly all members of the party had died.

    But still, there was a point of doubt there. Seven members entered the dungeon, but only six were reported dead.

    <>

    It could have been a planned attack. There was no way of knowing what had happened at this place. Su-hyeun had no intentions of finding out either. Even so, it wasn¡¯t his role to just leave the dungeon alone either.

    <>

    The first start to the year 2020.

    As everyone got excited about the new year¡¯s arrival, lives were ended, bodies crouched in the dungeon without anyone¡¯s knowledge.

    The dungeon¡¯s difficulty level was measured using colors ranging from red to purple. There were a total of seven levels.

    The lowest level was the red color, and the highest level was the purple color. As the color got closer to purple, the dungeon¡¯s difficulty got higher.

    But at this period in time, dungeons with blue-colored difficulty and higher rarely appeared here. To Su-hyeun¡¯s knowledge, the highest difficulty, the purple dungeon, had only appeared once.

    Fafnir.

    The monster that was brought from the end of human history ¡ª it was the dungeon where Fafnir appeared.

    <>

    Su-hyeun looked around the dungeon¡¯s surroundings as he stepped in. The dungeon¡¯s entrance actually also acted as a door to another dimension. There was no rule that the cave where the dungeon¡¯s entrance appeared also determined that the dungeon itself was a cave. Perhaps it was coincidental, or for other reasons, that the entrance of the dungeon assumed that of a cave.

    Of course, the inside of the dungeon was a lot more spacious than the original cave.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite chilly and cold in here.¡±

    The rest nodded at Kim Ye-eun¡¯s comment. Although it was a step apart, inside the dungeon was an entirely different dimension from reality.

    Chilly weather was similar to the start of the winter season. Although the awakeners did not feel extremely cold, it was the atmosphere within the dungeon that made their skin more sensitive to their surroundings.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head inside first. I¡¯ll take the lead from here.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho started walking in front. Amongst all seven members of the party, Lee Ju-ho was the only B-rank awakener. As one B-rank awakener had the power that was equivalent to five or six C-rank awakeners, it didn¡¯t come off as suspicious that he should lead the party.

    <>

    Su-hyeun locked his eyes on both of them.

    <>

    Considering the relationship amongst all the members here, only the two of them were the closest. If one of the awakeners were murdered, it would be natural to be suspicious of Lee Ju-ho, who was the highest-ranked awakener amongst them.

    <>

    The possibilities of either suspicion were valid. Since there were no leads in this case, Su-hyeun had to openly consider all the possibilities that he could come up with.

    Su-hyeun carefully observed each and every member from all sides while following the group from behind. Then, Lee Ju-ho suddenly stopped in his tracks.

    ¡°Please stop for a moment.¡±

    Step¡ª

    As per Lee Ju-ho¡¯s orders, all members came to a stop behind him. He had sensed something unusual right over the corner just ahead. Lee Ju-ho carefully walked over and stood beside it.

    Lee Ju-ho peeked over the corner slightly and looked back at the members with widened eyes.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lee Eun-mi, with the most impatient personality, asked. Lee Ju-ho bit his lips lightly and answered.

    ¡°¡­I think that something must have gone wrong here.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Those guys¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho pointed to the monsters that were just around the corner and replied.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t the usual monsters that should appear near the entrance of the dungeon.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s low voice trembled. Su-hyeun looked at Lee Ju-ho. He was the highest-ranked awakener there. He should have met lots of other monsters of that level and should have known very well about the dungeon¡¯s characteristics.

    <>

    The dungeon wasn¡¯t normal; it was a dungeon that evolved day by day. Su-hyeun was already aware that it wasn¡¯t an ordinary orange dungeon. The same went for Lee Ju-ho. Besides Su-hyeun, he was the most veteran amongst everyone else.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho, too, could vaguely sense this fact. Although he might not have been as confident as Su-hyeun, he stood at a crossroad, finding it difficult to make a quick decision.

    If so, then¡­

    <>

 Chapter 21

    It would have been a difficult situation for anyone, but it was even more so for Lee Ju-ho, who had verified their identities with his own eyes.

    Lee Ju-ho started his explanation.

    ¡°Lizardcops. A one-eyed lizard type monster with a size of over two meters. Aside from its muscular build, it is very agile and uses a particular type of magic. It¡¯s quite a tricky monster.¡±

    ¡°How many of them?¡±

    ¡°There are five of them.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that number manageable?¡± Kim Ye-eun asked, wondering what the problem was. She suggested that Lee Ju-ho was such a skilled awakener that the Lizardcops shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem for him to deal with. The others started to agree with Kim Ye-eun¡¯s words. Amongst them, the one with the most confidence was Ahn Min-seok.

    ¡°If it¡¯s Lizardcops, I have hunted them in a previous dungeon. Handling five shouldn¡¯t be tough.¡± He spoke confidently, hitting his chest to imply that he wouldn¡¯t mind taking the lead. With an experienced awakener standing out, anxiety was lifted from everyone¡¯s faces.

    However¡­

    ¡°I know that in normal dungeons, the stronger monsters usually appear much deeper, and only as we get nearer to the boss monster,¡± Su-hyeun, who had been staying silent, said. He had everyone¡¯s full attention. ¡°Handling five Lizardcops wouldn¡¯t be a problem now, but the number would continue to increase, or higher-level monsters would appear later on.¡±

    The team seemed surprised at Su-hyeun, who had said that it was his first time joining a dungeon attack. Ahn Min-seok, who had the most experience in dungeon attacks, asked, ¡°That is the nature of some dungeons. Aren¡¯t there some dungeons where their difficulty level does not change even if we go deeper in?¡±

    ¡°If you focus on thinking about the best and not the worst as you progress¡­¡± Su-hyeun replied, not only just to Ahn Min-seok, but also to the other members, ¡°¡­you probably would not live for long.¡±

    It was a lesson that Su-hyeun learned from living as an awakener all this time. They weren¡¯t just empty words, but something that he realized from his past experiences.

    As he said, there were many types of dungeons. Some had only one boss, while some had a slight change in difficulty after exploring deeper into the dungeon. Some dungeons took the style of the Tower of Trials, giving special missions. One could only be called a skilled awakener if he remembered the various dungeons¡¯ characteristics and was able to deal with them in the right situations.

    <>

    In this regard, most of them, except Lee Ju-ho, seemed to care less about the situation at hand.

    <>

    He understood ¡ª most awakeners¡¯ deaths that were being reported happened in the Tower of Trials. Most people had probably thought that dungeon attacks weren¡¯t that dangerous. It was the same for Lee Ju-ho. His gaze seemed to indicate that he had no intention to give up on the dungeon attack.

    It seemed that he was just surprised at the unexpected situation. Lee Ju-ho soon put on his composed expression.

    <>

    Though Su-hyeun knew that they would not turn back, it was a pity. If only they were a tad more cautious and had presumed not the best, but the worst¡­

    <>

    ¡°¡­Su-hyeun, didn¡¯t you say that this is your first dungeon attack?¡± Lee Eun-mi asked, feeling slightly offended.

    Su-hyeun chuckled at her question and replied, ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I had heard from others. Shouldn¡¯t I gather more of such information since it¡¯s my first?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all just theories! What do you know?¡±

    ¡°Stop, stop.¡± Lee Ju-ho stopped Lee Eun-mi from raising her voice at Su-hyeun. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s good to get into a fight amongst ourselves before the actual battle? Furthermore, I think this dungeon¡¯s difficulty could increase, so let¡¯s not do this from the start.¡±

    After the party¡¯s leader said those words, Lee Eun-mi could not do anything else to Su-hyeun. However, she still felt hurt, and her eyes continued to linger on Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re as capable as you speak,¡± she spat. She seemed to fiercely hold onto grudges. She was also quite fierce tempered, seeing that she didn¡¯t give up even after her previous words.

    ¡°Yes. Have a good look¡±

    ¡°Why, you!¡±

    It seemed like Su-hyeun had no further intentions to continue the argument. Su-hyeun, who had intentionally provoked her, contemplated slightly and looked at the others.

    <>

    Lee Eun-mi, Ahn Min-seok, and Kim Ye-eun. Lee Ju-ho and Kim Ba-reun¡­ and the last guy who hadn¡¯t spoken a word up until now.

    <>

    The possibility of Lee Ju-ho being the catalyst had just lowered.

    Though there was the possibility of it being purely an accident or an unintentional murder, Su-hyeun was more focused on finding the culprit who planned the killing.

    Su-hyeun had always presumed the worst over the best. It would be a mistake if the person who had assumed the worst had only prepared for the best.

    <>

    ¡°I will lead the party then.¡± Lee Ju-ho walked in front as he spoke. The dungeon attack had officially started.

    There¡¯s no time for him to be immersed in his thoughts. Su-hyeun nodded his head and followed behind Lee Ju-ho.

    <>

    He was confused by his identity for a while. A C-rank awakener. A magic level of three, and a magic factor of 29. Su-hyeun was now known as an awakener of that standard.

    <>

    Schwing¡ª

    Su-hyeun thought for a while as he pulled out the sword ¡ª which was mixed with Ether stones ¡ª that he had borrowed from the institute.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho felt anxious from the start.

    Five Lizardcops. They would be tricky for C-rank awakeners. They had to be on their toes when facing them.

    Lee Ju-ho had been startled at the sight of the Lizardcops after they first entered the dungeon, but that was not the end of his problems. The other members who joined the dungeon attack turned out to be a huge liability. Besides the fact that he had not verified their capabilities, their teamwork was rocky from the start.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho slightly glanced back at Su-hyeun, who was following right behind him.

    <>

    He could only be anxious since it was his first dungeon attack with this group. Though he had accepted Su-hyeun just to fill up the positions, Lee Ju-ho realized the situation had just become tougher.

    ¡°Once I give the signal, Ahn Min-seok and Kim Su-hyeun will attack together. The remaining four will provide support from behind, and from there, Eun-mi and Ba-reun will move closer when they get the chance.¡±

    A perfect order. He seemed to have quite a substantial amount of experience in dungeon attacks. Su-hyeun, too, was fully aware of how to manage attacks at situations like this.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho turned around the corner and shouted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Creak¡ª!

    Lee Ju-ho was first to charge towards the Lizardcop, which was waiting around the corner. He pulled out a long sword and increased his speed by using magic. As a B-rank awakener, he used the skill Swift to distract the Lizardcops.

    Pop, pop pop¡ª

    Rip¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s long sword made a cut through the Lizardcop¡¯s stomach.

    Step, step¡ª

    Soon after, Lee Ju-ho went between the remaining Lizardcops. The Lizardcops released their long, sharp nails and swung, attacking Lee Ju-ho.

    Whip¡ª

    The Lizardcop¡¯s tail brushed past in front of his eyes. Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes widened at the attack that scratched his nose.

    <>

    They were more agile than he had known.

    The flustered Lee Ju-ho hurriedly distanced himself from the Lizardcops, but the five Lizardcops followed Lee Ju-ho closely, as if angered by the human who had suddenly attacked them.

    ¡°Su-hyeun, Min-seok, you must be careful¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho turned to warn the other two men who were at the front lines attacking the Lizardcops with him.

    But¡­

    <>

    He could not see Su-hyeun.

    <>

    As Lee Ju-ho was looking around for Su-hyeun.

    Whack¡ª

    A new form fell quickly from the sky and dived on the backs of the Lizardcops. The flash of a sword coincided with the Lizardcops¡¯ screams.

    Rip¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new form quickly moved between the Lizardcops as he pursued them in a flash. He stepped on the sudden swerve of the Lizardcops tail, leaped twice in the air, and slashed the Lizardcop¡¯s eye with his sword.

    Keeeek¡ª!

    He was fast.

    No, not just fast.

    He was elaborate and accurate. He made no unnecessary movements and without even using any special skills, Su-hyeun tackled the Lizardcops alone.

    <>

    A new C-rank awakener.

    A rookie at dungeon attacks.

    That was the Kim Su-hyeun that Lee Ju-ho knew.

    Keeeeek¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword poked the Lizardcop¡¯s eye. The Lizardcop, which lost its only eye, screamed while covering its face with both hands.

    Whish¡ª

    At the same time, a thick tail flew towards Su-hyeun. He had already known that it would do this, so Su-hyeun leaped into the air and scanned the whole situation.

    <>

    There was one important thing to remember when dealing with Lizardcops, and that was to target its one and only eye. This was the only weakness of the Lizardcop. Compared to its other abilities, its sight was narrow and lacking.

    Of course, losing just its sight alone would not totally incapacitate the beast, as it still had its other keen senses. Still, losing its sight had primarily affected its fighting power.

    Whip¡ª

    Su-hyeun leaped in the air and circled above. He couldn¡¯t use skills like Flame because it was a skill that required a magic level of four.

    Now, Su-hyeun could only make use of properties with a magic level of three. The same went for his magic factor, which could only be used up to a specific limit.

    Luckily, it was enough to handle five Lizardcops.

    <>

    Su-hyeun stepped firmly on the cave¡¯s wall and charged towards the Lizardcops.

    <>

    A sharp sensation swept through his¡¯s body. The three Lizardcops were already focused on Su-hyeun. The distance between them was narrowed in an instant. The Lizardcop¡¯s tail made a rough swishing sound and pounded on Su-hyeun¡¯s face hard.

    Boom¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new form used Leap to narrow the distance, and appeared before them after getting past their tails.

 Chapter 22

    Woong¡ª

    Magic pooled at the tip of the sword. At the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword stabbed into the Lizardcop¡¯s eyes. Su-hyeun avoided the Lizardcop¡¯s nails while letting go of a scream. He drew his body in, sliding amongst their legs.

    Creak¡ª

    There was a Lizardcop standing at the back.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new form that had slid along the ground disappeared from that same position.

    The Lizardcop lost track of Su-hyeun¡¯s movement, turned its head around, and found him soon after. It was looking in the wrong direction right from the start.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t situated left nor right, nor was he under it, but just right above.

    Kyaaa¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword penetrated both the Lizardcop¡¯s eye and head. The once screaming Lizardcop had started to go on a rampage, but Su-hyeun did not let go of his sword.

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun wrapped his other arm around the Lizardcop¡¯s neck and strangled it. The Lizardcop shook its body harder to resist the force.

    [You used the skill Berserk.]

    It was a skill that maximized one¡¯s physical abilities depending on one¡¯s fatigue, health, and blood loss which Su-hyeun obtained back when he fought the second floor¡¯s boss, the Shayres¡¯ chief.

    For a long time, Su-hyeun had been working hard to increase his proficiency with this skill. As a result, though there might have been a slight loss in proficiency, Su-hyeun could now activate the skill at any time.

    [Your Strength has been increased partially.]

    [Your Agility has increased partially.]

    [Your Health has been lost partially.]

    Su-hyeun used all of his available strength to strangle the Lizardcop. After being stabbed in its eye and head, the strangled Lizardcop¡¯s body stiffened.

    The result might have been different if it was unharmed, but since its head was punctured, it didn¡¯t have much strength.

    Flop¡ª

    After Su-hyeun let go, the Lizardcop¡¯s body fell to the ground.

    The others looked blankly at Su-hyeun, who flushed slightly at their stares.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at the party¡¯s leader, Lee Ju-ho, and spoke.

    ¡°Not dealing with the others.¡±

    One Lizardcop died but the remaining four Lizardcops each lost their only eye and vision.

    Moreover, in a situation where his power was predominate, everything had been well set up. The battle against the Lizardcops ended quickly.

    As the battle ended, Lee Ju-ho verified if there were any casualties. Indeed, there were none.

    ¡°You fought better than I had expected,¡± Lee Ju-ho said as he approached Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun was getting rid of the blood on his sword after the battle.

    ¡°Is that a compliment? Thank you, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Are you possibly the Kim Su-hyeun everyone is talking about?¡± Even if he knew that the possibility was low, all he could do now was clarify. The abilities which he had showcased earlier were unbelievable, much like the acclaimed Kim Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Just think of me as an awakener who fights relatively well.¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­¡±

    What an ambiguous reply.

    But it was obviously not positive. Lee Ju-ho had thought that Su-hyeun probably thought it rude to be asked such a question.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho was an awakener with a magic level of four. He could at least sense that the magic properties which Su-hyeun had were not of the same standards as he had.

    Regardless of how well Su-hyeun was as a fighter, it was impossible for him as a C-rank awakener to change his ranking.

    It was an unnecessary suspicion. Lee Ju-ho thought of it that way and shook his head. Anyway, he was glad to see that Su-hyeun had fought well up until now.

    ¡°If you have the chance, do take a special rank evaluation. According to your standards, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to obtain a B-rank.¡±

    A special rank evaluation does not take into account one¡¯s magic level or factor but instead looks upon one¡¯s stats and combat sense and other attributes to proceed with the assessment. It was the type of evaluation that rarely took place as it was cumbersome and also rare for an awakener to be that capable, exceeding his magic level.

    But Lee Ju-ho thought that Su-hyeun had better capabilities compared to his magic level and factor.

    <>

    At the same time, when Lee Ju-ho was flustered at how strong the Lizardcops were, he was also able to verify his team member¡¯s abilities personally. He was relieved that his ally had such extraordinary abilities, though it might not have been the same if he were an enemy.

    ¡°Thank you for saying that. I will definitely consider it after completing this dungeon attack.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked around after replying Lee Ju-ho. Ever since he showcased his abilities, Su-hyeun was always observing his team member¡¯s facial expressions. He wanted to find out who else felt hostility for the fact that there was a member who had outstanding skills.

    <>

    After gathering after himself, Su-hyeun turned and followed the party from behind.

    <>

    The monsters that appeared subsequently were of similar standards as the Lizardcops. Still, the others knew that Lee Ju-ho was stronger than the monsters, so they weren¡¯t too big a deal.

    Above all, Su-hyeun¡¯s performance had exceeded expectations. Su-hyeun continued with a similar performance as the B-rank awakener Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°This dungeon attack should be smooth sailing if it continues on like this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. As compared to when we first entered, the difficulty has not increased. Rather, the monsters that appeared subsequently were about the same as the Lizardcops.¡±

    They had let their guards down. Lee Ju-ho, too, had no longer felt threatened nor any danger as compared to the start.

    Kim Ye-eun was stuck closely to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Did you know?¡±

    ¡°What is there to now?¡± Su-hyeun felt uncomfortable with Kim Ye-eun sticking around him and trying to engage in a conversation with him. It was annoying, and the topics were mostly about his personal life.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you acting a little uncomfortable?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re always asking about things that are difficult to answer.¡±

    ¡°I want to give you a piece of good information. Don¡¯t you want it?¡±

    Good information? Su-hyeun shut his mouth, contemplating whether or not to listen to it. According to his experience up until now, she would continue to speak from here.

    And sure enough¡­

    ¡°You know, those two people there.¡±

    Her eyes darted quickly to Lee Ju-ho and Kim Ba-reun, who were both leading the team in the front.

    ¡°I dug up some information about them before; they have quite a bad reputation.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°There were a lot of problems when they were dividing the resources after dungeon attacks. They either divide resources unfairly to their team members or would request for more resources by coming up with excuses using the accidents which happened in the dungeon.¡±

    Su-hyeun seemed to have understood where she was coming from. For someone who had experienced dungeon attacks for quite a while, it would be common for him to have done this if he is obsessed with money. They would argue on the distribution of the Ether stones. If some disagreed, they would use violence on them. Such awakeners would never have accepted others stronger than themselves.

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    Kim Ye-eun gave a curious look at Su-hyeun, who did not respond much to such a sensitive story.

    In fact, it was not something that Su-hyeun was interested in.

    <>

    There were tons of people like them with such evil character. The real dangerous ones were those who created accidents just to reduce the number of resources that would be divided amongst the group.

    According to Kim Ye-eun¡¯s words, at least Lee Ju-ho wasn¡¯t that bad. But of course, he wasn¡¯t so nice to be entirely cleared of that possibility either.

    Although they had entered quite deep into the dungeon, there weren¡¯t any more monsters that appeared. The scale of the dungeon was more extensive than expected. It seemed that there was no end to it even after having walked for hours.

    <>

    The dungeon got bigger as they explored further in. The dungeon was initially 20 meters wide but had now grown five times larger.

    <>

    ¡°There ¡ª isn¡¯t that a door over there?¡± Ahn Min-seok narrowed his eyes and squinted into the distance.

    A huge door was located at the end of this dungeon. The thick and dark-colored door seemed to be the entrance to another dungeon.

    ¡°A door? In this kind of place?¡±

    It was the type of door that even the most experienced Lee Ju-ho had never seen before.

    Although he had entered dungeons similar to this one various times, he had never even heard of one that had an artificial iron door in it.

    ¡°What shall we do?¡± The same anxiousness that he had felt when they first entered the dungeon returned.

    Ahn Min-seok hit his chest hard at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s question. ¡°What do you mean? We should obviously enter. What difference does a door make?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This door might be the end of this dungeon, too. It¡¯s ridiculous to turn back now.¡±

    Most of the responses were in agreement. Su-hyeun watched them silently.

    Lee Ju-ho turned the question to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Mr. Su-hyeun, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I was hoping to turn back¡­¡±

    Was it an unexpected answer?

    The others¡¯ expressions stiffened at Su-hyeun¡¯s words. Su-hyeun then changed his words slightly. ¡°But if everyone is in agreement, I¡¯ll follow as well.¡±

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    A thankful sigh of relief.

    With this, everyone was in agreement. Although Lee Ju-ho was conflicted, eventually, he had no thoughts to turn back. Lee Ju-ho grabbed the doorknob as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll open it now.¡±

    Creak¡ª

    As he pushed forward, the heavy iron door opened. Lee Ju-ho took the lead, and each of the members entered into the dark.

    Behind the door was a vast and spacious cave. Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked around the dimly lit place.

    <>

    The others might have thought that this was the end of the dungeon, but Su-hyeun thought otherwise.

    <>

    The amount of magic felt in the dungeon from earlier was different. The others probably had felt the same, as they started talking with anxiety in their voices.

    [Welcome into the dungeon.]

    [The trial will start from this moment on.]

    Suddenly, a message appeared not only in Su-hyeun¡¯s but also in everyone¡¯s minds.

    Creak¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    The door behind them closed tightly with a massive sound.

 Chapter 23

    Act 1

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°The door¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn it, it won¡¯t open!¡±

    Bam bam¡ª!

    Even Ahn Min-seok, who was at the back of the party, knocked hard on the door. No matter how hard he swung his magic-filled fist, the door did not budge. Everyone¡¯s expressions were flustered at the thought of being locked in.

    Su-hyeun, who had no intention of getting out, observed the surroundings quietly. With this vast space, the possibilities of various missions could be endless.

    <>

    He had gone through these types of missions. They would only appear in dungeons above the yellow level.

    Similarly to the Tower of Trials, only when the mission was cleared could the team proceed with their dungeon attack.

    What the team had gone through up until now couldn¡¯t be counted as the dungeon at all. It was merely the dungeon¡¯s entrance, also known as a warm-up stage.

    ¡°A trial out of nowhere¡­ What is this¡­¡± Even Lee Ju-ho was taken aback.

    And unlike before, they were another level of flustered.

    A dungeon that gave missions. Lee Ju-ho had heard of dungeons like these, too, but the main problem was that the dungeon was of a higher level, too difficult for them to handle with their own strengths.

    <>

    Just then, a bell rang in everyone¡¯s mind.

    [The trial begins now.]

    [All of you have been locked in here. To escape, you will have to choose one of two ways.]

    [First, survive this trial. A group of monsters will attack you every 30 minutes. You can escape if you successfully defend 10 attacks in total.]

    [Second, use the key to get through the door opposite this room. A horde of monsters will come out from there. Escape from them first. Your safety will not be guaranteed.]

    [The trial will begin in 10 seconds.]

    The trial had been explained quite thoroughly. It was a mission that was often given in the Tower of Trials. Although it did not have the same scenarios as the ones Su-hyeun had encountered, the rules were simple enough for this trial.

    But of course¡­

    <>

    A total of 10 attacks.

    Perhaps the attacks would become stronger each wave. The minimum standard would be the ones that they had encountered earlier.

    <>

    The dungeons weren¡¯t made at random. Except for the lowest red dungeons, most dungeons were made with a fixed frame, similar structure, or even a trap.

    Su-hyeun accepted that the monsters they met outside were a warning ¡ª if he couldn¡¯t take those on, he would not have the right to take on the dungeon¡¯s trial.

    Of course, hunting down the monsters and clearing the trial were two different matters.

    <>

    Su-hyeun checked the opposite door, which the system had mentioned.

    <>

    The second choice.

    Open the door opposite, and escape from the horde of monsters that would come from there. Compared to the first choice, it was a choice that could never be considered safe.

    ¡°Now, now, what should we do?¡± Lee Eun-mi asked with an anxious look.

    Their way out was blocked. The tightly closed door did not seem like it would be broken or even open again.

    ¡°First¡­ I think we¡¯ll have to clear this trial.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded his head at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s reply. Indeed, Lee Ju-ho was the fastest at making decisions in the group.

    <>

    No, they wouldn¡¯t make it. Zero percent possibility.

    He was certain because it was something that had been verified once in the future, a verified truth.

    Only one variable had changed from that future and it was that Su-hyeun was here now.

    Formerly, everyone had died in this trial. There was no exception.

    They had two choices and there was no way of telling which was better.

    <>

    Su-hyeun had made enough verifications on the dungeon¡¯s difficulty. Although Lee Ju-ho had great strength, the other members did not. With this standard, one could not even make it past the yellow level.

    ¡°What about the method? Which would be better?¡± Kim Ba-reun asked Lee Ju-ho¡¯s opinion.

    Lee Ju-ho opened his mouth while thinking.

    ¡°What does Mr. Su-hyeun think?¡± He turned the arrow towards Su-hyeun.

    It seemed that Lee Ju-ho thought Su-hyeun¡¯s capabilities would be second to himself.

    Should they fight the horde in ten divisions or take them on all at once?

    However, if one chose to open the door opposite, they would be given the option to run, which also meant that it was possible to escape.

    But¡­

    ¡°We mustn¡¯t open that door,¡± Su-hyeun replied, without thinking twice.

    It was an obvious answer.

    ¡°Why did you say that?¡± Lee Ju-ho needed a more detailed answer.

    The others had the same reactions. Some had thought it would be more convenient and better to open the door and escape from the horde of monsters.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already receive the explanation? When we open that door, our only option is to run.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s answer, seemingly to have understood.

    But there were, of course, some who could not understand. Ahn Min-seok had the words ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡± written blatantly across his face.

    Su-hyeun continued his explanation after letting out a sigh.

    ¡°When the door isn¡¯t open, we have the option to defend. But once the door is opened, this option will change to escape. So, which choice would have a higher difficulty?¡±

    ¡°It would be, of course, to escape.¡± An obvious answer.

    But Ahn Min-seok¡¯s opinion was different.

    ¡°But instead of fighting and winning this, isn¡¯t running an easier way out? There¡¯s no need to fight.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Instead of defending the 10 divided attacks, it would be more convenient to just escape from a huge horde of monsters.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡­¡±

    ¡°Our aim isn¡¯t to survive, but rather to continue on the dungeon attack.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ahn Min-seok had finally realized the main point which he had been missing out on.

    The trial and the mission.

    As he was too focused on those, he had forgotten the most crucial part. They weren¡¯t at the Tower of Trials but in reality. And within a vast dungeon at that.

    Unlike the Tower of Trials, where one had to only focus on surviving and clear the trials, in the dungeons, one had to put his focus only on the dungeon attack itself.

    So, it was only right for them to put their focus on the dungeon attack and not on running.

    <>

    It was evident as to why they had wanted to run away from this trial. In a situation as dangerous as this, it would be safer and more convenient to make the choice of escaping.

    An unfamiliar place, an unfamiliar situation, an unpredictable number of monsters, and a fight that no one wanted to happen¡­

    [You have five more minutes.]

    How friendly.

    As the countdown reached five minutes, the door opposite shook slightly. The system seemed to be urging them to make a decision fast, but the members had already made their choices.

    ¡°As expected¡­ It would be better to wait.¡±

    Probably thinking that Su-hyeun¡¯s words were more appropriate, Lee Ju-ho voted for his choice.

    There were no oppositions.

    <>

    Su-hyeun drew his sword, stood at his spot, and closed his eyes.

    Five minutes, an extremely long time, had started.

    [You have one minute left. Please prepare for the attack.]

    Cr¡ª creak¡ª

    Kong, kong¡ª!

    Grrrr¡ª

    The door opposite opened slightly.

    The monsters¡¯ cries could be heard from that door, which was left ajar. Although they couldn¡¯t break through the door and rush in, they could guess that there were countless monsters beyond that door.

    ¡°Um, that door wouldn¡¯t open suddenly without notice, right?¡±

    ¡°Ayy, it couldn¡¯t be¡­¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re inside the dungeon now. There weren¡¯t any guarantees that the system would keep its promise¡­¡±

    The wavering voices were full of anxiety.

    As this was their first real trial, it was quite scary. The members had suspicions that the door might open without any notice, and the horde of monsters would rush out.

    <<30 seconds.>>

    Su-hyeun had been counting down the seconds since the five-minute mark from earlier.

    The trial given by the dungeon would be starting soon.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun took the lead and walked towards the door.

    The door might not open fully at all. As it was only the first stage, only a small group of monsters would be let out through the door and then closed.

    <>

    Whichever was the case, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that 10 groups of monsters would rush out from the door wave after wave.

    The system never lies. That was an absolute rule and principle that would not change, even in the future.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun strode across the cave and opened his eyes. He had injected some magic into his sword¡¯s blade.

    Looking at Su-hyeun, who took the lead without fear, their murmurs stopped altogether; gathering the army¡¯s morale was that easy.

    As long as one had shown no fear and stepped up first, that courage was contagious. More accurately, the members¡¯ fear had lessened. If one saw another who felt no fear in the same situation, it would make him believe that the situation which they were currently in now was not dangerous at all.

    ¡°10 seconds.¡±

    Su-hyeun pooled magic in his voice and spoke. That voice was heard loud and clear in his team members¡¯ minds.

    ¡°Please be prepared.¡±

    After those words, Lee Ju-ho quickly walked up to Su-hyeun¡¯s side.

    The same went for Ahn Min-seok. Instinctively, they got into each of their own roles and went into positions.

    10 seconds. It was sufficient for each of them to get into their own positions.

    It was a time that no one had the freedom to be concerned over. The moment when everyone was prepared to fight the monsters.

    Slam¡ª!

    Kyaaaa¡ª!

    As the gigantic iron door opened, monsters came rushing out from behind it. The number of monsters well over 10.

    Boom¡ª!

    The door that had been wide open closed in a flash. It seemed that this was the number of monsters for the first wave.

    There was a wide range of monsters.

    Gorger Ravens, Moss Salamanders, Lizardcops, and Black Spiders.

    They were all familiar monsters.

    Rip¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s feet slipped to the front.

    Splat¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new form quickly leaped into the air.

    <>

    Su-hyeun had already decided which monsters to attack first the moment he saw the group of monsters.

    The Gorger Ravens were monsters with an extraordinary head. As they could fly in the air, there was a higher possibility that their team members positioned behind would be attacked.

    Slash¡ª!

    The Gorger Ravens¡¯ sharp claws came flying towards Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

 Chapter 24

    At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s new form had disappeared.

    Caw¡ª?

    The Gorger Ravens, which momentarily lost their target, glanced around left and right in search of him.

    Stab¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s strong hand grasped the Gorger Raven¡¯s wing tightly to prevent further movement.

    ¡°Firstly¡­¡±

    Kyaaaa¡ª!

    As the Gorger Raven¡¯s wings were broken, it lost its sense of direction.

    Caw¡ª!

    ¡°One wing.¡±

    Su-hyeun, who had his fist in the air, slammed straight down onto the raven¡¯s back.

    The raven¡¯s wing, which has already been broken, could not overcome the force and fell to the ground.

    Swick¡ª

    Su-hyeun stepped on the falling Gorger Raven¡¯s back and leapt into the air.

    The only monster that could fly in the air was the Gorger Raven.

    The other monsters were on the ground.

    Taking the lead, Lee Ju-ho pulled out his sword and blocked the incoming monsters while Ahn Min-seok shielded the others by swinging the knuckles on his fist. The long distant support members went on an attack spree on the monsters. They were all fighting well in their allocated positions.

    <>

    True, one would have to struggle from the start and have to paint the remaining picture accordingly.

    Now, all that was left was for them to color the picture. Su-hyeun trusted that they would be able to do their part.

    <>

    There was no way he could support the fight upfront right now. They didn¡¯t seem to be in danger either.

    Su-hyeun went to the monsters¡¯ rear. The eleven monsters quickly fell apart, unable to withstand the simultaneous attacks.

    Rip¡ª!

    The thick spider¡¯s abdomen was slashed in half, and green blood spilled out.

    As if a habit, Su-hyeun shook off the blood on his sword after he got rid of the last of the monsters. They had defended three rounds of attacks up until now.

    After the first round of attack, they were given 10 minutes of rest. Following that, the monsters¡¯ attacks continued. With this pattern, the members were able to defend themselves from the monsters.

    <>

    The exhausted Lee Ju-ho looked at the relaxed Su-hyeun who was wiping his sword, unlike the rest of the group.

    <>

    The opponents were never easy. The number of monsters entering through the door was increasing. Furthermore, the monsters¡¯ levels weren¡¯t decreasing, taking a toll on everyone physically and mentally.

    In fact, the others were sitting in a corner without any words. Their mana had also reached their lowest points.

    <>

    Throughout the battle, Lee Ju-ho looked at Su-hyeun as if he were bewitched.

    <>

    Though he had that feeling before the trial started, Lee Ju-ho always felt amazed at Su-hyeun¡¯s fighting. It wasn¡¯t because of his high magic level, outstanding stats, or a wide variety of skills. Such things were irrelevant.

    It was purely his fighting ability.

    Su-hyeun knew how to utilize his physical abilities and made use of them to fight to his advantage. In fact, it was as if he were showing others how to use the 100 percent potential in their own physical and magical abilities.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it embarrassing?¡± Kim Ba-reun spoke, walking up to Lee Ju-ho and plopped down next to him.

    Kim Ba-reun was looking at Su-hyeun as well.

    ¡°Really¡­ wondering if that guy is really a C-rank awakener like me.¡±

    ¡°That could be the truth since there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between both of your magical skills.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then what do you think sets us apart?¡±

    ¡°Do I really have to say it out loud?¡±

    It was a question not worth even thinking about.

    ¡°Just¡­ It¡¯s just a gift.¡±

    Not everyone was able to have such fighting skills. Even Lee Ju-ho, who had joined countless dungeon attacks, could not yet imitate such fights.

    ¡°A gift¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°What about you? Don¡¯t you feel so?¡±

    ¡°Well, a little.¡± Lee Ju-ho muttered after letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Instead of jealous¡­ I¡¯m more envious.¡± Jealousy was a feeling that one would experience when the shoe fit. Now, Lee Ju-ho just felt envious of Su-hyeun, who had such gifts.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°After this dungeon attack ends¡­ I¡¯m considering climbing the tower.¡±

    Kim Ba-reun was shocked at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words. ¡°Are you for real?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡±

    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t it obvious? You were just thinking that it¡¯s a joke to be climbing the towers a few days back.¡±

    ¡°Right. I did say that.¡± Lee Ju-ho looked at Su-hyeun with a bright face.

    ¡°Honestly¡­ I was conceited.¡±

    <<¡°You really don¡¯t wish to climb up any further?¡±

    A long time ago, when Kim Ba-reun had asked him the same question, Lee Ju-ho replied with a sneer.

    ¡°It¡¯s enough at this point. What¡¯s there to risk your life for by going further?¡±

    ¡°Hey, but if we continue going up¡­¡±

    ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s enough. This is just nice.¡±>>

    He really was conceited.

    He understood now. The real thing existed separately, and it wasn¡¯t too far. And now, he wasn¡¯t close to being strong enough.

    ¡°I must thank that friend when we get out of here. If it weren¡¯t for him, we would have all been dead¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay sane, too.¡±

    He was grateful to Su-hyeun. He felt his mind clearing up a bit. He couldn¡¯t see the need to climb up the tower any further before, but now he was given a new motivation and determination to do so.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Kim Ba-reun placed his chin on top of his knees and asked, ¡°Could it be real?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho turned around, ignoring Kim Ba-reun¡¯s question and asked, ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I meant Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, are you talking about that again?¡± Lee Ju-ho turned once more and looked at Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun was sitting against the wall and resting up.

    ¡°I had thought that he wasn¡¯t the one at first.¡±

    He was certain.

    A mere C-rank awakener. The gap was too wide for the Su-hyeun who stood before them to be the heavily rumored Kim Su-hyeun. But after witnessing his abilities, his thoughts had changed.

    Maybe¡­ They could be the same person.

    <>

    A sudden question flashed across his mind.

    How could he only be a mere C-rank awakener while having such abilities?

    If one had climbed the Tower of Trials for a year with those abilities and had accumulated an extraordinary amount of achievement points, his level must have been way above that.

    <>

    But it was hard to imagine that two awakeners of the same name would have the same characteristics. It was unlikely that such coincidence existed.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho shook his head clear.

    Such complicated thoughts would only affect his rest time. Survival was of utmost importance now.

    ¡°Ha, ha¡ª.¡±

    ¡°Huff. Huff¡ª.¡±

    Lee Eun-mi and Ahn Min-seok took deep breaths while looking down at the blood on the floor.

    It was crazily exhausting.

    ¡°Now¡­ how many rounds are we left with?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it should be the last round now.¡±

    Both of them were unable to reply immediately, as they seemed to be quite exhausted. The other members were almost the same.

    Su-hyeun was alarmed that most of them were too exhausted to speak.

    <>

    They had successfully defended nine rounds of attacks.

    Monsters¡¯ corpses were piling up on the ground, and the members were both physically and mentally exhausted. More than anything else, the number of monsters pouring out from that door was increasing.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho was probably the only one with quite a bit of stamina left. As a powerful awakener, he had better physical abilities and skills compared to the rest of the party.

    <>

    As if exhausted, Su-hyeun too sat against the wall and looked around at the other members.

    <>

    When the rest had collapsed and were exhausted, Su-hyeun found the only one who was moving.

    <>

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    There wasn¡¯t much time left until the last attack.

    Beyond the door, noise could be heard as the monsters kept banging against the door.

    Slide¡ª

    She slowly approached the door. As she came closer, the monsters¡¯ cries and anger could be heard much more clearly.

    <>

    The monsters would rush out from there.

    A nervous moment.

    She reached her hands out. She grabbed the doorknob and picked up the key was that hanging there.

    Until now, no one else had spotted her actions.

    <>

    Though it was a little disturbing, it wasn¡¯t tough.

    It was a skill that was not obtainable through stores, but through the trials: Invisibility.

    It was a skill that had yet to be revealed until now.

    Although B-rank awakener Lee Ju-ho had a good chance of getting caught with invisibility, she had waited until everyone was exhausted.

    Even Lee Ju-ho, too, was too exhausted to recognize her existence.

    <>

    Creak¡ª

    She placed the key into the lock. At that moment, a voice could be heard from behind.

    ¡°There, over there!¡±

    It was too late.

    Click¡ª

    The key turned, and the door that had been obstructing the monsters¡¯ way started to open slowly.

    [A minute later, the monsters will rush out.]

    [The door behind has opened. Escape to survive.]

    Great, it¡¯s done.

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    She turned around at the voice that spoke. A familiar face came up close to him.

    It was Su-hyeun.

    ¡°H, how¡­¡±

    No, there wasn¡¯t time for that.

    Soon, she left her position and escaped quickly.

    Flick¡ª

    ¡°What do you mean, how.¡±

    Clack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun grabbed Kim Ye-eun¡¯s neck quickly. Before she knew it, she had passed by him.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Kim Ye-eun¡¯s eyes widened.

    She could not understand what was happening around her.

    ¡®Just¡­ how¡­¡¯

    A rare skill, invisibility, which she had obtained by luck through passing a trial.

    She was now in the state of invisibility, transparent to the naked eyes of others.

    It was the effect of the invisibility skill that killed her existence and made her transparent within a specific range.

    Unless it was under normal circumstances, now the members were all exhausted, and she had thought she could completely kill her existence. The right time was now.

    ¡®How did he find me?¡¯

    No, before that¡­

    ¡®Just when, was he behind me?¡¯

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±

    An incomprehensible situation.

    Just as she had opened the door with the key, Su-hyeun approached her from behind.

    No, he didn¡¯t approach her.

    ¡®No way¡­ He waited until I opened the door¡­¡¯

    But why?

    ¡°I wondered when you would make your move.¡±

    Slam¡ª!

    Su-hyeun grabbed her neck and plummeted her on the ground.

    Kim Ye-eun felt pain rushing throughout her bones as she was forced into the ground.

    Her questions still remain unsolved.

    ¡®Did¡­ he knew everything?¡¯

    It was as if he was waiting for her to make her move.

    He knew of her existence. Even so, he had been waiting for her.

    ¡®But why?¡¯

    He could have stopped her from opening the door.

    ¡®Moreover, he told me earlier that I had done well¡­¡¯

    Confusion, fear, and questions were tangled up in her mind. She could not escape from Su-hyeun¡¯s firm grip.

    ¡°Was this a test from the Dump Guild?¡±

    Kim Ye-eun¡¯s eyes widened in shock once more at Su-hyeun¡¯s whispers.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s mouth twisted at her reaction. It was a look of displeasure and contempt.

    Dump, a guild that was created and meant for the criminals who were abandoned.

    It was a group that Su-hyeun had despised and detested the most.

    ¡°I was just guessing¡­ But it seems that I¡¯m right.¡±

    ¡°W¡­ wait¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean wait?¡±

    Grind, grind¡ª

    As Su-hyeun added strength in his grip, Kim Ye-eun¡¯s neck began to break.

    ¡°In fact, I had intended to kill you even if it wasn¡¯t the truth.¡±

 Chapter 25

    Act 2

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Su-hyeun looked at the corpse of Kim Ye-eun, whose neck had been broken.

    Su-hyeun first had his suspicions when she first started talking to him at the dungeon¡¯s entrance. Whatever her intention, it was thanks to her that she caught Su-hyeun¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Honestly, those people felt uncomfortable.¡±

    He had the same opinion.

    Su-hyeun had already known what would happen in the future and had his suspicions, but she was different. Just based purely on her intuition, she felt strange suspicions towards them.

    But¡­

    <>

    There was nothing suspicious about Lee Ju-ho and the others from Su-hyeun¡¯s point of view. At least, Su-hyeun could not understand the reason why they had felt uncomfortable.

    Subsequently, Kim Ye-eun had been trying to strike a conversation with Su-hyeun from the start.

    They were suspicious of each other and viewed each other negatively, but he wouldn¡¯t have been sure with just that reason alone.

    <>

    Su-hyeun had been observing the members¡¯ faces while he was fighting the monsters for the first time.

    There were only two whose faces had turned foul: Kim Ye-eun and Lee Eun-mi.

    Unlike the others who were relieved that there was someone whose skills were outstanding, both their facial expressions were not good. Amongst them, Su-hyeun was more suspicious of Kim Ye-eun.

    Although Lee Eun-mi¡¯s face was openly flushed and angry at Su-hyeun, Kim Ye-eun had tried to hide her expression.

    <>

    But of course, she shouldn¡¯t be labeled as a real awakener of the Dump Guild. Technically speaking, she was one of the few hopefuls who wished to be part of the criminal syndicate, Dump Guild. Whatever was bound to happen here could be related to one of the few special requirements or rites of the Dump Guild.

    <>

    It was several years before Dump Guild was made known to the public. Up until now, only a few people knew of its existence.

    ¡°This¡­ what should we do?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? We¡¯ll have to make our escape!¡± Su-hyeun looked at the flustered party.

    Thankfully, the back door was open. The once boastful Ahn Min-seok was now the most cowardly and was already running towards the wide-open door.

    Lee Ju-ho shouted towards Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Come over here quickly! We must run!¡±

    How could he still be called the party¡¯s leader?

    Judging from his actions, Kim Ye-eun¡¯s information about Lee Ju-ho seemed to be false. Truthfully, it didn¡¯t really matter.

    ¡°Please return first.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If we escape just like that, we¡¯ll all die.¡±

    [You have 30 seconds left.]

    There was no time.

    Lee Ju-ho shouted one last time in urgency.

    ¡°What are you actually planning to do now?¡±

    ¡°Leave me alone and run. I will follow behind soon after.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting¡­¡±

    [You have 20 seconds left.]

    Time seemed to be flowing past at a high speed. The others had already started running.

    His friend Kim Ba-reun was shouting at the top of his lungs, asking him to come over. She was frustrated since he was still hesitating when even a second was too precious. Kim Ye-eun¡¯s betrayal was something that could be dealt with later.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry and run. I have confidence that I can escape successfully.¡±

    Was there something else that was left? Lee Ju-ho, who had never seen Su-hyeun use his other skills, soon made up his mind.

    ¡°If so¡­ I do hope to see you alive and well.¡± Lee Ju-ho turned and started running towards the back door.

    He used Swift to make his run, and soon his figure ran into the distance.

    [You have 10 seconds left.]

    10 seconds.

    What an urgent situation.

    But now that everyone had left, Su-hyeun felt a sense of relief.

    ¡°I¡¯m finally alone.¡±

    He stretched his neck and then his legs.

    He felt stiffer after a long period of restricted movement. He had to walk on thin ice with others around, and it was more inconvenient and uncomfortable than he thought.

    <>

    Su-hyeun grinned at the thought of his distance with Lee Ju-ho.

    <>

    As they quickly escaped, the distance between them lengthened. Furthermore, Lee Ju-ho had no time to take care of Su-hyeun in this situation.

    ¡°Now¡­¡±

    Creak, creak¡ª

    The locked door started to open slowly.

    Soon, the last message appeared.

    [Please survive.]

    Slam¡ª!

    The door opened.

    Kyaaa¡ª!

    Hundreds of monsters rushed out in unison. The massive horde approached Su-hyeun.

    Light fire wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    Su-hyeun, who used Flame on his body and sword, grinned.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m feeling more refreshed.¡±

    Kyaaaa¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new form slid through the monsters with the flame.

    At that moment.

    Slash¡ª!

    Splat¡ª!

    Blood gushed out from the monsters. Charred flesh was scattered, and red hot flames rose. The monsters faltered back.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new form rose and blocked the way of some of the monsters that retreated.

    ¡°Where are you heading?¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    Was it the system¡¯s instinct?

    The monsters that were still in front of Su-hyeun were still trying to chase the other members who were running towards the back door ¡ª the monsters did not immediately head for Su-hyeun, as if they were slightly intimidated by him.

    Stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun closed the back door with his hand. As the large door closed loudly, Su-hyeun turned around.

    ¡°If you want to go past me¡­¡±

    [You have used the skill Leap.]

    [Excluding the target, all other surrounding enemies have perceived you as their enemy.]

    At that moment, the monsters¡¯ eyes that were looking at Su-hyeun had turned red.

    ¡°Kill me first, you little cowards.¡±

    The legs that were running like crazy suddenly stopped.

    Soon, Lee Ju-ho had caught up with Kim Ba-reun. He was already lagging behind the party and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t think that this is nice of us.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    At that moment, Kim Ba-reun could not understand Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words, but it did not actually take him too long to understand.

    ¡°Go ahead first.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho then turned around. Fully aware of what Lee Ju-ho was thinking, Kim Ba-reun blocked him in his way.

    ¡°Hey, are you crazy? How are you going to help him?¡±

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t be so sure. Su-hyeun might survive if I go to his aid.¡±

    Why had this thought come in so late?

    At the time, the sudden thought of facing death had instilled fear in him. Thus he made the decision to escape there and then. He did not know that he would regret his decision now. He could have run even faster, but the reason why he could not was also because of his conscience.

    ¡°He might have survived it, too. No, definitely¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho might have made up his mind as he walked past Kim Ba-reun, who was standing in front of him.

    ¡°Hey, if we just make our escape and live well and proper¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho tapped on Kim Ba-reun¡¯s shoulder and spoke.

    ¡°How am I going to live with this shame in the future?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho turned around and ran in the opposite direction, running faster than before.

    The whole way back, he kept thinking about whether it was right to have made his escape or if he should have returned.

    He was unable to make a swift decision as he was faced with death. His legs ran slower.

    At that moment, if he could not make a decision, it felt as if he would regret it his whole life.

    There were times when he could only make decisions based on his emotions rather than being objective, and that was the exact moment for Lee Ju-ho now. It made him feel better after he made up his decision to return.

    Eventually, Lee Ju-ho ran without rest in the direction towards where the monsters pouring out.

    That strange feeling had been around for quite some time.

    No matter how far they ran, they never met the monsters that were chasing them. Regardless if Su-hyeun could have stopped the monsters, he would not have been able to stop all of them.

    They definitely thought that way.

    <>

    Could it be that the horde of monsters that poured out was weaker than expected?

    <>

    As the door opened slightly, he could see through the slight opening that the horde of monsters was into the hundreds.

    He was blocking that massive number of monsters by himself? Regardless of how outstanding Su-hyeun was, it was too tough to handle alone.

    <>

    He gripped hard onto his sword.

    He had made the right decision to return.

    He started running even faster. He squeezed more magic and used it on the skill Swift.

    Not long after, the door which he had run away from became visible.

    But¡­

    <>

    Trudge, trudge¡ª

    His feet became slower. As he went closer towards the door, he felt high levels of magic. The level was of a much higher magic rating than what he had now.

    Moreover¡­

    <>

    Even though he was quite a distance from the door, he could still clearly feel the heat, and it was hard to say that it was from a monster. On top of that, the door was closed.

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho hastily ran towards the door and stopped in front of it. He could feel the heat right there.

    It was tough to even grab the door¡¯s handle without injecting magic in his hands. Lee Ju-ho hurriedly pushed the door inwards.

    Creak¡ª

    The heavy door opened, and the interior was revealed.

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes narrowed at the sight which unfolded before him.

    ¡°This¡­ what¡¯s this¡­¡±

    The monsters¡¯ corpses were quickly piling up and hot flames were hovering above them. The dungeon was filled with its heat.

    The blood running along the floor dried up, and the monsters¡¯ corpses had turned black from the burning flame.

    It seemed like there were hundreds of monsters. It was as much as Lee Ju-ho had expected ¡ª no, even more than he had expected.

    <>

    The answer to the question was pre-determined since there was only one person left in this room.

    Lee Ju-ho turned around and spotted Su-hyeun, who was left all alone.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to run away?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s voice came from behind.

    <>

    Maybe he was nervous?

    Lee Ju-ho turned around in surprise and distanced himself. Su-hyeun looked at Lee Ju-ho with blood all over his body.

    ¡°Why did you return?¡±

    As soon as they made eye contact, Lee Ju-ho felt that the temperature in the room had risen multiple folds from before.

    It was the level of magic concentration and magic factor.

    This wasn¡¯t the Su-hyeun he knew. His gaze, his atmosphere, his everything was different.

    Gulp¡ª

    By some chance, he was it.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho was confident as he looked at the Su-hyeun, who stood in front of him.

    ¡°¡­are Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

 Chapter 26

    Instead of answering Lee Ju-ho¡¯s question, Su-hyeun looked at his face for a while.

    The heated surrounding and tense atmosphere around Lee Ju-ho was suffocating enough, and it was Lee Ju-ho who was unilaterally frustrated.

    He knew that the atmosphere was somewhat different, but he did not know that Lee Ju-ho would be fearful of it.

    It wasn¡¯t just the level of magic concentration; the skills Su-hyeun had were also of a different class from his.

    <>

    Su-hyeun spoke as he looked at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face, which was struck with fear.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    There was no need for Su-hyeun to come up with more excuses or to beat about the bush.

    As Lee Ju-ho had seen his original self, there would not be any use to try to deny it. On top of that, it wasn¡¯t his name that Su-hyeun had wanted to hide.

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes widened at Su-hyeun¡¯s answer. It seemed that he was still quite surprised even after hearing the truth from him.

    Su-hyeun pressed hard between his brows.

    <>

    He had not expected Lee Ju-ho to return to the dungeon. Su-hyeun let out a deep sigh and spoke while dangling his sword in his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Why did you return?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho spoke after a moment of contemplation. There was only one thing that he could answer. ¡°Because I was ashamed.¡±

    ¡°Ashamed?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°That I abandoned you and ran away myself.¡±

    ¡°Was it solely because of that?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t all because of that¡­¡±

    How should he explain himself? Conscience? Or embarrassment? It seemed better to say that his feet didn¡¯t allow him to go too far.

    <> Su-hyeun originally thought that Lee Ju-ho probably sensed that he had hidden his actual skills and came back to check.

    Su-hyeun nodded his head while looking at Lee Ju-ho, who was scratching his head dully.

    ¡°Well, forget it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What else can I do now? I¡¯m sorry to have lied to you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s alright. Either way, the rest of us were able to survive thanks to you¡­¡±

    There were definitely a lot of strange things in the dungeon. It had a weird format different from the normal dungeons, and the difficulty level on the outside was vastly different from the level on the inside.

    If it weren¡¯t for Su-hyeun, it would have been impossible for them to clear the trial, and no one would have survived the trap that Kim Ye-eun had set up. In other words, they were able to survive because of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Mister Su-hyeun is our benefactor.¡±

    Su-hyeun felt slightly relieved after hearing Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words.

    It didn¡¯t seem like Lee Ju-ho would rashly spread the news about him either. He didn¡¯t seem to be that kind of person.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho was a veteran who had been working as an awakener for an extended period. It would be even easier to get more accurate and various news from Lee Ju-ho directly instead of searching through Abyss Online.

    As said before, although it was true he had owed him a favor, their relationship in the future wouldn¡¯t be bad.

    ¡°Don¡¯t feel burdened by it. I¡¯m not trying to erase the debt; I¡¯m only doing what I should have done before,¡± Su-hyeun said and flopped onto the floor.

    He would, of course, be exhausted after clearing out hundreds of monsters single-handedly. On top of that, Su-hyeun¡¯s Flame skill was one that would use up high amounts of magic concentration at high speeds.

    As the supply of magic got cut off from his body, the flames around started to die down.

    Lee Ju-ho watched, fascinated, as the fire around him died down and flopped next to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite an interesting skill.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the type that devours magic.¡±

    ¡°What level of magic is required for this skill?¡±

    ¡°Although it¡¯s a level 4 magic skill¡­¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s words trailed off. It¡¯s too obvious and thus unnecessary for him to continue the sentence.

    ¡°What in the world¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho, too, was a B-rank awakener, with level 4 magic. Lee Ju-ho¡¯s primary skill, Swift, was also one of the level 4 magic skills. It was a reasonably useful skill that boosted the overall speed on skills, magic usage, and physical stamina.

    But compared to Su-hyeun¡¯s Flame, Swift was nowhere near as helpful.

    ¡°Awesome. Although you must have heard it countless times¡­ It¡¯s for real.¡±

    Kim Su-hyeun. He had heard of this name countless times.

    A unique awakener who had cleared the level 10 trials of each floor while climbing the Tower of Trials.

    A divinity that had been breaking records on each floor.

    There were many divided opinions on how strong he had become after a year of awakening.

    It was also because he had never shown his face before. There was nothing else made known to the public besides his name.

    <>

    Su-hyeun had been talking to Lee Ju-ho for a while now.

    Amongst the topics was one about Lee Ju-ho, who hadn¡¯t been climbing the Tower of Trials for quite some time. Many didn¡¯t climb the Tower of Trials as they valued their own lives more. No, more accurately, it was most of the awakeners.

    How many awakeners had failed to pass the trials while aiming for levels higher than their actual capability?

    In fact, up until now, the awakeners¡¯ causes of death were mostly from the Tower of Trials. It was a given to value their own lives more, but Lee Ju-ho even valued others¡¯ lives as much as his own.

    It wasn¡¯t common to find such a person like him in this stark and shriveled world. Thoughts like, ¡°As long as it isn¡¯t me,¡± or ¡°It¡¯s just me by myself¡± were more prevalent in this world, but having a person like Lee Ju-ho was not bad at all.

    ¡°Tsk. Anyway, why did Kim Ye-eun betray us? I didn¡¯t expect that she would pull a suicide stint on us.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t pull a suicide stint.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°She pulled a team kill on us.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho was horrified by Su-hyeun¡¯s blunt response.

    Up until now, Lee Ju-ho had thought that Kim Ye-eun¡¯s action was that they should all have perished together. But to think that she had the intent of killing them?

    ¡°Do you know about Dump Guild?¡±

    ¡°Dump Guild?¡±

    He seemed to be unaware.

    Su-hyeun continued on.

    ¡°It is a guild made up with homicidal maniacs. Not just homicidal maniacs, but there are also others with conflicting interests gathered there.¡±

    ¡°There is such a guild?¡±

    ¡°You would not be aware since they are not widely known.¡± Su-hyeun, who was speaking as he walked, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

    ¡°In fact, we can say that those who have known about them have all died.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face went white as paper.

    That was even more horrifying than what he said before. That those who knew about the existence of the Dump Guild had died.

    In other words, he wouldn¡¯t know what would happen to him.

    ¡°S-so why are you telling me this?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked Su-hyeun, who continued walking again. He would have preferred to not have known about this at all.

    Su-hyeun replied to Lee Ju-ho, who gave a massive reaction with a huge grin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you an adventurer who isn¡¯t afraid of death?¡±

    ¡°No, but even so, why is there a need to kill when we¡¯ve survived?¡±

    ¡°Did I say that I killed them? Perhaps Dump Guild would send someone to do it.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that earlier!¡± Lee Ju-ho tore his hair out, screaming. He seemed to be quite frightened at Dump Guild¡¯s name.

    <>

    Technically, Kim Ye-eun wasn¡¯t a member of the Dump Guild.

    To join Dump Guild, there was a special mission that potential candidates had to clear. It was a concept similar to the trials.

    And Kim Ye-eun was right in the middle of clearing it. In other words, she wasn¡¯t an official member of Dump Guild yet.

    Perhaps, Dump Guild might have considered this as a failed mission. They could also be afraid that their guild¡¯s existence would be exposed to the public.

    <>

    He felt apologetic to Lee Ju-ho.

    Because of this, Lee Ju-ho would be more interested in the Dump Guild as well.

    But¡­

    <>

    Dump Guild. It was the worst criminal syndicate guild, and in the future, a group of murderers who were even more dangerous than monsters.

    Punishing them was one of Su-hyeun¡¯s goals. It wasn¡¯t easy digging the Dump Guild out as they were intentionally hiding from the public.

    In that case, he needed something that would make them surface.

    Su-hyeun wanted this to be the starting point.

    ¡°Stop it and come quickly,¡± Su-hyeun said, looking back at Lee Ju-ho, who still had his head hung down.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we see the end of this?¡±

 Chapter 27

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±

    ¡°Huff. W-we survived¡­¡±

    The members who managed to flee from the dungeon collapsed to the floor as they came out.

    A sense of relief took over when they realized that they had survived and their stamina had mainly been exhausted.

    The only person with remaining strength was Ahn Min-seok, who had relatively high health stats. He held on without collapsing onto the floor and looked back anxiously at the dungeon¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°The dungeon¡¯s color¡­!¡±

    Ahn Min-seok¡¯s eyes widened. At his reaction, Lee Eun-mi looked back too and screamed in surprise.

    ¡°Y-yellow?¡±

    ¡°What happened to it?¡±

    Ahn Min-seok¡¯s eyes widened even more.

    It was definitely still an orange level dungeon when they entered. Unless the party was all caught in a hallucinogenic skill, there was no doubt about it.

    But the dungeon¡¯s color changed in that short time? No, more importantly, were the dungeon colors able to change in the first place?

    It was confusing. But at the same time, it made perfect sense.

    <>

    It was impossible to target a yellow level dungeon with this number of people and standards. To raid a yellow dungeon, they would at least need 10 awakeners of Lee Ju-ho¡¯s level.

    ¡°Ahhhh¡ª!¡±

    Plop¡ª

    Kim Ba-reun, who was running out from the dungeon, hurriedly tripped over a stone and fell headfirst. Although it was not tough for an awakener to trip over a stone, it had also meant that he was that exhausted and had no stamina left.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Where is Ju-ho?¡± Ahn Min-seok and Lee Eun-mi approached and asked Kim Ba-reun, who had ran out hurriedly.

    Kim Ba-reun held onto Ahn Min-seok¡¯s arm for support and replied with trembling lips.

    ¡°H-he¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s dead?!¡± Lee Eun-mi asked in surprise. Ahn Min-seok screamed.

    They had definitely seen Lee Ju-ho running behind them. How could he be dead?

    Kim Ba-reun seemed to know something. Kim Ba-reun bit his lip as if it was something difficult to answer.

    ¡°That¡­ that crazy bastard¡­¡± This was Kim Ba-reun¡¯s reaction.

    Crying and cursing. One would know just by looking at Kim Ba-reun exactly how he felt.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Lee Ju-ho died.

    And on top of that, Kim Su-hyeun died, too.

    At the very least, that was how they had perceived in their minds.

    Act 3

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    Lee Ju-ho screamed fiercely.

    He plopped onto the floor and gazed at the ceiling. The monsters corpses¡¯ were strewn all around him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go any further. Please go on ahead.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Su-hyeun asked while wiping the sweat from his forehead.

    Though he had been fighting, Su-hyeun looked more at ease than Lee Ju-ho. He still had plenty of mana. For this battle, he did not use any skills and instead prevailed with only his fighting ability.

    ¡°¡­Are you really going?¡± Lee Ju-ho, who has still laid on the floor, turned around the glanced at him. It seemed that he would get up soon enough. He was just being whiny.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going.¡±

    In fact, Su-hyeun wanted to rest, too. He needed to rest up entirely as it would be a lot better if he could move again in perfect condition.

    But¡­

    [Time limit 00:30:28.]

    There was another mission for them. It was a time-tagged mission where they had to complete the dungeon attack. The conditions were simple.

    [Destroy the summoning stone.]

    A mission that specified its own target.

    And there was a time limit given for the mission. Both Lee Ju-ho and Su-hyeun had no way of finding out what would happen when the time was up for this mission, but it was certain that there would be significant risks as there was a penalty given from the system.

    ¡°Ah, honestly¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho stood up from his position in the end.

    ¡°Is this really the end?¡±

    ¡°How would I know?¡±

    ¡°Ack!¡± Lee Ju-ho tore at his hair again. Was this a habit of his? Amused, Su-hyeun smiled. It seemed that Lee Ju-ho was a more pleasant person than expected.

    After Lee Ju-ho realized that Su-hyeun was stronger than him and that he wasn¡¯t actually the party¡¯s leader, his attitude had changed.

    <>

    But there was no doubt about his skills.

    At least he would not be much of an obstacle. It wasn¡¯t easy getting to B-rank either.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lee Ju-ho, who struggled to get up from his seat, asked.

    Su-hyeun tilted his head, referring to the end of the cave in the distance.

    ¡°I can see it there.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho narrowed his eyes and looked closely into the distance where Su-hyeun was referring to.

    At the end of the cave, a gigantic blue stone could be seen.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the summoning stone?¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    ¡°So, all this will end when we break it into pieces?¡± Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face suddenly brightened.

    It seemed that things had been quite tough on him all this time. On the contrary, Su-hyeun¡¯s face darkened.

    <>

    A growing dungeon.

    The color of dungeons was usually determined by the special mana from the monsters that inhabited it, but there were also times when a dungeon changed color as well. It was the same as this instance.

    The summoning stone.

    A medium that summoned monsters from a different dimension. As long as it existed, monsters will be summoned endlessly. As the number of monsters increased, the dungeon¡¯s color would turn closer to purple, and an outbreak would be inevitable.

    There would be a huge number of monsters. With this number of monsters, it would cause the death of over ten thousand people in the Gyeonggi Province as its epicenter.

    <>

    Su-hyeun started walking towards the summoning stone.

    There were still some monsters left around the summoning stone. The types of monsters were of a wide variety, and it seemed that the monsters were summoned without any discrimination.

    <>

    The monsters were wary of Su-hyeun.

    Lee Ju-ho stuck right behind Su-hyeun and muttered. ¡°This¡­ the numbers look quite a lot, though?¡±

    He didn¡¯t notice from afar, but only when he went closer did he realize.

    There were too many monsters around them, watching them closely. It looked like they were in hundreds.

    Gulp¡ª

    The nervous Lee Ju-ho grasped his sword even tighter.

    Fortunately, the monsters did not jump right at them. They were drooling, watching, and whetting their appetites. No, it wasn¡¯t anything good at all.

    ¡°How long are you going to watch us?¡± Su-hyeun opened his mouth to speak.

    As he looked behind the summoning stone, he saw a shadow slowly appear. Hidden behind that gigantic stone was a shadow that donned a long robe.

    ¡°You could have come a bit closer. Hahaha.¡± The sudden burst of laughter made the others feel uncomfortable.

    That shrill voice and laughter were so horrific that it was hardly recognizable that it was a human. Lee Ju-ho had to retreat immediately at that sound.

    No, it wasn¡¯t only his voice that was creepy. His magic¡¯s concentration and properties could also be felt emanating from him. Everything about him was creepy.

    ¡°A¡­ human?¡±

    It was a human in the dungeon.

    This was Lee Ju-ho¡¯s first time experiencing this. His hands shook in astonishment. ¡°He¡¯s not a human.¡±

    Flick¡ª

    Su-hyeun flicked his finger and a flame appeared over the hooded man¡¯s head.

    The flame took off the hooded man¡¯s hood, and he accepted it without trying to avoid it.

    As soon as the hood fell off, the hooded man¡¯s face was revealed.

    ¡°A-a-a skeleton?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Who are you calling skeleton?¡± The hooded man spoke with frustration. ¡°I¡¯d hope you would call me Richie instead.¡±

    It seemed that he had wanted to reveal his identity to them all along. It could be the same reason why he had not stopped them from taking off his hood.

    However, Su-hyeun sneered at the skeleton¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean Richie, you fraud?¡±

    Would his face have looked crumpled if he wasn¡¯t?

    The skeleton turned towards Su-hyeun. It¡¯s empty eye socket looked towards Su-hyeun and starting using its frightening magic.

    ¡°What does a little boy like you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. More than you do.¡±

    He might have presented himself as Richie, but Su-hyeun knew very well that he wasn¡¯t.

    The real Richie didn¡¯t look like this. The real Richie had the ability to construct himself to appear more like a human being. Moreover, the magic concentration, factor, and properties he had felt were quite different from the real Richie. In other words, he was a fake Richie.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll think of this,¡± Su-hyeun said as if he was hurt.

    ¡°You¡¯re a fraud.¡±

    ¡°Hick.¡± Lee Ju-ho stifled a burst of laughter from behind as if he had found it funny.

    The skeleton was speechless. Probably because his feelings had intensified, the monsters¡¯ cries around him had intensified as well.

    Kyaaa¡ª!

    As the hundred monsters cried out in unison, the sound was deafening. Lee Ju-ho quickly stopped his laughter and got ready to attack.

    ¡°Ah, seriously? I shouldn¡¯t have laughed.¡± Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face quickly turned tearful.

    Regardless, Su-hyeun had his eyes fixed on the skeleton in front of them.

    <>

    He was the one who was using the summoning stone to summon monsters.

    The evil summoner who later summoned and manipulated monsters, and later caused the death of ten thousands of people was just in front of them.

    ¡°Just endure for three minutes.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°For three minutes only. Three minutes.¡±

    ¡°Please, Su-hyeun¡­¡±

    Even though Lee Ju-ho was tearing, Su-hyeun was walking towards the summoner.

    Slowly, step by step.

    As he took each step and narrowed their distance, the summoner¡¯s magic intensified.

    ¡°Your body and soul will suffer forever.¡±

    Step¡ª

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s only if you win.¡±

    Squelch¡ª

    The ground was left with Su-hyeun¡¯s footprints as he took each step.

    ¡°You look exhausted; aren¡¯t you pushing it too much?¡±

    The summoner knew.

    ¡°All these kids in the dungeon are my hands and feet. The one who was fighting them up until a while ago isn¡¯t getting exhausted?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s physical condition was not perfect. He was drained from fighting all the monsters endlessly. Although it was evident that Su-hyeun was strong, there were still more than a hundred monsters left with the summoner.

    It was evident who would be the winner.

    ¡°Although my stamina is nearly depleted¡­¡±

    Burning¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s surroundings suddenly gushed out with blazing heat.

    As the flame heated up, the summoner quickly rose up to his feet. The heat from the flames was fatal to the summoner who had dark magic properties.

    He had thought that Su-hyeun¡¯s stamina was nearly depleted.

    At the flustered summoner¡¯s reaction, Su-hyeun raised his head and looked at him.

    ¡°But my magic is still quite plentiful.¡±

    On his way here, he had purposefully saved up his magic.

    All just for this moment.

    And¡­

    [Transfiguration skill: Berserk is used.]

    [Your health is low.]

    [Your ability has increased in proportion to your lack of strength.]

    [Your health has been temporarily restored.]

    [Strength has increased significantly.]

    [Ability has increased significantly.]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body turned fully red.

    His breathing got better, and his body was filled with energy.

    Su-hyeun had been pushing himself to the limit, all just for this moment.

    Su-hyeun was in his best condition ever.

 Chapter 28

    As the summoner realized Su-hyeun¡¯s breathing had turned normal, he quickly responded. He raised his hand and shouted.

    ¡°Kill them!¡±

    The summoner¡¯s loud voice echoed throughout the cave.

    At the summoner¡¯s command, the hundreds of monsters showed their teeth in unison, flexed their claws, and charged towards both Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho. The monsters were of a similar standard as the Lizardcops, perhaps even stronger.

    But¡­

    Burning¡ª!

    At the same time, the flame on Su-hyeun¡¯s sword was set ablaze. He hit the wall with extremely high heat, and it covered Su-hyeun¡¯s body. To find Su-hyeun in the flames, the summoner had to use his cane and search for him.

    ¡°Where did he go¡­¡±

    Swish¡ª!

    Kyaaa¡ª!

    A group of monsters moved in one direction in unison.

    It was the summoner, the mastermind, who was controlling the monsters¡¯ minds. However, the summoner¡¯s controls and intentions were nearly useless.

    Fwoom¡ª!

    The monsters that were charging in one direction exploded and turned into burnt pieces. At the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s new form escaped and ran towards the summoner.

    At that moment, dark black magic burst out from the summoner¡¯s cane.

    Slam¡ª!

    A sword and cane.

    The crash of red hot flames and dark magic led to a massive explosion.

    The summoner recoiled from the explosion and coughed. Feeling embarrassed by his own reaction, the summoner looked at his numb hands.

    <>

    It was the magic concentration that Su-hyeun was handling and the energy and flames that were created by his magic.

    Although it was just one clash, he was sure about it.

    <>

    The summoner felt threatened.

    Just based on Su-hyeun¡¯s movement alone, it seemed unusual. Not only that, but Su-hyeun¡¯s magic was also incompatible with the summoner¡¯s.

    The summoner finally found Su-hyeun ¡ª he couldn¡¯t find Su-hyeun earlier as he did not know where he went.

    In a way that suggested he was not too concerned about it, the summoner hurled his cane like a wildcat in the air.

    Dark energy started to burst everywhere. The surrounding air had been polluted, and the ground and walls started to rot.

    Burning, burning¡ª

    Eventually, Su-hyeun revealed himself.

    It was an attack that left Su-hyeun with nowhere to hide. Though his control wasn¡¯t right and was not as effective, it was a quick response.

    <>

    Su-hyeun frowned as he faced head-on with the dark magic.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes focused on the purple glowing stone that was located on the tip of the cane.

    <>

    Most of the summoner¡¯s magic had come out from that stone. It was quite easy to see what kind of stone it was.

    <>

    An ether stone that had contained magic.

    It was a stone that could only be harvested in small quantities from the dungeons, and a fistful of this resource could fetch astronomical prices. Most items used by awakeners contained these ether stones. Of course, items with an ether stone of that size were scarce.

    <>

    It made the situation harder to deal with, but not too much. It had never occurred to Su-hyeun that he would lose to a summoner.

    Burning, clash¡ª!

    As the dark energy and flames clashed, they began to compete. Su-hyeun grew the fire with all his power and went for a head-on crash with the summoner.

    ¡°What¡­!¡± The summoner¡¯s voice exploded in bewilderment. The summoner began to step back as the dark magic from his cane was pushed by Su-hyeun¡¯s flame.

    At that moment, the flame that was bursting out from Su-hyeun¡¯s sword fell to the ground.

    Rip¡ª!

    A sharp sword attack split both the flame and the dark magic. The summoner, who blocked the sudden attack by raising his cane, looked at his cane incredulously.

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ this¡­¡±

    A crack formed on the cane. In fact, there were quite a bit of crack lines.

    As cracks formed on the cane which he believed to be unbreakable, the summoner¡¯s mind turned blank.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword rose up once again.

    At the same time, the summoner held up his cane on reflex once more. He used dark magic, forming layers of black protection around his body.

    <>

    He must narrow their distance.

    After coming to a decision, Su-hyeun sprang to his feet. Having leaped into the air a few times, it increased his speed.

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new form penetrated through the dark magic protection created by the summoner.

    His whole body ached. The feeling of flesh rotting could not be erased entirely by the flames that were protecting his body.

    But he endured it. Since he risked himself, the damage to the summoner would be fatal.

    Slash¡ª!

    The flame which had been scattered momentarily gathered immediately back at Su-hyeun¡¯s sword.

    Wielding the red sword in his hands, Su-hyeun aimed at the summoner who hid in his protection.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    Stab¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s long sword pierced through the dark shroud.

    ¡°Whirl¡ª¡±

    Lee Ju-ho pointed his sword at the monsters and had his back towards the wall.

    Grrr¡ª

    There was nowhere else he could retreat.

    ¡°There¡¯s a shit load of them, seriously.¡±

    It was his first time to come face to face with such a large number of monsters. It was thanks to his skill Swift that he could survive up until now; otherwise, he would have become their meal.

    <>

    However, there were still dozens more of them left.

    Not only just physically, but mentally he had problems, too. Moreover, having to deal with a large number of monsters on his own gave him enormous pressure.

    Stomp, stomp¡ª!

    Grrr¡ª

    At that moment, the reactions of the monsters had changed.

    The monsters which had been targeting Lee Ju-ho until now changed their line of sight.

    ¡®What had happened over there?¡¯

    The fight between Su-hyeun and the summoner. Their fight made Lee Ju-ho feel sick.

    <>

    It was to the point where the magic concentration dispersed in the air during their fight would cause his skin to shrivel up. It was obvious what would have happened if he had interfered.

    <>

    It wasn¡¯t just a fight where they were just slashing, stabbing or shooting skills at each other.

    There was a massive gap between them; how would one utilize and use it?

    Would the A-rank awakeners, who were of a level higher than him, be that way, too?

    Even if so, he would never have thought that all A-rank awakeners would be as strong as Su-hyeun.

    <>

    That was when he realized that there was another piece of sky higher than the current piece of sky.

    <>

    Blow¡ª

    He let out a deep sigh.

    After calming himself down, his breathing had also slowed down.

    For some reason, the mana that was nearly depleted dropped even more. Lee Ju-ho felt better for nothing.

    ¡°Great.¡±

    Grab¡ª

    He straightened the sword in his hand and brought his legs back up.

    ¡°Shall we start¡­¡±

    Clash¡ª!

    Boom¡ª

    That moment, the cave shook wildly, and two types of magic clashed.

    ¡°Oh, oh my.¡±

    Boom¡ª

    The flames that clashed with the dark magic exploded and shook the whole place. The magic that could be felt from the end of Su-hyeun¡¯s sword started eating at his body.

    Rip¡ª!

    As it penetrated through the dark shroud, Su-hyeun wielded his sword wildly.

    As the flame spread out, it swept in front of his eyes. At the same time, cracks quickly formed on the dark shroud.

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Bang¡ª!

    The summoner collapsed onto the floor amidst the broken dark shroud.

    Although his head was pierced and his body was halved, the summoner¡¯s limbs were still moving, creaking away.

    ¡°I¡­ will¡­ curse¡­ you¡­¡±

    ¡°Do that when you¡¯re in hell.¡±

    Crack¡ª!

    With his feet stretched forward, Su-hyeun crushed the summoner¡¯s head.

    A small bead rolled out from the empty skull. Su-hyeun looked at it and said, ¡°Rest in peace.¡±

    Grrr¡ª

    As the summoner¡¯s control disappeared, the monsters had lost their bearings. The confused monsters did not even have thoughts to attack Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°So, now¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at Lee Ju-ho, who was leaning against the wall, with a puzzled look.

    Burning¡ª

    Su-hyeun used his remaining strength and spread the flames around him, which had gathered on his sword.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wrap this up quickly and head back.¡±

    ¡°Pant, pant¡ª¡±

    Lee Ju-ho laid on the floor and stretched widely. A burnt smell came out from his mouth, and he could hear his heart beating clearly in his ear.

    ¡°I-I really can¡¯t move anymore.¡±

    His back was covered with the monsters¡¯ blood. He swore there was never a time where he had slain as many monsters as he had today.

    <>

    He had prepared to lose his life, but he managed to survive.

    Not sure if it was satisfaction or a sense of achievement, he felt proud of himself and happy about it.

    On top of that¡­

    <>

    Of course, it was compared to his other fights.

    As he looked at Su-hyeun, who seemed to have a bit of health left standing without issues, he felt a sense of shame.

    A sneer escaped from the corner of his mouth. His skills were not as strong until he personally witnessed how Su-hyeun dealt with a hundred over monsters.

    Lee Ju-ho hadn¡¯t personally seen him fought them.

    It was the same up till this moment. Su-hyeun saved up as much mana as he could while fighting.

    However, as his opponent was quite strong, Su-hyeun was still forced to go all out at the summoner, which could be seen as the boss of the dungeon.

    It was beyond Lee Ju-ho¡¯s imagination to be able to witness Su-hyeun¡¯s ability through his own eyes.

    He couldn¡¯t believe the Su-hyeun was just an awakener in his first year.

    <>

    Su-hyeun could be dubbed to be on par with the world¡¯s top rank awakeners, the S-rank awakeners.

    ¡°Please rest up a bit.¡±

    Su-hyeun did not push Lee Ju-ho, who was spread out on the floor.

    Since the summoner was slain, there was no use staying around in the dungeon anymore. There was nothing else left for Lee Ju-ho to do.

    There were only two things for Su-hyeun left to do.

    <>

    And¡­

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes laid on the stone and the halved cane that was left behind by the summoner.

    <>

    First and foremost, he had to crush the summoner¡¯s stone.

    [Time limit: 00:01:45]

    It was very close.

    If they were a tad slower, they might not have even gotten to destroy the summoner¡¯s stone on time.

    Trudge¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked towards the summoner¡¯s stone and placed his hand on it.

    In the aftermath of the fight, the stone gained some scratches and crack lines. As it hadn¡¯t been completely crushed, it still had its functions.

    As Su-hyeun touched the summoner¡¯s stone, he injected magic into it.

    Whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª

    Waves of disturbance started stirring from within the stone as he injected magic into it.

    Su-hyeun started crushing the summoner¡¯s stone from within as he raised the flames.

    A while later.

    Boom¡ª

    Crash¡ª

    The summoner stone that started to split from within showed streaks of red light and started crumbling.

    [You have passed the trial.]

 Chapter 29

    ¡°Hooo¡ª¡±

    As soon as he heard the message, Su-hyeun let out a sigh of relief.

    It was now, finally, the end of it all.

    As the tension in his body left, all the strength was drained from Su-hyeun¡¯s body. As the effects of Berserk were lost, the temporary boost of health had plummeted to rock bottom.

    <>

    Su-hyeun looked at the sword he held in his hand.

    The sword that looked like gold had now reached its limit. Su-hyeun had to inject magic into it to prevent it from breaking, but it could no longer endure Su-hyeun¡¯s magic.

    He made sure the sword would not crumble by injecting his magic. When he had to use Flame, he used magic, and to maintain the sword, he could only use double the amount of magic.

    <>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze went to the stone that fell out from the summoner¡¯s head, as well as the broken cane.

    ¡°The yield isn¡¯t that bad.¡±

    If he looked around the interior of the dungeon, there might have been more ether stones left. Of course, there would not be any of a similar grade as the one in front of him.

    In a hurry, Su-hyeun took three ether stones with him. In fact, those were only collectively named as ether stones, but each of their usages differed by a little.

    <>

    [Lich¡¯s Life Stone.]

    *An enhanced high-grade ether stone. It has a lifespan of 200 years.

    *Limitation: Not a living person¡¯s.

    [The highest grade of ether stones.]

    *It contains a large amount of mana. As it had been used for a long time, its glow had faded.

    [Dimension Teleportation Stone.]

    *A medium that twists dimensions and space. It can be operated with magic.

    These three items.

    The explanations were quite simple. The Dimension Teleportation Stone was the main ingredient for the summoner to summon monsters and Lich¡¯s Life Stone was the medium that made Lich able to move about.

    <>

    A substance that could make humans live more than their expected lifespan.

    But, there¡¯s a limitation. Only a non-living human could use this item.

    ¡°This kid, he used a cheap item.¡±

    Usually, Liches would want to have a lifespan of at least 500 years and above and thus made the decision to become a Lich. And the Life Stones that they could obtain were of quality better than this.

    Of course, the life stone that Su-hyeun had in his hand now wasn¡¯t considered any less valuable either. Even with this alone, it would become quite a useful item after some enhancements. Above all, there was a considerable benefit from this.

    <>

    The purple stone was in Su-hyeun¡¯s hands. It was an item that would be too invaluable to be exchanged for money. In fact, amongst the existing ether stones, there was nothing else as substantial as this highest-grade ether stone in the world right now. If this ether stone appeared in the market, it might be too difficult to give an estimated selling price.

    Of course¡­

    <>

    He would use it solely for himself.

    Since he couldn¡¯t bring the items used in the tower, he needed a separate set of weapons here especially because a good weapon or two right now would help in boosting up his power immediately.

    After collecting all his yield, Su-hyeun flopped down onto the ground.

    He had to take a rest before heading outside.

    Act 4

    Both Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho started to dig around in the dungeon to search and to collect the ether stones.

    There were many discussions about how ether stones were mostly found in the dungeons where the boss was found. And in this dungeon, most ether stones were used to maintain the summoner¡¯s stone. Although there were ether stones found on certain parts of the walls in the dungeon, they did not have enough manpower and equipment to harvest all the ether stones.

    ¡°Really, I¡¯m alright.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho refused the ether stones that Su-hyeun had extracted for him. In fact, it was safe to say that Su-hyeun had completed his dungeon attack alone.

    ¡°Are you really not going to accept this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. How can I accept this when I¡¯ve done nothing?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you say so¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun quickly put the ether stones in his arms. Honestly, he didn¡¯t need to have these stones, but it was better to have them, just in case.

    <>

    Either way, it could be said that he had monopolized and harvested all the ether stones here. Su-hyeun talked with Lee Ju-ho about various things as they walked out of the dungeon.

    As they exited the dungeon through the entrance where they first came from, their views turned white, and the scene changed.

    In reality, a full day had passed, and it was already the early morning. As they stepped out, Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho stood rooted to the ground.

    ¡°Uh, the people¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you say the attack had failed?¡±

    ¡°Are you the awakeners Mr. Lee Ju-ho and Mr. Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°That-that¡¯s right! Hey, Ju-ho!¡±

    ¡°Survivors, it¡¯s the survivors!¡±

    Dozens of people gathered around, making a scene.

    There was a total of over 10 awakeners besides Ahn Min-seok, Lee Eun-mi, and Kim Ba-reun. On top of that, there were a few reporters equipped with cameras.

    Countless people were gathered, making a huge mess.

    It seemed that the authorities had called other awakeners for assistance upon hearing that the dungeon attack had failed. It wasn¡¯t surprising to see the reporters being that interested in the awakeners.

    Su-hyeun let out a deep breath as if exhausted.

    Lee Ju-ho, who spotted it from the corner of his eye, spoke. ¡°Throw the ball to me and quickly get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Will you be alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll say that both of us completed the dungeon attack together. If that happens, maybe the distribution¡­¡±

    ¡°There you go.¡±

    Su-hyeun took out about half a portion of his ether stones and pushed them towards Lee Ju-ho. He then spoke in a loud voice. ¡°So, that¡¯s all for the distribution.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. If there¡¯s another opportunity, I hope we can work together again.¡±

    As quick-witted as he was, Lee Ju-ho replied on time in a loud voice as well.

    It was an amicable scene of equally distributing the ether stones after the end of a dungeon attack. It was such a familiar scene that others could notice that both of them had safely completed the dungeon attack.

    ¡°Oh my, did you really complete the dungeon attack?¡±

    ¡°Just the two of you? A yellow level dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Wait, doesn¡¯t this tell a different story? The dungeon was obviously¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re from Ilsung Daily! I¡¯d like to ask a few questions!¡±

    Not just Kim Ba-reun, but the other party members shouted loudly in surprise, and the other awakeners began to frown and question.

    Taking advantage of the confused situation, Su-hyeun quietly made his escape. Although there were a few who approached him, Lee Ju-ho had blocked them out.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s all calm down. I¡¯ll explain the details to everyone here. Let¡¯s not tire the exhausted.¡±

    But Lee Ju-ho should have been the most exhausted person instead.

    Su-hyeun felt apologetic for throwing the situation on Lee Ju-ho and leaving first, but he thought that it would be even more burdensome if he were to be captured on screen.

    Eventually, Su-hyeun left the place in a hurry. The remaining half of the ether stones could be considered a labor cost.

    When he had left the crowd and reached midway on the mountain, the mobile phone in Su-hyeun¡¯s pocket started ringing. He then checked that it was a text message from Lee Ju-ho.

    <>

    It seemed like Lee Ju-ho was quite concerned over the ether stones that he had received earlier.

    Imagining the scene where Lee Ju-ho took the time to send a text message amongst the curious crowd brought a smile to Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    In fact, it didn¡¯t matter much whether he received the ether stones or not.

    <>

    Su-hyeun sent a reply to Lee Ju-ho¡¯s text message and started hurrying on his way.

    There was someone worried about him.

    As he was on his way home, Su-hyeun hurriedly bought clothes from a nearby clothing store.

    It was uncomfortable wearing clothes that were severely torn and filled with dirt. Moreover, Su-hyeun could not return home in this state.

    Shin Su-yeong nagged Su-hyeun for not contacting her, staying out the whole night, and returning in the morning. They met just as Su-hyeun was returning home and when Shin Su-yeong was about to leave the house for work.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I¡¯m back home, son.¡±

    Shin Su-yeong said that with a dull expression in her eyes as she was leaving for work. Su-hyeun let out a deep sigh and muttered.

    ¡°I have to let her know, too¡­¡±

    In any case, if he were to continue working as an awakener, things like this would happen more often. He could not bring Shin Su-yeong so many worries every single time.

    <>

    Su-hyeun sat in front of the door and took out the C-rank awakener¡¯s registration card to look at it.

    If he showed her this, how would she react? Probably like the mother from his previous life¡­

    <>

    His mind would not think of it any further. He had decided to take a good rest before thinking about it. It was too exhausting for him today.

    <>

    Su-hyeun put the two ether stones and the Dimension Teleportation Stone into his bag, along with the remaining highest-grade ether stones he had left over after distributing half to Lee Ju-ho.

    After waking up from his sleep, he had to deal with these.

    Three hours.

    Su-hyeun only had slept for three hours. For others, it would just be a nap, but for Su-hyeun, it was a long sleep.

    When he woke up, the sun was already hanging over the sky. Su-hyeun took a shower, got changed and was prepared to leave the house.

    <>

    An ether stone trading store near Gangnam Station. It was a store where he could most conveniently dispose of the ether stones.

    Su-hyeun took a cab, the transport which he would usually choose. Since he could trade ether stones for cash in the future, he could easily afford the taxi fees.

    After a 30-minute drive, the taxi came to a stop at Gangnam Station.

    He paid the taxi fees with 20,000 Korean Won and alighted right beside Gangnam Station.

    Gangnam Station was busy with working adults from early in the morning. The crowd was filled with people heading out for lunch, as well as students who were out to play.

    It had been a long time since Su-hyeun was out in a crowded area like this. Su-hyeun took a while to look at his surroundings and then went on his way through a familiar route.

    <>

    Amongst the tallest building in the area, there was a huge auction house where they had rented out five entire floors from the building.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s feet stopped right there.

    Buzz¡ª

    When the sizeable automatic door opened, a spacious and vibrant lobby appeared.

    It felt similar to the entrance of a luxury hotel¡¯s lobby. The lobby personnel saw Su-hyeun¡¯s arrival and spoke.

    ¡°Welcome. How can I help you?¡± It was a male staff donned in a clean and neat outfit.

    Su-hyeun looked at him and replied, ¡°I came to sell my goods.¡±

    ¡°When you mean goods?¡±

    ¡°They are ether stones.¡±

    As Su-hyeun replied, he took out the ether stones that were kept in his pocket and showed the staff. Although they were the size of small marbles, he had a fistful of them.

    These were considered to be shabby compared to the highest-grade ether stones that Su-hyeun kept.

    But¡­

    ¡°Are these really all ether stones?¡±

    The staff¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    Though they might have been small, they were ether stones harvested from a yellow level dungeon which over 10 B-rank awakeners had to gather in order to complete.

    It wasn¡¯t surprising to see him shocked by the ether stones mined from that dungeon.

 Chapter 30

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    The man bowed towards Su-hyeun, excusing himself and walking off with a skip in his step toward somewhere else.

    No, by the time he turned around the corner, he actually started running. Su-hyeun waited just for a while as per the man¡¯s instructions.

    Soon enough, the staff brought out another employee donned in a suit. It seemed that this person was of a higher position.

    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Lee Kyeong-jong, in charge of ether stone trades.¡±

    He looked to be in his thirties and had a handsome face that could pass off as an actor. Lee Kyeong-jong reached his hand out and shook hands with Su-hyeun before taking out his business card.

    He held the position of a department head. He was quite successful considering his young age. If he was in charge of ether stone trades at an auction house of this size, he would be someone most influential here.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting. Let¡¯s get you seated and continue.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Su-hyeun followed Lee Kyeong-jong into a spacious room. On the doors of the entrance, the enormous words ¡°Premium Client Room¡± were printed on it.

    <>

    All this treatment just for a handful of ether stones. He could not imagine. Of course, that was something that Su-hyeun had not expected.

    <<¡­It¡¯s still 2020 here.>>

    In the era where Su-hyeun had lived in, ether stones were not this precious and valuable. Due to the persistent dungeon outbreaks, the supply of ether stones had increased significantly; thus, it was treated to be a more valuable resource than gold. Although the price wasn¡¯t too low, it was at a different level as compared to now. Up until this time, the ether stones were too priceless to be even bought with money.

    As Su-hyeun and Lee Kyeong-jong sat side by side, a female employee walked into the room. She served a tray with two cups of coffee and left shortly, and that was when Lee Kyeong-jong spoke.

    ¡°I heard that you are here to sell the ether stones.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you personally join in the dungeon attack yourself?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a C-rank awakener.¡±

    Lee Kyeong-jong looked somewhat surprised at Su-hyeun¡¯s answer. Perhaps it was because of Su-hyeun¡¯s rank and the quality as well as the number of ether stones which he had brought along with him.

    <>

    A D-rank awakener. It was what Su-hyeun had felt of Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s standards.

    He was at the level where he could begin to feel magic, but Lee Kyeong-jong chose to earn money through ether stones instead of working as an awakener. In some ways, it was a wise choice. Even without risking his life by climbing the Tower of Trials, he could also earn money just by using ether stones. Perhaps he could get to where he was now at this age with his title as an awakener.

    ¡°Can I see the ether stones?¡± Lee Kyeong-jong asked point-blank without beating around the bush.

    He seemed to have judged that it would be better to deal with it quickly instead of going in circles.

    Su-hyeun took out the stones kept in his pouch.

    ¡°Here they are.¡±

    As soon as the ether stones appeared in front of him, Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    As the magic level of the dungeon increased, the value of the ether stones harvested would increase exponentially because the ether stone was filled with the dungeon¡¯s magic.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite¡­ a huge stone.¡±

    As most ether stones were of the same size, Lee Kyeong-jong picked one up from the pile and looked closely at it.

    It needed to be assessed for Lee Kyeong-jong to know its exact value. Still, its value was usually proportionate to its size.

    Most ether stones found in the red level dungeons were the size of rice grains. Those harvested from the orange level dungeons were slightly larger. Still, only ether stones the size of a small marble could only be found in dungeons no higher than a yellow level.

    ¡°Did you just walk into a yellow level dungeon?¡± Lee Kyeong-jong asked half-doubtingly.

    There was no reason for Su-hyeun to find excuses or lie about it. He nodded his head.

    Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s eyes sparkled once more.

    <>

    If it was of this standard, the ether stones would be on the lower mid-grade at the very least.

    Yellow level dungeons had difficulties with rare cases of completion. It would require over 10 B-rank awakeners for the dungeon attack, or they would need help from an A-rank awakener.

    Even so, there seldom were high-grade ether stones, so they weren¡¯t worth much. So to match the tastes of the auction house¡¯s clients, Lee Kyeong-jong definitely had to get his hands on these ether stones.

    But the problem was, how did a C-rank awakener obtain ether stones of this size? Lee Kyeong-jong had a short conflict before posing his question.

    ¡°This ether stone¡­ are you sure you obtained it through legal means?¡±

    It was a situation where he could only have his suspicions. It was understandable. It would be the same if it were Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    But besides this, there was nothing else he could add on.

    If he had to come up with an excuse¡­

    <>

    Who would even believe in that?

    <>

    With that reason alone, there was no other way to persuade him that it was obtained legitimately.

    Lee Kyeong-jong seemed to be in conflict with Su-hyeun¡¯s reply. As the silence grew, Su-hyeun stood up from his seat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look into other places.¡±

    He could have sold the ether stones at any other place. As if implying this, without any hesitation, Su-hyeun reached out for the ether stones which were in Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s hands.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll buy them. I¡¯ll buy the stones.¡±

    Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s lips which were shut tight spoke. As if the ether stones were already his, he retrieved his hand while keeping it tightly clenched. With this, the negotiation preparation had ended.

    ¡°How much are you thinking of selling them?¡±

    After a short pause, Lee Kyeong-jong started the negotiations personally. As much as the ether stones were not valued accurately, it was up to the seller to call the price.

    ¡°You can name your own price. But¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun showed the ether stone held in his hands to Lee Kyeong-jong.

    At the same time, Lee Kyeong-jong had just realized the ether stone in his hand had disappeared.

    <>

    Cold shivers went down his spine. Su-hyeun took one of the ether stones and placed it in his pouch.

    ¡°Now open this pouch, and after you have assessed the ether stones¡­¡±

    As if he wouldn¡¯t show Lee Kyeong-jong the ether stones in advance, Su-hyeun blocked the opening of the pouch tightly with his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll only accept your asking price for just once.¡±

    He would leave immediately if he did not like the named price. There wasn¡¯t a second chance.

    A complicated calculation started going on in Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s mind.

    ¡ªDeposit 640,000,000.

    ¡ªBalance 640,012,200.

    A deposit transaction showed up on Su-hyeun¡¯s mobile phone. After waiting for a moment when the negotiation ended, the staff ran towards the nearest bank to make the deposit.

    He had made his confirmation. Su-hyeun nodded his head and took out the pouch.

    ¡°Thank you for the pleasant deal.¡±

    ¡°It was the same for me.¡±

    Lee Kyeong-jong reached his hand out towards Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun shook his hand.

    640 million. It was the best amount that Lee Kyeong-jong could offer after making various complicated calculations in his mind.

    <>

    If they had bought this huge amount of ether stones at once, they could have left a considerable amount of margin. As the ether stones were auctioned off, they could have also earned a significant amount of commission.

    Above all, obtaining these ether stones would be a massive lure for their clients as well. This alone made it worthwhile to have the ether stones. It was a satisfactory deal for both parties.

    But Su-hyeun seemed to be quite calm seeing the amount on his mobile phone.

    <<600 million¡­>>

    It had been quite a while since he had an interest in money.

    Either way, the value for money would have dropped to that of tissue in a few decades.

    Besides, he had earned a lot back then. In his previous life, he had earned so much that this amount didn¡¯t seem significant in his bank account.

    It wasn¡¯t too far from the era when there were over 20 awakeners on the world¡¯s top 100 financial business leaders list.

    ¡°If you have other products for sale in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hope for it to be of this amount the next time too.¡±

    There was no implication of decline. Instead, he had set the minimum amount to be of a similar level for the next deal.

    Lee Kyeong-jong laughed awkwardly as cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

    <>

    The dealing method had been the same, depending on whether the single calling price was satisfactory or not. If it wasn¡¯t satisfactory for once, Su-hyeun would head for another dealer without second thoughts.

    <>

    He still had to wait and see if Su-hyeun would be a big fish or just a minnow. But, Lee Kyeong-jong felt that Su-hyeun¡¯s presence was strangely huge.

    <>

    On the outside, Su-hyeun seemed to still be in his early twenties.

    But his aura and gaze, as well as his tone, never felt the same. It was as if he was a high-profile awakener who had several decades of experience.

    S-rank awakener, Yoo Jin-sung.

    The world-renowned top awakener in Korea.

    He had felt the same presence from Su-hyeun when he had met Yoo Jin-sung for the first time. It was a mystery as to why he could have felt that way when Su-hyeun was just a C-rank awakener.

    <>

    Su-hyeun walked towards Gangnam Station to check on his deposit transaction. How would Shin Su-yeong react if she saw how much he had earned this at one go?

    But he had achieved his goal as expected. Su-hyeun took out the other ether stone that he had kept in his bag.

    [Highest-grade ether stone.]

    Quite a ridiculous item.

    It was of a different level from the ether stones which he had sold to Lee Kyeong-jong earlier. In fact, the only similarity was its name.

    There were two reasons as to why Su-hyeon devoted himself into his level varying dungeon wholeheartedly. Firstly, it was to prevent disasters from happening in Gwangju again. Secondly, it was to obtain this item.

    <>

    The value of the highest-grade ether stone would continue to rise not only for now but also in the distant future because this alone would also make a great tactical weapon.

    There were rumours that a billionaire who coveted its power kept the ether stone by his side just to maintain his youth.

    The highest-grade ether stone itself was such an incredible item.

    <>

    In fact, the summoner that Su-hyeon had fought was no different than an empty skeleton. It had maintained its lifespan with the life stone, but it was ultimately a mere skeleton. The only reason why the summoner was able to have a fight briefly with Su-hyeun was by making use of the magic from the highest-grade ether stone.

    <>

    It had such powers when it wasn¡¯t enhanced by men, so what would its capabilities be after being enhanced?

    Su-hyeun was well aware of its capabilities. In fact, he had even encountered it before.

    The Sacred Sword, Balmung.

    An item named after the holy and sacred sword that had slew dragons.

    It was the same sword that Su-hyeun had used in his previous life, made with the highest-grade ether stone.

 Chapter 31

    <>

    Countless items were required to create Balmung. It was impossible to gather all the items needed to make only the shaft now. Balmung was the highest-grade weapon created to capture Fafnir, after sacrificing countless awakeners.

    <>

    Su-hyeun hailed a taxi and traveled towards Yangpyeong.

    It took him an hour¡¯s ride to reach the remote forest. Su-hyeun walked along the forest path, where there were little street lights, and not a single local resident could be seen.

    It was 4 PM in the afternoon. Although it was still quite early, it was getting dark in the forest. As he was in the woods and it was winter, it was a given for the sun to start setting early.

    <>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s footsteps hastened. Soon after, a standalone house with a small yard came into Su-hyeun¡¯s sight.

    Clank, clank¡ª

    The sound of iron could be heard through the door that was left slightly ajar. He had found the right place.

    As he carefully opened the door to the house, Su-hyeun spoke. ¡°Is there anyone in?¡±

    Clank, clank¡ª

    The sound of iron did not stop, nor was there any reply. Su-hyeun spoke in a louder voice this time. ¡°Is there anyone in?¡±

    Clank¡ª

    The sound of iron stopped momentarily. Su-hyeun stood at the door, waiting. Soon after, a middle-aged man donned in thick cloth walked out from the back of the house.

    ¡°What is it? You¡¯re making so much noise!¡± He had a shaggy beard, burning red face, and questionably raised eyes. It was a face Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t seen for a long while.

    <>

    Craftsman Kim Dae Ho.

    He was famous for his many talents, including iron smelting, weapon creation, and jewelry crafting. He was now holed up in the mountains, after taking a massive interest in ether stones and the awakeners¡¯ weapons.

    <>

    The weapon, Balmung, that Su-hyeun had was also crafted by him.

    Act 5

    The year was 2032.

    There were lots of people gathered around him. Amongst them were high-ranking awakeners, and even some amateurs were present as well.

    They were all here to just guard one man. It was top secret that this large number of people was called to gather by the edge halfway up the Yangpyeong mountain.

    Just for one man. No, they were all here just to guard the one and only item.

    Clank, clank¡ª

    The sound of iron could still be heard coming from the door. When would that sound stop?

    Sung-in pushed the door open and said, ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s me.¡±

    The sound of iron had continued for quite some time before, but now it stopped immediately, and the owner even came out to greet his visitor.

    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±

    Not knowing how long he had been sitting for, Kim Dae-ho walked out, hitting the back of his waist. He scanned Sung-in from top to bottom and asked, ¡°You seemed to have made some achievement?¡±

    ¡°How did you know about it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all over the news, kiddo. Are you crazy? You¡¯re still so young, yet going to all those dangerous places trying to get yourself killed?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s my job to do so.¡±

    ¡°What sane person would be so hardworking and go around looking for all these places? Don¡¯t care about others, but take care of yourself first.¡±

    ¡°Things never go as how I wish.¡± Sung-in laughed lightly. If things had gone his way, he would have already done it.

    It was a topic that he hadn¡¯t hoped to talk about. Every time it was the same result, a problem that had no answers to it. Sung-in changed the subject.

    ¡°What about the item I asked about the last time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all done now. Here.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho pulled out the sword that was on his back and passed it to Su-hyeun. As he had it on him so carelessly, Su-hyeun had not realized that it was the exact item that he had asked for.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°I named it Balmung.¡±

    Balmung. It was the name of the sword used by the hero Siegfried.

    ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s awesome, right?¡± As if satisfied with his own creation, Kim Dae-ho grinned so wide that his yellow teeth showed.

    Sung-in looked at the sword closely. At that moment, his expression had stiffened.

    ¡°What did you add into the sword?¡± Did he think that Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t be able to find out?

    Kim Dae-ho, who had a smiling face on, shook his head. ¡°Ah, this kid. Can¡¯t you just shut up and take it?¡±

    ¡°Uncle, could you have¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t only the highest-grade ether stone that was put into the sword. There was also the item which Kim Dae-ho had cherished in his whole life, saying that he would make a masterpiece out of it. It was thanks to that item that Balmung was a masterpiece.

    But¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t accept this.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t happy at all.

    ¡°How can I accept this? Uncle, uncle, why did you¡­¡±

    ¡°Sung-in,¡± Kim Dae-ho said in an attentive tone that was never heard from his mouth. It made Su-hyeun wonder if such a warm tone could actually be heard from his husky voice.

    The flustered Sung-in kept quiet. Strangely enough, Sung-in¡¯s mouth was tightly shut.

    ¡°Everyone in the world calls you a hero. You know that, too, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t live like that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your expression. Did you know that as you progress, it becomes darker? Why on earth would you go around carrying the people¡¯s expectations, hopes, and everything else?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Sung-in could not answer.

    It was a question that he could not find an answer to. Although he had thought about it countless times a day, he could only arrive at one conclusion.

    It was because he had no other choice.

    If it weren¡¯t him, if he hadn¡¯t done it, if he hadn¡¯t existed¡­

    After a long string of assumptions, his body eventually reacted first. And the result was an exhausted body and mind. But it would happen all over again.

    ¡°Well, up until now, it was just my grumbles. I know it, too. No matter what I say, you would never step out of your stubbornness,¡± said Kim Dae-ho.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You asked earlier, right? Why.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s unfair.¡±

    Just what about it was unfair?

    He needed more details. Sung-in stared blankly at Kim Dae-ho.

    Kim Dae-ho took over the sword in Sung-in¡¯s hands once more. He slid the sword back into the sword shaft where the word ¡°Balmung¡± was engraved on it.

    ¡°Everyone in the world has never done anything for you, and yet hope for your assistance. What else is there in this world that¡¯s this selfish?¡±

    ¡°Is that being unfair?¡±

    ¡°Otherwise?¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s your choice?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho had already known what answer Sung-in was going to give. It was obvious. It was something that Sung-in and Kim Dae-ho had talked about not long ago. Kim Dae-ho hated it the most when people called Sung-in a hero.

    ¡°Yes, I know. That it was your choice.¡±

    Sung-in didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why I want to take a stand in this unfair relationship, too.¡±

    The unbalanced relationship that Kim Dae-ho was referring to had meant the vertical, one-sided relationship of unconditional giving. Kim Dae-ho grinned as he handed over the sword with its shaft engraved with the word ¡°Balmung.¡±

    ¡°When the whole world is waiting for your assistance, there should at least be someone who could be of help to you. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    The craftsman, Kim Dae-ho.

    When Su-hyeun first got to know of Kim Dae-ho, it was also at this place. Hearing that Kim Dae-ho had taken an interest in weapons used by awakeners and started making them in 2018, Su-hyeun had thought that he could be found there. A smile naturally crept onto his face. There weren¡¯t many times where he smiled, but when he saw Kim Dae-ho, a smile came to him.

    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m here.¡±

    It was a place that he often came to whenever he had tough times. But now, Kim Dae-ho could not recall who he was.

    <>

    He was already well over his sixties. However, Su-hyeun had last remembered Kim Dae-ho to be an elderly man with grey hair and a hunchback. He looked much younger now compared to back then.

    Su-hyeun was glad to see him. He clasped his hand and spoke. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun? But what brought you here?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho, who was working on his equipment until a while ago, showed an irritated look on his face. What other reasons would there be for him to be holed up in a mountain like this? It was for him to not get disturbed.

    But Su-hyeun, who had already accepted his feelings, was undeterred by it.

    ¡°I heard that you have been creating weapons for awakeners.¡±

    ¡°Who said that? Which blabbermouth¡­¡±

    It looked like he was going to get furious right there and then. He seemed to have thought that someone had exposed his location. Su-hyeun spoke in a calm voice while Kim Dae-ho was jumping around in anger.

    ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡±

    ¡°Get lost, kid! I don¡¯t do just any weapon!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just any weapon.¡±

    ¡°Ah, whatever, I¡¯m not doing it¡­¡±

    Kim Dae-ho¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. The stone that was the size of a fist was held in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. He spotted the highest-grade ether stone.

    ¡°Could this be¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an ether stone.¡±

    ¡°Is this for real?¡± He gave a flabbergasted and astonished look also filled with joy and anticipation. It was the exact reaction of the Kim Dae-ho he knew.

    When others saw an ether stone, they would have a greedy expression on their faces because they saw it as money, but it was different for Kim Dae-ho.

    <>

    The greed shown on his face was not materialistic. It was out of curiosity and anticipation. It was the aspiration that had made Ki Dae-ho a craftsman. He was, indeed, a true blue craftsman.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the real deal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a huge ether stone. Never¡­¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you recognize it, though?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho nodded slightly at Su-hyeun¡¯s question.

    Ever since the ether stones were discovered, he was a craftsman who realized that the ether stones could be used to make items and had continuously made them. He sold items when he had insufficient funds and used those funds to purchase ether stones and other materials. Then he would continue to make equipment and items again. He had dealt with ether stones more than anyone else in the world. Thus, there was no excuse for him to not be able to differentiate between an ordinary stone and an ether stone.

    ¡°Where exactly did you get this from?¡± It finally seemed that he wanted to talk.

    ¡°Is the source of it important?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡± Kim Dae-ho grinned widely. It looked as if he was really enjoying it.

    His reaction was as expected. The origin of the ether stone was never important to him. What was most important was that an ether stone of this size had appeared in front of him.

    ¡°Right. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I want a sword.¡±

    ¡°A sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I hope you could make me a killer sword.¡±

    In this era, no one else in this world had better weapon crafting skills than Kim Dae-ho. To Su-hyeun¡¯s knowledge, Kim Dae-ho would still be the only renowned craftsman even in the distant future. It was up to the point where the equipment and items created by him were traded at premium price points in the future.

    ¡°If so, you¡¯ve come to the right place.¡± Kim Dae-ho kept smiling and spoke with confidence.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need any payment. Since you¡¯ve brought such a precious item, it¡¯ll be free.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite straightforward.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s set up a contract. As for the guarantor¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head at Kim Dae-ho, who was anxious to get started on the production.

    Kim Dae-ho, who was in a hurry to create the contract, stopped and turned his head around.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need the contact, Uncle.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Kim Dae-ho responded with a blank face at Su-hyeun¡¯s words. It seemed that Kim Dae-ho did not fully understand the meaning behind what Su-hyeun said.

    Kim Dae-ho frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain.¡±

    ¡°Look kiddo, tell me the truth. Where did you pick the ether stone up? Are you not aware of how precious this item was?¡±

    How could Su-hyeun be oblivious to it? The only person in this world who could have known how valuable this item was was Su-hyeun. Even so, there was only one reason that made Su-hyeun shook his head.

    ¡°I trust you, Uncle.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the only thing which you hoped for was a sword made with that stone? The process of using that item.¡±

    There was a slight twist in Kim Dae-ho¡¯s expression. After showing a preposterous expression, he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Ke, kah, kahahaha!¡± It was blinding. His roaring laughter came back, echoing from the forest beyond the door.

    It had been a while since Su-hyeun saw Kim Dae-ho laughing so heartily. He, of course, had expected it.

    Su-hyeun himself, too, was also aware of how ridiculous his words were.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite an interesting lad. No, are you a weirdo? Anyway¡­¡± Kim Dae-ho took the ether stone in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and spoke. ¡°You¡¯re right. What I wanted was the process of creating the sword, not this item itself. Let me ask you one last thing.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho held up the ether stone he took from Su-hyeun in front of his eyes and asked, ¡°Do you truly trust me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have my trust in you.¡±

    ¡°Kek. Kah! You¡¯re a weirdo, young lad.¡± Once again, Kim Dae-ho started laughing heartily.

    Soon, his laughter disappeared without a trace, and all that was left was a stern look.

    ¡°So, alright. As much as you have put your trust in me, I will return that favor as well. I¡¯ll create a sword out of this world.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please do your best.¡±

    Su-hyeun reached out his hand to Kim Dae-ho cheekily. Kim Dae-ho blankly stared at Su-hyeun¡¯s hand for a while before grasping it. Strangely, there was a familiar feeling even though they had just met.

    Su-hyeun then returned home immediately. It was already late evening. Su-hyeun arrived back home around a similar time as Shin Su-yeong.

    Shin Su-yeong had prepared a simple stew and had been waiting for Su-hyeun¡¯s return. As she looked at Su-hyeun, who arrived back home late, she spoke out immediately.

    ¡°Son, shall we talk?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    What had to come eventually came. Su-hyeun took his seat at the dining table. They did not turn on the television for this conversation.

    Shin Su-yeong started to speak first.

    ¡°Tell me, truthfully, son. You are hiding something from me, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Was it because he had been expecting this moment for a long time? He didn¡¯t find much difficulty replying. ¡°You know what kind of person an awakener is, right?

    Shin Su-yeong¡¯s eyes wavered at Su-hyeun¡¯s question.

    Seeing that she wasn¡¯t too surprised, Shin Su-yeong must have had her suspicions and guesses.

    ¡°Yes, of course, I know.¡±

    ¡°Then, you should know how dangerous that job is, too.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Your mom has eyes and ears, too.¡±

    ¡°Mom, actually¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes tightly. Su-hyeun held his breath for a moment and started telling his story.

    Everything that had happened before. How Su-hyeun started as an awakener, the things that every other awakener had gone through by clearing trials to get even stronger. He even spoke of yesterday and the day before, when he had gone for a dungeon attack.

    After Su-hyeun had told all of his stories, he observed Shin Su-yeong closely.

    ¡°Mom, why¡­ do you have this expression?¡±

    The one flustered should have been Shin Su-yeong, as it was Su-hyeun who had been keeping all of this a secret until now. But after all of this had been said, it was Su-hyeun who felt flustered.

    ¡°What kind of expression should I have?¡±

    Su-hyeun stumbled at Shin Su-yeong¡¯s rhetorical question and finally spoke.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡±

    Su-hyeun had expected Shin Su-yeong to flare up at him and be worried about him. Shin Su-yeong had always worried over him even when nothing happened, asking if he had been taking his meals; Su-hyeun could never imagine how worried she would be when he revealed that he had been fighting monsters all this while.

    But¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s not something that I should be angry about.¡±

    Not only did Shin Su-yeong not flare up at him, but she only put on a sad expression. Su-hyeun had never expected such a reaction from her.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Son.¡±

    Hearing Shin Su-yeong¡¯s voice, it broke Su-hyeun¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it tough?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes widened at Shin Su-yeong¡¯s question. That short phrase created a considerable stir deep in his heart.

    It was tough. It was quite tough at that.

    Never had anyone asked him this question before. Not even his mother from his previous life.

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be even tougher¡­ in the future? Won¡¯t you feel exhausted or even regret your decision?¡±

    It would be tough. Even more so as compared to now.

    Instead of hearing words of encouragement, it was his first time hearing words of concern like these.

    Something rushed up from within Su-hyeun as he was forced to suppress his feelings. Su-hyeun, afraid to show his tears, clenched his fist tightly, bit his lips, and lowered his head.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m¡­ alright.¡±

    His heart and mouth could only respond differently. Su-hyeun could never bring up the word ¡°difficult¡± in front of Shin Su-yeong.

    Either way, it was something that he was prepared for all along. She probably would have known about it, too.

    But even so, Shin Su-yeong did not stop Su-hyeun. She could never be happy nor sad for Su-hyeun.

    ¡°If you say it like this, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±

    Shin Su-yeong had already known.

    Seeing how Su-hyeun did not tell her the truth and his thoughts, it meant that her persuasion or words would not work on him. She knew that right at this moment, her persuasion and worries would only make it harder on Su-hyeun. Thus, all she could do now was encourage him. Furthermore, Shin Su-yeong did not want to change Su-hyeun¡¯s life.

    Shin Su-yeong respected and supported Su-hyeun¡¯s decision. If it meant for Su-hyeun to have a happier life¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll support you, my son.¡±

    Shin Su-yeong hugged Su-hyeun.

    For some reason, something surged up from within once again.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He could not show his weak side in front of Shin Su-yeong. Not being able to cry, Su-hyeun suppressed his feelings and laughed.

    ¡°Thank you, mother.¡±

    After that, Shin Su-yeong began to ask Su-hyeun various questions. She questioned what kind of job awakeners did, whether it was dangerous, and how busy the job was. And of course, she had also insisted for him not to take up too dangerous jobs if possible.

    Su-hyeun responded to them all, saying, ¡°I got it.¡± He didn¡¯t want to see Shin Su-yeong getting anxious over him.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Look at this.¡±

    Shin Su-yeong stared in shock as Su-hyeun showed her his bank deposit balance.

    ¡°Lies¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want to confirm this with me at the bank tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, oh my¡­¡±

    She had heard that awakeners had a job that paid well, but never did she expect them to be able to earn this much just overnight.

    The amount that Su-hyeun earned overnight was what Shin Su-yeong could only make after working for over 20 years.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too happy?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Why would anyone hate money?¡±

    ¡°But you weren¡¯t pleased earlier?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that, and this is this.¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    Although he knew Shin Su-yeong liked money, he had never expected her to change her attitude this fast. Su-hyeun let out a sigh and shook his head. Even so, he felt relieved that Shin Su-yeong did not show an even more tormented look.

    <>

    Either way, he felt good.

    Shin Su-yeong, who was always struggling with monetary issues, thought that she could finally relax for a bit now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look at houses tomorrow.¡±

    With this money, they could finally escape from this basement apartment. Shin Su-yeong could also achieve her dream of having her own little store. Moreover, Shin Su-yeong had always wanted to manage a store of her own.

    As their conversation ended, they watched the television as they had their dinner.

    Right on time, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face appeared on the news.

    ¡°Last night, a dungeon that appeared in Gwangju, Gyeonggi province¡¯s Anyak mountain had a level change. Fortunately, the leader of the party, Lee Ju-ho, who led the dungeon attack, completed the dungeon attack; but through this accident¡­¡±

    This type of dungeon had not yet appeared up until now; thus, it was enough to be reported as news.

    But it wasn¡¯t creating much stir as Su-hyeun had expected. The news had only served its purpose of warning the public that such dungeons were appearing as well.

    Buzz¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s smartphone rang as soon as he stepped into his room after dinner.

    It was a call from Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    <>

    It¡¯s the same topic over again.

    Although Lee Ju-ho had sent the same text messages previously, Su-hyeun¡¯s replies never changed.

    But no matter what, Lee Ju-ho seemed not to have any thoughts on accepting the other half of the ether stones that were given to him.

    ¡°I have lots of money. I¡¯m not that poor to accept them shamelessly, nor do I have any reason to.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a reason for you to accept them? You kept my secret and even took care of the annoying issue for me. That¡¯s enough reason.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s too much compared to what I¡¯ve done. It¡¯s not wrong to say that you¡¯ve completed the dungeon attack yourself, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s opinion was more tenacious than he had thought. He didn¡¯t seem easy to persuade.

    If so¡­

    ¡°How about this, can you lend me your name?¡±

    ¡°My name?¡±

    ¡°More accurately, your B-rank awakener title. Since there are higher possibilities for a B-rank awakener to register for a red level dungeon attack alone, you¡¯ll just have to add me in.¡±

    There will be more dungeon attacks happening in the future. Instead of hiding Su-hyeun¡¯s capabilities and strengths, it¡¯s better if both he and Lee Ju-ho worked together as a team. Moreover, if there¡¯s only the both of them, the distributed amount of ether stones will be higher, too.

    ¡°Of course, if you think that¡¯s troublesome¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Let¡¯s do it according to your suggestion.¡±

    His reply was quick. Lee Ju-ho seemed to have thought that Su-hyeun¡¯s suggestion was better for himself, too. To be able to enter a dungeon attack with a skilled awakener like Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t a bad proposal for him either.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your acceptance as agreement, and will contact you in the future. If you want to apply first, that¡¯s fine, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll wait for your call.¡±

    That ended their phone conversation. Su-hyeun¡¯s expression relaxed as his worries were lifted off his shoulders.

    <>

    He didn¡¯t need to get the awakener¡¯s registration card that one needed to obtain permission for a dungeon attack thanks to his new friend, Lee Ju-ho. The minimum conditions of being at least a B-rank awakener for joining a dungeon attack was fulfilled thanks to Lee Ju-ho.

    The issue with Shin Su-yeong had also been resolved amicably. It felt as though an immense thunderstorm had quickly passed.

    <>

    All he had to do was to look forward and achieve his goals.

    The next day.

    Su-hyeun left home as the day broke. Now, Shin Su-hyeun did not even ask Su-hyeun where he was headed. Su-hyeun opened the door to the Tower of Trials.

    <>

    It was different compared to the times where he meaninglessly climbed the tower without goals.

    Now, he had a clear goal for climbing the Tower of Trials. There was also an apparent reason for doing it. Strangely, his feet felt light. With this feeling, it felt as if he could do achieve anything.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun stepped into the Tower of Trials.

    [Kim Su-hyeun, your 11th-floor trial starts now.]

 Chapter 33

    Lee Ju-ho, who was fidgeting on his smartphone, suddenly had a surprised expression on his face.

    Lee Ju-ho, who habitually went on Abyss Online on the go to check for updates, got his eyes caught on a post where an awakener introduced himself as the awakener on the 12th floor.

    ¡°Already¡­?¡±

    The awakener who had cleared the 11th floor was moving onward to the 12th, which meant the record on the 12th floor was the ranking from the 11th floor¡¯s trial.

    Seated beside Lee Ju-ho, Kim Ba-reun asked, ¡°What? What is it?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho brought his smartphone screen in front of Kim Ba-reun¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun? He has already cleared the 11th-floor trial?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It looks like Su-hyeun¡¯s record this time was quite insane, too.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re really something. Whether it¡¯s this Su-hyeun or the other Su-hyeun, they¡¯re both¡­¡± Kim Ba-reun, who wasn¡¯t aware that both Su-hyeuns were actually the same man, shook his head.

    His admiration was just for the famous Kim Su-hyeun, the one who had been creating the highest record made in history as he climbed each floor. But the surprise that Lee Ju-ho had was of a different level than Kim Ba-reun¡¯s.

    He, on the other hand, had received a call from Su-hyeun yesterday morning.

    ¡°I am going to go to the 11th floor of the Tower of Trials. I might be hard to get in contact with for the time being.¡±

    Reality and the world in the Tower of Trials were totally different. And obviously, it would be impossible to contact anyone from inside the Tower of Trials via smartphone.

    Thinking that Lee Ju-ho might have contacted him immediately, Su-hyeun gave him a heads up in advance. No one could tell unless they knew in advance how long it would take to clear a trial or the content of the trial.

    But¡­

    <>

    Su-hyeun had always cleared the level 10 trials of each floor. It was a kind of identity for the awakener named Kim Su-hyeun. And of course, it was almost impossible to clear such a trial just within a day.

    <>

    Lee Ju-ho grinned widely and locked his smartphone. He laid back down and spoke. ¡°Head back now if you¡¯re done. I can discharge tomorrow, so don¡¯t be too worried.¡± Lee Ju-ho, who was donned in a patient¡¯s outfit and was being admitted to the hospital, waved his hand at Kim Ba-reun, implying that the latter was annoying.

    Kim Ba-reun hit his chest at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s reaction, feeling frustrated. ¡°This fool. How did you think of challenging a dungeon when its level was raised?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But it was harder than I had thought, really.¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, you did not die. Don¡¯t you know? The rule of the Tower of Trials. How big of a difference it is for every floor.¡±

    Even if it was just a single level difference, the difficulty got exponentially harder as it ascended. Therefore, the higher class awakeners would challenge the lower level trials, but never the higher ones. It was a clear rule for the awakeners to survive.

    But Lee Ju-ho had broken that very rule.

    ¡°Right. I know that it was suicide, but it just so happened.¡±

    ¡°Why did you suddenly have a change of heart? You even said so yourself that climbing the Tower of Trials was a stupid thing to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. After escaping from death once, my thoughts seemed to have changed.¡±

    ¡°¡­You have changed a lot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment. And I want to rechallenge it sometime later.¡±

    ¡°Are you for real?¡± Kim Ba-reun asked in surprise.

    How could he want to rechallenge it after all that? Even if he was lucky enough to have survived that time, he had not actually passed the trial.

    He should have returned back to reality by now.

    ¡°Yeah. I will continue to challenge it as long as I¡¯m alive.¡±

    ¡°¡­What about the dungeon attacks?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t go together in the future. I think I¡¯ll concentrate on climbing the Tower for the time being.¡±

    Kim Ba-reun bit his lips tightly after hearing Lee Ju-ho¡¯s response. As he saw the expression on Kim Ba-reun¡¯s face, Lee Ju-ho felt a bitter pang in his heart.

    <>

    He was the friend who contacted him suddenly one day, saying that he had become an awakener.

    In the years that followed, Lee Ju-ho and Kim Ba-reun had gone to dungeon attacks together. And it had been a year since then. But instead of supporting or worrying about Lee Ju-ho, Kim Ba-reun looked disappointed at the fact that they could no longer go on dungeon attacks anymore.

    Lee Ju-ho closed his eyes. Kim Ba-reun lastly wished him well and then left the room. Lee Ju-ho felt slightly bitter, but at the same time relieved too.

    It was something he had to say either way. In fact, he was also afraid of how his friend would have reacted to it. But now, he would be able to focus on climbing the Tower, like before.

    <>

    As he recalled the trial which he had challenged the day before, he felt a little frightened. Even so, it was not suitable to be hesitant about challenging the trials.

    <>

    [Kim Su-hyeun, your 12th-floor trial starts now.]

    Three months later, a yellow level dungeon appeared in Jongro, Seoul. The Ares Guild was being selected as the guild to head the dungeon attack.

    ¡°Thanks for the hard work!¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the hard work!¡±

    Tens of awakeners bowed towards one man in the group: the Ares Guild¡¯s master, Jeong Dong-yeong. Jeong Dong-yeong went around patting each awakener in the guild and sent them off.

    ¡°Right, you¡¯ve worked hard. Hak-joon stays back, and everyone else should head back for an early rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    At Jeong Dong-yeong¡¯s orders, the guild members quickly dispersed on the spot. Jeong Dong-yeong and Hak-joon remained and let out exhausted pants while boarding the back seats of a black sedan.

    ¡°Is it tiring?¡±

    ¡°This dungeon attack was quite tough. Why didn¡¯t you take an easier one?¡±

    ¡°If I did that, the attack would be too easy. Yellow level dungeons are hard to come by, and it could also be a chance for others to increase their skills.¡±

    ¡°Someone could die in the midst of it. These days, the death rates of awakeners are increasing, too¡­¡±

    ¡°If so, that will explain that person¡¯s capabilities.¡±

    Hak-joon¡¯s expression became slightly twisted after hearing Jeong Dong-yeong¡¯s cold reply.

    Jeong Dong-yeong genuinely did not care for the other awakeners¡¯ lives. Had he paid more attention to the dungeon attack as an A-rank awakener, the dungeon attack would have been completed without anyone getting injured.

    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re in contact with the kid called Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    Hak-joon¡¯s face stiffened at Jeong Dong-yeong¡¯s question. Hak-joon had never told Jeong Dong-yeong about it.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Was he really that Kim Su-hyeun? That guy apparently has gone up to the 15th floor recently.¡±

    The 15th floor.

    It was never a high floor. No, instead, it was a relatively low floor.

    Hak-joon was now already on the 28th floor, challenging all the level 8 trials on each floor. But even so, if anyone asked whether Hak-joon was stronger than Kim Su-hyeun, it definitely wasn¡¯t so. All the records Kim Su-hyeun had made up until now on the 15th floor had already surpassed Hak-joon¡¯s records on the 28th floor by a lot.

    ¡°If he was that guy¡­¡±

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Haven¡¯t I told you before? Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Brother? You¡¯ve got a lot closer to him now, haven¡¯t you?¡¯

    Hak-joon could not continue further. No, he thought that he should not answer any further. Whatever his answer was, the consequences would be adverse.

    Jeong Dong-yeong grinned at Hak-joon¡¯s stiffened expression.

    ¡°Kiddo, what¡¯s with this expression? I was only asking.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, if he is the Kim Su-hyeun I know, try to entice him. Even if it fails, that¡¯s fine, too. If you guys are close, isn¡¯t he considered my younger brother as well?¡±

    The Ares Guild was growing bigger as each day passed. Jeong Dong-yeong, too, was quite a capable awakener, and the guild had a lot more awakeners than before. Now, even the guild placed in the higher ranks as well.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I got it.¡±

    Hak-joon nodded his head while he replied. Hak-joon was quite disturbed by the smartphone in his pocket. As the sedan¡¯s engine started, it started heading somewhere.

    It was the next dungeon¡¯s location.

    Act 6

    [Kim Su-hyeun, the 15th-floor trial starts now.]

    Time had passed by quite quickly.

    Time did not give anyone even an inch of error. The world continued moving on like a rewound video, slowly showing the next scenes of a story.

    But there were definitely differences that had occurred.

    A small stone that was tossed into a gigantic lake.

    And the waves that it created started rippling out.

    The year was 2021, when the world had actually started to change.

    Grr¡ª

    A 16-foot tall huge monster stood with its mouth open.

    The monster¡¯s two horns were broken into halves, and it had bright red-colored skin similar to that of a tiger. The monster appeared in the middle of a medieval European city. It was said that the beast was sealed in the grounds underneath the city since ancient times.

    Su-hyeun frowned as he looked at the monster.

    ¡°It took me a lot of effort in finding you.¡±

    ¡°Please, please be careful!¡±

    There was someone who did not run away. He was a young man who lived in the village, and Su-hyeun had come across him a few times.

    Kyaa¡ª!

    The ancient monster faced the skies and cried out loud. It was laughing instead of crying. It was laughing madly.

    It seemed that it was quite happy to have been freed from its seal.

    ¡°You, you must escape¡­¡±

    Even if he was stammering, the young man could not make his run without Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun was not sure whether he was being nosy or had a sense of justice. Either way, Su-hyeun was thankful that he worried about him.

    But¡­

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Su-hyeun ignored the young man¡¯s words and called out to the ancient beast.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be laughing at a time like this.¡±

    Grr¡ª

    Only then did the ancient beast look at Su-hyeun directly. It had a puzzled look. It crumpled its face after realizing that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t the least bit afraid of itself.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    It turned around at Su-hyeun¡¯s voice which came from behind.

    Slide¡ª

    Squelch¡ª!

    The sword wielded from behind, blew up at the ancient beast¡¯s body. Blood gushed out from the slash made on its back.

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    Crack, kyaaa¡ª!

    The ancient beast roared at Su-hyeun as it had almost gotten stuck to the ground.

    Su-hyeun swung his sword a few times in the air as he felt a heavy feeling at the tip of his sword.

    ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t use this any further.¡±

    The ancient beast¡¯s skin being thick was a problem in itself, too. But there was also a problem with the sword that he was using as well. A year had passed since Su-hyeun had started wielding the sword. It wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem on the lower floors, but using it at this time was an issue.

    <>

    It was time to stop talking about the sword. Even if he used a blunt sword, it would still be enough to deal with the monster which stood before Su-hyeun.

    ¡°So let¡¯s¡­¡±

    Kya, kyaa¡ª!

    The flame was set ablaze on Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. Two birds created from the flame appeared around Su-hyeun at the same time.

    They were phoenixes, which were born from the flames.

    ¡°Bite it.¡±

    Kyaa¡ª!

    The two phoenixes flew towards the monster at Su-hyeun¡¯s order.

    Black flames that came out from the monster¡¯s mouth swept through the phoenixes¡¯ bodies. The phoenixes disappeared without a trace, and the monster shifted its vision on Su-hyeun.

    Slash¡ª!

    Squelch¡ª!

    The two phoenixes broke through the black flames and began to bite on the monster¡¯s body.

    Kyaa¡ª!

    The monster struggled to shake off the two phoenixes that clung onto its body, but the monster had overlooked something for the moment.

    It was Su-hyeun that was now over its head.

 Chapter 34

    The flames turned blue for a while. As the monster felt high heat above its head, it stopped its actions and looked above.

    Grr¡ª

    What the monster saw above its head was a gigantic blue sword.

    And soon.

    Slash¡ª

    A blue line similar to that sword sliced the monster¡¯s body into half.

    Sludge, sludge¡ª

    The monster¡¯s body fell to the sides, starting from its head. The beast quickly raised its arm to keep his body from falling off, but, of course, it wasn¡¯t possible.

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    Its massive body finally split into half and fell onto the floor. Thick blood flowed, and Su-hyeun, who stood in front of the corpse, extinguished the flame and caught his breath.

    Pant¡ª

    A blue flame and the flame¡¯s bird, the phoenix.

    Both of them were newly acquired abilities obtained through leveling Flame¡¯s skill. It was his first time checking out their effects, and each had its own pros and cons.

    <>

    Firstly, the required mana to maintain the phoenix was quite substantial.

    Moreover, the phoenix was a summoner that never perished if Su-hyeun could have an indefinite supply of mana to maintain the flame.

    But the mana consumption was too high. And it was the same for the blue flame.

    <>

    The phoenix maintained its original form even though it had suffered attacks from the ancient beast. It was because Su-hyeun had kept supplying mana so that it doesn¡¯t disappear.

    But at that moment, Su-hyeun felt his magic factor got slashed tremendously. It was a tremendous amount of magic that he hadn¡¯t expected to use.

    <>

    Stumble¡ª

    Then, the monster¡¯s body convulsed vigorously. Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze fell onto the monster¡¯s half slain body. It was fascinating that the monster hadn¡¯t died yet. It¡¯s too horrible to think of one being alive while in that state.

    Come to think of it, there wasn¡¯t any message of him clearing the trial.

    <>

    It wasn¡¯t too bad of a trait, but it wasn¡¯t one that would make Su-hyeun envious. What could one do with that enormous amount of strength if he had to also be stuck in that situation?

    ¡°Even so, you¡­¡±

    Burning¡ª

    Su-hyeun brought out the flame once again.

    ¡°I can¡¯t use the transfiguration ingredients either.¡±

    But it was also much too useful for an 18th-floor trial. It wasn¡¯t to the level of wanting that ancient monster¡¯s trait to himself.

    Clank¡ª!

    Su-hyeun swung his sword and lit the flame. At that moment, a gigantic blaze swept over the ancient monster¡¯s body.

    [You have gained 50,000 achievement points.]

    [You have attained the highest achievement.]

    [You have cleared the 19th floor trial with perfection.]

    [You will be ranked according to your performance.]

    [You have been ranked first.]

    [You have gained 1 health point¡­]

    ¡­.

    [Will you ascend to the next floor?]

    The string of messages appeared simultaneously. It had also meant that the monster had finally died.

    The objective of the trial was to end the unstable resurrection of the ancient monster and the creature. Of course, several forces attempted to fully revive the monster in the process.

    <>

    It was annoying being instructed on what to do.

    Although it would be manageable for Su-hyeun to handle the monster at the current level, it would not be a smooth process. However, he had eventually succeeded in finishing off the ancient monster that had hibernated under the city. It had taken him two months to clear the trial.

    ¡°T-t-the monster¡­¡±

    The young man who had warned Su-hyeun to be careful earlier had now flopped on the ground and was muttering to himself. After the monster appeared, everyone had escaped to the outskirts of the city. Only Su-hyeun and the young man were left.

    Su-hyeun looked at the young man. The young man looked back at Su-hyeun with fear in his eyes.

    <>

    There was no other reason for him to stay there. Su-hyeun lifted his head towards the sky and spoke.

    ¡°Ascend.¡±

    [You will ascend on to the 20th floor.]

    His sight had turned white in an instant, and a vast city appeared before him once again.

    It was a city that had been fully frozen and covered in white. The world on the 20th floor was a frozen city called Raglia.

    Its temperature had reached as low as minus 60 degrees. On the 20th floor was a dying city where no living human would be able to live in.

    Su-hyeun could hear people¡¯s mutters as he stepped into the square.

    A crisis existed every 10 floors at the Tower of Trials. The trials at every 10th floor had exceptionally high difficulty, which brought about high numbers of death. Thus, only special awakeners gathered every 10 floors, including the 20th and 30th floors.

    <>

    31st December.

    Today was the last day of the year.

    Su-hyeun had aimed to achieve his goal to reach the 20th floor before the year ended. Though he had cleared the trial with ease at first, the last trial had been a drag.

    Even so, he was able to arrive on the 20th floor according to his goal. Of course, something was missing.

    <>

    The magic level and factor.

    His original aim was to achieve a magic level of seven, and a magic factor of 70, but he was short of achieving those goals. Although he was able to pull up his magic factor to 68, which neared 70, his magic level still stayed at level six.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic Factor: 68] [Magic Level: 6]

    [Strength: 71] [Agility: 78]

    [Health: 69] [Reflex: 80]

    [Skill: Leap *Details.]

    [Skill: Transfiguration *Details.]

    [Skill: Flame¡­]

    ¡­

    [Fatigue: 15.]

    Compared to two years back when he first entered the Tower of Trials, the status window had lengthed quite a bit.

    There was an overall increase in stats and magic level, a magic factor was a given, and an increase in skills.

    Two years.

    Though it wasn¡¯t a short time, it wasn¡¯t quite long either. If someone were to witness Su-hyeun¡¯s stats with their own eyes, his mouth would be wide-open in awe.

    <>

    Although he had a high magic factor and level, the overall increase in stats was remarkable, too.

    <>

    Some parts complemented others, and there were some areas that Su-hyeun was satisfied with.

    <>

    It was not sufficient, but rather at a rapid speed. His initial aim was set so high that it could be deemed as impossible to meet. Having nearly achieved his initial goal, it also meant that his performance wasn¡¯t that bad.

    [Achievement points: 1,981,400.]

    Su-hyeun checked on the amount of achievement points he had accumulated.

    Although it was a massive number, it was slightly insufficient.

    <<20,000 more points to go.>>

    2,000,000 achievement points.

    It was the price of the ¡°highest grade potential booster¡± that Su-hyeun wanted to get his hands on. Like all the other awakeners, what Su-hyeun needed most was magic.

    Though nothing such as the skill¡¯s composition or items were unimportant, high magic levels and factors had the power to ignore them all.

    <>

    Considering that it too was an impossible goal, he had accumulated quite a considerable amount of achievement points.

    Although it was a pity, it had not occurred to him that he would not clear the 20th floor¡¯s trial.

    <>

    Thankfully, the date had matched up. Kim Dae-ho said that it would take almost a year to complete the weapon that Su-hyeun had requested.

    ¡°The ranking has been updated!¡±

    Then, the square was filled with a certain awakener¡¯s voice. The ranks were, of course, updated regularly, but it wasn¡¯t hard to understand his words.

    ¡°Ranking? Could it be the first place?¡±

    ¡°Could it be¡­¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun has arrived on the 20th floor?¡±

    The square turned noisy in an instant.

    The ranking had been updated. This also meant that Kim Su-hyeun had ascended to the 20th floor.

    <>

    Su-hyeun left the square and turned into a dimly-lit alley. Su-hyeun moved quietly alone in the crowd, and the public seemed to not have paid any attention. There were already tens of people gathered at the square anyway.

    As soon as he entered the alley, Su-hyeun opened the door.

    Rip¡ª

    Su-hyeun returned to reality and soon turned on the car¡¯s engine.

    It was a relatively expensive red sports car. It¡¯s quite a pity to drive it deep into the mountains.

    Though Su-hyeun did not have much interest in the car, he had no reason to not ride it since it was a gift.

    <>

    It was a gift from Lee Ju-ho, who had gifted him the sports car after completing a dungeon attack one day. As per Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words, Su-hyeun only added gas in and took it out when he had to travel.

    Screech¡ª

    Su-hyeun drove his sports car into a hillside at Yangpyeong, the mountain where Kim Dae-ho¡¯s house was located. He drove it as deep as his car could go into the mountains, parked it, and started walking in.

    Clank, clank¡ª!

    The sound of steel could be heard without fail.

    Su-hyeun wondered when he took his rests. It was hard to imagine how much he loved hitting on steel.

    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m here.¡±

    Clank¡ª!

    The sound stopped.

    Soon after, Kim Dae-ho trudged out to meet him.

    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s today, right? Our promise.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean promise? I only said that I would complete it before the year ends.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean the same thing?¡±

    ¡°I had long completed it, kiddo. Come in immediately,¡± Kim Dae-ho said and turned around quickly. It wasn¡¯t to get the weapon, but instead, it was to guide him into the house.

    Su-hyeun was slightly surprised at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s reaction.

    Kim Dae-ho never allowed strangers into his smithy. Being invited into his smithy meant that he had a certain level of acknowledgment and friendship. Su-hyeun had entered Kim Dae-ho¡¯s smithy once in his previous life, but it was only after they had known each other for three years.

    At the back of Kim Dae-ho¡¯s house was a smithy with a steel woven spherical ceiling. As he entered the smithy through the door, various equipment was laid out.

    <>

    The high heat was almost cooking his flesh. If an awakener like him could barely withstand that amount of heat, what about Kim Dae-ho?

    He wasn¡¯t called a craftsman for nothing.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± Kim Dae-ho asked in a relatively small voice. It seemed that he had expected a surprised reaction.

    It was reasonable to be surprised at this amount of equipment.

    ¡°Ah, I am surprised.¡±

    ¡°I know that you¡¯re not. How mean.¡±

    It seemed that he wasn¡¯t satisfied with Su-hyeun¡¯s reaction.

    Su-hyeun laughed awkwardly and looked at the equipment hung on the walls: swords, spears, armor, wrist guards, etc.

    Amongst those, the first equipment that came into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was the swords.

    <>

    There was a vast and minor difference in all the equipment; they all had ether stones mixed in them.

    Though it was tough to smelt ether stones, making use of that and creating weapons like those were only made possible by certain craftsmen. In the current era, there was no one better than Kim Dae-ho who could make equipment of this quality.

    <>

    It could shake up the world quite a bit.

    ¡°What are you doing there? Stop looking at the junk and pick up your weapon now.¡±

    Junk.

    It was too much to call this equipment junk.

    But of course, the equipment placed by the entrance was what Kim Dae-ho had regarded as failed creations. The successful ones were in the basement.

    And¡­

    ¡°You might be quite surprised at it.¡±

    The weapon that Kim Dae-ho made for Su-hyeun was a masterpiece amongst them.

 Chapter 35

    Su-hyeun followed Kim Dae-ho through the hall of the hot smithy.

    At first, he wondered how Dae-ho could endure such heat, but now he was no longer worried. Kim Dae-ho had developed a tolerance to the heat since he was a child.

    More importantly, Su-hyeun wanted to see the sword that Kim Dae-ho had forged.

    As they descended the staircase leading to the basement of the smithy, he could see equipment hanging on the wall.

    It was the true masterpiece that Kim Dae-ho had created.

    <>

    These weren¡¯t items that could be found in this generation.

    This was equipment that could only be found in the future, after a long period of countless research, advancement in crafting techniques, and smelting of the ether stones.

    Kim Dae-ho was already creating this kind of equipment at this time. He was indeed both a master and a genius.

    ¡°Here, this is it.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho picked a sword off the wall and handed it to Su-hyeun.

    It was a sword of the highest quality made with ether stone, and he had it hanging on the wall.

    An ordinary silver long sword. One couldn¡¯t really tell it was anything special by its appearance alone.

    Su-Hyeun held the sword handed to him by Kim Dae-ho. It was heavy.

    It was definitely more massive than a regular sword, but it didn¡¯t feel that bad to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°How is it? The weight is perfect, right?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it is.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the weight of an ordinary sword. However, it wasn¡¯t a weight that would be considered heavy to the average awakener.

    Instead, an appropriate weight was added to the power of the sword. It was a weight that held the proper balance.

    ¡°The weight can be adjusted according to the melted ether stone on the sword. You can make it weigh as heavy as a ton or as light as a feather. It¡¯s not really a good function, but I made it so that you can adjust it to your preference so use it to your liking.¡±

    ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°Per your request, I forged it so that it stays true to a sword¡¯s function and magic conductivity, rather than the sword¡¯s overall use effect. The more powerful the user of the sword, the higher the efficiency of the sword will be.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that special.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not special. However, it¡¯s perfect.¡±

    Shing¡ª

    Su-hyeun pulled the sword out from its sheath. The shining silver long sword showed off its sleek blade and reflected Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun took the sword and slashed at the tip of his clothes. The blade just swished through the fabric as if it were a blunt stick.

    This time, he took another sword that he was carrying and threw it up in the air.

    Swish¡ª Slash¡ª

    Thud¡ª Thud¡ª

    The sword that Su-hyeun swung lightly cut through the sword that he threw in the air neatly in half.

    As the halved sword fell to the ground, Su-hyeun commented, ¡°Interesting.¡±

    It was as if the sword was alive.

    Even without using magic, it was able to differentiate between what he was trying to cut and what he wasn¡¯t. Furthermore, its sharpness and its degree of strength were unbelievable as well. The level of sharpness could not be simply made from any substance.

    ¡°A magical device¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, can you tell?¡±

    As Su-hyeun realized the true worth of the sword, Dae-ho Kim smiled brightly.

    ¡°Correct. No technique can form that degree of sharpness. So, as you requested, I used the ether stone, which contains magical properties to form that extremely sharp and firm blade.¡±

    ¡°Did you base it off the principle of an electric saw?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got good eyes. Indeed. Rather than just being sharp, if you add the friction of rotation, that power will be amplified. Of course, it can¡¯t be seen with the naked eye.¡±

    Su-hyeun was quite surprised.

    His request was just for the shape and function of the sword to be accurate and perfect to its basic form. It was because he thought that suited him better than a sword needlessly plastered with skills. However, he never could imagine that the sword¡¯s power and sharpness could be increased like this.

    <>

    As expected, it was the right choice to ask Kim Dae-ho to create this. It had taken a whole year, but the creation of a weapon of this degree was worth the wait.

    ¡°What is its name?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho engraved a name on all his equipment. Of course, it was only for the equipment that he deemed well made.

    This sword was well worthy to receive a name. It definitely should have a name.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have one, twerp.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t?¡±

    What a surprising answer. Kim Dae-ho roughly scratched his head and spoke.

    ¡°It¡¯s your sword, so you name it. You¡¯re not a kid, so why are you expecting me to name it, too?¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not greedy for it? You made such a wonderful sword like this.¡±

    ¡°What greed is there to speak of? Forget it. I¡¯m satisfied that I could even have the chance to forge a sword like this.¡±

    His chance to name the sword was now passed on to someone else. It might be something troublesome and meaningless, but for Kim Dae-ho, it was a huge concession.

    Su-hyeun thought about the sword¡¯s name for a while. Instead of coming up with a name by himself, he wanted to share it with Kim Dae-ho, who had spent one year to painstakingly forge this sword.

    Su-hyeun spoke after a while of thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ll name it Dragon Slaying Sword, Gram.¡±

    ¡°Gram? Dragon Slaying Sword? What kind of rustic name is that?¡±

    The name Balmung was also named by Su-hyeun in the past.

    Gram was another name of Balmung, used in North Europe¡¯s mythology. They were practically the same name.

    But to Su-hyeun, above anything else, he did not want to give up on the title of a dragon-slaying sword.

    However, he did not want to reuse the name Balmung either. He thought that he might fail again if he used the same name.

    ¡°Well, I was wondering if I might be able to slay a dragon with this sword someday.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s vague answer, Kim Dae-ho looked at him, speechless.

    ¡°Ha, what a cheesy kid.¡±

    No matter Dragon Slaying Sword or Gram, it was all the same embarrassing name to Kim Dae-ho. Even so, Su-hyeun quite liked the name he had come up with. Su-hyeun was not aware that his wits of coming up with names were decreasing.

    ¡°I have deposited the fees before coming here. Please confirm it.¡±

    Su-hyeun spoke while putting Gram back into its scabbard. Kim Dae-ho blinked in surprise at the news which he had heard for the first time.

    ¡°Fees? What fees?¡±

    ¡°I had also sent a down payment. Didn¡¯t you see it?¡±

    ¡°What? Did you take me for a beggar, kid!¡± Kim Dae-ho jumped and shouted as if the smithy was going away. To Kim Dae-ho, money was nothing but funds to make materials to forge equipment.

    ¡°What else can I do when I have nothing else to give you? I don¡¯t want to hear from others that I¡¯m making use of you at this age.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! If you wanted to fund me, you should have given me some materials instead of money. Aren¡¯t you an awakener, too?¡±

    ¡°Even so, wouldn¡¯t I be too shameless if I did that?¡±

    ¡°Forget it. I need the right materials instead of money. If you really want to thank me, you should have gotten me those.¡±

    What he said was right.

    A real reward should be what the other party needs most. To Kim Dae-ho, who regards money similar to a stone, it might not be considered a bonus.

    But¡­

    <>

    Kim Dae-ho only bought the ether stones and used them on forging equipment, but did not sell them anywhere else.

    He might have been quite wealthy thanks to his reputation as a craftsman now, but his wealth would run out someday.

    In fact, Kim Dae-ho had been struggling with cash since 2021. Knowing the truth, Su-hyeun had deliberately deposited the money to him.

    Buzz¡ª

    That moment, the smartphone in Su-hyeun¡¯s pocket rang. Kim Dae-ho, who was hurling abusive language at Su-hyeun, stopped and waved his hand at him.

    ¡°Why should I be wasting my energy on you? Forget it. If there¡¯s nothing else, get lost.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Uncle. I¡¯ll be back again.¡±

    ¡°If you have nothing else, don¡¯t you come to me!¡±

    Kim Dae-ho still came out to send Su-hyeun off despite having said that. Indeed, he was someone who acted differently from his words on a good note.

    The vibrations which had continued for some time stopped. Su-hyeun quickly took out the smartphone from his pocket and checked the missed calls list.

    It was from Lee Ju-ho. As Su-hyeun returned the call, Lee Ju-ho picked it up immediately.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°What have you been doing recently?¡±

    ¡°I just got a weapon made. I¡¯m about to head up to the 20th floor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it. There is a huge commotion about it on Abyss Online now.¡±

    Did news travel this fast?

    Somehow, there was no other faster source than online for people who loved writing. Su-hyeun scratched his head and walked towards his car.

    ¡°But why are you looking for me? Is there another dungeon this time?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s that, too, and I thought of having a meal with you sometime. I had just cleared the 34th floor a while back.¡±

    ¡°I could probably meet you for a meal but¡­ I think it might be tough for another dungeon attack.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll enter the 20th-floor trial immediately.¡±

    Vroom¡ª

    Su-hyeun started the engine as soon as he got in the car.

    ¡°Let¡¯s meet up for a chat first.¡±

    Act 7

    Su-hyeun drove his car towards a city near Yeongdeungpo in Seoul.

    Su-hyeun and Lee Jun-ho met amidst the crowd. As it was dinner time, they went to a restaurant with a private room and ordered food. The dinner table was soon filled with Korean cuisine. As the door closed and their surroundings became quiet, Lee Ju-ho spoke.

    ¡°Are you very busy?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to push back any of my challenges.¡±

    The 20th floor was a special section.

    As much as it was the most challenging trial, its rewards were the best. Su-hyeun wanted to clear this section to the best of his potential.

    ¡°You seem to be in quite the hurry¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho seemed to know Su-hyeun well. He felt that Su-hyeun was anxious.

    ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡±

    The reply that Lee Ju-ho got was different from his question, but Lee Ju-ho thought that his reply had nothing to do with his question.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You have appeared a lot on the media recently, and even gotten more famous¡­¡±

    ¡°Recently, yes.¡±

    Since a year back, Lee Ju-ho had been ascending the tower taking on trials that were more difficult than he usually handled. After it was found out by the public, Lee Ju-ho was the center of attention for news related to awakeners. He was so-called the ¡®level-fluctuating¡¯ awakener.

    Lee Ju-ho was already a B-rank awakener before the commotion. When taking into consideration his level and the method he used to ascend the tower, it wasn¡¯t something special for the media to pay attention to him.

    ¡°Can you possibly get in personal contact with the authorities?¡±

    ¡°If you mean authorities¡­ Do you mean the higher-ups?¡±

    Su-hyeun was referring to not purely the awakeners authority, but the higher-ups that managed and operated the organization.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Please convey a message to them.¡±

    ¡°Just what is it about?¡±

    ¡°In the coming month or so¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun started sharing his story.

    When the story ended, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s expression was frozen in astonishment.

    ¡°Is that¡­ true?¡±

    ¡°In all likelihood.¡±

    ¡°How did you get to know about this?¡±

    ¡°From the gatekeeper on the 20th floor. Although I¡¯m not exactly sure if the gatekeeper is also in the know about the issues going around here but¡­ it¡¯s worth doubting.¡±

    Gatekeepers.

    The residents who only resided on every 10th floor, who were known to have all the information in the world.

    They seemed to be all unrecognizable by their appearances, but at the very least, their information had never been wrong.

    Not even once.

    Of course, even if the results were accurate, the process was false. This information was not from the gatekeeper, but rather from Su-hyeun¡¯s personal experience.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why the number of dungeons appearing lately had been alarming¡­¡±

 Chapter 36

    It was now 2021. The world had changed dramatically after 2020 had passed. The number of awakeners increased, and the corresponding number of dungeons drew a sharp upward curve.

    The dungeons weren¡¯t solely a social issue but were turning into a huge problem. Outbreaks were occurring more often since dungeon attacks aren¡¯t executed earlier. Fortunately, there was no significant damage due to the swift action of nearby awakeners, but it had become a severe problem.

    ¡°In the future, there will be an increase in dungeons appearing and dungeon outbreaks. Although the number of awakeners is much higher than the dungeons right now¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the tables would turn later?¡±

    ¡°At least that¡¯s what I think would happen.¡±

    If it was according to Su-hyeun¡¯s words, the situation had gone beyond a severe level.

    Lee Ju-ho was one who had several years of experience as an awakener. He drew up the scene that Su-hyeun shared with him in his mind, where the number of dungeons outnumbered the awakeners.

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face turned blue in an instant. He put the chopsticks he had in his hand down on the table.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s over.¡±

    What if dungeons appeared all over the world, and all of those had outbreaks?

    There would only be one result. The end of the world.

    <>

    When Su-hyeun brought up the story, he had wondered if Lee Ju-ho would ignore his words. As the proportion of dungeons to outbreaks increased, it had become a social problem.

    That¡¯s probably why Lee Ju-ho could not ignore his words. Furthermore, if assuming what Su-hyeun said was true¡­

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, this isn¡¯t favorable at all. Of course, I¡¯ll help.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    It was a relief.

    If Lee Ju-ho¡¯s negotiations with the authorities were successful, this issue could be solved without much trouble.

    However, the problem was that unlike Su-hyeun, who knew how the future went, no one could be certain what decision the authorities would make.

    <>

    The case was only a gamble of probability to a certain extent. It was up to him to prepare in case the gamble failed. The preparation was something which he had on his mind for quite some time.

    ¡°But¡­ It¡¯s certainly coincidental.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The period which you mentioned. It coincides with the green level dungeon attack that appeared at Ansan.¡±

    It was sporadic for a green level dungeon to appear.

    Not only did such dungeons require A-rank awakeners, depending on the situation, they might also need help from S-rank awakeners.

    If the outbreak occurred in such dungeons, the whole city would be in immediate danger, forcing the nation and the Awakeners Authority to focus entirely on the green level dungeons.

    In other words, it was also the period where Seoul and Gyeonggi province would have a lack of manpower.

    ¡°In fact, I had thought of going there if I couldn¡¯t get to go on the dungeon attack with you¡­¡±

    It¡¯s not a good thing to say after hearing those words.

    ¡°Haa¡ª It¡¯s complicated.¡±

    Even so, he couldn¡¯t leave the green level dungeon alone. If there was an outbreak in the green level dungeon, it would also become a great danger to the city.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t expect too much. It¡¯s because it¡¯s me ¡ª that¡¯s why I believed it but isn¡¯t it quite a groundless story?¡±

    ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll make my preparations separately.¡±

    Right now, there was a limit to what Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho could do, so they could only do their best within their boundaries.

    <>

    Su-hyeun once again concentrated on his meal and continued his train of thoughts.

    <>

    They soon finished their meal.

    Lee Ju-ho felt that he could not hold back Su-hyeun for long. He too had to challenge the next floor¡¯s trial and also had to help Su-hyeun with his favor.

    Su-hyeun thought over for a moment if he should head back home. It had been a while since he saw Shin Soo-yeong¡¯s face, too.

    <>

    Instead, it might be better for her to think that Su-hyeun was still focused and working hard on ascending the tower. However, he thought that a call would be alright.

    Ring¡ª

    Su-hyeun called Shin Soo-yeong.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    Though he hadn¡¯t heard her voice for some time, she sounded urgent. She must have been busy on the other line.

    ¡°Oh, mom. What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy for a while with the guests. Your call came at a good time. I was just about to take a break from the guests who just left.¡±

    Shin Soo-yeong had set up her own store. After selling gold for more than a decade, Su-hyeun presented her with a jewelry shop. After setting up her own shop, she did not stop working for a moment. Her shop was quite prosperous, perhaps because of her volubility and ability.

    ¡°Are you done with your work? I haven¡¯t heard from you in a while.¡±

    Su-hyeun left the house after getting a small studio. He thought that if he continued to stay with Shin Soo-yeong, he would still be concerned about her. Shin Soo-yeong, too, was more than ready to allow Su-hyeun to become independent.

    Still, Su-hyeun still occasionally took time out to spend with her, but of course, he hadn¡¯t had the time to do it recently.

    ¡°Yes, it just ended. But I think I¡¯ll have to start on another now.¡±

    ¡°Right away? Wouldn¡¯t it be tough?¡±

    <> It was the most common question from her. It was only asked by Shin Soo-yeong. Although he knew she was worried, Su-hyeun liked hearing it.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m not hurt anywhere. People say that I¡¯m a genius. Though I¡¯ve said it before, I think I¡¯m well-suited for this job.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a lie. In fact, various communities, including Abyss Online, and other countless awakeners, called Su-hyeun a genius and a divinity. Of course, only one of them, Lee Ju-ho, knew Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    ¡°Son, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too proud of yourself? Karma will get at you for being too conceited.¡±

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°How can a mom not be worried about her son? Oh, I have a customer. Son, let¡¯s talk again!¡±

    ¡°Okay. Take care.¡±

    And with that, Su-hyeun ended the call.

    Vroom¡ª

    Su-hyeun drove back in a hurry. He soon arrived at a relatively tall studio apartment building. Su-hyeun was done for the day. He got a new sword, Gram, and met Lee Ju-ho to convey the story. He also had a brief talk with Shin Soo-yeong.

    <

    December 31, 2020.

    There was only one month left. During that time, Su-hyeun had no intention of staying idle.

    All preparations are complete.

    The 20th floor.

    The ordeal on that floor was bound to be tense.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    As usual, he muttered to himself and stretched his hand forward.

    Rip¡ª

    The door opened to the other world.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s feet stepped forward.

    Amid the freezing cold, Su-hyeun moved his feet.

    When he breathed out, cold air came out from his mouth. While looking at the cold air from his mouth, Su-hyeun walked towards the portal.

    A middle-aged beggar sat crouched in front of a gigantic portal that was filled with magic. A familiar vibe came off from the middle-aged man. He felt somewhat similar to the gatekeeper who resided on the 10th floor.

    ¡°Are you asleep?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Ah, um¡­¡±

    The gatekeeper, who was crouched, raised his head at Su-hyeun¡¯s call. The gatekeeper, who had been yawning, rubbed his eyes with one hand.

    ¡°Why? What is it, you called me?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, I¡¯ll just go.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not tired. More than that¡­¡± The gatekeeper extended a friendly hand to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Money.¡±

    Most of the gatekeepers¡¯ habits were similar. There was no difference seeing how they were usually crouched and dozing off all day, or asking for money the moment they wake up.

    Just what is it with them that they keep asking for money without fail? The achievement points they have had earned so far would be astronomical.

    ¡°How much do you want?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s question, the gatekeeper stared at Su-hyeun¡¯s face. The gatekeeper, who had been looking at Su-hyeun¡¯s face for a while, sighed quietly and said.

    ¡°You, you¡¯re a freak.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m well aware of that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to get a little more from you. 100,000.¡±

    It was enough to be a jaw-dropping price if others heard of this.

    100,000 achievement points was an amount that would take some awakeners their entire lifetime to collect, and they might even barely gather enough.

    Su-hyeun, however, paid the amount without hesitation. The achievement points were transferred when he put his hand into the gatekeepers¡¯.

    [100,000 achievement points consumed.]

    The gatekeeper looked at Su-hyeun with a distant look, as if he was contemplating.

    ¡°Huh, Euhuhuhuh!¡±

    He grinned widely with his expressionless face and laughed out loud. The gatekeeper, who had been laughing for quite some time, placed his extended hand into his pocket and said.

    ¡°The freak is real. So, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°What do you think is waiting for me?¡±

    ¡°The question is too vague.¡±

    ¡°What should I be careful of?¡±

    ¡°None.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to watch out for. You¡¯re not going to die.¡±

    It was a good thing.

    There was nothing to watch out for and nothing to die from, which meant there was less danger.

    It was good news if he could have his risks reduced while ascending the tower.

    But that didn¡¯t mean that Su-hyeun was pleased with what the gatekeeper said.

    ¡°Is that it?¡±

    Lesser risks had also meant fewer rewards. Moreover, he had readily paid 100,000 achievement points, so how could he only have this much advice? He felt that he had gotten the short end of the stick.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not frying.¡±

    Where did he learn that phrase?

    ¡°Someone said this a while back. I took his money and ran away. Haha, it was his fault for not understanding the hint.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s another hint?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not you who should be careful, but the others. And if possible¡­ Don¡¯t kill anyone.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean don¡¯t kill anyone?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all for the hints. Now, get lost.¡±

    The gatekeeper waved his hand and started dozing off after getting back in his crouched position. It was an ambiguous hint.

    <>

    Hints for level 10 trials were always like this. As expected, the hints Su-hyeun got from the 10th floor were vague, too.

    <>

    At least the hints given by the gatekeepers have never been wrong. Their hints had always been the keywords to the right answers.

    Sometimes Su-hyeun wondered what kind of people they were before. Su-hyeun bowed slightly to the gatekeeper and walked towards the portal.

    As he stood on the portal, a message appeared.

    [Kim Su-hyeun, will you start the trial now?]

    Su-hyeun nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±

    [Kim Su-hyeun, your 20th-floor trial starts now.]

    [Please select the difficulty.]

    [Level 1~10.]

    [The higher the level, the more difficult it becomes. The higher the level, the higher the reward of the trial.]

    They were different floors, but the question itself was the same every time.

    ¡°Level 10.¡±

    He answered with the same words as usual.

    Immediately after making the decision, the trial¡¯s scene appeared in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 37

    [The 20th floor¡¯s level 10 trial starts now.]

    What appeared in front of Su-hyeun was a massive castle wall and numerous soldiers spread out below it. The soldiers, standing close together like ants, looked down from the top of the wall. Just by looking at them, Su-hyeun knew what he had to do.

    <>

    But it was strange. No matter how he saw it, there was no one but himself around. Unlike the thousands of soldiers below, he was alone.

    [The trial starts now.]

    [Recently, thousands of soldiers and mercenaries are guarding the impenetrable fortress, the kingdom Gran Dalum. It is your responsibility to use all methods to take down the fort.]

    [Take down the castle. There is no limit to what methods can be used. You may recruit allies within the arena.]

    [But please remember: you are not their enemy.]

    [You have a month to complete this.]

    [You will fail this trial if you die or exceed the given time limit.]

    [Please take down the fort.]

    [Dig up the castle¡¯s secrets.]

    [The rewards will differ according to the results of the trial.]

    The mission¡¯s contents were quite lengthy. Through the contents, Su-hyeun was able to infer some facts.

    <>

    Firstly, the aim to ¡°dig up the castle¡¯s secrets¡± was clearly written, which meant solely taking down the castle was not the only objective.

    Furthermore, he was told that the soldiers and mercenaries were not Su-hyeun¡¯s enemies. Looking at this, he could understand the gatekeeper¡¯s hint.

    <>

    But why? Why would the citizens¡¯ lives dictate the rewards?

    The Tower¡¯s system did not deem humans¡¯ lives to be that important. There were usually missions to kill, but missions to save were rare. To Su-hyeun¡¯s knowledge, there wasn¡¯t any mission that stops one from killing the enemy just to let them realize how precious life was.

    <>

    Su-hyeun looked up at the castle and scratched his head.

    ¡°This is difficult.¡±

    One could have come up with many assumptions based on their own thoughts. But Su-hyeun could never find out anything by just standing there.

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes and amplified the radius of his magic as far as possible. The magic was spread over the soldiers and mercenaries. With that, Su-hyeun was able to clearly feel each and everyone¡¯s feelings.

    <>

    Most of the mercenaries were around the standards of a C-rank awakener. The other soldiers were quite well-trained as well.

    It was by no means easy to take down the steep walls and thick iron gates that were guarded by thousands of soldiers. Furthermore, according to the gatekeeper¡¯s words, Su-hyeun could not even kill them.

    <>

    The trial¡¯s difficulty suddenly skyrocketed exponentially.

    How should he clear the trial? Others would definitely have this thought on their minds if it was them, as missions of that standard should never have appeared on 20th-floor trials.

    Of course, that would be the case for other awakeners. It might be an impossible trial for other awakeners who ascended the Tower in the usual way up to the 20th floor, but it wasn¡¯t the case for Su-hyeun.

    <>

    The time coincided nicely. Su-hyeun had aimed to clear this floor within a month as well. He thought he knew why he was given a time frame of a month.

    Amongst the mission¡¯s contents, the hint said, ¡°You can form allies.¡±

    Perhaps during that month in that world, Su-hyeun might have to go through a complicated process such as meeting someone from that castle and having a hostile relationship with them.

    But¡­

    ¡°With a time limit of one month¡­¡±

    Trudge¡ª

    Su-hyeun started walking towards the castle¡¯s wall.

    ¡°It¡¯s too long.¡±

    That process should be omitted. It was too troublesome, and it didn¡¯t match his personality. Moreover, he didn¡¯t feel the need to go through with it. It was something that he had to face head-on now.

    Su-hyeun felt that it would be sufficient for him to do it on his own.

    The gigantic castle, which was a few hundred meters tall, could be seen from farther away.

    Su-hyeun approached it slowly without hurry, with the thought that he had ample time. Every time the distance between him and the castle narrowed, he could sense something from within the castle.

    Another reason why Su-hyeun ambled towards the castle was to observe the reactions of those guarding it.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    As the distance narrowed to a certain length, mutters could be heard from the top of the castle.

    Su-hyeun was unsure if magical effects were used, but the voice was different. A small amount of magic could be felt, as well.

    Su-hyeun stopped in his tracks and looked upwards. Soon, he could hear the voice again.

    ¡°You can¡¯t come any nearer. Turn around!¡±

    It was a pressurizing voice.

    Su-hyeun looked at the owner of the voice distinctly. Although the distance was far, he concentrated magic on his eyes and allowed him to see the other party distinctively.

    ¡°Sorry, but can¡¯t I stay over for a few days?¡±

    ¡°No! This place isn¡¯t for ordinary people¡­.¡±

    The man who was responding to Su-hyeun stopped talking when he realized that something was amiss. How could such a small voice be heard that clearly when there was a considerable distance between them? It was impossible unless he had pretty good magic control.

    ¡°You. What are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a passer-by¡­ I wanted to borrow your castle for a while.¡± Su-hyeun started walking once more. ¡°So, all of you please come out of the castle.¡±

    ¡°This crazy man!¡±

    A commotion arose at the top of the castle.

    It seemed that they had now recognized Su-hyeun as their enemy.

    They shouldn¡¯t have felt threatened when only one person was walking towards their castle, but after they realized how good Su-hyeun¡¯s magic control was, they seemed to become defensive.

    Of course, Su-hyeun would not feel scared with just that.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s¡­¡±

    As soon as Su-hyeun realized the other party was prepared to fight, he took out the sword, Gram, which was hung by his hip.

    ¡°It finally commenced.¡±

    Clink¡ª

    With Su-hyeun¡¯s magic, Gram produced a low sound.

    Numerous arrows shot out from within the castle, with the arrowheads aimed towards Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun then stepped forward, giving strength to his step.

    Spat¡ª

    A big leap brought Su-hyeun¡¯s body up into the air. With another big leap, Su-hyeun flew even further up tens of meters instantaneously.

    ¡°Shoot!¡±

    The man who seemed like a commander did not fluster and gave out his order. Someone with skills similar to Su-hyeun¡¯s probably existed amongst them as well.

    Slick, slick¡ª

    Phewwwww¡ª

    Hundreds and thousands of arrows were shot over Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    The mercenaries¡¯ archery skills were quite excellent. Even with a long distance between them, the arrows were aimed quite accurately at Su-hyeun.

    Burning¡ª

    Flame shot out from the sword that Su-hyeun was brandishing, making the arrows from over his head pour down. At the same time, Su-hyeun vanished from that position.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s clone attracted everyone¡¯s attention in an instant when it arrived near the gate. Only a minority could capture such instantaneous movements without missing.

    ¡°Over there!¡±

    But even that wasn¡¯t good enough because Su-hyeun had already arrived in front of the gates.

    ¡°I¡¯ll break it in one go.¡±

    Woong¡ª

    Su-hyeun injected magic into Gram.

    With the highest strength and length, as well as an unbelievable sharpness, Gram was a sword optimized for cutting things.

    No matter how sturdy or impenetrable the gate was, Gram could still cut through it.

    Grip¡ª

    Su-hyeun grasped Gram with all his might.

    The gate¡¯s thickness exceeded the sword¡¯s length by multiple folds. But even so, Su-hyeun never thought that he would not be able to cut through the gate.

    A tremendous amount of magic enveloped Gram and increased its length.

    The sharpness of Gram¡¯s blade was due to the rotating friction by the extremely fine magic. Su-hyeun increased the maximum range of that rotation and forced it to increase its speed as well. Gram¡¯s range and power had doubled.

    Although quite a substantial amount of magic had been used¡­

    ¡°Good.¡±

    It should be enough.

    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun brandished his sword as he approached closer to the gate.

    The sword didn¡¯t seem like it had cut through anything. The gate made of sturdy iron had been cut like soft tofu.

    Clash, clash¡ª

    The slashed gate fell to the ground. It was destroyed to the extent that it was beyond restoration.

    ¡°T-the gate is broken!¡± Someone called out from the top of the castle.

    Su-hyeun muttered as he drew in deep breaths after having used up such a tremendous amount of magic in a short time.

    ¡°It¡¯s not broken, but¡­¡±

    As if they were instructed to meet Su-hyeun, numerous soldiers appeared from behind the gate.

    ¡°It¡¯s been cut.¡±

    Su-hyeun was now certain after having used it.

    Gram was the best sword.

    Act 8

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s request, Lee Ju-ho went to the nearest Awakener¡¯s Authorities at City Hall. Several of the nation¡¯s awakeners were waiting in the building. Additionally, politicians who were managing the awakeners had their offices in the higher levels.

    Lee Ju-ho presented his awakener¡¯s registration card and headed up to the higher level floors of the building. A few awakeners who recognized him greeted him.

    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this Lee Ju-ho? What brings you here?¡±

    Along the corridor, Lee Ju-ho bumped into one of the high ranking members of the authorities who also the nation¡¯s A-rank awakener, Kim Do-ui. As they were quite acquainted after having met a couple of times before, Lee Ju-ho greeted him and said, ¡°I have something to attend to. Is Director Lee in?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he should be in. I don¡¯t think he has any appointments today.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°You needed to see the Director? Shall we go together?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s really no need¡­¡±

    ¡°I actually have something to tell him about the green level dungeon attack that happened recently. Let¡¯s go together.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho finally nodded and agreed after agonizing for a while how Kim Do-ui joining him would work out. He thought Kim Do-ui might be able to assist in persuading the Director.

    ¡°If so, let¡¯s go then.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho and Kim Do-ui headed towards the Director¡¯s room.

    The Director who oversaw the Awakeners Accreditation Authority and managed the nation¡¯s awakeners was an old man well over his 60s.

    He had a face filled with dark pigmentation and droopy eyes, with an unreadable expression. Formerly a presidential candidate, he was the highest-ranking council member managing the authorities and all the nation¡¯s awakeners.

    ¡°Director, you have guests.¡±

    Kim Do-ui, who had been serving the Director for a long time, treated him quite comfortably. The Director quickly glanced at Lee Ju-ho and returned to reviewing his documents, and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t seem to be of any importance to him. Lee Ju-ho, who had known well of the Director¡¯s personality, spoke without getting flustered.

    ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡±

    ¡°A favor?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is related to the safety of the citizens.¡±

    The citizens¡¯ safety. It was a problem that the Director of the Awakener¡¯s Authority had to deal with in the highest priority. It was a subject important enough to draw the Director¡¯s attention.

    ¡°The citizens¡¯ safety¡­¡±

    The Director¡¯s attention returned to Lee Ju-ho once again.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s hear about it.¡±

    Done.

    As he met the fastidious Director, he let out some bait that could possibly provide him more time to talk.

    Lee Ju-ho felt relieved and started to relay Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve met the Director, firstly¡­¡±

 Chapter 38

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    Late in the night, a strange-looking bird cried out in the forest. Looking closely, it might cry similar to a crow but looked like a dove¡¯s mixed breed as well.

    Whatever it was, Su-hyeun stood up from where he sat. He could see a castle standing tall in the distance.

    ¡®This is enough for a break¡­¡¯

    He had used up quite a bit of magic after crushing that gate.

    Immediately after, Su-hyeun chose to retreat. He decided that it was not wise to barge into the castle without knowing anything.

    ¡°Now is a perfect time.¡±

    The sky grew darker as it went deeper into the night.

    Even if he started a fire, the fear emitted from the darkness was unavoidable.

    Of course, that fear was an exception for him. Su-hyeun had experienced a dark world with no sun in the far future.

    He had no idea where the enemy would be.

    The gate was crushed, and it would be unsure when would one be stabbed in the back.

    Now was the best time.

    ¡®Of course¡­¡¯

    Crack!

    Su-hyeun picked up a thick tree branch nearby and broke it into half.

    ¡®I won¡¯t head back.¡¯

    As he took each step, he headed towards the castle.

    If possible, he wanted to clear the trial within one night.

    Grandalum¡¯s commander, Maxman, stayed awake and stood guard on the castle top.

    It was the same for the other soldiers. Even if they were exhausted, they could not sleep a wink and waited all day for the intruder.

    ¡®What the hell is that intruder doing?¡¯

    Maxman recalled the stranger who crushed the gate.

    He had thought the man who first approached the castle was strange.

    They were up against the Kingdom of Audram, not individuals.

    But that individual had achieved what the Kingdom of Audram could not. That person took down Grandalum¡¯s iron castle gate.

    ¡®Just what is he, that weirdo.¡¯

    That same thought kept echoing in his mind.

    He had his doubts about the other party. Maxman might have probably seen hallucinations.

    But when he saw the smashed iron gate, that thought had gone away.

    Even if there was a castle wall several hundred meters tall, there was no use for the gate that had been taken down.

    Repairing the castle gate would¡¯ve taken a long time. If the Kingdom of Audram attacked them at a time like that¡­

    ¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t the Kingdom of Audram; that was their only problem.

    What if that kid from earlier today came attacking them again?

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Precarious thoughts continued to ensue and tangle.

    At that moment¡­

    ¡°What kept you so focused on?¡±

    A gloomy voice spoke up from behind Maxman.

    Maxman turned his head around and looked at the person.

    It was a guest from the center of the Kingdom with his face hidden by a black robe. Accompanying him was his superior, the newly appointed chief.

    Nobody even knew his name.

    But as per orders from the higher-ups, Maxman had no other choice but to treat him as his superior.

    ¡°I was worried about the gate being crushed.¡±

    ¡°Was it because of the kid from earlier today?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was worried that the kid would come at us again.¡±

    Maxman let out a long and deep sigh as he shared his worries.

    ¡°Honestly, as soon as the gate was taken down, it became tough to even protect the castle. It would be better to call the soldiers back and protect the next fort¡­¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡±

    The robed man cut off Maxman¡¯s words and spoke firmly.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather all of us die here than do that.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Did he mishear the robed man?

    For a moment, Maxman had doubted his hearing.

    No matter how obstinate a person is, no commander had ever told his soldiers to die so readily, even if it was his thoughts.

    However, the man in front of him said without hesitation that he would rather die than run away.

    It was a difficult situation for Maxman, who had been on the battlefield for several years.

    The robed man continued speaking without acknowledging Maxman¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Please hold out by all means, without letting it become a reality. You only need to do so for the coming month.¡±

    ¡°A month¡­ Is there any point in waiting for a month?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is.¡±

    Just what significance did it have?

    It was a period that Maxman, the commander of the soldiers, could not understand. Did it mean that they would be receiving a substantial helping hand after a month?

    Though he was filled with curiosity, the robed man turned around, seemingly having no intentions to explain further.

    ¡°Just hold out for a month. That¡¯s all.¡±

    Before he left after leaving those words, he did not forget his last words of cruelty.

    ¡°Hold out even if it costs all the lives of the soldiers in this castle.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. I got it.¡±

    Maxman bit his lips, almost tearing them.

    That was one example of how the battlefield was unreasonable.

    As it was his superior¡¯s orders, he was obliged to carry it out no matter how unfair it was.

    Thinking objectively, it was right to make their escape to save the lives of their soldiers.

    However, he could not disobey the direct orders from his superior, the robed man who held the nameplate that was given directly from the Kingdom¡¯s court. Doing so would have been considered treason.

    ¡®It would be better if it was just me defying orders¡­¡¯

    If he ignored what the robed man said, what would happen if he had the soldiers retreat?

    He might be accused of treason and executed, but wouldn¡¯t he have saved the soldiers?

    Or would the soldiers be accused of committing treason as well?

    If that¡¯s not the case¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s the enemy!¡±

    Just then, a soldier¡¯s cry interrupted his thoughts.

    Maxman quickly shifted his gaze to the bottom of the castle.

    The guy from earlier that day was walking towards them.

    ¡°Being welcomed like this doesn¡¯t feel that bad.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked up at the numerous soldiers who were waiting for him at the top of the castle.

    It seemed that the numbers had increased as compared to the day. They seemed to be waiting for him, unable to sleep in that panic situation.

    Flick, flick!

    He lightly swung the tree branch in his hand.

    It was a weak tree branch that could break anytime, it did not produce a massive sound.

    ¡®Replace the lacking strength with magic¡­¡¯

    Crack, crack!

    He filled the empty insides of the tree branch with magic.

    This would¡¯ve been enough.

    ¡®It would be better to kill; it¡¯s so bothersome to subdue them¡±.

    He needed to be careful to avoid killing any of them or losing control of his strength. It was a tricky mission.

    Numerous arrows with sharpened arrowheads were aimed at him.

    It seemed that they have finished all the preparations.

    When the gate was wide open, the arrows would¡¯ve been pointless; they would never be able to hit him.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯

    He finished taking a deep breath and started moving.

    Spat!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body ran forward towards the wide-open gate.

    That action flustered the soldiers who were at the top of the castle aiming their arrows at him.

    ¡°What?! How is he so fast?!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t aim at him!¡±

    ¡°Calm down and prevent him from entering the castle!¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t waste the arrows! You can¡¯t hit him!¡±

    The soldiers shouted, scared out of their wits.

    As the commander, Maxman used his magic and shouted.

    ¡°Forget about the arrows and block out the gate! Prevent that guy from entering!¡±

    After going through several hardships for a long time, the soldiers¡¯ trust in Maxman was as strong as a sturdy castle. At Maxman¡¯s command, the soldiers moved entirely in unison.

    ¡®That¡¯s the commander.¡¯

    Su-hyeun knew that Maxman was the commander, whom he had spotted earlier in the day.

    ¡®I¡¯ll go after him first.¡¯

    However, before that¡­

    Slash!

    Hundreds of soldiers appeared, blocking out Su-hyeun¡¯s vision.

    Holding spears and swords in their hands, they showed intense hostility towards Su-Hyeun.

    He had to fight all these soldiers and subdue them without killing any of them.

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    ¡°Prevent him from entering the castle!¡±

    The soldiers started to run towards Su-Hyeun.

    They should have known that they are no match for him, yet they were courageous enough to hunt him down. They must have seen Su-Hyeun¡¯s ability when he destroyed the gate earlier that day.

    Worst of all, it was quite a pain when he couldn¡¯t kill them but instead let them off.

    ¡®How annoying.¡¯

    Slash!

    Pierce¡ª!

    The tree branch, which was held in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand, struck the soldier¡¯s neck, who was running head-on towards Su-hyeun.

    The soldier¡¯s body fell onto the ground, with his eyes rolling backward. It seemed that his neck did not break thanks to the sturdy armor.

    ¡°Even so, they aren¡¯t too much trouble to deal with.¡±

    Stab, stab, stab, stab!

    The tree branch in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand accurately hit every soldier in their necks.

    There were only these three points to consider: moderate strength control, accuracy, and evasiveness. If there was one more thing, it would¡¯ve been Su-hyeun¡¯s unexhaustive stamina.

    ¡°If I were to fight with these dwarves, this fight might continue for four days¡­¡±

    Flick!

    Pierce, pierce!

    Several invisible blades came flying towards Su-hyeun.

    The wind passed, ticking Su-hyeun¡¯s skin. Thankfully he quickly used magic to protect his body. Otherwise, there would¡¯ve been several cuts made on his body.

    ¡°Well, was I too ambitious?¡±

    Su-hyeun hid behind the soldiers and observed the mercenaries who had their hands stretched out forward.

    The mercenaries who dealt with magic became a problem.

    There¡¯s no knowing how many skilled mercenaries were in the castle.

    ¡®Could I subdue all of them? No, if not¡­¡¯

    Just as when Su-hyeun stopped all his movements and stood silently:

    ¡°Wind Cutter!¡±

    ¡°Fire Stone!¡±

    ¡°Ice¡­¡±

    Swish, swish!

    Clank!

    Magic fired at Su-hyeun caused a massive explosion. A faint smoke rose around Su-hyeun as he was hit by multiple magic attacks head-on.

    ¡°Done!¡±

    ¡°Well, that was no big deal¡­¡±

    The men who gave out the magic attacks started cheering, but their faces soon hardened.

    Su-hyeun trudged out from the thick fog around him. He remained safe from all attacks without sustaining any injuries.

    ¡°H-how?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not injured at all¡­¡±

    ¡°On top of that, shouldn¡¯t there at least be a speck of dust on him?¡±

    Although they voiced out their unjust, the result remained unchanged.

    Soon, another round of magic attacks was shot at Su-hyeun. A massive explosion, a sharp blade, and a spear flew and pierced through his body.

    It was pointless.

    ¡®Force through the front.¡¯

    [¡®Indomitable Body¡¯ was activated.]

    [It increases magical and physical resistance by continuously consuming mana for a specified period.]

    It was a rare skill which Su-hyeun had obtained as a reward when he cleared the 17th floor¡¯s trial.

    Su-hyeun thought it could¡¯ve granted him an extra life to be used in emergencies.

    Although he didn¡¯t need to use the skill often since there were few life-threatening situations, it was quite useful in his current situation.

    He couldn¡¯t kill off the enemies, but it was troublesome to even subdue each of them. The magic that each of them released was bothersome too.

    If so, ignoring them would be the end of it.

    ¡®What I wanted wasn¡¯t their lives, but to take down the castle.¡¯

    To take down the castle¡­

    There were a few loopholes and ambiguities in the conditions of passing the trial.

    Firstly, the standard for taking down the castle was not clear. All the soldiers present weren¡¯t enemies, but he couldn¡¯t know under what conditions would it consider the castle to be taken down.

    Secondly, he did not know the reason why he wasn¡¯t allowed to kill them. The Tower of Trials would not have cared less about respecting lives.

    Moreover¡­

    ¡®Something smells fishy.¡¯

    Clank, clank!

    Flash!

    Su-hyeun received the magic attacks with his body and swept away the fog was covering his vision.

    ¡®The smell of a bad-tempered guy.¡¯

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes searched for someone located from within the castle.

    He extended the range of his magic and found a human with a different kind of energy.

    A man covered deeply in a black robe¡­

    No, it had to be Lich.

 Chapter 39

    Flick!

    Clank, clank!

    Pierce, pierce!

    A relatively sharp Ice Spear flew over and exploded in front of him.

    Su-hyeun brought his hand up and blocked his face from the debris. During that short time, all signs of the Lich had vanished.

    It seemed that it had become aware of Su-hyeun and escaped.

    Su-hyeun raised his head again.

    ¡®He didn¡¯t seem to be half as good as the previous one¡­¡¯

    It was a different Lich than the one that appeared as the dungeon¡¯s boss in the level-fluctuating dungeon.

    Different from the summoner Lich, who had imperfect vitality and power, the Lich here was the real deal.

    ¡®A Lich on the 20th floor¡­¡¯

    The level of difficulty increased the further he ascended.

    The existence of Lich could¡¯ve brought about many variables.

    The Lich was a monster that was very knowledgeable about magic. According to their level of magical knowledge, a Lich could do a variety of things.

    The Lich could not be seen as a boss on the 20th-floor¡¯s trial.

    Instead, the 19th-floor¡¯s ancient monster was a more demanding opponent.

    If so¡­

    ¡®A certain situation that the Lich is trying to make¡­¡¯

    That would be the primary key to the trial.

    ¡®Good. End of thinking.¡¯

    Sweep!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body disappeared from the spot as if he had sunk.

    The mercenaries releasing magic attacks at Su-hyeun were caught by surprise and shouted, ¡°He¡­ he disappeared!¡±

    ¡°Find him!¡±

    Though they searched the area, Su-hyeun was nowhere to be found.

    [Shadow Assimilation.]

    Sweep!

    Su-hyeun reappeared under a bronze statue located in the distance.

    At the back, the soldiers were still busy searching for Su-hyeun, unaware that he had already entered the castle.

    ¡®It takes a while to manifest.¡¯

    ¡®Shadow Assimilation¡¯ was a skill that was obtained in the case of infiltration. It was purchased on the 15th floor with a considerable amount of achievement points.

    It was commonly used by awakeners of the assassin class, where it gave one the ability to move with a specific shadow in sight.

    It was quite a useful transportation skill.

    One needed to use a shadow larger than the user himself. Although the shadow needed to be within sight, a penalty like that was not much of a problem for a spatial skill.

    The problem was its manifest period.

    As it was a spatial skill, the difficulty level increased, leading to an extended manifest period.

    ¡®Should I have increased my skill proficiency level?¡¯

    It would have been a pain to do that.

    To a certain extent, the skill was only obtained for infiltrations like this, not a skill that could be used frequently.

    It was better to increase the skill proficiency of other skills instead.

    ¡®Anyway, I should have gone far enough¡­¡¯

    He hid behind the bronze statue and observed the soldiers searching for him.

    Thankfully, they were not able to spot him. Before Su-hyeun got caught, it was better for him to go deeper.

    [Shadow Assimilation.]

    Su-hyeun soon spotted another shadow in sight.

    From a distance, he used the shadow he saw to utilize the Shadow Assimilation skill.

    With that, Su-hyeun succeeded in infiltrating the castle.

    The castle was empty.

    It seemed that most of the soldiers were sent out to prevent him from entering.

    Although Su-hyeun had succeeded in infiltrating, the castle was dead silent as if the soldiers didn¡¯t think that he had entered the castle.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing special¡­¡¯

    Trudge.

    ¡®Must I go in further?¡¯

    The scale of the castle was relatively massive.

    It was hard to even look around the castle in a day. It was nearly impossible to just observe this place alone.

    ¡®If so¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun lowered his head and looked at the ground.

    ¡°Well, those with something up their sleeves usually liked the underground more.¡¯

    Slung!

    Su-hyeun hung the tree branch held in his hand on his back and took out Gram.

    And¡­

    Burn!

    The flame lit up, and Su-hyeun held on to Gram in the opposite direction. Holding the sword¡¯s handle with both hands, he directed it towards the ground.

    Poke!

    Burn!

    The fallen sword made the interior of the castle hot with the flame. Cracking sounds were heard as the castle walls and floors started to crack apart.

    Crack, crack!

    Rumble!

    The corridor where Su-hyeun stood at started to crumble.

    ¡®Regardless of whether the castle falls or not, what does it matter to me.¡¯

    There was a shortcut downwards; he didn¡¯t need to find his way around.

    Crumble!

    The floor of the castle crumbled, rumbling loudly. Su-hyeun grabbed onto the walls and fell along slowly.

    Looking down, he spotted nearly pitch-black energy.

    No, he had felt it.

    ¡°Bingo.¡±

    Thinking that it was not an ordinary castle, he believed that something was hidden in there.

    He had been worried that it would be concealed in a complicated way, but it didn¡¯t seem so after he managed to find it so easily.

    ¡®Indeed, it was easier to act instead of thinking about it.¡¯

    In truth, it was better to have used both brains and body to execute, instead of just relying on either one.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t a clever thinker.

    Slick!

    Su-hyeun threw himself down. Since he was now sure there was something beneath, there was no need for hesitation.

    Pierce, pierce!

    Swoosh!

    At that moment, black stems shot out towards Su-hyeun as he fell.

    Su-hyeun leaped upwards reflexively. He then injected flame into his sword and sent it downwards.

    Bang, bang!

    Burn!

    As the flame hit the stems, both had been wiped out. Su-hyeun climbed along the undamaged corridor and looked in the direction where the energy came from.

    ¡°I had thought some rat came along, but it was the kid from earlier.¡±

    A husky voice rang out.

    But it wasn¡¯t like Lich¡¯s, where it was fully split.

    It was using voice modulation magic.

    ¡°What were you doing here?¡±

    Su-hyeun wanted to obtain some hints from him.

    Su-hyeun had already learned that the castle was intertwined with the Lich. However, there was no knowing what the Lich would¡¯ve done there.

    If possible, Su-hyeun was hoping that the Lich would be a tell-tale.

    ¡°Why would I tell that to someone who would soon become a dead man?¡±

    ¡°If our aims are the same, wouldn¡¯t it be better if we cooperated?¡±

    The Lich started to gather magic in its hands, but Su-hyeun re-directed the topic.

    These words used to work quite well.

    Either way, they only worked towards their motives. If someone as strong as them were to cooperate with them, they would have considered it.

    However¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡±

    Lich¡¯s reaction was firm.

    ¡°Why is that so?¡±

    ¡°The energy that you¡¯re using.¡±

    Lich took off its hood revealing its face and pointed at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°It was the energy that would become our enemy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, is that so?¡±

    The flame was the problem.

    The flame¡¯s nature was similar to light and fire, which conflicted with the Lich¡¯s energy. Just as light and dark didn¡¯t go together, the Lich despised Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Well, what a shame.¡±

    Burn!

    Su-hyeun raised the flame that Lich had despised onto his whole body.

    The castle was soon heated up. With that power, Lich backed away with black magic wrapped around him.

    ¡°If so, I would have to finish you off first slowly¡­¡±

    As he talked to Lich, Su-hyeun did not approach but instead turned his head away.

    At that moment, the Lich who backed down while being pressured by Su-hyeun¡¯s magic stepped forward again.

    ¡°Did you think that I would be alone?¡±

    Slide, slide!

    Underneath, three more robed men appeared in the endless underground.

    Su-hyeun put up a perplexed expression, as he felt the same kind of magic from them as well.

    ¡®Things are getting complicated.¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t just one Lich there.

    Crumble, crumble!

    The castle shook again.

    The heat filled up the hall. Maxman stopped commanding his soldiers and stopped in his tracks.

    ¡°This¡­ What¡­¡±

    The intruder had entered the castle.

    His existence was enough to overwhelm thousands of his soldiers. With a single blow, he could¡¯ve cut down the iron gate to their fortress and resisted the magic attacks from dozens of his mercenaries.

    He was a monster.

    Although Maxman had been on the battlefields for decades, he had never seen a monster like that intruder.

    Thus, Maxman had to stop him. If such an intruder was in the castle, none of them could sleep a wink.

    However¡­

    ¡®Is the intruder an enemy?¡¯

    Maxman was surprised at the quick brief on the damage report by his soldiers.

    There were no dead soldiers.

    Come to think of it, the intruder did not hold a sword in his hands. Instead of a sword, he held a tree branch he had picked up somewhere.

    Of course, the intruder could have killed the soldiers with just a single tree branch.

    He had the skills to cut down the iron gate, so did it matter with what weapon he was holding?

    However, the intruder did not act that way.

    It meant that he didn¡¯t intend to kill anyone.

    ¡®Then why¡­?¡±

    He could not understand his objective.

    Despite being confused, he was sure about one thing.

    ¡®Something was going on.¡¯

    The feeling of danger and anxiety he felt now was not due to the intruder since he had no intention to kill the soldiers.

    Even if the kid was an intruder, it was hard to consider him an enemy when he did not harm the soldiers even at the expense of trouble.

    ¡®If so, just what is this feeling¡­¡¯

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    Maxman turned his head sharply towards the soldier who called out to him.

    ¡°There¡¯s a signal from within the castle! I think the intruder had entered the castle.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s his exact location?¡±

    ¡°The basement.¡±

    ¡°Gather the soldiers and mercenaries immediately¡­ No, wait.¡±

    Maxman shook his head.

    ¡°Pick out those who can move and set off. I¡¯ll go there myself.¡±

    Clank, clank!

    Crack, crack!

    Dozens of rectangular windows were fixed on the walls. Su-hyeun fell back as he was hit by the flame.

    ¡°How disgusting.¡±

    He furrowed his brows and turned his head around.

    One of the skeletons reached out its hand and stood there.

    Whoosh!

    They seemed to have prepared for a long time since quite a bit of energy was shot out.

    It was a familiar type of magic.

    ¡®Dark Gun, Guide.¡¯

    It was a high level of dark spatial magic that took the life of opponents after pressurizing them by crumbling every space available.

    It could not be received by the normal flame.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Burn!

    The flame on Su-hyeun¡¯s sword had become blue.

    Wrapping it around the sword, Su-hyeun made a downward stroke.

    Slash!

    Rip!

    The Guide¡¯s darkness was split in half. The scattered power dissipated, revealing the Lich.

    ¡°The Guide¡­!¡±

    Seemingly flustered, the Lich¡¯s voice cracked as it initially would. Three more Lich appeared around Su-hyeun and surrounded him.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun let out a long sigh.

    Had he known this would happen, he would have taken his time.

    ¡®All I can do now is regret¡­¡¯

    It seemed that Su-hyeun had to use one more of his cards.

    ¡®I hadn¡¯t wished to use it hastily if others got involved¡­¡¯

    Creak, creak!

    Starting from the back of his hands, Su-hyeun¡¯s skin was gradually covered in scales.

    When both arms were covered entirely in scales, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes had turned similar to those of a beast¡¯s. All his senses were amplified and turned sharper than before.

    ¡°I have no other choice.¡±

    [Transfigure: Imoogi.]

 Chapter 40

    Act 9

    The mission on the 18th floor was pretty simple. Su-hyeun had to knock down a single object, a single monster.

    The mission itself sounded the easiest and simplest. But as a result, the trial on the 18th floor was the most difficult one.

    [Knock down an old Imoogi.]

    Although it was described as old, Su-hyeun was dumbfounded about this trial at first.

    ¡°Imoogi? Did it just say Imoogi?¡± he asked.

    It was an unreasonable monster to come out on the 18th floor. Although it was a single monster, it was difficult to defeat. After fighting for more than half a day, Su-hyeun finally knocked down Imoogi. Without a second thought, he used transfiguration skills to defeat it.

    As a result, Su-hyeun gained the power of the Imoogi, the mythical snaked that tried to become a dragon with divinity.

    ¡°Of course, it is not perfect yet,¡± he thought.

    So far, he could not control the power of the Imoogi perfectly. Physically, Su-hyeun was not as powerful as the Imoogi. Because of this, Su-hyeun did not try to the traits of the Imoogi. Unless he was trying to improve his proficiency on purpose. However,

    ¡°If I do this¡­¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    As he grasped his hands, he could feel the scales on the back of his hands. Without spreading his magic, he could feel the surroundings and energy vividly. It had been a long time since he felt this.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡± he said.

    Whip¡ª!

    Riiiip¡ª

    He tore the energy down that flew in front of him. His long, sharp nails were better than any other sword.

    ¡°Watch out! This brat¡ª¡± one Richie shouted.

    ¡°It is too¡± ¡ªSu-hyeun said and grabbed the head of the Richie¡ª¡±late to watch out.¡±

    Bam¡ª!

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    The hallway floor was shattered. Su-hyeun¡¯s hand broke Richie¡¯s head and the Life Stone came out.

    Snatch¡ª

    Su-hyeun quickly grabbed the Life Stone. At the same time, he glanced at the other three remaining Richies.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time. I have to finish it quickly,¡± he thought.

    As his five senses extended, he could feel signs from outside of the castle. Soldiers were coming into the castle. Their signs quickly approached. Soon, they would arrive here. Then, it would be difficult for him to keep this state.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± he said.

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new form disappeared, leaving afterimages. In an instant, he got closer to the monsters. Three Richies condensed their magic.

    Whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª

    A solid dark sphere wrapped around Richies. Su-hyeun stroked the sphere with Gram.

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    Whirl¡ª

    A curtain created by the three Richies magic didn¡¯t stay long. It started to crack.

    Crack¡ª!

    The crack had broken, and huge magic came out from it. Dozens of dark ashes began to embrace Su-hyeun.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    At that moment, Su-hyeun made the Flame on the other hand. The red Flame quickly got bigger and started to cover the Richies.

    ¡°What the¡­?!¡± one Richie screamed.

    The three Richies were surprised and moved away from Flame. In the middle of that, one Richie pushed another Richie¡¯s back. The Flame pushed the darkness away and turned that Richie into ash. It was the kind of heat that would turn everything, even a Life Stone to ash.

    ¡°Now, there are two,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Slash¡ª!

    He swung the sword once more, successfully cutting off one Richie¡¯s arm. He meant to cut the body in half, but only one arm flew away.

    Crack¡ª!

    The curtain that the Richies made was pointless. They finally realized that and chose to avoid rather than to block.

    ¡°We have to get out of here¡­¡± one Richie said.

    ¡°We can¡¯t win like this,¡± the other Richie realized when he was Su-hyeun was using the transfiguration skill. He should have figured that out sooner.

    Crunch¡ª!

    A bird flew from somewhere bit off one Richie¡¯s neck. That Richie¡¯s movement stopped. Soon, his body began to burn.

    Crunch¡ª!

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    A phoenix came and bit off the neck and separated the body and head of one Richie.

    There was only one Richie left.

    ¡°Damn. No way¡­¡± he screamed.

    ¡°Yes way,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new form flew to Richie¡¯s front. The surprised Richie stretched his arms quickly. Soon, he released his magic with all his strength.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Once again, Guide covered Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    It was a hit.

    Richie yelled for joy. Since he swept with the Guide, Su-hyeun would not be safe.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Richie thought.

    But his pleasure didn¡¯t last long. When he yelled for joy¡ª

    [Indomitable body.]

    Whoosh¡ª!

    ¡ªSu-hyeun stretched his arm and grabbed Richie¡¯s neck. Richie grabbed Su-hyeun¡¯s wrist with his bony hand as if he couldn¡¯t believe what was happening.

    ¡°How could he¡­!¡± Richie screamed.

    The Guide was the dark magic about space. It was supposed to trample space and the pressure was strong enough to break down quite a bit of steel. In such a space, an ordinary human couldn¡¯t survive.

    There were two facts that this Richie overlooked. First, Su-hyeun was not an ordinary human. Second, his body was now assimilated into the body of the Imoogi.

    ¡°If you answer my question, I won¡¯t break your head,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    With the threat of Su-hyeun, the magic on Richie¡¯s hand disappeared. He was wanted to live, but he knew he could die if Su-hyeun made the Flame at that moment.

    But as Su-hyeun said, if he could answer the question, he would survive. Because Richie¡¯s power was not in the body; it was the Life Stone in his head.

    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Most of the Richies were born from refusing death too frequently. They could not give up their lives. Su-hyeun thought this Richie in front of him would not be much different. And his guess was correct.

    ¡°O¡­K,¡± Richie said.

    Richie, who seemed to be worried for a while, soon accepted Su-hyeun¡¯s proposal. Su-hyeun decided to use this Richie. He could just blow away the body, and there was no reason to keep the promise. There was nothing to worry about.

    ¡°First, what¡¯s down here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Under here¡­¡±

    The moment Richie tried to open his mouth.

    Shiver¡ª

    Su-hyeun got chills. He was surprised and released Richie¡¯s neck. He activated the Indomitable body again and quickly fell from the spot.

    Squish¡ª

    Stab¡ª

    Two black spears came out from under his feet. One of them pierced Richie from the bottom. The other rose where Su-hyeun was standing. He could be pierced if he didn¡¯t move. Richie could not continue to speak and stayed still.

    Slide¡ª

    Clink, clink¡ª

    The spears went back to the floor. Life Stone that was pierced fell from Richie¡¯s head to the floor. Richie lost the Life Stone and his life.

    ¡°¡­Well. That is annoying.¡± Su-hyeun mumbled.

    Su-hyeun wanted to get the answer and tried to leave quickly.

    ¡°This way!

    ¡°He is here!¡±

    Soldiers found Su-hyeun.

    Among them, the man who was at the forefront was skilled. He had the most intense magic of anyone in the castle. He was Maxman.

    ¡°Everyone! Don¡¯t approach. Cover me¡­¡± Maxman yelled.

    When Maxman found Su-hyeun, he pulled his sword and watched him. He soon froze after he saw the area where Su-hyeun and the Richies fought. He found remains.

    ¡°What, what is all this?¡± he asked.

    Only bones of the Richies¡¯ remained. And Su-hyeun was standing in the middle. The sight made Maxman very confused.

    ¡°Well. Should I say it is good timing¡­?¡± Su-hyeun glanced down and said, ¡°you are in charge here, right? Take your men out of the castle, right now.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Maxman made an expression that showed his mixed feelings

    It was their castle. He was the commander of this castle, and Su-hyeun was the one who had to get out.

    But Su-hyeun looked very dignified as if it was his house. Maxman was a bit embarrassed about it, but first, he had to figure out the situation.

    ¡°Well, if you look around, you will figure it out. This is what happened,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°You mean¡­Richie?¡± Maxman asked.

    ¡°Yes. This is a den of Richies. If you stay here, you will die,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Maybe it is you who brought Richies. Or maybe those skeletons were our soldiers.¡±

    Maxman couldn¡¯t just step out of his protection just because they were Richies. He wasn¡¯t even sure they were Richies. He couldn¡¯t afford to blindly believe the words of an invader.

    ¡°Can you see this?¡± Su-hyeun said.

    He lifted the hollow Life Stone on the floor.

    ¡°This is Richie¡¯s Life Stone. Richies plant these in their heads and save their lives.¡±

    ¡°¡­Prove to me that you didn¡¯t bring these Richies,¡± Maxman said.

    ¡°Well. If I could bring this number of Richies, I wouldn¡¯t make you guys come to the castle. If I was a real enemy, I probably would have just killed everyone already.¡±

    It was creepy, but it was true. Richie was a monster like a high-ranking wizard. If Richies teamed up with such a skilled swordsman, they would easily raze the castle to the ground.

    In such a situation, Su-hyeun acted like this and killed all Richies? That would be nonsense.

    ¡°Then, really, Richies were here?¡± Maxman thought, ¡°if that is true, should we escape the castle as this guy said?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to save your soldiers?¡± Su-hyeun pointed at his feet and said, ¡°If you guys stay here¡­ you all are going to die.¡±

    It sounded a bit extreme. Nothing was certain. But Su-hyeun¡¯s believed it and fortunately, Maxman thought the same.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Maxman opened his mouth. When he almost finished his worrying¡ª

    -Don¡¯t run away.

    Whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª

    ¡ªthey heard the voice ringing the whole castle. It was the voice of Maxman¡¯s immediate superior, who descended from the kingdom.

    ¡°What¡­the¡­?¡± Maxman said.

    -Don¡¯t run away. Kill that man. Right now.

    Whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª

    The voice rang the castle. Su-hyeun could tell whose voice it was.

    ¡°It is him,¡± he thought.

    It was the Richie that he met the first time when he entered this place. He had the highest concentration of magic. It was that man¡¯s voice.

    I am ordering you, as your superior, Maxman.

    ¡°Did he just say superior?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He looked at Maxman with surprise. Maxman was about to agree with Su-hyeun, but now he was restless.

    ¡°So¡­ Richie was drawing feudal allowance.¡± he thought.

    It was a ridiculous situation. The man in front of Su-hyeun, Maxman, was a soldier. For soldiers, the command of the superior was like the command of a god. It was the absolute rule that had made men like Maxman serve for a lifetime. So, he had no choice but to fight. Even if he thought Su-hyeun was right¡­

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Maxman had no choice. He had to fight.

 Chapter 41

    Maxman closed his eyes for a while and thought. In just a second, he thought many things. The scales in his head were tilted to one side and then back to the other constantly. He had never thought so deeply and quickly in such a short amount of time. Maxman finally opened his eyes.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Maxman opened his mouth.

    He could see Su-hyeun in front of him. The voice from below still made his head dizzy.

    It was at that moment.

    Well, then. I think all you guys should rather die here.

    Whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª

    Maxman made his decision.

    ¡± All army¡­!¡±

    He turned his body and looked at the soldiers.

    ¡°Get out of the castle! Right now!¡± He put magic in his voice and shouted. His voice was full of power. He worries completely vanished.

    And it was a rebellion against the high officials of the kingdom, who made sound from downstairs.

    -Are you betraying the kingdom?

    The shrilly voice shook the castle. Maxman looked down with contempt and opened his mouth.

    ¡°A real soldier doesn¡¯t feel diffident superior,¡± he said, ¡°the real soldier reads subordinate¡¯s countenance. Especially, if the price is the life of people, there is nothing to think about.¡±

    The reason he stopped worrying was simple. It was an easy question. The balances shook several times and soon it tilted to one side. The difference in weight was quite clear. Maxman had no intention of keeping the superior¡¯s order, which was a death sentence for the soldiers.

    If you do that¡­

    Crack, crack ¡ª

    Barroom, crack ¡ª

    The castle started to shake, and some sort of dark energy flowed through the walls. Maxman was surprised and pushed the soldiers back.

    I will kill you all.

    Whooooom¡ª

    ¡°Runaway! Right now!¡± Maxman had a feeling and shouted.

    The soldiers were also anxious. In the meantime, the order fell, so they ran as quickly as they could.

    ¡°R-run away!¡±

    ¡°Get out of the castle!¡±

    ¡°Hurry up! Quickly!¡±

    The soldiers began to move in perfect order, the energy from the wall began to shoot.

    Pow, pow, pow¡ª!

    Swiiiish¡ª!

    Hundreds of thousands of spear blades struck the soldiers.

    Maxman quickly moved his magic, but he could not cover all the soldiers with only his power.

    ¡°Is it too late¡­?¡± he thought.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    At that moment, a huge fire swept through the walls of the castle.

    crackle¡ª

    The heat had encroached on the castle. The heatwave seemed like it could burn the flesh. Thankfully, the black spears that had been firing at the soldiers were destroyed by the fire.

    ¡°W-what the?¡­ Maxman mumbled.

    ¡°Are you in charge here?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Maxman turned his head to Su-hyeun when he heard his voice. He thought this guy was his enemy, but he saved their lives.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made a good choice. Go out, quickly,¡± Su-hyeun said calmly.

    ¡°Why¡­?¡± Maxman asked.

    ¡°The reason is not important right now. You have to survive first, right?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s word was right. First of all, surviving was the most important thing. He didn¡¯t want to let thousands of soldiers be killed because of his foolishness. Maxman nodded and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Donald!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Take all the soldiers out of the castle and escape right now. I will leave the rest to your judgment,¡± Maxman commanded.

    ¡°What, sir? What do you mean, sir?¡± Donald asked.

    ¡°You heard me! Move right now! We don¡¯t have much time!¡±

    With loud scolding of Maxman, the deputy commander, Donald, shook his body and nodded. As Maxman said, there was certainly no time to linger. Su-hyeun was blocking, but the threat had not yet disappeared.

    ¡°Run! Escape out of the castle! Now!¡± Donald shouted.

    He began to lead soldiers. He had been in charge of the soldiers for a long time with Maxman.

    Su-hyeun opened his mouth as he watched the soldiers running away.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go?¡±

    ¡°I want to see with my own eyes if my judgment was correct,¡± Maxman answered.

    ¡°Do you still think I might be the enemy?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ No¡­ Yes,¡± Maxman answered slowly.

    Maxman had made a choice, but he was not sure about it yet. Right at the moment, he thought saving the soldiers was the right decision and he didn¡¯t regret it. However, it was necessary to check who Su-hyeun was.

    ¡°I am grateful to save the soldiers. As a superior, I thought it was better to take your side than that ruffian that told all soldiers to die. But¡­¡±

    Maxman shut his eyes, opened again, and continued to say.

    ¡°I can¡¯t eliminate any single possibility. I have never seen you before. So, if my decision was wrong¡­I will take responsibility for myself.¡±

    It was understandable. Su-hyeun was the person he never saw before, especially he invaded the castle. It was hard to believe that Su-hyeun was on his side, even if he had saved them. At least Maxman thought he needed to check the situation as the man in charge.

    ¡°Whatever. Do as you please,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Rumble, Ruuuuumble¡ª

    The walls shook more and more loudly. Su-hyeun gave a little more magic to the Flame. The magic of Richie and Su-hyeun continued to collide.

    ¡°It could have bothered me,¡± he thought.

    Maxman¡¯s choice about the voice that came from below was fortunate for Su-hyeun. If Maxman decided to keep the position and attack Su-hyeun, he had no choice but to escape from the soldiers.

    He was not sure what was underneath. But no matter what was there, if the soldiers stayed, he could not be rash in a choice move or fight.

    ¡°Since he made a difficult decision¡ª¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    ¡°¡ªI guess, the decision I made was not wrong.¡±

    Su-hyeun was blocking all the sides¡¯ walls in the castle with the Flame. Additionally, he had controlled his power and focused to not burn the soldiers so far. The magic and concentration that was consumed in the process were difficult to cope with even though he was excellent at controlling magic.

    And Maxman, who was facing Su-hyeun himself, might know that. Maxman was also a man who could use magic. For a long time, Su-hyeun concentrated and blocked Richie¡¯s magic. When he was convinced that all the soldiers had escaped from the castle, he finally put out his Flame.

    ¡°Huu¡ª¡± he sighed.

    It had been a long time that he had used so much magic. Although his Magic Factor increased over the past year, there was a limit, of course.

    Sweat formed on his tired face. Su-hyeun sat down and checked around.

    ¡°Is he tired, too?¡± he thought.

    Richie, who had been fighting for a while, also stopped releasing his power. Su-hyeun was thankful for that, he had time to take a breath.

    ¡°You really won¡¯t go out?¡± Su-hyeun asked once more to confirm before he stood up, ¡°I can¡¯t protect you anymore.¡±

    ¡± I can protect myself,¡± Maxman said.

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡¯ worry. I won¡¯t beg for my life. As commander here, I must see what is going on in this castle.¡±

    He was an inflexible and stubborn man. Su-hyeun wondered, how this kind of man could decide against the kingdom.

    ¡°I guess he takes care of the soldiers that much,¡± he thought.

    Maxman was a good superior. Thanks to him, this test became much easier.

    ¡°Now, it is almost time to end,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Tuk, tuk¡ª

    He beat the dust off the pants and stood up.

    Maxman also stood up and drew his sword.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Are you going underground?¡± Maxman asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead. Follow me.¡±

    Maxman, who knew the castle¡¯s structure well, stepped to one side to guide him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±

    Crack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun struck the sword toward the floor as he did the first time. Then, he injected his magic and began to break the floor.

    Whack, whaaaack ¡ª

    Craaaash¡ª

    Maxman shouted in surprise as he looked back at Su-hyeun, who was about to break the castle disappear below.

    ¡°How dare you break the castle¡­!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to go around,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry, all soldiers may die.¡±

    In response to Su-hyeun, Maxman shut his mouth up. The soldiers might die. Nothing more effective for Maxman than that and it was not just to make his mouth shut.

    Crack, rumble¡ª

    The floor began to collapse. Su-hyeun jumped down and glanced at Maxman. While falling, Maxman calmly slowed down. He didn¡¯t particularly study magic, but he had quite excellent physical skills.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ He is quite good,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Maxman had a good magic ability, but he was the swordsman who had a much better physical ability. He might be comparable to Richies that Su-hyeun just fought. At least, he would not be a burden.

    Swish¡ª

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    Su-hyeun broke the floor several more times. As they descended, they finally arrived at the dark underground. There was no light. Indeed, it was dark. It was not just because there was no light. There was some energy hovering around. It was very dreary energy, and could even erase the musty smell of the underground.

    ¡°Where is this place¡­?¡± Maxman mumbled.

    He never saw this place before¨Ca surprise since he knew the castle underground so well. It consisted of prisons for sinners or for soldiers who had committed wrongdoing. But this place was not for that. The underground that Maxman knew was above this place. This place was the underground of the underground.

    Maxman, who was commander of the castle, never knew this place existed.

    ¡°Watch out. Don¡¯t move,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    He quickly grabbed Maxman¡¯s shoulder as he was about to take a step forward.

    ¡°Your ankle will be cut off.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Maxman looked around in surprise. Hundreds and thousands of blades were laid on the floor. They wriggled and wandered around the floor as if they were alive. They were not normal weapons. They were blades made in some magical way.

    ¡°That is too bad. You could pay the price for betrayal.¡±

    The shadow of a person revealed with a giggle.

    ¡°Betrayal, my a*s. I don¡¯t think someone fooled others can use such words.¡±

    Richie, who was looking at Maxman, turned his face to Su-hyeun as if his words made him feel bad.

    ¡°Where did a guy like you come from?¡± Richie asked in a quiet voice.

    ¡°I dropped with a thud from the sky. To kill the bastards like you,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    It was not necessarily wrong. He had fallen to pass this place to pass the test. Until now, it was only a series of steps to complete this trial perfectly.

    And perhaps the final test of this trial would be the Richie in front of him.

    ¡°Are you trying to play some sort of hero?¡± Richie asked.

    ¡°Did you just say a hero?¡± Su-hyeun knitted his brows at Richie¡¯s question and said, ¡°watch your mouth. That word. I don¡¯t like it much.¡±

 Chapter 42

    Whirl, whirl¡ª

    The magic started to overrun around Su-hyeun. The highly concentrated magic blew violently and became hotter. In a sudden change of mood, Richie also pulled our his magic.

    ¡°Well, that is good. Because I do not like the type of people who pretend to be a hero.¡± Richie chuckled and laughed at Su-hyeun. He continued to say, ¡°but isn¡¯t it weird? What you did was a hero thing. Why did you save the soldiers? Go to all that effort? And why did you trust me to not hurt them after they ran away?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Maxman looked back at Su-hyeun in surprise. ¡°Even after the soldiers ran away?¡±

    Su-hyeun had helped the soldiers run away and checked the Richie during his break. He focused all his nerves on Richie in the deep underground. He also checked the soldiers¡¯ movement. In the process, he consumed with considerable concentration and even physical strength.

    ¡°I did not care for them at all. You fool just wasted your power.¡± Richie sneered.

    ¡°It was not a waste,¡± Su-hyeun denied what Richie said and stepped forward.

    Crack¡ª!

    He trampled the blade under his feet. The magic spread around him with rage. His eyes sparkled. He stared at Richie.

    ¡°Why was that a waste?¡± he asked.

    Thump¡ª

    Su-hyeun closed the distance toward Richie.

    ¡°Since the soldiers ran away because of me, it is my responsibility to keep them alive. This man, right here, evacuated the soldiers because of me.¡±

    Su-hyeun remembered what Maxman said, ¡°If my decision was wrong¡­I will take responsibility for myself.¡±

    The sense of responsibility and pressure that Maxman felt, Su-hyeun could understand better than anyone else. His one action and one word could decide so many people¡¯s lives.

    ¡°If so¡­ I should decide that the decision was not wrong. That is my responsibility,¡± Su-hyeun determined.

    ¡°What funny sophistry! Are you sacrificing yourself to save others?¡±

    ¡°It is not a sacrifice. It is a responsibility. Responsibility for my actions. Can you say a fool who doesn¡¯t know that he is a wizard of knowledge?¡±

    ¡°¡­I know for sure,¡± Richie said with certainty, ¡°you are the same as every other hero I know.¡±

    ¡°Really? Is that so?¡±

    Stab¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword penetrated Richie¡¯s head.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s just say you are right,¡± he said.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Richie¡¯s body started to burn and lit up the dark underground. Su-hyeun turned his body behind the burning Richie.

    ¡°Kekeke.¡± Richie¡¯s laughter came from the back.

    At first, the burned body by Flame was not Richie¡¯s. It was some sort of hallucination magic.

    ¡°You are a funny guy. A hero? ¡­ No, you already knew about me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Richie asked.

    ¡°About half?¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    He had a rough idea about the final destination of this trial, the mission that he got at this moment.

    ¡°The God of Death. Well, that is just a name¡­ I think you are an apostle of the king, the Richie King.¡±

    The Richie King. Among the intelligent monsters, he was also known as the God of Death. The Richie in front of him was an apostle of that Richie King. He was an upper-grade Richie, who was master of death-related magic

    Su-hyeun looked at the huge pattern drawn on the floor of the underground. It was a very complex pattern. He had seen this pattern once before.

    ¡°Death-Force Absorption.¡±

    Death-Force Absorption was the name of this pattern named by awakeners. It was a skill to draw the souls around the pattern and to improve the power of the user. It was a kind of magic circle that was mainly used by the apostle of the Richie King. Su-hyeun had been contemplating this skill since hearing the content of the trial and knowing the existence of Richie.

    ¡°If all people were dead¡­,¡± he thought, ¡°that Richie probably had much stronger power than now.¡±

    That was the reason why the gatekeeper gave him a hint, ¡°Do not kill anyone.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke. You are just proving your ignorance by disparaging His Majesty by that name,¡± Richie giggled and said.

    ¡°Bullsh*t. He is just a little stronger skeleton. You are the ignorant one, serving that man as a god.¡±

    ¡°That is because you have no idea who His¡­¡±

    ¡°That fellow. He will be killed by my hands.¡± Su-hyeun cut Richie off.

    Richie stopped laughing by Su-hyeun¡¯s word. He was pretty loyal to his king, as soon as Su-hyeun mentioned the king¡¯s death, he did not look relaxed anymore. But what he said was not just a lie to provoke him.

    ¡°What? Can¡¯t you believe me? Then, go otherworld and wait. You will see him soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­You brat. Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am. You would know. If my word is true or not.¡±

    What Su-hyeun said was true. The Richie King was a great being praised by Richies as the God of Death, but he was also just a monster.

    At the time of the dungeon outbreak, Su-hyeun had dealt with him. That time, he killed the Richie King and destroyed all Richies in the world. The Richie King was the creator of Richie¡¯s life extension system. That was why all Richies served him as a god.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying something you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Richie said in a low voice.

    Kuuuuuu¡ª

    Crash, Craaaash¡ª

    The magic of Su-hyeun and Richie started to crash. Maxman, who was in the middle, grasped his fist. His feet started to tremble.

    ¡°This is¡­ This is a different world than I lived in,¡± he thought.

    Maxman already knew how strong Su-hyeun was. He saw his skills with own eyes. The mysterious fire and magic he was using, and his magic factor was high. Plus, his sword skills were way higher than average. Maxman could not hesitate to say he was just amazing. But he still thought, there would be something he could help. But¡­

    ¡°What the hell am I doing¡­¡± he mumbled.

    He was seeing the kingdom¡¯s secret right at the moment. The Richie was appointed as the lord of a castle. Somebody in the kingdom planned to kill all soldiers and to increase the power of Richie.

    And since Maxman confirmed all the facts, he had to help Su-hyeun at least a little bit. But he could not. He had no power for that. He was not sure if his help would help Su-hyeun anyway.

    Sizzle¡ª

    Two huge bolts of magic hit and bounced in all directions. At that moment, it had become bright in front of Maxman¡¯s eyes. When he opened his eyes again, they were gone.

    ¡°Where did they go?¡±

    Craaack¡ª!

    Whack¡ª!

    He could feel the hot heat and stinging aura.

    Rumble, ruuumble ¡ª

    The underground started to shake.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Maxman barely protected himself from the aftermath of the fight. Su-hyeun swung Gram and struck Richie¡¯s head.

    Guuuuu¡ª

    Swish¡ª

    Gram¡¯s way was warped by the huge pressure that shot from his hand, the Guide magic. But Richie could not turn the way of the sword as he expected. The attack he had made intending to destroy it in the first place.

    ¡°As I expected¡­,¡± Richie thought.

    Swish¡ª!

    The ominous black sphere twisted its shape and shot at Su-hyeun. He did not avoid it, he rather cut it off, and approached Richie.

    Slash, slash¡ª

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª

    The sphere was cut and lost its direction and burst out. Richie focused on Su-hyeun¡¯s sword.

    ¡°That sword is pretty annoying,¡± Richie thought.

    He looked at the sword in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. Su-hyeun¡¯s ability was extraordinary, but his sword was something very special as well.

    Su-hyeun did not use much of his power. He was saving his magic. The hardness and sharpness of the sword was all the ability of the sword itself. Richie was surprised at the fact that the sword could cut his magic by its power.

    ¡°and that power¡ª¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    The flame surrounded Su-hyeun, who was burning all the dark magic and approaching him. He could not get closer to Su-hyeun because of that. That was a good defending method, also an absolute attacking method. That Flame was incompatible with Richie, who was using the dark magic.

    ¡°¡ª is very tricky,¡± Richie thought.

    In this way, it would be hard to fight back. Moreover, the skill he was preparing did not complete. The situation was disadvantageous to him.

    ¡°Then¡­,¡± Richie thought something and rushed to Su-hyeun.

    Richie was a wizard, but he ran into the swordsman. It was not a normal situation. Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes flashed in an unexpected situation.

    ¡°What is he doing?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Swish¡ª

    Richie stretched out his hand to Su-hyeun.

    In that short moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s head spun fast. ¡°Should I make this face-to-face? Is it some sort of trick? Is this an opportunity or a trap?¡±

    With complicated thinking, the Flame on his hand changed its color.

    Swoosh¡ª

    The Flame that changed to blue inflated its size.

    ¡°I won¡¯t avoid you. Face-to-face.¡±

    The worries were brief, and there was no reason to save power since he had made the decision.

    [The Transfiguration skill: Imoogi.]

    [The Flame.]

    [Indomitable body.]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body was surrounded by scales of Imoogi. The blue Flame covered his body and sword. His body became harder than steel because of the Indomitable body skill. There was no need to save his magic. If only he could cut Richie now.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Richie, who ran straight to Su-hyeun, was surprised by the unexpected strength. ¡°He is more powerful than I expected¡­!¡±

    The moment when their hands and swords cross each other¡ª

    Swoosh¡ª

    Boooom¡ª!

    ¡ªThe blue and black magic hit, and the shock wave shook the whole huge castle.

    Act 10

    Kuuuuuu¡ª

    The castle, which had been shaken by the aftermath of the huge explosion, began to stabilize.

    Patter, patter¡ª

    The broken walls and ceiling fell. Maxman coughed and lowered his arm that he had raised to protect his head.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Kkkrrraak¡ª

    Crash¡ª

    A pile of rock that had poured over his head spilled onto the floor. It was a miracle to survive in this mess. Maxman thought if he was a wizard, not a swordsman, he would not have survived.

    ¡°What is just happened¡­?¡±

    Maxman, who had barely recovered his vision, lifted his head and stiffened like a rock and opened his eyes wide. His mouth opened in surprise.

    ¡°C-castle¡­¡±

    The empty underground was cluttered with the collapsed ceiling, meaning that the aftereffect of the explosion had affected not only the underground but also the ground itself. It was amazing that such an explosion occurred due to the collision of power, but it was also amazing that he survived in it.

    ¡°Wait! What happened to that guy?¡±

    In this collision, what happened to the parties, Su-hyeun and Richie?

    ¡°Could he survive? Even the castle collapsed!¡± Maxman quickly stood up and looked around. Su-hyeun had saved many soldiers in the castle and himself.

    Crash, crash¡ª

    At that time, he sensed somebody¡¯s presence at the piles of stones at one side.

    Rumble¡ª

    The pile of stones was shaken. Some debris poured down. And from the crack of the pile of stones, one arm came out.

 Chapter 43

    Crack¡ª

    -Ugh¡­ Uh¡­

    Maxman heard a voice crack in frustration. There was a hand had no flesh, only bone.

    Crumble¡ª

    Soon, Richie came out from the pile of stones and looked around.

    ¡°¡­Sh*t,¡± Maxman swore despite himself. He hoped that the person who survived there was Su-hyeun. But Richie survived and stood right there.

    ¡°Can I win?¡± Maxman thought. He already knew the ability of Richie.

    ¡°If it was a normal fight, I would lose,¡± he thought. He was sure about that. But now, Richie was not in good shape. ¡°Maybe I can win. If I fight now before he recovers. I have to hurry¡­¡±

    Crack¡ª

    At that moment, another hand squeezed out of the pile of stones. And¡­

    Snatch¡ª

    Crash¡ª!

    That hand grabbed Richie¡¯s head and slammed it down on the ground.

    ¡°Cough, Cough!¡±

    Su-hyeun, who appeared with a cough, muttered with Richie¡¯s head on the floor.

    ¡°Ah, I ate a lot of sand.¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡± Maxman yelled.

    ¡°Oh, are you alive? I thought you died. Well, I am glad you didn¡¯t,¡± Su-hyeun calmly said but he was covered in blood. The blood spilled from the broken head. His arm was almost crushed, and his body was staggering. He certainly did not seem to be okay.

    ¡°Are you worried about me now?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die, I know my body,¡± Su-hyeun said and shook his hand. One arm was crushed, but the other one was fine.

    ¡°But still¡­¡± Maxman looked aghast when he saw Su-hyeun who pretended to be fine in awful shape.

    Crack, crack¡ª

    -You¡­ Bastard¡­

    ¡°Ah, man?¡±

    Crash¡ª

    Su-hyeun trampled on Richie¡¯s head. With a crunching sound, his head crushed and the Life Stone popped out.

    ¡°You are making me sick,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Flop¡ª

    He plunked down on the ground. It was a short moment, but he thought he might have died.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he blew up the skill itself,¡± he thought.

    Death-Force Absorption was a skill that gathered the souls of the dead and melted it to turn it into the user¡¯s power. The soul had greater power than expected. Even though the person was weak, the soul itself kept considerable power in it.

    Su-hyeun thought that Richie had not absorbed any soul with the skill. But there was one thing he had overlooked. The prisoners in the castle. The underground of the castle was a place to keep prisoners or soldiers who had committed crimes. There were dozens of people thrown in jail. Richie absorbed their souls in the skill and exploded it all at once. It was a gamble that risked the Richie¡¯s life.

    ¡°Really¡­ That was so close,¡± Su-hyeun sighed.

    If more souls had been absorbed by Richie, he probably wouldn¡¯t be standing. Protecting the soldiers, making them run out of the castle had been the right choice. With the thought that it was over, his body loosened up. He took a deep breath. The dust spread underground came into his mouth. He frowned.

    Maxman walked to him. He checked Su-hyeun and asked, ¡°Are you¡­ really okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am fine,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Maxman hestitated.

    ¡°It will be better if I get some rest for a few days. I am really fine.¡±

    The physical strength of awakener was not just the ability to run and fight for long. The higher Health stats, the more the body recovery ability increased rapidly. Su-hyeun¡¯s Health stats were not at all low. No matter how severe the injury, it would be best to take a few days to rest.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Maxman bowed his head to Su-hyeun. ¡°Thanks to you, not only me but my soldiers were able to survive. I had no idea the lord of a castle was Richie.¡±

    ¡°It is okay. I didn¡¯t do it to save anyone. There is no reason to be thanked.¡± Su-hyeun was ashamed by the sudden change of Maxman¡¯s attitude.

    Strictly speaking, Su-hyeun had helped him because it was a challenge of trial. If the soldiers died, Su-hyeun would be in trouble.

    ¡°Well, good things are good things,¡± he thought and picked up the Life Stone on the floor.

    Richie¡¯s Life Stone, this was the main part of the Richie.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Crackle, crackle¡ª

    The Life Stone in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand burned in the Flame. The sound of the soul¡¯s screams echoed in his head.

    ¡°Shut up. Just go.¡±

    Sizzle¡ª

    The Life Stone melted. At that moment, a message came to his head.

    [You have gained 100,000 achievement points.]

    [Calculating your accomplishment.]

    [Remaining Time: 29 days.]

    [You did not get help from Osman kingdom.]

    [You did not get help from Hero, Priscilla.]

    [You did not get help from Hero, Gerschmann.]

    [You did not¡­]

    ¡­

    [Counting the number of surviving soldiers.]

    [7,129 soldiers survived.]

    [You have attained the highest accomplishment.]

    [You have passed the 20th-floor¡¯s trial with perfection.]

    [Your achievement will be ranked.]

    [You have ranked first.]

    [Your Strength has increased by 1 point.]

    [Your Agility has increased by 2 points.]

    [Your Health has increased by 2 points.]

    [Your magic factor has increased by 2 points.]

    [You will get an additional reward depending on your accomplishment level.]

    [You have achieved the additional reward ¨C ¡®Hero: immortality.¡¯]

    [Will you ascend to the next floor?]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was the first time he had seen such a long message. He had never received a message this long, even in his previous life, which meant that Su-hyeun¡¯s achievements were excellent.

    -A help from Osman kingdom.

    -A help from Hero, Priscilla.

    -A help from Hero, Gerschmann.

    -A help from Hero¡­

    What it meant was clear.

    ¡°Well. It was a sh*t hard time.¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The system gave him almost 30 days. It was time to get their help. Perhaps the heroes and Osman kingdom already knew the existence of the Richie here. At first, it was not typed of the trial to solve alone. Even at level 10, the difficulty of this trial was insane for the 20th floor.

    ¡°Four Richies, and one apostolic Richie¡­¡± Su-hyeun sighed.

    ¡°But thanks to that, the achievement was calculated pretty high.¡±

    At least, there was something to comfort himself. Su-hyeun felt a little better to think about that. Unfortunately, his magic level did not increase by much. He felt sorry for that. He knew that there was a big difference in each level from level 6. But this time he expected a little.

    ¡°Well. I guess I just have to satisfy with the additional reward,¡± he thought.

    He got 100,000 achievement points, including Strength, additional stats, and magic factor. He also got a new skill, which was not a bad reward.

    ¡°Goodbye, mister¡± Su-hyeun waved at Maxman.

    Maxman was surprised for calling him mister and a sudden salutation.

    ¡°M-mister? Wait. What do you mean goodbye¡­?¡±

    Pooooof¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s appearance began to become transparent. Maxman reached out to Su-hyeun and shouted something loud, but his voice didn¡¯t reach him.

    [You will ascend to the 21st floor.]

    Thump, thump¡ª

    Su-hyeun, who returned to the home could barely walk to the bed. Although he passed the trial, his injury remained. He could use the treasure of Shayre and recover his body, but it was not bad enough to use the healing tool when he only had the opportunity to use it twice. Using it for this would be a waste.

    ¡°Phew,¡± Su-hyeun sighed. He felt tired. Although he took the pain pills he found at the store, the pain was not completely gone. If he didn¡¯t rest for a few days, the pain would probably continue.

    ¡°I can hold it in. I can¡­¡±

    Plump¡ª

    He lay on the wide bed with blood on his body. He was overcome by fatigue and closed his eyes. He did not know when he fell asleep. He slept almost all day, every day. As people say, sleep is a good cure. He felt much better when he awoke.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Su-hyeun made a moaning sound.

    The crushed arm was more of a problem than anything else. The fatigue made Su-hyeun quite relaxed, but one arm was still unnatural. Even with the remedy, the healing seemed to take a long time.

    ¡°I guess I have to go to the hospital and have it at least bandaged,¡± he thought.

    He could not walk around outside with a crushed arm like this. It seemed like it would be hard to see Shin Su-yeong for a few days. She would be frightened to see him injured this badly.

    Buzz¡ª

    The smartphone next to the bed rang. It was a text. He checked his phone and found several missed calls. He was not aware of the vibrations in his sleep.

    ¡°How deep did I sleep?¡±

    It had been a long time since he had been so tired. Su-hyeun sat on the bed and checked the phone. The missed calls were from Lee Ju-ho.

    -Did you pass the 20th floor already? In a day?

    -Are you not able to pick up the phone? Are you not feeling well?

    -It is crazy in Abyss Online. They are talking about how a person can pass the 20th floor in a day. Especially this time¡­

    ¡°¡­Umm. Is it already posted?¡± he thought.

    From two years ago, the interest in Su-hyeun had steadily increased on Abyss Online. Recently, there were more and more people who saw him on the same line as S-rank awakeners. Of course, most of that interest was because Su-hyeun was the only awakener to challenge the trials of level 10 and that his face was not known at all.

    ¡°Well, I guess there is a reason he is worrying.¡±

    The 20th floor was already known for its difficulty. People usually lowered the level of trial for this floor, but Su-hyeun kept insisting on level 10. And he passed the trial just in one day. It was far beyond the expected range.

    ¡°I also have to check what I asked for him,¡± he thought.

    Brinngg¡ª

    Su-hyeun pressed the button and called Lee Ju-ho.

    Su-hyeun made an appointment with Lee Ju-ho and headed straight to a nearby hospital. At the hospital, he scheduled the surgery and set the broken arm right. Of course, after that, the hospital urged Su-hyeun to be hospitalized immediately.

    ¡°Look. You can¡¯t go around with that body! What will you do with that arm anyway?¡± the doctor said.

    ¡°I am an awakener.¡±

    ¡°Still! Your body¡­¡±

    ¡°I am fine. Just apply for some medicine on my arm and wrap the bandage. Give me some pain killers as well if you can.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± The doctor sighed and look at him as if he was crazy.

    Su-hyeun, who acted casual with his mangled body and arm, did not seem normal. No matter how resilient awakening people are, they would know and feel pain.

    ¡°If you have any problems, you must come right back. Don¡¯t move too much.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Su-hyeun thought to answer him positively would be better than having a war of words with him. But no matter what happened, he did not have any plans to come back to the hospital.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be better in one day, except for my arm,¡± he thought.

    Of course, he was confident that his arms would be better in a few days. The difficult part was setting the broken bone. After that, it would recover quickly. Su-hyeun already largely set the broken part, so the doctor¡¯s job was only a detailed operation.

    After treatment, he came out of the room. Lee Ju-ho was waiting for him on the 1st floor. Ju-ho was surprised to see Su-hyeun injured.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°You mean this?¡± Su-hyeun turned his bandaged arm around and answered, ¡°It is nothing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on now!¡± That time, the doctor yelled at Su-hyeun behind of him.

    He looked at him as if scolding that he was not careful.

 Chapter 44

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Su-hyeun, who told the doctor that he would be careful, flinched from his lack of care. He pushed Lee Ju-ho¡¯s back. He could hear a nagging of the doctor behind them, but he pretended not to hear and moved in a hurry.

    The two men headed to a nearby cafe. Since Su-hyeun bandaged his arm and body, it attracted others¡¯ attention. So they found a place to sit away from prying eyes.

    ¡°How is your arm?¡± Lee Ju-ho, who ordered a cup of coffee, asked Su-hyeun.

    ¡°It is okay. I¡¯m fine, really,¡± Su-hyeun nodded and answered.

    ¡°I saw your face crumpled when you were swinging your arms earlier¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho said as his voice trailed off.

    ¡°Well, it is moving. That is good enough. Besides, injuring this much is not a big deal when we pass the trials, right?¡± Su-hyeun answered confidently as if he asked an obvious thing.

    Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. Since the injured one himself said he was fine, there was nothing he could do.

    ¡°Well, moving around a day after a trial like this means his injury must not be too bad,¡± he thought, ¡°This is pretty normal.¡±

    After the trial, seven or eight of the ten people usually injured themselves and devoted time to healing and recovering. Lee Ju-ho had been injured many times before as he ascended in the Tower of Trials. But Su-hyeun had not been injured much so far, except for some small wounds. This was the first time he was wounded badly. He was just a special case that he hadn¡¯t been injured much so far. The degree of injury he had now was not something serious compared to others.

    ¡°The problem was that it was the first time he was truly hurt, ¡± Lee Ju-ho thought.

    But if Su-hyeun thought this wound was not something special, there would be nothing to worry about. So, Lee Ju-ho decided to not worry about Su-hyeun anymore.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, but I called you to answer the question you asked the last time and ask you how you through the 20th floor so quickly.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ I used some ignorant way¡­¡± Su-hyeun faltered the end because he was not sure how to explain this.

    Then, he thought it would be better if he didn¡¯t talk about it, so he closed his mouth. Lee Ju-ho did not ask again as if it was not a big deal. In the end, there was one reason they met.

    ¡°By the way, what happened to the thing I asked you? What did the director say?¡±

    ¡°Umm, that¡­,¡± Lee Ju-ho sighed and replied, ¡°It is failed.¡±

    When Lee Ju-ho finished talking, there was only a devastating silence in the director¡¯s office. The air felt heavy, it was hard to breathe in there. Kim Do-ui, who followed Ju-ho with a light heart, felt cautious even to swallow. The situation continued like that for a while.

    ¡°¡­That is bullsh*t.¡± The director opened his mouth in a low voice.

    ¡°S-sir?¡± Kim Do-ui was surprised and called the director.

    The word came out because he was embarrassed. He did not open his mouth to say anything. The director gazed at Kim Do-ui. When he got the attention of the director, he was startled. He lowered his head and stepped back.

    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no basis, is there?¡± the director asked.

    It was obvious. Even Lee Ju-ho thought he had not enough evidence. But that didn¡¯t mean he would step back simply.

    ¡°But what if my words are true¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, bring me that evidence.¡± The director got up from his seat as if he did not want to listen to him anymore.

    ¡°In a month, a dungeon will appear in the sky of Anyang City, Gyeonggi Province? And what¡¯s inside the dungeon will cause an outbreak immediately? So, we have to dispose of awakeners and evacuate the citizens?¡±

    The director listed the things that Lee Ju-ho had asked so far and laughed ridiculously.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± The director sneered.

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how many people live in Anyang City? It¡¯s nearly 600,000 people. Are you saying we have to evacuate all those people? Because of you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is the matter with that 600,000 people.¡±

    ¡°If we evacuate 600,000 people, 60 million people in this country will be in fear. Because of your poorly-founded word.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Where did you get that information anyway? If you tell me the source, I will investigate,¡± the director said.

    The source of information, was Su-hyeun, of course. But even Lee Ju-ho did not hear the exact basis of this information from Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Just¡­ I heard he got this information from the Tower of Trials.¡±

    ¡°So, it is not you. You just heard from someone.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, tell me, who this man is.¡±

    At the end of the director¡¯s remarks, Lee Ju-ho thought a while, ¡°Should I tell him this? If I tell him I know who Kim Su-hyeun is, how with the director react? Should I hide it? But, what if it¡¯s true. Then, hundreds of thousands will die.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho shut his eyes and said, ¡°I heard it from Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    As if that was an unexpected name, the director¡¯s eyes shook for the first time, and so did Kim Do-ui, who was standing next to him.

    ¡°Is Kim Su-hyeun¡­ Possibly that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He is that Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Did you have an acquaintance with him?¡±

    ¡°I accidentally got in touch and he asked to tell you about this. I don¡¯t know him.¡±

    ¡°Why are you sure that he is Kim Su-hyeun?¡± the director asked.

    ¡°I am not sure. But just¡­ he said he is Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho hid Su-hyeun¡¯s identity and found a compromise point to persuade the director.

    Kim Su-hyeun was a name that no one could ignore among the awakener of recent years. The name had a special meaning as well as a mystery. He was the world¡¯s only 10-level trial challenger. It would be understandable, that he got this information in some special way, during his trial. At least, it would be better than Lee Ju-ho to make up a lie. Whether it worked or not, the director seemed to be thinking for a moment.

    And soon, the director opened his mouth. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice rose for the first time.

    Even he mentioned Su-hyeun, the director still denied it. Even after Lee Ju-ho¡¯s response, the director shook his head as he reconfirmed his decision.

    ¡°It is hard to believe what you just said. Even if the source of information is Kim Su-hyeun, we don¡¯t know if we can trust him. The information may be wrong.¡±

    ¡°But still! You should not play a gamble with the lives of so many people!¡±

    ¡°I am the one who listened to you and made decisions. I¡¯m responsible for that decision. So, if your information is wrong, I¡¯m responsible for it too. Can you take responsibility for that?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho gritted his teeth at the director¡¯s words. In the end, it meant that he would not act because he was afraid of responsibility. For the director, even if Lee Ju-ho ¡®s words were true, there was no problem. Citizens would die, but it would be an unexpected and difficult situation to cope with, like natural disasters. He wouldn¡¯t have to take responsibility.

    But what if he evacuated citizens as Lee Ju Ho¡¯s requested, but then what would happen if the dungeon didn¡¯t appear? The responsibility of putting the people into fear with false facts would follow. And that would be the responsibility of the director, not Lee Ju-ho. Lee Ju-ho was not in a position to take such a responsibility.

    ¡°So¡­ Are you going to gamble with the lives of the citizens?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°What do you mean gambling?¡±

    ¡°You left the safety of the people behind to avoid the responsibility now. If¡­ If what I said happens, will you pretend you never heard this?¡±

    ¡°That is not what I meant. Do you have to think awry like that?¡±

    ¡°That is what it is!¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    Slam¡ª!

    Lee Ju-ho approached the director and hit the desk with his fist. The desk was cracked and the documents on it fell. The director frowned at his anger.

    ¡°You are so upset now. I will pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.¡±

    The director glanced at Kim Do-ui next to him. His glance meant to let Lee Ju-ho go quickly. Kim do-ui sighed and took Lee Ju-ho out of the room. He regretted following the director¡¯s orders.

    ¡°That is what happened.¡± Lee Ju-ho looked very angry as he was finishing the story.

    His red face looked like it would almost explode soon. The director¡¯s decision showed nothing but negligence and disregard for the safety of citizens to avoid responsibility. However, Su-hyeun, who asked him to talk with the director, didn¡¯t seem very upset.

    ¡°Yeah, he is that kind of man. Whew¡­¡± Su-hyeun sighed deeply.

    He looked resigned rather than upset. Lee Ju-ho looked at Su-hyeun curiously.

    ¡°Do you know the director?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The way you said that sounds like you know him very well¡­¡±

    Of course, Su-hyeun knew what the director of the Awakeners Accreditation Authority was like. Perhaps not many people knew him as well as Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I had lots of bad experiences,¡± he thought.

    The director was always just like this. He was full of fear of his responsibility, and he was indifferent to the safety and security of others. As a position to be responsible for the safety of many people, Su-hyeun thought he was the worst person. So, he didn¡¯t expect much. But there would be a chance. That was why he asked Lee Ju-ho to talk with him. But the result was as he expected. Since he expected the result of this, he was not upset.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°That I mentioned you.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t think it was a big problem. Lee Ju-ho had tried to persuade the director in his way. Rather than getting angry, it was something to be thankful for.

    ¡°¡ªokay. Anyway, getting help from the Authority won¡¯t be an option anymore.¡±

    ¡°What will you do now? It will be hard to get other awakeners¡¯ help that day. Many people will be gathered in Ansan to attack the dungeon in there.¡±

    It was unfortunate. If there were more awakeners, even the damage would be great, but hundreds of thousands of people would not die. At that time, so many people had died. It was one of the worst disasters that Su-hyeun remembered. And¡­

    ¡°I was there,¡± he thought.

    This disaster happened when Su-hyeun just started as an awakener. He was not mobilized in the green dungeon that day. Instead, he mobilized in that disaster. And he had to see with his own eyes that many people dying on the spot. And he had no power to stop that.

    ¡°It is different¡­this time.¡±

    Unlike the time when he had just started to awaken, he had power now. It would be different. Remembering the future and being empowered made that difference.

    ¡°If the Authority won¡¯t help,¡± Su-hyeun said in a low voice, as he had planned anyway, ¡°I guess I will do it by myself somehow.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho thought Su-hyeun said nonsense. He felt embarrassed, so he asked him, ¡°¡­What? By yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Su-hyeun who thought he might not hear well, replied clearly, ¡°By myself.¡±

 Chapter 45

    Act 1

    ¡°What does he mean? Do it all by himself?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho was disconcerted by Su-hyeun¡¯s confident answer. At first, he thought Su-hyeun might have an excellent plan. But he said he just take on the dungeon by himself. Lee Ju-ho had no idea how to take it.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry too much. I have an idea,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°It will be alright, won¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will make it alright.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t plan to do anything. Although the situation would not help, he decided to manage it somehow. Lee Ju-ho smoothed down his chest after he listened to Su-hyeun¡¯s definite answer. Since he looked confident, maybe he had an excellent plan.

    ¡°Then, I will count on you, Su-hyeun,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Su-hyeun hesitated a little bit and said an uneasy word to Lee Ju-ho, who was finally relieved, ¡°Although, it is not a very reliable way.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t say anything to Lee Ju-ho. Since he had already got treatment in the hospital, he caught a taxi and returned home. When he opened the front door, the first thing he saw was the blood trail from the living room to the door of the bedroom.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯ll take a while to clean up.¡±

    He opened the bedroom door. He had forgotten, but the bedroom was the same as well. Even the bed was covered with blood.

    ¡°I think¡­ I just have to hire a cleaner.¡±

    He tried to clean it up, but this was a mess that he couldn¡¯t clean alone. He had lots of money he didn¡¯t know what to do with. There was no place he could go, so he called the cleaning company. He discarded the dirty bedsheets and ordered new ones.

    Plump¡ª

    Su-hyeun perched himself on the edge of the bed until the cleaners came. Now, there was only one month left until the disaster.

    ¡°Should I challenge the 21st floor?¡± he thought.

    There was more time left than he thought. Trials on the 20th floor ended faster than expected. Originally, it was supposed to take nearly a month, but Su-hyeun ignorantly passed it in a day. Because of that, now he had a month to spare. He started to think about how to use this time.

    ¡°What if I get injured like this again?¡±

    That would be dangerous, depending on the type of trial, he might end up having a serious wound. It was possible he couldn¡¯t pass the trial in the right amount of time. If he completed the trial in one day, that would be a really big problem.

    ¡°I should hold trials for a while.¡±

    Then there was only one thing to do for the rest of the month.

    ¡°The highest potential potion,¡± he mumbled.

    Thanks to the rewards he gained after the recent trial, his achievement points exceeded two million. This was enough to buy what he wanted, the highest potential potion. He had been delayed until now since he had a serious injury. But he almost recovered to the point that he could move again.

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± He recalled another reward that he had forgotten, ¡°Was it a new skill?¡±

    The name of the skill was Immortality. Would it be as good as the name sounded? He checked the skill.

    [Hero ¨C Immortality.]

    *Rating: It is direct proportion to the user¡¯s magic.

    *Category: Passive

    *Lv: 1

    This is a body of Adele Kleimer who fought against the devil a long time ago. It is said that the body of a hero was nearly immortal, like a god who does not die or get injured. It will automatically activate when the lifeline goes below a certain level. Regenerative Power and Health will quickly recover, and physical ability will rise rapidly. Duration, cool time, Regenerative Power and Health recovery rate is proportional to proficiency.

    It was a tremendous explanation. More than anything else, the description of the hero, Adele Kleimer, who fought against the devil, seemed unnecessary. Unlike the name immortality, the ability of skill itself was not immortal.

    ¡°Is it because the skill level is still low?¡± he thought.

    There was no skill that incredibly effective regardless of skill level. Such cases only happened when the skills didn¡¯t require proficiency or level and they usually had a clear limit. Then, it would be much better to have Level-dependent skills like this. The existence of proficiency or level meant that there was no limit.

    ¡°I guess it is technically a higher version of Berserk skill.¡±

    Berserk was a skill that compensated for physical strength and strengthened overall physical ability in proportion to negative conditions, such as physical strength and bleeding users. In terms of skill used in crises, Immortality and Berserk were similar.

    The difference between them was in the form of active or passive. Unlike the Berserk that could be used at any time, Immortality was a passive skill that was activated when certain conditions were set.

    ¡°Of course, this is better because there are no side effects.¡±

    Strictly speaking, Berserk was not a skill to recover the lost Health. It was only to make the user feel as if he had recovered his physical strength for a certain period. So, in the end, this skill made him feel more tired than he was the first time.

    Immortality, on the other hand, was the ability to recover Health and regenerate injuries. Besides, physical abilities would rise rapidly. Although it was a passive skill, it could be called a higher version of Berserk.

    Of course, he had no idea how much this skill would help his Health recovery or Regenerative Power. That would be something he had to check from now on.

    ¡°But how can I raise the proficiency of this skill?¡±

    There was only one way to come to his mind right away.

    ¡°Should I harm myself?¡±

    A sigh came out. It looked like he needed to do it once, at least. To use the skill, he had to know when it would activate or how much it would recover his health, and how much it would regenerate. It wasn¡¯t a bad skill. He just was not sure how great this skill was as its name.

    ¡°Well, then¡­:

    Su-hyeun, who checked the effect of the skill, got up and opened the door.

    ¡°I guess I have to go shopping first.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I said the highest potential potion! A catalyst!¡±

    Su-hyeun said in frustration to the middle-aged man with a shaggy beard. He asked Su-hyeun three times already.

    The middle-aged man, who was the owner of the store, blinked his eyes and asked again, thinking this question would be the last one, ¡°You mean¡­the highest one?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why are you looking for that here?¡±

    He thought his previous question would be the last one, but he asked again.

    The owner thought this situation was very ridiculous. It was only the 21st floor. He could not believe there was someone who was looking for the highest potential potion. He tried to convince himself he misheard a higher grade. But no matter how many times he heard, this customer kept saying highest.

    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t have it?¡±

    ¡°No, I have it¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just give it to me?¡±

    The owner thought he might be joking, but it seemed like it wasn¡¯t. People usually purchased a low-grade potential catalyst. Some rich people bought a middle-grade potential catalyst. But this man was asking for the highest one. The middle-aged man reached out to Su-hyeun. He wanted to make sure he had enough Achievement Points.

    [Achievement Point: 2,081,400.]

    Su-hyeun was not joking. He had 2,081,400 points. He had enough points to buy the highest-grade potential catalyst which was two million.

    The owner could not believe it at first. He never thought there would be anyone who would buy this expensive thing. He also never thought there would be anyone who would get that many points either. He thought he would never take this stuff out from the shelf.

    ¡°Huh, well¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It is a good thing for you to sell expensive stuff, right?¡±

    ¡°Yea. I mean. I am a little surprised. Yes, it is a good thing.¡±

    There would be no shop owner who would deny selling expensive things. He hurriedly brought the stuff from the downstairs.

    ¡°Here. This is the highest-grade potential catalyst.¡±

    What the middle-aged man brought was a small, thumb-sized bottle of dark purple liquid. The size and shape were not significantly different from other catalysts. The only difference was the darkness of the purple. But Su-hyeun, who already knew this product, recognized it at once.

    [You have spent 2,000,000 achievement points.]

    ¡°Thank you for the stuff. Have a good day.¡±

    Su-hyeun took the catalyst and left without hesitation. He left the shop and headed to a small inn in the city. He rented a room and went in. He opened the bottle.

    Pop¡ª

    ¡°Yuck.¡±

    As soon as he opened up the bottle, a terrible smell filled the room.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have to drink this again¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun had already drunk the highest-grade potential catalyst several times in his previous life. It had the worst flavor ever. He could not believe this horrible taste could exist in the world. He didn¡¯t want to drink this anymore. After he had drunk a few more times, it didn¡¯t give him greater power anymore. He didn¡¯t drink it anymore after that. But¡­

    ¡°If it is used for the first time, the effect is significant.¡± Su-hyeun took a deep breath. ¡°I can do this. I just got to do it.¡± He was trembling more than before he fought Fafnir.

    Gulp¡ª

    He could feel vividly the feeling of the catalyst passing over to his throat. The taste he could not use to it, no matter how many times he drank, lingered on his tongue. He felt sick. He felt like he would vomit soon. There were many times people drank this catalyst and spit it out again because of this flavor and feeling.

    ¡°Weck¡­¡±

    He closed his mouth with hands and barely endured not vomiting. It was disgusting.

    Gulp¡ª

    Once again, he swallowed the disgusting taste left in his mouth with saliva. He swallowed the lingering flavor on his tongue a little. His stomach felt sick, but it was better to not taste it.

    There was no time to hesitate. Su-hyeun sat down quickly and began to concentrate his nerves on his body. Now, the most important part would begin. If he hesitates because of the flavor, the catalyst would be digested soon.

    ¡°I have to hold it.¡±

    Whiiip¡ª

    The catalyst that reached to the stomach after passing his throat started to react. The key was how much he could melt this catalyst in his body. The catalyst was for inflating the magic. It reacted with original magic in the drinker¡¯s body and increased it. How effective it would be was depending on the individual¡¯s ability. Even if it was the highest-grade potential catalyst, to somebody it could be just a horrible flavored useless potion. It also could be the best restorative for someone.

    Rumble, rumble ¡ª

    The catalyst began to loosen little by little at Su-hyeun¡¯s will. The first thing he had to do was spread it throughout his body. However, since the concentration was much thicker than other grades of catalyst, it did not move as he intended. If his Magic Level and Factor were lower, it might not move at all.

    ¡°Move.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The catalyst started to react. The catalyst that contacted his magic started to spread the power from the stomach all over his body.

 Chapter 46

    ¡°Okay. Good,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    It was important from now on that he slowly drew his magic to maximize the effectiveness of the catalyst. If he drew his magic too quickly, the catalyst would evaporate. At the same time, he felt the pain. It was as if his body was burning.

    ¡°Focus. I need to focus.¡±

    It was a pain he had been prepared for in the first place. Su-hyeun clenched his teeth and raised his magic.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The magic, which reacted to the catalyst, gradually grew¡ªthe size and concentration began changing.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The magic wasn¡¯t done growing yet, but suddenly it stopped. Su-hyeun was embarrassed and pulled down the moving magic.

    ¡°Did I try to make it grow too quickly?¡±

    He had been thinking of increasing the Magic Level at the same time as the catalyst, but it did not work well.

    ¡°Then¡­ I have to confine it first,¡± he thought.

    The catalyst was worth two million points. He didn¡¯t want to blow this in vain. He decided to keep it in his body before it started to evaporate.

    Whoooshh¡ª

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The catalyst that was evenly spread through his body began to move to one side. He led it to the edge of his heart. The blood circulation would help the magic spread faster.

    Zip¡ª

    Then, he encircled the area to prevent oxidizing the catalyst. With this, he did not have to worry about the catalyst disappearing.

    ¡°I wanted to finish it quickly¡­Oh well.¡±

    It seemed hard.

    ¡°Since this is what happened¡­ I guess I will melt it for a long time.¡±

    John, who was the owner of the inn, Makdallum, went to room 301. A customer was staying there who paid to stay for a week but had been there for 10 days without paying extra!

    The guest had mentioned ahead of time that he would stay longer than a week, so John didn¡¯t worry at first. But he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Not just because he was behind on the payment but because also other customers started to complain about the strange smell from that room.

    ¡°What is this smell?¡±

    John came up on the third floor and frowned. It smelled like something sour got rotten. He felt like his stomach would be turned inside out.

    ¡°Oh my god. What is this¡­?¡±

    It smelled much worse than he thought. He had no idea what this customer was doing in the room.

    ¡°Seriously¡­!¡±

    Bang, bang, bang¡ª

    John knocked on room 301 roughly.

    ¡°Hey, man! What are you doing inside? You haven¡¯t paid for your extra days!¡±

    Click¡ª

    Creak¡ª

    The old door slowly opened. John made a wry face. He was ready to nag. But soon, his frown deepened. He wanted to say something, but he could not open his mouth.

    ¡°O, oop¡­¡±

    The smell in the room was more putrid than in the hallway.

    ¡°Y-yuck¡­!¡±

    John shut his mouth with both hands and hurriedly went down the stairs. He had no time to argue at the moment. He had to find a restroom before he threw up.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at John¡¯s back. He expected this, but he felt sorry.

    ¡°How long has it been?¡±

    The process of absorbing the catalyst took a long time. He thought it would take a week at most, but he concentrated so much that he could not figure out how much time had passed. The reason why John came to his room was probably the smell.

    ¡°I guess I should pay him some extra money.¡±

    He did not want to run away after he made the inn smell this bad. Su-hyeun scratched his head and headed for the bathroom. First, he had to shower.

    Su-hyeun paid the money he owed to John after John vomited until nothing was left in his stomach. Although he had spent two million achievement points before, the remaining points were more than enough to use on the 21st floor. When he paid extra 3,000 achievement points, John¡¯s face lighted up quickly. That amount was equal with what he earned running the inn for a month.

    ¡°10 days¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun checked the remaining time after he came back to the real world.

    ¡°Now, only 18 days left,¡± he thought.

    There was not much time left. More time passed than he had expected. Since there was a result, the time spent was not meaningless. Now, it was time to find a way.

    ¡°Should I persuade the director again?¡±

    If he would meet him in person, he might be able to make up more plausible reasons to persuade him.

    ¡°No¡­ Probably not.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long to shake his head for that idea. He knew the director. He was not that kind of person. As Lee Ju-ho had experienced, the director concentrated all his thoughts on his comfort. It was a wonder how he could manage to rise that high position. He was not a person who could risk it.

    ¡°Now, what I only have¡­¡±

    There was only one way he could think of. Although he told Lee Ju-ho confidently, he knew his plan was stupid and ignorant. But this was the only way.

    ¡°I guess my secluded life will be over,¡± he thought and scratched his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, though.¡±

    It seemed too early to reveal himself, but he had done so many things. He achieved his goal, so there was no reason to hide anymore. Above all, there was no other way he could think of.

    ¡°When things are complicated, it is best to face them directly.¡±

    Rattle¡ª

    Su-hyeun pushed the chair back and turned on the computer. He logged on Abyss Online and left an anonymous post.

    Click, Clack¡ª

    On January 17th, a new post on Abyss Online went viral. At first, everyone ignored it. But the writing posted repeatedly, and it included detailed content. It started to have many recommendations and became a sensation. Hak-Joon was looking at the thread on his smartphone.

    [Title: Anyang, January 31st.]

    *On January 31st, 6:00 p.m, there will be a terror over Anyang City. Dump Guild will create this terror. What is Dump Guild? This is the guild of terrible awakeners. It is a gathering of the worst killers. They are just hiding in the shadows now¡­ I am writing it here, risking my life. If you live in Anyang, I recommend not being in town on that day. I hope you don¡¯t risk your life. That would be very stupid.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was clear how this article became popular. It was because of the Dump Guild.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Jung Dong-Yeong asked Hak-Joon.

    He was looking at Hak-Joon¡¯s smartphone next to him. The question was so obvious.

    Hak-Joon replied, turning off the smartphone screen. ¡°I think it is fifty-fifty.¡±

    ¡°You mean the possibility?¡± Jung Dong-Yeong asked again.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well. I guess this person is not just a grandstander since he knew about Dump Guild.¡±

    Dump Guild was a group that was recently mentioned among the high awakeners. They were a large guild who secretly committed crimes. Originally, the gang hid in the shadows, but as it grew, it was gradually exposed to the world. But, there were only a few awakeners who knew of its existence.

    ¡°But¡­ Why would Dump Guild will do such things? Isn¡¯t there a reason?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think that evidence is pretty lacking,¡± Hak-Joon answered.

    He turned his phone screen back and started to read the comments of the post. Not surprisingly, many people seemed to think the same.

    -Dump Guild? What is that? I have never seen or heard of it before.

    -Dump? I know them. It is not a fiction of an attention wh*re.

    -Right. This is true. I think we should watch out.

    -Will this writer be okay to write something like this? If it is true, watch out for black cars and walking in the night.

    -But why would Dump Guild do such thing? If they¡¯re a secret society like this post says, why would they create terror?

    ©¸Yea. That is true.

    ¡°What people think is all similar. Right?¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°At this point, I think some people will try to figure out who the writer is,¡± Jung Dong-Yeong said.

    At Jung Dong-Yeong¡¯s words, Hak-Joon turned his head and looked at him. He grinned dreary as if he was up to something.

    ¡°Are you¡­¡± Hak-Joon was about to say something.

    ¡°I just wonder who found these things and wrote the post,¡± Jung Dong-Yeong said.

    Hak-Joon was with him for quite a long time. He could tell Jung Dong-Yeong was not smiling because he felt good.

    ¡°Why¡­?¡± Hak-Joon thought, ¡°Why does he feel so bad about this writing?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t tell why. It was a just post he shouldn¡¯t think twice about. Jung Dong-Yeong would not be interested in other people¡¯s lives. He probably didn¡¯t have a connection with¡­

    ¡°Wait¡­ Is he?¡± He had a light bulb moment. ¡°Dump Guild, Ares Guild, and Jung Dong-Yeong¡­¡± The worst thought crossed his mind. He shook his head. ¡°No, it couldn¡¯t be.¡±

    Jung Dong-Yeong sent Hak-Joon to the next dungeon attack site. He also adjusted his physical condition for his trial. Jung Dong-Yeong, who came back to his office, sprawled on the sofa. He did not feel good. It was even worse recently.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    Jung Dong-Yeong brought Hak-Joon to raise him like a loyal dog. He saw his weaknesses and treated him well enough to forget that he was caught. He treated Hak-Joon better than other henchmen who had been together for a long time. But¡­

    ¡°What the hell is this fellow doing?¡±

    Jung Dong-Yeong turned on his smartphone. On the screen was the post he saw before. It was the same post that Hak-Joon read. He was surprised to see this article for the first time. He could not believe there was someone so openly speaking about Dump Guild.

    He investigated and found who the writer was; it wasn¡¯t difficult. He just needed to track the IP address and figured out the owner of the ID. Although it was illegal, it didn¡¯t matter. Now that he knew who the author was, there was no turning back, illegal or not.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun,¡± he mumbled.

    Jung Dong-Yeong received a report from the guild members and came to think of Hak-Joon.

    ¡°I am sure¡­ I saw them contacting each other often¡­ Is this a coincidence?¡± he thought.

    The noise was increasing in his brain. Jung Dong-Yeong thought about asking to Hak-Joon directly, but he could not do that now. He decided to watch what would be going on first.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun,¡± he said again.

    It was urgent that he found out what his purpose was.

 Chapter 47

    Act 2

    It was on January 30th. The post spread quickly, not only to Abyss Online but also to various SNSs. It could have happened because of one famous awakener. He confirmed that the Dump Guild was an actual organization.

    -A few days ago, Rank B awakener, Mr. Lee Ju-ho, who is also known for raising his trial level, mentioned Dump Guild. Dump Guild is called the guild of killers. Does it really exist?

    -There is no clearer information about that yet. But in the opinion of many experts, yes, this society may be real.

    -Then, do you think Dump Guild will create terror tomorrow?

    -Well. At this time, opinions vary. Even though Dump Guild exists¡­

    Beep¡ª

    The director of the Awakeners Accreditation Authority nervously turned off the TV. He raised his red face and asked. ¡°What have you been up to?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± at the director¡¯s words, Lee Ju-ho asked back while he was sitting on the couch as if he was bothered.

    He sat with his legs crossed and picked his ear. It was like he decided to tease the director. And if that was the intention, it succeeded. Because the director was really upset.

    ¡°What is that interview! What the hell is it?¡±

    ¡°Well, since you didn¡¯t cooperate, I had to do it.¡± Lee Ju-ho answered.

    ¡°But how could you sell the name of Dump Guild? What if they go crazy?!¡± the director shouted.

    ¡°Even if they go crazy, they will not kill as many Anyang City people. And besides, we can¡¯t cover it up forever.¡±

    There was nothing wrong with his words. Dump Guild was the organization that had to be mentioned someday. Before they got bigger, it was clear that this guild had to be publicized to root it out. But¡­

    ¡°That is all possible when the information you brought was true,¡± the director said.

    The premise was wrong. The director still did not believe Lee Ju-ho. He also did not believe the source of the information was Kim Su-hyeun. In the meantime, the news spread. There was no wonder that the director was in trouble.

    ¡°What? Why? What is wrong now? You don¡¯t have to take responsibility now.¡±

    ¡°Are you insane? How did you make this so big with that stupid post?¡±

    ¡°Even if it is false information, there is nothing to lose for you, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Dump Guild¡­ Isn¡¯t it something you made up?¡±

    ¡°People will die because of either Dump Guild or monsters. It¡¯s the same.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding¡±

    When the director started to rant, Lee Ju-ho finally set down properly and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Well, things already happened. Will you now sell my name and announce that it won¡¯t happen? Then what if the monsters fall into the city?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    The director could not say anything about Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words. What if it did happen? In the worst case, he might have to step down from the director position, because of the words and actions he took in a fit of anger. With his word, they would not react to prevent a sudden dungeon outbreak.

    ¡°But no matter what, other awakeners will not take action. Your words can be a piece of news, but that is not enough to make high awakeners set out.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho was a pretty famous man. He was an awakener that showed up on the TV quite a few times. So, it was not wired that his word and interview became news on TV. There would be some citizens who would listen to him and evacuate in advance. But not everyone would. Above all, the majority of awakeners did not know the existence of Dump Guild. The high-ranking awakeners who knew their existence had not listened to Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°If you believe your words could move the world, it¡¯s a mistake.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho nodded calmly at the director¡¯s twisted words and ridicule.

    ¡°I know that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I am curious. I just did what I was told to do¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t know much.

    He just heard from Su-hyeun that the dungeon outbreak of Anyang would happen tomorrow. Only Su-hyeun knew a plan to prevent that. Lee Ju-ho just called journalists and released information as Su-hyeun asked him.

    ¡°What does Su-hyeun think? How will he handle the outbreak and evacuate people?¡± Lee Ju-ho thought.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just see¡± ¡ªLee Ju-ho, who had visited the director¡¯s office at his call, got up from his seat as if he had nothing to say¡ª ¡°What is going on tomorrow?¡±

    It was on January 31st. This day, it snowed all over Gyeonggi Province. The world was paying attention to two things.

    The more remarkable thing between them was Green Dungeon that appeared in Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province. Green Dungeon was one of the most difficult dungeons in existence. Numerous high-ranking awakeners participated to conquer the dungeon, including S-ranked awakener Kim Hyun-soo. The success of the attack was almost certain. The question was how much damage could be reduced in the process.

    The second one was about the terror attack in Anyang City, Gyeonggi Province. There was not much interest in this part. Because there were many stories that it would be just a rumor since people could not check whether it was true or not. Furthermore, people underestimated the risk since it would be a terror to people, not a natural disaster like a dungeon. For many reasons, the story about the terror of Dump Guild was noisy only in Abyss Online.

    ¡°There are not many people who are evacuated, are there?¡±

    -Yeah. One in five citizens evacuated after hearing the news.

    Lee Ju-ho grunted and complained on a phone call with Su-hyeun. He suffered all the troubles and warned people there would be a terror, but only one in five people evacuated.

    ¡°Well, still more than 100,000 people have been evacuated. It is a pretty big number. Since there was no evidence or anything.¡±

    -Yea. I guess you are right.

    ¡°I was very grateful to you. Mr. Lee Ju-ho, and I think the interview helped.¡±

    ¡°Haha. You¡¯re welcome. Wait. Didn¡¯t you say your mother lives in Anyang, too?¡±

    ¡°No. She opened her shop in Suwon City. So, she moved out there.¡±

    -Ok. That¡¯s good. But still, Anyang and Suwon are quite close.

    ¡°Yeah. So, I sent her a trip today. You don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do with the rest of the people? I will be there since I don¡¯t have any other dungeons to attack¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you know what?¡± Su-hyeun grinned while talking to the phone. ¡°The terror was not a lie.¡±

    -What?

    ¡°Now, listen carefully¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun started to say something Lee Ju-ho. And¡­

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± That was the most ridiculous thing Lee Ju-ho had ever heard.

    ¡°I am in my right mind.¡±

    ¡°The idea is good, but is that possible?¡±

    ¡°We have to make it possible, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°It is easy to say but¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho thought that what Su-hyeun planned would never be possible. It was natural. It was difficult enough to question whether it was possible or not aside from intention or result.

    ¡°Anyway, see you later.¡±

    Su-hyeun hung up the phone after that. Now, it was time to start.

    ¡°Well, I am ready¡­¡± he thought.

    He put on a mask and got up from his seat. Suddenly, he felt a sense of shame.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have to wear this at this age. I haven¡¯t worn it since I was young.¡±

    Su-hyeun touched the character mask on his face. He sighed out and made his step.

    ¡°Huu¡ª¡±

    Gwon Jang-hyuk blew cigarette smoke.

    He had no idea how many years he did nothing but kill time in a corner alley. Some of the friends already left him.

    ¡°Damn. There is no one to take money from¡­¡±

    He was already 24 years old, but he had no intention of changing his nature. After he had been flayed once from the man he had bullied, he hesitated to bully other people, but soon he searched for other prey.

    ¡°Hey man. You sure it will be ok?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°People say there will be a terror here today. Didn¡¯t you hear that?¡±

    ¡°Bloody hell. F*cking terror my ass.¡±

    Gwon Jang-hyuk snorted at the advice of a friend. He knew people were noisy about terror. But he was just an ordinary man and thought that would be nonsense.

    ¡°Hey. What age are we living in? This is Korea. I don¡¯t know why people are making a fuss about it. That was just bullshit of a crazy nut.¡±

    ¡°But the awakener, Lee Ju-ho testified that Dump Guild is a real thing.¡±

    ¡°So what? Other awakeners said that Dump Guild will not move by now?¡±

    ¡°But still¡­¡±

    ¡°Sh*t you, coward.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so hard on me? I am just worried about you, man.¡±

    ¡°Worried about me? My ass. You are doing this because you are scared.¡±

    ¡°What? You wanna die?¡±

    It was about time to Gwon Jang-hyuk started to fight with his friend.

    ¡°I was wondering what kinds of men are chattering in this dark alley. Was it you guys?¡±

    The four people, including Gwon Jang-hyuk, turned their faces to the voice at the end of the alley. They wondered who he was¨Che had a strange mask of a smiling face.

    ¡°A mask?¡± Gwon Jang-hyuk thought.

    It was not a masquerade; he had no idea what that mask for was. He could not think anyone who wore those things would be sane. He was already in a bad mood. Gwon Jang-hyuk thought it would be safer and more fun to beat up one person with his friends rather than fighting with a friend.

    ¡°What the hell are you? Hey, you. Come over here.¡±

    ¡°What will you do if you know who I am?¡± the masked man asked.

    ¡°You will be beaten to death, of course.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    With Gwon Jang-hyuk¡¯s talking, the other three started to laugh. He laughed as well and glanced at the man in the mask. But something was off. Usually, people seemed a little frightened by now.

    ¡°Well. Do you think you can handle if you know?¡±

    The man in the mask didn¡¯t look scared at all. The eyes exposed through eye halls of the mask looked cold. And when Gwon Jang-hyuk met the masked man¡¯s eyes, he got goosebumps all over his body.

    ¡°What¡­What the?¡± he thought.

    The others also thought something was strange about this man. At that moment, the masked man raised his hand.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Swoosh, whoosh¡ª

    A huge fire rose in his hands and spread. Gwon Jang-hyuk and the three other gangsters were flabbergasted and started to step back.

    ¡°W-what the hell is that?¡±

    ¡°Is he an awakener?¡±

    ¡°Why would an awakener be here¡­?¡±

    Their anxiety started to elevate. The ominous thinking crossed Gwon Jang-hyuk¡¯s head.

    ¡°Wait, is this guy¡­? No way.¡±

    ¡°Did you ask what the hell I am?¡±

    Swish¡ª

    The masked man blasted fire over his head and burst it like firecrackers.

    Boom, boooom¡ª!

    Bang, bang, bang¡ª!

    The flames burst from the sky began to fall. Su-hyeun opened his mouth, looking at Gwon Jang-hyuk. His eyes shined red reflecting the fire.

    ¡°I am a terrorist.¡±

    It was the beginning of the show.

 Chapter 48

    Gwon Jang-hyuk and other gangsters started to run away. They even didn¡¯t look back. Their commanding presences were nowhere to be seen. Like old times, they were still weak to strong, strong to weak.

    ¡°Those bastards still did not break their bad habit,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He almost forgot of them but felt pathetic because they still lived the same. He would like to break a leg or arm to teach them some lessons. But if he did, they would probably be caught up and die in the upcoming incident.

    ¡°I guess I will take care of them later when I have time.¡±

    The firecracker, actually the Flame that Su-hyeun set off, was enough to attract people¡¯s attention. Some might have thought it was a fireworks display, but as they had already been warned of terrorism, that would be their first thought.

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s go,¡± Su-hyeun said to himself.

    Su-hyeun stamped his feet and flew high. He headed to Beomgye, the downtown area, where most people gathered at this time. Of course, he did not forget to shoot firecrackers on his way.

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    The sound like thunder rang out loudly. A lot of people were confused, and they began to run.

    A terror. By that word alone, people left their homes and started to flee. But they could not see where the explosion happened. All the explosions were happening in the sky, not on the ground.

    ¡°¡­Did you say there is a terror?¡±

    The director, who had heard the news, jumped up. Kim Do-ui, an A-rank awakener, who belonged to the country, nodded his head and delivered the news.

    ¡°Yes, sir. An explosion occurred in Pyeongchon, the most populated area of Anyang City. As we heard, there are signs of terrorism, and people are evacuating.¡±

    ¡°Holy sh*t¡­ What the hell is going on?¡± the director mumbled.

    Today was January 31st. Terrorism was not planned. Even if Lee Ju-ho¡¯s information was true, there should be no terror by the Dump Guild.

    ¡°But the terror began? How this can be happening?¡± the director thought.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly¡­ But it looks like the act of one person,¡± Kim Do-ui said.

    ¡°One person?¡±

    The director, who looked puzzled, soon crumpled his face. He soon muttered in a confident voice, ¡°Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°He is Kim Su-hyeun. It is that guy!¡± the director shouted.

    It was a play pretending to be a terror. Kim Su-hyeun was now pretending to be a terrorist to evacuate people.

    ¡°Do you think Kim Su-hyeun showed up?¡± Kim Do-ui asked.

    Kim Su-hyeun was a person who had never revealed himself before. His name was famous but other information, including his face, was not revealed. He had been hiding in the shade thoroughly, but for some reason, he appeared to save people for the first time. And he appeared as a terrorist.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun is not important right now! The important thing is he is in a riot right now!¡± the director said angrily.

    ¡°But there is no loss of lives¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± he cut Kim Do-ui¡¯s word.

    Bang¡ª

    The director slammed his desk and Kim Do-ui closed his mouth. He knew well if he said something right at the moment, he would just lose favor in the director¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°A Dungeon Outbreak? The devastation of Anyang City? That¡¯s nonsense. Before it turns out to be true, he is just a freaking terrorist. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. I know,¡± Kim Do-ui answered.

    ¡°Then what are you doing? Go get him! No, you don¡¯t have to get him. Just kill him!¡± the director shouted again.

    That was too much. That was too much treatment.

    ¡°He lost his block,¡± Kim Do-ui closed his eyes and thought, ¡°Should I have to do that far? If the terrorist who appeared in Anyang City is Kim Su-hyeun and his information is all true¡­ he should be called a hero. Even if it was not true, it would be the same. What he is doing right now is hard to see as a terrorist attack. There was no damage to life or any property. It¡¯s just an evacuation of people in case of a natural disaster. Can that be considered terrorism? It might look like a terror to the people who have no idea¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Kim Do-ui said to the director. At least in his eyes, it seemed not to be terror.

    Click¡ª

    Kim Do-ui bowed to the director and left the room. The director picked up the phone and called somewhere.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s me. Do we have any men left?¡±

    Boom, boooom¡ª!

    Whoosh¡ª

    The fire burned the building. People screamed and ran away. Su-hyeun, who stood in the middle of the city and watched it, scratched his head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel familiar with this¡­¡± he mumbled.

    He felt weird acting like a villain in a ridiculous mask and afflicting citizens. It felt like he was a member of the Dump Guild.

    ¡°I guess the Dump Guild will get angry about this.¡±

    The Dump Guild was a group of murderers. It was a secret society, hiding underground. It had connections with some of the big guilds, but it still didn¡¯t want to be mentioned. But Su-hyeun took its name and drew it to the surface. He even pretended to be a member of the Dump Guild and caused terrorism.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The fire in the building disappeared. The fire from the Flame skill did not even blacken the building. As the level and his proficiency increased, Su-hyeun could selectively burn the stuff he wanted. He did not have to waste his magic burning all those buildings. Of course, those who did not know, ran away to avoid the fire that Su-hyeun created.

    ¡°I suppose there is no one around here anymore,¡± he thought.

    Starting from Beomgye, Pyeongchon area was almost empty. News that the terror began had spread to other parts of Anyang, and people started to evacuate from there as well. Although there was only one terrorist, Su-hyeun was a high-ranked awakener. And since he had warned there would be a terror by a group named Dump Guild, his actions looked like the acts of an organization, not one person.

    ¡°It¡¯s now 8:00 p.m.¡±

    It had already been two hours since he started taking action. There was not much time left.

    ¡°I wish I could move a little more, but¡­¡±

    He stopped where he was standing and turned his face.

    ¡°¡­ I guess it would be hard.¡±

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Crackle, crackle¡ª

    A lot of people appeared around Su-hyeun. Except for those who had come close, the number of people who were watching from afar was large. All of them were awakeners, not ordinary people.

    ¡°Huh. There was quite a lot came.¡±

    Numerous awakeners were mobilized to attack the green dungeons and other dungeons all over the country. So, he had thought there would not be a lot of awakeners left. But still, in this short time, quite many of them gathered.

    ¡°Are you Mr. Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    Kim Do-ui was the one who stepped forward and asked. He was the closest aide to the director and was an A-rank awakener who was not mobilized in the green dungeon. He was the most talented awakener among the people who gathered now. Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze turned to him. It looked like he knew enough since he mentioned Su-hyeun¡¯s name.

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    There was no reason to lie now. He had been expecting his identity to be revealed from the time he started writing on Abyss Online.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t he a terrorist?¡±

    ¡°I heard this man is an awakener from the Dump Guild.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they just the same?¡±

    Except for Kim Do-ui, other awakens were frustrated and talked in whispers.

    They had no idea this incident and Su-hyeun were connected. In a flash, the eyes of those who saw Su-hyeun changed. They started to take precautions. The meaning of that was¡­

    ¡°Was Kim Su-hyeun a member of the Dump Guild?¡±

    ¡°If that is the case, it would explain why he has not been revealed to anyone.¡±

    ¡°Oh, shit. That makes sense.¡±

    It was a pretty logical conclusion. Su-hyeun was not revealed on the surface so far and neither was the Dump Guild. Moreover, at this point, when it was known that there would be a terrorist attack by the Dump Guild, Su-hyeun appeared. He was even making the fire. It was obvious to everyone. There was no room for an excuse.

    ¡°Wait. Everyone be quiet!¡± Kim Do-ui shouted.

    Kim Do-ui, however, had information the others didn¡¯t and had a different opinion than the other awakeners. As the leader of the national awakeners¡¯ group, he quieted others and looked around.

    ¡°As I thought, there is no damage,¡± he thought.

    Terrorism usually took on violent forms, such as murder, kidnapping, and looting. Naturally, damages such as vandalism and injury followed. But the path that Su-hyeun took did not have any damage. There was only a quiet street where people had left. There were no signs of broken buildings, not even a single dead person.

    ¡°Your purpose¡­ Are you doing this to evacuate people?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes sparkled at Kim Do-ui¡¯s question. Kim Do-ui heard of him from Lee Ju-ho several times. He was the only person who knew the relationship between Lee Ju-ho and Su-hyeun, except for the director.

    ¡°Maybe this can be solved easily,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    In that case, the situation would be solved much easier. Su-hyeun nodded and answered.

    ¡°Yes, that is right. I hope more awakeners come here,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°More awakeners?¡± Kim Do-ui mumbled.

    He remembered the story he heard from Lee Ju-ho. Su-hyeun was the one who told to Lee Ju-ho that there would be a sudden dungeon outbreak tonight. Perhaps Su-hyeun¡¯s quest was to prevent it.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys come here to stop me?¡± But strangely, Su-hyeun said completely different. Looking around dozens of awakeners, Su-hyeun continued to say, ¡°You guys will need more people for that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You little upstart¡­¡±

    ¡°You think you are something because people compliment you?¡±

    A loud voice came from all over the place. This was what Su-hyeun wanted. This was better in this case. It was an intended provocation. The problem was cooperation from one person.

    ¡°And to make him cooperate¡­¡± he thought.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    With Su-hyeun¡¯s gesture, a huge Flame started to sweep all over the place. Dozens of awakeners were quickly caught up in it. But the Flame stopped in front of them without burning them.

    ¡°At least, I am the best here,¡± Su-hyeun said in an arrogant voice.

    Thanks to the mask, the expression was not revealed. But the voice alone was enough to infer the expression.

    ¡°I need to bring as many as awakeners as possible,¡± Su-hyeun thought. He looked at Kim Do-ui. ¡°How will he react?¡±

    Kim Do-ui, who met Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, could grasp his intentions. ¡°Does he mean we need more support, either prevent him or the possible monster attack?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s ability was more than Kim Do-ui had expected. As he said, these people might not be enough. Of course, the situation might change if A-Rank himself joined here.

    ¡°It won¡¯t hurt to listen to him now,¡± Kim Do-ui thought so and opened his mouth, ¡°¡­Call more support.¡±

    ¡°Ok, cool!¡± Su-hyeun uttered yells of delight in his mind.

 Chapter 49

    ¡°He has quick wits,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    This man noticed they were understaffed to stop Su-hyeun. He found out he had enough power. If Su-hyeun kindly explained his purpose and expressed his opinion that he did not want to fight, there might be no more support. After all, that would be revealing the truth that Su-hyeun was not a real terrorist. But if Su-hyeun kept calling himself a terrorist, the story would change. To prevent him, the Authority must use its force. The reaction to the terrorist would be obvious.

    ¡°And what I have to do now¡­¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun gathered the flame he had spread everywhere and pulled the sword. He didn¡¯t need to act anymore. There was only one thing he had to do from here.

    ¡°I have to withstand an attack.¡±

    It was the same with Kim Do-ui. It was not sure whether Kim Do-ui moved according to Su-hyeun¡¯s will because of his favor or something else. But since this already happened, there was only one thing that Kim Do-ui had to do.

    ¡°Get him!¡±

    Poof, poof¡ª

    At the command of Kim Do-ui, dozens of awakeners began to move.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Whip¡ª

    Su-hyeun avoided the spears and other unknown skills that had flown from all sides. Sometimes he could not avoid, so he warded off or stopped them.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The Flame surrounded Su-hyeun¡¯s body. It worked as a shield and blocked other awakeners that were coming.

    The concentration and grade of the magic of Su-hyeun was not a region that other awakenings could invade.

    ¡°Possibly Magic Level 6¡­ Rank A awakener.¡±

    Kim Do-ui, who watched other awakeners fight against Su-hyeun, coldly analyzed Su-hyeun¡¯s ability.

    ¡°The skills he has are the rarest skills of the highest level. He also has basic physical stats to utilize them. He also has quite good combat sense,¡± he thought.

    Skills, magic, stats, combat sense, everything could be called the best. Most of all, his combat sense was remarkable. In the eyes of Kim Do-ui, the awakener of the same A-rank, Su-hyeun¡¯s sense of battle seemed like an exceptional ability.

    ¡°It is almost unbelievable. Did he get any professional training somewhere?¡±

    Su-hyeun did not attack other awakeners. He either avoided or blocked. It was purely possible because of Su-hyeun¡¯s ability. He was different from other awakeners who could only beat and crush.

    ¡°If I fight with him¡­ I will completely be defeated.¡±

    He almost felt chilled. They had the same level of magic, but the basic skills were very different. Compared to Su-hyeun, he just got stronger naturally while he was climbing and climbing the Tower of Trial.

    ¡°Kim Do-ui! What are you doing? Why don¡¯t you help us?¡±

    One awakener got angry while he was fighting with Su-hyeun looked at Kim Do-ui and asked. Kim Do-ui, who had no intention of fighting, answered with a small frown.

    ¡°I am thinking right now.¡±

    ¡°What? What do you think about?¡±

    ¡°Whether he is the enemy or not.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about¡­?¡±

    ¡°You are a fool. You don¡¯t get it?¡±

    At the blunt remark of Kim Do-ui, the man, who was asking him to fight, frowned his face. Kim Do-ui clicked his tongue and continued to say.

    ¡°Is anyone hurt now?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Or do you think you are fighting even against him right now because you guys have good skills?¡±

    The man could not answer at Kim Do-ui¡¯s question. What he said was all correct. He well knew about Su-hyeun¡¯s ability. The big flame he showed at the beginning, that was enough to show them that they could not do anything with Su-hyeun. If Su-hyeun had decided, no one would have been alive by now.

    ¡°So, what the hell you want to say now?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°He is overlooking you guys. So, don¡¯t go overboard,¡± Kim Do-ui answered.

    It was a word that scratching his pride. But it was not wrong. The more they fight, the more they feel that Su-hyeun was just overlooking them.

    ¡°Are you saying that man is not a terrorist?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that is possible?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The man looked closely at Su-hyeun again. No matter how many times he thought about it, it was clear that he was letting them off. The damaged objects around them were also due to their attack, not Su-hyeun¡¯s.

    ¡°Then why did you call for backup? If your word is true, it would be better to cancel the backup now. Wasn¡¯t that a waste of manpower?¡± The man asked as if it was strange.

    If Su-hyeun was not a terrorist as Kim Do-ui said, the support he had called here would be meaningless. There would be no way that he did not know about this.

    ¡°Tut¡­¡±

    At the man¡¯s question, Kim Do-ui raised his head and looked up the sky.

    ¡°I did not call the backup to stop him.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The man looked puzzled as if he did not know what he was talking about. But it was still too early to answer the question. Kim do-ui shook his head and saved his words.

    ¡°No. Nothing. We will figure out soon or later.¡±

    Kim do-ui said so and turned his head. He sensed the presence of people around him. Kim Do-ui felt about 10 people¡¯s senses and knitted his brows.

    ¡°¡­They came.¡±

    Additional personnel came for the backup request. Kim Do-ui, who had guessed their identity, muttered to himself, ¡°Was it their first activate?¡±

    Not many people knew of their existence. There was a new institution made up of some of the nation¡¯s awakeners. As far as he knew, this was their first mission.

    ¡°I guess the director is really pissed off.¡±

    Act 3

    Swish¡ª

    A sharp knife pierced the Flame and passed the tip of Su-hyeun¡¯s nose. He stepped back and increased a delicate distance. He looked around the newly appeared awakeners. He already knew about them.

    ¡°They came,¡± he thought.

    He was wondering when they would come. He assumed they would start their business by today. It was faster than he expected. Su-hyeun used Leap skill and increased distance quickly.

    He looked around. Unlike other awakeners that previously attacked Su-hyeun, the ten people who appeared at this time were different from the atmosphere. Their eyes were sharp-sighted, most of all, their postures were set. It meant, they did not thoughtlessly climb the Tower of Trial, trusting their skill and stats. They had received professional training.

    ¡°It reminds me of old times¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun was once a member of this group.

    ¡°I should be careful,¡± he thought.

    He drew the sword.

    Whoosh¡ª

    As the Su-hyeun pulled the sword, the Flame around him disappeared. Instead, the sword that shined in gray, became red-hot.

    ¡°A sword¡­?¡±

    ¡°He was not a magician?¡±

    The awakeners that were there previously started to whisper themselves. It was a sudden change. Seeing Su-hyeun, who had fought with Flame skill so far, they thought that he was a sort of magician awakener who focused on the fire skills. But suddenly he took his sword.

    ¡°Is he a swordsman? Then, what about the fire he showed so far¡­?¡±

    Kim do-ui was confused as well. The only people were not confused were the ten awakeners that newly appeared. They did not see how Su-hyeun fought so far.

    ¡°Heew¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun took a breath and closed his eyes. It was that short moment.

    Swish¡ª

    Clang, Clang¡ª

    Several strands of chain popped out where Su-hyeun was standing. At the same time, the new awakeners began to move.

    Whip¡ª

    Boom, boom¡ª

    Dozens of swords and chains flew in a complicated path. Each one was quite a high level of skill, and skill proficiency was also high.

    ¡°Weaving a spider web.¡±

    Su-hyeun already knew this technique, which was developed by several awakeners. As so, it was not difficult to destroy.

    Swish¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    The sword in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand, Gram, cut a part of the chain that was tangled like a spider web. At the same time, the chain that had been tightly intertwined and coming over Su-hyeun loosened. He squeezed through the gap and escaped.

    But as soon as he escaped, the big sword came in front of his eyes. Su-hyeun as if he was expected this, stretched Gram to up.

    Claang¡ª!

    Crack, craack¡ª

    When the big sword and Gram stroke each other, the big sword was pushed by the force and rose. It could not bear the strength and sharpness of Gram and started to crack. The arms of the awakener who wielded the sword widely opened up.

    ¡°He is still the same. He is just pouncing, trusting his power too much.¡±

    Su-hyeun penetrated to front smoothly. The man with open arms shrugged with amazement, but it was already too late.

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword cut the man¡¯s chest. But strangely, there was no blood.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The man looked puzzled. Su-hyeun did not answer the puzzled look. Instead, he rose with the Leap skill. No one followed. The awakeners seemed to hesitate for a moment, realizing that their pincer movement was not working.

    Whiz¡ª

    Su-hyeun, who landed on the roof of one low building, looked around them. One by one, their faces were familiar.

    ¡°I was¡­¡±

    To one side among them, he could see the familiar face blurry.

    ¡°I was there too¡­¡±

    He was Sung-in. It was Sung-in¡¯s face. Of course, it was a past that had gone.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The man who wielded the sword opened his mouth, looking at Su-hyeun, ¡°Did you know about us?¡±

    Su-hyeun felt bitter at the man¡¯s question. It was obvious why he was asking this question. The pincer movement they used just before was an attack that they had been studied for a long time.

    ¡°That is a pincer movement to catch a strong individual or boss,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    It was a well-organized attack, consisting of awakeners who practiced similar types of chain skills and one with strong attack power. However, Su-hyeun skillfully disregarded such a pincer movement as if he knew it in advance. Not only cutting the core of the chain but also, easily defeating the big sword. The series of actions was natural. It would be impossible if he didn¡¯t know ahead of time. It was only natural that a man would have such a question. Of course, what he worried about was the possibility of leaking the information.

    ¡°No, I did not,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    It did not matter that he knew them. In the first place, Su-hyeun was in the same institution with them. Su-hyeun was the one who knew it better than anyone.

    The man stroked a half-cracked sword with one hand and said, ¡°Really? That¡¯s weird. It seemed like you know us well.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean the pincer movement that you guys showed?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you just assume I know you well because I destroyed that simple attack?¡±

    The ten awakeners frowned at Su-hyeun¡¯s words. They put serious effort to collaborate for a long time. But he disparaged their skill as a simple attack.

    ¡°You¡­ What you said¡­ Are you sure you won¡¯t regret it?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t,¡± Su-hyeun opened his mouth.

    It was obvious. Su-hyeun already knew who they were, what skills they used, and the weaknesses of the skills.

    Above all¡­

    He continued to say, ¡°I will be not an easy opponent to try your unfinished skills yet.¡±

 Chapter 50

    The man opened his eyes wide as if Su-hyeun¡¯s remarks caught him off guard. It seemed like Su-hyeun knew their situation well. They were supposed to be veiled, but he looked like he knew that they started to move for this situation.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    The man with the big sword narrowed his eyes and stared at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°He does not want to fight us,¡± he thought.

    It was a sense of incompatibility that he felt ever since he came to this place. Unlike other awakeners, Su-hyeun did not show any fighting spirit or a murderous spirit. It was hard to see those eyes belonged to a fighter, but he could read determination in them. He could not read everything from one¡¯s eyes but at least the mood usually did not lie.

    ¡°Above all¡­.¡±

    The man swept his chest. He could feel his skin through the cut armor. If the wound was a little deeper, he might get a fatal injury. No, Su-hyeun could have even split his body.

    ¡°He just went easy on me. But why?¡±

    The man of the sword, Kang Seung-Cheol recalled the director¡¯s words.

    ¡°The man named Kim Su-hyeun joined the Dump Guild. Go kill him!¡±

    That was what the hot-headed director told to him. It was the first order he got, but Kang Seung-Cheol was curious first of all.

    ¡°What kind of person is Kim Su-hyeun? Is he a genius as the rumors said? Or is he just one of the lucky men among many awakeners?¡±

    He somewhat could tell the answer after he saw him in person.

    ¡°First, the rumor said he was a genius¡­ Then, what is he hiding behind him?¡±

    He was curious and had to satisfy his curiosity. There was only one thing he could do.

    ¡°I have to push him a little harder,¡± he thought.

    Kang Seung-Cheol raised the sword again. He knew the first attack was his bad habit. When he did not know the enemy¡¯s power, he used to rush for the first time. He trusted his power too much.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a deep breath¡­¡±

    Sigh¡ª

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It helped him to refresh.

    Whirl, whirl¡ª

    He put his magic into his sword. Since he realized the enemy was not an easy one, it was his turn to work with full force.

    ¡°Slowly, here I go again.¡±

    Whizz¡ª

    As soon as Kang Seung-Cheol began to move, once more, dozens of chains stretched out toward Su-hyeun.

    ¡°They started again,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Whizz¡ª

    Along with their motion, Su-hyeun started to move to the end of the chains. The chain stretched and narrowed, pressing Su-hyeun. When he wielded his sword to encumbering chains, they were cut with a smooth cross-section. He aimed the cores of the chains and cut them off. It almost looked like an unsurpassed ability. It was possible not just because Su-hyeun knew the weak spot of the chain but also because he had a sense that he could carry his cutting out very well.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing no matter how many times I see.¡±

    Kang Seung-Cheol, watching Su-hyeun, wielded his tongue. He and his team got professional training and also experienced actual training going through the Tower of Trial. But he never thought that such a precise movement would be possible.

    ¡°Is he a real genius? Or did he get professional training like them?¡±

    Or many be¡­

    ¡°Both?¡±

    He stroked his big sword to Su-hyeun thinking about any chance. The short break that Su-hyeun cut the chain, he aimed, and without a moment to hold his position, he wielded the sword.

    Boom¡ª!

    His power was as if the huge mountain falling. The big sword was filled with highly concentrated magic of Magic Level 6. It helped to bring his Strength to the climax. Strength was Kang Seung-Cheol¡¯s specialty.

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª

    A heavy strength and the big sword pressed Su-hyeun down. It was a strong strike. Kang Seung-Cheol did it with the intention of cut in half of Su-hyeun¡¯s sword and body. But¡­

    Crush, crush¡ª

    The big sword was blocked by Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. It did not go down anymore.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    He had wielded so he wouldn¡¯t give him a chance to hold his position. As his intention, Su-hyeun was holding the sword with no proper position. But he still was not pushed away¡­

    ¡°He has more Strength than me¡­?¡±

    He could not believe it. He focused most stats on Strength. And this guy had higher Strength than him. Moreover, the tip of the sword started to crack again. In this way, the sword might shatter and break soon. The difference between the sword was also obvious. Stats, skills, combat sense, as well as even owned items, were superior.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little scam?¡± Kang Seung-Cheol asked as if it was ridiculous.

    Su-hyeun sneered as if he noticed the meaning of the word ¡°scam.¡± It meant his sword, Gram.

    ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Honestly, yes.¡±

    ¡°If you win, I will give it to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­No, thanks. It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s going to happen,¡± Kang Seung-Cheol said.

    ¡°Win him? To this monster in front of me? Absurd!¡± he thought.

    It was a short battle, but he knew something for sure.

    Kang Seung-Cheol was the only A-ranked awakener in his team. The other nine awakeners were all B-ranked. It was enough military strength to attack a yellow dungeon. They cooperated and pushed Su-hyeun as if they were one body. But Su-hyeun was not killing anybody. He even didn¡¯t fight back properly. Su-hyeun could enter the highest rank among the A-rank awakeners.

    ¡°If we want to catch him¡­ We would have to bring at least twice as many people as we have now. No, that might be not enough either.¡±

    Crack¡ª

    Kang Seung-Cheol stepped back from Su-hyeun and looked around. He had heard there would be additional personnel, and it looked like the director worked quickly. Other people already arrived.

    ¡°¡­That is a lot.¡±

    They were awakeners of the civilian guilds who were not put into the dungeon attack. The manpower requested by the director was them. The awakeners from several upper guilds ranged from C-rank to B-rank to A-rank awakeners. The number of awakeners gathered there was close to a hundred units. There were many people, it was enough to attack even a green dungeon. Su-hyeun also knew their existence. He did not feel much embarrassed because he thought that there would be such a large number of people in the first place. However, he could see a familiar mark among them.

    ¡°¡­Ares Guild?¡± he thought.

    He knew some guilds already. But Ares Guild was not supposed to be here. Su-hyeun looked around slowly. His gaze moved to the one side. At that moment, his eyes met with Hak-Joon.

    ¡°Why is he here?¡±

    Their joining was certainly not on a schedule.

    It was not particularly awkward, but he could not just accept the fact that the future had changed.

    ¡°It is 9:30.¡±

    Su-hyeun checked the time with a watch on his wrist. The time had passed pretty much. The stamina went away about that much, but fortunately, his magic was still enough. Additional reinforcements were not necessarily bad news. Even if it would be difficult right now, it would make things easier later.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± Kang Seung-Cheol faced Su-hyeun and laughed at him. ¡°Now, will you fight?¡±

    ¡°I think you have been mistaken for a while¡­¡± Su-hyeun frowned, but his maks hid it, and he looked at Kang Seung-Cheol. ¡°If I do, you are going to die.¡±

    Shiver¡ª

    Kang Seung-Cheol raised his sword reflexively, as soon as he met Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes through the mask. He felt like his neck would be beheaded.

    ¡°What, what the hell¡­¡±

    The concentration of magic he felt at the instance was not something of A-Rank. So far, he had thought Su-hyeun was just out of the common among A-Rank awakeners that he just had excellence in the skill composition and proficiency¡­

    ¡°No way¡­ Is he possibly¡­ S-Rank?¡±

    He thought that would be nonsense. He was only sophomore awakener. Being A-Rank would be far beyond common sense. He thought there would be no way Su-hyeun was S-Rank. Few people in the world ranked as S. In Korea, right at the moment, there were only five S-Rank. One of them was a mercenary and three were guild masters. One awakener belonged to the country, and he was like a leader in his team. As an individual, S-Rank was known as they had equal power of a large guild. That was the power of the S-rank awakeners. Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze turned to the newly showed up awakeners of Ares Guild. And his eyes met Hak-Joon¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Now, 30 minutes left¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    When he looked up, there was full of clouds in the sky. The clouds gradually turned purple. It was close to the phenomenon, but at this moment no one cared about it. There were close to 130 people gathered.

    ¡°Now, I will have some fun,¡± Su-hyeun grinned as he was thinking.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Swish, boom, boom¡ª

    Numerous sword and spear flew to Su-hyeun. He struck them with his sword or grabbed them. He tried to save his Flame skill. He decided to save his magic rather than his health.

    One-too-many fights always gave him a similar feeling. He felt like he fought with a monster of 100 heads and 200 arms. Moreover, he could not even fight back with a fatal attack. Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes cooled down quickly. Other awakeners who were dealing with Su-hyeun felt the same way. It had been thirty minutes since they fought one vs. many. Because of the battle, the buildings around them were smashed and shattered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is strange?¡± Hak-Joon got closer to Kim do-ui and asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kim do-ui asked back.

    ¡°I mean this fight. No one actually tries to kill the other side.¡±

    ¡°That is because that man does not have a murderous spirit.¡±

    ¡°You mean, they lost their will to fight each other?¡±

    ¡°You are doing the same, aren¡¯t you? Why do you ask me? I think we never met before,¡± Kim do-ui said.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re just sitting back and watching from afar. You must have been ordered to catch Kim Su-hyeun from the agency, right?¡± Hak-Joon asked.

    ¡°Well, yes. If my thinking was wrong, I will just receive disciplinary measures. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Thinking?¡±

    ¡°I was not sure but¡­¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Kim do-ui raised his head and looked up. There were dark clouds over the sky. The cloud continued to change its color, but now it had changed its color to green.

    ¡°I guess¡­ It will really happen.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Look carefully¡ª¡± Kim do-ui opened his mouth.

    Even if he did not say that, people started to notice a strange thing. Hak-Joon, who was standing next to Kim do-ui, looked up the sky as well.

    ¡°¡ªthe thing will happen here from now on.¡±

 Chapter 51

    Roar, roar¡ª

    The flurries of snow got stronger. The awakeners, aware of the magic that began to mix between the snowflakes, stopped their movement and looked around.

    It started.

    ¡°Heew¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun, who was moving in a hurry, barely took his breath.

    He moved his hand to his sweaty mask. Then, he pushed the button and took off the mask that covered his face.

    Click¡ª

    People made commotions at his sudden action. The ridiculous mask was removed. The face of Su-hyeun was revealed. All eyes were on him. They were curious about not just his face but also the reason why he was taking the mask off now.

    ¡°From now on¡­¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Hak-Joon who saw Su-hyeun¡¯s face strained his eyes.

    ¡°Su-hyeun?¡± Hak-Joon thought in surprise.

    When everyone¡¯s gaze was gathered to him, Su-hyeun opened his mouth with magic in his voice. ¡°Everyone gathered here must fight together.¡±

    ¡°What is he talking about?¡±

    ¡°We are doing that right now.¡±

    ¡°Does he mean the thing over there?¡±

    The commotion did not disappear easily. But obviously, their hostility to Su-hyeun disappeared almost entirely. At the moment, they thought they had to concentrate on the huge mess of the magic that was growing above their heads, rather than the hostility or fighting against Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Soon, there will a be dungeon outbreak here.¡±

    ¡°Dungeon outbreak?¡±

    ¡°I have not heard that a dungeon has occurred here?¡±

    ¡°No way, really?¡±

    ¡°Seriously¡­?¡±

    ¡°Where the hell is that dungeon¡­?¡±

    There was a mix of questions and embarrassment in commotion.

    ¡°The outbreak speed of the dungeon will continue to change. Among them¡­,¡± Su-hyeun looked at the green clouds rising above his head and continued to say, ¡°Like the dungeon that appeared above, there will be a dungeon that bursts in a few hours.¡±

    The rate of dungeon occurrence and the rate of outbreak changed every minute, especially the place of dungeon occurrence was not something to able to predict yet. It was the same with deformed dungeons. Su-hyeun was pointing that out. The world was too peaceful to think and aware of the dangers. He looked around and raised his magic once again.

    Whoosh¡ª

    ¡°Ok. My acting is over.¡±

    A huge flame encircled him. When the flame shined in blue shrouded in all directions, other awakeners was overwhelmed and stepped back.

    ¡°I need your help. Please help me.¡±

    Su-hyeun bowed his head to everyone. He looked like he had no intention of fighting. People felt relieved that the huge and overwhelming power was not something for them. They also felt something hot fermented inside them.

    Glug¡ª

    The one person who watched held his breath. The man, Kang Seung-Cheol, who just fought with Su-hyeun using the big sword, felt dejected and dropped his sword by his side.

    ¡°It was real,¡± he thought.

    He tried to deny the possibility during the whole time he was fighting. Su-hyeun magic, stamina, and a sense of battle did not dry out throughout the battle with hundreds of people.

    ¡°The reason why that was possible. It was because he is S-rank.¡±

    He could feel vividly with his skin, the concentration and factor of magic around Su-hyeun at the moment. It was certainly above his A-rank magic. It must be the magic of S-rank. Everyone was confused.

    But even before the chaos went away, change began.

    Kyaaaa¡ª!

    A huge cry came out of the sky.

    Kyaak, kyaaak¡ª!

    Woof, wooof¡ª!

    It was not one or two. How many howls? Dozens, hundreds? No, it seemed like more than that. There was only one such phenomenon. And not many of the awakeners present here had seen the phenomenon with their own eyes. Kim Do-ui, who had been working as an awakener for a long time, was convinced.

    ¡°It is a dungeon outbreak.¡±

    The dungeon hadn¡¯t even appeared yet, but there was a dungeon outbreak. A cloud of green light over the sky¨Cthat was the dungeon.

    ¡°Not from at this time¡ª¡±

    Kim Do-ui, who watched the fight between Su-hyeun and other awakeners all the time, walked forward and opened his mouth.

    ¡°¡ªEveryone covers Kim Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±

    Among the awakeners of the country, Kim Do-ui had the highest command. Some people seemed embarrassed at his command, but some of them nodded quickly. It was the same with awakeners who belonged to guilds. In the first place, they started to not think Su-hyeun as the enemy and suddenly there were cries of monsters. Moreover, Su-hyeun had taken off his mask and asked for help. They were not foolish. They could realize the meaning of what Su-hyeun did so far.

    ¡°Damn it. He could just talk.¡±

    ¡°Who would have believed in words?¡±

    ¡°What is the world come to?¡±

    Although they complained, one-by-one the awakeners had a confrontational attitude and prepared to fight. No one recognized Su-hyeun as an enemy anymore. Su-hyeun glanced at his watch and checked the time.

    ¡°It is at 10:00 p.m. Now it starts,¡± he thought.

    Kyaooo¡ª!

    Shadows cast over the clouds. The thing made the sound gradually got closer and began to show up. There were hundreds of monsters. There were one-eyed pterosaurs, sharks with wings, giant elephants, and giant earthworms. It was a familiar image.

    Su-hyeun injected his magic to Gram to sharpen the blade more. So far, he swung his sword in the sense of blocking and hitting rather than cutting. But¡­

    ¡°Now, I will cut.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    The magic began to move according to Su-hyeun¡¯s will. As if it had a will, Gram started to resonate with Su-hyeun¡¯s magic.

    Kick, kick, kick¡ª

    Su-hyeun jumped high with the Leap skill and cut the sky as hard as possible.

    Rip¡ª!

    Act 4

    ¡°S-sir!¡±

    Slam¡ª

    The worker of the agency suddenly opened the door and came in. The director looked at the face of him and asked as if he was irritated.

    ¡°What?¡±

    The director, who valued case and courtesy, did not like the sudden visit. But the face of the man who came to the director¡¯s office was urgent enough to not care about the director¡¯s look.

    ¡°D-did you hear the news?¡±

    ¡°What news?¡±

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    At that moment, the director¡¯s phone rang loudly. The call sounded ominous. The director felt a chill. He thought maybe the man¡¯s visiting would have the same purpose as this phone call.

    ¡°What is going on?

    ¡°Sir. The outbreak happened.¡±

    ¡°Outbreak? Did they fail to conquer the green dungeon?¡± the director asked.

    He thought that would not be possible, but he asked just in case. Even an S-rank awakener joined in the mission. There would be no way to fail. Moreover, there were many A-rank awakens, as well.

    ¡°N-no, sir.¡±

    ¡°What? No? Are you acting rashly with an outbreak of another small dungeon?¡±

    ¡°It happened in Anyang,¡± the man who ran in a hurry gasped and answered.

    The director¡¯s eyes got wide while he was watching the man who tried to catch the breath and prepared the next words.

    ¡°An¡­yang¡­?¡±

    ¡°No way.¡± The ominous thought crossed the director¡¯s mind. Ant that feeling was not wrong as always.

    ¡°Yes, sir. It is a green dungeon. Now the awakeners who went there to stop the terrorist are fighting,¡± the man answered.

    ¡°There was no dungeon there. An outbreak? What bullshit are you talking about?¡±

    Bang¡ª

    The director slammed the desk. The man calmly continued to say as if he had expected the director¡¯s response.

    ¡°Well¡­ We could not figure out the cause either. We just consider it a strange phenomenon just like when the first dungeon had appeared.¡±

    ¡°Then what about Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°He is fighting against monsters with other people.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The report from the agent just arrived now. He was not a terrorist,¡± the man continued speaking in a confident voice, ¡°Kim Su-hyeun is the hero of Anyang City.¡±

    Slash¡ª!

    When Su-hyeun wrapped his body with Flame skill and swung his sword, the body of the giant monster cut in half.

    Crack¡ª

    The monster, who ran into Su-hyeun to swallow him in one bite, began to fall to the ground, splitting his body from side to side. Su-hyeun used its body as a steppingstone and jumped higher.

    Swish¡ª

    He could see the next target.

    [You have used the skill Provocation.]

    [The enemies around you, except for the designated target, recognize you as an enemy.]

    Numerous monsters looked at Su-hyeun. Their hostility pierced Su-hyeun¡¯s skin. He raised his magic to endure it. He wrapped his body with multiple layers of Flame.

    [Indomitable body.]

    [The transfiguration skill: Imoogi.]

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Whack¡ª

    The scales of the Imoogi began to grow on Su-hyeun¡¯s body. He could not fly like a real Imoogi, but he could mimic the ability to keep his body floating. He could use the Leap skill, and there were a lot of monsters he could use as stepstones, so an air battle was not a problem.

    ¡°Good,¡± he thought.

    The physical ability rose to the highest point, and there was the Flame that was sharply worn all over his body.

    Kiyaaa¡ª

    A lot of monsters filled Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. Other awakeners were preparing various skills to catch them, but he did not care.

    ¡°Ok, here I go.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Kukguk, Kukwook¡ª

    The preparation for the leap was over. It felt like Gram shouting to use it quickly.

    ¡°One, two, three.¡± He counted in his head.

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body penetrated the crowd of monsters.

    Kyiaaa, kyiaaaa¡ª

    Krrr, krrrr¡ª

    Slash, slash, slash¡ª

    Drop¡ª

    The monster¡¯s body began to fall one by one.

    Stab¡ª

    One!

    Whoosh, boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    Two, three, four!

    Sssss, Crack, crack¡ª!

    Ten¡­ Twenty!

    The blue flame filled with enormous magic swept. The sword shredded and cut everywhere. He ignored the claws and teeth of the monsters. Instead of avoiding or blocking them, he took them with his body and fought back. The indomitable body and body of Imoogi made it possible.

    Drop, plop¡ª

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Dozens of monsters began to fall down the ground.

    ¡°Hu-ah, Hu¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun quickly cleaned the monsters took a small breath. People felt like the time on the battlefield froze when they saw Su-hyeun stop about half the monsters in what seemed to be an instant.

    ¡°What¡­ the hell?¡±

    ¡°What just happened?¡±

    ¡°Look. The monsters looked frightened.¡±

    The monsters that appeared in the green dungeons were about the same as the boss from the orange dungeon. The B-rank awakeners could barely catch one of them. But Su-hyeun killed dozens of them in an instant. When he fought without hesitation with his sharpened sword, when his ability and magic were fully bloomed, people could not believe it. It more than they had imagined.

    ¡°This is Kim Su-hyeun. A new S-rank awakener.¡±

    Kim Do-ui¡¯s heart beat hard.

    ¡°We might able to do this.¡±

    It was the first time that an outbreak in a green dungeon had happened as soon as it appeared. Other S-rank awakeners were vacant for various reasons, such as conquering other dungeons or going abroad. But someone who would fill the vacancy appeared.

    ¡°It is still too soon to feel relieved.¡±

    Su-hyeun came down to the ground in the meantime took a breath and lifted his head. From the green clouds appeared in the sky, monsters were still pouring out. And among them¡­

    ¡°¡­That one. That one is a little annoying.¡±

    Krrrrr¡ª

    They could hear a low crying as if it rang right next to their ears.

    Wooooong¡ª

    The wings of a giant monster were tearing the clouds apart.

 Chapter 52

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Flutter¡ª

    The huge black wings appeared sparsely through the clouds. The whole body did not appear yet, but people could tell, that the monster was on a different level than other monsters. It was only spreading wings above the sky, but a huge wind reached to the ground. The monster¡¯s body looked like more than 100 meters, and it had giant wings. It breathed out the ominous magic that nobody could ever experience.

    ¡°B-boss?¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­?¡±

    That monster was the boss of the green dungeon. It was the boss of the highest level among the green dungeons.

    ¡°The half demonic dragon, Igolas,¡± Su-hyeun mumbled.

    It looked like a dragon, but it was not technically a dragon. That was why it was called half demonic dragon. The reason why it had ¡°demonic¡± in the name was that it had such ominous energy.

    ¡°If this monster flies to other places¡­ not just Anyang City, the close cities like Seoul, Ansan, and Suwon could be in danger as well,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Everywhere this monster would go, more and more people would die. Especially, at this time, the S-rank awakeners had been vacated their seats.

    ¡°I will take care of it,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°You mean, by yourself?¡± Kim Do-ui was surprised.

    He knew Su-hyeun was pretty good, but the energy from Igolas was something beyond anything an individual could afford. Kim Do-ui, though, even if Su-hyeun was S-rank, there would be no way he could catch it by himself. But Su-hyeun stepped up and said he would catch the Igolas.

    ¡°Please take care of other random monsters. Can you do that?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Su-hyeun considered Kim Do-ui as the head of the awakeners. When an outbreak occurs, the highest command on the field was held by the owner of the highest rank among the awakeners who belonged in the country. Kim Do-ui was in the highest rank beside Su-hyeun in this place. He was also the closest assistant to the director. So it was natural that Kim Do-ui had control of the situation. Su-hyeun left other monsters to him, except Igolas.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let any monsters go out of this city. Do you understand?¡± Su-hyeun ordered.

    ¡°¡­I will try.¡± Kim Do-ui answered.

    ¡°Trying is not good enough.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I got it. I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    At Kim Do-ui¡¯s definite statemen, Su-hyeun smiled a little and nodded. Then, Su-hyeun noticed somebody came next to him. He turned his head.

    ¡°When it¡¯s over, we need to talk.¡±

    Hak-Joon was glaring at Su-hyeun with fierce eyes. He looked like he was feeling sorry rather than angry. Su-hyeun thought Hak-Joon would react like this, but when he saw his face, he had no idea what to say.

    ¡°Yea. Let¡¯s talk later,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    They were busy with their own businesses, so they did not have many chances to see each other, but still, they contacted often. Somehow, they became brothers and got closer. That was possible, of course, because they were interested in each other. Su-hyeun was interested in Hak-Joon¡¯s talent, and Hak-Joon was¡­

    ¡°He was contacting me¡­ For what?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He had no idea why Hak-Joon did not avoid his contact. What he heard was ever since Hak-Joon had decided to join Ares Guild, he cut off all other people except the guild members. He thought it was something he should check it out, but he was too busy to do it. He decided to find it out after this thing ended.

    ¡°But at first¡ª¡±

    Krrrr¡ª

    The clear cry covered the sky. Igolas¡¯s body finally appeared under the clouds. The dark scales and skin, and the darker eyes than those scanned the ground. Su-hyeun looked up at Igolas and muttered.

    ¡°¡ªI guess I have to something with that first.¡±

    Whirl¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    The Blue Flame skill wrapped around his body. There was no reason to save his magic anymore.

    [The Flame.]

    [The Flame ¨C Phoenixes]

    [The Indomitable body.]

    [The Transfiguration Skill: Imoogi.]

    His body started to harden like steel and scales started to cover his arms and neck. The blue flame surrounded his body and two Phoenixes spread their wings.

    ¡°Here I go.¡±

    Bang¡ª

    He used Leap skill and jumped higher. Soon, he used Imoogi¡¯s characteristics and floated his body. He used Leap skill again and floated his body to a higher place.

    Krrrrr¡ª

    Even though he did not use Provocation skills, Igolas looked at Su-hyeun. Perhaps the power of Flame and magic from Su-hyeun caught its eyes.

    ¡°Come on, half-lizard,¡± Su-hyeun yelled.

    Kiyaaaa¡ª!

    As if it understood what he said, Igolas open up his mouth and roared to Su-hyeun. The black breath started to cover Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    ¡°Should I avoid or fend off?¡± He briefly thought and decided to break through.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The sword in his hand, Gram started to form his Flame. Soon, he wielded his sword in front of his face.

    Rip¡ª!

    There was a path through Gram¡¯s cut. Su-hyeun used the Leap skill again and jumped through it. It was the last jump that could be used in the air without steppingstones.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun quickly narrowed the distance, and Igolas swung its wings toward him.

    Whiz¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun quickly wielded Gram and struck the wings. He cut Igolas¡¯s skin through its heavy scales, but he could not block the impact all the way. His body flew away. His whole body was soaring. He found a tall building and barely landed on it.

    Crack¡ª

    The roof of the building, which looked like a department store, was broken. Su-hyeun raised his head again to look at Igolas.

    Kiiyaaaak¡ª!

    Igolas let out a horrible shriek. Blood was dripping from the wing where he wielded his sword.

    ¡°Gram is the best.¡±

    The Gram¡¯s sharply wrapped magic pierced even the hard scales of Igolas. He did not expect he would cut it at once, but Gram¡¯s performance was better than what he had expected. The angry Igolas started to breathe out to Su-hyeun. If that breath reached to the ground, this department store building would melt.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help the building¡­,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The building was empty anyway. Near here, there were no civilians except awakeners. And awakeners would protect their bodies by themselves. Su-hyeun put Gram back into the scabbard and pulled the spear from his back. It was the spear that he had specially prepared for this day.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear ¨C Nir.]

    It was an item that is made by mimicking a mythical spear Gungnir. He could buy it from the store. It was quite expensive. It was a weapon that could give overwhelming additional damage to reptilian monsters. To the monster like Igolas, this spear would be more harmful than Gram.

    ¡°Although there is a limit that, I can use this only once.¡±

    Su-hyeun grabbed the spear with one hand and largely bowed his body like a bow.

    Swish¡ª!

    The breath of Igolas came closer. Su-hyeun could faintly see Igolas through the breath. He aimed spear to its body.

    ¡°One, two, three.¡±

    He counted number in his head as his habit. And¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    The spear flew and torn Igolas¡¯s breath. At the same time, the tip of the spear split and scattered into hundreds and thousands of thin pieces.

    Whoosh¡ª

    At a time, the magic in the spear began to fire. The blue flame covered the spear, the pieces became countless spears and beat the body of Igolas.

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª

    Wham¡ª!

    Kiyaaaaaa¡ª!

    Igolas screamed out. Su-hyeun frowned at the loud crying that sounded as if it would tear his eardrums.

    But the effect was useful. It was worthwhile to pay a high price.

    ¡°It is too bad that it is just a one-time use item,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He could use it only once, but if it was this powerful, it would not be bad to buy more just in case. The time for the Leap skill reset. When Igolas was in a panic, Su-hyeun flew up again.

    Swish¡ª

    Soon, Su-hyeun arrived above the clouds and looked down Igolas. It was still suffering and could not see Su-hyeun. He gulped air.

    Boom¡ª!

    Shortly after, he used the last Leap skill and ran into the top of the Igolas¡¯s body. Su-hyeun, who got on the body of Igolas, grabbed Gram and started to cut his body.

    Rip, rip¡ª!

    Whack, whaaack¡ª!

    The thick scales were cut in small pieces. It was too thick to cut deep in the first try, but he was able to cut the minor wounds quickly.

    ¡°More, more.¡±

    Hack, slash¡ª

    Igolas struggled from the sword of Su-hyeun. It screamed out in pain, swung its wings, and breathed out to resist. The giant wing and tail of Igolas almost grazed the tip of Su-hyeun¡¯s nose. One attack from Igolas had enough power to destroy Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    ¡°A little more!¡±

    Riiiip¡ª

    Kiyaaa¡ª!

    He put Gram into the deep of Igolas¡¯s back and drew it down. The blood spilled out like a fountain. Igolas let out a scream louder than before. At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Now!¡±

    Whooosh¡ª!

    The blood fountain that spouted out fell towards Su-hyeun. It moved as if it were a living thing, tried to pierce Su-hyeun like a sharp awl.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Crackle, crackle¡ª

    As Su-hyeun¡¯s gesture, the flame burst from the below. That flame blocked the awls of the harden blood of Igolas and burn those.

    ¡°I was looking forward to seeing you.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at Igolas¡¯s wound he just made with his sword Gram. From the wound, that spilled blood like the fountain before, the blood came out slowly once more.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The dark blood gathered together and started to make a form like a human. The man who had an elaborately shaped dragon face turned his head from side to side and stared at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±

    Igolas asked in wonder. He had been looking down at the ground from behind the clouds for hours. He also had seen Su-hyeun was fighting with other people. But somehow, he teamed up with other people now and fought against him. Su-hyeun acted as if he knew their existence beforehand. He could not help but ask. However, instead of answering, Su-hyeun told a completely different story.

    ¡°Are you¡­ Happy to live like that?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Igolas asked back at Su-hyeun¡¯s question like building castles in the air.

    ¡°What the hell is talking about,¡± Igolas thought.

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Igolas¡¯s face contorted. He felt like he could remember something.

    ¡°Hey, you, half demonic dragon. You who tried to kill this monster now became one with it and run amuck. Remember. You¡­ Are not a demonic dragon.¡±

    The being in front of Su-hyeun was Igolas but not Igolas. He was¡­

    ¡°The knight of the half demonic dragon, Falcon.¡±

    He was a misfortune knight who decided to assimilate with the half demonic dragon Igolas to stop it. He had been united with Igolas and fought against it for a long, long time. And while that, he lost the initiative of the body, and he became like this.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    The eyes of Falcon made with dark blood started to have a focus. But the focus that spackled once quickly disappeared. And at that moment, Su-hyeun raised his sword again.

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t remember, it can¡¯t be helped,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    He did not expect much in the first place.

    ¡°I will make you remember.¡±

 Chapter 53

    Shururuk-

    Falcon¡¯s eyes were dyed black at the same time Su-hyeun raised his sword.

    Right at this moment, the existence before his eyes had become Igolas once more.

    ¡°As I thought, he¡¯s still fighting it,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    What a lamentable thing this was.

    To fight against the demonic dragon while having forgotten all about who he was for a length of time so long that it was difficult to even imagine.

    Falcon¡¯s ego managed to emerge above the surface this time because Igolas¡¯s main body was inflicted with a major wound.

    ¡°To wake him up again¡­.¡±

    Rumble-

    The Flame enveloped Su-Hyeun¡¯s sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ll chop this body into pieces first,¡± thought Su-Hyeun.

    Piiiii-iiit-

    Hwa-aaaahk-!

    Wounds opened up all over Igolas¡¯s body one after the other according to Su-Hyeun¡¯s sword strikes.

    It was the pattern of the Flame scorching the creature¡¯s hide, and then the Gram slicing into the weakened hide.

    The sword attacks used to be effective many times before, however, it was different this time.

    Kuruk, kururuk-

    Blood sprayed out from Igolas¡¯s body enveloped its hide and scales. This blood, which was a lump of massive magical energy, became a sturdy armor and began protecting its body.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult to break through in a single hit,¡± Su-Hyeun thought to himself.

    Chwa-ruruk-

    That wasn¡¯t all.

    The blood enveloping Igolas¡¯s hide suddenly coalesced and floated upwards. Every one of those lumps morphed into sharp blades and were fired in Su-Hyeun¡¯s direction.

    It was the skill of Falcon, the ancient knight that became one with Igolas.

    ¡°Swords is it,¡± Su-Hyeun said.

    Dozens upon dozens of swords.

    Su-hyeun swept his eyes across them. A fairly threatening amount of magical energy was permeating in every single one of them.

    However, destroying them wouldn¡¯t be difficult.

    ¡°I¡¯ll shatter them.¡±

    Squeeze-

    Su-Hyeun trusted in his skills, as well as the weapon held in his hand, the Gram.

    He was capable of shattering them one by one.

    Su-phat-

    Pik, pik, pipik-

    Chwa-rururuk-

    Su-Hyeun cut down the swords flying in his direction, and then, cut down even more. Countless swords were powerlessly destroyed.

    Perhaps it didn¡¯t expect such a development, Igolas flinging the swords stared at Su-Hyeun with great shock.

    Crack, crack, craaack-!

    ¡°Fuu-wook, huk-¡±

    Swords flew in endlessly.

    Even as he swatted those away one by one, Su-hyeun shifted his gaze towards the wound he inflicted on the main body.

    ¡°As I thought, I should aim over there if I¡­¡±

    Fuu-wuunng-

    The sound of a huge gust of wind.

    At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze shifted to the side.

    Ka-boom-!

    ¡°Keo-urk!¡±

    Su-Hyeon¡¯s body, his focus stolen by the countless swords until then, was struck hard by Igolas¡¯s tail. For a moment there, all strength abandoned him and his head shook around.

    Stagger-

    [¡®Hero ¨C Immortality is activating.]

    [Vitality and stamina are recovering rapidly. A fixed portion of abnormal status is recovering.]

    [Physical ability is being rapidly enhanced.]

    His shaken consciousness and body quickly came back to him.

    The passive skill he thought of as insurance for that just-in-case.

    He couldn¡¯t confirm its effects until now. It didn¡¯t want to activate regardless of whatever situation Su-hyeun deliberately created for himself.

    However, the Immortality skill had become a truly dependable lifeline for Su-hyeun right at this moment.

    His body felt light.

    Power was overflowing within, and his concentration was shooting through the roof. His body was in the peak physical condition filled with vitality. No, the strength exceeding even that could be felt now.

    ¡°I can do this.¡±

    Squeeze-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze was directed at Igolas¡¯s tail that smacked him earlier.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cut it down.¡±

    Sliiiice-

    A single thin line appeared in Su-hyeun¡¯s vision.

    He didn¡¯t even exert all that much strength, either. As if drawing a line, he simply swung his sword quite naturally in the direction of Igolas¡¯s tail.

    Tsu-eu-euht-

    Chua-aaaahk-!

    Igolas¡¯s tail was sliced off.

    The cleanly-sliced tail and its smooth cross-section began falling below.

    Igolas, having lost a part of its body in the blink of an eye, didn¡¯t even scream as if it hadn¡¯t felt the pain.

    But, it soon sensed a certain emptiness and turned its head behind to confirm the situation with its tail.

    Kii-aahk, kiii-aaahhh-!

    Igolas started screeching out loudly.

    The now tail-less Igolas spat out rage-filled breaths in all directions. The figure reappearing on the creature¡¯s back seemed to be enraged as well, as it opened its mouth wide and howled out, too.

    ¡°Ah, ah, aaaaahk-!¡±

    ¡°I will make you suffer!¡±

    Igolas crying out in rage soon had to stop its screaming. It discovered that Su-hyeun had arrived near its position before anyone noticed it, that¡¯s why.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    As Igolas opened its pupil-less eyes wide enough to tear them apart, its expression was filled with sheer shock.

    ¡°What are you so surprised about?¡±

    Squeeeeze-

    Before anyone realized it, Su-hyeun¡¯s hand was holding a spear, not a sword.

    ¡°When did I¡­ ever say I only had one?¡±

    [Dragon killing spear ¨C Nir.]

    A single-use item.

    The thing was, Su-hyeun had prepared two of them.

    One to inflict a fatal wound on Igolas¡¯s main body.

    And as for the other one¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish up with this, shall we?¡±

    To wrap everything up.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze was fixed on the huge wound he cut out on Igolas¡¯s back.

    He bent both his arm and his body to ready the spear shaft.

    Rumblllle-

    Kuwa-aaaaht-!

    Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands.

    The spear Su-hyeun threw split countless times and rained down on Igolas¡¯s body from above.

    Crack, crack, craaack-

    Kiii-aaaaahhh-!

    Igolas¡¯s body was mercilessly torn apart.

    Su-Hyeun was planning to use this attack as the final blow to kill Igolas off. The magical energy contained within the spear now was incomparable to before.

    Peok, peok, peopeopeopeohk-!

    Its wings were torn off, and its hide and scales were scorched black.

    Igolas¡¯s whole body went limp as if it no longer had any energy left to even flap its wings.

    Gu-wuuuu-

    Igolas¡¯s body began falling to the ground.

    Act 5

    Kwa-rung, boom-!

    Igolas¡¯s body crashed into a high-rise building, and the structure couldn¡¯t endure against that weight and began crumbling to the side.

    With its figure completely torn apart and penetrated through, Igolas couldn¡¯t control its body anymore and simply writhed intermittently. Su-hyeun landed on top and intently studied Igolas¡¯s condition.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯ll die even if left alone.¡±

    The biggest weakness of Igolas was its low rate of regeneration unfitting for a high-ranking monster. With these many wounds, it was now as good as dead.

    Su-hyeun walked on Igolas¡¯s back.

    It was then, the streaming blood coalesced once more into a certain silhouette. This time, though, it had a person¡¯s head, not a dragon¡¯s.

    ¡°I shall ask again,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Step-

    Su-hyeun got real close to this figure and asked.

    ¡°Who are you currently?¡±

    ¡°I am¡­¡± Countless emotions were mixed in that faintly-trembling voice. ¡°Falcon, the knight of Teserahm.¡±

    ¡°Can you remember now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I remember everything¡­ Everything.¡±

    Falcon barely managed to squeeze out his voice.

    It wasn¡¯t because he found it uncomfortable or difficult to talk, however. No, he couldn¡¯t speak because countless memories that he didn¡¯t want to recall came flooding in.

    ¡°I¡­. my¡­ with my hands¡­.¡±

    After he became one with Igolas.

    Falcon killed and devoured countless people. He could still vividly remember the texture and the taste from back then.

    ¡°Euph¡­ Eu-euph¡­.¡±

    The sensation of vomit rushed in, making him feel nauseous and dizzy. Unfortunately, Falcon was made out of Igolas¡¯s blood and couldn¡¯t shed his tears nor empty his stomach.

    ¡°Bleurgh-!¡±

    He tried to vomit, but nothing came out. The only thing leaking out from his mouth like drool was Igolas¡¯s blood.

    ¡°Even if you do that, people you devoured won¡¯t come back,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Wu-wuuk¡­¡±

    ¡°Those who died won¡¯t come back to life. And also¡­ it was never your intention, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­.¡± Falcon lowered his head and dejectedly knelt down. ¡°I killed everyone.¡±

    He began tearing at his hair. He wanted to endlessly scream and cry his heart out, but not a drop of tear came out.

    ¡°I¡­. devoured them all.¡±

    Like how a knight should, he wielded his sword for the weak all his life.

    He became one with Igolas just so that he could save his empire.

    However¡­.¡±If only I knew it¡¯d be like this¡­ if only I knew¡­¡±

    ¡°If you knew, would you have watched and done nothing as the empire fell?¡±

    Falcon raised his lowered head at Su-hyeun¡¯s question.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have done that, right?¡± asked Su-hyeun.

    ¡°That is¡­.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re going to make the same choice anyway if you did manage to go back, please stop with regretting your past. Seriously, what is this? You saved a nation, yet it¡¯s still your fault? There¡¯s a limit to being a kind person, you know.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t wrong there.

    Even if Falcon went back in time, he¡¯d make the same decision in the end. Rather than watching the empire be destroyed, he¡¯d willingly throw himself and stop Igolas, and eventually become one with the creature again.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Su-hyeun spoke in a slightly bitter voice. ¡°Many more people survived thanks to you. There¡¯s no reason to beat yourself up over it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°But my foot. You saved the world by sacrificing yourself, so what¡¯s with this wretched display? What exactly are you guilty of, anyway?¡± Su-hyeun reached out and while patting the man¡¯s shoulder, spoke. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t¡­ punish yourself so viciously like this. You have done a great job already, Falcon.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Falcon remained silent at Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    His darkened eyes slowly regained their focus. As Igolas¡¯s body gradually died, Falcon¡¯s consciousness was getting clearer, that¡¯s why.

    ¡°Now that I think about it¡­¡± Falcon said.

    His once-trembling voice became a little calmer.

    Falcon observed Su-hyeun and spoke. ¡°I still haven¡¯t expressed my gratitude. Thank you. Thanks to you, we were finally able to stop.¡±

    ¡°No need to mention it.¡± Su-hyeun formed a meaningful smile. ¡°It wasn¡¯t for free, after all.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to use that item anyway, right? In that case, please just give it to me.¡±

    ¡°That item? Could it be¡­¡± Falcon¡¯s eyes widened before he guffawed. ¡°Ha, hahaha! Ah, did you mean this? You aren¡¯t someone from our side, so I can¡¯t fathom at all how you even knew about it.¡±

    ¡°There are certain ways of finding it out.¡±

    ¡°Alright, take it. Just like you said, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be using the item again, and¡­ And I should at least give you something in return. No, wait. Even if I don¡¯t give it to you, it¡¯s still yours regardless.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, the weight¡¯s been lifted off my shoulders. I¡¯ve been freed from the pain, too¡­ I¡¯m truly grateful.¡±

    Igolas¡¯s death was the same thing as Falcon¡¯s death.

    Falcon was supposed to have died a long time ago during his battle against Igolas. However, after he became one with the creature, he was unable to die and continued to live on while killing humans even though he didn¡¯t want to.

    For a long time, he fought within Igolas¡¯s consciousness and protected his home by ensuring that the creature didn¡¯t attack the empire.

    Kururuk, kuruk-

    Kek, kekek-!

    The maw on Igolas¡¯s massive head squirmed for a bit before it spat something out quite vigorously.

    Su-hyeun stared at that something the creature spat out. It was a set of thin armor.

    ¡°Take it with you. You are more than qualified to possess it,¡± said Falcon.

    He was now in full control of Igolas¡¯s consciousness. That was because the creature¡¯s body was damaged beyond the possibility of repair.

    In other words, the armor Igolas spat out was meant to be Falcon¡¯s gift. And it was also what Su-hyeun had been aiming for since the beginning, as well.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll gladly use it,¡± replied Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Falcon closed his eyes.

    Right afterward, his body made out of Igolas¡¯s blood began melting down little by little.

    ¡°Finally¡­ eternal respite,¡± said Falcon.

    He accepted his death as eternal respite. Su-hyeun, having only lived a mere few decades, couldn¡¯t grasp at all what that even felt like.

    Su-hyeun bowed his head towards Falcon.

    This man before his eyes was a true hero, who, for the length of time no one could even begin to imagine, fought for the sake of the world.

    And he was the sole witness to the last moments of such a person.

    ¡°Rest in peace.¡±

    I pray that his death wouldn¡¯t be one of agony but an eternal rest.

    Su-hyeun earnestly prayed in his heart.

 Chapter 54

    Chwa-rururuk-

    Clung, claaang-

    Dozens upon dozens of thick chains tightly bound the bodies of the monsters. Ten-plus Awakeners coordinated with each other in perfect sync to stop the monsters¡¯ movements.

    ¡°Nice work!¡±

    Chwa-aaaahk-!

    Kang Seung-Cheol¡¯s greatsword split the body of a huge raven-like monster in half. The creature, with both of its wings tied down, couldn¡¯t even offer any substantial resistance as it lost its life.

    Ka-boom-!

    Along with the waves of magical energy, a loud impact noise akin to a sandbag being struck hard resounded out. A monster¡¯s torso bounced upwards, its waist bent in half.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you hurry up a bit here?¡±

    Tap, tap-

    Boom-

    While shaking off the blood on his hands, Kim Do-ui addressed Kang Seung-Cheol.

    When looking at the bigger picture, they were both Awakeners affiliated with the same government, but when looking at the smaller picture, things were slightly different.

    And that¡¯s why they were wary of each other.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the slow one here¡­ Why don¡¯t you keep your people in line first? How many did you hunt, anyway?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just one or two. Do you think I¡¯ll personally be counting them? Why maybe you didn¡¯t hurt as many as you thought?¡±

    ¡°Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°I wonder, just who was it that asked me first about how many I hunted down?¡±

    ¡°Before that¡­¡±

    Guuu-wooong-

    The ground rumbled as something heavy crash-landed. The two men stopped bickering and turned their heads in the direction of the noise.

    ¡°The boss is¡­¡±

    ¡°He killed it?¡±

    Kang Seung-Cheol opened his eyes wide.

    That man, he stepped forward while saying he¡¯ll fight the boss alone, but to think he¡¯d solo a monster of such caliber.

    ¡°I thought we might need more reinforcement, but it seems there¡¯s no longer a need for that.¡±

    Kim Do-ui was overcome with feelings of emptiness and relief at the same time. The crisis that could¡¯ve become the worst-possible situation had finally come to an end.

    ¡°He¡¯s remarkable. Truly,¡± Kim Do-ui thought.

    Su-hyeun minded his own business up until now without publicly revealing himself, not even once.

    It was already mystifying to see a young man like that stay well below the radar for such an extent of time, but the moment he revealed his identity to the world, he even managed to prevent a huge catastrophe, as well.

    His abilities couldn¡¯t be faulted at all. Indeed, he was one of only a few S-ranks in South Korea, so why should anyone doubt that?

    Most likely, after this event is over¡­¡± Kim Du-ui began to think.

    A storm should rage on with him as the epicenter.

    The armor clanked.

    Su-hyeun picked up the armor Igolas¡¯s maw spat out onto the ground.

    Now that he got to see it again, rather than joy, bitterness rushed in first.

    ¡°Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor,¡± Su-hyeun thought in awe.

    This set of armor was so light that its weight almost couldn¡¯t be felt. Just from the sensation of it being held in his hand, the armor might seem like it¡¯d break in half if he gripped it a little harder.

    However, Su-hyeun knew the true worth of this item better than anyone out there.

    [Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor.]

    The armor belonging to Falcon, the knight of Teserahm Empire. The Teserahm Empire gifted this armor to Falcon in his quest to hunt down the half-demon dragon, and as such, it possesses strong resistance towards many different magic types.

    The item¡¯s explanation itself wasn¡¯t too obtuse. Rather than its effects, over half of the explanation was devoted to the item¡¯s history, instead.

    << Out of all the armors that can be equipped with the others, this is the one possessing the greatest magic resistance of them all. >>

    The greatest advantage Falcon¡¯s Armor had was the fact that it could be worn underneath other armors.

    Never mind how light it was, it was also more comfortable than all the others, and it offered almost no restriction on his movements.

    It also had a strong resistance towards many different types of damage, including magic, which was a huge plus, as well.

    Honestly, that last factor alone would¡¯ve qualified the Falcon¡¯s Armor as a bona fide treasure.

    ¡°I¡¯ll use it well,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun then equipped the Falcon¡¯s Armor.

    The moment he put on the armor over his clothing.

    Hwa-aaaahk-!

    Lengthy video footage began brushing past Su-hyeun¡¯s brain.

    ¡°Please stop the demon dragon Igolas.¡±

    ¡°Falcon, we ask of you for this favor.¡±

    ¡°With this method, you will be able to defeat Igolas. However, if that happens¡­¡±

    Countless people were surrounding Falcon.

    They all clamored over each other to shout towards him.

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one we can believe in now!¡±

    Falcon couldn¡¯t forsake that belief. Not if he were to answer their expectations, and if he wanted to protect his beloved empire, too.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to come up with a reply.

    ¡°Please leave it to me.¡±

    And so, Falcon set off from the empire to stop Igolas.

    While equipped with weapons, armor, and countless items crafted by the finest artisans of the empire, he fought against Igolas in a battle that lasted the day and night, and eventually, the magic circle they had created was activated.

    Hwa-aaaaahk-!

    And that¡¯s how Falcon became one with Igolas.

    Two separate minds came to occupy one flesh, and the second battle commenced.

    It was truly a lengthy fight that lasted for almost an eternity.

    Igolas didn¡¯t die.

    However, one half of it became Falcon. The light and darkness repeatedly fought each other in fierce battles, and Igolas no longer appeared in the empire.

    Unfortunately, Falcon would lose to Igolas¡¯s ego whenever the starvation became too extreme.

    And to appease his hunger, he had to devour the empire¡¯s citizens.

    ¡°I¡­ Those people, I¡­¡±

    The guilt was shaking his consciousness.

    His mouth could vividly recall the memories of chewing on humans. The memories of screams of ¡®please save us¡¯ reverberating within his mouth were something he never wanted to remember again.

    It was at this point that the horrifying voice he¡¯d often hear came to him.

    ¡°But, didn¡¯t you enjoy the taste? Was I mistaken?¡±

    ¡°Shut up. I didn¡¯t enjoy anything. It¡¯s making me sick!¡±

    ¡°No way. You savored the taste while devouring those humans. I¡¯m you right now, after all. That¡¯s why I know.¡±

    ¡°I said, I didn¡¯t!¡±

    He felt nauseous. Rather than being disgusted by the cannibalism itself, he was more sickened by the fact that he enjoyed the process.

    And so, Falcon gradually assimilated into Igolas. He endlessly repeated the cycle of devouring humans, then falling into regret and despair.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of me. I¡¯m, I¡¯m the¡­¡±

    Memories entered Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    He already knew of these memories, though. The Falcon¡¯s Armor was an item Su-hyeun of past life had used, after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m watching this for the second time, but still¡­¡± thought Su-hyeun.

    One could tell just what kind of a life Falcon lived through this set of armor.

    The first time he put the armor on, he just couldn¡¯t understand at all why that person had to live such a life. He couldn¡¯t figure out the reason why Falcon chose the path of lengthy suffering.

    However, in the end, even Su-hyeun got to walk on a similar path as him.

    At first, he believed it was because the world had forced it onto him. However, as time passed, he grew to realize that that wasn¡¯t the sole reason.

    Now he knew.

    That was his own choice.

    Even if the world didn¡¯t force him, and instead tried to talk him out of it¡­

    ¡°I¡¯d probably have made the same choice,¡± thought Su-hyeun.

    That¡¯s why Su-hyeun felt even more bitter inside.

    His end wasn¡¯t all that dissimilar to Falcon¡¯s, after all. He had to greet the conclusion so torturous that death felt like an eternal respite.

    No, that wasn¡¯t true. Falcon managed to protect his empire, but what about him?

    This was the second opportunity, his second attempt.

    But, if he were to fail again this time¡­

    ¡°Even then, I¡¯ll still do it.¡±

    As expected, the answer remained the same.

    If he was thinking of hesitating, then he wouldn¡¯t even have started in the first place. He wouldn¡¯t have tried to put this armor on, either.

    When he thought that it was finally over, strength in his body flooded out. The activation period of ¡®Indomitable¡¯ had come to an end.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t last as long as I thought,¡± Su-hyeun said to himself.

    He was dismayed at himself for thinking about skills even in a situation like this one.

    Su-hyeun smirked and let go of the tension¡¯s taut string.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out¡­ Somehow¡­¡±

    Plop-

    Su-hyeun laid down right there as if he was blacking out, and closed his eyes.

    And then, he fell into a deep slumber.

    January 31, 2021.

    This date was originally earmarked as the day of conquering the green-colored dungeon that appeared in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

    All the attention of the media was focused there, and countless Awakeners were deployed, too.

    So much so that one would start to think at least one-third of all the Awakeners in South Korea had been deployed here to conquer this green-colored dungeon.

    But then, the South Korean media, no, the entire world¡¯s, was no longer focused on Ansan, but Anyang, instead.

    The dungeon outbreak is a new term denoting the phenomenon that occurs when a newly-generated dungeon has been left alone for a fixed period. However, on January 31st, the City of Anyang in Gyeonggi Province was¡­ A new type of dungeon has emerged. A green-colored dungeon that requires an S-rank Awakener, or perhaps even over a dozen A-rank Awakeners¡­ Last night in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province¡­

    The breaking headlines and internet articles endlessly poured out.

    And one man¡¯s name was brought up without exception in every single one of them.

    The mysterious Awakener covered in veil until now, Kim Su-hyeun has finally revealed himself. He has been introducing himself as a member of the Dump Guild on an online forum from a short while ago, and he¡­ Kim Su-hyeun willingly disguised himself as a terrorist to evacuate the citizens. Thanks to his actions, all the damage the City of Anyang suffered was some damage to property¡­ The boss of the green dungeon was¡­

    The breaking news continued to pour in one after the other.

    Su-hyeun raised the remote and switched the TV off.

    Beep-

    ¡°I can¡¯t stand it, really,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Should he say how fortunate that his face was blurred out in mosaic during the broadcasts?

    As if the mass media didn¡¯t want to get on Su-hyeun¡¯s bad books, they didn¡¯t reveal his facial features publicly on air.

    ¡°Kekek. Isn¡¯t it all truth, though?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho chuckled under his breath. He was trying so hard not to laugh, but even then, the decibel of his chuckles leaking out remained rather high.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stop holding back and laugh? We¡¯re in a private room, anyway. You holding back is making me feel even worse.¡±

    ¡°Keuk, puhahahahat!¡±

    Lee Ju-ho, in the end, exploded in a loud peel of laughter. Su-hyeun swore that this was the first time seeing him guffaw this loudly ever since getting acquainted with the man.

    ¡°Is it that funny?¡±

    ¡°No, wait, keuk, keuk¡­ Your expression, Mr. Su-hyeun, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°What about my expression, then?¡±

    ¡°No, well, it¡¯s like your expression is baring everything in the open. Like¡­ Aaah, this wasn¡¯t what I wanted.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s fist almost flew out at the figure of Lee Ju-ho explaining his expression with a deliberately serious, subdued voice. However, he somehow managed to hold himself back and suppressed his anger.

    He was already dead-tired and needed a rest, so no good would come of it if he wasted energy unnecessarily here.

    ¡°Besides all that, I didn¡¯t expect you to go through with it,¡± said Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°I always do what I said I¡¯d do.¡±

    ¡°I see. So, I¡¯m planning to dissuade you if something like this happens again in the future. I thought you were just kidding around again, you know.¡±

    ¡°Will you really?¡±

    ¡°I mean, who would believe it? Disguising yourself as a terrorist to draw in hundreds of Awakeners all alone. And also, to use those hundreds of Awakeners to stop an outbreak, no less.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho spat out a sigh and shook his head, perhaps feeling that it still made no sense when looking back at the whole thing for the second time. ¡°I thought that you lost all of your marbles.¡±

    ¡°It was the most effective method available.¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t the problem of effectiveness but rather, whether it¡¯s possible or not.¡±

    One versus one hundred.

    That was an impossibility for a regular person, but it wasn¡¯t as impossible for an Awakener. As the word implied, being an Awakener signified that you were superhuman, after all.

    However, if the ¡®hundred¡¯ in that one versus a hundred situation were also Awakeners, then the matter would again become an impossibility.

    Because the ¡®hundred¡¯ opponents ¡®one¡¯ had to contend with would be also superhumans possessing strengths exceeding that of regular people.

    ¡°Honestly, I thought that it¡¯d be utterly impossible and that it¡¯s a completely absurd notion. Even if all of you went easy for hundreds of rounds and you endured somehow in that manner¡­ I thought that you¡¯d never make it out of there alive, Mr. Su-hyeun.¡±

    That was how it¡¯d be like to battle against a hundred Awakeners. No matter how much of a genius Su-hyeun was, Lee Ju-ho felt confident in saying it.

    That surely was an impossible task.

    ¡°However, you managed to do it, Mr. Su-hyeun.¡±

    The thing was, though, a handful of Awakeners capable of pulling off such feats did exist.

    ¡°The S-rank¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho asked in a could-it-be frame of mind.

    ¡°Have you really become an S-rank Awakener?¡±

 Chapter 55

    The S-rank.

    The Awakener combat force was rumored to be quite close to the movers and shakers in the political scene, consisting of only five known individuals in all of South Korea.

    Lee Ju-ho knew that Su-hyeun was an A-rank Awakener. Of course, he also knew of the latter growing even stronger in the last year or so.

    But he still didn¡¯t expect the latter to become an S-rank after only two years.

    The wall existing between the A- and S-ranks was simply too vast and thick to cross.

    ¡°Well¡­ it somehow worked out that way,¡± replied Su-hyeun, as he nodded his head at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s question.

    This was the basis for an S-rank Awakener.

    The Magic Level and Magic Factor had to be over seven and 70, respectively.

    Su-hyeun had already satisfied those two conditions. After consuming the highest-grade potential catalyst not too long ago and digesting every bit of the liquid, he managed to advance to the next level.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something earlier? I wouldn¡¯t have been this anxious if you told me sooner,¡± said Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long since I became one. If you were worried about this, then I can only apologize.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well¡­ no need to apologize or anything¡­¡±Read more chapters at Listnovel.com

    Lee Ju-ho became sheepish and sighed when Su-hyeun apologized instead. It felt like he was in the wrong for sounding like he was accusing the latter of something.

    While sinking deep into the chair once more, Lee Ju-ho tried to change the topic. ¡°In any case, what will you do next? Everyone knows your identity by now and will report on the fact that you¡¯re currently registered as a C-rank pretty soon.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be a problem. I can always say that I was C-rank one year ago.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was mean. Aren¡¯t you going to get re-evaluated?¡±

    There was the rank re-evaluation, an evaluation process that Awakeners could request once each year when they wanted to change their ranking.

    It proceeded concurrently with the regular rank evaluation, and mainly the Awakeners hoping to receive a higher rank than their current ones requested for it.

    Normally, people requested it to raise their rank by one level, but¡­

    ¡°From C-rank up to S. Well, now. I think it¡¯s going to produce a pretty epic spectacle, alright.¡±

    The appearance of an S-rank Awakener was more than enough to become a hot topic already.

    If the truth became known that the very same S rank Awakener was the hero responsible for saving the City of Anyang and jumping three levels during his rank improvement evaluation, then the mass media would riot once more.

    ¡°Urgh¡­.¡±

    ¡°Based on your reaction, I take it you¡¯re at least a little interested?¡± Asked Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°I do need to get re-evaluated, that¡¯s for sure. Everyone knows that already, anyway. Remaining in C-rank like this won¡¯t benefit me in any shape or form, either.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of money? Or¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho realized that the question was unnecessary and immediately shut his mouth.

    He could easily tell that it wasn¡¯t because of money, judging from how Su-hyeun had acted up until now.

    Su-hyeun not even once used the money he earned in dungeons to live in luxury.

    Excluding his purchase of a house to act more freely, he was someone who thought that having a meal wasted his precious time. He invested almost all of his time primarily on climbing the tower.

    Lee Ju-ho was unable to just sit back and watch, so he gave Su-hyeun a sports car as a present. Even then, him turning its ignition remained a rare occurrence even now.

    ¡°What is all this for, anyway?¡±

    So, Lee Ju-ho changed his question.

    He suddenly became curious as to why Su-hyeun became an Awakener.

    Normally, it¡¯d be to chase after things like wealth, prestige, and power. Even Lee Ju-ho himself couldn¡¯t fully escape from that mold.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun avoided the question.

    Regardless of whatever reply he came up with, it was likely that the other party wouldn¡¯t understand. He was the only person who knew the future, after all.

    << Could anyone even have imagined it? >>

    The world was rapidly changing.

    The rate of dungeon generation was rising quickly, and outbreaks were now occurring without warning.

    Even then, society at large remained at a standstill. They all thought of it as a problem similar to the issues of pollution from a few years ago.

    In reality, the number of casualties from the last event was quite low. There was no need to even mention the civilian deaths as there was almost zero loss of life even among the Awakeners this time.

    Knock, knock!

    The short bout of silence was shattered by someone knocking on the hospital room¡¯s door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Creak!

    The moment Su-hyeun responded, Hak-Joon entered the room carrying a fruit basket.

    The former already knew that the latter had come to visit by sensing his presence, and waved his hand to greet the younger man.

    ¡°Been a while, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Su-Hyeun.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we see each other two days ago?¡±

    ¡°Did we? The last time we got together was such a long time ago, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Both my bro and I had been way too busy lately, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. Although, I didn¡¯t know you were the real Kim Su-hyeun back then, bro.¡±

    Su-hyeun smiled awkwardly at Hak-Joon¡¯s words.

    Lee Ju-ho observed the atmosphere before standing up from his spot. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be on my way now. Give me a call when you¡¯re about to be discharged, please.¡±

    Su-hyeun raised his upper torso from the bed to bade Lee Ju-ho goodbye, but the latter dissuaded him from getting up altogether and exited the room.

    Not too long afterward, Hak-Joon settled down on the chair Lee Ju-ho had been sitting in earlier.

    He even bought a small fruit knife as if he was planning to peel the fruits he brought along.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Hak-Joon asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s already been a couple of days, you know. Feels like I¡¯ll be just fine getting discharged tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If something¡¯s on your mind, just tell me. Don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just¡­¡±

    Hak-Joon¡¯s hands peeling the fruit came to a halt as he closed his mouth after hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    The pregnant pause persisted for a long while. Su-hyeun had been thinking that Hak-Joon would either be angry or disappointed by him, so the current reaction came across as a little strange.

    Since he had nothing urgent to do anyway, Su-hyeun decided to patiently wait.

    Eventually, he spoke up.

    ¡°Hyung, do you remember¡­ what you told me earlier?¡±

    ¡°What did I say?¡±

    Su-hyeun asked back, but Hak-Joon began hesitating again. After pondering for a while, he simply shook his head.

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Come on, what is it? I¡¯m curious now. Tell me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. Besides all that, bro. Why didn¡¯t you say anything? We¡¯ve known each other for over a year already, too. That hurt my feelings, you know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Actually, I¡­¡±

    Sure enough, the conversation with Hak-Joon went down the expected avenue. However, Su-hyeun was quite certain that this wasn¡¯t what he wanted to say to him.

    << What could it be? >>

    His curiosity was rushing in.

    He was thinking of uncovering more information about Hak-Joon once the current situation had settled down.

    << Already A-rank, is it¡­ >>

    It¡¯s only been two years.

    That was not a short time. Out of the current batch of Awakeners, there have been only a few that managed to become A-rank within two years.

    That was when considering the entire world.

    Just from that alone, one could tell how talented Hak-Joon was. The more Hak-Joon¡¯s brilliance shined brightly, the greater Su-hyeun¡¯s curiosity grew.

    Especially more so, when he openly carried a face that shouted out to the world, ¡®I have a secret¡¯.

    In the end, Hak-Joon didn¡¯t say anything particularly important and left the hospital after inquiring about Su-hyeun¡¯s wellbeing.

    Su-hyeun immediately picked up his mobile phone afterward.

    ¡°Hello? Hi, can I ask you for a favor?¡±

    Act 6

    Hak-Joon exited the hospital room and slowly walked along the corridor. He came here after lengthy deliberation, but as expected, he just couldn¡¯t say anything.

    << I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t happen. >>

    He thought that he had grown quite close to Su-hyeun.

    Despite this, he began feeling that the friendship between them existed only in his mind.

    << I don¡¯t have a choice but to do it alone, then. >>

    It was too presumptuous to hope for Su-hyeun¡¯s help. In all honesty, the relationship between him and Su-hyeun only amounted to being acquaintances that didn¡¯t even meet each other all that often and just shared a few calls every now and then.

    ¡°Uh, we meet each other again?¡±

    About eight months ago, he ran into Su-hyeun by sheer coincidence while heading towards the assigned dungeon to clear it.

    He noticed a sparkling sports car and wondered whose it was, only to realize that Su-hyeun was behind the wheel.

    ¡°You lived around here?¡± Hak-Joon asked.

    ¡°Yes, I moved into the neighborhood not too long ago. I needed something so I was on my way to Yangpyeong just now.¡±

    ¡°Aah, so you¡¯re now my new neighbor, then.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we meet up again sometime and have a meal? Sounds good?¡±

    Hak-Joon was in a dilemma when Su-hyeun approached and asked for the contact details in a friendly manner, but in the end, he gave away his phone number.

    If this was any other time, he¡¯d have ignored the request, but perhaps them coincidentally running into each other several times like this must¡¯ve been to blame; he gave in and ended up swapping their contact details with Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Give me a call if you need anything. If it¡¯s something I can help you with, then I will,¡± said Su-Hyuen.

    It was unclear why he suddenly said that.

    Indeed, that wasn¡¯t something you¡¯d say to a person you¡¯re encountering for only the third time who you initially met through sheer coincidence.

    His tone of voice also seemed to imply that he knew something about Hak-Joon, as well.

    Although it concerned him somewhat, Hak-Joon decided to overlook it.

    He took it as the other guy saying that out of courtesy.

    For some reason, he just couldn¡¯t forget those words.

    The day before, he felt like the inside of his head had been rocked hard after learning that the Su-hyeun he knew was that Kim Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    << As expected, I should just forget about it. >>

    Hak-Joon spat out a long sigh.

    He lowered his head and scratched it in irritation, and the next moment he raised it again, Hak-Joon¡¯s steps came to an abrupt halt.

    ¡°So, you came?¡±

    ¡°¡­.Chairman.¡±

    Jung Dong-Yeong waiting for Hak-Joon at the end of the corridor, formed an ominous smile, and waved his hand.

    Three days passed by since he was hospitalized.

    Su-hyeun roundly ignored the doctor¡¯s recommendation of staying in the hospital for a little bit longer and discharged himself right away.

    He wasn¡¯t horribly wounded anyway. All he did was to use up every bit of his magical energy until it ran completely dry, which in turn caused a sudden strain on his body.

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    Su-Hyeun¡¯s eyes were withdrawn.

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice was coming out from the mobile phone pressed to his ear.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the current situation.¡±

    ¡°How solid is this info?¡±

    I think whether it really happened or not needs to be verified first.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, then.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m also a bit pissed off, you see. In any case, I¡¯ll properly dig into it. Oh, and there¡¯s something unrelated I want to talk to you about¡­ the director wishes to speak to you.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he directly call me for that¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Well, he doesn¡¯t know your contact details, you see. He wanted me to give you his contact numbers. Are you willing to meet him, though?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. Well, I¡¯ll give him a call, at least.¡±

    It was rather obvious why that man wanted to speak to him.

    After chatting some more, Su-hyeun ended the call with Lee Ju-ho. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but it felt as if things were going to get rather hectic from now on, even though he just got discharged from the hospital.

    << But then again, when did I ever enjoy a long rest? >>

    It had been a while since the last time he saw that man¡¯s face.

    In the past, Su-Hyeun used to meet the director several times in a month to growl at each other¡¯s throats in an uncivilized manner. They never saw eye to eye on their thoughts and values.

    But now, that man had no relations to the current Su-Hyeun.

    Tti-ring!

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s text message arrived.

    It was the director¡¯s contact number.

    A few somewhat random words were written just below it.

    [Also, I heard that the Dump Guild has started paying you attention. Maybe I¡¯m overthinking this, but it¡¯s still not a bad idea to stay vigilant, right?]

    The Dump Guild¡­

    He realized that he had momentarily forgotten about how he used their name and created this situation.

    << They must be pretty pissed off. >>

    Those bastards enjoyed killing people so much that they even established a guild of their own. Out of all the incidents currently taking place behind the shadows, quite a few were likely to be related to them somehow.

    But now, someone used their name and saved the lives of hundreds of thousands? They wouldn¡¯t be feeling good about that.

    << Although it¡¯s sooner than I thought¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun sighed loudly.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to get hectic soon.¡±

    He was destined to clash with them in the future, anyway. If he got to drag the ones hiding in the shadows out into the open, then he couldn¡¯t see that as an entirely bad result, either.

    Tap.

    Su-hyeun dialed the contact number as shown in Lee Ju-ho¡¯s text.

    The ring tone continued for a couple of times, and the other side soon answered the call.

    ¡°Hello, director. It¡¯s Kim Su-Hyeun speaking.¡±

 Chapter 56

    ¡°Please, help us! Please!¡±

    He was clinging onto someone¡¯s leg and desperately crying out. Hak-Joon was sitting on a higher place, watching this scene unfold.

    The person frantically asking for help was none other than himself.

    << A dream? >>

    His face below seemed to be slightly older than his current self. Seeing how that version was crying out the names one by one, he must¡¯ve been close with every one of them.

    << Who are they? >>

    However, the real Hak-Joon had no idea who they were since he couldn¡¯t see their faces. Even the names being called out were unfamiliar.

    ¡°Please, please¡­¡±

    His figure sitting on the floor howling out came across as truly pitiful and sad.

    No one looked back at him despite his ardent, desperate cries. They could¡¯ve reached out or glanced in his direction at least once.

    For some reason, the past and present didn¡¯t seem all that different to him.

    << This dream¡­. >>

    ¡­.It was so vivid that it irritated him.

    He wanted to wake up as soon as possible. A dream with such an unpleasant feeling was so rare that it could probably be counted in one hand.

    It was then, the scene below Hak-Joon changed.

    ¡°This¡­ Goddammit¡­¡±

    Expletives came out from Hak-Joon¡¯s mouth.

    His heart pounded away as his breathing became shallow and heavy. His vision was clouding over, and it felt like the inside of his head was getting hotter.

    The ¡®Hak-Joon¡¯ below was currently holding onto a certain woman in the scene; it was the woman with short bob-cut hair was bleeding from both her mouth and eyes.

    ¡°But, why¡­?¡±

    Step!

    A familiar face approached.

    It was the face he didn¡¯t want to see, even in his dreams.

    It was Jung Dong-Yeong.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t have done that, Hak-Joon-ah¡±.

    As always, he spoke with a kindly voice. With a tone seemingly chiding a younger brother, he was driving a cold hard dagger deep into Hak-Joon¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Had you listened to everything I said, that girl wouldn¡¯t have died, you know?¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaahk!¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaahk!¡±

    Hak-Joon woke up from his dream with a scream.

    His whole body was soaked in sweat. Hak-Joon had been sleeping inside a darkened storage facility.

    << Where am I? >>

    His confusion lasted only for a short while.

    He remembered the situation before he fell into a slumber.

    << I didn¡¯t fall asleep, but¡­ I got knocked out, instead. >>

    His arm, the shoulders, and his back flinched.

    His whole body was screaming in pain. He had blacked out while getting severely beaten up.

    The face he didn¡¯t want to remember popped back up inside his head on its own.

    It belonged to Jung Dong-Yeong.

    ¡°Goddammit.¡±

    A younger brother? Family? Friend?

    What a nonsensical notion that was.

    Jung Dong-Yeong always physically abused his fellow Guild members, the ones he called his ¡®family¡¯, for minor matters that didn¡¯t warrant such a treatment.

    ¡°If you tell me the truth, I¡¯ll go easy on you, Hak-Joon-ah. You knew, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Jung Dong-Yeong was aware of Hak-Joon¡¯s relationship with Su-hyeun and believed that the two were plotting something behind his back from the very beginning.

    Of course, Hak-Joon didn¡¯t know that and from his perspective, this whole thing came across as massively unfair.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you what I hate the most? Lying and betrayal. Those two. I told you to never do those two things, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    What a bunch of bullcrap that was.

    Don¡¯t do those two things?

    ¡°Just those two?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t even true.

    Jung Dong-Yeong would start throwing his fists around first if something got on his nerves or pissed him off somehow.

    If a dungeon conquest had been scheduled prior, he¡¯d hold himself back but once the schedule was cleared, he¡¯d start beating people up without fail.

    This time, he went too far. Hak-Joon ended up fainting, after all.

    Jung Dong-Yeong didn¡¯t even bother to confirm the detail of the actual relationship and simply decided to vent some steam here.

    Squeeze!

    Bang!

    Hak-Joon slammed his fist against the storage wall. His anger welled up so much that he could hardly contain himself.

    He felt like abandoning everything and leaving.

    Ring!

    Just then, his phone with the cracked screen resting on the ground began ringing noisily.

    Hak-Joon¡¯s gaze shifted towards the name appearing on the phone¡¯s screen. The moment he saw the name of the sender, ¡®Yun-seon¡¯, he ended up biting hard onto his lip.

    He picked up the phone, sucked in a deep breath, and opened his mouth.

    ¡°¡­Hello?¡±

    Su-hyeun changed his clothes at home, took a shower, and headed to the Awakeners Accreditation Authority immediately.

    As he walked down the familiar hallway, several people recognized his face and began glancing in his direction. They were Awakeners that fought alongside him a few days ago.

    << I guess my quiet days are as good as over. >>

    Even if he was left with little choice back then, there was no doubt that this event outed his face publicly. It might be limited to a few Awakeners at the moment, sure, but it was only a matter of time before everyone found out, too.

    << Well, this is annoying. >>

    He wasn¡¯t all that interested in the attention. Rather than feeling chuffed, he was instead burdened by it. To high-ranking Awakeners, ¡®attention¡¯ was the same thing as expectations.

    Su-hyeun was well aware of how burdensome attention and expectation could be.

    ¡°Fuu-woo-¡±

    Su-hyeun arrived before the director¡¯s office and took a deep breath.

    He had to meet the director sooner or later, but that didn¡¯t mean he held a favorable impression of him. It¡¯d be truly difficult to find a polar opposite of the director in this world.

    Knock, knock!

    Su-hyeun knocked on the office¡¯s door.

    When he did, the person on the other side answered.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    It was a heavy, bassy voice.

    Just hearing it alone worsened Su-hyeun¡¯s mood. He inwardly recited the Hanja word for ¡®patience¡¯ and opened the door.

    Creak!

    He spotted two men inside the office.

    One of them was the director, while the other was someone he met a few days ago: Kang Seung-Cheol.

    ¡°Good to see you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Uh, sure.¡±

    Su-hyeun formed a somewhat weird expression and waved his hand at Kang Seung-Cheol, greeting him with a warm, inviting face.

    He was hoping against hoping, but as expected, they wanted to talk about ¡°that¡±.

    He stared at the director. The man¡¯s uptight-looking face, where liver spots had begun showing up, seemed quite old even now. In reality, it was far younger than what Su-hyeun remembered.

    Unfortunately, the light in that man¡¯s eyes remained the same as it was in the past.

    ¡°I heard you were looking for me,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I wanted to speak to you for quite some time. I¡¯m glad to finally make your acquaintance.¡±

    Rather unexpectedly, the director was smiling affably.

    Thinking back to how he tried to paint Su-hyeun as a con-man not too long ago, one had to wonder whether the director had two switchable faces or not.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. It must¡¯ve been two years? I was asking around about you the whole time. As it turned out, you truly are talented.¡±

    The director then went on to praise Su-hyeun for a long while. The latter settled down on the spot on the couch the older man pointed out. Sipping on the prepared refreshment, he closed his eyes and ears off.

    ¡°Okay, so. What is it that you wish to speak to me about?¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t endure any longer and eventually chose to speak up.

    He couldn¡¯t bear to hear any more of this nonsense; he knew they were just pretenses and lies with an ulterior motive behind them.

    The director had to momentarily stop at Su-hyeun¡¯s unexpected question.

    His stiff expression only lasted for a brief moment. Soon, he formed a good-natured smiled and spoke again, ¡°You seemed to be impatient. Very well. Let me get straight to the point, then. My friend, are you willing to work for us?¡±

    ¡°When you say ¡®us¡¯, do you mean the organization?¡±

    ¡°Similar, but a little different. Here¡­.¡± The director looked at Kang Seung-Cheol standing next to him and continued. ¡°If you decide to join us, then you will be entering the same department as the department head Kang Seung-Cheol here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s a bit different from the normal organization.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Unlike other organizations, this organization is about fostering properly-trained Awakeners. As long as you agree¡­ I¡¯d like to leave you with the important position of being in charge of the whole operation.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t something you¡¯d ask of a person you met for the first time today.

    The organization consisted of the A-rank Awakener Kang Seung-Cheol along with dozens of rank B Awakeners. The director wanted to suddenly entrust an organization featuring such a high level of combat potential to him?

    When considering the abilities alone, Su-hyeun seemed to naturally fit the role.

    ¡°According to the department head Kang Seung-Cheol, you¡¯re an S-rank Awakener.¡± The director¡¯s persuasion continued. ¡°Not only are you unaffiliated with any guilds, but you are also exceptionally skilled. On top of that, you have proven your sense of righteousness towards our country during the previous event. There is nobody else better suited for this role than you, my friend.¡±

    ¡°Righteousness¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled into a thin grin.

    What absolute nonsense that was.

    << Do you even believe in that, anyway? >>

    The director could¡¯ve evacuated people ahead of time during the last event, but he still chose to ignore it.

    If it weren¡¯t for Su-hyeun, hundreds of thousands of people would¡¯ve died that day.

    This man had turned his gaze away from their deaths and utterly refused to heed his request back then, yet he now dared to speak of righteousness?

    If having a thick skin was a skill, then the director would¡¯ve been the best in the entire world.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to decline,¡± Hak-Joon replied.

    ¡°Young man¡­.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t try to persuade me. Even if you try a hundred times, my answer will remain the same. There¡¯s no reason to waste our energy and get our feelings hurt in the process, now is there?¡±

    The director kept quiet at Su-hyeun¡¯s firm reply.

    He was a man who had experienced all sorts of trials and tribulations for a while. He, of course. met numerous people before. As such, he was quite confident of being able to read his opponents correctly.

    He heard that this Awakener was only in his mid-twenties. A more in-depth investigation revealed that Su-hyeun didn¡¯t come from any notable wealth, either.

    Money and power, plus enticing, sweet words.

    The director thought that, as his opponent was still young, giving him praise and offering generous conditions would be more than enough to entice Su-hyeun.

    But now¡­

    << I heard that he¡¯d been staying under the radar for two years. Just what kind of a man is he? >>

    It was already quite bizarre to hide in the shadows when you possessed such a high level of talent. Even after emerging into the light, he wasn¡¯t enticed by power and wealth.

    The event that led to him revealing himself was also like that; he did it not for the sake of some benefits, but to save the citizens.

    << Sense of justice? >>

    What utter nonsense.

    The director was a man who never believed in this so-called sense of justice or righteousness, even though he mouthed off this term almost all the time.

    To him, righteousness was simply nothing more than a nice-sounding word.

    << Is this folly of one¡¯s youth? No, it must be¡­. >>

    His expression or the way he carried himself made it hard to believe Su-hyeun was still young. His actions made him sound like no ordinary man, but now that they were sitting face to face like this, he far exceeded the director¡¯s initial expectations.

    << If enticement isn¡¯t going to work¡­. >>

    Should he threaten him instead?

    << Threaten an S-rank Awakener? >>

    The director¡¯s expression crumpled unsightly. This was the first time in so long that he failed to control his expressions to this degree.

    A standard procedure in enticement would be to say some sweet-sounding words first, followed by scary-sounding threats before throwing a carrot. Rinse and repeat.

    However, his opponent was an S-rank Awakener. Although he hadn¡¯t gotten the official re-evaluation yet, his abilities had already been proven.

    Not only would threatening him not affect Su-hyeun but dealing with the potential fallout also presented a difficult prospect. In the current situation, it was the director who should be minding Su-hyeun¡¯s moods instead, not the other way around.

    ¡°Can I talk to you about something I find amusing?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Plop!

    Su-hyeun placed a smartphone in front and spoke up.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be very interested in hearing it as well, director.¡±

    ¡°¡­Interested?¡±

    The smartphone was resting before his eyes.

    For some strange reason, Su-hyeun¡¯s voice came across as rather ominous to the director¡¯s ears. His instincts were telling him to ignore it, but he simply had to listen.

    ¡°Let us hear it, then,¡± the director replied.

    ¡°A wise decision.¡±

    Su-hyeun smirked and pushed the smartphone towards the director. Its screen was already switched on and the older man was able to confirm the name of the file saved on the device.

    The director¡¯s eyes widened. The always-affable facade of his was now cracking up.

    ¡°What is it that you want?¡± The director asked.

    Quite different from how he was like when entering the office earlier, Su-hyeun grinned widely as he replied, ¡°Many, many things.¡±

    << So, the table has been set¡­. >>

    Now, it was time to flip this table that the dear director had oh-so-carefully organized.

 Chapter 57

    The negotiation dragged on.

    Every time Su-hyeun and the director exchanged words, the latter¡¯s voice grew louder little by little.

    The contents were different from what he had initially expected.

    In the end, however, the director had to accept Su-hyeun¡¯s demands.

    In all honesty, he couldn¡¯t afford not to bow down to Su-hyeun¡¯s demands. In front of a rank S Awakener, not even a person like the director could do whatever he wanted to, after all.

    ¡°¡­Are you actually threatening me right now, young man?¡±

    The contorted expression on the director¡¯s face was rather gratifying to see.

    Su-hyeun smirked and continued on. ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just that, if it gets leaked to the public that I requested you for the evacuation of Anyang city¡¯s residents well ahead of time, things won¡¯t look too good for you, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the¡­.¡±

    ¡°All I¡¯m asking for is just a little bit of concession. For instance¡­.¡±

    The longer Su-hyeun¡¯s explanations carried on, the more distorted the director¡¯s expression became.

    Just a little?

    It was only ¡®just a little¡¯ in theory only. This was a one-sided trade, one where his side didn¡¯t get a single thing in return.

    Such a thing would never fly in normal circumstances. The thoroughly-calculative director would never have entertained such an idea in a million years.

    Unfortunately, Su-hyeun was in possession of his weakness.

    Not just any, but a truly fatal one for the director.

    I¡¯d like to ask you for a favor. A favor? Yes. It¡¯s to ensure the safety of the citizens.

    The conversation between Lee Ju-ho and the director.

    It was the recording of that conversation.

    << There¡¯s nothing better to catch and shake him around than this. >>

    If the truth got known to the rest of the world, then even if he was the director, he¡¯d have no choice but to tender his resignation.

    Well, it was an event where over 600 thousand lives were at stake, after all. If nothing happened back then, all would¡¯ve been well, but the event did occur so at this rate, it¡¯d be seen as the director was pretending to be unaware of the situation despite the fact that he did have the prior knowledge.

    << Regardless of whether the director is brought down from his position or he¡¯s impacted negatively by it, it¡¯s still not the solution to the fundamental problem. >>

    The thing was, the tendencies of politicians were pretty much similar from one to another.

    This director wasn¡¯t all that unique among their kind. If he were to be kicked out of the position, it¡¯d be filled by another one similar to him, instead.

    << In that case, I should just¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun would ensure that the director stayed put.

    Of course, things would be different from now on. With today as the starting point, he was planning to tighten his grip on the director¡¯s neck.

    The director¡¯s fate was now in Su-hyeun¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Well, then. I¡¯ll take it as we are in a mutual agreement, so I shall be on my way now.¡±

    The moment their discussion came to an end, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even look back once and left the office.

    The heavily-panting director and his reddened face didn¡¯t get up from his seat in the end. He had no choice but to go along with Su-hyeun¡¯s demands, but that wasn¡¯t what he originally was aiming for.

    Not only that, his weakness had been taken advantage of, too.

    If that file got leaked to the press or to someone in the political circle, the director¡¯s standing would be left in a shaky, precarious situation in an instant.

    They¡¯d be saying things like, how could they ever entrust a position responsible for the safety of the whole nation to a person like him?

    ¡°Uwaaaaaaahk-!¡±

    Su-Hyeun heard a certain scream exploding out from inside the director¡¯s office as soon as he closed the door behind him.

    A wry smile floated up on his lips.

    << Who do you think you were trying to fool? >>

    The offer the director made at the beginning, the one about him working for them, was pretty much the same thing as Su-hyeun helping them out in a one-sided manner.

    Serving an organization after joining it out of righteousness.

    That was what the director was demanding from the get-go, and he¡¯d have achieved a massive feat if Su-hyeun accepted that demand and decided to join the organization.

    The end result was a complete opposite of what he had been scheming, however.

    The director now had no choice but to do Su-hyeun¡¯s bidding in this one-sided relationship.

    Step-

    Su-hyeun felt refreshed and relieved for some reason after leaving that office.

    It was his first time seeing such a crumpled expression on the director¡¯s face, and the fact that he was responsible for that made him feel doubly refreshed.

    Su-hyeun exited from the building, climbed aboard his car, and set off to elsewhere right away. He was on his way to the address contained in Lee Ju-ho¡¯s text he received earlier in the morning.

    It was a small one-bedroom studio flat located in Sillim-dong.

    Su-hyeun confirmed the surroundings first and entered the elevator. Then, he pressed the bell on the door right before his eyes.

    Ding dong-

    A short while later, a voice came from the inside. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a hyung that Hak-joon knows.¡± (Note to editor: this is what the raw says, but wouldn¡¯t it be better to go with ¡°It¡¯s Hak-joon¡¯s friend¡±?)

    ¡°¡­.I beg your pardon?¡±

    The returned voice was soft and mixed with confusion. It belonged to a young woman.

    The door opened up a little while later.

    Creak-

    Hair tumbling beyond her shoulders, fox-like facial features and small eyes without eyelashes.

    It was a woman in her early twenties, around the same age as Hak-joon himself.

    Su-hyeun observed her face before asking her. ¡°Are you Miss Gwok Yun-seon?¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Ah, I am.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Hak-joon¡¯s friend. It¡¯s a bit of a stretch to say we¡¯re really close, but¡­.¡± Su-hyeun glanced at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s message on his phone¡¯s screen one more time and spoke. ¡°I¡¯d like to help you, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°You want to¡­ help?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit uncool to just waltz inside your home when you¡¯re staying alone, so¡­. Should we go to a nearby cafe, instead?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, there aren¡¯t anyone nearby. I¡¯ve made sure of it, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Yun-seon¡¯s eyes became completely round at his words.

    Soon, though, she bit down on her lip hard, put on her slippers and stepped outside the front door. ¡°Please lead the way.¡±

    ¡°You made the right decision.¡±

    A small cafe was located on the studio building¡¯s ground floor. She and Su-hyeun settled down on a spot not readily visible to the others.

    Two cups of coffee were brought out, and Su-hyeun opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re Hak-joon¡¯s girlfriend, am I correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am. We met when we were still students.¡±

    ¡°When you say students¡­.¡±

    ¡°When we were in second year of high school. We¡¯re now twenty two, so we¡¯ve been together for about four years.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good time period to be in.¡±

    After saying that out loud, Su-hyeun inwardly went, oops.

    When he thought about it, his own age wasn¡¯t all that different from the young couple¡¯s. Maybe him living for much longer in his previous life was to blame, because this romance felt so young and fresh to him.

    Thankfully, Yun-seon didn¡¯t try to dig into his slip of tongue. She asked about him, instead. ¡°You said that you¡¯re Hak-joon¡¯s friend, but how do you even know each other?¡±

    ¡°Should I say we¡­ work in the same field?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an Awakener, yes?¡±

    ¡°I am. You probably don¡¯t know much about the stuff happening this side, so¡­..¡±

    ¡°No, I do know. You¡¯re Mister Kim Su-hyeun, yes?¡±

    He was surprised by her knowing his name, and quickly asked back. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Hak-joon talked about you a couple of times before, saying that you¡¯re a good older friend. There has only ever been one older friend Hak-joon talks about, and that¡¯s you, Mister Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­.¡±

    She knowing about him wasn¡¯t all that strange, actually. That is, if Hak-joon really did talk about him lots of times to her.

    << That makes explaining things much easier. >>

    Indeed, this wasn¡¯t a bad development. Thanks to it, she was no longer deeply wary or suspicious of him now.

    Su hyeun thought that he didn¡¯t need to beat around the bushes anymore and got down to business right away. ¡°Then allow me to get to the point. Will that be fine?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Miss Yun-seon, I¡¯d like to know more about Hak-joon¡¯s, as well as your, current situation.¡±

    ¡°Our situation¡­.¡±

    A shadow was cast upon her face. Her expression remained gloomy until then, but now it had become completely dark.

    She must¡¯ve been thinking about something, because she had her eyes closed for a little while. But soon afterwards, she stared straight into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes and asked him. ¡°Before I answer¡­. May I ask first why you wish to know?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I said it earlier?¡±

    ¡°You mean, you wanted to help us?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ why?¡±

    What did she mean, why?

    She immediately replied the offer of help with suspicion. Either she had never experienced a genuine, no-strings-attached goodwill or help, or maybe, had experienced betrayal at some point.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t have any reasons.

    Technically speaking, there were two.

    One was indeed genuine goodwill. He was impressed by Hak-joon¡¯s humanity, and also, something like sympathy to his plight had kicked in, too.

    As for the second reason¡­

    << Ten years from now. >>

    It was because of talents and abilities possessed by Hak-joon the Awakener.

    Something happened and that caused Hak-joon to possess a different temperament than his current self. In order to find out what that could be, Su-hyeun decided to get in touch with Hak-joon.

    His talents and abilities were easily the best among all the Awakeners Su-hyeun knew of. As an example, he managed to reach the A rank in only two years.

    Su-hyeun failed to even imagine the number of incidents that could¡¯ve been resolved were he received assistance from just one guy like him.

    << Of course, even if it¡¯s not that¡­. >>

    Su-hyeun held her gaze and replied. ¡°Do I really need something like a reason? He¡¯s my younger friend, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Is that really all?¡±

    ¡°Although I can¡¯t outright say there aren¡¯t any other factors¡­ At the very least, I do have the power to resolve the problem affecting the both of you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of this by now.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun was a newly-appeared rank S Awakener.

    If she didn¡¯t know what kind of a person he was, then fine, but as she did know, she was unable to deny that part anymore.

    The social status the workforce called ¡®Awakeners¡¯ enjoyed ¨C and arguably, there was practically nothing in this world that the greatest among all of the Awakeners, rank S, couldn¡¯t do.

    ¡°Will you¡­. really help us?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    ¡°Without wanting anything in return? I don¡¯t know if you were aware of this, but we don¡¯t have much money.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±

    ¡°But then, why¡­.¡±

    Yun-seon asking him soon realized that she was simply repeating the same question now.

    If she continued on, then Su-hyeun¡¯s reply would be similar to what he said moments ago.

    ¡°¡­.Thank you.¡±

    Drip-

    Teardrops fell from Yun-seon¡¯s eyes.

    She teared up for a long time but eventually, her lips began parting slowly.

    The truth of the relationship between Jung Dong-yeong and Hak-joon that began a while ago came out from her mouth next.

    Act 7

    Step-, step-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s steps taking him outside the cafe was slow. Whenever he had a lot to think about, he walked slowly while organizing his chain of thoughts.

    << Now I know why¡­ that event happened. >>

    Allegedly, Jung Dong-yeong started off as a gangster.

    After becoming an Awakener, he turned over a new leaf and started a new life. Although many sought to criticize him, his abilities were still acknowledged and he managed to create a fairly decent Guild on his own.

    An Awakener with dark past, starts a brand new life and contributes to society! Now that was a pretty image, indeed.

    People didn¡¯t really believed him, but at least they thought he had shaken off the mold of a criminal and started making big bucks the legal way, from the look of things.

    But this¡­

    ¡°Indeed, you still can¡¯t re-use a cleaned trash, it seems.¡±

    Step-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s steps came to an abrupt halt.

    He could sense a particular pair of gazes near the studio flat building, that¡¯s why.

    They belonged to the fools that had to vacate their spots for a little while. More correctly, it was Su-hyeun who made them vacate their spots.

    All thanks to Lee Ju-ho¡¯s help, of course.

    Grit-

    His annoyance level began rising up quickly.

    No, rather than annoyance, it was anger.

    He didn¡¯t think the matter would be this difficult. However, it turned out to be messier than he bargained for, and it was also of a really atrocious nature, too. He now began to understand why Hak-joon grew to hate the world and went down the wrong path.

    Su-hyeun figured out why the Ares Guild was wiped off the face of this planet by Hak-joon¡¯s hands.

    He pulled his phone out from the pocket and called someone.

    Riiiing-

    The ringtone went on for a couple of times before the other side answered the phone.

    Oh, you called sooner than I thought. Did something happen?

    A lively voice greeted him.

    It was the Awakener Kim Do-ui, the right-hand man of the director and the man in charge of all the administrative matters of the organization.

    He gave this number to Su-hyeun, saying that he should give him a call if he needed something, but even he didn¡¯t expect to get that call so soon like this.

    ¡°Can I ask you for a favor?¡±

    A favor? That¡¯s rather unexpected, you requesting us for a favor and all.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, didn¡¯t you tell me to contact you if I needed something?¡±

    Well, I said that half out of courtesy, you see.

    ¡°If it¡¯s too difficult for you, then it can¡¯t be helped¡­.¡±

    -Courtesy shouldn¡¯t be forgotten between people, you know. Alright, then. What is this favor all about?

    ¡°It¡¯s not being courteous, but more like debt, instead. Well, fine. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ll owe you one.¡±

    A loud, manly laugh came out from the phone after Su-hyeun said those words. It seemed that Kim Do-ui was impressed by him not trying to beat around the bush and get straight to the point.

    Right after the laughter died down, Su-hyeun continued on. ¡°I¡¯d like you to protect someone for me. I¡¯m about to start something, and things might get a bit noisy around here, you see.¡±

    -Something noisy? What are you planning to do this time?

    ¡°Well, that is¡­.¡±

    When Su-hyeun explained it, Kim Do-ui asked back in a startled voice.

    Isn¡¯t that illegal? Even if that¡¯s all true, it hasn¡¯t been investigated yet, so¡­

    ¡°To me, this whole situation is just too obvious not to make my move. Not certainly after learning more about the matter, anyhow. It already produced a victim, too. I¡¯d like to entrust you with the investigation afterwards, as well.¡±

    Even then, it¡¯s not right to make a move so soon.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s the wrong timing, I¡¯ll still do it regardless. If my conduct is going to be a problem, then I¡¯ll consider it at a later stage. Because, I¡¯m¡­.¡± Su-hyeun gritted his teeth and finished his words. ¡°¡­A little bit pissed off at the moment, you see.¡±

    Step, step-

    Hak-joon kitted out in a set of smart business suit and pointed loafers was walking on a long corridor.

    This was the Guild House of the Ares Guild.

    The Guild had rented out a high-rise building located in the Gangnam district in its entirety, and as for the amount of revenue they earned, it certainly didn¡¯t lose out to what a regular large Guild made.

    He felt slightly weirded out while walking on this wide, flashily decorated corridor.

    It was simply too different from the norm.

    << A bodyguard, is it¡­. >>

    Up until a few moments ago, he was wallowing in the sewers, but now, he was told to go to a high-class party to perform the role of a bodyguard to a scion of an elite family.

    His innards were churning from this sense of discord. Especially more so when he thought about the person he was going to meet right now.

    << I mean, there should be a limit to treating you like a slave. >>

    Trying to smooth out his crumpled expression turned out to be a lot harder than he thought.

    Apparently, it¡¯s a trend to have Awakeners act as bodyguards these days. So, put your best suit on and come to the Guild House. Let¡¯s smile when we meet later.

    << So this was why he spared my face during the beatdown. >>

    It seemed that the bastard didn¡¯t hit him in the face because a job requiring it was in the pipeline.

    << In any case, him and his love of money¡­. >>

    Grit-

    Hak-joon gritted his teeth and inwardly muttered the same pledge as always.

    << One of these day, I¡¯ll definitely¡­. >>

    He closed his eyes, and controlled his breathing.

    From hereon, it was crucial to control his expressions.

    Just as the text message ¡®Let¡¯s smile when we meet later¡¯ implied, Jung Dong-yeong probably was planning to greet him with a smiling face.

    So, Hak-joon¡¯s own expression greeting that face back must be a smile, too. If he slipped a little and displayed just a hint of gloom, then a slap would come flying in.

    He had no problem getting slapped a hundred times, but the real problem wasn¡¯t that.

    << I need to endure it. Right. >>

    He somehow reined in his boiling anger and opened his eyes again.

    And then, he continued down the corridor and turned around the corner.

    It was at that point he discovered a familiar face.

    ¡°So you finally came.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Brother Su-hyeun?¡±

    It was indeed Su-hyeun.

    For a moment there, Hak-joon doubted his own eyes and blinked several times. Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t possibly be here, though.

    Hak-joon hurriedly walked over to Su-hyeun and asked him. ¡°Why are you here, bro?¡±

 Chapter 58

    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I be here?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°No, that is not what I mean¡­ Wait, can you?¡±

    Hak-joon was embarrassed and talked gibberish. Su-hyeun chuckled, looking at Hak-joon. He could be confused since Su-hyeun was not an awakener of Ares Guild.

    ¡°Well. I did just come in¡­¡± Su-hyeun blurred the end.

    ¡°Just?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°The door was open. It was not under heavy surveillance. There was a man who asked me to show my ID, so I showed him my awakener registration card. Then, he just let me in.¡±

    It looked like the manager of the guild house thought Su-hyeun was a guest of Ares Guild. It was a common thing that an awakener got an invitation and visited to awakeners¡¯ guilds.

    ¡°But why are you here¡­? Hak-joon asked.

    The Ares Guild, Hak-joon thought, was like a tiger¡¯s den. He was glad to see Su-hyeun but that was another story. Jung Dong-yeong had been paying attention to Su-hyeun for a long time.

    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t glad to see me?¡± Su-hyeun grinned.

    ¡°Of course, I am glad. But that is that. Why did you come here? Wait. How did you know I am here?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Yun-seon told me that you will be here. Why did you not answer my phone?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s answer, Hak-joon¡¯s face became stiff. Su-hyeun had never seen this cold expression of Hak-joon before.

    Hak-joon asked in a very low voice, ¡°¡­How did you meet her?¡±

    ¡°Well. I had been investigating,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°How? No. Why?

    ¡°You asked why I came here?¡±

    Su-hyeun changed the subject and answered the previous question.

    ¡°Where is the bastard, Jung Dong-yeong?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    It was an unexpected answer. But that was also not something to pass on. At the obvious hostility in Su-hyeun¡¯s voice, Hak-joon was lost for words. His brane froze and could not find a word to say.

    ¡°I said, where is Jung Dong-yeong? I have a business for him,¡± Su-hyeun pressed for an answer.

    Hak-joon collected his mind and answered, ¡°¡­He probably in the room at the end of the hallway.¡±

    ¡°Over there?¡±

    After hearing the answer, Su-hyeun immediately turned his body and started walking. Hak-joon urgently grabbed his arm and asked.

    ¡°Su-hyeun, how did you know about Jung Dong-yeong? And what are you going to do with him?¡±

    ¡°A conversation,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°What conversation?¡±

    ¡°A body conversation?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so surprised? Don¡¯t worry too much. Depending on the situation, I may not fight.¡±

    Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulder and asked, ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­Whose information is this?¡±

    The director, who was grunting, clenched his teeth at the sudden news.

    Kim Do-ui replied to the director who was reading the report, ¡°This is Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s report. What would you do?¡±

    At Kim Do-ui¡¯s question, the director glanced over the report once again. In the short paper, there was a report from Su-hyeun and the opinion of Kim do-ui about it.

    ¡°What does he want?¡± the director asked.

    ¡°I think he is asking your favor to investigate.¡±

    ¡°Favor? Favor my ass,¡± the director grumbled.

    Su-hyeun was not asking a favor. He pretended to be polite, but the report was nothing but an order. He was the guy who had been making a fuss about the director¡¯s weaknesses.

    ¡°What will you do?¡±

    At Kim Do-ui¡¯s question, the director lit a cigarette. He took a puff on his cigarette. It made him clear his brain. He was lost in thought, blowing cigarette smoke. His head was emptied, but soon, thoughts were filled again. When he reorganized things again, there was only one answer.

    ¡°Well. Do some research. Take Seung-cheol with you,¡± the director ordered.

    ¡°You mean the department head, Kang Seung-cheol?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They should start to move soon, too. They can¡¯t be in training forever.¡±

    ¡°Ok, sir.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now leave.¡±

    At the director¡¯s gesture, Kim Do-ui left the director¡¯s office. The director looked down the report again.

    He mumbled, ¡°It looks like the Awakeners Accreditation Authority came up to that dude¡¯s expectation.¡±

    At that moment, a thought crossed his mind. Might be, all this was what Su-hyeun aimed for.

    It was a small room full of cigarette smoke. In the room, Jung Dong-yeong was talking on the phone, puffing up his cigarette.

    ¡°Yes, yes. Negotiation was over¡­ Of course. People these days are quite dirty. It makes money and easy to do. This is a pretty good thing¡­¡±

    Knock, knock¡ª

    Jung Dong-young hardened his expression at knocking sound.

    ¡°I will call you back. Yes,¡±

    He finished the phone call and shouted at the door, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Hak-joon.¡±

    ¡°Hak-joon? Come in.¡±

    When the person he had waited came, Jung Dong-young lit a cigarette again. The door jarred open. Hak-joon who entered the room saw the cigarette smoke and frowned his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t frown. It doesn¡¯t harm your body since you are an awakener as well. Besides, you have plenty of money to buy those.¡±

    Jung Dong-young was a heavy smoker. He thought one of the greatest privileges being awakener was he could smoke as much as he wanted. The harm to the body of cigarettes was not much harm to the awakeners.

    ¡°Are you ready? Our guild was on the charge to guard in this party. You take care of directing young guild members this time.¡±

    ¡°I will be ready when I get dressed. By the way, there is a guest to want to see you.¡±

    ¡°Want to see me? Who is that?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun. He is the one you were looking for.¡±

    ¡°¡­Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    Jung Dong-young¡¯s eyes were crumpled. Kim Su-hyeun, who Hak-jun had known before, was a new S-Rank awakener candidate. He, who had been prominent for two years, was evaluated as having the best talent among the existing awakeners.

    ¡°Yes. He said he came here to talk with you.¡±

    ¡°That man needed to talk with me?¡±

    ¡°Well. More exactly, he came for guild master of Ares Guild that I belong.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­,¡± Jung Dong-young thought for a moment and opened his mouth. ¡°Hey, Hak-joon.¡±

    It was a low, benevolent voice. Hak-joon had rather hated Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s this kind of voice. He could not read what he was thinking.

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Hak-joon answered.

    ¡°You are not planning some silly things, aren¡¯t you?

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Hak-joon was embarrassed and Jung Dong-young grinned. At that grin, Hak-joon shivered his body and lowered his head. Jung Dong-young smiled as if he was satisfied at Hak-joon¡¯s reaction. Then, he shook his hand and said.

    ¡°Never mind. Just go and get him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. And¡­¡±

    ¡°And what?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t give me the medicine of this month.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you mean this?¡±

    Jung Dong-young took out a small bottle from his pocket and shook it.

    ¡°When things go well, I will think about it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®think¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun. You did hide him, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you punk. Anyway, if I talk well with Kim Su-hyeun, I will think about it. That time, there is your contribution, too.¡±

    Hak-joon gritted his teeth. He had told him many times that he had never known it before, but Jung Dong-yeong did not believe it. He even beat Hak-joon up, blaming that, but he still was not over.

    ¡°But, sir. If you don¡¯t give that to me¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. Your girlfriend will suffer for a while. But what can I do, can¡¯t I?¡±

    Jung Dong-yeong answered as if he was truly sorry and as if he was soothing his younger brother. Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s words burned deep inside of Hak-joon. He remembered the person who would suffer soon because of that medicine, he rather felt angry.

    ¡°You brat. What is that face? Huh? Hey, Hak-joon.¡±

    On the face of Hak-joon, Jung Dong-young likewise hardened his face and rose from his seat.

    ¡°Huh? What is that face? You f*cking¡­¡±

    Knock, knock¡ª

    That time, somebody knocked on the door and entered the room.

    ¡°Sorry for interrupting.¡±

    Hak-joon and Jung Dong-yeong turned their heads.

    Su-hyeun strode in the room and looked at Hak-joon and Jung Dong-yeong.

    ¡°As I am listening, I keep hearing a lot of annoying words.¡±

    ¡°Su-hyeun?¡± Hak-joon said in surprise.

    ¡°Su-hyeun¡­ Mr. Su-hyeun?¡±

    Jung Dong-yeong frowned first as he saw Su-hyeun who had entered without permission. But that didn¡¯t go long. Soon, he made an amiable smile and welcomed him.

    ¡°Well. Sorry for showing you a bad situation. Don¡¯t stand like that. Please come in and take a sit.¡±

    Jung Dong-yeong did not think Su-hyeun had heard the conversation from the room. If he thought Su-hyeun had heard everything, he would not talk and make a smile like that to him. If that was not true, it would mean that Jung Dong-yeong was the same type of person with the director. Su-hyeun sat in a chair as Jung Dong-yeong had asked. It was the time when Hak-joon tried to stand up from the chair and stand back of Jung Dong-yeong.

    Su-hyeun opened his mouth, ¡°What are you doing? You sit down, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Sit down. why are you standing like that?¡±

    Su-hyeun pointed next to him. Hak-joon saw Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s face. At that moment, Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s eyes frowned insignificantly. It was only a few moments, but it was rare for Jung Dong-young to show this change in front of an important guest.

    ¡°Sit down, Hak-joon. Yes. Don¡¯t just stand like that. He is my guest but also your bro.¡±

    His eyes and speech were not saying the same thing. Su-hyeun recognized those differences. He felt like he knew what kind of person Jung Dong-yeong was.

    ¡°He is the type of person who extremely sensitive when somebody challenges his authority. He is weak to the power but doesn¡¯t hesitate to press down weaker people than him,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    It was not hard to figure out what kind of person he was. He had experienced this type of person so many times. It was just the difference between who was worse and iller. He had had to go through more details, but as he looked simple, the way to treat him would not be difficult. Hak-joon finally sat next to Su-hyeun. He wanted to rather stand. He felt like the seat made from the needle.

    ¡°Well. It sounded like you had a trouble with Hak-joon¡­¡±

    As Su-hyeun began to talk, Jung Dong-yeong quickly cut his words.

    ¡°Oh. That was not a big deal. There was something I gave to Hak-joon every month, but he made a mistake, so I delayed a payday. I am not saying I won¡¯t give it to him¡­¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that medicine?¡±

    As Su-hyeun¡¯s question continued, Jung Dong-young¡¯s gaze turned to Hak-joon. When sharp gaze flew to him, Hak-joon turned his face. It was obvious what Jung Dong-young¡¯s eyes meant. He was interrogating him about how much he had told. Soon after, Chung changed his expression and replied. Soon after, Jung Dong-young changed his expression and answered.

    ¡°Ah, yes. That is right. But it is not like medicine for a fatal disease. It also has a side effect if someone takes too much,¡± Jung Dong-young calmly continued to say, ¡°My ability as an awakener is about poison and medicine. Hak-joon¡¯s girlfriend has an unusual illness. So, I made medicine for her. As his boss and bro, it is natural thing that I helped.¡±

    Hak-joon clenched his teeth while he was listening to what Jung Dong-yeong said. It was a lie.

    ¡°An unusual illness?¡± he thought.

    It was true that Jung Dong-young made medicine for the disease that Yun-seon had. But in the first place, the disease was caused by Jung Dong-young¡¯s poison. It was more like an addiction than a disease. That poison ate away at Yun-seon¡¯s body and made it weak. It soon became fine with the medication, but the poison never disappeared.

    ¡°Hey, Hak-joon. You are a member of our family from today.¡±

    In a friendly voice, Jung Dong-young had welcomed Hak-joon. He didn¡¯t like it, but there was no choice. Hak-joon could not turn Yun-seon away. Hak-joon was not a fool to not know that Yun-seon started to suffer in pain because of him.

    ¡°Do you want to see your girlfriend die? Huh?¡±

    When Hak-joon was tired a little or showed signs of rebellion, Jung Dong-young threatened her life. When he gave her a medicine a little late, she suffered in pain like a hell every day. And eventually, it would make her die.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t pass the 20th floor in three months, there will be no medicine. No, no. I¡¯ll give you ten days later than payday. Tut. I hope she doesn¡¯t bite her tongue to die because of the pain.¡±

    Clench¡ª

    It was a strange thing. The things that he had tried to not think, all the sudden, popped up his brain. He tried to stop thinking, but he could not help himself. He clenched his teeth. He clenched his fists. His fingers nails started to make the blood from the palms. He was frustrated, resentful, and angry. He bit his lips tightly.

    ¡°Tut¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at Hak-joon who was trying to hold his tears. Soon, he looked at Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Hey, you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey, you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You.¡±

    Jung Dong-yeong was embarrassed by Su-hyeun¡¯s sudden attitude change. Su-hyeun who lost his temper got up from his seat and looked down at Jung Dong-yeong.

    ¡°Stop doing your bullshit and get up.¡±

 Chapter 59

    Su-hyeun shook his finger. Beating somebody who sat down was not what he wanted. It had been a long time since he was so angry with someone.

    ¡°Hey! Did you just say bullsh*t¡­?¡±

    Jung Dong-yeong still sat down and tapped the edge of his chair. He frowned his face and contorted his brows. He looked at up Su-hyeun and laughed, twisting his mouth.

    ¡°What are you doing now? You are misbehaving,¡± Jung Dong-yeong continued to say. He was not afraid of Su-hyeun. There was a clear gap between the two, but there was something Jung Dong-yeong had believed.

    ¡°If you kill me here, what do you think will happen?¡±

    ¡°You want to say I will be a criminal?¡±

    ¡°The law is very convenient. No matter how powerful you are, you can¡¯t turn your back on the world.¡±

    Su-hyeun was certainly strong. Just getting attention as a new S-Rank meant that he was way above the A-Rank already. But just because somebody had power, it did not mean he could do anything.

    Jung Dong-yeong thought that he lived within the fence of the law. He also cleverly took advantage of the outside of the fence. Jung Dong-yeong thought that was his real power was getting protection from the law and using it as well.

    ¡°So, what will you do? What if I won¡¯t get up? If you are being ridiculous like this, your dear Hak-joon will¡­¡±

    Whiz¡ª

    Boom¡ª

    Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s words were cut off in the middle. His head went blank all a sudden. It was an unexpected situation.

    ¡°What?¡± Jung Dong-yeong thought.

    Vroom¡ª

    Boom¡ª

    Jung Dong-yeong, whose head was stuck in the wall, shook his head. He was beaten hard, and it seemed like he was losing his mind for a short moment.

    Rumble¡ª

    The wall collapsed and the empty room on the other side was revealed. Jung Dong-yeong struggled to get up from his lying posture and looked at Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun slowly walked towards him.

    ¡°Are you insane?¡± Jung Dong-yeong asked in a harsh voice.

    This was the center of the Ares Guild. Other guild members would probably come soon. Storming in the guild building and using violence was not something someone sane would do.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Su-hyeun answered.Read more chapters at Listnovel.com

    ¡°Do you think Awakeners Accreditation Authority let you go away? No, not just the Authority. The Guild Union won¡¯t let you run away either. You are persecuting an innocent guild right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Innocent? You guys are guilty.¡± Su-hyeun glanced Hak-joon while he was answering.

    Jung Dong-yeong, who realized the meaning, smiled. ¡°No way¡­ Are you really doing this because of him?¡±

    ¡°Obviously?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes turned to Jung Dong-yeong again. Su-hyeun did not like his smile so his fist almost flew to punch him. But he held it. He wanted to hear what he would say for a moment.

    ¡°If you really do this for him, you should not do it like this. Right?¡±

    ¡°Then, how should I do?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°If you touch me now, his girlfriend will die. All right?¡±

    Jung Dong-yeong was talking about Yun-seon. It was Jung Dong-young who gave her poison and made her Hak-joon¡¯s weaknesses.

    ¡°How do you not appreciate your lifesaver? Why are you attacking me like a dog biting the owner? I knew he was going to stick with you and do crazy things like this! I wanted to teach him some lessons first before¡­ F*ck¡­¡±

    ¡°A lifesaver? Does he really think himself that way?¡±

    He might have said that thinking Su-hyeun was recording all this for securing proof. It was a sickening word. Su-hyeun managed to resist wanting to pick his ears.

    ¡°Lifesaver my ass. You are the one who planted the poison.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Okay. So, you already researched everything. Then what? Are you sure you are doing this really for Hak-joon? Huh? If you do this to me, Yun-seon will die.¡± Jung Dong-yeong looked at Hak-joon¡¯s face behind Su-hyeun. Hak-joon, who had been uneasy the whole time, turned pale at the words of Chung Dong-young.

    ¡°Do you really think this nut job is a good thing for that brat? I don¡¯t think so. Hak-joon, is a dumb man who even can¡¯t breathe without his girlfriend. Why do you this? For what? I will tell you what. You are doing this, killing me and trying to be self-satisfied, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Well. There is that reason, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes! You are just venting your anger now. You are not doing this for Hak-joon. What happens if I die like this, or if I churn and deny making him the medication?¡±

    Su-hyeun did not answer. Instead, he turned his eyes to Hak-joon, who was standing behind him. At that moment, Jung Dong-yeong opened his mouth.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say this but¡­ Hey, Hak-joon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do? You choose. Do you want to choose Yun-seon or Su-hyeun, who you don¡¯t even know much?¡± Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s asked in the low voice.

    Hak-joon¡¯s eyes were shaking.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    Hak-joon closed his eyes tight. It felt like his sight turned dark and his brain turned white. If possible, he wanted to run away from this situation now.

    ¡°Hey, Hak-joon,¡± Su-hyeun called him.

    Hak-joon opened his eyes again at Su-hyeun¡¯s calling. When he lifted his head, Su-hyeun was looking at him.

    ¡°Do you want me to help you?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    Hak-joon covered his face with his hands. Suddenly, he remembered his dream of the other day. He was crying for help to the world, but everyone turned away. It was when he gave into Jung Dong-young a long time ago.

    ¡°There is nothing difficult. Just ask me to help you. Then,¡± Su-hyeun looked back at Jung Dong-yeong continued his words. ¡°I will help you.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The building was shaking as if it would collapse soon. Huge magic started to surround the space. Su-hyeun¡¯s magic contained his anger in full.

    ¡°Boss! What is going on¡­!¡±

    ¡°O-oh my god!¡±

    The awakeners of Ares Guild arrived in the room, but they were pressed down by Su-hyeun¡¯s magic. Su-hyeun did not even turn his eyes as if he was not interested in those people. He was staring at Hak-joon. Hak-joon¡¯s heart began to pound at Su-hyeun¡¯s words. Su-hyeun said he would help. With that word, Hak-joon felt like reliving a burden.

    ¡°Help¡­me.¡±

    ¡°Choi Hak-joon!¡±

    ¡°Help¡­us. Help, please¡­¡±

    Hak-joon did not know what he was talking about. Just as his instincts told him, he just wanted to lean on someone. He had no confidence to walk this dirty and painful road in the future alone.

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    According to the gesture of Su-hyeun, a huge flame rose around Hak-joon, Jung Dong-yeong, and him. It became like a wall and prevented other awakeners from intervening. Jung Dong-young, with a hardened look, received an ominous feeling that he had never felt before. He had never met anyone who didn¡¯t count the front and the back like this.

    ¡°From now on, I will tell you the wrong part of what you¡¯ve been saying.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jung Dong-yeong asked.

    Su-hyeun pulled out a small necklace in his arms. ¡°This is the Sharyes¡¯ treasure. I gained this from the Tower of Trials. I cherished and saved this item so far. It is a recovery item to help recover from all injuries and abnormal conditions. Well, it takes a little time to activate so hard to use during the battle. But¡­¡±

    As Su-hyeun explained the item, the expression of Jung Dong-yeong and Hak-joon changed in the opposite way. They both thought that would be nonsense, but even though they thought the same thing, their final thoughts were different. Su-hyeun looked back at Hak-joon and smiled.

    ¡°I completely removed the poison, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°R-rea¡­,¡± Hak-joon shouted in surprise. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°No! No! He is lying!¡± Jung Dong-young shouted urgently.

    He could not believe Su-hyeun had found the detoxification item. Even if it was true, he still wondered if this item could detox his poison skill. Jung Dong-yeong thought that Su-hyeun was lying right at the moment. No, it couldn¡¯t be a lie.

    ¡°Well. I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not. And secondly, what you mentioned, I am pressing down an innocent guild or something like that¡­¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s next words trampled down the last remaining Jung Dong-young¡¯s insurance. ¡°I think I am doing a good thing by getting rid of the Dump Guild pawn. It will be a good reason, won¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°How¡­ you!¡±

    Jung Dong-young¡¯s face changed drastically as if he tried to ask how Su-hyeun knew about that. Jung Dong-young was always calm. Hak-joon, who had spent a quite long time with him, never saw his such face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. I knew about it from a long time ago. I was thinking about how to kill those cockroaches soon and later. So I am doing this now.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ What are you¡­?¡±

    Jung Dong-yeong tried to clean up his twisted brain. His eyes were shaking. When he had heard the name of Su-hyeun, he just thought of him as one of the talented awakeners. So, he thought he could find his weakness and use him as he had done for Hak-joon. That was why he had been searching for him. But¡­

    ¡°How does this bastard know about Dump Guild?¡±

    Dump Guild was the underground guild that sponsored Ares Guild from behind. Jung Dong-young, a long time ago, contacted them to make Ares Guild. With dirty money, Ares Guild could expand their power quickly. Now, he was in charge of handling the Dump Guild¡¯s work at the light side. It was a secret that no one knew. Even within the guild, he was the only one who knew. But, somehow, Su-hyeun knew about this.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know what I am.¡±

    Thump¡ª

    Su-hyeun, who had finished talking, walked toward Jung Dong-yeong.

    ¡°If you have sinned, you have to pay the price.¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t come to me!¡± Jung Dong-yeong screamed out loud.

    At the same time, some green liquid spouted from Jung Dong-young¡¯s hands and spread out everywhere. It was poison, Jung Dong-young¡¯s main skill.

    But Su-hyeun¡¯s skill was incompatible with poison skill.

    Sizzle¡ª

    The green liquid poison was blocked by the Flame skill, and dripped down. The liquid that lost its toxicity and became nothing but sticky mucus.

    Su-hyeun pulled his sword from the waist area.

    ¡°Damn it! Damn it!¡±

    <> Jung Dong-young thought.

    He bit his lips and turned his body. He ran towards the opposite wall and jumped down from the window.

    Clang¡ª!

    Jung Dong-young, who jumped from the tenth floor, tried to find a way to land quickly.

    Even if he was A-Rank, falling from this height could potentially break his legs.

    ¡°I have to get out of here now. And then¡­¡±

    Suddenly, he could hear a familiar voice.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Stab¡ª

    Something hot stuck in Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s head. The thought stopped. The instinctive fear of death filled his brain first, rather than pain. When he rolled his eyes, he could see the face of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­kill¡­me¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Splash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun ignored Jung Dong-young¡¯s words and cut his body in half. Then he crushed his hand in the building and looked down the falling body of Jung Dong-young.

    ¡°If you wanted to beg for your life, you shouldn¡¯t have played with others first.¡±

 Chapter 60

    Act 8

    Jump¡ª

    Su-hyeun, who cut off Jung Dong-yeong, jumped back to the building of Ares Guild. The Ares Guild¡¯s awakeners who gathered because of the uproar made absent expressions. They did not know what to do with Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s death. Hak-joon was the same. As if he still had no idea what was going on, Hak-joon had a vacant look as well.

    Su-hyeun walked toward Hak-joon and said, ¡°You can go.¡±

    ¡°G-go where?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°You know where. Why do you ask me?¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Hak-joon regained his bearings at Su-hyeun¡¯s question. Then, he jumped up, turned his body, and started to run.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go anywhere!¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute. You have to tell us before you go or not! What happened here?¡±

    The people of Ares Guild blocked Hak-joon. Hak-joon was in the room with Su-hyeun and he overlooked Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s death. They did not consider him as a member of their guild anymore.

    ¡°Move,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Rumble¡ª

    With the words of Su-hyeun, once again the top of the building was shaken.

    ¡°You guys won¡¯t move?¡± Su-hyeun said again.

    ¡°But¡­ that¡­¡±

    The guild members of Ares Guild saw Su-hyeun¡¯s face. They cleared the way one by one. Soon, a path was made through the people. Hak-joon made his way through them and ran in a hurry.

    Chuff, chuff¡ª

    Soon, the sound of a helicopter came closer.

    ¡°Just in time,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He already made a mess. So, the people from the Awakeners Accreditation Authority came now to take charge of the settlement. He scratched his head. He had made a fuss as he liked, but the problem was the settlement.

    ¡°I guess I will be scolded.¡±

    It was certainly a problem to ignore Kim Do-ui¡¯s advice and move immediately. Although Ares Guild was a pawn of Dump Guild, there was a procedure he should have had followed.

    ¡°Useless,¡± he thought and sighed. But he still thought it was good that he had let Hak-joon go first.

    ***

    Hak-joon pressed the accelerator pedal of his car. He drove roughly, not like usual, because he wanted to go home as soon as possible. He parked his car in a hurry when he arrived. He used the stairs, feeling that he could not wait for an elevator. He didn¡¯t rest at all and went up about 10 floors. He could see a familiar door.

    It was not like this was more movement than usual for him. But strangely, he was breathless. His heart was beating fast because of tension.

    Swish¡ª

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Somebody called Hak-joon. Hak-joon, who was in a hurry, reached his arm to that man. The man, who lowered his head and stood next to the elevator, immediately raised his arms. Hak-joon narrowed his eyes and reached his hand to that man¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    He was not alone. The three more people were around the man who had called him. They were all B-Rank awakeners.

    <> Hak-joon thought. Hak-joon revealed his violent temple just in case.

    ¡°We came here because of Mr. Su-hyeun. My name is Lee Ju-ho¡­¡±

    ¡°Lee Ju-ho?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°Yes. You might have heard my name. I didn¡¯t come here for bad intentions. Are you Choi Hak-joon?¡±

    When Hak-joon nodded, Lee Ju-ho sighed and continued to say, ¡°Su-hyeun had asked us to stay here until you came. Man. Seriously. I know what is going on but why are you so sensitive? Move this already!¡±

    Lee Ju-ho with a tearful face slowly moved Hak-joon¡¯s arm from his neck. Hak-joon became puzzled again. Soon after, Lee Ju-ho quickly left. It looked like Lee Ju-ho thought his role was over now. Hak-joon looked at the back of Lee Ju-ho who was descending the stairs. Hak-joon reacted pretty sensitively because he thought he was the suspicious man who walking around in front of Yun-seon¡¯s house, but it turned out that man was just safeguarding her. The other three looked the same.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Hak-joon thought.

    At first, he thought Su-hyeun made a fuss impulsively because he was upset. But he already had detoxified Yun-seon and paid attention to her safety. Su-hyeun moved much more carefully than Hak-joon expected. Hak-joon took his breath again to relax and headed to Yun-seon¡¯s house.

    When he pressed the doorbell, the answer came back after a while.

    ¡°Hak-joon?¡±

    The voice came through the bell was what he often heard, but it was a little different than usual. It was bright and high-pitched unlike the usual voice, which was weak and drooping. Soon, the door opened. He could see a familiar face.

    ¡°Hak-joon!¡±

    He didn¡¯t mishear. It was a bright voice. It was the brightest voice he had heard in recent years.

    ¡°Are¡­ you all healed?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    It was hard to ask, but the answer came back immediately. Hak-joon was glad.

    ¡°Sigh¡ª¡±

    The heart that was beating hard became calm little by little. It felt like all his energy was disappearing from his body. He barely held that feeling and stepped forward. He hugged her.

    ¡°I am so glad.¡± Hak-joon bit his lips tightly while he was holding Yun-seon. ¡°I¡­ am so glad¡­¡±

    He thought there would be a lot of things to say when this moment came. But strangely, no words came to his mind. He just repeated he was glad over and over, and finally burst into tears.

    ***

    ¡°¡­So, did you finally do it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    Su-hyeun and members of Ares Guild were sandwiched between Kim Do-ui and Kang Seung-cheol. Kim Do-ui leered at awakeners of Ares Guild and looked at Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun looked very confident. Unlike other awakeners who hunched their shoulders, Su-hyeun, who was the main culprit of this situation, sat up straight.

    ¡°This is a case that you may have to be punished severely. Ares Guild is a guild treated as a semi-large guild, and you killed the guild master of such guild,¡± Kim Do-ui said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Su-hyeun calmly said.

    ¡°If you knew, why did you do this?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just overlook that they made more victims.¡±

    Kim Do-ui realized why he had such a dignified attitude from his answer. He was thinking there was nothing wrong with what he had done. To Su-hyeun, Jung Dong-yeong was an obvious criminal. He thought he would make more crimes if he just waited and did nothing. The most representative cases were Hak-joon and Yun-seon. Su-hyeun did not regret having acted to Jung Dong-yeong at all.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t push him too hard. I bet you knew Ares Guild did illegal things here and there,¡± Kang Seung-cheol said to Kim Do-ui.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°It was just not revealed yet because they spent their money everywhere and lobbied a lot. But it was true that Ares Guild was closer to a criminal guild. Well, and if Dump Guild was related here, it is not something we can just overlook, even though they used billions of dollars.¡±

    Kim Do-ui groaned. It was as what Kang Seung-cheol said. Ares Guild was a vicious guild that had long been committing large and small crimes. From the beginning, the guild master Jung Dong-yeong was from the notorious gang. So, it was natural that the tendency of the guild had followed him.

    The reason why Ares Guild had not been punished so far was because of the bribe of the guild master, Jung Dong-yeong. The money was sent to the top of the audits, so surveillance was not done properly. In addition, he did not commit serious crimes that crossed the line. So, the Authority did not touch Jung Dong-yeong and Ares Guild.

    ¡°If we think about right and wrong¡­ Jung Dong-yeong had a problem in the first place. There will be no problem if we consider this as an accident caused by a dispute between awakeners,¡± Kang Seung-cheol said.

    ¡°Well, that is not wrong, but¡­¡±

    ¡°And besides, as this man said, if Jung Dong-yeong was related to Dump Guild, we should give him a prize or something. And¡­¡± Kang Seung-cheol whispered at Kim Do-ui¡¯s ear, ¡°the director said just put this to bed.¡±

    ¡°Did he really say that? What happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Kang Seung-cheol shrugged.

    Kim Do-ui nodded. He was actually a little worried that Su-hyeun might fall out with the Authority. So, he thought this was a fortune. One way or another, Kim Do-ui agreed that Ares Guild was a social evil.

    ¡°Okay. Then, let¡¯s investigate more at first,¡± Kim Do-ui said.

    ¡°Good idea,¡± Kang Seung-cheol agreed.

    Kang Seung-cheol began to like Kim Do-ui for the first time. They had been conflicted in every case. It was the first time that they agreed on something.

    ¡°Then, I will leave now,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°How can you be so calm like that? Huh?¡±

    Kim Do-ui made a confused face at Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun could be accused of a crime by the case progress but he acted like that would never happen. At Kim Do-ui¡¯s question, Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders and left. Kim Do-ui sighed as he watched Su-hyeun being far away.

    <> he thought.

    He had met many awakeners for a long time. But from their first meeting, Su-hyeun gave him a strange feeling. He saved the citizens, even revealing his identity that he had hidden so far. He also revealed his ability as a new S-Rank. Not just that, but this time he killed Jung Dong-yeong and punished Ares Guild for commiting so many crimes.

    <> he thought.

    It was like what Kang Seung-cheol had said. The fighting between awakeners was something like extraterritoriality. If it was not a crime like a purposeless murder, under a valid reason, a murder was somewhat accepted. Moreover, if it was about a malicious awakener like Jung Dong-yeong, it was quite understandable. The pawn of Dump Guild was without a doubt.

    ¡°Even if not that¡­ Government can¡¯t touch S-Rank awakener these days.¡±

    The S-Rank awakeners were directly related to the force level of the country. He had a justifiable cause, and he was attracting attention to S-Rank awakeners. He was like a tycoon that was hard to touch.

    ¡°Well, in the only case, if he is really S-Rank¡­¡±

    Soon, there would be a reexamination. The treatment of Su-hyeun would be decided as the relationship between Dump Guild and Jung Dong-yeong as well as the new rank he would get.

    ***

    <>

    It was the way back home. Su-hyeun was relieved. It was true that he did the things somewhat in a fit of anger. Of course, he was confident that it would not be the worst situation in various circumstances. In the future that he remembered, when Hak-joon killed Jung Dong-yeong, he was pronounced innocent. So, he thought he could manage somehow.

    <>

    He expected the fact that he had saved the people of Anyang would help him avoid the worst situation. Of course, that would be the matter when people failed to find a relationship between Jung Dong-yeong and Dump Guild. If they found it, then it would be another achievement for Su-hyeun.

    ¡°The problem is it won¡¯t be easy to find it.¡±

    It was clear that Ares Guild had a relationship with Dump Guild. But the problem was with only that information, it would be still hard to find the root of Dump Guild. Even if the Authority started to do investigate, they would hide more. In particular, Dump Guild was not active in Korea yet.

    ¡°To find them¡­¡± Su-hyeun, who was walking on the street, looked over the top of the far away building. ¡°I guess throwing bait is the best.¡±

    And the bait was the accident just had happened in the Ares Guild building. He took away his eyes and walked again.

    He headed to a narrow alley. He felt a gaze looking at him from afar. Not long after, the gaze lost direction and purpose because once Su-hyeun entered the alley, he disappeared.

 Chapter 61

    The awakener of Chinese Dump Guild, Chao Feng, had come to Korea to see Jung Dong-yeong.

    It was sudden news; Jung Dong-yeong was killed by Kim Su-hyeun.

    Not too long ago, Su-hyeun forced Dump Guild into the glare of publicity. It had been spreading little by little, but the name Dump Guild had never been mentioned as often as it was these days because everyone hushed up and was cautious. In some countries other than Korea, Dump Guild was already firmly established.

    <> Chao Feng thought.

    The opponent was not an easy one. Su-hyeun had not been properly reexamined yet, but he was under the spotlight as a new S-Rank candidate. Furthermore, considering the time when he first became an awakener, the potential for future growth would be endless. If he was already considered S-Rank, what would happen if he grew more?

    Chao-Feng watched Su-hyeun through a telescope. He was in the middle of the crowd. If he got closer to him, he would notice the tail. If he used his skill to chase, he would sense the magic. However, there were numerous ways to monitor other people. Just like now.

    While he was watching Su-hyeun, Chao Feng missed him among the crowd.

    ¡°Where did he go?¡±

    Swish¡ª

    He turned his telescope and looked around the place where Su-hyeun was. But somehow, he could not find him at all. He disappeared in a short moment when he was blocked by another person.

    ¡°Did I make a mistake? Where the hell¡­¡± Chao Feng mumbled.

    ¡°Right? Where did he go?¡±

    Swish¡ª

    In a surprise, Chao Feng turned his head in the direction where the voice came from. And what he saw was the face of Su-hyeun, who had stood afar just a moment ago.

    Thump¡ª!

    Chao Feng felt dizzy as if he had been in a long sleep. But when he came to his senses, he realized he wasn¡¯t asleep.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you wake up?¡±

    It was fluent Chinese. Chao Feng opened his eyes widely. He tried to get up quickly, but his body was tied up. He could not move as he wanted.

    ¡°Ugh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t struggle. It¡¯s a specially ordered item from a craftsman to bind the awakeners, so it won¡¯t be easy to break.¡±

    Su-hyeun was sitting in front of Chao Feng and looking down at his face. Su-hyeun was sitting calmly. Chao Feng looked up him. His eyes were shaking.

    ¡°How¡­?¡± Chao Feng asked.

    ¡°You are about B-Rank, aren¡¯t you? You looked at me from afar, but it was not strange for me to notice you. Well. This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve received tailing.¡±

    Not just the contents of what he said but also his fluent Chinese was something surprising. Chao Feng still did not understand the situation now.

    ¡°You are in Dump Guild, right?¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°I guess I am right since you didn¡¯t answer the question.¡±

    Chao Feng bit his lips. Su-hyeun spoke in an almost certain voice.

    Chao Feng thought.

    He had investigated him already. According to his investigation, he was an ordinary person who didn¡¯t study much. He didn¡¯t finish high school. Chao Feng could not understand how Su-hyeun spoke Chinese so fluently. He also could not understand how he knew so much about Dump Guild. Moreover, noticing the tailings and approaching in a moment was remarkable.

    ¡°You¡­ What the hell are you?¡± Chao Feng asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need any questions from someone who was tailing me. No, you just don¡¯t talk from now on.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Su-hyeun sat up from his seat.

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun crushed Chao Feng¡¯s shoulder. His shoulder was shattered but Chao Feng bit his lips and put up with the pain. He even did not scream. Su-hyeun clicked his tongue at that.

    ¡°Wow. You are really dogged.¡±

    There were all sorts of guys in Dump Guild. He was sure that there were pretty used to the pain like this.

    ¡°Continuing what I said, you should not open your mouth before me. You have to only open your mouth when I ask you something. If you don¡¯t answer me, your bones will be broken one by one.¡±

    ¡°Just kill me,¡± Chao Feng said.

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun crushed Chao Feng¡¯s shoulder again.

    ¡°¡ªwill decide that.¡±

    Chao Feng moaned.

    ¡°Then, question number one.¡± Su-hyeun bent at the waist toward Chao Feng and asked, ¡°Which Korean guides are related to Dump Guild?¡±

    Nothing.

    ¡°So, you won¡¯t tell me? Fine.¡±

    Crash, crash¡ª

    ¡°U¡­g¡­h¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see who wins,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Su-hyeun broke Chao Feng¡¯s arm without hesitation. He broke it slowly to give him enough time to feel the pain. Chao Feng¡¯s eyes opened wide with pain. He tried to put up with it, so he bit his lips. His screams turned to moans.

    <> Chao Feng thought.

    Something went wrong, really wrong. It was not just a matter he had found where he was and tried to get the information. The real problem was in his question.

    It was a full-scale war against Dump Guild. There was nothing else.

    The interrogation lasted for quite some time. Su-hyeun cut off the sound using magic and continued the interrogation without worrying about the screams. Every time Chao Feng didn¡¯t speak, Su-hyeun broke his bones. He had some sort of background with interrogation because, a long while ago, he had encountered with Dump Guild many times.

    By the time the interrogation was over, Chao Feng breathed his last breath. Su-hyeun did not get much information.

    ¡°Dump Guild is trying to come into Korea, but I don¡¯t know what guilds they have contacted so far. And they used the Chinese guild to do that.¡±

    This was all he figured out. The useful information was only the fact that one Chinese guild was related to Dump Guild.

    It would come out when they were investigating more. And for this kind of work, the Authority would do better than him.

    Dump Guild. The worst criminal group on record. It was made in the USA for the first time. It was the awakeners¡¯ guild that hid under the shade. It was gradually expanding its power and slowly entering Korea. They did not expand in Korea yet, so they did not pay much attention to Su-hyeun, but the recent incident and his work today would drag the attention of them to him. Su-hyeun revealed the name of the Dump Guild to the world. He also prevented their channel, Ares Guild, from expanding in Korea.

    Since the first time he had seen the name of the Dump Guild and evacuated the citizens, he had been expecting situations like this; drawing the attention of the Dump Guild was the first and having a head-on collision was the second.

    Su-hyeun would have to go to the dark to find Dump Guild. Dump Guild would come up to the bright side to find Su-hyeun. Then soon, they would meet each other. Su-hyeun was contacted and went straight home. At the entrance to his apartment, Lee Ju-ho was waiting him.

    ¡°Why are you so late?¡± he asked.

    After protecting Yun-seon, he had come here to meet Su-hyeun. He left, as promised, but Su-hyeun came way later than they expected.

    ¡°Something happened in the middle,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°I met a guild member of Dump Guild.¡±

    ¡°Dump¡­? Are you sure?¡±

    Su-hyeun told him what had happened so far, about how he met the Chinese awakener of Dump Guild and that man had watched him. When Su-hyeun finished talking, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face became dark.

    ¡°So, I guess Dump Guild is finally paying attention to you?¡±

    ¡°Probably not. When I interrogated him, he said he had found me in the middle while he was with the Ares Guild.¡±

    ¡°With Ares Guild? Interrogating? How did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°That is not a big deal. But I got some information from him. Could you investigate it, please?¡±

    Su-hyeun told Lee Ju-ho about what he had found. At the request from Su-hyeun, Lee Ju-ho nodded and sighed.

    ¡°I think I should change my career. I think I should be hired as your manager rather than working as an awakener.¡±

    ¡°I can pay you well. If you would like that, just tell me.¡±

    ¡°No, thanks. I am sure you can¡¯t afford it. I am pretty expensive,¡± Lee Ju-ho answered.

    Suhyeun smiled a little. Then, he found a text message from his phone and asked Lee Ju-ho again. ¡°Was their meeting okay?¡±

    In the text, there was a message: ¡°Thank you.¡± It was from Hak-joon.

    ¡°You mean Mr. Hak-joon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I am sure they did. I waited until he came home. He was so sensitive! I almost lost my neck today.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho took his hand to his neck thinking about what had happened previously. Hak-joon¡¯s ability was several times higher than Lee Ju-ho¡¯s. If Hak-joon had decided to do it, it would not have been difficult to break his neck at that time.

    ¡°Please understand him. He had enough reason to act that way,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°I do understand. But still, he should buy me a meal later. A very expensive one.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have much money. He was exploited so far¡­¡±

    ¡°That is that and this is this. You two have a bright future. He should pay later at least,¡± Lee Ju-ho said and laughed loud.

    Hak-Joon was obviously one of the most promising awakeners in terms of age and ability. Especially since Jung Dong-yeong had disappeared, he would grow much faster. Anyway, one problem was solved. Now, there was only one thing they had to finish urgently.

    ¡°By the way, you know about tomorrow, right?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    ¡°I asked to handle this as quietly as possible, but some guilds already had a scent. It¡¯s inevitable that the news will spread after the examination, though.¡±

    He was talking about the ranking reexamination. It was held once in a certain period. It was a screening where they checked awakeners¡¯ rank again. As he was convinced that he could get S-Rank, so there was no reason to keep delaying the screening.

    ¡°Yes. There is no reason to hide anymore.¡±

    S-Rank. It was a rank that meant the highest level of awakener that could be examined by the test. If Su-hyeun could get an S-Rank awakener mark, it would be much easier to do things. Lee Ju-ho, who was expecting the appearance of the new S-Rank awakener, shook hands with Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Then I will see you tomorrow at the Awakeners Accreditation Authority.¡±

 Chapter 62

    Act 9

    It snowed a lot. It was the worst snowfall of the winter; the traffic was even paralyzed. Several cars arrived at the Awakeners Accreditation Authority. Some people were standing and waiting outside of the car in the midst of this heavy snowfall.

    ¡°A lot of people gathered in this weather.¡±

    A middle-aged man with a long, thick cigar in his mouth stared at the falling snow. There were many groups of two or three people around the building, but he didn¡¯t care about them because he already knew them. They were people he met by chance before.

    ¡°The information was blocked though¡­ It is strange,¡± the man¡¯s assistant said.

    ¡°Well, they all have ears. And if they want to figure out, there are always ways. We did the same, didn¡¯t we?¡± he replied.

    Ripper Guild. It was one of the ten largest guilds. In terms of the number of awakeners possessed, it was the best guild in Korea. The middle-aged man was a vice guild master of such Ripper Guild. His name was Kim Seok-jin. Money, power, and honor: the vice guild master position gave him all of that. In fact, he was the one who actually led the guild instead of the guild master, who did not show up most of the time. Of course, the fact that he was just the guild¡¯s second in command didn¡¯t change.

    <>

    Kim Seok-jin breathed the cigar smoke through the snow and recalled the guild master of Ripper Guild, Park Ji-yeon. She was an awakener of S-rank, and only five of them existed in Korea. The Ripper Guild was able to come this far, not only because he worked very hard, but also thanks to her name and title as the only S-rank awakener in the guild. She was as beautiful as the celebrities and also had outstanding talent and achievements as an awakener. Half of the awakeners who joined the Ripper Guild joined because of her.

    ¡°Damn it. This is so unfair,¡± Kim Seok-jin said quietly to himself.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±

    Kim Seok-jin dropped the cigar he had been keeping in his mouth and stepped on it like a habit. He knew why he was in such a bad mood.

    <>

    He didn¡¯t like the fact that he had to come by himself to scout a person. He had thought he could just send one attendant, but he could not do that because Park Ji-yeon meddled.

    ¡°Vice guild master. You go.¡±

    Park Ji-yeon made him do it because she was too busy climbing the tower. In the end, it was his job to recruit the new S-Rank.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ In other guilds¡­¡±

    He glanced around. He could see several outstanding guilds.

    ¡°From Blue Dragon¡­ the guild master himself came. Silence Guild¡­ How many are there? Are they going to push with this number of people?¡±

    The competition was pretty stiff. He had no idea how all they got the information, but not only the guilds but also the press came. Of course, this crowd was nothing. At the time of Park Ji-yeon¡¯s rank reexamination, there was no place to put their feet.

    Kim Seok-jin lit up one more cigar and asked his assistant, ¡°This S-rank candidate is in his twenties?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. He will be the second S-Rank awakener in their twenties after our guild master. As looking at what happened in Anyang a while ago, I think it won¡¯t be hard for him to get S-Rank.¡±

    ¡°Then the problem will be ranking, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Yes. We have to figure out Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s Magic Factor and physical ability¡­ But since he is just in his second year as an awakener, I think it will be hard to compare him with other S-Rank awakeners.¡±

    ¡°Well. The proficiency of skill will be different.¡±

    ¡°But still, he has great talent.¡±

    The evaluation of Kim Su-hyeun had been made many times here and there. But he never showed himself for an official appearance. His only accomplishment was he caught the boss of the green-colored dungeon when the outbreak had happened in Anyang City. And now, it was time to take an objective assessment.

    Then, all of a sudden, the journalists on one side were disturbed. They whispered to each other to keep the information, but awakeners who had good ears could hear what they were saying.

    <> Kim Seok-jin thought and started to walk quickly.

    ***

    ¡°¡­Why are there so many people?¡±

    ¡°There is no perfect secret in the world. Actually, there are not that many. When the reexamination of Park Ji-yeon of Ripper Guild happened, there were at least thousands of people gathered.¡±

    ¡°You mean the reporters?¡±

    ¡°Hundreds of guilds, too.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho talked about the many people gathered in front of the Authority building. It looked like there were about one hundred people. Su-hyeun, who had initially intended to take examine quietly, felt embarrassed.

    ¡°Su-hyeun! Over here!¡±

    Then, a familiar voice came from one side. When he turned his head, he could see Hak-joon and Yun-seon. Their faces looked much happier than before. Su-hyeun did not know anyone here except them, so he started to walk to them, waving his hand.

    Rather, he tried to go.

    ¡°Are you the awakener Kim Su-hyeun? I am from Daewoong News. Could you give me a moment¡­?¡±

    People started to gather in a flash. Su-hyeun stopped his walking because of the crowd and said, ¡°Let me through.¡±

    It was a calm voice, but everybody could hear it. Some slippy people stepped back but some did not.

    ¡°It will only take a second! As a new S-Rank awakener candidate¡ª¡±

    ¡°You stopped the catastrophe that almost happened in Anyang City, how did you know about¡ª¡±

    They were the reporters. Unlike the others who came out to scout for their awakeners¡¯ guild, the reporters¡¯ goal was quickly to send out articles about Su-hyeun. For journalists whose monopoly and preemption were important, they were even more enthusiastic to cover Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I hold grudges,¡± Su-hyeun looked around and met eyes with each one of them and said, ¡°I will remember you guys faces and where you belonged. I have a pretty good memory.¡±

    The reporters became silent, watching a smiling face of Su-hyeun. What he had said was if they didn¡¯t step back, he would not respond to the coverage next time. If they said something wrong to Su-hyeun in here, they would take all the blame for their mistakes. So, soon after, the reporters started to step back as well. Su-hyeun passed through and headed to Hak-joon.

    ¡°Wow. That was strong.¡± Hak-joon gave him a thumbs up.

    Su-hyeun smiled at him and looked at both Hak-joon and Yun-seon. ¡°How are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s all good. Except for those from the Authority that bother us,¡± Hak-joon answered.

    ¡°There will be no issues. I am the one who killed Jung Dong-yeong. You were just there.¡±

    ¡°Then won¡¯t you be in trouble?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°If I have trouble, I can just go to the moon. Even if I don¡¯t have a flight there, it would be no problem to go abroad.¡±

    Hak-joon laughed at Su-hyeun¡¯s joke. Surely, his face and smiling looked way better than before.

    ¡°We came here to say thank you.¡±

    Yun-seon carefully opened her mouth to the conversation between the two. Su-hyeun shook his hand in embarrassment when he saw her bowing. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to do this. I had been thinking about doing something to Ares Guild for a long time now¡­.¡±

    ¡°But if you did not help us, this fool would have suffered more. I also still suffered from poison,¡± she said.

    ¡°Well, I did suffer a lot,¡± Hak-joon said.

    At Hak-joon¡¯s joke, Yun-seon pinched his arm with her long fingernail. She glared at him as if telling him to be quiet. ¡°You are slow-witted,¡± she said.

    ¡°Ah, he looked burdened,¡± Hak-joon replied.

    ¡°But still we have to say what we have to.¡±

    ¡°Do we have to do that now?¡±

    ¡°Then, when will you do?¡±

    Hak-joon and Yun-seon glared at each other and argued. It was pretty childish.

    <> Su-hyeun thought.

    The face of Hak-joon he had watched so far was always a little bit gloomy. He looked mature, not like his age. The dark mood that he had was not his original personality. He became like that under certain circumstances. But now, his shadow cleared up and his original personality appeared. His character was a little different from what Su-hyeun had thought.

    <>

    Su-hyeun looked at the two who fought like cats and dogs as if it was funny. He turned his eyes to Lee Ju-ho. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time?¡±

    ¡°We still have three minutes.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside now. Let them keep fighting.¡±

    ¡°Shall we?¡±

    When Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho turned their bodies to the building, Hak-joon and Yun-seon thought they might make a mistake. They started to worry if their actions might make them upset.

    ¡°Su-hyeun. It¡¯s not that¡­¡±

    ¡°I am sorry. We didn¡¯t pick up the mood¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun looked back at the two restless people and shook his head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry. You guys look good. You don¡¯t have to thank me, and you really don¡¯t have to feel sorry. And Hak-joon¡ª¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°¡ªYou owe me one.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Hak-joon blinked his eyes and soon smiled big.

    ¡°Yes, of course! If you need me next time, just let me know.¡±

    Hak-joon felt comfortable that Su-hyeun told him so. It was much easier just to run for him instead of only feeling sorry or thanking vaguely.

    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t forget that,¡± Su-hyeun said and started to walk to the entrance of the building.

    The S-Rank examination was something that the Authority was paying attention to as well. So, many of the examiners gathered and waited for Su-hyeun. When Su-hyeun showed his awakener registration card, the examiners looked at the people behind him.

    One of the examiners asked him, ¡°Will you allow people to watch your reexamination?¡±

    Since it was Su-hyeun¡¯s personal exam, he could decide whether to proceed privately or publicly. And hundreds of people here came to see the screening in person, to see the birth of a new S-Rank awakener. They wanted to report the scenes to the press or scout him for their guilds, or just watch it. But¡­

    ¡°Except for the three people here¡­¡± Su-hyeun pointed Lee Ju-ho, Hak-joon, and Yun-seon. ¡°¡­please, tell the other people to go back.¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­all of them?¡±

    The examiner looked embarrassed and looked around the people gathered in front of the entrance. There were people from major guilds such as Blue Dragon, Silence, Ripper, and etc. In addition, there were journalists such as major stations and internet newspapers that could guarantee his fame. But Su-hyeun refused to allow all of them to watch the exam.

    ¡°Are you going to be a mercenary soldier?¡± Hak-joon, who was following Su-hyeun, also made a surprised face like the examiner.

    A mercenary was a contract awakener who only fought when they were paid. They were also an awakener who did not join either governmental institutions or any guilds.

    ¡°I don¡¯t plan to work as mercenary either¡­¡± Su-hyeun walked further into the building and he swallowed the last of the sentence. <>

    Guild, press, agency, all of those, seemed like child¡¯s play to Su-hyeun. In the future, all of those things that share power, compete, and quarrel would all be a luxury because mankind would be destroyed. Su-hyeun had no intention of entertaining them at all.

    <>

    Su-hyeun shook his head inside and looked back Hak-joon.

    ¡°No. I guess there¡¯s two of us.¡±

 Chapter 63

    When Su-hyeun entered the building and began to move separately for reexamination, everyone who waiting for Su-hyeun lost their purpose. Kim Seok-jin just smoked a cigar since there was nothing he could do.

    ¡°Working as an independent¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s surprising,¡± his attendant said.

    In response to the attendant, Kim Seok-jin shook his head. ¡°No. This makes more sense for him.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°He is the guy who hasn¡¯t shown his face in two years. It would be a funny thing if he wanted to join the guild now. Many S-Rank awakeners are actually working as mercenaries or focusing on climbing the tower.¡±

    It was the same for their guild master, Park Ji-yeon. She only had a title but devoted most of her time to climbing the tower, except when completing dungeon attacks. Not only her but also other S-rank awakeners were similar. People could not reach S-Rank without climbing the tower with such hard work.

    ¡°I am sure he is the same.¡±

    ¡°Then why is he taking the rank reexamination?¡± the attendant asked.

    ¡°Well. There are many benefits¡­ Money can be one of the reasons¡­¡±

    ¡°So, it means you don¡¯t know exactly?¡±

    ¡°In fact, yes.¡± Kim Seok-jin nodded and took the phone out of his pocket. But it was that time.

    The phone started to ring, and a familiar name popped on the screen. Kim Seok-jin thought the situation was funny. He smirked a little. Soon, he picked up the phone.

    ¡°Yes, Guild Master.¡±

    ***

    Su-hyeun came to the basement of the Authority building for the reexamination. The basement was made of special materials that prevented magic from leaking outward. More exactly, it would prevent the impact of the underground from spreading upward.

    There were a total of five examiners who followed Su-hyeun and his party. As they set up various devices throughout the void of the basement, the examiner who looked the highest among them opened his mouth.

    ¡°First of all, let me explain the agreement you will make after you pass the S-Rank examination. First, S-rank awakeners receive a certain amount of money on the 1st of every month. Additionally, they regularly take turns with other S-rank awakeners and engage in a special dungeon attack¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun was familiar with that agreement. He did not pay attention to the explanation and just watched the devices.

    <>

    There was more than one test. S-Rank awakeners were tested for not only the factor and level of the magic but also overall stats as well as other qualities related to other battles. Only the ones who passed all of that could be S-Rank awakeners.

    ¡°¡­about the rights are in this document, so please read it later.¡±

    The examiner said so and handed a document to Suhyun. The cover of the document was colorfully embroidered in gold. There were several rights that S-rank awakeners received. Su-hyeun glanced over the contents and signed below.

    ¡°Well. Let¡¯s take the test quickly,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°We are preparing now. Please wait for a moment.¡±

    After a moment, all the devices were ready. There were some small platforms, a magic tester, and some devices to verify physical performances.

    ¡°First, we will check your magic level and factor. Second, we will check your magic control ability. Third, we will check your overall physical ability. What do you usually use for a weapon?¡±

    ¡°I use a sword and spear.¡± Su-hyeun showed his sword at his waist area and the spear on his back.

    ¡°The sword and spear¡­All right. Close combat tactics and long-distance throwing statics. What about your unique skill?¡±

    ¡°For the skill¡­¡±

    Several questions followed, and when all questions were answered, the examiner nodded. In fact, just listening to those questions could not give them anything special. Most skills were to be evaluated during the exam.

    ¡°Please walk in front of the platform. The first test will be taken under an illusion.¡±

    ¡°What are the detailed rules?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°You have to figure it out yourself. Just keep in your mind that the time limit is key.¡±

    They didn¡¯t explain the rules but expected him to realize the rules on his own.

    <>

    In the case of advanced rank screening, most countries had a system like the Tower of Trials. This method was quite discriminatory, so the people who were more than A-Rank got their grade after such an examination.

    ¡°Please step on the platform.¡±

    Su-hyeun stepped on the round-shaped platform as the examiner said. The devices were made of several intermediate Ether stones and one higher Ether stone. The stones also had a role.

    <>

    There was a man named Johnny Brad. He was one of the highest-ranked awakeners and he was known for his hallucination skills. His work was high-quality and used in world-wide awakeners¡¯ agencies. This device was also one of his works. Of course, it was not as powerful as what he could use in person. It might have worked better for regular people, but it was impossible to show hallucinations that were threatening enough to S-Rank awakeners.

    ¡°Don¡¯t reject the magic from the device. If you accept the magic, the test will start soon.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at the examiner¡¯s advice. If he wanted to resist, he was able to do that. To him, it was possible not to hallucinate in the first place.

    Whirl, whirl¡ª

    Soon, the device was activated, and a lot of magic power was released from the Ether stone. That magic was sucked into Su-hyeun¡¯s head in a moment. He did not resist it and closed his eyes. Then, he could feel a cool breeze with his skin. When he opened his eyes, there was a completely different landscape.

    Caw, caw, caw¡ª!

    He could hear something sounding like loud crows. There were black spears on the ground, hundreds of and thousands of them. Above, he could see a black sky. No, it merely looked like a black sky. Birds that looked like crows filled the sky.

    ¡°They don¡¯t look like crows¡­ Are they Blackbirds?¡±

    A Blackbird was a monster that looked like a giant crow. There was nothing, in particular, that said it was a monster. Blackbirds had a strong desire for survival rather than fighting. So, it usually was not threatening. Those were the Blackbirds that Su-hyeun knew.

    <>

    It was not difficult to figure out what the subject of the test was.

    <>

    He recalled the hint that the examiner said. He said the time limit was key. So, that meant they were testing how fast he could handle the birds above the sky. There were many spears on the ground and many birds in the sky.

    As he looked roughly, it looked like space was blocked within a certain distance to prevent Blackbirds from running away. The space was large, but it was not infinite.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect for hunting.¡±

    He grabbed the spear. He could easily finish if he used the Leap and Flame skills, but he didn¡¯t use those because this test was not for checking his magic ability. The weapons he used were swords and spears. And this test was a gateway to examine his spear-throwing ability. It was a pretty difficult test.

    <>

    The Blackbirds were fast, and they would not let him drop them down easily, of course.

    ¡°30 minutes.¡±

    He grabbed the spear he picked up from the ground tightly. He threw it as hard as he could.

    Swish¡ª

    Bam¡ª

    The spear that Su-hyeun had thrown penetrated three blackbirds. At the same time, he grabbed two spears in each hand immediately after that.

    ¡°One, two¡ª¡±

    Swish¡ª

    ¡°Three.¡±

    The four spears flew towards the blackbirds that roaming the sky.

    ¡°I guess it will take 30 minutes at most.¡±

    ***

    ¡°How much time has passed?¡± Kim Hyun-soo, the general examiner asked.

    The deputy examiner checked the time and answered, ¡°It¡¯s been about 15 minutes.¡±

    ¡°About 45 minutes left.¡±

    ¡°I will tell you every five minutes.¡±

    ¡°Tell me every ten minutes. When an hour is over, it means he failed. Then clean all the things here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and tell the last of the examiners to set up the next devices when 20 minutes have passed. If he passes the exam, we can proceed immediately that way.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Kim Hyun-soo crossed his arms and watched Su-hyeun on the device. He was the one who was responsible for the examination of five S-rank awakeners of Korea. He also conducted the S-rank examination more than ten times. About one in four people who applied reexamination passed and became S-Rank. Three of the four had been eliminated were eliminated from this first test.

    <> he thought but he could not remember exactly.

    He took so long, and he was not capable of escaping from the hallucinations by himself. In the end, he had to pass the test to escape from hallucinations.

    ¡°And the fastest one was¡­ Park Ji-yeon. She only took 40 minutes.¡±

    Park Ji-yeon was the youngest S-Rank awakener in Korea. She had passed the reexamination faster than anyone else since she had shown an outstanding talent for a long time.

    Since this hallucination test gave each examinee a different mission, it was difficult to say that somebody would be better than the other exactly. However, the content of the test itself was recorded. Kim Hyun-soo flipped the papers and looked through the records of the S-Rank awakeners.

    ¡°After Park Ji-yeon, Gwon Jae-hoon took 43 minutes. Next was Jung Yoon-ho. He took 48 minutes. And next¡­¡±

    Zap¡ª

    While he was checking the records, the device suddenly started responding. Kim Hyun-soo, who was startled, covered the file and raised his head.

    ¡°What is going on?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ the built-in skill of the device is being unraveled.¡±

    ¡°A built-in skill. You mean hallucinations?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    In response to the deputy examiner, Kim Hyun-soo opened his eyes wide. Was time passing by while he was thinking about something else?

    ¡°What about time? How much time passed?¡±

    ¡°19 minutes, sir.¡±

    ¡°19 minutes?¡±

    It was less than 20 minutes. He had a lot on his mind. Kim Hyun-soo had been seeing the same phenomenon several times. And immediately after the device¡¯s built-in skills began to break, the test would end.

    <> he thought.

    Other S-rank awakeners did not differ so much in the Clear Time. It was only about five minutes apart. But suddenly, this man passed it in 20 minutes. It was a really overwhelming record.

    The ether stone in the device flashed for a moment. That phenomenon meant that the device stopped working.

    ¡°Phew¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun, who was staring at one spot vacantly, all of a sudden took a big breath. Su-hyeun turned his body and looked at the examiners, including Kim Hyun-soo.

    ¡°How long has it been?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­Well¡­¡± The deputy examiner checked the time again. ¡°You took 19 minutes 58 seconds¡­¡±

    ¡°So about 20 minutes,¡± Su-hyeun said as if it was insignificant.

    Su-hyeun did not know about the shock of examiner Kim Hyun-soo.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do the next one quickly. You guys are ready, right?¡±

    He had finished so quickly that the preparations for the next test were not even done yet.

 Chapter 64

    Act 10

    After the first test, Su-hyeun took a break until the next test. Actually, he was not particularly tired, physically or mentally, so it wasn¡¯t exactly taking a break. The next test was the same. Kim Hyun-soo, who dubiously doubted the malfunction of the device, had no choice but to admit it.

    ¡°¡­He is a monster.¡±

    The word ¡°monster¡± came from the mouth of Kim Hyun-soo, who oversaw the evaluation of the S-Rank awakeners. After all, the other S-Rank awakeners he had met so far were monsters as well. Among them, some of them had become stronger years after the S-Rank reexamination.

    But by far, Kim Hyun-soo had never seen anyone who gave him as much shock as Su-hyeun.

    <>

    The device for measuring magic and physical ability was made to be able to check the stats of the awakener accurately. Su-hyeun¡¯s stats were not much different from other S-Rank awakeners. The difference was his ability to handle his own skills.

    ¡°He finished his first test in 20 minutes¡­.And his ability to control magic¡­¡±

    When people had the same Magic Grade, Factor, and physical ability, the most important ability for determining their ranking was magic control. It was about how that person could efficiently and accurately use the same amount of magic. Even with the same amount of magic, the efficiency was very different depending on who used it. The factor that determined that ability was experience and talent.

    Soon, the last test began. There were hundreds of thousands of floating slabs of stones all over the huge void. They were slates that were very difficult to break. In fact, they had strength similar to that of bulletproof glass. So, it was impossible to break them without any effort, even considering how good of an awakener he was. The final test was about how fast Su-hyeun was and how many the slabs he could crush. He had to crush them without skill or physical abilities ¡ª he could only use magic.

    Swish¡ª

    Crack¡ª

    The magic shot from Su-hyeun¡¯s hand penetrated the slabs. The slab with a hole in the center was split in all directions and soon shattered and fell to the floor.

    <> the general examiner thought.

    It was amazing that he noticed it in such a short time, but there was something more surprising.

    <>

    He broke the stones too quickly. The examiners could not even count the number of broken slabs. The deputy examiner, who set a timer, shouted, ¡°10 minutes have passed! Stop!¡±

    Crack¡ª

    Crash¡ª

    The last slab broke. Su-hyeun turned his body away from where he was standing. He blinked his eyes a couple of times and loosened his concentration, which had been raised to its limit.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    It was not a matter of whether he was passed or not. The number of slabs on the floor was far beyond the minimum number for acceptance even if they estimated it roughly. The problem was the record.

    Because the stones were broken so quickly, they could not count how many slabs were broken.

    ¡°What are you doing? Count them quickly! ¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±

    At Kim Hyun-soo¡¯s nagging, the other examiners began counting the remaining slabs. After about five minutes, the record came out.

    ¡°The remaining slabs are 1,450! The destroyed slabs are 1,550!¡±

    ¡°What? One thousand and five hundred¡­?¡±

    Kim Hyun-soo quickly looked at the previously held records. Of course, the person who destroyed the largest number of slabs was Park Ji-yeon, who had been tested relatively recently. All of the slabs she had destroyed were just over five hundred.

    <> Kim Hyun-soo thought.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s Magic Level and Factor did not differ much from when the other S-Rank awakeners took the test for their first time. His physical ability was much less than them. In terms of condition, he was not better than other S-Rank awakeners. The difference was his ability to use those things. Above all, Kim Hyun-soo, who checked Su-hyeun¡¯s magic control with his own eyes, got shocked. He could not believe his eyes.

    ¡°Are the examinations done?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Oh? Yes. Y-yes. They are all done.¡±

    Kim Hyun-soo urgently finished the test record for Su-hyeun. He added the records one by one. He finally saw all the records at once. The result was something incredible.

    <> he thought.

    In any case, further tests would be meaningless. Kim Hyun-soo closed the recording paper and said, ¡°Congratulations on passing.¡±

    ***

    It took about an hour for the S-Rank awakener registration card to be issued. Su-hyeun waited for the registration card along with the other party.

    ¡°I knew it was going to happen¡­.But I feel a little weird that you are becoming an S-Rank.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because you are the sixth. It symbolizes the best awakener, and it also means you are a world-wide revel awakener.¡±

    Hak-joon felt strange and unfamiliar that he was sitting next to the new S-Rank awakener. He felt that way especially more because he had thought Su-hyeun was a C-Rank awakener just until recently.

    ¡°You won¡¯t take long, either,¡± Su-hyeun said to Hak-joon.

    ¡°Me? No way.¡±

    ¡°You could get an A-Rank awakener card if you made up your mind right now, couldn¡¯t you?¡±

    Hak-joon¡¯s eyes widened at Su-hyeun¡¯s question. Hak-joon had shown only his ability as much as a B-Rank awakener could do. He did the same for the outbreak last time in Anyang. He had prepared himself his own way. When he could surely defeat Jung Dong-yeong, he thought he could trade his life and the cure for Yun-seon. But¡­

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°I can just tell.¡±

    ¡°Wow. That sounds a little rude¡­¡±

    Yun-seon pinched Hak-joon¡¯s thigh.¡±Mind your manners.¡±

    ¡°O-okay.¡± Hak-joon thought he should be careful and opened his mouth slowly to say, ¡°That¡­How did you know?¡±

    ¡°As I said, I can just tell.¡±

    ¡°Only with the concentration of magic?¡±

    ¡°More than that¡­I am sure you can tell as well when you meet weaker awakeners than yourself. You know about that person¡¯s level or how much magic concentration that person has, something like that. It is something cannot be hidden even if you try.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the basic of the basics. If your plan was trying to hide your growth and hit Jung Dong-yeong¡¯s back, it was pretty dangerous.¡±

    Su-hyeun read his point. Hak-joon¡¯s eyes were shaking. If Su-hyeun¡¯s words were true, Jung Dong-yeong, who became an A-Rank awakener a long time ago, may have been aware of Hak-joon¡¯s level.

    ¡°If Jung Dong-yeong knew that I was waiting for revenge¡­¡±

    Perhaps not long afterward, something big possibly could happen.

    Hak-joon got chills and his face turned pale. Yun-seon held his hand tight.

    ¡°It is over. It is okay,¡± Yun-seon said.

    ¡°¡­Yes, you are right.¡±

    Even though he answered like that, his deathly pale face did not return to normal. The thought that Yun-seon might have died by his own mistake was more terrible than anything else for him.

    <> Su-hyeun thought.

    He had thought he should talk about it soon, but it didn¡¯t seem like the right time. Like the saying out of the frying pan into the fire, if he figured out there was a bigger problem called Dump Guild behind Jung Dong-yeong, Hak-joon might have felt scared. The conversation was cut off for a while. Soon, Kim Hyun-soo brought the new registration card.

    ¡°Here is your new awakener registration card,¡± he said.

    It was a gold-colored, shiny card.

    On the card, Su-hyeun¡¯s name was carved. It seemed quite sophisticated for the short time they had worked on it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think we worked half-heartedly because we made it too quick. A registration card is for showing off anyway, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±

    Su-hyeun took out the wallet he had put in his pocket and put his registration card inside. He should have looked at the front and back with surprise, but he didn¡¯t. Kim Hyun-soo clicked his tongue at Su-hyeun¡¯s lack of enthusiasm.

    <>Kim Hyun-soo thought.

    ¡°What can he do with it?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    Rather, the more curious one was Hak-joon. As if he was waiting for the question, Kim Hyun-soo responded with a proud expression.

    ¡°Anything.¡±

    ¡°Anything, like what?¡± Hak-joon asked again.

    ¡°If you have any dungeons you want to go to, you have the highest priority in the dungeons registered with the Authority. Not only can you borrow money from the bank, but you can also¡­¡±

    Kim Hyun-soo, who explained the benefits and rights of the S-rank awakeners, became louder as he spoke. Of course, there was no information that Su-hyeun was curious about.

    ¡°Let me ask you something.¡±Su-hyeun cut Kim Hyun-soo¡¯s words in the middle and asked, ¡°Have there ever been any cases where you guys gave overseas support?¡±

    Kim Hyun-soo thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Overseas¡­Yes, we do that often.¡±

    ¡°What about America?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°No, we have never done that. There are so many strong awakeners and their incidence of the dungeons is not that high. Actually, the US is sending awakeners to other countries.¡±

    In the United States, a system of training awakeners professionally had been quickly implemented compared to Korea. As a matter of fact, Korea¡¯s awakener training system itself was taken from the United States, so it was natural that the level of awakeners was higher in the United States.

    ¡°Why? Do you have any American awakeners you want to meet?¡± Kim Hyun-soo asked.

    ¡°Not a person¡­¡±

    But he did have one dungeon had in his mind.

    <> Su-hyeun thought.

    He didn¡¯t want to talk about the details. Su-hyeun only wanted to know one thing.

    ¡°What if I want to attack a particular dungeon that appeared in America?¡±

    If it would be difficult, he planned to even use a dark route. But if he could use the privilege of S-Rank, he would like to do so.

    ¡°I think it would be possible,¡± Kim Hyun-soo said.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°The criteria for S-Rank awakeners is the same in every country in the world, so you are S-Rank in any country you go to. There¡¯s no reason for the Americans to turn down your help, but I am not sure if you will get a satisfying dividend rate after the attack.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±

    He didn¡¯t do it because of money anyway. The dungeon attack itself was his purpose, and he could make plenty of money from now on anyway.

    <> Su-hyeun thought.

    As it turned out, the time that he had spent for the reexamination was not a waste. It was about time Su-hyeun sighed of relief.

    ¡°Mr. Su-hyeun! Where are you? Please, pick up your phone!¡±

    The voice of Lee Ju-ho came from the hallway outside the room. Lee Ju-ho had gone out to see the situation outside. His voice sounded pretty urgent.

    <>

    The problem was that he had turned his phone on silence mode because he didn¡¯t want it to interfere with the exam. Su-hyeun left the room scratching his head with a sorry heart.

 Chapter 65

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Oh, were you there?¡± Lee Ju-ho answered.

    He walked as fast as he could down the corridor. Hak-joon and Yun-seon also heard the commotion and left the room after Su-hyeun.

    ¡°There is a guest for you, Su-hyeun,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Her name is Park Ji-yeon. She is the guild master of Ripper Guild and an S-Rank awakener.¡±

    Park Ji-yeon. The name sounded familiar to Su-hyeun.

    <>

    He remembered her name and face. He had never met her in person though.

    ¡°Why is she looking for me?¡±

    ¡°I suppose she wants to suggest you join her guild.¡±

    ¡°She came here herself?¡±

    There were not many cases of S-Ranks working directly for guilds. Unless it was planned long ago, they spent most of their time climbing the Tower of Trials.

    <> Lee Ju-ho thought.

    It had been decided a few days ago when Su-hyeun got reexamined. As she led the green dungeon in Ansan not long ago, she might have been interested in Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Well, I suppose I can meet her,¡± Su-hyeun said. He took out his phone and added, ¡°Of course, not in the building right now.¡±

    ***

    The lobby of the Authority was noisy with the voices of many journalists and awakeners. They had been waiting for Su-hyeun all this time, but they got louder because of the appearance of a celebrity.

    ¡°How long should I wait?¡±

    ¡°W-wait a second, please. I¡¯ve forwarded your business and contact. So, I am sure you can meet him soon.¡±

    The lobby staff, who was dealing with guests in the lobby, began to sweat. He could not rejoice, even as a beautiful woman standing in front of his eyes. She was a beautiful lady with a milky-white face and dark hair in a bun. She was Park Ji-yeon.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± She thought for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Ok. I will wait. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Oh. O-okay¡­¡±

    The staff, who was worried about her pestering, sighed with relief. Soon after, Park Ji-yeon sat down on one seat and pulled the phone from her pocket. She glanced at the screen and got up.

    In a small voice, she said, ¡°I will be back in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kim Seok-jin asked.

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡±

    ¡°Watch out for the paparazzi,¡± Kim Seok-jin said.

    ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Swish¡ª

    As soon as she finished her words, Park Ji-yeon disappeared from her seat. It happened the moment he noticed that she was moving. It would be impossible for ordinary reporters or other awakeners to follow her.

    ¡°¡­I guess she got him.¡±

    Kim Seok-jin noticed where she went and smiled.

    ***

    Whiz, bam¡ª

    Park Ji-yeon flew to the roof of the Authority. She lightly stepped on the wall of the building and went up about 20 floors. When she arrived, she could hear the voice.

    ¡°You are coming loudly, Ms. Ji-yeon.¡±

    She looked at the owner of the voice. It was an unfamiliar face, but she could tell who he was.

    ¡°Su-hyeun?¡±

    Su-hyeun, who was sitting on the roof railing, put on a sour face. ¡°¡­Are you talking down to me?¡±

    ¡°I heard you are younger than me,¡± Park Ji-yeon said.

    She was only one year older than Su-hyeun. She must have heard about his age already. Su-hyeun realized that she had already researched enough about him.

    ¡°But we¡¯re meeting for the first time¡­ Never mind. I will talk casually, too. You are not much older than me anyway.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Park Ji-yeon slowly walked toward Su-hyeun and asked, ¡°I heard there were more people. Where are they?¡±

    ¡°I sent them back. I will see them later. Hak-joon and Mr. Ju-ho might be in the trouble by now though.¡±

    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t like being noticed, do you?¡±

    ¡°More exactly, I don¡¯t like bothersome things. Time is precious, isn¡¯t it? There is nothing much to gain and I don¡¯t like being bothered like that,¡± Su-hyeun said and looked at Park Ji-yeon¡¯s eyes. ¡°So, unless you have a special case, keep your business short and simple.¡±

    ¡°I like that,¡± Park Ji-yeon said.

    As the place to talk was made, Su-hyeun rose from the railing where he was sitting. There was no chair or table to sit on, so Su-hyeun and Park Ji-yeon stood and faced each other.

    ¡°Do you want to join the Ripper Guild?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You started the conversation by talking down to me and now you are trying to recruit me?¡±

    ¡°But you won¡¯t join anyway, won¡¯t you?¡±

    She was very straightforward. It almost sounded like teasing. If other S-Rank awakeners heard her proposals, they might have gotten mad.

    <>

    In his previous life, he had not encountered her many times, so he had not seen her act like this. He had heard that she was an eccentric person, but he never personally experienced her personality.

    ¡°So, what are you saying now?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°I just said so. Well, I really meant it, of course,¡± Park Ji-yeon said.

    ¡°So, since you know I won¡¯t join anyway, you¡¯re just poking around?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, what is your point?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°When you join Ripper Guild, that means you literally will work under me. But I am sure that is not what you want¡­¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want that kind of relationship, what you want is cooperation?¡±

    Park Ji-yeon smiled a little. ¡°That is what I am talking about.¡±

    Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes. Perhaps things could easily be solved. As a matter of fact, he had been thinking about contacting Ripper Guild.

    ¡°What do you mean by cooperation?¡±

    ¡°I heard you had friction with the Dump Guild,¡± Park Ji-yeon said.

    Su-hyeun nodded. Of course, the friction that she said did not mean Su-hyeun had killed the awakener of Dump Guild. She meant that Su-hyeun had spread the information about Dump Guild everywhere.

    ¡°At first, I just asked our vice guild master to recruit you¡­ But I changed my mind after I heard you were involved with Dump Guild. I wanted to see you in person,¡± Park Ji-yeon said.

    ¡°Is that why you want to work with me?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Park Ji-yeon erased the smile on her mouth and replied in a suppressed voice. ¡°The destruction of Dump Guild. That is my goal.¡±

    <>

    If it was not about this in the first place, Su-hyeun would not have met her. If he met the guild master, the only thing they would ask about recruiting him. But¡­

    ¡°Is it a personal grudge?¡± he continued his thought.

    In his previous life, Ripper Guild had disappeared due to an all-out war with Dump Guild. That alone was enough to suggest that Ripper Guild was an enemy of Dump Guild. But he didn¡¯t know whether it was a guild-level struggle or a personal grudge by Park Ji-yeon. Instead, the possibility itself opened.

    <>

    When he saw her eyes, he could tell ¡ª this kind of hostility was more likely a personal grudge.

    ¡°I think it will be a long talk.¡± Su-hyeun looked down at the people gathered in front of the building and said, ¡°Would you like to talk in some other place?¡±

    ***

    Lee Ju-ho broke out in a cold sweat. When he looked around, there were a lot of people. More than a hundred people were asking questions at him.

    ¡°Is it really confirmed that Mr. Kim Su-hyeun became an S-rank awakener?¡±

    ¡°How did you get to know Kim Su-hyeun? I heard you were acquainted with him before the Anyang outbreak¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait. Jeez, please move! Hey, Lee Ju-ho! You know me, right? We met last time¡­¡±

    Everybody was talking about different things. It was so chaotic. Among them, some awakeners from large guilds, who he could not remember the faces of, approached him pretending to know him well and asked about Su-hyeun.

    <> Lee Ju-ho thought.

    This was not the first time he had dealt with people to cover up Su-hyeun¡¯s back. Of course, that time, there were not many people like this. Moreover, he had volunteered to do that. Su-hyeun told him to ignore them, but he could not just ignore all these people, considering the reputation of Su-hyeun. Anyway, they were journalists of the big press in this country, and they were the main figures of the big guilds. However, Su-hyeun¡¯s stubbornness was not something that Lee Ju-ho could defeat.

    ¡°I think I should meet Park Ji-yeon in person,¡± Su-hyeun had said in an earnest voice, putting his hands on Lee Ju-ho¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I begging you, brother.¡±

    <>

    But what could Lee Ju-ho do? He just blamed himself because he became soft over that one word. In the end, he had to answer all the questions one by one.

    ***

    The conversation with Park Ji-yeon took place in a room cafe on a secluded street. Unlike Su-hyeun, Park Ji-yeon was known for her face. She was beautiful and high-ranking, so she was quite a famous celebrity.

    Even though they took time and came here, their conversation didn¡¯t take long. They talked for about 30 minutes. Park Ji-yeon flicked her finger at the glass on the table.

    Chink¡ª

    ¡°I guess it is more like a concept of the enemy of an enemy is a friend, instead of cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is cooperation.¡±

    Su-hyeun emptied the remaining beverages in an instant. He was thirsty because he had been talking a lot. At any rate, the goal had been achieved. He did not have to join the guild, but he could get their help when he needed it.

    <> he thought.

    The power of a large guild was not just from the number of people. It was the world that one awakener could do more than a hundred people. But he could not hear everything by himself. The power of the large guild was the information it could gather. They could talk and listen to many people. The information was also something that Su-hyeun needed. Of course, the fact that it was a cooperative relationship that benefited each party was a constant fact.

    ¡°It is only about the Dump Guild. Remember that,¡± Park Ji-yeon said.

    She drew the line. That way, their promise could only work with Dump Guild. Su-hyeun, who had emptied the glass, nodded his head and got up.

    ¡°Besides that, I won¡¯t need help from Ripper Guild for anything else. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask such an obvious question?¡± Su-hyeun asked. He finished what he had put off, so there was only one thing he had to do. ¡°I have to keep challenging the Tower of Trials.¡±

    To Su-hyeun, S-Rank was just a passing phase. He had experienced many things above this. He was once the best awakener of the world. For him, this was the beginning.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a long way to go, haven¡¯t we?¡±

 Chapter 66

    For the first time in a long while, Su-hyeun treated Shin Su-yeong to a meal. His busy schedule meant they couldn¡¯t meet often, but he still tried to keep the promises of eating together with her.

    ¡°Are you going to keep working?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question prompted Shin Su-yeong, who was roasting the meat, to stop wielding her tongs and ask him, ¡°If not, should I just do nothing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to stop working, you know. I¡¯ve made enough money and more will keep coming in the future, too. I thought you wanted to enjoy the fruit of your son¡¯s labor?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you. You can only laze around doing nothing for a day or two, and besides, how can a person not work for a living?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too much of a workaholic?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more like I don¡¯t want to laze around, that¡¯s all. Having my own business and working for myself can be really rewarding, you know.¡±

    Even though Shin Su-yeong¡¯s business hadn¡¯t opened its doors for long, it was already doing rather well thanks to her over 20 years of experience in the field. They chatted about this and that, then Su-hyeun took Shin Su-yeong back home. When he came back to his own place, it was already well past ten o¡¯clock in the evening.

    The room and the bed previously soaked in blood were all spotless now. It seemed that the cleaners had come by while he was out.

    <>

    Two years. He had basically climbed ten floors every year.

    The reason for him taking longer than expected was fairly simple, actually. Each and every floor¡¯s trial had been difficult, yes, but Su-hyeun¡¯s own desire to pass them all perfectly played a large factor, as well.

    <>

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun equipped the newly-acquired item, the Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor, underneath his clothing. Then, he firmly secured Gram on his waist before extending his hand to the front.

    He concentrated for a moment or two, gripped the space tightly, and tore it open.

    The doorway leading to the Tower was opened.

    Su-hyeun slowly walked inside.

    * * *

    The world of 21st floor.

    Su-hyeun spent all of his remaining achievement points to buy food and medicine.

    What little of his achievement points remaining after purchasing the highest-grade potential catalyst potion and the Property of Dimension order form was now completely gone.

    He did have a few points stashed away for rainy days, but even that was used up to take the necklace of the Shayres to the other side.

    <>

    He felt slightly bitter about spending almost every bit of his hard-earned achievement points. What was left was only enough to buy consumables such as foodstuffs.

    <>

    He was preparing just in case the trial turned out to be lengthier than expected, but still, he was sure that the event of him running out of food wouldn¡¯t happen any time soon. Indeed, all of this preparation was simply for that one in a million chance.

    <>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s current level of growth meant that the 21st floor didn¡¯t hold much meaning despite the fact that it was the tenth level of trial. His current self needed to focus on climbing up to the higher floors rather than getting too caught up in achieving the perfect accomplishments in the trials themselves.

    Su-hyeun immediately headed to the gate located in the 21st floor¡¯s plaza. The moment he passed through the portal, the view before his eyes transformed and messages floated up.

    [Applicable individual Kim Su-hyeun is starting the 20th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [Please select your difficulty.]

    His answer was the same as always. ¡°The tenth level.¡±

    As soon as he announced his decision, the previously-blank view slowly regained its natural color.

    [The 21st floor¡¯s trial, tenth level, will now commence.]

    The landscape greeting him was a forest. It was a forest so quiet that not even the common noises of winds blowing or birds chirping could be heard. It was difficult to guess the exact theme of this trial just from the surroundings, so Su-hyeun waited for the next set of messages.

    [The trial will now commence.]

    [Mercenaries from Balkan Kingdom capable of wielding special powers wish to conquer a dungeon that has appeared in the forest. Although attacking dungeons is their main job, they haven¡¯t realized the true dangers of this dungeon yet.]

    [Your name is Warrick. You must work together with your comrades and conquer the dungeon.]

    [Your reward will change depending on the level of success of the trial.]

    Su-hyeun read the floating messages and quickly confirmed his appearance.

    Although he was now given an alias of Warrick, his actual appearance hadn¡¯t changed a bit. Not just his clothing, but even the sword equipped on his waist as well as the pauldrons of the Falcon¡¯s Holy Armour over his shoulders were still there.

    <>

    In any case, the contents of this trial didn¡¯t seem all that difficult in nature. It sounded pretty much the same as every dungeon attack he participated in.

    As for the achievement level, it was probably dependent on how quickly the dungeon attack was completed, as well as the percentage of monsters defeated, etc.

    <>

    ¡°Mister Warrick¡ª!¡±

    With great timing, he heard a voice calling out to Su-hyeun coming from the side.

    Technically speaking, it was calling out to Warrick, but judging from the system¡¯s explanations, Su-hyeun must¡¯ve looked like this Warrick guy to the eyes of everyone else.

    He quickly made his way in the direction of the voice.

    ¡°Warrick! Hey, dude!¡±

    A total of three people were waiting for him.

    Among them, a large man over one hand-span taller than Su-hyeun hurriedly approached him and asked, ¡°What kind of a bathroom break takes that long? We were worried that you might have gotten lost.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I took a wrong turn by mistake, that¡¯s why¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    For some reason, Su-hyeun thought he could recognize the names and faces of all three people before him.

    <>

    Two men and one woman. No, rather, this group now consisted of three men including Su-hyeun himself, as well as the lone woman.

    The large man approaching Su-hyeun was an awakener named Keshunirn. He was the leader of the group, and also the liveliest of the bunch, as well. The other man with the constrasting, gloomy atmosphere was Howal. He was slightly shorter than Su-hyeun, and his shoulders were slumped forward noticeably.

    As for the woman with the blonde locks extending all the way down to her shoulders, she came across as just too pretty to be called a mercenary. It seemed that she was originally a daughter of a noble house, but had no choice but to start working as a mercenary after her family fell into ruin.

    <>

    To think that the information would be entering his head oh-so thoughtfully like this. Not only that, despite their era or dimensions not being the same, the environment they were in wasn¡¯t all that different from the one Su-hyeun was used to living in, too.

    <>

    What a relief that there didn¡¯t seem to be any particular issues to worry about, at least on the surface.

    The skill levels of each and everyone here weren¡¯t too shabby, either. All three were awakeners ranked B, while the magical energy concentration almost reaching the A rank could be felt from Aile herself. This group had been attacking dungeons without any problems until now, so it should be the same story this time as well.

    Even then, why the trial was about attacking the dungeon?

    <>

    The trials didn¡¯t hand out missions that anyone could clear. Even if the mission seemed ordinary and not all that difficult on the surface, there was one thing he must remember at all times.

    He was in a tenth-level trial.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun traveled to the dungeon with the three members of the group. As they walked while chatting about this and that, they soon spotted the dungeon¡¯s entrance at the bottom of the distant valley.

    ¡°Over there!¡± Keshunirn shouted out with a bright face.

    That prompted Hawal to grumble in a small voice. ¡°What¡¯s so great about discovering a dungeon anyway¡­.¡±

    It was a mystery how the bright and outgoing Keshunirn decided to team up with the negative and gloomy Howal.

    ¡°It¡¯s great that we found our source of income, that¡¯s what. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Su-hyeun had no choice but to nod when Keshunirn asked him. ¡°Yes, I agree.¡±

    As he said that, Su-hyeun sneaked a glance at Aile. She hadn¡¯t said a word while on their way here. He didn¡¯t even know what her voice sounded like.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you fall for her?¡± Keshunirn spotted the glance and stuck close to Su-hyeun to whisper that question.

    The latter frowned ever so slightly and stared at the former. Keshunirn chuckled softly under his breath and waved his hand about. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. No need for the glare, you know. Besides, it¡¯s true that she¡¯s a beauty, right? We haven¡¯t been working together for long, but there¡¯s no doubt that her abilities are the real deal, too.¡±

    Aile had joined the group comparatively later than everyone else. They only attacked one dungeon together with her. During that conquest, she displayed the greatest set of abilities among the group.

    ¡°And besides, isn¡¯t it better to have a quiet but pretty older sister type around you than a gloomy bastard?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right about that¡­¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s unenthusiastic response brought out a puzzled expression on Keshunirn¡¯s face.

    Su-hyeun looked back at Keshunirn and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, well, something feels a bit strange, you see.¡±

    ¡°About?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I was convinced that you had the hots for Aile until now, but¡­ No, even if it¡¯s not that, you used to go absolutely mental over any girls you spotted, so¡­.¡±

    ¡°Be careful with what you say. Who¡¯s supposed to go mental over women here?¡±

    Although something did pop up and lightly prodded him in his mind, Su-hyeun decided not to sweat over it.

    <>

    He had experienced this type of trial plenty of times before, the one where he had to inhabit the body of someone else and pretend to be that person. Every time he did that, though, Su-hyeun grew more and more aware of the burden of acting like that person, and eventually, he came to realize one thing: even if he didn¡¯t play the part, as long as that didn¡¯t pose any issues regarding the clearing of the trial, then there was no problem in how others perceived him.

    The only issue with that was the resulting uncomfortable stares, but that also didn¡¯t matter depending on his mindset.

    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡±

    Sure enough, Keshunirn pondered Su-hyeun¡¯s reply for a moment or two before nodding his head. ¡°Well, sure. A person¡¯s mind does change on a whim, so¡­.¡±

    He was jumping to conclusions all on his own.

    Su-hyeun could only sigh inwardly but endured it. All he wanted to do right now was to get through this trial as soon as possible.

    ¡°By the way, this is supposed to be a yellow-color dungeon, so will it be alright?¡±

    It was then that Aile spoke for the very first time.

    Indeed, the yellow-colored dungeon did pose a tough challenge for a group of four awakeners around the rank B level. If another rank A Awakener was added to the group, then it¡¯d been a different story. So, it wasn¡¯t all roses and smiles even if they did discover the dungeon.

    ¡°We have Miss Aile with us, so what could be the problem? If it¡¯s proving to be too difficult, then we can just walk away content after checking out the entrance.¡± That opinion was from the ever-positive Keshunirn.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Did you forget how many idiots without enough abilities die because their greed got the better of them? Seriously, man. Why do I even call someone like you our leader¡­.¡±

    ¡°Mister Howal.¡±

    Aile shot him a glare, prompting Howal to shut his mouth. He then averted his head away and began grumbling something to himself.

    It seemed that Aile was carefully weighing her options, while Keshunirn was in favor of challenging the dungeon. As for Howal¡¯s opinion, he didn¡¯t want to.

    But then again, his personality dictated that he¡¯d always lean towards a no anyway, not just in this matter. He was the type to first oppose whatever other people were suggesting and then see what happened next.

    ¡°What do you think, Mister Warrick?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t hesitate to reply to Aile¡¯s question. ¡°Let¡¯s challenge it.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Keshunirn cried out.

    Two voted for, one neutral, and one against.

    The result had been decided.

    The group stepped inside the dungeon. The most motivated of the group was, as expected, the duo of Su-hyeun and Keshunirn.

    Once they stepped into the dungeon¡¯s interior, a lengthy, arrow-straight cavern appeared before their eyes. The cavern was so large and long that they couldn¡¯t even see the end.

    The chilly air cutting into their skin felt rather ominous. Perhaps Keshunirn himself had felt it, too, because he began muttering in a worried voice next. ¡°What kind of atmosphere is¡­.¡±

    Clack¡ª

    He then tripped over something and wobbled unsteadily for a bit.

    Su-hyeun reached out and grabbed the tottering Keshunirn¡¯s arm. The latter¡¯s complexion paled instantly. ¡°This, this¡­.¡±

    The rest of the group entering behind them also carried similar expressions.

    ¡°Bones.¡± Su-hyeun looked at the countless number of bones strewn about everywhere on the floor and continued on. ¡°They are all human remains.¡±

    Keshunirn, still pale-faced, sneaked a glance in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction.

    Unlike the others, his expression hadn¡¯t changed a bit.

 Chapter 67

    Act 1

    ¡°All of these are¡­. really?¡±

    Aile¡¯s previously cold-as-ice expression finally displayed signs of agitation. There was no need to even mention Keshunirn after he tripped on the bones.

    Howal, entering the dungeon the last, grew utterly pale and hurriedly spoke. ¡°I-I bloody knew this would happen.¡± Perhaps he had sensed the off-kilter atmosphere because he turned around and tried to leave right away.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Uh, uh? W-what is going on here?¡±

    Howal¡¯s voice as he tried to leave the dungeon through the entrance was trembling violently. He tried to wave his hands and insert his feet into the yellow gate behind them, but there was no reaction whatsoever.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go through?¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t! What the hell is going on here?¡±

    Even the comparatively calm Aile got flustered, and Howal was shouting at the top of his lungs. As for Keshunirn, he stood there wordlessly, his blank expression perhaps the result of him getting greatly shocked.

    <>

    The so-called leader Keshunirn was far too frozen to analyze this newly developing situation, and Howal was noticeably getting scared. Only Aile seemed to have maintained her cool out of the three. She was certainly doing her best to calmly analyze the situation.

    Her abilities were the best among the group, and she also seemed to be more experienced in attacking dungeons as well. Even if such qualities were discounted, her disposition naturally inclined towards being level-headed. Su-hyeun thought that was a type of talent as well.

    <>

    And here he was, wondering why the difficulty seemed so low. As it turned out, that wasn¡¯t the case at all. The companions he was supposed to attack the dungeon with were basically extra luggage, while the dungeon itself was also slightly different from the regular ones.

    <>

    According to Su-hyeun¡¯s knowledge, this type of dungeon only appeared much later in his own world. Since the dungeons¡¯ entrances and exits weren¡¯t the same, events of awakeners who didn¡¯t adequately prepare beforehand dying commonly occurred.

    It seemed that the stage for the current trial was one such dungeon.

    Su-hyeun spat out a long sigh and kicked away the skulls near his foot. ¡°Since we can¡¯t go back, let¡¯s go in deeper for the time being. I mean, we aren¡¯t planning to starve ourselves to death now are we?¡±

    There was nothing to gain by staying in this spot. All Su-hyeun wanted was to hurry up and pass this trial, that was all.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to be more cautious when making our next move? The difficulty of this dungeon is¡ª¡± Keshunirm began.

    ¡°Never mind the difficulty; there is practically nothing we can do by staying here.¡±

    Su-hyeun cut off the words of deeply-scared Keshunirm. His reasoning wasn¡¯t functioning properly after being affected by fear.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± That question came from Aile, who managed to be the most level-headed out of them all.

    ¡°There are no monsters in the immediate vicinity. You can tell by there not being any reaction even after we made such a ruckus.¡± The rest of the group nodded their heads after hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    For sure, if there were monsters nearby, then they wouldn¡¯t have stayed away after hearing all the panic-stricken noises made by the group.

    ¡°But, if that¡¯s the case, it doesn¡¯t explain all these skulls strewn about this place. I think we¡¯re currently in a garbage dump that the monsters use,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Garbage dump?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They could be monsters that enjoy preying on humans, but their jaws aren¡¯t developed enough to chew through human bones, like Man-eating Starving Ghosts or Silk Mermen.¡±

    The two creature types Su-Hyeun mentioned were monsters often found dwelling in cave-type dungeons that preyed on human beings. There was a good possibility that the monsters didn¡¯t like having bones cluttering their territory so they dumped them in a single location like this.

    ¡°Also¡­.¡± Su-hyeun stared at the skulls on the ground and continued on. ¡°These people weren¡¯t Awakeners.¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t, you say?¡± Aile asked.

    ¡°Even before the clothing near them began rotting away, their bones started decomposing first. I¡¯m sure the monsters¡¯ toxicity had a hand in that, but there¡¯s a much higher chance of these remains not belonging to awakeners.¡±

    The companions began studying the skulls around them once more at Su-hyeun¡¯s explanation. And sure enough, it was as he said.

    Awakeners possessed a noticeably different body compared to a regular person, and their decomposition happened differently from regular people as well. As their bodies were far tougher, they also decomposed at a far slower rate.

    ¡°You¡­ are right?¡± Keshunirm noted.

    ¡°How did you even notice that?¡± Aile asked.

    ¡°H-h-how is that even relevant? We¡¯re all about to get killed, anyway!¡± Howal screamed.

    The individual reactions of the three were quite different. As expected, the one stuck in the worst state of panic was Howal.

    <>

    Thankfully, Keshunirn had regained himself quickly enough. As for Aile, she was consistently the most collected figure out of the lot.

    <>

    In this type of trial, the achievement percentage would vary according to the number of survivors and the time spent conquering the dungeon itself.

    ¡°If you have calmed down sufficiently enough, let¡¯s hurry. Whatever the case may be, we still need to find the exit, don¡¯t we?¡±

    When Su-hyeun said that, Aile completely regained her cool and nodded her head.

    ¡°Let us. I¡¯ll lead from the front,¡± said Aile.

    Su-hyeun stood side by side with her and began walking forward. Whether it was Su-hyeun remaining fearless in such a situation or Aile moving along with him, they both seemed to possess great tenacity and determination.

    <>

    The ¡°Su-hyeun¡± Keshunirn remembered ¡ª or more correctly Warrick ¡ª was never a brave and smart guy. It felt as if his personality had changed a little from a while ago, but now, he came across as someone completely different.

    Even Aile didn¡¯t hold much of a favorable impression of Warrick. From the get-go, this group came together simply because their goals aligned and not because they enjoyed each other¡¯s company or anything like that ¡ª one could say they were a motley crew.

    However, it seemed that Aile started trusting Su-hyeun somewhat after what happened just now. That haughty and talented woman was doing something rather unexpected.

    ¡°What are you doing, man? We better hurry up and go after them.¡±

    Keshunirn¡¯s expression crumpled greatly at the voice coming from behind him. That gloomy, wispy voice always managed to ruin his mood every time he heard it. To make matters worse, Howal was still trying to hide behind him.

    <>

    It was his fault for accepting a guy like this as a part of the group, saying that he had a bit of skill. Eventually, Keshunirn began following after the quietly-walking pair of Su-hyeun and Aile up ahead.

    * * *

    The dungeon¡¯s interior was damp.

    Drops of water fell from the ceiling to create streams here and there, while the chilly air tickled their skin.

    The dungeon was so quiet that even the water drops could be heard so clearly. Not only that, but the interior was so dark that they couldn¡¯t even see an inch in front of their noses.

    ¡°Uh, uh-uh?¡±

    Howal tripped and began tottering. As he couldn¡¯t see his front, he lost the sense of balance and his steps had become unstable.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Howal¡¯s voice was shaky. It was pretty uncommon to see a rank B Awakener tripping over something regardless of how dark it was. In other words, that was how tense they were currently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so tense and take it easy,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Hiiieek!¡±

    The moment Su-hyeun finished saying his piece, the howling of a monster traveled out from the deeper parts of the cave. It was an eerie, high-pitched screech like that of a ghost.

    The deathly-frightened Howal was startled silly and hurriedly backed away, while Keshunirn swallowed his saliva out of sheer nervousness.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you don¡¯t have to be so tense.¡± Su-hyeun stared at Howal with unimpressed eyes and continued on. ¡°I¡¯ll be hunting them down all by myself, anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Wha?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about trying to help out, and stay put so that you won¡¯t get in my way.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you crazy son of¡­¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Howal was triggered by Su-hyeun¡¯s words, but had to clamp his mouth shut after spotting dozens of flames that suddenly appeared all around them.

    He wasn¡¯t the only surprised one, however. The rest of the group was also the same.

    Kiii-hihihihihi¡ª

    The screeches were drawing closer.

    Su-hyeun started walking slowly towards the screeches. The other three stood there and simply stared at him.

    They had instinctively realized that the dozens of flames appearing around Su-hyeun were created out of the concentration of magical energy one level higher than theirs.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even care whether the other three were moving or not.

    This trial was supposed to be about attacking the dungeon together with those people, but the thing was, it didn¡¯t really apply to him.

    <>

    Su-hyeun observed the monsters gradually entering his visual range. They were bizarre-looking bipedal fish creatures covered in scales. The land-bound monsters with the name of Silk Merman mainly called damp caverns like this one their home. They also appeared rather frequently in the entrances of yellow and green colored dungeons.

    <>

    Compared to the yellow-colored dungeon Su-hyeun conquered for the first time a year ago, this one¡¯s difficulty seemed to be higher. After all, only Lizardcops showed up back then.

    ¡°Thankfully, it doesn¡¯t seem like I need to use my head.¡±

    Su-hyeun smirked deeply. The fact that the dungeon¡¯s difficulty was high was actually a welcome piece of news for Su-hyeun.

    If the difficulty were lower, he¡¯d have been worried. A lower difficulty would potentially mean that besides attacking the dungeon, there was something else he needed to consider.

    However, what the trial asked of him was clearer if the dungeon¡¯s difficulty was quite high to begin with. It could very much mean that without any unexpected variables, he¡¯d not really need to get crafty here. He rather welcomed such a straightforward trial like this.

    <>

    The scales of the Silk Mermen were unexpectedly hard, but their magic resistance was also quite considerable as well.

    <>

    Shu-kaaahk¡ª

    The moment he sprinted towards the Silk Mermen, Su-hyeun also unsheathed the sword from his waist.

    The Silk Mermen¡¯s bizarre-looking maws split wide open as they pounced on him. They seemed slow and lumbering initially but when they attacked, they did so with an explosive turn of speed.

    Craa-aack¡ª

    Sliiiiiice¡ª!

    However, it was still too much of an ask to reach Su-hyeun. The moment he drew his sword, the Silk Mermen¡¯s maws were sliced clean off.

    He didn¡¯t need to spend a lot of magical energy either. He only needed just enough to activate the magical blade already present within Gram.

    The cleanly-bisected corpses of the Silk Mermen were soon discarded on the ground. However, these monsters lacked the fear of death and continued to pounce on Su-hyeun, not caring at all about the demise of their own kin.

    Stomp¡ª!

    Su-heyun stepped on the head of a Silk Mermen that dashed in front of him and leaped upwards. Once he reached the ceiling of the cave, he quickly scanned the locations of still-surviving Silk Mermen.

    <>

    He inwardly counted their numbers as per his habit and finished his preparation.

    <>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure rapidly dug in and struck them with his sword before leaping back up in the air. And so, after he rapidly scythed past the space and wielded his sword several times like this, the Silk Mermen ceased all of their movements.

    Splaaaash¡ª!

    Fountains of blood exploded from the necks of the Silk Mermen.

    The monsters with half-severed necks stopped moving and collapsed to the ground.

    It was then that light leaked out from the dead Silk Mermen and entered into Su-hyeun¡¯s chest.

    [Warmth has been added to the Divine Beast¡¯s Egg.]

    [The Divine Beast¡¯s Egg has¡­.]

    ¡°¡­.Uh?¡±

    That was an unexpected reaction.

    Su-hyeun then recalled the egg he had half-forgotten about stored inside his inventory.

 Chapter 68

    Here was an item that he treated like a headache ever since he failed to find a way to hatch the damn thing until now.

    One would only find out whether an egg was useful or not once it hatched, but it didn¡¯t want to show any signs of doing that. But now, for the first time ever, the egg began showing some reaction and that reaction came about because of the light leaking out from the Silk Mermen¡¯s remains.

    <>

    No, it¡¯d be difficult to link the two.

    This was the egg of a ¡°Divine Beast.¡± He had no idea whether the Silk Mermen were hatched from eggs or not, but these monsters definitely didn¡¯t fall into the noble-sounding category of Divine Beast.

    Which could only mean¡­

    <>

    The condition for this egg¡¯s hatching could be related to the floor number.

    The egg began showing a reaction right after he climbed past the 20th floor and entered the 21st. It seemed that the egg¡¯s hatching was set to advance little by little whenever monsters appearing in the trials of the 21st floor and higher were killed off.

    <>

    Whatever the case might be, Su-hyeun had been anticipating the hatching of the Divine Beast for quite a while now. If the 21st floor¡¯s stage could hasten the egg¡¯s hatching, then he no longer had a reason to quickly exit this place.

    <>

    At first, he was planning to pass this place as soon as possible, but now, he had changed his mind.

    <>

    After finishing off the Silk Mermen, Su-hyeun thought about the Divine Beast¡¯s Egg and smirked meaningfully. But, quite unlike him smiling in happiness, the other three members of the group were swimming in the pit of confusion.

    <>

    Keshunirn had been accompanying Su-hyeun longer than anyone here. They had attacked a total of five dungeons together, and as they seemed to get along on pretty well, they decided to work together. More correctly, it was not Su-hyeun but Warrick he was working with ¡ª however, Keshunirn wasn¡¯t aware of that.

    <>

    Keshunirn¡¯s own skills weren¡¯t good enough to accurately analyze Su-hyeun¡¯s actual level. It was the same story for both Aile and Howal.

    After sensing the high-density magical energy from Su-hyeun, Aile adopted a wait-and-see attitude, but now that she got to confirm his abilities for real, she grew a little more relaxed.

    ¡°That was amazing. Were you hiding your true abilities?¡±

    Su-hyeun turned around to face her and replied to her question. ¡°It¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t encounter a situation requiring me to use my power.¡±

    What a textbook-like answer that was. The reply ended up sounding as if he was boasting a little, but there was no helping it, really. They wouldn¡¯t have believed him if he told them the truth, and more importantly, Su-hyeun being excellent was an undeniable fact, anyway.

    ¡°Rather than that, let¡¯s hurry. We don¡¯t know how large this dungeon is. Let me take the lead,¡± said Su-hyeun. He sounded a lot more excited than earlier.

    Was she mistaken? Aile was flustered by how he could still speak in such a bright voice even after they found themselves in the current situation, but she somehow managed to reply to him.

    ¡°O-of course. Let us.¡±

    Whatever the case might have been, they still felt relieved by the fact that they got to confirm Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities as the real deal.

    Although the uneasy atmosphere still lingered, they definitely needed Su-hyeun¡¯s strength if they were to conquer a yellow-colored dungeon.

    * * *

    Bang, boooom¡ª

    [Warmth has been added to the Divine Beast¡¯s Egg.]

    [The Divine Beast¡¯s Egg has¡­.]

    Every time Su-hyeun¡¯s hands moved, monsters¡¯ bodies were set alight and disintegrated. Aile took care of the stray monsters that broke through the waves of flames every now and then.

    Piik, pipipipik¡ª

    Kiiieeeehk¡ª!

    A lizard-type monster with long chin screamed out. The creature, pierced by an invisible spear, soon breathed its last breath.

    ¡°Nice work.¡±

    ¡°I only killed a handful, though.¡± Aile waved her hand at Su-hyeun¡¯s praise.

    During the last few hours they leisurely attacked the dungeon, only Aile proved to be any sort of assistance to him.

    <>

    The three present in this place were all rank B Awakeners.

    Aile, however, was an awakener with grade 5 magical energy, and as such, the other two men couldn¡¯t even come close to her abilities.

    <>

    In more ways than one, this trial made it a bit cumbersome to return home for a short while. Of course, he didn¡¯t feel that the difficulty was too high or anything like that.

    <>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze was directed at Keshunirn and Howal following him from behind. He was certain of Aile¡¯s role here. She was essentially the real leader of the group, and also, she was supposed to play the supporting role in conquering this dungeon, too.

    In that case, what about the other two?

    * * *

    As expected, the unfortunate part was the achievement points situation.

    Besides the completion rate bonus received at the end of the trial, earning these achievement points was not easy because they were handed out in relation to the awakener¡¯s current skill level, meaning when a high-leveled awakener participated in a trial with a comparatively low difficulty for his skill set, hunting down monsters wouldn¡¯t earn him that many achievement points.

    And even if some points were awarded, it¡¯d be only a tiny amount. That¡¯s why Su-hyeun only managed to scrape together a small number of achievement points through the trials up until now.

    And¡­

    <>

    As he went in deeper, monsters that were slightly stronger than the ones before began showing up, but unsurprisingly, not a single achievement point was awarded to him.

    The only silver lining about this whole thing was the Divine Beast¡¯s Egg showing some reactions. If hunting monsters down acted as a catalyst in hastening the hatching of the egg, then there should be no better-suited stage than this one.

    Ten days.

    During these past ten days, Su-hyeun led the rest of the group and roamed every nook and cranny of the dungeon. The paths branched like a maze several times, but he deliberately went in the wrong directions every time.

    <>

    But now, there was no other path to go around. The result of moving around without a break for ten days was the death of every single monster hiding in every corner of the dungeon.

    Although it took a while, he almost could taste the definite result matching his hard work, which was the incubation rate of the Divine Beast Egg.

    [Incubation rate: 67%.]

    The number of monsters hunted down during the past ten days was easily over a few thousand. Only after he killed that many monsters did the rate reach that high.

    It sure was hard labor, but as long as he could hatch the Divine Beast¡¯s Egg, he couldn¡¯t label it as a waste of his time at all.

    <>

    Only one path remained unexplored. It happened to be the path where he sensed a faintly higher concentration of magical energy sometime ago. Most likely, this path would take them to the boss room.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we search for the exit in earnest now?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    The first one to react to Su-hyeun¡¯s words was Keshunirn. ¡°So soon? If we take that path, I think we should enter a new area¡­.¡±

    ¡°H-he¡¯s right. Let¡¯s check a bit more.¡± Howal quickly chimed in to agree with Keshunirn¡¯s opinion.

    The huge bundle carried on his back was filled with Ether stones found here and there inside a dungeon. These stones were diligently picked up while they roamed around in this dungeon for the past ten days.

    Aile¡¯s goal was Ether stones as well, so she didn¡¯t find the matters of the past ten days displeasing, either. If one wanted to amass that many Ether stones, one would have to attack dozens of regular dungeons.

    They were, in a way, riding a bus.

    Su-hyeun was hunting down monsters at such an astonishing rate and as a result, there was almost zero chance of them getting hurt, so they focused on sweeping up every Ether stone they could find. That was precisely why the group never complained once about leaving the dungeon as soon as possible and followed after Su-hyeun all this time.

    ¡°No, this really is the end,¡± said Aile.

    What a relief it was that words could still get through to at least one person here.

    Su-hyeun nodded his head at her assertion and continued on. ¡°The path Keshunirn has spoken of is the same one we checked out three days ago. The paths here are laid out like a maze, actually.¡±

    ¡°A maze, you say?¡±

    Keshunirn and Howal had been completely oblivious to that fact. Now thoroughly surprised, they hurriedly asked to confirm.

    It seemed that only Aile managed to notice the layout of the dungeon. Even though it had already been ten days since they started traveling together, Su-hyeun could only groan under his breath once more.

    <>

    He searched through his memories, and it seemed unlikely that their lack of skills was to blame here. They were supposed to be rank Bs, so that simply couldn¡¯t be it.

    So, the reason why Keshurnirn and Howal failed to notice the dungeon¡¯s structure until now despite their ranks could very well be the numerous Ether stones right before their eyes ¡ª in other words, ¡°greed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s likely that the boss room is in that direction. The only place we haven¡¯t checked within this dungeon is that area, so the exit must be there, as well,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Mm¡­ it is unfortunate, but it can¡¯t be helped, I guess.¡± Keshunirn was displaying his unwillingness to leave the dungeon, his former nervousness and fear at the beginning now a distant, forgotten memory. It was the same story for Howal, too.

    Su-hyeun quietly studied both men for a bit before raising his voice. ¡°If you still have some stamina left, then let us hurry and leave. There is nothing left here, anyway.¡±

    The rest of the group naturally thought of Ether stones when Su-hyeun spoke of nothing being left here.

    The boss room would, quite obviously, contain a far greater number of Ether stones, and as the exit was also located there, they really couldn¡¯t think of a reason to linger around here anymore.

    Inside the dungeon where all monsters had vanished, only their footsteps echoed vividly and loudly.

    Once they made their way through the path, a massive open space revealed itself. There was a lone round tower standing tall in the middle of this space, and five more paths stretched out with it as their center.

    <>

    Creaaaak¡ª

    Slam¡ª!

    The path they took to get here suddenly disappeared. A massive plate fell to the ground behind them and blocked the path.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°The path, it¡¯s¡­.¡±

    ¡°What about the boss? Where is the boss?¡±

    All three became flustered at this sudden development.

    In the meantime, Su-hyeun was quietly studying the round tower in the middle.

    <>

    A short while later, new messages popped up in the heads of the group, including Su-hyeun.

    [There are five branching paths. For the next two hours, monsters will flood out from those paths dozens of times.]

    [An exit will be generated at the foot of the round tower. However, only one individual can transfer out through the exit every 30 minutes.]

    [Protect the round tower from the monsters. If the tower is destroyed, the exit will not appear again.]

    [The trial will begin in five minutes.]

    ¡°¡­.What was that?¡±

    ¡°A m-mission?¡±

    The sudden appearance of the mission caused both Keshunirn and Howal to fall into panic.

    The comparatively-calm Aile looked at the five branching paths and spoke up. ¡°A dungeon structured similarly to a trial¡­. As expected, the difficulty is considerable.¡±

    It seemed that this wasn¡¯t her first time in a dungeon of this type. Su-hyeun stared at the round tower located in the middle of the space.

    <>

    Now that he took a closer look, there indeed was a complicated magic circle inscribed on the ground at the foot of the tower. A small stone was stuck in the middle of the magic circle, and that must¡¯ve been the medium that acted as the exit.

    <>

    Su-hyeun quickly analyzed the potential variables.

    ¡°A-all of these, they are Ether stones!¡± Keshunirn, checking out the exit, cried out in a loud voice. That prompted Howal and Aile to gather around the exit as well.

    ¡°All of these? Really?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ One dungeon can¡¯t possibly contain so many Ether stones of such high quality,¡± said Aile.

    Her suspicion wasn¡¯t misguided.

    The haul of Ether stones they got from this dungeon was considerably more, excessively so, than from other dungeons. Not only that, the round tower before their eyes easily exceeded a dozen meters in height.

    Aile studied the tower. And sure enough, Ether stones could be found wedged here and there on the magic circles engraved on the surface of the tower.

    ¡°At a bare minimum, they are all above mid-grade quality. And also¡­.¡±

    The medium embedded in the middle of the magic circle. Aile¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

    ¡°A h-high grade Ether stone?¡±

    Not just several mid-grade stones, but even one high-grade Ether stone as well. This amount was more than enough to blind anyone.

    Of course, as Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t a person from this world, so he wasn¡¯t all that interested in those items.

    <>

    However, he thought he could now figure out the variable of the trial given to him this time. Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes clearly reflected the naked greed on the faces of the other three people, including Aile herself.

 Chapter 69

    Five minutes flew by very quickly.

    Two hours ¡ª that was the length of time they needed to endure.

    <>

    The thudding footsteps and screeches of the creatures could be heard coming from all five paths.

    The bizarre, sorrowful-sounding wail of the Silk Mermen was mixed among them, too. It seemed that every type of monster they had encountered so far while reaching this place was going to flood out from those paths.

    Hiiii-eeeek¡ª

    Bark, baaaark¡ª!

    Their initial number didn¡¯t seem high, at one creature per path.

    Su-hyeun looked back at the other three in the group and addressed them. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of one each.¡±

    ¡°One each?¡±

    ¡°A monster will emerge from each of the paths.¡±

    ¡°But, that means one of them won¡¯t be dealt with?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine since I¡¯ll be hunting down both of them.¡±

    Aile groaned deeply as if she already guessed Su-hyeun would answer like that. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll go with your plan, then.¡±

    ¡°H-hold up. You defeated dozens of monsters all by yourself while coming here, yet you want to fight only two this time?¡± Howal asked in sheer dumbfoundedness.

    With the skills Su-hyeun had displayed until now, he should have no problems dealing with all five monsters, never mind just the two. But now, he wanted them to fight the monsters here?

    ¡°Well, were you thinking of lazing around forever, then?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Howal found it impossible to argue back after being smacked by that loaded question.

    The reality was, both he and Keshunirn could only hide behind Su-hyeun and pick up the stray Ether stones until now. That was all they could do. The description of them lazing around doing nothing was pretty accurate.

    <>

    Howal glanced at the bulging bundle still on his back.

    At this rate, he¡¯d end up getting only a couple of Ether stones and nothing else, since he hadn¡¯t done anything of note so far.

    <>

    Five minutes flew by while he was thinking of this and that.

    Keshunirn and Howal grew deeply tense. They had been hiding in Su-hyeun¡¯s shadow ever since entering this dungeon, but for the first time ever, they needed to do their jobs and fight against the monsters for real.

    <<30 minutes.>>

    Howal¡¯s eyes gleamed as he stared at the path about to spit out a monster.

    <>

    Act 2

    Countless monsters poured out.

    The first five monsters were merely the start. Soon, the number gradually grew to ten, then fifteen, and eventually, a whole horde poured out next.

    ¡°Pant, pant, ha-ah¡ª¡±

    Once the fighting was underway, it quickly revealed who among the group possessed the weakest constitution.

    The first one to get injured was Keshunirn. He was currently resting on the sideline after experiencing a near-death encounter.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Su-hyuen¡¯s question was met by Keshunirn¡¯s rough, heavy breathing as he held the wound on his waist.

    ¡°Ah, yes, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be back on my feet if I rest for a bit longer.¡±

    The wound itself was minor, but the real issue was his stamina. His complexion was deathly pale after having to rapidly exhaust his magical energy, and his movements had become unnatural from all the bleeding.

    ¡°Please rest for a little while. Or, would you like to wait for a bit and leave first since the exit should open up soon?¡±

    ¡°N-no, not at all!¡±

    Keshunirn was stunned by Su-hyeun¡¯s question and shouted out loudly. He even hurriedly got up and waved his hands in denial, too.

    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Ten minutes. I¡¯ll be alright if I can just rest for ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Is that so?¡±

    The group had already made a pledge to one another. Even if the exit opened up, no one would try to escape from the dungeon first. If that happened, the remaining people would have to shoulder the additional burden.

    Keshunirn swore that he¡¯d uphold that pledge no matter what.

    ¡°In that case, please go ahead,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Keshunirn bowed his head towards Su-hyeun.

    Soon, another five minutes went by. The remaining time was about an hour and a half.

    Kiiiaaaahk¡ª!

    ¡°¡­.They are rushing in like a pack of wild dogs again,¡± Aile muttered out as if she had grown sick and tired of this situation.

    That was understandable, however. Dozens of them appeared the last time and that was enough to cause the group a lot of headaches, but the next incoming wave of monsters would be higher in numbers than before.

    If Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t here, never mind two hours, they wouldn¡¯t have lasted even one.

    ¡°Here they come.¡±

    Su-hyeun completed his preparations to fill the void left behind by Keshunirn¡¯s absence. Just as the monsters poured out and the battle commenced again.

    ¡°Ahh-aahk!¡±

    Howal¡¯s scream exploded out from the side.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze immediately spun in that direction. He spotted Howal sprayed out on the floor, while Keshunirn was hurriedly dashing towards the round tower, the location of the exit.

    He instantly figured out what happened.

    Keshunirn¡¯s shoulders were currently carrying Howal¡¯s bundle filled to the brim with the Ether stones.

    Rumble¡ª

    Kkaah-aahk¡ª!

    The bird created out of the Flame, Phoenix, appeared on Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. It quickly flew past the gaps of the monsters and headed straight to the fleeing Keshunirn.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s this?¡±

    He panicked at the sudden entrance of the Phoenix and cried out. He mistakenly thought that a monster supposed to be fighting against the other three people had slipped past and was somehow blocking his path.

    ¡°Eeeek!¡±

    Keshunirn hurriedly swung his hand in the Phoenix¡¯s direction. Unfortunately, his swatting attempt only managed to scatter the small figure of the bird for a moment but failed to stop it from reforming again to torment him endlessly.

    ¡°Dammit, just¡­ get out of my way!¡±

    It was then.

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    Rumble, ruuuumble¡ª!

    Gigantic walls of flames suddenly raged on in every direction, and the high-density magical energy started oppressing the atmosphere.

    The deeply-stunned Keshunirn fell into even deeper panic and tried to look behind him.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± a voice abruptly said.

    ¡°Heo-urk!¡±

    However, he was shocked by the voice coming from right behind him and ungainly fell to his side. After his behind crashed on the floor, he raised his head only to discover Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    But, didn¡¯t he witness him fighting against the monsters on the other side just now¡­?

    <>

    Keshunirn¡¯s eyes shifted in the direction where Su-hyeun was fighting earlier. In the next second, those very eyes were jerked violently open.

    ¡°A-already?¡±

    All those numerous monsters were instantly incinerated to death.

    That explosion earlier was caused by Su-hyeun killing all the monsters away in one fell swoop.

    <>

    Keshunirn finally realized that he had been underestimating Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities until now. He never thought that Su-hyeun would be able to deal with the monsters so quickly.

    The Phoenix landed on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder and looked down on Keshunirn.

    ¡°What were you planning to do after escaping with all of those stones?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°T-that is¡­ T-there must be some kind of a mistake¡­.¡±

    ¡°So, if there¡¯s some kind of a mistake, you should stab your comrade, steal the loot, and run away?¡±

    As expected, Keshunirn couldn¡¯t reply.

    When that happened, Su-hyeun¡¯s previously-friendly expression asking questions hardened like solid ice. ¡°Misunderstanding, my ass.¡±

    It was right then, Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze suddenly shifted to the other side.

    Kka-aaahk¡ª!

    ¡°Ouch, ouch! Ahk!¡±

    Howal, who was attacked by Keshunirn earlier, was trying to rush towards the exit only for his movements to come to a crashing halt. Two Phoenixes were surrounding him, while yet another bundle of stones was being carried on his back.

    ¡°B-but, how?¡±

    Keshunirn¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his sockets.

    Then, his gaze quickly locked onto the bundle he dropped as he fell.

    Shu-wuuu¡ª

    The bundle began melting down like a lit candle. Keshunirn alternated his gaze between his melting, disappearing bundle and Howal with a confused, lost expression.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even recognize the duplication skill at work, and risked your life to steal some random rubbish?¡± Su-hyeun stared at Keshunirn and softly tutted.

    Both men had similar goals, but Howal was slightly smarter of the two.

    He used the Duplication skill, which allowed its user to disguise one item to make it look like something else, to swap out the real Ether stones and fooled Keshunirn into stealing the fakes. It seemed that Howal had noticed Keshunirn being a similar type of b*stard as he was a while ago. Su-hyeun had already figured out that Howal was also the same sort of person, too.

    ¡°Fooling us with your injury, duplicating the Ether stones and stashing them away¡­. Besides the question of who¡¯s dumber than the other, you two are exactly the same. How laughable. I guess you don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about the safety of your own comrades?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°It-it¡¯s a m-misunderstanding¡­.¡±

    Howal was already wounded, and he could only swing his hands about in a fluster at the sudden attacks of the two Phoenixes.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression crumpled as he stared at Howal.

    ¡°That stupid ¡®misunderstanding¡¯ again. Aren¡¯t you sick of repeating the same thing over and over again?¡±

    ¡°It-it¡¯s the truth! It-it¡¯s just that I realized that bastard was trying to steal the Ether stones, so¡­.¡±

    ¡°In that case, how do you explain that?¡± Su-hyeun spoke as he pointed at the high-grade Ether stone embedded in the middle of the round tower¡¯s magic circle. ¡°That¡¯s also a fake, isn¡¯t it? Are you telling me that you didn¡¯t know about the second exit not being generated if that stone was removed from there? Why? You didn¡¯t want anyone else besides yourself to escape? Was that it?¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­how did you¡­¡±

    Howal¡¯s brows shot up incredibly high.

    At the same time, the high-grade Ether stone in the middle of the magic circle began melting down. The Duplication skill had come undone.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure, but it turned out to be true,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°W-what??¡±

    ¡°The duplication skill loses its effectiveness the moment its user thinks someone else has seen through their ruse. I only spotted you sneakily touching the stone earlier, but I couldn¡¯t be sure because I was still fighting the monsters, you see.¡±

    Only a handful of Awakeners knew about the Duplication skill. Not only was it a rare skill to begin with, but its usage was also rather limited as well, so not much was known about the skill itself.

    <>

    His plan was seemingly perfect. He knew Keshunirn would betray them, so he decided to use that window of opportunity to escape with the Ether stones.

    This many Ether stones would¡¯ve afforded him a life free from all worries for the rest of his time on this planet, after all.

    But now¡­

    ¡°I¡¯d much prefer it if you don¡¯t start ruing your missed chances here. Because, even if you used that exit, you still wouldn¡¯t have reached the outside, anyway,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What was that¡­.?¡±

    The expressions on both Keshunirn¡¯s and Howal¡¯s faces were dyed in confusion as Su-hyeun continued on. ¡°I tinkered with the magic circle at the beginning, you see. I changed the coordinates a little. If you used that exit and transferred elsewhere, you¡¯d probably end up among the pile of the monster corpses over there.¡±

    ¡°In¡­. such a short time?¡±

    ¡°What are you so surprised about? All I did was tinker with the coordinates a little. I mean, we¡¯ll all be able to leave in two hours¡¯ time, so it wasn¡¯t going to be a problem anyway, right?¡±

    Despair dyed the faces of the two men after hearing Su-hyeun out.

    From the beginning, they shouldn¡¯t have schemed about escaping. According to what Su-hyeun had said, no such thing as an escape route existed to begin with.

    ¡°As for the damaged Ether stone, it¡¯ll be fine after putting it back in its original position¡­. Well, then. Any last words?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°L-last words?¡±

    ¡°P-please, spare me!¡±

    Howal¡¯s complexion paled in an instant, while Keshunirn hurriedly got down on his knees. In the midst of desperately rubbing his hands and pleading for his life, Keshunirn inwardly thought to himself.

    <>

    The ¡°Su-hyeun¡± Keshunirn observed for the past ten days was a really kind-hearted person.

    A good example was earlier when he asked if the injured Keshunirn wanted to escape outside first. Even if he had changed the coordinates as a safeguard, Su-hyeun seemed genuine when he said that back then.

    He was a hero-like person who could never forsake the injured, helpless people. A person as kind as that might really spare his life ¡ª that¡¯s what Keshunirn thought.

    <>

    His mouth was pleading for his life, while he was thinking of something else in his head.

    As he pleaded tearfully and desperately, Su-hyeun¡¯s voice stabbed him from above. ¡°The thing is, there¡¯s a reason why I¡¯ve been wasting my energy explaining to b*stards like you why you¡¯re going to die¡­.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Just as Keshunirn raised his head at that unexpected reply¡­

    Stab¡ª

    Su-hyuen¡¯s blade pierced into his throat.

    ¡°¡­So that you may know what your sins are and repent on your way to the afterlife.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun turned around unhesitatingly and strode towards Howal next.

    The latter and his deathly-pale face stared at the former walking in closer, his teeth clattering incessantly.

    Su-hyeun watched Howal whisper the words ¡°spare me¡± under his breath and could only sigh softly to himself.

    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met anyone of your kind that genuinely repented for their sins and tried to ask for forgiveness.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze was directed to the dead Keshunirn. ¡°Nine times out of ten, you lot always say ¡®spare me¡¯ first, instead of ¡®forgive me.''¡±

    ¡°U-uwaaaah¡ª!¡±¡±

    Perhaps realizing that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t going to spare his life, Howal suddenly shot up from his spot and pounced on the former.

    Crack¡ª

    Bang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand grabbed Howall¡¯s neck and slammed him to the ground below.

    ¡°Keo-hurk!¡±

    ¡°I have no idea how you two thought of me until now, but¡­¡±

    Break¡ª

    ¡°You see, I¡¯m not always such a nice guy.¡±

 Chapter 70

    Environments found throughout every trial were equipped with such devices.

    That was the very first rule Su-hyeun would remember while experiencing the trials. Especially when the level of difficulty was high, that rule would apply even more strictly than ever before.

    It was the same story this time around as well.

    Aile, Keshunirn, Howal. Out of these three, the two men¡¯s roles were mostly unclear.

    Su-hyeun was able to read the pure greed over the Ether stones reflected in their eyes.

    <>

    He previously thought that this simple dungeon attack wouldn¡¯t have any matters capable of making him feel mentally exhausted. However, having given the matter a bit more thought, the roles of the companions seemed to be different. Not only that, he also felt that the difficulty this time was somehow lower than the floor before it, too.

    So, a variable must¡¯ve existed somewhere. He managed to find that variable within Keshunirn and Howal.

    <>

    The trial¡¯s system would initially come across as rather friendly. It did inform you in detail of what you needed to do, and what your aim was, after all.

    However, in trials with higher difficulty, holes would inevitably exist in those explanations. Sometimes, the goal would be twisted in the explanations, or the explanation itself would be omitted entirely.

    This was one such a case.

    Although it offered the clear-cut aim of attacking the dungeon, it didn¡¯t explain anything about the issues Su-hyeun had to tackle during the process. Taking Su-hyeun¡¯s skills out of the equation for a moment here, he would¡¯ve failed to prevent the two men¡¯s betrayal if he didn¡¯t make preparations for it well ahead of time.

    Gulp¡ª

    Inside this deathly-quiet open space, the sound of saliva being swallowed echoed rather thunderously.

    Only then did Su-hyeun recall his still-remaining party member.

    ¡°Uh, euh, euh¡­..¡±

    Aile, thoroughly terrified now, began stepping away from Su-hyeun. He finally became aware of the fact that he hadn¡¯t withdrawn his magical energy yet.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    Shu-wuuuu¡ª

    The gigantic magical energy filling up the whole space disappeared instantly. It was very, very faint, but the signs of relief showed up in Aile¡¯s expression just then, but unfortunately, her gaze ended up meeting Su-hyeun¡¯s, and fear took hold of her anew.

    <<¡­Will she be okay?>>

    It seemed that she mistakenly thought he¡¯d murder her next.

    ¡°I¡¯m not planning to harm you in any shape or form. Please don¡¯t be scared like that, and prepare for the next wave of the monster attacks.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, of course!¡±

    Her reply certainly sounded energetic, but she didn¡¯t seem to have completely escaped from her nervousness yet. He inwardly clicked his tongue and muttered to himself.

    <>

    It¡¯d be hard to defend against the incoming waves of monsters with her current state.

    Aile might possess much greater abilities than the other two men, but it didn¡¯t mean she was as overwhelmingly powerful as Su-hyeun.

    And sure enough, she ended up making a small error during the next wave of attacks.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Split¡ª!

    The jaw of a crocodile pouncing on her was split wide open in half. Aile was about to get sucked into this monster¡¯s mouth, so quite understandably, she fell on her rear in pure shock.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Ah¡­ T-thank you.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s getting too difficult to carry on, please take a seat and rest. I¡¯ll be fine by myself during the time remaining.¡±

    Aile was stunned by Su-hyeun¡¯s suggestion and raised her head. He didn¡¯t need her to verbally explain herself to figure out what her expression was currently conveying.

    Feeling just a wee bit wronged here, Su-hyeun frowned deeply and asked her back. ¡°You think I¡¯m some insane bloodthirsty murderer that goes around killing people for no reason?¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t it, but¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, it isn¡¯t? Your expression says otherwise.¡±

    She lowered her head in embarrassment from his rebuke. It was true that she saw Su-hyeun as an indiscriminate killer after bearing witness to people getting killed right before her eyes.

    She also wrongly believed that she could very well be his next victim, too.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aile apologized.

    Even though her face became flushed as she apologized, thankfully, her nervousness seemed to have disappeared.

    Su-hyeun took a quick glance at the remaining time.

    <>

    Most likely, this one hour would prove to be far more arduous than the one preceding it. Not for him but for Aile, of course.

    He let out a long sigh and sat down in front of her. ¡°Miss Aile, why are you in this line of work?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°If you get scared so easily like this, then you won¡¯t last long in this profession. If you get too stiff from nervousness and make one error somewhere, that¡¯s going to lead you to an event similar to the one that happened just now.¡±

    Aile could only bit on her lip at Su-hyeun¡¯s words questioning her competence as an awakener.

    Unfortunately for her, though, Su-hyeun was thinking that Aile wasn¡¯t quite cut out for this line of work. ¡°You are born with your talent, yes, but that talent doesn¡¯t always translate into real-world abilities. Miss Aile, I just don¡¯t see the resolve in you to take another person¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°You know it, don¡¯t you? This line of work¡­ No, even if it¡¯s not necessarily this profession, it¡¯ll still be the same either way. If you are not resolved, then you need to quit as soon as possible.¡±

    His words were sharp enough to stab into her neck. Indeed, what Su-hyeun said became a cold dagger piercing deep into her chest.

    However, she didn¡¯t have anything to refute him with. Everything he said was correct. For sure, it could be for the best if she gave up on this line of work as soon as possible.

    She didn¡¯t have the resolve to kill another person. But¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t quit,¡± replied Aile.

    ¡°Despite not having the resolve?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    ¡°But, why? Do you have a special reason?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± she replied without a shred of hesitation. Aile raised her head and stared at the ceiling. She just didn¡¯t have the confidence to look in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes and continue on with her tale.

    ¡°Were you aware that I¡¯m from a fallen noble family?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I was.¡±

    He knew the rough details of it. Memories related to her and other companions were inserted into his brain by the trial¡¯s system, even if they were only the generalized outline. However, that¡¯s as far as they went. All the info Su-hyeun had on Aile didn¡¯t amount to much.

    She continued on. ¡°As for how our family fell¡­. you wouldn¡¯t know since I never mentioned it.¡±

    ¡°Was it because of money?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly quick on the uptake.¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly?¡±

    ¡°Ah, did I cross the line? I¡¯m sorry.¡± Aile grinned and went back to the topic at hand. ¡°You¡¯re right. It was all because of money. A sum so preposterous that a normal person would find it hard to even imagine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in this line of work to pay that off?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to ask me how much it is? People would always ask first how much the debt is after they hear this tale.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll pay it for you even if you tell me, and I¡¯m not particularly curious about it, either. That¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re rather realistic, aren¡¯t you?¡± She must¡¯ve preferred that because her tense expression eased up considerably.

    Su-hyeun saw the change and began thinking that perhaps she had been waiting for an opportunity to spill her heart out to someone else for a long while.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a predictable tale after that. A fallen noble family, a mountain of debt, an inordinate amount of wealth needed to make the triumphant return. An older brother who has no talents but still overflowing with drive and a bed-ridden father.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re basically the head of the family, Miss Aile.¡±

    ¡°The head of the family? Well¡­ I guess so.¡±

    A bitter smile floated on her lips at his remark.

    Su-hyeun sneaked a glance at her face, and while shifting his gaze away, cautiously asked her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have anyone willing to help you out? Such as relatives, or¡­.¡±

    ¡°We did ask for assistance. Whether that be friends, relatives, or the other aristocrats on friendly terms with my father¡­.¡±

    ¡°But then?¡±

    ¡°If they did lend a helping hand, would I even be here?¡±

    What an obvious question that was. Su-hyeun thought that he asked something he shouldn¡¯t have, and turned his embarrassed face away.

    Aile carried on. ¡°That¡¯s how things were like, as it turned out. Maybe I¡¯m biased towards him because he¡¯s my father, but you see, he has always been a generous person throughout his life.¡± She spoke up to here and bit down hard on her lip. ¡°If only someone lent us just a little bit of a help back then¡­.¡±

    She stopped there and shook her head.

    She swore not to use the excuse of ¡°no one helped her out and that¡¯s why she ended up like this.¡± She felt her face getting red after realizing that she shouldn¡¯t have brought this topic up.

    ¡°S-still, I was fortunate enough to receive these abilities, and because I have the talent for it, I managed to earn some money in this profession. I guess the heavens don¡¯t want me to drown to death in debt just yet.¡± After she said that, Aile brought her knees closer to her chest and buried her face there. ¡°Well, I have no idea how long it will take me before I can pay off everything in full, though.¡±

    Just how much was the debt, anyway?

    Su-hyeun was able to experience many different worlds through the trials. He got to encounter nobles like Aile in several of them, too.

    It wasn¡¯t all that hard to figure out how wealthy they were even from a casual glance. Nobles were similar to wealthy dynasties commonly found in Su-hyeun¡¯s own world.

    So, a fallen noble family was somewhat like the business owner taking on the debt of a bankrupt corporation. Most likely, such a debt would be well out of the scope of normal people¡¯s imagination.

    She was still so young, yet she had to live on while being saddled with such a hefty burden.

    ¡°I think that, for sure¡­¡± Su-hyeun shifted his gaze away and muttered out, seemingly to no one in particular. ¡°¡­Someone will definitely extend a helping hand in the future.¡±

    [Next wave will commence.]

    The next wave of attacks was underway while he was listening to her tale.

    He spoke while standing up from his spot. ¡°Please rest here. Your emotions must be in a mess, anyway.¡±

    ¡°No, I feel much better than before. Besides, I need to pull my weight here, too.¡±

    Was she enthusiastic because of her conscience or to get a better share of the Ether stones, even by just a little?

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t figure out what her intentions were, but he thought it wasn¡¯t something he needed to worry about right now.

    Regardless of what her reasons were, he would welcome her with open arms if she wanted to stay loyal to her role.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±

    * * *

    Gu-uh, uh-urk, uhhh-urk-

    A giant¡¯s voice cut out, and it began roaring instead.

    The giant monster, its entire body scarred by numerous minor sword wounds and scorched pitch-black by flames, tottered precariously as if it¡¯d fall down at any second.

    The Worm Gigant.

    It was a repulsive-looking giant monster with countless insects living in its torso. It so happened to be the boss of this very dungeon, as well.

    ¡°Urgh, so disgusting¡­.¡± Aile said as she extended her hand towards the Worm Gigant.

    Not too long afterward, crimson flames erupted out from her hand and shot out towards the huge monster.

    Ruuuuumble¡ª!

    Gu-uhhhhh¡ª!

    The Worm Gigant was already suffering from heavy burns caused by Su-hyeun¡¯s own Divine Flame, and so it began roaring out in even greater pain.

    ¡°Please wait for a moment,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to finish it off.¡±

    Aile blinked her eyes as Su-hyeun stepped in front of her.

    He seemed to have room to spare until now, but for some reason, he looked rather pressed at this moment. Rather than being worried, however, it was far closer to anticipation, instead.

    <>

    Could it be that he was expecting something from the boss monster?

    Aile stepped back as per Su-hyeun¡¯s wishes. He smirked and strode towards the Worn Gigant.

    ¡°Your life sure is resilient, I¡¯ll give you that. Even if your movements are really dull,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    The Worm Gigant was a fairly high-ranking monster among the bosses that appeared in yellow-colored dungeons. It was famous for the power its huge physique could generate, as well as its resilient lifeforce, above all else.

    Of course, this boss and its lumbering movements couldn¡¯t pose any notable danger to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s fine to expect a lot from you, right?¡±

    Growl¡ª

    The Worm Gigant¡¯s hand cast a huge shadow over the head of Su-hyeun.

    Piii-eeek¡ª

    Splaaaash¡ª!

    The monster¡¯s hand was sliced and blood sprayed out. Its hide, weakened to the extreme by the burn wounds, was easily cut by Su-hyeun¡¯s sword.

    <>

    One of the defining features of the Worm Gigant was its relatively malleable bones in comparison to its tougher-than-steel skin. Some kind of a magical enhancement cast on the skin was probably the reason for this phenomenon.

    Boom¡ª

    Su-hyeun leaped up to the top of the Worm Gigant¡¯s head in an instant. The boss planned to swallow him in one go and opened its mouth wide open, its head moving in his direction.

    Slam¡ª!

    Ku-rung¡ª

    Realizing that its fangs weren¡¯t chewing on anything but air, the Worm Gigant formed a confused expression and turned its head this way and that. It was then that a voice came from behind the boss.

    ¡°I¡¯m kind of feeling impatient, actually.¡±

    [Transfiguration skill: Imoogi.]

    Wuduk, wududuk¡ª

    Scales of Imoogi began jutting out from Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    At the same time, strength several times greater than before flowed into his hand holding Gram.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wrap this up quickly.¡±

 Chapter 71

    Splaaaash¡ª

    Slice, slice, sliiiice¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword started cutting up the huge body of the Work Gigant into several pieces. The creature¡¯s sturdy hide was penetrated through, its bones were sliced up, and its body was chopped into chunks.

    Kiiiiieeehk¡ª!

    Parasitic insects living within the Worm Gigant¡¯s body all crawled outside. These hundreds of creatures spewed out toxins and pounced on Su-hyeun next.

    It was then.

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Boom, ka-boooom¡ª!

    With Su-hyeun as the center, a chain of explosions went off all around him. The blue-colored divine Flame burned the toxins away and killed off the insects.

    Soon afterward, the Worm Gigant stopped breathing, and just as every single insect was burned to crisp¡­

    [1000 achievement points have been acquired.]

    [Warmth has been added to the Divine Beast¡¯s Egg.]

    [The Divine Beast within the egg is satisfied.]

    [The Divine Beast¡¯s Egg is beginning to hatch.]

    <>

    Su-hyeun inwardly cried out in elation.

    The past ten days of dungeon crawling was all for the sake of hatching this egg. The percentage of hatching rate went up a little every time he killed a monster and snatched away their ¡°warmth.¡±

    The current trial also ended up playing a crucial role in hastening the hatching of the egg.

    Monsters flooded out nonstop for almost two hours straight, so from Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective, he should raise both of his hands and praise the sun.

    And just as he suspected, the boss appearing at the end, the Worm Gigant, played a key role in hatching of this egg.

    <>

    He could sense the Divine Beast¡¯s Egg currently stored in his Inventory shake around a little bit.

    It seemed that the egg would hatch little by little, indicating that perhaps it wasn¡¯t supposed to break out of the shell immediately. However, it didn¡¯t feel like the process would take a long time. On top of that, celebrating the successful conclusion to this trial came first.

    ¡°Is it all over?¡± Aile asked.

    ¡°Most likely. Although it hasn¡¯t been two hours yet¡­.¡±

    Since it was brought up, Su-hyeun decided to check the remaining time.

    [Elapsed time: 01:57:54.]

    About two minutes still remained.

    But, the boss was defeated already, so in reality, the trial was as good as over.

    Su-hyeun looked back at Aile. ¡°You worked hard.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. You too. I managed to survive thanks to you.¡±

    Aile believed that, if Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t around, she¡¯d not have lived through this dungeon, so she was thanking him earnestly.

    After hearing her words of gratitude, he shifted his gaze over to the bundle of Ether stones put away to the side, plus the mid- and high-grade Ether stones still stuck in the round tower. ¡°All of those should fetch a pretty good price, yes?¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Ah, of course. For both the mid- and high-grade Ether stones, you can supposedly demand any price you desire, so¡­¡±

    As expected, the Ether stones seemed to be a rare resource in this world, as well. But then again, that¡¯d be pretty obvious considering that the awakeners, already invaluable assets in themselves, had to risk their lives to acquire those stones.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°Relief? What do you mean?¡± Aile formed a puzzled expression after hearing his unexpected words. But she soon thought of something and nodded her head. ¡°Ah, I see. Warrick, I presume you haven¡¯t had a chance to personally sell the Ether stones yet? Please be rest assured. If we take all of them out of here and sell them off, we¡¯ll have more than enough to pay off my family debt and still have considerable sum remaining.¡±

    It was not just a bundle filled with low-ranked Ether stones, but also several mid- and high-grade ones, too. This amount was easily more than enough to completely wipe off the debt accrued by the fallen noble family.

    It was unknown how much would be left after the debt had been settled, but still, it should be enough to open up a small shop somewhere.

    Su-hyeun smiled after hearing Aile¡¯s reply. Fortunately for him, he got the answer he wanted to hear. ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    [The trial has been cleared.]

    [The exit is opening.]

    The time elapsed and Su-hyeun confirmed the exit opening at the foot of the round tower. He then continued on. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m relieved.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Pardon?¡±

    That¡¯s why he was relieved?

    What did he mean?

    Aile formed a truly confused expression this time. But then, it quickly morphed into one of pure shock as she turned around.

    ¡°W-Warrick??¡±

    Su-hyeun, standing right before her eyes only a second ago, was now gone without a trace.

    Aile hurriedly searched the underground cavity filled with monster corpses. In the end, though, she failed to find the man who disappeared without saying goodbye, and stood there in a sheer daze.

    But then, the bundle of Ether stones resting on the floor caught her eyes.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­.¡±

    <>

    Aile¡¯s eyes grew larger and larger.

    Only then did she finally realize what Su-hyeun meant earlier.

    <>

    Plop¡ª

    She plopped down right on the spot.

    <>

    Someone else.

    Su-hyeun meant himself when he said those words.

    ¡°Ah, ah¡­.¡±

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Her tears that didn¡¯t flow when her family was ruined, all of her emotions piling up endlessly ever since then, began flooding out all at once.

    ¡°Thank¡­ you¡­.¡±

    Not one person offered her a helping hand, but when someone did, it was not her friend nor family, but a near-stranger.

    She wanted to say something, anything, to express her gratitude but Su-hyeun was long gone by then.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you¡­.¡±

    Aile remained sitting on the ground, staring at the exit and muttering to herself for a long, long time.

    Act 3

    As expected, the reward for the 21st floor¡¯s trial was a fair amount of achievement points but not much else.

    Bringing out the Ether stones with him was too difficult. In order to bring those found within the trials, one would need the ¡°Property of Dimension¡± order form.

    Of course, if he really wanted to, he could have brought them out. He could¡¯ve used the order form to bring out that one particular Ether stone. Indeed, he wouldn¡¯t have felt shortchanged if he decided to use the form inside his pocket to bring out the high-grade Ether stone.

    <>

    However, he didn¡¯t really need one, and Aile¡¯s situation also weighed on his mind, too.

    <>

    Su-hyeun roughly scratched his head.

    His thoughts were complicated, but he never regretted his actions after making up his mind. Not only was he not the type to be hung up over money, but he figured that it¡¯d also be a good idea to horde some achievement points for a rainy day. Also, there was something else even more important than that to worry about.

    <>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s heart fluttered, wondering what might come out from this egg seemingly only a moment away from hatching.

    <>

    When he reached the 22nd floor¡¯s world, Su-hyeun opened the doorway and returned home immediately. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to use the ¡°Property of Dimension¡± order form to bring out the egg with him.

    There it was, a plain egg the size of a man¡¯s head. Unlike before, though, a certain warmth could be felt on its surface.

    <>

    Su-hyeun had never witnessed the birth of a Divine Beast before, and as a result, a certain worry began settling in his head.

    <>

    While thinking about this and that, he waited for the egg to hatch.

    If he took it outside and an accident happened, now that would be a huge tragedy. He heard that a Divine Beast recognized the first person it saw after the hatching as its parent, and would follow it right till its dying day.

    Which meant that the birth of the Divine Beast had to be done in a place with no one but him. He waited while occasionally touching the surface of the egg, and before he knew it, half a day flew by.

    This was rather strange. The egg that showed signs of hatching at any moment still didn¡¯t want to crack.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    Su-hyeun frowned as thoughts of ¡°it can¡¯t be¡± invaded his mind.

    He pondered this quandary for a little while before placing his hand on the egg and injecting his magical energy a little bit at a time.

    When he did¡­

    Crack, craaaack¡ª

    Cracks began running on the egg¡¯s surface. Soon afterward, a small arm broke through the shell and emerged outside.

    Crack! Craaack¡ª!

    What revealed itself was a tiny but long red dragon, lazily yawning away.

    ¡°A dragon?¡±

    The creature curled its 50 centimeter-long body and quivered ever so slightly.

    One might mistake it for a snake, but the pair of arms and small wings on its back undoubtedly proved that this little guy was a dragon. Plus, a snake wouldn¡¯t pop out from the so-called ¡°Divine Beast¡¯s Egg¡± anyway.

    Rather than a dragon¡¯s face, though, its roundish head somewhat vaguely resembled a turtle, instead. Su-hyeun thought that that could be attributed to it being still a young hatchling.

    But¡­

    Snore, snore¡ª

    The dragon was fast asleep.

    It had been jolted a little by the injection of magical energy and quivered around a bit, but returned to sleeping once more.

    The reason why the egg didn¡¯t shatter even though the hatching had commenced a long time ago was¡­

    ¡°¡­As I thought, you were asleep.¡±

    As he suspected, the creature was in la-la land.

    Su-hyeun groaned. He was wondering why there was no response for half a day, but this little guy was sleeping inside the egg.

    When he looked back to how he almost died from anticipation in the past several hours, he felt somewhat bitter inside. Not only that, he managed to wake it up but the dragon simply went right back to sleep, too.

    Of course, a wonderful thing would remain as wonderful regardless of what happened.

    <>

    According to what Su-hyeun knew about the Divine Beasts, dragons were considered to be the top-tier species among them.

    This newly-hatched dragon was far closer to the eastern dragon in looks than the western one. He couldn¡¯t tell its exact abilities yet, but there was no doubt he got himself a massive jackpot here.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care from now on¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun pondered what he should call this baby dragon sleeping before his eyes and eventually spoke its name.

    ¡°Miru.¡±

    Miru. The pure Korean word for ¡°dragon.¡±

    Su-hyeun always found coming up with names a bit of a pain in the neck.

    ***

    Miru only became active after sleeping through the entire day.

    Su-hyeun patiently waited until Miru woke up. The baby dragon eventually did, and when its sparkling eyes discovered him, quickly approached its new parent.

    Gurung, gurung¡ª

    Miru, making happy humming sounds floated towards Su-hyeun, landed on his shoulder, and began rubbing its head on his cheek.

    Well, it certainly was acting cute.

    ¡°Hey, Miru? What¡¯s your specialty?¡±

    ¡°Gurung?¡±

    Miru tilted its head at Su-hyeun¡¯s question before resuming rubbing itself against his cheek.

    He could only sigh.

    <>

    He didn¡¯t go through all that toil on the 21st floor just to raise a pet. In addition, it was a dragon, a top-ranked creature, so there simply had to be some uses for this guy.

    Gururung¡ª

    Gurung¡ª

    Miru wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s neck. Since it didn¡¯t have any fur or scales, he could feel its slick hide against his skin in its full glory.

    It sure was cute, indeed.

    So cute, but¡­.

    ¡°Miru¡­.¡±

    ¡­.To think, trying to communicate with a Divine Beast that didn¡¯t understand you would prove to be this difficult.

    <>

    Unfortunately, according to Su-hyeun¡¯s knowledge base, no such skill existed, which meant he¡¯d have to gradually discover what Miru¡¯s abilities were.

    <>

    Abusing the creature, busy demanding to know what it was capable of when it just hatched? Now that was not something a father should do.

    Su-hyeun looked at Miru wrapped around his neck and about to fall asleep again and began thinking to himself.

    <>

    He also thought about something else as well.

    <>

    He was one of the handfuls of S-rank awakeners in South Korea.

    It wasn¡¯t as if they were acquaintances, and since that man also acted on his own while not being affiliated with any group, Su-hyeun had pretty much given up interacting with him, thinking that running into him would be very difficult.

    But now, Su-hyeun changed his mind.

    <>

    He used to worry about how to meet that man, but now, there was no need for that.

    Su-hyeun, with Miru still wrapped around his neck, settled in front of his computer and logged into Abyss Online.

    [A dragon came out from a Divine Beast¡¯s Egg. Mister Song Hyeong-gi, I¡¯ll be waiting for your reply.]

    The man who was an S-rank Awakener, who also dealt with Divine Beasts ¨C Song Hyeong-gi.

    He was a renowned Divine Beast enthusiast.

 Chapter 72

    A day flew by after that.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s post became the hottest trending topic in an instant ¡ª not only were the title and content simply too stimulating, but the poster¡¯s ID was a pretty familiar one as well.

    ¨C A Divine Beast? A dragon? What on earth is up with that?

    ¨C You know, S-Rank Song Hyeong-gi is supposed to be in possession of a Divine Beast, so maybe related to that.

    ¨C Some dude wants to meet Song Hyeung-gi, so he¡¯s going with an aggro-ing tactic?

    ¨C Doesn¡¯t seem that way. Check out the ID. That¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun, dude.

    ¨C Really?

    ¨C Uh, it¡¯s for real.

    ¨C Son of a¡­ In that case, Kim Su-hyeun and Song Hyeung-gi will meet up? If true, that¡¯s freaking huge. Can¡¯t a TV station broadcast what those two will do or something?

    Most of them were useless comments.

    Those raising a ruckus were either unrelated civilians, no-name awakeners or a handful of interested guilds.

    Su-hyeun remained sitting in front of the computer while muttering to himself. ¡°Hey, Miru? Looks like we might need more time to find that uncle.¡±

    Gurung, gurung¡ª

    Miru didn¡¯t seem to care either way, as it continued to doze off while wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s neck.

    He didn¡¯t even know what to feed this little guy. And Miru only drank water throughout the day. He tried to feed it various different foods, but it didn¡¯t eat any.

    Ding dong¡ª

    It was then that someone rang the doorbell and a voice came in from the outside.

    ¡°Bro! Bro, it¡¯s me!¡± The voice belonged to Hak-joon, as it turned out.

    When Su-hyeun opened the door, he was suddenly greeted by a large plastic bag filled with stuff pushed towards his face.

    ¡°We got takeout,¡± said Hak-joon.

    ¡°Hello there.¡±

    Yun-seon, standing behind Hak-joon, bowed and greeted Su-hyeun. Meanwhile, Hak-joon craned his neck and scanned the interior. ¡°Ohh, your place is pretty nice. How many square meters is it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important, is it? Come in first.¡±

    Su-hyeun took Hak-joon¡¯s plastic bag and guided the duo into his home.

    He was originally planning to stay home at least for one whole day searching for Song Hyeong-gi, but with a great timing, Hak-joon gave him a call and decided to show up here.

    As soon as he got inside, Hak-joon asked for Su-hyeun¡¯s permission and started opening up the plastic bag on the dining table. Soon, all sorts of takeout, including spicy rice cakes, Korean sausages, as well as various deep-fried junk foods found themselves sprawled on the table.

    ¡°By the way, bro? Where is Miru? We came to see Miru, actually,¡± asked Hak-joon.

    ¡°Right here.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    Su-hyeun pointed to his neck, prompting Hak-joon and Yun-seon to tilt their heads this way and that before they gasped in sheer surprise.

    ¡°T-that wasn¡¯t a scarf?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not even cold outside, and why would I wear a scarf inside the house? This guy¡¯s like this because it¡¯s asleep.¡±

    Gurung, gururung¡ª

    Miru was still slumbering away, utterly oblivious to the presence of the visitors. Well, it slept for at least 15 hours a day, so there was that.

    Yun-seon¡¯s eyes sparkled at the dragon with a body a lot smaller than she expected. She went behind Su-hyeun and discovered Miru¡¯s head resting atop his shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s-it¡¯s really cute.¡±

    Her eyes sparkled even more than before as she cautiously reached out. It seemed that she was wondering whether to touch Miru or not.

    Kurung¡ª?

    It was then that Miru woke up, perhaps after sensing the unfamiliar presence.

    The baby dragon abruptly raised its head and blinked several times, alternating its gaze between Yun-seon and Hak-joon, before flying up over Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    Flap, flap¡ª

    Kurung, keung¡ª

    Miru flapped its small wings and flew above its father¡¯s head, then studied the takeout placed on the dining table for a little while.

    But then, it soon lost interest and settled down in a comfortable-looking sitting position, with its chin resting on Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    ¡°This little guy doesn¡¯t want to eat that either,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What does it eat, anyway?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It hasn¡¯t eaten anything. I¡¯m worried that at this rate, I might end up being a dad who starves his kid.¡±

    ¡°A dad?¡± Yun-seon asked.

    Hak-joon followed up. ¡°Where¡¯s the mom then?¡±

    Slap¡ª!

    Hak-joon¡¯s question was rewarded with Yun-seon¡¯s slap to his back. He greatly exaggerated how much that hurt, then reached out to the food and began eating it. For a while, these three people including Su-hyeun enjoyed the food and talked about this and that.

    ¡°What is Ju-ho doing these days?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    It seemed that Hak-joon was already in a ¡°big bro, little bro¡± type of relationship with Lee Ju-ho. Without a doubt, he had changed a lot compared to the past. Su-hyeun had no idea that he was this sociable.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s going through his next trial,¡± replied Su-hyeun.

    ¡°That guy, he¡¯s also doing his best. I guess.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I finished mine yesterday, actually. I was planning to take a few days off.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Su-hyeun was about to pick up the last piece of deep-fried meat, but then¡­

    Gu-wuwuwuwu¡ª

    For a moment there, his body grew heavy, as if the whole studio apartment building was shaking around.

    Yun-seon was taken by surprise and dropped the toothpick in her hand. She hurriedly looked around her vicinity. ¡°W-what was that?¡±

    ¡°¡­What a noisy arrival, that.¡± Su-hyeun said as he pushed his chair back to stand up.

    That prompted Hak-joon to stand up as well. ¡°Can I go with you?¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°You know, just curious. Well, he¡¯s famous, right? Why? I can¡¯t?¡±

    Yun-seon grabbed Hak-joon¡¯s clothes and pulled him closer. ¡°Won¡¯t it be something dangerous?¡±

    Hak-joon nodded his head and pointed at Su-hyeun. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be alone, you know?¡±

    Despite his assurance, Yun-seon couldn¡¯t stop worrying. Even though she wasn¡¯t showing it, in all honesty, she found it really difficult to even breathe at the moment. How could she not worry when her boyfriend wanted to go meet the man behind this phenomenon?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay behind?¡± Su-hyeun spoke.

    ¡°Ehk? But, why?¡±

    ¡°You can tell that your girlfriend is really concerned, right?¡±

    ¡°But, won¡¯t it be dangerous for you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to get any safer if you tagged along.¡±

    ¡°Urgh¡­.¡±

    Hak-joon heard that straightforward answer, lowered his head, and groaned. Indeed, that wasn¡¯t the wrong assessment.

    Su-hyeun opened the window, not the front door. Yun-seon watched him and wondered what he was doing, only to jump up in fright and cry out. ¡°W-why are you getting out through there?¡±

    Swoooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun disappeared outside the window. Yun-seon hurriedly ran towards the window sill to see where he went. She then pushed her head outside, but by then, his figure had long vanished.

    ¡°¡­Am I still dreaming or did that really happen?¡± Yun-seon muttered out.

    ¡°Let it be.¡± Hak-joon spoke while shrugging his shoulders. ¡°People from that side, they are more like superhumans from movies, you know.¡±

    * * *

    Ta-dak, ta-da-dak¡ª

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t jump down to the ground, but up towards the top of his studio apartment building. The location of the massive magical energy he could sense was none other than the building¡¯s roof.

    The roof was locked tight and no one was allowed to access it, but a man was waiting for Su-hyeun there. A thirty-something man with a parted perm hairstyle was sitting on a chair found on the roof, busy tapping away on his phone.

    ¡°That was quite a racket of an arrival,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°This is the simplest way, after all.¡±

    The man, Song Hyeong-gi, shoved the phone in his pocket and stood up. Su-hyeun first confirmed that there was no one around and only then did he ask, ¡°How did you find out about this address?¡±

    He expected Song Hyeong-gi to contact him in some manner, but didn¡¯t think the man himself would show up so soon like this.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything that money can¡¯t solve these days?¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi was the last born child of the Song-il Group¡¯s owner, the third generation of one of the most powerful business tycoons in South Korea. It¡¯d be difficult to find the word ¡°impossible¡± in this man¡¯s vocabulary.

    ¡°¡­Ah, is that so?¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    It seemed that he found the address through some illegal method. However, that wasn¡¯t something you¡¯d mention right in front of the party affected. This was their first encounter, and the first impression certainly wasn¡¯t a good one so far.

    Song Hyeong-gi wasn¡¯t affiliated with any guilds out there, and since he wasn¡¯t short on money, he didn¡¯t work as a mercenary, either. Therefore, he was the freest of all the S-rank Awakeners.

    <>

    That was how amazing the power of money could be. Unlike with the Awakeners, who¡¯d always been lone individuals no matter strong they were, a massive pile of cash was capable of mobilizing countless hands and feet.

    The only thing capable of making Song Hyeong-gi interested were matters related to Divine Beasts, though.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure tomorrow¡¯s headlines will be pretty bombastic. A fight to the death between awakeners in the middle of a studio apartment building, something like that. Well, even civilians can sense your magical energy, after all.¡±

    Su-hyeun was well aware of the magical energy emitted by Song Hyeung-gi making it difficult for Yun-seon to breathe downstairs. She wasn¡¯t hurt, but it was still true that this man¡¯s entrance had caused her some discomfort.

    However, Song Hyeong-gi didn¡¯t seem all that interested in hearing about such things. ¡°Who cares. The dragon?¡±

    Su-hyeun heard Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s question and pointed at Miru wrapped around his neck.

    That prompted Miru to raise its head and stare at Song Hyeong-gi.

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    For the first time ever, Miru let out a displeased cry and displayed signs of wariness towards the other person.

    Right then, Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s eyes sparkled brightly. ¡°I-it really is a dragon?¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯d lie about something like that?¡±

    ¡°Where did you find this baby? Ah, you said it¡¯s from the Divine Beast¡¯s Egg.¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s attitude, curt and arrogant only until a second ago, went through a complete transformation. He cautiously walked in closer and met Miru¡¯s gaze. ¡°What¡¯s the baby¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Miru.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Miru. My name is Song Hyeong-gi, and¡­.¡±

    Chomp¡ª

    When Song Hyeong-gi extended his hand out and slowly waved it, Miru abruptly pushed its head forward and bit down on the hand.

    Despite the fact that its fangs hadn¡¯t even properly grown yet, Miru was still a Divine Beast, and blood began dripping down from Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s hand.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, that can happen¡­.¡±

    Even though he said that, Song Hyeong-gi immediately became visibly sullen. It seemed that being hated by Miru hurt his feelings.

    Before their discussion could get going, Su-hyeun made his stance crystal clear. ¡°I¡¯ll say this before we start. I won¡¯t give Miru to you, even though I know that you rear Divine Beasts and fight together with them.¡±

    ¡°You can relax. Even if you give it up, I won¡¯t take it.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    That unexpected reply surprised Su-hyeun and caused him to ask that.

    Song Hyeong-gi stared back at him as if he was an utter disappointment. ¡°The majority of Divine Beasts recognize the first thing they see as their parents and follow him or her around. For this baby, you¡¯re its mom and dad. So, what will happen if it has to stay with me? Can you imagine how hard it will be for the baby?¡±

    He was right.

    Su-hyeun heard how Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s love for Divine Beasts bordered on being maniacal, so he was slightly concerned about what to do in case the latter began lusting after Miru, but thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like his worries would become reality.

    ¡°Is that really your reason?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Of course. Sure, I¡¯d like to take the baby with me with I could. Hey, you. You really don¡¯t know anything about Divine Beasts, do you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to meet you. It¡¯s as you said, I know nothing about Divine Beasts, Song Hyeong-gi.¡±

    ¡°So, you want to learn more and raise it properly, is that it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Unlike how you look, you¡¯re not so bad.¡±

    ¡°What about how I look then?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what? Like a gigolo¡­.¡±

    Gya-ong, gya-oh-ong¡ª!

    Miru flapped its wings and got angry in Su-hyeun¡¯s stead.

    ¡°¡­You look really handsome,¡± replied Song Hyeong-gi, but that didn¡¯t seem to be what he wanted to say initially.

    Miru looked at Su-hyeun, then rubbed its face against his cheek as if to say, ¡°Did I do well?¡±

    He patted the baby dragon¡¯s head and asked Song Hyeong-gi. ¡°Before all that, is it possible for you to find out what Miru¡¯s abilities are? And also, what it needs to eat and how I should raise it.¡±

    ¡°Hold on. I¡¯m going to summon another kid similar to your Miru.¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi drew a large circle in the air with his hand as he replied.

    Almost at the same time, the magical energy greatly wavered, and the space was torn apart. A lengthy dragon emerged from the space, its wings flapping grandly.

    ¡°Oho.¡±

    It was a blue dragon several dozen meters long and almost a meter thick in diameter.

    Its splendor was truly magnificent. Su-hyeun was genuinely impressed by this dragon.

    <>

    A giant dragon appearing in the middle of a city was a prime candidate to be mistaken for a monster. So, Song Hyeong-gi hurriedly cast an invisibility skill on the dragon¡¯s body and then asked it. ¡°Hey, Yong? Do you know what kind of a baby that dr¡­.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence, however, because of the unbelievable event taking place right before his eyes.

    Gurururu¡ª

    The Divine Beast abruptly summoned here by Song Hyeong-gi, the blue dragon, approached Miru and lowered its head.

    It wasn¡¯t just Song Hyeong-gi who was taken greatly aback. Su-hyeun also failed to understand what just happened.

    ¡°Just where¡­¡± Song Hyeong-gi alternated his gaze between the blue dragon and Miru, before asking Su-hyeun, ¡°¡­Did you find this baby?¡±

 Chapter 73

    Su-hyeun was flustered as well. Only Miru remained unaffected by the event.

    Gya-ong¡ª?

    Miru tilted its head with an expression that said, ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Meanwhile, the blue dragon continued to bow its head towards the little Miru.

    ¡°¡­I got him after passing the tenth floor¡¯s trial. More specifically, I passed the tenth floor¡¯s trial and as my reward, I received the Divine Beast¡¯s Egg,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°And you got this baby from that egg?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So, a really high-tier Divine Beast came out of a Divine Beast¡¯s Egg from a mere tenth floor¡¯s trial¡­.¡±

    ¡°The trial itself was set at the tenth level, after all. Also, I forcibly upped the achievement rate to full 100 percent, as well.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s like that, then I can sort of understand, but still. If my Yong is lowering its head to the recently-hatched Miru, then that could only mean your kid is of higher tier than mine¡­.¡±

    Even if the difficulty was set high, the tenth floor¡¯s trial was something Song Hyeong-gi passed by pretty soon after becoming an awakener. Never mind a Divine freaking Beast, he hadn¡¯t even seen hair nor hide of a regular mythical beast in that place.

    With the blue dragon continuing to bow its head, Miru began standing tall with a conceited, triumphant look on its face. It was kind of funny to see a hatchling only a day old acting like a top dog.

    Su-hyeun looked at the blue dragon before his eyes and asked, ¡°How old is this guy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡°guy,¡± but Yong.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay, how old is Yong?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s five this year. Dragons only need to eat morning dew but they¡¯ll still grow like crazy and become an adult in three years. Then they¡¯ll live on for another thousand years after that.¡±

    A thousand years.

    That life expectancy was a lot longer than what Su-hyeun thought. A dragon becoming an adult in three years also greatly surprised him as well.

    Song Hyeong-gi patted the head of the blue dragon and continued on. ¡°It¡¯s a sad thing, really. I¡¯ll probably not live past a hundred years, but this child will have to live for another 900 without me. It¡¯d be nice if my boy forgets about me and lives its life freely during those years.¡±

    ¡°You¡­really seem to love Divine Beasts.¡±

    ¡°Of course. These guys, they won¡¯t ever betray you, unlike with humans. Unconditional trust and devotion, love ¡ª these things are impossible in human relationships, you see.¡± While saying that, Song Hyeong-gi continued to pat Yong¡¯s head.

    His boundless affection reserved for Divine Beasts was on full display. Su-hyeun heard this guy was a Divine Beast otaku, but never did he suspect the level of devotion to be this high.

    Kurung, kururung¡ª

    The blue dragon seemed to be enjoying the sensation of Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s hand because it slowly raised its head and snorted happily.

    ¡°By the way, why did you summon Yong in the first place?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Ah, I forgot. Hey, Yong?¡± Song Hyeong-gi had forgotten about why he summoned Yong thanks to the suddenly-developing situation. He hurriedly opened his mouth. ¡°Can you ask Miru a couple of things? First of all¡­¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi asked Yong several basic questions. The blue dragon nodded its head a few times and began chatting to Miru in some kind of dragon-speak.

    Kurung, kurung¡ª

    Gya-ong, gya-ong¡ª

    Yong and Miru conversed for a while.

    Of course, all Su-hyeun could hear was a bunch of grunts, growls and gya-ong noises.

    ¡°Do you understand what they are talking about?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Nope, no clue.¡±

    ¡°¡­In that case, there¡¯s really no point even if Yong hears something from Miru, is there?¡±

    ¡°Keep your pants on, will you. I¡¯ll let you know all in good time.¡±

    Seeing how confident he was, he must¡¯ve had something up his sleeve. So, Su-hyeun waited patiently until the conversation between one big dragon and one small one came to an end.

    Soon afterward, Song Hyeong-gi placed his hand on Yong¡¯s head began muttering something to the dragon. Judging by how he nodded his head in the middle of doing that, it seemed that holding a conversation with a Divine Beast seemed like an actual possibility.

    ¡°Thanks, Yong. You did great. See you later, okay?¡±

    Gurung, gurururu¡ª

    At Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s wave of hand, the blue dragon vanished into thin air. It seemed that the creature had returned to where it was residing originally.

    Now only Miru remained.

    ¡°I see, so you can actually understand your creature,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of like being an interpreter. It ain¡¯t a skill, though. But, once your familiarity with your Divine Beast gets high enough, you can start sharing your thoughts with it to some degree.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a skill, you say?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Surprised? There¡¯s no separate interpreter skill because there¡¯s no need for one. If you don¡¯t put in the necessary work, your Divine Beast won¡¯t ever open up to you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely take your advice to heart.¡±

    Next up, Song Hyeong-gi shared the information related to Miru with Su-hyeun, such as what to feed the little guy, what the fundamental traits of dragons were, how to raise a Divine Beast, and things of such nature.

    Even though such information could be seen as a type of secret know-how to some, Song Hyeong-gi didn¡¯t hold back on anything. It seemed that he really wanted to see Miru grow up well.

    ¡°Also, regarding Miru¡¯s identity¡­ Apparently, even Yong doesn¡¯t seem to know,¡± said Song Hyeong-gi.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Kind of like, its head just lowered by itself. ¡®I thought I simply had to do it¡¯ is what Yong said. Miru must be from a superior species than my Yong.¡±

    ¡°Is there a hierarchy within the dragon species?¡±

    ¡°Sure, there are some within this large framework called the dragons. Don¡¯t forget that among dragons, there¡¯s also the matter of bloodlines, too. Of course, my Yong wouldn¡¯t have instantly lowered its head like that if it was merely the difference in one¡¯s bloodlines.¡±

    Su-hyeun still failed to fully comprehend the true value of Miru and formed a dumbfounded expression, prompting Song Hyeong-gi to tut unhappily.

    ¡°You better take a good care of him. You¡¯re pretty much Miru¡¯s dad from now on. You really got blessed by the heavens this time.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    In all honesty, it still didn¡¯t hit home with Su-hyeun yet. If Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s blue dragon hadn¡¯t bowed to Miru, then he¡¯d be having a hard time believing that such a little dragon was from a seriously impressive bloodline.

    That line of thinking had to change after he heard what Miru¡¯s abilities were, of course.

    ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯m leaving now. I¡¯m going to stop by every now and then, so you better open the door when I do,¡± said Song Hyeong-gi.

    ¡°Thank you for all your help.¡±

    ¡°If I think for a second that you¡¯re failing as a parent, I¡¯m gonna take him away so better keep that in mind, okay?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded his head at Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s intimidating declaration. ¡°I will. If I think I won¡¯t be able to handle it, I¡¯ll leave it in your hands.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Unlike Su-hyeun, however, Miru cried out in an angry tone of voice as if it didn¡¯t want Song Hyeong-gi to show up again.

    It seemed that the little guy really didn¡¯t want to go anywhere near Song Hyeong-gi.

    Shu-ah-ahk¡ª

    Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s figure disappeared from sight. Su-hyeun quietly watched him become a small dot on the horizon and eventually disappear before shifting his gaze back to Miru, who was wrapping himself around his neck.

    ¡°Miru?¡±

    Gurung¡ª?

    Looking at how Miru raised its head, its clear, innocent eyes looking back at him, Su-hyeun could only think about how cute this little guy was. On the other hand, though, his questions didn¡¯t want to go away whenever he thought back to how the giant blue dragon bowed to Miru.

    ¡°Just what is your identity, exactly?¡±

    Gurung¡ª

    Act 4

    Su-hyeun¡¯s meeting with Song Hyeong-gi proved to be a pretty hot topic.

    Just the fact of Su-hyeun acquiring a Divine Beast alone was enough to make the mass media froth at their collective mouths, but the event of two S-rank awakeners holding a meeting was massive enough to cause many awakener guilds to pay attention.

    The significant fact to remember here was that these two people were almost mercenary-like awakeners that could move around freely without any restrictions.

    The last-born son of the Song-il Group¡¯s owner, who never partnered up with other awakeners until now, and the newly promoted S-Rank, Kim Su-hyeun¡­.if these two joined hands, then the potential wind about to blow through South Korea would be more like a gale storm.

    A sudden phone call came from Ji-yeon.

    ¡°What exactly did you talk to Song Hyeong-gi about?¡±

    ¡°You called me out of the blue and that¡¯s the first thing you¡¯re asking me?¡±

    It seemed that, after the mass media got hold of the news of Su-hyeun¡¯s contact with Song Hyeong-gi, she heard the reports and decided to ring him up right away.

    ¡°Will you just answer the question? Are you perhaps two-timing me?¡±

    ¡°Your choice of words is rather off-putting, and besides, I promised to work with you when it came to the matters of the Dump Guild, so you can stop worrying.¡±

    She actually accused him of ¡°two-timing¡± her.

    On one side was a beautiful young woman, but the other side was a 30-something man. Su-hyeun definitely didn¡¯t want to be accused of two-timing.

    ¡°I heard that you got yourself a Divine Beast? What kind of creature is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s name is Miru, and it¡¯s a really cute dragon.¡±

    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s cute?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really cute. And despite how young Miru is, its abilities are pretty great, too. I wanted to raise it properly, so I asked Song Hyeong-gi for a favor, hoping to learn some information or two.¡±

    Why was he coming up with these excuses, anyway? Most likely, he became conscious of the fact that he had joined hands with Song Hyeong-gi on the side. Although their interaction was limited to the matters involving the Dump Guild, her Reaper Guild was the only guild Su-hyeun had joined hands with so far.

    Rather obviously, she couldn¡¯t help but mind it when Su-hyeun was getting in contact with other people.

    ¡°Okay, so. Did you get the necessary information, then? I¡¯ve run into that guy once before, and he was one seriously unpleasant dude.¡±

    That made sense, seeing how badly the whole world perceived Song Hyeong-gi. There were plenty of stories on how terribly rubbish his personality was, too.

    <>

    Separate from how much he treasured and loved Divine Beasts, plenty of rumors involving Song Hyeong-gi were doing the rounds out there. The only reason why he treated Su-hyeun comparatively well was simply because the latter had Miru with him. If it weren¡¯t for Miru¡¯s presence, Su-hyeun would¡¯ve never gotten to meet Song Hyeong-gi.

    ¡°Thankfully, I did get some info. As it turns out, that guy is a far, far worse Divine Beast nerd than people think.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a huge nerd? That guy?¡±

    ¡°Is it really that surprising?¡±

    ¡°Ha, it really is. He looks like one of those types who¡¯d flush their fortune away through drinking and partying, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­Drinking and partying is one thing, but what¡¯s up with this flushing away his fortune and what not?¡±

    ¡°Just one of my small wishes.¡±

    It seemed that these two didn¡¯t exactly have a cordial relationship. But then again, the Ji-yeon Su-hyeun knew definitely wasn¡¯t the type to flatter other people, either. He imagined a situation of the two of them having a meeting, and unsurprisingly, they would be labeled utterly incompatible.

    <>

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t able to witness the event personally, but these two were destined to run into each other again later.

    A groan automatically leaked out of his lips just from thinking about that future event. Unlike his previous life, though, he simply had to be in the middle of these two during this time.

    ¡°Okay, so what are you calling me for? You can¡¯t be calling just to ask me about that, now are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a really busy person. I wouldn¡¯t call you just to ask about something so minor.¡±

    ¡°In that case, hurry up and get to the main topic. I need to start my next trial as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°A green-colored dungeon will soon open up in Busan.¡±

    ¡°¡­A green-colored dungeon is going to show up so soon?¡±

    Su-hyeun recalled there not being many instances of green-colored dungeons opening up one after the other like this. Much later down the line, sure, but at least not right now.

    <>

    Someone in the position of the Reaper Guild¡¯s master wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone when it came to her information network, so he had no choice but to believe that she was a credible source. Most likely, her info was a real deal.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even the Awakeners Accreditation Authority seems to be taken aback since this would be the first time that a green-colored dungeon showed up so quickly. Fortunately, they estimate that the overall difficulty will be lower than the previous green dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Who will be taking the lead in the attack this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be none other than Song Hyeong-gi. He¡¯ll probably throw another stupid tantrum this time, too, you know?¡±

    Whenever a green-colored dungeon showed up, S-rank Awakeners would take turns leading the assault party. However, Song Hyeong-gi was infamous for ignoring that part of his duties and dodging his responsibilities.

    ¡°That means a substitute will get chosen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I was asking you in case you¡¯re interested. In contrast to your rank, you don¡¯t have a lot of experience in clearing dungeons, after all. So, why not take this opportunity and get some?¡±

    Although he appreciated her concern, it was ultimately unnecessary; out of all the currently-active Awakeners, no one possessed the richer experience in attacking dungeons than Su-heyun.

    <>

    A dungeon appearing at an unexpected time frame was indeed making him somewhat worried.

    Not only that, but it would be a rather suitable stage to confirm Miru¡¯s abilities. This green-colored dungeon¡¯s difficulty should be much higher than the 22nd floor¡¯s trial.

    ¡°Who will supervise the attack? Will it be a guild or the Authority?¡±

    ¡°A total of three guilds are tied to this. They are¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Ji-yeon chatted about the dungeon attack for a while. Even though this chatty, noisy phone call continued on, Miru was dozing off without an issue.

    After ending the call, Su-hyeun lightly patted Miru¡¯s head and spoke. ¡°Hey, Miru?¡±

    Gurung¡ª

    The happily-slumbering Miru reacted when he called out its name.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you and I go play to our hearts¡¯ content?¡±

    Gurung¡ª

    This was the first stage where Miru¡¯s abilities would be confirmed.

 Chapter 74

    Lee Ji-hu finished the next floor¡¯s trial and came outside, only to be bombarded by several news reporters.

    First, there was the alliance between Su-hyeun and the Reaper Guild. Then, the encounter with Song Hyeong-gi.

    Just these two alone were more than enough to cause an uproar in the world, especially with the latter. The hottest trending topic of recent times was that Su-hyeun met up with the sole S-rank awakener not affiliated with anyone, Song Hyeong-gi.

    This event held the potential to throw a wrench in the precarious balance maintained by the Awakener Guilds.

    ¡°This guy, he¡¯s not answering his phone again.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho was using his phone while walking towards the Awakener Authority. He had called over ten times already, but Su-hyeun was not picking up. Even so, he was able to come here all thanks to calling Hak-joon beforehand and getting some answers from the young man.

    ¡°He should be taking a well-deserved break instead, so why¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun had finally become an S rank. In other people¡¯s eyes, he had definitely made it in his life. He could take it easy, spend the money he earned, maybe go on a trip overseas and have fun, etc.

    But then, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t endure the short period of downtime until the d-day of the dungeon assault and wanted to train by borrowing the Authority¡¯s underground facility.

    <>

    Depending on who looked at it, it was a waste, an unnecessary luxury.

    The S-Rank. Lee Ju-ho, doing his best to get to that realm, couldn¡¯t really understand Su-hyeun. But at the same time, he also felt rather awestruck by the latter.

    Pik, pik, pipipipik¡ª

    Drop, thud, crumble¡ª

    A continuous stream of small noises could be heard.

    Countless stone plates were strewn about within the underground facility. They were a type of illusion used during Su-hyeun¡¯s re-evaluation not too long ago.

    Crumble¡ª

    A stone plate brushed past Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face, and almost at the same time, a very thin strand of magical energy flew past just above his head.

    ¡°Bro? When did you arrive?¡± Su-hyeun, standing in the middle of the cavern, asked.

    Lee Ju-ho replied while patting his chest in relief. ¡°That surprised me, man. Were you trying to kill me or something?¡±

    These two grew close enough to call each other brothers ever since that day Su-hyeun started referring to Lee Ju-ho as ¡°big bro.¡±

    It had been around one year since they got acquainted. They knew enough about each other, and their friendship ran pretty deep now. Most importantly, though, Su-hyeun felt grateful for Lee Ju-ho being the person who stepped up without being asked to take care of things in his stead.

    ¡°No way. Besides, you won¡¯t die from that. It might sting a little, though.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho heard Su-hyeun¡¯s good-natured reply and looked at all the fragments of stone plates strewn about on the floor. Would he have really not died from that?

    Lee Ju-ho sighed in relief again and spoke up. ¡°Be more mindful of your surroundings, dude. Or lock the doors or something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡±

    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s all this?¡±

    ¡°Taking a few days off dulls one¡¯s senses. Entering a low difficulty dungeon and slaughtering everything in there will only have an adverse effect.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going crazy like this just to maintain your edge?¡±

    ¡°It helps a lot more than you think. Magical energy isn¡¯t just a simple medium that lets you use skills, you know.¡±

    This method was initially envisioned as a way to measure and assign numerical values to the Awakener¡¯s ability to control magical energy.

    Meaning, if the current you managed to destroy a higher number of stone plates than in the past, then it served as proof that your control over the magical energy had improved.

    <>

    Actually, this training was reserved for the small number of awakeners the Authority was fostering back then. At first, it was seen as just a testing method, but gradually, the Authority further refined the concept and employed it as a systematic training tool.

    Su-hyeun carried on. ¡°Besides this one, using illusions to strengthening your mental strength, dumbbells infused with a gravity-type skill using Ether stones, strengthening your resistance¡­.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, I got it. Just hearing about them makes my skin crawl.¡± Lee Ju-ho hurriedly waved his hands about as if it all sounded too disgusting to him. Of course, he was inwardly stunned despite what his mouth said.

    <> Lee Ju-ho thought.

    He thought that Su-hyeun was just blessed with excellent talent, but as it turned out, the dude also happened to be a hard worker, too.

    To think that he couldn¡¯t wait those brief couple of days of respite and voluntarily chose to walk this path of hardship. He was fundamentally a different species from those conceited fools who couldn¡¯t wait to splurge away their new wealth acquired after becoming Awakeners.

    Kya-ong, kyaaa-ooong¡ª.

    Miru raised its head from around Su-hyeun¡¯s neck.

    Lee Ju-ho thought it was a scarf until then, so he hurriedly stepped back from fright. ¡°Argh, that surprised me. Is it that dragon?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Its name is Miru.¡±

    ¡°Miru? You didn¡¯t give the naming of it too much of your consideration, did you?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? Isn¡¯t it cute?¡±

    Gya-ruuung¡ª

    Miru nodded as if to say, ¡°I agree.¡± Thoroughly mystified now, Lee Ju-ho got closer and studied the hatchling dragon¡¯s head from this way and that.

    Su-hyeun took out a towel he prepared earlier from the gym bag and while wiping away his sweat, asked Lee Ju-ho a question. ¡°By the way, how did you know I was here?¡±

    ¡°I called Hak-joon and asked him where you were. I heard about you forming an alliance with the Reaper Guild, but what¡¯s up with this Song Hyeong-gi business?¡±

    Lee Ju-Ho cautiously reached out with his hand, trying to touch Miru at least once no matter what it took, but the growling Miru was vehemently refused his outstretched hand.

    Su-hyeun stared at the two of them and opened his mouth. ¡°What happened was¡­¡± He told Lee Ju-ho the simplified version of the events that happened so far. Of course, the latter already heard most of that story from Hak-joon.

    ¡°Okay, so when will the dungeon attack be?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°We have to assemble in the morning two days from now.¡±

    ¡°I want to tag along.¡±

    ¡°You too?¡±

    It seemed that the reason for his visit today was related to that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me. I don¡¯t expect you guys to share even a tiny bit of the loot with me, you know?¡± Lee Ju-ho clarified.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Just the experience alone will be enough. Especially when it involves a higher plateau.¡±

    A higher plateau, he said.

    He, of course, meant the green-colored dungeon.

    <> Su-hyeun thought.

    Ever since its first appearance, the frequency of the green-colored dungeon¡¯s appearance was locked at around one per year ¡ª up until now.

    One appearing after another like this time was an anomaly. And as its frequency of occurrence was so low, the number of awakeners that attacked a green dungeon before was also equally on the low side.

    It was only the awakeners from the top-tier large guilds or the famous awakeners from the Authority who challenged them. Unless you were one of them, it was practically impossible to take a part in attacking a green-colored dungeon.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯ve improved by another step.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words prompted a guilty look to float upon Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face. And then, looking somewhat sheepish, he avoided meeting the former¡¯s gaze. ¡°I was planning to show off later on, though. Dammit.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to be proud, actually. Getting to where you¡¯re in only two years is considered pretty fast, you know.¡±

    The magical energy rated at 6th rank ¡ª although the concentration of the magical energy coming from Lee Ju-ho was quite faint, Su-hyeun still got to read it nonetheless.

    Lee Ju-ho wanted to participate in the conquering of the green-colored dungeon because he was confident of not hindering them, at the very least.

    ¡°Even then, I¡¯m far slower compared to you or Hak-joon. What a pair of monstrous b*stards you are,¡± said Lee Ju-ho.

    Lee Ju-ho was a veteran who awakened not too long after the dungeons and awakeners appeared in the world. Even though you could say his rate of growth was fast, it still wasn¡¯t enough to aim for the very top. Of course, being able to acquire the rank of ¡°A¡± meant you couldn¡¯t be accused of lacking in talent.

    <>

    Su-hyeun was worried about Lee Ju-ho¡¯s confidence level dropping lower after comparing his progress to Hak-joon, or for that matter, Su-hyeun himself. Strictly speaking, both Hak-joon or him shouldn¡¯t even be included in the comparison.

    Su-hyeun was already the greatest awakener even back in the previous life, while Hak-joon, too, made a name for himself as one of the most powerful.

    Of course, these were tales that would happen in the distant future. Regardless, these two were still some of the most talented in the entire world. Using these two as a comparison would only end up exhausting Lee Ji-ho, instead.

    <>

    In any case, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s mindset of always looking up higher and trying to forge his way to that realm wasn¡¯t a bad thing at all. Although he got his hands on the 6th-ranking magical energy only recently, as an awakener ranked A, he shouldn¡¯t be holding anyone back during the assault.

    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s work together,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Oh, hell yeah!¡± He must¡¯ve been quite nervous, because as soon as Su-hyeun agreed, Lee Ju-ho loudly cheered and leaped up in joy.

    Su-hyeun smiled slightly while looking at his reaction. Originally, this man was supposed to die a year ago inside a dungeon, but now he was a rank A. Not only that, he wasn¡¯t satisfied by his current self and was working even harder to reach the same realm of Awakeners as Su-hyeun.

    That was making him feel somewhat strange.

    <>

    Su-hyeun returned to the past, and to change many things, he had to work his butt off.

    In the smaller scheme of things, he tried his best to change his own life and looking at the bigger picture, he pushed himself hard so that he could change epoch-shifting events.

    However, what really changed was only himself. He already knew that a lone man changing the world was never going to be an easy endeavor. But now, he could feel the gradual change taking place against his skin after looking at the people surrounding him, such as Lee Ju-ho here.

    <>

    Su-hyeun inwardly prayed that the apocalypse would never arrive to this changed world.

    From a certain point on, he stopped seeing a destroyed world.

    * * *

    The Gambler, the Papillon, and the Red Devil.

    Although these three were considered locally as large guilds boasting huge sizes, they were also unfortunate enough not to be blessed with presences of S-Rank Awakeners. Also, they happened to be the guilds scheduled to participate in the assault of the green-colored dungeon this time.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun? That guy is the leader?¡±

    The guild master of Papillon, the A-Rank Lee Kang-hui, heard the news and raised his voice at the awakener from the Authority. ¡°Are you messing with me? That bastard got his rank S badge only recently, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°According to the regulation, there are no problems,¡± replied the messenger from the Authority.

    ¡°You and your stupid regulation! Our lives are on the line here!¡±

    Slam¡ª!

    He slammed down hard on the office desk, and the wooden furniture crafted out of luxurious material collapsed from the impact.

    That was the proof of how incensed Lee Kang-hui was.

    Unfortunately for him, his anger had no effect. Such a display should¡¯ve been enough to cower his opponent at least just a little, but the awakener from the Authority didn¡¯t even flinch once.

    The man dispatched by the Awakeners Accreditation Authority, Kang Seung-cheol, scowled heavily and replied. ¡°The other S-Rank Awakener, Miss Park Ji-yeon, has already participated in the Ansan dungeon assault recently. And as you may well know, Song Hyeong-gi was never interested in matters like this one to begin with. Even if we call him, he¡¯s not going to show up, anyway.¡±

    ¡°In that case, someone else¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be the same story even with the others. It¡¯s not their turn yet. Besides, they are currently going through their next trials, so they can¡¯t be reached at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Goddammit¡­.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re so averse to the idea, then I¡¯ll give him a call, saying that he doesn¡¯t have to come tomorrow.¡±

    Kang Seung-cheol¡¯s words caused Lee Kang-hui¡¯s expression to crumple even further.

    If that happened, the current green dungeon assault would end up as a complete failure. Without the presence of an S-rank, it¡¯d be as good as impossible to conquer such a dungeon.

    <>

    He felt like punching the living daylight out of this Kang Seung-cheol person.

    However, not only could he not do that to an awakener dispatched by the Authority, but also, he got this weird feeling that he shouldn¡¯t treat this man so carelessly.

    ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve conveyed the message in full, so I shall be on my way,¡± Kang Seung-cheol said that and hurriedly left the meeting.

    With this, he had delivered the message to all three guilds ¡ª the Gambler, the Red Devil, and finally, the Papillon.

    <>

    Not like he couldn¡¯t understand it, though.

    To think, they had to attack a green-colored dungeon along with a newbie S-Rank while forgetting about the other, more prominent S-Rank Awakeners out there. It was almost like deliberately giving yourself a hard time while walking on a simple road.

    <>

    Kang Seung-cheol was one of only a handful of people who personally confirmed Su-hyeun¡¯s real abilities. And that¡¯s why he knew the truth.

    Sure, it wasn¡¯t as if he had seen other S-Ranks in action, but still, he didn¡¯t believe Su-hyeun would be found wanting when compared to his current peers.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m curious.¡± Kang Seung-cheol looked back at the Papillon¡¯s guild house he just stepped out from and muttered to no one in particular. ¡°I wonder how that idiot¡¯s expression will look like later.¡±

 Chapter 75

    Vrroom¡ª

    A red sports car exited the highway. The smell of the sea tickled Su-hyeun¡¯s nose.

    ¡°I think we will arrive soon,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    As Su-hyeun pointed to Gwangalli beach, Lee Ju-ho looked at the odometer and checked the distance.

    ¡°Hey. Drive your car more often. Don¡¯t waste it,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°If we came here by a bullet train, we would have arrived an hour ago,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Well. We still have plenty of time. And it¡¯s more fun to drive straight, isn¡¯t it? You didn¡¯t have time to drive your car because you were too busy climbing the Towel of Trials almost every day.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡±

    This car was a gift from Lee Ju-ho. Su-hyeun felt sorry to not use it often, but he didn¡¯t want to drive a car that much. People said the car was the best toy that a man could have, but to Su-hyeun, it was nothing more than a vehicle.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like driving?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°It is best when somebody else drives for me.¡±

    At his decisive answer, Lee Ju-ho exclaimed as if he heard an absurd thing.

    ¡°But it¡¯s a Ferrari 488 Spider!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this car that much,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    <>

    People who didn¡¯t like cars usually knew expensive cars, at least. The excitement of driving such cars was different from the fun of regular driving, but Su-hyeun did not seem to be so interested in it. He was in the middle of his twenties. He was not the child of a rich family from the beginning.

    ¡°People usually want to show off when they suddenly make a lot of money or get the ability to. You¡¯re a little odd,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Well, I am one of those people. And there are worse ones than me. It amazes me the more I think about it. You don¡¯t enjoy alcohol, cigarettes, cars, or women. You do nothing. What do you like, seriously?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked in a very curious tone.

    What he exemplified was what awakeners usually did when they started to earn money. They searched for good drinks, cigarettes, nice houses, cars, and pretty or handsome lovers. Those were the things that could show the symbol of success. But Su-hyeun seemed to stay away from all that.

    ¡°I like a lot of things,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°A lot? Like what?¡±

    It was an unexpected answer. Lee Ju-ho perked up his ears and waited for Su-hyeun¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Well, not things like you said. But, I like to empty my head while looking at a pretty lake or to go to an amusement park with people I like or to sit in a cafe and read a book¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought for a moment and continued. ¡°I like to just binge-watch shows or movies all day in my home. I also like to go on trips and take pictures.¡±

    ¡°Sounds pretty simple.¡±

    ¡°They are luxury things,¡± Su-hyeun said in a quiet voice.

    ¡°What? Luxury?¡±

    Su-hyeun did not think Lee Ju-ho could understand his words. But he meant it.

    <>

    Clear skies, pretty lakes, amusement parks, cafes, small daily lives¡­ All those things would become luxury things in the future. Expensive sports cars would remain, but people wouldn¡¯t see the clear skies of the world. That was why Su-hyeun considered such trivial things to be luxuries.

    ¡°I will change the future.¡± Su-hyeun stopped the car and looked up to the sky. ¡°So these simple things will not be luxuries.¡±

    Su-hyeun took his car key and got out of the car with Lee Ju-ho. People paid attention to the appearance of a luxury sports car. The area around Gwangalli Beach was blocked by policemen everywhere.

    ¡°Thank you for your work,¡± Su-hyeun said as he passed by the cops.

    ¡°Wait. You can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I am Kim Su-hyeun. I am the leader of the dungeon raid team today. Here.¡±

    At the restraint of a policeman, Su-hyeun took out and showed his awakener registration card. It was a golden colored card with S-Rank signed on it. The policeman stiffened quickly.

    ¡°Please excuse me, sir! Enter this way, sir.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The crowd of policemen opened the way for Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho. Gwangalli Beach was shining in green light. Many people were waiting in front of the beach. Half of the one hundred were awakeners and the other half were ordinary people. Perhaps they were involved with various media platforms.

    ¡°Wow. There are many people. We still have some time left, though,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see everyone working early,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°People over there will be critical of you. I am sure they won¡¯t say anything in front of your face but¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho did not expect that answer. ¡°Do you know?¡±

    ¡°I just got the S-Rank title. I don¡¯t have much official dungeon attack experience. I am sure they won¡¯t welcome me,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°¡­Yes, you know well. You should have done many dungeon attacks before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time just going around similar dungeons,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    It was the same story as before. For Su-hyeun, attacking low-level dungeons was just a time-consuming task. Usually, C-Rank awakeners or people who wanted to get Ether stones attacked small dungeons.

    ¡°Oh, well.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho shook his head as if he knew it. But unlike what he said, he trusted Su-hyeun a lot.

    <> Lee Ju-ho thought.

    As far as Lee Ju-ho knew, Su-hyeun joined dungeon attacks no more than 10 times, and most of those attacks were with him. Although they didn¡¯t do them together that many times, Lee Ju-ho could tell Su-hyeun was not a beginner.

    <> he thought.

    The leader of the raid group was obliged to reveal the rank and raid history to other participants. Perhaps the other guild awakeners would question Su-hyeun¡¯s experience. No matter how strong he was, it was inevitable to doubt him, who did not have much experience.

    As Su-hyeun appeared, three people from each guild walked towards him. They were the guild master from three guilds that joined in on attacking this green colored dungeon. They were Gambler, Papillon, and Red Devil Guilds. Su-hyeun shook hands with them one by one, with an indulgent smile.

    <> Lee Ju-ho thought.

    He had known Su-hyeun for about a year. He was sure he knew a lot about him. Su-hyeun was kind to the point that it made Lee Ju-ho wonder how such a good person could exist. He was strong but did not show off or brag to anyone. He was a nice man and had no patience for injustice. He realized more about Su-hyeun while they had come here together.

    However, this did not mean that Su-hyeun was kind to everyone. The Dump Guild was a good example. Also, he became sharp as a razor when people bared their teeth at him or when things were illogical or unjust.

    <> Lee Ju-ho continued his thought.

    He knew about the many dark things happening in the dungeons. The most dangerous thing in the dungeon was not monsters ¡ª it was your fellow human beings. Of course, he could not imagine that Su-hyeun was in any danger.

    ¡°What are you doing? Come over here, please!¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s calling, Lee Ju-ho went to close to the crowds. Soon, he exchanged words with many people that he did not want to.

    Act 5

    Nothing special happened after that. It was already known to the press that the Authority found attacking members for the green-colored dungeon, so the reporters were busy covering the new S-rank Su-hyeun and took photos with the guild masters and Su-hyeun side by side.

    Lee Ju-ho also suffered from reporters. He had appeared several times in the broadcast, but it was the first time that he had been covering for a long time with so many people. It was the same for Su-hyeun. He felt that he should have come later. He felt appreciative of Lee Ju-ho¡¯s suggestion to take a car in order to kill time.

    ¡°You look tired.¡±

    The guild master of the Papillon Guild approached Su-hyeun. His name was Lee Kang-hee. It was time to prepare personally for a while before entering the dungeon. Su-hyeun was wearing Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor and tidying his sword tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather fight the monsters,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°What can you do? You are already a celebrity. I am sure you will have a lot of these moments,¡± Lee Kang-hee said.

    He wore a smile on his face and laughed in a high tone. His lips were smiling but eyes were not. Su-hyeun looked at his eyes for a moment and replied, ¡°If it is something I can¡¯t help, I guess I have to get used to it.¡±

    ¡°That is a good attitude. I am sorry for being late to greet you. It was because of all the damn many journalists. I look forward to your cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    Su-hyeun shook hands with Lee Kang-hee. It was the first official greeting, not a greeting to show to the media.

    ¡°But you are so young, and you don¡¯t have much experience¡­,¡± Lee Kang-hee spoke in a subtle voice.

    Su-hyeun, who knew why he had come to him, nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡±

    ¡°If you need my help, feel free to tell me. Of course, I can¡¯t be compared to you, but I am quite a veteran compared to anyone else about dungeons. Haha.¡±

    Lee Kang-hee¡¯s words meant to give him the role of leader of this attack. That way, Papillon Guild could take more Ether stone after they completed it. Su-hyeun had known that someone would say this to him.

    ¡°Thank you for your suggestion,¡± Su-hyeun said while he got up. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that is going to happen.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I want you to take care of the people under you more than anything else. I will not take any responsibility for the accidents caused by personal actions.¡±

    It was an unexpected intimidation. Lee Kang-hee could not close his mouth with embarrassment.

    Su-hyeun raised his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s time! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    <>

    At that time, the only person who survived from that dungeon was the guild master, Lee Kang-hee.

    <>

    Su-hyeun turned his head and looked at the green light in front of Gwangalli Beach. It was the entrance to the green-colored dungeon. Just a month ago, two green dungeons occurred at the same time. And again, a month later, another green dungeon appeared. He came here to check in person. It was not in his memory.

    ¡°Did I just not remember this? Or¡­¡±

    But he knew that was not going to happen. It was the first time that three green dungeons appeared in a row. There was no way he could not remember such a big event.

 Chapter 76

    There were three guilds and 20 people from each guild, plus Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho. The number of people for this raid for the green-colored dungeon was 62. Su-hyeun felt awkward and uncomfortable to work with so many people like this.

    <>

    This position was also called the raid leader. He never was a raid leader even in the game. So, this situation was really uncomfortable for him.

    1¡°Well, I guess what I did in Anyang was something like a raid leader.¡±

    When the outbreak of green dungeon occurred in Anyang City, Su-hyeun was the one who led the people. But at that time, he just had thought he had to gather people. He didn¡¯t think of himself as a raid leader.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho came close to Su-hyeun, who was standing at the entrance of the dungeon. He poked Su-hyeun¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Well, I was just thinking there were too many people,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°Too many?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t feel comfortable working with this many people¡­¡±

    ¡°I see. Since you always worked alone.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho nodded as if he understood. Normally, people who climbed the Tower of Trials didn¡¯t do that by themselves. They usually made a team of at least two and as many as ten. And when that happened, of course, the Tower of Trials adjusted the difficulty to the number of awakeners.

    But even if the level of difficulty increased, the party that made up for the weakness of each other was far superior to the individual. However, in the case of Su-hyeun, it was impossible to look for a party. It was the same for Hak-joon. Unless the one wished to attempt suicide, people didn¡¯t try anything higher than level 8.

    ¡°If you are capable, it is comfortable to do it alone. As always, the problem is most people are not capable of that,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    By the end of their conversation, all team members were ready.

    Su-hyeun was the one who was at the head. Since he was the only S-Rank of the raid group, he had to prepare for any risks that could happen.

    Splash¡ª

    Su-hyeun immersed his feet in the green colored sea. At that moment, he felt like he was being sucked deeply under the sea. Soon, in front of his eyes, the huge dome-shaped space appeared under the sea.

    <>

    It looked like a dungeon in the sea, like an underwater city. It was a world that would appear in a movie. Numerous huge ships sank and fell on the ground. Countless buildings were scattered around. Above was the sea, but underneath was land. It was a wonderful experience.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho and other awakeners who followed Su-hyeun also admired. It was an amazing dungeon that even surprised a person like Su-hyeun, who had experienced many dungeons. It was natural that other people were amazed.

    ¡°Is it like Atlantis? What kind of dungeon is so gorgeous like this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a normal dungeon,¡± Su-hyeun said as he looked around.

    The other guild masters including Lee Kang-hee responded, ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? The level of the dungeon is¡­¡±

    ¡°Light,¡± Su-hyeun said as he pointed the above, ¡°the light comes all the way down here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°We are at the bottom of the ocean. No matter how shallow the depth, the light doesn¡¯t come through all the way to the bottom. Especially not this clear.¡±

    What Su-hyeun said was true. In the case of a typical cave-shaped dungeon, there was no way to get the sunlight. In this case, they just thought that it was bright because the top was not blocked. But Su-hyeun¡¯s realistic sense did not miss even a small thing. First of all, he doubted about the background of the dungeon.

    Kyao, kyao¡ª

    Miru, who was laying around Su-hyeun¡¯s neck, suddenly began to cry. It raised its head to the top.

    Su-hyeun muttered, stroking Miru¡¯s head, ¡°I guess it won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes. Lee Ju-ho looked at Su-hyeun and swallowed with tension.

    ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s move!¡±

    Somebody urged from behind. He was Lee Kang-hee. Then, the other two guild masters raised their voices toward him.

    ¡°Hey, why are you in such a hurry? We have to figure out the structure of the dungeon first.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s trust Su-hyeun and wait for now.¡±

    One of them was the Gambler¡¯s guild master, Park Mo-young. The other was Red Devil¡¯s guild master Kim Taek-hyun. Lee Kang-hee crumbled his face as if he didn¡¯t like the other two who complained to him. Read more chapters at Listnovel.com

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. As Mr. Kang-hee said, there is nothing to figure out here now. Let¡¯s slowly move and see,¡± Su-hyeun said and began to walk.

    Lee Kang-hee glanced at the two men once and led members of Papillon Guild. The other two guilds were followed as well. The city was quiet. Even though more than 60 people moved together, they felt unnatural that the sounds from their footsteps were filling the whole space.

    ¡°It is so quiet.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho, who muttered in a very quiet voice, was surprised and closed his mouth. He didn¡¯t expect his voice to sound so loud. It was that quiet.

    ¡°What are you so nervous? Relax,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help it. It is so quiet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better to deal with the monster¡¯s raids. This quiet dungeon is better than a noisy forest with birds chirping and beast crying.¡±

    ¡°Well. That makes sense but¡­¡±

    It was amazing that Lee Ju-ho was able to think so reasonably even in this eerie situation. He shook his head and changed the topic.

    ¡°This place. Is this a place like Atlantis?¡±

    ¡°Probably not.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Here is the underwater city, too.¡±

    ¡°But still.¡±

    Su-hyeun was sure that this place was not Atlantis. There was nothing to say to explain why. Even if he told him the truth ¡ª that he had visited Atlantis ¡ª he would not believe him.

    <> Su-hyeun thought.

    This place was not more prosperous than Atlantis, and it was much more severely destroyed, just like a ghost city.

    <>

    He could not feel any signs or gazes, even though he was paying attention to all his five senses.

    Krrr¡ª

    That time, Miru started crying low. Su-hyeun turned his head.

    ¡°Watch out, left and right!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Hundreds of arrows came from all sides. They were not ordinary arrows. Each one of them was powerful enough to penetrate an iron plate. Because it was not a living monster, there was no sign. It was a trap.

    Swoosh¡ª!

    Woosh, whoosh¡ª!

    Flames soared from all sides. They weakened the arrows. More than 60 awakeners either struck or blocked such arrows one by one.

    Swish, swiiish¡ª

    But the arrows were not stopped. The arrows with magic came from all in different directions. Su-hyeun wrapped the area with his Flame skill and looked around.

    <>

    Looking at the trajectory, he could tell where the arrows came from. The problem was the distance.

    ¡°To destroy all the traps from here¡­¡±

    Purr¡ª

    That time, Miru cried while watching Su-hyeun.

    <>

    He nodded and asked, ¡°You know how to do it, right?¡±

    Purr¡ª!

    Miru answered with spirit. Su-hyeun was a little nervous. Miru was only five days old.

    <>

    Who would believe in their child if not their own father?

    Schwing¡ª

    Su-hyeun drew his sword out of the scabbard. He injected his magic to the sword. Then, he closed his eyes and felt the trajectory of the arrow. The situation was similar to the training done in the basement of Authority building.

    The distance was far, but the difficulty was easier. Unlike the slabs, the traps didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Hey, Miru,¡± Su-hyeun called.

    Purr¡ª

    Miru cried low.

    Whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª

    The magic that was injected into the sword was amplified and quickly grew out of power. Before the power disappeared, Su-hyeun quickly swung the sword.

    Swish¡ª

    The magic shot through the sword was shattered into numerous branches. They flew towards the traps working from side to side.

    Wham, wham¡ª

    Crack, crack¡ª

    The number of arrows that came flying was significantly reduced. Su-hyeun gathered his magic to the sword again. Miru did the same. To be precise, Miru was amplifying the power of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Good. Like that¡­¡±

    Clang¡ª

    Wham, wham¡ª

    Su-hyeun who smashed all the remaining traps looked at Miru with a grin.

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    Meow¡ª!

    1Miru answered with excitement at Su-hyeun¡¯s praise. In the meantime, other awakeners who were in the panic looked at Su-hyeun with confused faces.

    ¡°W-what was that? What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°Did he just intercept all the traps from here?¡±

    They saw it, but they could not believe it. Lee Ju-ho would have been the same as them if he had not seen Su-hyeun before. What Su-hyeun just did was something like a superhuman skill.

    <> Lee Ju-ho thought, <>

    He wondered if Su-hyeun could focus more in an actual fight. This was not just a matter of strong and weak. Su-hyeun quickly figured out where the traps were. He focused his magic and controlled to distribute it. The accuracy was amazing, too. It was not possible if any of them were lacking. Originally, it was a task for dozens of people, not just one. But Su-hyeun did it all by himself.

    ¡°You make me speechless,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°You can skip the praise. Everybody all right?¡±

    The other awakeners nodded.

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    ¡°Everybody is fine.¡±

    ¡°We are the same.¡±

    Fortunately, there was no injury because of the quick response.

    Su-hyeun nodded as if he was relieved and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s keep going.¡±

    Su-hyeun began to walk again. The team which had been stopped for a while moved again. Lee Ju-ho walked close to Su-hyeun. He looked at Miru who was making purr sounds. It was smiling, lost the plot.

    ¡°Was that Miru¡¯s ability? Amplifying your magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is still young, so it couldn¡¯t do anything but a simple supporting role.¡±

    ¡°That was a way better than just a simple supporting role. Do you know how hard to get magic boosting items?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t only boost the magic. It also can help to increase Strength, Agility, and other physical abilities,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Lee Ju-ho was speechless at that response.

    <> he thought.

    This was quite comparable to some fraudulent items. It was not even one year old. Lee Ju-ho was amazed by Miru.

    ¡°Hey, Miru?¡±

    Purr¡ª?

    At Lee Ju-ho¡¯s friendly calling, Miru tilted its head sideways.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be close friends.¡±

    Grrrrrr¡ª

    Miru exposed its teeth as if it only cared for its father. Lee Ju-ho, who felt like he was dumped by a woman who had a secret crush, shook his head and sighed out.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    At that time, Su-hyeun stopped walking and looked around as if he was embarrassed.

    Lee Ju-ho asked in a weak voice, ¡°What is wrong?¡±

    ¡°This place¡­¡±

    Clink¡ª Clink¡ª

    ¡°¡­might be a little troublesome dungeon,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    They could hear a shrill sound from everywhere.

 Chapter 77

    Other awakeners who had not felt anything until then began to be wary of the unpleasant, shrill sound. But still, the sound was only heard ¡ª nothing happened.

    ¡°What-what is this sound?¡±

    ¡°Monsters?¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Any experienced awakener would know what this sound was. And the awakeners in this place were at least B-Rank. Even if one did not have enough experience in dungeon attacks, everyone in here had experienced the Tower of Trials many times.

    ¡°Is it¡­the sound of armor?¡± Lee Ju-ho also noticed what sound it was.

    Su-hyeun nodded and answered, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s probably the sound of unfixed armors shaking and bumping each other.¡±

    ¡°Why can we hear the armor sound in here¡­? No, why that is only sound can we hear?¡±

    ¡°It is more than just a sound,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°They are coming.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    In response to an irrelevant answer from Su-hyeun, Lee Ju-ho lifted his head following Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze.

    At that moment, Lee Ju-ho shouted reflexively, ¡°It¡¯s coming from above!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Above?¡±

    Everybody looked up. Soon, they could see a giant shadow and small falling objects.

    ¡°Incoming!¡±

    Bam, bam, bam¡ª

    Clink, clank¡ª

    Numerous armor fell from above. The awakeners quickly scattered in all directions. They had gathered together so far, but there was no choice but to avoid falling armor. In the meantime, some people from the same guild gathered together. It seemed like the colleagues who had been working together for a long time had a similar sense to avoid the enemy.

    <> Su-hyeun thought.

    He looked around the fallen armor. The only one who did not avoid them was Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Hey, Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°L-look¡­!¡±

    Lee Ju-ho shouted to Su-hyeun. Other people were surprised to find the truth about the fallen armor. They had thought it would be monsters wearing armor, but the armor itself was moving when they checked again.

    ¡°Ghosts?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be deceived! It might be a trick!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! We always have strange things before!¡±

    The guild masters were encouraging other guild members. It looked like there was a reason why they became the guild masters. Su-hyeun, on the other hand, was more focused on understanding the situation than taking care of the awakeners under him.

    ¡°It looks like they came¡­¡±

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun punched the armor that rushed to him and looked up.

    <<¡­from the ship over there,>> he thought.

    He got an idea about the background and the theme of this dungeon. He looked around the empty armor that surrounded him.

    ¡°It is different from the headless knight, Dullahan. Probably¡­¡±

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun cut the nearest armor from top to bottom.

    Clang, clang¡ª

    The armor broke in the two pieces and fell to the ground. The inside of the armor was empty, as Su-hyeun had expected. At that moment, he quickly checked the small patterns on the inside of the armor.

    ¡°It looks like the soul has tied to the armor with some sort of magical device.¡±

    Each armor had a soul in it. And if the soul could be considered as a life, this armor could be called a monster.

    <>

    The people who had scattered in all directions now looked at Su-hyeun. And then, they saw Su-hyeun¡¯s action and realized what was the moving armor was. It would be easy to handle now. The armor might have looked scary, but it wasn¡¯t all that threatening.

    ¡°Do you mind if I leave it to you?¡± Su-hyeun asked Lee Ju-ho, who was standing far away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho, who grasped the situation, nodded his head. Su-hyeun grinned and raised his sword. The armor was coming closer to Su-hyeun, narrowing the siege little by little.

    <> Su-hyeun counted in his mind.

    Purr¡ª!

    Whirl, whirl¡ª

    Again, the magic was amplified from his sword. The magic that wrapped around Gram shined for a moment. There was a flash everywhere. People could hear a cracking sound around Su-hyeun.

    Cling, clang¡ª

    Clank, clank¡ª

    Much of the armor fell to the ground. About 20 meters around Su-hyeun, hundreds of pieces of armor fell at once. Even though they were empty and weak armor, there were too many of them. Thankfully, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword killed a lot of them at once.

    ¡°That is my present before I go,¡± Su-hyeun said, looking at each of the three guild maters. Then, he jumped from where he stood.

    The place where Su-hyeun jumped to was a huge ship that appeared directly above. Kim Taek-hyun, the guild master of the Red Devil, asked, ¡°Are all S-rank awakeners like that?¡±

    Park Mo-young, the guild master of the Gambler Guild answered that question.

    ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    They had never seen S-Rank awakeners¡¯ fight. All three of them were also called talented in the A-Rank group. But when they saw Su-hyeun¡¯s ability with their own eyes, it was something hard to believe.

    ¡°What are you doing?

    Lee Kang-hee distorted his face and yelled to the guild members.

    ¡°Sweep them all away!¡±

    ***

    Swish, bang¡ª

    The ship was higher than he thought. In the end, Su-hyeun had to use the Imoogi skill to raise his leap and barely arrived at the ship.

    ¡°Wow. It is huge.¡±

    The ship that floated above and blocked the light like a cloud was as big as a small island.

    <>

    The empty armor fell from the ship, but where did this ship come from? The theme of the dungeon was still covered in a veil.

    <>

    Su-hyeun climbed up on the bottom of the ship, which he had barely caught. He had made a hole under the boat with his sword and went inside. The bottom of the ship was empty. It looked like the armor was hidden here.

    <>

    He wondered if he made a trip in vain. But still, he looked around carefully. Soon, he found a staircase leading up.

    Thump, thump¡ª

    The sound of the steps came to his ears clearly because it was so quiet. This wooden ship made a rustling sound, as old as it was. When he reached the top of the stairs, he smiled.

    ¡°Yup. There are still some here.¡±

    Rattle¡ª

    When he opened the upper door to go to the deck of the ship, the light that was hidden by the door so far was finally revealed.

    Clang, Clank¡ª

    Rattle¡ª

    There was a ton of empty armor. The number looked similar to the armor shown below. Half of them still remained here.

    ¡°No. Not just a half.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked carefully among the armor filled on the deck. He found a giant armor sitting on the top of the bow. It held a helmet in its hand.

    <>

    It was similar to Dullahan, but a little different. Dullahan usually held his head, not a hollow helmet. It could be one of two options. This one was something that either evolved from Dullahan or degraded from it.

    [Are you our enemy?]

    The voice rang.

    The ringing voice made it unclear where it came from.

    Clang¡ª

    At that moment, Dullahan got up from where he sat. It was his voice.

    ¡°I am probably your enemy,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    [Probably?]

    ¡°Let me ask you one question. Depending on your answer, I could be your guest. Of course, if you think of me as a guest.¡±

    [Ask.]

    ¡°If you could get out of this place, would you attack people outside?¡±

    [Yes.]

    Dullahan clenched his fist. It looked like he firmly determined something.

    [I will kill all living things. That is our mission. We will kill all the living things and defy our deaths since there is no way we will survive again.]

    It was a selfish notion indeed. Since there was no way for the dead to survive, they would kill all living things to make everything equal. Su-hyeun crumpled his face. He wanted to hear what he would say, but what he said was just nonsense.

    ¡°Then if you planned to kill anyway, why did you ask me if I were your enemy? Su-hyeun asked.

    [Becasue I do not want to fight against you.]

    ¡°Why?¡±

    [You are dangerous. You have the power to kill us, the dead ones, again. So, I don¡¯t want to fight.]

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    The power he mentioned probably meant the Flame skill.

    Even without that, they would die if he destroyed the magic circle engraved inside of the armor. But it looked like they were afraid of his Flame the most.

    ¡°So, does that mean you guys distinguish the weak ones and strong ones when you fight?¡±

    [Of course. We do not want to experience death again.]

    ¡°Are you afraid to die?¡±

    [Of course.]

    ¡°Then how do you kill living people? You know it is scary.¡±

    [That is why we are going to kill them. We will kill all living things and make them share our emotions. Then, the dead ones will no longer be treated as dead.]

    ¡°So since you guys can¡¯t be happy, other people should not be happy either. Is that what you are saying?¡±

    Su-hyeun bit his lips. It was because he remembered bad memories. There was a guy who had said the same thing: Lich King.

    ¡°You are irritating me, really¡­.¡± Su-hyeun said.

    He had met intelligent monsters many times, but each time he could not help his feelings of disgust. Ignorant monsters who were not intelligent did not pick who to kill. But intelligent monsters liked to pick and kill their opponents.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Su-hyeun said again.

    Grrr¡ª

    Miru cried low as if it felt Su-hyeun¡¯s feeling.

    Thump¡ª

    Su-hyeun started to walk toward Dullahan.

    Clang¡ª

    Clank¡ª

    Hundreds of pieces of armor split from side to side, making a road. The magic that spewed from Su-hyeun split the floor.

    ¡°I know a b*stard like you.¡±

    Thump¡ª

    ¡°There is a very, very bad son of a b*tch,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    It was one of the worst monsters Su-hyeun could remember.

    Lich King. He was the god of the dead and the king of Liches. He was different from other monsters that were simply strong.

    He took even the rest of the dead ones and drowned them in their eternal torment.

    <>

    They looked similar too. It was just a difference between the skull and armor. But it was the same that they both died. Su-hyeun was furious. He had to blow off steam.

    ¡°Thank you for bringing back the dirty memories. In return¡ª¡±

    Crack¡ª

    Crunch¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed one armor that came close to him and twisted it with his hand. He lifted his eyes.

    ¡°¡ªI will definitely kill you. I promise.¡±

 Chapter 78

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    Slash¡ª!

    Hundreds of armors were cut off and fell on the deck, one by one. Each armor had miscellaneous weapons such as a sword, spear, or ax. They moved like well-trained elite troops. They were especially more agile when Su-hyeun got closer to Dullahan. Among them were armored soldiers that could use magic.

    ¡°So they are not all the same,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Every one of them looked like they had been well-trained in life. Some looked like they had possibly been knights before. It was not an ordinary army.

    ¡°Or they were given power after they died.¡±

    Individually, none was very special, with less power than a monster in a green dungeon. The problem was their number, organization, and locations of the magic circles.

    Slash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun cut the armor in half, but it did not fall. One of the two half-split bodies swung the sword at Su-hyeun. He dodged the sword and checked the location of the magic circle engraved inside the armor.

    ¡°Is it on the arm-side this time?¡± he thought.

    Crack¡ª!

    He reached out and twisted the inside of the magical armor. When the magic circle broke, the soul escaped as the armor stopped moving. Su-hyeun looked around the remaining half of the armor.

    ¡°Somebody used the brain,¡± he mumbled.

    He assumed this would be difficult enough for the people underneath. The armor itself was very hard. It looked like it was enchanted. So it was too hard to destroy the whole thing. And the locations of the magic circles were all different. That made it difficult to find and destroy each one. It was either wasting power or accepting inconvenience to fight with these armors.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun thrust his sword at an oncoming armor.

    Swish¡ª!

    Boom¡ª!

    He put his sword to the joint of the armor and caused an explosion. He continued to move around the field, targeting the different armors. Each time, he found the joint, stabbed his sword, and unleashed his Flame skill inside the empty armors. He did not need to cut through the solid armor¡ªthe important thing was that destroying the magic circle inside. As long as they kept the magic circle, they would not die. So all he had to do was burn them.

    [This is amazing. Very amazing.]

    Clang, clang, clang¡ª!

    Dullahan, who sat alone on his bow far away, started to clap. Then, a hollow, metallic sound echoed on the bow.

    [You are different from the strong idiots down here. You are a real knight with strength and skill.]

    The applause praised Su-hyeun¡¯s ability. Su-hyeun stopped for a moment and looked at Dullahan.

    He thought the compliment was ridiculous. But suddenly, he felt a little discomfort from what Dullahan said.

    ¡°Were you watching the fights down here, too?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    He didn¡¯t answer. But Su-hyeun could figure it out.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re sharing the vision with these guys,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Dullahan remained quiet. Su-hyeun thought if Dullahan had a face and expression, it would be crumpled by now.

    ¡°Is it because your head is empty? You can¡¯t even think like a monster. At least they keep their mouths shut, so they do not show their stupidity,¡± Su-hyeun sarcastically remarked.

    [How do you mock your opponent as a knight? Shame on you.]

    ¡°What about you guys? The so-called knights gang up on one person. Shame on you.¡±

    Crack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun stared at Dullahan while he approached him.

    ¡°You wait right there. I will clean these all, crush your armor, and sell it to a junk shop.¡±

    [You used a skill Provocation. You will be recognized as an enemy, except for the target you specify.]

    As the skill activated, armored soldiers on deck rushed toward Su-hyeun. Dullahan, who had planned to exhaust Su-hyeun¡¯s physical strength slowly, shouted in surprise. [Stop! Keep the formation!]

    The soldiers did not listen to his command because they were more influenced by Su-hyeun¡¯s skill than Dullahan¡¯s order.

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s movement emitted light among the hundreds of armored soldiers. He thrust his sword at the joint of each armor, unleashed his Flame skill, and destroyed the magic circle. The immortal army that could move without limbs dropped easily.

    [I can¡¯t believe it!] Dullahan was more surprised than before. As Su-hyeun had said, Dullahan was able to share his sight and mind with the armored soldiers. It was the power given to him, the chief of the dead soldiers. It allowed him to see other awakeners who were fighting underneath, and he could check their level. Even though Su-hyeun was strong, Dullahan thought he would not be much different from other people.

    On the other hand, no matter how strong Su-hyeun was, he would have had to work hard to take down an army this size. But something unexpected happened¡ªSu-hyeun was knocking down armor soldiers with minimal strength and stamina.

    Purr¡ª!

    Whizz, whizz¡ª

    As Miru¡¯s support continued, Su-hyeun moved so fast it was like he had wings. Although Miru was young, he was sharp-sighted. As far as his strength allowed, Miru continued to give Su-hyeun appropriate support.

    ¡°Thank you, my son,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Purr¡ª! Miru shook his head with excitement at Su-hyeun¡¯s praise.

    Now there were about a hundred of them left. That was an amount that Su-hyeun could knock down within minutes.

    ¡°I need to speed up,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Swish¡ª!

    At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword turned upward.

    Clang¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª!

    A heavy armor fell from above. It swung a huge sword over Su-hyeun¡¯s head. It was a surprise blow but did not affect Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun lifted his sword and blocked instead of dodging. But the shabby deck had an issue.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª!

    Crack¡ª!

    The deck collapsed and Su-hyeun fell. A dark, large space appeared. Light came through the collapsed deck above. Soon, the remaining armored soldier followed. As soon as he landed, Su-hyeun got ready. He looked at the armor that had just attacked him.

    ¡°Are you moving, too? Finally?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    It was Dullahan, a huge armor about three meters tall with a helmet in his hand. He started to move.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Filled with black magic was enough for Dullahan to be called as the leader of the armored soldiers.

    Clang¡ª!

    The armored soldiers came down under the deck and made a large circle around Su-hyeun and Dullahan.

    Su-hyeun looked around at those armored soldiers and said, ¡°I guess your head¡¯s not totally empty.¡±

    Dullahan¡¯s ability was that he could share vision with his soldiers. In other words, he could see Su-hyeun¡¯s movement from all directions. It was a pretty big advantage in a one-on-one fight. That was why Dullahan moved before all the soldiers were killed by Su-hyeun. He wanted to take Su-hyeun¡¯s energy as much as possible, but that plan had failed.

    [Do not trample the honor of the knight!]

    Dullahan rushed toward Su-hyeun as if he felt offended by his words. Due to Dullahan¡¯s size, the movement was almost impossible to believe Even though the inside of the armor was empty, the armor itself was several times heavier than the weight of a normal adult man. But his speed was incredible despite that weight.

    Whizz¡ª!

    Clang¡ª!

    Of course, the destructive power was not something negligible. Su-hyeun stepped back as he saw the floor cut off by Dullahan¡¯s sword. Dullahan quickly checked where Su-hyeun moved and immediately followed.

    Whizz¡ª!

    Clank¡ª!

    Dullahan¡¯s sword backed off and hit Su-hyeun, who jumped. He was certainly strong. Moreover, the black magic that spouted from the armor doubled his power. His swordsmanship and posture were also flawless. He had said that he was a knight when he was alive. It seemed like he was a pretty good one. But¡­

    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯re good at?¡±

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    [The Transfiguration Skill: Imoogi.]

    The scales of Imoogi started to grow on Su-hyeun¡¯s body. As skill proficiency increased, so did the range of the scales. Now they covered his entire arm, below his neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m good at that, too,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    [What?]

    Whizz¡ª!

    Su-hyeun stretched out his arm. Dullahan, who had hesitated a little, rushed to Su-hyeun. The iron armor was huge and had massive force. As Su-hyeun had said, Dullahan was confident in his power. Not only in physical size but also the magic that amplified his power. So to him, there was no reason to avoid Su-hyeun¡¯ sword.

    Clank¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s small, shabby sword and Dullahan¡¯s big sword hit each other. And at that moment¡­

    Boom¡ª!

    Dullahan¡¯s heavy armor bounced back, then fell on the empty armored soldiers, crushing them.

    [What¡­the¡­]

    He could not understand what had just happened. He could not believe that he was pushed out by the power. The armored soldiers hurriedly pulled him up.

    Thump, thump¡ª!

    Su-hyeun walked toward Dullahan. Dullahan raised his sword again, thinking that what had just happened was impossible.

    ¡°That sword is pretty hard,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Swish¡ª!

    Again, Su-hyeun swung his sword at Dullahan.

    Clang¡ª!

    Whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª!

    Unlike before, Dullahan did not bounce off. He stiffened his legs and endured. He thought that if he lost strength, there would be no way he could win. But that judgment was rather a factor to accelerate defeat.

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    Clang¡ª!

    Dullahan¡¯s sword broke into pieces. And those pieces flew everywhere. Dullahan stepped back reflexively. Su-hyeun did not miss.

    Slash¡ª

    Clank¡ª

    Dullahan¡¯s vision slowly tilted and fell to the side. He was sure he did not move. He was in wonder and checked himself through the shared vision of another armored soldier. Then he looked down at his legs.

    [Uh¡­?]

    Bam¡ª!

    His legs were cut. Since he could not feel the pain, he even did not realize it. He had not seen it through the vision of his soldiers. Hundreds of eyes could not follow the sword of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Not even a million eyes can allow you to see the invisible,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    He pointed to the head in Dullahan¡¯s hand with the tip of his sword.

    [N-no¡­]

    ¡°If you took it for granted to kill someone.¡±

    Stab¡ª!

    ¡°You, too, take death for granted.¡±

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª!

    Boom¡ª!

    The fire of Flame skill burst in Dullahan¡¯s helmet and destroyed the magic circle that held his soul.

    Rattle¡ª!

    Boom¡ª!

    Dullahan¡¯s body finally fell. Su-hyeun looked around at the remaining armored soldiers. The subordinates who lost their head looked like they also lost their fighting spirit.

    ¡°It was too easy,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    It was much more difficult than the yellow-colored dungeon. But still, it was too easy compared to the discomfort he had felt when he entered the dungeon.

    ¡°Something still remains. Something I missed. Maybe¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He raised his head and looked up. Through the broken deck, he could see the sea. Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes. He saw something far off. And it was getting closer.

 Chapter 79

    ¡°Of course. It was not over yet,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Dullahan was not weak but if it ended like this, it would have been too easy to be a green-colored dungeon ¡ª Dullahan was the level of a boss of a yellow-colored dungeon, not a green-colored dungeon. Perhaps the real boss would be the one that came closer right at the moment. It had to be a big creature that Su-hyeun could see with his naked eyes despite the distance.

    <> Su-hyeun thought.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The ship began to move gradually. It moved upward. In the beginning, the ship appeared from the sea, and it looked like it was going back to where it was originally.

    ¡°It is not a usual ship,¡± he mumbled.

    This ship was too big for only Dullahan and his armor soldiers. It was at least a few kilometers long. It was almost like a small island. Furthermore, as the ship was floating, it was obvious that there was a power source moving the ship.

    Rumble¡ª

    The ship was headed upward little by little. Su-hyeun went inside of the ship. When he went deeper into the ship, he could see the structure of it.

    ¡°This ship¡­ is alive.¡±

    He knew it was not an ordinary ship, but he did not expect that this ship would be like a living thing.

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Su-hyeun turned his body and said, ¡°Hey, Miru?¡±

    Purr¡ª?

    ¡°Can I ask you a favor?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Damn. There are too many.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho, who cut off the armor soldiers one by one, stopped a moment and took a breath. Although he complained, the situation was not bad. Many of the armor soldiers were destroyed so there were not many left now. He did not even need to help anymore. Other people from the three guilds were pushing the armor soldiers more competitively to get more contributions.

    ¡°At first, it was tricky because we did not know their weaknesses. But it is not difficult anymore since we know them.¡±

    Kim Taek-hyun, who held his cane in his hand, approached Lee Ju-ho and said it looked like he did not much care about the contributions. ¡°I heard you were a B-Rank awakener. Did you become an A-Rank? I didn¡¯t hear any news,¡± Kim Taek-hyun said.

    He had been watching Lee Ju-ho¡¯s battle against the armor soldiers quite carefully. And even in this mess, he noticed that Lee Ju-ho was using about Grade 6 magic.

    ¡°It has been a while. I will take a reexamination soon.¡± Lee Ju-ho replied without any hesitation because he did not intend to hide it in the first place. This dungeon was just a stage to expand his experience and experiment with his new skills.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Kim Taek-hyun looked at Lee Ju-ho carefully and said, ¡°If you are interested, please join our Red Devil Guild. You won¡¯t be disappointed by the remuneration we give you.¡±

    ¡°Join your guild?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°Yes. As long as you are interested. Ha-ha!¡±

    It was an unexpected recruitment. But to Lee Ju-ho, it was a proposal not even worth thinking about.

    ¡°Sorry, but I am fine. If I wanted to join any guild, I probably would have done so a long time ago,¡± Lee Ju-ho refused.

    At the instant refusal, Kim Taek-hyun smacked his lips as if he felt shame. He wanted to recruit Lee Ju-ho, who became an A-Rank. But he also thought it would be a great opportunity if he could make some sort of relationship with Su-hyeun through Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°How many people are hurt?¡± Lee Ju-ho, who didn¡¯t want to talk about the uncomfortable conversation, changed the subject. Kim Taek-hyun knew the reason why Lee Ju-ho did that, but he answered, pretending not to know.

    ¡°There are about two people in my guild. They¡¯re not big injuries either.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡±

    If two people were injured in the Red Devil Guild, the other guilds would have a similar situation. About one in ten was injured and the injuries were not serious. This was not much damage. If the green-colored dungeon attack stopped at this much damage, it would be a great success.

    ¡°But it¡¯s a little strange. It can¡¯t be this easy,¡± Kim Taek-hyun said.

    Lee Ju-ho totally agreed with Kim Taek-hyun¡¯s opinion. It was his first time to attack a green-colored dungeon, but since he received the reports, he knew the approximate data.

    ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t over yet.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you are right.¡±

    They had not searched the whole city yet. Perhaps there were more traps and monsters left. If that were true, it could have been the reason why the fight was over with so little damage.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check the injured people as soon as we¡¯re done here,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    Kim Taek-hyun nodded and asked, ¡°But where did Mr. Kim Su-hyeun go?¡±

    ¡°I think he is investigating the ship over there.¡±

    ¡°Why is he taking so long¡­?¡±

    Purr¡ª

    At that moment, they could hear a familiar sound. It was Miru. Miru flew toward Lee Ju-ho, circling the sky.

    Lee Ju-ho asked in surprise, ¡°Miru! Why are you here alone¡­?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Mr. Su-hyeun¡¯s divine beast?¡± Kim Taek-hyun asked.

    He was surprised since the divine beast that Su-hyeun had wrapped around his neck flew to them alone. Both of them thought something might have gone wrong with Su-hyeun. If that happened, attacking this dungeon would be impossible.

    Purr, purr¡ª!

    Miru flew in front of Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes and fluttered its tail. At that moment, Lee Ju-ho found a small piece of paper tied to Miru¡¯s tail.

    ¡°Paper?¡±

    Purr¡ª

    Miru stuck out the tail to him. Lee Ju-ho carefully unwrapped the paper so that it would not be torn up. When he opened the paper, something was written on it.

    [I will break this floating ship. I will give you ten minutes. Everybody evacuates.]

    ¡°W-w-what?¡±

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    The two men who read the paper became panicked. They lifted their heads and looked up at the floating ship.

    ¡°Is he going to break that ship?¡±

    ¡°If that happens¡­¡±

    ¡°Everybody! Run away!¡± Kim Taek-hyun shouted as loud as he could.

    Lee Kang-hee, who was finishing up the armor soldiers, asked, ¡°Run away? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°What is happening¡­?¡±

    ¡°The ship will fall! Hurry up!¡±

    ¡°What? What?¡±

    Everyone got busy. They all thought one thing: they had to run away.

    ***

    ¡°Everybody is running away well.¡±

    Su-hyeun sat on the bow of the ship and looked down at the ground. He could see the people who started to run away after they got the note that he had sent with Miru. They were small like dots, but he could tell they were in a panic. He felt a little sorry, but he couldn¡¯t just leave this ship alone. He felt uncomfortable.

    <>

    He got up from where he sat.

    Purr¡ª!

    Miru flew back just in time. Actually, he came faster than Su-hyeun expected.

    <>

    Su-hyeun stroked Miru¡¯s head and said, ¡°Good job, son.¡±

    Purr, purr¡ª!

    He wanted to play more with Miru, who was rubbing his face on him. But he had no time to do that. The people below were finishing the evacuation. In fact, even if the ship fell down, people could run away by themselves since they were skilled enough to attack the green-colored dungeon.

    The preparations were now over. Even though it was an old ship, to break this huge thing, he needed to spend quite a bit of energy. So, there was something he had prepared.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would use these this way.¡±

    Su-hyeun threw a nail-sized red stone that he had held.

    Chink, chink¡ª

    That red stone was the last one. He had evenly sprayed the stones. The red stones were the work of Kim Dae-ho.

    ***

    ¡°I made these from the Ether stone you had brought. They were difficult to make. So, don¡¯t waste them.¡±

    ¡°Where can I use these?¡±

    ¡°They are magic amplifiers.¡±

    ¡°Magic amplifiers?¡±

    ¡°The connection between stones will make a path that magic can go through. And then, it amplifies the magic power instantly. It is like the better version of a magic circle that awakeners use.¡±

    Although the description was poor, Su-hyeun quickly grasped the usage of the items. In other words, they were a medium for creating a magic circle. The form of the circle was pretty simple.

    ¡°I said it was a magic circle, but the form does not really matter. You can make like a circle or you can put them in a row. As long as you can make a line, they will become a great amplifier.¡±

    ¡°I guess they will be useful to make a trap or something.¡±

    ¡°Not just for a trap,¡± Kim Dae-ho laughed proudly and said, ¡°It¡¯s best when you destroy things.¡±

    ***

    In fact, these red stones were difficult to use although Kim Da-ho put a lot of effort into making them. To use this item, Su-hyeun had to install the stones in many places. So, when he had to deal with a moving monster, it was a useless item. This item was just good to set traps. But in this situation, it was a different story.

    <>

    Rumble¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    The red stones that he had spread on the floor began to glow. At that moment, Su-hyeun turned his body. The reason he chose the bow as the place for the last stone was that way he could run away quickly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s run away!¡±

    Purr¡ª

    About the moment that Su-hyeun jumped¡ª

    Bam¡ª!

    Boom¡ª!

    ¡ªdozens of explosions occurred within the huge ship.

    ***

    Rumble¡ª

    Boom, boom¡ª

    The remains of the huge ship fell down. Seeing that, Lee Ju-ho opened his mouth.

    ¡°What the hell did he do up there?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡±

    Thump¡ª

    At the voice from behind, Lee Ju-ho turned his body. At the back, Su-hyeun was about to land on the ground.

    ¡°I feel uncomfortable to leave that ship like that,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°What was the ship for?¡±

    ¡°That ship was alive. If I didn¡¯t break it, it would bring more armor soldiers.¡±

    ¡°What? The ship¡­was alive?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s talk about it later. It is not over yet.¡±

    Su-hyeun pointed up as he spoke. Although the smoke from the explosion covered above, Lee Ju-ho could see something where Su-hyeun was pointing with his finger.

    ¡°Wh-What is that?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°Can you see?¡±

    ¡°What the hell is so big like that?¡±

    At the surprised Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice, people ran to them from all the sides.

    ¡°Mr. Su-hyeun! What the hell is that?¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­?¡±

    The giant octopus was now close enough for everyone to see.

    ¡°Have you guys ever watched <>¡±

    Su-hyeun now seemed to be able to figure out the theme and background of this dungeon. He could tell the identity of the ship and the identity of armor soldiers, including Dullahan, and the giant octopus that was coming to the big city under the sea from over there.

    ¡°That is Kraken,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Kraken¡­¡±

    ¡°The name is not important now. Can¡¯t you see how big that monster is?¡±

    Lee Kang-hee made a great fuss. Kraken looked as big as a World Cup stadium. The overwhelming pressure that came from the size was not something that compared to any other monsters. Kraken was bigger than Igolas.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Su-hyeun answered as if it was nothing. ¡°Won¡¯t you catch it because it is so big?¡±

 Chapter 80

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun spoke as if it was an insignificant thing. Lee Kang-hee also felt like it was not a big deal. At the embarrassing expression of Lee Kang-hee, Su-hyeun clicked his tongue.

    ¡°How can he be so scared by the size of the monster, even before he actually fights?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Suddenly, the awakeners from the three guilds who had been hiding returned. They gathered around Su-hyeun, who looked around at them and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Everybody takes a position.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s voice was very low. The enchanting voice spread loud and clear. At the same time, it calmed the more nervous among the group because they could not feel any tension from Su-hyeun¡¯s voice.

    ¡°It will take a while for that slow octopus to come here. We have enough time to get ready,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    What he said was correct. They could only see Kraken because it was so big, but it looked like it would take a while before it would actually arrive. Until then, they could finish their preparations. The panicked party planned to reclaim their peace, even if it took time. If a fearless leader was present, people would feel less scared. And that was the first and the most important virtue for the leader of the raid.

    ¡°Kraken¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Although he met it in an unexpected place, that wasn¡¯t a scary creature.

    ¡°Although it might be a little annoying.¡±

    That was what Su-hyeun thought about Kraken. It would be annoying, but it was not impossible to kill. If the others could cooperate, it would be possible to catch it without too much damage.

    However, that was only if people did not freak out because of its size. Or¡­

    ¡°From now on, everybody will do as I say.¡± Su-hyeun used his influence as a raid leader for the first time. ¡°Does anyone here have a fire or electric shock skill?¡±

    With those words, some raised their hands.

    ***

    Act 7

    Rumble¡ª!

    Kraken almost arrived. It looked far bigger as it grew closer. Those who felt some relief at Su-hyeun¡¯s words started to feel nervous again.

    ¡°It¡­it¡¯s coming!¡±

    ¡°Keep the formation and focus!¡± each guild¡¯s master shouted, but it was a vain attempt.

    Whirl¡ª!

    Boom¡ª!

    Kraken arrived and quickly disrupted the formation. To be specific, those who were frightened moved out of line to get as far from Kraken as possible.

    Grrowr¡ª!

    Kraken slowly opened its mouth and cried. As Su-hyeun had expected, Kraken was slow on land. But each leg was about a hundred meters long, so no matter how slow it was, it could not be ignored.

    ¡°What are you doing, idiots! Didn¡¯t you hear the command to keep formation?¡± Lee Kang-hee shouted to his guild¡¯s awakeners as they left their spots. In the middle of the mess, people stared at one person. Lee Kang-hee also saw the man walking towards Kraken alone.

    Lee Kang-hee mumbled while looking back, ¡°Kim Su-hyeun¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun approached Kraken. Lee Kang-hee knew what Su-hyeun would do. When they had discussed the role and position before, Su-hyeun had said something. But he could not believe that Su-hyeun moved alone.

    ¡°You¡¯re smaller than the other one,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Grrrr¡ª!

    Su-hyeun looked up at Kraken from below. ¡°Are you that Kraken¡¯s baby?¡±

    Kraken looked down at Su-hyeun, who was not sure whether it understood his words or perceived him as a threat. His Provocation skill would not work well on a monster of this size. So instead of relying on Provocation skill, he had to get its attention through other means.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun spread his Flame skill around Kraken. It reacted to the heat with anger and pain.

    Gwuuuuooo¡ª!

    It was not a smart monster. It was not hard to catch its eye.

    [Indomitable Body.]

    [The Transfiguration Skill: Imoogi.]

    [The Flame.]

    Those were a few of the highest proficiency skills Su-hyeun possessed. The color of his Flame changed to blue. It was hotter and it required more concentrated magic.

    Whiz¡ª!

    Su-hyeun jumped upward. He used his Leap skill and flew several more meters up. He still needed to kick the air a few more times to reach Kraken¡¯s head.

    Swish¡ª!

    As Su-hyeun quickly narrowed the distance, Kraken reacted immediately. While it could recognize the threat quickly, its movement was not fast enough.

    Whirl¡ª!

    Gram vibrated as if it hurried Su-hyeun to use it. Su-hyeun had saved his energy. The goal was set.

    ¡°Frist of all¡­¡± Su-hyeun mumbled.

    Stab¡ª!

    Slash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword cut Kraken¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Take its sight.¡±

    Grrrrr¡ª!

    ***

    Kraken raised its two legs and covered its eyes. The huge body swung its legs everywhere, causing chaos. The huge legs broke down the old houses around it, and Kraken opened its mouth and cried in pain.

    Looking at it, Lee Kang-hee thought, ¡°Really¡­ He really did it.¡±

    ¡°I will take away its sight first.¡±

    When Lee Kang-hee had asked how he would do that, Su-hyeun did not answer. He just said he could. That was his answer¡ªif it could even be considered an answer. Lee Kang-hee had thought Su-hyeun was bluffing. He thought what Su-hyeun had said was nonsense. But he really made it. As the title of S-Rank, Su-hyeun embodied his role perfectly.

    ¡°It lost its sight,¡± Lee Kang-hee thought.

    Kraken was struggling after it lost its sight. It looked like it did not have a good sense of smell, so this was a golden opportunity.

    ¡°What are you doing? Attack quickly!¡± Lee Kang-hee ordered awakeners of the Papillon Guild who were in their places. Each of them was a B-Rank awakener and a hand-picked soldier. Their attack skills would be enough. With their power, Kraken¡¯s size would not matter.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lee Kang-hee raised his sword and shouted.

    The awakeners capable of close combat were followed by Lee Kang-hee.

    Su-hyeun looked at them and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t get close! Use fire skill from a distance!¡±

    That was what had been decided in the beginning. People were supposed to attack from afar after Su-hyeun took Kraken¡¯s sight. That was Su-hyeun¡¯s instruction.

    ¡°From a distance?¡±

    ¡°Did he say don¡¯t get close?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that was what he said¡­¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s order, the awakeners of the Papillon Guild were flustered because the guild master and raid leader gave different commands. In such a case, they were supposed to follow Su-hyeun¡¯s order since he was the raid leader. Yet they had no choice but to read the face of Lee Kang-hee. They would not see Su-hyeun again when this dungeon attack ended, but Lee Kang-hee was different.

    Lee Kang-hee also paused for a moment at Su-hyeun¡¯s order. But the reason was different.

    ¡°What the hell do you know?¡± Lee Kang-hee thought.

    Lee Kang-hee was dissatisfied with Su-hyeun, who intercepted his command inward.

    ¡°The strategy can change depending on the circumstances.¡±

    Lee Kang-hee felt rather pathetic compared to Su-hyeun, something that Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know. Of course, there was another reason.

    ¡°The one who gets that Kraken will take the biggest contribution.¡±

    In the case of a dungeon attack through an alliance, everyone from each guild was supposed to record the contents. And the contributions were divided based on those videos and overall evaluation of the raid members. The reward of Ether stone was distributed according to those results.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! Just run!¡± Lee Kang-hee shouted.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s big but slow! Each bash is strong, so don¡¯t attack it head-on, attack the sides! It¡¯s lost its sight now!¡±

    At Lee Kang-hee¡¯s order, the members of the Papillon Guild moved quickly. He had attacked many dungeons and felt he had the experience that Su-hyeun lacked. So, he followed his own instincts.

    ¡°Idiots! Jeez!¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Whiz¡ª!

    Boom¡ª!

    It swung its leg randomly. Even though it lost its sight, the legs were still a threat. Su-hyeun hurriedly jumped to the side with Leap skill to escape its leg.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely slow.¡±

    The matter was the size, and its survival power and endurance. Its speed was not very difficult for the B-Rank awakeners. Moreover, this Kraken had lost its sight, so the accuracy of the attack was pretty low. If so, it would be possible to unilaterally damage it. Lee Kang-hee¡¯s judgment was clearly justified to some extent. But that judgment was only based on partial information.

    ¡°Get the dame away¡ª!¡± Su-hyeun shouted, but they did not listen to him. They seemed to have chosen to listen to Lee Kang-hee¡¯s instructions.

    ¡°Oh my god! Really¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun scratched his head in frustration. He knew there would be people not listening to him, but this was bad timing. It was much more effective to attack all at once from a distance than to approach dangerously close. And because they came so close, the other guilds could not attack freely.

    ¡°Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass for a sage,¡± Su-hyeun sighed.

    To bring back Kraken¡¯s attention, it looked like he had to rush.

    ¡°I will see you later,¡± Su-hyeun thought as he saw Lee Kang-hee rushing to Kraken with crazy eyes. ¡°You will die.¡±

    ***

    Swish¡ª!

    Boom, boom boom¡ª!

    The legs of Kraken hit the ground. The one old building collapsed, and the pieces flew everywhere. But no one was there. Kraken had a hard time finding the targets with his blinded eyes.

    ¡°One, two!¡±

    The awakeners of the Papillon Guild were busy fleeing Kraken¡¯s leg. Fortunately, it was not difficult to avoid. The size of the legs made them easy to see, and they were also slow and sluggish.

    ¡°We have to be careful with each shot.¡±

    ¡°It really is easier than I thought it would be.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky. It takes blows well.¡±

    The two awakeners talked continuously while dodging Kraken¡¯s legs. They were nervous at first, but now that they understood Kraken¡¯s movements, they were not difficult to dodge. If it were a game, it was like they learned a boss monster¡¯s pattern. Moreover, Kraken was distracted by the other attacks from other awakeners from all over.

    Kiyaaaaa¡ª!

    Whirl, whirl, whirl, whirl¡ª!

    An unexpected sound stabbed their ears. It was more than just a noise. As soon as they heard it, their heads were shaking and they felt nauseous. It was Kraken¡¯s cry.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ What, what is that?¡±

    ¡°Sound¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oop¡­¡±

    The effect was greater on those near Kraken. They raised their magic, blocked their ears, and tried to hold their minds, but nothing worked. The nauseous stomach made them vomit. Their eyes were shaking dizzily.

    ¡°Damn¡­ What the hell¡­¡±

    Lee Kang-hee could not believe what had just happened. He held his head with one hand, raised it and looked up. And that moment¡­

    ¡°Damn¡­ The eyes!¡±

    His eyes met Kraken as it regained its sight.

 Chapter 81

    ¡°When did it get back its sight?¡± Lee Kang-hee thought.

    It was not long ago. Only a few minutes had passed since it lost its sight. Lee Kang-hee could not believe that Kraken had already recovered. Its regenerative power was beyond his imagination. Also, Kraken had a power that constrained movement only with its cry.

    ¡°Damn it. This is not what I expected¡­¡±

    Rumble, rumble¡ª!

    Kraken raised its legs above Lee Kang-hee and the other awakeners of the Papillon Guild. It was slow, but there was no place to escape. Some of them had become completely paralyzed by Kraken¡¯s cry.

    ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡± Lee Kang-hee cussed.

    Lee Kang-hee was at least able to resist the sound as he was an A-Rank awakener. He hastily left his spot. However, only two others were also able to escape.

    ¡°N¡­ no¡­!¡±

    ¡°Help¡­¡±

    Kraken¡¯s legs were poised to fall on the remaining members of Papillon Guild.

    Slash¡ª!

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    The two legs that were about to attack were suddenly cut in half. There was no trace left of the limbs.

    ¡°Huh? Huh?¡±

    ¡°What¡ªwhat just happened?¡±

    The Kraken¡¯s legs wriggled on the ground. Since they were cut off, Kraken was gawky and did not move well. The people of the Papillon Guild looked at the legs in vain. Soon, a voice came to them.

    ¡°You have ten seconds.¡±

    It was Su-hyeun¡¯s voice, the man who cut off Kraken¡¯s legs. He stared at Lee Kang-hee who had run away alone. Su-hyeun shouted to the awakeners of the Papillon Guild.

    ¡°Everybody, get back to your position. Otherwise¡ª¡± Su-hyeun tossed his messy hair, looked around at the people, and said, ¡°¡ªyou are all going to die.¡±

    People got goosebumps. It was not an empty warning. Moreover, Kraken¡¯s lethal nature had already been revealed. There was no reason to be greedy for contributions.

    ¡°E-everybody back to position!¡±

    ¡°Keep the formation! Hurry up!¡±

    The awakeners of the Papillon Guild shouted hastily. Su-hyeun looked at them and frowned. At least experiencing Kraken¡¯s threat taught them that it was not an easy mark. The terrified awakeners of the Papillon hurried back to their positions. Su-hyeun watched them go, thinking they were pathetic.

    Gwooowoo¡ª!

    Whether because it lost its legs or because it resented failing to kill people, Kraken made an angry roar at Su-hyeun. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t swing its legs because it did not see Su-hyeun as a weak opponent.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s a little smaller, it is still the same monster,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Kraken could use Fear ability. Fear was the common distinct ability of the monsters close to the divine beast. Its effectiveness depended on proximity. So it was best for A-Rank awakeners to stay away from those monsters unless they had a skill that could resist Fear ability.

    ¡°Well, at least, burdensome people are backing off¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought. He turned his head and said, ¡°Attack again!¡±

    Su-hyeun was far away, but people could hear his voice as clearly as if he was right next to them. Kim Taek-hyun, who was watching Su-hyeun and Kraken, asked in surprise, ¡°Should we start?¡±

    Kim Taek-hyun did not have the same abilities that Su-hyeun did. Instead, his skill was to communicate from a distance.

    Su-hyeun nodded and replied in a slightly sharpened voice. ¡°We planned this already. Remember?¡±

    Su-hyeun made a gesture to hurry people along as if repeating himself was annoying. Even though Su-hyeun said he would be okay, Kim Taek-hyun could not fully believe him. Su-hyeun had told them to unleash all their attacks while he confronted Kraken.

    ¡°We were supposed to start earlier¡­¡± Kim Taek-hyun thought.

    They were supposed to rain down attacks when Kraken lost its sight. After they succeeding in making some big and small wounds, the real fight was supposed to start. But the guild master of Papillon ruined everything.

    ¡°Damn it. Whatever.¡±

    Kim Taek-hyun closed his eyes. For now, he had no choice but to follow what Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Everybody attack!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Sizzle¡ª!

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Swish, swish¡ª!

    Among the sixty awakeners, the people capable of long-range attacks was about forty. They began to use their skills at once. Various skills such as fire, electric shock, and magic were fired at Kraken. Even though Kraken was huge, each of them was higher than B-Rank. The monster wasn¡¯t safe from their attacks.

    Gwooook¡ª!

    Due to its large size, Kraken could not evade the attacks. It started to scream in pain and stared at the awakeners. Kraken was about to move. And then¡ª

    Slash¡ª!

    Thump¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword cut off the Kraken¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Su-hyeun once again caught Kraken¡¯s gaze. He grinned.

    ¡°Come here, you bald octopus.¡±

    ***

    Hack¡ª Slash¡ª!

    Swish¡ª Rumble¡ª!

    Another leg flew away and fell on to the ground. There were a few scattered about already. Kraken¡¯s legs wriggled. The wriggling legs looked very disgusting. Each leg was almost as big as the huge monsters. But¡­

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    Kim Taek-hyun stared at the remains of Kraken with a blank face. About sixty awakeners were fighting together, but the result was unbelievable.

    ¡°I doubted him when he was so confident¡­¡±

    At first, Kim Taek-hyun thought Su-hyeun¡¯s role was holding Kraken. With its low intelligence, Kraken was most-likely to try attacking the closest thing¡ªwhich would have been Su-hyeun. Then, the others could attack from a distance. But soon, Kim Taek-hyun realized that his thoughts were wrong.

    ¡°I thought he would only hold it back, but I was wrong.¡±

    Whiz¡ª!

    Crack¡ª!

    Another leg was cut off by Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. Out of a sense of survival, that thick leg that had been wrapped around its head for protection. And Su-hyeun had persistently aimed at such a vital point. Naturally, Kraken could not move and was stuck in that spot.

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    Numerous skills struck Kraken¡¯s body. Su-hyeun jumped, avoiding the skills. On the surface, it seemed like they had perfect teamwork. But actually, it was possible because Su-hyeun kept time with them.

    ¡°Our roles are meaningless,¡± the other awakeners thought.

    To the untrained eye, it seemed there was cooperation with Su-hyeun and the other three guilds. But people with some skills or abilities would notice that Su-hyeun could deal with Kraken by himself.

    ¡°I heard he¡¯d killed the boss of the green-colored dungeon alone in Anyang City.¡±

    As a result, Su-hyeun had earned recognition as a new S-Rank awakener before receiving the S-Rank examination.

    ¡°I feel shabby in comparison,¡± Kim Taek-hyun mumbled.

    Kim Taek-hyun was an A-Rank awakener. And among them, he was a pretty outstanding one. So he was somewhat confident. He had been confident that he would become an S-Rank awakener. But after seeing Su-hyeun, he changed his mind.

    ¡°In a few years¡­¡± he thought.

    It had only had been a little over two years since Su-hyeun became an awakener. And if he was this good, Kim Taek-hyun could not imagine how much Su-hyeun would grow in the coming years.

    ¡°I should line-up well, at least,¡± Kim Taek-hyun mumbled. He looked at Lee Ju-ho, who stood next to him.

    Lee Ju-ho met his eyes and asked, ¡°What? Why?¡±

    Kim Taek-hyun sighed. For some reason, a dungeon attack gave him no anxiety.

    ***

    Slash¡ª!

    Thump¡ª!

    Another of Kraken¡¯s remaining legs fell. Originally, it had eight. Su-hyeun expected it would recover at least one leg, but it didn¡¯t. It just screamed painfully.

    Kyaaaa¡ª!

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    The skills flew and hit Kraken again. It did not have any opportunity to regenerate its body. In just over ten minutes, Kraken had sustained numerous wounds. Su-hyeun landed on one of the legs that had fallen. He looked up Kraken.

    ¡°Come on. Die already,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead was sweating. He had been fought armored soldiers, Dullahan, and Kraken, all in quick succession. To sever those huge legs, he had to put his magic into his sword. It helped to increase the sword¡¯s range and power. He used a lot of his magic to do it. But it was almost over.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any spare legs now.¡±

    Su-hyeun stiffened his legs and moved. When Su-hyeun began to move again, it wriggled. Kraken tried to retreat as if it understood his words. Kraken was frightened. The fight was almost over.

    Thump¡ª!

    Bam¡ª!

    Su-hyeun put strength to his legs and jumped at Kraken¡¯s head.

    Kyaaaak¡ª!

    Kraken acrimoniously exposed its teeth. Soon, Kraken¡¯s mouth swallowed Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Mr. Su-hyeun!¡± the startled people called out.

    They did not expect this would end with Su-hyeun being eaten by Kraken. But there was one who had no worries.

    ¡°He did that on purpose,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°What?¡± Kim Taek-hyun, who was next to him, wondered what he was talking about.

    Boom¡ª!

    Slash¡ª!

    White blood sprouted like a geyser from Kraken¡¯s head, and Su-hyeun appeared above it.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Boom¡ª!

    Kraken¡¯s body fell aside. Su-hyeun landed on the ground and took a long breath.

    ¡°Phew¡ª¡±

    There was a pause. People thought Su-hyeun was eaten by Kraken, but rather Kraken¡¯s head was pierced. Kraken had fallen.

    ¡°We¡­we won!¡±

    ¡°Yay! It¡¯s over¡ª!¡±

    The boss of the green-colored dungeon had finally died. The raid was successful. The team who had previously thought of retreat now cheerfully shouted.

    ¡°No, wait.¡±

    Su-hyeun walked toward them and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Who said this is over?¡±

    At that voice, the cheers stopped at once. Su-hyeun had a cold expression, unlike the first time when they had entered the dungeon. The atmosphere was serious.

    ¡°Is there something else left?¡±

    ¡°Something more difficult than Kraken?¡±

    Those were some of the thoughts. But they also thought that it couldn¡¯t be possible. If there was something more difficult than Kraken, this dungeon¡¯s level would be higher than green.

    ¡°What could possibly be¡­?¡±

    While everybody was consumed with nervous thoughts, Su-hyeun stared at Lee Kang-hee, who hid in the crowd.

    ¡°You have something to pay, right?¡± Su-hyeun said.

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Lee Kang-hee trembled. Of course, he knew that Su-hyeun was talking about him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten seconds. Crawl out.¡±

 Chapter 82

    It was quiet. No one spoke a word. No one even took a step. Everyone looked at one person.

    ¡°Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five¡­¡±

    Tramp¡ª

    The footstep sounded exceptionally loud. Lee Kang-hee had observed the ten seconds that Su-hyeun had requested. He finally walked out when they were almost over.

    ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± Lee Kang-hee asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you came out?¡± Su-hyeun said.

    His voice was very cold. Lee Kang-hee tried to relax the frown on his face. He forced his smile and reached his hand out to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I am sorry about what I did before. I did not mean anything by it, but¡­¡± Lee Kang-hee said.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Lee Kang-hee looked at Su-hyeun with puzzled eyes. ¡°But what?¡± he thought.

    ¡°I was wondering whether you would say that or not. But of course, you did.¡±

    Crash¡ª!

    ¡°Argh, ugh¡ª!¡±

    Su-hyeun grabbed Lee Kang-hee¡¯s hand reached out and used the other hand to break his arm. At the sudden pain, Lee Kang-hee widely opened his eyes and keeled over. The pain from the arm spread all over his body.

    ¡°When you apologize, you should not use words like ¡®but¡¯ or ¡®still¡¯ or ¡®actually.¡¯ The moment you do, it becomes an excuse, not an apology. And¡­¡±

    Crash¡ª

    ¡°Argh, ugh¡ª!¡± Lee Kang-hee screamed.

    ¡°Your intention is not important. An apology for the people your actions have harmed is. To everyone, including me,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°I¡­I am sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too late. And actually, I did not plan to forgive you even if you apologized.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­you¡­!¡±

    Slash¡ª!

    Lee Kang-hee drew the sword with his left arm. The sharp blade passed over Su-hyeun¡¯s head in a flash.

    Bang¡ª!

    Lee Kang-hee had another plan. With his skill, his sword multiplied into dozens, all flying to strike Su-hyeun. It seemed to observers that Su-hyeun¡¯s body would be cut into pieces.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Lee Kang-hee yelled for joy.

    At that moment¡­

    Crack¡ª!

    Lee Kang-hee felt the same horrible pain in his left arm. He screamed in pain.

    ¡°You have a good skill. If you drew the sword with your right arm instead of your left, you might have been able to cut me a little.¡±

    Lee Kang-hee was not able to use both arms anymore. Although he was the A-Rank awakener, it would take a while for his broken and crushed arms to recover. At that moment, it was impossible for him to fight.

    ¡°Do¡­do you think you can gloss over this?¡± Lee Kang-hee ground his teeth while he knelt. He was trying to not stammer. ¡°What you are doing now¡­ Many people are watching you right now. And we¡¯re recording all this. Remember? If we leave this dungeon¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you just want to die?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Lee Kang-hee got chills. He shut his mouth up. He thought if he said something wrong, he might really die. Once more, Su-hyeun twisted the shoulder of Lee Kang-hee who apparently still had some excuse.

    Crack¡ª!

    ¡°Ah-argh¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re wrong about.¡±

    Lee Kang-hee moaned.

    ¡°In a large team like this, a raid leader is responsible for planning the attack and having the power to lead the team. Of course, that¡¯s when the team is in agreement.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Lee Kang-hee¡¯s eyes shook. He knew very well. But¡­

    ¡°If somebody,¡± Su-hyeun continued to say, ¡°was blinded by the reward or Ether stone or contribution and harmed the team, the raid leader has the right to punish that person immediately. It is also possible to kill that person in some cases.¡± Su-hyeun paused and asked again, ¡°Do you want to die?¡±

    ¡°No, no¡­¡±

    ¡°If you get it, shut your mouth. And¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun released his hold on Lee Kang-hee¡¯s shoulder. Instead, he grabbed his throat and lifted him.

    ¡°I am still annoyed¡­ So, let me beat you up a little more.¡±

    Act8

    It was the first time for Lee Ju-ho to see Su-hyeun hit someone that much. He had never seen Su-hyeun fight with someone before. He could not even imagine Su-hyeun was capable of that.

    ¡°When I heard that he killed Jung Dong-yeong, I thought that he¡¯s quite spiteful¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho thought.

    But when he actually saw it with his eyes, he could tell that was not true. Nobody could restrain Su-hyeun. The way he beat Lee Kang-hee seemed as if he derived satisfaction from the act. Not even the Papillon Guild members stopped him.

    ¡°What kind of idiot would die for the guild master who abandoned them and ran away?¡± Lee Ju-ho thought and sighed.

    At least Su-hyeun did not kill Lee Kang-hee. However, he left him covered with wounds. If Lee Kang-hee were injured, he would not be able to fight anymore.

    ¡°Are you done yet?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    Su-hyeun nodded with a relieved face and answered, ¡°Roughly.¡±

    ¡°If that was rough, you would probably kill if you were precise.¡±

    ¡°There are people who kill their teammates to keep the rewards for themselves. Compared to that, this guy is a gentleman. But he won¡¯t able to work in this field anymore. Because of what he did today, he¡¯ll probably lose his reputation. Word gets around quickly, you know.¡±

    ¡°To me, he looks like someone who would kill others like if it were nothing, so long as he gets his power,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to kill someone because of the possibility. Also, people are watching¡­¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Lee Ju-ho asked in surprise, ¡°What if people didn¡¯t watch?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow. You are a scary man.¡±

    ¡°This is nothing¡­to be called scary.¡± Su-hyeun shrugged.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s answer sounded like a joke, but he was serious. To Lee Ju-ho, it looked like Su-hyeun was just a pure and kind person.

    ¡°Well. His perception will gradually change,¡± Su-hyeun thought. He turned and started to walk to one side.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kim Taek-hyun asked.

    ¡°Rest for a while, please. Nothing will happen if you stay around here,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°I was asking about you, Mr. Su-hyeun. Not us.¡±

    ¡°I have to check on something. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    From the beginning, it seemed like Su-hyeun did not have any intention to ask for permission. Even before Kim Taek-hyun or other people opened their mouths, Su-hyeun moved quickly. When Su-hyeun left, Kim Taek-hyun sighed and turned his head.

    ¡°Argh¡­gg¡­¡±

    Lee Kang-hee wiggled intermittently as if he was losing his breath. Even if Su-hyeun did not say that, it looked like they could not move at the moment.

    ***

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun jumped lightly and looked around the dungeon. With the light from above and its landscape, this city did not look like a dungeon. He felt like he was walking around an old village.

    ¡°This was a real village. People lived here.¡±

    It was clear that people had lived here, and it was also obvious who they were.

    The soldiers, who lost their bodies and only had souls and armors, were probably the residents in this place.

    Su-hyeun stopped. He found a slightly bigger house than others and went in.

    Creak¡ª

    The old door opened with a loud noise. The dusty room was dim, lit only by the light coming through the window.

    Achoo¡ª!

    Miru, who was hanging on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder, breathed dust and sneezed.

    Su-hyeun looked at Miru and asked, ¡°Do you want to wait outside?¡±

    Miru briskly shook his head as if this was not a big deal. Su-hyeun stroked Miru¡¯s head a few times and looked around the living room.

    ¡°It is pretty old,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    With all the old dust about, he could tell just how long the people of this town had suffered.

    Stomp¡ª!

    Su-hyeun entered one room. In the room, there was a bed, a small desk, and a chair. On the desk was a small notebook. Under the desk, there was a pen that had fallen. He picked up a notebook¡ªit was a diary. The diary was written in a language that wasn¡¯t exactly English, but it was familiar enough. He could decipher them, although it was not perfect. Su-hyeun slowly read the diary.

    ¡°January 13th, I decided to write in this diary for the first time, because I didn¡¯t want to forget the happy moments. I¡­¡±

    The beginning was ordinary. No, more than that, this person looked pretty happy. Was this person a man or a woman? There was no clue about gender. There was a name for someone who appeared to be a spouse, but it was difficult to determine whether that name was male or female. For the first few pages, a happy routine was recorded in the diary. And¡­

    ¡°A man came to our village. His face was half-human and half-skull. He had a huge octopus. He suppressed our village. He said if anyone left, they would die. He had the power to do it.

    ¡°Those who had sailed out of town had returned. No, they should not have come back. I couldn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    Su-hyeun clenched his teeth. While reading the diary, he could imagine what had happened in this village. The man written about in the diary was the Lich King.

    ¡°The village was cursed. We slowly died. Why? Why did he do this to our village? It seemed like he did not want anything. That made it even more frightening.¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    Unwittingly, Su-hyeun grabbed the diary tight. The dried diary was crushed into powder. He couldn¡¯t read anymore. There was no reason to continue¡ªhe already knew. He had seen a lot of cities in such a background.

    ¡°The problem is not the background, but the dungeon itself,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun came out and looked around the inside of the dungeon. The city had sunk into the sea. It became the green-colored dungeon.

    ¡°I have to investigate further.¡±

    Su-hyeun continued his search, hoping some additional clues might emerge.

    ***

    He could not find anything special in the town. Like the diary, most of the findings were records about how the village used to be.

    After the raid, everybody emerged from the dungeon. The raid ended after one day. All that was left was the collection and distribution of Ether stones.

    When Hak-joon came to Su-hyeun¡¯s house, he found Su-hyeun lying on the bed, reading a book.

    ¡°What are you doing, Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡± I have to check something,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Hak-joon was curious and tried to look closer at the book Su-hyeun was reading. It wasn¡¯t actually a book, but a small booklet about the dungeons.

    ¡°The dungeon appeared in 2020. Sorted by the difficulty¡­ Why are you reading this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡±

    ¡°Are you going for the raid in earnest?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯d rather climb the tower at that time.¡±

    ¡°Of course you will. So why are you reading this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡±

    Hak-joon did not really believe Su-hyeun¡¯s words because his face looked more serious than curious.

    ¡°Fortunately, the future hasn¡¯t changed completely,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun skimmed through the booklet. He read about the locations of the dungeons in countries and regions, their difficulty levels, and other detailed information. In fact, all the dungeons that appeared so far were recorded. And of those, Su-hyeun mainly skimmed over the dungeons than were above yellow-level.

    ¡°I will never forget about more than yellow-colored dungeons¡­¡± he thought.

    In his previous life, Su-hyeun had worked for the government institution. Because of his job, he was fully aware of the major dungeons above yellow. In particular, if green-colored dungeons appeared in succession, there was no way that Su-hyeun could remember. Except for one that appeared to be special. Other than that, there were no other dungeons he could remember.

 Chapter 83

    ¡°The cause of this is probably¡­¡± Su-hyeun began to think.

    The other dungeons were still the same. As far as Su-hyeun¡¯s memory was concerned, there were no dungeons that had disappeared or suddenly appeared. He could only think of one possible cause.

    ¡°Lich King. It¡¯s probably because of him.¡±

    It looked like Su-hyeun had to pay more attention to the frequency of dungeon appearances. It would be a huge problem if the biggest and most-important dungeons he knew of suddenly appeared.

    ¡°I feel like this just got more complicated.¡±

    His busy schedule was about to get busier. Su-hyeun sighed and closed the booklet.

    ¡°Are you done? Then come and eat some fruit,¡± Hak-joon said.

    ¡°Are you not working today?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°After you disbanded Ares Guild, I have nothing much to do here. All my friends are gone,¡± Hak-joon answered.

    ¡°What about your next trial?¡±

    ¡°I just passed the forty-ninth floor yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡±

    Su-hyeun was about to nag Hak-joon about being lazy, but he had worked harder than Su-hyeun expected. The forty-ninth floor might not be high in comparison to the other A-rank awakeners, but considering that Hak-joon had begun at level eight, it was a phenomenal speed.

    ¡°The fiftieth floor will be a crisis. Every tenth floor becomes insanely difficult,¡± Hak-joon complained.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. You can get a hint if you give enough points to the gatekeepers.¡±

    ¡°I will. And because of that, I¡¯ve worked hard on points, just as you advised.¡±

    Working on points meant a way of completing trials with sufficient achievement points, not just getting to the end. In his previous life, this method was pretty popular on the ninth floors of each tier. The reason was that people had to pay an information fee to the gatekeepers on the tenth floors. Sooner or later, this method would become popular again.

    ¡°What about you, Su-hyeun? Why don¡¯t you attempt the next trial?¡±

    ¡°Since I don¡¯t have much time, I will. Soon.¡±

    After he finished the green-colored dungeon, he adjusted his condition for about a day. The basis of his strategy was to prepare the perfect condition needed to attempt the next trial. For the distribution, Su-hyeun left it all to Lee Ju-ho. The amount would be high, but since he was a veteran, he would not make a mistake.

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t have much time?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to take care of,¡± Su-hyeun said as he stood. ¡°I will tell you when the time comes. Be ready then.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Hak-joon tilted his head sideways. He felt an ominous foreboding. Hak-joon shuddered with a spooky feeling. And Su-hyeun looked at Hak-joon and smiled. Then, he checked the electronic clock on the wall and calculated the date.

    ¡°There should be enough time,¡± he thought.

    Miru had hatched after the trial of the twenty-first floor. And Su-hyeun immediately joined the attack on the green-colored dungeon. So, he still had some time left for the day.

    ¡°I guess I have to push myself.¡±

    Su-hyeun started to climb the Tower of Trials again.

    ***

    [Subject: Kim Su-hyeun. Beginning the trial of the twenty-second floor.]

    That trial took three days.

    [You have passed the trial.]

    There was nothing difficult in that trial. Trials were still pretty easy for Su-hyeun.

    ¡°The goal is the thirtieth floor.¡±

    [Subject: Kim Su-hyeun. Beginning the trial of the twenty-third floor.]

    This time, it took five days.

    [You have passed the trial.]

    After completing a floor, Su-hyeun took a day off. Then without hesitation, he attempted the next challenge. March had passed and April came. Flowers started to bloom. But Su-hyeun did not see the flowers and time marched on.

    [Subject: Kim Su-hyeun. Beginning the trial of the twenty-seventh floor.]

    The trials were getting a little more difficult. From that time, he paid more attention to maintain his condition. After passing the twenty-seventh floor, Su-hyeun rested for three days. His state of mind changed as well. He started to study and practice the ways he could be stronger. He did not just pass the trials without thinking. And then Like that, May passed as well. The weather was warming.

    [Subject: Kim Su-hyeun. Beginning the trial of the twenty-ninth floor.]

    The trial of the twenty-ninth floor was particularly difficult. There was no risk high enough to threaten his life, but for the first time, he had almost failed. The goal was to escort a specific person. But the situation had suddenly changed, and the target was in danger. Fortunately, of course, he came through and saved the target.

    ¡°Stay well, kid.¡±

    ¡°I am not a kid. I am Quan Zarhan¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re loud, kid.¡±

    Su-hyeun mussed up the little boy¡¯s hair when they arrived at the kingdom¡¯s castle. Quan fixed his hair with annoyed and looked up.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®stay well¡¯? Mister, come inside with me. My father is the king and he¡¯ll give you a big prize.¡±

    ¡°You really still call me mister at the end¡­?¡±

    ¡°You call me kid, too. Nyah¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun sighed at Quan¡¯s behavior. Still, Quan had softened in comparison to the first time they met. Back then, because of his royal stature, he looked down on Su-hyeun. But now he treated Su-hyeun like a close brother.

    ¡°I am sorry to say goodbye,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    This trial had taken a month. Of all the recent trials, that was the longest. There was a reason for that. Su-hyeun had to find ways to get to the kingdom and there were many obstacles at every moment. In that time, he had become fond of Quan as well. But there was nothing he could do.

    ¡°I really have to go,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Su-hyeun suddenly vanished right before Quan¡¯s eyes. Quan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he looked around to try and find some trace of him.

    ¡°Mister? Where did you go? Mister?¡±

    He spent a good while searching the front of the castle for Su-hyeun. But no matter how many times he called, Su-hyeun did not appear again.

    ¡°If you are in danger, call me. Then this awesome brother will save you. Okay?¡±

    Su-hyeun had appeared in the middle of nowhere and saved Quan when he was kidnapped. He also showed up every time Quan had called him for help. But he would not come anymore. After some time, the palace soldiers emerged to find Quan.

    Quan stood in vain and murmured, ¡°I never got a chance to call him brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You are not a kid, are you?¡±

    Quan felt like he could hear Su-hyeun¡¯s voice. He bit his lips and held back his tears.

    ¡°Thank you. Brother.¡±

    ***

    It was mid-June. The ambiguous month when it was not spring anymore, but not quite summer yet. Su-hyeun laid on the bed. The temperature and humidity made his head hot.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, today is June 12th.¡±

    Fortunately, that was about what he had expected. He was in-line with what he had set as a goal. He was thinking about challenging the thirtieth floor, but he put it off for a while.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take. Besides, it won¡¯t be easy,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    After the twenty-seventh floor, the level of difficulty was no longer easy. Little by little, he had reached the maximum amount of achievement points. The thirtieth floor, that third tier, would probably take a long time to finish. It could also ruin his condition. Unless there was a save zone, but the higher the floor, the less likely those existed.

    ¡°I can rest for a while.¡±

    He pushed himself for almost half a year without rest. Now he needed to take a break for not only his physical health but also his mental state. Soon, things would be busy again.

    ¡°I guess I have to tell in advance,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun turned on his smartphone, which he hadn¡¯t used in a long time.

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been off the grid for months and now you give a simple ¡®Hey, it¡¯s me?¡¯ That¡¯s it? Is that all?¡± There was an edge to Ji-yeon¡¯s voice because Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t answered her calls in months.

    ¡°I was in the middle of the trials. I just passed the twenty-ninth floor,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Level 10?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re gross. You really didn¡¯t rest at all? Not even a day?¡±

    ¡°No, no. I rested a couple of days between trials. All I did was sleep.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s answer, Ji-yeon became silent. She thought of herself as a pretty dogged person. She thought she was trying hard enough. But Su-hyeun¡¯s hard work made her a little ashamed of herself. Many S-Rank awakeners tried hard to climb the tower, but Su-hyeun was the most serious of them.

    ¡°Anyway, why did you call? You didn¡¯t answer when I needed you.¡±

    ¡°I told you. I won¡¯t join raids. Didn¡¯t we agree not to involve each other unless it¡¯s related to the Dump Guild?¡±

    ¡°Good things are good things. We¡¯ll give you a lot of distribution¡­¡± Ji-yeon suddenly stopped in surprise. ¡°Is this about¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about that.¡±

    ¡°Where is it?¡±

    ¡°June 21st. Los Angeles, the USA.¡±

    ¡°America? Those crazy bastards expanded that far?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t expand. They were originally from there.¡±

    ¡°What? How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Last time, I caught one assassin from the Dump Guild and asked.¡± This was a bit different from the facts, so Su-hyeun spoke vaguely. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not the point. The important thing is I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll prepare some people from my guild¡­¡±

    ¡°No. Ripper Guild won¡¯t go. I¡¯ll go to America alone.¡±

    At those unexpected words, Ji-yeon¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°That¡¯s not what we agreed, is it?

    Ji-yeon had a personal grudge against the Dump Guild. Su-hyeun did not know what kind of grudge that was, but he was certain that she really hated them. As soon as he brought up the Dump Guild, her voice changed. He could feel her coldness over the phone. If she ever met them in person, it would get very bloody. Despite knowing all that, Su-hyeun still said he would go alone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you another piece of information,¡± he said.

    ¡°Go on.¡± Her tone indicated that she would not tolerate useless words.

    ¡°On that same day, something will happen here as well.¡±

    ¡°Something like what?¡±

    ¡°You know about the upcoming green dungeon raid, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. People said that it¡¯s the biggest green-colored dungeon that¡¯s ever appeared. So two S-Rank awakeners will be deployed this time.¡±

    ¡°You go, too. But keep it secret.¡±

    ¡°Me? Why?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say twice, so listen carefully. That day, the Dump Guild will¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun started to explain. When he finished, Ji-yeon opened her mouth. And then, in a serious voice, she said, ¡°Those bastards¡­ Would they do that?¡±

    ¡°Nine times out of ten.¡±

    It was actually more like ten out of ten, but Su-hyeun said differently, just in case. He was not sure how the future would go since he had changed it, but he was pretty certain that the Dump Guild would take action that day.

    ¡°If that happens¡­okay. But what about you? Why will you go to America?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and play with the big boy, ¡°Su-hyeun said with a little grin.

    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯ll be playing with a small boy, then?¡± Ji-yeon answered a bit sarcastically.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who got this information. You can give a concession.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    He was right. Also, although the places were different, what would happen here was huge as well. Of course, she had to check whether if it would be true or not. But to her, it was not a bad thing to believe Su-hyeun. Even if the Dump Guild would not show up that day, she still could help the raid team finish their attack.

    ¡°But do you know any guilds in America? I don¡¯t have any contacts.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the Authority?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can do that. But I thought the Ripper Guild would know more about the US guilds. The power of the Authority is only working in Korea.¡±

    ¡°That is true¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, and I heard you guys have a private plane. Let me use it. I don¡¯t want to go to a crowded place like the airport.¡±

    She grew silent.

 Chapter 84

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun¡¯s departure process went through the Authority. He only had to present his passport to the Authority and they handled everything for him.

    Hak-joon followed Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun had told Hak-joon to clear his schedule for June. So he¡¯d been resting recently.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Long time, no see,¡± Hak-joon said as he got in Su-hyeun¡¯s car.

    They hadn¡¯t met in months, but thanks to Hak-joon¡¯s affable personality, there was no awkwardness.

    ¡°I heard you rested this month?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°I rested about half the month. And then I got bored, so I joined two raids with Ju-ho and made a bit of money,¡± Hak-joon said.

    ¡°I told you to take care of your body.¡±

    ¡°They were only orange-colored dungeons. Nothing difficult at all. Besides, I had to earn money.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is true.¡±

    When Hak-joon was in the Ares Guild, he had to give most of the money to the guild. Because he had to pay for the cure for Yun-seon. For about two years, the only money that Hak-joon could save was enough to cover basic living expenses for a few months. But he was a free man now. His rank was high, and he had the talent, too. If he wanted to, he could finally make a lot of money.

    ¡°By the way, this car is really awesome,¡± Hak-joon said.

    ¡°Do you want it?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°No, not really. I don¡¯t even have a driver¡¯s license so a supercar is unnecessary.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you do a good job this time, I¡¯ll give you even a better car.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Hak-joon¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Su-hyeun, do you have a lot of money?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with those greedy-looking eyes?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I just¡­never saw you working.¡±

    ¡°After I finished the green dungeon, I got sixty percent of the distribution. Can you guess how much it was?¡±

    ¡°Sixty percent? Is that possible?¡±

    Usually, dozens joined in attacks on green dungeons. It was normal that S-Rank awakeners got more, but he¡¯d never heard of anyone getting sixty percent of the distribution. It wasn¡¯t surprising as Su-hyeun had done almost everything for that raid. The Authority also might have given him a little favor, too.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s possible,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Hak-joon went silent as he tried to quickly calculate in his brain. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t imagine the amount. The highest level he had tried was the yellow-colored dungeon.

    ¡°There was what we made on the sale of the yellow dungeon¡¯s Ether stones¡­ So¡­¡± Hak-joon thought.

    The money from that Ether stone sale was at least billions. Normally, ten to twenty people attacked the yellow dungeon together. So in the end, each got about a hundred million. If somebody took sixty percent of that, that would be more than enough to buy many expensive cars like this. Plus, Su-hyeun was talking about a green-colored dungeon, worth far more.

    Hak-joon made a sour face as he tapped on the calculator. ¡°Su-hyeun¡­ Brother¡­ You are a very rich man.¡±

    ¡°So be good to me.¡±

    ¡°I will follow you forever like a leech.¡±

    ¡°Somebody is snobby.¡±

    ¡°He-he.¡± Hak-joon giggled.

    But Su-hyeun did not feel any ill will towards him for it. He looked much brighter than when Su-hyeun had first seen him.

    ¡°I hope he keeps working hard like this,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    But he did not intend to force him to do so. He did not expect Hak-joon to move under his pressure. Hak-joon would at least pretend to do stuff if he was asked since he owed Su-hyeun. But Su-hyeun did not want to use that fact.

    ¡°He will do well,¡± he thought.

    Fortunately, he had been doing better than Su-hyeun had expected.

    ¡°Fifty-fifth floor?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Yes. I left for now using the save zone. But I have no idea how to escape the next trap.¡±

    The trial of the fifty-fifth floor was to pass through the traps. It had a pretty simple theme, but depending on a person¡¯s inclination, it could be a very tricky one. The traps were in unexpected areas. To pass through, just being strong was not enough. One needed the ability to quickly adapt to circumstances.

    ¡°What kind of trap is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Hak-joon started to talk about the trial. A save zone had the distinct advantage that people could ask the opinions of other awakeners¡¯ to solve a problem. Of course, it only could happen when they knew somebody better than themselves. And Su-hyeun was more suitable than anyone to play that role.

    ¡°Take care of that monster first. Then the next trap will be easier. You can just bump into it,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Oh. That could work.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a complicated trap. Rather than looking for a solution, you have to treat it sort of like rock-paper-scissors.¡±

    ¡°A-ha!¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s explanation, Hak-joon nodded with a brighter face. Before he had been lost on how to pass this trial, but now he had an idea. He felt like an aching tooth had fallen out. Now that he knew the answer, he couldn¡¯t understand why the answer escaped him before. Hak-joon stared at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m respectful.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°For everything. I think you¡¯re perfect.¡±

    ¡®Perfect¡¯ was a burdensome word. Su-hyeun squeezed the steering wheel with one hand and waved the other hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything silly. Just write down what I just said. Even if you forget, I won¡¯t tell you a second time.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s command, Hak-joon took out his smartphone and typed in a memo. Su-hyeun shot a look at Hak-joon and smiled.

    ¡°He¡¯s already trying the fifty-fifth floor,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Hak-joon was chasing level eight. The higher he went, the more difficult it would get. And he would take more time to pass. But so far, he had gone pretty fast. Even though Su-hyeun gave him some advice, every time Hak-joon got stuck, he ended up at a similar pace with Su-hyeun in his previous life.

    ¡°I wonder if he may stop one day as well¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Nothing was certain. But Su-hyeun hoped Hak-joon could go as high as possible until ¡®that day.¡¯ It was the same for himself. Su-hyeun¡¯s car ran through the open road. They raced on until finally reaching their destination.

    Act 9

    ¡°Wow¡­ Oh¡­¡±

    Hak-joon wondered with his mouth wide open. Su-hyeun nodded his head as if it was better than he expected. And Ji-yeon looked at them, crossing her arms.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ji-yeon asked.

    ¡°Looking. It¡¯s bigger than I thought,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°You mean my private plane?¡±

    Su-hyeun and Hak-joon came to an airfield in Gangwon Province to rent a private plane owned by the Ripper Guild. Su-hyeun had expected the plane might not be that big since it was owned by one guild. But as he stood in the hangar and looked at the private plane there was no denying it was pretty big.

    Su-hyeun nodded and answered, ¡°Yes. You crazily spent money¡­¡±

    ¡°Our guild goes abroad sometimes. We prepared this plane for that. It pays for itself.¡±

    The Ripper Guild was one of the leading guilds in Korea. The S-Rank Park Ji-yeon was the guild master and there were many members. Each guild awakener had pretty good skills. So the guild offering support for the raid would bring a lot of money to them. There was no wonder why the big guilds had a whole lot of money.

    ¡°I am sorry but let me use this for about ten days,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. We won¡¯t need it for a while. And if what you say is true, we¡¯ll be busy here.¡±

    It was nice of her to say that. Su-hyeun thanked her one more time. He then hit an idle Hak-joon on the back.

    ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes? Yes.¡± Hak-joon was surprised and followed Su-hyeun.

    They boarded the private plane. The crew, who was hired by the Ripper Guild began the take-off procedure. They provided guidance Su-hyeun and Hak-joon.

    ¡°This is a bit of a different world,¡± Hak-joon said.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You seemed familiar with this. I heard from Ju-ho that you don¡¯t like these things.¡±

    ¡°Did he really say that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He told me like fifty times that you must have been an ascetic monk in your previous life. And I totally agree with that.¡±

    Su-hyeun groaned. He could not believe they had talked about him like that. But it could not be helped.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that surprising,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    In his past life, he went abroad in a far larger plane than this, and many more times than he could count. With honor and power, wealth naturally followed. Since he did not want that from the beginning, there was no reason to be greedy. He did not admire those things. He needed just enough money so he wouldn¡¯t be miserable.

    ¡°Are we going to go to Los Angeles now?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°Yes. We will meet a guild from there,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°That is why I came along.¡±

    A middle-aged man who looked somewhat familiar boarded the plane. He came up beside Su-hyeun, who turned to face him.

    ¡°Uh, uh, uh, uh¡­¡± Hak-joon struggled to match the face with a name from his memory.

    ¡°I am Kim Seok-jin, the vice guild master of the Ripper Guild.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah! That¡¯s right!¡±

    Su-hyeun did not know they would be accompanied, but it wasn¡¯t surprising. His initial request to the Ripper Guild was for help in making contact with the American guild. Perhaps Kim Seok-jin came along to help with that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the details once when we depart.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Kim Seok-jin sent a signal to the crew and the engines started up. The hangar doors opened, the plane began to accelerate down the airstrip. Su-hyeun looked outside as they began their ascent. Not long after came an announcement that the plane had reached cruising altitude and that they could unbuckle their belts. Kim Seok-jin approached Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I will introduce you to the American guild and then immediately return to Korea. I have something to do there. As for the interpreter¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need an interpreter.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    When Su-hyeun nodded confidently, Kim Suk-jin asked him a few questions in simple English. Su-hyeun frowned and answered quickly and competently.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± said Kim Suk-jin. ¡°Just wanted to be sure you won¡¯t have any difficulty in communicating. But since your English seems pretty good, I guess I don¡¯t have to prepare an interpreter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Wow, Su-hyeun. You speak English very well,¡± Hak-joon said with a surprised look.

    Hak-joon thought himself that he was not bad at English, but he got a slight headache listening to the conversation between Su-hyeun and Kim Seok-jin.

    ¡°I learned a long time ago. I don¡¯t use it often, though.¡± This was not unusual.

    ¡°There are a lot of academies that teach English,¡± Su-hyeun thought, ¡°and there are tons of people who speak English very well.¡±

    Of course, there were not many people who could speak as well as Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I studied hard when I was a student. I had many chances to use it, too,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    In his previous life, Su-hyeun was a model student. His mother taught him both college-preparatory level English and conversational English. The language skills he learned became more useful when he became the awakener. The world was in danger and people needed to cooperate with awakeners in other countries.

    ¡°Good. One less thing to do,¡± Kim Seok-jin said.

    ¡°Is there anything else I need to know?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s it. But I have one question,¡± Kim Seok-jin said with an odd look.

    It looked like he had more than simple curiosity. Su-hyeun spared his breath. He just drank water and nodded as if telling him to continue. Kim Seok-jin continued.

    ¡°Last night, I heard that the first blue dungeon appeared in Los Angeles.¡±

    At that, Hak-joon coughed. But Su-hyeun was unfazed. Kim Seok-jin looked at Su-hyeun as if he had expected such a reaction.

    ¡°Did you already know?¡±

 Chapter 85

    Hak-joon sucked in his breath after hearing Kim Seok-jin¡¯s question and looked at Su-hyeun. To think, it¡¯s a blue-colored dungeon.

    There had only ever been talks of such a dungeon potentially appearing in the future, but it had never appeared until now. But still, such a dungeon was waiting for them in their destination.

    Now that he thought about it, Su-hyeun had never explained the reason why they were going to the United States of America in the first place. No, he simply told the younger man to tag along, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°I heard the news, and I¡¯m certainly intrigued by it.¡± Su-hyeun opened his lips a beat later, but his voice remained calm and collected. ¡°I was thinking of stopping by there, actually.¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯m asking you is, did you have foreknowledge of a blue-colored dungeon generating in that location?¡± Kim Seok-jin asked.

    Su-hyeun brought up the need to go to the States before the blue dungeon had appeared. But then, a blue dungeon did indeed appear in that very same country. This all could have been nothing more than pure coincidence, but Kim Seok-jin was feeling this unexplainable sense of incongruity.

    However¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true. How can I predict something like that?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s reply was as expected.

    There was no sure-kill method to make him talk. Not only that, Su-hyeun¡¯s initial purpose wasn¡¯t the dungeon, to begin with. Even within the Reaper Guild, only two people ¡ª Kim Seok-jin and Ji-yeon ¡ª knew of the information related to this event.

    <> Kim Seok-jin thought.

    He then nodded his head at Su-hyeun¡¯s reply. ¡°I see. In that case, I¡¯ll let you know when we have touched down. Please rest until then.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Kim Seok-jin stood up and headed to the next cabin. Hak-joon, unable to breathe until then, spat out a long sigh and spoke up. ¡°A blue-colored dungeon? Is that for real?¡±

    ¡°Probably. It should show up on the evening news later today.¡±

    ¡°How did you find about it?¡±

    ¡°I heard from Park Ji-yeon.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say a minute ago that you wanted to go there¡­.?¡± Hak-joon asked again. ¡°Were you being serious?¡±

    ¡°Of course I was serious.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re scared, you should turn back now. I¡¯m not planning to force you.¡±

    ¡°Scared? Who, me?¡±

    Su-hyeun asked in case Hak-joon was scared by the prospect, but the latter was forming a completely different expression from fear.

    ¡°No way. I¡¯m actually looking forward to it, you know.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re also a weirdo, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Although Su-hyeun said that in a somewhat unhappy tone of voice, a smile floated up on his face soon after.

    It was a uniquely satisfying reply. Well, if Hak-joon got scared by events like this one, then it¡¯d be a bit hard to expect greater things from him in the future, after all.

    <hr />

    The private plane flew for ten hours and finally reached the other side of the globe.

    As soon as he stepped on the brand-new country, Hak-joon looked around at the surroundings as if they were all too strange to him. Nothing seemed too different from home so far, but just the fact of being in America alone must¡¯ve been too stimulating for him.

    ¡°Is this your first time in America?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°That was my first time riding on a plane, actually.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Have you been to America before?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    At least during this lifetime, this would be his first. Of course, he came here often in his previous life. He had traveled to America at least twice before he even became an awakener. After that, he came here around two or three times a year; he didn¡¯t have much of an impression of this place anymore.

    ¡°Please at least pretend to be excited, will you? Where is your humanity, man?¡± Hak-joon lamented.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter where people live. It¡¯s all the same, anyway. Besides all that¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun scanned the people on standby near the airport¡¯s runaway one at a time. Around ten folks showed up today, and they were all awakeners, to boot.

    Kim Seok-jin, climbing out of the plane along with Su-hyeun, approached them first. Maybe they were already acquainted to a certain degree because he formed a bright expression and did a simple hug with a man stepping forward from the waiting group.

    Kim Seok-jin then proceeded to converse for a little while before beckoning at Su-hyeun. ¡°Please come this way.¡±

    He introduced the man he was talking to to Su-hyeun and Hak-joon.

    He was a white male with blonde hair and blue eyes, kitted out in a comfortable-looking tracksuit. While studying Su-hyeun with mystified eyes, he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re a lot younger than I thought.¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun. And this is Choi Hak-joon, my closest friend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Josh, from the Medical Guild. I¡¯ve heard your name many times. You¡¯re a hot topic even in this neck of the woods.¡±

    The rankings within the Tower of Trials were applicable to all countries. As no such thing as one¡¯s nationality applied within the Tower, the rankings had been unified.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s ranking on each floor always showed the overwhelming first place. He was the only one who climbed up to the 30th floor and passed the 10th level trials every single time.

    ¡°Personally, I¡¯m a huge fan of yours. I¡¯ve been cheering you on your challenges so far,¡± said Josh.

    For a first meeting, they sure were rather embarrassing things to say.

    Unsurprisingly, though, this man named Josh was a rather excellent awakener.

    <>

    The United States possessed the highest number of awakeners. However, that didn¡¯t necessarily equate to their overall quality being high. So, even in America, someone with an A-Rank should be considered as occupying a pretty high plateau.

    On top of this, Josh was the chosen representative of the group of ten waiting here to offer their greetings, so he must have occupied a very high position in the guild.

    ¡°We heard that you were hoping to get in touch with our guild,¡± said Josh.

    ¡°I have a favor to ask of you, actually,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°If we can build a friendly relationship with you, Mister Su-hyeun, then we will do everything within our power to accommodate you.¡±

    That was a considerably positive reply.

    It was around then that Kim Seok-jin, quietly listening to Su-hyeun¡¯s and Josh¡¯s conversation, decided to butt in. ¡°Well, then. I shall be on my way back now. If you¡¯re in need of anything, please don¡¯t hesitate and give us a call.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Thank you.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Hak-joon shook hands with Kim Seok-jin to bid him farewell. They certainly didn¡¯t expect the vice guild master of the Reaper Guild to personally guide them here.

    ¡°Shall we talk more while on the move? My guild master also wishes to speak to you as well, Mister Su-hyeun.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded his head at Josh¡¯s suggestion.

    All three of them climbed aboard a large SUV. Josh rode shotgun in the front passenger seat, while both Su-hyeun and Hak-joon settled down on the back.

    The ignition was turned on, and when the vehicle finally set off, Josh spoke again. ¡°You said you have a favor to ask us earlier. Do you mind if I ask you about it now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something too difficult, actually. I was wondering if you¡¯d let us participate in the upcoming dungeon attack, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°The dungeon attack, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Josh¡¯s eyes trembled as he stared at Su-hyeun¡¯s and Hak-joon¡¯s face through the rear-view mirror. At that moment, he was recalling a rather special dungeon in his head.

    ¡°Are you by any chance talking about the blue-colored dungeon that showed up this time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that one.¡±

    Josh had to work extra hard to keep his lips straight at Su-hyeun¡¯s reply.

    <>

    The blue-colored dungeon.

    As a matter of fact, Josh¡¯s guild was having issues with the lack of high-ranking awakeners to deploy in that dungeon ¡ª especially so with the number of S-Ranks, as that was even more insufficient.

    There were a total of five S-Ranks in the whole of the United States. Unfortunately, three of them hadn¡¯t returned from the Tower of Trials yet.

    In fact, the newly-appearing blue-colored dungeon had garnered quite a lot of attention, and its difficulty was currently impossible to estimate.

    It was the same story back in the past with the green-colored dungeons, as well; it was a normal practice to send the highest-ranking awakeners you could find into the dungeons that had never appeared before.

    <>

    They should be able to have quite a sizeable voice in the upcoming blue-colored dungeon attack.

    As a matter of fact, they were thinking of requesting Su-hyeun for his participation in the assault team during his visit, so him bringing the topic up first was doubly great from Josh¡¯s perspective.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to speak to the guild master first regarding this matter. But, please be rest assured. I believe my guild master will be rather enthusiastic with his response,¡± said Josh.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Su-hyeun also didn¡¯t think Josh could give him a definite answer to his request. From the get-go, this was a matter only the guild master could decide on. No, he simply let his intentions be known for the purpose of starting the talk a little earlier than expected, that¡¯s all.

    <>

    Su-hyeun decided to take it at a leisurely pace.

    From the outset, the United States was infamous for its unwillingness to accept other countries¡¯ awakener¡¯s manpower. If this were any other case, they wouldn¡¯t even agree to Su-hyeun¡¯s participation.

    However, the situation this time was different. The difficulty of the dungeon Su-hyeun wished to attack was blue-colored. On top of this, the Americans were currently dealing with a void within their home-grown S-Rank manpower.

    <>

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t tell how they would respond to his demands. Now normally, they would¡¯ve agreed to his request in a heartbeat, but¡­

    <>

    The guild master of the Medical Guild, Robert William.

    Su-hyeun knew that man pretty well. Among all the filthy-rich awakener guilds, he was rather famous for being the greediest of the lot. Would such a guy be satisfied with this?

    <>

    The bait had been set.

    It probably wouldn¡¯t take long before an answer came in his way.

    <hr />

    Under Josh¡¯s guidance, Su-hyeun and Hak-joon arrived at a massive house.

    The building was empty from its first to the third floor, and as if it had been tidied up ahead of time, it was also quite clean as well.

    Josh told them to unpack and rest for a little while and went somewhere. It seemed that he needed to have a private chat with the Medical Guild¡¯s guild master.

    ¡°Their treatment is better than I expected,¡± said Hak-joon.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably due to the Reaper Guild¡¯s influence.¡±

    Not only was the Reaper Guild famous in Korea, it was also deeply respected internationally as well.

    The guild master Ji-yeon being an S-Rank had something to do with that, but some part of their fame was also based on the considerable number of awakeners affiliated with the Guild itself.

    ¡°First of all, the States just don¡¯t have enough high rankers when compared to the overall number of the awakeners living here,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°The number of Awakeners living here ranked B or lower is overwhelmingly high, sure, but there isn¡¯t much difference when compared to South Korea on the ranks A and above. Actually, they have one less S-Rank compared to Korea at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I guess the Americans did have a reason to be worried about you, bro. Plus, their pride of being the world¡¯s number one must¡¯ve taken a knock because of you, too.¡±

    Compared to its population numbers, South Korea enjoyed a relatively high percentage of high-ranked awakeners. One only had to take a look at how the number of S-Ranked awakeners was higher than America¡¯s to understand this. America only had a total of five S-Rank awakeners while South Korea had six, including Su-hyeun.

    ¡°That¡¯s why they won¡¯t be able to ignore my suggestion,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°If they only have that many S-Ranks, they will definitely need awakeners from other countries for the upcoming blue-colored dungeon attack.¡±

    ¡°Correct. Not all of the S-Ranks would be manning their positions, after all.¡±

    Most of the S-Ranks chose to continuously climb the tower, which meant that it was only natural for the time they spent walking on the American soil to be a lot shorter than when they were not. If they learned of a blue-colored dungeon being generated beforehand, sure, but they didn¡¯t have a reason to interrupt their trials in the middle without knowing what happened.

    ¡°The only variable is their pride.¡± Su-Hyeun dropped his luggage on the side and spoke while sitting down on a comfy couch. ¡°The pride of being the best.¡±

    No matter what anyone said, America was still the world¡¯s largest and strongest awakener powerhouses. The pride of its citizens ran high accordingly. It was no shock that they had never borrowed awakener manpower from other nations until now, too.

    There being no precedence meant that it¡¯d be that much harder for them to make it happen.

    ¡°Will they be able to let go of their pride?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult, I think?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡± That way-too-easy of a reply caused Hak-joon to form a puzzled expression, instead.

    Difficult? If Su-hyeun knew that, what was his reason for making that request in the first place?

    ¡°Just wait, and you¡¯ll see.¡± Perhaps he found Hak-joon¡¯s expression rather entertaining since Su-hyeun grinned as he laid down on the couch. ¡°A human¡¯s greed knows no bounds, you know.¡±

 Chapter 86

    Standing in the middle of downtown LA, a high-rise building around 20 floors tall with the word ¡°Medical¡± engraved in large letters was home to nearly one thousand awakeners affiliated with the Medical Guild.

    Josh hurriedly headed towards the guild house and ran to the highest floor of the building to meet the guild master Robert William.

    ¡°Guild master, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Josh cautiously opened the door and entered the office after hearing the reply coming from the inside.

    Within this huge office occupying at least half of the entire floor, the guild master, Robert, was taking a golfer¡¯s stance while holding onto a golf club. ¡°Hold on for a sec. Let me get this first.¡±

    Tap¡ª

    The golf ball rolled for around ten meters and entered the hole, prompting Robert to form a satisfied expression as he turned around to face Josh. ¡°Okay. So, did you guide our guest properly?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. And the guy from the Reaper Guild went back home.¡±

    ¡°The name¡¯s Kim Su-Hyeun, right? The newly-promoted S-Rank. I¡¯ve heard plenty about him already, and man, that guy is the real deal, alright.¡±

    It hadn¡¯t even been half a year since he became an S-Rank, yet Su-hyeun¡¯s name was already widely known throughout the rest of the world.

    Not only were the S-Ranks a rarity to begin with, but the title of the youngest ever to reach the rank shone far brighter than anything else.

    ¡°As a matter of fact, we¡¯ve prepared a private residence and offered it to him,¡± said Josh.

    ¡°Nice work. By the way, what did he come here for? Is he a tourist?¡±

    ¡°Well, sir. That is¡­.¡±

    Josh hesitated for a little bit before addressing Robert busy putting away his golf club in the bag. ¡°Sir, I think he¡¯s interested in the upcoming assault on the blue-colored dungeon.¡±

    ¡°The blue colored dungeon, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Did he bring it up first?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. It seems likely to me that he¡¯s interested in the Ether stones and items potentially excavated from there.¡±

    Now this was an unexpected development.

    Normally, this side should¡¯ve been the one to bring up the topic first. They were in a situation where they needed to find more S-Ranked awakener combatants no matter what.

    To make matters worse, over half of the American S-Rank awakeners hadn¡¯t returned from the Tower of Trials yet. That¡¯s why they needed at least two more S-Rank awakeners just in case.

    However, this was America.

    It was the global awakener powerhouse. It occupied the position of ¡°number one¡± who had never asked anyone for their help until now. As that was the case, they couldn¡¯t readily step forward first to request other countries to lend their S-Rank awakeners.

    <>

    But now, Su-hyeun, visiting the States at the perfect time, was expressing his interest in the blue-colored dungeon first?

    <> thought Robert.

    America, or at least the American awakener guilds, definitely hadn¡¯t reached out first. No, it was that man who asked first.

    <>

    Robert pondered something for a little while and ended up uttering out the tail end of his thoughts inadvertently. ¡°It¡¯s the contribution.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°You said he expressed his interest in the dungeon first, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s do it this way.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, sir?¡±

    Robert heard Josh¡¯s question and started sharing his thoughts.

    Soon, though, Josh¡¯s complexion paled. ¡°Will that be really okay, sir? But, don¡¯t we need his helping hand?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯ll be alright. This is not Korea, but America. And besides, he¡¯s supposed to be the youngest ever, right? That means he¡¯s still wet behind the ears, so what would he know about how the real world operates?¡±

    ¡°Even then¡­.¡±

    ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s go.¡± Robert wrapped his arm around Josh¡¯s shoulder and continued on. ¡°Let¡¯s catch ourselves a dumbass using this opportunity.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Apologies for the late introduction. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I¡¯m Robert, the guild master of the Medical Guild.¡±

    With a living room table between them, Su-hyeun and Hak-joon sat on the opposite side to Robert.

    Next to his guild master, the somewhat uncomfortable-looking Josh sat. Anyone with a functioning brain could guess the kind of conversation that might have taken place between these two.

    With a smiling face, Su-hyeun extended his hand towards Robert. ¡°I¡¯m Kim Su-hyeun. This is Choi Hak-joon. Our English aren¡¯t so good, so we ask for your understanding.¡±

    ¡°H-hi.¡±

    Robert first shook hands with Su-hyeun, then greeted Hak-joon afterward.

    Only when the pleasantries were over did Robert finally drop the friendly smile and speak in a serious tone of voice. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to postpone this friendly exchange of greetings for the time being, unfortunately. From what I heard from Josh, you seem to be interested in the blue-colored dungeon¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯ve got a bit of spirit of challenge in me, you see. As it¡¯s the world¡¯s first-ever blue-colored dungeon, I couldn¡¯t help but get interested in it,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°From our perspective, your offer of help sounds quite wonderful, but there are certain circumstances to consider here. As you may well know, we as Americans don¡¯t have a precedent of reaching out to the awakeners from other countries.¡±

    Robert spoke in a roundabout way to imply that it¡¯d be hard to accept Su-hyeun¡¯s request.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to blend in some favorable-sounding words in the mix, too. ¡°¡­.Still, we¡¯ll weigh the pros and cons of your request with utmost sincerity, Mister Su-hyeun. However, If you¡¯re willing to consent to a couple of things, then we might be inclined to view your potential inclusion to the assault party in a more positive light.¡±

    ¡°When you say ¡°consent,¡± what do you mean, exactly?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple, actually. Mister Su-hyeun, if you¡¯re willing to concede a portion of your contribution to us, then we might be inclined to consider your request in a positive light. As for the standard of judging the level of contribution, we at the Medical Guild swears to process it fairly and impartially, so you don¡¯t have to worry in that regard.¡±

    ¡°Aha.¡±

    Su-hyeun lightly nodded his head, and Robert cried out in delight inwardly.

    <>

    With this, they had succeeded in poaching an S-Rank, and on top of it all, they would be able to bring in more contribution, as well.

    It was then that Su-hyeun¡¯s expression changed in an instant. ¡°It seems that¡­¡± With a cold, hardened face, he continued on. ¡°The American S-Ranks are a lazy bunch, I guess.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t that true when looking at how everyone has stopped participating in the trials and chose to stay at home? Let¡¯s see, then. I wonder, are all five S-Ranks staying at home now?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s not that, but¡­.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.

    That was an unexpected question. To reply to this query he wasn¡¯t ready for, Robert urgently kicked his brain into gear while blurring the ends of his sentence, his eyes darting from side to side.

    It was then that Su-hyeun carried on with his words. ¡°Two people.¡±

    Knock, knock¡ª

    He tapped on the table and continued on. ¡°From what I heard, there are only two S-Rank awakeners currently available in America.¡±

    ¡°But, how did you¡­.¡±

    Robert couldn¡¯t continue with ¡°find out?¡± If he did, then it¡¯d be no different than tacitly admitting to what Su-hyeun had said.

    However, the latter seemed to know everything already. ¡°I investigated the current situation as soon as I heard about the news of the blue-colored dungeon. Well, they are all famous celebrities to begin with, so it wasn¡¯t all that hard to find out, anyway.¡±

    Su-hyeun stared straight at Robert, now resembling a speechless fool caught in the act. ¡°Two A-Rank awakeners, or one A-Rank plus several B-Ranks, are required for a yellow-colored dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Why have you suddenly¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun cut off Robert in the middle to carry on with what he wanted to say. ¡°And then, one S-Rank awakener, or at least many A- and B-Ranks, are required to attack a single green-colored dungeon. By following this logic, what do you think will be the required size of the combat force to attack a blue-colored dungeon?¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    Robert avoided Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze.

    His thoughts were getting messy.

    <>

    This was a completely different development from what he initially expected.

    Not only did he make a mistake of taking his opponent too lightly due to the latter¡¯s age, but he also didn¡¯t take into account Su-hyeun knowing the current situation in America.

    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll be on our way now. Looks like we¡¯ve selected a wrong guild to speak to,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°It-it seems like there¡¯s been some sort of a misunderstanding.¡± Robert, now startled wide awake, quickly held onto Su-hyeun¡¯s hand as the latter tried to get up.

    Su-hyeun looked as if he¡¯d burst out of this place at any second now, and his icy-cold eyes were currently locked squarely on Robert. ¡°A misunderstanding, you say?¡±

    Robert was pretty quick on the uptake. So, he swiftly revised what he said. ¡°N-no. I made a mistake¡­.¡±

    ¡°Is it really a mistake?¡±

    ¡°Allow me to apologize. But, I beg of you to understand where we¡¯re coming from.¡±

    ¡°But this and but that¡­.¡±

    That was one thing Su-hyeun hated the most.

    He scowled deeply as if displeased, but then, a wide grin suddenly formed on his face. Just as that grin began to feel ominous to everyone else, he settled back down on the seat. ¡°Alright, fine. For now, let¡¯s continue with this discussion.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. So, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Except that, I¡¯ll be the one to make a suggestion this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    Su-hyeun wanted to make a counteroffer? Robert could only hold his breath cautiously. ¡°Please go ahead.¡±

    ¡°First of all¡­¡±

    Robert¡¯s expression changed again and again as Su-hyeun continued on with what he wanted to say.

    At first, his complexion was bright, but it grew progressively darker and gloomier towards the end. A far greater dilemma compared to when he first got here was raging within his head.

    Once the one-sided discussion came to an end, Robert spoke with a troubled expression. ¡°But, there¡¯ll be far too much risk for our side.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the case of ¡®high risk, high return?¡¯ Probability-wise, it¡¯ll be far more disadvantageous for me, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­.¡±

    ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s provocation caused Robert¡¯s brows to shoot up high.

    However, the former continued to stare at the latter and carried on. ¡°This is literally a gamble. If any one of the American S-Ranks currently in the Tower decides to return, then I shall offer my services free of charge to the Medical Guild during this dungeon attack. However, if no one returns¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand. When that happens, we at the Medical Guild will concede all of our potential contribution and our rights over this dungeon to you.¡±

    Robert seemingly stuck in an endless dilemma finally made up his mind. The probability was very high. Only one S-Rank Awakener had to return, that was all. It was supposed to be ¡°high risk, high return,¡± but honestly speaking, this suggestion overwhelmingly favored the Medical Guild.

    <>

    If just one did come back from the trials, then it¡¯d be the same as the Medical Guild becoming the national hero. Regardless of what, it¡¯d basically be them recruiting an S-Rank awakener for free, after all.

    <>

    Everything was dependent on the bet, sure, but Robert decided to be optimistic about his prospects. While busy telling himself that the heavens could be helping him out right now, unfortunately for him¡­

    <>

    Su-hyeun was working very hard to drag down the corners of his lips constantly wanting to arch upwards. At a casual glance, this might have looked like a gamble, one where he was on the losing end. One where the Medical Guild was in a favorable position.

    Of course, unlike how it looked from the outside, the result of this bet was as good as already set in stone. Su-hyeun had already peeked into the future result, so he was able to throw his lot with a far surer bet.

    This gamble was his victory.

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s draw up a contract, shall we? As for the middleman¡­¡±

    The attack on the blue-colored dungeon.

    Su-hyeun thought that joining the assault party wouldn¡¯t be easy at all, but rather unexpectedly, things worked out quite painlessly all thanks to the Medical Guild.

    <>

    While drawing up the contract and signing it, the two men continued to mock each other inwardly.

    Of course, only one was scheduled to become the idiot here.

    ***

    Another ten days went by.

    And, excluding the two already-present S-Rank American awakeners, none returned from the Tower.

 Chapter 87

    Act 10

    Gurung, gurung¡ª

    Su-hyeun petted Miru, currently slumbering away in the middle of the living room.

    Compared to the beginning, the dragon had grown so much and now was about the size of a Korean Jindo dog. Miru continued to happily snore away.

    It seemed that Su-hyeun¡¯s touch felt really enjoyable to the young dragon.

    ¡°When will this kid grow up, I wonder?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think that at this size, it¡¯s grown a lot now?¡± Hak-joon replied.

    ¡°Regular dragons are supposed to reach their adulthood in about one year, you know. Can you honestly say that Miru will reach adulthood in one year at this rate?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, not really. I mean, it¡¯s only this big, so¡­¡± Hak-joon said that before grinning slyly in Su-Hyeun¡¯s direction. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s still a lot bigger than when it was wrapped around your neck.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been trying to cling onto me up until about a month ago. Do you have any idea how hard I had to work in pacifying him when he started sulking after I forbid him from wrapping around my neck? And even now, he¡¯s all annoyed and stuff for me not summoning him for a few days¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I saw that. Miru, this kid, when he gets ticked off, it¡¯s no freaking joke, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    As Miru¡¯s size had grown pretty large, Su-hyeun could no longer keep the dragon on the outside. Unlike before, his dragon might get mistaken for a monster that escaped from a dungeon if things went wrong somewhere.

    ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t it time to wake Miru up? We should get going real soon, right?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, we should.¡±

    With a really expectant face, Su-hyeun stood up from his spot. Hak-joon only needed to see that face to figure out what the older man was thinking and immediately formed a similar sort of expression himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± He had already heard from Su-hyeun the details of the wager with Robert. ¡°To see just what kind of a face that guy is making right now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Hak-joon ended up saying what Su-hyeun wanted to say in the first place, so the latter just nodded his head and began shaking Miru. ¡°Hey, time to wake up, sleepyhead. I brought you out after you wanted to come out and play, but you¡¯ve been sleeping the whole day.¡±

    Gurung, gururung¡ª

    ¡°If you don¡¯t wake up now, I¡¯m going to put you back in there. One, two¡­.¡±

    Gyaoh-oh-ong, gyaong¡ª

    Miru began to wiggle a bit in its curled-up position and began crying out so pitifully.

    Hak-joon stared at the dragon with amazed eyes before turning towards Su-hyeun. ¡°Looking at this guy really makes you realize how time flies by, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Right. It¡¯s true that he¡¯s changed a lot since half a year ago.¡±

    Hak-joon must¡¯ve recalled something abruptly from Su-hyeun¡¯s reply because he asked the latter out of sheer curiosity. ¡°What about you, bro?¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ¡°No, well. Miru¡¯s one thing, but I was just wondering how much you¡¯ve changed during the same time period, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t changed at all, you know.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­To begin with, you were like a scary monster half a year ago. And it¡¯s not like you¡¯d go and laze around like other regular people either.¡±

    There was this thought that popped up in his head every now and then.

    Just how strong was Su-hyeun now, really?

    What about now?

    Or now?

    Hak-joon would grow curious about the truth of the matter with every passing month or two.

    For one thing, Su-hyeun displayed the rate of growth that let him reach the S rank in two years. If he maintained the same growth rate and continued to get stronger, then it¡¯d be quite hard to imagine just how much more powerful he had become now.

    ¡°Bro, you reached the 30th floor recently, right?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t passed the trial there, but yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­You probably didn¡¯t take it easy in the meantime and lowered the difficulty, so.¡±

    Hak-joon recalled the figure of Su-hyeun stopping the dungeon outbreak in Anyang, then killing off the master of Ares Guild, Jeong Dong-yeong. It had been about half a year since then.

    ¡°Maybe, it¡¯s possible that¡­.¡± Although his words may come across as unsure, Hak-joon was quietly confident about this. ¡°It¡¯s you who has changed far more than Miru.¡±

    * * *

    Something was wrong here.

    Robert couldn¡¯t get up from his seat, cold sweat still dripping down his face, even though he¡¯d be late if he didn¡¯t get up this instant.

    <>

    For the past ten days, it felt as if his blood was slowly drying up with each passing day. That feeling grew worse and worse as the promised time came and went. At this point in time, he was this close to denying reality, even.

    <>

    As per the agreement with Su-hyeun, all contributions made by the Medical Guild would be handed over to him. As for the consequences of that action, it¡¯d fall on the shoulders of Robert himself who signed the contract in the first place.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    ¡°Guild Master, you need to get going, sir. If you don¡¯t start now, you might¡­¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaaahk¡ª!¡±

    Robert covered his ears from the urging coming from outside his office and screamed loudly.

    This was basically the same thing as a large American guild being completely suckered by Su-hyeun¡¯s scheme.

    * * *

    The middle of downtown LA.

    The attention of the entire world was focused on this location where countless police officers were restricting access.

    If you took a look at the faces of the awakeners showing up in this place, you¡¯d be able to find numerous individuals not just famous in America, but throughout the rest of the world, too.

    And the most famous of them all was the vice master of the Maximum Guild, the S-Rank awakener Jordan Rogers, who was rather obviously the main lead in this raid.

    ¡°They¡¯re late.¡±

    Jordan confirmed the time with his wristwatch and his brows quivered.

    Jordan was well known for being very strict with his promises, and he was never the type of man to wait for anyone in a laid-back manner. Even when there were dozens of minutes left on the clock, he¡¯d peer at his watch several times.

    ¡°Sir, the Medical Guild¡¯s master sent the word that he¡¯ll be absent this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­Absent?¡±

    A guild member approached his side and made a report, causing Jordan¡¯s expression to crumple unsightly.

    ¡°Does he think this is a damn joke¡­.?¡±

    ¡°And also, sir. Kim Su-hyeun seems to have arrived on location.¡±

    ¡°The one that the Medical Guild recruited?¡±

    ¡°Sir, actually, he¡¯s a mercenary. He was visiting as a guest, but this event happened and the Medical Guild apparently requested his aid.¡±

    ¡°Those morons at least did something productive for once.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to meet him, sir?¡±

    ¡°Later. I will say hello when everyone¡¯s gathered around. I¡¯m kind of curious about him since he¡¯s supposed to be a genius.¡±

    If this was a green-colored dungeon, it would be fine, but the difficulty of the one they were about to attack was a blue color. Not only that, it was in a precarious state where an outbreak could occur not too long from now.

    They definitely needed to succeed in this raid. So, the Medical Guild securing the services of an S-Rank awakener was a pretty sizeable contribution.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you expecting a little too much from a kid who became an S-Rank less than half a year ago?¡±

    It was then that a familiar voice entered Jordan¡¯s ears.

    This woman¡¯s rather razor-thin voice was capable of souring his moods no matter when he heard it. A middle-aged woman with blue hair and a pale face resulting from an excessive application of cosmetics just so happened to be the other S-Rank participating in this raid.

    The master of the Star Guild: Chloe Rafferty.

    The voices of the surroundings pretty much disappeared along with her entrance.

    ¡°He¡¯s a guest here to help us, the Americans. I suggest that you watch your mouth,¡± replied Jordan.

    ¡°Will he even really be of much help, I wonder?¡±

    ¡°Have you not heard of the name Kim Su-hyeun before? He¡¯s a genius who became an S-Rank in only two years.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s more like a little hatchling who¡¯s been an awakener for only two years. To be honest, who knows whether he went through the normal process to reach the rank S or not?¡±

    Chloe¡¯s suspicion wasn¡¯t just hers alone. That was the question every nation in the world thought about after hearing the name ¡°Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    Did Kim Su-hyeun truly possess the qualification of an S-Rank awakener? Could it be possible that the South Koreans tempered with the evaluation process in order to create a new rising star?

    ¡°That guy, he¡¯s only managed to reach the 30th floor, right? That¡¯s like, right at the bottom¡­.¡± muttered Chloe.

    ¡°He¡¯s the only Awakener to pass the tenth level trials.¡±

    ¡°Even then, he¡¯s an Awakener of the bottom floors.¡±

    ¡°Have you not heard it yet? For this dungeon raid, we need at least a minimum of three S-Ranks. If we can¡¯t make up the numbers, then the Guilds will have to bear the brunt of the consequences accordingly.¡±

    Jordan didn¡¯t believe that the dungeon couldn¡¯t be dealt with when there were only two S-Ranks present. No, the real problem to him was the extent of losses incurred before the dungeon was successfully raided.

    The statistic of ¡°minimum three, maximum five¡± only came about to minimize the potential losses to other awakeners, and that was all. Jordan¡¯s Maximum Guild and Chloe¡¯s Star Guild would have to shoulder the potential losses in full.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. My Star Guild also got ourselves a mercenary, too,¡± Chloe replied.

    ¡°¡­You did?¡±

    Now that was unexpected.

    The pride of Star Guild, especially of Chloe herself, was famously higher than anyone else¡¯s. She was definitely not someone who¡¯d ask for other¡¯s help.

    If the truth of an American guild lowering its head to an awakener from another country became known, the complaints from the American public would be directed solely to the Star Guild.

    ¡°I simply can¡¯t turn my back when someone pleads so desperately with me to lend a helping hand. Maybe, that person charmed me¡­.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say, since that person wanted to remain anonymous, but as far as skills are concerned, they¡¯re the real deal. I confirmed it myself.¡±

    ¡°Skills, is it¡­.¡±

    Prioritizing one¡¯s skills ¡ª that was a rather common story in this profession.

    Though wanting to stay anonymous left behind this uneasy feeling, as Chloe vouched for this unknown mercenary, there should be no problem here.

    <>

    The situation became a lot better than expected.

    <>

    Just like how it was the case with every S-Rank Awakener, Jordan too was overflowing with confidence towards his own skillset.

    There was the pride of being the part of the world¡¯s strongest awakener powerhouse nation, as well as being that very nation¡¯s top dog. As was the case with countless S-Rank Awakeners out there, both Jordan and Chloe confidently believed that they were the best of the best.

    ¡°As long as that person¡¯s skills are the real deal, then it doesn¡¯t matter to me. Not bad, auntie. You did something big this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­I told you this before, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Killing intent began mushrooming all around Chloe. This killing intent permeated with magical energy caused the surrounding air to instantly freeze up.

    ¡°If you call me auntie one more time, I¡¯ll definitely kill you.¡±

    Other Awakeners in the vicinity could only hold their breaths at the battle of auras of the two S-Ranks. Jordan snorted derisively, as his relationship with Chloe had been poor for a long time already.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fight you properly the next time after I clear up my schedule. You¡¯re supposed to be a guild master, so act accordingly, Chloe.¡±

    ¡°Are you running away now?¡±

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m running away, but¡­.¡±

    As the two began growling at each other, the noises from the surroundings completely died down. This was a situation where the slightest mistake might cause the two S-Rank Awakeners to tear out each other¡¯s throats.

    And in the midst of it all, Su-hyeun was observing Jordan and Chloe¡¯s figures.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t bear to hear those two talk anymore,¡± Su-hyeun muttered, prompting Hak-joon to ask, ¡°What are they talking about, anyway? Other than your name and something about the 30th floor, I couldn¡¯t understand anything they said.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun simplified the conversation Jordan and Chloe had and told it to Hak-joon.

    ¡°That¡¯s what they talked about.¡±

    ¡°Wait, they can¡¯t possibly fight each other in this place, right?¡±

    ¡°Who knows.¡±

    ¡°What will they do if someone gets injured¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Well, they might be thinking that it doesn¡¯t matter to them whether something happens to the raid or not. Or, they could be thinking that there won¡¯t be any problems even if they behave like that.¡±

    ¡°Whichever it is, it¡¯s a bit too much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the result of lack of experience as well as living in peace for too long as the top dog. Probably the half of all S-Ranks think the same as them.¡±

    Su-hyeun then observed the humongous blue aura swallowing up a corner of the city in the distance.

    ¡°¡­Maybe they think that thing over there is a joke,¡± murmured Su-hyeun.

    Nowhere in the conversation between Jordan and Chloe continuing with their killing intent could the worries regarding the blue-colored dungeon be found. The idea of the raid failing didn¡¯t even cross their minds. This was the common trait of all the S-Rank American awakeners.

    ¡°But, that¡¯s obvious, right? Jordan over there is a great man who successfully raided the world¡¯s largest green-colored dungeon. Now that Chloe¡¯s with him, what could possibly scare him?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°Is that what you think, too?¡±

    ¡°About?¡±

    ¡°That thing over there. You think that¡¯s a joke, too?¡±

    Both the look on Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, as well as the tone of his voice, gave off some strange vibes. Hak-joon didn¡¯t know what Su-hyeun wanted to say, so he closed his mouth shut.

    The latter quietly stared at the blue-colored dungeon, before continuing on. ¡°Have you ever thought about the possibility of those things swallowing up this world sooner or later?¡±

    ¡°Dungeons¡­swallowing the world?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if Hak-joon had never thought about it before.

    When dungeons first appeared in the world, such fears did circulate in the public, although they went away pretty soon afterward.

    The dungeon¡¯s first appearance did bring wariness and fear to the rest of the world. However, with the entrance of the awakeners, dungeons were soon seen as repositories of new types of resources.

    The sense of danger Su-hyeun was implying disappeared not too long after.

    No, it was more like it was forgotten.

    ¡°Bro, could it be that¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Su-hyeun thought that it was still too early and shook his head.

    Hak-joon, thinking that the atmosphere had gotten weird quickly tried to change the topic. ¡°Besides that, what will you do now? I¡¯m not sure if you can go there and say hi under the current situation.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t that auntie talk crap about you, bro? So, like, wouldn¡¯t stepping forward now only make matters worse and get people red in their faces?¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    Su-hyeun pondered for a bit, before softly nodding his head.

    ¡°You know, that¡­doesn¡¯t sound so bad.¡±

 Chapter 88

    ¡°Hey, man. Someone stop those two.¡±

    ¡°And who¡¯s gonna do that?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the Medical Guild¡¯s master?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t show up. Besides, you think that dude can stop them even if he¡¯s here?¡±

    People whispered to each other and continued to observe Jordan and Chloe¡¯s changing moods.

    The truth of these two having bad blood between them was a well-known fact by now. Jordan, with his stubborn streak and old-fashioned values, and the carefree Chloe with a near-narcissistic level of self-love were polar opposites.

    When the news got out that only these two were left to participate in the dungeon raid, lots of stories began doing the rounds. People wondered whether the participants needed to be wary of these two more than the monsters during the raid.

    Sure enough, things were going wrong from the very beginning.

    ¡°Won¡¯t something bad really happen at this rate?¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Someone¡¯s footsteps made a noise.

    Everyone was holding their breaths and whispering to each other, too scared to even take one single step. Their attention was focused on the person responsible for the noise.

    It was an unfamiliar face. Not only that, he didn¡¯t even look American, either.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Dunno.¡±

    ¡°An Asian man¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Wait a sec, is he actually going over there?¡±

    Even as people murmured, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t stop walking forward.

    The distance closed soon enough, and the Arctic-level of chilly auras emitted by Jordan and Chloe began stabbing him on the skin.

    Realizing that someone was approaching them, the two S-Rank Awakeners shifted their glare over to Su-hyeun next. He kept his focus on Chloe in the midst of this. She had been carrying this expression of ¡°Who the heck is this idiot?¡± ever since discovering his approach.

    ¡°It¡¯d be a lie to say I¡¯m pleased to make your acquaintance¡­.After all, I¡¯ve been hearing my name being brought up for a while now,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Your name?¡± Chloe, still not getting it evidently, began scanning Su-hyeun from top to bottom. Meanwhile, Jordan asked a question.

    ¡°Are you Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°That Kim Su-hyeun?¡± Jordan asked again.

    ¡°The one that¡¯ll join us during this assault¡­..?¡±

    ¡°What the heck, it was true? Hey, the Medical Guild really scored big this time, didn¡¯t they?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s entrance caused a bit of commotion in the surroundings.

    A man capable of potentially diffusing the tense stand-off between Jordan and Chloe threatening to go off at any second had made an appearance. Indeed, it should have been seen as a welcome development to all. Only one person was staring at Su-hyeun with an unwelcoming gaze, however.

    ¡°Were you listening to everything?¡±

    At Chloe¡¯s question, Su-hyeun nodded his head. ¡°You did speak in a voice that everyone could hear.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what do you want, then?¡±

    Her question implied why he still chose to show himself after hearing all of that. She really had a commendably thick skin. It seemed that she had zero interest in minding Su-hyeun¡¯s mood at all.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯ll be in your care, auntie.¡±

    The same thing could be said for Su-hyeun, however.

    ¡°A-auntie?!¡±

    Chloe¡¯s brows arched in a terrifying manner.

    If Su-hyeun really did hear her conversation with Jordan, then he must¡¯ve learned about how much she hated being called an ¡°auntie.¡± Even if he missed it, there was probably no woman alive who liked being called that.

    This was an open provocation, in other words.

    Shuaaaaah¡ª

    Crack, craaaack¡ª

    Chloe¡¯s aura spread out to the surroundings in an even harsher intensity. The chilly temperature now dropped below the freezing point, and the objects found in the surroundings began to really freeze up.

    Awakeners possessed fairly robust resistance towards cold and hot weather, yet even they were beginning to feel the chill from her aura. Of course, Su-hyeun and Jordan felt the full brunt of the biting chill.

    ¡°You¡­do you really want to die?¡± Chloe threatened.

    ¡°Chloe.¡±

    Rumble¡ª!

    Right at that moment, Jordan¡¯s own aura also flared up far stronger than before. The white-hot aura soon descended to earth, and immediately, Chloe shifted her glare back to Jordan.

    ¡°Keep it down and withdraw your aura. If you don¡¯t, forget about the raid or whatever ¡ª I will crush an arm and a leg of yours right here, right now,¡± said Jordan.

    ¡°Me? You will?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I will crush you.¡±

    ¡°You f*cking son of a bitch, I¡¯ll¡­.!¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Gu-wuuuu¡ª

    The two people¡¯s auras clashing against each other were dragged downwards. A brand new magical energy made an entrance and began suppressing them from above. Startled by this development, both Chloe and Jordan quickly shifted their gaze over to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not throw a tantrum around in the middle of a city filled with people, shall we? It¡¯s unsightly to look at,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°You, you, you¡­.!¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t hold it, why don¡¯t we go somewhere else and finish it there? Put your contributions and your life on the line in the meantime. So, how about it? We still have some time to kill, anyway.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits.

    Chloe gnashed her teeth and was about to stride over to Su-hyeun. ¡°Those words, I¡¯m gonna¡­.¡±

    ¡°There, there.¡± It was then that Jordan stepped in between Su-hyeun and Chloe and opened his mouth. ¡°I acknowledge it. I got too carried away. It¡¯s the first time meeting each other, so let¡¯s not get too red in the faces and end it here.¡±

    ¡°Jordan, you¡­.¡±

    ¡°Chloe, that¡¯s enough from you. Let¡¯s be real here. You can¡¯t deal with him, now can you?¡±

    Jordan¡¯s question caused Chloe to bite down hard on her lip before she spun on her heels to leave.

    Su-hyeun watched her back rapidly gaining distance with long strides and could only lick his lips, ruing the missed opportunity.

    ¡°It seems that you were really planning to fight her,¡± Jordan observed.

    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t just sit back and take it lying down after hearing her say stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a lot fiercer than you look, aren¡¯t you? I like that.¡±

    A wide grin formed on Jordan¡¯s lips. It seemed that he had recalled Chloe¡¯s deeply crumpled expression as she walked away.

    ¡°Allow me to introduce myself properly. I¡¯m Jordan, vice master of the Maximum Guild. I¡¯d like to ask you to gloss over what that idiot Chloe has said earlier.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care. If it¡¯s at all possible, I¡¯d like to end today¡¯s raid with the least amount of losses. Quite a few of my Guild family are joining me today, you see.¡±

    While saying that, Jordan extended his hand towards Su-hyeun.

    He seemed to be a lot nicer than the initial impressions might suggest. The way he thought about his Guild members, it seemed that he really did care about his own people, and he was well-mannered towards the others he¡¯s meeting for the first time, too.

    Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°I see. You also seem to be thinking of that as a joke, as well,¡± replied Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be worried about safely ending the raid with minimum losses, but¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun left Jordan¡¯s hand hanging and turned around.

    ¡°¡­We should all worry about returning home alive, instead.¡±

    Jordan could only wordlessly stare at Su-hyeun¡¯s distancing back.

    Those words sounded like they came from a man well-versed in blue-colored dungeons. Despite knowing that such a thing was impossible, Jordan found himself unable to ignore what Su-hyeun had said for some reason.

    More than anything, that highly-concentrated magical energy suppressing both his and Chloe¡¯s auras¡­

    <>

    Jordan clutched his hand still hanging in the air and muttered to himself.

    ¡°Maybe the truth has been downplayed, instead?¡±

    * * *

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    The path Chloe was walking on was frozen solid. Her sour mood caused the surrounding air to cool down rapidly.

    <>

    She recalled Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, and her expression crumpled even further.

    <>

    He was merely an awakener who had only reached the 30th floor.

    That was why she had been dismissing the b*stard. His experience as an awakener was too short, and she figured his skills would be severely lacking as a result, too.

    But now, it was basically the same thing as her being pushed aside by him. Sure, they hadn¡¯t fought each other or anything like that yet, but as some things had already been said out aloud, her pride couldn¡¯t help but be wounded from the exchange.

    <>

    She tried to look at it that way, but even then, there were a few areas that still didn¡¯t make sense.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t scowl so much. Your make-up will crack apart like that.¡±

    Chloe¡¯s head spun right next to her, in the direction of where that voice came from.

    It came from a man with a bucket hat deeply pressed down ¡ª none other than the S-Rank awakener from another country who came with Chloe.

    As her temper had already been stoked, those inflammatory words were answered by Chloe¡¯s very harsh-sounding tone of voice. ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight with me, too?¡±

    The man replied with a laughing voice. ¡°The way it looks to me, it was you who started this whole thing, so what do you mean ¡®too?''¡±

    ¡°You better shut your¡­.¡±

    ¡°That man Kim Su-heyun¡­¡± The man changed the topic and cocked his head in the direction where Su-hyeun had disappeared to. ¡°Won¡¯t he prove to be an unexpected variable?¡±

    ¡°A variable? What variable?¡± Chloe shot back as if to imply, ¡°don¡¯t say something nonsensical.¡±

    She didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d be a good conversation partner in her current state. The man lightly tutted and shook his head.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    The man then pulled the hat even lower and hid his eyes. Soon, the man turned around and walked away as well. Chloe watched him and began gnashing her teeth again.

    <>

    It was as if she could see those two¡¯s faces right before her eyes. As flames burned in her eyes, Chloe muttered loudly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely kill both of you.¡±

    * * *

    The blue-colored dungeon raid party was comprised of four Guilds.

    It took quite a long time for every single member of each guild to gather and also to check their food and items. The waiting time included the interview period for the awakeners of the raid party, however.

    Jordan met up with the newly-joining S-Rank awakener and had a chat. The man wearing the bucket hat was rather polite, which was quite different from Chloe.

    As if she decided to unload the stress she got just now on the interview, she gathered up the reporters and wasted a ton of time yapping away.

    Jordan, waiting for her to finish, kept glancing at his wristwatch several times before finally saying something. ¡°Chloe, get ready. We¡¯ll be heading out.¡±

    Unable to sit back anymore, Jordan finally intervened. Chloe must¡¯ve realized that the proceedings had been delayed by her time-wasting because she didn¡¯t retort back other than furrowing her brows.

    ¡°I guess this really is it.¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    Perhaps he was nervous ¡ª Hak-joon patted down his chest and muttered to himself.

    It made sense, however.

    Being first of anything held a deep meaning, and it¡¯d be normal to shiver from the prospect. On top of this, the subject of his challenge this time was a dungeon, where it¡¯d be like stepping across the death¡¯s doorstep at all times.

    The world¡¯s first blue-colored dungeon. Hak-joon¡¯s anticipation, nervousness, and excitement slid down his palms as sweat drops.

    ¡°You still remember what I told you before coming here, right?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    With Jordan and Chloe in the lead, numerous awakeners began piling into the blue-colored dungeon.

    Hak-joon following after them began muttering out what Su-hyeun told him a few days ago word by word. ¡°A dungeon will always throw an unexpected curveball in our direction. And also¡­.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    He gripped the hilt of the sword mounted on his hips hard and continued on. ¡°The moment you step inside the dungeon is when the battle starts.¡±

    ¡°Just remember those two things,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    Before long, the two of them following the leaders were standing only a step before the dungeon¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The moment they stepped into the dungeon, the view before their eyes transformed in an instant.

    * * *

    [Trial will now commence.]

    [In order to escape from the dungeon, you must locate the designated escape gate or survive for ten days.]

    A pair of simple but concise messages popped up inside the head of everyone entering the blue-colored dungeon.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to escape?¡±

    ¡°Dammit, I guess I won¡¯t get to run away at this rate.¡±

    Just like how it was with high-difficulty trials, it would get harder and harder to find a normal type of dungeon as the color approached closer to the purple hue. Several variables, such as unique types of trials or rule sets would start to appear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get your panties in a twist over a variable like this. You¡¯re all ruining the party¡¯s atmosphere.¡± Jordan went on to pacify the panicking raid party members. His composed appearance managed to gradually pull back the fear spreading within the party like an infection.

    Jordan then surveyed the backdrop of the dungeon. It was a massive jungle with no end in sight.

    He had occasionally come across dungeons with such backdrops before. As he was familiar with it, any thoughts of it being difficult didn¡¯t even enter his head.

    He then started confirming his vicinity, only for his eyes to tremble greatly.

    ¡°Hold up.¡± He counted the number of people and raised his voice. ¡°The headcount is off.¡±

    Exactly two people were missing.

    ¡°That man with the bucket hat, and¡­¡±

    Jordan then looked at Hak-joon and asked, ¡°Where is Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

 Chapter 89

    Act 1

    At Jordan¡¯s question, Hak-joon hurriedly turned his head to look. He blinked his eyes several times before muttering out with a stunned expression, ¡°Huh? Where did he disappear to?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if he understood what Jordan said, but at least he could tell that the American mouthed the name ¡°Su-hyeun.¡± The man who should¡¯ve been next to him was not here, so how could he not get flustered?

    ¡°Where is Kim Su¡­.¡±

    ¡°I-I, dun speak Engreesh.¡±

    It was impossible to communicate. Jordan frowned, feeling rather frustrated. It seemed that Hak-joon also didn¡¯t know where Su-hyeun had disappeared to.

    <>

    Two people had vanished at the same time.

    Could there be some kind of connection here?

    Jordan took a look at Chloe¡¯s expression. She also seemed somewhat taken aback herself.

    <>

    Jordan narrowed his eyes and shifted his gaze away from her.

    <>

    Caw, caaaaaw¡ª!

    The ominous cry of a bird resounded throughout the forest.

    It came from the Blackbirds.

    <hr />

    Shu-aaahk¡ª

    Slash¡ª!

    The body of a blackbird roaming in the air split in half and fell to the ground while scattering blood everywhere.

    Wheee-ree-reek¡ª

    Swiiish¡ª

    The man pulled the bucket hat lower with one hand and fell back down to the ground. Almost at the same time, he flung himself into the densest part of the foliage.

    However, someone else was chasing after the bucket hat-wearing man. As a matter of fact, this tail had been following him ever since he had left his initial position.

    <>

    He could more or less tell just who was chasing after him; no one other than a fellow S-Rank could keep up with him.

    Chloe wouldn¡¯t come after him, and he had already confirmed that Jordan did not sense his departure. More importantly, he knew that the vice guild master of Maximum Guild wasn¡¯t as quick on his feet as this person. He already knew quite a lot of intel related to that man, after all.

    In that case¡­

    Crack¡ª

    ¡°Is it Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    The man stopped and turned around. That prompted Su-hyeun to come to a stop, too.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re faster than I thought. Sticking pretty close to me and all.¡±

    The man grinned once Su-hyeun fully revealed himself.

    The young Korean¡¯s speed was indeed quite quick. To think that he¡¯d catch up when no regular S-Rank could even hope to pull off something like that.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t chase after me for no reason, so what do you want? You must have some business with me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re MacRebur, right?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question caused the bucket hat man¡¯s expression to freeze up for a second.

    MacRebur.

    That was the man¡¯s real name.

    ¡°You¡­Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, so I was right. That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by relief? And how do you even know my name?¡±

    Initially, he was curious about why Su-hyeun chose to chase after him.

    This young man unhesitantly followed MacRebur quietly slipping away as if he knew this would happen beforehand. He thought that it was merely down to the kid¡¯s vague sense of curiosity or suspicion. However, the story would have to change now since Su-hyeun knew his name.

    After all, MacRebur had already used a false name to introduce himself. Su-hyeun knowing his real name despite that practically meant the same thing as the kid knowing his real identity as well.

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t planning to answer, then¡­¡± MacRebur muttered.

    ¡°I wanted to ask you about something, actually.¡±

    Su-hyeun took a step closer to MacRebur and spoke up. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you¡¯d answer me right away, anyway. So¡­let me ask after I put you in a more cooperative frame of mind, okay?¡±

    ¡°You insane son of a¡­.¡±

    MacRebur¡¯s brows shot up while swearing angrily, perhaps finding Su-hyeun¡¯s attitude far too impudent.

    But that lasted only for a second. Not long afterward, MacRebur¡¯s expression regained its previous composure. It was a stunningly bizarre level of change in his emotional state.

    Witnessing that, Su-hyeun retorted matter-of-factly, however. ¡°As an assassin-type awakener, controlling your emotions is the basics of all basics. Right, you¡¯re doing pretty well in that regard.¡±

    MacRebur nearly lost control of his emotions again just then. Su-hyeun knew not only his name, but also what his abilities were, too. He tried to remain composed, but his shock didn¡¯t want to wear out quickly.

    <>

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    MacRebur¡¯s figure got sucked into the shade cast by the dense foliage of the jungle.

    <>

    Fuu-woong¡ª

    With that, MacRebur vanished without a trace. Only a semi-transparent ¡°something¡± remained wavering for a brief moment or two where he used to stand.

    However, Su-hyeun remained calm as he scanned his vicinity. As expected, MacRebur¡¯s aura was gone with nary a clue as to where he might have disappeared to.

    ¡°Hide in the shadows and aim for your target¡¯s back. Even this is basic for an assassin,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze shifted to his side.

    Tap¡ª

    Although faint, a certain noise could still be heard. Even MacRebur¡¯s flustered emotion could be sensed quite clearly, as well.

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze again and continued on with what he wanted to say. ¡°In 2018, there was a catastrophe that took place in an American embassy. The number of victims was 11, including the ambassador. It was determined to be an incident caused by some sort of explosive device.¡±

    Tap¡ª

    ¡°In 2019, there was the free-for-all riot that took place in the Canadian Awakener Organization. The director of the organization got sucked into the fight among the awakeners and was killed. And in August of the same year¡­.¡±

    Swish, tap, tap, tap!

    Su-hyeun stood still and continued to say something ¨C all the while his gaze shifted busily in this and that direction again and again.

    MacRebur circling around such Su-hyeun waiting for an opening found it harder and harder to maintain his composure.

    <>

    The incidents Su-hyeun brought up happened to be none other than the very ones MacRebur was involved in.

    Of course, there were plenty of other incidents not known to the rest of the world. However, those incidents Su-hyeun mentioned? Almost no one knew that those were MacRebur¡¯s handiwork.

    On top of that¡­

    <>

    Tap¡ª

    MacRebur was gradually closing the distance but had to back away again. He used a skill to hide his body and cautiously approached Su-hyeun, but his target had accurately saw through his position.

    At first, he thought it was pure coincidence. Or maybe the b*stard was particularly lucky.

    But when the same thing repeated three, four times in a row, he knew that this was no coincidence at all.

    <>

    His composure began crumbling away bit by bit. At the same time, the questions regarding Su-hyeun quickly mushroomed in the corner of his mind.

    <>

    He couldn¡¯t make up his mind.

    Su-hyeun was accurately seeing through his current position. As an assassin, he naturally favored sneak attacks, yet this was the same as forcing him into an open confrontation.

    Should he escape from here? Or should he stay and fight?

    If he did escape from here, then he probably would be able to meet his target at a different time.

    However¡­

    <>

    This b*stard knew too much about him.

    He needed to suppress his target and find out just who the hell this kid was. If he couldn¡¯t, then he absolutely had to make sure that Su-hyeun was not breathing anymore.

    Su-pahk¡ª!

    Aiming for Su-hyeun¡¯s blind spot, MacRebur exploded in speed without warning. The location he dashed to was right behind Su-hyeun¡¯s back. He then closed the distance in the blink of an eye while yanking out his dagger.

    At the same time¡­

    Shu-ahhk¡ª

    Countless black blades rose up in all directions with Su-hyeun in the middle.

    Chwa-rahrahrahrahk¡ª

    The moment all those black swords pounced on Su-hyeun¡¯s silhouette¡­

    <>

    MacRebur cried out inwardly in elation. His attack worked far easier than he initially thought. Fortunately, he had accurately aimed for Su-hyeun¡¯s blind spot, it seemed.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He definitely thought he caught his prey, yet there was no sensation at the tip of his dagger.

    Sliiice¡ª

    Drop¡ª

    A burning pain was transmitted through his arm. Something weighty fell near his feet next. He shifted his gaze lower only to discover a severed arm spurting blood rolling around on the ground.

    ¡°Ah, ah? Ahhhhk!¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Baaaang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun grabbed MacRebur¡¯s head from behind and slammed the assassin face-first into the ground.

    MacRebur had lost his cool from the horrifying reality of his limb being cut off, and couldn¡¯t even offer proper resistance as his face was viciously planted into the ground below.

    For a moment there, he thought he¡¯d blackout. He would¡¯ve done so for real if it weren¡¯t for Su-hyeun lifting the assassin up in the air by the head.

    ¡°Okay, so you won¡¯t run away with this, I hope?¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Euh¡­.euh, euh¡­.¡±

    Countless emotions fleeted in and out of MacRebur¡¯s eyes.

    His previous composed look was long gone by now. His eyes were filled with confusion and fear and no longer belonged to an assassin.

    ¡°The weakest point of an assassin like you always has been yourselves. Your stealth would gradually come undone just because you started losing your cool.¡±

    ¡°It¡­can¡¯t be¡­.That¡¯s why¡­.my name¡­.¡±

    ¡°Everything after that, too. Even then, you did maintain your cool pretty well, I have to say. But maybe because your past work got found out, your composure began to crumble little by little.¡±

    Craaack¡ª

    ¡°Kuwaaaaahk¡ª!¡±

    To prevent MacRebur from escaping too far, Su-hyeun stomped on one of the assassin¡¯s legs and shattered it.

    As the scream resounded out, Su-hyeun¡¯s ice-cold eyes looked down MacRebur. ¡°This is nothing much, you know. How many died by your hands up until now?¡±

    ¡°Euh, euh¡­.Euh, euh¡­.¡±

    ¡°Since you are an assassin, you should¡¯ve run away like one. You made a mistake of taking me head-on. Well, even if you did run away and wait for another opportunity, later on, the end result would¡¯ve been the same.¡±

    MacRebur heard those words and realized that he¡¯d played into Su-hyeun¡¯s trap all along.

    His opponent already knew who he was and dug a double, no triple, layered trap with the knowledge as the foundation. He prevented him from retreating and ensured his complete defeat even if they fought head-on.

    <>

    ¡°Hey, I can see you thinking of running away from your eyes.¡±

    Grab¡ª

    ¡°W-wait, hold on¡­!¡±

    When Su-hyeun placed his foot on MacRebur¡¯s other leg, the assassin cried out in pure shock.

    Unfortunately for him¡­

    ¡°Hold on, my ass.¡±

    Craaaack¡ª

    ¡°Kkeuh¡­.Aaaaaah¡ª!¡±

    After crushing both legs of his prey, Su-hyeun finally lowered himself and matched MacRebur¡¯s line of sight. The latter, as he lay there moaning in pain, soon realized that he could no longer escape from here.

    ¡°The Dump Guild.¡±

    <>

    ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°Keuh¡­.keuh, keuh¡­.Kekeke.¡±

    The pained moan leaking out of his mouth was now mixed with a cackle.

    It just felt too funny, now that everything was laid bare in the open like this. MacRebur was curious about how much Su-hyeun knew, but it seemed that he knew everything.

    ¡°You¡¯re actually laughing. What a crazy bastard you are,¡± retorted Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much you know, but¡­You shouldn¡¯t have come here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you the truth. You¡­should¡¯ve stayed in Korea.¡± MacRebur cackled and continued on. ¡°But what to do now? You only have a pair of hands, after all. And soon enough, in Korea there will be¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±

    Only then did MacRebur take a good look into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    The latter didn¡¯t seem to be panicking one iota from what he had said a second ago. No, he seemed utterly disinterested as if he knew about it already.

    <>

    Even that?

    <>

    Unless they had a traitor among their midst, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t have known about it.

    MacRebur momentarily wondered if Su-hyeun didn¡¯t care at all about South Korea, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Those eyes, rather than indifference, were a lot closer to confidence, instead.

    It must have meant there was something he could place his trust in.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­.¡±

    ¡°Enough. I¡¯ll be the one asking questions from now on. Time¡¯s wasting.¡±

    This would be the first time in a long while.

    Every member of the Dump Guild was infamous for their viciousness. And if it was an S-Rank from that group, then making him talk would be incredibly difficult to say the least.

    ¡°The Dump Guild¡¯s American headquarters. Tell me everything you know.¡±

    ¡°¡­What was that?¡±

    MacRebur was wondering what kind of questions would be asked since Su-hyeun seemed to know everything, but then, he realized that the contents of the question were quite ominous in nature.

    ¡°The Dump Guild. You cockroach-like b*stards¡­.¡±

    The biggest reason why Su-hyeun came to America was¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m planning to stomp you out of existence using this chance.¡±

    ¡­to completely eradicate the Dump Guild currently hiding in the United States of America.

 Chapter 90

    Step, step, step¡ª

    Splosh, splash¡ª

    Almost 100 strong combatants walked on the ground as sticky and thick as mud. Hak-joon felt like he was treading on a bed of nails and not mud, though.

    <>

    The way Jordan looked at him ever since they stepped into the dungeon had changed; it probably had something to do with Su-hyeun¡¯s disappearance.

    <>

    The other S-Rank who also disappeared together with him didn¡¯t want to return, either. The raid party waited in the same spot for over one hour, but when the disappeared duo showed no signs of reappearing, Jordan seemed to have finally decided to abandon the missing people and move on.

    Since Hak-joon couldn¡¯t really stay and man the position all by himself, he had no choice but to tag along with Jordan, and by extension, the rest of the raid party. As he was an A-Rank, he was at least considered to possess skills around the higher tier within this group.

    <>

    Before entering the dungeon, Su-hyeun often told Hak-joon about several important points the latter needed to be aware of. At first, he figured this was simply because of the worries regarding the blue-colored dungeon, but now, he was beginning to think that maybe all that talk was to get him prepared for situations like this one.

    <>

    Only sighs escaped from his lips.

    ¡°Halt.¡±

    Jordan walking in the front-most position raised his hand and brought everyone to a stop.

    He spoke in simple-enough English so it wasn¡¯t hard to understand him, and since the rest of the raid party also came to a stop, Hak-joon didn¡¯t find it difficult to follow the leader¡¯s order.

    Jordan then proceeded to issue a complicated-sounding set of orders for a while, before turning towards Hak-joon who couldn¡¯t understand him and said one word.

    ¡°Fight.¡±

    Swiiish, swiiiiiiish¡ª

    Right at that moment, Hak-joon felt numerous presences prickling his skin.

    Monsters were appearing for the first time since their entrance into the dungeon. Jordan had detected their presence early and got the raid party ready for combat.

    Hak-joon had been feeling rather uncomfortable here, so the emergence of monsters actually helped with alleviating some of pressure. With his sword gripped tightly, he began rousing up his magical energy. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s just get the hell out of this freaking dungeon first.¡±

    Kki-riiik, kkik¡ª!

    The type of monsters that leaped out of everywhere was huge monkeys.

    These creatures¡¯ unique points were that not only were they powerful, but they were also quite agile despite their large bodies. Plus, the four fangs jutting out of their mouths were at least as long as a person¡¯s hand.

    This type of monster had never been witnessed before. However, their overall appearance did present general clues on how these creatures would fight their battles.

    Siii-iiit¡ª

    Bang, boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Hak-joon quickly turned his head as the flames powerfully spread out. Jordan¡¯s body had turned into a walking flame, and he was sweeping past the monkeys leaping out from everywhere.

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    On the other side, sheets of ice approaching absolute zero suddenly appeared with Chloe as their center.

    Not only their personalities, but even their abilities were on the opposing ends of the scale, too. However, one thing was for certain: both of them were truly amazing.

    <>

    Hak-joon glanced at the two, gripped the sword in his hand tightly and muttered to himself. ¡°I won¡¯t lose to them.¡±

    Shwuu¡ª

    He took a large stride forward while directing his magical energy all the way to the very tip of his sword.

    Kii-riik, kii-ririk¡ª

    The concentrated magical energy spread throughout Hak-joon¡¯s body and enveloped his sword. His eyes glowed brightly in blue, and everything within the surroundings could be sensed vividly as if he could easily grab them.

    Su-pahk¡ª!

    His figure jumped up high.

    Utilizing the Leap skill, his sword descended on top of a monkey monster¡¯s head.

    Sliiiice¡ª!

    * * *

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Monkey monsters trying to pounce on Jordan were scorched pitch-black.

    There were plenty of awakeners capable of manipulating fire, but Jordan was a special case among them ¡ª from possessing a rare skill from the fire-type skill tree, to several passive skills that aided in that rare skill itself, plus his sky-high magical energy reserve, too.

    It didn¡¯t matter what anyone said; Jordan was still a world-renowned awakener.

    <>

    His eyes observing Hak-joon gleamed brightly.

    The man who tagged along with Su-hyeun was an A-Rank awakener. The kid was still young, and his experience as an awakener wasn¡¯t all that extensive, either. Even then, he possessed a considerably high rank as well as magical power.

    In a way, he resembled Su-hyeun. The only difference would be who was taller than the other one.

    Jordan had already confirmed both Su-hyeun¡¯s skill level and his guts before entering the dungeon. But the latter simply vanished, leaving behind Hak-joon all by himself. Jordan was inwardly curious about the kid¡¯s abilities, anyway.

    He was keeping his eyes on the kid, but as it turned out, this Hak-joon guy also possessed skills far exceeding his expectations, just like how it was with Su-hyeun.

    <>

    This textbook battle style should be shown to the D-Rank or lower awakeners that had awakened only recently.

    However, it was only the overall framework that seemed similar to a textbook example. Hak-joon¡¯s skills were on another realm altogether. While being faithful to the basics, he only used the minimum required physical strength to load his sword with maximum destructive power.

    Also, he had no opening whatsoever.

    <>

    Hak-joon¡¯s current skills should easily put him in the upper tier of A-Rank. And with such a level of talent and skill, Hak-joon should be stepping into the same rank as Jordan not too long from now.

    <>

    America and Korea.

    They might have been the same awakener powerhouse, but the differences in the awakener manpower that followed the superiority in the population numbers were quite clear.

    However, one more S-Rank appearing in South Korea would greatly change the story. From that point onwards, the Americans wouldn¡¯t be able to say that they were in a superior position than Korea.

    That was how great the prestige each S-Rank carried.

    The attacks of the monkeys were taken care of soon after.

    Awakeners with healing-type skills looked after the injured while Jordan and Chloe checked out the party¡¯s overall losses.

    ¡°Not as difficult as expected,¡± observed Jordan.

    A total of five were injured in the end. And the wounds on only one of them could be called anything serious.

    ¡°That¡¯s because the raid party itself is incredible. Where would you ever find a party of this size composed of this many high rankers?¡±

    Jordan nodded his head at Chloe¡¯s words.

    Although he didn¡¯t want to agree with her, she was correct in this case. For sure, no raid party of this scale had ever been created before. He might not like it, but Chloe was an awakener with a similar level of abilities as him.

    ¡°I was worried, so what a relief this is. We¡¯ll take a short break before departing again. Everyone, focus on recovering your depleted stamina and magical energy.¡±

    With those words, Jordan turned around to leave.

    Shudder¡ª

    It happened right then.

    Ka-boom¡ª!!

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    A massive explosion went off between Jordan and Chloe. Just as the entire surroundings were blanketed by heat and coldness, awakeners began screaming out loud.

    ¡°Aaaaah¡ª! My arm!¡±

    ¡°Mick! Sherry!!¡±

    ¡°W-what the hell is going on here??¡±

    ¡°Mister Jordan and Miss Chloe, they¡­.¡±

    Just as the surroundings became rather noisy¡­.

    Stab! Stab, slice¡ª!

    Booooom¡ª!

    ¡°Aaaaahck!¡±

    From the gaps of the steam spreading all around, screams began resounding out one after the other.

    <>

    Hak-joon stood there utterly frozen and panicking.

    It wasn¡¯t just Jordan and Chloe. Countless awakeners were pointing their weapons at each other and wildly firing off their skills. No, more correctly, one faction was attacking the rest in a one-sided fashion without a warning.

    The event happened completely out of the blue.

    There was no such thing as a timely response, either. No, there were only the one-sided attacks, which were met with tepid resistance.

    Jordan quickly retreated to a distance and glared at Chloe beyond the rising curtain of steam. Their surroundings had already turned into a pandemonium.

    ¡°Chloe, you¡­¡±

    ¡°One arm and a leg, is it? You got away pretty unscathed, then.¡± Chloe smirked and gradually roused up her magical energy once more. ¡°I told you this before, haven¡¯t I? You¡¯ll die by my hands sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°Must you do this now?¡±

    They were currently trying to attack a blue-colored dungeon. Not only that, but they couldn¡¯t even escape easily from this dungeon either. Even if their bad blood had become really untenable, this was no time to squabble among themselves.

    ¡°Yup. I really have to do this now,¡± Chloe replied.

    ¡°Even then, you should mind the situation and¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly because of the situation.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this perfect? You have no place to run away, and the raid will end in failure, too.¡±

    Chloe scanned Jordan¡¯s frozen arm and leg, then grinned brightly. ¡°Plus, you let your guard down since the monsters¡¯ attacks had just come to an end, too.¡±

    ¡°So, you were planning to do this from the very beginning?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Your aim was to fail in the raid? And also to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Now you get the general idea?¡±

    Jordan deeply furrowed his brows.

    This was a completely unexpected turn of events.

    He figured that, with Chloe¡¯s personality, she might really cross the line and start something like this, but still, he expected her to be able to separate the public and private matters.

    <>

    The moment she made her move, even the awakeners from the guild that came with her made theirs as well. Not to mention, their situation didn¡¯t call for an internal battle of such a scale, either. This had to be a pre-planned assault.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Jordan shifted his gaze over to Chloe as well as to other awakeners and asked. ¡°You were with the Dump?¡±

    ¡°Bingo.¡±

    Chloe grinned brightly while making a circle with her hand.

    This was the worst.

    With things like this, he couldn¡¯t even attempt to make peace with her. Jordan checked the current status of his body.

    << I can¡¯t move one arm and leg. >>

    The injuries inflicted during the initial sneak attack were proving to be fatal.

    Chloe¡¯s ability was to freeze her targets. Because of her ability, Jordan¡¯s arm and leg were currently frozen stiff. He could use his own ability to somehow melt the ice down, but if he did, he¡¯d have to risk inflicting serious burn wounds on himself; he wouldn¡¯t be able to use his limb either way.

    ¡°I can hear your brain kicking some gears. No need to sweat over it, though. Just die quietly, alright?¡± Chloe mocked him loudly.

    ¡°But won¡¯t us dying will make the raid that much harder?¡±

    ¡°We only need to last ten days. And also¡­.¡± Chloe looked around her surroundings leisurely before making her reply. ¡°How can you be so dense? That¡¯s precisely our aim, you know.¡±

    ¡°¡­This is your aim?¡±

    The complete failure of the raid.

    The Dump Guild.

    The moment those two concepts were linked in his head, Jordan¡¯s eyes quaked powerfully. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡±

    ¡°The dungeon appearing in LA, the failed raid, the outbreak, the absence of S-Rank awakeners, as well as deaths of numerous high ranked awakeners.¡± Chloe continued to grin brightly as the mere thought alone excited her. ¡°So, what do you think? Can you picture the whole thing in your head now?¡±

    ¡°So, your aim wasn¡¯t this side from the get-go?¡±

    ¡°LA will fall. And when a dungeon of this scale goes off, the surrounding cities will meet the same fate, too. Just how many will die, I wonder?¡±

    ¡°You all are f*cking insane.¡±

    ¡°This will be the Dump Guild¡¯s first official operation. A city like LA should serve as a perfect sacrifice, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    The Dump Guild was finally revealing itself in the light. It seemed that this event would be the starting point of that.

    Jordan knew the Dump Guild as a garbage organization full of crazed criminals, but never did he imagine that they would start a crisis of this caliber.

    <>

    Jordan never felt so thankful for Chloe¡¯s chatty nature like today. He was slowly freeing his frozen arm and the leg while she continued to yap away.

    ¡°Just what could you possible gain by doing something like this? You all are¡­.¡±

    ¡°I told you to stop getting smart with me, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Craaack¡ª!

    ¡°M-mm¡­¡±

    Chloe extended her hand, and Jordan¡¯s arm and leg were frozen hard once more. He could only scowl deeply at his failure to even react as his body became imprisoned in ice.

    ¡°Not much of a hotshot now, are you? You know, I never really liked you from the start,¡± said Chloe.

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t even have the guts to fight me fairly.¡±

    ¡°Say whatever you want. One of my charms is to play dirty, you know.¡±

    Jordan furrowed his brows deeply and scanned the unfolding situation around him.

    The situation was dire.

    The difference in the combatants dwindled through the sneak attack. Although his side still had the advantage in numbers, the moment Chloe finished him off, the story would drastically change.

    As an S-Rank Awakener with the ability to attack a wide area, Chloe possessed the necessary power to overturn the advantageous number on the head in an instant.

    <>

    They¡¯d all die.

    <>

    He needed to melt down his frozen arm and the leg at the risk of severe burns. He simply had no leeway to slowly melt this ice off of him.

    Rumble¡ª!

    When flames lit up on Jordan¡¯s frozen arm and leg, Chloe¡¯s brows shot up high. ¡°Your petty tricks won¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, auntie.¡±

    It was right then that a voice both Jordan and Chloe had forgotten filled the space between the two people.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°You..!!¡±

    Chloe¡¯s head hurriedly shot up.

    There was a tree between the two people.

    Su-hyeun was standing on top of it.

 Chapter 91

    Act 2

    Su-hyeun looked down at Chloe and Jordan. He had expected this, but it happened much faster than his expectation. But thankfully, it looked like he was not late too much.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Jordan asked.

    He was urgent, but he felt relaxed a little now. The others were the same. Su-hyeun spread his magic when he arrived to let everybody know he came. The awakeners from the Dump Guild who came with Chloe also found out about Su-hyeun¡¯s existence. The place where people killed and hunted each other became silent.

    ¡°One rat ran away, so I chased after it,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°A rat?¡± Jordan asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Su-hyeun looked at Chloe and said, ¡°MacRebur.¡±

    When the unexpected name came out from Su-hyeun¡¯s mouth, Chloe¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°He went by the alias ¡®Rolex¡¯. The S-Rank awakener and the faithful dog of the Dump Guild¡­ oh, do you guys not like being called that? Anyway,¡± Su-hyeun grinned and continued, ¡°Am I right?¡±

    ¡°How¡­ How did you know that?¡± Chole said.

    ¡°Why do you guys always have the same reaction?¡±

    ¡°Where is MacRebur? What happened to him?¡±

    Swish!

    At Chloe¡¯s request, Su-hyeun lightly threw what he had in his hand.

    Thud!

    ¡°He became like this,¡± Su-hyeun answered, allowing the item to roll.

    Chloe froze with her mouth open, not letting out a sound. She could not believe it; it was the head of MacRebur.

    ¡°Can you grasp the situation¡­ old lady?¡±

    Even though she heard what she hated most, Chloe couldn¡¯t bring herself to get angry. The situation was too frustrating to do so.

    ¡°MacRebur is dead. He is¡­¡± Chloe thought.

    Originally, Su-hyeun was not part of the plan of Chloe and other awakeners of the Dump Guild. The first plan was this; when they entered the dungeon, MacRebur eluded using his hiding skill. He was supposed to kill people one by one secretly. When he killed enough people, Chloe was supposed to ambush Jordan. Then, Chloe and MacRebur would kill Jordan together before wiping the whole team out.

    It was a perfect plan. They had more S-Rank awakeners and MacRebur was a good assassin. There was no way they could fail. Chloe thought she could win Jordan alone since she would ambush him. She thought MacRebur was late in getting rid of Su-hyeun. She thought it would¡¯ve been better to attack Jordan first at the right time, rather waiting for MacRebur.

    The surprise attack worked perfectly. MacRebur had joined to make sure the plan went smoothly, but it looked like that was unnecessary. But now, there was a problem. MacRebur, who was supposed to act as an assassin, was killed by Su-hyeun.

    ¡°How¡­?¡± Chloe thought.

    When Su-hyeun had chased MacRebur at the beginning, she had thought that would not be a problem. But Su-hyeun caught MacRebur, which was a different story. Moreover, Su-hyeun fought MacRebur but didn¡¯t appear to be wounded. The situation was reversed. She planned to handle Jordan 2 on 1. Now, she was on her own.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    Jordan stared at Chloe. Her face became all crumpled.

    ¡°Just give me a minute. I will help you after I take care of this,¡± Jordan said to Su-hyeun.

    Jordan pointed to his right arm and leg, frozen by Chloe¡¯s magic. He could not fight like this. If Su-hyeun stalled some time, he would able to thaw the frozen parts.

    Whoosh!

    At that moment, Jordan¡¯s arms and legs were lit with blue fire from Su-hyeun¡¯s Flame skill.

    ¡°What¡­ what the hell are you doing?¡±

    Suprised, Jordan swung his arms and legs to put out the fire. Soon, he realized something and stared at his flaming hand.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    In response to Su-hyeun¡¯s apathy, Jordan made an absent expression. Jordan could not feel any hot feeling, but the ice that covered him started to melt. It was something to behold.

    ¡°Is this a characteristic of the skill itself? Or is he just that good at controlling his magic?¡± Jordan thought.

    Either way, he was sure about one thing.

    ¡°This is a way higher level of fire skill than the one I use.¡±

    Jordan¡¯s fire could burn everything down that he wanted, but that was it. He could not make a flame that wouldn¡¯t harm his chosen target, whether it be a person or an object. Jordan stood vacantly, mesmerized by what he was experiencing. Su-hyeun looked at Jordan and jumped down from the tree.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give you more time as you requested because I plan on finishing her myself,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes turned to Chloe. The hopelessness on her face was a sight to behold. Jordan looked at Su-hyeun and Chloe alternately.

    Jordan said, ¡°Then let me change my request.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Tell me,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°I think I should take care of people over there. Can I leave her to you?¡±

    It looked like Jordan was worrying other awakeners being attacked by the Dump Guild. They might¡¯ve been able to fight back, but that would greatly harm his team unless he went now to help them. Thus, Jordan asked Su-hyeun to fight with Chloe to prevent more harm.

    ¡°Sure. No problem.¡±

    ¡°Ok, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Jordan, who was about to turn, tilted his head. Su-hyeun took his hand to the air.

    Rip!

    The empty air was torn, creating a space. A small dragon came out of it and spread its wings.

    Purr!

    It was a very small dragon. Su-hyeun patted the back of Miru.

    ¡°Take him. He will help you.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Thank you¡­ for your help.¡±

    Jordan answered a little bitterly as if he could not believe what a small dragon could¡¯ve done. Even so, he believed Su-hyeun who was facing Chloe. With that in mind, he turned his body without hesitation.

    ¡°The problem there is somewhat over,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He strode toward Chloe. Since it became one-on-one combat, Chole regained her mental security. She opened her mouth, ¡°Are you trying to deal with me alone? Wow, you¡¯re arrogant.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of your pride and princess syndrome?¡±

    ¡°You little bantling¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, old lady. Can¡¯t you see what is going on?¡±

    Su-hyeun pointed at MacRebur¡¯s head on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be like that soon.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Crack!

    The huge ice surrounded Chloe. At the same time, the air froze quickly to limit Su-hyeun¡¯s movement. When Su-hyeun did not resist, Chloe smiled of satisfaction.

    ¡°I got him!¡± Chloe thought.

    Whoosh!

    At that moment, a blue flame swirled around Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    Tramp!

    Su-hyeun walked to her slowly as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°You must be an idiot. I just showed you this power.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­!¡±

    ¡°Why do you think I was so late?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That guy was much more stubborn than I expected. It was hard to make him talk.¡±

    Whoosh!

    While talking, Su-hyeun suddenly disappeared. Chloe was surprised and made a thick layer of ice around her.

    [The Curtain of the Glacier.]

    It was a thick ice cover unpenetrable by even a bullet. Although this skill blocked her sight for a moment, it could cover her. It was an effective defense skill.

    ¡°I have to drag time first, and then I will find him¡­,¡± Chloe thought.

    Slash!

    Swish!

    At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword came in from behind the ice, making a round hole in the curtain and cleanly kicking the ice off.

    Wham!

    ¡°Where¡­ where are you?¡± Chloe shouted.

    An entrance was created, but she could not see Su-hyeun. She thought he would get in through the hole. Since his sword hit the ice, she prepared her sword.

    ¡°From now on¡­¡±

    Swish!

    She got chills. The sharp blade of a sword touched her neck. Her body stiffened. She thought her neck would be cut soon. That moment, she could hear Su-hyeun¡¯s voice right next to her head.

    ¡°If you answer my question well, I¡¯ll grant you a swift and painless death.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    [The Curse of the Dark Psychic ¨C Pain.]

    She was on edge. Her eyes winded. At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword cut into Chloe¡¯s skin.

    ¡°Ugh¡­Urgh¡­!¡±

    Chloe¡¯s screams echoed within the round ice curtain. It was just a superficial cut, but she felt the pain cutting her whole body. She constantly screamed. Su-hyeun grabbed Chloe¡¯s head.

    ¡°MacRebur said you probably know what he didn¡¯t. And he begged me to kill him.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­Urgh¡­!¡±

    Not only could she not imagine that the prideful MacRebur would say anything like that, but she was also helpless against Su-hyeun¡¯s skill. He created the pain that humans usually could not feel with his magic and skill.

    ¡°Well then, let me ask you again.¡±

    Su-hyeun repeated that he could not get the answer from MacRebur.

    ¡°Where is the Dump Guild¡¯s home?¡±

    ***

    Argh!

    Chloe¡¯s screams constantly rang out from the ice curtain. Jordan was not sure what was going on inside of the ice, but he was sure that Su-hyeun was okay.

    ¡°What kind of guy is he?¡± Jordan thought.

    He dropped one of the Dump Guild awakeners that he held in his hand. That man was burnt to death. Jordan had known this man before as the A-Rank awakener of the Star Guild. It turned out that he was a Dump Guild member. However, Jordan was more surprised about Su-hyeun than Chloe. The Star Guild was related to the Dump Guild.

    ¡°¡­ Is he done?¡±

    The scream gradually faded away. The situation outside was almost over, too. It looked like he did not need to go to help Su-hyeun.

    Grrrrrr!

    ¡°Ouch! Ouch!¡±

    Jordan looked beside him. One member of the Dump Guild crouched and got hit by Miru¡¯s tail.

    ¡°It is pretty useful, too,¡± Jordan thought.

    He initially thought this small dragon would be useless, but it turned out to be more helpful than he expected. Miru helped his forces to recover from tiredness and placed shields on them. They saw great results from Miru.

    Crack!

    Jordan heard the ice breaking and turned his head. Su-hyeun walked out, cleaning up the bunch of the ice. Jordan could see the red blood through the broken ice pile. There was no doubt that it was Chloe¡¯s blood.

    ¡°That was fast.¡±

    At Jordan¡¯s word, Su-hyeun shrugged and replied.

    ¡°Yeah, right? She wasn¡¯t as patient as I thought.¡±

    ¡°¡­Patient?¡±

    Jordan wondered what that meant. He thought for a moment and asked in surprise.

    ¡°Did you torture her?¡±

    That explained why there were only Chloe¡¯s screams. It sounded more painful than just a regular fight. Su-hyeun did not deny this. Jordan was surprised and said as if he was overwhelmed.

    ¡°You are colder than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Well, I am dealing with the Dump Guild.¡±

    Jordan thought Su-hyeun was different than what he had thought. When they met the first time, he looked soft and gentle. Now he seemed harder and colder.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like the Dump Guild?¡± Jordan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious I don¡¯t like them,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°Why? Is it like a personal grudge?¡±

    ¡°A grudge¡­¡± Su-hyeun mumbled and shook his head.

    There was no such thing.

    ¡°Nothing happened for me to hold a personal grudge, but I do feel something towards them.¡±

    The Dump Guild was the crystals of the side effects that could happen when humans had a sudden power. Su-hyeun already knew so many accidents that would happen in the future because of them. Those were not something that he could stop by himself. This was more than stopping the accident right at the moment. There was only one fundamental solution.

    Su-hyeun looked at Chloe¡¯s corpse and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take this opportunity to kill all those cockroaches.¡±

 Chapter 91 - Chapter 91

    Act 2

    Su-hyeun looked down at Chloe and Jordan. He had expected this, but it happened much faster than his expectation. But thankfully, it looked like he was not late too much.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Jordan asked.

    He was urgent, but he felt relaxed a little now. The others were the same. Su-hyeun spread his magic when he arrived to let everybody know he came. The awakeners from the Dump Guild who came with Chloe also found out about Su-hyeun¡¯s existence. The place where people killed and hunted each other became silent.

    ¡°One rat ran away, so I chased after it,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°A rat?¡± Jordan asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Su-hyeun looked at Chloe and said, ¡°MacRebur.¡±

    When the unexpected name came out from Su-hyeun¡¯s mouth, Chloe¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°He went by the alias ¡®Rolex¡¯. The S-Rank awakener and the faithful dog of the Dump Guild¡­ oh, do you guys not like being called that? Anyway,¡± Su-hyeun grinned and continued, ¡°Am I right?¡±

    ¡°How¡­ How did you know that?¡± Chole said.

    That was unexpected. Jordan had been wondering why Su-hyeun had come to America. That was¡­

    ¡°So, you are going to eliminate the Dump Guild?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°On your own?¡± Jordan asked again as if what he said was ridiculous.

    He made sure that Su-hyeun was greatly skilled. Jordan did not know about MacRebur, but he knew Chloe. Su-hyeun had caught her very easily. He could be considered one of the strongest awakeners in the world. However, his enemy was the Dump Guild, which might have been the strongest in the world. Su-hyeun had said that he would deal with them by himself.

    ¡°Well, it will take time¡­¡± Su-hyeun shrugged as if it was not a big deal. ¡°I¡¯ll surely do it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re confident.¡±

    ¡°Confidence is irrelevant. It is not my decision to make.¡±

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    ¡°The Dump Guild must disappear.¡±

    It almost seemed like a delusion. It did not look like Su-hyeun was after any particular benefit. He was just trying to get rid of the Dump Guild because they were evil to society.

    ¡°You are like a hero.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Su-hyeun smiled and nodded. ¡°That was what everybody said so.¡±

    Speechless, Jordan tilted his head as if he had no idea what Su-hyeun just said. At that time, Miru and Hak-Joon found Su-hyeun and came to him.

    Grrrrrr!

    ¡°Su-hyeun!¡±

    Miru growled as if Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t told to put him back somewhere else. Hak-Joon also quibbled over why Su-hyeun had left him alone. Su-hyeun avoided their eyes in embarrassment, feeling especially sorry for Hak-Joon.

    ¡°I really couldn¡¯t help it,¡± Su-hyeun said, ¡°That guy suddenly went out, and I thought I might miss him¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell me the truth. You knew all about this, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Well. I did but¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did you do that? I was going to go crazy! I could not understand a thing they were saying! I followed you because I believed you. How could you do that to me?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ I am sorry¡­¡±

    Hak-Joon pointed out Su-hyeun¡¯s fault argumentatively. Su-hyeun drew cold sweat and stepped back, feeling sorry for Hak-Joon. MacRebur had started to move quicker than he had expected, so he did not get the chance to tell Hak-Joon back then.

    ¡°This is another surprise,¡± Jordan thought.

    Su-hyeun had cut off MacRebur¡¯s head and tortured Chloe. Given that, Jordan thought Su-hyeun was a very cold-hearted person. Even so, Su-hyeun was embarrassed and soothed his younger friend and looked back to Jordan. That looked different than what Jordan thought.

    Su-hyeun said, ¡°Oh, you asked me if I am doing that alone. But no, I am not alone.¡±

    Su-hyeun pointed to Hak-Joon who was still upset.

    ¡°Just one more?¡± Jordan asked.

    ¡°No. There are more.¡±

    ¡°Who else¡­?¡±

    Jordan thought for a moment and remembered how Su-hyeun came here.

    ¡°Are they¡­?¡±

    ***

    Song Hyeong-gi was the awakener who dealt with the divine beasts. He was very interested in this dungeon. This green-colored dungeon was the largest dungeon to ever exist. A rumor had spread that it was highly possible that divine beast would appear in there. Thus, he voluntarily participated in the raid this time. He usually did not have much interest in the dungeon before, but the raid somehow flowed in a strange direction.

    ¡°Why¡­are¡­you¡­here¡­¡±

    Crunch!

    Ji-yeon stamped down the head of the murmuring man, causing it to burst. Song Hyeong-gi couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the cruel sight.

    He stroked the wounded dragon and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    At his question, Ji-yeon looked down at the dead body on the ground and answered, ¡°If someone helps you, shouldn¡¯t you thank them first? You almost died because of this guy.¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi crumpled his face. If he took the bull by the horns, this situation would never have happened. He was instead ambushed by the S-Ranker awakener like him. Of course, it was true that Ji-yeon helped him to escape the crisis. The problem was she should not have been here in the first place.

    ¡°Did you sneak in?¡±

    ¡°Are you arguing now?¡±

    ¡°¡­We don¡¯t work well together.¡±

    ¡°If I were not here, all these divine beasts would probably die.¡±

    At the straightforward word of Ji-yeon, Song Hyeong-gi could not say anything. People betrayed one another suddenly as there was a raid from an unexpected group. It was quite a dangerous situation, and it would have been more dangerous if Ji-yeon did not help immediately.

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess I have to say thanks.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ didn¡¯t sound like appreciation to me. Even so, I didn¡¯t do that to hear thanks.¡±

    Despite what she said, it seemed like she was quite satisfied with what he said. He was a man of great self-respect who rarely showed his appreciation towards others.

    ¡°But do you know these people? You killed them in cold blood,¡± he asked.

    Ji-yeon violently attacked the awakeners who were involved in the raid. That was closer to resentment than a regular fight. As he expected, Ji-yeon nodded at his question.

    ¡°I do know them.¡±

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°Members of the Dump Guild.¡±

    At Ji-yeon¡¯s answer, he asked again as if he did not expect to hear that name, ¡°Dump Guild? Aren¡¯t they usually stealthier than this?¡±

    ¡°They are¡­ so far.¡±

    ¡°So far¡­?¡±

    That meant they would not be sneaking around anymore. It looked like Ji-yeon knew something about the Dump Guild.

    ¡°What do these guys want?¡±

    ¡°To show off their strength, money, violence. Something like that.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with Dump Guild?¡±

    ¡°Would I consider Dump Guild a mortal enemy? Well, to be more precise, I hold a one-sided grudge against them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi looked Ji-yeon in a curious gaze. He had met her once before, but she looked different than back then. She had no expression on her face before, but today he could see the anger and bitterness on her face.

    ¡°I prefer this look than before. She more looks like a human now,¡± he thought.

    She looked like a wooden doll last time, which reminded him of someone much to his displeasure. Despite this, he found out her good side in an unexpected place.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± he asked again.

    ¡°I plan to exterminate the Dump Guild,¡± Ji-yeon looked straight to his eyes and asked, ¡°Will you help me?¡±

    ¡°¡­That was unexpected.¡±

    He could not believe that she asked for his help. She must have been that desperate. Song Hyeong-gi thought for a while and nodded.

    ¡°Well. Alright. They hurt my kids. I will make them pay off. Also, I owe you one.¡±

    It was not a bad offer for him anyway. He already thought about getting his revenge when they had attacked him. Moreover, he could not stand owing to anybody, so he didn¡¯t want to reject her request. For Ji-yeon, it was a good thing if the S-Rank awakener, Song Hyeong-gi, would help her.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s finish this dungeon first.¡±

    They were in the green-colored dungeon. It was a huge dungeon, so he had expected that it would take a while to finish it. But the situation was different now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go straight.¡±

    There were two S-Rank awakeners. The green dungeon was no longer much of a challenge.

    ***

    ¡°¡­Damn. It¡¯s hard.¡±

    They had been battling for several days. Jordan mumbled his impression of the blue dungeon. The number of monsters, as well as the overall level, was much higher than the green dungeon. The middle-boss level monsters appeared occasionally, and they were about to same with the final boss of the green dungeon.

    ¡°How are you tired already? You were so confident before you came to the dungeon.¡±

    Grrr¡­

    Su-hyeun said so while coming to his side, Miru nodded as if he was right. Jordan thought they were mean but there was nothing he could say. All he could do was frown. It was true that he was overconfident about his ability and underestimated the blue-colored dungeon, but¡­

    ¡°I am sure that I can finish it,¡± Jordan said.

    The level didn¡¯t go beyond his anticipation. There were a lot of monsters, but he could get rid of them. There was no particular variable other than the fact that they could not go outside.

    ¡°Well, of course, it was all possible thanks to Su-hyeun,¡± Jordan thought.

    It was obvious that he could not finish this dungeon by himself. If Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t here, there would be a big snag in their raid.

    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s our savior.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for Su-hyeun in the first place, he probably would have died. Additionally, he helped to finish the dungeon attack and stopped the dungeon outbreak.

    ¡°If Su-hyeun was not here¡­¡±

    Unimaginably bad things were more likely to happen.

    ¡°It¡¯s too early to let your guard down,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°I was not off guard¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, you were. You are still overconfident about your ability. Or is this about your pride?¡±

    In response to Su-hyeun¡¯s question, Jordan shut his mouth tight. Which was the right answer? From some point of the time, he had been overconfident about his skills and underestimated the dungeons. It was the same now. Either way, he had been not saying anything that made him looked like lacking in confidence.

    ¡°¡­ I admit,¡± Jordan walked slowly and nodded. ¡°I was proud of myself, to be honest. Yes, I forgot the sense of crisis.¡±

    Jordan began to look at him objectively.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never felt that this was hard or difficult since I started growing stronger and attacking dungeons. The trials of the Tower were the difficult ones, but dungeons were always easy.¡±

    ¡°Maybe that was why,¡± Jordan thought.

    From a certain moment, he started to consider dungeons as just a tool for entertainment, money, or fame.

    ¡°After I became S-Rank,¡± Jordan said, ¡°it was worse. I felt like the whole world was mine. There was nothing I couldn¡¯t do. Everybody looked at me like I was some legend¡­ so I started to think that about myself as well.¡±

    It was not just Jordan¡¯s case. Most of the high-rank awakeners had that way of thinking.

    ¡°I need to reflect on this.¡±

    Jordan easily accepted Su-hyeun¡¯s comment. Su-hyeun looked at Jordan in surprise.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been easy to admit,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    It was not just a recent tendency that considered dungeons as a problem, not just social resources. Awakeners who had abilities were insensitive to the danger of the dungeons. Only normal people without power sensed the crisis. Su-hyeun thought this was a big problem. If the high-rank awakeners had paid more attention, the previous Earth would not be destroyed in vain.

    ¡°¡­I am glad you know now,¡± Su-hyeun turned his head in embarrassment and hurried to walk.

    Grrrrrr¡ª

    After walking for a few more hours, they could see the innermost cliffs of the forest nearby. Miru, who was sitting on Su-hyeun¡¯s head, started to cry threateningly. It was a sign that something was there.

    ¡°Is it a monster?¡±

    Miru had been warning them first when the monster appeared. Jordan thought this might¡¯ve been the same. He was amazed that this small dragon could notice the monster way before than S-Rank himself.

    ¡°Yes. Monster¡­ but¡­¡± Su-hyeun looked around and narrowed his eyes. ¡°It looks like the final one.¡±

    ¡°Final one? You mean the final boss?¡± Hak-Joon asked nervously.

    Su-hyeun nodded and raised his hand. The raid team following behind him stopped.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± One man from the team asked.

    ¡°This is the final boss,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    He picked up a fist-sized rock from the ground. And¡­

    Whirl!

    Swish!

    He bent his body like a bow and threw the rock as hard as he could to the right side.

    Kyaaaa!

    An odd cry came from far away. They were not sure how far the monster was from them, but it looked like Su-hyeun¡¯s rock hit it.

    ¡°Right side?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on the right!¡±

    The raid team thought the monster was coming from the right. Only a few people noticed that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°Not on the right side¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s everywhere.¡±

    Hak-Joon received Jordan¡¯s word. Some of the A-Rank awakeners also noticed that. They nodded and held their breath. They were surrounded.

 Chapter 93

    ¡°How many are there?¡±

    ¡°Usually the monsters in forest type dungeons like this are often specialized in quantity rather than a specific strong one.¡±

    Su-hyeun answered Jordan¡¯s quiet statement. Jordan thought for a moment and nodded.

    ¡°Yes. It was like that so far,¡± Jordan thought.

    He remembered the times when he went to the forest type dungeons. He and his team had to fight against several monsters rather than a particularly strong one. Even so, this situation was different. There were way too many monsters.

    ¡°It looks like there is a leader.¡±

    ¡°You mean the boss?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That one is probably intelligent. It controls all these monsters.¡±

    The monsters did not jump from one side. Rather, they surrounded all sides and slowly approached. There were not many monsters as coordinated as this. Moreover, this boss was controlling a lot of monsters. There was only one monster Su-hyeun could think of.

    ¡°The Troll Druid,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Druid?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This one is a boss that controls animal types of the monsters. It is not that big, but it is intelligent and good at magic.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it before,¡± Jordan said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen it once in the Tower of Trials. I think the boss is probably that monster.¡±

    The best excuse was the Tower of Trials because no one could figure out what kind of trials Suhyun had suffered. Fortunately, Jordan did not doubt Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    ¡°Druid¡­¡±

    ¡°The monsters will move systematically, so keep that in your mind when you fight. The most important thing is to get rid of the heads of the Druid. Then, the other monsters will disperse.¡±

    Jordan nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s analysis. Killing the boss from the battle between the big groups was the basis of the strategy. However, there was a problem.

    ¡°If it can think, then it wouldn¡¯t show up so easily,¡± Jordan said.

    ¡°We will get it.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I will find it.¡±

    Having expected that answer, Jordan sighed.

    ¡°Will you be okay?¡±

    ¡°Nobody can do it except me. I can move faster than you, Mr. Jordan.¡±

    Su-hyeun was right. Last time, when Su-hyeun had disappeared from the beginning, Jordan didn¡¯t even notice that he moved. Additionally, he had been watching Su-hyeun¡¯s fights. Su-hyeun was able to move much faster than him.

    ¡°His mood is changed,¡± Jordan thought.

    So far, Su-hyeun looked pretty relaxed. Now, he looked a little nervous for the first time since entering the dungeon. Perhaps he thought the Druid was that difficult enemy. Jordan had no choice.

    ¡°Please, take care of it,¡± Jordan said.

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Su-hyeun caught Miru¡¯s tail as he flew over his head.

    ¡°Then, please hold out well.¡±

    Tap, tap!

    Then, Su-hyeun tapped on Hak-Joon¡¯s shoulder and said in Korean, ¡°You hold out well, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Swish!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body quickly disappeared.

    Purr¡­

    People could here Miru¡¯s pitiful cry in the distance. It looked like Su-hyeun was running with Miru¡¯s tail on him.

    ¡°Did he say hold out?¡± Jordan muttered what Su-hyeun had said, ¡°I¡¯m worried¡­¡±

    Grrrr!

    Creak, creak!

    Woof, woof!

    Countless cries came from all directions. They could not even guess how many of them there were. Based on the sounds they made, it looked like there were hundreds of them.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    Even before the fight began, Jordan had a cold sweat on his forehead. Now, he could figure out what ¡°hold out¡± meant.

    ¡°You guys all heard, right?¡±

    Jordan looked around the monsters that came from everywhere and said to everyone.

    ¡°Set your jaw and endure!¡±

    Act 3

    Whiz!

    Su-hyeun stepped on the branches and leaped among the lush trees. The scenery passed like pictures. Miru, who was caught in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand, started to laugh as if he was having fun.

    Kiyaaaak!

    A monster resembling a leopard hid at the top of a tree and swiped at Su-hyeun from above, but failed to catch him and only broke a useless branch. When nothing was caught, the leopard turned its body and started to find Su-hyeun again.

    Krrrr!

    Swish!

    At that moment, a thin red line appeared on the leopard¡¯s body.

    Splat!

    The leopard¡¯s body split in half as a fountain of blood gushed out. Su-hyeun had moved far away already.

    ¡°Which way should I go?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Assuming that the other monsters were less intelligent than their leader, the Troll Druid could control them. It only appeared more than blue-colored dungeons. It was a tricky opponent to handle in a group fight. Unlike other bosses, this one did not easily expose his position. But that did not mean Su-hyeun could not find it. There was a limit of the range that it could control the other monsters, so it would not be too far away.

    ¡°The direction that the shadow leopard showed up¡­,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun believed in his instincts, with Miru giving him the confidence to do so.

    Purr!

    Miru was hanging on Su-hyeun¡¯s arm now. He cried in excitement to the direction that they were heading. For some reason, Miru could sense other monsters and react sensitively to Su-hyeun¡¯s feelings and thoughts. Su-hyeun was looking for Druid, so Miru must have been looking for it as well.

    Swish!

    Kiyaaak!

    Woof, woof!

    Shadow leopards and monkeys jumped to Su-hyeun from all sides of the trees. At that moment, Su-hyeun flew up several steps with the Leap skill. Upon his ascension, he quickly glanced at the scenery below. He could see several monsters forming a circle.

    ¡°Over there!¡±

    Whiz!

    His body quickly fell there. At the same time, the movement of monsters became quick. Hundreds of monsters looked at Su-hyeun at once.

    Krrr!

    Screech, screech!

    They did not rush to Su-hyeun, but only revealed their teeth and growled.

    ¡°It looks like there are about two or three hundred of them.¡±

    Each monster was not a big threat; they were weaker than green-colored dungeons¡¯ monsters or similar to the monsters of yellow-colored dungeons. The problem was there were too many of them. It was rare to see that those monsters gathered in one place, aside from the outbreak.

    ¡°To deal with these monsters¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Flap!

    Miru, who was hanging on Su-hyeun¡¯s arm, spread his wings and flew up. He revealed his small fangs and roared as if showing his fighting spirit.

    Grrr! Grrr!

    Stomp, stomp!

    At that moment, heavy footsteps came through the crowd of monsters. It came from a monster that was three meters long. It was wearing the leather of the other monster and covered its face with a white mask. It had a body like a human being but was of abnormal size. It was Druid, the leader of these monsters.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you¡­?¡±

    It spoke a human language. To be more precise, what it said directly went into Su-hyeun¡¯s brain. What Su-hyeun heard through his ears was incomprehensible, but he could tell what this monster was saying. It sounded a little inarticulate. It looked like a side effect of this process.

    ¡°I am your enemy,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s response, Druid tilted its head slowly. Su-hyeun had seen it before only once, but it still frustrated him. Su-hyeun had seen the face under the mask, that was why he felt more in that way.

    ¡°You¡­are¡­a¡­quarry.¡±

    It looked like Druid saw Su-hyeun as just its prey.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Whiz!

    Su-hyeun penetrated Druid¡¯s arms.

    ¡°¡ªwho will be hunted.¡±

    Purr!

    [You received the blessing of the divine dragon.]

    [Your moving speed increases.]

    [Your strength increases slightly.]

    [Your resistance to magic increases.]

    [Your magic¡­]

    They were Miru¡¯s buff effects. It helped Su-hyeun move as if he had wings. It only took a second to dig into Druid¡¯s arms.

    Swish!

    Puff!

    When Su-hyeun swung his sword, the Druid scattered like fog. It looked like it either was an illusion, or it used evasion magic in that short time. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t expect that he could kill it easily from the beginning, so he didn¡¯t feel sorry about it.

    Kyaaak!

    Screech, screech!

    When Su-hyeun moved, hundreds of the monsters came to attack him. He did not dodge from them and instead ran through the giant wave of the monsters.

    [Indomitable body.]

    [The transfiguration skill: Imoogi.]

    [Flame]

    Whoosh!

    The Flame skill surrounded Su-hyeun. His body became hard as the scales of Imoogi started to grow all over his body. And¡­

    [Doppelganger is activated.]

    Doppelganger was a new skill that he got from the 28th floor. It consumed plenty of magic power, but it was a good skill to use when fighting against multiple monsters.

    ¡°One, two.¡±

    Su-hyeun laid the sword horizontally. Then, he swung his sword to the monsters.

    ¡°Three.¡±

    Whoosh!

    The flame stretched out along the sword. The Flame was the only wide range skill that he could use to attack. He increased the cutting power of the sword with his Flame. One disadvantage was that the wider the range went, the weaker the cutting force became. Even so¡­

    Slash!

    From his back, the same attack spread out.

    Slash!

    The monsters started to burn down, their blood gushing out like a fountain. The active skill, Doppelganger, was a little unusual. It created another ¡°him¡± that moved the same way from behind him.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite useful to deal with the enemy behind me,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The condition to use this skill was complex and could vary depending on the user. However, it was not a bad skill to use this situation. Anyway, both front and rear were enemies. There was nothing to lose.

    ¡°Hey, Miru!¡±

    Whoosh!

    Su-hyeun raised his head and looked up at Miru, who had been flying high above the sky.

    ¡°Sweep them all.¡±

    At that moment, Miru¡¯s mouth opened and began gathering magic.

    [Breath.]

    Breath was the divine beast¡¯s or dragon¡¯s most basic and destructive power, comparable to any top-range attack skill.

    Whoosh!

    Miru¡¯s breath was the result of the magic. The colorless breath swept everywhere. When Miru used its breath, Su-hyeun leaped high.

    Kiyaaa!

    Kkrrr, Krrrrk!

    The monsters howled in pain. Miru was still a dragon, albeit a small one. Regardless, Miru was no ordinary dragon.

    ¡°It takes time to load, but its power is astounding,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He could not believe that Miru¡¯s small body could breathe out that much power. If Miru grew up more, it would¡¯ve taken him less time to load the breath. It would¡¯ve been stronger as well, making it even more useful.

    ¡°About half of them are left.¡±

    There were still several monsters left. Su-hyeun tightly grabbed the spear that he had been bringing all the time on his back.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll try this one.¡±

 Chapter 94

    The creation of this replica of the Dragon Slaying Spear was Kim Dae-ho¡¯s doing. The spear was the most powerful and highly utilized assistant weapon that Su-hyeun could use. Throwing it increased the power, which helped to compensate for the short-range of the sword.

    The ordinary spears were not powerful enough. Additionally, it was difficult to collect them back after throwing them. It was usually for a one-shot weapon. Therefore, Su-hyeun preferred to use the Dragon Slaying Spear the most. It was powerful and could cover a wide-range. It was also a one-time use weapon anyway, so he did not have to worry about getting it back.

    However, it was a pain to purchase one-shot items every time only with achievement points. Thus, Su-hyeun had brought the Dragon Slaying Spear to Kim Dae-ho and asked him to make a similar item.

    ¡°He used to make exactly the same¡­,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Tightly gripping the spear, he looked down the monsters from the sky and bent his body like a bow.

    ¡°I wonder how he did this time.¡±

    Whirl!

    The Dragon Slaying Spear began to absorb Su-hyeun¡¯s magic and reacted to it as if it were alive, gaining more power. It was perfect so far. Now, all that was left was to confirm it. He did not have to count to three as usual. There were too many targets. He could just throw his spear anywhere among the monsters.

    Bam!

    He threw the spear like a bow. The spear flew out and made an explosion sound. The spear could not handle the speed and started to split into thousands and tens of thousands of shards.

    Boom!

    The spear spat out the magic it had consumed. The split Dragon Slaying Spear bombed a bunch of monsters.

    Kiyaaa¡ª!

    Screams were everywhere. It was chaos. Su-hyeun came back down to the ground. He realized once again about the power of the Dragon Slaying Spear. Consuming too much magic was a disadvantage, but the power itself was astonishing.

    Grrr, Grrrk!

    Narr, narr!

    The monsters that had been swept away by the spear stood up back, limping on one or two legs. Half of them were still alive. It looked like it did not have enough power.

    ¡°He is not as good as his heyday,¡± Su-hyeun thought and looked down at his hand, ¡°¡­well, I¡¯m the same way.¡±

    Both Kim Dae-ho¡¯s crafting skill and Su-hyeun¡¯s skill were far short of his heyday. His Magic Power and Factor were much lower than in his previous life. It was natural that the power would vary depending on who used the same weapon.

    ¡°Miru.¡±

    Purr?

    Su-hyeun called Miru. The monsters suddenly flinched as they rose.

    Su-hyeun looked at such monsters and said to Miru, ¡°Can you do it one more time?¡±

    Purr!

    It answered with spirit as if telling to leave it to him. Su-hyeun felt a little sorry to ask because Miru was able to use the Breath skill only once or twice. When he used his breath twice, he sank into exhaustion. It was very powerful, but Miru had to use up all of his remaining power.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    Tramp, tramp!

    Su-hyeun stared at Druid, who began to walk out among the monsters.

    ¡°Let¡¯s fight between boss to boss,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°You¡­go¡­back¡­¡±

    ¡°You said earlier that I am just a quarry.¡±

    Whiz!

    Su-hyeun rushed to the front. His physical abilities were strengthened by the characteristics of the Imoogi and the buff effects of Miru. Now, he could jump at least ten meters in one step.

    Boom!

    The giant Druid pushed back. It lifted its arms and guarded, but there was a deep scar left on its arms.

    ¡°Now you want me to go back?¡±

    Su-hyuen¡¯s voice came from the right side. Druid strained its eyes in surprise. When it turned its head to the right, the sword emerged from the opposite direction.

    Slash!

    The sword deeply cut through the leather. Su-hyeun could not cut all the way because Druid was too big. Regardless, he made numerous scars on its side.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Whirl!

    The bright red magic rose around Druid.

    ¡°Die¡­¡±

    Ka-boom!!

    Druid¡¯s red magic exploded and turned the grass into ash. Su-hyeun quickly jumped back and recalled Druid¡¯s ability.

    ¡°It usually uses magic to fight. Its defensive ability is coming from the leather that it is wearing. Its physical ability is better than other green dungeon bosses, but it doesn¡¯t use it. And¡­¡±

    Boom, boom, boom!

    The dead monster behind Su-hyeun exploded. Su-hyeun warily looked at the bodies around him.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t dodge all this, then I should instead¡­,¡± he thought.

    The plan was drawn in his head. It was not difficult to practice.

    Wham!

    Su-hyeun began to rush back to Druid. As the distance between them decreases, Druid stretched its arm again. For Druid, this battlefield was the best stage.

    Boom, boom, boom!

    Bam!

    The bodies of monsters everywhere exploded one by one. Flesh and blood splattered all over the scene as heat filled the air. The debris flew, but it was not regular debris. Each one of them was filled with magic. It attacked Su-hyeun, but Su-hyeun did not avoid it. Druid saw Su-hyeun with its own eyes.

    ¡°Why¡­didn¡¯t¡­you¡­dodge¡­?¡± Druid said.

    ¡°Because there is no reason to do it.¡±

    Whiz!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body emerged from the fog emitted from the monsters¡¯ corpses.

    [Indomitable body.]

    [The transfiguration skill: Imoogi.]

    All Su-hyeun could do was endure it. He didn¡¯t have much time, so he could not afford to avoid all the dead bodies. Also, he was sure that he could endure it enough. It was a judgment that could be made because he knew both his ability objectively and the monster, Druid.

    Slash, slash!

    Su-hyeun closed the distance and started to cut into Druid¡¯s body. Although it was specialized in long-range magic, Druid was still the boss of a blue-colored dungeon. The physical ability was pretty high as well, so Druid could avoid Su-hyeun¡¯s sword without causing fatal wounds by a whisker.

    ¡°Stop¡­him¡­¡±

    At Druid¡¯s command, monsters flew again from all sides. It looked like Druid chose to gather more monsters rather than to directly fight Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Miru.¡±

    Swoosh!

    At that moment, Druid lifted its head. The small dragon, who had been silent for a while, was preparing for a second breath.

    ¡°Sweep them all.¡±

    Whoosh!

    At that moment, a white fire flashed and swept everywhere.

    Whiz!

    Crack!

    Druid hurriedly pulled its head back. At the same time, Su-hyeun swung his sword to the mask of Druid. The mask cracked and Druid¡¯s face was revealed; it was a handsome man¡¯s face with golden eyes.

    ¡°Whose face is this now?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­kill¡­me¡­,¡± Druid said.

    ¡°You are too loud.¡±

    Slash!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword pierced Druid¡¯s head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t talk long. People are waiting for me.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Huh¡­ Ha¡­¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­ How many are there?¡±

    There were numerous bodies of monsters around the raid team. They had been killing many monsters, but there were still many of them left. It was their first time fighting with this many monsters for all of them. Jordan looked back at the team. Everyone looked tired.

    ¡°We won¡¯t last long¡­,¡± Jordan thought.

    They had been fighting for a while. Both stamina and magic wore out. Jordan and other above A-Rank awakeners could still fight more, but the others could not. Most of them were exhausted.

    ¡°Should we run away?¡± he thought.

    This would be the last chance to make that decision. If he would order to retreat, half of the team might survive.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    That meant half of them might die. It was a dilemma, a moment when Jordan could not decide with a conflicted mind.

    ¡°L-look¡­¡±

    Hak-Joon, who had been leading the team with Jordan, raised his hand and pointed to the front. Jordan could not understand what Hak-Joon said, but he looked where he pointed.

    ¡°The monsters¡­¡±

    Grrr!

    Screech! Screech!

    The monsters that had been attacking them systematically suddenly looked distracted. They looked around and soon scattered away.

    ¡°Did he¡­?¡±

    Jordan¡¯s eyes widened, and Hak-Joon¡¯s face brightened.

    ¡°It must have been Su-hyeun¡­¡±

    They thought that Su-hyeun finally caught Druid, the boss controlling all the monsters.

    ¡°Thank God.¡±

    Jordan sighed with relief. Then, he glared in his eyes and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s not over yet! Get a grip!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Now was their chance. Druid¡¯s spell was broken, and the monsters fell into disorder.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    They started a counterattack.

    ***

    Su-hyeun looked at the face of Druid who fell on the ground. Druid¡¯s face, which had been pierced through his head, was no different from an ordinary man. But this face was not Druid¡¯s.

    ¡°It is a different face from last time I saw it,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Originally, this blue dungeon had failed to attack during his previous life. Druid had brought out several monsters and massacred several people. Druid could absorb some of the others¡¯ power while taking their faces. When Druid had got out of the dungeon last time, it had killed numerous people and taken their faces. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t the same face Su-hyeun saw on TV.

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look like this is Druid¡¯s first face. Is it from another victim?¡±

    It was possible that somebody might have entered the dungeon before the raid team, but Su-hyeun doubted it. When this blue-colored dungeon had opened, the surroundings were thoroughly isolated. Moreover, he could not imagine anyone would¡¯ve been crazy enough to come into the blue dungeon unless they were suicidal.

    Grr, Grrr!

    As Druid fell, Miru who had been flying around above sky came down on Su-hyeun¡¯s head. Tired, he breathed out.

    ¡°You did a good job, Miru.¡±

    Purr¡­

    Miru had used his breath twice, which made him exhausted. Su-hyeun stroked Miru¡¯s back a couple of times before picking up Druid¡¯s club.

    Purr?

    Miru tilted his head to one side as if he was wondering what that was. Although he was tired, he did not fall asleep right away. Miru¡¯s strength was getting better as it grew bigger.

    ¡°Are you asking what this is?¡±

    Purr!

    Miru nodded vigorously. Su-hyeun smiled at that and smash the club on the floor.

    Crack!

    The wooden club broke. As debris flew everywhere, a shining blue stone rolled down and stopped at Su-hyeun¡¯s feet.

    ¡°This is the main thing,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    He picked up the blue stone and showed it to Miru. Other people would not even imagine that this club was the most important thing in this dungeon.

    ¡°With this, I can¡­,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Purr!

    At that moment, Miru opened his mouth to reveal the stone in it.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Gulp!

    Then Miru swallowed it. Su-hyuen didn¡¯t expect that to happen.

 Chapter 95

    Su-hyeun held Miru¡¯s belly and pulled him down. Miru laughed contently and burped loudly.

    ¡°Mi¡­ Miru?¡±

    Purr?

    ¡°It¡¯s not food. Be good and spit it out.¡±

    Purr¡­

    ¡°What? No? Spit it out!¡±

    Su-hyeun tickled Miru¡¯s belly for a while and asked him to spit out the stone. Miru, who was usually amenable, closed his mouth tight and kept shaking his head.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun could not force him to spit it out. His threats did not work. He started to have a headache. He just sighed out and sat down on the ground.

    Purr, purr¡­

    Miru flew to Su-hyeun¡¯s head and patted it with his forepaw. It looked like Miru did not realize Su-hyeun sighed because of him. Su-hyeun felt like his headache getting worse.

    ¡°Geez. What should I say to Mr. Dae-ho?¡± Su-hyeun mumbled.

    He got up and sighed deeply. He never sighed this deep in his life. Suddenly, he recalled Miru¡¯s species and the feature of the blue stone.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ The stone with natural properties and the dragon¡­,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    They were a strangely well-suited combination. Miru was likely greedy for stone not only out of curiosity.

    ¡°I guess I have to keep watching him.¡±

    Su-hyeun put Miru back on his head. He turned his body and started to walk. He decided to think of the blue stone as the gift for Miru for working hard for him.

    ***

    Soon after, Su-hyeun joined the party again. They cleaned up all remaining monsters in the vicinity and found a way out of the dungeon. The cleanup party would¡¯ve started collecting the Ether stone that scattered throughout the dungeon later.

    ¡°Looking by the size, I think it will take about a month to finish digging all the stones,¡± Jordan said.

    He stood in front of the exit under the cliff and looked back the way they came from. It was a huge dungeon. He thought about the numbers of the monsters and the size of the dungeon. He could not even imagine how much Ether stone was hidden here. Perhaps the highest-grade Ether stone would come out.

    ¡°You can put the Medical Guild¡¯s share on me.¡±

    As if he had forgotten, Su-hyeun told Jordan about the contract of distribution of Ether stone. Jordan looked aghast when he heard that and started to laugh.

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha! You are an outstanding person.¡±

    ¡°I did not want it first, but I don¡¯t like the fact that they tried to f*ck me around.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Robert¡¯s very greedy.¡±

    Jordan laughed. It looked like he knew Robert, the guild master of the Medical Guild, well. Jordan made people go out from the lower rank awakeners by following the manual. It was for just in case any possible dangerous situations occurred.

    ¡°You are probably the one who made the biggest achievement in this attack,¡± Jordan said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    Su-hyeun was the one who had killed the boss of the dungeon, killed the most monsters, and protected the team from Chloe¡¯s betrayal. Su-hyeun nodded without even thinking of humility. Jordan smiled at Su-hyeun¡¯s dignified appearance.

    ¡°I will yield my contribution to you, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­You will?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to make such a face. If not for you, I would¡¯ve been dead already. If it¡¯s like my mind, I just want to give you all the contributions of Maximum Guild. However, that is beyond my control,¡± Jordan shrugged and continued to say, ¡°In fact, I have more than enough money already.¡±

    Su-hyeun who already had the biggest reward from Druid felt a little sorry for him. But what Jordan said was true. If Su-hyeun was not there, everybody probably all died already. So, it was cheap for the price of one S-Rank awakener¡¯s life.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need more money, either,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡±

    ¡°Would you rather do another favor for me, then?¡±

    ¡°Favor?¡±

    Jordan made a puzzled look at Su-hyeun¡¯s word. What could be a better favor than yielding the Ether stone from the blue-colored dungeon? Soon, Su-hyeun¡¯s mouth opened, and Jordan started to smile.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a request,¡± Jordan nodded gladly. ¡°I was going to do it anyway.¡±

    Act 4

    The raid of the blue-colored dungeon was over. After the raid, people started to collect Ether stone as scheduled. They graded the contribution according to the video recording, and various media requested for interviews. The world was surprised by the sensational news. The famous S-Rank awakener Chloe and Star Guild were actually pawns of the Dump Guild.

    ¡°Now, the Dump Guild got exposed on the surface,¡± Hak-Joon said while watching the news on the TV.

    After the raid of the blue dungeon, Hak-Joon had been sleeping all day long. Upon waking up, the world was abuzz. Hak-Joon was watching one of the Korean news channels that dealt with the terrorist attacks of the Dump Guild in various countries, including Korea and the United States.

    ¡°The news about the Dump Guild always existed, secretly,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°The loudest uproar was because of you, wasn¡¯t it? You told me the Dump Guild was the gnashing of teeth at you.¡±

    ¡°Well. I did not come out of the Tower. There was nothing they could do. Besides, Korea was not their jurisdiction from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°But it looks like crazy things went on in Korea as well. Although, the Ripper Guild worked fast and stopped it.¡±

    The Dump Guild did not just only attack Korean and the United States. China, the United Kingdom, and France were attacked by them as well. They were all famous countries for their awakeners. It looked like the Dump Guild had planned to show their name by this chance.

    ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head at Hak-Joon¡¯s question.

    ¡°I gave the information, but it was the Ripper Guild that moved.¡±

    ¡°Same, same. How did you know anyway?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on the Dump Guild. Plus, the Ripper Guild helped me.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s indecisively answer, Hak-Joon lounged on the sofa and fixed his gaze on the TV screen. Soon, the news about the Dump Guild was over. Hak-Joon turned his eyes to Su-hyeun again.

    ¡°Hey, Su-hyeun. Where are you going?¡±

    Su-hyeun was putting on his shoes at the door without a word.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be outside for a minute,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I will be back soon.¡±

    Creak!

    Su-hyeun opened the door and went out.

    ¡°I guess I will only get in the way,¡± Hak-Joon thought.

    Hak-Joon just scratched his head in embarrassment. If Su-hyeun needed him, he probably would¡¯ve taken him, but he didn¡¯t. It meant that Su-hyeun did not need him or he would just get in his way. Thus, Hak-Joon could not ask Su-hyeun to take him along.

    ¡°I feel small,¡± Hak-Joon thought.

    During the raid of the blue-colored dungeon, Hak-Joon realized he wasn¡¯t as capable as he thought. He had seen Jordan, Chloe, and Su-hyeun and felt so small compared to those S-Rank awakeners. Of course, there weren¡¯t many chances to meet so many S-Rank awakeners like that. Even so, he could not help but feel even smaller.

    ¡°One day, I will take rank with them¡­¡±

    Hak-Joon clenched his fist tights.

    ***

    ¡°I wonder if he might¡¯ve learned something.¡±

    Su-hyeun came out from the accommodations that Medical Guild had prepared and kept looking back. At heart, Su-hyeun felt a little sorry for Hak-Joon for leaving him alone. Hak-Joon must have been depressed by now.

    ¡°Well, that was what I hoped though.¡±

    They had gone to the world¡¯s first blue dungeon. It was surely a bigger scale than anywhere else. There were not many known cases of many S-Rank awakeners gathering like this time. Jordan, Chloe, MacRebur, and Su-hyeun were all S-Rank awakeners.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The A-Rank awakeners from the Medical, Maximum, and Star Guilds were very talented. They were similar levels with Hak-Joon. It was important for someone to experience the bigger world to test their own limits. Su-hyeun wanted Hak-Joon to experience it. Sometimes, helplessness became a good motivation.

    ¡°I will be glad if he learned something from this experience,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Tramp, tramp!

    Su-hyeun took a taxi on the road.

    Ring, ring, ring!

    At that time, the phone started to ring. It was an unknown number. He picked up the phone. The caller was an unexpected person.

    ¡°Mr. Hyeong-gi. What¡¯s up?¡±

    The caller was Song Hyeong-gi. He was a Korean S-Rank awakener who taught how to raise Miru to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Hi. How is Miru? Is he still cute?¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you call me to ask that?¡±

    ¡°No, no. I am in the US too. I am with Park Ji-Yeon and I am so annoyed now. We really don¡¯t fit together¡±.

    Su-hyeun could guess why they were together. He remembered Song Hyeong-gi was the original raid member for the green dungeon in Korea.

    ¡°It¡¯s an unexpected help,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Two unexpected people joined now. They were Jordan and Song Hyeong-gi. Su-hyeun felt safer with them around.

    ¡°So, what should we do now? Park Ji-Yeon asked me to ask you.¡±

    ¡°You know what to do,¡± Su-hyeun said. Their job was simple. ¡°Break everything up.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi opened his mouth with a grin.

    ¡°¡­I can do that.¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi hung up. It looked like he called to hear this. He must have been very pleased by the simplicity of his job.

    Screech!

    The taxi ran fast and arrived at the destination. Su-hyeun paid the fare and got off the taxi. He arrived at the tallest building in the neighborhood near the beach in California, about 3 stories high. Jordan told him that this building was used by a company that worked with bottled water.

    ¡°He said this is the company building¡­,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Tramp, tramp!

    Su-hyeun passed the building entrance and walked through the lobby. Su-hyeun was wearing shabby casual clothes and did not bring a bag or anything. Some security guards looked at him strangely before one of them approached Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Have you scheduled an appointment in advance?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked back at the security guard. He stared at him for a while and opened his mouth.

    ¡°If you are not related¡­ Step back.¡±

    Whoosh, whoosh!

    The Flame skill floated around Su-hyeun, allowing the heat to spread. The security guard was frightened and stepped back.

    ¡°A-awakener?¡±

    ¡°He is an awakener!¡±

    When Su-hyeun suddenly activated his skill, the guards freaked out. The whole lobby suddenly became fussy. Su-hyeun quickly looked around when their eyes were focused on him. He felt that somebody was secretly watching him.

    ¡°I have come to the right place,¡± he thought.

    He slightly doubted the information he got from Chloe and MacRebur, but it looked like it was true.

    ¡°If you are related at least a little bit, don¡¯t even think about running away. I¡¯ll just run after you.¡±

    ¡°What the hell do you want? Are you a terrorist?¡± one guard screamed out loud.

    It was at that moment that they heard an explosive sound

    One flame exploded in the air and gave off sparks.

    ¡°The extermination of the Dump Guild.¡±

    That was why Su-hyeun came to America.

    ¡°That is my purpose¡­¡±

    Boom, boom, boom!

    ¡°And this is the start of that.¡±

    An eye for an eye, a terror for a terror. The war between the Dump Guild and Su-hyeun began.

 Chapter 96

    ***

    Tap, tap, tap¡ª

    The sound of one man routinely tapping his hand on the desk rang throughout the room. He pressed his forehead with his other hand. The man¡¯s name was Johnny Depp. He was the vice guild master of the Star Guild.

    ¡°MacRebur and Chloe are dead,¡± he thought. He had just heard confirmation from the news on who was responsible. ¡°Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    It was because of him. Their original plan was impossible to fail. But it failed because of Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s interference.

    ¡°We should have removed him already,¡± Johnny Depp thought.

    They could not get rid of Su-hyeun earlier because Korea was far from the United States and he did not show up in the real world very often. Korea was a country where the influence of the Dump Guild was relatively low. So they had planned to increase their influence using the Ares Guild. But that also failed because of Su-hyeun. At that point, Su-hyeun had just been a small pain in the neck.

    ¡°I did not expect he would do this much.¡±

    Because of the Ripper Guild and Kim Su-hyeun, the Dump Guild was faltering. It was not only in Korea and the United States, but their plans had also failed in every country except China. Even then, the work in China had not been as successful as they hoped in their original plan. All their plans to expand the Dump Guild had been ruined.

    ¡°The damage is too big.¡±

    The major awakeners in the Dump Guild had died. Also, many guilds decided to leave the Dump Guild. Now, the Dump guild lost its power and influence. It was fatal. Until recently, they had been the world¡¯s biggest guild, but now they were nothing other than a criminal guild. There was no path forward. The only thing they could do was hide in the shadows again.

    ¡°We have to regain our power. This time, we will get the power to turn the world upside down without any interruption.¡±

    Bam¡ª!

    ¡°Sir, sir!¡±

    A guild member who had been waiting outside came in. Johnny Depp, who was not feeling so good already, gave him a hard look.

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you know we¡¯re hiding now? Why did you make such a loud¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡ªthat is not a problem now, sir.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°The branches of the Dump Guild are under attack!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Johnny Depp blinked his eyes in panic. Theirs was a secret guild. The name was known, but not many people knew more than that. Moreover, the information about which guilds they worked with was top-secret. But those places were under attack now. That meant all the information had leaked out.

    ¡°How much damage? Which ones were attacked?¡± Johnny Depp asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already lost three places, starting with the Nolan Guild in California. I think we will be under attack soon!¡±

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    The more he heard, the more embarrassed he became.

    ¡°What kind of fearless freak is attacking the Dump Guild¡­?¡± Johnny Depp thought. ¡°Is it¡­Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    Johnny Depp jumped up from his seat once that name popped into his head. And after he spoke it out loud, the guild member nodded fiercely.

    ¡°Yes, sir. And¡­¡±

    ¡°And what?¡±

    ¡°He is not alone.¡± The guild member spoke with a pale face. ¡°Park Ji-yeon from the Korean Ripper Guild and another dude that controls the divine beast are with him. Jordan Rogers and his Maximum Guild as well¡­¡±

    Johnny Depp¡¯s face became just as pale.

    ¡°Sir. This is war.¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Johnny Depp clenched his teeth. The scale of the attack was far greater than he thought.

    Rumble¡ª!

    At that moment, they could feel a tremendous tremor that was followed by an explosion. It came from downstairs.

    ¡°No way¡­¡± Johnny Depp stared at the magical wave that came from the below. ¡°Is he already here?¡±

    ***

    Rumble¡ª!

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    The flames rose around Su-hyeun. Dozens of awakeners surrounded him. Dozens more¡ªabout half of the Dump Guild¡¯s forces in the building¡ªhad already fallen.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t resist, I won¡¯t kill you,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Crack¡ª!

    ¡°Argh¡ª!¡±

    Su-hyeun forced an awakener to his knees by pushing down on his shoulder. The shoulder broke.

    ¡°But if you resist, even I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do.¡±

    ¡°Do¡ªdo you think you will be safe after this? How will you face the consequences?¡± One of the guild members tried to threaten Su-hyeun, but Su-hyeun did not even blink.

    ¡°Me? Safe?¡±

    ¡°You came to an innocent guild and used violence! The Authority won¡¯t overlook such an offense!¡± he screamed.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression became colder. ¡°You¡¯re not the first to tell me that¡­¡± Jung Dong-yeong, the guild master of the Ares Guild, had said something similar to that. ¡°He died by my hand¡­ But me? I¡¯m still here, aren¡¯t¡± I?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s cold answer, the awakener flinched.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 10 seconds.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    ¡°All of you. Kneel and put your heads down!¡±

    Enormous magic pressed the air. People got chills. Not one among the dozens could attack Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Ten, nine, eight, seven, six¡­¡±

    Time passed. Su-hyeun opened his hand and counted each second by folding his fingers. And¡­

    Wham¡ª!

    Wham, wham¡ª!

    One by one, people started to kneel and put their heads on the floor. But there were still some who stood until the end out of either personal pride or loyalty to the Dump Guild.

    ¡°Two¡­ One.¡±

    Thump¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body disappeared. Soon, he grabbed the neck of one who stood still.

    Crack¡ª!

    The man¡¯s neck was twisted in a bizarre direction. Su-hyeun released him.

    Flop¡ª

    The dead body fell on the floor. Su-hyeun looked around. All of the awakeners started to kneel on the floor.

    Su-hyeun said, ¡°Stay there. If you move, you will end up like this.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡ªyes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    They answered out of fear. Su-hyeun lifted his head and looked up at the high ceiling. And¡­

    Whiz¡ª!

    He drew out his sword. He started to break the ceiling and headed up. He broke through each floor until he finally reached the rooftop.

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    Johnny Depp saw Su-hyeun. His face turned deadly pale. Next to Johnny Depp was another guild member.

    ¡°I thought there would be a guy like you,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°What¡ªwhat the hell are you doing this?¡±

    Johnny Depp was an A-Rank awakener. He had good skills and guts. But he could not rush Su-hyeun because he knew he would die.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been advertising here and there, haven¡¯t you heard yet? The end of the Dump Guild is my purpose. I don¡¯t want anything else.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re some kind of hero? Do you think you¡¯ve become something great by doing this? It will be your end!¡±

    ¡°Since when did you guys worry about other people?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Clank¡ª!

    Su-hyeun swung his sword. Johnny Depp urgently extended his hand and blocked. He created dozens of magical veil layers. It looked like he had quite good skills in defense.

    The other awakener, who had been standing next to him, was decapitated and died. Johnny Depp saw him and swallowed. Su-hyeun swung his sword without hesitation. It looked like he did not plan to let him live.

    ¡°I should run away,¡± Johnny Depp thought.

    He took a step back. And soon, he was surprised. Because he missed Su-hyeun in the short moment he was thinking. He looked around like a crazy person.

    ¡°Damn it! Where¡­where are you?¡±

    Johnny Depp gathered his magic power and created several protection layers. Cold sweat flowed with the fear of death. But he felt a little relief because he was hiding in the magic veil. But¡­

    ¡°Do you think you will be safe inside there?¡±

    A voice came from above. Johnny Depp raised his head.

    [The transfiguration skill: Imoogi.]

    Crack¡ª!

    The scale of Imoogi started to grow on Su-hyeun¡¯s body. Johnny Depp could see that on the uncovered parts of his body. His eyes widened.

    ¡°Dragon¡­?¡±

    Rumble¡ª!

    Crack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun descended with his sword. It cut Johnny Depp in half and his veil magic.

    Crack¡ª!

    ¡°Uhr¡­¡±

    Johnny Depp¡¯s split body fell. Su-hyeun shook the blood off his sword and sheathed it in the scabbard.

    ¡°Okay. Now I¡¯m finished here, too¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    This was the fourth site. He had cleaned up almost all the guilds and companies that related to the Dump Guild in the United States. Since this guild was based in the United States, the Dump Guild could now be considered to be finished. Su-hyeun took out his smartphone and made a phone call. After several rings, Jordan answered.

    ¡°Are you done already?¡±

    ¡°Yes. How about you?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost done, too. Fortunately, there were no civilians, so it ended pretty quickly. It looked like they moved secretly. They had been thoroughly blocking all information so it wouldn¡¯t leak.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure there was no damage to civilians, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Don¡¯t worry. It looked like they knew about themselves. Most of them just surrendered easily. Didn¡¯t they do that on your end?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­they listened pretty well after I threatened them.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded, thinking of the awakeners of the Dump Guild who probably still had their heads down.

    ¡°Anyway, these guys, are bigger and more organized than I thought. And I think there are more outside of America¡­¡±

    ¡°No damage to the Maximum Guild?¡±

    ¡°A little bit. The agency helped us. We think the Dump Guild is finished in the United States now.¡±

    Everything had gone smoothly. Su-hyeun had thought to dig up the root of the Dump Guild before it got too bigger. But he didn¡¯t expect it would be this easy.

    ¡°Their forces are much smaller than I expected.¡±

    The Dump Guild that Su-hyeun remembered was much larger than now. Even in Korea, where their influence was not that big, there were still many guilds involved with the Dump Guild. But that would happen more than five years from now. They had not expanded in earnest yet. Moreover, the information that Su-hyeun got from Chloe and MacRebur had been very helpful. They told him about the main bases and involved guilds.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave this to you. And can you prepare a plane for me?¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°China.¡±

    ¡°China? Why? That¡¯s the most uproarious place right now.¡±

    China was the only country that had been damaged by the Dump Guild in this time. During the raid of a dungeon in Beijing, a Chinese S-Rank awakener had died.

    ¡°Lin Zhuming. She was the most popular star in China. She was famous not only in China but also in Hollywood. The Chinese were pretty shocked by her murder.¡±

    ¡°Was there any other damage?¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, that raid was somehow successful. This time, two S-Rank awakeners had joined. That unusual event brought victory.

    China had a total of four S-Rank awakeners. Compared to the population, it was a small number. Also, as there was a lot of land, there were many dungeons. In such a situation, China had lost one S-Rank awakener.

    ¡°But why suddenly China? Are you a fan of Lin Zhuming? Do you want revenge?¡±

    ¡°Close.¡±

    Jordan asked as if it were a joke. But in the end, what Su-hyeun would do was the same thing.

    ¡°I have to catch a head, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Head?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Head. If I leave it alone, the Dump Guild will show up again with a different name.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Jordan was silent for a moment. Soon, he spoke in a worried voice.

    ¡°Are you sure? We don¡¯t know who the head, but they must be very strong. Lin Zhuming died and two others were affected.¡±

    Two S-Rank awakeners had been attacked. One died and one had barely survived. No matter how strong Su-hyeun was, it was reasonable for Jordan to worry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Su-hyeun sparked his eyes and said, ¡°I will surely kill that bastard.¡±

    Su-hyeun hung up after saying that. His work in the United States was over. He had finished attacking the blue-colored dungeon and cleaned up all branches of the Dump Guild in the United States. Now, there was one thing left. He had to kill the awakener who made the Dump Guild.

    ¡°Lin Zhuming is dead.¡±

    It was not an unexpected thing. He had asked for preparation, but it was possible that both of them might die. It was fortunate that one person survived at least and finished the dungeon attack. Beijing could have been completely devastated if that person did not finish the dungeon.

    ¡°So, he ran away, huh?¡±

    Su-hyeun clenched his teeth. His eyes sparkled. The guild master of the Dump Guild was the worst human being that Su-hyeun knew.

 Chapter 97

    Act 5

    Thousands of people flocked to downtown Guangzhou, China.

    ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s here! He¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°Where? Where? Oh! It¡¯s him!¡±

    When the middle-aged actor got out of the long black sedan, people started to yell and cheer. They had all immediately come to Guangzhou to see him in person, despite the tragedy in Beijing. He waved at the people. The place filled with loud cheers.

    His name was Hwang Jun-peong. He was a Chinese actor and a popular Hollywood star. One magazine even mentioned him among the hundred most influential figures in the world. He was almost forty, but he was unbelievably handsome. His body was like a sculpture with perfect body proportions. And his acting was superb. It was impossible to compare with other actors. Those facts made everyone enthusiastic about him.

    ¡°Mr. Hwang! I am your fan!¡±

    ¡°Please give me your autograph!¡±

    ¡°Can I take a picture with you¡­?¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong shook each hand that reached out to him.

    ¡°Thank you. I can¡¯t give you an autograph because of the schedule. But you can take as many pictures as you want.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°How should I pose¡­ Oh, I look more handsome from this angle¡­¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong took photos with about ten people around him. While doing so, one man who looked like a reporter stuck a microphone in Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Mr. Hwang! You said you would donate all of your proceeds from the movie Desperado to the families of the Beijing disaster. Is that true?¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong looked a little embarrassed at the question, then replied, ¡°Yes. That is true.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°Nice!¡±

    People cheered out at Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s response. He smiled with embarrassment and opened his mouth again.

    ¡°The Beijing disaster was really heartbreaking. I personally knew Lin Zhuming, so I felt great regret.¡±

    ¡°Then, Mr. Hwang. How about¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all for now. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong refused continuous questions from the reporter and turned. He made a gesture to his manager, a young woman in her mid-twenties who quickly came over to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired, let¡¯s get inside.¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong waved several more times to the fans, then whispered to his manager. The manager nodded and began to restrain the crowds that blocked the road with the help of the company staff. With much difficulty, Hwang Jun-peong finally managed to enter the building lobby. He went straight to his penthouse at the top of the building.

    Flop¡ª

    He loosened his tie and laid it on the couch. The manager approached him and said, ¡°If you need anything, please call me. I¡¯m sure you are tired so please get some rest.¡±

    ¡°Just bring some girls.¡±

    The manager was surprised by Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s raw request. She has only recently become his manager and she could not adjust to Hwang Jun-peong. Before, he seemed like a gentleman who could not ignore the plight of the poor. But now he looked like a completely different person. It was as if two people shared one body. When the manager hesitated, Hwang Jun-peong opened his eyes wide and smiled.

    ¡°Do you want to do it?¡±

    ¡°No. No, sir.¡±

    The manager hurriedly bowed and left the room. Hwang Jun-peong watched the manager leave and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Tut. She is too slow.¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong got up and walked to the window. There were a lot of people just below the tall building. Thousands of them were all gathered to see him.

    ¡°Seeing from this high, they look like ants,¡± Hwang Jun-peong muttered. He remembered the conversation with the reporter and laughed. ¡°Idiots.¡±

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re having fun.¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong quickly turned his head to view the new speaker. A stranger now sat on the couch.

    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Hwang Jun-peong asked in a low voice.

    He narrowed his eyes. He could tell this stranger was not a stalker or something who liked to dig him up. If he was a stalker, there was no way he could not notice him.

    ¡°I¡¯m a fan,¡± the stranger said.

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡±

    ¡°An anti-fan is still a fan, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He was not Chinese. Hwang Jun-peong assumed he might be Japanese or Korean. He looked young. Hwang Jun-peong thought for a moment and then asked with a light smile, ¡°Are you Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Am I that famous? Everybody notices me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard your name a lot. I am your fan, too.¡±

    ¡°You mean anti-fan?¡±

    ¡°Ha-ha. Yes.¡± Hwang Jun-peong coolly laughed.

    He walked to the refrigerator and opened the door. The refrigerator was filled with a variety of drinks including bottled water, soda, and bottled beer. Hwang Jun-peong took a beer and threw it at Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun caught the bottle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink,¡± Hwang Jun-peong suggested.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for a drink.¡±

    ¡°Well. I think you came here because you found out everything, right? It will be our last time, so this will be fine.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at Hwang Jun-peong for a while, then removed the bottlecap.

    Gulp¡ª

    Because of the tense situation, he could not enjoy the taste of the beer.

    ¡°I heard a lot about you. It was splendid. And I wanted to meet you once,¡± Hwang Jun-peong said.

    ¡°But you couldn¡¯t, because your face was too well known. Not like me.¡±

    ¡°So, how much do you know?¡±

    ¡°Everything about you.¡± Su-hyeun shook the half-empty beer bottle. ¡°It was funny. Donating money for the people you murdered? Did you say you felt sorry and heartbroken?¡±

    Shatter¡ª!

    Su-hyeun strengthened his grip. The bottle broke and beer spilled over the table.

    ¡°Is that deception?¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at Hwang Jun-peong with a ghastly gaze. Hwang Jun-peong twisted his lips.

    He opened his bottle and answered, ¡°Because it¡¯s funny.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the best play, isn¡¯t it? I mean the acting.¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong quaffed the beer, then continued to speak. ¡°Fooling someone, laughing behind their back, acting like somebody else, and watching people who love to watch it. It was all very funny to me. That was why I dreamed of becoming an actor.¡±

    ¡°You could have just focused on acting then.¡±

    ¡°As time goes on, the stimulation dulls. I stopped having fun once I got used to this job. But¡­¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong walked to the big window.

    ¡°Look at those idiots. They don¡¯t know who I actually am, but they cheer for this fake Hwang Jun-peong they see. Soon, the bereaved family will come and tell me,¡± Hwang Jun-peong turned his head and said in a low voice, ¡°¡®Thank you very much for helping us afford our son¡¯s funeral. Sob, sob, sob.¡¯¡±

    Su-hyeun remained silent.

    ¡°They don¡¯t know anything about me. What fools. I lose track of time when I look down on those ants.¡±

    ¡°Is that funny?¡±

    ¡°Yes, very much. It¡¯s thrilling.¡±

    The answer came without any hesitation.

    ¡°Is that why you created the Dump Guild? To hide the fact that you are an awakener?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Hwang Jun-peong grinned. He was known as a normal actor, not an awakener. But he was the worst awakener that Su-hyeun had ever heard of. He was the founder of the Dump Guild. And he was a terrible criminal who had managed to hide his identity. That was the real Hwang Jun-peong.

    ¡°Yes. I thought I was hiding it well. But you¡­ I don¡¯t know how you figured it out.¡±

    Sizzling¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong lit up a cigarette and asked, ¡°You leaked information to the Chinese Agency, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Because I knew you targeted Beijing. You¡¯re a cautious guy and I thought you wouldn¡¯t risk revealing yourself.¡±

    Su-hyeun thought he knew a lot about Hwang Jun-peong, but there was one mistake he made.

    ¡°I never thought you would murder Lin Zhuming.¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong was a cautious person. He had been hiding his identity for a lifetime. He was always very careful to hide his true intentions. Su-hyeun thought if the Chinese Agency was involved, Hwang Jun-peong would not take any action. Even if he did, Su-hyeun never expected Hwang Jun-peong to gamble when two S-rank awakeners were involved.

    ¡°Lin Zhuming! I really wanted to kill that bitch with my own hands. I met her once at a party, she was annoying. Ha-ha!¡±

    ¡°Did he have a personal grudge?¡± Su-hyeun thought. ¡°No. This couldn¡¯t be called a grudge.¡±

    He had killed her simply because he thought she was annoying. It would be impossible to consider him normal.

    ¡°He¡¯s a real psychopath,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The Dump Guild had all kinds of human beings. The most common one among them was the one who wanted to show off their strength. Twisted exhibitionists usually related to the crime directly.

    However, Hwang Jun-peong was not like those people. He was crazier than anyone else. He was a famous actor before he became an awakener. But according to his own words, he had this twisted personality from the beginning. He enjoyed cheating and deceiving others.

    ¡°You must think you¡¯re above them.¡± Su-hyeun pointed to the fans visible through the window. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. You¡¯re surely a great actor, Hwang Jun-peong. You deserve to think of yourself that way.¡±

    ¡°Are you complimenting me? You¡¯ll make me blush.¡±

    ¡°That was not a compliment.¡± Su-hyeun stood. ¡°I meant I will drag you down.¡±

    ¡°¡­What will you do? How will you get me here?¡±

    ¡°I put your manager to sleep. Your people won¡¯t be back for at least an hour. I also soundproofed the room.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve prepared a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    At Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s words, Su-hyeun nodded.

    ¡°The penthouse is nice. The living room is so spacious. I could even play soccer here, right?¡±

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha.¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong laughed strangely. He threw his beer bottle and warmed up his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect. I would be in trouble if I revealed my identity during the fight. Who else knows about me?¡±

    ¡°No one. If you kill me, nobody would know. I can guarantee that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty determined, huh.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯ll be in trouble if you run away.¡±

    ¡°Run away? Me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you have the guts. I know you, and you are that kind of person.¡±

    For the first time, there was a crack in Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s smile.

    ¡°Why do you pretend to know me? What the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°I know you well.¡±

    What Su-hyeun said was not an empty phrase. This was not the first time that Su-hyeun had faced off against Hwang Jun-peong.

    ¡°It was because of me,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He was complacent. He had reflected on it a lot. In his previous life, Su-hyeun had missed Hwang Jun-peong because of a small mistake. He had run away and made another guild. It had taken almost half a year to clean up the resurrected Dump Guild. Su-hyeun still felt sick thinking about all the people who were victimized by the Dump Guild during that time.

    ¡°I won¡¯t miss you this time,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re annoying.¡±

    ¡°Then bring it on.¡±

    Schwing¡ª

    Su-hyeun drew his sword.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run away.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Enormous magic suddenly filled up the large living room. It was the most ominous magic Su-hyeun had ever encountered.

    ¡°I will kill you quickly.¡±

    It was highly concentrated magic that gave Su-hyeun chills. Su-hyeun had caught him in his previous life. But Su-hyeun was different from that time, he was much stronger now.

    ¡°It¡¯s been ten years since he became an awakener,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Hwang Jun-peong became an awakener in the first year that dungeons and awakeners started to appear. Since then, Hwang Jun-peong spent most of his time in the Tower of Trials except for a few months out of the year.

    When other people attacked the dungeons, he worked as an actor and expanded his power in the Tower of Trials. He was a talented awakener. Just by virtue of sheer talent, he was comparable to other S-Rank awakeners.

    There were two reasons that Su-hyeun left him alone so far, even though he knew his identity. First, Hwang Jun-peong could conceal his identity and vanish if he figured out somebody had discovered the truth. If Hwang Jun-peong decided to go to ground, it would be more difficult to find him again.

    Second, Su-hyeun did not want to make any mistakes. He wanted to make sure he could catch him. He needed time to get strong enough. He waited until he was confident to not miss Hwang Jun-peong.

 Chapter 98

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    The Great Wall Guild was one of the largest Chinese guilds based in Guangzhou. The guild master, Zhu In, saw the note that came to the guild and frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s a terror report from the Dump Guild.¡±

    ¡°Dump Guild? Aren¡¯t they the ones who caused the trouble in Beijing? Those bastards killed Lin Zhuming.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Their new goal is Guangzhou. It says¡­¡± The guild member who brought the note pointed out the map on the tablet screen. ¡°They¡¯re aiming here.¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    Zhu In put his face in his hands. He was not interested in the entertainment business, but since it wasn¡¯t far away, he knew something was going on.

    ¡°Of all the times¡­ There are a lot of people because of Hwang Jun-peong now.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps that is their goal.¡±

    ¡°Are they attacking civilians?¡±

    ¡°If the raid had failed in Beijing, the civilian casualties would have been enormous. They don¡¯t distinguish between awakeners or civilians,¡± the guild member said.

    Zhu In sighed. ¡°Why the hell did they send us a note?¡± he thought.

    Zhu In had no idea what to do and put his head in his hands again. If the Dump Guild really was trying to terrorize them, he couldn¡¯t imagine how much damage it would be. The case of Beijing was a problem, but that was not all. The Dump Guild was rioting in the United States, Korea, and other countries.

    ¡°We should move, shouldn¡¯t we?¡±

    He didn¡¯t waste a lot of time worrying. Now that he¡¯d seen the note, he could not just let it go.

    ¡°How many people should we bring?¡±

    ¡°Lin Zhuming died. We should get as many as possible.¡±

    ¡°Will we be okay?¡±

    ¡°Contact all the other guilds. Especially those that were close to Lin Zhuming. If we suggest first, they will probably accept.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t drag your feet. Do it now.¡±

    At Zhu In¡¯s word, the guild member immediately started to make the call. Zhu In also called another guild he was acquainted with.

    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Yes?¡±

    The guild member was surprised and dropped the phone. When he looked at Zhu In, he had the same look, too.

    ¡°Sir. This guild¡­ said they got the same note.¡±

    ¡°¡­Same here.¡±

    Both of them hung up. They made a few more phone calls, but it was the same. The same note had been sent to all the guilds in Guangzhou.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    <hr />

    Bam¡ª!

    Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s hand and Su-hyeun¡¯s sword hit. Hwang Jun-peong grabbed the sword surrounded by blue Flame. He shined his eyes.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    The other hand reached out. Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s hand tried to pierce Su-hyeun¡¯s chest.

    Swish¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun turned his sword and struck the hand. That hand was sharper than any sword. Su-hyeun had already fought him once, so he knew about his ignorant fighting style.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword cut into Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s skin. Torn pieces of clothing fell. Blood dripped, though it wasn¡¯t a deep cut.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The cut skin healed quickly. Hwang Jun-peong ignored Su-hyeun¡¯s sword and quickly swung his hand again.

    Crack¡ª

    Again, the sword and arm struck.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    The magic that scattered from the sword and arm swept across the living room. The furniture was thrown, and windows broke. Hwang Jun-peong realized he could not catch Su-hyeun easily. Both their eyes sparkled.

    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t defeat him easily,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    It would have been nice if he could. Not only in the future but also now, Hwang Jun-peong was a top S-Rank awakener. It looked like Hwang Jun-peong was thinking of a similar thing. He closed and opened his hand that had been hitting Su-hyeun¡¯s sword several times.

    He said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stop now?¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you scared?¡±

    ¡°Nothing good will come of this for either of us.¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°I am Hwang Jun-peong. You will be in trouble if the world learns that you attacked me.¡±

    ¡°That will only happen if people don¡¯t know that you are an awakener.¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to remain an actor. I didn¡¯t mean to deceive people¡­ I have a lot to say. I mean, I will be criticized a little, though.¡±

    It seemed like he had spent a long time practicing those lines. Hwang Jun-peong shrugged as if it was not a big deal.

    ¡°My status will only increase if it¡¯s revealed that I¡¯m an awakener. Not being able to act anymore will be sad and not fun, but what can I do?¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong grinned and looked at Su-hyeun again.

    ¡°So, what do you say? Do you still want to do it?¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    Hwang Jun-peong covered his face with his arms as flames burst out around him.

    Su-hyeun walked through the flames covering all sides and replied, ¡°The answer is too obvious.¡±

    ¡°¡­If you continue like this, civilians will be harmed.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got a back-up.¡±

    ¡°You really¡­ want to see this through to the end?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I came here just to play with you?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes turned blue. His magic started to amplify. Hwang Jun-peong gave Su-hyeun a pale look.

    ¡°You damn bastard¡­¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    As Su-hyeun took a step, the solid marble floor of the penthouse cracked apart.

    ¡°Your play will be over today.¡±

    <hr />

    All the awakeners¡¯ guilds in Guangzhou gathered in one place. Including the biggest one, the Great Wall Guild, there were a total of 12 guilds. This was the first time since the New Year¡¯s party of the Chinese Awakeners Guild Association.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything happened.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait. I¡¯m sure it didn¡¯t start yet.¡±

    ¡°What if nothing happens¡­¡±

    ¡°Then that is good. I hope we were just deceived¡­¡±

    Each guild¡¯s masters gathered in one place and talked.

    There were countless people around them. All of them were fans who came to see the actor, Hwang Jun-peong.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Hwang Jun-peong was last seen, yet people are still standing here? They must be huge fans.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s such a big star. My kid really loves Hwang Jun-peong, too.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he old? Do they really like that old man?¡±

    ¡°He is in his forties. But he¡¯s not the same as other men the same age. He has a mature charm.¡±

    The female guild master of the Meta Guild sparked her eyes as if she was a fan of Hwang Jun-peong.

    Purr¡ª!

    From somewhere, an unfamiliar cry was heard. Many people looked in that direction.

    ¡°Look, look!¡±

    ¡°Mo¡­ monster?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡±

    A small dragon was flying in the sky and crying. The area was in an uproar. People started to run away.

    ¡°It is a monster¡­ But¡­¡±

    ¡°Why is that so small?¡±

    The awakeners, including the guild masters, looked at the small dragon and made confused faces. It was a monster, but it was too small to be a threat.

    ¡°But still¡­ I guess we have to get rid of it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we should.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    As he finished his word, Zhu In reached out his hand and threw a lightning bolt at the dragon. The sky flashed. Zhu In turned his gaze from the sky.

    ¡°This should be enough,¡± he thought.

    ¡°Lo¡ªlook!¡±

    Purr¡ª! Purr¡ª!

    The dragon was not dead. Zhu In turned his head in astonishment. The dragon quickly flew. Soon, it came closer to them.

    ¡°Is it still fine?¡±

    There wasn¡¯t even a mark. When he looked closely, he could see the dragon had a thin magic layer around it.

    Flap, flat¡ª

    The dragon was Miru. Miru flew to Zhu In, who threw a bolt of lightning at him. Zhu In reached out his hand again, wary of Miru. Another guild master stopped Zhu In.

    ¡°Hang on. Wait a minute. It has something around its foot.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Purr¡ª

    Miru shook its paw as if understanding what he said. Zhu In opened the paper wrapped around Miru¡¯s paw. There were squiggles. It seemed like the writer wrote it in a hurry.

    ¡°Please, take care of civilians. Please, evacuate people in the C&D Tower,¡± Zhu In read out loud each word on the paper. Then, he mumbled, ¡°What the hell is this about?¡±

    C&D Tower was the building in front of them. But the note said to evacuate those in here.

    ¡°Wait. Is this related to terrorism?¡± he thought.

    It was at that moment.

    Rumble¡ª

    He heard a small explosion come from the top of the building. Then, he could feel a giant magic wave. Zhu In shouted in surprise.

    ¡°Terror!¡±

    People screamed.

    ¡°Run, run away!¡±

    The note was not a joke. The terror from the Dump Guild began. The terrorist attack in Beijing was not that long ago, and now they committed a terrorist act in Guangzhou.

    ¡°Evacuate civilians first! Quickly!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The twelve guilds, including the Great Wall of Zhu In, began to move quickly.

    <hr />

    Clang¡ª Clank¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    The top floor of the C&D Tower was completely devastated. Because of the aftereffect of the fight, the furniture had been obliterated, and everything was burning.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Hwang Jun-peong grabbed Su-hyeun¡¯s neck. When he tried to strengthen his grip, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword cut off Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s wrist.

    Slash¡ª

    Puff¡ª

    The severed had blurred and disappeared. It was a trick with hallucination skills. At that moment, a sharp hand stretched out from behind.

    [Doppelganger.]

    Clank¡ª!

    Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s hand could not reach Su-hyeun¡¯s back. It was blocked by the sword. It was a doppelganger who had the same shape as Su-hyeun, but it did not have a face. The doppelganger¡¯s sword blocked Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s hand. Hwang Jun-peong braced his arm and pushed down on Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. At that moment, the doppelganger skill disappeared, and Su-hyeun turned his body.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    The power of the Flame skill gathered at the sword¡¯s tip before bursting out. The attack increased the distance between the two men.

    ¡°Phew¡ª¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong gave Su-hyeun an incredulous look. Su-hyeun had relentlessly attacked him as if he would not back down. But he only fought defensively. Hwang Jun-peong did not expect that.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have enough energy anymore? I¡¯m disappointed¡­¡±

    ¡°Disappointed my ass. I know you¡¯re happy now.¡±

    ¡°I do enjoy bullying.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole.¡±

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun tapped the floor with his foot a couple of times. Then he looked around. He could see Miru through the broken window.

    Purr, purr¡ª!

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    At Miru¡¯s crying, Hwang Jun-peong turned his gaze. He wondered what was going on as he strained his eyes.

    ¡°No way¡­ Did you?¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong rushed to the window. Many awakeners gathered outside. People were evacuating because of the fight. And the awakeners were helping the remaining people.

    ¡°You and I are the only ones left in this building.¡±

    Earlier, Su-hyeun had spread his magic throughout the building and checked how many people were left inside. It looked like the awakeners had evacuated all everyone. They would arrive soon.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    [The transfiguration skill: Imoogi.]

    [Indomitable body.]

    [The Flame.]

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Scales began to grow on Su-hyeun¡¯s body. The hard body turned dark, and blue Flame surrounded his body. For a flash, his magic wave changed. Hwang Jun-peong finally realized Su-hyeun had been buying time for people to escape.

    Su-hyeun said, ¡°Now let¡¯s end this.¡±

 Chapter 99

    ¡°Anyone left?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. There¡¯s not even a single dog. A mother and her son were the last. Everyone in C&D Tower has been evacuated.¡±

    ¡°We need to evacuate people around the building, too. You know the safety of the civilians is the top priority, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Zhu In busily gave orders to the members of the guild. Fortunately, the evacuation of civilians went smoothly. Thanks to the combined effort of all twelve guilds that had gathered, there was more than enough manpower.

    ¡°Something is strange,¡± Zhu In thought.

    There was something strange about this terrorist act. If it really was terrorism, it wasn¡¯t very convincing. When he had felt the magic from the top of the building for the first time, he thought the terror had begun. But soon, he realized that was not right.

    ¡°This is a fight.¡±

    It was not one person¡¯s magic. There were two different magic signatures. People might wonder how only two people could be the cause. But those two signatures were at a different level. Zhu In assumed they were S-Rank awakeners, possibly even stronger. He could feel the magic¡¯s enormous Factors reverberating through the very air.

    ¡°If not terrorism, then what could it be? Why did that note label it an act of terrorism? Who sent the message from the small dragon?¡±

    His mind was so complicated. But there was no time to think. The evacuation of civilians was the most important thing now.

    ¡°Sir, what should we do now? The situation over there looks¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait. It¡¯s not the time to get involved yet.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying we should just sit on our hands?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see? That¡¯s not a terrorist act, that¡¯s a fight between two people. Perhaps one of them¡­must be a member of the Dump Guild.¡±

    It was obvious that one of them had sent the note using the dragon. It seemed obvious that the sender wasn¡¯t a member of the Dump Guild. It wouldn¡¯t make sense if the Dump Guild worried about civilians. In addition¡­

    ¡°We can¡¯t interrupt this fight.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the note? It is said we should only evacuate civilians, nothing more. The sender was certain¡­¡± Zhu In bit his lips and continued to say, ¡°that we would just get in the way of the fight.¡±

    ¡°We have a lot of awakeners. We can help.¡±

    ¡°Even if we stop that fight, what good will it do if we all die?¡±

    ¡°That¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just wait. That is the right thing for now. No B- or C-Rank awakener could make a difference in this fight.¡±

    The Great Wall Guild was the largest, but the other eleven guilds had few high-rank awakeners amongst their ranks.

    ¡°Zhu In. People said there was no trace of Hwang Jun-peong among the evacuated.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Zhu In opened his eyes wide at the guild master¡¯s statement. His brain began to spin quickly, quickly coming to a conclusion. ¡°Wait¡­ That fight is occurring in¡­¡±

    He had heard that Hwang Jun-peong bought a penthouse in the C&D building. And the top floor seemed to be the site of the battle. Zhu In frowned.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    ¡°Wh-what should we do with Mr. Hwang¡­¡±

    There were only two possibilities. Either Hwang Jun-peong had been a casualty of the fight or he was involved in it. Zhu In¡¯s head quickly spun. He thought he saved all the civilians but there was one still left.

    ¡°What should I do¡­¡± he thought.

    Then, as he anxiously watched the top floor where the fight raged¡­

    Rumble¡ª

    ¡°Huh? What is that?¡±

    ¡°The building¡­¡±

    C&D Building had been the tallest building in Guangzhou. But suddenly, some force sliced off the top and began to collapse.

    ¡°Run away!¡±

    Act 6

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Along the oblique cut line, the upper part of the building slid down. Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s wide-open eyes shook. He swept his chest with one hand in awareness.

    ¡°I almost got cut.¡±

    It was one swing. At that moment, he felt like his waist was cut. If he hadn¡¯t responded instinctively, he might have been cut.

    Rumble¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    The tilted upper part finally fell to the ground below. Vibrations echoed throughout the area. Su-hyeun and Hwang Jun-peong stared at each other, both standing in the open-air corridor.

    ¡°That is disappointing,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Tramp, tramp¡ª

    ¡°Well, I still have time.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you¡­?¡± Hwang Jun-peong asked.

    Hwang Jun-peong couldn¡¯t believe the man who stood in front of him. This didn¡¯t make any sense. It had only been two years since Su-hyeun became an awakener. But Hwang Jun-peong became an awakener eight years ago. There was no way Su-hyeun should have been capable of matching his skill.

    ¡°Is it a gap in talent?¡± he wondered.

    But he did not want to admit it to himself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again¡ªwhat the hell are you!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s magic started to twist out of a mix of blind jealousy and anger. His hands stiffened with ferocious magic. At the same time, scales began to grow all over his body.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    Two horns sprouted out from Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s head. Wings sprouted from his back. His eyes turned reptilian. He had become some sort of an unholy cross between man and beast.

    ¡°Dragonize skill.¡±

    It was one of the ten most powerful skills in the history of awakeners. Su-hyeun had gained the strength of Imoogi with the transfiguration skill, but it was not in any way comparable to Dragonize. His transfiguration skill simply mimicked the Imoogi, but Dragonize actually transformed a human into a dragon.

    ¡°Huuu¡ª¡±

    A hazy breath flowed out from Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s mouth. His face looked like a mixture of human and dragon. His size had increased as well to become twice as large as he was before.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Hwang Jun-peong said.

    Flap¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong spread his wings to their full span. ¡°As you said, let¡¯s end this now.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes at Su-hyeun. Then suddenly, Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s body quickly disappeared.

    Whiz¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s body appeared in front of Su-hyeun. He struck Su-hyeun with his open palm. Su-hyeun raised his sword and blocked it in the nick of time. The floor beneath him gave out and he began to fall. Hwang Jun-peong spread his wings and flew after Su-hyeun. But that was a mistake.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Slash, slash¡ª!

    Minor wounds were carved on the body of Hwang Jun-peong.

    Slash¡ª!

    One of them was quite deep. Hwang Jun-peong recoiled from the strike and quickly flew back up.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s wing from behind. Hwang Jun-peong urgently tried to shake off Su-hyeun¡¯s hand, but he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°What the¡­ He is too strong¡­¡±

    He saw the scales on Su-hyeun¡¯s body. It looked similar to his skill, but he thought it was just an imitation. The Dragonize enabled him to truly unite with a dragon. He thought there was no awakener in existence who could match his power.

    ¡°Out you go!¡±

    Flap, flap¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong desperately flew up to shake off Su-hyeun. But Su-hyeun¡¯s hand maintained the firm grip on the wing.

    Crack¡ª

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Finally, Su-hyeun pulled one of Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s wings from his back.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong screamed at the loss of the wing. He turned his body and swung his arm.

    Rip¡ª

    His claws tore through the air. Su-hyeun easily avoided all the attacks and fell down.

    ¡°Damn¡­¡±

    The pain from the amputated wing still remained and caused Hwang Jun-peong to moan. He stared at Su-hyeun as he fell. Despite the pain, Hwang Jun-peong didn¡¯t care much about the loss of his wing.

    ¡°I can recover in a few days,¡± he thought.

    The dragons didn¡¯t actually use their wings for flight, but magic. So he could still move freely in the air. Now, it was time to focus on killing Su-hyeun.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Hwang Jun-peong rushed toward Su-hyeun as he was in freefall. His ten claws were sharp as blades. Su-hyeun did not dodge them. Instead, he channeled his magic into his sword and swung at Hwang Jun-peong.

    Craaack¡ª!

    Boooom¡ª!

    Hwang Jun-peong used his massive weight to crash into Su-hyeun, slamming his body on what remained of the building.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    A huge hole formed in the center of the building. Hwang Jun-peong continued to slam Su-hyeun through the building, all the way to the bottom. Once they reached the bottom, Hwang Jun-peong breathed heavily and then flew back up.

    Gasp, gasp¡ª

    The eyes of the dragon flashed through the cloudy dust. Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s gaze was fixed hard on Su-hyeun.

    Clack, clack¡ª

    Su-hyeun lay on the ground, then rose up again as if it was nothing.

    Drip, drip, drip¡ª

    But blood freely flowed down Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s chest. It was a very deep cut. Su-hyeun¡¯s sword had sliced through the dragon¡¯s scales and skin and actually managed to cut into the flesh. The amount of bleeding was significant. The wounds from earlier still hadn¡¯t healed yet, and these only compounded the problem.

    ¡°What the hell is this guy¡­?¡± he thought.

    Hwang Jun-peong thought Su-hyeun would be dead by now. But he barely had a scratch on him. Hwang Jun-peong had planned to overwhelm Su-hyeun with his Dragonize skill, but it didn¡¯t work. The battle wasn¡¯t over yet, but¡­

    ¡°I should admit. I can¡¯t win against that bastard,¡± he thought.

    Hwang Jun-peong had a vague understanding of this outcome ever since Su-hyeun revealed his power. But he had wanted to deny those thoughts. He had tried to fight. And this was the result.

    ¡°I should run away,¡± he thought.

    For the first time in his life, he actually had some fear that death was imminent.

    Flop¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong started to move using one wing. And at that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s body quickly moved.

    Whiz¡ª

    After a few leaps, the distance quickly narrowed down. Hwang Jun-peong could not run away.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± he thought. His gaze turned to the awakeners who crowded around the building and civilians who were evacuating from afar. ¡°I will buy myself at least a little time.¡±

    Flop¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong moved without hesitation. He flew down toward the nearest awakeners.

    ¡°Help me!¡± Hwang Jun-peong shouted in an urgent voice.

    Many awakeners had been taking precautions against him. Doubts were raised when they heard his human voice. At first, they thought he was a monster, but now they began whispering amongst themselves.

    ¡°H-human?¡±

    ¡°Is that not a monster?¡±

    ¡°So is he the terrorist then?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what they¡¯re talking about, but I¡¯d better come up with a good explanation¡­¡± Hwang Jun-peong thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m Hwang Jun-peong.¡±

    ¡°Hwang Jun-peong?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true! Look carefully!¡±

    ¡°Re-really?¡±

    ¡°Is Hwang Jun-peong an awakener?¡±

    Fortunately for him, many people recognized his face. His figure was a little changed, but people could still notice him.

    Hwang Jun-peong started to speak again with relief. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll explain the details later, but can you help me¡ª¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Clank¡ª!

    Hwang Jun-peong turned quickly and opened his hands. Su-hyeun had caught up to him and stabbed him in his back. The magic spread widely in all directions. The awakeners around them quickly retreated as far back as possible.

    ¡°What¡­what the?¡±

    ¡°Is he the real terrorist?¡±

    It was a different level of battle. Hwang Jun-peong could not bear the power of Su-hyeun¡¯s sword and stepped back. When he was this close to Su-hyeun, the first emotion he felt was fear.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± he thought.

    It would be difficult to run away in this situation.

    Hwang Jun-peong shouted out loud, ¡°Help me! He¡¯s the terrorist!¡±

    There were about hundreds of awakeners from the twelve guilds. Individually, each of their ability might not be good enough. But if they combined all their power together, they might have a chance.

    ¡°This is what I call reversing the situation,¡± Hwang Jun-peong thought.

    He believed in the power of his name. In China¡ªall over the world, in fact¡ªthe name Hwang Jun-peong was well-known. And though Su-hyeun¡¯s name was also well-known, not many people actually knew his face.

    ¡°What do I have to do¡­¡± Zhu In thought.

    At the appearance of these two, Zhu In felt embarrassed. Looking at the situation, he felt like he should help Hwang Jun-peong, but it was not easy to make a decision. He had doubts Although Hwang Jun-peong had been known as a civilian before, now it turned out he was an awakener. The whole situation was incomprehensible. And then, in that moment¡­

    Grrr¡ª!

    Miru revealed his teeth and roared at Hwang Jun-peong. Immediately after, Miru sprang out at Hwang Jun-peong.

    ¡°Miru!¡± Su-hyuen called.

    Miru halted flapping his wings and came to a stop.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, so stay away.¡±

    The dragon¡¯s reaction was all the evidence Zhu In needed to be convinced. He could at long last tell who had sent the note asking to evacuate the civilians.

 Chapter 100

    ¡°That man is the one who sent the note. And the man he¡¯s attacking is Hwang Jun-peong.¡± Zhu In shook his head at the idea popped up in his head. ¡°No. Hwang Jun-peong is not under attack. He¡¯s fighting. Then¡­what was the reason for the note about the Dump Guild? Why are they fighting now?¡±

    The situation was complicated. He was certain of only one thing¡ªit was difficult to take sides.

    ¡°What are you doing now? We have to help!¡±

    The guild master of the Meta Guild, who was a fan of Hwang Jun-peong, hurriedly stepped forward. Zhu In shook his head, blocking her.

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Hwang Jun-peong is being attacked by the Dump Guild ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Use your head! Do you think it makes sense for the Dump Guild to ask for civilian evacuation?¡±

    ¡°What the hell do you mean¡­No, wait. Are you saying Hwang Jun-peong is part of the Dump¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing certain yet. But Hwang Jun-peong has been hiding his identity. So there is room for doubt¡­¡±

    ¡°Man. Do you want us to just stand here and watch? If we have any doubts, we have to stop the fight first.¡±

    ¡°We are not powerful enough to interrupt them.¡±

    There was a great diversity of opinion. No one was strong enough to mediate the fight between Su-hyeun and Hwang Jun-peong. And there was room for doubt. Plus, Su-hyeun had requested for the evacuation of civilians in advance. So no one had falsely accused him as being part of the Dump Guild.

    Swish¡ª

    Slash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s attack grew harsher. Hwang Jun-peong raised both arms over his head to block Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. But Su-hyeun¡¯s powerful magic was starting to wear out his arms.

    Crunch¡ª

    ¡°Those idiots¡ª¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong had expected the other awakeners to buy some time for him. But it looked like he might die before they could provide even a little help.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Slash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun struck low with his sword, aiming below Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s arms. He deeply cut Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s waist. Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s body quaked with pain. He turned his eyes up and down in agony.

    Whiz¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong hastily turned his body and started running.

    Slash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t let him flee. He drew his sword across Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s back. Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s body shook again, but he clenched his teeth and ran. He ran towards the crowd of hundreds of awakeners. There was only one way to escape now.

    ¡°I have to take hostages!¡± Hwang Jun-peong thought.

    Su-hyeun had arranged for the awakeners to evacuate civilians. Hwang Jun-peong could guess what kind of personality a man like that possessed.

    ¡°If I can grab hold of a hostage, I might be able to run away.¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong reached his hand out to the closest people¡ªZhu In and the guild master of the Meta Guild. A violent temper flowed out from Hwang Jun-peong. Zhu In realized something was wrong.

    ¡°Run away!¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª!

    A translucent curtain formed around Zhu In. It pushed the other awakeners away from him.

    People screamed.

    ¡°S-sir!¡±

    As the others were pushed back, Zhu In strode forward.

    ¡°Please, I hope this works,¡± Zhu In thought.

    He opened his hand towards Hwang Jun-peong. Wind gathered and spewed from Zhu In¡¯s hand. It was the same wind that had just pushed the others in the opposite direction.

    Rip¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s nails were torn off by the air. Zhu In pushed his magic to the maximum level and shut his eyes.

    ¡°Please. Please.¡±

    Nothing happened, and it seemed as if his wish had come true. Zhu In opened his eyes once more. He could see Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s back.

    ¡°I got you.¡±

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s hand had pierced Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. Su-hyeun grabbed Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s other arm. With a crunch, Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s arm was twisted.

    ¡°Argh¡­¡± Hwang Jun-peong moaned.

    Hwang Jun-peong retracted his hand from Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. Blood flowed from Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder, but he still moved as if he was fine.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same as last time.¡±

    Thump¡ª

    Su-hyeun kicked Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s leg while holding his arm. Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s knees started to shake and he fell to his knees. Due to the Dragonize skill, his body remained huge. So when he kneeled, his eyes were now level with Su-hyeun¡¯s.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re a coward, so I knew you would try to escape among the bystanders and take hostages.¡±

    ¡°God damn¡ª!¡±

    As if it was a humiliation to kneel, Hwang Jun-peong tried to rise again. He stiffened his legs. Even if he was injured, he was still confident in his strength, because he had the power of a dragon. But¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t get up.¡±

    Thump¡ª

    Gasp¡ª!

    Su-hyeun pulled Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s arm down. Hwang Jun-peong tried to get up, but his upper body was pushed down. His body staggered.

    Bam¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong knelt again. His upper body drooped, but he looked up Su-hyeun. Now, Su-hyeun was looking down on Hwang Jun-peong.

    ¡°I told you¡ª¡± Su-hyeun raised his sword, ¡°¡ªI will drag you down.¡±

    ¡°W-wait a minute!¡±

    At that time, an urgent voice came from behind. It was from the guild master of the Meta Guild. There were other guild masters, too. The guild master of the Meta Guild strode towards Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going on, but you know who he is, right? If you have a personal grudge, solve it through conversation¡ª¡±

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun did not listen to her and swung his sword. Everybody became quiet once they witnessed the moment a thin red line was drawn across Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s body.

    ¡°H-help¡­me¡­¡±

    Hwang Jun-peong reached out to the many awakeners behind Su-hyeun. No. He tried to reach out.

    Crack¡ª

    Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s body was cut in half and the two sides split apart. Su-hyeun turned around and looked at the awakeners who had tried to stop him.

    ¡°Sorry, I interrupted you before,¡± he said, ¡°What were you saying?¡±

    There was nothing she could say anymore. Hwang Jun-peong was already dead. People could not believe that they had just witnessed the death of China¡¯s finest actor.

    ¡°I have a lot of questions,¡± Zhu In said to his rescuer.

    He looked down at the dead body of Hwang Jun-peong. The Dragonize skill faded with his life, and his body began to revert to his original form.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you have a lot to explain?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun scratched his head. Zhu In and the rest of the awakeners watched him with curiosity and wariness.

    ¡°I guess so,¡± Su-hyeun answered.

    ¡°I did it. Now how am I going to explain it?¡± he asked himself.

    ***

    Purr, purr¡ª

    Miru made a pleasant sound above Su-hyeun¡¯s head. Su-hyeun sat on a rock next to the remnants of the building. Zhu In had brought him a bandage, which Su-hyeun now applied to his shoulder. Su-hyeun had many minor injuries, but the biggest one was the penetrating wound in his shoulder.

    ¡°So, that dragon was your divine beast,¡± Zhu In said as Su-hyeun fixed the bandage.

    Thump¡ª

    Zhu In had wanted to talk with Su-hyeun alone, so he had convinced other guild masters to give them some time to themselves. Though some of the guild masters thought Su-hyeun was a terrorist responsible for the death of one of the world¡¯s finest actors.

    ¡°Ah, yes. His name is Miru.¡±

    Su-hyeun glanced at Zhu In¡¯s face, then focused on checking the bandage.

    ¡°Miru? What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°It means dragon in my country¡¯s language.¡±

    ¡°Dragon? The dragon¡¯s name is Dragon? Ha-ha!¡± Zhu In laughed quite loudly as if Su-hyeun¡¯s answer was funny. Although it wasn¡¯t that funny. ¡°It¡¯s so weird.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°You were very scary just a few minutes ago. But now you look very gentle. You seem like a completely different person.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Su-hyeun had heard that he looked different when he fought. So it was not an unusual comment anymore.

    ¡°But what do you mean by ¡®my country¡¯? Are you from Korea? Japan? You look Korean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am Korean.¡±

    ¡°Wait. Are you¡­Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    Su-hyeun asked back in surprise, ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Who else could be that strong yet that young? Though you were far stronger than I expected.¡±

    He was right. In Korea, there were no young S-Rank awakeners like Su-hyeun. In fact, he was the youngest S-Rank awakener of all.

    ¡°I heard you were at war with the Dump Guild.¡±

    That was a well-known fact.

    ¡°Was Hwang Jun-peong connected to the Dump Guild?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Su-hyeun glanced at Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s body, which hadn¡¯t been moved yet. ¡°He was the Dump Guild itself.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°He was the guild master. He created the Dump Guild.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Zhu In looked at Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s corpse with a startled face.

    ¡°He was an actor loved by people for his perfect performances. But he was also the guild master of Dump Guild?¡± thought Zhu In.

    ¡°Hwang Jun-peong had been working in Hollywood a lot lately. He¡¯d turned many American guilds to his side, starting with Chloe of the Star Guild. And he created the Dump.¡±

    ¡°Then, the reason why the Dump Guild did not work in China¡ª¡±

    ¡°Because there were a lot of eyes on him. For Hwang Jun-peong, it was easier to operate in Hollywood.¡±

    ¡°Oh, wow.¡±

    Zhu In didn¡¯t know whether to believe this or not. But Su-hyeun¡¯s story was quite convincing. Hwang Jun-peong had been hiding the fact that he was an awakener.

    As one of the world¡¯s top actors, also being an awakener would have been seen as a premium. Yet the rage and madness that Hwang Jun-peong had shown were clearly different from what people knew of him.

    ¡°By the way, I forgot to tell you something,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Yes? Is there anything else left?¡±

    ¡°No, not really but¡ª¡± Su-hyeun tightened the bandage, then bowed his head toward Zhu In, ¡°¡ªThank you very much. Thanks to you guys, civilians were kept safe. Also, I¡¯m sorry I had lied to you.¡±

    ¡°Y-you have no reason to apologize. And we are the ones who should be thanking you.¡± Zhu In jumped out from his seat and shook Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. Then he sighed and sat down again. ¡°Well. I guess everything was solved even before I actually had the opportunity to talk with you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that he was a villain, right?¡± Zhu In gestured at Hwang Jun-peong with his chin.

    Su-hyeun smiled. ¡°He does look like that.¡±

    ¡°So what will you do now?¡± Zhu In asked. All the suspicions he had about Su-hyeun before now had been completely erased.

    ¡°I have to settle an affair first.¡±

    The tallest building in Guangzhou had collapsed, and Hwang Jun-peong was dead. Yet the war with the Dump Guild was not over yet. Even though Hwang Jun-peong was gone, the Dump still remained.

    ¡°Do you have a personal grudge against the Dump Guild?¡± Zhu In asked, looking up Su-hyeun as he rose.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you do this much? I know your intentions are good, but I honestly don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it something that someone should do anyway?¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why it has to be you.¡±

    ¡°Why should I wait for someone else to do it?¡±

    Zhu In had no answer to Su-hyeun¡¯s retort.

    ¡°If I do nothing, the world won¡¯t change. It¡¯d be selfish to just wait for someone else to change the world for the better.¡±

    Zhu In could not say anything in response to Su-hyeun¡¯s words. He was absolutely right, but there were not many people who would actually live up to that sentiment. Not even those who knew what was right.

    ¡°Thank you again. Then¡­¡± Su-hyeun bowed his head toward Zhu In and left.

    ¡°He is a hero. A real hero¡­¡± Zhu In murmured as he watched Su-hyeun depart.

    Unlike others who could not live up to their ideals, Su-hyeun actually did the necessary work. Also, he had the power and cause to do it. At first glance, it might seem like an easy decision, but it was actually more difficult than anything else. There were many people with strong power, but few used it correctly. Zhu In bowed his head in shame. He thought that one day, Su-hyeun would be known to everyone as a hero.

 Chapter 101

    Hwang Jun-peong was dead.

    The tallest skyscraper in Guangzhou, the C&D building, collapsed from the battle between two people, no less.

    One of them was none other than Hwang Jun-peong. The world was stunned to learn the truth of him being an awakener possessing abilities exceeding regular S-Ranks. They were also shocked at the fact that there was no other casualty beside him during this incident.

    ¡°It was all thanks to the steps Kim Su-hyeun had taken beforehand. We merely took action after he asked us for our help, that¡¯s all.¡±

    This was from an interview with Zhu In, the master of the Great Wall Guild.

    ¡°At the very least, he never made us suspect him as a criminal, someone belonging to the Dump Guild. No, it was Hwang Jun-peong who attacked me, instead.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the actor Hwang Jun-peong was a Dump Guild member?¡± the reporter asked.

    ¡°No, not exactly, but if you ask me to choose between the two, then yes, I think Hwang Jun-peong was indeed more likely someone from the Dump Guild. Even Kim Su-hyeun said something similar to that effect, as well.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that you believe the words of Kim Su-hyeun over the actor Hwang Jun-peong?¡±

    ¡°Rather than believing who over who, I¡¯m simply looking at the available information objectively to make my decision. Kim Su-hyeun had been on a warpath against the Dump Guild already, and most importantly, those directly involved in the Beijing disaster all pointed Hwang Jun-peong as the culprit, as well. The series of events so far¡­¡±

    Beep¡ª

    Now back on Korean soil, Su-hyeun turned the TV off. Hak-joon, who was sitting in front of him, stopped eating and asked, ¡°How did you take care of the aftermath?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I just ran away. Thankfully, no one tried to stop me.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s reply was met with another question from Hak-joon, this time sounding worried. ¡°Won¡¯t be it a problem later down the line?¡±

    ¡°They have nothing to suspect me with. If they had no clue, fine, but just digging through Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s past alone would reveal his ties to the Dump Guild sooner rather than later. Also, there were eyewitnesses.¡±

    ¡°Eyewitnesses?¡±

    ¡°You heard what that guy said on TV just now, right? I¡¯m talking about the awakeners who survived the Beijing disaster. Sure, that guy might have used a skill to change his appearance, but they have testified that Hwang Jun-peong was the disaster¡¯s main culprit.¡±

    He was trying to say that he made his move because he had a plan.

    Hak-joon initially thought that Su-hyeun stepped up without one, seemingly completely out of whim, but the latter had given this a lot of thought beforehand from the looks of things.

    ¡°In that case, why did you run away?¡±

    ¡°Staying behind and getting involved in the investigation would have been super annoying, that¡¯s why. I mean, we have other people willing to testify for me over there anyway, so do I really need to stay back and waste my time?¡±

    If there was one thing that might prove to be a problem, it¡¯d be the owner of the building, the XX Group, demanding compensation for their losses, but as far as that part was concerned, all sorts of stories were doing the rounds at the moment.

    ¡°As for the compensation for the damaged building, I¡¯m sure they will seize Hwang Jun-peong¡¯s private assets and deal with that. If it¡¯s not enough, the Chinese authorities will probably pay for the rest.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Bro, you¡¯re surprisingly a lot smarter than you look.¡±

    ¡°What, you thought I was a moron?¡±

    ¡°Haha, no way.¡±

    Hak-joon¡¯s chopsticks began moving again. As they returned to their meal, Su-hyeun suddenly pulled his phone out and confirmed the date once more.

    July. In the middle of a hot, stuffy summer.

    <>

    ¡­A huge event took place. He couldn¡¯t participate in the past, but now, he had more than enough qualifications.

    Riiiing¡ª

    While he was confirming the date, the phone started ringing. Since he was already holding the device anyway, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t hesitate and brought it close to his ear.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°What kind of a greeting is that?¡±

    It was Ji-yeon.

    ¡°Stick to the business at hand. International calls can be very expensive.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a ton of money, so what¡¯s with your Scrooge attitude? And besides, I¡¯m the one paying for the call here. The caller¡¯s responsible for the payment, don¡¯t you know that?¡±

    ¡°In any case, aren¡¯t you coming back soon?¡±

    ¡°Plenty of Dump Guild remnants are still hiding on this side.¡±

    ¡°Those bastards. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not going to be easy to smoke them out after they all went underground.¡±

    ¡°Well, this is the only thing remaining that I can do, after you went and offed Hwang Jun-peong all by yourself.¡±

    Just what had happened between her and them? Her grudge against the Dump Guild didn¡¯t seem to be over yet.

    From the way she spoke, it looked as if she was planning to completely erase all traces of the Dump Guild ¡ª not just what was revealed to the surface, but the roots and even the vestiges, too.

    <>

    The ¡°root¡± called Hwang Jun-peong had already been exposed.

    Just by digging through his past movements alone, you¡¯d be able to reveal which guilds were connected to the Dump in no time at all. When that time came, they should be able to completely erase any and all remaining hidden vestiges of the Dump Guild once and for all.

    <>

    Whatever the case might have been, she was basically doing what Su-hyeun was supposed to be doing, anyway. So, he didn¡¯t plan on stopping her, nor was there a reason to do so.

    ¡°Okay, so. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to share a really interesting piece of news, that¡¯s what.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You know who Gordon Rohan is, right?¡±

    What an obvious question that was.

    He was a man often considered America¡¯s ¡ª no, the world¡¯s ¡ª best awakener. Surely no living awakener didn¡¯t know that man¡¯s name by now.

    ¡°He proposed for an event to be held. He¡¯s calling it the Ranking Wars, and it¡¯s causing a huge stir on this side.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean, already?¡±

    His unexpected reaction prompted Ji-yeon to ask him for a clarification.

    Su-hyeun got flustered by what he said reflexively and hurriedly tried to change the topic. ¡°N-no, well. I mean, the current state of affairs is really chaotic, so I was wondering, why an event now? I was just puzzled, is all.¡±

    ¡°It seems like the argument is an event like this is even more necessary precisely because of what¡¯s been happening lately. Need something to change the moods or some such, apparently. I¡¯ve heard that he can be a bit eccentric, so I guess the rumors were true.¡±

    For sure, there was a rumor like that in the past, too. However, Su-hyeun¡¯s current thoughts were slightly different.

    <>

    That didn¡¯t seem likely.

    The Ranking Wars. That event also took place in the previous life Su-hyeun remembered. However, it happened much further into the future.

    ¡°He wants to gather all the rank S Awakeners of the world in one spot and let them fight to establish a pecking order. Although, participation is voluntary¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure the people will call the one who wins this thing the best of the best. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Back then, the competition was held so that Gordon Rohan could prove himself to be the strongest in the world.

    ¡°When is it supposed to take place?¡±

    ¡°At the end of this year. December.¡±

    As he suspected, the timing had been brought a little closer than he remembered.

    Su-hyeun replied with a satisfied smile on his face. ¡°Okay.¡±

    This was for the better, actually. He now got a chance to take care of an annoying event as soon as possible.

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember it.¡±

    What a relief it was, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t get the dates all mixed up now. Su-hyeun then ended the phone call with Ji-yeon.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Hak-joon asked. And after hearing about the new of the Ranking Wars, he began forming a really excited expression. ¡°D-does that mean even I can participate?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll have to be an S-Rank first to qualify, though. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be difficult?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still half a year left, right?¡±

    Tap!

    Hak-joon put down the chopsticks and spoke up. ¡°That¡¯ll be enough for me.¡±

    Despite his meal not being finished yet, he shot up from his chair. Now that was quite an enthusiastic response; Su-hyeun stared Hak-joon¡¯s back as the latter left through the front door.

    <>

    As a matter of fact, Su-hyeun had been thinking that the events in America had affected Hak-joon in some ways. But now that he was presented with a defined time table to work with, the latter seemed to have found a goal for himself to achieve.

    <>

    Things had been brought a lot closer than he was initially expecting. Su-hyeun stood up from his spot and quickly cleaned the dining table. He also felt rather impatient for some reason.

    <>

    The third hurdle was waiting right before his eyes.

    Act 7

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun stepped into the world of the 30th floor.

    It had been a while since he last stepped inside the Tower of Trials, and the streets here felt rather empty for some reason. Boiling heat could be felt coming from both the ground as well as from above at the same time.

    ¡°Fuu-woo¡ª¡±

    The city glowed red-hot everywhere.

    The city that all awakeners chose as their number one spot never to stay behind was the 30th floor¡¯s world.

    Not only did the buildings forming the part of the cityscape all crafted out of rocks give off this stuffy feeling, but it was also unbearably hot here as well. On top of this, the personalities of the indigenous population were also known to be quite temperamental, too.

    <>

    He was doing nothing but standing around, yet his back was already soaked in sweat. He was using magical energy to block out the heat, but that didn¡¯t mean he could drape his body in magic indefinitely.

    Leaving this city as soon as possible was the smart thing to do.

    Step, step¡ª

    Right in the center of the city.

    A person wearing torn rags was sitting in front of the statue of a goddess. Su-hyeun walked towards this person.

    The gatekeeper raised his head. He quietly stared at Su-hyeun before extending his hand. ¡°Money.¡±

    They always wanted the exact same thing.

    Su-hyeun grabbed the offered hand.

    [100,000 Achievement points have been spent.]

    The gatekeeper¡¯s expression shifted.

    Signs of surprise spread all over that dirty, sooty face. It seemed that Su-hyeun was the first one to unhesitantly spend that much achievement points in one go.

    ¡°Is it tenth level?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The gatekeeper would offer better hints according to the amount of achievement points received. One hundred thousand points were pretty sizeable price to pay. However, as the difficulty was so high, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t expect to hear a detailed hint at all.

    The gatekeeper pondering for a little while finally opened his mouth. ¡°Which one do you want?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°The hint that will let you pass the trial, and a hint that will let you earn even bigger rewards. Which of the two do you want?¡±

    To think that a gatekeeper would offer up different types of hints. Now this would be a first.

    Su-hyeun pondered it for a bit, but his dilemma didn¡¯t last long. ¡°The bigger rewards.¡±

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡±

    The gatekeeper toothily smiled, his yellowing teeth fully on display, at Su-hyeun¡¯re reply. It seemed that he liked the answer.

    He then gave Su-hyeun the hint. The latter was quite surprised by how detailed the method was.

    ¡°Now, hurry up and go. I¡¯ll be watching you with great expectation, so don¡¯t you dare disappoint me.¡±

    Tap¡ª

    The gatekeeper lightly tapped Su-hyeun¡¯s leg once and lowered his head again.

    A gatekeeper that lowered his head like this would not raise it again. You could only talk to him when getting the hints by paying the points. That was it.

    That was why people didn¡¯t know anything about these gatekeepers.

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    Su-hyeun bowed his head at the gatekeeper and walked in front of the goddess statue.

    Wuu-ooong¡ª

    [Applicable individual, Kim Su-hyeun. Will you start the trial now?]

    What an obvious question to ask.

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Along with his answer, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure became blurry.

    * * *

    Swhoosh, tumble, roar¡ª

    As his vision returned to him bit by bit, the first thing he got to hear was the sounds of the ocean waves.

    Waves crashed into the bedrock and created rather refreshing-sounding noises. It felt so good to face cool breezes from the ocean after standing in a really hot place a few moments ago.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes caught the sight of a vast, expansive ocean.

    [30th floor¡¯s trial will now commence.]

    [An island nation, Moros has been rocked by a calamity.]

    [For the past few years, dark magicians began showing up before this small nation of Moros. With a population of several tens of thousands, Moros is also known as the World of Magicians.]

    [Because the calamity of the oceans, Ouroboros, has been summoned by the dark magicians, Moros has no choice but to offer a sacrifice of ten people every month.]

    What he needed to do, or what the goal of the trial was, was not mentioned.

    This was not his assignment, but merely the backdrop of the trial itself. He was simply being informed of what kind of stage he was currently standing on.

    <>

    The harder the trial was, the more common it was to see no detailed explanations being offered on the trial¡¯s objectives. And this trial was precisely that. It seemed that there were plenty of things for him to discover first.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    The cooling breeze blew past him once more.

    ¡°At least it feels nice.¡±

    The wide-open sea, the clear blue sky above. It didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to stand here for a while and enjoy the vista of the ocean like this.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    It was right then that he sensed the suspicious movement of something coming from beneath the ocean waves.

    Something was hiding in the distance.

    Su-hyeun quickly took a step back. This was no time to leisurely enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean, unfortunately.

    <>

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Ku-gugugugu¡ª

    The ocean bucked and writhed wildly as something enormous broke the surface and rose high up above.

    Ki-aaaaaaah¡ª!

    Its screech was so massive that the entire skies were shaking.

    It was a gigantic snake with a body extending for several kilometers.

    <>

    The bastard had leaped up above the ocean.

 Chapter 102

    Just the monster¡¯s width alone must¡¯ve been dozens of meters thick. It was so big, in fact, he had to question whether one could even legitimately call that thing a snake or not.

    Something that big was more than enough to compare to a dragon of a certain maturity.

    Ka-booom¡ª!

    Ouroboros raised its head above the ocean¡¯s surface before diving back under the water. When it briefly revealed itself, the monster was definitely staring at Su-hyeun.

    <>

    The tenth level trial. Not only that, but it was the third hurdle, too.

    Su-hyeun wondered if that was to show him the difficulty level of this trial being this harsh or something to that effect.

    For sure, it would not be strange to get scared by that. Some might even start thinking, ¡°What is anyone expected to do against a snake that huge¡±?

    However¡­

    <>

    Su-hyeun put the ocean behind him and began walking away.

    <>

    Fafnir was neither a dragon nor a human. The strongest, worst monster that Su-hyeun had ever faced.

    That b*stard was far, far smaller than Ouroboros in physical size. However, if one asked him which of the two was ¡°bigger,¡± then Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t even hesitate and choose Fafnir.

    Compared to that creature, this gigantic Ouroboros was nothing more than a common pet snake.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    Step¡ª

    ¡°Should I take a look at what kind of island this is?¡±

    * * *

    Once he made his way out of the island¡¯s outskirts and into the deeper parts, huge ramparts soon caught his eye.

    The walls, crafted out of solid steel, seemed to easily exceed 50 meters in height.

    Not a single gap was visible anywhere, and the rampart came across as a literal steel fortress.

    <>

    Su-hyeun recalled the first part of the trial¡¯s description and made his way to the bottom of the wall. It was then he heard a voice coming from the top of the rampart. The voice contained magical energy, so despite the distance, he could hear it quite clearly.

    ¡°Halt! Identify yourself!¡±

    Su-hyeun stopped walking and looked up.

    Two soldiers on the rampart¡¯s railings were looking down at where he was.

    ¡°I¡¯m lost! The ocean swept me up and brought me to this place! May I ask for your assistance?¡±

    The soldiers seemed a bit unconvinced by Su-hyeun¡¯s reply.

    The two soldiers chatted with each other for a little while before one of them jumped down to the ground.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    The soldier rode on the winds and made a gentle landing. This person was kitted out in full armor, but rather than a sword-brandishing warrior, he looked far closer to being a magician.

    When Su-hyeun took a closer look, this soldier didn¡¯t even carry any weapons, let alone a single sword.

    ¡°You were swept in by the ocean?¡±

    His eyes were filled with suspicion. But then again, with the state of the ocean surrounding the island being what it was, trusting a stranger would be understandably difficult at the moment.

    ¡°When I came to, I was standing before your fortress,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Are you telling us the truth?¡±

    ¡°I also saw the monster living in the sea. But yes, I¡¯m being honest.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s reply didn¡¯t manage to ease the soldier¡¯s suspicious gaze.

    It was then that the other soldier came down to the ground and started talking as well. ¡°Well, yesterday was the day of sacrifice, so Ouroboros¡¯s appetite could¡¯ve been weakened enough.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Well..it¡¯s not important how he got here, after all.¡±

    ¡°Still, not anyone can waltz into this city. If you wish to enter, you need to prove this one thing.¡±

    ¡°What could that be?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°This here is the city of magicians. If you want to enter it, then you¡­.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The mouths of the two soldiers were clamped shut.

    There was a small flame appearing above Su-hyeun¡¯s palm. They could sense magical energy from it.

    ¡°I see that you at least know the basics.¡±

    One of the soldiers shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the rampart.

    Gigigigigik¡ª

    When the soldier placed his hand on a palm-shaped engraving at the foot of the rampart, the fortress gate began noisily opening up.

    ¡°Do remember one thing. This is Moros. The city of magicians, the dream of magicians.¡± Magical energy wiggled and spread out everywhere from the body of the soldier glaring at Su-hyeun. ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of a man you were before coming here, but I pray that by some chance, you don¡¯t happen to harbor any impure intentions and decide to act upon it during your stay. But, if you do¡­¡±

    ¡°You can rest easy. Nothing much will happen.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure. I shall hope for that, too.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s relaxed reply, the soldier waved his hand around.

    Su-hyeun strode into the wide-open fortress gate. The two soldiers were still keeping their eyes locked on his back.

    <>

    Even though they were worried about such things, they still allowed him inside the city. That was probably due to this city¡¯s regulation.

    The regulation said anyone with the qualifications of a magician would be admitted inside the city; that was why this place was called the city of magicians.

    <>

    What an interesting place it was.

    Magicians. He had run into this bunch of people plenty of times before during the countless trials he had experienced. He was well aware of how fastidious and odd they could be.

    Su-hyeun made his way inside the gates and his eyes caught many people going about their daily business on the streets. Every single one of them was supposed to be a magician.

    It was quite hard to believe.

    Gya-ohk, gya-oh-ohk¡ª!

    Kkak, kka-gahk¡ª!

    Divine beasts sporting strange outer appearances were flying above the heads of a few people here and there ¡ª a bird with its body lit up in flames or a blue-colored horse trotting in the air.

    As they were magicians, it seemed that quite a few even managed to tame divine beasts, as well.

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Gi-iiing¡ª

    Gya-ohng¡ª!

    Miru tore the air and emerged from the subspace, and as soon as he was free, began rubbing his head on Su-hyeun¡¯s cheek. He must¡¯ve been overjoyed to step outside.

    ¡°Sorry about that. I think it¡¯ll be fine for you to stay outside while we¡¯re in this place.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Su-hyeun was worried about the off-chance that someone would mistake Miru for a monster and attack, so he couldn¡¯t afford to bring him out too often, but at the very least, he believed no such thing would happen inside this city.

    Gurung, gururung¡ª

    Su-hyeun placed Miru on top of his head and continued to walk down the street.

    He sensed the people¡¯s passing glances. When he took a casual look, it turned out that his own attire differed a lot from everyone else¡¯s.

    <>

    It was still hard to grasp the overall mood of the people living in this place. One thing was for certain, though ¡ª this city was quite different from a regular one.

    Rather than meat or vegetables, the market place sold strange-looking potions and corpses of monsters instead. Potential shoppers looked at them with interest or dipped their fingers in the potions to have a taste.

    Without a doubt, this was a very strange place.

    <>

    According to the trial¡¯s description, sacrifices had to be served up to Ouroboros once every month.

    A city that used people as sacrifices. Certain aspects of it were similar to the tenth floor¡¯s trial. So, he thought that the city¡¯s overall vibe would obviously be gloomy.

    But for some reason, people here seemed to be filled with vitality. He couldn¡¯t tell whether that was down to the special trait of them all being magicians, or because of some other hidden factor.

    <>

    That was a fairly long period of time.

    According to what the soldiers guarding the gate were saying, it was only yesterday that sacrifices were served up to Ouroboros.

    Tap, tap¡ª

    It was then that someone lightly tapped Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder from behind.

    He turned his head. An old man with a white beard and hunchback was looking up at him.

    ¡°Is this your first time in the city?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°How did you know?¡±

    No matter how long you lived in a city, it¡¯d still be impossible to memorize the faces of tens of thousands of people.

    The old man chuckled at Su-hyeun¡¯s stunned expression, and offered his explanation. ¡°It¡¯s easy to guess since you were looking around with such mystified eyes. And also, I¡¯m a native of these parts, you see. A man I¡¯ve never seen before that behaves like you will make me think that you¡¯re a newcomer who arrived only today.¡±

    The old man then shifted his gaze over to Miru resting on top of Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    ¡°Actually, what I was curious about is this young dragon hatchling.¡±

    ¡°You mean, Miru?¡±

    ¡°Is that the dragon¡¯s name? What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°It means ¡®dragon¡¯ in the country I¡¯m from.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one hell of an insincere naming sense, that.¡±

    Su-hyeun felt his guilty conscience flinch a little. Since he no longer wanted to discuss Miru¡¯s name at length, he quickly changed the topic. ¡°You said you were curious about something. May I ask regarding what exactly?¡±

    ¡°This child doesn¡¯t seem like a regular dragon, that¡¯s why. Well, it¡¯s true that the divine beasts called dragons are considerably rare species to come across to begin with¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you know anything about Miru?¡±

    ¡°Would you like to accompany me to my home? The thing is, my memories aren¡¯t as good as they used to be. Besides, you don¡¯t look like you have a particular location you have to go to, anyway. I live alone, which can get quite lonesome.¡±

    This was an unexpected boon.

    Su-hyeun needed to find lodging anyway, but he had no money on him. Not only that, but he began thinking that maybe, he might get to learn more about Miru at the same time.

    There didn¡¯t seem to be anything to lose with the offer. So, Su-hyeun nodded his head. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Su-hyeun walked after the old man.

    The man, in his advanced age with his bent back, turned out to be quite a slow walker. However, he seemed to be a natural-born chatterbox and started explaining this and that regarding the city of magicians, which meant the trip proved to be rather educational.

    They reached the old man¡¯s residence after 20 minutes of walking and it turned out to be the biggest house in the vicinity.

    The house even had a pretty sizeable front garden, too. The old man opened the gate leading to the garden and spoke up. ¡°Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t told you my name yet. I¡¯m Malcolm.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim¡­what? Your name is more strange than Miru.¡±

    Malcolm mouthed Su-hyeun¡¯s name several times while walking into the house.

    The first thing to greet Su-hyeun when he entered the house was the wide foyer plus the tall ceiling. The living room beyond the foyer was lined up with bookcases filled with literally thousands of books.

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t feeling too tired, why don¡¯t you put your luggage down later and head on to the basement with me? That¡¯s where my study is.¡±

    ¡°Then, what¡¯s all this?¡±

    ¡°These books? They are the ones I check out whenever I feel bored, actually. All the books for research are stored in the basement.¡±

    To think that these many books were just there to ease his boredom. The majority of magicians were supposedly bookworms, and Malcolm seemed to be cut from the same cloth.

    They entered a door to the side of the living room that revealed the staircase leading to the basement. Malcolm then created a small lick of flame in his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s dark downstairs, so watch your step.¡±

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    The basement study was located pretty deep underground. Once they reached the bottom of the staircase, Malcolm lightly snapped his fingers.

    Snap¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª

    At the same time, flames illuminated the basement study.

    It was so wide and expansive that its end couldn¡¯t even be seen. Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t normally get surprised by any old thing but still, he couldn¡¯t help but look on with his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

    <>

    Instead of a private study, this place was more like a public library in its sheer scale alone.

    The old man surely couldn¡¯t have read every single book found in here, right? At the very least, there seemed to be well over tens of thousands of books.

    Gya-ong, gya-oh-ong¡ª

    It was then that Miru cried while looking in a certain direction.

    Su-hyeun watched Malcolm walk towards the center of the study before turning towards the direction of Miru¡¯s cry.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s see, it must¡¯ve been here somewhere¡­.¡±

    Malcolm pulled out a book and blew the dust on top of it before nodding his head. ¡°So, that¡¯s where you were.¡±

    He smiled in satisfaction and turned around. However, Su-hyeun, who should¡¯ve been following him, wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°¡­Mm? Did he get lost?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m over here.¡±

    The direction where the young man¡¯s voice came from alarmed Malcolm. He hurriedly moved his bent back and walked over there.

    Su-hyeun could be seen reading a book he had pulled out from the bookcase. No, more specifically, he was looking at a drawing.

    How did he even locate that book?

    Malcolm, eyes searching, urgently raised his voice. ¡°N-now look, that book is¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir, I was already aware that you were a dark magician,¡± said Su-hyeun, his eyes staying locked on the book¡¯s pages. ¡°Still, I didn¡¯t expect you to be the one who had summoned Ouroboros.¡±

 Chapter 103

    Su-hyeun flipped through the pages.

    Just what could he be thinking of?

    Malcolm kept his mouth shut and observed Su-hyeun. However, there wasn¡¯t even a hint of change in the latter¡¯s eyes as he continued to peruse the contents of the book.

    ¡°How did you¡­find that tome?¡± Malcolm asked.

    ¡°Miru brought it to my attention.¡±

    ¡°Your Miru did?¡± Malcolm released a long sigh at Su-hyeun¡¯s reply. ¡°A red dragon is a formidable creature, indeed. Just what kind of godly powers does it possess¡­.¡±

    ¡°A red dragon? What do you mean?¡± Su-hyeun closed the book and shifted his gaze over to Malcolm who was busy shaking his head in resignation.

    ¡°That¡¯s not really the important point at this moment, is it?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s not it, then what is?¡±

    ¡°Ouroboros. I¡¯m the¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. Well, we can talk about that later.¡±

    Honestly speaking, it didn¡¯t really matter to Su-hyeun who had summoned Ouroboros.

    This trial wasn¡¯t about discovering the culprit behind the summoning of that gigantic monster snake. Of course, he didn¡¯t believe for one second that him running into Malcolm like this was purely a coincidence.

    <>

    Even the so-called divine beast expert Song Hyeong-gi had no idea what kind of creature Miru was. Su-hyeun might not get another chance to acquire solid info on Miru if he missed this one. So, information related to his dragon was top priority that lorded over everything else.

    ¡°What a strange man you are. No, wait. Could it be because you don¡¯t know what kind of an existence Ouroboros is?¡±

    Malcolm could only smile bitterly while looking at Su-hyeun.

    The latter smiled awkwardly and placed the book back in its original spot. ¡°Whatever the case may be, I¡¯d like to apologize for stealing a glance at the book without your permission. I¡¯ll make sure to never do it again in the future.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. There are so many books here, so if none of them had caught your eye, that would have been even more strange. In any case, let¡¯s discuss that later and follow me for the time being.¡±

    Malcolm led Su-hyeun out of the basement. After leaving the book-and-dust filled study, they stepped back into the spotless living room.

    Malcolm brought out a boiling pot of tea. Su-hyeun lifted up the teacup and took a small sip. The tea tasted pretty good.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a strange fellow, indeed,¡± Malcolm murmured.

    ¡°Regarding what, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t know anything about dark magicians? Or, maybe you¡¯re slightly challenged in the head? No, wait. You don¡¯t look like such a person, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to say something like ¡®I might have mixed in some poison in your tea?''¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Exactly that.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be that sort of a person, sir. Besides, I¡¯m certain that you wouldn¡¯t resort to such a petty trick, either.¡±

    ¡°A trick?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t believe that one of the problems he¡¯d face during the 30th floor¡¯s trial would be a mere poison-laced teacup. Of course, he was confident of detoxifying himself if there really was poison involved, and besides, he was immune to most poisons, anyway.

    ¡°Well, there are some things like that. I think I need to say this out loud before we start¡­.¡± Su-hyeun put the teacup down for a bit and spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m not a prejudiced person that thinks of every dark magician I see as a villain, so you don¡¯t have to be so wary of me. Sir, you¡¯re the master of this house, after all.¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem to be on his guard.

    Malcolm had been somewhat mindful of the overall mood until then, but what Su-hyeun said must¡¯ve settled his nerves a little, because he picked up his own teacup and sat down on the couch opposite to his guest.

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for you saying that.¡±

    The old man took a sip of the tea he had brewed. He felt his mind mellowing a little as the slightly bitter taste circulated within his mouth. Malcolm then put the teacup down and pushed forward the book he brought out from the basement study. ¡°This here is the book related to your Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª?

    Miru stared at the giant dragon on the book¡¯s cover and tilted its head as if to ask, ¡°Is that guy me?¡±

    ¡°What book is this, exactly?¡±

    Besides it being a book about dragons, nothing else could be gleaned from its cover.

    Malcolm heard Su-hyeun¡¯s question and began flipping the book¡¯s pages one by one. ¡°It¡¯s a tome about different colors of dragons.¡±

    ¡°Colors?¡±

    ¡°Dragons are commonly known as the creatures at the very top of all divine beasts. But the truth is, they are also divided into different classes. This tome explains that difference via their coloring.¡±

    The different classes of dragons. For sure, Su-hyeun was quite curious about this subject. Back then, the blue dragon Song Hyeong-gi summoned bowed its head to the newly-hatched Miru, didn¡¯t it?

    ¡°If you use the coloring to denote different classes, what would the class of a blue dragon be?¡± Su-hyeun asked while thinking about Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s blue dragon.

    Malcolm opened the front half of the book after hearing that question. ¡°A blue dragon. It¡¯s a class just above the bottom-most color, purple. And it¡¯s also the color with the highest number of individuals among dragons, too. According to the tome, that is.¡±

    ¡°The purple color is at the bottom?¡±

    It was the complete opposite to the dungeon¡¯s classification. Unlike how the highest-difficulty dungeon was purple in color, the purple dragons belonged to the lowest class.

    In that case¡­

    ¡°Could it be that the red dragon belongs to the highest class?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Malcolm went to the last pages of the book. Unlike how it was with other dragon colors, the recorded descriptions for red dragons only amounted to a handful of pages.

    ¡°The red dragon. Estimated to be the highest class of dragons.¡±

    ¡°Estimated?¡±

    ¡°It says even this author, who dedicated his entire life to researching dragons, had not heard about the discovery of a red dragon nor a record of its sightings. However, by looking at the coloring of the dragons discovered so far, ¡®red¡¯ is estimated to be the highest class. Or so it says.¡±

    It was fairly easy to see why the written records were so scant. It couldn¡¯t be helped as red dragons hadn¡¯t even been discovered until now.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s as far as I can tell you regarding this subject. If you wish, you can take this tome with you.¡±

    Malcolm pushed the book towards Su-hyeun. He must¡¯ve figured that Su-hyeun needed this book of dragons far more than himself.

    Su-hyeun hurriedly waved his hands and replied. ¡°No. Thank you for the offer, but I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Really? Aren¡¯t you interested?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that, but¡­.¡±

    If he wanted to take the book away, he needed the Property of Dimension order form. He might have already stashed a handful away just in case, but he didn¡¯t think there was a pressing need to bring the book out of here.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine for me to read it during what I believe will be a brief stay here, sir. I should be conscious of how much I¡¯m inconveniencing you, after all.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Malcolm chuckled and stood back up while straightening his bent back.

    ¡°You can use any one of the unused rooms found on the second floor. Oh, and the rooms should be quite clean, too. I¡¯ll have the bed installed by this evening.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡± Malcolm turned around at Su-hyeun¡¯s call.

    Still sitting on the couch while lifting up his teacup, Su-hyeun asked, ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re being so nice to me?¡±

    Malcolm remained silent for a long while after hearing the question. But then, he bit down on his parched lip couple of times and turned around to leave while finally breaking the silence. ¡°¡­You should rest up. I¡¯m also feeling exhausted.¡±

    Malcolm¡¯s footsteps rang hollowly within the large living room.

    Su-hyeun sipped on the rest of his tea while observing the back of the old man climbing up the staircase.

    Growl, gururung¡ª

    He then addressed the oblivious-to-everything Miru sitting on top of his head growling away in happiness.

    ¡°Pretty suspicious. Right?¡±

    Gurung¡ª

    Unsurprisingly, there was no answer.

    Su-hyeun quickly took away the teacups, and picked up the book Malcolm left behind on the table.

    The time period was one month. He had quite a lot of time left to kill. He thought that more than likely, his stay here wouldn¡¯t be boring at all.

    <hr />

    The house Malcolm lived in all by himself was quite large in size.

    Su-hyeun chose one of the unoccupied rooms to stay in. For the next two days, he didn¡¯t go outside the residence and simply focused himself on reading books.

    Although he had never seen the language before, comprehending it didn¡¯t prove to be a challenge. It seemed that Su-hyeun had been perceived as a resident of this world, and all the issues related to language, such as communication, were taken care of in that manner.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s time to eat.¡±

    Malcolm¡¯s voice came from outside the door.

    Su-hyeun closed the book. He had been reading non-stop for the past two days. It was the first time in this life not moving his body to such an extent.

    Creaaak¡ª

    He opened the door and exited to find Malcolm waiting for him.

    The two men wordlessly headed to the dining room. Miru flapped its wings and followed after Su-hyeun. Bowls of soups and freshly-baked bread were waiting for them in the dining room.

    ¡°Have you finished reading?¡± When Su-hyeun didn¡¯t bring a book with him, Malcolm asked out of curiosity.

    In the last two days, Su-hyeun even read the book during the mealtimes. But seeing how he didn¡¯t bring it with him, Malcolm assumed that the former had finished the book.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll put the book back in the study.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±

    Malcolm lightly waved his hand and dipped the bread in the soup. Su-hyeun stared at the old man before digging into his own meal.

    For the past two days, Malcolm treated him so well that it came across as a bit excessive.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m planning to go outside today and meet with other dark magicians.¡±

    Clink¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words caused Malcolm¡¯s spoon to make a sharp noise as it collided with the bowl.

    The old man raised his head and looked at Su-hyeun. The latter continued to speak while getting through his share of the soup. ¡°I¡¯ve grown rather curious about the people of this city, you see.¡±

    ¡°But why does it have to be the dark magicians?¡±

    ¡°For the past two days, I¡­.¡± Su-hyeun hesitated slightly, before continuing on. ¡°I¡¯ve also read the book related to Ouroboros in the study as well.¡±

    With that, he put the spoon down on the bowl.

    Malcolm¡¯s lips were trembling greatly. In the end, he dropped the spoon and stood up from the chair. He then covered his mouth as if to hold back the urge to vomit, and turned around. ¡°That was my fault.¡±

    ¡°Your fault, is it?¡± Su-hyeun closed his eyes.

    With this, he was sure of it now. It felt like the question stuck in the corner of his mind was beginning to get untangled just a little.

    ¡°Once I¡¯m finished with my meal, I¡¯ll directly head over there.¡±

    ¡°Do you have to meet with them?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a must.¡±

    It didn¡¯t feel good to reject a favor from Malcolm, a man who had been very hospitable to him until now.

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°Regarding what?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I was suspicious of your hospitality, sir. That¡¯s why I had to read the book in secret.¡± Su-hyeun deeply bowed his head towards Malcolm. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t listen to me even if I try to stop you, yes?¡±

    ¡°Correct, sir.¡±

    Malcolm quietly stared at Su-hyeun for a little while, then replied as he left the dining room. ¡°No. It is I who should apologize.¡±

    Clack¡ª

    He was now left alone in the large dining room to finish his meal. But the rage in his heart continued to boil over.

    Squeeze¡ª

    The spoon gripped in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand was then bent out of shape.

    Act 8

    Su-hyeun had finally left the residence after two days of stay and hurriedly walked on the streets.

    His sense of direction was considered to be pretty good, but he still struggled to locate the dark magicians. From the get-go, the number of dark magicians residing in Moros was far lower than regular magicians.

    After wandering around the city for two solid hours, Su-hyeun finally located the small ¡°village¡± where the dark magicians were residing. This was the result of wandering around blindly, trying to latch onto the traces left behind the dark magicians¡¯ magical energy.

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª?

    Miru tilted its head seemingly out of puzzlement when Su-hyeun¡¯s walking speed grew faster and faster. His voice calling out to the dragon sounded ominous as well.

    ¡°What did daddy say about dealing with bad people?¡±

    Gya-ong, gya-oh-ong¡ª!

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I said that for bad people¡­¡±

    Smack¡ª!

    When his fist smacked into the open palm of his other hand, a crisp sound resounded out.

    ¡°¡­A medicine called a beatdown is the best cure.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru energetically replied and nodded its head several times before shutting its mouth tightly to look as heroically solemn as possible.

    Su-hyeun continued to walk according to the directions a passing-by magician taught him and finally reached a village emitting a gloomy atmosphere. Even at a casual glance, it looked exactly like the type of place that dark magicians would call home.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, MIru.¡±

    Su-hyeun strode towards the village of dark magicians with even faster steps.

    ¡°Time to discipline some bad guys.¡±

 Chapter 104

    Creaak, creeaaak¡ª

    Thud¡ª

    A group of people had gathered inside a shady wooden house: a slumped person snoring away softly, a foolishly grinning person nodding their head in sleepiness, a person utterly sagging on a rocking chair.

    Among them, the man sitting on the rocking chair raised his smoking pipe and muttered, ¡°Even this is getting too weak.¡±

    The man puffed and sucked in a lungful of smoke.

    Another man next to him heard that and extended his hand. ¡°We don¡¯t have much more of the stronger stuff left, you know. Just be patient and smoke it.¡±

    ¡°In that case, you can just bring out whatever is remaining, no?¡±

    ¡°If you keep thirsting for more stimulating stuff, even this will become like water to you soon. Now is too early.¡±

    Two men shared the pipe and took turns to smoke it. The ground below was peppered with similar-looking pipes and herbs.

    Every single one of these people was a dark magician.

    ¡°Even this is getting way too boring.¡±

    They wanted something just a bit more stimulating.

    Even the combination of drugs, booze, and women now felt like something was missing, somewhere. And they thought they knew what that missing thing was.

    ¡°People dying is still the most entertaining thing.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    The muttering from the man in the rocking chair, Calvin, caused cackling laughter to break out from the men slumped and sagging like corpses around this place. They all thought the same as him.

    Calvin heard others chuckling out at what he said, and chuckled softly himself as well. ¡°It was so cool yesterday, wasn¡¯t it? Those fools chosen as sacrifices¡­. They were sobbing and pleading for their lives so much that I thought I¡¯d die of pity for them.¡±

    ¡°You remember the wife of that b*stard? Busy saying she¡¯ll die in his stead, pleading with us to let her die¡­. Man, I thought I might shed a single tear for her.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you die for her, then?¡±

    ¡°What, you think I¡¯m mad? What about you, then?¡±

    ¡°I was thoroughly enjoying the view.¡±

    ¡°Insane son of a b*tch, hahaha.¡±

    ¡°You talking about yourself?¡±

    ¡°Morons, pu-hahaha!¡±

    A loud sea of laughter instantly flooded the house filled with a group of languid men.

    Creaaak¡ª

    It was then that the firmly-shut door was pushed open and the sunlight from the outside poured in. The laughter gradually died at the unexpected arrival of a guest, and everyone¡¯s gaze was focused on him.

    The ¡°guest¡± opening the door to step inside strode brazenly to the middle of the room.

    A man lying near the entrance frowned deeply as if the sunlight entering through the wide-open doorway irritated his eyes.

    ¡°Hey, who the hell are you?¡±

    They had never seen their guest before. He was even wearing armor as if he wasn¡¯t a native of this city. There was a red dragon perched upon his head, too.

    Grrrr, grrrrr¡ª

    The dragon bared its fangs and growled at them.

    The dark magicians lounging around began raising their upper torsos up one by one. They had to, as a dragon was baring its fangs at them in a clear display of hostility.

    ¡°Who the hell is this son of a¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hey. This is the village of the dark magicians, right?¡± the guest asked.

    Plop¡ª

    Su-hyeun strode into the room and sat on an empty rocking chair.

    Creak, creaak¡ª

    The rocking chair creaked noisily as if it¡¯d break at any second. The dark magicians glared daggers at Su-hyeun barging into their house completely unannounced.

    It was Calvin in the opposing rocking chair who decided speak up for the rest. ¡°Looks like this is the guest who entered our city a couple of days ago.¡±

    ¡°Ah, now that I think about it¡­¡±

    ¡°Right. There was supposed to be a lucky sod who had lady fortune smile on him and made his way alive to this place.¡±

    ¡°You f*ck, you think that¡¯s being lucky?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. He¡¯s about to die soon, anyway.¡±

    Su-hyeun scanned the dark magicians cackling away, their object of ridicule being him. In the middle of that, he spotted a tobacco pipe rolling around on the floor and picked it up. A familiar stench stabbed him in the nose. ¡°Hallucinogens¡­tobaccos laced with narcotics, I see.¡±

    ¡°Uh? You know what that is, too?¡± Calvin shook around the pipe in his hand. ¡°This crap, it really makes you fly, man. You should try it. You gonna love this stuff.¡±

    ¡°Hey, man. You want to give him that?¡±

    ¡°Leave him be. He¡¯s going to die in a month anyway, so we should at least let him enjoy little pleasures of life like this.¡±

    ¡°You said we don¡¯t even have enough for us to smoke, though?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. Let him have a puff. We let him enjoy it a few times and prevent him from smoking it again. Don¡¯t you think the resulting reaction will be fun to watch?¡±

    They busily mocked and laughed at Su-hyeun.

    They didn¡¯t seem to hold a single lick of suspicion or wariness at the unannounced arrival of the guest. No, they simply thought of him as a source of entertainment, nothing more.

    Su-hyeun looked around and took a whiff of this place. The house was filled with stench of drugs and booze. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what type of men these losers were.

    ¡°I¡¯ve something to ask you lot,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Hey, that asswipe is still talking, man.¡±

    ¡°No, wait for it. Don¡¯t make the punk scared, man.¡±

    Su-hyeun ignored all the useless mutterings coming from here and there, and shifted his gaze over to Calvin. Even at a casual glance, one could tell that this guy was the top dog here.

    ¡°Do you know Sir Malcolm?¡±

    ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Malcolm?¡±

    ¡°Did he just say Malcolm?¡±

    The surroundings grew noisy once more.

    However, this clamor was different in nature than the previous one. The voices previously mocking and laughing at Su-hyeun now took on the distinctive mixture of shock and wariness.

    ¡°How the hell do you know that geezer?¡± Calvin, buried in the rocking chair until then, finally stood up and asked.

    However, that question caused Su-hyeun¡¯s brows to furrow deeply. ¡°He is not a geezer, but¡­¡±

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    ¡°¡­A ¡®sir¡¯ to you.¡±

    ¡°W-what the hell??¡±

    ¡°This son of a¡­.¡±

    The magical energy flooding out from Su-hyeun¡¯s body began oppressing the surroundings. The house might have been small, but it was a house nevertheless. Once it started shaking viciously, other dark magicians luxuriating in their languidness all hurriedly woke up.

    Creaaak¡ª!

    Bang¡ª!

    At the same time, the half-opened door was slammed shut tightly.

    Su-hyeun continued on while glaring at Calvin. ¡°Judging from your reactions, I don¡¯t need to hear your replies anymore. Why don¡¯t you tell me this, instead? For what reason did Sir Malcolm perform research on Ouroboros?¡±

    Cold sweat began trickling down on Calvin¡¯s forehead as his eyes remained caught in Su-hyeun¡¯s glare. For some reason, holding the latter¡¯s gaze made the former¡¯s legs lose their strength. He initially blamed the drugs in his system, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the problem.

    ¡°What the hell is he yapping on about?¡±

    ¡°I was getting bored anyway, so this is actually for the best. Calvin, let¡¯s just kill this b*stard right here. Why wait a month, eh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that sounds like a great idea.¡±

    The reactions from the surrounding comrades caused Calvin to scream in his head.

    <>

    His voice didn¡¯t want to come out.

    Calvin could only bob his lips up and down, and urgently shift his eyes this way and that. Unfortunately, his comrades had all stood up by then.

    ¡°How predictable. Then again, behaving this way naturally comes to your lot, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun got up from the rocking chair and unsheathed the sword tied to his waist. ¡°I¡¯m leaving only one alive. Got that?¡±

    ¡°This arrogant son of a¡­.¡±

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    Pah-ahhk¡ª

    Chwa-rururuk¡ª

    A dozen plus dark magicians holed up inside the house began moving at the same time.

    ¡°Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    [Acquired the divine dragon¡¯s blessing.]

    [Movement speed has increased.]

    [Strength has increased slightly.]

    [Resistance against magic has increased.]

    [Magical energy is¡­.]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body grew a level lighter.

    While standing straight in his spot, he shifted his gaze and quickly scanned his entire vicinity. Black chains and balls of flames were raining down, while curses meant to slow Su-hyeun down followed right after them.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Su-hyeun spun around and swung his sword in a wide arc.

    Splash¡ª!

    The thick chains were sliced apart, while the magic spells fired by the dark magicians scattered in the air. Magical attacks launched by a dozen-plus dark magicians had been instantly rendered useless.

    ¡°A sword¡­?¡±

    ¡°This b*stard! He was a swordsman?¡±

    They felt only half convinced when Su-hyeun first unsheathed his sword, but after he took a swing with it, the dark magicians couldn¡¯t help but be utterly shocked by the truth.

    This was the city of magicians, Moros. If you were not a magician, you couldn¡¯t enter here. Even then, a swordsman had managed to enter the city.

    ¡°A swordsman, you say?¡±

    Boom!

    ¡°Aaaaahk¡ª!¡±

    Su-hyeun snapped his fingers, causing the face of the nearest dark magician to burst into flames. He stared at the burning dark magician rolling around on the floor before shifting his glare back to his surroundings and formed a smirk. ¡°Technically, you aren¡¯t wrong.¡±

    ¡°M-magic?¡±

    ¡°A magic swordsman?¡±

    ¡°I-is that even possible?¡±

    A magic swordsman. It was originally a term to denote a person proficient at both magic and swords, someone who had familiarized themselves with the ways of both disciplines. However, the word lost its true meaning and turned into a derogatory term mocking the so-called jack of all trades who didn¡¯t possess talents for either discipline and decided to try both.

    ¡°G*ddammit, what the hell is this magic swordsman crap, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Kill the b*stard!¡±

    Wudududuk¡ª

    Kwa-aaaht¡ª

    The magic from the dark magicians set upon Su-hyeun once more. He turned around nonchalantly and addressed Miru still perched upon his head. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rear to you.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru replied in a dependable tone of voice. The dragon had become rather reliable these days. Su-hyeun stopped paying attention to his rear and took a step forward.

    Kwa-aaaah¡ª!

    His figure was soon sucked into the tsunami wave of dark magical powers. The dark magicians began crying out in excitement.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡±

    ¡°Busy acting tough and all. That¡¯s a good way to¡­¡±

    Pah-jeeeck, pah-sususu¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s silhouette was revealed once more after the dark magical energy dissipated.

    [Indomitable body.]

    [Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor.]

    ¡°You see, ever since the beginning¡­¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked towards the dark magicians in a relaxed gait. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve always been a bad match-up for you, the magicians.¡±

    He didn¡¯t really have a need to evade their attacks. Their spells couldn¡¯t really break through the magic resistance Su-hyeun possessed, after all.

    The magical attacks by the dark magicians felt like little insect bites after his innate magical resistance was reinforced by the powers of his skill as well as the Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor.

    ¡°That¡¯s why punks like you just don¡¯t scare me.¡± Su-hyeun took a glance behind him and continued on. ¡°And there¡¯s no need to even mention that guy, too.¡±

    [Breath.]

    Kwaaaah¡ª!

    Miru¡¯s Breath completely swept away the dark magicians on the other side. Although not that big in scale, the power behind it was more than enough.

    In the blink of an eye, half of the dark magicians were taken care of. The remaining magicians, including Calvin, couldn¡¯t easily make a move and simply stayed in their spots.

    ¡°S-soon, others will hear the commotion and show up here! Even if you¡¯re strong, what can only one guy do?¡± Calvin looked as if he was having a seizure while threatening Su-hyeun. He knew that they couldn¡¯t do anything to their aggressor with the abilities they currently possessed.

    However, these weren¡¯t all of the dark magicians.

    For instance, the moment Su-hyeun left this house, he¡¯d be greeted by the group of dark magicians with a number several times higher than what was in here.

    ¡°Tell them to come, then.¡±

    Pik, pipik¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword cut off the heads of the dark magicians in sequence, with the sole exception of Calvin¡¯s.

    ¡°Because I¡¯ll cut every single one of them down.¡±

    ¡°You son of a¡­¡±

    Warning bells were going off inside Calvin¡¯s head.

    He couldn¡¯t even see how Su-hyeun¡¯s sword moved just now. It was true that more dark magicians were outside the house, but now he began thinking that their numbers wouldn¡¯t be enough after all.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Looks like a fight has broken out?¡±

    Calvin could sense the other dark magicians getting closer one by one after they detected something off about the house. Too bad he couldn¡¯t celebrate this development at all.

    <>

    Calvin nervously gulped down his saliva. He needed to prevent them from coming inside.

    While cold sweat trickled down his face, he asked a question. ¡°W-what is it that you want?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear my question earlier?¡±

    ¡°You wish to know more about Malcolm?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Sir. Don¡¯t forget to add that. If you insist on being rude one more time, I¡¯ll just go and ask someone else.¡±

    That implied Su-hyeun would simply kill Calvin off and find someone else.

    In the end, the latter had to resign himself. He took a look at the still-alive dark magicians in the near vicinity and opened his mouth. ¡°For now¡­why don¡¯t we ask the guys outside to go away first?¡±

    ¡°Calvin!¡±

    ¡°Hey man, what are you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Calvin shot a murderous glare at the nearby dark magicians and continued on. ¡°If you want to die, fine, be my guest. I¡¯ve no desire to die like a dog here.¡±

    Calvin¡¯s words caused the surroundings to become silent.

    Thinking that perhaps his words might get through, he glanced at Su-hyeun before turning around. ¡°For now, allow me to¡­¡±

    Bang¨C!

    ¡°Calvin! What happened here??¡±

    The closed door was kicked open, and the black robe-wearing dark magicians began pouring into the house from the outside. They discovered all the corpses strewn about the place and formed stunned expressions.

    ¡°What kind of a commotion is this?¡±

    ¡°They are all dead?¡±

    Dozens of dark magicians alternated their gazes between Su-hyeun and Calvin. The former observed the latter¡¯s cowardly expression and simply shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Too late.¡±

 Chapter 105 - Chapter 105

    Drip, drip, drip¡ª

    With a small wooden house as the epicenter, corpses were strewn about in every direction.

    Calvin¡¯s expression as he stared at the chopped-up and burnt bodies was one of pure stupefaction. Without even realizing it, he had sunk down to his knees.

    He couldn¡¯t tell how long it had been, either.

    <<None of it worked on him for real.>>

    Su-hyeun did say this ¡ª that he was the natural enemy of the magicians.

    When Calvin first heard that, he couldn¡¯t quite grasp the concept. He simply figured that the attacker was confident of his defense against magic, and that was about it.

    But that man, he was telling the truth.

    Magic didn¡¯t work on Su-hyeun. He ignored the spells that didn¡¯t possess any physical form and continued to cut down the dark magicians.

    Unsurprisingly, the gathered dark magicians all ran away from there in an instant. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t chase after them, however. And that¡¯s why Calvin thought about escaping as well, but couldn¡¯t actually do it.

    If he did, then he might really get killed off.

    ¡°Shall we start our conversation again?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Creaaak¡ª

    He sat down on the sole remaining rocking chair found inside the completely destroyed house. It was also the same chair that he sat on when he first came here, too.

    Calvin found it quite remarkable that a lone chair managed to escape unharmed from what had transpired just now, and at the same time, it gave him the creeps. He wondered whether Su-hyeun had deliberately left it alone or not.

    ¡°First, tell me everything you know about him,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°W-when you say him, you mean Malcolm¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Sir¡¯ Malcolm.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, yes.¡±

    Half-out of his mind now, Calvin turned towards Su-hyeun while still on his knees. He racked his brain, trying to figure just where he should start and eventually opened his mouth. ¡°Malcolm¡­ Sir Malcolm, he¡¯s more like a scholar rather than a true dark magician.¡±

    ¡°A scholar?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes. Rather than learning and mastering magic spells, he researches them. In reality, although he is a magician, you can¡¯t really call him one.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. He did look that way.¡±

    The amount of magical energy that could be sensed coming from Malcolm was indeed quite insignificant. So, that assertion wasn¡¯t entirely wrong.

    ¡°However, Sir Malcolm as a scholar is someone more than worthy enough to be recorded in the history books. That¡¯s why he was admitted to this city in the first place, too.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so?¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, the reason why Sir Malcolm came to this city was to perform research on the divine beasts.¡±

    ¡°Divine beasts?¡±

    ¡°Yes, divine beasts. Demonic beasts as well. To perform research related to them.¡±

    Su-hyeun had been wondering why there were so many divine beast-related books in the basement study, but that seemed to be the reason.

    ¡°Was it really Sir Malcolm who summoned Ouroboros?¡± Su-hyeun asked another question.

    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not. He doesn¡¯t have the ability to do so.¡±

    ¡°Then who did it?¡±

    ¡°Sir Malcolm only told us of the method. It was the dark magicians of this city that summoned the demonic beast, Ouroboros.¡±

    ¡°That was my mistake.¡±

    ***

    Su-hyeun thought he could hear Malcolm¡¯s voice ¡ª the voice filled with powerful self-torturing regret and guilt. The reason for that was precisely this.

    ¡°What¡¯s the reason for sacrificing people to Ouroboros?¡±

    ¡°E-excuse me?¡± Calvin sounded flustered by Su-hyeun¡¯s question. It seemed that he had no idea the latter knew about that fact. ¡°C-could it be that¡­ You have heard about it already?¡±

    ¡°Of course. How could I not when you lot have been yapping on so loudly about it?¡±

    Earlier on, he heard what Calvin and the other dark magicians were noisily going on about through the slightly ajar door of the house: people being served up as sacrifices to Ouroboros, and the dark magicians using that as their source of entertainment and cackling away.

    Su-hyeun barely managed to suppress the sick feeling welling up inside of him back then.

    ¡°Hurry up and speak. What¡¯s the reason for sacrificing people to Ouroboros? If you take your time with your answers, from now on I will¡­¡±

    ¡°It-it¡¯s to appease Ouroboros!¡±

    ¡°Appease? Appease what exactly?¡±

    ¡°Its appetite¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun deeply furrowed his brows at Calvin¡¯s reply. Something didn¡¯t feel quite right with that answer. ¡°Are you telling me that the appetite of such a humongous creature can be satisfied by feeding it just a few people?¡±

    ¡°Specifically, not its appetite but its sense of satisfaction. Satisfaction that it¡­had eaten humans.¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve said that from the start. Trying to confuse me and all.¡±

    ¡°M-my apologies.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so? Why did Sir Malcolm teach your group the method to summon Ouroboros? And why did you go ahead and summon that bastard?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­.¡±

    Calvin ended up hesitating with his reply.

    Wu-du-duk¡ª!

    ¡°Kkeuh-aaaaaaahk!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s foot stomped on Calvin¡¯s knee. Now subjected to the pain of his kneecap being crushed to bits, the latter struggled in vain to remove the former¡¯s foot while screaming out loudly.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll-I¡¯ll answer you! Please!¡±

    Su-hyeun took his foot away at Calvin¡¯s seizure-like screaming. The smart thing to do when handing out a troublesome question was to not give the opponent time to formulate an answer.

    ¡°Kkeuh-euh¡­.¡±

    ¡°You have three seconds. Three, two¡­.¡±

    ¡°It-it was to protect the city!¡±

    Su-hyeun stared straight at Calvin after hearing that reply. He needed a bit more explanation than that.

    ¡°Be more specific.¡±

    ¡°An empire across the sea was aiming for Moros. It was the worst crisis to fall upon Moros in its entire history.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so the reason for Ouroboros¡¯s summoning was to protect Moros from the invasion of this empire?¡±

    In order to reach Moros, an island nation, you had no choice but to cross the vast ocean. The empire failed to get past the giant snake of the oceans, Ouroboros, and eventually gave up on the invasion of Moros.

    That was the end of Calvin¡¯s explanation.

    ¡°Is that really everything?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°T-that is¡­¡±

    Calvin displayed yet another hint of hesitation at Su-hyeun¡¯s pointed question.

    Right then, Su-hyeun¡¯s foot was raised up, prompting Calvin to urgently open his mouth. ¡°That-that was the reason for Sir Malcolm¡¯s decision to summon Ouroboros.¡±

    ¡°You said it ¡®was¡¯, which means¡­.?¡±

    ¡°It-it was all a lie.¡±

    Calvin replied and squeezed his eyes shut.

    Su-hyeun would¡¯ve learned about it eventually if Malcolm decided to open up, anyway. So, Calvin decided to come clean about everything. ¡°What you heard just now¡­was a lie to coax the method to summon Ouroboros out from Sir Malcolm.¡±

    ¡°So, the real purpose of summoning Ouroboros is?¡±

    ¡°It was in order for us to survive in this city.¡±

    ¡°Did someone try to kill you all?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s question, Calvin¡¯s head dropped and he began clenching his teeth. ¡°We, the dark magicians, had been discriminated against for the past several centuries.¡±

    ¡°Discriminated?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Discrimination! People pointed their fingers at us, saying we¡¯re dirty, that we¡¯re the followers of an evil discipline, and they always despised us. People who exalted you with sparkling eyes if you were a magician were now hating you for being a dark magician!¡±

    ¡°¡­So what?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Okay, so. Who makes up the sacrifices served up to Ouroboros? The dark magicians or the regular magicians who discriminated and despised you lot?¡±

    Calvin shut his mouth immediately.

    The answer was too obvious. Su-hyeun simply tutted at Calvin¡¯s silence. ¡°I can understand why you lot were discriminated against and despised now. All of you are like a stinking pile of mold.¡±

    Su-hyeun lowered himself and extended his hand towards Calvin¡¯s chest.

    ¡°W-what are you trying to¡­!¡±

    Pow¡ª!

    ¡°Keo-eok!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s palm accurately slammed into Calvin¡¯s chest. The latter¡¯s jaw dropped and his waist bent in half from the impact force reverberating throughout his entire body.

    Wuduk, wududuk¡ª

    Calvin¡¯s body then began to contort in an abnormal manner. He writhed in sheer, unbridled pain and eventually, screamed out. ¡°Keuh, keuh-aaaaaah!¡±

    ¡°The magical circuits of you dark magicians can easily go out of whack even from the smallest impact,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Ah-ahck, aaaahk!¡±

    ¡°You probably won¡¯t be able to use magical energy for the rest of your life. Obviously, you should kiss goodbye to this shell of a magician, too. Since you answered my questions, I won¡¯t kill you. However¡­¡± Su-hyeun disapprovingly stared at Calvin before turning around. ¡°You don¡¯t have the qualifications to wield that power.¡±

    He then walked over to the corner of the collapsed house. Miru, sitting there waiting for him, unfurled its wings and flew up to perch comfortably on Su-hyeun¡¯s head once more.

    Calvin stared at the distancing back of Su-hyeun, his head shooting up high. This pain tearing through his entire body just didn¡¯t want to let him go.

    ¡°Euh, euh¡­. Euh, euh, euh¡­.¡±

    Within this intense pain, Calvin tried to rouse his magical energy.

    However, he couldn¡¯t sense a single lick of magical energy that used to fill up his body. The crippling sense of loss as if he had lost a portion of his limb, no, as if he had lost his identity itself, took over.

    He had been living his entire life as a dark magician.

    ¡°Heuh-euh¡­.¡±

    Calvin planted his head on the ground.

    A magician who lost his ability to wield magic couldn¡¯t live in this city anymore.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun headed back to Malcolm¡¯s residence.

    Before he reached the house, though, he took a look at the state of his body. Thankfully, blood didn¡¯t splatter onto his clothes.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve returned.¡±

    He knocked on the gate leading to the residence¡¯s front garden, and a short while later, it opened.

    Malcolm was tending to the garden, his bent back lowered even further.

    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Malcolm discovered Su-hyeun and with quick steps, walked closer and scanned the latter from top to bottom. ¡°Are you injured anywhere? Those people didn¡¯t try to harm you?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, sir.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru energetically replied as if to say ¡°No need to worry!¡±

    Malcolm breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that their subjects of worry were not in sync, but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t try to correct the older man.

    ¡°What a relief it is. Truly.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    Su-hyeun held Malcolm¡¯s aged, wrinkled hand and asked. ¡°Sir, why do you treat me so well?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about out of the blue? That¡¯s obviously¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it because you feel sorry?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s next question, Malcolm chose to swallow back his words and turned his head away. He didn¡¯t seem to be panicking. He probably was thinking that Su-hyeun must¡¯ve heard many stories from the dark magicians by now.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go for a short walk?¡± Malcolm suggested.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Su-hyeun matched Malcolm¡¯s walking speed and strode alongside him.

    The latter, walking on in silence for a while, finally spoke up in a small voice. ¡°Once every month, Moros sacrifices ten people to Ouroboros.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that.¡±

    ¡°And when an outsider enters the city, that person will be prioritized as the sacrifice. It¡¯s to protect one more magician of the city.¡± Malcolm lowered his head. ¡°To outsiders, this city is like an antlion pit. And¡­it is I who turned this city into what it is now.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re being so nice to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry. I really am. I¡¯d have urged you to escape from here if you can, but¡­¡± Malcolm shifted his gaze over to the tall distant ramparts. ¡°But, if you do that, you¡¯d lose the freedom of this one month, instead.¡±

    ¡°Those walls, they¡­¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t built to keep people out.¡± Malcolm shook his head. ¡°No, they are meant to keep you in.¡±

    And here was the reason why Su-hyeun was allowed in so easily without his identity being confirmed.

    Malcolm must¡¯ve felt guilty about it because he couldn¡¯t face Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes anymore. He seemed to be feeling guilty about not being truthful from the beginning, and also for causing the current state of Moros, as well.

    <<So this entire city is sort of a trap, then.>>

    It felt like he was now seeing the true nature of this city called Moros.

    It was like quicksand in a desert, where you could never escape once you stepped inside and continuously got sucked in even deeper till you died.

    What an amusing place this was. He needed quite a while to figure out the theme and the background of the trial this time.

    It was a trial where the clear goal or the specific objective wasn¡¯t even set in stone. Most likely, the achievement rate and whether he passed or failed the trial would be judged on what he did in the city and what resulted from his actions.

    In that case, uncovering the background of the trial was not only the basic thing to do, but it was also the most important objective.

    But this¡­

    <<What the hell?>>

    Su-hyeun smirked after confirming the outline of the trial slowly revealing itself.

    <<It¡¯s not as bad as I thought.>>

 Chapter 106

    Act 9

    The huge mansion was lit up by luxurious lights. There was a large living room with a high ceiling where some men with crumpled faces were talking.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Sir, the dark magicians of the lower village have died. Well, except for Calvin. The whole village is covered in their blood.¡±

    Upon hearing his subordinate¡¯s report, Roman crumpled his face with anger.

    ¡°Which bastard killed them?¡±

    ¡°We are not sure about that.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you are not sure?¡±

    ¡°There were signs that magic was used, but some of the bodies had stab wounds made from a sword. Therefore, I think there was more than one person responsible for their deaths.¡±

    ¡°Some sort of group then?¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like a big group killed them. I think two or three people might be responsible.¡±

    ¡°Two or three¡­¡±

    Roman took a sip of the strong liquor he had placed on the table. He felt a burning sensation in his throat and started to calm down a little.

    ¡°Did you say there were injuries made from a sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Huh. A swordsman, not a wizard¡­¡±

    Calvin and the dark magicians in the lower village were the least skilled of their kind. However, about 100 of them were living there. Unlike the old saying, ¡°There is strength in numbers,¡± the number of magicians in the village didn¡¯t matter. They all died anyway.

    ¡°Wait. Didn¡¯t you say there was a new visitor in town a few days ago?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°Is he possibly the one who wielded the sword? As you know, we don¡¯t have any swordsman residing in our town.¡±

    ¡°But a swordsman can¡¯t just enter the town either.¡±

    ¡°But all visitors are intended to be sacrificed. So, it doesn¡¯t matter if he or she is a wizard or a swordsman, because they would be allowed entry either way.¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­think that¡¯s true?¡±

    Roman¡¯s subordinate had some doubts and scratched his head. In all of their history, they never allowed a non-magician entrance into Moros. The magicians of Moros City took pride in this strict policy.

    ¡°Just find the perpetrators first. You can go and look for witnesses or track the magic that remains there.¡±

    ¡°What will you do when you find them?¡±

    ¡°After we find them, we must kill them. Even if the residents in the village were killed, nobody can touch us because we are the strongest dark magicians.¡±

    Others had despised the dark magicians for a long time. Therefore, they had developed strong ties amongst one another. Compared to the general magicians, who usually valued individualism, they were just a little better because no one cared for each other like the dark magicians.

    ¡°More than anything, if people start to look down on us, we are done. For now, people are quiet because we have Ouroboros to intimidate them¡­¡± Roman clenched his teeth and jumped out of his seat. ¡°We can¡¯t go back to how it was like in the old days.¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    Roman walked along the hallway of the mansion. The disaster in the small village gave him an ominous feeling. He could not sit still anymore.

    ***

    Su-hyeun looked at the wall that was in the distance. It was the high wall surrounding the great town.

    Malcolm came up to Su-hyeun and said, ¡°If you want to run away, I will help you.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked back at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say nobody can run away?¡±

    ¡°I did, because even if you go over the wall, you will be surrounded by the sea. This place is an island.¡±

    ¡°And Ouroboros is in the sea.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Knowing that, will you still help me?¡±

    Malcolm nodded heavily. ¡°If that is what you want. Helping you will be my duty.¡±

    Su-hyeun seemed to be aware that he would become a sacrifice. Therefore, Malcolm thought that Su-hyeun was looking at the wall because he was trying to escape.

    ¡°Sitting down and waiting for death is not my thing,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Su-hyeun stopped leaning against the wall and started to walk off. ¡°I will be back.¡±

    Malcolm did not stop him, but he watched him walk away with a sorry look. Su-hyeun walked out of Malcolm¡¯s house and looked around at the magicians on the street.

    ¡®I have 27 days left.¡¯

    It was the time he had left until he would become a sacrifice for Ouroboros.

    ¡®I have enough time.¡¯

    It was not long ago that the dark magicians appeared in Moros. They had been hiding in the shadows of the city. However, after they gained control of Ouroboros, they gained control over the town as well.

    In reality, the dark magicians weren¡¯t very powerful. Nevertheless, other magicians had no choice but to leave them alone because of the existence of Ouroboros.

    ¡®Here they are.¡¯

    Su-hyeun stared at dozens of dark magicians who wore black robes in the middle of the street. They were walking around and asking magicians questions as if they were looking for someone.

    It seemed that they were questioning everyone because of the mess that Su-hyeun had made in the lower village of the dark magicians. He jammed on the hat that he took from Malcolm¡¯s house and hid in the crowd. He began to follow the dark magicians while in disguise.

    ***

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Roman, who was very annoyed, kicked a small stone on the street. The dark magicians gathered around Roman in a secluded area in the alley.

    ¡°How has no one seen anything?¡± Roman shouted.

    ¡°Should we search through Malcolm¡¯s house?¡±

    Roman turned his head and glared in his subordinate¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Are you insane? I told you! Do not mess with him! What are you going to do if he became crazy and decided to kill everyone?¡±

    ¡°Y-you are right¡­¡±

    ¡°No one knows about Ouroboros better than he does. For the sake of keeping control over Ouroboros, we must not get on Malcolm¡¯s nerves. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I did not think straight.¡±

    ¡°You idiot.¡±

    Even though Roman rebuked him, he understood why he asked that question. It was hard to find any clues anywhere. The magicians were usually by themselves, and they did not look around thoroughly.

    ¡®Calvin, that bastard, is disabled.¡¯

    Calvin, the only survivor, was not in a state of being able to answer questions.

    ¡°Is something not going well?¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    A quiet, young man¡¯s voice was heard down the alley. The dark magicians turned their heads to the direction that the voice came from.

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡±

    ¡°Is he on our side? Does anybody know him?¡±

    The man was wearing a robe and pulled his hat over his eyes. They could not tell if he was a dark magician or just an ordinary magician. However, one thing was certain. Nobody knew who he was.

    ¡°I am sure all of you know me.¡± Su-hyeun took off the round hat on his head and dropped the robe to the ground. ¡°I am the one you are all looking for.¡±

    ¡°Swordsman?¡±

    ¡°Is he¡­?¡±

    When Su-hyeun took off his robe, they could all see the sheath on his waist area. The dark magicians stared in surprise. The man who they were looking for brought himself to them.

    ¡°Get that bastard!¡± He shook his finger at Su-hyeun and yelled as he grasped the situation.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Su-hyeun raised his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight. Calm down and let¡¯s talk.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡±

    Roman had no intention of talking to Su-hyeun. He was an enemy who had killed many of the dark magicians.

    Swish¡ª

    Clank¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    The dark magicians released their dark magic upon Su-hyeun. The black magic came from them like a tsunami as they released a curse on him that attempted to tie up his body. Black flames and lightning strikes were dealt to Su-hyeun as well. Roman licked his lips in dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Did we kill him too easily?¡±

    ¡®Even if we did kill him, we could mutilate his body. That way, we could show an example to other people to not disturb us.¡¯

    Just then, they heard a sound.

    ¡°That one hurts a little.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Roman was surprised when he heard Su-hyeun¡¯s voice emerge from the black flames. He supposed to burn to death or should have turned to ash, but he was standing before them without a mark on his body.

    ¡°How¡­?¡±

    ¡°I guess you are all not ready to talk yet¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought for a moment. He nodded and said, ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    A cry came from above. At that moment, the dark magicians lifted their heads.

    ¡°Silence.¡±

    Miru, who was flying over the sky, cried out. Then the sound from the dragon disappeared. When no sound was heard, the dark magicians raised their heads in surprise. They were never aware that a small dragon had been flying above their heads.

    ¡®Silence magic?¡¯

    Roman looked around in surprise. Silence magic was a form of space magic that muted sounds. It was not unusual for a divine beast to deal with magic. A top-ranking class divine beast, like a dragon, could easily use Silence magic. However, Roman was confused as to why Su-hyeun had used this form of magic. It would have been better for him to attack the dark magicians before they noticed the dragon.

    The dark magicians opened their mouths to shout something, but no sound left from them. The Silence magic was muting them from talking to one another. There was also no sound made from the unsheathing of the sword. At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s body quickly disappeared without a sound.

    ¡®Where did he go?¡¯

    He was directly in front of them but still managed to disappear. Since they could not hear any sound, they could not anticipate his location. Since they were unsure of his whereabouts, they began to fear that Su-hyeun¡¯s sword could attack them at any moment. Roman hurriedly raised his hand to reverse the silence spells around him.

    Slash¡ª

    He felt a burning sensation around his neck. Roman hurriedly touched his neck in surprise. The blood came out when he moved his hand away.

    ¡®When¡­?¡¯

    When Roman looked around, other dark magicians also were bleeding from their necks just as he was.

    Woosh¡ª

    Thump¡ª

    Just then, the sound of the wind came loudly, and Roman could feel Su-hyeun right behind him.

    ¡°If I was going to kill you, you would be dead already.¡±

    At the words of Su-hyeun, Roman looked around at the bloody, red lines on the necks of the dark magicians. This man, during this short time, cut all their necks with a sword. The wound was not deep, but even a fool would know that if Se-hyeun wanted to, their heads would have been cut off by now. That would have been easy for him. It is actually harder to make such a shallow cut as he has just done to them.

    ¡°I could still kill you if I wanted to right now.¡±

    Roman looked at Su-hyeun and held his breath. No one spoke easily. The Silence magic was gone, but it was very quiet as if the magic was still keeping them all, except for Su-hyeun, mute.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re ready to talk then.¡± Su-hyeun grinned with satisfaction and nodded.

    ¡®Talk?¡¯

    Roman¡¯s face was pale as he shook his head. A conversation with a sword to his neck could not be called a conversation. This was an act of intimidation.

 Chapter 107

    Dozens of dark magicians were standing in the lobby of a luxurious mansion. Su-hyeun and Roman sat facing each other. Roman was the head of the dark magicians in this mansion. He had led many of them before. Therefore, he was considered a powerful man amongst them.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe a person like you is a leader here. The future of the dark magicians seems pretty bleak.¡±

    Of course, Su-hyeun did not see him as a great leader.

    ¡°B-but he is pretty famous amongst us. We, his subordinates, can walk around the town confidently.¡±

    ¡°If you were to travel to where I am from, you wouldn¡¯t get anywhere with that level of skill in your powers,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Where are you from, brother?¡± Roman asked Su-hyeun.

    Bam! Su-hyeun hit Roman.

    ¡°Brother? Are you kidding me? Are you my brother?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    Roman rolled his eyes. He had to answer with caution if he did not want to get hit. Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes and glared at Roman and the other dark magicians.

    ¡®Their power level is quite low. Therefore, it is weird that this place is called the city of the magicians.¡¯

    The people that Su-hyeun had met in the village earlier were considered to be less powerful than the dark magicians in this mansion. Although Roman and the other dark magicians here are supposed to be different than them, their power level is practically just as low. If the dark magicians of the lower village were D-Ranks, the people in this mansion would be C-Ranks or a little less than that.

    ¡®Perhaps this guy here is about a B-Rank,¡¯ Su-hyeun thought as he looked at Roman. ¡®These are not the last of the magicians, though. There are more dangerous guys probably still left.¡¯

    ¡°Let me ask you something first,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Y-yes. Ask me, please.¡±

    Roman responded nervously as he worried about his survival. It seemed pathetic, but it was natural for him to be nervous after knowing Su-hyeun is the one who got rid of all of the dark magicians in the lower village.

    ¡°In about a month, I will be sacrificed to Ouroboros, right?¡±

    ¡°T-that is¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop beating around the bush and tell me. I found out everything before I came here, so don¡¯t try to fool me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you will be.¡±

    People in this city had decided to sacrifice foreigners rather than citizens. Roman shut his eyes tight.

    ¡®If he gets upset and swings his sword, I will die.¡¯

    However, he received an unexpected response.

    ¡°Good, good.¡± Su-hyeun nodded as if he was satisfied. ¡°Then, onto the next question. How does Ouroboros identify the sacrifice?¡±

    ¡°W-why do you ask that?¡± Roman slowly opened his eyes and expected he could survive this interrogation.

    Su-hyeun had a stern look on his face and said, ¡°I ask questions, and you just answer them.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!¡±

    ¡°Answer the question.¡±

    ¡°The dark magicians in the center of the city have control over Ouroboros. Ouroboros eats the person they designate, satisfies its appetite, and then goes back to the sea.¡±

    ¡°Is it the only way to get Ouroboros out of the sea?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ it is,¡± Roman answered with hesitation and observed Su-hyeun¡¯s mood.

    He was wondering what Su-hyeun was curious about since the only questions he asked were about Ouroboros.

    ¡°Well, that is good,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°That is?¡±

    ¡°Where are the exact people that have control over Ouroboros?¡±

    Roman¡¯s face turned pale after hearing this question.

    Su-hyeun grinned at Roman and said, ¡°Guide me to them.¡±

    ***

    Tramp, tramp¡ª

    ¡°That man over there, is he Roman?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Why is he here?¡±

    ¡°Who is the person beside him? He doesn¡¯t look like a dark magician¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡±

    Roman lowered his head as many people watched him walk past. If word spread later about what he was doing, he would be filled with shame.

    ¡®Damn it. What the hell am I doing? I was supposed to catch him, but now I am guiding him to where he wants.¡¯

    However, the direction that he was guiding him towards was funny. Even though Su-hyeun was considered to be a fugitive, he had asked to be led to the den of the powerful dark magicians.

    ¡®When we arrive there, this bastard will die.¡¯

    This was something that Roman believed firmly. There were many skilled dark magicians at the place that they were heading towards. He was confident that they could stomp Su-hyeun to death.

    ¡®Yes. I will make him immortal so that I may torture him forever. I will use him as a slave for life,¡¯ Roman thought to himself, and a wicked grin formed on his face.

    Wham¡ª!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Roman turned as he felt pain in the back of his head. Su-hyeun had hit him there.

    ¡°Wh-what is wrong, sir?¡±

    ¡°You thought of some plan to screw me over, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What? No way!¡±

    ¡°Just show me the way. Don¡¯t even think about fooling me.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Roman shut his mouth tight and quickened his pace. Soon, they arrived at the tall tower in the middle of the city.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked up at the tower. The tower had a pointed roof and was the tallest structure in this city. It looked to be at least a few hundred meters high. It was the only building that was higher than the walls surrounding the city.

    ¡®It was probably not the dark magicians¡¯ building at first,¡¯ Su-hyeun thought. ¡®Perhaps they only began to control the city when they gained control over Ouroboros. They probably got this tower too with that power.¡¯

    Creak¡ª

    When Roman reached his hand out, the door opened. It appeared to have some sort of mechanism that required magic to open it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s enter,¡± Roman said.

    Su-hyeun looked around in the building and noticed how quiet it was. The first floor was empty.

    Roman said, ¡°Less than a hundred dark magicians are living here. Only me and about a hundred other dark magicians are granted access into this tower.¡±

    ¡°A hundred people in this place¡ª¡±

    ¡°All of them are powerful magicians. Powerful magicians like to reside in higher places, so they are located in the upper floors of the tower.¡±

    ¡°If they are similar to you, I will be disappointed.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Roman made a dirty look but immediately forced a smile afterward.

    ¡°Y-you won¡¯t. I am a low-level dark magician compared to the other magicians who are in this tower.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°You will find out when you meet them.¡±

    His words were full of hidden meaning, but Su-hyeun did not care. Roman¡¯s role was to guide Su-hyeun here, and he did. Therefore, it was time to face the other high-level dark magicians.

    Creak, creak¡ª

    They stepped onto a platform in the middle of the tower. The stone in the middle of the platform shined, and the platform began to rise. It seemed to function just like an elevator. Unlike other buildings in the city, Su-hyeun could tell this tower was made with a lot of effort

    Creak¡ª

    The platform moved up quickly and soon came to a stop. Roman and Su-hyeun arrived at the top floor of the tower. There was a large door on the opposite side of the platform.

    Creak¡ª

    They approached the huge door that seemed to be over 5 meters high. It opened by itself as if the door was asking for them to enter. Su-hyeun entered without hesitation. Unlike the other floors, this floor was just one huge room. There was a large round table in there.

    ¡°He actually came.¡±

    ¡°He is quite bold, isn¡¯t¡¯ he?¡±

    ¡°Is he the one who killed everyone in the lower village?¡±

    ¡°He looks younger than I thought.¡±

    Dozens of dark magicians were sitting around the huge, round table. Each one of them was similar in strength or stronger than Roman. Some of them could even be considered as A-Ranks. As Roman had said, all competent dark magicians were gathered here.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care much for the dregs of society.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes turned to an old dark magician who was resting his chin on his hand. ¡°Shall we talk?¡±

    Rattle¡ª

    Su-hyeun pulled one empty chair towards him and sat down. The dark magicians glared at Su-hyeun with hard eyes after being called dregs. However, when the old dark magician raised his hand, they stopped glaring.

    ¡°So, you finally found me.¡±

    ¡°You are on a different level.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. I had doubts when I heard about you, but you are better than I thought.¡±

    It had been only one day since Su-hyeun slaughtered the dark magicians of the lower village. However, the news already reached the magicians in this tower. It seemed that many dark magicians had gathered here since then because of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°So, what do you want? What made you come here?¡± the old magician asked.

    ¡°I wonder if it because you are older, but unlike other people, you actually try to talk before taking action.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Conversation is a process that delivers knowledge. Men are animals that can not develop without talking.¡±

    ¡°Well, what a great animal you are.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s sarcasm, the other dark magicians stood up, unable to bear his comments anymore.

    ¡°Sir, how can you let him talk to you like this?¡±

    ¡°We must tear his limbs apart right here!¡±

    ¡°Sit down.¡± The old magician looked at other dark magicians who jumped up. ¡°Or I will tear you all apart first.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry, sir!¡±

    The dark magicians sat back down in their seats one by one as they gained control over their temper. The old magician looked around at the dark magicians and then looked at Su-hyeun again with a smile.

    ¡°Sorry about that. Hahaha.¡±

    ¡°Your men need to show me some respect. You should control them more.¡±

    ¡°I will give them a lesson later,¡± the old magician said and nodded slowly. ¡°So, what do you want? Just say it. If it is something I can help with, I will cooperate and offer my assistance.¡±

    ¡°Ouroboros, bring it out from the sea.¡± Upon hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s request, the old magician¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°You seem to be very interested in Ouroboros.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do? I assume you aren¡¯t asking me out of mere curiosity. If you are asking these questions just to catch Ouroboros¡ª¡±

    ¡°That is exactly what I am going to do,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    The old dark magician stared into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. Although his response was absurd, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes did not seem to lie.

    ¡°Catching Ouroboros¡­,¡± the old magician murmured.

    In Moros, Ouroboros was like a patron saint that protected the dark magicians. There were not many dark magicians in the city. Therefore, they gained most of their power only after they gained control over Ouroboros. Now, Su-hyeun was saying he intended to catch this creature. If he succeeded in doing so, the power of the dark magicians in Moros would decline.

    ¡°What if I refuse to help?¡± the old magician asked with his eyes closed.

    Su-hyeun rose from his seat and answered, ¡°Then, everyone will die.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s magic began to fill the room.

 Chapter 108

    ¡°What a bastard¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir! Do we still have to put up with him?¡±

    When Su-hyeun began to release his magic upon them, the dark magicians started to get up from their seats. However, the old dark magician remained sitting down with his eyes closed. He appeared to be undecided and worried. The other magicians were preparing to attack Su-hyeun. They stared at him with a feeling of agitation.

    ¡°Okay.¡± The old magician opened his eyes and said, ¡°I will help you.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    The old man shouted back at the magician that raised his voice at him. In response, the magician turned pale and sat back down on his chair again. When it became quiet once more, the old magician nodded.

    He said, ¡°So, you say that you want to catch Ouroboros. Okay, I will help you. However, I only can bring the beast to you. It is up to you to catch it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be enough help.¡±

    ¡°I will give you a room on the second floor of this tower. Just wait one day. We will leave tomorrow.¡±

    The old magician looked at the magician that was sitting next to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Hey, Syujeu,¡± he called.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Can you guide him to his room? My back hurts these days, so it is hard to move around.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡±

    At the request of the old magician, the man named Syujeu rose from his seat. Su-hyeun followed him and left the room through the large door.

    Creak¡ª

    Thump¡ª

    The heavy door closed after the two men left the room. As soon as they were gone, the other magicians in the room vented their grievances to the old magician.

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°Why did you just watch him leave?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is not like you.¡±

    At the complaints of the dark magicians, the old one rested his chin and sat silently. Their resentments continued, and he continued to listen. Then suddenly, the dark magicians felt strange. This was usually the time when the old magician would scold them.

    However, he remained silent.

    Their complaints naturally died away without the old magician having to say anything to them. Their fear of the old magician was rooted deeply within them, so they didn¡¯t want to get on his bad side. Therefore, their complaints of disappointment gradually ended. The dark magicians realized that they had dared to talk back to him and fell silent.

    ¡°Are you all done chattering?¡±

    When the old magician opened his mouth to speak, the other dark magicians lowered their heads. The old magician¡¯s gaze turned cold as if he had never smiled kindly before in his life.

    ¡°After hearing you all lose your temper just now, I would love to feed some of you to the dogs. However, because I understand how you all feel, I will let it go today.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, sir!¡±

    ¡°Forgive us!¡±

    Thump¡ª

    The dark magicians slammed their heads to the table in shame. The old magician looked at them and clicked his tongue. He found them pathetic.

    ¡°Why did I put up with him?¡± he asked. ¡°Did it look like I was putting up with him?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    The old magician shook his head and looked at the others who did not understand him.

    ¡®How pathetic.¡¯

    ¡°I did not put up with him. He put up with me,¡± he said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Only a strong person puts up with a weak person. It is a form of generosity.¡±

    The dark magicians were surprised by his response. The old magician seemed to have just called himself the weak one. That couldn¡¯t be possible. The old magician looked at the door where Su-hyeun had exited through.

    ¡°He gave us two options to pick between.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s proposal gave the old magician two choices to think about.

    ¡°Either all the dark magicians risk their lives and join forces to fight him, or we can hope he dies in his fight against Ouroboros.¡±

    This was the reason why he told Su-hyeun that he would take him to Ouroboros. They had no choice but to wait for the mighty beast to swallow Su-hyeun just as it had done to thousands of other sacrificed dark magicians.

    ***

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    The dark magician named Syujeu led Su-hyeun to a room on the second floor. It was quite a spacious room for one person. There was a restroom and shower inside as well. Syujeu seemed displeased with Su-hyeun, who was looking around the room.

    Syujeu said, ¡°I brought you here because the boss told me to, but watch out. This room¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± Su-hyeun waved off Syujeu without looking at him. ¡°Leave, little cheese.¡±

    ¡°You f*cking bastard.¡±

    Slam¡ª!

    Syujeu went out, slamming the door.

    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking,¡± Su-hyeun mumbled while looking at the books in the room.

    He picked up one of the books off the bookshelf. On the cover, there was a picture of a dissected human body. It was a book about human sacrifices that were later reanimated into undead people.

    ¡°Wankers.¡±

    He closed the book. It was not worth reading.

    Bam¡ª!

    Su-hyeun threw the book on the ground and trampled on it angrily. He conjured up a flame with his powers and directed it towards the book until it turned to ashes. He considering reading the other books, but they appeared to be disgusting based on the titles. Su-hyeun instead walked to the sofa and laid down.

    Grr¡ª

    Miru, who had been reading Su-hyeun¡¯s face this whole time, moved towards him and laid down on his tummy. Su-hyeun habitually stroked Miru¡¯s back. When he closed his eyes, he could feel gazes around him.

    ¡®They are keeping an eye on me.¡¯

    Since he had caused so much chaos, they could not help but be interested in what he was doing. Like them, Su-hyeun was nervous. He did not care about other dark magicians, but the old one was not an easy opponent.

    ¡®His power level appears to be similar to Hwang Jun-peong.¡¯

    He had been wondering why the dark magicians¡¯ power levels were so low. However, there was a powerful one amongst them. Even after combining all the other magicians¡¯ power in that room, they could not compare in strength to the old magician.

    ¡°The level of difficulty for this trial is insane,¡± Su-hyeun muttered out loud.

    This entire situation was ridiculous. This was only the 30th floor of the trials. Chloe, an Awakener of the Dump Guild, said the 30th floor was a lower level of difficulty. However, this floor contained a powerful magician and Ouroboros as enemies.

    ¡®Well, catching Ouroboros is not actually part of the trial.¡¯

    The gatekeeper had given Su-hyeun advice after he had paid him 100,000 achievement points. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know why the gatekeeper gave him any advice. After all, the risk of helping him was quite high. However, it was information that was hard to ignore.

    ¡®It is very risky, but it is worth a try.¡¯ Su-hyeun opened his hand and lifted it.

    Su-hyeun wanted advice on how to pass the trial successfully, and the gatekeeper offered two ways. The first one was for just passing the trial as it was. The second one was for how to receive better rewards after completing the trial. Su-hyeun chose the way that would grant him better rewards. The Tower of Trials always gave bigger rewards to a greater challenger.

    ¡®I can do it.¡¯

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist.

    ¡®I can do it.¡¯

    Act 10

    It was the next day. Su-hyeun left the city with some of the dark magicians. When they arrived at the city wall, some people blocked them from leaving. However, when the old magician showed his face, they were granted access to leave. Su-hyeun recognized the position of power that the dark magicians had in Moros, and the old magician held even more power than them.

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    Ten of the dark magicians and Su-hyeun walked without talking. They headed to the seafront that was quite a distance from Moros.

    ¡°We will reach the sea soon,¡± the old magician said as he clasped his hands together behind his back.

    The other dark magicians held their breath as if they were nervous. Even though they had control over Ouroboros, they were still nervous every time they came near the beast.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± the old magician asked Su-hyeun for the last time.

    Su-hyeun looked at him for a while and then turned away. ¡°You are loud.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. You are very confident.¡±

    Grr¡ª

    At the old magician¡¯s words, Miru roared, showing his teeth. It appeared that Miru didn¡¯t like the old magician¡¯s unpleasant laugh. The old man looked away from Miru and saw that they had finally arrived at the shore.

    ¡°Well, we arrived.¡±

    Roar¡ª

    The sky was clear, and the sea was blue. There was a reflection of the sunlight on the sea. It was an incredible landscape. Somebody who did not know what this place was would think this was a vacation spot. It was the place where Su-hyeun had first started his trial.

    ¡°How are you going to call Ouroboros?¡± Su-hyeun asked the old magician.

    The old magician replied with a smile, ¡°The beast is already coming.¡±

    Ten dark magicians had been muttering something since earlier. It seemed to be a spell to call Ouroboros. Su-hyeun turned his gaze toward the sea again, and at that moment, he could feel a vibration through the sand.

    Grr¡ª

    Miru started to cry angrily. No, more accurately, it seemed like Miru was frightened. The divine beast, Miru, and demonic beast, Ouroboros, were naturally hostile to each other since birth.

    Rumble¡ª

    After a while, a huge shadow appeared in front of the shore. The shadow gradually grew and then lifted its head over the surface.

    Roar¡ª

    A huge black snake appeared over the sea. The giant snake covered the sun and shook its long body. Its red eyes looked down upon Su-hyeun and the other dark magicians. Ouroboros had arrived.

    Ouroboros¡¯s body covered the sky. Its body frame was very thick and several kilometers long. This was the great demonic beast that could destroy the whole country.

    ¡®It is massive.¡¯

    Su-hyeun had never seen any monsters this size. Ouroboros had a presence far greater than other high-level divine beasts. It was closer in appearance to a massive dragon rather than a snake.

    Gulp¡ª

    It had been a while since he felt this nervous. As soon as Ouroboros appeared, Miru hid behind Su-hyeun. To young Miru, Ouroboros was too big of an enemy.

    ¡°Hahaha. So, what do you think after seeing Ouroboros this close?¡±

    The old magician passed Su-hyeun and glanced at his face. He had expected Su-hyeun would be scared by now, but his expectation was wrong.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave,¡± the old man said to the other dark magicians.

    They would be caught up in the fight if they stayed here. They called on Ouroboros to appear here, but they didn¡¯t want to be involved in this battle. The old magician quickly walked away. He planned to release his control over Ouroboros after he left from this place.

    ¡°I am anxious,¡± the old magician muttered as he walked away from the shore and toward the city.

    ¡°What do you mean, sir?¡±

    ¡°The look on that man¡¯s face.¡±

    The old magician looked back at Su-hyeun, who was quite a distance behind them now. He could not see Su-hyeun¡¯s face anymore, but the look he had made before bothered the old magician.

    ¡°What about his face? How was it?¡±

    ¡°I thought he would be scared, of course, but it looked like he was expecting something.¡± The old magician shook his head and still could not believe what he saw.

    ¡°What? Expecting something?¡±

    The other dark magicians looked puzzled and did not understand.

    ¡®He should be scared by Ouroboros and run away, but he was expecting something? What could he possibly be expecting?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m anxious. I¡¯m anxious.¡±

    The old magician murmured over and over. He was unable to relieve his anxiety.

    ¡®What would be the consequences of my choice? It is all up to Ouroboros now.¡¯

    The old magician opened his mouth to speak when they moved far enough away from the battle. ¡°Ouroboros, eat him up.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The words he muttered traveled toward the shore with the power of dark magic. At that moment, he heard a loud noise.

    Kiyaa¡ª!

    The howl of Ouroboros roared over the sky.

 Chapter 109

    Kiyaa¡ª!

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Ouroboros let out an extremely loud roar that hurt Se-hyeun¡¯s eardrums. He covered his ear with one hand and spoke to Miru, who was on his head.

    ¡°Miru, go inside the subspace for a moment.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Miru spread his wings as if he was waiting for that command and went inside the subspace. It seemed like Miru was frightened by Ouroboros quite a bit.

    ¡®Well, Miru is still a baby, even if he is quite big,¡¯ Su-hyeun thought.

    Miru was not even half a year old yet. The demonic beasts were opponents of the divine beasts. Since Ouroboros was a top-level demonic beast, it was understandable that Miru got scared by him. Su-hyeun was proud that Miru even tried to be brave by not crying out.

    Se-hyeun used his powers to utilize various skills like the Indomitable body, Doppelganger, Flame: Phoenix, and transfiguration skill.

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    Dozens of small birds appeared around Su-hyeun. They were birds made of blue flames. His eyes changed to blue as well, and he stood in the middle of the birds with his eyes shining.

    ¡®I should not take this fight lightly.¡¯

    Swish¡ª

    ¡®Here I go.¡¯

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    Dozens of birds flew toward Ouroboros. In the center of them, Su-hyeun leaped in the air a couple of times and swung his sword at Ouroboros¡¯ scales.

    Slash¡ª

    Kiyaa¡ª

    The scales were very thick and hard. Even though the sword was covered with Su-hyeun¡¯s magic, no cut was made on the beast¡¯s body. After he stabbed the sword deep into the beast, he quickly jumped away from the creature.

    Swoosh¡ª

    Ouroboros¡¯ tail smashed down and missed where Su-hyeun landed by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    One side of the shore collapsed, and seawater flowed over it. A strong gust of wind formed when the beast lifted its tail. Su-hyeun staggered widely but jumped up through the air once more.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun swung his sword, with the Flame skill applied to it, a few more times. However, the beast¡¯s scales were ridiculously hard, so he could not deal much damage to the creature. Since Ouroboros was very big, Se-hyeun could only inflict small stab wounds, no matter how many times he cut the creature. Even then, it was challenging to inflict those types of injuries.

    ¡®I have to cut this beast more deeply,¡¯ Su-hyeun thought.

    Stab, stab¡ª

    Su-hyeun continued to wield his sword.

    ¡®I will cut this beast at once!¡¯

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun concentrated his magic on the sword. He rushed his sword toward the wounds that he had been making on the scales of Ouroboros.

    Rip¡ª!

    He made quite a deep wound this time. Blood splattered out of Ouroboros, but the creature didn¡¯t even scream in pain. This wound seemed to be nothing more than just a small scratch to the beast.

    Soon after he had made the wound to the beast, a huge shadow fell over Su-hyeun¡¯s head. He quickly moved his body before his brain could even process what was happening.

    Swoosh¡ª

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    The thick tail hit the surface of the sea. Seawater splashed up.

    Gulp¡ª

    Su-hyeun nervously swallowed as he observed the power of the tail that passed right in front of his eyes.

    ¡®One hit from that tail could kill me at once,¡¯ he thought.

    He thought Ouroboros would be slow since he was massive, but he was actually quite agile. The creature didn¡¯t seem to have magical powers, but its strength came from its large size. Not to mention, the rigidity of the scales on its body made it difficult to wound the creature. Su-hyeun could count all the monsters he had seen in his life on the fingers of one of his hands. However, none of them were like this beast.

    ¡®A small wound.¡¯

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes focused on one place.

    ¡®Let¡¯s try again.¡¯

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun quickly jumped towards Ouroboros again.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun could hear the tail ripping into the air. Again, Ouroboros¡¯ tail missed Su-hyeun as he quickly disappeared from where he was.

    Hiss, hiss¡ª

    Ouroboros looked around and flicked its tongue out. Su-hyeun could move quicker than the beast since he was smaller in size. He climbed on the back of Ouroboros and ran up the creature before it could notice what he was doing. Su-hyeun was holding a long spear instead of the sword this time. It was the Dragon Slaying Spear.

    Su-hyeun grabbed the spear tightly and aimed the weapon at the wound in front of him. It was the wound that he had been deepening with stabs previously.

    ¡®One, two.¡¯

    Whoosh¡ª

    The blue Flame skill wrapped around the spear.

    ¡®Three!¡¯

    At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s body bounced forward.

    Boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun threw the spear with all his might. The Dragon Slaying Spear flew precisely and quickly toward the wound on Ouroboros. However, somehow the spear was maintaining its original state. This was a weapon that was supposed to fragmentize as soon as the user threw it.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The rumbling sound came from the Dragon Slaying Spear. It trembled as if something restrained it.

    Su-hyeun muttered to the spear, ¡°Please hold on a little more.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Ouroboros moved its tail again. At that moment, the spear flew into the wound and stayed there.

    Kiyaa¡ª!

    Ouroboros screamed out for the first time. The Dragon Slaying Spear shattered into thousands of pieces inside of the wound. For the giant Ouroboros, the Dragon Slaying Spear was just a small thorn. However, it was a different story when it turned into thousands of pieces.

    Whooosh¡ª

    Bam¡ª!

    Ouroboros swung its tail faster. Su-hyeun dashed toward the end of the coast. Ouroboros twisted its body due to the pain it had never experienced before. The creature then looked around to try and find Su-hyeun. At that moment, Su-hyeun yelled out.

    ¡°Go bite it!¡±

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    Dozens of Phoenixes flew up.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    The Phoenixes bumped into Ouroboros eyes just as they were searching for Su-hyeun. The creature closed its eyes at the burning pain.

    Kiyaa¡ª!

    The creature¡¯s big body shook.

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª

    Ouroboros swung its tail randomly with its eyes closed and hit its head on the ground. The coast was completely ruined, and the seawater rose and splashed like rain on the shore.

    After feeling some relief from the pain, Ouroboros opened its eyes again and started looking around. It was hard to find the original terrain since it collapsed and was ruined. Su-hyeun was nowhere to be found.

    ***

    Boom, boom¡ª

    Kiyaa¡ª!

    The magicians in Moros poured into the streets after hearing the loud roars. The earth shook, and the cry of Ouroboros filled the island. The tall wall couldn¡¯t block the sound of Ouroboros from them.

    ¡°Why is the creature suddenly going crazy?¡±

    ¡°Are the dark magicians trying to kill everybody?¡±

    ¡°That sound really drives me nuts.¡±

    The magicians on the street buzzed with speculation. Amongst them, a small bent Malcolm lifted his head. He could see the head of Ouroboros from afar.

    ¡°Why is Ouroboros suddenly¡ª¡±

    ¡°Mr. Malcolm! What is happening?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Ouroboros your responsibility? Explain this!¡±

    The magicians found Malcolm and started to complain one by one. They usually treated Malcolm as an invisible person because of their resentment towards him, but if Ouroboros went crazy, Malcolm was the only person that they could turn to. He was the one who knew Ouroboros better than anyone else.

    ¡°W-well, I have no idea. There is no reason for Ouroboros to be acting crazy like that,¡± Malcolm said.

    ¡°What do you mean? How do you have no idea?¡±

    ¡°Yes! You are very irresponsible! What didn¡¯t you study about that¡ª¡±

    ¡°You should come up with a solution!¡±

    Malcolm backed away, sweating at the sound of resentment in their voices. He knew nothing about what was happening right at the moment.

    ¡°I can explain this.¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    At that time, a small voice interrupted the crowd. The magicians looked back. There stood the old dark magician who wore a black robe around his shoulders. At his appearance, the crowd of magicians dispersed and made a path for him. Malcolm stared at him with surprise as well.

    ¡°Raeng, what are you doing here?¡± Malcolm asked.

    ¡°Long time no see, Malcolm.¡± The old dark magician named Raeng approached him and said, ¡°My old friend.¡±

    ***

    Sizzle, sizzle¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s whole body was tingling. There was fluid falling from the ceiling, and he felt a slimy liquid under his feet. He was inside a dark cave with no light at all. Su-hyeun could barely keep his balance as he held onto the wall with his hand.

    ¡°Well, somehow, I didn¡¯t die.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun used the Flame skill to illuminate the dark place he was standing in. He could see quite a spacious area that was slightly curved into a slope. There were some puddles of black liquid.

    ¡®The liquid seems to be quite a deadly poison.¡¯

    Sizzle¡ª

    The black liquid that fell over his shoulder evaporated and left a burning sensation. It was fortunate that he was wearing Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor. It seemed that the armor protected him from the black liquid with its magic.

    ¡°It¡¯s so humid and stuffy.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The area around him shook once more. Su-hyeun grabbed the wall tightly. It seemed like Ouroboros was moving.

    ¡®Well, I came in here somehow but¡ª¡¯

    After Su-hyeun was discovered by Ouroboros, he jumped into the beast¡¯s mouth when it screamed. He entered the creature¡¯s body through its esophagus. He decided to attack Ouroboros from the inside.

    ¡®I guess the head-on match is impossible.¡¯ Su-hyeun sighed and scratched his head.

    Perhaps he was becoming confident, but he thought he possibly had enough power to kill Ouroboros now. The creature wasn¡¯t just big. It also had hard scales and thick skin that Su-hyeun¡¯s sword could not penetrate easily. It was evident that Se-hyeun would die before he could cut through the creature¡¯s skin. However, perhaps he can injure him from the inside now.

    ¡®Well, this monster was not for catching in the first place.¡¯

    The main purpose of this trial was not to defeat Ouroboros but to survive. The primary objective of this trial is to escape the magicians when they tried to sacrifice him in a month.

    ¡®I certainly digress from the main objective.¡¯

    All he had to do was survive. It was natural that the achievement rate of the trials would vary depending on the course of action taken. However, Su-hyeun believed he made the right choice in his decision to fight Ouroboros.

    ¡°Where should I look around here anyway?¡± he muttered.

    The inside of the beast was like a winding slope, so he could not navigate his way around easily. Furthermore, time was a problem. It was unlikely that he would be able to withstand a few hours of the venomous fluid in Ouroboros. Ordinary people would have probably melted as soon as they got in here.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    ¡°Uh, uh?¡±

    At that time, Ouroboros, who was standing upright, began to lean down slowly. Su-hyeun was now standing on the very wall he had initially been holding onto so he would not fall. Ouroboros moved its body, and the winding path straightened up.

    Rumble¡ª

    The area shook for a while. He was certain that Ouroboros had laid down.

    ¡®What is it doing all of a sudden?¡¯

    His body became more comfortable, but he felt anxious inside.

    Syaa¡ª

    Su-hyeun turned his head toward the unpleasant snake sounds and saw multiple mouths open. The inside of Ouroboros was filled with thousands of pairs of eyes staring at Su-Hyeun.

 Chapter 110

    ¡°Eww. They look gross,¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    Crack, crack, crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun looked down to the ground. There were eyes all over the place. He had no idea how all those eyes suddenly appeared, but they were staring at him. It seemed like the reason why Ouroboros laid down was because it noticed that Su-hyeun was inside of its body.

    ¡®I guess it can only focus on either the inside or outside of its body.¡¯

    Su-hyeun had made the wrong decision.

    ¡®No way. I didn¡¯t know it was capable of noticing the stuff inside of its body. This was a mistake.¡¯

    It was a mistake that he made because he was not familiar with the demonic beast. However, even if he knew about this, there would be no better alternative on how to defeat the creature. Even if he decided to attack Ouroboros from both the inside and outside, there was nobody who could help him in passing this trial.

    ¡®Well, I already made a mistake. It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Hiss¡ª

    Su-hyeun turned his head in the direction of the snakes crying.

    Hiss, hiss¡ª

    They were not just in a couple of areas. There were snakes everywhere.

    ¡°Are these snakes natural inhabitants of this body? Or are they small versions of Ouroboros?¡±

    Su-hyeun called them small, but each of them was bigger than an anaconda. Since many snakes had gathered in the area, they looked like wiggling worms. Although they were as big as anacondas, Su-hyeun felt like they were small in comparison to Ouroboros.

    ¡®These snakes appear to be a part of some kind of defense system.¡¯

    Just like an immune system in a human¡¯s body that kills viruses, it seemed like these snakes function in the same way for Ouroboros¡¯ safety. The black venom and the small snakes in its large body seem to function like an immune system to get rid of enemies like Su-hyeun.

    Shwing¡ª

    Su-hyeun drew out his sword that he had put away for a while. He could see thousands of snakes right at that moment. He assumed there would be tens of thousands more in the deeper area.

    ¡®I will go through them.¡¯

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun penetrated through numerous snakes. At the same time, the snakes rushed towards Su-hyeun, revealing their black fangs.

    Slash¡ª

    Syaa¡ª

    He cut the bodies of the snakes that jumped toward him, but no blood flowed from their wounds. These snakes were made of just flesh and had no blood or intestines. They didn¡¯t fear death either. Although many of the snakes were slaughtered, many more still rushed toward Su-hyeun without hesitation.

    Slash¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword moved unceasingly. Soon, snakes appeared again in the path that Su-hyeun had been clearing. It seemed that snakes kept reappearing in the area.

    Kiyaa¡ª!

    The fangs of the snakes rushed towards the back of Su-hyeun¡¯s neck.

    He utilized the Doppelganger skill.

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun swung his sword and cut the snake¡¯s body in half. He had to pay attention to his entire surroundings since they were coming from every direction. They were weak individually, but there were too many of them.

    ¡®I can¡¯t hesitate.¡¯

    There was a long way to go. From now on, this would be a physical battle.

    ¡®I have to find its heart.¡¯

    He had to reserve his magic power as much as possible. He didn¡¯t know where the heart was in this huge body. Since he had no idea how long it would take to find it, he could not waste his power.

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun stretched his arms to access the subspace. He grabbed a Dragon Slaying Spear made by Kim Dae-ho. He didn¡¯t have many of them left, but no other weapons could handle many enemies efficiently like this one.

    ¡®Mr. Kim will scold me about this.¡¯

    Kim Dae-ho had nagged Su-hyeun to save this weapon, but he had to use it again. He had no other choice and grabbed the spear tightly. He didn¡¯t need to aim accurately. Everything in front of him was an enemy that needed to be killed. Su-hyeun bent his body like a bow and threw the spear as hard as he could.

    Whiz¡ª

    ***

    The delicate scent of tea filled the room when the hot water was poured into the teacup. Dozens of the dark magicians stood behind Raeng. Malcolm looked awkwardly at the old man who was escorted by so many dark magicians.

    ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot,¡± Malcolm said.

    ¡°Not as much as you.¡±

    At Raeng¡¯s words, Malcolm turned his gaze toward the dark magicians standing behind him. The dark magicians, who usually frowned their faces at Malcolm, avoided his eyes. They didn¡¯t know Raeng, who they served, was acquainted with Malcolm.

    ¡°Please explain this,¡± Malcolm said.

    ¡°You are smart. What do I need to explain?¡±

    ¡°So, was it you?¡± Malcolm asked while putting the teapot on the table. ¡°The one who wanted power over Ouroboros?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel comfortable using my friend to gain control over the creature.¡±

    ¡°If you truly thought of me as your friend¡­¡±

    ¡°I did consider you as a friend, and I mean it.¡±

    Malcolm stared at Raeng¡¯s face while he sipped on his tea. This was the friend that he met for the first time in over ten years, but he felt more betrayed than welcomed.

    ¡°A long time ago, you said that dark magic is the study of a higher concept of magic,¡± Malcolm said as he remembered the words that Raeng had told him. ¡°Do you still think so?¡±

    ¡°I feel sorry.¡± Raeng put down the cup and took his hand off of it as if he did not want to drink tea anymore. ¡°We could stay good friends.¡±

    ¡®You were no longer my friend,¡¯ seemed to be the hidden meaning behind Raeng¡¯s words. Malcolm wasn¡¯t too shocked about this since he also did not consider Raeng as a friend of his. His response answered Malcolm¡¯s question.

    Raeng had been devaluing ordinary magic, but he considered dark magic as the best to study. He was different from Malcolm. Malcolm had figured out the truth of the dark magic and turned away from it.

    ¡°Just tell me why you are here,¡± Malcolm said.

    ¡°Malcolm, there is a way for us to go back to what we used to be.¡±

    ¡°Used to be?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Wasn¡¯t it good back then? We studied together and understood everything. We walked the same path.¡±

    ¡°As I said last time, I am no longer a dark magician. I am just an ordinary old man.¡± Malcolm shook his head as if it wasn¡¯t worth mentioning this anymore.

    Raeng¡¯s face was slightly distorted, but he soon smiled again. ¡°I understand. You are entitled to your own opinion, of course.¡±

    ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°My request is not for you to learn dark magic again. What I want is this.¡± Raeng reached his hand out to his back and handed Malcolm a book.

    ¡°Chimera composing method?¡±

    Chimera making was a sorcery that was a part of dark magic. This book dealt with combining humans to animals, monsters, or demonic beasts.

    ¡°Why are you showing this to me? I don¡¯t know anything about chimeras.¡±

    ¡°No, you know something about it. Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± Raeng said as if he knew everything. He shook his head and opened the book. ¡°You also know about Ouroboros better than anyone else.¡±

    At Raeng¡¯s words, Malcolm¡¯s eyes widened. Soon, Malcolm recalled the crying of Ouroboros. His face turned pale.

    ¡°Wait. Are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°What if humans have the same amount of power that Ouroboros has?¡± Raeng grinned and said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be quite the evolution for humans?¡±

    ***

    Clank, clank¡ª

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun threw the Dragon Slaying Spear once more. It swept away the snakes in front of him. As soon as the spear left his hand, he grabbed his sword again, and he started running towards the path that he just created.

    ¡®I have only three spears left.¡¯

    He had seven spears originally, but he had used four of them so far. He decided that today was the day he would use them all, but he felt pretty bitter about it. A lot of Ether stone was needed to make a Dragon Slaying Spear. It also took a long time to create.

    ¡®I will save my remaining spears for now.¡¯

    The Dragon Slaying Spear was a weapon that could kill many snakes with minimal force, but he still had some strength left. So, he decided to rely on the sword more.

    Da-dum, da-dum¡ª

    A small beating sound came from afar. It was the heart.

    ¡®Found it.¡¯

    Although he could hear the heart, he did not assume it was close by. The blood vessels that he was running beside at the moment were winded and irregularly connected. However, the heart was closer than he had been expecting. Su-hyeun touched the wall and tried to find the source of the sound. The sound was coming from under the esophagus and inside the wall. He had to make a hole.

    ¡°Sure, it was easy so far.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t guess how thick the inner wall around the esophagus would be, but since there were no scales, he assumed it would be easier to cut through. It wouldn¡¯t be as difficult as it had been to cut the outside of the beast.

    ¡®I should say thank you to Mr. Kim later.¡¯

    Chink¡ª

    Su-hyeun took out the small stones that he had been keeping in the pocket of his armor. They were the magic amplifiers. Su-hyeun put them on the wall and made a circular shape.

    Hiss¡ª

    Kiyaa¡ª!

    Of course, the snakes didn¡¯t just stand by and watch. They tried to attack Su-hyeun, revealing their teeth. At that moment, Su-hyeun turned and swung his sword.

    Slash¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    The Flame that wrapped around his sword ignited brightly. It created a protective wall of flames around Su-hyeun. The snakes burned black and fell dead, but that wasn¡¯t the end. The Flame didn¡¯t extinguish as it surrounded Su-hyeun like a globe and continued to burn. Even if it was only for a limited time, that was enough for him.

    ¡®Done.¡¯

    Su-hyeun infused his magic to the magic amplifiers that were attached to the wall.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The stones shone brighter and brighter, but Su-hyeun instinctively knew that it was not enough. He focused and needed to concentrate on bursting his magic at once. One shot was crucial.

    ¡®A little bit more.¡¯

    Hiss¡ª

    Kiyaa¡ª

    A few snakes pierced the wall of the Flame and rushed toward Su-hyeun. Sharp fangs penetrated the armor and bit his shoulder. As soon as the black venom penetrated his skin, Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor began to detox the poison from his body. Su-hyeun remained focused. He ignored the pain in his shoulder and continued to infuse his magic.

    ¡®Now!¡¯

    At that moment, he released the magic he had been infusing.

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun tossed the snake that had been biting him off of his body and ran away from the spot.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    The concentrated magic, which was amplified several times, caused an explosion. The explosion tore off the esophagus wall of Ouroboros.

    Da-dum, da-dum¡ª

    The open wall made from the explosion led to a spacious area. There was no heart in this huge dome-shaped space, but the loud beating sound was still there.

    Hiss¡ª

    In the enormous space, a lot of snakes were waiting for Su-hyeun instead of the heart.

    ¡°Damn, there are too many.¡±

    Da-dum, da-dum¡ª

    The heart was somewhere in here. It just wasn¡¯t visible.

    ¡®It is certainly here.¡¯

    Su-hyeun looked carefully among the hundreds of snakes. There was a space that a large number of poisonous snakes gathered around. He could see a small sphere about the size of a watermelon within that space.

    ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes sparkled. It was the power source that could control this giant beast. The moment he found it, he gave strength to his legs by using the Leap skill.

 Chapter 111

    Act 1

    Boooom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure exploded forward like a loaded spring.

    Countless snakes pounced on him. He was carrying a sword and a spear in each of his hands.

    [Dragon-slaying spear.]

    Wuuuung¡ª

    The spear gripped in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand vibrated noisily. He stopped dashing forward for a moment, stood still, and powerfully threw the spear towards the target in his front.

    Swiiiiiish¡ª

    Puh-pupupupupuhk¡ª!

    The dragon-slaying spear split into thousands of pieces and swept away the snakes blocking his path. However, that was still not enough.

    There were simply far too many snakes for the dragon-slaying spear to effectively reduce their numbers. The path opened up for only the briefest moment before closing back up.

    <<One more time.>>

    Su-hyeun extended his hand towards the empty air. It happened the moment he grasped one of the two remaining dragon-slaying spears stored in the subspace.

    His vision rocked greatly and an abnormality occurred to his sense of balance. Up and down got mixed up, and his innards tumbled so much that it felt like he¡¯d throw up at any second.

    It was poison.

    ¡°Dammit¡­.¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Su-hyeun clenched his teeth.

    He released the dragon-slaying spear gripped in his hand. Instead, he swung the sword held in his other hand in a huge arc and spun his entire body around.

    Paaaaahk¡ª!

    Snakes soundlessly pouncing on him got cut into pieces and fell on the floor.

    Right afterwards, he raised his foot up and stomped hard. The head of a snake sneaking closer on the floor was crushed to bits. In the meantime, his dizzy vision regained its focus little by little and his surroundings grew brighter.

    Shiiiiii, hiiissss¡ª

    Innumerable snakes completely filled up Su-hyeun¡¯s vision. Never mind his front and back, every direction was utterly filled up by them. Not only that, but poison was also rapidly spreading inside his body with every passing second.

    <<Doesn¡¯t look like I can take my time anymore.>>

    Even if these things were small, each and every single one of these b*stards was Ouroboros¡¯s clones. He shouldn¡¯t take the poison these things carried lightly.

    The strength of the poison itself might have been weak due to the small bodies of each clone, but now that it had begun spreading, things would only get more disadvantageous for him as time went on.

    <<I don¡¯t have the time to detoxify myself, either.>>

    He needed to reach Ouroboros¡¯s heart as quickly as possible.

    Sliiiiice¡ª

    His sword laden with magical energy stretched forward, and the path opened up momentarily. However, snakes quickly filled it back up. Su-hyeun wrapped his entire body with the divine Flame and began dashing forward towards his target.

    Sliiiiice¡ª!

    Every time he swung the sword, dozens upon dozens of snakes were cut in half.

    Perhaps his complete disregard for defense while running forward was to blame here, as several snakes managed to bite and cling onto Su-hyeun.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped, though ¡ª this was a race against time from here onward. As the poison had already begun spreading inside him, he decided to not to sweat about getting bitten a few times more.

    He cut, then cut down some more. And then, forced his way forward.

    [Fatigue: 68.]

    ¡°Pant, pant¡­.¡±

    Was it because poison had spread throughout his body?

    As he hadn¡¯t been holding back with his magical energy reserve while fighting, his fatigue level rose up quite high in no time at all. His health must¡¯ve fallen quite a lot as well because he kept panting heavily with every step.

    Still, his reward was that the distance had closed up considerably.

    While repeatedly swinging the sword, he confirmed his fatigue level, only for his eyes to gleam just then.

    <<Now.>>

    [Fatigue: 70.]

    [Trait Hero-Immortality is activating.]

    [Vitality and stamina will recover rapidly. Abnormal status conditions will partially recover.]

    [Overall stats will increase slightly.]

    His previously-dizzy head grew clearer and energy returned to his body.

    It was not just his stamina, but also his magic energy reserve that was filled right back up, perhaps even more so than before. It was because the Hero-class skill that activated only during the moments of crisis, Immortality, had been activated.

    Slaaaash¡ª!

    His powerfully-swung swords cut down countless snakes blocking his path. Su-hyeun stepped on the torn pieces of the fallen snake torsos and leaped forward once more.

    There didn¡¯t seem to be an end no matter how many he cut down. Especially more so near the heart ¡ª so many snakes had bunched up together with the organ as their center that there was hardly any room to stand.

    Su-hyeun extended his hand to the empty air once more. He grasped the two remaining dragon-slaying spears inside the subspace.

    He held both spears in one hand pulled them out. This would be really his final attack.

    Creeeeeeaaaaak¡ª

    As he ran forward, his arm was jerked back greatly.

    His strength had doubled from his normal state due to the effects of the Immortality skill. Even his magic energy¡¯s quality had risen up far higher than before, which meant the same thing had happened to the amplification factor, as well.

    The dragon-slaying spears vibrated harshly as if they would shatter at any second when he poured his magical energy into them.

    While gripping both spears with one hand, he restricted his own strength to make sure that the magic energy wouldn¡¯t explode out of his control. He only had one shot. So, he patiently held back and held back some more. He didn¡¯t hastily throw the spears and continued to store his power.

    Kyaaaaahk¡ª!

    And, moments before a snake¡¯s wide-open maw was about to swallow Su-hyeun¡¯s head whole¡ª

    Flash!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s arm shot forward and at the same time, a blue light flashed and blinded the entire area.

    Kwa-kwakwakwa¡ª

    Splaaaaash¡ª

    All the snakes blocking Su-hyeun¡¯s path dissipated in an instant. The spears had shattered into small pieces and scattered, ripping and tearing apart the bodies of every creature before him in the process. And now, an empty path that used to be filled up with nothing but snakes revealed itself.

    Su-hyeun rushed forward on this path. It didn¡¯t take him long to reach the small heart.

    Ba-dump, ba-dump.

    This small watermelon-sized heart was supplying Ouroboros¡¯s entire body with energy.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Claaang¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword slammed down on the heart.

    Claaaang, pang¡ª!

    However, the blade simply bounced away.

    The sword vibrated harshly and blood seeped out from the torn webbings of his hands. A slight crack formed on the heart¡¯s surface, but it was not sliced open.

    <<Now that¡¯s hard.>>

    Ouroboros¡¯s heart was somewhat different in composition than regular living creatures¡¯ organs. From the get-go, the gigantic snake monster didn¡¯t possess any internal organs, and just a small energy source was enough to power this massive body. This small heart was precisely that power source capable of moving a body dozens of meters wide and several kilometers long.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    The surrounding space rumbled and quaked, and a loud screech could be heard coming from the outside. Ouroboros was howling in pain from the impact force felt on its heart.

    <<It¡¯s working.>>

    Su-hyeun swung his sword again.

    Claaang¡ª

    Su-hyeun repeatedly swung his sword down.

    However, the membrane enveloping the heart wasn¡¯t easy to break; this was the last defensive measure Ouroboros had put up to protect its heart.

    Even then, it still began developing cracks little by little from Su-hyeun¡¯s sword reinforced by his Immortality skill.

    His sole problem was that he didn¡¯t have a lot of time left.

    Hiiiiiss¡ª!

    Paaaahk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun spun around and swung his sword towards the snakes already pouncing on him from behind. Although he managed to clear the path once, there were still countless snakes to be found within Ouroboros¡¯s body.

    From the very start, it was an impossibility to cut down all these snakes.

    <<I need a little more time¡­.>>

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru revealed its figure just above Su-hyeun¡¯s head. His dragon had never come outside without his permission before. That was down to his strict education, but at least right now, he was really happy to see Miru acting independently like this.

    ¡°Miru!¡±

    Ruuumble¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you for a little while.¡±

    [Breath.]

    Crimson flames burst out from Miru¡¯s mouth.

    Bodies of the snakes pouncing on them from all sides began melting down. Miru might not have been able to fire its Breath many times, but this attack still possessed far higher destructive power than any other skill.

    He decided to leave the rear to Miru.

    Su-hyeun began swinging his sword down on the heart again.

    Clang, claaang¡ª!

    Craaack¡ª

    The membrane surrounding the heart broke away little by little.

    He was running out of time. As Immortality was a cheat-like skill, its duration wasn¡¯t all that long.

    [Breath.]

    Another Breath was fired out from Miru¡¯s mouth just then.

    That was already the second one. The number of Breaths Miru could fire was limited to only two.

    However¡­

    Gya-ohk, gya-ooong¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    Miru squeezed out every ounce of magical energy it still had for one last time. And then, just as a snake fell from above and tried to bite Su-hyeun¡¯s head, for the first time ever, a third Breath was fired out from Miru¡¯s mouth.

    Kwa-ruuuuumble¡ª

    With Su-hyeun in the center, all the snakes pouncing on him were swept away by Miru¡¯s Breath once more and disappeared into thin air.

    A third Breath.

    He was so proud of Miru pushing itself beyond its limits to extract more power like this. The dragon¡¯s body slumped and fell to the ground as if it no longer had any energy left to even flap its wings.

    And now, it was his turn to answer the dragon¡¯s hard work.

    Su-hyeun raised his sword up, spun it around, and reverse-gripped it. While holding it with both of his hands, he thrust the weapon down right in the middle of the heart.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword stabbed deeply into the center of the heart.

    Kyyaaaaaaahh¡ª!

    Kha-aaahk, kaaaahk¡ª!

    Screams of snakes reverberated from all directions. Snakes crazily pouncing on Su-hyeun suddenly began writhing around and cried out in pain.

    This was none other than Ouroboros¡¯s scream.

    Buzz, bzzzz¡ª

    Ziiiiing¡ª

    The sword stabbing into the heart began vibrating. An incredible power oozing out from the pulsing organ began gathering on the tip of the sword. And through the weapon, Ouroboros¡¯s power was being sucked right into Su-hyeun¡¯s hands. More specifically, he was sucking it in.

    ***

    ¡°Ouroboros¡¯s heart is actually a crystallized form of energy that the creature had gathered for its entire lifetime. Meaning, it¡¯s basically the purest form of concentrated energy.¡±

    Advice from the gatekeeper.

    The ¡°much bigger¡± reward that could be earned during the 30th floor¡¯s trial.

    ¡°Destroying an Ouroboros¡¯s heart basically means the same thing as killing the snake monster itself. Although it¡¯ll be impossible for you to hunt down an Ouroboros with your current skill level, entering its innards to destroy its heart should still be within your reach.¡±

    ¡°Is the killing of the Ouroboros this trial¡¯s ultimate objective?¡±

    ¡°Nope. The killing of the Ouroboros has nothing to do with the trial. No, the monster is simply a part of the trial¡¯s setting, that¡¯s all. That thing is not the trial¡¯s goal but merely a calamity that exists outside the trials of the tower.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you already, didn¡¯t I? It¡¯s just an additional reward that you can earn during the 30th floor, that¡¯s all.¡±

    The reward the gatekeeper was talking about was something else.

    ¡°You should devour that thing¡¯s heart. That is, if you can.¡±

    The gatekeeper¡¯s eyes back then seemed to be asking, ¡°Can you really pull that off, I wonder?¡±

    ***

    Wuduk, wududuk¡ª

    Veins began bulging on Su-hyeun¡¯s hands still gripping the sword tightly.

    His face became hideous as blood vessels began bursting open one by one. It felt like the power was overflowing throughout his entire body, so much so that it¡¯d start exploding at any second now.

    The problem lied with him attempting to absorb this massive energy without any preparation, but also with Ouroboros¡¯s magical energy suddenly showing an adverse reaction inside Su-Hyeun¡¯s body, as well.

    <<Should I be happy with this much and call it a day?>>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brain quickly kicked into the next gear.

    He wondered if he should give up here, but this felt like too much of a wasted opportunity, so he instead began thinking about some other ways to make it work. Right then, a sudden flash of inspiration brushed past his mind.

    <<Ouroboros¡¯s trait.>>

    While gripping the sword with one hand, Su-hyeun bent down and placed his free hand on the floor. More specifically, on the body of Ouroboros.

    [You¡¯re using the transfiguration skill with Ouroboros as your target.]

    [You¡¯re absorbing a portion of your target¡¯s trait.]

    [Trait: Third Eye has been acquired.]

 Chapter 112

    It was a snake-like eye. At the same time, a new type of scale that didn¡¯t belong to the Imoogi began sprouting out of Su-hyeun¡¯s skin. Sensations picked up from all over his body sharpened up considerably. Everything in his surroundings could be felt vividly on his skin now.

    Not just the snakes thrashing about on the floor, but even the heavy breathing coming from Ouroboros¡¯s gigantic body could be felt clearly.

    <<Now isn¡¯t the time to check out my new trait, is it?>>

    Indeed, confirming the new trait acquired through the transfiguration skill should come later. The important thing now was that Su-hyeun¡¯s body became quite similar to Ouroboros¡¯s temporarily through the usage of his skill.

    Vrrrr, vrrrrr¡ª

    The sword still sucking in the power of Ouroboros was vibrating angrily even now. But one thing was for certain: his body accepting that power had regained its stability.

    At the very least, his body was no longer rejecting this power. That alone made it far easier to accept more and more of the Ouroboros¡¯s magical energy.

    ¡°And from now on¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun gripped the hilt even tighter as if he was planning to never let it go.

    ¡°I¡¯m your master.¡±

    [Magic factor has risen by one point.]

    <hr />

    Raeng and Malcolm sat opposite of each other, choosing to not say a single word for a long while. They needed time.

    Malcolm fiddled around the book Raeng had handed over. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to flip open the cover and start reading it.

    ¡°Do you need more time to think about this?¡±

    Waiting for dozens of minutes already, Raeng pressed Malcolm for an answer. But the latter couldn¡¯t reply, simply pretending to not hear the question while touching the book¡¯s cover.

    One of the dark magicians couldn¡¯t watch any longer and had to ask, ¡°Do we really need this person¡¯s aid, sir?¡±

    Now normally, he¡¯d not have shown any courtesy to Malcolm, but the person in question happened to be Raeng¡¯s old friend. The dark magicians learned of this truth for the first time today; it was only obvious that their attitude in dealing with Malcolm would change accordingly.

    ¡°It seemed that none of you are aware of my friend¡¯s ability,¡± replied Raeng.

    ¡°We knew that he played a vital role in summoning Ouroboros, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that he ¡®played a vital role,¡¯ but my friend here had performed it practically all by himself. You and I, we simply sat on the banquet table after the feast had been laid out for us, that¡¯s all.¡±

    The dark magicians all shut their mouths at Raeng¡¯s words. Technically speaking, his assertion wasn¡¯t wrong. Every dark magician present could easily gorge on the feast already prepared for them.

    Mere words weren¡¯t enough to express how incredible Malcolm¡¯s wealth of knowledge was.

    ¡°As I thought¡­ I¡¯ll have to refuse.¡±

    ¡°But, Malcolm.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t try to change my mind. As I feared, this isn¡¯t right. Even if¡­¡±

    Crumple¡ª

    Malcolm spoke as his energyless fingers crumpled the book¡¯s corner. ¡°Even if I get to meet my son again.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±

    Raeng simply stood up from the chair, looking as if he had no thought of taking the book away from Malcolm¡¯s grip. ¡°I shall leave that tome behind with you. Please have a good look through, and if you have a change of heart by any chance, then come seek me out in the tower at the center of the city.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t wait for me.¡±

    ¡°I shall give you ten days. If you don¡¯t come within that time frame¡­¡±

    Kyyaaaaaah¡ª

    Just as Raeng was hesitating with what to say next, his ears picked up Ouroboros¡¯s cry.

    Kyaaah, kyaaaah¡ª!

    No, this couldn¡¯t be a mere cry.

    This was¡­

    ¡°A scream??¡±

    It couldn¡¯t be, but he needed to confirm nevertheless. He shifted his gaze only to see Malcolm making a similar expression as his. Even the latter believed that Ouroboros couldn¡¯t possibly scream like that.

    ¡°S-sir, this¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Raeng turned his pale complexion towards Malcolm still sitting in his chair. ¡°Are you coming with us?¡±

    Malcolm thought about it for a moment or two after hearing the question, but eventually, nodded his head.

    For some reason, he kept recalling Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    <hr />

    A drop of hot liquid fell on Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    His tightly-shut eyes opened up all by themselves. The first thing he noticed after his trembling eyelids opened was a blurry, unclear view.

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Next was Miru¡¯s cry. Su-hyeun reached towards the direction of that cry, then rubbed the dragon¡¯s slumped back still lying on the floor.

    <<Did I black out?>>

    It seemed that all of his energy had been exhausted and he blacked out the moment the Immortality skill¡¯s duration came to an end.

    He couldn¡¯t muster any strength in his body. No, more correctly, he really didn¡¯t want to move his body at all. He just wanted to lie there for a little bit longer.

    ¡°Good job, my boy.¡±

    Growl¡ª

    Su-hyeun petted the back of Miru sagging on the floor just like him.

    Three Breath attacks.

    This kid used to behave as if it¡¯d die of exhaustion after firing two consecutive Breath attacks, so Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t quite figure out how his dragon managed to shoot the third shot.

    It did mean that Miru had grown just a little more, but it also meant that the dragon put in even more effort than ever before, too. Su-hyeun was feeling so proud and happy right now. However, they couldn¡¯t just stay here doing nothing.

    ¡°Urgh.¡±

    He forced himself up with the trembling arms, and felt some strength return to his body little by little.

    Having his torso upright, Su-hyeun was able to take a better look at his surroundings. As his mind grew clearer, his previously-blurry vision was slowly restored as well.

    The floor he¡¯d been lying on felt a lot harder than before. After he took a look at his vicinity, he noticed that the snakes, Ouroboros¡¯s clones, were strewn about messily all over the place, none of them budging an inch.

    Every single one of them was dead.

    <<I managed to survive, somehow.>>

    It was literally the difference of a hair¡¯s breadth.

    If he took even a moment longer to destroy the heart and failed to perfectly absorb the power from it, then he¡¯d also be rolling around on the floor as a corpse himself by now.

    In other words, he got to fully enjoy the effects of the hero-class skill, Immortality.

    <<In any case, did I succeed or not?>>

    He still hadn¡¯t been graded for the outcome of the results yet. But then again, it was obvious as to why, seeing that hunting down Ouroboros wasn¡¯t the objective of the trial in the first place.

    Of course, the remaining matters weren¡¯t going to pose much of a problem. The objective of this trial as Su-hyeun figured out wasn¡¯t fundamentally a difficult one.

    <<Status.>>

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic factor: 81] [Magic level: 8]

    [Strength: 83] [Agility: 89]

    [Health: 78] [Reflex: 91]

    [Skill: Leap * details]

    [Skill: Transfiguration * details]

    [Skill: Flame¡­.]

    ¡­.

    [Fatigue: 55]

    After confirming his stats, Su-hyeun almost cried out in happiness without even realizing it. No, his cry did half-way come out of his mouth, but then he managed to swallow it back down. He didn¡¯t want to wake Miru.

    [Magic factor: 81.]

    [Magic level: 8.]

    The first digit of his magic factor had reached 8 while his magic level had reached 8, too.

    In all honesty, such numbers scarcely made any logical sense. If he let slip that he achieved this result in only half a year, no one would even believe him, that¡¯s for sure.

    Su-hyeun extended his hand forward, and at the same time, the magical energy he absorbed from Ouroboros began swirling about within his outstretched palm.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Sizzzzle¡ª

    His palm felt hot as if it was on fire. He furrowed his brows and stopped arousing his magical energy.

    The magical power he absorbed from Ouroboros was showing an adverse reaction. He might have absorbed it, but it seemed that he hadn¡¯t fully assimilated everything yet.

    <<Two different types of magical energies are refusing to fuse together and are acting independently. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before¡­.>>

    If he tried to use more than a certain amount of magical energy, the energy he absorbed from Ouroboros would start rejecting his control. The whole thing kind of felt like his new power hadn¡¯t acknowledged Su-hyeun as its new master.

    <<Looks like I¡¯ll have to jump through some hoops in the near future.>>

    It wasn¡¯t as if he couldn¡¯t think up of a way around this. Su-hyeun stood up from the spot and activated the newly-acquired trait, Third Eye.

    Kii-ririririk¡ª

    A snake-like eye opened up in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead.

    At the same time, he could vividly sense every little minute sound and presence in his near vicinity as if he was looking at them through his eyes. Even this darkened space brightened noticeably in his view.

    <<Maybe it¡¯s like a snake¡¯s eyes?>>

    Although it sort of looked grotesque, he could thankfully close his new eye again. Not only that, the abilities he could enjoy when opening his third eye weren¡¯t just limited to the enhanced visual senses.

    As this trait was acquired from Ouroboros, the third eye also allowed him to assimilate the gigantic snake¡¯s powers as his own as well.

    Was that why?

    The magical energy showing signs of rejection began to quieten down gradually. Now it was acting as if it couldn¡¯t tell whether Su-hyeun was an enemy or an ally.

    <<I guess I can bear with it if it¡¯s this much.>>

    He had acquired this power rather abruptly; it was only right that he¡¯d have to deal with this level of inconvenience. Besides, he still ended up becoming much stronger than before even without resorting to Ouroboros¡¯s power.

    A magical energy level of 8.

    Su-hyeun knew really well the level of destructive power that signified as he had already wielded such strength before.

    <<For now¡­>>

    Su-hyeun closed shut the third eye in his forehead, lifted up Miru sagging on the floor, and placed the dragon on his shoulder.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this place first.¡±

    Act 2

    ¡°Son of a¡­¡±

    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening¡­.¡±

    Dark magicians arriving by the seafront formed stunned expressions while looking around the area.

    The sight of the seaside that had been utterly crushed beyond recognition was one thing, but they found the spectacle of Ouroboros¡¯s corpse lying unmoving on that very location even harder to believe, despite what their eyes were telling them.

    ¡°Is it¡­is it really dead?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not breathing¡­.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just asleep?¡±

    They were unwilling to think that the creature had died.

    Although some wounds could be seen on its body, they didn¡¯t see them as anything fatal when considering the overall size of Ouroboros. So, it was perhaps unsurprising that the first thing they thought was that the creature was simply slumbering away, rather than it being very much dead.

    Unfortunately, the way it didn¡¯t breathe or how no hints of life could be detected behind those giant eyes ¡ª they were far closer in appearance to a rapidly-cooling corpse, instead.

    ¡°Just what on earth has happened here¡­.¡± Malcolm formed a similarly stunned expression.

    Of course, unlike how it was with the others, the death of Ouroboros was something to be celebrated from his perspective. Still, an unbelievable spectacle was unbelievable no matter what.

    ¡°That punk, he couldn¡¯t have¡­.¡±

    Raeng¡¯s already heavily-wrinkled face now crumpled like discarded paper.

    Unlike Malcolm, he was aware of what had transpired in this place. The figure of Su-hyeun dashing forward, wanting to fight Ouroboros, vividly filled his head.

    ¡°Malcolm. Is this the sight you¡¯ve been wishing for?¡± Raeng asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Your guest has managed to kill Ouroboros, so now ask of you, do you feel satisfied?¡±

    Raeng¡¯s angry words caused confusion to overtake Malcolm¡¯s expression. The latter simply couldn¡¯t figure out what the former was saying here.

    <<My guest? Just who could he be talking about¡­.>>

    Right then, the face of a man flashed inside Malcolm¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Kim¡­Su-hyeun?¡±

    Moros¡¯s latest guest with a strange name. Maclom recalled that man¡¯s face, the one who had disappeared after staying with him for the past few days.

    ¡°So, his name was Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    Raeng¡¯s deeply scowling face was now glaring at Malcolm. The latter soon felt the unchecked murderous intent oozing out from the former and ungainly took a step back.

    Even if they had started learning the dark magic around the same time, Malcolm stopped in the middle of his training, so there was no way he could possibly withstand Raeng¡¯s aura.

    ¡°It seems that the b*stard called Kim Su-hyeun isn¡¯t around here, so¡­¡±

    Raeng gritted his teeth and extended his hand towards Malcolm. ¡°So, you should pay for his crime, instead.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Huh, huhuhuh.¡±

    Malcolm stopped backing away and chuckled softly to himself.

    He could see Ouroboros¡¯s gigantic corpse behind Raeng. For some reason, watching the latter¡¯s rage explode drove home the fact that Ouroboros had indeed been killed off for real.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The moment of his death had come, yet he felt rather refreshed.

    He was already thinking about when he¡¯d die, anyway. He had no real reason to continue living on, other than to worry about Ouroboros suddenly going on a rampage.

    And now, even his sole remaining worry had vanished.

    <<Now I can die without any regret.>>

    But then, just as he closed his eyes and waited for Raeng to end his life¡­

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    A human¡¯s voice suddenly came out from the massive maw of the collapsed Ouroboros.

    ¡°Better put that hand away, or else.¡±

 Chapter 113

    Raeng, his arm still extending towards Malcolm, quickly turned his head.

    With his hands supporting himself against the huge fangs of Ouroboros, Su-hyeun was emerging from the creature¡¯s huge maw.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun¡­¡±

    Raeng¡¯s brows shot up high.

    Su-hyeun, suspected of dying alongside Ouroboros, instead walked out from the dead creature¡¯s slack mouth. That could mean only one thing.

    <<He fought it not from the outside, but from the inside?>>

    That was a gamble with his life on the line. The poison found within a monster of Ouroboros¡¯s caliber would be indescribably dangerous, after all.

    <<Did he realize that he could never win if he fought it from the outside?>>

    If that was indeed the case, then he made a rather wise assessment. There wouldn¡¯t be any method to bring down that massive Ouroboros from the outside. Of course, there was still no guarantee that the outcome would be any different just because you decided to fight it from the inside, either.

    As the word implied, it was a gamble.

    However, the odds of ¡°zero percent¡± and ¡°one percent¡± were two completely different things.

    ¡°What kind of trick did you resort to?¡±

    Raeng¡¯s glare was fixed on Su-hyeun. It was the same story for his hand previously reaching towards Malcolm. A dozen or so dark magicians also encircled Su-hyeun and spread out, as well.

    ¡°Just how did you hunt down Ouroboros?¡±

    ¡°Is how really important?¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°¡­No, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s not important.¡±

    The truly important thing was the death of Ouroboros ¡ª and with that, the dark magicians potentially losing their grip on power once more.

    <<No, it¡¯s not the end yet.>>

    Raeng¡¯s gaze shifted over to Ouroboros¡¯s corpse still resting on the shore. In a way, this could have very well been a blessing in disguise. The corpse of Ouroboros wasn¡¯t something you could come across even if you searched high and low for it.

    Not to forget, he had in his possession a tome related to Chimera research. The field of study related to Chimera could be seen as the peak of dark magic itself, and research had been carried out on the subject for a very long time, as well.

    The corpse of Ouroboros, plus Malcolm¡¯s wealth of knowledge¡­

    <<I might be able to possess the power of Ouroboros for myself!>>

    If so, his aged body could become young once more.

    Raeng ended his train of thoughts there, and while reining in his anger, formed a deep grin.

    He was about to turn a dangerous moment into an opportunity. And that opportunity was standing right before his eyes.

    <<This bastard is probably exhausted right now.>>

    Even a casual glance made it obvious. Su-hyeun¡¯s complexion was ashen and dark, and although hardly noticeable, his strides were wavering ever so slightly. The differences were slight, but the fact that he failed to even hide them meant he had to be really fatigued right now. If it was in the past, the situation might have been different, but with how things were, the dark magicians had high enough odds of victory.

    ¡°You know, I can already sort of tell what you¡¯re scheming in your head,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Swiiish¡ª

    His sword was viciously yanked out from its sheath.

    ¡°This is perfect, actually. Ideal for experimenting, and also, things won¡¯t get too drawn out, which is good.¡±

    A rather deeply meaningful smile floated up on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips.

    The ominous foreboding was the first thing to assault Raeng; disregarding Su-hyeun¡¯s fatigued complexion for a moment, his expression showed how alive he currently was.

    Raeng had to catch himself from stepping back in fear. He forced his body to take a step forward, instead. ¡°You and your pathetic bluffing attempt¡­¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Raeng spread both of his arms wide. At same time, dark currents suddenly enveloped the area with Su-hyeun as the center. Not too long afterward, his figure was completely covered up by the swirling dark currents of air.

    Ku-gugugugu¡ª

    Massive pressure began crashing down on Su-hyeun. Raeng, believing that this wasn¡¯t going to be enough, opened his mouth with his arms still wide open. ¡°Kill him.¡±

    Splaaash¡ª

    Ten-plus dark magicians fired their magic in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction. Thick chains were sucked into the dark currents, while black drills flew towards Su-hyeun¡¯s various vital spots.

    He possessed a considerably high resistance against magic. So, rather than relying on usual dark magic, Raeng made sure to use those few spells that had actual, tangible physical forms.

    As for these ten dark magicians, they were the best of the best dark magicians currently residing in Moros.

    Clang¡ª

    Right in that instant, all the chains and drills flying towards Su-hyeun were deflected upwards by an incredible burst of power.

    Thud¡ª

    Chains and drills cleanly sliced through soon lost their strength and fell down to the ground. Su-hyeun, thought to be unable to lift even a finger while trapped inside the gigantic dome of pressure, actually managed to swing his sword around.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°H-how did he¡­?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t the end, however.

    Slaaaash¡ª

    The space of black current Raeng had created was chopped down. At the same time, the dark magicians surrounding this space took retreating steps.

    ¡°Create some distance and get ready for the next round of attacks!¡±

    ¡°Sir, the next magi¡ª¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    The dark magician requesting Raeng for the next magic suddenly felt pain in his chest and looked down.

    <<B-but, when?>>

    Splaaash¡ª!

    Every dark magician¡¯s chest had been slashed wide open, and they fell to the ground while fountains of blood exploded from their wounds.

    Raeng, too, patted his chest down with his fingertips. Dark crimson blood stained his hand. If it weren¡¯t for the robe enchanted with defense magic protecting his body, even his heart could¡¯ve been sliced through just now.

    ¡°You¡¯re one seriously resilient fellow, that¡¯s for sure,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You¡­you¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun tore the space apart and revealed himself, causing Raeng¡¯s eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets.

    A third eye was revealed on his forehead, and soft-looking black scales were covering his entire body. And most importantly, there was the concentration of magical energy that could be sensed emanating from him.

    There was no mistaking it.

    ¡°O-Ouroboros?¡±

    ¡°You recognized it pretty fast.¡±

    ¡°But, that power, how could you¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun had acquired Ouroboros¡¯s power. That was the power Raeng yearned for the past dozen or so years. Not only that, but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t just acquire the gigantic snake¡¯s bodily abilities. The gaze of the leader of all dark magicians met with the small eye located in his opponent¡¯s forehead.

    It was a third eye, with a snake-like thin slit in its iris.

    That was basically the symbol of Ouroboros¡¯s true authority, something that could never be acquired through research on Chimeras alone.

    Raeng felt as if all his lengthy, difficult research up until now was all for nought.

    ¡°For sure, it¡¯s an incredible power, alright.¡± Su-hyeun left open his newly acquired trait, the third eye, and glared at Raeng. ¡°If you can handle it, that is.¡±

    ¡°Give it back!¡±

    The ground Su-hyeun was standing on turned black and very malleable in an instant. And the more he tried to move forward, the deeper he got sucked underground.

    <<Just like this, I shall bury him underground.>>

    Raeng gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. The pressure grew stronger, and Su-hyeun¡¯s feet got sucked more and more under the ground.

    Poo-wook¡ª

    Even though he was being sucked below, Su-hyeun¡¯s feet still strode forward slowly. It was as if nothing had happened. Not a shred of hesitation could be seen.

    ¡°How ironic this is,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Raeng watched Su-hyeun gradually get closer and began stumbling backward.

    Perhaps due to his concentration breaking, the effect of the magic trying to suck Su-hyeun below became that much weaker. And that, in turn, caused his steps to become much faster.

    ¡°Those who used this power to oppress a city are about to get wiped out by this very same power instead,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You, you¡­Just what are you?¡±

    Su-hyeun had no thoughts of answering Raeng¡¯s question. Who or what he was wasn¡¯t important at all.

    ¡°Did you know who they were when you killed them?¡±

    The ¡°they¡± in his question referred to those people who got served up as sacrifices to Ouroboros.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t even seen their faces before, have you?¡±

    ¡°So? What about it?¡±

    Ku-wuwuwuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s foot sunk in really deeply.

    Cold sweat ran down Raeng¡¯s entire body. He was squeezing out every ounce of magical energy reserve still left in his body to force Su-hyeun down.

    ¡°Do you have any idea the level of discrimination we had to suffer? Those bastards despised us without even bothering to know who we are just because we were dark magicians! In that case, what¡¯s so wrong with killing them all?¡±

    Dark magic. The field of study that had become the object of scorn, disgust, and contempt.

    Raeng had spend his entire life in this field of study, and therefore, carried a massive chip on his shoulders towards all the other magicians who had looked down on him.

    He lived on with the promise to punish those magicians by acquiring great power. And about a dozen or so years ago, he got to acquire that very power he had been searching for.

    The power called Ouroboros.

    ¡°You asked me if I knew who they were, right? Yes, I knew them! I knew those eyes filled with disdain, those words that mercilessly dug deep into my heart! So, do not run your mouth off when you don¡¯t even know anything!¡±

    ¡°You know, that¡¯s just too bad.¡±

    Split¡ª

    The half-closed third eye in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead suddenly opened up wide.

    Giiiii-iiiiing¡ª

    The third eye¡¯s power began to gradually force back the space Raeng had created.

    Raeng was stunned by an event that had never happened before, and hurriedly increased the output of his magic. However, no matter how hard he tried, the destruction of the space he created simply couldn¡¯t be prevented at all.

    ¡°W-what is the meaning of¡­¡±

    He was completely flabbergasted.

    Raeng stared at the third eye in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead. He wasn¡¯t sure what its exact ability was, but at the very least, he could tell what was happening right now.

    The magic neutralization.

    It was one of those abilities that neutralized your opponent¡¯s magic, something that could be used only if your opponent¡¯s skill level was far, far below yours.

    <<My magic¡­but how?>>

    He just couldn¡¯t accept this. Neutralizing his magic as if it didn¡¯t even exist in the first place ¡ª that also meant his decades-long life was now being unjustly denied.

    It simply couldn¡¯t be allowed to happen.

    ¡°Unfortunately for you, I know a lot about dark magic.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze shifted over to Malcolm in the distance. ¡°And that¡¯s why I also know the reason for Sir Malcolm over there deciding to give up on it, too.¡±

    He got to deal with these bastards calling themselves dark magicians numerous times before while experiencing various trials in the past life. With the exception of someone like Malcolm and a handful of others, the rest of that lot were always made up of seriously evil people.

    Actually, one had little choice but to go through a training that harmed the sanctity of human life if one wished to reach the highest peak of dark magic. As this field of study was designed to be like that from the onset, it was not something any sane person would want to learn.

    However, people that did were seduced by the dark magic¡¯s charm that allowed you to become stronger much sooner compared to regular magic, and would gradually become corrupt as a result.

    ¡°You got discriminated when no one knew who you were? And that¡¯s why you simply got back at them? Even your premise is wrong from the start.¡±

    Su-hyeun walked towards Raeng, and looked down at the old man with a bent back. ¡°You see, it¡¯s not that hard to figure out why you lot were discriminated against.¡±

    His sword was now approaching the target.

    Raeng didn¡¯t close his glaring eyes even as the sword reached his neck. He certainly didn¡¯t become the greatest among Moros¡¯s dark magicians with half-baked determination, after all.

    ¡°I¡­was not wrong.¡± Raeng turned his head and looked at Malcolm. ¡°I¡­.!¡±

    Swish¡ª

    A very thin bloody line was drawn on Raeng¡¯s body.

    ¡°¡­Was not¡­wro¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t finish what he wanted to say as his body split in half and fell to the ground. Su-hyeun, now unable to hear the man¡¯s last words, looked at Raeng¡¯s body with a slightly rueful expression.

    This man lived by his own set of beliefs. If only his beliefs didn¡¯t stray down the wrong path, he could have been someone truly great.

    ¡°I pray¡­.¡± Malcolm looked at Raeng¡¯s body before closing his eyes. ¡°¡­That you reach a good place, my friend.¡±

    He then shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun. When the third eye closed and the scales covering his body disappeared, Su-hyeun immediately began tottering unsteadily.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Malcolm asked.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m alright.¡±

    He did push himself a bit too far.

    Right after the battle against Ouroboros had ended, he engaged Raeng and ten-plus dark magicians in another round of fighting even before his body had a chance to recover.

    Sure, it might have been a rather one-sided affair, but using a newly-acquired trait with a worn-out body was still taking things one step too far.

    <<Did I get too carried away?>>

    Still, he now had a rough idea of what the effect of the new trait might be.

    Although he would need a little more time to fully acclimate himself, he definitely didn¡¯t feel short-changed at his decision to discard the Imoogi¡¯s trait in exchange for Ouroboros¡¯s.

    <<And now¡­>>

    [Achievement rate: 100%]

    [Will you end your trial here?]

    Su-hyeun stared at the achievement rate and thought to himself.

    <<¡­It¡¯s finally ended.>>

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 Chapter 114

    An achievement rate of 100 percent.

    It needed only one more point to reach that figure after Ouroboros¡¯s death, and by killing Raeng and the dark magicians, Su-hyeun managed to fully achieve his goal.

    It was unknown why Raeng was counted as that single percentage point of remaining threat despite Ouroboros being dead, but nevertheless, Su-hyeun should have been celebrating the fact that the trial of the 30th floor had been perfectly cleared.

    ¡°Can you stand?¡± Malcolm asked as he supported Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    Even then, the old man continued to sneak several glances at the gigantic monster¡¯s corpse. This whole thing must¡¯ve been too mystifying for him even now.

    ¡°I was feeling momentarily dizzy, that¡¯s all. You don¡¯t have to worry about me, sir.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. By the way, that thing just now¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the power I acquired after killing Ouroboros.¡±

    ¡°Can you safely handle it?¡±

    Malcolm, the foremost expert on Ouroboros, was asking that question.

    Indeed, Su-hyeun had to experience some real hardship during the process of acquiring Ouroboros¡¯s power. Thankfully, he managed to absorb the monster¡¯s magical energy through the transfiguration skill, but even now, utilizing this power remained a tough prospect without resorting to his trait first.

    It was obvious that you¡¯d have to pay a hefty price when acquiring great power.

    ¡°I can,¡± replied Su-hyeun confidently.

    It wasn¡¯t going to be too difficult.

    <<I¡¯ve possessed an even greater power than this before, after all.>>

    Su-hyeun used to be the best. He had wielded power several times greater than this one in the past, and not only that, he was in perfect control over it, too.

    Indeed, the newly-acquired power that happened to be resistant to his control didn¡¯t even pose a problem. No, he wanted to start dancing in happiness from the fact that he could get stronger so much quicker now.

    Malcolm seemed relieved by that reply as he began nodding his head. ¡°Well, then. That¡¯s a relief. Huhuhuh.¡±

    After helping Su-hyeun up, the old man must¡¯ve lost his own strength instead as he plopped down on the ground. Then he stared at Ouroboros¡¯s corpse and opened his mouth. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Sir, it was nothing much.¡±

    ¡°Saying that it¡¯s nothing much¡­No, you¡¯ve achieved a truly amazing feat.¡±

    It was unimaginable that the mighty Ouroboros was killed off. To think that the karma he ¡°created¡± had been exorcised, just like that.

    ¡°Thank you. Truly, I¡¯m grateful. I can¡¯t even fathom how I should repay this debt¡­.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡± Su-hyeun lowered himself and held Malcolm¡¯s hand as the latter remained squatting on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m also grateful.¡±

    ¡°Mm? What do you mean, grateful? I haven¡¯t done anything.¡±

    ¡°A small goodwill shown to someone can be a great act of kindness to that person. The hospitality you have shown me is exactly that, sir.¡±

    For the past few days, Malcolm treated Su-hyeun well without expecting anything in return. He provided a place to sleep and food to eat to an unknown foreigner. That stranger with an unknown background was permitted to read any book he wanted, too.

    Hell, Malcolm even taught him information regarding Miru, as well.

    Even if they were all down to his guilty conscience, Su-hyeun still thought of them as an act of kindness.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°It is. The killing of Ouroboros was my own act of kindness to you, sir.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words caused Malcolm¡¯s eyes to tremble greatly.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be too burdened by this, sir.¡±

    ¡°Young man, your body, it¡¯s¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body was gradually getting fainter.

    Not too long after that, even the hand holding Malcolm¡¯s felt like a mirage without a physical form. The old man reached out with his other hand to grasp Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder.

    However, his hand simply wandered in the empty air.

    Su-hyeun had completely vanished into thin air.

    ¡°Huh-uh¡­.¡±

    This was like a waking dream.

    A man named Su-hyeun who used to stand right before his eyes had disappeared.

    For a long while, Malcolm remained sitting on the ground, quietly ruminating on what Su-hyeun had said.

    * * *

    [You have acquired 500,000 achievement points.]

    [You attained the maximum attainable achievement level.]

    [The 30th floor¡¯s trial has been perfectly cleared.]

    [Achievement ranking is being tallied.]

    [You have reached first place.]

    [Stamina has increased by one¡­]

    [¡­.]

    [Acquired the Trait Ouroboros¡¯s Third Eye. It will be recorded as a new permanent trait.]

    [Your new trait is overlapping with the Transfiguration Skill: Third Eye. You can now acquire a new trait by using the transfiguration skill.]

    Messages popped up one after the other in his head.

    The first thing to catch his attention was the enormous amount of achievement points, as well as the acquisition of a brand new trait.

    <<The third eye has been recorded as a permanent trait?>>

    A permanent trait was a term denoting a special attribute that an awakener could possess. In other words, this trait was exactly like a passive skill engraved into one¡¯s body.

    The transfiguration skill allowed him to temporarily use such traits. Although him having to acquire a trait to use first was slightly inconvenient, it was still undoubtedly a cheat skill that let him use any trait he desired.

    Normally, an awakener possessing a trait was a rare thing to see. It was not something that could be purchased through achievement points, so traits were deemed to be exceptionally difficult to acquire.

    Even only a small handful of S-Ranks was lucky enough to possess a trait. Awakeners with traits of the dragon-like Hwang Jun-peong used their gifts to make a name for themselves.

    ¡°Ouroboros¡¯s trait, is it¡­¡±

    Seeing how it won against the transfiguration skill¡¯s version, the pure third eye of Ouroboros must¡¯ve been a higher-rated trait of the two. When considering the fact that both should have been the same ¡°third eye,¡± the pure version was most likely the more complete of the two.

    <<In any case, this will now let me use two different traits, won¡¯t it?>>

    The third eye alone was a truly excellent trait already. He was sure of it since he had experienced its effect first hand.

    Sure, it was a wee bit inconvenient that he now had to hunt for a new trait, and for some reason, it kind of felt like he didn¡¯t get any special reward for his troubles, either.

    <<Well, it¡¯s still not bad, considering.>>

    Su-hyeun decided to look at it positively.

    Regardless, the third eye was destined to be swapped out in the future, anyway. He had already made up his mind a long time ago on which trait he wanted to acquire through the transfiguration skill.

    So, the rewards he received today would get the chance to shine brightly when he finally acquired that trait he wanted while still retaining the third eye.

    ¡°Besides all that¡­¡± Su-hyeun glanced at the surrounding scenery and muttered to himself. ¡°Been a long time since I came here.¡±

    ¡°Here¡± was a noisy, lively center of a city. A world where bright lights sparkled everywhere while music and people¡¯s laughter continued to flow by in endless streams.

    <<Fantasia.>>

    That was the name of the world found on the 31st floor.

    Su-hyeun walked on the streets and took a look at the surroundings for a little while.

    This world was the closest to the modern Earth he had been living in. Although the scientific advancement in this place wasn¡¯t much to speak of, the residents¡¯ sentiments and living habits were so similar that many awakeners chose to reside here, and some even went as far as to give up on their original world outside to make a living in this place.

    <<Which means this city is full of criminals, too.>>

    A city with good living conditions inevitably had another facet to it, a hidden face if you will. It was especially more so with the world found on the 31st floor.

    If only one knew the process involved in creating a world like this one, then one would never be able to look at this place in a favorable light ever again.

    <<Well, that¡¯s something to worry about later on¡­.>>

    Su-hyeun sought out an inn. It had a boisterous pub on its first floor, but thankfully, the noise didn¡¯t reach the room as if the establishment employed excellent soundproofing techniques.

    ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s just take a break.¡±

    After renting and entering the room, he immediately returned to his home. Su-hyeun collapsed on the bed right before his eyes and sunk deep into a restful slumber.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun remained in slumber for a long while. For an entire day, as a matter of fact. The battle had been intense enough to trigger the Immortality skill, and as a consequence, his fatigue had built up to a very high level.

    ¡°¡­I sure slept for a long time.¡±

    Su-hyeun got up from the bed and walked out to the living room while yawning grandly.

    Grrng, purrr¡ª

    Miru was lying on its belly on the living room floor.

    Su-hyeun rubbed his eyes and washed himself.

    It had been quite a while since he felt so refreshed like this after leisurely cleaning himself with warm water in the comfort of his own home.

    Rrrrring¡ª

    While drying his hair with a towel, he picked up the phone to make a call. He wanted to talk to the guild master of the Reaper Guild, Ji-yeon.

    <<The subscriber can¡¯t answer the call right now. Please leave a message after the¡ª>>

    ¡°¡­Maybe she¡¯s not on this side?¡±

    He tried to call several times but seeing how she didn¡¯t answer at all, it was quite likely that she had entered the tower of trials. The majority of S-rank awakeners rarely stopped climbing the tower, so it was only obvious that the time they spent inside that place would be longer than the time spent outside.

    <<It¡¯d been nicer if I got in touch with her, though.>>

    Su-hyeun muttered to himself and dialed a new number this time.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

    He then happily greeted the voice he hadn¡¯t heard in a while. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Have you been well?¡±

    The person on the line was an awakener affiliated with the awakener¡¯s association, Kim Do-ui.

    * * *

    After receiving Su-hyeun¡¯s call, Kim Do-ui hurriedly left the association¡¯s building.

    The former had been out of reach for a while. No, it¡¯d be more correct to say that they didn¡¯t have much of a reason to contact each other frequently.

    There wasn¡¯t a link that connected Su-hyeun to the association. If there was a relationship between the two, then it¡¯d be the association one-sidedly accommodating Su-hyeun¡¯s needs.

    <<He apparently knows the director¡¯s weakness, or so I hear.>>

    Kim Do-ui climbed into a taxi and while watching the scenery pass by outside the window, and he began thinking to himself.

    <<He certainly has big balls, that¡¯s for sure.>>

    He only got to learn it at a later stage, and he still wasn¡¯t any wiser to what that weakness could potentially be.

    However, he knew for certain that the association had been paying Su-hyeun very close attention. No, it¡¯d be more correct to say that not just the Korean association, but the entire world was keeping their eyes on that man.

    <<The outbreak of Anyang city, the raid on the blue-colored dungeon, the annihilation of the Dump Guild, the elimination of Hwang Jun-peong¡­.>>

    Was that all?

    He was the sole challenger of the tenth level trials, too.

    Su-hyeun had already accomplished numerous feats when your regular S-rank would¡¯ve found it hard to achieve just one. Only a short while ago, he was seen as an awakener with a bright future ahead of him, but now, he had already become one of the greatest in the world.

    ¡°But, why does he want to meet me¡­?¡±

    Could it be that he had something to ask for, a favor perhaps?

    Kim Do-ui¡¯s taxi stopped in front of a small cafe located in Yeouido Island. He spotted Su-hyeun already waiting for him inside this small cafe with only a handful of tables, found in an obscure corner of the island.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Su-hyeun offered his greeting first.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Kim Do-ui extended his hand towards Su-hyeun. After the handshake, the former hurriedly ordered his coffee and asked the latter. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did something happen out of the blue? You probably didn¡¯t call me here to see my face, am I right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still straightforward, I see.¡±

    ¡°Not a fan of beating around the bush, myself. And I also suck at humoring others, too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to speak to you. I¡¯m also kind of like that, personality-wise, so talking to you is more convenient for me.¡±

    Su-hyeun slotted a bookmark on the pages of a book he had been reading and closed the cover. Kim Do-ui saw what¡¯s on the book¡¯s cover and asked, sounding somewhat puzzled, ¡°Do you enjoy reading?¡±

    ¡°If only I could, I¡¯d like to stay in a place like this for a whole day, doing nothing but just reading books. Since I have enough money, I can buy as much coffee as I want, too.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡±

    Kim Do-ui formed an even more puzzled expression.

    Most people could do what Su-hyeun had said just now. And someone with his financial wherewithal as well as his authority should be able to do something that simple, surely.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll make sure to enjoy it much later.¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head slightly as if he didn¡¯t want to talk about this anymore.

    The quick-witted Kim Do-ui nodded his head and shut his mouth. His coffee arrived just then with excellent timing.

    ¡°Actually, I just passed the 30th floor.¡±

    Kim Do-ui¡¯s hand lifting up the mug came to a brief halt. ¡°That means¡­you have reached the 31st floor.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a nice place. In more ways than one.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you really believe?¡±

    Kim Do-ui was unable to pick up his coffee mug after hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s question. After withdrawing his hand from the beverage, he quietly asked.

    ¡°How much do you know, exactly?¡±

 Chapter 115

    Now that was a deeply meaningful question.

    Kim Do-ui hurriedly scanned his vicinity from the barista working on the next brew to the waitress receiving the order and the customers at the next table.

    He focused his attention on all of their ears.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. No sound will leak outside of this,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    A nearly-imperceptible thin magical barrier was currently blocking out sounds. Not just the noises coming from outside the cafe, but the conversation between the two men would not leak outside with it in place.

    Kim Do-ui felt cold sweat trickle down his back. If he had known beforehand, he¡¯d have suggested not meeting in a public cafe but instead somewhere slightly more private.

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly mischievous, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Kim Do-ui.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t choose this place as our meeting spot, though.¡±

    ¡°If I knew we were meeting to discuss such matters, I¡¯d have chosen another place.¡±

    ¡°Should we go somewhere else, then?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s fine. Now, I just want to finish this quickly and go back to the office.¡±

    Kim Do-ui signed grandly and took a sip of the coffee.

    A short while later, Su-hyeun opened his mouth. ¡°You asked me how much I know. It¡¯s probably as much as the association knows, actually, so just about everything.¡±

    ¡°If I asked how you found out¡­.You won¡¯t answer me, am I correct?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then. How much do you know?¡±

    ¡°The drug ring and awakeners choosing to stay there. Illegal trading of points and smuggling of drugs through the dimension order forms.¡±

    ¡°¡­So, you do know everything.¡±

    ¡°It began as a small-time criminal operation, but it now has ballooned into a massive scale that can¡¯t be easily dealt with. A large amount of achievement points being funneled to that side is a problem, yes, but the bigger issue here is with the drugs being smuggled back to the outside world using the dimension order forms purchased through those points.¡±

    The achievement points could be traded only within the Tower of Trials.

    The current racket worked like this: drug dealing between awakeners took place with those points acting as their currency, and when further points were acquired afterward, those were then used to bring the drugs to the real world outside.

    The drug dealers working with awakeners proved to be a huge headache for the association, too.

    ¡°We just don¡¯t have any good ways to prosecute them. Awakeners on the floors higher than the 31st can¡¯t go back there, and when we try to do something from out here in the real world, they sniff out our attempts to close in and quickly run off back to that place,¡± said Kim Do-ui.

    ¡°That means there is no other option but to hunt them down on the 31st floor.¡±

    ¡°But the issue with that is a bastard who had passed through the 9th level trials to get there decided to call that place his home.¡±

    A ¡°monster¡± was living on the 31st floor, an awakener who definitely didn¡¯t belong in that place yet still decided to call that world his base. For some reason, this awakener also decided to try his hand on drugs peddling on the 31st floor¡¯s world and became the middleman in smuggling narcotics into the real world.

    ¡°We tried to catch him through sheer numbers, but that didn¡¯t pan out. No one wanted to take on the risk. So, basically, an awakener on the 31st floor that could possibly catch such a monster is¡­¡± Kim Do-ui spoke up to there before staring at Su-hyeun, his hand frozen in mid-air with a coffee mug still in his grip. ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°W-wait, but, but¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun had reached the 31st floor.

    Kim Do-ui reflexively shot up from his seat and asked. ¡°Could it be you¡­?¡±

    ¡°You and I are on the same track,¡± replied Su-hyeun while nodding his head. ¡°That person needs to be apprehended.¡±

    Kim Do-ui¡¯s expression brightened instantly.

    The criminal of the 31st floor who evaded capture until now by relying on the restrictions of one being unable to come back to the floor once they went further up.

    Petro.

    And now, a lead that could potentially result in his arrest had finally made an entrance.

    ¡°For that purpose, I have a favor I need to ask of you,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Act 3

    While massaging his pulsing migraine, Kim Do-ui decided to return to the association.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s offer was definitely something to celebrate. The problems of the 31st floor remained a big source of headache for the longest time, after all.

    Not to mention, this wasn¡¯t just a South Korean problem, either. No, it was a headache that every awakener association in the world had to experience together. And Su-hyeun was potentially the lead, the cure, that could solve this problem.

    <<And so, it¡¯s him again this time, too?>>

    It didn¡¯t matter how Su-hyeun came across this information.

    The thing was, Kim Do-ui didn¡¯t even know how the world found on the 31st floor even operated or looked like. From what he heard, it was structured closest to the real world, a city where drugged-out junkies could be spotted quite commonly.

    If it was such a city, then it¡¯d not be a stretch of one¡¯s imagination to think that Su-hyeun found something wrong with the 31st floor¡¯s world and decided to investigate it in detail.

    <<Regardless of what, I¡¯m grateful that he wants to help us, but¡­>>

    The issue at hand was, as expected, how to locate Petro.

    After parting ways with Su-hyeun, Kim Do-ui immediately called someone on the phone. A few seconds later, the other side answered the call.

    ¡°Director, it¡¯s me, sir. Yes. Yes, that¡¯s what happened. Looks like we might have found a solution.¡± Kim Do-ui looked behind him at the cafe with Su-hyeun still sitting inside and continued on. ¡°However, sir, there¡¯s a slight problem.¡±

    * * *

    Su-hyeun returned to the 31st floor immediately. The noisy, lively street and the familiar sweet scent greeted him.

    He stepped onto the street and observed the people walking by. One out of every ten passersby had those unfocused, glazed eyes of a junkie.

    <<They are completely out of it.>>

    Their irises were abnormally small and the whites of the eyes were very prominent, while their focus was blurry, messy. That was the symptom of addiction to the 31st floor¡¯s as-common-as-grass drug, Blending.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    Su-hyeun stopped a woman in her late twenties. Although her irises were outwardly fine, the focus within those eyes seemed just a little unstable, which was an early sign of addiction to Blending.

    ¡°Eh? Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Is it okay if I asked you about something?¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°Do you know a person named Petro?¡±

    ¡°Petro¡­?¡± His question caused the woman¡¯s brows to furrow quite deeply as she made her reply. ¡°Why are you asking me about that criminal scum?¡±

    Su-hyeun watched the displeased woman spinning on her heels to walk away, and scratched his head.

    <<As expected, that didn¡¯t work.>>

    Petro¡¯s name was rather well-known on the 31st floor. This criminal had his hand in almost every illegal activity you could think of, like drugs, human trafficking, and gambling. On top of this, people had high expectations of him, anticipating that he¡¯d become a world-renowned awakener one day ¡ª before he ended up on the 31st floor.

    But now, the name Petro belonged to the darkly-stained hands that dealt in drug smuggling. He was now the headache of the entire world.

    <<If I can, I need to find a junkie who looks normal on the outside.>>

    Blending could only be purchased through dealers connected to Petro. Although the drug itself was commonly found, that guy tightly regulated Blending¡¯s flow through a powerful organization he had created around himself.

    A junkie high as a kite might know the direction that could lead Su-hyeun towards where Petro was hiding, or he could even meet someone who directly purchased the drugs from Petro himself.

    ¡°¡­Mm?¡±

    It was then that Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes discovered a rather familiar face.

    When their eyes met, the man walking past him froze up right on the spot. Su-hyeun slowly studied this man¡¯s face before smirking rather deeply.

    The man tried to walk past, pretending to not know anything, but Su-hyeun still caught his shoulder.

    ¡°We¡¯ve met each other before, haven¡¯t we?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t, uh, think so¡­.¡±

    ¡°Your name was¡­.¡± Su-hyeun dived into his memories for a little while, before finally recalling this man¡¯s name. ¡°It¡¯s Gwon Jang-hyuk, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    * * *

    The profession called awakener was a really nice one. It granted a wonderful physique, special skills and abilities, and people¡¯s gazes of envy and respect.

    Gwon Jang-hyuk had become an awakener about one year ago, and without even giving it a moment¡¯s deliberation, chose the lowest difficulty for his trials.

    He really hated anything dangerous. And so, that¡¯s how he reached the 31st floor.

    But now¡­

    <<Why is this punk even here?>>

    Gwon Jang-hyuk couldn¡¯t even dare to look at Su-hyeun¡¯s face standing right before his eyes.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun was inwardly thinking about how small the world could be sometimes. He never imagined running into Gwon Jang-hyuk in a place like this, after all.

    <<Isn¡¯t this the third time already?>>

    The first thing Su-hyeuk saw after opening eyes in his new body was the text messages from Gwon Jang-hyuk.

    ¡ªHey, I heard you got hospitalized?

    ¡ªWhen are you getting discharged? I wanna talk to you.

    ¡ªThis big bro of yours is in a need for some quick cash, you see. It¡¯s fine, right?

    Back then, he found it rather amusing.

    Before he closed his eyes, he was busy fighting against Fafnir. But after receiving texts from a neighborhood punk threatening to kill him, he gained a renewed appreciation of how much his situation had changed.

    Of course, the necessary moral education was carried out swiftly.

    The second time they ran into each other was during the outbreak of Anyang city¡¯s green-colored dungeon. That happened so fast that his face was a bit of a blur back then, but still, that counted. And so, this would be their third encounter.

    ¡°Been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun dragged Gwon Jang-hyuk to a narrow side street. The latter still didn¡¯t dare to meet the former¡¯s eyes even now.

    Never mind what happened in the past, the current Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t someone Gwon Jang-hyuk could do anything about. You could easily run into Su-hyeun¡¯s name while watching a TV broadcast or the browsing internet.

    <<If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve treated him better during high school¡­>>

    The youngest ever S-rank awakener.

    The conqueror of the blue-colored dungeon.

    The man who utterly stomped America¡¯s Dump Guild out of existence, and currently estimated to be the strongest awakener in South Korea.

    Even if they were on the same floor, that didn¡¯t mean they were similar in their skill level. The difference between Su-hyeun and Gwok Jang-hyuk was as wide as heaven and earth.

    ¡°So, then. When did you get here?¡± Su-hyeun asked, and Gwon Jang-hyuk replied, his eyes skittishly looking around.

    ¡°It-it¡¯s been a m-month, sir.¡±

    ¡°A month? So quick?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, sir¡­¡±

    ¡°The level one difficulty?¡±

    Gwon Jang-hyuk nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s question. He then abruptly realized that he was talking in honorifics until now. Regardless of what happened, they were still from the same year in high school.

    ¡°T-that¡¯s right.¡±

    Smack!

    ¡°Where¡¯s ¡®sir?''¡±

    ¡°¡­Sir.¡±

    Gwon Jang-hyuk rubbed his forehead smacked by Su-hyeun¡¯s finger flick and replied in a small voice. Trying to get smart here would only result in him getting killed off or get beaten up even more.

    <<Goddammit. But you aren¡¯t even using any honorifics.>>

    Sounding as if he heard that internal monologue just now, Su-hyeun looked down at Gwon Jang-hyuk and spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s why you should¡¯ve been a nicer guy in the past. If you were going to grovel before someone stronger than you, well, you should¡¯ve treated people weaker than you much better.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m still reflecting on it as we speak, sir.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that.¡± Su-hyeun pointed to what looked like a cigarette currently held in Gwon Jang-hyuk¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°That thing. Where did you get it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh? You mean, this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Gwon Jang-hyuk alternated his gaze between the cigarette and Su-hyeun before asking a question. ¡°W-would you like to have a go? This tastes really gre¡­.¡±

    Smaaack¡ª!

    ¡°OUCH!!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you. Are you smoking that while knowing it¡¯s a drug?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡±

    Judging from his expression, it seemed that Gwon Jang-hyuk knew.

    Su-hyeun frowned and raised his hand again. ¡°You knew, yet you wanted me to smoke that?¡±

    ¡°H-hold on a minute, sir! Y-you¡¯re saying that because you don¡¯t know the truth!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes! Sure, it might be a drug, but it¡¯s as common as grass in this place. If a drug is cheaper than water, what¡¯s the difference between it and actual cigarettes?¡±

    Gwon Jang-hyuk seemed to have his own ¡°persuasive¡± reason for smoking Blending. Unfortunately, everyone who tried it had a similar train of thought as he did.

    It was cheap, and it wasn¡¯t as addictive, either. And if you wanted one, you could find it quite easily, so in the end, it was not much different from a regular cigarette.

    That was Blending in a nutshell.

    ¡°And that¡¯s what makes it truly dangerous,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    ¡°A drug that lulls you into thinking that it¡¯s not harmful. You gradually begin to think it¡¯s only obvious to use it, and eventually, you won¡¯t be able to survive a single day without it.¡±

    Su-hyeun was well aware of the true dangers of Blending. He knew what would happen to the 31st floor¡¯s world in the future because of this very drug, after all.

    ¡°And also, it looks like you¡¯re not being upfront with me about something here¡­¡±

    Fwhoosh¡ª

    Riiiip¡ª

    Su-hyeun reached towards the backpack on Gwon Jang-hyuk¡¯s back and tore it open.

    Tumble, drop¡ª

    Bundles of ¡°grass¡± wrapped in white cloth tumbled to the ground. Gwon Jang-hyuk¡¯s complexion paled instantly and he tried to avoid Su-hyeun¡¯s glare.

    ¡°And where were you planning to sell those?¡±

 Chapter 116

    Gulp¡ª

    Gwon Jang-hyuk swallowed his saliva at Su-hyeun¡¯s question.

    The awakener association had already banned the usage of drugs like Blending in the 31st floor¡¯s world. It¡¯s just that there was no sure way to stop the sales of the drugs and therefore the practice was largely left alone for now, which led to the law being declared but not policed openly.

    That¡¯s why he never thought it was too dangerous.

    But now, the situation had changed.

    ¡°If it turns out that you weren¡¯t merely satisfied with smoking Blending and decided to join hands with Petro¡¯s dealers to sell their crap¡­¡± Su-hyeun watched Gwon Jang-hyuk cautiously picking up the bundles of Blending off the ground and spoke up. ¡°Well, I wonder if it¡¯s okay to carry out a summary conviction right here?¡±

    A chill ran down Gwon Jang-hyuk¡¯s entire body.

    The association didn¡¯t have a way to interfere in the 31st floor¡¯s matters. However, Su-hyeun was an awakener and he was currently on this very floor. On top of that, he even knew who Gwon Jang-hyuk was. He knew there was a South Korean citizen named Gwon Jang-hyuk living in Anyang city.

    Basically, he had the latter completely trapped. No paths of escape were left open for Gwon Jang-hyuk.

    ¡°B-b-but¡­¡± Gwon Jang-hyuk stammered pitifully.

    ¡°Cooperate or else.¡±

    Su-hyeun smirked meaningfully. On the other hand, Gwon Jang-hyuk became teary-faced.

    * * *

    After entering the pub, Gwon Jang-hyuk began chugging down beer nonstop. His mouth was dry and his innards were burning up, so he just couldn¡¯t help himself.

    Su-hyeun spoke while watching him hurriedly knock back the beer. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!¡±

    Signs of nervousness were still too obvious to see. It seemed that he was fearful of being stigmatized as a criminal.

    ¡°¡­Alright, then. Let¡¯s summarize what you told me so far.¡±

    Su-hyeun summarized what Gwon Jang-hyuk, sitting stiffly upright and looking back at him, had said just now.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re basically just a part-timer. Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any link to Petro to speak of, and your role is to simply deliver the daily allotment of goods to designated customers. After you¡¯re done distributing, you get your own share of Blending. Right so far?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the structure.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean there are a fair number of awakeners smoking Blending who aren¡¯t deeply connected to this whole racket, just like you?¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re correct. Not deeply connected.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m being honest. I¡¯m not really deeply involved.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what¡¯s important, is it? Should I just hand you over to the association, then?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun spat out a long groan at Gwon Jang-hyuk¡¯s words and began drumming on the table with his fingers.

    <<But then again, why would someone like Petro involve himself with a punk like this guy?>>

    Even if Petro did whatever he pleased within the 31st floor, he was still an existence right at the heart of this city. So, he probably wouldn¡¯t have personally met with a weakling greenhorn who only managed to get here by selecting the level one difficulty.

    ¡°But, uhm¡­just what¡¯s wrong with Blending, anyway?¡± Gwon Jang-hyuk asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been smoking it, yet you can¡¯t tell?¡±

    ¡°Eh? About what?¡±

    ¡°Blending¡¯s been slowly infiltrating Britain recently. Well, not just Britain, but other countries back in the real world, too.¡± Su-hyeun reached out and grasped a handful of Blending Gwon Jang-hyuk had been carrying around and continued on. ¡°All of this has been smuggled out of here using the achievement points earned through selling Blending in this place. The drugs that landed in Britain got there through the dimension order forms and end up in the hands of the wealthy. It might be as common as grass in this place, but to them¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­They must think that they¡¯re also now enjoying the special privilege that only the awakeners got to enjoy.¡±

    ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t a complete dumbass, it seems.¡± Su-hyeun nodded his head. ¡°To them, this is no different from using money to purchase awakener¡¯s special privileges. The drug¡¯s addictive nature is simply a bonus. The real problem in this equation, though, is the wastage of achievement points on something completely unnecessary.¡±

    One Property of Dimension order form cost 50,000 points.

    For the current Su-hyeun, that number might not be all that expensive, but for regular awakeners yet to reach the 31st floor, that was a massive tally of points.

    The number of achievement points wasted on smuggling out Blending had reached past several billion by now.

    ¡°More importantly, awakeners deciding to stay on 31st floor because of Blending is proving to be another major issue. For now, it may only be a small portion, but once Blending¡¯s existence becomes widely known, then their numbers will gradually increase.¡±

    In the current year 2021, one out of every ten awakeners chose to stay on the 31st floor.

    However, that figure would jump all the way up to five out of ten in the future. They would never return to reality, instead choosing to settle in the tower while utterly addicted to the drug.

    If that drug didn¡¯t exist, then no awakener would choose to stay behind on the 31st floor, and billions of achievement points wouldn¡¯t be wasted unnecessarily, either. The very existence of Blending was a hindrance to humanity getting stronger, in other words.

    Most importantly¡­

    <

    >

    Blending was created out of a type of grass commonly found on the 31st floor¡¯s world. However, Petro used that fact to his advantage and created the current drug cartel, causing the ever-worsening abuse of Blending.

    To make matters worse, Petro wasn¡¯t doing this ¡ª the distribution and sale of Blending ¡ª simply out of greed over money.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze shifted over to the bundles wrapped up in white cloth currently resting on the table. He pondered something for a little while before opening his mouth. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll be taking them with me.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®eh?¡¯ You thought I¡¯d let you go on your merry way with these drugs in tow?¡±

    ¡°B-but, if you do¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides, you have another job.¡± Su-hyeun had thought up of something good just now. He picked up one of the bundles and addressed Gwon Jang-hyuk. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to sell my name from now on.¡±

    He smirked deeply and looked at the latter¡¯s scared eyes.

    * * *

    Petro was the king of the 31st floor¡¯s world.

    No, more correctly, he lived a life fitting for a king: money, women, sweet, sweet drugs, and followers basically worshiping him.

    He was living a life that anyone would dream about at least once.

    Inside a residence located somewhere in the city, Petro was leaning back by its front yard and lighting up a joint of Blending. He sucked in the smoke of densely concentrated drug ¡ª then, his vision yellowed and the whole world felt dreamy and soft as if he was sinking into the sea of blissful intoxication.

    ¡°Fwoo-woo¡ª¡±

    He sucked in and savored the smoke for a while before breathing it out. He opened his eyes to reveal yellowed irises. A topless man of a hulking physique with yellow hair and yellow eyes lied down completely on his back.

    Petro brought the rolled-up Blending joint near his eyes and muttered out. ¡°Even this has become too weak.¡±

    More specifically, his body had developed resistance against Blending. With the passage of time, the drug began to hit him less and less. Although the addictive nature remained, the sense of satisfaction was nowhere close to the past.

    Petro got up from his spot. A guest had come seeking him out.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked while putting on the sunglasses resting to his side.

    The guest was a friend he had been partnering up with for the longest time, Luke. He looked at Petro lighting up yet another Blending joint and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you using it too often lately?¡±

    ¡°This drug is freaking everywhere, so who cares?¡±

    ¡°Blending eats away at the magical energy in us. If you keep smoking that crap¡­¡±

    ¡°The moment you get here, you start nagging? I ain¡¯t gonna go up to the higher floors anyway, so what does it matter?¡±

    Petro glared at Luke with burning eyes.

    Then again, if such nagging worked on him in the first place, then Petro would¡¯ve kicked his drug habit away a long time ago.

    Exactly one month after he started using Blending, it became a drug he just couldn¡¯t stop.

    Luke spat out a long sigh before changing the subject. ¡°A couple of days ago, someone snatched away a batch of Blending earmarked to be shipped out. You heard about it, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I did. What a ballsy bastard.¡±

    Petro snorted derisively.

    Just one word from him, and at least one thousand awakeners residing on the 31st floor would be mobilized. But a punk fearlessly snatching his Blending away had appeared within his kingdom.

    ¡°A newbie distributor of ours, a Korean awakener named Gwon Jang-hyuk, came to us with information.¡±

    ¡°What kind of info?¡±

    ¡°He says he knows who stole our Blending shipment.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Who¡¯s the bastard?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun. South Korea¡¯s S-rank awakener.¡±

    Petro, leisurely putting on his shirt while listening to Luke¡¯s report, hurriedly pushed up his sunglasses over his head. Blending¡¯s effects that lulled him in intoxication up until a second ago felt significantly weakened by a story shocking enough to wake the dead.

    ¡°Who did you say it was?¡± Petro asked.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun. Haven¡¯t you heard? He¡¯s on the 31st floor at the moment.¡±

    ¡°No, what I want to know is why that motherf*cker decided to stay in this place. Didn¡¯t he climb the tower without taking a single break until now?¡±

    ¡°Who knows. But one thing¡¯s for sure: Su-hyeun has shown his interest in Blending, which is completely out of our expectations.¡±

    ¡°Goddammit¡­.¡±

    Petro did hear the news of Kim Su-hyeun reaching the 31st floor. However, he didn¡¯t pay much heed to that. Just like before, that S-rank awakener would challenge the 31st trial right away, meaning he¡¯d not be able to return to this floor ever again.

    But then, that bastard chose to stay on the 31st floor, instead.

    ¡°Him showing interest in Blending means he now knows about its taste, right?¡± Petro asked.

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    ¡°Son of a bitch. Pretending to be a knight in shining armor and sh*t, yet he¡¯s behaving like a damn thug.¡±

    Su-hyeun snatched a Blending shipment in the middle. That meant he wasn¡¯t planning to pay for them using achievement points as currency.

    ¡°How should we proceed? Should we scout him? Or negotiate with him while providing a fixed amount of Blending?¡± Luke asked.

    ¡°Are you mad?¡± Petro¡¯s expression crumpled unsightly at Luke¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Of course we wage war.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what they said?¡±

    Gwon Jang-hyuk delivered the news coming from the higher-ups. His new orders were to report immediately if he spotted Su-hyeun somewhere, and keep the target there until everyone else showed up.

    ¡°They want you to keep me occupied, is it?¡± Su-hyeun asked back.

    ¡°Yes. It seems that they want to hunt you down, Mister Su-hyeun. Sir.¡±

    Gwon Jang-hyuk was nothing more than a gopher working for Petro¡¯s organization. Yet, ordering someone like that to keep Su-hyeun occupied? That¡¯s basically telling him to go kill himself.

    Of course, those bastards wouldn¡¯t care about such a thing, to begin with.

    ¡°So, they wish to hunt me down, is that it?¡± Su-hyeun muttered while forming a meaningful little smile.

    Gwon Jang-hyuk saw that somewhat ominous smile and hurriedly asked a question while completely forgetting about his tea getting cold. ¡°W-what are you going to do now, sir?¡±

    ¡°Go and tell them.¡±

    ¡°A-about?¡±

    ¡°That I¡¯m sitting right here. That¡¯ll surely bring them over here, no?¡±

    The two of them were currently sitting in a pub. Other than simple dishes and some tea, nothing had been ordered and so far, no one had recognized them yet.

    ¡°A-are you insane? You want to clash against them without any plan?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If I die like this, wouldn¡¯t it be a good thing for you in the end?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t told anyone about you. Not one word about how you are involved in Blending¡¯s distribution or the fact that you live in Anyang city.¡±

    Gwon Jang-hyuk¡¯s brain kicked into gear at Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    In that case¡­?

    ¡°As long as I die, all the loose ends will be taken care of.¡±

    That was the perfect scenario for Gwon Jang-hyuk. If that happened, then he¡¯d be able to stay here as long as he wanted and live happily ever after while using Blending.

    ¡°If you get it, hurry up and leave. You¡¯ll probably have to work extra hard to have me killed off from here onwards.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, sir!!¡±

    The moment Su-hyeun finished saying that, Gwon Jang-hyuk hurriedly pushed the chair back and shot up. He then dashed outside to a certain destination.

    Despite only passing through level one difficulties to get here, he was still an awakener, so his speed was rather fast.

    Su-hyeun leaned back and leisurely enjoyed his tea.

    <<When will they show up, I wonder?>>

    Ten, twenty minutes wouldn¡¯t be sufficient enough, probably.

    Petro would no doubt mobilize a combat force powerful enough to face an S-Rank. However, it¡¯d not be that simple to organize a troop of that size and scale even if it was him.

    Su-hyeun was actually hoping for Petro to try to negotiate with him. If that happened, he¡¯d have been saved from going around a longer, harder road and would¡¯ve faced that guy directly.

    Still, it didn¡¯t matter too much.

    <<I¡¯ll meet him sooner or later if I keep going forward, anyway.>>

    He didn¡¯t need to get too worked up about this. Su-hyeun stayed put and patiently waited for his guests to arrive.

    Not too long afterward, dozens, then hundreds, of awakeners descended on the near vicinity of the pub he was in.

 Chapter 117

    Act 4

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Did something happen? What¡¯s with all these people¡­?¡±

    ¡°Shush, don¡¯t look at them and let¡¯s just get out of here. Maybe there was a fight somewhere?¡±

    ¡°A fight? Petro wouldn¡¯t take that lying down. Looks like at least a few hundreds¡­.¡±

    ¡°I told you, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Numerous crowds of people had gathered in various parts of the street. Quite a lot of awakeners residing on the 31st floor had gathered in one spot.

    All of their attention was currently focused on one particular place, and that was a small, single-floor pub located in the middle of the very same street.

    ¡°He¡¯s rather relaxed,¡± said Luke as he studied the face visible through the window.

    Without a doubt, that was the South Korean awakener, Kim Su-hyeun. He was still relaxedly enjoying his tea even now, even though he must¡¯ve sensed their approach from a while ago.

    <<Does that mean he¡¯s confident?>>

    Indeed, the overall level of the awakeners gathered here wasn¡¯t all that high. The highest was around B-rank, while the average was no better than C-rank.

    Sure, there were a handful of A-rank awakeners including Luke himself present as well, but it was obvious that all of them combined wouldn¡¯t be able to threaten Su-hyeun, an S-Rank awakener.

    However¡­

    <<We still have a monster on our side.>>

    Petro.

    He was a bona fide genius who went through the ninth level of difficulty for all of his trials and eventually climbed up to the 31st floor several years ago.

    His skill level was good as an S-rank. That alone might not be enough, but still, he should have been able to take on Su-hyeun regardless.

    The thing was, Su-hyeun had been an S-rank for less than half a year. Regardless, no one could win against the numbers game. If hundreds of awakeners stood as his opponents, even he wouldn¡¯t be able to emerge out of here unscathed.

    <<All indications say we¡¯re in an advantageous position.>>

    Everything looked good in the current situation. There would definitely be some casualties, but result-wise, they had far higher odds of victory in this fight.

    <<We will deplete his stamina through guerilla tactics, then Petro will come in for the climax.>>

    If that really happened, then this situation might end up being a great boon for them, instead. By killing Kim Su-hyeun here, an S-rank who survived tenth level trials, the association would no longer dare to touch them ever again.

    ¡°Everyone in the surrounding areas has been evacuated.¡±

    After receiving that report from a subordinate, Luke took a sweeping look at the surroundings before asking the same underling. ¡°Everyone, including the natives, is gone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Very good.¡±

    Unless it was an awakener, harming a native of the 31st floor would put them in a very tough spot. There existed an unspoken rule that awakeners and natives would not attack each other. If they broke that rule, then it¡¯d become that much harder to do their business here.

    Thankfully, they had enough time to evacuate the natives before the fighting got underway. And during that time, additional awakeners were brought in from the nearby areas.

    ¡°Are you really going to give us double the normal amount of Blending once this event is over?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, so you must carry out your jobs properly, got that? If you make this work, then forget about double, I¡¯ll triple your share,¡± said Luke.

    ¡°Oh, ooooh!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!¡±

    Luke¡¯s assured answer brought about an explosion of cheering from all directions.

    The reason for them all going crazy for Blending was rather obvious. Luke, too, had been abusing the drug every single day, so he knew intimately how wonderful its effects were.

    <<This is why a monopoly is a good thing.>>

    Making your clientele rely solely on you with no competing goods available anywhere ¡ª that was a monopoly in a nutshell.

    Petro used his personal organization to regulate the manufacturing and trafficking of Blending. One couldn¡¯t manufacture this drug without his permission, and without his blessing, one couldn¡¯t transport or even sell it.

    That was the strength Petro possessed. The power to rule, in other words.

    <<Thanks to that, we get to control these idiots, too.>>

    The prospect of fighting Kim Su-hyeun didn¡¯t sit too well with Luke, but since they would get to reaffirm their influence through this event, this whole event was proving to be a good thing for them in various ways.

    After all the preparations were over and done with, Luke sent a message to Petro, who should be watching the proceedings from a far-off distance.

    ¡°No matter what happens, don¡¯t make a single move from there. You do understand that if you die here, everything will be over for us, right?¡± Luke sent that final warning message and opened his mouth. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s get this show¡­¡±

    ¡°He-he¡¯s on the move!¡±

    An awakener¡¯s urgent cry caused Luke to snap his neck around.

    Su-hyeun, who was leisurely sipping on his tea moments ago, was now on his feet and staring straight at Luke. ¡°I thought I¡¯d die of boredom while waiting for you lot.¡±

    Now fully on his feet, Su-hyeun continued peer deeply into Luke¡¯s eyes.

    Even though he was hidden among the large crowd of people, Su-hyeun was directly looking at Luke, and that sent creeping chills all over the latter¡¯s body.

    Su-hyeun walked outside the pub all the while counting the number of people currently surrounding him. ¡°Ten, twenty¡­Fifty, a hundred¡­You really did bring quite a lot of people, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    He gave up in the middle of counting. This size was large enough to be at least over one-tenth of all the awakeners currently residing on the 31st floor. It signified that quite a large portion of this floor¡¯s awakeners fell under Petro¡¯s influence.

    <<That also means that the number of awakeners slumming it out on the 31st floor is quite high, too.>>

    They just didn¡¯t have enough time ¡ª if they wanted to call for more, then without a doubt, even more reinforcements would have shown up.

    The longer time went on, Petro¡¯s territory would only grow larger. The only thing that could stop that man was none other than Su-hyeun after he had finally reached the 31st floor.

    <<As for Petro¡­where is he?>>

    That guy was nowhere to be seen, as if their plan was to wear his stamina down beforehand. What a very smart move that was. This fight would lose its meaning if Petro was killed off right off the bat, after all.

    <<But if you don¡¯t want to come out, then¡­>>

    Bang¡ª

    Su-hyeun smacked his fist on his palm as he walked forward.

    <<I¡¯ll just make him come out.>>

    His gait was slow.

    His strides were relaxed, as if he was daring them into attacking him. However, the crowd had been completely overwhelmed by his current appearance, one where he didn¡¯t even bother to unsheathe his weapon.

    ¡°W-what the hell?¡±

    ¡°Is no one going to attack him?¡±

    ¡°You goddamn cowards! What the hell are you doing?¡± Luke yelled out while witnessing the scared awakeners distance themselves more and more as Su-hyeun walked closer.

    The fools called out here to fight were busy retreating right now instead of doing their jobs, so how could he not be frustrated at the moment?

    <<These g*ddamn morons!>>

    Did that man anticipate such a reaction?

    Su-hyeun¡¯s strides remained relaxed even now. Luke glanced at him getting closer and clenched his fists.

    <<As I thought, at this point I need to¡­>>

    Luke was a genius himself who had reached the A-rank. Sure, he was now a drugged-up criminal living on the 31st floor, but he used to be a respected awakener up until a few years ago.

    An S-Rank and an A-Rank. The wall existing between these ranks was undoubtedly tall, but that didn¡¯t mean Luke shouldn¡¯t have a go here.

    <<Let¡¯s go.>>

    The moment Luke clenched his fists and dashed forward¡ª

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    An explosion went off right before his nose and at the same time, his vision was dyed pitch-black.

    <<¡­Uh?>>

    Pow¡ª!

    Luke was flung away to a far-off distance and collided with awakeners at the rear. The impact force knocked them all down like a bunch of bowling pins.

    And so, in the briefest of brief moments, Luke lost his grip on consciousness, not even understanding what had happened to him.

    ¡°He-he¡¯s coming!¡±

    ¡°Get ready!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s slow-moving figure suddenly gained afterburners. With both of his fists firmly clenched, he dug into the awakeners¡¯ midst and started punching their lights out.

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Every time he swung his fist, a person¡¯s face was caved in.

    Wu-du-duk¡ª

    Heads shattered and faces were smashed in. Some people collapsed on the ground with their backs bent in the wrong direction, too.

    ¡°S-stop him!¡±

    ¡°Does anyone possess confinement skills?¡±

    ¡°Just throw everything at him!¡±

    Kwa-aaahk¡ª

    Wu-dududuk¡ª

    A hand rising up from the ground below grabbed onto Su-hyeun¡¯s foot. At the same time, spinning chains flew in quickly and tightly wrapped around him, confining him on the spot.

    ¡°We did it!¡±

    ¡°You did what, exactly?¡±

    Clang¡ª

    Right next second, the hand holding Su-hyeun¡¯s foot broke and returned to being soil, scattering back to the ground. Even the chains confining him snapped into pieces in an instant.

    He continued to swing his fists as if nothing had happened to him.

    Bang¡ª!

    Thud¡ª

    Yet another sound of someone¡¯s breathing cutting out, yet another body hitting the ground. Su-hyeun spun his arms around and took a sweeping look at the people still surrounding him.

    ¡°T-that guy, was he originally a brawler?¡±

    ¡°But I heard he used a sword¡­.?¡±

    ¡°His sword is attached to his hips, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The crowd surrounding Su-hyeun was falling into confusion.

    In that short space of time, dozens of them were already taken out of the equation. Luke was supposed to command the battle from the frontlines but he was out of commission already, while Petro showed no signs of making his appearance anytime soon.

    ¡°What do they expect us to do about such a monster?¡±

    It was just one man.

    Even if that¡¯s true, the differences in their skill levels were just too absolute.

    ¡°Where is Petro?¡± Su-hyeun asked, and the people nearby began distancing themselves even further away from him. He frowned deeply when no one answered him, before reaching towards the sword¡¯s hilt. ¡°Well, he¡¯s probably watching from somewhere anyway.¡±

    His gaze was then directed to the sky above.

    ¡°Watch closely from wherever you are.¡±

    Shu-ru-rung¡ª

    The sword was unsheathed, and Su-hyeun¡¯s atmosphere shifted in an instant.

    ¡°Watch as everything you¡¯ve built up until now comes crashing down today.¡±

    <hr />

    Petro was viewing the location of his choosing through a small crystal ball.

    The figure of Su-hyeun fighting against his underlings was displayed on the crystal ball¡¯s surface. He was currently sweeping everything away using his stunning martial skills.

    In the midst of doing that, he suddenly came to a stop and spoke up.

    ¡°Watch closely from wherever you are. Watch as everything you¡¯ve built up until now comes crashing down today.¡±

    Su-hyeun was staring at Petro beyond the crystal ball.

    What an incredible b*stard he was. To think that he detected Petro¡¯s skill despite the distance between them and decided to start a conversation first.

    <<The reason why he didn¡¯t destroy my skill is¡­he probably wants me to witness everything.>>

    If he wanted to, Su-hyeun could¡¯ve easily annulled Petro¡¯s skill. However, he didn¡¯t do that, instead choosing to continue on with the battle.

    Splaaash¡ª

    Crimson blood could be seen splattering around beyond the crystal ball.

    In that short window of time, another dozen or so had been defeated.

    Petro¡¯s shoulders quivered. ¡°This, this b*stard¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s fist slammed into the belly of yet another target, a male awakener.

    That man, staggering before collapsing on the ground, didn¡¯t have any focus in his eyes, something caused by his abuse of the drugs. He just tried to attack Su-hyeun, hoping to earn his share of Blending somehow.

    <<He¡¯s subduing the addicted, and killing those with clear minds.>>

    The reason had to be one of the two. Either he wasn¡¯t callous enough to kill those opponents who weren¡¯t themselves, or¡­

    <<Or he knows about my ability.>>

    Petro hurriedly shook his head. That was impossible. It had to be a coincidence.

    He watched the proceedings through the crystal ball just a little bit more. He didn¡¯t have any thoughts of stepping up at the moment.

    <<Dammit.>>

    Petro clenched his fist tightly and endured. The foundation he had been building for a long time was currently crumbling away at the hands of just one man.

    However, this didn¡¯t present a big problem.

    <<Expendables can always be acquired later.>>

    There were plenty of awakeners reaching the 31st floor all the time.

    He knew how addictive Blending was as its manufacturer and distributor. With that drug, he could rebuild his influence and power base, once more at any time he wanted.

    It didn¡¯t matter whether they died or not. For the time being, surviving this danger was his priority.

    <<Just a little bit more, just a little¡­.>>

    Petro watched through the crystal ball and continued to buy time. But then¡­

    ¡°Found you.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s voice reached the shivering Petro and his ears.

 Chapter 118

    The middle of Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead split open and his third eye revealed itself. That eye then glared straight at Petro, who was looking at Su-hyeun from an unknown location.

    And in that very moment, the ends of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips widened into a smirk. ¡°Found you.¡±

    It took him a little bit of time to locate his target. Petro must¡¯ve been waiting for the perfect timing to join the fight while cautiously observing Su-hyeun¡¯s status, but that only gave the latter enough time to discover the former¡¯s position, instead.

    Pow¡ª

    Su-hyeun smacked the face of an awakener trying to pounce on him from the front. Right after that, he strengthened his leg muscles and kicked the ground, dashing towards a certain direction.

    Step, fwhoosh¡ª

    He stepped on the rooftops to dash forward and scanned the passing scenery. Petro wasn¡¯t too far. Rather wisely, he was staying just beyond the edge of Su-hyeun¡¯s detection range to observe the proceedings.

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    A narrow, deserted backstreet in the city¡¯s outskirts.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s feet stopped moving there.

    ¡°And so, here we are.¡±

    ¡°You! When did you¡­?¡±

    Petro shot up from his spot and glared at Su-hyeun at full alert. His eyes hurriedly glanced at the crystal ball now rolling around on the ground. A few moments ago, the scenes reflected on the ball were changing in a very disorienting fashion, but now, it was displaying a view taken from above his own head.

    Now being confronted head-on, Petro could only swallow back his dry saliva in sheer nervousness.

    It was not important how Su-hyeun managed to track him down. No, the moment he saw that third eye, Petro realized that his opponent for today was in possession of some kind of a special ability.

    ¡°If it¡¯s Blending you want, I can supply you with as much as you want.¡±

    Now that things had come this far, what needed to happen was a negotiation. Petro wasn¡¯t confident in defeating Su-hyeun as things stood currently.

    ¡°How about it? As you may well know, Blending is¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need it,¡± Su-hyeun flatly replied.

    ¡°¡­What was that?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t climb up here to become a junkie. And also, you don¡¯t have to be so tense. I¡¯m not planning to kill you right away.¡±

    Su-hyeun kept his gaze locked onto Petro while lazily leaning against a nearby wall. It sure was the sight of a man at ease, one that was completely content with the current situation.

    ¡°Of course, depending on how things turn out, I may just kill you,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°¡­What are you scheming?¡±

    ¡°You should be asking about what I want in times like this. If you don¡¯t want to die, obviously.¡±

    The gleam in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes abruptly changed.

    The moment Petro stared into the third eye, he was overcome by this creeping chill akin to a terrifying monster wrapping itself around his entire body.

    As it turned out, he couldn¡¯t even be considered as an opponent here. He had been making a huge mistake.

    <<This¡­this is not an S-Rank level!>>

    Actually, he had never personally met an S-Rank awakener before. However, he was still aware of the minimum standard needed to meet that criteria. And Petro was definitely skilled enough to meet that standard.

    That¡¯s why he was under the assumption that there wouldn¡¯t be too much of a difference between an S-Rank and himself up until this very moment.

    However, he thought he now could understand something after encountering Su-hyeun ¡ª he understood that he couldn¡¯t even touch the latter¡¯s foot.

    ¡°W-what is it that you want?¡±

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re finally ready for a chat.¡±

    Rather than a chat, this was more like an intimidation, instead.

    Su-hyeun stared at Petro gritting his teeth in humiliation and continued on. ¡°I only want one thing. To stop the distribution of Blending.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me to stop selling Blending?¡±

    ¡°Even if I tell you that, you probably aren¡¯t going to play along nicely, anyway. Bastards like you don¡¯t hesitate to say one thing while meaning something else completely, after all.¡±

    ¡°In that case, just what do you want from¡­¡±

    ¡°Since I don¡¯t trust your word, I might as well find another way to control you.¡±

    Su-hyeun approached Petro and extended his hand. The latter flinched and tried to back away. ¡°W-wait, what are you¡­¡±

    Sssssss¡ª

    The moment he looked into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, Petro momentarily froze up. It felt as if his entire body suddenly morphed into a dry log.

    ¡°Keok, keo-uh¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand gripped Petro¡¯s neck tightly. The grip¡¯s strength increased gradually, and his fingernails dug into Petro¡¯s neck.

    Blood vessels bulged in Petro¡¯s eyeballs.

    <<I-I¡¯m dying¡­>>

    Su-hyeun let go, and right away, Petro grasped his own neck while coughing and wheezing. His eyes were bloodshot. Initially, he could only think about how he managed to survive, but not too long after that, he realized something was wrong with the condition of his body.

    ¡°What-what did you do to my¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of like a poison.¡±

    ¡°Poison¡­?¡±

    ¡°Technically, it¡¯s not a poison. No, it¡¯s simply a strand of magical energy with a different nature to yours. Still, it will act like a poison in the end.¡±

    This was one of the abilities Ouroboros¡¯s third eye possessed ¡ª injecting a portion of the gigantic snake¡¯s magical energy currently in Su-hyeun to his opponent and having it react like a real poison.

    ¡°Unless you become as strong as I am, that power will eat away at least half of your body in less than a month. No need to mention what will happen after that, of course.¡±

    ¡°You lie!¡±

    Petro had never even heard of such a thing being possible before. If this thing was really some kind of poison, fine, but using magical energy like this was an impossibility.

    He just couldn¡¯t believe it.

    No, more correctly, he didn¡¯t want to believe it.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know after a while. So, choose wisely. I¡¯ll give you enough time to figure it out, okay?¡± Su-hyeun then turned around to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying in the pub from earlier, so if something happens, come find me there. I¡¯m sure experiencing it first hand will be best for a guy like you.¡±

    He left with those words as his parting gift.

    Petro¡¯s eyes staring at the departing back were trembling powerfully. He thought he¡¯d be killed by Su-hyeun¡¯s hands, yet something out of his expectation happened just now.

    <<He¡¯s leaving, just like that? Really?>>

    If Petro wanted to, he could go into hiding. If he really chose to do so and hide back in the real world, then not even someone like Su-hyeun would be able to track him down.

    However, there was a problem. That would be what Su-hyeun said just now proving to be true.

    <<But that¡¯s just not possible.>>

    Petro rubbed his neck where Su-hyeun¡¯s hand had been digging into only a few moments ago.

    <<There¡¯s just no way¡­.>>

    <hr />

    Three days later.

    Petro came to find Su-hyeun sitting in the pub as he promised.

    ¡°You showed up one day quicker than I thought,¡± said Su-hyeun as he turned the chair he was sitting on around to face his visitor.

    The latter¡¯s complexion was ashen in the extreme. ¡°My body¡­just what the hell did you do to me?¡±

    ¡°Did you forget what I told you? Should I explain it again?¡±

    ¡°That was all real?¡±

    For the past couple of days, Petro kept sensing that something was wrong with himself. It felt like the blood coursing through his body was now going in the wrong direction. He tried to control it somehow, but it just didn¡¯t want to listen to him.

    It was all because of that strand of magical energy Su-hyeun had injected in him. That energy really acted like poison to gradually eat away at Petro¡¯s innards.

    ¡°I figured that you¡¯d hold out for at least one more day. I thought you¡¯d be tenacious enough to do so, but¡­I guess you¡¯re a lot more attached to your life than I thought.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s mocking words caused Petro to grit his teeth.

    The former shifted his gaze away from the latter busy grinding his teeth and looked outside the window. Quite a lot of spectators could be sensed now.

    ¡°A b*stard who managed to get this far with his own strength has morphed into a coward who can¡¯t do anything by himself now, huh?¡±

    Petro didn¡¯t come alone to find Su-hyeun. He also brought along numerous other awakeners with him. It seemed that he was planning to use force if things went down the drain.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t remove this poison from my body right now, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Your skills have gotten rusty, and you even lost your instincts, too. On top of that, you get scared more easily now, and your ego has swollen up to an unnecessary level, too.¡± Su-hyeun looked back into Petro¡¯s eyes and spoke. ¡°Okay, so? If I don¡¯t remove the poison, what then? You are going to kill me?¡±

    A mocking grin floated to his lips.

    ¡°What, you? Kill me?¡±

    Petro¡¯s body froze up stiff once more.

    It happened again.

    This ominous killing intent. This intense pressure that made it almost impossible to stare into the eyes of his opponent.

    He came here after telling himself many times that he¡¯d not get scared and stare into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes head-on, but too bad, everything was for naught.

    <<Dammit, what¡¯s going on here?>>

    He could already tell the end result without even starting a fight.

    A silhouette of a gigantic snake could be seen right behind Su-hyeun. A snake with jet-black scales and vivid-yellow eyes. Just the sheer pressure emanating from that thing alone was enough to force Petro to lose his fighting intent.

    He stood there, his legs shaking, before dropping his head low. ¡°J-just what is it that you want?¡±

    ¡°I also told you that before, didn¡¯t I? It¡¯s to stop the distribution of Blending.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s only that¡­.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in verbal promises. But then, even if I do kill you here, a second, third Petros will pop up sooner or later to continue distributing Blending. In the end, what we need is a sure-fire way to prevent that from happening,¡± said Su-hyeun, before pointing at Petro. ¡°And you¡¯re precisely it.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Unless it¡¯s me, no one on the 31st floor is capable of doing anything to you, that¡¯s why. Since you were the first one to start distributing Blending, I¡¯m sure you can also restrict the others from doing that, too.¡±

    Blending was created out of grass commonly found on the 31st floor¡¯s world. As the ingredient could be found so easily, the disappearance of Petro wouldn¡¯t necessarily result in the disappearance of Blending itself.

    In the end, what was really needed here was to declare the manufacture of Blending illegal, and then possess a power strong enough to enforce that.

    There was no one better suited to that role than Petro himself.

    ¡°You¡­want to use me as your tool? With my life as collateral?¡±

    ¡°From the distribution of Blending to intimidation and murder related to this racketeering operation, to the countless loss of lives, you being executed right this instance wouldn¡¯t be strange at all, so never forget this. You don¡¯t have any rights as a person to stand there and keep breathing this air.¡±

    The straightforward judgment caused Petro to lower his head while gritting his teeth once more. None of those assertions were wrong. He was without a doubt a criminal currently being carefully observed by the various awakener associations out in the real world.

    If they had a way to arrest him, then well, he probably didn¡¯t have anything to say even if they passed judgment on him.

    ¡°You make the decision. Wait for your death, or step forward voluntarily to stop the distribution of Blending,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°This¡­rather than a negotiation, it¡¯s more like an ultimatum.¡±

    ¡°From the beginning, I never negotiated with criminals. No, I kill them right off the bat. The only reason why I haven¡¯t done that with you is because you still have your uses.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re different from what I heard. The things is, everyone thinks of Kim Su-hyeun as a man who serves the world without expecting any rewards in return, or at least that¡¯s what I heard. A hero who saves regular citizens and fights against the Dump Guild, stuff like that.¡±

    Su-hyeun definitely had a different side to him compared to other awakeners. The majority of S-Ranks conquered dungeons and let the world know of their existence by showing their faces in various media outlets.

    However, Su-hyeun had never acted on his own self-interest. He didn¡¯t seem to be interested in either wealth nor prestige. Even then, he rescued regular citizens and collided against the infamous Dump Guild. He even raided a blue-colored dungeon to prevent a possible outbreak, too.

    The whole world thought of Su-hyeun as a real hero.

    ¡°So, this is your true face, then?¡±

    ¡°Neither side is fake, actually.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head. ¡°I answer kindness with even bigger kindness, but toward bad people, I reply with an even harsher punishment. Meaning¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s glare shifted outside the pub¡¯s window and landed on Petro¡¯s underlings, currently staring back at him. ¡°To punks like you lot, I¡¯m not such a nice guy. Get my drift?¡±

    ¡°A-attack him!¡±

    ¡°Uwaaaah!¡±

    Was it because they thought Su-hyeun had discovered their presence? Petro¡¯s underlings began rushing towards the pub one by one.

    It was right then that Petro raised his head and cried out. ¡°Stop!¡±

    His yell caused those attacking with deeply tense expressions to freeze up right there like a bunch of dolls.

    This was one of Petro¡¯s abilities.

    ¡°¡­.G*ddammit.¡±

    He was clenching his fists so hard that fingernails were digging into his palms. He was initially planning to use Su-hyeun¡¯s public persona to get out of this situation, but with things like this, he didn¡¯t have a choice anymore.

    ¡°Okay, fine. What do I have to do specifically?¡±

 Chapter 119

    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s what happened, so using that guy from now on should not pose a problem.¡±

    Su-hyeun sucked in the remaining coffee with a straw after finishing his story.

    Kim Do-ui received a phone call a few days after that meeting and quickly made his way to the same cafe. And now, he was rendered speechless for a moment or two from what he had just heard. He needed some time to organize everything Su-hyeun had told him so far.

    ¡°S-so, what you¡¯re saying is, you want to use Petro to forcibly clamp down on the distribution of Blending. Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I ask the association to provide the necessary system and personnel to oversee the process. I believe it¡¯ll be easy enough to find a handful of awakeners willing to reside permanently on the 31st floor.¡±

    ¡°For that, I¡¯ve already started my search according to what you asked me earlier, but¡­¡±

    To think that he¡¯d finish everything before the search had been concluded. This was way too fast.

    Su-hyeun continued on. ¡°As for the strand of magical energy injected into Petro¡¯s body, the liquid solution I¡¯ll provide periodically should be sufficient enough to suppress it. Since we¡¯re allowed to take objects from reality to that side, you can simply deliver the solution via awakeners you hire in the future.¡±

    ¡°You have come up with a really great idea, using Petro to suppress the distribution of Blending.¡±

    ¡°I had been thinking of a different method initially, but things became simpler thanks to a skill I lucked upon recently. Nothing in this world should be as urgent as the matters involving your life, after all.¡±

    It didn¡¯t look like Su-hyeun came up with this idea in one or two days. Indeed, this wouldn¡¯t have been possible to pull off unless you knew the power structure of the 31st floor¡¯s world as well as Petro¡¯s existence.

    <<Well, at least one problem got resolved, so there¡¯s that.>>

    All matters related to Petro had been top secret even within the corridors of the association. Because they didn¡¯t have a good way to stop that man, and they were also too preoccupied with preventing the distribution of Blending as it began infiltrating the real would.

    This was basically proof of the association¡¯s powerlessness.

    Kim Do-ui spoke. ¡°I apologize, but your feat this time must be kept as a secret among ourselves. Of course, you¡¯ll be rewarded sufficiently for your efforts, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I didn¡¯t do it while expecting something in return.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s reply brought about a relieved expression on Kim Do-ui¡¯s face.

    If, by any chance, Su-hyeun wanted to publicly declare his feat and thus raise his fame even further, that would¡¯ve put the association in a very awkward spot. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t express much interest in that regard as initially anticipated.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, by the way. For that reward you mentioned.¡± Su-hyeun put the empty mug down on the table before asking a question. ¡°There is this one item I¡¯d like to own, so can you get it for me?¡±

    ¡°You want an item¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun openly requesting for something like this would be the first time.

    He had never before demanded rewards for the things he accomplished so far ¡ª not after the Anyang city incident, and not even after finishing his battle against the Dump Guild.

    <<But then again, there are all of his achievements so far¡­.>>

    Kim Do-ui readily nodded his head. ¡°Please tell me, whatever it is. If it¡¯s within our means, then we¡¯ll try our best to acquire it for you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that difficult to procure it, though.¡± Su-hyeun smirked and explained what he wanted from the association.

    Kim Do-ui¡¯s previous expression of a man willing to fulfill any request was soon replaced by a deeply troubled one. ¡°That is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Will it be too hard for you?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll send the request upstairs, but¡­I can¡¯t predict how things will turn out.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no rush, so it¡¯ll be fine. Please give me a call as soon as you acquire it.¡±

    Su-hyeun got up from his chair and exited the cafe while leaving behind these words, ¡°Acquire the item no matter what.¡± It seemed that he wasn¡¯t interested in anything else besides this item. But that only left Kim Do-ui feeling even more troubled.

    <<It would have been better if he asked for money, instead.>>

    He let out a pained groan and dropped his head lower. In all honesty, there was nothing stopping him from acquiring that item. Hell, he didn¡¯t even need the time either, as the very item Su-hyeun wanted was currently being held by the association.

    ¡°I guess the director will yell at me once more.¡±

    Kim Do-ui shook his head and stood up from his chair. For some reason, it felt like the tiresome matters needing his attention had increased in their numbers lately.

    Act 5

    A few days later, Kim Do-ui came to visit Su-hyeun at the latter¡¯s home. It was to report on the progress made so far, as well as to discuss the reward for this matter, as well.

    ¡°Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to recruit the awakeners residing on the 31st floor. There are quite a lot of people who almost died trying to pass the 30th floor and have developed a certain aversion to climbing higher up on the tower, you see.¡±

    For the past few days, Petro diligently focused on recovering all the batches of Blending circulating out in the open. It seemed that, as his life was on the line, he decided to move quickly and decisively. Since he had far too much to lose now, as his attachment to life had grown just that much stronger.

    ¡°And also, this¡­is the item you asked me about earlier.¡±

    Kim Do-ui, settling in the living room couch, opened his briefcase and took out a small box.

    Su-hyeun received this box, opened it, and spoke up. ¡°You acquired it quicker than I thought.¡±

    ¡°The association happened to have it on hand, actually. When I requested the item, the higher-ups really came down hard on me, just so you know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll gratefully accept it. Give my regards to the director, as well.¡±

    ¡°You think the director will be happy to hear your regards?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯d like you to deliver it to him.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense. Ah, and about the incident this time¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut. I mean, I¡¯ve received something from you, after all. Was that everything you came to see me for?¡±

    Su-hyeun packed the box away and stood up from his spot.

    He then got ready to leave, prompting Kim Do-ui to ask, ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have an important prior engagement, you see.¡±

    ¡°A prior engagement? Is it a woman?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a very sweaty older uncle.¡±

    ¡°Damn, man¡­¡±

    That pitying look of Kim Do-ui caused Su-hyeun¡¯s expression to crumple in a rather unsightly manner.

    After leaving his house along with the guest, Su-hyeun then headed towards the underground parking lot and climbed into his car. The destination he reached a little while later was Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop, located in Yangpyeong.

    Clang¡ª

    ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s me.¡±

    Clang, clang, clang¨C!

    The loud noises didn¡¯t want to stop.

    Either Kim Dae-ho was too focused on his job and couldn¡¯t hear, or he was currently doing something that couldn¡¯t be stopped in the middle.

    Su-hyeun waited for a bit before opening the front door to enter. As expected, Kim Da-ho was too focused on his hammering to notice a guest coming to visit him.

    <<I guess I¡¯ll wait.>>

    Su-hyeun stood there in silence and waited for Kim Dae-ho to finish.

    For the next two hours or so, the master craftsman continued to work on the equipment with his trusty hammer before eventually standing up while trying to straighten his aching back. ¡°Urgh, my back.¡±

    ¡°Are you finished, Uncle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­Eh?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho¡¯s head hurriedly spun to his rear and spotted Su-hyeun standing there. A surprised expression quickly filled the older man¡¯s face. ¡°When did you get here?¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long.¡±

    ¡°Really? You hadn¡¯t been waiting for long or anything like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°A guy wanting to give me a present is left waiting like this and all. Why didn¡¯t you say something when you arrived?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been in your care, so it¡¯d be way too shameless for me to interrupt your work.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so at least you do know. Urgh,¡± grunted Kim Dae-ho. His back must¡¯ve been damaged after working for such long hours because his steps were rather strained. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll brew us some tea.¡±

    Su-hyeun replied as his face brightened up in an instant. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±

    This would be the first time Kim Dae-ho had invited Su-hyeun into his private residence in this lifetime. The latter couldn¡¯t help but feel that this was the sign of how much the master craftsman cared about him, so he ended up following the older man with a slightly excited frame of mind.

    Unlike his rather flashy workshop, Kim Dah-ho¡¯s residence was simply furnished. Like a nice Airbnb found in Yangpyeong, the house¡¯s square meter footprint was rather small.

    The tea brewed in Kim Dah-ho¡¯s kitchen was soon brought out, and the master craftsmen personally poured Su-hyeun a cup of this savory refreshment. He then filled his own cup next and settled down on a chair.

    While looking at Su-hyeun¡¯s face, he asked, ¡°What do you find so amusing that you¡¯re grinning nonstop like that?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that I like coming to your workshop, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s more relaxing here than back in my own house.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you show up here way too often? You come whenever you have downtime.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been coming here that regularly, you know.¡±

    ¡°Just drink your tea.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Su-hyeun blew at the piping-hot tea and sipped a little bit.

    Meanwhile, Kim Dae-ho lightly drummed on his shoulders and shifted his gaze over to the small box his guest had brought along. ¡°Is that the so-called wonderful raw material you told me about?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, it is.¡±

    Su-hyeun hurriedly put the teacup down and pushed the box forward.

    Nothing could light the fire in Kim Dae-ho¡¯s eyes other than matters involving his workshop, so he began peering at the small box with some intensity.

    ¡°I did get my hands on another very good base material for you not too long ago, but my Miru ended up eating it, so¡­.¡±

    ¡°Miru ate a material?¡±

    Su-hyeun blurred the ends of his words in clear ruefulness, so Kim Dah-ho asked back while sounding puzzled.

    Materials for equipment should be either minerals or special catalysts, so he was wondering whether it was fine or not for a divine beast to eat something like that.

    Su-hyeun then explained what happened inside the blue-colored dungeon, plus how Miru swallowed up the reward from that place.

    After hearing all of that, Kim Dae-ho nodded his head. ¡°You did the right thing. I hear your dragon usually only drinks water. So, you should let it eat what he wants when he feels like it. He¡¯s a still a youngster, no?¡±

    ¡°H-hahaha¡­¡± Su-hyeun could only smile awkwardly at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s words.

    The older man was saying that now because he had no clue what that item was, but once he got to learn of its true value later on, well, he wouldn¡¯t be this relaxed anymore.

    <<But then again, this is the substitute, so it should be fine.>>

    Su-hyeun pointed at the small box while raising the teacup. ¡°Please take a look.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s see¡­.¡±

    Click¨C

    Kim Dae-ho lifted open the box¡¯s lid.

    A small, vivid yellow stone was resting within the box. This stone, no bigger than a young child¡¯s clenched fist, outwardly seemed completely unremarkable.

    He slowly and cautiously picked it up. He inspected it by placing the stone under the rays of light, then scratched its surface with his fingernail before shifting his gaze back to Su-hyeun slowly savoring his tea.

    ¡°Is this¡­could it be that thing?¡± Kim Dae-ho asked.

    ¡°I believe it is indeed the thing you¡¯re thinking of.¡±

    The clearly-excited Kim Dae-ho shoved his chair back noisily and shot up to his feet. ¡°This is really the adamantium?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho rarely smiled, but there was an unmistakable grin spreading on his entire face right this moment. This would be Su-hyeun¡¯s second time witnessing such a grin.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the real deal.¡±

    ¡°Huh, huhuh¡­.¡±

    After hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s assured reply, Kim Dae-ho remained standing on the spot and began inspecting the adamantium once more. Chuckles that rarely, if ever, left his lips now continued to leak out. No matter how many times he looked at it, he just couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°This is the adamantium¡­¡±

    Adamantium. A legendary metal that only appeared in myths, a substance shrouded in plentiful rumors but believed to not exist in reality.

    However, a mineral that possessed the closest properties to the legendary adamantium everyone heard of made an appearance inside a green-colored dungeon that opened up in Britain a few years ago.

    This was the dream of all blacksmiths, as well as their ultimate fantasy.

    Even the master craftsman like Kim Dae-ho was no exception. Ever since learning of the adamantium¡¯s existence, he set a clear goal for himself, which was to craft something, anything, out of that rare material.

    However, he had no method of procuring it.

    As all the reserve currently in existence came from that one appearance, and not even someone like Kim Dae-ho could easily procure something of adamantium¡¯s value.

    But now¡­

    ¡°H-how did you get this?¡±

    Now, Su-hyeun had brought some to him.

    ¡°I coincidentally happened upon a chance. I thought you¡¯d like it, Uncle. But, if you don¡¯t like it, then I¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way! Of course I like it! Very much so!¡±

    Kim Dae-ho¡¯s face reddened up and he roared at the top of his lungs. Su-hyeun felt his ears go numb, but he still felt chuffed by this reaction. Seeing Kim Dae-ho looking so happy like that made him feel like he managed to pay just a little bit of his debt back to the master craftsman.

    <<With this, he might not bite my head off.>>

    Indeed, he might be forgiven for using up every single dragon-slaying spear that took so much work to create. Su-hyeun felt pretty good about himself as he began emptying the teacup. But then¡­

    ¡°Your sword, you¡¯re still using it, right? Was its name? Gram?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho suddenly asked him an unexpected question.

    Su-hyeun reflexively took the cup away from his lips and replied. ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes. I¡¯m still using it.¡±

    ¡°Give it to me.¡± Kim Dae-ho alternated his gaze between the sword mounted on Su-hyeun¡¯s hips and the lump of adamantium held in his hand. ¡°This gift is from you, so obviously, I shall return it to you.¡±

 Chapter 120

    The meaning behind those words seemed unclear, but Su-hyeun easily understood what Kim Dae-ho was trying to say. He wanted to ¡°return¡± the adamantium, which meant the master craftsman would use the ore to gift Su-hyeun with a new sword.

    ¡°With this, it¡¯s like I¡¯m requesting a new sword from you rather than giving you a thank-you gift.¡±

    Su-hyeun waved his hands and politely declined.

    Kim Dae-ho didn¡¯t originally intend to make a sword with the adamantium. Su-hyeun wanted to help that dream come true and that¡¯s why he gifted this rare metal ¡ª not for the sake of strengthening his own weapon.

    Unfortunately, the older man¡¯s stubborn streak was far stronger than Su-hyeun¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s already a wonderful gift to handle such material with my own two hands. So stop with your yapping and give me the sword.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°In that case, I can¡¯t accept it. Take it back with you.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho abruptly put the adamantium back inside the box and closed the lid. Then he pushed it towards Su-hyeun as if he really meant to return it.

    What a troublesome situation this was. So much more so because the latter knew how stubborn the former could be.

    ¡°Urgh¡­.¡± Su-hyeun groaned, looking clearly troubled before placing both the sword and its scabbard on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll deposit the request fee at a later time.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°Concede on this one, please. You may not know this, but I, too, can be quite stubborn.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s rather manly-sounding words caused Kim Dae-ho to quietly alternate his gaze between the sword and the younger man¡¯s eyes. Eventually, though, he reached down and lifted the weapon.

    ¡°Fine. Do what you want.¡±

    Shu-rung¡ª

    He then unsheathed the sword to inspect the blade¡¯s edge. It seemed that he was confirming the condition of the weapon first.

    ¡°Looks like the blade is slightly damaged.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho tilted his head this way and that while inspecting the blade¡¯s edge. No mere events of a simple nature would be able to damage Gram¡¯s blade, yet nicks could be spotted all over it.

    ¡°I was trying to cut down a seriously tough creature, actually,¡± replied Su-hyeun.

    ¡°A tough creature?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I honestly believe that without Gram, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to cut that monster down.¡±

    Out of all the monsters Su-hyeun had fought so far, the hide and scales of Ouroboros easily qualified as some of the strongest he had ever faced. That¡¯s how tough they were.

    If he had been wielding a regular sword, it might have shattered during the very first attack. Only because it was Gram, crafted by Kim Dae-ho, did he manage to cut through the monster¡¯s scales and its thick hide.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    As if he was weak against praises directed at the sword, Kim Dae-ho¡¯s expression became a bit bashful. He continued with his inspection and opened his mouth. ¡°Will it be fine if I take my time with it?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it take at least half a year or one full year at the longest?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho became somewhat taken back by Su-hyeun¡¯s reply and he glanced at the younger man. ¡°And how do you even know that?¡±

    ¡°I just made an educated guess.¡±

    Su-hyeun was thinking that Kim Dae-ho might need that much of time. The latter at his prime would only need half a year, but with his current skill set, it might need at most one full year to complete the work.

    The master craftsman nodded his head at that rather accurate guess and sheathe the sword back in its scabbard. ¡°Correct. I was thinking that, too. If the adamantium is as tough as all the rumors I heard, then even melting it down will pose a great challenge.¡±

    He spoke up to there, smirked deeply and held the box containing adamantium tightly. ¡°A sword made by refining the highest-grade Ether stone, plus adamantium added on top, too. The greatest sword will be created out of this combination. That I guarantee it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t just being polite here. Su-hyeun was really expecting great things.

    His anticipation was even greater than the blacksmith¡¯s since he had already wielded a weapon created from this combination before.

    <<The highest grade Ether stone, adamantium, and Kim Dae-ho.>>

    The joint effort of these three factors.

    <<Balmung.>>

    The greatest sword of them all, the one Su-hyeun wielded in his previous life.

    It was the defining masterpiece of the craftsman Kim Dae-ho, and the item wielded by the hero, Kim Sung-in.

    Rather unexpectedly, he was about to get his hands on Balmung once more. Sure, he knew that the sword had to be completed sooner or later, but the mere idea of waiting for just one more year for its actual completion was making his heart palpitate so much faster.

    <hr />

    Claaang, clang¡ª!

    Kim Dae-ho grunted and complained about his sore back only until a few moments ago, but as soon as the adamantium and Su-hyeun¡¯s sword were left in his care, he dove right back into his work.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to loan out the ¡°best sword available in the workshop¡± for Su-hyeun¡¯s use for the next year or so.

    While listening to the rhythmic beating of the hammer, Su-hyeun prepared to leave the workshop.

    <<Uncle, you and your stubborn streak¡­>>

    A lengthy groan escaped from his mouth. For sure, things had worked out in his favor, yet he just didn¡¯t feel so good inside.

    Adamantium.

    To blacksmiths, this thing was no longer a simple mineral, but more like a symbol.

    <hr />

    ¡°Do you know the story of Hephaestus?¡± One day, when Su-hyeun came to repair his sword, Kim Dae-ho asked him this out of the blue.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the god of blacksmiths?¡±

    ¡°Then, do you know what kind of a hammer that guy used?¡±

    Even if it was just a myth, to think that he¡¯d casually call a god ¡°that guy.¡± Now that was an appellation befitting Kim Dae-ho¡¯s personality.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what he used,¡± replied Su-hyeun.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You wouldn¡¯t know. Well, do you know what adamantium is?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the mineral that came out of a green-colored dungeon from eight years ago?¡±

    ¡°To folks in my profession, adamantium is kind of like a symbol of pride. No, wait. Should I say it¡¯s like a myth? You see, the hammer Thor wields is also made out of that adamantium.¡± Kim Dae-ho saying that seemed rather excited for some reason.

    ¡°Well, Hephaestus¡¯s hammer is recorded as being so big that all the adamantium in existence back then wasn¡¯t enough to recreate it, but¡­. Anyways, even if you¡¯re a pathetic, two-bit blacksmith, you would still create the greatest equipment in history by using Hephaestus¡¯s hammer. That¡¯s what the legends say.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that just a legend, a myth?¡±

    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s a myth, alright. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so much cooler, don¡¯t you think so? There¡¯s this romantic side to it, too.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho¡¯s face back then as he looked at his own hammer was filled with anticipation of sorts.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t get to hear the next part. However, he still understood full well that the master craftsman wished to create a hammer with the adamantium, and with that very hammer, started pounding away on fire and iron.

    <hr />

    That¡¯s why he felt so bitter right now.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to find more.¡±

    Back in the previous life as well as this one, Kim Dae-ho chose to create Su-hyeun¡¯s sword rather than making his dream come true.

    Su-hyeun was trying to repay his debt, yet it felt like he now had more to pay instead.

    And so, just as he was about to leave Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop by pushing open the door¡­.

    ¡°Ah, I forgot.¡±

    Clang, clang

    He remembered one other business he had in this place. ¡°¡­The dragon-slaying spear.¡±

    He stood there and pondered for a bit before eventually leaving the workshop.

    He simply didn¡¯t have the heart to tell the blacksmith working hard on his sword that all of the dragon-slaying spears had been used up.

    <hr />

    In the end, Su-hyeun used the achievement points he got during the last trial to purchase some spare dragon-slaying spears. The number of points he got while passing the 30th floor was more than enough to buy the spears without any worries.

    <<It¡¯s a bit of a waste, but it should be fine.>>

    Indeed, doing this was better than delaying the completion of Balmung.

    Besides, he didn¡¯t have an urgent need to spend the achievement points anyway. He initially wondered whether he should purchase another of the highest-grade catalyst or not, but the need for that disappeared after absorbing Ouroboros¡¯s power.

    Su-hyeun bought a total of five dragon-slaying spears.

    <<For some reason, Miru hasn¡¯t come outside for the last few days¡­.>>

    His dragon hadn¡¯t shown itself ever since completely exhausting itself during the battle against Ouroboros. Su-hyeun grew a little worried, so he called Song Hyeong-gi for advice. The latter replied in a very excited tone of voice.

    ¡°Oh, that? Your kid is about to grow a whole lot bigger! That¡¯s what¡¯s happening.¡±

    ¡°Grow a whole lot larger? So suddenly?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kinda like a growth spurt, you see. I was worried since your Miru¡¯s rate of growth was so much slower compared to other dragons, but maybe, things will change after this.¡±

    ¡°Sure, Miru is slower when compared to Yong¡­.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say much about Miru¡¯s case since that kid¡¯s growth method is different from my own Yong. But, what¡¯s happening now isn¡¯t a bad thing. The ¡®hibernation period¡¯ for dragons is the same thing as their growth period, after all.¡±

    The hibernation period.

    That¡¯s the name Song Hyeong-gi attached to Miru, who was slumbering away. On top of that, Malcolm¡¯s book also emphasized how important hibernation was for dragons.

    <<Does that mean Miru¡¯s going to get a lot bigger?>>

    It had been a little over half a year since Miru was hatched.

    Unlike how a dragon was supposed to reach its maturity in about a year, Miru¡¯s overall size remained much smaller than other dragons.

    So, Su-hyeun did worry a little. But now, Miru was about to hit its growth spurt, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel his anticipation building up.

    <<Still, I hope he won¡¯t sleep for too long.>>

    Su-hyeun spent most of his time alone, so Miru was like a cute son full of entertaining little antics. During all those times when he felt lonely, he¡¯d miss Miru behaving so lovably cute.

    He soon put his thoughts of Miru away to the back of his mind and headed straight to the 31st floor¡¯s plaza.

    [31st floor¡¯s trial is commencing.]

    The view changed as soon as the trial went underway, and a completely new world spread out before his eyes.

    The new setting was rather interesting, to say the least. Su-hyeun now found himself standing in the middle of a battle arena resembling the Colosseum, and monsters held inside the metal cages in the various corners of the arena were glaring at him.

    At a casual glance, this setting seemed somewhat similar to the first floor¡¯s trial. However, there was one very noticeable difference.

    ¡°Wah, waaaah, waah!¡±

    ¡°Kill him! Kill him!¡±

    Thousands, no, tens of thousands of people filled up the Colosseum¡¯s audience seats. Their frenzied glares and venomous roars were currently being directed at Su-hyeun. It was as if they were all possessed by something.

    [Once every three years, Moline Empire holds an event where warriors kidnapped from other nations are served as prey to the monsters reared by the empire. You are the very first sacrificial lamb of this event.]

    [Choose your goal.]

    [1. Bring down the Colosseum.]

    [2. Escape from the Colosseum.]

    [3. Survive until the end of today.]

    [The difficulty is listed in descending order. The achievement rate will be decided upon the level of the selected difficulty.]

    For sure, the trial was slightly more complicated than the one found on the first floor. Not only were the levels of the monsters far higher, but the scope of his choices had also grown more varied as well.

    If he chose the third option, all Su-hyeun had to do was to fight the monsters that would come pouring out next. However, if he went with either the first or the second option, then even the knights of the empire would become his enemies, as well.

    Just like how the trial¡¯s description had alluded to, it was clear to Su-hyeun which option was the hardest of the trio.

    ¡°Obviously¡­¡±

    There was no need to even ponder this.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯ll be the first option.¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t even have challenged the tenth level difficulty trials if he was planning to take the easy way out.

    [You have chosen the first option.]

    [The trial will not end until you bring down the institution of the Colosseum.]

    He might have chosen the hardest path, but he actually felt glad about that. On this stage, he didn¡¯t need to use his head too much. No, he simply had to destroy everything his eyes could see.

    Clang¡ª

    The steel cages holding the monsters back began opening up one by one.

    Su-hyeun observed at the drooling monsters slowly emerging from the four steel cages. They were snakilions, a lion-type monster with three snake heads serving as its tail.

    Krrrr¡ª

    ¡°This is a perfect stage for experimenting.¡±

    As a matter of fact, he was searching for an opportunity to get acclimated with his newly-acquired power and skills. His new trait, Third Eye, allowed him to perform various things. He tried to utilize a couple of those abilities during his brief fight against Petro, but he still hadn¡¯t explored everything in depth just yet.

    ¡°Sic him! Sic him!¡±

    The roars of the crowd were getting louder.

    It was right then that the empire¡¯s monster trainers restricting the snakilions¡¯ movements finally lowered their hands.

    Bark, baaark¡ª!

    The third eye in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead opened up and glared at the snakilions dashing towards him.

    And then, as he extended his hand forward¡ª

    ¡°Sit.¡±

    He spat out one command that he was thinking about inwardly.

    The backs of the snakilions dashing towards him suddenly bent down and the monsters all collapsed on the ground with a thud.

    Hissss¡ª

    K-krrrrr¡ª

    Snakilions shivered and lowered their heads in a clear display of fear.

    With this, he thought he could definitely tell what the first ability of his Third Eye was.

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator]

 Chapter 121

    Snakilions¡¯ tails curled up. They were willingly lowering their tails and planting their heads on the ground.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they fighting?¡±

    ¡°I said, go and kill him!¡±

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°I wonder? Those monsters, they are actually bowing their heads¡­¡±

    The rumblings within the crowd grew noisier and louder.

    For sure, this was not a normal development. There had been many warriors capable of overwhelming the monsters, but not once did the monsters lower their heads first to a human being.

    That was something only possible for the trainers who used food and torture to tame these creatures for a lengthy amount of time. And quite obviously, it was simply not possible for a sacrificial lamb kidnapped from another nation to be a trainer.

    ¡°Are you saying¡­that the monsters bowed their heads first to a human?¡±

    ¡°Wait, could this be prearranged? Or some kind of an event?¡±

    The crowd looked and murmured amongst themselves. Completely disregarding whether they were doing that or not, Su-hyeun issued an order to the four snakilions.

    ¡°Go back. And also¡­¡± His next correspondence was aimed at the trainers standing and waiting next to the monster cages. ¡°Go and bring out the rest.¡±

    The trainers¡¯ complexion grew deeply pale after meeting Su-hyeun¡¯s glare, and they hurriedly made their next move. They had plenty of monsters ready to be deployed for the next two rounds.

    The snakilions heeded Su-hyeun¡¯s order and returned to the cages. At this rate, it was as if he was their real trainer.

    <<The ¡°Predator,¡± is it?>>

    Su-hyeun realized what the third eye¡¯s first ability was while observing the backs of the terrified snakilions following his orders.

    <<Not bad.>>

    As the name implied, Third Eye¡¯s trait, Predator, was an ability that caused lower-ranked monsters to fall under a terrified state. At a casual glance, it might look like he was just making them scared, but with a closer look, one would realize that this ability was rather like a type of mental control.

    It was quite likely that the moment snakilions met Su-hyeun¡¯s glare, they all saw the figure of Ouroboros instead.

    <<A useful ability when facing against a large number of weaker monsters. Next up is¡­>>

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes.

    Creak, creeeak¡ª

    At the same time, thin scales suddenly began sprouting all over his body. They seemed similar to the Imoogi¡¯s scales, yet were incomparably tougher.

    Kka-ahk, kka-ah-ahk¡ª!

    Kki-eeeeh¡ª!

    He could hear them.

    He could hear eight monsters being dragged towards this place beyond the steel bars. The number had increased compared to earlier.

    However, he simply stood there waiting, his eyes still closed.

    Not too long after that, the monsters showed up from beyond the fences and were unleashed onto the Colosseum. Following the orders issued by their trainers, the eight monsters took aim at Su-hyeun and pounced.

    He heard the monsters flapping their wings.

    <<I can see them.>>

    Although he couldn¡¯t see their movements through his eyes, he still vividly sensed them. And he wasn¡¯t even using any special abilities, either ¡ª he just knew.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    The head of a monster swooping in from the side was sliced cleanly off.

    Swish¡ª

    Swish¡ª

    Swish¡ª

    Right after cutting down three more monsters, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure floated up in the air.

    Bam!

    A tough beak crashed into the ground, right where he used to stand only a moment ago.

    His foot stomped down on the crown of the monster and crushed its head and the brain at the same time. His muscular strength had become so much stronger after Ouroboros¡¯s power had been added to the mix.

    Right then, all of Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, including the one on his forehead, opened up.

    Splaaash¡ª

    The remaining four monsters were sliced into pieces, their wings and all.

    Clack¡ª

    He sheathed his sword and scanned his vicinity.

    This time, he got to confirm the physical ability of the Ouroboros¡¯s power. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t use a single drop of magical energy and simply relied on the newly-acquired physical power of the giant snake.

    <<It¡¯s already this strong without using Gram.>>

    His overall physical abilities had risen up quite high, as well.

    With that, he had pretty much confirmed everything he wanted to for the time being. There was only one more ability remaining that Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t analyzed yet.

    <<I won¡¯t be able to confirm it while facing these small fries.>>

    Su-hyeun swept his gaze over the restless crowd. Then, he discovered a few knights and magicians eyeing him coldly from within. They were not the audience members, but the managers for this Colosseum.

    He directed his next words at them. ¡°Are you going to sit back and just watch?¡±

    His provocative question caused a sudden shift in the atmosphere. They had been flustered by the unexpected way this situation had developed, but once Su-hyeun began talking to them, they clearly bared their naked animosity towards him.

    ¡°A mere prisoner dares to¡­?¡±

    ¡°Although rather useful as a distraction, he¡¯ll prove to be an eyesore in the long run.¡±

    They then shot a glare at the monster trainers next. The latter group hurriedly got ready to send out the next wave of monsters.

    Su-hyeun lightly tutted and shook his head. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped since you don¡¯t want to come down here.¡±

    His eyes were locked onto the crowd looking down at him from the Colosseum¡¯s audience seats. Their hostile eyes, united under the banner of their empire, were glaring right back at him.

    These bastards were toying with the lives of the prisoners, including Su-hyeun¡¯s, just because they came from different sides of the borders.

    ¡°I shall give you five minutes, starting from now. Those who want to run, run. Those who want to fight, come at me.¡±

    His voice might have been small, but it spread out to the rest of the Colosseum clearly.

    A lone man was actually issuing a challenge to the empire¡¯s greatest form of entertainment, the Colosseum, which was basically a fortress in its own right.

    ¡°This cannot be allowed to continue on.¡±

    Swiiish¡ª

    One of the knights leaped off a dozens-meters tall wall and landed lightly before Su-hyeun. Judging by how easy it was for this man to jump off from there, he must¡¯ve been pretty highly skilled. Or perhaps he was in possession of magical abilities of some kind.

    ¡°A mere prisoner daring to lecture and threaten us, now that¡¯s a sight to behold. We wished to bestow upon you the honor of becoming the noble empire¡¯s source of joy before you died, but¡­.¡±

    ¡°Four minutes.¡± Su-hyeun completely disregarded the knight and just stood there while continuing on with his countdown. ¡°You now have four minutes left.¡±

    ¡°You stinking son of a¡­¡±

    Pissed off after realizing that he had been roundly ignored, the knight began gritting his teeth.

    He roughly yanked his sword out and pointed the weapon at Su-hyeun. Only then did the latter glance at the knight.

    ¡°I, Coltman, the Vice-Captain of the Moline Empire¡¯s Royal Guards, will¡­!¡±

    Hissss¡ª

    Suddenly, a deeply chilling hiss could be heard coming from somewhere.

    Coltman was shocked out of his skull and he hurriedly looked around. However, he couldn¡¯t identify the source of that chilling hiss.

    <<Just what was¡­>>

    It was right then, Coltman felt a creeping chill run down his spine and raised his head.

    HISSSS¡ª

    Then, he saw the eyes of a massive snake.

    Coltman¡¯s legs almost gave up and he nearly plopped down on his backside just then.

    ¡°Ah, w-wuaaaah¡­?¡±

    A gigantic snake had completely wrapped around the entirety of the Colosseum. As if it was looking down on the tasty little treats, the monster was glaring at him as well as every audience member.

    This spectacle hadn¡¯t been witnessed only by Coltman alone, however. Everyone currently inside the Colosseum had fallen into the same hallucination as him.

    ¡°U-uwaaaah!¡±

    ¡°R-run away!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡±

    Countless people tried to escape the structure at the same time.

    ¡°D-do not escape! Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    Coltman belatedly shook off the effects of the hallucination and cried out in an urgent voice.

    Unfortunately for him, the panicking crowd wasn¡¯t going to heed his orders in the first place. After falling deep into confusion and fear, they lost themselves to the singular thought of wanting to escape.

    Still, quite a few of the empire¡¯s knights and some magicians remained behind in the Colosseum. They somehow managed to overcome their fear. It seemed that the effects of Su-hyeun¡¯s skill didn¡¯t influence them too strongly.

    ¡°T-trainer!¡± Coltman urgently called out to a trainer shivering away inside the cage. ¡°Bring out every monster inside, now! Hurry and kill that bastard!¡±

    ¡°If-if we do that, then controlling them will become impossible¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility. Hurry up!¡±

    Coltman remained adamant despite the trainer¡¯s reply. His head was filled with thoughts of suppressing Su-hyeun as quickly as possible.

    If left alone, he thought that Su-hyeun would pose an even greater danger. He also felt that the latter¡¯s sharp blade would slice right into the frightened knight¡¯s neck, and he just couldn¡¯t stay still and do nothing.

    ¡°One minute.¡±

    Still not giving a damn, Su-hyeun stood there and observed Coltman¡¯s and the trainer¡¯s actions. He didn¡¯t forget to count down the remaining time, of course. The thing was, though, five minutes weren¡¯t nearly enough for the terrified crowd to escape from this place.

    Sure enough, the promised time of five minutes was up when only about half of the audience had managed to evacuate.

    Kiiiaaaaah!

    Krrr, krrrrr¡ª

    Shiiiii¡ª

    With perfect timing, all sorts of colorful howls and screeches could be heard coming out from the interior of the Colosseum. Those noises were coming from the countless monsters currently locked away within the building by the empire for the purpose of today¡¯s event.

    The trainers had undone the shackles that tied these monsters down.

    ¡°C-calm down and slowly follow¡­ Aaaaahk!¡±

    ¡°Dammit, as expected with these numbers, they aren¡¯t listening to our commands anymore!¡±

    ¡°S-save me! Aaahck!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡±

    Monsters let loose at the same time no longer stayed obedient. They howled out joyously, having finally regained their freedom after enduring years of forced confinement and taming attempts.

    Ku-rururung¡ª

    Monsters began pouring out from inside the Colosseum next.

    At the same time, the empire¡¯s knights and magicians easily numbering a few hundred quickly surrounded Su-hyeun.

    Despite losing the trainers, Coltman remained triumphant. Although the thought of taking responsibilities later worried him, right now he believed that this much fighting power would be able to frighten Su-hyeun.

    ¡°And so, what will you do now?¡±

    ¡°Is this everyone?¡± Su-hyeun asked. He remained still despite going over his time limit, but finally, he unsheathed his sword.

    In the meantime, hundreds of monsters filled the Colosseum and even more continued to pour outside from the structure¡¯s bowels.

    However, something strange was happening here. Monsters that should have been rampaging out of control were all obediently waiting around.

    ¡°This is perfect. Perfect,¡± said Su-hyeun with a deep smirk.

    The trial¡¯s goal was to bring down the Colosseum. He was now thinking that he¡¯d be passing this floor far, far easier and quicker than he initially predicted. Not only that, but his new trait was also proving to be very satisfactory as well.

    ¡°What are you all waiting for? Hurry up and come at me.¡±

    Su-hyeun swept his gaze at the surrounding knights and magicians, then beckoned at them.

    His displaying such a relaxed air when he should¡¯ve been scared silly caused Coltman¡¯s anger to shoot up to the top of his head. The knight roared out loudly.

    ¡°Magicians! Get ready to fire!¡±

    Coltman had fought in many theaters of war for over ten-plus years, so he was able to issue the correct command despite how agitated he was.

    The monsters were currently not in a controlled state, yet for some reason, they weren¡¯t making any moves. Also, Su-hyeun was a swordsman. Coltman¡¯s side boasted a good balance of knights and magicians. In that case, he needed to use magic first and inflict some damage before initiating the actual assault.

    Woong, woooong, buzzzz¡ª

    Over one hundred magicians gathered their magical powers in a single spot and drew a massive magic circle in the air.

    Several elemental attributes were overlapped on top of one another. This magic was solely focused on firepower rather than any other special side effects.

    Su-hyeun had some knowledge when it came to matters of magic. Obviously it wasn¡¯t to the levels of the dedicated awakeners, but he had seen enough while traversing through various worlds.

    And that was why he could tell how powerful the magic circle currently being drawn up actually was.

    ¡°Commence attack!¡±

    According to Coltman¡¯s hand signal, the magic circle emitted bright light in an instant.

    Flash!

    The blinding flash of light enveloped Su-hyeun. It was a man-killing magic created by one hundred-plus magicians pooling their magical energy. Its power was more than enough to completely blow away a regular-sized mansion.

    However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t dodge and simply gathered his own magical energy.

    [Third Eye ¨C Neutralization]

 Chapter 122

    The massive light ray flying in towards Su-hyeun suddenly distorted and then vanished without a trace. Coltman and the magicians believed the attack could not be evaded or defended against, so rather obviously, they became flustered by it.

    ¡°It-it vanished?¡±

    ¡°Was that ¡®cancel¡¯ magic?¡±

    ¡°But in such a short amount of time?¡±

    Learning the cancel magic that systematically analyzed and canceled out your opponent¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t all that hard. However, utilizing said cancel magic you learned was another story altogether. Quite obviously, the harder the magic you wanted to cancel, the tougher it¡¯d get to use your own cancel magic.

    Not to mention, over one hundred of the empire¡¯s magicians chanted that magic to life only a few moments ago. It was simply impossible for a single individual to cancel magic like that in such a short period of time.

    <<No, that was not cancel magic.>

    Biltor, the empire¡¯s proud magician as well as the captain of the magic division, began stumbling backward.

    <<That eye¡­>>

    Just how many more abilities did that thing even possess?

    Su-hyeun was currently furrowing his brows a little after having blocked the magic. The third eye was already closed shut by then.

    ¡°I feel a bit¡­dizzy.¡±

    One of the authorities Third Eye possessed, Neutralization, was probably the craziest cheat-like skill as far as Su-hyeun was concerned ¡ª an authority that allowed him to extinguish one of his opponent¡¯s magical machinations by consuming his own magical energy as well as mental strength.

    There certainly existed specific skills that rendered the opponent¡¯s skills useless or outright canceled them, but even then, limitations would be imposed depending on the grade of the skills involved.

    However, Third Eye¡¯s Neutralization wasn¡¯t bound by such restrictions.

    The neutralization was limited only by the individual user¡¯s capability, meaning its limit depended on the skill user¡¯s competence and mental focus.

    <<Although the consumption of magical energy and mental strength is greater than I expected¡­>>

    Su-hyeun smirked inwardly.

    <<Not bad. Not bad at all.>>

    No, it was already well beyond the realm of ¡°not bad¡± at this point.

    With everything he witnessed so far, his new trait was more than good enough to be ranked as one of the very best traits that he had the knowledge of. If this skill had been acquired through Transfiguration, then he most likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to explore its full potential.

    <<I really got lucky this time.>>

    The dizziness lasted only for a second or two. Su-hyeun re-focused on the magic spells flying in his direction soon afterward.

    [Indomitable Body.]

    [Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor.]

    Ka-ka-boom¡ª

    Accompanied by a round of explosions, scorching-hot flames of conflagration violently whipped about Su-hyeun¡¯s vicinity.

    Now that their magic attacks had finally landed on target, both Coltman and Biltor cried out in elation inwardly.

    It should¡¯ve resulted in immediate death, or at the very least, heavy injuries. That¡¯s what they believed.

    Unfortunately for them¡­

    ¡°Man, that surprised me.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s figure revealed itself from between the dancing flames, looking completely intact. He lightly dusted his armor, now slightly burnt around the edges. ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to hit someone when they are in a daze, don¡¯t you know that?¡±

    ¡°That, that¡­¡±

    ¡°B-but, how¡­¡±

    They definitely hit him, yet none of their attacks were effective. Not only the armor, but even his unprotected skin didn¡¯t display any hints of damage other than emitting a slight reddish glow.

    Su-hyeun repeatedly clenched and unfurled his fists and sensed the hot temperature transmitted through his skin.

    <<Third Eye doesn¡¯t seem to possess any magic resistance.>>

    That was slightly lamentable, but wishing for that would have been him being way too greedy. Besides, defense against magic would be provided by the Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor anyway. Even if that wasn¡¯t it, he could easily get his hands on items that boosted his natural magic resistance.

    With this, the experiments were over.

    ¡°In that case. From today onwards¡­¡±

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator]

    The eye in his forehead that was temporarily closed opened wide once more and scanned through the Colosseum.

    ¡°I¡¯m putting an end to your operation.¡±

    Kiii-eeeeh¡ª!

    At the same time, monsters finished devouring their trainers and began screeching and howling loudly.

    Soon afterwards¡­

    ¡°Euh¡­ uwaaaaah¡ª!¡±

    Screams reverberated from the center of the Colosseum¡¯s battle arena.

    Act 6

    Clang¡ª

    When the part between the links connecting the chains and the keyhole was severed, the cuffs binding the man¡¯s ankles came undone.

    ¡°T-thank you.¡±

    ¡°As soon as you get out of here, don¡¯t even look back and escape back to your home country,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    The man loosened his aching wrists and ankles and replied, ¡°I¡¯d like to do that, but¡­how do I even get out of here?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t even find a single ant outside, actually.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s not as if you don¡¯t know where we are, so what gives?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see once you get out of here.¡±

    The man tilted his head this way and that after hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s words, but still, cautiously made his way outside.

    He didn¡¯t seem to trust what Su-hyeun had told him, but he¡¯d soon understand by going outside the prison.

    <<Was that the last captive?>>

    Su-hyeun spat out a lengthy groan and plopped down on the ground.

    This was definitely not a difficult trial. If he took his time clearing it, then there wouldn¡¯t be any reason for him to get this exhausted. The issue was with Third Eye, as well as his body that hadn¡¯t fully acclimated to the Ouroboros¡¯s magical energy.

    <<Although the effects are very good¡­I¡¯ll need more time before I can wield them to my heart¡¯s content.>>

    The magical energy stabilized a little after acquiring the Ouroboros¡¯s trait, but that didn¡¯t mean it was perfectly under his control.

    Quite a lot of magical energy and mental strength had to be consumed every time he used the trait¡¯s skills, which naturally meant he needed time to get used to everything.

    <<Will I be able to fully acclimate before the Ranking Wars?>>

    Only a few months remained until the start of the Ranking Wars.

    The American S-Rank awakener, Gordon Rohan, organized the greatest event in history: the Ranking Wars.

    At the very least, Su-hyeun had to completely master Third Eye and Ouroboros¡¯s magical energy residing inside his body as his own before the commencement of that event.

    <<Nothing¡¯s going to hold me back.>>

    Su-hyeun tightly clenched his fist.

    This event might look like all fun and games at a casual glance, but the Ranking Wars Gordon Rohan organized would end up sending massive ripples to every country in the world.

    A new awakener powerhouse nation would be born from the Ranking Wars, while those previously seen as one would become the setting sun instead. Su-hyeun simply had to be at the center of that storm.

    <<All for the sake of that day.>>

    Su-hyeun got up from his sitting position. Every time his thoughts began running deeper like this, he¡¯d start finding taking little breaks a waste of his precious time.

    [200,000 Achievement points have been acquired.]

    [Highest completion rate has been attained.]

    [You have perfectly cleared the 31st floor¡¯s trial.]

    [Achievement ranking is being tallied.]

    [You¡¯re in the first position.]

    [¡­.]

    ¡°Time to go to the next floor.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure vanished from this world.

    <hr />

    The year was 2021.

    The world was rapidly changing.

    ¡ªDo you really think that the current rate of dungeon generation is normal? What about the awakeners? The world wasn¡¯t like this only a couple of years ago.

    ¡ªTake a look at this graph. Past 2017, then 2018, and after 2019¡­the rate of dungeon generation is showing a steep upward trajectory from the year 2020 onwards. And when it comes to dungeons of the color level higher than yellow, it¡¯s even worse.

    ¡ªThe whole world is going to get destroyed soon!

    Theories on the looming crisis were on the rise everywhere.

    Especially so during the latter half of the year 2021, dungeon outbreaks were no longer treated as uncommon accidents.

    The mass media would often report on the news related to various outbreaks.

    The world¡¯s opinion regarding the dungeons split into two camps. One side believed that these dungeons were massive ticking time bombs that¡¯d lead the world to its destruction. And to the other, dungeons were a resource that would lead the world to prosperity.

    The world was indeed changing rapidly.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing? This building is the first in the world to feature 200 floors. Its height alone is over 3,000 feet.¡±

    A dandy man with blonde hair, sporting a golden-rimmed pair of sunglasses ¡ª this man, who looked to be only in his mid-thirties, was draped in high-end luxury brands from head to toe. A regular person would¡¯ve never even seen such luxurious apparel in their lifetime, never mind even putting on some.

    The man was riding on a fast-moving elevator along with a woman. He continued chatting with her. ¡°The world has become really wonderful. I mean, just take a look at this elevator. It¡¯s moving so fast, yet you can¡¯t even feel the hint of vibration or hear any noise. You think such technology would¡¯ve existed in the past?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Ether stones, I¡¯m guessing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve invested a huge chunk, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°Just how many Ether stones did you have to use in order to complete this building?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. It could be around ten percent of all the Ether stones produced within the United States, I guess?¡± The woman¡¯s question was triumphantly replied to by the blonde man.

    America was already famed for dungeons generating rather frequently within her borders. But to say that around ten percent of all of America¡¯s Ether stones had been spent on constructing this one building? That was a notion difficult to imagine.

    ¡°It¡¯s basically a golden castle, then.¡± The woman spoke of her honest impression of the place.

    The man smiled brightly, perhaps finding her comparison to his liking. ¡°A golden castle, is it? Now that¡¯s damn cool.¡±

    The elevator vibrated imperceptibly before coming to a stop.

    The two of them had arrived on the top floor of this building. The moment they stepped outside the elevator, they were greeted by a golden statue resembling the blonde man, with a plaque where his name was engraved on the surface right below it.

    ¡°King and God.¡±

    Gordon Rohan.

    It was a truly arrogant phrase. Even the mass media openly talked about how that phrase was meant to imply Gordon¡¯s unwillingness to let go of both the title of ¡°king¡± and ¡°god.¡±

    The woman, Ashlyn, was an American S-Rank and affiliated with the American awakener organization. She stared at Gordon Rohan with less than impressed eyes. ¡°You sure love to say that cringeworthy thing so brazenly in public.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth, after all,¡± replied Gordon Rohan without a shred of hesitation. ¡°I am¡­the best.¡±

    The mischievous gleam in his eyes until now suddenly disappeared, replaced by preternatural calmness.

    Being the best.

    Every time he said that, Gordon Rohan transformed a little. It was as if he was completely obsessed with being the best. But he happened to be one of the very few people alive who could say something like that with unshakable confidence.

    ¡°Is that the reason why you organized this event?¡± Ashlyn asked.

    ¡°Event? Oh, you mean the Ranking Wars?¡±

    ¡°Right, that.¡±

    The opportunity to prove that he was the best¡­

    ¡°It won¡¯t just be me saying it, but soon, the entire world,¡± said Gordon Rohan.

    He looked down on the world from the very top of the highest building in existence. ¡°They will say, Gordon Rohan is the best.¡±

    Ashlyn froze up on the spot. The magical energy emitted from his body felt so painful that she thought her entire body might break.

    She had felt this before, but still, Gordon Rohan¡¯s talents were truly absolute even among the S-Rank awakeners.

    <<Is this a competition where the victor has already been decided?>>

    Although they were all placed under the same banner of S-Rank, individuals like him sometimes existed ¡ª an awakener possessing abilities seemingly from another dimension.

    Ashlyn barely managed to calm her trembling body and continued to walk towards Gordon¡¯s side.

    ¡°Five, four, three¡­.¡± He was looking down at the cloudless scenery below while counting down the numbers. ¡°¡­Two, one.¡±

    Bang, boom¡ª!

    Fireworks went off.

    These fireworks could only illuminate the top floors of the building despite being fired upwards from the ground below. Fireworks that cost tens of millions of dollars exploded brilliantly to brighten the night sky.

    By looking down at those fireworks, he could appreciate the fact once more that he was indeed in a very high place.

    Ashlyn muttered softly while looking at the fireworks going off. ¡°It¡¯s December.¡±

    Fireworks denoting the arrival of December. They weren¡¯t welcoming the new year, but regardless, today would be marked in history as a far more significant date.

    ¡°It is, indeed.¡± Gordon Rohan grinned after hearing what Ashlyn had said and turned around. ¡°And it¡¯s the start of the Ranking Wars.¡±

    The day he had been waiting for with bated breath.

    The day that S-Ranks from various nations of the world would gather in one spot.

    For the sake of this very day, he made sure to prevent any potential outbreaks by proactively raiding the dungeons with colors higher than green.

    All thanks to that, the number of tourists coming to spectate the Ranking Wars would now be recorded in the history books as unprecedented.

    December.

    The fireworks signaling the start of the Ranking Wars continued on for many hours afterward.

 Chapter 123

    Lee Ju-ho circled around the exact same spot right in front of the Awakener Authority¡¯s building while looking quite anxious. Su-hyeun was sitting on a nearby bench reading a book while sipping on coffee the older man had brought earlier.

    Lee Ju-ho just couldn¡¯t understand Su-hyeun. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left, yet how can you be so laid-back enough to read a book?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have any reason to feel rushed, so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    While making his reply, Su-hyeun flipped to the next page. His eyes moved quickly and busily as he read the words on the paper.

    Seeing how relaxed his demeanor was, Lee Ju-ho could only sigh and pound on his chest. ¡°In any case, why is that kid so late?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an S-Rank evaluation, after all. It¡¯s actually a relief that things are taking a while.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It means he avoided getting disqualified right at the beginning, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s reply caused Lee Ju-ho to form a dazed expression for a moment or two, but then he nodded his head in an exaggerated manner, as if he realized something just then.

    ¡°I-I see.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you should also calm down and patiently wait for him. Besides, by now he should be¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, you two!¡±

    Hak-joon was running towards them from the distance.

    Without a doubt, his voice came from afar, yet he must¡¯ve run so hard that he was already right in front of the waiting duo¡¯s noses.

    ¡°I did it! I really did it!¡±

    Judging from how he was jumping around in excitement, there was no need to even ask him.

    Su-hyeun closed the book and got up from the bench. And rather different from how Hak-joon was reacting, he simply smiled faintly as if he had already predicted this end result. ¡°What did I say? I told you it¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°You were so right. It was really easy, you know?¡±

    Hak-joon carried a triumphant look on his face, then pulled out a phone while looking as if he had forgotten about something and began typing text messages reserved for someone.

    Lee Ju-ho, sounding unconvinced, raised his brows and asked, ¡°What about your registration certificate?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that. Here.¡±

    Hak-joon pulled out the awakener registration certificate stuffed into his cross bag and showed it to Lee Ju-ho. It was the same thing that Su-hyeun received when he became an S-Rank one year ago.

    Lee Ju-ho confirmed the certificate and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Now that was too close for comfort.¡±

    ¡°If I knew it¡¯d be this easy, I would¡¯ve taken the evaluation one or two months ago. I was so nervous since I can¡¯t retake the evaluation for a year, but this¡­¡±

    ¡°No time for idle chatter, unfortunately,¡± said Su-hyeun as he lightly patted Lee Ju-ho and Hak-joon¡¯s shoulders. Then he turned around to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and be on our way.¡±

    Act 7

    The three men climbed aboard a private plane and departed right away for San Francisco, US.

    Hak-joon had been stuck inside the tower and couldn¡¯t come outside for the past half-year, all for the sake of acquiring the S-Rank qualification. So, his jaw couldn¡¯t help but drop after checking out Su-hyeun¡¯s private plane.

    ¡°T-t-this thing is really yours?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me when I told you before, did you?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this even bigger than the one we borrowed from the Reaper Guild the last time? Just how much did you pay for this plane anyway? No, wait a minute. Just where did you get the money in the first place?¡±

    ¡°Out of all the Ether stones and the by-products of the monster corpses from that blue-colored dungeon, around 70% was judged to be mine. The money¡¯s from selling off all of my share of the loot.¡±

    ¡°70 percent?¡±

    Hak-joon¡¯s jaw dropped even further.

    Since he also participated, he also received some money from the aftermath of the blue-colored dungeon raid.

    He figured that the reward cash was pretty generous even by his standards, but at the moment, he was failing to even compute just how enormous the ¡°70% of the entire earnings¡± from the same dungeon could actually be.

    ¡°Wait, Jordan said he¡¯d yield his contributions to you, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Right, and the Medical Guild¡¯s contribution was also mine, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Umm, bro? Can you even maintain this thing?¡±

    ¡°I still have some money left. Besides, if it becomes too much of a hassle, I¡¯ll just participate in another raid or something,¡± Su-hyeun replied while looking completely unbothered by it, but Lee Ju-ho and Hak-joon were forming really depressed expressions.

    Especially so with Lee Ju-ho ¡ª he was shaking his head and muttering out as if he had given up already. ¡°The guy who eats tteokbokki for lunch and gimbap for dinner now owns a private plane¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even eat proper meals unless it was with Lee Ju-ho, yet here he was, spending his money so carefreely like this. It was a bit hard to reconcile these two images of the same man.

    However, only one matter of interest would cause Su-hyeun to splurge, and that would be on how to save himself some time, even if only by a little bit.

    The private plane flew non-stop for half a day.

    Soon, the American continent gradually entered their visual range, and as the plane slowly descended from flying altitude, the three men catching some quick Z¡¯s woke up one by one.

    ¡°Ahh! Are we there yet?¡±

    ¡°Looks that way.¡±

    After seeing the two yawn so loudly, even Su-hyeun ended up yawning, too.

    The seats on the plane could be folded back almost flat like real beds, which allowed him to get a fairly relaxing rest. He began wondering just when was the last time he slept so soundly like this.

    ¡°We¡¯re not late, I hope?¡± Hak-joon asked while packing his luggage, perhaps beginning to feel a bit concerned that now he was here.

    Su-hyeun confirmed the date and time once more and replied, ¡°We¡¯re not late. We still have a cushion of one day, so you don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    It seemed that they still had some time before the start of the Ranking Wars.

    Not wanting to be late because of unexpected delays, Hak-joon even took the S-Rank evaluation test in secret. If reporters or the guilds somehow caught wind of the situation and showed up, then that would lead to unnecessary delays.

    Su-hyeun glanced outside through the plane¡¯s window.

    He could see a building standing tall in the center-most spot of San Francisco in the distance. A grin spread over his lips after he recalled the name of the building in question.

    <<The Gordon Tower.>>

    What a laughable name that was. A building named after its owner.

    One might be tempted to think that such a thing wasn¡¯t strange, but Su-hyeun knew what Gordon Rohan¡¯s personality was like, so he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    That man would never be satisfied unless he was acknowledged as the best at whatever. Su-hyeun knew all too well why such a man decided to organize the Ranking Wars.

    <<It¡¯s all because he wants to prove that he is the best in the world.>>

    Since when did it start?

    Gordon Rohan was born into a wealthy American oil baron¡¯s family, meaning he was born a billionaire. People jokingly said that half of San Francisco belonged to him, so it was rather easy to estimate the depth of his financial wherewithal.

    He was one of three men that people always mentioned when talking about the wealthiest individuals in the world.

    He used his bottomless wealth to acquire a football team, and it continued to win its league every season. His corporations focusing on smart technology and Ether stone energy refinement always stayed as the number one in their respective fields. To top it all off, he even possessed talents that made others acknowledge him as the world¡¯s best awakener.

    He lived with the modifier ¡°the best¡± seemingly for his entire life.

    ¡°The best, is it¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun occupied that position. The spot that Gordon Rohan so desperately wished to make his.

    <<He¡¯s definitely eccentric, that guy.>>

    Hak-joon heard Su-hyuen¡¯s muttering from the side, so he abruptly pushed his head into the latter¡¯s line of sight to ask a question. ¡°What about the best?¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡±

    ¡°I thought you said something about the best and stuff just now.¡±

    That was something he blurted out without even realizing, so Su-hyeun simply shook his head and replie?, ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing important.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s nothing? It¡¯s true that the Gordon Tower is the tallest building in the world, isn¡¯t it? I can¡¯t wait to see it up close.¡±

    Hak-joon looked really pumped up as if he came here to sightsee.

    In the meantime, the private plane finally landed. Su-hyeun smirked and after grabbing his luggage, got up from his chair. The Gordon Tower looked even more imposing once he climbed outside the plane.

    ¡°I¡¯ll unpack our luggage at the lodging and find out the schedules for the Ranking Wars, so you two, go and be tourists for a while,¡± said Lee Ju-ho while checking out their itinerary through his smartphone.

    They still had some time to kill. They needed to get in touch with the Reaper Guild, but as Park Ji-yeon was running late, Su-hyeun no longer had a need to show his face.

    Unlike Hak-joon, whose expression had brightened in an instant, Su-hyeun shook his head and refused the offer. ¡°No need to do all of that. Besides, what do you mean, us as tourists?¡±

    ¡°You may not be keen, but the dude next to you does seem to be, wouldn¡¯t you say so?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words caused Hak-joon to flinch and quickly avoid meeting the gazes of the others. Although he hadn¡¯t said anything yet, he must¡¯ve been really looking forward to it.

    Su-hyeun pondered this for a bit before nodding his head. It wasn¡¯t as if he had anything special to do whether or not he went around with Hak-joon in tow. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Have fun, you two.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Hak-joon went separate ways from Lee Ju-ho and grabbed a taxi.

    As it turned out, the Gordon Tower that looked so imposingly tall was located pretty far away. But then again, it was massive enough to be seen no matter where you were in San Francisco. It took 30 minutes just to get there.

    <<If I knew it would take this long, we could¡¯ve just run there.>>

    They could¡¯ve arrived at their destination in a few minutes by doing that.

    Unlike Su-hyeun, who was getting bored out of his mind during the ride, Hak-joon was busy boasting to Yun-seon over the video chat.

    Eventually, they paid for the taxi fee, which was noticeably higher than in South Korea, and stood in front of the Gordon Tower.

    Hak-joon¡¯s eyes widened as he scanned the building all the way up till its rooftop. ¡°Now that I look at it from close by, it¡¯s¡­no joke.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡±

    While Hak-joon was busy looking up at the skyscraper, Su-hyeun was scanning the huge crowd of people currently surrounding the structure itself.

    As he did so, his gaze soon locked on a black man in the crowd. That man¡¯s face was rather familiar to him.

    <<Royce Guzman.>>

    Su-hyeun walked over to the building¡¯s interior while his gaze shifted in a different direction next. A white woman of Russian heritage could be spotted rather easily among the crowd.

    <<Elena Ann.>>

    Besides these two, he could spot several other famous faces.

    Every single one of them was an S-Rank awakener.

    They all came to San Francisco to participate in the Ranking Wars. And since they were in the city already, it seemed that they all had the same idea of coming to take a gander at the Gordon Tower, reputedly the greatest structure in the world.

    On average, only one or two S-Ranks existed per nation, or three at most ¡ª yet right here in this place, so many could be spotted quite easily.

    This was a gathering of the stars, in other words.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s no joke, alright,¡± muttered Su-hyeun.

    He went through all sorts of experiences in his previous life, but even then, this would be his first time participating in the Ranking Wars. Back then, Su-hyeun was merely an A-Rank. In other words, he couldn¡¯t participate as he hadn¡¯t become an S-rank on time.

    <<Will this be fine, I wonder?>>

    Not just any awakeners, but S-Ranks had gathered here in quite a large number. And not a single one of them could be ¡°controlled¡± properly.

    They surely wouldn¡¯t start anything idiotic when there were so many people gathered here, but human nature was and always would be unpredictable.

    Indeed, folks with a few screws loose always existed.

    And sure enough¡­

    <<¡­I knew it.>>

    Su-hyeun hurriedly turned around and spoke. ¡°Hey, Hak-joon.¡±

    ¡°Dude, over th¡­ Eh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call you later.¡±

    ¡°Ehh? Where are you¡­?¡±

    Swiiish¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure rapidly fleeted in and out of the crowd. He moved so suddenly that Hak-joon failed to catch the departing back in time. He had vanished in the literal blink of an eye.

    Su-hyeun entered the elevator right away. It was powered by several low-grade Ether stones and up to 50 people could ride on it.

    As so many were already riding on it, the elevator kept stopping on different floors. They needed quite a lot of time to reach only the tenth floor.

    <<This won¡¯t do.>>

    He would¡¯ve liked to avoid damaging another¡¯s private property, but it couldn¡¯t be helped this time.

    Craaack-¡ª

    Su-hyeun leapt up and broke through the ceiling of the elevator. Other passengers all screamed in fright, but he ignored them for now. He glanced below, and as expected, the elevator was operating just fine with no signs of error.

    Tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun used the Leap skill and traveled up through the elevator shaft. This was a lot faster than the elevator¡¯s climbing speed.

    The destination he reached by doing this was the highest floor of the Gordon Tower, the 200th: the place where the entire view of San Francisco could be captured in one glance.

    That place had already succumbed to pandemonium by then.

    ¡°Kkyahhk¡ª!¡±

    ¡°It-it¡¯s a fight!¡±

    There was nothing besides Gordon Rohan¡¯s statue installed on the 200th floor, yet now it was filled by the screams of the panicking people.

    The handful of elevators available hadn¡¯t arrived yet, and the emergency exit was too narrow for a lot of people to escape in a hurry.

    In the midst of all this, two men were glaring at each other right in the center of the 200th floor.

    <<Wang Wu and Sugimoto Kenya.>>

    Two S-Ranks ¡ª one from China and the other from Japan ¡ª well-known to be hostile towards each other, had come to blows in this very place.

 Chapter 124

    Wang Wu and Sugimoto Kenya were famous for their bad blood, even among the S-ranks.

    It was probably the best example of inter-guild squabbles spiraling out of control. The members from their respective guilds started fighting, and that led to issues of protecting one¡¯s pride, and eventually, these two S-Rank awakeners got involved.

    Afterward, the two of them started clashing against each other in a variety of minor ways, such as striking low-blows through social media posts.

    The reason why no serious collision had occurred until now was all due to the fact that their operational territories were different, meaning they wouldn¡¯t accidentally run into one another on the field. Also, the Chinese and the Japanese awakener authorities tried their best to dissuade the duo from going too far, as well.

    However, this was not their home nation but a foreign one. And unfortunately, the two men ended up running into each other here.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re also participating in these Ranking Wars.¡±

    What with their meeting place being what it was, Wang Wu wanted to smoothly let things slide, so he tried to greet the Japanese as friendly as humanly possible.

    ¡°Why does it sound like you¡¯re saying ¡®a punk like you¡¯ to me?¡± Sugimoto Kenya replied.

    That answer was clearly meant to get on his nerves.

    Wang Wu furrowed his brows when Sugimoto Kenya deliberately twisted what he said. Wang Wu quipped, ¡°At least you seem to know your place.¡±

    Since his opponent was showing a willingness to fight, Wang Wu decided that he didn¡¯t need to hold back anymore.

    These two men would not lose to anyone as far as the depth of their pride was concerned. Especially so when it was being threatened by someone who had been growling at them for a while now.

    Wang Wu spoke first. ¡°I took a real good look at the social media post you decided to send out, you cheapskate asswipe. You sure know how to polish the turds that your guild members sh*t out until they¡¯re all shiny and stuff, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re still sweating over stuff like that until now? Oh my goodness me. I feel so sorry that I don¡¯t know what to do anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll fervently pray that we run into each other during the Ranking Wars. That day will become your funeral.¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason to wait? What¡¯s wrong? Feeling scared right now?¡±

    ¡°There are people here, and¡­¡±

    ¡°You still have plenty of excuses, don¡¯t you? Piglet b*stard.¡±

    Kenya¡¯s snide remark caused flames to light up within Wang Wu¡¯s eyes. The Chinese awakener had been cursed with a rather rotund physique for a very long time, and he hated being called anything pig-related.

    His patience had reached its breaking point. ¡°I¡¯ll really kill you.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it your best shot?¡±

    Fwoooosh!

    A powerful gust of wind whipped violently between the two men. The floor began splitting apart as their auras collided against each other.

    ¡°Kkyaaahk!¡±

    ¡°It-it¡¯s a fight!¡±

    As soon as the two men emitting ominous atmospheres started clashing, tourists enjoying the view from the top of the Gordon Tower all screamed in panic.

    A fight between two awakeners always caused collateral damage, both big and small. Quite a few in the crowd even recognized the faces of these two men, which only made things worse.

    A fight between two S-Ranks. Such a thing should be on another dimension compared to fights involving other awakeners. One misstep and the upper floors of the Gordon Tower built with so much effort might get blown to smithereens.

    ¡°Come at me, fatty.¡± Kenya grinned odiously and beckoned at Wang Wu with a finger.

    At that moment, Wang Wu¡¯s eyes flashed coldly, and he dashed forward with a turn of speed that belied his rotund frame.

    Boom!

    Swooosh¡ª

    The edge of Wang Wu¡¯s hand straightened like a knife. But, just as his hand was about to slam into Kenya¡¯s neck¡ª

    Someone grabbed his hand and stopped Wang Wu¡¯s frame from flying forward.

    Kenya was in the middle of yanking his sword out from his hips, but stopped and stared at Su-hyeun appearing in the middle of everything.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we call it a day here?¡± Su-hyeun asked, while his expressionless gaze was alternating between the two men. He spoke in fluent English. ¡°How were the two of you planning to deal with the aftermath?¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    Perhaps thinking that his fight had been interrupted here, Sugimoto Kenya scowled quite deeply.

    On the other hand, Wang Wu recognized Su-hyeun and lowered his hand. ¡°Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun? This punk is him?¡±

    He must¡¯ve at least heard of the name, since Kenya was now staring at Su-hyeun with somewhat surprised eyes.

    The man famed for being the youngest S-Rank ever in South Korea, widely recognized as one of the awakener powerhouse nations on Earth.

    ¡°A damn hatchling dares to¡­?¡±

    It seemed that Kenya was even more incensed by the fact that it was Su-hyeun who had interrupted his fight.

    The thing was, Kenya was old enough to be Su-hyeun¡¯s father.

    ¡°You¡¯re old enough to know better than to start a fight in a place like this. There are too many people here who will get sucked in, after all.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to lecture me or something?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel, then yes, you¡¯re correct. If you really want to fight, go to an uninhabited mountainside first, or fight during the Ranking Wars.¡±

    ¡°This little punk¡­!¡±

    Claaang¡ª

    Despite Su-hyeun¡¯s intervention, Sugimoto Kenya still yanked out his sword. The lengthy sword draped in reddish aura flew with the momentum from the rapid unsheathing and took aim at Su-hyeun¡¯s neck.

    [Indomitable Body.]

    Paaah-aahk¡ª

    Kenya¡¯s sword was caught by Su-hyeun¡¯s bare hand. The Japanese¡¯s eyes grew wider as he looked at what just happened.

    <<Words aren¡¯t getting through to him.>>

    Wang Wu seemed to have calmed down somewhat, but Sugimoto Kenya must¡¯ve been the type who couldn¡¯t control his own raging emotions. He definitely had several screws loose.

    ¡°Mm¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you scheming now?¡± Kenya shouted out.

    Cliing¡ª

    The Japanese might be acting like a tough guy, but he was currently trying to retreat while swinging the sword still gripped in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. When the human palm and the blade collided once more, a bizarre metallic noise resounded out.

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think that I don¡¯t need to make a move anymore. You should thank the other guy. If not, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to participate in the Ranking Wars anymore.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    A massive presence could suddenly be sensed, staring at them from afar. A man was walking towards them while deliberately exposing his presence. Not just Su-hyeun, but both Wang Wu and Sugimoto Kenya also shifted their gazes in that direction.

    ¡°Were you planning to fight in here?¡± asked the man with a pair of sunglasses resting on his hair, and his hands placed deep in the pant pockets.

    Even if you didn¡¯t want to, you just couldn¡¯t not recognize that face. His statue stood tall right in the center of this floor.

    ¡°Gordon Rohan¡­¡±

    ¡°It-it¡¯s really Gordon Rohan.¡±

    His entrance caused silence to descend upon the whole area.

    Kenya felt pressure so overwhelming that he could barely breathe. He didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d listen to anyone only until a second ago, but now, he was slowly and sneakily lowering his sword.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Gordon Rohan walked over to his statue, leaned against it, and beckoned at them. ¡°Go on. Carry on.¡±

    He was like an adult standing before a bunch of kids. Gordon Rohan stared straight at Sugimoto Kenya as if to say, ¡°Go ahead and fight right in front of me if you dare.¡±

    Kenya¡¯s pride was wounded from the American¡¯s attitude, and he began gritting his teeth and gripping his sword even harder. However, he no longer tried to rampage around unchecked. He couldn¡¯t, as a giant named Gordon Rohan was blocking his path.

    <<What kind of a man is this?>>

    The way the American looked, with his hands hidden in his pockets and all, imparted this feeling of looking at a neighborhood big shot coming to spectate on a fight between local hoodlums.

    Contrary to his posture or expression, however, the concentration of magical energy felt from him was on another realm of existence completely different from Sugimoto Kenya¡¯s.

    << What¡¯s his ability?>>

    Something blurry and massive could be seen wavering behind Gordon Rohan like a mirage. That was the American¡¯s true ¡°nature.¡± And both Wang Wu and Kenya were not confident enough to confront it head-on.

    Now that they had seen him up close, they realized the American was an unquantifiable existence covered in a shroud of mystery. Still, one thing was for certain: They couldn¡¯t even reach the toe-ends of Gordon Rohan no matter what they tried.

    ¡°Well, then. I¡¯ll be on my way now,¡± said Su-hyeun. He raised both his hands up slightly after Gordon Rohan made his grand appearance, and turned around towards the elevators. But then, he shifted his gaze over to the American after recalling something he had forgotten about until now. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I ended up damaging the ceiling of an elevator¡­ I hope it¡¯s not going to be a big issue. If not, I don¡¯t mind you asking for full reimbursement.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough money.¡±

    ¡°Somehow, I knew you¡¯d say that.¡±

    Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders and climbed aboard the waiting elevator.

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s unreadable eyes chased after the departing back of Su-hyeun before he opened his mouth. ¡°Hey, you two.¡±

    He was addressing Wang Wu and Kenya, the duo who were about to start a big fight a few moments ago.

    ¡°You know who that was?¡±

    Wang Wu and Kenya forgot about their fight and stared at each other.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s¡­Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun? That was him?¡±

    Gordon also must¡¯ve heard about Su-hyeun¡¯s name somewhere because he looked slightly stunned at the moment.

    <<A kid who got his S-Rank honors not too long ago arrived here way before me.>>

    Gordon sensed the atmosphere of a fight threatening to break out on this floor and rushed here as soon as he could. However, someone else had arrived first ¡ª way before him no less.

    That could mean one of two possibilities.

    <<One, he was coincidentally nearby. Or¡­>>

    Although he thought it was least likely of the two, the possibility still couldn¡¯t outright be discounted.

    <<¡­He sensed the atmosphere faster than me.>>

    If it was the former, then he didn¡¯t need to mind it. But the story would change drastically if it was the latter.

    Gordon Rohan smiled as if this was proving to be rather amusing before turning around to walk away. He then abruptly recalled the reason why he rushed here in the first place, turned his head around, and he stared at Wang Wu and Sugimoto Kenya. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Don¡¯t worry about anything and do carry on with what you¡¯ve been doing. But, don¡¯t forget to share the cost of the aftermaths among yourselves, okay?¡±

    With those departing words, the American also left the scene.

    Almost at the same time, countless waves of people mobbed him. Wang Wu and Sugimoto Kenya watched the back of Gordon Rohan disappearing among the crowd and shook their heads.

    ¡°What the hell¡­The victor has already been decided. Is that it?¡±

    Kenya spat out a groan as if the wind had been taken out of his sails and shook his head some more. He figured that he¡¯d at least be able to draw some parity with that man, but having personally witnessed Gordon Rohan, his drive had dissipated in its entirety.

    ¡°I wonder about that¡­.¡±

    Wang Wu, on the other hand, only half-agreed with Kenya¡¯s assertion.

    In his mind, Gordon Rohan being the likeliest candidate for overall victory didn¡¯t change. But for some reason, how Su-hyeun stopped Wang Wu kept bugging him.

    <<Mm¡­>>

    The Chinese man rubbed his wrist held by Su-hyeun earlier. Now that the situation had calmed down, pain belatedly began assaulting him from there.

    << It¡¯s broken.>>

    Who would¡¯ve thought that having his wrist grabbed would lead to bones breaking like this? And then, there was the matter of that young Korean man catching Kenya¡¯s sword attack with his bare hand, too.

    <<What will happen if those two start fighting¡­?>>

    Wang Wu rubbed his broken wrist and muttered to no one in particular.

    ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s going to be quite interesting.¡±

    * * *

    ¡ªDude, where are you? I¡¯ll just look around for a bit longer and go back to our lodging. See you later, man.

    Su-hyeun read the text from Hak-joon and scratched his head. The latter wouldn¡¯t have returned to the lodging so soon, so he must¡¯ve been just a little bit angry.

    <<But then again, I disappeared on him without saying anything¡­.>>

    Su-hyeun emerged from the Gordon Tower while thinking that he should buy some souvenirs on his way back.

    He didn¡¯t bother to grab a taxi this time and simply continued walking. The roads were completely jammed, so he figured that walking would be so much faster than getting a taxi.

    And so, as he walked down on the streets, he suddenly changed his direction towards a rather remote location. It was a narrow back alley where not much light entered despite it being the middle of the day.

    Su-hyeun stopped walking in the middle of the alley and asked, ¡°This here is fine, right?¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    A presence could be felt.

    The man tailing Su-hyeun realized that he was found out and openly revealed himself.

    ¡°Well, the thing earlier left a sour taste in my mouth, you see.¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Sugimoto Kenya unsheathed his long sword in a cool manner and walked closer to Su-hyeun. ¡°Just like you said, this location is not too bad. No witnesses and no CCTV cameras, either.¡±

    It seemed that he was still deeply pissed off about Su-hyuen interfering with his fight earlier. The reason why he backed off from the potential fight against Wang Wu was because of Gordon Rohan and definitely not Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You¡¯re correct.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked back at Kenya and unsheathed his own sword.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I lead you here.¡±

 Chapter 125

    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ you what?¡±

    Sugimoto Kenya was expecting to see Su-hyeun¡¯s crumpled expression, so understandably, his mood took a turn for the worse. According to what the Korean said, it wasn¡¯t him tailing the target, but being led by the nose to this place instead.

    ¡°You insolent peninsula punk¡­.¡±

    Murderous light burned within Kenya¡¯s eyes. But then, his eyes abruptly caught the sword in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    <<Hold up. A sword?>>

    Su-hyeun caught Kenya¡¯s blade with a bare hand. Considering that fact, the Japanese thought that his opponent¡¯s fighting style must¡¯ve been similar to a brawler.

    A hand-to-hand close-quarter combat style utilizing special skills ¡ª without that explanation, stopping his blade with bare hands didn¡¯t make any sort of sense at all.

    ¡°Are you messing with me?¡± Kenya spat out.

    ¡°Messing with you?¡±

    ¡°You better drop any plans to swing around that toy of yours and come at me with all you got. Otherwise, your wrists will go flying in the blink of an eye.¡±

    Sugimoto Kenya¡¯s pride was higher than anyone¡¯s.

    Only by completely defeating the fully-committed Su-hyeun would his wounded pride be restored. So, he didn¡¯t want to see his opponent¡¯s combat strength fall because the fool decided to waste time with an unfamiliar weapon.

    Unfortunately for him, his words came across as nonsensical gibberish from Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective.

    ¡°A toy? What are you even¡­?¡± He then belatedly realized what Kenya meant and stopped his sentence midway. His head faltered while he tried desperately to rein in his laughter. ¡°Keuk. Hmph¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you laughing?¡±

    ¡°Actually. I was kinda feeling sorry for making you think that I was messing with you.¡±

    It seemed that Kenya viewed his opponent not going all out as a sign of disrespect. If true, then Su-hyeun could only apologize here because the stuff that happened earlier really was him ¡°messing around.¡±

    ¡°What rubbish are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a brawler but a swordsman. Actually, I can use several other weapons beside swords like spears and such, but the truth is, I rarely use my bare hands.¡± While saying that, Su-hyeun raised his left hand, the one that didn¡¯t hold the sword. ¡°As for messing with you, well, it¡¯s not this guy, but this guy over here.¡±

    The act of him using his bare hands was him messing around.

    Of course, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t thinking of messing around when using his hands to confront Wang Wu and Sugimoto Kenya. No, it¡¯s just Kenya perceiving it that way.

    Not a brawler, but a swordsman. Kenya¡¯s eyes trembled upon hearing that. The inside of his head became messy, as well.

    <<No, wait. He¡¯s tricking me.>>

    Enemies that confused their opponents through sophistry always existed.

    <<That punk definitely used his hands when he first appeared. The sword around his waist is there to deceive his enemies. He¡¯s probably planning to make me focus on his sword and attack my blind spot in the meantime.>>

    Having organized his thoughts in his own way, Kenya grew comparatively calmer than before.

    <<That won¡¯t work on me, you little punk.>>

    For the time being, he should pretend to be falling for the trick.

    Sugimoto Kenya¡¯s glare was locked on Su-hyeun¡¯s neck. Making a ruckus had to be avoided, so he was planning to slice the fool¡¯s head off in one smooth stroke.

    Cut his target down in one swing.

    <<There are no eyewitnesses and no CCTV cameras around here, too.>>

    The selected location couldn¡¯t be more perfect.

    Fwoooosh¡ª

    Kenya¡¯s figure flashed behind Su-hyeun in the blink of an eye. And while looking at the latter¡¯s back remaining still, the former grew sure of his victory.

    <<I got h¡ª>>

    THUD!

    In an instant, his view became pitch-black.

    The inside of Kenya¡¯s brain was in a spinning mess. He nearly fainted from the impact force coming from his head.

    <<Uh¡­?>>

    What just happened?

    He tried to raise his head but couldn¡¯t as something was pressing down on him.

    ¡°Now that surprised me.¡±

    That voice, it¡­belonged to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Was that the body flicker technique? I had no idea that you possessed a space movement-related skill, even if it¡¯s only for a short distance. No wonder you were so full of confidence.¡±

    Kenya was shocked by Su-hyeun¡¯s voice coming from above his head. The skill he kept as a hidden ace up his sleeve was now exposed by his opponent. Not just its effect, but even its name, too.

    <<But, how¡­?>>

    No, the issue was not with how that man knew. It actually had to do with how he countered the body flicker technique in the first place. Kenya always believed that his skill could not be dodged or defended against.

    BOOM!

    Kenya¡¯s head slammed into the ground, accompanied by the pain harsh enough for him to nearly pass out. Su-hyeun had mercilessly smashed the Japanese¡¯s head straight into the ground.

    ¡°Kkeuk!! Kkeuhhh¡­¡±

    Kenya¡¯s head, driven hard into the ground, sunk deeper and deeper. Despite gasping out a pained moan, he struggled hard in order to escape from Su-hyeun¡¯s grip.

    <<W-what kind of strength is this?>>

    Unfortunately for him, it was all for naught. His head didn¡¯t budge no matter how hard he tried to raise it. From the very start, the difference in their physical strengths was far too great.

    <<In that case¡­>>

    Somehow Kenya had managed to hold on to his sword until then, and he began gripping it even tighter.

    ¡°Just now, you were aiming for my neck from the looks of things¡­¡±

    The moment Sugimoto Kenya heard Su-hyeun¡¯s voice, he swung the sword in that direction as hard as he could. Since he was flat on his face on the ground, there wasn¡¯t much power behind the swing itself, but rather unexpectedly, the attack was still quite threatening in its own way.

    That must¡¯ve been the reason why Su-hyeun didn¡¯t seem to react properly in time. Kenya thought that he finally managed to cut the Korean¡¯s head off.

    But then¡­

    <<Huh?>>

    No cutting sensation was transmitted to his hand.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Su-hyeun yanked Kenya¡¯s head from the dirt and raised it up. Only then did the Japanese get to confirm the condition of his sword.

    ¡°M-my Dragon Rending Sword?¡±

    This was the favored weapon of none other than Sugimoto Kenya himself. Not only its cutting edge, but even its durability was the best among the finest katanas available.

    It was the weapon that he never stopped using ever since becoming an A-Rank, right up until now. But such a brilliant sword, the Dragon Rending Sword, had been broken in half.

    <<No, could it be¡­back then?>>

    Their fight lasted for only one breath.

    Sure, Kenya did rush in too rashly. But still, to think that Su-hyeun not only had enough time to break the Dragon Rending Sword, but also to grab the Japanese man¡¯s head and suppress him, too.

    The hardest part to accept for him was that the Dragon Rending Sword had been broken in half so easily.

    ¡°As for messing with you, well, it¡¯s not this guy, but this guy over here.¡±

    Su-hyeun said those words while waving around the hand that blocked the Dragon Rending Sword. Sugimoto Kenya believed that he was being tricked, but that was wrong.

    <<T-this guy, he¡¯s the real deal!>>

    Su-hyeun looked at the broken Dragon Rending Sword and spoke. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you look after your weapon better? I know a highly-skilled blacksmith, so should I introduce you to him?¡±

    Kenya¡¯s eyes shook powerfully at Su-hyeun¡¯s mocking tone of voice.

    Only a moron would fail to notice the flow of the current situation. As long as Su-hyeun wanted to, Sugimoto Kenya¡¯s head would go flying away.

    ¡°It-it¡¯s my loss,¡± said Kenya.

    ¡°I know that already.¡±

    ¡°I-I apologize. As you can see, my personality is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°You were busy swinging a sword around, trying to cut my head off in one hit, but after eating some dirt, you¡¯re now groveling like a dog, is it?¡± Su-hyeun murmured before shaking his head. ¡°Nope. Rejected.¡±

    ¡°W-what was that?¡±

    He then held the sword in reverse and promptly stabbed Kenya squarely in the Japanese¡¯s unprotected throat.

    ¡°If you were planning to kill someone, then you should¡¯ve been at least prepared to die yourself.¡±

    ¡°Kkeok, kkeook¡­¡±

    ¡°No witnesses, no CCTV cameras.¡±

    Su-hyeun dropped Kenya¡¯s head and stood up from his spot.

    ¡°Perfect, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Act 8

    Hak-joon arrived first at the lodging. The first thing he did was to turn on the TV and lay down on the couch.

    Lee Ju-ho returned not too long after that, his meeting with the Reaper Guild having come to an end. He bought some takeout on his way back and started placing them on the dining table.

    ¡°Where is Su-hyeun?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s gone out to take care of something.¡±

    ¡°You think? If he¡¯s gone somewhere, then he¡¯s gone somewhere, so what¡¯s up with ¡®I think?''¡±

    ¡°I dunno. He just rushed somewhere without saying anything, you see?¡± Hak-joon got up from the couch and walked over to the dining table. He then picked up a cookie and began munching on it before abruptly turning his head. ¡°Ah, there he is.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho followed after the younger man¡¯s gaze. A short while later, the front door clunked, and Su-hyeun walked in.

    Hak-joon greeted Su-hyeun. ¡°Welcome back.¡±

    The latter replied. ¡°You came back sooner than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Well, it was kinda weird going around alone, and since I didn¡¯t know where I should meet up with you, I thought might as well just come back to the lodging and wait here. Thankfully, this place is near the airport so finding it wasn¡¯t too hard.¡±

    The way he spoke while munching on the snacks, he didn¡¯t seem ticked off at all. Su-hyeun had been feeling a bit apologetic until then, so he now could breathe a sigh of relief and walk over to the dining table.

    Meanwhile, Lee Ju-ho was busy alternating his gaze between Su-hyeun and Hak-joon before grandly shaking his head.

    <<It¡¯s like I¡¯m looking at folks from another universe.>>

    Just how and when did Hak-joon notice Su-hyeun¡¯s approach?

    Lee Ju-ho knew there was a substantial difference between the ranks A and S, but after confirming that someone he thought of as his peer, Hak-joon, had stepped onto a realm above his, he couldn¡¯t help but feel strange.

    Su-hyeun had skipped out on his meal earlier, so he quickly began filling his empty stomach with the burger and other food Lee Ju-ho bought.

    It was then that Lee Ju-ho looked at the state of Su-hyeun¡¯s clothes and asked a question. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s wrong with your shirt?¡±

    ¡°My shirt? ¡­Ah.¡± Su-hyeun discovered that his T-shirt was sliced open around his chest area, and quickly made his reply. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡±

    It seemed that Sugimoto Kenya¡¯s sword managed to ever so slightly slice the tips of his clothing. His skin wasn¡¯t harmed in the slightest, and the Japanese¡¯s sword strike came in really sharply, so Su-hyeun had failed to notice it until now.

    ¡°Did you fight someone?¡±

    ¡°No way,¡± Su-hyeun smirked and replied while shoving the rest of the burger in his mouth. ¡°Wasn¡¯t even a fight.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t pry any further, realizing that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t keen on talking about it.

    As their mealtime drew to a close, Su-hyeun asked a question. ¡°Did you meet with the Reaper Guild?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Their vice guild master came.¡±

    ¡°What about Park Ji-yeon?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s interested in participating. Apparently, she hasn¡¯t even come back from the Tower yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess that makes sense.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t really remember who participated in the Ranking Wars during his previous lifetime. But he was sure about Park Ji-yeon not caring much about the competition. From the start, she didn¡¯t seem confident enough about achieving a good result in the Ranking Wars.

    ¡°So the preliminaries start from tomorrow, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I checked, and it¡¯ll start at two in the afternoon.¡±

    Hak-joon, who was watching TV, suddenly got interested and approached the other two as the topics related to the Ranking Wars were discussed. ¡°I heard that the preliminaries will be mission-based. Has any information been released to the public on what kind of mission it will be?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing in particular.¡±

    ¡°What about the main competition?¡±

    ¡°I heard that it¡¯ll be a fight to the end, but not sure how the winner will be decided. Gordon Rohan simply said that he¡¯d seek out a fair method that will satisfy everyone involved.¡±

    ¡°Meaning we don¡¯t know anything.¡±

    ¡°Still, there should be plenty of things to look forward to. It seems that quite a few devices for the spectator safety have been installed, as well. Of course¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and Hak-joon before continuing on. ¡°¡­there is no safety net for the participants.¡±

    One of the competition rules stated that murder was against regulations. However, that was merely one of the pretexts required to hold a competition of this nature. Safety precautions to enforce that rule didn¡¯t even exist.

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s concern was this one thing. ¡°Su-hyeun, I¡¯m sure you will be fine, but¡­ Hak-joon? You gotta be very careful, okay? It¡¯s quite likely that you¡¯re the weakest participant currently in the competition.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know. My goal is to somehow pass the preliminaries, after all.¡±

    ¡°With your personality, you¡¯ll really do that?¡±

    ¡°What about you, Su-hyeun? It¡¯s obviously the overall victory, right?¡±

    Hak-joon didn¡¯t seem too keen on being subjected to Lee Ju-ho¡¯s nagging, so he quickly changed the subject and asked Su-hyeun.

    The latter was almost done with his meal by then. He nodded his head while wiping his mouth. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have participated if that wasn¡¯t the case.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense with you. In that case, let me see¡­I guess the biggest hurdle will be Gordon Rohan, then.¡±

    ¡°I wonder about that.¡±

    Su-hyeun recalled Gordon Rohan¡¯s face, the one he ran into on the Gordon Tower¡¯s 200th floor. There was little doubt that that the American was an exceptional man, a fact not just him but the entire world acknowledged to be true.

    However¡­

    ¡°It can very well be someone else.¡±

    In the previous life, he wasn¡¯t really interested in the Ranking Wars nor did he invest much in the meaning of one¡¯s rankings, but despite all that, he still clearly remembered this one thing.

    <<The eventual winner of the Ranking Wars was not Gordon Rohan.>>

    Without a doubt, awakeners comparable to Gordon Rohan definitely existed out there. However, what made the whole world clamor noisily back then had little to do with the American failing to win the competition.

    The Ranking Wars.

    This massive event initiated by Gordon Rohan became the trigger, the turning point, that dragged several hidden recluses currently slumbering away out into the open.

 Chapter 126

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    Fireworks exploded. Noises of people were heard from everywhere. Su-hyeun and Hak-joon shook their heads as they watched the crowds flock to the streets of San Francisco.

    ¡°It is like the 2002 World Cup,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Were you on the street at that time?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°I was young, so I only remember vaguely. But I remember there were a lot of people instead of soccer games.¡±

    ¡°Was it like this?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­maybe that time was less crowded than this¡­.¡±

    There was no place to put their feet on the street of San Francisco. They headed back to Gordon Tower. Lee Ju-ho was already waiting in front of Gordon Tower.

    ¡°Over here! Here!¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice came through the crowd. Since there were too many people, it was difficult to find each other even after contact.

    ¡°There are too many people! I thought I was choking to death,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°Sorry that you suffered,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Meh. It¡¯s alright. I didn¡¯t come here to just watch the game, you know. I came here to look after you guys.¡±

    They turned around and entered Gordon Tower. The tallest building in the world, Gordon Tower, had been out of service for several days. The inside of the tower was so quiet. It made them felt like the crowd outside was a lie.

    ¡°The stadium is underground,¡± Lee Ju-ho said. ¡°And we have about an hour before the game starts. I¡¯ve finished the process, so you guys just can give your name and wait in there.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I volunteered to do it. It was not like you guys asked me or something. Since I have such talented friends, this is the only thing I can do.¡±

    The elevator began to descend underground. The elevator continued to descend beyond the tenth and twentieth floors.

    ¡°Hak-joon. Please, keep your temper and don¡¯t get injured. And Su-hyeun.¡± Lee Ju-ho touched Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder and said as the elevator stopped. ¡°You are going to win, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Ding¡ª

    The elevator stopped. The display did not show what floor they were on. Soon, the elevator door opened. A harsh light came through.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Hak-joon exclaimed inadvertently at the sight in front of him.

    Su-hyeun was also surprised, which was rare for him. The scene revealed in front of them was unbelievable.

    ¡°It is so¡­huge,¡± Su-hyeun murmured.

    ¡°I was amazed, too, when I came down before. I am still amazed.¡±

    It was a dome-shaped stadium. The ceiling was hundreds of meters high. It would have seated not only hundreds of thousands of but millions of people. It was bigger than the World Cup Stadium.

    <<How big is this place?>>

    Su-hyeun and Hak-joon thought the same thing. What Lee Ju-ho said was the answer to their question.

    ¡°The entire area of San Francisco is about 147,037 acres. This underground is about 0.5 percent of that, so 735 acres.¡±

    ¡°735 acres?¡± Hak-joon asked back as if he could not grasp that high number.

    Lee Ju-ho replied, shrugging as if he knew Hak-joon would ask, ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? Think of it as 4 times bigger than Yeouido Hangang Park.¡±

    ¡°Four times?¡±

    ¡°Yeouido Hangang Park is about 187 acres. So, it is a little bigger than that. I didn¡¯t know either. I didn¡¯t expect people could make such a big area so deep underground.¡±

    Su-hyeun could not help but feel surprised about the fact that this huge stadium was bigger than Yeouido Hangang Park.

    ¡°Gordon Rohan must have spent some money,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°About 10% of the Ether stones from the United States go to Gordon Rohan,¡± Lee Ju-ho said. ¡± He is involved in all fields, such as the processing and auctioning of Ether stones, and he also attacks the dungeons.¡±

    ¡°He was an oil giant before. Now he is an Ether stone giant¡­.¡± Hak-joon muttered.

    ¡°That is why he is called the world¡¯s richest man. This huge space is a work made of Ether stones,¡± Lee Ju-ho said, smashing the wall with all his power.

    Thump¡ª

    They could feel a small vibration through the wall. It looked like there was some sort of device that could absorb the shock.

    ¡°To make this huge space at this depth, shock dispersion technology using Ether stones is essential. I think this place was made with a lot of time and effort.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Hak-joon looked pretty excited about the fact that the stage was huge.

    There were many cameras as well. It was broadcasting live all over the world. Even right at that moment, one camera was facing Su-hyeun and Hak-joon.

    ¡°If you are done to be surprised, hurry up. You guys are the last ones probably.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho guided them to under the stadium. Su-hyeun and Hak-joon looked around the people sitting in the stands. Among them, there were people who recognized Su-hyeun¡¯s face and whispered his name.

    <<Have they come to see the matches in person?>>

    There were spectators looking down the stadium through some safe walls. They were millionaires in this era. They brought A-Rank awakens with them. They were people who had spent a lot of money to watch the Ranking Wars up close.

    <<Safety walls and A-Rank bodyguards¡­>>

    He could sense how much money they had spent. At that time, one familiar face was seen.

    <<Song Hyeong-gi?>>

    When Su-hyeun found Song Hyeong-gi, he also found Su-hyeun and waved his hand. He said something to the old man next to him and then he came out of the stands made of a transparent glass wall.

    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s good to see you!¡±

    ¡°¡­Wow. His voice is loud.¡± Su-hyeun sighed and approached Song Hyeong-gi.

    ¡°I knew you were coming. I don¡¯t know anybody here. I was so bored.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. Let¡¯s talk on the way.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Song Hyeong-gi put his arm around Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder and kept smiling as if he was so happy to see him.

    After Song Hyeong-gi joined them, Lee Ju-ho waved his hand and left for the stands. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Be careful not to get hurt. Do well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. Thank you.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Hak-joon said good-bye. Lee Ju-ho bowed to Song Hyeong-gi and headed to the stands.

    As they walked to the stadium, Su-hyeun asked, ¡°So, who was he? Next to you, at the stands.¡±

    ¡°Oh. My father.¡±

    ¡°Your father?¡±

    ¡°F-father¡­?¡± Hak-joon who was listening to them widened his eyes. ¡°You mean, the CEO of Song-il Group?¡±

    Song-il Group was a well-known company not only in Korea, but also around the world. Song Hyeong-gi was the youngest son of the that family.

    ¡°Yeah. He came all the way to see the game. He usually has lead in his pants. It¡¯s a rare thing.¡±

    ¡°Did he come to see you?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°¡­No. He probably didn¡¯t come here to see me. He didn¡¯t say anything to encourage me.¡± Song Hyung-gi made an awkward expression as if his relationship with father was not that great. ¡°But what can I do? Since he came here, I had to say hello. It was so awkward! It was great timing that you guys came. I came out as an excuse.¡±

    ¡°Was that why you looked so happy?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Of course. Why else would I be glad to see you guys?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see Miru?¡±

    ¡°Miru is an exception.¡±

    Song Hyung-gi came down to the stadium with Su-hyeun and Hak-joon. But he still glanced at the stands area. It seemed like he was concerned. Soon, a number of S-Rank awakeners gathered under the stadium. The huge stadium seemed pretty full when hundreds of awakeners gathered together.

    <<Not everybody came.>>

    Even though it was an event held by Gordon Rohan, there were many people who would not participate. Considering that there would be one or two S-Rank awakeners per country, possibly three or four at most, about half of them had not participated in this competition.

    <<Well. Half of them is still a big number.>>

    Seeing S-Rank awakeners was not an easy thing. They were usually too busy, so most of them did not know each other. They were all awkward. The only group that had more than three people consisted of Su-hyeun, Hak-joon, and Song Hyung-gi.

    ¡°How long do we have to wait?¡± Song Hyung-gi sat down on the floor and complained as if he didn¡¯t have too much patience.

    It was about the time to start.

    ¡°It will start soon,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°When?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked up the stadium and said, ¡°Probably¡­now.¡±

    A whistle came from the ceiling above the stadium. The awakeners looked up. There was a familiar face looking down at them.

    ¡°Gordon Rohan.¡±

    ¡°Why did the host come last?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s next to him?¡±

    Next to Gordon Rohan, there was another person who was covered in a robe. At the appearance of Gordon Rohan, the quiet stadium became disturbed.

    Gordon Rohan opened his mouth to speak when everybody focused on him. ¡°Thank you for coming, everybody. And also, I thank the viewers from all over the world for your interest in this event.¡±

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s voice echoed clearly in the middle of the huge stadium. His words were immediately translated into many other languages, written in subtitles, and spread to the world. It seemed like Gordon Rohan had been preparing for this day from years ago.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to say things long. All of you don¡¯t like boring speeches, right? I will just introduce the judge of this Ranking War.¡± Gordon Rohan pointed to the man who wore the robe next to him. ¡°I am sure you guys all know him. He is the one who invented the S-Rank awakener examination system. Johnny Brad!¡±

    The awakeners buzzed at the unexpected name.

    ¡°Johnny Brad?¡±

    ¡°Really? He came here?¡±

    His name was more known among the awakeners than the general public. The S-Rank awakener examination test was in use in all countries around the world. Johnny Brad was the awakener who had invented that system. He was the best awakener in hallucination skills.

    <<Gordan Rohan and Jonny Brad¡­>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Two of the world¡¯s leading awakeners stood side by side. This was a pretty remarkable scene to announce the beginning of the Ranking Wars.

    <<He really prepared thoroughly.>>

    Su-hyeun assumed Johnny Brad did not come just for judging.

    <<Jonny Brad is good at hallucination, magic, and spells.>>

    His abilities were not simply divided into strengths and weaknesses. What made him special was his versatility. He was the awakener who had the most skills in the world.

    ¡°Now¡­¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Along with Gordon Rohan¡¯s words, a huge glow came out from under the stadium.

    Whoosh¡ª

    ¡°Let¡¯s start the Ranking Wars!¡±

 Chapter 127

    Rumble¡ª

    The ground of the stadium started to warp. The ground rose and the sky turned upside down. Some awakeners were panicked and prepared to fight. Hak-joon also seemed a little embarrassed as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head and grabbed Hak-joon¡¯s arm. ¡°Nothing is going to happen.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    Hak-joon looked around. Most of the awakeners were still calm in this mess. Hak-joon felt shame. He slowly took his hand off from the sword and looked at the changing landscape. They waited a little more. Soon, the world changed to white just like the Tower of Trials.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun lifted his head up. A small purple magic circle was drawn on the hand of Johnny Brad who was floating in the sky with Gordan Rohan. All of this was his work.

    ¡°Ok. Everything is ready.¡±

    Puff¡ª

    Johnny Brad disappeared like morning dew. At that moment, Gordon Rohan jumped down. He landed in the center of over a hundred awakeners.

    ¡°What do you think? I prepared a little bit for this,¡± Gordon Rohan said.

    It was more than a little bit. The entire stadium was surrounded by lower-grade Ether stones. He needed a medium-grade stone to create and maintain hallucination skills at this scale.

    ¡°Somebody spent crazy money on this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one of my strengths.¡± Gordon Rohan smiled at the grumbling of one awakener and continued. ¡°As you guys know, I am the host of this competition but also a participant. So, I tried to set fair rules.¡±

    ¡°How can you be fair? The mission is private, and the rules of the final are also closed.¡±

    One Asian awakener spoke with a disgruntled voice. He seemed to think that it was unfair for Gordon Rohan, the host of the game, to participate.

    ¡°The missions are not my decision. They are not Johnny Brad¡¯s decision, either.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°They will be random. Setting teams is the same.¡±

    ¡°Teams¡­?¡±

    ¡°Are the competitions team games?¡±

    People started to wonder.

    Gordon Rohan answered. ¡°There are a total of 175 participants, so we will solve the missions in teams of five.¡±

    ¡°How will the missions go?¡±

    ¡°As I said, the mission you will get is random. And the teams will be decided randomly. too.¡±

    ¡°How the hell do you set the missions and teams randomly¡ª¡±

    Ding¡ª

    Ding, ding¡ª

    Numbers from one to thirty-five appeared above the heads of everybody. There were five people with the same number.

    ¡°People with the same number are the same team. I am sorry, but my number is 35. If I started from the beginning, the match would have an issue. So, please understand this.¡±

    ¡°You are doing just as you please.¡±

    ¡°Anyone who has a problem with me, just come out now and bring it on. I will just make you fail to qualify,¡± Gordon Rohan said, bobbing his hand.

    There was no awakener who had enough nerve to come at Gordon Rohan. Some awakeners who couldn¡¯t understand English also realized Gordon Rohan was trying to provoke them. But they didn¡¯t pounce, either. Everyone knew that there was nothing good about fighting Gordon Rohan right here.

    ¡°If there is nobody, that is fine. Then, let¡¯s begin.¡±

    Poof¡ª

    Poof, poof¡ª

    Five awakeners who had been standing throughout the stadium disappeared from their spots. They were the people who had number one above their heads. Su-hyeun looked at the numbers of Hak-joon and Song Hyeon-gi.

    ¡°Number 17 and 33¡­¡±

    ¡°You are the fastest one among us, Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You are right.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s number was three. Su-hyeun found other people who had the same number. Su-hyeun knew the faces of two out of the four.

    <<I don¡¯t know the other two.>>

    He usually knew the names of other awakeners. But it was rare to know their faces as well. He could remember their faces by chance. It was not like he knew them well.

    ¡°I think you guys will be bored waiting. So, let¡¯s just watch what is happening.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    When Gordon Rohan snapped his fingers, four huge screens appeared around them. On the screen, the image of the awakeners who just started the Ranking Wars appeared. They were summoned somewhere in the dark.

    ¡°Are they in Johnny Brad¡¯s hallucinations?¡±

    It seemed to be a space created from the hallucination skill, just like the S-Rank examination. Perhaps, they were given a mission in that space.

    <<It would probably be a foul if I broke the hallucination itself. I guess the goal would be completing the mission and escaping.>>

    Su-hyeun could grasp how the competition would work. The problem was the detailed rules.

    <<I guess I have to start the mission to figure out the detailed rules.>>

    Su-hyeun took his eyes off the screen and looked around. He could sense the gaze of Johnny Brad, who was watching the players from somewhere.

    <<He is quite amazing.>>

    It had been a long time since Su-hyeun admired someone like this. Johnny Brad¡¯s greatness was different from simple strength. His versatility even made Su-hyeun surprised. It looked like he could make everything that he could imagine.

    <<My number is three¡­>>

    Su-hyeun, who had looked around for other four people with the same number, soon watched the screens¡¯ back.

    <<It will be fun¡­.>>

    On the screen, numerous monsters appeared.

    Act 9

    The second-round test was over. It took 30 minutes for each test. The test had been continued for about an hour without break time. To finish all 35 teams, it would take almost a day.

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    The test of team number two ended quickly. Su-hyeun nodded lightly at the support of Hak-goon and Song Hyeong-gi. All five people who were given the number three rose up. Soon, their bodies disappeared.

    Poof¡ª

    Suddenly, Hak-joon and Song Hyeong-gi disappeared from Su-hyeun¡¯s view. The landscape also changed. The shining white turned to a dark area. Gray walls that were difficult to measure the height surrounded him.

    ¡°It is a very simple background.¡±

    ¡°It looks like some sort of maze.¡±

    All five seasoned awakeners, who were summoned to the test site, checked the theme of the test as soon as they arrived. The test¡¯s theme, background, and purpose all looked different based on the first and second tests; they could not get a hint or check the contents of the test before starting it.

    Su-hyeun put his hand on the wall. He let his magic flow through the wall. He could feel the structure of the maze. Soon, a voice came from the sky.

    [The third round of testing will begin.]

    [You must escape the maze as a team.]

    [If the wall of the maze is broken, the wall will be reconstructed in a different shape, and the location of the exit will be changed.]

    [There are traps and monsters in the maze.]

    [When the team escapes, your achievement points would be calculated. The two people who have the most points will be able to advance to the next game.]

    [If the mission fails, all five participants will be eliminated.]

    [If you commit murder, you will also be eliminated.]

    It was the same dry voice as the one from the Tower of Trials. Su-hyeun was surprised that they even reproduced things this much. It was very interesting. Also, it looked like the mission would not be easy.

    <<So, I have to pass the mission as a team but also have to compete at the same time.>>

    He had to compete and work as a team at the same time. This part was quite different from the trials from the Tower of Trials. They usually happened individually.

    [00:29:48.]

    The remaining time appeared at the ceiling. There was not much time. Fortunately, as it was planned to reduce the time to introduce each other, the number above their heads were changed to their names.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin. We will find something eventually.¡±

    ¡°How about dividing the team?¡±

    ¡°I have a detection skill. Let¡¯s find out the way with it first.¡±

    Each one had a different opinion. Su-hyeun looked around them and turned his body.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Follow me,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°How do we trust you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I found the exit. All we need to do now is go.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    The other four became blank.

    <<What does he mean that he found the exit already? When did he find it?>>

    ¡°The structure of the wall was designed to flow the magic easily. I think it is because part of the hallucinations was made of Ether stones.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ve grasped the surrounding structures by sending your magic through the walls?¡±

    They were also S-Rank awakeners. They understood pretty quickly.

    ¡°Yes. You know well.¡±

    ¡°But how can it be that easy?¡±

    ¡°Well. I guess the exit was close.¡±

    Perhaps the maze itself was not that difficult. But the difficulty of the traps and monsters in the middle was set to be difficult. Like Su-hyeun, they all flowed their magic to the wall to find the exit. But soon, they frowned and stared at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Hey, look. It¡¯s not the structure like you said.¡±

    ¡°How do you say such obvious lie¡­¡±

    They assumed the maze would be small because of Su-hyeun¡¯s words. But the maze was too huge to figure out by just letting the magic out. In order to grasp the maze at a glance, it was necessary to spread a lot of magic over all ranges. Also, they had to remember all the results from that.

    However, the size of the maze was so huge. It was impossible to send magic through the entire wall. But Su-hyeun was so confident. The other awakeners naturally thought that Su-hyeun was lying.

    ¡°Think as you pleased.¡± Su-hyeun ignored the opinions of the four people and began to move. ¡°I will go as I found out.¡±

    ¡°W-what the¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    When one of them tried to vent his anger, the only female awakener, Mirald, said, ¡°Let¡¯s just follow him for now. We don¡¯t know the way anyway, right?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­That is true.¡±

    ¡°We can find the way while we go.¡±

    They didn¡¯t like the fact that they had to follow Su-hyeun. But they had to hurry to find the exit anyway.

    <<If that guy finds the exit first, that will be a problem.>>

    Four of them thought the same thing. Su-hyeun shook his head, listening to the footsteps of the other four following.

    <<Teamwork is fake.>>

    Su-hyeun got to know why Johnny Brad made such a mission. Five people teamed up, but only two people were able to go to the next stage. It was not a team activity. It was a competition to check and move forward a little bit more than each other. Moreover¡­

    <<Murder is foul.>>

    With this simple rule, everyone would have realized.

    <<All things are allowed except that.>>

    In other words, there was no foul.

 Chapter 128

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    It had been about 5 minutes since people started following Su-hyeun. Nothing appeared so far. It was a situation where nobody knew where and what things would appear all a sudden. If they moved without caution and got caught in a trap, it could cause trouble.

    ¡°Wait a minute! There is something!¡± Mirald, who was following Su-hyeun, found out something strange and shouted at him.

    At that moment, a bright white light flashed in front of Su-hyeun.

    Slash¡ª!

    Rip¡ª!

    A giant earthworm that soared from the ground was cut in half, and blood splashed everywhere. Su-hyeun cut the body of the monster as soon as he drew the sword out.

    He spoke casually, shaking the blood from the sword. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    Similar things happened after that. Other people tried to warn Su-hyeun about traps or monsters to get more achievement points, but it was useless. Su-hyeun¡¯s reaction was always faster than the other four.

    <<Damn it. If he finds the exit in this way¡­>>

    <<What¡¯s going to happen? He will take all the achievement points like this.>>

    They tried to grasp the situation. More monsters and traps appeared, but Su-hyeun, who was leading the way, easily removed all of them. It was obvious that he would advance to the finals. Now, there was only one seat left.

    <<Who will make the cut besides of him?>>

    A common thought that came to everyone¡¯s mind. At that time, a familiar voice was heard in the heads of the three people.

    ¡ªHey. I would like to suggest something. If you agree with that, please nod your head after listening.

    Three people were startled and looked at Mirald.

    ¡ªDon¡¯t look at me. He will notice.

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    Their gait, which had been disturbed for a moment, went back to normal. Su-hyeun, who was walking ahead, glanced at the back once and started moving again. Mirald felt relieved and continued her talking.

    ¡ª¡­So, what do you think?

    The three people worried for a moment but nodded one by one. It was not a bad offer. Anyway, nothing was foul in this test, except murder.

    ***

    Crack, crack¡ª

    The ground turned upside down and a giant earthworm soared. It was an earthworm with many large and small mouths all over its body. It was over ten meters and gushed out severe poisonous fluid from its body.

    ¡°Watch out! It¡¯s a meat-eating earthworm!¡± Mirald shouted the name of the monster as if she had seen it before. ¡°The clear fluid on its body is extremely poisonous. The teeth are hard enough to chew even steel.¡±

    ¡°How should we attack it?¡± one awakener asked.

    ¡°It is weak to fire. The skin is not tough, either¡­.¡±

    Whiz¡ª

    While Mirald was talking, Su-hyeun stormed out and went inside of the mouth of the meat-eating earthworm. Everybody was surprised at what just happened. That time, the body of the meat-eating earthworm began to shiver.

    Rip¡ª!

    Drip, drip¡ª!

    Kiyaaaak¡ª!

    Its body was cut from the inside and burnt down. The meat-eating earthworm screamed. Screaming didn¡¯t go on for long. Soon, its body was cut in half. The dead worm fell on the ground. The other four, who had escaped to the top of the trees, were speechless. They never thought Su-hyeun would go inside of the giant worm and attack it from there.

    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± Mirald approached Su-hyeun and asked.

    Even though everything was a hallucination, if Su-hyeun was poisoned by the meat-eating earthworm, he might be eliminated from the test.

    ¡°Yes. I am fine.¡±

    ¡°How could you possibly be okay from the poison of the meat-eating earthworm?¡±

    ¡°I guess a hallucination is just a hallucination. That great Johnny Brad could not incarnate the poison of the monster I assume,¡± one awakener behind of Mirald said, snorting. Then, he muttered that the contest was very crude. He bobbed his head to Su-hyeun and continued to say, ¡°If you are done, let¡¯s move again. Obviously, you will pass the test as soon as you find the exit.¡±

    His tone was very sarcastic as if he was asking Su-hyeun if he was satisfied to get all achievement points by himself. Other parties¡¯ faces were not much different from him. Su-hyeun looked around their faces and nodded his head. The party started moving again. Su-hyeun touched the wall.

    <<The exit is not that far.>>

    He glanced back. Other people were touching the wall like him. At this distance, they would have also located the exit. The level of traps and monsters was not so high. The level might be difficult for only one S-Rank awakener, but it was almost too easy for five of them. As Su-hyeun had guessed from the beginning, the goal of this test was not to escape the maze.

    <<It is about who gets more achievement points or¡­>>

    As his thoughts got deeper, he stopped his steps and said, ¡°It¡¯s a trap.¡±

    Hiss, hiss¡ª

    Numerous snakes crawled down the walls of the maze. It was the same on the ground. From red to purple, tens of thousands of slender snakes appeared.

    Su-hyeun looked down at his feet and asked, ¡°What does this mean?¡±

    The black teeth that sore up from the ground bit Su-hyeun¡¯s ankle. The teeth were hard and sharp enough to dig into his ankle. It bit tighter as if it was not going to miss his foot. Su-hyeun stared at the man behind who summoned these black teeth.

    ¡°Well. If you are done guiding, you can leave the stage,¡± the man grinned and said.

    Su-hyeun could not remember his name. He had seen it when they were summoned here for the first time. But it was not that important of a name, so he didn¡¯t care to remember.

    ¡°Guiding¡­¡± Su-hyeun murmured.

    He looked around all four of them. They were also S-Rank awakeners, who were famous in their countries. They did not look to be that great, but that was only for Su-hyeun¡¯s position. They all went through all sorts of hardships on their owns.

    ¡°Are you saying one less person will make things easier for you to pass the test?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too resentful. We are not going to kill you or anything. We just ask you to be eliminated in the preliminary round. So, just yield to us.¡±

    Yield. It was a good word. Yielding was virtuous and good. Su-hyeun looked at the camera, which would be watching them from somewhere. And only then, he noticed the skill of Mirald who was following from the most distance.

    ¡°Another hallucination that covers the hallucinations¡­ I guess there was a talented person in this place.¡±

    ¡°You noticed that well,¡± Mirald said.

    At this moment, the cameras that showing the five of them would send a completely different scene because of the hallucinations created by Mirald. It was not comparable to Johnny Brad¡¯s hallucination skill, which encompassed the entire huge stadium, but her hallucinations were also quite brilliant. It was limited to a narrow space, but it was not easy to create another hallucination that covered Johnny Brad¡¯s hallucinations.

    ¡°It does not look good, you know. Four against one,¡± said Mirald.

    ¡°So, you do know it is a shameful work.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Soon, the camera will take a shot of your elimination by the snake in this area.¡± She continued to speak in a softer voice. ¡°I am truly sorry. But you have to understand. We can¡¯t help it. The world is like this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. So, why were you so greedy? If you worked together with us in the first place¡­¡±

    The four people surrounded Su-hyeun and spoke as if they were sorry and as if it was all Su-hyeun¡¯s fault. Su-hyeun distorted his face.

    He said, ¡°It is funny that you guys can use the word ¡®understand¡¯ and ¡®yield¡¯ in this situation.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be displeased so much¡ª¡±

    ¡°There are two things you guys wrong about,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Swish¡ª

    Crunch¡ª

    Su-hyeun lifted his feet and hit the black teeth that were chewing on his ankles on the ground. The teeth shattered and scattered on the floor. The man who summoned the teeth frowned. That wasn¡¯t a skill that could be easily broken like that.

    ¡°First, you guys see the traps and monsters in this space as just simple hallucinations. Especially,¡± Su-hyeun looked at Mirald and said, ¡°you. You use hallucination skills. How could you not penetrate it? It is hilarious.¡±

    ¡°I know more than you do.¡±

    ¡°Well. That¡¯s just your thinking.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so confident¡ª¡±

    ¡°Second.¡± Su-hyeun cut Mirlad off and said, ¡°You guys assumed that I would be weaker than you.¡±

    Crack¡ª

    The third eye, which had been hidden over Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead, opened. The yellow eye looked bizarre as if it was not a human¡¯s eye. But the four of them were not surprised. Awakeners had all kinds of skills. That kind of body change was not a big deal among them.

    But something was indeed strange. Mirald, who was facing Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, felt a strange ominous feeling. So did the other three. Soon, they were able to confirm the identity of the ominous feeling.

    Hiss, hiss¡ª

    Hiss, hiss¡ª

    The snakes had not been moving since they had appeared; it was as if they stopped thinking. But now, they turned their back on Su-hyeun and stared at them. It looked like they were protecting Su-hyeun. People got chills. They never saw snakes or monsters follow the order of a human. It was something impossible.

    <<Johnny Brad!>>

    One man¡¯s name popped into Mirald¡¯s head. He was the man who created this huge hallucination space.

    ¡°This is unfair! How Johnny Brad can help you?¡± she shouted.

    ¡°Wow. You are seriously stupid,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Stomp¡ª

    Looking around the snakes around him, Su-hyeun said, ¡°Johnny Brad is a great awakener. I never imagined that he would embody such details in his monsters. I doubted it at first. I never thought it would work.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Even if I tell you, you won¡¯t understand since you are too stupid. The other three behind you are the same.¡±

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator]

    It was Su-hyeun¡¯s trait. Predator was a skill that overwhelmed monsters far below his level. It required a lot of magic to use. So, it was usually better to just cut off the enemy than use this skill. But this was a different situation.

    The opponents were tens of thousands of snakes of various kinds. The trait of Predator was from Ouroboros. Ouroboros was a demonic beast, known as the god of snakes. The trait of Ouroboros had a greater effect on snakes. Johnny Brad had even applied this nature to his hallucinations.

    On the other hand, unlike Su-hyeun, the other four people did not believe in the details and the level of difficulty of these hallucinations. They had been watching Su-hyeun, who had been killing monsters so easily. So, they did not take these hallucinations seriously. And that disbelief ended with this problem. They underestimated Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You guys told me I needed to yield and understand, right?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at the other S-Rank awakeners who were aiming their weapons at him. Su-hyeun had been thinking this mission was too easy. But now, it became more interesting.

    ¡°So, I want you to understand my actions as well from now on.¡±

 Chapter 129

    ¡°How dare you bluff¡­¡±

    Stomp¡ª

    One awakener stepped forward as if he could not listen to Su-hyeun anymore. Su-hyeun remembered his name. He had heard this man¡¯s name in his previous life. But he was not outstanding at all, so Su-hyeun could not remember his face.

    <<John Cleese. He was the first S-Rank awakener of India.>>

    The word ¡°first¡± was always considered a great modifier because it meant that person went ahead of others. But to Su-hyeun, this modifier was meaningless.

    ¡°You were lazy.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    When John Cleese¡¯s hands hit the ground, a huge mouth soared up at Su-hyeun¡¯s feet area. This time it aimed not just his feet but his entire body.

    Crunch¡ª!

    Su-hyeun stamped on the wide-open mouth. The teeth in the big mouth broke and fell off.

    ¡°Ramic! Mr. Lowe!¡±

    John Cleese called the other two people for help as if they had introduced each other or as if they were acquaintances from a long time ago. At that moment, the two men rushed toward Su-hyeun from different directions.

    Whiz¡ª

    Slash, slash¡ª!

    The two men tore apart the snakes lying everywhere. The dozens of small snakes were cut and burst out in each attack. But¡­

    ¡°I told you.¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡°Arg¡ª¡±

    Ramic and Lowe held their hands and feet. They could not approach Su-hyeun and stopped where they were. Their hands and feet turned to blue and purple and became stone-like.

    ¡°Do you still think it¡¯s just a simple hallucination?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°A-argh¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    They struggled to remove the poison that began to spread in their bodies. Even though they did not have detoxification skills, they could prevent spreading by using their magic.

    Since it was a poison made by a hallucination skill, if Johnny Brad took a little action, it could disappear soon. But that was one frightening and great point about this hallucination. If Johnny Brad did not take action, this poison would act like the real one and eventually would kill them.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Mirald, who was preparing her skill while the other three were buying time, reached her hands out to Su-hyeun.

    Whoosh¡ª

    At that moment, thousands of insects covered Su-hyeun¡¯s body. They were bugs with extreme poison. Like the snakes created by Johnny Brad, their poison would be fatal as well. But¡­

    Schwing¡ª

    Slash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun cut off her hallucination skill as soon as he drew his sword out.

    Boom¡ª!

    The hallucination disappeared in an instant. There was no need to get rid of each insect one by one. Mirald was startled when her hallucination broke out in vain.

    Whiz¡ª

    Su-hyeun rushed forward. He rushed toward John Cleese, who was the closest to him.

    <<I have to escape.¡­>>

    Ramic and Lowe tried to step back, looking at such Su-hyeun. But at that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes changed.

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator]

    Their bodies were not able to move. They were stiffened as if a giant snake had squeezed them. Although it was a brief moment, the fact that they could not move their bodies was fatal.

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Bam¡ª!

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    ¡°Aargh!¡±

    Su-hyeun grabbed the two men¡¯s necks in each hand slammed them on the ground.

    As a response, John Cleese clasped his hands together.

    Clap¡ª

    [The coffin of iron thorn spears.]

    Creak, boom¡ª!

    The huge black coffin appeared to the left and right side of Su-hyeun and swallowed him up. Inside of the coffin were huge awls. ¡°The coffin of iron thorn spears¡± was a skill that made hundreds of holes in the body of the trapped person and killed them.

    <<I got him!>> John Cleese thought.

    He felt the victory.

    <<No matter how strong he is, once he¡¯s stuck inside this coffin, he won¡¯t be able to escape.>>

    But¡­

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Creak¡ª

    The closed coffin door started to open. John Cleese, who was injecting his magic into the skill, was startled and shouted with a scared voice.

    ¡°I-it is nonsense!¡±

    Su-hyeun, who was trapped in the coffin, opened the door with his bare hands. The iron thorn spears could pierce even the steel, but they were torn apart by Su-hyeun¡¯s hands.

    Crack¡ª!

    Soon, the coffin created by John Cleese was smashed and lost its shape. John Cleese was in a hurry to start another skill. At that moment, he could feel the burning feeling from his head.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The blue flame burned John Cleese¡¯s hair. With the burning feeling from his head, he grabbed his head and rolled on the ground.

    ¡°I was a little surprised this time.¡± Su-hyeun looked at Mirald.

    She was the only one left. She sat on the ground and shivered. While the three men suffered, she could not do anything. More exactly, she just realized that nothing would work.

    ¡°How¡­the¡­hell¡­¡±

    She had thought they could win since they were four of them. She never even imagined that they would lose.

    But the result came out from the overwhelming difference in the level. Although the two had previously been poisoned by snakes and failed to perform properly, even so, the results were hard to believe.

    However, a thought came to Mirald¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Y-you should not attack me right now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Stomp¡ª

    When Su-hyeun took a step forward threateningly, Mirald flinched and continued to say, ¡°I removed the hallucination skills I¡¯ve made on the camera. If you attack me right now¡­ It will be broadcast all over the world as it is.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Y-you will be in trouble if that happens, right? The guilds of those people will come to hate you. It will look like you are attacking us without any reason to the viewers.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will look like I am doing that. You will make it look like that,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    It was so obvious. Su-hyeun could guess what she would say next. And what she said was not far from Su-hyeun¡¯s expectation at all.

    ¡°Yes, you are right. Besides¡­if we just go exit right now, both of us can advance to the finals, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That is not bad for me either,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°I just need to advance to the final round. The prize money will come out just for that. I don¡¯t even want to win. I am not your competitor.¡±

    <<Such a talented man like him is probably aiming to win. But winning is not my goal.>>

    She wanted the enormous prizes and privileges given to participants in the finals and the honor of being a finalist of the Ranking Wars. The honor would follow if she passed the preliminary round and qualified for the final. Going to the final meant she would be one of the high-rank awakeners among the 175 S-Ranks.

    The prize money itself was not huge to the S-Rank awakeners. They usually earned a lot anyway. But the matter was the privileges that she could get according to the ranking of this Ranking Wars.

    Higher rankings meant better performers. According to this ranking, people would get priority to attack dungeons first. Also, they would obtain steady profits from the distribution of Ether stones and items in the future.

    ¡°So? What do you think? Isn¡¯t this quite reasonable?¡± Mirald asked.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Su-hyeun shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t like your idea.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    Even with the attention of the world, Su-hyeun did not stop walking toward Mirald. Su-hyeun thought her thoughts were too shallow. She was the one who had hit his back first and now she was trying to persuade him to advance to the finals together.

    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to do this! It is just a contest. We are not enemies or something!¡± Mirald shouted.

    Su-hyeun reached out his hand to her and said, ¡°I am truly sorry, too. But you have to understand. It is something we can¡¯t help, right?¡±

    Su-hyeun continued while grabbing her head with one hand. ¡°The world is like this.¡±

    Mirald¡¯s eyes widened. They were familiar words.

    <<¡°I am truly sorry. But you have to understand. We can¡¯t help it. The world is like this.¡±>>

    It was what she had said to Su-hyeun before. Su-hyeun was giving back those words now. He had no intention of overlooking her. He didn¡¯t care about other people¡¯s thinking. She realized that.

    ¡°I-I give up!¡± Mirald declared a disclaimer without hesitation.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Crack¡ª!

    But at the moment she declared her drop out, Su-hyeun slammed her head on the ground. The ground cracked and Mirald passed out. Unlike the other three, she was physically weak.

    ¡°Even if you give up, I won¡¯t stop.¡±

    Su-hyeun, who had put four S-Rank awakeners on the ground, dusted his hands off. He turned his body and started to walk.

    [Mirald, John Cleese, Ramic, and Lowe are considered unable to fight. They will be eliminated.]

    Johnny Brad, who had been watching the fight, dropped the four people from the contest. Like that, Su-hyeun became the only one who advanced to the final in the third team.

    Act 10

    ¡°Did this happen because that man is strong or the other four are too weak?¡± Gordon Rohan, who was watching at the screen, asked Johnny Brad.

    Johnny Brad answered with a dry voice as usual, ¡°Probably the first one.¡±

    ¡°Right? He is quite strong.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Very strong.¡±

    Gordon Rohan glanced at Johnny Brad, who hid his face under the robe. He could not see his face, but his voice sounded quite young. It was a voice that sounded like a child mimicking an adult. As if he was trying to hide his voice, Johnny Brad rarely spoke to Gordon Rohan. But somehow, Gordon Rohan felt like Johnny Brad would not save his breath right at the moment.

    ¡°Do you think he has anything else?¡± Gordon Rohan asked.

    ¡°I think he is hiding a lot. He didn¡¯t even draw his sword.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that sword is a trick?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t look like he was used to swinging his fist. Then, the only remaining thing is the sword.¡±

    ¡°I thought the same. If you thought like that as well, I guess it would be right.¡±

    If they were right, it meant that Su-hyeun had knocked four people out without using his main weapon.

    ¡°He was called a rising star. But I think he is more than that,¡± Gordan Rohan said.

    Su-hyeun had become known for his name as he had been climbing the Tower of Trials on level 10. When he became an S-Rank awakener, he was known as a new rising star. It was only one year ago, but now he advanced to the finals in this Ranking Wars. He had the ability to defeat four S-Rank awakeners at the same time.

    <<How many people like him will exist in the world? It is what I had been expecting.>>

    Gordon Rohan asked in a slightly excited voice, ¡°Do you think there will be other people like him?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure he would be as good as that man¡­.¡± Johnny Brad looked at numerous awakeners from the screen. ¡°Yes. There is.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Who?¡±

    ¡°It will be not fun if I tell you now,¡± Johnny Brad answered vaguely.

    At his answer, Gordon Rohan crouched down and looked at the screen. After Su-hyeun¡¯s turn, the fourth team started taking their test.

    <<So from them, who will be the real one?>>

    He didn¡¯t want mediocre people to advance to the finals. Gordon Rohan wanted ¡°real¡± people. He wanted the very few people who had different skills and power among S-Rank awakeners. Only when he competed with them could prove that he was the best.

    ¡°It¡¯s his turn.¡±

    ¡°That guy is also the ¡®real¡¯ one that you were looking for,¡± Johnny Brad said.

    ¡°That man?¡± Gordon Rohan looked at the screen and tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡±

    He tried to remember, but he had no idea who that person was.

 Chapter 130

    <hr />

    The seventh test was a team cooperation defense mission. The time limit was 10 minutes. But even before the results came out, the audience watching the test were shocked.

    ¡°W-what a lunatic!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very harsh.¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi and Hak-joon, who were watching the screen, frowned. The camera showed four people. The test had just begun, but three people were on the ground already. Their arms and legs were bent bizarrely. One man gave up the test when his opponent started to approach him. That man had defeated the three other participants. He broke their arms and legs with a smile.

    ¡°That bastard did that on purpose. They couldn¡¯t fight back,¡± Su-hyeun said, eyes glued to the screen.

    Hak-joon nodded. ¡°Yea. You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°I think everyone would agree. He¡¯s quite skilled.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±

    ¡°His name is Thomas Mathiras. He¡¯s from Germany. He just recently became a S-Rank awakener.¡±

    ¡°Recently?¡± Ha-joon looked at Thomas who was alone on the screen.

    He looked in his mid to late twenties. His hair was dyed red. He was a good-looking man, that was hard to argue with. He had been smiling through the entire competition.

    ¡°But he¡¯s really strong, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Counting Su-hyeun, Thomas was only the second awakener that showed such overwhelming power than other awakeners. They were watching his game through the screen, but they could feel his power. Hak-joon couldn¡¯t believe that he had become S-Rank just recently.

    ¡°I guess,¡± Song Hyeong-gi said, ¡°he was focusing more on climbing the Tower of Trials than on reputation, power or money as an awakener. I¡¯m sure there were many people like him. They¡¯re just not well-known since they only stayed in the tower.¡±

    ¡°Then why would he come to the Ranking Wars¡­?¡±

    ¡°I guess he became curious about his level. Like ¡®How strong would I be compared to other, famous awakeners?¡¯ That¡¯s just a guess, though.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­Possibly.¡± Hak-joon turned his eyes to the screen again.

    Thomas, who had gotten rid of the other awakeners by this point, took the test alone. Since he was so talented and skilled, he completed the test alone without showing the slightest hint of strain. There was no need to watch more. Thomas would advance to the finals.

    ¡°Hak-joon. If you¡­¡± Su-hyeun hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°If you meet him at the finals, just withdraw from the match. Okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright, I will.¡± Hak-joon studied Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    His face looked calm. But Hak-joon had been spending a lot of time with him. He could tell what he was feeling. Su-hyeun was very, very angry.

    <hr />

    Hak-joon took the 17th round test. He was able to advance to the finals without difficulty. The people of the 17th team actually cooperated, unlike the other teams. There was one awakener from the Middle East who was known for his sense of justice. He was competent, too. The two people who advanced to the finals from that team were that awakener from the Middle East and Hak-joon.

    Hak-joon approached Su-hyeun, hopping. ¡°Brother! Did you see me?¡±

    ¡°I saw. I saw.¡±

    ¡°Yay! I¡¯ll call Yun-seon! Uh? What? Brother! I can¡¯t make a call here!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in Johnny Brad¡¯s hallucination. Of course, you can¡¯t make a call. Please, be quiet and sit down. You¡¯re distracting me.¡±

    The preliminary round was completed without any further problems. Song Hyeong-gi also passed the preliminary round without difficulty. Finally, Gordon Rohan passed the test by himself, like Suhyun.

    ¡°He¡¯s very strong, as I expected,¡± Hak-joon said.

    Gordon Rohan took the test with his bare hands, as if to show off to Su-hyeun. He even didn¡¯t use any special skills. He injected his magic into his bare fists and made them hard. He smashed the monsters with fists as strong as iron. His ability made the other four people in his round seem shabby.

    ¡°Well. That¡¯s Gordon Rohan,¡± Song Hyung-gi replied as if it was an obvious thing.

    And Hak-joon couldn¡¯t disagree with that. Gordon Rohan was considered to be one of the strongest awakeners in the world. Of course, he would be skilled like that.

    After the preliminary round, people had a day to rest. 66 people entered the final round. Originally, 70 people were going to advance, but four teams had only one finalist. The finalists went up to the top floor of the Gordon Tower. The 190th to the 199th floors of the tower were a hotel.

    ¡°W-wow. This is amazing.¡±

    Hak-joon looked around the huge room. His mouth hung open. Hak-joon was far from ordinary hotel life. And Gordon Tower¡¯s hotel was one of the best hotels in the world.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s amazing. But what are you doing here? Your room is next door.¡±

    ¡°I was bored all alone. And brother Hyeong-gi kicked me out of his room.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a real social butterfly.¡±

    Hak-joon, who Su-hyeun had met in his previous life, had been very cold and dark. But he was the complete opposite now. Su-hyeun even wondered if they were the same person or not. If he hadn¡¯t seen Hak-joon¡¯s level in this preliminary round, he might still wonder.

    ¡°Are you confident about the finals?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°How can I be confident against people like you, Gordon Rohan, and Thomas Mathiras?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about winning.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ If it¡¯s not about winning¡­¡± Hak-joon thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°I already achieved my first goal. So, now I¡¯ll just go as far as I can.¡±

    ¡°But, wasn¡¯t it easier than you thought?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was. There were only a few people that I thought I couldn¡¯t beat.¡±

    Hak-joon was very talented. He had become an awakener at around the same time as Su-hyeun and had been climbing the tower continuously. There was a difference between them, but it wasn¡¯t a difference in talent. It was a difference in experience and knowledge.

    Su-hyeun remembered his previous life. And it wasn¡¯t just memories. His body also remembered his experiences. That gave Su-hyeun a big leg up.

    <<If I didn¡¯t have memories of my last life, I might not be able to get strong as fast as I did. I did help him a little, but he¡¯s growing faster than in my previous life.>>

    Su-hyeun had seen how Hak-joon fought. His brilliant talent had begun to germinate. Hak-joon¡¯s abilities were clearly behind those of other S-Rank awakeners at the moment. But his head for combat was far ahead. Su-hyeun thought Hak-joon could be considered a pretty high-level awakener among S-Rank. And, in the next year or two, he would grow much stronger than he was right now.

    ¡°Stop playing. Go to your room and get some sleep. It¡¯s pretty late and you have to manage your condition,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Hak-joon, who had been chattering, left the room. Then, he called someone from outside. Su-hyeun assumed he wanted to talk with Yun-seon.

    Flop¡ª

    When Hak-joon left, Su-hyeun lay down on the large bed in the center of the room, big enough for three or four people. He didn¡¯t turn off the light. He just looked at the ceiling, thinking many things.

    <<Thomas Mathiras.>>

    Su-hyeun thought about the man who he had seen on the screen before. Thomas broke the other¡¯s limbs even though he could easily beat them without injuring them. For that reason, he got a warning from the management team, but he didn¡¯t seem concerned. He looked very calm, as if nothing had happened. But it was violence, not competition. He¡¯d probably do it again in the finals.

    <<It would be better if he just kept himself shut up in the tower, like he had so far.>>

    <hr />

    After a day for rest, the finals began. They started at 2 p.m. like the primarily round. It was nighttime in Korea.

    ¡°Brother! Did you look at the reactions to the Ranking Wars?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°No,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You¡¯re a star. Check this out.¡±

    As they went down in an elevator, Hak-joon showed his smartphone to Su-hyeun. It was the posting on SNS. Su-hyeun took the smartphone and checked it. People were arguing over the rankings on their own.

    -I think Gordon is the best.

    -That Gordon followed Kim Su-hyeun, you idiot. Didn¡¯t you see it? He fought without a weapon like him. That means Gordan paid attention to Kim Su-hyeun.

    -How could he have followed Kim Su-hyeun? I know you¡¯re Korean. But I think you¡¯re letting your pride think for you.

    -I think Thomas is one of the front-runners. He was a bit cruel, though. I think he¡¯s crazy.

    -No, he¡¯s not.

    -Yes, he is.

    -To be honest, Thomas was cruel. He stabbed other people in the back first. But Kim Su-hyeun was stabbed in the back, and he just dealt with it. They¡¯re definitely different.

    -Everyone shut up. Kim Su-hyeun is the best.

    The title of the post was ¡®Ranking of Preliminary Round¡¯. The publisher saw the preliminary round from a subjective point of view and listed the ten strongest awakeners in order. Obviously, the rankings hadn¡¯t been decided yet, so there was a lot of controversy. The most popular names were Su-hyeun, Gordon Rohan, and Thomas.

    ¡°According to this post, you¡¯re one of the three top-rank awakeners,¡± Hak-joon said.

    ¡°Top three?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But most opinions think you and Gordan Rohan will be the best.¡±

    ¡°It would be four, not three,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Four?¡± Hak-joon asked with a puzzled look. He wondered if there was another one that Su-hyeun was thinking as a top-ranks. ¡°Who¡¯s the other one?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. But there is one more.¡±

    Hak-joon asked Su-hyeun who it was, but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t answer, just headed to the stadium.

    ¡°Hey. What¡¯s up?¡± Song Hyeong-gi was waiting for them, holding a potato chip in his hand.

    Hak-joon, who had gotten sullen because Su-hyeun didn¡¯t answer him, approached Song Hyeong-gi. His mood changed and he got some chips from Song Hyeong-gi.

    ¡°The stadium has changed a lot,¡± Hak-joon said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to be simple. The theme is easy to understand.¡±

    The stadium was white for the preliminary round, but it had been replaced with an arena for the finals. Of course, it was too large to be just a simple arena. As Lee Ju-ho said, it was a similar size to the Hangang Park.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be good to just fight.¡±

    ¡°The whole stadium is protected with shock-absorbing magic. The ground itself is quite hard, too.¡±

    Su-hyeun liked the composition of the stadium. At least, it seemed that there would be no damage to the spectators in any way. Time passed and it was 2 o¡¯clock to start the final match. Gordon Rohan appeared at the top of the arena at exactly 2 p.m., as if he had been waiting for it.

    ¡°As we¡¯ve already announced, the first round of the finals is a one-on-one match. The winner will advance to the last round. The loser will be eliminated. Simple, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple, but how do you decide who will play against whom?¡± Song Hyeong-gi raised his hand and asked.

    Gordon Rohan snapped his finger and answered, ¡°Questioning is a good attitude. But it¡¯ll be the same as last time.¡±

    ¡°Randomly?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can I point out if there¡¯s someone I want to fight?¡± Su-hyeun spoke for the first time at the official meeting.

    Gordon Rohan looked down at Su-hyeun as if he didn¡¯t expect him to speak. Then, he shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t. That wouldn¡¯t be fair,¡± Gordon Rohan said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think your way is fair, either.¡±

    ¡°I told you last time. If you think so, bring it on. Challenges are always welcome.¡± Gordon Rohan grinned.

    It looked like he was confident that he was the best one there. At Gordon Rohan¡¯s provocation, Su-hyeun frowned a little and sighed. Su-hyeun could guess what Gordon Rohan was thinking. He didn¡¯t want to react to that. Above all, Gordon Rohan wasn¡¯t the one who Su-hyeun wanted to fight.

    ¡°Then, from now on, I will decide your opponent.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Ding, ding, ding¡ª

    When Gordon Rohan flicked his finger, the names appeared next to him. The two names were paired up and down. Su-hyeun found his name. His opponent¡¯s name was below.

    [Kim Su-hyeun.]

    [Thomas Mathiras.]

    The corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s mouth lifted in the slightest smile.

 Chapter 131

    ¡°I got lucky,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    That was the opponent he had in mind, the very same man he wanted as his first fight and asked Gordon Rohan about it earlier. Su-hyeun had been ruing the missed opportunity after his request was denied, but luckily enough, he got matched up with the individual he wanted to fight anyway.

    ¡°Who¡¯s your opponent that you¡¯re saying you got lucky?¡± Hak-joon asked. He was busy searching for his own name until he heard Su-hyeun¡¯s muttering and began searching for the latter¡¯s name instead. And after spotting what he was looking for, he gasped in surprise and asked again. ¡°What do you mean this is luck? That¡¯s Thomas, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Dude, could it be that you get, like, super excited and stuff when fighting strong enemies?¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m a monster? I hate fighting. I¡¯m a pacifist.¡±

    ¡°But then, why¡­.That dude, he¡¯s dangerous, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Hak-joon glanced at Thomas grinning away in the distance.

    That man also must¡¯ve been rather pleased with who his opponent was. It was quite likely that he, too, had been conscious of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You know, I just wanted to step on him at least once, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Hak-joon knew that Su-hyeun was quite angry. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. It probably had to do with Thomas¡¯s previous display of ruthlessness.

    ¡°If you think it¡¯ll get too dangerous, please throw in the towel. Please,¡± said Hak-joon.

    That was what Su-hyeun told him yesterday.

    ¡°If it comes to that.¡±

    And the reply implied that it wouldn¡¯t come to that.

    Hak-joon spat out a lengthy groan.

    While the two of them were chatting away, Gordon Rohan began addressing everyone else.

    ¡°Everyone, I assume that you¡¯ve all confirmed who your opponent is by now. As for who goes first, it¡¯s coincidentally me. Well now, lucky me.¡±

    Gordon¡¯s opponent was an awakener named Mirage Rowoon. The latter sucked in deep breaths ¡ª perhaps out of nervousness ¡ª and raised a shield and a shortsword.

    Mirage Rowoon was famed for his high defense and endurance. So much so that as far as defending was concerned, he was absolutely confident in enduring the whole day, even if the entire world started attacking him.

    ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s get started right away.¡±

    Swiiish¡ª

    With the exception of Gordon Rohan and Mirage Rowoon, all the other participants were transferred to the waiting area.

    Crack, craack¡ª

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s body slowly descended to the floor. ¡°Good. This is not bad for my first challenger.¡±

    ¡°Challenger? Are you talking about me?¡± Mirage Rowoon gripped the shield even tighter and glared straight at Gordon Rohan. ¡°Sure, I might not be as strong as you, but it still feels pretty insulting to hear you looking down on your opponent even before the start.¡±

    Clunk¡ª

    The four-sided wooden shield began transforming little by little, and eventually, was enveloped in blue-colored metal. Its size also grew much bigger than before. Now curved in an elliptical shape, it had transformed to provide not just protection from the front, but from both sides, as well.

    ¡°Right, it¡¯s understandable that you feel confident about your chances. You must be pretty skilled just by the fact that I¡¯ve heard your name.¡±

    Gordon Rohan was feeling quite happy with this match-up because he knew about his opponent.

    ¡°You allegedly said that even if you were fighting the whole world, you can still last the entire day. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°That I did.¡±

    [The match will begin.]

    The moment Johnny Brad¡¯s start signal reached the two¡­

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we put that claim to the test?¡±

    Fwooosh¡ª

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s figure disappeared from the spot.

    At the same time, Mirage Rowoon raised the shield, having instinctively realized that an attack was incoming.

    Kaaaa-boooom¡ª!

    Kurung, kurururung¡ª

    An incredible impact force was transmitted over the shield. While being pushed back, Mirage Rowoon looked over the shield at his front.

    <<A punch?>>

    It was just a single punch with nothing special about it.

    Although magical energy was injected into that one strike, it didn¡¯t look like any special skills had been activated.

    But¡­

    <<He isn¡¯t even a damn missile, so what the hell is¡­?>>

    That impact caused by a single punch was easily the strongest attack Mirage Rowoon had ever experienced so far. Even though he had heard Gordon Rohan¡¯s name many times before, not once did that name loom intimidatingly large like in this very moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re indeed quite sturdy.¡±

    Gordon Rohan rolled his fist tightly. He struck so hard just now that his hand felt a bit numb. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re qualified to make that claim, after all.¡±

    ¡°At the very least, I¡¯m not planning to easily¡­.¡±

    ¡°But the thing is¡­¡±

    Two pairs of wings suddenly unfurled right behind Gordon Rohan¡¯s back.

    ¡°Did you know?¡±

    Right afterward, pure-white magical energy began spreading out around those wings.

    It was at that moment Mirage Rowoon¡¯s unique crisis perception began ringing warning bells.

    <<That¡­is incredibly dangerous.>>

    The moment those wings appeared, Gordon Rohan felt like a completely different person.

    Not just the density of his magical energy, but even the amount spreading out to the surroundings were on another level altogether. Up until a second ago, Mirage Rowoon believed he could somehow battle it out and endure, but now, that was no longer the case.

    Mirage Rowoon injected far, far more magical energy into his shield. At the same time, every single defensive technique in his possession was wrapped around it. Never mind one day, lasting for one hour would be a miracle at this stage.

    ¡°Did you know that everyone lives in their own little worlds?¡±

    Gordon Rohan stepped forward while extending his hand in the air. ¡°A newborn baby believes the room within its field of vision is the entire world.¡±

    A pure-white spear soon appeared in his hand. It was shaped like a trident, with nary a speck of imperfection or dust on it.

    ¡°Students think of their schools as their whole world, while adults experience the world called their workplace. While riding planes, you view the world outside, and through experiencing culture, you gain knowledge and understanding. All of that is a process to broaden your horizons.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you trying to say here?¡±

    CLANK!

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s spear slammed down on Mirage Rowoon¡¯s shield.

    Despite deploying every single defensive skill on the shield, the latter still ended up stumbling backward. The moment he blocked the former¡¯s hit, an impact great enough to break his arm had been transmitted.

    ¡°When you said that you could defend against the world for the entire day, did I exist in your little world?¡±

    That question caused Mirage Rowoon¡¯s eyes to quake unsteadily. Indeed, he didn¡¯t know about Gordon Rohan when proudly making that statement.

    ¡°The world is far wider and greater than you think. It¡¯s the same story for me. And that is precisely why I built the tallest tower in the world and organized this competition.¡±

    Right now Gordon Rohan wasn¡¯t addressing Mirage Rowoon. No, he was speaking to the rest of the world who should be watching his figure through the cameras currently focused on him.

    ¡°In order to broaden the scope of the world that I know, in other words.¡±

    His desire to become the best was also the desire to stand on the very top of this world, as well.

    BANG, KWA-BOOM!

    Gordon Rohan continued to pound down on Mirage Rowoon¡¯s shield. The latter felt the numbness spread all over his arm with every attack and gripped the shield as tightly as possible.

    <<At this rate, forget one hour, not even one minute¡­.!>>

    Mirage Rowoon¡¯s shield began to crack apart little by little. The unexpected development took him by surprise, and just as he hesitated for a moment¡­

    Craaack!

    ¡°Heo-urhk?¡±

    A spear penetrated through the shield, and he fell on his behind while looking at its tips approaching him. Even then, he still hadn¡¯t let go of his shield. However, he didn¡¯t even get the chance to swing the sword held in his other hand once.

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s spear was now pointing squarely at the fallen man¡¯s throat. The tip of the weapon ever so faintly nicked the flesh and drew small droplets of blood.

    If he willed it, Mirage Rowoon¡¯s neck would¡¯ve been thrust cleanly through.

    Gordon Rohan withdrew his spear and leaned it against his shoulder. And with a brightly beaming face, he extended his hand towards Mirage Rowoon.

    ¡°I congratulate you on your world broadening one step further.¡±

    * * *

    The first match was quite one-sided.

    The winner was obviously Gordon Rohan.

    The matter of winning or losing no longer seemed important to other participants watching the proceedings through the screens.

    They all got to hear the reason why Gordon Rohan organized this Ranking Wars just now.

    ¡°You know, he¡¯s a bit¡­insane but at the same time, pretty cool.¡±

    Hak-joon was dazed by Gordon Rohan¡¯s proclamation and could only mutter those words. For sure, what he said contained a lot of hidden meanings. The American was indeed deserving of that high position.

    <<The world that I know, is it¡­.>>

    Gordon Rohan organized this event in order to broaden his horizons ¨C the world that he knew.

    He was perhaps one of the ¡°greatest men¡± alive. Everyone acknowledged that. Whether it be his financial muscle or sheer physical power, it didn¡¯t matter what the category was; he couldn¡¯t be satisfied unless he was the best at it, and eventually, he achieved that status.

    However, that still failed to satisfy him.

    He was thinking of the world that he didn¡¯t know.

    He didn¡¯t settle for the status he finally achieved and longed to find an even broader world, and was trying to prove that he was still the best even in that context.

    ¡°Makes sense to me why he¡¯s become so famous,¡± Hak-joon muttered as if he was impressed even more.

    But Su-hyeun was thinking about something else at that moment.

    Even back In the past ¡ª before he regressed ¡ª each and every phrase Gordon Rohan uttered went on to become well-known anecdotes on their own.

    So, Su-hyeun should¡¯ve heard of such a proclamation that carried so much impact from somewhere before, yet strangely enough, he couldn¡¯t remember ever hearing about it. Sure, it wasn¡¯t as if he knew everything about Gordon Rohan, but his knowledge base should have been about the same with other people¡¯s.

    <<What happened?>>

    It was possible that he simply wasn¡¯t aware of it, but then, the thought of that not being the case abruptly entered his mind.

    <<Did the future change because of me?>>

    That answer had a higher chance of being right. If so, this should be nothing more than a minor change. Even then, he couldn¡¯t help but frown at how the future began changing recently because of his interference.

    ¡°You¡¯re up next.¡± Hak-joon reminded him.

    ¡°Yeah, I saw that.¡±

    The match to follow right after Gordon Rohan versus Mirage Rowoon was Su-hyeun versus Thomas.

    Su-hyeun got up from his seat. He glanced back and spotted Thomas also standing up while looking back at him.

    Soon afterwards, two men¡¯s figures vanished.

    The location they reappeared in was the competition arena as seen through the screens. They were standing about twenty meters apart while staring at each other.

    ¡°Ooh, this place is so cool!¡± Thomas exclaimed right after being summoned to the arena as he took a look at his surroundings. He then swept back his long, disheveled red hair and continued to grin away.

    ¡°Let me ask you something before we start,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    He unsheathed his sword right away.

    Johnny Brad was delaying the start of the match as if to let the participants prepare first. It seemed that it was to prevent potential sneak attacks as soon as the summoning process was completed.

    ¡°Did you really have to do that?¡±

    ¡°Mm? Do what exactly?¡±

    Maybe his mental age was slightly lacking?

    Thomas was still grinning foolishly away. The old saying went that it¡¯d be hard to spit on a smiling face, but this very moment would be a rare exception to that rule.

    At the bare minimum, he should¡¯ve understood what Su-hyeun was asking about.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about breaking the arms and legs of those who couldn¡¯t even fight back. That was not a fight, but a display of one-sided brutality.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­. Oh, that?¡± Thomas clapped his hands as if he finally remembered and replied. ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡¯Yup?''¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡±

    Son of a¡­. Su-hyeun spat out some choice words under his breath.

    He initially thought that Thomas would bring up some other reason. However, this guy seemed to be, simply put, a damn nutcase.

    ¡°Is that right? In that case¡­.¡±

    [The match will begin.]

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to do the same.¡±

 Chapter 132

    Su-hyeun was angry, but his expression became composed once more.

    Just like it had always been, the rational thing to do was to swallow his anger rather than letting it explode. Anger created openings and dulled one¡¯s sword and body.

    It was his habit. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he had forgotten his own emotions.

    ¡°You angry?¡± Thomas was tilting his head in confusion. ¡°Why?¡±

    He seemed to be missing something somewhere.

    To look at him, Thomas must¡¯ve been similar in age or slightly older than Su-hyeun, but the way he spoke and the looks he was giving Su-hyeun belonged to a child.

    ¡°You should¡­.¡±

    Swiiiish-

    [Leap.]

    Su-hyeun exploded forward. In the blink of an eye, he flew to a spot just above Thomas¡¯s head and swung his sword down.

    Claaaang-!

    ¡°¡­.Think about it while I beat you up!¡±

    Giii-iiing-

    Thomas was shoved back. A curtain, a veil of some sort with visible cracks running on it, was spread over his hands.

    Was it because of the unexpected force of the impact? Thomas looked quite surprised right then. He clenched and opened his fist repeatedly before raising his head.

    At that exact moment-

    Craaack, claaaang-!

    Kwa-rummmm-!

    Powerful sword strikes began raining down from all sides with Thomas caught in the middle. Even then, he didn¡¯t panic. Instead, he spread out both of his arms and moved smartly to defend against Su-hyeun¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°This is so cool! So cool!!¡±

    Thomas was smiling brightly while blocking Su-hyeun¡¯s sword as if this whole thing was just too entertaining.

    The curtain spreading out from his hands regenerated immediately right after Su-hyeun¡¯s attacks shattered it. Instead of the curtain¡¯s defensive powers, it was Thomas¡¯s control over his own powers that allowed him to quickly regenerate it, shining brilliantly for all to see.

    Rumble-

    [Flame.]

    Boom, bang, bang-bang-!

    Blue-colored divine Flames suddenly appeared and caused a chain of explosions all around Thomas. Previously, he had been focused on the sword so he hurriedly crouched, furrowing his brows.

    The explosion of divine Flames blinded his sight for a short moment, and Su-hyeun¡¯s sword exploited the opening by stabbing straight at Thomas¡¯s shoulder.

    Stab-!

    Whiiiir-

    Thomas¡¯s figure faded little by little. There was no sensation coming from the tip of the blade. Su-hyeun instantly swung his sword behind him.

    CLAAANG-!

    [Doppelganger.]

    A metallic noise echoed from behind Su-hyeun. His sword had caught Thomas¡¯s hand, just about to stab him in the back.

    From the sensation alone, Su-hyeun could tell what happened to Thomas¡¯s hand that had changed color to brown.

    << Is that a skill that changes a portion of your body into a specific metal of your choice? >>

    He only knew one light brown metal that was blessed with such hardness.

    << Adamantium. >>

    The metal that could easily be called the best in regards to either magical energy conductivity or hardness and lightness.

    Even if it only transformed a portion of one¡¯s body, that skill was quite impressive to be able to change human hands into such metal in the first place.

    Not only that, Thomas¡¯s movements were rather remarkable, as well. Despite possessing several skills, he was wielding them freely, displaying his mastery over them. Normally, you¡¯d be unable to deploy the right skills at the right moment if you had too many of them, and you¡¯d eventually end up neglecting certain ones.

    ¡°Wow, so strong! You¡¯re so strong!¡±

    Clang, clang, clang, clang-

    Thomas increased his distance from Su-hyeun and clapped his hands. His palms, modified to replicate the characteristics of adamantium, clashed against each other and produced hard-edged metallic noises.

    He looked as if he had lots of leeway still.

    ¡°Are you having fun?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Thomas stopped clapping his hands abruptly and raised his arms in sheer shock.

    CLAAANG-!

    Gu-gugugugu-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword, striking downwards, pressed on Thomas¡¯s body. He crossed both of his arms to defend against the attack, and he finally stopped smiling. Before he could react, Su-hyeun had disappeared once again.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep at it, then?¡±

    ¡°Where¡­?¡±

    Thomas hurriedly spun around. His opponent was definitely in the air above him just a moment before, but now, Su-hyeun was already right behind him.

    Clang, clang, clang-

    Piiik, pii-piik-

    Chwa-aaahk-

    Su-hyeun darted in and out non-stop.

    From the front, then the back; from above, then left and right. Su-hyeun¡¯s sword danced around disorientingly and without any set pattern, causing numerous wounds to appear on Thomas¡¯s body one by one.

    ¡°Why¡­.? Are you getting faster?¡±

    Thomas¡¯s voice trembled ever so slightly.

    The more he blocked the attacks, the faster Su-hyeun got. He rained down more sword strikes, too many to be blocked or avoided.

    [Spirit¡¯s Grace.]

    [Thorn Armor.]

    [Reflect.]

    Tiii-iiing-

    Several skills overlapped and reinforced Thomas¡¯s body, causing Su-hyeun¡¯s sword to issue a metallic cry.

    Even the previously-deep wounds changed into small scratches, instead.

    Thomas began smiling again. ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±

    ¡°Nope, wrong.¡±

    Splaaash-!

    Blood spurted from Thomas¡¯s back.

    He was so sure he couldn¡¯t be sliced up anymore that he didn¡¯t recognize what had happened for a moment.

    The confusion was greater in his mind than the pain. Thomas covered his head with both of his hands and curled up into a ball.

    Piiik, pii-iik, pii-piik-

    Slash, splaaash-

    Wounds began appearing once more on Thomas¡¯s body. Su-hyeun, in the meantime, grew so much faster that his silhouette couldn¡¯t even be seen anymore.

    It was at that moment that Thomas remembered what his opponent had said earlier.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a fight, but a display of one-sided brutality.¡±

    ¡°Is that right? In that case¡­ it looks like I¡¯ll have to do the same.¡±

    Not a fight, but one-sided brutality ¨C this was exactly that situation.

    Right then, Thomas¡¯s smiling face distorted greatly.

    ¡°Euh¡­ I don¡¯t like it, I hate it, I HATE IT!!¡±

    FWOOOSH-!

    Pitch-black magical energy began whipping around him violently. At the same time, his curled-up figure grew blurry and faint, before melting into the surroundings.

    Shu-sususu-

    The dark magical power soon enveloped the entirety of the arena Su-hyeun and Thomas were fighting in. The former stopped his rapid movements and scanned his vicinity.

    << Isn¡¯t this¡­ that skill? >>

    His eyes widened in surprise. He had no idea that he¡¯d stumble into this very skill in this place.

    [Black Forest]

    Ranked as one of the very best among all the spatial-type skills out there.

    No, not just among the spatial-types. It easily qualified as one of the top ten skills ever to exist in the world, even after including all the skills yet to appear in the future. That¡¯s how high-grade the skill was.

    ¡°¡­.So, it was this bastard?¡±

    Thomas Mathiras.

    Su-hyeun had only heard that name in passing a couple of times, but, other than what he¡¯d seen in the competition, he didn¡¯t know anything about him. His first and last public appearance was during the Ranking Wars.

    His whereabouts afterward were vague, to say the least. There wasn¡¯t even any news about his death either, so people often wondered if he had literally vanished into thin air.

    But such a man had activated the skill, ¡®Black Forest¡¯.

    -Please don¡¯t hit me, don¡¯t hurt me¡­

    Thomas¡¯s voice came from somewhere in the air. It was filled with palpable fear. But, it didn¡¯t seem to be directed at Su-hyeun, somehow.

    << What¡¯s wrong with this guy? >>

    Thomas definitely made his way onto Su-hyeun¡¯s blacklist just by being able to use the ¡®Black Forest¡¯. There would be a news story a few years in the future¡ªthis skill got invoked in the middle of a city and caused the deaths of thousands in the process.

    << It¡¯s a relief that I got to learn early who the culprit is, but¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun raised his sword, then swung it down on the floor, just like that.

    CLUNG-!

    The blade simply bounced away.

    A sword collided against another sword. And his opponent¡¯s weapon just so happened to be exactly the same as his.

    << Reflect? No, did he fold the space, instead? >>

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t sure about the specific effects of the Black Forest. He only knew that thousands of people would get swept up in the skill and lose their lives. As such, he didn¡¯t know of a way to cancel or invalidate this skill.

    -My dear Sung-in.

    A voice suddenly came to him. A gentle voice that he had forgotten about until now. The name being called out was different, too.

    The current him wasn¡¯t Sung-in, but Su-hyeun.

    -S-Sung-in¡­ Please, please save me, your mother.

    -There was no one beside you, but¡­ Why did you¡­.

    -Why did you do that! Why?! If only you were here, my dad would still be alive!

    -Hero? Don¡¯t make me laugh. You¡¯re just pretending to be one!

    The voices changed with every passing second.

    Su-hyeun remembered all those voices. The ¡®voices¡¯ buried deep within his memories were leaking outside of him.

    It was like a nightmare.

    Rumble-

    Suddenly, the image of a burning city appeared before his eyes. But it changed in an instant. Now, it showed the pitch-black skies and the destroyed cityscape.

    The voices from his past stopped plaguing him. Su-hyeun had been living on, forgetting about the life of Sung-in.

    << Attacking one¡¯s trauma, is that it? >>

    No matter how bright your personality was, the past memories you didn¡¯t want to remember were bound to exist. People without a reverse scale didn¡¯t exist. No, the difference between them simply had to do with how much that reverse scale could painfully affect you.

    The ¡®Black Forest¡¯ attacked that very reverse scale. In other words, it forcibly dragged out the past the targets didn¡¯t want to remember and crushed their minds in the process.

    The scene currently laid out before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was the most horrifying image he had ever seen in his life. The sight of a devastated, ruined world, and the voices of people crying out the words of resentment that squarely blamed him.

    -I¡¯m sorry.

    A man knelt in front of Su-hyeun.

    It was none other than his past self, Sung-in.

    -I¡¯m truly¡­ sorry.

    Su-hyeun remembered himself from back then. He couldn¡¯t forget even if he wanted to.

    Back then, he had to choose between two outbreaks occurring in Tokyo and London. Regardless of which one he chose, it¡¯d be too late to help the other one.

    In the end, he chose to save the one nearer to him, Tokyo. And that¡¯s how countless people ended up dying in London.

    << Yeah, they really resented me back then. >>

    Many people died because of me¡ªthat¡¯s how he blamed himself.

    My family¡¯s dead because of you, they said.

    He was subjected to curses and denunciation several hundred times the level of resentment he had been receiving all his life until that point. That caused his previous feather-light body to suddenly feel heavy like a ton of bricks. For a while, back then, he couldn¡¯t eat anything and even forgot how to smile.

    It was the worst memory Su-hyeun possessed.

    Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°Sorry about this, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t even remotely moved by the illusion before his eyes created by his old trauma. ¡°I¡¯ve reflected on it for so long that I can¡¯t even feel anything particular about it anymore.¡±

    Ever since this life began, Su-hyeun had been moving tirelessly to change the future he knew. And, in the process, he couldn¡¯t help but retread his past.

    If he was scared of the approaching future and tried to hide, then he wouldn¡¯t even have thought of changing it in the first place.

    He chose to confront the future since he had already faced it and knew it couldn¡¯t be avoided.

    And that¡¯s how he got over it. The painful past was now nothing more than that¡ªthe past.

    Shu-rururu-

    The illusions disappeared from his eyes. It seemed that something or, rather, someone had realized Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t be shaken by these things. Although he didn¡¯t know whether Thomas or something else had made this admittedly rational choice, it was still a logical one nevertheless.

    Rumble, tumble-

    But that didn¡¯t seem to be the end just yet. The black space filling up the battle arena began to quiver and wiggle around. He couldn¡¯t be sure what else was in store for him, but he definitely wasn¡¯t planning to sit back and let it happen.

    << Since I don¡¯t know how to invalidate or cancel this skill¡­. >>

    He couldn¡¯t forget, the ¡®Black Forest¡¯ was a top-tier grade skill. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t possess a higher-grade skill that could potentially overcome it.

    << The best thing to do is to cut down the space itself. Does that mean I have to resort to a somewhat unsophisticated method? >>

    Rumble, ruuumble-

    Flames lit up all around Su-hyeun. Pure blue flames illuminated his surroundings, their awakening causing the Black Forest to wriggle slightly and display hints of rejection.

    It wasn¡¯t enough, though.

    Rumble-

    The color of the divine Flame changed from blue to dark navy blue next.

    RUUUMBLE-!

    His entire body was soon wrapped up in divine Flame.

    Light, to fight against the darkness.

    << In the end, there¡¯s a limit to the total amount and density of the magical energy that can be contained by a single skill. >>

    This couldn¡¯t even be called a proper cancellation method. No, he was simply ¡®experimenting¡¯ on where the limits of the Black Forest currently trapping him lay, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°Fine, then. Let¡¯s have it.¡±

    RUUUMBLE-!

    The divine Flames sticking close to Su-hyeun gradually grew bigger and wider. The navy-blue colored flames were now forcing the darkness back.

    The world of darkness.

    This spatial-type skill was seen as one of the top ten best skills available, even after including the skills that would appear in the future.

    He didn¡¯t know how to counteract it. It wasn¡¯t even known in the first place. But that didn¡¯t matter.

    The absolute difference in power would simply ignore everything, after all.

 Chapter 133

    Rumble, ruuumble-

    Bang, ka-boom-

    A world of darkness where not even a speck of light existed, was illuminated brightly.

    The navy blue-colored divine Flames continued to drive away the darkness. As if Thomas was still struggling in his own way, the darkened world continued to fight back using various illusions, but none of them worked on Su-hyeun.

    From the very start, the grade of their magical energy was too different.

    << For sure, the skill itself is a cheat alright. >>

    Rumble, boom-!

    In the meantime, he burned away the dark aura trying to attack him from behind. To think that there was still some leeway left to counterattack despite such a humongous magical energy was causing all sorts of chaos within it¡­

    Not just its scope, but even the skill¡¯s durability easily exceeded his expectations.

    << Well, even then¡­ >>

    [Third Eye- Neutralization.]

    The Third Eye in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead split open wide. It scanned its surroundings, the space belonging to the world of darkness.

    << The dude controlling it is only so-so. >>

    The pitch-black darkness enveloping his surroundings was forced back even further as the skill¡¯s effect dissipated at double the rate.

    ¡°Ahhhk, aaaahhk!!¡±

    There was a scream in the distance. The voice belonged to Thomas.

    His real body began reappearing, meaning the effects of the darkened world had dissipated almost completely now.

    Step, step-

    Su-hyeun went in the direction of the voice. He figured that it¡¯d be easier to locate the real body and suppress that. And so, after taking several more steps, he could clearly see Thomas¡¯s silhouette.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Please don¡¯t hit me. Please don¡¯t hit me¡­.¡±

    Thomas was currently curled up into a ball, murmuring something. Since Su-hyeun¡¯s hearing was pretty exceptional, he could clearly hear it. Weirdly enough, Thomas didn¡¯t seem to be addressing him, though.

    << Don¡¯t hit me¡­? >>

    Su-susu-

    Suddenly, illusions began rising up in front of Thomas. Su-hyeun wondered if the world of darkness was throwing up yet another traumatic hallucination in his path, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    The hallucination of the darkened world created two people. Their faces were unfamiliar to him.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t hit me. Please don¡¯t¡­.¡±

    One of the two was a little boy. Same reddish hair as Thomas, but only about ten or so years old. And the boy was getting mercilessly punched by an older man with tattoos all over his body.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. It hurts.¡±

    Why was the boy getting hurt like that?

    The illusions soon changed. This time, it was an even younger Thomas, along with a young woman.

    ¡°Thomas, can you live with your papa now? You can live happily with him, right?¡±

    ¡°Is that old man my papa?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s your papa, now. That¡¯s why, Thomas my son¡­. You must listen to what papa says, okay? Mommy will have to go somewhere really far for a little bit.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t go, mommy! Please stay!¡± Thomas clung to his mother and pleaded with her.

    But a young boy didn¡¯t have the necessary strength to stop a grown woman. And so, Thomas ended up living with a new ¡®daddy¡¯ who didn¡¯t share a single drop of blood with him.

    The man being a new father wasn¡¯t the issue. No, the real issue was with him physically abusing Thomas because the boy¡¯s mother ran away.

    She abandoned her own son and instead chose her life.

    ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m sorry. Daddy¡­.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s your goddamn daddy? You motherless bastard!¡±

    Slap, pow-!

    The days where the boy got hit far outnumbered those that he didn¡¯t. Indeed, the latter instances were very rare.

    The man would hit him just because their gazes met, after all.

    Even then, Thomas stuck close to his new daddy. Because, he had no place to go.

    Even after getting older, even after becoming an adult, it remained the same story.

    His body didn¡¯t hurt anymore, not like when he was little kid. But, his heart suffered hundreds, no, thousands of times more.

    But then, one day, a new place Thomas could go suddenly materialized.

    [Welcome to the Tower of Trials.]

    His life changed from that day onwards.

    Thomas didn¡¯t return from the Tower of Trials. He didn¡¯t want to return in the first place.

    He ate, slept, and lived within the tower. Thomas, severely beaten and abused from a young age, ended up with a mind of a child trapped in the body of an adult man.

    Shu-ruru-

    Silhouettes of the adult version of Thomas, now possessing the powers of an awakener, and his ¡®new daddy¡¯ appeared on the other side next.

    The ¡®new daddy¡¯ started lashing out at Thomas once more, while saying, ¡°How dare you run away from me like your mother?¡±

    But this time, he couldn¡¯t win against Thomas¡¯s strength and got flung away, instead.

    ¡°P-please, don¡¯t hit me. Don¡¯t hit me.¡±

    Here was a man who could¡¯ve been crushed to death with just a single flick of Thomas¡¯s hand. He now possessed more than enough strength to do it.

    Even then, the ¡®new daddy¡¯ came across too scary, too big, in Thomas¡¯s mind.

    And also¡­.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t hate me, daddy¡­.¡±

    The new daddy was forming a new type of expression as he stared at such Thomas. That day was the very first time he heard his new daddy speak in a gentle, affectionate voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my boy. Did it hurt a lot?¡±

    ¡°I love you, my son.¡±

    The next day, Thomas received an awakener evaluation test, accompanied by his new daddy, of course.

    That¡¯s how he became an S-rank awakener. He must¡¯ve been feeling happy about something, because for the first time ever, Thomas started smiling brightly.

    Who knew whether or not that smile came from genuine happiness? That smile, as far as Su-hyeun could see, lacked so many things.

    ¡°Now listen well, my boy. If you enter the Ranking Wars and pass the preliminaries, Gordon Rohan will give you lots of money. You know what¡¯s money, right?¡±

    ¡°Money?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Son, all you have to do is to get that money, and give it to your daddy. Can you do that, son?¡±

    ¡°Son of a¡­.¡± Su-hyeun groaned.

    The illusions appearing before Thomas¡¯s eyes were ¡®traumas¡¯ borne out of the darkened world¡¯s effects.

    Indeed, the skill, the darkened world, hadn¡¯t disappeared yet. It was still resisting Su-hyuen¡¯s power. And this was a reaction from that. The darkened world couldn¡¯t penetrate his defenses and, instead, started nibbling away at its caster¡¯s mind.

    It seemed that Thomas wasn¡¯t in full control of the darkened world yet.

    ¡°Well, now I don¡¯t feel like fighting anymore, all thanks to that imbecile.¡±

    Su-hyeun had been wondering why this dude seemed a bit mentally challenged compared to how he looked, and, as it turned out, factors innate and environmental in nature combined to cause this phenomenon.

    Step, step-

    Su-hyeun walked over to the curled-up Thomas. He was still murmuring away, pleading with his daddy to not hit him.

    ¡°¡­.Why did you return in the first place, then?¡±

    The Tower of Trials wasn¡¯t a bad place to live. With the exception of a few floors, the rest weren¡¯t so bad even when compared to the modern world outside. That went doubly for people with great power¡ªa talented warrior on Thomas¡¯s level should be able to live a pretty content life inside the tower without much issue.

    << It¡¯d been better for him if he didn¡¯t come back to the outside world. >>

    By doing that, he¡¯d have avoided running into that ¡®new daddy¡¯ of his ¨C the horrible past trauma. And he wouldn¡¯t have gone down the wrong path to hurt innocent people, either.

    ¡°If getting hit is painful and scary, don¡¯t fight. And don¡¯t hit anyone, too.¡±

    Su-hyeun lowered himself and matched his eyeline with Thomas¡¯s.

    [Third Eye- Predator.]

    ¡°Euh, euh, woo¡­.¡±

    After meeting Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes from up close, Thomas slowly collapsed to the ground. He had exhausted a lot of magical energy trying to maintain the darkened world, and his mental state was unstable, as well. Then he was subjected to the effects of the ¡®Predator¡¯ on top of everything, so it was no wonder he passed out, just like that.

    ¡°Sleep for the time being. Also¡­¡± Su-hyeun said while standing back up, his eyes still fixed on the unconscious Thomas on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±

    Shu-wuwuu-

    The Black Forest¡¯s effect dissipated, and the bright light showered down on Thomas¡¯s figure.

    * * *

    The first round of the finals were over.

    Of the 66 finalists, 33 managed to make it through. There were quite a few injuries among the eliminated. That was because the matches were one on one battles¡ªa battle that could only come to an end after one side surrendered, or became incapacitated and couldn¡¯t continue.

    Two days of rest were declared after the competition.

    Hak-joon managed to barely scrape into the second round. Rather ironically, it was Song Hyeong-gi who failed to progress.

    His opponent was a bad match-up for him. Unlike how it was with Hak-joon, who got lucky and fought against someone comparatively weaker in his one on one fight, Song Hyeong-gi drew the short straw and had to fight against a famous American awakener, Ashlyn.

    ¡°Bro? Where are you going?¡±

    Hak-joon asked Su-hyeun, who was getting ready to leave as soon as he returned to their lodging.

    Lee Ju-ho finishing up with ordering food and also entered the living room. ¡°Su-hyeun? You going somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be away for a day or so.¡±

    ¡°But, it hasn¡¯t been that long since the competition. Aren¡¯t you tired? You should get some rest first.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not like I had to work hard, anyway.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t wrong there. Not many people passed the first round as unscathed as Su-hyeun, after all.

    ¡°But, where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a place.¡± Hak-joon¡¯s question was simply answered by Su-hyeun as he fixed his shoes. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    * * *

    Claaang, smash-

    A booze bottle resting on the table rolled and dropped to the floor. The noise jolted awake a man named Mitch Hewer, sleeping on the nearby couch.

    ¡°Urgh, motherf*cking¡­¡±

    Mitch Hewer massaged his forehead as if a migraine was assaulting him. He gingerly sat up from his spot. He got royally pissed off after noticing the shattered bottle and its contents spilled on the floor.

    ¡°Dammit, what a waste of fine booze.¡±

    He managed to stand up from the couch and trudged towards the kitchen. He opened the fridge¡¯s door, only to be smacked in the face by the rotting odor.

    Drop, thud-

    Large slabs of meat fell out from inside the fridge. He silently stared at them for a while, before picking them up and shoving them back inside.

    ¡°Tsk. I better do something about them, and fast.¡±

    He cleaned the mess on the floor with an irritated face, then began rummaging inside the fridge. It was around then that he spotted a can of beer already resting on top of the dining table.

    Pop-.

    He popped the lid of can, and brought the lukewarm beer to his mouth. He might be hungry right now, but having some alcohol in his system made everything feel better just a little.

    ¡°Lukewarm, but it¡¯s not that bad.¡±

    He continued to chug the beer down while taking a good look at the messy state of this house.

    It took only a few days to turn the place into a pigsty. Never mind the stink of booze, all sorts of trash was strewn about on the floor, barely leaving any room to stand.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll make that punk clean up the place when he comes back. Tsk.¡±

    Mitch Hewer muttered to himself and headed back to the living room. He remembered that he forgot to catch up on a very important match because of his binge drinking.

    ¡°He did get past the preliminaries, but did he get to the finals, I wonder?¡±

    The results were exceeding his wildest expectations.

    Mitch Hewer chuckled happily. That boy might not be related to him by blood, but just by passing the preliminaries and joining the Ranking Wars¡¯ finals, a huge amount of reward money was about to fall on his laps.

    On top of this, that level of abilities meant that the money the boy earned in the future by going around various dungeons should be quite considerable, as well.

    It was time to leave this stinky, dingy little corner of the world, indeed.

    Ding-dong-

    Just as he turned on the TV, someone rang the doorbell. Mitch Hewer¡¯s gaze remained locked on the TV as he stood up from the couch. The screen was now showing the results from the Ranking wars.

    -The awakener who defeated Thomas Mathiras and stepped up to the final stages is the South Korean S-rank, Kim Su-hyeun¡­

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    Mitch Hewer frowned deeply from the news coming out from the TV as well as the voice from outside the door. His visitor was none other than Thomas.

    The boy did enter the main competition, but failed to get through to the final stages and had to return home.

    ¡°This goddamn retard, why does he sound so damn happy¡­?¡±

    Initially, Mitch Hewer thought that it¡¯d be excellent if Thomas just managed to pass the preliminaries. But now that the boy did manage that, of course, his greed would grow in response, as well.

    He wanted Thomas to enter the final stages and bring home an even bigger cash reward, if possible, so anger spiked in his mind the moment he heard the boy¡¯s excited voice.

    Creaaak-

    ¡°Hey, you damn punk. You goddamn failed, so why¡­.¡±

    ¡°Daddy! A friend came with me!¡±

    The worn-out door was flung open, and Thomas revealed himself. And there was another face, of a stranger, right behind him.

    The kid¡¯s mind was unstable, and not only that, he was mentally impaired as well. But, such a kid brought home a ¡®friend¡¯?

    << A friend? This punk? >>

    Something felt off.

    Mitch Hewer dazedly stared at the face of the man that showed up together with Thomas. For some reason, it kind of looked rather familiar.

    << No, it can¡¯t be¡­. >>

    ¡°Hello to you.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s greeting caused Mitch Hewer¡¯s eyes to nearly jump out of their sockets. The latter hurriedly spun his head behind and began alternating his gaze between Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s face on TV¡¯s screen as well as the man¡¯s face standing right before him.

    ¡°I¡¯m Thomas¡¯s friend, the name¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes were gleaming coldly with a murderous light.

 Chapter 134

    Mitch Hewer became flustered from Su-hyeun¡¯s greeting.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to understand the South Korean, since his English was rather good, but that didn¡¯t mean his motives for being here would be any easier to understand.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question was met by Mitch Hewer grabbing Thomas by the arm and yanking him inside the door.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go away, man? There¡¯s nothing to see here,¡± said Mitch Hewer.

    Creak-

    Whoosh-

    Su-hyeun stopped the door about to close and swung it wide open. ¡°I had to travel a considerable distance to get here, so pardon my intrusion. I won¡¯t accept no for an answer.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­.¡±

    He ignored Mitch Hewer¡¯s protest and stepped inside the house. The latter panicked and started shouting at him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?! Get out before I call the cops!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be visiting them later to write up an affidavit, so don¡¯t you worry about that now.¡±

    Step, step-

    Su-hyeun waltzed right into the living room. Mitch Hewer couldn¡¯t even do as he threatened¡ªcall the cops¡ªand could only nervously rack his brain.

    << Goddammit, why did this punk show up in here? >>

    The TV was still talking about the news related to the Ranking Wars. During the event, Su-hyeun just so happened to be one of the individuals who distinguished himself alongside Gordon Rohan. Even Thomas found it impossible to subdue the South Korean.

    Well, he came back here after losing to Su-hyeun in the match, after all.

    << He won¡¯t find out, right? It¡¯s gonna be alright, isn¡¯t it? >>

    A punk who came here with the pretense of being Thomas¡¯s friend wouldn¡¯t be rude enough to search through every nook and cranny of the house without permission, now would he?

    In the meantime, Thomas was happily smiling away while utterly oblivious to Mitch¡¯s internal conflict. Mitch Hewer thought that this must be his first time seeing that red-haired idiot smile that brightly.

    ¡°Your house is rather squalid, isn¡¯t it.¡±

    Su-hyuen¡¯s words caused Mitch Hewer to frown deeply. The first thing he said after intruding in someone¡¯s private abode was ¡°it¡¯s squalid¡±? He had to know how rude that was.

    ¡°If that¡¯s all you¡¯re going to say, how about getting the hell out of my place? I don¡¯t remember inviting someone like you in.¡±

    ¡°Have your son¡¯s friends ever come here before?¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°And when your son came back home, did you ever hug him once?¡±

    ¡°What bullsh*t are you talking about?¡± Mitch Hewer asked, but Su-hyeun was already moving towards the kitchen. The former grew even more anxious and quickly stood in the way.

    ¡°Thomas! Hurry up and drag this bastard outside!¡±

    His loud yell was met with Thomas¡¯s surprised expression. Thomas looked a little different than he did when he was in the arena. He looked anxious and scared of something.

    ¡°D-daddy, are, are you¡­ angry?¡±

    ¡°Thomas! Hurry up and¡­.¡± Mister Hewer couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and just stood there, frozen. His body stiffened, and his voice couldn¡¯t come out. It was as if his body had turned into stone even though his mind was still clear.

    ¡°You know, I was initially planning to come here and ask you nicely to let Thomas go, but¡­.¡± Su-hyeun said as he walked over to the fridge. The foul smell wafting around the living room steadily grew worse as he got closer to the kitchen. ¡°But, this smell is really getting on my nerves a bit, you see.¡±

    Creak-

    The ancient fridge creaked noisily as it opened. And the source of that disgusting smell revealed itself.

    Tumble, drop-

    Slabs of meat filling the fridge slowly cascaded down. At a casual glance, they seemed like slices of pork shoved inside without a care in the world. But a deeper look would reveal the actual truth.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression turned unsightly as he picked up one of the slabs of meat¡ªa severed human foot. ¡°Well, you can already tell that it¡¯s not a pig trotter.¡±

    He knew that this guy wasn¡¯t a ¡°normal-minded¡± father figure even before coming here. But he certainly didn¡¯t expect this Mitch Hewer bastard to be this much of a scum. A supposed father with alcohol addiction, records of domestic violence, and the ¡°hobby¡± of murder?

    << No, wait a minute. He¡¯s not really Thomas¡¯s father, is he? >>

    Not a drop of blood was shared between the two, and he never treated Thomas as his son either, anyway. So, their relationship only existed within the confines of the law, that was all.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have the qualifications to be a father.¡±

    Vrrrrr-

    This time, it was against a regular civilian without any abilities but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even hesitate to use his powers. His magical energy spread out everywhere and began tightening around Mitch Hewer¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Cough, cough! Wheeze¡­!¡± Hewer coughed and collapsed on his butt. Blood leaked out with each wheezing and cough. He realized that, at this rate, he¡¯d really die here.

    Right at that moment¡­

    ¡°Stop that!¡±

    Scatter-

    Thomas hurriedly jumped in between the two men and scattered Su-hyeun¡¯s magical energy.

    The latter¡¯s gaze turned to Thomas, busy shaking his head and opening his mouth. ¡°You mustn¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Cough, cough! M-my son, son¡­!¡±

    Mitch Hewer remained collapsed on his butt as he desperately called out to Thomas. It seemed that he had found his lifeline in this situation. Su-hyeun stared at Thomas blocking his path towards the murderer and asked.

    ¡°Do you still think of that bastard as your dad?¡±

    ¡°If, if daddy isn¡¯t here¡­.¡± Thomas¡¯s head dropped as he replied in a soft murmur. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ really be alone¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun could only look at him with pity.

    What he seemed to fear the most was being left alone. It was rather likely that he was still traumatized by his mother abandoning him and running away all those years ago.

    ¡°T-that¡¯s right. Thomas can¡¯t live without me. No one in this world can take care of this boy except me, you hear?¡± Mitch Hewer cried out, sounding almost hysterical, after noticing that Su-hyeun was hesitating slightly from what Thomas had said.

    He probably figured that Su-hyeun was trying to kill him for the sake of Thomas¡¯s wellbeing.

    ¡°T-Thomas, my boy. You¡¯re a good boy. Aren¡¯t you? T-take your friend and quickly leave. Your daddy¡¯s going to forgive you for everything that happened today if you do that, okay?¡±

    ¡°Daddy, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk back to me, and hurry the hell up! I said, take that bastard and get out of my sight already!!¡±

    Maybe his fear was to blame, because he kept screaming hysterically.

    Thomas flinched from the scream, curled up, and began shivering away. It was a slightly different reaction from during the Ranking Wars. The trauma caused by Mitch Hewer had been that intense for him.

    ¡°Keep that piehole of yours shut, will you.¡±

    Shuwuwu-

    ¡°Heuh, heuh-uh-uhk¡­.¡±

    Mitch Hewer grasped his throat with his hand as Su-hyuen¡¯s magical energy began squeezing his neck once more. It felt like an invisible hand was choking him to death.

    Su-hyuen easily shut Hewer off and shifted his gaze over to Thomas.

    ¡°Thomas.¡±

    He didn¡¯t reply ¨C too busy shivering away, even now.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to lean on a piece of trash like him.¡±

    ¡°But, but¡­.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s too scary being alone, give me a call. Then, you won¡¯t be alone anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Call you?¡±

    Su-hyeun shrugged, then placed his hand on Thomas¡¯s shivering shoulder. ¡°You said I¡¯m a friend, right? Something like that is nothing between friends, you know. And besides, there are plenty of good people in this world, people who are far, far better than this scumbag. What I¡¯m saying here is¡­¡± He stopped there and scratched his head, not knowing what else to say, before eventually settling on his next words. ¡°All I¡¯m saying is, don¡¯t get too hung up on relationships because you¡¯re scared of being alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, let me through, Thomas. That scumbag isn¡¯t worth your protection.¡±

    Su-hyeun finished there. Thomas, still in the middle, alternated his gaze between the South Korean and Hewer. No matter how young you were, you were still bound to notice things. Such as, if he moved away from this spot, Mitch Hewer would be dead for sure.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°T-Tho-mas¡­.¡±

    Thomas¡¯s head dropped once more, and Mitch Hewer could only cry out in sheer fluster. Of course, most of his voice failed to even come out.

    Thomas glanced back at his adopted father, before completely turning his head away.

    It was at that moment Mitch Hewer thought he heard a heavy rock fall inside his mind. At almost the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s footsteps were closing in on him.

    Step, step-

    Hewer¡¯s eyes grew wider and wider as Su-hyeun got closer and closer. Tears of pain began dripping down from his widened, bloodshot-eyes.

    ¡°Tho¡­ ma¡­. s¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    Wuduk, wududuk-

    ¡°Kkeuhk, kkeok¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand grabbed Hewer¡¯s thigh, and crushed the man¡¯s bones right there and then.

    ¡°But your body will never be able to take another person¡¯s life. You¡¯ll rot away inside a jail cell for the rest of your life, or get judged in the court of the law accordingly.¡±

    ¡°P-please, don¡¯t kill¡­.¡±

    ¡°Right, I won¡¯t kill you. But¡­¡±

    Wudududuk-

    ¡°Uwaaaahhhk-!!¡±

    Su-hyeun crushed the bones on the other thigh and continued. ¡°But, that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re forgiven.¡±

    Sometime later.

    The arrest of the serial killer haunting New York City¡¯s low-income neighborhoods was reported by the media, which was soon swiftly followed by the announcement of his trial and execution.

    The murderer was found in his own home, unconscious, with both of his legs crushed. The person who provided the tip had vanished without a trace.

    * * *

    Adel Castle.

    He was Europe¡¯s most famous awakener.

    Currently, inside a massive conference hall, numerous awakeners had gathered around this man, who represented the 28 nations of the European Union.

    ¡°It¡¯s so wondrous to see all of you gathered here like this. You¡¯re all renowned for your independent personalities, after all.¡±

    Adel Castle acted as their representative and got the proceedings on the way. All of the folks present were quite proud individuals, but none dared to voice a contrasting opinion from his.

    It didn¡¯t matter what anyone said, he was one of the top awakeners in the world, ranked alongside the likes of Gordon Rohan. As such, he was more than qualified to lead this conference.

    ¡°What business do you have with us?¡±

    ¡°As you may well know, we¡¯re standing on a very important crossroad.¡±

    ¡°An important crossroad?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m referring to the Ranking Wars, of course. Our honor is at stake, and so does our national prestige.¡±

    ¡®National prestige¡¯.

    That wasn¡¯t a term often muttered by awakeners, but it was a different story with Adel Castle. Even before he gained his powers, he was already an aristocrat in Great Britain. His love for his country ran extremely deep, and so did his pride in being a British.

    Besides, he wasn¡¯t wrong with his assertion.

    It was rather clear that the yardstick used to measure each nation¡¯s awakener combat strength would undergo a fundamental shift after this Ranking Wars.

    If the numbers of the S-Ranks in a country was used to measure its combat strength until now, then in the future, it¡¯d be the individual awakener¡¯s rankings that determined the ranking of each country, instead.

    ¡°We can¡¯t be stuck in the shadows of these three nations¡ªAmerica, South Korea, and China, forever and ever, now can we, everyone?¡±

    When Great Britain was mentioned, people usually referred to it as the fourth in the rankings. It fell behind China, who had pushed forward with its massive numbers, and even to America and South Korea, who enjoyed greater numbers of high-ranked awakeners.

    And the current Ranking Wars was a perfect opportunity to overturn that ranking in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°You sure know how to beat around the bush, don¡¯t you? Okay, so what? Are you suggesting everyone in the finals should all work extra hard together? Like, we should gather around, share some booze and cheer everyone on?¡±

    A Swiss awakener famed for his short fuse voiced his displeasure. He failed during the first round and hadn¡¯t advanced to the finals. That¡¯s why he was thinking that there was no reason to sit here and listen to Adel Castle¡¯s stories.

    ¡°I have two matters to discuss with you.¡± Adel Castle raised two fingers, then folded one while continuing. ¡°First. I suggest to you the establishment of a European Awakener Federation.¡±

    ¡°An awakener federation?¡±

    ¡°So, it finally got the green-light?¡±

    The European Awakener Federation.

    Anyone interested in the information coming out of Europe would know what that was, since matters related to the federation had been discussed for a long time within the European Union.

    This subject was now being brought up as if it was nothing special, that it was something inevitable finally happening for real.

    More than half of the awakeners present in the conference were already thinking about the composition of the federation. When many people joined up, the gathering would prove to be a powerful force regardless of what happened in the Ranking Wars.

    ¡°And the second thing is?¡±

    ¡°The second matter is¡­¡± Adel Castle folded the remaining finger. ¡°Please, lend me your aid, everyone.¡±

    He spoke with a brightly-smiling face.

    Lend him aid ¨C the main topic of the conference had been revealed now. But the ¡®how¡¯ was going to be tricky to discuss. His aim was, without a shadow of a doubt, overall victory in the Ranking Wars.

    ¡°Help you? How?¡±

    ¡°There are hindrances in my way.¡± Adel Castle raised two fingers once more. ¡°Two of them.¡±

    ¡°¡­Gordon Rohan, and Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    Someone murmured the two names.

    Adel Castle nodded. ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°Wait, could you be¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine as long as those two aren¡¯t around.¡±

    No one here was too slow to understand the gist of the story now that it had come this far.

    The surroundings were stirred up in an instant.

    ¡°If it were only Kim Su-hyeun, fine. But¡­.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Gordon Rohan a bit too dangerous?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. A few of us can manhandle him somehow, sure. But dealing with the aftermath will be tricky.¡±

    Adel Castle shook his head at those worry-filled voices. ¡°Indeed, he¡¯s insanely wealthy and possesses incredible power, but, the fact is, even the American government doesn¡¯t view him in such favorable light. He¡¯s just too independent-minded, and has frequently rejected requests from their government, after all.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Is this your personal request, or did the EU come up with the idea first?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s both.¡±

    ¡°And what about the consequences?¡±

    ¡°There will be none.¡±

    That was a confident, straightforward answer.

    If indeed the EU was getting involved here, then there shouldn¡¯t be too big a problem in dealing with the aftermaths. Even more so if the American government and Gordon Rohan were at loggerheads, as claimed.

    ¡°For now, why don¡¯t you tell us the details first?¡±

    ¡°You made a wise decision,¡± said Adel Castle, a deep smirk etched on his face.

    Only one day remained until the start of the finals of the Ranking Wars.

    The story was quietly but quickly marching forward.

 Chapter 135

    Act 2

    Hak-joon was sitting in the living room with his eyes closed, thinking over the fight he¡¯d had during the Ranking Wars.

    << I got lucky. >>

    He knew that he wasn¡¯t skilled enough to get to the finals. He¡¯d only managed to pass the preliminaries because the team he was assigned to didn¡¯t fight amongst themselves and got through their mission, that was all.

    Then, his opponent during the first round just happened to be an awakener specializing in recovery-type skills. So far, he had been riding his luck. If he had to go through a similar path as Su-hyeun, then he¡¯d have dropped out during the prelims, that¡¯s for sure.

    << What would¡¯ve happened if I fought against Thomas¡­.? >>

    He had witnessed Thomas¡¯s strange skill through the display screens. Although that particular skill¡¯s name was unknown, Hak-joon knew that his abilities were inadequate to break out of that.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s methods always had been based on the overwhelming, absolute difference in power level between himself and his opponents. Such a method would only work for people like him and maybe Gordon Rohan and¡­just these two, really.

    << What if I fought against Gordon Rohan? >>

    He imagined how he would fight the American in his mind. It wasn¡¯t a pretty picture.

    << What if I fought Su-hyeun, then? >>

    He couldn¡¯t even picture that. Hak-joon had no clue of the true extent of Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities, since he¡¯d never seen him go all-out before.

    Su-hyuen, Thomas, and Gordon Rohan.

    Compared to those three, he was just too weak.

    ¡°Hah-ah-¡± Hak-joon sighed.

    Lee Ju-ho, sitting next to him asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking that I¡¯m still way behind, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s expression soured as he heard Hak-joon¡¯s reply, ¡°Is that something you should say in front of me?¡±

    He¡¯d been an awakener for far longer than Hak-joon, after all.

    ¡°Oh, that, uh¡­.¡± Hak-joon could only smile awkwardly and avoid meeting Lee Ju-ho¡¯s piercing gaze.

    He knew he should be resting, yet his body continued to itch for some reason. He stood up from the couch, wondering if he should go somewhere to loosen up, but then¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s voice drifted from the foyer.

    Hak-joon was so engrossed in his thoughts that he failed to notice Su-hyeun¡¯s return. He got up and walked over to the foyer to welcome back his bro, returning from almost a full day¡¯s absence.

    ¡°Hey, bro. Welcome ba¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Uh? Both of you are here?¡±

    Su-hyeun was about to greet Hak-joon, as well as Lee Ju-ho, also coming to the entrance, but belatedly noticed that both men were frozen stiff, eyes wide.

    All thanks to Thomas, cautiously following behind him.

    ¡°B-bro, behind you¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, him. He said he had no place to go, so I told him to come with me. Why don¡¯t you say hello, Thomas.¡±

    Thomas listened Su-hyeun and awkwardly greeted the others from behind his back. Since the greeting itself was in pretty simple English, understanding the dude wasn¡¯t a problem. No, the real problem was something else.

    ¡°Will this be okay?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. Let me explain what happened.¡±

    Su-hyeun went on to explain Thomas¡¯s situation to Hak-joon and Lee Ju-ho. After hearing everything, they began to see Thomas in a slightly different light.

    ¡°Ah, that means from now on¡­.¡±

    ¡°I should say that he really doesn¡¯t have anywhere to go. Until the Ranking Wars are over and we¡¯re ready to leave, he¡¯s going to crash here with us. And then I¡¯ll find him a house once we get back. He¡¯ll probably go back to climbing the tower afterward.¡±

    ¡°Meaning, he¡¯ll be with us until then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. So, please, do try to look after him.¡±

    ¡°Even if you ask us that, I don¡¯t speak a lick of English, so¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be the interpreter,¡± said Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°Bro? Since when do you know English?¡± Hak-joon asked, eyes wide.

    Lee Ju-jo ignored Hak-joon and furrowed his brows ever so slightly. ¡°Su-hyeun, someone was looking for you while you were out.¡±

    ¡°Who was it?¡±

    ¡°It was the other Korean S-Rank awakener besides our little group. Name¡¯s Bak Yun-gyu. Besides the name, I don¡¯t know much about him.¡±

    ¡°Bak Yun-gyu¡­.?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brows rose at hearing that name.

    Lee Ju-ho was puzzled and asked him a question. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You know him?¡±

    ¡°No, not personally. But I do know what kind of a person he is.¡±

    Su-hyeun knew that he was in America as well, but since they weren¡¯t acquainted at all, he didn¡¯t expect the other side to seek him out first. Also, that man had never been too interested in other people¡¯s business, anyway.

    << Looks like I¡¯ll meet him far sooner than I thought. >>

    Bak Yun-gyu.

    The awakener affiliated with the Korean Awakener Authority, and also the man who taught Su-hyeun how to fight in his previous life.

    More importantly, South Korea¡¯s strongest awakener, as far as Su-hyeun knew.

    That was Bak Yun-gyu.

    * * *

    Inside a spacious cafe within the Gordon Tower:

    Currently, the place was off-limits to everyone until the end of the Ranking Wars, yet one man was using it as if he had rented the whole place out.

    He was a clean-cut man in his mid-thirties, his black hair cropped short like a soldier¡¯s, his face angular like an actor¡¯s.

    With a cup of coffee bought from the convenience store in one hand, he was observing the countryside of California spreading outside the windows.

    ¡°¡­.You came faster than I thought,¡± the man said while turning around, as a familiar face walked into the cafe. ¡°Mister Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Bak Yun-gyu.¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu nodded his head at Su-hyeun¡¯s greeting and stood up from his chair. He walked closer and pushed forward another cup of coffee he bought earlier from a convenience store.

    ¡°This place isn¡¯t operating at the moment, so I had one ready beforehand. We¡¯re meeting in a cafe, so I thought that at least coffee should be available.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if such a cheap cup of coffee will satisfy your palate. People¡¯s taste buds seem to have become rather discerning lately.¡±

    ¡°Tastes good in your mouth but is bad for your health. In that regard, this cup is better than okay, actually.¡±

    Su-hyeun received the cup, took the lid off, and emptied half of the coffee inside in one go, since Bak Yun-gyu had already finished his coffee a while ago, after growing weary from all the waiting.

    The lukewarm cup of coffee had no aroma, just the bittersweet taste.

    ¡°You¡¯re exactly as I expected.¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu was observing Su-hyeun as if he found the person before him quite interesting.

    ¡°In what regard?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re honest, informal, yet still courteous at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡±

    ¡°From Kang Seung-hoon, a friend that¡¯s working for me. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know who he is. But he told me that he received your help during the Anyang city outbreak incident.¡±

    Kang Seung-hoon.

    Su-hyeun, of course, knew the name. They had worked together in his previous life, after all.

    Right under Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s wings, no less.

    ¡°May I ask why you wished to see me?¡±

    ¡°At first, I wasn¡¯t interested in you. I believed that it wasn¡¯t meant to be, since you rejected the offers from the awakener authority.¡±

    ¡°I feel bad about how that business turned out.¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s quite rare for any S-Ranks to want to join the authority, after all. And it doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what the director said in order to entice you.¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu didn¡¯t try to hide what¡¯s on his mind and spoke without holding back.

    And he was just as ruthless while criticizing the director afterward. He was quite strict with the definition of right and wrong, and didn¡¯t hesitate at all to speak up or to uphold that ideal.

    He was a soldier, through and through. Not only that, the most ideal, perfect soldier that everyone would picture in their heads.

    That was why he wished to join the authority, as well. A life lived for one¡¯s country was the story of his life, after all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going back to South Korea tomorrow,¡± said Bak Yun-gyu.

    Indeed, this meeting happened back then, too. In the middle of his participation in the Ranking Wars, Bak Yun-gyu had to return to Korea.

    Su-hyeun never learned what the real reason for that was¡ªexcept that Bak Yun-gyu was assigned a special mission by the authority, and that was about it.

    ¡°But what about the finals?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can already guess from what I¡¯ve said so far.¡± Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at Su-hyeun. He then finally revealed the reason. ¡°I want to fight you, at least once.¡±

    Thought so.

    Su-hyeun sighed under his breath.

    Personality-wise, Bak Yun-gyu was never a fan of fighting. There was only one reason why he wanted to fight despite his personal preferences.

    << Because he¡¯s worried about the future of South Korea. >>

    No matter what anyone said, Su-hyeun was one of the top awakeners currently active. Not only that, before Hak-joon¡¯s entrance, he had been the youngest ever S-Rank.

    And that was precisely why Bak Yun-gyu believed that the future of Korea rested on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders. He was probably curious about who ¡®Su-hyeun¡¯ the man was like, too.

    If it was any other time, Su-hyeun would¡¯ve flatly refused. There was nothing to gain by fighting Bak Yun-gyu.

    But¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the arena,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    He wanted to confirm it himself¡ªto see how wide the gap between himself and Bak Yun-gyu was.

    * * *

    With the Ranking Wars temporarily suspended, the underground arena was eerily empty. Su-hyeun and Bak Yun-gyu strode to the middle of this deserted arena.

    On their way there, they spoke about this and that. Most of their conversation consisted of talking crap about the authority¡¯s director, though.

    ¡°That man, he can be just a bit too much. I wonder if it should be labeled as ¡®safety at all cost¡¯¡­ Put nicely, that¡¯s the case. But, in all honesty, such a side can make him look very selfish, instead. There¡¯s no denying that.¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu knew the director¡¯s personality very well, just as much as Su-hyeun did. Since they had worked in the same organization, it seemed that they had no choice but to know a lot about each other.

    ¡°How does the ¡®team¡¯ look at the moment?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Team?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I heard from the director that the authority was currently ¡®raising¡¯ a team. From what I hear, they went active about a year ago?¡±

    The authority¡¯s awakener team built around Bak Yun-gyu consisted of people acknowledged as some of the very best in South Korea. Each and every one of those awakeners was skilled enough to occupy high-ranking directorial positions in most large-sized guilds.

    The team¡¯s existence hadn¡¯t been announced publicly yet, but those in the know already knew all about it.

    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s not so bad. I¡¯m the only S-Ranker in the team, but our average rank has risen quite high, so it¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°But, you can do the jobs of several average S-Rankers, can¡¯t you?¡±

    Su-hyeun was well aware of Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s strength. Although his prowess wasn¡¯t well known since he was affiliated with the authority, Su-hyeun believed him to be South Korea¡¯s own Gordon Rohan.

    Of course, he might be ways off from the real Gordon Rohan, but still.

    Bak Yun-gyu replied, ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s a clear difference between one pair of hands and many. Even if I¡¯m strong, I can¡¯t raid several dungeons at once. There are definitely limitations to being just one person.¡±

    Su-hyeun agreed with Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s line of thinking.

    One pair of hands couldn¡¯t win against multiple¡ª admittedly, this saying had become something of a clich¨¦ by now. Right now, Su-hyeun possessed more than enough power to fight against dozens, hundreds, or even thousands all by himself, after all.

    Even then, limits clearly existed.

    That was why he was looking forward with bated breath to Hak-joon¡¯s growth.

    ¡°I guess this far will be enough.¡± Bak Yun-gyu, walking in the lead, stopped after reaching the center of the arena and turned to face Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun raised his head and replied, ¡°Looks like we have a few spectators.¡±

    ¡°Spectators?¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu belatedly picked up the presence of people he failed to notice earlier.

    Above their heads, toward the arena¡¯s ceiling¡ªtwo people were currently watching them.

    ¡°We got busted.¡±

    ¡°They found us.¡±

    They were Gordon Rohan and Johnny Brad. The two men muttered in a resigned fashion.

    ¡°What are you two doing up there? Are you planning to peep on us or something?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Technically speaking, this here is still part of my house. So, how will that be a problem?¡± Gordon Rohan replied.

    He wasn¡¯t wrong there.

    Besides, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t unduly bothered by it. He shrugged his shoulders and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t mind either way.¡±

    ¡°I was planning to throw both of you out if you said it¡¯s a problem, but well, aren¡¯t you a confident one. You¡¯ll probably have to fight me tomorrow, though?¡±

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s question only made Su-hyeun smirk slightly.

    ¡°I can handle such a handicap.¡±

 Chapter 136

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s brows quivered.

    ¡®Handicap¡¯. Never before in his life did someone throw that word in his face. As such, he kind of felt strange. But he didn¡¯t feel that the other guy was being insolent at all.

    His narrowed eyes shifted over to Bak Yun-gyu next. ¡°I heard you need to go back to your country today?¡±

    ¡°Yes, unfortunately. Things there need my attention.¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s English was more than passable. His pronunciation might be a bit sketchy here and there, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any problems as far as communicating his intentions was concerned.

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll have to observe the fight even if you don¡¯t like the idea. If we want you properly reflected in the rankings, that is.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Bak Yun-gyu asked as if he couldn¡¯t understand. It seemed that being reflected in the rankings was news to him.

    ¡°The Ranking Wars isn¡¯t simply about finding one winner, after all. As the name implies, it¡¯s also to assign appropriate rankings to everyone participating, all the way from the first place downward, based on your skills.¡±

    ¡°Could the standard criteria for judging that be¡­?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get any wrong ideas. It won¡¯t be me, but Johnny Brad over here who¡¯ll be assigning the rankings. Depending on the abilities you show, even if you fail at the preliminaries, you can get a higher ranking than someone who made it to the main matches. Of course, reaching the main competition will score you extra points, but still.¡±

    It was a simple way of doing things. To think that just Johnny Brad alone, a judge of the proceedings, would use his judgment to assign different rankings. Even if his decisions proved to be fair and impartial, people were bound to complain since there were no clear judging criteria.

    Gordon Rohan continued, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but so what? If you¡¯ve got a problem with my decision, why don¡¯t you come up here and have a go at me? I¡¯ll acknowledge anyone as better than me as long as you manage to defeat me.¡±

    Those words always automatically got a groan from all who heard them.

    << But then again, this ranking isn¡¯t supposed to be an officially recognized one, anyway. >>

    The rankings created through the Ranking Wars, plus the subsequent ranking list established afterward, came from the data collected by Gordon Rohan. People used it as a yardstick because it was somewhat credible in how the rankings were assigned, and they were always quite accurate, as well.

    ¡°The fight between you two will be observed by Johnny Brad and myself, and, by using the unofficial info, we¡¯ll assign the correct ranking for Awakener Bak Yun-gyu. Although, I don¡¯t have much to say if you¡¯re not really interested in this sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Mister Gordon.¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu looked up at Gordon Rohan and spoke up. ¡°Next time when I come back to San Francisco, I¡¯d like to have a match with you.¡±

    RUUUMBLE-

    While saying that, he began awakening his magical energy. Su-hyeun matched him, and awoke his own magical energy while unsheathing his sword.

    Gordon Rohan watched the battle between the two begin, and muttered with a slick grin, ¡°You can come at me any time.¡±

    Wuu-ooong-

    Crack, spliiiit-

    Small cracks began spreading on the arena¡¯s floor, supposed to be reinforced by the powers of Ether stones.

    Both Su-hyeun and Bak Yun-gyu were using swords.

    Bak Yun-gyu observed Su-hyeun¡¯s form and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, then.¡±

    ¡°Help yourself.¡±

    Pah-aaaht!

    Bak Yun-gyu vanished.

    No, he didn¡¯t really disappear; his speed explosively rose up so fast that it looked like he just had vanished for a moment there.

    CLAAAANG-!

    Su-hyeun dragged his sword up and blocked Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s blade.

    Magical energy enveloping their colliding blades scattered through the air. At the same time, several silhouettes materialized in their surroundings.

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s ¡®swords¡¯ thrust forward from all directions. But none of them were real.

    Stab-

    Clang-!

    The swords piercing Su-hyeun¡¯s body all disappeared, nothing but illusions. As for the real sword, naked eyes couldn¡¯t see it, but Su-hyeun used his senses to find out where it was coming from and ably deflected it away.

    As the light in Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s eyes trembled, Su-hyeun started his counterattack.

    Rumble-

    Navy blue-colored divine Flame wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. The intense heat and blinding luminescence caused Bak Yun-gyu to furrow his brows. Su-hyeun¡¯s burning blade stabbed in rapidly.

    Swiiish-

    Clang-!

    Bak Yun-gyu hurriedly raised his sword and blocked the incoming attack with the flat part of the blade. The impact he felt in his hands was quite considerable. Not only that, but the heat transmitted from the flames also caused his body¡¯s temperature to rise slightly.

    [Mirage- Imitation.]

    Rumble-

    Blue flames suddenly enveloped Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s sword, as well. The ¡®Imitation¡¯ skill allowed him to copy a portion of his opponent¡¯s skill and use it as his own. Even if it wasn¡¯t a 100% perfect copy, the strength of the imitation would rise greatly depending on one¡¯s proficiency with the skill.

    The power now carried in each of the sword strikes had become greater thanks to the divine Flame. But the real problem didn¡¯t have much to with the strength of the skill or lack thereof.

    << What kind of physical strength is this¡­.?? >>

    Not just the power of the skill proved to be problematic, but even the strength behind each of Su-hyeun¡¯s sword strikes was alarming.

    And this wasn¡¯t some simple strength produced by one¡¯s muscles. No, this strength came from the form of each sword strike, as well as from his experience.

    Most importantly¡­

    << His form. >>

    Swiiish, swhoosh-

    Clang, cling-!

    Bak Yun-gyu continued to think while urgently deflecting Su-hyeun¡¯s sword strikes.

    << It somehow¡­ resembles mine. >>

    It felt rather weird to him.

    It was as if Su-hyeun was imitating Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s swordsmanship.

    Could it be that he possessed such skill? Even though such thoughts entered Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s mind, he had to shake them away.

    << No. His swordsmanship exceeds mine. >>

    Bak Yun-gyu thought he was rather knowledgeable when it came to all things swordsmanship.

    While believing that one¡¯s swordsmanship was linked to one¡¯s stats, he trained hard thinking that an awakener who used swords as their main weapon should obviously know their way around one.

    And thus, Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s eyes, Su-hyeun¡¯s swordsmanship seemed similar to his but at the same time, far, far more proficient than himself.

    [High-grade swordsmanship.]

    This was hard to accept.

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s sword was currently subjected to not just his considerable training, but even buffs of his skill.

    This skill came about after he diligently raised his proficiency in the ¡®low-grade swordsmanship¡¯. Not only did the high-grade swordsmanship add an extra layer of combat prowess on top, but it also corrected one¡¯s form and frame of the swordsmanship, too.

    << Could it be¡­? >>

    In that case, there could only be one possibility¡ªthat Su-hyeun knew the exact same skill as he did. Not only that, he even possessed far, far higher proficiency to boot.

    << How is that possible? >>

    Just learning the ¡®High-grade swordsmanship¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be the end of the story. You need to continuously swing your sword and get familiar with it. Only then would your proficiency rise higher and your sword start displaying the true power of the skill itself.

    What Su-hyeun showed here far exceeded the boundaries of things that talent alone could solve. No, this level could only be attained by adding time on top of one¡¯s talents and let them mature together.

    Bak Yun-gyu took a big step back, and raised his sword high up to the sky. On top of his ¡®Imitation¡¯ skill currently active, he injected a far greater amount of magical energy to his blade in an instant.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything- Cutting the Sky.]

    SWOOOSH-!

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s blade descended downward.

    He thought that Su-hyeun would obviously try to dodge this attack. The ¡®Cutting the Sky¡¯ technique was, as implied by the grandiose-sounding ¡®One Sword Cutting Through Everything¡¯ title, an incredibly powerful skill designed to end the battle with a single strike, after all.

    But the choice Su-hyeun made was completely unexpected. Because, not only did the young man choose not to dodge, but he instead decided to block the attack.

    << He wants to block it?? >>

    He wasn¡¯t even using any special skills, either.

    Did that mean he was looking down on me? Bak Yun-gyu thought like that, and, while planning to shatter Su-hyeun¡¯s sword, swung his weapon down hard.

    CLAAAANG-!

    CRAAACK-

    The moment Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s sword smashed down, the arena¡¯s entire floor was powerfully cut in two.

    It wasn¡¯t just the floor, however. The chasm ran almost all the way up to the ceiling. The power behind the attack was more than enough to slice an average building in half.

    But then¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s quite heavy.¡±

    Creak, creaaak-

    Su-hyeun managed to block the hit in a straightforward manner, without employing any special skills whatsoever.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s brows shot up.

    He was so flustered that he ended up reacting a fraction slower.

    Pah-aht-

    He belatedly distanced himself from Su-hyeun and leaped up. He could easily tell, just then.

    << He didn¡¯t counterattack. >>

    Not ¡®couldn¡¯t¡¯, but ¡®didn¡¯t¡¯.

    Su-hyeun was going easy on him right now.

    Grit-

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s pride was wounded. People back home called him the best awakener in South Korea. So, it was hard to accept that the difference between them was this great.

    << One more time! >>

    Wuu-uuuong-

    A simmering haze suddenly began rising up behind Bak Yun-gyu. Soon, a gigantic figure was generated from the rising veil of haze¡ªthe figure of a massive giant wielding a sword and wearing huge armor.

    [Heavenly Sword King.]

    Shing-shing

    The giant took the same pose as Bak Yun-gyu. A sword strike made by such a massive physique, would have to have considerable destructive power behind it.

    << The ¡®Heavenly Sword King¡¯, is it? How nostalgic. >>

    The ¡®Heavenly Sword King¡¯. That was the highest grade skill Bak Yun-gyu possessed.

    The skill created a giant that moved exactly the same as he did. Its destructive power was more than enough to be called absolutely overwhelming compared to any other skills out there.

    Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes.

    The ¡®Heavenly Sword King¡¯ being invoked now potentially meant Bak Yun-gyu was betting the outcome of this fight on the next attack. Because, the current him couldn¡¯t completely control this skill yet¡ªalthough the him of a few years in the future could.

    RUMBLE-!

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s sword was raised up high. The power of the giant Heavenly Sword King was now permeating the weapon. He slammed the loudly-buzzing sword down.

    KWA-AAAANG-!

    Crack! Craaaaack-

    The reinforced arena¡¯s floor shattered into bits and pieces, and its debris was flung off in every direction. Su-hyeun was no longer there. Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s gaze quickly scanned his surroundings and located his target¡¯s silhouette.

    ¡°Over there!¡±

    Swiiish, fuwhooooosh-

    Kwa-dudududuk-

    The Heavenly Sword King swung its massive weapon according to Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s movements.

    The entirety of the arena was overturned and sliced into ribbons. If it weren¡¯t for the Ether stone reinforcement, the whole place would¡¯ve been completely destroyed, not a single piece left intact.

    ¡°That guy isn¡¯t too shabby,¡± said Gordon Rohan with a soft whistle as he looked at the events taking place below. He sounded quite impressed.

    Among all the South Korean S-Rank awakeners, almost no one had heard Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s name. But even then, those who knew him knew his skills were among the very best. From what he had shown so far, your average, run-of-the-mill S-Rank wouldn¡¯t even stand a chance against him.

    ¡°Even then¡­¡±

    Clang-!

    The massive weapon of the Heavenly Sword King was blocked in the middle of its swing.

    Gordon Rohan muttered while staring at Su-hyeun stopping that massive sword, ¡°As I thought, that kid is the true ¡®best¡¯ among the lot.¡±

    Creak, creaaak-

    Bak Yun-gyu increased the downward force on the sword. Yet, it wasn¡¯t budging an inch. His eyes trembled, ever so faintly, in disbelief.

    << He actually blocked it from the front? >>

    Back when Su-hyeun defended against the ¡®Cutting the Sky¡¯, a single-use skill basically meant to finish things off in one hit, Bak Yun-gyu started truly acknowledging the young man¡¯s capabilities.

    Even then, he didn¡¯t expect his opponent to be able to take the Heavenly Sword King¡¯s attack head-on and defend against it¡­

    Wuduk, wududuk-

    Black scales started sprouting all over Su-hyeun¡¯s arms. He too was muttering softly under his breath, sounding genuinely impressed, ¡°Your strength is really incredible.¡±

    CLANG-!

    Su-hyeun shoved the blade of the Heavenly Sword King to the side and raised up his own sword. ¡°Unfortunately for you, so am I.¡±

    Pah-aht-

    His sword extended toward the Heavenly Sword King¡¯s figure. Bak Yun-gyu reflexively swung his blade down toward his opponent rushing in from the front.

    Clang, claaang-!

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    The strength permeating Su-hyeun¡¯s sword had become even stronger than before.

    Initially, Bak Yun-gyu believed that he could fight evenly against his opponent, but now, Su-hyeun was exceeding the power of Heavenly Sword King¡¯s attacks.

    << I¡¯m losing in terms of strength. >>

    No, not just in strength alone. It was the same in regards to speed, as well.

    The truth was, he lost in speed by a fraction and had no choice but to swing his weapon from an awkward posture, which in turn meant there wasn¡¯t much power behind his attacks.

    << No, wait. Is he deliberately breaking my posture down? >>

    The Heavenly Sword King¡¯s posture was the same as his. Meaning, his own posture was breaking down.

    There were two reasons why such a thing was happening. One, his opponent¡¯s much faster movement and reaction speed, and, two, calculated attacks.

    In other words, Su-hyeun was fighting in a far more seasoned manner than he was.

    Grip-

    Bak Yun-gyu sensed his stubborn streak rear up just a little.

    << I¡¯ll finish this in one go! >>

    There was no chance of victory if things dragged on, anyway.

    The moment Su-hyeun¡¯s figure vanished for a blink, Bak Yun-gyu raised his sword up high.

    [Heavenly Sword King.]

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything- Cutting the Sky.]

    The tip of the Heavenly Sword King¡¯s blade also raised up to the sky.

    Bak Yun-gyu kept staring at his front. At that very moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s vanished figure reappeared once more, right before his nose.

    Light gleamed from his eyes.

    << I¡¯ll cut him down. >>

    Swiiish-

    Flash-!

    The massive blade of the Heavenly Sword King descended from the air.

 Chapter 137

    <hr />

    A thick dust cloud was kicked up and covered the arena.

    Gordon Rohan rubbed the dust from his eyes and muttered, ¡°Looks like it¡¯ll be impossible to fix this place.¡±

    Even though the arena was reinforced by the Ether stones, limits still existed.

    The sword swung by Bak Yun-gyu just now had completely overturned the arena¡¯s floor. It might have been only a single sword strike, but the power behind it was more than enough to slice through a small hill.

    The dust soon settled, and the battle¡¯s conclusion revealed itself.

    While inwardly thinking, I knew it, Gordon Rohan muttered once more, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    Thud-

    Shu-wuwuwu-

    The Heavenly Sword King fell to the ground. Its armor fell apart, and the giant turned into a heat haze once more before scattering completely.

    Bak Yun-gyu lay flat on the floor. He spoke while taking deep, heavy breaths. ¡°It¡¯s my loss.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the fight.¡±

    Su-hyeun sheathed his sword after hearing his opponent¡¯s admission of defeat.

    Bak Yun-gyu gingerly pushed himself up and asked, ¡°When did you start going easy on me?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I noticed it a while ago. From the get-go, it was odd to face the skills that focus one¡¯s destructive power head-on. Especially when you¡¯re so much faster than me in terms of sheer speed.¡± Bak Yun-gyu dusted his clothing and continued to speak, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡±

    Su-hyeun just smiled softly.

    That alone was enough of an answer.

    Bak Yun-gyu extended his hand toward him. ¡°Thank you. I learned a lot today. And, from now on, we¡¯ll be in your care as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Me too.¡±

    Su-hyeun shook the offered hand.

    Meanwhile, the light within Gordon Rohan¡¯s eyes observing the two men sharpened considerably.

    Act 3

    Su-hyeun and Bak Yun-gyu left the arena together.

    Gordon Rohan stood in the middle of the wrecked arena and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°So, what did you think?¡±

    ¡°About?¡± Johnny Brad, with his hood still deeply covering his face, asked back. He knew the meaning behind the question, yet he chose to act dumb.

    Gordon Rohan didn¡¯t beat around the bush and asked, ¡°Who do you think will win?¡±

    ¡°Between you two?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Johnny Brad pondered for a little while before answering. ¡°Not sure.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Gordon Rohan smirked meaningfully. That reply alone made it feel like holding this Ranking Wars was worth the trouble¡ªthe competition had been threatening to turn into a bore-fest for some time.

    ¡°I¡¯m really liking this. You know that?¡± Gordon Rohan chuckled, then turned around to look at Johnny Brad. ¡°You should get going now. And don¡¯t waste your entire day following people around, either.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t follow anyone around.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Sure thing.¡±

    Gordon Rohan shrugged and walked a bit further into the ruined arena. Meanwhile, Johnny Brad transformed into smoke and vanished on the spot.

    After confirming his departure, Gordon Rohan began turning his body around. Then, while staring at specific nooks and crannies of the grandstands, he raised his voice. ¡°Hey, you rat bastards.¡±

    Flinch. He could sense several presences jolt from the surprise. It wasn¡¯t just one or two, either. Far more than he¡¯d initially suspected were present.

    ¡°How long are you planning to hide? There¡¯s only me now. I don¡¯t know what you want, but if you were thinking of attacking me, then do it already.¡± Gordon Rohan reached towards the empty air and grabbed the white spear that materialized there. He continued on with a clearly-excited voice. ¡°You see, I¡¯m really warmed up properly right now.¡±

    Fifteen or so awakeners revealed themselves. Not one of them bothered to conceal their murderous intent.

    Just a casual glance alone was enough to know that they were all S-Ranks. A handful of faces looked familiar, though.

    ¡°Mm, I don¡¯t really remember your names,¡± said Gordon Rohan, then he pointed at one of the group. ¡°But I do recognize you.¡±

    ¡°This will be my first time introducing myself properly.¡± The man pointed out by Gordon Rohan stepped forward.

    A man with translucent skin and semi-curly hair said, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Adel Castle.¡±

    ¡°You can save your gentlemanly act, especially when you¡¯re just some cheap bastards doing cowardly things behind people¡¯s backs.¡±

    ¡°I pray that you¡¯re gracious enough to understand the situation.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. I get it. I do. And you can all rest easy. There won¡¯t be any reprisal from me, nor will there be an aftermath for you to contend with.¡±

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s declaration caused the lights in the eyes of the surrounding awakeners to quake ever so faintly.

    Those words weren¡¯t spoken by just anyone, but the one and only Gordon Rohan. He considered his word to be more valuable than white gold, so everything he said must be the truth.

    No reprisals.

    And no aftermath.

    ¡°Now, that¡¯s the most welcome news of them all,¡± said Adel Castle as he raised his hand.

    At the same time, the fourteen other awakeners quickly spread out to all corners of the arena.

    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we get this started?¡±

    <hr />

    After seeing Bak Yun-gyu on his way, Su-hyeun returned to the Gordon Tower.

    The building¡¯s first floor was completely empty, as outsiders were barred from entering the premises. As the venue wasn¡¯t open to the public yet, there was no decorative furniture anywhere.

    ¡°So, then. The uninvited guest has left,¡± said Su-hyeun as he scanned the first floor. ¡°Come out. Now.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Silence.

    As if they were waiting for a signal.

    Su-hyeun shrugged and snapped his fingers.

    Rumble-

    Boom-!

    The moment tongues of flames popped up above his fingertips, a small explosion went off in the corner of the floor. At the same time, two figures leaped up from their hiding place. Not just them, however¡ªseveral others also revealed themselves in every corner of the room.

    There were ten of them, in total.

    A few faces seemed familiar. The one overriding similarity between them was that they were all awakeners from European countries.

    ¡°Since when did the relationship between European awakeners get so cozy, huh?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Look at you, overflowing with confidence and everything. You¡¯re pretty relaxed, considering your current situation.¡±

    Step-

    One of the ten awakeners stepped forward. He was actually a fairly well-known awakener from Switzerland, and his name was Stjepan.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s only ten of you.¡± Su-hyeun nodded his head, then glanced at the elevators while asking another question. ¡°I¡¯m guessing some of you went to Gordon Rohan as well?¡±

    ¡°More people went that way, sure.¡±

    ¡°I think I figured out what you¡¯re all aiming for, so¡­.¡±

    It was clear why these people were targeting both him and Gordon Rohan¡ªthey were the most obvious candidates to win the competition. On top of that, every single awakener present happened to be European.

    Not only that; they were all affiliated with the European Union in particular.

    Awakeners working for that organization had a strong tendency to cooperate with one another.

    << They must be planning to defeat the likely candidates before the main competition. >>

    To think that they would scheme up something like this behind people¡¯s backs.

    It was infantile and simple-minded. But it also made some sense, in a way. Well, Gordon Rohan¡¯s personality meant that he wouldn¡¯t go around blabbing his mouth about this sort of incident, after all.

    << Is this the reason why Gordon didn¡¯t win the competition back then? >>

    If more than ten people had cone after Gordon Rohan, then that meant more than twenty awakeners had participated in this scheme, when added to those that were present here.

    Fighting more than 20 S-Rank awakeners was quite a feat, even for Gordan Rohan. So, he must¡¯ve entered the finals heavily injured back when he fought in the Ranking Wars.

    Smirk-

    A smirk slowly spread over Su-hyeun¡¯s lips.

    That reaction, which didn¡¯t suit the current situation at all, caused the confidence on Stjepan and his fellow European awakeners to slip.

    ¡°What¡¯s so damn funny?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re all too stupid, or maybe I looked easier to you lot, but¡­.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°If you were trying to beat both of us, you shouldn¡¯t have divided your group, but attacked us one at a time.¡±

    Of course, Su-hyeun could understand their mindset. They probably figured that around ten should be enough. They could¡¯ve thought that, no matter how strong he was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much against ten S-Ranks at the same time.

    Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°You asked me what¡¯s so funny, right?¡±

    Hiiiss¡­.

    The silhouette of a gigantic snake suddenly rose up behind Su-hyeun. The third eye opening on his forehead scanned the ten awakeners like a predator observing its prey.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡±

    Gulp-

    Stjepan stared at Su-hyeun¡¯s third eye and gulped.

    The atmosphere changed in an instant.

    The feeling he got was completely different from what he got while watching through the display screens. They all thought this strong of a combat force would be enough, judging from Su-hyeun¡¯s battle against Thomas, but now, it seemed that they have made the wrong decision.

    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t let your guard down,¡± said Stjepan.

    ¡°We know.¡±

    ¡°Goddammit, was it a mistake to volunteer for this job instead of the other one?¡±

    Stjepan¡¯s head was full of thoughts of picking the ¡®wrong address¡¯.

    Step, step-

    In the meantime, Su-hyeun began closing in gradually.

    <hr />

    Swish, swoosh-

    A sharp, deadly blade and an arrow flew in from both sides. Gordon Rohan used his spear to deflect the invisible blade and grabbed the arrow with his bare hand.

    Crack-

    Ka-boom-!

    The moment he gripped the arrow hard and broke it, a large explosion went off from the projectile.

    Flap-

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s figure stepped outside the thick dust. Other than his dust-covered wings looking ever so slightly scorched, there were no visible injuries on him.

    The awakener responsible for firing the arrow cried out in sheer shock. ¡°He got hit but endured it no problem?! Hurry up and trap him!!¡±

    Pahk, pah-bahbahbahbahk-

    Giiii-iiiing-

    When one of the awakeners extended his hands forward, pure-white rings of light wrapped around and confined Gordon Rohan. The preparations must¡¯ve been made beforehand, because the composition of the magic was quite sturdy.

    Gordon Rohan staggered briefly, before grabbing the rings of light confining him with his bare hand. ¡°How annoying¡­¡±

    Wuduk, wududuk-

    Thud-

    The rings around his body were instantly shattered. To think that he didn¡¯t even need to use his spear, but just his bare hand was enough to cancel another¡¯s skill.

    Such a thing was impossible without possessing an absolute, overwhelming might.

    The awakener pouring all of his power to maintain those rings of light spat out cuss words like a scream. ¡°Crazy son of a¡­!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t believe it. He really did think that he should be able to restrict Gordon Rohan¡¯s movements, at least a little bit.

    In the meantime, three other awakeners closed in on Gordon Rohan¡¯s position.

    Spin-

    At the same time, the spear in his hand began spinning around in circles. The weapon spun hundreds, thousands of times in an instant before abruptly changing direction to point at the incoming trio.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, dodge.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Flash-!

    The moment Gordon Rohan¡¯s spear emitted bright light¡­

    Kwa-kwaa-booooom-!

    An incredible amount of magical energy exploded from the tip of the weapon. The awakener running at the front of the pack got swept away in the storm before being torn to bloody bits and pieces.

    Splaaash-!

    Tumble, drop-

    The other two hurriedly jumped out of the way and looked on with incredulous, disbelieving expressions.

    The spear strike was strong enough to easily cross the massive arena. He didn¡¯t even use any particular skill, either. No, he just decisively wielded the magical energy gathered in the tip of his weapon, that was all.

    ¡°What are you all so surprised for?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­.¡±

    Stab-

    The awakener felt a chilling sensation and hurriedly looked back, only for Gordon Rohan¡¯s spear to stab him in the head.

    ¡°Urhk-¡±

    ¡°Come on now. You¡¯re making it too easy for me to kill you, looking away like that.¡±

    Splat-!

    The spear was yanked out from his head. Gordon Rohan shook the blood off his white spear and glanced at his own chest. Although very small, a bloodstain was forming there. He also felt a bit of a stinging sensation, so it must¡¯ve been his own.

    << When did I get cut? >>

    It seemed that he had dodged something sharp without consciously realizing it. He told himself to be more careful next time and scratched his head.

    ¡°H-hey, he¡¯s much stronger than we¡¯ve been told!¡±

    ¡°Will all of us be enough?¡±

    Attacks raining down on Gordon Rohan lurched to a temporary halt. The attackers were beginning to think that the first one of them to jump in would certainly die. Two of their number had already been killed rather easily so far.

    Adel was thinking the same thing.

    << Looks like we¡¯ll need help from the other team. >>

    It was a mistake to split their combat force in two in order to fight against Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan.

    For things like this, they needed help from Stjepan and the other nine awakeners that went to deal with the South Korean.

    << Request additional support, and buy some time to¡­. >>

    Just as Adel reached into his breast pocket¡­

    Vrrrr, vrrrr, vrrrr-

    A small stone resting in there began vibrating first.

    Adel¡¯s brows shot up. It was the signal device that both teams shared, but it¡­

    << It can¡¯t be? >>

    That incoming signal¡ªit signified that the other group also needed support, right now.

 Chapter 138

    * * *

    Boom!

    Clang! Rumble!

    The first floor of the Gordon Tower had broken into pandemonium.

    Out of ten awakeners, two had already died.

    Stjepan hid, trying to avoid the battle, a single black stone held firmly in his hand.

    << Goddammit! Please, please, let someone reply before¨C >>

    In case of emergency, the European Union¡¯s awakeners had established a signaling system that allowed them to quickly send messages to one another. A stone with magical energy would vibrate dozens of times louder than any smartphone, allowing them to sense an incoming signal even in the middle of battle.

    << Could it be that the other side is also¡­? >>

    Buzz, buzz.

    A reply finally came. Stjepan hurriedly yanked his smartphone out of his pants¡¯ pocket. The caller was Adel.

    ¡°Goddammit! What took you so damn long?!¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what happened?! This bastard. We can¡¯t deal with him alone!¡±

    BOOM!

    ¡°Aaaaahk!¡±

    Just then, a scream came from behind him, causing Stjepan to hurriedly turn his head around to look. One of his allies was writhing on the ground in pain, missing an arm. With that, the number of combatants remaining in the fight dwindled to seven, including himself.

    He grew even more desperate. ¡°You have some leeway there, right? Send at least five more to this side! Hurry up!!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any leeway either.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡±

    ¡°I was about to ask for aid from your group. But then¡­¡±

    Stjepan didn¡¯t need to hear the rest of the sentence to know that both sides were struggling at the moment. That also meant that neither of them had succeeded in their mission.

    << Which means¡­ >>

    His eyes shifted to Su-hyeun.

    << We need to face a monster like that by ourselves. >>

    Forget about an injury. They had failed to even scratch Su-hyeun up until now. At this rate, all of their efforts would be meaningless, and the hapless European Union awakeners would die for nothing.

    ¡°W-what should we do now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Buzz, crack.

    He heard the sound of something breaking through the phone, then the call disconnected.

    ¡°F*ck!!¡±

    Crack!

    Stjepan threw the phone to the floor angrily. He watched its screen shatter into pieces, and yet that didn¡¯t make him feel any better. The situation remained as bad as it could get.

    ¡°What do we have to do so that¨C¡±

    ¡°Looks like things aren¡¯t working out for you?¡±

    Step, step.

    Stjepan spun his head around to the voice coming from behind.

    Su-hyeun was walking closer as he choked another awakener with one hand. As for the rest, they didn¡¯t dare to approach, they were too frightened by Su-hyeun to do anything.

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? It was a mistake to divide your forces.¡±

    ¡°How dare you spew out such arrogant¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even have the necessary skills, and yet, what¡¯s with that ego of yours?¡±

    Su-hyeun directed a mocking chuckle in Stjepan¡¯s direction and let go of the awakener¡¯s throat.

    Plop.

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±

    The awakener grabbed at his neck and panted heavily, clearly in agony, eyes bloodshot. A short while later, his breathing settled down just a little. He looked up at Su-hyeun, and his terrified face became deathly pale.

    ¡°H-hiiieeek!!¡±

    The awakener spun around and crawled away to escape. Stjepan, who was watching the unsightly spectacle, could only gnash his teeth. The odds of this battle were tilted against him for sure. Only six people, including himself, could possibly carry on with the battle.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you all a chance?¡± Su-hyeun looked at Stjepan, who seemed to be the leader of this little group, and spoke. ¡°An opportunity for you to get out of here alive.¡±

    ¡°¡­An opportunity?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. So, how about it? Interested yet?¡±

    He felt like Su-hyeun was looking down on him, but it was also undeniable that Stjepan¡¯s ears did perk up, just a little. If they kept fighting Su-hyeun here, it would only result in their ignoble deaths. If an opportunity to save his life presented itself, then, regardless of what it was, he¡¯d grab it with both hands.

    ¡°W-what is it?¡± The man who Su-hyeun had choked earlier asked first, voice trembling greatly.

    Stjepan got angry, and he glared daggers at that awakener. But Su-hyeun made his reply a step faster than Stjepan could react.

    ¡°All you have to do is to run away.¡±

    ¡°R-run away?¡±

    ¡°Correct. It¡¯s easy, right? If you run away, I won¡¯t come after you. I¡¯ll even forget about what happened here, too. That is, as long as you don¡¯t come up with yet another underhanded scheme later on. But¡­¡±

    Shudder, shudder.

    The tone of Su-hyeun¡¯s voice, as well as the light gleaming in his eyes, changed rapidly and caused his magical energy, spreading out through the first floor, to roil and seethe ominously.

    ¡°But, if you insist on attacking me, I¡¯ll just kill you all right now.¡±

    Grrr.

    Stjepan clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth in pure rage.

    Run away.

    As logical as the suggestion was, nothing would be so humiliating.

    The suggestion was a sign of generosity that the ¡®strong¡¯ would always display to the ¡®weak¡¯.

    << No, wait. >>

    It was then that an idea flashed through Stjepan¡¯s head.

    << He wants us to run? But, why? >>

    Up until now, Su-hyeun had displayed more than enough strength to overwhelm everyone present. There was no doubt about that.

    There was also no reason to be generous here and let his attackers live to cause future trouble. That meant that there had to be another reason he was so willing to let them go.

    << Could it be¡­. >>

    A smirk spread across Stjepan¡¯s face.

    Su-hyeun saw that and his brows furrowed. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡±

    ¡°The one who needs to run isn¡¯t us, but you, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that the price to pay for all that power is weak stamina, isn¡¯t it? I knew it. I was wondering how a punk who got his powers only three years ago got this powerful.¡±

    The atmosphere, filled with choking fear, quickly shifted with Stjepan¡¯s accusation.

    ¡°Stamina?¡±

    ¡°Maybe his fitness level isn¡¯t so good?¡±

    ¡°That makes sense, considering that he was fighting while pouring out this much magical energy¡­¡±

    Indeed, the idea sounded logical. Even without Stjepan¡¯s accusation, questions of ¡°how could he?¡± had been circling in their heads for a while already.

    How could he be this strong?

    How could he not be tired yet?

    And now, Stjepan had just put forward a plausible theory. Judging from Su-hyeun¡¯s reaction, it looked credible too.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Stjepan was flustered until a few seconds ago. He smiled triumphantly once more, as he regained his composure.

    His attitude also helped others to regain their confidence, as well.

    ¡°Phew.¡± Su-hyeun sighed softly under his breath.

    Stjepan saw that and became even more convinced that he was right. He began walking toward Su-hyeun, ¡°Hah. You should¡¯ve run away while you had the power to spare, you little¨C¡±

    Suddenly, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his voice froze in his mouth. He grabbed at his throat in a furious attempt to find his voice, but there was no use. His voice had been sealed away, as if something was blocking him.

    << What¡¯s going on?! >>

    [Third Eye- Predator.]

    Shuwuwuwu.

    When he met the gaze from Su-hyeun¡¯s third eye, Stjepan finally realized it.

    It was because of that eye.

    He instinctively grew fearful and his entire body froze stiff. He had sensed some sort of restriction binding him a little during the fight, but this was the first time he had felt such intense, constricting pressure.

    ¡°It would have been better if you had run away in one piece while I was willing to let you go.¡±

    Stab.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword plunged into Stjepan¡¯s head. Stjepan¡¯s eyes grew wide as he felt the cold metallic sensation coming from the inside of his head.

    Never mind reacting on time, he couldn¡¯t even tell just when Su-hyeun had appeared before his eyes.

    ¡°What¡­ kind of a¡­ skill¡­¡±

    Slice.

    Even before he had finished speaking, a thin red line appeared, running vertically on Stjepan¡¯s body, top to bottom.

    Right afterward¡­

    Splash!

    Stjepan split in half and his blood splattered everywhere.

    It happened in the blink of an eye. The remaining six awakeners fell into a state of unbridled panic. They had been convinced that Su-hyeun was exhausted, but, unfortunately for them, he looked even more energetic than ever before.

    Su-hyeun looked down at Stjepan¡¯s corpse and asked again, ¡°Anyone else?¡±

    The European awakeners stumbled backward before they took off running. He lowered his sword while he watched them escape. It didn¡¯t look like there were any other idiots with a death wish still trying to attack him.

    << What a mess. >>

    The fight itself didn¡¯t take long, but the entirety of the Gordon Tower¡¯s first floor was now completely ruined. It seemed that the building¡¯s official grand opening would have to be postponed for quite a while.

    << What¡¯s happening downstairs, I wonder? >>

    Su-hyeun headed in the direction of the elevators.

    Gordon Rohan was currently fighting below.

    * * *

    Clang!

    Thump! Clang! Pow!

    Gordon Rohan and Adel continued with their contest of strength, their hands firmly locked in their own weapons.

    A single smartphone lay shattered nearby¡ª the phone that had to defend against Gordon Rohan¡¯s attack just now.

    ¡°That was a pretty sharp reaction. Didn¡¯t expect you to use the phone as a shield,¡± said Gordon Rohan.

    ¡°Well, it was quite an expensive device, you see.¡±

    ¡°I know. After all, my company makes them.¡±

    That smartphone was considered to be the best on the market, with a single Ether stone used as the phone¡¯s energy source. The device was sold for an enormous amount of money. It was known for its incredible hardness and an everlasting operational lifetime that would never need a recharge.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve told my people to make it a bit softer. If I had done so, your head would be on my spear by now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you didn¡¯t.¡±

    Thump! Pow!

    Adel frowned from the pain shooting up his hands. They somehow ended up grabbing each other¡¯s hands and started a contest of strength but, as expected, fighting head-on wasn¡¯t going to work.

    Thump! Pow!

    Suddenly, dozens of spears shot up from the ground Gordon Rohan was standing on. He quickly released Adel Castle¡¯s hands and leaped up from there. His gaze was already scanning the three or four awakeners that had closed in on them.

    ¡°You, damned small fry¡­¡±

    For a moment, his eyes gleamed pure-white and the spear in his hand emitted a blinding light once more.

    At the same time, two of the awakeners roused their magical energy and activated their defense skills.

    Purple-colored walls spread out all over the place, and Gordon Rohan¡¯s spear pounded on them, creating ear-ringing ripples of exploding noises.

    RING!

    CLANG!

    The walls shattered in an instant. But, in that brief moment, Adel created distance between himself and Gordon Rohan.

    The Briton shook his hand lightly, as if it ached from the strength contest earlier. ¡°I see that your physical strength is also ridiculously strong.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re better than I thought.¡± Gordon Rohan too clenched and unfurled the hand not holding the spear repeatedly, before asking a question. ¡°Wait, now that I think about it, you were a fist-fighter, weren¡¯t you? I shouldn¡¯t have used my bare fists.¡±

    He then fell into thought for a moment before continuing to fight.

    ¡°If that¡¯s your level, then let¡¯s see. You won¡¯t even touch Kim Su-hyeun, so forget him. Maybe you¡¯re about the same level as Thomas or Bak Yun-gyu? No, wait. Maybe you¡¯re a bit worse than them?¡±

    His words caused Adel¡¯s expression to tense up just a little.

    The Briton already knew he was nowhere near Gordon Rohan¡¯s level. But the assertion of him being weaker than Kim Su-hyeun, Thomas, and even this unknown Bak Yun-gyu was no different than spitting on his pride.

    ¡°You truly are filled with boundless ego, aren¡¯t you? Just for how long do you think you¡¯ll remain the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nah, not yet.¡± Gordon Rohan shook his head at Adel¡¯s words.

    Did the one and only Gordon Rohan deny that he¡¯s the best?

    ¡°Right. That¡¯s something I¡¯ll prove soon enough.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m hosting the Ranking Wars to prove that I am indeed the best in the world. To prove to the much, much wider world whom I haven¡¯t met yet¡ªto prove that I¡¯m truly the best,¡± said Gordon Rohan, before smirking deeply. ¡°Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°That guy has shown me up before, you see. Only by defeating him, can I claim to be truly the best in the world.¡±

    This was the very first time Gordon Rohan had acknowledged someone¡¯s skills this much.

    Adel thought to himself. <>

    To think that a man who possessed this level of might wasn¡¯t sure of his chances against him.

    ¡°Were you publicly declaring something deeply embarrassing just now?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Adel hurriedly spun his head in the direction of the voice coming from behind him. His eyes caught the figure of Su-hyeun leisurely walking into the arena where the battle was still ongoing.

 Chapter 139

    << But, why is he here? >>

    Adel couldn¡¯t believe his eyes as he blinked repeatedly to confirm Su-hyeun¡¯s face. The South Korean ought to be still fighting upstairs against the awakeners including Stjepan. So, how¡­

    ¡°What do you mean, what? We, alone, can¡¯t deal with this bastard!¡±

    That was from the conversation with Stjepan, which got unceremoniously cut off by Gordon Rohan¡¯s attack. His urgent cries were ringing in Adel¡¯s ears.

    He thought that the other team must be struggling too, but as it turned out, the battle there had already come to an end.

    ¡°The number of people on this side is actually higher,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    He took a look at the awakeners surrounding the arena and nodded his head, prompting Gordon Rohan to ask him a question.

    ¡°So, did they come for you, too?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ten of them showed up.¡±

    ¡°Did you kill them all?¡±

    ¡°No, I let six of them live.¡±

    ¡°Did they escape, or did you let them go?¡±

    ¡°I let them go. Who would stop the dungeons appearing in Europe if they were all dead?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked completely at ease, judging from how he shrugged his shoulders. Despite fighting ten people, he wasn¡¯t even exhausted in the slightest.

    It was already quite taxing on the European awakeners to fight against just Gordon Rohan alone. But what if Su-hyeun was to join the fray?

    << It¡¯s over. >>

    Adel shook his head. Then he turned around towards Gordon Rohan. ¡°Your promise. It¡¯s still in effect, yes?¡±

    ¡°My promise?¡±

    ¡°No reprisals or consequences.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that?¡± Gordon Rohan rested his spear on his broad shoulder and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Scared?¡±

    ¡°How can I not be? After all, you¡¯re the world¡¯s most powerful man.¡±

    ¡°Busy kissing my ass, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Still, all that sucking up did work wonders. Even if that wasn¡¯t strictly the case, Gordon Rohan wasn¡¯t the type to change his mind.

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to make a promise of your own, I¡¯ll keep mine.¡±

    ¡°What will that be?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t run away tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the finals, obviously. I hope you won¡¯t get scared by your failures today and run away with your tails between your legs tomorrow.¡±

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s provocative remark managed to wipe away the subtle grin that was always etched on Adel¡¯s face.

    Upon seeing that, the American¡¯s smile grew even wider. ¡°You¡¯ve been grinning all this time, but well, now¡­ That expression suits you better. Makes you look more manly and all.¡±

    ¡°Well, then. I shall see you tomorrow,¡± Adel replied, before turning around to leave.

    No one there criticized him for doing so. The dissection of their failures would have to wait until later. Now was the time to escape from this place.

    Gordon Rohan asked Su-hyeun, ¡°Will you be fine with letting them go like that?¡±

    The latter nodded his head. ¡°As I said before, it¡¯ll be a problem if all of them died here today. After all, the shortage of S-Ranks can potentially make some dungeons impossible to raid.¡±

    ¡°Is that your real reason?¡±

    ¡°What else could there be?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kinder than I thought. No, wait. Should I change that to ¡®righteous¡¯ instead?¡±

    Gordon Rohan stared at Su-hyeun as if the latter was an alien.

    But then again, he was quite self-centered and individualistic. Thus, from his perspective, Su-hyeun worrying about strangers in some distant lands did come across as rather bizarre.

    Their opinions on letting these fools go didn¡¯t clash, which was a relief, but despite them making a broadly similar choice, their reasons were clearly different.

    ¡°Those punks, they¡¯ll come knocking again. Not just at me, but at you too,¡± said Gordon Rohan.

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    Su-hyeun recalled how the European Union¡¯s awakeners hurriedly escaped from there.

    Although it was slightly puzzling to see them appear before him, he wasn¡¯t too surprised by them either. He was thinking that it was only a matter of time before he would clash against them.

    << I had no idea that they fought against Gordon Rohan at this point in history though. >>

    The European Awakener Federation.

    This organization had publicly announced its existence at the end of the year 2022 and had proved to be quite problematic in a variety of ways.

    They were strictly profit-based, so as long as no benefits were promised, they would not make a single move regardless of what the issue at hand was.

    At times, they even became sources of outbreaks by suddenly changing the schedules of the raids that were supposed to take place in some other countries ¨C raids that they had already signed contracts for.

    << That¡¯s the problem with an organization that no one can control. It only seeks to bolster its own freedom and rights above all else. >>

    The organization ballooned to a massive scale, and no one could control it. It boasted the membership of over thirty S-Ranks, plus tens of thousands of high-ranked awakeners too.

    Another organization had to be created in order to keep them in check, and that inevitably led to endless conflicts and standoffs instigated by the awakeners worldwide.

    << They started discussing it around this time, is that it? >>

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have much information regarding the events surrounding the Ranking Wars, so getting his hands on the news of the European Awakener Federation being established around this period was an unexpected windfall.

    If he played his cards right, then he might be able to stamp out a budding source of future troubles.

    << When going up against many¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist tightly, his eyes gleaming dangerously.

    << Fight with an even greater level of one¡¯s strength. >>

    The stage wasn¡¯t bad at all.

    This was the Ranking Wars. The attention of the entire world should be focused on the competition. And on this very stage, he¡¯d get to meet the various members of the European Awakener Federation, including Adel.

    The backdrop wasn¡¯t so bad either.

    Thanks to them making a move first, it was easier for him to make his move now. The fortress he needed to bring down with much hard work since forever began crumbling all by itself.

    ¡°What are you so engrossed about?¡± Gordon Rohan asked.

    ¡°I was thinking about tomorrow, and it¡¯s making me really pumped up.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Gordon Rohan smirked. ¡°Feeling confident, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    It seemed that he had misinterpreted the reply as Su-hyeun looking forward to fighting him.

    Since the latter didn¡¯t feel like correcting the older man, he simply nodded his head along with his answer. ¡°Pretty much.¡±

    ¡°Haha, hahahah!¡±

    Gordon Rohan guffawed loudly as he held on to his tummy at that confident answer.

    He continued to laugh for a while, then clapped his hands and made his much-delayed reply. ¡°I like such confidence. I really do. Honestly, I¡¯m also looking forward to tomorrow.¡±

    Tap, tap-

    Gordon Rohan lightly patted Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder as he walked past.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then. Get a good night¡¯s rest, and be at the most optimal condition, okay?¡±

    Having said what he wanted to say, he then stuck his hands in his pockets and strode out of the arena.

    In the meantime, Su-hyeun scanned the completely ruined arena to muttered to himself.

    ¡°I hope this won¡¯t pose a problem.¡±

    Act 4

    BANG-!

    Crack-

    Adel¡¯s fist slammed down, shattering a sturdy desk.

    After returning to his room along with his group, he began grinding his teeth non-stop.

    As for the expressions of his group nearby, they were all gloomy, to say the least.

    Not only did the opportunity to win the Ranking Wars fly out of the window due to the failure of this mission, he even made enemies out of Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan.

    To make matters even worse, several members of the European Awakener Federation had been killed too. This issue couldn¡¯t be overlooked as a minor slip-up anymore.

    Regardless, they needed to take full responsibility for this mission¡¯s failure. As their actions had not been officially sanctioned, dealing with the consequences would prove to be much harder later on.

    As Adel imagined how those governments who lost their precious S-Ranks would react at the news, he thought his vision was fogging up in wane yellow color.

    ¡°Goddammit¡­.¡±

    Grit-

    Adel gnashed his teeth as he remembered Gordon Rohan sneering at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run away tomorrow.¡±

    He just couldn¡¯t forget the American¡¯s facial expression when saying those words ¨C the words that implied how certain Gordon Rohan was of Adel¡¯s plans to run away.

    It felt like he got found out while trying to plan his escape, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed and deeply humiliated.

    His pride was wounded, more so now than any other time.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Even if Gordon Rohan kept his promise, Kim Su-hyeun might not¡­¡±

    ¡°Winning the Ranking Wars will be difficult at this rate, won¡¯t it? That will surely make the core footing of the Federation unstable. And how will the other countries¡¯ Awakener associations react, when they entrusted us with this mission?¡±

    ¡°More importantly, what will happen if others found out about this event?¡±

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯ll be the end of us. The establishment of the federation will become impossible, and¨C¡±

    ¡°All of you, shut up!¡±

    Adel loudly yelled out at the worried, scared voices. His words contained more than enough killing intent to jolt twenty or so awakeners present.

    Once the surroundings grew deathly silent, Adel carried on as his eyes gleamed in dangerous madness. ¡°We will win. We only have to win.¡±

    Tomorrow¡¯s final stage.

    Just like what Gordon Rohan said, Adel was not going to run away from that very stage.

    He continued, ¡°All we have to do is to kill him.¡±

    ¡°Kill him?¡±

    ¡°Who? Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Adel powerfully nodded his head. ¡°Forget about the regulations. We can just disguise it as an accident.¡±

    Even if it was for the sake of tying up a loose end, he was willing to deal with that level of condemnation.

    Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t immediately go out and call the reporters today to reveal the truth. After all, he didn¡¯t look like a rash person. In that case, they needed to kill him in the middle of the match somehow, just to be on the safer side.

    << Doesn¡¯t matter how¡­. >>

    Squeeze-

    Adel clenched his fists tightly and muttered out.

    ¡°We will win.¡±

    * * *

    A day passed by.

    The whole world seemed to be in a festive mood. It was all because the Ranking Wars¡¯ finals had arrived.

    Thirty-three contestants had made it to the finals. However, one of them had to leave due to an emergency, and only 32 stepped up to the final stage.

    For a stage called the ¡®finals,¡¯ there were quite a lot of participants, but Gordon Rohan said this during an interview earlier.

    He said that this number was actually perfect.

    He also didn¡¯t publicly reveal the exact rules. But he then went on to add that the rules will be fair to everyone, especially those possessing enough power ¨C just like how it always had been.

    Thousands of cameras were now filming the arena. For some reason, this place was in a complete mess.

    ¡°Did something happen yesterday?¡±

    Hak-joon sidled up very close to Su-hyeun and whispered a question.

    The latter pretended to know nothing. ¡°Not sure.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ something did happen.¡±

    ¡°Nah, not really.¡±

    ¡°Stop lying. If nothing really happened, you wouldn¡¯t have said ¡®not sure¡¯ or ¡®not really¡¯, but you have no idea instead.¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    Su-hyeun avoided Hak-joon¡¯s gaze as he replied. The latter continued to probe for answers, but the former remained firm on keeping the truth to himself.

    ¡°You all came pretty early.¡±

    Step, step-

    Gordon Rohan appeared alone. This time, he didn¡¯t float down from the top of the arena, but instead, he walked in through the entrance. Johnny Brad was nowhere to be seen. He was most likely observing the participants from somewhere within the arena.

    ¡°So, the people here are more or less recognizable, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    While saying that, Gordon Rohan glanced at Adel. Unlike yesterday, the Briton was not smiling. At all.

    Gordon smirked and walked up to the front of the 32 finalists. ¡°Okay, should I briefly explain the rules then? But before that¨C¡±

    Snap-

    Wuuu-ooong-

    Gordon Rohan snapped his fingers, causing the arena to transform.

    It soon resembled a massive Colosseum. An awakener who had climbed the Tower of Trials would¡¯ve experienced such a stage at least once before.

    As for the 32 finalists, they were transferred to the grandstand of the Colosseum. Gordon Rohan reappeared above the arena¡¯s sky, his arms spread out wide.

    ¡°This should be more than enough for us to fight to our hearts¡¯ content, right? The arena got wrecked yesterday while I was doing some light exercise alone, so don¡¯t sweat over it.¡±

    Su-hyeun smiled softly at those words and glanced at Adel¡¯s expression.

    As expected, the Briton¡¯s face crumpled slightly from the words¡¯ light exercise¡¯. Gordon Rohan was implying that the fight between him and the Europeans only amounted to some light warm-up exercise in his view.

    ¡°The rules are simple. Just like the main matches, it¡¯s a one-on-one fight. I mean, let¡¯s be real. Trials with complicated rules are annoying, aren¡¯t they? Such things will probably feel like daily occurrences to you guys anyway.¡±

    The reason for both the mains and the finals being so simple in the structure was the personal taste of the Ranking Wars¡¯ host, Gordon Rohan.

    ¡°Of course, the finals will be slightly different than the main matches. You see, this will be a game where the one surviving till the end is crowned the winner.¡±

    ¡°Until the end?¡±

    ¡°Will it be a survival game? Or matches will be selected randomly this time, too?¡±

    Educated guesses started coming out from here and there. Unfortunately for them, only Gordon Rohan knew the exact rules.

    ¡°The match type is ¡®rotation.¡¯ At the start, two hopefuls are chosen on a first-come-first-serve basis, and they will go on ahead to fight. The first one to pass out, stay on the ground for more than ten seconds, or declare their intention to surrender, will be the loser.¡±

    Gordon Rohan began explaining the rules.

    ¡°The winner will ¡®survive¡¯ and fight against the next challenger. The winner of that match will meet the next challenger, and eventually, the last one standing in the arena will be declared as the final winner. So, what do you all think? It¡¯s simple, right?¡±

    ¡°W-what was that?!¡±

    ¡°What kind of rubbish¡­¡±

    ¡°How is that fair to anyone?!¡±

    Indeed, the rules were quite simple. Well, the one managing to get to the end in one piece would be declared a winner.

    However, this type of rule had too many loopholes. For instance, the earlier you were to make your challenge, the harder it¡¯d get for you to become the final winner.

    ¡°Will you listen till the end? If no additional challengers step up, then the participant can name someone he or she wants to fight. The waiting period is no more than five minutes. So, stop caring about what everyone else is doing and start challenging for the victory like the warriors you all are supposed to be.¡±

    Swiiish-

    Gordon Rohan floated back down to the ground. Then, he stuck his hands in the pockets like he always did and stared at other participants with a face full of confidence.

    That was the image many of them had already pictured in their heads the moment he began explaining the rules.

    ¡°So, anyone willing to challenge me, then?¡±

    In the blink of an eye, Gordon Rohan turned every single finalist as his challenger instead. However, it didn¡¯t come across as disharmonious in the least.

    No, this current scene actually suited him even better. No one here found his actions to be foolish or short-sighted at all.

    And since the host of the tournament, who was also responsible for coming up with the rules, volunteered for the most disadvantageous role, there no longer exists a reason to object to his decisions.

    << Wait, we need to fight Gordon Rohan from the get-go? >>

    << Who would do something that monumentally stupid? >>

    Just as the ¡®mind-what-other¡¯ s-are-doing¡¯ game was about to get underway¡­

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a challenge, but¡­¡±

    Step-

    Su-hyeun stood up from somewhere in the middle of the grandstand and stepped forward.

    ¡°But, let me have a go.¡±

 Chapter 140

    ¡°K-Kim Su-hyeun??¡±

    ¡°Gordon Rohan will fight Kim Su-hyeun? In the very first match?¡±

    ¡°This match-up¡­ Isn¡¯t this like watching the real final match?¡±

    The other participants in the audience chambers were getting stirred up.

    A handful of people were seen as potential victors of the competition¡ªGordon Rohan, first, then Su-hyeun, Thomas, and, finally, Adel.

    Of them, Thomas was expected to end up in a match against Su-hyeun, but not advance to the finals. As for Adel, many believed his skills to be inferior to either Gordon Rohan or the South Korean awakener.

    Therefore, the majority had speculated that, in the end, the Ranking Wars¡¯ would be won by one of two men¡ªGordan Rohan or Su-hyeun.

    But even though Su-hyeun was the second favorite to win, nine out of ten people thought that Gordon would walk away as the winner.

    But all those predictions were falling apart right now.

    << If those two fight now and exhaust their stamina¡­ >>

    Every participant was thinking the same thing:

    << Maybe I too stand a chance? >>

    If Su-hyeun had avoided fighting Gordon Rohan and waited right until the end, the story would be much different.

    Even the great Gordon Rohan himself couldn¡¯t emerge unscathed after going through 30 consecutive battles. One couldn¡¯t dismiss the problem of depleted stamina. That one factor could change everything.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if Gordon Rohan and Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know that either.

    But, that meant¡­

    << He¡¯s that confident in himself? >>

    Everyone present had the same thought. Both men were confidently taking a huge step that could lose them the whole competition. Why?

    For Gordon Rohan, in particular, he wished to prove himself to be the very best in the world through the Ranking Wars, so it was no surprise that he wanted to win the overall victory. He had even volunteered to go first. Perhaps, this was just evidence of his overflowing confidence.

    Step, step.

    Su-hyeun walked down to the arena and looked straight at Gordon Rohan.

    He spoke first, ¡°The stage you prepared is truly amazing. It¡¯s the perfect stage, so no one can ever doubt you to be the world¡¯s best¡­¡±

    Stepping into the finals and overpowering everyone all by himself. If Gordon Rohan emerged victorious from such a stage, then indeed, no one could ever deny that he was the best awakener in the world. He had set the stage magnificently.

    ¡°¡­That is, as long as you win.¡±

    And that all worked in Su-hyeun¡¯s favor as well, which was why he found the stage Gordon Rohan had prepared to be very much to his liking.

    It was a stage that was fair to all and would be able to determine the individual that possessed power stronger than anyone else out there. If he one, no one could deny his strength.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be the first challenger.¡±

    Zing!

    A pure-white spear appeared in Gordon Rohan¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I would have been so disappointed if it wasn¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°I did wonder about it for a little while there. Maybe it might have been more interesting to fight last on a stage like this.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you step up last then?¡±

    ¡°If I did that, people might accuse me of defeating an exhausted Gordon Rohan instead.¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯ll exhaust all of my stamina fighting that small fry? No freaking way.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t, but all I¡¯m saying is that others might think that. In the end¡ª¡±

    Ca-ching!

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword and, at the same time, opened his third eye.

    ¡°This stage will mean something only by defeating you first.¡±

    ¡°You sure do know how to say the things I like to hear.¡±

    Clang!

    Thump! Pow! Clang!

    The two men roused their magical energy simultaneously while finishing their preparations to rush right into each other the moment the starting signal was given.

    Crack, split!

    The arena¡¯s floor cracked and split apart by their rising magical energies.

    Right at the moment when their rising energy level hit the peak¡­

    [The competition will commence.]

    ¡­Johnny Brad¡¯s signal was sent out.

    Buzz, buzz.

    Swish! CLANG!

    Immediately after the two men¡¯s silhouettes disappeared from view, a loud metallic clang resounded out from the middle of the arena.

    Swish!

    Gusts of wind reached the grandstands. The colliding magical energy tore into shreds and spread out to all corners of the arena.

    Boom, clang, CLANG!

    Crack, splatter!

    The spear and the sword clashed.

    The spear had a slightly longer reach. Gordon Rohan leaped up high, and the ends of the spear split apart into dozens upon dozens.

    Pow! Slash! Slash!

    The spear light thrust into various parts of Su-hyeun¡¯s body, his throat, shoulders, and waist, and then proceeded to stab him several times in a row.

    [Doppelganger.]

    Zap!

    Su-hyeun disappeared from the spot. What Gordon Rohan had just stabbed was just a doppelganger that looked exactly the same as his target.

    Rumble¡­

    It was right then that he felt scorching heat coming from behind. He spread his wings wide and quickly crouched.

    Ka-boom!

    A massive burst of navy-blue colored flames swept Gordon Rohan up.

    Su-hyeun, as he counted in his mind, took a shot forward next. Just before he could swing his sword down toward the searing heat, he sensed something was off and quickly leaped up.

    Slash!

    A spear swing containing pure-white light sliced the ¡°Divine Flame¡± apart. Gordon Rohan lifted the wings covering his entire body and looked up at Su-hyeun above, smirking meaningfully.

    ¡°That was pretty hot, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Swish, swoosh.

    The atmosphere around Gordon Rohan changed. His pure-white wings spread wide and the irises disappeared from his eyes, leaving them pure white as well.

    Su-hyeun knew very well what that was.

    [Trait- Archangel.]

    It was a trait that rivaled ¡°dragonification¡± ¨C no, maybe rated even higher than that.

    Gordon Rohan had acquired the traits of an angel, getting his hands on overwhelming power and magical prowess. Most notably, the resistance against magic-related skills his trait had endowed him with was far, far greater than any other traits out there.

    << Meaning, the ¡°Divine Flame¡± won¡¯t work. >>

    The ¡°Divine Flame¡± was a skill that enjoyed a pronounced effect against monsters possessing a dark attribute. Against a trait of an angelic race that already possessed a high resistance against magic, on top of the same light-type attribute, the ¡°Divine Flame¡± wouldn¡¯t be very effective at all.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s ¡°Divine Flames¡± was a skill that Gordon Rohan would feel perfectly at home with.

    << In that case¡­. >>

    Sizzle, rumble.

    Pitch-black scales began sprouting all over Su-hyeun¡¯s body. The third eye in his forehead opened up completely, causing his senses to sharpen, and his body to gain strength.

    His sudden transformation caused Gordon Rohan to pause for a moment. The American narrowed his eyes into slits and began spinning the spear in his hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s have a proper go this time.¡±

    Swish!

    Swoosh!

    The spear spun so fast that it couldn¡¯t be seen by the naked eye. And then Gordon Rohan powerfully swung that spinning spear in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction.

    It was the same attack as yesterday, the one that utterly wrecked the arena.

    Sizzle. ZAP!

    Su-hyeun pointed his sword at the approaching spear energy. And, right when the attack arrived, he swung the weapon firmly held in both of his hands.

    Split!

    Zoom! ZAP! CLANG!

    The immense power behind the incoming spear light shattered and scattered in all directions.

    The floor was scoured and torn asunder. But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t pay it any mind and dashed forward toward Gordon Rohan.

    Swish, swoosh!

    As if he was waiting for this, Gordon Rohan stopped spinning his spear and stabbed forward with it.

    Pow!

    Yap!

    Su-hyeun grabbed the American¡¯s swung spear with his bare hand.

    << He actually caught it?! >>

    For the first time ever, Gordon Rohan¡¯s eyes trembled.

    It could be blocked with a sword, sure. But he had never imagined that his opponent would go and catch his spear with his bare hand.

    It would have been normal to see the hand to either explode or at least tear into bits in such a case.

    However¡­

    [Indomitable body.]

    Squish.

    Although his hand ached, Su-hyeun thought it was still bearable. The ¡°Indomitable Body¡± had reached the highest limit in proficiency, and it helped him to catch Gordon Rohan¡¯s spear using nothing but his bare hand.

    It also allowed him an opportunity to land a crucial attack.

    Zoom, clang!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword was raised up toward the ceiling.

    It was obvious what kind of attack would come next, judging from how the sword was raised.

    << He¡¯s going to slash down. >>

    Swish!

    A massive amount of magical energy condensed on the sword in an instant. This wasn¡¯t an ordinary downward slash anymore.

    << Could it be¡­? >>

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything- Splitting the Great Mountain]

    Slam!

    The moment Su-hyeun¡¯s sword slammed down on top of Gordon Rohan¡¯s head.

    KA-BOOM!

    The arena¡¯s floor was completely shattered and turned upside down. Debris shot into the air.

    * * *

    Clang!

    Rumble, drop, thud!

    Participants stared at the devastated arena, a shocked expression on each of their faces.

    No one here imagined that the arena, reinforced by Ether stones and capable of absorbing most impacts quite easily, would be damaged to such an extent.

    Hak-joon was shocked, too. Especially so, since he had fought in the same arena now torn up before his eyes just days earlier.

    << I thought I had managed to close the gap just a little¡­ >>

    This was his first time witnessing Su-hyeun use this much power.

    Even when Su-hyeun was betrayed by his teammates during the preliminaries or when he was facing off against Thomas, he didn¡¯t use so much power.

    That was why Hak-joon had felt that ever since stepping into the S-Rank, his skills were almost close enough to touch Su-hyeun¡¯s, unlike when they met for the first time.

    It felt like he could reach the same level as Su-hyeun¡¯s if he put in just a little more hard work.

    But he was mistaken. Completely and utterly mistaken. The gap between them hadn¡¯t narrowed at all. No, it had grown even wider instead.

    << Just how much more do I need to do¡­. >>

    Grip.

    The comparative triviality.

    He suddenly thought that he had been too laid-back and conceited lately. He thought he had it made. Reaching the finals of the Ranking Wars had only made it worse. He was on top of the world.

    He was wrong.

    He still had a long way to go.

    Compared to those two men, he was far too weak.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t quite catch it just now, but¡­ This thing, it was because of Kim Su-hyeun swinging his sword, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Is he even alive after that?¡±

    ¡°Even for Gordon Rohan, this¡­¡±

    Could Gordon Rohan survive after getting struck by such a ferocious attack head-on?

    The participants watched through screens that were currently fogged up by the dust clouds and stared directly at the distant arena. Their clamor gradually quieted down.

    It was because the silhouettes of both Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan began revealing themselves.

    Thud!

    Gordon Rohan stabbed the spear onto the floor to support himself.

    His legs teetered, and blood leaked out from the corners of his mouth, clear evidence of his poor condition. There was a deep wound across his chest.

    ¡°That¡¯s one sturdy armor,¡± said Su-hyeun as he stared at his blade, which had lost much of its edge.

    A thin armor could be seen beneath Gordon Rohan¡¯s clean-cut expensive brand clothing. Su-hyeun was well aware of what that pure-white armor was.

    << That¡¯s the Heavenly Soldier¡¯s Armor. He already had it? >>

    It was a super rare item, only five of them had ever been found, even decades into the future.

    The so-called armor of the soldiers of the sky¡ªa set of armor that possessed a truly unimaginable level of toughness.

    << Even then¡­ >>

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±

    Gordon Rohan coughed up lumps of blood.

    << It was still effective. >>

    Normally, that single strike would have rendered the target unable to continue fighting, but the overall damage was cut down by more than half by the defensive capabilities of the Heavenly Soldier¡¯s Armor.

    That¡¯s how Gordon Rohan was still standing upright and still possessed some amount of reserve combat strength.

    He asked first, ¡°Just now, that thing¡­ it¡¯s the same thing as what I saw yesterday, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You mean, ¡®One Sword Cutting Through Everything¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Is that the name of the skill? What a grandiose title.¡±

    ¡°It does have one hell of a destructive power. But my proficiency with it is much lower than Mister Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s version of the same skill.¡±

    The skill, ¡°One Sword Cutting Through Everything¡± wasn¡¯t that difficult to acquire. You could easily purchase it in any of the shops found inside the Tower of Trials with sufficient points for payment.

    But it was a little expensive. And, although its destructive power was amazing, there was one caveat. It could only be applied to downward attacks, so the skill itself wasn¡¯t used very often.

    But both Bak Yun-gyu and Su-hyeun had raised their proficiency with the skill to a high degree.

    Especially Bak Yun-gyu, who had been practicing ¡°One Sword Cutting Through Everything¡± for a very long time, his proficiency easily exceeded Su-hyeun¡¯s.

    ¡°But why is your version so much stronger?¡± Gordon Rohan asked.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m stronger than him.¡±

    The reply sounded quite matter-of-factly.

    But Gordon Rohan had nothing to say to that. It was indeed true that, even if the skill was the same, power could vary greatly, like heaven and earth, depending on who was utilizing it.

    ¡°Dammit¡­ Is this how others feel when they look at me? I¡¯m seriously not liking this.¡±

    Gordon Rohan groaned in pain and shook his head. He touched the wound on his chest, and his hand came away red.

    The bleeding had been staunched by his magical energy, but, as expected, it would be tough to continue fighting as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°You know, I wanted to fight up close like a man if that was possible, but¡­,¡± Gordon Rohan raised his head and chucked the spear high in the air. ¡°¡­But, it looks like that¡¯s not going to happen now.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze followed the spear the American had thrown into the air.

    Swish! Swish! Swish!

    Suddenly, thousands, no, tens of thousands of spears appeared in the sky. The spear Gordon Rohan threw up disappeared in the crowded skies.

    Flap!

    Immediately, another pair of wings flapped majestically behind the American¡¯s back.

    Initially, he was thinking of other challengers that would step up after he defeated Su-hyeun, but now, he decided not to worry about what would happen later.

    [The Archangel- Divine Punishment.]

    A short while later.

    Zoom, zoom!

    The divine punishment created by Gordon Rohan descended to earth, and¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    And not long after that, the whole world witnessed a result no one would have ever predicted.

 Chapter 141

    Act 5

    [The Archangel ¨C Nemesis.]

    Tens of thousands of spears appeared above the stadium. It was a spectacular scene. Only one of those spears could change the game, but so many of them appeared all at the same time.

    ¡°¡­That is nonsense.¡±

    ¡°That is beyond imagining.¡±

    Even the other S-Rank awakeners who had advanced to the finals were astonished at this scene. They imagined how they would react if they were standing in front of those spears. Half of them thought they would give up even before they actually started to fight. They could imagine the results. They didn¡¯t want to risk injury if they would lose anyway. They were amazed at the skill, but soon people made harsh judgments.

    <<He¡¯s overdoing it.>>

    <<He¡¯s pushing himself too hard.>>

    If Gordon Rohan could use those skills without much effort, he would have done it already. That was just who he was. No matter what anyone said, Gordon Rohan was the closest thing to the world¡¯s best awakener. And Su-hyeun was the one Gordon Rohan recognized. He would prefer to defeat Su-hyeun perfectly. That would be his ideal scenario. Nevertheless, Gordon Rohan saved his Nemesis skill against Su-hyeun so far because it was burdensome to use.

    <<He must be forced into a corner.>>

    <<The great Gordon Rohan is in a fix.>>

    Gordon Rohan was the host of these Ranking Wars. And he claimed the first order of this final stage even though it was the most disadvantageous position. He shouldn¡¯t have poured all his energy into this first round. Even if he won this one, he had to continue to fight through the next round. But Gordon Rohan was pouring out all of his power right at the beginning, against Su-hyeun.

    <<It¡¯ll be over soon.>>

    <<Kim Su-hyeun is done now.>>

    Everyone thought the same thing. Everyone thought there would be nothing more Su-hyeun could do against those enormous spears. Su-hyeun, who had already revealed all his tricks, seemed unable to do anymore. And that meant everyone else would get an opportunity.

    <<If Gordon Rohan is fighting without saving his reserve power¡­>>

    <<Maybe there¡¯ll be a possibility for me to win.>>

    <<Should I go for the next round? Or should I wait a little more and aim to win?>>

    People thought they might win against Gordon Rohan when he ran out of strength and magic. Moreover, he was injured by Su-hyeun. He was a beast who lost his teeth and claws, and people thought they could hunt him down.

    ¡°Oh well¡­¡± Su-hyeun sighed, looking at the many spears that filled the air above his head. ¡°I thought it would be over by now.¡±

    If Gordon Rohan hadn¡¯t had Heavenly God¡¯s Armor, the game would have been over already. Su-hyeun, who had no intention of using a lot of energy in this round, shook his head, as if the game had become annoying.

    ¡°You still have more things to show me, don¡¯t you?¡± Gordon Rohan asked, looking at Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    Even in this desperate situation, Su-hyeun still seemed to be able to afford to hold back. It was a feeling that only he could feel since he was fighting against Su-hyeun at the closest.

    ¡°Don¡¯t save them. Show your everything.¡±

    Gordon Rohan wanted to fight Su-hyeun when he gave all his heart and strength. It was his one desire. It was purer than anyone else. Gordon Rohan had a clear purpose, beyond enjoying the fight. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t be satisfied just by beating Su-hyeun. He didn¡¯t want to win by luck, chance, or carelessness. Gordon Rohan looked more excited than ever.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one,¡± Gordon Rohan said, ¡°that I can prove to myself that I¡¯m the best. Do you understand? In fact, this Ranking Wars is just a stage for you and me.¡±

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The tens of thousands of spears in the sky began to tremble wildly.

    ¡°So, I want you to do your best.¡±

    ¡°Well. You granted my request¡ª¡±

    [Activate the trait ¡®Hero-Immortality.¡¯]

    [The condition has not been met.]

    [Vitality and Stamina will not be recovered.]

    [Physical ability will increase rapidly.]

    ¡°¡ªyou don¡¯t have to ask me for that.¡±

    The hero-grade skill named Immortality was a passive type skill that automatically activated when fatigue accumulated beyond a certain point. For the past half-year, Su-hyeun had been thinking about how to use this Immortality skill. It was definitely a great skill, but the conditions required to use it were extreme. But what would happen if the limitation of the conditions disappeared? The skill would become much more useful.

    <<The time that I can activate it by force isn¡¯t too long since my proficiency level is low,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    But there was no problem. He could finish in that time. Su-hyeun¡¯s whole demeanor changed in a flash. Gordon Rohan could feel that something had changed, but couldn¡¯t tell exactly what it was. Su-hyeun¡¯s appearance and concentration of magic didn¡¯t seem changed.

    <<But something is definitely different.>>

    He was sure of that. Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes had a different look. Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t lower his guard or let Gordon Rohan off.

    <<This is it!>> Gordon Rohan shivered. <<I¡¯ve been living for this moment!>>

    It was a chance to prove that he was the best in one field. He was sure he was the best. He felt pleasure and fulfillment from it. Gordon Rohan grasped his hands tight, lifted them above his head, and¡­

    ¡°Here I go!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    He slammed the floor with his fist.

    Boom¡ª

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Tens of thousands of spears began to fall toward only one target: Su-hyeun.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    While hundreds of spears flew at him, Su-hyeun moved his sword. The spears shattered and fell to the floor. So did the spears that followed.

    Slash, slash¡ª!

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword made a sound of cutting through the wind. He wielded his sword wildly. Gordon Rohan reached into the air and grabbed a spear. He used the spear to block the energy that shot from Su-hyeun¡¯s sword.

    Rumble¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    And as it was, Gordon Rohan¡¯s body was pushed out.

    <<He pushed me out with only the aura of his sword?>>

    This power was completely different. The shock was much greater than he had expected. Gordon Rohan grabbed his hand tight and dropped the Nemesis skill again. This time, he shot more spears, more powerfully than the first time.

    Rumble¡ª

    The spears began to merge. Dozens of spears merged. Thousands of larger spears were formed. The powers of the spears grew as well. They became harder than before.

    ¡°Here I go again!¡±

    Bam¡ª!

    Gondon Rohan smashed the ground again.

    [Nemesis.]

    Clang¡ª Clank¡ª

    Hundreds of spears, bigger and more powerful than before, began to fall over Su-hyeun¡¯s head. At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword ignited. Su-hyeun grabbed his sword tight. He lowered the sword first and lifted up quickly.

    [Flame.]

    [Net cutting.]

    Swoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Clang, clang¡ª

    The aura of the sword cut hundreds of spears into pieces. The spears lost their power and began to fall to the ground. Gordon Rohan¡¯s eyes widened.

    <<Did he just use Net cutting?>>

    It was basic-grade swordsmanship that one could get easily on the 30th floor. It was a skill that any high-rank awakener would know. The skill¡¯s power itself wasn¡¯t that great. It was a skill that focused more on range than power. The only effect of the skill was when the user wielded the sword, the cutting force could cut around in the shape of a net. Even though Su-hyeun used a special skill named Flame with it, this simple cutting skill blocked Gordon Rohan¡¯s Nemesis.

    <<Then¡­,>> Gordon Rohan thought.

    Grab¡ª

    He clenched his fists. ¡°If you stop this too, I¡¯ll admit you.¡±

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Tens of thousands of spears that had remained in the sky were combined into one.

    Zap, zap¡ª

    It became a sharp, pure white spear with great magic in it. Gordon Rohan reached his hand out into the air. The pure white spear moved along with his hand gesture as if it was held by Gordon Rohan.

    ¡°I can use spears a little bit as well.¡± Su-hyeun took out the spear that he had been carrying on his back.

    It looked shabby, especially compared to Gordon Rohan¡¯s spear. Su-hyeun held the Dragon Slaying Spear, stiffened his legs and bent his body like a bow.

    ¡°One¡­two¡­¡±

    Spark¡ª!

    At the moment that Gordon Rohan¡¯s spear started to fall down¡ª

    ¡°Three!¡±

    ¡ªSu-hyeun, who bent his body like a bow, bounced forward. The Dragon Slaying Spear left his hand.

    Spark¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª!

    The huge white spear and the Dragon Slaying Spear clashed. There was a bright light and a thundering noise. Not only people who were watching the match through the screen but even participants watching the match from a distance couldn¡¯t tell what was going on. The only two people that moved in the light were Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s body flew in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. He spread his two wings and held a long spear in his hand.

    Whiz¡ª

    Swish¡ª

    The spear spun fast and flew to stab Su-hyeun¡¯s chest. And, even under the bright light, Gordon Rohan was sure.

    <<I got him!>>

    Su-hyeun was standing still in a position to swing the spear. In this case, Gordon Rohan¡¯s spear could penetrate Su-hyeun¡¯s chest exactly. It would bring him victory.

    <<I win¡­>>

    Stab¡ª!

    At the moment that the tip of spear penetrated the chest of Su-hyeun¡­

    [Doppelganger.]

    His triumph disappeared like a mirage.

    <<¡­Uh?>>

    Slash¡ª

    He felt a burning pain in his back. Gordon Rohan¡¯s body began to collapse.

    <hr />

    ¡°Damn! I can¡¯t see!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    People frowned at the harsh light. They shaded their eyes with their hands and tried to see. But they couldn¡¯t see anything. The flashing light was so intense. People admired the power of Gordon Rohan, who created the bright light.

    <<His magic is surrounding the whole stadium! How great!>>

    <<He¡¯s a whole different level from me.>>

    People were sure Gordon Rohan would be the winner even if they couldn¡¯t see what was going on. They assumed Su-hyeun could never have defended against that huge spear. But¡­

    ¡°Who¡¯s that? One person is standing in the middle.¡±

    ¡°Do we have a result?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s Gordon Rohan¡­¡±

    ¡°No. Wait!¡± Someone who had good sight shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°What? Kim Su-hyeun won against Gordon Rohan?¡±

    One by one, people rose from their seats to see the result of the match more clearly. And, soon, they could see the result well.

    ¡°R-really¡­!¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun won!¡±

    People shouted. The man on the floor was Gordon Rohan. Su-hyeun looked down at Gordon Rohan, hanging down his sword.

    ¡°What the f*ck,¡± Gordon Rohan cursed. He looked up Su-hyeun from the floor. ¡°I lose.¡±

    ¡°You were so close,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Are you consoling me? Screw that. I know I wasn¡¯t even close.¡±

    Gordon Rohan pushed himself off the ground. Su-hyeun thought about helping him get up, but he didn¡¯t. He thought that would hurt Gordon Rohan¡¯s pride more.

    ¡°So, you caught my back¡­,¡± Gordon Rohan murmured, shaking his head, ¡°I totally lost.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You think so, too. Huh? Since you don¡¯t say anything.¡±

    ¡°Because the result tells us.¡±

    ¡°Ha. I get it. I know now how other people feel when they look at me. You¡¯re so full of yourself, but I can¡¯t anything but admit you¡¯re right.¡± Gordon Rohan, who barely got up, looked around the other participants. They were looking at him blankly. ¡°Hey, Su-hyeun. You have to win, okay? Don¡¯t lose to someone else.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Su-hyeun followed Gordon Rohan¡¯s gaze and looked at other participants as well. ¡°I¡¯d win even if you didn¡¯t say that.¡±

 Chapter 142

    ***

    The world was torn apart. Not only the broadcasters broadcasting the Ranking Wars but also the hundreds of millions of viewers watching it were surprised. They couldn¡¯t accept this result, which overturned all their expectations.

    ¡°R-rewrite the article, quickly! Write a headline like ¡®Gordon Rohan lost the first round!¡¯ and upload the article after you summarize as much as possible what just happened!¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes! Oh, what? Some newspapers already posted about it!¡±

    ¡°What? What crazy bastards! How did they know the results and write already?¡±

    ¡°What about the articles we¡¯ve already written?¡±

    ¡°Erase everything! From now on, write articles focused on Kim Su-hyeun. Monitor the competition in real-time!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Not only the broadcasters but even the reporters got busy. It was such an unexpected scenario that Gordon Rohan would be eliminated in the first game. Even though he was fighting Kim Su-hyeun, people¡¯s opinions did not change. 5 to 95. Those were the odds between Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan.

    And the reporters who had written the articles in advance, hoping for the small possibility of the five percent, hit the jackpot. At the moment of Su-hyeun¡¯s victory, they upload their articles as fast as possible and got a high view count.

    Korean broadcasting stations were also busy. A Korean awakener defeating Gordon Rohan was a huge topic.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he wins the Ranking Wars or not, prepare for an interview with Kim Su-hyeun right now! Take it exclusively, no matter what it takes!¡±

    ¡°Should we get an airplane then?¡±

    ¡°Airplane? Yes. Yes. Good idea. We have to meet him before other people do something. No! They might have already departed!¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°Why? What is it? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy right now?¡±

    ¡°The final round, sir! It seems like it won¡¯t go long!¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    One producer of CBC broadcaster, busy giving orders, turned his head quickly. He watched the game on the monitor and opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Is he fighting the third one already?¡±

    Gordon Rohan had just lost the fight. But now, in front of Su-hyeun, a third opponent fell to the ground.

    ***

    Boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun grabbed the opponent¡¯s neck and threw him to the floor. The opponent was assassin-type awakener who had been moving at high speed to distract Su-hyeun.

    ¡°If you wanted to wear out my stamina, you should have thrown your weapon from a distance at least,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°A-argh¡­¡±

    The assassin¡¯s eyes turned white. He started foaming at the mouth and passed out. He had moved so fast, that it took more time to catch him than other awakeners.

    ¡°Next.¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his hands and stood up. He looked at the stands. Two people raised their hands. Everyone was hurrying to fight with him at first, but there weren¡¯t many volunteering anymore.

    Puff¡ª

    A familiar face appeared before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. He was a Chinese awakener named Wang Wu.

    ¡°The competition was too high.¡±

    He had been raising his hand ever since the fight between Gordon Rohan and Su-hyeun was over. And, finally, he raised his hand faster than everyone else. So, he could participate in the game.

    ¡°Hey. We¡¯ve met before, right?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Thanks to you,¡± Wang Wu said, ¡°my wrist was out. Well. I managed somehow to pass the preliminary round though.¡±

    Su-hyeun had broken up a fight between Wang Wu and one Japanese awakener from the top floor of Gordon Tower before. That time, he had broken Wang Wu¡¯s wrist to subdue him.

    ¡°I guess you had a good doctor.¡±

    ¡°One of my guild members has amazing recovery skills. He can reattach a broken bone in half a day.¡±

    ¡°Then, why did you come out so fast?¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re going to win anyway. So, I wanted to fight with you when you had more energy,¡± Wang Wu said and put the gloves on his hands. He stared at Su-hyeun. ¡°I don¡¯t even think to win against you. I¡¯d be satisfied if I hit you just once.¡±

    Bam¡ª!

    When Wang Wu hit the gauntlets in both of his hands, a solid sound spread around.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    Whiz¡ª

    Wang Wu¡¯s big body began to move and came right to Su-hyeun. He wasn¡¯t that fast, but the power in his hands was stronger than the last three people. Wang Wu¡¯s fist stretched toward Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    At that moment, Wang Wu had a revelation.

    <<What? He¡¯s not dodging.>>

    Boom¡ª!

    The gauntlet hit Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    [Indomitable body.]

    Along with the heavy feeling, a solid impact was delivered to the fist inside the gauntlet. And it was at that moment¡­

    Grab¡ª

    ¡°Ok. You hit me.¡±

    ¡°Argh¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun grabbed Wang Wu¡¯s forearm tightly and said, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±

    ¡°What a crazy¡­¡±

    Bam¡ª!

    Su-hyeun punched Wang Wu¡¯s solar plexus. His back bent forward and began to collapse.

    Flop¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s cheek that had been hit by the gauntlet felt numb.

    He stroked his cheek and murmured, ¡°I guess I should have avoided that.¡± He turned his gaze to the participants again and said, ¡°Next!¡±

    ***

    Ten, eleven, twelve. The challengers lost one by one. The awakener who lasted the longest among them was Ashlyn. She was American S-Rank awakener, an unusual female one. She was the one who lasted longest but it wasn¡¯t that long, either. She was on the stage for three minutes.

    1

    Adel, who had been watching the matches, thought, <<Something¡­is wrong.>>

    He started to think that way after Ashlyn lost. At first, when Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan had fought, he let out a cheer. When Su-hyeun won unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t think that it was a problem. Whoever won, if they left each other covered with wounds, that was enough for him. He hoped Su-hyeun had run out of his energy and magic and would get injured. Adel thought he could win against him, then. So, he didn¡¯t jump to fight right away and waited to see. But¡­

    <<How can he still be so lively?>>

    Already half of the finalists had lost. But Su-hyeun was still full of energy.

    [1 minute left.]

    The announcement came directly to their brains. Adel collected his mind at that announcement. Nobody was trying to challenge Su-hyeun anymore. They all thought that they would wait until he ran out of energy.

    <<If nobody challenges in 1 minute, he¡¯ll choose one.>>

    Time passed slowly. When the time was done, the right to decide was passed over to Su-hyeun.

    [Choose a challenger.]

    <<Damn it!>>

    Adel lowered his head. And he wasn¡¯t the only one. Every finalist in the arena avoided eye contact with Su-hyeun. Some people avoided his gaze explicitly. Other people pretended to look at something else. Adel was one of them.

    ¡°Damn it! Damn it!¡± Adel gnashed his teeth and muttered. He still lowered his head.

    It had been a while since he¡¯d avoided eye-contact with someone because he was scared. He felt humiliated. His pride was broken. He hoped Su-hyeun didn¡¯t point him out. He wanted to wait until the last of the last. He wanted to fight later, when Su-hyeun would be exhausted.

    ¡°Adel.¡± Su-hyeun pointed out his opponent.

    Puff¡ª

    At that moment, the landscape in front of Adel changed. Suddenly, he was at the stadium.

    ¡°Did he just choose Adel?¡±

    ¡°For the first point, he chooses Adel!¡±

    ¡°Then, maybe¡­¡±

    The spectators started to stir. It was the same for the people who were watching the game on Television. Especially European viewers responded instantly. Adel was one of the top candidates for the winner, along with Gordon Rohan. And he was the most famous awakener all over Europe.

    <<Maybe if Kim Su-hyeun is tired¡­>>

    <<Adel could win. Possibly.>>

    <<If Adel wins at this point, I might have chance to win.>>

    Being a winner of the Ranking Wars would come with a great prize. Gordon Rohan had offered an enormous amount of money. If Su-hyeun was full of energy, there would be no chance for Adel to win against him. But Su-hyeun had fought against Gordon Rohan and had been fighting with more than ten S-Rank awakeners. So, Adel thought he might able to win. Su-hyeun and Adel looked at each other.

    Su-hyeun grinned and spoke first, ¡°Hey. Long time no see.¡±

    Clench¡ª

    Adel snarled at Su-hyeun¡¯s greeting. Su-hyeun had pointed out Adel without any hesitation. That meant only one thing. Su-hyeun had been waiting for Adel and the chance to fight against him.

    ¡°Sure. Long time no see,¡± Adel said.

    ¡°You look very different from yesterday? Why don¡¯t you laugh?¡±

    Adel had been smiling the day before. He usually laughed a lot. Even if it was faked, Adel was famous for his smiling face. Adel¡¯s distorted face wasn¡¯t something easy to see.

    ¡°Are you scared of me?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Adel¡¯s eyes were shaking.

    ¡°Or are you scared of losing in front of so many people?¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Su-hyeun shook his head as if he was pathetic. ¡°What would be the point of saying it?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t say it exactly, but Adel could understand what he was trying to say. Su-hyeun was laughing at what had happened the day before. Adel flipped his lid. He clenched his fists and gathered his magic.

    <<I am Adel!>>

    Rumble¡ª

    Adel¡¯s hands started to change to a golden color.

    <<I can win! No matter how he pretends to be calm, he must be out of his energy!>>

    Su-hyeun had used a lot of magic during the fight against Gordon Rohan. Adel assumed his physical strength was worn out as well.

    <<I think his Fatigue level should be like 60%.>>

    In that case, it was clear that Su-hyeun only could use half or less than half of his power than usual.

    <<This is a good chance.>>

    Adel made a firm determination. They were ready to fight.

    [The game starts now.]

    Swish¡ª

    Adel launched himself at Su-hyeun. On the other hand, Su-hyeun was standing still. Adel aimed Su-hyeun¡¯s neck and stretched his hand.

    Clang¡ª Clank¡ª Clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword and Adel¡¯s hands hit each other, one after another. Adel didn¡¯t feel any pain. At first, his hands couldn¡¯t be cut by any sword, no matter how sharp.

    [Adamantium gauntlets.]

    Adamantium was the hardest metal in the world. It was very rare and priceless. Adel was one of the awakeners who attacked the dungeon where adamantium was found. And his gauntlets were the world¡¯s only gauntlets that had been made by smelting adamantium. Adel melted the gauntlets in his body to wear anytime, anywhere, and to use them as part of his body.

    Boom¡ª!

    Adel¡¯s fist hit Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. After a couple of hits, his confidence grew. He was convinced that he could win.

    <<I can do it!>>

    Whoosh¡ª

    Adel stretched out his fist. Huge magic gathered in the fist and started to make it turn blue.

    [White Dragon Fist.]

    Kiyaaa¡ª!

    The shape of a giant dragon came over Su-hyeun¡¯s body. It was when the fangs of the blue dragon tried to bite Su-hyeun that he lifted his sword up. He didn¡¯t even try to avoid the attack.

    <<Is he trying to stop it? No. He¡¯s not. He¡¯s¡­>>

    When Adel realized what Su-hyeun was doing, it was too late.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything- Cutting the Sky.]

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword swung down.

    Boom¡ª!

    The dragon¡¯s body was cut in two. The stadium went topsy-turvy again.

 Chapter 143

    Act 6

    Adel knelt. He crossed his arms and blocked Su-hyeun¡¯s sword.

    Clash, clash¡ª

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    Su-hyeun gave one big shot. The power of Su-hyeun¡¯s sword was stronger than any other attack Adel had ever received. As Su-hyeun pressed down, Adel couldn¡¯t even stand up straight. He felt a burning feeling from the back of his hands that were blocking the sword.

    Drip¡ª

    Blood leaked through the gauntlets and ran down the back of Adel¡¯s hands.

    <<Blood? Am I bleeding right now?>>

    Adel was wearing gauntlets made from adamantium. Although the adamantium content was low, it was confirmed that it couldn¡¯t be broken or cut by anything. The researchers said that even if he took a hit from a missile, the gauntlets would be fine. But now his adamantium gauntlets were cut. Although they were small cuts, it was still hard to believe.

    <<But I stopped him, at least.>> Adel grinned.

    Gordon Rohan couldn¡¯t have stopped this attack and had gotten injured, instead.

    <<But I blocked his sword! Then, it¡¯s worth trying. I¡¯ll counterattack¡­>>

    Thump¡ª

    At that moment, Su-hyeun trampled on Adel¡¯s knee. Adel, who was about to rise up and to swing his fist, widened his eyes. Because of the power of Su-hyeun stepping on his knee, he couldn¡¯t stand up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move. Stay still.¡± Su-hyeun lifted his sword again. ¡°Don¡¯t avoid it unless you want to get your head cut.¡±

    Swish¡ª!

    Clang, clank¡ª!

    Su-hyeun continued to strike above Adel¡¯s head. Adel couldn¡¯t escape. He just kept raising his hands to block the sword. His arms were getting tired, they felt as if they would tear apart. But, as Su-hyeun said, Adel couldn¡¯t avoid the sword.

    <<He¡¯s going to kill me¡­>>

    Adel thought he really might die if things went wrong. He felt like his neck would be cut if his defense fell for even just a moment. But, even so, he couldn¡¯t keep blocking like this.

    Adel clenched his teeth. He began to rise up with strength in his legs. Su-hyeun moved the foot that had been steeping on Adel¡¯s knee. They increased the distance. And, in that brief moment, Adel pulled his fist back and reloaded his power.

    ¡°You die!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    The fist, with the adamantium gauntlet, flew to Su-hyeun¡¯s head. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t move his sword. Adel had a smile of satisfaction.

    <<Yes! I got him!>>

    Whoosh¡ª

    Wham¡ª!

    A Dull and heavy sound rang. Adel couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He hadn¡¯t hit Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. Adel hit his fist. Su-hyeun blocked Adel¡¯s attack with his bare hand, without any weapons like gauntlets.

    <<What a stupid bastard! His fingers must be all smashed¡­>>

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    But the cracking sound came from a different side. Adel looked at his fist. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. The golden gauntlet on his fist began to crack.

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    Clang¡ª!

    The shattered pieces of gauntlet fell to the floor. Adel backed off, staring at the gauntlet pieces scattered everywhere.

    ¡°W-what is this nonsense¡­,¡± Adel said in surprise.

    ¡°That was quite hard,¡± Su-hyeun said, shaking his fist.

    ¡°What the hell did you do? How¡­ that¡¯s adamantium¡ª¡±

    ¡°Even though it was a great weapon, the person who used it wasn¡¯t so great. And, in this world, there¡¯s no such thing as a perfect metal.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Adel asked with a doubtful look, ¡°Wait. No way. Did you plan all this from the beginning¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course. If it weren¡¯t for this, I could have finished you already.¡±

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun slowly walked to Adel.

    ¡°So? How do you feel about losing your precious weapon? It was like a body part, wasn¡¯t it? What value do you have without it?¡±

    ¡°Aaaagh!¡±

    Rap¡ª!

    Adel swung his fist instinctively. His fist hit Su-hyeun. Adel was puzzled. His reckless attack was successful?

    Thump¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Su-hyeun hit Adel¡¯s stomach. Adel¡¯s back bent and his knees shook with shock.

    ¡°Look at this,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Whack¡ª!

    This time, Su-hyeun hit Adel¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re awful.¡±

    ¡°Argh¡­¡±

    Blood began to pour from Adel¡¯s face. It looked like his nose was broken.

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed Adel¡¯s head as he tried to step back. And Su-hyeun¡¯s fist, raised high, smashed his face again.

    Whack, whack¡ª!

    Adel¡¯s teeth broke, one by one, and fell to the floor. Adel, who was being beaten, hardly opened his mouth to say something.

    ¡°G-gi¡­¡±

    Whack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun punched Adel¡¯s mouth again. Adel didn¡¯t even get a chance to give up. Su-hyeun made Adel unable to surrender. Su-hyeun held Adel¡¯s head tight.

    ¡°Argh¡­Ar¡­¡± Adel moaned.

    ¡°You say it right now, on your own.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes turned cold and harsh. ¡°About what you did yesterday and why you did it¡­¡±

    Adel¡¯s eyes shook. <<Is he telling me to say everything about yesterday from here? About how I attacked Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan because I was blinded by the thought of victory? No, I can¡¯t¡­>>

    As soon as he confessed, he would be doomed. Not only he would be criticized for his morality by everyone, but he¡¯d be a pariah for the rest of his life.

    <<And what about the European Awakener Federation? What will happen if people find out the federation does such things?>>

    The coalition would never even be formed. It would be impossible. Adel couldn¡¯t say it out loud.

    ¡°So¡­ You don¡¯t want to say it, do you?¡± Su-hyeun asked, looking at Adel, who was held by his hand. Adel could only shake his head a little bit. ¡°Well. You¡¯ll change your mind soon.¡±

    [The Curse of the Dark Psychic ¨C Pain.]

    In front of Adel¡¯s eyes, a soul wearing a black robe appeared. At that moment, the sensory organs of Adel¡¯s entire body became dozens of times more sensitive.

    ¡°Shake your hand whenever you change your mind.¡±

    Wham¡ª!

    Su-hyeun punched Adel¡¯s stomach. Adel¡¯s eyes turned white and his body bent almost in half.

    ¡°Argh¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep hitting you until then.¡±

    Su-hyeun raised his hand again. One-sided violence began.

    <hr />

    ¡°Hey. Will you just watch it?¡±

    At Johnny Brad¡¯s question, Gordon Rohan nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t bother them. Adel didn¡¯t say that he¡¯ll give up yet.¡±

    ¡°I saw his mouth. The guy tried to surrender.¡±

    ¡°Yes. He tried to surrender. But he didn¡¯t actually surrender, did he?¡± Gordon Rohan looked down the stadium from the top of the stand and rested his chin on his desk.

    Johnny Brad looked at Gordon Rohan as if he couldn¡¯t understand him. ¡°People will criticize the Ranking Wars for allowing such one-sided violence.¡±

    ¡°Let them. I don¡¯t care. If they have an issue with me, they can always come and find me. I¡¯ll smash them all.¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess you really don¡¯t like him.¡±

    ¡°Who? Adel?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like him that much. He has quite a lot of talent and skills, but he didn¡¯t try to become stronger through effort. He only thought of petty tricks,¡± Gordon Rohan said, looking at Adel, who was still being beaten up. ¡°Let Su-hyeun beat him up until Adel says ¡®surrender.¡¯ That¡¯s the rule.¡±

    <hr />

    ¡°St¡­o¡­p¡­¡± Adel hardly opened his mouth to say.

    While Adel was being beaten, he tried to surrender over and over again. But whenever he tried to open his mouth, Su-hyeun smashed it. Like that, Adel was beaten for a few minutes.

    The Curse of the Dark Psychic was a skill to maximize the pain of the subdued object. It specialized in torture. Because of this skill, Adel was now experiencing a pain that he had never felt before. He was just being hit by a fist, but he felt pain like his body was breaking down.

    ¡°Are you ready to say it now?¡± Su-hyeun stopped the beating. He pulled Adel up and met his eyes.

    Adel shook his body. He barely opened his eyes and hardly looked at Su-hyeun. And that moment, the third eye on Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead opened.

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator.]

    Syaaaa¡ª

    Adel¡¯s body was frozen. He couldn¡¯t move his arms or legs, as if they were tied up. His mouth trembled. Under the influence of the Predator skill, Adel felt an instinctive fear of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t kill me¡­Please¡­Don¡¯t kill me¡­¡±

    ¡°Then say it.¡± Su-hyeun dropped Adel and nodded his head. ¡°Say it, and I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    Adel couldn¡¯t think straight. His head was full of instinctive fear. He wanted to live. So, Adel turned his body away from Su-hyeun and knelt down on the floor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me¡­¡±

    At the very last moment, Adel had a brief conflict. He still had a little bit of reason in the back of his mind. But it didn¡¯t last. He felt the presence of Su-hyeun, standing in his back.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    <hr />

    The CBC broadcasting station that had been broadcasting the Ranking Wars was in an uproar because of Adel. He suddenly opened his mouth and started to confess during the fight.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s true?¡±

    CBC¡¯s producer, Bae Young-cheol and the writer, Kim Hyeun-su were staring at the broadcast screen. The screen was showing Adel¡¯s face. The game was paused. Adel¡¯s voice came out of the TV.

    <ul>

    I am so sorry. I will never do such things again¡­

    </ul>

    Adel was shivering and stuttering. He certainly didn¡¯t seem normal. Ordinarily, Adel was a man of laughter and always looked relaxed. But now, he was scared of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°So, the conclusion is,¡± Bae Young-cheol said, ¡°the European Union decided to create another union of European awakeners¡­ and to make it look good, they tried to make Adel winner of the Ranking Wars¡­ am I right?¡±

    If it was all true, it would be a huge scoop. Too many S-Rank awakeners were involved to consider it a simple fight among awakeners.

    ¡°Yea. I think you¡¯re right,¡± Kim Hyeun-su answered.

    ¡°Why the hell is he confessing, then?¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­he was afraid of dying because he was beaten up too much.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think maybe he was threatened while he was beaten up?¡± Bae Young-cheol asked.

    ¡°His story is too detailed for that. And I think there is circumstantial evidence,¡± Kim Hyeun-su said.

    ¡°Circumstantial evidence? Like what?¡± Bae Young-cheol asked in surprise.

    ¡°Some awakeners from the European Union disappeared. It¡¯s news from reporter Mr. Jeong from San Francisco.¡±

    ¡°Wow. He got the news fast.¡±

    The story sounded convincing. In particular, just looking at the way the floor of the stadium was crushed, people could guess there was a big fight the day before.

    ¡°What do you think will happen now, sir?¡± Kim Hyeun-su asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean Kim Su-hyeun. He looks like he¡¯s about to pick a fight with the whole European Union openly.¡±

    ¡°Fight? Do you think this is about to be a fight?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°This is a warning.¡±

    Kim Hyeun-su tilted his head and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun resorted to violence against Adel and made him confess the reason himself.¡±

    ¡°Yea. And why is that¡­?¡±

    ¡°What do European Union awakeners think of that? Do you think they¡¯ll keep trying to fight with Kim Su-hyeun? Creating a Union and joining the forces? Why? For what reason?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­¡±

    Kim Hyeun-su couldn¡¯t answer. And he finally realized. The European Awakener Federation was still an unclear organization. It didn¡¯t officially exist, yet. And¡­

    ¡°No one¡¯s name was revealed, except Adel.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± Bae Young-cheol ignited an electronic cigarette and sucked a sip for a long time. ¡°In this situation, if the European Awakener Federation was created and people joined? That would be like admitting you were one of the attackers.¡±

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Now do you get it why I called it a warning?¡±

    What Su-hyeun wanted to say about this was very clear.

    ¡°With this, he¡¯s making sure the European Awakener Federation isn¡¯t going to happen.¡±

 Chapter 144

    <hr />

    A chaotic time had passed. The Ranking Wars continued. People decided to worry about right and wrong after the whole competition. Su-hyeun¡¯s last opponent was Hak-joon. After Adel surrendered, some brave awakeners decided to challenge him. But they all knelt eventually. Hak-joon waited until the end. Like that, the last match of this Ranking Wars was between the two Korean awakeners. And the result, of course, was as everyone expected.

    ¡°Huu¡ª¡±

    Hak-joon hit the mat and let out a long breath. He couldn¡¯t win, no matter how hard he tried. With Hak-joon¡¯s abilities, just blocking Su-hyeun¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do.

    <<Is he a monster or something?>> Hak-joon thought.

    He realized that ¡°there may be blue and better blue¡± after he had seen the fight between Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan. The reason why he had waited until the last was because he was confident that Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone else until the end.

    <<I thought I could hit him at least once¡­>>

    Not only did he fail to hit Su-hyeun once, he couldn¡¯t last for even five minutes. He had to admit it.

    ¡°Ok. I lose. I can¡¯t move any more!¡±

    [The game is over.]

    [The winner of the Ranking Wars is ¡®Kim Su-hyeun¡¯.]

    [Congratulations.]

    Ping¡ª

    Pop, pop, pop¡ª!

    Firecrackers burst from all over the stadium. The splendid fireworks filled the sky above the stadium, far above the cracked and broken floor.

    Hak-joon, lying on the floor, looked at the flames and said, ¡°That¡¯s so cool.¡±

    ¡°Yea. I agree,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    A loud voice came through among the beautiful and colorful flames.

    ¡°Congratulations!¡±

    Clap, clap, clap¡ª!

    It was Gordon Rohan. He was clapping from above the stadium. He looked down at Su-hyeun. It looked like he had recovered enough to move.

    ¡°I honestly thought I would be there right now.¡±

    Gordon Rohan said and threw a microphone at Su-hyeun. He had probably prepared the microphone to give his victory speech. Unfortunately, Su-hyeun had one instead. Su-hyeun caught the microphone.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell people how you feel? How does it feel to be the best awakener in the world?¡± Gordon Rohan asked.

    It was a sort of question that journalists would ask. And, also, it was a question that everyone was wondering about. It was the moment that Su-hyeun took an honored place as the world¡¯s best awakener. It was the place that everybody must acknowledge. It was natural to want to hear his feelings about the moment. Of course, some people who actually had fought and lost against him didn¡¯t want to hear anything about that.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m super excited or something,¡± Su-hyeun answered calmly.

    It wasn¡¯t a formal response. Su-hyeun was really calm. After all, Su-hyeun had been once the strongest human being in his previous life. Now, he was just a little closer to how he had been.

    ¡°Oh, really? Then how do you feel?¡± Gordon asked, eyes sparkling.

    The cameras kept broadcasting. Everyone all over the world was looking at Su-hyeun to hear his speech about the victory.

    Su-hyeun thought for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel any different right now. Just¡­ I thought I finally took one step forward¡­ I guess that is about it.¡±

    It was Su-hyeun¡¯s honest feelings. There was still a long way to go, and winning this Ranking Wars was only a step toward reaching his destination. He felt like it was too early to say thoughts or words because it was just one step for him.

    ¡°Did you say you finally took one step?¡± Gordon Rohan¡¯s eyes sparked. ¡°Then what¡¯s your next step? And how far do you plan to go?¡±

    ¡°To the end.¡±

    ¡°To the end?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What is that? Did you already set up your goal or something?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have my goal.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s answer, Gordon Rohan frowned a little bit.

    He asked again, ¡°Then what will happen when you reach the end, to your goal? Are you going to stop trying?¡±

    ¡°After that¡­ I¡¯ll think about it when I get there. But¡­,¡± Su-hyeun met the eyes of Gordon Rohan and continued to say, ¡°I¡¯m going to go faster than anyone else until I get to the end. So, if you can get ahead of me, go ahead.¡±

    Thump¡ª!

    Su-hyeun raised his foot and stomped on the floor. Huge magic began to spread under the stadium. It was as if an earthquake occurred.

    ¡°Whoever that is, I¡¯ll welcome them.¡±

    Gordon Rohan, who was disappointed for a moment, smiled again.

    <<Is he saying if there¡¯s any person who dares to challenge him, to bring it on?>>

    He liked it. He liked Su-hyeun¡¯s confidence to tell the entire world to challenge him if there was anyone confident enough.

    <<He won against me. He must have confidence like that.>>

    ¡°You wait there. I¡¯ll pass you before you reach your goal.¡± Gordon Rohan reached out to Su-hyeun.

    Now, the tables had turned. Gordon Rohan, who had considered Su-hyeun as a challenger, became the challenger now. And he reached his hand out to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Su-hyeun held Gordon Rohan¡¯s hand back.

    The fireworks, which signaled the end of the Ranking Wars, were filling the stadium without stopping.

    <hr />

    After the Ranking Wars, Su-hyeun left Gordon Tower with Hak-joon. Not surprisingly, many people were waiting in front of the Gordon Tower. They were the people who had been watching the game on TV. They came in front of Gordon Tower to actually see the players with their own eyes. There were reporters among them. They ran to Su-hyeun as soon as they found him.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir. You became the winner of this Ranking Wars. Can you give me a word how do you feel¡­?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any secret to becoming the world¡¯s best awakener? If you do¡­¡±

    ¡°Is Adel¡¯s confession really true? If that is true, who were the other awakeners that joined him?¡±

    There were too many questions. Su-hyeun sighed as if he was tired and shook his hands.

    This time, Hak-joon stepped between Su-hyeun and the reporters and said, ¡°Sorry. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡± Su-hyeun looked at Hak-joon with the look as if asking ¡®what are you doing right now?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to try something like this,¡± Hak-joon said.

    ¡°What do you mean something like this?¡±

    ¡°Being a bodyguard? It¡¯s fun, like I expected.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at Hak-joon as if Hak-joon had grown a second head. The problem of his bodyguard, who was blocking the reporters, was that he couldn¡¯t speak English at all.

    ¡°Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°My friend!¡±

    Beyond the reporters, the voices of Lee Ju-ho and Thomas came from one side. Thomas ran to Su-hyeun with a much brighter face than before. Thomas, who almost flew up, opened his arms and pushed through the reporters.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡°A-argh!¡±

    The reporters who had been flocking around Su-hyeun hurriedly stepped aside. Thomas was pushing through them as if he was really in a hurry.

    ¡°Calm down. Calm down.¡±

    Su-hyeun bowed to the reporters and held Thomas, who was running forward to him. He ran so quickly. He almost bumped into Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Congratulations! Congratulations!¡± Thomas exclaimed.

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you.¡±

    Su-hyeun lifted Thomas up and put him down on the ground. It was as if he¡¯d gotten a new child. Lee Ju-ho walked after Thomas and patted his shoulder.

    ¡°Su-hyeun must be tired. So don¡¯t drain his energy too much, okay? I know you¡¯re very happy to see him but¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yes. I see.¡± Thomas nodded a couple of times.

    He cared about Su-hyeun and he didn¡¯t want to make him more tired. The reporters weren¡¯t eager to approach after being pushed aside by Thomas. As a matter of fact, Thomas was famous for his brutal appearance in this Ranking Wars.

    ¡°Oh, by the way. You¡¯ve got a contact,¡± Lee Ju-ho said after calming down Thomas.

    ¡°To me?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Yes. Do you want to hear later? I bet you¡¯re tired.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Just tell me.¡±

    ¡°It is from Mr. Bak Yun-gyu. He asked you to call him back today if possible.¡±

    ¡°Did he?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It sounded pretty urgent. So, please, give him a call. And, since you must be tired, go back to your room and get some sleep. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Ok. I will.¡±

    ¡°And congratulations. You did a good job,¡± Lee Ju-ho said, patting Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder lightly.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Click, click¡ª

    The reporters took pictures of them. Since Thomas was right next to Su-hyeun, it looked like they wouldn¡¯t get any interviews.

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun went back to his room and lay on the bed first. His hair was messed up, and clothes were covered by dust and blood. But he had no power to take care of those at the moment.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± asked Thomas, who had been following Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun buried his face in a fluffy pillow and nodded. ¡°Yes. A little bit.¡±

    ¡°Oh! What should I do? What should I do?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you should do,¡± said Lee Ju-ho, grabbing Thomas¡¯s collar, ¡°except don¡¯t bother the tried one and leave the room right now.¡±

    ¡°Aww!¡±

    Thomas pouted out his lips and grumbled. Su-hyeun turned his face and looked at Lee Ju-ho and sulking Thomas.

    <<I couldn¡¯t spend much time with Thomas since I had to go through the finals with Hak-joon. But it looks like they¡¯ve become close. Lee Ju-ho is really good at dealing with people.>>

    Thomas also seemed quite open to Lee Ju-ho. Thomas was much stronger than Lee Ju-ho, but he meekly let Lee Ju-ho drag him around.

    <<That¡¯s a relief,>> Su-hyeun thought, <<I would worry if Thomas was awkward or uncomfortable with other people.>>

    If Thomas couldn¡¯t live with people, what Su-hyeun had done would be just a nosy move. Fortunately, Thomas got along quite well. He connected with not only Su-hyeun but also Lee Ju-ho and Hak-joon.

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s right.¡±

    Su-hyeun got up from the bed. He found his smartphone that he had left in the room. He thought he would contact Bak Yun-gyu as soon as he got to the room, but he had forgotten. He turned his phone on. As expected, there was a phone call from an unknown number.

    <<I guess that¡¯s Mr. Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s number.>>

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    -Hello? Mr. Su-hyeun?

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s me. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t contact you sooner.¡±

    -First of all, congratulations. I¡¯ve heard you won the Ranking Wars.

    ¡°News travels fast.¡±

    -It was broadcast all over the world and everyone is talking about you right now. There¡¯s no way I could not know about it. I¡¯m so thrilled to have the world¡¯s best awakener from Korea.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Awkward at receiving praise, Su-hyeun answered bitterly.

    He had been hearing congratulations for the whole day. Now, he felt more tired than glad about the celebrations. Bak Yun-gyu changed the topic quickly, as if he noticed Su-hyeun¡¯s feelings.

    -I have news to tell you. And I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I have to ask you for a favor.

    ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡±

    -A blue-colored dungeon appeared in Korea.

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Su-hyeun widely opened up his tired eyes.

    <<What does he mean? A blue-colored dungeon in Korea?>>

    This was something Su-hyeun had never expected. He hurriedly checked a small calendar on one side of the corner of the room.

    <<A blue one? Not a green one?>>

    This was the second time that a dungeon that shouldn¡¯t appear had appeared. The future he knew was twisted again.

    <<Why¡­?>>

    It was at that moment, Bak Yun-gyu said something that made Su-hyeun even more confused than he already was.

    -And¡­ there are two blue-colored dungeons.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    -We need your help. Mr. Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun pulled his phone from his ear with a hard look. He was sure. The future had started to change.

 Chapter 145

    Act 7

    Two blue-colored dungeons had appeared in Korea. Bak Yun-gyu went right out to find them as soon as he got the report.

    He saw a small dungeon that appeared deep in Seorak Mountain. It was discovered a few days before. There was still some time left until the outbreak. But the problem was there weren¡¯t enough human resources.

    <<Blue-colored dungeon¡­>>

    Bak Yun-gyu looked to one side There was another dungeon on the other side of the viaduct. And that dungeon was also blue. Moreover, the second dungeon was slightly larger than the first.

    <<Two dungeons appeared in a similar area at the same time¡­>>

    Such things were called twin dungeons. They were dungeons that appeared at the same time and the same place. Those dungeons usually cause an outbreak at almost the same time. Typically, low-level dungeons appeared as twin dungeons. But this time, they were blue-colored ones.

    ¡°¡­This is so sudden,¡± Bak Yun-gyu muttered.

    Even the outbreak from a green-colored dungeon had far-reaching power. It could easily destroy a small city or two. Indeed, one small town had been damaged because of a dungeon not too long ago. After that incident, people started to talk about eschatology. That was just a green-colored dungeon. Bak Yun-gyu even couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if two blue-colored dungeons had an outbreak at the same time. Perhaps even the whole province might be a mess.

    ¡°Leader!¡± A big man named Kang Seung-cheol crossed the viaduct and approached Bak Yun-gyu.

    Bak Yun-gyu, who was looking at the dungeon, turned his head and asked, ¡°How is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s expected that it will outbreak in 15 days to a month.¡±

    At Kang Seung-cheol¡¯s answer, Bak Yun-gyu made a ridiculous expression. ¡°Why¡¯s the error range so big?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much data about blue-colored dungeons. That¡¯s the best we can do.¡±

    ¡°It drives me nuts.¡±

    <<A month maybe¡­ But 15 days is too short to prepare.>>

    They always had to assume the worst. If the outbreak would occur in 15 days, they should start attacking in ten days, at the latest.

    <<I hope Mr. Su-hyeun will come back to Korea soon.>>

    Right not, there weren¡¯t enough S-Rank awakeners left in Korea. Not just Kim Su-hyeun and Song Hyeong-gi but also Choi Hak-joon, who became S-Rank only recently, went to San Francisco to participate in the Ranking Wars.

    ¡°Go bring Mr. Su-hyeun back as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Kang Seung-cheol also knew the seriousness of this case and started to move straight away. Bak Yun-gyu stayed where he was, in case of an emergency.

    <<If those dungeons cause an outbreak¡­>>

    He held tight the handle of the sword that he wore at his waist. His eyes gleamed.

    <<I must stop it.>>

    <hr />

    In the end, Su-hyeun took a rest in the private plane, not at the hotel. It took almost half a day to get back to Korea, so they couldn¡¯t stay in San Francisco any longer. One thing had changed. There was one more person in his party.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    Thomas wandered around the private jet, eyes shining. Thomas never saw the plane flying above the sky. Thomas was a high-rank awakener, but riding a plane that operated so high above the ground, at such fast speed, was something exciting to him.

    ¡°It looks like he never knew something like this existed.¡± Hak-joon, who was just about to sleep, lifted his eye mask and looked at Thomas.

    Su-hyeun replied, lying on his chair, ¡°You were the same.¡±

    ¡°W-was I?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hak-joon felt embarrassed. He scratched his cheek and put his eye mask back. Thomas, who had been looking around the plane for a whole hour, soon got tired and sat in a chair and started reading a book.

    They finally arrived after a half-day trip. It was the middle of the day in Korea. Su-hyeun woke up from a deep sleep. He let out a long yawn and got off the plane.

    ¡°Will you go right away?¡±

    Hak-joon had heard about the blue-colored dungeons, too. So, he asked, a little nervously. He had joined the raid of a blue-colored dungeon before. So, he knew well the level of difficulty involved. And, this time, there was not just one. This time, twin dungeons had appeared.

    ¡°I have to stop somewhere first,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t take you. There¡¯s an ill-tempered man.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Are you¡­?¡± Hak-joon asked in surprise.

    There was only one person that Su-hyeun called an ill-tempered man. He was going the blacksmith named Kim Dae-ho, whose praises Su-hyeun had been singing.

    ¡°He said he¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°What is this about?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°Oh. You didn¡¯t hear?¡±

    Su-hyeun explained to Lee Ju-ho about what he had ordered from Kim Dae-ho. After the explanation, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°R-real adamantium?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Real adamantium.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your sword was made out of the highest-grade Ether stones?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was.¡±

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡± The curse came out like exclamation.

    His sword was made of the highest-grade Ether stones, and now adamantium, called the best metal in the world, was added. If those two were combined, that would almost be a national treasure.

    <<No. That might just be the best weapon in history.>>

    Adel¡¯s gauntlets, which made of a little bit of adamantium, were called one of the most powerful items in Europe. Adding such adamantium onto the highest-grade Ether stones was unprecedented.

    ¡°So, are you going to bring a sword?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°Yes. Also, I want to say hello to Mr. Dae-ho.¡±

    ¡°Then, do you want to take a day off and move tomorrow? You came right from the Ranking Wars,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°Yes. That is fine with me¡­¡± Su-hyeun looked at Hak-joon.

    Unlike Su-hyeun, Hak-joon seemed pretty tired. It looked like his fatigue didn¡¯t go away with a bit of sleep on the private plane.

    <<Well. I guess I am a little tired, too.>>

    Su-hyeun recovered from physical fatigue, but his mental fatigue hadn¡¯t been relieved yet. The blue-colored dungeons wouldn¡¯t cause an outbreak in a day. According to Bak Yun-gyu, it looked like they still had at least ten days.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s meet at the bottom of Seorak Mountain about lunchtime. Hey, Hak-joon, I think you should go to visit Yun-seon. You haven¡¯t seen her in a while.¡±

    ¡°What about me? What about me?¡± Thomas asked.

    ¡°Thomas, you¡¯re going to go with Mr. Ju-ho. I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t take you. See you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s meet Su-hyeun tomorrow again, Thomas. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Thomas lowered his head down as if he felt bad, but he didn¡¯t complain. Eventually, Thomas went with Lee Ju-ho. Su-hyeun got his car that he had parked nearby. Soon, he headed to Yangpyeong.

    <hr />

    There was no sound at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s villa in Yangpyeong. It was weird. Kim Dae-ho always struck the metals, except when he slept.

    ¡°Mister. I¡¯m here,¡± Su-hyeun said, knocking on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    A voice came from a distance. Kim Dae-ho didn¡¯t strike iron at the moment, but he was still awake. Su-hyeun walked into the house, not the workshop. That was where Kim Dae-ho¡¯s voice had come from.

    ¡°Hey, Su-hyeun. How are you?¡±

    When Su-hyeun went into the open porch, he could see Kim Dae-ho. He was lying on the sofa in the living room and waved his hand. Su-hyeun looked around the messy room. Kim Dae-ho looked a little tired.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°What happened? Why is your house so messy? And what happened to you?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep for three days.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said, I didn¡¯t sleep for three days.¡±

    Su-hyeun widened his eyes. ¡°I heard. But why didn¡¯t you sleep?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been sleeping because I made your sword.¡±

    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not urgent. You didn¡¯t have to do that. You should take care of yourself first¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I did it just because I was having fun. I was getting closer to completion, so I couldn¡¯t stop.¡±

    Su-hyeun understood. He knew how much Kim Dae-ho liked making weapons. He hadn¡¯t been sleeping because he was having fun making his sword.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the sword?¡±

    ¡°I hung it up there,¡± Kim Dae-ho said, pointing to one of the weapons hanging on the wall.

    Dozens of weapons hung on the wall like rubbish, but actually, they were Kim Dae-ho¡¯s masterpieces. Each one of them would cost hundreds of millions of won. And, among them, the one that stood out was Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. It looked rather ordinary. The scabbard and handle looked the same as before.

    ¡°You said that sword¡¯s name is Balmung, right? I didn¡¯t know because I¡¯m ignorant. But I did some research. It was the sword from some mythical story, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right,¡± Su-hyeun answered, taking the sword down from the wall.

    ¡°You have no sense in making a name. Why didn¡¯t you give it a new name? Huh?¡±

    It looked like Kim Dae-ho didn¡¯t like the name of the sword. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t answer his complaints. He drew the sword out slowly. The sword came out about a handspan. It reflected Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    <<Balmung.>>

    The blade had a pale gold color that could only be seen when he looked closely. This was Balmung. Su-hyeun¡¯s heart thumped. The feeling was completely different from Gram. Balmung was the sword that he used for most of his life. When he held this sword again, he got a different feeling.

    <<Now, I can use that skill.>>

    There was a skill that he had been saving because of the limitations of the weapon. Su-hyeun smiled again when he thought about how he could use that skill again.

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun put the sword back in the scabbard.

    ¡°I bet you¡¯re itching to use it soon,¡± Kim Dae-ho, lying on the sofa, said as if he understood.

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°I can tell from your face. Hey, it¡¯s not a shameful thing or something. You don¡¯t have to lie¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, old man!¡± Suddenly, a loud voice came from outside.

    ¡°We came to get our gear, old man!¡±

    ¡°Those bastards came again!¡± Kim Dae-ho crumpled his face.

    Su-hyeun turned his head and looked at the direction where the voice came. ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°Never mind. You just stay here. I¡¯ll come back after I kick them out.¡± Kim Dae-ho got up from his seat with annoyance and walked out of the room.

    Su-hyeun looked at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s back.

    <<Wait. Was it about these days?>>

    Kim Dae-ho kept a low profile, although he had great skill. So, some guilds had come and bothered him to get his weapons. It happened because he started to sell his arms one by one to buy the materials he needed to work. Some of the guilds found out who had made them and forced Kim Dae-ho to make weapons for them. And, Su-hyeun remembered that this had happened about this time in his previous life.

    <<I should go out and check,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun knew why Kim Dae-ho had asked to stay here. He must have thought he would cause inconvenience for Su-hyeun. Also, he probably wanted Su-hyeun to keep out of trouble. But there was one thing Kim Dae-ho didn¡¯t think about.

    <<I haven¡¯t paid you back for everything that I¡¯ve received, mister.>>

    Su-hyeun began to follow Kim Dae-ho, quietly.

 Chapter 146

    <hr />

    ¡°Damn. That old man is so f*king slow.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s old. If we push him too much, like last time, he won¡¯t give us anything at all. So just calm down, okay?¡±

    ¡°Why do we have to bend and scrape to such an old man? Huh? We¡¯re the Hahoetal Guild!¡±

    Two men stood in front of the gate and made a loud noise. One man, who had a small frame, was Song Kyung-taek of the Hahoetal Guild. He lit a cigarette.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why our guild master wants to let this old man make our equipment,¡± said Song Kyung-taek.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s good at making weapons. You saw the stuff he made, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yea, I saw it. But can¡¯t we just get his weapons from auction houses or something?¡±

    ¡°Those were his mass-produced models.¡±

    ¡°So¡­?¡±

    ¡°So, those are mass-produced models. Not special ones.¡±

    Song Kyung-taek opened his eyes wide as if he couldn¡¯t believe what Ahn Min-ho just said. He asked again, not even thinking about putting the cigarette back to his mouth.

    ¡°Those were his mass-produced models? The simple stuff? Then, do you mean he can just churn stuff like that out?¡±

    ¡°He needs Ether stones, but if he has the materials, he can easily make those things quickly and without fail. No. Actually, I heard he regards those things in the auctions as failures,¡± Ahn Min-ho said.

    ¡°What the hell¡­ Why does such a great smith live in this po-dunk small town then?¡±

    Based on what Ahn Min-ho just said, Kim Dae-ho must be some kind of world-class smith. He was practically a national treasure. His presence would cause a global sensation.

    ¡°Now, do you get it? How important this job we have is?¡± Ahn Min-ho continued to say in a small voice, as he saw Kim Dae-ho walk out from the house. ¡°We have to bring that old man to our guild. That¡¯s our mission.¡±

    ¡°Go away! You bastards!¡± Kim Dae-ho shouted loudly all of a sudden, with no warning.

    Kim Dae-ho saw the pattern of the Hahoetal Guild on the shoulders of the two men¡¯s armor. As expected, they were the same guild that had come to bother him last time.

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you guys? I don¡¯t want to make a weapon for anyone, and I certainly don¡¯t intend to give you the weapons that you asked for!¡±

    ¡°Hey, old man. Calm down and think again. This will be a great opportunity for you.¡±

    ¡°Yea. We¡¯ll give you the celebrity treatment. We¡¯ll buy every single sword that you¡¯ve got just piled up in you warehouse They¡¯re useless anyway, aren¡¯t they? And our guild will give you a better workhouse than this dump¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t work for anyone. And I don¡¯t give my children to anyone else! If you don¡¯t get it, just go already!¡±

    At Kim Dae-ho¡¯s loud voice, Song Kyung-taek, who tried to convince him, frowned. ¡°Damn you¡¯re seriously a dotard, huh?¡±

    ¡°What? Dotard?¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey. Let¡¯s calm down. Hey, Song Kyung-taek. You spoke so harshly. We¡¯re here to ask him to do us a favor,¡± Ahn Min-ho said.

    ¡°Damn it. Why¡¯s he so stubborn about this dirty workshop anyway¡­?¡± Song Kyung-taek mumbled, but since he stood nearby, Kim Dae-ho could hear every word he said. Kim Dae-ho opened his eyes wide and stared at Song Kyung-taek.

    ¡°What? What? Dirty workshop? You crazy bastards!¡±

    At Kim Dae-ho¡¯s uproar, Song Kyung-taek grinned. He looked behind the gate.

    ¡°Oh, I see. So, you care about your workshop too much. Is that why you don¡¯t accept our offer?¡±

    ¡°Song Kyung-taek!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop me! God damn. I¡¯ll tell our guild master that I couldn¡¯t help it since he didn¡¯t cooperate at all.¡± Song Kyung-taek started to walk forward as if he had already decided.

    <<By Heavens!>> Ahn Min-ho frowned as he saw Song Kyung-taek¡¯s confidence.

    The problem was Song Kyung-taek¡¯s personality. He wasn¡¯t a person who would listen to other people. Especially as a B-Rank awakener, Ahn Min-ho didn¡¯t have enough power to stop A-Rank awakener, Song Kyung-taek.

    <<I shouldn¡¯t have brought him in the first place. He¡¯s too stubborn and loses his temper so easily. He might attack me if I try to stop him now.>>

    ¡°Then how about just taking his weapons from the workshop for now?¡± Ahn Min-ho asked.

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    ¡°Y-you bastards!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, old man. But we really need equipment urgently. We¡¯ll compensate you for damage so don¡¯t worry¡ª¡±

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    At that moment, a person came out of the house. Song Kyung-taek stopped a moment at the appearance of an unexpected stranger.

    <<Who¡¯s he?>>

    <<Is he an awakener, too?>>

    There wasn¡¯t much chance that a civilian would be in Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop. Although Kim Dae-ho wasn¡¯t that famous yet, somebody who heard about him by chance might have come to get some weapons.

    ¡°Hey, you,¡± Song Kyung-taek said, ¡°I guess you came here to get a piece of equipment or something. But he promised us first so¡ª¡±

    ¡°A promise is not a one-sided thing.¡±

    At the stranger¡¯s answer, Song Kyung-taek frowned a little.

    At that time, Kim Dae-ho said, looking back Su-hyeun, ¡°I told you to stay inside. Why did you come out?¡±

    ¡°These are unwelcome guests, aren¡¯t they?¡± Su-hyeun asked, looking at Song Kyung-taek and Ahn Min-ho.

    As Su-hyeun and Kim Dae-ho spoke, the people from the Hahoetal Guild glared at them.

    <<Wait a second. Do they know each other?>>

    <<Wait. That sword he¡¯s wearing¡­it looks like the old man¡¯s work.>>

    Ahn Min-ho knew about the weapons that Kim Dae-ho made. Kim Dae-ho didn¡¯t care much about design or appearance. So, every piece of equipment that he made looked similar.

    Moreover, the sword that the stranger was wearing was inside of the scabbard that Kim Dae-ho had made. Ahn Min-ho, who had been relatively calm so far, also frowned.

    ¡°Hey, old man. Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t give your children to anyone else?¡±

    ¡°I did. But he¡¯s not just anyone. He¡¯s someone,¡± Kim Dae-ho answered like Ahn Min-ho had asked an obvious question.

    But his answer made Song Kyung-taek and Ahn Min-ho more upset.

    ¡°Ha! I feel a little bad. Do you think Hahoetal Guild is garbage or something?¡± Song Kyung-taek started spreading his murderous spirit to Kim Dae-ho.

    Ahn Min-ho was no longer willing to stop him. After he realized out Kim Dae-ho had given his weapon to somebody else, he was also offended.

    ¡°Hahoetal Guild?¡± At that moment, Su-hyeun walked in between Song Kyung-taek and Kim Dae-ho. ¡°So, you¡¯re Hahoetal Guild? Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me upset and just leave,¡± said Su-hyeun, ¡°I¡¯m tired now. And keep away from here from now on. If you listen to me well, I¡¯ll just let you go.¡±

    ¡°What did you say? You crazy bastard?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Song Kyung-taek looked puzzled.

    <<Wait? Why is he still fine?>>

    He had been letting out his murderous spirit, but this man looked perfectly calm. Song Kyung-taek had thought that he wouldn¡¯t be a civilian, but he didn¡¯t think he would be higher rank awakener than himself, someone who could counter his murderous spirit.

    <<I guess he¡¯s more than B-Rank awakener. He seems quite capable, but he met the wrong opponent today. I¡¯m one of the top ten awakeners in the Hahoetal Guild!>>

    He popped his knuckles and walked toward Su-hyeun. Meanwhile, Ahn Min-ho, who was standing behind Song Kyung-taek, shook his head anxiously.

    <<He looks somewhat familiar¡­>>

    Wham¡ª!

    Before Ahn Min-ho¡¯s eyes, Song Kyung-taek¡¯s body flew backward. His teeth scattered everywhere.

    <<¡­Uh?>>

    Thump¡ª

    Song Kyung-taek flew up and fell to the ground. He drooped. Ahn Min-ho was stared blankly, not understanding the situation, and looking at Song Kyung-taek.

    ¡°Is the guild master of the Hahoetal Guild Gwon Jae-hoon?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Gwon Jae-hoon was one of the S-Rank awakeners of Korea. He was the guild master of Hahoetal Guild, which consisted of above B-Rank awakeners and above. The Hahoetal Guild was a large guild that counted among five fingers in Korea.

    ¡°Go tell him, if he touches this place again, he¡¯d better resolve to have a war with me.¡±

    ¡°Y-you! Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim¡­ Su-hyeun?¡± At that moment, Ahn Min-ho remembered the face that he briefly had seen from the TV. ¡°R-really? Are you that Kim Su-hyeun? Aren¡¯t you in San Francisco now?¡±

    Wham¡ª!

    Ahn Min-ho flew up, just like Song Kyung-taek. Su-hyeun, who jammed his fist, shook his hands as Ahn Min-ho¡¯s body fell.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Su-hyeun!¡±

    Su-hyeun turned his head at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mister. Even if a hundred of them come¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you knocked both of them out, who¡¯ll take them? You should have left one!¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    At Kim Dae-ho¡¯s point, Su-hyeun realized what he had done without thinking. Su-hyeun thought for a moment, looking at Song Kyung-taek and Ahn Min-ho, who were both passed out on the ground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just leave them like this, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Yea. What¡¯ll be the point in sending those bastards back home anyway?¡±

    ¡°Let go back in, mister.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Let me ask you one thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Are you that famous? You just look like a sissy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well. You¡¯re more useful than I thought. I¡¯ll call you if those thugs come by again. People have started to bug me recently.¡±

    Su-hyeun was at a loss for words.

    <<Is that why he told me to stay inside before? Because he thought I wouldn¡¯t be good at fighting?>>

    But Su-hyeun remembered that Kim Dae-ho usually didn¡¯t watch TV. The old-fashioned TV in the living room was nothing but a decoration. Kim Dae-ho turned the TV on about once a year. Kim Dae-ho got back his house, yawning really loud. Su-hyeun looked at him and sighed.

    <hr />

    Bak Yun-gyu watched a group of people crossing over the viaduct. The man leading them was familiar. Some more familiar faces followed him.

    ¡°Damn. They came again.¡±

    Kang Seung-cheol frowned and walked forward. Bak Yun-gyu reached his hand out and stopped Kang Seung-cheol.

    ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t fight here.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve dissipated so many times already. But do you still just want me to leave them alone?¡±

    ¡°It is not good to make trouble with that dude.¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    At Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s firm answer, Kang Seung-cheol shook his head. Meanwhile, the crowds crossed the viaduct.

    ¡°You¡¯re working hard to watch,¡± the man, who looked like a good-for-nothing, said in a rude tone.

    Kang Seung-cheol frowned.

    Bak Yun-gyu answered relatively calmly, ¡°Please, go back.¡±

    He always said the same thing to them. Bak Yun-gyu kept his back straight like a tree. He folded his hands behind his back as if he wouldn¡¯t let them go further.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go back. You know well, too. Our guild discovered this dungeon,¡± the man who crossed the viaduct said without a hint of unease. He had met Bak Yun-gyu a few times already.

    ¡°The dungeon was discovered by a civilian.¡±

    ¡°We were the group that came here fastest after that civilian¡¯s report.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you can claim that you discovered it. The Authority manages dungeons discovered by civilians. That¡¯s the rule. Guilds and awakeners to attack such dungeons are either supported by the Authority or selected separately. That¡¯s the law.¡± Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s voice was hard, as if he was reading a dictionary.

    The man in front of Bak Yun-gyu frowned as if his patience was running out. ¡°So, why don¡¯t you just give charge to the Hahoetal Guild?¡±

 Chapter 147

    The man¡¯s expression quickly became bloody. The man¡¯s name was Gwon Jae-hoon. He was the guild master of Hahoetal Guild, and he was famous for his erratic temper.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already prepared for the raid. The equipment for our guild members will arrive today,¡± Gwon Jae-hoon said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no choice but to repeat what I said earlier.¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously going to be like this? So, the Authority will target these two dungeons?¡±

    ¡°Still, we can¡¯t give you guys total control over the raids for both dungeons.¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t trust us. Huh? We¡¯re the Hahoetal Guild!¡±

    ¡°I know the potential of the Hahoetal Guild well. However, as we do not have sufficient data on blue-colored dungeons yet, it is the Authority¡¯s opinion that it is necessary to be fully committed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re killing me¡­¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon clenched his fists. He wanted to take his weapon out and attack Bak Yun-gyu, but he couldn¡¯t. Although he was the man with emotional ups and downs, he was still a very rational figure. He knew nothing good would come from fighting the Authority. He also knew Bak Yun-gyu was a formidable awakener himself.

    ¡°Until tomorrow,¡± said Gwon Jae-hoon.

    He hadn¡¯t come to enter the dungeon right away in the first place.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t bring the right man, as you said, my Hahoetal Guild will start the raid tomorrow. If you block us like this tomorrow as well¡­¡± Gwon Jae-hoon turned his body and continued, ¡°Authority and Association will no longer be able to coexist.¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon shouted to his guild members to leave for now. Kang Seung-cheol, as he watched them move away, opened his trembling lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how the hell he¡¯s president of the guild association.¡±

    If he weren¡¯t in front of Bak Yun-gyu, he would have punched a wall, Kang Seung-cheol was that angry.

    ¡°I know.¡± Bak Yun-gyu had the same idea.

    Gwon Jae-hoon was the guild master of the Hahoetal Guild and the president of the Korean Awakeners Association. He didn¡¯t get the president position for his ability as S-Rank. He was able to make it due to his personal connections and charisma. He cared about profits a lot, so he often made trouble with the Authority.

    <<It would be trouble if the Association and Authority had a conflict.>>

    Gwon Jae-hoon had a significant influence not only in the Association but also among many awakeners. He was close to many guild masters of various large guilds. So, if they decided to stop working, many dungeons all over the country would be in trouble. To prevent that situation, the Authority had to avoid conflict with Gwon Jae-hoon as much as possible.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just let him attack those dungeons, either. If they fail¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need him.¡±

    ¡°Who? You mean¡­ Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The Authority couldn¡¯t make trouble with the Association. So they needed help from somebody outside the Authority. Kim Su-hyeun was an awakener who wasn¡¯t a member of the Authority and could fight against large groups of people by himself.

    ¡°Tomorrow, things will change.¡±

    Act 8

    ¡°F*cking bastards!¡±

    Wham¡ª!

    On the way down the mountain, Gwon Jae-hoon angrily smashed the wall. The hard cliff broke, and a pile of stones fell down. Gwon Jae-hoon ground his teeth and looked over the viaduct. At his reaction, other guild members stepped aside. They knew that if they said the wrong thing, they would be the ones hit, just like the wall. Gwon Jae-hoon hit the wall a couple more times and took a deep breath.

    He murmured in a murderous voice, ¡°They think of us as the underdog. Huh?¡±

    The reason why the Authority didn¡¯t let them attack was obvious. They judged didn¡¯t believe the Hahoetal Guild could finish the raid of those blue-colored dungeons on their own. They had been telling them to wait until they formed the raid team.

    <<Those dungeons are ours¡­>>

    The first discoverer was definitely a civilian. That person posted an article on Abyss Online. One of the members of the Hahoetal Guild who saw that article went to the viaduct for confirmation. Later, people from the Authority discovered the dungeons but, since then, the Hahoetal Guild had been claiming ownership of the dungeons.

    Attacking the blue-colored dungeon was worth more than Ether stones from the dungeon. Not only the Hahoetal Guild, but also Gwon Jae-hoon himself would be more famous if they attacked the blue-colored dungeon. Besides, the dungeons that appeared this time were twin dungeons.

    <<I can¡¯t give up this opportunity to anyone.>>

    Of course, however, he didn¡¯t intend to start the raid without any preparation at all.

    ¡°Was there any contact from the guys who went to Kim Dae-ho?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, sir.¡±

    ¡°Those idiots. They went there a while ago! Why the hell are they still not calling me?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ We¡¯ve been there before, but that old man was really stubborn. He didn¡¯t just accept to get an order from us, but also, he didn¡¯t agree to sell what he already had.¡±

    ¡°I told you to rob his workshop if you can¡¯t convince him!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re trying hard to convince him right now. So, please, wait a little more.¡±

    ¡°If they don¡¯t contact us soon, you go. I can¡¯t trust them at all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°One way or another, you must bring his equipment. Our power will go up at least ten percent more if we¡¯re armed with his stuff.¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon had liked Kim Dae-ho for a while. He had seen his equipment about one half year ago at one of his auctions. Ever since then, Gwon Jae-hoon had approached Kim Dae-ho little by little. He went to Yangpyeong several times by himself to see him. But Kim Dae-ho always gave him the same answer. After he mentioned the Hahoetal Guild, Kim Dae-ho even slammed the door in his face.

    <<I can¡¯t stand it anymore.>>

    To prepare the raid for the two blue-colored dungeons, Gwon Jae-hoon even thought to loot Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop. He had been waiting for so long. His patience had run out. Gwon Jae-hoon wanted to get Kim Dae-ho¡¯s equipment in a day. So, he sent three more guild members to Yangpyeong. But the three hadn¡¯t contacted him since.

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun threw three more awakeners down to the ground and dusted his hands off. With the newcomers, now there were five awakeners from the Hahoetal Guild lying in front of Kim Dae-ho¡¯s house. When Su-hyeun had come out to leave Kim Dae-ho¡¯s house, more people from Hahoetal Guild had appeared.

    ¡°Are you leaving now?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho, who had been spending time catching up on his sleep, came to meet Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Yea, I¡¯m leaving. Oh, and I asked one of my friends to guard you here. He¡¯ll arrive soon.¡±

    ¡°Friend? I didn¡¯t know you had a friend.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. He¡¯s a good man. So, he¡¯ll take care of you well. I think I should leave now. I have to go see my mother before I leave for work tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Ok. I see.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk with the Hahoetal Guild, too. Probably these annoying guys won¡¯t come around anymore.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho made a strange expression at Su-hyeun¡¯s assurance. He knew Su-hyeun was an awakener. But he didn¡¯t think Su-hyeun would be this good at fighting.

    ¡°Why do you care about me so much?¡± Kim Dae-ho asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you now. I don¡¯t have any confidence that I can make a better sword than that. There will be no better materials than adamantium and the highest-grade Ether stones. And the only reason I could make that sword was that I put all of my efforts into it.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho¡¯s eyes changed sharply.

    ¡°But will you still come to see me? Even though I¡¯m not going to provide you equipment anymore?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho thought Su-hyeun would be at least a little embarrassed about what he said. But Su-hyeun answered quickly, without hesitation. So, Kim Dae-ho, who asked the question, was embarrassed instead.

    ¡°If you¡¯re telling me not to come because of that, just take this back. You can melt it to reuse the materials, or just use it as a display for your workshop. You do whatever you want to.¡±

    As he said, Su-hyeun took out Balmung from its sheathe and handed it to Kim Dae-ho. Kim Dae-ho got even more embarrassed when Su-hyeun gave Balmung to him.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re the one who brought all the materials. How can I take it back?¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t help, they¡¯d be nothing but stones and metal. And I¡¯m not a blacksmith. To me, this weapon is not more important than people I care about.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s answer, Kim Dae-ho stared blankly for a moment. Su-hyeun looked at Kim Dae-ho for a while and put Balmung down on the ground.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll come back later. I¡¯ll leave this sword here¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, just take it. You bastard. I really can¡¯t say anything.¡±

    At Kim Dae-ho¡¯s words, Su-hyeun grinned as if he knew it. ¡°Yes, mister.¡±

    Su-hyeun turned his body and left the house. Kim Dae-ho sighed and shook his head.

    <<He¡¯s a real mystery.>>

    Kim Dae-ho felt close to Su-hyeun. He had ever since their first meeting. Su-hyeun looked at him as if he had known him for a long time. Kim Dae-ho went back to his house, shaking his head.

    <hr />

    After Su-hyeun had left Kim Dae-ho¡¯s house, he went to see his mother, Shin Su-yeong, in the evening. Her store was crowded with customers.

    ¡°What¡¯s this all about, mom?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about my boasts about my son, of course.¡±

    ¡°Why do you boast me with your store name¡­¡±

    [Su-hyeun¡¯s Jewelry Shop.]

    The store was named after Su-hyeun. The signboard was about to be hung up. Su-hyeun was too embarrassed to see it.

    ¡°You said I have to have benefited from my good soon. Thank you, son.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, and you came at the perfect time. Take a picture with me. It¡¯s Su-hyeun¡¯s jewelry shop, so, it would be weird if there were no pictures of you.¡±

    Su-hyeun actually worried a little that they would be awkward since it had been so long since they had seen each other. But it looked like he didn¡¯t have to worry. When Su-hyeun had just begun to work as an awakener, she worried very much. But now, Shin Su-yeong looked happier than ever.

    That day, Su-hyeun ate dinner with Shin Su-yeong and drank some tea. Some people recognized Su-hyeun, and Shin Su-yeong was surprised at that. Late at night, Su-hyeun took Shin Su-yeong home and went back to his house. On the way back, he left a text to Lee Ju-ho to ask him to protect Kim Dae-ho.

    <<I hope he¡¯ll be okay.>>

    The Hahoetal Guild was quite a big guild. And, the guild master, Gwon Jae-hoon, was the president of the Korean Awakeners Association. He could do something terrible to Kim Dae-ho if he decided to.

    <<I should finish the raid as soon as possible.>>

    It seemed like he had to move in hurridly to finish two dungeons and solve the problem with the Hahoetal guild. He couldn¡¯t postpone the dungeon attack. Also, he couldn¡¯t leave Kim Dae-ho alone like this. Su-hyeun drove back to his house. He took off his jacket and turned on the TV to provide some background noise for the lonesome house. But¡­

    -One of Korea¡¯s top five guilds, Hahoetal, moved to attack the two blue-colored dungeons that appeared recently. The guild master of the Hahoetal Guild is the current president of the Korean Awakeners Association¡­

    Unexpected news came from the TV.

 Chapter 148

    Su-hyeun paused while unbuttoning his shirt. He turned his gaze to the TV. The news was talking about the Hahoetal Guild and the twin blue-colored dungeons.

    ¡°¡­Hahoetal Guild?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t heard of this before. He thought the Authority was leading the raid. That was Bak Yun-gyu had told him, and that was why he had agreed to help them. But the news report was very different from what Su-hyeun had been told.

    -The Hahoetal Guild was the first discoverer of the blue-colored dungeons that appeared near Seorak Mountain recently. They are claiming priority in the attack. On the other hand, the Authority¡ª

    There was a conflict between the Authority and the Association. Su-hyeun could figure out what was going on since he knew Gwon Jae-hoon well.

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    The phone rang. It was a call from Bak Yun-gyu. Su-hyeun answered the phone, unbuttoning his shirt again.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    -Hello. Mr. Su-hyeun. We¡¯ve got a little problem.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m watching the news right now. You¡¯re talking about the Hahoetal Guild claiming ownership of the dungeons, right?

    -¡­Yes. Sorry for the news.

    ¡°So, what happened? Doesn¡¯t the Authority have the ownership of the dungeons?¡±

    -That is¡­

    Bak Yun-gyu explained what had been happening so far. In the case of civilian reports, the Authority was supposed to take ownership of the dungeon, but the Hahoetal Guild was stubbornly insisting that they were theirs this time.

    ¡°Then what is this news?¡±

    -It looks like the Hahoetal Guild is using the press now. They took action before us.

    ¡°But will the Authority just sit back and watch?¡±

    -Gwon Jae-hoon isn¡¯t just the guild master of the Hahoetal Guild. He¡¯s also the president of the Korean Awakeners Association. And he¡¯s acquainted with several large guilds.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the Authority can¡¯t touch him.¡±

    -Yes.

    At this point, Su-hyeun could tell what Bak Yun-gyu wanted.

    ¡°I think the Authority has to drop out of this.¡±

    -Are you saying¡­

    ¡°¡®veI had trouble with the Hahoetal Guild anyway.¡± Su-hyeun thought this situation wouldn¡¯t be bad for just him. ¡°This is good.¡±

    Su-hyeun took off his shirt and placed it on the floor, then sat on the couch and watched the TV. On the screen, Gwon Jae-hoon was giving an interview.

    -As we are aware of the dangers of dungeons, the Hahoetal Guild is dedicated to the safety of the people¡ª

    He was spouting bullsh*t. Su-hyeun looked at the TV screen silently for a moment with a cold smile on his lips. Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t personally acquainted with Gwon Jae-hoon, but he knew well what kind of person he was. Gwon Jae-hoon was simple but calculating. And he was definitely capable of making a good show of himself. His true colors were very different from what he was showing on TV.

    -Mr. Su-hyeun?

    At Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s question, Su-hyeun asked. ¡°Is the Hahoetal Guild going into the dungeons tomorrow?¡±

    -The Authority hasn¡¯t approved it yet. We were going to give you priority in targeting the dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Then leave them for now.¡±

    -Yes?

    Bak Yun-gyu asked in an embarrassed voice, wondering if he had heard wrong. He thought Su-hyeun would be embarrassed since things had gotten complicated. But, instead, he was glad about it.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    -Oh, I see. Okay, then¡­

    At Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s answer, Su-hyeun hung up the phone. Su-hyeun was looking forward to the next day.

    <<Hahoetal Guild and Gwon Jae-hoon¡­>>

    Su-hyeun sat on the sofa and closed his eyes quietly, thinking about those names.

    ***

    ¡°Thanks for your work, Producer Jeong. I¡¯m so sorry for contacting you this late at night.¡±

    ¡°No, no. You¡¯re fine. We appreciate it. We can¡¯t miss such a scoop, you know.¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon, who had finished an urgent interview late at night, thanked the broadcasting staff. This live news broadcast was hurriedly made at Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s report. The appearance of the twin blue-colored dungeons was shocking enough to shake up the news coverage.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Take care.¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s expression quickly changed as he walked out of the TV station. He had smiled the whole time he was inside. But now, he was expressionless. He got in the car. Inside, Yun Jae-ho, the executive of the Hahoetal Guild, was waiting for him.

    ¡°I got a message from the members who went to Kim Dae-ho.¡±

    ¡°Why were they so late? I was thinking about going there myself after the interview.¡±

    ¡°Sir¡­ There was a reason why they were late.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear excuses. Drag those bastards to me right now. I¡¯ll set an example¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun was there.¡±

    At Yun Jae-ho¡¯s answer, Gwon Jae-hoon wondered if he had heard the right name. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun. You know? The winner of the Ranking Wars¡­¡±

    ¡°Why would he be here? He should be in San Francisco. If you¡¯re trying to lie, at least make it more believable¡ª¡±

    ¡°The second team said the same name. Moreover, there wouldn¡¯t be many awakeners in the world who could knock Kyung-taek out with one hit.¡±

    ¡°What? Kyung-taek was knocked out?¡±

    That was undoubtedly reliable evidence. Yun Jae-ho started to worry about Gwon Jae-hoon, whose face fell. But he had to continue

    ¡°They said Kim Su-hyeun warned us. If we go to see Kim Dae-ho again, we¡¯ll have a war with him.¡±

    ¡°That crazy bastard¡­¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s eyes widened at Su-hyeun¡¯s provocative warning. But he couldn¡¯t just ignore his wishes. Kim Su-hyeun was special. He had defeated the famous Gordon Rohan and won the Ranking Wars. That meant he had enough ability and power to defeat any large guilds by himself.

    <<No. Maybe he¡¯s more than that.>>

    But still, Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s pride hurt to just step back at Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s command. Gwon Jae-hoon struggled between profit and pride. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a long-term concern.

    ¡°Just hold off then. We might fight Kim Su-hyeun later, but not now.¡±

    ¡°What about Kim Dae-ho¡¯s equipment?¡±

    ¡°If we can¡¯t take it, we just have to proceed with the raid without it.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°We have to make it work at all costs. You understand how this raid will affect our guild, right? So, do it!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°I got the data about blue-colored dungeons from the American Awakeners¡¯ Authority. The probability of a successful attack is more than 80%. Even if we fail, the probability of survival is more than 95%.¡±

    ¡°Is that correct?

    ¡°The raid for the blue-colored dungeon in America was carried out during the interruption of the Dump Guild. If they made it under such conditions, the Hahoetal Guild, with full preparation, can¡¯t fail.¡±

    Yun Jae-ho felt a little relieved at Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s confident answer.

    ¡°Well. That¡¯s good, then,¡± Yun Jae-ho said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the trouble with Kim Su-hyeun later. For now, just focus on the raid tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What about the Authority?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Gwon Jae-hoon replied, thinking about Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s face. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Gasp¡ª

    At his firm answer, Yun Jae-ho held his breath. What he said meant, if things went wrong, they would be willing to fight with the Authority.

    ***

    The next day, Su-hyeun headed to Seorak Mountain in the morning. When he arrived, Lee Ju-ho, Thomas, and Hak-joon were already there.

    ¡°Hey. What¡¯s up?¡± Lee Ju-ho, who had been leaning against the black sedan, approached Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun saw the three people had arrived first and asked, ¡°When did you guys get here?¡±

    ¡°We just arrived, too. I picked Hak-joon up this morning.¡±

    ¡°Su-hyeun¡ª!¡±

    Thomas found Su-hyeun and ran at him from a distance. Su-hyeun hugged Thomas, who jumped up wildly, as usual, and put him on the ground again.

    ¡°He¡¯s been whining about wanting to see you since yesterday. I¡¯ve been having a hard time soothing him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and I hired a few skilled mercenaries to protect Kim Dae-ho. So, don¡¯t worry too much. I don¡¯t think the Hahoetal Guild would even think about going there again after they heard your name, though.¡±

    By the way, did you hear about that?¡± When the Hahoetal Guild was mentioned, Hak-joon, who was standing next to them, asked about the news from last night.

    Su-hyeun nodded and answered, ¡°Yea, I hard. It¡¯s an odd situation.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°It depends on what they do.¡± Su-hyeun shrugged. ¡°If I can solve it with talking, that would be the best.¡±

    ¡°What if talking doesn¡¯t work?¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have to solve it another way.¡±

    After he¡¯d heard what had happened at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s house, Hak-joon started to dislike the Hahoetal Guild and Gwon Jae-hoon.

    He murmured at Su-hyeun¡¯s answer, ¡°I hope talking doesn¡¯t work out.¡±

    ¡°Honestly¡­¡± Su-hyeun grinned. ¡°So do I.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho checked the time and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll be late.¡±

    The four began to walk toward the viaduct of Seorak Mountain, where the dungeons were, where Bak Yun-gyu waited.

    ***

    About 20 awakeners gathered in front of the viaduct, including Bak Yun-gyu and Kang Seung-cheol. They were awakeners from the Authority. They couldn¡¯t hide their embarrassed expressions because the awakeners of the Hahoetal Guild and journalists from various media were right in front of the viaduct.

    ¡°Sir, what¡¯s this all¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shh. Stay still.¡±

    At Kang Seung-cheol¡¯s reaction, the awakeners of the Authority shut their mouths and lowered their heads. Kang Seung-cheol also bit his lip after making them quiet.

    <<Damn. Bastards.>>

    The Hahoetal Guild not only had released information to the media without any consultation with the Authority, but they¡¯d also gathered reporters as if they were going to let them film their raid. Their actions clearly showed that the Hahoetal Guild didn¡¯t intend to consult with the Authority at all.

    <<They have the power of the Association on their side.>>

    It was so clear what they were thinking. Nevertheless, Kang Seung-cheol and the other people from the Authority couldn¡¯t take action. Their orders had come from the top.

    <<The Authority ordered us not to make any trouble with the Association and solve it by conversation. Ha. Conversation?>>

    It was nonsense.

    <<They¡¯re the ones who ended the conversation. How the hell we can solve it with a conversation?>>

    Kang Seung-cheol lowered his head. He didn¡¯t want to show his stormy face to them.

    <<Wha¡¯is he thinking?>>

    Kang Seung-cheol glanced at Bak Yun-gyu, the leader of the team. He was standing with an expressionless face. He was like a stone. He didn¡¯t show any reaction. In front of them, Gwon Jae-hoon was talking rot to the reporters.

    ¡°I think the awakeners from the Authority gathered here for an emergency that might happen. But don¡¯t worry. The Hahoetal Guild will¡­¡±

    ¡°There he is,¡± Bak Yun-gyu murmured in a small voice.

    He finally moved his head. Kang Seung-cheol also followed his gaze and checked far over the viaduct.

    ¡°Wow. There are a lot of people here.¡±

    ¡°There are reporters, too. They¡¯re really making this into a show, aren¡¯t¡¯ they?¡±

    ¡°They like to show themselves in the first place. I¡¯m not surprised.¡±

    ¡°Is that a dungeon? Yes? Yes?¡±

    The four people came up, making loud noises. Kang Seung-cheol found Su-hyeun¡¯s face among them.

    He smiled brightly and shouted, ¡°Here they are!¡±

    He didn¡¯t mean to, but his voice was very loud. At his shout, the reporters looked down from the viaduct, following his gaze.

 Chapter 149

    ¡°What is it? What is it?¡±

    ¡°Did he just say ¡®here they are?''¡±

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°People are coming up here. Wasn¡¯t this area off-limits?¡±

    ¡°Are they civilians?¡±

    There was quite a bit of distance, so the reporters couldn¡¯t see the faces of the people coming up the hill. Soon, they took their minds off from the new people. For them, the interview with Gwon Jae-hoon and other members of the Hahoetal Guild was the first priority. They didn¡¯t want to miss a single word from them. But that didn¡¯t mean everyone ignored the new ones. Some curious reporters still opened their eyes and looked at them.

    One of them mumbled, ¡°K-Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°W-what? Who?¡±

    ¡°Did you just say Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Wait. No way¡­¡±

    The reporters¡¯ eyes went to the four men who reached the front of the viaduct. As they came closer, the reporters could see their faces quite clearly. And, since they were reporters who usually covered awakeners, they were very familiar with the faces of famous awakeners.

    <<It¡¯s really him! Kim Su-hyeun is here!>>

    <<Who¡¯s that next to him? Lee Ju-ho?>>

    <<Who¡¯s that foreigner next to him¡­ Is he Thomas?>>

    <<Oh! Choi Hak-joon! He became a S-Rank awakener following Su-hyeun. He¡¯s one of the youngest S-Rank awakeners ever.>>

    The reporters¡¯ eyes were open wide. They looked around, held their breath, and started to leave one by one. They were the reporters who were waiting for the interview with Gwon Jae-hoon. They averted their eyes. One of the reporters who was covering Gwon Jae-hoon from the closest was embarrassed. He also wanted to go and see Su-hyeun. But he couldn¡¯t just leave Gwon Jae-hoon.

    <<Why the hell is he here?>> Gwon Jae-hoon was also surprised.

    He knew Kim Su-hyeun had fought his guild members at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop before. But it wasn¡¯t that big of a conflict. And, after Su-hyeun had warned them, they hadn¡¯t visited Kim Dae-ho at all. But still, here he was. There must be a reason why.

    <<Is he interested in the dungeon, too?>>

    Gwon Jae-hoon thought that could be why. It was a very likely reason. Su-hyeun had already succeeded in the raid of one blue-colored dungeon before. So, it would be natural for Bak Yun-gyu to ask him for help. Gwon Jae-hoon frowned and gnashed his teeth unconsciously. At this point, everyone except idiots could know.

    <<All the interest paid to me and my Hahoetal Guild moved on to that bastard.>>

    ¡°Mr. Su-hyeun. I¡¯m from OBS Broadcasting! Can I ask you some questions¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why did you come back to Korea right after the Ranking Wars?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your opinion about the blue-colored dungeons¡ª¡±

    ¡°Mr. Kim Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°Please answer some¡ª¡±

    There were all kinds of questions. Su-hyeun reached his hand out, as if he was used to it, and passed through the reporters.

    Hak-joon said with an embarrassed face, ¡°Wow. It¡¯s no joke.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll get worse soon,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°How can you be so calm, Su-hyeun? You¡¯re not used to this, are you?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun clouded his words awkwardly and walked toward Gwon Jae-hoon. Gwon Jae-hoon was glaring at Su-hyeun harshly.

    Click, click¡ª

    When Su-hyeun and Gwon Jae-hoon faced each other, the reporters stopped the barrage of questions and took pictures. The meeting of the two was a good image for the front image. Su-hyeun kept his poker face under the bursting lights. Gwon Jae-hoon was the same since he was used to this kind of attention.

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad to meet you.¡± Gwon Jae-hoon reached his hand out to Su-hyeun with a smile.

    He knew how to act in public. There wasn¡¯t anything good about having an argument with Su-hyeun right at the moment.

    ¡°Are you really?¡± Su-hyeun asked, holding Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s hand back, ¡°I thought we were in an ill-fated relationship.¡±

    ¡°An ill-fated relationship?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡±

    ¡°Do they know each other?¡±

    The reporters whispered to each other in small voices. Gwon Jae-hoon frowned a little bit. He tried to manage his face, but he couldn¡¯t help but show his displeasure.

    <<So, I guess he is trying to bring things out in public.>>

    Bringing the reporters was a bad decision. What Su-hyeun knew would work against him. So far, he had been moving with the idea that the Authority wouldn¡¯t fight against the Association. But Su-hyeun had a different plan in mind.

    An individual who had no one else to worry about was scarier than a group. In particular, if the individual were the strongest person in the world, there would be nothing more to say.

    ¡°I think there was some misunderstanding, and I apologize for my guild members¡¯ disrespect,¡± said Gwon Jae-hoon.

    ¡°It was a misunderstanding?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Yes. We were in a hurry to get equipment to attack these dungeons, but Kim Dae-ho seemed to have no intention of selling his. Attacking these dungeons is essential for the safety of the citizens, and that was why we needed his equipment.¡± Gwon Jae-hoon shook his head as if it a sad thing.

    ¡°We wanted to pay as much as we can, but he asked too high a price. I think my guild members were upset because he didn¡¯t negotiate at all. And you were there just at that moment. Since you didn¡¯t know what had been happening, I understand you had no choice but to protect him.¡±

    ¡°Kim Dae-ho? Who¡¯s Kim Dae-ho? Does anybody know who he is?¡±

    ¡°Did the Hahoetal Guild have trouble when they tried to get equipment for the dungeon raid?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that man named Kim Dae-ho is so mean. He ripped off a guild trying to attack the dungeon.¡±

    Public opinion began to turn against Kim Dae-ho. Gwon Jae-hoon grinned inside. Maybe he could still turn the situation to his favor. Kim Dae-ho would become a villain rather than himself or Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What are you talking about? Trying to attack those dungeons is not your work in the first place.¡± But, of course, Su-hyeun had no intention of letting Kim Dae-ho go down as the villain. ¡°The Authority had ownership of these dungeons from the beginning. And you guys won¡¯t succeed in attacking the dungeons anyway. It¡¯s fun that you¡¯re trying to jump in the dungeons like bugs flying to the fire.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s ridicule, everyone became quiet. Especially Gwon Jae-hoon, who didn¡¯t know Su-hyeun would make fun of him in public, frowned.

    ¡°Are¡­you done talking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not just saying. The raid on the blue-colored dungeon is impossible with you lot alone. You¡¯re so inadequate that it¡¯s not even funny.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s affirmation, the reporters, who had had a friendly attitude toward the Hahoetal Guild in general, started to change their opinions.

    ¡°Not just a hard time, but they¡¯re ¡®completely inadequate¡¯ for the raid?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun is the awakener who attacked the blue-colored dungeon with Jordan before. Wouldn¡¯t he know about the blue-colored dungeons the best, then?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a pretty reliable source¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can we really trust the Hahoetal Guild then? What if they fail in their attack? What if these twin dungeons burst out?¡±

    If dungeons weren¡¯t attacked for a certain period, the boundaries between the dungeons and the real-world would crumble, and monsters would pour out from it. A dungeon¡¯s outbreak could cause a lot of damage.

    What if the blue dungeon caused an outbreak? That would be an almost unimaginable catastrophe. For that reason, everyone was nervous about who would target these twin blue dungeons. And now, Su-hyeun, who actually experienced a blue-colored dungeon before, was saying that the Hahoetal Guild wouldn¡¯t be good enough.

    ¡°Write an article, quickly. Pick a good title and attach a photo. Hurry up.¡±

    ¡°If the Hahoetal Guild released information that they didn¡¯t discuss with the Authority¡­ Isn¡¯t this a problem?¡±

    ¡°Wait. Then, maybe that¡¯s why Kim Su-hyeun came here. I guess the Authority invited him.¡±

    The reporters whispered to each other. But Gwon Jae-hoon could hear them clearly. Not only his pride but also his actual profits and good image were about to be ruined. Gwon Jae-hoon glared at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Then, do you have the ability for this raid? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°With only four people? How the hell¡ª¡±

    ¡°No. Not four.¡± Su-hyeun waved his hands and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be me alone.¡±

    ¡°A-alone?¡±

    ¡°For the blue-colored dungeon?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s very confident, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s comment, the reporters buzzed again. Although it was a provocative statement, the reporters were excited about Su-hyeun¡¯s appearance and remarks. The headline was set already.

    ¡ºWinner of the Ranking Wars, Kim Su-hyeun challenges the blue dungeon alone!¡»

    It was a perfect story. The Hahoetal Guild¡¯s challenge to the blue-colored dungeon was no match; the public always wanted a star and longed for fantastic stories. At a word from Su-hyeun, Gwon Jae-hoon and the Hahoetal Guild became the third wheel in an instant.

    ¡°Can you¡­take responsibility for what you say?¡± asked Gwon Jae-hoon.

    ¡°I never say anything that I can¡¯t take responsibility for in the first place,¡± Su-hyeun calmly answered.

    ¡°Can you prove it?¡±

    ¡°If you want to check, you can check it out right now.¡±

    Su-hyeun bobbed his hand as if telling him to bring it on. It was an apparent provocation. But Gwon Jae-hoon couldn¡¯t move immediately. Su-hyeun was the one who had defeated Gordon Rohan and about 30 other S-Rank awakeners in a row. No one could beat Su-hyeun in a one-on-one fight. Of course, even if all the awakeners of the Hahoetal Guild pounced on him at once, the result would be the same. They still couldn¡¯t guarantee their victory.

    ¡°Okay. I understand what you¡¯re saying. Well, then. If you say so, we¡¯ll step back.¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon, who had had a bloody expression, soon put on another mask. He nodded his head with a smile. He looked at Su-hyeun, and the people behind him, Hak-joon, Thomas, and Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°I hope you and your guys succeed in the raid,¡± Gwon Jae-hoon said, turned his body, and started to go down the mountain.

    As they moved far enough from the reporters, Yun Jae-ho came very close to Gwon Jae-hoon and asked in a small voice, ¡°Do we really back off?¡±

    He knew Gwon Jae-hoon well. He wasn¡¯t one to give up things like this easily.

    ¡°What? Of course not,¡± he answered just as Yun Jae-ho expected.

    ¡°Gather some talented members. About 20 people. And avert the reporters¡¯ attention.¡±

    ¡°That means¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go into the dungeon, too, quietly,¡± Gwon Jae-hoon said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    It was a more extreme decision than Yun Jae-ho had expected. Yun Jae-ho thought he knew Gwon Jae-hoon well, but even he didn¡¯t expect Gwon Jae-hoon to go this far. Going into the dungeon in secret would never happen, and for a good reason.

    ¡°He should keep his word,¡± said Gwon Jae-hoon, ¡°Otherwise, it would be difficult to avoid criticism. Also, he might not be able to keep his life.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Check which dungeon Kim Su-hyeun is going into. We¡¯ll sabotage his raid. He won¡¯t get a successful attack.¡±

    ¡°Sabotage¡± was the term among the awakeners. It was the act of interrupting other people or other guild¡¯s dungeon raids. And now, Gwon Jae-hoon was trying to sabotage Su-hyeun¡¯s blue-colored dungeon raid.

    ¡°That son of a b*tch, he crossed the wrong man,¡± Gwon Jae-hoon muttered with a hard look.

 Chapter 150

    Act 9

    Su-hyeun looked at Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s back as he moved farther away. Soon, he was lost behind the crowd of reporters. From then, the awakeners from the Authority, including Bak Yun-gyu, started to move quickly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll answer questions after the raid,¡± said Bak Yun-gyu. ¡°The Authority will contact you guys first. So, please, leave for now.¡±

    ¡°Hey. We heard that we were allowed to interview before and after the raid¡­¡±

    ¡°That was what the Hahoetal Guild said. If you want your interview, go and ask the Hahoetal Guild. They¡¯re still over there.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There weren¡¯t many reporters who wanted to cover the Hahoetal Guild at this point. The Hahoetal Guild had said they would attack the dungeons without any consultation with the Authority. And now, they had lost their right to the raid.

    But even so, there were no reporters who fought strongly for the interview with Su-hyeun. A reporter had to be quick-witted. Especially when they dealt with a high-rank awakener like Su-hyeun, they had to study his face. If they pushed too hard, Su-hyeun might not allow them to cover him after the raid, either.

    ¡°Oh well. It is what it is.¡±

    ¡°This is good enough for today.¡±

    ¡°Yea. And we got a fantastic story. And there will be more to talk about after the raid anyway.¡±

    Above all, they hadn¡¯t lost anything. They had come a long way, but it was evident that they got better news than they had expected in the first place. Kim Su-hyeun was the most famous person in the world these days. It was obvious that people would like to hear and read about him more than the Hahoetal Guild.

    ¡°Everyone is gone, finally.¡±

    Hak-joon, who had been sweating nervously, sighed as soon as all the reporters left. To him, the reporters¡¯ interest was more difficult to deal with than the Ranking Wars or the dungeon raids.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get used to it. You¡¯ll attract public attention more and more,¡± Lee Ju-so said, tapping Hak-joon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No matter what anyone says, you¡¯re the youngest S-Rank awakener after Su-hyeun. To people, you¡¯ll look like a hero, probably.¡±

    ¡°A hero? Don¡¯t say that!¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Ju-ho!¡±

    Hak-joon lowered his head and scratched it as if he was embarrassed. Lee Ju-ho smiled at that, but soon, he stopped smiling and said, ¡°You have to get used to it.¡±

    As Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice changed suddenly, Hak-joon couldn¡¯t answer with a joke, like before. Meanwhile, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words continued.

    ¡°Su-hyeun looks fine now¡­ But you have to be okay with it, too. Don¡¯t be shy. Don¡¯t be discouraged.¡±

    ¡°Ju-ho¡­¡±

    ¡°In the next ten years¡­ No, maybe in five years, the world will be changed,¡± Lee Ju-ho said, as he looked at the giant blue-colored dungeon in front of his eyes. ¡°As Su-hyeun said, those things might try to swallow our world. When that time comes, you and Su-hyeun have to be a support for the people. So¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho tapped Hak-joon¡¯s shoulder, who scratched the back of his neck bashfully.

    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ please, be a hero to people like me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho, done speaking, left to stop Thomas, who was clinging to Su-hyeun. Lee Ju-ho spoke as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but Hak-joon knew why he had spoken like that. He was talking about a difference in talent.

    Lee Ju-ho had been trying hard to catch up to Su-hyeun, to play a role as an awakener. For that reason, he took a risk and raised the difficulty of his trials, and was able to reach A-Rank.

    But raising the level of difficulty from 4 to 5 was never enough to become an S-rank awakener. If Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t advised him against it, Lee Ju-ho might try to challenge for level six.

    ¡°The difference between five and six is a way larger than the difference between four and five. I¡¯m saying just in case¡­you must never raise the difficulty of trials at this stage. Okay?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho had confessed his concern last time, when they had all drunk alcohol together. And that was the advice that Su-hyeun had given to Lee Ju-ho.

    From that day, Lee Ju-ho seemed concerned. And, from that moment, he tried to take care of Su-hyeun and Hak-joon, rather than actually step forward for the work himself, as if that was the only thing he could do.

    The night when they had drunk together Lee Ju-ho had said, ¡°Well. I can¡¯t help it.¡± He poured very strong liquor into his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of talent.¡±

    Talent. Lee Ju-ho had said calmly, but everyone knew the hidden meaning of the word. Hak-joon thought Lee Ju-ho got better as time went on, but he now knew he still had that idea in mind. Hak-joon always thought of Lee Ju-ho as his big brother. But he seemed very small today. Hak-joon couldn¡¯t say anything, he just followed Lee Ju-ho. When all the reporters left, Su-hyeun approached Bak Yun-gyu.

    ¡°What you said before, do you really mean it?¡± Bak Yun-gyu asked directly.

    Su-hyeun had declared that he would attack the blue-colored dungeon by himself.

    ¡°Yes, I mean it.¡±

    ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please attack the other dungeon over there with your team from the Authority. And please take Hak-joon, Thomas, and Ju-ho with you.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu was glad that Hak-joon and Thomas would join his team. Although Hak-joon had become S-Rank only recently, he was a talented awakener who went up to the finals of the Ranking Wars. And Thomas¡­there was nothing more to say.

    <<Then, we¡¯ll have three S-Rank awakeners. But¡­>>

    Su-hyeun was an excellent awakener. But Bak Yun-gyu still couldn¡¯t help but think that attacking the blue-colored dungeon alone would be a very dangerous idea. Moreover, if something went wrong, losing Su-hyeun would be a blow to the whole country.

    ¡°How about we attack the two dungeons together, one by one?¡± Bak Yun-gyu suggested.

    Su-hyeun shook his head without any hesitation. ¡°We don¡¯t know how big these dungeons will be. Since we can¡¯t guess how long it will take to attack each one, we must attach both of them at the same time.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°If I think it¡¯s too dangerous, I¡¯ll just come out. Don¡¯t worry so much.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s answer was so firm that Bak Yun-gyu realized that his persuasion would never work.

    ¡°Okay, then. We¡¯ll join you as soon as we finish our dungeon.¡±

    ¡°If that makes you more comfortable.¡±

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked right up to the dungeon. Bak Yun-gyu was puzzled by his sudden movement.

    ¡°A-are you going right now?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Why not? I don¡¯t have anything to prepare since I¡¯m going by myself.¡±

    ¡°But¡­still¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±

    Su-hyeun bowed his head toward Bak Yun-gyu. Then, he asked Thomas to take care of the other dungeon well.

    <<Alone¡­>> A thought that came to Su-hyeun¡¯s mind. <<Is it the first time for this life?>>

    It was the first time that Su-hyeun went into a dungeon all by himself in this life.

    <<But before that¡­>>

    Puff¡ª

    As he stepped into the blue-colored dungeon, Su-hyeun turned his head.

    <<I guess I have to clean up some flies.>>

    <hr />

    News spread quickly. The newspaper headlines had been filled with the appearance of the blue-colored dungeons and the Hahoetal Guild. But now, they were all talking about Kim Su-hyeun, Choi Hak-joon, and Thomas.

    ¡ºKim Su-hyeun goes to the blue-colored dungeons raid! It¡¯s his second time!¡»

    ¡º¡±I can easily defeat the blue-colored dungeon alone.¡± Kim Su-hyeun departs from his party and goes to dungeon alone¡­¡»

    ¡ºWhat Hahoetal Guild said was a lie? Kim Su-hyeun insisted the Hahoetal Guild has no right to attack¡­¡»

    ¡ºA cutting remark! The Hahoetal Guild is humiliated! Kim Su-hyeun said the Hahoetal Guild is inadequate! But ¡°I can do it by myself.¡±¡»

    In just half an hour, the similar articles were exploding. People who weren¡¯t even there wrote articles, too. They heard the news from someone else and wrote down the articles as if they had been there. Like that, right at the moment of the attack, the attention of the public was all focused on the appearance of the twin blue dungeons.

    ¡°Damn! Trash reporters!¡±

    Crack¡ª!

    Gwon Jae-hoon, who was checking the articles, threw his smartphone to the floor. The broken screen of the smartphone shook for a moment and went black.

    ¡°Bastards. Let¡¯s see if you guys still write the same articles in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Are you really going to do it?¡± Yun Jae-ho asked nervously.

    He had gathered the people as secretly as possible, but he still couldn¡¯t help being uneasy. He wasn¡¯t sure how strong Kim Su-hyeun would be. And even if they succeed in getting rid of him, that would cause a problem, too.

    <<If we succeed in interrupting him¡­the blue-colored dungeon will cause an outbreak.>>

    A dungeon¡¯s outbreak was a disaster. It was the awakeners who were supposed to stop dungeon outbreaks from happening. But their sabotage might cause an outbreak intentionally. If it were a red or orange dungeon, Yun Jae-ho wouldn¡¯t hesitate this much. That was also immoral and unethical, but the scale of the disaster was very different. The problem for him was that the dungeon in question was a blue-colored one.

    ¡°So what? You want us to give in?¡± Gwon Jae-hoon asked angrily.

    Yun Jae-ho couldn¡¯t say anything at that. He thought if he answered wrong, at the moment, his neck would be snapped.

    ¡°Just shut up and follow me. You guys all know what you¡¯re going to do, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not our first for this kind of work.¡±

    At Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s question, the guild members nodded. Sabotage was useful, at times. It was a technique that Hahoetal Guild had used several times. They disrupted other competitive guilds or when they needed to take revenge for something. And then, they pretended not to know about it.

    Of course, after that, the Hahoetal Guild would take care of the dungeons, which the other guilds had failed to finish. Like that, the Hahoetal Guild was praised for preventing the outbreaks of an unstable dungeon. It had happened several times before.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon led the guild members and moved toward the dungeon. Of course, before going in, it was essential to make sure that there was nobody around. If anybody noticed them going in, it would cause trouble later.

    Many guilds were surrounding the blue-colored dungeons for protection and surveillance reasons. It was for a minimum of safety to buy time in the case of a dungeon outbreak.

    And among them, people from the Hahoetal Guild were there, too. Gwon Jae-hoon had already talked to his guild members about what he would do. So, he and the other members from the Hahoetal Guild could easily get in the dungeon, avoiding other people¡¯s eyes.

    Puff¡ª

    When they stepped into the blue-colored dungeon, their eyes were filled with blue fog. Instantly, their vision blurred, and soon a whole new world appeared in front of them. Black clouds filled the sky. The ground had sand all over the place. It seemed like a desert, and it was about to rain.

    <<It¡¯s a strange landscape.>>

    Gwon Jae-hoon thought the scenery in the dungeon was quite strange. It was so large. Except for the oasis, they were standing in and one tree next to it, it was just a never-ending sand desert.

    <<It¡¯ll be hard to surprise him like this¡­>>

    ¡°What took you so long?¡±

    A voice came from the only tree inside the enormous dungeon. Gwon Jae-hoon and the members of his guild looked up and their eyes opened wide.

    ¡°W-what are you doing here¡­?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take my line. I should be the one asking that.¡±

    Su-hyeun, reclining on a branch of the tree, looked down at them and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

 Chapter 151

    The Hahoetal Guild¡¯s awakeners immediately realized that something had gone wrong after they heard Su-hyeun¡¯s question. He had entered the dungeon well before them. Judging from his walking pace, he should have been far away from them by now.

    But he was still at the dungeon¡¯s entrance. Although the entrance did change in some rare instances, it was a near certainty that Su-hyeun had entered the dungeon through the oasis behind them.

    So, he was still sticking around the entrance because¡­

    << He was waiting for us?? >>

    But why?

    Gwon Jae-hoon studied Su-hyeun¡¯s expression. Unlike outside, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes were filled with bitter coldness, so much so that one could claim that they were two different people. Same for the manner of his speech, too.

    ¡°It¡¯s obviously because we were worried about you, Mister Su-hyeun. Yes, we know you¡¯re strong, but it¡¯s still too dangerous to raid a blue-colored dungeon all by yourself.¡±

    As if he had prepared a script ahead of time, Gwon Jae-hoon replied in a smooth and natural way, kind of like a flowing stream. That prompted Su-hyeun to stare wordlessly at his face, before jumping off the tree.

    Tap-

    ¡°You followed after me because you were worried, is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ah, of course, there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. The public will still think that you managed to raid the dungeon alo¡­.¡±

    ¡°You son of a b*tch, you crossed the wrong man.¡±

    The sudden outpouring of cuss words caused Gwon Jae-hoon to jump in surprise.

    Su-hyeun continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll sabotage me? You even took your sweet time, waiting for almost an hour before coming in here. You must be thinking that my stamina should¡¯ve run out by now.¡±

    ¡°M-Mister Su-hyeun, what are you even¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hey, pal. There¡¯s something on your shoulder.¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon reflexively turned his head at Su-hyeun¡¯s words and glanced at his own shoulder. And immediately, he freaked out and hurriedly dusted himself.

    ¡°W-what the hell is this?¡±

    Shu-wuwu-

    A black-ish something on his shoulder disappeared like smoke.

    Gwon Jae-hoon stared at his now-empty shoulder with a grave expression. ¡°The ¡®Shadow attachment¡¯¡­.¡±

    The skill itself was uncommon, but Gwon Jae-hoon knew his fair share of different skills, as he had encountered quite a few awakeners in his lifetime. One of them happened to have this ¡®shadow attachment¡¯ skill.

    This skill allowed the user to eavesdrop and accurately trace the current location of the target through the latter¡¯s own shadow. If one¡¯s proficiency with the skill had risen high enough, it was even possible to restrict the target¡¯s movements for a brief moment, as well.

    << The drawback is that the skill loses its effect once the target becomes aware of the skill itself¡­ But, it¡¯ll remain activated indefinitely until the user¡¯s magical energy reserve runs out¡­ >>

    Gwon Jae-hoon felt a chill run down his back after recalling the abilities of the skill, ¡®Shadow Attachment¡¯.

    This could only mean that Su-hyeun had heard everything, from the beginning.

    ¡°So, this wouldn¡¯t be your first time, is it? Apparently, it¡¯s not just once or twice either, so just how many times, I wonder?¡±

    The words Su-hyeun spat out caused the guild members to flinch¡ªthe ones who said those words back then. They couldn¡¯t make any excuses now. He already recognized them as enemies.

    Sabotage would, of course, be carried out only after they decided to screw their opponent and cause a dungeon outbreak. A slang word existed for it and everything, but, regardless, such an action was very much forbidden within awakener communities.

    Su-hyeun addressed them with a cold, low voice. ¡°The dungeon outbreak in India. You all know about it, right?¡±

    How could they not?

    The green-colored dungeon¡¯s outbreak went down as history¡¯s worst-ever disaster that caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The incident was also the main culprit that managed to force the doomsday theories above the surface.

    Even Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t anticipated such an incident.

    He knew that a massive-scale green-colored dungeon would appear in India, but, as far as he remembered, that raid was widely regarded as a success in his past life.

    He didn¡¯t know the exact reason why. He could only guess that it was somehow related to the Ranking Wars being held earlier than in the previous timeline.

    For sure, the Ranking Wars being held sooner caused various S-Ranks from the world¡¯s nations to stay in the Tower of Trials for longer than they planned initially. As a consequence, the green-colored dungeon that was successfully raided in the previous timeline went on to cause an outbreak after a void in combat strength was created by their absence.

    ¡°You should know the number of people who died then¡­which means, you should also be aware of how dangerous a blue-colored dungeon can be.¡±

    Gulp-

    The legs of the Hahoetal Guild¡¯s executive officer, Yun Jae-ho, began quaking from sheer anxiety, and, after hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s criticism, he forced his limbs to move. Even though he couldn¡¯t sense any magical energy, his instincts were shouting at him loud and clear.

    << I need to run away. >>

    Yun Jae-ho stumbled backward, toward the oasis they entered the dungeon through.

    Splash-

    But, rather than emerging back outside, his ankles just got wet, instead.

    << It¡¯s not the exit?? >>

    The entrance and the exit were separate in this dungeon?

    This wasn¡¯t even his first time experiencing such a thing, nor was it uncommon enough to be bizarre, yet he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why it had to happen right now. Even worse, their surroundings resembled a wide-open desert. At this rate, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to run away.

    ¡°It¡¯s in the¡­ best interest of the world that you lot disappear, today.¡±

    Sah-ahahah-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s atmosphere changed in an instant.

    He didn¡¯t even rouse his magical energy, either. No, it was just the shift in the light gleaming in his eyes, plus the third eye in his forehead opening up, yet that was enough to send deathly chills down the backs of the Hahoetal Guild awakeners.

    ¡°D-dammit¡­ What can you really do all alone, anyway?!¡±

    ¡°We have numbers on our side! Don¡¯t get scared!¡±

    The guild members shouted in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction to shake off the fear gripping them. At least, at this moment, the headcount was the only thing they could believe in.

    ¡°Kill him-!¡±

    The moment Gwon Jae-hoon issued an order to his fellow guild members¡­

    Paht, papapaht-

    A dozen-plus awakeners rushed toward Su-hyeun, and those tasked with providing support quickly distanced themselves.

    And right at that moment¡­

    Boom, boom, bang, ka-boom-!

    ¡°Ah, aaaaaahhk!!¡±

    Screams rose up from the guild members backing away.

    The other awakeners busy rushing forward hurriedly looked back and discovered that the bodies of their fellow guild members in the distance were engulfed in flames. And, unfortunately for the advancing group, that brief moment of distraction proved to be a fatal mistake.

    Swiiiiish-

    Slice, slice-

    In the blink of an eye, several heads rolled off their necks. They hurriedly shifted their gazes back after hearing the sounds of wind blowing by, and yet another head was lobbed off.

    Splaaaash-!

    Blood rose up like fountains¡ªlikewise for the severed heads, too.

    But Su-hyeun was nowhere to be seen.

    << I need to run!! >>

    Yun Jae-ho realized that his previously-vague fear had become reality and, instinctively, began searching for the one person who might be able to help him.

    Gwon Jae-hoon.

    He was also an S-Rank, like Su-hyeun, as well as being the guild master.

    << W-where is the guild master¡­. >>

    But Gwon Jae-hoon was also nowhere to be seen.

    Thinking that it couldn¡¯t possibly be, Yun Jae-ho hurriedly looked around to his rear, only to discover Gwon Jae-hoon dashing away to a far off distance beyond the sand dunes.

    That man, he didn¡¯t even bother to look behind him¡ªhe was too busy running away.

    ¡°That son of a¡­.!¡±

    Stab-!

    Yun Jae-ho felt the coldness of metal burying itself in his head and collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back in their sockets.

    Piii-iiit-

    Ta-dak-

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t stop there and continued to move. After cutting off the heads of the remaining two awakeners in one swift stroke of his sword, he glared in the direction of Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s flight.

    This was a wide, expansive desert. And a game of hide and seek between him and Gwon Jae-hoon was about to commence.

    <hr />

    ¡°Fck, f**ck!¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon continued to cuss as he dashed forward at full tilt.

    His high agility stat plus a whole raft of skills he had learned and practiced, such as ¡®Swiftness¡¯ and ¡®Space-folding¡¯, were now only good for his escape.

    His ego was wounded, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. The moment that strange eye opened in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead, Gwon Jae-hoon became sure of this one thing.

    << I might really die. >>

    He too was an S-Rank awakener. That¡¯s how he knew.

    The instincts that had allowed him to survive until now were screaming at him. Warning him to run.

    The warning bells in his head rang louder and harsher than ever before. Gwon Jae-hoon didn¡¯t ignore that warning.

    And so, he ran, praying that twenty or so of his fellow guild members could buy him at least a few precious seconds.

    ¡°Pant, pant¡­¡±

    He exhausted at least half of his magical energy reserve and dashed for five minutes straight, before sliding down to the foot of a sand dune that leaned downward, to catch his breath.

    Still, it was a relief. No matter how strong Su-hyeun was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s top speed.

    << Who knew it¡¯d be indispensable in moments like this? >>

    It was at that moment that the surrounding space returned to being ¡®flat¡¯ once more.

    It looked like the world was folding around him. That was the effect of Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s skill, ¡®Space-folding¡¯.

    The ¡®Space-folding¡¯. That was the sole high-ranking skill in his possession that brought Gwon Jae-hoon to this place.

    The skill allowed him to fold the world in his sight and jump a fixed distance of space. Meaning, he could indefinitely spam a ¡®teleportation¡¯ type movement as long as his skill remained active.

    Of course, the magical energy consumption was great, but that also increased the distance he could teleport by a great margin, too.

    << I need to find the exit. >>

    All he had to do was to get outside.

    Su-hyeun might have discovered his scheme, but, surely, there must be a way to survive as long as he escaped from the dungeon. He only lost twenty or so guild members so far, anyway.

    << Where¡¯s the exit¡­.? >>

    Wriggle-

    It was then that Gwon Jae-hoon sensed a subtle movement under the sand he was sitting on. As if the ground below was a living, breathing lifeform, it began to wriggle ever so slightly.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Sshwa-aaaaah-

    The moment the sand was sucked underground¡­

    Pah-aht-

    Gwon Jae-hoon hurriedly activated the skill, ¡®Leap¡¯, and jumped up real high into the air.

    Split-

    Crack-!

    A massive maw split open widely and swallowed the sand dune from below. All he could see while in the air was rows of sharp, yellowing fangs.

    << W-what the hell is that thing? >>

    A massive hole appeared in the middle of the desert.

    Sshwa-aaaah-

    Soon afterward, the hole was quickly plugged back up by the cascading sand as if nothing had happened there. The previously-transformed landscape returned to ¡®normal¡¯ in an instant.

    << Was that a monster? >>

    The monster¡¯s mouth alone was around five meters wide!

    Not only that, but it hid beneath the desert¡¯s sand and could prey on him at any time. To make matters worse, he couldn¡¯t even sense its presence properly despite its huge size.

    Tak-

    Gwon Jae-hoon landed back on the ground and immediately felt goosebumps break out all over his body. Unlike a few seconds ago, the ground he was standing on, this whole damn desert for that matter, was a den of monsters in his view.

    << Was it just one creature? Or are there many more? >>

    He couldn¡¯t tell just how many more of those monsters might be out there.

    Gwon Jae-hoon calmed his breathing, currently quickened by his panic, and closed his eyes. He was still an experienced S-Rank awakener, after all.

    << I need to figure out their numbers first. At least, I need to find out just how many more of these things are nearby¡­. >>

    He spread out his magical energy beneath his feet and began searching for the presences below. He was thinking that his priority should be figuring out the identity of the monster and how many more of them were out there.

    And he regretted doing so almost instantly.

    ¡°T-this crazy son of a¡­.¡±

    Gwon Jae-hoon opened his eyes again, and his paled complexion began scanning his surroundings.

    It was still a desolate desert where nothing could be seen. However, not being seen didn¡¯t equal to nothing existing in this place, either. No, it was the complete opposite, actually.

    As if the idea that monsters should be above the ground had been flipped on its head, all of the monsters were currently hiding under the sand.

    << D-do I need to run away? >>

    But, where?

    Everywhere he looked was the endless sea of sand, so just where could he make his escape if monsters rushed at him with the sole aim of eating him alive?

    It didn¡¯t matter where he went, it¡¯d remain the exact same story.

    Monsters not visible to the naked eye.

    At that moment, Gwon Jae-hoon realized it.

    << This¡­ is the blue-colored dungeon. >>

    It was then, the words Su-hyeun said earlier floated up inside his mind.

    ¡°The raid on the blue-colored dungeon is impossible with you lot alone. You¡¯re so inadequate that it¡¯s not even funny.¡±

    Back then, he¡¯d thought that those words were spoken just to provoke him. But that wasn¡¯t it.

    << He was being serious. >>

    Everything Su-hyeun said was true.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be me alone.¡±

    Most likely, even Su-hyeun¡¯s boast that he was capable of solo raiding this blue-colored dungeon must be true, as well.

 Chapter 152

    ¡°Pant, pant¡­¡±

    In the middle of a desert, gigantic corpses of monsters like earthworms were strewn about on the sand, accompanied by the green-colored blood scattered everywhere.

    Gwon Jae-hoon wielded a pair of shortswords and was panting away. he had already killed dozens of monsters, yet he couldn¡¯t even see the end of them.

    ¡°These bastards¡­. just how many of them are still out there?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t even count them all. And the ground he was barely standing on didn¡¯t feel safe, either. He just wasn¡¯t sure when those monsters would jump out from there, their sharp fangs bared.

    If something like that happened, it¡¯d be the end for him.

    He had been concentrating for the last twenty minutes or so. Nothing could be more tiring than being constantly on edge. Both his magical energy reserves and his stamina were reaching rock bottom. He was in no state to keep fighting while relying on his concentration alone.

    << It was a mistake to come here. >>

    The blue-colored dungeon.

    At first, he thought he¡¯d be able to raid it without a problem. As long as his Hahoetal Guild gave everything it had, then a dungeon they had information on shouldn¡¯t be difficult; that¡¯s what he thought.

    But he was so, so wrong.

    Even if their colors were the same, difficulties in dungeons varied. For instance, a green-colored dungeon¡¯s difficulty could spike several times higher than others of the same color depending on its scale.

    Not to mention, the blue color had appeared only once before. That wasn¡¯t a great data set.

    He overlooked that. He didn¡¯t prepare adequately for it. The consequence of his negligence was his current situation.

    << Let¡¯s take a break for now. >>

    Plop-

    Gwon Jae-hoon spread out his magical energy in all directions to confirm the locations of the monsters, then plopped down on the sand. Being able to defeat the monsters without getting hurt too much gave him some leeway.

    << I can get out of here as long as my magical energy reserves recover. >>

    He still didn¡¯t know where the exit was, but he did manage to run quite a distance away from the entrance. So, he might be able to find it by using his ¡®Space-folding¡¯ skill a couple more times.

    Just like how the oasis acted as the entrance, the exit should also be in the form of some notable landmark as well, so it couldn¡¯t be that difficult to locate.

    But, right then¡­

    Wriggle-

    The damn monsters began approaching him again from beneath the ground.

    << Dammit, I only managed to recover a small bit of magical energy so far! >>

    Gwon Jae-hoon gritted his teeth, and was about to activate the ¡®Space-folding¡¯ skill, but then¡­

    Piii-iit, piiit-

    Splaaash-!

    Green blood rushed up from below the sand he was sitting on.

    << ¡­.Uh? >>

    Boom, boom-

    Monsters rising up from the ground began collapsing on the sand, bodies cut into large chunks.

    Fwooosh, whoosh, swiiish-

    There were dozens and dozens of monsters, and Su-hyeun¡¯s figure was darting between them effortlessly. A single stroke of his sword caused the tough outer shells of the monsters to shatter, and their resilient hides underneath were sliced open.

    That simply didn¡¯t make any sense. Monsters, each more than strong enough to act as the boss of a regular yellow-colored dungeon, were falling in droves, powerless to stop Su-hyeun.

    Ruuumble-

    Bang, ka-boooom-!

    The monster corpses were set alight. It was the same story underground, as well.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t just fighting the visible monsters. No, he was also taking care of those hiding beneath the sand, not just the ones the naked eye could see.

    << Is he actually planning to find and kill them all? >>

    Even Gwon Jae-hoon could spread out his magical energy and discover the locations of the monsters hidden beneath the sand. But it was a different story altogether if he needed to use his skills and wield his weapons while doing that.

    He¡¯d have to divide his thought process and magical energy into two¡ªno, three¡ªwhile fighting in order to do that.

    Gwon Jae-hoon looked on at the scene of Su-hyeun fighting the monsters in a daze. Belatedly, thoughts of escape floated up in his head.

    << That bastard is even more dangerous! >>

    The relief of being saved lasted only for a second or two. Gwon Jae-hoon remembered that Su-hyeun was his enemy and sneakily began to stand up.

    << I need to run away. >>

    While thinking that he might be able to live through this, he activated the ¡®Space-folding¡¯ skill once more. The world became crooked in his view, and he took a large stride forward. And so, just as he jumped the space and began his escape attempt again¡­

    Stab-

    There was a burning sensation in his forward leg.

    << ¡­.Uh? >>

    Splat-

    Gwon Jae-hoon stumbled forward ungainly with a spear straight through his thigh.

    He barely fought back against the pain and raised his head to look back, only to see Su-hyeun in the distance assuming the position of a spear-thrower.

    << What just happened? >>

    How did Su-hyeun even figure out which direction Gwon Jae-hoon was moving in to throw that spear? Wasn¡¯t Gwon Jae-hoon using the space-folding skill to move? Each step taken would be equal to dozens of normal steps, maybe more.

    So, to other people¡¯s eyes, he must¡¯ve looked like he had teleported through space just then.

    ¡°You¡¯ve sure come pretty far, haven¡¯t you?¡± Su-hyeun said as he walked over to Gwon Jae-hoon. ¡°Even if you ran, you¡¯d still end up as a monster¡¯s lunch, anyway.¡±

    ¡°P-please, don¡¯t kill me¡­.¡± Gwon Jae-hoon couldn¡¯t escape with the spear stabbed through his leg, and, in the end, had no choice but to beg desperately. ¡°Please, let me go, just this once! I¡¯ll never, ever do this kind of thing again. P-please¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun arrived at where Gwon Jae-hoon was, paused briefly to ponder something, before asking a question. ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t you think that you might have heard the very same thing before, somewhere?¡±

    ¡°¡­.What was that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have. From those people pleading with you to let them go.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Now that he thought about, he was indeed familiar with the words. With what he just said, with the current situation.

    -Please, don¡¯t kill me¡­

    He could hear their voices now. Not from just one or two people, but so many of them. And what they wanted from him was always the same.

    To let them go.

    That was what the folks from the targeted guild always begged for whenever the Hahoetal Guild decided to sabotage them.

    Su-hyeun continued, ¡°So. My answer is¡­.¡±

    ¡°N-no! Wait!!¡±

    Stab-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword stabbed deeply into Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s head.

    ¡°¡­The same as yours.¡±

    Splaaash-!

    Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s lifeless body collapsed on his back.

    Creak, creaaak-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze scanned his surroundings. The only thing visible was the endless sea of sand. But he still felt countless presences below the ground he was standing on.

    Additionally, he could even sense their emotions and desires, too.

    ¡°You want to eat this guy, is that it?¡± Su-hyeun said while preparing to make a large movement as if he actually understood what the monsters were telling him. ¡°In that case, come at me, you damn worms.¡±

    Pow, boom-

    Kiii-aaaahh-!

    Dozens of gigantic worms exploded out from the sand and rose up. And at the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s body leaped up into the air.

    Act 10

    Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s body was gone. It was devoured by a monster during the battle.

    Plop-

    Su-hyeun used a monster worm¡¯s corpse as a chair and sat on it. Not a single creature rushing in at him remained alive.

    ¡°What a stupidly huge place this is.¡±

    Just where did it end?

    And where was its boss?

    He had experienced many different types of dungeons before, but still¡ªthis type was never easy to figure out. The bigger problem than fighting the monsters was actually finding the correct path.

    If he was in a maze-type dungeon, then at least he¡¯d be sure of an exit waiting at the end, but this was an endless desert-type dungeon.

    << Still, there¡¯s no such thing as a dungeon without an end. Besides, a blue-colored dungeon of this scale, it¡¯s¡­ really strange. >>

    He couldn¡¯t discount the possibility that the entirety of the desert before his eyes was just an illusion. Su-hyeun cast his gaze down to the monster corpse he was sitting on, and then at the rest of the remains strewn about around him.

    These things rose up from the ground, didn¡¯t they?

    << What if¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun seriously pondered the theory that came to him.

    << ¡­.this whole dungeon visible to my eyes was nothing more than just a trick? >>

    Hints certainly existed. It was worth checking out.

    He got up from his spot. There was no reason to take a long break, as his stamina and magical energy reserve hadn¡¯t dropped too low, anyway.

    Shu-rung-

    He unsheathed Balmung, resting inside the scabbard, held it with both of his hands, and raised it up high.

    Buzz, buzz, bzzz-

    The tip of the blade vibrated harshly.

    Balmung absorbed his magical energy and began amplifying it infinitely. And, right at that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword descended to the ground.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything- Splitting the Great Mountain.]

    Fwuu-wuuung-

    KWA-BOOOOM-!

    The blade upended the ground. As if a massive bomb had gone off, the sand exploded in all directions.

    Su-hyeun stood in the middle of sand particles falling like raindrops, opened his eyes wide and quickly scanned beneath the desert¡¯s surface to prove his theory.

    << Bingo. >>

    Having confirmed it with his naked eyes, Su-hyeun smirked and threw his body down there.

    He covered his eyes with magical energy to prevent sand from getting in and continued to descend below, and eventually, a massive cavity revealed itself below the sand-filled desert.

    There was another space below the desert, as it turned out.

    << Is this a passageway created by the monsters? Or a pre-existing part of the dungeon? >>

    He couldn¡¯t be sure which one it was. But one thing was for certain¡ªthe monsters of this dungeon inhabited the space below the desert¡¯s surface. If a lifeform was walking on the desert, they would sneakily rise up to the surface and start the hunt that way.

    But that wasn¡¯t the important part.

    << This is already the third one. >>

    The appearances of the blue-colored dungeons had been moved forward in the timeline. From what Su-hyeun could remember, there had been a time gap of about a year and a half before the second blue-colored dungeon made its appearance.

    Furthermore, that second blue-colored dungeon wasn¡¯t even the ¡®twin dungeon¡¯ like this one was.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean no blue-colored ¡®twin dungeons¡¯ appeared in history.

    << Didn¡¯t it first appear around the year 2028? >>

    He remembered seeing it in the records, or maybe the data related to something else.

    << Let¡¯s unpack this for a second. >>

    While figuring out this dungeon¡¯s layout, Su-hyeun also began combing through his memories.

    <>

    Although he didn¡¯t have any detailed information, he still remembered the rough outline of one such dungeon. He had seen it from the records the awakener authority had sent to him.

    The blue-colored twin dungeons were an incident serious enough to send powerful ripples across the world even back then.

    << It¡¯s not as if dungeons that didn¡¯t exist before are suddenly showing up. But the timing and location have changed. And also, the moment dungeons of the same color appear for the second time, the rate of dungeon generation will accelerate greatly. >>

    That last part was a theory commonly accepted for a long time. And also, a change that would happen in the future, too.

    << The real problem will begin when the navy blue color shows up. >>

    The difficulties of blue-colored dungeons varied greatly, like heaven and earth. But raiding one wasn¡¯t impossible as long as the team was carefully organized around a skilled S-Rank awakener. No need to even mention it if said S-Rank was someone like himself or Gordon Rohan.

    But the story would change drastically from the navy-blue color onwards.

    And on the day a navy-colored dungeon first makes its appearance¡­

    ¡­.The doomsday theory would reach its peak.

    ¡°This is driving me insane.¡±

    He just couldn¡¯t figure out why the rate of dungeon generation had accelerated to this degree, so how could he not get exasperated and pissed off?

    The cause of this was still unknown.

    But one thing was for sure¡ªat this rate, he¡¯d have to move even faster than he initially anticipated.

    << Because, at the current rate, that bastard Fafnir will appear much sooner, too. >>

    The one silver lining here was that the dungeons appearing so far had appeared before in the previous timeline. It was just that the pre-existing dungeons appeared at different times and locations, that was all.

    << If it stays like this, it should be fine for now. >>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes gleamed brightly. Although he wasn¡¯t happy about this development, he had already resolved himself to such an eventuality ever since an unexpected green-colored dungeon suddenly made its appearance.

    He had resolved himself about the future he knew of going through some changes.

    From the get-go, knowing future events ahead of time was just too big of an advantage. It wasn¡¯t as if that advantage had completely disappeared¡ªno, it was just a little diluted, that was all.

    RUUUMBLE-

    The underground dungeon he was standing in reverberated greatly. Inside the cave found beneath the endless desert, countless monsters were making their move.

    << For the time being, let¡¯s plug this place up first. >>

    Kkiiiiaaaah-!

    Monsters¡¯ screeches could be heard from a distance.

    The current issue had to do with their sheer numbers. Su-hyeun¡¯s vision caught the sight of countless monster worms rushing toward his location from the deeper parts of the cave.

    Just as those creatures were about to pounce on him¡­

    << If their number is a problem¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun smirked and whispered softly. ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    He opened a closed ¡®doorway¡¯, causing the head of a dragon to pop out, along with a blinding ray of pure light.

    ¡°Sweep them all away.¡±

    Ruuuumble-!

    [Breath.]

 Chapter 153

    Pure-white tongues of flame completely filled the cave and shot out in a straight line. The insane heat began scorching the bodies of the monster worms busy rushing toward Su-hyeun.

    This Breath was far, far larger than it was in the past. And, since this was a cave in a straight-line layout with both sides blocked off, the attack¡¯s effect became even more pronounced.

    Crak, Craaack

    The corpses of the monster worms collapsed and fell to the ground, white flames still consuming them.

    Boom, thud-

    ¡°Nice work.¡±

    Su-hyeun rubbed Miru¡¯s head, poking out next to him. The dragon¡¯s head, which used to be small enough to fit in his palm, had now grown so big that he couldn¡¯t wrap both of his arms around it.

    Gya-ong, gya-ong-

    Even the dragon¡¯s voice seemed to have gotten just a bit thicker, too.

    Su-hyeun took a good look at Miru, emerging outside for the first time in a long while. Now its size was larger than an average man¡¯s, and seemed to be about the same as a tiger¡¯s. Miru rubbed its head happily against Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    ¡°H-hey, think about how big you¡¯ve gotten already. Your drool¡¯s getting on my face, too. Uh, uh?¡±

    While pushing away Miru, busy licking his cheek, with one hand, he used his other hand to rub the dragon¡¯s head. It seemed really excited to come outside after such a long time.

    Seeing the dragon¡¯s reaction, Su-hyeun did feel a bit guilty about not calling it outside often, but he knew he couldn¡¯t do that because other people might mistake Miru for a monster due to its new, enlarged size.

    << Still, it¡¯s a lot smaller than expected. >>

    It had been more than a year since Miru hatched.

    According to the self-proclaimed divine beast expert Song Hyeong-gi, most regular dragon species would reach maturity in around one year. That information was also in the book Malcolm, the magician Su-hyeun met on the 30th floor¡¯s trial, had.

    But¡­.

    << Is Miru¡¯s growth rate slower because it¡¯s a red dragon? According to what Mister Hyeong-gi said, Miru was asleep for half a year because of its growth period¡­. >>

    Sure, it¡¯s true that Miru had grown a whole lot bigger than it was a half a year ago, but it was also true that his dragon was so much smaller than the blue dragon accompanying Song Hyeong-gi.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Su-hyeun felt unsatisfied by Miru¡¯s growth. He looked toward the cave that bore the brunt of the dragon¡¯s Breath.

    << No matter what, its destructive power is pretty exceptional. >>

    It really had been a long time since Miru came outside. Only fifteen days had passed since the dragon ended its growth period and woke up from its slumber.

    He never planned to reveal Miru to the world during the Ranking Wars, so this would be his first time earnestly checking out the dragon¡¯s full capability.

    << Just how much did he grow¡­ >>

    While rubbing Miru¡¯s head, Su-hyeun spoke up.

    ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s head to the end.¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    <hr />

    At the same time, in the other blue-colored dungeon.

    ¡°Pant, pant, paaant-¡±

    ¡°I, I thought I was going to die for sure.¡±

    The awakeners from the Authority were all slumped on the ground after their intense battle only moments before. Hundreds upon hundreds of insect-type monsters suddenly rushed at them. These critters were the predators ruling this massive forest.

    ¡°Anyone poisoned?¡±

    ¡°Over here. I think I got bitten earlier.¡±

    Kang Seung-cheol distributed antidotes to his subordinates suffering from bite wounds. These antidotes were taken from the Tower of Trials after paying a hefty price, but they proved to be very useful in these types of dungeons.

    ¡°At times like this, I wish we had some kind of healer-type awakener on the team.¡±

    ¡°But, that¡¯s because of how rare they are. And that¡¯s also why it¡¯s common to see B-Rank healers getting paid as much as an A-Rank while working for a guild, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s muttering was answered by Lee Ju-ho approaching him from the side. The former nodded his head before shifting his gaze away.

    ¡°Still, we¡¯ve been fortunate. Without Mister Thomas¡¯s help, the losses on our side would¡¯ve been even greater.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho looked over to the distance where still-energetic Thomas was busy teasing Hak-joon.

    Once they entered a real combat situation, Thomas¡¯s previous child-like demeanor completely disappeared. He was doing his best to protect the group and fight against the monsters like Su-hyeun¡¯s request had asked him to.

    << The darkened world, was it? >>

    The skill Thomas possessed, the Dark World.

    That skill could be utilized in multiple ways.

    For instance, just like the black cloud Thomas had created¡ªit acted like a barrier and performed the most important role in protecting the group from the insect-type monsters.

    << A skill where it¡¯s possible to attack and defend at the same time¡ªacting like a spear and shield simultaneously. And he¡¯s got boundless magical energy reserve and combat instincts that allow him to freely wield this skill. >>

    Without a doubt, Thomas was an awakener with overabundant talent. Speaking honestly, only Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan seemed to be stronger than him during the Ranking Wars.

    << If Thomas wasn¡¯t here¡­. >>

    The insect-type monsters were varied in appearance, but the vast majority of them were all venomous. The A-Rank awakeners could fight the monsters while protecting themselves, but anyone lower in rank would¡¯ve found it difficult to guarantee their own safety.

    << Over a half of the group might have died in this one battle alone. >>

    For sure, the blue-colored dungeon¡¯s difficulty was on another realm altogether compared to other dungeons he had experienced so far. He now understood why Su-hyeun said that Hahoetal Guild alone could never successfully attack one.

    ¡°I wonder if Su-hyeun is doing alright by himself?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho got worried about Su-hyeun being all alone and muttered softly.

    But then, Thomas and his good hearing picked up on it and, while hanging on Hak-joon¡¯s shoulders, he asked in a loud voice. ¡°Is something wrong with Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡± Mystified by the fact that his soft muttering was heard so far away, Lee Ju-ho asked back in a surprised voice.

    Thomas couldn¡¯t speak any Korean and the only thing he understood from what Lee Ju-ho said must¡¯ve been the name ¡®Su-hyeun¡¯.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m a little worried about Su-hyeun, that¡¯s all. Still, he should be alright. I mean, he¡¯s not going to find himself in trouble, anyway.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho hurriedly repeated himself in English for Thomas. He added a bit more, thinking that maybe the latter might end up worrying about his friend in the other dungeon.

    But contrary to Lee Ju-ho¡¯s fears, Thomas wasn¡¯t asking just for fun.

    ¡°We¡¯re also okay, right?¡± Thomas sounded quite confused about something as he climbed down from Hak-joon¡¯s shoulders. ¡°So, why worry about Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°¡­.Mm?¡±

    ¡°No way Su-hyeun will get hurt by these little thingies, right?¡±

    <hr />

    [Breath.]

    RUUUMBLE-

    Miru¡¯s Breath swept past the monster worms rushing in from the other side.

    The searing heat from the pure-white Breath scorched the monsters¡¯ bodies and shriveled them up. At the same time, Su-hyeun, under Miru¡¯s buffs, was dashing in the opposite direction, swinging his sword.

    Shu-aahk, shu-aaahk-

    Fwoosh-

    The head of a monster worm was lobbed off and it crashed to the ground. Due to their massive size, it wasn¡¯t easy to kill these creatures, but, thankfully, cutting off the heads ended them pretty effectively.

    Thud, boom-

    Clack-

    Having finished dealing with another wave of the monster worms, Su-hyeun shook off the green blood sticking to his sword and put it back in the scabbard.

    ¡°This place is so damn big,¡± muttered Su-hyeun as he stared at the underground dungeon. It was shaped like a complicated maze.

    He had been wandering around in this place for over a day now without sleeping or taking breaks. It was all thanks to Miru¡¯s buffs as well as the recovery effect.

    On top of this, he didn¡¯t expend a lot of his magical energy, but instead relied mostly on his physical prowess to fight, which meant he didn¡¯t need to waste time recovering his spent magical reserves, either.

    Advancing forward, then advancing some more; Su-hyeun¡¯s raiding method very heavily leaned toward speed above all else.

    << Still, we¡¯re almost at the end, aren¡¯t we? >>

    He had found out the location of the boss about half a day ago. But he kept wandering around the underground cave, thinking of eliminating every monster found within the dungeon first. All the while he was spreading out his magical energy wide so that the damn monsters would come searching for him by themselves.

    This continued for a day. He managed to kill the majority of the giant monster worms inhabiting the desert by now.

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong?

    ¡°Can you still fight?¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question was met with an energetic reply from Miru. It had already fired Breath five times during the course of the day, yet the dragon seemed to be overflowing with energy.

    That just went to show how much it had grown. Not only that, Miru¡¯s buffs and recovery-type skills also displayed a noticeable improvement from before, too.

    Teock-

    Su-hyeun climbed on Miru¡¯s back.

    Although it wasn¡¯t as big as the blue dragon accompanying Song Hyeong-gi, Miru was still large enough for a person to ride on its back.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Flap-

    Miru unfurled its wings.

    He rode on the back of the red dragon and flew back in the opposite direction. They could see the corpses of the monster worms they had killed, scattered here and there as they flew back the way they had come.

    And so they flew until they reached a crossroad and, after traveling even further down one of the forks¡­

    Gu-wuwuwu-

    Su-hyeun could feel the presence of countless monster worms as the underground cave trembled faintly.

    << That¡¯s a lot. >>

    Su-hyeun knew where the boss room was, but they chose to go past it. All for the purpose of eliminating the other monster worms spread throughout the cave.

    But, as it turned out, uncountable monster worms inhabited the boss room. There were so many in there that all the monsters he had run into so far didn¡¯t even compare in number.

    It was rather obvious why they were all cooped up in here, though.

    To protect the boss¡ªtheir mother, as it were.

    Flap-

    As they neared the entrance to the boss room, Su-hyeun touched Miru¡¯s neck and made it stop flying. Keeping the massive passageway in between them, he took a good look at the boss room¡¯s interior.

    Snap-

    Rumble-

    He snapped his fingers to create a small flame inside so he could get a better view, and the fire brightly illuminated the boss room, shaped like a gigantic dome.

    And then¡­

    Wriggle, wriggle-

    Kii-ruk, kii-rururuk-

    ¡­.Figures of monster worms wriggling away completely filled the interior of the dome, and, in the middle of them all was an even bigger, absolutely massive worm.

    Gya-oh-oh-ohk-

    Miru let out a bizarre little howl at the sight. Although Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t understand what was being said, he thought he could understand the sentiment behind it, at least. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for a normal person to start retching the moment they saw this spectacle, after all.

    To think that he was now facing against hundreds, thousands of monster worms and their ¡®mother¡¯. Just watching them wriggle around sent shivers through his entire body.

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong-

    ¡°To start off, hit them with a big one.¡±

    While saying that, Su-hyeun leaped off of Miru¡¯s back.

    Gya-rurururu-

    Right afterward, a massive amount of magical energy began gathering in Miru¡¯s maw. Now, normally, it would fire that out immediately, but this time, the dragon kept its mouth closed, its cheeks visibly ballooning.

    The density and the amount of magical energy gathering up felt rather ominous. So ominous, in fact, that Su-hyeun dashing forward while ignoring the Breath had to come to a hasty stop right away.

    << Things might get dangerous if I get swept up in that. >>

    So, he waited for Miru¡¯s Breath first.

    A short while later.

    RUUUUMBLE-

    [High Breath.]

    A Breath of ginormous proportions that the previous Breaths couldn¡¯t even compare to rumbled out of Miru¡¯s maw.

    FWOOOSH-!

    Kiii-aaaah-!

    The bright light emitted from the pure-white Breath completely filled up the huge boss room. Su-hyeun stumbled back from the searing heat, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

    << What an incredible power¡­.? >>

    Sure, he did tell Miru to hit them with a big one, but he never expected it to be this big!

    He already knew that Miru¡¯s Breath had become even stronger than before, and the number of times it could be used had increased, as well.

    But this was on a whole other level.

    Kkiiii-aaaaah-!

    Monster worms screamed loudly as their bodies were set alight with white flames. Out of hundreds in the boss room, about half were burnt to death.

    ¡°Whew-wee.¡± Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t hide how impressed he was. He whistled. ¡°Now that¡¯s incredible. Seriously.¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    Miru cried out while sweating, as if it was tired now. It sounded like it was asking for praise. In times like this, his Miru did feel like a little kid.

    ¡°You did well. You really did.¡±

    Su-hyeun rubbed Miru¡¯s head as the dragon descended to the ground. It had displayed a result more than satisfactory enough just now. If he was being absolutely honest, then this exceeded his expectations greatly.

    ¡°Now, take a break, my boy. Because, from now on¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun unsheathed Balmung from its scabbard and began walking towards the boss worm still screaming from Miru¡¯s Breath attack.

    ¡°¡­.I¡¯ll be wrapping everything up.¡±

    Clack-

    Su-hyeun pointed Balmung forward.

    The boss room was located in the deepest part of the dungeon.

    He had already scouted out where the exit was. So, there was no more reason to be frugal with either his magical energy or stamina.

    Su-hyeun stared at the boss monster, several times thicker than the remaining worm monsters, and muttered, ¡°This is just about perfect for testing ¡®it¡¯ out.¡±

    There was one skill he couldn¡¯t utilize until he acquired Balmung, because the restrictions on it were too demanding to use it freely.

    Buzz, buzzzzz-

    His magical energy gathering on Balmung gradually amplified and the blade began shaking, as if it¡¯d shatter at any second.

    Su-hyeun stared at his blade as it did that, and quietly murmured.

    ¡°The Wave Sword, Explosion Style.¡±

 Chapter 154

    Buzz, bzzzz, vrrrrrrr-

    Balmung¡¯s blade resonated, as if it might shatter at any second.

    Any other regular sword might have already. That was how incredibly large the gathered amount of magical energy was, and how harshly it was vibrating.

    Kkiiii-aaaah-!

    The monster worms sensed something suspicious was taking place and angrily rushed in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction. With their maws wide open, those initially-lardy looking brutes rapidly closed in on him.

    And, just as the monsters were about to reach him¡­

    Rumble-

    The magical energy gathering in the blade was released and the blinding sword aura was swung out in every direction.

    Flash-

    Kwa-boooooom-!

    The light, so blindingly bright, exploded forth, accompanied by the sound of thunderclaps going off, completely filling up the dome-shaped underground space.

    Rip, riiiiip-

    Split, spliiiit-

    The bodies of the monster worms pouncing at Su-hyeun were torn to shreds and sliced apart.

    The blinding pure-white rays of light were actually the corporeal forms of a sword aura that had divided into ten, no, hundreds of thousands of individual strands.

    Tumble, drop-

    Splat-

    Bloody chunks of monster worm rained down. Su-hyeun stared at the green-colored blood pooling on the ground and muttered, ¡°Man, that¡¯s surprising.¡±

    He was in the middle of concentrating on gathering the magical energy, but when the monster worms suddenly pounced on him, he ended up reflexively swinging the sword.

    That¡¯s why he failed to gather enough magical energy, and the full amplification effect hadn¡¯t been achieved, either.

    All of those factors were to blame for the skill not manifesting its true strength just then.

    Of course¡­

    << Well, it¡¯s still quite usable even if it¡¯s just this much. >>

    Even then, the destructive power on display far exceeded every skill Su-hyeun had acquired until now.

    [Wave Sword- Explosion Style.]

    <ul>

    Magic Tier: 8.

    LV: 1.

    Gather magical energy in the sword and create waves of sword pressure to completely obliterate all enemies in the front. The greater the amount of gathered magical energy, the higher the skill¡¯s destructive power.

    </ul>

    A skill that had been classified as 8th tier in the magic rating.

    There weren¡¯t all that many skills with a magic rating of seven around, to begin with, so, unsurprisingly, a skill rated at tier eight was so incredibly rare that even Su-hyeun only had a handful in the previous timeline. And maybe it was predetermined that this particular skill fit him like a glove, because he got lucky and reacquired the Wave Sword that he used frequently in the past.

    << For sure, this skill perfectly matches Balmung. >>

    Crack, split-

    Su-hyeun watched the faint cracks running along Balmung¡¯s surface repair themselves and thought to himself.

    << The adamantium¡¯s the hardest and most durable metal in the world, plus the highest-grade Ether stones in the sword grant the blade automatic repair function. >>

    The combination of such an Ether Stone and the adamantium was the most ideal possible.

    The highest-grade Ether stone not only amplified the magical energy injected into the sword, but it also maximized the adamantium¡¯s innate self-repair ability, as well.

    That was why Balmung was so much more than a tough, ultra-sharp sword. No, it was the greatest sword ever to exist. It possessed the ability to repair itself even if it was broken. That factor alone made it more suitable for Su-hyeun¡¯s skill than any other sword out there.

    << I can now use the ¡®Explosion Style¡¯ without worrying about the sword shattering. >>

    Of course, even Balmung couldn¡¯t withstand magical energy that exceeded its capacity.

    Indeed, there was a moment in the past when it broke after he injected it with too much magical energy that exceeded its limit and then used the Explosion Style. He also needed to consider that until the cracked blade finished repairing itself, its hardness and sharpness would fall quite a lot, as well.

    But, even after taking everything into account, Balmung remained the most perfect sword for the ¡®Explosion Style¡¯.

    Most of all, the Wave Sword- Explosion Style was a skill that would grow more powerful when the sword¡¯s hardness and durability were higher. After all, the skill¡¯s destructive power would get more ridiculous the greater the amount of magical energy you managed to gather in the blade, until it was just about to shatter to bits.

    And there was no sword tougher or more durable than Balmung in existence in the entire world.

    << I might need a fair bit of time to raise my proficiency, though. >>

    A skill¡¯s proficiency was closely related to the user¡¯s understanding of the skill itself, as well as the number of times it had been utilized.

    As far as his understanding was concerned, it was basically past the limit. His problem was with the number of times the skill had been used.

    He had finally gotten his hands on Balmung, though, so that problem should be resolved, in time.

    ¡°Well, then. One more time¡­.¡±

    The monster worms were faltering, as if they had gotten scared by Su-hyeun¡¯s Explosion Style attack. He raised his swords toward the monsters once more.

    ¡°Here I come.¡±

    <hr />

    Three and half days.

    That¡¯s how long it took Bak Yun-gyu and his group to fully raid the blue-colored dungeon.

    The safety of the group¡¯s members had to be considered first, and the dungeon¡¯s scale itself was truly vast as well, which inevitably meant they had to take their time with the raid.

    Even then, three and a half days was a pretty short time frame.

    After the boss monster was defeated and the raid came to an end¡­.

    Bak Yun-gyu was busy confirming the losses suffered by the raid team.

    << It took us three and a half days. Five slightly injured, while one heavily injured. >>

    He grew quite flabbergasted by this. In a good way, of course.

    << No one died. >>

    This was the blue-colored dungeon. Only the second blue-colored dungeon to ever appear.

    When raiding dungeons of lower difficulty, such as green-colored or yellow-colored ones, critical injuries and KIAs were bound to appear. But not a single person died during the raid of this dungeon. It was truly a miraculous achievement.

    << Thomas, Choi Hak-joon. >>

    Bak Yun-gyu took a closer look at those two.

    If someone asked who was stronger, it¡¯d obviously be Thomas. Not only was his ability tremendously powerful, but it could also be used in a wide variety of ways, as well.

    As proof, no one dying during this raid was all thanks to his ability. But that didn¡¯t mean Hak-joon¡¯s abilities were lagging behind, either.

    << The awakener only reached S-Rank recently. Despite that, he still managed to get through the main matches of the Ranking Wars and reach the finals. >>

    Bak Yun-gyu didn¡¯t get to personally witness the finals of the Ranking Wars.

    He was supposed to participate in the competition, but his work became really hectic with the appearance of the blue-colored dungeon, and he didn¡¯t even have enough time to watch the finals on TV.

    That¡¯s why this would be his first time seeing Hak-joon¡¯s combat ability in action.

    Bak Yun-gyu thought that, maybe, it was all a fluke. No matter how overflowing with talent the young man was, a rookie who only barely managed to reach S-Rank made it to the finals of the Ranking Wars?

    The truth was, he didn¡¯t have very high expectations of Hak-joon, since the young man¡¯s match-ups had been favorable to him until then.

    But now¡­

    << Maybe, when talking purely about innate talent, he might even exceed Thomas. >>

    Hak-joon¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t all that great when considering its versatility alone.

    When looked at from a different perspective, though, he was rather similar to Bak Yun-gyu in a way. An honest ability that focused on destructive power, a swordsmanship so pure and honest that it could be called the true way of the sword, without relying on complicated skills to boost himself.

    << If there¡¯s a difference between us, then he¡¯s better than me in the rate of growth? >>

    Bak Yun-gyu had acquired his abilities not too long after awakeners and dungeons made their first appearances. On the other hand, Hak-joon had been an awakener for only three years. His rate of growth was easily far more rapid than Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s.

    And, finally, there was Kim Su-hyeun.

    << Three verifiable monsters, is it¡­ >>

    The South Korean awakener combat force, which had fallen behind the United States, China, and even Britain, had shot up to the top of the world in the proverbial blink of an eye. Not to forget, Su-hyeun was an awakener capable of defeating even the great Gordon Rohan.

    Bak Yun-gyu was worried about other things, as well.

    << Thankfully, this happened in South Korea. >>

    What if these twin blue-colored dungeons appeared in some other country? For instance, like one of those South-east Asian nations that only boasted one, maybe two S-Rank awakeners, max?

    << That would¡¯ve been catastrophic. >>

    Chills ran down Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s entire body.

    Lee Ju-ho looking really exhausted walked closer and asked, ¡°Is it finally over?¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu confirmed one more time that the boss¡¯s corpse wasn¡¯t budging and nodded his head. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over. And that over there looks like the exit.¡±

    ¡°Hah-ah. I¡¯m tired out of my mind here. I¡¯d like to get out of here right away and then take a long, long holiday or something.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. The Ether stones of this dungeons will be extracted by the miners first and then delivered to you at a later date.¡±

    The miners were those people who entered the now-empty dungeon specifically to extract the Ether stones found inside.

    The group finally emerged outside after the raid was successfully concluded.

    The blue light wrapped around them, and when they stepped outside¡­

    ¡°You know, I was getting tired of waiting.¡±

    ¡­A familiar voice welcomed them back.

    ¡°If you guys weren¡¯t back by daybreak, I was seriously thinking of entering the dungeon as well, you know.¡±

    ¡°M-Mister Su-hyeun??¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Su-hyeun-!¡±

    ¡°Bro!¡±

    Su-hyeun was sitting on a small boulder in front of the viaduct. He got up and trudged towards the group. Seeing how he had even changed into a set of clean clothes, it must¡¯ve been more than one or two hours since he finished his own raid and emerged outside.

    Bak Yun-gyu approached him and asked, ¡°When did you come outside?¡±

    Su-hyeun replied while picking up and placing Thomas on his shoulder. ¡°It was sometime this morning.¡±

    Upon hearing that, Bak Yun-gyu couldn¡¯t hide his astonishment.

    Although he couldn¡¯t tell the exact time, it must¡¯ve been late evening, judging from the darkened sky above. But Su-hyeun had finished his raid in the morning, came outside and waited for the group until now.

    ¡°Are you injured at all¡­.?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. what about your team?¡±

    ¡°No deceased on our side.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s a relief.¡±

    After finishing his greeting with Bak Yun-gyu, Su-hyeun approached his companions right away.

    He began discussing matters related to the dungeon with Lee Ju-ho and Hak-joon, all the while Thomas was clinging to him, whining for praise like a little kid.

    Bak Yun-gyu observed Su-hyeun¡¯s back, deep in thought.

    << He really did raid a blue-colored dungeon all by himself. >>

    Not only that, but without a single injury, to boot.

    Bak Yun-gyu hadn¡¯t thought that such a feat was an impossibility since the young man was overflowing with confidence, and now, the difference between them felt even more stark than ever before.

    If it was him, could he have pulled off the same feat?

    << Nope. Never. >>

    At a bare minimum, Bak Yun-gyu would need another awakener of the same skill level as he was to feel confident about his chances. Which meant that Su-hyeun was, at the very least, twice as strong as he was.

    It became just a bit more apparent to him just how much Su-hyeun was going easy on him during their one sparring session in California.

    ¡°How is the relationship between the association and the authority?¡±

    It was then that Su-hyeun suddenly threw out a question.

    Bak Yun-gyu was a little flustered by the unexpected question, but managed to reply while recalling Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s not amicable by any stretch of the imagination. The association isn¡¯t too keen on following the directives of the authority, and, from our perspective, the association centered around Gwon Jae-hoon not listening to us presents a rather troublesome situation.¡±

    The Awakener Authority was acknowledged by the government. Also, the authorities in various nations were basically the same as one giant cooperative that regulated the awakeners.

    Meaning, you¡¯d pretty much end up a public enemy by breaking the rules that various Awakener Authorities universally agreed upon.

    Of course, the Authority wasn¡¯t omnipotent. All it could do was ensure that, while working within the established regulations, the other awakeners didn¡¯t stray too far away from the rule of law.

    In other words, the organization was bound to the rules they had created themselves.

    ¡°Is the problem with the association, or Hahoetal Guild, or even Gwon Jae-hoon?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression was serious as he asked Bak Yun-gyu further questions.

    Bak Yun-gyu studied the younger man¡¯s demeanor before asking something himself. ¡°May I know why you ask, first?¡±

    ¡°Gwon Jae-hoon is dead.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°I was sabotaged. Of course, since I¡¯m here, it didn¡¯t turn out too bad for me, but¡­¡±

    ¡°A-are you saying that Gwon Jae-hoon tried to sabotage you? Not just anyone, but against you, Mister Su-hyeun??¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu might be a soldier, but at the same time, also an awakener. Furthermore, as a man working for the authority and tasked with regulating other awakeners through his strength and the might of the law, he was well versed in the culture of awakeners.

    As such, he understood what Su-hyeun meant by ¡®sabotage¡¯ right away. And he knew how malicious such an action was, too.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± replied Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I knew he was an egotistic man, but to think that he¡¯d risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of people just for the sake of his own aspiration¡­.¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu clenched his fists tightly. He wasn¡¯t the type to publicly display his anger, but, at least this time, he found it hard to hold back.

    The blue-colored dungeon.

    If such a dungeon ended up causing an outbreak, then, quite literally, hundreds of thousands would have lost their lives. Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s actions involved such an immense risk.

    Bak Yun-gyu squeezed his fists so tightly that blood started seeping out. He opened his mouth again eventually and said, in a barely-composed voice, ¡°In any case, I¡¯m truly thankful that nothing terrible happened. As for Gwon Jae-hoon, is his death confirmed?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s definitely confirmed.¡±

    Only then did Bak Yun-gyu figure out the intention of Su-hyeun¡¯s question from earlier.

    ¡°Let me ask you one more time.¡± Su-hyeun changed his question and asked it in a more straightforward manner. ¡°Was it Gwon Jae-hoon or the Hahoetal Guild that refuses to play by the rules? Or, is it the entire association?¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu became certain after hearing that question.

    He realized that, depending on how he answered, the association might get flipped on its head.

 Chapter 155

    Act 1

    * * *

    The raid on the blue-colored dungeons had ended

    All of South Korea was thrown into turmoil. No, it wasn¡¯t just Korea this time.

    ¡ºThe blue-colored twin dungeons, conquered by Korea¡¯s strength alone!¡»

    ¡ºSouth Korea, now the top awakener nation on Earth. Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s entrance leads to meteoric rise of¡­.¡»

    ¡ºSolo raid of a blue-colored dungeon. Finally a reality.¡»

    Sensational headlines dominated the front pages.

    Everyone was paying attention to three things in particular: ¡°The second-ever appearance of a blue-colored dungeon¡±, ¡°Two appearing at the same time¡±, and ¡°Kim Su-hyeun¡±.

    And also¡­

    ¡ºHahoetal Guild, attempting to sabotage a blue dungeon? Kim Su-hyeun, ¡°Will not stand still¡±.¡»

    ¡ºKim Su-hyeun Vs Hahoetal Guild. What is the Position of the Association?¡»

    Yet more headlines that could potentially throw South Korea into even greater turmoil had been published.

    ¡°It finally showed up,¡± said Lee Ju-ho as he stared at the screen of his smartphone.

    Su-hyeun also confirmed that the report written with the info he provided had been published, and, while taking out an apple from the fridge and biting into it, muttered, ¡°That took a while.¡±

    ¡°Well, the folks from the Hahoetal Guild must¡¯ve thrown a massive hissy fit, demanding that the article be blocked. And even though we have the actual video footage, the reporters will still need to verify it first, anyway.¡±

    The clout the Hahoetal Guild enjoyed in South Korea couldn¡¯t be underestimated. No, actually, one could even say that it was more influential than any other guild in the country.

    Not because the Guild itself was seen as the unrivaled number one, but because Gwon Jae-hoon was the chairman of the association.

    ¡°Regardless of that, the article showing up like this is the important part,¡± said Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Which is amazing, really. It means that there are some reporters who now consider you a bigger fish than the Hahoetal Guild. Well, Gwon Jae-hoon kicking the bucket probably helped on that one.¡±

    The death of Gwon Jae-hoon wasn¡¯t just a problem for the Hahoetal Guild. No, it was enough of a shock to badly affect the whole association.

    And, it all depended on one¡¯s own interpretation.

    ¡°How will it be interpreted, Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s sabotage attempt being the Hahoetal Guild¡¯s problem, or will it be considered an issue for the entire association¡­.¡± Lee Ju-ho turned his phone off and pocketed it. ¡°It all depends on what you decide now.¡±

    The die had been cast.

    The moment Su-hyeun learned that Gwon Jae-hoon was preparing to sabotage him, he began filming everything.

    This incident wasn¡¯t just Su-hyeun¡¯s problem alone. It wasn¡¯t the Hahoetal Guild¡¯s first attempt at sabotage. They had done it several times in the past, too. And that fact was more than enough to incite public displays of rage from both awakeners and regular citizens.

    ¡°Depending on your choice, you might end up in a full-on confrontation with the association. Or, you can become an enemy to the Hahoetal Guild only. No, wait. You should consider yourself an enemy of them already.¡±

    ¡°I did kill Gwon Jae-hoon, after all.¡±

    ¡°The response from the association might be an issue, too.¡±

    Would the association abandon the Hahoetal Guild or side with them and become hostile toward Su-hyeun?

    That decision determined the direction South Korea would have to walk in the future.

    ¡°What are you going to do now? If you keep fighting against the Hahoetal guild, there¡¯s a good chance that you¡¯ll clash with the association, too.¡±

    Although he asked that, Lee Ju-ho already knew the answer. Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d get scared by the association and leave the Hahoetal Guild alone.

    He wasn¡¯t that kind of man.

    Lee Ju-ho hesitated slightly, before cautiously opening his mouth. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinking. And¡­¡±

    ¡°About?¡±

    ¡°How about you do it this way?¡±

    At that unexpected suggestion, Su-hyeun paid close attention to what Lee Ju-ho said afterward. And his expression changed over and over again with every passing second while he listened to the older man.

    * * *

    The Jongno Tower.

    Inside the top floor¡¯s tower palace where the awakener association¡¯s conference was normally held.

    The atmosphere in the venue, which seemed to be buoyant and boisterous at all times, had never felt close to the gloomy funeral procession of today.

    Right outside the conference venue, the vice guild master of Hahoetal, Gwon Ho-yeong was muttering to himself while holding his head. ¡°This is driving me nuts, seriously now¡­.¡±

    Gwon Ho-yeong was Gwon Jae-hoon¡¯s younger brother.

    Although he was an A-Rank awakener himself, in reality, he was only the vice master position because he happened to be the younger brother of the boss man.

    In all honesty, the position was largely ceremonial, to begin with.

    However, the absence of the guild master meant that Gwon Ho-yeong was now saddled with the authority and responsibility of the guild¡¯s leader.

    ¡°Bro, why did you have to go and piss off that bastard, Kim Su-hyeun¡­.¡±

    He was far more concerned with Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s potential reprisal than avenging his brother¡¯s death. Gwon Ho-yeong honestly felt that way.

    In order to dodge Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s reprisal somehow, he needed to win over other guilds affiliated with the association during this meeting.

    << I can do this. Yes. >>

    Gwon Ho-yeong sucked in a deep, deep breath. Here he was, in the place of the previous association chairman Gwon Jae-hoon, making his first appearance in front of the others as the new master of the Hahoetal Guild.

    Finally managing to calm his rough breathing, he took a step forward. He opened the door and stepped inside to discover a large crowd filling up the conference venue. He even spotted reporters and their cameras standing toward the back of the room.

    The audience members numbered several dozen. Every single one of them was a master or vice master of the guilds affiliated with the association.

    Gulp-

    Gwon Ho-yeong was cowed by the pressure of the occasion and ended up staring at a specific man among the crowd.

    << Jung Yoon-ho. >>

    An awakener in his mid-thirties, and blessed with a supermodel-like jawline. Not only was he the vice master of one of the top ten guilds in the country currently affiliated with the association, but he was also the second S-Ranker in it, too.

    Although he never really did anything for the association other than having his name appear in its register, he still must¡¯ve decided to show up today, the business at hand being what it was.

    << With my brother dead, he would be the next likely candidate for the vacant association chairman position. >>

    Everyone was probably thinking the same thing. Judging through one¡¯s abilities alone, then Jung Yoon-ho was undoubtedly the best candidate present. Besides, Gwon Jae-hoon became the chairman simply because he was an S-Rank, anyway.

    << Fine. >>

    If that¡¯s the case, do whatever you want.

    Right now, Gwon Ho-yeong¡¯s enemy wasn¡¯t Jung Yoon-ho.

    Kim Su-hyeun.

    Their enemy was none other than the holder of that name.

    Gwon Ho-yeong reached the platform and began addressing the crowd. ¡°A truly lamentable event has occurred, everyone.

    ¡°You all must have heard the news by now, but¡­ My older brother, no¡­ The chairperson has passed away.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    So far, the conference venue remained quiet.

    Gwon Ho-yeong was slightly flustered by the unexpected silence, but he continued with the prepared speech regardless. ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize. Please accept my unreserved apology on behalf of the Hahoetal Guild and the former chairman, for our wrongdoings. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    The first thing to do was to apologize.

    Gwon Ho-yeong bowed his head. A camera flash went off, causing an avalanche of more flashes to go off soon after.

    << Discard the previous image of when my older brother was still around. This must be a new beginning. >>

    The acts of sabotage that the Hahoetal Guild had participated in were a truly malicious action no one could excuse them for if they were to be publicly lynched.

    But the one who lead those actions, Gwon Jae-hoon, was dead. And dead men told no tales.

    ¡°Although it is true that I was not aware of the wrongdoings of the chairman, it is still undeniably my responsibility, as the vice master, that my guild has strayed from the right path. And so¡­.¡±

    ¡°Did you climb up there just to apologize to us?¡±

    That came from Jung Yoon-ho.

    Gwon Ho-yeong stared right back at him. As expected of a man famed for his short fuse and no-nonsense personality.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± said Gwon Ho-yeong.

    ¡°Okay, what then?¡±

    ¡°The reason why I asked you all to convene today is¡­ because of Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    Kim Su-hyeun.

    The moment that name was brought up, the conference venue finally became noisy. But the silence quickly returned after murmuring folks grew conscious of the reporters in the back.

    Gwon Ho-yeong continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all aware that Kim Su-hyeun and my Hahoetal Guild are currently antagonistic.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°A fight between the Hahoetal Guild and Kim Su-hyeun, is it¡­ Well, the end result is pretty obvious, though.¡±

    ¡°The story might be different if Gwon Jae-hoon was still around. That idiot, dying a dog¡¯s death by doing something so stupid.¡±

    ¡°Hey, watch your mouth, man. Someone might hear you.¡±

    Their murmurings could be heard more clearly than ever.

    Gwon Ho-yeong had been listening in, hoping to gauge the reactions of the association members, so naturally, he was frowning deeply at this point. Even if it was noisy in the room, he was still an A-Rank awakener. No way he¡¯d miss their voices like that.

    << Dammit. >>

    He had never imagined that the Hahoetal Guild would be treated this poorly back when Gwon Jae-hoon was still alive.

    He gnashed his teeth in anger, but there was nothing he could do about it. Indeed, he needed to hold himself back and continue on for the sake of his continued survival. ¡°This isn¡¯t just the Hahoetal Guild¡¯s problem.¡±

    ¡°¡­.What was that?¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡±

    ¡°Sh*t. So, that¡¯s it, right?¡±

    ¡°I f*cking knew it. The Awakener Authority is¡­.¡±

    The clamor among the crowd rose up higher, so Gwon Ho-yeong had to inject magical energy into his voice and speak. ¡°Kim Su-hyeun currently views us, the Hahoetal Guild as his enemy, and the association by extension. Please do not forget that he is still not affiliated with any guilds, and has formed a very close connection with the Awakener Authority, instead.¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s friendship with the Authority is what it is, but how does that translate to him being hostile to the association?¡±

    Gwon Ho-yeong replied, ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s public knowledge that the relationship between the association and the Authority has been deteriorating recently. Also, Kim Su-hyeun has a prior history of refusing the association¡¯s invitations several times.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see the bigger picture now? He has consistently rejected our invitation, but when the Authority requested his help, he returned to Korea from San Francisco in less than a day. And, not too long ago, he even directly clashed against the Hahoetal Guild¡¯s people, as well.¡±

    ¡°Even before the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Well now, that¡­ does present something of a problem.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? But, that¡¯s not quite enough to say that he¡¯s hostile to the association, no¡­.?¡±

    Opinions began splitting here and there.

    If they accepted what Gwon Ho-yeong said at face value, then it looked like Kim Su-hyeun was in conflict with the Hahoetal Guild even before the sabotaging incident. And that, potentially, meant this whole thing might become more than just one man clashing against a guild.

    The Hahoetal Guild¡¯s master was the association¡¯s chairman, after all.

    << I need to create conflict between the association and Kim Su-hyeun today, no matter what. It¡¯s utterly impossible for the Hahoetal Guild to fight that man alone. Even if I have to make up some bullsh*t today, I must¡­. >>

    Creaaak-

    It was then that the door to the conference venue was pushed open. The sudden, unexpected interruption caused the attention of every audience member present to zero in on the doorway.

    And right at that moment, the already-noisy conference venue was thrown into total disarray.

    ¡°K-K-Kim Su-hyeun?!¡±

    ¡°What is Kim Su-hyeun doing here??¡±

    A man was strolling calmly into the conference venue. He was none other than the person at the center of today¡¯s discussion, Su-hyeun.

    Lee Ju-ho was following behind him. This occasion being what it was, he seemed rather uncomfortable, unlike Su-hyeun.

    Gwon Ho-yeong had just been talking about Su-Hyeun, so understandably, he had to clamp his mouth shut from sheer surprise.

    << What is that bastard doing here?? >>

    Su-hyeun was currently in a conflict against the Hahoetal Guild. Of course, they were at odds, since he was the one responsible for revealing the guild¡¯s sabotage attempt to the media and turning them into the villains.

    But, if he was thinking of fighting the Hahoetal Guild, he shouldn¡¯t have shown up here. Because, this event wasn¡¯t held by the guild, but by the association.

    << Wait, could he have heard everything I said? >>

    With Su-hyeun, it was possible that he heard what was being said inside the conference venue while standing outside the door.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue with what you were saying?¡± Su-hyeun settled down on an empty seat and stared directly at Gwon Ho-yeong. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear the rest.¡±

    1

    The onlookers felt a bit uncomfortable as they looked at him sitting so nonplussed, as if this was his own living room. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if someone said something, yet no one dared to.

    It was easy to see that no one here wanted to become publicly hostile with Su-hyeun today.

    << Damn this bunch of cowards¡­ >>

    Gwon Ho-yeong scanned the audience members, his eyes gleaming brightly. Regardless of what happened, today¡¯s occasion was where the guild masters and vice masters affiliated with the association had come together for a meeting.

    Even the high-and-mighty Kim Su-heyun wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for long by making every single one of these people his enemies.

    So, this could be an opportunity, instead. Indeed, It might be an unmissable chance now that Kim Su-hyeun had willingly walked into the association, not the Hahoetal Guild.

    ¡°Mister Kim Su-hyeun. What is your reason for interrupting his conference?¡±

    1

    Gwon Ho-yeong didn¡¯t beat around the bush. Instead, he confronted Su-hyeun directly.

    And Su-hyeun made his reply.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156: Chapter 156

    ¡°First, it¡¯s to check out the rubbish you were planning to spew about me, and then¡­.¡±

    The ¡®rubbish spewing¡¯ bit caused Gwon Ho-yeong to frown deeply.

    BUt Su-hyeun didn¡¯t pay any mind to his reaction and continued, ¡°Second, it¡¯s to separate friends from foes.¡±

    ¡°Separate friends from foes??¡±

    ¡°To figure out who are my enemies and who are my allies. Or, if I am to get more specific¡­¡± Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes and scanned the audience members. ¡°To figure out how far the rot has spread.¡±

    A few flinched at those words and began avoiding his gaze.

    No one was stupid enough to not know what he meant by this point. Everyone in the association clearly understood the intent behind the ¡®enemies and allies¡¯ bit, plus the ¡®rot¡¯ Su-hyeun had mentioned.

    The same applied to the reporters, as well. And it was they who sucked in their breaths the deepest.

    << When he said he¡¯d check out the extent of the rot and separate friends from foes, he¡­ >>

    << He¡¯s going to consider all corrupt guilds like Hahoetal his enemies even if they¡¯re association members? >>

    That was an incredible bombshell.

    No, in a way, it was rather obvious. Because it also implied that he¡¯d be friendly towards the righteous folks, but he¡¯d deem the corrupt villains, after all.

    But the evil that had grown deep roots in recent years made it seem like such thing was a bombshell. For instance, the current matter involving the Hahoetal Guild was an example.

    The world at large wanted to go beyond finger-pointing and cussing to demand that they be classified as criminals right away. Too bad, the inner workings of the awakener world weren¡¯t so simple as that.

    The Awakener Authority was worried about a collision with the association, so it chose not to do anything. As for the association, it might have been willing to expel the Hahoetal Guild from its membership, but it also didn¡¯t readily step forward to punish the guilty.

    All of these were indeed unfair, but also quite understandable.

    The world had come to accept such things as normal, and now they arrived at this moment in time.

    An arm was always bound to bend inward.

    But now, Su-hyeun was saying this to them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again.¡±

    He said that such a thing was wrong.

    ¡°How far does it go?¡±

    Gulp-

    Just one word, just one casual glance from him; that was all it took to throw everyone¡¯s minds into utter chaos.

    This unexpected development also threw Gwon Ho-yeong into an uncontrollable fluster, as well.

    << A-at this rate¡­ No, I can¡¯t be careless and say whatever. >>

    Gwon Ho-yeong had initially planned to paint Su-hyeun as an evil villain during this meeting and gather the combined strengths of the association under one united banner.

    He wanted to show a united front to the world, and that¡¯s why the reporters had been brought in today.

    To tell them that the one at fault was Gwon Jae-hoon, and that the Hahoetal Guild was still standing tall despite everything.

    To declare that if Su-hyeun wanted to fight them, then he¡¯d have to fight the whole association.

    But now, Su-hyeun had flipped his plan on its head, instead.

    -If the association sides with the Hahoetal Guild, then the organization will immediately become the bad guys along with them.

    That line of thought floated up in the minds of everyone present. Of course, other thoughts did pop up at the same time, too.

    << Must we get toyed around by some wet-behind-the-ears punk?? >>

    << Even if he¡¯s the winner of the Ranking Wars, how dare this one bastard challenge the entire association all by himself¡­.? >>

    They all accepted that Su-hyeun was incredible.

    But they still didn¡¯t enjoy this situation one bit. At this rate, it would end up looking like they¡¯d gotten scared by Su-hyeun and couldn¡¯t say a single damn thing.

    ¡°No matter how I think about it, you¡¯re not giving us any respect!¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ll punish the entire association or something??¡±

    A handful of guild masters known for their hot tempers shot angry glares in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction. Several others in the audience seats who couldn¡¯t dare to openly say something began nodding their heads at that.

    ¡°Punishing, is it¡­¡± Su-hyeun pondered for a little while, before nodding as well. ¡°If there are any rotten parts, then sure, that should be done.¡±

    ¡°You insolent little¡­!¡±

    ¡°With what authority do you dare to punish us?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re truly arrogant! Do you really want to wage war against the association?!¡±

    Public sentiment was heading in a weird direction. And one person in the middle of it all was grinning inside. Gwon Ho-yeong.

    << Yes!! >>

    He thought that everything was over the moment Su-hyeun showed up. But the story would change if the meeting continued to unfold this way.

    What Su-hyeun did by showing up in the conference venue was basically equivalent to baring his fangs at the association itself.

    << If this continues, then Kim Su-hyeun won¡¯t be in conflict with my guild alone, but at odds with the entire association. >>

    If that happened, then the ensuing fight would be winnable. No matter how incredible Su-hyeun was, there was simply no way he could consider the whole association as an enemy and massacre its every member.

    Especially so, considering that the dungeons still being generated even now would be left unbeaten, if the great framework called the association disappeared and its members decided to keep their collective ¡®silence¡¯, as it were.

    The Awakener Authority also knew this, which was why they couldn¡¯t do anything to the association.

    ¡°You know, an organization that doesn¡¯t want to change even though it¡¯s aware of the corruption, and keeps its silence despite knowing its guilt¡­¡± Su-hyeun got up from his seat while staring straight at Gwon Ho-yeong, ¡°¡­.doesn¡¯t deserve to exist.¡±

    The Hahoetal Guild.

    Gwon Jae-hoon, who wished to kill Su-hyeun and, in turn, cause a blue-colored dungeon outbreak.

    Their wrongdoings weren¡¯t something the association should make excuses for. If the blue-colored dungeon had indeed caused a full-blown outbreak, then the catastrophe that might have ensued would be difficult to even imagine.

    That was why Su-hyeun showed up in this place. To confirm with his own two eyes just what kind of a decision the association would make.

    He said, ¡°The Hahoetal Guild is still present in this meeting. Not only that, that man¡¯s younger brother is standing there as the association chairman, too.¡±

    ¡°So? What of it?¡±

    A short-tempered middle-aged man got triggered and retorted back, but that only earned him a sharp, piercing glare from Su-hyeun.

    ¡°None of you¡­ deserve to live, that¡¯s what.¡±

    Those words opened the floodgates.

    ¡°You crazy son of a¡­!!¡±

    ¡°A young punk who stumbled his way into some power doesn¡¯t know his damn place and decides to run his mouth!!¡±

    Those who¡¯d been suppressed by the weight of Su-hyeun¡¯s fame and had held themselves back shot up from their seats and began rousing their magical energy.

    Goh-ooooooh-

    The atmosphere within the conference venue deteriorated in an instant. More than half of the audience members bared their fangs at Su-hyeun.

    But he smirked, as if he already expected this, and casually addressed them. ¡°Yup, I knew you¡¯d come out like this.¡±

    [Third Eye- Predator]

    Split-

    An eye opened up in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead, and, at the same time, an enormous magical power swept across the room.

    Sha-aaaaah-

    The effect of the ¡®Predator¡¯ skill caused the air in the conference venue to sink down uncontrollably. The temperature within the room, which had been heated up by the panting of the enraged people, plummeted to near zero in the blink of an eye.

    << W-what the hell is this?? >>

    << My body, it suddenly¡­?? >>

    Their bodies were all frozen like a cat¡ªno, maybe even a rat¡ª suddenly face to face with a massive snake.

    The moment Su-hyeun unleashed his true presence, their bodies and minds instinctively told them something¡ªthat this existence before their eyes was on another realm than them.

    The angered crowd was silenced instantly. Su-hyeun studied them and continued to speak.

    ¡°An arm will bend inwards. I¡¯m not saying that¡¯s a bad thing. We should rely on each other to survive, after all. It¡¯s just that, when things go overboard, you stop seeing other things, you see¡­.¡± He began walking towards the platform. ¡°And it seems like there are quite a lot of blind folks present today.¡±

    Currently, on the platform¡­

    Gwon Ho-yeong was staring at the approaching Su-hyeun, his legs trembling nonstop. The ¡®Predator¡¯ skill was affecting him the worst out of everyone there.

    ¡°D-d-do-don¡¯t come closer!!¡± Gwon Ho-yeong yelled. He took a step backward every time Su-hyeun took a step forward. And, while waving his hands desperately, he began rousing his magical energy to resist the crippling fear.

    Step-

    ¡°I-I said, don¡¯t come closer!!¡±

    Ka-gak, gagagak-

    Dozens of long spears suddenly materialized all around Gwon Ho-yeong. He created them out of sheer terror, sensing that if he didn¡¯t do anything, he¡¯d be dead for sure.

    But then, Su-hyeun¡¯s third eye emitted light, and¡­

    Fwoooosh-

    Gwon Ho-yeong jumped up in fright and fired the spears in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction. It was the reflexive action of a frightened man, but, regardless of what, he had attacked first.

    He was also an A-Rank awakener, despite his current state. Even though Gwon Ho-yeong fired the spears in panic, they still flew true and straight toward Su-hyeun.

    Giii-iiiing-

    [Third Eye- Neutralization]

    Pang! Pa-pang-!

    The flying spears were all extinguished in midair. The reporters, squeezing their eyes shut out of sheer shock and fright, all looked confused at the sudden development.

    The thing was, though, their surprise couldn¡¯t even compare to that felt by the awakeners gathered here for the association¡¯s meeting.

    Someone¡¯s skill had disappeared without a single trace. And the expressions of those staring at the culprit behind this phenomenon, Su-hyeun, were filled with indescribable shock.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s this? Why did the spears suddenly go pop¡­.!¡±

    ¡°It was Kim Su-hyeun! He actually canceled someone else¡¯s skill!¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ But, there¡¯s no reason for Gwon Ho-yeong to cancel his own skill, so¡­.¡±

    Opinions were split.

    The ¡®Cancel¡¯.

    It was one of the most basic skills one could learn, something meant to cancel another skill that the user had activated already. Understandably, it didn¡¯t see much usage.

    Still, it was a skill that any awakener had to learn if they wanted to ensure the safety of their companions during the dungeon raids.

    The situation was obviously different right now, however. Well, if Gwon Ho-yeong had indeed canceled his own skill, he wouldn¡¯t look so shocked right now, now would he?

    To top it off¡­.

    ¡°The magical energy was coming from Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s side when the skill disappeared.¡± Jung Yoon-ho, who had kept his mouth shut since Su-hyeun¡¯s appearance, finally said something. ¡°Kim Su-hyeun undoubtedly made the skill disappear. But I can¡¯t tell how he canceled his opponent¡¯s skill, or if he possesses some other strange skill that allows him to do so.¡±

    Jung Yoon-ho too was an S-Rank awakener. He had learned all kinds of skills and could wield them freely. So much so that people referred to him as the ¡®jack of all trades¡¯.

    But even someone like him couldn¡¯t figure out Su-hyeun¡¯s skill.

    To be able to cancel¡ªneutralize¡ªhis opponent¡¯s skill. Assuming that there was no special penalty applied when doing so, such a skill should definitely be considered as completely unrivaled. And, it also implied that the possessor of such a skill could render all awakeners as nothing more than a bunch of physically strong morons.

    ¡°Come on, man. Making me raise both my hands, and my feet, too.¡± Jung Yoon-ho indeed raised both of his hands and got up from his seat. ¡°I surrender. If you all want to kill yourself fighting that monster, go on ahead without me.¡±

    ¡°W-what?!¡±

    ¡°W-wait a minute, Mister Jung Yoon-ho! If you just leave like this¡­.¡±

    The others were flustered by this development and tried to stop Jung Yoon-ho, but the fight was already over by then.

    Step, step-

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun was still walking over to Gwon Ho-yeong. When the latter¡¯s back touched the wall behind him, he launched several other skills in a row.

    Unfortunately for him, the results remained the same. All of Gwon Ho-yeong¡¯s skills simply vanished the moment they were activated.

    ¡°That crazy son of a¡­.¡±

    A sense of powerlessness he hadn¡¯t felt since acquiring his powers washed over him like a tidal wave.

    Soon, the distance between him and Su-hyeun narrowed, and, when their gazes met head-on, that powerlessness morphed into fear once more.

    It wasn¡¯t just because of the ¡®Predator¡¯ skill¡¯s effects. No, this was an instinctive fear. The most basic fear one would feel when their death was closing in rapidly.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t, don¡¯t k-kill me. It was¡ª it¡¯s my brother who¡¯s at fault, not me¡­.¡±

    Grab-

    ¡°Keok, keo-geo-keok¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand grabbed Gwon Ho-yeong¡¯s throat. The latter¡¯s eyes opened wide, and he began pounding on the hand choking him.

    ¡°What you lot tried to do to me wasn¡¯t your only sin, though.¡±

    << I, I¡¯m d-dying¡­. >>

    Gwon Ho-yeong¡¯s brows shot up high, and, just as thoughts of his impending death entered his mind¡­

    Drop-

    ¡°Keok! Keok, ke, ke-kekek!¡±

    Su-hyeun let go, and Gwon Ho-yeong¡¯s body crashed to the floor.

    ¡°Time to pay for all the sins you¡¯ve committed up until now.¡±

    ¡°Pant, pant, pant¡­.¡±

    Rubbing his neck, Gwon Ho-yeong forced himself up from the spot and hurriedly escaped from the room. As if he didn¡¯t care one jot about that, Su-hyeun slowly walked elsewhere.

    ¡°From now on¡­.¡±

    The people inside the conference venue wordlessly staring at everything that had transpired so far all shifted their gazes to him, their expressions utterly dazed.

    ¡°¡­.the Hahoetal Guild will cease to exist.¡±

    Su-hyeun climbed up to the platform in Gwon Ho-yeong¡¯s place, scanned the entirety of the venue in one gaze, and asked them all.

    ¡°Any objections?¡±

 Chapter 157

    A few days ago.

    Bak Yun-gyu gave his answer to Su-hyeun¡¯s question.

    ¡°As it stands currently, the Korean Awakener Authority is far behind in influence compared to the association.¡±

    He personally came to visit Su-hyeun¡¯s home, looking as if he had given this matter some serious consideration.

    The tale he told was quite detailed and included matters involving the association, the Awakener Authority, plus other guilds as well as the influential awakener groups that acted on their own, separate from the two.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it, though. He already knew most of this.

    Not only that¡­

    << I already know that the association is the problem. >>

    While sipping on his coffee, Su-hyeun let Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s words go in one ear and out the other. He was busy organizing his thoughts at that moment.

    << At first, everything was fine. In the beginning, the dungeon¡¯s generation range and region weren¡¯t that wide. However, as time passed, the association¡¯s problems got bigger and harder to rectify. >>

    Especially so, from a certain time onward¡ªtheir problems became even worse as the dungeon¡¯s generation rate accelerated by a great deal.

    << They abandoned dungeons that wouldn¡¯t bring them profit, and, sometimes, even delayed an already-scheduled raid. Or even dumped it on someone else entirely. On the other hand, if a dungeon was deemed profitable and attention-grabbing, they would ignore the Authority¡¯s allocation efforts without hesitation to snatch the raid away from others, or, when things got worse, even tried sabotage. >>

    When many people gathered, and lots of money and prestige were thrown into the mix, it only took an instant to turn everything into a muddy swamp. If a few mudfish dirtied the water, then the other fish population wouldn¡¯t have a choice but to adapt to their new environment.

    Things up until that point were fine. The number of the awakeners was higher than the rate of dungeon generation, after all. But, when that sudden moment of awakeners being unable to deal with the dungeons arrived¡­

    << As I thought, the association problem can¡¯t be left alone anymore. >>

    When such a time came, the role of the association would become crucial, as it was supposed to operate awakener manpower as efficiently as possible. At the bare minimum, its current course couldn¡¯t be maintained.

    << So, the real issue is with just exactly how far the Authority can interfere, and how far the ripples would spread after I take care of the Hahoetal Guild and the association? >>

    Su-hyeun had found himself a perfect pretext. A pretext that allowed him to fight the Hahoetal Guild and, furthermore, even the association itself.

    Of course, that would only apply if the association didn¡¯t punish the Hahoetal Guild and instead tried to shield it. If they willingly stepped forward to acknowledge the Hahoetal¡¯s wrongdoings and cast the guild aside, then Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t be able to intervene anymore.

    However, he was feeling confident about this.

    << The Hahoetal Guild won¡¯t be cast aside. >>

    He knew how their world operated rather intimately, after all. He knew how hard they worked to keep their world unshakeable, and how united they were through their stubbornness and obstinance.

    ¡°In the end, the problem lies with the association itself, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°We need a united force. There¡¯s a reason why both the Authority and the association exist, after all. But¡­.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t under control. Is that it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a bit different from that. To begin with, the association was never under the Authority¡¯s control. It was originally created with a mandate to safeguard the rights and interests of the awakeners, and also to get things done in a more effective, efficient manner.¡±

    Su-hyeun also knew the purpose of the association. The problem was that the organization was now working opposite of its original goal.

    ¡°Times are changing. The dungeon generation rate is accelerating, and the role of awakeners is directly linked to not just protecting the safety of the civilians, but even the defense of the nation itself,¡± said Bak Yun-gyu.

    He was a soldier. And what he said completely fit his army background. It also aligned pretty closely with what Su-hyeun was thinking, as well.

    Which meant that the conversation became easier. He didn¡¯t clear his schedule to meet Bak Yun-gyu only to hear what he already knew.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s stop discussing the obvious, and get to the point, please.¡±

    ¡°Up until now, we thought that there was no need to intervene, but¡­¡± Bak Yun-gyu hesitated slightly, then spoke with a resolute expression. ¡°Recent events have made us realize the truth. From our point of view, the current association is filled with many issues.¡±

    ¡°Which means¡­.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you say it¡¯s time to clean house, at least once?¡±

    Now that was an answer very much to Su-hyeun¡¯s liking. ¡°I completely agree.¡±

    There was only one way to restrict or control an organization united by power.

    With even greater power.

    Act 2

    The audience remained deathly silent.

    In the meantime, the reporters were hurriedly transmitting the articles they had compiled during the chaos. Now that was what an exemplary professional conduct looked like.

    << Well, a suitable atmosphere has been more or less created¡­. >>

    Gwon Ho-yeong, the man leading the meeting had been booted out.

    And Su-hyeun stepped onto his position, instead. After suppressing Gwon Ho-yeong with his strength and crushing everyone else with his mere presence alone, too.

    The sullen atmosphere was cold and heavy.

    The gazes that stuck to Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t be described as nice. Despite fearing him and his strength, the audience members were on high alert, ready to protect themselves at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Slap-!

    It was then that Lee Ju-ho, who had accompanied Su-hyeun into the conference venue, clapped his hands and drew attention toward himself. ¡°Why don¡¯t we put an end to this combative atmosphere? We also don¡¯t have any plans to go further than this.¡±

    After they heard his words, the audience members stared at Su-hyeun with somewhat relaxed expressions. Those words implied that no one else was going to die.

    Su-hyeun nodded his head. But he still didn¡¯t step away from the platform, implying that he wasn¡¯t planning to relinquish the leadership of the meeting just yet.

    Lee Ju-ho joined him on the platform and then addressed the audience. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask everyone today a question before we start. What were you planning to do with the Hahoetal Guild?¡±

    ¡°The Hahoetal Guild, is it?¡±

    ¡°W-well, that is¡­.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s question caused several in the audience seats to trail off and nervously eye each other. That¡¯s because they all knew that, depending on how that they answered, this place might turn into pandemonium again.

    << If we say that we were planning to shield the Hahoetal Guild today, then¡­. >>

    << Crazy son of a b*tch. Who¡¯s ballsy enough to say that now, wanting to become enemies with someone like him?? >>

    Realistically speaking, there could only be one answer here.

    ¡°O-of course, the association as a whole was planning to punish them.¡±

    ¡°I-indeed. Of course. We¡¯re gathered today to discuss the appropriate punishment for the Hahoetal Guild, after all.¡±

    It only took a moment for the overall sentiment to align perfectly when one or two folks opened their mouths.

    Not many present were brave enough to stake their lives on prideful words¡ªespecially so when the top representative of the Hahoetal Guild, Gwon Ho-yeong, had been basically massacred at Su-hyeun¡¯s hands already.

    ¡°In that case, no one¡¯s going to present us with issues, wouldn¡¯t you say? The enemies we talked about are the guilds that don¡¯t hesitate to commit criminal acts like the Hahoetal Guild, you see. If you¡¯re not one of them, then there¡¯s absolutely no problem.¡±

    What Lee Ju-ho said loosened up the tense atmosphere created by Su-hyeun¡¯s actions.

    At the very least, the members wouldn¡¯t get to fight Su-hyeun today as long as they didn¡¯t side with the Hahoetal Guild here.

    On the other hand, there was another way one could interpret his words, as well.

    << Other guilds that operated with a similar mindset as the Hahoetal Guild will be condemned as well, in other words. >>

    If someone else had said such a thing, they would be ridiculed. But their opponent today was on another scale altogether.

    Kim Su-hyeun.

    He did possess the strength to easily contend with a giant organization like the association all by himself. To make matters worse, he wasn¡¯t even alone.

    << Thomas and Choi Hak-joon stand behind Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s too¡­ >>

    << Three S-Ranked awakeners. And their rankings are¡­. >>

    Was that all? No, maybe even the Authority was involved in this.

    At that moment, Lee Ju-ho spoke up.

    ¡°Everyone, why don¡¯t we agree on a few rules?¡±

    ¡°Rules?¡±

    ¡°Yes, rules. I¡¯m talking about regulations.¡±

    Everyone looked back, somewhat confused.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun left everything up to Lee Ju-ho and stepped outside the conference venue, since it was the latter¡¯s role to take care of what was to come next.

    << It¡¯d be nice if the discussion ends on a positive note. >>

    Although he was apologetic about leaving the mop-up to Lee Ju-ho, there was no doubt the older man was far better suited than Su-hyeun when it came to dealing with other people.

    Creeaak, thud-

    After Su-hyeun left, Lee Ju-ho inwardly took a deep breath, making sure that it didn¡¯t show on his face.

    << The stage is set. >>

    Complete mayhem.

    The reason why Su-hyeun even came to the conference venue was to display the extent of his powers to these people.

    Things got lucky when Jung Yoon-ho retreated first, causing the rest to lose their fighting spirit in an instant.

    And now, there was one more thing Lee Ju-ho needed to do.

    << With the tiger on his back, a fox will rule the mountains. >>

    * * *

    After walking out of the conference venue, Su-hyeun spotted Hak-joon and Thomas sitting together on a bench in front of the Jongno Tower.

    ¡°Are you done, bro?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡±

    Hak-joon and Thomas were each enjoying a cone of ice cream. Su-hyeun joined them on the bench with a tired expression.

    ¡°Was it that tough?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°I always find dealing with such a group of people quite tiring.¡±

    Su-hyeun was never really talented in dealing with people, even back in the past.

    Sure, if the occasion asked for it, he could step up to the plate, but it was still so tiring that he¡¯d rather fight monsters, instead.

    While leaning against the bench, he raised his head and stared up to the sky. But, when he closed his eyes in this position, the faces of all the awakeners inside the conference venue floated back up in his mind.

    << If only every one of them was good people. >>

    This world was filled with all sorts of people.

    A world filled only by kind people was an impossible ideal. Even then, a world where good people were rewarded and bad ones were punished was the ¡®right¡¯ one, was it not?

    The strength of the association, its manpower, was definitely needed. But, since not every one of them was a kind, righteous person, someone with power and smarts was needed to control them.

    << I do have the necessary power. >>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes slowly opened again.

    << As for the smarts¡­ >>

    He recalled what Lee Ju-ho said to him before coming here. After observing the older man for a long while, it became evident that he was a rather smart guy.

    Su-hyeun was thankful.

    Thankful that Lee Ju-ho chose to walk on this difficult road. Even though it¡¯d be a very arduous and the path ahead, fraught with far more difficulty.

    The three of them sat on the bench and passed the time. After about an hour of waiting, the smartphone went off.

    Rrrrring-

    The call came from Lee Ju-ho. Su-hyeun was waiting for it, so he quickly answered it.

    -Hello? Hey, Su-hyeun.

    The voice on the line seemed fatigued. Su-hyeun smirked at the tone of voice, though.

    ¡°Sounds like things went well.¡±

    -What the hell, are you a mind reader or something?

    The tone of voice suddenly changed.

    Su-hyeun chuckled softly to himself.

    He knew what Lee Ju-ho¡¯s personality was like. If things hadn¡¯t gone as hoped, then he would¡¯ve used a brighter voice to reassure him that everything was peachy.

    As his chuckles gradually died down, Lee Ju-ho spoke up again.

    -The Hahoetal Guild will be expelled from the association, and everyone agreed to change the regulations to something fair and more strict. Also, if more problems crop up in the future, they all agreed to either expel or punish the troublemakers, too.

    ¡°They agreed far easier than I thought?¡±

    -All because of your massive rampage earlier. Besides, we have a pretext, too. It was a confrontation between right and wrong. Don¡¯t forget, there are reporters here, so they couldn¡¯t push back against the suggestions that are basically meant to safeguard what¡¯s right.

    Many factors had favored Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho¡¯s cause.

    The end result wasn¡¯t bad at all. Of course, not everything had unfolded in the way Su-hyeun had predicted.

    -And also, I agreed to join the association. Looks like I¡¯ll have to get directly involved in its administration.

    ¡°Eh? You will, bro? You¡¯ve never said anything about that before.¡±

    The unexpected revelation caused Su-hyeun¡¯s sit up straight on the bench. Unlike him, though, Lee Ju-ho sounded calm as he continued.

    -Without agreeing to that, this result wouldn¡¯t have come about. And even if it did, the new rules would be like a sandcastle, waiting to crumble.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    -Look at the long term, not the short term. Using strength to scare people and make them submit is no different from delaying a bomb ready to go off by a little bit. At the very least, we have to make them recognize that we¡¯re not their enemies.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you joined the association?¡±

    -You don¡¯t have to sweat over it. I¡¯ll be the one making all the decisions, after all. This is for the best, actually. By being in the same organization, it¡¯ll be easier to control them and make sure that problems don¡¯t rear their heads again.

    It wasn¡¯t as if it was a big issue. No, just like Lee Ju-ho had said, this situation turned out to be even better. Indeed, he¡¯d be able to go beyond stopping the association¡¯s issues and control the matters within its membership, too.

    This was probably done to grant the sense of security that came from being on the same side as Kim Su-hyeun, something the association wished for.

    There was only one reason why Su-hyeun¡¯s reaction was so vocal like this, though.

    ¡°Won¡¯t it get too hard?¡±

    That would be¡ªthe amount of work Lee Ju-ho had to perform would increase by a lot.

    He had rolled up his sleeves, instead of Su-hyeun. He now had to wade into the huge crowd made up of countless people, assess whether something was wrong or not, and then do something about it.

    Su-hyeun had never expected Lee Ju-ho to go to such lengths.

    -I always found you to be an amazing person.

    But then, Lee Ju-ho said something completely out of left field.

    -Every single day, you advance forward like crazy, never even taking much of a break in the process. And, sometimes, when I¡¯m talking to you, it¡¯s like I¡¯m talking to an old man. You¡¯re always worried about something, and you give it your best to lighten that worry.

    That was the ¡®Su-hyeun¡¯ Lee Ju-ho had been observing until now.

    -And I think I figured out what you¡¯re so worried about. When I first met you, I sometimes wondered if you were worried about nothing, but¡­ Lately, I understand where you¡¯re coming from.

    ¡°Bro, can it be¡­.¡±

    -You¡¯ve asked me this in passing before. You said, do I find the dungeons appearing in our current world normal or not? Didn¡¯t those dungeons look as if they would eventually swallow our world whole?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    -I¡¯m just now beginning to agree with you. So, how can I watch you crazily push yourself and do nothing? Anyone would try to help you out, in that case.

    Su-hyeun suddenly recalled something Kim Dae-ho told him in the past.

    [The whole world is expecting you to help them, so shouldn¡¯t at least one person help you out in return, too? Don¡¯t you agree?]

    Those were pretty much the same words.

    ¡®I shall help you¡¯.

    Nothing could make Su-hyeun¡¯s heart grow more excited than that.

    -You see, I¡¯m not overflowing with talent like you, Hak-joon or Thomas. Well, I fall way behind in that aspect compared to your trio of monsters, but¡­

    There was a hint of mirth mixed in Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice coming out from the speaker.

    -I¡¯m your ally, Su-hyeun. So, let me carry some of the weight, okay?

 Chapter 158

    A month flew by.

    The winter ripened, the season passed and the ground began to thaw.

    Su-hyeun paid a visit to the Awakener Authority. Thanks to his alerting them beforehand, Bak Yun-gyu was already there, waiting.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mister Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been a while since I came here.¡±

    It had been a long time since he had come to the authority¡¯s HQ. It was usually the other way around, with the Authority¡¯s people coming to visit Su-hyeun, instead.

    ¡°Are you going to speak to the director?¡±

    Su-hyeun smirked at the token question and made his reply. ¡°No need to even ask.¡±

    ¡°I take it you¡¯re not interested. Please, this way.¡±

    For an inflexible man, Bak Yun-gyu could be rather quick-witted. Su-hyeun followed him and headed to the large reception room within the Authority HQ.

    ¡°I heard that you passed the 39th floor,¡± said Bak Yun-gyu.

    ¡°That news already reached here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re constantly monitoring the Abyss Online, you see. Posts related to you show up several hundreds of times a day.¡±

    ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t do much, to begin with, so I¡¯m kinda shocked that there are so many things to write about me.¡±

    ¡°A majority of them are just guesswork related to your overall wealth, your combat prowess, as well as the difficulty of the tenth level trials. Almost none of them contain verified facts, actually.¡±

    The speed of information circulating was rather fast.

    Since Su-hyeun was busy rewriting the records of each and every floor he¡¯d been on, the news of which floor he was currently staying on was known widely even to those completely unrelated to the tower itself. That¡¯s how famous the topic had become.

    ¡°Soon, you¡¯ll be on the 40th floor.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I must challenge it soon.¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t take many breaks, do you? With the exception of helping out on the dungeon raids every now and then.¡±

    Knock, knock¡­

    As they conversed about this and that, someone knocked on the door and entered the room.

    ¡°Here it is,¡± said Kang Seung-cheol as he handed over a thin stack of documents to both Bak Yun-gyu and Su-hyeun. While receiving it, the latter expressed his gratitude.

    ¡°This is the requested data. Please, have a look.¡±

    Flip-

    The prompt was unnecessary as Su-hyeun was already doing exactly that. There was no need to take a close look, though. Forget about the small, tightly-packed letters, it was enough to check out the graphs visible on the pages here and there.

    [Quarterly breakdown on the increase of the dungeon generation rate.]

    [Quarterly breakdown on the increase of the awakener appearance rate.]

    Two matters of importance.

    The breakdown of the dungeon generation showed the number and the distribution of dungeons in different colored lines.

    << Without a doubt, it¡¯s gotten quicker. >>

    Su-hyeun flipped through the data. He felt relieved by the fact that the rate of new awakeners discovering their powers was accelerating, as well.

    << Both the numbers of dungeons and awakeners are increasing faster than before. >>

    Up until today, it remained nothing more than a hunch, a rough guess. He saw how the blue-colored dungeons showed up sooner than expected and began thinking that the dungeon generation rate must¡¯ve accelerated.

    But now that he had accurate data in hand, some aspects actually exceeded his estimation.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°The problem is bigger than I thought,¡± said Su-hyeun, being honest with his impression. He tensely massaged his forehead, before opening his mouth again while putting the documents down on the coffee table. ¡°It¡¯s fine if we¡¯re talking about red, orange, and even yellow-colored dungeons. Because the number of awakeners ranked B or lower are increasing at the same time.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying the issue is with the higher-leveled dungeons?¡±

    ¡°We need more time to increase the number of awakeners above A-Rank, no, more than that, above S-Rank. More importantly, however, it looks to me that the number of awakeners won¡¯t be able to match up to the number of dungeons being generated in the future.¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu looking at the same data realized the severity of the situation. His complexion darkened as he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll send this data to the media and the Awakener Authorities in other countries. Being aware of the impending threat to some level is better than not, after all.¡±

    ¡°Please. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Will you head straight to the tower?¡±

    Su-hyeun was getting up from his seat when he heard Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s question, so he nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s getting harder to take a longer break with the current state of affairs.¡±

    ¡°Even still, resting is important.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll return every now and then.¡±

    ¡°For the sake of that, I can only pray that there are save zones in the 40th floor¡¯s trial.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s existence was a necessity from the perspective of not just South Korea but even the whole world. He was a powerful figure who could solo a blue-colored dungeon. At least in this point in time, it¡¯d be quite difficult to find someone with Su-hyeun¡¯s level of combat prowess.

    Su-hyeun bade goodbye to Bak Yun-gyu and returned home. His movements as he changed clothes seemed urgent.

    << I need to pass the 40th floor as soon as possible. >>

    Blue-colored dungeons were appearing sooner than he had bargained for. He couldn¡¯t tell when the navy-colored ones would pop up, and he couldn¡¯t be sure when Fafnir would make its appearance next. He might have some knowledge of future incidents, but that wasn¡¯t the same as him being able to tell when those things would happen.

    As such, he needed to get real busy from now on. He couldn¡¯t solely focus his attention to the outside world. Climbing the tower and getting stronger wasn¡¯t something he could take lightly.

    << Let¡¯s go. >>

    He calmed his breathing down for a moment or two, opened his eyes, and extended his hand out in front of him.

    Split-

    <hr />

    Step, step-

    The world on the 40th floor.

    Beautiful architecture reminiscent of medieval Europe and the clear blue sky above made one feel like they were tourists visiting a faraway land just by walking through the streets.

    The 40th floor¡¯s world was so pretty that many awakeners rated it easily one of the very best out there. Sure, it couldn¡¯t be labeled ¡®THE¡¯ best, but it always came in the top five when discussions regarding great places to live popped up.

    Because of that, many awakeners who reached this floor would choose to stay here for a minimum of ten days, and even several months sometimes.

    But Su-hyeun had no reason to do so. He headed directly to the plaza, the location of the floor¡¯s trial.

    ¡°Welcome, welcome. Okay, so. Which level will it be? three? Let¡¯s see, the price of information on the third level trial is¡­.¡±

    A clearly-excited voice could be heard coming from the corner of the plaza. Quite a crowd had formed over there, as if to spectate on something. The racket they made even reached where Su-hyeun was standing. He headed over there.

    ¡°Excuse me, passing through.¡±

    He dug through the wall of people surrounding the location. Several frowned deeply and turned their heads to him.

    ¡°Come on, man! If you want to take a look, just stay at the back. Why are you shoving people arou¡­.. Heok?!¡±

    That particular man raised his voice in irritation only to recognize Su-hyeun¡¯s face and shut his mouth. Soon enough, others also discovered his presence and began muttering without even realizing it.

    ¡°K-Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°I heard he had arrived on the 40th floor, but he¡¯s already here in the plaza?¡±

    ¡°Is he here to speak to the gatekeeper?¡±

    Those who recognized Su-hyeun all made way for him. They had no reason to pick fights with him, and, undoubtedly, he had the most pressing matter to attend to among everyone present, anyway.

    Once he made his way past the crowd, he observed a middle-aged tramp sitting in a chair placed in the middle of the plaza.

    The gatekeeper.

    After the information had become more widespread, those found on every tenth floor were celebrities now.

    ¡°A really big customer has shown up, I see.¡± The gatekeeper revealed his yellowing teeth and beckoned with his finger. ¡°Okay, so. What are you curious about? How much did you find out before coming here?¡±

    Su-hyeun strode towards the gatekeeper and asked. ¡°First of all, tell me about the trial¡¯s difficulty.¡±

    The gatekeeper pondered this for a bit, before reaching out. ¡°One hundred thousand.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Using his finger, Su-hyeun lightly tapped on the gatekeeper¡¯s palm.

    [You have spent 100,000 achievement points.]

    An incredible amount of points was spent in an instant. Awakeners watching the scene all cried out in sheer shock.

    ¡°H-hundred thousand?!¡±

    ¡°Just to learn more about the difficulty??¡±

    ¡°What bullsh*t pricing is this?! Is he a swindler or something?¡±

    It had been a while since people learned that you could get hints of the upcoming trials from the gatekeepers. On top of that, online communities throughout the world, including the ones found on Abyss Online, had publicly revealed the achievement points required to learn more about the various level of trials on each floor.

    On average, they ranged between ten thousand to twenty. At the high end, around fifty thousand. But the gatekeeper demanded one hundred thousand points just for information on the difficulty, and Su-hyeun paid it as if such an amount was nothing to him.

    ¡°This ain¡¯t going to be difficult for your current level. If you were to challenge the 50th floor, sure, but something like the 40th is¡­.¡±

    The trial¡¯s difficulty shot up exponentially every ten floors. Because of that, the world found on every tenth floor was seen as a type of a big hurdle. And people were fully aware of this, so it was common to see those who nearly lost their lives on the ninth floors give up on the challenge.

    That¡¯s why the reply from the gatekeeper was especially shocking to the crowd.

    Not difficult.

    That implied that there was no such thing as a hurdle for Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Does that mean I don¡¯t need any hints?¡±

    ¡°If you only want to safely negotiate the trial, that is.¡±

    ¡°If not, what then?¡± Su-hyeun continued to ask.

    ¡°If you seek something far more than that¡­ Fine. Why don¡¯t I give you a discount? Five hundred thousand.¡±

    ¡°F-five hundred thousand?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy! What kind of horsesh*t pricing is that?!¡±

    Loud complaints exploded out from the peanut gallery at the gatekeeper sounding as if he was making a generous offer. All of them thought that this was a daylight robbery. And they all believed that Su-hyeun would outright refuse to pay the gatekeeper.

    << I mean, it¡¯s not supposed to be difficult for him, so why would he?? >>

    Too bad¡­

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Su-hyeun lightly tapped the gatekeeper¡¯s palm again and paid the price.

    [You have spent 500,000 achievement points.]

    The gatekeeper smiled at the prompt decision, and opened his mouth soon afterward. ¡°The real problem is with the difficulty.¡±

    ¡°The real problem?¡±

    ¡°From the 40th floor onwards, you can re-select the difficulty again. Even if you choose the tenth level¡­ You can still choose to make it easy, tough, or hellish for yourself.¡±

    ¡°And which one should I choose?¡±

    ¡°Asking me that when you already have made up your mind. Aren¡¯t you going to choose the most difficult path, anyway?¡±

    Su-hyeun could only smile a little in embarrassment at the gatekeeper¡¯s retort. When he thought about it, that was indeed true. He asked reflexively, but even if the gatekeeper told him to choose the easier path, he¡¯d still have chosen the hardest.

    ¡°Although the intent behind the question was a bit upsetting, you¡¯ve made the correct call. This is about perfect for your current level. Plenty of things to earn for yourself, too.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s everything, I¡¯m feeling a bit short-changed here,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Just like what the gatekeeper said, even without the hint, he¡¯d still have chosen the hardest path there was. Considering that, this whole thing felt like a waste of five hundred thousand points. He hadn¡¯t gotten anything worthwhile from the gatekeeper.

    ¡°Find the Cintamani.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can tell you. It is now up to you to make whatever choice you want with this clue.¡±

    What a vague clue that was.

    It was a completely different reaction on the 30th floor, when he learned the methods to kill the Ouroboros. It could be down to the gatekeeper¡¯s different personalities, or maybe that the difficulty this time was far lower than before.

    << Cintamani, is it? >>

    Even then, what the gatekeeper had told him was more than enough to pique Su-hyeun¡¯s curiosity.

    The Cintamani.

    Although he wasn¡¯t sure what kind of an item it was, he at least did know who might be holding it¡ªa dragon. According to Su-hyeun¡¯s knowledge, the creature occupying the highest tier of the divine beast hierarchy.

    Not only that, Miru¡¯s own species was a dragon, too.

    << Does that mean this trial is related to the dragons? >>

    He had discovered some leads on dragons through Malcolm during the 30th floor¡¯s trial. Ever since then, he had tried pretty hard to get his hands on more information during subsequent trials but had nothing to show for his efforts.

    After hearing the gatekeeper¡¯s hints, though, he thought that he could learn more during this trial as long as he played his cards smartly.

    ¡°Ah, by the way, this is a bonus just for you.¡±

    Just as Su-hyeun bade goodbye and turned around to head towards the trial¡¯s entrance¡­.

    ¡°You need to think carefully about why such a trial was given to you. And don¡¯t forget that many are expecting great things from you, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­..Okay. Thank you.¡±

    Su-hyeun bowed to the gatekeeper one more time.

    << A bonus, is it? >>

    Gatekeepers had all recognized him since he didn¡¯t know when. Was it because they were connected to each other in some way?

    Su-hyeun pondered this for a bit, but soon afterward shook his head.

    << No, that¡¯s not important right now. >>

    He knew from personal experience that every suggestion and hint the gatekeepers gave was important. Although the last tidbit was labeled as a ¡®bonus¡¯, it was undoubtedly yet another crucial clue in passing the trial.

    << I must think about why this trial was given to me? >>

    While thinking about it deeply, Su-hyeun¡¯s feet soon climbed up on the platform that would lead him to the trial.

    [Will you start the 40th floor¡¯s trial?]

    [Please select your level.]

    Su-hyeun spoke his prepared answer. ¡°Tenth level.¡±

    [You have selected ¡®tenth level.¡¯]

    [Please select the detailed difficulty.]

    [Very Hard / Hard / Normal / Easy]

    It was as the gatekeeper said.

    The tenth level trial.

    Every tenth floor, referred to as one¡¯s big hurdle.

    And finally¡­.

    ¡°The ¡®very hard¡¯ difficulty.¡±

    The highest difficulty currently available.

    [You have selected ¡®Very Hard¡¯.]

    [The trial will now commence.]

    That was the message he had been waiting for.

    Su-hyeun nodded his head and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Soon, the vista before his eyes began to change. The surrounding medieval buildings disappeared and were replaced by the blue skies and clouds completely filling his vision.

    In other words, he had arrived on the stage for the 40th-floor trial.

    Grrrrr¡­

    The next second, Su-hyeun heard a familiar growl.

 Chapter 159

    Act 3

    << Is that Yong? >>

    Yong, the blue dragon that accompanied Song Hyeong-gi. A growl Su-hyeun had heard a couple of times before from the creature entered his ears and he turned his body toward the source of the noise.

    He could now see the azure-blue sky where faint clouds floated lazily by, and, below them, a wide plain dyed a rich green hue. And there was a massive blue dragon lying down on it, with its wings comfortably folded in.

    << It¡¯s really a dragon. >>

    The sleeping dragon¡¯s stately aura was truly amazing, even though it was curled up in slumber. Its overall size was about the same as Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s dragon, and it was also the same blue color as well.

    << The highest color in the dragon hierarchy is red, and the lowest is purple, wasn¡¯t it? >>

    According to the explanation from the book Malcolm had lent him, the blue dragons were the most common.

    [40th floor¡¯s trial will now commence.]

    [Save the world of dragons. The dragon before you will guide you.]

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Since the explanation was way too simple, Su-hyeun decided to silently wait for more. But no further explanation was offered even after some time had passed. The only thing he could rely on now was the dragon before him, contently sleeping away.

    << Things are complicated from the get-go. >>

    Su-hyeun frowned as he studied the sleeping dragon. Nothing came across as a clue to him. If one had to be picked out, though, then it might be related to where exactly he was at the moment.

    << The world of dragons, is it¡­. >>

    Well, he could somehow tell that by looking at this dragon slumbering away without a care on this wide-open field.

    In this world, the existence of dragons wouldn¡¯t be seen as something special. More than likely, a human such as him would be treated as an even more rare existence here.

    << But, what am I supposed to ¡®save¡¯ in this place? >>

    The world seemed rather peaceful to him. Almost as if there wasn¡¯t really a need to save anything.

    << Maybe there¡¯s some kind of a defect somewhere? >>

    When that thought popped up in his mind, Su-hyeun shook his head. That was something he¡¯d discover gradually in the future. If the system¡¯s message was to be believed, then the dragon before his eyes would do the job of guiding him.

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Riiip-

    Su-hyeun called out, and, immediately, Miru tore through space and emerged outside. The dragon had grown larger than him at this point. Laughing happily, it bounced around everywhere, brimming with energy.

    Gurung, gurururung-

    Miru was still like a little kid despite its larger bulk.

    In the midst of its bouncing about, it discovered another dragon and its eyes opened much wider.

    ¡°It looks like you can stay outside in this place.¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t let Miru outside often, afraid that the larger physique of his red dragon might inconvenience other people, or get mistaken for a monster.

    But this was the world of dragons, so Miru being outside shouldn¡¯t pose any problems, whatsoever. No, being outside, even if it was deliberately so, might be for the best, actually.

    << I might be able to get more clues about Miru this way. Even if it¡¯s just one more, it¡¯s worth it. >>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s interest in all things related to Miru was quite big, to say the least. Even someone like Song Hyeong-gi, who hoovered up whatever little morsels of information related to divine beasts he could, had no idea what kind of an existence Miru was, after all.

    Honestly, there was a chance that even the other dragons wouldn¡¯t know much about Miru¡¯s identity. The blue dragon accompanying Song Hyeong-gi didn¡¯t know anything either, despite instinctively lowering its head towards Miru.

    ¡°I wonder if I can communicate with them, though¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun began walking toward the sleeping blue dragon.

    From what Song Hyeong-gi had said, a dragon¡¯s slumber could last for a few years at the longest. He felt a little apologetic about waking it up, but that didn¡¯t mean he was willing to give up on his trial and wait here forever.

    ¡°Excuse me. May I speak to you for a moment?¡± Su-hyeun called out to the blue dragon. The creature wiggled a little, but buried its head even deeper and snored loudly away once more.

    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡±

    In the end, Su-hyeun stomped on the ground.

    RUMBLE-

    Krr-ruk-?

    The impact resonating on the ground woke the dragon up. It must¡¯ve been in a really deep sleep.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to speak to you.¡±

    Kurung, krrrr¡­.

    The dragon discovered Su-hyeun¡¯s presence and mumbled something as it rubbed its drowsy eyes.

    -What is a human doing here?

    A baritone voice could be heard. But rather than entering his ears, it was transmitted directly into his brain.

    Su-hyeun was greatly relieved to know that he could communicate without issue and said to the dragon, ¡°You seem to know the language of man quite well.¡±

    -I mastered the translation magic perfectly by the time I was one hundred years old. Even if you weren¡¯t human, but some barbaric race without a developed language, I still won¡¯t have a problem understanding you.

    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear.¡±

    -Answer my question. What is a human doing in this place?

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun hesitated, not knowing how to answer that.

    << Forget about not believing me, would this guy gets p*ssed off instead if I said I came to save this world? >>

    Dragons naturally thought of themselves as a superior species than human beings. According to the book Malcolm lent him, it was dragons who taught humanity magic, as well as many other enlightenments and even civilization itself.

    That was why dragons always thought that they were being merciful toward humanity, but never believed the latter could help them out.

    << Should I say I¡¯m lost¡­.? >>

    It was then¡­

    The blue dragon finally spotted Miru, and shot up from its half-curled up position.

    -A red dragon??

    Gya-ong, gya-rururu¡­

    Miru must¡¯ve gotten scared by that, because it hurriedly hid behind Su-hyeun.

    << Is it that scary? >>

    Su-hyeun looked at Miru hiding behind him before shifting his gaze back to the blue dragon. For sure, this guy was on another level compared to Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s dragon, even if their sizes were roughly the same.

    Unlike that man¡¯s dragon, which was only a few years old, this blue dragon emitted the feeling of vast, indescribable history.

    << Just how old is this guy? >>

    The strength of dragons was divided into two categories.

    First, by color.

    Second, by their age.

    Considering that, this blue dragon before him might not be of a higher rank than Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s dragon, but it would easily best the latter simply through the sheer number of years it had lived so far.

    -That red dragon, is it with you?

    Su-hyeun replied to the blue dragon¡¯s question, ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve been together for about two years.¡±

    -But, why¡­? With a human¡­?

    ¡°Do you know something about Miru¡­ no, wait, this red dragon?¡±

    -¡­.

    There was no immediate reply. That was enough for Su-hyeun to become sure of it, though.

    << Bingo. >>

    He could tell instinctively¡ªthis reaction, this silence¡ªdidn¡¯t come from not knowing anything. So, Su-hyeun became quite confident that he¡¯d learn more about Miru¡¯s identity from this dragon.

    -Where did you meet that red dragon?

    Rather than replying with ¡®as a reward for my trial¡¯, Su-hyeun came up with a suitable-sounding answer, instead. ¡°It hatched from an egg I came across coincidentally.¡±

    -From an egg, you say?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    -¡­Is that so.

    The blue dragon¡¯s expression turned cloudy as it thought deeply.

    Even though the creature learned this for the first time, it nodded its head as if it had expected as much. Su-hyeun addressed the dragon again, ¡°Just what kind of an existence is the red dragon? And¡­.¡±

    He hesitated slightly before continuing on cautiously.

    ¡°What is the current situation of this world?¡±

    The blue dragon slowly alternated its gaze between Su-hyeun and Miru.

    -Why don¡¯t we talk while on our way?

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    The blue dragon turned around, and its long tail came down to rest on the ground. It was obviously telling him to climb up on its back.

    Su-hyeun hesitated again slightly, before climbing up while consoling the still-scared Miru. Whatever the cause might have been, this blue dragon was supposed to guide him anyway, according to the system message.

    -I¡¯m setting off.

    Flap-

    The blue dragon¡¯s large wings unfurled. The creature kicked the ground and shot into the sky quickly, then began telling its tale.

    -Red dragons are, in a way, symbols.

    Finally, the mystery around Miru began to unravel. Su-hyeun listened closely in great anticipation.

    -Red is the symbolic color that signifies the direct lineage of the lord of all dragons, the dragon king.

    ¡°The dragon king¡­.?¡±

    That must¡¯ve been their way to denote a royalty. The idea of lineage seemed to also exist within dragon-kind, and body-color was how that lineage could be differentiated.

    And the color red ranked the highest, symbolizing the direct descendants of the dragon king.

    Gya-rrng-?

    But Miru, born with such a noble bloodline, was tilted its head this way and that in confusion, as if to ask, what are you even talking about?

    Su-hyeun could only sigh softly at that utterly-unconcerned attitude and continue with his questioning, ¡°In that case, where can I find Miru¡¯s family? And what exactly is happening to this world?¡±

    The blue dragon hesitated and didn¡¯t say anything for a little while, before finally replying in a quiet voice.

    -No more¡­ direct descendants of the dragon king survives.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    -It¡¯s like I said. They¡¯re all dead. Some dragons say they ran away, but, whatever the case might be, the only red dragon currently remaining is most likely this little child over here.

    That was an unexpected discovery. Su-hyeun was thinking that he might get to meet other red dragons, who should be slightly larger than Miru, but now, none of them were alive?

    ¡°How can that even be¡­.?¡±

    -There was a war.

    ¡°What war are you talking about?¡±

    -I can¡¯t describe it well. Seeing it with your own eyes will be better.

    Fwoooosh-

    Thick bluish clouds suddenly enveloped Su-hyeun. He didn¡¯t fight against it and patiently observed the unfolding development. Not too long afterward, the view in front of his eyes transformed. Even his sitting figure felt weightless, as if he was soaring through the air.

    Ruuuuumble-

    Boom, ka-boooom-!

    Kiiii-aaaaah-!

    Explosions and screams¡ªaccompanied by a pitch-black sky above. Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed as his vision caught these new sights.

    ¡®An illusion?¡¯

    Su-hyeun was currently floating in the air¡ªwhile still in the same seated posture.

    He knew that this was all an illusion, but, after looking at the details on display, he began thinking this had to be a recreation of something that happened in the past.

    << Is this the war the blue dragon was talking about? >>

    He saw the corpses of dragons in the distance.

    The corpses were intermingled with the remains of other monsters, littering the ground, utterly soaked in blood shed by the dragons.

    << Wait, isn¡¯t that¡­. >>

    It was then that Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes caught the sight of a rather familiar monster.

    Kiiii-aaaah-!

    A gigantic turtle revealed itself in a lake in the distance.

    << The Titan Turtle. >>

    From its massive physique, occupying at least half of the lake, plus its shell that boasted unrivaled defensive capability¡ªSu-hyeun was well acquainted with that creature.

    << What¡¯s a creature only found inside navy-colored dungeons doing in here¡­.? >>

    When he took a closer look, though, it wasn¡¯t the only powerful monster he recognized.

    Most of the demonic beasts waging war against the dragons throughout the battlefield were quite similar to the monsters he knew.

    Among them were some weak creatures whose appearances he recognized despite their names escaping him, as well as an occasional gigantic monster like the Titan Turtle.

    Currently, the Titan Turtle was engaged in a battle against a group of orange-colored dragons. Those dragons were so massive that they didn¡¯t lose out to the turtle-shaped monster in sheer size.

    The sight of five orange-colored dragons engaged in a fierce battle against the Titan Turtle was a spectacle of the highest caliber.

    << I¡¯m sure of it now. >>

    Su-hyeun knew what this war was, the one shown in the blue dragon¡¯s illusion.

    << This is¡­. the one that I also know. >>

    The black sky, and the sudden invasion of monsters.

    The dungeon outbreak that couldn¡¯t be stopped anymore.

    Thud, boom, boom-

    He sensed a massive presence. His head quickly swiveled in that direction.

    The presence of one singular creature felt the largest within the world created inside the illusion. Which implied that the one responsible for the illusion was most conscious of this creature than anything else.

    And Su-hyeun didn¡¯t need to see it to know just what that thing was.

    << It¡¯s coming. >>

    The boss of all these demonic beasts, slowly striding toward his location.

    A giant with the head of a dragon.

    << Fafnir. >>

    The moment he saw the creature, thick, heavy killing intent began oozing out from Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

 Chapter 160

    << Why is that bastard here¡­.? >>

    Grit-

    Su-hyeun could no longer maintain his usual calm demeanor. The appearance of Fafnir did that to him¡ªthe monster that ruined his world. A massive mountain that he had to cross no matter what.

    His goal.

    Su-hyeun clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his skin. The pain from his hands helped him to quickly collect himself. There was no need to get agitated here. This was just an illusion, after all.

    << No, even if this wasn¡¯t an illusion, I mustn¡¯t get so agitated. >>

    Thanks to this event, he now knew how he¡¯d react to meeting Fafnir again in the future.

    Agitation was pretty much poison in a fight. A suitable level of tension was always good, but agitation wasn¡¯t. Indeed, this was actually a good thing, as today¡¯s events would serve as a sort of immunization that should help him rein in his emotions when confronting Fafnir again in the future.

    -You calmed your emotions quite quickly.

    The blue dragon¡¯s voice entered his mind. It was at that moment that Su-hyeun grew conscious of the scene being just an illusion once more.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m like that sometimes.¡±

    -Controlling your emotions is a tough job, especially for humans. Besides all that, why do you know that creature?

    Su-hyeun hesitated slightly at the blue dragon¡¯s question before making his reply. ¡°That monster destroyed my world.¡±

    -Your world¡­.?

    The blue dragon didn¡¯t ask any further, as if it understood him. Dragons blessed with dozens, hundreds of times longer lifespans than humans possessed an instinctive ability to see through lies. It had already confirmed that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t lying just then.

    << The dragon that will fight Fafnir is¡­. >>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze drifted upwards towards the sky.

    << As I thought, the red dragon. >>

    Riiiip-

    As if announce their intentions to save the entire world, the red dragons tore apart the black clouds blocking the sun and made a grand entrance.

    Fafnir¡¯s gaze shifted to the five red dragons.

    The purple-colored giant with the head of a dragon¡ªFafnir was far, far smaller compared to the red dragons. But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t think for a moment that the damn monster would lose this fight.

    << They¡¯re about to fight. >>

    Just as the red dragons cast aside the dark clouds and pounced on Fafnir¡­

    Shu-wuwuwu-

    The blue fog enveloping Su-hyeun dissipated, and the illusion came undone.

    ¡°Ah¡­.¡±

    -You sound disappointed.

    Su-hyeun nodded as the wide-open skies and the lush fields spread out before his eyes again. He honestly wanted to see how the red dragons fought, and also thought that this might be a good opportunity to learn more about Fafnir¡¯s abilities as well.

    -Apologies, but this is as far as I can show you. I was merely replaying the memories of my brother, after all.

    ¡°Does that mean¡­.¡±

    -The memories end there. My brother perished during the war.

    Dragons enjoyed a lifespan dozens, hundreds of times longer than humans. Even if time wasn¡¯t the only measure of a relationship, it was rather obvious that the grief you felt would be indescribable after losing someone you spent a long time with.

    But the blue dragon sounded as if the grief at losing one¡¯s family was nothing to fret over, even going as far as to show off his private memories, too.

    << Maybe doing it was really necessary? >>

    Su-hyeun got to learn about the war of the dragons thanks to it. And crucially, he also learned that Fafnir and the monsters responsible for destroying his previous world were intimately involved in the war, too.

    << It wasn¡¯t just my world, then. >>

    Su-hyeun looked at the blue dragon with a slightly changed look in his eyes.

    << If that¡¯s the case, then the worlds found inside the trials are also¡­. >>

    Were those creatures just ¡®programs¡¯ created by the system, or were they real, living existences?

    The question that had circled around his brain for the longest time without an answer reared its head again. Even now, Su-hyeun still didn¡¯t have an answer for it.

    << Let¡¯s not overthink this. >>

    Su-hyeun shook his head.

    << This world is this world. I just have to do what I need to do. >>

    He had already learned a long time ago that nothing good would come from getting too involved in the world found within each trial. It was fine to interfere to the limits of one¡¯s allowance, but going beyond that would only make him feel fatigued unnecessarily.

    The important thing right now wasn¡¯t finding out the connection between this world and Fafnir. There was no way for him to find out no matter how hard he racked his brain, anyway.

    Which meant that the important thing was passing the trial.

    ¡°Then, did all the red dragons die during this war?¡±

    -That¡¯s right.

    ¡°How much do you know about the creature that killed the red dragons?¡±

    -It¡¯s an existence that invaded this world at the command of a truly incredible number of demonic beasts. Itself a bizarre demonic beast that features the head of our kind but the body of a man, with the blood of a giant race mixed in, to boot.

    ¡°Giant race¡­?¡±

    -I also don¡¯t know the full details. What I do know is that our world greatly suffered at the hands of that bastard, and, in the end, had to endure a truly long age of darkness.

    A ¡®truly long age of darkness¡¯. The moment he heard that, Su-hyeun realized something he had overlooked until now. For a world that had been devastated by Fafnir and other monsters, this place looked remarkably peaceful at the moment.

    ¡°Could it be that¡­ you managed to repel them?¡±

    -Should we say that indeed, we managed to do that?

    The blue dragon¡¯s voice became darker at the thought.

    -Our world was destroyed. But we weren¡¯t annihilated.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    -Back then, I was in my hibernation period. It¡¯s the same for all of us who survived the war. Those creatures couldn¡¯t find us hidden during our hibernation and ended up going back.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    -After we woke up, we began repairing the world. We breathed new life into the dead lands, and tried to return the color to the skies.

    ¡°Is the war over, then?¡±

    -No.

    The blue dragon spoke in a resolute tone of voice.

    -It¡¯s still ongoing.

    ¡°It¡¯s still being fought?¡±

    -The existence that commanded the demonic beasts left. But countless demonic beasts still remain in our world. We pooled our strength together to drive them away and won back a small piece of our lands.

    A small piece of land. That meant this sky and these fields. The little bit of land that didn¡¯t belong to the demonic beasts, but to the dragons.

    -We¡¯ve arrived.

    Swoooosh-

    The rough winds pounded his face viciously. Su-hyeun frowned and narrowed his eyes while studying a massive city in the distance below him.

    << Is that a city of humans? >>

    Outwardly, at least, it looked pretty much the same as a regular human city. Even though this was supposed to be a world of dragons, it seemed that some humans did live here.

    Flap-

    The blue dragon landed in front of the city, folded its wings, and lowered its tail. Su-hyeun and Miru climbed down from the dragon¡¯s back.

    -Wait a moment.

    The blue dragon said that then suddenly raised its body up high. The scales covering its huge body began wiggling and coagulating little by little.

    Crack, creak-

    The appearance of the blue dragon rapidly transformed. Soon, its figure became as small as a person¡¯s. Of course, it was still several hand spans taller than an average human, and its shoulders were much broader, too.

    It now resembled a human with dragon scales covering its body.

    << A half-human half-dragon? No, wait. Is this just a transformation-type magic? >>

    Su-hyeun had seen dragons use polymorph magic to change their appearances to that of human beings several times before. But this was his first time seeing an appearance that was a mixture between a dragon and a man like this.

    While Su-hyeun continued to stare at this sight, thoroughly mystified, the blue dragon in his new half-man, half-dragon form opened his mouth. ¡°Now, this is a little more comfortable to move around in.¡±

    The blue dragon clenched and unfurled his fists a couple of times before smiling, satisfied.

    Su-hyeun grew puzzled by this and had to ask, ¡°Is this form more comfortable to be in than your original appearance?¡±

    ¡°A dragon¡¯s huge physique means it naturally weighs a lot. Unless we¡¯re in hibernation, this form is more comfortable, even at the cost of some magical energy.¡±

    The physique. Su-hyeun recalled the blue dragon¡¯s massive physique and nodded his head. For sure, trying to move such a large frame could be cumbersome and get annoying pretty fast.

    ¡°Are the other dragons also¡­.?¡±

    ¡°They all live in here. This is the last remaining city.¡±

    The last city. Those words made Su-hyeun remember that the war was still ongoing, even now. That fact was easy to forget because the world seemed so peaceful to his eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be welcomed here, though,¡± said the blue dragon.

    Su-hyeun agreed with that and nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not easy for a human to step inside the city of dragons.¡±

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t talking about that.¡±

    The blue dragon shook his head, instead. Then he began walking towards the ramparts where the city¡¯s entrance was located.

    Su-hyeun following after him asked. ¡°In that case?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the red dragon.¡±

    ¡°Because of Miru?¡±

    Gya-oh-?

    Su-hyeun asked while looking at Miru, prompting the latter to form a ¡°What about me?¡± expression, and began tilting its head this way and that.

    Sure, Miru was quite big now, but, from the standards of the dragon race, it was still a little child. Even more so when its rate of growth seemed far slower than other dragons.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see when you get there. Personally, I¡­¡± The blue dragon studied Miru before shifting his gaze away and finishing his sentence. ¡°¡­I would like to see him change our world, at least just a little bit.¡±

    Step, step-

    The blue dragon reached the city¡¯s walls and loudly shouted out. ¡°Visitors!! Open the gate!¡±

    Creaaaaak-

    The massive wall began to slowly part at the blue dragon¡¯s shouting¡ªnot because someone opened it from the inside but due to it reacting to the dragon¡¯s voice on its own.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Step, step-

    The blue dragon led Su-hyeun and Miru into the city.

    The view inside the walls was similar to a human town in the middle ages, something Su-hyeun was quite familiar with. Indeed, this place didn¡¯t seem any different from the cities he came across during many of the trials he had experienced so far.

    << Dragons taught humanity the ways of magic. Did the dragons then import human culture as well? >>

    While Su-hyeun was thinking about such things, the blue dragon suddenly began talking to him.

    ¡°You have the wrong opinion of us, the dragons.¡±

    ¡°Pardon me?¡±

    ¡°Not every dragon looks down on humans and disparages them. It¡¯s just that those types of dragons somehow became more widely known among humans, that¡¯s all. But many dragons aren¡¯t like that. We learned about culture from many other races besides humans and adopted it as our own, as you can see.¡±

    ¡°In that case, this city is¡­.¡±

    ¡°An imitation of a human city. And some of our kin who went on a sightseeing tour in human guise realized that their new forms were easier to live with and spread the idea to the rest of us.¡±

    The blue dragon continued with the explanation of dragon-kind afterward, including the culture of dragons and how they lived, distinctive characteristics, plus even the caste system denoted by the color and the number of each group, too.

    Miru continued to cock its head, unable to understand what they were talking about, but Su-hyeun carefully listened to everything with a deeply interested look in his eyes.

    ¡°Elder! Elder Blanc!¡±

    It was then that a dragon with green-colored scales walking on the street hurriedly ran towards them. Seeing how this guy was using the honorific ¡®elder¡¯, the blue dragon¡¯s age must¡¯ve been quite considerable.

    One¡¯s caste was considered crucial to the dragons, but Su-hyeun was told that those who had lived for a very long time were greatly respected regardless of their original caste. That must¡¯ve been true.

    ¡°Did you rest well, sir? It¡¯s been only a few years since you left, after all.¡±

    The green dragon approached the blue dragon, whose name seemed to be Blanc, and asked in a puzzled voice. Considering the normal length of a dragon¡¯s hibernation period, Blanc¡¯s was just too short.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t end it.¡±

    ¡°Which means?¡±

    ¡°I woke up in the middle because of this guy over here,¡± Blanc replied and pointed at Su-hyeun.

    It was only then that the green dragon¡¯s gaze shifted to Su-hyeun. And then, its expression hardened immediately at seeing Miru right behind him.

    ¡°A¡­ red dragon?¡±

    ¡°This child is with the human. And it¡¯s only three years old¡­.¡±

    ¡°Why is the descendant of a red dragon entering this city?¡±

    When the green dragon spat out those words, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits.

    Su-hyeun had no idea what they were talking, about since the conversation took place in the dragon tongue. It¡¯s just that he could still figure out that the green dragon¡¯s tone of voice and its expression contained naked hostility.

    ¡°Is that a problem? Anyone is welcome in this city as long as they are one of our kind. And as for this human, I can vouch for him.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know this, elder? The descendants of the dragon king have abandoned us. Of course, Sir Blanc, you still doubt this fact, but¡­¡± The green dragon¡¯s glare shot in Miru¡¯s direction was filled with pure contempt. ¡°This red dragon is nothing more than the descendant of betrayers.¡±

 Chapter 161

    Blanc closed his eyes for a moment. He knew there would be a reaction like this.

    ¡°What¡¯s he saying now?¡±

    Su-hyeun lost his patience and asked Blanc to interpret. Blanc hesitated for a moment, then explained what the green dragon had said.

    ¡°A descendant of betrayers¡­?¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    He frowned and stared at the green dragon. The green dragon didn¡¯t avoid Su-hyeun¡¯s hard gaze and stared at him in return.

    ¡°What? Do you have a problem with me?¡±

    Soon, the green dragon began to talk in a language that Su-hyeun could understand. As the green dragon tried to hold a conversation with him, Su-hyeun took a step forward.

    ¡°A problem? Of course, I do,¡± Su-hyeun said, glaring his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re insulting my baby.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s answer, the green dragon also frowned. The word ¡°my baby¡± bothered him.

    ¡°Did you really raise a descendant of the red dragons?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense! The red dragons once called the descendants of the Dragon King are now treated as a human cub.¡±

    ¡°Ha. You¡¯re speaking nonsense. Do you think humans are lower than dragons? Why? Because we don¡¯t live long like you guys? Or do you think we¡¯re too weak?¡± Su-hyeun looked around the city and continued to speak, ¡°Then what should I call you guys? You guys accept such grody humans¡¯ civilization.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you saying we¡¯re less than humans now?¡±

    The green dragon began to spread a murderous spirit from his body. The murderous spirit had highly concentrated magic, enough to choke ordinary people to death. But Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t concerned by the magic power of the green dragon. Instead, he raised his magic to compete.

    Rumble¡ª

    Flinch¡ª

    When their energy began to hit each other, the green dragon was surprised and unconsciously stepped back.

    <<W-what the hell?>>

    The amount and concentration of magic from Su-hyeun got the better of him. The green dragon, who thought of Su-hyeun as just another human, couldn¡¯t believe that his magic was overpowering him.

    Stomp¡ª

    Unlike the green dragon, Su-hyeun stepped forward.

    As he narrowed the distance like that, Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Why? Are you scared?¡±

    ¡°You bastard¡ª!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    The green dragon quickly stretched out his hand to Su-hyeun¡¯s neck. It was a very short moment. But Su-hyeun increased the distance between the two and drew his sword out.

    ¡°Siegfri!¡± Blanc shouted in surprise.

    But Su-hyeun had already begun to move.

    Swish¡ª

    The green dragon¡¯s eyes flashed as he saw Su-hyeun run quickly toward him.

    <<All right! Bring it on!>>

    Attacking the red dragon would cause an issue. But nobody would care if he attacked a human. No, rather, some dragons who hated humans may applaud him for his action since they didn¡¯t like humans coming to the dragons¡¯ land.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A green flame came out of the hand of the green dragon. A fire able to burn down a whole house swallowed Su-hyeun whole. In that short moment, the green dragon beamed with joy.

    <<I got him. I shouldn¡¯t have been so scared of him in the first place.>>

    But his joy didn¡¯t last long.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A dark blue flame tore through the green flame. And at that moment¡­

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t kill him!¡± Blanc shouted out.

    The green dragon stepped back in surprise at the shout. Meanwhile, Su-hyeun reached his hand out.

    Snatch¡ª

    ¡°Argg!¡±

    The green dragon, caught by the neck, could see Su-hyeun¡¯s sword.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky today,¡± Su-hyeun said in a calm voice, holding the neck of the green dragon tighter. ¡°I thought about killing you, but I chose to spare your life.¡±

    ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡±

    Su-hyeun lifted his arm. Siegfri struggled, holding Su-hyeun¡¯s wrist with both hands. But, no matter how hard poor Siegfri tried, Su-hyeun¡¯s hand didn¡¯t even budge.

    <<What the¡­ Why is he so strong?>>

    No matter how strong Su-hyeun was, he was just a human. A human couldn¡¯t defeat a dragon in magic. And it was impossible to overcome the strength of a giant dragon with a humans¡¯ small body. That was what Siegfri thought and that was why he started the fight. But, in this short fight, he was overwhelmed by Su-hyeun in both magic and power.

    ¡°Da¡­m¡­n¡±

    Su-hyeun released the green dragon¡¯s neck.

    ¡°it¡­Gasp!¡±

    The green dragon fell to the ground and gnashed his teeth. His pride was hurt. But he didn¡¯t dare to attack Su-hyeun again. It was clear that the result of any rematch would be the same.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop this right now.¡±

    Blanc stepped between the two and ended the fight. The green dragon was relieved when Blanc stepped in. And, from that relief, he was sure about his feeling.

    <<Do I feel frightened? Because of that human?>>

    It was a hard thing to admit, but it was undeniable. He lost the fight, and he had almost died. If Blanc hadn¡¯t stopped him, Su-hyeun might have cut Siegfri¡¯s head off with that sword of his.

    Blanc looked at the green dragon and said, ¡°What is the point in fighting against a human right now? And you¡¯ll be condemned by the dragons who were waiting for the descendants of the Dragon King.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    ¡°Just go, Siegfri. If you do something wrong, I won¡¯t let it go anymore.¡±

    At Blanc¡¯s words, the green dragon named Siegfri frowned. He stood up, turned around, and walked away.

    Blanc looked at the back of Siegfri and thought, <<He¡¯s a way better fighter than I expected.>>

    Blanc turned and looked at Su-hyeun. He had been surprised as well when he had seen Su-hyeun for the first time. He had even wondered if Su-hyeun was really just a human being, or maybe something else. Su-hyeun had a special aura. And, thanks to Siegfri¡¯s hot temper, Blanc was able to confirm Su-hyeun¡¯s ability. The results were beyond his expectations.

    <<Furthermore¡­He¡¯s a human who survived a war with Fafnir.>>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s ability was better than any dragon that Blanc knew. He could be compared with orange dragons, which were one grade below red dragons.

    <<No¡­ Maybe he¡¯s even better than that,>> Blanc thought.

    Moreover, Su-hyeun had visited their world with a descendant of the Dragon King, the red dragon. A great storm came to a quiet city.

    Act 4

    Siegfri strode away. His head was filled with thoughts about the red dragon and the human who came with it.

    <<A descendant of the betrayer is back. And he was raised by a human! What the hell was that human.>>

    Siegfri clenched his teeth. Events that had just happened were beyond his comprehension. He didn¡¯t like humans much because they had a short life and were inferior to dragons. But that man was different. He had a power superior to the green dragon¡¯s.

    <<Maybe that¡¯s why the red dragon is following him. He must have admitted that human is powerful. I have to hurry up and let others know about this.>>

    Siegfri thought the red dragon and that human would bring disaster to his world, which had finally begun to stabilize. He headed to the castle in the center of the city. He walked on a quiet path, ignoring some of the dragons he passed on the way, and stepped into the castle.

    The castle had open ceilings leading to long stairs. It was a simple structure rather than a complicated and colorful one. The castle was empty. There was no sound, no sign of a living thing, not even a small ant or gnat. But Siegfri knew the dragon living here. And he was the only one who could properly solve the problem.

    ¡°I came here to see Sir Carne,¡± Siegfri shouted in a loud voice.

    Soon, a voice came from above. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Tramp, tramp¡ª

    A sound of footsteps also came from above. A dragon with dazzling orange scales walked down the stairs.

    Siegfri bowed to him and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Sir Carne.¡±

    Carne. He was the orange dragon, one level below the red dragons. He was one of the oldest dragons aside from Blanc. In fact, he was the highest elder of the clan, who ruled over the remaining dragons. That was why Siegfri came straight to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Siegfri. Is this the first time since the last invasion?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡±

    ¡°So. What brings you to my castle? You once said this place is impious.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    Siegfri told Carne about Su-hyeun and Miru, who had arrived with Blanc. Carne knit his brows together as he listened to what had happened.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ A red dragon?¡±

    ¡°Not only that, sir. The human with that red dragon was very strong. Probably stronger than anyone in our clan.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hard to believe without seeing it with my own eyes.¡±

    <<A human has stronger power than a green dragon?>>

    Carne, who had lived for many years, couldn¡¯t believe that. There were one or two humans in a generation that could threaten a purple dragon, but that was it. A human who could compete above that level was a rare thing.

    <<But he subdued the green dragon¡­ And he did it easily? Hmm. I guess that¡¯s why the red dragon is following that human¡­>>

    It was unbelievable that a red dragon followed a human in the first place. The red dragon was the direct descent of the Dragon King. They were not only noble but also had power far stronger than any other dragon. Therefore, the dragons followed the red dragons as royalty, and sometimes treated them as sacred.

    ¡°Did you say that the red dragon is still young?¡± Carne asked.

    ¡°Yes, it looked like it¡¯s just a few months old.¡±

    ¡°No. The Dragon King¡¯s lineage grows slower than any other dragons. They grow slowly but steadily and continuously.¡±

    ¡°Continuously?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I guess you never saw them before.¡±

    Dragons born after the war didn¡¯t know much about the red dragons, about who they were, and how much power they had. They had power beyond belief.

    ¡°The red dragons are such a being. But even with that power, they still abandoned us,¡± said Carne.

    ¡°¡­Then, what would you like to do?¡±

    When Siegfri pressed for an answer, Carne nodded his head. ¡°I wish I could get rid of them right away. That red dragon is the lineage of the betrayer.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go right now¡ª¡±

    ¡°But, if we do, the clan will split. There are still quite a few dragons who follow the red dragons like a symbol and faith.¡±

    At Carne¡¯s rational answer, Siegfri bit his lip tightly. What he said was true. That was why Siegfri couldn¡¯t gather other dragons right away and kick Su-hyeun and the red dragon out of the city.

    ¡°Blanc is one of them,¡± Carne said.

    ¡°Yes, I know. Elder. Blanc has been waiting for the descendants of the Dragon King longer than anyone else.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Carne shook his hand and told Siegfri to leave.

    Siegfri felt uncomfortable since he couldn¡¯t get a clear answer, but soon he bowed to Carne and left the castle.

    ¡°A descendant of the Dragon King¡­¡± Carne muttered.

    The castle became empty again after Siegfri had left. Carne snapped his fingers.

    Snap¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    A huge eye appeared in the air in front of Carne. It was an eye with a red pupil and a scarlet eyeball. Carne opened his mouth to talk to the eye.

    ¡°The king¡¯s lineage is back.¡±

 Chapter 162

    After meeting Siegfri, Su-hyeun heard all about the red dragons from Blanc. Blanc talked about why other dragons called the red dragons betrayers and where they had gone.

    ¡°It was more like abandonment than betrayal. Among the dragons, they were known as runaways during the fight with the boss of the monsters.¡±

    ¡°Runaways? Where did they go?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Some dragons say the red dragons abandoned this world and moved to another one¡­ The old red dragons had the power to cross dimensions.¡±

    ¡°Really? Cross between dimensions?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Anyway, because of that, some dragons think that the red dragons abandoned us, only took care of themselves. That¡¯s why they consider the red dragons betrayers and despise them.¡±

    While listening to Blanc, Su-hyeun checked Miru¡¯s face. Miru seemed to have no idea as he listened to the stories of the red dragons, who might be his parents or ancestors. Rather, he was dozing off while walking.

    ¡°The fact hasn¡¯t been confirmed. It was only Karne and other orange dragons that talked like that. Right now, they¡¯re claiming to be descendants of the Dragon King,¡± Blanc shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well. Other dragons like me don¡¯t believe what they¡¯re saying. I knew the red dragons very well. They wouldn¡¯t have abandoned us like that.¡±

    ¡°Are there many dragons who don¡¯t believe it, like you?¡±

    ¡°A little less than half,¡± said Blanc, ¡°Many dragons didn¡¯t believe it at first, but more and more dragons started to believe as the years passed. Well. The red dragons have disappeared from this world, and Karne is still alive. So, it¡¯s not surprising his words blind the young dragons.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    Then, Su-hyeun, who was following Blanc, felt something strange. There were only a few dragons passing by in the huge city. Some dragons saw them but just left right away. So far, Su-hyeun had seen only five dragons.

    ¡°The city¡¯s pretty empty,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Because this isn¡¯t a human city,¡± Blanc said.

    ¡°What does that have to do with the city being empty?¡±

    ¡°There were only about 50 dragons that survived the war. The number of clans has increased since then, but still, there are only about five hundred dragons here.¡±

    ¡°Five hundred?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked around the city in surprise. Five hundred was a ridiculously small population to say that they were only members of this enormous city.

    ¡°Maybe by now the news has been around the clan,¡± Blanc said.

    ¡°Already?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Because we have ¡®eyes.¡¯ Through that, news can be spread quickly.¡±

    ¡°¡®Eyes?¡¯¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a way for dragons to communicate. No matter how far away we are, we can convey our voices to each other. Also, we can talk with many other dragons at the same time,¡± Blanc said as if he was proud of it. But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t impress easily.

    <<In a word, it¡¯s a conference call.>>

    Anyway, by now, it was clear that the news about Su-hyeun and Miru had spread to everyone. On the way to Blanc¡¯s house, Su-hyeun wracked his brain.

    <<The trial became complicated because of Miru¡­but I guess my job is ending the war with the monsters remaining here.>>

    According to what Blanc had said, the war was still going on. Fafnir was gone, but the monsters that Fafnir had brought remained.

    <<And for that¡­>>

    Crack¡ª

    Suddenly, a scarlet-colored eye opened in front of Su-hyeun and Blanc, who were walking side by side.

    -Sir Blanc.

    A voice came out of the eye.

    Blanc stopped walking and asked, ¡°Meranya?¡±

    -Yes. It¡¯s been a while since we last met.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long ago. I couldn¡¯t sleep long enough because of this man here.¡±

    <<I feel like maybe I shouldn¡¯t have woken him up.>>

    At Blanc¡¯s word, Su-hyeun smiled bashfully. Then, he glanced at the scarlet eye.

    <<Is this the eye Blanc was talking about?>>

    It certainly looked like a giant eye. The voice came from the eye rang a little bit. It was a thin and beautiful voice, like a woman¡¯s.

    <<The green dragon before and this dragon both called Blanc ¡®sir.¡¯ I guess he¡¯s really old.>>

    Even though color rank existed in the dragon society, Blanc was a dragon that had lived before the war. Except for a few others, there wouldn¡¯t be not older dragons than him left. No. More than that, there wouldn¡¯t be many old dragons among the existing dragons.

    -I heard. You¡¯re with the red dragon, right?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    -Sir Karne is looking for you, the red dragon, and the human. Could you come with them?

    ¡°Should I go when I am called?¡±

    -¡­

    ¡°Tell him. He can come. And if he¡¯s trying to do something wrong, I won¡¯t sit on the sidelines.¡±

    ¨C Okay, I¡¯ll tell him that.

    ¡°Hence!¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The scarlet eye closed at Blanc¡¯s words and disappeared. Su-hyeun watched the eye, while listening to the conversation, and opened his mouth to speak.

    ¡°I guess that was the orange-colored dragon.¡±

    ¡°How did you figure that out?¡±

    ¡°Well. The color of the eye was reddish-orange. Also, the concentration of magic was quite high, unlike the other dragon we met before.¡±

    ¡°Well. Siegfri is a pretty sloppy one.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, how long do we have to wait? I¡¯m too busy to keep waiting.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take that long.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    At Blanc¡¯s word, Su-hyeun looked around and muttered, ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    Puff, puff¡ª

    Blurring shadows like haze appeared around Su-hyeun and Blanc. They were orange and yellow dragons.

    Su-hyeun thought, looking around them, <<Teleport? They all have that rare skill?>>

    Even among awakeners, only a few were skilled enough to move a far distance. Jumping long distances was a very rare skill. Even an S-Rank awakener couldn¡¯t get the skill easily.

    <<It looks like any dragon above the yellow ones can use the teleport skill.>> Su-hyeun changed his evaluation of the dragons. <<I was very disappointed when I saw that green dragon.>>

    But still, a dragon was a dragon. It was the highest-grade species among the divine beasts.

    ¡°Is that him? The human that came with a descendant of the Dragon King.¡±

    ¡°A descendant of the Dragon King? My ass. That red dragon is just a descendant of a betrayer.¡±

    ¡°Please refrain from talking about unconfirmed accusations. And please don¡¯t fight. We are all dragons.¡±

    Su-hyeun could understand what they are talking about because Blanc used interpreting magic for him. And it seemed Miru could understand them as well. Miru, standing next to Su-hyeun, lowered his head. He looked like he was about to cry.

    Gyaong¡ª

    Miru¡¯s sad crying made Su-hyeun upset. He looked around at the dragons who surrounding them and looking at them like monkeys in a zoo. They were all above yellow. About five of them were orange-colored dragons. Among them, Su-hyeun found the tallest dragon standing in the center.

    <<I guess he is the leader of the dragons.>>

    They all had a special aura, but the tallest dragon had a particularly special one. The tall dragon, Karne, saw Su-hyeun. Their eyes met.

    Karne asked, ¡°Are you the man who brought the descendant of the Dragon King?¡±

    He asked the question very formally. But, at least, he asked more politely than Siegfri, the dragon Su-hyeun had met before. But, of course, though he spoke politely, his gaze and expression were about the same as Siegfri¡¯s.

    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Miru, yes, you are right.¡±

    ¡°Miru¡­ In some humans¡¯ language, that means dragon, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Suhyun was a little surprised when Karne understood his language.

    Karne said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. I don¡¯t know much about your world. I¡¯ve just lived for a long time, so I happened to hear a little here and there.¡±

    ¡°It looks like you know a lot of things,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Compared to humans who only live a hundred years.¡±

    ¡°If you are a dragon who knows so much and is old, why do you bear enmity toward a three-year-old child?¡±

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun and Caren¡¯s auras hit each other and bounced all over the place. Karne¡¯s aura was aimed at Miru from the beginning. The concentration in his aura was out of the ordinary. So, Su-hyeun had to raise his magic as well to stop it.

    <<No wonder Siegfri was in trouble.>>

    Karne was inwardly surprised. He was doubtful before he met Su-hyeun in person. After he saw Su-hyeun stopping his magic in its tracks, Karne could believe what Siegfri had said. Su-hyeun seemed above the level of a normal human being.

    ¡°So, are you Karne?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Karne had never thought that a human would dare to look directly into his eyes and speak to him like this.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I heard what you said and I have a question. Did the red dragons really betray the other dragons?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s question, Karne knitted his brow.

    ¡°Are you trying to deny it? That¡¯s a useless attempt. They are cowards who have abandoned the clan, and they are unqualified to return to us.¡±

    ¡°Did you see it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was the only one who survived the war, which was a good thing. Otherwise, other dragons would believe and praise that the red dragons have saved the world themselves!¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Su-hyeun said, nodding his head, ¡°Go and give them a piece of your mind if you¡¯re that angry. Ask why they abandoned you guys.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Karne and other dragons frowned at Su-hyeun¡¯s sudden words. Su-hyeun looked back at Miru.

    Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World.Site Only

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t this little child who abandoned you. Why are you venting your anger on the wrong dragon?¡± Su-hyeun shook his head as if he had heard the pathetic words. ¡°You have been thinking they abandoned you guys. I can understand that, since it looks like you guys believed them. But don¡¯t you think you¡¯re taking it out on the wrong person? Are you guys excluding someone because they have the same blood? Even humans, that you guys think are lower than dragons, know that blaming children for their parents¡¯ mistakes is wrong.¡±

    What dragons were doing was called ¡°guilt-by-association.¡± It was a system that assigned joint responsibility tp a sinner¡¯s child or close relatives. Although it, as a system, had mostly disappeared by modern times, it still occurred secretly. People looked at the child of a murderer in a certain way. People even had a similar tendency when they looked at a child without parents.

    Guilt-by-association hadn¡¯t disappeared. And the dragons were the same. They were looking at Miru through colored glasses and trying to reject him just because he was the descendant of the red dragons.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you here. But if you don¡¯t mind, I would like to say this is a difference between humans and dragons.¡±

    ¡°A difference between humans and dragons?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°What happened that day was dragon business. And the culture of humans and dragons are different, of course. But if you still can¡¯t understand¡­ That¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to understand. We don¡¯t ask you to understand. By the way¡± ¡ªKarne looked at Su-hyeun and Miru alternately and asked in a deep voice¡ª ¡°What is your relationship with that little dragon. Why are you so angry on its behalf? I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask such an obvious question?¡± At Karne¡¯s question, Su-hyeun answered, stroking Miru¡¯s head, who was about to cry. ¡°He¡¯s my child.¡±

 Chapter 163

    Karne frowned at Su-hyeun¡¯s answer. The other dragons had a similar reaction. Not all the dragons did, but most thought they were superior to humans from birth. And Su-hyeun had just said a dragon, especially a red dragon, the noblest of the breed, was his child.

    ¡°Ridiculous,¡± Karne muttered under his breath.

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s answer, Miru, who had been about to cry, became bright again. It seemed like Miru really liked Su-hyeun¡¯s words and strokes.

    ¡°Who would know¡­the great descendant of the Dragon King end up like this¡­¡±

    Miru was very young, but still, he was a red dragon. Karne couldn¡¯t bear to watch a red dragon turning on the charm for a human. He clicked his tongue quietly, looking back to Su-hyeun.

    Karne said, ¡°No more words needed. Our business is simple. We just wanted to know why you visited here. Also, if you don¡¯t have any business, we want you to leave.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shh! How dare you cut him off?¡±

    ¡°He must have a plan. So, be quiet and wait.¡±

    Much noise was raised about what Krane had said. The dragons who had been waiting for the red dragons to return, raised their voices that Karne¡¯s decision was hasty. The other dragons, who followed Karne, tried to stop the dragons who objected. From the situation, Su-hyeun could see how things went in this city.

    <<According to Blanc, there are only about 500 dragons living here.>>

    The dragons gathered here were probably the most important among them.

    <<Not all of them are Miru¡¯s enemy¡­,>> thought Su-hyeun.

    Half of them wanted to exclude Miru, like Siegfri, but the other half was different. Nobody would like to split a clan of only 500 members. Perhaps Karne and his side would have tried to kick Su-hyeun and Miru out of the city already if they didn¡¯t have to worry about division.

    <<I guess that¡¯s why,>> thought Su-hyeun, <<he¡¯s not attacking Miru right now.>>

    Half the dragons were his allies, and half were his enemies.

    <<Well. I don¡¯t have to fight with dragons at the moment, anyway. No matter how much Karne hates Miru and me.>>

    ¡°I don¡¯t have business with you guys,¡± Su-hyeun said, glancing down at Miru. ¡°Just¡­ We also have quite a bad relationship with demonic beasts.¡±

    ¡°With demonic beasts¡­?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    The dragons around Su-hyeun started to whisper to each other. Karne knew the demonic beasts had destroyed Su-hyeun¡¯s world, but he just furrowed his brows, as if he had no intention of explaining details to the other dragons.

    ¡°So?¡± Karne asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave later, even if you beg me not to leave. But I can¡¯t leave now.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I heard you guys are still at war, right?¡± Su-hyeun glanced Miru and continued, ¡°We¡¯ll help you guys.¡±

    ¡°Help us?¡±

    ¡°That human is saying he¡¯ll help us?¡±

    ¡°The red dragon might be helpful¡­but no, that dragon¡¯s too small to fight¡­¡±

    Gyaong¡ª!

    When the dragons started talking about him as if he wasn¡¯t there, Miru started to cry out, opening his eyes wide. Su-hyeun stroked Miru¡¯s head and looked at Karne.

    ¡°So, what do you say?¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Karne nodded his head. ¡°Do whatever you want to do. But I hope you aren¡¯t thinking about asking us for help. You¡¯re the one who said you would help us. We didn¡¯t say we would help you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°You all heard, right? No one helps him! It¡¯s the same for the red dragon.¡±

    ¡°But, sir¡­¡±

    ¡°This is an order from the elders of the clan. If the descendant of the red dragons would like to come back to us, he must atone, at least somewhat.¡± Karne turned his body and left.

    At his firm remarks, some dragons looked at Miru with sad eyes. Soon, the dragons who gathered around Su-hyeun and Miru left one by one. They disappeared in an instant, using teleport, just as they had come.

    -Oh, wait. I forgot to tell you one thing.

    Suddenly, Karne¡¯s voice was heard in Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    -If you¡¯re confident, ask Blanc about the Cintamani forest. If you can get back that land, the other dragons will have no choice but admit you and that red dragon.

    ¡°The Cintamani forest¡­?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s murmur, Blanc was startled.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the Cintamani forest?¡±

    ¡°How did you know about that?¡± Blanc asked.

    ¡°The rude dragon who disappeared just told me. He said that if Miru and I can get back that land, the other dragons will admit us.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡ª¡± Blanc sighed loudly. He had kept up a poker face so far, but, for the first time, his face clouded.

    ¡°Was it a lie?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a lie. But it¡¯s close to an insult.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go to that place alone. What Karne told you is another way to say, just go and die.¡±

    ¡°I just have to get rid of the monsters, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­But, no. You shouldn¡¯t go.¡± Blanc waved his hand. ¡°You can say that because you¡¯ve never been there before. Among the lands we lost to the monsters, that land is the most densely populated now. It¡¯s crawling with demonic beasts. If you go there alone, you will certainly die.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Su-hyeun said, ¡°If it seems too dangerous, I¡¯ll come back right away.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know much about the Cintamani forest, but he had his own plan.

    <<If Fafnir¡¯s not there, I can easily escape when things go wrong.>>

    Su-hyeun was confident he could escape because he had been fighting so many monsters. And there was another reason to go to the Cintamani forest. It was because of the advice of the gatekeeper.

    <<He told me to find the Cintamani.>>

    Gatekeepers never asked anything that could not be solved. If Cintamani was in the Cintamani forest, then Su-hyeun could get it with his current level and skill.

    <<This is a trial.>>

    The Tower of Trials gave different trials to everyone, even when people chose the same level of difficulty on the same floor. The Tower of Trials gave Su-hyeun a trial related to dragons. That might be because Su-hyeun had a dragon, Miru.

    <<I can do it.>>

    Su-hyeun smiled when he realized why Karne had informed him of the Cintamani forest. That must be part of the trial as well.

    <<This is funny,>> thought Su-hyeun.

    Karne had given him a hint, unintentionally.

    <<Then, I have to show him.>> Su-hyeun stroked Miru¡¯s head, sparkling his eyes. <<My child and I aren¡¯t someone he can just ignore.>>

    ***

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun rode Miru¡¯s back, holding tight ti Miru¡¯s neck, and looked at the scenery passing by below him. Miru could fly faster these days. Su-hyeun recalled what Blanc had said, as he watched the ground speed by.

    [As I said before, the Cintamani forest is the most densely populated area among the land that monsters live in. We have tried to get back to that forest many times, but we failed every time.]

    [Where is it?]

    [Go straight from here in the direction that the sun sets. It will probably take more than half a day to get there.]

    [Thank you.]

    [I¡¯m not encouraging this. This is a bad idea. I know Karne only suggested it because he wants you to die, and I¡¯m only teaching you how to get there¡­Heew.]

    Blanc tried to stop Su-hyeun from going to the Cintamani forest. He seemed very worried. That meant the forest was very dangerous. So, Su-hyeun needed more information.

    [A giant turtle lives in the Cintamani forest. That¡¯s the biggest problem in the forest.]

    [A giant turtle¡­?]

    [It¡¯s one of the great demonic beasts that survived the war. For some reason, it¡¯s never come out of the forest. Even Karne can¡¯t do anything to it. So, the last of us can¡¯t do anything but just sit back and watch.]

    Su-hyeun knew what that giant turtle was.

    <<It must be a Titan Turtle.>>

    Size-wise, the Titan Turtle was comparable to an Ouroboros. The Titan Turtle was a dangerous demonic beast. It looked like a turtle, but it was quite agile, not like it appeared. But, when Su-hyeun heard it was the most dangerous monster in the Cintamani forest, he couldn¡¯t find a reason to hesitate anymore.

    <<There is no way I can¡¯t catch it.>>

    If Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have Balmung, he wouldn¡¯t have been so sure. Breaking through the Titan Turtle¡¯s defensive power wasn¡¯t an easy job. Other weapons than Balmung would never stand a chance against its hard shell. But now, Su-hyeun had Balmung in hand. That made all the difference.

    <<It¡¯s almost night,>> thought Su-hyeun.

    As Blanc had said, Su-hyeun had been flying about half a day in the direction that the sun went down. The sun that came up in the morning was already setting in the opposite direction. By that time, Su-hyeun could see a huge forest in the distance. Su-hyeun looked down. Suddenly, the ground had turned black, and the sky above the forest became cloudy. The world changed; the forest was a boundary. From then on, it was the land of the monsters.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down.¡±

    Gyaong¡ª

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Miru began to descend gradually. Although he had been flying about half a day continuously, he didn¡¯t seem that tired.

    Su-hyeun thought as he got off from Miru¡¯s back, <<Well. He has the blood of the Dragon King. He wouldn¡¯t be tired by just a short flight.>>

    Su-hyeun stroked Miru¡¯s back to thank him for his help. Then, he turned his head and looked at the dark forest. The tall trees, which reached several dozen meters tall, were black and dead. The land and sky were the same. Everything looked dried out. It was surprising that the trees and things hadn¡¯t crumbled yet.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Gyaong¡ª

    Miru began to walk along at Suhyun¡¯s side. The atmosphere was gloomy, but Miru looked somewhat excited. Su-hyeun guessed that it was because Miru didn¡¯t get many chances to move with him these days.

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    Rustle, rustle¡ª

    The land was dead. The bushes and grasses were dry. Su-hyeun looked around, walking in the forest.

    <<It reminds me of the old times.>>

    He had experienced a forest like this before, not only from the trials but also from his past life, when more than half of humanity had died. This kind of atmosphere had become normal.

    Kirr, kirrk¡ª

    Low cries, sounding like the drooling monsters, came from somewhere nearby. Su-hyeun looked around. He knew the monsters were chasing him. But, since they didn¡¯t come at him, he left them alone. It seemed like they had been waiting to gather enough relatives.

    Krrr¡ª

    Several wolves with two heads and six eyes each surrounded Su-hyeun and Miru. They were the demonic beasts of the forest. A slight smile showed at the corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to bring more friends?¡±

    Syaaa¡ª

    The third eye on Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead opened wide and looked over the wolves.

    ¡°Or are you guys all there is?¡±

    Krrr¡ª

    The wolves narrowed the circle. They moved cautiously. It looked like they judged that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t ordinary prey. If they had instincts and reason, they would have run away already. But those wolves were more loyal to slaughter and appetite than reason. So, they wouldn¡¯t run away until they saw their own blood.

    Awoooo, Awooo¡ª

    Arf, arf, arf¡ª

    Wolves rushed at Su-hyeun from all sides.

    Su-hyeun murmured, looking at such wolves, ¡°It really reminds me of the past.¡±

    He didn¡¯t feel so bad. Su-hyeun drew his sword out. His sword shined.

 Chapter 164

    Act 5

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    The sound of footsteps going up the stairs echoed through the castle. They were the only sounds in the empty building. There was no other sound, not even a gentle wind. Karne, who walked up the stairs very slowly, arrived at his room.

    ¡°Hello, sir.¡±

    In front of Karne¡¯s room, another orange-colored dragon was waiting for him. Karne, who was expecting the other dragon, asked without a greeting.

    ¡°Have you waited long? If it was something urgent, you could have come down.¡±

    ¡°No, sir. I just came by to say hello since it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then, please come in.¡±

    At Karne¡¯s word, the other dragon opened the door and left the way open for Karne. In the room, there was only a sofa, a small table, and a bedside cabinet.

    ¡°This place always was simple. Nothing¡¯s changed.¡±

    ¡°I have no use for great jewelry or colorful pictures, Ralph. Why are you so obsessed with such useless things?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can ignore them like you do. It¡¯s our instinct to like glittering things, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I was like you when I was young. But, as I got older, those things felt vain and empty. Do you want some tea?¡± Karne asked.

    ¡°Yes, please. Thank you, sir.¡±

    Karne brewed tea quickly and came back. Ralph, seated on the sofa, patiently waiting for Karne¡¯s return, asked.

    ¡°So, are you still walking?¡±

    ¡°You mean the stairs?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well. We have a lot of time, as dragons. I have strong two legs and enough time to wait. There¡¯s no need to hurry, is there?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very unique.¡±

    ¡°Do you think so? Well, other dragons have said things like that to me many times before.¡±

    Karne lifted his cup, laughing quietly. Then, Ralph, hesitating slightly, opened his mouth with difficulty.

    ¡°Are you really going to sit back and watch?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the human and the red dragon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well. If they went to the Cintamani forest, it would be hard to come back alive. Even if they do come back, they can¡¯t enter this city again, unsuccessful.¡± Karne looked at himself, reflecting at the cup. ¡°It¡¯s been over a thousand years that we¡¯ve had our position.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t give it back to the red dragon.¡±

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The cup in Karne¡¯s hand trembled, and the surface of the tea in it waivered. Ralph, seated close by Karne, realized he wasn¡¯t as calm as he seemed. Ralph was relieved.

    ¡°But still,¡± Ralph said, ¡°don¡¯t you think sending those two to the forest might not be enough? That human looked pretty reckless, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Ralph,¡± Karne said.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever seen the Titan Turtle?¡±

    Ralph shook his head at Karne¡¯s question. He born after the war, so he had never seen a huge demonic beast like Titan Turtle.

    ¡°That turtle lives there, and that is enough.¡±

    ¡°Is it¡­that strong?¡±

    ¡°We lost dozens of dragons to it during the war. I also almost died fighting it, myself.¡±

    Karne put down his cup and covered his face with his one hand as if just the thought of it gave him pain. Ralph bit his lips, seeing Karne like that.

    ¡°What did the red dragons do then?¡± Ralph asked.

    ¡°They did nothing. That¡¯s why I¡¯m still upset with them.¡±

    Ralph had heard about the red dragons a lot. And, every time he heard about them, he got upset. While Karne sacrificed himself, dedicated to the clan, the red dragons, the most powerful of all of them, had done nothing. No. They had even run away.

    ¡°Still¡­I can¡¯t forgive them,¡± said Ralph, shaking his head, ¡°They were cowards to abandon the clan, with as much power as they had. They betrayed us. I can¡¯t admit such dragons¡¯ descendants as a descendant of the Dragon King. I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yes. They were cowards.¡±

    Karne got up from his seat, putting down his cup. Soon, he walked toward the window. He muttered while looking out the window.

    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­the red dragon doesn¡¯t deserve to come back.¡±

    ¡°So, are you sure we¡¯ll be okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Karne said, trying to soothe anxious Ralph. ¡°They¡¯ll be swallowed up by forest before they even meet the turtle.¡±

    The Cintamani forest wasn¡¯t dangerous only because of the Titan Turtle.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that man can survive against those hordes of monsters.¡±

    ***

    One of the wild beasts in the forest, named Cerber, had two heads and four eyes. It was big, like a tiger, and had sharp claws that could tear through steel. It was very agile, had excellent reflexes and a very sensitive nose that could detect enemies kilometers away.

    It was named Cerber because it had one less head than a Cerberus. Among the beast-typed monsters that lived in the forest, they were the most numerous. They were called the savage beasts of the forest, or the rulers because there were so many of them.

    Krrr, Krrr¡ª

    But the food chain of the Cintamani forest was reversed that day.

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Splatter¡ª

    Dozens of Cerbers stepped back unconsciously. They had always been running forward and forward, and they had lived without knowing that they could be scared of someone. They charged at enemies even if they were about to die. If they kept trying, someone of their clan would bite the neck of the prey soon. But this day was different.

    ¡°Yea, it feels good.¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    The body of a headless Cerber fell to the ground.

    Hiss¡ª

    The Cerbers felt like a giant snake was looking down at them. They weren¡¯t sure if that snake was an illusion or not. The group of Cerbers, only half of their original number remaining, couldn¡¯t decide what to do. It looked as if they were debating if the human was prey, or a predator who would change the structure of the forest¡¯s food chain. Su-hyeun smiled when he saw those confused monsters.

    <<It would be best to use this skill in this way,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    The skills of the third eye were Predator, Body reinforcement, and Cancellation. Of those skills, the Predator skill was absolutely overwhelming when dealing with many weak monsters. He could suppress the weak monsters with his gaze alone. Thanks to that skill, Su-hyeun was able to stand in a superior position in the fight against many monsters.

    But it had only one weakness; the skill consumed too much magic power. So, Su-hyeun studied the technique and figured out a way. It was simple. When he used the Predator skill, he just reduced the power to reduce magic consumption. The power was lowered, but it was enough. He just needed to make the Cerbers confused.

    Slash, slash¡ª

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun jumped into the group of Cerbers and swept at them with his sword. The Cerbers were terrified. They reacted in one of two ways.

    Arf, arf, arf¡ª

    Some of them charged at Su-hyeun.

    Moan, moan¡ª

    And some of them ran away. The group was divided into two. But Su-hyeun did not miss either of them.

    <<It¡¯ll be annoying if they bring more monsters back with them later. I can¡¯t miss them now.>>

    Su-hyeun shouted toward the Cerbers trying to escape.

    ¡°Miru!¡±

    Purr¡ª!

    ¡°Catch the monsters that are trying to escape now!¡±

    Flip¡ª

    Swish¡ª

    Miru spread his wings and chased the Cerbers that were trying to run away. Miru spouted Breath from his mouth. The Cerbers who fled burned like charcoal and fell to the ground. And, during the fight, they could meet really giant monsters sometimes.

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    Krrr, Krrr¡ª!

    Something huge covered the sky. Su-hyeun lifted his head and saw¡­

    <<I knew it would be here.>>

    It was a flying-typed monster. Those monsters were the reason Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t ride on Miru¡¯s back. Su-hyeun¡¯s strength came from fighting on the ground. Air combat was his weak spot. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have the sort of skill that could let him fly freely. But¡­

    <<If it shows up first¡­>>

    Whoosh¡ª

    [Leap]

    Su-hyeun jumped dozens of meters in an instant. As he leaped twice, he could meet the giant flying monster. It only had bones, and the eyes were empty.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything.]

    Su-hyeun grabbed the sword with both hands.

    <<I can cut it.>>

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun cut down.

    Crack¡ª!

    Boom¡ª!

    As he swung the sword, the bony flying monster¡¯s head split, and the large body began to fall.

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    Soon, another group of flying monsters flew up. At that moment, Miru flew above Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    Swoosh¡ª

    [Breath.]

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Breath from Miru¡¯s mouth swept over the flying monsters. The heat hit deep in their bones. The flying monsters screamed and fell to the ground. Su-hyeun stroked Miru¡¯s back as he sat down on it.

    ¡°Good job, Miru.¡±

    Purr¡ª!

    Miru replied with a proud face. Su-hyeun looked over and around as he came back down to the ground with Miru.

    <<There sure are a lot of monsters here.>>

    It had already been half a day since they had entered the Cintamani forest. He had been fighting nonstop, but the monsters were pouring in unceasingly. Each of them had a level akin to the monsters who appeared in the blue-colored dungeon. Sometimes, there were monsters about at boss-level.

    <<Their numbers are bad, but the real problem is that the monsters are getting stronger as I go deeper into the forest.>>

    Su-hyeun could understand why Blanc was so worried. First of all, there were too many Cerbers. Moreover, they didn¡¯t attack one by one. They always attacked in groups.

    He couldn¡¯t go to the air to avoid them since there were flying-type monsters. Those were actually more dangerous than the Cerbers because there was no place to hide or run away in the air. Of course, Su-hyeun had no intention of running away at all.

    <<At least, I can get a lot of rewards.>>

    Since the monsters¡¯ level was high, and there were a lot of them, he could get more achievement points. The stats, which hadn¡¯t been raised well so far, rose by a point. As a hunting ground, this place was the best among all Su-hyeun had seen in his trials.

    <<I honestly want to stay here more.>>

    A smile played about his lips. In fact, the meaning of the hunting ground faded a lot from a certain point. At Su-hyeun¡¯s present level, it was a tough thing to collect achievement points or raise stats just by catching monsters in the trials. But there were a lot of monsters there. For Su-hyeun, this 40th-floor trial was sort of the best possible hunting ground to catch monsters and raise his stats.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break for a moment.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Miru had been moving for more than half a day. Although Su-hyeun had deep reserves of physical strength and magic, he still needed to rest. In places with a high concentration of monsters like here, they had to rest when they could.

    While Su-hyeun was resting, Miru wandered around to see if other monsters were approaching. Another few hours later, Su-hyeun stood guard for Miru. It was possible because there were two of them, not Su-hyeun alone. Miru was undoubtedly playing his part now.

    ¡°You did a good job, Miru.¡±

    Purr¡ª!

    After taking a break, Su-hyeun started moving again.

    Thump, thump¡ª

    Splash¡ª

    They walked around about 30 minutes.

    <<I can¡¯t see any monsters.>>

    Monsters had been appearing non-stop for more than half a day, but they stopped. Something was strange. Su-hyeun looked around and reached his hand to the bushes that had turned dark. He could feel moisture from the bushes.

    <<No way.>>

    Su-hyeun sat down on the ground and touched it with his palm. And at that moment¡­

    Pitapat, pitapat¡ª

    He could feel little heartbeats through the ground.

 Chapter 165

    ¡°No wonder why¡­¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    Pitapat, pitapat¡ª

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes and felt the sound more clearly. He couldn¡¯t feel anything other than the heartbeats. It didn¡¯t make sense with Su-hyeun¡¯s incredible senses. But still, he could hear the sound. That meant this heart was huge, and the heartbeat was absurdly loud.

    As Su-hyeun knew, there were only a few monsters with a heart that size. And, among them, there was only one monster that lived under the ground or near the sea or a river.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The ground began to shake. No. It wasn¡¯t the ground that was shaking. It was something under the ground.

    <<It¡¯s the Titan Turtle!>>

    The Titan Turtle began to move. Su-hyeun opened his eyes wide but stood up with a calm face. The tremor, sounding like an earthquake, grew louder.

    Grrr, Grrr¡ª

    Miru bared his teeth and roared. The Titan Turtle had such a menacing presence. In fact, the Titan Turtle was more dangerous than any monster Miru had ever met.

    ¡°Hey, Miru,¡± Su-hyeun called.

    Purr¡ª

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s call, Miru began to fly up, carrying Su-hyeun on its back. Soon, the ground that Su-hyeun and Miru had stood upon shook apart. Debris flew into the air.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Crack, crack¡ª

    The ground turned upside down, and the trees that grew on it fell down. Su-hyeun was convinced, watching what was happening.

    <<I guess the reason why the monsters stopped attacking us is because we entered the territory of the Titan Turtle.>>

    The Titan Turtle was one of the gigantic monsters. Moreover, before Fafnir had appeared, the Titan Turtle had been eating everything that it could see. It was the same for the other monsters. After Fafnir, the head of the monster army, disappeared, the Titan Turtle ate other monsters as food. So, it was natural that the other monsters didn¡¯t go close to the Titan Turtle, which was now the top predator in the food chain.

    Grrr, Grrr¡ª

    Miru began to roar louder. At first, Su-hyeun though Miru was frightened by the Titan Turtle. But his reaction was a little off for that.

    ¡°Why, Miru? What¡¯s going on?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Grrr, Grrrng¡ª

    It wasn¡¯t a fear reaction; it was close to excitement instead. A giant shell started to appear. Miru reacted without rhyme or reason at the grey turtle.

    <<Does he want to fight? No. I don¡¯t think so.>>

    Su-hyeun knew that Miru didn¡¯t like fighting much. In terms of personality, Miru was very similar to Su-hyeun. Unless it was a necessary fight, Miru didn¡¯t like to fight against strong opponents for no reason.

    <<Then, maybe¡­>>

    Su-hyeun looked down at the Titan Turtle, which was sticking its head out from its shell.

    << Does it have the Cintamani?>>

    Miru was a descendant of the Dragon King. He didn¡¯t like it yet, but he was. If the Cintamani was closely related to the dragons, it explained why Miru reacted like this.

    <<I guess the Titan Turtle has been keeping the Cintamani,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    The Titan Turtle was one of the monsters that survived the war and still stayed in this world. But, for some reason, it had remained in the forest and hadn¡¯t moved. The Titan Turtle, Su-hyeun knew, was a monster that ate anything it could find, without rest. There must be a reason that the monster¡¯s appetite was suppressed for so long.

    There were two options. First, there might be something suppressing its appetite. Or second, Fafnir¡¯s influence might still exist. And in either case, it was very likely that it had the Cintamani.

    <<All the more reason to hunt this thing.>>

    Su-hyeun had no intention of avoiding the fight against the Titan Turtle from the beginning. So, he thought it was a good thing if the Titan Turtle had the Cintamani. The trial would go more smoothly.

    Su-hyeun flew up high into the sky, riding Miru and closely observed the Titan Turtle. Its huge shell was dozens of times bigger than the World Cup stadium. It almost looked like an island. In terms of size, this monster was comparable to Ouroboros. But that didn¡¯t mean that Titan Turtle was as dangerous as Ouroboros.

    <<The purpose of this trial is to kill the Titan Turtle.>>

    On the other hand, the Ouroboros of the 30th-floor¡¯s trial was just the background of the trial. It wasn¡¯t a monster that he had to kill that time.

    Su-hyeun calmly muttered as he reflected the Titan Turtle with his sword, Balmung, ¡°I guess today we¡¯re playing for keeps.¡±

    ***

    There were two ways for awakeners to attack dungeons. The first was to enter the dungeon with overwhelming power. People usually gathered as many other awakeners as possible. That usually happened when there was no detailed information about the dungeon or when there wasn¡¯t much time before the dungeon outbreak. And, most of the time, Su-hyeun had to attack dungeons that way. Because he always had to raid the highest difficulty newly appeared dungeons. He couldn¡¯t go into dungeons with much information.

    And the second way was to prepare for the attack with plenty of information. That was much easier than the first option. Even with fewer people involved, people could know the weaknesses and patterns of the monsters. People usually used that method when they attacked low-grade dungeons. Monsters that appeared in those dungeons were pretty obvious, so there was already a lot of information about them.

    That was the biggest difference between Su-hyeun¡¯s past life and his current one. Unlike his past life, Su-hyeun had most of the information about monsters ahead of time. And that was a greater weapon than any sword, right at the moment.

    Slash, slash¡ª

    Scratch, scratch¡ª

    Thin scratch marks were carved onto the back of the Titan Turtle.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Roooaaar¡ª!

    The Titan Turtle stuck its head out, revealing its teeth to Su-hyeun. It was the reaction that Su-hyeun had expected.

    [Leap.]

    Su-hyeun quickly jumped up and increased the distance between himself and the Titan Turtle. Soon after that, he snapped his fingers.

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    Kyaaaak¡ª!

    The Flame skill exploded along the sword scratched in the turtle¡¯s shell. The Titan Turtle stuck its head out and screamed in pain. The huge body of the turtle trembled for a moment. At the same time, Su-hyeun flew over the shell of the Titan Turtle again.

    Scratch, scratch¡ª!

    A sharp blade began to cut the shell of the Titan Turtle again. Since it was too hard, he couldn¡¯t cut deeply even with magic in his sword. But this was enough. He didn¡¯t plan to cut through it all at once, anyway.

    <<I think it¡¯s almost ready,>> thought Su-hyeun.

    The Titan Turtle was a monster known for having the most durable defensive power in existence. It was pretty agile compared to its size, but it wasn¡¯t so agile that Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t avoid it. The attack pattern was also very simple. Su-hyeun¡¯s strategy was simple; slow but steady. The moment Su-hyeun broke the Titan Turtle¡¯s shell, the actual attack would start.

    <<Right¡­now¡­>>

    Su-hyeun stood on the shell and stabbed his sword into the half-cracked shell.

    Stab¡ª

    The sword penetrated the weakened back skin. Su-hyeun began to inject his magic into the sword.

    [The Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style.]

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Balmung began to tremble. The sword shook as if it would explode soon. It spread magic through the crack lines on the shell of Titan Turtle.

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    Soon after, the sound of a massive explosion came from inside the thick shell. The powerful magic began to trigger a series of explosions through the cracks in the shell.

    Crack, crack¡ª

    The hard shell started to crack more. In one moment, Su-hyeun, who had been cracking the shell of the Titan Turtle for several hours, started his final work.

    ¡°Hey, Miru!¡± Su-hyeun said when he jumped up from the cracked shell of Titan Turtle, ¡°Give it one big shot!¡±

    [High Breath.]

    Miru had been saving his power so far. High Breath was the most powerful attack skill that Miru could use.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Miru shot a huge white flame over the cracked shell of the Titan Turtle. Su-hyeun, who was moving away from the turtle, was surprised and had to use the Leap skill quickly one more time.

    <<What the?>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Roar¡ª!

    The Titan Turtle screamed. It meant the heat from the High Breath penetrated through the shell and reached to the skin of it.

    <<What strong power he has!>> Su-hyeun wondered.

    Su-hyeun had told Miru to save some energy. But his High Breath was more powerful than Su-hyeun had expected. It was a completely different level from the High Breath Miru had been using before.

    <<What happened?>>

    Miru hadn¡¯t grown much after a certain point. Of course, he was helpful enough so far. The maximum number of breaths he could use had increased, and the power of his High Breath became much stronger. High Breath was comparable to other high attacking skills. But what Miru did right then was something Su-hyeun never expected.

    Rumble¡ª

    Soon, Su-hyeun could see the shell swept by the High Breath. The place he had cracked wasn¡¯t broken, yet.

    <<Wow, the shell of the Titan Turtle has a strong immunity to magic.>>

    Even with this level of breath attack, the back shell didn¡¯t come off. The crack became worse, but Miru¡¯s Breath wasn¡¯t enough to destroy the shell of the Titan Turtle. It wasn¡¯t because his power was too weak.

    <<The Titan Turtle is undoubtedly a natural enemy of dragons.>>

    It would be the worst opponent for dragons, who relied on magic and breath skills rather than physical ability or attacks.

    <<Anyway¡­>> Su-hyeun thought, <<I¡¯ll think about it later. I¡¯m in battle now and its armor is almost off. >>

    The thick shell that surrounded Titan Turtle was almost broken. It would be the same as a soldier who lost his spear and armor jumped into battle naked.

    <<I can cut it out,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun had enough strength and magic power. Until now, his attacks were just relying on the cutting force of Balmung alone.

    <<The Titan Turtle has lost its shell¡ª>>

    Su-hyeun flew up onto the back shell of the turtle again.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    And, at the same time, his sword cut a wide gash into the back of the Titan Turtle.

    Roar¡ª! Roar¡ª!

    <<¡ªso it¡¯s nothing but a big turtle.>>

    Ironically, the only weakness of the Titan Turtle was connected to its greatest strength. Titan Turtle was the monster with the strongest defensive power. In other words, it only had defensive power. Without its shell, it was just a matter of time before Su-hyeun won.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun injected a lot of magic in his sword once more.

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    [Flame.]

    [The Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style.]

    [Immortality.]

    Although it would only work for a short moment, he used the Immortality skill to maximize his physical and magic ability. Balmung, the sword made of adamantium, began to make a cracking sound, as if it would shatter soon. That meant there was a lot of magic gathered in the sword.

    Grrr¡ª

    The Titan Turtle put its half-stuck out head back into the shell, as if it felt something was coming. It had a strong instinct for survival. It retracted its head so quick that Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t aim for it.

    ¡°But now, I can break your shell.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes were fixed on the cracked shell of the Titan Turtle.

    [Leap.]

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun flew into the air, leaving an afterimage behind him. And, at the moment when he stepped onto the shell¡ª

    Craaack¡ª!

    ¡ªSu-hyeun¡¯s sword finally broke the back shell of the Titan Turtle.

    Splatter¡ª!

    And he cut off the Titan Turtle¡¯s head, cowering inside the shell.

 Chapter 166

    Act 6

    Gu-wuwuwung-

    KA-BOOOOOM-!

    A thunderous noise echoed through the forest. It was the sound of the struggling, howling Titan Turtle finally falling to its side.

    ¡°Fuu-woo- Now that was tough.¡±

    No longer feeling tense, Su-hyeun, still stuck inside the Titan Turtle¡¯s shell, used the back of his hand to wipe away the blood and sweat caked to his forehead. It sure had been a while since the last time he had to focus so much in a fight against a single monster.

    How fortunate that he knew a way to kill this creature. Otherwise, things wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly.

    << It would¡¯ve been far harder for dragons to kill this thing. >>

    The best way to fight a Titan Turtle was to use blunt weapons. Swords were the next best thing, if you insisted on it. And the worst thing you could do was to indiscriminately pour magical attacks at it.

    Meaning, no other creature would be as fearful to a dragon as a Titan Turtle.

    Gya-ong, gya-oh-ohng-

    It was then that the fatigued-looking Miru began flying toward the Titan Turtle¡¯s carcass. The red dragon looked quite excited about something.

    Su-hyeun quietly stared at Miru. His dragon had been excited about something ever since the Titan Turtle appeared.

    << Is he going under the shell? >>

    Miru slid inside the Titan Turtle¡¯s shell, where Su-Hyeun had just been. He followed the dragon back inside. Underneath the shell was a mess of blood and flesh, with the Titan Turtle¡¯s severed head slumped over, unmoving.

    ¡°Talk about stink,¡± Su-hyeun muttered with a frown while looking for Miru. Thankfully, the dragon wasn¡¯t far away.

    Gya-ohng, gya-ong-!

    Miru cried in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction while tapping on the side wall of the shell with the horn on its head.

    ¡°You want me to break that?¡±

    Gya-ong-

    After hearing Miru¡¯s reply, Su-hyeun pulled out Balmung, which he had sheathed just a few minutes before. The job at hand still wasn¡¯t easy due to the toughness of the shell, but at least the Titan Turtle wasn¡¯t alive and rampaging around, so it was a bit more manageable.

    He pounded on the shell for a few minutes on the spot Miru pointed at and it began breaking apart, bit by bit. A short while later¡­.

    << Uh? >>

    Su-hyeun discovered a fist-sized reddish marble stuck within the inner part of the shell.

    ¡°Is that the Cintamani??¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hands moved even quicker.

    Clang, claaaang-!

    He continued to break the Titan Turtle¡¯s tough shell down, but in a far more cautious manner, as if he was working on a precious jewel. If this marble was really the Cintamani, then he had to be extra careful not to leave even a small nick.

    << It¡¯s done. >>

    For the next hour or so, Su-hyeun worked carefully at extracting the red marble embedded in the monster¡¯s shell. He then cautiously brought it near Miru.

    ¡°Hey, Miru. Is this really the Cintamani?¡±

    Growl, grooowl-

    Miru stared at the red marble Su-hyeun brought before its nose. And then¡­

    Chomp-

    ¡­.It bit down on the marble.

    Rumble-

    Rays of light exploded out from the marble, brightly illuminated the dark interior of the Titan Turtle¡¯s shell.

    * * *

    It had been three days since Su-hyeun and Miru departed for the Cintanami Forest.

    There hadn¡¯t been any news about them so far. Just like always, Karne stared outside the window of the castle while holding a teacup.

    ¡°Can you even see anything while doing that?¡±

    Karne turned his head after hearing the voice from behind him. An uninvited guest, Blanc, was sipping tea, just like him. The latter had barged in without warning, saying that he had some good tea with him and personally brewed it for the both of them.

    ¡°Of course, I can,¡± Karne replied.

    ¡°Makes sense. I heard that orange-colored dragons can see and sense things the rest of us can¡¯t. Tales of a world far removed from mine.¡±

    Blanc chuckled while saying that and started sipping on his tea again. Fitting for his unfathomable age, he sounded like he had done everything there was to do in this world.

    Even though they were quite close in age, Karne still couldn¡¯t understand Blanc.

    ¡°Why did you come here today?¡± Karne asked. ¡°Blanc, I know that you¡¯re not my biggest fan.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. So you do know.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯d like to know more about the future of our species you have envisioned.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that question dozens of times by now. Even now, do you still see me as a selfish bastard who only lives for himself and not for the rest of our people?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not really being selfish. But that doesn¡¯t mean I accept your actions to belittle the sacrifices our ancestors made for our sake.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still going on about that? Just how much do you distrust me?¡±

    ¡°You already know this, don¡¯t you?¡± Blanc put the teacup down, the light in his eyes sharpening in an instant. ¡°That they¡¯re not the type to do what you said they did.¡±

    ¡°¡­.I witnessed this all myself.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Blanc shook his head. ¡°You were also in hibernation, just like me.¡±

    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no need to talk about this any further, as it¡¯s the same story as before.¡±

    Karne shook his head, no longer interested in talking, and turned his body away.

    But then, Blanc said something different from what had had said in the past. ¡°A red dragon has returned.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And now, it only needs to recover the Cintamani. Then¡­. we can take this world back.¡±

    Karne¡¯s expression hardened. The Cintamani¡ªBlanc brought up something he¡¯d forgotten about long ago.

    ¡°Is that the reason why you¡¯ve been waiting for the red dragons?¡± Karne asked.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the only reason, but¡­¡±

    ¡°The Cintamani is long gone.¡± Killing intent spread out from Karne¡¯s eyes. ¡°And the red dragon will definitely die.¡±

    ¡°Karne!!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you say, my decision, and the end result, will not change.¡±

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re telling the truth, you can¡¯t destroy our future because of your personal feeli¡­..¡±

    Blanc couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. He fell silent when he saw Karne¡¯s face suddenly change as he stared out the window.

    Seeing Karne stiffen, Blanc began grinning widely, instead. ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve returned.¡±

    Karne.

    Out of the current crop of surviving orange-colored dragons, he was easily the oldest of the bunch. He could see and feel what other dragons couldn¡¯t.

    And so¡­

    He could see Su-hyeun and Miru approaching the city from afar.

    * * *

    Tap-

    When they arrived in the city, Su-hyeun lightly leaped off from Miru¡¯s back.

    ¡°Nice work.¡±

    Gya-ong-

    Miru formed a conceited expression and spun his head away, causing Su-hyeun to softly chuckle to himself. Having been around this still-young dragon for a while now, he thought he could roughly figure out the meaning behind the expressions Miru was making these days.

    His expression, in human language, would be similar to ¡°That was nothing.¡±

    But Su-hyeun¡¯s expression hardened right away. This wasn¡¯t a situation he could just smile through, after all.

    ¡°Alright, then. Now, let¡¯s see¡­.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu-

    An incredible amount of magical energy began pouring out from Su-hyeun¡¯s body as he stood before the city. This was the absolute limit of all the energy he could emit in one go.

    The moment the gigantic magical energy enveloped the entire city, he raised his foot.

    Swoooosh-

    Booooom-!

    His foot stomp rocked the whole city.

    The rocking would gradually weaken as it reached the opposite ends of the city, but, still, it would be enough to alert every dragon to his arrival.

    Su-hyeun finished his declaration of war and softly muttered to no one in particular. ¡°Hurry up and gather.¡±

    A short while later.

    Swish, swiiiish-

    Shuwuwuwu-

    Dragons above yellow grade recognized Su-hyeun¡¯s signal and quickly began appearing, one by one. He murmured to himself. ¡°As expected, they¡¯re pretty fast.¡±

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡±

    Dragons that sensed the gigantic magical energy shaking the entire city grew deeply wary of Su-hyeun. He had sworn to hunt the demonic beasts down, yet he caused such a commotion as soon as he came back. They found it hard to understand the situation.

    << About thirty of them. >>

    Su-hyeun swept his gaze on the dragons surrounding him. Only the high-ranking ones had shown up so far, and, somewhat surprisingly, Karne and Blanc appeared at the exact same time. They must¡¯ve been near each other before Su-hyeun arrived.

    More dragons were pouring out from the deeper parts of the city as they sensed the unfolding situation. Once their numbers ballooned some more, Su-hyeun addressed them. ¡°Alright, then. Please wait a little while longer until everyone¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°You want us to wait?¡±

    ¡°Wait for what?¡±

    ¡°The first thing he says after causing such a commotion is telling us to wait¡­.?¡±

    ¡°But did that human really cause the commotion just now all by himself? I thought it was an army of demonic beasts invading us or something.¡±

    The dragons, flustered by Su-hyeun¡¯s words, began murmuring among themselves. Rather than the ¡®let¡¯s wait¡¯ bit, the massive magical energy they sensed in front of the city concerned them even more.

    << Did this guy really do that just now? >>

    Blanc¡¯s own expression wasn¡¯t all that different from everyone else¡¯s.

    Enough magical energy capable of sending a shockwave throughout the city. Although he suspected this human was someone amazing, he never expected him to have power of this magnitude

    Like the other dragons, Blanc, too, would¡¯ve mistakenly believed that the demonic beasts were invading if he had no prior knowledge of Su-hyeun¡¯s return.

    ¡°Just what are you up to?¡± Karne shouted out the question.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Answer me! How will you explain this hostility you¡¯re directing towards us?!¡±

    The continued questioning prompted Su-hyeun¡¯s to open his closed eyes and stare straight at Karne. The gathered dragon began making puzzled expressions.

    ¡°Hostility?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, Sir Karne?¡±

    ¡°Sure, he caused a commotion, but I can¡¯t sense any hostility from this human at all¡­.¡±

    Only after hearing them did Karne sense that something was off.

    They couldn¡¯t sense his hostility?

    From the moment he first returned until now, Su-hyeun had been clearly displaying his hostile aura toward Karne. The aura was so thick that, at a casual glance, it bordered on pure killing intent.

    << Can it be? It¡¯s not that they can¡¯t sense it, but¡­. >>

    Karne stared back at Su-hyeun. Then he finally realized that the human had been glaring just at him until now.

    << He¡¯s only baring his hostility at me? >>

    Indeed, Su-hyeun¡¯s hostility wasn¡¯t directed at everyone. Su-hyeun was baring his fangs toward Karne alone. The moment he realized that fact, the orange-colored dragon¡¯s expression crumpled to an unbelievable degree.

    ¡°How dare a sh*tty little human¡­.¡±

    He even ended up muttering an expletive, after momentarily forgetting his station.

    One thought consumed Karne¡¯s mind, ever since he realized that Su-hyeun¡¯s fangs were only bared at him.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m an easy mark?¡±

    It was about how Su-hyeun was looking down on him. But another thought entered his head, not too long after that.

    << Why is he¡­? >>

    The human didn¡¯t seem the type to become hostile for no reason at all. There was nothing to gain by doing that, and, more importantly, such an action could harm the red dragon hatchling right next to him.

    When Su-hyeun said the red dragon was his child, he had sounded completely genuine. And that was probably why he risked his life to fight against the demonic beasts. As such, he¡¯d never do something that might harm the red dragon.

    But, flipping that around, however, meant¡­

    << Everything he does is for the sake of that red dragon?? >>

    When he reached that conclusion, Karne felt a deathly chill run down his spine.

    Not his head, but his instincts were telling him this¡ªthat what was going to happen from that point on would not go well for him.

    ¡°H-hurry up and bring that bastard down!!¡± Karne yelled in an urgent voice. ¡°He¡¯s trying to oppose our kind! Most likely, the demonic beasts are controlling him to attack us!¡±

    ¡°Eh, what?!¡±

    ¡°Sir, what are you even¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Hurry the hell up!!¡±

    Despite knowing what he said was utter gibberish, he nevertheless stubbornly persisted.

    Just as the other dragons grew restless from sheer confusion, Su-hyeun finally opened his mouth to speak. ¡°I guess enough dragons have gathered now.¡±

    Not just the yellows, but the green, blue, navy, and even the purple-colored dragons had gathered. At a casual count, over three hundred of them were present. He could safely say that well over half of the dragons remaining in the city had shown up.

    ¡°In that case, right now¡­.¡± Su-hyeun pulled out a red marble from his inner pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s get all the secrets out in the open, shall we?¡±

    The next second¡­

    The noisy dragons suddenly shut up, their full attention focused on the red marble resting in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand¡ªthe Cintamani.

 Chapter 167

    ¡°I-isn¡¯t that¡­.?¡±

    ¡°A marble?¡±

    ¡°No, wait. That¡¯s no ordinary marble. Something about it¡¯s¡­.¡±

    The reactions from the dragons had changed¡ªeven those that heeded Karne¡¯s orders to attack Su-hyeun. Most of them were staring at the Cintamani in a trance-like state. Some even shed tears without noticing.

    ¡°Could it be¡­.?¡±

    ¡°The¡­ C-Cintamani??¡±

    Some of the dragons born before the war recognized the Cintamani Su-hyeun had pulled out. Unsurprisingly, Blanc was included in that group.

    ¡°Is, is that the real Cintamani?!¡±

    Perhaps he found it too incredible to believe, Blanc enhanced his vision with magic and took a closer look at the marble.

    The Cintamani Forest. No one remembered the original name of the place. Understandable, since no one cared for it, and the forest simply existed without any living animals calling it home.

    But its name was changed to the ¡®Cintamani Forest¡¯ after the very object it was named after went missing inside it during the chaos of the great war.

    A handful of dragons had loudly voiced their opinions, saying that the lost Cintamani had to be recovered. But Karne and other dragons shot it down. They said that the Titan Turtle¡¯s presence made the idea impossible to carry out.

    More importantly, the item called ¡®Cintamani¡¯ didn¡¯t hold much meaning to them anymore.

    People argued about it for centuries, the fight gradually went out of the pro-search group, and, eventually, the Cintamani had been almost forgotten.

    But now¡­

    The forgotten Cintamani had reappeared right before their eyes. And a red dragon, to boot.

    ¡°Why am I suddenly tearing up¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Just what is that thing?¡±

    ¡°Sir, what is the Cintamani?¡±

    Questions poured in from everywhere.

    The dragons born before the war who knew of the Cintamani explained what it was to the younger generations.

    ¡°You know exactly what this is, don¡¯t you?¡± Su-hyeun asked Karne directly.

    Karne held his gaze and scowled deeply.

    The tone of Su-hyeun¡¯s voice had changed abruptly. Even in the past, the human didn¡¯t seem to be a fan of Karne, but at least he didn¡¯t speak with such contempt in his voice.

    But now wasn¡¯t the time to argue about such matters. Indeed, the object resting in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand presented a far more pressing issue than picking faults with the manner of Su-hyeun¡¯s speech.

    ¡°How could I not know?¡± That item wasn¡¯t something he could keep secret, anyway. So, while firmly suppressing the frustration welling up in his chest, Karne replied, ¡°The Cintamani. The treasure of the dragon race that reputedly only the descendants of the dragon king could handle.¡±

    Every dragon focused on Karne¡¯s voice. It was the same for other dragons belatedly arriving on the scene. They too had sensed the power of the Cintamani, and realized that Karne knew about this item.

    ¡°The existence of the Cintamani alone greatly amplifies the strength of our race. The item is known to grant an explosive increase in power to those who hold it, as well as the ability to freely command the powers of the heavens and the earth.¡±

    That was what the Cintamani was¡ªnot a simple, symbolic treasure of the dragon race, but an item that could actively amplify their power.

    That was precisely why the dragons wanted to recover the Cintamani after it went missing. Because the precariously balanced war between themselves and the demonic beasts might come to an end if they could rely on the Cintamani¡¯s power.

    But no red dragons capable of wielding it had survived, and that meant that the Cintamani was nothing more than a regular rock to them.

    But this¡­.

    << With this, chasing the red dragon away is as good as impossible now. >>

    The Cintamani itself had triumphantly returned along with a red dragon.

    There were already quite a few among the dragons that wanted to welcome the red dragon into their fold. To them, the red dragons were symbolic of the excellence of their race, as well as their strength. This was especially true for the older dragons.

    The influence of a red dragon was ingrained not just in their heads but deeply in their genes.

    But now, a red dragon had regained control of the Cintamani? This development was more than enough to turn those among their race who originally opposed the red dragons to change their minds.

    ¡°But, that¡¯s not everything,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°¡­.Not everything?¡± Karne snorted derisively. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. You, a mere human, dare to claim that you know more about the treasure of the dragon race than me?¡±

    ¡°No, not that. I also had no clue what the Cintamani was until not too long ago, you see.¡±

    ¡°So what then?¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t pull this item out to say, ¡®Look how amazing it is!¡¯, you know?¡± Su-hyeun said, before handing the Cintamani over to Miru. Then he swept his gaze over the gathered dragons around him. ¡°Now, look closely, everyone.¡±

    Chomp-

    The moment Miru bit into the Cintamani Su-hyeun had given him over¡­

    ¡°Look at what kind of a guy your leader is.¡±

    Flash-

    The red Cintamani suddenly began emitting bright light. The rays were so strong that the observers couldn¡¯t open their eyes for a moment. But, compared to the loud, eye-catching reaction, the emitted magical energy they could sense wasn¡¯t all that great.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Give me a break. I thought something amazing was about to happen.¡±

    The confused dragons began chatting in disappointed voices. But then¡­.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this magical energy¡­.??¡±

    ¡°Sir Ellid??¡±

    The dragons from the era before the war were deeply stunned by the magical energy coming out of the Cintamani. Not because of the amount emitted, but because they recognized the master of the energy.

    Shu-wuwuwu-

    The reddish light brightening their surroundings eventually gathered into a single spot. Then, the rays began turning into a single, complete figure: a gigantic red-scaled dragon with red eyes and a proud horn that rose up high.

    The red dragon.

    The master of the Cintamani, the first descendant of the dragon king, and the greatest dragon of them all¡­.

    ¡°It¡¯s Sir Ellid!¡±

    ¡°Ah, aaaah!!¡±

    The lord of all dragons, Ellid.

    The projected image was large enough to completely block out the sky. Even though it was an illusion created by nothing more than a few rays of light, the sense of presence it emitted was truly powerful.

    << It¡¯s still amazing, even on second viewing. >> Su-hyeun thought while dazedly staring at Ellid¡¯s image. Then, he sneaked a glance at Miru next to him. Despite being the same species of dragon, the two were completely different, maybe due to the difference in their ages.

    Gya-ong?

    Miru tilted its head this way and that, wondering why Su-hyeun was staring at it. Su-hyeun instantly felt sorry and quickly averted his gaze.

    << When will Miru become like that, I wonder? >>

    Su-hyeun stared at the sheer majesty of the huge dragon and smirked softly.

    << Of course, I¡¯ll probably die of old age before Miru reaches that stage. >>

    The lifespan of a human and a dragon was very different. A dragon could live for thousands of years at the short end, and even for tens of thousands of years at the long end, but, compared to them, humans could at best live barely past one hundred years.

    When he thought about that, Su-hyeun wondered whether it was okay to proclaim himself as Miru¡¯s parent. After he lived his life and died of old age, Miru would have to spend the rest of its life all alone.

    -I can speak now, right?

    Ellid¡¯s voice could be heard above the mutterings of the crowd

    -I never knew that setting the right mood would be this tough. Plenty of you kids are seeing me for the first time, but I¡¯m pretty sure that all of you can sense my greatness just from this. Yup, definitely.

    The magic of the Cintamani delivered one¡¯s intention via a clear voice ringing in the heads of the listeners.

    The lord of dragons, Ellid continued on.

    -The Cintamani must have been recovered, since I¡¯m here, right? I dunno how long it¡¯s been, but I hope you¡¯re all living well. Hehehe.

    Compared to his appearance, Ellid¡¯s voice was surprisingly cheery. So much so that his chuckles came across as a bit frivolous, even. But that was what he was really like, that was how the older dragons remembered him.

    ¡°The red dragon who was our dragon lord looked like that¡­.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a lot different than what I imagined, though?¡±

    ¡°Maybe something¡¯s wrong with his head, or¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, Sir Ellid was always like that.¡±

    ¡°That old man¡¯s still the same even after all this time.¡±

    A handful of dragons who still remembered Ellid smiled warm, gentle smiles. On the other hand, though, the complexions of some others were getting paler by the second.

    ¡°Wait a moment, isn¡¯t this¡­.¡±

    ¡°Spirit Revival spell?¡±

    ¡°Why is a magic that only activates after you¡¯re dead¡­.??¡±

    Just as their clamor grew louder, Ellid¡¯s voice continued.

    -Are you all doing well? I¡¯m really curious about how our race will change after my death. I wish I could witness it with my own eyes, but¡­ I didn¡¯t know that being unable to see it, nor even imagine it, would be this heartbreaking.

    Dead.

    Ellid, who was thought to have run away, was dead.

    When that hard-to-misinterpret word came from the red dragon¡¯s mouth, the gathered dragons fell into a state of panic.

    ¡°He, he, he¡¯s dead?!¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t run away after all?!¡±

    ¡°Wait, could this be a fake??¡±

    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. The Spirit Revival spell can only be activated when the user is dead, for sure. This is definitely not fake.¡±

    The Spirit Revival spell. The highest tier of magic that allowed you to record your memories and words while still alive, then manifest them after your passing.

    The fact that the magic had been invoked meant that Ellid was truly, irrefutably dead.

    -Hey, Karne. you doing alright, kid? I hope that little tyke is leading our race properly. I mean, it just didn¡¯t feel right, asking a little kid to look after our race after we¡¯re all dead. But, what can I do? None of us five will remain in this land, after all.

    There were only five red dragons.

    The reason why they all had to disappear was¡­

    -We¡¯re planning to disappear along with that demonic beast who looks like our kind. To a world really, really far away from this dimension, probably. And all of our souls will most likely get ripped to shreds in the process, but¡­ it should be the same story for that bastard, too.

    Fafnir. The worst monster of them all, who nearly drove this world to the brink of total destruction. The reason for the bastard¡¯s sudden disappearance had now been made clear today.

    -Live a good life, you hear? You younglings should listen to your elders, too. I¡¯m saying all this for your benefit, get my drift?

    Even after death, he was still nagging them. For a long while afterward, Ellid kept talking about useless stuff. Most of it were things he wanted to talk about ¡ªthings that were incomparably insignificant, common, and so, so ordinary in nature.

    Ellid continued to speak in a cheery voice, but then, he became gravely serious in an instant.

    -Looks like it¡¯s almost time. Dammit, this bloody magic eats up magical energy like no one¡¯s business.

    The expressions of the dragons anxiously staring at the image of Ellid formed out of red beams of light all fell. This was really their final goodbye.

    -Hey, Karne. you¡¯re watching this, right? I can¡¯t even imagine how you¡¯ll be leading our race. But I¡¯m sure the pressure¡¯s been terrible and it must¡¯ve been really tough for you. But, what can we do? We¡¯re no longer there and you¡¯re the only one left.

    Ellid¡¯s voice became much heavier than before.

    -I¡¯m sorry, Karne. And please¡­. I leave the future of our race in your hands.

    Shu-wuwuwu-

    The light emitted from the Cintamani gradually weakened. Soon afterward, Ellid¡¯s figure completely vanished, and heavy silence descended on the surroundings.

    Everyone¡¯s gaze was now locked on Karne. And, standing behind them, Su-hyeun said the one thing none of them could bring themselves to say.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you explain yourself?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s all a lie.¡±

    Grit-

    Karne bared his sharp fangs and glared at Su-hyeun. ¡°You bastard, what game are you trying to play here?!¡±

    ¡°Game? You think this is a game?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything of the sort from Ellid. Leaving our race in my hands? They sacrificed themselves?? It¡¯s all lies!!¡± Karne turned his head and shouted at his kin. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for his tricks! It¡¯s all a lie! Drag this human away this instant!¡±

    Su-hyeun scanned the surroundings. Hundreds of dragons couldn¡¯t all come to the wrong conclusion after hearing Karne¡¯s shouting.

    He asked them, ¡°Everyone, did it look like a lie to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Without a doubt, that was Sir Ellid¡¯s magical energy.¡±

    ¡°Besides, this human wouldn¡¯t have known what Sir Ellid looked like, to begin with¡­¡±

    Quite a few dragons agreed with Su-hyeun¡¯s opinion. They were all from the era before the great war. They always believed that Ellid would never abandon them, and, through this incident, came to realize the truth of the matter.

    Indeed, Ellid and the other red dragons hadn¡¯t abandoned them. No, instead, they had sacrificed their lives to save this world¡ªand that¡¯s why they all disappeared.

    But now¡­

    ¡°We were¡­.¡±

    Blanc¡¯s glare stabbed into Karne.

    ¡°Being lied to?¡±

 Chapter 168

    After waking up from his hibernation period, Blanc searched for the red dragons. Because the first person he could think of that their race could rely on in this world devastated by the war was none other than Ellid himself.

    But¡­

    ¡°The red dragons have abandoned us.¡±

    The words spoken by the returning Karne were more than enough to drive a cold dagger into Blanc¡¯s heart and twist it ruthlessly.

    ¡°They are no longer our kin. No, they¡¯re just traitors, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Karne¡¯s rage against the red dragons exceeded everyone¡¯s imagination.

    His animosity towards the red dragons was stronger than any of his kin¡¯s, and he even forced this view onto the newer generations of dragons.

    He said that the red dragons were traitors that had abandoned their race.

    Of course, some dragons didn¡¯t believe him. They were the ones that remembered the red dragons and Ellid. Just like Blanc, they truly believed the red dragons had not forsaken them. But, over the centuries, it became hard to not doubt.

    This was where their differing beliefs had led them.

    ¡°Explain yourself, Karne.¡± Blanc¡¯s heavy, low voice growled like a wild beast¡¯s.

    None of his kin present failed to understand where his emotions and rage came from. Those who knew how long Blanc had waited for the red dragons¡¯ return easily understood his feelings.

    To make matters worse, Blanc had believed that Ellid and the other red dragons were still alive somewhere¡ªthat there was a reason why they had to run, that they could not have abandoned them without a solid reason.

    That¡¯s what he believed and told the others.

    The red dragons had a reason to leave. That was true. There were waiting somewhere and maybe, just maybe, they would come back one day.

    That was as wrong as Karne saying the red dragons were traitors.

    They hadn¡¯t run away.

    Because they were all dead.

    ¡°I said, explain yourself. Now!!¡±

    Blanc¡¯s naked killing intent spread out everywhere. But it wasn¡¯t just him alone¡ªthe same could be said of his kin that had believed Karne¡¯s version until now.

    The sense of betrayal.

    Karne¡¯s brows shot up as he received the brunt of the overwhelming emotions of hundreds of his kin.

    ¡°Hold on, everyone. You¡¯re all too agitated right now.¡±

    ¡°Without a doubt, there must¡¯ve been some kind of misunderstanding. You know that Sir Karne isn¡¯t that type of person, don¡¯t you?¡±

    As was the case with everything, blind loyalty and faith always persisted. But that extended only up to a point. And it¡¯d take only a single moment to betray such loyalty.

    ¡°Everyone, just calm down and let¡¯s hear from¡­.¡±

    Kyah-aaaah-!

    A loud dragon¡¯s roar resounded over the crowd.

    Seizing the opening created by the commotion, Karne instantly leaped up into the air. At the same time, his body ballooned and his previously human-like appearance transformed into that of a dragon sporting the ¡®orange¡¯ color that was far closer to gold in hue.

    ¡°S-sir?!¡±

    ¡°Sir, my a**! Catch him!!¡±

    Blanc roared at the top of his voice.

    Learning more about what happened in detail was nice and all that, but right now, apprehending the escaping Karne took priority.

    Unfortunately, no one was capable of catching up to Karne once he was deadly serious about running away. He must¡¯ve planned his escape from the get-go, because he even activated short-distance teleportation magic several times in a row to fly far away.

    ¡°That son of a¡­!!¡±

    Blanc urgently transformed. The same thing happened to the other dragons, as well. Their human-like appearances couldn¡¯t produce the kind of speed necessary to pursue Karne.

    << We must hunt him down. >>

    As he transformed back into a massive blue dragon, Blanc continued to grit his teeth.

    And so, many, many dragons began their heated pursuit of the escaping Karne.

    ¡­All the while completely forgetting about the existence of a lone human who had vanished from the spot earlier.

    Act 7

    Flap-

    Swiiiiiish-

    A massive figure quickly scythed through the air, his huge wings beating away.

    The dragon with the near-golden hue, Karne, issued an enraged roar, his sharply curved fangs on full display.

    -Dammit, dammit!

    Karne¡¯s roars continued for a while.

    He thought his heart would explode from the indignation. One measly human he didn¡¯t even pay much attention to ended up pouring ash all over his well-prepared feast.

    ¡°Man, I finally caught up with you.¡±

    -¡­?

    Karne was stunned silly by a soft voice coming from above his head, and hurriedly looked up. But, at that exact moment¡­

    Craaaack-!

    Stagger-

    The powerful force emanating from his head caused Karne¡¯s flying body to shake greatly.

    -It can¡¯t be¡­

    ¡°Where are you in such a hurry to get to, I wonder?¡±

    Craaaack-!

    Fists laden with magical energy slammed down on Karne¡¯s head once more.

    ¡°Before you leave¡­.¡± Su-hyeun, straddling the top of the fleeing dragon¡¯s head, mercilessly pounded down on the dragon with his fists held high. ¡°You should¡¯ve apologized to Miru first.¡±

    Swiiiiish-

    Crack, boooom-!

    That terrifying punch finally forced Karne¡¯s body out of the sky.

    Kyah-aaaaah-!

    -Just when¡­!

    ¡°It was really hard catching up to you. When I saw you looking so shifty-eyed, I wondered if you really were planning to run, but, man, I was so right.¡±

    -Dammit!

    As he fell to the ground below, Karne angrily shook his head. At the same time, his entire body began glowing red-hot.

    [Armor of Conflagration.]

    A heat that would make even boiling lava feel lukewarm caused Su-hyeun to hurriedly leap away from the dragon¡¯s body. If he insisted on staying there, then his butt resting on the dragon¡¯s head might have gotten royally roasted.

    CRASH-!

    Right after that, Karne¡¯s body crashed on the ground. Su-hyeun put some distance between himself and the stifling heat he felt from the fallen dragon¡¯s figure, then landed safely back on solid ground.

    ¡°Whoo, whoo.¡±

    He urgently blew at his hands after feeling the heat still lingering there. But, when he thought about it for a second, the heat wasn¡¯t the real issue here.

    << That¡¯s some amazing toughness. >>

    The orange-colored dragon. Just one grade below the red dragons. But Karne was also the oldest of all orange-colored dragons, too.

    After the war, most of the old dragons died out, and only those youngsters who were in their hibernation periods at the time survived to this day. Still, there was little doubt that Karne¡¯s scales were incredibly tough.

    Even if he used a sword and not his bare fists, penetrating Karne¡¯s scales would still be a challenge.

    Grrrr¡­..

    Karne pushed his crash-landed body back up and glared at Su-hyeun. Now that they were face-to-face like this, the latter couldn¡¯t help but see the former in a new light.

    << He¡¯s definitely a world apart from that green dragon. >>

    A size that easily rivaled the average skyscraper. The thick, heavy concentration of magical energy emanated from his skin and scales.

    Orange color, and the oldest of the lot¡ªthat was Karne.

    << The defensive capability of his scales is incredible, and there¡¯s no need to even mention the sheer variety of magic spells he must¡¯ve mastered by now, too. >>

    This was a fight against a real dragon, in other words.

    Sha-shing-

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword. And then¡­

    ¡°Come out.¡±

    Riiiip-

    The moment he called out, Miru tore through space and emerged beside Su-hyeun.

    Gya-ong-!

    ¡­With its mouth still biting into the Cintamani.

    Miru¡¯s sudden entrance shocked Karne slightly. But then he began glaring murderously at the Cintamani in the young red dragon¡¯s maw.

    -It¡¯s all because of you two.

    Grrrrr¡­

    An enraged roar exploded out from Karne¡¯s maw.

    -You ruined everything!

    Ruuuumble-

    An incredible wave of killing intent enveloped everything along with the dragon¡¯s roar.

    The scorching heatwave flooded the surroundings. Su-hyeun hurriedly raised his hand and shielded his face from the heat.

    ¡°Hey, this isn¡¯t even a case of anger management issues, so what gives? What are you suddenly getting angry at us for?¡±

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t understand Karne¡¯s motivations. Well, Karne did lose everything he had built up for centuries because of their actions, after all. But the matter being understandable didn¡¯t automatically make it justified, either. Also, there was no real reason to understand it, either.

    ¡°You know the saying, you reap what you sow? That¡¯s exactly what¡¯s happening here.¡±

    Slash-

    Clang-!

    Su-hyeun swung his sword downward, but the sword energy stretching out was blocked by the several layers of barriers protecting the area around Karne¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong-

    ¡°Fly up and keep your distance, okay? Don¡¯t stick too close but still support me from the rear with your Breath and buffs. You get it, right?¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    ¡°Alright. Well, then¡­.¡± Su-hyeun said, his eyes locked on Karne, currently amassing an incredible amount of magical energy inside his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Paht, flap-

    Su-hyeun and Miru moved simultaneously. At the same time, a massive Breath attack shot out of Karne¡¯s mouth.

    Ruuuumble-!

    For a moment, the whole world was dyed a golden color.

    Su-hyeun leaped up high in the air and observed the ground below. A small hill near his original position was vaporized in an instant. As far as destructive power was concerned, that Breath was the real deal.

    << Even so¡­ so slow. >>

    Gu-woooo-

    But the attack didn¡¯t end there. Su-hyeun¡¯s flying figure was suddenly suppressed by an oppressive feeling. He began tottering while raising his arms and lost his balance. In the meantime, Karne unfurled his wings and was about to fly up again.

    It was a gravity-type magic. He must¡¯ve been planning to restrict Su-hyeun¡¯s movements first and then fire another round of Breath.

    << Even then, if it¡¯s only this much¡­. >>

    [Leap.]

    Su-hyeun stepped on the air once more. His body felt several times heavier, but that didn¡¯t really matter to him.

    << I can still move. >>

    Ruuuumble-

    The Breath soared by in front of him.

    << Dragging this fight on won¡¯t do me any good. >>

    Karne was a completely different type of opponent than the Titan Turtle.

    When you fought a Titan Turtle, you had to fight for a long time, gradually shaving down its ridiculous defenses. Karne was the type of opponent armed to the teeth with hundreds, if not thousands, of different magic spells as well as a powerful weapon called Breath.

    Even if Su-hyeun¡¯s magic resistance was on the high side, he didn¡¯t know how well that would stack up against an opponent of Karne¡¯s caliber.

    More importantly, if the fight was taken to the air, Su-hyeun would suffer from an overwhelming disadvantage. He made up his mind quickly, having already witnessed the power behind Karne¡¯s Breath.

    << I¡¯ll break through it. >>

    Giiii-iiiing-

    Magical energy began gathering on his sword.

    [Explosion Style.]

    The magical power coalescing in one point began expanding, as if to shatter the blade at any second.

    [Indomitable Body.]

    [Armor of the Mage.]

    [Sky King¡¯s Feather.]

    Su-hyeun even enveloped his body with specialized anti-magic skills, as well. Although these skills didn¡¯t see much use when battling against monsters, they sure came in handy when he was fighting against a dragon.

    Skills that weren¡¯t very effective against physical attacks were now just about perfect for the situation.

    Not only that¡­

    [Dragon God¡¯s Protection.]

    [Reflect.]

    Miru¡¯s skills were overlaid on top of his.

    << This is more than enough. >>

    There was no more need to hesitate. Su-hyeun dashed straight into the Breath fired by Karne.

    Kwa-aaaaaaht-!

    The huge Breath swallowed Su-hyeun up. Karne, firing the attack with everything he had, looked flustered.

    << Is he trying to kill himself?? >>

    For a moment there, he even thought something preposterous, too.

    But, soon enough¡­

    Split-!

    He realized how utterly wrong his thoughts were.

    Kyah-aaaaaah-!

    Because, Su-hyeun broke past the Breath, penetrated the barriers protecting Karne¡¯s body to dig deep into the dragon¡¯s front. And, while in that position, he swung the sword in a big arc, slicing up Karne¡¯s scales from his shoulder down to his belly.

    ¡°Miru!!¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t skip a beat and shouted. Miru, preparing for this moment when he had entered Karne¡¯s barriers, finally released its own version of Breath.

    Ruuuumble-

    [High Breath.]

    Miru¡¯s Breath definitely didn¡¯t lose out to Karne¡¯s. Such a powerful attack rained down on the orange dragon staggering from Su-hyeun¡¯s sword strike.

    Kiiiaaaaaaah-!

    Karne writhed violently from the pain before he curled up into a ball. He urgently spread out protective barriers around his body, but they were just not enough. Miru¡¯s Breath melted the barriers down, pushed past the scales and began scorching the flesh underneath.

    It was hard to believe that a Breath of this magnitude came out of such a small body. The attack¡¯s power managed to exceed Su-hyeun¡¯s expectations once more.

    But he thought he knew why Miru¡¯s Breath had suddenly gained a power-up like this.

    << Could it be because of the Cintamani? >>

    The Cintamani was supposed to strengthen the power of the dragon race. And only the red dragons, the descendants of the dragon king, could control the mysterious red marble.

    Miru getting stronger after gaining the Cintamani made perfect sense, in a way.

    << Well, we still won¡¯t see the end with just this much, so¡­ >>

    No matter how powerful Miru¡¯s Breath had gotten, in the end it was still a power based on magical properties. Meaning Karne, boasting an excellent resistance against magic, wouldn¡¯t lose his combat capabilities from Miru¡¯s Breath alone.

    << As I thought, this is the best one-shot kill method. >>

    Su-hyeun grabbed the spears tied to his back.

    Jiiii-iiiing-

    The moment he gripped the tightly-fastened spear, the weapon suddenly let out a keen, angry howl.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear.]

    The weapon passed down from ancient times, designed and crafted solely for the purpose of killing dragons. Three such throwing spears Su-hyeun used often in his previous life were now held firmly in his hand.

 Chapter 169

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I last used a spear¡­.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t had a lot of opportunities to throw a spear recently. The Dragon Slaying Spear was basically a consumable item, so he had to preserve them as much as possible, and also, lately, he hadn¡¯t run into a powerful enough enemy that he needed to use the spear, either.

    Was it because it had been a while? The spear gripped in his hand felt just a little different, a little fresher than it had before.

    ¡°One.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body arched back like a bow.

    ¡°Two.¡±

    His body leaned forward like a released spring, and¡­

    ¡°Three.¡±

    His arm, cocked back, swung forward powerfully and threw the spear.

    Swiiiiiish-

    Spliiiiit-

    The three spears split apart and turned into tens of thousands of smaller spears before stabbing into Karne¡¯s body.

    Stab, stab, stab¡­

    Kiii-aaaaah-!

    Karne screamed and tottered precariously. He straightened his legs and tried his best not to fall, but it wasn¡¯t enough in the end.

    BOOM-

    Eventually, the dragon¡¯s legs gave way.

    Krrrr¡­

    Bits of drool Karne couldn¡¯t manage to swallow trickled down the orange dragon¡¯s maw. Even then, he continued to growl, a low rumble, causing Su-hyeun to roll his eyes.

    ¡°How persistent are you? Seriously.¡±

    In defensive capability alone, Karne wasn¡¯t as sturdy as a Titan Turtle. But his automatic recuperation ability, the defenses offered by the scales, plus the surrounding barriers that continuously regenerated, meant that the orange dragon possessed a truly incredible defensive ability.

    ¡°M-mm.¡±

    Su-hyeun poured out attacks without rest until he staggered somewhat from dizziness. He too had no choice but to stab his sword into the ground to support his weight that way.

    Now that all the tension and adrenaline had deserted him, not just the feeling of lightheadedness, but even a sense of enervation washed over his entire body. He felt drained.

    Even though various defensive skills were layered on top of his body, and despite cutting the Breath down with his sword, it was still impossible to completely avoid getting damaged from Karne¡¯s attacks.

    An orange-colored dragon was right below the level of the red color, after all. Karne¡¯s Breath wasn¡¯t something one would normally face head-on.

    << I won¡¯t be able to withstand a second hit from that. >>

    Should he have changed his attack method to one where he took his time a little more? But if he did that, how would he have gone about countering Karne¡¯s flight ability?

    Just as all sorts of possibilities popped up in his head¡­

    Flap-

    Karne unfurled his wings once more¡ªeven as blood continued to flow from the thousands, nay, tens of thousands of spears stabbing into its massive body.

    ¡°This crazy son of a¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun thought this would¡¯ve been enough to suppress the dragon, but, somehow, his quarry still managed to move.

    He knew that the dragon¡¯s recuperative power was considerable, but this easily exceeded the word ¡°recuperate.¡±

    The tenacious will to survive. That was what kept Karne moving.

    ¡°You¡¯re really stubborn, aren¡¯t you.¡±

    Pak-

    Su-hyeun yanked his sword out of the ground. But, right at that moment¡­

    Chwa-rurururuk-

    Squeeze, tighten-

    Dozens of chains flew in at Karne¡¯s body as he tried to take flight and held him in place. That wasn¡¯t all, however.

    Hundreds of varied magics, such as round bands that grabbed at his wings, shadows rising up from the ground to cling onto the body, etc., simultaneously tightened around Karne¡¯s figure.

    Su-hyeun looked up to the sky. ¡°They sure came fast, didn¡¯t they.¡±

    Hundreds of dragons had come chasing after Karne. Their magic had imprisoned the orange dragon.

    Grrrr¡­

    Karne crashed back down to the ground and growled angrily.

    Dragons arriving late on the scene looked between Su-hyeun and the grounded Karne in surprise.

    -What kind of situation is this?

    -Why does Sir Karne look like that¡­.?

    -Did this human stop Sir Karne alone?

    Although there were many dragons giving chase, it was never going to be easy to catch up to Karne, who was determined to escape from them and had even gotten a head start by flying away without warning.

    It was obvious why. Not only was there a difference in their flight speed, Karne could even use teleport as long as a small window of opening presented itself to travel a far distance.

    If he had willed it, he could¡¯ve hidden away for dozens, no, hundreds of years.

    But¡­

    -It seems¡­ they did really fight?

    He made a fatal error of not paying attention to Su-hyeun. The moment he tried to teleport, the human blocked him.

    And so, time passed and other dragons were able to track Karne down to this spot.

    If it weren¡¯t for Su-hyeun currently looking like a piece of charcoal from Karne¡¯s Breath, none of the arriving dragons would¡¯ve thought that a measly human could have driven a mighty orange dragon to such a wretched state.

    << A human did that? Really? >>

    << Siegfri getting done in wasn¡¯t a lie? >>

    << No, wait. Even if that wasn¡¯t a lie, this¡­. >>

    They¡¯d all heard about the green-colored dragon, Siegfri, tasting defeat at the hands of this human. But fighting an orange dragon was on a completely different level than that.

    The difference between a green-colored dragon and an orange-colored one was so great that they might as well be members of different species.

    The orange-colored dragons were the closest existence to the red dragons.

    -Wait, that¡¯s not important right now.

    The matter of figuring out who stopped Karne should be reserved for later. Blanc approached Karne, currently tied down by the hundreds of other dragons.

    -Now, explain yourself, Karne. Explain the meaning of this, and why you tried to flee.

    -¡­If you can¡¯t even figure that out by now, then it could only mean that you¡¯re all morons.

    There was a hint of laughter mixed in Karne¡¯s voice. His reaction didn¡¯t suit the current situation at all.

    -Heh, hehehe.

    Karne chuckled with his distorted mouth. Blanc staggered back, creeped out by that laughter.

    Karne, he¡­ seemed to be completely deranged. How could he laugh in a situation like this? He looked so different from his usual past self, always majestic and dignified.

    -I¡­ I finally managed to escape from their shadow, yet¡­

    -Shadow? What are you talking about?

    -Blanc, you have no idea. No, wait. Not just you, but everyone else, too. You don¡¯t know how I¡­ We had been overshadowed by them for centuries.

    Karne¡¯s voice began to growl again.

    -I too have devoted and sacrificed my whole being for our kind. I spent my entire lifetime serving our kin. I delved even deeper into research and did my best to serve our race! But, but¡­. dammiiiiit!

    Clank-

    The heavy cage confining Karne shook as he struggled mightily. His roars pierced the heavens and his rage swept across the land.

    -In the end, what good was it?? Ellid and the red dragons!! What happened to all of my hard work? They continued to lead our kind wonderfully, didn¡¯t they?! Without paying any attention to all the hard work we put in!

    -Effort? Dedication?!

    -Right. It was the same story even after they were all dead. All of you kept waiting for the red dragons to return. Saying that they need to lead our race¡­

    Wuduk, snap-

    The bindings tying Karne down snapped and broke, one by one, as he continued to struggle against them.

    -Dammit all to hell! Open your eyes and see for yourselves! See who is standing before you right now! Not the ones that died in the past!

    -That¡¯s why you insulted the noble dragons who sacrificed their lives for us??

    -They are already dead, anyway! Whether they¡¯re insulted or forgotten, what difference does it make?!

    Karne¡¯s voice was full of resentment. And his words shattered, in one fell swoop, the faith of all the dragons that had believed in and followed him until now.

    Step-

    ¡°You know, I wouldn¡¯t normally try to interfere in this sort of things, since it¡¯s a matter concerning your kin. I mean, it¡¯ll be like I¡¯m sticking my nose in a stranger¡¯s family quarrel, almost.¡±

    Su-hyeun observing the situation from afar suddenly began walking toward Karne.

    Fuu-wuu-

    He spat out a lengthy sigh towards the sky¡ªas if he was letting out the anger building up inside him.

    ¡°But then, I just can¡¯t sit back and listen to this anymore. What did you just say??¡±

    His eyes burned with pure rage. Even then, he was doing his best not to lose his reason.

    The dragons around him immediately realized that. And, they also figured out the reason for Su-hyeun¡¯s rage, as well.

    Gya-ohohohk-

    It was all because of Miru, curled up in a distant corner after hearing Karne¡¯s roars.

    A young dragon hatchling, with its body curled up into a ball and crying as if it was terrified of something.

    When the dragons noticed Miru¡¯s state, they all collectively sucked in their breath from the realization. No matter how young it looked, it was still old enough to understand what they had all been talking about.

    ¡°Well, sure. Fine. Let me concede hundreds, thousands of times and say you¡¯re not wrong. The thing about your dead ancestors, since they can¡¯t hear you anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter if you insult them or forget all about them. Fine. But, then¡­.¡±

    Step-

    ¡°What about Miru?¡±

    Grrr-rrng-

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to Miru crying all by itself in a spot on the ground not too far away.

    Miru, who didn¡¯t belong anywhere. Seeing how it was ostracized by other dragons from its own race, Su-hyeun could no longer contain his anger.

    ¡°For now, you¡­¡±

    Pah-ahk-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure shot forward in an instant.

    ¡°You get a beating.¡±

    -Wait!

    Swiiiish, smaaack-!

    Despite the urgent voices coming from behind him, Su-hyeun still swung his fists.

    -Kah-ahk!!

    With fists laden with a ton of magical energy, no less.

    ¡°Why should an innocent little kid be¡­.¡±

    Smack! Bam! Bang, crack-!

    -Stop! Please stop!

    ¡°Why should he get his heart broken by your rotting, stinking mindset, you son of a b*tch?!¡±

    Chwa-rururuk, clank-!

    Chains rose up from the ground and bound Su-hyeun¡¯s body. To stop his fists from flying, his arms were constricted and the bindings even wrapped around his neck.

    Even if Karne had insulted the red dragons, each and every surviving dragon was precious to their kin. If punishment was to be handed out, they should be the ones to do it, and if that meant Karne¡¯s execution, then a human shouldn¡¯t be allowed to carry it out.

    [Third Eye- Neutralization]

    Wuduk, wududuk-

    The chains from the dragons began snapping, bit by bit. The Third Eye¡¯s power weakened the effects of the magic and the chains began to rust rapidly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try to stop me!!¡±

    Rumble-!

    Enraged magical energy instantly spread through his surroundings. At the same time, the pressure suppressing his body disappeared. All the magic confining him had scattered away.

    The dragons stepping forward to stop Su-hyeun all flinched at his furious aura. None of them could explain how their race was frightened silly by a mere human. But they were unable to even consciously recognize that fact at that moment.

    Because of what Su-hyeun said next.

    ¡°What right do you have to butt in here?! Did you even try to comfort the little kid crying all alone? What have you done, anyway?!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s head spun away.

    Just like he said, no one was paying attention to Miru. The fact that no one even bothered to go over to Miru and try to comfort it really ground Su-hyeun¡¯s gears to no end.

    And his anger reached an uncontrollable level after learning that this misunderstanding stemmed from nothing more than Karne¡¯s greed and pride.

    Grab, swooosh-.

    KA-BOOOM-!

    -Kah-ahk-!

    Su-hyeun grabbed the scales right below Karne¡¯s jaw and, just like that, slammed the orange dragon¡¯s head to the ground. The latter didn¡¯t seem to have enough energy to mount any resistance, its body riddled with grievous wounds.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you all ashamed? You worry about a jerk-off like this guy, claiming he¡¯s your kin and whatever, yet you push away a little kid that you should be welcoming with open arms?¡±

    No one could reply to Su-hyeun¡¯s pointed questions.

    They were all too embarrassed.

    He wasn¡¯t wrong. Only after hearing Su-hyeun did their guilty conscience toward Miru grow larger than the anger felt for Karne¡¯s actions.

    And that fact made them even more embarrassed than before.

    Karne must¡¯ve blacked out a while ago as he didn¡¯t even scream anymore. Su-hyeun, still not satisfied, tried to yank out his sword.

    ¡°Please¡­. stay your hand.¡± Blanc approached him and grasped Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We were wrong. I apologize. We are¡­ truly sorry.¡±

    Blanc slowly bowed to Su-hyeun. Hundreds of dragons followed his example and bowed, as well.

    They bowed to Miru, as well.

    The entirety of the dragon race bowed to one human and one young dragon hatchling. Such a thing had never happened before in the lengthy, unaccountable history of the dragons.

    Su-hyeun pushed his half-unsheathed sword back into its scabbard.

    Fuu-woo-

    He stared at the unconscious Karne, the dragon¡¯s head still rammed deeply into the ground. Then, he shot a sharp, piercing glare at the silent dragons around him and raised his voice. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll stop for today. But you better punish this bastard properly. If you don¡¯t¡­.¡±

    Squeeze-

    Su-hyeun gripped the sword¡¯s hilt still held in his hand tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him myself.¡±

    His murderous, cold glare left the dragons unable to say anything.

    Only one individual among them, Miru, staying at the corner until then, flew toward him while opening its mouth wide.

    Gya-ong-!

 Chapter 170

    Act 8

    The dragons discussed what do to for Karne¡¯s punishment.

    His actions had definitely insulted the red dragons who had sacrificed themselves for their kin. But that didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t devoted himself to the well being of his race, either, so not many opinions favored his execution.

    Of course, that also didn¡¯t mean he could be let off the hook.

    ¡°Fifty thousand years.¡± Once Karne¡¯s judgment had been decided, Blanc came to visit Su-hyeun and informed the latter of the punishment. ¡°Karne will pay for his crimes with fifty thousand years of imprisonment in the punishment room.¡±

    ¡°Fifty thousand years, is it¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure such a length of time feels alien to a human being like yourself. The average lifespan of orange dragons is around one hundred thousand years, which means¡­ It¡¯ll be no different than him spending the remainder of his life in the punishment room.¡±

    No matter how long one could live, fifty thousand years was just too long to feel real. For one, it was half of the incredible lifespan of a dragon.

    When viewed from a human¡¯s perspective, then it¡¯d be like spending fifty years in jail.

    Most importantly¡­

    ¡°The new generation of your kin to be born in the future won¡¯t know about Karne, won¡¯t they?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Correct. Even if they learn about him in the distant future, they¡¯ll all think of him as nothing more than a convict emerging from the punishment room after committing a crime a long time ago.¡±

    Such a thing would be the worst possible punishment for Karne, who sought to elevate his own status by turning the red dragons from heroes into traitors.

    In the blink of an eye, the dragon race¡¯s leader and most respected elder had fallen to the level of a convict.

    Blanc asked, ¡°Are you satisfied with this?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Didn¡¯t you warn us that if we don¡¯t properly punish Karne, you¡¯d personally take his life?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that. Well¡­¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t bluffing, were you?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded his head. Sure, he did say something a bit over the top out of sheer anger, but, regardless of that, he was being serious back then.

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s fine. Initially, I wondered why a human was claiming to be a dragon¡¯s parent, but now I know for sure. You are certainly qualified.¡±

    Indeed, no dragons looked down on Su-hyeun anymore because he was ¡®merely¡¯ a human. No, they praised him and saw him as an extraordinary being, instead. They acknowledged the strength he possessed and no longer found it strange that a red dragon was following a mere human around.

    Su-hyeun was a man who possessed both the worth and qualifications for the role.

    He asked Blanc, ¡°What will happen to Miru from now on?¡±

    What part would Miru play in the dragon race in the future¡ªthat was the most important question for Su-hyeun.

    << I can¡¯t stay with Miru for the rest of his life, after all. >>

    He¡¯d like nothing more than to stay by his red dragon¡¯s side for the rest of their lives, but that was simply not possible. Su-hyeun was a human, while Miru was a dragon. A human¡¯s lifespan was short enough to be nothing more than a passing moment for a dragon like Miru.

    That was why he needed to think about the future after he said goodbye to Miru. He needed to find a ¡®real¡¯ family for the red dragon¡ªto find another who could spend the rest of Miru¡¯s life with him.

    For that purpose, Miru¡¯s position within the dragons would play a critical role.

    ¡°What do you mean, what? Of course, he¡¯ll lead our race after a few thousand years,¡± said Blanc, as he shifted his gaze over to Miru, snoring loudly near a window with sunlight pouring in. ¡°He¡¯s no longer the descendant of a traitor, but a hero, after all.¡±

    ¡°The descendant of a hero¡­.¡±

    The ¡®hero¡¯.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t a fan of that label.

    Even then, being the descendant of a hero was much preferable to that of a traitor. Also, he felt rather satisfied when thinking about how the one he cared so much about, Miru, would be referred to with such a title.

    << At the very least, Miru won¡¯t feel lonely anymore. >>

    The red dragon was capable of entering and leaving different dimensions. Miru returning to the embrace of his kind shouldn¡¯t pose any problems.

    << Of course, that¡¯s only if this world is actually the real thing. >>

    Even now, he hadn¡¯t figured out whether the worlds found within the trials actually existed or were something illusory created by the trial¡¯s system. He just had plenty of hypotheses, that¡¯s all.

    Meaning, he wasn¡¯t confident Miru would be able to return to its kin again.

    << Even then, if it¡¯s at all possible¡­I hope this world is real. >>

    It¡¯d be better for Miru to live with his kin rather than living with him and get too used to the ways of the human world.

    ¡°What will you do now?¡± Blanc asked, and Su-hyeun nodded his head without a shred of hesitation.

    ¡°Continue with what I was doing, of course.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about helping us fight the demonic beasts?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s why you were making such big claims back when you arrived. Honestly, I was really surprised. I never imagined that there would be a human capable of beating up Karne with his bare hands, you see.¡±

    Blanc must¡¯ve recalled the scene from back then, because he was clearly suppressing his laughter. Su-hyeun too grinned, somewhat awkwardly, inwardly thinking that maybe he went a bit too far when he fought with Karne.

    Somehow, it felt like the gazes of the dragons looking at him had changed from that point onward.

    << It feels like they¡¯re avoiding me a little, too¡­ >>

    Then again, he did beat up the biggest dude in the dragon race, Karne, with his bare hands, so it made sense that they would refrain from getting too close to him.

    << Still, the gazes looking at Miru have changed a lot. >>

    After the ¡®misunderstanding¡¯ was undone, the way the other dragons looked at Miru had changed so much that it now bordered on being a bit uncomfortable at times.

    Some lowered their heads as if they were praying whenever Miru went by, while others approached with great difficulty, only to start sobbing uncontrollably to say how sorry they were.

    Sure, it was better than before, but Miru was, unsurprisingly, not a fan of such reactions. So, whenever other dragons approached them, Miru would duck behind Su-hyeun¡¯s back.

    ¡°Well, I feel reassured with your cooperation, but, more than anything, I believe this war will soon come to an end now that we have recovered the Cintamani.¡±

    Blanc smiled happily, thinking that they could finally regain their homeworld once and for all.

    Su-hyeun, still making an awkward expression, asked a question, hoping to change the topic. ¡°Do the demonic beasts attack this city regularly?¡±

    Blanc nodded at the question and replied, ¡°With irregular timing, yes they do.¡±

    ¡°Where do they appear from?¡±

    ¡°¡­.Wait, are you thinking of making a move by yourself again?¡±

    Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders and asked something else, ¡°Can I ask you for a map?¡±

    ¡°A map?¡±

    Blanc tilted his head this way and that at the meaningful question. And, when he brought out a map, Su-hyeun began explaining several things.

    <hr />

    After Karne was imprisoned in the punishment room, Blanc was discussed as a potential candidate to lead the dragon race. His bloodline might not have been the highest grade, but he was the oldest among their kind.

    And so, Blanc became the elder who would lead their race until the next most suitable candidate was ready. Meaning, until Miru was old enough.

    There was just one thing Blanc had to do first and foremost.

    ¡°We will start subjugating the demonic beasts.¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    Dragons had gathered in a big plaza. Blanc and Miru were in the center.

    The latter was biting into the Cintamani. The power of the dragons would double just by having that item near a red dragon.

    ¡°We shall regain our world. This land, occupied by the demonic beasts for the longest time¡­.¡±

    Blanc¡¯s speech rambled on.

    Miru next to him split open its maw wide and yawned. Even at a casual glance, one could tell the red dragon was pretty bored right about now.

    Blanc studied Miru¡¯s mood, and had no choice but to cut his speech by some margin.

    ¡°¡­.And that¡¯s why, our first destination will be the Cintamani Forest.¡±

    ¡°Is the Titan Turtle really dead?¡±

    ¡°According to the human, yes, it is.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, wait. If it¡¯s that human¡­.¡±

    ¡°Is it for real?¡±

    ¡°That human¡¯s a swordsman, right? He¡¯s certainly different from us who pretty much rely on magic.¡±

    ¡°Which means, it must be the truth¡­.¡±

    The plaza became noisy rather quickly.

    The Titan Turtle was dead. Such a thing was hard for them to believe. Especially so for those dragons who had personally encountered the gigantic monster in the forest at least once before.

    The Titan Turtle¡¯s shell was completely impenetrable, regardless of what magic they used. Not only was its magic resistance ridiculously high, the monster was also agile enough to bite and rip apart dragons flying in the sky, as well.

    << I too had the same reaction as them. >>

    Blanc sighed, shook his head and at the same time, opened his mouth. ¡°I have personally confirmed it. The beast¡¯s corpse was lying cold in the middle of the forest, its back shell shattered wide open.¡±

    ¡°T-then, for real we can¡­!¡±

    ¡°Silence! In any case, now that the Titan Turtle is dead, we have nothing more to fear. We shall start with subjugating the demonic beasts in the forest and, gradually, regain our land.¡±

    After Blanc was finished, one of the dragons suddenly asked him. ¡°By the way, sir. Where is that human?¡±

    Blanc pondered for a bit at the question, before making his reply. ¡°He said that going solo is more convenient for him.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°He asked me where he can find monsters as dangerous as the Titan Turtle, and then¡­.¡± Blanc spat out a long, long sigh. ¡°And then, he dashed out in sheer excitement.¡±

    It was as he said. Su-hyeun really did dash out of the city in unbridled excitement.

    <hr />

    [Acquired 128 achievement points.]

    [Acquired 88 achievement points.]

    [Acquired 160¡­]

    Messages popped up seemingly without end. Su-hyeun ignored them all and continued on his ¡®hunting¡¯ spree.

    << Almost there. >>

    Kiiii-eeeeehk-!

    Ki-rik, Ki-ri-rik-

    Thousands of giant ant corpses littered the ground. And Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, fixed on the super-massive ant currently being protected by the still-living ant soldiers, were sparkling brightly.

    << That¡¯s the ant queen. >>

    The demonic beast that birthed eggs that these ants hatched from. He had run into this type of monster as the boss of a blue-colored dungeon in the past, but it now appeared as a field boss of this forest.

    Even the ¡®regular¡¯ ant soldiers were considered rather tough monsters to fight, as not only were their bodies easily twice as large as a mature tiger, they even had wings, too.

    But Su-hyeun welcomed this situation.

    Ants that numbered in the thousands. Although small, he could acquire some amount of achievement points by hunting down every single one of the monsters.

    << I already know where I¡¯ll spend them. >>

    He was in need of a lot of achievement points, anyway. So, this trial was definitely the best stage for Su-hyeun right now.

    [Leap.] [Leap.] [Leap.]

    Paht, pah-paht-

    Su-hyeun activated ¡®Leap¡¯ several times in a row and reached high up in the air.

    Most of the ants had been taken care of by now. The remaining creatures had bunched up in a single spot in order to protect their queen.

    << One strike. >>

    Gi-gigik-

    Su-hyeun took out the spear tied to his back.

    [The Dragon Slaying Spear.]

    His body arched in the air like a pulled bow. He counted in his head, before his body pounced forward, his arm swinging out, fast.

    Chwa-rururururuk-

    Ruuuumble-!

    [Flame.]

    The divine Flame permeated the spear, splitting apart into thousands, tens of thousands of separate strands.

    The spears blazing with massive flames engraved the heavens in an instant like the endless rain of fire.

    The moment those things touched the ground¡­.

    Kyah-aaaaah-!

    The ants gathered in one spot, around the wounded ant queen, were all ripped to shreds while being scorched black.

    [Acquired 55 achievement points.]

    [Acquired 145 achievement points.]

    [Acquired 105¡­]

    [¡­]

    [Acquired 20,000 achievement points.]

    More messages rained down in the blink of an eye. Su-hyeun confirmed the total achievement points acquired so far, and a grin spread on his lips.

    << Nice. >>

    With that, most of the monsters hiding in the forest had been taken care of.

    He was solidly marching towards the trial¡¯s completion, and couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat rueful about that. This trial¡¯s stage was perfectfor him to acquire a ton of achievement points.

    [The effect of a divine beast¡¯s buff has been applied.]

    [Acquired 15 achievement points.]

    [The effect of a divine beast¡¯s buff has been applied.]

    [Acquired 12 achievement points.]

    [¡­]

    More messages popped up belatedly.

    On the other side, dragons were taking care of the monsters along with Miru. Su-hyeun had been wondering about that for a while, so he couldn¡¯t help but start cheering in elation inwardly.

    << As I thought, the Cintamani is counted as one of the effects of Miru¡¯s buffs, it seems. >>

    Miru was a divine beast currently under Su-hyeun. Obviously, when the red dragon hunted a monster down, the achievement points would go to him.

    The contributions made under the buff effect were also recognized and he even got to acquire some achievement points, albeit quite small in total, from everything the dragons killed.

    Not to forget, Miru was currently buffing hundreds of other dragons through the Cintamani at the moment.

    The acquired points were small, ten points here, twenty there, but, regardless of that, there was no doubt that Miru and the dragons were hunting down a massive number of monsters at the moment.

    << Looks like my tally will soon exceed five million points, at least. >>

    Of course, that still wasn¡¯t enough. It was always better to have more points, after all.

    << First of all, I¡¯ll raise my physical strength this time. >>

    It wasn¡¯t enough to only raise one¡¯s magic level and the count. He couldn¡¯t hunt Fafnir down with those two stats alone.

    In that case, all he had to do was to find a solution in a different direction.

 Chapter 171

    Often, the standard judging criteria for S-Rank was magic level, the matching magic count, plus the exacting magic control.

    Of course, exceptions always existed.

    There definitely existed some awakeners who hadn¡¯t reached those standards, yet still possessed abilities no less than those of real S-Ranks.

    Like Mirage Rowoon.

    He satisfied the criteria for the magic level and the count, but fell short on the control part. But he still became an S-Rank through his sky-high stamina stat as well as an overwhelming defensive capability based on several skills stacked together.

    Or Rex Henslot.

    His agility stat was ridiculously high, but his magic count was only around sixth grade, meaning he wasn¡¯t all that different from an A-Rank.

    Even then, no one looked down on Rex Henslot. No, no one could afford to. He was faster than anyone, that¡¯s why.

    << Magical power and stats are proportional to combat capability. >>

    Magical power was more important than anything else. That didn¡¯t mean the raw stats should be overlooked in their favor. Su-hyeun knew this fact better than anyone.

    Despite that¡­

    << Even then, if I¡¯m to choose, I prefer to have higher magical power. >>

    That was rather obvious. No matter how strong and fast you were, how tough you had become through countless battles, or how your reflexes had reached the absolute peak, none of them mattered all that much if your magical energy level was too low.

    The skills that the awakeners relied on were activated through magical energy, after all.

    If one was to choose between stats and magical energy, then one would always choose the latter. And that was also why Su-hyeun had focused solely on raising the overall tier of his magical energy and the count.

    That¡¯s how he had been going, until now.

    << But that¡¯s just not going to be enough. >>

    He had been pondering this matter for the longest time. Was this really going to be enough?

    The answer was always the same.

    << Not even close. >>

    Indeed, it wasn¡¯t enough at all.

    In that case, there was only one remaining method to pursue.

    << Catch both rabbits, then. >>

    If pursuing one rabbit wasn¡¯t going to be enough, then all he had to do to satisfy that lack was go after the other one, too. And one of the easiest ways to increase his stats was to purchase ¡®elixirs¡¯ from the store using achievement points.

    [Available achievement points : 4,985,515]

    Two months.

    That was how much time Su-hyeun spent on the 40th floor in order to amass achievement points. He paid no attention to day or night As long as he was able to, he spent the majority of his time moving about.

    [You have entered the save point.]

    [You¡¯ll be safe from external attacks.]

    Once he discovered the save point, Su-hyeun asked for the dragons¡¯ understanding and returned to reality every ten days. He couldn¡¯t afford to not keep an eye out in the real world outside, as the future he knew had changed significantly already. Thankfully, nothing of note had happened.

    And so, another two months went by.

    <hr />

    [Available achievement points : 8,854,455]

    It was a truly enormous number of achievement points. Su-hyeun smiled in satisfaction after confirming the number.

    << I¡¯ve amassed much more than I expected. >>

    The time span of four months.

    Although he felt it was rather wasteful to stay stuck in one floor for so long like that, it wasn¡¯t as if he had nothing to show for the sacrifice, either.

    << A few of my stats have risen, and¡­ >>

    Strength 2, agility 1, stamina 1.

    These were the stats Su-hyeun acquired this time around. Numerically speaking, the increase didn¡¯t seem all that much, but it definitely wasn¡¯t a small harvest, either.

    For one thing, raising even a single stat for someone on Su-hyeun¡¯s level wasn¡¯t the easiest thing in the world.

    [Name : Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic count : 83]

    [Magic level : 8]

    [Strength : 89]

    [Agility : 90]

    [Stamina : 83]

    [Reflex : 91]

    [Skill : Leap * advanced]

    [Skill : Transfiguration * advanced]

    [Skill : Flame¡­]

    [¡­]

    [Fatigue : 41]

    Yet another satisfied grin spread on Su-hyeun¡¯s face after confirming his status.

    Currently, both of his agility and reflex had broken past the 90 point mark, while strength was about to breach that number, as well. He was slightly disappointed in his stamina, but, well, it was the most unnecessary stat for Su-hyeun right now, anyway.

    From the get-go, rather than fighting head-on, he preferred to fight while avoiding enemy attacks, instead. For that purpose alone, it was better to have a high agility stat.

    << It¡¯d be wonderful if all the stats reached three figures. >>

    After breaking past the 90 point mark, every single increase in the stat would be greater than the one before. The sensation one would feel after a single point rise in the stat would be incomparable to the past.

    In his previous lifetime, Su-hyeun did manage to raise his reflex stat all the way to the three-figure mark.

    << It¡¯d be the best. >>

    Su-hyeun looked up at the heavens.

    Dark clouds were slowly rolling back. Those were the only gloomy clouds remaining in the sky. That signified the fact that most of the monsters on the ground had disappeared.

    [Accomplishment rate: 99.98%]

    [Will you end the trial?]

    Even his accomplishment rate neared perfection.

    Actually, he had reached a 99% accomplishment rate about five days ago. Currently, he was working on locating and eliminating the few remaining monsters.

    Just filling up that final percentage point took him five days.

    << I didn¡¯t think it would take this long, though. >>

    The weakened monsters hid themselves far away. Some of these creatures were pretty adept at hiding, too. Without a doubt, the job of trying to fill that last 0.02% wouldn¡¯t be easy at all. No, wait¡ªit should be easy, but it would take a long while, instead.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s about time that I say my goodbyes.¡±

    ¡°Your goodbyes? Are you planning to go somewhere?¡±

    Blanc was taken aback by Su-hyeun¡¯s sudden farewells and had to ask the question. The latter found it difficult to explain everything and could only shake his head.

    Blanc looked to be at a loss, as if he didn¡¯t wish to pry any further when the other party seemed too troubled to reply. So he said this instead. ¡°Whatever your reason is¡­ Do you have a place to return to?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    His world on the outside that hadn¡¯t been destroyed yet. And then, the trial on the next floor.

    He had many places to get to, as a matter of fact. It was just that, he had gotten tied down on this particular trial for a lot longer than expected.

    Since Blanc was no longer trying to dissuade him, Su-hyeun called out to Miru, currently playing with other dragons to the side.

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong-?

    ¡°Come over here for a sec.¡±

    At his beckoning, Miru quickly flew over to his position. Su-hyeun knelt down a little to match the red dragon¡¯s eye line and asked, ¡°What will you do? Will you come with your dad, or¡­¡±

    This was the one question he agonized over and over again for the past four months or so, not knowing whether to ask or not.

    ¡°¡­.Or, do you want to stay here?¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    Miru used a very quick shake of the head to reply to his question.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to be here?¡±

    Miru shook his head again.

    What a vague answer that was.

    ¡°Okay, what then?¡±

    Gya-rrrrr-

    Rather than a verbal answer, Miru began rubbing his face on Su-hyeun¡¯s arm, indicating his desire to follow him. Still, he didn¡¯t really seem to hate this place or anything like that.

    Blanc saw Miru¡¯s reaction and began guffawing a little. ¡°Don¡¯t mind us and take him with you. Most of the demonic beasts have been eliminated thanks to you two, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Will that be okay with you?¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not, we can¡¯t do anything to stop the child if he wishes to go with you. And if we get technical about this, it wasn¡¯t us who raised him, either.¡±

    Thankfully, there was no serious opposition. It¡¯d be only for around a hundred years or so. They must¡¯ve figured that they could concede such a little bit of time to Su-hyeun, at least.

    ¡°In that case¡­ Thank you for everything, so far.¡±

    ¡°Mm? No, well¡­ No need to thank us. It should be us thanking you, instead.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression of gratitude prompted an embarrassed hand waving gesture from Blanc.

    For the past four months, Su-hyeun had gone around hunting down the monsters rated as most dangerous, as marked on the map by Blanc. Thanks to that, the dragons were able to wrap up the war while avoiding too many sacrifices and had gotten this far, which wasn¡¯t something they had initially expected.

    Su-hyeun was the benefactor of these dragons, in other words.

    ¡°We entrust our future to you.¡±

    Blanc spoke to Su-hyeun, and the latter gazed at Miru, sticking very close to him.

    The future of the dragons. He meant the sole remaining red dragon, Miru.

    Blanc bowed his head toward Su-hyeun. Just like him, countless other dragons also offered their goodbyes to Su-hyeun and Miru with a bow. The situation seemed similar to the past, but the meaning behind today¡¯s action was quite different in nature.

    A soft smile formed on Su-hyeun¡¯s face. He nodded his head greatly while rubbing Miru¡¯s head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Shu-wuwu-

    Like a fading mirage, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure gradually dissipated away. Same for Miru, too.

    Blanc and the other dragons were utterly stunned by how quickly the figures of Su-hyeun and Miru vanished from their sight.

    ¡°T-teleport?!¡±

    ¡°But, I didn¡¯t even sense anything?!¡±

    Quite literally, they disappeared without a trace. As if the two had never existed in this world, to begin with.

    Blanc stood there in a daze for a little while, because he thought that Su-hyeun and Miru might reappear on the exact same spot they had vanished from.

    <hr />

    [You have reached an accomplishment rate of 99.98%.]

    [You have perfectly passed the 40th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [Results are being aggregated.]

    [You¡¯ve been aggregated to the number one spot.]

    [Stamina has risen by 1.]

    [Acquired 2,000,000 achievement points.]

    [Magic count has risen by 1.]

    [Acquired the additional reward ¨C ¡®Cintamani¡¯. The Cintamani will now belong to your divine beast.]

    [Acquired the additional reward ¨C ¡®Stat point¡¯.]

    [An additional stat, excluding magical power, will rise.]

    Messages continued to pop up one after the other.

    As he hoped for, he was rewarded for all his hard work. Two million extra achievement points; increases in both the magic count and his stamina; and even an additional stat point plus the Cintamani, too.

    << I made a killing. >>

    In all honesty, this trial was as good as completed the moment Su-hyeun acquired the Cintamani. The accomplishment rate had reached 30% and he could¡¯ve cleared the trial right there and then.

    But he chose to remain on the 40th floor and continued to hunt the monsters down. That¡¯s how he amassed the achievement points and raised the trial¡¯s accomplishment percentage, too.

    That was probably the reason why he got the Cintamani for good.

    << Did it get recognized as an item? >>

    He should confirm it later. For now, he needed to choose where he would invest his newly-acquired stat point.

    << Obviously¡­ >>

    ¡°It¡¯ll be ¡®strength¡¯.¡±

    [Strength has risen by 1.]

    [Strength : 90]

    Vitality coursed through his body. It felt like the power he hadn¡¯t previously enjoyed was filling him up. For sure, the difference in sensation he acutely picked up every time the first digit of a stat went up was definitely greater than all the other times.

    After confirming all of his rewards, Su-hyeun took a look at the world on the 41st floor. He immediately noticed that the number of awakeners was lower than before.

    There weren¡¯t all that many people in the plaza, and, even then, most of them were natives of the place.

    << Well, it¡¯s an unwanted section, after all. >>

    There was a difference of only ¡®one¡¯ between the floor with the highest number of awakeners and a floor with the lowest number.

    Those awakeners who managed to pass a tenth-numbered floor would immediately choose to head to the next floor, hoping to reach somewhere a little higher. On the other hand, those who lacked enough confidence to challenge the tenth-numbered floors would end up staying in that world.

    It was the same story for Su-hyeun. He had no real reason to stay on this particular floor. If there were no other special circumstances, like how it was with Petro, he¡¯d have immediately headed to the next floor as well. However, there was one thing he had to do in this place first.

    Step, step-

    Su-hyeun walked past the plaza and headed to the shopping district, where many goods, such as equipment, medicines, skills, and foodstuffs were available.

    He chose the medicine shop among them and headed inside.

    ¡°Welcome, dear customer. How can I help you?¡±

    A young man with dark skin and pointy ears welcomed him. His countenance was somewhat similar to the owner of the shop Su-hyeun met in the world on the second floor. This man also didn¡¯t seem to be a human, but was from another race altogether.

    ¡°Do you deal in elixirs?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have all kinds. Despite the shop¡¯s appearance, we do have everything you need.¡±

    Just like the shopkeeper had said, the shop itself was on the rather shabby side. Su-hyeun¡¯s trust in the establishment fell by a little, but it wasn¡¯t that uncommon for shabby little stores to deal in specialty items.

    ¡°I require elixirs to increase my strength.¡±

    ¡°Increasing your strength¡­ Well, that¡¯s far too wide a scope, so let me ask you, just how much did you find out before coming here, sir?¡±

    This question, basically, was about how much money he had on him.

    ¡°Around ten million points.¡±

    ¡°Ten points? Dear customer, you can only buy some salve to apply to your injuries with that amount of¡­.¡±

    The shopkeeper chuckled while waving his hand dismissively, then froze. His eyes widened and he looked at Su-hyeun closely.

    ¡°By any chance, did I hear you incorrectly, sir?¡±

 Chapter 172

    Act 9

    Ten points.

    And then, ten million points.

    There was a huge gap between the two. One was pathetically small, while the other was way too much.

    Even then, the former would always be the more realistic answer of the two. Well, ten million wasn¡¯t the kind of point tally that an awakener reaching the 41st floor could ever hope to possess, after all.

    But¡­

    ¡°Sir, you definitely said ten million points¡­.¡±

    ¡°Correct. Ten million.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re yanking my chain, yes?¡±

    Su-hyeun simply opened his palm and showed it to the shopkeeper after hearing the question. The unmissable numbers were clearly written there.

    [Available achievement points : 10,854,455]

    One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand¡­

    The shopkeeper, his lips silently mouthing those words, suddenly straightened his back and asked another question. ¡°W-what would you like to have, sir?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Elixirs related to strength¡­ Let¡¯s see, what should I recommend¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m planning to buy it in bulk, so give me a nice discount, please. If I¡¯m not happy with the number you quote me, I might as buy them on the next floor.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir! Absolutely. Also, our wares are the finest available anywhere, so you can rest easy, sir.¡±

    The shopkeeper, the owner of the place, began rummaging through every nook and cranny of the shop while he spoke, and he brought out several items. All of them were elixirs, as well as medicinal herbs that aided in enhancing one¡¯s strength. Several items mixed in among the pack even managed to stun Su-hyeun outright.

    ¡°Now normally, all these items will add up to around 9.8 million points, but¡­ Eii, I¡¯ll just calculate them all as 9 million straight.¡±

    ¡°I already know that the original total is only 9.3 million.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What will you do now?¡±

    ¡°How about 8.5 million for everything, sir? Ah, and the item on the photograph is unfortunately out of stock, so please wait for a couple of days for them to arrive. Of course, after paying the fee upfront, customer.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Su-hyeun paid the balance, received his things, and left the store. He bought a lot of stuff and many of them happened to be rare items as well, so, understandably, he couldn¡¯t get everything at once.

    << It¡¯ll take two days, is it¡­ >>

    Should I absorb these elixirs over the course of the two days?

    Su-hyeun thought about it, but eventually shook his head.

    << No. It¡¯ll be better to take them all at the same time if I want the elixirs to mix with each other and give me the best possible synergistic effect. >>

    After securing half of the elixir supply, Su-hyeun visited a few other stores before returning back to reality. The first thing he did when he arrived back home was to get a good, thorough scrubbing and a change of clothes. It was around early afternoon, just past the lunch hour.

    He emerged from the bathroom all scrubbed clean and checked his phone. Several messages were waiting in his inbox. The sender of the very first message on top was Lee Ju-ho.

    -Hey, I heard you cleared the 40th floor? Congrats. You took longer than usual, though. Was it that difficult?

    It seemed that the news of Su-hyeun passing the 40th floor had already spread on the Abyss Online.

    ¨CPeople online were going absolutely mad, saying that, because you were taking your time, you got lazy and your bubble has finally bust, or whatever. Well, they¡¯re saying that because they have no clue, so don¡¯t sweat over it.

    It was a needless worry.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t really enjoy visiting social media portal sites. He¡¯d rather invest one more minute, one more second in the Tower of Trials instead of waste his free time doing that.

    While typing his replies to the inbox full of messages, he headed to the underground parking lot. Most of the texts were from Thomas. Every time he took a break from climbing the tower, he¡¯d send whining messages about wanting to hang out with Su-hyeun.

    << Should I go and visit him later? >>

    Still, he had somewhere to go first. He had already promised to meet Shin Su-yeong later in the evening, but she should still be working at the moment, so that left him with some time to kill.

    Su-hyeun immediately headed to Yangpyeong¡ªto Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop.

    He knocked on the front door.

    ¡°Uncle, are you home?¡±

    Clang-

    The clang of metal abruptly ended, and a man¡¯s voice came out from inside the building.

    ¡°Come in!¡±

    Clang, clang-!

    The metallic noise started up again.

    Su-hyeun headed below the workshop. Every single time he came to visit this place, Kim Dae-ho was always doing the exact same thing.

    He entered the workshop full of stifling hot air and found the blacksmith focused on the tempering process, not even bothering to turn to greet his guest.

    No one should disturb him in this moment, so Su-hyeun crossed his arms and leaned against the wall to observe the back of the concentrating Kim Dae-ho.

    A short while later, the blacksmith straightened his back and stood up as if he was finally finished with his work. ¡°Urgh. Have you been waiting for long?¡±

    ¡°No, it hadn¡¯t been long.¡±

    ¡°I tried to finish it early in consideration of you. Besides, it looks like a failure, anyway.¡±

    ¡°A failure?¡±

    Su-hyeun sneaked a glance at the completed sword.

    The best ¡®failure¡¯ Su-hyeun had ever seen, the weapon looked to be a wonderfully crafted item even from a single cursory glance. It was crafted with Ether stones as its base, and he could sense its excellent magical power conductivity, as well as its superb cutting force.

    He¡¯d learn more about it only by using it, but, without a doubt, the sword was in no way a failure.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with that face of yours?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was just thinking that you¡¯re truly an amazing craftsman, that¡¯s all, uncle.¡±

    ¡°Stop blabbering nonsense and follow me. Let me treat you to a cup of tea,¡± said Kim Dae-ho. He lightly pounded on his back while guiding Su-hyeun to the living room. The older man silently brewed tea, then pushed the hot cup forward. ¡°Drink.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    They had gotten fairly close recently, but this level of over-the-top treatment hadn¡¯t happened in a long time. And Su-hyeun knew why Kim Dae-ho was acting so considerate to him.

    ¡°Uncle, I get the feeling that you¡¯re really looking forward to it. Am I right?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s question, Kim Dae-ho sipping the tea visibly flinched. He tried to avoid meeting the gaze as if he¡¯d been busted for good.

    Su-hyeun did his best to suppress his laughter and carried on. ¡°I¡¯m the one asking you for all these favors, so I should be thanking you for your hard work.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this incredible material you¡¯ve been telling me about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a part of back shell I took from a monster¡¯s corpse, actually. I ran into it during my trial, and, as luck would have it, I was in possession of a couple of ¡®Dimension Order Forms¡¯ so I ripped a few pieces off and brought them out with me.¡±

    ¡°Material from a monster¡¯s remains? No matter how sturdy a monster¡¯s hide is, it can¡¯t be better than forged metal combined with Ether stones¡­¡±

    Disbelief, and even hints of disappointment, were mixed in Kim Dae-ho¡¯s eyes.

    Su-hyeun pulled out a small fragment gleaming in blackish light from his inner pocket. It was a piece of the Titan Turtle¡¯s shell. ¡°For now, why don¡¯t you just take a look?¡±

    ¡°Alright, I will.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho received the fist-sized fragment from Su-hyeun and stood up from his spot, then headed straight to the workshop. The latter didn¡¯t follow, choosing instead to wait where he was while sipping on the hot tea.

    And so, about an hour later.

    ¡°T-this, this thing. Did it really come from a monster¡¯s corpse??¡±

    Kim Dae-ho returned, looking quite agitated, which was rather unlike his usual self.

    He must¡¯ve done various things to the Titan Turtle¡¯s shell fragment currently held in his hands because not only was it glowing red from heat, there were several nicks and scratches on its surface, too.

    As Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t a blacksmith, he wasn¡¯t 100% sure why Kim Dae-ho had become so excited to such a degree. But one thing was for sure¡ªhe did know how incredibly hard the Titan Turtle¡¯s shell was.

    ¡°Yes. It was a monster resembling a turtle.¡±

    ¡°Not only its hardness and solidity, but even its resistance to fire is truly incredible. I still need to check and learn more about it, but, if my predictions are correct, this thing¡¯s innate resistance towards magical energy should be even greater than adamantium.¡±

    ¡°Can it be refined?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question caused Kim Dae-ho to frow thoughtfully.

    He scratched the fragment with his nail for a bit, before making his reply. ¡°Nothing¡¯s impossible, but it¡¯ll take some time. I might need at least half a year to craft just a single set of armor. For one, smelting this thing will prove to be a challenge.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho must¡¯ve been looking forward to it, because his voice was already filled with barely-contained excitement.

    What the blacksmith said afterward was mostly about things Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t understand all that well. So, he pretended to be paying attention, before finally squeezing in his question. ¡°In any case, you said it¡¯ll take half a year, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°That I did.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you a few high-grade Ether stones in a couple of days. Can you also mix in the leftover bits of adamantium from the last time as well?¡±

    ¡°¡­.You also want adamantium, too??¡±

    Just the high-grade Ether stones alone would make this item invaluable in terms of its worth. And if it had adamantium mixed in as well, albeit only a minute quantity, even someone like Kim Dae-ho couldn¡¯t imagine what the end product would be like.

    He would have to craft it to find out. But he already had an inkling as to where it might be used. ¡°Should I craft a dedicated magic resistance defensive armor set?¡±

    ¡°How did you guess?¡±

    ¡°This metal¡­ No, wait. You said it¡¯s a piece of a monster shell. In any case, it can only be armor if you want to combine this thing, adamantium and high-grade Ether stones.¡±

    ¡°But, both the hardness and strength would rise up, right?¡±

    ¡°If you were only thinking of raising the hardness and strength, then it¡¯s better to leave out the high-grade Ether stones. You¡¯d still be able to add one or two defense-type skills on it, you see.¡±

    Any equipment crafted with high-grade Ether stones was capable of carrying several skills activated by special means.

    For instance, the cutting force enhancement skill built into Balmung was one such example. The magic blade edge that spun quickly like the teeth of a chainsaw was also another effect from the highest-grade Ether stones.

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to add only skills related to magic resistance, please.¡±

    ¡°Are you planning to fight someone? Why are you so focused on the magic resistance?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, someone. I¡¯m an awakener and it¡¯s my job to fight monsters, you know.¡±

    ¡°But, from what I hear, with the exception of a few, most monsters specialize in physical attacks, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Well, that is true, but¡­.¡±

    But, that was still ¡®most of¡¯. The ¡®named¡¯-grade monsters soon to appear in the near future were heavily specialized in magical attacks, rather than the usual physical ones.

    Monsters like Fafnir, or the Lich King. At a bare minimum, he needed equipment specializing in anti-magic properties in order to fight those two.

    << Even during this time, too. >>

    Although Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor did help out, the impact from Karne¡¯s Breath attack was still considerable.

    Unlike physical attacks, magic was harder to dodge and also rather cumbersome to defend against. The same thing applied to destructive power, too. Any magic attack on a similar level to Karne¡¯s Breath possessed more than enough power to completely obliterate a small mountain without a trace.

    So, what would it be like with Fafnir, then?

    << Having a higher magic resistance is always for the best. >>

    That was one of the most obvious differences compared to his previous life¡ªbeing able to prepare a lot earlier than before.

    Su-hyeun knew the characteristics of not just Fafnir but the other monsters to appear in the future. And, as such, he could prepare the necessary items to subjugate them ahead of time.

    The Falcon¡¯s Holy Amor, skills related to magic resistance, plus the armor he asked Kim Dae-ho to craft this time, were all part of his preparations.

    Kim Dae-ho asked. ¡°That¡¯s true, but so what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important.¡±

    The ambiguous reply only made Kim Dae-ho frown deeply, an expression he made when not feeling all that happy about something. Su-hyeun felt guilty, so he avoided meeting the older man¡¯s glare.

    ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t like this. What could you possibly be hiding to this degree, I wonder?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, uncle.¡±

    ¡°Apologizing now is basically you admitting that you¡¯re hiding something. But, fine. Me trying to pry into your affairs is already stupid, anyway. Just hand over the materials and go home,¡± said Kim Dae-ho.

    Su-hyeun delivered the Titan Turtle¡¯s shell brought out through the Property of Dimension Order Form to the workshop.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything to you, uncle.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then. And, if you happen to have more nice materials, bring them to me as well.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Su-hyeun emerged from Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop.

    Just before he could start the car parked at the foot of the mountain, his phone began ringing.

    ¡°Hello, bro?¡±

    -You busy?

    ¡°Nah, not really. I was on my way home after paying the uncle a visit, actually.¡±

    -That thing you asked me about earlier? It¡¯s almost done. Why don¡¯t you come over and take a final look-see?

    ¡°Already?¡±

    Su-hyeun was surprised by the unexpectedly rapid progress and had to ask again. He hurriedly checked the time, only to frown slightly.

    It was half-past three in the afternoon.

    If he was to return and meet Lee Ju-ho before showing up on time for Shin Su-yeong, then no doubt he¡¯d have to move pretty quickly.

    ¡°Okay. For now, I¡¯ll go to your location.¡±

    -Alright.

    After ending the call, Su-hyeun immediately turned on the ignition of the car. He stepped on the accelerator a bit more urgently than usual. About one hour of driving from Yangpyeong later, he was able to reach the Jongno Tower.

    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho matched the timing and stepped outside the building to wait for Su-hyeun¡¯s arrival. As if he was trying to get some work done even during this short interval, he was sitting on the bench, typing away on a notebook.

    Su-hyeun quickly walked over and asked him. ¡°What are you working on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, dude. Just who was it that dumped all these mountains of work on me?¡±

    ¡°¡­I have no excuse.¡±

    Su-hyeun scratched his head, feeling rather apologetic. The work Lee Ju-ho had been doing until a second ago was something he had entrusted the older man with.

    Lee Ju-ho started first. ¡°In any case, the thing you asked me for will be completed as soon as the permission is granted. We even got bookings from the sponsors, too. And also¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there another problem?¡±

    ¡°Let me say one thing to you first. While you were absent, Hak-joon and Thomas made a proposal. Oh, and for the record, I agreed to it, as well.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the proposal?¡±

    Su-hyeun suddenly grew rather curious after learning that a proposal came from Hak-joon¡¯s and Thomas¡¯s head. Though it didn¡¯t initially feel all that trustworthy, since Lee Ju-ho agreed with it, the proposal itself shouldn¡¯t be a bad one, at least.

    Lee Ju-ho smirked after seeing how intrigued Su-hyeun got and finally spoke.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t the four of us make a guild of our own?¡±

 Chapter 173

    ¡°A guild?¡±

    Su-hyeun thought that Lee Ju-ho¡¯s proposal had come from nowhere.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad idea, though. A guild consisting of Su-hyeun, Hak-joon, Thomas, and Lee Ju-ho would instantly become South Korea¡¯s top guild, after all.

    But that would be nothing more than gilding the outwardly-visible lily. It might be the center of attention for a while, sure, but it was also hard to say what the real purpose of it would be.

    Su-hyeun asked. ¡°Is there a good reason to tie all of us together under the banner of a guild?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho made his reply. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure nothing much will change for us. But, think about this for a sec. As you said, the world is changing rapidly, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    ¡°And the problem¡¯s not just limited to Korea, either. From the nearby countries like Japan, China, and even further away in places like the American continents. What will you do if a dungeon that¡¯s even harder than the blue color pops up there?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡­¡± After hearing that, Su-hyeun finally understood what Lee Ju-ho was alluding to. ¡°¡­We should be helping them.¡±

    ¡°Right, I knew you¡¯d say that. And that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that we should establish a guild and then operate like mercenaries, yes?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always quick on the uptake.¡±

    Mercenaries. One of the reasons to establish a guild was to supply awakener manpower after receiving an appropriate sum of money.

    << Hak-joon, that guy. Is he already thinking of such things? >>

    The concept of a mercenary guild was supposed to first appear in the distant future.

    The thing was, there had been mercenary-like awakeners that lent their aid to guilds before, but it was extremely rare to see awakeners from another nation being brought in to assist with a seemingly-impossible dungeon raid. That was why the concept of the mercenary guild first appeared only after the year 2030, when it became harder and harder to handle the generated dungeons with available awakener manpower.

    << Things aren¡¯t so bad, for the time being. But it¡¯s not that far off, either. >>

    By that point in time, awakeners would stop obsessing over dungeon raids, and petty squabbles over the rights to them, like they were doing these days. Indeed, the number of dungeons needing to be raided would grow far too much, and they would have no choice but to prepare a more systematic raid schedule, instead.

    The concept of a mercenary guild came about precisely because of that.

    The ones that raided dungeons after getting paid for it. Their existence alone provided the necessary pretext to bring in awakeners from other countries without needing to go through tangles of red tape, as long as the price was right.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re not interested in making money, you sit this one out. Once we establish our guild and start our activity as mercenaries, we should be able to ignore most of the complicated bureaucracy,¡± said Lee Ju-ho, before frowning somewhat awkwardly. ¡°Well, strictly speaking, this isn¡¯t that urgent, anyway. For the time being, most of the countries out there aren¡¯t all that keen on awakeners from other nations taking away their Ether stones. In fact, they seem rather hell-bent on holding onto whatever resources that are found in a blue-colored dungeon if one happens to show up in their backyard.¡±

    ¡°For the time being, that is.¡±

    ¡°Right. For now,¡± said Lee Ju-ho, his expression darkening.

    He and Su-hyeun paid close attention to the rate of dungeon generation, perhaps more than anyone else. And that¡¯s why he could tell.

    He could tell that the danger to humanity was clearly visible. Plain as day.

    Lee Ju-ho continued, ¡°They won¡¯t be so territorial soon. Even now, nations with less awakener manpower have to rely on the aid of stronger nations and split the resources half and half. The stronger nations are overflowing with manpower as we speak.¡±

    ¡°But, if all the manpower is focused on only one area¡­¡±

    ¡°Eventually, something big will go off where people aren¡¯t looking. Like with India.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded his head.

    The catastrophe in India had resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. Recalling that incident made Su-hyeun think that, maybe, the establishment of a mercenary guild needed to happen sooner rather than later.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea. No, wait. It¡¯s a good idea, actually.¡±

    It was a bit hard to welcome the advent of the concept of a mercenary guild. Because, it also meant that the rate of dungeon generation had sped up, as well.

    That didn¡¯t mean the entrance of the mercenary guilds should be postponed, either.

    Su-hyeun spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. Create a guild.¡±

    ¡°Okay. What about the name?¡±

    ¡°We should take our time and mull it over, together. As for the guild master¡­¡±

    ¡°It should be either you or me.¡±

    ¡°Let me do it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself, you know. It isn¡¯t gonna be too tough to manage a guild with just a handful of people.¡±

    ¡°Bro, you¡¯re already swarmed with work¡­.¡±

    ¡°In that case, should I be doing manual labor alongside genuine monsters like you three? That¡¯s gonna be even harder on my bones.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho made a fed-up expression and waved his hands around dismissively.

    He wasn¡¯t wrong there. Of the four of them, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s abilities suffered quite a lot in comparison to the rest.

    If they were to divide the labor, then Lee Ju-ho perfectly suited the task of overseeing and managing various negotiations and business contacts.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll leave it up to you, bro.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Oh, and also this.¡± Lee Ju-ho finished with what he wanted to say, then pulled out a tablet PC from a bag at the corner of the bench before handing it over. ¡°Read this on your way. Trying to meet your demands meant that the size ballooned a bit. It¡¯ll take a bit of time to send it through.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡±

    After bidding Lee Ju-ho goodbye, Su-hyeun immediately headed over to Shin Su-yeong¡¯s shop next.

    She had successfully extended the shop floor through a famous jewelry brand, which allowed her to declare, ¡°Let your mother splurge for once!¡± and dine out with Su-hyeun in an expensive restaurant.

    He really got to enjoy this break, a first in a long while.

    * * *

    The next day, Su-hyeun finally woke from his slumber around the lunch hour.

    His head pounded a little. His excessive drinking the day before was to blame.

    While recalling the events of the previous day, he drank some water placed on the bedside table and thought to himself.

    << We sure drank a lot. >>

    Rather unexpectedly, Shin Su-yeong was a very keen drinker. He couldn¡¯t quite remember her touching any booze in the past, but from the stories she told him, it seemed that she had begun enjoying knocking back a few shots lately.

    Was it because she found some leeway with herself?

    He was impressed by how someone like her, who enjoyed alcohol, had to stop and live a frugal life up until not too long ago. At the same time, he was kind of relieved, as well.

    Because it meant that she had finally started enjoying her life now.

    Su-hyeun checked the messages on his phone.

    [It¡¯s morning and Thomas is already throwing a big tantrum because he wants to see you. Come over and do something about this kid. I can¡¯t stand this anymore.]

    The text came from Lee Ju-ho. He actually sent two.

    [And I sent word out to the reporters. Sponsors will be Song-il Group and the Gordon Company, and I¡¯ve finished discussions with the authority, too. Come to the Jongno Tower¡¯s 20th floor before five o¡¯clock today.]

    ¡°¡­.He sure made a big splash, alright.¡±

    Su-hyeun did ask for this favor, but Lee Ju-ho had exceeded his expectations.

    Song-il Group.

    And then, the Gordon Company.

    Two corporations¡ªone the representative of South Korea while the other, the United States¡ªhad become their sponsors.

    << Two corporations that rank in the top ten of the financial world have joined us. >>

    Unlike the Song-il Group, the Gordon Company wasn¡¯t just another corporation. For one, Gordon Rohan¡¯s family started off as oil barons, so it was wrong to treat them like any other regular corporation.

    The thing was, though, Song-il Group was the oldest family-run business empire in South Korea, and was widely renowned throughout the world as well. The number of foreigners who knew Song-il Group¡¯s name but not South Korea was probably greater than the other way around.

    Of course, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t all that interested in Song-il Group. He was interested in someone else.

    << Looks like I¡¯ll run into him sooner than I thought. >>

    Gordon Rohan. The top representative of the Gordon Company, and one of the ten most influential people in the whole world. Before Su-hyeun¡¯s appearance, he used to be seen as the world¡¯s strongest awakener, too.

    Su-hyeun thought that they wouldn¡¯t have a chance to meet again until the next Ranking Wars, but they should be encountering each other pretty soon in unexpected circumstances.

    He sent a text message to Lee Ju-ho that said he got it and walked into the shower.

    In a slightly different way than usual, it seemed that his day was about to get real busy.

    And then¡­

    Whether it was a big or small one, the world was about to experience a change on this very day.

    * * *

    Jongno Tower.

    A skyscraper located in Jongno-gu, where the South Korean awakener association could be found alongside various malls, a hotel as well as a fancy restaurant.

    The world¡¯s attention was currently focused on that very building.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s a lot of people.¡±

    The famous landmark of the Jongno Tower, the Food Buff.

    If you wanted to eat in the restaurant-cum-buffet boasting floor space of over 6600 square meters, it cost $175 per head. Just a single day¡¯s revenue for the Food Buff easily reached several hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the yearly revenue alone was something like $40 million-plus.

    Such a place was packed to the brim with people today. Not only that, all the tables had been taken away, as well.

    ¡°Well, yeah. That¡¯s a lot of people, alright.¡±

    ¡°Looks like almost five hundred or so have shown up?¡±

    ¡°Every single one is a celebrity of some kind, too.¡±

    ¡°Senior, have more confidence in yourself. You¡¯re our station¡¯s most famous reporter, after all.¡±

    ¡°Gimme a freaking break. How many really famous reporters do you think are present in this place right now? Even the awakener authority people are here.¡±

    The reporter from Joongsim Daily, Goh Myeong-gyun, felt as if he couldn¡¯t breathe at all. Just how long ago was the last time he sensed such a heavy atmosphere?

    No, wait. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t solely to blame here.

    << Am I too tense? >>

    He had already met most of the usual big fish-types before, and had experienced tense situations often as well. But today was an exception. As a matter of fact, he felt rather amazed by the fact that so many folks of such caliber had gathered in one place like this.

    << Dozens of S-Rank awakeners, the biggest broadcasters and newspapers of their respective nations, the real movers and shakers of politics, and even the CEOs and presidents of various corporations, too. >>

    And they had all gathered in this place today?

    Just the cooperation of the Song-il Group and the Gordon Company alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to bring about such a result.

    << Kim Su-hyeun. >>

    Indeed, this event was only possible because of that name. All thanks to him declaring that he¡¯d talk about the awakener raid manual, as well as making an important announcement.

    << He¡¯s going to reveal his know-how? But why? >>

    There were countless books written by awakeners chronicling their know-how on how they leveled up. It was just that the majority of them were no use once one reached about B-Rank. In fact, stories of people experiencing losses due to the incorrect information being shared happened all the time.

    Awakeners with high rankings, like the S-Ranks, were too busy keeping their know-how away from the public.

    But now¡­

    << A raid manual written by not just any S-Rank awakener, but Kim Su-hyeun himself. >>

    Meaning, this event would certainly be interesting to the whole world¡¯s awakener population.

    That wasn¡¯t all, though.

    << Johnny Brad¡¯s virtual dungeon. >>

    That system was just as shocking as Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s raid manual¡ªa system that created a virtual dungeon so that people could train in the methods of dungeon raids ahead of time. Such a thing would no doubt aid in rapidly increasing the survival rate of the awakeners in future raids.

    << Gordon Rohan, Kim Su-hyeun, and Johnny Brad. >>

    Today, the world¡¯s top awakeners would gather in one spot. And Goh Myeong-gyun was there to report on it.

    Goh Myeong-gyun thought to himself, << A lot of things are about to change, aren¡¯t they? >>

    * * *

    There was a platform in the middle of a rowdy crowd.

    Behind it was Su-hyeun, frowning, currently fiddling with the ends of his formal business suit.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re uncomfortable in those clothes?¡±

    A man walked up to him and spoke with a smile. It was Gordon Rohan.

    He spoke pretty fluent Korean. He said he had found some free time in the past few months and tried to learn it, but he was too good for just a few months¡¯ practice.

    Su-hyeun replied, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the last time I had to wear clothes like this, you see.¡±

    ¡°But, surely your suits of armor are more cumbersome than this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m used to them, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Gordon Rohan nodded his head in agreement, before scanning the room. ¡°Besides all that. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit wasteful to make your announcement in this building? It would¡¯ve been even better if you did it in the Gordon Tower.¡±

    ¡°The location isn¡¯t important, you know. The content is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, too.¡±

    Gordon Rohan continued to sweep his gaze around their surroundings. Off to one side, Thomas was glaring at him with piercing eyes, while Hak-joon was muttering something to himself with a nervous look.

    He opened his mouth again. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re forming a guild with those guys. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°How did you find that out?¡±

    ¡°A man I met earlier told me. He said the name was ¡®Paragon¡¯, is that right? To be the role model, an example to follow. The meaning behind it was so amazing that it gave me nasty goosebumps.¡±

    ¡®Paragon¡¯.

    That was the guild name that Lee Ju-ho came up with after a whole day of agonizing over it. It didn¡¯t have any other deeper meaning.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that word describe you the best? I mean, you said that you completely detest the name Hero Guild, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    The name was chosen simply because it suited Su-hyeun pretty well. Thinking that it was still many times better than the ¡®Hero Guild¡¯, he agreed with the choice.

    He also thought that he might as well do what Lee Ju-ho wanted, at least with the naming of the guild, after considering the hardship the older man would have to go through in the future.

    ¡°A guild with only four members in it¡­.¡± Gordon Rohan chuckled as if it was quite amusing somehow, and then placed his hand on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot of openings in your guild, so why don¡¯t you let me join you, too?¡±

 Chapter 174

    A request truly out of nowhere.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t usually get taken aback by many things but still, this was more than enough to leave him speechless.

    ¡°Mister Rohan, you want to join our guild?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, you don¡¯t like the idea? Forget about it, then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, but why¡­ Didn¡¯t you say you aren¡¯t interested in things like guilds?¡±

    Countless guilds had tried to entice Gordon Rohan into joining. In the United States alone, there were as many big-name guilds as there were trees in a forest, and not to forget, plenty of foreign guilds were in a business relationship with the Gordon Company. They all wanted him to join.

    With Gordan Rohan on their side, becoming the world¡¯s greatest guild wouldn¡¯t be a pipe dream anymore.

    But Gordon Rohan had rejected all of their advances. He always said the same thing. ¡°I never really liked the idea of going around in a big crowd.¡±

    He always followed through with whatever he said. And, to follow through on his declaration of never joining a guild, he had been acting on his own up until now.

    ¡°But, well, five people don¡¯t really qualify as a crowd, do they?¡±

    ¡°Do you even know what we¡¯re trying to achieve here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the gist of it, and that¡¯s why I want to join you. It¡¯s a mercenary guild, right?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not all that interested in raiding dungeons. Only weakling monsters ever show up. Rather than wasting time with them, I might as well climb one more floor in the tower.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why¡­.¡±

    ¡°Even then, it¡¯s not so bad to fight sometimes, isn¡¯t it. That guy, Lee Ju-ho, he said this to me. He said that sooner or later, dungeons that even we would find hard to deal with will show up.¡±

    It seemed that Gordon Rohan had a rather extensive conversation with Lee Ju-ho at some point. And, to reel the American in, the latter told him about the things he had discussed with Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Surely, there will be monsters worth fighting by then. And also¡­¡± Gordon Rohan continued with an uncharacteristically somber expression. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly want the whole world destroyed, either.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho was one of the few people who had accurately grasped the state of the world, perhaps better than anyone right now. On top of that, he was also in possession of the data on the dungeon generation situation in many countries throughout the world that the Awakener Authority had compiled.

    Gordon Rohan was a smart man. He had already grasped how the world would end up if the current state of affairs continued.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to change the world alone. Which means you need someone next to you, but to my eyes, those folks outside all look like small fry.¡±

    His words were filled with confidence. He labeled the S-Ranks from various countries, bigwigs of the political world, and the leaders of corporations as ¡®small fry¡¯.

    Despite that, it didn¡¯t feel out of place. Only Gordan Rohan could say such a thing and have it not be the height of arrogance.

    ¡°But you¡¯re different from them. So, how about it? Is that reason enough for you?¡±

    ¡°Well, for me¡­.¡± Su-hyeun quietly extended his hand toward the American. ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m glad to have you join us.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Squeeze-

    Gordon Rohan smirked and shook Su-hyeun¡¯s offered hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care, friend.¡±

    1

    After ending the light hug with Gordon Rohan that followed the handshake, Su-hyeun stepped onto the platform outside.

    On to the platform, where the attention of countless people, no, the entire world, was focused.

    Act 10

    Click, click, snap-

    Once he climbed onto the stage, Su-hyeun ended up reflexively frowning a little because of the flood of camera flashes.

    He wasn¡¯t really used to this sort of atmosphere, and he felt a bit tense.

    ¡°It¡¯s Gordon Rohan!¡±

    ¡°Rohan¡¯s really here¡­¡±

    ¡°Since when did those two become so friendly?¡±

    Reporters took pictures of Gordon Rohan relaxedly resting his arm around Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders. Unlike the South Korean, he didn¡¯t seem any different from how he did normally. He had plenty of experience meeting celebrities the world over, as well as countless reporters. Plus, he even hosted the Ranking Wars too, which was arguably a far grander occasion than today.

    Lee Ju-ho quietly observed Su-hyeun climbing up on the platform from the back. Although the latter seemed outwardly calm, Lee Ju-ho could read him well after spending so much time together.

    << He¡¯s feeling nervous. >>

    A guy who didn¡¯t even feel one iota of anxiety during a dungeon raid was tensing up in front of a crowd.

    As he thought, it seemed that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t quite suited to dealing with people. This was exactly why Lee Ju-ho held the meetings instead of him and got everything started.

    He was far better at doing such things, after all.

    But¡­.

    << You¡¯re the main character today. >>

    He couldn¡¯t help it this time. The world wanted Su-hyeun, not him.

    His role had always been to lay out the platform. Su-hyeun¡¯s face was essential when delivering their message to the rest of the world.

    And, a short while later.

    Su-hyeun lightly sucked in his breath and opened his mouth. ¡°For me, today is a very important occasion.¡±

    His introductory speech wasn¡¯t long.

    He said only what needed to be said. And that was to reveal everything about the dungeon¡¯s risk factor based on the data compiled so far to the rest of the world.

    It all sounded rather believable.

    No one raised a commotion. Only Su-hyeun¡¯s voice and the constant camera flashes echoed around the massive hall.

    ¡°¡­I hope that this raid manual will become a solid foundation for the development of awakeners yet to awaken their powers, as well as the current crop.¡±

    A reporter threw out a question. ¡°Are you saying that your reason for publicly unveiling your know-how is all for the advancement of the awakener profession?¡±

    ¡°No, not for the advancement, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun looked at the reporter and replied, his voice sounding more powerful than before. ¡°¡­for survival.¡±

    Survival.

    That was a completely different topic from ¡®advancement¡¯. It meant that the manual was indispensable if you wished to live.

    And that single word imparted a sense of sincerity, truth, to everything he had said so far.

    ¡°Translations into various languages have been completed and we¡¯ve entered the printing stage as we speak. I believe that in less than a month¡¯s time, you shall be able to grab a copy in your local bookstore throughout the world.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s a book for awakeners, surely there won¡¯t be much of a demand, so what about the revenue generated by the business of¡­.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not doing this to make money,¡± Gordan Rohan said sharply.

    His eyes, locked on the reporters, were arched rather scarily. Unlike how they were when listening to Su-hyeun, the reporters all tensed up as they focused on the American¡¯s words.

    ¡°The Gordon Company, the Song-il Group, as well as many other sponsors, are all betting our everything on this. Because, survival is our utmost priority, after all. Did any of you listen to what Kim Su-hyeun said with holes beside your ears?¡±

    His straightforward jab caused the reporter who asked the question earlier to sneakily lower his head. Only then did some of the reporters who had failed to recognize the severity of the situation finally realize how grave the atmosphere was right then.

    Gordon Rohan managed to seize the control of the venue¡¯s atmosphere in one breath, then continued with what he wanted to say. ¡°As for the virtual dungeon system created by the awakener affiliated with my Gordon Company, Johnny Brad, it will be distributed to every country on Earth as soon as possible. It¡¯s to decrease the number of awakener deaths that might occur during dungeon raids or during the trials.¡±

    ¡°How does the virtual dungeon system operate?¡±

    ¡°You know about virtual reality games, don¡¯t you? The ones that operate via capsules? Johhny Brad¡¯s illusion skill will be inserted into those capsules. You¡¯ll probably experience a far more vivid dungeon than in those VR capsule games.¡±

    ¡°What about the pricing?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re thinking of renting them out. The pricing will be set according to the tier of the dungeons, and, as for the operation methods¡­.¡±

    The virtual dungeon system.

    This was one of the main topics of today¡¯s announcement. The issue was as important as Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s raid manual. Maybe even more so.

    To awakeners, the fact that they could experience raiding a dungeon without risking their lives was the same as bringing along one or two extra lives just for a rainy day.

    When Gordon Rohan¡¯s explanation came to an end, the crowd began thinking¡ªthat all of these were planned for events several years ahead in the future in mind. Maybe dozens of years, even.

    ¡°And lastly¡­¡± Once Rohan was done talking, one of the three men standing on the platform, Lee Ju-ho, began raising his voice next. ¡°By borrowing this occasion, we¡¯d like to announce the establishment of a new guild.¡±

    ¡°A guild?¡±

    ¡°Wait, could Kim Su-hyeun be¡­?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Kim Su-hyeun a part of the Authority??¡±

    ¡°No, I think he¡¯s still independent. Sure, he¡¯s really friendly with the Authority, but¡­¡±

    In an instant, the venue grew noisy.

    The establishment of a guild. They all realized that, maybe, Su-hyeun who had stayed independent until now would finally go under someone¡¯s banner.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m lacking in many regards, I shall take on the role of the guild master. As for the members¡­.¡±

    The moment Lee Ju-ho spoke, the venue fell into complete silence instantly. None of them could afford to miss out on the names of the guild members.

    ¡°¡­.Kim Su-hyeun over here, and¡­¡±

    Hak-joon and Thomas, standing at the rear of the platform, stepped forward into the light.

    ¡°Thomas and Choi Hak-joon, both of whom are known as S-Rank awakeners. And finally¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho sneaked a glance at Gordon Rohan next.

    Right at that moment¡­

    ¡°Me, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°G-Gordon Rohan, too?!¡±

    ¡°In Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s guild¡­.??¡±

    The crowd in the venue had been forcibly suppressing their speculation, but at this, their control slipped. The commotion grew louder and louder.

    Cooperation between Gordon Rohan and Kim Su-hyeun!

    Not only that, two more S-Ranks plus Lee Ju-ho, too.

    ¡°The guild will be called Paragon.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s voice loudly and clearly dug through the noisy venue. ¡°And it¡¯ll be a mercenary guild.¡±

    * * *

    A big storm had swept by.

    From the for-awakeners raid manual, the virtual dungeon system, and, finally, even a guild that Gordon Rohan and Kim Su-hyeun had created together.

    Just one of these was enough to become breaking news worldwide. But all three were announced in one fell swoop.

    And so¡­

    -Isn¡¯t this too over the top? In the end, they¡¯re just trying to hawk a book and some capsules, so why say the world is in danger or whatever?

    ©¸ Kim Su-hyeun is already rich without selling books. Same for Rohan. Besides, it¡¯s not completely baseless either, is it?

    ©¸ ?? Methinks they¡¯re onto something. Honestly, accidents from dungeons have increased a lot compared to a few years ago. Did you miss the Indian incident on the news or something?

    ©¸ If Kim Su-hyeun wanted money, he¡¯d be busy doing the dungeon raids all the time.

    ©¸ Same to you. If he really wanted to serve the community, forget about writing a book, he should be raiding dungeons right now.

    ©¸ Be honest, will you? Didn¡¯t Kim Su-hyeun take care of that blue-colored dungeon all by himself? Stop trying to shift goalposts. ??

    ©¸ More than anything else, a truly insurmountable guild has been created now. Kim Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan! By the way, which country does this guild belong to? Is it a Korean guild, or an American one?

    For the first time in a long while, Su-hyeun logged on to Abyss Online and browsed through the comments posted to the forums. He wanted to see people¡¯s reactions to the events of the day before.

    The response was better than he thought, actually.

    ¡°Looks like the public is getting more aware of the danger,¡± said Hak-joon.

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to Hak-joon, lying lazily on the couch, munching on snacks. Hak-joon too was looking at the comments appearing on Abyss Online through a tablet PC.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯d be odd if they couldn¡¯t sense it by now.¡±

    ¡°True that. It just goes to show you how the world has changed so fast, and then, there¡¯s the objective data, too¡­.¡±

    The speed of dungeon generation was getting faster at an almost exponential rate.

    Starting in the year 2020, the rate accelerated even further. For one thing, incidents related to dungeons, both large and small, were happening constantly everywhere.

    Indeed, it¡¯d be strange if they couldn¡¯t sense the danger.

    And now, the man considered to be the world¡¯s strongest awakener, Su-hyeun, had added his two cents, so it was inevitable that the flames would only get higher.

    ¡°It kinda feels like we¡¯re the Power Rangers or something. Gather your strength and save the world! You know, something like that.¡± Hak-joon giggling for a second, then his face hardened. ¡°Lately¡­ I¡¯m beginning to see the future you¡¯ve been telling me about, bro. That¡¯s why¡­ I¡¯m worried.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You, Ju-ho, and even Yun-seon¡­ I had a dream where the world we were living in was destroyed. We were all dead and buried under a pile of corpses¡­¡± Hak-joon turned the tablet PC off and put it down. ¡°And that¡¯s why I can¡¯t take it easy anymore. I understand why you¡¯ve been running forward so crazily like this, you know? And, by the way, bro.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been living like this until now, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t reply.

    But Hak-joon didn¡¯t seem to be expecting an answer, because he was already standing up from the couch. ¡°I¡¯m gonna bounce now. I¡¯ll be entering the 70th floor¡¯s trial, by the way.¡±

    ¡°I see. Do your best.¡±

    ¡°You too, bro.¡±

    Hak-joon left Su-hyeun¡¯s residence. Thinking that the younger man looked different from his usual self for some reason, Su-hyeun rubbed his forehead. Then he stood up from his chair.

    << I shouldn¡¯t be resting like this either. >>

    Most of the complicated stuff had been taken care of now.

    Hak-joon was already on the 70th floor. Although their level of difficulty and their accomplishment rates were different, regardless of that, Su-hyeun had only managed to pass the 40th floor recently.

    << It sure took a while. >>

    He was stuck on the 40th floor for a long time. He was rewarded for it accordingly, but still, there¡¯s nothing he could do about this feeling of being too slow.

    Compared to Hak-joon going through the eighth level of trial or the other awakeners progressing through lower difficulties, Su-hyeun¡¯s speed in climbing each and every floor was just too slow.

    << No, let¡¯s not be hasty about this. >>

    His methods weren¡¯t wrong. He might be slower, but he simply had to diligently climb up each of the floors. His current state was the end result of his methods, proof that he was on the right track.

    << Besides all that¡­. >>

    It had been a couple of days already. Before he was to challenge the next floor, there was one other matter he needed to sort out first.

    << I wonder, have the elixirs arrived yet? >>

 Chapter 175

    The 70th floor¡¯s eighth level trial held countless traps and monsters, and a number of manacles and shackles to weigh down participants.

    ¡°Pant, pant¡­¡±

    Hak-joon was currently plopped on his butt, breathing heavily, having already dropped his own sword. He was surrounded by the corpses of monsters as well as broken traps. The cavern he was in was narrow, not giving him much room to move around in.

    << That was way too close for comfort. >>

    [Accomplishment rate: 50%]

    [Will you end the trial?]

    He had finally managed to get past the halfway mark of this seemingly endless cave.

    He nearly died a couple of times during the journey, and he had to perform some impressive acrobatics in order to dodge the more deadly traps. And, in the midst of all that, monsters continued to pour out from openings in the cave walls, aiming squarely at his throat. At times, he thought that having several bodies would still not be enough to get out of there alive.

    Hak-joon wheezed painfully as he struggled to regain his breath, before raising his arm. It felt heavy. Not just because he was tired, though.

    << Just what is this thing made out of¡­? >>

    A small manacle was currently wrapped around his arm.

    It must have been insanely dense for such a small thing to be so heavy.

    But Hak-joon had found it unnaturally hard to move both his arms and legs from the moment the trial began. If all four manacles¡¯ weights were combined, then they surely must¡¯ve weighed more than a compact car.

    But the issue wasn¡¯t as simple as lifting that weight, but fighting while encumbered by it. So, rather unsurprisingly, his movements became considerably dull.

    To make matters worse, the difficulty steadily rose the deeper he got into the cave, too.

    << I wonder, just how far can I go? >>

    Hak-joon recalled what Su-hyeun told him.

    ¡°It¡¯s best to aim for 100% completion in trials with accomplishment rates. That way, you¡¯ll receive a bigger reward at the end and earn even more experience. And that, in turn, will make clearing the next trial just a little bit easier.¡±

    He was right.

    But knowing what you were supposed to do didn¡¯t automatically make doing it any easier.

    That¡¯s how it was for Hak-joon.

    He already met the prerequisite to pass the trial. A 50% accomplishment rate was already an excellent result. If he pushed on any further, he might really die. Far washed over his entire body.

    Even then¡­

    << I mustn¡¯t stop here. >>

    The thought process was always the same.

    Wasn¡¯t it enough to reach this far?

    But if he thought that and ended the trial here, wasn¡¯t he just doing the same thing he had been doing before? He knew better.

    << No, I¡¯ll reach the end. >>

    The light gleaming in Hak-joon¡¯s eyes changed. Cold, venomous determination filled them. He was no longer satisfied by just reaching the next level. He wanted something more than that.

    He kept a vision of the future in mind. A future where everyone was dead, the world overrun by monsters and dungeons. That was the future Su-hyeun. was scared of.

    That¡¯s why he worked so hard, to ensure that such a future would never come. He carried the same burden, chewed on the exact same worries and fears as Hak-joon did right now.

    ¡°Time to get up, then.¡±

    His break had lasted about thirty minutes or so, a time span neither too short nor too long.

    He had allocated his magical energy efficiently during the battle until now, so he had enough left in the tank. It was fine as long as he could support his flagging stamina with it.

    ¡°Taking too long of a break between battles isn¡¯t a good idea, especially if you¡¯re not trying to recover your spent magical energy. If you rest for too long, your body will cool down too much. You can exhibit your sharpest battle sense only when your body¡¯s been warmed up sufficiently, you see.¡±

    Hak-joon pulled out a piece of round candy from deep inside his pocket and tossed it in his mouth.

    Munch-

    The sweet candy began melting in his mouth and it felt like his body was filling up with energy. The glint in his eyes was reinvigorated as well.

    Even though it felt somewhat heavy, his hotly-burning body had already transformed into the proverbial treasure blade, one more lethal than that it had ever been before.

    << Let¡¯s go. >>

    When he wondered if Su-hyeun had been living like this, he couldn¡¯t answer.

    The thing was, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t the type to show outwardly how difficult things were for him. At first, Hak-joon believed it to be the air of nonchalance from a truly strong being.

    But recently, he began to see the truth more and more. He could see the load. incomparably heavier than these manacles currently clapped on his limbs, slung over Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders.

    That was precisely why Hak-joon couldn¡¯t stop here.

    * * *

    ¡°Yes, dear customer. You came at the perfect time, sir. Your orders are ready for you.¡±

    Upon reaching the shopping district, Su-hyeun immediately went to the medicine shop to get the rest of his elixirs. The shopkeeper who requested a couple of days must¡¯ve worked his butt off, because he had all the items that Su-hyeun had asked for, ready to be collected.

    Su-hyeun carefully checked each and every one of the items. Since these things cost him an arm and a leg each, he wanted to make sure that no counterfeit goods had snuck in somehow.

    Thankfully, none of them were fakes. He paid the balance and immediately sought out a suitable lodging.

    << Highest grade strength-enhancing brew, Nameless Sage¡¯s Elixir, Hercules¡¯ Ancient Blood¡­ >>

    Each of these items cost hundreds of thousands, even millions, of points to buy. Su-hyeun placed all of them down on the floor, and determined the order he should take them in.

    << This side is for the elixirs exhibiting an immediate increase in strength, while this side, stuff that will gradually display their effects over a longer period of time¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun confirmed the sequence and took a deep breath.

    << These medicines taste too awful, though. >>

    Pop-

    Su-hyeun popped open the stopper of the very first medicine bottle. He brought the elixir to his mouth and was immediately assaulted by the terrible aroma. The smell was unimaginably acrid, and the taste nearly made him puke.

    But he endured it and drank all of them. The entire cache of elixirs, not even leaving behind a single drop.

    ¡°Fuu-wooooo¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

    Just like before, this was the crucial moment when taking elixirs. How much of the medicine¡¯s effects you managed to absorb all depended on the abilities of the person drinking the stuff.

    [Strength has risen by 1.]

    [Strength has risen by 1.]

    Feel-good messages began rising up. But his focus must never stray because of them.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s focus never wavered. He concentrated so hard that he failed to hear the messages popping up every now and then.

    Not too long afterward¡­

    ¡°Shu-woooop¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun, barely suppressing the urge to vomit, opened his eyes, and took yet another deep breath.

    ¡°Hah-aaaah-¡±

    He undid his lotus sitting position and lied down on his back.

    For the time being, he had absorbed most of the elixirs in his body. What remained now was to wait for the effects of the ¡®medicine¡¯ that raised his strength gradually over the course of a period of time.

    << The most expensive of the lot was the Hercules¡¯ Ancient Blood, wasn¡¯t it. >>

    The expensive elixir had cost 3 million points, all on its own. It continuously enhanced one¡¯s physical strength over a long period of time. It was only the size of a thumbnail, yet to think it cost that much¡­

    Even after seeing the price, though, Su-hyeun bought it without hesitation.

    << I had no idea I could find it here. >>

    The ¡®Hercules¡¯ Ancient Blood¡¯ was actually an item required to create a chimera.

    The droplet of blood was supposedly extracted from the ¡®real¡¯ Hercules in order to create a chimera possessing monster-like strength. The moment you take it, it¡¯d start steadily enhancing your strength over a long time period.

    Since the elixir was crafted with the chimera manufacturing in mind, there were no notable side effects to worry about after taking it.

    Reputedly, only a handful of these items still remained to this day, after some dark magician in the distant past was punished by the gods for using the blood to create a chimera.

    << I got lucky. >>

    Of course, it didn¡¯t taste good, either. The feeling was similar to drinking a droplet of blood that had rotted for hundreds of years, after all.

    [Strength: 97.]

    After confirming the strength stat value, Su-hyeun smirked.

    Even without checking that, it already felt like pure strength was overflowing his body. As if his entire body had become as light as a feather.

    << Not too far from 100 now. >>

    Indeed, only a little bit remained until he reached triple digits.

    At any other time, he might have felt that making up the last three points of the strength stat would¡¯ve been the hardest thing in the whole world, but his current situation wasn¡¯t the same anymore.

    The ¡®Hercules¡¯ Ancient Blood¡¯. The elixir melted into his body would steadily enhance his strength all on its own.

    << I might need a bit of time to get used to this state. >>

    Squeeze-

    Without a doubt, real combat was still the best way to familiarize himself with his suddenly elixir-enhanced strength.

    Too much power would only drag down his overall combat strength. Butt, as long as he could get used to this new-found strength, he¡¯d be able to wield even greater power than before.

    << And the best place to test it¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun pondered his options for a bit, before nodding his head.

    << A dungeon would be better. >>

    He thought about whether or not to challenge the 41st floor¡¯s trial, but, for the time being, it seemed that he¡¯d have to delay it for a few days.

    * * *

    Russia¡¯s capital, Moscow. A frigid city that saw below-freezing temperatures even in the month of September.

    The heart of the city, boasting an expansive real estate and a population of over 15 million, things were so much more ¡®tranquil¡¯ than usual at the moment.

    ¡°¡­.This is driving me nuts.¡±

    The mayor of Moscow, David Sobyanin, was currently tearing his hair out while looking at the ¡®blue-colored¡¯ skyscraper before his eyes. It was a gigantic 60 story-tall tower, often called the lighthouse of Moscow.

    And the whole structure was currently bathed in blue light.

    ¡°Has the raid team been assembled yet?¡±

    David asked, and the secretary standing next to him quickly answered.

    ¡°We¡¯re still recruiting, sir. But we¡¯ve run into a shortage of high-ranked awakener manpower. We managed to find several A-Ranks, but only a single S-Rank so far.¡±

    ¡°What if we ask other countries?¡±

    ¡°Even mainland Europe is suffering from an S-Rank shortage, sir. Not only did a number of their S-Ranks die during the Ranking Wars, but about half of the remaining ones haven¡¯t returned from the trials at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Do whatever it takes to recruit them. If that thing becomes a full-on outbreak, Moscow will be finished.¡±

    David Sobyanin looked around.

    The citizens had been evacuated a while before. Countless awakeners were gathering, and even the military had been mobilized, just in case.

    Unfortunately, no one knew how bad the extent of the human losses would be once a blue-colored dungeon morphed into a full-on outbreak. Not to forget, the impact on the economy would be devastating if Moscow was turned into a city of rubble.

    << We need to sort this out, no matter what it takes. >>

    He had no options, but no way to avoid this task, either.

    << But, how? >>

    For one, you needed a minimum of four S-Rank awakeners in order to raid a blue-colored dungeon. But there were only three S-Ranks in the whole of Russia, and, to make matters worse, only one of them was available right now.

    Where would they be able to find the remaining three?

    ¡°Excuse me, mister mayor? It doesn¡¯t look like¡­ we aren¡¯t out of alternatives yet, sir.¡±

    ¡°What alternatives? What is it?¡±

    ¡°Have you heard the recent news? South Korea¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan have created a guild together, sir. From what I hear, it¡¯s supposed to be a mercenary guild, and, as long as the price is right, they¡¯ll raid a dungeon for you.¡±

    David Sobyanin¡¯s eyes shot open wide at the secretary¡¯s words.

    Now that he thought about it, there was no need to start a lengthy and cumbersome negotiation process. As long as they could pay, either Kim Su-hyeun or Gordon Rohan would fly over here from the distant lands of South Korea or America.

    << But then, their price¡­. >>

    Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s cost was unknown, but what about Gordon Rohan¡¯s?

    Just having a single meal with him took several million dollars. The mayor couldn¡¯t even fathom how much they¡¯d have to pay in order to bring such a man all the way to Moscow.

    << Will it even be possible with our budget? >>

    David Sobyanin shook his head when that line of thinking popped up in his head.

    << No, wait. I shouldn¡¯t even be thinking about this problem. >>

    Even if he was to spend every dime of the annual budget, this dungeon had to be raided as safely as possible.

    << No matter how much it costs, we need to make the request. Protecting the city is our priority. >>

    Just as his thoughts reached that point¡­

    ¡°M-m-mister mayor!!¡± Another one of his personal secretaries hurriedly rushed over to David Sobyanin¡¯s position and urgently called out to his boss. ¡°S-sir, something major has¡­ N-no, wait. It¡¯s not a major ¡®bad¡¯ thing, but, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s all this fuss about?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun, sir! Kim Su-hyeun!¡±

    David Subyanin frowned deeply at the secretary¡¯s words.

    He wasn¡¯t dithering about right now because he didn¡¯t know ¡®that¡¯. If they could bring Kim Su-hyeun here, then that would be truly wonderful. The man. had once solo-raided a blud dungeon, after all. He would solve all their problems.

    ¡°Are you trying to say that¡¯s our only. alternative right now?¡±

    ¡°N-no, sir. That¡¯s not it¡­¡± The personal secretary sucked in a deep, deep breath, and continued on. ¡°Sir, Kim Su-hyeun has arrived. He¡¯s waiting over there!¡±

 Chapter 176

    Su-hyeun was currently sitting inside a tent, wearing a thick padded coat.

    There was a hotly-burning stove inside. Despite that, he still didn¡¯t take off the coat. He preferred his body to be sufficiently warmed, after all. And he also believed that the cold weather dulled one¡¯s body, and slowed one¡¯s reflexes, as well.

    It was a habit to stay as warm as possible.

    << I¡¯d like to be at ease, but¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun took a look at the handful of people also inside the large tent, stealing glances at him.

    << This is really making me uncomfortable. >>

    He was sitting in front of a table, while everyone else was standing around awkwardly. It was hard to tell who was the host and who was the guest with things like this.

    In the end, Su-hyeun decided to stand up. That action startled the person claiming to be the mayor¡¯s secretary, and he quickly walked over to say something.

    ¡°Please remain seated. Mister mayor will soon be here, sir.¡±

    ¡°Everyone is standing around, and that¡¯s kinda making me uneasy, you see.¡±

    ¡°There are only two chairs, unfortunately. And this is our job, sir.¡±

    ¡°You can bring in extra chairs from outside, plus I¡¯ll feel better standing rather than sitting all by myself. So, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    His Russian wasn¡¯t very good, but, since the other party used English, communicating didn¡¯t pose a problem.

    In the end, Su-hyeun waited standing up. It made him a little more comfortable, at least.

    << A blue-colored dungeon in the middle of Moscow, is it¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun had been searching for a dungeon with a difficulty higher than green color, and, thanks to Lee Ju-ho, he had found the information he wanted quickly.

    Actually, it didn¡¯t even qualify as ¡®information¡¯, strictly speaking. Soon after this dungeon appeared in Moscow, the news broke in several countries throughout the world, after all.

    One could say that he had gotten lucky, in a way. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he felt happy about it, though.

    << This is already the fifth one. >>

    The United States, South Korea, China, Britain, and now, even in Russia.

    At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to see several blue-colored dungeons popping up every month in the near future.

    << In a way, isn¡¯t this the very first international trip for the Paragon Guild? >>

    Su-hyeun, quietly standing around, chuckled to himself. Originally, he¡¯d been thinking of accepting raid requests much further down the line, but somehow he¡¯d found himself on the clock, so to speak, already.

    Of course, he still didn¡¯t know if the Russians wanted his cooperation. But Su-hyeun was confident that they were definitely in need of his help.

    << Because they don¡¯t have anyone else right now. >>

    Currently, awakener manpower wasn¡¯t exported to other countries in what you¡¯d call a smooth way. Governments wanted to prevent such exportation of their ¡®awakener resource¡¯ to elsewhere and required that the dungeons found within their territories be raided first, instead.

    Obviously, you¡¯d need a lot of time if you wanted to clear the tangled mess of bureaucratic red tape.

    So, to solve such a problem, it wouldn¡¯t be the Authority but the individual guilds stepping up to the plate, instead.

    << And that is precisely what being a mercenary guild is all about. >>

    The Authority didn¡¯t have any means to discourage a guild wanting to do business that way. If they even tried, then the awakener associations would oppose such an action forcefully.

    With this set-up, any Awakener Authorities or guilds now had the pretext to ask for assistance from awakeners of other countries.

    ¡°Mister mayor has arrived.¡±

    After Su-hyeun had stood around for ten or so minutes, a man in his fifties brushed past the tent¡¯s flaps and walked in. It was Moscow¡¯s mayor, David Sobyanin.

    ¡°Oh, welcome to the city. Nice to meet you, Mister Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    David Sobyanin¡¯s English wasn¡¯t as good as his secretary¡¯s. It didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t be understood at all, though.

    Su-hyeun shook David Sobyanin¡¯s offered hand. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the news.¡±

    ¡°Yes, news. It circulates very fast these days.¡±

    David Sobyanin immediately understood how and why Su-hyeun had come from this brief exchange.

    Reporters broadcasting the news, and various social media sites, formed a rather scary information network. Especially so with the latter¡ªthrough social media, dozens, hundreds, tens of millions of people got to spread information to all corners of the globe.

    In this day and age, information could reach the other side of the planet not in a matter of days, but hours. So, it wasn¡¯t that strange for Su-hyeun to hear about the situation in Moscow and show up quickly like this.

    ¡°Do you require assistance?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s question, David Sobyanin began weighing his options in his head.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be better to blow the Korean off, at least once? Would the negotiation be a bit more advantageous for them if he came out and said that they had enough manpower to do this thing?

    << No, wait. I can¡¯t gamble on this. >>

    Opportunity had come knocking at the perfect time.

    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that heaven was helping him right now. He shouldn¡¯t kick away an opportunity of this magnitude because of some momentary greed.

    << If I got greedy and that resulted in the destruction of Moscow¡­. >>

    No, wait¡ªthis might not end up as a Moscow-only problem.

    Maybe, even the surrounding cities, too¡­

    If the blue-colored dungeon caused an outbreak, letting monsters run amok throughout the whole of Russian, then forget about hundreds of thousands, countless millions might lose their lives.

    << I shouldn¡¯t be worried about money. >>

    There was no more need to ponder this anymore. David Sobyanin bowed his head. ¡°Yes, I need your help. Please help us.¡±

    He squeezed his eyes shut. The future of Moscow now depended on what Su-hyeun¡¯s reply was, and what kind of conditions he put forward.

    But then¡­

    << Why isn¡¯t he saying anything? >>

    David Sobyanin cracked open his tightly-shut eyes a little and sneaked a glance to his front. And what he saw utterly stunned him.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to speak as equals. There¡¯s no need to lower your head to me,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Meaning, if you lower your head, I¡¯ll lower mine, too.

    Only then did David Sobyanin raise his head, prompting Su-hyeun to do the same and look straight at the Moscow¡¯s mayor.

    ¡°Now then. Shall we start from the beginning again?¡±

    * * *

    The negotiations didn¡¯t last long.

    From the get-go, the Russians wouldn¡¯t have anything to say even if Su-hyeun demanded the majority of the Ether stones extracted from the dungeon. But even then, he only demanded a small portion of the stones as well as a little bit of money.

    Compared to the value attached to the name ¡®Kim Su-hyeun,¡¯ as well as his combat. capabilities, this was basically the same as working for free.

    Such conditions, coupled with the amount of Ether stones that could be mined after the dungeon raid, definitely couldn¡¯t be seen as a big loss to the Russians.

    ¡°R-really¡­ is this okay for you?¡±

    ¡°The raid isn¡¯t going to take too long, anyway. Yes, that¡¯ll be enough for me,¡± Su-hyeun replied, before standing up from the table.

    ¡°Are you going to enter right now?¡±

    ¡°I got enough sleep on the way, I¡¯m in perfect condition to fight. Is there any need to delay the proceedings further?¡±

    ¡°E-even then, the rest of the raiding party isn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, not that I need them, but¡­.¡±

    While muttering, Su-hyeun studied David Sobyanin¡¯s reactions.

    The mayor seemed to be troubled by this.

    It seemed that, if Su-hyeun raided the dungeon all by himself without the presence of a separate raid party, then the amount of money spent on him would inevitably balloon in the end.

    From David Sobyanin¡¯s viewpoint, he had no choice but to find a way to decrease the money and the share of the Ether stones destined for Su-hyeun¡¯s pockets.

    The amount of Ether stones found in a dungeon was limited, after all, and having even one more awakener affiliated with the Russian Authority in the raid further ensured that more resources would be secured at the end of the day.

    ¡°¡­.Wait. I think a raiding party is indeed necessary,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    It didn¡¯t matter either way to him. Making money from this raid wasn¡¯t his goal from the beginning, after all.

    David Sobyanin¡¯s complexion brightened after hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s reply. But then, he lowered his head right away after realizing that he was being rather shameless even in his own evaluation. ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°Tell me when the raiding party is ready, please. It¡¯ll be best if they¡¯re ready to depart as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be ready as soon as possible.¡±

    David Sobyanin hurriedly called someone on the phone. He got in touch with the Russian Awakener Authority and summoned the raiding party that their S-Rank awakener was in.

    A few hours later.

    A raid party consisting of thirty people was hastily organized. This number was way too small for a genuine attempt at clearing a blue-colored dungeon.

    ¡°We¡¯re finished with our preparations!¡±

    One of the mayor¡¯s personal secretaries rushed over to Su-hyeun quietly sitting in a corner loosening himself and spoke.

    Su-hyeun scanned the awakeners in the raiding party following behind the secretary. Five A-Ranks, twenty-four B-Ranks, and one S-Rank.

    This level of firepower was on par with two average-sized large guilds. But this was nothing more than simply filling the headcount when considering that they were about to raid a blue-colored dungeon.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going, then.¡±

    Even then, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even hesitate once. He started walking. From the very beginning, it didn¡¯t matter if he was alone or not.

    * * *

    30 people.

    The raiding party was nervous because of that hopelessly low number.

    A raiding party consisting only of awakeners holding Russian citizenship, and not only that, a hastily-organized one, at that. To make matters worse, each of them was affiliated with different organizations, so they had never coordinated with each other before.

    ¡°What the hell. I didn¡¯t sign up to get killed, you know.¡±

    An awakener working for the authority, Dmitri, grumbled loudly in order to suppress his anxiety as he got ready to enter the dungeon. His eyes took in the sight of the blue-colored dungeon entrance that enveloped the massive tower as well as the hopelessly small number of his fellow raid party members.

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to die. From the very beginning, our job is nothing more than to fill the headcount, and that¡¯s about it.¡±

    Someone approached and lightly smacked Dmitri¡¯s back before speaking up, causing the Russian awakener to flinch and look behind him.

    It was Chernov, Russia¡¯s S-Rank awakener as well as the strongest individual in the Russian Awakener Authority.

    Dmitri asked. ¡°Do you trust this Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°He once solo-raided a blue-colored dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Only once, though. You never know what will happen with people around, no? Honestly, this level of combat force is just barely enough to raid a green-colored dungeon, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You think it was a fluke, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, not necessarily, but¡­.¡± Dmitri glanced at Su-hyeun¡¯s back where he stood in front of the party, ready to enter the dungeon first, before continuing. ¡°But, there¡¯s always ¡®just in case¡¯, you know.¡±

    Chernov sighed softly after hearing that reply.

    Dmitri was a B-Rank awakener affiliated with the Authority. As someone pretty close to reaching A-Rank, his skill set wasn¡¯t to be scoffed at. If Chernov had to point out his weakness, then it¡¯d be how he leaned far too much towards the ¡®risk aversion¡¯ side of things.

    Of course, you couldn¡¯t fault him for that. No one was qualified to demand a selfless sacrifice from him, after all.

    Even then¡­

    ¡°I can assure you, we¡¯ll never find ourselves in danger.¡± Chernov was utterly confident that the events Dmitri was worried about would never come to pass. ¡°I know this, because I¡¯ve fought him before. We might both be S-Ranks, but not all S-Ranks are the same, you know?¡±

    He was one of the participants who managed to get to the final round of the Ranking Wars. Obviously, he got to cross weapons with Su-hyeun then, and it was little wonder why he wasn¡¯t all that worried right now.

    ¡°He defeated over 30 S-Rank awakeners all by himself, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Dmitri asked, ¡°Is he really that powerful?¡±

    ¡°Overwhelmingly so.¡±

    He didn¡¯t hesitate at all before replying.

    Dmitri had met Chernov many times before, and every single one of those times, the S-Rank was overflowing with self-confidence. But now, a man like that was wholeheartedly praising someone else.

    ¡°¡­.Is that so.¡±

    Dmitri had heard a ton of rumors already.

    From how he defeated Gordon Rohan and won the Ranking Wars all by himself.

    To how he smashed apart the European Union-affiliated awakeners trying to sabotage him, along with help from Gordon Rohan.

    And even how he solo raided one of the blue-colored twin dungeons that showed up in South Korea.

    << But rumors are usually exaggerated, to begin with. >>

    With anxiety in his heart, Dmitri followed Su-hyeun¡¯s steps and headed toward the dungeon¡¯s interior. All the while planning to hightail it out of there without even looking back once if a dangerous situation suddenly reared its ugly head.

    And so, the moment the raid party stepped into the dungeon¡­

    SMACK-!

    The first thing Dmitri saw as soon as he stepped inside was the figure of a giant ape creature flying up and away from a well-placed punch.

 Chapter 177

    Act 1

    Strength of 97.

    Although there was only a seven-point difference, Su-hyeun could feel his actual strength was several times greater.

    The real-world changes felt from each one-point stat increase became more pronounced as the score got higher. Also, this was his first time experiencing a strength stat of 97.

    << My previous record for strength was 96, wasn¡¯t it? >>

    Back then, he didn¡¯t place too much of an importance on stats besides his magical powers. He invested all the achievement points he could in increasing his reserve of magical energy, as well as in purchasing items and information on every tenth floor.

    So then, he only ever got a strength stat of 96. He used to think that that stat value was perfectly serviceable. Rather, he believed that it was more than enough.

    Unfortunately¡­

    << My magic level and count are rising up quickly enough even now. >>

    Maybe, a bit too quickly, even. He easily figured out the reason why that was the case, too.

    << It¡¯s the difference in proficiency. >>

    Individuals had different levels of talents in regards to magic.

    Someone blessed with high sensitivity toward magical energy could raise their magic level and count really quickly, while others could only develop at a snail¡¯s pace. Su-hyeun was the former. As a matter of fact, his talent in it was more than enough to say it was overflowing.

    On top of that, he even personally experienced what the ninth level of magical power was like, too. It was obvious that his magic sensitivity was far higher than in his previous life.

    But, what about his stats?

    << My strength won¡¯t improve by itself. I won¡¯t get faster automatically, and my stamina won¡¯t increase without me doing anything. >>

    In the end, he had no choice but to put his effort into enhancing his stats. It was a different strategy than in his past life, and his current stats were the result of this line of thinking.

    And so¡­

    The moment he stepped inside the dungeon, an ape monster pounced on him from above with its deadly fangs fully bared¡ªonly for Su-hyeun¡¯s fist to fly in and strike it clean across the jaw.

    SMACK-!

    A nice, refreshing sound exploded out.

    The ape¡¯s head caved in. Its skull was smashed in while its body flew away. A monster more than four meters tall and probably weighing a ton was actually defying gravity to fly several meters through the air. From a punch without a single drop of magical energy in it, no less.

    BOOM-!

    The carnivorous ape crashed back to earth along with its shattered head.

    The spectacle that transpired in the blink of an eye brought about a stunned silence from the raiding party following behind Su-hyeun, all of their jaws hitting the floor as they stared at the South Korean.

    Some among them weren¡¯t simply shocked, though, as they were blessed with very quick, discerning senses, too.

    << I didn¡¯t sense any magical power from him. >>

    << Did I make a mistake? >>

    << He didn¡¯t even use his sword¡­ >>

    Among them all, though, Chernov¡¯s shock was incomparable to everyone else¡¯s.

    << Just a single punch?! >>

    That fist didn¡¯t contain any magical energy whatsoever. It was a simple punch, nothing more. He didn¡¯t know if Su-hyeun was a renowned martial artist or what, but regardless, the man had killed a monster from a blue-colored dungeon without resorting to any magical power.

    << N-no, I must¡¯ve made a mistake. >>

    Indeed, he had probably failed to sense the magical energy because it all happened too quickly.

    Besides, Su-hyeun had entered the dungeon before everyone else, so he could¡¯ve used his magical energy in that brief window of time.

    Things made more sense when he thought of it that way. Even then, what happened was still incredible to behold.

    << What a stunning magical energy control that is. >>

    Chernov assumed Su-hyeun¡¯s punch was just an example of unbelievably efficient magical energy consumption. It made more sense than the alternative.

    ¡°Looks like there are quite a few monsters even around this entrance area,¡± said Su-hyeun while raising his head.

    Their surroundings were filled with massive trees easily more than a hundred meters tall. They were the kinds of trees you couldn¡¯t see in the real world.

    Screech, howl-

    Ape creatures could be spied darting between the gigantic trees. Their figures were obscured by the huge, expansive trunks, but the carnivorous apes were still as big as an average-sized elephant.

    ¡°Even the beginning isn¡¯t easy, it seems,¡± said Chernov as he pulled out his bow.

    Belatedly, the other awakeners in the raiding party yanked their weapons out one by one and readied their skills.

    Su-hyeun watched them get ready and opened his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t spread out. Only advance while maintaining a defensive formation, please. Mister Chernov, stay in the rear-most position and snipe the apes up in the trees, please.¡±

    The English-speaking interpreter quickly translated what Su-hyeun said to the rest.

    He ordered them to maintain a defensive formation. Since Su-hyeun was the leader of the raiding party, there was no problem with him issuing commands, but his plan puzzled them somewhat.

    << Does he want us to respond in a passive manner? >>

    << How come? >>

    << He wants Mister Chernov¡¯s arrows to be the main method of attack? From this distance?? >>

    No matter how hard they thought about it, he was asking for an impossibility. Even then, they couldn¡¯t start the raid by going against their leader¡¯s orders. The raiding party consisted of pretty skilled awakeners, so they followed his commands and quickly formed a defensive formation.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Perfect.¡± Su-hyeun confirmed that they had followed his orders, and made his move. ¡°Well, then. Everyone, do your best to survive, okay?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Uh, uh??¡±

    ¡°H-hey??¡±

    [Leap.]

    Su-hyeun leaped upwards.

    All by himself.

    After giving them the order to survive by themselves, he must¡¯ve thought that it would be sufficient enough because he then immediately charged away.

    At the same time¡­.

    ¡°Come out.¡±

    Gya-ooong-!

    Miru emerged into the open air after ripping space apart. The red dragon let out a loud howl as it let Su-hyeun climb on its back.

    Swoooosh-

    Miru moved at lightning speed. The dungeon zoomed past as they charged at a carnivorous ape right in front of them, the monster using its tail wrapped around a tree branch to secure its footing.

    And then-

    Squeeze-

    Su-hyeun swung his fist powerfully.

    Ka-boom-!

    Miru¡¯s movement speed was added on top of the punch¡¯s already tremendous power. The carnivorous ape¡¯s head was instantly smashed into bloody bits and pieces.

    The untouched body, which sharply contrasted the head crushed like a block of tofu, fell to the ground, lifeless.

    It was exactly the same as before.

    << ¡­I couldn¡¯t sense his magical energy. >>

    Chernov, notching an arrow in order to provide assistance to Su-hyeun, became certain of it.

    << That¡­ was just a punch. >>

    Swiiiish-

    While riding on Miru, Su-hyeun continued to punch the carnivorous apes.

    The battle was pretty one-sided.

    He found no need to allocate his magical energy or stamina¡ªmovement was taken care of by riding on Miru¡¯s back, and he hadn¡¯t used one iota of magical energy so far to attack.

    Screech, screeeech-!

    Occasionally, carnivorous apes attacked the raiding party maintaining the defensive formation. The awakeners were lulled into thinking that the apes couldn¡¯t have been much of a threat after witnessing Su-hyeun massacring them, so their formation threatened to break in an instant.

    The deadliness of these apes¡¯ claws exceeded their expectations, and the power behind the attacks was considerably higher than expected as well, perhaps owing to the monsters¡¯ large physique.

    Pow-!

    An arrow Chernov fired left a huge hole in the middle of an ape¡¯s forehead.

    Thud-

    ¡°Everyone, be careful.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡±

    Chernov¡¯s ¡®recommendation¡¯ was met by a united reply from the raiding party.

    They almost lost someone by underestimating their enemies. If it weren¡¯t for Chernov¡¯s help, the formation would¡¯ve broken down beyond recovery.

    << These monsters are definitely not weak. >>

    Chernov stared at the dead carnivorous ape with a hole in its head.

    << This¡­ is a blue-colored dungeon. >>

    Bastards of such ferocity were appearing not as bosses but regular monsters. There were so many of them already, and they even knew how to sneak attack, as well.

    Eventually, Chernov¡¯s gaze shifted over to Su-hyeun, still flying around massacring the carnivorous apes.

    << And that¡­ is Kim Su-hyeun. >>

    Sure, he had fought the South Korean before, but this round of shock was on another dimension compared to the last time.

    Back then, he just thought Su-hyeun was amazing. But he didn¡¯t get this sense of unfathomable mysteriousness like right now. How could he kill these monsters without using any magical energy whatsoever?

    << Gordon Rohan must be gnashing his teeth, isn¡¯t he¡­ >>

    The interview Gordon Rohan did, the one where he said he¡¯d definitely defeat Su-hyeun, had already become the stuff of legend. Countless people were looking forward to a rematch with bated breath. Not to forget, both men were now tied to the same guild, as well. The whole world was deeply invested in the narrative of their rivalry.

    But Chernov could only shake his head after imagining the two men¡¯s potential rematch.

    << It¡¯s over already. >>

    The last Ranking Wars ended in Su-hyeun¡¯s victory. Outwardly, it was a close match, but the end result would be different during the next Ranking Wars.

    With an even bigger margin.

    * * *

    A day had passed since they entered the blue-colored dungeon.

    Su-hyeun blew off the head of the mid-boss ¡®mother¡¯ ape, and lightly shook his tired wrists.

    << This is problematic. >>

    A strength stat of 97.

    No doubt that was a marvelous numerical value. Not only that, but his strength stat would also rise further in the future, as well.

    That stat value allowed him to kill monsters with his bare hands. It was even possible to hunt the ¡®mother¡¯ ape that appeared as a mid-boss without spending any magical energy.

    But a glaring problem reared its head not too long afterward.

    << My stamina can¡¯t keep up. >>

    Despite how amazing his strength was, his body found it hard to withstand such a high stat for long.

    This was a somewhat different reaction from using magical energy. While one¡¯s magical power was supported by the magic count, one¡¯s strength needed to be supported by stamina, as it turned out.

    It was the same story for ¡®agility¡¯. No matter how quick you were, it¡¯d mean very little if your reflexes couldn¡¯t back you up.

    Every stat was closely linked to another stat.

    << Do I need to raise my stamina next? >>

    He was initially planning to increase the highest-efficiency stat, strength, first then move onto agility next. But now it seemed that he needed to raise his stamina stat to at least above 90 next time to solve this issue.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s current stamina was 83, the lowest out of all of his stats.

    << Still¡­ >>

    He stared at the huge corpse of the ¡®mother¡¯ ape collapsed on the ground and muttered to no one in particular. ¡°This isn¡¯t so bad.¡±

    Result-wise, his experiment was a success.

    At this rate, he couldn¡¯t wait to see the results waiting for him once he reached the three-digit mark.

    Meanwhile, the raiding party following behind Su-hyeun was looking at him as if he was an even bigger monster than these carnivorous apes.

    << Could he actually be the final boss? >>

    << Since he¡¯s not using any magical energy, maybe he¡¯s not even human¡­. >>

    << Why isn¡¯t he using his skills? Wait, maybe he can¡¯t? >>

    At first, he relied only on his fists, but, after a certain point, he unsheathed his sword. After that, he proceeded to cut down every monster in the forest in a simple, maybe even single-minded, manner.

    Even during this part of the raid, never mind his various skills, Su-hyeun still chose not to rely on his magical energy even once.

    At this point, every member of the raiding party became convinced of this one thing.

    << His base stats are on a different realm from us. >>

    From his strength to agility, as well as his reflexes. He had no real reason to rely on his magical powers or skills here. Just relying on his base stats alone were enough to do the job.

    After hunting the mid-boss ¡®mother¡¯ ape, Su-hyeun began advancing with the raiding party once more. It was around then that Chernov decided to walk over to his side and ask something.

    ¡°Are you deliberately fighting this way?¡±

    This was that one question the Russian didn¡¯t dare to ask lest it came across in a rude way. But he just couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity and had to utilize his less-than-stellar English skills to ask it.

    Su-hyeun replied. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get the hang of something new, actually.¡±

    ¡°Hang of¡­ something new?¡±

    ¡°My stats suddenly rose by a great deal recently, you see. That¡¯s why I thought it would be a good idea to get used to my current body before I challenge the next trial.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that this is just your adjustment period?¡±

    ¡°Well, you could put it that way, sure,¡± Su-hyeun answered, then began scanning his surroundings before continuing, ¡°Looks like they¡¯re really pissed off about their mother¡¯s death.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve all showed up at once.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Chernov hurriedly activated one of his skills.

    [Thousand Mile Eye.]

    His eyes turned blue before sweeping their surroundings. That allowed him to see hundreds of carnivorous apes rushing in from every direction.

    << T-this¡­ >>

    The incoming horde was inconceivably greater in numbers than the pockets of apes they had encountered up to this point.

    Chernov looked behind him and loudly shouted, ¡°Get in the defensive formation! Hurry up!!¡±

    The raiding party moved quickly to comply with his order. And, a short while later, carnivorous apes screeching and howling in rage rushed in from below and above the tall trees.

    Screech, kiiiiiieek-!

    Kkiiii-eeeehk-!

    The rage of the offspring that had lost their mother could be felt in their howls.

    Su-hyeun took a sweeping glance at them and muttered, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve just about gotten the hang of it, so¡­¡±

    He counted the number of ape monsters and pondered for a brief moment, before making up his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly and get out of here.¡±

    Split-

    The third eye opened up in his forehead, and Su-hyeun¡¯s magical power began to wake from its quiet slumber.

    [Predator.]

    [Flame.]

    [Indomitable Body.]

    RUUUUMBLE-

 Chapter 178

    Screech, kkiiieeek-

    The carnivorous apes madly rushing in from every direction suddenly changed their behavior. They began retreating fearfully, instead. It was as if they were deathly terrified by something.

    ¡°Hey, what the hell? What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re acting weird all of a sudden¡­¡±

    The members of the raiding party panicking at the horde of the ape monsters all looked over to Su-hyeun next.

    They saw the third eye in the middle of his forehead.

    Many, many awakeners possessed weird skills, so they didn¡¯t think of such a change as anything notable, but still, they all became acutely aware of Su-hyeun finally activating the ¡®skill¡¯ now.

    Not only that¡­

    << This concentration of magical energy, it¡­ >>

    << It¡¯s because of Kim Su-hyeun?? >>

    They quickly figured out that Su-hyeun was the reason why these carnivorous apes had gotten scared. Even then, this reaction from the monsters was definitely weird, to say the least.

    No matter how powerful he was, were these monsters were getting scared of a lone human being?

    When taking into consideration the vicious nature of these monsters that pounced fearlessly on humans even under the threat of imminent death, this was truly bizarre behavior, indeed.

    Rumble, ruuumble-

    Su-hyeun stepped forward while his entire body was enveloped in the divine Flame. And every time he took a step, the carnivorous apes shambled one step backward.

    The sight was so shocking that it went straight into the realm of pure disbelief. They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong-

    Miru answers Su-hyeun¡¯s call, currently circling around in the air above the group.

    ¡°Look after this side for me. Make sure no one dies, okay?¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    Miru replied energetically, as if to say, ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    At the same time-

    [Protective Barrier of the Dragon God.]

    [Blessing of the Dragon God.]

    [Reflect.]

    ¡°¡­Uh?¡±

    ¡°Buffs?¡±

    ¡°Did that dragon just cast buffs on us?¡±

    The members of the raiding party looked confused as buff effect messages rose up, one after the other, along with a transparent barrier that surrounded them.

    They all thought Miru was simply a for-flight only divine beast, so they didn¡¯t expect the red dragon to use these sorts of buffs and defensive skills, too.

    << Are all these just to protect us? >>

    Chernov realized that all of Miru¡¯s skills were aimed primarily at the raiding party, including himself. Meaning, Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t accept anyone dying on his watch.

    << Kim Su-hyeun has finally begun using his skills. >>

    Chernov was really looking forward to seeing the display the South Korean would put on.

    << In that case, we should also show our gratitude, too. >>

    There was no need to interfere in Su-hyeun¡¯s battles by taking excessive, unnecessary actions. He must¡¯ve chosen to act now because he felt fully confident of sweeping away all these ape monsters all by himself, after all.

    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t break out of the defensive formation. Just provide your support from a distance. The close-quarter combatants will focus on blocking the carnivorous apes that close in on our position, while those capable of long-distance support will attack the monsters in the opposite direction to Kim Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Everyone! Let¡¯s¡­.¡±

    [Dragon Slaying Spear.]

    [Flame.]

    Chwa-rurururuk-

    Stab! Stab, staaab, staaaaab-!

    Kkiiii-aaaaahk-!

    Right at that moment, the rain of fire permeated with the divine Flame descended ruthlessly on the group of carnivorous apes gathered in one direction. The huge trees fell powerlessly, while the apes nearby were set alight with blue fire, numerous stab wounds riddling their bodies. In an instant, dozens upon dozens of monsters were killed off.

    ¡°S-son of a¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    They couldn¡¯t even express their intense shock this time.

    The awakeners in the raiding party just looked on, their jaws dropped to the floor at the sight of the terrain transforming as countless giant trees fell.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun was holding yet another spear, one of the three that used to be tied to his back. He was thinking of using them all when he brought the spears along, so he was unhesitant about using them.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear.]

    Chwa-ruk, chwa-rarararahk-!

    Stab! Staaaaab-

    The spear, splitting apart into tens of thousands of fragments, swept past his front once more.

    Having finished throwing his spear, Su-hyeun clenched and unfurled his fist repeatedly while muttering to himself. ¡°Not bad.¡±

    Punching and swinging a sword around weren¡¯t the whole story. The biggest area impacted by his enhanced strength stat was precisely this, throwing spears.

    The muscles on his lower body, his back, and his arm required to throw a spear had all been strengthened now. Thanks to that, the power now carried in the spear had doubled. Of course, it also became that much harder to aim at his targets compared to the past.

    << Still, it won¡¯t take too long to get used to it. >>

    Su-hyeun decided to save the last spear for later. He gripped his sword and rushed into the remaining carnivorous apes.

    [Leap.]

    Swiiish-

    The ape monsters witnessed Su-hyeun¡¯s rapid movement and tried to retreat again.

    But then, right at that moment¡­

    [Provocation.]

    The ¡®Provocation¡¯ skill, opposite in nature to the ¡®Predator¡¯ skill, was activated, instead.

    The apes trying to run away suddenly came to a halt. And, in that brief opening, Su-hyeun¡¯s blade coldly flashed in the light.

    Slice-

    Splaaaash-!

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t stop running, simply sliced apart the mid-riffs of several ape monsters with one horizontal strike.

    Other carnivorous apes got caught by the provocation and pounced at him. And, just before the claws of those monsters reached his back, Su-hyeun spun on his heels.

    Crack-!

    Kkiiii-eeehk-!

    His fist swung while his body spun, it collided against the ape¡¯s hand, and utterly crushed it. As the monster rolled around on the ground, holding onto its destroyed hand, Su-hyeun¡¯s blade flew.

    Sliiice-!

    Ruuumble-!

    After chopping one carnivorous ape apart, Su-hyeun draped himself with the divine Flame once more. The ape monsters rushing in from all directions froze in their tracks again, just like that.

    His figure, now hidden within the blue flames, suddenly reappeared within the gathered masses of the carnivorous apes.

    Slice, sliiiice-

    Splaaash-!

    And so, an indiscriminate massacre against hundreds of carnivorous apes commenced in this bloody fashion.

    <hr />

    Sizzle, crumble-

    Ruuumble-

    The navy-blue flames showed no signs of going out as they burned on the trunks of the humongous trees. The flames then transferred to the corpses of the carnivorous apes littering the ground and created rising plumes of revolting stench.

    The members of the raiding party witnessing the scene all had utterly fed-up expressions.

    << This¡­ this is Kim Su-hyeun. >>

    Dmitri, who had expressed doubt over Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities earlier, hastily gulped his saliva down.

    << This is no goddamn joke, man! >>

    Everyone was thinking and feeling the same thing¡ªtheir own insignificance compared to Su-hyeun, and then, a sense of awe.

    They hadn¡¯t even lifted a finger, but all those countless carnivorous ape monsters were already rolling around on the ground as burning corpses.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities once he started using his magical energy were on another realm compared to before.

    Chernov¡¯s skillset was somewhat better than other awakeners in the raiding party, so he was able to confirm Su-hyeun¡¯s utilization of his various skills.

    << I¡¯m not sure what kind of skills those were, but he perfectly alternated between a fear-type skill and a provocation one. >>

    The ¡®Predator¡¯ and ¡®Provocation¡¯ skills were wildly different in how they should be applied since they were the polar opposites of each other.

    The ¡®Predator¡¯ belonging to the fear-type skill category, and caused the carnivorous apes to get scared and try to escape in a hurry. On the other hand, ¡®Provocation¡¯ caused the aggressive nature of these ape monsters to focus on the skill user.

    Two skills on the opposite ends, used one after the other in the blink of an eye, and the ape monsters fell into confusion as a result. And that momentary confusion froze their agile movements.

    Simple, but undeniably effective. What¡¯s even more surprising was the massive area-of-effect attack from the throwing spears.

    << He¡¯s supposed to have raided a blue-colored dungeon all by himself¡­ >>

    Just hearing the story didn¡¯t make it easy to picture the scene, but, having witnessed Su-hyeun¡¯s power personally, Chernov now could tell that it was all true.

    Su-hyeun definitely possessed enough talent to do it.

    Su-hyeun got rid of most of the carnivorous apes, approached the raiding party still maintaining the defensive formation, and asked them, ¡°Is anyone hurt?¡±

    Who should really be asking that question to whom, though?

    He belatedly realized that point and smiled in slight embarrassment, before trying to change the subject. ¡°If you¡¯re all fine, let¡¯s get going right away. I¡¯m planning to move a bit faster from now on.¡±

    << This wasn¡¯t you moving fast?? >>

    << Just how much faster are you planning to go¡­? >>

    The raiding party members had been thinking that he was already moving really quickly until now, so they all ended up shaking their heads helplessly.

    They knew now that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t one to make empty claims.

    Su-hyeun was planning to use his magical energy from this point onward and raid the dungeon a little faster than before.

    << This won¡¯t even take two days. >>

    Chernov had been thinking to himself that the raid this time could very well last several days, no matter how quickly they moved, with the scale of this dungeon being what it was.

    Unfortunately for the Russian S-Rank, though, Su-hyeun¡¯s hunting method was way beyond anything he could understand.

    <hr />

    [Provocation.]

    [Provocation.]

    [Provocation.]

    [¡­]

    Swiiiiish-

    Su-hyeun, riding on Miru¡¯s back, darted freely around in the forest.

    What he did during that time was rather simple¡ªhe continued to activate the ¡®Provocation¡¯ skill and attracted just about every monster hiding in the forest.

    It was totally dumbfounding.

    Every other raiding party would do their absolute best to avoid having many monsters gather in one spot, yet here was Su-hyeun, deliberately scattering the ¡®provocation¡¯ skill in a wide area to summon the monsters to him, instead.

    And, once hundreds upon hundreds of monsters showed up, he¡¯d begin his hunting in earnest.

    << What kind of simple-minded¡­..?! >>

    This was so flabbergasting that the raiding party was rendered utterly speechless.

    They did think this method was rather foolhardy, but still couldn¡¯t deny the fact that this might indeed be the most efficient method after seeing Su-hyeun¡¯s fighting capabilities.

    << Is this what he meant by ¡®moving faster¡¯? >>

    A hunting style akin to ¡®battue¡¯ that utilized a flying divine beast and a provocation skill. Now, normally, such a method was only possible within a computer game. Sure, ¡®battue¡¯ was undeniably fast and efficient, but great danger came along with its usefulness, as well.

    In games, you could restart after dying, but there was no ¡®reset¡¯ button in real life. When you died, that¡¯d be it.

    Despite all that, his still going through with ¡®battue¡¯ meant¡­

    << He¡¯s that confident in himself. >>

    Confident that things wouldn¡¯t get too dangerous for him.

    In reality, Su-hyeun only gathered monsters up to a certain point and no more than that. He always stuck to his limits and never exceeded them. And the divine beast Miru¡¯s job was to protect the raiding party from the gathered horde of monsters.

    Half a day. That was how much time they needed to search through every nook and cranny of this massive forest-type dungeon and kill every monster hidden within.

    The raiding party didn¡¯t have a much of a need to take a break, other than getting some quick shut-eye as the raid on the blue-colored dungeon continued around them.

    Eventually¡­

    ¡°That thing over there¡­ must be the boss,¡± said Chernov, pointing at the stone statue of a monkey with its eyes closed, visible in between the gaps of the tall trees in the distance.

    At a casual glance, the statue, which looked to have been carved out of a bolder, looked like nothing more than some garden ornament. But, judging from its eyes slowly opening, the statue was no ordinary artwork.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s discovered us. Should we attack it first?¡±

    Chernov¡¯s question was answered by Su-hyeun shaking his head.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Should we wait, then?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    The reply came about a couple of beats later.

    Chernov studied Su-hyeun¡¯s expression. The latter seemed rather serious this time.

    << I was wondering, since the monkeys showed up en masse, but this¡­ >>

    The Roc-key.

    Su-hyeun has thought that the damn thing might appear as the boss of this dungeon. But now that he actually confirmed it with his own eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but worry about the folks accompanying him.

    ¡°From now on¡­¡± He turned back to the raiding party and addressed them. ¡°Everyone excluding Mister Chernov must evacuate to a distance of three kilometers.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­¡±

    The raiding party members hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s new order all looked surprised.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun tasked Chernov with taking care of the aftermath, then pulled out the spear from his back¡ªthe sole remaining spear he hadn¡¯t used until now.

    Chernov saw this scene and belatedly realized that something was off.

    << Now that I think about it, why did he conserve the spear until now? >>

 Chapter 179

    Act 2

    At a casual glance, the spear looked rather ordinary. But, compared to the two Su-hyeun threw earlier, it looked different.

    Where the previous two had cracks akin to the lines on a turtle¡¯s shell running in their shafts, so that they could split apart and fall like raindrops, this one was smooth and straight like a line.

    << Was I mistaken? >>

    Chernov wondered if he should blame his over sensitivity on not getting a good enough look. He soon took his gaze away from Su-hyeun¡¯s spear and issued another command to the raiding party, ¡°From now on, all of you will get to the distance of at least three kilometers away from that stone monkey thing! Hurry up!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You want us to run away?¡±

    ¡°Stop making noise and be quick about it! Explanations later.¡±

    The raiding party hesitated slightly at the Russian S-Rank¡¯s order, but soon began distancing themselves. And, like that, the only two people remaining in the spot were Su-hyeun and Chernov, all alone.

    Su-hyeun observed the Roc-key in the distance looking back at the two humans with its stony eyes.

    Chernov gulped nervously.

    << That thing must¡¯ve spotted us by now, so why¡­. >>

    It had already been several minutes since the giant Roc-key had discovered the humans¡¯ presence. Yet the monster was quietly, patiently waiting. That sight sent an even bigger wave of chills down the Russian¡¯s back.

    << That monster is different from the others. >>

    The majority of monsters were uncontrollably aggressive. They always attacked as soon as they spotted humans, and, at times, even attacked their fellow monsters as well.

    A calm monster like that? He couldn¡¯t even imagine it.

    The air it gave off wasn¡¯t that of a monster, but maybe the god of all apes.

    Gulp-

    Chernov gulped back his dry saliva at the sense of presence the Roc-key gave off, which felt much larger than what his eyes were seeing.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to get nervous like that. I¡¯d like you to focus on hitting it properly just one time please,¡± said Su-hyeun as he stepped forward while carrying a sword in one hand while the spear in the other. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest afterward.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    Chernov sucked in his breath and pulled out his bow. He nocked three arrows. As magical energies of differing attributes permeated the individual arrows, he narrowed his eyes to slits.

    Then, he slowly took aim. Those three arrows were basically all he had done during this raid.

    << Patience. >>

    The tautly-stretched bow was now pointed in the Roc-key¡¯s direction.

    Step-

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun left Chernov behind and walked over to the giant stone monkey.

    The Roc-key¡¯s gaze lowered to the ground. The figure of the stone monster as it stared at the approaching Su-hyeun looked slow and dull-witted to match its huge physique.

    But¡­

    ¡°Hey, you piece of rock.¡±

    Su-hyeun was well aware of the thing¡¯s true nature.

    ¡°Hurry up and come at me already.¡±

    Keu-geuk, creeeak-

    When Su-hyeun beckoned at it with his finger, the Roc-key slowly began rising up. Its bent knees and back straightened. The stone monster stood fully upright to reveal its full height, well over ten meters.

    And then¡­

    Gu-uh-uhhhhhk-!

    BOOM-!

    With a roar, the Roc-key leaped up high into the air.

    Swooooosh-

    KWA-BOOOOM-!

    The jumping Roc-key landed back on the ground. It was thinking of using the momentum from its fall to crush Su-hyeun with its two hard feet in one go.

    Unfortunately, it was all in vain.

    Pahk, pa-pahk-

    Swiiiish-

    Su-hyeun easily dodged the attack and he leaped up several times in a row.

    His movements with the ¡®Leap¡¯ skill were truly agile. But the Roc-key was just as agile as he was.

    Thud-

    Swiiiing-

    The Roc-key climbed up using the surrounding trees and its tail viciously whipped toward Su-hyeun.

    CRACK-!

    He swung his sword powerfully while twisting his back. The sword and the stone monster¡¯s tail clashed loudly. The appendage and the weapon bounced away in opposite directions.

    A crimson light exploded out from the Roc-key¡¯s eyes as it let out yet another roar.

    Gu-uh-uhhhhhk-!

    Boom, bang-

    Crack-!

    Su-hyeun followed suit and stood on the tree¡¯s branch and, soon afterward, a flurry of attacks and defenses unfolded. The punches of the Roc-key shattered the giant trees like pieces of toothpicks, while the ground was deeply gouged out.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s ability to defend against such heavy punches with just his sword was indeed remarkable, but Chernov was feeling even more spooked after seeing what the Roc-key could do.

    << That¡­ is the boss of a blue-colored dungeon? >>

    To think that such a big physique could be so agile in its movements, too.

    Not only that, the monster even climbed and darted around these humongous trees and engaged in an aerial dog fight, too. If such a monster managed to dig in among the raiding party, then even if the awakeners maintained a defensive formation, a dozen-plus would¡¯ve lost their lives in one breath.

    << It¡¯s not easy to aim at all. >>

    Cold sweat trickled down Chernov as he aimed the sharp arrow tips at the Roc-key.

    What would happen if this one shot missed, and the Roc-key turned its attention on him, instead? Just imagining it sent chills down his back. Moreover, if he made a mistake and the arrows ended up flying toward Su-hyeun, that would be even worse.

    << No. I will hit my target. I must. >>

    Chernov¡¯s arrows now pointed above the tall trees, where there was nothing but air. His view widened and he took in everything in his surroundings. And then, the moment he let go of the tautly-stretched string¡­

    Paaaang-

    Whoooosh-!

    Three arrows powerfully pierced the air and flew forward.

    Stab, staaab-!

    Giii-aaaahk-!

    The Roc-key jumped in the way at the perfect moment¡ªtwo arrows pierced the monster¡¯s legs, while the last one stabbed the thick branch the creature stepped on.

    After arrows struck both of its legs, the Roc-key momentarily lost its balance, before it spun its head towards the Russian S-Rank.

    Shudder-

    Chernov met the Roc-key¡¯s crimson glare and felt another round of chills run down his spine.

    But, in that brief window of opportunity¡­.

    Pah-shuk, shu-shushushu-

    Su-hyeun rose above the Roc-key¡¯s head and got into a position to throw the spear.

    ¡°Now this is perfect.¡±

    His back bent greatly, and magical energy began gathering at the end of the spear.

    [Wave Spear- Explosion Style.]

    Kwa, kwaaaaah-!

    A massive amount of magical energy gathered on the spear¡¯s tip, amplified several times over, and began spinning viciously.

    Right after that, the spear left his hand. Instead of splitting apart like the regular Dragon Slaying Spear, the magical energy gathered in the spear tip spun even more powerfully as it concentrated on a single point.

    Chernov managed to catch the moment when the spear left Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    FLASH-

    And then, in an instant, everything before his eyes was bathed in white light. The Russian reflexively shielded his eyes with his hand. The blinding flash of light was one thing, but he simply couldn¡¯t see anything at all.

    << Just what the hell is¡­ >>

    A short while later, his vision was finally restored and¡­.

    Boom-

    << ¡­Uh? >>

    What Chernov¡¯s eyes saw next was the sight of the Roc-key crashing to the ground with a huge hole in its chest.

    * * *

    Step, step-

    Su-hyeun picked up the spear resting beneath the corpse of the Roc-key.

    The tip of the weapon was completely shredded. It seemed that the weapon was unable to withstand the level of magical energy the ¡®Explosion Style¡¯ skill contained.

    << Looks like two hits will be its limit. >>

    There was a clear limit to how much the spear¡¯s durability could endure with this much destructive power extracted from it.

    A regular spear couldn¡¯t endure the ¡®Explosion Style¡¯ skill¡¯s explosive power at all. Even Balmung wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the skill if it wasn¡¯t for the combination of adamantium and the highest-grade Ether stones.

    << Still, the power alone is nothing to scoff at. >>

    The Dragon Slaying Spear, the one-time throwing weapon that Su-hyeun had frequently relied on for a long time. Not only was it possible to attack a huge area when the spear split apart into tens of thousands of fragments, but it was also capable of displaying a great destructive power even with a small amount of magical energy used.

    But, from a certain point, Su-hyeun began thinking that it was a waste.

    << For sure, it¡¯s a bit of a waste to use a Dragon Slaying Spear on a single target. >>

    That was the crux of the issue he¡¯d been thinking about for a while now. Nothing was better than this spear when facing off against multiple enemies, but there was a sense of wasting the weapon when using it against a single entity like a boss monster,

    It was the same story when fighting against a large enemy like this Roc-key. The power would fall short since the spear had to split into tens of thousands of fragments.

    Bosses boasted fundamentally incredible regenerative abilities more often than not. So, it was more important to land one powerful hit rather than consecutive hits like with the Dragon Slaying Spear.

    That¡¯s why he asked Kim Dae-ho for a favor. To craft a spear that wouldn¡¯t get shredded apart even when he used the ¡®Explosion Style¡¯ skill.

    And, having witnessed the thing¡¯s firepower, Su-hyeun became certain of what to do next.

    << I need adamantium. >>

    ¡®Adamantium¡¯. The hardest and most durable metal in the world, plus possessing the unique trait of constantly wanting to return to its original form. Because of those qualities, it took a long time to refine, but no other metal suited the ¡®Explosion Style¡¯ skill as perfectly as adamantium did.

    He had confirmed the destructive power. Compared to a Dragon Slaying Spear being used against a single enemy, a sturdy spear with the ¡®Explosion Style¡¯ skill applied to it produced a much greater destructive power.

    This should be more effective when hunting Fafnir down.

    Chernov spoke first. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Are you injured anywhere¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Besides all that, looks like there¡¯s our exit.¡±

    Su-hyeun pointed at the cliff face that the Roc-key had been obscuring until now. A small cave with a blue-colored haze spread all over its interior was indeed the exit of this dungeon.

    << Adamantium. Adamantium, is it¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun had a bit of a dilemma, before shifting his gaze back to the path he walked on in this dungeon and thought to himself.

    << All of these, I wonder how much they¡¯ll be. >>

    From the Ether stones about to be extracted from a blue-colored dungeon to the commission he¡¯d receive by resolving this particular request¡­

    For the first time ever, Su-hyeun was getting interested in money.

    * * *

    The mayor of Moscow, David Sobyanin, hurriedly paid Su-hyeun the commission fee. There was no problem in paying right now, since he had taken the amount from the budget under the assumption that the request would be successful.

    Of course, he was still shocked by how unexpectedly quick the raid was. But, the raid had definitely been completed, at least according to the testimonies of the raiding party that accompanied Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed it if I didn¡¯t get to see with my own eyes, mister mayor. Actually, he wasn¡¯t even planning to move quickly in the beginning, sir.¡±

    One and a half days. That was how long it took to raid this blue-colored dungeon. Not only that, Su-hyeun moved around without using any magical energy during the first day. The reason why he sought out a blue-colored dungeon in the first place was to experiment with his newly-acquired strength stat and his spears.

    If it weren¡¯t for that reason, he¡¯d have further decreased the first day to only a half-day, instead.

    After confirming that his commission had been deposited, Su-hyeun climbed aboard his private jet and flew back to South Korea.

    And immediately headed to Gangnam district.

    * * *

    The Ether stone auction house situated near the Gangnam Station:

    The auction house had grown in scale in recent times, allowing them to auction not just Ether stones but even various items with Ether stones mixed in them, as well.

    ¡°S-section chief!¡±

    The section chief of this very auction house, Lee Kyeong-jong, grimaced at his subordinate¡¯s unsightly behavior as he ran straight into the office. Even if the matter at hand was urgent, to think that he¡¯d barge in without even knocking once. More than anything, the customers outside were getting a full view of them right now.

    ¡°Customers are looking at us. Stop making a ruckus and come inside.¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not me who should be coming in, but you should be coming out right now, sir.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun has arrived, sir. To do a transaction with us, sir.¡±

    Push-

    That was enough to prompt Lee Kyeong-jong to shove back his chair, shoot up to his feet like his subordinate and cry out in an urgent voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Hurry!¡±

    With his subordinate leading the way, Lee Kyeong-jong urgently rushed toward the reception room. He was half-running out of the urgency in his heart, and could only barely tidy up his clothing before sucking in a deep breath.

    He hadn¡¯t felt this tense ever since jumping into the Ether stone auction business.

    << He¡¯s a big customer. Never mind the money, this is a chance to advertise the name of our auction house throughout the world. >>

    Lee Kyeong-jong calmed his harried breathing and knocked on the door.

    Knock, knock-

    ¡°Please pardon my intrusion.¡±

    Creak-

    Lee Kyeong-jong cautiously opened the door and entered the reception room, and his eyes caught the face of Su-hyeun, currently sitting near a table with a cup of coffee resting on it.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°B-back then¡­.¡±

    Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s face brightened instantly. He had been deeply tense until now, but, well, he could definitely recall that face. That awakener who showed up with a large quantity of Ether stones long ago¡ªhe was none other than Kim Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I¡¯m still very shocked, sir. Who would¡¯ve known that the customer back then was you, Mister Kim Su-hyeun¡­.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I write my name on the contract documents, though?¡±

    ¡°Hahah, you¡¯re such a huge name nowadays, sir. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if you just happen to share the same name,¡± Lee Kyeong-jong said with a soft smile as he cautiously observed Su-hyeun¡¯s moods.

    He had dealt with many types of people in the course of his work. Unless it was someone with a completely emotionless face, Lee Kyeong-jong wouldn¡¯t find it hard to figure out just who he was currently dealing with.

    In his estimation, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t the type to enjoy beating around the bush.

    ¡°Sir, what brings you to our establishment today? Is it perhaps to entrust us again with the auctioning of your Ether stones?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s question.

    ¡°Yes, there is that, but also¡­.¡± He certainly had an overwhelming amount of Ether stones with him, but the main reason was something else. ¡°There¡¯s an item I¡¯d like you to find for me.¡±

 Chapter 180

    After hearing Su-hyeun out, Lee Kyeong-jong realized why he had come there.

    The auction house in Gangnam became prosperous after it started dealing in various items and not just Ether stones. Sometimes the company also accepted requests from customers looking for something and sourced it for them as well.

    Su-hyeun was in need of precisely such services.

    ¡°What¡¯s the item you¡¯re searching for, sir? We guarantee that we can source most goods in a few days.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s adamantium.¡±

    ¡°Aha, adamantium, is it¡­ Excuse me?¡± Lee Kyeong-jong jotting down the name of the requested item jumped up in surprise and dropped the notepad. ¡°M-my apologies, sir. Did I¡­ hear you correctly, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did hear correctly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re fully aware of what kind of an item that is, so¡­.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much it costs. Actually, since it¡¯s not available for sale, I don¡¯t even have a clue how much it will cost. You can use my name when sourcing the item, however.¡±

    Su-hyeun was aware of the value his name carried.

    Adamantium wasn¡¯t something you could get your hands on simply because you had a lot of money. Those who usually possessed the metal weren¡¯t really strapped for cash, after all.

    So then¡ªmoney and fame. Only by possessing both prerequisites were you qualified to buy ¡®adamantium¡¯.

    ¡°In that case, the total amount¡­ No, wait. Can you tell me the maximum amount you¡¯re willing to spend? I¡¯m not certain if the goods can be sourced, but the potential quantity can be estimated by the available budget.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have much ready cash, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun pulled his phone out from the pocket and displayed its screen. ¡°But, I have this many Ether stones.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Lee Kyeong-jon¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor.

    It was an incredible number, containing everything from high, mid to low-grade stones. Below it was the amount of available cash, and, despite Su-hyeun¡¯s claim that he didn¡¯t have much, it was still a considerable sum.

    It was the result of almost-solo raiding two blue-colored dungeons, plus the commission from Moscow, as well.

    << With this much¡­ >>

    No ¡®regular¡¯ amount of money could buy you adamantium. But, at least with this amount, there was more than a small possibility of acquiring some.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find out for you right away,¡± replied Lee Kyeong-jong.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Su-hyeun grinned back. ¡®Finding out¡¯ meant that there was a chance.

    << I can always make more money later, so¡­ >>

    Money was never the biggest factor in Su-hyeun¡¯s view.

    After all, getting serious and raiding a few more dungeons would allow him to earn as much as what he currently had in a short period, anyway. Not to forget, once the Paragon¡¯s mercenary guild business takes off, the wealth he had managed to amass up until now would end up feeling like pocket change in comparison.

    <hr />

    Around the time he was about to clear the 41st floor¡¯s trial, messages arrived from Lee Kyeong-jong.

    [Adamantium has been found, dear customer. However¡­ the owner expressed their wish to sell it via auction only. As a result, we have no choice but to proceed with the auction. I ask for your understanding in this matter.]

    [And also, the goods¡­ weigh a bit, as well. I¡¯m not certain if the budget you¡¯ve entrusted me with will be enough to purchase the goods, sir.]

    The messages showed up a fortnight after the initial request was made. The start of the auction was in three days. A photograph accompanied the messages.

    It contained a picture of an adamantium ore the size of an adult male¡¯s palm. Not many things could surprise Su-hyeun, but, at least right now, he was quite stunned by what he could see.

    << This¡­. >>

    The quantity was a lot more than he expected. And he was certain about this other thing, too.

    << It¡¯s the same ore as back when the original Balmung was created. >>

    Indeed, it was the very same ore that the master craftsman Kim Dae-ho spent his entire fortune saved up to that point in his life to acquire in the distant future. Su-hyeun had seen it before, and that¡¯s why he felt so sure about this.

    << But, why is this thing already out on the market? >>

    The metal¡¯s rarity meant that, originally, it only showed up as the world neared its destruction. The person who owned the ore was one of the five wealthiest individuals in the world, someone who certainly didn¡¯t lack for money.

    << Is it because of me? >>

    He thought that, indeed, this might be the case.

    Su-hyeun pondered it deeply but eventually shook his head. He didn¡¯t know the full story, but regardless of all that, the item becoming available was something to be celebrated, that was for sure.

    Of course, there was a problem, as well.

    << Will I be able to buy it, though? >>

    The ore¡¯s monetary value was incalculable. Adamantium was so valuable, it was rarely ever sold. It didn¡¯t matter how much Su-hyeun had in the bank, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could win the bidding war or not.

    << ¡­.I don¡¯t have a choice, do I? >>

    Su-hyeun closed the messages from Lee Kyeong-jong and accessed his list of contacts. He found a phone number he had gotten not too long ago and called it.

    ¡°Hello? Hi, been a while. Yes. Ah, actually, I¡¯d like to ask you for a favor, you see.¡±

    <hr />

    [Gangnam¡¯s XX Ether stone auction house, puts up adamantium for auction?]

    [What¡¯s adamantium? Awakener Jung Yoon-ho, the greatest metal on Earth! Impossible to attach monetary value to¡­.]

    [Section Chief Lee Kyeong-jong, ¡®The owner of this item has already been decided¡­¡¯]

    The auction day.

    The days were getting gradually warmer around this time of the year. But the atmosphere within the auction house was boiling, far hotter than the temperature outside.

    ¡°Son of a b*tch, why are there so many people here today?¡±

    Lee Kyeong-jong muttered to himself as he dabbed the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief. Of course, there was a wide smile plastered on his lips, a stark contrast to his complaining words.

    Countless awakeners and wealthy elites famed for their pretty deep pockets all flocked to today¡¯s auction due to their common interest in the adamantium.

    Through this event, not only could the auction house advertise itself, it was now in an ideal position to make a killing on the commission of every item sold.

    << Now, the only problem is whether or not Kim Su-hyeun can purchase an item of such a magnitude¡­. >>

    The adamantium¡¯s current owner had been found. And, after Su-hyeun¡¯s name was brought up as instructed, the owner became quite willing to part with the item in question.

    << A fan, was it? >>

    The owner claimed to be Su-hyeun¡¯s fan. Ever since the Ranking Wars, apparently. Not only that, but the owner also claimed to have a hobby of collecting various items awakeners used, as well.

    A so-called ¡®collector¡¯. Such an individual said they were Su-hyeun¡¯s fan.

    << If that was the case, why not just hand it over, then? >>

    Unfortunately, the owner didn¡¯t seem interested in handing over the adamantium, despite being a fan of Su-hyeun. Well, if that individual was easy-going like that, then they wouldn¡¯t have become such a successful business person in the first place.

    Rather than handing over the adamantium, the owner wanted the kind of compensation that matched the ore¡¯s value, instead. And that¡¯s why the metal found itself at auction, and, through the media, people interested in taking part in the proceedings had gathered here.

    << Dealing with the aftermath will be a problem. >>

    Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s thoughts darkened and he began massaging his head.

    The reason why he searched for the adamantium ore was because of Su-hyeun¡¯s request. But, at this rate, the metal might end up in the hands of an unintended recipient.

    In the very same auction house where Su-hyeun personally came to make the request, no less.

    Lee Kyeong-jong was too ashamed to even face Su-hyeun right now. This whole thing made it look like the auction house deliberately used the S-Rank¡¯s fame to make a killing today.

    Knock, knock-

    ¡°Section Chief? The auction is about to get underway, sir.¡±

    Lee Kyeong-jong heard the voice coming from outside the door and sighed grandly. No matter what, the auction had to take place.

    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m coming.¡±

    Slide-

    Lee Kyeong-jong pushed the chair back and stood up, then headed to the auction floor located underground.

    The adamantium ore was scheduled to appear as the final item of the auction.

    <hr />

    Along with Su-hyeun, Lee Ju-ho was currently leaning against the corner of the auction house. Despite his busy administration work, the latter still decided to take the time to come there today. He checked the time on his wristwatch and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Looks like things are about to get underway. Is it fine for you to not go inside?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to show up last anyway, you know. I have some leeway, about an hour or so.¡±

    Su-hyeun too was paying attention to the passing time as well. He looked a little anxious from the way he had his arms crossed, his fingers drumming on his elbow.

    Lee Ju-ho thought that this was his first time seeing Su-hyeun this anxious.

    The older man continued, ¡°We should¡¯ve saved more money in the past or something. I mean, if we can¡¯t spend on a day like this one, when can we?¡±

    ¡°But some chump change won¡¯t make much difference in this case, though.¡±

    ¡°How much do you have, anyway? Surely, it must be a lot after raiding that blue-colored dungeon in Moscow not too long ago.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel too confident with only that much, you know. There are plenty of folks with lots of money in this world, after all.¡±

    Adamantium wasn¡¯t an item you could purchase simply because you had money. Literally and figuratively, it was an item that could not be bought.

    You couldn¡¯t acquire it unless the person possessing it decided to sell it. That¡¯s why you simply had to buy it when an opportunity like this came around.

    More importantly, the quantity of adamantium put up for auction this time was greater than any other time Su-hyeun could remember. With such a quantity, there should be enough of a leftover even after the weapon he wanted was crafted.

    << I can make uncle¡¯s wishes come true. >>

    Kim Dae-ho in the previous timeline spent his entire life saving to purchase the adamantium ore, yet he readily offered it up to Su-hyeun.

    There was this one item the blacksmith wished to craft, yet failed to do in the previous timeline, and in this lifetime so far. This was the chance to make Kim Dae-ho¡¯s wish, his dream of crafting a god¡¯s hammer, come true.

    << I¡¯ll definitely purchase it. >>

    Venomous determination filled up Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    Lee Ju-ho saw the light emanating from his eyes and relaxed a little.

    << I guess it won¡¯t be a problem. >>

    Now that Su-hyeun was making that sort of expression, there was very little chance that what he wished to achieve wouldn¡¯t come to pass.

    ¡°By the way, why aren¡¯t you inside the venue waiting for your thing? I thought you¡¯d be inside by now,¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°He should be here in a short while. He¡¯s running rather late, you see.¡±

    Su-hyeun seemed a bit ticked off for a while now, but as it turned out, his mood was related to this mystery person not being here yet.

    He repeatedly checked his wristwatch before opening his mouth abruptly. ¡°There he is.¡±

    <hr />

    ¡°And, the work of Geneva, the master craftsman, the Phantom Sword, sold for $10 million!¡±

    Clap, clap, clap-

    Applause rang out all over the venue after Lee Kyeong-jong made the announcement. The winning bidder, now the new owner of the sword, waved his hand with a bright smile etched on his face. On the other hand, Lee Kyeong-jong¡¯s innards were figuratively burning away.

    << The prices of the items are going for much lower than expected. >>

    More than half of everyone gathered here were wealthy oligarchs wanting to buy the adamantium ore. On top of that, there were many S-Rank and A-Rank awakeners present as well. But every single one of these people was doing their best to conserve their money, waiting for the last item of the auction to show up.

    << For work of Geneva to only fetch ten million¡­. >>

    The master craftsman, Geneva¡ªfamed for refining Ether stones to craft various equipment.

    Even a piece of equipment made without much care easily fetched several hundreds of thousands of dollars. He became one of the wealthiest people in the world through his Ether stone refining business.

    << And we were anticipating a big number for the sword, too. >>

    On any other occasion, Geneva¡¯s work appearing in an auction would¡¯ve raised a considerable commotion. An item of such quality would¡¯ve easily ranked as legendary, even among all the items put up for auction this time, after all.

    So, the Phantom Sword only managing to fetch ten million dollars was indeed a lamentable event. Lee Kyeong-jong had predicted that the sword¡¯s appraised value would be well over $1.3 million, at the very least.

    << That just goes to show how incredible the next item actually is. >>

    It was then, the item covered in a sheet was wheeled out from the side.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the final lot of this auction. I believe that all of you have been paying a great deal of attention to this particular item.¡±

    There was no need for a showy introduction.

    Flap-

    Lee Kyeong-jong pulled back the sheet and shouted, ¡°Here it is, the adamantium ore! Its weight, 8.76 kilograms! This is the largest quantity of adamantium ever put up for auction anywhere! The bidding will be in Korean currency, starting from 10,000,000,000 Won!¡±

    His loud voice initiated a cacophony of even louder calls to explode out from all over the venue.

    ¡°Ten billion Won!¡±

    ¡°Fifteen!¡±

    ¡°Twenty!¡±

    ¡°Twenty-one!!¡±

    ¡°Twenty-two!¡±

    The bidding jumped up by one, two billion each time it was called¡ªas if such an amount of money meant nothing to them.

    << Leaders of global conglomerates, S-Rank awakeners from many nations¡­ Yes, now this is what I¡¯m talking about. >>

    Lee Kyeong-jong swept his gaze over the participants of this auction.

    << But then, where¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun¡­.? >>

    ¡°Fifty billion Won.¡±

    It was then, a voice cut through the clamor, clear enough for everyone to hear.

    The bidding amount doubled in an instant. Lee Kyeong-jong, searching for Su-hyeun, was surprised by the call and quickly shifted his gaze to the owner of the voice.

    And in that location was¡­

    ¡°G-Gordon Rohan?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s with Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    Gordon Rohan, entering the auction venue along with Su-hyeun, stood there with his arms across his chest.

 Chapter 181

    ¡°50 billion won¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did it get so expensive all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Well. He is Gordon Rohan¡­¡±

    The loud auction house became quiet for a moment. Although they were people with so much money, they had no choice but to be quiet in front of Gordon Rohan.

    The head of a big company? The grandchild of a wealthy family? An oil giant? Royalty from any country? An S-Rank awakener? It was all useless. Unless someone was from a giant conglomerate, they would have a slim chance of winning against Gordon Rohan in terms of money.

    <<Competing with Rohan money-wise¡­>>

    <<That¡¯s just nonsense. It¡¯s like fighting against Kim Su-hyeun, risking my life to try!>>

    <<What kind of guy will challenge that?>>

    <<Well. I still don¡¯t know how much Rohan will spend.>>

    Although Gordon Rohan had a lot of money, people still didn¡¯t know how much he wanted this adamantium.

    ¡°51!¡±

    So, there were still some people who bet more money bravely.

    ¡°60.¡±

    The number went up without hesitation. But it didn¡¯t stop there.

    ¡°62!¡±

    ¡°70.¡±

    ¡°71!¡±

    ¡°80.¡±

    The number kept increasing. All of those present who participated in the auction as a joke and with a simple desire to collect gave up quickly.

    When it finally reached 100 billion, Gordon mumbled, ¡°This is getting annoying.¡±

    And people became quiet. He didn¡¯t spread his violent temper, but people could sense something. Gordon Rohan became annoyed at the overheated atmosphere.

    ¡°Hey, man. Can I suggest one thing?¡±

    At the question of Rohan, Lee Kyeong-jong quickly answered, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°It looks like there are about five people, including me, participating in this auction right now.¡±

    As he spoke, Rohan looked around at the four other people who raised money in billion won units. One of them was an S-Rank awakener. There was also the head of a few British companies and a young man who looked like an oil giant. The last was a middle-aged man known for his wealth through the Chinese real estate business. There were only a few competitors left.

    Rohan grinned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop this raising money little by little thing. How about we open our card at once? Just open the price what we think for maximum. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you want to end it at once?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Just let us call out our maximum, and we can¡¯t raise money more than that. Of course, the more you call, the more likely you¡¯ll take this thing. What do you say?¡±

    It was a hot offer. It would end in a single round, but it was clear that the price would rise the most.

    <<I won¡¯t get more competition. But they¡¯ll call the highest price they¡¯re thinking.>>

    Lee Kyeong-jong thought for a moment and soon made a decision.

    ¡°All right. Do you guys all agree?¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    Everyone in the competition agreed. The other people just became spectators, watching the auction. They watched the auction with an excited gaze, wondering about the price of adamantium.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll hand out a paper. Please, write down the highest price you think of and submit it.¡±

    Lee Kyeong-jong took out the notepad. He tore the pages and handed them to the five participants. People, including Rohan, submitted the highest price that each person could pay. Lee Kyeong-jong took the paper and opened them one by one.

    ¡°First. Mac Ryan wrote this note. 200 million dollars. Two hundred twenty-seven billion in Korean won.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    In an instant, it more than doubled the price that had been in progress. The next two people wrote down less than 200 billion won. It was time for the fourth one.

    ¡°Fourth. Shi Jahong wrote¡­ 500 million¡­dollars. Five hundred sixty-seven billion Korean won.¡±

    ¡°500 million dollars?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy!¡±

    The auction was in an uproar in an instance. Shi Jahong was a well-known name among wealthy people.

    ¡°He¡¯s some kind of land baron of China.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s got quite a lot of holdings, but I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s willing to spend 500 million dollars here¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard he¡¯s a famous collector. I guess he really wants it.¡±

    ¡°What I heard was that his son is an awakener.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that just a rumor?¡±

    People whispered to each other. Shi Jahong, who bid enormous money, looked at Rohan with a proud face. In a sense, he bid that much money to show up Rohan.

    ¡°And for the last¡­¡±

    When Lee Kyeong-jong opened his mouth to speak, people became quiet. It was the last paper. Rohan¡¯s bid wasn¡¯t public yet. People wondered if Rohan wrote a higher price than Shi Jahong.

    ¡°Rohan wrote one billion dollars. One thousand three hundred fifty trillion in Korean won.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Nobody said anything for a moment.

    ¡°One billion¡­¡±

    ¡°Dollars?¡±

    People could not say anything. Lee Kyeong-jong continued to speak.

    ¡°Congratulations! Gordon Rohan is the new owner of the adamantium!¡±

    Act 3

    One billion dollars. It was such a large amount of money. People couldn¡¯t even grasp how big it was. But Rohan paid the price in a lump sum and handed the adamantium to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think you wrote too much?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked puzzled as he received the adamantium. He was the one who asked Rohan to make sure he could the auction when it became more expensive than what he could pay. Su-hyeun promised he would pay his debt.

    ¡°Why? I win the bid. Why do you look so dissatisfied?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to spend that much.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the debt, I told you. You don¡¯t have to pay me back.¡±

    ¡°I was the one who asked. And I have a sense of honor.¡±

    ¡°Sense of honor¡­¡± Rohan shook his head and sighed. ¡°Well. You can think about that way. But¡­¡± Rohan met Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Do I look like a philanthropist?¡±

    ¡®Philanthropist¡¯ wasn¡¯t quite the word for Gordon Rohan, who was the CEO of Gordon company and world-class rich.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know your value?¡±

    At Rohan¡¯s question, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t say anything. He had never thought of his value before. No, he had thought about it, but he never linked it to money before. Gordon Rohan was a successful businessman long before he became an awakener. In his mind, Su-hyeun¡¯s value was already being converted into money.

    ¡°Look at the flow of the world. And look at yourself. Know the present and look at the future. How valuable will you be? One billion dollars? Ten billion dollars?¡±

    It was an absurdly high price. But that wasn¡¯t what he wanted to say.

    ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t even guess. Do you know why? Although people don¡¯t change, the market changes and the world changes. If it were like the old days, an excellent awakener would just go and get a lot of Ether stones.¡± Gordon emphasized when he said ¡®the old days.¡¯ ¡°But the world has changed, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Your value won¡¯t stop at only one billion dollars. And what I did was investing in your future.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s an investment¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I will get a return out of it. I won¡¯t ask you to do something for this, either.¡±

    Su-hyeun clearly realized what Rohan was trying to say.

    ¡°One day, that stone will be worth not only a billion dollars. It might be worth hundreds of billions. No. Maybe money won¡¯t matter by then. So¡­¡± Rohan grinned and tapped Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I invested in you and in this world. Okay?¡±

    ***

    Rohan left the auction house and went straight to his plane. There were no bodyguards. Rohan didn¡¯t like useless things, and bodyguards were the most useless wastes of money for him. But, instead, he had was accompanied by a woman named Ashlyn. She was an S-Ranks from the United States, and she had been acquainted with Rohan for a long time.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t a billion too much?¡±

    Rohan sat down and leaned back in the seat of the plane, instead of answering her question.

    ¡°You said 500 million dollars would be enough. I¡¯ve never seen you lose so much.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a loss.¡±

    Rohan put on a blindfold that he had placed next to his seat. He continued to speak as he settled into a comfortable position.

    ¡°And this will be better. He¡¯ll think he owes me that much.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s that kind of man?¡±

    ¡°If he isn¡¯t, oh well. I guess I should think of it as an opportunity cost.¡±

    Even for Rohan, a billion dollars wasn¡¯t pocket change. But, of course, it wasn¡¯t a burden for him. He could consider it as an opportunity cost as if he didn¡¯t have it from the beginning. For Rohan, Su-hyeun had a special meaning.

    ¡°He¡¯s a ceiling that I have to breakthrough. The higher the ceiling, the bigger the world I will live in.¡±

    ¡°You sound like a creep.¡±

    ¡°Well, and that¡¯s not just it. In the future, more difficult dungeons will appear. Then, Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s value will increase more and more. I invested in that future value in advance. And maybe he can be a real hero in the future.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±

    ¡°Times are changing. The world changed much faster than I expected about five years ago. Time flies. If Kim Su-hyeun wins again in the next Ranking Wars, his era will really begin.¡±

    Ashlyn looked at Rohan with a look of surprise. Rohan said somebody else¡¯s era would come, not his. Such humility didn¡¯t suit one who always experienced the best and pursued it.

    <<I thought a billion was too much¡­>> When she heard Rohan, she realized. <<But it was not.>>

    A billion wasn¡¯t a high price to pay for the one who could push Rohan¡¯s era out. It would be such small and trivial money.

    ***

    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡±

    Su-hyeun, who had received the adamantium from Rohan, ran straight to Kim Dae-ho. And Kim Dae-ho, who saw all the adamantium that Su-hyeun brought, stared at it blankly.

    ¡°Is this all adamantium?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get this?¡±

    From his question, Su-hyeun realized Kim Dae-ho really didn¡¯t watch TV at all.

    ¡°I bought this from the auction.¡±

    ¡°From the auction? Where did you get that much money?¡±

    After he asked, Kim Dae-ho shook his hands with an embarrassed face because he remembered who Su-hyeun was. Even Kim Dae-ho, who was ignorant of the world, knew that awakeners could earn a lot of money And Su-hyeun was the best among awakeners.

    <<Well. I guess it¡¯s better not to say that I borrowed the money.>>

    Su-hyeun thought it would be better not to talk about what had happened. And he looked at the massive amount of adamantium that he brought. With this amount, it would be hard to make the equipment out of just adamantium, but still, it was possible to make some equipment mixed with adamantium.

    ¡°Do you remember what you said before?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Kim Dae-ho was startled. The last time Su-hyeun and Kim Dae-ho had drunk together, after he had gotten drunk, Kim Dae-ho said something as if it was nothing.

    ¡°The hammer of Hephaestus made of adamantium,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°How¡­do you¡­¡±

    It was a story that was said as a joke, just as it flowed. Kim Dae-ho even had changed the subject because he had felt he spoke useless words. But Su-hyeun had remembered it.

    Su-hyeun asked with a proud face, ¡°Do you think it will be enough?¡±

 Chapter 182

    It was so obvious question. At Su-hyeun¡¯s question, Kim Dae-ho sighed.

    ¡°Oh. You¡¯re embarrassing me,¡± he said.

    Kim Dae-ho looked like he was debating if he could take this or not. It was obviously a huge amount of adamantium. It was enough that he could make two Balmungs.

    ¡°I¡­will only use the half,¡± said Kim Dae-ho.

    Kim Dae-ho, agonizing over the decision, lowered his head. It wasn¡¯t his usual manner. He usually shouted confidently, he didn¡¯t hang his head in shame. He seemed very shy.

    ¡°Thank you, Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°I thank you,¡± Su-hyeun said, ¡°You have always made good swords and armor for me. You¡¯re my savior.¡± When Kim Dae-ho, who was a relatively short man, lowered his head, Su-hyeun bent to his knees as he spoke. ¡°So, please raise your head, mister. You can thank me, but please don¡¯t feel sorry about it.¡±

    ¡°Man¡­¡± Kim Dae-ho looked at the ground, grinning big. He raised his head and rolled up his sleeves. ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll make something awesome. I promise you, on my honor.¡±

    ¡°I want two things.¡±

    ¡°Were the spears I gave you good?¡± Kim Dae-ho asked.

    ¡°Yes. They weren¡¯t bad.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make a good one, not just a ¡®not bad¡¯ one. Let me see. What should I use for a handle for this much adamantium?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho could understand what Su-hyeun wanted, even though he didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°After you make a spear, if there is still some left, could you mix what remains into this armor, please?¡± Su-hyeun took off his armor as he asked the question.

    Kim Dae-ho took Su-hyeun¡¯s armor. He looked at it closely and tapped with his fingers. His eyes flashed.

    ¡°This is a fine set of armor. Where did you get this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who made it because a monster spat it out.¡±

    ¡°A monster spat it out?¡± Kim Dae-ho asked in surprise.

    ¡°Yes. This armor has very high magic resistance, but it¡¯s weak physically. Wouldn¡¯t adamantium go well with this armor?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no metal that adamantium doesn¡¯t suit. Even more, this one has some sort of magical stuff you guys are talking about¡­¡± Kim Dae-ho thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°I think the resistance of armor itself will increase, rather than its strength and hardness.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s even better.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to improve its defensive power? I think its magic resistance is already high enough.¡± Kim Dae-ho couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°And why do you need another set of armor with his magic resistance, anyway? I don¡¯t know much about raiding dungeons, but I thought there weren¡¯t many monsters using magic, are there?¡±

    Suhyun tended to care about magic resistance a lot. At first, Kim Dae-ho hadn¡¯t cared much about that. But he thought it was too much to care about both inside and outside armor for magic resistance. Most monsters had physical attack power.

    Sometimes there were monsters that could use magic, but it seemed unreasonable to choose magic resistance armor to defend against the minority of monsters. And he was Su-hyeun, the best awakener in the world. There was no way he would make such a stupid choice.

    ¡°Yes. There aren¡¯t many.¡±

    Of course, Su-hyeun knew everything that Kim Dae-ho knew. He definitely knew it. But¡­

    ¡°But they still exist.¡±

    The monster Su-hyeun thought about most wasn¡¯t like most of the monsters that Kim Dae-ho mentioned. Su-hyeun cared about the few monsters. The powerful few.

    <hr />

    On the way back home, after meeting Kim Dae-ho, Su-hyeun simulated the images as always. He consciously tried not to recall the memories of his past life, but for some, he had to remember them.

    <<What I didn¡¯t have enough of¡­>>

    Su-hyeun had lost in the fight against Fafnir. And, now, he tried to figure out the reason for the failure. Su-hyeun had been thinking about it since he had started his new life.

    <<Stats and equipment, especially magic resistance and resistance items.>>

    Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t known about the boss named Fafnir.

    <<I can resist physical attacks with my body. But for magic resistance¡­I can support it with skills and items.>>

    For that reason, Su-hyeun had been learning skills to increase magic resistance for a long time. There weren¡¯t many chances to use them, but he didn¡¯t neglect to improve his proficiencies.

    <<I¡¯m getting ready.>>

    Little by little, step by step, he was preparing for that day.

    <<But I can¡¯t be sure yet.>>

    There was an old saying to know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated. Su-hyeun knew himself well. But he couldn¡¯t say that he knew everything about Fafnir.

    <<I have to prepare perfectly.>>

    Su-hyeun changed his clothes as soon as he arrived home. He had asked Kim Dae-ho to improve the Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor with adamantium. So, he had to wear another set of armor inside his outer one. It was a set of armor that made with middle-grade Ether stones, with both magic resistance and strength. He had passed the 41st floor. Now, it was time to challenge the 42nd floor.

    <<The level of difficulty has definitely risen after the 40th floor.>>

    In the last 15 days, he had passed the 41st floor. It wasn¡¯t difficult. Since he already passed the 40th floor and his Strength stat had increased. The trial of the 41st floor was less difficult than the 40th floor. Every 10th floor was more difficult. But, considering Su-hyeun had chosen level 10 on the 40th floor, the 41st floor¡¯s level was definitely tricky. When he compared 39th and 41st, the level of difficulty had almost doubled.

    <<Hak-joon told me he already passed the 70th floor.>>

    Considering the level kept rising as the floors got higher, Hak-joon¡¯s speed was very fast.

    <<I can¡¯t lose.>>

    Because of their difference in level, it would be difficult to catch up with Hak-joon. But still, Su-hyeun tried to hurry up to keep up. People still didn¡¯t know what the top floor of the Tower of Trials was. But it was known that one S-Rank awakener who chose level 1 went up to the 550th floor. Everyone who tried to go to a higher level had died. People usually gave up on the 200th floor, which was known as the demon¡¯s level.

    <<I don¡¯t know how much time I have left.>>

    Rip¡ª

    When he was prepared, he headed to the tower again.

    <<I¡¯ll try to go as far as I can go.>>

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun arrived at the trial and opened his eyes. He was in a bright room. The room was decorated with quite luxurious furniture, including a nice bed. The light glowed softly. It was a strange place for Su-hyeun, who had been in far rougher places for most of his trials.

    <<Am I alone?>>

    Su-hyeun, who was sitting on the sofa next to the bed, got up from his seat. And, at that moment¡­

    [The trial on the 42nd floor begins.]

    [In the first-dimensional world, a contest to choose the best hero was held. You have been selected as the hero to represent your world.]

    [A place where many heroes compete. You must enter the quarterfinals. Please show your skills to the fullest.]

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    It was a very kind explanation and quite simple. He didn¡¯t need any more hints. He just had to participate in the tournament and get to the quarterfinals. Su-hyeun turned his head. On one side of the room, there was a full-length mirror. In the mirror, he could see an unfamiliar face.

    A man with a good-looking face with pretty blond hair as if dyed stared back from the mirror. Su-hyeun touched his face. A big scar ran from one eye to the cheek. It looked like it was made by the claw of a monster, not from a sword. Fortunately, only his body had changed. His sword and equipment were still there.

    <<This man is a hero?>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun had no idea which world this hero came from, but he was sure that this body was a handsome one. Su-hyeun took off his outer armor and lifted his clothes. Inside of the inner armor, there were tons of scars on the white skin. One scar on the face was nothing. His front and back were covered in scars.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    A knocking sound came from outside while he was looking in the mirror.

    ¡°The competition will start in 10 minutes. Please be ready.¡±

    It was a hard, machine-like voice. Su-hyeun assumed it must be a host of the game.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun sat back down on the couch again and scratched his head, thinking things over.

    ¡°Hey, Miru,¡± Su-hyeun called.

    Rip¡ª!

    Miru, who was hidden away because of his big size, came out.

    Purr¡ª!

    Miru stuck his head to Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun stroked Miru¡¯s head and said, ¡°I have to make it to the quarterfinals.¡±

    Purr¡ª?

    Miru tilted his head as if he was asking what quarterfinals mean. Su-hyeun smiled lightly at his reaction. And soon, the host came back again.

    ¡°Times up.¡±

    Su-hyeun got up. He had no idea whose body this originally was, but he had to participate anyway.

    <hr />

    He was lead to a big Colosseum without a crowd. The stadium was as big as the one for the Ranking Wars, but there was not a single spectator in the rows of seats. The only people there was the one host and two players. Su-hyeun was one of the players.

    ¡°What is this poncy looking man? Is he a hero from some world? He¡¯s so low.¡±

    His opponent was a rough giant-like man about two meters tall. The man had dark red skin and looked different from a normal person. The third eye in his forehead certainly showed that he wasn¡¯t a normal human.

    <

    > Su-hyeun grinned at the thought.

    ¡°Are you laughing now?¡±

    The giant player had a hot temper. He shook his fist at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Calm down. The game starts at my signal,¡± the host said.

    At the host¡¯s admonishment, the giant player put down his fist. But he still frowned and stared at Su-hyeun. It seemed like he was trying to break Su-hyeun¡¯s spirits before the match. On the other hand, Su-hyeun was calm, no matter what his opponent did. Miru was sitting far away, watching Su-hyeun and the giant with bright eyes. They stared at each other for a few minutes before¡­

    ¡°Three, two, one. Start!¡±

    The host gave a signal as if he didn¡¯t want to drag it out any more.

    Whoosh¡ª

    At that moment, the giant player rushed right at Suhyun. The magic of his fist turned into a giant tiger. The tiger charged forward and opened its mouth wide as if it would swallow Su-hyeun in one gulp. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t try to avoid that fist, just wielded his own fist, instead.

    Crack¡ª

    ¡°Aaargh!¡±

    When the two fists hit each other, they produced a bone-breaking crack. The giant player held his fist and stepped back.

    ¡°Sigh. I thought you would be a good one,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Su-hyeun stretched out his arm and snatched at the neck of his opponent. The muscle-bound body lifted up. Su-hyeun slammed the giant man to the floor.

    Boom¡ª!

    ¡°Argh¡­¡±

    ¡°Is he a hero? He¡¯s so low.¡± Su-hyeun clicked his tongue and looked at the host.

    The host walked up to Su-hyeun with the same expressionless face. He held Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and raised his arm.

    ¡°Hero Siegfried wins!¡±

 Chapter 183

    Siegfried. He was the hero who caught Fafnir in mythology, a long time ago. But that was just a myth, and the name Fafnir was given to the monster that destroyed Su-hyeun¡¯s world later. But, strangely, the name Siegfried weighed on Su-hyeun¡¯s mind.

    <<Why Siegfried? Of all the heroes?>>

    Su-hyeun looked at the sword he was holding. Balmung. That was also the name of the sword Siegfried had used. Su-hyeun felt strange about the fact that the owner of this body was named Siegfried.

    <<I shouldn¡¯t think about it too much.>>

    They were just names, and he was in the Tower of Trials. It was a different world from the one where he lived. He thought he shouldn¡¯t waste his energy to think about it too much.

    ¡°When is the next game?¡± Su-hyeun, who had just smashed down his first opponent, shook his hands and asked the host.

    The host was still expressionless. His eyes didn¡¯t even focus on Su-hyeun. ¡°Tomorrow,¡± he said.

    ¡°How many players are there?¡±

    ¡°There are 256 people. After the preliminary round today, there will be 128 players left. If you are injured, please tell the host over there. All wounds will be healed.¡±

    The host pointed to the opposite side of the exit where Su-hyeun came out from. Su-hyeun nodded at the host¡¯s stiff tone. The host continued the competition, calling for the next player.

    <<They¡¯re dolls.>>

    The hosts weren¡¯t living humans, but they weren¡¯t another species, either. Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t feel any Vitality from them. In a word, they were like dolls. The only thing they could do was answer questions and move.

    ¡°Let me ask you one more thing,¡± Su-hyeun looked back at the host and asked. ¡°Can I watch the games?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    At the host¡¯s answer, Su-hyeun walked to the stands. It was a good seat. He could see the rest of the fights well enough. He sat in the front row and looked down at the stadium.

    <<Heroes from many worlds¡­>>

    Su-hyeun started to watch the game because he thought it would be good to know the other players¡¯ levels ahead. But, also, there was another reason.

    A hero. Su-hyeun was very sensitive about that word. No one was as sensitive about that word as Su-hyeun. In his past life, people had called him a hero and he disliked that word a lot. So, he wanted to see what heroes from other worlds would look like. The giant hero he just had met was quite disappointing.

    <<Well. Everybody has some skills.>>

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    The stands were far from the stadium. People with bad eyesight might not able to see the game properly from this far away. But there was a reason for that. It was because the aftereffect of the stadium was so significant.

    The heroes of each world, in other words, the players, had excellent skills. On second thought, the first opponent that had rushed to Su-hyeun was also a good player who could beat up most of S-Rank awakeners. If Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t raised his Strength stat up to 97, he might have had to draw his sword.

    <<I guess he came from a pretty soft world. Or maybe because it was the preliminary round?>>

    The giant man was certainly weaker compared to the other players fighting on the stage at the moment. Of course, there were other players about the same level as the giant man.

    <<The really strong ones aren¡¯t showing their real power¡­>>

    It was too far to check the real talented ones because the real strong ones overpowered their opponents at once, as Su-hyeun had done.

    <<It looks like there¡¯s nothing more to see.>>

    Su-hyeun got up from his seat. He thought there would be nothing more to see anymore. There was no point in watching the weak ones, and powerful ones didn¡¯t reveal their actual skills.

    ¡°Are you leaving?¡±

    At that moment, a man, who had been watching the game behind Su-hyeun, said something. As Su-hyeun remembered, he was the man who had subdued his opponent instantly in the fifth round.

    Su-hyeun looked back and said, ¡°Yes. There¡¯s nothing much to see.¡±

    ¡°Yea. They all suck,¡± the man said, grinning.

    He looked to be in his late thirty or forty. He was tall, about 190 centimeters. He had a muscular body and thin eyes. Su-hyeun thought he looked like some sort of handsome gangster that would show up in a movie or something. That was Su-hyeun¡¯s first impression of him.

    ¡°But stay and watch more fights. I¡¯m sure some real guys will show up soon,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Is there anyone you have an interest in?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Me? Yes, I have one.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You,¡± the man grinned.

    At that grin, Su-hyeun frowned, as if it sounded gross.

    The man shook his head. ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t mean that kind of interest. Really.¡±

    ¡°I know. The nuance was a little weird.¡±

    ¡°Well. If you know, that¡¯s good, I guess. I was just curious about the man who takes a red dragon wherever he goes.¡±

    At the man¡¯s word, Su-hyeun, who had been losing interest in the game, snapped back to attention. Miru was sitting to one side, yawning, not paying attention to what was going on. Since there was nothing for him to do, he seemed about to fall sleep.

    ¡°Have you ever met a dragon?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure there will be no one here who knows more than me about dragons.¡±

    ¡°Wait. Are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Do you know me? My name is Luslec. Have you ever heard?¡±

    Luslec. Su-hyeun definitely knew the name.

    <<The author of the book that Malcolm gave me was Luslec Exysos.>>

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know where the book was written, but the author wasn¡¯t from the same world as Su-hyeun. He could tell the author was from a different world by the book. But, here in his trials, Su-hyeun met the author.

    ¡°Well. I was very famous. I met all kinds of divine beasts from all kinds of worlds. I also wrote quite a few books.¡±

    ¡°How did you meet dragons?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, how?¡± Luslec pointed up with his finger, grinning, ¡°I climbed the tower, of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes widened.

    <<He climbed the tower?>>

    Su-hyeun was sure that meant only one thing. The tower he mentioned must be the Tower of Trials that Su-hyeun had also been climbing.

    ¡°Well,¡± Luslec said, ¡°It looks like you and I are the only ones in here though. I don¡¯t know¡­where the other people came from.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m a human like you, of course. You don¡¯t have to think too much or too long about it. Just knowing I¡¯m human will be enough,¡± Luslec said and tapped Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. See you later.¡±

    Luslec passed by Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes and looked at the back of Luslec¡¯s head.

    <<He¡¯s human? Like me?>> That was nonsense. <<Is he thinking I¡¯m stupid or something?>>

    Su-hyeun could see something clearly from Luslec¡¯s back.

    Rumble¡ª

    He was hiding enormous spirits. It looked like there were thousands, tens of thousands of spirits, maybe more than that. A tremendous number of souls were wriggling in his body and becoming one giant soul.

    <<Is he a Necroelementist? Well. The fighting style isn¡¯t a problem though¡­>> Su-hyeun turned his body again and headed to his room. <<I guess this trial won¡¯t be too easy.>>

    Su-hyeun knew now why the trial only had asked for him to be in quarterfinals. There were people like Luslec here. Winning wouldn¡¯t be an easy thing. If the condition to pass the trial was winning the competition, it would have felt like the difficulty of the 50th floor, not the 42nd.

    Act4

    Half of the day passed after Su-hyeun¡¯s fight. The preliminaries were all over, and it was the time for the real game to begin. The 128 surviving players were supposed to play in the tournament for the finals. They played the game in front of a large crowd this time. Su-hyeun¡¯s trial was to get into the quarterfinals. To pass the trial, he had to win four games.

    <<Quarterfinals, my ass.>>

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t plan to just do the bare minimum to pass the trial. Since he was already participating, he aimed to win.

    <<And for that¡­>>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes became serious. He was in an empty room. But he felt like Luslec was standing in the middle of the room, watching him.

    <

    > The host called Su-hyeun from outside.

    Su-hyeun knew that there wasn¡¯t just one or two hosts of the gam. There were several, all with the same face and voice.

    ¡°Please be ready. Your turn will come in 2 matches.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Su-hyeun rose from his seat.

    Miru came out too, following Su-hyeun. According to the rules of the competition, it was possible to participate with the help of divine beasts, but Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t planning to play Miru. If a player had a divine beast, it was common to get rid of that first in the fighting. Su-hyeun knew that, so he didn¡¯t want to make Miru fight with him.

    <<Also, it will be hard for Miru to get a comfortable position, in this small field.>>

    Miru was able to protect himself when he could use a wide range. To avoid an attack, Miru needed to fly quickly in a large area.

    Thump, thump¡ª

    He walked down a long hallway. At the end of it, the bright light from the stadium was coming in.

    ¡°Waaah!¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Loud cheers drifted into the hall with the bright light. Su-hyeun walked a little faster. When he got out of the hallway, he could see the waiting seats for players and the stadium at once.

    ¡°Go! Go! Macsman!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve bet it all on you! Don¡¯t even come back if you lose the game!¡±

    ¡°Fight hard! Why are you guys just watching each other! Cowards!¡±

    ¡°Shame on you! On both of you!¡±

    The loud cheering and cries of criticism were mixed. Su-hyeun went blank a little at the scene. There were hundreds of thousands of spectators, and they all seemed familiar.

    <<They¡¯re inhabitants.>>

    They were inhabitants of each floor of the tower. They all looked different and they all had their own cultures. Su-hyeun was sure that the spectators were them.

    <<But why are they here?>>

    This place wasn¡¯t the world of the 42nd floor. Su-hyeun was in the trial.

    ¡°Please, get ready,¡± the host, who had been following Su-hyeun, said in a dry voice.

    Su-hyeun got a grip, but he still couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the stands as he was walking. It was the first time for Su-hyeun to feel so strange like this in the trials.

    The boring game on the stage ended sooner than he expected. The two players, who had been reading each other¡¯s faces for about five minutes, brought the fight to an end in a single hit.

    <<I guess they were looking for the perfect timing.>>

    It wasn¡¯t like they were scared or felt diffident. They tried to grasp their opponent¡¯s weakness and take a moment to plan. And the one who showed his weakness to the opponent first was defeated. That was the result.

    <<Who are the next players?>> Su-hyeun thought.

    He looked at the two players who went onto the stage next. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t recognize one of them. He didn¡¯t see that player the day before. It seemed like that player had had a game after Su-hyeun had left. The other one was a short player, but he was stronger than he looked. Among the players on the finals, he would be about upper-mid tier.

    <<I guess this match will be something to watch.>>

    Su-hyeun thought this match would be a fun one unless the other player was overwhelmingly strong. It was at that moment¡­

    ¡°What a pity, man,¡± Luslec walked up to Su-hyeun, looked up the stadium, and said.

    ¡°What do you mean, a pity?¡±

    ¡°The dark dude over there.¡± It seemed like Luslec knew the opponent, that Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know. ¡°He is, maybe, the most dangerous guy in this stadium.¡±

 Chapter 184

    ¡°Enter. Player Mahara. Player Chun Ha-jin.¡±

    At the host¡¯s call, two players stepped forward. Mahara, who was a bit shorter than tall Chun Ha-jin, looked up at him. Chun Ha-jin was dressed in all black. Because of the cloth pulled above his nose, it was hard to see Chun Ha-jin¡¯s face. But, through some part of his body that wasn¡¯t covered by clothes, his skin was revealed. It was as black as his clothing.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be uncomfortable to fight in such clothes?¡±

    Mahara, of course, thought Chun Ha-jin would take off his clothes before fighting. Unless those clothes had some special effects, it would be very uncomfortable to fight in them.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± But, at Mahara¡¯s advice, Chun Ha-jin narrowed his eyes and answered vacantly.

    His reaction might upset him, but Mahara just calmly nodded and put his hands together.

    ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll ask you for a good game,¡± Mahara said.

    ¡°A good game¡­,¡± Chun Ha-jin muttered.

    ¡°Get ready¡ª¡±

    The host called, stepping back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can have one with short-ass prick.¡±

    Chun Ha-jin pointed out his weakness, and Mahara knit his brow for the first time.

    ¡°¡ªStart!¡±

    The host announced the battle.

    Swish¡ª

    Mahara¡¯s body divided into dozens of people and began to rush toward Chun Ha-jin.

    ¡°Then, get ready to be beaten up by that short man!¡±

    Dozens of voices came from the dozens of people at the same time. It was a sort of hallucination skill, using magic. They could be destroyed, but his level was quite high, so the hallucinations were hard to destroy in a short period of time. And that brief moment could be fatal to his opponent. Because, actually, Mahara wasn¡¯t a magician; he was a boxer who played close combat.

    Swish¡ª

    Mahara¡¯s fists rushed in from many directions. Chun Ha-jin stood still and just looked at the fists reaching toward him. And it was at that moment¡­

    Swish, boom¡ª!

    Craaack¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin reached out to one side, grabbed Mahara¡¯s fist, and broke it.

    ¡°Arrrggg!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a crybaby.¡±

    Grab, swish¡ª!

    Wham¡ª!

    Chun Ha-jin broke Mahara¡¯s wrist and slammed his body to the ground. The illusions that had appeared around Mahara disappeared. In that short moment, Chun Ha-jin had quickly penetrated Mahara¡¯s skill and the combat ended very quickly. Mahara, lying on the floor, realized that his opponent¡¯s skills were far superior to his own.

    ¡°I lost¡­ You¡¯re really good¡­¡±

    ¡°You asked me for a good game, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Chun Ha-jin¡¯s mask covering his mouth began to wriggle. He laughed big, opening his mouth widely.

    ¡°Well. I¡¯m the one who should have asked.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­Aaaarrrgggg¡ª!¡±

    With an inhaling sound, Mahara¡¯s body quickly began to dry. He became like a mummy who lost all of the moisture in his body. His body shrank and eyes blurred. The host didn¡¯t do anything, just watched. Meanwhile, Mahara¡¯s body dried up all the way and hardened.

    Crumble¡ª

    Mahara¡¯s dead body became sand and fell from Chun Ha-jin¡¯s hand.

    Chun Ha-jin dropped the sand, scattering from his hand, and muttered, ¡°He¡¯s really not tasty.¡±

    Chun Ha-jin turned his gaze to the host. At that moment, the host announced, ¡°Hero Chun Ha-jin wins!¡±

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun knit his brow.

    <<Hero? He¡¯s a hero? That¡¯s bullsh*t.>>

    There was no way such a man could be called a hero. It was just a contest, but Chun Ha-jin took Mahara¡¯s light. And he laughed while he did it.

    <<That man¡¯s just a murderer.>>

    He had an excellent ability. Notably, the skill he used was unique and powerful.

    ¡°Force Absorption,¡± Luslec said. ¡°That¡¯s a quite well-known skill where he came from.¡± It seemed like Luslec knew a lot about Chun Ha-jin.

    ¡°Is it a skill that absorbs other people¡¯s magic power?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Yes. But not just magic power. It also takes their Vitality. He¡¯s a monster that eats other people to get stronger.¡±

    ¡°Do you guys know each other?¡±

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t. Why? Are you upset?¡± Luslec asked, grinning. Then he looked at the tournament tables on the wall afar, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see. I guess he¡¯ll fight against you to the semifinals. Well. If both of you win the games before that.¡±

    ¡°Semifinals¡­¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    Chun Ha-jin was above the goal of the trial. That meant Chun Ha-jin¡¯s level was higher than the trial of the 42nd floor.

    ¡°And you¡¯ll meet me in the final. Do you think you can make it?¡±

    And this man, who probably would wait for Su-hyeun in the finals, had a higher level than Chun Ha-jin. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t like Chun Ha-jin quite much, but Luslec was the more concerning opponent.

    ¡°How do you know about Chun Ha-jin?¡±

    ¡°Me? Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Everyone here must be from different worlds. Honestly¡­even though it¡¯s a world in the trial, I can¡¯t understand your background and your presence.¡± Su-hyeun stared at Luslec, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Are you an awakener who climbs the tower, like me? Or¡­¡±

    ¡°Player Siegfried. Please come up,¡± the host called for Su-hyeun.

    But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t move. When the host called him three times, Luslec grinned and waved his hand.

    ¡°Go quickly. He¡¯s calling you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at Luslec for a moment and walked away. Luslec still waved his hand with a smiling face. All the way up to the stadium, Su-hyeun was thinking about two people.

    <<Chun Ha-jin and Luslec.>>

    They were the people that he would meet in the semifinals and the finals. Perhaps those two would be the strongest enemies in this trial.

    Stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun stepped onto the stage. His opponent was waiting for him. Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze changed.

    <<I¡¯ll think about them later. I should focus on the game now.>>

    He would meet them anyway if he kept fighting and winning.

    ¡°Get ready. Start!¡±

    Whiz¡ª

    When the host announced the start of the game, Su-hyeun moved quicker than ever.

    <hr />

    Because there were so many players, 128 players played the games for two days. The next round, of 64 people, also took a whole day. People didn¡¯t have to worry about injuries because there was a device in the stadium that could restore the players¡¯ bodies at once. This day was for the game of 32 people, and Su-hyeun¡¯s match for today was the last one.

    Swish¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun wielded his fist, but his opponent dodged. His opponent was fast and had hallucination skills. He could quickly avoid Su-hyeun¡¯s attacks. But that was all he could do.

    Swish¡ª

    Puff¡ª

    Su-hyeun wielded his sword with his right hand. This time the hallucinations around Su-hyeun disappeared.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    And, when Su-hyeun covered half of the stadium with his Flame skill, the hallucinations burst. The real opponent was finally revealed.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°Your dodging skill was quite good.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    The man was startled at the voice that came from right next to him. He quickly turned his face.

    Wham¡ª!

    As soon as he turned his face, he felt a shock on his temple. It was a force that could easily crush most people¡¯s skulls, but he just fainted.

    Thump¡ª

    As his opponent fell on the ground, Su-hyeun looked at the host.

    ¡°Hero Siegfried. Wins!¡±

    The host announced the last round of the day was over. Su-hyeun gave his arm to his opponent and took him to the other host. The host took him to a recovery room.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill him?¡± that time, Chun Ha-jin talked to Su-hyeun. ¡°You totally could have killed him. You didn¡¯t have to subdue him using more energy.¡±

    ¡°Then let me ask you,¡± Su-hyeun stared at Chun Ha-jin. ¡°Why did you kill? You could totally just subdue any of your opponents.¡±

    ¡°Well. You ¡®e different from me.¡±

    Chun Ha-jin wiggled his fingers like snakes. The meaning was very clear. He was showing he could absorb other people¡¯s energy through his hands. His Force Absorption skill could take the magic and even life force from other people when he touched them.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat up all the people here.¡± Chun Ha-jin¡¯s mouth, covered by his mask, grinned. His eyes sparkled with a murderous spirit. Chun Ha-jin looked around the spectators and other players that were going back to their rooms and went on. ¡°This place is a paradise for me. So much prey. And, especially you. You¡¯re the best meal here.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Is that so?¡±

    ¡°But seriously, why don¡¯t you kill the others? Nothing will be changed even though you let them live.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you came to me?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I came here because you¡¯re really a different person from me.¡±

    ¡°Well. You¡¯re wasting your time, then.¡±

    Shhhh¡ª

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun lifted his eyes. He even opened his third eye and revealed his murderous spirit to Chun Ha-jin.

    ¡°Because when I meet you on the stage, I¡¯ll definitely kill you,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°That is¡­a very satisfying answer.¡± Chun Ha-jin¡¯s eyes made a big smile as if he had heard what he wanted to hear.

    ¡°Well, then. Good luck. I¡¯m looking forward to eating you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my business.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head.

    There was nothing more to talk with him about. They would fight in the semifinals anyway. Chun Ha-jin had made a very obvious provocation, but Su-hyeun ignored him and asked the question that he had been wondering.

    ¡°But what are you going to do after eating all the people here?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Do you just want to be stronger? Is that your goal? What do you want to do when you become strong?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just an idle question. Su-hyeun was wondering about the people here, not only Chun Ha-jin but all the others participating in the competition as well.

    <<Are they human beings just like me, fighting in each world? Or are they awakeners that were climbing the Tower of Trials like Luslec?>>

    When Su-hyeun asked to solve his curiosity¡ª ¡°What I want to do?¡± ¡ªChun Ha-jin¡¯s face became vacant. ¡°What¡­I¡­want¡­to¡­have¡­to¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Chun Ha-jin was vacant for a moment but¡­

    ¡°Anyway, I am leaving now. I hope to see you on the stage.¡±

    All of a sudden, he acted like nothing had ever happened, turned his body with a smile, and walked away. It was as if he couldn¡¯t remember what Su-hyeun had asked.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    Something was very strange. He didn¡¯t want to get involved too deeply in this world, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Su-hyeun moved to find other players and asked them the same question that he had asked Chun Ha-jin. He asked about their lives before the game and why they had come to this competition. But¡­

    ¡°I¡­why¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­Umm¡­¡±

    ¡°Competition¡­? What?¡±

    Everyone had the same reaction. They had a sense of purpose to win the competition, but they had no idea about the reason, which should have been simple. They even didn¡¯t know who exactly they were.

    <<What the hell is this?>>

    Su-hyeun had experienced so many trials, but this had never happened. Because of the reactions of the other players, Su-hyeun felt like this trial was something bizarre.

    <<I have no idea about this trial.>>

    But there was only one person who had a different reaction from the other people.

    ¡°Where I came from? Why do you ask that? You and I are just the same human beings.¡±

    It was Luslec.

    <<What the hell is he?>>

 Chapter 185

    Everyone sometimes felt like they were all alone in the world, that everybody else was some kind of machine or a doll. That was how Su-hyeun felt at the moment, feeling disconnected from the world.

    He felt like everyone here was a doll. At first, he had only thought this about the hosts. But everyone seemed like that now. They were normal usually, but when Su-hyeun tried to ask them about their homes or their pasts, they started to have issues¡ª

    ¡°Umm¡­ This game? Why do I want to win?¡±

    ¡ªlike at that moment.

    ¡°Well¡­that is¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head.

    Each time was the same. Su-hyeun had asked the man, named Conrad, who Su-hyeun would fight in the quarterfinals. He was the strongest man Su-hyeun had to deal with to pass the goal of the trial.

    ¡°Thank you anyway. Then, see you at the game.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Ok, yes. Let¡¯s have a good game.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Then¡­¡±

    It was the time when Su-hyeun tried to turn and walk away.

    ¡°But what are you trying to figure out?¡± Conrad asked, tossing his green hair back. ¡°I heard about you last night when I drank with some other people. You go around and ask people about this and that, right? Why? What are you so curious about?¡±

    ¡°Even if I tell you what I am wondering,¡± Su-hyeun said, turning his head back and looking Conrad, ¡°you won¡¯t be able to answer my questions anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. See you tomorrow,¡± Su-hyeun said and left.

    He had already talked with quite a few other players. And he learned all the players, except Luslec, had the same reaction when he asked about their pasts.

    <<Tomorrow.>>

    The quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals were supposed to be held in one day because there weren¡¯t many games left. He had had a lot on his mind, but he started to organize his thoughts now. And the next day would be the day that he could confirm his hypothesis. Su-hyeun¡¯s steps that went back to his room became quicker.

    ***

    Hooooray¡ª!

    The loud cheer filled up the whole stadium. Eight players, including Su-hyeun, were all preparing at the edge of the stadium. Miru was standing next to Su-hyeun, fluttering his wings as if he was excited by the mood of the stadium. One host went up to the stage and started some sort of opening speech. But, of course, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t care about that.

    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Luslec was standing next to Su-hyeun, again.

    Luslec was the one who had been cozying up to Su-hyeun and had answered the question that no one else could. But that made him all the more suspicious. Su-hyeun stared at Luslec.

    At his gaze, Luslec asked as if he was puzzled, ¡°Why? Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see in the finals.¡±

    ¡°What? Finals?¡±

    Su-hyeun never thought Luslec would lose the game before the finals. Su-hyeun could tell that from Luslec¡¯s atmosphere or his concentration of the magic. He would get into the finals even if he met Chun Ha-jin in the semifinals.

    ¡°I guess you won¡¯t stop at the quarterfinals, obviously?¡±

    At Luslec¡¯s words, Su-hyeun was startled. He looked back at him. And, at that moment, the host called Luslec.

    ¡°Well. See you later. I will look forward to it,¡± Luslec said and walked toward the stage.

    His opponent was already waiting for him. He was a muscular man, named Hercules. He was wearing a skin of a lion on his head, holding a thick club, breathing heavily.

    ¡°I look forward to your kind cooperation.¡± Luslec walked toward Hercules and reached his hand.

    Hercules looked at Luslec calmly and extended his hand. He grabbed Luslec¡¯s hand very tightly as if he would break his hand at once.

    ¡°I will consider any further action to be a foul,¡± the host said.

    Hercules frowned at the host¡¯s interruption. ¡°Damn.¡±

    He let go of Luslec¡¯s hand and turned away. Luslec made a fuss about his hand being hurt. The host glanced at his hand to check, and he confirmed Luslec was fine. Then, he announced the beginning of the match.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start the first game of the quarterfinals.¡±

    Whiz¡ª

    With the host¡¯s announcement, Hercules rushed at Luslec.

    Whoosh¡ª

    He lifted his club and slammed it down.

    Boom¡ª!

    The ground shattered. And that was an attack without any magic in it.

    <<Wow. What must his Strength stat be?>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Hercules. He was a hero from myth that was said to be as strong as a god. At first, Su-hyeun thought this would be a different man with the same name. But as he watched the game, he realized he had been wrong.

    <<He might be the real Hercules.>>

    He had a muscular body and a lion mask on his head. He even carried club and bow on his back. He was clearly the mythical hero, Hercules, in appearance. But he was missing too many things to think he was the real Hercules.

    <<Of course, he¡¯ll be the third strongest one in this trial, after Luslec and Chun Ha-jin.>>

    Whether or not he was the real Hercules, he was certainly strong. He was fighting well against Luslec, using his strong power and hard body. His body couldn¡¯t be cut by a sword. His club was powerful enough to break the hard floor of the stadium. He had the best condition for close combat.

    Stab¡ª

    Luslec, who stabbed his sword at the shoulder of Hercules, looked stunned. The sword was stopped abruptly. Luslec¡¯s attack looked like a fatal blow, but the sword only went in about the width of a finger.

    Swish¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    At the same time, Hercules¡¯s club smashed Luslec¡¯s face.

    Swiiiiiiish¡ª

    Wham, boom, thud¡ª!

    Luslec¡¯s body flew far and rolled along the ground. He quickly raised himself up on one hand. He swept his face with the other hand.

    ¡°Haack, spit!¡± Luslec¡¯s spit was tinged with blood. ¡°God damn. That hurt.¡±

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Luslec snapped his twisted wrist to set the bone. Hercules, who had been watching Luslec from a distance, looked down at his shoulder.

    <<If I didn¡¯t have the skin of the Nemean lion,>> Hercules thought, <<my shoulder would have been penetrated.>>

    It was a sharp sword. Hercules never imagined that there would be a sword that could penetrate his item. He had lashed out with his club in embarrassment, so his hit missed its target. If not for that, he would have hit Luslec¡¯s skull in.

    <<Well. Still, the fight¡¯s over,>> Hercules thought.

    His opponent had several wounds. It would take quite a long time for him to recover from that. From now on, Hercules thought, he had the upper hand.

    ¡°This guy is stronger than I expected. I guess fighting in close combat against him who specializes in hand-to-hand battle will be hard¡­¡± Luslec mumbled.

    ¡°What are you muttering?¡±

    Whiz¡ª

    To finish the battle quickly, Hercules rushed to Luslec again. His raised club stretched above Luslec¡¯s head. It hung in the air. It looked like Hercules was going to cave Luslec¡¯s head in, but¡­

    Grab¡ª

    A giant hand stretched out from behind Luslec and grabbed Hercules¡¯s club.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The thing that grabbed the club wasn¡¯t the only hand. Unidentified spirits rose from all sides. At the faceless shadows, Hercules was embarrassed.

    <<I can¡¯t get it!>>

    Hercules couldn¡¯t draw his club back from the giant hand. He held it more tightly and began to struggle mightily with that huge hand. He finally managed to get his club back. But the relief at getting his weapon back didn¡¯t last long. He looked around.

    <<What the hell are these?>>

    The faceless, ghost-like shadows surrounded him. They were all different shapes and wore different types of clothing. If they were monsters like zombies or skeletons, they would all look similar. But they all looked different, except the fact that their clothes and skin were dark. That made it even creepier. It was as if the dead had come back to life.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of them, isn¡¯t there?¡± Luslec said.

    Hercules looked at Luslec, who was surrounded by shadows. He didn¡¯t even raise his sword again. He looked perfectly at ease.

    ¡°How many will you able to pass? Pass through them and come to me.¡± Luslec bobbed his finger.

    At his provocation, Hercules, with his bad temper began to rush forward.

    ¡°All right! I¡¯ll break them all!¡±

    Roar¡ª!

    He shouted like a lion.

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    Crack¡ª!

    Hercules started to smash at the shadows blocking his way.

    Act 5

    Drip, drip¡ª

    The man, who never seemed to lose, lost. His arms were held, and he was bleeding from wounds all over his body. The dark shadows surrounding Luslec grabbed Hercules¡¯s body tightly. They kept him from getting closer to Luslec.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    At Luslec¡¯s order, the dark shadows let go of Hercules¡¯s arms.

    Thud¡ª

    And his body fell to the ground.

    ¡°Winner, Luslec!¡± The host declared the winner.

    Roar, roar¡ª

    The first round of the quarterfinal was over. People shouted and cheered. Luslec waved his hands with exaggerated gestures and came down from the stage. Throughout the game, Su-hyeun¡¯s attention was fixed on the dark shadows that Luslec had made.

    <<He even didn¡¯t move,>>Su-hyeun thought.

    Luslec had said to pass through them and come to him. That wasn¡¯t a vain provocation. He had placed the stronger shadows closer to him, as if he was testing how far Hercules could break through. He controlled the level of difficulty like level one, level two, just like a game.

    The second game of the quarterfinal was Chun Ha-jin¡¯s turn. He played the game like he always had, a one-sided beat-down. With overwhelming power, he penetrated his opponent¡¯s defenses and took his neck in hand. And he used his Force Absorption skill to take his opponent¡¯s magic and even life. After his game, Chun Ha-jin looked down at Su-hyeun as if to tell him his turn would be next. Su-hyeun looked back calmly. He wasn¡¯t scared.

    Stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun saw Chun Ha-jin, too. But he didn¡¯t say anything, just stepped onto the stage.

    ¡°Ha-ha.¡± Chun Ha-jin, who was still standing on the stage, burst into laughter when Su-hyeun came up the arena.

    Su-hyeun looked at the dried-up body who had been Chun Ha-jin¡¯s opponent. So far, Su-hyeun had not been killing anyone, unlike other players, and Chun Ha-jin was laughing at it.

    ¡°Just wait for a moment,¡± Su-hyeun said quietly when he passed next to Chun Ha-jin. ¡°I am going to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose this fight,¡± said Chun Ha-jin.

    Su-hyeun nodded at his word and looked at his opponent in front of him. The stadium, which had been destroyed a lot, returned to its original form already. Su-hyeun¡¯s opponent wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. The man, named Ifrit, had a blurry body. He was like red smoke in the shape of a person. Su-hyeun had seen his fighting several times.

    ¡°Give up,¡± Ifrit said, ¡°I¡¯ll make an allowance.¡±

    He was so confident, and there was a reason for that. The whole tournament, all the way up to the quarterfinals. Ifrit and Su-hyeun stood still, facing each other.

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Ifrit¡¯s body turned to red flame. The body, blurry like smoke before, now sizzled like a fiery devil. Once he had changed like that, nobody was able to attack Ifrit at all. Not only did physical attacks fail but no skills worked against him either. Ifrit, once he had finished his transformation, smiled like a devil.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to even touch me¡ª¡±

    Wham¡ª!

    Ifrit¡¯s face twisted.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    And, at the same time, his real body was revealed and flew away.

    ¡°I touched you,¡± Su-hyeun muttered quietly while looking at Ifrit who was flying far, far away.

 Chapter 186

    Wham, wham¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    Ifrit was thrown into the air by Su-hyeun¡¯s punch, then hurriedly spread his wings made of fire. He tried to keep his balance in the air and brushed his one cheek with his hand. Su-hyeun had punched him in the face. It was unbelievable.

    <<How the hell¡­?>>

    Ifrit looked at Su-hyeun with puzzled eyes. Su-hyeun had hit fire, which was immaterial. That was supposed to be impossible. Hitting or cutting space was a really high-level skill. Ifrit, who had been very confident a moment before, became very confused. Su-hyeun drew his sword and walked toward Ifrit.

    ¡°Give up¡­¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s steps were very leisurely. He lifted his sword and went on, ¡°¡­or my next move will be to cut your neck.¡±

    ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Ifrit spread his arms.

    Whoosh¡ª

    At the same time, his body turned into flame again. The devil that appeared from the fire had wings on his back and flew into the air. Su-hyeun just stood still and watched him. The air around Su-hyeun became hotter, as if it would burn Su-hyeun down.

    Snap¡ª!

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun snapped his fingers and a dark blue flame swept through the stadium. Soon, Ifrit¡¯s red flame trembled.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one who can use fire,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    [Flame ¨C Phoenix.]

    Caw, caw¡ª!

    Dozens of huge dark blue birds flew into the sky.

    ¡°I can, too.¡±

    Flap¡ª

    The dark blue birds pecked at the red flame. The red flame shook as if it was about to go out. The phoenixes that had jumped into Ifrit¡¯s red fire were swallowing his flame. Ifrit¡¯s flame expanded to cover Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    Whoosh¡ª

    ¡°Is that your last shot?¡±

    Stab¡ª

    Su-hyeun stabbed the floor with his sword. And, at that moment¡ª

    ¡°Aaargh!¡±

    ¡ªwith a scream, Ifrit¡¯s body was revealed about ten paces away from Su-hyeun. His foot was bleeding.

    ¡°I touched you again.¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    ¡°Just accept that you¡¯re not suited for me because I can see all. I can see where you are and where to attack.¡±

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s third eye opened. And when Ifrit met that eye, he finally realized¡­

    <<He¡­can see me?>>

    And it wasn¡¯t just simple sight. Su-hyeun could see beyond appearances and attack him. Above all, Su-hyeun was very fast, so Ifrit didn¡¯t even have enough time to run away. He held his breath.

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator.]

    Rumble¡ª

    Behind Su-hyeun, a huge snake appeared.

    <<Is that a skill?>>

    But that wasn¡¯t it. Highly-concentrated magic began to swallow Ifrit. And Ifrit remembered that Su-hyeun had stabbed the top of his feet, instead of cutting his neck.

    <<If he wanted to, he totally could have cut my neck that time>> Ifrit thought.

    Thump¡ª

    ¡°You pounced on me first before, right?¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun just took one step, but Ifrit felt like the whole stadium was shaking. Su-hyeun¡¯s presence was so significant.

    Flop¡ª

    Ifrit stepped back unwittingly and fell on his buttocks.

    ¡°Oh¡­no¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go this time,¡± Su-hyeun said and took his feet from the ground.

    Swish¡ª

    ¡°S-surrender!¡± Ifrit shut his eyes tight and raised his arms. Su-hyeun¡¯s sword, which was rushing toward Ifrit¡¯s neck, stopped midswing.

    ¡°The third game of the quarterfinals is over. Siegfried is the winner!¡±

    The host declared Su-hyeun the victor. It was an overwhelming victory.

    ***

    Su-hyeun came down from the stage. He couldn¡¯t see Chun Ha-jin, but Luslec was waiting for him.

    ¡°Did you really mean to kill him?¡± Luslec asked, grinning.

    He was asking if Su-hyeun would really cut Ifrit¡¯s neck if he hadn¡¯t surrendered. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t answer. It was obvious.

    ¡°I thought I knew you,¡± Luslec said, ¡°but I guess I didn¡¯t. You¡¯re usually so kind, but you change when somebody oversteps the line. And what just happened was the same. You tried to not kill him¡­but you changed your mind quickly.¡±

    ¡°I guess you do know me well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good at reading people.¡±

    ¡°I need to rest. Let¡¯s talk about it later,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°From the stage?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Su-hyeun turned his body. Then, he sat on one chair, put on a blindfold, and tilted his head back. He tried to empty his head. He had no time to think about Luslec.

    Su-hyeun pictured Chun Ha-jin in the dark under his blindfold. He thought about the other players that had died because of Chun Ha-jin and his hand. He didn¡¯t feel any particular ill will toward Chun Ha-jin. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t like Su-hyeun felt pity for the other players that had died, or he had been fond of them or something.

    <<But still¡­>> Su-hyeun was only thinking one thing. <<I don¡¯t need to keep the bad guy alive.>>

    He could hear the host announcing that the final game of the quarterfinals would begin. And, after more than a half-hour of fighting, one person was left standing. The quarterfinals ended.

    ***

    ¡°Gasp, gasp¡ª¡±

    Puff¡ª

    From his naked upper body, a hot dark smoke soared. All the lights were broken and scattered on the floor, as was the furniture. In the corner of the dark room of broken things, Chun Ha-jin was sitting cross-legged.

    Puff, puff¡ª

    Sizzle¡ª

    The sweat that flowed down Chun Ha-jin¡¯s body turned black and evaporated into the air.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    All of a sudden, Chun Ha-jin spat up blood. It was dark-red. Chun Ha-jin, who spat out the poisonous blood, smiled.

    ¡°Awesome!¡±

    He was taking the energy and vitality he had taken from his opponents and making it his own. And, in the process, he sweated off the energy that didn¡¯t suit him or spat it up as blood. Usually, he could absorb about 50% of the power, but this time he was able to absorb about 80%. That meant that his Force Absorption¡¯s Proficiency and his own ability was getting higher.

    Chun Ha-jin got up from his seat and looked around. There was a decorative flowerpot in the corner. Chun Ha-jin looked at the plants, as tall as an adult man, and reached his hand out to them. At that moment¡­

    Rustle¡ª

    The moisture from the plants began to disappear. Soon, they turned to sand and scattered on the floor. Chun Ha-jin smiled at the instant change.

    <<Soon, I will attain greatness.>>

    Force Absorption was a new skill that he had learned in his later years. Even before he had learned the Force Absorption skill, he had been proud and considered himself the best. And this skill gave him wings. Chun Ha-jin was sure that, once his skill reached the highest level, he would become a great man.

    <<If I can eat up that man¡­>>

    Chun Ha-jin put his clothes back on, thinking about his next opponent. And it was at that moment¡­

    <<If I can eat up that man¡­?>>

    It was as if some sort of a wall appeared in his thinking. He could feel a tingle in his head. Chun Ha-jin staggered and put his hand on the wall.

    <<Why?>>

    Chun Ha-jin, who leaned against the wall for a moment, muttered with a blank face, ¡°What was I thinking?¡±

    He thought something was weird. But soon, he thought he must be getting absentminded in his old age, and shrugged it off. He didn¡¯t think about it seriously and went back to the arena.

    ***

    Four people were left after the quarterfinals: Su-hyeun, Chun Ha-jin, Luslec, and Arthur. The players were given about an hour¡¯s rest. They all rested where they felt comfortable. Su-hyeun and Chun Ha-jin were supposed to play the first game.

    ¡°If a player does not arrive within 10 minutes, you will be disqualified. Let me repeat it. If a player does¡ª¡±

    In the middle of the stadium, the host announced the rules in a loud voice. Su-hyeun was standing on one side and looked at Chun Ha-jin¡¯s waiting seat. Chun Ha-jin hadn¡¯t yet arrived at the stadium.

    <<There¡¯s no way he ran away¡­>>

    Chun Ha-jin had been looking forward to fighting against Su-hyeun. He had even threatened Su-hyeun to not run away.

    <<It wouldn¡¯t make sense if he ran away.>>

    Moreover, this was the trial. Even though Su-hyeun was already qualified to move on to the next trial, it didn¡¯t make sense for his opponent, Chun Ha-jin, to escape. And, as Su-hyeun thought¡ª

    Thump, thump¡ª

    ¡ªthe sounds of heavy footsteps came from the waiting room. It was Chun Ha-jin.

    ¡°Hey. You¡¯re early,¡± Su-hyeun said sarcastically.

    At his comment, Chun Ha-jin grinned as he walked up to the stage. ¡°You should thank me. I gave you more time to breathe in this world.¡±

    He seemed very confident, still. Su-hyeun could figure out the reason.

    <<It looks like he made the power he absorbed his own.>>

    Chun Ha-jin got stronger and stronger through the games. He absorbed the other¡¯s magic and made it his own using the Force Absorption skill. And he could expand his total amount of magic in the process. Force Absorption was surely a great skill.

    ¡°Then, please get ready,¡± the host said and stepped away.

    Su-hyeun and Chun Ha-jin stood in their preparation positions. Su-hyeun drew Balmung, and Chun Ha-jin drew a red sword he was wearing on his belt.

    ¡°The first game of the semifinals will begin!¡±

    The start of the game was declared.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª

    The two people¡¯s bodies moved quickly, leaving afterimages in their place. Their magic hit each other in the middle of the stage.

    Crack, crack¡ª

    The ground in the middle of the stadium began to crack. Soon, the same shock happened again in many spots around the stage.

    Clang, clank, clang¡ª!

    Craaack¡ª

    The floor of the stadium was cracked and cut in several places. Su-hyeun and Chun Ha-jin appeared and disappeared repeatedly.

    Whiz¡ª

    Slash, slash¡ª

    The swords hit each other and cut through the air.

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun stabbed Chun Ha-jin¡¯s shoulder. When Chun Ha-jin¡¯s body began to tilt, Su-hyeun stretched his fist out to him.

    Boom¡ª!

    Chun Ha-jin blocked Su-hyeun¡¯s fist with his hand and aroused his Force Absorption. Su-hyeun could feel the sensation of the magic in his body disappearing. And, at the same time, he also could feel his body begin to weaken.

    Whack¡ª

    Su-hyeun hit Chun Ha-jin¡¯s hand away. Chun Ha-jin grinned under his mask and chased after Su-hyeun.

    Clang, clank¡ª

    Crack, crack¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯re really something!¡± Chun Ha-jin laughed happily.

    He enjoyed the fight. And he was pleased by the fact that soon he would eat up Su-hyeun¡¯s power.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A dark blue flame rose between Su-hyeun and Chun Ha-jin.

    Rumble¡ª

    A high concentration of magic surrounded Chun Ha-jin. It was a skill called Energy Barrier, a skill that people used a lot Chun Ha-jin¡¯s world.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Chun Ha-jin wrapped his body with Energy Barrier and broke through the Flame skill.

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword cut deep into Chun Ha-jin¡¯s waist.

    Grab¡ª

    And, at the same time, Chun Ha-jin grabbed Su-hyeun¡¯s wrist. He gave up protecting his waist to grab Su-hyeun¡¯s wrist. If this were a usual fight, that would be a significant loss. But Chun Ha-jin didn¡¯t think it was a loss at all.

    <<I win!>>

    He sucked Su-hyeun¡¯s power through his hand. But something weird happened.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Chun Ha-jin¡¯s body was staggered by the intense dizziness in his head.

 Chapter 187

    <<What the hell is this¡­?>> Chun Ha-jin released Su-hyeun¡¯s wrist reflexively.

    And, at that moment, Su-hyeun moved his sword once more.

    Slash¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Su-hyeun cut Chun Ha-jin¡¯s chest deeply. With a scream, Chun Ha-jin pulled himself back, swinging his sword as hard as he could.

    Slash, slash¡ª

    Craaaack¡ª

    The aura of the sword in the cross shape flew to Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun swung his sword as well and scattered Chun Ha-jin¡¯s sword aura.

    ¡°What the hell¡­did you do to me?¡± Chun Ha-jin shouted.

    ¡°You know. You¡¯re the one who sucked all that.¡±

    ¡°Is it some sort of poison skill?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is. I mixed some dirty stuff in my energy. If you absorbed directly, it would be a bit strong.¡±

    [Murderous Toxin]

    * Magic Level: 6

    * Lv: 2

    * Mix the strong toxicity in your Magic. Depending on your skill level, you will be able to shoot poison or increase your immunity to toxicity.

    *Trait: The power of this skill would increase with Third Eye.

    Murderous Toxin. It was a skill that Su-hyeun got from the floor after he obtained the Third Eye. Although Su-hyeun didn¡¯t use many poison-typed skills, Murderous Toxin was quite a useful one. He especially liked the fact that the Proficiency of the skill automatically increased as his trait, Third Eye, increased.

    Moreover, the poison could be used in many ways, not just for battle. For example, he could use it when he needed to get a confession or dig up some information. And right at the moment was also a good time to use it. When Su-hyeun first learned about Chun Ha-jin¡¯s skill, he planned to use this skill.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably quite painful. Although you only took a little, you absorbed it directly. Also, you¡¯ll need some time to detoxicate.¡±

    ¡°You, crazy bastard¡­¡± Chun Ha-jin looked upset.

    In the world Chun Ha-jin had come from, poison skills were his natural enemy. People who studied poison, naturally, had toxicity in their energy. Absorbing their power was like eating raw vipers. Of course, people like Chun Ha-jin had a tolerance to many kinds of poison. But the energy he had just absorbed from Su-hyeun was more toxic than he expected.

    <<I probably won¡¯t be able to move properly for a while.>>

    Chun Ha-jin had thought Su-hyeun would be at a similar level to him, but Su-hyeun¡¯s ability was better than he had expected. He was surprised at that, but he was also excited at the opportunity to absorb the power of such a strong man. But now, circumstances had changed. He couldn¡¯t take Su-hyeun¡¯s power anymore, and he was in danger.

    <<Should I give up?>> The reasonable option came to his mind, but he shook his head. <<No, I¡¯ll hold out.>>

    He was too proud to give up right away. Chun Ha-jin¡¯s pride was too high to swallow or give up.

    Grab¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin held his sword tightly. To detoxicate, he thought he would need about five minutes.

    <<I have to drag this out¡ª>>

    Swish¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    But even before he finished the thought¡ª

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡ªChun Ha-jin had to block a sword attack that came from above his head. His wrists trembled. Surprised, Chun Ha-jin stretched his bent knees and swung his sword.

    Swish¡ª

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun jumped up, and Chun Ha-jin raised his head to find Su-hyeun. His heart was beating hard from the previous blow.

    <<When did he move and how the hell, he is so strong? Am I weaker?>> Chun Ha-jin thought that shouldn¡¯t be right. <<I¡¯m slightly indisposed now, but there¡¯s no way that there¡¯s such a huge difference between us.>>

    Chun Ha-jin wasn¡¯t dopey enough to not know his own body condition.

    <<That means¡­>> Chun Ha-jin opened his eyes wide. <<Did he become stronger?>>

    Boom¡ª!

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun hit Chun Ha-jin from above again. Chun Ha-jin clenched his teeth. His hands were in such pain. He barely endured because he had been protecting his arms with Energy Barrier. It was a shock that could make him fall to his knees in an instant. Chun Ha-jin realized how big the gap between him and Su-hyeun was.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Dark red magic rose from Chun Ha-jin¡¯s body. In his world, it was called the Inner Power. He began to release all the power that he had been absorbing through the Force Absorption skill at once.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Chun Ha-jin coughed up blood. He was already poisoned, but he used a huge amount of power in an instance. It burdened his body.

    <<I¡¯m ahead of him in Inner Power!>>

    Chun Ha-jin was so sure that the Inner Power that he had been accumulating through his Force Absorption skill was unsurpassed.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin lifted his sword. He could see Su-hyeun pounce on him fearlessly. It looked like Su-hyeun would deliver a blow instead of dodging.

    <<Stupid!>> Chun Ha-jin smiled with his bloody mouth.

    Rumble¡ª

    The dark red Inner Power began to take shape around Chun Ha-jin¡¯s sword. The aura seemed like it could cut anything with a single blow. Chun Ha-jin lifted his sword. Clouds floating in the sky were split as the sword moved. He felt confident that he could cut through anything.

    <<I¡¯ll cut him!>>

    Slash¡ª!

    And, at the moment that Chun Ha-jin¡¯s sword and the Inner Power about to swallow Su-hyeun¡­

    ¡°Explosion Style.¡±

    He could hear a small voice.

    Flash¡ª

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    Rumble, ruuumble¡ª

    With a tremendous magical wave, Chun Ha-jin¡¯s sword began to tear like a sheet of paper.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    Rip, riiip¡ª

    The tremendous Inner Power that Chun Ha-jin had been accumulating so far scattered. It was as if the power was eaten up by a higher power. Chun Ha-jin¡¯s Energy Barrier was broken, and so was his Inner Power. His hard body was torn; he knelt.

    ¡°Cough, cough¡ª¡±

    Flop¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin never thought he would kneel to anyone. But he knelt down this day. Chun Ha-jin had no power to stand anymore.

    ¡°Having huge magic isn¡¯t everything,¡± Su-hyeun said. ¡°Even if you have a good weapon, if you¡¯re awful, you can¡¯t use it well.¡±

    ¡°Are¡­you¡­saying¡­I¡¯m¡­awful?¡±

    ¡°There are many more important things than pouring tremendous magic at an enemy. Concentration and focus, timing¡­ The size of the magic is just one of many factors.¡±

    ¡°Bull¡­sh*t¡­¡± Chun Ha-jin denied Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    He couldn¡¯t accept that his way was wrong. Also, he still didn¡¯t think he was wrong. And Su-hyeun could understand him.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Su-hyeun, ¡°that is bullsh*t. Even though there are many factors to decide a victory or defeat, higher power is a very critical factor. So, what I¡¯m saying now is,¡± ¡ªSu-hyeun went on, as he stepped in front of Chun Ha-jin and looked down at him¡ª ¡°that¡¯s just all you have.¡±

    Chun Ha-jin gritted his teeth at Su-hyeun¡¯s insult. Since his legs were like jelly, he tried to use his arms to get up. It was a meaningless struggle, but he didn¡¯t quit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be even more pathetic. Just get down and listen.¡±

    Crush¡ª

    Crack¡ª

    ¡°Argh¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun trampled Chun Ha-jin¡¯s shoulder. At the sound of bone breaking, Chun Ha-jin clenched his teeth. He never screamed. Su-hyeun began to wonder what kind of life Chun Ha-jin had been leading. He must be in so much pain even to stay still with the Murderous Toxin, but he just made a quiet moaning sound while his shoulder was crushed. His will was very strong. Su-hyeun could tell his effort to be strong so far. But¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ill will toward you. Well. Murdering is fine according to the rules of the game. And I don¡¯t blame you for that.¡± Su-hyeun raised his sword. ¡°So, don¡¯t feel too bitter.¡±

    Stab¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    When Su-hyeun¡¯s sword penetrated Chun Ha-jin¡¯s neck, he opened his eyes wide.

    Slash¡ª

    And Su-hyeun finally cut Chun Ha-jin¡¯s neck and turned his body. He could see Luslec watching him from the opposite side. He was grinning as if he knew what Su-hyeun would do. Around him, Su-hyeun could see cheering people, and dropouts. In Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, they all looked like dolls.

    Act 6

    It was time for the second game of semifinals. Luslec¡¯s opponent was eliminated very quickly. He had only reached the semifinal because he luckily met easy opponents. Luslec didn¡¯t even have to call his shadow soldiers as he had done for Hercules. He easily dominated him with his sword.

    ¡°Winner, Luslec!¡± the host again declared Luslec the victor in a dry voice.

    Luslec reached out his hand to his opponent and helped him stand up. Then, he raised his arms to respond to the cheers of the crowd.

    ¡°Oh, wait.¡± Luslec didn¡¯t go down off the stage. Instead, he looked at the host and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think we need break time. Can we just start?¡±

    ¡°You mean, right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°If the other player agrees, there is nothing wrong with it,¡± the host said and looked at Su-hyeun, who was sitting in his chair by the side of the stage.

    Su-hyeun, who had been watching the game with his arms folded, nodded. ¡°I can start now.¡±

    ¡°Then, player Siegfried, please come on the stage. We will start the game in three minutes.¡±

    Su-hyeun immediately went up to the stage at the host¡¯s word.

    Hooray¡ª! Yay¡ª!

    People cheered louder. But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t pay attention to the sound. What he paid attention to was Luslec. It was as if Luslec was the only one that existed on a white background. Luslec was standing still on the stage, watching Su-hyeun coming.

    ¡°Hey, it is finally the finals.¡±

    ¡°Did you wait long?¡±

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked toward Luslec. The host stopped him before he got closer than ten steps from Luslec. One minute had passed; now about two minutes were left to start. Su-hyeun stopped walking as the host gave him a signal.

    Luslec looked at Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes and smiled. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m wondering who you are and what this world is.¡±

    ¡°I heard. People said you¡¯ve been asking about their pasts. You¡¯re really interested in other people, aren¡¯t you? Should I call you nosy?¡±

    ¡°I guess I am.¡±

    ¡°So? Did you figure out who I am?¡±

    ¡°At first, I thought you were just one of the awakeners climbing the tower, like me. But after I started to talk with other people, I had another thought.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked around at the expressionless hosts, cheering crowds, and the players watching the game from the waiting seat. All of their faces seemed pale.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen people like you before, and I¡¯ve seen them quite a few times.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Luslec made a wry grin.

    ¡°And we, the awakeners, call you guys like this¡± ¡ªand at that reaction, Su-hyeun was sure about his idea¡ª ¡°the gatekeepers.¡±

 Chapter 188

    The gatekeepers. They were inhabitants of every 10th-floor who received points and provided hints about the trials to people. There were countless rumors about their identities.

    Some said they might be monsters, not humans, and some said they might be transcendental beings related to the Tower of Trials. Some said the gatekeepers were probably the same as other inhabitants but beggars, just begging for points.

    There was no clear explanation for their existence, but Su-hyeun thought they were important. Although they dressed like humble beggars, no, even more, because of that, Su-hyeun was sure that they kept big secrets, not like other inhabitants of the tower.

    ¡°Gatekeepers¡­¡± Luslec nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s word. ¡°It¡¯s a good metaphor. Yea, that¡¯s not wrong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve wondered about it before. Why do the gatekeepers only appear on every 10th floor? Why there are no gatekeepers on the other floors?¡± Now, Su-hyeun got the answer to his question. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that they didn¡¯t exist there. They just didn¡¯t show themselves to us. Now I see one right in front of me.¡±

    ¡°The final match begins,¡± the host announced.

    He seemed to have no interest in the conversation between Su-hyeun and Luslec. It was the same with the other spectators and players. They moved as if their behavior was programmed. The only one who didn¡¯t follow the rules was Luslec. That was why Su-hyeun doubted Luslec.

    ¡°Did you create this world?¡± Su-hyeun asked Luslec.

    ¡°No, nothing so big as that. Creating a world? No, way. I¡¯m not a god or something. That¡¯s not possible.¡±

    ¡°But still, isn¡¯t it true that you¡¯re in control of this trial?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Luslec said. ¡°Because I am the administrator of this floor.¡±

    The one who supervised the trials, the administrator. It was the perfect name. It was a much better name than ¡®gatekeepers,¡¯ so named because they were the ones that people met before they entered the trials.

    ¡°I thought I made it pretty well¡­I guess it was too obvious because I made it in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was,¡± Su-hyeun agreed. ¡°Unlike other worlds, this world has too many artificial elements.¡±

    The spectators, players, and hosts, everyone except for Su-hyeun and Luslec, all moved as if they were dolls. They watched or moved or tried to win without purpose, as if they were just programmed to do so. Among them, the only being that had expressions, emotions, and thoughts was Luslec.

    ¡°So, that was how I figured out that you¡¯re not a being of this trial. And the skill you used was also suspicious.¡±

    ¡°My skill?¡±

    ¡°If you were just an ordinary sorcerer who can deal with souls, there would be nothing weird. But the souls you used were the players in this trial.¡±

    Su-hyeun realized it after Luslec¡¯s fight with Hercules. The shadows that Luslec had used were similar to the players there. At first, Su-hyeun assumed Luslec mimicked the people there, but the shadows¡¯ power was too high for them to just be mimics.

    ¡°So, why did you do all this? Why did you show up in the trial yourself? And what are all those worlds that you guys called ¡®trials¡¯? And why are you guys¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait. Stop, stop.¡± Luslec waved his hands.

    The game had already started, but the two kept talking.

    ¡°I am sorry, but there is no way I can answer your questions. Actually, this is already very different from what I promised.¡±

    ¡°Promised?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There was a promise we had made. Well¡­ But still, since we faced each other like this, I can answer a little bit¡­ This trial is an unusual case.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Unusual?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I made this stage in a hurry just for you, not like other trials, because I wanted to fight with you like this.¡±

    This stage was made in a hurry. Su-hyeun understood the meaning quickly. There was an undoubtedly large gap between the other trials and this one in the details. There was a kind of scenario in the trials except for the first floor. Trials were conducted to achieve certain events or objectives, and achievement points were awarded in the process.

    Of course, there were trials like this one, to just join a competition and to win. But usually, those trials had an apparent reason why the games were held or what the prizes were. But this competition was missing many things, from the players with no background to the unclear purpose behind it all. The players didn¡¯t know why they had to fight. Chun Ha-jin couldn¡¯t even remember why he had wanted to be stronger.

    ¡°Those players over there, and the players who already died, they all once existed in the past. Anyway, I was curious about how far you could go against them.¡±

    ¡°So¡ª¡±

    ¡°The strongest was Luslec, right here. Chun Ha-jin was the second, and Hercules was the third. And I thought you still could win against all of them.¡±

    ¡°So, are you saying this trial was just a way to sate your curiosity?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Yes. And I adjusted the level of difficulty. If you wanted just to pass the trial, you could leave after the quarterfinals. So, don¡¯t feel too bad.¡±

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes for a moment. His head was spinning. Most of the things he had thought turned out to be true. But the reason why this world was made was too shocking.

    <<A made-up world. No. Luslec said he didn¡¯t make this world.>>

    Luslec had said he wasn¡¯t a god.

    <<He may make this world with hallucination skills way higher level than Johnny Brad¡¯s. Or it could be some other sort of skill than hallucination skills.>>

    The one thing Su-hyeun was sure was that these administrators were related to the Tower of Trials. And people, including Su-hyeun, were graded through the trials they, the administrators, held and went to a higher level. The current trial was another in the process.

    ¡°The players here¡­ are they really alive?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°They were, once.¡±

    ¡°You mean they all died?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, they¡¯re like illusions. They did exist once, but not anymore. To use the terms from your world, they¡¯re a sort of archival data.¡±

    ¡°Data¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve copied and taken the memories and bodies of beings that once existed. Well, is that enough to satisfy your curiosity?¡± Luslec asked and scratched his head. ¡°Ok, that¡¯s it. I would like to tell you more, but I can¡¯t. Honestly, I hoped you would pass without noticing me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this was enough,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Good. Anyway, don¡¯t feel too guilty about killing people here. Just think about them as illusions.¡±

    At Luslec¡¯s remark, Su-hyeun realized why Luslec had spent so long explaining things to him. It seemed like Luslec knew about Su-hyeun well. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t kill anyone except Chun Ha-jin throughout the competition. Luslec wanted to see Su-hyeun¡¯s fighting against other players. But, to just dominate an opponent, without killing him, made the game more challenging. Luslec wanted to make Su-hyeun not hesitate when he dealt with other players¡¯ souls.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Even if you do, there¡¯s nothing you can figure out right now. Think simple. Think about what you have to do, just like you have been doing.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Puff¡ª

    As he finished talking, numerous shadows appeared around Luslec. They were the shadows of the players that had been fighting in the trial. Each shadow was the same as the players themselves. All of them were Luselc¡¯s puppets. It was clearly different from the way of Necroelementists, who borrowed the power of the soul.

    <<What do I have to do?>> Su-hyeun thought.

    His eyes sparkled. What he had to do; he had to pass this trial as usual and keep going on.

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun began to spread his magic out of his body as well. The summoned players surrounded Su-hyeun. Luslec backed away.

    ¡°This is the last trial I¡¯ll give you. You¡¯ve defeated all the players already, but I¡¯ve been watching¡­¡± Luslec said, grinning. ¡°How many players will you able to defeat this time?¡±

    It was the moment that the theme of the trial was revealed.

    <hr />

    Heroes. They were beings with high power and wisdom that appeared in myths, legends, and other stories. Unusually, the players in this trial had the names of the heroes of legend. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t recognize all the names, though. There were players, like Chun Ha-jin, that Su-hyeun never heard of in his life. All of the hundreds of players were on the stage right at the moment. And Su-hyeun began to fight with those hundreds of heroes.

    Clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword and Hercules¡¯ club hit each other. At first, they just looked like dark shadows, but after Su-hyeun realized who they were, they appeared more clearly. This one wore the skin of a lion, had a bow on his back, and wielded a club. The black figure in front of Su-hyeun was clearly Hercules.

    <<Of course.>>

    Su-hyeun put more strength in his arm facing Hercules¡¯ club. It was a moment where his Strength stat of 97 shined. It wasn¡¯t as good as Hercules¡¯ Strength, but Su-hyeun had better concentration and control of his magic.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun shed the club and cut Hercules¡¯ body. The skin of the lion was too hard, so he couldn¡¯t cut deeply, but he was able to cut a few large tendons.

    <<He¡¯s weaker than I expected.>>

    Hercules was a famous hero in the Tower of Trials because there were many items related to him. And, through such popular items, Su-hyeun assumed that Hercules¡¯ combat power would be at the same level as his past life.

    <<Maybe this is Hercules before his heyday.>>

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to grasp their common feature. All heroes here were before their heyday.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun jumped up high with his Leap skill. He took out the spears from his back. It was one of the three spears that he had taken from Kim Da-ho in a hurry.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear.]

    [Wave Spear- Explosion Style.]

    [Flame.]

    The Dragon Slaying Spear was made for long-range attacks against multiple enemies. Moreover, Su-hyeun mixed Wave Spear skill and Flame. When the spear left Su-hyeun¡¯s hand, the tip of the spear began to scatter and swept the whole stage.

    Clink, clank¡ª

    Rattle¡ª!

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    The heroes summoned by Luslec used their defensive skills to protect their bodies. Hercules wrapped his whole body with the skin of the lion. Chun Ha-jin spun his sword quickly and made a sword-shield. But, of course, not everyone did that.

    Wham, wham¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    Some heroes with low levels, or who reacted late, or who had lower defensive skills couldn¡¯t avoid the Dragon Slaying Spear. The spear penetrated their bodies.

    <<Damage is lower than I expected,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    It was an attack that strong heroes could block easily enough. But, even so, Su-hyeun thought he would deal some damage to them. But it turned out not many of them took damage. Only about one in ten were wounded.

    <<I guess they¡¯re heroes, for sure.>>

    Su-hyeun used the Leap skill once more and looked down Luslec, who was standing in the middle of the heroes, arms folded.

    <<I don¡¯t have to adjust my pace. I¡¯ll go at once.>>

    [Activate the Trait ¡®Hero-Immortality¡¯.]

    [The condition has not been met.]

    [Vitality and Health are not recovered.]

    [Physical ability increases rapidly.]

    Bluish magic swayed around Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    <<I¡¯ll go through.>>

 Chapter 189

    Luslec watched Su-hyeun¡¯s fighting from a distance. Su-hyeun¡¯s combat against dozens of heroes at once was something admirable. Heroes like Hercules, Chun Ha-jin, and Ifrit lost their luster compared to Su-hyeun.

    <<He¡¯s very good.>>

    Luslec, who was watching the fighting leisurely, looked up, following Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun pulled a spear from his back. And, at that moment, Luslec gave the order.

    ¡°Prepare for defense.¡±

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Heroic Spiritism. It was the specialty of the hero named Luslec. Luslec could control numerous spirits and fight by borrowing their power. Also, he was a master of swordsmanship. He had better skills than Hercules or Chun Ha-jin. At his order, the summoned heroes moved quickly and accurately. And the Dragon Slaying Spear poured down.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Cling, clang¡ª

    Luslec wielded his sword and the fragments of the Dragon Slaying Spear bounced off. Dozens of heroes died in the aftermath of the spear. Although they were relatively weak ones, it was surprising enough that dozens of them fell at only one attack.

    ¡°Great.¡± Luslec grinned, but soon his smile faded.

    <<But he¡¯s just like I expected,>> Luslec thought.

    He had hoped Su-hyeun could show abilities beyond his expectations. Su-hyeun¡¯s level was good enough to not disappoint Luslec, but he thought it wasn¡¯t worth interfering with the trial himself. At the very moment he began to think that¡­

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s demeanor changed suddenly. No. It wasn¡¯t just his demeanor.

    <<His magic is amplified.>>

    Luslec¡¯s eyes turned black. He used the Eyes of Heroic Spirit, the highest-grade skill in the Heroic Spiritism. It was a name given in the sense of seeing through the soul of other people. Luslec could clearly see Su-hyeun veins, tendons, and even the flow of magic through his body. When he looked inside Su-hyeun like that, he seemed like a totally different person.

    <<He became stronger suddenly.>>

    And it was at that moment¡­

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body disappeared.

    Crack¡ª

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Luslec opened his eyes wide. Su-hyeun¡¯s feet, which appeared in front of his eyes in an instant, were deeply embedded in the ground of the stage. He already brandished his sword. Luslec¡¯s reaction was late; Su-hyeun moved faster than Luslec could.

    Slash¡ª

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    A long cut was made on Luslec¡¯s body.

    Clang, clank¡ª

    The Spirit Armor covering Luslec¡¯s body began to crack. If he wasn¡¯t wearing Spirit Armor, his body would be the thing being split in half.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Slaash, slash, slaash¡ª

    He couldn¡¯t follow every move Su-hyeun made. Su-hyeun was definitely faster than before. Su-hyeun attacked Luslec persistently, avoiding the movement of the heroes trying to protect him. It was a very smart move, because the weakness of all Summoners, including Heroic Spirit Summoners, was themselves.

    ¡°Explosion Style,¡± Su-hyeun said in a small voice.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Enormous magic covered Luslec¡¯s body.

    Craaack¡ª!

    By the time the magic had passed, Hercules appeared in front of Luslec.

    Flop¡ª

    Hercules knelt down. Su-hyeun, who had been using Immortality skill, also used Explosion skill. And that attack even made Hercules, who was strong and wore the Nemean Lion skin, kneel.

    Swish¡ª

    Craaack¡ª!

    Shortly after that, Chun Ha-jin¡¯s sword fell on Su-hyeun¡¯s head. Other than Luslec, Chun Ha-jin was the strongest hero there. Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t just ignore his attack. So, he stepped back all the way to dodge.

    Swish¡ª Whiz¡ª

    The shadows that Luslec had summoned surrounded Su-hyeun once again. Luslec, who was still using the Eyes of Heroic Spirit, could see the change that was happening inside of Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    <<It looks like a type of skill that burns Health to maximize physical ability and magic. Is it a skill specialized for short-term wars rather than a war of attrition?>>

    It couldn¡¯t be said that there was no side effect, but the ability that Su-hyeun had just had shown was way beyond Luslec¡¯s expectations.

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool.¡±

    Whiz¡ª

    Su-hyeun moved again. There was no time for rest. Since he started using the Immortality skill, he had to finish the battle quickly.

    Clank, clank¡ª

    Swish, swiiish¡ª

    Because of his overwhelming speed, it seemed like there were many of Su-hyeun¡¯s body. The bodies of the heroes who blocked Su-hyeun¡¯s way were split and fell. Su-hyeun aimed at their weak spots, such as their necks or hearts. His magic control was superb, but that was not it. He knew how to kill or defeat his enemies effectively.

    ¡°Huff¡ª Hwoooo¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun swept over the stadium, took a long breath, and then exhaled it. Su-hyeun looked at Luslec, still surrounded by heroes. There were still a lot of them left.

    <<It¡¯s hard to ignore the heroes since they surround him like that.>> Su-hyeun quickly judged the situation. <<Chun Ha-jin is guarding Luslecclosely. He won¡¯t attack me first.>>

    Su-hyeun expanded his horizons. He thought of the stage as a chessboard. Luslec was a king. Next to him, Chun Ha-jin could be considered the strongest sword, the queen. Heroes like Hercules and Ifrit were generals like the knight, rook, and bishop. There were numerous other pawns.

    <<I can¡¯t kill the king right away.>>

    Whiz¡ª

    Su-hyeun rushed to the numerous heroes that were protecting Luslec.

    <<I¡¯ll kill the pawns off first.>>

    [The Wave Sword, Explosion Style.]

    [Flame.]

    Craaack¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª!

    A one-to-a-hundred fight was, among all the trials Su-hyeun had gone through, the hardest one so far. Let it begin.

    <hr />

    Immortality was the best skill that Su-hyeun had when compared to his other skills power-wise. But there were also many side effects.

    ¡°Gasp, gasp¡ª¡±

    His Health was rapidly undermined, and there was a reaction to the amplified magic. Also, he had been using Explosion skill, which consumed a lot of magic at the same time.

    <<Now, only half of them left.>>

    Su-hyeun looked at the shadows that fell in front of him. Half of them were gone. But his Health was almost out.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    Ifrit¡¯s flame appeared in front of Su-hyeun to block him to cut other heroes.

    [Indomitable body.]

    [Armor of the Mage.]

    [Sky King¡¯s Feather.]

    Layers of skills wrapped Su-hyeun¡¯s body. He didn¡¯t wear the Falcon¡¯s Holy Armor right at the moment, but those were quite usable skills. They increased magic resistance. Ifrit¡¯s flame was lukewarm compared to Karne¡¯s Breath. Su-hyeun ignored Ifrit¡¯s fire and swung his sword.

    Slash¡ª

    Thud¡ª

    Another hero¡¯s head fell to the ground. And, at the same time, many different kinds of skills flew to Su-hyeun.

    Crack, Craaack¡ª

    Swiiiiish, thump¡ª!

    Somebody drilled a fist into Su-hyeun¡¯s stomach. The overwhelming shock shook his body.

    Clench¡ª

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    Su-hyeun clenched his teeth and grasped his opponent¡¯s wrist. He held it in his hand and twisted. The shadow opened its mouth wide as if it was screaming, but no sound came out.

    Slash¡ª

    Su-hyeun swung his sword and cut the shadow¡¯s neck. At the same time, he snapped his fingers, a dark blue Flame covered Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    [Armor of the Flame.]

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    The heroes who had been rushing to attack Su-hyeun hesitated. And, in that short moment of hesitation, Su-hyeun dug into the crowd.

    Swish, swish, swish¡ª

    Slash¡ª Splash¡ª

    The heads of the shadows were cut. Su-hyeun was splattered with blood.

    Stab¡ª

    A sword penetrated Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. Su-hyeun turned his head and saw a shadow standing next to him. It was Chun Ha-jin.

    <<The queen has moved.>>

    The queen that was supposed to protect the king began to move. That meant a lot of soldiers had died.

    Slaaash¡ª

    Crunch¡ª!

    When Su-hyeun waved his sword filled with magic, the aura of the sword that held Flame stretched out to Chun Ha-jin. Chun Ha-jin hurriedly pulled the sword from Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder and tried to defend, but his shoulder was cut, deep. Su-hyeun covered his shoulder with the other hand and exhaled a long breath.

    ¡°Hwooooo¡ª¡±

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    The surviving heroes made a formation while Su-hyeun took a breath. The heroes tried to make Su-hyeun use up his Strength. They were waiting for Su-hyeun to crash and burn.

    ¡°So, you guys are trying to exhaust me, huh?¡±

    ¡°Trial means hardship and suffering. If it¡¯s too easy, it wouldn¡¯t be a trial for you, would it?¡±

    Luslec was still standing in the same spot. It seemed like he was waiting until the last moment. It was a bit of a nasty move but obviously the most reasonable choice.

    ¡°Yes. Now, it feels like a real trial.¡± Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t deny it.

    <<How long has it been?>>

    None of the trials in his current life had been particularly difficult for Su-hyeun. The trial of the 30th floor, when he had to catch Ouroboros, was a bit difficult, but everything else was too easy, or easy enough. But this trial was different. The heroes in front of him were all high-level ones. There were heroes like Hercules, Ifrit, or Chun Ha-jin who easily could defeat S-Rank awakeners.

    ¡°But you chose the wrong way,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Su-hyeun checked his Fatigue stat.

    [Fatigue: 70.]

    It was the right moment.

    [The Trait of ¡®Hero ¨C Immortality¡¯ activates.]

    [Vitality and Health will quickly be recovered. CC will partially be recovered.]

    [The physical ability has already reached its peak. The physical ability won¡¯t increase anymore.]

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Slash, slash¡ª

    The shadow heroes that rushed toward Su-hyeun lost their heads and fell to the ground. Su-hyeun¡¯s staggering body regained its balance. His magic, which had been fading like a candle in a breeze, was restored. Luslec grinned, even though his opponent became lively again, as if he liked it so much that he couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    <<Immortality will only last about 10 minutes,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    The Immortality skill could be used in two different ways. The first one increased his physical power and amplified his magic. The second one recovered Vitality and Health temporarily. But the restoration of Vitality and Health was only a temporary measure. It was just first aid. The recovered Health and Vitality would return to normal over time. Su-hyeun knew that better than anyone. He had an intuition for when he had no time left.

    <<First of all, I have to catch queen and bishop.>>

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun approached Chun Ha-jin, who had left Luslec¡¯s side. Chun Ha-jin swung his sword as if he was waiting for Su-hyeun. And it was at that moment¡­

    [The Wave Sword- Explosion Style.]

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    The moment that their swords met, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword spewed a huge amount of magic. He activated the Explosion Style skill to maximize the aura of the sword. And the result of that¡ª

    Clang¡ª

    ¡ªChun Ha-jin¡¯s sword, wrapped in energy, was broken¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    ¡ªand his neck was cut.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Wham¡ª!

    A dull sound came over Su-hyeun¡¯s head. With a heavy feeling, Su-hyeun started to bleed from his head. It was a club of Hercules. Hercules had smashed the ground of the stage before. If Su-hyeun were an ordinary person, his head would have burst at once.

    Whirl¡ª

    [Protective Barrier of the Dragon God.]

    [Blessing of the Dragon God.]

    ¡°Good job, Miru.¡±

    Purr¡ª

    Miru answered from a distance. Su-hyeun had told Miru not to get involved in the fighting since it was dangerous. Miru broke the promise but, thanks to Miru, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t too injured by Hercules¡¯ club. The queen was gone.

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun held tight to Hercules¡¯ neck. Now, it was time to catch the bishop.

 Chapter 190

    Act 7

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun grabbed Hercules¡¯ neck tightly and slammed it to the ground. Hercules was already staggering from his injuries. Moreover, Strength was Su-hyeun¡¯s best stat, and he was using the Immortality skill at the moment. Above all, Hercules here wasn¡¯t the hero in his prime.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    Craaack¡ª!

    Hercules¡¯ head went through the floor, and the floor of the stage collapsed. Some heroes who had been rushing toward Su-hyeun hesitated for a moment. The others launched their skills.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Swish, swiiish¡ª

    Ifrit¡¯s flames swept over Su-hyeun and Hercules. Meanwhile, other heroes rushed at Su-hyeun with their spears and swords.

    Stab, stab¡ª

    Whooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body was pierced by the spears and swords and burnt by fire magic. One spear pierced Su-hyeun¡¯s neck. He still held Hercules¡¯ neck tightly. The shadow heroes stopped moving all of a sudden. Right after that¡ª

    Puff¡ª

    ¡ªSu-hyeun¡¯s figure scattered like smoke.

    [Doppelganger.]

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Slaaash¡ª

    The heads of the rushing heroes were cut with a single stroke. At that moment, Ifrit started moving again.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    Huge wings appeared from both of Ifrit¡¯s shoulders. At the same time, Su-hyeun hit Ifrit¡¯s abdomen. Ifrit¡¯s mouth opened wide. Even though they couldn¡¯t make sounds, it seemed like they still could feel pain. For a moment, Ifrit staggered.

    Stab¡ª!

    When Su-hyeun tried to swing his sword again, an arrow from somewhere penetrated Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t swing his sword all the way. With no other choice, he moved his other arm and grabbed Ifrit¡¯s neck.

    Crunch¡ª

    Ifrit¡¯s neck was broken. Su-hyeun lifted the body without hesitation.

    Whiz¡ª

    Wham, wham, wham¡ª

    Five arrows flew to Su-hyeun again. They all aimed for his weak spots.

    <<Robin Hood.>>

    Robin Hood was the hero who had fought against Chun Ha-jin at the quarterfinals.

    Screech¡ª

    Robin Hood drew his bow once more from a distance. The arrows that had been flying were definitely annoying. Su-hyeun took his spear off his back as Robin Hood drew his bow. There was no preparation action. He didn¡¯t even inject his magic into the spear. Naturally, the Dragon Slaying Spear was just an ordinary spear without magic. Su-hyeun even didn¡¯t need a skill. He only needed to kill one person. What he had to do was throw.

    Swiiish¡ª

    Whiiiiizz¡ª

    The spear and arrow flew at the same time. The tips of the spear and arrow hit each other. The spear broke the arrow and stuck into Robin Hood¡¯s neck.

    Crack¡ª

    Flop¡ª

    Robin Hood fell backward. His neck had a hole from the spear. Su-hyeun knocked another annoying opponent away. He pulled the arrow from his shoulder. At that moment, he felt dizzy. He felt as if the sky and ground turned upside down. Su-hyeun held his head with his hand.

    <<Was it a poisoned arrow?>>

    Robin Hood¡¯s arrows had been flying at him throughout the fight. He was avoiding them because it was easy enough. But the one shot Robin Hood had made was a source of trouble.

    It was a poisoned arrow. And it was a deadly poison. It was a pretty fatal wound. If it were a simple poison, Su-hyeun would recover slowly over time because his magic resistance was directly related to his resistance to poison. But¡­

    <<Even if it were a simple poison, I wouldn¡¯t have enough time to recover.>>

    There was little time left for the Immortality skill. He had to hurry. He didn¡¯t have time for detoxification. Su-hyeun began to move again. There was no reason to hesitate since he realized that there was no time left.

    Swish, stab, slash¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin, Hercules, Ifrit, and Robin Hood. Su-hyeun had been killing many important heroes. Now, almost a quarter of them remained.

    <<I have about five more minutes¡­>> Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes moved fast, gleaming. <<I have to kill them all in time.>>

    <hr />

    Splash¡ª

    Luslec stepped on the body of a shadow hero who had fallen to the floor. He didn¡¯t mean to step on him, but it just happened when he began to move. Luslec canceled the summoning. Then, the shadows heroes who had fallen all over the place turned to smoke and scattered in the air.

    ¡°Gasp, gasp¡ª¡±

    And, among the smoke, Su-hyeun was standing, his sword tip on the floor. His mouth was filled with a sweet smell, and his legs and arms were shaking. His whole body was covered with wounds, and the poison was spreading through his body. The duration for Immortality was already over.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Luslec could clearly see with Eyes of Heroic Spirit skill, that the flame inside of Su-hyeun had weakened. More precisely, it was the little magic power left in Su-hyeun. Not only was he injured and out of shape, but his magic had run out.

    ¡°¡­Great job.¡±

    But Luslec was still amazed. He had no choice but to be amazed. He looked at the shadows of the heroes that were still turning into smoke.

    ¡°At first, I wondered who would be the strongest one here,¡± Luslec said.

    ¡°Gasp, gasp¡ª¡±

    ¡°After you beat Chun Ha-jin, I began to wonder how many heroes you could defeat. But you¡­ you exceeded my expectations over and over.¡±

    Clap, clap, clap¡ª

    Luslec clapped his hands with sincere admiration. He didn¡¯t clap to celebrate Su-hyeun. It was to express his respect.

    ¡°You¡¯re the best,¡± Luslec went on. ¡°The achievement rate is meaningless for you. Now you can move on to the next floor¡ª¡±

    ¡°Bull¡­sh*t¡­,¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun pulled out the sword that he had stuck into the ground. Luslec frowned a little at such an act from Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Are you trying to continue?¡±

    ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t win yet, did I?¡±

    The king was still standing. The game, the competition, wasn¡¯t over yet.

    <<He wants to finish since I defeated all the other heroes?>>

    Su-hyeun could not accept that idea.

    Gyaong¡ª!

    Miru, who was watching the game from the back, cried in a little voice. Miru was crying to stop Su-hyeun. He was about to move to come to Su-hyeun¡¯s aid.

    ¡°Miru.¡± At the call from Su-hyeun, Miru stopped flapping his wings. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­move¡­Stay¡­still¡­¡±

    Gyaong¡ª

    Miru cried very sadly. His voice was trembling. But Miru still followed the order from Su-hyeun and didn¡¯t move.

    <<If Miru moves, he¡¯ll become the target.>>

    Luslec hadn¡¯t cared about Miru since he didn¡¯t move at all. There was one time that some heroes tried to attack Miru, when Miru had tried to protect Su-hyeun from Hercules¡¯ club. Shortly after that, Su-hyeun had to fight against the heroes that showed hostility to Miru.

    <<I don¡¯t have any energy to protect Miru right now. And Miru¡¯s mobility is meaningless in this small stage.>>

    In the end, Miru¡¯s role was extremely limited in the stadium because Miru¡¯s survivability came from his mobility and flying ability.

    ¡°Are you really not stopping?¡± Luslec asked.

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Su-hyeun answered slowly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already achieved 100% accomplishment rate. You know that, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡­know.¡±

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    ¡°But¡­is it really 100%?¡±

    Luslec flinched as if Su-hyeun hit the mark. Then, he shook his head, grinning.

    ¡°You¡¯re really something.¡±

    Accomplishment rate, 100%. Su-hyeun thought that was meaningless. And in fact, it was. 100% meant the maximum of the expectation of the administrator. And the highest achievement rate expected by Luslec, the administrator of the 42nd floor, was to knock down all the heroes here. Su-hyeun already had passed the original goal. What he had done so far was more than 100%; it would be considered close to 110% or 120%.

    <<There is no maximum.>>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s suspicions were assured after he met Luslec, the administrator. The trial wasn¡¯t a simple game. There was no fixed reward since it was a program. Luslec looked at Miru, who was sitting at a distance. Miru folded his wings as if he wouldn¡¯t move no matter what happened. But he was still staring at Su-hyeun very closely. It seemed like Miru firmly believed in Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Then, borrow the power of your divine beast. You can do that, at least, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­need it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    Luslec scratched his head as if he was in trouble. He looked at Su-hyeun, who could hardly lift his sword up, squeezing the last of the magic he had.

    He went on, ¡°I think you assumed it already, but this isn¡¯t my real body.¡±

    ¡°I¡­know. Probably¡­it is a body¡­of a hero named, Luslec.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I mean, I did adjust the numbers and types of the souls he had. But anyway, what I can display right now is as strong as Luslec was.¡±

    Schwing¡ª

    Luslec finally drew his sword out. He said, ¡°Ok. Then, defeat this man. Let¡¯s see how far you can go.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Dark energy came out from Luslec¡¯s body. Luslec was a Heroic Spirit Summoner who was also good with a sword. The aura began to wrap around his sword. It was a mixture of his magic and the energy of dead people.

    ¡°Hwooo¡ª Haaaa¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun took a deep inhale and exhale. He already checked his opponent¡¯s power. Now, it was time to check his own body and condition.

    <<Fortunately, provocation worked,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Luslec drew all of his energy at once. He was going to do his best. Su-hyeun was glad. If Luslec judged Su-hyeun¡¯s status with a cool head, he might decide to buy time to make him consume all of his energy. But Luslec didn¡¯t do that. He wanted to finish it all in one battle. And that was also what Su-hyeun wanted and hoped for.

    <<The problem is¡­I¡¯m not sure if I have enough power.>>

    Checking his condition was a ridiculous thing at the moment. He didn¡¯t need to bother. He already knew how he was; he was in the worst condition of his life. Many parts of his body were broken, cut, and bleeding. He didn¡¯t have much Health left, and detoxification took too long a time. He was so dizzy, he even had a hard time just standing up. He only had a little bit of magic left. He might be able to swing his sword once, but that would be it. But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t give up.

    <<I only have a little bit of energy>> ¡ªSu-hyeun¡¯s eyes sparked¡ª <<but still, I have some. And that¡¯s the most important thing.>>

    There was only a small chance to win this fight.

    Gnashing¡ª

    Su-hyeun clenched his teeth. He could feel the true meaning of making a final effort. Su-hyeun took a small step forward.

    Rumble¡ª

    The little embers in him lit up again. Su-hyeun surrounded his sword with his magic. That was all of the power Su-hyeun could squeeze out at the moment.

    ¡°Are you ready now?¡±

    Luslec didn¡¯t run away from Su-hyeun. He didn¡¯t wait until Su-hyeun¡¯s power drained out. That would be the most definite way to win, but he didn¡¯t do that. Su-hyeun realized that it was the original character of Luslec. The administrator wouldn¡¯t let his personal feelings affect the trial. At this moment, Su-hyeun was really dealing with a hero named Luslec.

    ¡°Then¡­I will¡ª¡±

    Stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun took his second step.

    ¡°¡ªgo first.¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body rushed to Luslec. He was. moving much slower than he had before. He was slow enough that Luslec could see every move he made. It was slow, very slow.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The energy from the spirits and magic rumbled like a giant wave from Luslec¡¯s sword.

    <<I can see,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun could see numerous spirits from Luslec¡¯s energy and all the hostility they felt toward Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun got goosebumps. The steps moving forward began to tremble. Su-hyeun had no way to protect his body at the moment. It was Death Aura. And the energy it gave Su-hyeun felt like it would decompose all of his body, even his bones if he stepped forward one more.

    <<I shouldn¡¯t hesitate.>>

    Su-hyeun repeated like a chant. Spirit Summoners were good at distracting attention.

    <<There¡¯s no reason to be scared of the already dead ones.>>

    Swish¡ª

    Luslec swung his sword toward Su-hyeun, who rushed into the dark wave that he had created.

    Slaaash¡ª

    Slash¡ª

    The two swords struck each other.

    At that moment¡­

    Slash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s waist was deeply cut, and blood splattered to the ground.

 Chapter 191

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Splatter¡ª

    Su-hyeun took a step forward, trembling. He stepped on the blood that poured from his wounds. It was as if red rain had fallen on the stage.

    <<It¡¯s been a while since I bled this much.>>

    Crack¡ª

    But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t fall. He stuck his sword into the ground as he fell and managed to catch himself.

    ¡°Urgh¡ª! Gasp¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun covered his wound with one hand and held his sword with the other hand to stand up. He was having a hard time just standing. If his grip got too loose, he might fell to the ground immediately.

    ¡°You¡­,¡± Luslec said, like muttering as looking at Su-hyeun. ¡°How did you¡­see¡­?¡±

    Clank¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    A small sphere above Luslec¡¯s head was cut, and dark smoke rose upward. At the same time, Luslec¡¯s body began to stagger and fall.

    ¡°Hwooo¡ª Haaaa¡ª¡±

    Flop¡ª

    Su-hyeun lay on the floor at last. He didn¡¯t have any power to hold his sword anymore. The only reason he could stand this far was that he had an incredible will. Miru flew to Su-hyeun hurriedly.

    Purr¡ª!

    Whirl¡ª

    The red magic that came from Miru¡¯s body poured into Su-hyeun¡¯s wound. Soon, the wound began to heal, little by little. Su-hyeun came to his senses again.

    ¡°Thank you¡­Miru¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun reached out and stroked Miru¡¯s head as his breathing steadied. Miru, who usually rubbed his head to Su-hyeun¡¯s hand, didn¡¯t move at all this time. Su-hyeun looked like he would faint at just a touch.

    ¡°You win, Su-hyeun.¡±

    But Luslec¡¯s voice was very calm and peaceful. Su-hyeun became nervous at that voice. Luslec sounded like he would have no problem continuing the fight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous,¡± he went on, ¡°I can only speak like this because this isn¡¯t my real body. Luslec is dead.¡±

    ¡°That means¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the winner.¡± Luslec grinned, still lying on the floor. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you found the real body of the Summoner in such a short time. I thought there would be no way you would win here. Oh, well. Carelessness is always a problem.¡±

    Carelessness. At the moment when Luslec had looked down his opponent, who was dying, this result happened. It was possible because Su-hyeun squeezed out all of his last magic power, and he had the experience that he had been accumulating in his body for a long time.

    ¡°Even if you make excuses, I¡¯m still the winner.¡±

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha-ha!¡± Luslec laughed at Su-hyeun¡¯s sly comment. He laughed for a while and opened his mouth to talk again. ¡°Yes, I lose. That¡¯s not changing. I thought I would win when I set this up, but you totally turned the tables on me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice word to hear.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m not the only one.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°Many administrators are watching you. Downstairs ones and upstairs ones. All of them. Well, you might already know about that, though.¡±

    At Luslec¡¯s words, Su-hyeun recalled the word of the gatekeeper of the 30th floor.

    ¡°Now hurry up and go. I¡¯ll be watching you with great anticipation, so don¡¯t you dare disappoint me.¡±

    The gatekeeper of the 30th floor had said that he had expectations for Su-hyeun and asked him to not disappoint him. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know what he expected and what he meant by ¡®disappoint.¡¯ Su-hyeun began to wonder about that.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Luslec said, ¡°but it¡¯s time to say good-bye. Since you won¡¯t be able to come downstairs, I guess this will be the last time we meet.¡±

    [You have achieved a 100% accomplishment rate.]

    [You have attained the highest accomplishment.]

    [You have passed the 42nd-floor¡¯s trial with perfection.]

    ¡°Bye, Su-hyeun. I will give you one gift. Use it well.¡±

    ¡°Gift¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun made a confused frown at Luslec¡¯s words. The messages popped up.

    [You have gained 2,500,000 achievement points.]

    [Your achievement will be ranked.]

    [You have ranked first.]

    [Your Strength has increased by 1 point.]

    [Your Health has increased by 1 point.]

    [Your Agility has increased by 1 point.]

    [Your Reflex has increased by 1 point.]

    [You have acquired the ¡®Title- Hero.¡¯]

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    With the message, Su-hyeun¡¯s body disappeared from the spot. The difficult trial of the 42nd floor ended like that.

    <hr />

    Puff, puff¡ª

    Su-hyeun and Miru appeared in the middle of the square. The square was empty. There were no inhabitants or awakeners. Su-hyeun stood there for a moment, blankly. Then soon, he checked his body.

    <<All my wounds have disappeared.>>

    His magic hadn¡¯t recovered, but at least all the visible wounds were gone. It was the same with his clothes, which were torn to shreds before. It was as if all that had happened was an illusion.

    <<Rewards.>>

    He remembered the rewards list that had popped up in his head before. Four stats were raised, and one of them was Strength. At any other time, Su-hyeun would have cheered at the fact that his Strength stat went up. But there was something more important than that now.

    [Title: Hero.]

    <ul>

    It is a glorious name given to a hero of one world.

    20% correction effect on physical and magical damage against all kinds of monsters.

    30% damage reduction from all types of damage.

    </ul>

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He was sure. It was a title that Su-hyeun had had in his past life. Hero! Su-hyeun got back the title once again.

    <<How did I get this already¡­>>

    There was no doubt. The effects that this title could give were very simple, but they were all very effective. It could reduce 20% of the damage from all kinds of monsters. Also, it could reduce physical and magical damage. This effect didn¡¯t apply to humans, but Su-hyeun¡¯s enemies were monsters, not humans, anyway. It was the title that he had thought he would need to get someday.

    The title wasn¡¯t an item to equip, but a power that was subject to the body like a skill or trait. A person could only use one title. Also, the title wasn¡¯t easy to obtain. If traits were ten times more difficult to obtain than ordinary skills, then a title was ten times more challenging to get than a trait. And, among the titles, ¡®Hero¡¯ was the best title, as far as Su-hyeun knew. It wasn¡¯t something he could get from a trial on just the 42nd floor.

    <<Well. Fair is fair after all¡­>>

    It was something to rejoice in, but he didn¡¯t like the name of the title.

    <<Oh, well. It¡¯ll be fine.>>

    There was so much to think about after he had met the gatekeeper, no, the administrator.

    <<What do they want? What are all the worlds in the trials? What is this huge tower after all?>>

    Also, Su-hyeun was wondering about the relationship between the administrators and the monsters that appeared in his world and why they had an interest in him.

    <<And what is a hero?>>

    Su-hyeun had met many heroes in the trial on the 42nd floor. He wondered why they were called heroes and why the administrator wanted to compare him to them. He was curious about everything. But there was nothing he could figure out right away. Above all, he had no power left at the moment.

    <<I want to sleep.>>

    It was been a long time since he had felt such a basic desire.

    <<I should rest first.>>

    A short time later, Su-hyeun went back to his home. He threw himself into bed immediately. He didn¡¯t even wash first. He slept for a long time.

    <hr />

    [You have passed the 74th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [You have gained 700,000 achievement points.]

    [Your Strength has increased by 1 point.]

    [Your Agility¡­]

    [¡­]

    [Your magic factor has increased by 1 point.]

    ¡°Huaaaa¡ª¡±

    Hak-joon, having passed the trial of the 74th floor, arrived at the plaza on the 75th floor. He took a long breath. He had been holding his breath for a long time. His whole body was soaking wet, and water dripped from his hair.

    <<What kind of trial happens in the damn water!>>

    The purpose of his trial was to find a Kraken in the sea and regain the treasure from a ship that had been extorted. Hak-joon had heard about Krakens from Su-hyeun before. So, he knew how big and strong the monster was. But it was stronger than the boss of a green-colored dungeon because Hak-joon had had to deal with it in the sea, not on the land.

    << Thank God I had that Mermaid¡¯s Water Drop¡­>>

    Mermaid¡¯s Water Drop. It was a pill-type item that could change the body to half-human and half-mermaid for a certain period of time. If he hadn¡¯t had it, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to even find the Kraken, let alone hunt it.

    <<The duration was too short though.>>

    He had found the Kraken. He could have easily defeated it without much effort. Even though it was underwater, Hak-joon¡¯s abilities were quite good. But the problem was that the Mermaid¡¯s Water Drop expired during the fight against the Kraken.

    <<Well, I made it somehow,>> Hak-joon thought.

    He sighed with relief. He arrived on the 75th floor and the 100th floor wasn¡¯t too far away. He had been climbing the tower faster than ever. Also, he realized that he was getting stronger than ever, too.

    <<I wonder how far Su-hyeun has come.>>

    It was ironic. Su-hyeun was much stronger than him, but he was on a higher floor. Hak-joon was trying to go higher place to not let Su-hyeun catch up to him.

    <<I haven¡¯t seen him for a while. When did I see him last?>>

    And he also realized that it had been a long since he had spent time with Yun-seon. He thought he might take a little break at this floor and head toward the trial, but he changed his plan. He took a breath and rose up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back for now.¡±

    <hr />

    When Su-hyeun woke up, he found many text messages from many people.

    -Brother! I heard you passed the 42nd floor.

    -Are you sleeping? Wait. Are you on the 43rd floor already?

    -When wiiill yoooou comeee?

    Each message was from Hak-joon, Lee Ju-ho, and Thomas. Also, there were messages from Shin Su-yeong. She asked after Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun realized he didn¡¯t have a large network of relationships. There were many text messages, but it was all about similar things.

    <<Did Hak-joon just finish, too? I guess it¡¯s good timing.>>

    Lee Ju-ho and Thomas weren¡¯t climbing the tower these days. Thomas had been spending time adjusting to Korea and new people for a while. Also, he was working as a mercenary for the Paragon Guild. And Lee Ju-ho followed Thomas around to make sure he didn¡¯t cause trouble. For Thomas, learning how to get along with people was the most important thing.

    <<Let¡¯s see¡­what else¡­>>

    There was another text. It was from Bak Yun-gyu. He had sent the message about the news and information about dungeons from across the country and around the world. Most of the information wasn¡¯t significant. Su-hyeun read more carefully about the dungeons above the green-colored level. But those weren¡¯t that important, either. But, then, he found a unique accident.

    <<Wait. Is this¡­?>>

    He read a list of special phenomena. As soon as he finished reading, Su-hyeun called Bak Yun-gyu without hesitation.

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    After a few rings, Bak Yun-gyu picked up the call.

    -Hello. Mr. Su-hyeun. I heard that you¡¯re back.

    ¡°Is the news spreading around Abyss Online already?¡±

    -Yes. So many people are paying attention to your movements¡­it¡¯s rather convenient for me, actually.

    ¡°I saw your text. Can you give me more details?¡±

    It was an incident that seemed like nothing to most people. But Su-hyeun cared about this incident much more than other green or blue-colored dungeons in other countries. Because he knew; it was a sign of coming disaster.

 Chapter 192

    Act 8

    Su-hyeun went to the Authority building to meet Bak Yun-gyu. Two cups of warm tea waited for him in the reception room. When Su-hyeun saw that Bak Yun-gyu was prepared for him, he grew concerned.

    ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    He asked because of the awful look on Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s face. He was an awakener, not an ordinary person, so he must have good stamina. But he had dark circles under his glassy eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°Work too busy?¡±

    ¡°Yea. It¡¯s not easy to hold down a job and climb the tower at the same time¡­¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu usually didn¡¯t show it when he went through a hard time.

    <<I guess he really is exhausted. He looks like he hasn¡¯t sleep for a while, too.>>

    ¡°Anyway, the case you called to ask about¡­¡± Bak Yun-gyu said.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a big deal that you have to take care of. It looks like some vicious awakeners made trouble, so the Authority is investigating now.¡±

    Crimes by awakeners went on constantly. Although the Dump Guild had gone, and the crime rate was quite low, it was impossible to prevent all crimes from strong awakeners.

    ¡°I know, of course, you¡¯re interested in the crimes of awakeners like the Dump Guild¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it was a crime of awakeners?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Bak Yun-gyu tilted his head as if he was puzzled. He looked at the record on his tablet. ¡°A group fight in Paris, France. People showed aggressive tendencies, such as wielding their fists or fired weapons at other people. It¡¯s assumed that some sort of mind control skill was involved.¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu briefly explained the case, then asked again. ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to see how this was related to the dungeon?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at the question. Indeed, this incident didn¡¯t seem to relate to any dungeon. There was no monster, and the sudden aggression of the citizens was much closer to a mind control skill, as Bak Yun-gyu said. That was why everyone missed it. Everyone had missed the early signs in his first life, too.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°But, as I said earlier, it isn¡¯t anything big. You don¡¯t have to do that¡­¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu stopped talking and shook his head. He knew that Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t listen to him even if he tried to stop him. There was no reason that Su-hyeun had to listen to him. Also, he thought there might be a chance that this was something serious, as Su-hyeun said. There was nothing wrong with believing in Su-hyeun¡¯s idea. If it wasn¡¯t a simple crime committed by awakeners, then things might get worse.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Bak Yun-gyu said, ¡°then, I¡¯ll take care of the process.¡±

    ¡°Good. And¡ª¡± Su-hyeun asked for a few other things as well.

    Bak Yun-gyu listened to all of Su-hyeun¡¯s requests, then asked with a confused face, ¡°Mr. Su-hyeun. Are you saying that¡ª¡±

    ¡°You know. Just in case. If there¡¯s anything that happens related to it, please let me know as soon as possible. Even a minor case is fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay. I will.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave for Paris tomorrow. I have people to meet with today.¡±

    ¡°If you have any additional information or requests, please contact us immediately.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Bak Yun-gyu got up from their seats after that. Bak Yun-gyu lent Su-hyeun his tablet that had the information about the case. Su-hyeun rechecked the record and made a few phone calls.

    ¡°Hey, Hak-joon. It¡¯s me. You picked up really quickly.¡±

    The first person he contacted was Hak-joon. Then, Su-hyeun contacted Thomas, Gordon Rohan, and Lee Ju-ho.

    ***

    Su-hyeun met Lee Ju-ho first. They met in a small cafe in Yeouido. This place was Su-hyeun¡¯s favorite.

    ¡°Is Hak-joon going to be late?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°It looked like he was meeting Yun-seon. I told him it¡¯s okay to take his time. So, he¡¯ll come after dinner or something.¡±

    ¡°Thomas won¡¯t be here today, will he?¡±

    ¡°I guess not, since he¡¯s in Japan now. In fact, Gordon, Thomas, and you are doing all of the work of the Paragon Guild.¡±

    ¡°Yea. You and Hak-joon leave a big gap.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t stop climbing. If you really need my help, leave me a message.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing that serious, yet. Well. There shouldn¡¯t be anything serious.¡±

    The two drank their drinks and had a small chat. Of course, the topic got to their main subject quickly.

    ¡°So, why did you call? I heard you even called Mr. Rohan.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°Why? Is there anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Not yet?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho could sense a hidden meaning in Su-hyeun¡¯s words. Lee Ju-ho, who was stirring his drink with a straw, took a big gulp from his cup.

    ¡°Sigh¡ª Just tell me now.¡±

    ¡°Why are you drinking so quickly?¡±

    ¡°Because! Big things always happen when you act like this. Let me get into the right mindset first.¡±

    Su-hyeun laughed at his reaction. Lee Ju-ho even corrected his posture to sit upright and opened his mouth to say, ¡°Ok. I¡¯m ready. Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Check out this incident.¡± Su-hyeun held out the tablet that he had borrowed from Bak Yun-gyu.

    Lee Ju-ho quickly read the record of the incidents on the tablet. And soon, when he finished reading, he looked very confused.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just some awakener¡¯s crime? Why? Do you want to catch this person?¡±

    ¡°Yea, I¡¯m thinking of catching them. But I feel like this isn¡¯t just a case from an awakener.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? If it isn¡¯t from an awakener, is this because of monsters or something?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s because of monsters.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°But it could have happened because of a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    As Su-hyeun went on, Lee Ju-ho became more confused. He had no idea what Su-hyeun was trying to say.

    ¡°Look at this. Significant points,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°You mean, no magic was detected?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Even if there was no magic detected, it didn¡¯t mean that it wasn¡¯t the act of an awakener, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Actually, I think the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Then, why?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked in frustration.

    ¡°But what if this is about emotion?¡±

    ¡°Emotion?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho was still confused. Su-hyeun turned the page and showed it to Lee Ju-ho again. That page was about another case. There were clips of overseas news and records.

    ¡°¡­Beijing, the capital city of China, was paralyzed. Half of the citizens didn¡¯t go to work, as if they had decided collectively. Shops on the streets are closed even on weekdays¡­economic damage¡­ What the hell?¡±

    It was an absurd case. More than 20 million people lived in Beijing, and, according to the news, half of them didn¡¯t go to work. It sounded like a funny and nonsensical story, but it was actually a significant case because the capital of China was paralyzed.

    ¡°It happened this morning. I¡¯m sure the internet is busy talking about it right now.¡±

    ¡°Ok. But what about this?¡±

    ¡°Wrath and sloth.¡±

    ¡°Wrath¡­ sloth¡­?¡±

    ¡°Pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust.¡±

    The seven deadly sins. Lee Ju-ho blinked his eyes a few times and looked over the tablet again. When he read again about the first and second cases, he could see what Su-hyeun was trying to say. In Paris, people recklessly attacked each other. It was wrath. In Beijing, half of the people didn¡¯t go to work. Sloth.

    ¡°Are you linking the cases to the seven deadly sins?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make sense?¡±

    ¡°It does¡­but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯m overthinking it,¡± Su-hyeun shrugged and went on, ¡°But anyway, this isn¡¯t something to just overlook.¡±

    ¡°If it affects the whole of Beijing, it isn¡¯t something small, for sure, whether it¡¯s because of dungeons or awakeners.¡±

    There was nothing bad to worry about. If they were related to dungeons, as Su-hyeun said, they could figure out. Even if they were crimes of awakeners, they could take action.

    ¡°Our first destination is Paris, then Beijing. And please find more related incidents,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Something related to the seven deadly sins?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡± Su-hyeun nodded and got up from the seat. ¡°Maybe those two aren¡¯t the only ones.¡±

    ***

    Beijing, China. Wang Shuian, an ordinary office worker who lived there, was confident that he had been very busy. He was born in an impoverished family, but he had been studying hard and working without rest. He finally had managed to enter a major Chinese company in his late twenties. He thought he had made his success in his own way. He never spent a day meaninglessly. But¡­

    <<I don¡¯t want to do anything.>>

    Wang Shuian frowned at the sunlight, lying in bed. The alarm from his phone continued. Usually, he turned off the alarm as soon as he heard it and got out of bed. But today he felt too lazy to even turn off the alarm. He had been lying in bed and doing nothing like this for the past couple of days already.

    <<Everything is bothersome.>>

    He even didn¡¯t want to think, so there was no way he could move an inch. ¡®Bothersome¡¯ came to him as if it was his reward for his entire busy life so far.

    Rumble¡ª

    He was hungry. It was natural, since he hadn¡¯t eaten for two days. He thought about making instant noodles or something, but the same thought crossed his mind again.

    <<I don¡¯t want to do anything.>>

    He really didn¡¯t want to do anything. Laziness suppressed his hunger. And so many people in Beijing were in the same situation as him.

    ***

    Paris, the capital city of France, had been paralyzed because of countless recent accidents. An accident from a dungeon would be better, since the government could ask for an overseas guild to help. But what had happened there were just simple assault cases. The problem was that there were so many of them.

    ¡°It drives me nuts!¡±

    Beno?t, the director of the Awakeners Authority of France, sighed. The only thing he could do these days was just sitting down in his office and sighing.

    <<Everyone is crazy¡­>>

    He could catch the criminals. But the problem was that there were so many of them. And these weren¡¯t one-sided assaults, either. It was always a two-sided fight. At regular intervals, when people met each other¡¯s eyes, they began to swing their fists or weapons at each other. Numerous people had died because of it.

    <<Even policemen are acting violently.>>

    Even the police who tried to stop people used violence as well. In the process, some of them used guns, and the situation got worse and worse. It was certainly not an ordinary case. It was evident that something was causing this. And it must have seemed like it was related to awakeners.

    The National Police Agency asked for help from the Awakeners Authority as soon as they figured that out. But the problem was that even the awakeners who had been dispatched by the Authority showed the same symptoms.

    <<I wish Adel Castle could help us¡­>>

    Adel Castle was the best awakener in Europe. This was the time that people really needed his help. But Adel continued to refuse even the Authority¡¯s requests for cooperation. He said the price was too low and demanded an outrageous fee.

    <<I guess we have to empty the budget to hire him¡­>>

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    The phone rang as Beno?t was trying to figure out a solution. He knit his brow and reached out to the phone.

    -Sir! We have good news.

    ¡°Good news?¡±

    Beno?t, who had been wallowing in sorrow, opened his eyes wide. Right now, there was only one piece of good news possible.

    ¡°Can we get help from Adel Castle?¡± Beno?t asked in a loud voice, starting to rise from his chair.

    He thought if they got help from S-Rank awakeners, even if not Adel Castle, it would be good news.

    -No, sir. It was the Paragon Guild.

    The reply that came back to him was very different from what he expected. But the Paragon Guild sounded familiar.

    ¡°Paragon Guild? What¡¯s that?¡±

    -It is the guild formed by Kim Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun¡­? Gordon Rohan?¡± Beno?t opened his eyes big.

    His eyes were filled with joy and surprise. He remembered that there had been an uproar when Kim Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan formed a guild together.

    ¡°So? What about them?¡±

    -The Paragon Guild contacted us¡­ They said they would handle the situation.

    Beno?t sprang to his feet. ¡°Where are they? Where should I go now?¡±

 Chapter 193

    ¡°Thanks to you, Su-hyeun, my dream of traveling around the world will come true.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been to that many places yet.¡±

    ¡°Meh. If we move around in a private plane like this, a journey around the world won¡¯t take too long. Have you ever read the book, Around the World in 80 Days?¡±

    ¡°That book came out a long, long time ago.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Hak-joon were sitting on a bench outside of the airport in Paris. The airport, which would normally be packed with crowds of travelers, wasn¡¯t busy at all because of the recent incidents.

    ¡°People don¡¯t look well,¡± Hak-joon said.

    ¡°The people here are probably aware of recent events, so they must be scared.¡±

    People came to Paris with the anxiety of not knowing when, where, and who would attack them. The only people coming now were probably on essential business, but they all looked like they wanted to get out of Paris as soon as possible.

    ¡°But, Su-hyeun, do you really think that happened because of the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a feeling, you know? And monsters aren¡¯t the only things that can come out of dungeons.¡±

    ¡°What else can come out then?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°Well. Actually, once in Osaka, Japan, poisonous smoke came out instead of monsters. It almost killed a lot of people, but, fortunately, it was stopped before there was a major loss of life, because it was just an orange dungeon.¡±

    ¡°You know all kinds of stuff.¡±

    While they were talking, the plane that they had been waiting for arrived. After a bit more waiting¡ª

    ¡°There he comes.¡±

    ¡ªthe man they waited for walked out.

    ¡°Su-hyeun¡ª!¡±

    The red-haired man ran from afar, shouting in a loud voice. It was Thomas. Thomas dashed forward, opening his arms wide as if he was in a hurry. Since he was good at running, he reached them very quickly.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed Thomas nape, who jumped high to hug Su-hyeun. Thomas laughed. He seemed very happy to see Su-hyeun after a long time.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run like that. If you fall, you¡¯ll get hurt,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Thomas replied, nodding his head.

    He still spoke like a child, but his Korean was remarkably improved. Even Su-hyeun was a little surprised.

    ¡°His language got better quick, and he¡¯s adjusting to society well,¡± Hak-joon said. ¡°He just didn¡¯t have someone to teach him so far. He¡¯s a real quick learner.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°He also works the most out of all of us. I¡¯m sure Thomas is as famous as you now.¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡± At Hak-joon¡¯s praise, Thomas expressed his triumphant mood with an exaggerated gesture.

    After Thomas joined, the three of them left the airport by car.

    While they walked away, Hak-joon asked Su-hyeun, ¡°When can we get police support?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably evacuating people now. I don¡¯t feel safe since they¡¯re just civilians, too. But, oh well, we have no choice.¡±

    ¡°What if we use awakeners? I¡¯m sure there are many awakeners in the French Authority.¡±

    ¡°I thought about that, too. But they might cause more trouble since they have powers. So, I asked the Authority to arrange awakeners, but keep them at a distance, just in case.¡±

    Vroom¡ª

    Su-hyeun started the car. They headed for the Rue des Champs-¨¦lys¨¦e, the center of Paris. The street was quiet, and there was no traffic. People had been leaving Paris since the incidents first started. The city was almost empty.

    Screech¡ª

    Su-hyeun parked the car on one side of the street. The few people who were still left in Paris were moving under the order of the police.

    ¡°Please empty the city as soon as possible.¡±

    Su-hyeun had asked both the chief of the National Police Agency and the Awakeners Authority of France. His first request was to evacuate people from Paris. The incidents were getting worse. People had already been talking about emptying the city before. And Su-hyeun requested they do that, so the chief of two major organizations didn¡¯t hesitate to evacuate people.

    ¡°And how many awakeners belong to the Authority?¡± Su-hyeun had asked.

    ¡°There are about 200 people who can be mobilized right now, regardless of their levels.¡±

    ¡°If there are awakeners who have mind control skills, we need them. It isn¡¯t a common skill, but, with about 200 people, I assume we¡¯ll get at least ten people. Also, we need people who have resistance to magic or mind control skills.¡±

    ¡°What about other awakeners?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather you use normal police manpower than awakeners. If awakeners go crazy, it¡¯ll only cause more trouble.¡±

    Su-hyeun opened the door and got out of the car. He looked around the street. Some stores were stained with blood. The windows were broken and the cars on the road were smashed.

    ¡°Wow. It¡¯s pretty bad,¡± Hak-joon exclaimed.

    ¡°It shows what happens when everyone goes insane.¡±

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s phone started to ring. It was a call from Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    -Hey, Su-hyeun. I think you were right.

    Lee Ju-ho spoke in an urgent voice. Su-hyeun could hear the keyboard sound. It seemed like Lee Ju-ho was busily typing away.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    -I just sent you an e-mail. Look at it while we talk.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Su-hyeun turned on the speakerphone mode and opened his inbox. The mail that Lee Ju-ho had sent was there.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Hak-joon and Thomas leaned closer to Su-hyeun with curious faces. Su-hyeun quickly read through the e-mail.

    -It happened a few hours ago. A group orgy occurred on a beach in Florida, United States. A large scale theft occurred in Brazil. And¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho read out the list of incidents that attached to the e-mail.

    ¡°Lust, greed, envy, gluttony,¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    -Everything matches with what you said. Well. Except for pride.

    Kee hee, hee hee hee¡ª

    A strange laugh came from somewhere. Su-hyeun, Hak-joon, and Thomas, who were listening to Lee Ju-ho through speakerphone, looked around.

    ¡°Ju-ho, let¡¯s hang up for now. I will call you later.¡±

    -What¡¯s wrong?

    ¡°I¡¯ll call you soon.¡±

    Su-hyeun quickly turned off his phone and put it in his pocket. Hak-joon raised his magic power.

    He asked in nervous voice, ¡°Is this it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Su-hyeun answered calmly.

    ¡°Oh, I feel like I¡¯m burning with rage. It¡¯s like¡­I have to break something.¡±

    ¡°Wrath.¡±

    It was one of the seven deadly sins and possibly the most dangerous among human emotions.

    ¡°Hak-joon. Can you feel where this is coming from?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s coming from underneath.¡± Hak-joon bent down and touched the ground. ¡°Below us.¡±

    They were standing right on to of the dungeon. It was as Su-hyeun had said.

    ¡°You were right, Su-hyeun. It wasn¡¯t a skill from an awakener or something. The reason why people couldn¡¯t detect the magic power is¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡­Is because the emotion itself was flowing out, not a magic power or skill,¡± Su-hyeun explained.

    ¡°Is that possible?¡± Hak-joon asked in surprise.

    ¡°It can be, if magic makes up a chunk of emotion. The signs of magic disappear as time passes, but the emotions remain.¡±

    It was a simple reason. Magical power was a supernatural force. The power could be changed to fire or water depending on who used it. Some people could control souls, even control human minds. So, it was possible that magic could create emotions this time. And the traces of the medium, the magical power, gradually faded over time.

    ¡°So, it is possible. theoretically.¡± Hak-joon nodded.

    ¡°And if it¡¯s really coming from the dungeon, there would be bigger chunks of emotion inside of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Thomas.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember what I asked you? The things you have to do?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know!¡± Thomas replied confidently.

    Thomas seemed young mentally, but he looked very reliable today. Anyway, Thomas was a genius and one of the strongest S- Rank awakeners in the world.

    ¡°Then, it¡¯s time to move. Go over that way.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Take care!¡± Thomas said and ran with all of his force in the direction Su-hyeun pointed.

    Whiz¡ª!

    He was faster than any car. Actually, he would be much faster on foot than a car on a winding or traffic-filled road.

    ¡°Take care? When did he learn those words?¡±

    Su-hyeun smiled at Thomas, who had a much broader vocabulary than before. Then, he lifted his feet.

    ¡°All right, then¡ª¡±

    Thud¡ª

    Craaaack¡ª!

    When Su-hyeun stomped, the ground began to crack.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down there, Hak-joon.¡±

    <hr />

    ¡°Please keep your ranks! We¡¯re protecting you guys, so you¡¯re safe. Please move in order, slowly¡ª¡±

    Many crowds moved in line. Citizens of Paris, the capital city of France, were running out of their town.

    ¡°Do we really have to do this?¡±

    ¡°We have no choice but to leave. What if it happens again?¡±

    Bnuir, the commissioner of Paris, nodded at the question of a younger policeman. The population of Paris was over two million, and they all started moving at once. It was a spectacular sight. He could see tens of thousands of people at the moment, and tons of people were following. He couldn¡¯t see the end of the crowd.

    ¡°What if nothing happens after all this, sir?¡±

    ¡°Well. Even so, the Paragon Guild said they would make sure that the mysterious violence never happens again. So, that¡¯s good for us.¡±

    Bnuir thought positively. The Paragon Guild had said that great damage could happen while they were eliminating the cause of the violence. They warned that the whole of Paris could be in danger. That was why police officers were evacuating all the citizens not only from Paris but also neighboring areas.

    <<Now the question is how far will that disaster affect,>> Bnuir thought.

    Not everyone had escaped from Paris yet. And a lot of people were gathering right at the moment to move.

    <<If it happens again now¡­>>

    Bnuir remembered the day that people had been violent without reason to each other.

    <<There are so many people here, and they¡¯re so close to each other. If that happens again now¡­ Oh, I don¡¯t want to even think about it.>>

    Kee hee hee¡ª

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Bnuir blinked and looked around. The officer next to him made the same face.

    ¡°Did you hear that, too?¡±

    ¡°Did you hear it, sir?¡±

    Kee hee hee hee hee¡ª

    Strange laughter drifted from a distance. It was getting closer. Suddenly, Bnuir had a fit of anger rise from the depths of his heart. At that moment, Bnuir realized.

    <<Wait. Is this¡­>>

    He wanted to attack something. The phenomenon that had taken place in the heart of Paris happened again here.

    <<No!>>

    Gnashing¡ª

    Bnuir clenched his teeth. He shut his eyes tight and tried to calm himself down. But not many people were mentally strong enough to control their emotions. Even though he was the commissioner of a whole country, Bnuir was an ordinary human as well. It was about time that he began to lose his reason.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Shhh, shhh¡ª

    [The Dark World ¨C Black Forest.]

    [Psychomancy.]

    All of a sudden, the anger in Bnuir¡¯s heart faded. He opened his eyes. The world around him was dark.

    ¡°W-what the hell is this?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything!¡±

    ¡°But¡­I¡¯m not upset anymore.¡±

    People buzzed, they looked frightened. On the one hand, some seemed relieved when their sudden anger disappeared.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    Childish laughter came from somewhere in the dark. Unlike the dim and dark atmosphere, it was such bright laughter. Nervous people lost their vigor at that bright laugh. Bnuir also smiled wide at the laugh.

    ¡°He came!¡± Bnuir cheered.

    Bnuir looked at the red-haired man who came from one side of the darkness. He was Thomas Mathiras, an awakener from the Paragon Guild, like Kim Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Su-hyeun told me to wait for him here,¡± Thomas said in a powerful voice, smiling big. ¡°And he asked me to keep you guys safe.¡±

 Chapter 194

    The Dark World- Black Forest. It was one of the ten best skills that Su-hyeun knew. This skill was particularly famous for its wide-range effect. There weren¡¯t many skills that could cover physical, mental, and magical damages. In particular, the Psychomancy ability of the Dark World skill had the widest range of all the psychological skills.

    ¡°Hey, Thomas. Your job is to protect people. When people are upset and try to attack each other, then instill the opposite feeling in them, okay?¡± Su-hyeun had told him.

    ¡°Is that protecting?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Protecting them from fighting each other. But it¡¯ll be hard work. There will be a lot of people, and you have to use your skill very widely.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay! I can do it.¡±

    ¡°If you wait for us, we¡¯ll finish our work quickly. I believe in you, Thomas.¡±

    It was a job that only Thomas could do. Su-hyeun was strong, but he didn¡¯t have any mental skills. Even if he had one, he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle that many people like Thomas could. Thomas was the only one who could do it in the world. It might be a heavy burden for him.

    <<I don¡¯t have much time,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Kee-hee, hee-hee-hee, hee-hee¡ª

    Su-hyeun broke the ground beneath him and went into the dungeon with Hak-joon. The structure of the dungeon was a vast castle. It was so huge it was hard to even figure out how big it was. Inside, the castle was filled with laughter that they had heard before. There was a lot of anger in the laughter. Just listening to it made them frustrated, and they felt a burning feeling inside.

    ¡°This could be dangerous,¡± Hak-joon commented.

    ¡°If you think you can¡¯t handle it, you can just wait outside,¡± Su-hyeun snapped.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about me. I¡¯m talking about other awakeners. Unless I lose my focus, I¡¯ll be fine until then.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at Hak-joon¡¯s answer. In the beginning, he brought Hak-joon because he had thought he would not be much affected by it.

    << Awakeners below B-Rank had a problem.>>

    Especially, awakeners who had weak willpower and concentration were easily deceived by the laugh. The tragedy that had happened in Su-hyeun¡¯s past life was way worse than what happened in Paris a few days ago.

    <<Just as I expected. It¡¯s worse inside the dungeon than outside,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    An outbreak was a phenomenon that occurred after the boundary between the dungeon and reality gradually faded. What had happened was the emotion inside the dungeon had flowed out during the outbreak.

    ¡°What the hell is this laughing?¡± Hak-joon looked around the huge castle.

    In the empty castle, there was no sign of anything except the laughter. He knew it wasn¡¯t a typical dungeon, but it was definitely strange that there wasn¡¯t a single monster.

    ¡°That¡¯s what we have to figure out.¡±

    Su-hyeun only knew about this dungeon from information from his past life. Therefore, he had no choice but to check the details from now on.

    ¡°How?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°What do you mean how?¡±

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun laughed as he brightened up the dark castle with his Flame skill. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, so we just have to go for it.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Act 9

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    Craaack¡ª!

    Gyaong, gyaooong¡ª!

    Miru cried with excitement as he saw the burning castle. Hak-joon, riding on Miru¡¯s back for the first time, looked around the castle with a scared face.

    ¡°Are you really going to break everything?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s more well-built then I thought. It won¡¯t break easily.¡± Su-hyeun stroked Miru¡¯s head. ¡°Miru, use your Breath.¡±

    Gyaong¡ª?

    ¡°Break everything. Anything you see.¡±

    Gyaong¡ª!

    Miru answered with gusto and gathered the Breath in his mouth.

    [Breath.]

    [Breath.]

    [¡­]

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Breath from Miru¡¯s mouth turned the castle on its head.

    Hak-joon was astonished at the sight. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say three times was his limit?¡±

    ¡°Well. He¡¯s grown up a lot. Also, he got an item called the Cintamani.¡±

    ¡°Cintamani? What is that?¡±

    ¡°In short, it¡¯s an item that amplifies the power of a dragon. Thanks to that Cintanami, he can use his Breath skill more times, and he can use other skills as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool.¡± Hak-joon admired Miru¡¯s abilities.

    The last time Hak-joon saw Su-hyeun¡¯s fight was at the Ranking Wars, against Gordon Rohan. They hadn¡¯t attacked dungeons together many times, so he didn¡¯t have much chance to see Miru¡¯s abilities. Now, he finally saw Miru fight as a team beside Su-hyeun. Hak-joon felt proud of Miru. Miru¡¯s buff ability and the power of his Breath skill could be considered above even S-Rank awakeners.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Rumble, ruuumble¡ª

    Miru¡¯s Breath was blocked by a door and disappeared. It was the door to the top floor of the castle. It seemed to be blocked by a transparent barrier.

    <<It blocked Miru¡¯s Breath? There must be something important behind this door.>>

    ¡°I guess this is it,¡± Su-hyeun said, taking the spear from his back.

    Whoosh¡ª

    [Dragon Slaying Spear.]

    [Flame.]

    [Wave Spear- Explosion Style.]

    ¡°Be careful not to get hurt,¡± Su-hyeun warned.

    Miru put defensive magic on his body as if he were familiar with doing this. Hak-joon also used a skill to protect himself.

    Rumble¡ª

    The spear left Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. He threw it from quite a close distance. The spear shone as it left his hand¡ª

    Craaaaack¡ª!

    Wham, wham, wham¡ª!

    ¡ªDragon Slaying Spear shattered into numerous magical pieces and hit the door.

    <<His magical power always surprises me¡­!>> Hak-joon thought.

    He knew that Su-hyeun was a spear user as well, and he had seen his throwing a few times before. But he never saw that a spear with magic could scatter into tens of thousands of pieces like this.

    Crack¡ª!

    Eventually, the spears broke the door. Louder laughter came from the hole in the doorway.

    Kee-hee, Kee hee hee hee hee¡ª!

    Ha-ha-ha¡ª

    And the laughter wasn¡¯t the only thing that came out.

    ¡°Found it.¡±

    Translucent souls began to pour out of the cracked door. They were debris in the dungeon that created the emotions.

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword began to form the magic. Only a sword with magic power could defeat these residues of feelings.

    ¡°Cut them all.¡±

    Su-hyeun rushed to the souls. Hak-joon who was sitting on Miru¡¯s back jumped up high.

    Whirl, whirl¡ª

    Hak-joon¡¯s scabbard began to tremble. He grabbed the handle of his sword and swung wide as he drew it.

    [Sword Drawing- Cutting the Full Moon.]

    Slash, slash¡ª

    Craaack¡ª

    The souls flowing out of the door screamed and disappeared under the wide-range attacks. Their screams rang through the whole castle. Su-hyeun and Hak-joon, once they got rid of all the souls, began to move inside of the door.

    ¡°¡­Phew. It¡¯s getting hard to hold off.¡± Hak-joon stopped walking and breathed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Su-hyeun, but I¡¯ll stay here. I don¡¯t want to come with you and become a burden.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Then stay here and make sure nothing passes this door. I¡¯ll leave Miru with you just in case. He¡¯ll be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Miru, please look after him.¡±

    Gyaong¡ª!

    Miru replied with a loud cry as if telling Su-hyeun that he could rely on him. Su-hyeun kept moving his step inside of the door, leaving the pair behind.

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    The area behind the door was quite wide. When he walked further, a dark hall and a long passage appeared.

    <<I guess that door was the entrance to another space.>>

    The vestiges of emotion were getting worse as he went inside. The rage-filled souls rushed to Su-hyeun to swallow him. He cut them down one by one and walked deeper in. Su-hyeun could feel the burning anger inside his chest. He raised his magic and made a thin shied around his body. It soothed him.

    <<This is terrible.>>

    The emotional ups and downs were much worse than he had expected. Su-hyeun walked faster. He really wanted to break this dungeon and stop this horrible feeling quickly.

    Kee-hee, hee hee hee¡ª

    Ha-ha-ha¡ª

    When he passed the long passage, another space filled with laughter appeared. It was another castle. The hallway was a bridge. It connected to the upper part of the castles. Su-hyeun looked down at the new palace that he just reached. The castle was open from the first floor to the top.

    The castle that opened in the middle was covered with bloodstains. Bones that looked to be of humans were scattered all over the place, and paintings and decorations hanging on the walls were broken. There must have been some huge fight. This castle was filled with anger.

    ¡°You have a lot of rage in you.¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    A voice reached Su-hyeun¡¯s ears. The voice and the sound of footsteps came from a higher place. It was coming from the highest place, the tip of the castle.

    ¡°Why are you so upset?¡± the voice asked.

    ¡°Well. You made me upset.¡± Su-hyeun raised his head and stared at the owner of the voice.

    It was a man wearing a robe. He wasn¡¯t wearing a hood to hide his face. He was pretty handsome, with blond hair. He didn¡¯t look like a man one would meet in a dungeon like this. He certainly didn¡¯t seem like a monster, either.

    ¡°Is a spirit the boss of the dungeon?¡±

    But Su-hyeun realized the moment he saw him that the man wasn¡¯t a living human; he was a ghost.

    ¡°Dungeon? Boss? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Yea, yea. You wouldn¡¯t know. You guys do that.¡±

    The bosses of the dungeons did not recognize the meaning of dungeons and bosses. Sometimes, when Su-hyeun met bosses of dungeons who could speak human language, he tried to talk with them. But they were unaware of their existence. So, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t expect much today, either. Also, Su-hyeun already knew who this blond guy was.

    Su-hyeun said, ¡°The first son of the exterminated duke¡¯s family. The sword genius who lost his relatives, wife, and daughter overnight because of a false charge against him.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Wrath Gludmoon. The ghost of misery that embraces all the anger of the world in your heart.¡±

    A record of him was found in the dungeon while digging for Ether stone in Su-hyeun¡¯s past life. That record had revealed the theme of the dungeon, why it was made, and also, who this man was. And Su-hyeun, who already knew the record, sympathized with the man in front of him.

    ¡°Who¡­are you?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know about me. I know what happened to you, and I feel sorry about that. But¡­¡± Su-hyeun asked, looking at the numerous bloodstains and bodies on the first floor. ¡°were they really your enemies?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking gibberish.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But anyone would say the same thing. Your revenge wasn¡¯t justified. But do you know why everyone says the same thing?¡±

    ¡°Shut up¡­¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s true. Killing everyone because you hate the world isn¡¯t revenge. It¡¯s just taking your anger out on someone else.¡±

    ¡°I said shut up!¡±

    Screech, screeeech¡ª

    With the shouting of Wrath, a high-pitched tone rang in Su-hyeun¡¯s ears. Numerous souls were assimilated into Wrath¡¯s anger. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t bat an eyelid at it. It hurt his ears, but that was it.

    ¡°What do you know about me? You don¡¯t know anything about me! You don¡¯t know anything!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know anything about you. But what I do know is you are an old ghost that died a long time ago. So now,¡± ¡ªSu-hyeun lifted his sword¡ª ¡°Go back to where you belong.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Wrath held his face with his hands. Then, he started to laugh uncontrollably.

    ¡°Sword¡­sword¡­¡±

    Schwing¡ª

    Wrath drew his sword from the scabbard.

    ¡°How dare you talk about the sword in front of me!¡±

 Chapter 195

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Kee hee hee hee hee hee¡ª

    The sounds of dark ghosts flowed out from Warth¡¯s black sword. The sword was the source of the laughter of the souls, these castles, and the rage that filled the whole dungeon.

    ¡°You know me, but you still attack me with a sword?¡± Wrath gnashed his teeth. His eyes were as cold as ice. ¡°How dare you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t defeat you only with just a sword.¡±

    Su-hyeun was an outstanding awakener, but his opponent at the moment was a genius who had wielded the sword every day since he was a baby. If Su-hyeun had to fight with only a sword, he wouldn¡¯t be able to win against him.

    ¡°But fighting is¡ª¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun rushed to Wrath.

    Craaack¡ª!

    ¡°Argg!¡±

    Wrath¡¯s body was pushed back by the strong attack. His eyes widened at the shock. He felt like his hands were tearing apart.

    ¡°¡ªnot just a matter of technique.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun swung his sword once more at Wrath¡¯s head.

    Clank¡ª!

    Tingling, numb¡ª

    Wrath¡¯s hands holding his sword trembled. He tried desperately to block Su-hyeun¡¯s sword, but it pressed down at him too hard, so he couldn¡¯t dodge.

    Clink¡ª

    It was a short clashing of two swords. Wrath¡¯s sword finally slid down Su-hyeun¡¯s. He aimed at Su-hyeun¡¯s body. It was an exquisite sword technique that came from an unavoidable angle. Su-hyeun reached one hand out to Wrath¡¯s sword.

    [Indomitable Body.]

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun managed to grab the sword with his bare hand. Wrath¡¯s eyes widened once more. He was sure that Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t able to block his attack with the sword, but he didn¡¯t even imagine that he would catch it with his bare hand.

    Su-hyeun kept saying, ¡°Sometimes, if you have enough power¡ª¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Craaack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun, still holding onto Wrath¡¯s sword, threw the sword away. Wrath had learned that he should never let go of his sword, so he flew with it and stuck into the wall.

    ¡°¡ªyou don¡¯t need fancy techniques.¡±

    ¡°Argg¡­¡± Wrath moaned.

    It wasn¡¯t a difference in techniques. It was an overwhelming gap in power. Wrath, stuck to the wall, started to panic.

    ¡°You¡­you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Stop chatting with me and show your real power. Or you can borrow it from that bloody sword.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll kill you¡­!¡± Wrath shouted.

    Puff, puff¡ª

    The black smoke flowing out from the sword wrapped around Wrath¡¯s body. His atmosphere changed in an instant. And that was exactly what Su-hyeun intended.

    <<I have to break that sword,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Wrath wasn¡¯t the main boss of the dungeon. The real boss was the sword in Wrath¡¯s hand. It was a magical sword that could become stronger by eating the rage of people. It could control the souls with that power and could create more anger using the souls.

    <<It¡¯s a f*cked up item.>>

    ¡°Huu¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun took a deep breath at a sudden feeling of rage welling up in his chest. Among the seven deadly sins, Su-hyeun was most weak to feelings of wrath. The seven deadly sins were pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. Among them, the Su-hyeun felt the most and could control the least was wrath.

    Whenever he felt intense, Su-hyeun thought of those days; the days when the world was doomed. Everyone had died, and Su-hyeun felt upset and promised himself revenge on the monsters. His emotions at that time were no different from Wrath¡¯s right at the moment. There was only a difference in degree, but it was the same emotion.

    <<But¡­>>

    That time was gone now. He didn¡¯t feel like that anymore. And Su-hyeun¡¯s mental strength wasn¡¯t weak enough to be controlled by this personal feeling.

    <<I can withstand this,>> he thought.

    Wrath, who was wrapped with dark smoke, let his arms hang loose. His eyes turned white. He hardly took a step forward. It seemed like he had no power.

    Stomp¡ª

    He moved another step.

    Swish¡ª

    Whiz¡ª

    All of a sudden, Wrath charged at Su-hyeun, quicker than before.

    Rumble¡ª

    Clank¡ª

    Wrath swung his sword, aiming at Su-hyeun¡¯s neck. The Strength and Magic in his sword became much stronger. It was as if he were a different person. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just his power that had changed.

    ¡°Did you gain power and gave up on your techniques? I guess you can¡¯t have both,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Kiyaaaaa¡ª!¡± Wrath swung his sword, screaming like a monster.

    Although he moved like a monster, he could still use quite sophisticated swordsmanship techniques. It seemed like his well-trained instincts remained. But Su-hyeun could easily avoid his attacks because they weren¡¯t as good as his original gifted abilities.

    Whirl¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    The dark magic spewed from Wrath¡¯s sword. Su-hyeun backed up a little at the sudden shock covering his body.

    ¡°Kiyaaack, kaayaack¡ª!¡±

    Shhhh¡ª

    The souls that floated around Wrath were sucked back into the sword. Whenever he moved his sword, the dark afterimages emitted a powerful force.

    Clang¡ª Clank¡ª!

    Swish¡ª Craaaaack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun dodged the broad sword strike. The sword hit the wall behind him, cutting deep. The great castle shuddered as if it would collapse at any moment. Su-hyeun continued to block and avoid Wrath¡¯s strikes.

    <<I have to hold on some more,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Whiz¡ª

    A small wound was made on Su-hyeun¡¯s cheek. Wrath penetrated the defense of the Indomitable Body and left a scar. His sword didn¡¯t even touch his cheek. His sword was longer than it looked. Wrath didn¡¯t use a particular skill, but it was a characteristic of Wrath¡¯s swordsmanship. He misled his opponent about the length of his sword and left them in range of a strike.

    <<more, more.>>

    Shhhh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes turned to the souls sucked into Wrath¡¯s sword. More wounds were made, one by one, on Su-hyeuns¡¯ body. It was at that moment¡­

    <<Now!>>

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed Wrath¡¯s sword with his bare hand one more time.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Slaaaash¡ª!

    And he raised his sword, stabbing into Wrath¡¯s chest. The dark smoke rose instead of a splatter of blood, and Wrath¡¯s body staggered.

    ¡°Argh¡­¡±

    Thud¡ª!

    Slaaash¡ª

    Su-hyeun kicked the chest that he had already cut, and Wrath¡¯s body was pushed away. Su-hyeun took the sword that Wrath was holding.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t run around like a headless chicken with this kind of sword.¡±

    Su-hyeun threw the sword that he was holding. Then, he lifted his own sword, Balmung. Wrath screamed in surprise, watching Su-hyeun.

    ¡°No¡ª!¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    Balmung cut off the falling sword. At the same time, the body of Wrath, who tried to come to Su-hyeun, collapsed.

    Flop¡ª

    Puffff¡ª

    Wrath¡¯s body turned into smoke and began to disappear. So did the sword. The sword that sucked all the souls around it broke with the souls. It was the surest and fastest way to get rid of all the souls that filled the castle.

    <<Damn. I can¡¯t use this method ever again.>>

    Su-hyeun was astonished. There was something strange about Wrath¡¯s sword. He didn¡¯t use a special skill to throw his aura off the sword, but somehow it was longer than it looked. Wrath¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t super-fast or strong enough to threaten Su-hyeun. But it was hard to avoid because he had enough techniques.

    Wrath could make strong power from small efforts. Also, he could attack faster than his speed should allow. He paid attention to the attack timing of an opponent, brought the chance for him, and secured enough time for his next attack. It was swordsmanship both simple and skilled. There was a gap in their power, but, technique-wise, Wrath was way above Su-hyeun.

    <<And he even lost himself because of the sword.>>

    Su-hyeun had to admit. Even though Wrath had become a monster, his sword technique was the best.

    <<By the way¡­>> Su-hyeun recalled an unusual item that was found here a long time ago. << Wrath¡¯s swordsmanship book was here.>>

    Su-hyeun looked around the vast castle. Su-hyeun wanted to get that book. It had been a while since he had wanted something like this.

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m bored¡ª! I¡¯m tired¡ª!¡±

    Thomas lay on the floor and rolled around with his arms wide open, not caring that his back was getting dirty. Crowds of people were watching Thomas, who was complaining and rolling around. The effect of the Dark World that had covered them had disappeared.

    ¡°What should we do now, sir?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t we have to get out of here?¡±

    ¡°He said we shouldn¡¯t move. Let¡¯s wait for now.¡±

    The chief of the National Police Agency and his men whispered to each other. The Dark World skill had disappeared, but there was no more laughter. Also, they didn¡¯t feel the intense anger they had felt before. It had been an hour since it disappeared.

    ¡°Oh! There he is!¡±

    Thomas, who was rolling around ground, jumped up. He bounced up like a spring and ran to somewhere with a big smile.

    ¡°Suuu-hyeeeeuuunnn¡ª!¡±

    Thomas shouted aloud, and people¡¯s eyes followed to where Thomas was heading. Two people were walking from the distance. They were Hak-joon and Su-hyeun.

    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± people shouted.

    ¡°Then¡­is it all over now?¡± Bnuir sighed with relief.

    Su-hyeun had come there. And that probably meant he had handled the situation in Paris well. Su-hyeun naturally took Thomas and put him back down on the ground. Then, he headed to Bnuir.

    ¡°Now, the city is safe,¡± Su-hyeun said. ¡°The dungeon is located under the Rue des Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es. So, please contact us after you guys mine the Ether stone.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much!¡± Bnuir took Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and bowed his head a couple of times.

    Su-hyeun talked with Bnuir for a moment and went to where Hak-joon and Thomas were waiting. Hak-joon was comforting Thomas, who was sitting on the floor, crying.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Thomas¡¯ eyes brightened, as if he hadn¡¯t just been crying.

    Su-hyeun answered as he dialed his phone. ¡°You know. We have more dungeons to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yea. That¡¯s right¡­¡± Hak-joon remembered the call and e-mail he had gotten from Lee Ju-ho.

    Beijing, China. Florida, USA, S?o Paulo, Brazil. Similar incidents to Paris were taking place all over the world.

    ¡°Yes, Ju-ho. We are done now.¡±

    -Hey, you bastard! You should have explained what was going on before you hung up on me! You seriously¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho gave the edge of his tongue to Su-hyeun since he had been worrying so much. He was so loud that Su-hyeun had to put the phone away from his ear.

    He listened to him awhile and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was an urgent situation¡­¡±

    -So? How are things over there?

    ¡°Good. But you said there were other problems, right? Where is the most serious place now?¡±

    The problems occurred simultaneously. As far as Su-hyeun knew, the seven places probably had issues at the same time.

    -The most serious place is in Florida, USA. But I don¡¯t think you have to go there. Since it was so urgent, a request came in.

    1

    ¡°A request? Then¡­¡±

    -Yes. Who else in Paragon Guild would get a request except you?

    For the first time of this phone call, Lee Ju-ho laughed slightly.

    -Gordon Rohan took it.

 Chapter 196

    ¡°You¡­ impotent bastard¡­!¡±

    Buzz, buzz-

    A high-pitched voice loudly reverberated within a cavern. The woman¡¯s voice was yelling angrily, but it was still entrancingly beautiful to listen to.

    Unfortunately, the man standing before the source of the voice didn¡¯t seem to be very impressed.

    ¡°Come on, miss. That¡¯s a bit harsh. You might get killed if you¡¯re not careful,¡± said Gordon Rohan, while spinning the pure-white spear in his hand. ¡°Well, even if you hadn¡¯t said that, you¡¯d still die, anyway.¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    The woman covered in a black sheet looked as if her pride had been wounded. The woman had a pair of wings on her back, and a face so beautiful that you had to wonder if she came from the heavens or some such.

    << Why, why can¡¯t I seduce him? >>

    She was a Succubus. And she happened to be one of the higher-ranked individuals within the Succubus race, which was an offshoot of the demonic beings.

    She often boasted that, never mind normal human males, she could enthrall even the purest angel if she wanted to. But this man before her eyes was like a literal piece of rock or a tree. Forget about falling for her, how could he not even blink?

    << If he can¡¯t be seduced, then¡­ >>

    Shu-shushushu-

    A massive amount of magical energy began flooding out from the Succubus¡¯ body. Her abilities weren¡¯t simply about stealing men¡¯s vitality. As a high-ranked Succubus, she also happened to possess a rather remarkable combat ability, as well.

    << Although it¡¯s unfortunate, I¡¯ll just have to kill him. >>

    The moment Succubus¡¯ eyes gleamed¡­

    Guo-ooooh-

    Ruuumble-

    The magical power exploding from Gordon Rohan¡¯s figure began to submerge the entirety of the cavern. And, as this pure-white energy brightly illuminated the darkness of the cave, a gigantic silhouette could be seen standing behind him.

    ¡°Th¡­the¡­the Heavenly¡­?¡±

    Swiiiish-

    Stab-

    A spear descending from the air pierced the Succubus¡¯ shoulder. The demon¡¯s brows shot up and she hurriedly raised her head. And, after confirming the scene playing out above her head, her face fell.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ah, ah¡­¡±

    [Divine Punishment.]

    She saw thousands of spears completely filling the cave. The moment her eyes caught the sight, the Succubus gave up on fighting back. She had acutely sensed the gap between herself and her opponent.

    ¡°You were wondering why I didn¡¯t fall for your charm.¡± Gordon Rohan¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the demon¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s bloody obvious. It¡¯s because you¡¯re hideous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hideous? Me?¡±

    ¡°What, you think you¡¯re pretty, then? Seriously?¡±

    The Succubus came to a realization after listening to his retort. Gordon Rohan could see her true face underneath.

    ¡°Aaaaahk!¡±

    She hurriedly covered her face with both of her hands. Not the mask made by magic, but the real face underneath.

    ¡°Stop, stop looking at meeee!¡±

    Her face was disguised with magic and emotions to look beautiful. But the demon¡¯s original face was fully visible to Gordon¡¯s eyes. The Succubus hated someone looking at her real face more than anything. The shame of it all was so great that she even forgot about the terror of her impending demise.

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Gordon Rohan lightly tutted at the Succubus¡¯ scream. ¡°Even you don¡¯t consider yourself pretty, yet you wanted someone else to think that you were?¡±

    Swish, swiiiish-

    Stab, staaab-

    He made a hand gesture, and all the spears spread out near the cave¡¯s ceiling all came down at once. ¡°Sorry, but a woman with low self-esteem isn¡¯t my type.¡±

    ¡°Kkeo-urhk, keo-uhurk¡­¡±

    The Succubus breathed her last as spears pierced her body.

    Only after making sure that the demon was dead for good did Gordon exit the dungeon. He was greeted by the Florida beach, where wide-open clear skies and an even clearer ocean waited for him.

    But there wasn¡¯t even a bird in sight, never mind any beachgoers.

    Gordon Rohan walked along the beach for a little while, before calling someone on the phone.

    Rrrrr-

    -Hello, Mr. Gordon. I heard the news.

    ¡°I heard you went to Paris? What happened there?¡±

    As soon as Su-hyeun answered, Gordon Rohan immediately asked for a status update.

    -The matter in Paris has been settled. We¡¯ve actually just reached the next destination, Beijing.

    ¡°Really? In that case, I¡¯ll head to Brazil. That¡¯s the closest place from here, after all. They¡¯ve already made a request through the company, too.¡±

    -Is their situation that urgent?

    ¡°Brazil has been suffering from the shortage of high-ranking awakeners for some time, after all. They must¡¯ve realized the current abnormal situation is related to a dungeon by now, thus, the request sent our way.¡±

    -It¡¯s the same story with Beijing. Leaving aside the issue of the entire city being paralyzed¡­ The real problem has to do with the scope of the affected area widening.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do something about all the stuff happening on the American continents.¡±

    -Thank you.

    ¡°No need to thank me. I¡¯m getting paid, after all.¡±

    Gordon Rohan ended the call after his business was finished.

    ¡°Getting paid, is it¡­¡± A stunning beauty walked down the beach to approach him and spoke up. ¡°Funny, hearing you say that, since you¡¯re not even remotely interested in such pocket change.¡±

    It was Ashlyn.

    She was walking on the beach in her high heels. Rather mysteriously, though, her sharp heels didn¡¯t sink below the loose sand, as if she was walking on a rock-hard surface.

    Gordon Rohan countered her. ¡°What do you mean, pocket change? There¡¯s no such thing in this world, you know. Every penny is important.¡±

    ¡°And now, you¡¯re even saying something you don¡¯t believe in.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you have no idea how juicy the payment was. This line of business will definitely grow bigger with the passage of time, I bet.¡±

    ¡°Even then, it still can¡¯t be all that much compared to the profit you make through your own company, yes? What¡¯s the real reason for you suddenly gaining an interest in raiding dungeons?¡±

    ¡°This is all a part of the business.¡± Gordon put the beach behind him and put on the sunglasses Ashlyn handed over. ¡°Hey, Ashlyn. You know what¡¯s the most important bit in making money?¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­ the end product? Ads? Customer service?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one thing that combines all of them. It¡¯s called ¡®image¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Image?¡±

    ¡°The public image of having great products. The image of having a wonderful customer service network. The image of being an upstanding, moral corporation. And finally, advertising all of those.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense after listening to your explanation.¡±

    ¡°This image will translate into money. First of all, the articles about how Gordon Rohan saved the State of Florida by himself will spread all over the world, and it¡¯ll be the same story with Brazil, too.¡±

    After listening to him, Ashlyn immediately realized why Gordon Rohan had joined the Paragon Guild, and decided to raid dungeons despite his busy schedule.

    She asked. ¡°You want to become a ¡®Hero¡¯?¡±

    To put it bluntly, he was trying to become a hero. A hero that saved the U.S, then Brazil. And beyond that, a hero who protected countries and the whole world from dangerous monsters.

    ¡°A hero? Well, that¡¯s not a bad idea. That¡¯s a man¡¯s romantic ideal, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gordon Rohan grinned in a mischievous manner, then wrapped his arm around Ashlyn¡¯s shoulders. ¡°But before I become a hero of the world, I¡¯d like to be the hero of a certain lady¡­ Ouch?!¡±

    ¡°Stop cracking jokes.¡±

    Ashlyn punched him in the abdomen, then began walking on ahead of him. Gordon Rohan held his stomach and toppled over in an exaggerated manner, before looking at her back getting further away from him. ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t joking, though.¡±

    He could only sigh helplessly.

    Gordon scratched his head, before lifting the sunglasses over his head to stare up at the clear blue sky above.

    ¡°Why is this thing so difficult, anyway?¡±

    Act 10

    On the rooftop of the Beijing Tower.

    The whole tower, which had been bathed in a blue hue, was gradually regaining its original color.

    Su-hyeun lightly patted Hak-joon¡¯s shoulder after the two of them emerged from the dungeon. ¡°Good job.¡±

    ¡°Hu-aaaaahh-.¡±

    Hak-joon plopped down on the ground.

    The tower¡¯s roof was more than tall enough to induce dizziness, but he simply didn¡¯t have the energy to even get scared by that.

    He muttered, ¡°Being really tense made me feel fine while we were inside, but my legs, they just gave up as soon as we got out.¡±

    ¡°Even then, you withstood everything really well.¡±

    Hak-joon almost didn¡¯t have any skills or items related to magic resistance currently. Fortunately, the raid itself proceeded relatively painlessly due to Thomas¡¯s ¡®dark world¡¯ skill.

    Su-hyeun chose not to step in and watched the two men raid the dungeon from the sideline. He wanted to know if those two could clear a blue-colored dungeon by themselves. Also, he figured that them raiding a blue-colored dungeon without him present was a valuable experience, as well.

    Thankfully, the raid itself went well.

    << Both of their skill levels have jumped up by a lot. >>

    Thomas¡¯s skill level was already excellent, to begin with. Not just his ¡®dark world¡¯ skill, but even his basic combat ability and magical energy control alone would be rated among the world¡¯s very best.

    As for Hak-joon¡¯s rate of growth, there was no need to even mention it twice.

    Unless it was someone on the level of either Thomas or Gordon, almost no one would be strong enough to rival Hak-joon now. Apparently, he had been climbing the tower at a much quicker pace recently, and as expected, his growth rate had picked up noticeably, as well.

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze behind him and looked at Thomas walking out of the dungeon¡¯s exit. He was carrying a darker-skinned man with a much larger physique than him on his back. It was the Chinese awakener, Wang Wu, the one they found sprawled on his back on the dungeon¡¯s floor.

    ¡°T-thank¡­ you. Hah, haha¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so lazy!¡± Thomas loudly yelled after Wang Wu offered his gratitude.

    It was the same thing he said after discovering the Chinese awakener sagging like a wet cloth on the dungeon¡¯s floor. Since Wang Wu heard the exact same line well over a dozen times while being carried on Thomas¡¯s back, he found it hard to even raise his head out of pure embarrassment.

    Su-hyeun chided him. ¡°We already told you not to forcibly attempt the raid. We also told you that you need to plaster yourselves with high magic resistance items, and find awakeners with related skills first before going in.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have no excuse.¡±

    Wang Wu could only drop his head.

    From this failure alone, China lost one S-Rank awakener as well as pretty much every member of the raiding party. As a matter of fact, he was the sole survivor.

    If only they had paid more attention to ¡®magic resistance¡¯, just like Su-hyeun had warned them earlier, then the end result might have been very different. This dungeon was quite unlike regular ones and, rather than inflicting physical damage, it confused one¡¯s mind and emotions, instead.

    << The progression of dungeons is too fast. >>

    Su-hyeun glanced back at the Beijing dungeon.

    A raiding party with two S-Ranks including Wang Wu and several dozens of other awakeners failed to raid this very dungeon. Not to mention, the outbreak hadn¡¯t even happened yet, but the dungeon¡¯s influence still managed to spread all over Beijing.

    He didn¡¯t expect the scale and the rate of progress to be this rapid. He thought that to himself after first learning about the unfolding crises in Paris and Beijing, and his thoughts hadn¡¯t stopped yet.

    << Why so soon? >>

    From the very beginning, these seven dungeons shouldn¡¯t have made their appearances at this point in history. At the very least, they should¡¯ve shown up only in several years¡¯ time. Not only that, but the dungeon¡¯s progression rate was much faster than expected, too.

    << It¡¯s happening too fast. >>

    Su-hyeun already knew that the incidents and dungeon generation events from the previous timeline were gradually happening earlier in history. Even considering that, though, there was no denying that events were happening far too early.

    If he hadn¡¯t helped out, then the Chinese awakeners without any prior information wouldn¡¯t have been able to raid this dungeon at all.

    << At this rate¡­ >>

    Six dungeons had already appeared in Paris, Beijing, Florida, Brazil, Australia, and Argentina. The first three dungeons had progressed to a level where they posed a real threat to the citizens outside.

    Such a rate of progression meant that ¡®it¡¯ wasn¡¯t far away now.

    << Should we get going right away? >>

    Originally, his next destination should¡¯ve been Australia. The symbol of the dungeon appearing there was ¡®gluttony¡¯. But Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t go there.

    Rrrrrr-

    A call came through to Su-hyeun¡¯s phone. He couldn¡¯t answer while he was inside the dungeon, and as a result, dozens upon dozens of text messages had clogged up his inbox.

    ¡°Hello? Yes, bro, it¡¯s me. What¡¯s goi¡­¡±

    -It¡¯s Korea this time! In Seoul!!

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice sounded far more urgent than before, which was enough to cause Su-hyeun¡¯s heart to fall to the pit of his stomach. This time, it wasn¡¯t just the progress rate that had gotten quicker.

    ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s Korea?¡±

    As far as Su-hyeun knew, not a single one of the seven dungeons appeared in South Korea in the first timeline.

    ¡°Where is it?¡±

    -At the Namsan Tower! It¡¯s not all that large in scale, but¡­

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice sunk even deeper than before.

    -Its color¡­ is indigo.

 Chapter 197

    Indigo.

    The highest-ranked dungeon that had ever appeared.

    This dungeon appearing in the Namsan Tower threw the whole world into chaos once more. The blue color alone was already treated as a worse calamity than natural disasters, but now an indigo-hued dungeon had shown up.

    Obviously, the government, and particularly the Awakener Association of South Korea, where this indigo-colored dungeon had appeared, were working harder and more frantically than ever before.

    And, stuck in the middle of it all, was Lee Jo-hu, anxiously tapping the ground with his foot.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t Gordon Rohan and Kim Su-hyeun arrived yet?¡±

    Currently on the top floor of the Jongro Tower, where the Awakener Association had its headquarters.

    That was where Jung Yoon-ho asked this question to Lee Ju-ho. As a part of the same guild as those men, no one knew their whereabouts better than the Lee Hu-ho.

    Lee Ju-ho replied, ¡°Gordon can¡¯t be reached at the moment. He must be in the middle of raiding the dungeon in Brazil.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that he went directly to raiding the next dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, he didn¡¯t run into many issues while raiding the one in Florida. Actually, I didn¡¯t get a call from him, just the news of what happened, so even I¡­¡±

    From the get-go, Gordon Rohan wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d wait for someone¡¯s orders just because he was in the same guild. Indeed, he moved almost completely independently.

    He just sent a message to Lee Ju-ho, stating where he¡¯d go raiding next so that he wouldn¡¯t run into Su-hyeun in one of the several dungeons that appeared almost at the same time around the world.

    ¡°What about Kim Su-hyeun, then?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s on his way.¡±

    ¡°With Thomas Mathiras and Choi Hak-joon, too?¡±

    Jung Yoon-ho¡¯s question was met with Lee Ju-ho¡¯s head shake. ¡°They¡¯re currently headed to Australia. The situation there is also¡­¡±

    Slam-!

    The mayor of Seoul, also attending the meeting, smacked the desk before him and roared at the top of his voice. ¡°How is this the right time to worry about another country?! Don¡¯t they understand that Seoul is on the brink of utter destruction if we end up making a single mistake?!¡±

    In that instant, the conference venue fell into silence. Jung Yoon-ho, leading the meeting, and even Lee Ju-ho shut their mouths for a while.

    Either he didn¡¯t sense the atmosphere getting colder, or he was too pressed to care. The mayor of Seoul, Yi Myeong-ho continued to yell while pounding on the desk before him. ¡°Tell them to turn their plane around right this instance! This is no time to fool around, and with our damn situation being what it is, where the hell is their sense of duty as the awakeners of this nation¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, the sense of duty, is it. Yes, sir. I hear you. I get what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho nodded his head and abruptly cut Yi Myeong-ho off in the middle of his sentence.

    The mayor must¡¯ve thought that the leader of the Paragon Guild had decided to toe the line because he unclenched his fist and sat deeper into his chair with a satisfied look on his face.

    Lee Ju-ho spoke flatly. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have Kim Su-hyeun head to Australia next. And let us appoint Mister Jung Yoon-ho here as the leader of the raid.¡±

    ¡°W-what was that?!¡±

    ¡°In the case of a dungeon with a difficulty higher than the green color appearing in their home territory, it is the duty of all S-Rank awakeners to participate in the raid if it¡¯s his or her turn to do so. That piece of legislation was created at the same time as another one that allowed S-Ranks to enjoy many privileges to prevent the dungeon outbreaks from occurring, as far as I understand it.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, so what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mister Jung Yoon-ho¡¯s turn this time, and as far as I know, he¡¯s attending this meeting precisely because of this fact. Is this correct or not?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not wrong,¡± said Jung Yoon-ho, while stifling a chuckle threatening to break free after he figured out what Lee Ju-ho was about to say.

    On the other hand, Yi Myeong-ho¡¯s face was getting redder and redder the more Lee Ju-ho talked. The latter stared at the changing expressions on the former¡¯s face and carried on in a flat tone of voice he¡¯d been using until now. ¡°I¡¯m sure mister mayor is already aware of this by now, yes? Unlike a few years ago, dungeons are no longer seen as repositories of resources.¡±

    ¡°W-well, that is¡­¡±

    The dungeons in the past were, quite literally, the repositories of natural resources.

    Back then, the number of the available awakeners far outstripped the number of generated dungeons, and the Ether stones being mined from there became another type of resource that could potentially replace crude oil and even electricity.

    Unfortunately, that was only half the story these days.

    The risks posed by the dungeons were real. Events that were hypothesized since the beginning of it all but never really recognized until recently bubbled up to the surface quite rapidly.

    A high-risk dungeon with a high degree of difficulty was a ticking time bomb that nobody knew when it¡¯d go off. Not just any bomb, either¡ªsomething with enough power to completely obliterate a single city, as a matter of fact.

    And the high-ranked awakeners were individuals tasked with eliminating such bombs. This was the background behind the mercenary guild, Paragon¡¯s founding.

    Lee Ju-ho continued to speak, ¡°As far as I know, Kim Su-hyeun is returning to South Korea of his own accord. But, unlike the leaders of other countries, mister mayor, you didn¡¯t seek out the Paragon Guild but the Awakener Association instead, for some reason.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡±

    ¡°For sure, I¡¯m an awakener affiliated with the association. However, the awakener Kim Su-hyeun is under the Paragon Guild, not the association. Even then, he¡¯s still on his way back to Korea. Do you know why?¡±

    Yi Myeong-ho couldn¡¯t answer.

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words hit their mark. Also, there was no way that the mayor didn¡¯t know the reason, either.

    The reason why Su-hyeun was returning to South Korea¡ªit was way too obvious.

    ¡°Because the dungeons are simply too damn dangerous, that¡¯s why. Because people will die if one turns into an outbreak. Calculating benefits and losses?! He doesn¡¯t care about that. The reason why he sent Hak-joon and Thomas over to Australia? Because the people living there are also people, that¡¯s why. Because they need to be saved, too!¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice grew more and more agitated.

    He always made sure to separate his private life from official business and used their full names whenever Su-hyeun, Hak-joon or Thomas was brought up, but this time, he didn¡¯t even bother to use their surnames.

    That showed how agitated he was right now.

    ¡°That idiot Su-hyeun doesn¡¯t even know the meaning of the word ¡®calculating¡¯. Just watching him from the sidelines sometimes makes me feel like I¡¯ll keel over from sheer frustration alone! No, wait. He does calculate stuff, sure. But none of that is for himself. But what the hell are you saying?¡±

    Craaack-!

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s fist slammed down on the desk before him.

    This was a full-blooded punch from an A-Rank. The tough desk shattered to pieces instantly, causing Yi Myeong-ho to visibly flinch and cower back from the fright without even realizing it.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a sense of duty?! Who doesn¡¯t have it, again? Su-hyeun? You don¡¯t even have the faintest idea, yet you still dare to run that mouth of yours¡­!¡±

    ¡°Mister Lee Ju-ho. Please calm down for a minute.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, of course. My apologies, I was out of line.¡±

    Jung Yoon-ho got up from his seat and stopped Lee Ju-ho by grabbing the latter¡¯s arm. In the meantime, Yi Myeong-ho, deeply frightened by Lee Ju-ho¡¯s murderous aura, whimpered out his apology in a pitiful voice.

    Lee Ju-ho, standing with an enraged expression, settled down in the chair, which was now visible to everyone after this desk was shattered into pieces. He then carried on from where he left off. ¡°If you were planning to save a few pennies from the budget by using the Association to hire Kim Su-hyeun, then it seems that we need to change our plan. You should lodge an official request with the Paragon Guild at the appropriate request fee. At the very least, the amount needs to exceed what the Australians have offered us.¡±

    ¡°B-but, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    The inside of Yi Myeong-ho¡¯s head blanked out.

    Bring along the request fee?

    Honestly, that wasn¡¯t impossible to do. Without a doubt, the fee could be scrounged up somehow by taking a portion from the budget plus the tax revenue earned from the dungeons.

    Indeed, this wasn¡¯t an impossible task to pull off. And it suited the characteristics of a mercenary guild, too.

    But the crux of the problem was this¡ªthe situation had turned from being able to request Su-hyeun¡¯s help for free to actually needing to cough up a massive request fee, instead. And, as things stood, the blame for this turnaround was squarely on the shoulders of Seoul¡¯s mayor, Yi Myeong-ho.

    << N-no, wait! >>

    The mayor quickly turned his head around and looked behind him.

    This meeting was about discussing and implementing the measures to be put into place after the indigo-colored dungeon appearing near the Namsan Tower had been successfully raided. As such, a lot of reporters were present as well. They were the eyes and ears of the voting public, and so, they were diligently filming and recording every single word spoken up until now.

    It was rather obvious that the news would get out soon¡ªthe news of Yi Myeong-ho¡¯s remarks causing friction between him and Kim Su-hyeun as well as Lee Ju-ho, leading to Seoul¡¯s budget needlessly being used up when, originally, it didn¡¯t have to.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m really sorry about what I said earlier. Y-yes, Kim Su-hyeun alone is enough for us. We¡¯re eternally grateful for his aid, of course. Yes. He didn¡¯t even need to take responsibility like this, but he¡¯s even voluntarily¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Lee Ju-ho dismissively waved his hand as if he was not interested in listening anymore. ¡°Mister Mayor, you need to take ¡®responsibility¡¯ for what you said yourself.¡±

    <hr />

    ¡°¡­And so, that¡¯s what happened.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho met up with Su-hyeun, who had finally returned to South Korea, and told the latter what had transpired in the conference venue.

    Currently, they were in a busy downtown street watching the Namsan Tower from below. Normally, this street should be teeming with crowds of pedestrians at all hours of the day or night, but now it was completely empty.

    Su-hyeun asked. ¡°In that case, what should I do? I¡¯m guessing it¡¯ll take some time before they finish finalizing their budget and all.¡±

    ¡°You just have to pretend like you¡¯re about to leave for Australia. It¡¯d probably be enough to show them that our private plane is ready to take off at any moment.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho must¡¯ve been seriously pissed off because he was still scowling unhappily even now. Su-hyeun knew that the anger was for his sake, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel happy inside. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he was planning to go to Australia like the older man had said.

    << I can¡¯t leave that thing alone, after all. >>

    The indigo-colored dungeon. Su-hyeun had no idea why that thing had appeared in South Korea, but he was acutely aware of the level of danger it possessed.

    One month¡ªthis was how long it took an indigo dungeon to cause an outbreak.

    << Can¡¯t come to a hasty conclusion here, though. >>

    Despite knowing that, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t feel reassured at all.

    Too many things that were supposed to happen in the future had been distorted out of order. The times and locations had changed already, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange to see the time needed for an outbreak to change unexpectedly, as well.

    Sure, it might not happen in the next couple of days or something, but even then, Su-hyeun was thinking of staying near the Namsan Tower for the time being, at least.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have the private plane on standby, just in case. So our dear mayor can wet his pants for a bit longer,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You know, you can be rather nasty when you get riled up.¡±

    ¡°Not as much as you, bro.¡± Su-hyeun grinned while doing his best to suppress an even bigger laugh from bursting out, but then, his expression changed to one of deep concern. ¡°But, will it be alright? No matter what our true intentions were, if people think we gave up on the raid with the pretext of the request fee, wouldn¡¯t public sentiment toward the Paragon Guild get worse?¡±

    That¡¯s how people¡¯s mentality was like.

    It was only normal to expect a lot from those with patriotism, a sense of duty, as well as the necessary power.

    The public wished for these individuals to protect them. They demanded the sense of duty be upheld despite such a thing not being required in the first place. They would eventually start taking the sacrifices of those with power for granted.

    Especially so when the events were directly related to their lives.

    << It won¡¯t be different this time, either. >>

    Su-hyeun knew this fact better than anyone. Everyone from his previous life was like this. Maybe that was why they resented him. They asked, why couldn¡¯t he protect them, didn¡¯t he have the power to do so?

    ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s possible. Regardless of what happens, the only other person who can raid that dungeon besides you is Gordon, and, if it¡¯s not raided, Seoul will be destroyed for sure. In that case, our country will be finished,¡± said Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°But then¡­¡±

    ¡°So, our dear mayor should be in a full-on panic mode right about now. Without you, the city in his charge will be wiped off the map. From a moralistic standpoint, people might start pointing fingers at you, but for our mayor, there can only be one end.¡± Lee Ju-ho drew a line under his chin. But his explanation didn¡¯t end there. ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Do you think this big bro of yours couldn¡¯t control his rage and ended up starting this whole thing? I¡¯ve never thought of letting anyone blame you for anything. If someone needs to be criticized and cursed, that¡¯ll be my job.¡±

    ¡°Bro, but¡­¡±

    Rrrrrr-

    The phone went off just then.

    Lee Ju-ho raised his hand to stop Su-hyeun and answered the call. ¡°Yes, mister mayor. Hello there.¡±

    As he listened, a grin gradually spread over his face. The strange thing was, though, the tone of his voice as he spoke to the mayor on the phone remained as cold as ever.

    ¡°I see. I understand. Yes, we¡¯re in agreement, then. Yes, we¡¯ll head there right away. Well then, we¡¯ll speak to you later.¡±

    The call came to an end there. And Lee Ju-ho spoke in a voice full of barely contained laughter, which was a remarkable change from a second ago.

    ¡°They made the request.¡±

 Chapter 198

    Scribble, scribble-

    The luxurious sound came from a fountain pen.

    Yi Myeong-ho finished signing his name and angrily put the pen down on his desk.

    Thud-

    ¡°Are you happy now?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho perused the contract papers one more time and slid them inside a manila envelope. ¡°Thank you very much. It was nice doing business with you.¡±

    ¡°People talked about there being a sly fox in the Paragon Guild, and it looks like they were referring to you, Mister Lee Ju-ho.¡±

    With that, Yi Myeong-ho was no longer in a position to evade the incoming reprimand and criticism. A single gaff from him had led to the unnecessary waste of an enormous portion of the city¡¯s budget, and he was going to hear about it.

    Lee Ju-ho replied, ¡°In matters of business dealings or negotiations, we have Mr. Gordon with us. How can I even compare to him?¡±

    ¡°You believe you¡¯ll be alright? After this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow.¡±

    ¡°You used Seoul as a hostage during the negotiation. You couldn¡¯t control your own anger and decided to disregard the danger to the city, and to use the lives of all the citizens as your bargaining chip on the negotiation table!¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. It may look that way, but¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho secured his document bag and stood up from the spot. ¡°From the beginning, we never planned to leave the city in danger. Even if you didn¡¯t lodge an official request, we would¡¯ve never left such a dangerous dungeon alone.¡±

    ¡°But, that¡­!¡±

    Yi Myeong-ho gritted his teeth.

    Lee Ju-ho was revealing his position because the contract papers were signed and the mayor had already played his hand. Both sides were saddled with risks in this situation, but the one with the most to lose was Yi Myeong-ho.

    Which meant he had no choice but to surrender to Lee Ju-ho¡¯s demands.

    Besides, the mayor would¡¯ve never agreed to sign the contract if he knew Lee Ju-ho and Su-hyeun¡¯s intentions in the first place.

    ¡°Who¡¯ll believe that? No one will believe you when you say, ¡®This was our real intention all along¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they will.¡±

    ¡°What was that?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t delude yourself, old man.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s glare became cold and murderous once more.

    Those were the same eyes from the conference venue, completely different from the good-natured look that Yi Myeong-ho had been seeing until now.

    ¡°I¡¯m different from Su-hyeun. I¡¯m not a nice guy like him, and the end goal of my calculations are different, too. Of course, I¡¯m definitely not an honest man, either.¡±

    ¡°W-what are you trying to say?!¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t guess, then I suggest you get your phone out and google Paragon Guild. The related articles should be appearing online about now.¡±

    As if he had nothing more to say, Lee Ju-ho packed his stuff and left the office. In the meantime, Yi Myeong-ho hurriedly searched for the Paragon Guild online with his smartphone.

    And, just as Lee Ju-ho exited from the office¡­

    ¡°Aaaaaahk-!!¡±

    A loud scream exploded from the mayor¡¯s office. A scream filled with frustration and rage that could no longer be contained.

    Lee Ju-ho became certain after hearing that noise. Certain that the pieces he had laid out earlier were performing as they should. He pulled out his own smartphone from his pocket and confirmed the headlines of the articles appearing on the search engine¡¯s results.

    [Paragon Guild, takes Seoul hostage and makes threats? Awakener Lee Ju-ho, ¡°Bring higher request fee than Australia.¡±]

    [Seoul¡¯s mayor, Yi Myeong-ho, ¡°Paragon Guild has no sense of responsibility.¡± Lee Ju-ho enraged, says the plane with Kim Su-hyeun will be turned back.]

    [Mayor Yi Myeong-ho¡¯s rash declaration, and irrational response from Paragon Guild.]

    Only a few hours ago, articles were attacking both Yi Myeong-ho and the Paragon Guild. Some were written in favor of the mayor, while some were on the side of the guild.

    Articles that talked about who to side with. Or, which side was more wrong than the other.

    The thing was, though, just one move, one incident, would be more than enough to turn public sentiment around completely.

    [Kim Su-hyeun, immediately enters the indigo dungeon after touching down. Not giving up on both S. Korea and Australia.]

    [Lee Ju-ho apologizes for his irresponsible declaration. Never planned to give up on Seoul from the beginning¡­]

    [Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s private plane sets off to Australia without him, to get Choi Hak-joon and Thomas Mathiras back to Korea.]

    [Lee Ju-ho arrives at Seoul¡¯s city hall to finalize the request documents. What¡¯s the truth of it all?]

    Lee Ju-ho checked the headlines of the articles and emerged outside the building.

    The reporters were already there, waiting for him. They had latched onto an odd smell after learning of several matters including Su-hyeun entering the dungeon and Lee Ju-ho having a meeting with the mayor, etc.

    He didn¡¯t try to stop the reporters from making a move, however. Because he needed their eyes, ears, and, indeed, their mouths right now.

    ¡°Mister Lee Ju-ho, a word, please. What is the position of the Paragon Guild? Were you really planning to give up on Seoul?¡±

    ¡°Your declaration made due to the friction between you and Mayor Yi Myeong-ho is different from the actions of the Paragon Guild, so would you like to shed some light on that?¡±

    ¡°Mister Lee Ju-ho!¡±

    Loud, ceaseless questions poured in. Lee Ju-ho calmly answered them.

    ¡°The Paragon Guild consists of Korean awakeners, plus the American awakener, Gordon Rohan.¡± As soon as he started talking, the reporters shut their mouths up as if what happened a second ago was a lie. ¡°I am a Korean, and Kim Su-hyeun of the Paragon Guild is, as well. Not only that, we never, ever even considered leaving alone the indigo-colored dungeon appearing in Seoul.¡±

    ¡°If so, what you said earlier was¡­¡±

    ¡°However!¡± Lee Ju-ho¡¯s thunderous roar cut off the reporter¡¯s question. ¡°We are not some obedient dogs, either.¡±

    He scanned everyone around him with cold eyes, before continuing on.

    ¡°Yes, South Korea takes priority, and raiding dungeons is also a priority, but¡­ The Paragon Guild is a mercenary guild, not a government department or a charity organization. I¡¯m sure you already knew that, since Gordan Rohan is a member of the guild.¡±

    It was rather obvious. Gordon Rohan was a businessman before an awakener. Him suddenly starting a philanthropic enterprise just didn¡¯t make much sense.

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with the Australian government requesting aid from us. They don¡¯t have the necessary strength to raid a blue-colored dungeon, so by paying us the request fee, they wish to borrow our strength. Thomas and Hak-joon were sent there to take care of that request.¡±

    ¡°But, hasn¡¯t an indigo-colored dungeon appeared in Korea now?¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why Kim Su-hyeun came home, so that we can raid both dungeons. To ensure that neither country experiences any issues.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you wish to protect both Seoul and Australia?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And everything I¡¯ve said so far, that is Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s intention.¡± The light in Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes changed at this point. ¡°And from now on, I¡¯ll tell you about my intentions. It is quite regrettable, but I¡­ am not as kind as Su-hyeun is.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that you two have a difference in opinion?¡±

    The reporter¡¯s question was met with Lee Ju-ho nodding his head slightly. ¡°The mayor of Seoul, Yi Myeong-ho, crossed a line.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°He tried to put a leash on our necks. He ran his mouth off as if people in Australia could die for all he cared, and clearly criticized the Paragon Guild¡¯s desire to save both sides as being irresponsible,¡± said Lee Ju-ho, before firing a question back to the reporter. ¡°Why should I hold back in that case, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡±

    At that unexpected question, the reporter reflexively opened his mouth only to urgently clamp it shut.

    It was actually a rhetorical question. And Lee Ju-ho wasn¡¯t asking the reporters but the viewers at home probably watching this broadcast.

    For the first time during the interview, Lee Ju-ho smiled. ¡°From this moment onward, our guild will only make a move after signing a ¡®proper¡¯ contract first. I promise you that in the future, this sort of public criticism will not happen again. Well, then.¡±

    As if he was finished with what he wanted to say, Lee Ju-ho bowed and walked past the reporters. They were suppressed by his aura and couldn¡¯t cling onto him under the excuse of prolonging the interview.

    What he said at the end¡­

    It was a sort of a warning, telling others that the Paragon Guild wouldn¡¯t make any move without receiving official requests first in the future.

    << With this, hopefully, people won¡¯t blame Su-hyeun for anything. >>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s and Lee Ju-ho¡¯s positions were made crystal clear during this event.

    The former couldn¡¯t ignore the danger posed to Seoul by the dungeon and took appropriate action, while the latter bulldozed ahead with the contract signing on his own accord because of the mayor of Seoul, Yi Myeong-ho¡¯s declaration.

    From the get-go, the power to sign contracts on behalf of the Paragon Guild rested with Lee Ju-ho, so there was no problem with how it all turned out.

    Without a doubt, some people would start resenting Lee Ju-ho for this. There were definitely people who belived that patriotism should take precedence over anything else, after all.

    But people with opposing views should also exist, as well.

    << My aim was to screw you over. >>

    The first time would be the hardest. But the second time, and also the third, wouldn¡¯t be as hard. No, it¡¯d gradually get easier, instead.

    That was why the precedent should not be set in the first place. If this event was allowed to be glossed over, then the Korean Awakener Authority would end up taking the sacrifices of the Paragon Guild for granted.

    Such a perception, once created, would be very difficult to change in the future. To paraphrase a quote from a certain movie, if kindness was continuously shown to you, then you¡¯d end up thinking that it was your right, instead.

    << Even if Su-hyeun thinks doing it his way is the obvious thing to do. >>

    Lee Ju-ho glanced at the mayor¡¯s office, his eyes filled with certain venom.

    << But I¡¯m not him. >>

    The contract papers were in Lee Ju-ho¡¯s possession, the documents that detailed the request for the dungeon raid. If the truth of this contract were leaked to the public, then, without a doubt, Lee Ju-ho would be subjected to another intense round of criticism.

    They would ask, why did a contract need to be drawn up when the guild was planning to raid the dungeon anyway?

    << I¡¯ll bear all the insults and blame. So, Su-hyeun, you¡­ >>

    Lee Ju-ho recalled Su-hyeun, who had departed earlier to solo raid the indigo-colored dungeon, and muttered to himself.

    ¡°You just focus on being the hero.¡±

    <hr />

    The deep, dark night.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s nerves were stretched tauter than ever before as he stepped inside the dungeon.

    Gya-oh-ohng-!

    Miru, flying next to him, let out a cry.

    The atmosphere was quite eerie. The temperature was lukewarm, yet, bizarrely enough, his skin felt cold in this place.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s destination was fixed on one location¡ªthe massive, half-crumbled tower seemingly piercing the heavens.

    The tower was built by humankind to allow them to touch the heavens. It¡¯s ruins served as evidence of that first act of pride. Its name¡­

    << The Tower of Babel. >>

    That¡¯s what people used to call the tower.

    Wrath, sloth, lust, gluttony, greed, envy, and, finally, pride.

    Unlike the other six dungeons, that continued to emit their respective emotions, this dungeon that symbolized ¡®pride¡¯ didn¡¯t let any emotion leak outside. A being had built that tower and waited for the right time to come, that was all. No more, no less.

    Step, step-

    Su-hyeun kept his edge far sharper than he had done before. His steps weren¡¯t too fast, nor slow, but a steady gait taking him forward.

    Gu-wuwuwu-

    As he neared the tower, his senses picked up on a massive presence hidden within the structure. The tower that has felt empty and abandoned only a second ago suddenly loomed oppressively large over him.

    But there was no need to get flustered. Su-hyeun already knew what the ¡®creature¡¯ inside the tower was from the start, anyway.

    << Let¡¯s not worry about anything else. >>

    He emptied out his mind.

    Originally, many things had occupied his head¡ªsuch as, would Hak-joon and Thomas be okay after he urgently sent them ahead of him? What about Lee Ju-ho¡¯s situation?

    Why did this dungeon appear so soon?

    He didn¡¯t fully understand what was going on in his own world, just like the worlds in the Tower of Trials.

    But he cleared all of that from his head.

    Gu-oooooh-

    Now was the time to focus on the existence currently provoking him.

    Creaaaak-

    When Su-hyeun reached the entrance of the tower, the heavy gates dozens of meters tall automatically slid open. As if his presence was expected.

    Gya-ong-

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong-?

    ¡°All of your buffs. Cast them on me now.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words caused Miru¡¯s eyes to open wider from surprise for a second there. He had never asked for buffs to be cast on him before a battle commenced.

    Giiii-iiiing-

    [Protective Barrier of the Dragon God.]

    [Grace of the Dragon God.]

    [Reflect.]

    [Blessing of the Dragon God.]

    [Damage Sharing.]

    [Physical attack damage will be reduced.]

    [Magical attack damage will be reduced.]

    [A portion of physical and magical damage will be reflected.]

    [Strength, agility, stamina, and reflex will rise.]

    [Physical and magical damage will be shared. All damage incurred will be halved.]

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    For the first time since he entered the dungeon, Su-hyeun¡¯s steps came to a halt as he checked out all the buffs. He was familiar with all of them, bar one¡ªhe didn¡¯t recognize the last one.

    The ¡®Damage Sharing¡¯. This couldn¡¯t even be called a proper buff at all.

    ¡°When did you even learn this skill?¡±

    Gya-ong-

    ¡°Hurry and undo it.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s urging was met with Miru resolutely shaking his head. That caused him to frown deeply at his red dragon for the first time. The latter seemed to be surprised, but quickly averted his gaze to indicate that what he didn¡¯t want, he wouldn¡¯t do.

    ¡°Stop being stubborn and just undo it, please. Hurry.¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    Miru then squeezed his eyes shut and began shaking his head even harder than before.

    It didn¡¯t look like the dragon would listen to him. Su-hyeun let out a resigned sigh and observed the gentle rays of light enveloping his body.

    << If I wanted to, I could undo it no problem, but¡­ >>

    But if he did, then all of the buffs would come undone as well, not just ¡®Damage Sharing¡¯.

    Su-hyeun felt conflicted as he stared at Miru. He could tell what the dragon was thinking while casting this buff.

    << A skill to divide the damage. Not sure when he even acquired such a skill, but¡­ This should be better than making him directly fight. >>

    He was looking forward to seeing the reverse effect of this skill, actually. Just like how Su-hyeun¡¯s damage would be shared with Miru, a portion of all the damage Miru received would be shared with him, as well.

    In case Miru found himself in danger, this ¡®Damage Sharing¡¯ could become an important method to ensure the red dragon¡¯s safety.

    ¡°Okay. Fine. But you must look after yourself first and don¡¯t interfere unless I say so. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m not gonna call you out next time, okay?¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    Only after Su-hyeun gave his permission did Miru smile brightly and nod his head.

    Gu-gugugugu-

    The massive tower began shaking, just then. As if to ask, what was he doing, not entering already?

    Someone was urging him to come in. The whole tower suddenly seemed like a living entity.

    ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯m coming.¡±

    Shu-rung-

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword ahead of time. Then, he strode through the giant open gate and entered the tower.

    The first floor was made up entirely of completely empty space and a ceiling easily dozens of meters high. Countless eye-catching decorations were plastered all over the walls, and the whole area was as wide as an average-sized Colosseum.

    Boom-!

    The gates automatically closed shut after Su-hyeun and Miru had entered, as if to signal that, once in, they could never get out again.

    But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even bother to look at the closed gate. He wasn¡¯t even planning to go back outside, to begin with.

    Instead, his gaze was directed at the giant looking back at him while sitting on a massive ¡®chair¡¯ at the far end of the first floor.

    Su-hyeun asked first, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stand up?¡±

    That throne, made of gold, was the sole furniture within this empty space. The giant sitting on it was a male with indigo-colored skin, easily three meters tall.

    The hulking man, not covered by any type of clothing, made his reply.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see first.¡±

    ¡­While making one of the most arrogant expressions ever imaginable.

 Chapter 199

    Act 1

    Pride.

    And then, arrogance.

    The world referred to this being, completely wrapped up in two emotions seemingly only a single hair removed from each other, as ¡®Pride¡¯. Or, to denote his position as the ruler of this Babel Tower, the Babel King.

    As the title suggested, he was the king of arrogance. And he also happened to be the strongest ¡®human being¡¯ ever, filled to the brim with the emotion of arrogance.

    ¡°A human who tamed a dragon, is it¡­¡±

    Babel looked down at Su-hyeun from his throne. Literally, looked down.

    Babel was easily two meters tall sitting down, and on top of that, the throne itself was several meters high as well. Naturally, this meant Su-hyeun had to look up at the guy.

    Babel spoke again. ¡°You¡¯re a strange man.¡±

    ¡°Strange how?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably far stronger than all other human beings. A dragon follows you, and you possess a level of strength that no ordinary man can ever hope to possess.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Yet, why do you not place yourself at a higher level than the others?¡±

    Babel sat up straight in his chair and began scanning Su-hyeun from top to bottom.

    It was at that moment that Su-hyeun figured out what this guy was confused about. the king of arrogance wasn¡¯t talking about his strength, but the emotions he possessed, instead.

    Babel too had read Su-hyeun¡¯s emotions, just like Wrath from Paris¡¯s dungeon had done. Specifically, he tried to read the emotions close to ¡®pride¡¯ in Su-hyeun¡¯s heart.

    And that was what the ruler of the Babel Tower found so puzzling. He couldn¡¯t sense the emotions of pride from Su-hyeun, the possessor of powers so much greater than anyone else.

    ¡°Humans exist solely to compare themselves to someone else. And you certainly have the qualifications to be prideful. After all, you possess the power to look down on the majority of mankind, do you not?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    Crack-

    Su-hyeun powerfully stabbed the sword on the floor. ¡°But, the one I¡¯m comparing myself to isn¡¯t anyone else, but me from the past.¡±

    ¡°The past you?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more idiotic than comparing yourself to other people and arguing who¡¯s better off of the two. This world is vast and you can find countless others who are either better or worse than me out there, after all.¡±

    Gu-wuwuwuwu-

    With the spot where Su-hyeun had stabbed his sword acting as the central point, the whole tower began to vibrate.

    The light in the eyes of the Babel King, still sitting on the golden throne began shaking, as well. He had realized that the cause of the vibration was Su-hyeun¡¯s sword, and that concerned him.

    ¡°You bastard¡­¡±

    Grab-

    Babel grabbed the armrest of his chair, and his magical energy began to seep into the ground via the throne. His power than began colliding against Su-hyeun¡¯s magical energy somewhere deep, deep underground.

    Su-hyeun continued, ¡°You asked why I didn¡¯t try to elevate myself above the others, didn¡¯t you? Because I¡¯m not worthy. Because I¡¯m still a long way off.¡±

    ¡®Pride¡¯ was an emotion born from comparing yourself to somebody else. And that was why Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t be arrogant at all.

    He knew what the past him was like. And that made him feel that even the lowest ceiling he needed to break through first before everything else was still so, so far away.

    Kim Sung-in.

    That was the past him.

    The strongest, greatest awakener in the world, possessor of the ninth level of magical power, the hero who opposed Fafnir himself.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s basis of comparison always had been Kim Sung-in. And that made it impossible to be conceited. He couldn¡¯t afford to be conceited, either.

    ¡°Although, that idea might be a little hard to understand for a fool like you, who wanted to reach the heavens by building something like this tower.¡±

    Tsht, chu chu chu-

    The two men¡¯s magical powers continued to collide.

    Babel was having a hard time trying to stop Su-hyeun¡¯s magical energy from spreading out to every corner of the tower from below the ground. Unfortunately for him, the speed of the latter¡¯s magic was simply too fast.

    ¡°Cease your actions this instant!¡±

    Babel shot up from his throne.

    The moment he extended his hand toward Su-hyeun¡­

    Gu-wuwuwuwu-

    Again, the tower began shaking even harder than before.

    Pull-

    Su-hyeun yanked his sword out of the ground. With this, his preparations were complete.

    Babel, standing on his feet, seemed somewhat dazed compared to how confident he had looked earlier.

    ¡°This tower was built higher and higher without any proper foundation being laid down. I lightly messed around in a couple of places, here and there. It¡¯ll probably start coming down all by itself soon.¡±

    ¡°You ¡®lightly messed around?''¡±

    Babel¡¯s suspicion-filled glare was fixed on Su-hyeun.

    Just as he said, he only lightly messed with some parts. The real problem wasn¡¯t to do with the heaviness of his actions, but where exactly he had been messing around, though.

    << He accurately attacked the core. >>

    What Su-hyeun aimed for were the pillars underground that supported this tower¡ªpillars that could bring this tower down.

    Cracks were currently forming on those pillars. Eventually, they wouldn¡¯t be able to support the weight anymore and would begin to gradually crumble, causing the tower itself to collapse.

    ¡°Thirty minutes.¡± Su-hyeun unfurled three fingers, before tucking them back in, ¡°After that, this place will be gone. With that, your supply of power will disappear, too.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?!¡±

    The brows of the Babel King shot up high. It seemed that he was greatly shocked by the fact that Su-hyeun knew this hidden truth.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know. What¡¯s important, though, is that you actually stood up from that chair.¡±

    Only after listening to Su-hyeun did Babel realize that he had stood up from the golden throne.

    He was the symbol of Pride. He welcomed Su-hyeun while sitting down, as if to say that there was no need to even stand up while fighting his new guest.

    That arrogant attitude was basically a display of his pride. But the event of him needing to stand up was tantamount to admitting that he had no choice but to humble himself.

    It was to prevent the tower from collapsing, but he even failed in that front, as well.

    For a short while there, Babel had a despondent expression, then, without warning, broke into a loud peal of laughter.

    ¡°What an amusing situation this is.¡±

    Both the tower crumbling down, and him standing up from the throne, too.

    He hadn¡¯t even done anything yet, but to think that everything was about to disappear. Only, unrestrained laughter continued to leak out at the absurdity of this situation.

    Babel covered his face with a hand and guffawed away. ¡°Keuh-heuh, hehehe. Well, fine. It doesn¡¯t matter. I was thinking of heading outside soon, anyway. I¡¯ll just consider the timing being brought forward by a few days. And¡­¡±

    ¡°Miru.¡±

    Giiii-iiiing-

    Somewhere near the tall ceiling¡­

    A humongous mass of magical energy focused in one spot. Babel, about to finish his sentence, naturally had to raise his head to look.

    ¡°Breath.¡±

    [High Breath.]

    [Cintamani.]

    RUUUUMLE-!

    Miru¡¯s Breath fired from the ceiling enveloped Babel¡¯s entire body.

    Su-hyeun carefully watched his opponent¡¯s movements and ordered Miru to stay back.

    Pah-ahk-

    Swoooosh-

    Not too long after that, a massive palm flew right at Su-hyeun¡¯s nose. The hand was large enough to hold the head of an average-sized adult man easily.

    CLAAANG-!

    Gu-gugugu-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword clashed with that huge hand. The force of that arm shoved his body down, and the ground beneath his feet caved in instantly.

    ¡°Your elder was saying something. It¡¯s not polite to cut in,¡± said Babel.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how old you are, I just don¡¯t feel like giving you much respect, you know? I mean, the stuff you did was way too horrifying to be worthy of respect, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    Drop, tumble¡­

    Even before Su-hyeun¡¯s retort came to an end, things fell from the ceiling. It was a skull and rib cage belonging to a human. That was just the beginning, and the pieces of solid rubble mixed with human bones continued to fall to the floor.

    Gu-gugugu-

    Babel glanced at that and muttered to himself, ¡°Faces I haven¡¯t seen in a while. Although, I can¡¯t who was who anymore.¡±

    Wuduk, wu-dududuk-

    Crack-!

    While still holding the blade, Babel tried to shove Su-hyeun down to the floor.

    Piii-iiht-

    But even his monstrous strength had no answers for Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. The blade slipped out from the tight grip without much difficulty.

    Su-hyeun rapidly took several steps back to create some distance and glanced at his surroundings.

    << The Tower of Babel. Also known as the Tower of Humans. >>

    A tower literally built of humans¡ªBabel buried alive people he used to live with in several places of the structure and became an existence that took their strengths as his own.

    Meaning, bringing this tower down was a necessary first step in fighting Babel. As long as this structure remained standing, he would possess near-infinite strength.

    << The first task has been taken care of. >>

    Gu-ooooh-

    Su-hyeun sensed the incredible amount of magical power emanating from Babel and quickly enveloped himself in several layers of defense-related skills.

    << Here he comes. >>

    Pah-aht-

    Fwooooosh-

    A huge fist flew toward Su-hyeun¡¯s head. In that blink of a moment, he lowered his body.

    Paaang, kwa-boooom-!

    The fist punching the empty air still managed to completely destroy the floor behind him.

    That was a truly ridiculous amount of power. Just the concentration of magical energy permeating that fist was enough to almost numb Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    Swiiish, swoooosh-

    Crack, split, craaack-!

    Babel¡¯s punches chased after Su-hyeun¡¯s figure.

    A simple barrage of punches, where not a single special skill was used. But Babel was a step above Su-hyeun in both power and speed.

    << He¡¯s fast. >>

    Swoooosh-!

    Su-hyeun stared at the fist brushing past right before his eyes.

    The impact of getting struck just once would be considerable. If he took a direct hit from that, there was little doubt that he¡¯d suffer a mortal wound.

    But, why was this?

    << I don¡¯t think I will get hit by that. >>

    Flash-

    Su-hyeun moved first.

    Fwooosh-

    And, just before Babel¡¯s flying fist crashed into Su-hyeun¡¯s head¡­

    Sliiiice-

    The latter¡¯s sword dug deep into the giant¡¯s extended arm first.

    ¡°Eut?!¡±

    The shocked Babel hurriedly slammed down with his other hand.

    Kwa-booom-!

    Crack, craaaack-

    The fist aiming for that sword hit the floor, instead. The destroyed ground shattered and debris shot up.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun was already up in the air. Babel¡¯s bloodshot eyes were glaring at him.

    At the same time, the giant¡¯s fists began pummeling the air.

    Pang, pa-pang-

    Pang, papapapang-!

    Magical powers shooting out from the barrage of punches flew toward Su-hyeun. At that moment, his figure descending to the ground leaped up higher into the air, instead.

    [Leap.] [Leap.]

    [Dragon Slaying Spear.]

    Only after jumping high enough to reach the ceiling did he pull out the spear tied to his back.

    Soon he was right above Babel¡¯s head. He jerked his arm back before powerfully swinging it down¡ªall the while injecting his magical energy into the spear.

    [Wave Spear- Explosion Style.]

    Swiiiish-

    Pahk, papapapahk-

    Spears began raining down.

    The spears permeated with powerful magical energy rained down and began slicing up Babel¡¯s body. But the giant simply shielded his head and other vital spots and jumped up without even bothering to evade the attack.

    Boom-

    Swoooosh-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s next attack commenced in order to stop Babel, but it was useless. The giant extended his hand to catch his opponent.

    Grab-

    ¡°I got you.¡±

    Babel smirked while holding onto Su-hyeun¡¯s leg, then tightened his grip. In an instant¡­

    Crush-

    Sounds of the leg being crushed came out from the giant¡¯s hand.

    But then¡­

    Ruuumble-

    Kwa-booom-!

    [Doppelganger.]

    [Flame.]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body suddenly transformed into a dark blue-colored flame and exploded.

    ¡°Keuh-euh¡­¡±

    Babel furrowed his brows at the sizzling heat burning in his palm.

    The moment he chucked his spear, Su-hyeun used his skill and swapped his position with the fake.

    ¡°You know, this is strange,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Ta-dahk-

    Babel, landing on his two feet, looked behind him. That¡¯s where he found Su-hyeun with the lowered sword staring back with a face full of confusion.

    ¡°You¡¯re a lot weaker than I thought. Even if we¡¯re talking about the very first indigo color¡­ This is very different from what I heard about, you know?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s previous stiff, tense expression had loosened some time ago. On the other hand, Babel¡¯s expression was cramping up, instead.

    ¡°What did you just say to me?¡±

    ¡°I said, compared to what I thought, you¡¯re nothing much to write home about. Is it because you can¡¯t get extra power from the tower? You¡¯re way behind me purely in skills, and, besides your physical body, you have nothing else to offer, do you?¡±

    ¡°You even dare to bluff¡­!¡±

    ¡°Bluff? I wonder about that.¡±

    The corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled up. At the same time, his sword pointing down suddenly moved.

    Splaaash-!

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Babel¡¯s chest was sliced open and blood spluttered out. His eyes shot up as if he couldn¡¯t believe that actual blood had been drawn from his flesh. He stared at his open wound in disbelief.

    ¡°See, I told you.¡± On the other hand, Su-hyeun, swinging his sword from a distance, was speaking in a clearly mocking tone of voice. ¡°You¡¯re nothing special.¡±

 Chapter 200

    Grit-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words caused a sudden change in the light burning in Babel¡¯s eyes.

    It was him with all the way up to this moment. He certainly acknowledged Su-hyeun¡¯s skills, but not once did he believe that he was lagging behind his challenger. Never.

    On the other hand, Su-hyeun had been feeling rather tense. Not because he was scared or anything like that, though. He deliberately psyched himself up just before embarking on the raid of the indigo-colored dungeon, that was all.

    But that tension was turning into a problem, instead.

    << I was too tense, and that made my opponent seem bigger than he actually was. >>

    History¡¯s first indigo-colored dungeon.

    Awakeners who lost their lives in this place.

    A tower literally built of human remains, and the existence called Babel who received an unending supply of power from such a structure.

    Of course, Su-hyeun would be tense. He never got to personally experience Babel¡¯s might in the previous life, but every single boss creature of an indigo-colored dungeon he knew of were all certifiable monsters, after all.

    But this¡­

    Fwooosh-

    Craaaack-!

    Babel rushed forward, and his fist smashed the ground again. The punch was originally aimed at Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    The giant shifted his head around, trying to locate Su-hyeun¡¯s whereabouts.

    Swiiish-

    Splaaash-!

    A lengthy wound was sliced open, extending from Babel¡¯s shoulder, past his back, and down to his thigh.

    The giant wobbled for a moment before he swung that long arm of his one more time. Along with ¡®Whoosh!¡¯ of the air being torn apart, Su-hyeun leaped up again.

    ¡°This is way too strange.¡±

    Stab. Staaab-

    ¡°Keuh-euh¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword stabbed several times into Babel¡¯s swung arm.

    The attacks were too fast to be seen by the naked eye. The only reason why the arm wasn¡¯t completely severed was down to the sheer toughness of Babel¡¯s physique.

    ¡°Is it because you¡¯re too weak, or maybe I¡¯m much stronger than I thought?¡±

    It was probably both.

    Babel was weak. No, more correctly, he became weaker. That was because the source of his strength, the tower, was crumbling down around him and he couldn¡¯t receive his supply of additional power.

    On the other hand, Su-hyeun was strong. So much so that he wasn¡¯t even fully aware of the extent of his powers.

    His Strength stat had reached 98. And then, he even possessed experience and technique that exceeded raw stats, plus Miru¡¯s buffs as well as the effects from the title ¡®Hero¡¯ that he had earned recently.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter which one it is, you being nothing special won¡¯t change either way,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You bastard¡­! You baaastard¡­!¡±

    Just as Babel spun around in the direction of the voice and tried to pounce again¡­

    Wobble-

    << Uh? >>

    The inside of the giant¡¯s head shook, and dizziness rushed in. This numbing sensation began spreading from all corners of his body.

    << Poison? >>

    Although the injected quantity was small, the poison skill¡¯s effect was still enough to make Babel¡¯s body not function properly.

    ¡°Physique-wise, you¡¯re excellent. From the natural defense your body possesses, to your innate magic resistance, and even your massive magical energy reserve, too. You¡¯re certainly not lacking in any regard.¡±

    Su-hyeun analyzed all of Babel¡¯s combat potential objectively.

    Just as he alluded to, Babel¡¯s physical abilities were unparalleled. When converted into the numerical stat values, then his numbers should be higher than every one of Su-hyeun¡¯s stats by a noticeable margin.

    ¡°But you really lag behind in technique. It¡¯s not as if you have the benefit of techniques that can support your superior physical status, either. Well, if this tower was still intact, then such an issue would¡¯ve been resolved to some degree, but¡­¡±

    Gu-gugugu-

    Su-hyeun stared at the tower shaking precariously and muttered to all who could hear him. ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s in this state.¡±

    Using his absolute, overwhelming strength to make up for the problem of the lack of technique¡ªthat was Babel¡¯s preferred combat method.

    But in the current situation where the infinite power supplied by the tower was no longer available, he couldn¡¯t be called an ¡®overwhelming¡¯ opponent anymore.

    A man with a lackluster technique, and, even worse, with a strength no better than what Su-hyeun currently possessed¡ªthat was Babel in a nutshell.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t look down on me.¡±

    Wuduk, wududuk-

    Babel¡¯s body began ballooning up, little by little. He was already thickly-set compared to his height, so his new transformation into an even bigger mass of muscles looked utterly grotesque.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare look down on me!!¡±

    Gu-wuwuwu-

    He was the symbol of pride. He was a man who thought that, with the only exception of himself, no other human being was needed and built a tower made out of living people.

    The fact that someone had disparaged and looked down on him was a completely unacceptable insult.

    That was why Babel felt this uncontrollable rage from Su-hyeun¡¯s words, his eyes, and his expression.

    Pah-ahk-!

    Fwooooosh-

    Babel¡¯s large hands pounced on Su-hyeun¡¯s head. It was still a direct, straightforward attack, just like before.

    But Su-hyeun¡¯s response was completely different this time.

    [Immortality.]

    Rumble-!

    CLAAANG-!

    Two fists collided. Not a sword, but an actual fist.

    Babel flinched in shock when Su-hyeun blocked his punch. Even if he was below his opponent in terms of technique, he believed that, as far as physical strength was concerned, he was still far superior.

    But now¡­

    << He blocked it? >>

    He thought that Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t block the punch but dodge it, instead. And this careless attitude was to blame for his slow response to Su-hyeun¡¯s sword flying in.

    Splaaaash-!

    ¡°Keuk¡­¡±

    A lengthy sword wound extending from his chest right down to the thigh area was cut wide open. There were already plenty of smaller wounds on his body, but this new cut was different from all of them.

    << It¡¯s deeper. >>

    The injury was so deep that Babel¡¯s innards threatened to spill out.

    This was his first time¡ªthe first time that the thoughts of possible death had crept into his mind.

    His first time thinking that he¡¯d be defeated by another man.

    << I¡¯m going to lose? >>

    Grit-

    He gnashed his teeth.

    His pride was wounded. He couldn¡¯t accept the thought of being weaker and lower than someone else.

    ¡°Uwaaaaah-!¡±

    Ruuumble-!

    Babel strengthened his legs, then his hulking figure pounced forward.

    Thud-

    For the first time during the fight, Babel¡¯s hands managed to reach Su-hyeun¡¯s body. He shoved the latter in the chest and continued to powerfully dash forward.

    ¡°Uwaaaah-!¡±

    BOOM, BOOM, BOOM-!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body flew backward while destroying several pillars of the tower. Babel continued his dash and rammed his opponent straight into the wall.

    BANG-! Crack, crumble-

    Spliiit-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body was buried deep into the tower¡¯s substantial wall, causing it to crumble. The tower already in the state of breaking apart shook even harder than before.

    Boom, ka-boom-!

    Tumble, rumble-

    The impact was forceful enough to rock the entire tower.

    Babel was confident.

    << It¡¯s over. >>

    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t take all that long for his confidence to flip on its head.

    ¡°As I thought¡­ Your strength is something else, alright.¡±

    Sliiice-

    Drop-

    Babel stared at his own severed hand, fallen to the floor.

    << Uh¡­? >>

    His confusion lasted only for a second.

    Swiiish-

    That burning sensation from his wrist came from his neck, as well. Babel urgently raised his remaining hand toward his throat.

    He felt something warm and moist on his fingertips. A chilling thought raced in his mind and Babel desperately grasped his neck.

    ¡°Even then, that¡¯s all you have.¡±

    << Just¡­ when? >>

    Squeeze-

    Babel wondered to himself while holding his neck tighter.

    Just when did he get cut?

    Su-hyeun had definitely been caught by his barrage and was currently buried in the wall.

    << Could it be?! >>

    Babel¡¯s eyes opened wider.

    << When he was being rammed into the wall?? >>

    Su-hyeun had been focusing on severing Babel¡¯s hand and neck rather than escaping from the giant¡¯s attacks.

    In the end, he succeeded.

    Babel sensed his strength gradually fade. He abandoning his hand on the ground and gripped his own neck.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun slowly raised his body from the rubble of the wall and wiped the blood off his mouth.

    ¡°Keok, ptooey.¡±

    He spat out the blood pooling in his mouth.

    ¡°You thought you were the best, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am¡­¡±

    Even in the end, Babel still had that disbelieving expression on his face.

    Still not believing that someone had managed to defeat him, that there was another ¡®human¡¯ even stronger than he was.

    Not one opponent had been stronger than he was, so Babel never bothered to learn any techniques, and he simply relied on his raw strength to suppress everything. And that very arrogance brought about this result.

    ¡°The emotion of pride has managed to kill the most number of people to this day,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°This¡­ can¡¯t¡­ be¡­¡±

    The grip on the neck was finally gone, and Babel spat out his last words.

    ¡°¡­Possi¡­ ble¡­¡±

    Tumble-

    Babel¡¯s head tumbled to the floor.

    Su-hyeun looked down on the giant¡¯s head rolling towards his feet and quietly murmured. ¡°It¡¯s the same for you, too.¡±

    Step, step-

    Su-hyeun took Miru and exited from the tower by pushing open the massive gates. And just as he reached some distance away¡­

    Gu-gugugu-

    The tower rocking precariously crumbled completely. The walls gave in and the floors began collapsing on top of each other.

    The tower built by a man to reach the level of a god, a symbol of pride and also, of humanity¡¯s sinful act.

    The structure came crumbling down.

    <hr />

    Inside a large luxury sedan, where its ceiling sparkled like the night sky.

    ¡°The indigo color, is it¡­¡±

    Gordon Rohan, riding in this sedan, heard the news from Ashlyn and turned his tablet on to check the articles online.

    The news related to the indigo-colored dungeon appearing in South Korea had already spread to the rest of the world. Since the first one had made its appearance, it naturally meant that the second and the third would eventually pop up soon, as well.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s gone inside.¡±

    Gordon Rohan saw the article stating Su-hyeun had gone inside the dungeon and put the tablet down next to him.

    ¡°Turn the car around, please. We¡¯re going back home,¡± said Gordon, looking somewhat deflated.

    Ashlyn sitting on the back seat alongside him saw that reaction and asked him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You seemed to be interested in it a second ago.¡±

    The appearance of an indigo-colored dungeon. After hearing that news, Gordon Rohan actually became interested in a dungeon, a first in a really long time.

    He had already raided three of the six blue-colored dungeons that showed up almost simultaneously throughout the world. This indigo-colored dungeon that appeared in the middle of his quest had all the potential to become the tastiest, greatest icing on the cake.

    ¡°Sure, I was interested. I was even thinking of heading off to Korea, too.¡±

    ¡°But now?¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s over now, right? Kim Su-hyeun already went inside.¡±

    If it was a dungeon that he could raid solo, then there was no way that Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t be able to raid it solo, either.

    Gordon Rohan was certain that the indigo-colored dungeon was as good as cleared out the moment Su-hyeun decided to have a go.

    Ashlyn chimed in. ¡°Now this is an unfamiliar sight, you acknowledging someone else to this extent.¡±

    ¡°Well, he did beat me and all.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d beat him next time?¡±

    ¡°Next time, is it? I wonder about that.¡±

    Back when Gordon first tasted defeat at Su-hyeun¡¯s hands, he told Ashlyn this¡ªthat it¡¯d be different next time. That he¡¯d regain his position as the best in the world.

    He murmured, ¡°Will it really be different?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Gordon didn¡¯t reply to Ashlyn¡¯s question.

    More correctly, he couldn¡¯t. The last vestiges of his pride didn¡¯t allow him to make the reply, that¡¯s why.

    << I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be different next time. >>

    It took him a really long time to accept this. This judgment of his didn¡¯t come from an emotional place, but a rational one.

    << Indigo color, is it? >>

    While looking at the scenery rushing past outside the car¡¯s window, Gordon Rohan sunk deep into his own thoughts.

    The sky above was refreshingly clear, which didn¡¯t really match the current situation.

    It felt as if only a couple of years had passed since the blue-colored dungeon first appeared in the world, yet an indigo-colored dungeon had shown up already.

    << I simply thought that the era was going through a change, but¡­ >>

    Six blue-colored dungeons had appeared simultaneously throughout the world. And then, an indigo-colored dungeon had appeared right afterward.

    Many people had lost their lives during this incident. Some were murdered because of wrath, and gluttony forced some to resort to cannibalism after food ran out.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the Paragon Guild responding as quickly as it possibly could, a far greater number of people would¡¯ve lost their lives by now.

    << Maybe I¡¯ve been wrong all this time. >>

    The theory of the apocalypse, the eschatology.

    Gordon Rohan wasn¡¯t a fan of such an endlessly-gloomy term like that, but now, he couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore.

    He continued to stare outside the car¡¯s window and organized the complicated mess in his head, before slowly closing his eyes.

    The era wasn¡¯t changing.

    It had already changed.

 Chapter 201

    Act 2

    France, China, Brazil, Australia, the United States of America, Egypt, and Korea¡ªthe seven dungeons had appeared in these seven countries at the same time. They were the indigo- or blue-colored dungeons, which were of very high levels.

    The first indigo-colored dungeon appeared at the Namsan Tower. Even after the raid was over, people still did not return to visit the place. The Myeong-dong streets, which were usually full of locals and foreign tourists, were also quiet.

    ¡°A lot of things have changed because of one dungeon,¡± reporter Hwang Seung-han said in a calm voice while taking photographs of the streets of Myeong-dong with his camera.

    He saw the empty streets of Myeong-dong, the Namsan Mountain, and the tower on top of it. All of this happened just because of a dungeon, even though the dungeon raid was already over.

    ¡°That¡¯s how much fear has grown for dungeons. It is also shocking that blue dungeons can appear at the same time as this.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Hwang Seung-han paused, taking pictures for a while at the word of the senior reporter named Song Jin-young. Song Jin-young lit a cigarette and looked around the empty streets.

    ¡°But our country is in a better situation. Paris is still in a panic, so is Florida. At least, nobody died here,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to someone,¡± Song Jin-yeong took a long drag on his cigarette and exhaled, ¡°we have to get used to it. These dungeons will continue to appear in the future. I¡¯m glad people like Kim Su-hyeun are in Korea.¡±

    ¡°Wow. What caused you to say such positive stuff?¡±

    ¡°Why? Is it weird that I say something positive?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Were you not a fan of eschatology? Even now, I thought you would say, ¡®Told you. I knew it¡¯s going to happen,¡¯ or something like that.¡±

    ¡°What? Do you think I am a melancholiac?¡± Song Jin-young put the cigarette back in his mouth, frowning. ¡°Anyway. We better write hopeful and bright news articles, especially in these times. Isn¡¯t that our job?¡±

    ¡°Is there any good news?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is.¡± Song Jin-young grinned.

    Hwang Seung-han could sense that there would be some exclusive news from that grinning. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I snooped around and heard from a foreign reporter¡­¡± Song Jin-young dropped the cigarette on the ground and whispered to Hwang Seung-han¡¯s ear. ¡°Geneva is coming to Korea.¡±

    ¡°Really? Geneva?¡± Hwang Seung-han stared in wonder.

    Geneva is known as the world¡¯s best Ether stone blacksmith. He is considered one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He is famous for not traveling around the world. Therefore, it is big news that he would come to Korea. People said wearing Geneva¡¯s equipment from head to toe would even raise one¡¯s rank by a level.

    ¡°But why?¡± Hwang Seung-han asked.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you guess why? You are a reporter. Use your brain, man.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°I will give you a hint. Who is the most famous person in Korea right now? If you don¡¯t get it, you are really not qualified to be a reporter.¡±

    That was a definite hint.

    Hwang Seung-han answered the one name that popped into his head. ¡°Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    <hr />

    At Incheon International Airport, Hak-joon and Thomas, who returned to Korea by plane, were being hounded by the crowd. Thomas waved his hand with a bright face as the people welcomed him, but Hak-joon lowered his head in embarrassment.

    ¡°Oh, this is driving me crazy,¡± Hak-joon muttered.

    Hak-joon and Thomas had just returned after finishing the raid in Australia. The two joined the Australian raid team and were able to attack the dungeon successfully.

    ¡°How the hell did people know we were coming today?¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of people! Yay!¡±

    Hak-joon sighed, looking at Thomas, who jumped with a flushed face next to him. He found Su-hyeun, who was sitting far away.

    ¡°Thomas. Be careful not to fall.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Thomas looked at Hak-joon.

    Hak-joon suddenly grabbed Thomas by the nape.

    Swish¡ª

    Hak-joon and Thomas disappeared from the crowd. The reporters and onlookers who were taking pictures of the two or continued to cover them were puzzled. Hak-joon landed near a bench in the airport, set Thomas down on the floor, and walked toward Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You did a good job,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°I thought I was dying of frustration. How did everyone know we were coming here today? It wasn¡¯t even a scheduled flight. We used our private plane!¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not because of you.¡±

    Hak-joon looked puzzled at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s word, who was standing next to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of Geneva. He is supposed to arrive today as well.¡±

    ¡°Geneva?¡± Hak-joon eyes widened.

    Thomas, on the other hand, had no idea who Geneva was. ¡°Who is that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°He is the world¡¯s best Ether stone blacksmith.¡±

    Geneva Ricklas. Many reporters have caught wind of him visiting Korea. As expected, reporters came for coverage. Even famous foreign awakeners visited Korea to meet him. Su-hyeun also knew quite a lot about him. He heard lots of rumors, to say the least. His work is usually worth billions, and his expensive equipment is worth hundreds of billions of dollars. It is said even an S-Rank awakener would have a difficult time getting Geneva¡¯s stuff.

    ¡°Would you like to meet him?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked Su-hyeun as they covered their faces and headed out of the airport. Of course, he meant Geneva. ¡°If you want to meet him, you totally should.¡±

    ¡°No, I am okay.¡±

    ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you curious?¡±

    ¡°Meh. I am not curious at all. I know somebody way better than him.¡±

    ¡°You mean Mr. Dae-ho?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Su-hyeun answered without hesitation and looked back at Hak-joon. ¡°Now that you mention it, let¡¯s go to see him.¡±

    ¡°Me? Where?¡±

    ¡°To Yangpyeong. Mr. Dae-ho told me to bring you with me last time when I talked about you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Did you think I came here to pick you up because I don¡¯t have anything else to do?¡±

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s harsh.¡±

    When Hak-joon made a sad expression, Su-hyeun chuckled and went on, ¡°What¡¯s with the long face?¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s not a big fan of people, is he? You said he only liked hammering out there in the mountains.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I have no idea what changed his mind,¡± Su-hyeun said, shrugging. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go.¡±

    <hr />

    Two cars arrived at the foot of a small mountain located in Yangpyeong. The high-end sports cars did not quite fit the landscape. Su-hyeun, Hak-joon, Lee Ju-ho, and Thomas got out of the cars. The four climbed the mountain and arrived at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop. The workshop occupied quite a large area. Hak-joon and Thomas only heard the story from Su-hyeun before, and it was their first time to visit the place.

    ¡°Huh. Something is strange.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s muttering, Hak-joon, who was walking next to him, asked, ¡°Yes? What is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so quiet.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s quiet. We are deep in the mountain.¡±

    ¡°No, no. I mean hammering sounds. I can¡¯t hear any.¡±

    Su-hyeun hurried to the door and anxiously knocked.

    Knock, knock¡ª!

    ¡°Mr. Dae-ho! It¡¯s Su-hyeun. Mr. Dae-ho!¡±

    He called in a loud voice that his shouts even echoed. But there was no answer for quite a long time.

    ¡°Mr. Dae-ho!¡±

    ¡°God! You¡¯re so loud!¡±

    It was the voice of Kim Dae-ho. It came from inside the house, not from the workshop. It seemed like he was taking a nap.

    ¡°I was asleep! Your shouting woke me up!¡±

    Screech¡ª

    Kim Dae-ho trudged toward the door and opened it. Su-hyeun looked at the hunched Kim Dae-ho.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Were you sleeping?¡±

    ¡°Yes, man. Why did you come so early! I told you to come around the evening.¡±

    Su-hyeun smiled awkwardly at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s rebuke. He had no idea Kim Dae-ho would fall asleep during the day because he was usually very busy working at his workshop.

    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, would you like us to come back later?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ The guy behind you is very polite, unlike someone.¡± At Lee Ju-ho¡¯s question, Kim Dae-ho smiled widely and turned. ¡°Just come in. I am totally awake, thanks to this man.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Excuse us.¡±

    Su-hyeun and the others passed the gate and followed Kim Dae-ho. Kim Dae-ho walked in front of them and headed to his workshop. It was a hot day, and inside of the workshop was even hotter like a steamer.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Hak-joon and Thomas, who visited Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop for the first time, looked around with wide eyes. Lee Ju-ho had been there once before. He came to protect Kim Dae-ho from the awakeners of the Hahoetal Guild.

    ¡°Why are you so surprised? Those are my failures.¡±

    ¡°What? Those are failures?¡± Hak-joon asked, looking at the equipment piled on the floor.

    Even at a glance, they could tell those were pretty well-made weapons. Any blacksmith would have to take great care to make this kind of equipment. But he said those were his failures.

    ¡°It¡¯s a waste to throw them away, but it¡¯s embarrassing to hang them somewhere. So, I just piled them up here. The really good ones are downstairs.¡±

    ¡°Then, can you just give me one from here? No, no. Can you sell it to me? Please?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°Why? Do you need equipment?¡±

    ¡°I have a good sword, but the pieces of armor here look way better than mine.¡±

    ¡°Well, do whatever you want. You don¡¯t have to pay. Just pick anything.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But I will only give you one sword and one armor. If you pick one of each, that¡¯s it.¡±

    At Kim Dae-ho¡¯s firm word, Hak-joon, who seemed excited, stopped laughing. Anybody who had a brain could figure out. Kim Dae-ho invited them to his workshop and told them that he would give them presents although he said that all the equipment there was a failure.

    I can¡¯t pick another if I choose now.

    Hak-joon¡¯s heart was beating fast. He thought it would be an excellent chance to get new valuable equipment.

    ¡°I will think about it first,¡± said Hak-joon.

    ¡°Good. You are not a slow-witted one.¡± Kim Dae-ho laughed out loud and quickened his steps again.

    The basement of the workshop was a warehouse. Kim Dae-ho entered the darkroom and felt the wall for the light switch.

    Click¡ª

    The inside of the warehouse was revealed when the light turned on. Various types of equipment were hanging on the wall. There were long swords, spears, knives, gauntlets, iron plate mails, leather armor, and so on. But there were not many of them. Unlike upstairs, where there were stacks of equipment, there were only a few dozen pieces of equipment in the basement.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°So awesome.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho had not entered here last time, so he had felt nothing but surprise to see all the things in here.

    I can tell at a glance that they are all of the very high quality.

    Lee Ju-ho was a nonexpert about weapons, but even he could tell those were not ordinary equipment.

    Those things can compete with Geneva¡¯s work.

    He understood why Kim Dae-ho had said the ones upstairs were failures.

    What would happen if those items were released on the market? The market would be turned upside down, Lee Ju-ho thought.

    An outstanding awakener could save a city. However, hundreds and thousands of pieces of equipment made by outstanding blacksmiths could increase the power of many awakeners. That was why Geneva was treated a lot better than the S-Rank awakeners in this era.

    ¡°Let me see. The spear you asked for last time¡­¡± First, Kim Dae-ho took the spear for Su-hyeun from one wall. ¡°Here you are.¡±

 Chapter 202

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun caught the spear thrown by Kim Dae-ho with one hand. It wasn¡¯t too long. It looked good enough to throw with one hand. The handle part of the spear was made of alloy, so it was not that heavy. It looked like it was made of a mix of Ether stones and other metals to achieve both its lightweight and strength.

    The tip that is supposed to be the hardest and sharpest part of the spear was made of Ether stones and adamantium. At the end of the tip, some magical power was forming. It was swirling like a typhoon.

    ¡°I set the length about the middle. It shouldn¡¯t be too bad to hold and wield in case of an emergency,¡± Kim Dae-ho said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun wielded the spear in his hand. It was wielding smoothly. The weight was perfect, too.

    ¡°I made the tip heavier than the handle since you usually use it for throwing. So, use your sword for wielding. The spear is mostly for throwing.¡±

    ¡°What about collecting?¡±

    ¡°As you asked, I added some magical connection device at the end to allow you to collect it back easily. If you use your magic on it once, it will find its way back to you without difficulty.¡±

    ¡°Can I try?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Do it outside, man. You will make a mess in here.¡± Kim Dae-ho shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still working on the armor. Unlike the spear, that armor requires quite an effort. So, come back in a month.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will.¡±

    ¡°And this dude is the one, right? Choi Hak-joon?¡±

    ¡°Yes? Me?¡±

    ¡°What do you use as a weapon? Wait. You said sword, right. What do you wear then?¡±

    ¡°Leather armor, sir,¡± Hak-joon answered in confusion at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s question.

    Kim Dae-ho went on as he heard the answer, ¡°Leather armor? Then, you must like minimal protection for your body instead of something cumbersome that restricts your movement when you fight. Do you usually wield or stab?¡±

    ¡°About half and half. No. I think I wield more.¡±

    ¡°What kind of cut do you usually use? Undercuts, overcuts, or cross-cuts?¡±

    ¡°I think I usually do overcuts. They are the most powerful¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho thought for a moment, looking around the room. He looked at several swords and armor and took each one.

    ¡°Try this.¡±

    ¡°But this is a scale armor, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Hak-joon made a confused face, as he got a different armor from what he requested. Scale armor is made of layers of metal. It is a very common armor style, and compared to thick plate armor, it could be considered as an easy-to-move one. But to Hak-joon, who did not like to be restricted when he fought because of his armor, this was burdensome enough.

    ¡°Come on. Just try it on.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho frowned and shook the armor in his hand. Hak-joon took it with hesitation, but the moment he grabbed the armor, his expression changed.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Hak-joon was surprised and immediately started putting on the armor over the clothes that he was wearing. The armor fitted his body. It also clung to his body like leather armor.

    ¡°What the¡­? It¡¯s bending!¡± Lee Ju-ho, who was watching Hak-joon put on the armor, shouted in surprise.

    The scale armor, which apparently seemed to be made of iron, bent smoothly. It fitted Hak-joon¡¯s body as if the armor itself found its owner.

    ¡°How is it? Uncomfortable?¡± Kim Dae-ho asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s so comfortable. I feel like I am not wearing anything.¡±

    ¡°How is the weight?¡±

    ¡°It is heavy enough.¡±

    ¡°If you do a lot of cuts, the slightly heavy armor will be actually helpful. And as I heard, you mix stabbing as well. Then, it is certainly better to weigh more.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho found the most suitable armor for Hak-joon after he figured out his fighting styles and the armor he usually used. Hak-joon was surprised for the second time; he was surprised by the unexpectedly good armor and the fact that solid armor made of iron was as flexible as leather armor.

    ¡°Is it really made of metal? It feels more comfortable than leather ones.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I made it myself.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°It is probably much harder than some iron armor. Also, for this one, I focused on strength, flexibility, and magic resistance rather than weight.¡±

    ¡°I really love it. Oh¡­¡±

    Hak-joon could not close his mouth in wonder. He happily checked out the sword that Kim Dae-ho passed on to him next. Then, Kim Dae-ho recommended equipment to Lee Ju-ho and Thomas after Hak-joon. Su-hyeun looked at Kim Dae-ho awkwardly.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Kim Dae-ho asked Su-hyeun.

    ¡°No, nothing, sir.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head. ¡°I will go out first. I would like to try this spear.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go too far. Come back in 30 minutes.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Su-hyeun went outside of the workshop first. He could guess why Kim Dae-ho did such an act on this day. He was embarrassed at first, but he thought this would be not bad. On the contrary, it was something that he would like to welcome.

    I guess he had lots to think about.

    Su-hyeun headed to an empty park around the mountain ledge, about 10 minutes away from the workshop.

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun went to the park where all trees had been cut. It was a place where Su-hyeun often went when he visited Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop because no one came here, and it had a large space.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun wielded the spear casually. It was about half-times longer than his sword. He could get used to the length of the spear soon. However, since it was a spear, it was more specialized for stabbing than wielding.

    Although it will be much powerful when I use it for stabbing, welding it like a pole would not be bad.

    The stiffness of the spear itself was quite good. The tip of the spear was made of adamantium and Ether stone to increase strength. The handle part was made from a little bit of adamantium, Ether stone, and various metals. The center of gravity was concentrated at the tip of the spear, so when he wielded it, he could use it more powerfully. Kim Dae-ho designed all those details.

    I got how it feels like to wield.

    To be a skilled hand, he had to use it for practice anyway. For now, he was content with just taking a look at how powerful the spear was. Su-hyeun stopped wielding and injected a little bit of magic into the spear.

    Whirl¡ª

    The spear began to respond. Su-hyeun could feel some kind of connection between him and the spear. Eyes shining, he stepped forward.

    Thud¡ª

    He stood firmly and bent his body backward. The magic that was formed at the tip of the spear began to spin faster. It felt like the spear was whirring into life. Standing in a bent position, Su-hyeun suddenly jumped at the waist level and threw the spear at the same time.

    Boom¡ª!

    Swish¡ª!

    The spear flew straightforward.

    Crack, crack¡ª

    The spear pierced through the trees in the mountains and the rocky cliffs in the distance. At first glance, it seemed to be quite shabby compared to the Dragon Slaying Spear. However, Su-hyeun was convinced as he saw a hole in the tree.

    The power is not distributed.

    Like a spinning electric drill, the spear could pierce one point. And that was not all.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun gathered his magic in his hand. At that moment, a sound came from afar.

    Swish¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    With a loud sound, the spear returned to his hand. Su-hyeun grabbed the spear and knitted his brows. Because it flew back too fast, he was only able to hold the tip of the spear, not the handle part.

    I guess I have to practice on this, Su-hyeun thought.

    The spear was too fast, so it was hard to grab the handle part properly. It would be more challenging to catch during complex battles. But he was certainly satisfied with the fact he could collect the spear quickly. During a battle, life could be at stake in a second or less.

    The power or the retrieving range is pretty good, too.

    The spear had flown several kilometers. The range that Su-hyeun could collect the spear back was wider than he had expected. In this case, he thought, collecting the spear back during a real fight would be useful.

    I guess I can use my old spears for numerous enemies and use this one for bosses or middle bosses, or a single enemy at a distance.

    In Su-hyeun¡¯s head, he was already doing an imaginary rehearsal on how to use this new weapon. Like that, he threw and collected the spears a couple more times. Blood formed in his hand. Blood began to drip as the tip of the spear tore his hand a few more times. Su-hyeun worked on throwing more, and finally went back to the workshop.

    ¡°Su-hyeun! Look at this! Mr. Dae-ho¡­ Oh!¡± Hak-joon, who was in the backyard of the workshop, was surprised as he saw Su-hyeun. ¡°Su-hyeun! What¡¯s wrong? Is that blood?¡±

    ¡°I was scraped a little.¡±

    ¡°That looks more than a little.¡±

    At Hak-joon¡¯s rash action, Lee Ju-ho came as well. He also looked at the blood flowing from Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and asked in surprise, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I practiced throwing the new spear I got today, but it was a little difficult to collect back.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Step back, please.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho went farther as Su-hyeun said. Hak-joon did the same. Su-hyeun checked if they moved far enough. Then, he took one step forward, stood firmly, and threw the spear.

    Swish¡ª!

    The spear flew to the sky, becoming like a dot. As Lee Ju-ho and Hak-joon looked in surprise, Su-hyeun formed magic in his hand.

    Swish¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    The spear came back to Su-hyeun¡¯s hand again. This time, he grabbed slightly under the tip part, the end part of the handle.

    ¡°I grabbed the tip about one out of five times and missed the spear one out of ten.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°It hurts but not that bad.¡±

    ¡°You are so strong.¡±

    ¡°Where is Thomas?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Mr. Dae-ho is still setting Thomas¡¯s equipment. Since Thomas has never used armor or anything, you know. He is different from Hak-joon.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is why¡­¡± Su-hyeun nodded.

    Unlike Hak-joon, who had been using the right equipment for him, Thomas had never worn any other equipment. So, it seemed that Mr. Dae-ho spent more time to figure out what kind of equipment would suit Thomas better.

    While they waited, Su-hyeun roughly tore at his clothes and wrapped his bleeding hand. Fortunately, the bleeding stopped shortly thereafter.

    ¡°Oh my. He is a really picky one. Tut.¡± Kim Dae-ho grumbled.

    He opened the door of the workshop and walked out with Thomas. Thomas was smiling, holding a piece of equipment in each hand.

    ¡°Oh, are you back? What happened to your hand?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you guess?¡±

    Su-hyeun shook the spear that he was holding. Kim Dae-ho blinked his eyes a couple of times and nodded as if he understood what had happened.

    ¡°Oh, I understand. Yeah. That can happen. What should I do? Do you want me to take a look at it again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Well, if you don¡¯t want me to, never mind. Besides,¡± Kim Dae-ho hesitated a little and pointed to the house with his chin, ¡°We have to talk.¡±

    Su-hyeun thought the time had come. Su-hyeun followed Kim Dae-ho into the master bedroom. Lee Ju-ho and the other two went into another room.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Su-hyeun asked as soon as he went into the room and sat on the chair.

    Kim Dae-ho, who was looking for the cups for tea, hesitated and answered, ¡°Hey, Su-hyeun. Let me ask you one thing.¡± Kim Dae-ho sat opposite Su-hyeun, not bringing tea as usual. ¡°How is Seoul?¡±

 Chapter 203

    ¡°What about Seoul?¡± Su-hyeun asked Kim Dae-ho. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Just cause. Just answer me.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho pressed for an answer and Su-hyeun hesitated a little bit. It was a different question than his past life. He didn¡¯t expect Kim Dae-ho to ask about Seoul.

    ¡°Well¡­Seoul is a great place to live,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°In what way?¡±

    ¡°Lots of people, lots of convenience facilities. The transportation system is well established, so it¡¯s easy to get places. Families with kids prefer Seoul because of its better education system. Most of all, again, there are a lot of people.¡±

    ¡°Lots of people? Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re all meaningless to you. You hate crowds. The only convenient facility you need is a supermarket. Also, you don¡¯t usually move around a lot, so you don¡¯t need good transportation.¡±

    ¡°Yea, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°One good thing is, you could easily get all the materials you need for your workshop. Since Seoul is the most active place for trading and auctioning items and Ether stones in Korea.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yea?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho¡¯s face brightened a little bit. He liked that, at least.

    Su-hyeun asked quietly, ¡°Are you thinking about coming to Seoul?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m thinking about it.¡±

    ¡°Why? Is it uncomfortable to live here?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Kim Dae-ho shook his head. ¡°This is the best place for me.¡±

    ¡°Is there a particular reason you insist on this place?¡±

    Su-hyeun already knew the reason, but he asked anyway. He knew Kim Dae-ho would tell his next story after he finished talking about the reason he lived there.

    ¡°I¡¯m too old to hold onto things. It¡¯s all because of memories.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho got up from his seat. He walked toward a drawer on one side of the room. He opened the third one from the top and took out a picture frame.

    ¡°I was a man who only liked fire and metals. I didn¡¯t deserve her.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho looked at the two people in the picture. They were a young Kim Dae-ho, looking uncomfortable, and a younger woman riding on his back.

    ¡°But she told me I looked awesome when I worked with a hammer. I told her I like living in the middle of nowhere, like here, and she said then she liked it here, too.¡±

    ¡°Did you have a family?¡±

    ¡°No. We weren¡¯t together long, anyway. We lived together for about three years. At that time, I was even crazier about working. My wife didn¡¯t get a baby and passed away.¡± Kim Dae-ho wiped the dirt off the picture frame with his sleeve. ¡°And this is the only picture I have: just this one black and white photo. I regret not taking more pictures with her. And I even didn¡¯t look at this picture often.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the use? It won¡¯t bring her back. Thinking back to that time still makes me¡­I¡¯m not sure how to feel.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho rubbed the glass part of the frame. No tears came out. Everything had happened too long ago to shed tears again now. That was fortunate at least, Kim Dae-ho thought.

    ¡°So, I couldn¡¯t leave here. I never went to Seoul. Everyone goes to Seoul. I turned my back on the world and lived only for her. It¡¯s been 20 years since she passed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a romantic.¡±

    ¡°Romantic? No. It¡¯s just a lingering affection and stubbornness.¡±

    ¡°Are you better now?¡±

    ¡°You know the saying, ¡®Time heals all wounds.¡¯ I don¡¯t know who said that, but I think whoever it was was an idiot. I thought time would help me, too. But longing was like drops of water. The water kept pouring in but not evaporating. So, I just had to work harder, like a crazy person.¡±

    ¡°Then, why now?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m ashamed.¡± Kim Dae-ho put the picture back in the drawer and looked at Su-hyeun. ¡°When I look at you, I feel ashamed, and I can¡¯t stand it.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yea. Although I live in the middle of these mountains, I still have ears, man. Whenever I turn the TV on, people talk about you all the time. When I see you, I feel ashamed and embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be ashamed. It is your life, and you live like this because you want to. It¡¯s not like you committed a crime or anything.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I feel ashamed because of you, man,¡± Kim Dae-ho retorted and looked back at the drawer. Soon, he sat back opposite Su-hyeun, looking calmer.

    ¡°Anyway, I grumbled at my sad plight for twenty years, and I thought it was time to stop. That way, I will be less ashamed.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying¡ª¡±

    ¡°I want to live like you. I¡¯ll no longer turn my back on the world. I¡¯ll stand tall. And I¡¯ll stop hiding my children behind my back and show them to the world.¡±

    ¡°Have you made up your mind, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    At Kim Dae-ho¡¯s answer, Su-hyeun got up from his seat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find you a house then. Just pack your stuff. I¡¯ll find a nicer workshop than here, too.¡±

    ¡°Hey. I have money, too. Why do you treat me like a beggar?¡±

    ¡°Houses in Seoul aren¡¯t cheap. And I have been getting equipment from you for so long, the least I can do is pay you back in this way.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? You gave me more stuff. Thanks to you, I enjoyed all the best materials and even made my dream hammer.¡±

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s better. I¡¯m happy for you, and you are happy for me. Win-win, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho laughed a little bit at Su-hyeun¡¯s easy words.

    ¡°Wow. Did you put honey on your mouth?¡±

    ¡°Then, you agree with me, right?¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Kim Dae-ho slammed the table in front of him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Seoul!¡±

    Act 3

    Su-hyeun went back to Seoul immediately. At first, he went to Gangnam District. Gangnam was the area where the most Ether stone auction houses were. Also, it had the highest floating population in Korea. So, Su-hyeun thought it would be good to find a house in Gangnam for Kim Dae-ho to get materials for his workshop.

    <<But he doesn¡¯t like crowds¡­>>

    Su-hyeun headed to a real estate office near Yeokgok Station. He wore a mask to hide his face and went into the realty building. The realtor was already talking with a customer.

    ¡°Hello, sir. Could you wait for a minute, please?¡±

    The realtor, with a big smile, pointed to an empty chair for Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun nodded, looking at the properties that hung on the wall. He checked the size, location, and year of completion. There were many pretty good houses.

    <<If he goes to a smaller house than he has now, he¡¯d feel cramped¡­ I should get a house as big as possible. He also wouldn¡¯t like high floors. Not a noisy place¡­>>

    Su-hyeun Kim Dae-ho¡¯s tastes well. Su-hyeun wrote down a checklist on a notepad he brought. Soon, the realtor sent off the customer and came to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Sorry to make you wait.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s response, the realtor hesitated a little bit. He made a curious face but soon smiled again.

    The realtor asked, ¡°Do you have a house you¡¯ve thought about or a sale you¡¯ve been looking for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a large single-family house. It would be good if there¡¯s a yard, also somewhere with convenient transportation.¡±

    ¡°A single-family house?¡±

    The realtor opened his eyes big with a surprise at the unexpected request. He thought Su-hyeun would look for a studio or small apartment. He thought for a moment and got up.

    ¡°Please, hang on.¡±

    After searching for properties on a laptop for a while, he brought the laptop over to Su-hyeun.

    He said, ¡°There aren¡¯t many single-family homes in Gangnam. Few houses for sale in this Nonhyeon-dong area.¡±

    ¡°Please show me the biggest one.¡±

    ¡°This one, then. It¡¯s a single-family house that used to be a restaurant. The yard is wide, and the location is good, too. Very quiet.¡±

    Click¡ª

    He showed a picture of the large house. It seemed pretty large at a glance.

    ¡°It was a bad place for the restaurant because there isn¡¯t a large floating population. But there is a subway station within walking distance. There¡¯s a highway close, too, so it¡¯s not a bad place to reach by car as well.¡±

    ¡°How much is it?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°It is 7.5 billion. It¡¯s quite expensive since the yard is large¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this one if it¡¯s the biggest. The location seems good. Also, do you know any property for sale used as a workshop? If there is one, I would like to buy it as it is.¡±

    Su-hyeun was planning to spend some of the money that he had earned on this occasion.

    <<I still have quite a lot of money left after I paid back Mr. Gordon.>>

    Anyway, money didn¡¯t mean much to Su-hyeun. To him, it didn¡¯t matter if he had money or not. Also, there was still a lot of chances to make money if he needed it.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t deal with workshops, but I can ask around for you.¡±

    ¡°Then, please.¡±

    ¡°Okay. For the house, I¡¯ll call the owner right now. How much can you put down for the mortgage?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t use a mortgage.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sir. Then, give me a minute, please.¡±

    The realtor rushed away to make the call. Immediately, he called the landlord and began to prepare the sale. Su-hyeun sat down for a moment and waited for the realtor. About that time, he could feel a vibration in his pocket.

    Bvvvrrrr, bvvrrrr¡ª

    ¡°Oh, one sec.¡±

    Su-hyeun quickly checked his phone. There was a message.

    <<Bak Yun-gyu?>>

    It was a sudden contact. He checked the message and frowned slightly.

    He muttered in a small voice, ¡°Geneva?¡±

    ***

    In the middle of Gangnam Street. Among a crowd of people, there was a crude-looking, middle-aged man in old, worn-out clothes. It was Kim Dae-ho. He arrived at Gangnam Street with Lee Ju-ho. He had a picture in his hand.

    ¡°Honey. How is the air in Seoul?¡±

    He talked to the picture for the first time. Of course, there was no answer, but Kim Dae-ho went on muttering, ¡°I don¡¯t like it so much. It¡¯s stuffy and not fresh. I hate crowded places, but I¡¯m sure you will like it here.¡±

    Although he said he didn¡¯t like it, a smile hung on his face.

    ¡°People say this is the best neighborhood in Seoul. You know the old saying, ¡®Follow a friend to Gangnam.¡¯ I have no idea why people would follow a friend to this noisy town, but apparently, it was a thing. So, how is it? Are you satisfied? Do you want to look around more?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho spoke with a loud voice while looking at the picture, but soon his voice became thick with emotion.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Sorry to be late. You asked me to go to Seoul with you, once, just once. I am late by twenty years.¡±

    Twenty years. It was a long time. Lee Ju-ho, who came with Kim Dae-ho, stepped aside at his muttering. He thought he should give Kim Dae-ho a moment alone.

    ¡°I did it because I was scared. If I came here, I would think about you, and that would tear my heart apart. So, I¡¯ve been hiding all the time. But¡­¡± Kim Dae-ho hung down his arms with the picture. ¡°But I won¡¯t hide anymore.¡±

    He looked around at Seoul. Everyone was rushing around. Kim Dae-ho went on, as he looking at them, ¡°Everyone here lives busily. People young enough to be my grandchildren live busier and fiercer than me. The man I got to know recently keep reminding me of that.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho thought about Su-hyeun. He thought about when he saw him on the TV and what Su-hyeun had been doing. He lived really busy and fiercely, and that made Kim Dae-ho feel ashamed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey.¡±

    And Su-hyeun lit up the fire in Kim Dae-ho¡¯s heart that had been dead for so long.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go now. Good-bye.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho had a smile playing about his lips. He had expected Seoul would make him sad, but now he felt glad.

 Chapter 204

    <hr />

    In a small cafe in front of the Awakeners Authority, Bak Yun-gyu was waiting for Su-hyeun, who just arrived.

    ¡°Oh, Hello. Mr. Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Please, sit down. Don¡¯t get up for me. That¡¯s too much.¡±

    Su-hyeun stopped Bak Yun-gyu, who was about to stand up and salute. He stopped in the middle of standing but didn¡¯t sit back down until Su-hyeun sat down.

    <<He¡¯s still a real soldier after all.>>

    Su-hyeun knew Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s personality. So, he sighed a little and hurriedly sat in the chair. The cafe was filled with a soft coffee smell and gentle music. It was a place where Su-hyeun came whenever he visited the Authority.

    ¡°You really like these kinds of places,¡± Bak Yun-gyu said.

    ¡°Yea? Do you think it doesn¡¯t suit me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a saying that a hero likes to drink, and I thought you would, too.¡±

    Su-hyeun smiled at Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s words. Soon, the waitress brought coffee for him. He breathed the scent of coffee.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like alcohol much. I didn¡¯t drink it well before I became an awakener.¡±

    Su-hyeun lifted his coffee cup. He liked coffee, but he couldn¡¯t enjoy it often. So, whenever he had to meet someone, he insisted on meeting in a cafe. He wanted to drink a cup of coffee, at least during the meeting.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°My face turned red after just one drink. Well. After I became an awakener, no matter how many times I drink, it just tastes like bitter water.¡±

    ¡°It seems like everyone feels different about the taste of alcohol. Some drink because of the mood, some drink for the flavor, some drink to be drunk.¡±

    ¡°Well, coffee is the same. Some people don¡¯t like it because of the bitter flavor. But I like it, though.¡±

    ¡°I like something sweet like this smoothie, though I¡¯ve been glugging it,¡± Bak Yun-gyu said, shaking a plastic cup that was almost empty.

    Su-hyeun took a sip of coffee and moved on to the main subject. ¡°So, Geneva wanted to see me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s probably on his way by now.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s late.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably never waited for anyone before. You know about Geneva¡¯s position these days,¡± Bak Yun-gyu said.

    Su-hyeun put his cup down on the table and asked, ¡°Do you think my position is different?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu read Su-hyeun¡¯s face, not saying anything. He had been dealing with people for a long time and had good sense, too. So, he could tell Su-hyeun¡¯s feelings were a little hurt.

    <<No wonder.>>

    Geneva was the one who wanted to see him, but now he was late. He was treating Su-hyeun like a subordinate or something. Moreover, Su-hyeun¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong. In a comparison of value between Su-hyeun and Geneva, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t at all below Geneva. Perhaps, in terms of value, Su-hyeun would be far above.

    <<There¡¯s no way Geneva doesn¡¯t know that.>>

    Bak Yun-gyu, who was only here as an intermediary, became agonized. They talked about this and that for about 30 minutes, and finally, someone entered the cafe. There were two western men: a middle-aged man who seemed to be in his late forties, and a young, tall, muscular man.

    ¡°I¡¯m late. A sudden appointment with the director came up.¡±

    The middle-aged man was American with a hooked nose, thick brows, sharp, point eyes. He had a wide body and thick forearms. He was Geneva.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Su-hyeun. I heard you are fluent in English. Would you mind if I just speak English, then?¡±

    ¡°You are quite late,¡± Su-hyeun said Geneva, looking at him as he sat down.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words were sharp, with no greeting for Geneva. Geneva burst into laughter without a hint of embarrassment, as if he knew it was going to happen.

    ¡°Ha-ha. I¡¯m so sorry. As I said before, the appointment with the director was booked all of a¡ª¡±

    ¡°And I was pushed back. And you were apparently too busy to call.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Geneva still stayed calm. He sat across from Su-hyeun, whom Park Yoon-gyu gave way, without losing his smile at his mouth.

    ¡°Oh, I guess I¡¯ve upset you. That¡¯s why I prepared this.¡±

    Geneva made an eye gesture and the attendant who followed him brought out a long wooden box and handed it to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°This is a sword I made. I don¡¯t know if you ever heard of it, but it¡¯s one of my top hundred masterpieces. So, please take it. I hope it can soothe your pride.¡±

    ¡°Geneva¡¯s top hundred masterpieces?¡± Bak Yun-gyu, who was listening to their conversation next to them, opened his eyes wide.

    They were the best items that Geneva had ever made and were known for being very rare and priceless items.

    ¡°I made this sword recently. It¡¯s been a while since I made a rarity like this. Oh, don¡¯t feel too sorry to accept it. I¡¯m just giving it to you as an apology, and I don¡¯t have any other meaning. Ha-ha.¡±

    Geneva laughed broadly and pushed the sword to Su-hyeun once more. Su-hyeun looked at the sword in the box.

    << Does he think I¡¯ll just overlook what he did if he gives me a gift?>>

    Su-hyeun understood somewhat the reason why Geneva had been late. It probably was true that he had a sudden urgent meeting in the middle. Su-hyeun had no idea how important the meeting was, to delay the meeting with himself, but he could guess Geneva had hidden intentions.

    Geneva had been late without any notice and gave a present to Su-hyeun. Many people, including Park Yoon-gyu, knew how valuable Geneva¡¯s top hundred masterpieces were.

    And, if Su-hyeun used Geneva¡¯s item, it would cause another sensation. A sword used by the world¡¯s best awakener. Geneva was both a blacksmith and a businessman. He hadn¡¯t come to flatter Su-hyeun and sing his praises. If he had, he wouldn¡¯t have made Su-hyeun wait like this.

    <<The world¡¯s best awakener uses Geneva¡¯s equipment. That would be the greatest and the most definite promotion,>> Bak Yun-gyu thought.

    He had heard about Geneva¡¯s reputation as a sly fox, and he looked like one. Now that he had actually met him in person and saw how he used his brain, Bak Yun-gyu could tell why people had talked about him like that. He shook his head. If Geneva insisted like that, there was nothing he could say.

    ¡°An apology¡­,¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    But Su-hyeun didn¡¯t seem to feel better about it. Su-hyeun just stared at the wooden box that held the sword. At his behavior, Geneva¡¯s smile began to shrink. It looked like he hadn¡¯t expected such a reaction.

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Geneva asked.

    ¡°Well. I just don¡¯t want to accept an apology that didn¡¯t come from your heart. Also, I don¡¯t need this thing.¡±Unlike Geneva, Su-hyeun smiled broadly. ¡°I just need your sincere apology. Just take it back, please.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Geneva¡¯s smile disappeared entirely. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Su-hyeun raised his coffee cup again. ¡°Although you don¡¯t look that sincere.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well. I am sorry about that. I thought you would really love it.¡±

    ¡°I already have an excellent sword. I don¡¯t need a new one,¡± Su-hyeun said, tapping the sword that he had put on his knees. It was Kim Dae-ho¡¯s work, named Balmung.

    Geneva changed his facial expression. He realized the sword of the world¡¯s best awakener would be different from others somehow.

    ¡°May I see your sword?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Su-hyeun held out Balmung with the scabbard. Geneva drew the sword.

    Schwing¡ª

    The sword came out with a clear sound. Geneva looked at the sword and admired it. ¡°It¡¯s really a good sword.¡±

    ¡°You can tell just by looking at it?¡±

    ¡°It looks like it has middle or higher than middle-grade Ether stones in it. I can sense a slight flow of magic. I guess it has some sort of magical device.¡±

    The flow of magic meant Blamung¡¯s principal cutting force. Surely, he was the world¡¯s most famous blacksmith. He quickly recognized Balmung¡¯s value. Of course, not all of his answers were correct.

    <<I guess he doesn¡¯t know it has highest-grade Ether stones and adamantium.>>

    Those two were Balmung¡¯s core metals. Of course, it was almost impossible to see it at a glance and guess that. It would be the same for Kim Dae-ho, not just Geneva.

    <<Well. He guessed pretty well.>> Su-hyeun acknowledged Geneva¡¯s ability. But that was about it. <<Unless he brought the best of the best of his hundred masterpieces collection.>>

    He had obviously made many great masterpieces. Su-hyeun could admit that. Geneva¡¯s best masterpiece, the Armor of Hades, was considered to be the strongest armor in the world right now. But swords were a different story. There was no reason to even look at it. Moreover, the sword he brought was for a purpose.

    ¡°Are you doing all this because of this shabby sword? I mean, it¡¯s certainly a good one. I guess you found this in the tower¡ª¡±

    Not surprisingly, Geneva, who didn¡¯t notice the real value of Balmung, still hadn¡¯t given up his pride in his sword. What Geneva was saying just went in one of Su-hyeun¡¯s ears and out the other. As Geneva kept talking, Su-hyeun became a little annoyed, although he was in the position to accept the gift.

    <<God. I already said I wouldn¡¯t accept it.>>

    Su-hyeun knew this gift wasn¡¯t because Geneva felt sorry or anything. So, he didn¡¯t want to accept the present. Moreover, if he received this gift right at the moment, Geneva would surely spread it through the media. And then, Kim Dae-ho would know about it as well.

    <<He tends to hold grudges. If he finds out that I accepted a sword from another blacksmith¡­ He¡¯d sulk for days.>>

    Su-hyeun thought that far and sighed slightly. Geneva was still talking. Su-hyeun raised his hand to stop him.

    ¡°Anyway, just tell me why you wanted to see me. Since you showed up pretty late, I don¡¯t have much time left for another appointment.¡±

    ¡°Do you have another appointment right after this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have to leave soon.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t intend to talk long with Geneva in the first place. Geneva was upset about that and tried to argue, but had nothing to say. He was the one who was a half-hour late, and it was true that time ran out because of that.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you give us a minute?¡± Geneva asked Bak Yun-gyu.

    Bak Yun-gyu read the situation and got up. Anyway, his role was only to connect the two people. And since the two had met, and they would talk about some secret things, there was no reason for Bak Yun-gyu to stay.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡± Bak Yun-gyu bowed his head slightly to Su-hyeun and left the cafe.

    Now, there was only Geneva, his attendant, and Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun waited for Geneva to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you straight away, you don¡¯t seem to like to mince words, and you don¡¯t have time.¡±

    It was the first thing Geneva had said all day that Su-hyeun liked to hear.

    When Su-hyeun nodded, Geneva put his hands on the table and said, ¡°Would you like to do business with me?¡±

 Chapter 205

    It was about what Su-hyeun had expected. He asked in a calm voice, ¡°What kind of business?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s question, Geneva smiled back, as if he liked that reaction. He seemed like he had already forgotten the business about his sword. Geneva, instead, thought Su-hyeun¡¯s calm reaction was more trustworthy.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Geneva said. ¡°Could you be a model for my work?¡±

    ¡°Are you asking me to use your equipment?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll be your sponsor, and you¡¯ll work as a brand model,¡± he said as he looked at the wooden box and the sword that he had brought. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to tell you myself, but there are tons of awakeners who want to use my work. My ordinary swords cost millions of dollars, and well-made equipment costs tens of millions of dollars.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Good? It¡¯s more than good. Some items, the ones I did my best on, have been traded for hundreds of millions of dollars, even billions of dollars. Is this just a good thing?¡± Geneva asked, and Su-hyeun shook his head.

    Admittedly, it could be considered more than just good. Geneva was an individual, not a corporation. His work wasn¡¯t manufactured en mass in a factory but made just from his hands. He was an unreplaceable workforce. But still, he made a lot more money than most companies. That was why Geneva could become a global billionaire.

    ¡°But recently, the upward movement in my items¡¯ price had been greatly reduced. In the past half-year, the prices have been dropping little by little, rather than rising.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯ve made enough. There¡¯s more supply than demand.¡±

    ¡°That is right. So, some experts told me to get a nice advertisement model. Someone like Gordon or yourself.¡±

    Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s name had become so famous in the past couple of years. Everyone knew about him. People in the cities who were saved by Su-hyeun already called him a hero. Geneva needed that title, the world¡¯s best awakener.

    ¡°The sword and armor used by the world¡¯s best awakener. The best equipment for the best hero. That will keep my items being sold at a premium.¡±

    ¡°Sure, that would work,¡± Su-hyeun said, still indifferent.

    But Geneva didn¡¯t care about Su-hyeun¡¯s attitude. He thought he would change his tune soon.

    Geneva went on, ¡°I promise you to give my best items and 0.5 percent of sales for the cost of promoting my items.¡±

    If Bak Yun-gyu were here, his jaw would have dropped in shock. Geneva was offering his best items free of charge and 0.5 percent of the sales. Since Geneva earned about a trillion dollars a year, it was certainly an exceptional offer. But¡­

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything more to say, I will leave now. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    When Su-hyeun tried to get up from his seat, Geneva was surprised and got up as well.

    ¡°Fine. I will give you 0.6 percent. No, 0.7. I can¡¯t offer any higher than that¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about money.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head.

    Geneva looked at Su-hyeun¡¯s face, and he knew. Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t refusing his offer to increase the price.

    ¡°Then what the hell is it about?¡±

    ¡°Can I tell you honestly? It might hurt your feelings.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Just tell me.¡±

    ¡°First. I don¡¯t want to board a sinking ship.¡±

    Geneva frowned at the word, ¡°sinking ship.¡± He became curious, rather than feeling bad. He thought Su-hyeun was talking absurdly.

    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m going to sink soon?¡± Geneva asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what the hell you¡¯re talking about. Are you saying that dungeons or awakeners will disappear in a day?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear my second reason.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Geneva. You are too confident. You are very sure that there will never be anyone better than you, just like the frog in the well,¡± Su-hyeun said and sat back down on his chair. It seemed like the conversation would continue. He went on, ¡°Do you know Gordon Rohan?¡±

    Geneva nodded. ¡°Of course, I know him.¡±

    ¡°The world¡¯s best awakener and the best businessman. The symbol of great success and a billionaire because of the Ether stone business. People have been praising him for years.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gordon always dreamed of becoming the best, and he has been trying to be the best. To prove he was the best and to meet stronger people than him, he even held the Ranking Wars.¡±

    It was a famous story. The world¡¯s best awakener, Gordon, had held the Ranking Wars to find an awakener stronger than himself. And he had met Su-hyeun there.

    ¡°He was afraid that he was trapped in a well. He thought he might be the best only in that well, so he held the Ranking Wars to see the world outside of the well.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me this now?¡± Geneva¡¯s tone became aggressive.

    Su-hyeun shook his head and got up from his seat again. ¡°Well, if you can¡¯t grasp what I¡¯m trying to say, I guess there¡¯s nothing more I can tell you. I will go now.¡±

    Gnashing¡ª

    When Su-hyeun was about to leave the cafe, he heard the sound of grinding teeth. If Geneva didn¡¯t feel diffident toward Su-hyeun, he would have smashed the table already. He was very upset, and it seemed like he was barely holding it together at the moment.

    <<He¡¯s very different from Mr. Gordon,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    Gordon and Geneva had a lot in common. Both were at the top of their fields. They pursued a higher place and couldn¡¯t bear to settle for second best. But the difference between the two was obvious.

    Gordon didn¡¯t care about people judging him. He wanted to consider himself the best, not be considered as such by others. Also, he wanted to see the bigger world to prove himself. But Geneva was different. He thought he was already the best in the world. And he was sure that no one would ever be better than himself.

    <<It wasn¡¯t a bad offer, but¡­>> Su-hyeun had no choice but to turn down Geneva¡¯s offer. <<I already have Mr. Dae-ho.>>

    Act 4

    Contracts, estate closings, and move-in were completed with a great speed. Su-hyeun paid a premium and bought the workshop through the realtor. It was a spacious workshop located not far from the house in Nonhyeon-dong.

    Sizzle, whoosh¡ª

    Clang, clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun heard a familiar hammering sound. He knocked on the door of the workshop. Soon, Hak-joon and Thomas came to meet Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Hey, you came?¡±

    ¡°Yay! Su-hyeun is here!¡±

    It looked like they had arrived with Kim Dae-ho. Kim Dae-ho had promised to make equipment for both of them. That was why they were here.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Dae-ho?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s super focusing now. He¡¯s not moving at all.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yea?¡±

    Su-hyeun went into the house and went down the stairs right next to the door. Suddenly, the hammering sound stopped, and the loud voice of Kim Dae-ho came drifting up the stairs.

    ¡°Hey, come down. What are you doing there?¡±

    His voice sounded quite bright. Su-hyeun thought that was he glad and quickened his pace. In the workshop filled with hot air, Kim Dae-ho was sitting on a small chair.

    ¡°Welcome to my workshop.¡±

    ¡°You seem happier than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s your workshop? Do you like it?¡± Su-hyeun asked, looking around Kim Dae-ho¡¯s new workshop.

    It was pretty similar to his old workshop. The difference between the two was this place was cleaner than the old one in Yangpyeong. Of course, it was a bit smaller, but Kim Dae-ho didn¡¯t seem to care about that.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I can control the heat inside well. The light comes in well, too, though the warehouse is a bit small.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t plan to store your equipment much anymore, do you?¡±

    ¡°Yea, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho wiped the sweat running from his forehead with a towel. He stretched his bent back and guided Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Follow me. It¡¯s hot in here. Let¡¯s get a cold drink and talk.¡±

    ¡°I saw a cafe nearby.¡±

    ¡°Cafe? What for? Just follow me, man.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho took Su-hyeun, Hak-joon, and Thomas to the chair that he had put in the yard. He poured frozen coffee into paper cups and handed it out to them.

    ¡°Sweet coffee is the best, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kim Dae-ho asked, gulping the iced coffee at once. He emptied the cup quickly since he was so hot. ¡°God. It¡¯s so good.¡±

    ¡°You have a lot of things to sell, right?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Sure do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the things to the appraiser and get them guaranteed, but it¡¯ll probably be hard to get a reasonable price from the start.¡±

    In general, there were two channels where equipment used by awakeners was sold. The first was trading through auction houses. The second was through brokerage firms. The difference between the two was whether the price of the equipment was fixed or not.

    But there was also something in common. It was a matter of reliability. They confirmed who made the item, and if it was a guaranteed item, they also checked who guaranteed it.

    ¡°I asked the best appraiser in the business to check out. But still, you won¡¯t get paid as much as Geneva or other famous blacksmiths yet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem for me. I just want my babies to find the right owners.¡±

    ¡°It is important.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head. ¡°The price in the marketplace is the same as the value of the product. If your item is traded for a bargain, people will think it¡¯s only worth that much.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying my babies will be ignored?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t want that, do you?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not.¡±

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want a price bubble.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather go back to the mountain than do dirty business,¡± Kim Dae-ho said firmly.

    ¡°I know you would.¡±

    Su-hyeun grinned at his answer. He really liked Kim Dae-ho.

    <<If his work begins to sell in the market, that will increase the power of awakeners in general,>> he thought.

    All of Kim Dae-ho¡¯s equipment was of excellent quality. The stuff that he treated as failures were still very rare items that would be called a masterpiece in the market. Weak awakeners, C or D-Rank, would raid dungeons much easier if they used Kim Dae-ho¡¯s equipment to do it. And that would lead to an increase in the power of the awakeners as a whole.

    <<For that, his name has to become a famous brand.>>

    Su-hyeun had already planned everything.

    ¡°The equipment you picked will probably be sold through an auction house for the first time.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho had decided to put out his work out in the world. Of course, they would be the amazing equipment that he didn¡¯t think of as failures.

    ¡°Let¡¯s surprise the world.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s comment, Kim Dae-ho, who rarely laughed, smiled big and answered, ¡°Cool.¡±

 Chapter 206

    <hr />

    Ten days went by quickly. In a luxury hotel located in Gangnam District¡­

    Geneva wearing his neat white suit, asked his assistant, ¡°How did it go?¡±

    He was talking about the auction that had taken place the day before. Geneva looked at his image in a mirror, adjusting his clothes. He seemed very confident and comfortable because he asked for an obvious answer. He never thought that the outcome of the auction would be different than what he expected. But¡­

    ¡°Actually¡­ The results weren¡¯t as good as expected.¡±

    Geneva made a wry face at the assistant¡¯s answer. ¡°What do you mean, the results weren¡¯t as good?¡±

    ¡°The winning bids were about 30 percent less than projected.¡±

    ¡°What? 30 percent? Compared to the minimum expectations?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And¡­ the Ripper Guild has also asked to break a contract.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Geneva¡¯s face turned unsightly.

    He couldn¡¯t believe he earned a ridiculously small amount of money from what he had submitted to the biggest auction house in Korea. Also, his assistant told him that the contract with the Ripper Guild, an agreement for long-term equipment supply, was canceled.

    ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t they have to pay steep penalties?¡±

    ¡°It looks like the guild master said she would abide by the consequences.¡±

    ¡°The guild master of Ripper Guild? Must be Park Ji-yeon.¡±

    Park Ji-yeon was eclipsed by Kim Su-hyeun and the Paragon Guild, but she was still an outstanding S-Rank awakener. She was known as a genius who had set the record in the S-rank examination at the time. The Ripper Guild that she was also famous for having the largest number of awakeners in Korea, except for the Authority and the Korean Awakeners Association.

    ¡°What was the reason?¡± Geneva asked.

    ¡°Because of the other equipment sold at the auction house yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Were there a lot of cheap and good equipment at this time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­all the equipment was made by one man.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°All the works under the name of Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop had a starting price of 0 won. Also, there was a confirmation letter from the famous appraiser of the Gordon Company, January Nicole.¡±

    ¡°The starting price was 0 won?¡± Geneva asked back in surprise.

    A starting price of zero wasn¡¯t unheard of. But it had never happened before that all the equipment provided by a craftsman was priced at zero.

    ¡°But still! How did my works¡¯ prices fell because of that reason?¡±

    ¡°People said they all were of excellent quality. Even January Nicole praised them highly.¡±

    ¡°What? That picky woman?¡±

    January Nicole. She was an item appraiser from America who criticized equipment harshly. She didn¡¯t even hesitate to criticize Geneva¡¯s equipment. As an appraiser, she was well-known among awakeners. There was no doubt about her judgments. So, if she complimented the items that had appeared last night, it meant those items were really well-made.

    ¡°The items from that workshop were sold before us. So, fewer people participated in the bidding for our equipment. And, most of them were your buff¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright. Stop. I heard you.¡± Geneva shook his hand, stopping the assistant.

    He put on a suit jacket and glared at his reflection in the mirror.

    ¡°So, one rotten apple spoiled the barrel, huh?¡±

    <hr />

    Kim Dae-ho called Su-hyeun when he received the payment from the auction house.

    -Is this real?

    ¡°What is?¡±

    -I think they sent me the wrong amount of money by accident. There are too many zeros.

    ¡°What you got is right amount.¡±

    -No, no. I got a lot less than this last time. It¡¯s weird. Don¡¯t you trust me?

    ¡°I was about to come over to your house. Let¡¯s talk about it later.¡±

    Su-hyeun, who was about to leave for Kim Dae-ho¡¯s house, hung up the phone and changed his clothes. Now, he didn¡¯t have to go far to Yangpyeong. With his car, he arrived at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s house very quickly.

    ¡°Hey, Su-hyeun.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho was in his house, not the workshop. He led Su-hyeun straight to the living room. The furniture hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so it was very spacious and empty. There were only two folding chairs and one table.

    Kim Dae-ho forgot to offer something to drink in his haste to ask, ¡°So, are you saying this is the right amount?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Su-hyeun nodded as he saw the amount printed in Kim Dae-ho¡¯s bankbook.

    ¡°It¡¯s a different situation than when you submitted stuff last time. That time your equipment wasn¡¯t properly guaranteed by an appraiser.¡±

    Once in a while, Kim Dae-ho had submitted his works to the auction house because he needed money for materials and everyday expenses. Of course, Kim Dae-ho didn¡¯t know much about the auction process, so he had to proceed with disadvantageous conditions in many aspects, such as appraisals of goods or commissions.

    ¡°But this time, it¡¯s different. The auction house¡¯s commission was low, and there was also a clear proof of appraisal.¡±

    ¡°That piece of paper was that important?¡± Kim Dae-ho asked.

    ¡°Well, think about a watch. People pay much more for a watch that has a letter of guarantee. If there isn¡¯t one, the price drops a lot even though it¡¯s the same watch. For awakeners, their equipment is precious items that can save their lives. So, the price varies a lot when they know they can trust it.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°With that amount of money, you don¡¯t have to make weapons with the lowest or lower-grade Ether stones anymore. And your prices will keep going up.¡±

    ¡°What? It¡¯ll go up more?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you build your brand well and make equipment with good materials. It¡¯ll probably double from what you got this time.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho, as Su-hyeun knew, was the perfect blacksmith. There was only one thing he lacked; he was really ignorant of the world. He was born in Yangpyeong and had never even stepped foot in Seoul before. When he had sold his equipment, he had done it through the small auction house in Yangpyeong, with many brokers in the middle.

    He was a pushover, an easy target for a scam, or to be overcharged. The only reason Kim Dae-ho was able to eat and live without starving was that the equipment he made was so excellent.

    ¡°My brand¡­¡±

    ¡°I said it like it¡¯s something big, but what I meant was people would believe your items in the end.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what that meant.¡±

    ¡°Yes. And for that, it¡¯ll take some time. Well, in other words, it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡±

    There were several ways to create a brand image: publicity through an advertising model, word of mouth, social media, etc. But, the most fundamental option was commercial value. No matter how much a brand was known among people, if it didn¡¯t have a commercial value, it would fade away. In that sense, Kim Dae-ho¡¯s works were very excellent. He was the best of all the blacksmiths Su-hyeun knew.

    <<Yes. It¡¯s only a matter of time,>> Su-hyeun thought.

    The question was how long it would take.

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    At that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s phone started to ring. It was a call from Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°Hold on a second. Hello?¡±

    -Hey. Did you see that? Lee Ju-ho asked abruptly. His voice sounded strange and urgent. Su-hyeun felt something must be wrong and asked what Lee Ju-ho was talking about.

    Lee Ju-ho replied.

    -Turn the speakerphone and go on Abyss Online. The site¡¯s been crazy because of Mr. Dae-ho.

    ¡°What? Because of Mr. Dae-ho?¡±

    Su-hyeun turned speakerphone on as Lee Ju-ho asked and connected to Abyss Online. It was the site used not only by many awakeners but also by many citizens interested in awakener activities. There were several reviews posted on the main page.

    -The items that began auction at 0 won. Just as expected, there was a reason¡­

    -I bought it by believing in the name of the appraiser but picked a defective product. It looks fine from the outside, but inside¡­

    -Some people got fine stuff but why does mine have an issue? They were items made by the same blacksmith. It looks like there are a lot of defective goods. Is it a matter of luck?

    There were so many criticisms. Su-hyeun frowned.

    -Did you see it?

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    -What do you think? Is there any chance there were some defective products?

    ¡°Defective products? What do you mean?¡±

    At Lee Ju-ho¡¯s word, Kim Dae-ho stepped closer to Su-hyeun. He read the posts and jumped up.

    ¡°What the hell? Are they talking about my babies?¡±

    ¡°It looks like it.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit! I put all the defective ones in the warehouse! Those were my babies I sent to the world under my name! There were no defective ones!¡±

    It was natural that Kim Dae-ho was upset. The works he had presented at the auction house were all his successful works. Of course, anyone could make a mistake. But it was certainly strange that a person like Kim Dae-ho would make such a mistake in succession; also, they had been all checked by the famous American appraiser, January Nicole.

    ¡°It seems very suspicious, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun asked and Lee Ju-ho immediately answered.

    -Yes. Very suspicious.

    ¡°Then¡± ¡ªSu-hyeun got up from his seat¡ª ¡°we should check it out.¡±

    <hr />

    The C-ranked awakener, Jeon Seong-min, wore a big smile on his face. He met his friends in a high-class bar and drank strong liquor together. His face was flush. They were all awakeners who attacked dungeons together.

    ¡°Hey. Do you guys know what this is?¡± Jeon Seong-min asked, tapping the sword that he didn¡¯t take off even in the drinking party. He spoke in a tone as if he was showing off a luxury item.

    ¡°What? Is that new?¡±

    ¡°You mean the sword? Let me see.¡±

    ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t you dare touch it. You don¡¯t know how expensive that thing it is,¡± Jeon Seong-min said with a grave look.

    His friends around him frowned slightly at Jeon Seong-min¡¯s tone. He spoke as if he was looking down on them. But their faces soon changed as he went on.

    ¡°This is Geneva¡¯s work. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Geneva?¡±

    ¡°The American blacksmith?¡±

    They were all surprised. They couldn¡¯t help it. Geneva¡¯s items, even cheap ones, were worth billions. It was indeed a luxury item. It wasn¡¯t something that a normal C-Rank awakener could get.

    ¡°Where did you get it?¡±

    ¡°You bastard. You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Right. You called me last night and bragged that you got a good item for cheap.¡±

    At his friends¡¯ words, Jeon Seong-min became a little stiff. But soon, he managed to brighten his face again and smiled.

    ¡°Ah, that? It was a defective item when I checked again. So, I got a new one.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get the money?¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a way. Sorry, but I have to leave. I¡¯ll pay for the table, so have fun.¡±

    ¡°Oh, bastard. I guess you really got some money.¡±

    Jeon Seong-min got up to the cheers of his friends. Anyway, there was no one who hated it when a friend bought alcohol. Some of them couldn¡¯t take their eyes from the sword that Jeon Seong-min was wearing. Their eyes sparked, as if they were looking at a bar of gold. Jeon Seong-min left the bar in a hurry and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

    <<Heew. That was close. I have to keep the secret. Damn. Useless vanity. The alcohol is always a problem.>>

    ¡°Mr. Jeon Seong-min?¡± When he opened the door of the bar, the man who was standing next to it, called him. ¡°Could you give me a second?¡±

 Chapter 207

    ¡°Who? Me?¡± Jeon Seong-min knitted his brows. He looked up and down at the man who called him.

    Since this man suddenly came for him, Jeon Seong-min thought he must have business with him. But Jeon Seong-min had no idea who he was.

    He seems familiar¡­

    Jeon Seong-min, who had lost focus because of alcohol, started to come to his senses as he remembered where he had seen this man¡¯s face.

    ¡°K¡ªKim Su¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else first.¡±

    Stomp, stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun turned his body and started walking ahead, putting his hands in his pockets. With a nervous look, Jeon Seong-min held his breath. He had no idea why Su-hyeun came to him. Also, an alarm went off in his head somehow.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± Su-hyeun stopped walking and turned his head when Jeon Seong-min didn¡¯t follow him. ¡°I am sorry, but if you do not follow me, I will make you.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m coming!¡±

    He had no choice. What Su-hyeun said sounded like a serious threat. He naturally imagined his legs broken or a scene in which he would be forcibly dragged. Jeon Seong-min followed Su-hyeun into a lonesome alley. One more person was waiting there.

    ¡°Is that him?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Yes. This is Jeon Seong-min. He was one of the men who won the bid for Mr. Dae-ho¡¯s weapon at the auction.¡±

    ¡°He is a seedy-looking man.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t judge people by their looks. But, yeah, he does look seedy.¡±

    Jeon Seong-min also recognized the man who talked with Su-hyeun. His face appeared more often in media such as TV programs and articles than Su-hyeun.

    He is Lee Ju-ho, the guild master of the Paragon Guild!

    Jeon Seong-min still had no idea why the two of them were here and why they came to see him. His head spun. Since he had a guilty conscience, he broke out into a cold sweat.

    ¡°I am sorry, but let us ask you some questions,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat?¡± Jeon Seong-min answered in a trembling voice.

    He tried not to show that he was nervous, but he could not help it. Looking at Jeon Seong-min¡¯s reaction, Lee Ju-ho thought things would go smoothly.

    ¡°I saw your post, Mr. Seong-min. ¡®The equipment of the blacksmith Kim Dae-ho is poor. It looked fine outside, but the inside was bad.¡¯ You wrote something like that, right?¡±

    Jeon Seong-min¡¯s eyes went wide as he listened to Lee Ju-ho. He had written the post anonymously. Although he had uploaded the pictures of the sword and its warranty, it would have been difficult to know who wrote the post based merely on the photos.

    But now Jeon Seong-min could guess how they found him. It was easy. They were both from the Paragon Guild.

    Gordon Company!

    With the power of Gordon and Gordon Company, the best in every field, it would not be difficult at all to figure out who the writer of the post was. But that was not the matter.

    Why the hell?

    The matter was why the Paragon Guild and Kim Su-hyeun moved for it. That was the real reason why Jeon Seong-min was so confused.

    ¡°So, was that true? If it were, I would like to see the weapon you got.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have it. I¡ªI threw it away.¡±

    ¡°You threw it away? Where?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ It was a faulty product, so I threw it in the Han River out of anger.¡±

    ¡°In the Han River? Out of anger? Well, okay. It could happen,¡± Lee Ju-ho muttered, nodding.

    As the conversation went on smoothly, Jeon Seong-min, who had been nervous, slightly turned his frowning face upside down.

    But soon, Lee Ju-ho went on, ¡°During lunchtime yesterday, you won the bid at the auction and immediately went to Daegu to attack the orange-colored dungeon. The attack took about half a day. Am I right so far?¡±

    ¡°T¡ªthat is¡­¡± Jeon Seong-min was in a panic again.

    At his look, Lee Ju-ho continued as if he did not have to listen to him anymore. ¡°You stayed at a hotel in Daegu right after that, and you came back in the morning by train. You wrote the post on Abyss Online around lunchtime today. The place where you wrote it was Suwon.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho tilted his head. ¡°So, you could throw it away anywhere, but you went all the way to the Han River? Or were you confused about the name of the river?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI was confused. It was not the Han River. It was the lake in Gwang-gyo¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you were confused with Gwang-gyo Lake Park and the Han River. Alright. Let¡¯s say it can happen. But¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho looked behind Jeon Seong-min. Jeon Seong-min turned his head too. Suddenly, Su-hyeun was behind him, holding a familiar-looking sword.

    ¡°It is a good-looking sword,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun drew the sword. Jeon Seong-min reached it with his hand in surprise.

    ¡°What are you doing? Give it back!¡± Jeon Seong-min took his sword back from Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    ¡°By the master craftsman, Geneva. That is an expensive sword, isn¡¯t it? It is the masterpiece of masterpieces.¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyeah. I know. What about it?¡±

    ¡°According to your friends,¡± Lee Ju-ho began, ¡°it looked like you could not afford to buy Geneva¡¯s work. Well, you are just a C-Rank awakener, and you don¡¯t look like the type of man who saves money.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get it?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s question, Jeon Seong-min turned his head toward him. He immediately realized that the expressionless face could mean bloody for him. As Su-hyeun looked at him with a straight face, Jeon Seong-min felt scared and unconsciously stepped back.

    However, he could no longer put more distance between them. When he made a step back, Su-hyeun came one step closer. He wanted to turn his body and ran away, but he could sense that it would be pointless.

    ¡°D¡ªdon¡¯t k¡ªkill me¡­¡±

    Tap¡ª

    Jeon Seong-min, who was stepping back, turned his head when something hit his back.

    Smack¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Just then, Lee Ju-ho snatched the back of Jeon Seong-min¡¯s neck to prevent his escape.

    ¡°We won¡¯t kill you. Just answer the question,¡± Lee Ju-ho whispered to Jeon Seong-min¡¯s ear. His voice promised pain.

    Chill¡ª

    Fear immediately swept across his entire body. He felt as if he was being stabbed with a sword.

    [Predator.]

    Rumble¡ª

    ¡°Ah¡­Oh¡­¡±

    Jeon Seong-min¡¯s legs turned to jelly, and he dropped down to the ground with a thud. Su-hyeun, who had opened his Third Eye, walked toward him.

    ¡°Let me ask you again. What did you do with the sword you won?¡±

    <hr />

    It was a quite long story, and the terrified Jeon Seong-min talked gibberish. When he finished talking, Lee Ju-ho said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to anyone about what happened today. Live quietly as if nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Go now. You should feel lucky that you were not beaten up,¡± Lee Ju-ho told him and kicked his back.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡°Oops. I hit you.¡±

    ¡°S¡ªsorry, sir¡­¡±

    ¡°I said go! Go already!¡±

    When Lee Ju-ho shouted, Jeon Seong-min crouched down and quickly moved his legs. When Jeon Seong-min was finally gone, Lee Ju-ho ruffled his hair irritably and looked at Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun looked relatively calmer than he expected. Between them, he thought Su-hyeun would be more upset.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you upset? I am so annoyed now that I can go insane.¡±

    ¡°I am upset.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho looked at Su-hyeun, disbelieving. Su-hyeun was the one who would usually go overboard with taking care of Kim Dae-ho. But surprisingly, he looked very calm.

    ¡°So? What will you do? Inside the Ripper Guild, they already talked about breaking the contract with Mr. Dae-ho. They think they can¡¯t rely on his products.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Park Ji-yeon is trying to do something about it somehow. But it will be a matter of time. The price of his equipment will also go down soon.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    ¡°I mean, there is one way to solve it.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°You know. Use your name.¡±

    The name Kim Su-hyeun was very important in the world these days. Kim Dae-ho¡¯s name was not known yet, even though he was talented. But if Su-hyeun were involved, things would change. If Su-hyeun said something to guarantee Kim Dae-ho, people would take an interest in him and change their minds.

    ¡°Of course, it is totally up to you. Mr. Dae-ho might not want that either¡­¡±

    ¡°I may do that later.¡±

    ¡°Later?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho tilted his head at the unexpected answer. He had no idea why Su-hyeun wanted to take his time and not just say yes or no.

    ¡°I have to do something first.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°In fact¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun told Lee Ju-ho what he was thinking. When he finished talking, Lee Ju-ho grinned. ¡°That also sounds like a good idea.¡±

    Act 5

    ¡°The price has increased by about 20% since the last auction. It is still a little lower than originally expected, but I assume it will reach that point in the next auction¡ª¡±

    At the report of his assistant, Geneva quietly nodded while eating. The result got better. Still, the expected price had not been reached, but as his assistant said, he thought it would be a matter of the time at this rate.

    ¡°What about the Ripper Guild?¡± Geneva asked.

    ¡°The guild master, Park Ji-yeon, is objecting, but the other guild members want to contract again with us.¡±

    ¡°Tut. What pathetic guys. The recontract is a recontract, but you have to make sure they pay the proper penalty. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°This our beginning in the Korean market. We have to make things right.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±

    After eating his meal, Geneva wiped his mouth with a napkin. Although the business in Korea did not start right, soon, he was able to make things in the right place.

    ¡°Oh, wait.¡± Geneva clapped his hands as if he remembered something. The quick assistant came closer to him.

    ¡°Yes, sir?¡±

    ¡°The guys we approached last time, how are they now?¡±

    ¡°You mean the awakeners who received the equipment?¡±

    ¡°Yes, those guys. Kill them one by one every half a year. Put surveillances as well. If anyone tries anything weird, just kill them immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Given his directions, Geneva¡¯s assistant bowed and left the room. Geneva, who took care of any remaining concerns, nodded happily. He was going to move right after eating the dessert that would be served soon.

    However, the assistant came back in after a moment. At first, Geneva thought that perhaps his assistant did not immediately understand his directions.

    ¡°Sir, you have a visitor,¡± the assistant announced.

    I don¡¯t know how important that visitor is, but how dare he interrupt my meal? Geneva thought.

    ¡°Ask the visitor to come back later,¡± Geneva answered impatiently.

    As soon as he said that, he heard a familiar voice. ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Geneva turned his head toward the familiar voice behind the closed door.

    Who is that? He searched his mind, and it instantly clicked. Kim Su-hyeun!

    It was the voice of Kim Su-hyeun. With the sparkle of recognition in his eyes, Geneva got up from his seat and answered, ¡°Please come in.¡±

 Chapter 208

    Rattle¡ª

    The sliding door opened at Geneva¡¯s answer, and Su-hyeun went inside the room. ¡°Hi. How are you?¡±

    ¡°What brought all the way here? Oh, have you eaten?¡± Geneva asked.

    ¡°Yes, I already ate. You¡¯re eating pretty late.¡±

    ¡°I usually do. Please, sit down.¡± Geneva pointed to the seat opposite of him.

    ¡°Would you like some Sikhye, at least? I¡¯ve never had this in my life and had it for the first time when I came to Korea, and I really like this sweet rice punch.¡±

    ¡°I guess you like Korean food.¡±

    ¡°I enjoy eating food from the countries I visit, but I especially prefer Korean food than any other countries¡¯ food. I would like to stay longer in Korea because of it.¡±

    Geneva smiled at Su-hyeun as if he had forgotten what happened in the previous day. The last time they met, Geneva had been red in his face with anger. But now, he treated Su-hyeun like an old friend. When they were almost finished with their drink, Geneva, who read Su-hyeun¡¯s face, brought up the real topic.

    ¡°So, Mr. Su-hyeun, what brings you here? I thought you didn¡¯t want to have business with me.¡±

    ¡°People change their minds all the time, don¡¯t they?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s response, Geneva narrowed his eyes. He lifted the empty cup to his lips to hide his distaste.

    ¡°Sure, they do,¡± Geneva answered.

    ¡°I thought about the conditions you told me last time, and I think they were pretty good.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying¡ª?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really thinking straight at that time. Sure, let¡¯s work together.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s word, Geneva finally put down the cup and let out a bellow of laughter

    The loud laughter filled the room. Su-hyeun wondered if loudness was a characteristic of blacksmiths. Kim Dae-ho didn¡¯t laugh often, but when he did once, his voice was super loud.

    Geneva laughed for a while and nodded his head. ¡°I am so glad to hear that. Cool. Let¡¯s work together.¡±

    ¡°What about the sword you showed me¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s in the auction house right now. I was planning to submit it for the next auction, but don¡¯t worry. For you, Mr. Su-hyeun, I will bring it back.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°So, if you don¡¯t mind, could you do me a small favor?¡± Geneva asked cautiously.

    Su-hyeun put down the cup that he was holding on the table and leaned his body forward. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I want you to advertise that sword. I want you to let people film your raid. You know? The scene where you use my sword.¡±

    It was a sure way to promote. It could show not only the fact that the world¡¯s best awakener was using Geneva¡¯s equipment but also the vivid scene that he performed actively with it.

    ¡°What do you say?¡± Geneva asked.

    Su-hyeun nodded, smiling. ¡°Of course.¡±

    <hr />

    Clang¡ª! Clang¡ª! Clang¡ª!

    There was the usual clear sound of metal hitting in Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop. Having gone inside the workshop, Su-hyeun waited for Kim Dae-ho to finish his work. For another 10 minutes, Kim Dae-ho struck the armor he had been working on with a hammer and then got up from his seat, putting the armor aside.

    ¡°Did you wait long?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired? You have aged. You should take it easy.¡±

    ¡°Hey. I was working on the armor you asked for. What? Do you have another request?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho took a towel and wiped his forehead with it. With the used towels that were piled up on one corner, Su-hyeun could tell how hard Kim Dae-ho had been working.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy.¡±

    ¡°You just told me I¡¯m old. Why are you trying to take advantage of an old man? What is it?¡±

    ¡°I just want you to put your name on the armor. And if you can, engrave your name on this sword, too.¡±

    Su-hyeun took out the Balmung with the scabbard and handed it to Kim Dae-ho, who, in turn, frowned a little as if he could not understand Su-hyeun¡¯s request.

    ¡°My name? Why the hell do you need it?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho did not like putting someone¡¯s name on equipment such as weapons and armor, especially his own name because there was no point in doing so. The reason was simple: it was not practical. A name on any equipment did not add to its function or something. Su-hyeun knew this as well. Nonetheless, he insisted.

    ¡°Still, please do it for me. You may remove it later, but I need it now.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I can do it, if you need it. But¡­what is that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, this?¡±

    When Kim Dae-ho pointed to another sword that Su-hyeun had, Su-hyeun grinned and answered, ¡°I have to use it for something.¡±

    <hr />

    ¡°Where the hell is Son Byeong-cheol? I told him to find information about the dungeon! We should make a briefing soon!¡±

    ¡°Writers! Don¡¯t be bothered about the direction. Things will go well anyway. Camera team, you guys are important today! Pay attention!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Hey! I thought we would broadcast exclusively!¡±

    ¡°No, there are other broadcasters, too.¡±

    At the foot of the Heukseongsan Mountain, located in Cheonan, more people were busily working than usual. There were many public broadcasters, as well as famous bloggers and personal broadcasters. They all gathered there for one reason.

    ¡°I will shoot Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s raid!¡±

    ¡°This is a scoop. Even if I shoot it poorly, my ratings will go up by more than 3%.¡±

    ¡°I have to get an image that¡¯s better than other broadcasters¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Should I take close-up shots? No, things will move too fast. People usually record from a distance¡­¡±

    Up to now, the video raids of awakeners had been released numerous times through broadcasts. Most of them were of famous A-Ranks or S-Ranks. Of course, the level of the dungeons was low enough to allow network staff. People had been recording high-rank awakeners¡¯ orange-colored dungeon raid, but it was different this time.

    ¡°A green-colored dungeon raid!¡±

    ¡°Moreover, Kim Su-hyeun will do it alone!¡±

    ¡°This is a super-exclusive scoop.¡±

    Kim Su-hyeun was the awakener who finished attacking the blue- and indigo-colored dungeons by himself. For him, the green-colored dungeon was just a piece of a cake. Thanks to this, the broadcasters had gotten the opportunity to shoot the raid under Su-hyeun¡¯s protection.

    Even so, Su-hyeun was still just an individual, and there were several people from different broadcasts. An accident is possible. However, it seemed like Su-hyeun wanted to prevent any accident that he brought another awakener.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go now. Do you guys need more time?¡±

    Hak-joon, who was being interviewed on one side, spoke aloud with a weary expression. In response, Su-hyeun immediately began to move.

    <hr />

    ¡°This is the inside of the green-colored dungeon. It is a cave-type, and it appears most in number after the forest-type¡­¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun is on the move. Next to him is Choi Hak-joon, the youngest S-Rank awakener and one of the members of the Paragon Guild¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun turned his body and stared at the reporters who were busily talking in front of the cameras.

    ¡°Stop,¡± he told the reporters.

    The reporters who were following him closely instantly did so. Hak-joon noticed something as well. He pulled out his sword halfway and went forward.

    Gyaong¡ª!

    Miru tore apart space next to Su-hyeun and stuck his head out. Some reporters misunderstood Miru as a monster, but some of them noticed that he was Su-hyeun¡¯s divine beast.

    ¡°It¡¯s a divine beast!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a dragon! It is the same as the one that Song Hyeong-gi has!¡±

    ¡°Take pictures! Take pictures!¡±

    The reports hurriedly took pictures of Miru. Miru was confused with the sudden attention. He tilted his head and looked at Su-hyeun as if he was asking what was going on.

    ¡°Hey, Miru. Protect them, not hurt them, okay?¡±

    Gyaong¡ª!

    Miru answered loudly as if telling Su-hyeun to trust him.

    Whirl¡ª

    A thin translucent layer appeared around the reporters. Surprised, they knocked on the wall, making solid sounds. They realized that it was a barrier to protect them.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    While they were marveling about it¡­

    ¡°L¡ªlook up!¡±

    ¡°Camera! Shoot up!¡±

    Kiyaaaa¡ª!

    A scream came through the barrier. The monsters that had shells like crustaceans popped up from above the cave. These monsters were huge; each one was at least three meters in length. They looked like stag beetles with hard shells and claws that looked like deer horns. The reporters took pictures or filmed the monsters and turned their heads to find Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Where is he?¡±

    Su-hyeun had disappeared. They could not find him, so they just continued filming or taking pictures of the insect-type monsters.

    Splatter¡ª

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Splatter¡ª!

    The shells of dozens of the insect monsters, which attached themselves to the ceiling, were cut off. Green blood rained down. The startled reporters hurriedly turned their camera angles. Su-hyeun was standing upside down on the ceiling like the bugs did earlier. He shook off the blood on his sword.

    ¡°With just one blow¡­¡±

    ¡°He got rid of so many monsters?¡±

    They saw everything with their own eyes, but they found it hard to believe. Just as the startled reporters were recovering to shoot Su-hyeun¡¯s face closely, another scream broke out.

    Kiyaaaaaa¡ª!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    A bug monster popped out from the ground. One reporter was too shocked and fell back, screaming.

    Slash¡ª

    But it didn¡¯t take a second for the monster that came at the reporter to be cut off in half.

    ¡°There are plenty under the ground, Su-hyeun,¡± Hak-joon said.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The cave began to shake. No, more precisely, the ground under Hak-joon and other reporters shook. The field started to crack little by little and hot steam leaked out from underneath.

    Swish¡ª

    Whomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun jumped back down from the ceiling. He stomped on the ground a couple of times and said, ¡°They are gone now.¡±

    <hr />

    The raid went pretty fast. The dungeon was not that large after all, and they didn¡¯t take a break during the raid. In the course of the continuous raid, the reporters took turns in getting closer to Su-hyeun and Hak-joon to interview them.

    ¡°Did you get your equipment from the Tower of Trials? Or do you have any special blacksmith that you prefer?¡±

    ¡°I saw Geneva¡¯s seal on the sword you are using, Mr. Su-hyeun. Do you have any special relationship with him?¡±

    ¡°What changed your mind? You never allowed your raids to be shot before¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun was asked questions as they moved, and he answered them thoughtfully one by one. He, of course, answered the questions about Geneva¡¯s equipment.

    ¡°The sword I¡¯m using is one of Geneva¡¯s top 100 masterpieces. I got it recently, and the name of the sword is Aron. He said it was named after the sword that Lancelot used.¡±

    ¡°What would you say about the craftsman Geneva?¡± One reporter asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t judge people easily, but, fortunately, things are different.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that you judge the items, then?¡±

    Su-hyeun grinned at the reporter¡¯s question. ¡°I will tell you that with the result.¡±

    It was a very confident answer.

    Crack¡ª

    Just as he answered the question, a small sound came from inside of the scabbard, but nobody heard it.

 Chapter 209

    ***

    Half a day¡ªthat was how much time Su-hyeun took to attack the green cave-type dungeon and enter the room where the mother of the bugs was.

    Kiyaaaaa¡ª!

    The boss was a giant stag beetle. It cried out, opening its giant mouth. Around it, dozens of small winged stag beetles flew around. Of course, ¡°small¡± meant only in the relative perspective. The giant boss was tens of meters, and dozens of other beetles were about five meters long at least.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too gross to go out to live broadcast?¡±

    ¡°God¡­There are so many!¡±

    One of the common features of insect-type monsters was there were always numerous monsters gathered around the boss, the mother who laid eggs.

    Thanks to Miru¡¯s protection and Su-hyeun¡¯s Provocation skill, the reporters had been following him without any risk. However, there were too many monsters at the moment, and that would increase the chance of an accident.

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    ¡°Is he using a spear? Not the sword?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he is finally using the spear!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s main weapon was the sword, and the spear was a secondary weapon. In several of his previous interviews, Su-hyeun¡¯s use of spears as weapons to assist him had been revealed. Also, through Hak-joon, people got to know how strong the spears were. And for the first time in this raid, Su-hyeun brought out his spear.

    [Provocation]

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    Kiyaaaa¡ª!

    When the stag beetle monsters came at Su-hyeun at once, they were caught by the wide-range Provocation skill as Su-hyeun threw the spear at them.

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    Crack, crack¡ª!

    Crunch¡ª! Boom, boom¡ª!

    The spear scattered to tens of thousands of pieces. The rain shower of spears with enormous magic power tore apart the bodies of stag beetle monsters. The attack swept all around in the cave. More than a hundred stag beetle monsters were torn and fell to the ground in an instant.

    Boom, boom¡ª!

    Kiyaaaaa¡ª!

    Naturally, the mother who lost her children became furious. The giant stag beetle, reaching several tens of meters in length, roared. It was too loud that it even shook the cave. But the reporters who were watching the fight were not scared. Instead, they were all surprised.

    ¡°He killed all of them at once¡­?¡±

    ¡°Everyone, did you see that? This is Kim Su-hyeun! He is the best awakener in Korea and the strongest in the world¡ª¡±

    ¡°It is incredible! I have been broadcasting the dungeon raids many, many times¡­ But I can¡¯t believe what is happening now!¡±

    The people who relayed from the spot had either of two reactions: they lost their words and gaped at the scene, or they raised their voices in excitement.

    ¡°Finally, Mr. Kim Su-hyeun is moving to catch the boss.¡±

    Su-hyeun moved slowly, very slowly, so that way everyone could see.

    Rumble¡ª

    The enormous magical power that came from Su-hyeun¡¯s body filled the cave. Some reporters even forgot that they were working and just tensely stared at him.

    Kiyaaaaa¡ª!

    The mother stag beetle rushed toward Su-hyeun, crying out of fear and anger. Su-hyeun immediately raised his sword and tried to cut it down.

    Whoosh¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡±

    ¡°I have to zoom in and catch the moment Kim Su-hyeun cut the head of the boss¡­¡±

    When the reporters¡¯ cameras turned to shoot Su-hyeun¡¯s sword¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡­something they weren¡¯t expecting happened.

    Crack¡ª!

    The mother stag beetle¡¯s horn stabbed the ground, and Su-hyeun hurriedly jumped up and stared at his sword with a surprised look.

    Chink, chink¡ª

    The broken pieces of sword fell to the ground. The reporters, who were attentively watching the situation unfold, hurriedly looked for broken fragments of the sword and turned their cameras.

    ¡°The sword is broken!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency situation! The sword that Mr. Kim Su-hyeun was using was Geneva¡¯s sword¡ª¡±

    ¡°How will Mr. Su-hyeun react? The sword is broken¡ª¡±

    At that moment, a heavy sound came.

    Wham¡ª!

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Then, the massive body of the boss that was stuck and buried on the ground trembled.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat the¡­ He is beating up the monster with his bare hands!¡±

    Is this possible? Kim Su-hyeun can even catch the boss of the green dungeon without any weapon?

    Su-hyeun had thrown away the broken sword and just used his fists.

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    Every time he swung his fists, the hard shell of the boss broke. The reporters¡¯ jaws dropped in their astonishment. They even forgot about their cameras. They could not believe that they were seeing the swordsman knocking down the boss with bare hands.

    ¡°It looks like¡­¡± There was only one person who wasn¡¯t taken by surprise. ¡°Su-hyeun broke the sword on purpose.¡±

    Hak-joon looked at the sword on the ground instead of Su-hyeun.

    ***

    Wham¡ª!

    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡±

    Geneva, who was watching the broadcast in his hotel room, hit the wall with his fist in anger. He had hit the wall so hard that his fist went numb. As a blacksmith, he usually took care of his hands more than anything, but he was too upset to think about that.

    ¡°S¡ªsir, your hand¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you deliver the right sword? Why the hell did it break just now? Why?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea, sir.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s already been announced on air that it was my work! What humiliation! Besides¡­¡± Geneva pointed at Kim Su-hyeun on the TV, who was beating up the boss of the green-colored dungeon with his fists. He raised his voice. ¡°And who the hell beats up a monster with his fists? A goddamn swordsman is defeating a monster right now without a sword!¡±

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    Geneva¡¯s assistant broke out in a sweat. He was not a blacksmith, so he had no idea why the sword that Su-hyeun used broke. He just thought the shell of the bug probably was just very hard.

    Wait. Hang on. The assistant realized something.

    He naturally had thought Geneva¡¯s sword could not penetrate the shell of the stag beetle monster. Maybe everyone thought the same thing; the boss of the green-colored dungeon, the stag beetle, was harder than Geneva¡¯s sword. However, Su-hyeun was knocking the boss down with his bare hands.

    Su-hyeun was a swordsman. A swordsman had to use a sword, not his fists. And if the sword made him use his fists instead, it meant that the sword was just nothing but a piece of crap.

    Using Kim Su-hyeun as a model was poison.

    If it were a normal awakener, the story would have been different. It was a common occurrence that inefficient awakeners cracked their equipment during raids. But Kim Su-hyeun was different. He had to be perfect and faultless.

    Also, the sword in his hand should be a perfect one, too. That was the point that Geneva was trying to make: the illusion and delusion that the best would use the best things. Even if he held a twig instead of a sword, people would expect that it would be invincible. But even with such expectation, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword broke, and that sword was Geneva¡¯s work.

    The assistant hurriedly accessed the Korean awakeners¡¯ website, Abyss Online, and checked the postings. The show already had more than a 15 percent audience rating. And since it was broadcasted in many other broadcasting companies, the audience rating could be seen to actually exceed 40 percent.

    People noticed two things in this situation.

    [Kim Su-hyeun is so awesome. I thought he was in trouble after the sword broke, but he just beats the monster up with his hare hands. Lolololol. ¡®Highlight clip.¡¯]

    ©¸He is not in the same league. Lolol. His fists are stronger than the sword. What the hell!

    ©¸ I heard he caught all monsters in one dungeon in Russia with only his fists. And apparently, it was a blue-colored dungeon.

    ©¸ BTW, why did the sword break? Wasn¡¯t it Geneva¡¯s sword? I thought it is a top-notch brand among awakeners?

    ©¸ Don¡¯t you know Geneva¡¯s works are usually overpriced? Well, he made good things at first, but what he mass-produce these days are not as good. It¡¯s just the name value.

    ©¸For real. It¡¯s just brand value.

    ©¸ How he seriously messed up! Kim Su-hyeun just wielded it, and it broke!

    ©¸ Didn¡¯t Kim Su-hyeun use another sword so far?

    ©¸For real?

    ©¸If you look at the pictures, it¡¯s not the sword he used today. He only used the same sword until recently.

    As he expected, public opinion was not good. The assistant couldn¡¯t tell Geneva about it because he worried that Geneva would punch his face instead of the thing he was hitting at the moment.

    Geneva could be heard screaming in frustration.

    Act 6

    ¨C I wondered what you were gonna do. You can be seriously spiteful sometimes.

    After the broadcast and after Su-hyeun and the others had come out of the dungeon, Lee Ju-ho immediately called Su-hyeun. When Su-hyeun had told him that he would gather the reporters and broadcast his raid, Lee Ju-ho had had no idea what Su-hyeun had been trying to do.

    Occasionally, famous high-ranking awakeners, such as A-Ranks or S-Ranks, accepted the request of shooting their raids and allowed their live broadcast. Such broadcasting was already established, and there¡¯s nothing unusual about it.

    But Su-hyeun did not like such a thing. He thought it was a waste of time, and he didn¡¯t want to be the center of people¡¯s attention. However, he used the broadcast in this way. The laughter of Lee Ju-ho came through the phone.

    ¨C You did f*ck with him big time. I thought petty tricks was usually my job, you know.

    ¡°Well. It¡¯s just starting now.¡±

    ¨C I guess the business with Geneva is off the table, right? It will be funny if you advertise his stuff in this situation.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    In the beginning, Su-hyeun allowed shooting this dungeon raid to promote Geneva¡¯s equipment. That had been Geneva¡¯s request, and Su-hyeun had attacked the dungeon with his sword.

    The problem was that the sword had been broken. So, instead of a promotion, Geneva received a stain on his reputation. And if Su-hyeun worked as a promotional model and advertised that Geneva¡¯s equipment had excellent quality, the whole world would laugh at it.

    ¨C But what do you mean, this is just starting? What else do you have to do?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go through such hardship just to get him in trouble.¡±

    ¨C Ha! Hardship? I bet you even didn¡¯t sweat.

    ¡°I have to do an interview. Bye.¡±

    ¨C Alright. Call me later.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Su-hyeun hung up the call and walked where the reporters were. Hak-joon had already been bombarded with questions. He was sweating hard, but his face brightened when Su-hyeun came back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had an important call.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is this a bad time for an interview then?¡±

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll be fine in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Getting an interview with you was like getting blood out of a stone. I am very lucky today.¡±

    Smiles spread across the reporters¡¯ faces. Their broadcast today was a big hit. They had gotten high ratings, and they could also interview Kim Su-hyeun. Moreover, there was a lot to talk about since his sword had been broken.

    ¡°Then, I will ask first. What made you decide to allow us to shoot your raid? You have previously rejected¡­¡±

    When the interview began, Su-hyeun replied with sincerity. The interview went over 30 minutes. The journalists were busy writing articles with their laptops. Then, the question that Su-hyeun was waiting for came.

    ¡°Your sword broke during the raid. What do you think was the reason? You said that sword was made by Mr. Geneva.¡±

    ¡°Is there any other reason? The sword was weak.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean the sword was weak?¡± one reporter asked.

    ¡°I was disappointed,¡± said Su-hyeun. ¡°The boss¡¯s shell was hard, but I thought Geneva¡¯s sword could manage it.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying the sword fell short of your expectations?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That is what I am saying.¡±

    It was a slightly cool-headed assessment. But the reporters and other people would still think that Su-hyeun tried to keep Geneva¡¯s reputation. It was obvious. Even if it were the boss of the green-colored dungeon, it was not very common for a sword to break during a fight.

    ¡°Then what kind of sword have you used before? Did you use several swords alternately?¡± The next question followed naturally.

    What sword had been Su-hyeun used so far? To that question, Su-hyeun replied the answer that he had prepared.

    ¡°I used the sword of the master blacksmith, Kim Dae-ho.¡±

    That was the moment when the name of Kim Dae-ho became known to the world.

 Chapter 210

    <hr />

    Clank¡ª!

    A window was broken. Blood dripped from Geneva¡¯s hand. Korea¡¯s famous portal sites were covered with two people¡¯s names.

    [Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Kim Dae-ho]

    [The works of Kim Dae-ho]

    [The sword of Kim Su-hyeun]

    ¡­

    [Geneva]

    The attention of the public was concentrated on the broadcast about Su-hyeun¡¯s raid. Of course, the popular search words were about Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. The name of the blacksmith, Kim Dae-ho, who made Su-hyeun¡¯s original sword was on the list as well.

    People were wondering about Kim Su-hyeun and Kim Dae-ho. What was their relationship? Who was Kim Dae-ho? What kinds of work had he been making?

    Kim Dae-ho attracted the limelight, and Geneva couldn¡¯t help but be furious because he was the subject of the comparison.

    ¡°Arrrrrgh!¡±

    Clank¡ª! Clank¡ª!

    Geneva, who couldn¡¯t overcome his anger, started breaking another window. His assistant came closer and tried to dissuade him.

    ¡°S¡ªsir. Please, calm down! Your hand is bleeding¡ª¡±

    ¡°How the hell I can calm down now?¡±

    Wham¡ª!

    Geneva accidentally hit the head of his assistant. The assistant reeled for a moment but soon stood straight again. Geneva fumed, punching his own chest.

    ¡°It ruined my image! People are saying my sword was a defective product! They are saying I am not the best, and my weapons are overpriced! The motherf*ckers! They don¡¯t know shit about me!¡±

    He had arranged all this to make his image better and build higher premiums. But rather, it destroyed his name and helped another blacksmith attract public attention.

    ¡°Kim Dae-ho is the man at the auction from a few days ago, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He is the blacksmith who set the starting price as zero last time.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell is he? Is he famous?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. He was a nameless blacksmith until recently. He rarely sold his equipment at the auction house.¡±

    ¡°What? What the hell?¡±

    ¡°There was really nothing about him, but it looks like the quality of his equipment is quite good.¡±

    ¡°Kill them! Goddamn it! Kill both Kim Su-hyeun and Kim Dae-ho!¡±

    At Geneva¡¯s outburst, the assistant stood with his head slightly bowed. He had been working for him for years. He knew about his temper very well. Although Geneva would lose his reason and express his anger, he would eventually return to normal after a while.

    Clank¡ª!

    Geneva even lifted the table now and threw it out the window. He crushed more furniture in the room for a while and finally stopped moving as if he was tired.

    ¡°Huu¡ª¡±

    Geneva breathed out long breaths. The assistant noticed his reason was coming back slowly.

    ¡°So, what would you like to do now, sir?¡± the assistant asked.

    ¡°How much loss do you expect from this?¡±

    ¡°I expect the price that was already set up in Korea would drop at least 20 percent up to 50 percent. It seems like the sword breaking incident during Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s raid affected it significantly. Also, the new blacksmith, Kim Dae-ho¡¯s equipment was released at a cheap price, now¡­¡±

    ¡°So, the loss will be huge.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Meet some reporters. Give them some money and ask them to write some nice articles for me. That will help a little bit, at least.¡±

    ¡°I will, sir.¡±

    ¡°And Kim Su-hyeun¡­I guess I shouldn¡¯t get on his nerve.¡±

    His tone was different from before. It was certainly a rational judgment.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it in the first place. I can¡¯t kill him, and there is no way I can destroy his image.¡±

    Su-hyeun was quite known. He was the first awakener who attacked a blue-colored dungeon and solved many other crises. Not only that, but Su-hyeun also had enough power to finish an indigo-colored dungeon by himself. He was also a member of the Paragon Guild.

    Besides, Gordon Rohan, one of the world¡¯s most famous billionaires and was known as the world¡¯s best awakener before Su-hyeun showed up, was also allied with Su-hyeun. This meant that it would be impossible to disgrace Su-hyeun¡¯s name not only in Korea but also in the USA, where Geneva came from.

    ¡°What about Kim Dae-ho?¡± the assistant asked.

    ¡°Kill that bastard.¡± It was a rational answer, not an emotional one. ¡°He knows his work, and this happening promoted his work. To succeed in setting my product up in Korea, he has to die. He doesn¡¯t have any background, so we won¡¯t have any problem.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho was different from Su-hyeun. He had no background, so there would be no trouble in getting rid of him. If he was a blacksmith, not an awakener, killing him would not be difficult at all.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Geneva¡¯s assistant nodded and took his phone out. Killing a nameless blacksmith was not a hard task.

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    The assistant had called someone. ¡°Hey. It¡¯s the boss¡¯s instructions.¡±

    <hr />

    Kim Dae-ho became very busy. Orders rushed all of a sudden. People who had not known about Kim Dae-ho before now wanted to use his equipment.

    ¡°I guess you are busy.¡±

    ¡°You are killing me, man.¡± Kim Dae-ho, sitting while sweating, complained as he looked at Su-hyeun. ¡°What the hell did you say on the air? Why am I getting so many orders?¡±

    ¡°The only thing I said was that the sword I was using was yours.¡±

    ¡°You really only said that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Idiots. Whether it¡¯s a sword or a shield or armor, it¡¯s not about what to use but who uses¡­¡± Kim Dae-ho shook his head and clicked his tongue.

    Su-hyeun agreed with him. Of course, better equipment was also important. However, even an excellent sword would become different depending on who used it. No matter how sharp and hard a sword was, if it was not a good fit for a user, it would be pointless.

    ¡°Well, even so, equipment is definitely important,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    ¡°I just have to finish the last tempering. Just wait a minute. If it¡¯s too hot in here, go outside and drink some Sikhye or something.¡±

    ¡°Then, I will be in the yard. Call me when you¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    ¡°Can I use a sword outside?¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t break anything. I mean, it is a house you got for me anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°I will be careful.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho gulped the iced coffee that he was holding and got up from his seat. As he left to finish the armor that Su-hyeun had requested, Su-hyeun came out to the yard behind the workshop. The yard was about 1.3 are. It was a bit small, but it wasn¡¯t too bad for practicing alone.

    Schwing¡ª

    Su-hyeun slowly pulled out the sword. At the same time, he checked his skill proficiency.

    [The Swordsmanship of Wrath]

    <ul>

    Skill Grade: ¨C

    Proficiency: 12%

    LV: 2

    </ul>

    *The swordsmanship that the best swordsman, Wrath, used. He recreated his family¡¯s swordsmanship in his own way. Depending on the proficiency and level, power and speed will be corrected when the user uses the sword.

    <ul>

    Correction rate: 6.1%.

    </ul>

    It was the new skill that he had gotten from the blue-colored dungeon in Paris. No, it was something different from regular skills. It had a form of a skill, but strictly speaking, it was like a real swordsman¡¯s.

    Authentic swordsmanship¡­

    Su-hyeun also had learned swordsmanship. His teacher was Bak Yun-gyu. When Bak Yun-gyu had become an awakener, he took interest in swordsmanship. Naturally, he had learned various swordsmanship. Su-hyeun had learned from Bak Yun-gyu in his past life, and he had been using that so far.

    However, the swordsmanship of Bak Yun-gyu and Wrath were very different. Unlike Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s swordsmanship, which relied on the skills of the awakener, Wrath¡¯s swordsmanship focused on minimizing unnecessary movements and power depending on the posture. Su-hyeun realized for the first time that the power of the sword could be so different depending on the posture and the distribution of power.

    I have to use my lower body instead of my arms.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun wielded the sword. He didn¡¯t use any magic power. He did not intend to move quickly on purpose. He moved slowly, very slowly, but precisely.

    When I swing, I have to turn my waist as well, and then, my feet should move together for the next movement.

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun spun around. It was almost the same time as wielding a sword. He spun faster than he had expected.

    Swish, swish¡ª Whoosh¡ª!

    The sword¡¯s path is the path where the magic power moves. I am not pushing magic; I just have to feel it. I have to shape my magic like the sword.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The slight magic was injected in his sword. No, it wrapped around the sword. It was as if a thin blade covered the original sword.

    When I wield, I have to hold the handle away. If I have enough power in my hands, the attack power will be doubled, and the sword will become longer.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun continued to wield the sword, recalling the explanations written in Wrath¡¯s book about the swordsmanship. He could not move fast enough. But he was sure that if he connected the movements smoothly, he would wield his sword more powerfully.

    ¡°Heew¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun, who had been wielding the sword for about 30 minutes, wiped the sweat on his forehead. His focus was more intense, and he swung his sword more slowly than before. He didn¡¯t even use his magic powers to strengthen his body, so he consumed his strength quickly, and he lost his concentration immediately.

    [The Swordsmanship of Wrath]

    <ul>

    Proficiency: 14%

    LV: 2

    Correction rate: 6.2%.

    </ul>

    The proficiency increased faster than he expected. It was the same for the correction rate.

    It¡¯s not bad. If I raise the skill level about five, the correction rate will rise exponentially.

    He thought, perhaps later, the power of the sword alone might have increased to 30 percent because of this swordsmanship.

    It wouldn¡¯t be bad to spend more days to practice this. If I concentrate on it, the proficiency will go up quickly.

    Su-hyeun would have kept moving until Kim Dae-ho finished his work¡ª

    Rustle¡ª

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    ¡ªif there was no indication of people trying to get into the workshop.

    <hr />

    There was a saying that people have three opportunities for big money in their lives. For Kang Yeong-hoon, this was one of his chances.

    $2.5 million to kill a civilian!

    A request came to three awakeners, including Kang Yeong-hoon. The client asked to kill one civilian and promised $2.5 million for the work. It was a huge commission. Even if they split the amount among the three of them, each one would get a handsome amount. For the three C-Ranks, such a sum of money was something that wasn¡¯t easy to come by.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    It was a private mansion with a large yard.

    Clang, Clank¡ª

    A hammering sound was coming from beyond the fence. The person they had to kill was a blacksmith who just began to sell his stuff to auction houses. It seemed like he was very busy working in the middle of the day.

    ¡°All of the CCTV cameras have been taken care of, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You know radio jamming is my specialty. Just don¡¯t leave any fingerprints.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Remember, $2.5 million is waiting for us at the end of this job. We can laze around for several years off of that, so keep your wits about you.¡±

    In response to a colleague, Kang Yeong-hoon placed his hand on the wall. The fence was high, but it was not difficult for him to jump over since he was the awakener. The alarm sensor on the fence didn¡¯t ring because of the ability of a fellow awakener.

    Thump, thump¡ª

    Three people crossed the fence. However¡­

    ¡°There is a saying that fits this situation¡­¡±

    Surprised, Kang Yeong-hoon looked back to see a man with crossed arms, leaning on the fence that they just jumped over.

    ¡°Easy to enter but difficult to escape. Have you heard of that?¡±

    ¡°Kim¡­Su-hyeun?¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at the three with cold eyes. ¡°Why the hell are you here?¡±

 Chapter 211

    ¡°Uh¡­ That is¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Is this the wrong house?¡±

    Step, step-

    The three men were flustered by Su-hyeun¡¯s approach and took several steps back.

    << What is Kim Su-hyeun doing here? >>

    << How should I know? >>

    << Is this really the wrong place? >>

    << I said, I don¡¯t know! >>

    << You told us this was the right address! >>

    The three of them used the light in their eyes and movements of their lips to communicate with each other.

    In the midst of this, Kang Yeong-hoon urgently opened his mouth. ¡°Well, uh, I¡¯m really sorry about this. Looks like we got the wrong address.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to enter through the front door, so why did you jump over the wall?¡±

    ¡°Ah, hahaha, y-you¡¯re right. In any case, we are definitely in the wrong address, so we¡¯ll be on our way now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Su-hyeun observed Kang Yeong-hoon trying to weasel out of this, then shifted his head to look beyond the wall. ¡°All of the CCTV cameras have been taken care of, right?¡±

    Kang Yeong-hoon flinched at Su-hyeun¡¯s words. They were the exact words he had said earlier.

    ¡°$2.5 million is waiting for us at the end of this job. We can laze around for several years off of that, so keep your wits about you.¡±

    That was what he had said earlier, outside the wall. Rather obviously, Su-hyeun was leaning close to the wall in question so he had heard their conversation in full.

    ¡°Anything you¡¯d like to add?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°T-that¡­¡±

    Of course, they didn¡¯t have anything to say. That didn¡¯t mean they could attack him either, though.

    << Dammit, I never imagined that Kim Su-hyeun would be here. >>

    << We got unlucky. Why today of all days¡­ >>

    The connection between Su-hyeun and Kim Dae-ho was already well known. The former¡¯s original sword was crafted by the latter, after all. Despite that fact, both Geneva and Kang Yeong-hoon didn¡¯t believe the relationship between Su-hyeun and Kim Dae-ho was all that significant.

    It would be rather difficult to have a close relationship, to begin with. For instance, most awakeners that used Geneva¡¯s swords were interested solely in the products he had produced, that¡¯s all.

    A blacksmith maintaining a personal friendship with an awakener? Such a thing wouldn¡¯t be unprecedented, but still, it¡¯d be exceedingly rare.

    Furthermore, Kim Dae-ho was a blacksmith who had only recently left the rural countryside to live in Seoul. They should¡¯ve fully considered the possibility of his having an acquaintance here.

    ¡°W-we¡¯ll just go on our way. We weren¡¯t doing this because we have any animosity toward you, Mister Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    There was only one thing they could lean on now¡ªthat Su-hyeun would be merciful enough to let them go. Since their target wasn¡¯t him but Kim Dae-ho, it was possible that he might let them off the hook without too much fuss.

    ¡°Stop wasting my time, and tell me why you came here. From what I heard just now, someone paid you, didn¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not. No, we just thought that we might get rich by robbing the storage here¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that right? That¡¯s weird.¡±

    Crack-

    Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind Kang Yeong-hoon and broke his arm.

    ¡°Aaaaahk!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to waste my time?¡±

    ¡°Aaahk, aaaahk!¡±

    [Doppelganger.]

    A clone with a tangible, physical body. After the ¡®Doppelganger¡¯ skill¡¯s proficiency and level rose up, he was able to create clones that possessed a certain degree of a physical body.

    Shuffle, rustle-

    It wasn¡¯t just Kang Yeong-hoon, either. Two more black shadows appeared next to the other two men. It was then that the trio realized that they couldn¡¯t escape, nor was Su-hyeun planning to let them go.

    Plop, plop-

    ¡°P-please, spare us!¡±

    ¡°I beg you¡­¡±

    The other two men hurriedly knelt on the ground.

    From the very beginning, they couldn¡¯t even think about attacking Su-hyeun. They had a higher chance of survival by begging rather than fighting back, which could only end in them being mercilessly put down.

    Su-hyeun was known as a hero. A man who couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye toward threats facing not just his mother nation, but other countries, as well. A hero like that should have plenty of sympathy to spare.

    That¡¯s what they thought.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t seen by the CCTV, meaning no one knows you entered here.¡± Unfortunately, not even a single trace of sympathy could be seen in Su-hyeun¡¯s cold glare. ¡°No witnesses, no CCTV records, too¡­ Well, it¡¯s perfect, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    ¡°T-that is¡­¡±

    ¡°If you answer my questions truthfully, then I¡¯ll let you all go and I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    Kang Yeong-hoon, his arm currently bent back painfully, quickly spun the cogs in his brain.

    << For now, let¡¯s survive first. >>

    The results of his calculations were simple. He quickly answered.

    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know who the client is.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I just¡­ heard that if we kill the blacksmith found in this workshop, we¡¯d receive $5 million. We already got paid $1.5 million in cash as a down payment.¡±

    ¡°What about the facial features or clothing of your client?¡±

    ¡°He was a Korean man with a big physique wearing a pair of black sunglasses. He had a mole on his forehead, and was an awakener like us, probably around C-Rank, at a casual glance.¡±

    ¡°Where are you supposed to meet up with him?¡±

    ¡°Later tonight, the location will be sent to me by text. We were planning to go to the location regardless of the outcome of this job, you see.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to contact him?¡±

    ¡°No. Most of the contacts and communications are done in person. We¡¯ve been in contact like this until now.¡±

    ¡°A one-sided contact and meeting, is it¡­? It¡¯s quite smart, actually. Hand over the phone.¡±

    It was obvious why these men couldn¡¯t contact their client.

    << Either the other guy is using a burner phone or he¡¯s calling from a non-existent number. >>

    Also, tracing the mobile phone number and finding the target would take a long time, as well. So, the surest way was to rely on the description provided and subdue the target at the meeting location.

    << Since he¡¯s supposedly an awakener, finding the person shouldn¡¯t be too hard. >>

    Su-hyeun got the phone from Kang Yeong-hoon and read through the lists and contents of the calls and texts received so far. The latter cautiously studied the former¡¯s mood before asking a question.

    ¡°Can¡­ can we go now? I¡¯ve told you everything I know, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders, before he spoke again. ¡°Let me ask you one more thing.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°You lot, this wasn¡¯t your first rodeo, right?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question sent a chill down Kang Yeong-hoon¡¯s back.

    ¡°Yet, you still want to live?¡±

    ¡°B-but, you said you¡¯d let us go and not kill us¡­!¡±

    ¡°This thing called promise, yes it¡¯s important. Weighty, too. The thing is, though, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Uwaaah-!¡±

    The man on the right realized that Su-hyeun had never intended to let them go, and was the first to pounce toward the target.

    He was going for broke. Unfortunately for him, he was facing an opponent so much better than him that simple determination couldn¡¯t do much.

    Craaack-

    His head suddenly snapped to the side. Su-hyeun¡¯s shadow stuck to the man¡¯s back and reached out and broke his neck with a single motion.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t keep promises made to bastards like you.¡±

    Crack, snap-

    The moment Su-hyeun said that, the other two men¡¯s necks snapped simultaneously.

    Rustle-

    The three shadows sunk back underground with three corpses in tow. Su-hyeun muttered while watching this happen. ¡°You, stay near the uncle for the time being.¡±

    Another shadow heeded Su-hyeun¡¯s order and sunk into the ground. At the same time, Su-hyeun, eyes cold, vanished from the spot, as well.

    <hr />

    One hour later.

    Kim Dae-ho finally completed the armor and exited his workshop while pounding on his backside, stiffened from being bent over for so long.

    ¡°Have you been waiting for long? I¡¯m finished!¡±

    He yelled out in a loud voice and waited for Su-hyeun¡¯s reply. The latter could hear a noise as small as an ant from far away, so there was no way he¡¯d miss such a loud yell.

    But there was no reply.

    ¡°Hey, you fool! I said I¡¯m finished!¡±

    Kim Dae-ho headed to the backyard, where Su-hyeun said he¡¯d be waiting.

    Strangely, there was no one there.

    As Su-hyeun had never broken a promise before, Kim Dae-ho could only tilt his head in confusion.

    ¡°Did he go to the bathroom?¡±

    Act 7

    Ttu, ttu, ttu-

    A deep frown was etched on Geneva¡¯s forehead.

    The phonecall failed to connect, yet again. He might have suddenly heaped a whole load of work on the attendant¡¯s shoulders, yes, but even then, it had already been more than an hour since he lost contact with the man he hired at exorbitant costs.

    ¡°Just what is he doing right now?¡± Geneva shoved the phone back in his pocket in irritation. He loosened his tie and sat down on the bed. ¡°Stupid son of a b*tch. Nothing about this process has been satisfactory.¡±

    Geneva then tried to call the attendant one more time.

    He had paid a lot of money to hire this person after his business really took off. Although his rank wasn¡¯t high, the attendant was still an awakener who used to work for a distinguished American financial institution, so of course, Geneva would pay big bucks to secure his services.

    As the attendant was smart and capable, most of Geneva¡¯s business dealings went through his attention first, including advertising equipment, contracts with auction houses, and even entertaining high-ranked awakeners.

    Far too many matters would be stopped dead in their tracks if his attendant wasn¡¯t around to sort them out.

    Rrrring, rrrring-

    The signal went through. But the ringtone went on and on this time as well. If the attendant was going to answer, he would have by now.

    ¡°This bastard, he really¡­¡±

    Ttuk-

    The call connected. Geneva was startled by this and quickly shouted, ¡°You fool! What have you been doing? Why didn¡¯t you pick up your phone?!¡±

    -Sa¡­ save¡­ me¡­

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    -Save¡­ me¡­

    Something was wrong with the voice coming from the phone¡¯s speaker. The words kept getting cut off, as if the person speaking was about to die.

    That voice caused Geneva to shot up from his seat. For some reason, a creeping chill ran down his spine.

    << What is the meaning of this? >>

    It wasn¡¯t that the attendant didn¡¯t want to answer the phone. No, he couldn¡¯t.

    Then, a lively voice, completely different from a second ago, came out from the phone next.

    -We¡¯ll be there shortly.

    Shiver-

    It was just a voice from a phone, yet Geneva¡¯s entire body shivered from it. He thought he knew who was on the other side.

    << Kim Su-hyeun? >>

    Why was he answering the attendant¡¯s phone?

    Something didn¡¯t feel quite right. Geneva prepared to leave in a hurry.

    Clunk-

    It was then that the door was pushed open and two people entered the suite.

    ¡°We meet again.¡±

    One was Su-hyeun, with that expressionless face, like always, and¡­

    ¡°Ch-chair¡­ man¡­¡±

    ¡­The other was Geneva¡¯s attendant, bloodied and battered, being manhandled by Su-hyeun.

    Geneva muttered, ¡°W-what is the meaning of this insane¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, it¡¯s insane.¡±

    Whoosh-

    Splat-

    Su-hyeun tossed the attendant, still bleeding profusely from all over his body, over to Geneva. The poor man flew through the air powerlessly and collapsed on the floor.

    Geneva¡¯s wide eyes were locked onto the attendant.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about him. He won¡¯t die from those wounds. I avoided hitting his vital spots.¡±

    ¡°W-what do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±

    ¡°For now, why don¡¯t you sit down first? Looks like our discussion might be a little drawn-out, you see.¡±

    ¡°Why should I sit down?! I must lodge a complaint with the Authority¡­¡±

    ¡°Sit. Down.¡±

    Shudder-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s murderous aura shut Geneva¡¯s mouth tightly. The former then closed the hotel suite¡¯s door and leisurely strode inside.

    ¡°Money can be a very convenient medium. With money, you can do whatever you want. You can wield power, authority, and even go as far as to kill someone, too.¡±

    ¡°W-what are you even¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did you try to have uncle Kim Dae-ho killed? You aren¡¯t even acquaintances, so there shouldn¡¯t be any bad blood between you two.¡±

    Geneva¡¯s brows shot up at what Su-hyeun said, and he stared at the attendant still collapsed on the floor.

    << That bastard, did he¡­?! >>

    It seemed that the attendant had run his mouth off on everything that happened so far.

    But Geneva was inwardly still confident.

    << There¡¯s not a shred of evidence. >>

    Indeed, not a single piece of evidence existed about his plans. That¡¯s why Geneva believed that feigning ignorance would work wonders in this case.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say here. It seems like you are mistaken about something, but acting in this manner without knowing anything is simply wrong.¡±

    ¡°Right. I tried to find some evidence, but there was none. There were witnesses, but no physical evidence. A funny little thing where there¡¯s a victim, but no perpetrator.¡±

    ¡°So what do you even¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I also didn¡¯t leave any evidence behind.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s shifted over to the hotel suite¡¯s door and then, beyond it. ¡°I got rid of all the CCTV outside, and I¡¯m currently holding an interview on TV so that I can advertise uncle Kim Dae-ho¡¯s products for real now. Products of someone you seem to hate vehemently.¡±

    ¡°W-what was that?!¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a draw, right? You didn¡¯t leave any evidence, and neither did I. If there¡¯s one glaring difference here, then it¡¯s that, unlike uncle, you don¡¯t have anyone to protect you.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

 Chapter 212

    Geneva broke out into a cold sweat at Su-hyeun¡¯s words. Not even a sliver of sympathy nor mercy could be spied in the latter¡¯s cold and hostile eyes.

    Geneva sensed the threat of his impending demise from those eyes. No matter how world-renowned he was as a blacksmith, at the end of the day, he was just a regular powerless civilian, not an awakener.

    ¡°Y¡ªyou¡¯re lying¡­¡±

    Geneva hurriedly forced his trembling body to move. He picked up the remote tossed to the corner of the suite and switched the TV on.

    Su-hyeun quietly watched that.

    Click¡ª

    Beep, beep, beep¡ª

    Geneva hurriedly flipped through the channels, hoping to verify what Su-hyeun had meant. After changing channels for a while, his trembling hand stopped pressing the remote¡¯s button.

    ¡°We heard that Mister Kim Dae-ho, the blacksmith, is currently crafting your armor. Can you tell us what kind of armor it is, Mister Su-hyeun?

    ¡°First of all, the materials involved are all extraordinary. A regular blacksmith wouldn¡¯t even dare to touch those items.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell us what they are?¡±

    ¡°Even if I do, I¡¯m not sure whether or not you¡¯ll recognize them. Well, one of them is the item I got in the recent auction¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun could be seen on the screen.

    Geneva¡¯s head snapped to the side.

    Su-hyeun was also right there next to him.

    ¡°What¡­ is the meaning of¡­?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s impossible in this world. As long as the magical ability called ¡®skills¡¯ exist, the existences called ¡®awakeners¡¯ are capable of turning impossible into reality.¡± Su-hyeun sat down on the opposite side to Geneva, near the bedside table. ¡°The ¡®me¡¯ doing the interview right now is just a shell without any real powers. All it can do is move around a bit and talk. However, people watching through their TV screens wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference.¡±

    Su-hyeun watched his doppelganger¡¯s performance through the TV screen before shifting his attention back over to Geneva. ¡°Okay. If I kill you now, there won¡¯t be any evidence that could point to me, so would anyone really suspect that I murdered you?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    With an expression of pure terror, Geneva stumbled and shot up from his spot. He then tried to escape from the suite.

    Rumble

    However, he had to stop after a wall of flame appeared before his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this on my way here.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    After cutting off Geneva¡¯s escape path, Su-hyeun began to leisurely walk over to the blacksmith.

    ¡°I pondered whether I should kill you or not. The equipment you make will definitely provide crucial aid to our world, after all.¡±

    Without a doubt, Geneva was an excellent blacksmith. Until Kim Dae-ho made his appearance, he had been rated as the world¡¯s best. It didn¡¯t matter what kind of man he was. That fact would never change.

    ¡°But when I thought about letting you live, I couldn¡¯t help but recall those bastards that I killed earlier.¡±

    They were awakeners that specialized in contract killings. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even hesitate for a second before killing them all. They were scums that killed innocent people for money. He believed that they had no right to live.

    ¡°I killed them, but must I let you live? Just because you have some skills?¡±

    That would be strange.

    ¡°A world where the guilty party goes unpunished¡­Such a world is better off not existing.¡±

    ¡°P¡ªplease, spare me! I promise I¡¯ll be good¡­¡±

    ¡°What have you been listening to while I was talking a second ago?¡±

    Su-hyeun extended his hand toward Geneva¡¯s throat.

    The latter tried to resist that hand, but it was all in vain. No matter how hard he hit, it was like he was striking a sturdy boulder, and Su-hyeun¡¯s hand didn¡¯t even budge an inch.

    Grab

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand finally grabbed Geneva¡¯s throat, and then¡­

    Crack!

    He squeezed hard and crushed Geneva¡¯s neck.

    There wasn¡¯t even a scream. The neck had been so thoroughly crushed that the victim did not even have the chance to make a sound.

    Su-hyeun let go of Geneva¡¯s neck. The latter slumped on the floor lifelessly.

    Rumble, blaze

    Flames erupted on Geneva¡¯s body.

    Su-hyeun watched the corpse burn away before turning around to leave.

    <hr />

    Geneva¡¯s death.

    This incident was huge enough not just for Korea but for the whole world to go into a frenzy.

    ¡°It was you, right?¡± Lee Ju-ho suddenly asked as he came toward Su-hyeun.

    Although there was no lead-in, Su-hyeun still instantly understood what the question was about.

    ¡°Something happened that required such a response,¡± he replied.

    ¡°What I knew wasn¡¯t everything that happened?¡±

    The incident involved Geneva hiring someone to slander Kim Dae-ho¡¯s product. Because of that incident, Su-hyeun publicly broke one of Geneva¡¯s products and advertised Kim Dae-ho¡¯s instead.

    An eye for an eye¡ªthat was how far Su-hyeun was prepared to take the matter to up until now.

    ¡°But, why? Did that idiot try to have uncle killed?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°You really are quick-witted, you know that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing I¡¯m good at. In any case, that¡¯s what happened, right? Then it all makes sense.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho nodded his head as if he already expected this.

    Su-hyeun glanced at him. Then, while scratching his head, muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I did the right thing, though. I can¡¯t help but wonder whether I should¡¯ve just let him go or not.¡±

    ¡°Why would you?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s needed.¡±

    ¡°By whom?¡±

    ¡°You know, by everyone.¡±

    Su-hyeun was really conflicted about this. Conflicted about whether he should not have killed Geneva.

    Even now, his misgivings lingered.

    Was killing that man the correct decision? If he had let Geneva live, wouldn¡¯t all the weapons that he will create save even more lives in the future?

    As usual, it was too late to regret after a choice had been made. That also applied now.

    ¡°No, you did the right thing. It was the right call,¡± said Lee Ju-ho after lightly tapping Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I get what you¡¯re thinking about, but didn¡¯t I tell you this already? You don¡¯t have to agonize over this by yourself. Besides, you told me that you wanted to see a world where good people can live freely, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­I did.¡±

    ¡°Sure, that was a bit cringe-inducing, but I still like the sound of it. How wonderful would a world like that be? It might end up as nothing more than a dream, but if we keep working toward such a world, we might eventually get closer to it, right? The world won¡¯t change overnight but gradually, after all.¡±

    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t regret stuff like this. You did the right thing. No doubt about it.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words managed to bring a thin smile on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips.

    Sometimes, this guy really came across as his real older brother. A man who was both idealistic and realistic at the same time. That¡¯s why he was someone similar to Su-hyeun, yet also different. That was Lee Ju-ho.

    He lightly patted Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders a couple of times and continued. ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t really need a bastard like Geneva when we have someone even better, right?¡±

    Right after saying that, Lee Ju-ho used his chin to point in front of them.

    That was when Kim Dae-ho made his entrance while dragging his rather stiff figure. Currently, they were in South Korea¡¯s biggest item exhibition center, where the blacksmith was about to make his first public appearance.

    The occasion was to introduce the items of famous awakeners, and then let the reporters interview the blacksmith responsible for crafting them, as well as other well-known celebrities.

    Su-hyeun had come here with Kim Dae-ho so that he could officially introduce the name of ¡°Kim Dae-ho, the blacksmith.¡±

    ¡°H¡ªhello¡­ to¡­ you all. I, I¡¯m called Kim¡­ uh, Dae-ho¡­¡±

    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s really nervous.¡± Lee Ju-ho watched Kim Dae-ho trying to introduce himself while standing on the platform out in front. ¡°This really doesn¡¯t suit him at all.¡± He chuckled softly.

    Su-hyeun watching the proceedings alongside also started chuckling.

    The announcer introducing Kim Dae-ho must have thought that this couldn¡¯t go on because he quickly called for Su-hyeun¡¯s entrance next. It was a bit sooner than scheduled.

    ¡°Well, see you later.¡±

    ¡°Right. Break a leg.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    While feeling a bit refreshed inwardly, Su-hyeun stepped forward into the light.

    And this was how a blacksmith called Kim Dae-ho became known throughout the world.

    <hr />

    ¡°Next time, don¡¯t ever call me out for stuff like this.¡±

    After the event in the exhibition center was over, Kim Dae-ho returned to his workshop with Su-hyeun. That¡¯s when he said those testy words.

    As his complexion was still red, he must have been really tense back then. As a matter of fact, he was even redder right now compared to when his entire body was enduring the blazing heat from the furnace of his workshop.

    ¡°Big brother Ju-ho will give you a call every now and then. When that happens, try to spare about two hours of your day for him, please.¡±

    ¡°Are you asking me to attend another occasion like that?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you really hate it, then it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine. I might as well go back to Yangpyeong instead, eh?¡±

    Although the older man sounded like he was annoyed, Kim Dae-ho¡¯s actions made Su-hyeun nearly burst out into a loud peal of laughter, so he tried his best to suppress it.

    The current Kim Dae-ho cut a much brighter figure after moving into the city compared to back when he was living alone out in the sticks.

    Su-hyeun, having finished his task of accompanying Kim Dae-ho back to the latter¡¯s home, lightly pounded on the armor that he wore beneath his street clothes and spoke.

    ¡°I should be on my way now. Thank you for the armor, I¡¯ll treasure it.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho sneaked a glance while making a slightly sad expression after learning that Su-hyeun was about to leave but still managed to spin around to leave himself. ¡°Okay, then. Take care of yourself. I¡¯m gonna go back to work now.¡±

    ¡°Uncle.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s call prompted Kim Dae-ho to stop and quickly turn his head to look back. ¡°Argh, what is it now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always grateful for your work.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Kim Dae-ho blinked his eyes several times looking flustered before quickly averting his gaze. ¡°Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and go, you fool.¡± Keum, keu-heum

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Su-hyeun watched Kim Dae-ho enter the workshop.

    He knew why the older man decided to come to Seoul. He wasn¡¯t told of it during this lifetime, but he definitely had heard the reason in the past.

    ¡°Let me lend you a hand so that the ideal world you longed for becomes a reality.¡±

    That was the reason why Kim Dae-ho came to Seoul in the past timeline. It was also why he decided to reveal his creations to the rest of the world.

    I¡¯m also grateful during this lifetime.

    Su-hyeun bowed deeply in the direction of Kim Dae-ho¡¯s disappearing back before turning around to leave himself.

    That¡¯s why things will be different this time.

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun increased his speed.

    From the moment he passed the 43rd floor right up until now, he cleared the trials and climbed the tower at a rate far quicker than ever before.

    It wasn¡¯t that difficult to do so. Due to the effect of the title ¡°Hero,¡± fighting against monsters became so much easier, and the increase in the overall stats, including strength, played a key role.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    That screech came from the boss of the spider den. The theme of the current trial was the rescue of trapped people.

    Rumble, sizzle

    Boom, ka-boom!

    Su-hyeun entered the den of spiders and began burning away every single spider web these monsters had cast. People trapped in these webs were not affected, however. One of the advantages of the divine Flame was that, as proficiency got higher, the skill could differentiate between allies and enemies, and burn only the latter group.

    ¡°T¡ªthank you so much.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re saved! We¡¯re alive!¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Truly, thank you¡­¡±

    People freed from the spider webs gathered around Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Take that path to escape and you¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve already taken care of the spider queen as well, so the village won¡¯t be threatened again,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    He opened up a path for them to escape.

    And once all the people had been freed¡­

    [You¡¯ve acquired 1,500,000 achievement points.]

    [You¡¯ve attained the highest accomplishment points.]

    [You have perfectly cleared the trial on the 49th floor.]

    [Achievement ranking is being aggregated.]

    [Ranked number 1¡­]

    ¡­

    Messages announcing that he had cleared the trial popped up.

    The trial of the 49th floor didn¡¯t even take him three days.

    His current condition wasn¡¯t too bad. No, he was at peak condition¡ªhis body was now sufficiently warmed up, and his concentration was in a heightened state as well.

    Let¡¯s challenge it right away.

    Maybe the difficulty wasn¡¯t high enough compared to his actual skill level because, besides the achievement points, he didn¡¯t receive a whole lot of other rewards this time.

    But it didn¡¯t really matter to him. He wasn¡¯t expecting much from a ¡°regular¡± trial that wasn¡¯t even one from a 10th-numbered floor, to begin with.

    Step, step¡ª

    Having arrived in the 50th floor¡¯s world, Su-hyeun continued to move forward while thinking of challenging the trial right away. Of course, there was someone he needed to speak to first before that.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve come.¡±

    It came from a tramp-looking man sitting on a simple folding chair by the corner of the plaza.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡±

    It was the gatekeeper.

 Chapter 213

    ¡°What do you want? How much were you planning to spend before coming here?¡±

    What this gatekeeper asked wasn¡¯t all that different from the things everyone else Su-hyeun had encountered so far had asked him. But Su-hyeun could feel a vague, thorny undertone in the voice.

    He replied, ¡°Is it possible to learn anything I want as long as I have enough points?¡±

    ¡°Anything, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, anything.¡±

    From the 43rd floor up until now, Su-hyeun had spent as few points as possible, all in preparation for this moment.

    Gatekeepers provided various information depending on the number of points paid out. The greater the amount, the easier it was to purchase more detailed, higher-class information.

    The gatekeeper replied, ¡°Well, as long as it¡¯s limited to the info on the trials, then sure.¡±

    ¡°What about information besides that?¡±

    ¡°You should forget about what happened on the 43rd floor.¡±

    That was a completely different answer.

    ¡°That was an exception. Something that shouldn¡¯t have happened, something that must never happen. So, forget all about what happened.¡±

    Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t been certain, but now, as expected¡­

    Indeed, he had been expecting something like this ever since learning the truth of the gatekeepers withholding the secrets of this world from the events of the 43rd floor.

    << I guess it can¡¯t be helped. >>

    He felt a bit relieved, actually. Well, he no longer needed to waste points for no reason, after all.

    From the get-go, he wasn¡¯t all that curious about the secrets of this world. The important thing for Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t the Tower of Trials or the worlds found inside the trials itself. No, the world outside, the one he lived in, was far more important to him.

    Even if he could learn the secrets of this world by spending his points, he¡¯d still refrain if the amount required turned out to be too exorbitant to swallow.

    ¡°In that case, provide me with a hint for the next floor, please. How much is it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have any hints to give you. Because you need to tackle them head-on in the first place.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression became unreadable at the gatekeeper¡¯s reply. He couldn¡¯t decide whether or not he should be happy about this.

    ¡°Well, I can tell you two things. Although, it won¡¯t make much of a difference whether you hear them out or not. Are you still interested? I¡¯ll give you a discount. How about one hundred thousand points for both?¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    Su-hyeun figured that it¡¯d be better to hear them out and move forward instead of going in blind, so he extended his hand. And when he grasped the gatekeeper¡¯s hand¡­

    [You¡¯ve spent 100,000 achievement points.]

    The price was paid.

    ¡°Firstly, knowing it doesn¡¯t mean that the difficulty is low. Should I say it¡¯s a hard problem to solve despite you knowing how to? Especially so in your case.¡±

    ¡°What is the reason for that?¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s the second part. Because you¡¯re a good guy.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a good guy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think you¡¯re going to have a bit of a hard time with this one. That¡¯s as much as I can tell you. Now, go on ahead.¡±

    The gatekeeper finished talking and dismissively waved his hand.

    Su-hyeun quietly stared at him, before turning around to leave. It was nice that he got to save his points, but, for some reason, something just didn¡¯t quite feel right.

    << Whatever it is, we¡¯ll see when I get there. >>

    Su-hyeun headed to the center of the plaza.

    His body was suitably warmed up, and his state of tension was high, too. His current status meant that he shouldn¡¯t have any problems whatsoever, even if battles started the moment he stepped into the trial.

    << My condition is at its peak. >>

    He felt pretty confident about fighting, too.

    Actually, he had gotten far stronger than his initial goal, his own expectations. From the title of ¡®Hero¡¯, as well as Wrath¡¯s swordsmanship, and to even his strength stat that reached 99. His magic count had also reached 88. So, no matter how bad the difficulty was, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d struggle too much on a mere 50th floor.

    << Well, then. Shall we¡­ >>

    [The trial on the 50th floor is commencing.]

    When he heard that voice in his head, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed, the glare in them sharpening.

    << ¡­Get going? >>

    The scenery before his eyes changed, little by little.

    His right hand was already on the sword at his hip, while the senses in his whole body were in a state of high alert to feel out any and all presences near him right away.

    And so, when the scenery before his eyes had changed completely¡­

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    All the tension circulating within him dissipated in an instant.

    Chirp, chirp-

    Drip, driiiip-

    He heard the sounds of distant birds chirping away, and the nearby sounds of water dripping down¡ªthen, the voices of other people.

    Moo-

    Not only that, moos of cows and even the refreshing rustle of the passing breeze, too.

    The sight of the clear blue sky with a scant few clouds and the verdant fields on the ground below, plus the rural roads snaking between them, looked truly peaceful to his eyes.

    Much more so than any other scenery Su-hyeun had ever witnessed so far.

    ¡°What the heck is this?¡±

    <hr />

    The world of the tenth floor.

    The trial found in every tenth world held a special meaning to the awakeners climbing the Tower of Trials. The difficulty would shoot up for each of the sections, and people began calling them the hardest parts to clear.

    It was the same story for Su-hyeun. No, it was actually far worse for him.

    Despite choosing the highest difficulty trials, he was able to pass them without too many issues. Even then, the trials found on every tenth floor were the exceptions.

    So, he prepared for all contingencies and maintained peak condition as well as a heightened state of tension.

    But now¡­

    Moo-

    ¡°Argh, I told you not to step on the shoots over there! Hey, you¡¯re stepping on them again?!¡±

    ¡°Come on dad, people can accidentally step on them, you know! So what are you shouting at me for?!¡±

    ¡°The shoots will die, you dumbass! You going to take responsibility for ruining the crops, then?!¡±

    An uncle was noisily arguing with his son.

    ¡°Oh, no. The stain from the seasoning just doesn¡¯t want to come off.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you soak it in water for a few days? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll come off then.¡±

    ¡°A few days? Never mind days, I don¡¯t have anything to wear tomorrow. I¡¯ll just wear it as is.¡±

    Aunties were doing laundry by the stream, their sticks beating the wet clothes.

    This scene was too peaceful to behold.

    << Could this be an illusion? >>

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t lower his guard, his suspicion, even then. But no matter how many times he confirmed it, he was wrong.

    << No, it¡¯s all real. >>

    The moment he felt certain of this, Su-hyeun stopped walking and stood there. He dazedly stared at his surroundings once more.

    The scene around him was just too peaceful. This world¡¯s skies weren¡¯t tainted by dark, gloomy storm clouds. In fact, it felt even more peaceful than the lively and vibrant city of Seoul.

    << The system isn¡¯t working, either. >>

    Even the usual trial messages didn¡¯t show up.

    He wasn¡¯t informed of what he needed to do in this place to clear the trial. And that made him even more confused. He would¡¯ve felt better if monsters rushed at him in a huge horde, actually.

    ¡°Oiii, Hans!¡±

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t paying much attention to the voices in his surroundings so he, of course, ignored the call. But the source of the voice got closer to him and spoke again.

    ¡°Hans! Hey, fella, what are you doing here?¡±

    Grab-

    Smack-!

    Su-hyeun hurriedly slapped away a hand that grabbed his wrist. He spun around to face the man who had approached him from the rear.

    That blow must¡¯ve stunned the middle-aged man with dirt on his face, because he was staring back at Su-hyeun with a somewhat shocked expression.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Su-hyeun realized that he had been too tense and smiled awkwardly while hiding his wrist.

    The middle-aged man maintained that stunned expression as he stared at Su-hyeun. ¡°Hans, this fella. I didn¡¯t know you were actually this strong. Outwardly you¡¯re skinny and sickly so I thought you wouldn¡¯t have much strength to speak of.¡±

    ¡°Is¡­ that so?¡±

    It seemed that Su-hyeun¡¯s name during this trial was ¡®Hans.¡¯

    ¡°But I think I hurt my head on the way, uncle. I can¡¯t seem to recall anything all that well.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Again?¡±

    The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes opened wider, then he began inspecting Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    In the meantime, the older man¡¯s unexpected question surprised Su-hyeun. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®again¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Fella, you came to our village with the same problem a few days ago. You said that you hurt your head and couldn¡¯t even remember your own name. That¡¯s why we agreed to just call you Hans.¡±

    ¡°Is that what happened?¡±

    ¡°Right. It¡¯s only been a few days, so if you concentrate, you might remember something. I¡¯m Hamil. Do you remember?¡±

    ¡°Hamil, Hamil¡­¡±

    Obviously he wouldn¡¯t remember anything.

    Su-hyeun committed the name ¡®Hamil¡¯ to memory. Meeting this middle-aged man here, and his connection to the role of ¡®Hans¡¯, couldn¡¯t just be a coincidence.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this. I still can¡¯t remember anything clearly.¡±

    ¡°Really? Hmm. How strange.¡±

    ¡°By the way¡­ Where is my house, exactly? Ah, since I lost my memories, the house¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been staying in my place, remember? I asked you to get some wood from the mountain behind the village over there, but why did you have to go and injure your head again, clumsy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. H-hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°You should finish the job quickly. It¡¯s not that serious since you couldn¡¯t remember anything, to begin with, right? Wait, it is serious, isn¡¯t it? You won¡¯t remember where my house is.¡± Hamil muttered at length to himself before grabbing Su-hyeun¡¯s arm and began dragging him away. ¡°This won¡¯t do. For now, let¡¯s head back to my place first.¡±

    ¡°E-excuse me?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing? I told you to stay at my place since you had nowhere else to go, didn¡¯t I? Have you forgotten it alre¡­ I guess you have. So what, you don¡¯t want to go, then?¡±

    Su-hyeun blinked his eyes in fluster before making his reply. ¡°I, I¡¯m coming.¡±

    He hurriedly followed after Hamil.

    He figured that he needed to understand this world¡¯s situation first.

    <hr />

    Hamil¡¯s residence was about ten minutes of fast walking away from where Su-hyeun had started the trial.

    The house itself was small and rather humble. Wooden planks were liberally plastered over the building¡¯s exterior after the fact and Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but wonder if water would leak incessantly inside on rainy days.

    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re early! What about your work?¡±

    They entered the house and were greeted by the voice of a slightly older woman. The boisterous cheering of young kids came one beat later. It seemed that the children were playing on their own somewhere.

    ¡°Actually, I ran into Hans on the way, you see. This fella, he says he lost his memories again so what can I do?¡±

    Hamil¡¯s wife was about the same age as he was, maybe around mid-thirties. She looked taken aback, then stopped knitting right away. ¡°Oh my goodness? Again?¡±

    ¡°Right. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to get home like that, so I brought him back just in case. Eiing, this clumsy fella. Seriously, man.¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve been more careful, young man. Wait, does that mean you also can¡¯t remember me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Mm, can¡¯t be helped, then. I¡¯m sure you feel disoriented so why don¡¯t you take a seat first? And you dear, why did you ask a young man without memories to gather wood in the first place?¡±

    ¡°Argh, I didn¡¯t force him to do it, did I? What should I do when he asked me for any available job he can take on?¡±

    As soon as entering his home, Hamil put the luggage on his shoulder down and began bickering with his wife. Su-hyeun just stood there and watched this rather normal family scene.

    ¡°Oops. Where¡¯s my head at? Don¡¯t just stand there and make yourself at home. Your legs must be feeling tired.¡±

    Hamil¡¯s wife pointed to the corner of the room and addressed Su-hyeun. Hamil, looking somewhat miffed after receiving the brunt of all that nagging, settled down on Su-hyeun¡¯s opposite side.

    ¡°By the way, dear? Did you hear the rumors?¡±

    ¡°What rumors?¡±

    ¡°You know, the uncle next door, who passed on a few days ago?¡±

    ¡°Of course I know him. He suddenly got sick one day, then kicked the bucket without a warning, didn¡¯t he? I feel bad for his kids.¡±

    ¡°Apparently, three people saw that uncle on the road last night.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? How can anyone see a dead man?¡± Hamil snorted derisively. He turned around and mindlessly scratched his butt, indicating his lack of interest in the rumor.

    But Su-hyeun reacted differently. ¡°Are they saying that a dead person was walking around?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The strange thing is, those three who saw that uncle are saying that they aren¡¯t feeling well today, either.¡±

    The moment she said that¡­

    [The first trial will commence.]

    [Meet the soul of the deceased.]

    [Stop the spread of the plague.]

    The system, silent until now, suddenly sounded its alerts.

    The soul of the deceased. And then, the plague.

    The outline for this trial was gradually revealing itself.

 Chapter 214

    Act 8

    For a while after that revelation, Su-hyeun asked to hear more about this and that from Hamil and his wife. Most of his questions were general knowledge, such as the geography of the village or the history of the continent they were living on, etc.

    After spending a few hours with the older couple, Su-hyeun was able to leave again to get some wood, ax in tow. He cut down some trees quickly to fill the quota, then took a good look at the village¡¯s surroundings.

    << The soul of the dead and a plague¡­ >>

    He studied the village as the setting sun cast an amber glow over the horizon to signal the passing of another day.

    << I think I can more or less figure out what the theme is. >>

    Su-hyeun then picked up and placed all the logs and branches on his back and returned to Hamil¡¯s residence.

    ¡°Goodness me! Why did you get so much firewood?¡±

    Hamil¡¯s wife was stunned at the amount of logs Su-hyeun brought home. She hadn¡¯t expected much since it was his first time wood logging, but here he was, bringing home a lot more than anyone could have bargained for.

    He replied, ¡°Looks like I might have a talent in this profession.¡±

    ¡°Nice job. Well now, it feels like I need to reward you with a daily wage or some such.¡±

    ¡°Where is Mister Hamil?¡±

    ¡°I wonder? He¡¯s not back yet. I guess he¡¯s running a little late today. Supper might get delayed at this rate, so I hope you aren¡¯t feeling too hungry?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be alright. I also need to go out again for a little bit, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Surely you don¡¯t have anywhere urgent to go?¡±

    ¡°On the way home I met someone whom I can¡¯t stop thinking about, you see.¡±

    Su-hyeun put the logs down and replied while getting ready to leave again, and Hamil¡¯s wife asked back with a brightened expression, ¡°Ah, could it be someone you recognize?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes¡­¡± He replied as he stepped outside the house. ¡°Something like that.¡±

    Creak-

    Step, step-

    Su-hyeun opened the wooden plaster serving as a door and stepped into the road, glowing in the amber hues of the setting sun.

    This wasn¡¯t the modern world, so there were no street lamps to speak of, and the road around him had already become as dark as the middle of the night as a result. It was obvious that meeting someone would be rather difficult now, and, unlike how it was during the day, the stillness was so heavy that not a single squeak could be heard.

    Step, step-

    Only Su-hyeun¡¯s footsteps reverberated around the road.

    Step-

    His steps eventually came to a halt in front of a run-down house in the corner of the village. Only a sliver of light leaked out from it.

    Waah, waaah-!

    A baby¡¯s cry could be heard coming from the house. Other than that, there were no other sounds.

    Su-hyeun unhesitantly walked up to the house. ¡°Anyone home?¡±

    Waaah-!

    He asked again, but, other than the baby¡¯s wail, there was no reply.

    ¡°Pardon my intrusion.¡±

    Brush-

    Su-hyeun brushed aside a door made out of straw and entered the house. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone was home, yet two figures were lying next to each other inside.

    ¡°W-who¡­¡±

    A man sweating profusely from his entire body, as if he¡¯d kick the bucket at any second, forced himself up. Maybe he was asleep because he was rubbing his eyes while looking at Su-hyeun.

    But Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t looking at the waking man. He stared at the spot next to him. ¡°Is that person your wife?¡±

    ¡°W-who are you? Why did you enter someone¡¯s house without permi¡­¡±

    ¡°Is she even breathing?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    The man gasped in shock and hurriedly pulled the bedsheets away.

    His wife, who had been hurdled next to him, was silent for some reason. The man shook her, but she didn¡¯t budge an inch.

    ¡°Dear, dear! Please wake up!¡±

    The man initially shook his wife¡¯s body, but soon resorted to pounding on her as if he was hitting her. A living person would¡¯ve woken up already from the sheer pain, but his wife still showed no signs of movement.

    Only then did the man realize the truth. That his wife was no longer with the living.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ah, ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you sad?¡±

    ¡°But, why¡­ there was no warning¡­¡±

    The man buried his face on the wife¡¯s corpse and despaired, before raising his head again and glaring at Su-hyeun. ¡°You did this, didn¡¯t you?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more thing.¡± Su-hyeun didn¡¯t bother to reply to the man¡¯s accusation and instead proceeded to say something else that would stab coldly into the grieving man¡¯s heart. ¡°Are you a living person yourself?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    A dazed expression floated on the man¡¯s face when Su-hyeun asked that. But then, the man raised both of his hands to cover his face.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡±

    Shu-wu, shu-wuwuwu-

    The man began growing fainter and fainter. At the same time, the previously-faint aura grew stronger.

    It was the distinct aura emitted by the dead.

    [You¡¯ve discovered the soul of the dead.]

    [1/12.]

    [Dispose of the soul of the dead.]

    [0/12.]

    [Stop the spread of the plague.]

    Sha-aaaah-

    A massive amount of aura of death began oozing out, with the man at the center.

    It was the sickness that had been slowly spreading earlier. But it began spreading at a much faster rate the moment the man realized what he actually was.

    ¡°Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s call prompted Miru¡¯s head to pop out from the space right next to him. He lightly rubbed the red dragon¡¯s head and gave an order.

    ¡°Stop that from spreading.¡±

    Gya-ong-

    [Dome Protect.]

    Giii-iiiing-

    A thin, transparent barrier materialized to enshroud the small house in a dome. The pathogen and the aura of death leaking outside were blocked off and began circulating within the inside of the dome, instead.

    Right after that¡­

    Snap-

    Rumble, pa-pa-pang-!

    A large flame blazed within the protective barrier Miru had set up.

    Kiii-aaaah-!

    ¡°Aahk, aaaaahk!¡±

    A person¡¯s scream and a screech belonging to the dead resounded at the same time. Soon, the flames burning inside the house dissipated along with the screams.

    -Hehe, hehehehe.

    Laughter drifted in from the distance, laughter that was filled to the brim with the aura of death.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s head spun in that direction.

    << So, it has begun. >>

    There were twelve souls of the dead in total. He had only managed to eliminate one of them

    Su-hyeun recalled a rather unpleasant memory from the past and hurriedly made his next move.

    * * *

    Rumble-

    Pang, pa-pa-pang-!

    The middle of the road, covered in darkness, was suddenly illuminated by an explosion of light. Yet another soul had dissipated from the burning flames.

    [Dispose of the souls of the dead.]

    [11/48.]

    Their number had ballooned. Even at this moment, more people were turning into evil spirits.

    << It¡¯s too difficult to handle the whole village in one go. >>

    The area to be covered was just too wide. The speed of their increase would eventually outpace him if he tried to hunt down and eliminate them one by one.

    ¡°H-help me! Aaaahk!¡±

    A man¡¯s screaming came from a distance. The voice was familiar to Su-hyeun. He quickly spun around in that direction.

    He could see Hamil running away in the distance.

    And then¡­

    Kiii-aaah-!

    Behind the poor man was a half-transparent evil spirit with a distorted expression, busy giving chase.

    Grab-

    Su-hyeun grasped the spear tied to his back, then injected his magical power into the weapon. Right afterward, he bent his body and threw the spear with quite a lot of power.

    Fwoosh, swoooosh-!

    Pow-!

    The face of the evil spirit, which didn¡¯t actually possess a physical body, was pierced straight through. Su-hyeun injected magical energy into his hand again and recovered his spear.

    Swoooosh, grab-

    He was now far more adept at throwing and catching the spear.

    Su-hyeun hurriedly rushed toward Hamil. ¡°Uncle, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Pant, pant. T-there, the ghost, it¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gone now.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Eh?¡±

    Hamil looked around this way and that to check his surroundings. The evil spirit doggedly pursuing him up until a second ago had vanished.

    Hamil trembling away with a slightly dazed expression plopped down to the ground. Su-hyeun watched that and asked the older man. ¡°Where is¡­ auntie?¡±

    ¡°Right b¡­¡± Hamil pointed behind him like a man with half of his mind gone. ¡°She was behind me¡­ until a second ago¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [Dispose of the souls of the dead.]

    [12/49.]

    The total had increased by one.

    Su-hyeun clenched his fists tightly. His insides were boiling. Even more so than usual, since this wasn¡¯t his first time experiencing an event like this one.

    Gii-hehehehe-

    The cackle of another evil spirit came from a distance.

    Su-hyeun squeezed his eyes shut and muttered inwardly.

    << Still, not yet? >>

    Gya-oh-ong-!

    Miru¡¯s voice called out from a distance. It was the signal he¡¯d been waiting for.

    Su-hyeun spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t move from this spot and be still, uncle. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Uh, what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡±

    Tap-

    Su-hyeun lightly tapped Hamil¡¯s shoulder.

    [Doppelganger- Shadow Attachment.]

    At the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s shadow stuck onto Hamil¡¯s body.

    Even if it was just a shadow, it was still Su-hyeun¡¯s. It possessed some level of intelligence and even could share consciousness with him, as well.

    An existence that could use some magical powers, albeit weakly, sticking close to Hamil should be enough to ward off the lower-ranked evil spirits and protect him in the meantime.

    Paht, pah-at-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure rapidly leaped up into the air.

    He then activated ¡®Leap¡¯ skill to quickly make his way. The view around him seemed to instantly change every time the skill was activated.

    The destination he headed to was the foot of the mountain located behind the village.

    Gya-ong, gya-oh-ong-!

    Boom, bang-!

    Ka-boom-!

    Along with Miru¡¯s cries, small explosions could be heard.

    He was getting closer to their location. And, soon after that¡­

    Swoooosh- crack-!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s foot stomped down on the head of someone as he arrived at his destination.

    Crack-

    The sensation of the head being crushed was different from that of a normal person¡¯s. He had some suspicion after sensing the aura of death from the villagers, and, as it turned out, he was spot-on.

    The moment he arrived, Su-hyeun swept his gaze over Miru and the countless ¡®men¡¯ wearing robes surrounding his dragon.

    He quipped to himself, ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of you here today?¡±

    ¡°Are you the master of this dragon?¡±

    These robe-wearing beings had loose-fitting hoods pulled down to cover their faces. Hearing their question, Su-hyeun glanced down at the bone shards crushed below his feet.

    Bones without any bits of meat on them. But, this guy used to be alive and standing on two feet only a second ago.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t Liches, so¡­ Skeleton mages below that rank, I suppose?¡±

    ¡°We shall ask again.¡± A husky but dry voice droned on. ¡°Are you the master of this¡­¡±

    Shatter-

    It didn¡¯t even get to finish its question.

    The robe was flung back and the bones underneath were crushed to powder. Before anyone had the time to notice it, Su-hyeun¡¯s leg flashed and destroyed the head of the nearest skeleton asking the question.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡±

    Rumble-

    An incredible level of magical power roused up all around Su-hyeun. The conflagration from the divine Flame spread out and illuminated the night sky like the middle of the day for a moment just then.

    ¡°Get the hell out of this village.¡±

    Ruuuumble-!

    Boom, pa-pa-pa-pang-!

    Flames completely blanketed the surrounding land. Although he only used the weaker orange-colored Flame with a lower concentration of magical energy, this was still more than enough for the job.

    He was facing off against skeleton mages that hadn¡¯t even reached the rank of Lich, after all.

    Crackle, hiss-

    The trees on the foot of the mountain were left unscathed. The only things burning away were the skeleton mages kitted in robes as well as the magic circle with thick lines drawn on the ground below.

    Hissss-

    The magic circle emitted a scarlet color. It gradually lost its effect as the divine Flame burned it away.

    Su-hyeun took a look at the magic circle dozens of meters wide in diameter and thought to himself.

    << A sorcery to spread plague and another one to create evil spirits, combined into one. >>

    As expected, the commotion in the village was caused by this bunch of skeleton mages.

    It was the right call to send Miru out to search for the magic circle while he stayed back to protect the villagers. He figured that Miru, the highest-ranked among the dragons, would be far better suited at seeking out all things magic-related than he could ever be.

    [Dispose of the souls of the dead.]

    [49/49.]

    [You have cleared the first trial.]

    The messages entered his head.

    All the evil spirits in the village had vanished. Those things were only able to exert some influence in the world of the living by relying on the magic circle¡¯s power, so when it disappeared, they disappeared, as well.

    << Well, then. Let¡¯s see¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun glared at a skeleton currently thrown into a corner. While all the other skeletons were burned to ashes, only this one was left unscathed.

    Step-

    ¡°You do know that you didn¡¯t get lucky, don¡¯t you? I chose to let you live.¡± Su-hyeun walked up to the monster, lowered himself, and sat before it. ¡°I¡¯m gonna say this once. You want to kill me, right?¡±

    He then pointed to himself.

    The skeleton raised its head and looked at Su-hyeun. Through its hollow eye sockets, someone was staring straight back at him.

    Su-hyeun directly addressed that someone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting here, so all of you better show up. I¡¯m giving you exactly one hour.¡±

 Chapter 215

    * * *

    The forest was silent.

    Su-hyeun was sitting on a spot at the foot of the mountain, eyes closed. He had used his sword to smoothly cut off the top of a sharp boulder to prepare a place to sit down earlier.

    One hour passed like that. During that time, he didn¡¯t do anything, simply stayed still, eyes firmly shut.

    ¡°They sure came fast, didn¡¯t they.¡±

    He suddenly opened his eyes.

    Rustle, shu-shu-shuk-

    Multiple presences not visible to the naked eye had appeared. Several dark human-like figures began appearing one by one on top of the surrounding trees. Quite a lot of them had shown up as a reward for him diligently waiting for an hour straight.

    << About a hundred skeleton mages and another hundred close-quarter combat type skeletons. >>

    Although he was guessing, Su-hyeun could still more or less decipher the overall size of the approaching skeleton combat force instantly.

    << And¡­ a single Lich-class, too. >>

    There was no reason to get alarmed here.

    After all, even if a Lich was considered high ranked among the undead monster types, a single A-Rank awakener was enough to easily deal with one.

    Of course, he was under no illusion that this Lich was the boss of this trial.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t a bunch of squirrels, so what are you all doing up in the trees? Come down already. I¡¯m not planning to kill you right away.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was no reply.

    Su-hyeun straightened his knees and slowly stood up.

    It was around then¡­

    Swiiiish, swish-

    Several skeletons descended to the ground. Unsurprisingly, none of them possessed an ego. Only one among these creatures possessed that, actually.

    The Lich asked, ¡°What is your purpose for calling us out here?¡±

    ¡°Well, there are several reasons. I thought that seeking you out one by one would get tedious, so I might as well deal with you all at the same time, and¡­¡±

    ¡°You still think that way after seeing this many of us?¡±

    ¡°You still think that way after witnessing me?¡±

    Su-hyeun scanned the hundreds of skeletons surrounding him and smirked deeply.

    He wouldn¡¯t get perturbed in the slightest no matter how many of these undead decided to show up. Everything he had gone through until now would¡¯ve been for naught if enemies playing numbers games managed to scare him at this stage.

    Su-hyeun retorted, ¡°Even if you bring an army a hundred times bigger than this, I still wouldn¡¯t get scared by small fry like you lot, so you better stop trying to intimidate me. It¡¯s a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°We shall see about that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡±

    Stomp-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s foot stomped on the ground.

    Right after that¡­

    Whir, whirr, whirrr, whirrrr-

    Fwooooosh-!

    A vivid line suddenly stretched out and instantly created a gigantic ¡®circle¡¯ with Su-hyeun on one edge.

    The Lich sensed the reverberation of magical energy coming from the line that blanketed the land and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Jump up to avoid it!¡±

    But the response came a beat too late.

    Pa-pa-pa-pa-pang-!

    A massive explosion enveloped the huge expanse of the verdant forest.

    This fire wasn¡¯t from the skill, divine ¡®Flame¡¯. This was just an enormous explosion capable of blowing up the entire forest.

    Toss, grab-

    In the center of this explosion, Su-hyeun was nonchalantly tossing a small pebble up and down over and over again. He then asked a question. ¡°You done with seeing now?¡±

    This was the result of a device that caused an explosion when magical energy was injected into it, one of Kim Dae-ho¡¯s creations.

    ¡°As a trap, this device is pretty much perfect. Not only can I cover a wide area if I have enough of them, but the explosions can go off with only a little bit of magical energy, too. It¡¯s pretty good at saving my magical energy when dealing with small fry.¡±

    Giiii-iiing-

    Su-hyeun stared at the sole surviving monster, the Lich, within the flames of the explosion. The creature protected itself by casting a thin barrier around its body.

    ¡°Of course, its firepower isn¡¯t really enough to kill an undead on the level of a Lich, though.¡±

    ¡°You dare to lay down a trap¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to use the word ¡®dare¡¯ in this situation, but okay. Anyways¡­¡±

    Swish, grab-

    In the blink of an eye, Su-hyeun¡¯s hand was grabbing the Lich¡¯s head. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, you shouldn¡¯t die just yet.¡±

    Giii-iiing-

    Magical energy leaked out from the tips of Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and permeated the skeletal head of the Lich, reaching into every corner of its bleached bones.

    Right afterward¡­

    Tumble-

    The Lich¡¯s body went slack. Its soul had abandoned it.

    Crush-

    The Lich¡¯s head was crushed to powder in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    Shu-wuwu-

    Then, a thin thread of magical energy materialized from his hand. This unbelievably thin and fragile-looking thread soon lost its shape and scattered away.

    ¡°Miru.¡±

    Gya-oh-ong-!

    His soft call was met with Miru¡¯s energetic cry.

    ¡°You saw it, right?¡±

    He meant the magical thread that had materialized in his hand.

    The moment Su-hyeun grabbed the Lich¡¯s head, he took over the control of the undead and began searching for the ¡®main body¡¯ somewhere else.

    A thin thread-like medium existed between this Lich and the main body, and Su-hyeun used magic to connect the two and find the source. And it was Miru¡¯s job to detect the exact location.

    Su-hyeun was well acquainted with these monsters called Lichs. They were fundamentally sorcerers. Rather obviously, they enjoyed manipulating things while hiding behind the scenes.

    That was why they wouldn¡¯t try a head-on confrontation unless they held a certain degree of confidence in their success.

    << As I thought, there are more than one. >>

    The Lichs sent out one among their ranks and watched through its eyes. They were probably planning to test the depths of Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities this way.

    But that only served to trap these undead creatures, instead.

    Flap-

    Miru, flapping his wings and flying in the air, dropped closer to the ground. Su-hyeun activated ¡®Leap¡¯ skill and jumped up high to climb on the back of his red dragon. There wasn¡¯t a single issue with flying around on Miru¡¯s back as he had grown quite large recently.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Gya-ong-!

    Flap-

    Fwooooosh-!

    Miru flapped his wings and began flying forward. They were moving so fast that the scenery passed them by in an instant. The distance to be covered wasn¡¯t that great.

    << To control a Lich¡¯s body through puppetry, you need to be within at least ten kilometers away. >>

    With Miru¡¯s speed, they should arrive at their destination before the bastards had enough time to escape.

    Swish, swoooosh-

    Miru carrying Su-hyeun on its back headed towards a tall mountain in the distance.

    ¡°Hey, Miru?¡±

    Gya-ong-

    ¡°If you spot any bastards trying to escape, burn them to a crisp and make sure they don¡¯t get out of here.¡±

    Gya¡­

    ¡°Without making a sound, though. Complete silence, okay?¡±

    Su-hyeun urgently reached down and covered Miru¡¯s mouth, and, while blinking his eyes, the dragon nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Okay, then. Now let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Split-

    Su-hyeun opened the third eye in his forehead and scanned the entire mountain. He could clearly see that within the depth of this huge mountain lay a vast network of hidden underground caverns, as well as the magical energies emitted by the Lichs moving inside.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s see what kind of a place this is.¡±

    Swoosh-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure descended to the ground below.

    * * *

    Gu-gugugu-

    Rumble, tumble-

    He broke through the surface and descended below the mountain, and was soon greeted by a vast cavern underground. He hadn¡¯t been planning to conceal his arrival in the first place, so Su-hyeun headed to the back of the caverns where the Lichs were waiting for him.

    [You have discovered the base of the Lichs.]

    [Wipe out the Lichs.]

    Two messages popped up.

    He had already predicted the ¡®first trial¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be the end, but still, it was his first time seeing several trials being chained one after the other.

    << A continuous chain of trials, is it¡­ It¡¯s a pretty unique set-up. >>

    The majority of the trials were the type that provided you with an explanation of what were their end goals and asked you to figure out a method to clear them.

    << Wipe out the Lichs, is it¡­ >>

    How many of them could possibly be here?

    Whatever the case might have been, it was a big relief that he discovered the Lich¡¯s base so quickly like this.

    Drip-

    The cavern was quite damp, and pools of water had formed in several places. Not even a speck of light could be seen.

    Lichs naturally hated light. That probably had something to do with why they had made their move at night.

    << They seem busy. >>

    Although everything seemed still and quiet in the cavern, Su-hyeun could vividly sense the presences at the end.

    The cavern being so quiet made it easier to detect them, actually. Even though the distance between them was great, he could still sense that the Lichs were agitated right now.

    << Can¡¯t they figure out whether to¡­ fight or run away? >>

    Lichs were smart bastards.

    They couldn¡¯t be viewed as mere monsters as they possessed even better intelligence than most regular humans. But that was obvious considering that they used to be humans themselves, and also were knee-deep in the study of magic that only geniuses could dip their toes into in the first place.

    But the Lichs were currently agitated.

    This was their base of operations. Their stage where they didn¡¯t have a reason to retreat.

    Even then, Su-hyeun willingly breached their base. Which showed how confident he was.

    In such a situation, which of the two options would be wiser¡ªfighting against Su-hyeun who had barged into their base all alone, or abandoning their base and retreating right away?

    There was no clear-cut answer. And that was why they were even more confused right now.

    Pah-ahk-

    Su-hyeun followed along the cave and dashed forward.

    He didn¡¯t plan on giving them time to think. No, he wanted to get there even a second faster and sow greater confusion among them.

    Swoooosh-

    ¡°Heo-urhk!¡±

    In the middle of his dash, he ran into a Lich. The monster hurriedly raised its hand to tried to activate a magic spell after seeing the human intruder. But, under the circumstances, since their gazes had already met, Su-hyeun¡¯s movement would always be several steps faster.

    Crush-!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s fist shattered the Lich¡¯s head.

    That was the result of a strength stat that had reached 99. He didn¡¯t even need to call on his magical powers. Just his physical ability alone was enough to subdue a regular Lich, and then some.

    Soon afterward¡­

    Thud-!

    Crack-

    Su-hyeun dashing forward crashed into something in mid-air. Specifically, a thick transparent barrier that had been set in the middle of the passageway.

    He stumbled several steps back.

    << It¡¯s not just a single layer. >>

    Indeed, there were more layers beside the one he crashed into. Several more had been generated behind it. Forget double or triple layers, he could see dozens upon dozens of them.

    These barriers had been installed when Su-hyeun invaded this place. It seemed that defense-type magic circles had been installed in the whole of the cavern.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t even a modern fortress or something, so what gives? Gotta hand it to them for their preparedness, at least.¡±

    Su-hyeun furrowed his brows while staring at the dozens of barriers. Even if Lichs were involved, it¡¯d still be impossible to set up magic circles of this magnitude in just one or two days.

    Meaning, they had been preparing for a fairly long time.

    << Just what have they been doing here? >>

    Strictly speaking, he wouldn¡¯t have been particularly surprised to see the Lichs deciding to abandon their base and run away after he had discovered them.

    These bastards didn¡¯t like getting involved in fights they hadn¡¯t planned for meticulously, and were also famous for running away without a shred of hesitation, too. That¡¯s why Su-hyeun had been expecting them to turn tail and run from the get-go.

    He had Miru wait outside the cavern precisely for that eventuality. He wanted his dragon to incinerate any Lichs planning to escape.

    But they were not showing any hints of running away. The signs of their initial confused agitation had disappeared, as well.

    << So, there¡¯s something here, is that it? >>

    It seemed that the trial¡¯s theme and this location had some kind of a connection.

    << I don¡¯t want to waste my time breaking through these layers one by one. >>

    Grip-

    Su-hyeun grabbed the spear tied to his back. Finally, he found an opportunity to use this thing properly.

    It was the new spear crafted by Kim Dae-ho¡¯s capable hands¡ªthe spear whose might had been concentrated in one spot, the speartip made out of adamantium.

    Wuuu-oooong-

    He sent his magical powers into the spear.

    Although it was crafted for the purpose of dealing with boss-level monsters, that wouldn¡¯t be its only potential application.

    << I¡¯ll pierce through to the end in one shot. >>

 Chapter 216

    Act 9

    ¡°You¡¯re scared by a lone human?!¡±

    Stomp, craaack-

    A foot made of nothing more than bones stomped down, causing the ground below it to crack and split apart. At the same time, a vast amount of magical power spread out within the large underground void.

    Several Lichs in the surroundings faltered, while a few others managed to hold their ground.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen that he¡¯s not a normal human, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s still just a human.¡±

    A Lich with an inverted cross engraved in its forehead glared with its empty eye sockets. Yet another Lich with the same inverted cross was staring back at it.

    ¡°Not every human is the same. There is a definite need to be cautious.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the combat strength we possess enough to easily surpass a kingdom¡¯s army? You¡¯re all a bunch of cowards.¡±

    It was exactly as the Lich had said.

    There were several dozens of Lichs currently gathered in the underground void. What¡¯s more, four apostle-rank Lichs like itself were among the group, as well.

    With a force of this size, swallowing a kingdom whole wouldn¡¯t be a difficult task.

    If dozens of Lichs got serious and earnestly infiltrated a kingdom, then it wouldn¡¯t be a difficult task to take over the seats of the high-ranking nobles one by one and bring the nation down from within.

    ¡°No matter how powerful he is, at the end of the day, he¡¯s just a single human being. More importantly, a living creature can never defeat the undead like us.¡±

    ¡°Billip, you were this arrogant back when you were still alive. That¡¯s why you lost your life.¡±

    Those two Lichs were apostle-ranks. They knew each other better than anyone. They had been friends even back when they were both still alive.

    As such, they bickered often and frequently raised their voices at each other, like right now. And they also evolved alongside each other, as well.

    ¡°Ramu, you¡¯ve always been a coward. Always far too preoccupied with running away and hiding somewhere.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I used to run away and hide in order to survive. That¡¯s why I know the truth. Now is the time to hide. As we do not know who our enemy is, we have no reason to fight him.¡±

    ¡°Run like a bunch of rats? Because you¡¯re scared of one human bastard?¡±

    ¡°Whatever the case may be, that bastard cannot enter here. Is there a need to fight unnecessarily, then?¡±

    ¡°Even then¡­!¡±

    Shatter-!

    A loud commotion cut into the two Lichs¡¯ conversation. Billip and Ramu shifted looked away. The noise had come from the entrance of the underground void.

    << It can¡¯t be? >>

    A warning bell chimed loudly inside Ramu¡¯s head.

    The fact that the noise could be heard even in here meant that the intruding human had managed to come very close.

    Breaking past dozens upon dozens of barriers?

    << That¡¯s impossible. >>

    The magic circles installed around the void were designed to automatically regenerate the thick protective barriers. Even if the human had the ability to shatter one barrier, it¡¯d simply regenerate back to normal in an instant unless he had the necessary power to break through every single one of them at once.

    ¡°Ramu.¡±

    Billip¡¯s voice, raucous and loud only until a second before, was much heavier now.

    ¡°It seems that matters will not go as you wish.¡±

    Step, step-

    Soft footsteps could be heard approaching the void¡ªaccompanied by the high concentration of magical energy densely permeating the inside of the void.

    ¡°¡­I know,¡± said Ramu with a nod of its head. At the same time, it issued orders to other Lichs in the vicinity. ¡°Everyone, spread out. And prepare the most powerful magic you can cast.¡±

    The ¡®regular¡¯ Lichs nodded at the new commands.

    There were a total of four apostle-ranked Lichs. They slowly walked toward the lone human entering the underground void¡ªSu-hyeun.

    ¡°And what brings you here, human? Did you lose your way?¡±

    Ramu¡¯s voice prompted Su-hyeun to stop walking. He took a look around him. The seemingly-empty underground void was filled with countless coffins strewn about liberally.

    << Coffins, corpses, and unknown magic circles. >>

    The short-fused Billip saw Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes shift around and loudly shouted, ¡°Did you not hear the question?!¡±

    ¡°Billip.¡± Ramu realized that Billip was about to launch a magic attack in agitation, so it raised its bony hand to stop its comrade. ¡°Don¡¯t get agitated.¡±

    ¡°Why are you stopping me? If we¡¯re going to fight anyway, why¡­¡±

    ¡°Look behind the human first,¡± Ramu spoke with a smaller voice and pointed behind Su-hyeun. Only then did Billip notice the unfolding situation there. And right away, it also felt the exact same emotion as the other apostle-ranked Lichs.

    ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    That emotion would be pure shock, then instinctive fear.

    On the passageway Su-hyeun had walked past, the magic circles¡¯ effects were activating to regenerate the shattered barriers.

    << He didn¡¯t disarm the magic circles before entering here?! >>

    After seeing Su-hyeun reach this far, Billip naturally believed that the human had somehow disarmed the magic circles and that¡¯s how he managed to reach the underground void.

    It wouldn¡¯t be impossible for an excellent sorcerer to analyze the principle behind the magic circles and then disarm them, after all.

    Not only that, but all of the magic circles installed here were crafted with a similar basic principle. Meaning, if the human was able to disarm one, then he should also be able to disarm the rest, as well.

    But then¡­

    << If he really managed to destroy them all¡­ >>

    For the first time after becoming a Lich, Billip felt death creeping ever so closer.

    Within this pervading silence, Su-hyeun finished scanning the interior of the underground void. Then¡­

    ¡°So, that¡¯s the center of it all.¡±

    He murmured to no one in particular.

    Right at that moment¡­

    Ramu, readying its magic, loudly yelled, ¡°Kill him!¡±

    Piiick, piiii-eeek-

    Chwa-rurururuk-

    The magical powers of all the Lichs present focused on one spot, and black chains and ropes flew at Su-heyun. Of course, dozens of different types of magic attacks also rained down on him simultaneously, as well.

    Grip, squeeze-

    Chwa-rururu-

    Su-hyeun grabbed the black chains rising out from the ground with both hands, then yanked them all the way out by their roots before swinging them around.

    Clang, claaaang-

    All the fired magic spells collided against the chains and either got deflected away or were extinguished outright. The Lichs were flustered by how the chains were yanked out from the ground and hurriedly readied their next batch of magic spells.

    Gu-wuwuwu-

    A massive gravity field began bearing down on Su-hyeun¡¯s body. That wasn¡¯t the end, however. Curses that gradually gnawed away at his skin, and also ones that dulled his body, began encroaching on him. They were skills meant to arrest his movements.

    << It¡¯s done. >>

    Billip felt slightly relieved inside after the magics landed on the target. No matter how monstrous his strength was, it would mean very little if his body rotted away and grew inconceivably heavier.

    << In that case, we should¡­ >>

    The only thing left to do would be to slowly torture the opponent, who couldn¡¯t move anymore. That¡¯s what Billip thought.

    Piii-iiit-

    Piiik, piiik, piiik-

    But then, the heads of all the Lichs within Su-hyeun¡¯s attack range were sliced off.

    It wasn¡¯t just their heads, however. More correctly, even the source of a Lich¡¯s life, called the ¡®Life Vessel,¡¯ nestled within the heads had been accurately sliced apart, as well.

    ¡°B-but, how¡­?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been like this forever,¡± said Su-hyeun, lowering the arm wielding the sword that no one had even noticed him unsheathe. ¡°I¡¯m the natural enemy of all sorcerers. Which means, it¡¯s the same for you Lichs, who are still sorcerers even in death.¡±

    ¡°The natural enemy of sorcerers¡­?¡±

    Billip stared at Su-hyeun.

    The latter¡¯s skin, visibly rotting away only a second ago, had reverted back to its original state already¡ªsignaling that the effects of the magic had dissipated soon after it was activated.

    << But how? In such a short time, no less?! >>

    This wasn¡¯t as simple as annulling magic. No, it meant that the human had resistance high enough to not get affected by magic in the first place.

    Piii-iiit-

    Billip sensed a burning sensation in its head and turned around. It had forgotten what pain was like after becoming a Lich, yet this burning sensation still flooded in its mind.

    There could be only one explanation for that.

    Billip raised its hand and touched its forehead. It was the same story for the other Lichs nearby, as well.

    ¡°Just¡­ when¡­¡±

    There was a hole in its forehead. Its ¡®Life Vessel¡¯ had been accurately pierced.

    Strength seeped out of Billip¡¯s figure and, soon, a torso made out of nothing but bones crumbled to the ground.

    Plop, plop-

    Only one Lich remained standing now. It was Ramu, who managed to tilt its body at the last second to save its Life Vessel, somehow.

    << But how¡­ in such a short time¡­ >>

    Ramu, with almost half of its head gone, stumbled back while staring at Su-hyeun in horror. It managed to save its Life Vessel, yes, but its condition was still far from ideal.

    ¡°You do know that you didn¡¯t get lucky, don¡¯t you? I let you live.¡±

    The words sounded so familiar. Indeed, Su-hyeun had said the same thing back when he spared a single skeleton for the purpose of finding the location of the Lichs.

    ¡°What is this place? What were you doing in here, to begin with? If you tell me that, I¡¯ll let you carry on living forever, with that coin-like thing in your head.¡±

    There was only one reason for a genius sorcerer who was the envy of the world to chose to become a Lich.

    Eternal life.

    Some sorcerers would say that they became Lichs for the purpose of researching magic even further and for longer. But most of them were lying.

    The desire to keep living. That was the minimum required condition for anyone wishing from the depths of their being to become Lichs. A sort of ¡®qualification¡¯, as it were.

    So, you didn¡¯t need anything else when digging out information from such creatures. Since their desire to live was so strong, all anyone had to do was to appeal to that.

    ¡°Are you trying to get information from me, human?¡±

    ¡°Well, torturing a Lich wouldn¡¯t work, anyway. You guys can¡¯t feel pain, after all.¡±

    ¡°You speak as if you¡¯re well-acquainted with our kind.¡±

    ¡°As much as I need to be. Okay, so. What¡¯s your answer?¡±

    ¡°You ask the obvious.¡± Ramu didn¡¯t hesitate with its answer. ¡°Kill me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure. Thanks.¡±

    Shatter-!

    Su-hyeun crushed Ramu¡¯s skull with his hand, then reached inside. He caught the fingernail-sized Life Vessel hidden within.

    ¡°That answer is already enough for me.¡±

    Grip, squeeze-

    Rustle-

    The moment the Life Vessel turned to powder in Su-hyeun¡¯s grip, Ramu¡¯s body crumbled to the ground as well.

    Su-hyeun dusted his hands to get rid of the powder and lightly kicked away the regular pile of bones that used to be Ramu. While taking a good look at the remains of the Lichs, he thought to himself.

    << As I thought, these Lichs were not normal. >>

    In the first place, Lichs weren¡¯t really known for their collectiveness like this.

    Each and every single Lich was a prideful sorcerer, to begin with. Obviously, their individuality was far stronger than the need to work together, which meant that it was very difficult for them to work in a group.

    Despite this fact, the Lichs found here were working together with one singular purpose in mind. That alone was already quite suspicious.

    << They didn¡¯t fear losing their lives, either. >>

    Even to its last, the Lich Ramu didn¡¯t fear being killed at Su-hyeun¡¯s hands.

    This guy chose to become a Lich because it feared its own demise. In spite of that, it willingly chose death? As far as Su-hyeun knew, there could only be one motive strong enough for that.

    << Faith. >>

    The only thing that Lichs placed more importance in than their own lives.

    Su-hyeun could think of only one existence capable of instilling such blind faith in these Lichs, who never really cared for anything else besides magic.

    << A trial related to the Lich King, is it¡­ >>

    A ¡®chain¡¯-type trial.

    He had been wondering why the beginning was so easy. But the story would change drastically if the bastards here were connected to the Lich King.

    << Things might get complicated. >>

    He wasn¡¯t sure if the Lich King would personally interfere with the trial. Not yet.

    But, seeing as the trial hadn¡¯t ended yet, it became clear that he¡¯d get involved in the shenanigans of other Lichs in the future.

    So, he needed to find the next set of clues.

    << For now, I better find out¡­ >>

    Su-hyeun cast his gaze at the magic circle drawn on the ground as well as the coffins in the underground void that the Lichs had been protecting. Particularly at the coffin in the middle of them all.

    << ¡­What they were doing here first. >>

 Chapter 217

    Step, step-

    Su-hyeun walked slowly and lightly rubbed the magic circle drawn on the ground with his toes.

    << I can¡¯t figure out what kind of magic this thing is for¡­ >>

    Shove-

    He pushed open the lid of a coffin on the edge first.

    << They placed a living person inside a coffin. >>

    A coffin was meant to house the dead, but the dead person inside this particular one still had intact skin that hadn¡¯t rotted away completely.

    More importantly, though, was the person¡¯s expression.

    Such a distorted expression could only belong to a person who had died slowly while being subjected to intense pain inside the coffin.

    << They locked living humans inside these coffins and sucked out their lifeforce, before focusing it in one spot. >>

    Tug-

    Su-hyeun closed the coffin¡¯s lid.

    While walking slowly toward the center, he checked out the other coffins one by one. The story remained the same¡ªdead humans inside all of them.

    Step-

    He finally stopped in front of the coffin in the center.

    The Lichs had set this whole place up just for this particular coffin. Not only that, they even made sure not to carelessly fling their magic around while attacking Su-hyeun in fear of damaging it, too.

    Rather than use their usual wide-area attack magic, the Lichs resorted to attacks that focused magical powers in one spot like a bullet, or on spells meant to restrict him.

    << Let¡¯s see what kind of important thing is inside this coffin¡­ >>

    Grab-

    Su-hyeun reached down and grasped the lid of the coffin.

    Creaaak-

    Thud-

    The heavy coffin lid fell to the ground.

    For sure, this coffin was different from the others in that it was crafted rather sturdily. And, when Su-hyeun confirmed what was inside, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, too. He was simply dumbfounded.

    ¡°A kid?!¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­¡±

    There was a young sleeping boy inside, drooling and licking his lips and tossing around a little after being disturbed by all the commotion.

    Su-hyeun thought he¡¯d be treated to the sight of an incredibly powerful Lich or something, so he ended up standing there in a pure daze.

    It was right then.

    [Protect Roy.]

    [Remaining time: 240:00:00.]

    A new trial began.

    The system message was telling him to protect someone without any explanation whatsoever. It certainly was a simple, clear command that didn¡¯t beat around the bush.

    There was no need to search for this Roy, either. The fact that the system message popped up now could only mean that this child was none other than the mysterious ¡®Roy¡¯.

    ¡°¡­What is up with this kid?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s head, clear and focused when fighting against the Lichs, was now being overtaken by a migraine.

    He spat out a groan and gently picked Roy up from the coffin.

    The boy was still quietly slumbering away.

    <hr />

    Crackle, hiss-

    After exiting the Lichs¡¯ base, Su-hyeun found a spot by the road, gathered some dead branches and got a fire going. Sleep didn¡¯t want to come, so he simply started practicing swing his sword, instead.

    Swish, swoosh-

    Just like before, he slowly, carefully, practiced the Wrath¡¯s swordsmanship techniques and waited for Roy to wake up. Miru was asleep next to the campfire with a content expression on his face.

    And so, about four or so hours later¡­

    ¡°Mm¡­¡±

    Roy, curled up on the ground, began to toss around again.

    Swish-

    Su-hyeun finished the last practice swing and exhaled deeply before putting Balmung back in its scabbard.

    Roy was looking around at his new surroundings with drowsy, half-open eyes.

    Su-hyeun called out to the boy, ¡°You up?¡±

    ¡°¡­Who are you, uncle?¡±

    He had expected that sort of a question.

    A complete stranger was busy swinging a sword next to him, so it would¡¯ve been even weirder if the boy didn¡¯t find this scene rather strange.

    Su-hyeun replied as Roy slowly got up, ¡°Well, I wonder. I can only give you my name and not much else besides.¡±

    ¡°Your name, then. May I know what it is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Su-hyeun. Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim, Su¡­ It¡¯s an odd name.¡±

    Roy mouthed Su-hyeun¡¯s name a couple of times, before tilting his head a little.

    Naming conventions were different in every country. Not to forget, their worlds weren¡¯t even the same, to begin with, so it was unsurprising that the boy found Su-hyeun¡¯s name somewhat odd.

    Su-hyeun quietly observed Roy still muttering his name.

    He thought that the boy would start panicking right away yet, unexpectedly, Roy seemed rather well-composed. As if he had not a lick of fear in that little frame of his.

    ¡°Hey, kid. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Roy. Roy Rawlsman.¡±

    ¡°Roy¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun had been wondering what he would do if this kid wasn¡¯t the ¡®correct¡¯ Roy, but, much to his relief, he was.

    He asked, ¡°How did you get captured by those guys, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Those guys?¡±

    ¡°Well, uh¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t sure how he should go about explaining the stuff about the Lichs and hesitated. He could kind of tell that Roy had no recollection of what had happened.

    ¡°Was I being held captive by someone else again?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you remember?¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. But, I thought that might be the case.¡±

    ¡°Might be the case? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t my first time, you see. Kidnapped by someone, get rescued, then kidnapped again¡­¡±

    Not his first time?

    The way he said these things, it didn¡¯t even feel like this was second or third time, never mind his first. So much so that Su-hyeun had to wonder just how many times you needed to get kidnapped in order to become this numb to it.

    ¡°How many times has it happened to you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not certain. But I¡­ am familiar with it.¡±

    ¡°You are familiar with it?¡±

    ¡°It was my very first memory, you see. The day I was kidnapped, and how my family came to rescue me.¡±

    That was the boy¡¯s first memory.

    A kid who looked barely ten years old was saying these things.

    Roy had a noticeably different air about him compared to other kids around his age. He spoke, and that expression of resignation he kept making made it look, as if he had already lived his life in full.

    Su-hyeun asked again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Roy with a nod, then he carried on in that calm voice from earlier. ¡°Even if you die, you don¡¯t really die, anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    You don¡¯t really die after dying? What kind of reply was this?

    Su-hyeun took a closer look at Roy¡¯s eyes¡ªand only then did he realize it.

    The boy¡¯s eyes slowly shifting around weren¡¯t actually looking at him before now. This kid was looking at something else that Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t perceive.

    ¡°Those guys who kidnapped me this time, they were also undead, yes? Or Lichs, I presume?¡±

    Hearing those words confirmed Su-hyeun¡¯s suspicions¡­

    ¡°They¡¯re really persistent, you know. I wonder what their business with me can possibly be. Five times out of ten, it¡¯s always been the Lichs.¡±

    ¡­that this boy was one heck of a strange little kid.

    <hr />

    Driiible-

    Bubble, bubble-

    Su-hyeun cut a stone to create a pot, threw in some ingredients and boiled them into a stew, then fashioned cups out of smaller stones and poured water in one.

    He dumped this unnamed mishmash of things on a stone plate and passed it on to Roy along with the cup of water.

    The boy had been staring at the empty spaces for a while, his eyes constantly shifting.

    ¡°Eat.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the food.¡±

    He might not fear death, but he certainly seemed rather scared of starvation. Roy took the plate and used a wooden spoon to dig into the food.

    He must¡¯ve enjoyed the taste, because he didn¡¯t complain once while wolfing the food down.

    [Remaining time: 235:37:34.]

    Time continued to tick by.

    It had already been four and a half hours.

    Nothing much had happened so far. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know what might happen once this time elapsed, but, regardless of that, he knew he was supposed to do this one thing.

    << Do I need to protect this kid, just like this? >>

    Feed him, let him sleep, and protect him on the side?

    If it weren¡¯t for the Lichs aiming for Roy, this whole thing would basically be Su-hyeun acting as the boy¡¯s parent. A job so easy and boring that he might end up yawning, actually.

    Su-hyeun also shoveled the food in his mouth like Roy next to him. He couldn¡¯t afford to skip out on his meals if he was to exert some strength later on.

    Su-hyeun, silently eating his share for a while, noticed that Roy¡¯s plate was empty and asked, ¡°You want seconds?¡±

    The boy had emptied his plate a while ago but, for some reason, didn¡¯t want to put it down and still firmly held onto it.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question prompted Roy to nod his head as if he¡¯d been waiting for it. So, Su-hyeun scooped up some more food and placed it on the boy¡¯s plate.

    Five helpings later.

    Even though Su-hyeun had prepared a lot, Roy still managed to eat until he was scraping the bottom of the pot. Sometime in the middle of the meal, Su-hyeun stopped eating his share so that the boy might have more to eat later.

    << I guess I¡¯ll eat on my own later or something. >>

    He still had more than enough simple foods, like dried meat and bread, left inside his subspace pouch.

    Seeing how Roy was gulping down the food, it felt like Su-hyeun was somehow stealing the poor boy¡¯s share despite him having made the dish in the first place.

    That was how much Roy was enjoying the meal.

    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±

    ¡°Was it that tasty?¡± Su-hyeun asked while taking the plates away.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Roy replied with a lowered head. ¡°I hadn¡¯t eaten in a while, so¡­¡±

    ¡°I guess you were really hungry, then.¡±

    Roy nodded a couple of times to signal his reply.

    Su-hyeun pushed the plates to one side, then placed his hand on the boy¡¯s head to pat the kid.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make some more later.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Roy kept his reply brief as his eyes began wandering around in the empty space again.

    ¡°You can see the souls, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Are there dead people around here? Or, could it be that they are constantly around you?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ around me.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like they¡¯re following you around.¡±

    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re following me.¡±

    Su-hyeun had his suspicions, and he was right on the money.

    << A kid who can see dead people, is it¡­ >>

    It certainly was a unique ability. But it also wasn¡¯t a particularly outstanding or amazing ability, either.

    Well, an ability to see ghosts wouldn¡¯t really be considered all that advantageous, after all. But this revelation was no doubt a vital clue for Su-hyeun.

    << Is this related to the reason why the Lichs are aiming for Roy? >>

    ¡®Ghosts¡¯ usually meant the images of souls. They were also known to infrequently bring upon harm to living people, as well.

    But, from what Su-hyeun knew, the ghosts that harmed people weren¡¯t really ¡®ghosts¡¯.

    They were actually the undead, a category of animated dead beings that could directly inflict physical and psychological harm on living humans.

    Beings like Lichs and Death Knights were the most well-known examples of the undead.

    Ghosts and undead were definitely not the same. But the difference wasn¡¯t all that great, either. Because of ghosts, the undead could exist¡ªthe ghostly souls were like the roots for the trees called the undead.

    << If Roy was born with this ability¡­ >>

    Maybe, it was possible that this matter was related to Roy¡¯s family.

    << We don¡¯t have anywhere else to go, anyway. >>

    He wasn¡¯t planning to return to the village that he had stayed in until the evening. His position had already been exposed, so if he decided to stay in the same village, there was a good possibility of it turning into another target.

    The villagers would be in danger, and it also wasn¡¯t a wise choice to stay in the same, exposed location, as well.

    << Roy implied that his family has been constantly battling the Lichs. >>

    Meaning, they must possess some ability to protect themselves. Also, Roy returning to the embrace of his family would be an ideal end, too.

    << Well, before that¡­ >>

    Shu-rung-

    Su-hyeun stood up and unsheathed his sword.

    Roy saw that, but his expression showed his complete lack of fear. No, he actually opened his eyes wider to watch closely what Su-hyeun would do next.

    Swish, pah-ahk, pah-pahk-

    Splaaash-

    Su-hyeun¡¯s blade reached out in every direction as if it was dancing and sliced the trees in the near vicinity. No, more correctly, the ¡®things¡¯ hidden behind the trees, instead.

    Shwu-aaahk-

    Bang, ba-bang-!

    Spheres resembling eyeballs exploded softly and their debris scattered all over the ground. Not just one or two, but several dozens of them, no less.

    Those things had been showing up one at a time for the last few hours but Su-hyeun simply let them be until now.

    << They shouldn¡¯t be able to track us for a while after this. >>

    Now that he sliced apart all of the ¡®eyes¡¯ watching them, it¡¯d definitely take some time for the next batch to show up and cling to him.

    He didn¡¯t know how many more Lichs were out there, but, no matter how many there were, the number of times the tracing magic could be used should be limited, after all.

    << From here onward, we¡¯ll be in a chase. >>

    A chase. The word certainly suited their current situation.

    Well, no matter how fleet-footed Su-hyeun was, it¡¯d still be impossible to not be discovered while continuously being on the move when he had to carry an extra burden called Roy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going, Roy.¡± Su-hyeun stood up straight and offered his hand to Roy. ¡°Time to go home.¡±

 Chapter 218

    <hr />

    A wide circular floor.

    This hardened floor suddenly became pitch-black. Up until only a few moments ago, the floor had been acting as a massive mirror that reflected someone¡¯s figure.

    ¡°We lost them,¡± a gravelly and abrasive voice resounded.

    ¡°Find them again,¡± someone then replied.

    ¡°We need more time. Rather cleverly, he eliminated all the ¡®eyes¡¯ in one attack. We need time if we are to recover our sight.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡±

    That question was met by an answer coming from another direction.

    ¡°It¡¯s being prepared as we speak. Five minutes should suffice.¡±

    ¡°Still too long.¡±

    Five minutes was more than enough to leave the location and escape from their pursuit. A normal human might not be able to go more than a handful of meters, but that man, he was no ordinary human at all.

    On top of this, that man was even accompanied by a dragon.

    Until the ¡°eyes¡± were repaired, it was impossible to tell the distance that the man and child would manage to cover or the direction they might flee to.

    ¡°Do whatever it takes to find them.¡±

    That ominous voice came from a huge Lich standing in the middle as it kept staring at the mirror on the floor.

    ¡°Even if we have to burn the whole continent down.¡±

    <hr />

    Swoosh¡ª

    Miru, flying above the clouds, rapidly traveled in one direction.

    Su-hyeun was riding on the back of his red dragon while holding Roy¡¯s waist tightly. Getting scared by this would not have been surprising, but the boy did not even utter a single complaint other than narrowing his eyes from the harsh buffeting of winds.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru heard Su-hyeun¡¯s command and leaned its body to head toward the ground.

    They emerged below the clouds to be greeted by a completely different scenery. The mountains they used to be in only a few minutes ago were already small dots in the distance.

    Su-hyeun and Roy climbed off from Miru¡¯s back. Then, as a sign of his appreciation, Su-hyeun patted Miru¡¯s back and head before feeding the dragon some dried meat.

    Roy staggered a little, perhaps feeling dizzy from the rapid flight, before recovering his bearings and asking a question. ¡°Why did we come down? We were moving really fast, weren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to be up in the sky.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easier to get discovered up there. Even if it¡¯s a bit slower, moving on the ground is better. Also, although Miru and I are confident enough about protecting ourselves if we get attacked in the air, we can¡¯t guarantee your safety, you see.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°If you get it, then let¡¯s get going already. According to what you said, we need to walk the whole day to¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you protecting me?¡±

    Roy¡¯s question stopped Su-hyeun¡¯s feet from taking another step. The latter then lowered his gaze to look at the boy staring up at him.

    ¡°Uncle, you don¡¯t really have a reason to protect me. You aren¡¯t even a dead person, too¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m a living person.¡±

    ¡°Yes. And you¡¯re not a family member either.¡±

    Roy¡¯s words made some sense.

    It was indeed rather suspicious. A man he had never seen before rescued him from the hands of the dastardly Lichs, provided him protection from the enemies, and even offered to escort him home.

    It certainly would be difficult to believe, especially when one lived a life similar to Roy¡¯s.

    The thing was, though, Su-hyeun¡¯s thought process was a lot simpler compared to Roy¡¯s.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have a reason, but¡­¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for the trial, Su-hyeun would have never met Roy.

    To begin with, he was not someone from this world, and without these trials, he would not have a reason to run into the Lichs either.

    However¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s not like such a thing is a must, you know?¡±

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed Roy by his waist and then placed the boy on Miru¡¯s back.

    ¡°Not every adult in the world is bad, you see. An act of kindness without the promise of a reward does exist in this world.¡±

    If this was not a trial, would he have taken the same actions?

    He asked himself that brief question and arrived at the answer quite easily.

    Indeed, he would have.

    He didn¡¯t have any other reasons. He didn¡¯t even need a reason, anyway.

    ¡°If you really want a reason, well, you¡¯re still a kid, that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a kid?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. At least until you grow up, it¡¯s the job of the adults to protect you so that you get the chance to become an excellent adult yourself and go on to create a better world than this one.¡±

    ¡°An excellent adult¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, an excellent adult. Like this big bro of yours.¡±

    The earnest words that also contained a bit of humor caused Roy to form a rather serious expression. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ think about it.¡±

    Just what would he be even thinking about? Su-hyeun thought but didn¡¯t pry any further.

    He knew that Roy was rather unique, but it seemed that there was something more to the child than that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s prompt, Miru began trudging forward. Thankfully, there were plenty of trees that could hide them, so moving around with the red dragon had not been a big problem.

    Even if I eliminated all the eyes, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to move around undetected forever.

    Lichs were rather good at tracking someone down.

    Their magic didn¡¯t even miss the smallest hints of traces, and they had the necessary ability to scour every corner of the continent with nothing but a small trace.

    Most likely, Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t be able to keep moving under the radar forever. Although it would get annoying, the confrontation with the Lichs was unavoidable.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he felt scared by the prospect or anything like that.

    If it¡¯s not in the air but on the ground¡­

    Su-hyeun glanced back at the mountain that served as the Lichs¡¯ base as a smirk formed on his lips.

    It doesn¡¯t matter how many. Let them come.

    Act 10

    Tumble, tumble¡ª

    Bang¡ª!

    A Death Knight¡¯s body was shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.

    Bleached bones littered the surroundings. Su-hyeun tossed aside a sword he took away from the Death Knight and spoke.

    ¡°You thought this would be enough?¡±

    There were hundreds of skeletons¡ªten or so of Lichs and even dozens upon dozens of Death Knights.

    They hid underground and suddenly sprung out to attack without warning. But even then, the size of the combat force was already inadequate against him.

    Su-hyeun brought the Lich that he grabbed closer to his face. The body made of nothing but bones was currently limp, but its soul still remained within.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but you¡¯re still watching, aren¡¯t you?¡± Su-hyeun asked while looking straight into the hollow eye sockets of the Lich.

    Su-hyeun never believed that these bastards that showed up today were the real deal.

    Most likely, the one who sent these Lichs, Death Knights, and skeletons was watching the proceedings from afar through yet another set of eyeballs.

    ¡°If you want to take Roy away, you better come here personally. Stop believing that these small fries can do the job for you. If not¡­¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    The strength of Su-hyeun¡¯s grip on the Lich¡¯s head gradually increased.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you pray to your god or something?¡±

    Shatter¡ª!

    The Lich¡¯s head shattered into bits in his hand.

    At the same time, a small lick of flame ignited and burned away the Life Vessel inside the skull to ashes.

    After getting rid of the last remaining Lich, Su-hyeun shifted his gaze to the side over to Roy, who was currently accompanied by Miru, and asked, ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Roy and Miru replied at the same time.

    The boy didn¡¯t display much emotion until then, but now he was looking around the place with a somewhat stunned expression.

    ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re really strong.¡±

    Roy didn¡¯t have an opportunity to witness Su-hyeun fight properly until now.

    Sure, there had been a couple of times when they ran into wild animals during the trip, but Su-hyeun easily beat them all back, so this would be the boy¡¯s first time witnessing the battle against the real enemies.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did I look weak to you?¡±

    ¡°Well, compared to the knights serving in our family, you don¡¯t have a big physique, and¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t fight with your physique, though.¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t look that scary either, you know.¡±

    ¡°¡­You certainly don¡¯t fight with your looks either.¡±

    Su-hyeun deliberately gave a good-natured smile and ruffled Roy¡¯s hair. Then, he turned around and scanned their surroundings with a cold expression.

    [Remaining time: 186:37:34.]

    Roughly a little over two days had passed.

    It had been a day since they crossed the border, and Su-hyeun and Roy were about to reach the capital city. As a matter of fact, they could see the tall outer walls surrounding the empire¡¯s capital in the far-off distance.

    The issues lied with the Lichs, however.

    Are they testing me? Su-hyeun considered.

    Lichs showed up as if they had been waiting for him. Their numbers felt off, though.

    He would have found it more logical if a force with twice or thrice the current number had shown up. However, there were no more than 10 Lichs and around 20 Death Knights. A large number of skeletons showing up was also practically meaningless.

    Of course, this force was more than enough to completely devastate a fiefdom. However, Lichs should have been able to more or less guess Su-hyeun¡¯s overall capabilities by now.

    Therefore, they shouldn¡¯t be thinking that a combat force of only this scale could extract Roy from his protection.

    More importantly¡­

    Why are they sneak attacking only now?

    So many points felt suspicious to him, leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

    ¡°Are we not going?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s train of thought was interrupted when Roy and Miru urged him on. Agonizing over the matter was not the solution. Su-hyeun shook his head and turned around to leave.

    ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    <hr />

    Now that they had reached the capital, Miru couldn¡¯t accompany them anymore.

    Just like how it was with most other worlds, dragons were rare creatures even in this particular trial¡¯s world. They were just mythical creatures that were mentioned a few times in legends.

    Therefore, a dragon like Miru wandering around the streets openly would inevitably draw in unwanted attention.

    No, wait¡ªthey would be lucky if the only thing that they would draw in would be people¡¯s attention. They could alert the empire¡¯s sorcerers, and they might come together to capture Miru for research and such.

    ¡°Well, it sure is big, alright.¡±

    Upon arriving at the capital¡¯s outer walls, he looked up at the structures that easily exceeded a hundred meters in height. He then reached out to touch a wall. He felt that he could almost sense its toughness and thickness.

    Ordinary magic won¡¯t even be able to scratch it. Not only that, but the whole thing also seemed to be made of some sort of an alloy that possessed resistance against magic.

    As expected. Is this a sign that this is indeed the capital of the empire?

    With this level of toughness, these walls should be able to withstand a barrage of all-out attacks from the Lichs for several days straight.

    ¡°Where are you from?¡±

    Su-hyeun was about to enter the gates, but the two sentries stationed there crossed their spears, blocking off his path. Somewhat predictably, anyone who wanted to enter the capital must have something to confirm their identity, and he had no such thing.

    The only one he could rely on now was Roy, the son of a prominent noble household.

    It was at this point that Roy stepped forward to say something. ¡°I¡¯m Roy, from the House of Rawlsman.¡±

    He then pushed forward a small plaque.

    ¡°From the House of Rawlsman! Please wait for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Are you the scion of the house Rawlsman?¡±

    One of the sentries that rushed inside the capital soon returned. He was accompanied by a woman in her early thirties, as well as two knights.

    Roy¡¯s eyes went a little wider. The woman saw the boy, and despite wearing a long skirt, she still managed to dash toward him.

    ¡°Roy!¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    A call to her son filled with intense emotions and then Roy¡¯s calm and flat reply was heard. The boy¡¯s mother rushed in and embraced him tightly.

    She held him in her embrace for a long time before finally turning her head to find Su-hyeun standing there.

    ¡°Thank you so much. I feared that I wouldn¡¯t get to see my son ever again this time.¡±

    ¡°I heard that this wasn¡¯t the first time.¡±

    ¡°I am Roy¡¯s mother and the daughter of the House of Rawlsman, Reina. Benefactor, how should I address you?¡±

    ¡°My name is Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim, Su¡­ I beg your pardon. Your name is a little difficult to pronounce.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    Reina held Roy¡¯s hand tightly and spoke, ¡°Let us head inside for the time being. Sentries, I shall guarantee this gentleman¡¯s identity. I trust that will be sufficient, yes?¡±

    ¡°Of course, my lady.¡±

    As the sentry replied, Reina began guiding Su-hyeun inside the gates.

    ¡°Please, do come in. Although it¡¯s modest, I¡¯d still like to welcome you as a guest.¡±

    ¡°Well then, I won¡¯t refuse your invitation.¡±

    He had already anticipated this sort of request from her. Of course, even if she told him to go back, he wasn¡¯t planning to separate from Roy anyway.

    Even if this is the capital of the empire, it¡¯s Lichs we¡¯re talking about.

    Every single Lich possessed powers that exceeded regular human sorcerers.

    Sure, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know how high the sorcerers of this world could manage to reach. However, the experience from all the worlds he had gone to so far told him that Lichs were the existences that normal humans found difficult to contend with.

    And so, just as Su-hyeun stepped into the empire¡¯s capital under the guidance of Reina and her knight escorts¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Reina stopped walking and turned toward Su-hyeun to ask when he suddenly froze up on the spot.

    Su-hyeun looked at her puzzled expression and shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing to worry about, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°You must be quite exhausted from the journey. Our carriage is only a little farther away, so please bear the discomfort for a while.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright.¡±

    Su-hyeun quickly waved his hand after seeing Reina¡¯s worried expression, and while walking behind her, he stared long at her back.

    We might have¡­

    Step, step¡ª

    Then, his probing gaze began scanning the packed streets of the capital.

    ¡­Come to an even more dangerous location than before.

 Chapter 219

    <hr />

    Roy¡¯s household, the Rawlsmans, was renowned throughout the empire.

    Apparently, they had their beginning with the founding of the empire itself and enjoyed a history lengthier than any other noble household of this continent.

    No one really knew just when the Rawlsman bloodline began.

    Historically speaking, they were there at the founding of the empire, which meant that the family was already in existence even before they joined hands with the first emperor.

    That was the explanation Su-hyeun heard after arriving in the Rawlsman residence.

    ¡°Your family is pretty amazing, then.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your reply a little too soulless?¡±

    Roy, who was doing his best to explain his family¡¯s history until then, shook his head while looking like a deflated balloon.

    Su-hyeun lightly lifted the boy off his lap and replied, ¡°You know better than anyone whether I have a soul or not, don¡¯t you? Take a good look now. See how much soul my words contain.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see a single one.¡±

    ¡°Really? I think your ability to see dead people has developed a problem or something.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­ Hold on, how can words have souls, anyway? Also, my ability is functioning properly. Even now, behind you there are¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you to not say anything spooky, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°But, they are really there¡­¡±

    Roy kept glancing at the space behind Su-hyeun and thought to himself. It wasn¡¯t the first time the boy did that, though, so Su-hyeun simply shrugged his shoulders in acceptance.

    It did feel a bit spooky every time he heard of such things, but he was more or less used to it by now.

    I mean, I fight monsters for a living, so ghosts aren¡¯t that much, really.

    It was rather ironic that, while he didn¡¯t fear the undead that gained physical bodies after their death, he was spooked by the ghosts that had no means to influence the material world.

    Moreover, judging from Roy¡¯s reactions until now, ghosts were common existences that could be found pretty much everywhere.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    Someone suddenly lightly knocked on the door to the reception room where Su-hyeun and Roy were in.

    ¡°Dear sirs, the party is ready.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±

    Su-hyeun replied and stood up, but Roy remained in the same spot, unmoving. The boy even had a puzzled expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you coming?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking that having a party is going a little overboard.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Well, this is the capital city, you know. If it was among my family, I can understand that, but to hold a party where other nobles of the capital are attending just because I¡¯m home, it¡¯s all too¡­¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that say how happy they are?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much to celebrate about, after all. It makes more sense to keep it as a secret rather than boast about it to everyone, don¡¯t you think so? Also, my mother hates going to parties.¡±

    After listening to Roy, Su-hyeun stared with a somewhat surprised gaze at the boy.

    He already thought that the kid spoke like an old man, which didn¡¯t match his current age, and now, it became even harder to believe that the depth of his thoughts or the way he looked at things belonged to a young kid who was only 10 years old.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head at Roy¡¯s question and replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The occasion is meant for you, after all.¡¯

    He lightly patted Roy on the shoulder and opened the door to step outside. After confirming that the boy was following him, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes shifted back to the lengthy corridor, his glare getting sharper.

    <hr />

    A wide hall filled with soft music.

    The first floor of the massive mansion located in the center of the capital had been transformed into a party venue.

    Many nobles, who exuded extravagance and elegance, came to visit and shared small talks, and the main hostess of the party, Reina, welcomed them warmly.

    Among them, Su-hyeun¡¯s appearance stood out like a sore thumb.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need to change?¡± Roy asked him.

    ¡°I actually prefer this getup.¡±

    ¡°Still, this is a party, you know.¡±

    Su-hyeun was still wearing his usual attire.

    His rather discreet set of armor was far closer in appearance to that of a mercenary¡¯s compared with the heavy plate armor worn by the knights.

    That¡¯s why he stood out so much. Well, a mercenary wouldn¡¯t be able to attend a noble¡¯s party, after all.

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°Is he a mercenary?¡±

    ¡°I heard that someone brought home the scion of the Rawlsman family, so it must be him.¡±

    ¡°Is he a wandering swordsman? Perhaps a mercenary?¡±

    ¡°His looks are passable, but his lack of elegance is¡­¡±

    Whispers about Su-hyeun could be heard.

    He thought he wouldn¡¯t hear them, but he could hear everything just fine. Some of the attendees seemed to lack tact as they didn¡¯t even bother to lower their voices while voicing their opinions.

    Nobles are the same no matter where I go, it seems.

    Su-hyeun chuckled to himself.

    He had seen many worlds by now, and these creatures called ¡°nobles¡± seem to exist pretty much everywhere. Even back on Earth, there were plenty of people with wealth and power who acted as if they were bona fide nobles.

    Funnily enough, their characteristics were generally similar.

    They belittled, mocked, and disparaged those who were worse off than they were. Their standards of judging the worthlessness of others were usually based around on how there were differences in their bloodlines or the lack of power the other party possessed.

    Because of things like those, these people were not that different and, therefore, familiar in every regard.

    Su-hyeun ignored them all and approached a man in his mid-30s resembling Roy very closely currently standing at the center of the party venue.

    The man greeted Su-hyeun first. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here.¡±

    They had already met each other briefly earlier. This man was Roy¡¯s father, and his name was Herrels Rawlsman.

    ¡°So, do you like the party? Reina hastily organized it, saying that it¡¯s for our benefactor.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really enjoy occasions like this, unfortunately. I was planning to get something to eat and retreat for the day as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate your honesty!¡± Herrels guffawed before leaning closer to whisper to him. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, why don¡¯t we make our escape later on and knock a few cold ones together?¡±

    ¡°That sounds good.¡±

    Su-hyeun grabbed and shook Herrels¡¯ offered hand.

    Thankfully, it seemed that Herrels had a good first impression of Su-hyeun. He didn¡¯t have any prejudices about Su-hyeun not being a noble and had a rather easy-going personality as well.

    Other than their similar looks, his personality was the polar opposite of that of his own son, Roy.

    ¡°But from what I heard, you also don¡¯t enjoy participating in parties, Lord Herrels.¡±

    ¡°Did Roy tell you that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes¡­ It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t really enjoy them. No, honestly, I detest them. They¡¯re noisy, bothersome, and I don¡¯t enjoy chatting to strangers, you see.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re pretty similar in that regard.¡±

    ¡°But then again, my wife nagged me endlessly about it, so here we are. She said that a day like today deserves a good party filled with guests. I¡¯m not really sure what could be so deserving of a party, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Your wife was the one who wanted to hold this party?¡±

    ¡°That is indeed so. She normally abhors parties even more than I do, so I wonder what has gotten into her.¡±

    That was what Roy had said as well.

    He said that Reina didn¡¯t like parties. He also said a party didn¡¯t really suit an event of this nature.

    ¡°I see. As I thought,¡± Su-hyeun spoke.

    ¡°Pardon me? What do you mean by as you thought?¡±

    Herrels, who was about to press the rim of the wine glass to his lips, abruptly paused and began tilting his head at Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze was locked on Reina who was busy chatting to ladies from other noble households. It was right at that moment her gaze shifted over toward him, and their eyes met.

    Su-hyeun spoke again, ¡°Has your wife¡¯s condition been strange lately?¡±

    Herrels heard him and looked over to Reina.

    He could see his wife staring at Su-hyeun with an emotionless face. That kind face was ill-suited for a party of this nature.

    ¡°Such as trying to distance herself during bedtime or sometimes disappearing out of sight for a while,¡± Su-hyeun continued on.

    ¡°What¡­ could you be talking about?¡±

    ¡°Please, I want you to take a closer around you.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Herrels began to carefully scan his surroundings.

    One by one, expressions disappeared from the attendees¡¯ faces. And then, some nobles who were previously chatting among themselves began making awkward faces next.

    The atmosphere of the party venue, which was filled with chatter and noise until a second ago, had transformed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange?¡±

    ¡°Just what¡­ are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved, actually.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand rose.

    And then¡­

    Swish, boom¡ª!

    Crash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s fist flew past Herrels¡¯ head and punched away a knight standing behind the nobleman.

    ¡°Relieved that you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwhat is the meaning of¡­?¡±

    ¡°Kuwaaahk, kuwaaaahk¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaahk¡ª!¡±

    Screams suddenly reverberated throughout the party venue.

    Attendees began attacking each other, biting with their teeth or hitting with the weapons they held in their persons. It was the same story for the knights behind Herrels.

    Crack, crash¡ª!

    Tumble, shatter¡ª

    Another knight rushed in, and Su-hyeun¡¯s fist knocked this one back as well.

    He then picked Roy up and placed the boy on his shoulders. Herrels seemed unable to understand what was going on and stiffly stood there with a worried and confused expression on his face.

    ¡°J¡ªjust what is happening?¡± he asked.

    He must have thought that Su-hyeun knew something judging from the calm expression on the latter¡¯s face because he asked that while grabbing the younger man¡¯s arm.

    ¡°When I entered the capital, I noticed that most of the people here were already dead,¡± Su-hyeun replied while punching away the guests who were trying to rush at them.

    ¡°T¡ªthey are¡­ already d¡ªdead?!¡±

    ¡°Most of the ones moving in here, they are all already dead. Their bodies are merely shells, and there¡¯s a bug residing inside them right now.¡±

    ¡°A bug¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a parasite that lives in the human brain that stopped functioning after death. It absorbs the memories and thought patterns of the host when they were still alive and live for about one month or so inside the brain.¡±

    Su-hyeun stopped talking there and swept his gaze across the attendees staggering about all around him.

    ¡°There¡¯s a catch. The parasite needs to enter the dead host¡¯s body in the short window of time before the brain stops functioning. Or the bug needs to enter the head of the victim before death occurs in the first place.¡±

    Herrels¡¯ eyebrows shot up the moment he heard all of Su-hyeun¡¯s explanations. His disbelieving eyes sought out his wife Reina, who, with a frenzied look on her face, was also attacking other party-goers.

    ¡°D¡ªdear!¡±

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? She¡¯s already dead.¡±

    ¡°Pure nonsense! She¡¯s still alive as you can¡­¡±

    ¡°Kyahk, kywaahk!¡±

    Thud¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s foot stomped on the floor.

    Split, crack¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    The floor split apart in a circle with Su-hyeun, Roy, and Herrels at the center. All the attendees pouncing on the three staggered about clumsily.

    Among them was Reina, whose sclera alone can be clearly seen.

    ¡°Please take another good look,¡± said Su-hyeun as he directed his gaze at Reina. ¡°Does she really look fine to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened to her is truly unfortunate. However, now¡­ you should be looking after Roy.¡±

    Herrels bit his lower lip hard at Su-hyeun¡¯s words. The pain was severe enough to draw blood, but he felt that his sanity wouldn¡¯t return without going this far.

    He then shifted his gaze between Reina and Roy.

    That boy¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t even blink at any odd situations, but he couldn¡¯t maintain his calm right now and had this utterly shocked expression frozen on his face.

    Herrels clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails dug deep into his flesh and drew fresh blood. The pain from both his lip and hand helped his head regain its clarity just a little.

    ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I have. I thank you.¡±

    ¡°Then please look after Roy for a little while.¡±

    Su-hyeun lowered Roy, and Herrels immediately picked up his son in an embrace. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Herrels asked.

    ¡°I shall create a path.¡±

    Wuuong¡ª

    Magical power rolled in Su-hyeun¡¯s voice, which reverberated throughout the party venue. He was making sure that the people who were not afflicted with the parasites could hear him.

    ¡°So, all of you need to ensure your own survival. This is all I can do for you.¡±

    Split¡ª

    At the same time, the eye on his forehead opened up.

    [Third Eye¡ªPredator.]

 Chapter 220

    Hiss¡ª

    A hiss from a snake resounded within the party venue. At the same time, the screeching hosts suddenly stopped moving like a bunch of broken machines.

    ¡°T¡ªthey stopped?!¡±

    ¡°What is it this time?!¡±

    The pale-faced survivors looked around them. Their bodies continued to shiver from the fear of not knowing when the hosts would suddenly start moving again.

    Only about three-tenths of the party-goers managed to survive.

    ¡°All of you must escape from the capital city now.¡±

    Shocked at what Su-hyeun just said, the survivors immediately asked him to explain.

    ¡°What do you mean by escape from the capital?! Could it be¡­?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t happening only in here, but on the outside as well. About half of the capital¡¯s citizens are in this state.¡±

    While he was being guided by Reina to the Rawlsman residence, Su-hyeun was able to discover the parasite-infected hosts among the crowd of people walking on the city¡¯s streets.

    About half of the passersby had already been turned into hosts. If he had to guess, he¡¯d say that the empire¡¯s capital had already been captured by the enemies.

    ¡°Their targets should be Roy over here and myself, so all you have to do is stay under the radar and escape from the capital. I apologize, but I don¡¯t think I can provide you with any further protection beyond the capital¡¯s walls.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, you two are the targets?! Are you saying that this situation is somehow related to you?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind telling you in detail, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun stared at the hosts and their fingers that were already starting to twitch. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you have a lot of time to waste here, so you should just leave immediately,¡± he continued.

    ¡°H¡ªhe¡¯s right! Let¡¯s hurry and leave. We need to escape from here at least so that¡­¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s prodding, the nobles hastily left the party one after another. Knights who weren¡¯t hosts left as well while providing protection to their masters. Thankfully, the hosts didn¡¯t seem to display much interest in the fleeing nobles.

    As I thought, their target was Roy.

    Su-hyeun became certain after witnessing that.

    These bugs¡¯ reaction was contrary to their initial actions of trying to kill everything in front of them in sheer frenzy even though they had no consciousness to speak of.

    They all had a clear objective, and it could mean only one thing.

    ¡°Well, it seems that even this place has become a Lichs¡¯ den,¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    ¡°Lichs¡­you say?¡± Herrels replied in shock.

    ¡°This is the ¡®Bug control,¡¯ a type of magic used by dark magicians and the undead Lichs. It is a magic spell that allows you to assign a specific goal to a human or even a monster that¡¯s been turned into a host.¡±

    ¡°Then, all these people¡­they have become¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the insemination happened overnight. You¡¯d also need well more than one or two Lichs if you wanted to turn these many people in the capital into hosts.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything that can be done?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk while we¡¯re on the move.¡±

    Using his ¡°Predator¡± skill, Su-hyeun restricted the hosts¡¯ movements, so he moved to leave the party venue with Roy and Herrels in tow.

    ¡°These types of bugs all have a commonality, and it has to do with them having a mother-type creature. It should be the same story with these parasites as well,¡± he continued on with his explanation.

    ¡°Are you saying that we need to find their mother?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded. ¡°The hosts¡¯ goal was Roy and him alone. You¡¯ve probably figured that out from where they were looking at.¡±

    Just like what he said, the hosts¡¯ eyes were constantly fixed on Roy despite their bodies currently being restricted by the Predator skill¡¯s influence.

    ¡°The intermediary issuing that command must be the ¡®mother¡¯ of the hosts. And as one of the conditions that this magic dictates, commands can only be issued from within a fixed distance. Meaning, the probability of the ¡®mother¡¯ being in the center of all the hosts is very high.¡±

    ¡°The center of the hosts, is it¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Where is the center of the capital?

    ¡°It¡¯s rather obvious.¡± Herrels heard Su-hyeun¡¯s question and glanced at Reina for the last time before making his reply. ¡°The center of the capital, as well as the empire, it¡¯s¡­ the imperial palace.¡±

    * * *

    Gya-ong, gya-ong¡ª!

    As soon as they exited the party venue, Su-hyeun summoned Miru.

    Not only there was no more reason to care about drawing the attention of other people, but he also needed Miru¡¯s abilities to protect Roy.

    Unsurprisingly, Herrels¡¯ jaw dropped to the floor when he saw Miru. Just like how it was in every other world, a dragon was seen as a noble divine beast that only appeared in various legendary tales even in this world.

    ¡°You even have a dragon accompanying you?!¡±

    ¡°Well, this kid is simply too eye-catching to be seen in the open in the capital, as you can imagine. He¡¯ll protect you two from now on.¡±

    ¡°A dragon¡­Is it¡­?¡±

    Mystified, Herrels stared at Miru who was busy ¡°gya-ong¡±-ing away as if to say, ¡°You can believe in me!¡±

    The red dragon then cast protective magic around the figures of the three people. Then, they headed toward the gate that led outside.

    ¡°Kiii-eehk, Kiiiaaahk!¡±

    ¡°Ki-rururu¡­¡±

    Pow, puhk¡ª

    Clang, clang, clang¡ª!

    The howls and screeching from the hosts could be heard coming from beyond the party venue¡¯s front gate. Pounding at the gate like zombies or even swinging around weapons such as swords and spears, the hosts looked were rather formidable.

    They seemed to easily exceed several hundred at least. Most likely, an even greater number of hosts would be waiting for them the closer they got to the imperial palace.

    ¡°From here, we¡¯ll head directly toward the imperial palace. Sir Herrels, you ride on Miru¡¯s back and escape outside the capital, please.¡±

    ¡°Will it be gravely dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Honestly speaking, yes. As Roy is their target, he needs to move with me, but it¡¯ll be easier for us if we go our separate ways from here.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Herrels¡¯ expression became actually brighter from what Su-hyeun said. ¡°In that case, I must accompany you no matter what.¡±

    ¡°But, as I said, the imperial palace will be the most dangerous area. We don¡¯t know how many knights have turned into hosts by now, and even the Lichs might be¡ª¡±

    ¡°That is precisely why I must accompany you,¡± Herrels supplied and then cautiously walked up toward the front gate.

    The outside was filled to the brim with the infected hosts. Su-hyeun tried to dissuade Herrels from heading to such a dangerous area all alone.

    But then¡­

    C¡ªcreak, c¡ªc¡ªcreak¡ª

    Kki¡ªreek, kki¡ªri¡ªri¡ªri¡ªreek¡ª

    Pure-white arms covered in soil suddenly broke through the hardened stone floor and began rising up.

    Su-hyeun almost reflexively made a move when new types of skeletons suddenly began showing up. However, he stopped himself when Herrels gave a hand signal and stood there to quietly observe these new undead skeletons rising up from the ground by the dozens, even hundreds.

    Sure enough, he realized that something was off.

    I can¡¯t sense any magical energy.

    Su-hyeun had witnessed skeleton summoning techniques being performed plenty of times. It was base-level dark magic that, never mind high-ranking Lichs, even run-of-the-mill dark magicians could use.

    However, this magic unfolding before him was slightly different.

    In order to summon skeletons, you needed countless souls and enough magical energy to drive those souls. However, not even a single trace of magical energy could be sensed here.

    Which meant that this was not magic at all.

    Click¡ª

    A hand consisting of nothing but bones that rose from the ground finally opened the firmly locked front gate, and then¡­

    ¡°Ki-aaaaahk¡ª!¡±

    Kwak, Kwah¡ªka¡ªkak¡ª

    Tumble

    Smash

    Boom¡ª!

    Hundreds of skeletons that rose up from the ground and the infected hosts got into a messy tangle and started a chaotic melee.

    Su-hyeun became sure of it after witnessing this spectacle¡ªthese skeletons were not summoned by the Lichs but by none other than Herrels himself.

    ¡°This is the ability of our bloodline,¡± said Herrels as he looked at Roy. ¡°My son is still too young and can¡¯t control them properly yet, but the scions of the Rawlsman bloodline can control the dead.¡±

    While he spoke, his eyes continued to burn with pure rage.

    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, the bunch of trash called Lichs that started this crisis are nothing more than my prey.¡±

    The ability to command the dead¡ªthat was the reason why the House of Rawlsman could become the most valuable loyal subject during the founding of the empire.

    ¡°¡­Very well.¡± Su-hyeun agreed that Herrels may accompany them after confirming his ability. At the very least, the nobleman wouldn¡¯t get in the way. ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±

    * * *

    Swoosh¡ª

    The distance between the mansion and the imperial palace wasn¡¯t great.

    While flying on Miru¡¯s back, Su-hyeun looked down on the streets below. Countless hosts were crowding the roads between the Rawlsman residence and the palace, and they were still stuck in a chaotic melee with the bony skeletons.

    Just how many of them are out there?

    He already knew that the number of infected hosts was quite substantial.

    However, there was a far greater number of skeletons. Despite their weakness as they were nothing but a moving pile of bones, they were still able to force the enemies back with their sheer number.

    There were several thousand¡ªno, tens of thousands of them. Perhaps they were even more than that.

    They do not require any magical energy. It¡¯s as if the undead are really helping him out of their own free will.

    Lichs or dark magicians that controlled the undead definitely existed out there. However, the number that they could command at once would always be restricted.

    No matter how good you were as a dark magician, commanding a couple hundred skeletons would be your natural limit. Your magical energy reserve would, of course, fall as you exponentially increased your consumption the more you summoned.

    Unlike them, however, Herrels didn¡¯t require any magical energy.

    His physique is only a little better than an average person¡¯s, but his real ability comes from his bloodline, is that it?

    What a unique ability it was!

    It wasn¡¯t as if he had mastered swordsmanship as the knights did nor did he learn to cast magic spells.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but be mystified by the fact that an ability handed down through nothing more than one¡¯s bloodline could reach this scale.

    I think I know why Lichs didn¡¯t target this man.

    He could now see why Reina was turned into a host but not Herrels who lived alongside her under the same roof.

    The ability to command the dead¡ªthat would be quite fatal to Lichs because Lichs were, fundamentally speaking, dead beings, and the people from the House of Rawlsman possessed the power to command the dead.

    In other words, they were the polar opposites of one another. Not only that, but they could also probably be the Lichs¡¯ absolute worst imaginable foe.

    Gu-wuwu¡ª

    When not much distance toward the imperial palace remained, a huge crimson boulder, accompanied by choking heat, came hurtling before them. The boulder flew in from the direction of the palace.

    Rumble¡ª

    Initially, it was not much bigger than an adult male. However, once flames began surrounding it, the boulder rapidly grew larger and eventually became as big as a house as it flew in toward them.

    Swoosh¡ª

    Rumble¡ª!

    The crimson boulder brushed past their side. Miru quickly twisted out of the way and managed to avoid the attack.

    ¡°This magic¡­?¡± Herrels gasped.

    ¡°The magician over there, do you know who that is?¡± Su-hyeun asked while pointing at a figure cloaked in a robe, standing alone atop the imperial palace.

    Herrels must have known who that was because his expression became rather stiff. ¡°That¡¯s the vice master of the imperial magic tower, Meko. That person is rated as one of the top five magicians in the continent and is known to be powerful enough to sweep away a large territory.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Herrels stared at Meko who was already creating yet another crimson boulder in mid-air. The magician had summoned not just one but three of them this time, and he was getting ready to fire them while increasing their diameter gradually.

    ¡°If that person is also being controlled by the parasite, then it¡¯ll be difficult to enter the palace by air. We should go down to the surface, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Seeing how someone claiming to be a magician carelessly shows up like this, I¡¯m guessing that this person must¡¯ve lived a pretty lackadaisical life, or he doesn¡¯t have much skills to speak of.¡±

    ¡°Pardon me?¡±

    Grab¡ª

    Pah-ahk¡ª

    Su-hyeun, with his spear in his hand, leaped from Miru¡¯s back.

    Then, the moment Su-hyeun¡¯s body had arched back in mid-air¡­

    Pang¡ª!

    The sound of an explosion ripped through the atmosphere as the spear shot forward from his hand.

 Chapter 221

    Act 1

    Fwooooosh¡ª

    Pow¡ª!

    The spear was filled to the brim with magical power. Not only that, but it was also thrown powerfully with strength stat reaching 99.

    Thus, when a huge hole opened up in the sky and out came flying a crimson boulder, the spear instantly pierced through it without a single hint of deviation or flexing.

    ¡°Keok!¡±

    Through the hole in the crimson boulder, Su-hyeun could see the grand magician and vice master of the empire¡¯s magic tower, Meko, with a big hole on his stomach, collapsing while vomiting blood.

    Herrels¡¯ jaw fell hard at this sudden and unexpected development. He stared at the resulting spectacle in a daze.

    ¡°I was also just as shocked as you are now the first I witnessed it, father,¡± said Roy, who was so much more composed than Herrels. ¡°That big bro is incredibly strong.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡±

    Meko was an existence that possessed enough power to equal the military might of a great territory all by himself. Therefore, no one could¡¯ve imagined that such a grand magician would meet a pathetic and ignoble end like this.

    Once Meko went down for good, no more magic attacks flew toward them. It seemed that only the grand magician detected Miru flying in the air and decided to respond before anyone else did.

    Swoosh¡ª

    Miru flew up toward Su-hyeun who had leaped up high. He lightly landed on the dragon¡¯s back, recalled his spear, and checked the current percentage on the trial¡¯s overall achievement.

    [Achievement rate: 38%]

    [You have not satisfied the conditions.]

    The percentage had certainly increased a lot more compared to before.

    Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t done much up until now. All he did so far was to realize that the Lichs had taken over the capital, rescue Roy¡¯s father, and headed toward the imperial palace in the center of the city. That was all.

    As I thought. Could this mean that solving this crisis will be reflected in my achievement rate?

    The condition to reach 100% on the trial¡¯s achievement always had been a tough ask. Even someone of Su-hyeun¡¯s caliber couldn¡¯t manage to reach that 100% completion on a handful of floors.

    There was one reason for this.

    You simply couldn¡¯t achieve 100% by sticking to the goal each trial had set out for you.

    I have no idea just what is going on in this world, but¡­

    A cold light flashed in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes as he entered the imperial palace on Miru¡¯s back.

    First things first, I¡¯ll hunt down the bugs¡¯ mother.

    Answering his curiosity should come later.

    For now, it was far more important to make sure that his task was finished for good first.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun climbed off from Miru¡¯s back after breaking into the imperial palace.

    Roy and Herrels remained on the dragon¡¯s back, however. Unlike Su-hyeun, these two didn¡¯t have much combat strength to speak of.

    But there was something else they needed to do instead.

    ¡°Can I ask you a favor?¡± Su-hyeun spoke.

    ¡°Please go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Can you look after the citizens outside with Miru¡¯s help, please?¡±

    ¡°Citizens¡­ Do you mean the capital¡¯s citizens?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll take to hunt down the mother, and we also don¡¯t know how many more innocent people will lose their lives in the meantime. I feel that Lord Herrels is far better suited than me in protecting the citizens.¡±

    Herrels possessed the ability to command tens of thousands of the undead.

    Even if it was Su-hyeun, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to protect every single person while trying to crisscross this massive city. However, Herrels was perfectly suited for a task of such nature.

    ¡°By riding on Miru¡¯s back and commanding the undead from the air, you should be able to stop the infected hosts like how you did earlier. Only you can do this.¡±

    Herrels seemed to hesitate slightly at Su-hyeun¡¯s request, but he eventually nodded his head. ¡°Understood. Well, then¡­¡±

    He then gently embraced Roy, who was also on Miru¡¯s back with him, before placing the boy on the floor. ¡°Please look after my son Roy.¡±

    ¡°Dad?!¡±

    Yet another expression of shock formed on Roy¡¯s face.

    Herrels ruffled his son¡¯s hair and replied. ¡°Stay close to your big bro, son. He¡¯ll definitely protect you.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you come with us, dad?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my son. Your father doesn¡¯t have enough strength to protect you. And also¡­¡± Herrels shifted his gaze toward the sight of the capital city below, which was visible from the palace¡¯s window. ¡°If this crisis came to be because of us, then it¡¯s the correct thing for us to at least try to take some responsibility.¡±

    He lost his dear wife of over ten years. Countless citizens had died on the chaotic streets of the capital, and more were currently getting killed off.

    Just like what Su-hyeun had said, Herrels simply couldn¡¯t stare at the current situation without doing anything.

    ¡°I shall leave it to you. And my son Roy¡¯s safety¡­ I¡¯ll believe in you and entrust him to you.¡±

    While saying that, Herrels¡¯ expression was filled with indignation.

    He wasn¡¯t angry for no other reason.

    This feeling of bitterness that he didn¡¯t have enough power, as well as the worry and anxiety of knowing that he had no choice but to entrust his own son to a stranger¡ªhis indignation was the resulting concoction of all these emotions.

    ¡°I shall protect him no matter what.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this opportunity to act as a cool dad for once. Well then, let¡¯s meet again in one piece later.¡±

    Su-hyeun extended his hand toward Herrels.

    As they shook hands, Su-hyeun spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s definitely do that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful.¡±

    Herrels released his hand and then climbed back on Miru.

    Before the red dragon departed, Su-hyeun whispered softly into Miru¡¯s ear. ¡°Make sure to protect him.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru replied loudly as if to say, ¡°You can trust me!¡± and unfolded its wings again.

    Flap¡ª

    The figures of one man and one dragon flew outside the imperial palace.

    Roy stood there in a daze watching that scene, only for his body to be abruptly picked up.

    Su-hyeun placed the boy in his arms and spoke. ¡°Hold on tight, okay?¡±

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±

    Roy blinked, wondering what on earth he was talking about. But then¡­

    Swoosh¡ª

    Boom, boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure leaped up from that very spot.

    He broke through the ceiling while carrying Roy in his arms, but then, a lengthy spear suddenly came slamming down on his head.

    Fwoosh¡ª

    Swish, swoosh¡ª

    They avoided the spear coming down by a hair¡¯s breadth. Su-hyeun kept flying up until he reached a wide hallway.

    It was the expansive imperial audience chamber over several hundreds of meters in length. At the end of this hallway, there was a massive throne, with knights and magicians standing in lines on either side.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Lichs in the imperial palace, is that it? What a messed up sight this is.¡±

    Su-hyeun locked his gaze on the throne right at the end. More correctly, he was looking at a blonde man with squared shoulders, sitting on that very throne.

    He was none other than the emperor, who inherited the throne at a young age.

    ¡°So, the emperor basically handed the whole empire over to the Lichs, is that it?¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    This man who commanded numerous magicians and knights, as well as Lichs standing around him¡ªunlike the others, he didn¡¯t have a parasite residing inside him.

    The Lichs accompanying him despite that fact signaled the simple truth of him joining hands with the undead.

    ¡°Eternal life is quite an enticing prospect,¡± said the emperor as he pointed toward the Lichs on either side of him. ¡°They may look hideous, but that¡¯s only from humanity¡¯s beauty standards.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you want to change that standard?¡±

    ¡°Correct. If we all die and come to possess that same outer appearance, then the idea of hideousness shall be¡ª¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Pow¡ª!

    A stone the size of a fist flew toward the emperor, but it shattered into pieces and fell to the floor. A transparent barrier distorted visibly for a moment before cracks developed on its surface.

    Su-hyeun had picked up a stone and chucked it a second ago. He licked his lips, perhaps thinking that he missed.

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I thought I could crush that pie hole of yours, along with your head in one go.¡±

    ¡°You bastard¡ª¡±

    ¡°No point in listening to you anymore. I was wondering if you were being mind-controlled or something, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be it. Well, time¡¯s a-wasting, so¡­¡±

    Step¡ª

    With Roy now on his back, Su-hyeun began walking toward the emperor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this started already.¡±

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    The emperor issued his order, and almost immediately, countless magicians, knights, and Lichs gathered in the imperial audience chamber and began their attacks on Su-hyeun.

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    Chu-aaang, kaaa-aahk¡ª

    The imperial magicians cast magic spells that crushed down on Su-hyeun¡¯s body. At the same time, the members of the knight order drew their swords and dashed toward him.

    Rumble¡ª

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    With Su-hyeun¡¯s flick of his hand, the divine Flame exploded in all directions. The intense flames filled up the imperial chamber, yet the swords belonging to the knights still pierced past them and tried to stab him.

    Swish, pii-piiik¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his own sword and spun around, causing all of the stabbing blades to get deflected up into the air.

    The knights completely disregarded whether their bodies were being burned or not and rushed in. On top of this, the armor they wore must have had built-in magic resistance feature because the divine Flame didn¡¯t seem to work all that well.

    Trying to say that the imperial knight order is a different beast altogether, is that it?

    He could now more or less tell that the knights of this world were quite a formidable existence. The same story also applied to the magicians. Although not as powerful as Meko from his earlier encounter, every single one still emitted quite a noticeable level of magical energy.

    About half of the knights and the magicians are infected with the parasites.

    The imperial knight order and the imperial magic corps¡ªno doubt, they were the gatherings of some of the continent¡¯s finest. They were of true elites that protected the emperor from the closest vantage point, but they also sometimes acted as the swords and shields of the empire and stood at the forefront of the battlefields.

    The movements of those under the parasites¡¯ control are noticeably unnatural. It probably has something to do with the issue of free will.

    The emperor that worked with the Lichs¡ªjust how many would be willing to swear loyalty to such a leader? It was likely that the Lichs killed those objecting to the emperor¡¯s decisions and inseminated them with the parasites.

    Even then, as expected¡­

    Su-hyeun sneaked a quick glance at Roy who was still clinging onto his shoulders. Then, he shifted his gaze over to the Lichs who stood next to the emperor and were getting ready to fire the next volley of magic spells.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s not that easy to attack as much as you want, right?¡±

    Those words caused a brief interruption in the flow of magical energy being emitted by the Lichs. Although it happened in the blink of and eye, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t miss it.

    Without a doubt, the Lichs got agitated just then.

    ¡°I see, so you really need Roy alive, don¡¯t you? Seeing how you are so cautious about not inflicting a single injury on the boy and all.¡±

    The Lichs¡¯ goal was Roy.

    That was precisely why this crisis had started in the first place. The hosts whose heads were filled with the parasites were definitely aiming to capture Roy, too.

    Of course, with the boy as their goal didn¡¯t mean that they wanted to kill him. No, they were paying especially high caution instead. As if they were fearful of even leaving a scratch on the boy somewhere.

    Su-hyeun grew confident from this.

    In that case¡­

    Pahk¡ª

    His hand grasped the spear tightly.

    No point in sweating over it, then.

    Fwoosh¡ª!

    Pow¡ª!

    He lightly tossed the spear, and the weapon easily pierced through the head of one of the knights rushing in. The parasite inside was killed off instantly, and the knight¡¯s figure crumpled to the ground.

    Meanwhile, a thin navy-hued thread extended between the spear stabbed into the wall and Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    Pull¡ª

    He then pulled at the thread.

    The ¡°thread¡± was made of thinly stretched magical energy, so it was stronger and tougher than any alloys of the same thickness.

    Pah-aaahk, swish¡ª

    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun wrapped that thread around his hand and, after yanking at it, began spinning it around, causing the sharp spear to also spin around rapidly like a buzz saw.

    ¡°If there are some among you who hate the idea of even associating with the Lichs but are not in the position to disobey the emperor¡¯s commands and thus have to keep fighting, then well¡­¡±

    The thread wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s hand came undone just then. Immediately after that, the rapidly spinning spear was powerfully thrown forward.

    Fwoosh¡ª!

    Crack¡ª!

    The spear flew like a spinning buzz saw and split the audience chamber in half. Su-hyeun threw the weapon toward the direction of the throne being protected by the Lichs, which was right at the end of the chamber.

    Split¡ª

    ¡°Uhrk¡­!¡±

    The emperor¡¯s body, along with the throne itself, was split in half.

    Giii-iiing, grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun recalled his spear, looked around at the knights, and then spoke again.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that anymore.¡±

 Chapter 222

    Split¡ª

    Rip¡ª Plop¡ª

    The emperor¡¯s body that was splitting in half ended up rolling powerlessly onto the floor.

    Heavy silence suddenly descended upon the audience chamber. For an emperor who exercised absolute power over the entire continent, this manner of death was such an unexpected and a rather forgettable one.

    ¡°I won¡¯t wait for long. If you¡¯re standing here not out of your free will, then you better point your swords in the opposite direction. If you do, this nation can still be saved.¡±

    What Su-hyeun said clearly agitated the knights. Predictably, the ones infected by the parasites were not included in that group.

    ¡°Kill him.¡±

    A Lich standing next to the dead emperor shattered this momentary silence. Right away, Lichs, magicians, and knights all resumed their attacks on Su-hyeun.

    Their attacks happened just as he collected the thrown spear and began spinning it around again.

    ¡°Dammit, I don¡¯t know anymore!¡±

    Swish, splash¡ª!

    A fountain of blood exploded from the back of a magician. It was the end result of a sneak attack from a knight standing next to him. The magician, whose eyes already didn¡¯t have any focus since the parasite had infected him, collapsed face first as his back split apart.

    Plop¡ª

    ¡°Ben! What do you think you are¡ª?!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what?! We should be hitting these stinking Lichs with a big one instead!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just this knight named Ben, however. Several other knights began pointing their swords at the Lichs and then at their fellow knights and magicians infected with the parasites.

    ¡°Our emperor has passed on already, so is there a reason for us to keep siding with these damned Lichs?! Dammit, I can¡¯t carry on doing these dirty, debasing things anymore!¡±

    ¡°Even still, we must avenge our emperor¡ª¡±

    ¡°Avenge, my foot! Fine, it¡¯s good that he died. Following a bastard like that as my emperor is an act of insult toward the previous emperors!¡±

    ¡°For the glory of our Ruman Empire!¡±

    ¡°To pass judgment on the darkness!¡±

    After the emperor died, a portion of the knights began rebelling.

    They were the ones who feared their death more than their loyalty toward the emperor and those who were stuck in a dilemma between the duty of a knight and their allegiance toward the emperor. To them, the emperor¡¯s death was like a necessary spark.

    Of course, a part of their decision was based on the calculation that they might be able to win against the Lichs if they fought alongside Su-hyeun.

    Whatever the case may be, this matter has been more or less sorted out, so¡­

    The allies and enemies had been clearly divided now.

    Su-hyeun stopped spinning the spear above his head and threw it again.

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    Pah-aaaahk¡ª!

    The spear spun rapidly as it dug into the group of Lichs.

    They had already found out that the weapon couldn¡¯t be stopped by their defensive spells, so they quickly activated short-distance teleportation magic to dodge the incoming spear.

    Su-hyeun saw that and threw himself forward once more.

    I must hunt the mother first.

    His aim was the knight sticking very closely to the Lichs, or more correctly, the mother of all the parasites hiding inside this particular host¡¯s head.

    Chwa-rururu¡ª

    Clank¡ª

    Black chains suddenly shot out from the floor and quickly wrapped around Su-hyeun legs. This was a trap laid beforehand, after the path that he would take had been predicted.

    Swoosh¡ª

    A middle-aged blonde knight who stuck close to the Lichs appeared right in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s nose before anyone had realized it.

    Swoosh¡ª!

    Clang¡ª!

    Their swords collided, causing Su-hyeun to be knocked back out of his center of balance for an instant. He quickly extended his hand toward the middle-aged knight as the latter pounced forward to swing his sword again.

    Grab¡ª!

    Slam¡ª!

    While catching the blade with one hand, Su-hyeun powerfully stomped on the floor. At the same time, the floor gave way and collapsed, prompting the black chains restricting his legs to shatter and fall.

    Tap, swoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun activated ¡°Leap¡± while letting go of the middle-aged knight¡¯s sword and created some distance between them.

    Drip¡ª

    Blood dripped to the floor from the hand that held the blade earlier. Despite using the skill ¡°Indomitable Body¡± to reinforce himself, Su-hyeun still ended up with an injury. That sword strike was not something to be taken lightly.

    ¡°That¡¯s Count Balt,¡± said Roy, while still being carried on Su-hyeun¡¯s back. ¡°He¡¯s renowned as the empire¡¯s best swordsman, no, even the whole continent. I heard that he started as a commoner but became a count after being rated as a once-in-a-generation talent.¡±

    ¡°The continent¡¯s number one swordsman, is it¡­?¡±

    Not anyone could claim the title, ¡°the best.¡± One had to be strong enough to instill the required sense of belief first.

    So, they stuck the mother parasite inside the strongest guy there is, is that it?

    That certainly wasn¡¯t the worst idea. You could kill two birds with one stone by doing this, after all¡ªprotect the mother parasite by transplanting it inside a powerful host and hiding it in that manner.

    One could even call this a ¡°by the book¡± tactic.

    However¡­

    What a relief that they didn¡¯t try to hide it elsewhere.

    As the bug in question was small, if they tried to hide it, then he¡¯d have a difficult time finding it. Sure, he¡¯d have located it eventually, but that still would¡¯ve taken a long time.

    But, something about this¡­

    Su-hyeun recalled Count Balt¡¯s swordsmanship from earlier and muttered to no one in particular. ¡°¡­Feels kinda familiar.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    A puzzled expression surfaced on Roy¡¯s face after he heard Su-hyeun¡¯s muttering.

    Did it feel familiar?

    I need to make sure.

    Stomp¡ª

    Su-hyeun moved to step on air. He then activated ¡°Leap¡± again to fly toward Count Balt who was also ready to charge at him.

    Chwa-ruk, chwa-ruruk¡ª

    Ku-wuwuwu¡ª

    Black chains sprung out again from below his feet and aimed for Su-hyeun¡¯s ankles. At the same time, oppressive air began crashing down on him from above.

    But he ignored the gravity attack. His magic resistance was too high for him to be affected by artificially manipulated gravity in the first place.

    As for the chains¡­

    Piiit, piii-iiiht¡ª

    Clank¡ª

    All the chains aiming for Su-hyeun¡¯s feet were sliced apart.

    As Su-hyeun took care of the chains, Count Balt took the chance to stab Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes with his sword. The latter didn¡¯t miss that and carefully observed the incoming attack.

    Swish¡ª

    Within only a hair¡¯s breadth, Su-hyeun¡¯s head snapped back to avoid the attack. Right away, the sword was swung downward. Su-hyeun wielded his own Balmung, which he used to slice off the chains a second ago, and twisted his body out of the way.

    Swish, swish¡ª!

    Two swords sliced the air toward each other. A blink of an eye later, they collided loudly in mid-air.

    Clang, Clang¡ª!

    While regaining his posture in the air, Su-hyeun continued to observe Count Balt¡¯s swordsmanship.

    I knew it.

    He could figure it out after crossing swords a couple of times.

    He initially wondered whether he had made a mistake or it was simply a coincidence. But the ensuing display of swordsmanship afterward made it impossible for him to label this event as neither a mistake nor a coincidence.

    There certainly were some unnatural movements due to the parasite stuck in the count¡¯s head, but even then, Su-hyeun was sure of it now.

    ¡°Wrath¡¯s swordsmanship.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s muttering brought about a momentary halt in Balt¡¯s attacks.

    As the parasite could only move according to the host¡¯s memories and experiences, it couldn¡¯t help but display a sensitive reaction toward a piece of memory from back when the count was still a living being.

    And that response only served to reaffirm Su-hyeun¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I knew it.¡±

    Clang¡ª!

    His sword deflected Count Balt¡¯s sword up in the air.

    Crack¡ª

    A thin crack formed on the latter¡¯s blade. Count Balt immediately noticed that an anomaly had occurred in the weapon that he had in his hand and hurriedly turned his body in an attempt to retreat.

    Swoosh¡ª

    It was precisely at that moment Su-hyeun had dug into the count¡¯s defenses, all the while holding Roy in one arm to make sure the boy didn¡¯t fall.

    Swish, bang, ka-boom¡ª!

    Clang¡ª!

    Three, four moves were exchanged in the blink of an eye. Count Balt defended, while Su-hyeun swung his sword.

    By the time this short exchange came to an end¡­

    Split¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    The sword that was gripped tightly in the hands of Count Balt shattered into tiny pieces. His gaze shot up above his head next.

    In that short moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword, which was already poised overhead, came slicing down powerfully.

    [One Sword Cutting through Everything¡ªCutting the Sky]

    Whoosh¡ª

    Kwa-aaaaaahng¡ª!

    Ku-gugugugu¡ª

    The huge imperial palace shook violently. A thin red line suddenly started running through not just the body of Count Balt, but even the floor of the imperial audience chamber.

    Right after that, the count¡¯s body split exactly in half, from top to bottom.

    At the same time¡­

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    The imperial palace that got split in half began crumbling down.

    * * *

    Coughing could be heard within the thick dust cloud.

    Roy continued to cough because of the dust that entered his nose and mouth. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su-hyeun asked while gently patting the boy on the back.

    ¡°Feels like¡­ I might throw up.¡±

    He clung desperately onto Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders as the latter rapidly moved around this way and that, so it was rather obvious that his innards wouldn¡¯t be in a normal state.

    Su-hyeun did pay as much attention as possible to prevent Roy from getting hurt, but there was nothing he could do about the boy¡¯s vision spinning around and his innards scrambling randomly.

    ¡°If you want to throw up, just say it.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to put me down if I do?¡±

    ¡°Nah. I was just gonna tell you to do it on my back. Sure, it¡¯ll be dirty, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±

    A retching sound was Roy¡¯s immediate response.

    ¡°Don¡¯t deliberately do it, though.¡±

    Su-hyeun smirked before casting his gaze around their surroundings cloaked by the thick dust cloud.

    The imperial palace had collapsed, and one by one, Lichs, magicians, and knights began revealing themselves.

    That¡¯s a relief.

    Count Balt was killed off, and the palace itself was destroyed.

    However, befitting the imperial knight order, as well as the magic corps renowned as some of the very best in the continent, they seemed to have survived the destruction somehow.

    Since they were capable enough not to get burned to death by the divine Flame, it would be unimaginable for them to get crushed to death by some measly falling debris.

    So, the only remaining ones are¡­

    The surviving Lichs seemed to finally realize that the situation had turned disadvantageous for them and began hesitating on attacking Su-hyeun.

    He, too, had little interest in these small fries.

    ¡°I shall leave the remaining ones to your hands.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s voice delivered through the magical power could clearly be heard by the surviving knights. Some of them seemed flustered, while several others nodded their heads with determined faces.

    Su-hyeun turned around to leave without any hesitation. He then quickly left the destroyed imperial palace.

    The streets were filled with bony skeletons. Although not much aura could be sensed there, he still searched for Miru¡¯s presence.

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru¡¯s call as it responded to Su-hyeun¡¯s magical power came from a far-off distance. After determining the correct direction, he held Roy tightly and said, ¡°We¡¯re going to run for a bit, okay?¡±

    ¡°Eh, eh?!¡±

    Roy¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Su-hyeun, oblivious to this fact, activated ¡°Leap¡± and jumped high.

    Boom, boom, boom¡ª

    Kwa-aaaaht¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure rapidly scythed through the atmosphere. The surrounding scenery passed by in a blur every time he kicked the air. Roy was overcome with the sensation of his eyes spinning out of control and finally emptied out the contents of his stomach.

    It was also around then that Su-hyeun came to a halt.

    Tap¡ª

    Only pitiful retching noises could be heard from Roy.

    ¡°Good job holding it until now.¡±

    Gya-ong, gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru must have been missing him after being away for a brief period because it flapped its wings and hurriedly flew back toward Su-hyeun.

    While patting Roy¡¯s back, he shifted his gaze over to Miru. ¡°Where¡¯s uncle?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru flapped one of its wings and pointed to a building in the distance at his question.

    Su-hyeun rode on the red dragon¡¯s back with Roy and flew toward the building. They, then, entered through the broken front door to discover Herrels standing there in a daze, along with a lone skeleton.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Herrels regained his wits a beat later and offered his greetings to Su-hyeun. Then, he discovered Roy also riding on Miru¡¯s back, and his expression brightened a little.

    It was truly a little, however. His complexion remained utterly ashen.

    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Herrels seemed to be quite fatigued.

    The nobleman noticed the anxiety on Su-hyeun¡¯s expression and smiled weakly as his response. ¡°I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s just that I have never used my ability this much before. I¡¯m merely feeling a little tired, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m indeed alright. However, this¡­¡±

    Herrels gazed upon two figures collapsed on the ground.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s own gaze naturally landed on the two corpses as well. They must have been in a bitter struggle because the blood was splattered all over the floor.

    ¡°When I entered here, I found these two already dead like this. It¡¯s also been the same story in other houses. Not many people managed to survive in the end.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I was¡­ too late. And we¡­ the House of Rawlsman has¡­¡±

    Drip¡ª

    Blood dripped from Herrels¡¯ tightly clenched fist after his nails dug into his skin. Rather than shedding tears from indignation and sadness, he chose to bleed instead.

    ¡°This is all because of us.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea why these Lichs are targeting Roy?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    That question prompted Herrels to raise his lowered head and stare at Su-hyeun. He seemed to be agonizing over something for a moment or two, but he soon opened his mouth to answer.

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223: Chapter 223

    ¡°Can you tell me the reason?¡±

    ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, Roy is already 10 years old, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t the answer Su-hyeun was anticipating.

    Herrels¡¯ gaze shifted over to Roy. The boy hadn¡¯t seemed to have recovered his wits yet after throwing up everything inside his stomach earlier.

    ¡°Time does indeed move on too quickly. It feels like only yesterday that I had gotten married, yet here I am, already with a son, and that son is already 10 years old¡­¡±

    ¡°Why bring up Roy¡¯s age all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Since he¡¯s 10 already, my son probably has learned all that he needs to know by now. He¡¯s pretending to not know anything despite that fact because he has closed his sight and his hearing.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I was once like him. The stories that I didn¡¯t want to hear and the sights that I didn¡¯t wish to witness¡ªI closed my eyes and ears to them. Only after I reached 16 and stood tall as an adult did I finally start seeing and listening properly to the world that I was living in.¡± Herrels stopped his explanation briefly, seemingly lost in the reminiscence of his past, before continuing on. ¡°The world I live in is different from everyone else¡¯s. I tried to make them the same, but in the end, what¡¯s different will always remain different.¡±

    ¡°Are you referring to the ability to see dead people?¡±

    ¡°Do you know why the dead follow me?¡±

    Of course, Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t know the answer to that.

    Herrels didn¡¯t seem to be asking for one either, as he carried on immediately from where he left off. ¡°Because I¡¯m the king.¡±

    ¡°King¡­?¡±

    ¡°The king of the dead. That¡¯s what the ones carrying the Rawlsman bloodline always hear from the mouths of the dead. It¡¯s not that different from what the Lichs say. Although they are the undead that reject death itself, Lichs are still not exempt from the authority of my Rawlsman bloodline.¡±

    ¡°Why are the Lichs targeting Roy, in that case? Is he not their supposed king?¡±

    ¡°Roy¡¯s situation is slightly unique, and the Lichs¡¯ purpose is not to murder Roy, either.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already noticed that. They seemed rather fearful of even leaving a single mark on the boy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the case,¡± Herrels replied and nodded as if he had foreseen this. ¡°Roy is supposed to be the vessel for their god, after all.¡±

    Act 2

    The capital¡¯s streets at night were eerily silent¡ªso quiet, in fact, that you could clearly hear the sound of a rat busy scurrying about in the darkness.

    Somewhere above this deathly quiet street, Su-hyeun was sitting on a window sill.

    [Remaining time: 164:28:56]

    He checked the remaining time.

    Less than 80 hours had passed. He couldn¡¯t even venture to guess what might happen next during the remaining time.

    A god, is it¡­?

    Su-hyeun recalled what Herrels had said.

    The vessel that would become the god of those bastards, those Lichs.

    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be a literal god. No, it¡¯d be more symbolic in nature than an actual physical deity. Besides, Su-hyeun knew better than anyone who the Lichs¡¯ god actually was.

    The Lich King¡ª

    The being referred to as the god of the Lichs and the dead is also the boss from one of the indigo-hued dungeons, as well as one of the worst monsters ever, according to Su-hyeun¡¯s memories.

    Will Roy end up like that guy?

    Step¡ª

    He couldn¡¯t stand still, so he began circling the same spot.

    Or, could it be that Roy will¡­?

    A hypothesis he didn¡¯t even want to imagine surfaced in his mind.

    What if the monster called the Lich King, the one he was so familiar with, was Roy who later transformed into that abominable creature? Was this world based on the creation of the Lich King? Could it be that he was sent to the past of another world?

    ¡°Dammit.¡±

    He roughly scratched his head currently filled with complicated thoughts and swore softly under his breath. He did his best to shake off all the useless thoughts out of his head and began analyzing the situation.

    The city was deathly quiet. Even if there was some distance to consider, no sounds of battles taking place between the knights and Lichs could be heard coming from the ruins of the imperial palace.

    It seemed that the undead had managed to escape.

    They¡¯ll be back.

    It didn¡¯t take long for him to regain his cool.

    Roy is here, after all.

    There was no need to get agitated. He was inside a trial. Not only that, but it was one found on the 50th floor, no less.

    He already had anticipated a high-enough difficulty, and this level of toughness was within the acceptable norm for a trial related to none other than the Lich King. Meaning, nothing was strange about this situation.

    When he looked at it that way, he felt that his scrambled thoughts were settling down just a tad.

    My job is to protect Roy from the Lichs.

    The purpose of the Lichs was to turn Roy into their ¡°god,¡± and Su-hyeun¡¯s goal was to protect the boy from those undead for the next 10 days.

    He could glean a single clue from that.

    Why 10 days, though?

    He didn¡¯t think this trial would end simply because he managed to protect Roy for the next 10 days or so.

    This trial couldn¡¯t have been that simple. Without a doubt, something else must be waiting for him afterward.

    As long as the Lichs aren¡¯t completely wiped out, Roy will continuously be¡­

    When his thoughts reached that far¡­

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun suddenly stopped circling the same spot, his head snapping in a certain direction: toward a building where Roy, Herrels, and Miru were currently sleeping.

    He hurriedly kicked the ground and dashed forward before urgently flinging the door open to enter the building.

    Bang¡ª!

    ¡°Lord Herrels!¡±

    Herrels and Roy sleeping alongside Miru were startled and jerked awake.

    The nobleman must¡¯ve been really fatigued because he had been drooling in his sleep. He hurriedly wiped his saliva away and replied, ¡°W¡ªwhat happened?! Are the Lichs¡ª?¡±

    ¡°My apologies for waking you up so abruptly, but I need to ask you about something.¡±

    ¡°Regarding?¡±

    ¡°I heard that Roy¡¯s been kidnapped by the Lichs several times before. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is indeed so.¡±

    ¡°How did you find Roy every time that happened?¡±

    Herrels, still not fully awake yet, heard Su-hyeun¡¯s urgent question and replied in a slightly confused tone of voice. ¡°That is¡­ I asked the dead for a favor. I requested them to find Roy for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thought as much.¡±

    Su-hyeun grinned widely when his thoughts proved to be right on the money.

    He found it rather odd that Herrels, a man who clearly loved his child dearly, remained in the capital despite Roy¡¯s disappearance. Surely, he would¡¯ve immediately set out to find his son, which was an action more in line with his character.

    However, it wasn¡¯t as if he had given up on finding his missing boy; instead, he stayed put in the capital while relying on the dead to search every corner of the continent.

    ¡°Can you also do that now?¡±

    ¡°I beg your pardon? But Roy is here with me.¡±

    ¡°No, not Roy.¡± Su-hyeun grasped Herrels¡¯ shoulders tightly and continued, ¡°I meant the Lichs.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Those words must¡¯ve chased away any remnants of sleep from Herrels¡¯ head, as his brows shot up high next.

    Roy, who was sleeping next to them, woke up briefly but, after murmuring some incomprehensible things, went back to slumber while using Miru as his pillow.

    * * *

    The empire¡¯s capital had fallen.

    The once-impregnable fortress protected by the continent¡¯s number one swordsman, Count Balt, which was also the capital of the massive empire that occupied at least half of the continent itself, was no more.

    One of the Lichs¡¯ goals was to bring that city down, and it had been achieved rather wonderfully.

    However¡­

    ¡°Something had gone wrong.¡±

    That goal was nothing more than just a small part of the overall picture. It was more like the spoils of war that you¡¯d get after accomplishing the final goal.

    That was why the Lichs weren¡¯t celebrating. No, they had to turn tail and run instead.

    ¡°How can a lone human be that strong?!¡±

    The Lichs began racking their brains.

    Their mission in the capital wasn¡¯t to hunt that lone human down. It was meant to drive the empire to the brink of destruction, all the while taking back their ¡°god¡± who was stolen from them.

    Indeed, the matter of killing that human was seen as nothing more than one of the things that would naturally happen during the proceedings.

    However, they failed.

    They managed to destroy the empire¡¯s capital. That end result was basically written in stone the moment they formed an alliance with the emperor himself.

    No, their problem had to do with the fact that the far more important goal¡ªthe one they were certain of not failing¡ªhad indeed ended up in failure.

    ¡°Just what was that human?¡± One of the Lichs who gathered inside this forest spoke up.

    Their current location was a forest quite a distance away from the capital. Although it was widely known as a forbidden area due to the frequent sightings of carnivorous monsters, such creatures didn¡¯t even reach the level that would pose a threat to the Lichs.

    So, they were able to completely take over this forest, allowing them to gather and ponder their options. Every single one of these Lichs used to be magicians belonging to various imperial or royal courts, or even world-renowned freelancer magicians when they were still alive.

    ¡°I do not know if he can even be classified as a human at this stage.¡±

    ¡°Count Balt was defeated. In a matter of seconds, no less.¡±

    ¡°The emperor was killed, too.¡±

    ¡°Even if we attacked together, we would have fallen just the same as well.¡±

    ¡°What if we work together with the apostles?¡±

    ¡°Several apostles have already been killed by that man. A handful of apostles will not work. We need not just regular apostles, but higher-ranked ones.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    They were of the same opinions, so they got into action right away.

    Shu-weuk, shu-weuk¡ª

    Scribble¡ª

    The Lichs combined their strengths and began inscribing a massive magic circle on the ground. Its diameter alone reached several hundred meters. The lines that made up this magic circle glowed softly as the magical energy permeated within them.

    They used this newly created circle as the intermediary to activate their magic.

    Wuu-uuung¡ª!

    The moment this magic circle was activated¡­

    Rumble¡ª!

    Streaks of darkness so pitch-black that they momentarily dimmed the night sky even further shot out in every direction.

    Crack¡ª

    Rumble¡ª, tumble, bang¡ª

    Black flames danced and leaped toward the trees near the magic circle. All the lush vegetation then burned down to ashes. The black flames didn¡¯t stop there, though; they swallowed up everything in the vicinity.

    A short while later, several new existences revealed themselves in the center of the magic circle found within the piles of ashes that used to be a forest.

    ¡°You¡¯ve come.¡±

    A total of five Lichs emerged.

    They were all kitted out in indigo-hued robes. They silently scanned their new surroundings, while the Lichs that summoned them there knelt down before them.

    ¡°You¡¯ve failed, it seems.¡±

    ¡°It is indeed so, oh mighty apostles.¡±

    ¡°Apostle,¡± it was a title given to a hundred or so Lichs that assisted the Lich King from the closest vantage point.

    Within the history that spanned 10,000 years or so, only Lichs possessing the highest level of abilities were given such illustrious positions. And even among them, only the high-ranked apostles were allowed to wear the indigo-hued robes.

    ¡°Jingkrome.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    At the apostle¡¯s call, the Lich named Jingkrome stepped forward.

    He, too, was one of the hundred apostles, but unlike those honored with the indigo robes, he was merely a low-ranked apostle.

    ¡°Now, explain this situation. Explain where this is, what happened to our new god, and also¡­¡± The apostle wearing the indigo robe pushed its hood back and raised its head. ¡°Explain who that human up there is.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Jingkrome, stunned by that revelation, hurriedly looked up. What greeted him was a clear, cloudless night sky.

    Up until now, he hadn¡¯t paid any attention to the sky. However, after hearing the apostle¡¯s question, Jingkrome thought that he could faintly see something up there.

    It was a small speck of a dragon, flapping its wings while floating up there.

    Since when?!

    It didn¡¯t seem like the uninvited guests had arrived a second ago. No, it was more likely that the Lichs were being observed for quite some time.

    ¡°Is it because of that punk?¡±

    ¡°It¡ªit is indeed so.¡±

    The question of the indigo-robed apostle was quickly met with Jingkrome¡¯s reply.

    Although he was stunned, there was no need to get scared here. After all, the whole reason for summoning these five new apostles was to deal with that dragon and its master, the human.

    ¡°Since I got found out, I might as well ask you this.¡±

    Wuuung, wuu-uung¡ª

    The voice of the human flying up high in the sky, Su-hyeun, could be heard next.

    The voice itself was soft. However, it was carried on a high concentration of magical energy, and it was so clear that as if the words were being spoken directly into their ears.

    ¡°Do you have anyone else you want to call?¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwhat was that?!¡±

    The human asked if they had anyone else they wanted to call.

    He had been waiting?

    Did he figure out that the Lichs would summon the high-ranked apostles?

    What Su-hyeun said implied that he was hiding and waiting so that he could deal with all of them at once, including the apostles.

    Even before Jingkrome had enough time to reorganize his chaotic thoughts¡­

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t have anyone else you want to call on, then¡­¡± Su-hyeun, still riding on Miru, pulled out a spear from his back. ¡°Let¡¯s get this thing started right away.¡±

    It was none other than the Dragon Slaying Spear.

 Chapter 224

    * * *

    Chwa-rarararak¡ª

    ¡°Raindrops¡± fell from the sky. They were actually thin and tiny pieces of the spear, and each of these countless pieces, created by the thrown spear which separated itself, began emitting bright light next.

    Flash¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª

    The spear pieces permeating with the divine Flame descended rapidly on top of the Lichs¡¯ heads.

    They now only had two options¡ªto defend or dodge.

    Most of the Lichs chose the former. Unfortunately for them, the latter was the correct choice.

    Pang, papapapang¡ª!

    Pow, powpowpow¡ª

    The spear pieces penetrated the Lichs¡¯ heads and burned their bodies with the bellowing flames.

    If this was only on the level of being stabbed by a mere spear, they would have thought of it as nothing major. From the get-go, Lichs couldn¡¯t be killed off unless their Life Vessels had been damaged.

    However, the situation this time was rather different.

    This flame, it¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª

    The flames burning on every single spear piece seeped into the Lichs¡¯ bodies. As if they wanted to find and burn away their Life Vessels.

    That would undeniably be fatal for the Lichs. Thousands, no, tens of thousands of spear pieces went past the Lichs¡¯ defensive magic and turned their bodies into something resembling Swiss cheese.

    Rather obviously, the Life Vessels nestling within the Lichs were also pierced through. Even those Lichs who barely managed to block the spear pieces were having a hard time.

    I need to escape from here.

    Jingkrome was among those in the latter group.

    As an apostle himself, he had more breathing room compared to other Lichs, but he too couldn¡¯t keep defending against the continuous downpour of the spear pieces.

    It¡¯ll stop soon.

    Even if the spear had been separated into countless pieces and even if their attack power had been enhanced by the mysterious flames, the spear simply couldn¡¯t separate infinitely.

    Meaning, the barrage of the spears should eventually come to an end.

    However, Jingkrome had been overlooking a small detail.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Yet another round of massive magical energy could be sensed from the sky.

    There¡¯s¡­

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    ¡°Another one?!¡±

    The previous attack only ended a couple of moments ago, yet another one of the exact same nature was flying toward them again.

    Was it even possible to use such a massive amount of magical energy again so soon? The Lich didn¡¯t even have enough time to dodge before they found themselves in that predicament.

    But just then, they found themselves in another situation.

    Jiii-iiiing¡ª

    Clang, clang-clang-clang-clang¡ª!

    Stab, stab¡ª

    A huge dome-shaped barrier formed above the heads of the Lichs and began blocking off the downpour of the spear pieces. Jingkrome saw through the identity of that barrier and hurriedly turned his head to look at the indigo-robed Lichs.

    As I thought!

    No matter how monstrous that human¡¯s powers were, they had several apostle-ranked Lichs on their side. Meaning, they shouldn¡¯t be frightened at all.

    ¡°Not bad, you blocking that,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure was revealed among the flames spreading over the barrier. He was still riding on Miru¡¯s back while lifting up yet another spear.

    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you try to stop this one, too?¡±

    Boom¡ª

    Su-hyeun leaped up from Miru¡¯s back. At the same time, his body arched like a bow, and then, he powerfully threw that new spear forward. This one looked rather ordinary when compared to the previous Dragon Slaying Spears.

    Pow!

    Fwoooooosh!

    The spear flew quickly and precisely like a fired siege weapon and headed directly toward the apostle-ranked Lich responsible for casting the barrier.

    The Lich must have realized that Su-hyeun was targeting him from the very beginning because he had cast an even stronger barrier around himself as if the right time to act had finally arrived and, then, extended his hand toward the incoming spear.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Two opposing forces collided, and the apostle-ranked Lich¡¯s magical power began forcing the spear back. The weapon froze in mid-air for a brief moment.

    But only for the briefest moment.

    Pow¡ª!

    Kwa-jeeek¡ª!

    A blink later, the Lich¡¯s skull shattered, and a thousand little bone pieces rained down everywhere.

    ¡°¡­Huh?!¡±

    Rather obviously, Jingkrome was put in a fluster, and almost immediately, his view slowly dropped toward the ground.

    Tumble¡ª

    Smash¡ª!

    Jingkrome¡¯s head rolled onto the ground; then, Su-hyeun¡¯s foot stomped down hard on it.

    Splatter¡ª

    The Life Vessel hidden in Jingkrome¡¯s head was shattered into powder.

    The Lichs belatedly realized that Su-hyeun had already broken into their ranks and tried to mount some kind of a counterattack.

    ¡°Too slow, you morons.¡±

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    [The Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style]

    A massive amount of magical energy gathered in Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. While holding the weapon with both hands, he twisted his waist as far as he could and took a swing with all his might.

    Swooooosh¡ª!

    Kwa-aaaaaht¡ª!

    A humongous sword aura had spread out in the trajectory of the sword. At the same time, magic attacks from the apostle-ranked Lichs bombarded Su-hyeun¡¯s position.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Chwa-rararararak¡ª

    The bodies of the Lichs were ripped into tiny ribbons. Almost none of these undead were capable of surviving the destructive power of the ¡°Explosion Style.¡±

    The attack that unfolded in the middle of the undead caused two apostle-ranked Lichs to get utterly decimated, while about half of the rest were turned into a fine powder.

    The Lichs that managed to survive just so happened to be a bit farther away from the action.

    ¡°Half of us in one attack¡­¡±

    The indigo-robed apostle, Markom, took a good look at his surroundings. He had never imagined that two indigo-robed apostles, as well as dozens upon dozens of Lichs, would be killed off by a lone human.

    Even if he dove into the middle of his enemies for the purpose of a kamikaze-style attack, what that human had accomplished was a truly stunning feat.

    However, this is the end.

    Crackle, crackle¡ª

    The black flames started burning on the spot where Su-hyeun was standing.

    The ¡°Hellfire.¡±

    The name was meant to imply that this flame had been summoned directly from the depths of hell itself. This spell was ranked as the highest grade within the fire-type magic.

    This flame would burn away everything¡ªit would never go out until life itself was burned out of its target.

    It was simply unimaginable that any swordsmen would be able to survive after getting hit squarely by this deadly magic.

    Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°Hellfire, is it¡­? Well, it¡¯s more lukewarm than I thought.¡±

    Crackle, hiss¡ª

    A voice came out from the bellowing black flames. Almost at the same time, dark blue flames suddenly erupted from within.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Soon, the dark blue flames began swallowing up the black flames. Stunned silly by this development, Markom hurriedly activated teleportation magic and retreated to a far-off distance.

    He survived that?!

    No, he wasn¡¯t simply on the level of surviving. His voice sounded completely fine. That nonchalant and relaxed voice could not have belonged to a dying man.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun strode outside the center of the flames while enveloped in all sorts of blinding rays of light.

    [Indomitable Body]

    [Spirit¡¯s Grace]

    [Armor of the Mage]

    [Sky King¡¯s Feather]

    [Reflect]

    All these skills were meant to increase his magic resistance, as well as protect his physical body. On top of this¡­

    [Armor of Hades]

    A new armor was draped over Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    It was the masterpiece crafted by Kim Dae-ho from the sturdy shell of the Titan Turtle, an item that boasted the highest level of immunity against magic.

    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t need to cast my skills anymore when it¡¯s like this. I wasted my magical energy for nothing.¡±

    Skills enveloping Su-hyeun¡¯s figure disappeared one by one. It wasn¡¯t a bluff, but he really didn¡¯t need his defensive skills anymore.

    That made perfect sense, however.

    Its magic resistance is absolutely the best.

    The base material for the Armor of Hades, the Titan Turtle, was a monster that could emerge completely unscathed even after being hit by a breath from a dragon, a creature renowned for being the pinnacle of magic.

    Although this armor wasn¡¯t as thick as the shell of an actual Titan Turtle, it was made of adamantium and a high-grade Ether stone. Plus, Kim Dae-ho was responsible for crafting it.

    So, something like ¡°Hellfire¡± doesn¡¯t pose a problem, huh?

    This was an ideal stage to analyze the performance of his new armor, indeed.

    The performance of this Armor of Hades could only truly shine when fighting against magic-reliant monsters or Lichs, after all.

    It¡¯s over.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s glare then shifted over to the Lichs who were frozen to their spots near him.

    A fight where their attacks didn¡¯t even work¡ªonly a one-sided result could come about from such an event.

    It was easy to guess what these Lichs were thinking about while they stared dumbfounded at an opponent who treated the fabled Hellfire like a lukewarm flame.

    Well, then¡­

    It was now time to hunt.

    * * *

    Crackle, hiss¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    The forest was burning in blackish flames.

    It was as implied¡ªthe black flames roared on, while the burning trees turned into ashes before scattering away in the harsh winds.

    In the middle of this devastation, the skulls of the Lichs were strewn about all over the place.

    This¡ªthis is a human?!

    The sole surviving Lich, Markom, stared at Su-hyeun standing tall amid the burning forest and ungainly stumbled backward.

    All these countless Lichs, including the other indigo-robed apostles, fell powerlessly at this human¡¯s hands.

    ¡°I admit that, just now, it was a bit hotter than I thought. But it was enough for me to test out the armor, so that¡¯s fine, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that you used us as experiments?¡±

    ¡°Something like that. In any case, an apostle-ranked Lich of your caliber should be someone pretty high up in the food chain, so you probably know a lot of information, right?¡±

    Shu-ah-ahk¡ª

    Grab¡ª!

    A hand reached out from behind suddenly grabbed Markom¡¯s head.

    Just when did he?!

    This human was so fast that no one could tell just when he got behind the Lich. However, Markom almost freaked out from the sight waiting in front of him.

    ¡°What is the meaning of¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun was still standing on the same spot as before, with his sword sheathed and arms crossed, even.

    [Doppelganger ¨C Shadow Attachment]

    It was one of the additional high-grade skills from ¡°Doppelganger¡± that allowed the caster to attach a shadow to a target by stepping onto the target¡¯s shadow.

    The ¡°Doppelganger¡± skill ended up evolving after Su-hyeun¡¯s proficiency with it had reached a high-enough threshold.

    Markom was a magician whose fame was even recorded in the history books of the continent when he was still alive, so he was able to figure out immediately that the skill had been activated with his own shadow as the intermediary. He began gnashing his teeth.

    Just when did this human touch my shadow?

    The fact that this man managed to step on Markom¡¯s shadow during the chaotic battle indicated that their distance had been much closer than he initially thought.

    Su-hyeun had stepped on the Lich¡¯s shadow without the undead magician realizing it. This implied that the human could have easily killed Markom but chose not to.

    The reason for that was soon revealed by Su-hyeun himself.

    ¡°You were the strongest among everyone here, you see. That¡¯s why I was curious about something regarding you. But I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t plan to answer me.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, I would never!¡±

    Lichs couldn¡¯t feel pain, which obviously meant that things like torture wouldn¡¯t work. They also didn¡¯t fear death¡ªto them, there was something far more terrifying than death.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that, so I came prepared.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru¡¯s call could be heard coming from afar.

    The red dragon was next to Su-hyeun seemingly only a minute ago, yet it seemed to have traveled to somewhere in the meantime before coming back.

    It can¡¯t be¡­!

    Only then did Markom remember just who had been accompanying Su-hyeun all this time.

    ¡°L¡ªlet go of me!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡±

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Markom¡¯s hand consisting of thin and frail-looking bones reached toward Su-hyeun¡¯s shadow that held his skull.

    The moment the bony hand touched it, the shadow began to gradually melt away. This phenomenon was caused by the toxins that gushed out of the undead¡¯s hand.

    Hiss¡ª

    Kwa-jeeeeek¡ª!

    Suddenly, Su-hyeun¡¯s hand pierced into Markom¡¯s skull.

    The Lich was distracted by the shadow and didn¡¯t even see how Su-hyeun had moved. The hand that pierced through his skull was now holding Markom¡¯s Life Vessel.

    ¡°When I shatter this, you¡¯ll be dead for good.¡±

    The Life Vessel of a Lich wasn¡¯t all that sturdy. Even a small impact could easily break it.

    That was why Lichs carefully stored their Life Vessels inside their bodies. They did this to prevent the one-in-a-million chance of the Vessel being destroyed through an accident of some kind after storing it in a location that¡¯s out of sight.

    ¡°The thing is, I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    While holding the Life Vessel, Su-hyeun retracted his hand. He couldn¡¯t disregard the possibility of Markom choosing to self-destruct when in a tight spot.

    ¡°N¡ªno, you can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°This is indeed amazing.¡±

    The new voice belonged to Herrels.

    ¡°Are they all dead? No, wait. They are already dead, to begin with, aren¡¯t they? In any case¡­¡± Herrels Rawlsman stared at Markom and asked, ¡°Is this him? The Lich you said you¡¯d keep alive.¡±

    The moment Markom saw Herrels, the Lich instinctively realized that something had gone wrong and how Su-hyeun managed to find the locations of the Lichs.

    Did he use the souls of the dead to locate us?

    Herrels was an existence capable of commanding the dead. Meaning, countless dead souls could act as his eyes and ears.

    The souls had been used to find the Lichs¡¯ location.

    ¡°He¡¯s a fairly high-ranking individual among the Lichs. I¡¯ve already secured his Life Vessel, so he can¡¯t die by himself unless I do the job for him,¡± Su-hyeun spoke.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± said Herrels.

    Step¡ª

    Herrels then approached Markom. Right away, the latter felt his soul getting violently shaken about.

    ¡°S¡ªstop, stop¡­¡±

    Markom raised his hands to shield his half-shattered skull as he lowered his head.

    ¡°I command thee, dead being.¡± Herrels slowly walked up to Markom and issued his new order. ¡°All of your friends¡­Summon them all to this spot.¡±

 Chapter 225

    * * *

    The ability to command the dead¡ªthat was the unique ability of the Rawlsman household; it was an ability that could be considered a massive cheat as well.

    As long as the possessor of the ability wanted to, he or she could infinitely command all sorts of undead like Lichs, skeletons, and even Death Knights.

    An ability that granted the lone individual enough strength to fight many¡ªno, beyond that, even the country and the world itself.

    Lichs knew that this ability was at odds with them, so they tried hard not to directly confront Herrels.

    Su-hyeun thought that if he utilized this ability properly, he should be able to locate all the Lichs, plus their leader, the Lich King.

    If this world is the real deal, then¡­

    And if he could hunt down the Lich King of this world and thus prevent the emergence of the Lich King back in his own world¡­

    Then, I shall hunt it down here!

    He had a dependable ally in this world in Herrels. Although lacking in physical attributes, he still possessed the near-invincible ability when it came to dealing with the undead.

    Su-hyeun believed that the fight against the Lich King should be doable as long as he received the nobleman¡¯s assistance.

    Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°They say they can¡¯t find the king of the Lichs.¡±

    This ability was not good enough to locate the elusive Lich King.

    ¡°As for the Lichs¡­Their overall numbers can¡¯t be tallied at all.¡±

    ¡°Exactly how many of them are out there?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They are hidden so well that I think some of them managed to get to a place where the eyes and ears of the dead can¡¯t even reach.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s troublesome.¡±

    Lichs had been shoring up their strength for a long time. The only reason why they managed to hold themselves back and hide for so long was probably because of the Lich King¡¯s existence.

    Judging from the Lichs¡¯ reactions, the Lich King definitely exists.

    Su-hyeun initially wondered if this trial was the ¡°past of another world¡± and if Roy would become the king of all Lichs in the future.

    However, he realized that this idea was faulty not too long afterward.

    If his theory was correct, then the Lichs wouldn¡¯t have a central figure they could pivot to. Not only that, but the Lichs wouldn¡¯t have such blind faith¡ªsomething they held even dearer than their own lives¡ªif the Lich King wasn¡¯t around yet.

    Therefore, the Lich King already existed somewhere, and it was likely that the Lichs required their second ¡°god¡± for some reason.

    The theme of this trial has been bared in full now.

    The Lich King, the Lichs, and Roy, who might become the second ¡°god¡± of the undead.

    For the remaining six days¡­ I shall completely uproot all the Lichs.

    Sitting around while twiddling his thumbs wasn¡¯t his style at all.

    Act 3

    Half a day flew past like a blink of an eye.

    The sun had already gone past the midday sky and began to gradually creep toward the horizon. Eventually, the night came to visit the world once more.

    Herrels, who had remained silent all the while, finally opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Now that¡¯s a lot of them.¡±

    He said that after listening to the voices of the dead souls. He got to learn that Lichs had already filled up the nearby area.

    ¡°Will this fight really be the end?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Hopefully so,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    The final battle against the Lichs¡ªthat was what both Su-hyeun and Herrels wanted to happen. It was also what their opponents desired.

    The undead required Roy, while Su-hyeun and Herrels both wanted to completely eradicate all the Lichs.

    Lord Herrels¡¯ ability isn¡¯t unbeatable.

    While his ability didn¡¯t require magical energy to activate, that didn¡¯t mean he could use it indefinitely, however.

    Herrels had never used his ability to the absolute limit yet, but he already confirmed the level of fatigue that he had sustained depending on how much he used it from the events of the capital city.

    It was unknown just for how long he could use his ability.

    There¡¯s a good chance that this will turn into a war of attrition.

    A fight between an army of tens or hundreds of thousands and two men. Even with the assistance from the undead army, there was no doubt that this battle would prove to be arduous.

    ¡°Will you really be alright?¡±

    That was why Herrels asking this question was quite understandable. Unlike him being accompanied by the undead army, Su-hyeun would have to fight all alone.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°There will be a limit to how much I can help you. And also¡­¡± Herrels stopped talking for a moment and scanned the surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s not only the Lichs that have shown up.¡±

    ¡°It seems that way.¡±

    Maybe Su-hyeun¡¯s composed reply took him back? Herrels asked in a surprised tone of voice. ¡°You already knew?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be surprised, though. They were already in such a relationship with the emperor of all people, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you do have a point there, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite likely that the Lichs will use their human friends to kill you, Lord Herrels.¡±

    Su-hyeun spread out his magical energy on the ground to scan and analyze the countless number of people currently gathering around them.

    The footsteps reverberating from everywhere couldn¡¯t even be counted. They were still too far away to be seen by naked eyes, but there was no doubt that the gathered number was quite considerable to behold.

    ¡°How many Lichs you think you can deal with, Lord Herrels?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll have to give my all and see how it goes. But, one thing is certain¡ªthe Lichs cannot kill me.¡±

    Herrels had been battling the Lichs for quite a long time. During his battles, he got to clearly confirm that the undead couldn¡¯t harm or kill him, the inheritor of the Rawlsman bloodline.

    The reason for that was unknown. Maybe it was connected to the Rawlsman bloodline¡¯s ability to command the dead somehow.

    ¡°And that¡¯s precisely why they brought so many humans like this. Just so that they can kill me.¡±

    Lichs couldn¡¯t kill Herrels. On the other hand, humans certainly could.

    That was indeed the reason why they even bothered to gather up that many humans and brought them here.

    ¡°It seems that they are really determined this time. No, maybe it signifies that this unknown something they desire so badly is literally just around the corner.¡±

    While saying that, Herrels stood up from his spot. He then gazed at Roy and Miru who were currently sticking very close to the cliff face behind them. The boy had been dazedly staring at the sky since last night while riding on Miru¡¯s back.

    ¡°Roy is everything to me in this world,¡± said Herrels as he began walking away. ¡°That¡¯s why I shall definitely protect him, no matter what.¡±

    A father to a boy¡ªat this very moment, Herrels was carrying the heavy burden of that title on his shoulders.

    Geu-guk, geu-geu-geu-guk¡ª

    With him as the center, countless skeletons began rising up¡ªthousands, no, tens of thousands of them.

    That wasn¡¯t all, however.

    Giii-aaaahk¡ª!

    Kroooooar¡ª!

    Beasts made out of nothing but bones also began rising up from the ground.

    Su-hyeun witnessed the tens of thousands of skeletons and bony beasts rising up and looked at Herrels¡¯ back as he walked away while commanding his army. At that moment, Su-hyeun realized that the nobleman was prepared to sacrifice his life today if he needed to.

    Even if that was the case, he couldn¡¯t stop Herrels because he knew the kind of determination that drove the nobleman to make that choice, after all.

    ¡°Alright, then. Now¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun looked up at the Lichs that had shown up along with the encroaching night.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get started, too.¡±

    * * *

    Step¡ª

    Herrels stopped walking and took a good look around his surroundings.

    Before anyone had time to properly notice it, two armies¡ªone consisting of countless undead, while the other, humans taking aim at him with crossbows and bows¡ªhad surrounded him.

    Their overall number was at least in the tens of thousands.

    Lichs were taking a position just above them.

    ¡°Quite a few of you have come to hunt just me, it seems.¡±

    ¡°Lord Herrels, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±

    The voice sounded familiar to Herrels. Herrels shifted his gaze in the direction of that distant voice. Then, he spotted a face he kind of expected to see.

    ¡°Lord Seward. I was under the impression that you had passed on, but as expected, that story wasn¡¯t true.¡±

    ¡°If I had indeed died, then you¡¯d have already known about it, wouldn¡¯t you say, Lord Herrels?¡± The man laughed.

    Seward Christine, a marquis of the empire and someone widely acknowledged as second only to Count Balt in swordsmanship. He is also a man who was reported to have died about five years ago.

    ¡°I had never imagined that we¡¯d encounter each other in a place like this, Lord Herrels. To think that I, Seward Christine, will have my legendary beginning by beheading you. I can only lament this turn of event.¡±

    ¡°Since when did you join the Lichs?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been about 10 years now. I¡¯ve been strengthening myself all to accomplish this historical feat. You shouldn¡¯t think that I¡¯m the only one, however. If you know the rest who are involved, you¡¯ll be quite stunned by the revelation.¡±

    ¡°It seems so, as I can already spot several familiar faces among your group.¡±

    It was as he said¡ªHerrels could recognize quite a few faces near Seward Christine. From some individuals from his father¡¯s generation to nobles that he considered his friends once upon a time.

    Those who were thought to have died were here in this place, alive and well.

    ¡°This is for the best, actually.¡± Herrels¡¯ hand signal prompted the undead army to move in unison like a gigantic tidal wave. ¡°Let us die for real in this place.¡±

    Gu-wuwuwuwu¡ª

    A massive pile of bones began rising up from the ground.

    It was the entrance of a massive lizard featuring a long tail, sleek and lengthy spine, four limbs, and a big horn. It was none other than the Bone Dragon.

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The massive Bone Dragon flew up into the sky. The master of all things magical that appeared only in legends and myths had revealed itself to the eyes of the humans, albeit only after its death.

    ¡°As expected of you¡­There was a good reason why his majesty, the emperor, was most wary of you, Lord Herrels.¡±

    Seward Christine alternated his impressed eyes between Herrels and the Bone Dragon.

    Although the beast was now dead and only its bones remained, the ability to command such a dragon was indeed worthy of praise.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see this till the end, then.¡±

    Seward raised his hand.

    At the same time, the crossbows held in the hands of countless soldiers dispersed throughout the forest were poised to fire.

    With the preparation now complete, Seward loudly cried out.

    ¡°Fire!¡±

    * * *

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Pa-pang¡ª!

    Loud explosions were accompanied by intense heat waves. The aura of the massive magical power blanketing the entire forest was so wicked that it made one¡¯s body instinctively shudder.

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Some distance behind Su-hyeun, Miru was huddled near the foot of a cliff, baring its fangs and crying out. Not because of fear, though.

    It was because it wanted so badly to fire a breath or two at the Lichs currently fighting against Su-hyeun.

    Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°Only Lord Herrels and I will be fighting against the Lichs. No, it¡¯s more than likely that we¡¯ll have to fight some humans who are in cahoots with them, too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why, Miru, I only have you to rely on right now. You understand, right?¡±

    ¡°Look after Roy. You must use all of your strength to protect him. If it gets too dangerous, you must run away with him.¡±

    That was Su-hyeun¡¯s serious request.

    The older Miru got, the more it earnestly listened to Su-hyeun. Without a doubt, it would have jumped into the fight without a care for its own safety if someone dared to attack Su-hyeun.

    However, the current situation was quite different.

    Su-hyeun simply didn¡¯t have the leeway to look after Roy while fighting against these many Lichs. But that didn¡¯t mean he could send Miru and the boy away to somewhere else either.

    Even if it was dangerous here, he¡¯d feel more relaxed if they were within his sight. Lichs were fully capable of quickly locating Miru and Roy even if the two of them had escaped to a faraway location, after all.

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru growled lowly from within the protective barrier it cast on itself while watching Su-hyeun¡¯s back as he fought against the Lichs.

    It happened then.

    Plop¡ª

    Roy who was riding on Miru¡¯s back lightly jumped off from the dragon without a warning.

    Gya-ong?

    Miru got flustered by this sudden action from the boy who hadn¡¯t moved at all for a while and urgently turned its head to look.

    Roy had a somewhat dazed and faraway look on his face.

    ¡°I¡­ need¡­ to go¡­¡±

    Gya-ong, gya-ong¡ª

    Miru urgently bit down on Roy¡¯s clothes and then softly shook its head as if to say, you mustn¡¯t go.

    ¡°I¡­ need¡­ to go¡­¡±

    Growl¡ª

    Just as Miru tried to shake its head again while biting onto the boy¡¯s clothes¡­

    Pow¡ª!

    Roy¡¯s palm seemed to blanket Miru¡¯s entire vision, and then, the dragon was powerfully shoved far back.

    Pow, pa-pang¡ª

    Boom¡ª

    Miru rolled on the ground several times before coming to a halt, dust completely covering its figure. Thankfully, the dragon got up right away as if it wasn¡¯t seriously injured. Then, it stared at Roy trudging toward a certain direction.

    Gya-ong¡ª

    But Su-hyeun said not to move at all and stay put no matter what¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s why, Miru, I only have you to rely on right now. You understand, right?¡±

    Growl¡ª

    The moment Miru recalled what Su-hyeun had said, it began chasing after Roy.

 Chapter 226

    <hr />

    Kiii-aaaaah¡ª!

    The Bone Dragon¡¯s howls reverberated throughout the sky.

    Countless skeletons wielded battered swords and spears made out of bones. Meanwhile, magic spells chaotically flew about everywhere.

    The Bone Dragon flew toward the human army. However, the magic fired out by the Lichs suppressed the undead creature¡¯s body, and meteors summoned by the magic circles began raining down on it.

    The Lichs certainly couldn¡¯t attack Herrels, but they could still attack the other undead like them.

    Swoosh¡ª

    A sword sliced down sharply toward Herrels¡¯ back.

    Quite unsurprisingly, he couldn¡¯t respond in time. Other than being able to command the legions of the undead, he was not much different from a regular person who hadn¡¯t taken up swordsmanship training.

    However¡­

    Clang¡ª!

    The sword was deflected back midway during the strike.

    Seward Christine who targeted Herrels¡¯ open back was now staring at the hulking pile of bones blocking his view.

    ¡°So, it was this guy? The knight who was reputedly the strongest in history, Sir Louw?¡±

    Seward¡¯s curious gaze was fixed squarely on the Death Knight.

    This Death Knight kitted out in the worn-out heavy armor used to be called the strongest knight in history until Count Balt appeared.

    Such a creature had been protecting Herrels from the closest vantage point for a very long time, and that was precisely why no one could assassinate or harm him until now.

    ¡°If it¡¯s Sir Louw, then he certainly is not someone that I can so carelessly provoke. However, what about you, Lord Herrels?¡±

    Seward smirked haughtily as he stared at Herrels. For a while now, the latter¡¯s complexion had been getting paler and paler.

    ¡°Even if you can command an army of the dead, you¡¯re still just a human being. You can bleed, and you can get tired as well. And right now, my friend, you look rather fatigued.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem right now.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re correct. For now, that is.¡± Seward then shifted his gaze over to the distant Lichs sending out a barrage of attacks at the undead that Herrels had summoned. ¡°It is a shame that all you can do is command the undead, and you can¡¯t seem to control the Lichs in the far off distance. They can¡¯t attack you, but they sure can attack the undead you have summoned. And you¡¯re gradually getting tired as we speak.¡±

    Every word coming out from Seward Christine¡¯s mouth that explained everything in detail and left no room for argument. It was as he said¡ªthe Lichs couldn¡¯t attack Herrels, but that didn¡¯t mean he possessed an inexhaustible supply of stamina and power.

    ¡°When you reach the point of collapsing from overexertion, you shall die by my hands.¡±

    ¡°I see. As far as you being a rotten bastard, you haven¡¯t changed at all,¡± was all Herrels could say in reply.

    Herrels¡¯ glare remained locked on Seward Christine despite the cold sweat that trickled down his forehead and his vision that was growing dimmer. Even his concentration had begun wavering gradually as well.

    I can¡¯t keep this up.

    Herrels heaved a long sigh and took a good look around his surroundings. All the crossbow bolts, swords, and spears flying in at him were being fended off by the Death Knights protecting him.

    He wanted nothing more than to control those Lichs.

    To do that, however, he had to wield immense power, and the undead he was controlling were just already too many. Moreover, the human army that served as a wall between him and the Lichs was also simply too impregnable.

    They have completely analyzed me down to the last detail.

    For the past several years, Herrels had to fight off the Lichs many times to rescue his son Roy. In the process, he ended up killing countless undead or had to openly use his ability many times.

    It seemed that the Lichs had been planning and strategizing this very battle for a long time. They mobilized a human army, causing him to summon his own undead army to fight back, and then, they proceeded to weaken his undead next.

    They also made sure not to come close to him. They rigorously kept their distance and aimed only at his undead summons.

    Clearly, their plan was to gradually shave off his stamina in this fashion, and then, they¡¯d let Seward¡¯s sword take his life away.

    So, it¡¯s only a matter of time, huh?

    Herrels already knew that the battle would be difficult, but he never imagined that the enemies would come prepared to this degree.

    Smirk

    A grin spread on his lips next. He had two reasons to do so.

    I was planning to die anyway, so I should cut loose and go all the way.

    A smile automatically broke out the moment he cast away any lingering attachment toward life. And secondly¡­

    Today is really the end.

    From the perspectives of the inheritor of the Ralwsman bloodline and his son¡­

    Herrels could now see the end of the long and arduous road Roy had to experience so far during his young age, and that fact was enough reason to smile.

    ¡°Come forth, my slaves,¡± Herrels commanded.

    Geu-guguguguk¡ª

    And the fallen skeletons began rising up once more.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this, you damn persistent bastards!¡±

    <hr />

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    Kwa-ahahahaht¡ª!

    Chwa-ra-ra-ra-rak¡ª

    The spear that had left Su-hyeun¡¯s hand split into tens of thousands of shards and rained down on the Lichs¡¯ heads.

    However, as if they had been waiting for this attack, they quickly made their next move. Did they already figure out his battle style?

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Rather than blocking the shards, the Lichs began dodging them. It was indeed the wiser choice. Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°You think you can dodge just because you know now?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    Fwoooosh¡ª!

    A spear that was connected to him through a thin thread of magical energy flew out while spinning viciously. After beheading several Lichs in a row with the thrown weapon, Su-hyeun yanked hard at the thread and pulled it back.

    Swoosh¡ª

    Boom¡ª!

    The spear than flew in the opposite direction.

    It was too fast to be blocked or evaded. Lichs reflexively activated magic in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction.

    Crackle, crackle¡ª

    Freeze¡ª

    Bitterly cold air blanketed Su-hyeun¡¯s body. However, the ones to get flustered were the Lichs, instead.

    Dammit.

    Magic-based attacks were almost completely useless against Su-hyeun. Not only was his innate magic resistance high, but all the skills currently draped around his body also aided in boosting his defenses against all things magic-related.

    The physical defensive capability offered by his armor alone should not be ignored, but if the Lichs had to choose, rather than magic-based attacks, they needed to find a method to inflict actual physical damage to him.

    Shatter¡ª

    Su-hyeun moved again as if nothing had happened to him.

    It didn¡¯t matter whether it was the choking heatwave or freezing air, the built-in magic resistance of the Armor of Hades cut off the effects of those magic spells before they could negatively affect him.

    Fwooooosh¡ª!

    Swoosh¡ª

    An arrow as thick as a tree trunk suddenly flew in toward Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    The siege weapon designed to penetrate castle gates¡ªa ballista¡ªhad been fired at him. He tilted his head out of the way and, then, shifted his gaze toward where that ballista had come from.

    ¡°Load the next round! Prepare to fire!¡±

    ¡°Fire!¡±

    Pow¡ª!

    Fwooooosh¡ª!

    Another ballista flew toward Su-hyeun, and then, dozens upon dozens of the thick arrows followed. He dodged every single one of them or cut them down with his sword.

    Split¡ª

    Stab, stab¡ª!

    The large arrows stabbed the ground after getting sliced in half by the sword.

    ¡°Son of a¡­¡±

    ¡°Every single one?!¡±

    ¡°Is he even really human?¡±

    Disconcerted voices began rising up.

    Their disbelief made sense. These weapons were designed for siege warfare¡ªthey were meant to destroy tightly closed castle gates and not to attack a lone human being.

    However, said human being proceeded to not only dodge them but he also even went and cut down some of them. It was not something a normal human could do.

    Could Count Balt, reputedly the continent¡¯s number one swordsman, pull off the same feat? But then again, that famous count had already died by Su-hyeun¡¯s hands, didn¡¯t he?

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of fighting against people, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun complained softly under his breath and, then, spun his body around. ¡°Then again, some people just can¡¯t be redeemed, after all.¡±

    Su-hyeun raised his sword up high, and immediately, an incredible amount of magical energy pooled at the tip of his blade.

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    [The Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style]

    [Flame]

    Rumble¡ª

    Along with the intense dark blue-colored flames, the gathered magical energy on the blade expanded rapidly.

    Then, ever so slowly, Su-hyeun swung down the weapon.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Earth Divider]

    Gu-wuuuung¡ª

    A sound similar to a massive sword descending from the heavens resounded.

    When Su-hyeun¡¯s blade touched the ground¡­

    Split¡ª!

    Crack, Crumble¡ª

    The spot where the army of the thousands had been standing on split apart into numerous unstable chunks. The magical energy that seeped underground had utterly decimated the foundation below.

    ¡°T¡ªthe ground?!¡±

    ¡°H¡ªhold on!¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    A pure pandemonium ensued.

    Su-hyeun watched the operators of the siege weapons as they sunk below ground, along with their devices, before turning away. His glare landed on the shrinking figures of the Lichs next. Their numbers had decreased significantly by now.

    [Achievement Percentage: 68%]

    [You have not satisfied the conditions.]

    The achievement percentage had increased dramatically, but he still hadn¡¯t reached the condition to clear trial yet, even with such a high percentage, which hadn¡¯t happened before.

    Still, there was little doubt that the battle against the Lichs was connected to passing the trial somehow.

    The issue is whether or not my stamina and magical energy reserve can hold out until the end¡­

    Fuu-wuu¡ª

    Su-hyeun exhaled deeply.

    In the end, this fight had become a war of attrition.

    If it was him fighting alone, he¡¯d have rampaged to his heart¡¯s content, but right now, he needed to pay some attention to make sure no sneaky Lichs managed to approach Roy somewhere behind him.

    Whatever the case may be, not losing Roy to them is the most import¡ª

    It was at that point that Su-hyeun briefly halted the battle to glance behind him.

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    Roy and Miru, who were definitely there when he looked a second ago, could no longer be seen. He hadn¡¯t been aware of their movements because of all the unfolding chaos, but even then, they had really disappeared without him noticing anything.

    ¡°Goddammit!¡±

    Feeling the urgency now, Su-hyeun inadvertently swore loudly.

    Ke, kekekeke¡ª

    Just then, he heard the ominous cackles of the Lichs.

    ¡°This is a battle where we¡¯re destined to emerge victorious regardless of what you do.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brows furrowed deeply. They sounded like they had something to bank on right now.

    As I suspected, they did something to Roy¡¯s body, didn¡¯t they?

    He did keep an eye out for such an eventuality. Thinking that the Lichs might have implanted some sort of magic in Roy, he checked and rechecked the boy¡¯s body several times.

    However, he couldn¡¯t detect anything weird in the end. The boy¡¯s condition was normal, and he couldn¡¯t sense any hidden magical devices either.

    So, he relaxed and told himself that it should be alright for now¡ªand that had come to bite him in the rear.

    I got careless.

    Did it only activate after some time had passed and after he started fighting the Lichs? All sorts of hypotheses entered his mind, but it was too late now.

    It was never too late to regret. No, actually, it was better to regret much further down the line.

    For now, he needed to get a hold of this situation.

    ¡°Looks like I don¡¯t have any more room to drag this out,¡± Su-hyeun spoke.

    ¡°That is unfortunate, but we must apologize, you have no choice but to play with us for a bit longer.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    The moment Su-hyeun shook his head¡­

    Rumble¡ª

    Dark blue-colored flames blanketed the forest as he grabbed several of the spears strapped on his back.

    ¡°Since time isn¡¯t on my side anymore¡­¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s figure then arched tautly like a bow. ¡°I better give up on stuff like controlling the pace or whatever.¡±

    <hr />

    Gya-ong, gya-ong¡ª

    Miru continued to chase after Roy.

    The dragon¡¯s body was already riddled with numerous little wounds. They came from rolling on the ground several times.

    Miru tried to stop the boy many times, but its efforts were in vain. The red dragon simply couldn¡¯t stop Roy without injuring the kid.

    Meanwhile, a voice was whispering into Roy¡¯s ears as he walked forward with a cloudy vision.

    ¡°Just a little bit more. A little bit more.¡±

    He had been hearing that voice since a while ago. No, it wasn¡¯t merely a voice. It contained an irresistible power.

    Roy continued to move in the direction the voice told him to go.

    Kee-hee, kee-hee-eeee¡ª

    Countless dead souls rushed in all around Roy. They circled the boy before entering his body one by one.

    The sensation didn¡¯t feel so bad to the child.

    It felt like strength was filling up his insides. It felt like he was acquiring power he had never possessed before.

    ¡°You want far more than this, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Roy nodded even unbeknownst to himself.

    That was a rather obvious question, but normally, he wouldn¡¯t entertain such a desire. Unfortunately, Roy failed to notice this anomaly.

    The voice tried to further entice him.

    ¡°If so, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Roy!¡±

    But another voice interfered with the whispers that entered the boy¡¯s ears.

    Roy¡¯s wits came back to him immediately.

 Chapter 227

    ¡°Big¡­ bro¡­?¡±

    That voice came from a fair distance away. It must¡¯ve been amplified through magic, although the magical energy couldn¡¯t be detected anymore.

    However, Roy regained his mind only for a brief moment.

    ¡°Wake up. You¡¯re fated to become the king of the dead, so you must not pay attention to the words of the living.¡±

    The whisper filled the boy¡¯s mind once more.

    All of a sudden, the whisper that felt comforting, the soothing voice, came across as ominous and scary. Roy held his head with both of his hands as migraine began to assault him.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t wanna¡­¡±

    Kiii-iiii¡ª

    He could still see the souls of the dead before his eyes.

    They were different from all the other souls he had seen up until now. No, they were not some simple souls wandering around the world but something else that possessed a unique power.

    ¡°Lichs¡­¡±

    They were the souls of the Lichs whose Life Vessels had been destroyed. They were fiercely struggling right now to enter Roy¡¯s body.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ Get away¡­ from me¡­¡±

    ¡°Accept them. They are your servants,¡± the ominous voice said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    ¡°You are destined to become me, so you must embrace them into your being.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±

    Roy¡¯s consciousness was sucked into the deep abyss once more. His pained expression reverted to being glazed, and he began walking again just like how he had been doing so far.

    Step, step¡ª

    However¡­

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª

    [High Breath]

    Miru¡¯s Breath gushed powerfully into the sky.

    The massive Breath blanketed the entire sky. This attack, fired with every ounce of the dragon¡¯s being, was a signal meant for Su-hyeun.

    It was the signal to tell him that they were right there.

    Act 4

    [Remaining time: 03:17:04]

    Su-hyeun grew impatient after confirming the remaining time. It had significantly decreased compared to not too long ago. Only then did he finally figure out what this countdown actually meant in the first place.

    It was the time remaining until that thing that was hidden in Roy¡¯s body would start activating.

    If the countdown indeed indicated such a thing, then the time suddenly decreasing by a lot made some sense.

    If something inside Roy had begun reacting sooner than scheduled, then obviously, the remaining time would decrease accordingly as well.

    I was too careless.

    Su-hyeun only thought about fighting the Lichs.

    He thought that protecting Roy and not doing anything else would not be counted as perfectly passing the trial. Even if the countdown came to an end and he passed the trial, the Lichs would still be here, after all.

    That¡¯s why he began thinking that completely eradicating the Lichs and their influence would be the correct path to perfectly clear this trial.

    In terms of the end result, his hypothesis wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. The trial¡¯s achievement percentage continued to climb every time he eliminated a Lich, which indicated that he was succeeding in passing the trial.

    However, a problem developed with Roy in the process.

    Where did they go?

    Finding the small figure of Roy in this expansive forest proved to be a challenge.

    Right after the boy disappeared, Lichs blocked off Su-hyeun¡¯s path. They were obviously trying to stop him from searching for the kid.

    Breaking through their encirclement wasn¡¯t hard, however. Since he no longer planned to drag things out, he unleashed all of his saved-up magical energy and broke through their net in one go.

    However, there was a decisive difference between him and the Lichs. There were many of them, while he was all alone.

    The remaining Lichs had set off to find Roy as well.

    I need to find him before they do.

    Whether he passed this trial or not depended on him locating Roy before the Lichs managed to do so. And so, just as he began following after Roy¡¯s small footprints¡­

    Rumble¡ª!

    Bright rays of light illuminated the night sky for a moment just then. He sensed a very familiar magical energy from that.

    That¡¯s Miru¡¯s Breath!

    Miru had disappeared with Roy, but the dragon wouldn¡¯t have fired a Breath in mid-air for no reason.

    They¡¯re over there.

    [Leap]

    Su-hyeun activated several ¡°Leap¡± skills in a row and dashed forward.

    It wasn¡¯t only him who saw the Breath just then. The Lichs who were searching for Roy must¡¯ve confirmed the location of that attack as well.

    And sure enough¡­

    Wu-du-du-duk¡ª

    Boom¡ª

    A thick wall of earth rose up to block Su-hyeun¡¯s path.

    Lichs that stood in a line had cast this magic. Since his resistance would negate all the spells that restricted him, they chose to alter the terrain and stop his advances that way.

    I¡¯ll break through.

    He didn¡¯t need long to make up his mind.

    Shu-rung¡ª

    He yanked out the sword stored away for a little while until now. He didn¡¯t need to use his magical energy either.

    Swish, swish¡ª

    Chwa-ra-rak¡ª!

    Su-hyeun sliced apart the thick wall of soil with his sword and quickly activated ¡°Leap¡± once more. In that exact moment, despite knowing that they would die, the Lichs, along with Death Knights, pounced on him from both sides.

    Fwoosh, slash¡ª

    Slice¡ª

    The bodies of the Lichs and Death Knights were sliced in halves.

    As expected, they had discovered Roy¡¯s location as well.

    I should run.

    Gu-guguguk¡ª

    Power ran to his feet.

    Pow¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure shot forward as the ground below exploded. He didn¡¯t have to dart between the gaps of the lush vegetation; he flew in a straight line while destroying the trees in front of him.

    The view before him transformed in an instant with such speed.

    Swoosh¡ª

    He caught sight of Lichs and Death Knights busy facing off against Miru.

    Grrrr¡ª

    The Lichs couldn¡¯t get closer to the red dragon that was currently growling, with its fangs bared. Burnt corpses also littered the ground in front of Miru.

    It seemed that Miru was still protecting Roy. Su-hyeun took in that sight for a moment before making his next move.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Swish¡ª

    With the sword still in his hand, he dug into the ranks of the enemies by the dozens.

    Soon afterward, a coldly gleaming sword beam drew a concentric circle, with Su-hyeun in the center, and had spread out widely. That single sword strike sliced apart every single enemy caught inside the attack range.

    Slice¡ª

    Ku-gugugugu¡ª

    The trees in the surroundings slowly fell, their oblique-angled and smoothly cut surfaces on full display. The Lichs and Death Knights weren¡¯t spared either. All of their bodies also helplessly fell.

    Thud¡ª!

    Not a single Lich or Death Knight remained standing.

    Su-hyeun sheathed his sword and walked over to Roy. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    The boy didn¡¯t reply to Su-hyeun¡¯s question. Instead, he began walking over to the fallen Lichs and Death Knights.

    ¡°Roy?¡±

    Gya-ong, gya-ong¡ª

    Miru stood next to Su-hyeun and cried as if it wanted to pass on a message. It seemed that the dragon was saying that Roy¡¯s current condition was strange.

    Su-hyeun grabbed the boy¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Roy, just what is¡­?¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun was stunned.

    Roy¡¯s shoulders were moving slightly under Su-hyeun¡¯s tight grip. The physical power displayed by the boy in wanting to go forward was noticeably different from before.

    His strength was so great, in fact, that Su-hyeun almost briefly lost his grip on the boy¡¯s shoulders.

    What¡¯s going on here?

    He could tell that the boy¡¯s condition was weird, but to think that the young child¡¯s physical abilities had been enhanced to this degree¡­

    And that wasn¡¯t the only surprising thing.

    ¡°Rise¡­ up¡­¡±

    Gu-gu-gu-guk¡ª

    Clack, clack¡ª

    With just one short command from Roy, the fallen Lichs and Death Knights began standing up again one by one.

    It was an ability similar to Herrels¡¯. However, Roy was unable to wield this power at will until now.

    Did he suddenly awaken his ability or something?

    Whatever the case might be, this was not a welcome turn of events.

    Su-hyeun took a look at the revived Lichs and Death Knights and quickly realized that Roy¡¯s ability was different from Herrels¡¯.

    ¡°As expected, the great one did promise us the everlasting eternal life.¡±

    ¡°An eternal life without any pain¡­¡±

    ¡°The descendant of our god has arrived on this land!¡±

    The cries of the revived Lichs were filled with sheer heartfelt emotions.

    Su-hyeun was dumbfounded by this. Unlike the undead serving Herrels, these Lichs were revived with their souls and minds completely intact from back when they were still alive.

    This is definitely¡­

    Su-hyeun recognized this ability.

    It¡¯s from the Lich King.

    It was one of that bastard¡¯s abilities.

    ¡°Roy! Roy!¡±

    Su-hyeun grabbed Roy¡¯s shoulders and shook the boy.

    The latter¡¯s body was difficult to move¡ªas if it was a heavy boulder deeply embedded to the ground. Su-hyeun was almost mystified at seeing the amount of strength now residing in the boy¡¯s small frame.

    ¡°Big¡­ bro¡­¡±

    Roy opened his lips somehow, but that was all.

    He must¡¯ve barely managed to squeeze out those words because his lips clamped shut as soon as he called out to Su-hyeun.

    And right away¡­

    ¡°Get away from the great one!¡±

    ¡°You blasphemous human!¡±

    Chwa-rururu¡ª

    Dozens of chains tightened around Su-hyeun¡¯s body, while the Death Knights yanked their swords out and pounced on him.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s response to that was simple.

    ¡°Miru? A Breath, please.¡±

    [High Breath]

    Rumble¡ª

    Miru heard Su-hyeun¡¯s order, opened its mouth wide, and spat out a Breath. Su-hyeun watched the Lichs and the Death Knights as they got swept away by that powerful strike.

    ¡°Stop them for a little while. You can do it, right?¡± Su-hyeun spoke again.

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru energetically replied.

    Su-hyeun saw all the small little nicks that covered Miru¡¯s body were constantly bleeding a little. If this happened in the past, his red dragon might have cried and complained about things being too tough, but it was not displaying even a hint of complaint now.

    Just bear with it for a little while longer.

    He didn¡¯t think that his red dragon would be pushed around by the Lichs of such low levels, so he shifted his gaze away from Miru who was standing protectively before him and spitting out yet another Breath toward the undead.

    Roy still had no expression on his face.

    ¡°Roy, you gotta wake up.¡±

    Su-hyeun strongly shook the boy¡¯s shoulders. However, Roy still didn¡¯t respond to him.

    [Remaining time: 00:11:23]

    The countdown had decreased substantially. Only around 11 minutes remained.

    No, wait¡ªeven the rate of the countdown was ticking away was too fast. With the way things were going, the so-called remaining time had little meaning now.

    Feeling the urgency, Su-hyeun pressed his hand on Roy¡¯s chest.

    Grab¡ª

    When he did, Roy suddenly grabbed Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and then glared back at him with his blackened eyes.

    ¡°Take¡­ your¡­ hand¡­ off¡­¡±

    The voice had changed. It was not Roy¡¯s but someone else¡¯s. It was also one that Su-hyeun was rather familiar with.

    ¡°This¡­ is¡­ my body¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­So, it was you?¡±

    The cold light of recognition flickered in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    Su-hyeun knew exactly who the owner of that voice was, even with such poor articulation because of the voice¡¯s lack of energy.

    It was the Lich King.

    It was that bastard¡¯s voice.

    Wuduk, wududuk¡ª

    Strength began flooding into Roy¡¯s hand, as if to shatter Su-hyeun¡¯s hand right there and then. However, the latter didn¡¯t even budge an inch.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use even more strength, then?¡±

    [Strength: 99]

    The strength stat boasted an overwhelming numerical value.

    Although his magical energy rank was still low, the strength stat at least had exceeded the level attained by Kim Sung-in of the previous lifetime. Not only that, but Su-hyeun also boasted the achievement of defeating the Lich King in his past life.

    Thus, to be pushed back by a little bit of strength such as this would be unimaginable. Besides, his current opponent wasn¡¯t the actual Lich King but a person being possessed by that monster.

    ¡°Sorry about this, Roy.¡±

    Su-hyeun grabbed Roy¡¯s shoulder with his other hand and picked the boy up off the ground like he weighed nothing.

    Swoosh¡ª

    Bang¡ª!

    ¡°Keok!¡±

    Roy was slammed down on the ground, and immediately, his eyes shot open wide and his whole body began shuddering.

    Su-hyeun continued to press down on Roy¡¯s chest with one hand to restrict the boy¡¯s movement.

    The god¡¯s descendant, right?

    Su-hyeun recalled what the Lichs said a few moments ago.

    ¡°The descendant of our god has arrived on this land!¡±

    To the Lichs, the Lich King was their god, their king. The reason why they didn¡¯t fear death was because they believed that the Lich King would revive them again.

    He thought he could understand it now¡ªwhy these Lichs had been persistently targeting Roy.

    Also, Roy was of the same existence as the people from the Rawlsman bloodline.

    They were the descendants of the Lich King.

    The Lich King, that creature was also a living human once upon a time before it turned into a Lich.

    I was originally planning to use it against the Lich King, but¡­

    With his hand still pressing down on Roy¡¯s chest, Su-hyeun spat out a long groan.

    They say half a loaf is better than nothing, so I guess it can¡¯t be helped.

    [Transfiguration]

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228: Chapter 228

    <hr />

    ¡°Transfiguration¡± was a skill that absorbed a target¡¯s unique trait.

    Depending on which opponent you absorbed the trait from, the resulting skill could end up subpar, or it could become even more special than any other skill in existence.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if you could absorb the traits of every target. Several restrictions applied to Transfiguration skill.

    First, only one trait could be absorbed through the skill. Meaning, the previous traits had to be discarded if newer and higher-ranked ones were to be attained.

    Second, you needed to possess a stronger body and mind than the opponent you wanted to absorb the trait from. If not, you had to either kill the target or beat them up until they were in a near-death state.

    That was why Su-hyeun always killed his target or drove them to a near-death state before using the Transfiguration skill.

    It was the same story when he fought against Ouroboros. If it weren¡¯t for him stabbing the monster¡¯s heart and weakening it severely, the skill wouldn¡¯t have worked at all.

    Of course, the trait ¡°Third Eye¡± now had nothing to do with the Transfiguration skill anymore. It became his own unique ability as a reward for passing the trial.

    Due to such reasons, absorbing Roy¡¯s trait wasn¡¯t difficult for him.

    Not only was Roy a human and not a monster, but Su-hyeun had also already restrained the boy from moving. Unlike how it was with the Ouroboros, he didn¡¯t need to fatally wound him.

    [Transfiguration will be used against the target ¡°Roy Rawlsman.¡±]

    [A portion of the target¡¯s trait will be absorbed.]

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The unique aura inside Roy¡¯s body seeped through Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. At first, the latter had no idea what this was, but this power that was entering him through his arm suddenly began talking to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re not it¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not it! You don¡¯t have the qualifications!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±

    The voices of the dead entered his mind.

    This was Roy¡¯s¡ªthe Rawlsman bloodline¡¯s¡ªability, or a portion of it, anyway, which allowed the holder the ability to hear the voices of the dead and control them.

    Su-hyeun focused on using the Transfiguration skill. When he did, he could clearly see the condition of Roy¡¯s body currently trapped under his hand.

    A Life Vessel?!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes shot wide open.

    A familiar item was hidden within Roy¡¯s chest. That small coin-shaped item made of ¡°death aura¡± and magical energy was quite similar to the Life Vessels found inside the Lichs.

    That thing definitely wasn¡¯t there a while ago, however.

    Why is there a Life Vessel inside Roy¡¯s body?

    [Remaining time: 00:00:00]

    [The third trial has been cleared.]

    [The Life Vessel has been summoned.]

    [Destroy the Life Vessel.]

    The third trial was over.

    And when the clear condition for the next trial was revealed, Su-hyeun finally realized the true meaning behind the ¡°remaining time.¡±

    It was the countdown until the Life Vessel was completed, wasn¡¯t it?

    For the Lichs, one¡¯s body served as a vessel for containing magical energy. That was all. The Life Vessel was a Lich¡¯s origin; it is its heart.

    Ten days, 240 hours¡ªit was the time needed for the Lich King¡¯s second Life Vessel to be ¡°summoned¡± here.

    For ten days, souls poured into Roy¡¯s body to create a suitable host body. After that, a Life Vessel would be summoned, Roy¡¯s body would be stolen, and he would be turned into a Lich.

    That was the goal of the Lichs, and the goal this trial assigned him with was¡­

    I¡¯m supposed to kill Roy who¡¯s been turned into the Lichs¡¯ second god.

    Grit¡ª

    Only now could he figure out what the gatekeeper¡¯s advice from earlier meant.

    ¡°First, knowing it doesn¡¯t mean that the difficulty is low. Should I say it¡¯s a hard problem to solve despite you knowing how to? Especially so in your case.¡±

    This proved to be true. Whether Su-hyeun knew or not, the things he needed to do remained the same. Protecting Roy¡ªthat was the only task he had to perform.

    ¡°And that¡¯s the second part. You¡¯re a good guy, so you¡¯re going to have a bit of a hard time.¡±

    The gatekeeper knew. He knew that Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Roy. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stick a blade in the boy¡¯s heart.

    Right, I can¡¯t do that. No¡­

    Su-hyeun poured his remaining magical energy into the Life Vessel inside Roy¡¯s body.

    Wuduk, wu-du-duk¡ª

    ¡­I won¡¯t kill him.

    While using the Transfiguration skill, Su-hyeun used his own magical power to crush Roy¡¯s Life Vessel.

    Absorption and expulsion¡ªhe carried out these two things simultaneously. He applied these two opposing natures in the opposing directions.

    No matter how excellent Su-hyeun¡¯s magic control was, this action still proved to be quite difficult. On top of this, if the Transfiguration skill failed for some reason, the ¡°death aura¡± might end up permeating deeply inside his body instead.

    Fshooo¡ª

    The tips of Su-hyeun¡¯s fingers gradually blackened. Ominous aura seeped inside, and his hand and arm rapidly decomposed.

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t¡­ have the¡­ qualifications¡­¡±

    A grin spread on Roy¡¯s lips¡ªonly it wasn¡¯t really him.

    It was someone else that had swallowed up Roy¡¯s consciousness through the Life Vessel. It was the second god of the Lichs, in other words.

    ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m concentrating here.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun strengthened his grip on Roy¡¯s shoulder. The boy¡¯s body sunk even deeper into the ground.

    After Roy¡¯s figure sunk about halfway underground¡­

    ¡°Big¡­ bro¡­ you must¡­¡±

    Roy¡¯s voice reverted back to how he sounded in the past. It seemed that his consciousness was gradually returning after the Transfiguration skill continued to absorb his ability.

    However¡­

    ¡°Kill¡­ me¡­¡±

    That was the first thing he said after regaining his mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun kept pushing down with his hand, which was now darkened all the way up to his forearm, and spoke, ¡°Mister Herrels is going through hell over there just to protect you, so why would I let you die today?¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Keehee, kee-hehehe¡ª

    The cackles of the souls noisily rang in his ears. Su-hyeun ignored them and continued on. ¡°Especially when you¡¯re still wet behind the ears, kid.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The rate of the aura being sucked out of Roy¡¯s body accelerated even faster. A pained voice accompanied the aura as well.

    ¡°Human, I curse you! You who dare to interfere with our eternal life, we shall make you suffer a never-ending pain¡­¡±

    That voice sounded oddly familiar¡ªit was similar but still a bit different from his memories.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± A mocking sneer floated on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips. ¡°Were you that bastard¡¯s sibling? Or, maybe, his son or daughter?¡±

    That voice was similar to the Lich King¡¯s.

    However, it definitely belonged to a different individual. Not only was the voice faintly different, but the real Lich King that Su-hyeun knew also wasn¡¯t the type to get agitated this easily.

    ¡°I was wondering who exactly this second god of Lichs might be¡­ But you¡¯re all the same in the end, I guess.¡±

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    ¡°Wait for a bit longer, okay? I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re his brother or something, but I¡¯ll be sending that f*cker to your side pretty soon, too.¡±

    Wuuuu-ooong¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    The Life Vessel inside Roy¡¯s body shattered. And right at that moment¡­

    [Trait: ¡°Necromancer¡± has been acquired.]

    [Stat: ¡°Death Aura¡± has been acquired.]

    [Death Aura has increased by 1.]

    [Death Aura has increased by¡­]

    [¡­]

    All the aura coming in from Roy vanished completely. At the same time, the Transfiguration skill¡¯s trait absorption ended, and the world, as seen from Su-hyeun¡¯s view, suddenly changed.

    [¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [Death Aura will be spent continuously.]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes could now catch the figures of the dead souls. They gathered around him to sob, laugh, and even slumber.

    He could also see the souls of the Lichs. They were clearly frightened by the newly transformed Su-hyeun.

    This¡­ was the world Roy saw.

    It was quite different from the world that regular people got to see. Some people would get scared by a single ghost and start trembling in fear, but Roy had to witness such a world from the moment he was born until now.

    And he continued to perceive that, one day, he¡¯d join their ranks as well.

    But now, it¡¯ll be me.

    Su-hyeun picked up the exhausted and collapsed Roy and placed the boy on his back.

    [You have cleared the trial.]

    [Achievement Percentage: 84%]

    [Will you end the trial?]

    Right then, a message floated up which indicated that trial had been cleared.

    Prevent the birth of the second Lich King and destroy its summoned Life Vessel¡ªthose were the final goals of this trial.

    Fuu-wuu¡ª

    As if he was slightly tired, Su-hyeun spat out a long sigh as soon as he stood back up. Even then, he had no time to rest. In front of him, Miru was still protecting him and Roy.

    Pang, pa-pa-pang¡ª!

    Sizzle¡ª

    The barrier Miru had cast was slowly melting away.

    Lichs and Death Knights had spread out wide while dodging Miru¡¯s Breaths and continued with their persistent attacks.

    Miru needed to protect Su-hyeun and Roy, which prevented it from moving from the spot, so it cast a barrier and endured the attacks while pouring out every ounce of its magical energy.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked closer and then placed the sleeping Roy on Miru¡¯s back. ¡°You can take a break now.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru let out a tired cry.

    Su-hyeun stared at the Lichs and Death Knights beyond the barrier. ¡°Stop right there.¡±

    The moment he said that¡­

    Chak, cha-chak¡ª

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The Death Knights that were rushing toward Miru stopped moving, and the magical energy gathering in the Lichs¡¯ hands scattered away.

    [Trait: Necromancer]

    <ul>

    Proficiency: 0%

    LV: 1

    Can use Death Aura (ËÀšâ) to command the dead.

    </ul>

 Chapter 229

    * * *

    Drop, tumble¡ª

    Clack, clack¡ª

    One by one, the bodies of the tottering skeletons began crumbling down.

    ¡°It seems that the end is drawing near,¡± Seward said as blood seeped out from various wounds riddling his body.

    His gaze was locked on Herrels whose fatigue was evident. The latter was now surrounded by less than 100 undead, the Bone Dragon, and the Death Knight Louw.

    ¡°You are truly a tenacious individual¡ªabsolutely staggering, indeed. Who could have possibly imagined that a person capable of confronting all by himself this many Lichs, as well as an army of this scale, existed?¡± Seward spoke again and shook his head.

    Several magicians and knights capable of stopping an army by themselves had existed before within the lengthy history of the empire as well as the continent. One of those magicians even commanded a dragon.

    However, the current situation exceeded those.

    Quite a few among the gathered Lichs today were once powerful magicians whose feats had been recorded in history books.

    Herrels fought against hundreds of such Lichs, as well as an army of several tens of thousands, and the end result was that only about 10,000 remained in the combined army of the empire, as well as another kingdom.

    ¡°You talk too much,¡± said Herrels.

    ¡°I see that you do not fear your death?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not scary at all. If I¡¯m to get scared, it¡¯d be about something else.¡±

    The people from the Rawlsman bloodline didn¡¯t fear death. What they were scared of always had been other things.

    One would only fear death when they had a lingering attachment or some sort of regret in life. As for Herrels, he only had one regret.

    Roy.

    The face of his son seemed to waver in front of Herrels¡¯ eyes. But that lasted only for a moment. His vision blurred, and the undead protecting him began crumbling away rapidly.

    Clack, clack, clack¡ª

    Thud¡ª

    The Bone Dragon and the Death Knight Louw guarding his sides all fell down to the ground.

    A thick smile spread on Seward¡¯s lips as he witnessed this sight. ¡°And so, this really is the end, judging from how you can no longer keep Sir Louw by your side, the one who has been protecting you for the longest time.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Seward then approached Herrels with a slow gait. The latter rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand to clear up his blurry vision and stared at the former.

    ¡°Allow me to be the one to send you away on your final journey.¡±

    Seward unsheathed his sword.

    Herrels didn¡¯t even have enough energy to run. Even if he could, he knew that escaping was impossible, anyway.

    He wasn¡¯t scared. It was just that a lingering regret continued to haunt him.

    To die like this¡­ It seems that I still have too many things to lose.

    Just as Herrels closed his eyes¡­

    ¡°Enjoy your trip.¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    Seward¡¯s sword, which was about to swing down, collided against something and got deflected upward.

    Splash¡ª!

    Blood splattered.

    Seward¡¯s eyes shot wide open in disbelief as he stumbled backward. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    Clack¡ª

    The undead Louw had gotten back up again.

    Herrels opened his eyes at these unexpected noises and looked in front of him. ¡°But how¡­?¡±

    He had not risen the Death Knight. He didn¡¯t even have any energy left to control a single undead.

    Right then¡­

    ¡°Everyone¡­¡±

    Wuuuooong¡ª

    A voice reverberated throughout the battlefield.

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    The bones of the undead lying on the ground began shaking from that voice.

    Clack, clack¡ª

    Creak, creak¡ª

    Ku-gugugugu¡ª

    The bones that were scattered on the ground assembled again to quickly regain the former silhouette of the Bone Dragon. It was the same story for not only Louw but also the other Death Knights.

    The undead were being revived again.

    Herrels, who was in the center of the battlefield, was not the only one who was stunned by this development; the Lichs and Seward, plus the human army, were just as shocked.

    This isn¡¯t my ability.

    Herrels was acutely aware of his tank being completely empty right at that moment.

    If that¡¯s the case¡­

    Only one person could have pulled off something like that besides him.

    ¡°Roy?¡±

    Roy, who shared the same Rawlsman bloodline as him, could do this.

    ¡°Ro¡ª?!¡±

    It was right then that Herrels recalled the voice that he just heard.

    Could it be?

    Step, step¡ª

    The clear footsteps reverberated throughout the battlefield. The unnaturally distinct footsteps caused everyone¡¯s gaze to shift in the direction where sounds came from.

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    Sha-aaaah¡ª

    The man was deliberately unleashing the aura of his presence. Although Herrels couldn¡¯t see him due to the crowd of people covering him from all sides, he nevertheless knew who that man was.

    ¡°Dammit. I thought I was going to die for real.¡±

    Unlike his usual self, Herrels muttered a curse and plopped down on the spot. He didn¡¯t even have any energy left to stand. It only worsened when his tension left him and the feeling of relief rushed in.

    Su-hyeun had come.

    ¡°I shall give you some time.¡±

    Buzz, buzz, buzz¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s voice washed over the entire battlefield.

    ¡°Humans who wish to live, soldiers who got dragged here against your will, you are allowed to leave. If you do, you will live.¡± His gaze then shifted toward the Lichs hidden within the ranks of the human soldiers. ¡°As for you¡­ Don¡¯t ever think that you can leave here alive.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Pitch-black aura leaked out of Su-hyeun¡¯s body. When that aura seeped into the surroundings, all the crumbled skeletons and corpses of the monsters began rising up again.

    That ability was the same as Herrels¡¯.

    Not only that¡­

    Split¡ª

    The third eye in his forehead that he kept closed until now was finally released as well. He had been holding himself back from using it to preserve his magical energy reserve, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    He had already acquired a new ability that could be seen as extra insurance separate from the magical energy.

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator]

    Sha-aaaaah¡ª

    A chilling hiss blanketed the entire battlefield. The moment they heard that hiss, several soldiers fell to their knees in pure fright.

    The Bone Dragon? It became useless.

    A snake large enough to dwarf the expansive forest, a creature possessing the splendor exceeding that of dragons from legendary tales, appeared right in front of their eyes.

    ¡°U-uwaaaaah!¡±

    ¡°S¡ªsave me¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m out of here¡­¡±

    Soldiers overtaken by fear began muttering incomprehensible things.

    The story wasn¡¯t all that different from the Lichs. However, the fear they felt was not the same in nature from the one felt by the human soldiers.

    This power, it¡¯s definitely¡­

    It¡¯s the great one¡¯s.

    But how can that human¡­?

    Their fear stemmed from the fact that Su-hyeun now possessed the same type of power Herrels wielded, which was in direct conflict with their own.

    Also, they could sense that Su-hyeun¡¯s power was very similar to the god they worshiped.

    They found this event difficult to accept because it could only mean one thing.

    If the great one didn¡¯t use that human¡¯s body to descend to this world, then¡­

    It can¡¯t be¡­we failed?

    It could only mean that their scheme to bring about the advent of their second god through the Life Vessel had failed, and the god¡¯s power was now completely residing within Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    What should we do?

    For now, we must escape. If that bastard has acquired the great one¡¯s power, we don¡¯t stand a chance.

    Escape? Like this?

    I¡¯m saying we must think about the future first.

    Dammit! I understand.

    The Lichs confirmed the opinions of their peers through magic and quickly gathered in one spot. Not too long after that, they pooled their magical energy in the tips of their bony hands to draw a massive magic circle in an instant. It was a teleportation circle capable of sending away many individuals at once.

    They were planning to escape first and then worry later.

    Wuuu-ooong¡ª

    The Lichs added their magical energy, and the magic circle came to life next. Unfortunately for them¡­

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    [Third Eye ¨C Neutralization]

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    The moment the magic circle was reflected in the eye in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead, it stopped emitting light and ceased working instantly.

    The Lichs fell into a bout of panic once more. The spell was not activated. There could only be one reason for that.

    It was canceled?

    A magic circle of this magnitude¡­from that distance away?

    A magic circle that had already lost its effect couldn¡¯t be activated again.

    ¡°Stay right there and don¡¯t move,¡± Su-hyeun told them and locked his third eye on the Lichs.

    After making sure Lichs weren¡¯t going anywhere, he scanned his surroundings. The area had turned into pure pandemonium since he activated the ¡°Predator¡± skill.

    ¡°I¡ªI want to live!¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaahk!¡±

    Seward saw the soldiers discarding their weapons and turning around to run away. ¡°Where are you going?! You must fight even if it means your death! Anyone who dares to escape will die by my hands!¡± he shouted out, flustered.

    His shout containing magical power blanketed the battlefield. However, it was all in vain. His voice wasn¡¯t as powerful as Su-hyeun¡¯s nor did it contain enough killing intent.

    ¡°You sons of b*tches¡­¡± he muttered and gritted his teeth.

    Just before the deeply incensed Seward could swing his sword at the soldiers¡­

    Swoosh¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    It shattered loudly, and the pieces scattered in all directions. He immediately cocked his head out of the way, but a piece still managed to scratch past his cheek.

    Drip¡ª

    Blood trickled down his face. Seward¡¯s eyes opened wider as he stared at the shattered sword.

    ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t have any thoughts of running away, so¡­¡±

    Grip¡ª

    Keok!

    Su-hyeun appeared in front of Seward before the latter realized it and then gripped the nobleman¡¯s throat tightly.

    Everything literally happened in the blink of an eye. Seward immediately tried to swing his broken sword, but it was already too late.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s grip tightened, and Seward tried to fight back by strengthening his neck muscles

    Crack¡ª

    Seward¡¯s eyes rolled as his neck was broken. His breathing stopped.

    Su-hyeun then shifted his gaze back to the Lichs. His undead were already surrounding them from all sides, and they could only look back at him, unable to go anywhere.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this tiresome battle, shall we?¡± he addressed them.

    Act 5

    Crack¡ª!

    A Lich¡¯s skull shattered under Su-hyeun¡¯s foot. With that, the Life Vessel hidden inside it was also turned into powder.

    Chu-wuwuwu¡ª

    When that happened, the magical energy and the soul contained within leaked outside. He couldn¡¯t see that in the past, but after acquiring the Necromancer trait, his eyes became capable of seeing everything.

    For instance, he saw how the Lich¡¯s soul escaped and became yet another wandering specter.

    [Achievement Percentage: 100%]

    [Will you end the trial?]

    Once he dealt with the very last Lich, the message asking him to clear the trial popped up one more time.

    He could¡¯ve ended the trial after shattering the Life Vessel inside Roy¡¯s body, but he chose to eliminate all the Lichs and clear it perfectly that way.

    Su-hyeun took a look around him. Countless corpses of the undead and humans were messily strewn about.

    He didn¡¯t bother to chase after those who managed to flee. Some of them would¡¯ve had no choice but to fight due to the orders handed down from the kingdoms and the empire, and besides, all the Lichs had been eliminated, anyway.

    He had no reason to fight any further.

    I¡¯m tired.

    Su-hyeun rubbed his eyes to get rid of the fuzziness.

    His magical energy reserve was not the only thing that reached rock bottom; the reserve for his newly acquired stat, Death Aura, was in the same condition.

    The activation time isn¡¯t that long.

    Commanding the undead wasn¡¯t an easy task. For one thing, he couldn¡¯t command them for a long time like how Herrels did.

    His inability to perfectly replicate Roy¡¯s ability through the Transfiguration skill was to blame here. The current him would find it difficult to control the minds of Lichs that had perfectly retained their ego.

    That¡¯s why he chose to destroy the Life Vessels of the Lichs one by one instead.

    But that resulted in his magical energy and Death Aura reserves running completely dry. It was obvious that he had become really fatigued afterward.

    Been a while since I¡¯ve been this tired.

    He managed to pass most of the trials that came after the 43rd floor rather painlessly, so much so that the difficulty level of 10 even felt a bit meaningless.

    However, as expected of the trials found on the 10th floors, they weren¡¯t something he should look down on.

    That¡¯s why the rewards I can acquire are pretty sweet.

    The Necromancer trait¡ª

    It was the trait Su-hyeun had wanted to acquire for a very long time. He didn¡¯t even know what it was called until now, but regardless of that, this Necromancer trait allowed him to command the dead. It also happened to be one of the Lich King¡¯s powers.

    ¡°Just what has happened here?¡±

    Herrels came up to him after the battle had ended and asked that question. He remembered that the undead rose up after Su-hyeun ordered them to. That was, without a doubt, the Rawlsman bloodline¡¯s ability.

    ¡°Some things have happened along the way. Ah, by the way, Roy should be fine from now on.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The Lich King had briefly entered Roy¡¯s body earlier. Through a Life Vessel, actually.¡±

    ¡°I see. Wait, what?!¡±

    Herrels¡¯ eyes shot wide open from shock.

    Su-hyeun went onto explain what happened to him. Initially, Herrels had a deeply worried expression, but he became much more relieved by the time Su-hyeun was done explaining.

    ¡°That is indeed a relief. In that case, Roy will be alright from now on, I¡¯m assuming?¡±

    ¡°Yes, most likely. However¡­¡± Su-hyeun spoke with a slightly apologetic expression. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to see the dead souls anymore. Also, he won¡¯t be able to command the dead unlike you, Lord Herrels.¡±

    Su-hyeun had absorbed Roy¡¯s ability. A power absorbed away would not return to its original holder, and it wouldn¡¯t naturally reappear, either.

    Roy had become a regular person.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Actually, this is for the best.¡± Herrels was smiling brightly instead. ¡°Roy should be able to smile from now on, you see.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Su-hyeun failed to understand and had to ask. Herrels looked at Roy being carried by Miru on its back as it flew toward them.

    ¡°I can¡¯t recall the last time I saw my son smiled. Maybe it was around when he was four years old? He started seeing dead people around then, and that¡¯s when he began losing his smiles and expressions.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Some people call our powers a blessing. They say that this ability will allow one to fight against a country by yourself. I hear they are envious of me just because of that reason alone.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s not true for Roy.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just Roy, though. I was the same. That¡¯s why I think this is for the best.¡± Herrels smiled brightly and walked over to Roy on Miru¡¯s back before reaching out to him. ¡°And now, he has become a regular child, hasn¡¯t he?¡±

    Brush¡ª

    Herrels gently stroked Roy¡¯s face caked in dirt. The boy was still deeply asleep, his breathing calm and rhythmic.

    Su-hyeun also looked at Roy. The boy must¡¯ve been really exhausted because he showed no signs of waking up.

    I guess I won¡¯t get to say goodbye.

    Su-hyeun brushed the sleeping boy¡¯s hair like how Herrels had done and gently spoke up, ¡°Take care of yourself. I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru also opened its maw after Su-hyeun finished saying his piece, and then, their bodies gradually grew transparent.

    [You¡¯ve acquired 4,000,000 achievement points.]

    [You¡¯ve attained the highest achievement rate.]

    [You¡¯ve perfectly cleared the 50th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [Achievement ranking is being tallied.]

    [You¡¯ve been ranked in the first place.]

    [Agility has risen by one.]

    [Stamina has risen by one.]

    [Reflex has risen by one.]

    [Magic count has risen by one.]

    [Death Aura has risen by 15.]

    [Proficiency for ¡°Trait ¨C Necromancer¡± has risen explosively.]

    [Level of ¡°Trait ¨C Necromancer¡± has risen by three.]

    [Skill ¡°Soul Accumulation¡± has been acquired.]

    [Skill ¡°Dead Summoning¡± has been acquired.]

 Chapter 230

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun arrived on the 51st floor¡¯s plaza when the trial ended.

    He started walking away, evidently quite familiar with the place. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t his first time being here, and he immediately sought out the lodging area.

    While on his way, he checked out his newly acquired rewards.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic Count: 87] [Magic Level: 8]

    [Strength: 99] [Agility: 93]

    [Stamina: 92] [Reflex: 96]

    [Death Aura: 35]

    [Skill: Leap * advanced]

    [Skill: Transfiguration * advanced]

    [Skill: Flame * advanced]

    ¡­.

    [Fatigue: 61]

    The general rise in all the stats, excluding ¡°strength,¡± was the first noticeable change he could see. Unlike in the previous floors where even raising one stat was a challenge, each of his stat bar strength had increased by one point as his reward for passing the floor this time.

    Especially noticeable was his magic count, which had reached 87. That stat was the hardest to raise compared to the others so far.

    I feel a bit better already.

    Maybe he should thank the rise in his stats because it felt like he now had some leeway in his completely drained magical energy reserve.

    Raising strength right now will be too difficult, so¡­

    The stats he needed to pay attention to were ¡°stamina,¡± ¡°agility,¡± and ¡°reflex.¡±

    I¡¯ve also received enough achievement points.

    He should face no problems when buying potions and elixirs with what he got.

    Well, I¡¯ll take my time buying the elixirs, so¡­

    For now, he had something more important than that to consider.

    [Soul Accumulation]

    <ul>

    You can now accumulate a targeted individual¡¯s soul. The number of souls you may accumulate will depend on your proficiency and the soul¡¯s grade.

    Proficiency: 0%

    LV: 1

    The number that can be stored: 20

    </ul>

    [Dead Summoning]

    <ul>

    Summon a body without a soul. The designated body will not decompose and will be stored away. The number that can be stored will rise with proficiency.

    Proficiency: 0%

    LV: 1

    The number that can be stored: 20

    </ul>

    At a glance, these two skills seemed a bit useless. If someone other than him came to possess them, they surely wouldn¡¯t have known where to use these skills.

    However, Su-hyeun also possessed the ¡°Necromancer¡± trait. As such, he could easily decipher the true utility of the two skills.

    It¡¯s similar to the concept of summoned creatures, isn¡¯t it?

    First, the bodies and souls of the dead are collected, and then, through the Necromancer trait, these two are combined to command them as the undead.

    Simply put, the idea was no different from ¡°creature summoning.¡± He had essentially become an awakener like Song Hyeong-gi who commanded divine beasts.

    Could it be that Mister Herrels also possessed this skill?

    Su-hyeun thought it was rather strange.

    It was quite unlikely that corpses were buried in all corners of the empire¡¯s capital city. Also, what was the possibility that a dragon¡¯s remains were buried within a forest that he came across by chance?

    He did suspect it was not a coincidence, and he knew the true reason: the skills that he acquired as rewards were quite similar to Herrels¡¯ own ability.

    It was something pretty amazing, then.

    Because he got his skills just now, he could summon only 20 accumulated souls and bodies. On the other hand, Herrels could command tens of thousands of the undead. Compared to Su-hyeun, the difference was several thousandfolds.

    That helped him gain a renewed appreciation of how proficient Herrels had been with his ability.

    Still, they will come in handy for sure.

    Not only would he get to command a higher number of individuals as his proficiency got better, but a part of him was also especially delighted that he would be able to designate specific targets.

    Unlike Herrels, Su-hyeun got to fight countless monsters all the time. Among them, some were even strong enough to make an average dragon seem like the butt of a joke.

    Of course, there was a chance that he wouldn¡¯t get to command all 20 undead depending on the types of monsters. According to the explanation about the ¡°Soul Accumulation¡± skill, the soul¡¯s grade determined the final number that could be accumulated.

    I should stop here for now.

    After arriving at the lodging, Su-hyeun opened the doorway to reality and dragged his tired body outside.

    Rip¡ª

    I¡¯m just going to take a short break.

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes were greeted by the familiar view of his home after stepping past the doorway¡ªhis studio apartment with two bedrooms and a living room. He was originally thinking of heading straight to the bedroom and rest, but then¡­

    What¡¯s all this noise?

    A commotion was coming from the outside.

    It wasn¡¯t all that close by, though. However, he could still hear what was being said, thanks to the rather loud voices. It sounded like the conversation was related to dungeons. To hear them better, Su-hyeun went outside.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one inside, right?¡±

    ¡°Yessir! We¡¯ve confirmed it.¡±

    ¡°And the whereabouts of our members?¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here and accounted for, sir. The equipment has already been inspected as well.¡±

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go in right away. We don¡¯t have the time!¡±

    The contents of the conversation sounded rather serious.

    ¡­And I¡¯m so tired, too.

    Su-hyeun let out a long groan.

    For the past 10 days or so, he didn¡¯t get to sleep properly once. As he didn¡¯t know when something might happen, he could only afford to close his eyes for less than an hour per day while sticking right next to Roy at all times.

    As the trial was over, he was planning to sleep for the whole day and take a well-deserved break. But it seemed that he wouldn¡¯t get to do that for now.

    Du-rururuk¡ª

    Swoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun opened the window and flung himself outside. The streets were deserted, but a group of people gathered to one side at some distance.

    Paht¡ª

    Su-hyeun activated ¡°Leap¡± to step on the air and quickly headed for the direction of the group. The destination he eventually reached was filled with various people busy whispering to each other.

    Police officers had lined up inside a park facing the Han River to restrict the traffic. As for the gathered crowd, most of them were either reporters or folks related to the police.

    It¡¯s a dungeon.

    It seemed that a dungeon had appeared near the Han River¡¯s public park located on Yeoui island where Su-hyeun¡¯s studio apartment was.

    It¡¯s a green-colored dungeon. It¡¯s also pretty big, but¡­ Who¡¯s gone inside?

    A dungeon of this scale would be quite difficult to raid without an S-Rank present.

    I heard that two more S-Ranks appeared after Hak-joon¡­ I wonder if they¡¯ve gotten the wherewithal to handle this.

    As if to match the increase in the number of S-Rank awakeners, the number of dungeon appearances had also gone up. Not only had green-colored dungeons been simultaneously appearing frequently as of late, but even a few blue-colored dungeons had also begun showing up at the same time recently.

    ¡°Our support hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡±

    ¡°The Paragon Guild has stated that they don¡¯t have any spare manpower at the moment, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can call on Gordon Rohan, sir. Mister Jung Yoon-ho is already participating in a raid of another dungeon, while we can¡¯t contact Miss Park Ji-yeon at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, the Reaper Guild¡¯s master rarely comes back from the tower, so there¡¯s that. What about Mister Song Hyeong-gi, then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same story.¡±

    ¡°¡­Son of a gun.¡±

    ¡°Apparently, Mister Choi Hak-joon has boarded the Paragon Guild¡¯s private plane and is on his way from Russia, so I think he¡¯ll get here if we wait for a little bit longer, sir.¡±

    ¡°Dammit. I know it¡¯s been hiding under the river, but how can nobody discovering it for nearly ten days make any sort of sense? The heads of the monitoring division bastards responsible for this district better roll or I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun lightly tapped on the shoulder of the man busy yapping on just then. The latter stopped and spun his head in the former¡¯s direction. ¡°Urgh, what is it now?!¡±

    ¡°I think I get the gist of the situation, so is it difficult to start the raid now?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the news lately? Besides all that, how did you even get in here?! This place is currently off-limits to all civil¡ª¡± The expression on the man¡¯s face looking at Su-hyeun in irritation changed rapidly. His eyes went wide, while his jaw nearly hit the ground. ¡°Mister K¡ªKim Su-hyeun?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t have the time to watch the news. And as an awakener, I¡¯m neither a soldier nor a policeman, so¡­¡±

    ¡°M¡ªmy apologies! I¡¯ve made a stupid mistake¡­¡±

    The man hurriedly replied while waving his hands around. This sudden commotion caused the surrounding gazes to focus on Su-hyeun next.

    ¡°How did you find out?¡± The man who seemed to be in charge of the scene asked, his voice laced with urgency. ¡°I was under the impression that no one could reach you.¡±

    ¡°I just came back from a trial, actually. And also¡­¡± Su-hyeun pointed at the nearby studio apartment building and continued on. ¡°That¡¯s where I live.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±

    To think that the location of the dungeon was right in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s home.

    The complexion of the man improved considerably. He felt as if a single ray of hope had appeared amid the desperate situation.

    ¡°Even at a casual estimate, it looks to me that the raid must be completed within one, maybe two days¡­¡± Su-hyeun said as he stared at the greenish light coming from below the bridge going across the Han River.

    A dungeon that appeared below the river¡¯s surface visible to this degree was an indication that its outbreak was about to happen very soon.

    The monitoring division probably failed to spot it.

    A group of people dedicated to finding dungeons located in hard-to-spot areas such as this one existed. They were assigned specific districts, and through special devices that used Ether stones, they checked whether a dungeon had been generated or not and reported their findings to both the association and the Awakener Authority.

    There could be two reasons why a dungeon such as this had been left alone for so long¡ªeither there was not enough combat reserve to attempt a raid or the negligence on the part of the monitoring division caused the dungeon to go undiscovered.

    On this occasion, it was the latter case.

    ¡°The raiding party hasn¡¯t been finalized yet, yes?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Yes. There aren¡¯t any S-Rank awakener available at the moment. Also, what with several dungeons showing up near this location recently, it¡¯s been a real struggle to find more than 10 high-ranking awakeners above A-Rank.¡±

    ¡°Which guild has been tasked with the raid this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our guild. We¡¯re called Sohwan Guild, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and go inside with the minimum required members,¡± said Su-hyeun with a slightly irritated tone, feeling a bit unhappy that his valuable break time had been lost due to this urgent situation. ¡°I¡¯m tired right now, so let¡¯s try to wrap this up as soon as possible.¡±

    <hr />

    The master of the Sohwan Guild, Yi Byeong-hoon, hurriedly gathered the members of his guild standing around nearby. His guild boasted several fairly high-ranking awakeners above B-Rank, but even they had never experienced an event like this one before.

    To think, they would be attempting a raid on a green-colored dungeon without joining hands with another guild. Not only that, but the mercenary coming along for the ride was also none other than Kim Su-hyeun.

    For Yi Byeong-hoon who got saddled with this dangerous task due to the urgency of the situation, this was an incredible bout of good fortune that exceeded the proverbial rain falling on a dry desert. Also, this event would serve to decorate the very first sentence of the news articles meant to advertise the name of the Sohwan Guild to the wider public.

    ¡°The members of the raiding party have been gathered and are ready to head out, Mister Kim Su-hyeun. Four A-Ranks awakeners, plus 20 B-Ranks in total,¡± he spoke.

    This was definitely an impressive combat force, but it was still not enough to raid a green-colored dungeon. However, never mind Su-hyeun, even Yi Byeong-hoon paid no attention to that point.

    ¡°As for the contract regarding the distribution after the assault on the dungeon¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure you will pay me according to the market value. If not, we shall discuss it at a later date,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    He threw the last line out without giving it much thought, but Yi Byeong-hoon still felt a chill run down his spine from it. To him, it sounded like, ¡°If you try to cheat me even by a little, I will completely uproot your entire guild out of existence.¡±

    ¡°U¡ªunderstood. In that case, let¡¯s get going right away.¡±

    Yi Byeong-hoon quickly said that and then signaled to his fellow guild members on standby at the rear.

    Since it has come down to this¡­

    Su-hyeun saw that signal and promptly walked toward the bridge spanning the Han River, where green light seemed to fill the river water below.

    Might as well go on a test drive.

    <hr />

    As soon as they entered the dungeon, they were greeted by the entrance of a humid cave.

    They found themselves near a long cavern in the middle of an ocean. It certainly was uncommon to see this sort of dungeon in the ocean, as most dungeons of this type were found in either a forest or on a cliff.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too tense,¡± Yi Byeong-hoon said. ¡°The ones with the detection type skills, scan our surroundings.¡±

    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±

    The awakeners in the raiding party began using their skills to scan their new surroundings as per Yi Byeong-hoon¡¯s orders. Even though they hadn¡¯t entered the actual dungeon yet, no one knew exactly when and which types of monsters would show up.

    Su-hyeun spoke first. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about in the ocean.¡±

    Almost as soon as he finished talking, the awakeners that were using detection-type skills confirmed this as well.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any threats.¡±

    ¡°They are all just regular fish. Seeing how we didn¡¯t sense anything within the radius of one kilometer, there shouldn¡¯t be anything wrong with the ocean.¡±

    Yi Byeong-hoon nodded and then followed after Su-hyeun who was walking up ahead to step into the cave¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°This cave, it¡¯s a lot wider than how it looks from the outside. It¡¯s also quite dark in here.¡±

    Yi Byeong-hoon spoke with some uneasiness in his voice at the eerie atmosphere, but Su-hyeun shook his head as he replied to him.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a cave.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? It isn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a monster¡¯s corpse.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Huh?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s reply startled the rest of the raiding party, including Yi Byeong-hoon, and they hurriedly took another look at their surroundings.

    Did he really say that this giant thing, which must¡¯ve been at least several kilometers in length and dozens of meters in width, was not a cave but a monster¡¯s corpse?

    Unlike the members of the raiding party who were unable to take another step as heavy and grave expressions surfaced on their faces, Su-hyeun continued to walk ahead.

    Why is this thing even here?

    Several questions floated up on Su-hyeun¡¯s mind as he kept walking forward.

    This¡­ is a corpse of an Ouroboros.

 Chapter 231

    He was taken aback a little when he saw it from the outside, so he couldn¡¯t help but wonder. By being inside, however, he was definitely sure of it now.

    The cave that Su-hyeun and the awakeners had walked into was not an ordinary cave at all but a corpse of an Ouroboros.

    This monster was a high-leveled creature that would only show up as the boss of an indigo-colored dungeon, at the very least. Fortunately enough, it was already dead, and its remains now became a backdrop for a dungeon instead.

    Hold on, could this be¡­?

    A theory belatedly popped up in his mind, and Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes grew much larger. He still hadn¡¯t confirmed it yet, but the possibility was certainly there.

    Smirk¡ª

    His worry at the appearance of an unexpected dungeon only lasted for a brief moment. A wide grin formed on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips. The genuine delight that he couldn¡¯t hide anymore had taken over his expression.

    ¡°M¡ªmister Su-hyeun?¡± Yi Byeong-hoon, who was closely following him, got next to him, saw his expression, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did something good happen?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Su-hyeun did his best to suppress his rising laughter and replied to the question. ¡°Not yet, anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s hurry up and finish this raid as soon as possible.¡±

    Su-hyeun quickened his steps.

    Toward the deeper parts of the Ouroboros¡¯s remains.

    <hr />

    The type of monsters that appeared inside the Ouroboros¡¯s corpse turned out to be rather consistent¡ªparasites living inside the gigantic monster¡¯s body.

    These creatures that survived by eating the Ouroboros¡¯s remains didn¡¯t prove to be much of a challenge at all. However, the boss that did show up at the end was rather threatening in its own right.

    ¡°I thought this place wasn¡¯t much since only some bugs showed up, but who knew that we¡¯d have to face a huge snake as the boss? I can¡¯t figure out what kind of a dungeon this is,¡± said Yi Byeong-hoon.

    An offspring of Ouroboros, which hatched from one of its eggs, was the boss of this dungeon. The Ouroboros snakelet consumed the parasites inside the corpse to mature. It was already several hundreds of meters in length and many meters in width.

    It boasted a considerable speed, illusion-type skills that restricted the movements of its target, and even innate resistance toward magic.

    It was basically just about what you¡¯d expect from a boss appearing inside a green-colored dungeon. Of course, it truly was nothing more than a newborn hatchling compared to its mother.

    Although it¡¯s a bit of a waste using it on this guy¡­

    No matter what, this monster did appear as the boss of a green-colored dungeon. It might have lost its life rather feebly at Su-hyeun¡¯s hands, but overall, it was still a pretty high-class creature.

    Rustle¡ª

    Su-hyeun extended his hand toward the dead Ouroboros snakelet with a hole in its head. Soon after that¡­

    [Trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By spending ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can now view or command the dead.]

    The moment he activated his trait, a blackish light swirled within Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. At the same time, the world in his view changed as well. The cries of the dead resounded within the Ouroboros¡¯s corpse, and he could now see semi-transparent souls.

    I see. Simply maintaining this state alone already requires a pretty high amount of Death Aura.

    It seemed that his newly acquired ¡°Death Aura¡± stat wasn¡¯t that advanced at the moment. The current Su-hyeun would find it quite difficult to command several of the undead at the same time. And even if he could, the duration wouldn¡¯t be that long.

    For now¡­

    This was just the beginning of the skill. Su-hyeun locked his eyes on the Ouroboros snakelet and activated the next set of his skills.

    [Soul Accumulation has been used.]

    [The soul of the Ouroboros snakelet has been stored away.]

    [The target for Dead Summoning has been set.]

    [You can now summon the Ouroboros snakelet.]

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The dead Ouroboros snakelet disappeared as if it had melted away. This was the sign that the skill had been activated successfully.

    The raid party members watching on from behind were stunned, and their leader quickly asked him what they just witnessed.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat just happened?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing important. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    Thinking that there was no need to explain himself, Su-hyeun simply shook his head.

    Yi Byeong-hoon¡¯s surprised expression lasted only for a little while. He observed Su-hyeun¡¯s moods and nodded his head. Awakeners possessed all sorts of colorful and varied skills, and as a result, it was fairly common to see them trying to keep their abilities a secret.

    Su-hyeun was no exception. As that was the case, digging any further would be going against the accepted etiquette.

    I¡¯ve only heard from rumors, but man, his skills are really out of this world.

    Yi Byeong-hoon, who had squatted down after getting tired from the high-intensity march earlier, stood back up and stared at Su-hyeun.

    He was an A-Rank awakener himself. He was a proud leader of a guild, and he could confidently boast that, as far as abilities were concerned, he was on the highest level within the A-Rank.

    However, even someone like him couldn¡¯t help but be blown away by Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities. For one thing, he began questioning what exactly his guild did during this raid. Su-hyeun had killed pretty much every monster that showed up, after all.

    ¡°In any case, I guess this is the end of the raid. It just doesn¡¯t feel real, ending a raid in less than two hours,¡± said Yi Byeong-hoon.

    A green-colored dungeon had been raided without anyone getting hurt. From his perspective, there was no better result than this one.

    But before he could head outside the dungeon, Su-hyeun stopped him first.

    ¡°Can you go ahead without me? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to do and I gotta stay behind for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? But, you said you were really tired before we entered the dungeon¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit better, actually. Please go ahead without me.¡±

    Su-hyeun said that with a smiling face and lightly pushed forward Yi Byeong-hoon on the back.

    Raiding a dungeon made him feel no longer tired? Yi Byeong-hoon tilted his head in disbelief but chose not to dig any further.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t really the type to stay behind in the dungeon after a raid had ended so that he could sneak away a few Ether stones for himself, and besides, the raiding party didn¡¯t have anything else to do.

    ¡°Well, in that case¡­We shall head out first. Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you too.¡±

    Yi Byeong-hoon led his guild members away and headed to the dungeon¡¯s exit.

    Su-hyeun confirmed their exit and spoke, ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Split¡ª

    Gya-ong¡ª

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s call, Miru shuffled out into the open, still looking somewhat fatigued. He formed an apologetic expression and talked to his red dragon. ¡°Sorry about calling you out when you were resting just now. Can you fly?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru nodded energetically and turned around to show him its back. Meaning, he should get on.

    The dragon had been injured rather seriously during the last trial, and just like Su-hyeun, it hadn¡¯t had enough time to rest up. That was why he planned not to call on Miru during this raid if he could help it.

    However, he definitely needed the ability to fly right then.

    Flap¡ª

    Swoosh¡ª!

    When Su-hyeun climbed up on Miru¡¯s back, the red dragon rapidly beat its wings and began flying up higher.

    The bigger Miru got, the faster its speed became as well. The dragon quickly escaped from the Ouroboros¡¯s corpse and, as Su-hyeun had asked earlier, flew up high into the sky.

    ¡°This is high enough,¡± said Su-hyeun while patting Miru¡¯s back, and the dragon instantly folded its wings.

    They had come to a stop at a fairly high altitude. He could now take in the entirety of the Ouroboros¡¯s corpse floating on the ocean¡¯s surface.

    Seeing that its hide and flesh have decomposed, it must¡¯ve died a long time ago.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s heart was pounding away.

    Will it work?

    He extended his hand toward the Ouroboros¡¯s remains. His hand was now blocking that vast creature from his view.

    And right at that moment, the skill was activated.

    [Soul Accumulation has been used.]

    [An Ouroboros¡¯s soul has been stored.]

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Black aura leaked out of Su-hyeun¡¯s body and rapidly got sucked into the Ouroboros. His body faltered for a moment there.

    Heo-urk!

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Perhaps worried about Su-hyeun¡¯s current status, the surprised Miru quickly created a wall out of magical power and supported his slumping figure.

    Su-hyeun raised his hand to say not to worry about him. It was just that he got caught off-guard by his strength suddenly abandoning him for a second there, so it wasn¡¯t a serious problem.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    He regained his center of balance. What leaked out of him after he activated his skill wasn¡¯t the magical energy but the Death Aura.

    Souls have different grades, don¡¯t they¡­?

    Su-hyeun recalled the explanation about the Soul Accumulation skill. It said that the number he could store away would depend on the grades of the souls. He had been wondering what this soul grade thing could be after reading that part of the description, but now, he thought he could understand it fully.

    The mother is in another league compared to the baby, is that it? So the amount of Death Aura spent is so much higher.

    This wasn¡¯t simply the difference between a big body versus a smaller one. No, the power within the souls themselves was different. Su-hyeun wiped the sweat streaming down his forehead and thought to himself.

    If it were Mister Herrels, he¡¯d probably have no problem commanding a creature like this one.

    The two greatest undead Herrels possessed were the Bone Dragon and history¡¯s greatest swordsman, Louw. Not to forget, he also commanded several tens of thousands of other undead besides those two.

    In the future, I¡¯ll also¡­

    Su-hyeun extended his hand once more.

    Right away¡­

    [The target for Dead Summoning has been set.]

    [You can now summon the Ouroboros.]

    Pant, pant, fuu-wuu¡ª

    Su-hyeun panted heavily and quickly. His head was spinning, too.

    ¡°It¡¯s done¡­¡±

    The Death Aura inside his body leaked out instantly again, and his body slumped forward powerlessly.

    Act 6

    Gya-ong, gya-ong¡ª

    Lick¡ª

    Su-hyeun felt a slick and warm sensation on his cheek. He regained his consciousness from that feeling. The moment his eyes opened, he spotted Miru¡¯s face right next to his.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Did he black out?

    Su-hyeun hurriedly got up. He found himself and Miru on top of a monster¡¯s remains floating on the ocean¡¯s surface.

    The first thing he thought of right after regaining his consciousness left him somewhat flabbergasted.

    ¡°Looks like I might get a good scolding from the Authority for this,¡± said Su-hyeun with a sheepish face while scratching the back of his head.

    Now that he thought about it, the Ouroboros¡¯s corpse wasn¡¯t just some ¡°remains¡± of a monster but the entire dungeon itself. The remains of the monster he had been lying on were just that of a parasite found inside the Ouroboros dungeon.

    ¡°Wait a minute, it won¡¯t end in a simple scolding, now will it?¡±

    A smirk broke out on his face. Even though he had blacked out just now, overall, he felt quite alright.

    No, he felt even better than he had ever before.

    [Death Aura: 21]

    Was it because he got to enjoy a deep, relaxing slumber? His previously depleted Death Aura had recovered to some extent.

    Su-hyeun stood up and extended his hand toward the horizon.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Death Aura gathered on his palm. He continued to gather this power and murmured softly.

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    [¡°Dead Summoning¡± has been used.]

    [The Ouroboros is being summoned.]

    Simmer, pop, hiss¡ª

    Bubbles began boiling on the surface of the ocean some distance away. And not too long after that¡­

    Pow¡ª!

    Swhoo-aaaaah¡ª

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    A massive snake made out of bones¡ªOuroboros¡ªrevealed itself above the surface. A big grin had spread on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips when he witnessed this sight.

    Grin¡ª

    This was his very first summoned creature.

    Sure, Death Aura consumption is massive because of this monster¡¯s size, but¡­

    There was nothing to worry about. Since his stat was still low, the rate of its improvement after clearing trials should be quite fast.

    It could probably rise up very quickly to 60, maybe 70 points. Reaching that figure alone should ensure that the number of the undead summons he could wield through the Necromancer trait would increase exponentially, too.

    The real issue is, as expected, the suitable souls and the remains.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have one iota of desire to use this Necromancer trait to command dead humans. Not only were there the questions of ethics and morality to consider, but they also wouldn¡¯t be able to display as much destructive power as monsters.

    It looks like I might get busy for a while.

    For the past few months, he focused on passing the 50th floor¡¯s trial. If nothing of note happened, he was planning to take a day or two off to rest and then head straight to the next floor.

    However, his newly acquired skill turned into a variable, and it was a pretty wonderful variable at that.

    ¡°I wonder when an indigo-colored dungeon would show up again.¡±

    For the first time ever, he started looking forward to dungeon generation.

 Chapter 232

    <hr />

    As expected, Su-hyeun ran into a troublesome situation upon stepping out of the dungeon.

    The whole dungeon itself had vanished, after all.

    The Ether stone mining should have commenced right away after all the monsters had been dealt with, but the dungeon itself had disappeared, so the resulting commotion was hardly surprising.

    Su-hyeun made some lame excuse about also not knowing what happened and returned home to rest for half a day or so. By the time he woke up, Hak-joon had already made it back to South Korea.

    ¡°Just what happened?¡± Hak-joon asked while sounding incredulous after he heard about what went down earlier. For a greeting shared between friends who hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long while, it sure didn¡¯t sound right. But Su-hyeun was clearly the guilty party on this one, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    The middle of Yeoui Island was teeming with people again after the dungeon had been successfully raided. Su-hyeun¡¯s favorite cafe also reopened its doors. The two men went there, ordered their drinks, and began chatting about what happened.

    ¡°¡­So, that¡¯s what went down,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Even if the dungeon¡¯s scale wasn¡¯t that big, the resulting losses are still too great, you know. Thankfully, the Sohwan Guild¡¯s people haven¡¯t made any demands for compensation yet¡­¡±

    ¡°I should compensate them regardless. It¡¯s my fault, after all.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, your fault? If it wasn¡¯t for you, bro, monsters would¡¯ve flooded out into the middle of Yeoui Island, you know.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s that, and this is something else. Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have the money to deal with the potential compensation demands, so¡­¡±

    ¡°But you haven¡¯t made a lot of money lately, right? You had to repay Mister Gordon. Also, not too long ago, you spent a lot because of uncle Kim Dae-ho.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at Hak-joon¡¯s observation.

    He certainly hadn¡¯t managed to save much compared to the amount he earned recently. He figured that his bank account would end up nearly empty after paying out the compensation this time.

    ¡°Well, that means I gotta earn a lot more from now on.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Hak-joon was surprised to hear that unexpected reply.

    He always believed that if he needed to point out a person in the whole world who treated money like rocks, then that guy would definitely be Su-hyeun.

    But such a guy just said that he would focus on making money from now on. Although it would seem like a normal answer under any other circumstances, Hak-joon was still stunned to hear something like that come out of Su-hyeun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Why are you so shocked?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know. Even I can¡¯t figure out why you wanting to make some money sounds so weird to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly because of money, though.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡±

    Su-hyeun proceeded to explain his newly acquired skills to Hak-joon¡ªfrom the Necromancer trait to the two skills of Soul Accumulation and Dead Summoning.

    After listening to the explanations, Hak-joon¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor. ¡°What kind of powerful skills are those?!¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not the only person with such a skillset, am I wrong? I mean, there¡¯s an awakener who¡¯s actually called the necromancer, after all.¡±

    ¡°You mean the German S-Rank awakener, Daian Gedeck?¡±

    ¡°Right, that person.¡±

    Daian Gedeck.

    A person who commanded hundreds of the undead and boasted the achievements of single-handedly clearing a green-colored dungeon and, after creating a guild, conquering a blue-colored dungeon that appeared in Germany.

    ¡°Even then, bro, your skill is on another level, isn¡¯t it? For one thing, you can now order around the boss from a green-colored dungeon, maybe even bosses from blue-colored dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I got this skill after going through so much trouble, after all.¡±

    He acquired the ¡°Necromancer¡± trait and its associated skills after clearing the 50th floor¡¯s trial. It was unknown what Daian Gedeck had to go through to acquire the ability to command the dead, but it would not be comparable to the difficulty of the trial Su-hyeun had experienced.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s my reason for focusing on raiding dungeons for the time being.¡±

    ¡°That means I can take a bit of a break now.¡±

    Hak-joon grinned and drank his coffee.

    Because of the Paragon Guild¡¯s matters, he had been traveling nonstop everywhere to raid dungeons for a good while now.

    Although he said he would take a break, it wouldn¡¯t be a real break. Hak-joon had a side to him that was a lot similar to Su-hyeun in some ways.

    ¡°Which floor are you on now?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°The 99th.¡±

    It was Su-hyeun¡¯s turn to be surprised by Hak-joon¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Already?¡±

    When Su-hyeun was on the 40th floor, he heard that Hak-joon was about to challenge the 70th. He thought that Hak-joon was already very fast, but as it turned out, he had exceeded Su-hyeun¡¯s estimation by a lot.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been basically living inside the tower full time until not too long ago, you see. And from a certain moment onward, it became harder to earn achievement points or other rewards by staying longer on a floor, so I changed my goal to just passing the trials as soon as possible without worrying about the achievement percentage.¡±

    ¡°Still, that¡¯s really fast.¡±

    ¡°It got pretty easy to pass each of the floors recently. Not counting every tenth floors, of course.¡±

    Su-hyeun extended his hand toward Hak-joon. The latter immediately understood what that gesture meant and held the offered hand.

    Squeeze¡ª

    They both sent magical power to their hands and squeezed hard. Hak-joon¡¯s hand began trembling. Veins popped up on his arm; seeing that, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes sparkled brightly.

    ¡°Hey, not bad.¡±

    Su-hyeun let go of the younger man¡¯s hand. Not only the physical strength but also the concentration of magical energy or its total reserve that he felt through the hand was outstanding.

    On top of this, not a single trace of that huge magical energy was leaking out of Hak-joon¡¯s figure. The coffee contained in the cup right below his hand not rippling at all was the evidence of that.

    ¡°Bro, you¡¯re just as amazing as before. Ouch! I thought my hand was going to break just now.¡±

    Su-hyeun watched Hak-joon shake numbness from his hand and spoke, ¡°So, then. One more floor, and you¡¯ll be on the 100th.¡±

    Hak-joon nodded after hearing that.

    ¡°What will you do?¡±

    That question contained a fair few different meanings.

    The 100th floor.

    Any serious rankers would have to pass this floor at some point. And the trial¡¯s difficulty spiking greatly once more on the 100th floor was a fact that had already been proven many times through various other rankers.

    The rise in difficulty here was, as a matter of fact, greater than any other tenth floors so far.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep going.¡±

    ¡°Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If I take a step back now, then it would become harder for me to start climbing again from the 101st floor, I think.¡±

    This was the reason why many awakeners decided to lower the difficulty after reaching the 100th floor. The sudden spike in the difficulty could result in their lives being lost, and that would mean all the hard work and effort they had put in so far would be in vain.

    Once one passed the 100th floor, the difficulty would settle back to normal from the 101st floor onward. As such, awakeners would lower the difficulty from, say, the fifth level to the fourth, or maybe even to the third.

    However, Hak-joon wasn¡¯t thinking of doing that.

    ¡°Will it be alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll die, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Well, no, you might really die.¡±

    ¡°Well, in that case¡­¡± Hak-joon grinned at Su-hyeun¡¯s reply as if this was actually for the best. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t die, I¡¯ll surely become better than I am right now, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me too much. You know how tough and tenacious I can be. Plus, I¡¯m beginning to get this feeling lately, you see.¡±

    ¡°What feeling?¡±

    ¡°Just a bit more, just one more step, then maybe¡­¡± Hak-joon¡¯s eyes looking at Su-hyeun changed just then. ¡°¡­I might be able to reach it.¡±

    No explanation of what he wanted to reach was necessary.

    Su-hyeun lightly patted Hak-joon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up again after you make it out of there alive.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Su-hyeun was the first to get up and leave the cafe.

    It was true that he did feel worried.

    The 100th floor¡¯s trial. Many awakeners vanished without leaving so much as a single clue after failing to pass that floor, so Su-hyeun was deeply wary of that particular floor himself.

    He had only managed to clear the 50th floor, yet Hak-joon was already standing on the 99th.

    What an amazing guy.

    He already knew that Hak-joon was a talented guy, but never did he suspect that the latter would have such a steely, hardened resolve as well.

    Hak-joon climbing from the 70th floor to the 99th at such speed indicated that his skill level had already exceeded the challenges those floors offered.

    Su-hyeun looked at his hand that held Hak-joon¡¯s earlier.

    The future was changing.

    Dungeons weren¡¯t the only things that were going through changes.

    Su-hyeun himself had changed, while Hak-joon, Lee Ju-ho, Thomas, and a whole host of others were also changing.

    He started walking forward again.

    This meeting was held because it had been a while since they spoke face to face. But rather unexpectedly, today¡¯s meeting made him realize something he had been overlooking until now.

    It was not only him currently going through a change.

    Many small changes were happening at the same time, and the world as a whole was changing as a result.

    <hr />

    ¡°You came at an excellent time.¡±

    Su-hyeun stopped by at the Association¡¯s headquarters located in the Jongno Tower, only to be greeted by a suspiciously warm welcome from Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°I was actually looking for someone to send over to the raid on a blue-colored dungeon, so why don¡¯t you do it for me?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too much, sending me straight to work as soon you ran into me?¡±

    ¡°It was your turn after Hak-joon, anyway. You still remember it, don¡¯t you? When it¡¯s their turn, every S-Rank awakener must participate in the raids of dungeons green-colored or higher.¡±

    ¡°I raided a green one not too long ago, though.¡±

    ¡°I know. And I heard that you caused a bit of an incident there.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I had to go and speak to the Authority¡¯s director just to calm the situation down, you know. That grubby little geezer, when I told him that you were responsible, he shut his mouth right up there and then.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho knew very well that the director and Su-hyeun didn¡¯t enjoy an amicable relationship. That old man was in a position to determine how the Authority operated, but even someone like him couldn¡¯t afford to do anything to high-ranking awakeners, such as those in the S-Rank.

    Not to forget, the person in the center of the row was Su-hyeun. Therefore, the Authority wasn¡¯t able to punish him despite the incident he had caused.

    Moreover, the Authority itself could end up in a precarious position if the director made a mistake and pissed Su-hyeun off, causing the latter to declare that he would emigrate to somewhere else.

    ¡°Just leave that old man be. He is plenty of help for us in that position, anyway. If he starts annoying us, well, we¡¯ll just pull him down from there, that¡¯s all,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Besides all that, what¡¯s the location of the blue-colored dungeon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. You said you used to live in Anyang, right? It¡¯s not too far from there. I¡¯ll send you the coordinates, so hurry and get going.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t even going to worry about me?¡±

    ¡°Worry? About you? We aren¡¯t even talking about an indigo dungeon here but a blue one, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about, is there?¡±

    Su-hyeun spat out a long sigh and stood up from his seat.

    As Lee Ju-ho had implied, this task shouldn¡¯t be delayed. He also didn¡¯t have any other raid members, so there was no need for further preparation.

    The rights to the raid wouldn¡¯t pose an issue either. It was the safest to let Su-hyeun handle it alone since the dungeon in question was a blue one. As for the permission itself, it would only be a matter of time before they received the green light.

    ¡°Ah, right. I heard from Hak-joon that you¡¯re planning to focus on raiding dungeons for the time being? After you acquired some skills related to the Necromancer.¡±

    ¡°Did he call to tell you that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. After I got your call telling me you were on the way, he called me right afterward. That¡¯s why I prepared plenty of work for you before you came here. Once you¡¯re finished with this task, most of the other job requests coming in for the Paragon Guild will be yours.¡±

    Although that was what Su-hyeun wanted, just listening to Lee Ju-ho about his tasks made him feel tired already. The so-called job requests coming in for the Paragon Guild would mean he would have to travel to other countries to raid the dungeons there.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you the details and locations of each request through texts and emails every time they come in. I gotta go and oversee the contract signing, so give me a call when you¡¯re finished in Uiwang, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    After their conversation ended, Su-hyeun headed straight to the location Lee Ju-ho had told him about.

    From that point onward, he focused his entire being on raiding and clearing dungeons.

    On the first day, Uiwang¡¯s blue-colored dungeon.

    On the third day, a green-colored dungeon located in Shanghai, China.

    The fifth day, Hong Kong¡¯s green dungeon.

    The eighth day, another green-colored dungeon¡ªthis time in Thailand.

    And then, on the tenth day, Italy¡¯s green dungeon.

    The number of souls he now possessed was 30. Soul Accumulation had reached the fourth level, while Dead Summoning was at the second level.

    And so, on the 15th day¡­

    As his last stop, Su-hyeun began his raid on a blue-colored dungeon that appeared in Japan.

 Chapter 233

    <hr />

    Grrr, grrrr¡ª

    Kii-ah, kiii-aaah¡ª

    It was really noisy in there.

    Frowning deeply, Su-hyeun covered his ear with one hand. The loud growls and screeches that belonged to various monsters would obviously not sound good to anyone.

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru let out an irritated growl as if the noise was getting on its nerves as well.

    Su-hyeun and his dragon were currently in the middle of a horde of monsters. The reason for that was pretty simple.

    ¡°All kinds of countless monsters¡± was this dungeon¡¯s theme.

    Inside that place that resembled a cavern located deep underground, monsters maintained some sort of an ecosystem where they devoured each other.

    It was fairly similar to Earth¡¯s ecosystem in a certain way. Plant-type monsters were devoured by the insect types, while the latter group would get eaten by other types of monsters.

    And a monster bigger and stronger than them would devour them all.

    Eat or be eaten¡ªit was that kind of a dungeon.

    However, Su-hyeun¡¯s appearance pushed them into acting as one group. They must devour the living human¡ªthat was the hostility innate in every monster.

    ¡°So many of them have shown up, alright.¡±

    [Provocation]

    He went to the center of the dungeon and began attracting the monsters toward him to save time, even if only by a little.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any monsters that we missed, right?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Su-hyeun asked Miru as it flew back after it took a look around their surroundings. The dragon shook its head in response. He smirked and then studied a particular monster that had pushed its heads above the other monsters below.

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    This monster had nine heads. It was a Hydra, a creature that showed up only within legends. It was also the boss of the blue-colored dungeon and lorded over the others as the top dog of the food chain.

    It wasn¡¯t that big all in all. Of course, it was still the biggest monster around, but as a boss of a blue-colored dungeon, it was certainly on the smaller side of the scale.

    The real problem with this creature isn¡¯t its size but its toxins.

    The venom from that creature¡¯s fangs and blood was far more lethal than any other poison known to man. It was so strong that, as a matter of fact, merely getting sprayed with its blood during battle was enough to melt down a person¡¯s entire body. Plus, its regeneration capability was more outstanding than any monster Su-hyeun knew.

    Excluding that, this monster¡¯s characteristics are a bit lacking overall as a boss of a blue-colored dungeon, but¡­

    That no longer mattered.

    Maybe not right now, but something of a Hydra¡¯s level could certainly morph into a very promising summoned monster in the future.

    Su-hyeun extended his hand forward. Right after he did that, Death Aura began leaking out from his fingertips.

    [Trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can see or command the dead.]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes turned pitch-black when his trait was activated. The monsters that were seemingly ready to pounce on him at any second shrunk back instantly for a moment.

    He stared at them and murmured softly, ¡°Arise.¡±

    The moment he said that¡­

    [¡°Dead Summoning¡± has been used.]

    [¡°Ouroboros¡± is being summoned.]

    [¡°Ouroboros¡¯s offspring¡± is being summoned.]

    [¡°Cerberus¡± is being summoned.]

    [¡°Death Knight¡± is¡­]

    ¡­.

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Khiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The first thing to happen was the rearing from beneath the ground of a massive snake¡¯s head made out of nothing but bones.

    All the monsters that surrounded Su-hyeun got swept up in an instant by the Ouroboros¡¯s entrance. The gigantic snake opened its bony maw wide and swallowed up the monsters in one go. Dozens upon dozens of monsters lost their lives in the blink of an eye.

    That wasn¡¯t all.

    Although just a snakelet, the Ouroboros¡¯s offspring that made its appearance next was still at least 1.5 times bigger than the Hydra. Then, around 20 other undead also showed up, which included the Cerberus, reputedly the gatekeeper of the underworld.

    The overall number was fairly small. However, the forceful aura that each of them exuded simply overwhelmed the monsters before Su-hyeun.

    Especially when it came to the Ouroboros, the number of hostile monsters meant nothing in front of the creature.

    ¡°Sweep them all away,¡± Su-hyeun ordered.

    All at once, around 20 creatures summoned by Su-hyeun made their move.

    Miru did as well.

    The red dragon had grown so much that using Breath many times didn¡¯t quickly tire it out anymore. The moment Su-hyeun gave his order, Miru flew up high in the air and began pouring out Breath into the middle of the monster horde.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun stared at the Hydra. The monster¡¯s initial triumphant air lasted only for a brief moment, and then, it looked somewhat scared.

    Step¡ª

    He began to walk slowly toward the nine-headed monster.

    His steps gradually became faster. After taking a few more steps in that manner, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure simply vanished from the spot.

    Kii-aaaah¡ª!

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    The Hydra opened all of its nine mouths and spat out its venom.

    The toxin was strong enough to instantly melt his body just from touching it. As Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t visible anymore, the monster decided to melt down the ground around it and put up a wall of green fog next.

    ¡°I guess you guys are also scared of dying, then.¡±

    The Hydra¡¯s heads hurriedly spun to look behind it where the voice came from.

    Rumble¡ª

    Slice¡ª

    A blade enveloped in the divine Flame sliced off all of the Hydra¡¯s nine heads in one swing.

    Originally, cutting one head off would mean two other heads would regenerate. However, the dark blue-colored flames scorched the necks of the Hydra, so it couldn¡¯t regenerate all of its lost heads. The monster eventually lifelessly crashed to the ground.

    Thud, boom¡ª

    Su-hyeun stared at the sliced heads of the Hydra before dusting off the venom from his body.

    ¡°Well, that stung more than I thought.¡±

    After taking care of his surroundings, he extended his hand toward the Hydra¡¯s corpse. He had one last thing to do now.

    <hr />

    [Soul Accumulation]

    <ul>

    You can now accumulate a targeted individual¡¯s soul. The number of souls you may accumulate will depend on your proficiency and the soul¡¯s grade.

    Proficiency: 12%

    LV: 4

    The number that can be stored: 80

    The number currently stored: 21

    </ul>

    [Dead Summoning]

    <ul>

    Summon a body without a soul. The designated body will not decompose and will be stored away. The number that can be stored will rise with your proficiency.

    Depending on your proficiency, the target¡¯s body can be summoned in a more intact state.

    Proficiency: 48%

    LV: 2

    The number that can be stored: 30

    Application rate: 45%

    </ul>

    Su-hyeun confirmed his proficiency in his two skills and saw some improvement in the past 15 days.

    Soul Accumulation¡¯s possible number of souls that could be stored had increased to match the improvement in his proficiency. As for the Dead Summoning skill¡­

    The application rate¡¯s improvement is just too low.

    The ¡°application rate¡± represents the percentage of how much of the dead creature¡¯s original abilities would be brought back after it had been summoned. In other words, the application rate of 100% meant that the summoned creature would retain all of its powers and abilities when it was still alive.

    It would be great if I can raise this one up to 100%, but¡­

    But he might need a long, long time to get there. More importantly, though¡­

    Is five minutes my limit for summoning and maintaining everyone at the same time?

    The number of summons wasn¡¯t that many, but the Ouroboros alone possessed a massive physique. Plus, its soul¡¯s superiority alone was far greater than all the other monsters added together.

    I¡¯ve gathered enough monsters to summon now.

    For his current ability, this group of summons was already beyond adequate and already downright overabundant.

    As an example, summoning them for around five minutes was enough to completely sweep away a blue-colored dungeon. More than anything else, the Ouroboros¡¯s corpse proved to be the biggest help of them all.

    ¡°Okay, Miru. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    They confirmed that no more monsters remained in the dungeon. As they had no other reason to get hung up over this particular raid, he was thinking of going back to South Korea as soon as possible.

    But then¡­

    Gya-ah-oh-ong¡ª

    Miru¡¯s voice sounded off somehow as it replied to him.

    ¡°Miru?¡±

    Su-hyeun quickly looked back in surprise at the dragon walking behind him. Miru was sweating profusely from its entire body. At the same time, it made a pained expression and began coughing and wheezing as if something was stuck in its throat.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Feeling worried, he quickly rushed to Miru¡¯s side. The dragon began retching for a while before finally spitting something out.

    Ptooi¡ª

    Tumble, roll¡ª

    It was a small red marble that was slightly smaller than an adult¡¯s fist.

    Is that a Cintamani?

    He knew that Miru had swallowed up the Cintamani in the past, but this particular red marble it just spat out was far smaller than the one he remembered.

    What exactly is going on here?

    While feeling somewhat bewildered, Su-hyeun reached down to pick up the red marble, but right at that moment¡­

    Plop¡ª

    Miru collapsed on the spot.

    Act 7

    Snore, snoooore¡ª

    Miru was currently snoring away. It was curled up into a ball and wouldn¡¯t wake up no matter what Su-hyeun tried.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time something like this happened. A similar thing happened back when Miru suddenly began experiencing the so-called growing pains stage.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know much about dragons. What he knew about them all came from some books that he read, and that¡¯s it.

    However, he did know of a specialist on the subject, at least.

    Slam¡ª!

    ¡°Where is it?!¡±

    A man kicked Su-hyeun¡¯s front door down and barged inside without any warning.

    Song Hyeong-gi looked around, discovered Miru, and entered the apartment while hurriedly taking off his shoes. Su-hyeun stared at these exaggerated actions in dismay as he sat on his living room couch.

    ¡°Why are you breaking someone¡¯s door down?!¡±

    ¡°You said it¡¯s sick!¡±

    Although that reply lacked the ¡°who,¡± it was rather obvious who Song Hyeong-gi meant just now. Su-hyeun nodded his head and looked at Miru currently snoozing away in the middle of the living room. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s sick, but I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, you¡¯re not sure?¡±

    ¡°Honestly speaking, I really don¡¯t know. Miru just kind of collapsed and didn¡¯t want to wake up. So, I can¡¯t tell whether it¡¯s genuinely sick somewhere, or it¡¯s simply going through another growing pains thing like the last time.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s not really sick?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know that yet.¡±

    ¡°But you still called me regardless? By lying about the dragon being sick and all? You son of a¡­ actually, you did well.¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi lightly patted Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder.

    He was a firm subscriber of a certain opinion. If it¡¯s for the sake of any divine beast accompanying him, stop at absolutely nothing to make sure for real.

    Therefore, he quite liked that Su-hyeun was worried about Miru being potentially sick and decided to lie to him to get him to come over as soon as possible.

    Song Hyeong-gi began taking a good look at Miru up close. The red dragon continued to snore away, not even aware of the guest¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Its complexion looks fine, so is its breathing.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying Miru¡¯s not sick?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, even I don¡¯t know much about red dragons. What I do know for sure is that your Miru did go through the growing pains stage and grew in size instantly like my own Yong. This looks really, really similar to that, but¡­¡±

    ¡°A dragon can go through that stage twice?¡±

    ¡°Well, my Yong went through it only once. Most other dragons are like that, too.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re just as clueless as I am, Mister Song Hyeong-gi?¡±

    ¡°How dare you look down on me?! It¡¯s a bit weird, but for some reason, I get to experience a lot more trials related to divine beasts compared to other people. One of them happened to be related to dragons. So, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t think up of a possibility or two.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me about them?¡±

    Song Hyeong-gi lightly brushed Miru¡¯s head as he answered Su-hyeun¡¯s question. ¡°Dragons experience two transformations throughout their lives. The first one is the growing pains stage that we talked about earlier. Now, normally, a dragon will go through this transformation about one year after their hatching.¡±

    Su-hyeun knew that much already.

    Not to forget, Miru had gone through this stage already. However, it didn¡¯t grow much bigger than its size before, which was unlike other dragons.

    ¡°As for the second one¡­ I can¡¯t be sure about this one. It kind of lines up with the symptoms that I know of, but it¡¯s just too early for that, you see.¡±

    ¡°How early are we talking about here?¡±

    ¡°About a thousand years or so. In any case, when a dragon¡¯s age reaches a thousand years¡­¡± Song Hyeong-gi paused and looked at the slumbering Miru. ¡°It goes through the awakening period, you see.¡±

 Chapter 234

    * * *

    Su-hyeun was staring at the living room¡¯s ceiling while lying on the couch.

    Miru was huddled on the floor of this dim living room, illuminated by the faint orange light cast by a lamp above.

    He kept recalling what Song Hyeong-gi told him earlier.

    ¡°One more thing, it¡¯s not like there is no other way to accelerate this awakening period. What was it called¡ªthe dragon¡¯s divine artifact? If you have that, then yeah, it¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°Are you perhaps talking about the Cintamani?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You know what it is?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Miru already has it and for a good while now.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Hey, man. Can you lend me that for a bit? I wanna give it to my Yong for a little while.¡±

    ¡°No can do.¡±

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to. In any case, it¡¯ll be possible with that item. The Cintamani does maximize a dragon¡¯s abilities and accelerates its growth, after all. It also increases its lifespan.¡±

    ¡°But is it normal for the growth to be accelerated by this much?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Miru¡¯s already so big, isn¡¯t he? Well, it¡¯s still not comparable to my Yong, though.¡±

    In the end, Song Hyeong-gi started boasting about his own divine beast, Yong. Of course, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t plan to criticize such doting and dumb father-like behavior, neither did he feel bad listening and playing along. No, his real concern had to do with what would come after the awakening period had lapsed.

    ¡°The awakening period is like when a dragon fully awakens its latent potential. It will be easier to understand if you look at it as a caterpillar¡¯s process of morphing into a butterfly.¡±

    ¡°Miru isn¡¯t going to shed its skin or something, right?¡±

    ¡°I was speaking figuratively, man. Honestly, I also don¡¯t know the details since I¡¯ve only heard about it. I can¡¯t tell you what kind of transformation a dragon will go through after the awakening period.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then how long will Miru remain in this state?¡±

    ¡°Maybe around three days? Normally, a dragon going through an awakening period is protected by its parent, but Miru only has you now.¡±

    While still lying on the couch, Su-hyeun picked up the red marble resting on top of the coffee table. It was the Cintamani, which was noticeably smaller than how it looked in the past.

    ¡°Even though this isn¡¯t a candy, did Miru really melt and eat this thing?¡±

    This so-called dragon¡¯s divine artifact, the Cintamani, had significantly shrunk. Despite it ultimately being a good thing, he couldn¡¯t help but worry as Miru was still too young to go through the awakening period.

    Su-hyeun continued to watch over his dragon even at the expense of his sleep.

    And so, three days went by, and then four.

    On the fifth day, he ended up dozing off.

    * * *

    Lick¡ª

    He felt a familiar sensation on his cheek.

    The first thing Su-hyeun realized was that he had fallen asleep. He wasn¡¯t planning to, but it seemed that forcing himself awake for too long was to blame.

    He snapped his eyes open and looked around him.

    Gya-ong¡ª

    He spotted Miru¡¯s face. It was slightly bigger than before but only slightly.

    Meaning, the change wasn¡¯t big.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t complaining. From the very beginning, he thought that Miru waking up without suffering from any problems would be good enough for him, anyway. What he wished for was that nothing bad would happen to his dragon.

    Su-hyeun finally sighed in relief and reached out. Miru growled and formed a content expression when he rubbed its head.

    ¡°Do you feel better?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s all good.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru replied energetically.

    Before it fell asleep, it sweated profusely from all over its body. But now, the red dragon seemed positively overflowing with energy.

    I can¡¯t tell what has changed about it, though.

    Despite having gone through an awakening, Miru didn¡¯t display any hints of what had changed about it, at least on the outside. Its cries sounded the same, and its built had increased by only a tiny bit. That was it.

    There was no immediate way to confirm the dragon¡¯s magical energy. He had no method of estimating Miru¡¯s total reserve without it spitting out a Breath or something.

    ¡°Hey, take this.¡±

    Su-hyeun pushed forward the Cintamani, which he held onto despite falling asleep himself. Miru bit the red marble again, swallowed it, and formed a rather pleased expression.

    ¡°Do you really see that as candy or something?¡±

    Su-hyeun lightly rubbed Miru¡¯s head and checked his phone resting on the table. Its battery had run flat, so he left it plugged on the charger. The power light was blinking, perhaps to inform him that a text was waiting for his attention.

    ¨C Remember this year¡¯s Ranking Wars scheduled for December? You won¡¯t be too busy since you¡¯ll only start during the main matches, but I thought that I should remind you at least.

    The text came from Lee Ju-ho.

    It was October, so about two months were left before this year¡¯s Ranking Wars got underway.

    It was the stage of the stars where the S-Ranks from all over the world, as well as the rankers from the previous tournament, would compete.

    As he was supposed to go straight into the main matches, he didn¡¯t need to waste too much of his time. As long as no ¡°special circumstances¡± would happen like the last time, he figured one or two days should be sufficient for the tournament.

    This year is going to be bursting at the seams with all the participants.

    The number of awakeners continued to shoot up every day.

    As a matter of fact, the overall number of newly awakened low-ranking awakeners was so much greater than the records from several years ago, and as for the S-Ranks¡¯ number, it was 1.5 times higher than last year.

    This rate of growth was far steeper than what Su-hyeun remembered. As such, this year¡¯s Ranking Wars should be rather crowded compared with last year.

    Didn¡¯t someone say that Mister Gordon¡¯s been chomping at the bit?

    It shouldn¡¯t be just Gordon Rohan, though. Hak-joon should¡¯ve reached the 100th floor by now.

    As long as he could make it out of there alive, he might get to smash past that wall, just like what he said earlier.

    As for Thomas¡­ I also haven¡¯t seen him in a while.

    Thomas¡¯s talent was the best among everyone Su-hyeun knew.

    Back when he was still Kim Sung-in, Thomas was a problem child that caused all kinds of headaches. No one could control him, and he often caused serious issues. As he wasn¡¯t in full control of his ¡°darkened world,¡± he even ended up driving countless people to their death.

    However, the story was different in this lifetime.

    Thomas¡¯ talents had been set upon in a new direction, and now, he was striding toward a brighter future.

    Two months, huh.

    It wasn¡¯t all that long. However, one couldn¡¯t say that it was extremely short either.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze drifted toward the second text Lee Ju-ho had sent him.

    ¨C Oh, by the way. I heard something pretty amazing will be put up as the prize for the winner of this year¡¯s Ranking Wars. I¡¯ll tell you the details later on cuz even I don¡¯t know it yet.

    The victory prize.

    This was different from the last time when Gordon Rohan simply put up some money as a reward. It could be that a wealthy elite interested in this massive event called the Ranking Wars decided to put up a prize.

    Su-hyeun was never all that interested in the money, to begin with, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t curious about what this prize could potentially be.

    If the prize is that thing I¡¯m thinking of¡­

    If the victory prize was that very item given out during one of the Ranking Wars back in his past life¡­

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t participate in the tournament back then as he was occupied with an indigo-colored dungeon that showed up at the same time, and ever since then, he had been feeling rueful about it.

    Moreover, Gordon Rohan who ultimately won the prize ended up losing it during one of his trials later on.

    Let¡¯s go and take a look.

    Two months still remained. It was pretty clear what he needed to do in the meantime¡ªincrease both his Death Aura and stamina stats.

    His task now was to increase the proficiency of his newly acquired skills and then climb the tower as quickly as possible.

    Rip¡ª

    Su-hyeun opened the doorway to the tower. Miru followed right behind him.

    This was the beginning of the next trial.

    * * *

    As expected, the 51st floor¡¯s trial was straightforward.

    Since the 50th floor was that difficult, it was almost as if ¡°they¡± were telling him to take it easy at least on this floor.

    The other floors with numbers ending in one were all like this. The composition of the trial would always be simpler and its difficulty lower than the preceding floor.

    That was why Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t particularly concerned about the 51st floor¡¯s trial. And as it turned out, he was right. This trial was way too easy. So much so that he didn¡¯t really have much to do.

    Gya-ong, gya-ong¡ª!

    The biggest reason for that was none other than Miru¡¯s contribution. Every time monsters showed up, the red dragon spat out its Breath immediately and took care of all potential threats. Su-hyeun watched this scene repeat itself over and over again in pure astonishment from the sidelines.

    ¡°R¡ªright, you did great.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    As if it wanted him to praise it some more, Miru continued to circle around Su-hyeun.

    Monsters¡¯ corpses littered the ground around them.

    The goal of this trial was pretty simple.

    [Stop the corruption of an angel.]

    The place Su-hyeun was standing in was worthy of being called the den of devils.

    All of the monsters that appeared happened to be devil-types. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean they were the real devils. No, they were far closer to demonic beasts raised by the devils.

    Even if a real devil showed up, it would still not present any problem whatsoever, yet here they were, confronted by demonic beasts only. Therefore, the situation was almost disappointing for him.

    The only potential issue could have been the sheer number of the creatures, but even then, they all collapsed powerlessly when struck by Miru¡¯s Breath.

    His attack power is much greater than before, but¡­

    Su-hyeun studied Miru with a somewhat puzzled expression.

    I don¡¯t really see anything that qualifies as the effects of the awakening.

    It wasn¡¯t as if nothing about Miru had changed. However, they were all minute changes ultimately¡ªonly on the level of being just a little more noticeable, that was all.

    It was quite different from the earlier ¡°growing pains¡± stage.

    Miru¡¯s overall physique had grown by several dozen times after the growing pains stage, and the number of times it could use Breath or skills had shot up noticeably as well. But this time¡­

    Have I been expecting a little too much?

    When Miru suddenly collapsed without warning, he thought that he was okay with his red dragon waking back up all healthy and unaffected. However, it seemed that he had been hoping for something amazing to happen deep in his heart.

    Well, it¡¯s already pretty good enough like this, anyway.

    Whatever the case might have been, the number of Breaths that Miru could fire seemed to have increased by a lot. It must have wanted to boast about its abilities during this trial because it began to take care of the monsters even before Su-hyeun gave out his order.

    He didn¡¯t really try to stop Miru, though, since he wanted to confirm the dragon¡¯s abilities after it went through the awakening period.

    Su-hyeun and Miru didn¡¯t need a lot of time before arriving at their destination. They could already see a large statue resembling a devil¡¯s arm and an angel tied to it in the distance.

    Su-hyeun called out, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    The angel¡¯s complexion was ashen, while its wings were dyed in a grey hue. Without a doubt, that couldn¡¯t have been its normal appearance. That had to be the goal of this trial¡ªthe corruption of an angel.

    ¡°A human, huh?¡±

    The angel spoke, and a distinctly manly voice resounded. With the winged creature¡¯s refined facial feature, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t initially certain whether it was male or female, but it seemed to be, unmistakably, a man.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I came to rescue you.¡±

    Su-hyeun reached out toward the ropes binding the angel. Even at a casual glance, the ropes made out of blackish threads looked very tough.

    ¡°Who sent you?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. I don¡¯t know the details myself. But it¡¯s not that important, anyway. But you must be feeling more or less okay, I presume?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not in any pain. Still, I do feel slightly strange. I¡¯m beginning to understand what an evil heart is, after all. They wished to corrupt me, and it seems they have succeeded.¡±

    ¡°Out of everyone who realizes they are evil, only a few are truly evil. By the way, it¡¯s going to be difficult to undo these bindings. Looks like I¡¯ll have to cut them off.¡±

    ¡°You should stop. How can a human cut off the threads made by a dev¡ª?¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Snap¡ª

    Even before the angel could finish, the ropes restricting his body came loose and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Why are you standing around dazed like that? We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    ¡°How did you¡ªwith just one stroke¡­?¡±

    The angel stared at the rope on the ground with a stunned expression. The bindings that got cleanly sliced off was definitely not that easy to sever. Indeed, he shouldn¡¯t have spent all this time tied up if that were the case.

    ¡°But what do you mean, we don¡¯t have the time¡ª?¡± the angel asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The moment Su-hyeun replied, a dark fog suddenly spread out everywhere. It contained minute traces of toxin that could blind and numb one¡¯s olfactory senses, as well as dull one¡¯s entire body.

    The angel knew about this fog better than anyone. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    ¡°I was wondering why it has been so easy up until this point.¡±

    Su-hyeun had been thinking that the trial¡¯s low difficulty level was strange even if he did pass the 50th floor. He looked beyond the fog by gathering up his magical energy in his eyes. That¡¯s when he spotted the number of monsters.

    ¡°One, two, three, four¡­ Well, they sure came in force.¡±

    He counted the number of devils mixed among the monsters. They were the creatures with two horns on their heads, sporting black wings that were in contrast to that of the angel¡¯s.

    Five of such devils had shown up. Considering that the species called devils was rated as one of the higher grades of monsters, the number that stood before him was indeed was quite a lot.

    Well, now the difficulty is more or less appropriate.

    Rather than being scared, he began thinking that the difficulty had finally become suitable for the level. Several hundred monsters appeared, along with five devils to boot.

    Miru might find this a bit too much to handle alone.

    Su-hyeun thought so and was about to activate his trait. But then¡­

    Growl, grrrrr¡ª

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    A large shadow had cast over Su-hyeun¡¯s entire figure and then something even bigger completely filled up his view.

    He raised his head and took a look at the head of a gigantic dragon.

    It was Miru.

 Chapter 235

    Grrrr¡ª

    The red dragon¡¯s body supported by its four legs was at least several tens of meters tall and easily longer than a regular soccer pitch. As its body was turned away from Su-hyeun, he couldn¡¯t see its face properly.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the familiar aura, he would¡¯ve mistaken it for a new monster that had appeared.

    ¡°Miru?!¡±

    Miru turned its head when Su-hyeun called out.

    Its large eyes stared back at him. Miru now looked like an adult, almost to the point that it even came across as slightly unfamiliar to him.

    Moreover, its silhouette also seemed recognizable to him somehow.

    That look, it¡¯s definitely¡­

    Although the image was blurry, he could sort of make out a silhouette of another person¡ªno a dragon¡ªoverlapping Miru¡¯s current appearance.

    The dragon emperor, Ellid.

    Miru now looked very similar to the appearance of what could very well be its parent, the one who was referred to as the king of all dragons that he saw through the images recorded in the Cintamani during the 40th floor¡¯s trial.

    Is this the case of like father, like son? They really do look the same.

    Miru¡¯s new appearance was definitely different from what Su-hyeun became familiar with.

    If the dragon grew up slowly, even slower than he could consciously notice it, then maybe it might have posed no problem to him, but Miru had suddenly shot up in size, and it was as if the familiar silhouette Su-hyeun recognized had been erased off.

    Despite his puzzlement, though, he was definitely sure that Miru was the red dragon before his eyes.

    Grin¡ª

    The corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled upward.

    He remembered back when Miru just broke out of its eggshell. It was so small back then and had to stay wrapped around his neck all the time. Its legs were so short that he couldn¡¯t even see whether they were there or not.

    The little dragon that used to be like that was now big enough to completely fill up his view and block the horde of monsters, as if to say, take a look at how big I¡¯ve become.

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, kid.¡±

    Su-hyeun reached out toward Miru only to flinch a little. He belatedly realized that the dragon had grown too big for him to pat now.

    ¡°Well, then,¡± Su-hyeun began. ¡°Sweep them away.¡±

    RUUUMBLE¡ª

    The moment he said that, a humongous amount of magical energy began coalescing within Miru¡¯s maw. It was so big that even Su-hyeun was taken aback despite knowing that a Breath was underway.

    And right away¡­

    RUUUMBLE¡ª!

    FLASH¡ª

    The Breath Miru fired dyed the entire world in crimson.

    <hr />

    Rumble, hiss¡ª

    Crackle, tumble¡ª

    Crimson flames had enveloped the surroundings. Su-hyeun felt the scorching heat on his skin as his eyes took in the sight of the monsters¡¯ corpses currently being burned to cinders.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He stood there frozen on the spot for a while.

    He couldn¡¯t quite recall the last time he was this shocked. That was how incredible Miru¡¯s Breath was a few moments ago.

    Miru had shrunk back to its original size. Almost in an instant, too, as if its monstrous version earlier was nothing but an illusion.

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru trudged to where Su-hyeun was looking as if it had no more energy left and then raised its head to cry softly.

    Although looking very tired, the dragon¡¯s expression was one of happiness. Rather than the issue of exhausting all of its energy, it seemed that the cause of its fatigue was due to just forcibly using that massive Breath.

    ¡°R¡ªright¡­ You did well.¡±

    Unlike his usual self, Su-hyeun was visibly flustered as he patted Miru¡¯s head. While doing that, he recalled the Breath he saw only a few moments ago.

    The whole world, including the skies and the land, was dyed momentarily in crimson. By the time the original color returned a couple of seconds later, no monsters were left standing on their feet anymore.

    It was the same story for the devils.

    Since they were devils and not some weak monsters, they didn¡¯t die immediately and collapsed in a heap instead, but they didn¡¯t seem to be able to be holding on for long.

    The five devils were slowly withering away from the undying flames.

    That Breath was incomparably mightier than ones from the past not only in terms of its range but also its destructive power.

    Maybe it was only for ¡°single use,¡± judging from how Miru reverted back to its old self, but this much was already more than enough for him.

    Is this because of the awakening period? Or maybe the Cintamani¡¯s effects?

    Either way was fine for him, however.

    With this, Su-hyeun reaffirmed Miru¡¯s potential.

    It¡¯s not too far off now.

    He never got to personally meet Ellid. However, he was still faintly aware of how incredible an existence that red dragon was.

    First of all, there was the dragon emperor¡¯s magical energy stored within the Cintamani to consider. The concentration of Ellid¡¯s magical energy was far denser than anyone Su-hyeun could think of.

    Second, it had also fought off Fafnir.

    Even though it had to sacrifice its life in the end¡­

    Ellid had achieved something Su-hyeun failed to do. The dragon emperor protected its home world from Fafnir. That fact alone made it meaningless to even discuss what an incredible being Ellid was.

    And Miru was the descendant of Ellid the red dragon.

    ¡°You know, you¡¯re proving to be a real bundle of good fortune.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª?

    Miru tilted its head at what Su-hyeun said. But upon realizing that it was a compliment, the dragon broke out into a bright smile.

    <hr />

    ¡°Thank you. Thanks to your help, I could now return to the celestial world.¡±

    The angel, Ikaela, shook Su-hyeun¡¯s offered hand. A pure white door stood tall before him. It was a gateway to the celestial world where angels were waiting on the other side to receive him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any reward to offer you, but I can still prepare a small parting gift at least.¡±

    ¡°A gift, you say?¡±

    ¡°You shall soon see for yourself. Well then, I shall be on my way,¡± Ikaela said.

    The angel turned around to head toward the white doorway. It opened up automatically to welcome him.

    After the angel stepped beyond the threshold, new messages floated up before Su-hyeun¡¯s view.

    [You¡¯ve acquired 1,000,000 achievement points.]

    [You¡¯ve recorded maximum accomplishment rate.]

    [You¡¯ve perfectly cleared the 51st floor¡¯s trial.]

    [Achievement ranking is being tallied.]

    [You¡¯ve been ranked in the first place.]

    [Death Aura has risen by two.]

    [You¡¯ve acquired ¡°Celestial King¡¯s Feather.¡±]

    Su-hyeun arrived on the 52nd floor. If this was any other time, he would be occupied with taking in his new surroundings, but the first thing he did this time was to confirm the item in his hand.

    A small but soft feather was resting on his palm.

    The Celestial King¡¯s Feather.

    It seemed that this little thing was the reward for passing the trial this time.

    He thought that there wouldn¡¯t be any reward aside from the achievement points this time since he finished the trial too quickly, and it wasn¡¯t all that difficult, to begin with. But thankfully, his Death Aura stat increased a little, and there was even an additional reward.

    It was Su-hyeun¡¯s first time to see an item called the Celestial King¡¯s Feather.

    Appraisal.

    [Celestial King¡¯s Feather]

    <ul>

    A wing feather from the king of the angels, the Celestial King

    It can transport you to a location in your memory, where you¡¯ve previously been to.

    One-time use item

    </ul>

    Its effect was pretty simple, but it still made Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes sparkle brightly.

    It can transport me to a location I¡¯ve been to before, huh?

    As implied, it was basically for teleportation. Moreover, as there was no restriction on the distance, the item would allow him to teleport anywhere he wanted to go and not just a short little hop to somewhere close by.

    It, as a single-use item only, was a bit unfortunate, but even then, it was an excellent item that could definitely come in handy in an emergency situation.

    If I can use this even in the middle of a fight, then it can be the greatest evacuation and counterattack item in existence, or I can substantially lower the risk in case dungeons open up in two locations that are on the opposite sides of the world.

    Depending on how it would be used, the possibilities were endless. He didn¡¯t expect much as it was merely the 51st floor¡¯s reward, but this one option alone already made it an excellent item.

    Well, my Death Aura stat has risen up, too¡­

    Perhaps because the stat was low but the floor was high, Death Aura increased rather easily at the moment.

    The most important thing to note was the fact that the Death Aura stat continued to climb higher whenever he hunted down a monster. It seemed that the effects of dying life forms influenced the stat greatly.

    Two months should be more than enough.

    Su-hyeun started walking away. Although he dearly wanted to challenge the next floor right away, there was something else he needed to do first.

    [Achievement points: 21,904,455]

    It was now time to purchase the elixirs for stamina, as well as those related to agility.

    It looks like I¡¯ll be in hell for a couple of days.

    Just thinking about drinking all those disgusting elixirs at once was already making him groan helplessly.

    Su-hyeun headed to the shopping district.

    Act 8

    After taking all sorts of elixirs, potions, and medicinal herbs meant to fortify his stamina and lighten his body, Su-hyeun fell unconscious for several days.

    That was how terrible those things were. Some medicines mixed in among the batch even contained deadly toxins.

    That goddam medicine peddler.

    He wasn¡¯t the type to do so, yet the first thing he did after waking up was to gnash his teeth and curse the owner of the store that sold him the elixirs.

    ¡°This is a slightly dangerous item, and it might hurt you a little bit. However, its effect is truly outstanding.¡±

    The store owner had a somewhat vaguely sinister expression as he said that and packed all the medicines in a big bundle.

    Even then, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t think that the store owner would really defraud him, plus he had pretty high resistance toward most poisons, so he wasn¡¯t overly concerned. Which came back to bite him in the butt in the end.

    Did he say that this elixir was created by boiling the horn of a Wind Unicorn? I heard that a person will die by ingesting the blood of a unicorn, but hell, the horn is even worse.

    Whatever the case might have been, the effects were definitely noticeable.

    [Strength: 99] [Agility: 97]

    [Stamina: 97] [Reflex: 96]

    Both his ¡°agility¡± and ¡°stamina¡± had increased significantly. The former rose by four points, while the latter, five.

    This was all thanks to him consuming all sorts of elixirs related to those two stats.

    In other words¡­

    This is as high as I can raise my stats through elixirs.

    His ¡°reflex¡± stat was different from the others and couldn¡¯t be raised through elixirs because it was related to his senses, not his physical body.

    I guess there¡¯s no reason to rein in my strength anymore.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s strength stat stayed at 99, but his stamina, which used to be only 92, rose as well.

    The difference might have been only seven points, but what he could actually feel was far greater than that. This was because once a stat goes past 90, the relative importance of each point would rise exponentially.

    Because of this, he could feel his body experiencing a strain of some sort whenever he unleashed a significant amount of his strength. The amount of unnecessary magical energy spent to support his body had been rather considerable so far.

    But from this point onward, that burden should decrease substantially.

    Let¡¯s aim to get to the 56th floor.

    The main matches of the Ranking Wars were about one and a half months away. And he was aiming to climb past five floors during that time.

    Although he might pass one or all the floors as quickly as the previous one, that could also not happen depending on the types of trials he would face.

    Still, let¡¯s go forward as fast as we can.

    <hr />

    Out of all the currently existing events, the Ranking Wars boasted the biggest scale.

    This tournament had already surpassed the World Cup and the Olympics in terms of the world¡¯s attention drawn to it. As such, it was only obvious that a great deal of manpower would be invested in the Ranking Wars to get everything prepared ahead of time.

    ¡°What about the dungeon that appeared in Florida this time? Which guild is scheduled to take it on?¡±

    ¡°The Zinger Guild has been chosen to take it on, sir. They are scheduled to start the raid later today, so it should be wrapped up either tomorrow or the day after.¡±

    ¡°And what about Boston?¡±

    ¡°That one, it¡¯s being¡­¡±

    They were currently inside the Dungeon Management Agency.

    This agency, which was a part of the American Awakener Authority, was currently trying to get through arguably the busiest period in its history.

    Some of the world¡¯s greatest awakeners would gather for the Ranking Wars.

    And as such, it was unavoidable that there would be a gap in the awakener manpower while the tournament was underway, and inevitably, there would be a shortage of people capable of raiding dungeons.

    Because of this, not only the Dungeon Management Agency but also the awakeners throughout the world were working hard to raid the dungeons ahead of time before the Ranking Wars could even start.

    Normally, a dungeon needed 15 days to a month before it reached a full-on outbreak.

    That time frame had been brought forward as much as possible, and the dungeons were getting raided within three days of their appearance.

    This story wasn¡¯t unique to the American agency.

    The whole world was doing the same.

    That was why the months of November and December that led up to the Ranking Wars, which would be held sometime in December, proved to be the busiest period for the awakeners.

    ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m already up to my neck in work after more dungeons have shown up lately, so what is up with this damn Ranking Wars and stuff¡­?¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re getting pretty good overtime pay, so it¡¯s all good, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess so, sir. The Gordon Company isn¡¯t a bunch of thugs, at least. We¡¯re getting a lot of extra pay from their donations, after all.¡±

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that, we should be going on a strike or something. Man, we seriously have been swarmed with work for the past month, haven¡¯t we? Hey, man. Wanna get some coffee in our systems first?¡±

    James, the administrator working for the agency, stood up while saying that. The current time had already breached past the wee hours, and his eyelids were growing heavier by the second.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was no reply.

    The junior assistant, the one he had been chatting idly with only a second ago, was already sitting down, with his head tilted to the side.

    ¡°What the¡­ You¡¯re already asle¡ª¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Just before he could shake the junior¡¯s shoulder, James¡¯s head spun to the side. Someone¡¯s face suddenly appeared before his eyes.

    ¡°From now on, your job will be¡­¡±

 Chapter 236

    * * *

    On the day of the Ranking Wars.

    Gordon Company, the organizer of the tournament, announced the list of participants the day before the event went underway, and the list caused fierce excitement in everyone the world over.

    ¡°It¡¯s also really jam-packed this year.¡±

    ¡°Choi Hak-joon, Song Hyeong-gi, and even Park Ji-yeon.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°That guy¡¯s an exception. I mean, he¡¯s not even going to participate in the preliminaries, to begin with.¡±

    ¡°The ones to look out for this year should still be Kim Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan, right? Will the result be different this time?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? I heard that Gordon Rohan has been chomping at the bit for a while.¡±

    The major focus of everyone¡¯s discussion centered on the battle between Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan. This match-up was the true highlight of the tournament, as it would decide who the world¡¯s strongest awakener was.

    That was why the whole world was waiting with bated breath for the finals of the Ranking Wars.

    However¡­

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t that idiot Su-hyeun not picking up his phone?! And I even told him the exact date of the tournament!¡±

    As if to trample on their anticipation, Su-hyeun still couldn¡¯t be reached although the start of the Ranking Wars was only a moment away.

    Surely, that guy wouldn¡¯t get done in by something that had gone wrong in one of the trials?

    The suspicions and anxiety that bloomed from a ¡°maybe¡± were amplified much faster than Lee Ju-ho had thought possible.

    No, wait a minute. What if that happened for real? N¡ªno, that shouldn¡¯t be it.

    Even if he was confident, one¡¯s thought process was not something a person could control at will. And so, just as his growing anxiety began to take deeper root in his head¡­

    Vrrrr¡ª

    The smartphone he left on vibrate began doing exactly that. Lee Ju-ho hurriedly confirmed the caller and answered it with a slightly brighter expression. Although the call wasn¡¯t from the person he had been waiting for, it was still from someone else he felt even more worried about.

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived?¡±

    ¨C Yes, big bro.

    The caller was none other than Hak-joon.

    ¨C I¡¯m back.

    The guy who had almost died was making the call.

    * * *

    Lee Ju-ho headed to San Francisco right away. He couldn¡¯t waste his time any longer. Even then, his group would barely get there in time for the start of the Ranking Wars.

    Despite knowing this, he still left the Paragon Guild¡¯s private plane behind in South Korea.

    Su-hyeun was scheduled to join him at a later time. Unlike how it was with the others, he was the victor of the previous tournament, so he would only participate in the finals later.

    Of course, that all depended on whether or not he could return from the tower on time.

    ¡°I see that you made it out of there alive,¡± said Gordon Rohan.

    He personally showed up to welcome Lee Ju-ho, Hak-joon, and Thomas when the trio landed in San Francisco. Out of the three, the American¡¯s attention was focused on Hak-joon after learning that the young man had reached the 100th floor not too long ago.

    ¡°So, how about it? How does it feel to enter the three-digit world?¡±

    Gordon Rohan could speak Korean rather fluently now. Hak-joon contemplated for a little while and then made his reply. ¡°It wasn¡¯t much, all things considered, but I did almost die.¡±

    ¡°That sounds about right.¡± Gordon studied Hak-joon with some interest before shifting his gaze over to Lee Ju-ho. ¡°The secretary from our side will guide you to the hotel you¡¯ll be staying at. There are only a few hours left, but still, I recommend that you unpack your luggage and get some rest first.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your consideration,¡± Lee Ju-ho replied.

    ¡°We¡¯re all family in the same guild, so this much is nothing,¡± Gordon said and alternated his gaze between Hak-joon and Thomas. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll see you two later. I¡¯m expecting a lot from you.¡±

    He then turned around to leave.

    A loud voice could be heard right afterward.

    ¡°Wait, I know what this is! That¡¯s what you call showing off, right?¡±

    1

    The voice belonged to Thomas.

    ¡°Shh! He can hear you.¡±

    Hak-joon was left flustered by what Thomas said and quickly put a finger on his lips.

    However, Gordon Rohan was used to hearing something like that, so he let the comment slip by without much care. Not to forget, separate from his combat ability, Thomas¡¯s mentality was not that much different from a young child¡¯s, after all.

    More importantly, though, there was another thought racing inside his head at the moment.

    The Paragon Guild¡­

    Gordon Rohan was not much of a fan of belonging to an organization from the get-go. The reason that someone like him joined the Paragon Guild was because of one man¡ªKim Su-hyeun.

    He was the only man that Gordon publicly acknowledged. That man did not rest on his laurels of being the strongest or overflowing with natural talent and worked extremely hard to protect his current status.

    In some ways, he was a hero, and he was also certainly morphing into one in reality. Gordon Rohan joining hands with such a man would obviously result in the world¡¯s best guild. Also, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to keep your greatest competitor close to you, anyway.

    The guild he joined with that in mind was none other than Paragon. But now¡­

    It¡¯s a lot better than I thought.

    The other guild members had exceeded his expectations.

    Hak-joon who came across as a newborn chick during the previous Ranking Wars had matured before anyone had fully noticed it, and the same story applied to Thomas.

    Lee Ju-ho next to them was someone Gordon was in frequent contact with. Not only was he the official guild master of Paragon, but his business acumen was also quite considerable. So much so that if Gordon had his way, he would have headhunted that man as an important executive of Gordon Company by now.

    I¡¯m looking forward to this.

    This Ranking Wars could very well be even more entertaining than the previous one.

    That¡¯s what he thought.

    * * *

    The preliminaries of the Ranking Wars proceeded in the same manner as the last time.

    An illusory dungeon was created through Johnny Brad¡¯s magic circle. The qualification to enter the main matches was handed out depending on the awakener¡¯s achievement inside the dungeon.

    Those who reached the mains and found themselves in the tournament brackets, and then stepped even past that to reach the finals, were 30 people in total.

    These competitors were carefully screened from the number of participants that had increased by at least 1.5 times compared to the previous tournament. Among them were obviously Gordon Rohan, Hak-joon, Thomas, as well as many famous awakeners from various countries around the world.

    And so, the stage for the main matches came to a close, and just as the finals were about to get underway, Lee Ju-ho heard about Su-hyeun¡¯s news.

    [Kim Su-hyeun has reached the 58th floor.]

    ¨C The ranking has been confirmed. I was wondering where he was, not even doing an interview for the Ranking Wars, but that¡¯s kind of unsurprising, really. This guy, it¡¯s like he spends 350 days out of 365 in a year inside the tower or something.

    ©¸ He¡¯s almost a tower geek.

    ©¸ What does it mean? He¡¯s not going to enter the Ranking Wars?

    ©¸ He¡¯ll prolly enter it now. He¡¯s already passed the prelims, right?

    ©¸ But, wouldn¡¯t leaving now still be too late?

    ©¸ ?? He might be cutting it real close.

    These were comments uploaded on Abyss Online about three hours ago.

    It seemed that an awakener staying on the 58th floor started the thread immediately after confirming the updated awakener ranking. Su-hyeun himself must¡¯ve just reached the 58th.

    But the 58th floor already?

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out. Didn¡¯t he hear the story of Su-hyeun reaching the 57th not too long ago? He thought that Su-hyeun¡¯s climb was already pretty quick back then, but to have reached the 58th in only a matter of a few days?

    This guy, he really¡­

    It could be that Su-hyeun was stimulated by the news of Hak-joon reaching the 100th floor recently. Of course, it was good to hear that he increased his pace and was passing the trials even faster, but Lee Ju-ho found it hard to celebrate this fact.

    It¡¯s too late, though.

    Lee Ju-ho made a long, defeated sigh.

    If Su-hyeun only returned from the trial three hours ago, then it was simply impossible to arrive here before the finals went underway.

    The finals were scheduled to commence in another 30 minutes¡¯ time. Although it was great to confirm that Su-hyeun was alive and well, it was pretty much certain now that this year¡¯s Ranking Wars was out of the question for him.

    It was around then that Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes latched onto a strange little post.

    [A monster flew by in the sky just now, so shouldn¡¯t something be done about that?]

    ¡°A monster?¡±

    Every dungeon that appeared in South Korea had definitely been completely raided ahead of time about a month ago. They were cleared in advance so that the Ranking Wars, an occasion where the awakener manpower would be concentrated in one spot, could go ahead without any hitch.

    Was it possible that they had missed a dungeon somewhere?

    Lee Ju-ho entered the thread. A large photograph was included in the opening post.

    ¡°¡­A dragon?¡±

    Startled by what he saw, he stopped leaning against the chair¡¯s back and brought his face really close to his smartphone¡¯s screen. Although blurry, the dark shadow visible in the photo was a seemingly red dragon.

    Could it have been Song Hyeong-gi¡¯s dragon?

    No, that can¡¯t be. He¡¯s right here, after all.

    Only two awakeners were accompanied by divine beasts called dragons: Song Hyeong-gi and Su-hyeun. It was possible that another S-Rank awakener from another country also possessed their own divine beast, but the location in the photograph was South Korea.

    That can¡¯t be Miru either¡­

    Could it really be a monster, then?

    If that was indeed the case, then all South Korean awakeners participating in the Ranking Wars had to be recalled. If Su-hyeun was on his way here, then the plane he was in had to be sent back, too.

    First of all, I need to get in touch with Su-hyeun¡­

    Lee Ju-ho immediately dialed Su-hyeun¡¯s number.

    Rrrrrring¡ª

    A ringtone went off in an audience seat somewhere behind him.

    ¡°Ah, my bad. I should¡¯ve left it in vibration¡­¡±

    That voice belonged to Su-hyeun.

    Startled silly now, Lee Ju-ho shot up from his seat and turned his head around. ¡°S¡ªSu-hyeun, is that you?!¡±

    ¡°Sorry about that, bro. I got held up a little.¡±

    The attention of the participants, as well as the VIPs present in the reserved section of the audience seats, all focused on Su-hyeun immediately, even though everyone in the near vicinity happened to be S-Rank awakeners participating in the Ranking Wars or the shareholders of the Gordon Company.

    That¡¯s how high Su-hyeun¡¯s status was in this year¡¯s Ranking Wars.

    ¡°But how did you even¡­?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean how? I obviously flew in.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you contact me earlier?¡±

    ¡°I was in too much of a hurry, so¡­ Besides, I got here just in time, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that sure is a relief, but¡­ Just how did you get here so fast? I thought you finished your trial three hours ago?¡±

    ¡°I flew.¡±

    ¡°Of course I can see that, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°I rode on Miru.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    For a moment there, Lee Ju-ho failed to process what Su-hyeun said. Miru had supposedly gotten pretty large lately, but to say that he actually rode on the red dragon to reach San Francisco in only three hours from South Korea?

    Or could it be¡­

    ¡°How big has Miru gotten now?¡±

    At Lee Ju-ho¡¯s question, Su-hyeun grinned and settled down next to him.

    The former hurriedly showed the latter the post uploaded to Abyss Online that he saw earlier. ¡°Are you saying this is Miru?¡±

    ¡°Looks like someone took a photo of us, then.¡±

    ¡°Huh! Well, I¡¯ll be¡­¡±

    The suspicion turned out to be true. Although it was good to learn that the thing that appeared in Korea wasn¡¯t a monster, Lee Ju-ho was still left perplexed.

    That little Miru has gotten that big?

    He shifted his gaze back to his smartphone¡¯s screen. It just didn¡¯t feel real to him that the figure of a massive dragon almost hidden behind the clouds in the sky was Miru.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve finally shown up instead of running away.¡±

    An arrogant-sounding voice came from behind them to irritate their ears.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s head snapped to the side to find the voice¡¯s source. He already knew that ¡°that guy¡± was in the venue, but well, the face he had been purposely ignoring was staring back at him now.

    The arrogant voice continued on, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you go and complain to your mommy? Because you got scared?¡±

    It was Adel Castle, someone who was rated as Europe¡¯s best awakener. He was also someone who had the ignominy of being beaten black and blue by Su-hyeun during the previous Ranking Wars.

    ¡°¡­Maybe you¡¯re feeling sick somewhere?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question caused Adel¡¯s shoulders to flinch a little. The cause of such reaction was the former¡¯s voice that was laced with a murderous aura.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have a single speck of a good impression of Adel. It was probably the same for the European awakener about Su-hyeun, so it was rather unexpected that he would want to confront Su-hyeun face to face and try to get on his nerves like this.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve forgotten about the last time when I beat your ass up and you cried like a little baby. You think things will be different this time?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait and see about that, won¡¯t we?¡±

    Adel¡¯s glare was filled with unrestrained venom.

    Su-hyeun promptly ignored him. He figured that he had nothing to gain by bickering with the guy, other than getting some sore lip muscles.

    We¡¯ll run into each other anyway if he manages to make his way through the tournament.

    Su-hyeun could more or less tell the source of Adel¡¯s current confidence.

    What a waste of talent on a guy like that.

    The strongest awakener in Europe¡ªthat title certainly suited Adel. In terms of abilities alone, he could very well be only behind Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan.

    It seemed that he pushed himself hard with the singular drive of defeating Su-hyeun no matter what. All that effort was one thing, but without the natural talent to back it up, reaching this far would¡¯ve never happened.

    Not too long afterward, both Hak-joon and Thomas received the news of Su-hyeun¡¯s arrival, which had them rushing to the audience seats. Adel quietly glared at them before turning around to leave the audience seats altogether.

    Fine. Let¡¯s see who will be smiling in the end.

    Grit¡ª

    Adel headed outside the arena while gnashing his teeth.

    Soon after that, the first match of the finals of the Ranking Wars went underway.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s opponent was none other than Daian Gedeck, the awakener referred to as the Necromancer.

 Chapter 237

    <hr />

    The first match of the tournament¡¯s finals was between Kim Su-hyeun and Daian Gedeck.

    The two men stepped up to the arena. Su-hyeun observed his opponent who was making his way to the other side of the expansive battleground.

    The Necromancer.

    The German¡¯s pale face was expressionless. It would be normal to be a little tense, but not a single emotion could be read on his stony face.

    Tick, tock¡ª

    A clock suddenly appeared between the two men, and its hands ticked by slowly. The match would start in three minutes.

    Daian Gedeck opened his eyes at that point, and in at that moment, Su-hyeun definitely confirmed ¡°it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Death Aura,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He knew this to be true because what he sensed from Daian Gedeck was the same as his own aura.

    The Death Aura possessed a different type of nature compared to magical energy. If the latter was seen as a power source of the living, then the former was a type of energy related to the dead.

    This power was absolutely necessary to command the walking dead¡ªthe undead. Su-hyeun suspected it the moment he heard the German¡¯s moniker, the Necromancer, and his suspicion had been proven correct.

    ¡°You¡¯re like me, it seems,¡± said Daian Gedeck.

    Wrinkles could be seen on his pale white face. No matter how pale his skin was, it was not possible to hide his age.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not sure I understand the meaning of your question.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking what you were doing before you entered the other side. Were you a shaman? Maybe an exorcist? If not, then¡­¡±

    ¡°I was a student.¡±

    ¡°A student?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s reply caused a slight rise in Daian Gedeck¡¯s brows. This would be the first expression the German had made so far, and it also allowed Su-hyeun to guess what the older man¡¯s previous job was.

    ¡°It seems that you were very interested in ghosts.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°A man who chases after ghosts¡­Is that called an exorcist? Were you involved in that side of things?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    ¡°You went beyond chasing ghosts, and now, your profession allows you to lord over them, instead¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks to that, I was able to become the world¡¯s greatest exorcist.¡± While Daian Gedeck was saying this, the glare in his eyes changed. ¡°That¡¯s what I used to think.¡±

    After hearing that, Su-hyeun chose not to reply but simply waited until the time was up.

    He didn¡¯t have to wait long.

    ¡°The match will now commence.¡±

    Almost at the same time that the mechanical voice resounded, Death Aura began to ooze out from Daian Gedeck¡¯s body. ¡°Rise up.¡±

    Crunch, shatter¡ª

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    Black bones began rising up from various spots in the huge arena. All sorts of skeletons and monster corpses numbering tens, hundreds, even well past thousands began revealing themselves.

    Su-hyeun watched this happen and smiled faintly. This sight kind of felt familiar to him.

    Compared to what Mister Herrels could do, this was nothing much.

    Still, the number of undead was more than he initially expected.

    Summoning Ouroboros here would be a bit over the top, so¡­

    If he did call out his Ouroboros, the entire arena would be utterly destroyed.

    ¡°Not like I need that guy, anyway,¡± he thought.

    The number of creatures Daian Gedeck summoned was quite considerable. The undead army was big enough to completely fill up the huge arena. There had to be at least a few thousand of them.

    However, Su-hyeun still didn¡¯t feel that they were threatening to him.

    Other than their number, the summoned undead weren¡¯t all that strong. Except for a handful of the undead, the majority were monsters from measly orange-colored dungeons.

    Not only that¡­

    ¡°Should I try that out?¡± Su-hyeun wondered.

    Just like between Herrels and the Lichs, Su-hyeun and the undead were in direct conflict with each other.

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By spending ¡°Death Aura¡± you can see or command the dead.]

    <hr />

    The Necromancer Daian Gedeck¡¯s ability could command countless numbers of the undead at will.

    He possessed enough skills as an awakener to raid a green-colored dungeon by himself, which there weren¡¯t all that many of in the world to begin with. Moreover, the addition of a single S-Rank awakener would enable just the two of them to raid a blue-colored dungeon.

    Quite obviously, Daian Gedeck was deeply confident of his own skillset.

    He was also confident that not many people existing in this world would be able to break through the army he controlled to defeat him.

    But¡­

    How bizarre.

    He was sensing an inexplicable feeling of absurdity as he faced off against Su-hyeun.

    ¡°But why?¡± he asked himself.

    The German could sense the same type of aura coming from Su-hyeun.

    It was the Death Aura, an aura of the dead. This was a power that regular awakeners could not possess. That was why Daian Gedeck felt a little happy to see Su-hyeun wielding the same powers as him.

    But once the match went underway, he could no longer sense the same type of feeling coming off of the South Korean.

    ¡°He¡¯s not the same as me, but rather¡­¡±

    Drip¡ª

    A thick droplet of sweat trickled down Daian Gedeck¡¯s pale face. He had belatedly realized that he felt as though his entire body was covered in a cold sweat.

    ¡°Am I actually scared?¡± he thought.

    This was an instinctive fear that his brain hadn¡¯t fully registered yet.

    Through this, Daian Gedeck became sure of it. Other than their auras being the same, Su-hyeun¡¯s ability was on another realm altogether compared to his.

    <ul>

    I¡¯m scared¡­

    We need to run!

    No, we need to obey.

    No, we¡­

    </ul>

    The summons he was in control of had fallen into confusion. They were scared of Su-hyeun, but they also wanted to worship him. Daian Gedeck could feel his entire ability quaking in fear.

    Just what ability did that man possess?

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun finally started walking.

    In other people¡¯s eyes, his steps would come across as ordinary. He must have looked relaxed and unconcerned as he walked. However, the truth couldn¡¯t have been more different from Daian Gedeck¡¯s perspective.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the audience watching the match to realize that something was wrong here.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they moving?¡±

    ¡°Look, Gedeck¡¯s undead, they¡­¡±

    The audience soon grew restless.

    Before long, Su-hyeun was walking among the undead Daian Gedeck had summoned. He was so close to them that if they turned their bodies or wielded the swords and spears in their hands, they would have touched him.

    Even then, the undead did not display any reactions. Some of them even stepped out of the way to create a path for him.

    ¡°Just what is he thinking?¡±

    ¡°Is a Necromancer thinking of fighting head-on against a swordsman?¡±

    ¡°From Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective, this must be pretty insulting to him. No, wait. Maybe he finds this whole thing laughable instead?¡±

    Unsurprisingly, the audience didn¡¯t think Su-hyeun was responsible for the current spectacle. The one who summoned the undead and controlled them was undoubtedly Daian Gedeck. As such, everyone watching thought that this event was what he wanted to create in the first place.

    The truth was¡­

    His control had been taken over.

    His power to control over the undead army had grown weaker. Even before he had noticed it, the connection between him and the army had been severed.

    The fault lay with the activation of power much higher in level than his. He wasn¡¯t even curious about who the culprit could be. Well, there already was an existence wielding a far greater level of power than him standing right before his eyes, after all.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked in slow but steady steps without pause. Meanwhile, Daian Gedeck simply stood there as he continued to sweat.

    ¡°If that man willed it, then¡­¡± he thought to himself as he watched Su-hyeun move even closer to him.

    The undead army would attack him instead.

    Gulp¡ª

    For the first time ever, Daian Gedeck felt scared of his own summoned undead army. They were supposed to be allies that always protected him, but at least at this moment, they were not.

    Their swords and spears now belonged to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Do you wish to go on?¡± Su-hyeun asked after completely closing the distance between them. He was so close that a sword swing would easily reach the German.

    ¡°Hah!¡±

    Plop¡ª

    Daian Gedeck let out a dejected chuckle and fell on his backside. His strength seemed to have abandoned his entire body.

    In his trembling voice, he said, ¡°I surrender.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Those two words brought a sudden bout of silence in the arena.

    Right afterward¡­

    ¡°Winner, Kim Su-hyeun!¡±

    The mechanical voice completely filled up the whole arena.

    The finals of the Ranking Wars, the first round of 32¡ªthe winner of the first match was Kim Su-hyeun.

    It was a victory in which not a single sword strike took place.

    <hr />

    The first match was over, and the second one commenced right away.

    Daian Gedeck exited from the arena in unsteady steps. He still hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock.

    ¡°I always thought that the rumors were exaggerated, but¡­¡± he thought.

    He had heard various stories about Su-hyeun. He was a young genius, and after being an awakener for only a few years, he defeated Gordon Rohan and rose up to become the world¡¯s strongest.

    Daian Gedeck really had thought the stories had been greatly embellished. Su-hyeun might have been a really amazing talent, but as the world was thirsting for a hero right then, the German thought that extra meat and spices had been added to enhance the flavor of the rumors.

    However, his first-hand encounter with him made him realize that there was no exaggeration in the rumors at all. No, they were lacking instead.

    ¡°You should know what embarrassment is.¡±

    Daian Gedeck turned his head toward the direction of that voice as he stepped outside the arena. A familiar face was waiting for him by the exit. It was a face often seen on TV screens.

    ¡°Adel Castle. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re talking names, then I¡¯ve heard about you, too. Daian Gedeck, the great Necromancer. But now that I¡¯ve seen you¡­ You were just a coward, I guess?¡±

    A mocking sneer surfaced on Adel¡¯s face.

    This was clearly a provocation.

    Daian Gedeck easily read the rage burning within Adel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Although this isn¡¯t something I should say in the first meeting like this, let me give you a piece of advice anyway.¡±

    ¡°Advice, you say?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever forget that what you see isn¡¯t everything. That was the same story for me. Also¡­¡±

    Daian Gedeck stopped his sentence there and peered deeply into Adel Castle¡¯s eyes.

    That burning rage reflected in Adel Castle¡¯s eyes was not directed at him. Daian Gedeck wasn¡¯t deaf to the rumors floating around, so he knew very well who that rage was reserved for.

    ¡°You should stop considering a man you can¡¯t even deal with an enemy. Forget about your anger. It¡¯ll be smarter for you to live a quiet little life instead.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you really saying that to me?¡±

    ¡°I pray that you go back to your old, gentlemanly demeanor. Although, I¡¯m not certain if that was your true self back then.¡±

    Daian Gedeck was finished with what he wanted to say and brushed past Adel Castle.

    Adel simply sneered while looking at the German as he walked away without responding to the provocation. To his ears, Daian Gedeck¡¯s advice only sounded like a coward¡¯s excuse.

    ¡°Who gives a sh*t?¡±

    Adel then began walking away himself. His match was next, after all.

    Act 9

    While the tournament was progressing smoothly, Su-hyeun suddenly got up from his seat. The first rounds of the matches had come to an end. Round 16 was scheduled to take place that evening, so he had some time left to kill.

    Just as Su-hyeun was exiting from the arena, Lee Ju-ho approached him and asked, ¡°Where are you headed?¡± It seemed that the latter had been waiting to meet up with him.

    Su-hyeun figured that this was actually for the better and replied, ¡°I was planning to take a look around, you see.¡±

    ¡°Around here? Why? I thought you were not interested in sightseeing?¡±

    Su-hyeun had arrived in the U.S. not too long ago. But even if that was true, he was not really the type to behave like a tourist, nor did he know anyone on this side of the world.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to confirm.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    ¡°Dungeons have been raided ahead of time, around one month before the Ranking Wars started, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds about right. If not, a dungeon that¡¯s impossible to raid might go on to become an outbreak while the Ranking Wars are underway. As you already know, anything above the green-colored ones becoming an outbreak can result in a big, messy aftermath.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± Su-hyeun replied with a somewhat doubtful expression. ¡°But still¡­ just in case, I¡¯d like to make sure.¡±

 Chapter 238

    <hr />

    Lee Ju-ho followed Su-hyeun as he left the arena. The two of them rode the elevator that would take them to the surface and out of the underground arena and eventually headed straight to the top floor of the Gordon Tower.

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Why is he here? Isn¡¯t it the middle of the matches?¡±

    The tourists that came to visit the Gordon Tower recognized Su-hyeun and gasped in surprise. The top floor of the tower featured a lounge where you could view the entirety of San Francisco.

    Su-hyeun paid no attention to the people¡¯s murmurings and continued to walk forward. He excused himself from a brave few who tried to chat him up and headed straight toward the windows.

    Lee Ju-ho had to ask. ¡°H¡ªhey, what are you¡­?¡±

    Clunk¡ª

    Su-hyeun opened a window.

    Swish¡ª

    ¡°Hey, dude! Where are you going?!¡± Lee Ju-ho yelled out in surprise from what happened next.

    Without any warning, Su-hyeun jumped outside.

    Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t possess any skills that allowed him to fly or run in the air, so he couldn¡¯t chase after Su-hyeun. The latter waved his hand once and began moving again.

    He activated ¡°Leap¡± outside the windows and headed toward the roof of the Gordon Tower, which was impossible for people to access.

    The tower didn¡¯t have a roof deck. As there wasn¡¯t enough oxygen to breathe up there due to the high altitude of the place, the creation of a roof deck had been deemed unnecessary.

    Therefore, understandably, people¡¯s eyes would never reach the place, unless they were looking down from the satellites up above.

    ¡°I had my fingers crossed, but oh well.¡±

    Upon arriving on top of the Gordon Tower, Su-hyeun got to see something even more amazing than the vista spreading before his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s really here.¡±

    A corner of the Gordon Tower¡¯s rooftop that was not visible from below had changed to a yellowish color. It was not just a faint hue but a bright yellow one.

    The coloration was so deep that it would not be strange for an outbreak to occur any time now. If the discovery came about a day later, then monsters would have really poured down into the Gordon Tower.

    Why hasn¡¯t this thing been discovered yet?

    It wasn¡¯t as if locating it would be too hard.

    Photos taken from the satellites or the unique energy that leaked out from the dungeon would be more than enough for it to be detected.

    At this point, Su-hyeun could even faintly pick up on the existence of the dungeon from below the ground. Meaning, the amount of magical energy leaking out from this particular dungeon could not be considered small at all.

    Something¡¯s wrong.

    Su-hyeun turned his head.

    His eyes caught the view of San Francisco spread out below the tower.

    At first, he wondered if he had made a mistake. However, after arriving at the tower and discovering this dungeon, his suspicions began bubbling up nonstop.

    ¡°Hey, Miru,¡± he called out.

    The red dragon peeked its head outside, and straight away, it began rubbing its face against him.

    If this was any other time, he would have patted his dragon, but now was not the right time for it.

    ¡°Fly over there and see if you can find something similar to this. And if there really is one¡­¡±

    Miru could understand Su-hyeun¡¯s words quite well by now. It seemed that after having spent a long time together, the red dragon had gotten rather used to human language.

    After sending Miru off, Su-hyeun remained on the spot. As he knew that the dungeon could break out at any given moment, he had to stay put.

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Flap¡ª

    About one hour later, Miru came flying in from the distance.

    ¡°Did you find any?¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s question, Miru nodded its head.

    His expression hardened. He hadn¡¯t been sure, but as it turned out, the dungeon here wasn¡¯t the only one.

    ¡°How many did you see?¡±

    As Miru couldn¡¯t speak in human language, it began flying around in circles in front of Su-hyeun instead. It was trying to tell him the number of dungeons it came across with the number of circles that it made.

    But then¡­

    Flap¡ª, flap¡ª

    Miru, with its wings unfolded, continued to circle around without any hints of stopping soon.

    Something had definitely gone wrong here.

    <hr />

    The fifth match of the round of 32.

    This particular match had garnered the biggest attention within the round of 32.

    It was Gordon Rohan versus Choi Hak-joon.

    Although their nationalities were different, they were fellow guildmates in the Paragon Guild, and they were going head to head.

    Clank, slam¡ª!

    Hak-joon¡¯s sword smacked away Gordon¡¯s spear.

    The trajectory of the spears descending from above seemingly had no patterns to them. The target would have no choice but to study each attack with his eyes or sense the approaching presence to parry it.

    Buzz, buzz¡ª

    Both the speed of the fall and the power behind the spear hits were truly outrageous.

    It seemed that Gordon didn¡¯t plan to go easy on Hak-joon. A few of his spear thrusts even took aim at Hak-joon¡¯s vital spots whenever opportunities presented themselves.

    Clang¡ª!

    Deflecting the spear aiming for his vital spot only brought about another attack with an even greater power behind it.

    That earlier spear strike was a feint meant to destroy Hak-joon¡¯s stance. The real deal was this one.

    Wuuuoong¡ª

    However, right at that moment, a massive amount of magical energy exploded out from Hak-joon¡¯s sword.

    Kwa-aht¡ª!

    Swoosh, ka-clang¡ª!

    One sword strike from Hak-joon, and all the spears falling toward him shattered into pieces in an instant.

    That attack was quite powerful, but that wasn¡¯t the end.

    Swish¡ª Pah-ahk¡ª

    Drip¡ª

    A spear brushed past Hak-joon¡¯s side. He instantly twisted his body away and grabbed the spear shaft with his hand. Gordon had dug in very close even before anyone could notice it.

    He spoke first. ¡°Not bad, kid.¡±

    ¡°If this is all¡­well.¡±

    Hak-joon replied with clenched teeth.

    Unlike Gordon and his relaxed expression, Hak-joon was sweating profusely from all over his body. He had numerous small nicks and injuries by now. However, they weren¡¯t so severe that he would collapse at any second from them.

    Of course, he was feeling quite unhappy at the moment.

    Damn it, still so far away?

    Gordon was defeated by Su-hyeun during the previous Ranking Wars.

    Although he felt chuffed by the fact that he could fight to this extent against a man once referred to as the world¡¯s strongest, this match also reminded him of the great distance between himself and Su-hyeun.

    Moreover, Gordon Rohan was actually going easy on Hak-joon.

    The American obviously wouldn¡¯t have sat back and not experience any growth in the past two years. It was widely said that he had put in more effort than anyone else to defeat Su-hyeun in this Ranking Wars.

    So, more than likely, he could¡¯ve already ended this match if he wanted to do so.

    In that case¡­

    The current situation where their distance had closed up would be Hak-joon¡¯s last chance. His eyes took on an even sharper glare, and he gripped his sword even tighter. Gordon sensed something was off and tried to distance himself.

    Slice¡ª

    Gordon¡¯s brows rose up ever so slightly.

    The armor on his chest was slightly cut open. Even though he had definitely created some distance, Hak-joon¡¯s blade still managed to touch him.

    It¡¯s done.

    Hak-joon¡¯s eyes gleamed with delight.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Right then, Gordon¡¯s eyes began scanning his surroundings. He figured out just what kind of ¡°space¡± he found himself in and smirked deeply.

    Would you look at this?

    The fight that was gradually getting boring suddenly entered a new phase. The thought that things have gotten interesting caused Gordon to strengthen his grip on his spear.

    Hak-joon suddenly rushed toward Gordon Rohan once more.

    Or at least he tried to.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Just as Hak-joon took one step forward, someone landed in between the two men.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Big bro?¡±

    Gordon Rohan was stunned and flinched a little, while Hak-joon¡¯s eyes shot wide from the surprise.

    It was none other than Su-hyeun who interrupted them. This sudden event left not only the two men but also the audience spectating the match deeply stunned.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Why are you butting in all of a sudden?¡±

    Irritated, Gordon Rohan scowled deeply.

    He wasn¡¯t annoyed simply because the fight had been interrupted like this. As per the tournament¡¯s regulation, participants were not supposed to interrupt another¡¯s match regardless of their reason.

    If something like that did happen, then the participant responsible would be disqualified immediately. Meaning, Su-hyeun had lost his right to participate in the next rounds of matches simply by interfering in this battle.

    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the right time to do this, unfortunately,¡± Su-hyeun spoke.

    ¡°Fuu-woo¡ª! What do you mean, now is not the time?¡±

    Gordon swept his hair back out of habit.

    Regardless of the reason, the match had already been paused. Since there were lots of eyes looking on, he couldn¡¯t even take Su-hyeun¡¯s side no matter how good his explanation was.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Let me at least hear your reasons.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon right above the Gordon Tower. It¡¯s of the yellow rank.¡±

    ¡°Was a new one generated in the meantime? Leave it be. It should be fine for at least another 15 days¡ª¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be strange for this one to break out either today or tomorrow. Something has gone wrong here.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    After hearing Su-hyeun out, Gordon¡¯s expression crumpled unsightly.

    The dungeons should have been raided ahead of time to accommodate the Ranking Wars, yet there was a dungeon that had been left unattended for so long until now?

    Not only that, but the situation also sounded quite serious as it was located on top of the Gordon Tower. Huge crowds had turned up to witness the Ranking Wars, so if the monsters exploded out from a dungeon in such a situation, then an unimaginable tragedy would occur for sure.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to send in some people. If that¡¯s the case, we need to hurry.¡±

    Whatever the case might have been, it should be an urgent matter according to Su-hyeun¡¯s testimony. Even if the matches had to be stopped for a little while, the priority should always be with a dungeon that had been left abandoned for a long while.

    Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°If that was all, I would have raided it myself,¡± Su-hyeun spoke up once more.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the only one.¡±

    ¡°Okay, how many are there?¡±

    ¡°Throughout the whole of San Francisco¡­ no, wait.¡± Su-hyeun looked around at all the other participants staring at him and continued on, ¡°Dungeons are left unattended throughout the United States.¡±

    ¡°Son of a b*tch.¡±

    Gordon scratched his head, his face a reflection deep displeasure.

    He couldn¡¯t really think that what Su-hyeun was saying here was not true. With the latter¡¯s personality being what it was, he would never say something like that without confirming everything first.

    It could only mean that there were dungeons on the brink of imminent outbreaks numbered more than one or two.

    The Ranking Wars might have been important, but with things like this, the tournament couldn¡¯t go on anymore.

    ¡°So, things have turned out this way.¡±

    A voice suddenly cut through the heavy atmosphere.

    That voice accompanied by audible tutting belonged to Adel Castle. Naturally, the gazes of Su-hyeun, Gordon Rohan, and Hak-joon all shifted toward him.

    ¡°I knew something like this would happen the moment you started pulling in the awakener manpower from everywhere under the pretext of the Ranking Wars and had them raid dungeons in a hurry. I knew that a crisis would break out sooner rather than later. Well, it happened a little quicker than I expected, but still.¡±

    ¡°Is this the right time to bring that up?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s brows furrowed as he glared at Adel Castle. However, the latter didn¡¯t even blink once and replied with his head held high. ¡°It certainly isn¡¯t a matter to brush aside, that¡¯s for sure. An incident has happened, so it¡¯s only natural to search for the cause, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so are you saying that it¡¯s my fault?¡±

    ¡°If not yours, whose fault could it be? Some portion of the blame lies with the Authority that has failed to detect the dungeon generation ahead of time, but is it not true that the majority of it belongs to the Gordon Company and the Paragon Guild who made us forcibly swallow the unrealistic scheduling to hold the Ranking Wars? Wouldn¡¯t you agree, everyone?¡±

    Adel deliberately spoke with a loud voice.

    None of what he said was wrong. When you thought about it, the Authority did share some blame, but what caused the scheduling to become like this was due to the Ranking Wars.

    Whatever the case might have been, Gordon wouldn¡¯t be able to evade the ethical responsibility if something went wrong now.

    ¡°Now is not the time to worry about that, okay?¡±

    Whether Adel was wrong or not, worrying about it needed to happen at a later stage. Right now, every second and minute was precious. If a single dungeon in San Francisco went on to become an outbreak, a serious tragedy would happen.

    Gordon continued on, ¡°I¡¯ll send out the request for aid to all the American guilds, so you should give a call to the Authority in the meantime. Find out exactly where all the unraided dungeons are located.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already called them. However¡­¡±

    Someone readily answered Gordon¡¯s words. At the same time, Johnny Brad revealed himself above the arena.

    He then showed the screen of his smartphone to Gordon and spoke, ¡°They are not answering. For some time now.¡±

 Chapter 239

    <hr />

    The Ranking Wars was suspended.

    This would be the first time such a thing happened. Granted, the tournament had been only held twice so far, but there were far more than just two in Su-hyeun¡¯s memories.

    This has never happened back then.

    He witnessed many Ranking Wars and personally participated in some. However, without a doubt, this sort of event had never happened until now.

    Sure, it did get canceled due to a dungeon raid with high difficulty rearing its ugly head, but to think that it had to be suspended in the middle because so many dungeons were left undetected

    Something is definitely off here.

    Su-hyeun personally sought out the American Dungeon Management Agency.

    The agency was tasked with detecting dungeons through satellites, as well as the energy that leaked out from the Ether stones found inside each dungeon. Since they couldn¡¯t be reached via phone, he had no choice but to go to the agency himself.

    Smash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t avoid kicking the door down to enter. He didn¡¯t have the time to leisurely wait until someone answered him. He couldn¡¯t detect a human presence, after all.

    His sense of urgency was validated when he got inside.

    ¡°I knew it.¡±

    The spectacle that greeted him wasn¡¯t all that different from his own expectations.

    He thought it had to be one of two things: either the office was empty or the people inside were all dead.

    The answer turned out to be the latter.

    Rustle¡ª

    Su-hyeun took a look at the technicians working for the Authority that were lying dead. Five of them bled to death on the floor.

    Their blood hasn¡¯t dried yet.

    He didn¡¯t need to ask any complicated questions here because this scene could only mean that there wasn¡¯t even enough time for the blood to dry.

    They weren¡¯t murdered by someone. It looks like¡­suicide.

    All five of them held small fruit knives.

    Without any hesitation whatsoever, they had cut open their own throats in one go. It absolutely made zero sense that not one of them displayed any signs of hesitation in their actions.

    Step¡ª

    ¡°Those are voices filled with resentment, I see.¡±

    Su-hyeun turned his head at the thin voice that entered the premises after him. It belonged to Daian Gedeck.

    He had followed behind Su-hyeun and walked inside before being noticed, and after taking a look at the dead technicians on the floor, he continued on, ¡°Which is understandable, seeing that these people died without knowing why they had to die.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I had a hunch after hearing that you were headed this way, you see. Besides, this event has a heavy and rotten stench coming out of it somehow,¡± said Daian Gedeck before he continued to observe the dead people on the floor. ¡°And it seems that my hunch was proven right. Well now, things have gotten interesting.¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t really qualify as an ¡®interesting¡¯ situation.¡±

    ¡°Just what is it that you want to achieve? Is it to end this crisis without any big losses?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t relax with just that.¡±

    They knew for certain that this was not a simple accident, which meant they needed to uncover the source of this problem and nip the bud as soon as possible.

    Su-hyeun walked over to the dead technicians. He crouched down beside the nearest corpse and extended his hand toward it.

    Daian Gedeck quietly observed him, curious about what he was trying to do here.

    A short while later¡­

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can see or command the dead.]

    Su-hyeun immediately activated his attribute, which allowed him to see the souls of the five people who hadn¡¯t left their spots.

    They were still manning their positions as if they hadn¡¯t realized that they were now dead, or perhaps as if to deny the truth.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you guys a couple of questions.¡±

    This would be Su-hyeun¡¯s first time to command dead humans. He didn¡¯t feel particularly good about it, but he still needed their help right now.

    ¡°Who murdered you?¡±

    Su-hyeun heard several answers from them.

    Under the control of the Necromancer trait, they replied to his questions earnestly, and during this process, Su-hyeun heard the answers he was searching for.

    <hr />

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun operated the computer and sent emails to Lee Ju-ho and Gordon Rohan. The contents were of the detailed locations of the dungeons yet to be raided, when they had been generated, and the status of their progress toward outbreaks.

    The current priority lied not with finding the arsonist responsible but putting out the spreading fire first.

    Daian Gedeck piped up. ¡°You operate these computers better than I thought. Here I was, thinking that you¡¯d be technologically inept.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m fairly okay with doing sundry stuff, you see.¡±

    ¡°I find things like this the hardest to do.¡±

    ¡°I can see that. Rather than civilization and science, you have been following the occult and exorcism-related things your entire life, after all.¡±

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun continued to type away on the keyboard or click on the mouse as he replied to Daian Gedeck. It had been a while since he touched a computer, but doing simple tasks would not present any challenge to him whatsoever.

    Back then, the situation was so bad that I had to personally search for them and make appropriate moves, didn¡¯t I?

    Near the end of the world during his previous life, Su-hyeun had to search for the dungeons by himself. He asked the Authority for a favor and received a computer synced with satellites, and then, after he found the locations and learned of the ranks of the dungeons, he made his moves based on his independent analysis.

    Compared to back then, the programs currently in use slightly lagged behind, but the overall layout was pretty similar.

    Most of them are either orange or yellow. Red dungeons are almost non-existent¡­Two green dungeons, huh? Thankfully, it doesn¡¯t look like there are any blue-colored dungeons yet.

    Su-hyeun diligently confirmed the locations and ranks of each dungeon.

    While doing so, he tried hard to memorize the information. He needed to raid the dungeons as soon as he left the place, after all. Fortunately enough, no dungeons had become outbreaks yet. Su-hyeun let out a sigh of relief and then shifted to the location currently being monitored by the satellites.

    However, the moment he saw a small island located near San Francisco¡­

    ¡°Huh!?¡±

    Su-hyeun stiffened up immediately, while Daian Gedeck looked at the screen from behind him gasped in pure shock. ¡°It¡¯s indigo?!¡±

    ¡°Sh*t!¡±

    Du-ruck¡ª

    Su-hyeun hurriedly composed a new mail and sent it. The detailed location on the map had not been confirmed yet, but he could no longer sit there after learning about that dungeon.

    He was in a hurry. He dashed outside so fast that Daian Gedeck was unable to chase after him.

    ¡°He¡¯s indeed fast,¡± he simply muttered and took a look at the small island still visible on the monitor. ¡°This is¡­¡±

    It was a small island off the coast of San Francisco¡ªAlcatraz.

    A warning indication flashed brightly above the island visibly dyed in an indigo hue.

    ¡°It¡¯s already too late.¡±

    <hr />

    Swoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun urgently summoned Miru and rode on the dragon.

    He just couldn¡¯t lounge around anymore. An indigo-colored dungeon had become an outbreak. Its location was on an island not too far from San Francisco.

    Alcatraz Island.

    He knew a bit about that place.

    Fortunately, people didn¡¯t live on that island. It had been used as a prison for decades, after all. It currently served as a tourist attraction, but thankfully, there shouldn¡¯t be many tourists visiting it today.

    The Ranking Wars was happening today, after all, so not many people would want to visit the island. That wasn¡¯t the real problem here, however.

    It¡¯s indigo.

    From what he confirmed at the agency, this dungeon had already become an outbreak. Nevertheless, San Francisco remained quiet. An indigo-colored dungeon of that magnitude would¡¯ve been more than enough to throw the whole world in upheaval, never mind just the city of San Francisco or even the United States of America.

    That¡¯s why he just couldn¡¯t relax at all.

    Swish¡ª, boom¡ª

    Su-hyeun leaped off Miru¡¯s back. He couldn¡¯t afford to wait until the dragon landed.

    After landing on the island¡¯s surface, he quickly scanned his surroundings.

    The island itself was small enough that he could see it from end to end. Above it, there were five or six buildings and roads where cars could drive on.

    And above them all were¡­

    I¡¯m already too late.

    The indigo hue that enveloped the entirety of the island had already grown faint by now. The outbreak was over and the dungeon¡¯s entrance was in the middle of closing up, which meant that it had been a full day since the outbreak.

    To Su-hyeun, this was basically the worst situation imaginable.

    No, wait. I can still turn it into the best situation.

    Su-hyeun quickly changed his mindset.

    If an indigo-colored dungeon went on to become an outbreak even before he could show up to stop it, then it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to see San Francisco completely destroyed by now.

    The thing was, though, an event similar to this one did occur once before. In that event, nothing happened even after a dungeon went on to become an outbreak.

    Back then, he mistakenly thought that such an incident was fortunate.

    The Lich King.

    It was the incident where that bastard managed to emerge outside through the dungeon.

    Which means that the guy¡¯s already outside.

    It was rather obvious what that bastard would do after emerging outside. It was pretty straightforward if you considered that guy¡¯s end goal.

    Not being able to prevent the dungeon¡¯s outbreak ahead of time due to the unseen variables was indeed unfortunate, but the current situation was rather different compared to the last time.

    Su-hyeun quickly started walking.

    There were several buildings here in Alcatraz that used to be prison blocks. He chose one of them and entered it.

    Smash¡ª!

    Rumble, tumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun kicked a wall down, and it powerlessly crumbled, revealing the interior of a room.

    And almost at the same time¡­

    Ka-kwa-boooom¡ª!

    Flames erupted out from the floor he was standing on, causing an explosion.

    However, he casually walked away from the burning flames unscathed. Five Lichs stared at him from inside the room.

    He already knew they were hiding in there. His eyes shifted away from the Lichs to the five corpses lying on the ground.

    The people who died had small holes in their heads.

    Lichs often murdered people to create second bodies to replace their aging ones. It was quite likely that these victims were to become the next bodies for the five Lichs present here.

    ¡°I will keep this short.¡±

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Death Aura began oozing out from Su-hyeun¡¯s body. At the same time, the Lichs who were preparing for the next wave of magic attacks all halted their movements.

    ¡°Where is your king right now?¡±

    <hr />

    Somewhere in a nameless slum in San Francisco.

    On a dark alleyway where not much light shined through, which made distinguishing night from day difficult, two entities kitted out in glamorous robes were walking silently.

    Step¡ª

    The one walking in front suddenly halted in its steps. The other one with a smaller physique following behind asked, ¡°What is it, my king?¡±

    ¡°He is here.¡±

    ¡°He? My king?¡±

    ¡°The one who killed my brother. The one who stole my brother¡¯s power.¡±

    Thick killing intent leaked out from underneath the Lich King¡¯s robe, but such intent to kill was unleashed for only the briefest moment.

    ¡°So, such a fate is indeed possible, I see.¡±

    The Lich King lowered its head and chuckled softly.

    There was no sorrow or anger evident at losing its sibling. The Lich King¡¯s emotions had grown far too faint by now for it to feel those things.

    ¡°My king, will you seek him out right away?¡±

    ¡°No. He¡¯s too powerful. Perhaps even more so than I.¡±

    The Lich King could see the memories and share the vision of all the Lichs under its rule, so it was able to see everything clearly.

    It saw just what kind of a human killed its sibling and what kind of abilities that man possessed.

    It meant that the Lich King was not sure of its victory if they fought right now. If it was before the human came to possess the ability to rule over the dead, then sure, but now? His ability allowed him to interfere with its control over the undead.

    ¡°Encountering him now is premature. Do remember this point, however. The human we are about to meet is far greedier and more impure at heart than our future opponent.¡±

    ¡°I understand, my king.¡±

    ¡°Well then, let us go and meet him.¡± The Lich King shifted its gaze over to the green-colored dungeon visible in a corner of the slum area. ¡°This greedy human who has led us here.¡±

 Chapter 240

    <hr />

    Adel Castle took the initiative and led the others on the dungeon raids.

    The location this time was a massive green-colored dungeon located in the slums.

    The difficulty of this one was fairly high among all the dungeons left unraided not just in the San Francisco area but the whole of California.

    Slice¡ª, chop, splash¡ª

    Splat¡ª!

    Adel¡¯s sword sliced through the air a couple of times and tore a large toad-like monster about to pounce on him to shreds.

    The bits of the monster¡¯s remains rained down on the ground. This monster was about mid-boss level, something fairly uncommon even within green-colored dungeons, yet it still couldn¡¯t stop Adel¡¯s advance.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t he amazing?¡±

    ¡°As expected of Adel Castle. These are the skills of Europe¡¯s best!¡±

    ¡°Well, things might have gotten pretty interesting if the Ranking Wars continued on, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Adel could hear murmurings coming from behind him.

    They were doing their best to lower their voices as much as possible, but he could still hear them all. Adel¡¯s hearing had already exceeded the level most regular awakeners thought he had by now.

    That¡¯s right. It¡¯s so obvious.

    Adel thought a guffaw would explode from him any second now. He had to pay a particularly good level of attention to not show any hint of amusement on his face.

    Everything was perfect¡ªthey looked at him with respect, and the current situation was good for him.

    Things might get delayed in one or two places, but that can¡¯t be helped, I guess.

    Right now, it looked as if he was taking the lead in cleaning up the mess that Gordon Rohan, as well as the Paragon Guild, had created.

    Although it was not within his calculations that Su-hyeun would figure out this crisis so soon, there hadn¡¯t been any big deviation from what Adel had imagined things would turn out.

    That¡¯s right. With the way things were going, it¡¯s basically done.

    Nothing seemed too concerning at the moment.

    However, when this crisis comes to an end, the Gordon Company that organized the Ranking Wars should suffer a major blow.

    It was unfortunate that Adel wasn¡¯t the first one to shed light on the dungeon generation situation, but it was already enough to make him feel relieved of his pent-up stress.

    That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t have shown off, you fools.

    This wouldn¡¯t be the end either. There were still plenty of opportunities left to be exploited.

    A hero? My foot.

    Adel recalled Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    Even if you do right by the public one hundred times, they¡¯ll still turn on you with one mistake. I shall make you realize that from now on.

    Spit¡ª

    The sole remaining toad-like monster spewed out green saliva out of its large maw.

    Adel dodged the secreted saliva and dashed toward the toad monster. Right afterward, he swung his sword in a great arc to his side, slicing the monster in two halves.

    Splash¡ª!

    Just as he finished cutting down the last monster¡­

    Huh?

    Adel reflexively swung his sword one more time.

    Swoosh¡ª

    His automatic reaction was due to a figure covered in a robe that appeared behind the toad monster¡¯s sliced up halves.

    Fwooosh¡ª

    Adel¡¯s sword simply cut through nothing but air.

    Nothing stood in the spot that his sword sliced past. A robed figure was definitely standing there, yet ¡°he¡± vanished in an instant even though Adel hadn¡¯t looked away once.

    Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me?

    He stirred up his magical energy and pushed his senses to the max, but he still couldn¡¯t detect anything. He blinked a couple of times as he turned his head.

    It was right at that moment that Adel¡¯s whole body froze up. ¡°What the¡­ hell is this?¡±

    His raid companions following him from behind only a couple of seconds ago were nowhere to be seen.

    The surroundings had fallen eerily silent. Adel gripped the sword in his hand even tighter.

    ¡°You¡¯re exactly the human I¡¯ve been waiting for.¡±

    Shudder¡ª

    The deathly chill that Adel felt from that voice was similar to how countless blades would stab his whole body. He immediately leaped backward to create some distance between them.

    He rose up a dozen or so meters in an instant and finally got to see a figure cloaked in a black robe.

    In other words, he wasn¡¯t mistaken earlier.

    Tap¡ª

    Adel landed back on the ground and remained alert against the figure. His eyes could see the robed being, yet he still couldn¡¯t sense its presence. This was the first time he felt something like this.

    ¡°What the hell are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I am a god.¡±

    That sure was an absurd reply.

    ¡°Claiming to be a god, huh? Then, you¡¯re just another insane bastard.¡±

    Rather obviously, Adel didn¡¯t view the robed being as someone with a sane mind. He simply thought that an awakener with mental issues had entered the dungeon without permission, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°I wonder about that¡­¡±

    Upon saying that, the figure pulled the hood of its robe back.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°It is not I who claim to be a god. No, the countless underlings serving me say that.¡±

    The face that was revealed was made purely of bones with not a single bit of flesh on it.

    It was a Lich.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯re merely a monster.¡±

    Adel took the Lich as yet another monster that commonly appeared in dungeons. Up until earlier, he had to deal with toad-like monsters but now, even a Lich? Something didn¡¯t really add up, but he didn¡¯t think it would be too complicated regardless.

    And his thoughts weren¡¯t really off the mark.

    ¡°Humans of this world see the existences crossing over from other worlds as monsters. Well, that isn¡¯t wrong, strictly speaking. In that sense, I too am a monster.¡±

    ¡°Busy yapping on and on¡­¡±

    Adel had no desire to waste any more of his time, but just as he tried to swing his sword again¡­

    What¡¯s going on? My body¡­

    His body had frozen stiff.

    In a mere green-colored dungeon? Me?!

    ¡°It seems that you took far too long to realize that something is wrong.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    The Lich King walked over to Adel and his frozen body and placed its bony finger on top of the latter¡¯s head. ¡°You have led us here. Your greed, your desire for vengeance, all of your vile emotions have succeeded in calling the monster that is I to this world. For that, I thank you.¡±

    The Lich King¡¯s finger resting on Adel¡¯s head then slid down to his face.

    Hiss, sizzle¡ª

    Aaaaaaahk¡ª!

    ¡°Which is why I shall bestow upon you a suitable reward.¡±

    The skin and flesh covering Adel¡¯s face began melting.

    For some time, only his screams could be heard inside the dungeon.

    Act 10

    An emergency was declared throughout California.

    Numerous dungeons had been left unraided, so outbreaks could be expected to occur any second.

    Evacuations of the citizens commenced right away. The American Association, the Awakener Authority, and the Gordon Company all worked together to create safe zones and helped out with the evacuation efforts.

    At least a few days were needed until all of the dungeons were completely raided.

    ¡°What a mess this is. A total mess.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho also participated in the dungeon raids, his first in a long while.

    It really had been a while since he last dove head-on into a dungeon raid as a still-active awakener. For a considerable time, he ended up focusing more on the Association¡¯s, as well as the Paragon Guild¡¯s, administrative work.

    However, things were different this time.

    Every able hand was needed at the moment; hence, Lee Ju-ho joined the raid. He was an A-Rank awakener himself. It¡¯s just that he was often overshadowed by the incredible individuals surrounding him most of the time.

    He possessed enough abilities to raid an orange-colored dungeon by himself, as well as a yellow-colored one with a proper raid party. On top of this, he was skilled enough to contribute greatly in the raid of a green-colored dungeon.

    After safely ending his raid, Lee Ju-ho accessed the information Su-hyeun sent through his smartphone.

    Dungeons yet to be raided were dispersed evenly throughout the rest of California. Thankfully, the raids themselves were proceeding along smoothly due to all the S-Ranks from various nations that had gathered for the tournament.

    Lucky for us right now, not many dungeons went on to become full outbreaks just yet.

    A handful of dungeons did go on to become full-on outbreaks after the time limit to raid them had lapsed. However, the responses came in quickly, and the ranks of the dungeons themselves weren¡¯t too high. Therefore, the overall cost was restricted to some minor destruction of property.

    Almost half of the dungeons had already been raided.

    All that¡¯s left for us to worry about is finding the source.

    Lee Ju-ho held his smartphone again.

    Just what could it be?

    Something was off about this whole event.

    It had already been revealed that this was not a mere accident. Someone deliberately planned for the outbreaks to match the timing of the Ranking Wars.

    The culprit is an awakener with hallucination-inducing skills. Which made the situation really troublesome. Catching a bastard like that won¡¯t be easy¡­

    The media had been already informed¡ªthis incident was not the result of a mistake on the Gordon Company¡¯s part nor from trying to forcibly absorb the unrealistic scheduling, but someone out there had deliberately caused it.

    Of course, they didn¡¯t believe any of it. After all, it was common to see the culprit pretend to know nothing when a problem occurred and come up with all sorts of excuses afterward.

    Until the real instigator was caught and brought before the public, both the Gordon Company and the Ranking Wars would encounter problems in the future.

    Well, that¡¯s not going to pose too big of a problem, anyway.

    Whatever the case might have been, it was still true that the source of this crisis had to be uncovered no matter what.

    Ti-ring¡ª

    While he was contemplating that, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s smartphone received a text message. He checked the message and muttered to himself, puzzled, ¡°Why is he sending me this?¡±

    The text was from Adel Castle.

    <hr />

    [It¡¯s too difficult for me to destroy this dungeon alone. If there¡¯s anyone free who can lend me any support, then as many of you as possible need to come. Except for me, everyone else has already been decimated.

    But, when you arrive in the location, you must not enter until I give you the signal. It¡¯s that dangerous.]

    That was how the text message read.

    Over 30 people arrived at the slums after they received that message. Half of them were S-Rank awakeners who were participating in the Ranking Wars.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think too many have shown up?¡±

    ¡°Looks to me everyone who¡¯s not doing a raid, as well as all of Adel¡¯s acquaintances, have gathered here. Look over there¡ªeven Daian Gedeck showed up.¡±

    ¡°Well, the message did say as many as possible. Maybe the matter¡¯s not as simple as it looks.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s going on here, man.¡±

    The awakeners that gathered in the slums stared at the green-colored dungeon before them. Since they didn¡¯t know the situation inside, they chose not to haphazardly waltz in. However, at least from the outside, it looked like a regular green dungeon to them.

    It was the kind of a dungeon that all of them had already experienced at least once before.

    Lee Ju-ho went over after receiving that message, and now, he stood among the other awakeners to look at this dungeon¡¯s entrance. Just like them, he also felt a strange sense of discord at the moment.

    What¡¯s different about this one?

    Seeing how Adel Castle couldn¡¯t raid it, there must have been some kind of an issue with this dungeon, for sure. That guy wouldn¡¯t talk about his lack of power to summon other awakeners for no reason, after all. That analysis came about because he knew very well about the size of Adel¡¯s ego.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here too?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand lightly patted Lee Ju-ho¡¯s shoulder. His appearance in the slums drew the attention of the awakeners to him.

    ¡°Hey, even Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s here now.¡±

    ¡°What the heck! Maybe there was no need for us to gather around after all?¡±

    ¡°I mean, he¡¯s someone who can solo raid an indigo dungeon, so¡­Looks like us being here won¡¯t even make a difference.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s presence caused the tension that permeated in the air to disperse instantly. No matter how dangerous a dungeon was, they thought that raiding it wouldn¡¯t be a challenge with him around.

    Lee Ju-ho looked around them and shrugged his shoulders. He also felt like a huge weight was lifted off his back with Su-hyeun¡¯s arrival.

    ¡°As you can see, quite a few people have shown up. But the atmosphere here is too strange, and we¡¯re just waiting to see what would happen next.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I can see that, but what exactly is going on?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question caused a puzzled expression to surface on Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face, and the latter quickly asked back, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get the message?¡±

    ¡°I left my phone back at the Authority, you see. Did you message me earlier?¡±

    ¡°Not me, but Adel Castle should¡¯ve sent you one.¡±

    ¡°¡­Adel Castle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, him. Here, take a look.¡±

    Su-hyeun furrowed his brows deeply, and as he read Adel Castle¡¯s text message, his expression changed to one that showed suspicion. However, he wasn¡¯t the type to distort his expression this much just because a guy he had bad blood with sent out text messages to other people.

    ¡°Did something happen? Also, how did you get here if you didn¡¯t get the message?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    ¡°I was taking care of something else, you see. Since the stuff this side is more urgent, I was planning to deal with Adel Castle¡¯s matter later, but well, it looks like things have lined up pretty nicely.¡±

    ¡°Just what happened?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that something is strange here?¡±

    Just as Su-hyeun finished saying that, the dark alleyways of the slums began trembling ever so slightly.

    He continued on, ¡°This, here, is basically the inside of a dungeon already.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?!¡±

    ¡°Why are the streets suddenly¡­?¡±

    The ground wasn¡¯t shaking. No, it simply looked like it was, and the majority of the awakeners instantly realized what the current phenomenon signified.

    ¡°A magic circle¡­?¡±

    ¡°Are we trapped in here?¡±

    This phenomenon commonly occurred when a space-related magic circle was activated.

    The entirety of the slums they arrived at after receiving Adel¡¯s text had been isolated and blocked off by a special magic circle.

 Chapter 241

    ¡°Dammit. Just what is going on here?¡±

    ¡°A crap like this¡­We should just destroy it first and¡ª¡±

    Just as a handful of awakeners were about to use their skills against the magic circle that emitted light on the ground¡­

    ¡°You mustn¡¯t!¡±

    A familiar voice reached their ears, and then, a man walked out from the slum¡¯s green-colored dungeon.

    It was Adel.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Adel Castle?¡±

    ¡°We mustn¡¯t do it?¡±

    ¡°Does he want us to leave this thing be?¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense is he¡­?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gaze landed on Adel. Completely not caring about that, he emerged fully outside the portal and resolutely shook his head. ¡°If you touch the magic circle carelessly, everyone might be endangered and¡ª!¡±

    Swoosh¡ª

    Grab¡ª!

    Someone had suddenly dashed forward at a speed so fast that he couldn¡¯t be seen with naked eyes.

    It was none other than Su-hyeun.

    He instantly grabbed Adel¡¯s throat and, almost at the same time, lifted the latter up and slammed him hard on the ground.

    Boom¡ª!

    Keo-heok!

    Adel¡¯s body bucked.

    The impact was severe enough for his entire body to spasm. The hard concrete floor split apart from the force, so even if this was Adel, he shouldn¡¯t be unaffected by what happened just now.

    Su-hyeun spoke first. ¡°I held back just now, so stop exaggerating.¡±

    Cough, cough!

    ¡°Hold on, what do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±

    ¡°Why, without a warning¡­?¡±

    The awakeners in the vicinity watched as Adel coughed out blood and gasped out in shock. They all knew the bad blood between the two men but to resort to violence straightaway like this?

    ¡°W¡ªwhat¡­ is the meaning of¡­?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to do anything out of line here.¡±

    Su-hyeun lifted his knee as he replied, his hand still gripping Adel¡¯s throat.

    Crunch¡ª!

    ¡°Euh¡­Aaaaaahk!¡±

    ¡°Stop squirming and be still. And don¡¯t try anything stupid.¡±

    He slammed his knee down on Adel¡¯s thigh, causing the man to scream out loud. His thigh had been instantly crushed from the force.

    Su-hyeun looked down at Adel who was moaning in pain below him and scanned his surroundings.

    All of the awakeners had fallen silent. If he happened to be someone else, they would have stepped forward to dissuade him and hear what¡¯s going on first, but this was Su-hyeun they were facing right now.

    Not only could they not see an opening to step up, but no one present was capable of subduing him in the first place.

    More importantly, though, they had also been thinking that there was something clearly wrong with their current situation.

    ¡°Let me make one thing clear before anything else,¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s voice resounded clearly. ¡°All of you must¡¯ve heard the news by now, that our current situation has been deliberately caused by someone. Someone used a hypnosis-related skill to kill everyone in the dungeon management agency and made sure that the dungeons wouldn¡¯t be located on time.¡±

    ¡°There was something like that?¡±

    ¡°I did get the message. It¡¯s all over the news as well.¡±

    ¡°Not many people believe that, though¡­¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not just one or two, but this many? And they were all undetected at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Then, was it Adel Castle¡¯s doing?¡±

    A few quick-witted awakeners figured out what Su-hyeun was implying here.

    However¡­

    ¡°But where¡¯s the proof?¡±

    Their suspicion was understandable.

    Unlike Su-hyeun, they couldn¡¯t see the dead. Therefore, they couldn¡¯t see the souls of the people who were murdered by Adel Castle nor hear their voices.

    On top of this, none of these awakeners even knew about Su-hyeun¡¯s attribute.

    ¡°Proving it can wait until we get out of here first.¡±

    But right then, they heard a voice they weren¡¯t expecting. It belonged to a pale-faced man standing among the awakeners.

    It was Daian Gedeck.

    ¡°I got the text message and came here wondering what¡¯s going on, but well, an interesting event has gone down, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Daian Gedeck?¡±

    ¡°Why did a guy who doesn¡¯t normally step up¡­?¡±

    Daian Gedeck as an awakener was famous for avoiding working in the open. He rarely interacted with other people and did his absolute best not to get involved in public events.

    That was why Germany had become quite noisy with the news of Daian Gedeck planning to participate in the Ranking Wars.

    To think that a man like that stepped forward without anyone asking him.

    ¡°Well, there was this thing I witnessed, you see. I¡¯d like to share that with everyone here if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Share?¡±

    ¡°What does he mean by that?¡±

    Just as everyone was confused by his announcement¡­

    [Grudge of the Dead]

    Daian Gedeck activated his skill.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    When that happened, a certain scene brushed past the minds of everyone present. It was from a memory containing the grudges of dead people.

    Isn¡¯t this¡­

    No way, seriously?

    Originally, ¡°Grudge of the Dead¡± was a mind-related skill designed to unsettle the mentality of one¡¯s opponent. However, for this moment at least, Daian Gedeck used the skill to share a specific memory.

    In their heads, they all watched a part of Adel¡¯s memories where he was hypnotizing some people. At the same time, his voice also entered their minds.

    ¡°Match the dates of the Ranking Wars and conceal the existence of all the dungeons hidden from the public view. Also, the moment the first dungeon outbreak occurs, you will end your own lives.¡±

    The moment those memories were shared, no further explanations were needed.

    The reason why Su-hyeun subdued Adel became instantly clear.

    ¡°Well, you will get a more concrete proof by comparing Adel Castle¡¯s magical energy signature to the traces of magical energy lingering in the crime scene. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, friend?¡± Daian Gedeck said as he looked at Su-hyeun.

    Unlike Su-hyeun¡¯s first impression, Daian seemed to be a pretty outgoing person after all.

    Su-hyeun smirked and nodded his head. Thanks to the German, he didn¡¯t have to waste his energy explaining the situation to these folks anymore.

    Pu-heuh, heheheh¡­

    Right then, Adel, with his face buried on the ground suddenly, began chuckling.

    His laughter sounded as if he had lost his mind. It was also definitely not the kind of laughter one would make after being pointed out as the worst criminal there was, accused of masterminding the dungeon outbreaks.

    ¡°What the heck? Did he go insane?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all that surprising, is it? If what we saw was true, then he¡¯s basically thrown away everything he had worked for until now.¡±

    ¡°No, wait. Isn¡¯t he worthy of execution, at least? You can¡¯t imprison an awakener of his level, but if you leave him be, who knows what other insane things he will resort to in the future?¡±

    The whisperings from the surroundings caused Adel¡¯s laughter to stop abruptly. And then, with great difficulty, he raised his head and lifted his body off the ground with both of his hands. A wide grin unfitting his current situation was etched on his lips.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now. Because¡­¡± Adel snickered insidiously. ¡°We are all going to die here today.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all going to die?¡±

    ¡°That insane son of a¡ª¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s definitely insane. Is he saying that because of this magic circle?¡±

    ¡°A mere magic circle created by a swordsman¡­¡±

    Adel¡¯s reactions so far led the other awakeners to believe that the activated magic circle was created by him.

    They were slightly flustered at first, but they didn¡¯t feel that the magic circle itself was particularly dangerous.

    Even the level of magical power they could sense from it was minuscule. And since Adel, who is clearly not a magic-type awakener, had created it, they all thought that the magic circle couldn¡¯t have been that powerful.

    Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°What the hell? I can¡¯t erase it?¡±

    ¡°Just use force to break it, then¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not breaking!¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Explosion noises came from everywhere.

    The crowd had two options: either erase the magic circle emitting the faint light on the ground or disable it entirely through a powerful impact.

    However, neither of the options worked. The magic circle was sturdier than they expected.

    Not only that¡­

    ¡°I feel like my strength¡­It¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°You too?¡±

    ¡°I feel the same here. I think this is¡­¡±

    ¡°Vitality¡± was slowly being drained from the awakeners¡¯ bodies.

    Vitality was the natural power of life itself¡ªone with different characteristics from magical energy. Even though the amount was considered little, ¡°power¡± was gradually seeping out of them.

    ¡°All of you¡­will die. Except me, that is,¡± said Adel, sniggering.

    ¡°Kill that bastard right now!¡±

    ¡°You gotta undo the magic circle!¡±

    Once the awakeners realized that they couldn¡¯t break the magic circle, they were soon consumed by panic.

    At this rate, they would die after all of their strengths were stolen away. Since Adel Castle, the creator of the magic circle, was already before their eyes, they thought of threatening him to undo the magic circle somehow.

    ¡°This guy didn¡¯t create this magic circle, so everyone calm down,¡± Su-hyeun said before raising his hand toward the crowd rushing toward Adel.

    At the same time, the chilling light in his eyes flickered, causing the bodies of the awakeners to freeze up. Even though it lasted for a blink of an eye, they all felt a spine-chilling sensation just then.

    He continued on, ¡°Nothing will change whether or not you kill this guy here.¡±

    ¡°But that bastard called us all over here, didn¡¯t he?!¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that this punk was responsible for this crisis, but I¡¯m pretty sure that Adel didn¡¯t create this magic circle.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    The awakeners all formed puzzled expressions at Su-hyeun¡¯s words.

    He didn¡¯t reply immediately. They should find out soon enough, anyway.

    Instead of that¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Buzzzz¡ª

    Su-hyeun concentrated a considerable amount of magical energy to his fist. Then, he bent down and punched the ground hard.

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    Rumble, creak¡ª

    The magic circle quaked greatly.

    Although small, a crack even appeared on the ground as well¡ªevidence of the magic circle¡¯s power breaking.

    Adel who was grinning until then immediately froze up.

    Su-hyeun looked down at the cracked ground and muttered, ¡°As expected, it¡¯s pretty tough.¡±

    ¡°You will never destroy it from the inside!¡± Adel roared.

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as ¡®never.¡¯ If it¡¯s only this much, I can definitely break it given some time. If you don¡¯t believe me, should I show it to you again?¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Adel gritted his teeth.

    Despite what he said, he realized one thing from the force¡¯s impact earlier¡ªif Su-hyeun continued to pound away at the magic circle, then sooner or later, it would shatter into bits.

    However¡­

    ¡°You will all die before that!¡±

    That ultimately didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°No, wait. You probably won¡¯t die. But what about everyone else here? They will all die for sure, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, that might be true¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun was unexpectedly calm in his reply.

    It only made Adel even more anxious. He knew full well that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t the type to take it easy just because he would be able to survive all by himself.

    ¡°That is, if it¡¯s from the inside,¡± Su-hyeun continued.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Magic circles of this type all have one characteristic in common. You see, magic circles that display its effects after trapping its victims inside are all very weak against impact coming from the outside.¡±

    What Su-hyeun said was true, and everyone who was present also knew that.

    An awakener enjoying a certain level of skill would already possess some basic knowledge of magic circles because only by having so would they find a way to respond while going through magic-related trials.

    ¡°So what if you know that? What can you do?¡±

    Obviously, Adel didn¡¯t find anything impressive about what Su-hyeun said.

    Theoretically, he was right. But that was only when standing on the outside; Su-hyeun was currently trapped inside the magic circle.

    Even if he possessed the skills necessary to destroy the magic circle and go outside on his own, he would still waste quite a lot of time doing that.

    ¡°I can do this,¡± Su-hyeun said before he raised his head.

    The sky above, obscured by the magic circle¡¯s effects, looked reddish. Everyone followed Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze and looked up. And at that moment¡­

    ¡°A dragon¡­?¡±

    They all saw the blurry figure of a gigantic dragon beyond the magic circle.

    Su-hyeun smirked after seeing that and said, ¡°Destroy it.¡±

    His voice shouldn¡¯t have gotten across. Nonetheless, the giant dragon instantly opened its mouth the moment those words were uttered.

    [Breath]

 Chapter 242

    Ruuuuumble¡ª!

    Kwa-aaaah¡ª

    The crimson ¡°Breath¡± blanketed the top of the magic circle. When the stifling heat got to them, the people trapped inside activated their skills to protect themselves.

    Crack, spliiiit¡ª

    Cracks gradually appeared on the magic circle, and the areas affected by those cracks expanded in an instant.

    ¡°N¡ªno, you can¡¯t!¡±

    Just as Adel lying prone on the ground forced himself up and cried out¡­

    Clang¡ª!

    Shatter¡ª

    The magic circle enveloping the entire area shattered, and countless fragments rained down everywhere.

    Those fragments soon lost their power and disappeared. Even the choking heat that leaked into the magic circle cooled down almost instantly.

    ¡°It¡ªit¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°The magic circle, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s broken!¡±

    The previously trapped awakeners who were getting their life force sucked out of them all cried out in celebration. Among them, Lee Ju-ho was panting breathlessly before he plopped down on the ground. His gaze was still fixed on the figure of the gigantic dragon hovering in the air above.

    Is that really Miru?

    Flap, flap¡ª

    Even the sounds of the flapping wings could be heard from where he was, which was quite far away. That dozens-of-meter-long physique definitely belonged to an adult dragon even at a glance.

    A bitter chuckle escaped Lee Ju-ho¡¯s mouth. To think that the shadow of a huge dragon he saw in the online bulletin board was really Miru¡¯s.

    ¡°Even if it wanted to get big, it shouldn¡¯t have gotten that big, though. Going around with a dragon that big will prove to be tire¡ª¡±

    Right then, a change suddenly occurred in Miru¡¯s figure. Its huge body began shrinking and eventually became so small that Lee Ju-ho couldn¡¯t see it properly due to the considerable distance.

    He rubbed his eyes in dismay. He even wondered if he was seeing things.

    Soon afterward, Miru descended to the ground.

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    The red dragon made the same cry as before. Its physique wasn¡¯t all that different from what Lee Ju-ho remembered. The splendid figure of the dragon that was flying in the sky was now nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Thanks! You did well.¡±

    Su-hyeun patted Miru¡¯s head once. The dragon looked quite tired, but that was par for the course since it had to transform into its adult version twice in one day; it even used the overpowered Breath as well.

    Su-hyeun shifted his glare to Adel who was making a devastated and hollow expression.

    ¡°It¡ªit¡¯s not possible¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s not possible?¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at the man and lightly clicked his tongue.

    Rather than brainwashing, it¡¯s more like¡­Did his emotions get overamplified?

    The Lich King was very perceptive of human emotions, and that bastard had accurately seen through what Adel was lusting after¡ªwhat he really wanted in his heart.

    ¡°Did you think you¡¯d become the number one if everyone here died?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question caused Adel¡¯s body to flinch ever so slightly. Such a reaction would only be made when one¡¯s true self had been fully exposed.

    ¡°Not that surprising, really. That¡¯s why you must¡¯ve been so excited by the order to kill us all, right? Everyone here would die except you? Nope, you¡¯re completely wrong.¡±

    Swoosh¡ª

    Smack¡ª!

    Adel pushed his body halfway up with his hands on the ground, but Su-hyeun kicked him squarely in the jaw.

    Kkeo-urhk¡ª

    The impact caused Adel¡¯s eyes to roll back so that only the whites could be seen.

    ¡°It¡¯ll only be you dying, you punk.¡±

    Plop¡ª

    Adel lost his consciousness and collapsed back to the ground.

    Su-hyeun stared at him before addressing Lee Ju-ho. ¡°Please take this bastard away and have his magical energy¡¯s nature examined. It shouldn¡¯t be too late for him.¡±

    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±

    ¡°And also, do you perhaps know the location with the highest number of people near us?¡±

    ¡°A location with lots of people, huh? I think it must be one of the evacuation centers. But why?¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s not here, then he must¡¯ve gone there instead, you see.¡±

    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Wait, I still haven¡¯t told you what happened, have I?¡±

    Su-hyeun forgot to send the word out earlier because he had been pressed for time back then. The only other person present in this place who knew about the indigo-colored dungeon¡¯s matter was Daian Gedeck.

    ¡°An indigo-colored dungeon has appeared.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, the awakeners in the vicinity who had already sighed in relief hardened their expressions once more.

    Indigo was the highest difficulty rating among the currently existing dungeons.

    A dungeon that appeared only once before in South Korea had shown up in this place as well.

    ¡°No, wait. More correctly, it¡¯s been a while since the dungeon has appeared. Its outbreak has already occurred as well.¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwhat was that?!¡±

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡­¡±

    ¡°The indigo dungeon has what?!¡±

    Some of the people present among them were American citizens.

    Just one outbreak from a green-colored dungeon was more than enough to threaten the existence of a metropolis, yet to think that an indigo-colored one became an outbreak.

    This was basically the same as a national-level disaster.

    ¡°And that¡¯s precisely why I¡¯ll be needing everyone¡¯s help.¡±

    <hr />

    ¡°Is it over?¡±

    Hak-joon ran into Thomas along the way. The latter had matured enough to go around on his own now, so he was tasked with solo raiding those dungeons that were in urgent need of closing.

    ¡°Yeah! They¡¯re all gone now.¡±

    ¡°Looks like we managed to sort out the most urgent ones by now. In any case, we did get through this without too much fuss, I guess.¡±

    ¡°What about Su-hyeun, though? Where did Su-hyeun go?¡±

    ¡°Not sure. I haven¡¯t heard about him either. Hold on for a sec.¡±

    Finding himself with a bit of leeway now, Hak-joon fished out his smartphone from his pocket and turned the device on. The first thing he saw after doing that was Adel¡¯s text message, which he missed while raiding a green-colored dungeon earlier.

    ¡°What the heck does this guy want now?¡±

    Why would Adel suddenly send him a message? Hak-joon didn¡¯t even really like the guy. No, wait¡ªstrictly speaking, he detested the Briton, actually.

    Deeply too.

    His reason for that was pretty simple.

    ¡°What a thick face he has to send me this message.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t forgotten the event during the previous Ranking Wars when Adel sneak-attacked Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan.

    Even if Su-hyeun didn¡¯t really care, Hak-joon still couldn¡¯t help but consider the very existence of Adel as an eyesore. He believed that someone who had done something objectionable would easily do something else just as bad in the near future.

    Hak-joon read Adel¡¯s text message. Not too long after that, he furrowed his brows.

    Did something major happen?

    Although he didn¡¯t really like Adel, it would still be a grave matter if a dungeon couldn¡¯t be raided and it led to a major outbreak.

    And so, after reading that message and wondering whether or not he should go there even if it was too late¡­

    Rrrring¡ª

    A call from Su-hyeun came his way.

    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s Su-hyeun calling!¡±

    Thomas, who was also looking at the smartphone¡¯s screen, quickly reached out. Hak-joon hurriedly raised his hand, and Thomas threw a tantrum, demanding the phone to be handed over, but the former just turned around and answered the call.

    ¡°Wait, will you. Hello?¡±

    <ul>

    Did anything happen on your side?

    </ul>

    Su-hyeun¡¯s voice sounded somewhat concerned.

    Since Hak-joon had emerged outside after successfully raiding a dungeon not too long ago, he could afford to reply in a relaxed tone. ¡°Nah, nothing happened on this side. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t anything major.¡±

    <ul>

    You¡¯re sure nothing happened?

    </ul>

    ¡°Yes, really. I mean, none of this was really dangerous, you know. So you don¡¯t have to wor¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s happening.¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    Thomas suddenly spoke while pointing at the streets that were currently empty after the city¡¯s residents had been evacuated.

    ¡°Something big¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Crunch, creak, wu-du-duk¡ª

    Clatter, clatter¡ª

    Kka-dudududuk¡ª

    Bones suddenly began rising up from all over the place.

    It wasn¡¯t just one or two¡ªmore like hundreds, no, thousands. That¡¯s the rough number Hak-joon and Thomas could see as the bones broke past the solid ground and emerged out into the open.

    If they added the skeletons in the far-off distance not immediately visible to their eyes, then the overall number should shoot up even higher.

    ¡°Did you do this, big bro?¡±

    Hak-joon had already heard about the story of how Su-hyeun acquired the attribute to control the dead, so he wondered if this was it.

    <ul>

    I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but it wasn¡¯t me because I haven¡¯t done anything yet.

    </ul>

    ¡°In that case, yeah, something¡¯s happening.¡±

    <ul>

    Who are with you right now?

    </ul>

    ¡°It¡¯s just me and Thomas at the moment. And I think the raiding guild I parted ways with earlier is still nearby.¡±

    <ul>

    Will you two be alright?

    </ul>

    ¡°You¡¯re asking us if we¡¯ll be alright.¡± Hak-joon scanned the skeletons appearing all around him and replied, ¡°That¡¯s saying something so obvious.¡±

    ¡°You can trust me!¡±

    Thomas shouted loudly at the smartphone.

    Hak-joon hadn¡¯t put it on speaker, but Thomas was paying attention to the conversation on the phone anyway.

    <ul>

    In that case, I¡¯ll leave it to you.

    </ul>

    Ttuk¡ª

    The call ended just then.

    It seemed that he phoned them even though he was also pressed for time.

    Hak-joon put the smartphone back in his pocket and yanked his sword out. The Dark World was already spreading all around Thomas by then.

    ¡°You heard him, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Not sure what¡¯s going on here, but you can just tell that they are the bad guys, right? They are also letting out that much killing intent.¡± Hak-joon pointed to the skeletons that were aiming their spears and swords toward him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s sweep all of them away.¡±

    <hr />

    The Gordon Tower.

    It is the tallest tower in the world, and a location large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people.

    The underground arena built for the Ranking Wars was used as the biggest evacuation facility in the state of California.

    ¡°Tsk. Just what¡¯s going on here, I wonder.¡±

    Gordon Rohan was walking back to the Gordon Tower while shaking off the blood on his body. He was currently heading back to base after raiding a blue-colored dungeon; what happened was that the blood from the monsters there had splattered all over him.

    ¡°She¡¯s gonna nag me to death after seeing me in this state.¡±

    Ashlyn never liked the sight of him drenched in blood like he was right now. That¡¯s why Gordon always had a change of clothes ready before entering a raid.

    However, he couldn¡¯t do that this time because it had been determined that things would get too dangerous if the blue-colored dungeon was not raided as soon as possible.

    Step¡ª

    He suddenly halted in his steps toward the Gordon Tower.

    Although there was still some distance left, his tower loomed large as if it was right in front of his nose. That made sense because the structure was tall enough to be visible wherever you were in San Francisco.

    ¡°And now what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s expression crumpled ever so slightly. Large bones began rising up all around him after he stopped walking.

    Skeletons¡ªdidn¡¯t he see something similar to these creatures not too long ago?

    Daian Gedeck? Is it him?

    A thought abruptly popped up in his mind, but he shook his head.

    The number of the skeletons rising up with their hands breaking past the surface first had already far exceeded the level that Daian Gedeck could summon.

    On top of this, the concentration of the magical energy he could faintly pick up was incomparably higher than that of the German.

    Someone who wields such highly concentrated magical energy¡­I only know of one person.

    It was Kim Su-hyeun and no one else.

    However, he wouldn¡¯t have suddenly lost his mind and do something like this, so¡­

    Gordon turned his head. He sensed a presence right behind him.

    It was altogether a different sort of presence from these skeletons.

    ¡°I thought as much.¡±

    Smirk¡ª

    Gordon extended his hand forward.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    A pure-white spear landed on his hand. Unlike his other spears, not only was this one white in color but special patterns and words were also engraved on it.

    ¡°Come out already. I know you¡¯re there.¡±

    There was no response. However, Gordon never planned to wait in the first place, so he simply snapped the fingers on his other hand that was not holding the spear.

    Snap¡ª!

    Swish¡ª

    A newly generated spear suddenly flew toward an empty space.

    Pow¡ª!

    The rapidly flying spear tore through the air. However, after a certain point, the weapon couldn¡¯t go forward anymore and froze in mid-air.

    Crunch, squeeze¡ª

    Then, the spear was folded up like a piece of paper, and in front of the crumpled spear, a faint and blurry figure revealed itself in the air.

    ¡°I see that there are quite a lot of amazing humans in this world. I¡¯m truly surprised.¡±

    It was a man wearing a robe and speaking in a thick and heavy voice.

    Gordon stared at this figure and asked, ¡°Did you summon these things out?¡±

    ¡°Does it look that way to you? Unfortunately, you are incorrect.¡±

    The hood of the robe was pulled back, only to reveal bleached bones underneath.

    ¡°No, they are here to aid me instead.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Gordon replied with a disinterested expression and nodded his head.

    Regardless of anything, the fact that this event would end only after the punk before him had been dealt hadn¡¯t changed.

    He took another look at the skeletons that appeared in all directions and quietly said, ¡°This is good, actually.¡±

    Giii-iing, giii-iiiing¡ª

    Chwa-rurururu-

    [Divine Punishment]

    Thousands, rather, tens of thousands of spears generated in the heavens above. And while scattering those spears with one hand, Gordon spoke up.

    ¡°These things don¡¯t bleed when they die, after all.¡±

 Chapter 243

    Act 1

    ¡°Son of a¡­¡±

    ¡°What the hell is all this?!¡±

    ¡°Skeletons? Why are tower monsters here¡­?¡±

    San Francisco¡¯s AT&T Park stadium.

    The baseball stadium designed to house tens of thousands of spectators was also being utilized as another evacuation center. Needless to say, a number of awakeners were protecting it as well.

    Countless skeletons had also suddenly appeared around the stadium.

    ¡°Did a dungeon nearby become an outbreak?¡±

    ¡°There are just too many of them for a single dungeon outbreak, don¡¯t you think?!¡±

    ¡°At least tens of thou¡ªno wait, can it even be hundreds of thousand?¡±

    ¡°The whole of San Francisco must be in this state then.¡±

    While looking at the skeletons rushing in at them in ridiculous numbers, the awakeners all formed deeply fed-up expressions.

    As a monster, a skeleton wasn¡¯t really all that much to write home about. It was considered a weakling that might show up in either red-colored or yellow-colored dungeons.

    However, the current issue was their sheer numbers.

    There were so many of them that even if a single awakener took on one hundred of them, it would still not be enough to cut their number. Not only that, but skeletons also weren¡¯t alive, to begin with, so they felt no fear about their death.

    ¡°Dammit. How are we supposed to stop all these things?¡±

    ¡°Hey, hold on. Wait a minute.¡± One of the allied awakeners raised his hand and addressed the others. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that something is strange here?¡±

    The skeletons that were heading toward the evacuation center began displaying a different response. The majority of the monsters shuffling closer while shaking their bony bodies around suddenly stopped moving.

    The awakeners guarding the evacuation center also stopped moving because of that. They held their breaths and glared at the skeletons.

    Shortly afterward¡­

    ¡°All of you¡­¡±

    A voice could be heard.

    ¡°Return.¡±

    Crunch, kwa-jeeeck¡ª

    Tumble, drop¡ª

    The tens of thousands of skeletons all lost their strength and collapsed on the ground. The monsters that were once heading menacingly toward the evacuation center transformed into mere piles of bones.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°So suddenly¡­But why?¡±

    ¡°Has there been any damages to this side?¡±

    The awakeners that were planning to step up to the front and fight off the skeletons quickly turned their heads after hearing that voice.

    A man with a familiar face stood before them.

    ¡°Heo-uhk!¡±

    ¡°K¡ªKim Su-hyeun?!¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyes, sir! Everything is fine, sir! No problems here!¡±

    It was as if they had transformed into soldiers as they stood straight at attention and replied back to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°The undead that suddenly appeared all vanished again just now. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you only see skeletons?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re correct.¡±

    Su-hyeun furrowed his brows slightly at that reply. There were several evacuation centers in the city, so he decided to stop at the nearest one first, but it turned out to be a miss.

    He wasn¡¯t at Adel Castle¡¯s location either.

    This also didn¡¯t mean other Lichs were present. There was no way of knowing just where they were hiding, but he could make a guess on what they were planning to do here.

    Probably busy drawing the ¡°lines.¡±

    They would be performing the preparations necessary to draw a massive magic circle that encompassed the whole of the United States.

    The most important source of power for the Lichs, as well as the Lich King, was the life force extracted when a person died. The magic circle, in addition, possessed the ability to absorb the life force of all dying humans.

    It¡¯s different this time.

    In the previous timeline, the Lich King used the same process to cause the eventual destruction of the massive country of China.

    Back then, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t do anything. His strength, combined with the Chinese awakeners¡¯, was insufficient to stop the Lichs, their undead army, and the Lich King.

    Although the dastardly Lich King had somehow been felled sometime later, China was already gone, and one-third of the global population had vanished along with it.

    The Lich King.

    The number of people that bastard killed was second only to Fafnir.

    ¡°Soon, more people will show up this side. If the undead appear again, don¡¯t push yourselves and focus on defending the evacuation center.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, more people?¡±

    ¡°I have to get going now.¡±

    ¡°B¡ªbut¡­¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Just before something could be said, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure disappeared from their view.

    The awakener that was talking with him stood there with a dumbfounded expression, wondering just what kind of a storm had passed by.

    But just then, a shadow was cast above their heads.

    ¡°Is this an evacuation center?¡±

    Ki-aaaah¡ª!

    It was cast from a huge dragon covered in blue scales. Several people were riding on the creature¡¯s back.

    ¡°Heo-urhk!¡±

    ¡°A d¡ªdragon?!¡±

    ¡°South Korea¡¯s S-Rank awakener¡­¡±

    It was the awakener who commanded divine beasts, Song Hyeong-gi. He had shown up at this evacuation center along with numerous divine beasts in tow.

    Around the same time¡­

    Similar events were happening in various other evacuation centers as well.

    * * *

    Chwa-rurururuk¡ª

    Kwa-jajajajajak¡ª!

    Hundreds of spears rained down, and every time each spear landed, dozens of undead were turned into powder and dissipated.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s figure turned. Right at the same time, a sword that was aiming to stab him from behind collided with his spear.

    Clang¡ª!

    Pow¡ª!

    The moment their weapons collided, Gordon kicked the chest of a Death Knight that tried to pounce on him.

    The undead¡¯s body was forced back a long way. In the brief window of time, it tried to regain its balance, a spear that flew out from Gordon¡¯s hand went straight through the Death Knight¡¯s head.

    Pang¡ª!

    The spear containing a massive amount of magical energy blew past, and the Death Knight¡¯s body shattered into pieces.

    Afterward, Gordon looked down at his own hand that blocked the undead¡¯s sword attack just now.

    The weightiness he felt was quite considerable. Several fairly high-level undead hid among the skeletons.

    More importantly, though¡­

    ¡°Are you going to keep watching?¡±

    The Lich King hadn¡¯t stepped forward yet.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Scared?¡± Gordon continued.

    ¡°How laughable if that¡¯s your attempt at provocation. I¡¯m sure you already know what my end goal here is.¡±

    Gordon furrowed his brows deeply at the Lich King¡¯s reply.

    A monster should obviously lack intelligence and follow their base instincts to try and kill humans. However, the Lich King was completely different from all the other monsters Gordon had encountered so far.

    It¡¯s shaving away at my stamina.

    This bastard was waiting for him to tire himself out first.

    Indeed, probably the most effective method of dealing with a powerful individual was to send out countless underlings first.

    It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if the guy was a weakling, but¡­

    Gordon looked at the Lich King that was floating up in the air while looking back at him.

    But it doesn¡¯t look that way, does it?

    The gigantic undead army present had been summoned by the Lich King before his eyes. That alone was enough proof of the creature¡¯s abilities.

    Not only that, but most attacks also didn¡¯t even work on the damn monster. Gordon had already tried flinging a few spears at it, but they were all intercepted by a ¡°wall¡± surrounding it.

    ¡°That guy is trying to wear me out first.¡±

    Gordon wiped away the sweat trickling down his forehead.

    At the same time, two more Death Knights aimed for the opening and pounced on him from the front and back.

    Crunch¡ª!

    Clang¡ª!

    Gordon spun his body and took a big swing with his spear. The Death Knights were blown away, and at the same time, his figure flew up.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Paaahng¡ª!

    Gordon¡¯s figure flew toward the Lich King once more.

    And so, the moment the spear in his hand gleamed brightly¡­

    Clang¡ª!

    Hiss, buzz, rumble¡ª

    Blue flames exploded between the Lich King and Gordon Rohan. The latter had failed yet again to penetrate past the semi-transparent barrier surrounding the former.

    Snap¡ª

    Ruuuumble, boom, boom, boom¡ª!

    Fingers made out of nothing but bones snapped sharply, and several explosions went off all around Gordon. He used the pure-white wings on his back to protect himself and quickly put some distance between him and the Lich King. He scanned his surroundings and saw that dozens of skeletons had fallen to the ground.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that it¡¯s useless?¡± the Lich King spoke in an arrogant tone once more. ¡°Unless all of my followers have been killed off, it will be impossible for you to even touch me.¡±

    ¡°What a seriously f*cked-up barrier this is.¡±

    A sigh automatically escaped from Gordon¡¯s mouth.

    The protective barrier cast all around the Lich King was, according to the explanation provided by the bastard, connected to the ¡°lives¡± of the surrounding undead.

    The magic sent all impact forces affecting the barrier to the undead. Meaning, all the undead creatures the bastard had summoned needed to be defeated first before the barrier could be penetrated.

    But, as expected¡­

    Gordon thought he could figure it out after experimenting around for a bit.

    ¡°If you flip that around, it means that as long as I can shatter that barrier of yours, I can still end everything without fighting against this army, correct?¡±

    He decided to look at it from the other side.

    It¡¯s not the case of ¡°needing to defeat all the undead first to break that barrier¡± but ¡°having enough power to penetrate the barrier to naturally end the undead army.¡±

    ¡°You are certainly not wrong.¡±

    ¡°How kind of you. In that case, no need to complicate this, right?¡±

    Gordon raised his hand high.

    Not too long after that, tens of thousands of spears in the air began combining into a single shaft.

    Pah-zuk, buzzzz¡ª

    Go-oooooh¡ª

    A gigantic mass of magical energy could be sensed next.

    ¡°That¡¯s a familiar sensation.¡±

    This would be dangerous. The Lich King finally recognized that and, for the first time ever, uncrossed its arms and raised them up.

    At that exact moment¡­

    ¡°Too late.¡±

    Along with the flick of Gordon¡¯s hand, a massive spear broke through the cloud cover and descended to the ground below.

    FLASH¡ª!

    * * *

    The world was dyed in pure white.

    Gordon, with his entire body sweating profusely, rubbed his eyes. Despite him being the one who caused that flash of light, he also ended up being affected by it.

    Soon, the whitened world reverted back to how it was. And then, he could see it.

    Fuu-wuu¡ª

    He let out a sigh of relief.

    The undead army of tens of thousands around him were all collapsed on the ground, unmoving.

    The impact force transmitted from the barrier protecting the Lich King to the rest of the undead caused this.

    That single powerful attack managed to bring down the entirety of the undead army.

    This was the strongest skill in Gordon Rohan¡¯s arsenal.

    And that guy managed to block it back then.

    Only one person had defended against it so far¡ªKim Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun managed to block this skill back in the previous Ranking Wars, and the moment the attack in which Gordon poured half of his strength to perform ended in failure was also the moment his defeat had been decided.

    And so¡­

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    Ku-gugugugu¡ª

    It was the same story this time as well.

    ¡°Dammit.¡±

    Gordon swore under his breath.

    While he muttered unhappily, he took a look at the undead army that was rising once more one by one all around him.

    ¡°This is cheating.¡±

    He was being serious.

    The undead army that could revive again even after being defeated¡ªhe had heard about such a thing quite often but never really believed it.

    Of course, he too had faced the undead several times during his trials. However, those were different from the stories and didn¡¯t possess any abilities to revive themselves even after being defeated.

    But now, the scenes from those stories were playing out in real-time, and Gordon watching it couldn¡¯t help but almost lose all of his enthusiasm.

    ¡°I shall praise you.¡±

    BUZZ¡ª

    A voice loud enough to rock the world resounded. At the same time, a gigantic amount of magical energy enveloped the surroundings. From Gordon¡¯s perspective, after he had seen all of this, it felt like his energy wanted to abandon him.

    ¡°This is the first time I had to deal with a human like you. A man who can use the powers of the Celestial King? Honestly speaking, I¡¯m truly stunned.¡±

    The voice sounded calm and unperturbed.

    Gordon raised his head and stared up at the Lich King.

    Half of the latter¡¯s skull had been shattered, and at a casual glance, it looked almost dead. And it would have been so if it weren¡¯t for the fact that this was a Lich, not a regular living human being.

    Of course, that was all ifs and buts.

    This creature was not human but a Lich. Unless its Life Vessel had been shattered or its whole body had turned into powder, it would never die.

    It¡¯s not gonna work out.

    Should I run from here?

    That was the first time such a question popped up in his head, but it got erased soon afterward.

    ¡°No way. It¡¯ll be too embarrassing.¡±

    Gordon smirked deeply, which didn¡¯t really suit his current situation.

    Even if he ran, there was nowhere to run off to, and there was the Gordon Tower behind him to consider.

    He had already heard what the end goal for this bastard was. The death of all living beings¡ªwhat an insane notion that was.

    Gordon held the spear in his hand once more.

    He no longer had enough strength left to create tens of thousands of spears and blanket the sky with them, unlike before.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    But just as he got ready to move again¡­

    ¡°What the hell,¡± Gordon said with a hollow chuckle. His raised arm faltered down to his side. ¡°You¡¯re freaking late, you slowpoke.¡±

    ¡°My bad.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Sounds of footsteps reverberated within the undead army.

    ¡°Well, then. From this point on¡­¡±

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura¡± you can now see or command the dead.]

    ¡°All of you will serve me.¡±

 Chapter 244

    <hr />

    The Lich King¡¯s aim was rather simple¡­

    ¡°By killing all living beings, I shall tear down the boundary between the dead and the living.¡±

    And quite horrifying in nature.

    Monsters emerging from the dungeons simply went on indiscriminate killing sprees while staying true to their base instincts, but this particular creature followed its set of beliefs.

    It was quite a simple-minded theory.

    Reviving the dead was so difficult that it was basically an impossibility, but killing the living was incomparably easier. A human would die if a knife stabbed their heart, after all.

    This creature wished to become an equal of living humans not by becoming a living being itself, but by killing every single living thing out there.

    The god of all the dead.

    That sure sounded like an epic title. When Su-hyeun first met the Lich King, he even wondered if the undead creature could really be a god.

    This bastard was quite difficult to miss, and his ability to command all the dead with just one word was nothing more than a monster showing off its petty tricks.

    But now¡­

    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s just another human ability, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Plop, plop¡ª

    One by one, the dead began kneeling before Su-hyeun. They were submitting to him.

    He stared at the Lich King. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re finally here.¡±

    The Lich King¡¯s face was expressionless, which was to be expected since it didn¡¯t have skin or flesh, unlike regular humans. However, even then, Su-hyeun could tell to some degree what the mood and the expression of the undead creature were currently like.

    It would certainly not be of ¡°happiness,¡± that¡¯s for sure.

    When the loyal believers who worshiped you suddenly kneeled before somebody else¡ªa living person at that¡ªyou would not feel good as well.

    ¡°If you were laying out a trap, you should¡¯ve done a better job. Who were you planning to catch with such a sloppy little trap back there?¡± Su-hyeun spoke up.

    ¡°That trap wasn¡¯t meant for you. If it was, I¡¯d have paid a little more attention to it.¡±

    ¡°That attention you¡¯re talking about? You better start paying it now,¡± Su-hyeun said while scanning all the undead currently kneeling toward him. ¡°No matter how strong or terrifying you are, in the end, your powers are nothing more than some abilities that a living person used to possess. With only that much, you shouldn¡¯t be so arrogant as you are now.¡±

    At the end of the day, the Lich King was no better than a human. No, he was worse than a human. He longed for the living so much that he ended up causing events like the current one, after all.

    ¡°Your ability didn¡¯t belong to you in the first place,¡± said the Lich King in a flat, calm voice. ¡°No, it was my sibling¡¯s.¡±

    Those words caused the light in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes to brighten up.

    The Lich King¡¯s sibling¡ªthe bastard that had temporarily invaded Roy¡¯s body back in the 50th floor¡¯s trial.

    ¡°Besides, this isn¡¯t the full extent of my abilities.¡±

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    The Lich King raised his hand. At the same time, the kneeling undead began standing back up one by one while letting out creaking noises.

    ¡°All these creatures belong to me. Do you truly believe that you could steal away my subjects with such a superficial ability?¡±

    ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t wrong about that one.¡±

    Su-hyeun and the Lich King both possessed the same types of abilities. Even if that was the case, the latter had been wielding his power far, far longer than the former did.

    Not only that, but all the undead summoned here were also souls subjugated by the Lich King himself. Therefore, it was obvious that they would be affected far more by his control rather than Su-hyeun¡¯s.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m relieved.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    However, Su-hyeun actually welcomed this development.

    If his own Necromancer trait exhibited far stronger control over the souls he personally harvested, then¡­

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    It meant that all the souls Su-hyeun currently possessed could not be taken over by the Lich King either.

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    The ground began rocking violently.

    Something absolutely massive was writhing beneath the surface. It was as if an earthquake was breaking the ground.

    Not too long after that, the thing responsible for it was fully revealed.

    Kwa-duk, kwa-booooom¡ª!

    Kii-aaaah¡ª!

    A massive head that emerged from below overturned the earth. The entrance of the Ouroboros boasted its breadth of dozens of meters and body length that was seemingly enough to pierce the heavens above.

    ¡°Whoa! What the hell is this?¡±

    Gordon tutted and stared at the newly emerged Ouroboros.

    The entrance of the gigantic snake caused hundreds of skeletons trapped underneath it to be crushed flat. More notably, the snake itself wasn¡¯t just mere bones anymore. Although it looked emaciated, as if it hadn¡¯t eaten in a while, some amount of flesh and hide covered its whole body.

    [Dead Summoning]

    <ul>

    Summon a body without a soul. The designated body will not decompose and will be stored away. The number that can be stored will rise with proficiency.

    Depending on your proficiency, you can summon the target¡¯s body in a more intact state.

    Proficiency: 43%

    LV: 6

    The number that can be stored: 120

    Application rate: 68%

    </ul>

    An application rate of 68% percent.

    That was the current effect of the Dead Summoning skill Su-hyeun possessed.

    The initial application rate for ¡°Dead Summoning¡± was only about 40%. With only that much, the summoned undead couldn¡¯t even exhibit half of its original strength when it was still alive.

    However, the story was much more different now.

    Kii-aaaah¡ª!

    The summoned Ouroboros now resembled an actual living monster. Just this creature alone wouldn¡¯t lose to the undead army of tens of thousands in sheer presence. However, this wasn¡¯t even the end.

    [¡°Ouroboros¡¯s offspring¡± has been summoned.]

    [¡°Cerberus¡± has been summoned.]

    [¡°Hydra¡± has been summoned.]

    [¡°Death Knight¡± has¡­]

    Dozens of summoned creatures began appearing all around Su-hyeun next. Every single one of them was an existence that could serve as the boss of green- and blue-colored dungeons.

    Su-hyeun spoke up, ¡°I guess this qualifies as turning the table, right?¡±

    Crunch, crush¡ª

    BOOM¡ª!

    The undead army of tens of thousands was rapidly crushed to powder.

    The Lich King looked at the army he had called out. For sure, the current number seemed far too inadequate.

    ¡°Turning the table, you said?¡±

    The ¡°Dead Summoning.¡±

    He had no idea that Su-hyeun could also wield that power.

    The Lich King hurriedly moved his hands. He drew a large circle as big as himself in mid-air and then rapidly laid out a magic circle within it.

    Paaang¡ª!

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    The magic circle began activating. Almost at the same time, Lichs with a similar appearance as himself started appearing one by one from all directions.

    Soon, the number of Lichs that showed up in this manner reached several hundred. These monsters had emerged with the Lich King from the indigo-colored dungeon earlier.

    Not only that¡­

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    Krrrrr¡ª

    Howls resounded out from the skies above.

    Su-hyeun raised his head to discover five dragons flying in toward his location while spitting out black flames out of their maws. They were Bone Dragons that were roughly similar to what Herrels had commanded back then.

    The Lich King quipped, ¡°In that case, I guess this qualifies as turning the already turned table.¡±

    The overall number of the undead army had shot up much greater than before. It seemed that the Lich King had summoned all of the undead armies dispersed throughout the state of California to their location.

    To top it all off, even the Lichs that had spread out to the rest of the United States of America had gathered back in that spot as well. Even the most powerful undead the Lich King commanded, the Bone Dragons, had been summoned.

    With that, his entire army had assembled.

    Su-hyeun looked at Gordon and asked, ¡°Can you still fight?¡±

    Gordon looked around himself in confusion before asking back. ¡°Were you speaking to me just now?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not you, who else could I have been talking to?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know because you were spouting something preposterous. Of course, I can.¡±

    Although Gordon was acting all tough, he was already in a heavily exhausted state. He had to use a skill powerful enough to penetrate through the Lich King¡¯s barrier, so it was no wonder that he ended up spending a massive amount of his magical energy reserve.

    Despite that, Gordon still held formidable war potential. He could still fight on if he had a little bit of magical energy or stamina remaining.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to do any more than¡­¡± Su-hyeun pointed at the Bone Dragons attacking his Ouroboros and continued, ¡°To bring those dragons down.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, then.¡±

    After leaving those words behind, Su-hyeun dashed toward the Lich King. The latter watched him instantly close up their distance and snapped his bony fingers.

    Snap¡ª

    [Hellfire]

    Ruuumble, pa-pa-pang¡ª!

    Pitch-black flames exploded in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s flight path.

    The flames were summoned directly from the depths of hell itself, and the Lich King only needed to snap his fingers to activate the most powerful spell within the fire magic class.

    Fwoooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun readily evaded the flames and flew up by activating ¡°Leap.¡± The Lich King chuckled softly and raised his head to stare at Su-hyeun. ¡°Were you surprised by that?¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Reddish-black flames began swirling around the Lich King, and then, as if they were living things, began writhing around and coalescing into a gigantic mass.

    ¡°A true god should have enough powers to rule over the world all by himself. Did you take me for a mere dark magician capable of only commanding the undead?¡±

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Giiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The flames gathered as one and formed a massive silhouette right above the Lich King¡¯s head.

    It was a monster with two giant horns and a face that resembled that of a dragon. It was an existence that could legitimately be considered as the top dog within the dark magic¡¯s branch of summoning arts¡ªa creature referred to as the demon king in some worlds, the Balrog.

    Su-hyeun patted away the burning flames on his body. These licks of fire didn¡¯t want to disappear and remained on him, but his hands still managed to quickly put them out.

    The flames might be gone, but the stifling heat still caused his body to feel numb. The Hellfire the Lich King brought to life was on a completely different realm compared to those used by other Lichs.

    ¡°It would have been dangerous if I entered there,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    If he dashed in a little deeper, he could have been swallowed up by the Balrog summoned from the flames of hell.

    Su-hyeun recognized the fact that he had acted too rashly out of all the urgency he felt and calmed his mind. Then, he began enveloping himself with skills one after another.

    [Indomitable Body]

    [Spirit¡¯s Grace]

    [Armor of the Mage]

    [Sky King¡¯s Feather]

    [Reflect]

    Giiii-iiing¡ª

    Layers of skills enveloped Su-hyeun¡¯s surroundings. At the same time, his figure flew straight toward the Balrog¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°What an idiotic¡­¡±

    Witnessing that sight, the Lich King became somewhat flustered, but he quickly roused up even more vicious magical energy through his hands.

    The Balrog he had summoned was an existence that lived inside the flames of hell, but Su-hyeun had dashed straight toward such a creature¡¯s face.

    Without a doubt, his body would melt away the moment he touched the monster.

    Fwoosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun dove straight into the flames exploding from the Balrog¡¯s maw. As the Lich King looked on, he thought that the battle would come to an end quite soon.

    He didn¡¯t believe that a human would be able to survive inside that hellish fire.

    Unfortunately¡­

    Stab, stab¡ª

    Kah-aaaaaah¡ª!

    What resounded soon after was the Balrog¡¯s screams instead.

    The stunned Lich King quickly fixed his gaze on the Balrog¡¯s head. The creature had closed both of its pitch-black eyes and shook its head about in great distress.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡± the Lich King suspected quietly.

    A spear and a sword were stabbed into the Balrog¡¯s eyes.

    Not only was Su-hyeun not dead, but he even stabbed the monster in the eyes. A blink later, his figure flashed before the Lich King¡¯s nose.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    To think that this human would stupidly break through such flames with his own body. That was truly a stupendous level of magic resistance.

    Only then did the Lich King notice all the skills currently surrounding Su-hyeun, as well as the armor he was wearing.

    ¡°This unsophisticated¡­!¡± the Lich King thought.

    Grit¡ª

    The Lich King gave up on suppressing Su-hyeun now that the distance between them had narrowed down too much and instead strengthened his barrier even further.

    It was the absolute protective barrier that would never break unless the entire undead army had been defeated. Not only that, but Su-hyeun also didn¡¯t possess a skill that had an overwhelming destructive power like that of Gordon Rohan.

    But then, right at that moment¡­

    Split¡ª

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    A third eye opened up on Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead.

    [Third Eye ¨C Neutralization]

    A gigantic magical power began devouring the barrier cast around the Lich King.

    It was only for a brief moment, but a hole opened up in the barrier. Its protective effects were gradually disappearing because of the ¡°neutralization¡± skill.

    ¡°My magic, it¡¯s¡­!¡±

    Something far tougher than casting magic was canceling his magic spell. The Lich King was referred to as the one who attained the pinnacle of magic once upon a time, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t believe that someone actually managed to cancel his magic despite just witnessing it so clearly.

    ¡°Surprised?¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    And through the open gap of the barrier, Su-hyeun¡¯s fist rapidly flew in.

    Smash¡ª!

 Chapter 245

    Act 2

    Vuuu-wuuung¡ª

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    The Lich King¡¯s figure flew back after getting struck by Su-hyeun¡¯s fist and crashed into the ground below.

    At the same time, the Balrog thrashing about in distress from the spear and sword that were stuck in both its eyes suddenly vanished. Su-hyeun easily caught his falling weapons.

    Ta-dak¡ª

    Boom¡ª

    Su-hyeun landed back on the ground. More specifically, near where the Lich King had crash-landed.

    Crunch, boom¡ª!

    Ki-aaaah¡ª!

    Ku-gugugung¡ª

    The undead armies summoned by Su-hyeun and the Lich King were still engaged in a bitter battle even then.

    The defeat of the Lich King should have directly led to the dissolution of the latter¡¯s army. They were souls of the dead that entered summoned bodies through the Lich King¡¯s power, after all.

    It meant that the Lich King wasn¡¯t dead.

    ¡°Figures. What with how tough your bones were.¡±

    Su-hyeun was planning to shatter the Lich¡¯s skull in one punch, but the result didn¡¯t quite turn out the way he expected it to.

    Then again, this creature was hardy enough to withstand Gordon Rohan¡¯s ¡°Divine Punishment¡± skill, so it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that its bony body couldn¡¯t be that easy to destroy.

    Step¡ª

    Kwa-ga-gak¡ª!

    Just as Su-hyeun took a step forward, two spear shafts suddenly protruded from beneath his feet.

    He peered deeply at where the Lich King had crashed into. A thick dust cloud was still rising from there.

    ¡°I understand it now.¡± Before his silhouette could be spotted, the Lich King¡¯s voice resounded first. ¡°All the magic enveloping you, as well as the armor you¡¯re wearing, they are meant to enhance your magic immunity.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    The Lich King¡¯s figure floated up to the surface once more. The dust cloud settled, and the creature fully revealed itself.

    Its skull, already half shattered from the battle against Gordon Rohan, was already almost completely destroyed. The only reason why it barely hung on was due to the reinforcement-type magic currently enveloping the undead creature.

    ¡°To deal with a bastard like you, the solution is to go with magic that exerts an actual physical force,¡± said the Lich King before he bent down and pressed his hands on the ground. At the same time, ginormous magical energy permeated into the earth below.

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    Chwa-rararararak¡ª!

    Thousands of black spikes protruded from the ground where Su-hyeun stood.

    Each of the deadly sharp spikes was created by magic to possess actual physicality. It would be quite hard to defend against this sort of magic with only simple magic resistance.

    The Lich King had figured out what Su-hyeun¡¯s weakness was from just a single exchange of blows.

    However¡­

    ¡°Solution, my foot.¡±

    Vuu-wuung¡ª

    Su-hyeun, who was dodging every which way, suddenly punched toward one of the spikes.

    Kwa-boom¡ª!

    The sharp edges of the spike were instantly crushed.

    ¡°So what about these things, then?¡±

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Crunch¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed a spike and crushed it.

    The spike was far bigger and thicker than a person¡¯s hand. Crushing it with bare hands would have required far greater strength than simply breaking it.

    Thud¡ª

    Chwa-rurururuk¡ª

    The Lich King pounded the ground once more.

    At the same time, black spikes and spears flew toward Su-hyeun. All of them were magic attacks that possessed physical properties.

    Swish, crunch- bang¡ª!

    Slice¡ª

    But he dodged, broke, or sliced them apart so easily.

    Seeing that, the Lich King decided to change his tactic.

    Chwa-aaaah¡ª

    A dense, thick fog was cast across the air.

    It might have looked like a regular fog, but in reality, this magic was far closer to minute sand particles thrown into the air. They were the kind of particles that would invade your body merely by breathing them in a little.

    Originally, it had been a poison that would spread around, but that didn¡¯t work on Su-hyeun. Even if he did inhale the poison, he would have nullified it pretty quickly.

    And that was exactly why these sand particles were a better choice.

    Fuu-heup¡ª

    When Su-hyeun took a short breath to control his breathing¡­

    Creak, creak¡ª

    The Lich King focused his strength on his hand and clenched a fist. And with that, Su-hyeun¡¯s movement came to an abrupt halt.

    ¡°I caught you.¡±

    Simple restraining magic wouldn¡¯t have been enough. Any magical restraint wouldn¡¯t have worked in the first place, while even the physical ones would have come undone from the explosion of strength.

    That¡¯s why the Lich King made it so that Su-hyeun would inhale small particles containing magnetic force, and the moment they activated, the latter would lose all of his mobility in turn.

    ¡°And now¡­¡± the Lich King thought.

    Wuduk, wu-du-duk¡ª

    The Lich King injected more of his powers into those particles.

    The minute particles shot into Su-hyeun¡¯s internal organs and tore through them. The Lich King was planning to tear apart every single organ in Su-hyeun¡¯s body including his heart.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Man, that freaking hurts.¡±

    Thud¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s foot stepped forward.

    Such a thing shouldn¡¯t happen. The Lich King was left deeply stunned and hurriedly injected even greater power into the sand-like particles that spread inside Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    It was as if he planned to crush and blow apart Su-hyeun¡¯s body in one go. However, the latter continued to move regardless.

    Thud¡ª

    He stepped with so much force that for a brief moment the vibration on the ground was transmitted to the Lich King.

    One step, two steps¡­

    Su-hyeun continued to walk closer and closer.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep it up?¡± he spoke up.

    Step, step¡ª

    His steps were gradually getting faster as if he had gotten used to the Lich King¡¯s attack to some degree.

    The Lich King continued to inject more magical energy, but soon, he sensed the approaching danger. He felt that the moment he undoes this magic, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure would arrive before his nose in an instant.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± he thought.

    The Lich King¡¯s mind became a mess of confused thoughts. His mind conjured up countless memories of magic spells that he knew.

    Which spell should he go for right after undoing the current one? What should he do in order to defeat the enemy before his eyes and survive for another day?

    If this was any other opponent, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered regardless of which magic he used. However, the Lich King had almost never encountered an opponent that could threaten his existence until now.

    And so, time passed by in this manner, and¡­

    Thud¡ª

    The third step.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s face was now almost within the touching distance of the Lich King.

    ¡°One more step from me, and¡­¡± he murmured.

    Squeeze¡ª

    He gripped his sword even tighter.

    ¡°You¡¯ll die for real.¡±

    Shiver¡ª

    The moment he finished saying that¡­

    Rumble¡ª!

    The Lich King stopped using his current magic spell and activated another one.

    A massive wall shot up from the ground and cut off the path between him and Su-hyeun. The Lich King had chosen to secure his safety first and created some distance between them over everything else.

    Unfortunately¡­

    [The trait ¡°Hero-Immortality¡± has been activated.]

    [Conditions have not been satisfied.]

    [Vitality and stamina will not recover.]

    [Physical abilities will rise greatly.]

    Piii-iiit¡ª

    It was already one step too late by then.

    Su-hyeun was already past the wall, and his sword had cleanly cut through the Lich King¡¯s waistline.

    Pow¡ª!

    Almost at the same time, the latter¡¯s body was sliced into two halves.

    * * *

    ¡°What the freaking hell is this madness?¡±

    ¡°Monsters are fighting each other, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Maybe they are not monsters but divine beasts? Like, you know, summoned creatures and stuff?¡±

    ¡°Was there an awakener who commanded such summons? I¡¯ve never heard of it. What about you?¡±

    ¡°Me neither.¡±

    Awakeners watching the battle from afar were all making bewildered expressions.

    They arrived at the location where the monsters had shown up after receiving the news of an indigo-colored dungeon becoming an outbreak, but the sight that greeted them was a massive battle that was taking place between various monsters.

    Kii-aaaah¡ª!

    Among them, a gigantic snake that was so large that its head actually broke through the cloud cover left an overwhelming impression on the spectators.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    The Ouroboros snatched up a Bone Dragon that was firing a black-colored Breath at it by the waist and began chewing at it noisily.

    It was a similar story for the other monsters as well.

    The Hydra and its nine heads were spewing poison from each of its maws and melted town countless skeletons, while Cerberus swept across everywhere and crushed the skeletons with its feet.

    The splendor and majesty of the monsters currently battling against the undead army of tens of thousands were truly spectacular to behold. However, that was to be expected since every single one of these creatures was around the level of bosses found inside high-ranking dungeons.

    ¡°Just who is on our side, though?¡±

    ¡°Dunno.¡±

    ¡°I heard that only skeletons showed up in other areas, but uh, those monsters look much more threatening to me, you know.¡±

    ¡°Dammit. At this rate, carelessly butting in will only mean we¡¯ll be interfering¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey man, hold on for a sec.¡±

    A few in the spectating crowd finally realized that something was weird there.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡­something is weird?¡±

    The undead army battling against the boss-level monsters suddenly began staggering around. One by one, the skeletons lost their strength and began collapsing to the ground; even the Bone Dragons that were flying in the air couldn¡¯t flap their wings anymore and fell back to Earth.

    Thud, boom¡ª!

    The huge bodies of the Bone Dragons crashed into the ground, and at the same time, the undead army came crumbling down, reverting to countless piles of bones.

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The Ouroboros that was standing tall amid all the chaos loudly screeched out.

    It was just a single moment, but it was the moment that ended the intense battle against the undead army.

    * * *

    The Lich King¡¯s waist was cleanly cut through, and the undead¡¯s upper torso powerlessly fell to the ground. His robe came off, and black-colored magical energy began leaking out nonstop from his bony body.

    Su-hyeun took a look around him. The undead army was quickly crumbling down.

    ¡°I was holding back for nothing,¡± he thought.

    He furrowed his brows at this bitter feeling taking root in his head.

    He activated ¡°Indomitable Body¡± to strengthen his body, and after his stamina stat got a rapid boost, he was finally able to resist the Lich King¡¯s magic.

    However, Su-hyeun still had been saving up another skill as his very last recourse.

    ¡°If I knew this would happen, I should¡¯ve used it earlier,¡± he further surmised.

    The ¡°Immortality¡± trait was the highest skill Su-hyeun currently possessed.

    Once his fatigue percentage reached a certain point, this skill would activate automatically. Not only did it recover his stamina and fatigue level in an instant, but this skill also boasted a cheat-like effect of greatly enhancing all of his physical abilities.

    Su-hyeun patiently waited for the exact moment when the Lich King¡¯s magical energy would become unfocused. It was inevitable that, in order to switch from the currently active magic to a different one, a momentary opening would always occur.

    And so, when the Lich King¡¯s magical power became unfocused, Su-hyeun immediately activated the skill. The Lich King couldn¡¯t respond in that blink of an opening and got his waist sliced in half.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    Laughter escaped from the Lich King¡¯s mouth.

    Unless his Life Vessel was destroyed, he would continue to live on. This would be the biggest difference between a living human and an undead.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the Lich King was alright. Having his body sliced in half signified that he could no longer move his body through normal means, after all.

    As a magician, there was nothing much he could do anymore when the magical energy contained within his body continued to leak out like that.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you finished me off?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to die soon, so why are you laughing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already a dead being. Of course, I¡¯m not afraid of dying a second time.¡±

    He certainly thought differently from other Lichs.

    Other Lichs chose to become an undead because they feared death, but he was different from them. He was the beginning of all Lichs and was even referred to as the god of all Lichs. He had evolved into one all on his own.

    ¡°Besides, experiencing death twice means that there¡¯s nothing that can stop me from reviving for the second time.¡±

    ¡°Nope, you won¡¯t revive. A miracle can only happen once.¡±

    ¡°You sound like you know something.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The Lich King couldn¡¯t revive again. Su-hyeun knew this fact so well because he also killed the undead before his reincarnation.

    A miracle could only happen once. When it happened for the second time, it could no longer be classified as a miracle.

    ¡°What is your reason for keeping me alive? You surely can end me right away, can¡¯t you? You must also know where my Life Vessel is.¡±

    Even as he said it, the Lich King certainly knew why Su-hyeun didn¡¯t kill him yet.

    It wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out when they were chatting face to face like this. As a matter of fact, Su-hyeun even lowered his sword.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Su-hyeun trailed off as he was about to address the question of why he kept the particular undead alive. ¡°You know about me.¡±

    ¡°About you?¡±

    ¡°You said it earlier, didn¡¯t you? That the power I possess actually belonged to your sibling. Which means¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know.¡± The Lich King replied before continuing with a voice that held a lot of amusement. ¡°I see that you¡¯re curious¡ªcurious about how I managed to cross over to this world.¡±

 Chapter 246

    Su-hyeun nodded his head.

    There was no point in saying anything else. That was his only reason for keeping the Lich King alive, after all.

    ¡°If you tell me that, then I might not kill you and even help you travel back to the other world.¡±

    ¡°Your attempt at lying is amateurish. You¡¯re not as evil in nature to do something like that. And to put that other way around, you¡¯re not the type to let a monster like me live on because of your personal desires.¡±

    The Lich King sounded confident. And it was as exactly as he said.

    Unlike what he said a second ago, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t planning to keep this undead alive. It was unknown just what kind of future troubles this creature would bring about if left alive, after all.

    ¡°Even then, I shall tell you. So, where should I start my tale from? Perhaps starting from when I became a Lich, and then¡ª¡±

    Just as the Lich King opened his mouth¡­

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    [Third Eye ¨C Neutralization]

    Crack¡ª!

    The eye in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead split open, and at the same time, his foot stomped down on the Lich King¡¯s chest.

    ¡°If you are thinking of doing something stupid, then why don¡¯t you just die already?¡± he warned the undead.

    The creature was planning to distract Su-hyeun with a useless tale and then use teleportation magic to escape from that place.

    But Su-hyeun had been keeping his eyes firmly locked on the Lich King in case the undead wanted to sneakily use some sort of a magic spell.

    If something like that really happened, then he planned to cancel the magic immediately and execute the Lich King right there and then.

    His once-lowered sword was raised high again, but just before he could take a powerful downward slash¡ª

    ¡°I do not know anything.¡±

    An answer quite different from earlier, but also one that was honest, came out of the undead. It didn¡¯t seem that he was preparing another spell at this point either.

    Su-hyeun looked down at the Lich King, his sword still pointing at him.

    ¡°That is my reply. Well then, was that satisfactory enough for you?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, then how do you know about me?¡±

    ¡°There could only be one human who possesses the same ability as I do without being the same creature as I am, you see.¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then what?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t mention it. Even though I want to.¡± The laughter mixing with the Lich King¡¯s voice seemed to have thickened. ¡°What a laughable situation this is. I¡¯ve realized it only just now. When you asked me and when I was about to answer you, I finally noticed that I¡¯ve been under a magic spell all along.¡±

    ¡°A magic spell?¡±

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t know what magic this is. It is far more advanced than what I¡­I can¡¯t fathom what kind of¡­¡± The Lich King¡¯s voice began trembling softly. Then, he carried on speaking. ¡°This is why I don¡¯t know anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun deeply furrowed his brows at that reply.

    This strange response? It felt as if he had come across something similar to it before.

    And he didn¡¯t need long to remember just where he came across such a response.

    ¡°The heroes I met on the 43rd floor,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    There was a world that was created on a whim by the administrator of the 43rd floor.

    After arriving in that artificial world where the heroes of many different worlds had been gathered, Su-hyeun tried to peer deeper into their individual lives.

    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t get any answers. The response he got whenever he asked was the same. They changed topics to something completely unrelated as if they couldn¡¯t remember the conversation they were having up until that point.

    ¡°Could it be that the same type of restriction is placed on the creatures crossing over to this side?¡± he further guessed.

    They all shared a similarity.

    Once the conversation got to a specific topic, their memories would reset. With that, Su-hyeun confirmed the possibility of the answers being related to some kind of a secret.

    The heroes found on the 43rd floor all reacted this way at the question of ¡°why they were fighting in that place.¡±

    The Lich King before him was similar in that manner.

    The tape of his memories rewound the moment he tried to speak about these two things¡ªwhy he was here and about the special magical restriction that he just realized he was currently placed under.

    ¡°I guess getting more out of this guy will be difficult now,¡± Su-hyeun thoughtfully concluded.

    Su-hyeun raised his sword again.

    The Lich King was a rare monster with intelligence and even had a thread of connection to the trials, so he wanted to exploit this opportunity to get several crucial information from the undead.

    Unfortunately, his harvest didn¡¯t meet his expectations. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t get any, but still.

    Swoosh¡ª!

    Split¡ª

    The sword swung down and sliced apart the Lich King¡¯s head. At the same time, the Life Vessel hidden within his body was also sliced in half.

    <hr />

    The task needing his attention after the Lich King¡¯s death was the subduing of the remaining Lichs.

    The undead that obeyed the Lich King¡¯s powers all disappeared, but that didn¡¯t apply to the Lichs. Once the Lich King was dead, they scattered in all directions to escape.

    Su-hyeun figured that the obedience magic cast on the Lichs coming undone could be the likely cause.

    Half a day passed by since that huge commotion.

    Su-hyeun was resting for a little while inside the Gordon Tower. The others were still moving diligently even as he took a break.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit tough to figure out their exact numbers, there aren¡¯t that many of them, to begin with. Most died in the same place as their boss, after all,¡± said Lee Ju-ho while walking up to Su-hyeun to show the latter the screen of a tablet. It displayed red dots spreading to the rest of America with California as the starting point. ¡°These dots are the Life Vessels inside the Lichs. Thankfully, they possess similar nature to Ether stones, so it¡¯s not that hard to track their locations.¡±

    ¡°I can see about 20 of them.¡±

    ¡°You normally need at least an A-Rank in order to deal with a monster like a Lich. In other words, you¡¯re not strictly needed when dealing with these creatures.¡±

    ¡°A few of them should still pose a great danger, though. For instance, this one over here¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean, this slightly larger red spot? Just like you told us, we¡¯ve already labeled these ones as the apostle-rank Lichs, and S-Ranks are being dispatched to subdue them.¡±

    ¡°Well, in that case, that¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Su-hyeun was thinking of moving out right away after seeing the Lichs¡¯ numbers, but now, he could relax a little better.

    Since these undead all had brains, they surely wouldn¡¯t make any careless moves. Not to forget, they were also virtually clueless about the science and technology of this world.

    They probably wouldn¡¯t have dreamed in a million years that the Life Vessels¡ªbasically their life itself¡ªwould actually expose their hidden locations.

    ¡°What about Adel Castle?¡±

    ¡°The autopsy results for the dungeon management agency folks came out not too long ago. We now know for sure that Adel Castle was behind it all.¡±

    ¡°Did the media get alerted about it?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that my specialty? Don¡¯t worry. Adel has now been exposed as the criminal behind this incident. It¡¯s the truth, to begin with anyway.¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s going to get noisy for a while. And it¡¯ll be difficult to hold another Ranking Wars at this rate.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be so for the next few years.¡±

    Whatever the case might have been, the truth about the Ranking Wars not being responsible for this incident had been revealed to the public. However, under the current circumstances, the next Ranking Wars, and the one after that, couldn¡¯t take place.

    Regardless of what, this incident was probably the biggest one ever to hit the United States in all her history. It was also the first time that an indigo-colored dungeon went on to become an outbreak.

    Thankfully, the public sentiment didn¡¯t seem to react so badly, and the reasons for that could be the revelation of Adel¡¯s role in the outbreak and the hard work that Su-hyeun and the rest of the Paragon Guild put into greatly minimizing the losses that could be incurred.

    ¡°It might take a bit of time before things calm down sufficiently enough. As for Adel Castle, he¡¯s going to get executed, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Lee Ju-ho continued.

    ¡°Is the prosecution being handled by California rather than Britain?¡±

    ¡°Well, the incident happened in California, so yeah. Also, this place still has the death penalty. It seemed to me that Britain has washed their hands clean off Adel Castle.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s basically the worst criminal in the world now, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s untenable to protect someone like that. No one can tell what he might do next if he¡¯s left alone.¡±

    ¡°I guess so. In any case, it¡¯s all pretty much sorted out now.¡±

    Only then could Su-hyeun breathe a sigh of relief.

    The two remaining things in his to-do list were to see through Adel¡¯s prosecution and track down the locations of the Lichs. Since both of these issues were taken care of, he couldn¡¯t find a reason to remain there anymore.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be on my way. I only came here because of the Ranking Wars, but since that¡¯s been canceled, I don¡¯t have a reason to stay now.¡±

    ¡°Are you heading back in there right away?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Feels like it¡¯s getting harder to see you nowadays, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop by and¡­? If I told you to say ¡®hi¡¯ to the kids before leaving, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s going to burden you some more. Okay, I got it. Hurry up and go. Don¡¯t worry too much about this side either.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho waved his hand around with an unconcerned expression on his face.

    Su-hyeun saw that as a goodbye and turned around to leave before saying something. ¡°The world where nothing needs to be done will come sooner or later, right?¡±

    ¡°You mean, where you don¡¯t need to do anything?¡± Lee Ju-ho pulled out a cigarette, lit it up, and took a long drag. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will. Even now, some people are strolling around a pretty lake, going to a theme park with their loved ones, or even sitting inside their favorite cafes to read the books they like.¡±

    All those things that Lee Ju-ho mentioned were Su-hyeun¡¯s favorite pastime.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, too.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to me, huh?¡± Su-hyeun smirked a little. He didn¡¯t feel so bad about that. ¡°That sounds nice, actually.¡±

    ¡°That sounds nice to you? What exactly does?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho pulled out another cigarette and mouthed it.

    Su-hyeun turned back and asked, ¡°I thought you already quit?¡±

    ¡°I took it up again. No thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°Are you that frustrated?¡±

    ¡°How can I not be? I can¡¯t help it when a certain idiot is making me worry, after all.¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m an idiot?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I beg of you to think about yourself first. How come I can¡¯t see you take a single day off? At this rate, well, you might look okay on the outside, but your innards will burn out sooner rather than later.¡±

    Su-hyeun remained silent for a while at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words.

    The older man wondered if he had stepped out of line just now and was about to check the mood of the latter, but Su-hyeun opened his mouth first.

    ¡°I remember seeing footage a long time ago. It was of a burning building in downtown Seoul¡­¡±

    He suddenly began talking about an unrelated topic. But his voice sounded serious, so Lee Ju-ho paid attention, the cigarette hanging loosely between his fingers.

    ¡°Amid all the raging fire and thick smoke, there was a cry. The footage showed that it came from a person on the fourth floor. It was from a child about six years old.¡±

    ¡°Why this story out of the blue¡­?¡±

    ¡°The onlookers were filming this scene. With their smartphones and their cameras. Even though this child was crying out asking for someone to save him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they were in the wrong, though. Well, it would be difficult for anyone to lend a helping hand in that kind of situation, after all. There wasn¡¯t much those people could¡¯ve done until the fire engines arrived on the scene. And finally, even if there was something they could have done, it didn¡¯t mean they must do it, after all.¡±

    Not a lot of people would be willing to jump into an inferno for the sake of a stranger. They wouldn¡¯t point their fingers at you and criticize you even if you or anyone else chose not to. No, they would probably think you did the right thing in that case.

    It was obvious why.

    Because nothing was more precious than their own lives.

    Because that was the smart and wise thing to do.

    ¡°But even then, there was this one guy among all those onlookers. This idiotic guy.¡±

    ¡°An idiotic guy?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who he was. He could¡¯ve been the child¡¯s father or maybe even the next-door neighbor. In any case, he jumped into the fire and, soon enough, came outside while carrying the child. He got burn wounds all over his body and was the first person to get driven away in the ambulance. But thanks to him, the child survived.¡±

    When Lee Ju-ho heard that far, he finally got what Su-hyeun was trying to say.

    ¡°Do you think that man was an idiot?¡±

    However, that didn¡¯t mean he could make a straightforward reply.

    He certainly couldn¡¯t label someone an idiot, and¡­

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the right thing to do, is it?¡±

    And he certainly shouldn¡¯t be agreeing to that either.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s situation would be the same story.

    ¡°You may have the right to be smart and simply be a bystander, yes, but it¡¯s definitely wrong to call someone an idiot, a fool, for being unable to watch idly what¡¯s going on, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun got up from his seat and said his last words before leaving for good. ¡°So yeah, I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s so idiotic about it.¡±

    After he left, Lee Ju-ho continued to suck on his cigarettes. It had been a while since he smoked, but before long, he had chain-smoked his way through over half of the pack.

    ¡°Hah! Seriously man¡­¡± He chuckled wryly and lowered his head before rubbing his face. ¡°So goddamn embarrassing.¡±

    He spoke out of concern, but he was now regretting what he said to Su-hyeun not too long ago. He realized that his advice¡ªin telling the other man to think about himself first¡ªseemed just about the same as what those onlookers from Su-hyeun¡¯s story did when they merely looked on as the building burned.

    He basically insulted that man by insinuating that he was an idiot for entering the raging inferno to rescue the child.

    Crush¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho pulled out the cigarette still stuck between his lips.

    He looked at the crushed cigarette in his palm and muttered to himself.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to quit again.¡±

 Chapter 247

    <hr />

    The event boasting the biggest scale in the world got canceled from an unexpected commotion. The Gordon Company responsible for organizing the competition held a press conference soon afterward.

    ¡°There will be no more Ranking Wars.¡±

    Gordon Rohan was never a fan of beating around the bush, and he remained the same for the particular event.

    He was fielding questions from reporters.

    ¡°Sir, can you tell us the exact reason why?¡±

    Perhaps Gordon had already anticipated this question, so he answered without a fuss. ¡°Because it¡¯s meaningless.¡±

    ¡°Meaningless? Are you implying that it¡¯s not the issue of safety?¡±

    ¡°Unless another lunatic like Adel Castle appears, and since precedence has already been set, we won¡¯t have another event like this one. That I¡¯m sure of.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, the winner has already been decided. I¡¯ve come to realize that through this incident.¡±

    ¡°Are you referring to South Korea¡¯s awakener, Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too premature to determine that without actually holding the finals? We were under the impression that you¡¯ve been looking forward to your rematch in this Ranking Wars, but could it be that you already had a private bout without the public¡¯s knowledge?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to fight to figure that one out. Don¡¯t forget, Kim Su-hyeun solo-hunted the boss monster that came out of the indigo dungeon. Unlike me.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it possible that there could be a hidden gem, a rookie who¡¯s a diamond in the rough among the other awakeners? So for you to be this certain about it is¡ª¡±

    ¡°If there is someone like that out there, tell them to see me first. Of course, if it¡¯s some small-fry punk hoping for their 15 minutes of fame, then I assure you, they aren¡¯t going back home in one piece.¡±

    Gordon continued to answer the reporters¡¯ questions without holding back. Since the very beginning, he never minced his words nor was he the type to hold his tongue while worrying about offending someone.

    ¡°And so, I¡¯ll be delivering the victory prize from this Ranking Wars to Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    The press conference was held for that purpose¡ªto let the world know that he intended to deliver the prize of the aborted Ranking Wars to Su-hyeun¡ªand so, the press shouldn¡¯t question him about whether such a thing constituted a preferential treatment or favoritism.

    ¡°But, surely, there will be questions on whether or not you¡¯re giving preferential treatment to him because both of you are awakeners in the same guild.¡±

    Sure enough, one of the reporters cottoned on to that point and threw out that question. Of course, Gordon had also prepared a suitable reply in advance.

    ¡°The victory prize is from me, to begin with, so what about it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    No one could rebut that.

    Officially, the man hosting the Ranking Wars was Gordon Rohan, and since the tournament was canceled, the ¡°victory prize¡± had lost its meaning. In addition, it was also the right of the item¡¯s owner to decide who gets it in the end.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too bitter about it. If it wasn¡¯t for Kim Su-hyeun, California would be a desolate wasteland by now. No, wait¡ªmaybe the entire United States would¡¯ve ended up like that.¡±

    That was his real reason for holding the press conference.

    ¡°He¡¯s the hero who protected the United States of America, so I think he should receive far more than just our cheering and applause but an actual, adequate compensation. Anyone with a sense of honor should think that, too.¡±

    Gordon emphasized the last part of his declaration.

    ¡°And so, this prize is my gift to the hero who saved America.¡±

    Act 3

    ¡°And that¡¯s the reason why I was tasked with delivering this package to you, Mister Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    Su-hyeun wore an awkward expression as he stared at the familiar blonde woman that came to visit him at his home.

    Gordon said he would dispatch a courier, and he ended up sending someone pretty important in the process.

    ¡°You know, you didn¡¯t have to personally come here,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    The courier was none other than Ashlyn. One of America¡¯s S-Rank awakeners had actually come to visit him in his small studio apartment.

    ¡°How long have you been waiting for me?¡±

    ¡°Around five days.¡±

    ¡°Were you planning to wait until I cleared my trials and returned home?¡±

    ¡°It was actually fine with me. I was able to sightsee around South Korea, and overall, it was an enjoyable experience.¡±

    Su-hyeun could only sigh.

    It wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out the reason why she of all people had to come this far¡ªthere was the likely possibility of the item being stolen during its delivery or someone snatching it midway.

    Ashlyn was one of the closest people to Gordon. Not only that, she was an S-Rank, so not many folks in the world would be capable of snatching things from her hands.

    In other words, Gordon had tasked the safest person he could think of with the delivery.

    ¡°What is Mister Gordon Rohan doing right now?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s currently climbing the tower.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡±

    ¡°It seems that he¡¯s become even more motivated than ever before due to the last event. Also, he asked me to pass on a message to you.¡±

    ¡°A message¡­?¡±

    ¡°He said, use that thing well. If you plan to stay above him, then you must reach the heights where he can¡¯t even dream of touching, and you should look down upon the world below you.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, it feels like Mister Gordon says a lot of middle-schoolerlike things.¡±

    ¡°Middle-schoolerlike things?¡±

    ¡°You know, those cringey speeches. Nowadays, kids call it chuunibyou syndrome. Apparently, it¡¯s a real disease, too.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. I completely agree with you on that one. He certainly has that side to him. Personally, it¡¯s a real turn-off for me.¡± Ashlyn¡¯s businesslike speech softened just a tad. She smiled softly at what Su-hyeun said and then stood up from her spot. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve delivered the item safely, I shall be on my way. I heard that you have reached the 60th floor. I¡¯ll pray that you safely clear the trials.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    After her business was over, Ashlyn exchanged brief pleasantries with him and left his home without drinking anything, not even a cup of tea.

    Su-hyeun opened the small box sent by Gordon Rohan.

    Click¡ª

    He opened the lid to find a ring and a note.

    Su-hyeun took out the note first. Ashlyn probably passed on all of Gordon¡¯s messages already, so he was kind of curious to see if the burly American still had something else to say.

    [Hit on her and you¡¯re dead.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t need a name to ¡°her¡± here to figure out who he wasn¡¯t supposed to hit on.

    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s really into her,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He thought they were merely long-time friends, but it seemed that Gordon really, really liked her.

    Unlike many other successful businessmen, Gordon never tried his luck with something as common as dating someone even at his current age. And maybe that was because of Ashlyn all along.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll take care of himself¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun was never interested in Ashlyn that way anyway, so he had no reason to sweat over this warning. Instead, he focused on taking the ring out from the box.

    [Ring of Memories]

    *This ring allows you to copy a technique for later use.

    <ul>

    Number of copies: 3

    Number of usages: 3

    </ul>

    The plain-looking silver ring didn¡¯t seem particularly special, at least outwardly. Even the aura it emitted was nothing special.

    However, anyone would lust over the item for its effect alone.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what technique it is¡­three times,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Not only that, but this item could also be activated without wasting magical energy.

    The value of this ring¡¯s effect would wholly depend on how you used it. Depending on which skill you copied, you could use a truly cheat-like skill three times in a row without restrictions.

    On the other hand, this item could end up as a mere trinket in the hands of an unskilled awakener. Fortunately, though, this ring found its way to Su-hyeun¡¯s possession.

    ¡°Its worth depends on what skill has been stored in it,¡± he pondered.

    Three opportunities.

    Su-hyeun decided to think about this topic far more thoroughly than he had done before. Of course, he was definitely not planning to store a skill right now.

    There might come a time when he would need to use his current set of skills in a row, and there was the possibility of earning even better skills later down the line.

    Su-hyeun put the ring on and stood up from his spot.

    Fortunately, he was able to pass the 59th floor¡¯s trial without much of a problem. He also didn¡¯t think he had overexerted himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m challenging it right away,¡± he thought.

    The 60th floor.

    The sixth difficult hurdle.

    Su-hyeun went for it right away.

    <hr />

    Two million points. That was the amount Su-hyeun needed to spend to get the hint for the 60th floor¡¯s trial.

    It was indeed an exorbitant amount. However, he had no trouble paying it.

    He had an excess of points these days, plus he had also saved up a lot during each of the ¡°10-floor¡± sections so far.

    ¡°Aah, this is a somewhat huge hint, you know¡­¡±

    The gatekeeper seemed to hesitate for a while after receiving the points.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t press him on and simply waited patiently. The gatekeeper, or the administrator, wouldn¡¯t eat up the points and pretend nothing had happened, after all.

    The only reason for this waste of time was simply to wind him up.

    ¡°Tsk. I guess there¡¯s no choice.¡± Sure enough, the gatekeeper lost interest and opened his mouth pretty easily after Su-hyeun displayed no reaction whatsoever. ¡°Remember that the most dangerous enemy is always near you. This is your hint.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s surprisingly detailed, I have to say.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s gotta be worth its asking price, right? I¡¯m not a thug like some other punks, you see.¡±

    A hint this detailed was quite uncommon. Su-hyeun mulled over the gatekeeper¡¯s hint as he walked away.

    ¡°The most dangerous enemy, huh?¡±

    The meaning behind the hint wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out.

    When it said the ¡°nearest,¡± it possibly meant that someone he thought of as an ally could actually be not an ally at all.

    ¡°I better keep that in mind.¡±

    One mistake and he might get stabbed in the back.

    [The 60th floor¡¯s trial is commencing.]

    He stepped through the portal in the plaza, and the surrounding scenery began changing along with that message.

    The first thing he felt even before his view had changed completely was the stifling heat. Soon enough, though, his eyes caught sight of a tall cliff face, as well as the sky dyed in a crimson hue.

    ¡°And where exactly am I?¡± he thought.

    No message came his way either.

    He didn¡¯t get flustered by this situation since he had already experienced something similar back on the 50th floor.

    Su-hyeun raised his head to look at the cliff face, instead.

    When he did¡­

    ¡°Hey, you down there¡ª!¡±

    A loud voice rang out from above.

    It came from the top of the cliff that emitted a stifling heat, where he had also been sensing a rather noisy presence for a while.

    ¡°Come and help me out, will ya¡ª?!¡±

    Will ya¡ª?! Will ya¡ª?!

    Echoes resounded.

    The cliff was so tall that Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t even see what¡¯s up there. Therefore, the guy must have had one hell of a pipe if his voice could be heard so loudly from where Su-hyeun stood.

    ¡°Can that person see me all the way down here?¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes and concentrated his magical energy on them.

    He could see something, but it was so small that he failed to make out what it was exactly. But then, ¡°someone¡± up there somehow could clearly see him down there.

    Whatever the case might have been, the owner of the voice had to be related to the current trial.

    Su-hyeun promptly jumped up.

    [Leap]

    He repeatedly kicked the air. The cliff was so tall that he couldn¡¯t possibly reach the top with a single ¡°Leap.¡±

    Only after using up almost all ¡°Leap¡± skill available to him did he finally reach the top of the cliff.

    And that¡¯s when he saw it.

    Rumble, ruuumble¡ª

    The top of the cliff was enveloped in blazing flames, and above the flames was a cage that held a man with white hair.

    ¡°Oh, you are quite a bit stronger than you look, aren¡¯t you? I figured it would take you a long time to climb up here.¡±

    This man¡¯s eyes were different from a normal human¡¯s and were so crimson that one might as well say they were purely red.

    The moment he saw the white-haired guy, Su-hyeun instantly recognized who he was.

    ¡°Sun Wukong.¡±

    An existence that is also known as the Great Sage, Heaven¡¯s Equal.

 Chapter 248

    <hr />

    Crack, slam¡ª

    Bang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword pounded on the steel cage.

    Only after he kept hitting it for three minutes straight did the cage finally give way and shatter. He had injected quite a lot of magical energy on the blade and swung it as hard as he could to have such an outcome.

    ¡°I was wondering if you could, but man, to think that you¡¯d really break the eight-way trigram Crucible.¡±

    Sun Wukong, whose arms were still bound behind him, jumped up from where he sat and strode outside the wrecked cage.

    Quite different from his initial expression, his face was now a reflection of shock.

    ¡°Can you do me a favor? If you go over there, you¡¯ll find a big dude with a key to take off this thing. Can you steal that key for me? If you do me this one favor, I¡¯ll grant any wish of yours.¡±

    The initial request Sun Wukong made to Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t to break open the eight-way trigram Crucible.

    However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t hesitate to unsheathe his sword after hearing it. Not only did he not want to complicate things by trying to steal a key, but he also wanted to find out if he was strong enough to break the Crucible.

    In terms of results, he was confident he could destroy it after he pounded on it once. Of course, it had not been easy at all. The eight-way trigram Crucible was tougher than any mineral Su-hyeun knew, after all.

    Which could only mean¡­

    ¡°To think that it¡¯s a prison made of such material,¡± thought Su-hyeun.

    That this eight-way trigram Crucible was crafted out of adamantium.

    Of course, adamantium would be called by a different name in this world. Besides, the Crucible wasn¡¯t purely made of that metal.

    ¡°Something else has been mixed in, too. The prison was designed in such a way that when flames touched it, the surface temperature would become even hotter than the flames themselves.¡±

    Su-hyeun observed the internal structure of the Crucible and thought to himself.

    ¡°So rather than an actual prison, it¡¯s more like an execution chamber, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    This indeed couldn¡¯t have been a mere prison.

    If the aim was to simply imprison, then there wouldn¡¯t be a reason to construct a cage such as this one. And rather than focusing on other properties, the person who made it enhanced its toughness and hardness in order to make sure that the prisoner couldn¡¯t escape at all.

    Having realized that, Su-hyeun accepted that he needed to sweat quite a bit for the eight-way trigram Crucible. Even if it was him, he certainly wouldn¡¯t want to stay stuck in a cage like this one for several days straight.

    ¡°Are you alright now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯m alright. In any case, thanks, man.¡± Sun Wukong grinned and turned around. ¡°While you¡¯re at it, can you break this one too? It¡¯s really uncomfortable, you see.¡±

    ¡°Those shackles are also crafted out of the same material as the Crucible. Breaking it might be a little tough, actually. And if I make a small mistake with controlling my strength, there¡¯s the danger of amputating¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. If something gets chopped off, I¡¯ll just reattach it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun could only sigh and shake his head from that reply.

    If something gets amputated, it only needs to be reattached? This would be the first time he heard such an absurd reply.

    Su-hyeun began thinking that in some ways, Sun Wukong aka the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal before his eyes could very well be the most dangerous existence he had come across so far.

    ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun swung his sword once more.

    Clang¡ª!

    The blade and the shackles collided and issued a hard clangor. However, other than a small nick, the shackles didn¡¯t come undone from that single hit.

    Clang, clang, claaang¡ª!

    ¡°Hey man. Are you really a human?¡± Sun Wukong asked Su-hyeun who was currently trying to cut the shackles off from behind him. ¡°This is so strange, you know? You don¡¯t smell like the Heavenly World¡¯s gods. It¡¯s definitely a human¡¯s scent, but¡­How can you possess this level of strength?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t move. You might get injured.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if I get hurt a little. In any case, you really are a human, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a human being. But besides all that, what¡¯s up with smelling me to figure out whether I¡¯m a god or a human? You aren¡¯t even a dog, you know.¡±

    ¡°Well, I always had a sensitive nose, you see.¡±

    Claaang¡ª!

    As they exchanged banters, Su-hyeun was able to cut the shackles about half-way.

    Those things were surprisingly resilient. The shackles that bound Sun Wukong¡¯s arms behind him were several times tougher than the eight-way trigram Crucible.

    ¡°Hurry up and cut it off already. This thing keeps sucking out my powers, so I¡¯ve been powerless for the past 500 years or so.¡±

    ¡°Have you been stuck like this for 500 years?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I sneaked a few Heavenly Peaches and ate them, and that¡¯s why I can¡¯t die of old age anymore. So I¡¯ve been wondering if I¡¯d be stuck in there for the rest of eternity or something. Those seriously petty bastards, though. I mean, how can they imprison me when all I did was steal some peaches and set a small fire in their front yard?¡±

    ¡°Now, normally, those would¡¯ve been enough to have you executed.¡±

    ¡°You think so? Well, whatever. I can¡¯t die, anyway.¡±

    Sun Wukong laughed as if they were chatting about someone else¡¯s business. His current demeanor made it hard to believe that the guy had been imprisoned for the past 500 years in that cage.

    ¡°Oh well, he¡¯s not even a human, to begin with,¡± thought Su-hyeun.

    Clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun suddenly stopped swinging his sword and turned his head. Around the same time, Sun Wukong also turned his head and looked behind them.

    ¡°Well, that guy sure discovered us quickly enough, didn¡¯t he? That snail-like bastard.¡±

    ¡°Is that the Heavenly World¡¯s god that you talked about?¡±

    Su-hyeun could sense something massive behind him.

    It wasn¡¯t that the being seemed to give off a powerful presence. No, it was that Su-hyeun really did sense something as large as a mountain over there.

    It seemed that the presence belonged to the ¡°big dude¡± Sun Wukong asked him to steal the key from not too long ago.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit over the top to call that guy a god. He¡¯s not really a god.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then what is it?¡±

    ¡°Should I say, he¡¯s more like a god¡¯s pawn? The Heavenly World¡¯s bastards observe and assist the mortal realm in place of the real gods. Well, you humans still doggedly believe that they are the real gods, but whatever.¡±

    ¡°In any case, they are the gods of the Heavenly World as we know, correct?¡±

    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s not incorrect. Should I call him the gatekeeper? He¡¯s tasked with monitoring me but must¡¯ve slacked off on the job when nothing happened in the past 500 years.¡±

    Thud, bang¡ª

    Loud footsteps could be heard now.

    At the same time, they could see the head of their incoming opponent.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s too late to notice now.¡±

    ¡°Sun Wukoooong!¡±

    The voice was so loud that it completely blanketed the heavens.

    It hadn¡¯t been amplified through magical energy; the actual voice itself was loud enough to shake the entire mountains. Su-hyeun frowned and covered his ear with one hand.

    ¡°What a noisy bastard, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and take care of him.¡±

    ¡°Well, sure thing. You can do that, but before you go, finish undoing the shackles first. Looks like you only need to do a bit more.¡±

    As Sun Wukong said that, he beckoned with his hands still bound by the shackles. Su-hyeun let out a groan and began swinging his sword once more.

    Claaang, clang¡ª!

    Clank¡ª!

    Large sparks danced. The speed of his swings grew faster and faster.

    In the meantime, the owner of the loud voice got closer and closer.

    Boom¡ª

    A massive shadow loomed over the heads of Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong. It was from a giant with a physique as big as a small mountain.

    ¡°Your crimes would have been forgiven if you stayed there for another 500 years, yet you couldn¡¯t help but add another crime to your list, Sun Wukong!¡±

    ¡°I told you, what a noisy bastard he is. Hey, you fool, if it were you stuck in there, you think you¡¯d be able to endure 500 years? You just wait and see. As soon as I get out of these shackles, I¡¯m gonna properly show you Heavenly World folks what chaos is¡­¡±

    ¡°Please be quiet and stay here.¡± Su-hyeun stopped swinging his sword and turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±

    ¡°Eh? H¡ªhey man! Hold up¡ª¡±

    Swoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure shot up into the air, and only by leaping up several hundred meters like that did he finally reach the eye level of the giant.

    The large eyes that glared at him seemed to burn in anger. The giant must¡¯ve been seriously enraged with him for aiding Sun Wukong.

    ¡°A measly little human dares to interfere in the matters of the gods? You shall receive divine punishment!¡±

    The giant stretched his hand toward Su-hyeun.

    A palm as large as a mansion that was closing in on him certainly looked quite intimidating. The physical strength coming from such a huge physique should definitely be sizeable.

    However¡­

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry about that, but¡­¡±

    [The first trial will now commence.]

    [Assist Sun Wukong and defeat the gatekeeper.]

    ¡°I, too, have my own circumstances, you see.¡±

    Su-hyeun raised his fist as well and then threw a punch at the incoming giant¡¯s palm.

    SMASH¡ª!

    When his fist beat back the giant¡¯s palm, the humongous physique rivaling a mountain staggered backward.

    The giant, thoroughly stunned by the fact that it lost to a human in the contest of strength, hurriedly tried to regain its balance.

    ¡°I lost in strength¡­?¡± the giant thought, disbelieving.

    In the meantime, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure had disappeared from the gatekeeper¡¯s vision.

    ¡°Where did he go?¡±

    Clink¡ª

    A soft little metallic noise could be heard.

    The giant quickly turned his big head in the direction of the noise. At the same time, he realized that the key that he secured on his waist had vanished.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Click¡ª

    The giant¡¯s eyes then caught the sight of Su-hyeun undoing the shackles with the key and Sun Wukong¡¯s arms finally gaining their freedom.

    From the get-go, Su-hyeun¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t to clash against the giant. His aim had always been to steal the key on the giant¡¯s waist and undo the shackles that bound Sun Wukong¡¯s arms.

    And he pulled off his goal quite successfully.

    ¡°Now I can relax a bit.¡±

    Sun Wukong raised his head. The moment their eyes met, the giant quickly pulled out a lengthy staff mounted on its back.

    ¡°Oh, so you wanna fight?¡±

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Sun Wukong shook off the numbness from his hands and stared straight into the giant¡¯s eyes. ¡°You know, I¡¯m feeling pretty good right now. So, if you want to run, I¡¯ll let you. I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    ¡°A mere little bald monkey dares to provoke a Heavenly World¡¯s god¡­?!¡± the giant answered in a booming voice.

    ¡°Get bigger, Ruyi Jingu Bang,¡± he ordered.

    Fwoooosh¡ª!

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    The lengthy staff in the giant¡¯s hand suddenly enlarged by several dozens of times. It became big enough to fill up their view of the heavens completely, and the giant found its weight just too much to bear.

    ¡°Heo-urhk!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve had that staff for 500 years and yet still failed to be acknowledged as its master? You¡¯re truly hopeless, ain¡¯t you?¡±

    Creak, crrrr¡ª

    Even then, the giant¡¯s strength was not to be scoffed at.

    The giant used both of his hands to prop up the massive staff and stood his ground. Now that was power befitting the title of the Heavenly World¡¯s god.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never been a fan of your elitism since we met a long time ago.¡±

    Boom¡ª

    Sun Wukong¡¯s body flew up.

    Squeeze¡ª

    He then lightly clenched his fist, and¡­

    POOOOW¡ª!

    The moment his comparatively small fist smashed into the giant¡¯s head, the massive skull that was as big as a mansion exploded and became blobs of quickly scattering blood.

    Tumble, drop¡ª

    The blood fell like raindrops toward the ground.

    Su-hyeun spread out his magical energy over his head to shield himself from the blood and observed Sun Wukong who was slowly making his descent.

    ¡°In that short amount of time, he¡­His hand contained a unique aura,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    It was an aura that seemed similar to magical energy but somewhat different at the same time.

    ¡°Was it called the Sage Arts?¡±

    Sun Wukong from the Journey to the West learned the Sage Arts from a Taoist practitioner. And with that strength, he even fought off against the gods of the Heavenly World.

    His physical attributes were already considerable, and even his mastery over the Sage Arts was pretty much perfect, so much so that Su-hyeun had a hard time believing that there was a gap of 500 years.

    ¡°He¡¯s incredibly strong,¡± he concluded.

    While he was climbing past the 59 floors, Su-hyeun got to meet countless people.

    And, sometimes, not only people.

    Among them were an angel, devils, and even dragons. He even ran into entities often referred to as heroes.

    However, none of them could even be compared to Sun Wukong before him.

    The famed Monkey King was never a hero, to begin with. No, he started off as a being who fought against the gods of the Heavenly World.

    ¡°Of course, the giant didn¡¯t feel like a real god,¡± Su-hyeun internally scoffed.

    According to what Sun Wukong had said, the gods of the Heavenly World were not really gods at all. They were nothing more than proxies that subbed for the gods to manage the mortal realm.

    Even with that, though, there¡¯s no denying that those creatures had already far exceeded the boundaries of humans.

    Tap¡ª

    Sun Wukong landed back on the solid ground and, while smiling brightly, opened his palm. That hand was already holding a lengthy staff.

    ¡°Been a while, Ruyi.¡±

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    As if to reply to Sun Wukong¡¯s greeting, the Ruyi Jingu Bang finely hummed.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like now¡¯s a good time to be lost in sentimentality,¡± Su-hyeun told Sun Wukong who was still stroking his Ruyi Jingu Bang with one hand. ¡°More of them are coming.¡±

    Boom, boom, thud¡ª

    Bang¡ª

    More sounds of footsteps resounded.

    Giants like the headless one just now¡ªthe gods of the Heavenly World¡ªwere rushing toward them.

    Sun Wukong wasn¡¯t flustered at all. Just like how Su-hyeun had sensed it, he too had already noticed that the gigantic Heavenly gods were approaching them.

    ¡°That¡¯s just about perfect to warm up my body that got stiff from 500 years of inaction.¡± He turned toward Su-hyeun and asked, ¡°Besides all that, human, can you fight?¡±

    ¡°Now, usually, it¡¯s me who gets to ask that question,¡± Su-hyeun replied, already holding a sword in one hand and a spear in the other. ¡°Well, why are you asking me something so obvious?¡±

 Chapter 249

    <hr />

    Swoosh, pow¡ª!

    Crunch, splaaaash¡ª

    Blood splattered everywhere, and the place descended into pure chaos.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure cut through a straight line between the gigantic bodies of the Heavenly World¡¯s gods he could lay his eyes on.

    Sliiiiice¡ª

    ¡°Aaaaaahk!¡±

    The Heavenly World¡¯s gods, whose arms and shoulders were severed clean, collapsed to the ground. Su-hyeun unleashed his magical energy and fought freely after deciding not to hold back on his energy reserve.

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can now view or command the dead.]

    The moment Su-hyeun activated his trait¡­

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    At his beckoning, a gigantic snake raised its head from beneath the ground.

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The Ouroboros had made its entrance.

    No matter how big the Heavenly World¡¯s gods were, they couldn¡¯t be compared to the size of the Ouroboros. The snake used its massive body to wrap tightly around the gods and bit their heads off clean.

    The Ouroboros was the only one he summoned, however.

    Su-hyeun could use Death Aura and magical energy, which were two separate and disparate powers, but he chose to conserve one of the two. And he chose Death Aura this time. At least for this occasion, his Ouroboros alone was more than enough help.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Yogoe!¡±

    ¡°Sun Wukong has summoned a Yogoe!¡±

    The gods of the Heavenly World called the Ouroboros a Yogoe. It seemed that there were quite a few Yogoes in cahoots with Sun Wukong.

    ¡°That big guy, did you summon him?¡±

    Splat¡ª!

    Sun Wukong asked Su-hyeun while punching a Heavenly World¡¯s god away with his fist.

    ¡°Yes, I summoned it.¡±

    Slice¡ª

    Su-hyeun injected a lot of his magical energy into his blade and swung it in a big arc, cutting off the head of a Heavenly World¡¯s god.

    Other than their big bodies, these so-called gods were lethargic in their movements and didn¡¯t seem to possess any special abilities. Instead, they presented such huge targets that Su-hyeun thought they were fairly easy to fight.

    ¡°I think I somehow get just why he said they are not real gods.¡±

    The gods of the Heavenly World.

    Su-hyeun tensed up considerably after hearing that term. Even if this was the 60th floor¡¯s trial, he believed that fighting against gods was still a bit too much for him.

    However, they were not gods in Sun Wukong¡¯s opinion. No, they were nothing more than pawn-like existences for the real deities.

    In that sense, they were not that different from another race of creatures called angels, the one Su-hyeun was familiar with. They were known to be the closest beings to a ¡°god,¡± the ones who could hear a god¡¯s voice and so on.

    ¡°Commanding a dead Yogoe, huh? That¡¯s a pretty unique ability, you know?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Rumble¡ª!

    Buzzzz¡ª!

    Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between all the falling lightning bolts and Sun Wukong who was controlling the clouds with one hand and frankly made his impression known. ¡°From my perspective, your abilities come across as even stranger.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Kwa-boooom¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s punch blew off another giant¡¯s head, and with that, the last of the Heavenly World¡¯s gods that attacked them were killed off.

    Thud¡ª

    ¡°Now it feels like a load¡¯s taken off my chest. Tsk.¡±

    It seemed that he was really frustrated when he had been imprisoned in the eight-way trigram Crucible for the past 500 years.

    Sun Wukong turned around and took another look at the ground littered with the dead gods of the Heavenly World and then asked Su-hyeun, ¡°Hey, man, wanna join me and do something extraordinary?¡±

    Act 4

    Su-hyeun followed Sun Wukong down below.

    As implied by Sun Wukong, they were not headed somewhere deep underground but to another world below the clouds.

    Swooooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun rode on Miru¡¯s back, while Sun Wukong was on a cloud. Once they emerged beneath the cloud cover, the former looked up only to find nothing but clouds up there.

    Up until then, they were actually in a world above the clouds.

    ¡°So, that was the Heavenly World,¡± Su-hyeun realized.

    The world below was where the mortals and Yogoes lived together. And Sun Wukong was basically the king of the Yogoes down there.

    ¡°A human accompanied by a dragon. I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re a really unique guy.¡±

    ¡°But is it more unique than a Yogoe riding around on a cloud?¡±

    ¡°No, well. If you put it that way, I¡¯ve got no clever comeback for you, but still. I¡¯m a Yogoe, right? And you¡¯re a human.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a human,¡± Su-hyeun replied, sounding unconcerned. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, is it?¡±

    ¡°True that,¡± Sun Wukong said, smirking. ¡°I¡¯m also a Yogoe who¡¯s unlike other Yogoes.¡±

    Human, Yogoe, and god.

    From the beginning, Sun Wukong always believed the existing boundaries among them were meaningless. He didn¡¯t believe that the Yogoes were lacking in comparison to the gods of the Heavenly World, and that¡¯s why he learned the Sage Arts to challenge them.

    But to think that someone like him was puzzled by a human who possessed that much strength. He was basically being a hypocrite.

    Not too long after that, the traveling group arrived at a traditional tile-roofed house located somewhere deep in a tall mountain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it and come in. Ah, take off your shoes first, though. And the floorboards over there are brittle so watch out for those. Also¡­¡±

    Despite being told not to worry, there did seem to be a few words of caution directed at him. Su-hyeun gingerly stepped inside the house.

    They went past the living room and were about to enter one of the rooms to find someone waiting for them. Su-hyeun had been under the impression that there was no one there, so he was slightly stunned by the revelation.

    ¡°But I hadn¡¯t sensed anyone¡¯s presence,¡± Su-hyeun thought as he lingered beyond the open doorway, unable to step inside.

    He reflexively sensed for any presence before entering any place that his eyesight couldn¡¯t immediately reach. He would automatically do this to feel for any traps or dangerous opponents hidden somewhere. It was a force of habit that he built from his long history of battles.

    But then, he was unable to sense anything earlier.

    Within the room was a man with long white hair, dressed in an airy and luxurious dragon imperial robe. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his eyes studying Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Big bro! Your little bro has just returned home after being away for 500 years away, so shouldn¡¯t you at least say hello?¡±

    ¡°Who is the guest you brought with you?¡±

    ¡°Worrying about a guest before your own brother? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t go there to meet your doom, so there¡¯s no problem, is there? In any case, who is this human?¡±

    ¡°This dude saved me. He might be a human, but he¡¯s extremely strong. So I brought him here thinking that we could work together. There¡¯s no problem with that, right?¡±

    While saying his piece, Sun Wukong dusted his feet and stepped inside the room.

    Su-hyeun followed after him and bowed slightly to the white-haired man. It was then that he spotted a pair of small horns protruding from the man¡¯s head.

    ¡°Let me introduce you to each other. This over here is my big brother, a Yogoe named Bull Demon King. In the past, we fought for one year straight and grew close after that, so we now refer to each other as brothers. Despite how he looks, he¡¯s seriously strong.¡±

    ¡°My name is Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim¡­What? I completely forgot that I didn¡¯t even know your name until now. Oh, even your name¡¯s unique.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s really a human?¡±

    The Bull Demon King spoke again. His gaze had been fixed on Su-hyeun since the beginning.

    Sun Wukong who was playfully responding to the responses until then suddenly became quite serious.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t avoid the Bull Demon King¡¯s gaze and asked, ¡°In that case, what do I look like to you, sir?¡±

    ¡°A human.¡±

    ¡°If so, why did you need to ask?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I can see two of you. You¡ª¡± The Bull Demon King stopped mid-speech, looking unsure as to how he should word his observation and then nodded his head. ¡°You¡¯ve lived twice, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    That caused Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes to grow much bigger.

    Lived twice.

    He knew exactly what that meant.

    ¡°Well, now that I have taken a closer look at you, you are indeed human after all. And a truly powerful one at that. Stronger than any human I¡¯ve seen.¡± The Bull Demon King then shifted his gaze over to Sun Wukong. ¡°At the very least, you¡¯re far stronger than this one over here when we first met each other. And, dear younger brother, you should get your facts straight. We did not fight continuously for one whole year; we repeatedly went through cycles of you running away only to come back to challenge me again, which lasted one year.¡±

    ¡°If that wasn¡¯t one year straight, then what was?¡±

    ¡°You were wielding the Ruyi Jingu Bang. And after noticing that we were fighting, the Heavenly World had to send Erlang Shen to assist you. Only then did we reach a stalemate.¡±

    ¡°Big bro, that¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®big bro¡¯ but ¡®dear older brother.¡¯ I¡¯ve lived for hundreds of millions of years longer than you, my dear little brother.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Even though he was speaking softly with an affable smile on his face, his voice contained an unexplainable power.

    At first, Su-hyeun felt incredible nervousness that numbed his hands and feet just from facing the white-haired existence.

    ¡°This feeling, it¡­¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s thoughts trailed off.

    Go-ooooh¡ª

    It wasn¡¯t as if he was outwardly displaying his power nor was he deliberately unleashing his presence.

    No, he was just sitting there. Even then, the presence he gave off just by being in Su-hyeun¡¯s sight was extraordinary. The latter had sensed a presence similar to this only once before.

    ¡°Fafnir,¡± Su-hyeun realized.

    The giant with a head of a dragon that appeared from a purple-colored dungeon.

    The absolute worst monster that Su-hyeun knew.

    He suddenly recalled the first time he encountered that monster. Almost immediately, the inside of his mouth dried up, and a cold sweat broke out on his whole body.

    ¡°He¡¯s just sitting there, yet it¡¯s already this much?¡± he thought.

    Goosebumps broke out all over his skin.

    ¡°And Sun Wukong fought against someone like this?¡±

    The Bull Demon King from the Journey to the West, also known as the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, was Sun Wukong¡¯s sworn brother and the only Yogoe that the Monkey King had struggled to defeat.

    However, that couldn¡¯t have been true.

    It wasn¡¯t as if Su-hyeun knew everything about Sun Wukong, but there was simply no way the latter could have been an opponent to the Bull Demon King.

    Unlike the so-called gods of the Heavenly World, this white-haired being came across as a genuine god in a sense.

    Gulp¡ª

    The noise that Su-hyeun made as he swallowed his saliva seemed to have audibly echoed.

    That sound woke Su-hyeun up. Even Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King who were previously exchanging banters shifted their gazes over to him.

    ¡°Looks like I made you nervous. My apologies.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Su-hyeun replied to the Bull Demon King¡¯s apology and exhaled deeply.

    The latter chuckled affably and addressed both Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong. ¡°Regrettably, I can no longer accompany you.¡±

    ¡°Is it time?¡± Sun Wukong asked after hearing him say that.

    ¡°Yes. I do not know how much time I have left, but I can sense that it is imminent.¡±

    Imminent.

    At first, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t understand the meaning of this conversation.

    Could an existence like the Bull Demon King get sick? He couldn¡¯t even imagine it. In that case, could it be that the white-haired Yogoe¡¯s lifespan was almost over?

    But the meaning became clear pretty quickly.

    ¡°Are you really going to become a Taoist God?¡±

    The Taoist God (ÉñÏÉ).

    That probably wasn¡¯t the same thing as the gods of the Heavenly World.

    No, it literally meant just that, a god. It was another type of existence who had broken out of the mortal coil and oversaw the world¡ªnot the Heavenly World¡ªand possessed the power that approached true omnipotence.

    The Bull Demon King was about to step into that realm.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I haven¡¯t left yet because of a single lingering attachment to this world. Will you be safe even after getting imprisoned in the eight-way trigram Crucible? What will happen to you after I leave¡ª?¡±

    ¡°I told you, bro. No need to worry about us.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. Still, a part of me was worried. But now¡­¡± The Bull Demon King took another look at Su-hyeun and said, ¡°I feel greatly relieved.¡±

    His gaze caused Sun Wukong¡¯s eyes to shift over to Su-hyeun as well.

    ¡°Will you be working with us?¡±

    Ba-dump, ba-dump¡ª

    Just listening to the Bull Demon King¡¯s voice made Su-hyeun¡¯s heart thump loudly.

    The Bull Demon King.

    The influence his presence alone had on Su-hyeun was hard to describe in mere words. It felt like the latter was witnessing the true heights of strength¡ªsomething he hadn¡¯t sensed before¡ªwith his own two eyes.

    ¡°Am I¡­going to be the Bull Demon King¡¯s substitute?¡± he asked himself.

    The Bull Demon King couldn¡¯t go with Sun Wukong.

    And at this rate, Su-hyeun would have to work with the Monkey King. Maybe the Bull Demon King leaving the scene as soon as the trial got underway was an unavoidable turn of events.

    ¡°Before that, I¡¯d like to ask a question first.¡± Su-hyeun exhaled deeply again and opened his mouth with some difficulty. ¡°Why are you two waging a war against the Heavenly World?¡±

 Chapter 250

    <hr />

    The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, Mei Houwang.

    The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, the Bull Demon King.

    These two existences were the top dogs of the Yogoes that appeared in the Journey to the West.

    But after rescuing Sun Wukong, who was imprisoned within the eight-way trigram Crucible, and traveling with him to their current location, Su-hyeun became aware that this world was somewhat different from what he remembered about the famous tale.

    First of all, Sun Wukong wasn¡¯t a monkey. He was just a Yogoe with a characteristic of one. Not only that, but even the Heavenly World was not where actual gods could be found.

    Also, the Bull Demon King was not a Yogoe that resembled a literal bull, and despite being a Yogoe, he emitted a presence that practically rivaled an actual god, far more than anyone Su-hyeun had met so far.

    Still, certain points did match things from the Journey to the West.

    For instance, Sun Wukong had been imprisoned in the eight-way trigram Crucible after rampaging in the Heavenly World, and he was waging a war against that realm.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean his reasons for waging a war would be the same as those in the book.

    ¡°It seems that this fool hasn¡¯t told you the reason yet,¡± the Bull Demon King said before glancing at Sun Wukong. His eyes expressed a look of reproach, as if asking the other what he had been doing as he brought Su-hyeun over.

    Sun Wukong avoided the Bull Demon King¡¯s gaze and turned his head away. He only brought Su-hyeun along after being impressed by his abilities. He didn¡¯t really think about other matters.

    ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t heard of anything yet.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, but before I can answer you, is it okay for me to ask you about something else first?¡±

    ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Why did you rescue my little brother despite not knowing anything about him? Without a doubt, such an action would¡¯ve turned you into an enemy of the Heavenly World.¡±

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s suspicion was understandable.

    Why had Su-hyeun, who knew nothing about Sun Wukong, rescued him, fought against the Heavenly World¡¯s gods, and willingly went along with the Yogoe?

    He simply didn¡¯t have a reason to do any of that.

    ¡°Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°How can I go anywhere and leave this fool behind by himself?¡±

    The Bull Demon King let out a grand sigh while staring at the wide-eyed Sun Wukong who sagely nodded his head.

    Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between the two as a troubled expression appeared on his face. If he were to provide his reason, then he should say that he only made his move according to the trial given to him.

    ¡°It seems that you find it difficult to answer.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just¡­ I did what I did because there was a voice that asked me for my help.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The Bull Demon King rubbed his chin as he studied Su-hyeun. His eyes seemed to peer deeply into the latter¡¯s soul.

    Su-hyeun sat down and waited for the Yogoe to open his mouth first.

    ¡°Very well. I shall not ask you any further.¡± The Bull Demon King who had been maintaining a serious expression until then regained his affable smile and spoke once more. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re a special human. Not only that, but you¡¯re also a human who isn¡¯t from this world.¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t be surprised anymore.

    The Bull Demon King.

    The special powers he possessed already far exceeded the common sense Su-hyeun relied on.

    The Bull Demon King had already figured out that Su-hyeun crossed over to this world via the special set of rules of the trial system and was tied to something else.

    Even then, the Bull Demon King wasn¡¯t wary of Su-hyeun in the slightest.

    ¡°You¡¯re not someone who will harm us,¡± said the Bull Demon King before shifting his gaze over to Sun Wukong. ¡°You¡¯ll be assisting us instead.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°You asked us earlier why we were waging a war against the gods, didn¡¯t you? Our answer has been delayed somewhat due to us being distracted by other matters.¡± As the Bull Demon King said that, his face suddenly morphed into an expression that conveyed a killing intent. ¡°It is quite simple. The gods of the Heavenly World, they wish to completely massacre humans and Yogoes found on the surface.¡±

    <hr />

    Caaaw, caw¡ª

    A loud bird call abruptly woke up Su-hyeun¡¯s mind.

    It was already a chilly night. He looked up at the night sky with a lone moon floating up in the darkness as the Bull Demon King¡¯s voice lingered in his ears.

    ¡°A massacre of humans and Yogoes, really?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    To think that was the scheme of the Heavenly World¡¯s gods tasked with the role of observing the surface and ruling over all creatures living down there.

    ¡°The new Jade Emperor detests humans and Yogoes alike. He thinks we¡¯re trampling on the vast and fertile land on the surface. The topic of complete annihilation of all humans and Yogoes has been in discussion for hundreds of years already in the Heavenly World.¡±

    ¡°Our aim is quite simple. It is to drag down the current Jade Emperor from his throne. This is not a war against the Heavenly World but against the Jade Emperor.¡±

    This was what the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong had said. The goal of this trial had suddenly become clearer to him.

    As expected, the trial itself wasn¡¯t all that complicated, but the goal couldn¡¯t be labeled simple at all.

    The Jade Emperor was one of the top deities that ruled over the Heavenly World. He was so mighty, in fact, that everyone pretty much knew how lofty his status was within the Heavenly World.

    Therefore, to think that this trial¡¯s goal was to drag such a Jade Emperor down from his throne, this trial was looking to be the toughest among those that Su-hyeun had experienced so far.

    Strangely enough, however, Su-hyeun¡¯s head was currently filled with a different train of thought that was not related to the trial¡¯s contents.

    ¡°The Bull Demon King is free from the system¡¯s restrictions.¡±

    That Yogoe¡¯s eyes had seen through everything.

    He had seen through Su-hyeun¡¯s life and from where he had come. On top of this, he had seen through Su-hyeun as a man.

    ¡°A Taoist God. Someone closest to a god¡­¡±

    The Taoists¡¯ aim for mastering the Sage Arts was to become gods themselves in the end. And the Bull Demon King had reached such an end, meaning it would not be strange for the current him to step up to godhood at any second now.

    There was only one reason why someone like that remained in the current world.

    It was all because of Sun Wukong.

    ¡°What are you doing, man?¡±

    Su-hyeun raised his head.

    Sun Wukong strode leisurely out to the living room and plopped down next to Su-hyeun. The latter hurriedly organized his thoughts and replied.

    ¡°You know, just thinking about this and that.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what were you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°The Bull Demon King¡­¡±

    ¡°Big brother. Call him your big brother from now on. I mean, since we¡¯re going to work together, we¡¯re considered sworn brothers now, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ I was thinking about our big brother.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. Our big brother doesn¡¯t have a lot of time left,¡± replied Sun Wukong as he stared at the moon for a little while, his expression full of emotions. ¡°Dammit. We promised to smash apart those Heavenly World b*stards together, but to think that he¡¯d become a Taoist God first.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t he accompany us?¡±

    ¡°Why? You want him to stay behind and destroy the Heavenly World b*stard with us?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s the Bull Demon King¡­ big brother, then our goal wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to achieve, I believe.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll be the case. By himself, he is already probably more than enough to wreck everyone and then some.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s that powerful?¡±

    ¡°Man, he was so incredible even back in the day. But compared to what he¡¯s capable of now, what he used to do in the past was child¡¯s play. If it¡¯s the current him, well¡­¡± Sun Wukong kept his gaze on the moon and continued on, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he can even destroy that, too.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the actual moon?¡±

    Su-hyeun formed an unconvinced expression. No matter how strong one was, to be able to destroy the moon? He couldn¡¯t even imagine such a thing.

    Even then, he had a fleeting thought of ¡°Maybe if it¡¯s him¡­

    ¡°If it¡¯s the Bull Demon King¡­¡±

    Whenever Su-hyeun thought about that Yogoe, he would get a strange feeling.

    Out of every being Su-hyeun met so far, the word ¡°impossible¡± seemed the least likely candidate to be included in that Yogoe¡¯s vocabulary. The Bull Demon King truly came across as omniscient and omnipotent to him.

    ¡°If he does that, then he won¡¯t become a Taoist God, though. Because that action alone will prove that he has a lingering attachment to this world, you see. Even I don¡¯t wish for that.¡±

    ¡°Is becoming a Taoist God that important? More than dragging the Jade Emperor down from his throne?¡±

    Su-hyeun had already confirmed the Bull Demon King¡¯s affection toward this world. Not just Sun Wukong, but other younger brothers and the Yogoes that followed him, as well as regular humans, were also reflected in his eyes.

    He loved this world more than anyone did. Anyone could tell that from the look on his face or the tone of his voice.

    ¡°Also, this world has¡­¡±

    That was why Su-hyeun found it so hard to understand. If he loved this world so much, how could he abandon it like this?

    Just what did that signify?

    ¡°Man, do you know how long it took our big brother to cast away all his attachments and reach his current realm?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It took him hundreds of thousands of years. After a few tens of thousands, he gave up on counting the days, he said. Anyways, he worked extremely hard to become a Taoist God during that period.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Only after experiencing such a length of time did he finally earn the qualifications to become a god. So, if it were you, would you think of giving up on godhood?¡±

    A period of hundreds of thousands of years.

    Merely hearing about it was insufficient to allow him to imagine what that period must have been like. Just how long a time was that in reality?

    And just what did it mean to become a god that it required such a length of time?

    ¡°You asked just what it means to become a Taoist God that he would be willing to forsake the world, didn¡¯t you? Nope, it¡¯s the opposite.¡± Sun Wukong had been sitting still for a while but stood up as he said, ¡°Just what does this world mean to him that big brother had to delay his ascension to godhood? I just can¡¯t figure it out.¡±

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°About speaking too thoughtlessly about our¡­ big brother just now. What¡¯s precious to someone is different from individual to individual, yet I seemed to have overlooked that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It can happen. Besides, you¡¯re a human, not a Yogoe. And that¡¯s probably a given, too, since you didn¡¯t learn any Sage Arts to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Wukong. Do you trust me? You don¡¯t even know where exactly I came from. And just like you said, I¡¯m not a Yogoe but a human being.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Sun Wukong replied rather too easily. ¡°Brother trusts you, so I should too.¡±

    His trust was not placed in Su-hyeun but in the Bull Demon King¡¯s judgment.

    The bond between the two Yogoes was thicker than Su-hyeun expected. For a moment there, he even became envious of them.

    Sun Wukong, thinking that this conversation had reached an end, waved his hand toward the outside and spoke. ¡°You should get some rest soon. Big brother said he¡¯ll teach you some Sage Arts starting tomorrow, you see.¡±

    At that completely unexpected announcement, Su-hyeun dazedly blinked his eyes and stared at Sun Wukong¡¯s back as he entered his bedroom.

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    <hr />

    The Bull Demon King.

    He was a Yogoe who possessed the lofty title of the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven.

    He was sitting in a small room that didn¡¯t really befit the massive presence he naturally gave off. Just like always, his posture was relaxed.

    ¡°You¡¯ve come.¡±

    The Bull Demon King opened his eyes as he sat silently.

    It was in the wee hours of the morning. No one had seemingly come to pay him a visit, and the room itself was so dark that one wouldn¡¯t even be able to see anything in front of him.

    Even then, the Bull Demon King continued to stare at the existence that had quietly shown up to pay him a visit. The visitor¡¯s overall silhouette was indistinct like a flickering shadow, but the Yogoe¡¯s eyes could pick up the visitor¡¯s presence quite clearly.

    ¡°So, what do you wish to say that you had to come this far, oh, administrator?¡±

    The administrator.

    An existence that traveled to different worlds to adjust and manage each of them. In a certain sense, administrators were beings who were ¡°closest¡± to the actual gods.

    ¡°I¡¯ve come to sincerely request you to refrain from interfering any further.¡±

    ¡°A sincere request¡­?¡± A faint grin settled on the Bull Demon King¡¯s face. ¡°Is it really a request? Not a threat?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d never, especially against the one and only Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven.¡±

    ¡°My standing as the Great Sage is unimportant to your group. What¡¯s really important to you is the fact that I¡¯m about to free myself from the world you have created. Is it not?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The administrator couldn¡¯t answer that because it was true.

    This was an unexpected turn of events. No matter how incredible his powers were, to think that a Yogoe had managed to really reach the realm of a god.

    ¡°I realized it only recently¡ªthis world was being interfered with by something. And only today did I understand why. That interference was merely a device to send that human to this place.¡±

    The Bull Demon King knew everything now.

    And that was precisely why the administrator had no choice but to personally step forward, as it was unknown how the Yogoe might react next.

    ¡°Oh, administrator. What is it that you truly want?¡±

    ¡°It will not be a bad deal for you. That man came here to aid Sun Wukong, after all.¡±

    ¡°If that wasn¡¯t the case, I would have given up on becoming a god. And right this instance, your body and soul would¡¯ve been torn to shreds before my eyes.¡±

    Those were some chilling words.

    Despite that, the Bull Demon King¡¯s expression and emotions did not fluctuate once as he said them.

    And seeing such a response made the administrator sure of it. ¡°I see. You can become a god whenever you want, can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been hundreds of thousands of years. The time I¡¯ve been in existence alone doesn¡¯t lose out to any of the gods.¡±

    ¡°That Yogoe named Sun Wukong, is he that important to you that you¡¯re willing to give up the time you¡¯ve sacrificed?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my sworn brother.¡±

    Creak, quake¡ª

    For a brief moment just then, the ground trembled.

    ¡°In other words, he¡¯s my family.¡±

    No, that was wrong¡ªthe entire world was shaking.

    The only one who could sense that enormous power was the administrator. The Bull Demon King before his eyes had become an existence that could move this world, albeit with a faint and imperceptible tremor.

    ¡°That seems a bit insufficient for an explanation,¡± the administrator replied.

    ¡°Honestly, I think so too. Only my head understands this nowadays, as my heart has forgotten about it. But thanks to that, I was able to reach this far.¡±

    Emotions.

    They were the biggest hurdle for someone wishing to become a god. They were also the biggest lingering attachment that he hadn¡¯t been able to discard for the past hundreds of thousands of years.

    ¡°As per our promise, I shall keep your secret.¡± A smile spread on the Bull Demon King¡¯s face once more as he observed the administrator. ¡°However, it¡¯ll be up to me what I teach that human from now on.¡±

 Chapter 251

    <hr />

    Chirp, chirp¡ª

    The sun and the moon weren¡¯t the only things that differentiated mornings and nights.

    The types of birds that chirped during the day and night were also different. Su-hyeun woke up from a rare deep night¡¯s rest because of a noisy bird that was chirping away outside.

    ¡°How long did I sleep for?¡±

    It really had been a long time since he felt this refreshed after a night¡¯s sleep.

    Su-hyeun never fell into a deep slumber when he was in a trial. He had built up a habit of consciously keeping his eyes on his surroundings and preparing himself for any and all sudden events.

    However, things were different this time.

    He had fallen into a slumber so deep that he couldn¡¯t even tell how many hours he had slept for. He felt quite refreshed despite hitting the bed fairly late last night.

    Duruck¡ª

    Su-hyeun pushed open the wooden sliding door and stepped outside.

    As the residence was located within a forest, the refreshing air was, unsurprisingly, the first thing that greeted him, rushing into his lungs. Along with the clear blue skies above, dense foliage filled his view.

    What a refreshing sight it was.

    And also¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re finally¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    The same voice and the same words resounded from just about every direction.

    Su-hyeun scanned his surroundings, slightly dumbfounded. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Uh? You aren¡¯t surprised?¡±

    ¡°Uh? You aren¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh? You¡­¡±

    The voices repeated like echoes.

    Su-hyeun let out a groan and started walking forward.

    There were many wooden spikes with sharp tips protruding on the spacious front yard. Sun Wukong was maintaining his balance on a wooden plank perched on a spike.

    The thing was, though, multiple Sun Wukongs were doing the exact same thing all over the place. Dozens and dozens of Sun Wukongs were performing the same action and saying the same thing in the vast front yard.

    ¡°Cloning technique, huh?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Everyone probably knew about this technique.

    If Sun Wukong aka the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal was characterized by the Ruyi Jingu Bang and the Somersault Cloud, then the technique that best represented him was this cloning technique.

    It was an ability to create another ¡°me¡± that possessed an actual physical body.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s own skill, the ¡°Doppelganger,¡± couldn¡¯t even come close to the mightiness of this technique.

    ¡°From the very beginning, our statuses are not even in the same realm,¡± he thought.

    The ¡°Doppelganger¡± skill was actually a quite useful ability on its own.

    Not only could he fool his opponent¡¯s vision, but he could even create a version of himself that possessed a physical body now, despite it being so much weaker than him.

    However, the number he could create would always be limited, and the clone¡¯s strength would only be about one-tenth of his power.

    Of course, that one-tenth would still come across as rather substantial to a regular awakener.

    ¡°It¡¯s called the cloning technique.¡±

    A voice came from behind him.

    Rather unsurprisingly, the Bull Demon King had appeared there without any hint whatsoever of his presence. Su-hyeun must have later felt the Yogoe¡¯s presence to be familiar because he didn¡¯t feel threatened by the latter¡¯s sudden entrance.

    Besides, there was no reason to feel threatened in the first place. If the Bull Demon King wanted to, he could have wiped out someone like Su-hyeun in a blink. The latter now understood that.

    ¡°You¡¯ve woken up as well?¡±

    ¡°Did you rest well during the night?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Big, uh¡­brother.¡±

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re still unaccustomed to using that term. Well, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯ll get used to it soon enough.¡±

    The Bull Demon King allowed his lips to curve slightly into a little smile as he said that. It was so faint that you wouldn¡¯t spot it unless you looked really close.

    Seeing that expression, though, gave Su-hyeun a strange feeling.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he supposed to not have any emotions?¡± he thought.

    The final quandary to solve before ascending to godhood was to erase all human-like emotions and get rid of lingering attachments and leftovers of the life from his heart.

    Sun Wukong said that it took the Bull Demon King tens of thousands of years to achieve this state, and it proved to be the biggest hurdle for the Yogoe.

    And he apparently had let go of all vestiges of life itself from him. That¡¯s what Sun Wukong said.

    But the current Bull Demon King?

    ¡°Did he really get rid of them all?¡±

    The expression made Su-hyeun question that automatically. That was how warm and affable that subtle smile on the Yogoe¡¯s face was.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see. Since it has come down to this, why don¡¯t we start from the theory first?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°The Sage Arts as a field of study began from the desire of humans, Yogoes, and even the quasi-gods of the Heavenly World to extract the powers already hidden deep within themselves. And this power, once extracted, can give any living creature enough strength to rival the status of a deity.¡±

    Without any warning, the Bull Demon King started his lecture.

    ¡°However, not all living beings possess the exact same thought process and physique, do they? It¡¯s the same story for their innate talent. You master the Sage Arts to unleash that sleeping potential in you.¡±

    ¡°In that case, Wukong¡¯s ability is¡­¡±

    ¡°The cloning technique is his own ability that he realized by studying the Sage Arts. It truly is a stunning ability, isn¡¯t it? It allows him to create tens, hundreds, and even thousands of his clones capable of fighting against the vast army of the Heavenly World.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Listening to the explanation made understanding the skill a lot easier. An army of individuals capable of dealing with another army by themselves? Would there be an army more terrifying than that anywhere?

    This cloning technique made that scenario possible.

    ¡°Is this ability a Sage Art?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s difficult to classify this as a Sage Art, actually. This cloning technique is my younger brother¡¯s unique skill. However, if you manage to obtain the qualifications to get closer to godhood, even by a little bit, and grasp your own innate unique power, then¡­¡±

    The Bull Demon King didn¡¯t say anything else.

    There was no reason to. He judged that a smart person would be able to figure out the meaning behind his words quickly enough without any help.

    Ba-dump, ba-dump¡ª

    Of course, Su-hyeun did figure out what the Yogoe was trying to say.

    ¡°I too can become one,¡± he told himself.

    His heart was pounding wildly.

    One day, he could grasp power as incredible as the Bull Demon King¡¯s. Just that thought alone made him deeply excited.

    If he could become like that, then defeating Fafnir would not be a difficult task.

    ¡°Nothing will end well when you start with too much anticipation.¡±

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s voice suddenly trampled on Su-hyeun¡¯s expectation.

    ¡°The time my younger brother took to reach this stage has been so long that a normal person would find it hard to even imagine. The one thing that is more important than talent is time. If you¡¯re already this excited due to what you are anticipating, then you will not be able to endure the required time.¡±

    ¡°How long will I need to learn the Sage Arts?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. Maybe around one hundred years of constant studying and training will be enough to say that you¡¯ve cleared the foundational stage.¡±

    ¡°One¡­hundred years?¡±

    That was an absurdly long time, and the current Su-hyeun simply didn¡¯t have that long to spare. No, wait¡ªno human alive would be able to afford that either.

    ¡°No need to make that kind of face. That figure is based on the standard of a regular human being, after all.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m not a regular human?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, you aren¡¯t. A man capable of beating up the Heavenly World¡¯s gods to death cannot be a normal human at all. The ¡®current you¡¯ is actually stronger than Wukong when he mastered the Sage Arts after ten thousand years.¡±

    It felt like the more he heard, the more his consciousness wanted to abandon him.

    Honestly, none of this came across as real to him even as he listened on. These two threw around figures like hundreds and tens of thousands of years as if they were nothing, but Su-hyeun had lived a far shorter life than they did, and he just couldn¡¯t comprehend those lengths of time at all.

    ¡°Would you be willing to show me the energies you possess?¡±

    At the Bull Demon King¡¯s urging, Su-hyeun gathered a sizeable amount of magical energy on one hand and Death Aura on the other.

    This would be the first time he emitted both of these powers at once like this.

    ¡°As expected,¡± said the Bull Demon King while nodding his head as if he expected this after checking out the two displayed powers. ¡°Other than their differing natures, the powers you utilize are not all that different from our version of the Sage Arts.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°The reason why it takes so long to master the Sage Arts is simply that you need time to absorb the necessary strength from the surrounding nature and accumulate it within you. Not only do you already possess this great power, but the nature of the power itself is also not that disparate from ours, which means a good deal of time can be saved.¡±

    That was great news.

    If the nature of the energies were not disparate, then Su-hyeun could potentially skip past the stage of strength accumulation and go straight into learning various techniques.

    When the Bull Demon King had finally confirmed this to Su-hyeun, he stood up straight with his arms resting behind his back and began to leisurely stride forward.

    ¡°Follow me. As for you, younger brother, focus on your breathing technique here until sunset.¡±

    ¡°Got it, big brother,¡± replied Sun Wukong who was barely maintaining his balance as he rhythmically breathed in and out.

    Su-hyeun followed after the Bull Demon King. The latter¡¯s walking pace was so slow that he couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat frustrated.

    ¡°The Sage Arts by nature are a leisurely persuasion. This field of study that originated from the Taoist practitioners was meant to bring humans and Yogoes alike closer toward godhood.¡±

    The Bull Demon King walked for a long while before coming to a stop in front of the bamboo forest to the side of the footpath.

    Fairly wide open space could be seen in the middle of the forest. The Bull Demon King started walking again and eventually stopped in front of the thickest bamboo tree among them.

    ¡°Now normally, you should be starting off with learning to maintain balance, mastering the breathing technique, and accumulating energy within you. But since your case is different, I shall try another way,¡± he said. The Bull Demon King grinned and pointed at the bamboo. ¡°For now, try sitting on this.¡±

    ¡°On that?¡±

    Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between the bamboo that had been cut and sharpened like a spear and the Bull Demon King who was pointing at it.

    Rather than a verbal answer, the Yogoe maintained his affable smile.

    Take a sit already, his expression said.

    Act 5

    ¡°The breathing technique is the basic of basics for the Sage Arts. Its original purpose is to accumulate energy in your body, but it also has another function. And that is to extract the built-up toxins in your body that could be referred to as impurities and enhance the purity of your energy at the same time.¡±

    The Bull Demon King circled around Su-hyeun who was sitting down.

    ¡°I shall omit all the complicated stages. You don¡¯t need to accumulate energy within you since you already possess enough, so you shall focus on extracting toxins instead. Keep your senses focused on the process, and try to inhale as briefly as possible while exhaling as slowly and deeply as you possibly can,¡± he continued.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t properly listen to what the Bull Demon King was saying to him.

    Not only was the latter repeating himself, but as it turned out, maintaining his balance and regulating his breathing at the same time was also so much harder than he expected.

    ¡°Concentrate. Concentrate¡­¡± he kept saying in his head.

    At first, the breathing technique seemed easy, but he later realized that it was harder than he thought. As he continued to inhale briefly and exhale deeply, for a certain moment, it felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe at all.

    At first, he couldn¡¯t figure out why he needed to sit on the sharpened tip of a bamboo tree while trying to master the breathing technique.

    To make matters worse, the bamboo tree was not ordinary either. It was several times tougher than regular bamboos, and its sharpness alone was more than enough to easily slice through Su-hyeun¡¯s skin.

    ¡°Concentrate on both the breathing technique and using my strength,¡± he thought once more.

    In the end, it all depended on his concentration. He needed to focus his strength so that the sharp tip wouldn¡¯t pierce his skin as he maintained the breathing technique.

    ¡°This does feel weird, though,¡± he quietly contemplated.

    There was nothing particularly special about this method, but simply breathing in and out in an uncomfortable manner made him feel like renewed energy was circulating within him.

    ¡°The Sage Arts let a human become nature and, eventually, even a god. The energy you possess isn¡¯t all that different either. And the act of breathing is the most basic of all basics to become one with nature.¡±

    Words¡ªthese were seemingly too complicated and difficult to understand. However, these words were actually the Bull Demon King¡¯s attempts to simplify and distill the essence only. It would have been far more complicated and incomprehensible otherwise.

    ¡°Also, the act of breathing will allow you to accumulate more of the energy you already possess and suppress any unnecessary wastage.¡±

    Thanks to him, Su-hyeun was able to understand more intimately just what the Sage Arts were and exactly what the energy within him was.

    In all honesty, though, he didn¡¯t really require the Bull Demon King and his complicated explanations.

    [You¡¯ve acquired the ¡°Basic Breathing Technique.¡±]

    [Its proficiency will rise quickly depending on the degree of your concentration.]

    [Its effectiveness will be enhanced when you use magical energy.]

    [Maintaining the ¡°Basic Breathing Technique¡± reduces your magic energy consumption by 10%.]

    In came the messages he had been waiting for.

    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He smirked and opened his eyes.

    It was also right then that he lost his balance and fell down on his side.

 Chapter 252

    <hr />

    Currently, in the world above the clouds.

    Numerous gods had congregated in the massive palace located at the end of this world. This would be the first time in the past several hundred years for an event of this nature to take place.

    Not even a squeak could be heard among the gathered gods who were holding their breaths. When they got here, they continued to wait for just one person among them to speak first.

    It was the one sitting on the throne by the deepest part of the audience chamber, an old man with a head full of white hair. He remained silent for the longest time before finally opening his mouth.

    ¡°The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal has escaped.¡±

    His gaze swept across all of the gathered gods.

    ¡°Now, say your piece on the matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    No one answered.

    The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    The escape of the one born on the Mountain of Flower and Fruit, who dared to turn the Heavenly World into a devastated wasteland, was probably the biggest event that happened in this world in the past few hundred years.

    Nonetheless, none of them should have kept silent like they had been doing considering just who stood behind that Yogoe.

    ¡°The real issue is the Bull Demon King.¡±

    One of the gods found the silence too uncomfortable and awkward and finally opened his mouth. Unfortunately, that was the spark that set the fire going.

    ¡°You think we don¡¯t know that?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us a solution instead? A solution, I say!¡±

    As if they had been waiting for that moment, roars and yells from the crowd exploded.

    Gods possessed strong pride, and so, they didn¡¯t know when to back down. The voice of the very first god who spoke raised in octaves when the others began criticizing him.

    ¡°In that case, does any of you know a solution? Why don¡¯t you say something and stop pretending to be mute!¡±

    ¡°Mute? Did you really say such a thing to me?!¡±

    ¡°Who do you think I was talking to, then?¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s a mute with a voice as loud as mine, then¡­¡±

    The audience chamber fell into disarray in an instant.

    The old man on the throne silently closed his eyes. All those clamors could be heard even more clearly now.

    But then, from a certain point onward, the commotion gradually died down.

    When that happened¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why don¡¯t you carry on?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The gazes of everyone present within the now-silent audience chamber all shifted over to the old man. Some of the gods even lowered their heads as much as possible and avoided meeting the glare of the one on the throne. This old man was precisely the reason why the place fell quiet.

    ¡°So, you say that the issue is the Bull Demon King?¡±

    The old man, the Jade Emperor, locked his gaze on the god who opened his mouth first earlier. Just as the latter flinched a little, the former raised his hand a bit before lowering it.

    And right at that moment¡­

    Crush¡ª!

    Splat¡ª

    The god caught in the Jade Emperor¡¯s vision suddenly got crushed before exploding into chunks. The previously-white audience chamber¡¯s floor was instantly soiled by a bloody mess.

    ¡°To think that a moron like him managed to enter here. It seems that the door sills of the audience chamber have been lowered far too much. Tsk.¡±

    The Heavenly World¡¯s gods all felt the atmosphere instantly went cold after the Jade Emperor spoke.

    Even if the god had said something displeasing, how could the Jade Emperor execute a fellow god who was deemed worthy enough to step into the audience chamber without so much as a sliver of hesitation?

    The gathered gods all knew that the current Jade Emperor was vicious and cruel, but this went well beyond their expectations.

    ¡°And are you all satisfied now? It has become as peaceful as you all wanted, has it not?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The surroundings fell into even deeper silence.

    No one could say anything under the current atmosphere. Some of the crowd members were even warning the gods who raised the commotion earlier with their eyes.

    The gods who made all that ruckus just so happened to be the ones attending the meeting for the first time, so they didn¡¯t know just what kind of a person the Jade Emperor¡ªthe greatest god among all the gods they¡¯ve been hearing about until now¡ªwas like in reality.

    They yapped away because they had no idea that their lives could be extinguished the moment the Jade Emperor was ever so slightly ticked off.

    ¡°The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal didn¡¯t escape the eight-way trigram Crucible through his own strength.¡±

    A god had suddenly said something that did arouse the curiosity just a little. The Jade Emperor nodded his head once, which indicated permission for the other god to carry on. At this favorable response, the god quickly continued on with what he wanted to say.

    ¡°He had help.¡±

    ¡°Was it the Roc Demon King? The Bull Demon King wouldn¡¯t have made a personal move, so¡­¡±

    ¡°It was definitely not the Roc Demon King.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±

    ¡°That is¡ª¡±

    ¡°It was a human,¡± the god who brought up the topic of the helper spoke loudly to cut off the other gods who were trying to make educated guesses. ¡°The one who dared to destroy the eight-way trigram Crucible, the one who helped the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal¡­was a human.¡±

    ¡°A human?¡±

    ¡°A human destroyed the Crucible?¡±

    ¡°What kind of a nonsensical¡­¡±

    Unlike the other gods who chuckled and shook their heads at the unbelievable tale, the Jade Emperor nodded his head. ¡°No, it makes perfect sense.¡±

    That prompted the attention of all the gods to focus on him once more.

    ¡°It was also a human who taught the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal the Sage Arts initially, after all. This is how deep a human¡¯s latent potential can be.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The audience chamber fell silent again at the Jade Emperor¡¯s assertion. Not only were they incapable of arguing with him, but he also wasn¡¯t entirely wrong on that point.

    Humanity¡¯s latent potential.

    That had already been proven irrefutable through the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and the Bull Demon King and their mastery over the Sage Arts, which were invented by humans in the first place.

    ¡°A human. A human, is it¡­?¡±

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Tap, tap, tap¡ª

    The Jade Emperor slowly tapped on the throne with his finger.

    After lengthy deliberation, he finally came to a conclusion.

    ¡°Been a while, but it looks like I should pop down in the neighborhood.¡±

    <hr />

    In stark contrast to the Bull Demon King¡¯s complicated explanations, the system¡¯s own explanation on the breathing technique¡¯s usefulness was quite simple.

    The system¡¯s role as far as Su-hyeun knew was to do two things.

    First, to act as an assistant to make the process of learning skills simpler and easier, and second, to act as a convenient interface to neatly organize all the abilities he currently possessed when he wanted to see them.

    The system performed these two roles magnificently well this time as well. The breathing technique was the first reward Su-hyeun had earned in this trial so far.

    [Basic Breathing Technique]

    <ul>

    Grade: ¨C

    Category: Active (activation type)

    The Sage Arts¡¯ basic breathing method. Maintaining the breathing pattern reduces magical energy consumption by 10%.

    Proficiency: 0.12%.

    Your magical energy concentration will increase depending on your proficiency.

    </ul>

    There was no grade. Even the skill¡¯s explanation was simple.

    He could maintain it constantly like a passive skill, but it was still listed as something that needed willful activation. However, unlike any other skills, he didn¡¯t have to decide when to activate it.

    It was the kind of skill that would automatically turn on as long as he maintained a specific breathing pattern.

    ¡°Reduces magical energy consumption, huh?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He had never heard before that such skill even existed.

    Reduction in magical energy consumption basically meant the same as an increase in one¡¯s overall magical energy reserve.

    It allowed a 10% reduction in magical energy consumption. On top of that, the magical energy concentration inside his body would increase depending on his proficiency.

    This was hitting two birds with one stone. Make that two very large birds.

    ¡°If my proficiency goes up and my magical energy consumption is reduced by 50%, then¡­¡± his thoughts trailed off.

    That would mean the same thing as his magical energy reserve doubling in size.

    This skill made his jaw drop to the floor.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t this a basic skill?!¡± he thought, disbelieving.

    The Sage Arts.

    When he first heard that name, he couldn¡¯t help but question just what kind of a martial art this was and whether or not it was okay for him to learn it.

    However, after he learned the breathing technique, the most basic foundation of the Sage Arts, his shock was so unimaginable that such misgivings promptly left his mind.

    ¡°This is cheating,¡± he considered.

    For the next few days, Su-hyeun remained in the same spot to train in the breathing technique using the same method as before.

    Initially, his proficiency climbed at a steady pace.

    One percent, then two¡­

    But then, his gradually rising proficiency stopped showing any change once it reached 10%.

    ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve gotten rather familiar with the breathing technique.¡±

    Just like what the Bull Demon King had said, Su-hyeun had become quite familiar with the breathing technique. He could already more or less breathe in that pattern without being consciously aware of it.

    At first, it was rather uncomfortable, but after keeping at it for a while, it felt much more comfortable to breathe that way.

    ¡°I wonder if it is okay for me to spend my time like this,¡± he thought.

    Normally, Su-hyeun would take about five days at the shortest and about a month at the longest to clear a trial. However, he had already spent five days solely on mastering this breathing technique during this trial.

    Since there were several other training that would come after this one, he couldn¡¯t even tell how long he would have to stay in the 60th floor¡¯s trial.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, right?¡± He stayed on that line of thinking.

    Su-hyeun had thought about this for a little while and then, while still maintaining his comfortable new breathing pattern, nodded his head slightly.

    It should be fine. He arrived at this conclusion without much difficulty.

    ¡°Well, climbing higher isn¡¯t my sole aim, after all,¡± he supposed.

    Su-hyeun had only one reason for climbing the tower.

    And that was to become stronger. So that when Fafnir shows up, he would be able to kill it.

    The thing was, the training in this place was definitely helping him, well beyond his expectation even.

    ¡°This breathing technique alone is already better than an average reward, after all,¡± he said to himself.

    Just mastering this Basic Breathing Technique alone had reduced Su-hyeun¡¯s magical energy consumption greatly.

    On top of this, even his overall magical energy reserve was increasing, albeit by a nearly imperceptible amount. If the story of him increasing the amount of his magical energy just by breathing got out, then the other awakeners would throw their hands in the air out of pure disgruntlement.

    And the training hadn¡¯t even started properly yet.

    ¡°I better get everything I can from this place,¡± he finally decided.

    The Bull Demon King acknowledged him as his younger brother, a sibling.

    That should be because Su-hyeun had rescued the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, Sun Wukong, and the fact that he did possess enough strength to qualify as a brother.

    ¡°That is enough.¡±

    As the fifth day drew to a close, the words Su-hyeun had been waiting for finally left the Bull Demon King¡¯s mouth.

    Only then could he exhale deeply as he opened his eyes. He stepped down from the pointy bamboo tree while maintaining the breathing technique.

    ¡°Your patience is quite commendable. It would only be normal for you to complain of boredom at least once by now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been only five days, though. It wasn¡¯t that difficult, you see,¡± Su-hyeun said to the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°Others find the boredom, not the difficulty of the training, much harder to endure. Such as¡ª¡±

    ¡°Big brother¡ª!¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s voice could be heard coming from afar.

    ¡°Like that one over there.¡±

    Su-hyeun smirked a little at that.

    For sure, from what he had observed in the past five days, Sun Wukong¡¯s personality didn¡¯t allow him to stay still even for a little while.

    The period he would be most bored during the day was when he too had to climb and perch himself on the bamboo spike as Su-hyeun did to focus on his breathing while maintaining his balance.

    He just wasn¡¯t the type to sit still for anything.

    ¡°At least his personality is the same as what I know,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    This world seemed similar but also different from what he knew.

    ¡°It was not just a novel,¡± he reminded himself.

    He had been thinking about this for the past few days.

    The Lich King. Through that creature¡¯s existence, he learned that the worlds found inside the trials weren¡¯t just illusions.

    He had always been uncertain about this, but he felt much surer about it after the Lich King incident.

    Of course, not all the trials of each floor would be like that. For instance, the first floor¡¯s trial was a mission about killing monsters inside a coliseum. Such a world setting wouldn¡¯t have existed in reality.

    ¡°Just like the 43rd floor¡¯s world, they were probably created artificially,¡± he thought.

    The world where he met the administrator for the first time, Luslec.

    The administrators of each floor possessed the authority to organize a trial or even change the trial¡¯s type. It was rather likely that along with the first floor¡¯s trial, several others had been created by the administrators themselves.

    On the other hand, some of the worlds would have existed for real like the trial on the 50th floor.

    ¡°Which one of the two is this world, then?¡± he asked himself.

    The current Su-hyeun didn¡¯t possess the ability to determine whether this place had been artificially created or existed for real.

    He tried not to ponder it too deeply, but there was nothing he could do about these thoughts that popped up in his head every now and then.

    In the meantime, the Bull Demon King demanded to know why Sun Wukong suddenly appeared on his Somersault Cloud. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of all this ruckus?¡±

    ¡°Big brother, you already know who decided to ¡®grace¡¯ us with his presence, don¡¯t you?¡± Sun Wukong pointed to the sky and asked, ¡°That punk, the Jade Emperor has shown up, so should I beat his ass up?¡±

 Chapter 253

    Pang¡ª

    As soon as Sun Wukong finished saying that, his hand that was pointing toward the sky curled into a fist and smacked into his other palm.

    His powerful aura exploded in every direction, along with the sounds of air rupturing. It might have looked like a simple and almost playful action, but Su-hyeun could sense the intense hostility and the dense concentration of energy within the spreading aura.

    ¡°He¡¯s not messing around,¡± he thought.

    His desire to beat up the Jade Emperor might have sounded like he was simply kidding around, but the truth was far from that.

    There was a clear murderous intent in that. Watching Sun Wukong¡¯s playful side for the past five days or so but then abruptly witnessing a scene like this, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but think that he should have expected that from him.

    Here was the existence waging a war against the Heavenly World, an existence they couldn¡¯t kill, so they decided to confine him inside the eight-way trigram Crucible.

    That was exactly what Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, was.

    ¡°Even then, a guest has come from afar to visit us. Isn¡¯t it only correct to listen to what the other party has to say first?¡± the Bull Demon King said.

    ¡°Well, we can listen after smacking him around a bit, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being rude. Looks like you should get beaten up first before the Jade Emperor.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±

    Sun Wukong was prideful and obstinate, except when he was in front of the Bull Demon King.

    Not too long afterward, the fighting spirit slightly oozing out from his body receded.

    Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between these two before pointing in the direction where Sun Wukong came from on his Somersault Cloud. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming,¡± he said.

    ¡°I already said that, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    A white-haired old man walking leisurely, following behind Sun Wukong, finally revealed himself.

    ¡°The stinking Jade Emperor has descended.¡±

    It was the Jade Emperor indeed.

    Su-hyeun openly stared at the old man. The latter was the top ¡°god¡± of the Heavenly World and was fittingly referred to as the emperor. More importantly, though, cutting his head off was the final goal of this trial.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, oh Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven.¡±

    ¡°Likewise, Jade Emperor. You¡¯ve grown old, I see.¡±

    The two greeted each other as if they were old friends.

    Even though they were supposed to be enemies, the Bull Demon King still welcomed the Jade Emperor with a smile. Sun Wukong¡¯s expression was indescribably stiff as he watched on.

    ¡°Although this place would not match up to your standards, please do take a seat anywhere you like. I hope you won¡¯t be too critical of the poor reception on our part.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s quite alright. I¡¯ll be accompanied by nature this way, so I¡¯m rather pleased with the arrangement.¡±

    The Jade Emperor replied thus and chuckled affably.

    Su-hyeun furrowed his brows while studying the Jade Emperor. He found it rather suspicious that this old man could still chuckle so leisurely even when Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King were right in front of him.

    However, the reason soon became apparent.

    ¡°He¡¯s not alone,¡± Su-hyeun realized.

    Su-hyeun lifted his head toward the sky and the Heavenly World beyond the clouds.

    He spotted an army hidden behind the clouds right above their heads. He could even sense several incredible auras mixed among the ranks of this vast army.

    ¡°So, the one next to you, is he that human? The man who rescued the one and only Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal?¡±

    ¡°It is indeed him. As it is the duty of the big brother, I¡¯ve decided to teach him a few tricks to express my gratitude.¡±

    When the Jade Emperor stared at Su-hyeun with a sharp glare, the Bull Demon King nodded his head and replied.

    The Jade Emperor realized that Su-hyeun had spotted the Heavenly World¡¯s army in the sky when the latter raised his head.

    But the god¡¯s attention shifted back to the Bull Demon King eventually. The latter remained the same as before with not even a hint of unrest. This stoic sight caused a surprised expression to surface on the Jade Emperor¡¯s face.

    ¡°A duty of a big brother¡­But that¡¯s only applicable to humans and Yogoes, isn¡¯t that so, Pacifier of Heaven?¡±

    Even though the contents of the conversation involved Sun Wukong, the Bull Demon King¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    The Jade Emperor had been curious as to why this Yogoe didn¡¯t try to rescue Sun Wukong when he was trapped in the eight-way trigram Crucible for the past several hundred years, but this meeting had resolved that question.

    The Bull Demon King who was about to join the ranks of the true gods was spending his last days with Sun Wukong to get rid of his lingering attachment.

    ¡°You are not wrong there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally taken a step into the ranks of godhood, I see. Congratulations!¡± he laughed as he said this.

    But complicated sets of emotions flashed past in the Jade Emperor¡¯s expression.

    He too was aware of it. He was aware that although they were referred to as the Heavenly World¡¯s gods, they were not really gods at all.

    ¡°A god, huh?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He also dreamed of becoming a true god one day but failed to do so and, eventually, grew old.

    However, the Bull Demon King was different.

    He lived a life close to immortality where he didn¡¯t age a single day. He looked exactly the same since the day the Jade Emperor was born.

    And now?

    The Emperor had become a white-haired old man, while the Bull Demon King retained the same face as before.

    ¡°But it truly is a relief that you, the Pacifier of Heaven, won¡¯t participate in the upcoming battle.¡±

    His complicated thoughts only lasted briefly.

    The Jade Emperor realized that the Bull Demon King would not get involved in the war against the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and grinned deeply.

    The moment he arrived, the emperor thought about starting a war right away. That was why he chose to bring the Heavenly World¡¯s army with him.

    ¡°But finishing the war in this place will prove to be rather difficult, won¡¯t it?¡± the Jade Emperor said.

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s emotions had grown faint after nearly reaching godhood, which meant that thoughts of aiding Sun Wukong or animosity against the Jade Emperor had pretty much vanished by now.

    However, waging a war in this place that could be seen as the Bull Demon King¡¯s home turf would change the story drastically.

    ¡°Fighting against an enemy that invades your territory is an obvious course of action unrelated to your emotion, after all,¡± Su-hyeun realized.

    If that happened, the Bull Demon King, an existence that had joined godhood, and the Jade Emperor would become enemies for real.

    ¡°I fear that this would be the last time we would be meeting this way. You won¡¯t stay in this world for long, after all.¡±

    ¡°That could very well be the case. However¡­¡±

    The Bull Demon King nodded at the Jade Emperor¡¯s words and shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun next.

    The latter had been staring at the leader of the Heavenly World nonstop until now.

    The Jade Emperor had been ignoring that so far, but now that the Bull Demon King had looked toward the human, he had to shift his gaze as well.

    The human was certainly not ordinary. Even then, the emperor didn¡¯t pay him much attention.

    ¡°It seems that he¡¯s been teaching this human something recently, but¡­¡± the Jade Emperor¡¯s thoughts trailed off.

    The Sage Arts were incredibly difficult to master in the first place. This field of study was so difficult that even if you spend 100 years from the day of your birth practicing it, you would still not complete its foundational stage.

    It meant that no matter how excellent the human standing there was, it should no doubt take him a considerable length of time to become halfway strong enough.

    Therefore, the more pressing issue than the human was, as expected, the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be over by capturing this bastard,¡± he thought.

    Prisons like the eight-way trigram Crucible could be crafted at any time. Once he was captured, imprisoning him in an unbreakable cage for all eternity would not be impossible.

    The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal was an immortal being that could not be killed, but that didn¡¯t mean he possessed omnipotent powers like the Bull Demon King did.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already won this war,¡± the Jade Emperor thought smugly.

    A faint little smile crept on his face.

    But then, right at that moment¡­

    ¡°You wanna leave?¡±

    Rumble, ruuumble¡ª

    When Sun Wukong opened his mouth, crackling noises of lightning bolts exploded from the clouds above.

    ¡°On whose authority?¡±

    Rumble, ruuuumble¡ª!

    Flash¡ª!

    Powerful energy had spread out from Sun Wukong¡¯s body.

    At the same time, lightning bolts whipped down from the clouds above. The bolts that fell on top of the Jade Emperor dissipated rather tamely, but the attack wasn¡¯t meant for him in the first place, anyway.

    The emperor quickly raised his head toward the Heavenly World¡¯s army hidden within the cloud cover.

    Their ranks had turned into pandemonium in an instant.

    ¡°You came here looking for a fight, so did you honestly think that I¡¯d let you walk away scot-free?¡±

    ¡°Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, you¡­!¡±

    ¡°I agree with him, actually.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    The Jade Emperor looked at Su-hyeun who was currently bending his body halfway back while gripping a spear tightly.

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    Magical power began permeating on the tip of the spear.

    It amplified rapidly, which caused the Jade Emperor, who was previously glaring narrowly at Su-hyeun, to gradually open his eyes wider.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?!¡± he thought.

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    [Flame]

    Ruuumble¡ª

    The divine Flame now danced on the spear¡¯s tip.

    The Jade Emperor saw the indigo-hued flame burning even hotter than the fires of the eight-way trigram Crucible on the spear and hurriedly raised his head to roar out loudly.

    ¡°Evade¡ª!¡±

    Roar¡ª

    His voice, loud enough to rock the heavens to the core, came out a beat too slow.

    The spear had already left Su-hyeun¡¯s hand by then.

    Flash¡ª!

    Chwa-rarararararahk¡ª

    The spear that flew out of his hand split apart into tens of thousands of strands and shot right into the heavens above.

    The spears rained into the cloud cover and pierced past hundreds of Heavenly World¡¯s gods.

    Each and every single one of those spears was enveloped in a massive amount of magical energy, as well as scorching heat. Since Su-hyeun had roused up as much magical energy as possible for the attack, its destructive power was quite considerable as well.

    Rumble, ruuumble¡ª

    Boom, thud¡ª

    The Heavenly World¡¯s gods, resembling burning Swiss cheese, began dropping dead to the ground one by one. They had all been dealt with by either Sun Wukong¡¯s lightning bolts or Su-hyeun¡¯s spear attack.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not too shabby, little bro.¡±

    ¡°You should stop making a fuss and get ready,¡± Su-hyeun smirked at Sun Wukong who gave him a thumbs-up. Then, with a hardened expression, he pulled out another spear. ¡°We only managed to get rid of a few small fries, after all.¡±

    Go-ooooh¡ª

    Powerful auras emanated from above.

    Those auras felt similar to what Su-hyeun was familiar with¡ªmagical energy¡ªbut these were also quite different at the same time. Those were the energy possessed by the Heavenly World¡¯s gods.

    These great auras had been mixed up chaotically among each other, but the whole army did not emit it, just a handful of gods within its ranks.

    ¡°There are a few real big fish among them,¡± he thought.

    They weren¡¯t just boasting great numbers. Some of them were existences on the level that exceeded the ¡°commander¡± class among the Heavenly World¡¯s gods.

    Among them, two gods seemed to possess noticeably greater strengths than all the others.

    ¡°Erlang Shen and even Prince Nezha, too. Looks like you really were thinking of going all out today, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Great joy appeared on Sun Wukong¡¯s expression.

    This was all because of his strong yearning for true warfare, particularly the one just about to take place after a long break. Sun Wukong welcomed this situation with open arms.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze was directed at the figure of the two beings within the clouds looking down on him.

    Erlang Shen and Prince Nezha.

    Both of them were Heavenly World¡¯s gods renowned for their strengths that rivaled the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    ¡°I shall take care of one,¡± said Su-hyeun while locking his gaze on Prince Nezha.

    The latter was also staring at Su-hyeun just then.

    Sun Wukong stared at the two Heavenly World¡¯s generals that revealed themselves below the cloud cover and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Do what you want. Don¡¯t get killed, though.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    Su-hyeun knew full well this battle wouldn¡¯t be the last one. That was why he also decided to hide at least one of his trump cards for later.

    This fight would come to an end when the Bull Demon King decides to step in, so what he needed to do before that happened was crystal clear.

    ¡°We need to reduce their numbers as much as possible,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong were supposed to wage war against the Heavenly World. Of course, the former¡¯s goal was the defeat of the Jade Emperor, so he didn¡¯t need to fight the entirety of the Heavenly World.

    But there was still a need to reduce the size of the Heavenly World¡¯s army in this battle, at least by a little. By doing so, he would get to enjoy better odds of victory later down the line.

    ¡°Big brother, do me a favor and don¡¯t interfere, please.¡±

    Snap, pop¡ª

    Sun Wukong cracked his knuckles as he glared straight at Erlang Shen. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to snap that bastard¡¯s neck for good today.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Give it your best shot.¡±

    The Bull Demon King stared at both Sun Wukong and Su-hyeun with the same calm expression.

    Only two beings hadn¡¯t made any moves in the battlefield¡ªthe Bull Demon King and the Jade Emperor.

    The latter formed an unconvinced expression and looked over at the former and asked, ¡°What are you scheming, Pacifier of Heaven?¡±

    He thought that once a battle broke out in this place, the Bull Demon King would have jumped in personally, yet it looked as if the Yogoe was simply planning to watch from the sidelines.

    The Jade Emperor couldn¡¯t read the Bull Demon King¡¯s intentions even back in the past, but trying to guess what was in his head was truly an exercise in futility now.

    ¡°Well, I wonder¡­¡±

    The Jade Emperor heard the end of Bull Demon King¡¯s sentence fade out and chased after the latter¡¯s line of sight. He figured that questioning the Yogoe further wouldn¡¯t result in any satisfactory answers.

    But the Jade Emperor saw an unexpected being as the object of that gaze.

    ¡°That human?¡± he realized.

    He thought that the Bull Demon King would obviously be looking at Sun Wukong, but no, the latter was actually looking at Su-hyeun instead.

 Chapter 254

    ¡°Just what is he expecting from that human?¡±

    This was strange.

    He didn¡¯t feel all that threatened by Su-hyeun¡¯s presence no matter how great the strength of the human was.

    The power he displayed just now indeed exceeded the Jade Emperor¡¯s expectations by a great margin. Even if that was the case, however, it would always pose a far less of an impact to this war when compared to the scenario of the Bull Demon King deciding to step in.

    To put it simply, that human was far too lacking to act as the Bull Demon King¡¯s replacement.

    Despite that, anxiety began to fill the Jade Emperor.

    ¡°Dangerous.¡±

    He thought that he was dealing with a mere human, but that had to change now.

    The Bull Demon King was behind that human, after all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill that human now,¡± he decided.

    Rustle¡ª

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s feet left the ground, but just as he was about to head toward Su-hyeun who was getting ready to go against Prince Nezha¡­

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    Shudder¡ª

    The Bull Demon King who had remained silent until then suddenly opened his mouth.

    The Jade Emperor suddenly froze on the spot as he was about to move. He had a feeling that taking another step would result in his head flying off.

    ¡°He¡¯s being serious,¡± he thought.

    The Jade Emperor finally realized what the anxiety he had been feeling until now was.

    The Bull Demon King was backing Su-hyeun.

    And the Yogoe¡¯s attention and interest were solely focused on that human, which meant that he would never permit the Jade Emperor from doing something¡ªanything¡ªto this human named Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything to that human here,¡± he realized.

    The Bull Demon King wouldn¡¯t allow that.

    The Jade Emperor might have brought in the Heavenly World¡¯s army, but the one truly commanding this battlefield was none other than the Bull Demon King.

    The only thing the emperor could do in the meantime was to spectate from the sidelines.

    ¡°For now¡­¡±

    The Jade Emperor intensely stared at the man kitted out in leather clothing who also sported dark skin and a thuggish countenance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice but to leave it to Prince Nezha.¡±

    Act 6

    Rumble, ruuumble¡ª!

    Kwa-boom¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s battle got underway.

    Lightning bolts crackled in the distance, and the massive Ruyi Jingu Bang scythed through the clouds. Just one hammering blow and thousands of Heavenly World¡¯s gods fell.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s battle was as epic as what Su-hyeun had read in the stories.

    ¡°So that must be Erlang Shen,¡± he observed.

    Erlang Shen was a general of the Heavenly World¡¯s army that wielded a guandao, which was taller than his own body, with feminine facial features that displayed an icy emotionless expression.

    Along with Prince Nezha, he was one of the Heavenly World¡¯s major characters who opposed Sun Wukong. And at that moment, he lived up to his fame and was battling the Monkey King, along with the Heavenly World¡¯s army.

    Soon, though, Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze shifted over to the man with darker skin who appeared before him.

    ¡°And this guy¡­must be Prince Nezha.¡±

    He studied Nezha.

    His instinct was ringing warning bells, so he couldn¡¯t make any careless moves. It was saying that the opponent standing before his eyes should not be taken lightly.

    Not too long after that, though, he figured out the reason for the warning.

    ¡°Here he comes.¡±

    Black spheres flew all around him. They could no longer stay back and began attacking him in earnest.

    Swiiiish, swoosh¡ª

    Pa-aaahng¡ª!

    The spheres tore through the atmosphere and flew in toward him. They were one of the six weapons Nezha used.

    ¡°Fast.¡±

    Whoosh, whooooosh¡ª

    Just a blink of an eye later and the spheres were already brushing past Su-hyeun¡¯s sides.

    Rather than directly attacking him, they focused more on breaking his stance. While Su-hyeun was dodging them, a large flaming weapon that resembled a wagon wheel¡ªthe Wind Fire Wheel¡ªmaterialized in Nezha¡¯s hand.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    At the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s blade was also enveloped in flames.

    Crimson and indigo flames clashed, and the two weapons collided at the same time.

    Claaang¡ª!

    Jiii-iiing¡ª

    A powerful impact force was transmitted through Su-hyeun¡¯s arms.

    The collision left both of his arms numb. The energy from the impact spread out everywhere and ripped through the atmosphere, and the rebound caused them both to fly in opposite directions.

    Buzz, numb¡ª

    Su-hyeun furrowed his brows a little at the pain that shot up his arms.

    ¡°His strength is something else, but that weapon¡­¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun took a closer look at Nezha¡¯s Wind Fire Wheel.

    ¡°That thing¡¯s hardness is extraordinary.¡±

    The destructive power somehow exceeded the total amount of energy contained in the weapon in the first place. However, that wasn¡¯t surprising, considering the weapon was also referred to as the Heavenly World¡¯s hidden secret treasure.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Balmung¡­¡±

    His blade would¡¯ve shattered by now.

    Squeeze¡ª

    It certainly had been a while.

    Since he wielded it all the time, he hadn¡¯t felt grateful toward Balmung too often, but at least at the moment, he couldn¡¯t thank it enough.

    He also didn¡¯t forget to thank Kim Dae-ho in his mind for crafting the sword as well.

    ¡°However, Prince Nezha has more than two weapons.¡±

    According to the legend, he apparently wielded a total of six weapons.

    Only two have been revealed so far, so Su-hyeun had to fight while staying extra vigilant about when and how the other four would be utilized.

    ¡°This is nuts.¡±

    Nezha wasn¡¯t an opponent on the level he couldn¡¯t fight yet.

    Thanks to his stats all experiencing a rapid boost, he didn¡¯t have much problem stamina-wise, and he could also more or less keep up with the movements of the Heavenly World¡¯s god.

    Even then, he definitely got a feeling that this trial¡¯s difficulty had increased quite steeply compared to the others so far.

    Swoosh¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    Suddenly, a long and thick sword materialized in Nezha¡¯s hand and was aimed for Su-hyeun¡¯s crown.

    Blocking that sword caused the weighty pressure to bear down on Su-hyeun. It was the third weapon belonging to Nezha, the Yogoe Slaying Sword.

    Swirl¡ª

    Whoosh, whoooosh, fwhoooosh¡ª

    Right after that, several spheres flew directly toward Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    Dodging them wasn¡¯t the correct solution. Those spheres were meant to break his stance rather than damage him outright.

    [Reflect]

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    Paaang¡ª!

    The spheres were deflected in all directions. Normally, the skill ¡°Reflect¡± was meant to deflect the attack and send it back the way it came from, but doing that perfectly against the spheres still proved to be too much of a task.

    Clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun deflected Nezha¡¯s sword and created some distance between them. And as he activated ¡°Leap¡± to fly higher into the air, he grabbed another from his back.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Paaaaahng¡ª!

    The spear that permeated with a massive amount of magical energy shot out of Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and flew straight toward Nezha.

    Moments before the spear pierced through the latter¡¯s throat, yet another weapon materialized in his hand.

    Daaaang¡ª!

    The spear that was flying in with a powerful momentum was violently deflected up into the air.

    This was the fourth weapon, a steel mace five times larger than Nezha himself¡ªthe Yogoe Beating Mace.

    Buzz, numb¡ª

    Nezha made a stunned expression at the impact force that traveled down the mace. He had been expressionless so far, and that was the first time a change had occurred on his face.

    ¡°This is the first time that I felt this way, other than when I fought against the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.¡±

    Joy.

    What surfaced on his face wasn¡¯t just surprise but also ecstasy from the battle.

    Grip¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯re indeed a good opponent. Conceding the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal to Erlang Shen wasn¡¯t a bad choice, it seems.¡±

    ¡°Why are you grinning like that as if you¡¯re happy about something?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this enjoyable? Also, you¡¯re a human, so you couldn¡¯t have been a good match to fight someone of my caliber.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it stranger to actually enjoy fighting, though? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a pervert or something.¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at Nezha with a pair of eyes full of reproach.

    There were sometimes people like this guy among those who were proud of their own strengths¡ªthe type that enjoyed fighting.

    Nezha was exactly like that.

    Su-hyeun had found them the hardest to comprehend. ¡°Fighting is like an act of torture itself. It¡¯s not meant to be fun or entertaining.¡±

    ¡°How unfortunate that unlike your physique or your senses, your mindset wasn¡¯t blessed with the spirit of a general.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop babbling nonsense, and¡­¡±

    Pah-ahk¡ª

    The spear deflected by the Yogoe Beating Mace returned to Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try this again.¡±

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Whiiiiirl¡ª

    The spear connected to him by a thin strand of magical energy began spinning around quickly. While keeping the weapon spinning with one hand and wielding the sword in the other, Su-hyeun dashed toward Nezha.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    His speed was far quicker than before.

    Nezha¡¯s expression failed to hide how stunned he was by this. In the meantime, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure darted in and around the Heavenly World¡¯s god.

    Pahk, paaahk¡ª

    Slice, sliiice¡ª

    The sword and spear began inflicting small wounds all over Nezha.

    Riiip¡ª

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Even before anyone had noticed it, the Third Eye was fully open on Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead by then.

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator]

    Sha-aaaah¡ª

    An image of a gigantic snake suddenly appeared before Nezha¡¯s eyes.

    However, he didn¡¯t pay it any mind. He thought that since it must have been a simple illusion-type skill meant to threaten the opposition, there was no need for him to worry about it.

    More than that, a skill like the ¡°Predator¡± wouldn¡¯t be enough to restrict Nezha¡¯s movements in the first place. He knew that fact better than anyone.

    Still¡­

    ¡°I see.¡± As more wounds accumulated on his body, a grin began spreading on Nezha¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s not that you became faster, but I got slower, is that it?¡±

    He realized what was going on sooner than Su-hyeun expected.

    Chwa-ruruk¡ª

    A saber with a bright-red blade suddenly materialized in Nezha¡¯s free hand.

    The Yogoe Rending Saber meant for ruthlessly cutting down Yogoes.

    Flash¡ª!

    The moment the saber came down, the gigantic snake that appeared like a mirage was sliced in half.

    Shatter¡ª!

    The Predator skill was instantly shattered. As it was rather similar to an illusion-type skill, the opponent who broke out of it couldn¡¯t be influenced anymore.

    ¡°Now that was a shabby little technique. A warrior is meant to fight without relying on such petty little tricks.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Nezha spoke while lifting that huge Yogoe Rending Saber up in the air. ¡°Now, take a good look. Marvel at the strength of a warrior who has fought millions, nay, tens of millions of Yogoes in his lifetime.¡±

    Gu-wuwuwuwu¡ª

    The size of the Yogoe Rending Saber grew larger and larger.

    Nezha grasped the saber with both of his hands, which was already big enough to almost completely cover the sky. The sheer sense of its weight and scale was even transmitted to Su-hyeun in the distance.

    ¡°The moment that thing falls¡­¡±

    The ground below would utterly be devastated.

    Su-hyeun sneaked a glance at the Bull Demon King spectating on the battle in the far off distance. He could also see the Jade Emperor as he stood tall next to the Yogoe, his hands behind his back.

    ¡°The Bull Demon King is keeping an eye on the Jade Emperor,¡± he thought.

    As long as the former was there, the latter wouldn¡¯t be able to make any rash moves.

    It meant that Su-hyeun would need to defeat Nezha as Sun Wukong dealt with Erlang Shen in this place.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go all out, then,¡± he finally decided.

    Su-hyeun calmed his breathing.

    Since the beginning of the fight up until now, he had been rapidly getting more familiar with his breathing technique without him even noticing it.

    [Basic Breathing Technique]

    * Grade: ¨C

    * Category: Active (activation type)

    * The Sage Art¡¯s basic breathing method. Maintaining the breathing pattern reduces magical energy consumption by 21%.

    * Proficiency: 10.12%

    * Your magical energy concentration will increase depending on your proficiency.

    The breathing technique¡¯s proficiency that slowed down to a crawl began increasing rapidly again through the actual combat. Thanks to that, he still had enough leeway with his magical energy reserve.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pour it out in one go,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun gripped the spear with both hands.

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Giiii-iiing¡ª

    Magical energy gathered on the spear tip and got amplified rapidly. If he were to choose the most destructive skill in his current arsenal, then, without a doubt, he¡¯d choose the ¡°Explosion Style.¡±

    The skill was so powerful that it actually destroyed the weapon it was used with. For sure, the ¡°Explosion Style¡± boasted far superior destructive power than any other skill Su-hyeun knew.

    However¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t break. Hopefully.¡±

    Su-hyeun had almost never pushed the ¡°Explosion Style¡± to its absolute limit before.

    This skill not only completely exhausted his magical energy reserve but also utterly damaged his weapon.

    On the other hand, as long as he had enough magical energy and the weapon boasted enough toughness, then it was anyone¡¯s guess just how incredible this skill¡¯s destructive power could get.

    ¡°Well, if it breaks, then there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±

    If that happened, then he would have no choice but to ask Kim Dae-ho to craft him another one later.

    Giiii-iiing¡ª

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    [Wave Spear ¨C Exp¡­]

    Tremble, tremble¡ª

    The spear tip shook.

    It felt like the spear shaft would explode at any second.

    At the same time, he thought that he would be able to do anything he wanted with that thing.

 Chapter 255

    Gu-wuwuwuwu¡ª

    The Yogoe Beating Mace [1] began descending.

    One could say its falling speed looked slow. If one wanted to dodge it, then one would certainly be able to, at least once.

    However, Su-hyeun knew full well that such an act held no meaning.

    ¡°Even if I dodge it, he can swing it around again,¡± he thought.

    The current incoming attack was nothing more than a single swipe of the Yogoe Beating Mace. Dodging it would only cause Nezha to swing it again in Su-hyeun¡¯s escape direction.

    If he wanted to win, he couldn¡¯t just run around dodging attacks forever.

    ¡°A little bit more, just a bit more¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun waited for the Yogoe Beating Mace to come even closer. More correctly, he was being as patient as possible in order to inject an even greater amount of power into his spear, all the while bending his body back to get ready to throw the weapon.

    ¡°A little bit more¡­¡±

    And just as the gigantic Yogoe Beating Mace completely filled up Su-hyeun¡¯s vision¡­

    ¡°Now!¡±

    The light in his eyes flickered, and then, his body that was bent backward snapped forward like a released bowstring.

    Paaang¡ª!

    Fwhooooooosh¡ª!

    The spear flew like a streak of lightning. Then, it collided with the Yogoe Beating Mace.

    Piii-iitt¡ª

    The collision caused all sounds to vanish.

    The falling mace didn¡¯t stop. It continued to shatter the atmosphere and descended toward Su-hyeun¡¯s head. However, unlike before, he didn¡¯t feel the need to get out of the way.

    Crack¡ª

    Initially, it started off as a small noise.

    Then, cracks formed.

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    Bang, shatter, ka-boom¡ª!

    The gigantic Yogoe Beating Mace shattered into countless pieces and fell to the ground.

    While smashing away the weapon¡¯s debris with his fists, Su-hyeun stared straight at Nezha. His spear was already back in his hand before anyone realized it.

    Nezha¡¯s surprise was bordering on sheer astonishment.

    ¡°My Yogoe Beating Mace¡­?¡±

    The Yogoe Beating Mace, one of the six armaments symbolizing Nezha who was often referred to as the god of war, had been destroyed.

    Pah-ahk¡ª

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure broke through the rain of the shattered mace¡¯s fragments and rapidly dashed toward Nezha.

    The latter hurriedly swung the mace with only its hilt remaining. The spear that Su-hyeun¡¯s hand was spinning around smacked away the mace¡¯s hilt.

    Clang¡ª!

    Numb¡ª

    Even if Nezha had to take a swing in a hurry and couldn¡¯t get into a proper stance, the impact force he felt through his hands was still far too severe.

    ¡°Why has his strength¡­?!¡±

    So intense, in fact, he almost let go of the Yogoe Beating Mace¡¯s hilt.

    Grit¡ª

    Nezha gritted his teeth and then materialized the Yogoe Slaying Sword again. He instantly raised it to hack Su-hyeun¡¯s body down into two halves.

    Pah-ahk¡ª!

    Kwa-aaaaaht¡ª

    The sword split the ground below. For a brief moment just then, Nezha definitely witnessed Su-hyeun¡¯s torso being chopped into two pieces.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he thought.

    He attacked first to counter his enemy, but he knew full well that his human opponent wouldn¡¯t fall that easily with such a simple strike, judging from their earlier exchange of moves.

    But to think, the battle ended this easily?

    Rustle¡ª

    Sure enough¡­

    ¡°He vanished.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure, which was supposed to be hacked in half, disappeared like a fading mirage. And immediately after that, Nezha felt a chilling sensation on his neck.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    A blade scything from behind narrowly missed and cut the air above Nezha¡¯s head as he ducked.

    He spun around and swung the Yogoe Slaying Sword, prompting Su-hyeun¡¯s figure to leap and throw the spear he held in his hand.

    Clang¡ª!

    Nezha deflected the spear with his sword and again felt the same suspiciously heavy impact as before.

    He initially thought he had made a mistake, but he was now sure of it.

    ¡°He¡¯s become faster,¡± Nezha realized.

    Unlike earlier when an illusion was at play, the human had indeed gotten faster for real, so much so that he couldn¡¯t be compared to how he was like at the beginning.

    Hu-woop, fuu-wuu¡ª

    Su-hyeun maintained the breathing technique as the light from his now-blue eyes gleamed brightly.

    He didn¡¯t have a lot of time.

    [Immortality]

    Out of all the skills Su-hyeun currently possessed, this one could be referred to as his last hidden trump card.

    ¡°Immortality¡± greatly boosted not just the concentration of his magical energy and reserve but also his overall physical stats. However, its duration was only about five minutes, tops.

    ¡°I need to finish this within that time,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    As long as time was not on his side, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to fight while creating distance.

    Swish¡ª

    Paaaahk¡ª

    Right after throwing the spear in one hand, Su-hyeun activated ¡°Leap¡± to rapidly close the distance once more.

    Rather unsurprisingly, Nezha didn¡¯t try to evade. Not only did he not know much about Su-hyeun¡¯s skills, but he also believed that running away was the ultimate humiliation for a warrior.

    Clang, claaang¡ª!

    Split, craaack, boom¡ª!

    Every time their blades collided, the ground below their feet split apart and, eventually, caved in.

    Both of them fell below the crumbling ground. Somewhat strangely, there was an artificially constructed huge open space below the surface.

    ¡°Was this space meant for training?¡± Su-hyeun wondered.

    Since this was practically right below the Bull Demon King¡¯s personal residence, Su-hyeun thought that the large space must have been created to facilitate his training regimen.

    And this place would serve as his new battleground.

    The place was so much darker compared to the surface, and it would definitely be harder to sense the enemy¡¯s attack even after he enhanced his vision with magical powers.

    ¡°Where are you looking at?¡±

    Fwoosh¡ª

    Kwa-gagagak¡ª

    A sliver of light flashed, and at the same time, the Yogoe Slaying Sword flew in.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to respond, however. As long as his ¡°Immortality¡± was active, Su-hyeun was definitely faster and stronger than Nezha.

    Su-hyeun roused up his magical energy as much as possible, and Nezha wielded the Yogoe Slaying Sword and the Yogoe Rending Saber in each of his hands. They exchanged hundreds of moves in less than a minute.

    ¡°Now?¡± he thought.

    Clang¡ª

    Yet one more time, the Yogoe Slaying Sword was deflected.

    Su-hyeun was one step ahead in power and speed, but it was not enough to completely overwhelm his opponent.

    For sure, wounds were gradually accumulating on Nezha¡¯s body, but that didn¡¯t mean much. His recuperative ability and endurance made ending this battle in five minutes so much harder.

    That was why Su-hyeun was continuously searching for an opening.

    ¡°No, not yet. Just a little more.¡±

    Clang, claaang¡ª!

    Crunch¡ª

    A sword and a saber collided once more, causing the ground to cave in.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun and Nezha fell deeper underground at the same time. The former activated ¡°Leap,¡± while the latter stepped on the air before the two of them dashed toward each other again.

    Clang¡ª!

    It was right then that the Yogoe Rending Saber in Nezha¡¯s hand suddenly disappeared. He raised his now-empty left hand up and roared, ¡°Imprison him, Yogoe Capturing Rope!¡±

    Flash¡ª!

    A powerful flash of light exploded between Su-hyeun and Nezha.

    Right at that moment, Su-hyeun held his hand wide open and whispered softly, which was a clear contrast to Nezha¡¯s shout.

    ¡°Come.¡±

    Chwa-rururu¡ª

    Circular steel beams suddenly materialized all around Su-hyeun.

    They connected to each other like a magic circle and captured him within. Soon, they created spherical space to trap him in the middle and exert an enormous amount of pressure on him.

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    Crunch, cruuunch¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s face contorted from the powerful pressure crushing his body.

    Nezha¡¯s sixth weapon¡ªthe Yogoe Capturing Rope¡ªthe famed capturing rope from which, never mind a Yogoe, not even a god could escape.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finally got you,¡± said Nezha with a victorious smile after confirming that Su-hyeun had been captured by the Yogoe Capturing Rope.

    This item was capable of confining the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, Sun Wukong, in the past. Now, it had captured Su-hyeun.

    Sun Wukong had consumed hundreds of Peaches of Immortality and came to possess an undying body, but Su-hyeun was simply a human no matter how strong he was.

    All Nezha had to do to end the battle was to cut Su-hyeun¡¯s head off as the latter remained immobile within the Yogoe Capturing Rope.

    ¡°How lamentable. I thought our battle would last a little while longer and entertain me even more. I thought we would fight for three days and nights like how I did with the Great Sage, Heaven¡¯s¡ª¡±

    Drip¡ª

    But then, just as he raised the Yogoe Slaying Sword, a drop of warm liquid fell on his hand. With a puzzled face, Nezha looked down on the back of his hand.

    ¡°Blood?¡±

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Blood continued to drip down.

    Nezha raised his trembling hand and began feeling for the area of his body where the blood was coming from.

    The blood that was trickling down his chest was coming from his neck. The moment he realized it, all strength suddenly abandoned him.

    Keok¡ª!

    ¡°Now that took me by surprise. I had no idea that you¡¯d be alright even after ending up in that state,¡± said Su-hyeun as he breathed a sigh of relief before taking another look at Nezha.

    A spear pierced right through the god¡¯s throat.

    Both Su-hyeun and Nezha had been searching for an opening.

    Su-hyeun recalled his spear, planning to use its velocity to stab cleanly through Nezha¡¯s vital spot, while the latter was hoping to find an opening to capture the former using his trusty Yogoe Capturing Rope.

    The first one to make a move was Nezha. He took out his new weapon, Yogoe Capturing Rope, and chucked it at Su-hyeun.

    And that brief opening was exactly what Su-hyeun had been waiting for.

    Break, tumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun managed to barely free himself from the Yogoe Capturing Rope using his hands. If Nezha was perfectly fine, he wouldn¡¯t have dreamed of freeing himself like that. After all, the armament¡¯s confinement power was so strong that not even the one and only Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal could escape from it.

    [Immortality¡¯s duration has ended.]

    [Stat points will reset to normal.]

    Five minutes.

    He had reached the skill¡¯s time limit. It felt as if at least half of the power seemingly overflowing in his body only a second ago had ebbed out of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally ove¡ª¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s relief was interrupted.

    Swoooosh¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun hurriedly raised his sword and deflected a blade that aimed for his face.

    Tremble, tremble¡ª

    The attack was so sudden that he didn¡¯t have enough time to assume a correct posture nor use much of his strength. Thankfully, though, even Nezha¡¯s own sword didn¡¯t contain much power.

    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s not¡­over¡­ yet¡­¡±

    Fuu-wuu¡ª

    Su-hyeun came down from his shock and gave out a long sigh. Then, he shook his head as he looked at Nezha who had swung his sword just then even though a spear was piercing right through his neck. ¡°Man, you¡¯re one persistent dude, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Act 7

    Tsu-aaaahk¡ª

    Kwa-boooom¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s lengthened Ruyi Jingu Bang swept the Heavenly World¡¯s army away.

    Although that was merely collateral damage from his battle against Erlang Shen, the resulting destruction was still truly enormous.

    Even then, the Heavenly World¡¯s army couldn¡¯t easily jump into the middle of Sun Wukong¡¯s fierce clash against their general.

    That was what the fight between one Yogoe and one god was like. It was a fight where even the gods of the heavens couldn¡¯t dare to jump in and in which they would find their very lives threatened merely by staying nearby.

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    Another Yogoe and a heavenly god were witnessing that spectacle from afar.

    ¡°As expected of the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.¡±

    They were none other than the Jade Emperor, and¡­

    ¡°Once upon a time he was my rival. So isn¡¯t it only obvious that he¡¯s capable of that much?¡±

    The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, the Bull Demon King.

    The Jade Emperor asked, ¡°But it seems to me that you are not actually waiting for the Great Sage? I see that you are not really interested in his fight so far.¡±

    ¡°Well, my younger brother has fought against Erlang Shen over 20 times already, so it¡¯s about time that I lose interest in it.¡±

    The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and Erlang Shen. These two were sworn enemies who battled each other for the longest time.

    Their first battle ended in Sun Wukong¡¯s defeat. He admitted to the fact that he couldn¡¯t win against Erlang Shen and turned around to escape for the first time in his life.

    But on their fifth encounter, Sun Wukong could evenly match up with Erlang Shen.

    ¡°Won¡¯t they fight for three days and nights straight again this time? And there won¡¯t be any satisfactory result either,¡± the Bull Demon King muttered before turning around to face the Jade Emperor. ¡°And that¡¯s why you brought Prince Nezha along as well, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°And you were planning to face me by yourself.¡±

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s eyes narrowed at the Bull Demon King¡¯s words.

    Was that meant to be a threat? The emperor studied the Yogoe¡¯s eyes, but that didn¡¯t seem to be it.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± he thought.

    If the Bull Demon King wasn¡¯t planning to make a move personally here, then the situation wouldn¡¯t ultimately be unfavorable for the Heavenly World.

    The Jade Emperor smiled faintly and nodded his head. ¡°That indeed was my plan initially, but the situation has changed now. As you can see¡ª¡±

    ¡°It seems that you believe Prince Nezha will defeat my little brother.¡±

    The Jade Emperor frowned slightly when the Bull Demon King cut him off. ¡°What do you mean? Can¡¯t you see that Sun Wukong is still fighting against Erlang Shen?¡± he asked back.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t referring to Sun Wukong but that child named Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Could it be that when you say your little brother, you were talking about that human?¡±

    Hahaha!

    The Bull Demon King merely laughed as a reply, which caused the anxiety in the Jade Emperor¡¯s heart that had momentarily gone away to bloom back up again.

    The Bull Demon King called a human his little brother?

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see who won in the end soon enough.¡± As he said that, the Bull Demon King shifted his gaze over to the large hole in the ground, which was previously created during Su-hyeun and Nezha¡¯s battle. ¡°It seems that their battle has wrapped up just now.¡±

    [1] This is not an error. The author switched Prince Nezha¡¯s weapon from the Yogoe Rending Saber in the previous chapter to the Yogoe Beating Mace here.

 Chapter 256

    With the Bull Demon King¡¯s completely unruffled appearance, not a single hint of anxiety could be spied on his expression.

    Sure, something like anxiety would no longer show up on a face of a creature about to become a god, but still, such an attitude was more than enough to cause nervousness to bloom within the Jade Emperor¡¯s heart.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­Prince Nezha?¡± the Jade Emperor thought.

    The Jade Emperor shook his head.

    Such a thing could never happen.

    Just what kind of existence was Prince Nezha?

    He was a top-ranked god who fought against Yogoes for what must have been like an eternity, which earned him the nickname ¡°the god of battles¡± in the process.

    Someone like him losing to not the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal but a mere human? Even if that human was powerful?

    ¡°Unless this means the return of the progenitor of the Sage Arts¡­¡±

    A human whose name wasn¡¯t even recorded.

    Also, without the progenitor of the Sage Arts, who taught both the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven and chose to give up on his position as a god to descend back to the mortal realm, such an event would have never occurred.

    Nezha, along with Erlang Shen, was like a star that symbolized the Heavenly World. If someone like him was defeated by a human, then the planned battle against the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal would run into a massive issue later.

    Gulp¡ª

    It certainly had been a long time since the Jade Emperor had to gulp in nervousness.

    And as he began thinking that the brief blip in time felt like an agonizing eternity, one of the two men who fell underground¡ªSu-hyeun and Nezha¡ªcrawled out from the gaping hole.

    Grab¡ª

    Fuu-wuu¡ª

    A human was climbing out by barely managing to hook his arm over the edge.

    Su-hyeun, completely breathless, plopped straight down on the ground after reaching the surface. ¡°Man, I thought I was going to die for real¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t have any strength left in his body.

    He still had some magical energy left, but all of his tension had abandoned him by now, and the exhaustion was washing over him like a tidal wave.

    The reality wasn¡¯t too far off either. He had to deal with the penalty for a while when his use of the ¡°Immortality¡± skill had ended.

    ¡°No, this¡­What kind of nonsense is this¡­?¡±

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s previously narrowed eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when Su-hyeun reappeared after defeating Nezha.

    Prince Nezha had fallen. At the hands of a human, no less.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± said the Bull Demon King with a grin and lightly clapped his hands.

    CLAP¡ª!

    Jiiii-iiiing¡ª

    That single clap caused a massive ripple to spread within the battlefield. The ear-splitting noise prompted Sun Wukong to stop swinging his Ruyi Jingu Bang at Erlang Shen and froze in his spot.

    ¡°Big brother?¡±

    It was the same for Erlang Shen on the opposite side as he was about to wield his lengthy blade.

    As a general of the Heavenly World¡¯s army, he had no obligation to heed the Bull Demon King¡¯s orders, but he simply couldn¡¯t make another move after sensing the scary aura contained in the hand clap just then.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we call it a day? My front yard has become too messy, you see.¡±

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s voice was soft, but it was still clear enough for everyone in the Heavenly World¡¯s army that blanketed the sky to hear.

    After making his suggestion, he affably chuckled. He seemed to be deeply entertained by something as he scanned the state of his so-called front yard.

    Rather unsurprisingly, his words caused the flames of rage to explode in the Jade Emperor¡¯s heart. ¡°You want to end it here?!¡±

    Grit¡ª

    His teeth gritted loudly.

    Prince Nezha was dead, yet only the opening curtains of the war had been pulled back.

    ¡°Is that something you should say in this situation?!¡±

    Su-hyeun looked as if he couldn¡¯t continue fighting anymore, so much so that if the Jade Emperor sent out one or two Heavenly World¡¯s gods after him, he should easily be killed off.

    That was only possible because of Nezha¡¯s sacrifice.

    The Jade Emperor thought that the human must be finished right at that moment. If they were to stop there, then Nezha¡¯s sacrifice would have been for naught.

    ¡°Oh, in that case¡­¡±

    When the Jade Emperor bared his fangs, the Bull Demon King finally began unleashing his hidden aura for the first time as well.

    Crack, spliiiit¡ª

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    The world began rumbling. The ground below buckled, and the surrounding atmosphere quivered unsteadily as if the whole world was in a panic.

    The Jade Emperor felt the entire world quivered through his skin. Just the simple act of unleashing some aura was already that much.

    The Bull Demon King wasn¡¯t angry. He was simply sending a warning message.

    ¡°Do you wish to fight some more?¡±

    A warning that he would participate in the battle next.

    Gulp¡ª

    The Jade Emperor had forgotten about it momentarily out of rage.

    The Bull Demon King. He was an existence who must not enter the battle. The one directing this battlefield was not the Jade Emperor but the absolute being about to step into godhood.

    ¡°If you wish to continue on, then I won¡¯t stop you. No, wait. I guess there¡¯s no need for me to stop you in the first place. Well, then¡­¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwait.¡±

    The Jade Emperor quickly waved his hands about.

    No matter how upset he was, he should definitely avoid fighting against the Bull Demon King in that place.

    A long time ago, the Bull Demon King used to behave exactly like a raging bull¡ªthe kind that did not stop no matter what once it started rampaging around.

    Even if his emotions had gotten faint, it was still hard to tell whether or not that nature of his had disappeared as well.

    However, if that side to him still remained, then, never mind the Heavenly World¡¯s army present, he would even go as far as to utterly devastate the entire Heavenly World and then some.

    ¡°I get it. W¡ªwe shall withdraw.¡±

    ¡°A wise decision.¡±

    The Bull Demon King soon began smiling affably again after raising his aura as if he would start murdering everyone.

    The world that was writhing viciously abruptly calmed down just then as if it was all a lie. It was so abrupt that the world up until a second ago felt like a mirage.

    The Jade Emperor managed to pry open his own unwilling lips. ¡°We shall return to the base.¡±

    That announcement caused Erlang Shen who was fighting against Sun Wukong to open his mouth first. ¡°But!¡±

    ¡°Erlang Shen!¡±

    Despite the considerable distance between them, they could hear each other clearly, which meant they could sense their emotions as well.

    ¡°Did you not hear my order to retreat?¡±

    A heavy amount of rage was laced in the Jade Emperor¡¯s voice.

    And so¡­

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Erlang Shen¡¯s voice was filled with several emotions, including ruefulness, rage, and even sorrow.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The Heavenly World¡¯s gods began rising up into the sky one by one. In the meantime, Erlang Shen descended below the ground and retrieved Prince Nezha¡¯s corpse.

    If it was in the past, Sun Wukong wouldn¡¯t have just watched the gods retreat like this. However, this situation wasn¡¯t the handiwork of the Jade Emperor but the Bull Demon King.

    Even if the Jade Emperor ordered the retreat, this was actually the will of the Bull Demon King, so Sun Wukong had not much of a choice but to watch the gods run away.

    ¡°Big bro, is that for real?¡±

    However, Sun Wukong was preoccupied with something else at the moment.

    And that would be Nezha¡¯s corpse currently slung over Erlang Shen¡¯s back.

    Sun Wukong had fought the longest against Nezha, so he would recognize that face anywhere and do it better than anyone alive. And since he even possessed the Fiery Golden Eyes, he could definitely confirm that Nezha was not breathing anymore.

    He didn¡¯t need to verify Nezha¡¯s death any further than that. So, he instead shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun who was struggling to stand back up. ¡°This guy, just what is he exactly?¡±

    <hr />

    A day had passed by after the gods of the Heavenly World retreated.

    Su-hyeun had been sleeping right through it. His aching body needed a lot of time to properly heal¡ªall because of the Yogoe Capturing Rope.

    The confining rope capable of restricting gods and Yogoes alike would exert enough pressure to crush one¡¯s bones as soon as it tightened around the target¡¯s body.

    Chirp¡ª

    His ears caught a bird¡¯s pleasant chirping.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s tightly closed eyelids slowly opened. He pushed aside the sheets and raised his torso.

    ¡°How long did I sleep for?¡±

    Ever since he arrived, he somehow developed a habit of falling into a deep sleep.

    Su-hyeun scratched his head. His sleep had been so deep that he just couldn¡¯t wake up at all, so he loudly slapped his cheeks with his hands.

    After waking up a bit more, he got up from the bed and left the house.

    When he did¡­

    ¡°What the?¡±

    The surrounding view he grew familiar with entered his vision.

    Thick verdant trees spread out as far as his eyes could see, and the refreshingly cool early morning air and the comforting scent of earth tickled his nose.

    But that view should have been wrecked beyond recognition from the previous battle.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s voice echoed around.

    Su-hyeun dazedly looked at him.

    Sun Wukong lightly leaped off from the bamboo spear and left his clones to continue with the training. ¡°How¡¯s your body feeling now? You¡¯re not in pain anywhere, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that. Yes, quite amazingly, I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡±

    Only after listening to Sun Wukong¡¯s question did Su-hyeun belatedly check up on his body¡¯s status.

    He didn¡¯t even have to take a closer look. It was with amazement that he found his condition to be at its absolute peak.

    ¡°But it felt like all of my bones were crushed, didn¡¯t it?¡± he thought.

    He felt it right after he had used up his ¡°Immortality¡± skill, so he didn¡¯t have much magical energy left in him, and physically speaking, he was quite exhausted as well. But even then, to think that he would recover so perfectly after only in a single day.

    ¡°Well, big bro¡¯s pretty handy with his healing ability, you know. You might have not noticed it yet, but your body¡¯s probably been improved a bit now, too.¡±

    ¡°It seems that way.¡±

    For sure, his body did feel lighter than usual. It previously felt fatigued and heavy for some reason, yet now, the featherlight sensation that dominated his body felt like he had gained a new pair of wings.

    ¡°Just what did he do exactly?¡± he wondered.

    Seeing that it was already morning, Su-hyeun figured that he had rested for a full day.

    Upon realizing that he slept for a long time again, he ended up sighing in disappointment and regret, fully knowing that every second was too precious to him.

    However, it was at that moment that¡­

    ¡°Ah. The breathing technique,¡± he realized.

    Su-hyeun had forgotten to maintain his breathing technique, but an expression of astonishment quickly formed on his face.

    ¡°Hey, man, why do you sigh so much anyway? You haven¡¯t even lived for that long, you know.¡±

    Sun Wukong tutted in disapproval at the sight of Su-hyeun sighing.

    However, the latter didn¡¯t really pay attention to what the Yogoe said just then. ¡°Big bro, am I¡­?¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°My breathing pattern¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re breathing properly, aren¡¯t you? Yeah, that¡¯s the correct pattern.¡±

    Sun Wukong replied as if he couldn¡¯t see a problem.

    But that was precisely what Su-hyeun found odd.

    The breathing technique he barely managed to maintain consciously had now become so natural that he could no longer remember the previous breathing pattern anymore.

    ¡°No way¡­¡± he thought.

    [Basic Breathing Technique]

    <ul>

    Grade: ¨C

    Category: Active (activation type)

    The Sage Arts¡¯ basic breathing method. Maintaining the breathing pattern reduces magical energy consumption by 32%.

    Proficiency: 48.25%

    Your magical energy concentration will increase depending on your proficiency.

    </ul>

    Su-hyeun was stunned once more after confirming his proficiency.

    Over 48%.

    His magical energy consumption was now reduced by 32%.

    The proficiency that hovered around the 10% mark for the last few days had shot up greatly after a good night¡¯s sleep.

    ¡°If the consumption reduction is now 32%, then¡­¡± his thoughts trailed off.

    Whenever a need to use skills or magical power arose in the future, he would get the same result as he did in the past while only unleashing 68% of output.

    To flip that around, consuming the same amount of magical energy as before would result in even greater firepower now.

    Since the breathing technique was basically a cheat skill, he feared that its proficiency wouldn¡¯t rise that quickly, but as it turned out, he was wrong.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you surprised by how natural it is?¡±

    Sun Wukong didn¡¯t know about the existence of the ¡°system,¡± so he merely thought that Su-hyeun¡¯s shock was caused by how natural his breathing technique had gotten.

    The truth wasn¡¯t too far off, though.

    The meaning of the proficiency increasing was the same as him becoming that much familiar with the technique, after all.

    Pang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong powerfully smacked Su-hyeun¡¯s back.

    The impact force was strong enough to crush the spine of a regular person. However, to Sun Wukong, such a smack was nothing more than a friendly pat.

    ¡°Kids are supposed to grow up by fighting a lot. Remember that.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. Sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, and big bro said you should go and see him in his room when you wake up. I came here to tell you that. I was wondering if you were feeling alright, too,¡± Sun Wukong said, pointing to the Bull Demon King¡¯s room.

    Su-hyeun lightly shook his head as he watched Sun Wukong quickly leap back up on top of the wooden spike.

    ¡°The Bull Demon King is waiting for me?¡± he thought.

    He still couldn¡¯t sense anything from that room.

    But that was obvious. He couldn¡¯t sense him in the past, and most likely, he would not be able to in the future as well. To him, the current Bull Demon King was an existence similar to Mother Nature itself, someone he couldn¡¯t even dare to get close to.

    Step, step¡ª

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    However, with that thought running in his mind, Su-hyeun had to briefly stop walking as he headed toward the Bull Demon King¡¯s room.

    Something strange had happened.

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s presence, something he thought he would never pick up, he could feel it now.

 Chapter 257

    ¡°What are you doing out there? You can just come in.¡±

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s voice came from inside the room.

    Su-hyeun walked a little faster than before, opened the sliding door, and entered the room. The Bull Demon King was waiting with piping hot tea prepared for him.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I feel fine. Thank you.¡±

    The warmth in the Bull Demon King¡¯s voice caused Su-hyeun to get confused about what to say, so his reply came about a beat late.

    Did the Yogoe really see him as a little brother?

    Apparently, the Bull Demon King had no emotions, so Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but think that all these actions were simply the results of the former calculating potential gains and losses.

    Despite that, he still wondered whether or not it¡¯s possible for such a warm voice to come out from all those calculations.

    A cushion on the opposite side seemed to be prepared by the Bull Demon King, so Su-hyeun settled down on it. He knelt down in a somewhat uncomfortable manner, prompting the Yogoe to narrow his eyes and speak.

    ¡°You can be at ease. Your knees will end up hurting later if you sit like that.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be alright.¡±

    ¡°You think so? But then again, something like that wouldn¡¯t hurt you, anyway.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you wanted to speak to me. What can I¡ª?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t always see someone because you have a special business, do you? And simply having a chat with a little brother isn¡¯t all that unique an event either.¡±

    The Bull Demon King chuckled affably after saying that, and Su-hyeun could only say, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true,¡± as his reply.

    The ¡°little brother¡± and the ¡°big brother.¡±

    In a way, this was like having a family. Forget for a second about how Su-hyeun felt about this whole thing, both Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King called him their little brother, and they asked him to call them big brothers in return.

    The thing was, he still found it rather difficult to think of them in such a way.

    ¡°Big brothers and little brother¡­¡± he thought.

    He was only now getting used to those terms.

    No matter how grateful he was about their hospitality, it was only obvious that feeling the kind of closeness akin to a real family would be quite difficult to do so in only a matter of few days.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s honest impression of these two was that they were merely nice people, no, Yogoes. That was about it.

    ¡°Just what am I to them?¡± he wondered.

    Sip¡ª

    Su-hyeun sneaked a glance at the Bull Demon King who had begun sipping on the piping hot tea and then lifted up his own teacup.

    His expression that was reflected on the tea¡¯s surface looked grave for some reason. On the other hand, the Bull Demon King¡¯s face was filled with affable warmth from the very beginning.

    ¡°You¡¯ll soon get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Pardon me?¡±

    Su-hyeun put the teacup down without taking a sip from it.

    Those words sounded like the Yogoe had seen through what was in Su-hyeun¡¯s mind. And for real, the Bull Demon King seemed to have figured out what his little human brother was thinking about.

    ¡°I meant the relationship of being sworn brothers. At first, Sun Wukong was just like you. No, wait. He was even more uncomfortable than you were. It took about one year before he started calling me his big brother and another five before he became fully used to the term.¡±

    ¡°In that case, you calling brother Wukong as your little brother was¡­¡±

    ¡°That was my one-sided whim. I probably told him to call me his big brother hundreds of times. But how is it now? Isn¡¯t he the most trustworthy little brother of all time?¡±

    Having said that, the Bull Demon King exploded into a loud peal of laughter that could make others hearing it cheer up as well.

    Su-hyeun felt slightly weird just then.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t only me?¡± he thought.

    He knew how particular the Bull Demon King¡¯s personality was. And it was even more so in reality.

    To think that he would make a total stranger his little brother and tell them to call him their big brother solely because he found them to his liking.

    At first, Su-hyeun wondered if this was some kind of a prank based off on curiosity. While the beginning might be simple, the process and the end result were definitely not so.

    The Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong.

    The relationship between the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven and the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal was like that. They remained sworn brothers even after eons of time had passed.

    And their beginning wasn¡¯t all that different to Su-hyeun¡¯s own.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re feeling a little better now.¡±

    ¡°Feeling a little better, huh?¡± Su-hyeun thought. He nodded at that observation.

    It was true. He did feel a bit better.

    He thought he finally got an inkling on how to treat the Bull Demon King from now on.

    ¡°Yes. I think I get it a little now.¡±

    Su-hyeun grinned a little and lifted the teacup again.

    As it turned out, the answer was actually quite simple.

    ¡°If he¡¯s being genuine, then I simply need to reciprocate that,¡± he thought.

    Maybe he had been distrustful of these two deep inside his heart until now. Uncertain of whether or not the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong really considered him their sworn brother.

    ¡°In any case, it seems that you¡¯ve really mastered the basics now.¡±

    At this sudden change of the topic, Su-hyeun quickly nodded his head. ¡°Ah, yes. If you were referring to the breathing technique, then I¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun was maintaining the breathing technique even now.

    Well, actually, he couldn¡¯t even say that he was consciously maintaining it. He was now breathing naturally in that pattern as if he had been doing so his entire life.

    At this point in time, breathing in the old ways would come across as uncomfortable and unnatural to him.

    ¡°Indeed, youngsters are meant to mature through fighting. Paying attention to your breathing while struggling during an urgent situation would greatly hasten your natural mastery over the technique.¡±

    ¡°Was that why you let me fight against Nezha?¡±

    Su-hyeun was aware that the Bull Demon King interrupted the battle against the Heavenly World in the middle. He remembered it clearly since he plopped on the ground from exhaustion afterward.

    If the Yogoe wanted to, he could have ended the battle so much earlier, yet he only stepped in after Su-hyeun¡¯s battle against Nezha had ended.

    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d win.¡± The Bull Demon King¡¯s warm and steady smile briefly disappeared just then. ¡°I planned to interrupt the fight midway. I believed that Prince Nezha was too difficult an opponent for you at that time.¡±

    That was true.

    Even now, Su-hyeun thought that he only won against Prince Nezha out of sheer luck.

    ¡°The difference in our stamina level was too great,¡± he thought.

    Unlike Su-hyeun who had to resort to activating the ¡°Immortality¡± skill and went all out in a brief window of time, Prince Nezha did his best to control his tempo as he fought.

    The reason for that was obvious.

    While Su-hyeun focused on the enemy before his eyes, Prince Nezha was different. He kept Sun Wukong in his mind throughout the battle.

    This was unsurprising, really, considering that his eternal rival was not Su-hyeun but Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    ¡°If that hadn¡¯t been the case¡­No¡­If I missed his throat by a hair¡¯s breadth¡­¡±

    The one to fall would have been Su-hyeun instead.

    Since that was the case, he couldn¡¯t argue against the Bull Demon King¡¯s opinion. The one thing that he definitely needed to bridge the gap in power was the breathing technique.

    ¡°The only possible way for you to win against that fool in a battle was to gain an even greater mastery of the breathing technique. In order to fill up the gap of status and strength brought on by the differences in the time that you¡¯ve lived, you¡¯d need to exercise the breathing technique more perfectly than ever before. Only then would you have even one percent higher odds of victory. But then¡­¡± The Bull Demon King spoke with a pleased expression. ¡°You managed to use that one percent to your advantage. Wait, maybe it¡¯s wrong to call it odds of victory since you won with your skills and not through some random luck.¡±

    Upon saying that, he put the teacup down. He had finished it before Su-hyeun noticed, and the bottom of the cup could be seen now.

    The Bull Demon King stood up and said, ¡°When you¡¯re finished as well, come to the backyard. But don¡¯t be in a hurry to finish it. I still have a lot to teach you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m finished anyway.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t even taken a proper sip yet, so what do you mean, you¡¯re finished? It¡¯s necessary to know when to take it slow. Especially so when it¡¯s you. Right now, you need to practice how to rein in your heart that¡¯s in a rush.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After hearing that, Su-hyeun closed his mouth shut and looked down at his own teacup.

    Steam was still rising from the hot tea¡¯s surface. If he wanted to, he could down this whole cup in one go, but doing that would be just like what the Bull Demon King had implied¡ªan action born out of how much rush he was in.

    A way to be patient, to be more relaxed. He didn¡¯t expect the Bull Demon King¡¯s advice of needing to practice that touch him so deeply.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Du-ru-ruk¡ª

    The Bull Demon King left the room first and closed the sliding door firmly shut.

    Su-hyeun fidgeted around with the teacup before taking a sip of the hot liquid it contained.

    Just a tiny little sip. And slowly, too. Slowly enough that he would soon realize that he had forgotten how long it had been since he last drank tea this leisurely.

    Doing that might have been as easy as breathing for some people, but for Su-hyeun, it was as difficult as fighting itself.

    * * *

    Save points¡ªsafe zones¡ªexisted on all of the floors.

    Su-hyeun also paid close attention to them. It was an absolute must to memorize the locations of these zones that allowed him to travel between reality and the tower¡¯s trials.

    In most cases, the safe zones that didn¡¯t fall under the trial¡¯s scope were designated as the save points. However, the situation this time was somewhat unique.

    ¡°Are all the areas excluding the Heavenly World really designated as one big save point?¡±

    During the night, he took a bit of time out to search for the save points and soon found something important.

    And that would be the fact that every part of the world where humans and Yogoes lived, the one right below the Heavenly World, had been designated as the save point.

    ¡°Which means, this whole place is¡­¡±

    Meaning, this place was unrelated to this trial.

    ¡°Big brother¡¯s residence is also the same.¡±

    What he found most strange was that even the house where the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong lived in was included inside the save point as well.

    He could understand a save point being excessively vast, sure, but not when it also included the Bull Demon King¡¯s residence. His breathing technique training and the battle against the Heavenly World¡¯s army took place near that location, after all.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s going on here.¡±

    Su-hyeun went back to reality for a little while before returning to the trial. After confirming the range of the safe zone one more time, he couldn¡¯t help but scratch his head.

    No matter how much he tried to organize his current situation, he could glean only one message from this vast scope of the safe zone.

    ¡°This place I¡¯m in is not related to the contents of the trial itself.¡±

    Defeat the Jade Emperor and bring down the Heavenly World.

    In a way, those two would be the final aim of this trial. In that case, perhaps it wasn¡¯t strange to see that the safe zone¡¯s range extended to the entire surface world where humans and Yogoes lived together.

    The Jade Emperor existed in the Heavenly World, after all. And the surface world would have been a brief stopover, a place to take a short break, during the trial.

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then what about these things I¡¯m doing now?¡±

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s friendship or the Sage Arts he was teaching Su-hyeun¡­

    ¡°Were they really unrelated to the current trial as well?¡±

    Su-hyeun thought of them as a kind of reward. During the progress of trials, one would sometimes receive new skills and the like as if they were rewards.

    However, from what he had experienced so far, such things were always treated as parts of the trial itself.

    ¡°Well, it will work out somehow.¡±

    Su-hyeun could only sigh at the complicated thoughts in his mind and returned to the Bull Demon King¡¯s residence.

    Smack, smack¡ª!

    Bang¡ª!

    He found Sun Wukong swinging around his Ruyi Jingu Bang as he sparred against his own clones, no less.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re home already?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°I guess your hometown was pretty close by? You came back sooner than I thought.¡±

    Su-hyeun used the excuse of going back to his hometown for a little while to leave the residence. But he came back even before half a day had passed, so he had to immediately come up with another excuse. ¡°Ah, yes. I just, you know, went to say hello, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    ¡°Looks like I need to show up there every now and then. Folks at home were worried about me, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure. Doesn¡¯t sound like it¡¯s far away anyway, so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Perhaps Sun Wukong was too focused in the sparring session that he answered in a disinterested manner.

    Thinking that he somehow got through with his story, Su-hyeun deeply sighed in relief.

    But before he could enter the residence, he sensed lots of gazes falling on him and took a look around. ¡°And what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±

    Sun Wukong and his clones who were engaged in a sparring session only until a second ago were now all staring at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sun Wukong replied in his usual mischievous manner at Su-hyeun¡¯s question. ¡°Training, obviously.¡±

 Chapter 258

    Act 8

    Pow¡ª

    Split¡ª!

    A Ruyi Jingu Bang flying in at his face shattered into bits, and Su-hyeun¡¯s fist accurately slammed into Sun Wukong¡¯s solar plexus.

    Pang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s clone made a small exploding noise and disappeared from the spot. Almost at the same time, a massive shadow loomed over Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    Gu-wu-wung¡ª!

    It was yet another Ruyi Jingu Bang¡ªthis time, in its gigantic form.

    However, the descending pole never touched the ground. Sun Wukong¡¯s clone that enlarged the Ruyi Jingu Bang was really stunned by what happened, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Such strength was capable of lifting the pole from below; even if the Ruyi Jingu Bang was a fake, Su-hyeun still managed to raise it up.

    Fuu-wuph¡ª!

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed the Ruyi Jingu Bang with both hands and swung it as hard as he could.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    The fake Ruyi Jingu Bang and Sun Wukong¡¯s clone were flung into the distant skies. At the same time, the spear Su-hyeun was carrying rapidly flew toward the flying target.

    Swhoosh¡ª!

    Shatter¡ª

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang was shattered once more. Sun Wukong¡¯s clone also disappeared with a hole in its chest.

    Su-hyeun let out a lengthy, fatigued breath after defeating Sun Wukong¡¯s fifth clone.

    Fuu-wu-wu¡ª

    That went on for over half a day.

    As for the real Sun Wukong, he was leisurely riding on his Somersault Cloud high up in the sky, just spectating on the battles taking place below.

    All the battles had been fought with his clones so far. The total number of clones surrounding Su-hyeun at the moment was 10.

    ¡°This really is a cheat.¡±

    To think that every single clone carried Sun Wukong¡¯s treasured magic tool, the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    It seemed that aside from his body, all the items in contact with the said body could be copied at will. Since the pole was fake like the clones, its hardness fell far behind the real thing, but it worked perfectly well as a combat weapon despite its shortcoming.

    ¡°You know the basics of fighting, at least. I guess your win against Nezha wasn¡¯t a fluke after all,¡± Sun Wukong spoke.

    The sparring session had already lasted over half a day. Sun Wukong observed Su-hyeun with mystified eyes as the latter continued to fight against his clones.

    The first-ever human to be accepted as a sworn brother by himself and the Bull Demon King. He initially thought of Su-hyeun as nothing more than a pretty strong human, but such a guy still went on to defeat Prince Nezha in the end.

    ¡°Also, the power he wields¡­¡±

    At a casual glance, that energy seemed similar to the ¡°Dao energy¡± Sun Wukong practiced in.

    Other than the low concentration and the impurities mixed within, the reserve itself was more than enough. And with Su-hyeun now mastering the breathing technique, those impurities were quickly being filtered out, and that energy was getting far purer now.

    ¡°What an interesting guy he is.¡±

    Sun Wukong, who was watching the proceedings while resting his chin on his hand, suddenly got up and lightly leaped off from the Somersault Cloud.

    He descended for dozens upon dozens of meters, but his feet didn¡¯t make any noise as he landed on the ground like he merely weighed a feather.

    Su-hyeun, who was breathing heavily as he kept on sparring with the clones, stopped and stared at Sun Wukong.

    ¡°So? How was it? Fighting without relying on any other energy has been a while for you, right?¡± the latter asked.

    ¡°Well, it hasn¡¯t been that long, but yes.¡±

    Sweat poured out of his body like a torrential rainstorm, but that didn¡¯t mean Su-hyeun felt completely exhausted at the moment.

    That was all thanks to the great reserve of the magical energy remaining in his body. Even if he didn¡¯t rely on it, that energy still continued to supply vitality to its master¡¯s physique.

    ¡°Nonetheless¡­I do feel a little different from the past.¡±

    This wouldn¡¯t be the first time he didn¡¯t rely on magical energy and fought with only his bare fists since he became an awakener. Back when his strength stat had experienced a sudden increase, he took a day out to test his new limits and fought like today.

    If there was one thing different, then his current opponents were far stronger than that day.

    Perhaps that was why sudden thoughts of saying, ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± popped in his head often. Despite that, the confidence of knowing that he could still keep going took over his entire body.

    ¡°It¡¯s really effective.¡±

    Su-hyeun sat down on the spot and regulated his breathing for a little while.

    The sparring session had been taking place for the past few days. Initially, he wondered about the purpose of doing this, but after one day, he definitely sensed overall improvements.

    The effect of the breathing technique didn¡¯t simply stop at reducing his consumption of magical energy.

    The breathing technique¡ªarguably the beginning and the end of the Sage Art itself¡ªenhanced the purity of Su-hyeun¡¯s magical energy. Simply put, it served the role of extracting impurities from his body.

    To deplete his stamina right down to the absolute limits while using the magical energy that filled his body and expel the impurities along with his fatigued breathing¡ªthose were the initial goals of this training.

    ¡°The magical energy feels far purer than ever before. And also¡­¡±

    Once some of his stamina returned, Su-hyeun got up and raised his fist.

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Sun Wukong smirked at Su-hyeun¡¯s attempt to provoke him. ¡°You wanna have a go?¡±

    ¡°Thank you in advance for your guidance.¡±

    ¡°Guidance? You want me to teach you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You know, you really know how to say all the right things. And very politely, too. Alright, then. Allow me to teach you a few things today.¡±

    Sun Wukong put his dukes up and lightly moved his feet.

    His actions were definitely light yet fast.

    However, it didn¡¯t feel like he was in a rush or anything.

    ¡°Is this what he meant back then by saying I¡¯m in a rush?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The Bull Demon King told Su-hyeun to learn to be more patient and relaxed.

    At first, he didn¡¯t really get it. But now, he knew¡ªbeing strong meant you could easily be broken, but being malleable would mean you would bend instead.

    Ta-ahk¡ª, paaang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s fist slammed into empty air, while the other fist landed in his opponent¡¯s palm.

    Defending and dodging repeated themselves. It certainly had been a while since Su-hyeun didn¡¯t rely on his weapons and fought bare-handed, but even with that excuse, Sun Wukong was still too strong for him to do anything at the moment.

    Pant, pant¡ª

    After sparring for about an hour¡­

    Su-hyeun was lying spread-eagled on the ground. He didn¡¯t even have enough energy left to lift a finger.

    Despite that, he felt great. Sun Wukong laid down on top of the Somersault Cloud and waited for Su-hyeun to recover.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care again.¡±

    After resting for 10 minutes or so, Su-hyeun got up from his spot. Without saying anything, Sun Wukong continued to spar with him. Such a routine repeated itself over the day, and then, another five days went by like that.

    ¡°I can see them.¡±

    Su-hyeun began thinking that his spar against Sun Wukong was much more doable now compared to the beginning. Little by very little, he could now see Sun Wukong¡¯s movements.

    The punches he found so hard to follow on the first day were now so much clearer for him to see.

    ¡°Dodge, then¡­¡±

    Unhurriedly¡­

    Rustle¡ª

    Sun Wukong¡¯s fist brushed past Su-hyeun¡¯s head. That punch came across as much, much slower than all of Sun Wukong¡¯s movements up until now.

    ¡°Hit him back,¡± he said to himself.

    Flash¡ª

    Slam¡ª!

    For the first time ever, Su-hyeun¡¯s fist touched Sun Wukong¡¯s body.

    [You have acquired ¡°Sage¡¯s Eye.¡±]

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun¡¯s daily routine remained the same for a while.

    As soon as he woke up in the morning, he fought against Sun Wukong¡¯s clones. He didn¡¯t use a drop of magical energy and continued to fight with his physical body only.

    Although simple in concept, this was the best training method there could be. If it was any other time, such a training would be nothing more than torture to his body, but with guidance from both the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong, plus the breathing technique supporting him, Su-hyeun¡¯s physique experienced a rapid metamorphosis every single day.

    [Stamina has risen by 1.]

    [Reflex has risen by 1.]

    [Magic count has risen by 1.]

    Three stats saw an increase after 10 days. But that wasn¡¯t all.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s magical energy¡¯s purity rose up. Using it also became so much smoother than before¡ªso much so that Sun Wukong cowered a little because of it as he watched Su-hyeun¡¯s growth from the closest vantage point.

    ¡°Big brother, just what exactly is our youngest bro?¡± Sun Wukong asked in disbelief and continued to watch Su-hyeun fight against his clones.

    The Bull Demon King was currently riding on the Somersault Cloud alongside him. For the past few days, the Yogoe made it his daily routine to watch over Su-hyeun¡¯s training.

    ¡°He has already opened his Sage¡¯s Eye, didn¡¯t he?¡± Sun Wukong continued.

    The Sage¡¯s Eye.

    That name was meant to evoke the ¡°eyes of a Taoist God.¡± The wondrous ¡°eye¡± possessed the effect of slowing down the actions of everything caught in the vision of its wielder.

    As the story went, if you managed to train the Sage¡¯s Eye even further, then you would be able to see through the truth of the world and even awaken ¡°Clairvoyance¡± and ¡°Precognition.¡±

    ¡°He indeed has,¡± the Bull Demon King replied.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t awakened my Sage¡¯s Eye yet. What about you, big brother?¡±

    ¡°It took me about one hundred years to acquire the eye.¡±

    ¡°That dude¡­He only needed five days.¡±

    Five days.

    Even a regular human would find that time frame quite short.

    Unsurprisingly, for both the Bull Demon King, who lived for almost an eternity, and Sun Wukong, who was also learning the same Sage Arts, such a period would be nothing more than a mere blip.

    So, for them, the rate of Su-hyeun¡¯s growth was quite hard to even fathom.

    ¡°He¡¯s different from us, after all.¡±

    On the other hand, the Bull Demon King didn¡¯t seem as stunned as Sun Wukong was.

    Wondering what that statement even meant, the latter asked, ¡°But isn¡¯t that obvious? The youngest is a human, after all.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t referring to the difference in our races.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°An unseen hand is currently aiding the youngest. It¡¯s acting as if¡­the world¡¯s greatest assistant.¡±

    ¡°An unseen hand?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not certain about the exact details either. But what I do know for sure is that we shouldn¡¯t pry any deeper than this.¡±

    He sounded like he was trying to catch pies in the distant sky.

    Sun Wukong wasn¡¯t much of a fan of using his head, so he simplified what the Bull Demon King had said as much as possible to understand it.

    So, basically, what the latter had said was that there must be a special circumstance with why Su-hyeun acquired the Sage Arts at such a breakneck speed.

    ¡°Is that why he¡¯s so strong?¡±

    After all, Su-hyeun as a human only had lived for no more than a handful of decades.

    Yet, he still possessed enough abilities to defeat Prince Nezha, whether that happened by fluke or through his skills.

    Not only that, but he had also become completely familiar with the breathing technique and even awakened the Sage¡¯s Eye, also referred to as the Taoist God¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± the Bull Demon King thought to himself as he alternated his gaze between Sun Wukong who was staring at Su-hyeun with deeply interested eyes and then at Su-hyeun who had already defeated nearly 10 clones so far.

    ¡°What will happen if our youngest consumes the Peach of Immortality like this kid here?¡±

    The rare fruit that reputedly only ripens once every three thousand years and found only in the Heavenly World that existed above the surface.

    The Bull Demon King imagined Su-hyeun¡¯s figure eating that fruit, and a smile subtly deeper than his usual grin floated on his face.

    ¡°Uh? Big brother, take a look over there.¡±

    It was around then that Sun Wukong, who was lying on the Somersault Cloud on his stomach while resting his chin on his hands, suddenly got up.

    ¡°I already know. The ¡®first¡¯ is headed over here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course, you already knew. Obviously, you¡¯d have spotted a long time ago what I¡¯m just seeing now. But why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything and keep watching.¡±

    Unlike Sun Wukong who stood up from the cloud¡¯s surface, the Bull Demon King was still relaxed as he looked down at the ground.

    ¡°Something rather entertaining will happen soon, it seems.¡±

    <hr />

    Pang, pa-pa-pang¡ª!

    All of the clones that were rushing toward Su-hyeun suddenly vanished.

    He was about to punch them just then. He stood upright and took a look around him. It wasn¡¯t just those clones that were pouncing on him, but even the others on standby had vanished without a trace as well.

    He did break a bit of sweat, and that was about it so far. He still had plenty of stamina left and wasn¡¯t injured anywhere.

    Meaning, there was no reason to stop the sparring there.

    ¡°Are we done?¡±

    Su-hyeun asked in a puzzled voice, but there was no reply.

    That wasn¡¯t all either.

    ¡°Where did they go?¡± he thought.

    The two Yogoes¡¯ presence had also vanished even before he had noticed it.

    Wondering if they were up on the Somersault Cloud to observe him just like before, Su-hyeun raised his head to take a look.

    Was it due to acquiring the Sage¡¯s Eye? He couldn¡¯t see the Bull Demon King, but he did spot Sun Wukong up there.

    ¡°Are they in hiding? But why¡­¡±

    ¡°HEY!¡±

    A loud roar reverberated from the far off distance.

    Su-hyeun turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw a person flying in from the distant sky.

    ¡°He¡¯s flying?¡±

    It was a man with sharp facial features and a human-like body but with bird-like wings on his back.

    He rapidly folded his wings and landed on the ground. One thing was for certain, he was not a human but a Yogoe.

    This man scanned the immediate surroundings for a little while. After confirming that the front yard and the residence were empty, he shifted his hostile gaze over to Su-hyeun next.

    ¡°Why the hell is a measly little human standing here? And where did the big brother go?¡±

    Before answering those questions, Su-hyeun calmly held the man¡¯s piercing glare.

    The situation did seem rather strange at a glance.

    ¡°This hostility is bordering on killing intent. And then¡­¡± he thought.

    However, that alone wasn¡¯t enough to explain the sentiments mixed in this man¡¯s expression and his tone of voice.

    ¡°Contempt.¡±

 Chapter 259

    His expression and tone of voice regarded Su-hyeun as if he was an insect. Also, the unmistakable naked murderous aura that came from him was primed to kill Su-hyeun at any second.

    If this was any other time, Su-hyeun would have unsheathed his sword and fought straight away. However, he realized from the man¡¯s words that the latter was searching for the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong.

    That was why he couldn¡¯t start fighting there, and so, he should put the priority on having a conversation first.

    ¡°Are you referring to big brother Bull Demon King?¡±

    ¡°Big¡­brother?¡± A murderous intent flashed in the man¡¯s eyes once more. With his large strides toward Su-hyeun, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to see the man reach out to strangle Su-hyeun immediately. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are, calling him your big brother?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve recently joined the brotherhood. Name¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun. May I know what your name is?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Great Sage who Confuses Heaven, the Roc Demon King. I¡¯m the sworn little brother to the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, the Bull Demon King, and the sworn big brother to the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.¡±

    The Great Sage who Confuses Heaven.

    The Yogoe with a title that implied he was a great sage who caused confusion and chaos in the sky.

    Su-hyeun had heard about this guy before. Not only did this Yogoe make an appearance in the Journey to the West, but the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong also said that there was one other sworn brother in the family.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like the entire roster of the seven demon kings of the east are in this world¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    In the Journey to the West, seven ¡°great sages¡± had come together to become sworn brothers. However, there were only three in this world. The Roc Demon King, a ¡°big¡± brother to Sun Wukong and a ¡°little¡± brother to the Bull Demon King, was the third ¡°great sage¡± that Su-hyeun had encountered so far.

    If he was a sibling to Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King, then according to their logic, he was also Su-hyeun¡¯s big brother.

    ¡°I offer you my greeting, big brother.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell is your big brother?!¡±

    The killing intent that leaked out of the Roc Demon King became even thicker.

    At the same time, chilling aura gushed out from him and quickly spread out to the rest of their surroundings. But this aura was markedly different from the one emitted by either Sun Wukong or the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°Demonic Aura?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    It felt rather similar to the ¡°Demonic Aura¡± emitted by the devils¡ªan energy form at complete odds against Dao energy that resembled Mother Nature.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t master the Sage Arts like the others?¡±

    Since he was a sibling to the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong, Su-hyeun thought that the Roc Demon King would obviously have trained in the Sage Arts as well.

    But for someone practicing the Sage Arts, the aura he gave off was far too different. And the emotion he was now displaying went well beyond the level of simple animosity.

    ¡°How dare a measly little human call me a big brother?! You stinking son of a¡­¡±

    That expression and the voice filled with pure contempt¡­

    A deep frown was etched on Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead. If it was possible, he would have much preferred Sun Wukong to come down from the sky and lend him a helping hand, but he had a feeling that his Yogoe big brother was going to sit this one out and simply observe from afar.

    ¡°Meaning, he wants me to resolve this situation by myself,¡± he guessed.

    He also actually wanted this.

    He didn¡¯t think that having a chat with the Roc Demon King would amicably solve the situation, especially so when the latter was clearly unleashing his naked killing intent born out of racial prejudice.

    ¡°It seems that words won¡¯t get through to you,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    Shu-rung¡ª

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword and, at the same time, held his spear.

    Split¡ª

    He also didn¡¯t forget to open his third eye on his forehead. And just as his trait ¡°Third Eye¡± was activated¡­

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Whitish light began swirling within Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    And that caused the Roc Demon King¡¯s movements to falter, even though he had been glaring at Su-hyeun with so much murderous aura up until a second ago.

    ¡°The Sage¡¯s Eye?¡±

    That aura permeating from within Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes and that familiar glare shooting out from them¡­

    Those were definitely the ¡°Sage¡¯s Eye,¡± an offshoot of the Sage Arts and referred to as the Taoist God¡¯s eyes. The Roc Demon King had seen those from the Bull Demon King before.

    ¡°Not to mention, that eye in his forehead¡­¡±

    As the Roc Demon King stared at the Third Eye, his expression rapidly changed into one of bafflement.

    ¡°He¡¯s not a human?¡±

    Such a human-type Yogoe with three eyes, although rare, could sometimes be seen. There were certainly Yogoes with a third eye on their forehead or even numerous eyes on their faces.

    But the smell coming off from Su-hyeun definitely belonged to a human, not a Yogoe. And that was something that caused much confusion in the Roc Demon King¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡± Su-hyeun stared at the Roc Demon King who was already wearing a confused expression on his face and made his move first. ¡°Forgive me for this little act of mutiny.¡±

    * * *

    Swoosh, split¡ª

    Cruuuunch¡ª!

    Powerful gusts of wind raged on.

    The noises of a sword clashing against a hard unbreakable wing could be heard intermittently among the whipping winds.

    Sun Wukong had placed his Somersault Cloud a little higher than usual and, along with the Bull Demon King, spectated on the battle that was taking place below.

    ¡°You know, the second big brother is also not too shabby himself. Don¡¯t you think he got faster than before?¡±

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s not the case, he¡¯s always been the fastest among us in terms of pure speed. If the youngest hadn¡¯t acquired his Sage¡¯s Eye, then the ¡®second¡¯ would¡¯ve probably been an even harder opponent to fight than Prince Nezha.¡±

    The Roc Demon King was faster than Sun Wukong and even the Bull Demon King. Consequently, he became known as the world¡¯s fastest Yogoe.

    Although Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t exactly slow, to begin with, he couldn¡¯t match up to the Roc Demon King¡¯s speed.

    ¡°Of course, being fast isn¡¯t everything.¡±

    ¡°If being faster meant being stronger, then the second brother would¡¯ve been the strongest among us.¡± Sun Wukong nodded his head at the Bull Demon King¡¯s words and then smirked deeply. ¡°Actually, he¡¯s the weakest among us, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Is that something you should say about your big brother? You¡¯re being very rude.¡±

    Sun Wukong chuckled awkwardly and replied, ¡°You know that my compatibility with the second brother is not very good.¡± His eyes were still fixed on the battle that was taking place below. ¡°I like humans. Unlike the second brother.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. That is true.¡±

    Sun Wukong liked humans.

    Their races might have been different, but he liked humans better than those with the race as him, the Yogoes.

    And that was his reason for devouring every single Peach of Immortality in existence, which was referred to as the treasure of the Heavenly World, and for invading that world to start fighting everyone up there.

    Because the Jade Emperor hated humans and because he wished to exterminate every single living human.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s reason for fighting against the Heavenly World was definitely not for the sake of the Yogoes.

    ¡°Who do you think will win the battle?¡±

    ¡°Big brother, you already know that, so why ask me? The youngest has already defeated Nezha. He did that when he only barely learned the basics of the breathing technique and even before he awakened the Sage¡¯s Eye, too.¡±

    An obvious question would only get an obvious reply.

    ¡°The youngest will win, without a doubt.¡±

    As their conversation continued, the battle between Su-hyeun and the Roc Demon King was reaching its climax.

    * * *

    Swish, Swhoooosh¡ª

    Fwhooosh¡ª

    The Roc Demon King, who was flitting about this way and that, suddenly swung one of its wings¡ªstrong enough to tear steel like a piece of paper¡ªin a big arc.

    He instantly appeared behind Su-hyeun to severe the human¡¯s head.

    However¡­

    CLAAANG¡ª!

    The wing and the sword collided once more, causing the Roc Demon King¡¯s entire body to stagger unstably like before.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± the Roc Demon King cursed inwardly.

    He already lost count just how many times this had happened.

    Su-hyeun was far, far slower than he was. In terms of pure speed alone, the Roc Demon King was certain that he would overwhelm his opponent.

    ¡°But, why? Why¡­?!¡±

    Fighting against Su-hyeun reminded him of facing off against someone else.

    ¡°Why? Why am I recalling that fool, Sun Wukong?¡±

    Sun Wukong.

    He might have been the youngest of the three brothers, but he was the only other existence after the Bull Demon King that made the Roc Demon King taste the bitterness of a crushing defeat.

    A lowly monkey-type Yogoe and, not only that, a Yogoe with no special movement abilities¡ªthat was Sun Wukong. But even then, he relied on his instinctive senses to react accurately to all of the Roc Demon King¡¯s movements. It was as if he knew in advance where his opponent would appear next.

    The reality, though, was the Roc Demon King¡¯s assumptions were fairly accurate in their own right.

    ¡°I can see it,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s irises darted around rapidly.

    Swish, whoosh¡ª

    He could clearly see the Roc Demon King¡¯s figure dashing about in the air, causing gusts to break out from his unfurled wings.

    This Yogoe had so far relied on the speed that Su-hyeun had never encountered before, and the latter had accepted that fact as well. However, separate from his brain registering the movements, his eyes could clearly see each maneuver. It felt like his opponent was moving in a world of slow motions.

    ¡°Next time, he¡¯ll be over here.¡±

    Su-hyeun swung his sword ahead of time¡ªwell before the Roc Demon King¡¯s wing swung at him.

    CLAAAANG¡ª!

    And once more, the ultra-sharp and hard scales on the wing collided viciously against Su-hyeun¡¯s blade.

    Baaang¡ª!

    Swung with considerable power, the sword shoved the Roc Demon King¡¯s body far away. No matter how fast the Yogoe was, his strength remained far inferior to Su-hyeun¡¯s.

    ¡°Dammit¡ª!¡±

    The Roc Demon King¡¯s eyes were dyed in a crimson hue.

    An aura similar to the Demonic Aura began swelling from his whole body. At the same time, he pulled both of his wings back before thrusting them forward powerfully.

    ¡°Go and die already¡ª!¡±

    WHOOOOOSH¡ª

    Swooooosh¡ª!

    The blackish aura mixed with violently whipping winds, which created hundreds of millions of small blades, rushed toward Su-hyeun.

    In its entirety, it appeared as a storm made entirely of black turbulence.

    These winds rushed toward Su-hyeun at a far greater speed than before. His eyes could see them, but dodging them would be far harder.

    ¡°I can cut it down.¡±

    However, that didn¡¯t mean he found this attack all that threatening to behold.

    As he stayed within the greatly slowed-down time¡­

    Su-hyeun discovered a slender line viciously whipping about in the middle of the winds.

    ¡°There.¡±

    The line seemed particularly bright.

    Su-hyeun injected a ton of magical energy to his blade and then swung it ruthlessly toward the gap within the winds blowing about without any pattern whatsoever.

    ¡°Explosion style.¡±

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    Along with a soft whisper, his sword sliced about at a leisurely pace.

    Slower and more leisurely than ever before.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Nonetheless, more accurately than ever before, too.

    PANG¡ª!

    Whoosh¡ª

    The black turbulence that was menacingly approaching to rip him into pieces instantly shattered and scattered to their surroundings.

    Clink¡ª

    The sharp blade-like winds died down to become gentle breezes. As he felt the air brush his skin, Su-hyeun replayed the sensation of the sword swing he felt through his fingertips.

    It was as if he heard a message of some kind for a moment just then.

    An expression of pure daze surfaced on the face of the Roc Demon King who was looking at the spectacle from a distance. It was the first time the gusts of wind he had summoned were broken and scattered so powerlessly like that.

    ¡°J¡ªjust what, what is¡­? How¡­?¡±

    Clap¡ª

    A sudden clap of hands woke them up from their stupor.

    The Roc Demon King was startled awake and hurriedly turned his head.

    The Bull Demon King had appeared before anyone had noticed him. As he walked in between his two ¡°siblings,¡± he said, ¡°There, there. Why don¡¯t we end this quarrel between brothers here? If this goes on any longer, someone might get hurt quite gravely.¡±

    The Bull Demon King seemed to be deeply entertained judging from that the wide grin on his face.

    The Roc Demon King realized the truth after seeing that expression. The Bull Demon King had been watching his fight against Su-hyeun all along.

    ¡°Big brother! Even if your emotions have gotten fainter, how can you do this to me considering our relationship? Sure, even if you can¡¯t aid your little brother, at least you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Our relationship? What kind of relationship could you be referring to?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what kind? Aren¡¯t we brothers?! So how come this human who is worth even less than an insect dares to¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s right. We¡¯re brothers. And the youngest here, he is also my little brother. Our sworn brother.¡±

    Shudder¡ª

    The scales covering the Roc Demon¡¯s whole body ever so slightly stood up on their ends. Although the Bull Demon King spoke calmly, his voice definitely contained a stark warning.

    ¡°Worth even less than an insect? Did I hear you say that correctly?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Roc Demon King couldn¡¯t reply and lowered his head instead.

    He failed to calm his body that was trembling nonstop. He even began feeling the threat of death that if he answered poorly now, his head might go flying off in an instant.

    Brothers?

    Did such a thing mean anything to the Bull Demon King, anyway?

    His head might understand the concept, but what about his heart?

    He could suddenly kill the Roc Demon King, someone he referred to as his little brother, without even a shred of hesitation. The current state of the Bull Demon King meant that such a thing was definitely possible.

    ¡°I¡­My apologies.¡±

    The Roc Demon King could only gnash his teeth and lower his head. He then immediately turned around and began walking away.

    The Bull Demon King kept his eyes on the departing back of the Yogoe as he spoke to Su-hyeun. ¡°I hope you can understand where he¡¯s coming from. That one, ever since his birth, he had to live as a slave to humans. Not only that, but his parents were also killed at the hands of humans¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±

    Su-hyeun seemed dazed and distracted somehow as he replied.

    As Su-hyeun stood there clenching and then unfurling his hand that was still holding the sword, the Bull Demon King¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at him.

    As for Sun Wukong who was still riding on top of the Somersault Cloud¡­

    ¡°Man, our little brother is a monster, alright.¡±

    His nails were digging deep into his own thighs to suppress his boiling competitive spirit.

 Chapter 260

    Act 9

    The breathing technique¡ªthe foundation of the Sage Art that prevented the leakage of magical energy from one¡¯s body while it continuously accumulated more of the same energy merely by breathing normally.

    The Sage¡¯s Eye¡ªthe ¡°eye¡± that slowed down the world and allowed one to peer deep into the truth itself.

    And finally¡­

    ¡°Gyeol [1].¡±

    During his battle against the Roc Demon King, Su-hyeun saw a slender ¡°line¡± that ran through the turbulent winds.

    He couldn¡¯t tell why he suddenly thought of cutting it down. One mistake and he could have been struck by that black turbulence and suffered grievous wounds in return.

    But at that moment, he was filled with a certain confidence.

    And the reason for that confidence¡­

    [Sage¡¯s Eye: Gyeol]

    * Grade: ¨C

    * Category: Active (activation type)

    * Category: Sage Art, Sage¡¯s Eye

    * It can only be used when the ¡°Sage¡¯s Eye¡± is active. It can analyze the weaknesses and characteristics of the designated target caught in your view.

    * Proficiency: 0.00%

    Was precisely this.

    The skill called ¡°Gyeol¡±¡ªit seemed that the noise Su-hyeun heard right at the end of his battle against the Roc Demon King had been from the message confirming his acquisition of the skill.

    ¡°Weaknesses and characteristics of the opponent, huh?¡± he mulled inwardly.

    At a casual glance, this skill was seemingly designed to discover the enemy¡¯s weakness. Although not many, awakeners who had mastered a similar skill could be found every now and then.

    Meaning, it was a rather rare skill, and it certainly was useful as well. The fact that he could discover his opponent¡¯s weakness meant that even if he was facing a monster stronger than him, he could still defeat it by going about it smartly.

    But the skill called ¡°Gyeol¡± Su-hyeun had acquired was not something as simple as that.

    ¡°I actually saw through the winds,¡± he thought to himself.

    Winds didn¡¯t possess any physical form, yet he managed to cut down a unique aura hidden among the winds. Not only that, but he also exerted only the bare minimum strength needed to scatter a far stronger aura than his own.

    He tried to remember, but the sensation from back then remained faint¡ªuncertain¡ªas if it was a fluke. If he was asked to do it again, then he would not know how to. It was that sort of sensation.

    ¡°Probably because my proficiency is too low,¡± thought Su-hyeun.

    Gyeol¡¯s proficiency was still stuck at zero percent. This was practically the same as him acquiring the skill only just now. It seemed that he would need a lot of time to get familiar with the skill as well.

    ¡°But something about it¡­is a bit different from other skills,¡± he thought.

    It might exist as a skill, but even then, Gyeol felt different from all the other skills Su-hyeun was familiar with.

    No, wait¡ªwhen he thought about it, even the breathing technique and the Sage¡¯s Eye were similar in that regard. Rather than calling them skills, they felt more like Su-hyeun¡¯s own innate ability at this point.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    It was a chilly night. The Bull Demon King approached Su-hyeun who was currently sitting alone in the living room.

    His approach was again utterly silent, but Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t surprised by it anymore.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time the Bull Demon King did this, and his voice had the strange ability to make listeners feel relaxed rather than surprised even if it came out of nowhere.

    ¡°I was just replaying the fight from earlier in the day in my head, actually.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the fight against the second brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve witnessed ¡®Gyeol,¡¯ have you not?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded his head at the Bull Demon King¡¯s question.

    He only saw it once. Even though he continued to use the Sage¡¯s Eye afterward, he didn¡¯t see Gyeol again. He definitely saw it back then, but now, he couldn¡¯t see anything like that even from a small object.

    What a strange occurrence it was.

    ¡°You¡¯re the type that shines the most during actual combat. Because of your originally gentle personality, you can¡¯t feel much sense of danger in most normal situations, and therefore, you are unable to push your instincts to their limits.¡±

    ¡°Is that why we continue to spar?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t sparring the closest to being in actual combat? Your sparring sessions with Wukong will definitely help you. Of course, it will never be as good as being in a real fight, but still.¡± The Bull Demon King chuckled affably and asked, ¡°And so, how goes with your replaying? If the fight continued on, what do you think would¡¯ve happened in the end?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t finish his reply, but it wasn¡¯t because he couldn¡¯t predict the end result.

    The question itself was asking the obvious. No matter how many times he replayed the fight in his head, he didn¡¯t think he would lose.

    That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t reply. He wasn¡¯t sure if his answer would upset the Bull Demon King, the ¡°oldest¡± in the brotherhood.

    After figuring out the reason behind Su-hyeun¡¯s hesitation, the Bull Demon King lightly patted him on the back and spoke, ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re too kind. Unlike us.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. Big brothers, you all are¡ª¡±

    ¡°Whether it was me or Wukong, we weren¡¯t too different from how the second brother is like now. No, wait. Maybe we were even worse than him. Our obstinate natures did cause a lot of grief to not just the Heavenly World but even humans and Yogoes alike. We created so much chaos wherever we went, after all.¡±

    He suddenly began talking about the old times. Su-hyeun was curious about their lives, so he shut his mouth and paid attention.

    ¡°The Sage Art proved to be a wondrous field of study. It made me regret and reflect on the life I¡¯ve lived from a certain point in time onward, you see. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same story for Wukong as well. Compared to how he was like back when we first met each other, he has become so much gentler now,¡± the Bull Demon King continued.

    ¡°Did the Sage Arts change your personalities?¡±

    ¡°In a way. The Sage Art as a field of study was originally founded as a way for humans to become kinder, better beings. Becoming a god at the end of the path had never been its true goal.¡±

    ¡°Studying to become kinder¡­¡±

    ¡°At first, I thought that your rapid progress in the Sage Arts was due to the unseen hands aiding you.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Unseen hands?

    ¡°Could he be referring to the system?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He was well aware of how special the Bull Demon King as a being was.

    Not to forget, he already knew that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t from this world, so maybe it was possible that he wasn¡¯t bound by the framework called ¡°trials.¡±

    But to think that he even knew about the existence of the ¡°system¡± that involved Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You getting shocked that much is making me feel guilty. But you don¡¯t have to mind it. I shall keep it as a secret to the others.¡±

    ¡°Exactly how much do you know?¡±

    ¡°I know that the existences from the outside world brought you here to test some things. They are called the administrators, aren¡¯t they? What strange beings they are, with their abilities to travel between dimensions and manipulate a world like gods.¡±

    Which meant he practically knew everything.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t really trying to keep those things secret in the first place, but the inexplicable sense of guilt reared its ugly head in his mind nonetheless.

    He could no longer keep the Bull Demon King in the dark.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Why are you apologizing? You¡¯re also a victim, after all.¡±

    The Bull Demon King chuckled for a while and then raised his head to stare at the moon. The silence between the two men persisted for a little while, but in the end, the Yogoe broke it first.

    ¡°Had it not been difficult for you?¡±

    Su-hyeun was stuck in a deep dilemma as he tried to figure out how he should apologize, but when he heard that question made out of concern, his eyes shot open much wider.

    He was trying to apologize, but he got consoled instead.

    Only two people so far had asked if it had been difficult for him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there will be more challenging days ahead of you. Maybe some events far more challenging than the ones you¡¯ve experienced so far are waiting for you up ahead.¡± The Bull Demon King spoke as if he had seen the distant future. ¡°When such a time comes, I hope that the time you have spent with us in this place lends some help to you.¡±

    After finishing what he wanted to say, the Bull Demon King stood up from his spot to leave.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t sleep, so he decided to come out to the living room and organize his thoughts there, but more complicated thoughts had entered his mind instead.

    The Bull Demon King quietly observed Su-hyeun¡¯s back as the young man continued to contemplate before he stepped into his own room.

    ¡°What is the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven?¡± The Bull Demon King stood still with hands behind his back and muttered as he looked around his dark and empty room. ¡°A fool who can¡¯t even control his own heart dares to call himself the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven. What a foolish fella¡­¡±

    The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, the one who would calm the raging heavens. It was indeed a grandiose title. And such a title was something that he and Sun Wukong had assigned to themselves.

    And whether it was for the good or bad, the Bull Demon King tried to live according to the meaning of his title. He did indeed pacify the world above the skies with Sun Wukong, and right now, he was preparing for his ascension to godhood.

    He could become a god whenever he wanted¡ªthat¡¯s what he believed.

    He thought that as soon as Sun Wukong who was confined in the eight-way trigram Crucible came back home, he would ascend and become a Taoist god.

    But then¡­

    ¡°It seems that a few more years will be necessary.¡±

    The shackles of a lingering attachment called brotherhood, which he couldn¡¯t let go for the past tens of thousands of years, began grinding noisily again.

    * * *

    Puh-suhk¡ª

    A thin wooden stick was pounding away on a hard boulder.

    Rather unsurprisingly, the stick snapped in half and broke. Su-hyeun discarded the now-useless stick and picked up another one from a pile resting beside him.

    ¡°What is he doing down there?¡± the Roc Demon King muttered.

    He was currently ¡°sitting¡± in the sky high above, along with Sun Wukong to spectate on Su-hyeun¡¯s actions.

    The latter was currently hitting a boulder with a wooden stick, and he had been repeating the same action for the entire day.

    ¡°If he wants to cut that thing, why doesn¡¯t he just inject some energy into the stick? Why is he persisting with that stupid action?¡± the Roc Demon King continued.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s actions defied the Yogoe¡¯s understanding.

    ¡°Let him hit the rock hundreds of times like that, and see whether the stick or the boulder will break first. Obviously, it¡ª¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s trying to see the ¡®Gyeol¡¯ again, big brother.¡±

    Sun Wukong cut off the Roc Demon King¡¯s rant midway. He sounded as if he wanted to ask, ¡°Can¡¯t you see what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Gyeol? What¡¯s that?¡±

    The Roc Demon King had never learned the Sage Arts. He focused on developing the powers of the Yogoe he was born with, which meant he didn¡¯t even know what this Gyeol was about.

    Sun Wukong, not sure of how to explain himself, began hesitating somewhat. He pondered his options for a while and then lightly clapped his hands and replied, ¡°You know, when you¡¯re looking at something, you get the feeling that a bonk here will crack it there?¡±

    ¡°A bonk will crack what? What are you even talking about?¡±

    ¡°A bonk here and then a break there. Don¡¯t you know it?¡±

    ¡°Know what?¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­ Actually, even I don¡¯t know about it in detail since I never learned it, to begin with. Well, I haven¡¯t acquired the Sage¡¯s Eye, that¡¯s why. Even then, my instincts tell me where to bonk, so it¡¯s been fine for me so far.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s possible for you?¡±

    ¡°You mean, breaking a boulder with a stick?¡±

    ¡°Right, that.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it like taking candy from a baby? Wait, big brother, you can¡¯t do it? Hey, there¡¯s no way.¡±

    ¡°You cheeky bastard.¡±

    Sun Wukong sounded provocative in his retorts, which caused the Roc Demon King¡¯s expression to distort greatly as he continued to stare at Su-hyeun.

    The Monkey King cackled but stopped laughing soon afterward, his gaze shifting down to the ground as well. Su-hyeun still hadn¡¯t managed to cut apart the boulder yet.

    ¡°Such a task would be easy if he used his aura, but¡­¡± Sun Wukong thought.

    But trying to break a boulder with a simple wooden stick while not relying on any type of aura or energy would be a completely different story altogether.

    Performing such a thing would be impossible unless you saw through the ¡°Gyeol,¡± the weakness every existing object possessed, and accurately strike that.

    ¡°He can already see the Gyeol?¡±

    What Su-hyeun displayed during his fight against the Roc Demon King, was that a coincidence or a miracle?

    Sun Wukong had been observing Su-hyeun the whole day but didn¡¯t see any progress being made. Inevitably, his disappointment grew gradually as well.

    ¡°Was it a coincidence, then?¡±

    If Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t even see the Gyeol of a regular boulder, then it would be very difficult to say that he accurately saw one during his fight against the Roc Demon King.

    Besides, even if one understood ¡°Gyeol,¡± it would still be difficult to master. Not to forget, even someone like Sun Wukong found it hard when he proudly boasted his instincts and intuition being a step ahead of the Bull Demon King¡¯s.

    As the hours ticked by, his interest began to wane. The large pile of wooden sticks he prepared for the occasion using his clones were slowly but surely running out as well.

    ¡°I knew it. Acquiring the Gyeol so soon was just a¡ª¡±

    Just as Sun Wukong decided to stop paying attention¡­

    Plop¡ª

    The last remaining wooden stick managed to split the hard boulder in half.

    [1] ¡°Gyeol¡± is a romanized Korean word that usually denotes things like the grains or texture of wood or rocks, but in this novel, it also means how a warrior can preternaturally ¡°predict, foresee, or read¡± an opponent¡¯s movements and accurately find a counter for it.

 Chapter 261

    Plop¡ª

    The boulder before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes split in half.

    Right then, his body lost all tension. Although he hadn¡¯t moved around that much, his body was still soaked from head to toe in sweat after concentrating so much harder than ever before.

    [The proficiency for ¡°Sage¡¯s Eye: Gyeol¡± has risen substantially.]

    A message floated up at the same time.

    However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t rejoice. He didn¡¯t need a message to know that the Gyeol¡¯s proficiency had risen. The sensations still lingering at the tips of his fingers were all he needed.

    ¡°I did it,¡± Su-hyeun thought as he looked at the wooden stick he held in his hands. It was so thin that his little finger seemed thicker. He just couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe that he managed to split a boulder in half with the little stick.

    Even without resorting to magical energy, he could¡¯ve easily shattered the boulder. His bare hands alone would¡¯ve been sufficient.

    Honestly, if one struck a boulder with a thin wooden stick, it would be the latter that snaps in half. Without reinforcing it with magical energy, even the smallest impact force would break the stick.

    ¡°Maybe this time as well¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought as he left the Sage¡¯s Eye active and scanned his surroundings.

    He could see the boulders and trees of the forest. He lightly swung the stick at the tree closest to him.

    When he did that¡­

    Crash¡ª!

    Even though the impact was light, the massive tree was still broken in half.

    Boom¡ª

    Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between the thin wooden stick in his hand and the fallen trunk of the large tree.

    ¡°When you can cut apart a boulder with this thin stick at any time you want without using any aura whatsoever, then¡­Then that means you can more or less see Gyeol.¡±

    The Bull Demon King said those words earlier.

    Su-hyeun was aware that he could use ¡°Gyeol¡± now since he had acquired it in the form of a ¡°skill.¡±

    However, his proficiency didn¡¯t seem to want to rise past the zero-percent mark no matter how hard he trained. He absolutely had no idea on how to raise that percentage.

    Splitting a boulder with a stick was a training method that the Bull Demon King came up with.

    [Sage¡¯s Eye: Gyeol]

    <ul>

    Grade: ¨C

    Category: Active (activation type)

    Category: Sage Art, Sage¡¯s Eye

    It can only be used when the ¡°Sage¡¯s Eye¡± is active. It can analyze the weaknesses and characteristics of the designated target caught in your view.

    Proficiency: 5.12%

    </ul>

    His proficiency had significantly increased.

    When he activated the Sage¡¯s Eye again, he could see faint ¡°Gyeol¡± here and there all around him.

    For now, they only appeared on things that were easy to break such as trees. According to the Bull Demon King, though, one could bring about a miracle of turning an impossibility into a possibility depending on how one utilized Gyeol.

    ¡°Once you become a Taoist god, cutting the ocean in half by slicing through Gyeol becomes a possibility. In other words, you will be able to cut through things that shouldn¡¯t be cut, such as water, fire, and even wind itself.¡±

    Su-hyeun recalled his fight against the Roc Demon King after listening to those words.

    ¡°I definitely saw Gyeol back then.¡±

    The winds the Roc Demon King had roused up back then were no ordinary winds at all. Not only were they as sharp as actual blades, but they were also like a powerful storm mixed with a large amount of Demonic Aura.

    However, he definitely saw Gyeol, and he accurately cut it down as well.

    He couldn¡¯t remember how he did that, though. Initially, he had completely forgotten about the sensation and so, never mind the Roc Demon King¡¯s winds, he even found splitting a boulder in half a tough ask.

    ¡°As long as I can maintain that sensation¡­¡± he thought.

    Swish, phwoosh¡ª

    Chwa-rarararak¡ª

    Su-hyeun sliced apart the fallen tree and turned it into hundreds of sticks next.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in this world I won¡¯t be able to cut down.¡±

    He picked up a stick and headed to the next boulder.

    He had already been training the whole day, but he didn¡¯t have a longer time to rest. He figured that since the sensation was still lingering in his hands, he might as well train some more.

    <hr />

    The death of Prince Nezha delivered a massive shock to the gods of the Heavenly World. His funeral was scheduled to last three full years. And during the first month, everyone was mindful of even coughing a little too loudly.

    But at the end of that month, a new god of war was appointed without warning.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too early, your majesty?¡±

    Fine facial features that made deciphering his gender difficult, determined eyes, and a slender body made up of firm and powerful muscles¡ªthese were the very qualities that easily distinguished the Heavenly World¡¯s Martial General, Erlang Shen, who came to seek an audience with the Jade Emperor at the news of the nomination a new god of war.

    The Jade Emperor might be the top god of the Heavenly World, but even he wouldn¡¯t dare to treat Erlang Shen poorly.

    The level of loyalty he had shown to the Heavenly World or his unwavering sense of righteousness, plus his incredible strength, meant that no one dared to treat him poorly at all.

    The Jade Emperor sat on his throne inside the empty audience chamber and stared at Erlang Shen below him. Indeed, appointing another god of war so soon was too rash. It was certainly not respectful of Nezha who died only a month prior.

    ¡°You know very well the times we¡¯re living in, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Even then, the Jade Emperor still went through with it. He had no choice in the matter.

    ¡°Prince Nezha has perished, and the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal has escaped from the eight-way trigram Crucible. Although the Bull Demon King won¡¯t participate in the war, a human has unexpectedly disrupted the proceedings.¡±

    The appearance of Kim Su-hyeun and Nezha¡¯s death at his hands.

    Those events ensured that the outcome of the war could not be predicted anymore. To achieve the Heavenly World¡¯s goal of slaughtering all humans and Yogoes, the death of Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal was an absolutely necessary step to overcome.

    ¡°Our Heavenly World finds itself in a need to quickly and urgently shore up our combat forces. For that purpose, the sooner I appoint the next god of war to lead the Heavenly army, the better.¡±

    ¡°Even so, I am unable to erase this feeling that the choice has been made too hastily, your majesty. I also suspect that finding a worthy replacement of Prince Nezha cannot be that easy.¡±

    Even though the Jade Emperor had already stated his position, Erlang Shen wasn¡¯t willing to back down easily. After all, he was that kind of a man¡ªsomeone who would never compromise his conviction nor show fear even to the absolute ruler of the Heavenly World.

    That was why he could question those matters that everyone found odd but were too scared to raise their doubts about.

    ¡°More importantly, the identity of the new god of war hasn¡¯t been revealed publicly, your majesty.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s obvious. I haven¡¯t revealed it yet, after all.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, you haven¡¯t. And I know that even the appointment ceremony was held between your majesty and the appointee in private. Just why would¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Erlang Shen.¡±

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s narrow eyes opened wider as he stared straight at Erlang Shen. The latter didn¡¯t say anything and waited for the emperor¡¯s next words, thinking that the truth was about to be revealed.

    ¡°He is different from you. He¡¯s a disposable pawn.¡±

    ¡°Are you referring to the new god of war?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Erlang Shen came here to get some answers, but now, he had more unanswered questions instead.

    ¡°A disposable pawn, is it?¡± he inwardly contemplated.

    Such a concept definitely wasn¡¯t foreign in these parts. The Jade Emperor saw most other gods in that light, to begin with¡ªonly a handful of gods could be qualified as exceptions.

    ¡°But the god of war¡­?¡± he thought.

    That position was bestowed only to the greatest warrior among all the gods. Yet the Jade Emperor was planning to use a god occupying the glorious position tasked with fighting at the very forefront of the war for the survival of the Heavenly World itself as nothing more than a mere pawn.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that worried, Erlang Shen.¡± The Jade Emperor chuckled loudly at Erlang Shen¡¯s confused expression. ¡°All of these are done for the sake of the Heavenly World¡¯s peace, and¡­¡±

    His voice then became softer, sounding far more chilling compared to only a second ago.

    ¡°The extermination of the insect-like humans and Yogoes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At that declaration, Erlang Shen wordlessly bowed his head.

    He bade the Jade Emperor a formal goodbye and exited from the audience chamber. As he walked on the palace¡¯s corridors, a few other gods saw him and offered their greetings, but he didn¡¯t reply to any of them.

    More correctly, he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Is this truly alright?¡± he thought.

    Many complicated thoughts tumbled around in his mind.

    The Jade Emperor hated humans and Yogoes alike.

    Back when the new emperor was enthroned, Erlang Shen didn¡¯t think that aspect would pose too much of an issue in the future. He was stunned to hear the emperor advocated for the extermination of humans and Yogoes, but even then, he swore to sacrifice himself if need be, all for the sake of the Heavenly World¡¯s peace and prosperity.

    But now¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure anymore.¡±

    The previous generation¡¯s Jade Emperor who loved humans and Yogoes was no more.

    This was a new era.

    The extermination of humans and Yogoes had been in discussion for a long time within the halls of the Heavenly World, and now, it was too late to withdraw the plan.

    War was inevitable.

    Even if it was for the prosperity of the Heavenly World.

    And so, half a year went by after Prince Nezha¡¯s death.

    <hr />

    Whoooosh¡ª

    A sudden breeze slapped Su-hyeun¡¯s face harshly. He lowered the wooden stick in his hands and turned his around. ¡°You¡¯ve come?¡±

    ¡°Why is that the first person I always run into is you whenever I come here?¡±

    The Roc Demon King landed on the ground, flapping his wings, and then shot a glare at Su-hyeun.

    Unlike the Bull Demon King or Sun Wukong who chose to stay put in one location for a long time, the Roc Demon King often traveled around the outside world. It was unknown just where he headed off to, but usually, he would be back after a few days.

    ¡°Both of my big brothers are taking a short nap at the moment.¡±

    ¡°A nap? At this hour?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was told that taking a nap is also a part of one¡¯s cultivation regime, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Gimme a break. The big brother Pacifier of Heaven wasn¡¯t used to be like this way back when, you know. Is this what everyone refers to as godly relaxation?¡±

    The Roc Demon King continued to grumble away in dissatisfaction as he folded his wings away.

    Su-hyeun withdrew his attention from him. Unlike their first encounter, the latter no longer tried to provoke him for a fight.

    ¡°All these¡­Did you do all this?¡±

    Normally, the Roc Demon King would¡¯ve walked on by, but he actually stopped and asked Su-hyeun a question today. The latter wondered what had gotten into him and took a look only to discover an expression of incredulity etched on the Yogoe¡¯s face.

    Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between the thin stick in his hands and the spectacle spread out before them and nodded his head. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°¡­With that thing?¡±

    The Roc Demon King still had a disbelieving expression despite the reply.

    Tumble, drop¡ª

    Stone fragments tumbled down from the tall cliff. It was actually split cleanly in half¡ªso cleanly that the idea of a mere stick slicing it smoothly like this seemed like an unbelievable fantasy.

    The split halves of the cliff were somehow maintaining a precarious balancing act, but it seemed that it would be only a matter of time before the whole thing came crashing down to earth.

    The Roc Demon King clicked his tongue. In only half a year, Su-hyeun had managed to step into a realm where he could now cut apart a cliff with nothing more than a wooden stick.

    ¡°A genius, is it?¡± he thought.

    He abruptly recalled what Sun Wukong said earlier.

    Su-hyeun mastered the breathing technique, acquired the Sage¡¯s Eye, and learned Gyeol all in a short window of time.

    Sun Wukong started calling him a genius after that.

    ¡°And Wukong is a boundlessly arrogant one, to begin with.¡±

    When the Roc Demon King heard that declaration, he had to wonder if Sun Wukong¡¯s personality had changed after being stuck in the eight-way trigram Crucible for too long.

    He never learned the Sage Arts, so he had no clue how incredible an achievement it was to learn Gyeol.

    Of course, Sun Wukong¡¯s personality hadn¡¯t changed one bit. That much was certain after seeing how his attitude in treating the Roc Demon King in the past half a year had not changed.

    ¡°What¡¯s so great about this, though? Even I can do this.¡±

    The Roc Demon King¡¯s expression reverted back to how it usually was as he nodded his head.

    Splitting a cliff in half?

    What a humorous little prank that was. If it was him, he would completely shatter this measly cliff until its original shape could not be found anymore.

    When he thought like that, the Roc Demon King felt a little better inside.

    Su-hyeun observed the frequent changes in the Roc Demon King¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°Did you eat something you shouldn¡¯t have?¡±

    ¡°N¡ªno, it¡¯s nothing to fret over. Keu-heum.¡± The Roc Demon King loudly coughed to clear his throat and hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°Where is the big brother?¡±

    ¡°I already told you that he¡¯s taking a nap.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. You did.¡±

    ¡°Please head inside first. I¡¯ll stay here for a little while longer until dinner time.¡±

    ¡°Nope. Looks like you¡¯ll have to come with me today.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at the Roc Demon King with a puzzled expression. Someone who normally avoided even talking to him was continuously engaging him in a conversation today.

    But what the Roc Demon King said next helped Su-hyeun understand the reasoning behind it.

    ¡°The Heavenly World has finally made their move, you see.¡±

 Chapter 262

    * * *

    Inside a room of a shabby little thatched-roof cottage.

    The people sitting within were wearing rather heavy expressions.

    The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, the Bull Demon King.

    The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal also known as the Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong.

    The Great Sage who Confuses Heaven, the Roc Demon King.

    And then, Kim Su-hyeun.

    Only the four of them were present, yet the room already felt full to the brim. It was a small room¡ªonly about three square meters¡ªto begin with, which was barely large enough to accommodate them as they sat with teacups in their hands.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s finally begun,¡± muttered the Bull Demon King after hearing the news.

    It had begun.

    Those words seemed well suited for the current situation. The Heavenly World that had been holding their breath and saving up their strength for a long, long time had finally made their move.

    Or more correctly, they were about to.

    ¡°Are you sure about this, big bro?¡±

    According to the Roc Demon King¡¯s report, that was. The Roc Demon King didn¡¯t hesitate to nod his head at Sun Wukong¡¯s question. He had been tirelessly roaming the outside world until that moment, more than anyone present in that room.

    ¡°I personally went to the Heavenly World to find this out. So yeah, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°You went to the Heavenly World?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. All commander-level gods say that the operation will begin in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it dangerous for you, though?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been frequenting that place even before you got locked up in the eight-way trigram Crucible. Erlang Shen nearly caught me several times, but you know how good I am at running away, don¡¯t you?¡± the Roc Demon King boasted.

    ¡°That¡¯s not something you should be boasting about, you fool,¡± the Bull Demon King admonished lightly, which caused the Roc Demon King to cough in embarrassment.

    Sun Wukong cackled at the sight, which didn¡¯t fit the severity of the current situation, before shifting his gaze over to the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°Big brother, what should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Sun Wukong said with a rueful expression at the reply and scratched his head. ¡°You can¡¯t be with us anymore, can you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s alright. Well, we have a peerless, unrivaled little bro with us, anyways. Don¡¯t you agree, little bro?¡± Sun Wukong said as he looked over to Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun was so completely immersed in the grave topic they were discussing, judging by the stiff expression that he had been wearing since the beginning, that he was caught off guard by Sun Wukong¡¯s playful question. ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes. That¡¯s true,¡± he automatically replied, nodding his head.

    ¡°¡­Oh, so you are peerless and unmatched, is that it?¡±

    Su-hyeun replied to Sun Wukong in an instant, so he hadn¡¯t really heard what the question was in the first place. He urgently waved his hands around at the Roc Demon King¡¯s icy-cold voice.

    ¡°N¡ªno, that¡¯s not true. It doesn¡¯t mean anything other than I¡¯ll do my best to help you guys out.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t sound that way, though.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right, you know. I didn¡¯t hear it that way either.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s not how you sounded to me.¡±

    ¡°Ha, haha¡­¡±

    The Roc Demon King, Sun Wukong, and even the trusted Bull Demon King all grumbled at the same time, and Su-hyeun could do nothing but smile awkwardly at them.

    The overall atmosphere was rather cheery, which seemed odd considering the Heavenly World¡¯s previous attack, as well as the looming threat of war itself.

    ¡°I guess they are not nervous at all,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    There were only four of them here. No, wait¡ªwith the Bull Demon King not even in the picture anymore, only three people would participate in this war.

    No matter how excellent each of them was, they still had to invade the Heavenly World by themselves and kill the Jade Emperor.

    ¡°Then again, I¡¯m also like them, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression was stiff not because he felt nervous about the upcoming task.

    ¡°I guess this is the end of this trial then.¡±

    In the past half a year, Su-hyeun could proudly boast that he had grown stronger a lot faster than ever before. He certainly learned so much by spending time with these supernaturally powerful beings.

    ¡°But that¡¯s about to come to an end.¡±

    The purpose of his trip to this place was to stop the Jade Emperor and the Heavenly World. For some reason, though, half a year had to go by from the beginning of the trial to get to this point, but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t think this was such a bad thing.

    Honestly, he was feeling rueful instead¡ªrueful that he couldn¡¯t stay here for a bit longer.

    ¡°When will the war start?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Ten days from now, so¡ª¡±

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go kick down their doors in five days.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question was answered by the Roc Demon King, and then, Sun Wukong took over from there.

    The Roc Demon King nodded his head, maybe thinking that it wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea. Su-hyeun also thought that was quite acceptable.

    He didn¡¯t need to prepare himself, anyway. All he had to be mindful of until then was managing his physical condition.

    ¡°In five days,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun memorized that date and stared up at the ceiling of this room where he got to spend time with not just the Bull Demon King but also his two other sworn brothers.

    ¡°So I¡¯m going to say goodbye to this place, too.¡±

    For some reason, he felt reluctant to leave.

    Act 10

    Step, step¡ª

    When the meeting ended and as the sun began setting below the horizon, Su-hyeun headed to the backyard once more.

    There it was, a tall cliff easily tens of meters high.

    Su-hyeun stared at the cliff that he split in half only a couple of hours ago. It had already reverted to its original state.

    ¡°I was really shocked by this at first,¡± he recalled.

    For his training, Su-hyeun swung wooden sticks at things like the surrounding trees and boulders, and even at this cliff.

    In the middle of that, he also frequently sparred with Sun Wukong. Every time things like that happened, the surrounding topography would end up destroyed beyond recognition.

    However, all those signs of destruction reverted to their original state sometime later, just like now.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of the big brother.¡±

    The Bull Demon King.

    It was so much more natural for Su-hyeun to call him and think of him as his big brother these days.

    He was able to define the Bull Demon King with a simple term after observing the latter for the past half a year.

    ¡°The Taoist god.¡±

    An existence that managed nature and was also capable of wielding it.

    The Bull Demon King was basically in that stage by now. Flattening the overturned ground or repairing the sliced-open cliff was as easy as breathing for him at this point.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    A familiar presence followed after Su-hyeun. He turned around to look at Sun Wukong and bowed his head. ¡°You came here as well, big brother?¡±

    ¡°I told you, don¡¯t be such a stickler for formalities. Especially between us.¡±

    ¡°No can do. I feel more comfortable this way.¡±

    ¡°You know, I like everything about you, but your manners are sometimes too polished, and that kinda makes me uncomfortable,¡± Sun Wukong muttered and shifted his gaze at the perfectly-fine cliff before asking a question. ¡°Did you pull it off?¡±

    ¡°Yes, finally. Earlier in the day.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief since you did it before we started fighting against the Heavenly World.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can do it during the actual battle, though. I¡¯ve only grown familiar with seeing Gyeol recently, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Getting familiar with it so soon is already an amazing feat in itself. It¡¯s only been half a year, after all.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Sun Wukong walked toward the cliff as he said that. He placed his palm on the surface before pushing it in.

    And when he did¡­

    Crack, craaaack¡ª

    Gu-wuuuung¡ª

    The cliff split apart again and large boulders began crashing down.

    Sun Wukong didn¡¯t care about the rocks falling on his head and simply turned around to face Su-hyeun. ¡°How long do you think it took me to get this far?¡±

    ¡°Not sure. I can¡¯t even gue¡ª¡±

    ¡°Although I still can¡¯t see Gyeol, I can feel it. But it took me hundreds of years to reach this stage. And another few hundreds before I got really familiar with it.¡±

    Hundreds of years¡ªthe length of time that easily exceeded the lifespan of an average human being. The half-year Su-hyeun spent felt incomparably short and shabby next to that period.

    ¡°Yet you managed to get this far in only half a year.¡±

    ¡°Is¡­that so?¡±

    The Bull Demon King never said anything like that to him until now. All he did was to encourage Su-hyeun and tell him to continue in the same manner.

    ¡°But I heard that I only managed to lay the foundation,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°And it takes a minimum of one hundred years to lay that foundation. Well, usually, that is.¡±

    Su-hyeun had already heard that story before.

    When he first heard about the Sage Arts from the Bull Demon King, he got the impression that this field of study would take a long, long time to master.

    However, Su-hyeun¡¯s case turned out to be rather different.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably due to the system,¡± he thought.

    The system.

    Just like how the Bull Demon King described it, the system was exactly like unseen hands.

    Except for some special circumstances, Su-hyeun could learn any technique in the form of ¡°skills.¡± And the moment his system was applied to the Sage Art, he would inevitably master it much faster than other regular beings who didn¡¯t enjoy the system¡¯s help.

    In a way, it compensated for his lacking parts. Indeed, it was the ¡°unseen hands¡± that aided Su-hyeun to master the Sage Arts a bit quicker.

    ¡°Before we get going, why don¡¯t we spar one last time? You know, to warm up our muscles and stuff.¡±

    Crack¡ª

    While saying that, Sun Wukong cracked his knuckles. Su-hyeun picked up the fallen wooden stick from the ground as he listened to that sudden order.

    ¡°But we spar every day, don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    Snap¡ª!

    The stick in his hand broke in half. Su-hyeun lowered both the stick and his arm and looked at Sun Wukong. Having snapped his fingers to easily break the stick, the latter then began shaking his head. ¡°Not with my clones, though.¡±

    Crack¡ª

    Sun Wukong smirked deeply as he popped his finger joints one by one.

    ¡°With me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Spar with you, big brother?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting my clones so far, haven¡¯t you? Sure, you did fight against brother Roc Demon King on that day, but honestly, the two of us never had a proper go at each other until now, right?¡±

    His eyes were burning with the flames of competitiveness.

    Su-hyeun was not unfamiliar with those eyes. Sun Wukong had been looking at him with the very same eyes for a very long time now.

    The Monkey King had been holding himself back until today. He had been waiting until Su-hyeun got a bit stronger, just a bit more powerful than before.

    ¡°Someone told me that once this war ends, it¡¯s likely that I won¡¯t get to see you ever again.¡±

    That ¡°someone¡± Sun Wukong mentioned was probably the Bull Demon King. He knew that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t from this world, after all.

    Swoooosh¡ª

    Grab¡ª

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang fell from the sky and landed in Sun Wukong¡¯s hand.

    Whoooosh, whoosh¡ª

    He lightly spun that weighty pole around and continued, ¡°I have no idea what that even means, and I also don¡¯t know the reason why, but well, it¡¯s probably true.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡­will probably happen.¡±

    The Bull Demon King knew the truth. He knew that once the trial was over, Su-hyeun would have to leave this world. Also, for him to stay in this place, he had too many things to do in the future.

    ¡°This is my final lesson as your big bro.¡±

    Swiiiirl¡ª

    As Sun Wukong spun the Ruyi Jingu Bang with one hand, he beckoned with the other. ¡°Come.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    At that beckoning, Su-hyeun reached down and gripped the hilt of his sharp sword for the first time in the past half a year.

    It had been a while since he felt this sharp fighting intent.

    Su-hyeun stopped wielding his sword about four months ago at the Bull Demon King¡¯s recommendation.

    ¡°From its inception, a sword is a tool designed to help you cut something without exerting a lot of strength. And that¡¯s precisely why your senses will dull simply by holding such a tool in your hands.¡±

    His words were indeed correct.

    That explanation could only come from someone who had accurately seen through the utility of the tools called ¡°swords¡± and the backstory to their initial conception.

    This fact sounded so obvious, yet people often forgot about it because it was so obvious in the first place. Along with that reminder, the Bull Demon King recommended that Su-hyeun should not unsheathe his sword anymore.

    ¡°In your future sparring, always use a wooden stick. And once you become capable of fighting without having the stick break on you, then there will be nothing you can¡¯t cut anymore.¡±

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s advice proved to be right on the money. He might not have been a swordsman, but he was almost a Taoist god who had reached the zenith of the Sage Art. It basically meant that he could see through the meaning of all objects in existence better than anyone out there.

    At first, Su-hyeun was only half convinced. Would there really be any improvement by doing that?

    But he decided to trust the Bull Demon King. If he couldn¡¯t believe his big brother, then there was no one else he could believe in anymore.

    Besides¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s been a definite improvement,¡± he thought.

    In this very moment, as he gripped the hilt for the first time in four months, Su-hyeun felt the confidence of being able to cut anything and everything in the world swell within him.

    ¡°Fuu-wuu¡­¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun gripped the sword even tighter and shifted his gaze over to Sun Wukong who was wielding the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Split¡ª

    He even opened the Third Eye on his forehead. At the same time, bluish aura began swirling within his eyes.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    One of the Sage Arts Su-hyeun had mastered, the Sage¡¯s Eye, was activated.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    Pah-ahk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure shot toward Sun Wukong.

    ¡°I won¡¯t hold back and come at you.¡±

 Chapter 263

    Swoosh¡ª

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes accurately saw his Balmung and the Ruyi Jingu Bang being swung at the same time.

    He wasn¡¯t planning to avoid the head-on collision, however.

    This would be his first collision against the ¡°real¡± Sun Wukong¡¯s Ruyi Jingu Bang, not his clone. For now, he needed to check out his opponent¡¯s strength.

    Claaaaaang¡ª!

    Kwa-jajajajajak¡ª!

    The collision between Balmung and the Ruyi Jingu Bang caused the ground below to crack apart and rupture.

    The power behind the swing was truly enormous.

    Su-hyeun staggered for a moment there from the impact force. The sheer shock that ran up his arms was quite extraordinary.

    ¡°What kind of strength is this¡­?!¡±

    He had never felt a physical strength of this magnitude before.

    To make matters worse, besides that ridiculous strength, there was another problem to consider.

    ¡°The weight of the weapon itself is also incredible.¡±

    ¡°Ruyi,¡± as Sun Wukong often called it or, more correctly, Ruyi Jingu Bang, was originally a treasure of the Dragon King¡¯s palace meant to measure the depths of rivers and oceans.

    Unsurprisingly, it boasted a ridiculous weight befitting its original intended purpose, which was to measure the accurate depths of oceans that sometimes exceeded ten thousand meters, not to be used as some kind of a weapon that one could just pick up and swing around.

    Even then, Su-hyeun figured it couldn¡¯t have been all that heavy considering how Sun Wukong easily picked it up and wielded the thing, but now that he had felt the weight from the collision, it completely exceeded even his wildest imagination.

    ¡°Comparing our physical strengths isn¡¯t going to work,¡± he thought to himself.

    It was only one exchange, yet he felt sure about this.

    Continuing with a competition of strength against Sun Wukong would be most unwise. Maybe it would work if he resorted to activating ¡°Immortality¡± right away, but that skill wasn¡¯t something he should bring out so early in the engagement.

    Especially when they were about to wage a war against the Heavenly World.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes now caught Sun Wukong¡¯s figure deftly swinging the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    His speed was so much slower compared to the Roc Demon King. However, considering the weight of that magical pole he held in his hands, his movement speed should still be seen as ridiculously fast.

    Not to forget, Sun Wukong could increase or decrease Ruyi Jingu Bang¡¯s length and thickness at any time he wanted. If Su-hyeun tried to dodge, then who knew just when he would get sucked into one of those massively wide-area attacks?

    This meant dodging wasn¡¯t the right answer.

    ¡°As for that strength¡­¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun swung his sword toward the Ruyi Jingu Bang once more.

    Creeeeeak¡ª

    Just before his blade came in contact, it tilted and brushed past the surface of Sun Wukong¡¯s magical pole.

    With that, the Ruyi Jingu Bang¡¯s trajectory was altered. The weapon that was swinging down for Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder ended up hitting empty air instead.

    ¡°I¡¯ll direct it away.¡±

    Pah¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword redirected the power contained in the Ruyi Jingu Bang and caused the pole to slide past him. Right after that, his other free hand shot out toward Sun Wukong¡¯s open chest. The latter¡¯s eyes flew open wider as he urgently spun his body away.

    Swoooosh¡ª

    Slam!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s palm strike landed on Sun Wukong¡¯s shoulder. The attack was aimed at a vital spot, yet the latter used his shoulder to protect his body.

    ¡°Will you look at this kid?¡±

    Sun Wukong was slightly stunned by how Su-hyeun easily redirected the Ruyi Jingu Bang and immediately counterattacked with his empty hand.

    ¡°He already figured out a way to redirect attacks?¡±

    The Sage¡¯s Eye allowed one to peer at the truth of the world. What one could see through this ¡°eye¡± wasn¡¯t simply limited to slowing down the flow of the world or the Gyeol, which represented the weaknesses of all existing objects.

    No, it also showed the path where one could redirect the incoming attack¡¯s power. Su-hyeun only had to place his sword according to the angle of the Ruyi Jingu Bang¡¯s swing and ever so slightly alter the trajectory.

    And the result of that was Sun Wukong being left wide open and his vital spots unprotected.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    Grit, griiiit¡ª

    Sun Wukong suddenly strengthened his grip even more.

    ¡°Get bigger¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes opened wider. At the same time, his figure shot upward into the sky.

    [Leap]

    ¡°¡­Ruyi.¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    The ¡°Ruyi¡± that Sun Wukong held in his hands shot out toward Su-hyeun.

    Its width had ballooned to several meters, while its length now reached several hundreds of meters. The lengthened pole instantly pulverized a cliff in the distance.

    Smirk¡ª

    A grin spread on Sun Wukong¡¯s lips that was meant to provoke his opponent.

    ¡°The atmosphere feels different from the other sparring sessions, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun thought to himself.

    Squeeze¡ª

    He gripped the sword even tighter.

    He could tell that the overall mood of this fight was different from the others, but even then, this was going somewhat overboard. Not to forget, they were planning to fight a war against the Heavenly World in a few days. They should avoid inflicting severe injuries as they fought, yet Sun Wukong had gone past that level now.

    ¡°But why?¡±

    Despite the considerable distance between the two, Su-hyeun could still sense Sun Wukong¡¯s boiling competitive spirit. The latter didn¡¯t seem to be planning to hold himself back here. At this rate, they might end up going all the way.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what his reason is, but¡­¡±

    Grip¡ª

    Su-hyeun gripped the spear in his other hand.

    ¡°Well, 10 days is enough time, anyway.¡±

    A sword in one hand and a spear in the other¡ªseeing that sight caused the light within Sun Wukong¡¯s eyes to sparkle brightly as he retracted the Ruyi Jingu Bang. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re finally getting serious, eh?¡±

    ¡°You started it, though.¡±

    ¡°Very good. That¡¯s what I wanted to see.¡±

    Thwack, whir¡ª

    Sun Wukong started spinning the Ruyi Jingu Bang once more and then let it float into the sky.

    ¡°Get bigger, Ruyi.¡±

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    The pole rapidly extended toward Su-hyeun. It was like watching a massive missile flying in his direction. He activated ¡°Leap¡± in midair and then threw his spear powerfully.

    Pooow¡ª!

    Clang¡ª

    Sun Wukong¡¯s hand easily caught the spear that flew toward him.

    He neither dodged nor tried to defend himself. Su-hyeun was slightly stunned by how Sun Wukong easily snatched up the flying spear.

    ¡°He actually caught that?¡± he thought to himself.

    Just how strong was his handgrip that he could nullify the frightening speed of the spear and catch it mid-flight?

    Not to mention, his dynamic visual acuity and the reaction speed that allowed him to see through the spear¡¯s speed and catch it was almost miraculous.

    Su-hyeun watched Sun Wukong discard the spear that he had caught somewhere behind him and abruptly remembered the latter¡¯s other nickname.

    ¡°The Victorious Fighting Buddha.¡±

    Originally, the title implied that he would fight Yogoes and evil demons and then subjugate them. He might have been battling gods instead of Yogoes nowadays, but regardless of that, that title still implied that he was a master at combat.

    As if to prove this, Sun Wukong¡¯s physical strength and handgrip were both more than stupendous enough to nimbly wield the Ruyi Jingu Bang. Maybe he was even stronger than the hero from Greek mythology, Hercules.

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    Giiiiiing¡ª

    Magical energy gathered in Su-hyeun¡¯s hands. At the same time, a thin but long thread of magical power was connected to the end of the spear that Sun Wukong had snatched up.

    When more energy was added to it, the spear that he still gripped in his hand began rotating noisily.

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    The spear was writhing viciously as if to tear Sun Wukong¡¯s hand apart. He finally released the weapon, furrowing his brows. ¡°Hey, you unexpectedly have a lot of ¡®sundry¡¯ techniques up your sleeve, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even shown you half of them yet.¡±

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Indigo-colored flames suddenly erupted on Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. Although the color remained the same as before, the intensity of the hue had become far stronger.

    Su-hyeun took a powerful swing with the sword enveloped in the divine ¡°Flame.¡± Sun Wukong hurriedly raised his Ruyi Jingu Bang to block the incoming attack, but it was never meant for him in the first place.

    [Flame ¨C Land of Fire]

    [All stats have increased slightly.]

    [All stats of the target recognized as an enemy have decreased slightly.]

    Sizzle¡ª

    Indigo-colored flames instantly spread out to their surroundings.

    A newfound strength surged in Su-hyeun¡¯s body enveloped in the divine ¡°Flame.¡± On the other hand, his opponent¡¯s strength fell, albeit by only a slight amount. A regular person or weak animal would have found moving inside the boundaries of these flames almost impossible.

    ¡°For sure, it¡¯s become a lot more useful now,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The divine ¡°Flame¡± was a skill Su-hyeun acquired back in the very early stages.

    The skill¡¯s grade was a rather excellent ¡°growth type,¡± and both of its range and attack power were quite acceptable as well.

    The sole issue with it was its high consumption of his magical energy reserve. Once his proficiency was high enough, he would be able to use a spatial-type skill that utilized the divine ¡°Flame¡± as its base, but the magical energy efficiency would remain rather poor even then.

    But now, he didn¡¯t need to worry too much about its magical energy consumption anymore.

    ¡°Thanks to the breathing technique, my magical energy consumption rate has significantly decreased,¡± he said to himself.

    The reason why Su-hyeun was able to perform this new skill during an actual combat situation was solely due to the breathing technique he continuously trained in the past half a year.

    The breathing technique now decreased his magical energy consumption by as much as 40 percent, which had the same effect as increasing his overall magical power reserve.

    That meant he didn¡¯t need to carefully apportion his magical energy and fight anymore.

    ¡°This is hotter than the eight-way trigram Crucible,¡± Sun Wukong thought to himself.

    The temperature was high enough to cook someone¡¯s body. Sun Wukong¡¯s eyes grew wider as he took in the sight of the land all around him as it turned into an oven.

    He had become rather familiar with the heat of the eight-way trigram Crucible, but even then, he had never experienced a temperature of this magnitude before.

    ¡°Is the one using this ability not affected? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s planning to die with me or something, so¡­¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s eyes suddenly became crimson in hue.

    These were the ¡°Fiery Golden Eyes,¡± one of many powerful abilities the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal boasted, which also rivaled the Sage¡¯s Eye in usefulness, allowing him to see through all things in existence. He acquired this wondrous ability after escaping from the eight-way trigram Crucible.

    The moment the red irises of the ¡°Fiery Golden Eyes¡± appeared, Sun Wukong spotted Su-hyeun¡¯s figure dashing straight toward him among the dancing flames.

    ¡°He¡¯s running straight at me?¡±

    Swish¡ª

    The sword swung toward him from above. Rather unsurprisingly, Sun Wukong didn¡¯t dodge and simply swung his Ruyi Jingu Bang in the direction of the attack.

    Craaaack¡ª!

    Crunch¡ª

    The ground beneath his feet caved in deeply. The shocks generated from the two men¡¯s collision was far too heavy for the surface to endure.

    The strength behind the sword was different than it had been a second ago. Su-hyeun was pushing the Ruyi Jingu Bang down from above with his sword.

    ¡°Would you look at this?¡±

    Smirk¡ª

    The grin on Sun Wukong¡¯s lips became wider.

    Rather fitting for a man who loved fighting, he could decipher the intentions of his opponents through exchanges of moves, as if they were holding a civilized conversation.

    And Su-hyeun¡¯s intention transmitted from this exchange was this one thing: ¡°I won¡¯t back down.¡±

    He would fight head-on against the one and only Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, also known as the Victorious Fighting Buddha.

    That was Su-hyeun¡¯s will.

    ¡°Very good, my littlest brother.¡±

    CLANG¡ª!

    Sun Wukong deflected Su-hyeun¡¯s sword, which was grinding against his pole, and then roused up even more of his energy. ¡°This is the final lesson your dear bigger brother will be teaching you. So you better engrave this deep in your heart!¡±

    Pah-ahk¡ª!

    Sun Wukong dashed toward Su-hyeun once more. The latter didn¡¯t back away and dashed in as well. He chose not to resort to any other petty tricks.

    Their collisions caused vicious storm winds to crash into their surroundings.

    <hr />

    Smash, crunchhhhh¡ª

    CLAAAANG¡ª!

    The ground crumbled and caved in, and the cliffs were cleaved apart to become flat plains.

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang, now several kilometers in length, blew apart a mountain in its entirety, while the indigo-hued divine Flames burned away at the scorched forest without any signs of dying out.

    Bang!

    A lightning bolt crashed down from the black clouds in the sky.

    Flash¡ª!

    A streak of flames rising from below collided with the lightning bolt. Pure-white light flashed blindingly as the two forces clashed.

    The Bull Demon King and the Roc Demon King were watching this battle from afar.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to stop them?¡± the Roc Demon King asked.

    He had been completely absorbed in the proceedings for a while, but even then, he could tell that the fight was getting more and more serious.

    They were planning to go to war with the Heavenly World in five days. No matter how monstrous their powers of recovery were, he couldn¡¯t help but worry about these two ending up with serious injuries.

    ¡°Why should we?¡±

    However, the Bull Demon King¡¯s response remained relaxed and calm.

    The Roc Demon King felt this frustration well up in his chest until he was ready to explode, but he knew that there was nothing he could do here. The current Bull Demon King wouldn¡¯t even have a semblance of anxiety in him anymore, after all.

    ¡°But what will we do in five days if they end up getting hurt?¡±

    ¡°That fight level is still fine. They are still kids, after all.¡±

    The Roc Demon King could only shake his head at the chuckling Bull Demon King.

    He wondered if his sworn big brother had a plan here, because, truth be told, he wasn¡¯t exactly confident enough to step in and stop the fight.

    ¡°How am I supposed to even stop them, anyway?¡± he thought.

    Ka-blam¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang extended again, piercing right into the skies above.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure, which was seemingly riding on viciously whipping gusts of flames, rapidly closed in on Sun Wukong¡¯s position. He then jumped up on the Ruyi Jingu Bang and ran down on its surface to instantly enter an attacking range before slamming his sword down on Sun Wukong¡¯s shoulder.

    Clang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s punch collided with the blade. Blood seeped out from a small cut that opened up on his fist.

    ¡°I can¡¯t block that,¡± the Roc Demon King thought to himself.

    He didn¡¯t want to accept it, but he had no choice at the moment. Su-hyeun was stronger than him now. As far as he knew, the only other person who could fight the monster-like ¡°former littlest sworn brother¡± known as Sun Wukong to this degree was the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°It seems that our third brother has made up his mind today,¡± the Bull Demon King suddenly muttered.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± the Roc Demon King replied with a puzzled expression. ¡°Made up his mind on what exactly?¡±

    ¡°Watch closely.¡± The Bull Demon King kept his eyes fixed on Sun Wukong, who was still battling against Su-hyeun, and continued to mumble, ¡°As our littlest sworn brother is about to inherit the most precious treasure of the one called the Victorious Fighting Buddha, the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.¡±

 Chapter 264

    <hr />

    It had already been almost a full hour since the sparring session began.

    No, wait¡ªit was not correct to call this fight ¡°sparring¡± anymore. Things had gone too far by now to call it that.

    Su-hyeun fell deeper and deeper into a trance-like state as the fight progressed.

    His body moved before his thoughts could fully form, and he was now fighting Sun Wukong almost evenly. However, the Ruyi Jingu Bang-wielding, lightning-summoning Monkey King¡¯s mastery of the Sage Arts had reached a realm far beyond than what Su-hyeun had managed so far.

    The reason why he was able to compete evenly against Sun Wukong was solely due to his physical abilities and skills that he already possessed.

    If the Sage Art he studied for the past half a year hadn¡¯t enhanced the purity of his magical energy and the breathing technique eliminated the need to conserve his reserve, then he would not be able to fight Sun Wukong on such a level.

    ¡°Not bad, little bro.¡±

    Smash¡ª!

    The two men¡¯s fists solidly landed on each other¡¯s faces.

    Su-hyeun stumbled back as he covered his aching face. He stared at Sun Wukong and spoke, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you tired already?¡±

    ¡°Nope. This body of mine is immortal, you know.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. You¡¯ve consumed too many Peaches of Immortality, in the first place, so you shouldn¡¯t be boasting about that. It¡¯s an unfair advantage, after all.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, why don¡¯t you eat some for yourself?¡± Sun Wukong stared straight at Su-hyeun¡¯s tired-looking face as he spun the ¡°Ruyi¡± in his hand. ¡°Get bigger¡­¡±

    Pah-ahk¡ª

    Even before he could finish his command, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure flashed and appeared right near Sun Wukong¡¯s position.

    ¡°¡­Ruyi.¡±

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang extended, instantly crushing and altering the terrain once more.

    Su-hyeun had already experienced this attack several times by now, so he could expertly dodge it this time with some ease.

    ¡°The best evasion method is to get close,¡± he thought.

    The safest location to dodge the Ruyi Jingu Bang was somewhere very close to Sun Wukong. Blocking that magic pole in the first place was impossible, to begin with. Therefore, rather than blocking it, he might as well dodge it.

    And then¡­

    Slam¡ª!

    One more time, Su-hyeun¡¯s fist dug deep into Sun Wukong¡¯s gut.

    Keo-hurk!

    But at the same time, Sun Wukong¡¯s fist slammed into Su-hyeun¡¯s unguarded belly as well. Thanks to the Armor of Hades protecting his torso, his bones were fine, but the impact force was still quite considerable.

    Pant, pant¡ª

    Fuu-aaah, Hoo¡ª

    Both Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong panted in exhaustion for a while.

    They had been giving their all in this fight.

    It wasn¡¯t as if they were fighting against small fries, and more importantly, two people with a nearly similar skill level were going at it for almost one full hour, so it was unsurprising to see them dog-tired like this.

    Su-hyeun thought to himself, ¡°No, wait. The one at a clear disadvantage is me, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    They might be even in terms of stamina, but the difference in their remaining magical energy reserve was rather concerning. Su-hyeun¡¯s reserve was almost at the rock bottom now; on the other hand, Sun Wukong had seemingly limitless energy no matter how much he used it.

    All because he had consumed the Heavenly World¡¯s Peaches of Immortality.

    ¡°He ate not just one but thousands of Peaches, the treasure often referred to as the elixir of eternal life, so¡­This isn¡¯t unexpected, really.¡±

    The total energy reserve Sun Wukong boasted could easily rival even the Bull Demon King¡¯s.

    Depending on how he chose to unleash that energy, Sun Wukong could very well fight for the rest of his life without getting tired, if that¡¯s what he wanted.

    Not to forget, this wasn¡¯t a real fight with their lives on the line but strictly a sparring session. On top of this, Sun Wukong was a true immortal being who couldn¡¯t be killed in an actual combat situation.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun took a step toward Sun Wukong.

    ¡°The only way I can win against him right now is¡­¡±

    He dropped the spear to the ground and then held the sword in both hands to assume the stance of ¡°One Sword Cutting through Everything.¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s eyes sparkled after witnessing that stance.

    ¡°Would you look at this kid?¡±

    What Su-hyeun was holding right now was a sword, not some wooden stick. And this stance was the same one he mastered while learning to see the Gyeol and trying to cut that down for the past half a year.

    Up until now, he only cut down the Gyeol of immobile objects, which was only visible through the Sage¡¯s Eye, but the situation this time was different.

    ¡°Instead of dodging, he¡¯s planning to defend against me? Against my Ruyi?¡± thought Sun Wukong.

    Now, this was an interesting provocation.

    Squeeze¡ª

    And if he was the type to avoid confronting such provocations until now, then Sun Wukong wouldn¡¯t have earned the nicknames of the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and the Victorious Fighting Buddha.

    ¡°Get bigger¡­¡±

    When Sun Wukong¡¯s lips parted¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Su-hyeun thought as he shut his mouth up, his eyes opening wider.

    Sun Wukong answered Su-hyeun¡¯s provocation, and this could very well be the only chance for the latter to win this fight.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look and then look some more.¡±

    That was the only thing Su-hyeun repeatedly performed for the past half a year.

    He looked and observed the world in slow motion through the Sage¡¯s Eye. Inside this slowed-down world, Su-hyeun was moving languidly as Sun Wukong¡¯s lips and the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which was about to extend, moved much slower as well.

    Not too long after that, Sun Wukong¡¯s lips stopped moving.

    ¡°Ruyi¡ª¡±

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The rapidly extending Ruyi Jingu Bang instantly filled up Su-hyeun¡¯s view.

    It was far too late to dodge. One wrong move and he would get struck down by the magic pole, resulting in every bone in his body shattering to bits.

    He could clearly see the Ruyi Jingu Bang approaching. At the same time, he spotted a whitish streak of light on the lower part of the extending pole.

    ¡°I found it.¡±

    Su-hyeun waited for the pole to reach him.

    It felt like the weapon was creeping toward him so very slowly. Inside this greatly slowed-down time, the Ruyi Jingu Bang eventually arrived right before his nose.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    From below going up¡­

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword smacked into the bottom of the Ruyi Jingu Bang and then¡­

    BAAANG¡ª!

    The gigantic Ruyi was smoothly lifted up into the air. In that same instance, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure dashed toward the wide-open Sun Wukong who was still wielding the pole.

    Whooooosh¡ª

    Swish¡ª

    The tip of Su-hyeun¡¯s blade swished past in front of Sun Wukong¡¯s throat. A really small nick opened up on the skin on his neck.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t trying to cut for real, of course. This was simply a spar and not a real battle meant to kill each other, after all.

    Pant, pant¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s panting grew even more laborious than before.

    Sun Wukong, who was quietly standing there and observing him, looked up and spoke to someone, ¡°Hey, this is enough, right?¡±

    Those were some puzzling words, indeed.

    Who was he talking to? His own curiosity got the better of him, so Su-hyeun raised his head to chase after Sun Wukong¡¯s gaze, but the moment he did¡­

    ¡°Yes, it is satisfactory.¡±

    He suddenly heard a voice. Not in his ears, but inside his head.

    Flash¡ª!

    Rays of light shot out from above the clouds. At the same time, a cloud descended to the ground and began swirling and wrapping around Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    Although this phenomenon was unfamiliar, he didn¡¯t feel any sense of repulsion from it. The moment this white cloud touched his body, he knew what this thing was.

    ¡°The Somersault cloud.¡±

    One of the divine items that symbolized Sun Wukong alongside the Ruyi Jingu Bang and the Fiery Golden Eyes. It was also one of the many abilities the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal boasted that allowed him to summon forth lightning bolts and storm winds, as well as fly thousands of kilometers in the blink of an eye.

    That very object had begun cocooning Su-hyeun now.

    His whole vision was dyed in pure white. The expression, ¡°walking on clouds,¡± which he often heard of¡ªhe finally figured out what that phrase was like in real life.

    ¡°Hey, kid. I¡¯ve acknowledged you.¡±

    He heard the Somersault cloud¡¯s voice.

    Sure, he heard it speak a second ago, but even then, he felt more shocked by the fact that the cloud could actually talk in the first place rather than its very existence.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t simply one of his natural abilities?¡±

    Su-hyeun always thought that the Somersault cloud was one of the abilities Sun Wukong naturally possessed¡ªan ability to control clouds and cause lightning bolts to rain down.

    The Bull Demon King could do that too, so he was under the impression that the Somersault cloud was yet another branch of the Sage Arts.

    But his assumption turned out to be wrong.

    ¡°What are you?¡±

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes and tried to converse with the Somersault cloud through his consciousness.

    This felt so mysterious to him. To think that he would get to speak to an unknown existence while wrapped up in a cloud.

    A reply came his way right away.

    ¡°I am the first cloud to be born at the beginning of all things, the proof of the qualifications of a god, and the living divine artifact.¡±

    That reply sure was as ambiguous as hell.

    Although none of those words were foreign to Su-hyeun, he still couldn¡¯t quite understand the meaning behind them. He just didn¡¯t have much basic knowledge of this world to fully comprehend what kind of existence the Somersault cloud was.

    However, he could sense certain things.

    ¡°It kind of feels like the first brother,¡± he thought to himself.

    The Bull Demon King¡ªthe only one among everyone Su-hyeun knew who came close to being an actual Taoist god.

    The feeling this Somersault cloud gave off was quite similar to what he picked up from the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°However, remember this. You need to reach a slightly higher realm if you wish to fully wield me.¡±

    The Somersault cloud¡¯s voice slowly grew fainter.

    As soon as that happened¡­

    [¡°Divine artifact: Somersault cloud¡± has become your subordinate.]

    [You can now use the Somersault cloud.]

    [Your proficiency in the Sage Arts is too low; therefore, your use of the Somersault cloud will be limited.]

    The system message began floating up.

    The Somersault cloud had become Su-hyeun¡¯s subordinate. According to the system¡¯s explanation, apparently, his usage of it would be limited somehow, but that also meant that the artifact¡¯s effects would be that much greater as his mastery of the Sage Arts improved in the future.

    Su-hyeun opened his eyes to discover Sun Wukong¡¯s face right next to his.

    He felt rather stupefied right now.

    ¡°What did that guy say?¡± Sun Wukong asked, his eyes sparkling in expectation. However, there was a hint of worry in his expression as well.

    ¡°Brother, what just happened?¡±

    Before he could answer Sun Wukong¡¯s question, though, Su-hyeun needed some explanation on this situation first.

    Sun Wukong formed a slightly sheepish expression. He avoided meeting Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes and awkwardly scratched his head before finally saying something. ¡°Looks like everything went well. It¡¯s all cool in that case.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking what happened, brother.¡±

    He was clearly trying to gloss over something important here. However, Su-hyeun simply couldn¡¯t let this one slide by. The Somersault cloud was, no matter what, one of the unmistakable symbols of Sun Wukong, after all.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a gift, you know. That dude¡¯s a bit picky, so I can¡¯t give it away even if I want to, so when I asked it about my idea¡­Well, it wanted to test you.¡±

    ¡°The Somersault cloud did?¡±

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right.¡±

    It seemed that Sun Wukong¡¯s question, ¡°Is this enough?¡± earlier was directed at the Somersault cloud.

    ¡°This guy, it¡¯s a divine artifact capable of choosing its master. No one can choose to be its master, no matter what.¡±

    So, this was Sun Wukong¡¯s reason for starting a fight with Su-hyeun disguised as a sparring session, even though the war against the Heavenly World was right around the corner.

    Their spar that became quite serious early on was his way of handing over the Somersault cloud to Su-hyeun.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s expression remained awkward, but eventually, he smiled brightly. ¡°That guy, it told me that this would be the last time you¡¯d be here, so I told it to shut up and go with you, instead.¡±

    ¡°My last time here¡­?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s surprise was even greater than when the Somersault cloud started wrapping around him. ¡°Wait, it wasn¡¯t our first brother but the cloud who told you that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Why? Does the first bro also know about it?¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyes, probably¡­N¡ªno, wait a minute¡­¡±

    There was no guarantee that the Bull Demon King knew the truth just because the Somersault cloud did. All along, Su-hyeun thought it would obviously be their sworn big brother who would inform Sun Wukong of the truth, so understandably, he felt quite confused right now.

    ¡°But how come?¡± he asked himself.

    It wasn¡¯t the Bull Demon King but the Somersault cloud.

    Su-hyeun, who was making complicated expressions, abruptly remembered something and quickly asked Sun Wukong. ¡°By the way, why are you giving me the Somersault cloud?¡±

    The Somersault cloud was one of the abilities that best symbolized Sun Wukong.

    Su-hyeun now knew that it was a divine artifact and not some simple ability or technique, but despite that fact, Sun Wukong still willingly gave it to him.

    Of course, Su-hyeun was able to acquire the Somersault cloud because he managed to pass the standard set by the artifact, but still.

    ¡°Well, because you¡¯re my little bro, that¡¯s why,¡± Sun Wukong scratched his cheek and replied all the while sounding a bit bashful. ¡°I¡¯m your big bro, so I better give you a gift and make sure you won¡¯t get bullied by some random idiot somewhere. Especially when you¡¯re about to travel somewhere far away and won¡¯t be able to come back here.¡±

 Chapter 265

    Act 1

    After finishing his sparring session with Sun Wukong, Su-hyeun took a short nap. He needed to refill his drained stamina and magical energy reserve, what with the war against the Heavenly World scheduled to take place in only a matter of days.

    A while later, he woke up, and while using his still drowsy eyes, he confirmed that the room was completely empty. He then exited from the residence. The Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong, who were chatting away outside, briefly checked his mood and waved their hands.

    ¡°You¡¯ve woken up?¡±

    ¡°Oh hey, you¡¯re here?¡±

    It kind of felt like they were hiding something from him.

    Su-hyeun studied them with a suspicious glint in his eyes. Unsurprisingly, the Bull Demon King showed no change in his expression, while Sun Wukong, a poor liar to begin with, did his best to avoid meeting his eyes and whistled as nonchalantly as possible.

    The contrast here was truly stark, as perhaps the world¡¯s most straight-faced liar was standing right next to someone incapable of lying.

    ¡°Did you sleep well, big brother?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I woke up just now, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    Su-hyeun studied Sun Wukong¡¯s face for a little while before turning around.

    If they wanted to keep secrets from him, then he wasn¡¯t going to dig any deeper. If this had been in the beginning, then sure, he might have asked, but now, he trusted them implicitly and had no reason to doubt them.

    ¡°Where are you headed off to?¡± the Bull Demon King asked after noticing that Su-hyeun was walking toward the rear of the residence.

    The latter glanced at Sun Wukong, who was still seemingly minding the atmosphere, and replied, ¡°There was something I wanted to confirm, actually.¡±

    ¡°Could it be the Somersault cloud?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do take care, then. Ah, and on your way back, please get some firewood as well. The rooms were cold last night.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    That was a request for a simple errand.

    Su-hyeun tried to eavesdrop on their conversation as he slowly walked away, but he couldn¡¯t hear what the two of them were saying. It seemed that they blocked off all sound to ensure that he would not hear anything.

    ¡°Which means they have something private to discuss.¡±

    Su-hyeun left them behind and climbed the mountain. Although the route to the summit was steep, he didn¡¯t take long to reach it. He stood at the point closest to the clouds and was greeted by the wide-open vista and the refreshingly cool air that entered deep into his lungs.

    The mountain¡¯s summit was home to a wide flat plain where all the trees had been cut down. Su-hyeun stood in the middle and slowly closed his eyes.

    Then, he spoke inwardly.

    ¡°Come.¡±

    He automatically came to know the command word without anyone telling him. Although he couldn¡¯t tell whether that was one of the effects of the Somersault cloud belonging to him or the system doing its thing again, not knowing the truth didn¡¯t stop him from unhesitatingly calling out in his mind again.

    ¡°Somersault cloud!¡±

    Shu¡ª Shushushu¡ª

    Pure white air currents suddenly generated all around Su-hyeun. They then enveloped his body like some kind of armor. No, they actually were no different from real armor now.

    ¡°Okay, so I¡¯ve managed to materialize it to this point¡­¡±

    While he was resting on his back, Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t been completely idle. He was picturing how he would go about using the Somersault cloud.

    This divine artifact¡¯s utilization wasn¡¯t fixed to one method, and how it should be deployed was wholly dependent on the user.

    Sun Wukong primarily used the Somersault cloud to fly around, as well as to summon storms to rain down lightning bolts. There must have been other ways to use it, but those two were the most famous techniques that symbolized the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, Sun Wukong.

    Of the two, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t require an ability related to long-distance travel. Although not as fast as the Somersault cloud, Miru would still be by his side. Considering the red dragon¡¯s raw pace, it would be possible to reach the other side of Earth in only a few hours.

    So, the other way Su-hyeun came up with to use the Somersault cloud was to materialize it like a set of armor.

    As for the second one¡­

    ¡°Attack.¡± Su-hyeun raised his hand toward the sky and murmured, ¡°Thunderbolt.¡±

    Flash¡ª

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    Blinding streaks of white light flashed above the darkened clouds in the sky.

    However, they couldn¡¯t descend to the ground. His control over the Somersault cloud wasn¡¯t quite good enough for that yet.

    ¡°This is harder than it looks.¡±

    He had been thinking that it would be easy to pull off while picturing it in his mind.

    The Somersault cloud that now belonged to Su-hyeun allowed him to use several new abilities like regular skills. One of them let him call forth lightning and create storm clouds.

    ¡°Controlling nature is originally the domain of a Taoist god, right?¡±

    He recalled what the Bull Demon King had told him during a theory lesson in the past.

    Assimilation with Mother Nature itself. Such a thing was possible for the Bull Demon King who had reached the very pinnacle of the Sage Arts and was infinitely close to becoming a true Taoist god. Once one became a god, then one could easily call forth storms and make it rain, or even cause an earthquake to break out.

    In a way, the Somersault cloud could be referred to as a divine artifact that possessed the powers of a Taoist god. Considering that Su-hyeun¡ªa complete beginner in the Sage Arts compared to either Sun Wukong or the Bull Demon King¡ªwas able to manipulate the weather, even if only by a little, it could be said that such a feat was already pretty special.

    [Basic Breathing Technique]

    <ul>

    Grade: ¨C

    Category: Active (activation type)

    The Sage Arts¡¯ basic breathing method. Maintaining the ¡°Basic Breathing Technique¡± reduces your magical energy consumption by 39%.

    Proficiency: 61.91%

    Your magical energy concentration will rise depending on your proficiency.

    </ul>

    [Sage¡¯s Eye]

    <ul>

    Grade: ¨C

    Category: Active (activation type)

    Category: Sage Art

    It is the ¡°eye¡± that sees the world¡¯s truth. All objects and the surrounding world will slow down in your view and allow you to see what you wish to find. Additional abilities will be granted as your proficiency improves.

    Proficiency: 25.22%

    Granted ability: ¡°Gyeol¡±

    </ul>

    [Sage¡¯s Eye: Gyeol]

    <ul>

    Grade: ¨C

    Category: Active (activation type)

    Category: Sage Art, Sage¡¯s Eye

    It can only be used when the ¡°Sage¡¯s Eye¡± is active. It can analyze the weaknesses and characteristics of the designated target caught in your view.

    Proficiency: 23.17%

    </ul>

    [Sage Art]

    <ul>

    Grade: ¨C

    Category: Passive

    It is a type of meditation on combat arts created by the Taoist god. It will enhance the purity of your magical energy and allow you to acquire related skills. With higher proficiency, you can also awaken your own innate abilities.

    Proficiency: 11.45%

    </ul>

    He checked the skill window, and the various skills he had acquired and learned so far floated up, namely, the breathing technique, the Sage Arts, and the others.

    Rather than calling it a skill status report, however, this was more like arranging all of his abilities and displaying them in numerical values so that he could check them out easily.

    After confirming the percentage of the Sage Arts¡¯ proficiency through the skill window, he immediately thought that it would have been truly wonderful if that figure could be raised by working in levels like in a game.

    Half a year¡ªthat was the length of time Su-hyeun had spent to learn the Sage Arts and the skills related to it, as well as raise the proficiency percentage of each of them.

    Out of them all, the one thing that showed the least amount of improvement was the field of study that encompassed everything else, the ¡°Sage Arts.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it basically stopped increasing after reaching the 10 percent mark, didn¡¯t it?¡± he mulled inwardly.

    He had acquired the Sage¡¯s Eye and then started perceiving the Gyeol. The Sage Arts¡¯ proficiency rose noticeably during that process, but raising it higher became extremely hard to do afterward.

    ¡°The first brother said this is already fast, but¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s situation was different from either that of the Bull Demon King or Sun Wukong.

    Time¡ªthat was the difference between himself and his two sworn brothers.

    Both the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong enjoyed the benefit of near-infinite time. In other words, they had enough leeway to slowly master the Sage Arts over the course of hundreds, thousands, no, tens of thousands of years.

    However, Su-hyeun held the knowledge of the fixed future, the destroyed world, and the predator that would create such a world and ultimately devour it.

    To fight those creatures off, he needed to get so much stronger than he was now. The reason why he decided to learn the Sage Arts wasn¡¯t to become some god later but because he simply had to win against even more powerful foes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not all bad.¡±

    Controlling the Somersault cloud proved to be difficult. However, that only made him feel more satisfied, instead.

    ¡°If I can perfectly wield this cloud, then¡­¡±

    By then, Su-hyeun would probably have reached a similar realm of the Sage Arts as Sun Wukong.

    Squeeze¡ª

    He clenched his fists tightly at the thought of the new possibilities. At the same time, a wide grin spread on his lips.

    ¡°Four days remaining until our departure.¡±

    Shuwuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun altered the shape of the Somersault cloud wrapped around his body and muttered to himself, ¡°I guess things will be a bit busy for me from now on.¡±

    <hr />

    A day before the war against the Heavenly World went underway.

    Su-hyeun told the Bull Demon King and his two other sworn brothers that he would briefly stop by his hometown and returned to his original world.

    The war against the Heavenly World would probably not end in a day or two, so he wanted to make sure that nothing strange was happening back home one last time.

    ¡°A blue-colored dungeon showed up near Taiwan a few days ago, but you don¡¯t have to worry about that one. No, you should be focusing on passing the 60th floor instead. I mean, it¡¯s already been half a year since you reached that floor, right?¡±

    Su-hyeun showed up at the office, and Lee Ju-ho compared and analyzed the various data of the dungeons that had appeared in various parts of the globe, as well as the available awakener manpower to handle them, then stated his opinion on the matter.

    A blue-colored dungeon. Although such a dungeon did present a fairly high level of difficulty, Lee Ju-ho determined that Su-hyeun didn¡¯t need to step in because of that lone dungeon.

    ¡°Will it really be alright?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°The standards of the awakeners have risen quite a lot recently, so yeah. The number of S-Ranks has also doubled, you know. I mean, it¡¯s at the point that some people are saying we should create SS-Rank soon.¡±

    The ¡°SS-Rank.¡±

    For sure, Su-hyeun had memories of such an opinion regarding the necessity of creating a rank higher than S-Rank that did the rounds, even back in the previous timeline.

    The fact that discussion regarding another rank above ¡°S¡± had cropped up could only mean that the growth rate of the ability users was a lot faster compared to in the past.

    ¡°If so, it should be alright,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t him, there were several skilled people capable of raiding a blue-colored dungeon.

    There was Gordon Rohan. Thomas and Hak-joon, too. Besides these three, he remembered several other very skilled people among the S-Rank awakeners.

    Judging from Lee Ju-ho¡¯s confident-sounding voice, it seemed that some of them must¡¯ve had enough time on their hands to take care of this event.

    And as there hadn¡¯t been a single indigo-colored dungeon yet, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have to worry too much about anything at the moment.

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°Are you planning to finally reach the next floor?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I think that¡¯s going to be likely,¡± Su-hyeun muttered back ruefully. ¡°Even though I don¡¯t really want to.¡±

    ¡°Now, that¡¯s a surprise. Weren¡¯t you in a rush to get to the 100th floor as soon as possible? But you¡¯ve already spent half a year on the current floor.¡±

    ¡°That goes to show you how much I¡¯ve managed to earn on this floor. For instance¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun stopped his sentence there and raised his head to stare at the cloudy sky up above.

    Lee Ju-ho was waiting for him to finish, so he couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head after no follow-up words came his way. He wondered what Su-hyeun wanted to say in the first place, but eventually, he chased after the younger man¡¯s gaze and looked up at the sky as well.

    ¡°Man, the weather is seriously gloomy today. I heard it¡¯s going to rain sometime later, too.¡±

    Drip¡ª

    The moment he finished his words, a drop of water fell on Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s raining.¡±

    Drip, drop, drooop¡ª

    Shwaaaaaah¡ª

    The raindrops that fell one at a time suddenly poured down at a crazy rate, as if a hole was punched in the heavens.

    Lee Ju-ho hurriedly shielded his head with his hand and pointed at the Jongno Tower building. ¡°H-hey, let¡¯s finish our chat inside. I heard it¡¯s going to rain for a while!¡±

    It was right then that Su-hyeun continued from where he had left off. ¡°¡­Something like this.¡±

    ¡°Uh? Did you say some¡ª?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho caught that small murmur and wondered what that was all about, but before he could ask about it¡­

    He realized that the raindrops had stopped falling on his hand and hurriedly raised his head to look up again. And then, he was treated to a hard-to-believe spectacle.

    ¡°The clouds, they¡­¡± he thought.

    The gloomy rain clouds that had completely filled the skies above his head until a second ago were rolling back on their own. Even more mysteriously, they were disappearing at a rate fast enough for his eyes to clearly see.

    This was a truly unbelievable event. Lee Ju-ho urgently lowered his head and looked at Su-hyeun.

    The latter had been staring at the sky as well. There was a hint of bluish light that flickered in his eyes before it disappeared without a trace.

    He smiled in satisfaction and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go inside? We¡¯re all soaked to the bone, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun strode toward the interior of Jongno Tower. Lee Ju-ho muttered to himself as he alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun¡¯s back and the sky where the clouds had all rolled away and the sun was shining brightly once more.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ There¡¯s no way, right?¡±

 Chapter 266

    <hr />

    The promised four days went by.

    The Bull Demon King placed a bundle wrapped in cloth each on the shoulders of Su-hyeun, Sun Wukong, and the Roc Demon King.

    He then said, ¡°I¡¯ve packed some snacks to eat on your way.¡±

    ¡°Are you sending us off on a picnic somewhere far away or something? You know we¡¯re going there to fight, right?¡±

    Although Sun Wukong said that, he was already drooling at the thought of food.

    Before he could start undoing the bundle to take a look inside, the Bull Demon King snatched Sun Wukong¡¯s hands away from it and shook his head in disapproval.

    ¡°Once you start, you¡¯re going to finish them in one sitting, so don¡¯t. You should instead enjoy them when you feel hungry when you get there.¡±

    ¡°But, big bro.¡±

    ¡°A no is a no. And stop whining like a child. It¡¯s creepy.¡±

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s firm voice caused Sun Wukong to lick his lips from the missed opportunity.

    The Roc Demon King stood tall with his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky, and spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s stop dithering about and get going already. What will you do if the Heavenly World suddenly had a change of heart and departed sooner than scheduled?¡±

    ¡°No way. Those idiots hate changing their plans the most, you know. Second brother, you think the Heavenly World is like you? Busy saying this and then quickly saying something else,¡± Sun Wukong grumbled while placing his hands behind his head. ¡°If only I still had my Somersault cloud with me, going there would be hassle-free. Heck, if I knew this would happen, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have given it away to the littlest here. Looks like things will get annoying as we go there.¡±

    ¡°You gave it to our littlest brother, so why are you blaming him? This won¡¯t do. I must smack some sense into you before you leave,¡± the Bull Demon King tutted.

    ¡°Ah, big bro! I¡¯ll die if you smack me, you know!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an immortal, so why the fuss?¡±

    ¡°N¡ªno, hang on a minute. If it¡¯s you, big brother, you might really kill me, you know? Ahk! Someone save Sun Wukong!¡±

    Su-hyeun grinned at the sight of Sun Wukong moving exaggeratedly as he dodged the Bull Demon King.

    What with the weight of the quest they were about to embark on being so heavy, the atmosphere should also be equally grave, yet Sun Wukong didn¡¯t act differently from how he normally did.

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about our transportation, I have a way, so you can rest easy. I shall take good care of you both, brothers,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Eh? Really? Wait, did you figure out how to control the Somersault cloud already?¡±

    ¡°No way¡­Seriously?¡±

    Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King were stunned by that, their eyes growing wider.

    They knew that Su-hyeun¡¯s speed of mastering the Sage Arts was already amazing, but it would be another story altogether for him to freely wield the Somersault cloud in only a matter of days.

    Su-hyeun continued on, ¡°It¡¯s still too early for me to transport all of you, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey, what the heck.¡±

    ¡°I thought as much.¡±

    ¡°You idiots! Will you listen to him until the end?¡±

    Smack, bang¡ª

    Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King formed deflated expressions before making identical sneers at Su-hyeun, only for the Bull Demon King to smack them in their heads.

    They hurriedly covered their heads and crouched in pain. Although those smacks looked light, the resulting sounds were certainly not.

    Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King before addressing the former. ¡°Have you forgotten how I got here back in the beginning?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Sun Wukong kept rubbing his aching head and nodded.

    Now that he thought about it, the Heavenly World above the clouds was the place where he met Su-hyeun for the first time.

    Su-hyeun turned toward the wide front yard and called out, ¡°Hey, Miru!¡±

    Split¡ª

    At his call, Miru poked his head out from the empty air.

    Gya-ong, gya-ong¡ª!

    As soon as it appeared, though, Miru turned its head away from him and narrowed its eyes as if it was angry about something.

    Even its cries sounded unhappy. Su-hyeun remembered that no event during the past half a year or so required him to summon Miru.

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry, Miru. Are you angry?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    The tone of the dragon¡¯s cries didn¡¯t sound so good.

    Su-hyeun had to work hard for a while to mollify Miru by stroking its head.

    On the other hand, Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King stared on with puzzled expressions at the dragon¡¯s unexpected entrance.

    ¡°A dragon?¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a dragon. I thought they went extinct a long time ago, but you were actually rearing one?¡±

    In this world, dragons were seen as a subspecies of Yogoes that the Taoist gods reared as their noble divine beasts.

    However, they went extinct many moons ago. The Bull Demon King, who had already lived for hundreds of thousands of years, apparently hadn¡¯t seen one in such a long time.

    ¡°¡­I have a rough idea of a dragon¡¯s mobility since I heard some stories about it, but isn¡¯t this child a little too small for everyone to ride on?¡±

    Despite being a dragon, Miru¡¯s size wasn¡¯t all that big on the outside.

    Not only was there a question of how fast Miru could fly, but it was also not much bigger than a tiger. Therefore, having three people ride comfortably on its back seemed to be a tall task even if it was capable of rapid flight.

    ¡°Hey Miru, can you give us a ride?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru shot a glare at Su-hyeun with a sulking expression and then turned its head away again.

    He wondered if the dragon would choose not to listen to him out of all that anger, but not too long afterward, Miru¡¯s body began to gradually get bigger.

    Kku-duck, kku-du-duk¡ª

    Its slender legs that stood on the ground lengthened and thickened. Even its face that looked juvenile was soon covered with thick scales, and eventually, its whole body took on the figure of a near-mature dragon.

    Boom¡ª

    Rumbleee¡ª

    When its front leg stepped forward, the ground rumbled and quaked ever so softly. Its previously cute-sounding cries had also morphed into something that better suited a dragon.

    Sun Wukong saw this transformation and asked the Bull Demon King, ¡°I was wondering why it looked way smaller than the one I saw the last time, but this was why, eh? Now, that¡¯s so mysterious. Big brother, have you seen anything like this before?¡±

    A dragon that could freely alter the size of its physique.

    Not only Sun Wukong, who didn¡¯t know much about dragons, to begin with, but even the Bull Demon King found this sight unfamiliar to behold despite having seen dragons a few times in the past.

    ¡°Even I have not heard about such a thing before. Not only that¡­¡± The Bull Demon King studied the transformed Miru before carrying on, ¡°As it¡¯s a red dragon, this child must be a descendant of a divine dragon.¡±

    ¡°A divine dragon?¡±

    ¡°I only heard about some stories, and it¡¯s also my first time seeing one. When I was a young boy, dragons still existed, and I got to see one every now and then. That¡­probably implies that even back during the height of the dragon race¡¯s prosperity, there weren¡¯t that many individuals in existence.¡±

    Growl, grrrr¡ª

    Miru rubbed its head against Su-hyeun for a bit and then let him ride first on the back of its neck before shifting its head toward the Bull Demon King and the other two Yogoes.

    ¡°Miru¡¯s telling you to climb aboard.¡± Su-hyeun waved his hand, signaling them to hurry.

    While Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King stood there staring at Miru in amazement, the Bull Demon King smacked them both in their backs and pushed them forward.

    ¡°Ouch! Why did you push us like that?¡±

    ¡°Be careful on your way and come home soon. I¡¯ll prepare a tasty feast to coincide your return, so come back healthy, too.¡±

    Sun Wukong grumbled loudly again, but the Bull Demon King just waved his hand slowly a couple of times before walking back inside the house.

    His actions or expressions didn¡¯t display much concern. Sun Wukong dazedly stared at the Bull Demon King for a second or two before smiling brightly. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll be back soon, bro.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Take care of yourselves.¡±

    Now, normally, the Bull Demon King would¡¯ve smacked Sun Wukong for the impolite speech, but at least this time, he didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Leap¡ª

    Sun Wukong lightly leaped and climbed on Miru¡¯s back. The Roc Demon King did the same.

    Kiii-ah-ohhh¡ª!

    Once all three of them securely climbed aboard its back, Miru raised its head toward the heavens and let out a loud roar.

    Su-hyeun rubbed the dragon¡¯s back and spoke softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Flap¡ª

    Miru¡¯s wings spread open wide.

    Toward the skies above.

    Toward the Heavenly World.

    <hr />

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    This wasn¡¯t his first time to feel what it was like to fly past the clouds. For one, riding in an airplane would also let you experience going past the clouds.

    However, riding on Miru¡¯s back and facing the winds while flying upward gave off a completely different vibe to that of riding in an airplane.

    ¡°Hey! This kinda feels different from riding on the Somersault cloud.¡±

    Sun Wukong looked really excited judging from his expression.

    Unlike the soft and stable Somersault cloud, Miru¡¯s back was rough from all of its scales, and the flight itself was also quite noisy, but maybe that was why the sensation of flying felt so much faster.

    When they rose past the clouds, the fog got thicker, and their vision became murkier as a result. Eventually, though, they arrived at another world located far above the clouds.

    Boom¡ª

    The location Miru arrived at after about one hour of flying was a rather familiar place¡ªthe ground still gave off intense heat as reddish energy lingered in the skies above and the tall cliff that rose from the solid earth that existed on the world above the clouds.

    ¡°That¡¯s the eight-way trigram Crucible.¡±

    They were at heaven¡¯s prison where the Heavenly World¡¯s criminals were locked away. It was also the location of the eight-way trigram Crucible that imprisoned Sun Wukong.

    ¡°Now why did you have to come here of all places? This is bad luck, man,¡± Sun Wukong said.

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped since this is the only place Miru knows in the Heavenly World.¡±

    ¡°But everywhere above the skies is the Heavenly World, you know.¡±

    The Roc Demon King piped up, ¡°Nah, this location is pretty good. The prison guards should have been dispatched to the other side to get ready for the war against the surface world, anyway. This is perfect for avoiding getting spotted too early.¡±

    He nodded in satisfaction when he did not pick up any presence of the gods within the gentle breezes. On the other hand, both Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong made expressions that were completely different from his.

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s a bust, then.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so right. We can also blame you, third brother, for decreasing their numbers a lot after leaving the eight-way trigram Crucible.¡±

    Their reactions caused the Roc Demon King to look back at them with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°What do you think we came here to do?¡±

    Su-hyeun asked a rather obvious question, which was promptly answered by Sun Wukong.

    ¡°Second brother, it¡¯s the Heavenly World wanting to wage a war.¡±

    ¡°Then what about us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not war, but¡­¡±

    Bang¡ª

    Sun Wukong smacked his fist into his other palm and smirked deeply. ¡°We came here to cause chaos.¡±

    ¡°Chaos¡­?¡±

    The Roc Demon King didn¡¯t look like he understood it yet.

    Su-hyeun sighed deeply. Whether it was Sun Wukong or the Roc Demon King, he already knew that they were blessed with simpler personalities, but even then, their discussion would go nowhere fast at this rate.

    In the end, Su-hyeun took it upon himself to explain things to the Roc Demon King. ¡°There are only three of us. And our ultimate aim is the Jade Emperor¡¯s head. Meaning, there¡¯s no need for us to fight the entire Heavenly World, you know.¡±

    Su-hyeun clearly explained their goal.

    From the perspective of the Heavenly World, this really was a war. Well, they would be sending out a massive army led by several generals, after all. Not to forget, they simply had no choice but to wage a war if they wanted to completely exterminate all humans and Yogoes that lived on the surface world.

    However, this group¡¯s aim was not the extermination of the Heavenly World but simply to eliminate the Jade Emperor.

    Su-hyeun continued on, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether we resort to assassination or we march straight into the Jade Emperor¡¯s imperial palace. As long as we cut his head off, our job¡¯s done.¡±

    In other words, it¡¯s to take down the king. Like in a game of chess, once your king had been taken, it would be impossible to carry on, after all.

    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that this fight isn¡¯t a war, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why are you thinking too hard about it?¡± Sun Wukong simplified this whole situation for the Roc Demon King. ¡°We just have to do what we¡¯ve been doing all along, that¡¯s all.¡±

    What they had been doing all along.

    Not just anyone¡¯s but Sun Wukong¡¯s way of doing things.

    And his way was, unsurprisingly, straightforward and simple-minded as well.

    <hr />

    The Heavenly World.

    Although that name implied that this world was a noble, divine realm where gods lived, in reality, it was far closer to being yet another massive nation.

    A large city was built around the imperial palace of the Jade Emperor, and then, there were several generals and lower-ranked gods subordinated to them protecting this city.

    ¡°Not too many days to go.¡±

    ¡°You mean the policy to exterminate the humans and the Yogoes?¡±

    ¡°I heard that it¡¯ll start in five days? I wonder if this is alright, though.¡±

    ¡°What can we do? Other than following orders from the higher-ups, that is.¡±

    The gods that were patrolling the outer perimeter of the city chatted among themselves, white breaths from the cold weather escaping from their mouths.

    Nothing much of note happened so far. Their jobs mainly entailed inspecting anyone wanting to enter the city, and once their identities had been confirmed, they let them through. That¡¯s all.

    ¡°If that happens, we¡¯ll end up fighting the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal again, right?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, that insane monkey bastard. Just thinking about him gives me the creeps.¡±

    ¡°Now I remember, you participated in that war against the Great Sage, didn¡¯t you? How was it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring that up, friend. I don¡¯t even want to talk about it.¡± The god receiving that question shook his head, looking weary. He felt goosebumps breaking out on his skin after thinking about fighting the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal one more time. ¡°Besides all that, I have no idea why we¡¯re wasting our time out here. Just who would show up and¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that and please just tell me. Tell me more about what this Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal is like¡­Hey, man. What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±

    The patrolling god who was persistently asking questions discovered his partner¡¯s expression and became completely confused. His gaze eventually shifted in the direction where his partner¡¯s pale-as-paper face was looking at.

    In the far off distance, he could see three figures¡ªa white-haired man with a small physique, another man that somewhat resembled a bird, and finally, a normal-looking human male.

    ¡°Get bigger¡ª¡±

    Considering the distance, those words should have been almost inaudible, yet the voice sounded incredibly loud in the patrolling god¡¯s ears.

    And the moment the rest of that man¡¯s voice resounded¡­

    ¡°Ruyi.¡±

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    Yet another calamity descended on the Heavenly World.

    And its name was the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, Sun Wukong.

 Chapter 267

    <hr />

    One hour earlier.

    After discovering the location where the Jade Emperor resided¡ªthe city that formed the center of the Heavenly World itself¡ªSun Wukong and the Roc Demon King tried to rush in there without any plan whatsoever. But Su-hyeun managed to stop them just in time.

    ¡°Argh! What is it now?¡± Sun Wukong started complaining.

    ¡°Let¡¯s think first before making our move. Please.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t get killed, anyway. All I need to do is go over there and wreak havoc, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You may not die, but you can still be captured like the last time, yes? Brother, if I hadn¡¯t rescued you back then, you¡¯d still be stuck inside the Crucible right now.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s words, Sun Wukong let out a pained groan and roughly scratched his head.

    Those words weren¡¯t wrong. For sure, Sun Wukong did rush in here without thinking the last time and ended up getting caught by the Heavenly World¡¯s army.

    ¡°Back then, what happened was that this guy lost his mind after hearing the news about the Jade Emperor going through with the policy of exterminating all humans and Yogoes alike. It¡¯s not that much different this time too, is it?¡±

    ¡°Things are more urgent now, though. We really only have five days left, after all.¡±

    The Roc Demon King recounted the tale from the past, and Sun Wukong urgently piped up at the end.

    He no longer displayed that relaxed demeanor from before their departure. It seemed that his hot-blooded nature was finally emerging as the Heavenly World stood right before their noses.

    Su-hyeun spoke up next, ¡°Before we do anything, let¡¯s set some clear goals first. What is the most important part of our mission?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the head of that bastard Jade Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Good. Do you know where he is, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you believe you can find him? Remember that a king will never show up first. He will only appear right toward the end.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words caused Sun Wukong to deeply furrow his brows.

    Those words weren¡¯t wrong either. Their purpose wasn¡¯t to wage open warfare but cause chaos and kill the Jade Emperor at the end, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°Alright, so what do you want us to do, then?¡±

    ¡°We should create a situation where the Jade Emperor simply has no choice but to make an appearance.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°First of all¡­¡±

    **

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    The fortress gates of the Heavenly World exploded.

    Numerous gods were either injured or killed off outright, and almost in an instant, an emergency alert was made throughout the entire Heavenly World.

    ¡°Enemies!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Ruyi Jingu Bang!¡±

    ¡°The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal is here!¡±

    Noisy shouting broke out, but that only made sense.

    The gods who managed to survive the previous ¡°war¡± against the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal would certainly know all about the master of that massive pole invading the Heavenly World.

    ¡°¡­So, they finally came.¡±

    Creeeak¡ª

    Inside an unremarkable and worn-down house.

    The Jade Emperor, buried deeply in a rocking chair, slowly opened his eyes. In front of him was Erlang Shen who was kneeling on one knee.

    ¡°Erlang Shen, you do remember what you need to do from now on, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I shall be on my way first, your majesty.¡±

    Erlang Shen stood up and bowed deeply before retrieving his guandao resting in the corner of the room. He then exited from the house.

    Step, step¡ª

    The sounds of his footsteps taking him outside were measured and heavy.

    He had been doing his best to suppress it in the presence of the Jade Emperor, but for a while now, Erlang Shen had been emitting such terrifyingly sharp fighting spirit that merely standing near him would result in one¡¯s body being cut up into pieces.

    The Jade Emperor mulled to himself, ¡°Does his sense of duty exceed even his desire to win?¡±

    Erlang Shen¡­

    Prince Nezha might have overshadowed him in the past, but even then, he remained fiercely competitive. However, his unshakeable sense of duty burned even brighter than before.

    The current situation perfectly demonstrated that point.

    The Heavenly World was under attack. This wasn¡¯t even the first time but the second. To make matters worse, the opponent today was the same person as 500 years ago¡ªthe Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    ¡°He will stop the Great Sage even if it means his death.¡±

    Erlang Shen was that sort of a man, after all¡ªa general who silently defended the Heavenly World even well before the Jade Emperor had become the ruler of this world.

    If the god of war, Prince Nezha, was the spear of the Heavenly World, then Erlang Shen was its shield.

    After the general left, the room became devoid of any other life besides the Jade Emperor. He slowly closed his eyes and listened to the loud rumble of the Ruyi Jingu Bang that was wreaking havoc in the Heavenly World once more.

    ¡°Oh, the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal¡­¡± the Jade Emperor muttered to no one in particular as the rumbling continued. ¡°Are you aiming for my head then?¡±

    A smile crept on his face.

    Finally, the day had come.

    The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, the existence that completely devastated the Heavenly World several hundred years ago.

    The Yogoe that inflicted a huge scar on the emperor¡¯s chest and left a truly humiliating and unforgettable record in the history books of the Heavenly World.

    ¡°Come, monkey king.¡± The Jade Emperor opened his eyes into narrow slits, the glare in them sharp and cold. ¡°This is my trap laid out for you.¡±

    **

    ¡°It¡¯s the Ruyi Jingu Bang! Run!¡±

    ¡°Run¡­!¡±

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    Aaaaahk!

    Uwahk!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang extended and swept away all the gods that were trying to pounce forward. Every time the magical pole was swung, the bodies of dozens of gods were crushed beyond recognition.

    Sun Wukong dodged the spears thrown by the gods and jumped into the air.

    ¡°Looks like there aren¡¯t any Titans around¡­¡±

    The race of Titans. That title was reserved for those Heavenly World¡¯s gods with very large bodies. They resided in a different location in the capital city, and for the longest time, they served as the guards of the Heavenly World¡¯s prison, as well as the chief gatekeepers of various districts.

    However, there didn¡¯t seem to be any Titans around here since all he could see at the moment were regular gods.

    ¡°Man, this is just no fun.¡± Sun Wukong licked his lips as he stared at the gods that were rushing outside the destroyed fortress gates. He then opened his mouth wide and roared, ¡°Stop sending out these small fries, and tell that bastard Jade Emperor to come out!¡±

    Boooom¡ª

    Sun Wukong¡¯s roar reverberated throughout the sky.

    Since his purpose was as clear as day, it was obvious that the Heavenly World¡¯s gods would never even entertain the thoughts of wheeling out the Jade Emperor here.

    No, more correctly, they were not even planning to allow Sun Wukong to enter the capital of the Heavenly World, in the first place.

    ¡°Where do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°You think the Heavenly World will be trampled upon by a mere monkey like you?!¡±

    ¡°Know your place, you damn filthy ape!¡±

    The gods glared at Sun Wukong in pure rage. However, not many of them dared to pounce on him.

    They were afraid of him¡ªafraid of the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and his martial prowess.

    Terrified of the Great Sage¡¯s reputation as the one who had flipped the Heavenly World on its head with just the Bull Demon King as his company.

    Puh-hat!

    Sometimes, the one causing the others to become afraid of him would be the first to notice their fear. Such as the case now.

    These gods had not recognized their own fear due to their pride in being the Heavenly World¡¯s warriors, as well as their sense of duty that told them to protect the Heavenly World. Yet their opponent Sun Wukong had managed to pick up on that first.

    ¡°Bunch of cowards.¡±

    Sun Wukong slung the Ruyi Jingu Bang over his shoulder.

    All these gods before his eyes were too pathetic and laughable.

    Sun Wukong was the holder of the title, the Victorious Fighting Buddha. Not even once in his life did he feel afraid of a fight. But right now, all these gods who were ostensibly trying to fight him were shivering away in fear because of him.

    ¡°You lot are not even worth fighting.¡±

    Of course, Sun Wukong didn¡¯t let his guard down even though he said that. He also didn¡¯t choose to take another powerful swing with the Ruyi Jingu Bang at the gods before his nose.

    Step, step¡ª

    Heavy footsteps rang from among the gathered gods.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a slowpoke?¡± Sun Wukong already knew who those footsteps belonged to even before the nearby gods managed to figure that out for themselves. ¡°Erlang Shen.¡±

    Sun Wukong suddenly became much more serious, which was a complete opposite of his temperament until a second ago as he cackled and mocked the gods.

    ¡°So, you finally came, monkey.¡±

    Ssha-aah¡ª

    The air grew cold in an instant.

    The atmosphere was more than capable of simply sending chills down your skin. The actual temperature had changed with Erlang Shen¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Here we are, meeting sooner than I expected. Five hundred years ago¡­was also the same as today.¡±

    The gathered gods parted at the entrance of Erlang Shen and opened up a path for him.

    The confrontation between him and the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal¡ªno god present today had not heard about the tale of just how long these two existences had fought each other.

    For one, the reason why the Great Sage was captured and thrown into the eight-way trigram Crucible 500 years ago was due to the combined work of Erlang Shen and Prince Nezha.

    ¡°If that idiot Nezha didn¡¯t interfere back then, the victory would¡¯ve been mine. That stinking bastard, busy mouthing off about being a warrior and a general¡¯s backbone and stuff, yet hitting me in the back when I wasn¡¯t looking,¡± Sun Wukong grumbled.

    ¡°Do not be mistaken. Back then, we were following our majesty¡¯s orders. Prince Nezha couldn¡¯t go against them. Besides, that battle would have ended in my victory anyway.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Erlang. You¡¯ve grown a lot more talkative, haven¡¯t you? A lot must have happened in the past 500 years, I guess?¡±

    Erlang Shen was originally the silent and taciturn type. These two men had never met each other in informal gatherings before, but a very few other Yogoes knew the Heavenly World¡¯s general as Sun Wukong did. Fighting each other for a long time would tend to do that.

    ¡°Looking back, it¡¯s always been like this,¡± said Sun Wukong as he spun the Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hand, his eyes firmly locked on Erlang Shen. ¡°You never had enough confidence to fight me alone. Every single time, you¡¯d show up with all these annoying small fries and then use them as your little meat shields. Or are they god shields, instead? In any case¡­¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Sun Wukong pointed the Ruyi Jingu Bang at Erlang Shen. ¡°How about it? Just the two of us. Let¡¯s have fun by fighting for real. But I¡¯ll understand if you¡¯re too scared and won¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Meat shields¡­¡± Erlang Shen glanced at the gods near him at Sun Wukong¡¯s words and then nodded contemplatively. ¡°Let us do so then.¡±

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª

    He answered Sun Wukong¡¯s naked provocation by dashing forward.

    And so, the 23rd battle between the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and Erlang Shen commenced.

    **

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    The Heavenly World was in an upheaval.

    The capital city where various gods resided and where the imperial palace, the Jade Emperor¡¯s home, stood tall to welcome the high-ranking gods to its hallways¡ªthe city that provided a home to hundreds of thousands of gods was being raided once more.

    ¡°Is it the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal again?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t too surprising, however. We all anticipated something like this would happen, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our job to make sure he doesn¡¯t set foot here.¡±

    The army¡¯s deployment for the purpose of exterminating humans and Yogoes was scheduled to take place in five days.

    Everyone already knew that the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal wouldn¡¯t sit idly by and let that happen. He had been in love with humanity for the longest time, and he was also the king of all monkey Yogoes that resided in the Mountain of Flower and Fruit.

    Therefore, it was already predicted that they would have to fight the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal either before or after their deployment.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be surprised about! All of you, arm yourselves and man your positions!¡±

    These gods were given a single task¡ªto prevent the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal from causing yet another pandemonium in the Heavenly World.

    For that purpose, they couldn¡¯t let him reach the Jade Emperor¡¯s imperial palace. That would only besmirch the pride and honor of the Heavenly World.

    ¡°We only have to contend with three opponents! Not only that, one of them happens to be a weakling human! Do not be afraid! Today¡¯s glorious battle will be the very first one in many that will usher in the never-ending prosperity for our Heavenly World!¡±

    The Heavenly World¡¯s general roared in a prideful voice at his subordinate soldiers.

    Waaaaaah¡ª!

    Soon afterward, loud cheering resounded from them.

    Their morale before the battle was at its absolute peak. The Heavenly World¡¯s general smiled in satisfaction, his expression displaying how good he felt inside.

    But it was then¡­

    ¡°Who said there were only three?¡±

    That a foreign voice cut through the loud cheering and entered the general¡¯s ears.

    ¡°That¡¯s wrong, you see.¡±

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    Crunch, BOOM¡ª

    Kiiii-aaaaah¡ª!

    Only a moment later, massive monsters broke through from the ground and began rising up one by one. Their sudden entrance threw the amassed soldiers of the Heavenly World into unbridled confusion.

    ¡°G¡ªgeneral, sir! This¡­!¡±

    ¡°N¡ªno reason to panic! Stay calm and form the ranks¡­!¡±

    Too obviously, his orders were way by the book¡ªproof that he was just as confused at the moment.

    The general of the Heavenly World¡¯s army couldn¡¯t figure the situation out and instead urgently turned his head in the direction of that unfamiliar voice. ¡°Who are you?!¡±

    ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t asking me for my name, so I wonder. If you¡¯re asking me who I am, then¡­¡±

    Split¡ª

    The third eye in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead opened. And when it did¡­

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator]

    A vast quantity of magical energy blanketed the land, and the pressure from Su-hyeun¡¯s presence began crushing down on the Heavenly World¡¯s army.

    ¡°I¡¯m that weakling human.¡±

 Chapter 268

    Act 2

    ¡°The first step is to intimidate.¡±

    Before the trio reached the capital city of the Heavenly World, Su-hyeun brought Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King closer to explain their strategy.

    ¡°I believe the third brother is most suited for this role. You already have a prior record of wreaking havoc in the Heavenly World in the past, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°You need to cause as much chaos as possible. We will execute our second step after that.¡±

    ¡°Wait, do you really need to explain all this? Isn¡¯t this, you know, the exact same process as 500 years ago?¡±

    The Roc Demon King countered Su-hyeun¡¯s words with complaints.

    Although not as bad as Sun Wukong, the Roc Demon King was also not a big fan of thinking about complicated stuff.

    Su-hyeun could only groan at the reactions of these two and inwardly guessed, ¡°Big brother must¡¯ve felt exhausted by these two quite often.¡±

    He knew all about not just their powerful abilities but also their peculiar personalities. Perhaps that was why the Bull Demon King called Su-hyeun to one side and held a private discussion with him before their departure.

    ¡°Both the second and third brothers will most likely just plunge headlong into the enemy camp. Especially so for the third¡­Well, he might be better than anyone when it comes to fighting, but he¡¯s rather sloppy as far as coming up with a plan is concerned, isn¡¯t he? And that¡¯s why you need to help them out,¡± the Bull Demon King said.

    ¡°I¡¯m also not very good at military strategies, though,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright even if you¡¯re not. Anyone would be better than our third brother, after all.¡±

    After recalling that conversation, Su-hyeun ended up reflexively nodding his head.

    From his observation for the past half a year, Sun Wukong seemed to have invested all of his stat points, if such things existed for him in the first place, only on the stats related to fighting and nothing else besides.

    ¡°According to what the third brother has said, the Jade Emperor is hiding somewhere within the capital city. And the city¡¯s outer walls are protected by countless soldiers and generals. It¡¯s not impossible to break through their defenses and enter the city itself, but that does not mean we¡¯ll have an easy time doing that.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I guess.¡±

    ¡°What do you want us to do, then?¡±

    Su-hyeun saw how his two sworn brothers were still unwilling to think too deeply about this and had no choice but to get to the point right away. ¡°We¡¯ll break through the outer gate right away. No, wait¡­¡± Su-hyeun looked at Sun Wukong and continued, ¡°We¡¯ll just ignore it.¡±

    He was staring at the Ruyi Jingu Bang on Sun Wukong¡¯s back in particular.

    **

    Kiiii-aaah¡ª!

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    All kinds of monsters began rampaging around in the heart of the Heavenly World.

    The gods thought of them as Yogoes and not monsters, however. Needless to say, not once before in the Heavenly World¡¯s long history did these many Yogoes had ever been allowed to set foot in the capital city, the pride of the Heavenly World.

    ¡°Did that human summon them here?¡±

    The general of the Heavenly World¡¯s army, Zhang Wumeong, was sweating bullets as he looked at the monsters that had appeared all around him.

    Every single one of these things was at the level that regular gods would find very hard to deal with. He couldn¡¯t understand why all these monsters were heeding that human¡¯s orders. He also couldn¡¯t figure out where they had come from.

    However, the biggest unanswered question was¡­

    ¡°How did you even get here in the first place?!¡±

    The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal was currently fighting by the outer perimeter of the capital city, so how did Su-hyeun appear in this place?

    At Zhang Wumeong¡¯s question, Su-hyeun simply shifted his gaze over to one side¡ªto the location where a deep crater could be seen.

    ¡°I rode on that.¡±

    ¡°When you say ¡®that,¡¯ could it be¡­?¡±

    Zhang Wumeong¡¯s gaze chased after Su-hyeun¡¯s and landed on the ground as well.

    There it was, an indentation made by something heavy. Any god of the Heavenly World who had experienced first-hand the battle against the Great Sage would know just what the cause of that mark on the ground was.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± the general thought.

    Swish¡ª

    Zhang Wumeong looked back at Su-hyeun in utter disbelief. ¡°You¡­You rode on the Ruyi Jingu Bang?¡±

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang, the treasure from the oceans that was meant to measure the depths of the dragon palace under the sea. It was the ¡°weapon¡± that now symbolized the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and was capable of enlarging almost indefinitely depending on the ability of its wielder.

    Su-hyeun had ridden on that weapon to infiltrate deep into the city.

    ¡°At least there¡¯s someone smart among you.¡±

    Du-dududududu¡ª

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    A gigantic head slowly rose from the ground. It belonged to a snake that was tens of meters in width and several kilometers in length¡ªthe Ouroboros.

    Kiii-aaaaah¡ª!

    This creature¡¯s entrance caused the skies of the Heavenly World to buckle.

    Zhang Wumeong nervously swallowed his saliva after witnessing the Ouroboros ruthlessly crush the surrounding soldiers of the Heavenly World with its huge body.

    Squeeze¡ª

    He then gripped the spear in his hand even harder.

    ¡°This bastard¡¯s specialty must be a summoning technique and using some kind of strange pressure to restrict his opponents,¡± he inwardly considered.

    Zhang Wumeong calmly analyzed Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities. He also hardened his resolve after realizing that the soldiers in the vicinity couldn¡¯t move an inch due to that strange pressure.

    ¡°I need to step up here.¡±

    Crunch¡ª!

    Strength traveled down to his legs, and right at that moment, his figure shot up high and flew toward Su-hyeun who was currently standing on top of a building.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    His long spear aimed for Su-hyeun¡¯s throat.

    Zhang Wumeong inwardly cried out in elation when their distance closed up in the blink of an eye without much interference.

    ¡°I did¡­¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    ¡°¡­it?¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Zhang Wumeong¡¯s spear that was thrusting forward simply stabbed into empty air.

    At the same time, however, his body suddenly staggered. And even before he could figure out what happened, a powerful impact force slammed into the back of his head.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Bang, crunchhhh¡ª

    The impact force caused the building Su-hyeun stood on to collapse spectacularly.

    That¡¯s all Zhang Wumeong was able to remember. Su-hyeun simply grabbed the god¡¯s throat as the latter rushed in, slammed him down hard, and immediately leaped out of the collapsing building.

    Boom, crunch¡ª!

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    In the meantime, the monsters summoned there through the Necromancer trait were still ripping apart the soldiers of the Heavenly World and crushing the buildings underfoot.

    It was literally a pandemonium.

    Su-hyeun raised his head and looked up. ¡°They sure are late.¡±

    Giii-aaaah¡ª!

    Grrrrr¡ª

    More soldiers riding on the backs of divine beasts began filling up the skies.

    With spears in their hands, they aimed for Su-hyeun. On top of that, chaos was unfolding in the center of the Heavenly World, which caused even more soldiers to rush there from all directions as well.

    Their numbers were quite high.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡±

    This was what he wanted.

    Su-hyeun maintained the breathing technique and calmed his heart. Not only the magical energy but also the breathing technique managed to reduce his consumption of the Death Aura required to use the Necromancer trait.

    ¡°An army for an army,¡± he thought.

    The difference in numbers was rather considerable.

    He was standing in the center of the Heavenly World. There were at least hundreds of thousands of gods residing in that place alone.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯ll be better to wait for now.¡±

    This battle was practically a war of attrition.

    Not to forget, this was not a battle against an individual but an entire army. He needed to conserve his stamina and magical energy until either the Jade Emperor revealed himself or his current location was exposed.

    So Su-hyeun chose to actively rely on his Necromancer trait for the time being. And he had readied one more card just for that purpose.

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    ¡°God of War, Prince Nezha.¡±

    [¡°Dead Summoning¡± has been used.]

    [¡°God of War, Prince Nezha¡± is being summoned.]

    [Your proficiency is insufficient to restore the summoned creature¡¯s full stats.]

    [The summoned creature¡¯s stats will be adjusted lower.]

    [Application rate: 31%]

    Riiip¡ª

    Step, step¡ª

    Space tore apart in a straight line, and a man with a near-skeletal physique pushed himself past the opening to step outside.

    It was difficult to see much resemblance to how he looked back when he was still a living being. The low application rate was to blame for that. However, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t disappointed by this. He felt deeply satisfied by the fact that, more than anything else, he could even summon Nezha in the first place.

    Sshu-wu-wuk¡ª

    Right after the Dead Summoning had been used, a considerable amount of Death Aura incomparable to anything up until now was consumed instantly.

    However, he didn¡¯t feel that it was a waste. The true worth of his new summon was too amazing to feel that way, anyway.

    ¡°An application rate of 31%, huh?¡±

    That number was quite low. However, the specs of the summoned creature while he was still alive were already too outstanding, to begin with, so it was fine.

    The God of War, Prince Nezha.

    Su-hyeun had to go through a wringer to turn this guy into his summon. For one thing, the grade of Prince Nezha¡¯s soul alone was on another dimension compared to any other monsters.

    Shu-ka-ahk¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun took out a sword he was carrying on his back with his usual spear and then tossed it at his new summon. Prince Nezha reached out and caught that sword mid-air.

    It was none other than the Yogoe Slaying Sword.

    Squeeze¡ª

    No matter how bony he looked on the outside, a god of war was still a god of war. The moment he caught the Yogoe Slaying Sword, Prince Nezha¡¯s grip became far stronger than before.

    ¡°And now¡­¡± Su-hyeun, having successfully summoned Prince Nezha, addressed his summoned creatures. His order remained the same as before, however. ¡°¡­Sweep them all away.¡±

    **

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The Ouroboros¡¯ screeching reverberated throughout the Heavenly World¡¯s skies. That wasn¡¯t all. Noises of footsteps belonging to numerous monsters were mixed in among that loud screeching.

    The gods didn¡¯t need to hear a report to figure out that many ¡°Yogoes¡± had invaded the center of the Heavenly World.

    ¡°Yogoes have invaded us!¡±

    ¡°How could Yogoes¡­In the center of our capital¡­?¡±

    ¡°Did the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal form a pack?¡±

    ¡°Who cares?! Exterminate the Yogoes first!¡±

    The entire Heavenly World was thrown into chaos.

    The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, along with other Yogoes, began wreaking havoc¡ªthat news brought in many soldiers toward the center of the Heavenly World.

    ¡°Where is the current location of the Great Sage?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s currently by the Eastern Gate, sir! Lord Erlang Shen has been dispatched to that location.¡±

    ¡°Lord Erlang Shen did? Well, I guess there won¡¯t be a problem on that side then.¡±

    Erlang Shen was the greatest shield that protected the Heavenly World, along with the God of War Prince Nezha.

    If he went there, then the matters in the eastern section should be alright.

    ¡°So, our problem is the Roc Demon King and that human over there, right?¡±

    The third general of the Heavenly World¡¯s army, Wenchang Jun, was making a deeply troubled expression.

    ¡°This battle will ultimately be recorded as the Heavenly World¡¯s victory. However¡­Is there any meaning to a victory full of nothing but injuries?¡±

    Basically, this fight had been initiated by the Heavenly World. As they were about to start the extermination of all humans and Yogoes, it was only a matter of time before a battle against the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal would occur.

    Many gods of the Heavenly World would lose their lives in the process, but there was nothing that could be done about it. By the time all traces of humans and Yogoes disappeared from the surface world, only about half of the gods would remain alive.

    ¡°It seems that the Heavenly World is especially noisy today.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    A stately voice that Wenchang Jun had heard before somewhere suddenly entered his ears.

    He quickly turned his head in the direction of that voice. And that¡¯s where he discovered someone he thought he would never meet ever again¡ªan old man with an imposing physique and sporting a long white beard.

    ¡°P¡ªPagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing? What brings you here, honored sir?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did I come to a place I shouldn¡¯t have?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, but¡­I was under the impression that you have retired a long time ago?¡±

    The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

    Not only was he one of the Heavenly World¡¯s top warriors, but he was also the father and master of Prince Nezha.

    The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King had stepped away from an important position in the Heavenly World when he grew old, and his son Prince Nezha earned the title of the God of War. However, no god in this place would not know how incredible a warrior he was in his prime.

    ¡°I heard that my son was killed.¡±

    Prince Nezha was dead.

    His son was dead.

    While mouthing those words, Li Jing¡¯s narrow eyes opened wider ever so slightly. ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t I step forward again and restore the glory of our Heavenly World?¡±

    Go-oooooh¡ª

    It had been a long time since the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King¡¯s fighting spirit was felt by the others. With this, he had returned from a lengthy absence to become the Heavenly World¡¯s proud warrior once more.

    ¡°So, where is the place that requires my assistance?¡±

    When he roused up his fighting spirit and asked that question¡­

    ¡°Well, I think¡­¡±

    The reply came from a completely unexpected location.

    ¡°¡­Over here?¡±

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    BANG¡ª!

    Crack, spliiiit¡ª

    That voice, along with a powerful presence, caused Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, as well as Wenchang Jun and the soldiers of the Heavenly World, to turn his head in its direction.

    Wenchang Jun¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the sight of a man with snow-white hair falling from the sky to make his sudden entrance.

    ¡°T¡ªthe¡­The¡­¡± Wenchang Jun¡¯s jaw dropped low as he loudly roared out the title that the Heavenly World had bestowed unto this individual. ¡°Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal?!¡±

 Chapter 269

    Act 3

    Wenchang Jun and the other soldiers of the Heavenly World all forgot to breathe.

    The Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal descended from the sky to make his grand entrance. The sense of presence this one creature exuded was more than enough to instantly overwhelm the Heavenly World¡¯s army that gathered in this place.

    Only one being remained unaffected by the pressure¡ªthe Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly God, Li Jing. He was the father of someone who had fought against Sun Wukong for a long time, Prince Nezha.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard many stories about you. You must be the younger brother of the Bull Demon King, Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.¡±

    ¡°And who might you be, old man?¡±

    This was Sun Wukong¡¯s first time meeting the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. The latter belonged to the generation of gods that came well before the former decided to wage war against the Heavenly World.

    ¡°I¡¯m called the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. Indeed, this occasion is our first meeting. How is the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven these days?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Are you acquainted with my big brother?¡±

    ¡°We are, indeed.¡±

    ¡°I thought as much, what with you being so old and all. Which means you¡¯re now at the age where your back is giving you trouble and even your bones are withering away, too. Old man, you should just run back home now. If you twist your hip or something at your age, it¡¯s gonna be really hard to mend that.¡±

    Sun Wukong deliberately tried to provoke the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

    He almost never bothered to use his head during normal times, but at least when it came to battles, his brain spun so fast that one could even label him a demonic genius.

    He already figured out that this Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King was unlike most other opponents and shouldn¡¯t be rushed at without a plan. So, he chose to use cheap provocations to disrupt the other¡¯s mental state.

    The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve already lived a lengthy and fulfilling life, so dying today would mean it¡¯s an honorable end for me. What is there to fear when I¡¯m about to dedicate my last breaths for the glory of the Heavenly World? Besides¡­¡± The light burning in the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King¡¯s eyes, plus the tone of his voice, transformed in an instant. ¡°I always wanted to fight you at least once, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    Pahk¡ª

    Spiiiin¡ª

    Sun Wukong yanked out the Ruyi Jingu Bang stabbed into the ground and, while grinning brightly, began spinning the pole in his hand. ¡°You know, I also want to have a go at you, old man. Looks like you and I are alike in at least one aspect.¡±

    Crack, crackle¡ª

    The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King slowly cracked his knuckles. Unlike his snow-white beard and hair, plus countless wrinkles dominating his face, his entire figure didn¡¯t seem all that different from his prime.

    ¡°I heard that you were fighting Lord Erlang Shen.¡±

    Before the battle commenced¡­

    The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King recalled the news he heard just now about Sun Wukong fighting Erlang Shen somewhere else and had to ask that question.

    ¡°Oh, that punk?¡±

    Pahk¡ª

    Sun Wukong gripped the spinning Ruyi Jingu Bang in one hand and replied, ¡°That guy must be really pissed off by now.¡±

    * * *

    Stab¡ª

    Erlang Shen¡¯s guandao stabbed deeply into the heart of the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    It was a truly satisfying attack, one that was more than enough to divide oceans and cleave mountains in half. No one alive would believe that they can evade or block this attack.

    ¡°What?¡±

    However, the guandao-wielding Erlang Shen didn¡¯t feel that way.

    For a while now, he found this situation too strange. Even if this attack was difficult to dodge, similar attacks had been exchanged countless times with the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal during their numerous battles against up until now.

    If it was anyone else, it was fine, but Sun Wukong, proclaimed as heaven¡¯s equal, not blocking this attack was too strange to behold.

    ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± he thought.

    The moment that thought popped up in Erlang Shen¡¯s mind¡­

    ¡°Got you.¡±

    Sun Wukong, who was suffering from that ¡°grievous wound,¡± suddenly smirked and poked his tongue out.

    Poof¡ª!

    His body with the guandao stabbed deeply in his chest went ¡°poof!¡± and turned into a puff of smoke. Erlang Shen slowly lowered his pole weapon at this development.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    He covered his face with one hand. Although he wasn¡¯t the type to smile often, he couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter this time.

    Ha, hahaha!

    But then, his laughter came to an abrupt end as if it was all a lie. Only a blink of time was needed for his dismayed laughter to morph into pure rage.

    ¡°You¡­Damn dirty ape dare to¡­¡±

    Grit¡ª

    That was a clone.

    He had been wondering why this Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal felt different from the one he was familiar with. Something about it seemed to be lacking and not quite good enough¡ªand here was the reason.

    Its combat capability had been enhanced sharply by keeping its overall number of clones low, but in the end, a clone was still a clone.

    ¡°If his clone was here, then¡­¡±

    Erlang Shen¡¯s glare shifted behind him.

    The long crater left behind by Sun Wukong¡¯s Ruyi Jingu Bang continued into the Heavenly World¡¯s capital city, stretching to a far-off distance.

    ¡°By using a clone and its Ruyi Jingu Bang, they infiltrated the city¡¯s interior right away and then used that very clone to lure me here.¡± Erlang Shen promptly analyzed the situation. ¡°It can¡¯t be a plan cooked up by Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, in other words.¡±

    There was no doubting Sun Wukong¡¯s combat prowess. He was so strong that despite declaring war against the Heavenly World alone, he still managed to fight for 15 days straight.

    But when it came to thinking up strategies, he was worse than some random foot soldier. No, never mind ¡°worse,¡± it would be more correct to say he was too slow-witted to come up with one.

    That¡¯s why Erlang Shen began thinking this way while observing the current situation. ¡°It must be that human, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The human who killed Prince Nezha¡ªit could very well be that he was far more dangerous than the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    * * *

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Kwa-dudududu¡ª

    The gigantic Ruyi Jingu Bang cleaved the center of the Heavenly World. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Li Jing, dodged the attack, and while wielding a sword in each hand, he quickly closed in on Sun Wukong¡¯s location.

    Piiit, pii-iiit¡ª

    CLANG¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s fist and Li Jing¡¯s twin swords collided.

    Even though it was only Sun Wukong¡¯s bare fist, the resulting noise sounded as if the collision was made by weapons made of hardened steel. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Sun Wukong¡¯s hand was unaffected by the impact.

    Buzz¡ª

    The impact force transmitted through his hand was rather considerable.

    Bang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong smacked away the twin swords with his fist. The old man¡¯s speed was amazing, and his movements were also unpredictable. On top of this, his skill with the blades was second only to someone Sun Wukong knew pretty well.

    ¡°Hey, old man¡­How are you related to that fool, Nezha?¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Sun Wukong clenched his fist tightly and hid how he felt the impact in his hand. That attack just now gave him the impression that he had come across something similar many times before.

    ¡°We were father and son.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you taught him how to swing a sword, too?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, that is so. Before my son became the God of War, I was the previous one.¡±

    ¡°I knew it! Makes total sense.¡±

    Strictly speaking, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King¡¯s way with the sword was a lot different from Prince Nezha¡¯s. That¡¯s because the latter simply used his father¡¯s swordsmanship technique as a foundation to create and master his own unique style.

    Nevertheless, that vague trace of old habits or the basics would remain in the end.

    ¡°By the way, looks like you¡¯re running out of breath, old man. You know that too, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Grip¡ª

    Sun Wukong spoke as he gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang after it reverted to its normal size. ¡°Even if you ate the Peach and extended your life, you still can¡¯t hide your age unless you¡¯ve become a true immortal like me or a real Taoist god.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The skillset of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly God was indeed worthy of praise. As befitting the previous generation¡¯s God of War, he was able to fight on even terms against the one and only Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    However, that was about it.

    Sun Wukong enjoyed a near-infinite amount of energy and a body that could not be killed. If they fought during Li Jing¡¯s prime, then the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly God might have won somehow, but for the current him, achieving victory would be very difficult.

    Not only that¡­

    ¡°Sorry about this, old man. But you see, I don¡¯t have time to leisurely fight against you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about this, old man. But you see¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry about this¡­¡±

    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    His voice echoed from all directions.

    The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King immediately scanned his surroundings, an expression of astonishment etched on his face. Dozens upon dozens of ¡°Sun Wukongs¡± surrounded him. They were all clones, with the real body hidden among them.

    ¡°So, this is¡­That rumored cloning technique.¡±

    Li Jing had heard a lot about this technique that allowed the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal to wage war against the entirety of the Heavenly World all by himself.

    For sure, now that Sun Wukong resorted to using his cloning technique, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing wouldn¡¯t be able to fight him alone.

    ¡°Everything you said is indeed correct, but hear me out, oh Great Sage. You have overlooked one thing.¡±

    ¡°What did I overlook, then?¡±

    The clones spoke up all at the same time, causing Li Jing¡¯s ears to ring loudly. He chuckled in amusement at this bizarre spectacle. ¡°We¡¯re standing on the Heavenly World. And I am a proud warrior of the Heavenly World, so my duty is to defeat you, Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.¡±

    ¡°What can you do with small fries, though?¡±

    ¡°No, not the small fries, but¡­¡±

    Slice¡ª

    Poof¡ª!

    One of Sun Wukong¡¯s clones was sliced in half and exploded into a puff of smoke.

    ¡°Well, a much better general than this old man has shown up, as you can see.¡±

    ¡°Sun¡ªWu¡ªkooooong¡ª!¡±

    Jiii-iiiing¡ª

    A loud roar reverberated along with that strike.

    The voice itself was familiar, but Sun Wukong had never heard it roar that loudly before. He smiled awkwardly and raised his head toward the source of the voice. ¡°Oh, hey man. You came sooner than I thought.¡±

    Sun Wukong formed a troubled expression next. He scratched his cheek with an awkward grin, but then, his eyes narrowed to sharp slits and quickly wielded the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Swiiish, claaaaang¡ª!

    With the spot Sun Wukong was standing on as the center, a massive amount of energy flooded out to the surroundings.

    Soon afterward, two people¡¯s auras collided, causing the ground below to crack apart and crumble from the ripples of these two incredible powers.

    ¡°I finally caught you.¡±

    ¡°Peek-a-boo! So am I ¡®it¡¯ now?¡±

    Pah-ahck¡ª

    ¡°Extend, Ruyi.¡±

    Sun Wukong deflected Erlang Shen¡¯s guandao and extended the Ruyi Jingu Bang toward the sky. The latter glared at the former, his whole body emanating a dense fighting spirit.

    Sun Wukong thought inwardly, ¡°Wow, he¡¯s really ticked off, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    But then again, that made perfect sense.

    Erlang Shen rushed to the gates to defeat Sun Wukong, only for his quarry to turn out to be a clone. On top of this, Sun Wukong did provoke him just now to piss him off even further.

    ¡°Erlang Shen and this old man I haven¡¯t heard of before,¡± he mused.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s gaze shifted over to the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. This warrior claimed to be the former God of War and Prince Nezha¡¯s father.

    Even though he had to step away from the limelight due to his advanced age, there¡¯s no doubting his outstanding skills.

    As proof, even Sun Wukong himself needed some time to subdue the old man.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s me, fighting both Erlang Shen and this old man at the same time is too much,¡± he thought.

    To top it all off, most of the Heavenly World¡¯s generals should get here sooner or later. Sun Wukong could conceivably fight them all off using his cloning technique, but this whole thing would only end up a carbon copy of the events from 500 years ago.

    ¡°Well, at this point, you probably won¡¯t fight me one on one even if I ask nicely, so¡­¡± Sun Wukong contemplated his options for a bit and began scratching his head in dissatisfaction. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no helping it, then.¡±

    ¡°Sun Wukong¡ª!¡±

    Erlang Shen wielded his guandao and rushed straight at Sun Wukong.

    Fwhooosh¡ª

    Boooom¡ª

    Craaaack¡ª!

    His polearm scythed through the air and split apart the Heavenly World¡¯s ground. Sun Wukong dodged that attack by tilting his body at a bizarre angle, but then, the twin swords belonging to the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King flew in next.

    Swish, whoosh¡ª

    Clang, clang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s clone swung its Ruyi Jingu Bang to deflect the twin swords. Dozens of clones surrounded Li Jing next, but he proceeded to cut them down one by one.

    In the meantime, Erlang Shen gave chase to the fleeing Sun Wukong who had promptly seized this opening.

    ¡°Are you running away again?!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, again? If the others hear you, they¡¯ll think I run away all the time, man!¡±

    Veins bulged on Sun Wukong¡¯s forehead. However, there was not much he could do even if he felt wronged here. It was indeed him trying to avoid a frontal confrontation while using his clones and luring Erlang Shen away, after all.

    ¡°Hey, what are you going to do about this?¡± Sun Wukong asked in a seemingly angry tone.

    That question was directed at neither Erlang Shen nor the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Erlang Shen felt a deathly chill run down his spine.

    This feeling was almost at the level of primal instincts. Right at that moment, Erlang Shen yanked out a shortsword mounted on his left hip.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Ka-claaaang¡ª!

    His shortsword flew to collide against a longsword. Erlang Shen felt the considerable weight behind the strike and frowned deeply, which was unlike him. He glared at the human opponent who suddenly appeared.

    ¡°What do you mean, what?¡±

    Creaaak, creak¡ª

    Su-hyeun glanced at Sun Wukong and then at the rest of the Heavenly World¡¯s generals before raising his voice. ¡°We should see this thing to the end.¡±

 Chapter 270

    <hr />

    Ka-ga-gak, creak¡ª

    The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King¡¯s twin swords were raised to defend against Su-hyeun¡¯s blade.

    Erlang Shen witnessing that spectacle deeply furrowed his brows.

    ¡°That human, he¡­¡±

    There was no mistaking it. He could never forget that face.

    That human was the one who defeated Prince Nezha, touted as history¡¯s greatest God of War.

    ¡°The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King alone isn¡¯t going to be enough.¡±

    Erlang Shen wasn¡¯t looking down on Li Jing¡¯s ability. Even if the latter was old and had lost some of his fangs by now, he was still a figurative tiger. His claws still existed, and he possessed more than enough strength to deal with most enemies.

    To prove that, he had been fighting against Sun Wukong until Erlang Shen could arrive on the scene.

    ¡°What about the other soldiers¡­?¡±

    Erlang Shen recalled the reinforcements but had to shake his head. There was no point in hoping for someone else¡¯s aid. Even if assistance did come, they wouldn¡¯t be much of a help, anyway.

    In front of Sun Wukong who was capable of wielding the gigantic weapon called Ruyi Jingu Bang, plus with all those clones he could produce, trying to overwhelm him through sheer numbers would be a meaningless exercise, indeed.

    ¡°If that human defeats the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King and joins Sun Wukong, then even I¡¯ll be pushed to a corner.¡±

    In the end, this was a race against time itself.

    Would the event of Su-hyeun defeating Li Jing happen sooner, or would Erlang Shen defeat Sun Wukong before that?

    If one asked which one of the two had the higher odds, then it would obviously be the former. Unlike the aged and, therefore, lacking in stamina Li Jing, Sun Wukong boasted the level of stamina and energy that allowed him to keep fighting for four days straight without experiencing fatigue.

    ¡°Even then, I must do it.¡±

    Fighting spirit burned within Erlang Shen¡¯s eyes as he glared at Sun Wukong. If he had been living a life of someone who gave up on challenges because they were too difficult, then he would not have reached his current status.

    Indeed, he kept overcoming one difficult challenge after another up until now. The story wouldn¡¯t be any different this time as well.

    Sun Wukong smirked and addressed Erlang Shen after sensing the latter¡¯s atmosphere changing. ¡°I¡¯m not planning to run this time, so give me your best shot.¡±

    ¡°Fine, monkey.¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    Knowing that he didn¡¯t have much time, Erlang Shen chose to go all out from the get-go. While emitting so much aura that the air around him visibly wavered, he kicked the ground hard enough to split it apart and dashed forward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡±

    <hr />

    Clang, clang, claaaang¡ª

    Ka-claaang¡ª!

    One longsword and a pair of swords danced around quickly and clashed against each other only to bounce off repeatedly.

    Every time a sword was swung, thin lines were drawn in the empty air, and every time blades clashed, brilliant sparks scattered in all directions.

    ¡°Is this really a human?!¡± Li Jing inwardly mulled in disbelief.

    Clang, claaang¡ª

    Swiiiiiish, clang, swish¡ª

    Piii-iiik¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s blade sliced open the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King¡¯s cheek. It was no mere flesh wound, either¡ªif it was any deeper, the blade would have even cut through his eyeball.

    ¡°It¡¯s happening again.¡±

    He mistakenly thought that the opponent¡¯s blade had suddenly lengthened.

    At first, he thought it might be the case of enveloping the blade with energy in order to increase the attack¡¯s range, but Li Jing would have seen through such a simple trick.

    Su-hyeun used his energy to enhance the sword¡¯s durability, as well as his body¡¯s physical abilities. If he resorted to the tactic of using his energy to increase the attack range, then there was simply no way Li Jing would miss that.

    Pii-iiit, piit, piiit¡ª

    Drip¡ª

    The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King chose not to pay attention to the wounds accumulating on his body. Instead, he focused more on seeing Su-hyeun¡¯s blade.

    ¡°Now I can¡­¡± he thought.

    Whoosh¡ª

    He dodged Su-hyeun¡¯s sword strike and then thrust forward one of his twin swords at the waist of his human foe.

    ¡°See it.¡±

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    Grab¡ª

    His sword that was thrusting forward was suddenly pushed down. At that precise moment, he tried to stab forward, Su-hyeun¡¯s hand grabbed Li Jing¡¯s wrist and shoved it down.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    It was also then that their eyes met. Bluish aura swirled within Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, which wasn¡¯t there before.

    The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King had seen a pair of eyes like that in the distant past, back when he was still active in his role¡ªfrom the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡±

    Crunch¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s knee rose and accurately smashed against Li Jing¡¯s chin.

    ¡°The Sage¡¯s¡­Eye?!¡±

    Baaang¡ª!

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Li Jing¡¯s figure was suddenly off the ground. He tried to immediately twist his body and regain his balance, but the impact on his chin caused the inside of his head to shake around too much.

    Keuk¡ª

    Even if he tried to quickly regain his wits, the continuous stream of attacks from Su-hyeun meant that he didn¡¯t even have enough time to regain his stance.

    ¡°A human opened his Sage¡¯s Eye?!¡±

    The Sage¡¯s Eye was not something one could acquire by studying the Sage Arts for 10 or 20 years.

    You only had a small chance of awakening this ability provided that you spent hundreds of years of time and effort and possessed natural talent. There had been only a handful of Yogoes throughout history that managed to open their Sage¡¯s Eyes, for instance.

    Even the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing, who had fought against Yogoes as the God of War for a truly immeasurable length of time, saw only one Yogoe that used the Sage¡¯s Eye, and he happened to be the Bull Demon King.

    But then, a human who hadn¡¯t even live past 100 years had opened his Sage¡¯s Eye.

    ¡°How can such an inconceivable thing¡­?!¡±

    Clang, ka-claaang¡ª

    Even without that, defending against Su-hyeun¡¯s barrage of sword strikes in his broken posture was already incredibly difficult. However, after Su-hyeun activated his Sage¡¯s Eye, his movements became something else entirely.

    It wasn¡¯t just his speed that had seen a major boost. No, it felt like he had actually gotten slower, and his actions became so much harder to predict instead.

    It was as if he had peeked into a few moments into the future and saw all of Li Jing¡¯s actions and then made his moves accordingly.

    ¡°I need to end this battle as soon as possible.¡±

    Even Li Jing knew that nothing good would come about by fighting for too long here.

    Not only was his stamina running out, but he had also suffered far too many injuries by now. That was why he focused even harder to avoid performing any meaningless attacks and defenses.

    His movements then became more aggressive.

    For the purpose of giving away his flesh only to take the opponent¡¯s bones¡­

    Flash¡ª

    Li Jing defended against Su-hyeun¡¯s sword too aggressively. Almost at the same time, his arm was sliced off. It happened literally in the blink of an eye.

    For a warrior, and not just anyone but the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King who wielded twin swords, losing an arm was akin to seeing half of his world crumble away. It would not be strange to see someone like that panic and stop thinking for a second as his whole body froze up in the process.

    However, Li Jing didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid.

    In that blink of a moment, he sensed his arm being cut off, yet he continued to make his next move without a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    As if he had already predicted this outcome and resolved himself for it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you my arm,¡± he thought.

    Shu-ah-ahk¡ª

    His remaining left arm held a sword that was swinging toward Su-hyeun¡¯s throat.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    He was sure of it. He could cut this human.

    Despite his Sage¡¯s Eye, the human seemed not to have predicted that Li Jing would readily sacrifice his arm like this.

    It was such an unexpected plan, after all. And his sword had already reached the point where dodging it would be impossible.

    But for a briefest of all brief moments, Li Jing thought he saw time come to a standstill, which allowed him to see it clearly.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡±

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    What his eyes saw clearly was a whitish cloudy fog.

    ¡°The Somersault¡­¡±

    THUD¡ª!

    The sword strike that cost him his arm was blocked off with a dull noise.

    ¡°Cloud¡­?¡±

    Swoosh¡ª

    His price to pay was Su-hyeun¡¯s immediate counterattack.

    Crunch¡ª!

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    The jaw bone of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King was crushed. His eyes rolled back to display the whites, and his figure slumped forward like a crumbling building.

    Plop¡ª

    Su-hyeun looked at the fallen Li Jing.

    He couldn¡¯t hear his heartbeat anymore. The shock of the jaw bone being crushed must have been transmitted to the rest of his skull.

    An instant death.

    The battle ended sooner than he thought. It was all thanks to the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King staking his everything early on during their engagement.

    ¡°It might have been dangerous without the Somersault cloud, though,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun had seen through his opponent¡¯s goal using the Sage¡¯s Eye. And according to the latter¡¯s aim, he would have ended up injured in some fashion.

    If he chose not to engage in Li Jing¡¯s all-or-nothing Hail Mary coming in from the front, then those twin swords would have caused him to lose quite a bit of his blood. Even using his other skills to protect his body wouldn¡¯t have spared him from a massive injury.

    Throb¡ª

    His neck area throbbed noticeably.

    No matter how excellent the Somersault cloud¡¯s defensive capabilities were, it had to defend against the last-gasp strike from the former God of War, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, before his death.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know who this old man was, but man, he was really strong.¡±

    Of course, Su-hyeun had no idea who the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King was, to begin with.

    ¡°Okay, so. My side has been taken care of, more or less. And now¡­¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Pow, clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun observed the Ruyi Jingu Bang-wielding Sun Wukong, accompanied by dozens of his clones, fighting against Erlang Shen.

    As these two had been long-time rivals, their fight didn¡¯t feel like it would come to an end any time soon. Erlang Shen¡¯s abilities lived up to his reputation, that¡¯s for sure.

    Even then, Su-hyeun¡¯s interference would instantly tilt the balance of this fight. Of course, it was unknown whether Sun Wukong wanted that in the first place or not.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, though?¡±

    He found it strange.

    For some reason, he felt that the difficulty of this trial was not as high as he initially expected.

    The events were unfolding as smoothly as he had predicted. The presence of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King could be seen as a variable, but Su-hyeun had already considered such things.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t as many of them as I thought.¡±

    He feared that there would be a lot more soldiers in the Heavenly World¡¯s army. But for some strange reason, the number of the gods present in the capital city wasn¡¯t even half as many as he expected. He couldn¡¯t even see any Titans, for instance.

    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m on the 60th floor?¡±

    He suddenly remembered a fact that he had forgotten.

    The 60th floor.

    That was the floor number of the trial he was currently involved in.

    Logically speaking, Su-hyeun¡¯s current set of abilities shouldn¡¯t belong to someone stuck on the 60th floor even if the trial was set at the 10th-level difficulty, even more so when considering this trial¡¯s difficulty was clearly a step above compared to the trial before it on the 59th floor.

    Even if every 10th floor proved to be a deadly hurdle, he couldn¡¯t figure it out at all.

    At first, he was puzzled by this fact, but as he learned the Sage Arts and spent more time here, he slowly forgot about his initial suspicion.

    And now, this thought crept into his mind¡ªthat maybe his mission, his final goal for this trial, of waging war against the Heavenly World and killing the Jade Emperor was not as difficult as he initially feared.

    ¡°If that¡¯s not it, then¡­¡±

    Unlike his normal self, Su-hyeun raised his head and stared at the cloudless blue sky and began chewing on his lips out of anxiety.

    ¡°There¡¯s something else I haven¡¯t thought up of yet.¡±

    <hr />

    ¡°Second brother, you¡¯re the fastest among us.¡±

    The task Su-hyeun asked of the Roc Demon King was rather simple.

    ¡°Brother, please search around for the Jade Emperor¡¯s location. You¡¯re friends with the winds, so your detection ability must be the best among us. When you do locate him, send us a signal, but if you can¡¯t or find yourself in danger, come back and join us immediately.¡±

    And that was to locate the Jade Emperor.

    If that man was in hiding, then finding out where he was would be the most important task.

    Even if the whole of the Heavenly World¡¯s capital was turned into a devastated wasteland, it would be all for naught if they failed to defeat the Jade Emperor.

    To flip that around, everything else didn¡¯t matter as long as they could defeat the Jade Emperor. In the end, their goal was to take the emperor¡¯s head.

    Eventually¡­

    ¡°Found you.¡±

    Flap¡ª

    The Roc Demon King had finally located the Jade Emperor¡¯s whereabouts.

    It was in the basement of the imperial palace, in a floor located deep, deep underground, too.

    A lone room was down there. It was hidden so well, like an evacuation shelter, that not a trace of it could be seen anywhere. It was indeed almost impossible to locate with the naked eyes.

    However, the Roc Demon King was a Yogoe who controlled the winds.

    There was a gap almost too small to notice, and he sensed the winds passing through it, leading him to find the emperor¡¯s whereabouts.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Great Sage who Confuses Heaven. Did you come alone? Where could the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal be, then?¡±

    Creak, creak¡ª

    The Jade Emperor displayed not a hint of agitation on his face despite the Roc Demon King¡¯s sudden entrance.

    But that wasn¡¯t too surprising.

    Even the Roc Demon King himself was aware of it. With his abilities alone, dealing with the Jade Emperor would be next to impossible.

    He knew that only two people could deal with the leader of the Heavenly World¡ªSun Wukong and the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°And why are you so laid back? Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s going on outside?¡± he replied.

    ¡°The Heavenly World is in the palm of my hand. Of course, I know everything that¡¯s going on in it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, in that case, you should know all about it, then. Soon, the third brother will show up here.¡±

    The ¡°third brother¡±¡ªthe Jade Emperor became somewhat surprised after hearing that term. ¡°Not the last but the third brother?¡±

    The Roc Demon King quickly realized his slip of the tongue from that reaction.

    The ¡°third¡±¡ªthe Roc Demon King had been referring to Sun Wukong as the ¡°last¡± brother. Therefore, unless one more ¡°brother¡± had joined their ranks, he would not use that term at all.

    ¡°I¡ªin any case, I¡¯m not gonna fight you. Actually, I¡¯m going to flee. And you won¡¯t be able to catch me.¡±

    ¡°Who in this wide world can catch the one and only Great Sage who Confuses Heaven, unless they are a true Taoist god? I wasn¡¯t planning to catch you even if you fled.¡±

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s response remained lukewarm even then.

    The Roc Demon King expected the emperor to be stunned and flustered by now, so he couldn¡¯t get rid of this suspicious feeling in his heart. ¡°Why are you so relaxed, though? Why, are you planning to run, too? Out of the Heavenly World, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Now look here, Great Sage who Confuses Heaven.¡±

    ¡°What do you want? If you¡¯re thinking of wasting my time, then¡ª¡±

    ¡°It seems that you should be thanking me.¡±

    At that sudden and unexpected declaration, the Roc Demon King frowned a little and formed a puzzled expression. He was ready to flee at any given moment if the Jade Emperor¡¯s plan was to use that distraction to sneak attack him.

    But then¡­

    Step, step¡ª

    He heard the footsteps of someone coming from the deeper part of the room, somewhere behind the Jade Emperor.

    As it was dimly lit, he couldn¡¯t see the face of this being, only a faint outline. The Roc Demon King kept his guard up and focused some of his auras to his eyes in order to see a face.

    When he did¡­

    ¡°You¡­?!¡±

    ¡°How about it? Aren¡¯t you happy to see this person?¡±

    A hint of mirth was mixed in the Jade Emperor¡¯s voice.

    However, the Roc Demon King failed to hear him from the sheer shock and simply stared at the Yogoe that appeared behind the emperor.

    ¡°You¡ªyou were still alive?¡±

 Chapter 271

    * * *

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Winds were blowing in.

    These winds contained heat that was so warm it verged on being too hot. The aura mixed in among them must have belonged to the Roc Demon King.

    ¡°Did he find our target?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The Roc Demon King also rode on the Ruyi Jingu Bang to enter the city and went away to look for the Jade Emperor.

    The others didn¡¯t believe he would be able to deal with the emperor, but there was no doubting his ability to locate their target faster than anyone else and escape from the scene no matter how dangerous it was.

    The one referred to as the ¡°Great Sage who Confuses Heaven¡± was the fastest Yogoe in existence. And he had already infiltrated and escaped from the Heavenly World successfully in the past, too.

    Whatever the case might have been, the role of Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong was to confront the Heavenly World¡¯s forces and reduce their numbers, thereby creating an environment where the Roc Demon King could move around freely as he pleased.

    ¡°The direction is¡­toward the center of the Heavenly World.¡±

    The rough direction had been set. The only thing remaining now would be to chase after that aura.

    ¡°As for the third brother¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun took a look at Sun Wukong who was currently fighting against Erlang Shen.

    As if the Heavenly World¡¯s soldiers had a prior agreement, everyone was only looking on as those two men fought and did nothing else. The same thing applied to Su-hyeun.

    Not because he believed fighting two on one would be cowardly or anything like that.

    But because of Sun Wukong¡¯s choice.

    ¡°Do not interfere!¡±

    His voice resounded powerfully when he said that after he spotted Su-hyeun who was thinking of jumping into the fight to help him out.

    If he tried to help, then Sun Wukong would have given up fighting against Erlang Shen right there and then.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, but¡­¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Bang, swhooooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun thought to himself while staring at Erlang Shen who was using his guandao to smack away the Ruyi Jingu Bang and close the distance between him and Sun Wukong and then at Sun Wukong who threw a punch laden with Dao energy at the charging Erlang Shen.

    ¡°I should respect his decision.¡±

    As Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t the type to enjoy fighting, he couldn¡¯t fully figure out Sun Wukong¡¯s current actions. However, that didn¡¯t mean he would trample on Sun Wukong¡¯s wishes and forcibly lend his help.

    Since this could very well be the final battle in the lengthy rivalry between Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen stretching back to at least half of the former¡¯s entire lifespan, Su-hyeun really wanted to respect the choices made here today.

    Therefore, he had to give up on the notion of helping Sun Wukong in fighting Erlang Shen in the end.

    Besides, Sun Wukong wouldn¡¯t be able to hear anything right now, anyway. Getting rid of Erlang Shen wouldn¡¯t be easy at all, so no matter what, he needed to go all the way until the end against the Heavenly World¡¯s warrior.

    ¡°Which means I have no choice but to go alone.¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t tell for sure if he was strong enough to deal with the Jade Emperor on his own, but with the Roc Demon King, it would be more than doable.

    After thinking like that, he got ready to depart, but then¡­

    ¡°Do not come here.¡±

    That was the Roc Demon King¡¯s voice.

    And it also happened to carry a different message compared to the signal from earlier saying that the Jade Emperor had been located. Su-hyeun froze up a little at the voice that was carried by the winds.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want us to go there?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just the contents of those words either; even his tone of voice seemed different. Unlike his usual self, there was no audible chip on his shoulders, so he simply sounded stiff and cold.

    ¡°Did something happen over there?¡±

    Su-hyeun fell into a dilemma.

    Should he go?

    Or do as he was told and stay put?

    His internal conflict was resolved quite quickly, however. He thought that going there to find out what was going on would be the better option of the two.

    ¡°Last brother, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll come despite my serious warning. Well, that¡¯s the kind of person you are. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to repeat myself. Don¡¯t you dare come here. If you do, I¡¯ll kill you myself.¡±

    He simply sounded like he was viciously growling now. However, it was still different from his usual voice. Worries and anxiety could clearly be felt in the voice carried by the winds.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t die here. I will not die, so don¡¯t you move and stay there. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±

    The winds stopped blowing then.

    Before making his next move, Su-hyeun looked over at Sun Wukong first.

    The words carried by the winds meant for Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong must have been transmitted to everyone present.

    The latter, still engaged in the bitter fight against Erlang Shen, displayed a faint hint of some agitation. Erlang Shen suddenly stopped the violent swinging of his guandao after noticing Sun Wukong¡¯s reaction and asked, ¡°Do you wish to go?¡±

    It seemed that he was bothered by Sun Wukong¡¯s reaction just then. Erlang Shen also couldn¡¯t accept the possibility of his potentially final battle against Sun Wukong being affected by an outside factor not related to the skills they possessed.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Grip¡ª

    Sun Wukong gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang again. ¡°Why don¡¯t we continue?¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    Even though Sun Wukong was doing his best to act as if nothing was wrong, the slight hint of agitation in his eyes was as clear as daylight in Erlang Shen¡¯s acute eyesight.

    The change wasn¡¯t all that great, but that single emotion should soon lead to others such as anxiety. And such emotions would serve to create small rifts within the impenetrable wall of defenses put up by Sun Wukong.

    ¡°The new God of War is by the Jade Emperor¡¯s side.¡±

    Erlang Shen also heard the situation on the other side and found himself with much more leeway than his opponent.

    Even if the Roc Demon King managed to track down the Jade Emperor, not only that Yogoe was incapable of doing anything to the leader of the Heavenly World, but the new God of War was also present in that location.

    ¡°We will win this war, then.¡±

    * * *

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª

    Piiik, pi-pi-pi-piiik¡ª

    The winds flying in transformed into thousands of blades and filled up the interior of the underground room. The Roc Demon King, melting into this maelstrom, rushed toward the new God of War.

    Boom¡ª!

    The two of them collided and were forced back to the opposite sides.

    The Roc Demon King spread out his wings to regain his posture and glared at the God of War. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±

    Drip¡ª

    Blood trickled down from the Roc Demon King¡¯s forehead.

    That clash from a second ago was his attempt at preventing the God of War from leaving the room.

    This new ¡°God of War¡± wasn¡¯t even looking at him. This being¡¯s only goal, for now, was to escape from the room and nothing else.

    ¡°You can never get out of¡ª¡±

    Flaaash¡ª

    Swiiiiish, pah-ahk¡ª!

    The Roc Demon King who was rushing forward again with his wings spread open had to hurriedly twist his body out of the way. A hand blade that was flying in toward him narrowly missed slicing his chest wide open, but it still landed a solid blow.

    Driiip¡ª

    Sliiiide¡ª

    As the Roc Demon King slid back on his feet, the God of War escaped through the unguarded exit.

    A large wound opened up on the Roc Demon King¡¯s chest, and he started bleeding from it. He still tried to chase after the escaping God of War but couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Dammit¡­¡±

    All because the Jade Emperor suddenly blocked his path.

    ¡°You know, you¡¯re an emperor, so isn¡¯t it way too dirty and dishonorable for you to sneak attack me like this?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s for the purpose of complete and utter annihilation of you bug-like Yogoes, then I don¡¯t mind besmirching my personal honor.¡±

    Drip, driiip¡ª

    The Jade Emperor dusted his hand to get rid of the Roc Demon King¡¯s blood. It was as if he was trying to get rid of something filthy.

    The Roc Demon King, meanwhile, felt some familiarity at the contempt clearly visible in the Jade Emperor¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s similar to me,¡± he thought.

    That glare in the Jade Emperor¡¯s eyes was pretty much identical to the one the Roc Demon King used to look down on humans until now.

    The thought of them being ¡°birds of a feather¡± abruptly popped up in his head, and it made him feel rather rotten inside. To be on the receiving end of such a glare simply because their races were different¡ªit was only natural for the recipient to feel rather displeased by such eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Weren¡¯t you boasting so confidently earlier that I can never catch you? Well, go ahead. Run if you can.¡±

    ¡°You sure know how to talk after coming up with such a dastardly scheme, eh?¡±

    The Jade Emperor laughed, ¡°Now take a good look at the sorry sight of the one and only Great Sage who Confuses Heaven. It¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re no longer the escapee but the one giving the chase.¡±

    It was as the Jade Emperor had said¡ªthe Roc Demon King was no longer in the position of running away but someone who now actively chased down his quarry. His range of actions was restricted now, in other words.

    One slim strand of hope he held was that the Jade Emperor would not jump into the battle between him and the new God of War.

    That old man was the emperor of the Heavenly World, after all. Therefore, it would definitely be a humiliating matter to attack in unison with a God of War to take down a mere Yogoe like the Roc Demon King.

    Too bad the current emperor didn¡¯t seem to give a damn about such things as embarrassment or his pride.

    No, he only pursued practical benefits. He was the type to stop at nothing as long as he could catch and defeat the swift-footed Roc Demon King and as long as he could ensure a certain victory in this war.

    If the Roc Demon King tried to rush outside to track down the God of War, the Jade Emperor would no doubt take aim at his unguarded back.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

    There was only one choice he could make now.

    ¡°I shall kill the Jade Emperor myself.¡±

    If he were to fight both the God of War and the Jade Emperor at the same time, then he didn¡¯t even have a one percent chance of victory.

    But the story would change somewhat if it was the Jade Emperor alone.

    One percent. Maybe even less than that.

    The odds were so low that he might as well pray for a miracle here, but at least now, he was able to pray for one.

    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we have a go, then?¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    The Roc Demon King, feeling anxious now, made his next move.

    Hahahaha!

    The Jade Emperor heard those words and exploded in a loud peal of laughter. ¡°Alright, keep me company for a while.¡±

    As soon as he said that, power quickly filled his fists.

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    Paaang¡ª Pooow¡ª!

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s straight punch thrust forward, causing a circular crater to form on the wall before it caved in completely. He didn¡¯t stop there, however¡ªhe even threw off the dragon robe from his body and then began punching again.

    Pang, pow¡ª!

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    The room located deep underground was instantly turned into a destroyed mess.

    Maybe it was constructed with special materials because the whole structure didn¡¯t cave in that easily, but from the Roc Demon King¡¯s perspective, he had no time to sweat over such details. Just trying to dodge the Jade Emperor¡¯s barrage of attacks required his everything.

    ¡°This damn stinking geezer! He¡¯s so damn fast,¡± he inwardly complained.

    Despite his age, the Jade Emperor was still full of vitality.

    Every single one of his punches contained an enormous amount of compressed energy. Not only was his speed exceptional, but he was also throwing punches as if he could predict how the Roc Demon King would react next.

    ¡°Dammit¡­¡±

    Pow¡ª!

    Even as he tried to swiftly dodge the barrage of punches, the Roc Demon King couldn¡¯t evade everything, and a punch eventually landed on a portion of his shoulder.

    He staggered from the impact force and hurriedly swung his wings.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Jet-black air currents quickly swirled around the Roc Demon King. These soon became the shields that protected him and, at the same time, spread around to threaten the Jade Emperor.

    ¡°I¡­I need to stop¡­him¡­¡±

    Drip, driiip¡ª

    The fresh blood that trickled down from his shoulder stained the floor. It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t get to use his wings effectively from now on.

    But just before he could try to mend his wounds¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to go to hell.¡±

    Flash¡ª

    A massive hand emitting a golden glow exploded past the black-colored storm winds and invaded his barrier.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    That gigantic hand was already right above the Roc Demon King¡¯s head.

    The air currents he had created served to not only erase all surrounding presence but also block the opponent¡¯s vision. Meaning, not only did they fail to block the Jade Emperor¡¯s attack, but his own technique also ended up exposing him to the danger instead.

    ¡°It¡¯s too late¡­¡±

    Just before that golden-colored palm could crush the Roc Demon King¡¯s body¡­

    Claaang¡ª!

    Signaled by a heavy metallic noise, the gigantic hand of the Jade Emperor was deflected upward. At the same time, the Roc Demon King caught sight of the back of a familiar figure.

    ¡°Last brother!¡±

    That back belonged to none other than Su-hyeun.

    He stood between the Roc Demon King and the Jade Emperor and then observed that gigantic hand. While thinking that it was a pretty unique technique, he looked at the Roc Demon King behind him. ¡°Brother, seeing how happy you sounded just now, you must be really pleased to see me.¡±

    ¡°You know, you seriously don¡¯t listen to your elders.¡±

    Although those words sounded like criticism, they failed to disguise the happiness contained within them.

    Su-hyeun saw that reaction and thought that he made the right decision in coming here. He smirked a little and asked, ¡°But why did you tell us not to come here? You look so happy to see me here and all.¡±

    ¡°That message wasn¡¯t meant for you, though. No, wait. It was for you too, in a way. I figured that if you came, then the third brother would have shown up, too.¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason for him to not come here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there was. Not anymore, though.¡± The Roc Demon King¡¯s tone of voice became much more serious in an instant. ¡°Listen, last brother. You should just leave this place to me and go outside and then quickly search for a monkey with a big physique instead. That guy is the new God of War, so you gotta get rid of him right away.¡±

    ¡°A monkey? The new God of War is a monkey¡­? No, before that. Brother, what can you do here by yourse¡ª?¡±

    ¡°You gotta hurry up!¡±

    Bang¡ª!

    The Roc Demon King must have been really anxious because he even slammed the wall with his wing as he shouted. ¡°You must never let that bastard meet Wukong¡­No matter what.¡±

 Chapter 272

    ¡°That¡­bastard?¡±

    What the Roc Demon King said at the end sounded far closer to an aimless muttering than a warning directed at Su-hyeun.

    He couldn¡¯t understand this situation. What he heard was simply not enough to form a full picture.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Swish¡ª

    In the meantime, the massive golden palm flew in toward the duo once more. As if they had made a prior arrangement, Su-hyeun and the Roc Demon King dashed away simultaneously to dodge the incoming attack.

    Su-hyeun quickly asked, ¡°Okay, let me get this straight. Are you saying that we must not let our third brother meet a certain monkey?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°You want me to take up that role, while you delay the Jade Emperor?¡±

    ¡°Right!¡±

    ¡°What about the other way around? I stay behind and you¡­?¡±

    ¡°No can do. If the third loses his mind and starts rampaging around, I won¡¯t be able to stop him.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°In any case, stop wasting time and hurry up! You know I can easily lose this guy and get out of here if things get too dicey! Especially when I don¡¯t need to worry about my back¡­¡± The Roc Demon King glanced at the Jade Emperor¡¯s wrinkle-lined face, currently distorted unsightly, and finished the rest of his sentence. ¡°I¡¯m far quicker than him, anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­Got it.¡±

    Su-hyeun already knew full well that the Roc Demon King¡¯s speed was truly incredible without someone drilling that fact into his ears.

    That¡¯s why Su-hyeun decided to act according to what he was told.

    It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t worried, but judging from the Roc Demon King¡¯s reactions so far, he thought that preventing the meeting between Sun Wukong and this unknown creature was even more urgent at the moment.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª!

    The golden palm descended on the heads of Su-hyeun and the Roc Demon King once more.

    They dashed in the opposite directions. Su-hyeun moved toward the exit.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡±

    Chwa-rururu¡ª

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    The jet-black air currents violently whipped about and rushed toward the Jade Emperor¡¯s body. He hurriedly punched his way out and dissipated the storm winds created by the Roc Demon King.

    ¡°So, how is it now? Things have changed a lot compared to earlier, wouldn¡¯t you agree, Jade Emperor?¡±

    ¡°Confuser of Heaven, you bastard¡­¡±

    ¡°My last brother is going to get pretty busy now, so why don¡¯t I keep you company for a while, instead? You were so eager up until a second ago, so I¡¯ll feel really lonely if you start looking away at someone else, you know?¡±

    Despite the Roc Demon King¡¯s glib remarks, the Jade Emperor still glanced at the back of Su-hyeun in the distance, having almost fully escaped from this underground area.

    The Jade Emperor growled, ¡°It¡¯s too late. Even if he starts his chase now, he won¡¯t prevent the meeting between the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and the God of War.¡±

    ¡°Sure, that could very well be true. No, wait. It¡¯s more than likely.¡±

    Even the Roc Demon King understood that. He understood that it was already too late to start the chase now. That story would have been the same even if it was him giving the chase.

    Despite knowing all of that, the Roc Demon King still chose to send Su-hyeun because he thought that chasing after the God of War was even more important than defeating the Jade Emperor in this place.

    ¡°It will be alright. The last brother will stop it, anyway.¡±

    ¡°He will stop it?! Do you genuinely believe those words?¡± The Jade Emperor laughed in dismay at the Roc Demon King and asked, ¡°Are you saying that human will stop the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal?¡±

    <hr />

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Pop, plop¡ª

    The fake Ruyi Jingu Bang thrown by a clone was shattered, its fragments scattering everywhere. Erlang Shen stopped swinging his guandao and carefully scanned between the gaps of the fake Ruyi Jingu Bang¡¯s scattering fragments.

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    Whoosh, swish¡ª

    He could sense a presence darting around.

    Sun Wukong was currently stepping on the falling fragments in the air to rapidly change his directions.

    Although he had disappeared from sight, Erlang Shen could more or less tell where he was right now.

    ¡°So, when will you come at me?¡±

    The seconds those Ruyi Jingu Bang fragments took to fall to the ground felt like an eternity to him. At the same time, though, he could clearly pick up on the movements of Sun Wukong as he made a move to stab him with the real Ruyi from behind.

    Swish¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    As he spun his body around, he also took a powerful swing with his guandao. Almost at the same time, Sun Wukong, who was thrusting forward with his Ruyi Jingu Bang, immediately twisted his body and spun the magic staff about half-way up.

    CLAAANG¡ª!

    The guandao and the Ruyi Jingu Bang noisily collided.

    At this, Sun Wukong expressed his astonishment, ¡°Wow, your instincts haven¡¯t withered away yet.¡±

    ¡°Unlike a certain lazy monkey I know, I¡¯ve tirelessly polished my spear skills every single day. Do not treat me the same as you.¡±

    ¡°This is why I can¡¯t even praise you.¡±

    Ka-clang¡ª!

    Their weapons got deflected away.

    Sun Wukong spun the Ruyi Jingu Bang. Erlang Shen watched him regain his posture and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you used your Somersault cloud yet?¡±

    Erlang Shen had been in conflict with Sun Wukong for a long time, so he knew very well what kind of an artifact the Somersault cloud was.

    It didn¡¯t choose any master for what seemed like an eternity, so he found it incredibly strange when news got around that it chose some measly little Yogoe instead of a god as its master.

    Until he finally ran into Sun Wukong, that was.

    ¡°Ah, that?¡± the master of that very Somersault cloud, Sun Wukong, replied while digging his ear with a finger. ¡°I gave it to someone.¡±

    ¡°You gave it away? You gave away the Somersault cloud?!¡±

    Erlang Shen¡¯s expression crumpled in anger after taking that answer as an attempt to mock him.

    The Somersault cloud was not something you could freely give away even if you wanted to. On the flip side, you couldn¡¯t make it yours no matter how badly you wanted it either.

    An artifact that chooses its own master¡ªthat was the Somersault cloud.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough of your prank¡ª¡±

    Erlang Shen, furious at the thoughts of Sun Wukong messing around even now, suddenly stopped his sentence midway.

    ¡°A prank? Wait, why would he?¡± he thought.

    If it were any other time, sure, but when it came to fighting, Sun Wukong would always be very serious.

    But such a man was messing around in the middle of a fight?

    There was no point in not using the Somersault cloud just to unsettle Erlang Shen¡¯s psyche. Sun Wukong should know better than anyone that his opponent would not be shaken by a tactic to manipulate his emotions like this.

    Which could only mean¡­

    ¡°The Somersault cloud really chose a different master?!¡±

    The event of Sun Wukong acquiring the Somersault cloud happened well over tens of thousands of years ago. However, if the length of time that the artifact had been in existence would be considered, its ownership period shouldn¡¯t be seen as an incredible length of time.

    It was the ¡°cloud of the beginning.¡± And the very first master it chose in hundreds of millions of years after its creation was none other than Sun Wukong.

    Yet, ¡°only¡± after a few tens of thousands of years later, the artifact¡¯s new master had stepped forward. And only one existence among Sun Wukong¡¯s acquaintances could be seen as a recent addition.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be. That human¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you really do have quick wits, man,¡± Sun Wukong groaned at Erlang Shen¡¯s muttering. ¡°Forget about it for now, and let¡¯s continue already. Otherwise, we¡¯ll keep fighting until the next day like the last time we¡ª¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Before he could finish, though, Sun Wukong quickly turned his head, an expression of pure shock etched on his face. ¡°¡­Big bro?¡±

    ¡°Big bro?¡±

    Erlang Shen heard Sun Wukong¡¯s own muttering and shifted his head to chase after his opponent¡¯s gaze. It was at that point that he felt a familiar presence coming from afar.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­the new God of War?¡± he thought.

    This aura¡ªit was the same one he felt coming from a hulking monkey-type Yogoe that stood next to the Jade Emperor.

    ¡°Why is the one supposed to guard the Jade Emperor and stay by side heading here?¡±

    The thing was, he had been feeling something was off at the fact that a Yogoe had become the new God of War.

    The current Jade Emperor was well known for his contempt of not just humans but Yogoes as well. Therefore, it was even harder to understand why such a person would bestow one of the most important positions of the Heavenly World to a Yogoe of all things. Not just any position either, but the prestigious and absolutely crucial role of a God of War at that.

    Also, to Erlang Shen¡¯s understanding, the role of the current God of War was to act as the Jade Emperor¡¯s bodyguard.

    Yet, such God of War abandoned the emperor, who should surely be fighting against the Roc Demon King right now, and was coming over here.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, God of War?!¡±

    Erlang Shen was now furious about two things.

    One, at the God of War who must have forgotten about his role that he left the Jade Emperor¡¯s side to come here; two, at the fact that Erlang Shen¡¯s battle against Sun Wukong would be interfered with by this intruder.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    Gu-woo-woong¡ª!

    The God of War flew in rapidly from afar and landed on the ground, kicking up a mighty dust cloud in the process.

    The surroundings had been leveled flat by the battle between Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen by now, so there was nothing left to destroy anymore.

    The gods of the Heavenly World had already retreated to some distance away in order to not get tangled up in the battle between these two. This intrusion had brought about a temporary lull in the fighting.

    The gazes of Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen shifted over to the newly arrived God of War¡ªat the strange outer appearance of a Yogoe with long arms and heavy armor covering its entire body.

    This was the Heavenly World¡¯s new God of War.

    ¡°Is it¡­really you, big bro?¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Erlang Shen stopped questioning the God of War and turned his gaze over to his opponent, Sun Wukong.

    Because his response seemed rather strange.

    Sun Wukong was walking toward the God of War with a jumbled expression full of shock, excitement, and even gladness.

    Erlang Shen had never seen such an expression before from Sun Wukong. Playful or serious¡ªthose were the only two state of emotions he had seen up until now, after all.

    ¡°Do they know each other?¡± he thought.

    Erlang Shen didn¡¯t know anything about the history between Sun Wukong and the new God of War, the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King. But he thought that the relationship of these two had to be really close in order for all that joy to appear undisguised on Sun Wukong¡¯s expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible that the God of War might become an enemy instead.¡±

    In the first place, he was a Yogoe¡ªan existence different from the god race. As such, there was a good possibility for him to join Sun Wukong¡¯s side rather than continue to serve the Heavenly World.

    Erlang Shen grew extra wary at the God of War that suddenly appeared and tightly gripped his guandao.

    ¡°Big bro, you were really ali¡ª¡±

    But at that moment¡­

    Stab¡ª

    The God of War¡¯s long arm pierced into Sun Wukong¡¯s chest. Although it missed his heart by a whisker, the attack still caused a grievous injury.

    Cough!

    Blood exploded from Sun Wukong¡¯s mouth.

    Erlang Shen¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock at this sudden development. Someone of Sun Wukong¡¯s caliber could have easily dodged such an attack, yet all he could do just then was to tilt his body slightly.

    He didn¡¯t do that consciously either.

    ¡°Indeed, that was not his doing but his instincts overriding his will in order to dodge that attack. But that¡¯s about it,¡± Erlang Shen observed.

    Erlang Shen had fought Sun Wukong more than anyone else, so he could tell the truth instantly.

    ¡°That fool! He never even thought about dodging in the first place.¡±

    He could tell that Sun Wukong never considered the God of War before his eyes as an enemy.

    Tremble, tremble¡ª

    Squeeze¡ª

    While trembling heavily, Sun Wukong grabbed the God of War¡¯s arm that was still piercing into his chest.

    He wasn¡¯t trembling from the pain, however. He had already experienced a lot of pain in his lengthy existence, so he held no fear of it.

    It wasn¡¯t because of his fear of death either. He boasted an immortal body, so no matter how grave the injury was, he wouldn¡¯t die and eventually recover.

    There was only one reason for his trembling¡ªthe thought of ¡°Why?¡±

    This arm covered in brownish fur, this familiar warmth¡ªthis arm was definitely the same arm of the one Sun Wukong knew.

    ¡°Big bro, why¡­?¡±

    ¡°You fool.¡±

    The mocking remark that came out of the God of War¡¯s mouth became a cold dagger that stabbed deep into Sun Wukong¡¯s heart.

    However, despite the coldness in that voice, it sounded exactly the same as the one from his memories.

    ¡°You still call me your brother after that?¡±

    ¡°Big bro¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear Wukong. You truly stupid fool. Why do you think all the monkeys of the Mountain of Flower and Fruit, except for me, were killed off overnight?¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s complexion turned ashen at the God of War¡¯s questioning.

    At that question, he couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°Could it be?¡± But in his mind, that possibility absolutely should not and could not be true.

    The Mountain of Flower and Fruit was Sun Wukong¡¯s birthplace and where his first family, the tribe of monkeys, used to live.

    However, they were all killed overnight when he had to go somewhere else. As for this Yogoe who currently had his arm in his chest, he was nowhere to be found back then, and Sun Wukong held on to a slim hope that his big brother still lived somewhere to this day.

    And such a brother did show up alive and well. But perhaps too cruelly, that one possibility of ¡°Could it be?¡± which Sun Wukong didn¡¯t even want to think about, turned out to be true.

    ¡°I killed them all.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    At that very moment, Sun Wukong felt that a previously sturdy thread in his head had snapped in half.

    ¡°It seems that the Great Sage who Chases Gods Away, Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King, is alive somewhere.

    Those words were spoken by the Bull Demon King.

    The conversation Sun Wukong hadn¡¯t told Su-hyeun about yet suddenly popped back in his head.

    ¡°Really?! Where?! Where is he?¡±

    ¡°You shall meet him again soon. When that happens, the seal on your golden headband might weaken.¡±

    ¡°What does meeting my brother have to do with the golden headband? Ah, ahh! I guess that can happen. If my bro is really alive, then I might get overwhelmed by my emotions, so yeah, that could happen for real. Alright, I¡¯ll be careful, big brother,¡± Sun Wukong chuckled nervously.

    ¡°Indeed, do be careful.¡±

    Split, tear¡ª

    A circular golden headband suddenly broke through Sun Wukong¡¯s scalp and revealed itself.

    ¡°I sincerely hope that the golden headband¡¯s appearance doesn¡¯t happen.¡±

 Chapter 273

    <hr />

    It happened about 10,000 years ago.

    The Mountain of Flower and Fruit was turned into a devastated wasteland overnight. The blood that stained the mountainside all came from the monkeys that used to live in that mountain.

    Drop, tumble¡ª

    And the debris from the collapsed mountain continued to tumble down to the ground.

    The Bull Demon King scanned this scene for a little while before muttering softly, ¡°It seems that the shock our last brother has suffered was too much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing him react like that, too. But it makes sense, considering that the monkeys of this place were his first family,¡± the Roc Demon King replied while taking in the sight of the mountain¡¯s debris with some sadness in his eyes.

    The Roc Demon King was in a bad shape himself. He and the Bull Demon King had to combine their strengths to subdue Sun Wukong when he went on a violent rampage upon learning about his family.

    Even then, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the state of his body. He instead began emitting thick killing intent toward the unknown murderer, the instigator of this event.

    ¡°Just who was responsible for this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already guessed it by now.¡±

    ¡°Was it really him? The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King?¡±

    ¡°I also do not wish to believe it, but¡­¡±

    Even the Bull Demon King felt deeply confused about this situation. However, he had clearly seen it¡ªhe saw the sight of his other sworn brother, the Great Sage who Chases Gods Away, Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King, ceaselessly slaughtering the monkeys of the Mountain of Flower and Fruit earlier.

    ¡°I shall find that bastard and¡­!¡± the Roc Demon King hissed murderously.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, brother? I shall find him right away and rip him to pieces!¡±

    BANG¡ª!

    The Roc Demon King¡¯s rage-filled stomp caused the ground to crack apart. ¡°That bastard has killed his own family! The family that he spent all of his life with! And, and¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t continue the rest of his sentence out of sheer anger. But after seeing the complicated expression etched on the Bull Demon King¡¯s face, he calmed down somewhat and finally finished with what he wanted to say.

    ¡°And he ripped our last brother¡¯s heart to pieces, you know?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s voice sounded heavy. His voice that always seemed to resemble roaring flames sounded so cold and calm right now.

    That only happened when he was greatly enraged by something, however. ¡°I know it only too well.¡±

    Unfortunately, there was a reason why he couldn¡¯t express his rage right now.

    ¡°Our last brother, are we certain that he doesn¡¯t know who¡¯s responsible for this event?¡±

    ¡°I think so. Who else would know the full truth other than you, big brother?¡±

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    The one most enraged and saddened by this event was obviously Sun Wukong himself.

    Grit¡ª

    ¡°In that case, keep this a secret between us. The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King¡­has perished in this place as well. Our last brother must think that way. As for the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King¡­¡±

    This day would be forever etched in the Roc Demon King¡¯s memory as the day that the Bull Demon King had exposed his strongest killing intent toward any living creature.

    ¡°I shall definitely exterminate him.¡±

    <hr />

    ¡°Big brother¡ª!¡±

    A loud voice reverberated from a distance. Although it would be the first time either Erlang Shen or the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King had heard that voice, they could instantly tell to whom it belonged.

    ¡°Is it that human?¡±

    The human who had defeated the former God of War, Prince Nezha.

    The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King became extremely wary at Su-hyeun¡¯s appearance. He no longer paid attention to Sun Wukong who had blood profusely spluttering out of his chest as he collapsed to the ground.

    Swhoooosh¡ª

    Screeeeech¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure landed in between the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King and Erlang Shen.

    He was so fast that, other than Erlang Shen, the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King found him too quick to even respond to. The latter flinched nastily at the speed and hurriedly raised both of his arms to protect himself.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    A spear that flew out of Su-hyeun¡¯s hand rapidly closed in on the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King.

    The latter quickly dashed far back as blood dripped down from his arm. As for Erlang Shen, he had already dodged far into the sky by then.

    Sizzle¡ª

    As the two opponents moved to create some distance between them, Su-hyeun took a quick scan of Sun Wukong¡¯s current condition as soon as he arrived on the scene. The Monkey King¡¯s eyes were glazed over, and while shielding his head, his entire body continued to convulse intermittently.

    Urgh, euh, euh¡­

    Su-hyeun took a look at a ¡°ring¡± that had appeared on Sun Wukong¡¯s head.

    ¡°The golden headband?¡± he thought.

    The Sun Wukong from the mission didn¡¯t wear this unmistakable golden headband. Su-hyeun had been chalking this discrepancy down to this Sun Wukong being rather different from the ¡°Sun Wukong¡± he knew from the epic, ¡°Journey to the West.¡±

    However, it wasn¡¯t that the headband didn¡¯t exist; it simply couldn¡¯t be seen until now.

    ¡°But, isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    The aura leaking out of Sun Wukong felt rather ominous. His previously pure aura was rapidly turning turbid, similar to the demonic aura emitted by the Roc Demon King.

    It could only mean that the effects of the Sage Arts were getting weaker as his original Yogoe powers were getting stronger in turn.

    ¡°Dammit.¡±

    Su-hyeun hurriedly placed his hand on Sun Wukong¡¯s head and began injecting his magical energy. He did it to somehow suppress the aura that was about to go wildly out of control and to calm Sun Wukong¡¯s chaotic mind.

    ¡°Erlang Shen.¡± It was at this point in time that the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King turned around and addressed Erlang Shen. ¡°We must get out of here. Right now.¡±

    ¡°Before that, I must hear your explanation of the current situation.¡±

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s get to a safe distance first. Because soon¡­¡± A twisted grin floated up on the Monkey Spirit King¡¯s face as he stared at Sun Wukong who was lying huddled on the ground below. ¡°That idiot will start his crazy rampage.¡±

    The moment he finished saying those words¡­

    Swiiiiiish¡ª

    Kwa-gagagagak¡ª!

    All focus left Sun Wukong¡¯s vision, his eyes turning white, as he suddenly swung his fist without any warning. His sharp claws tore apart the ground below and overturned the earth.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun, who was observing Sun Wukong¡¯s condition until then, hurriedly jumped into the air. If he had been a second late, those claws would have ripped him apart as well.

    ¡°Third brother?!¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    Sun Wukong¡¯s current state was too strange.

    The lack of focus in his eyes was one thing, but more concerning than that was the aura coming from him, as well as the overall atmosphere he exuded. Both of those things had completely transformed by now. More than anything, his enraged expression and the indiscriminate killing intent made him look like a total stranger.

    ¡°Is it because of the golden headband?¡±

    Su-hyeun glanced at the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King who was quickly creating some distance. It seemed that he had a role to play in Sun Wukong¡¯s current state.

    It was also at this point that he finally recalled the hint he got half a year ago from the gatekeeper before starting the 60th floor¡¯s trial.

    ¡°Remember that the most dangerous enemy is always near you. This is your hint¡±

    The most dangerous enemy.

    Always near you.

    When Su-hyeun first heard that, he figured that it must have had something to do with someone betraying him. However, the ¡°enemy is always near you¡± didn¡¯t necessarily mean a betrayer. Not always.

    ¡°So, that was the third brother?¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Su-hyeun gritted his teeth as he stared at Sun Wukong. Somehow this situation had progressed into one where he now had to fight against the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    ¡°If the third loses his mind and starts rampaging around, I won¡¯t be able to stop him.¡±

    Those words belonged to the Roc Demon King.

    It seemed that he was talking about a situation similar to this one. The Roc Demon King must have predicted that Sun Wukong would transform like this.

    ¡°So, I must stop him somehow?¡±

    Grip¡ª

    Su-hyeun raised his sword while keeping his eyes locked on Sun Wukong.

    Grrrr¡ª

    After Sun Wukong discarded the Ruyi Jingu Bang, he glared straight at Su-hyeun with his wild eyes. He seemed to have figured out that there was only one person in this wide area that emitted a strong fighting intent against him.

    ¡°Please get a hold of yourself, brother!¡±

    Kah-aaaaah¡ª!

    Sun Wukong wildly swung his clawed hands and pounced on Su-hyeun. His movements were straightforward and rough yet also very fast.

    Chwa-aaaah¡ª

    Kwa-gagagagak¡ª!

    Su-hyeun jumped up to evade the attack; the surrounding terrain was clawed and completely ripped apart into pieces. Several buildings were swept up in an instant and collapsed flat to the ground.

    Su-hyeun had to wonder whether or not this was the same Sun Wukong he liked hanging around with.

    It seemed that words would not get through to him either.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    There was no helping it anymore.

    ¡°Fighting you like this wasn¡¯t what I wished for.¡±

    Sun Wukong always wanted to fight Su-hyeun without holding back, and it was the same for Su-hyeun. To repay the kindness of the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong who took him in and taught him for the past half a year, he wanted to show his third brother¡­

    That he had gotten this strong, all thanks to them.

    So they didn¡¯t have to worry about him anymore.

    Unfortunately, the fight he had in his mind definitely was not this.

    However¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, third brother.¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun stared at Sun Wukong who was currently kicking the ground and rushing toward him and addressed him.

    ¡°Forgive me for this act of mutiny.¡±

    <hr />

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Chwa-rurururu, kwa-gagagagak¡ª!

    The Heavenly World¡¯s ground split apart, and the buildings continued to collapse.

    By now, all of the Heavenly World¡¯s soldiers had fled from the place. As if this event had been predicted ahead of time, almost no one was in the capital city now.

    ¡°When was this plan made?¡± Erlang Shen asked as he observed Sun Wukong¡¯s battle against Su-hyeun from afar.

    ¡°A really long time ago. Well, it began when the current Jade Emperor was crowned, that is,¡± the new God of War, the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King, answered.

    ¡°So, all of you have been waiting for so long just for this moment?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Manipulate the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal and make him fight against his comrades¡­Although I¡¯m not happy about the location being the Heavenly World, I cannot deny that it is indeed an effective method.¡±

    Erlang Shen had no choice but to acknowledge it.

    He might have been an excellent warrior, but that didn¡¯t mean he was also an excellent strategist. That label suited the current Jade Emperor far better.

    And for the purpose of fighting the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, the emperor somehow managed to entice the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King to his side and planned for a scene similar to this one in his mind.

    And he had eventually succeeded in bringing that plan to life.

    Erlang Shen muttered, ¡°However¡­As I thought, I do not like this.¡±

    Meanwhile, the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King was grinning away at Sun Wukong who was rampaging mindlessly. Most likely, he was deriving some sort of twisted pleasure from imagining the aftermath of this battle.

    ¡°What a stupid Yogoe bastard.¡±

    Erlang Shen felt deeply irritated by this whole affair, at the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal who didn¡¯t finish the fight with him and began a mindless rampage instead, at this Monkey Spirit King for creating this situation in the first place, and finally, at the Jade Emperor who planned to use this stupid Monkey Spirit King and discard him.

    Kwa-gagagagak¡ª

    Sliiiice¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s claws split apart the white clouds floating in the air.

    This was the previously sealed instincts of the king of the Mountain of Flower and Fruit, the monster that devoured every Peach of Immortality of the Heavenly World.

    ¡°How pathetic.¡±

    Erlang Shen glanced at Sun Wukong before shaking his head.

    ¡°Not even worth fighting anymore.¡±

    Fighting and winning against Sun Wukong in such a state was not even worth being proud of. In the end, Erlang Shen decided to not get involved in this fight.

    But just as he turned around to leave the battleground¡­

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    From high up above the sky, a creature that possessed an immense presence landed on the ground with a bright flash of light.

    ¡°What the?!¡±

    ¡°Who goes there?!¡±

    Clang¡ª!

    Erlang Shen reflexively pulled out his guandao and pointed the blade at the newcomer. The choking dust cloud obscured the intruder¡¯s appearance, but still, the Heavenly World¡¯s general had never felt a presence this immense before.

    ¡°Just who can possess this level of oppressive pressure¡­?¡± he thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Shiver¡ª

    That voice was rather familiar.

    That laid-back tone of the voice did not suit the current situation of the battlefield at all that Erlang Shen felt a sense of disharmony. Also, the owner of the voice wasn¡¯t really trying to emit any oppressive pressure, but his simple choice of revealing his presence alone caused numbness to almost take over Erlang Shen¡¯s whole body.

    ¡°B¡ªb¡ªbig¡ª¡±

    And this creature¡¯s entrance caused the complexion of the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King, who had been beaming happily only a second ago, to turn indescribably ashen.

    ¡°Big brother?!¡±

    ¡°Oh, so I¡¯m your big brother now?¡±

    As far as Erlang Shen could tell, there was only one existence that the Great Sage who Chases Gods Away, Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King, would refer to as his ¡°big brother.¡±

    ¡°The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, Bull Demon King¡­¡±

    The dust settled down not too long afterward, and the Bull Demon King¡¯s figure was fully revealed.

    Gulp¡ª

    Erlang Shen ended up reflexively swallowing back his saliva.

    He couldn¡¯t even think about fighting. Just by being this close to the Bull Demon King, he felt his strength abandon him as numbness spread to his whole body.

    He could never win against this creature.

    More importantly, the atmosphere the Bull Demon King exuded right now was completely different from half a year ago.

    It was¡­

    ¡°Is he angry?¡± he thought incredulously.

    Similar to an enraged bull.

    ¡°Big brother, really? That doesn¡¯t sound so good, honestly,¡± the Bull Demon King said.

    The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King cried out in fear, ¡°What are you doing here, big brother?! You should stay out of this fight to become a god!¡±

    The Bull Demon King appearing in this location could only mean that he had a change of heart.

    ¡°I came here to¡­¡±

    Actually, there was only one reason why the Bull Demon King decided to come to this location.

    ¡°The Monkey Spirit King¡ªI shall definitely exterminate him.¡±

    And it was to keep the promise he made to himself 10,000 years ago.

    ¡°Fulfill my promise.¡±

 Chapter 274

    Act 4

    Step¡ª

    The Bull Demon King took a step toward the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King.

    His step was very slow, yet the latter felt an incredible threat to his life, the likes of which he had never experienced before in his life.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡±

    The Bull Demon King blamed himself.

    Seeing Sun Wukong in the far-off distance fighting against Su-hyeun like that caused the set of emotions he didn¡¯t want to feel again to raise their ugly heads and utterly flip his insides.

    He felt truly sorry.

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±

    It felt as if this whole affair came about because of his incorrect belief. Maybe he should have told the truth to Sun Wukong back then even at the cost of breaking his sworn little brother¡¯s heart even further.

    He should have revealed the truth that the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King was the murderer of the monkeys that lived on the Mountain of Flower and Fruit.

    If he did that, then maybe Sun Wukong wouldn¡¯t be like this right now.

    Meanwhile, the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King¡¯s eyes were urgently darting around this way and that, while his attention remained locked on the Bull Demon King who was slowly approaching him. He was desperately trying to find a way to escape from here and keep on living somehow.

    ¡°Big brother is weak against affection,¡± he thought.

    He knew the personality of the Bull Demon King better than anyone since he used to be a sworn brother to not only this powerful Yogoe but also Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King.

    He needed to use that fact to his advantage.

    ¡°Once I spot an opening, I¡¯ll escape.¡± He believed that his plan would work.

    ¡°Big brother, please hear me out fir¡ª¡±

    The Snub-nosed Money Spirit King raised his hand and spoke slowly, but he had to stop talking right away.

    Splash¡ª

    Because he saw droplets of blood flying.

    ¡°Uh¡­?¡±

    His eyes which were searching for an escape route looked down next. And at that very moment, his body began tilting to one side.

    Splatter¡ª!

    Aaaahk! Ahk!

    ¡°Alright. Do speak then,¡± said the Bull Demon King as he looked down on the Monkey Spirit King who was currently screaming on the ground after both of his legs were severed. ¡°I shall listen to you.¡±

    ¡°B¡ªbig brother! Please spare me!¡±

    ¡°Is that all you have to say to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªif you kill me, you won¡¯t become a god! Isn¡¯t that what you wished for? Big brother, I thought you longed to become a god?!¡±

    The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King quickly realized his plea for mercy wouldn¡¯t work and came up with a different tactic.

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s long-held dream¡ªit was the sole weakness of an otherwise near-perfect existence.

    ¡°Y¡ªyou think you can become a god while carrying a heart full of thoughts of revenge against me and the desire to murder? Please discard your emotions, big brother!¡±

    The Monkey Spirit King¡¯s highly agitated voice failed to elicit any visible changes in the Bull Demon King¡¯s expression. Meaning, he wasn¡¯t paying attention to what the legless Monkey Spirit King had said.

    ¡°Since you are finished, it¡¯s my turn to speak now.¡±

    The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King felt his heart tumble to the pit of his stomach after hearing that.

    The Bull Demon King wasn¡¯t thinking of letting him live. The one who was infinitely close to becoming a god had indeed decided to take his life today.

    ¡°Why did you do it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering me? Why did you¡­go and break our young Wukong¡¯s heart like that? Why did you even go so far as to murder your own family?¡±

    Heuh-euh¡ª

    A crazed cackled escaped from the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King¡¯s mouth. Without saying anything, the Bull Demon King waited for his reply.

    The Monkey Spirit King cackled like a madman for a little while before looking up at his former sworn big brother to ask a question. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of letting me go, are you brother?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to let you die without any pain.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll be dead either way, I guess.¡±

    As if he had given up, the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King shook his head. Then, he glanced at Sun Wukong who was still fighting against Su-hyeun in the distance.

    ¡°Family? What a joke.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You said those measly monkeys were my family? Stop making me laugh, will you? Big brother, do you have any idea how the world perceives us as?¡±

    ¡°No, I do not.¡±

    ¡°Stupid and lowly Yogoes who oppose the gods. We¡¯re seen as bosses of those stupid Yogoes. And finally¡­¡± The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King stared at his long, fur-covered arm before continuing on. ¡°Horrifying-looking monsters.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Since I was a little kid, I wished to become a god. It didn¡¯t matter to me even if it wasn¡¯t a real god like you, brother. I¡¯d have been truly satisfied if I became something like the Heavenly World¡¯s gods.¡±

    ¡°The Jade Emperor, he managed to entice you back then.¡±

    ¡°He told me to kill all the Yogoes in the Mountain of Flower and Fruit and then join his side. He even said that as long as I earn enough achievements, he will bestow the title of the God of War to me. He said that he would help me become a god, to shed this disgusting appearance of mine.¡± A twisted grin formed on the Monkey Spirit King¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s why I killed them. Although I have to say, I didn¡¯t expect that idiot Sun Wukong to still call me his big brother. I also didn¡¯t expect you to coddle that kid to this extent, big brother.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then. I have heard your story now.¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King¡¯s long arm was suddenly ripped out. Somewhat strangely, though, there was no blood, but the pain transmitted to his body was unimaginable.

    Kkuwa-aaaaaah¡ª!

    His screams reverberated throughout the heavens above.

    Erlang Shen couldn¡¯t dare to even butt in. The moment he tried to do that, he felt that his entire being would be erased from existence with a mere flick of the Bull Demon King¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Indeed, it is as you say. Sun Wukong is still young. That¡¯s why he can¡¯t do this. Even if he was betrayed and had a hole punctured in his belly, he would never be able to do these things to you. Because he¡¯s a far kinder creature than I ever was.¡±

    Riiiip¡ª

    The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King¡¯s other arm was ripped away next. With that, he had lost all four of his limbs.

    Kkeu, kuwaaaaahk¡ª!

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this.¡±

    Grab¡ª

    As if he wouldn¡¯t allow any screaming, the Bull Demon King covered the Monkey Spirit King¡¯s mouth with his hand and continued to speak, ¡°I urge you not to die too soon. I¡¯ve waited to kill you for the past 10,000 years, after all.¡±

    <hr />

    Kwa-jajajak¡ª

    CLANG¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s claws collided against Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. The latter¡¯s body floated up in the air from the impact.

    ¡°His strength has increased,¡± Su-hyeun thought to himself.

    The golden headband¡¯s seal acted to restrict Sun Wukong¡¯s primal instincts and his urges born out of pure bloodlust.

    Now that the seal had gotten weaker, his strength naturally saw a great increase as compared to before. Not just his energy and physical strength, but also his in-battle characteristics had changed from the ones Su-hyeun was familiar with.

    ¡°Thankfully, he¡¯s not wielding the Ruyi Jingu Bang.¡±

    However, that didn¡¯t mean Sun Wukong had become much ¡°stronger.¡±

    His battle sense had become so much worse¡ªit must have been the price to pay for the increase in his strength. His attacks were too straightforward and even disorderly. Rather than aiming for an opening, he just mindlessly swung his claws at the visible target, and that was all.

    ¡°I can see him.¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s attacks had indeed become a lot faster, but Su-hyeun could see them even more clearly when compared to their previous sparring session.

    To Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, it seemed that Sun Wukong¡¯s claws swung in slow motion. He could even see the latter¡¯s expression distort ever so slightly when he raised his sword to redirect those claws away from him.

    Grab¡ª

    Fwhoooosh¡ª, Ka-boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun proceeded to trip Sun Wukong right there and then, grabbed the latter¡¯s head, and then slammed it hard on the ground below.

    Crack¡ª

    Kkyahk¡ª!

    Was it because of the golden headband around his head? Sun Wukong yelped from the impact transmitted to his head. However, his overall condition must have not been affected because strength still hadn¡¯t left his body.

    Spin¡ª

    Crunchhhh¡ª

    With his head still shoved down to the ground, Sun Wukong spun his body around and lashed out with his arms.

    Chwa-ruruk¡ª

    His energy that was shooting up high into the sky tore apart Su-hyeun¡¯s figure and the clouds into pieces. Sun Wukong¡¯s lips distorted slightly to form a grin, perhaps after thinking that an annoying opponent had been finally dealt with.

    Shu-ru-ruk¡ª

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Kkii-aaahk!

    Sun Wukong flinched nastily in surprise and quickly pulled himself away.

    The figure of the man who used to be fighting him until now, the very figure that he thought he managed to tear apart with his claws, suddenly morphed into an indigo-colored flame.

    Just as Sun Wukong faltered from the intense heat, Su-hyeun¡¯s real body appeared right behind him.

    Smash¡ª

    Whoooosh, ka-boooom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword smacked hard into Sun Wukong¡¯s unguarded back, causing the latter to fly for dozens of meters before crashing and tumbling ungainly on the ground.

    Indeed, it was a powerful smack. However, the sharp blade failed to even cut into Sun Wukong¡¯s body and only managed to inflict a shallow nick on his skin.

    It seemed that he didn¡¯t just become faster and stronger, but his defenses had also received a boost when his overall stats were enhanced greatly.

    ¡°That¡¯s one seriously tough skin.¡±

    Su-hyeun frowned deeply from the sensation transmitted through the sword.

    Despite Sun Wukong being a true immortal, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t bring himself to cut his sworn brother in half. He had no idea how tough Sun Wukong¡¯s body was when he held back with his slash, however.

    And here he was, thinking of inflicting a heavy-enough wound and suppress Sun Wukong in that manner for the time being.

    ¡°He must be the second individual ever besides the first brother whose Gyeol I can¡¯t see at all.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter whether the target was a living being or not, the ¡°Gyeol¡± was supposed to exist in every single thing found in this world.

    And for the past half a year, Su-hyeun was training and mastering that Gyeol so that he could aim for it whenever he wanted to and exert far less energy to subdue his opponent.

    However, he couldn¡¯t see any Gyeol on Sun Wukong¡¯s undying body. Therefore, all he could do for now was to use brute force and physically beat the Monkey King down.

    ¡°The first brother is over there.¡±

    Su-hyeun already knew that the Bull Demon King had joined the battlefield some time ago.

    Since there was that massive presence big enough to completely fill up the Heavenly World and then some coming from the distance, he couldn¡¯t not know about the entrance of his sworn brother.

    Thanks to that, he didn¡¯t have to worry about his back anymore. He could tell the current condition of the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King from the screams clearly audible even from here.

    ¡°Erlang Shen isn¡¯t displaying any willingness to butt in either¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at the growling Sun Wukong who was getting up from the ground and quickly analyzed the situation.

    ¡°Will it be fine to simply subdue him? Shouldn¡¯t I somehow help him regain his sanity?¡±

    It happened while he was thinking to himself.

    ¡°That idiot, he¡¯s ended up in that state again.¡±

    That voice sounded somewhat familiar.

    As a matter of fact, the voice sounded pretty weird since it was so dry and lacked any discernible changes in its pitch. Also, it was a voice that was rather hard to forget since it was just too lacking in any distinct characteristics.

    ¡°Somersault cloud?¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun constantly tried to talk to it but didn¡¯t get a single reply until now. However, for some reason, the Somersault cloud chose to speak to him first in the middle of his battle against Sun Wukong.

    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    Su-hyeun had absolutely no idea about Sun Wukong¡¯s current state. Why did that golden headband suddenly appear on his head? Why did he end up in that state in the first place?

    All Su-hyeun could think about right now was suppressing Sun Wukong and somehow calming him down.

    ¡°The golden headband. It¡¯s the sealing device that suppresses Sun Wukong¡¯s primal instincts of a Yogoe. A human who raised Sun Wukong a long time ago created it.¡±

    ¡°A human did?¡±

    ¡°When Sun Wukong left the Mountain of Flower and Fruit, a human took him in and looked after the fool for about 100 years. That human then managed to place a seal that suppressed Sun Wukong¡¯s other side, the one that allowed his Yogoe primal instincts to run rampant.¡±

    ¡°A human¡­looked after the third brother?¡±

    This was the first time Su-hyeun heard about this story. However, one thing did pop up in his mind just then: Sun Wukong¡¯s love for humanity, a trait somewhat uncommon for a Yogoe, must have been related to the human who looked after him.

    ¡°But how is that related to the third brother¡¯s current state?¡±

    ¡°There is an emotional scar hiding in Sun Wukong¡¯s heart. The one who inflicted that stab wound just now is Sun Wukong¡¯s brother who vanished 10,000 years ago.¡±

    That reply caused Su-hyeun¡¯s expression to crumple immediately.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s ¡°brother¡± who had vanished a long time ago stabbed him in his chest. Just that fact alone was enough to give him a rough idea of what transpired here.

    He could more or less sense what Sun Wukong must have felt at that moment.

    The sense of betrayal.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s joy, his happiness, at meeting his brother after a lengthy absence of 10,000 years must have been indescribably great, so consequently, the betrayal he felt would have been equally devastating.

    ¡°Okay, do you know how to return the third brother to how he was?¡±

    ¡°Use me. And then¡­¡±

    The Somersault cloud continued to speak. At the same time, white clouds began enveloping Su-hyeun¡¯s surroundings.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    It was the physical form of the Somersault cloud.

    [The Somersault cloud¡¯s application rate has been greatly increased temporarily.]

    The system¡¯s message always remained straightforward.

    The moment that message floated up, Su-hyeun instinctively understood how he could control the Somersault cloud.

    Up until now, he had to resort to the Sage Arts and controlled it consciously. And it became one of his trusted trump cards.

    But in this very moment at least, the Somersault cloud was lending its powers to him out of its own volition.

    Kkiii-aaahk!

    Sun Wukong regained his posture, as well as his wits, and then pounced on Su-hyeun right away.

    ¡°Strike down¡ª¡±

    And while watching this scene play out, Su-hyeun opened his mouth.

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

 Chapter 275

    A bright light flashed from somewhere high up in the sky.

    Sun Wukong, who was madly rushing in, suddenly contorted his whole body in pain. Just as his shuddering body began falling from the air¡­

    Rumble¡ª!

    The roar of thunder reverberated belatedly, as naturally, the speed of lightning and the flash of light were much faster than the speed of sound.

    Kku-waaahk!

    The same thing also applied to Sun Wukong¡¯s screaming.

    His body now resembled a burnt-out piece of charcoal. Even as he thrashed about in pain, he somehow managed to regain his balance. He was clearly struggling from Su-hyeun¡¯s attack from earlier and from getting struck by lightning on top of that.

    Su-hyeun should have performed a follow-up attack by now, but he simply couldn¡¯t. The sensation he felt from using the Somersault cloud properly for the first time prevented him from immediately attacking again.

    ¡°So, this is the Somersault cloud,¡± he thought.

    It felt as if nature¡¯s providence had become his own.

    Although brief, it also felt as if Mother Nature and his physical body had become one.

    That potent feeling of being able to control everything in this world still faintly lingered within him. This feeling had to be one of the most addicting sensations in the whole world.

    Kki-aahk¡ª!

    Chwa-aaaah¡ª!

    In the meantime, Sun Wukong fully regained his wits and took a huge swing with his claws.

    Su-hyeun wrapped the Somersault cloud all around his body and activated ¡°Leap¡± to dash high up into the sky. Only then did he finally realize that he had been standing around dazedly all this time.

    ¡°I need to snap out of it.¡±

    For Su-hyeun, getting to know what it felt like to fully control the Somersault cloud was an immensely important event. He might get to master the artifact¡¯s control much faster, thanks to this opportunity.

    Nevertheless, his current priority should be with helping Sun Wukong regain his sanity.

    ¡°I¡¯ll finish this in one go.¡±

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    Cheee-iiik¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes followed after Sun Wukong, leaping even higher than he did only to descend rapidly toward him.

    He could see the wounds on the Monkey King¡¯s body healing at a visible rate. As expected of someone boasting an immortal and undying body, Sun Wukong¡¯s regeneration rate was far faster than anyone Su-hyeun could think of.

    An existence boasting monster-like stamina, magical energy reserve, and even regeneration.

    Not to forget, all those advantages were pushed to the extremes after the seal of the golden headband became weaker, and the Yogoe¡¯s primal instincts were unleashed.

    ¡°Even then, as I expected¡­¡±

    Pow¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s fist slammed against Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder.

    Heavy pain was transmitted from the part of his body that was struck. The impact was so immense that it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to see his shoulder get ripped apart.

    However, Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder remained unaffected.

    ¡°Keuh-ruk?¡±

    Maybe this outcome was different from what Sun Wukong expected, as he stared at Su-hyeun with puzzled eyes.

    Fluff¡ª

    As it turned out, pure-white clouds were currently wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder.

    It was an armor he created by manipulating the Somersault cloud. More than anything else, this armor made of clouds possessed strong resistance against any and all physical impact.

    ¡°Wrap around him, and¡ª¡±

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s command caused the Somersault cloud to react.

    Pure-white clouds began enveloping Sun Wukong¡¯s figure. He thrashed about in vain, but the clouds had already started to completely cover his body the moment Su-hyeun flicked his hand.

    Right after that, the Somersault cloud¡¯s powers were conceptualized inside Su-hyeun¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Strike him, Somersault cloud.¡±

    FLASH¡ª

    BUZZZZZ¡ª!

    Kkya-aaaaah!

    The Somersault cloud enveloping Sun Wukong began pouring out powerful electrical shocks. He thrashed wildly about in pain as he rapidly fell below.

    Swooooosh¡ª

    Grab!

    Su-hyeun activated ¡°Leap¡± once more and flew down before grabbing Sun Wukong¡¯s throat. While maintaining downward speed, he then powerfully kicked the air and shot down even faster toward the ground.

    ¡°Faster¡­¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    Fwhoooosh!

    The Somersault cloud enveloped Su-hyeun¡¯s feet and accelerated his descent even further. His figure, as he grabbed onto Sun Wukong¡¯s throat, was no longer visible; it instead became a single continuous streak of light.

    Swiiiiiiiish¡ª

    And so, the two of them reached the ground, and¡ª

    KWA-BOOOOOM!

    Crack, spliiiiit¡ª

    The moment Sun Wukong¡¯s head slammed into the ground, the terrain caved in deeply, with that exact contact point as the epicenter.

    The resulting crater looked as if a meteor had crashed there. Inside it, Su-hyeun was holding down Sun Wukong¡¯s trembling body.

    Sun Wukong might have been an immortal, but that didn¡¯t he wouldn¡¯t feel any sort of impact whatsoever. He shuddered nonstop from the pain which felt like every bone in his body was being pulverized. Blood mixed with bits of internal organs leaked out of his mouth.

    Even then, Sun Wukong still tried to thrash around.

    Kiiaaahk, keok!

    ¡°Third brother.¡±

    Kii-aaahk, Keo-keok!

    ¡°Please get a hold of yourself, brother!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s grip on Sun Wukong who was still pinned to the ground got progressively stronger.

    He so badly wanted to stop exerting his strength like this right away. Seeing Sun Wukong bleeding all over made him recall the past half a year he had spent with the Monkey King.

    ¡°I do not wish to hurt you anymore, brother.¡±

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Tsu-chuchuchu¡ª

    Magical energy traveled through Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and entered the golden headband.

    Sizzzzle¡ª

    Kah-aaaahk!

    The headband began constricting Sun Wukong¡¯s head. His hands which were trying to free himself from Su-hyeun¡¯s grip instead moved toward the headband as he tried to pull it off.

    The previously weakened seal gradually got stronger. Su-hyeun worked with the Somersault cloud and repaired the broken seal of the golden headband.

    As he watched Sun Wukong in great pain from the golden headband digging into his scalp, Su-hyeun bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Drip¡ª

    Kkeuh-urhk, kkeok¡­

    Tears streamed down from Sun Wukong¡¯s eyes. Memories he didn¡¯t want to recall flooded back into his head as his sanity returned.

    His resistance disappeared soon after.

    The golden headband then vanished into Sun Wukong¡¯s head, and as for his hands that used to shield his aching scalp, they were now hiding his face covered with endless rivers of tears.

    Kkeuh¡­ Kkeuh-uh-uhk¡­

    He was biting down on his lips and rubbing his eyes hard as if to stop his sobbing, but the tears didn¡¯t want to stop flowing.

    Sun Wukong cried for a long while.

    How many minutes passed by like this? He barely managed to open his trembling lips to speak.

    ¡°Last¡­brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­a dream, right?¡±

    For a moment there, Su-hyeun hesitated with his answer.

    Should he say it was all a dream?

    He quickly shook his head at that sudden thought that invaded his mind. Such a reply would be nothing more than applying dirt on an old wound that would fester and get worse eventually.

    ¡°¡­Yes, it wasn¡¯t a dream.¡±

    Heuh-euh, heuh-euh-euh¡ª

    Combined sobbing and laughing came out from Sun Wukong¡¯s mouth.

    Keuk, keu-heuh-heuph¡­

    He probably wished to cry some more but tried to force out a smile instead. He must have finally reached a stable-enough mental state that let him realize Su-hyeun was watching him right now.

    ¡°Hah¡ªI¡¯m sorry about this, little bro.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for anything, you know?¡±

    ¡°I sure showed you something disgraceful. Dammit! I was planning to act like a real big brother once I got myself a younger sibling, but I guess I¡¯m forever a little bro material.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nice to me, though.¡±

    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re the best brother out there. I¡¯m being serious.¡±

    Half a year¡ªit was definitely not a short time, but it was also not that long either.

    Not to mention, for someone like Sun Wukong or the Bull Demon King who had lived for tens of thousands of years, such a period would be like a little bleep in their lives.

    Even then, they treated Su-hyeun with genuinely open hearts. Even if their relationship began on the common ground of destroying the plot of the Heavenly World together, their sincerity had long exceeded the level of a simple cooperative relationship.

    Sun Wukong muttered, ¡°You know, I don¡¯t feel so good right now.¡±

    ¡°Please rest for a while, third brother.¡±

    He might have regained his sanity, but his current physical condition was definitely not good. His whole body was covered in blood, and it seemed that lifting even a single finger would be asking too much from him.

    Su-hyeun raised his head to look up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Sun Wukong followed Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze and looked toward the lip of the crater they were in.

    That¡¯s where they saw the figure of the Jade Emperor standing there looking down at them on the bottom. The old man¡¯s face was filled with pure shock¡ªas if his schemes had not accounted for this eventuality.

    They both knew instinctively.

    This whole thing had been cooked up by that bastard.

    **

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± the Jade Emperor said inwardly.

    He had lived through countless ¡°peaceful¡± years in his life, but honestly speaking, not too many things out there could make him gasp in disbelief.

    That was because his life had always been smooth sailing, one that unfolded exactly as he planned. Events that overturned his predictions were extremely rare, but one of them happened about half a year ago¡ªthe Bull Demon King stepped one foot over the threshold of joining the ranks of the Taoist gods.

    The Jade Emperor had to amend a portion of his plan because of that event. However, that remained as a portion and nothing more.

    An unknown human made his appearance and got rid of the God of War, but such a variable was still within his allowance. A new God of War was about to be installed anyway, which was the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King who also happened to be the important pawn in his plan to rock the psyche of Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.

    But now, the same human turned out to be capable of subduing that Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal. Not only that, but he also defeated Sun Wukong all by himself.

    ¡°A task that the God of War Prince Nezha and Erlang Shen had to perform together, he is¡­¡±

    Rustle¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s glare was now directed at the Jade Emperor.

    ¡°A measly little human did that?!¡±

    That thought abruptly popped up in his head, and almost immediately, the emperor had to acknowledge how wrong his judgment had been for the first time in his entire life.

    The ¡°measly little¡± human.

    The modifiers ¡°measly¡± and ¡°little¡± definitely did not suit that human. If the Jade Emperor insisted on attaching such modifiers to a human capable of subduing the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, then every living creature found throughout heaven and earth should also be seen as a pathetic loser.

    ¡°Where is my second brother?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s voice was cold and heavy. The aura he oozed now was different from a second ago.

    If you¡¯ve lived for a long time, you would inevitably acquire wisdom and experience. Such things would make accurately deciphering the moods of your opponent as natural as breathing itself.

    ¡°He¡¯s furious, isn¡¯t he?¡± he thought.

    Most humans would react this way, and the same principle also applied to Yogoes and gods. They would all get angry when they thought about someone precious to them getting hurt in some way.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t any different in that regard.

    ¡°You¡¯re slow with your answer.¡±

    ¡°When you say the second brother, do you perhaps mean the Roc Demon King?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°You spent only half a year with him, yet you already call him your brother? It seems that becoming a family member with you is very easy,¡± muttered the Jade Emperor as he slowly stroked his beard.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly glared at the emperor for a little while and then jumped up out of the crater and left Sun Wukong behind.

    Tap¡ª

    The distance between him and the Jade Emperor became as narrow as mere 10 paces. The latter warily observed the former unhesitatingly closing the distance between them. With their distance closing up like this, more opportunities to land attacks would start revealing themselves.

    But for some reason, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t seem to be too wary of the Jade Emperor.

    He then opened his mouth and said, ¡°The time spent isn¡¯t the most important thing.¡±

    Grip¡ª

    Su-hyeun gripped the spear mounted on his back with his left hand. ¡°No, the important thing is how you spent that time.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s a nice notion. But, well, how unfortunate for you. The dear second brother you¡¯ve been so fawning over is no longer with the living, you see,¡± the Jade Emperor sniggered.

    The Jade Emperor narrowed his eyes as he spoke to pay closer attention to Su-hyeun¡¯s response.

    Strangely, though, the latter didn¡¯t seem to display much of a reaction at all. It would have been only logical for him to charge forward blindly in pure agitation just like how it was with Sun Wukong.

    ¡°Maybe his relationship with the Roc Demon King wasn¡¯t all that amicable?¡± he thought.

    While the Jade Emperor was thinking that¡­

    Su-hyeun finished wordlessly scanning the surroundings and broke his silence. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°The second brother is still alive.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s declaration caused the Jade Emperor¡¯s expression to crumple unsightly, and a few more wrinkles were added to his face as a result.

    It was as the human said¡ªthe Jade Emperor didn¡¯t know whether the Roc Demon King was still alive or not. The latter hastily fled after suffering a large wound, after all. Although the wound seemed grievous, the possibility of him dying from it seemed remote at best.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    A gigantic golden-colored palm materialized behind the Jade Emperor. It emitted a massive and oppressive aura as it began blanketing the skies above Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    The emperor opened his own palm, and while making a gesture of pressing down to the ground, he spoke, ¡°Because soon, I shall be sending that fool to the netherworld along with you.¡±

    ¡°Nope, wrong.¡±

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun spun the spear that he held in his left hand before lightly throwing it up into the sky.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The sharp spear tip penetrated cleanly through the golden palm. And in that precise moment, the Jade Emperor felt a stinging pain traveling from the back of his own hand.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    Crack¡ª

    Craaaaack¡ª

    Cracks suddenly formed on the massive golden palm and spread rapidly to the rest of the hand.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be going there alone, old man.¡±

 Chapter 276

    Cruuuch¡ª

    Shatter!

    The giant golden palm descending on Su-hyeun¡¯s head shattered into many pieces and began falling to the ground.

    Bang, thud¡ª!

    Each of the shattered pieces was bigger than Su-hyeun¡¯s body, yet he didn¡¯t care whether or not they were falling near where he was standing and simply pulled out another spear.

    The Jade Emperor frowned deeply at the pain coming from his hand. Since he controlled this technique through his physical body, there was little he could do about sharing some of the pain when the palm was damaged.

    But that wasn¡¯t what the emperor was shocked about.

    ¡°He attacked the Gyeol,¡± he realized.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s spear accurately pierced through the palm¡¯s Gyeol.

    That Gyeol caused cracks to form on the palm, so in the end, only a small amount of impact was needed to bring about a much bigger result. This wasn¡¯t something someone could pull off without having a good deal of familiarity in seeing and cutting Gyeol down.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    ¡°He even opened his Sage¡¯s Eye, too?¡±

    The Jade Emperor discovered the bluish light gleaming within Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    The Sage¡¯s Eye¡ªthe eyes of a sage that allowed one to see through the truth of the world.

    Since the human didn¡¯t start mastering the Sage Arts a long time ago, it could only mean that he managed to gain enlightenment on both the Sage¡¯s Eye and the Gyeol in the past half a year.

    ¡°During the battle half a year ago, never mind the Sage¡¯s Eye, he could barely maintain the basic breathing technique,¡± he thought.

    The Jade Emperor did witness Su-hyeun¡¯s battle with Prince Nezha back then. And that¡¯s when he realized that the human had only started mastering the Sage Art, so the level of shock the emperor felt right now was indescribable.

    ¡°He¡¯s too dangerous.¡±

    Only half a year. Even to a human capable of living only for 100 years, that length of time wasn¡¯t all that long.

    He needed only half a year to reach this level, so what about 10 years later? Maybe becoming a Taoist god with a mere human¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t be an impossibility anymore.

    ¡°It seems that I must get rid of you today.¡±

    CLAP¡ª

    Go-ooooh¡ª

    The Jade Emperor clapped his hands loudly, and a golden aura suddenly enveloped his surroundings.

    [Tathagatha Buddha¡ªUnion with God]

    ¡°The Jade Emperor¡¯s aura has changed,¡± Su-hyeun observed.

    For the first time, Su-hyeun, as he gripped the spear in his left hand, became wary of the Jade Emperor.

    The strange aura coming from the emperor became just a bit clearer. Not only that, but Su-hyeun could also sense danger from the old man.

    ¡°It¡¯s as if he¡¯s become a completely different existence.¡±

    The sense of presence the Jade Emperor emitted bore down heavily on Su-hyeun¡¯s entire body. His hand gripped the spear even harder than before from this powerful sensation.

    Right after that¡­

    Paaa-aang¡ª!

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s illusory punch flew toward Su-hyeun.

    **

    Drip, driiip¡ª

    Kkeuh¡­ Kkeu-uh-euh¡­

    Blood that was leaking out from a torso with all four limbs torn off was forming a deep pool on the ground.

    It would only be normal to die from such grievous wounds, yet the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King was still clinging on to life. Rather cruelly, the Bull Demon King was torturing him just enough to not let him die.

    That¡¯s how deep the Bull Demon King¡¯s understanding of the subject was¡ªhow to not kill the Monkey Spirit King but still inflict the maximum amount of pain and let him slowly wither away while regretting everything he did.

    ¡°Tsk. He passed out,¡± the Bull Demon King muttered softly when the Monkey Spirit King no longer screamed. He then shifted his attention away. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll wake up if I wait for a little.¡±

    His voice didn¡¯t contain any notable emotions, yet Erlang Shen felt nasty goosebumps breaking out all over his body as he listened to the Bull Demon King from the side.

    As the Heavenly World¡¯s general, he thought he had witnessed all sorts of unimaginable things throughout his battle-filled life. He saw countless bloodletting and enough corpses to last a lifetime and then some.

    However, never did he feel this much icy chill running down his spine like right now.

    ¡°Ah, looks like I must apologize to you. I¡¯ve forgotten that you were with us all this time, Erlang Shen.¡±

    ¡°¡­Actually, I¡¯d have preferred that you kept forgetting about me.¡±

    The Bull Demon King laughed at that. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be on guard like that. The only one I will kill today is this one over here, after all. By the way¡­¡± The Bull Demon King shifted his gaze to the Jade Emperor who had appeared not too long ago to start fighting Su-hyeun and then asked Erlang Shen, ¡°Looks like you aren¡¯t all that interested in that battle over there.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Erlang Shen couldn¡¯t bring himself to answer right away.

    What the Bull Demon King said just then should be the truth, for someone infinitely close to becoming a Taoist God wouldn¡¯t lie.

    Even if Erlang Shen chose to interfere in that battle and help the Jade Emperor out, the Bull Demon King wouldn¡¯t do anything.

    Despite knowing that¡­

    ¡°Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, I don¡¯t think I can do that because I fear you.¡±

    Honestly, he felt this was for the best.

    The Bull Demon King seemed to have seen through Erlang Shen¡¯s mind. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been a fan, you see.¡±

    Clank¡ª

    The guandao had been ready for quite some time, but in the end, it saw no more action and was placed on the ground by its master, Erlang Shen, who then sat down next to it.

    ¡°Of the current state of the Heavenly World.¡±

    ¡°What does the Heavenly World of your ideals resemble, then?¡±

    ¡°Generally speaking, a god is supposed to protect the weak and keep a tight rein on the strong. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been taught, anyway,¡± Erlang Shen said but belatedly added something else. ¡°That would herald the advent of a better world, after all.¡±

    ¡°A better world, is it?¡±

    ¡°I do not know if that human is capable of defeating the Jade Emperor. But if such a thing happens, the Heavenly World might experience a transformation. Whether it¡¯ll be a good change or not, we¡¯ll have to see.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like I¡¯ve become your pretext, it seems.¡±

    ¡°Even though that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll still end up receiving some sort of punishment after this is over. Maybe I¡¯ll have to resign from my position as a general, but that wouldn¡¯t be such a bad thing. I have no attachment left, in any case.¡±

    Erlang Shen finished speaking there, and then, while resting his chin on his hand, he quietly looked on at the distant battle between the Jade Emperor and Su-hyeun.

    ¡°However, I feel that no matter how strong that human is, I don¡¯t think he can win this fight.¡±

    Goh-oooooh¡ª

    The moment he said that, golden air currents suddenly enveloped the Jade Emperor¡¯s surroundings.

    ¡°Because the emperor was planning to deal with the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal with his own two hands.¡±

    **

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    A gigantic palm smacked Su-hyeun¡¯s body away.

    Rumble¡ª!

    His body turned into wisps of flames before disappearing from the spot. That just now was a clone made out of the divine Flame.

    Su-hyeun flung himself back to dodge that golden hand. As sweat trickled down his face, he observed the massive ¡°Buddha¡± statue that had materialized behind the Jade Emperor. The golden giant with eight arms and an eyeless round face closely resembled the outer appearance of Gautama Buddha Su-hyeun was familiar with.

    ¡°Now that is one bizarre technique,¡± he muttered inwardly.

    Because of the giant¡¯s massive frame, its speed should have been on the slower side, yet the arms were surprisingly agile. And even an idiot would be able to tell the medium responsible for making those arms move.

    Pah-ahk!

    Whoooosh¡ª

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s leisurely moving hand suddenly pressed downward. At the same time, one of the golden giant¡¯s palms began pressing down toward Su-hyeun.

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    The impact overturned the ground below.

    Dodging the arms weren¡¯t all that difficult. Through the Sage¡¯s Eye, he could determine the opponent¡¯s movements ahead of time, and the movements themselves weren¡¯t too fast either.

    [Flame ¨C Land of Fire]

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    Flash!

    The indigo-hued flames exploded out from Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and instantly spread out everywhere. They then quickly surrounded the Jade Emperor, as well as the massive Buddha statue. Unfortunately, the flames failed to penetrate past the aura protecting the emperor.

    ¡°He sure looks after his body rather obsessively, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    An iron-wall-like defense¡ªthat is, four out of eight arms of the statue¡ªwere devoted solely to protecting the Jade Emperor¡¯s body. Those four arms protected the Gyeol of the other hands and set up a systematic defense.

    Four arms for attacks and four others for defense. On top of this, the illusory punches that flew in toward him every now and then also possessed rather considerable power behind them.

    The biggest problem facing Su-hyeun right now, though, was his right shoulder.

    It was the shoulder he always used to swing his sword with, yet it hurt like crazy every time he tried to move it even a little bit. It was also the very shoulder that Sun Wukong struck earlier.

    ¡°Seriously, his strength is truly something else.¡±

    Even if he managed to defend against it using the Somersault cloud, Sun Wukong¡¯s attack was still quite damaging in the end. His inability to move his right shoulder freely was proof of that.

    To make matters worse, he couldn¡¯t be so laid back anymore considering the remaining reserve of his magical energy.

    ¡°Even though I¡¯ve learned the breathing technique, I¡¯ve used up a lot more magical energy than I anticipated.¡±

    The Somersault cloud was a divine artifact that the current Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t fully wield just yet.

    What happened earlier was merely the artifact¡¯s application rate that increased greatly for a short time. It was unknown to him why that happened¡ªmaybe the Somersault cloud had some remaining affection toward Sun Wukong, or it was simply responding to Su-hyeun¡¯s strong will; no one could tell.

    The cloud¡¯s power was well beyond Su-hyeun¡¯s expectation. However, its magical energy consumption was truly enormous as well.

    He only used it a couple of times, yet he was already feeling the shortage of magical energy right now.

    ¡°How long are you planning to run around, human?¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª!

    Ka-boom!

    Four golden hands slammed down on the ground and broke Su-hyeun¡¯s balance.

    ¡°I finally caught you.¡±

    Claaaap¡ª!

    When the Jade Emperor clapped his hands¡­

    BOOM!

    The Buddha statue¡¯s hands clamped down on Su-hyeun¡¯s body from both sides.

    The Jade Emperor thought that Su-hyeun would obviously explode like a balloon just like that. Not only human flesh could not withstand the emperor¡¯s true strength, but Su-hyeun also couldn¡¯t even use his right arm at the moment.

    But then¡­

    Creaaak, creak¡ª

    Kwa-dududu¡ª

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s hands were forcefully pried open. The same thing was happening to the Buddha statue¡¯s hands that were squeezing down on Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    ¡°What is the meaning of¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s right arm, which was definitely hanging limply only until a second ago, seemed perfectly fine right now.

    Not only that, but he was also withstanding the emperor¡¯s power with his physical strength alone. Such a thing couldn¡¯t have been possible unless the human was acting all along.

    [The trait ¡°Hero-Immortality¡± is activating.]

    [Life force and stamina will rapidly recover. All status with abnormalities are being recovered.]

    [Physical stats will rise significantly.]

    The skill Su-hyeun had been saving for a long while now was finally activated.

    If it was at all possible, he didn¡¯t want to use it right until the end. And once the trait was activated, he couldn¡¯t afford to drag things out anymore.

    ¡°The Immortality¡¯s duration is five minutes,¡± he reminded himself.

    Grip¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s handgrip easily crushed the Buddha statue¡¯s palms. Soon after that, the spear connected to his left hand via the magical thread flew back in.

    Swoooosh¡ª

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun spun his body and began wielding the spear.

    The statue¡¯s hands were ripped apart into tiny pieces. At the same time, however, yet another illusory punch that flew out from the Jade Emperor¡¯s hand was aimed at Su-hyeun¡¯s heart.

    Pang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s head exploded.

    For a very brief moment there, the Jade Emperor believed he managed to kill the human. Only until Su-hyeun¡¯s figure disappeared like a mirage, that was.

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s eyes darted around to find Su-hyeun, and the statue¡¯s head closely mimicked his movement.

    He eventually picked up on Su-hyeun¡¯s presence coming from behind and immediately spun his whole body around.

    ¡°I found you!¡±

    Whooooosh¡ª

    The four arms of the Buddhist statue moved simultaneously.

    Before they could slam down on Su-hyeun¡¯s body, however¡­

    Clang!

    Kwa-dududuk¡ª

    Su-hyeun moved his sword up in a slicing motion and cleanly cleaved the statue¡¯s arms off.

    One stroke and two arms were severed.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of time here, you see.¡±

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The flames burning on Su-hyeun¡¯s blade were now flying toward the Jade Emperor.

    ¡°Not sure if this will work, though.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    His sword was moving quite slowly.

    But right at that moment, the Jade Emperor felt a chill run down his spine. The sword itself wasn¡¯t all that fast, yet the amount of magical energy contained within was suspiciously large.

    ¡°I need to defend against it,¡± he thought.

    The Jade Emperor crossed his arms and quickly got into a huddled position.

    Du-rururuk¡ª

    When he did, the statue also moved to wrap around the emperor¡¯s body. Not even a single opening could be seen.

    Shortly afterward, the divine Flame flooding out from Su-hyeun¡¯s blade completely enveloped the statue.

    Cruuuunch¡ª, Craaack¡ª!

    The massive waves of flames pounded on the statue. The Jade Emperor remained in the crouching position within the protective embrace of the statue and waited for the attacks to end.

    Ruuumble, rumble¡ª

    Not too long afterward, the pounding on the statue came to an end. The Jade Emperor moved the thick golden arms away and took a look outside.

    Pant, pant¡­

    Crackle, sizzle¡ª

    The scenery on the outside had changed quite a lot in that brief moment.

    The entire surroundings had turned into a sea of flames, while the statue had been scorched completely black. As for Su-hyeun, he was panting away laboriously; perhaps his exertion of too much energy in one go was to blame for his state.

    With that, the Jade Emperor became certain of his victory.

    ¡°It seems that this is the end of the road for you.¡±

    Just now, when Su-hyeun said he didn¡¯t have much time, and his strength saw a sudden explosive increase¡­

    The Jade Emperor thought that Su-hyeun was squeezing out every ounce of his energy. Rather unsurprisingly, he didn¡¯t doubt his victory since it looked as if his human opponent had finished with his final all-out attack.

    However, Su-hyeun simply wiped away his sweat, swept his hair back, and then looked up into the sky. ¡°Who said it¡¯s the end?¡±

    After hearing that, the Jade Emperor also looked up.

    Drip¡ª

    And in that precise moment, a drop of rain fell on his wrinkled face.

    ¡°Rain? Now?¡± he thought.

    Shwa-aaaaah¡ª

    But it wasn¡¯t a single drop of rain.

    A sudden deluge of rain poured down, and the emperor instinctively realized that this was not a coincidence.

    Right then, he discovered a gigantic dragon flying around up in the air.

    The Jade Emperor¡¯s eyes shot open so wide that they almost popped out of their sockets. ¡°A red dragon¡­!¡±

    Sizzzzle¡ª

    Rain fell on the ground that was still burning in the indigo-colored flames, causing the surroundings to turn foggy in an instant.

    Breathing in exhaustion, Su-hyeun extended his hand and spoke, ¡°The end, you say?¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    At the same time, the fog created by the flames meeting rain began shifting ominously.

    ¡°This is the end.¡±

    [Somersault cloud]

 Chapter 277

    Act 5

    Fluff, fluff¡ª

    The fog that covered their surroundings began gathering in one place.

    Falling rain met with the flames burning on the ground and evaporated. The fog created in that manner soon morphed into something closer to clouds and, in turn, became Su-hyeun¡¯s ¡°territory.¡±

    ¡°So, this is it?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun was in a dreamy state after creating this territory. It felt as if the whole area had become a part of his flesh. More importantly, everything within it was under his beck and call now.

    ¡°This is what the Somersault cloud is.¡±

    ¡°Freely wield it¡± was what the Somersault cloud told him.

    Along with that permission, Su-hyeun was able to wield the divine artifact anyway he saw fit. More correctly, he began believing that he could wield it as his heart desired.

    But he was naive.

    He thought he managed to figure out what kind of being the Somersault cloud was and that he had seen through all the types of power it possessed. But he was so wrong.

    He didn¡¯t even know one-tenth of what the Somersault cloud was capable of.

    ¡°The proof of godhood, was it?¡±

    The cloud of the beginning and the proof of godhood. Initially, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t understand what those words implied, especially so when it came to godhood¡ªthis term just felt so foreign to him.

    But now, he thought he finally got it.

    ¡°Godhood.¡±

    It was basically the qualification to become a god, and it was something you should obviously possess if you were indeed a god.

    The Somersault cloud was a divine artifact that allowed its wielder to take a peek at the abilities of such a godly being.

    While he stood inside the fog, he felt as if time had come to a standstill. He became one with the fog covering the surroundings, and he felt that the world was in his palm.

    For a very brief moment there, a moment shorter than even a blink of an eye, he felt confident enough to do anything he wanted.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    In the meantime, the Jade Emperor¡¯s eyes grew extremely large from pure shock because he knew intimately well what that aura emanating from the fog surrounding him was.

    It was from the divine artifact that the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal wielded.

    ¡°But how can that bastard control the Somersault cloud?!¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s invasion of the Heavenly World 500 years ago still remained fresh in the Jade Emperor¡¯s head even to this day.

    This was the greatest weapon¡ªan ability of sorts¡ªthat symbolized the boundless strength of Sun Wukong, along with the magical staff, Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    He couldn¡¯t forget it since he felt the exact same aura from the Somersault cloud while it summoned storm winds and lightning bolts half a year ago when the Heavenly World¡¯s army tried to invade the Bull Demon King¡¯s territory.

    Crackle, craaaackle¡ª

    The arcs of lightning buzzed and danced within the Somersault cloud that was spreading out to seemingly everywhere. Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t even issued any particular commands at that¡ªthe artifact itself simply changed its shape according to its wielder¡¯s current emotions.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Finally realizing the situation he was in, the Jade Emperor hurriedly curled within himself once more.

    Right after that¡­

    ¡°Destroy him¡­¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

    The ¡°clouds¡± cast over the ground emitted a bright light and then¡­

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    At that very moment, Su-hyeun finished issuing his commands¡­

    RUUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    Heavenly calamity got underway.

    WHOOOOSH¡ª!

    Violent storm winds whipped crazily within the ¡°clouds.¡± These winds were sharper than prized swords and vicious enough to shatter tough boulders into smithereens.

    Rumble, flaaaaash¡ª!

    On top of this, lightning bolts twirled and writhed with the vicious winds. Those lightning bolts that were powerful enough to split the earth and turn one¡¯s body into ash ceaselessly exploded everywhere.

    Su-hyeun was in a complete trance as he stood tall within this maelstrom.

    As for the Buddha statue, it had been torn apart to pieces by the winds and scorched black by lightning a long time ago. The story wasn¡¯t any better for the Jade Emperor hiding within.

    Su-hyeun looked at the burnt-black Jade Emperor¡¯s quivering lips and muttered, ¡°All you can say in your final moments are cheap profanities and nothing else?¡±

    He then flicked his finger at the Jade Emperor who barely managed to open his lips at this point.

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    Splat¡ª

    The scorched Jade Emperor¡¯s head transformed into a pile of ashes only to crumble away.

    And at that very same moment, all strength escaped Su-hyeun body, and the bluish aura swirling in his eyes flickered out.

    ¡°And so¡­it¡¯s really the end.¡±

    [Immortality¡¯s duration has ended.]

    [The recovery effect on your stamina and the abnormal status conditions have disappeared.]

    [Physical stat points have reverted to their original values.]

    [Fatigue: 87]

    The Immortality trait had lost its effect almost at the same time, and a great amount of fatigue washed over Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    Shu-ruru¡ª

    He slowly fell on his back.

    And at that very moment¡­

    [You¡¯ve acquired 10,000,000 achievement points.]

    [You¡¯ve attained the highest possible accomplishment points.]

    [You¡¯ve surpassed the clearance condition for the 60th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [Your ranking cannot be possibly determined.]

    [Awarding of additional rewards has been postponed.]

    [The Administrators have convened for a conference.]

    [Please be on standby for a little while.]

    Su-hyeun, who was gradually fading into unconsciousness, woke up abruptly for a moment there when he heard the vague echoing of the system messages in his head.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    **

    ¡°How surprising,¡± said the Bull Demon King with a serious voice.

    Erlang Shen¡¯s own impression after witnessing the battle while sitting next to the god-like Yogoe wasn¡¯t all that different either. He shot up to his feet, his shock obvious as he tried to take in the unfolding spectacle. ¡°That¡­was that the Somersault cloud?¡±

    Sun Wukong mentioned earlier that he handed the Somersault cloud to someone else. And that someone else happened to be Su-hyeun.

    Erlang Shen thought that was a rather foolish choice.

    The overall power and the total worth of the Somersault cloud as a divine artifact were hard to fathom. Depending on how it was utilized, it could even exhibit an even greater worth than Ruyi Jingu Bang¡ªtens of times greater, in fact.

    But that also meant wielding the Somersault cloud was incredibly difficult. Even Sun Wukong, who was referred to as the Victorious Fighting Buddha, couldn¡¯t bring out the cloud¡¯s full power.

    Yet a human who only recently took over the ownership of the artifact was wielding it even better than the previous owner, Sun Wukong.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be. This doesn¡¯t even make any sense¡­¡±

    ¡°This only goes to show you that the Somersault cloud has indeed acknowledged my last brother,¡± the Bull Demon King replied to Erlang Shen¡¯s murmur of astonishment. ¡°However, what surprised me more was the fact that, in order to conserve his strength as much as possible while summoning the cloud, he chose to use fire and water together to create his own clouds instead.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the rainfall earlier was a part of his action to summon the Somersault cloud?¡±

    ¡°The Somersault cloud is the cloud of the beginning. The most suitable environment to exercise its powers should be a location filled with clouds, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    Clouds and fogs were similar in nature. The former was basically tiny particles bunched up higher in the sky, and the only notable difference between the two would be where they were found¡ªone was nearer to the ground, while the other, up in the sky.

    Su-hyeun used this point and fought his enemy while utilizing his flames and then told his dragon to cause the rainfall.

    In actual reality, it wasn¡¯t rain but more like a great amount of water being poured down through some kind of a magical technique, but whatever the case might have been, the fog was still created in the end.

    ¡°Of course, even if there was a cloud, it was my last brother¡¯s cool-headed judgment that allowed him to use the Somersault cloud to this degree,¡± the Bull Demon King said and then shifted his gaze to Erlang Shen. ¡°And so, what will you do now? Your Jade Emperor has been defeated, and all of my brothers are currently incapacitated.¡±

    The Bull Demon King made himself very clear that other than killing the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King, he would not participate in this fight at all.

    If Erlang Shen wanted to kill Sun Wukong and Su-hyeun right now, then nothing would be able to stop him.

    And if he chose to do that¡­

    ¡°Who knows, you might become the hero of the Heavenly World. No, you may even become the next Jade Emperor, no less.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t the changes in your whims a little too extreme, considering you were doing your best to carry out your little brother¡¯s revenge not too long ago?¡±

    Erlang Shen¡¯s stared back at the Bull Demon King with a puzzled expression. However, the latter didn¡¯t reply and simply formed a faint smile, which caused Erlang Shen to frown deeply as if he was displeased about something.

    To Erlang Shen, it seemed like the Bull Demon King already knew how he would reply when he asked that question.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in fighting against the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal when he¡¯s in that state. And I¡¯m even less interested in the emperor¡¯s throne. I¡¯m a warrior, after all,¡± Erlang Shen replied as he got ready to leave. ¡°When the Great Sage wakes up, pass this message along. I, Erlang Shen, will wait for his arrival in front of the eight-way trigram Crucible, the very same one used to confine him. When he does come¡­¡±

    Clank¡ª

    He reached down to pick up the guandao that was resting on the ground and finished the rest of his sentence, his determined voice filled with dense fighting intent, ¡°We shall finally finish our battle.¡±

    **

    The entire Heavenly World was in an uproar.

    The new God of War was dead. Even the former God of War, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King was dead. The battle left not only the Heavenly World¡¯s soldiers but also its capital city in utter ruin.

    And most important of all, the Jade Emperor was killed.

    This was a completely different result from the war against the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal 500 years ago.

    No retaliation attempt was made.

    The Heavenly World was in no state to retaliate, to begin with¡ªall because of Erlang Shen¡¯s unexpected declaration that followed directly after the announcement of the Jade Emperor¡¯s passing.

    ¡°I¡¯m a sinner. I shall step down from my position as a general after my final battle against the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal.¡±

    Great turmoil swept across the Heavenly World, which was primarily caused by many high-ranking gods, including the likes of the Jade Emperor, abandoning or becoming involuntarily absent from their positions.

    Never mind revenge, the survivors were having a hard time trying to bring back order to the Heavenly World.

    Besides, even if Erlang Shen helped them, it was still too difficult to attack the Great Sage¡¯s group, anyway, after they were taken away by the Bull Demon King.

    And so, the second war against the Heavenly World came to an end in that fashion, and three more days went by.

    ¡°You¡¯ve woken up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun raised his upper body while looking somewhat dazed. He could see that the Bull Demon King was waiting before him with a bowl of gruel-like food.

    He briefly wondered whether this was a dream or reality. The dreamy feeling didn¡¯t want to go away even now.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the Bull Demon King asked.

    ¡°May I ask how long I was out for? And what about our brothers?¡±

    ¡°You were out for around three days. My back almost gave out while I was trying to lug you, three grown adults, back home, you know.¡±

    Three adults¡ªthat could only mean Su-hyeun, Sun Wukong, and the Roc Demon King.

    Upon learning that, Su-hyeun felt deeply relieved. No one had died. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°You also almost died, yet the first thing you do after waking up is to worry about the others?¡±

    ¡°Well, for one thing¡­I didn¡¯t die, after all.¡±

    ¡°The third brother woke up a while ago. As for the second, he¡¯s still unconscious, but I think he should be waking up soon.¡±

    ¡°The third brother is already up? So soon?¡± Su-hyeun immediately asked, too stunned by the Bull Demon King¡¯s revelation.

    If you asked who among the three was wounded the worst, then it would obviously be Sun Wukong. No one besides him would have survived the level of mental trauma and physical injuries he had suffered on that day.

    ¡°That child¡¯s recovery ability is certainly out of this world, isn¡¯t it?¡± the Bull Demon King replied.

    ¡°Where is he now, though?¡±

    ¡°He went to meet Erlang Shen. Erlang Shen told me earlier to pass along a message to our third brother. He said that once Sun Wukong was up, he should seek out the Heavenly World¡¯s general. He wishes to end their fight once and for all.¡±

    ¡°But doing that as soon as waking up is¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because he found it hard to endure without doing something, without fighting someone.¡±

    ¡°Even then¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun was about to voice out his opinion after listening to the Bull Demon King but closed his mouth shut right away.

    No matter what, no one understood Sun Wukong better than the Bull Demon King. Su-hyeun knew practically next to nothing about the Monkey King¡¯s past, so there¡¯s no way he would understand Sun Wukong¡¯s heart better than his first brother.

    ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s leave him be. He might feel better after going all out for the next couple of days.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    Su-hyeun decided to stop talking about Sun Wukong anymore.

    Instead, he chose to take a bit of the gruel the Bull Demon King had prepared. The inside of his stomach was completely empty after being unconscious for the past three days, after all.

    While eating, Su-hyeun belatedly recalled something he had forgotten about.

    ¡°Now that I think about it¡­¡±

    He remembered seeing several messages before he passed out.

    ¡°Impossible to determine my ranking. Postponement of an additional reward. Administrators convening a meeting.¡±

    He forgot about them because he passed out without having enough time to organize his thoughts, but once his worries about Sun Wukong were answered, the contents of those messages popped back in his mind.

    He clearly had passed the trial, yet Su-hyeun was still inside this world. Maybe the message that said, ¡°The Administrators have convened for a conference,¡± had something to do with it.

    ¡°I wonder what that was all about,¡± he inwardly said.

    While Su-hyeun was mouthing the gruel and thinking to himself¡­

    ¡°Goodness me. I almost forgot,¡± the Bull Demon King said as he placed a bundle wrapped in cloth on top of the portable dining table that he brought with the bowl of gruel. ¡°A being called the administrator asked me to pass this along to you. He said that he couldn¡¯t give it to you earlier because you were unconscious.¡±

    ¡°The administrator did?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. And that one seems to have prepared a rather generous present for you. Even I can¡¯t tell where he managed to procure this item from.¡±

    Why did the administrator request the Bull Demon King rather than do it himself?

    It was unknown whether or not the Bull Demon King knew the question floating in Su-hyeun¡¯s head. He simply smiled faintly as he unwrapped the bundle.

    ¡°It¡¯s called the Peach of Immortality.¡±

 Chapter 278

    It was a peach that boasted a pink hue so clear and pristine that it verged on being transparent; its size was slightly larger than Su-hyeun¡¯s fist.

    For sure, it was shaped a little differently from all the other types of peaches Su-hyeun knew about. It even slightly looked like a plastic toy shaped like a peach.

    ¡°So, this is the Peach of Immortality.¡±

    It was an amazing reward indeed.

    Unless one consumed it, one would have a hard time understanding its full effects. However, Sun Wukong did eat these things and ended up acquiring a physical body that cannot be killed and near-infinite amount of energy.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t consume just one. However, the fact that this peach was a heaven-defying miraculous medicine capable of giving Su-hyeun power similar to Sun Wukong remained the same regardless.

    However, rather than shocked or excited even after receiving such a reward, Su-hyeun was as cool as a cucumber.

    ¡°I did expect something like this, though,¡± he thought.

    The Peach of Immortality was brought up several times during this trial. In addition, in many situations similar to this one, the rewards for passing a trial tended to be related to the theme of that particular trial itself.

    What Su-hyeun had issues with right now was not the reward itself but with how it had been delivered to him.

    ¡°Why was the reward delivered to me through the first brother?¡±

    He found several points pretty strange to behold.

    For one thing, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t move to the next floor even if he wanted to, as no message to that effect had popped up yet. He could get back to the outside world, but this was practically the same thing as being trapped on the 60th floor.

    Maybe it had something to do with that meeting of the administrators.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the Bull Demon King asked as he stared at Su-hyeun who was wordlessly fidgeting with the Peach of Immortality.

    Su-hyeun soon realized that he had been thinking for too long in front of the Bull Demon King and quickly shook his head to get rid of those thoughts for now. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing important.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, not important? Well, I can see that you have a lot on your mind right now. However, you shouldn¡¯t overthink it,¡± the Bull Demon King chuckled affably. ¡°Whatever the case may be, I¡¯m just glad that you can stay with us for a little while longer.¡±

    Su-hyeun grinned a little at that. Unlike his own tangled thoughts, the Bull Demon King must have found that part more important than anything else.

    And just like his sworn older brother had said, he didn¡¯t think that was such a bad thing.

    Whatever the case might have been, he was still given a little more time to spend in this place until the administrators¡¯ meeting came to an end.

    ¡°Big brother¡­¡± Su-hyeun then decided to ask another question currently bugging him aside from the matters of Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King. ¡°How are you doing, though?¡±

    Many meanings were condensed in that one question.

    A quick answer to that would seem complicated, but the Bull Demon King replied with a bright grin on his face. ¡°I did resolve myself for it initially. I wondered if my chance to become a god would be ruined again by doing such things.¡±

    ¡°But then, why¡­?¡±

    ¡°The Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King¡­Once upon a time, he too used to be a part of my family. Of course, he would¡¯ve been an even ¡®closer¡¯ family member to our third brother, but¡­In any case, I made a pledge that day that I¡¯d personally kill the one responsible for tearing the third brother¡¯s heart to pieces. Sun Wukong might not have known it, but I definitely made the promise.¡±

    ¡°Was that why you couldn¡¯t become a god until now?¡±

    ¡°That could very well be it. For some reason, I wasn¡¯t able to let go of that promise.¡±

    It seemed that the event on that day constantly weighed heavily in the Bull Demon King¡¯s mind.

    ¡°There is more than one way to let go of your lingering attachments. One is to give up on them, and another is to fulfill them,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Brother, which way did you initially choose?¡±

    ¡°I chose to give up. Even though I knew that the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King was alive somewhere, I tried to turn a blind eye. But doing that was harder than I thought.¡±

    Despite possessing enough power to shoulder the entire world, he still found controlling his own mind truly difficult. In the end, the Bull Demon King had no choice but to acknowledge this fact.

    That¡¯s why he chose to tackle this matter from another angle. ¡°But then, I decided to fulfill them instead. And now that I¡¯ve resolved one of my attachments, I feel a little lighter than before.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel sorry about it. You weren¡¯t at fault, after all.¡± The Bull Demon King lightly patted Su-hyeun on the shoulder and got up to leave the room. ¡°Rest some more, last brother, and make sure to prepare yourself properly before eating that peach.¡±

    Du-ru-ruk¡ª

    After he left, Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between the Peach of Immortality and the gruel that had gotten lukewarm as he and the Bull Demon King chatted earlier. He hesitated on what to do for a little while before wrapping up the peach once more and picking up the spoon.

    He decided to finish the gruel prepared by the Bull Demon King first.

    **

    [Peach of Immortality]

    * It is a peach found in the Heavenly Peach Garden that appears once every 9,000 years and requires another 9,000 years to ripen. This particular peach is the highest-grade item found in the Peach Garden that lasts for 18,000 years. Some legends state that this item will grant one an eternal life.

    After finishing the gruel, Su-hyeun took the peach and headed to the mountain behind the residence.

    He checked the details of the peach¡¯s effects on his way, and sure enough, it was indeed now a part of the system. The proof of that was the detailed explanation about it that entered his mind so clearly.

    ¡°Highest grade among the peaches, is it?¡±

    The Peach of Immortality that the administrator gifted him was not an ordinary item but was the highest-grade item among all the peaches found in the Heavenly World¡¯s garden.

    Even the bullsh*t-sounding explanation about eternal life at the end shouldn¡¯t be completely made-up nonsense when looking at Sun Wukong¡¯s case.

    ¡°I need to absorb it properly.¡±

    Su-hyeun settled down on top of the tall and unobstructed cliff.

    He paid even closer attention to his breathing technique and took a deep and expansive gulp of air.

    He then performed the final inspection of his current status.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic count: 89] [Magic Level: 8]

    [Strength: 99] [Agility: 98]

    [Stamina: 98] [Reflex: 97]

    [Death Aura: 35]

    [Skill: Leap * advanced]

    [Skill: Transfiguration * advanced]

    [Skill: Flame]

    ¡­.

    [Fatigue: 0]

    Although his ¡°Strength¡± stat had stopped rising at 99, all the others had risen up by one point each. And as expected, the biggest change could be seen in his ¡°Magic count¡± stat.

    This stat reflected the total reserve of his magical energy, and it also happened to be the hardest stat to raise than the others. But perhaps, thanks to the effects of the breathing technique, it had already risen up to 89.

    It had seen an increase of two points. Not to mention, the purity of his magical energy was incomparable to the past as well.

    ¡°The magic count will rise along with the magic level, which means my current hurdle is raising the level.¡±

    The difference between levels 8 and 9¡ªSu-hyeun knew that vast gap pretty well since he had already experienced it in his previous life.

    Of course, differences also existed even within level 9. In fact, once one broke past the count of 90, an increase of just one point would result in an enormous leap forward in the total reserve of one¡¯s magical energy.

    The current Su-hyeun had already exceeded the stats from his former life.

    Even his skills couldn¡¯t be seen as lacking compared to the past, especially more so when he had acquired both the Somersault cloud and the Sage Arts. Therefore, he was certain that he had managed to create the necessary foundation to become so much stronger than his past life.

    However, as long as his magic level remained stuck at eight, it would be no different to going around in endless circles.

    ¡°It would be great if I can break through this hurdle with this peach.¡±

    Su-hyeun took out the peach from the cloth bundle and held it in his hand. At the same time, he also took out a small chest hidden within his inner pocket.

    Clack¡ª

    The chest contained small medicine bottles emanating a purple color. Not just one but three of them to boot.

    These were potions that he got to drink several times by now.

    [The highest-grade magical energy catalyst.]

    He used up his saved points to buy these catalysts, just so that he could consume them with a rare elixir. He wasn¡¯t sure when he would get to use them, but there¡¯s no denying that taking them all at once with a powerful elixir would double their original effects.

    ¡°I shall drink all three of them today.¡±

    The wall blocking his entry to level 9 was especially thick, but Su-hyeun was determined to break through that wall using this opportunity.

    He figured that it was very much doable, judging from his magic count currently sitting on 89 points.

    Plop¡ª

    He popped the corks off the catalyst bottles. The smell that remained horrid no matter what assaulted his nose once more when he sniffed it.

    He squeezed his eyes shut and scowled deeply as he dumped the contents of all three bottles in his mouth.

    Gulp¡ª

    Blergh¡­

    He barely managed to hold back his sudden urge to wretch.

    The potions remained seriously disgusting to him despite having taken them several times before. To make matters worse, this was his first time drinking three bottles in one go.

    ¡°I hope this thing tastes better than those.¡±

    The potions tasted so rancid that, right now, he was praying more for the peach to help him cleanse his palate rather than worrying about the item¡¯s potential effects.

    He opened his mouth wide and took a bite out of the Peach of Immortality.

    Crunch¡ª

    Chew, crunch, chew¡ª

    Much to his relief, the peach was wonderfully sweet and succulent, much more so than any other peaches he had in his life so far. He didn¡¯t get this feeling just because he finished drinking a vile-tasting catalyst either.

    Even putting aside the fact that the peach was an elixir, it tasted so good that he would not hesitate to spend all his fortunes to eat another one again.

    The gods of the Heavenly World would apparently hold a heavenly peach banquet every few thousand years, and the succulent sweetness of the fruits might be the true reason for the gathering rather than their medicinal effects.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    Not wanting to miss out on even a tiny bit of the fruit¡¯s effects, Su-hyeun chewed and swallowed the seed as well.

    Gulp¡ª

    He consumed the entire peach and then firmly closed both his eyes and mouth, hoping to prevent any leakage of the fruit¡¯s medicinal effects in case he breathed slightly off-kilter or some such.

    Wiggle¡ª

    The effects appeared not too long afterward.

    The impossibly tasty fruit instantly transformed into a massive bundle of energy after it entered his body. This great bundle of energy met with Su-hyeun¡¯s own reserve before spreading to all corners of his flesh.

    ¡°I made the right call by eating some food first.¡±

    A grin spread on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips after he confirmed the quantity of that energy.

    He had some inkling that he would end up receiving the Peach of Immortality as a reward somehow, and after eating one, he realized that its effects far exceeded even his wildest imaginations.

    ¡°I will need a lot of time to absorb it completely.¡±

    Fuu-wu-wuph¡ª

    Su-hyeun regulated his breaths while maintaining the breathing technique.

    From this point onward, a lengthy and tiring battle would take place in his body.

    **

    Dururuk¡ª

    ¡°Where are our little brothers?¡±

    The heavily bandaged Roc Demon King, whose injuries were mostly healed now, entered the Bull Demon King¡¯s room. He was the last one to regain consciousness of the three that the latter brought home from the Heavenly World.

    ¡°They went out to run some errands.¡±

    ¡°Those errands can¡¯t be toilet-related, so what are they really doing?¡±

    ¡°The third brother went to fight Erlang Shen. As for his reason, well, I¡¯m sure you know why.¡±

    ¡°Figures. With his personality, fighting someone will probably do wonders with clearing out his head. In that case, what about the last brother?¡±

    The Bull Demon King guffawed greatly and asked, ¡°Oh, so you finally decided to accept him as your last brother?¡±

    The Roc Demon King sheepishly avoided meeting his gaze and mumbled some things instead. ¡°K¡ªkeu-heum. In any case. Where did he go?¡±

    ¡°He too had a business to take care of, so he left for a little while.¡±

    ¡°A little while, huh? Which means he hasn¡¯t completely left yet?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have enough time to say proper goodbyes. Even if he can¡¯t stay with us for too long.¡±

    ¡°Tsk. Is that so?¡±

    The Roc Demon King ruefully licked his lips at the Bull Demon King¡¯s reply.

    The reality of Su-hyeun needing to leave soon felt even starker than before. The Bull Demon King mentioned it before the war against the Heavenly World commenced, but he was doing his best not to show it on his face.

    The Bull Demon King muttered, ¡°How mystifying.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°I never guessed that a fool who deeply hated humans would end up accepting our last brother so quickly like this.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­¡±

    The Roc Demon King was going to deny it but then spat out a groan instead. He wouldn¡¯t be able to fool the Bull Demon King here even if he said something different from what he was actually feeling.

    Not only that, but there was also no reason to do so, anyway.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s different from the other humans that I know, after all.¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I just, you know, got to learn my lesson, thanks to this event. Although rare, some humans are alright, it seems.¡± The Roc Demon King fake-coughed and turned around, looking a bit embarrassed. ¡°Even if there aren¡¯t that many of them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you know.¡±

    The Bull Demon King smiled contentedly at the Roc Demon King.

    The latter developed his distrust and contempt toward humans a long time ago. But as long as those feelings were resolved, even if by a little bit, then it was all satisfactory in the end.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave so soon. Since you¡¯re here, stay and enjoy some tea first. It¡¯s good timing too, as the tea should taste the best right about now.¡±

    ¡°You know that I don¡¯t like bitter things, don¡¯t you? Forget it, I¡¯ll just go and sleep some more¡ª¡±

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Just as the Roc Demon King was trying to leave the room¡­

    Whoosh¡ª

    He swiftly turned his head at the massive aura emanating from a distance.

    ¡°Last brother?¡±

 Chapter 279

    <hr />

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Craaaack, rumble¡ª

    The extended Ruyi Jingu Bang shaved a chunk off a cliff. Unlike its title of ¡°Heavenly World¡¯s prison,¡± the surrounding location currently resembled a devastated warzone, its previously stunning scenery completely destroyed beyond recognition.

    CLANG¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang that was seemingly extending forever was suddenly deflected upward. Erlang Shen swung the guandao upward from below and then spun his body to initiate his next slash.

    Baaaaang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s powerful punch and Erlang Shen¡¯s slash collided mid-air. Two gigantic powers canceled each other out and completely overturned the already ruined ground once more.

    Fuu-haa¡ª

    ¡°Man, you¡¯re really something else. You actually blocked that again?¡±

    ¡°Right back at you.¡±

    The exchange of blows had come to a brief standstill, and both Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen glared at each other as they formed mirroring disgusted expressions.

    This fight had been going on for several days already. Never mind food, they didn¡¯t even have time to take a short break. Of course, such a thing didn¡¯t pose any problems to these two who had far surpassed the limits of common Yogoes or gods a long time ago.

    Their real issue was with the intensity of this fight.

    Both of them thought of this battle as their real last fight, so they didn¡¯t bother to hold back. As such, their stamina got depleted far quicker than usual, and even their powers of concentration had run out by now.

    ¡°How long are you planning to stand there and pant away? Are you tired already?¡± Sun Wukong asked as he raised his Ruyi Jingu Bang again.

    Despite their fatigue, they still kept on fighting.

    Even if their stamina had reached rock bottom, they still continued to fight by scraping off whatever little energy they could find at the bottom of the barrel itself.

    This was all for the sake of determining once and for all who was stronger between them.

    ¡°It¡¯s only because you fool looked far too exhausted. I merely waited for you to take a breather.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Mister General! I can see you still putting up useless airs over there, buddy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already resigned from my post.¡±

    ¡°If you did, then you should learn to be more humble, you know? Humans nowadays call guys like you a bum. An unemployed bum.¡±

    ¡°¡­Stop talking and come at me, you damn dirty ape.¡±

    Veins bulged on Erlang Shen¡¯s forehead.

    Sun Wukong cackled and began spinning the Ruyi Jingu Bang once more. ¡°Get bigger, Ru¡ª¡±

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    But right at that moment, Sun Wukong¡¯s ears perked up. He could sense an immense aura. His head spun in that direction, and Erlang Shen belatedly turned his head in the same direction as well.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Last bro?¡±

    The playful smile on Sun Wukong¡¯s face disappeared in an instant.

    Soon after that, he turned around while still holding the Ruyi Jingu Bang. Erlang Shen was far too distracted to notice this and belatedly shouted at Sun Wukong who was about to abandon their fight and go somewhere else. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, Sun Wukong?!¡±

    ¡°Sorry! Let¡¯s finish this some other time!¡±

    ¡°Are you running away?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m crazy about fighting, you know!¡± Sun Wukong replied while summoning a cloud to ride on by using his Sage Art since he no longer had the Somersault cloud with him. ¡°But even then, my family comes first!¡±

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    In the end, Sun Wukong left the battlefield using the cloud he summoned.

    Erlang Shen could have chased after the Monkey King if he wanted to. He could have even prevented his opponent from leaving if that was what he desired.

    However, he chose to do neither of those things. This fight wasn¡¯t about capturing Sun Wukong but to finally end their rivalry once and for all, after all.

    ¡°Dammit!¡± Erlang Shen spat out an expletive, which wasn¡¯t like him, and slung the guandao over his shoulder. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to wait until next time.¡±

    **

    Swiiiiiiiish¡ª

    Riding on the cloud, Sun Wukong directly headed toward the Bull Demon King¡¯s residence.

    The location of that immense aura was the mountain behind the residence. Both the Bull Demon King and the Roc Demon King had already arrived there.

    Ta-dak¡ª

    Sun Wukong lightly leaped off from the cloud and landed next to the two Yogoes. They were currently staring at the top of the cliff found near the summit of the mountain. More specifically, they were looking at the semi-circular dome of an aura surrounding it.

    ¡°First and second brothers? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here? So, did you win?¡± the Bull Demon King replied to Sun Wukong¡¯s urgent question in his usual relaxed voice.

    The latter felt frustrated by such a laid-back response and hurriedly replied, ¡°Bro, that¡¯s not really important right now. What about our last brother?¡±

    ¡°Well, you can see he¡¯s right over there, can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°But is it really him?¡±

    Shudder, shudder¡ª

    Sun Wukong formed a flabbergasted expression after sensing the aura from a much closer vantage point. Without a doubt, this aura belonged to Su-hyeun. Yet the sheer scale or the purity of it was on a completely different realm compared to before.

    ¡°I¡¯ve given him a Peach of Immortality, you see.¡±

    ¡°A Peach of Immortality? Really?¡±

    Sun Wukong soon figured out what happened to Su-hyeun from the Bull Demon King¡¯s statement.

    The Peach of Immortality, a treasure of the Heavenly World and a miraculous heaven-defying elixir. It had already been several tens of thousands of years since Sun Wukong stole and devoured all the peaches, so a new batch must have matured by now in the Heavenly Peach Garden.

    ¡°Big brother, how did you even find a peach?¡±

    ¡°I was merely a delivery man. In any case, the important takeaway here is that our last brother has eaten a Peach of Immortality,¡± said the Bull Demon King, but despite how his reply sounded, an expression of puzzlement was also etched on his face. ¡°However, this still seems a little excessive. He may have consumed a peach, but such a level of concentration of energy is¡­¡±

    Their last brother. He was not a Yogoe but a human being.

    Even then, he possessed strength equal to the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal. Not to forget, this little human brother of theirs was responsible for defeating the God of War Prince Nezha and the Jade Emperor.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally managed to get your foot in.¡±

    While both Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King were swimming in shock, the Bull Demon King¡¯s eyes taking in the sight of Su-hyeun¡¯s transformation were filled with rueful sorrow.

    Normally, possessing that much power as a human should mean that you would have no equal in this world. Maybe Su-hyeun was now powerful enough to wage war against the Heavenly World and take the Jade Emperor¡¯s head all by himself.

    Even then, the Bull Demon King knew.

    Su-hyeun had only managed to get his foot in the door. In a way, this situation was similar to him reaching the peak, only to be told that it was merely the beginning.

    After learning about the kinds of monsters Su-hyeun would have to fight from here onward, as well as the height he was striving to reach, the Bull Demon King felt pity and sorrow from Su-hyeun¡¯s strength growing even greater.

    ¡°Yes, you should try to rise up even higher,¡± the Bull Demon King muttered as he watched the aura spread out in a dome start swirling around Su-hyeun. ¡°Aim to reach godhood, last brother.¡±

    **

    Everything felt hazy.

    This must have been his first time experiencing such a sensation, yet with every passing second, it became more and more familiar. Su-hyeun thought about it some more and realized that he had felt this sensation once before.

    ¡°When was it?¡±

    It was as if he was being pulled into the depth of a deep, deep ocean; his consciousness just didn¡¯t want to emerge outside. It almost felt like he was waking up from a long dream.

    The gears in Su-hyeun¡¯s head finally started moving again and forcibly recalled some memories of his past.

    ¡°Kim Sung-in.¡±

    The past or should that be the future rather?

    For some reason, he remembered the name of his past life. A name that, in recent times, he had almost forgotten about. That could only mean that he had gotten more used to the life of being Kim Su-hyeun, not Kim Sung-in.

    Despite that, he still recalled the name of Kim Sung-in and the life he led under that name because he felt a sensation similar to this one back then as well.

    Kim Sung-in, humanity¡¯s greatest awakener.

    And its hero.

    ¡°I was Kim Sung-in.¡±

    But he was also Kim Su-hyeun now.

    While keeping his eyes closed, he felt for the magical energy spreading throughout his whole body. His consciousness might have emerged outside, but his body felt as if it was not touching the ground at all, which was similar to how he was submerged in water.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Thankfully, he could send strength to his body.

    Su-hyeun opened his eyes. He could see a transparent azure thing before him.

    Did he really fall into an ocean, then?

    Only then did Su-hyeun finally remember his current situation.

    He drank the catalysts and then ate the Peach of Immortality. After doing those things, he focused on making all of their energy as his own.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t an ocean, but¡­¡±

    It was only at this point that he finally realized what that transparent ¡°sky¡± he found himself floating in was.

    ¡°Magical energy.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Shwa-aaaaah¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body began to suck in the half-transparent azure-colored energy he was floating in.

    [Magic count has risen by 1.]

    [Magic level has risen by 1.]

    [Magic count has risen by 1.]

    Soon after that, the messages he had been waiting for popped up before his eyes.

    At the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s floating body that was seemingly submerged in water landed softly back on solid ground. The hazy and dreamy feeling also disappeared, and everything reverted to reality.

    ¡°I¡­did it.¡±

    The first thing he thought of was that he had done it. Hoping that it wasn¡¯t a dream, after all, he urgently checked out his current status.

    [Magic count: 91]

    [Magic level: 9]

    Both the ¡°count¡± and ¡°level¡± stats had reached a ¡°9¡± figure. Although the ¡°count¡± hadn¡¯t reached the height that his previous life, Kim Sung-in, had attained, as far as the level was concerned, he could safely say that he had managed to catch up.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    This thrilling buzz traveled all over his body. It wasn¡¯t real electricity or anything like that, just his senses making a bit of mistake from the great sense of accomplishment he felt.

    He certainly had been running on this path and working his butt off for a long time now. If all of his hard work up until now were to be seen as him simply fumbling about, then from this moment forth, he could say that he had taken his first step in the truest sense.

    He turned his head. He could see his three sworn brothers looking up at him from the foot of the cliff.

    Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, the Great Sage who Confuses Heaven, and finally, the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven.

    Three Yogoes boasting the titles of great sages¡ªthey were also the brothers he managed to acquire during this trial.

    In the past, they all seemed like giants. Even the weakest among the three, the Roc Demon King, was the world¡¯s fastest Yogoe. Sun Wukong boasted an indestructible body and a near-infinite amount of energy.

    But why was it that the two of them didn¡¯t seem like giants at all anymore?

    ¡°Is it because I¡¯ve gotten stronger?¡± he thought.

    A level 9 magical energy.

    This wasn¡¯t simply a new stage with a greater amount of magical energy or some such. His magical energy went through a transformation in its characteristics and pushed Su-hyeun¡¯s senses into an altogether higher realm after reaching this level.

    And this was precisely the reason why awakeners thirsted for a higher level of magical energy. Also, this was another reason why the awakeners who did attain a higher magic level were labeled high-ranking in the first place.

    ¡°But the first brother, he¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze drifted toward one of the three great sages standing down there, the Bull Demon King.

    Without a doubt, Su-hyeun had acquired a power greater than before. He knew that he shouldn¡¯t be conceited, but still, it was a certainty that he was far closer to ¡°Kim Sung-in¡± now.

    But even then, the Bull Demon King seemed like a massive giant right now. He was like a new type of existence from a completely different dimension to the rest.

    [The meeting of the administrators has concluded.]

    [Will you move to the next floor?]

    Those messages appeared after he consumed the Peach of Immortality and finished absorbing its power.

    It seemed that the system, which was suspended for a few days due to that meeting of the administrators, had begun operating once more.

    ¡°It¡¯s good timing, too.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked back at the three Yogoes currently standing around together. He then bent his body down and performed a kowtow.

    ¡°Big brother, why is he kowtowing to us all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    The puzzled faces of the Roc Demon King and Sun Wukong turned toward the Bull Demon King.

    But unlike the two with ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± expressions, the Bull Demon King was waving his hand at Su-hyeun. ¡°Have a safe journey. I won¡¯t be too far behind you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, safe journey¡­Heok?!¡±

    ¡°H¡ªhey, last brother! Are you leaving us now?!¡±

    The Roc Demon King gasped in surprise and hurriedly turned his head to look at Su-hyeun, while Sun Wukong was loudly shouting out at the latter.

    They all knew that he would be going away sooner or later, but they never thought it would be this abrupt.

    ¡°Come visit us often, alright? Don¡¯t get bullied somewhere, too! And don¡¯t let someone beat you up either! If you think you can¡¯t win, then quickly come here and tell us! This big brother will go and beat that guy up, alright?!¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s shouts caused a grin to break out on the kowtowing Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    He figured that, what with Sun Wukong¡¯s personality, their goodbyes wouldn¡¯t be that emotional, so this sort of response was a pleasant surprise to him.

    ¡°Do take care!¡± The Roc Demon King¡¯s goodbye was much shorter and simpler than the raucous Sun Wukong. ¡°¡­Last brother!¡±

    However, the emotion contained within his goodbye easily rivaled the other brothers¡¯.

    Su-hyeun heard it and realized that even the Roc Demon King had completely accepted him as part of the brotherhood. Knowing the Yogoe¡¯s past, he always thought that such a thing wouldn¡¯t be easy at all.

    He was grateful.

    Their species might have been different, yet they treated him like their real little brother.

    ¡°Thank you for everything.¡±

    Su-hyeun had experienced many trials up to this point, but this particular one proved to be truly special.

    He earned a lot and got to learn many other things as well. They weren¡¯t limited to simply becoming stronger either.

    He wanted to meet with these guys again in the future if there was an opportunity to do so. And if such a thing did happen, then he would like it to be not for the reason of needing to do something with them but simply to have a laugh, to talk, and to share some delicious food with them.

    Just like a real family, in other words.

    A short while later, Su-hyeun forced his unwilling steps to turn away from there and headed to the next floor.

    [You have exceeded the clearance requirements for the 60th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [The result from the meeting of the administrators will now be announced.]

    [You¡¯re now being transferred to the 99th floor.]

 Chapter 280

    <hr />

    He thought he heard it wrong.

    However, he couldn¡¯t have heard wrong even if he tried. Sixty-one and ninety-nine sounded completely different, after all.

    Soon afterward, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure appeared in a new world.

    He initially thought that his entire view had become whitened, only to realize that wasn¡¯t true. He was simply standing in a pure-white space, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you make yourself comfortable?¡±

    Shuk¡ª

    Accompanied by a voice coming from somewhere, a comfy-looking couch suddenly materialized right before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    Only then did he realize someone was here with him¡ªa middle-aged man boasting an abundant black beard. This man emitting a somewhat old-world atmosphere was drinking tea while pointing toward the couch. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a place to sit that I thought you might find most comfortable. Does it not suit your taste?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no one will sit on a couch offered by a suspicious person in a suspicious space.¡±

    ¡°Is that how it is? Makes sense, however,¡± the man muttered in understanding and nodded slowly.

    Su-hyeun already had an idea who this black-bearded man was but didn¡¯t come out and say it. Instead, he waited for the man to mention it first.

    ¡°I am¡­Rather than saying my name, I feel that introducing myself in this manner should be for the best. I¡¯m the administrator of the 60th floor.¡±

    ¡°I thought as much.¡±

    ¡°So, will you take a seat now? Talking while looking up at you is rather uncomfortable, you see.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at the administrator and settled down on the couch.

    He already knew what kind of an occasion this might be. An administrator seeking him out personally like this was unprecedented, and there could be only one reason for that.

    ¡°Did the meeting go well?¡± he asked.

    Without a doubt, it must have something to do with that ¡°meeting of the administrators¡± that the system informed him about earlier.

    The administrator nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s question. He put the teacup down on a coffee table and replied, ¡°Things got quite troublesome there due to your actions. No, wait. You weren¡¯t the only one responsible, actually.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s someone else?¡±

    ¡°The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven. Also because of him.¡±

    As expected.

    Su-hyeun nodded again as if he expected as much. For sure, the 60th floor¡¯s trial had several strange points compared to the trials found on the other floors.

    ¡°Who knew that he¡¯d step foot into the realm of Taoist gods via Sage Arts to coincide with your arrival? Thanks to that, the trial given to you became completely distorted, as it turned out. All the while overturning our expectation several times in the process, too.¡±

    ¡°The trial got distorted? How so?¡±

    ¡°Now originally, the Bull Demon King was scheduled to attack the Heavenly World, along with the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal. That had been set in stone for a very long time. However, the Bull Demon King decided to let go of his lingering attachments and ended up not participating in the war against the Heavenly World.¡±

    The war was supposed to take place with the Bull Demon King participating. After listening to that explanation, Su-hyeun realized how the trial had been distorted. ¡°So, I ended up taking on the role of my first brother?¡±

    ¡°My apologies, but yes. That¡¯s what happened.¡±

    ¡°Hah-ah¡ª!¡±

    That made sense now. He was wondering why the difficulty had shot up so much even if this was a trial found on one of the 10-numbered floors.

    However, the trial¡¯s final goal of killing the Jade Emperor was supposed to be performed together with a much stronger combat force called the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°Not only that, but you also wouldn¡¯t have learned the Sage Arts if it weren¡¯t for the Bull Demon King¡¯s interference. That was also not within the framework of the trial we had set out, and it left the hint you were given totally meaningless.¡±

    One variable caused many things to change.

    But that wasn¡¯t too surprising. Even someone like the administrator failed to predict the event of the Bull Demon King viewing Su-hyeun in a favorable light and teaching the Sage Arts to him.

    ¡°So, when he said that the trial became distorted, did he mean this?¡± he thought.

    He did think some things were strange, albeit belatedly.

    Hints that are given out by the administrators usually proved to be useful in some way. If the hint of ¡°the most dangerous enemy is always near you¡± was supposed to indicate Sun Wukong, then a clue about the golden headband should have shown up somewhere, too.

    But Su-hyeun had absolutely no idea about the headband at all. Initially, he thought that he missed the necessary clues somehow, but no matter how deeply he pondered it, he couldn¡¯t remember just where he missed such a vital clue.

    But, that was only obvious¡ªhe never missed anything in the first place.

    The trial¡¯s framework had gone off the rails so much that no clues could be given anymore.

    ¡°At first, I entertained the idea of completely ending the trial right away. I also even thought about deleting this floor and simply send you directly to the 61st instead.¡±

    ¡°Was there a reason to do something like that?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I thought that without the Bull Demon King¡¯s assistance, you¡¯d have zero chance of winning against the Heavenly World.¡±

    ¡°But the end result was different.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. You managed to overturn our expectations quite splendidly. And that posed an even greater problem for us.¡±

    ¡°There seem to be quite a few problems here.¡±

    ¡°Although it was the 60th floor¡¯s trial, the difficulty has shot up far too steeply. The trial would still have been quite difficult without the variable messing up things in the first place, you see.¡±

    One variable after the next.

    Su-hyeun figured out why the trial had become so distorted from the administrator¡¯s explanation.

    The variable of the Bull Demon King pushed the difficulty of the trial until it became almost unsolvable. Nonetheless, Su-hyeun still managed to pass the trial.

    That caused much confusion among the minds of the administrators.

    ¡°In the end, we decided to send you to the 99th floor. Our decision came about not just because of this trial¡¯s difficulty but also after we¡¯ve determined that your level has risen high enough to meet the requirements.¡±

    ¡°Then, the reason for handing over the Peach of Immortality beforehand was¡­¡±

    ¡°That was our final criteria to determine which floor we should send you to. We needed to see the realm you¡¯d reach after consuming the peach, you see.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t wrong there.

    For one thing, Su-hyeun acquired the Sage Arts, learned the basic breathing technique, and even mastered seeing the Gyeol. Thanks to these changes, his magical energy consumption had decreased drastically and, at the same time, created the necessary foundation to become even stronger in the future.

    On top of this, he consumed the Peach of Immortality, causing both his magic level and the count to rise up greatly as well. The current him wouldn¡¯t find waging a lone battle against the Heavenly World all that difficult anymore.

    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t understand it.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head after listening to all the explanations. ¡°Surely, you didn¡¯t prepare this occasion just to explain something like that to me?¡±

    There was little doubt that the trial this time got distorted in many areas. The distortion caused confusion regarding a few things, and it¡¯s also true that the administrator¡¯s explanation managed to dispel most of his confusion.

    But the administrator going out of his way to prepare an occasion like this just to hand out an explanation? Now that was the situation that was hardest to understand.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have any real reason to inform me of what happened, and even if you wanted to tell me, wouldn¡¯t using the system to pass along the relevant information a simpler way?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re indeed correct.¡±

    ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been watching me, which means, you should know that I¡¯m not a big fan of beating around the bush.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± The administrator put the teacup down again and, with a sheepish expression, scratched his head. ¡°I wanted to meet you personally and just shoot some breeze, you know, but I can¡¯t help it if that¡¯s how you feel.¡±

    ¡°Shoot¡­some breeze?¡±

    ¡°Actually, there were a couple of other things I wished to convey to you. Since you¡¯re now on the 99th floor, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll soon head over to the 100th.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°When that happens, you won¡¯t be able to exit the trial until you finish it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    Su-hyeun stood up almost half-way from the couch out of surprise.

    He can¡¯t exit until the trial is over? In other words, as long as he was stuck inside the trial, he must now abandon any and all events taking place in the outside world until it was over.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice but to pass the 100th floor¡¯s trial as quickly as possible, then,¡± he thought.

    If possible, he needed to avoid spending half a year in it, which was something he did during the last trial.

    The minimum length of time for a dungeon to become a full-on outbreak was 15 days. Su-hyeun inwardly planned to pass the 100th floor¡¯s trial within that timeframe if it was possible.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be running into us quite often from the 100th floor onward.¡±

    Su-hyeun stopped mulling his options at the administrator¡¯s announcement and looked at the black-bearded man.

    That term ¡°us¡± signified, rather obviously, the administrators found on each of the floors. With the sole exception of the 43rd floor, no administrators bothered to show up, besides a few from the 10-numbered floors.

    That¡¯s also what Su-hyeun remembered happening past the 100th floor in his previous life.

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get to learn that after passing the 100th floor. It¡¯s a bit too premature, unfortunately. Although, it¡¯s not too far from now¡­¡± The administrator paused and then narrowed his eyes to slits as he picked up the steaming teacup once more. ¡°That is, as long as you manage to survive.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    This administrator should know Su-hyeun¡¯s ability better than anyone else.

    So, if the 100th floor¡¯s trial was specially prepared for him, then that warning probably implied that a particularly difficult trial was waiting for him there.

    ¡°Something difficult even for the current me, in other words,¡± he inwardly concluded.

    That warning also probably meant to tell him that he should focus on passing the trial properly rather than passing it quickly.

    ¡°What¡¯s certain at this stage is that something will change after passing the 100th floor,¡± he thought.

    His current life was different from the previous one.

    Was it because he kept passing the trials set at the difficulty level of 10? Su-hyeun was getting a lot more attention from the administrators compared to when he was Kim Sung-in.

    ¡°Not sure if this is ultimately a good thing, but¡­¡± he told himself.

    For the time being, it shouldn¡¯t be all bad. The trials set out by the administrators should result in him becoming even stronger, after all.

    Su-hyeun quickly organized his thoughts and nodded, before extending his hand toward the administrator. ¡°Got it, so please hurry up with the handover of the rewards.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re asking for stuff you left behind with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be directly sent to the 99th floor, which means I¡¯ll also be losing out on all of the possible rewards of the floors from here to there, doesn¡¯t it? And that¡¯s probably why you convened a meeting¡ªto discuss the additional reward as well.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already mastered the Sage Arts? Not to mention, you even got yourself the Somersault cloud.¡±

    ¡°They are things that I managed to earn from the first and third brothers, not some rewards you gave away.¡±

    ¡°Although you¡¯re not wrong, why does it feel like you¡¯re forcibly taking away my things for some reason?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a physical item, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, it is, but at the same time, no.¡±

    Clap¡ª!

    While making his reply, the administrator stood up and clapped his hands. When he did, the couch Su-hyeun was sitting on, the teacup he was drinking out from, and even the coffee table, all vanished into thin air.

    Su-hyeun hurriedly stood up as well.

    Right after that, a bright light began glowing from the below the floor.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Soon, two images floated up close to Su-hyeun. The semi-transparent images resembling holograms were of a large card and an even bigger fan.

    ¡°The Palm Leaf Fan?¡±

    The first thing to catch Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was the massive fan that was as big as his whole body. This azure-colored fan looked as if it was made of feathers plucked from a huge bird. And it happened to exactly resemble the weapon that the Bull Demon King showed to him before.

    ¡°You know what this is? I¡¯ll be able to keep my explanation brief, then.¡±

    ¡°This is¡­the real deal.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real. You think I¡¯ll give you a fake?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s muttering to no one in particular prompted the administrator to retort as if an obvious thing had been brought up.

    But that¡¯s not what Su-hyeun meant originally.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t everything up to now all fake?¡± Su-hyeun scanned the space he was standing on as he said that. ¡°This space, even the items you were showing me earlier, all of them.¡±

    The administrator¡¯s eyes that showed no discernible change until then grew ever so slightly wider after listening to what Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°He has already seen through them?¡± he thought.

    This location he was at with Su-hyeun was an illusory space created with something similar to illusion-type magic or maybe even a skill.

    Being able to suddenly create items or make them disappear like a god was nothing more than a type of illusion, but Su-hyeun had seen through all that.

    ¡°If you knew, you could have broken out of here, couldn¡¯t you?¡±

    As the administrator had said, it wouldn¡¯t be that difficult to break out of illusion-type magic once you managed to perceive its effects.

    ¡°If you tried to attack me, I probably would have done that,¡± Su-hyeun replied as he stared at the Palm Leaf Fan. ¡°However, that¡¯s not what happened, is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was at this point that the administrator had no choice but to accept that he had evaluated Su-hyeun wrongly.

    ¡°We should¡¯ve sent him directly to the 100th floor instead,¡± he inwardly mused.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s capabilities enhanced by both the Sage Arts and the Peach of Immortality were well beyond the estimation of the administrators.

    His being able to see through an administrator¡¯s illusion implied that he had already reached the same realm as theirs now.

    ¡°To put it in another way, you¡¯ll behave yourself and stay inside the illusion until you get your additional rewards.¡±

    ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Go ahead and choose, then.¡± The administrator pointed at the two rewards floating before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Either the Palm Leaf Fan of the Bull Demon King capable of summoning a storm or the title of ¡°Sage.¡± One of these two.¡±

 Chapter 281

    Act 6

    The Palm Leaf Fan.

    Or the title of a ¡°Sage.¡±

    Only then did Su-hyeun check out the words on the floating card. The words that appeared on it were about the title of a ¡°Sage,¡± as well as the detailed explanation of its effects.

    [Title: Sage]

    <ul>

    A title only bestowed upon the greatest among all humans who learned the Sage Arts.

    Raises the proficiency of the Sage Arts by 30%.

    Raises the effects of the Sage Arts by 20%.

    Raises the effects of the ¡°Breathing Technique¡± by 20%.

    Could overlap with another title.

    </ul>

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun confirmed the title¡¯s effects and froze for a moment there.

    From the get-go, he wasn¡¯t all that interested in acquiring a title. If he was told to choose between a title and the Palm Leaf Fan, then his mind would have leaned toward the latter for sure.

    But now that he finished confirming the effects of the title, the scale in his mind evened out once more.

    ¡°I can overlap it with another title?¡± he mulled inwardly.

    The biggest reason for his mind to sway was none other than the last ¡°effect¡± of the title written in the description.

    Normally, you could only use one title at a time. If he chose the ¡°Sage¡± title, then his original ¡°Hero¡± title would vanish.

    No matter how tempting the ¡°Sage¡± title was, it wasn¡¯t quite good enough for him to discard the ¡°Hero¡± title for it. Its effects of raising the proficiency and effectiveness of the Sage Arts certainly were very attractive, but they weren¡¯t all that better compared to the ¡°Hero¡± title in the end.

    However, the story would greatly change if overlapping the titles were possible.

    ¡°Are you conflicted?¡± the administrator asked, but Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t reply.

    However, that was enough of an answer in itself. Being unable to choose immediately indicated the level of his dilemma, after all.

    ¡°Just which one should I¡­?¡± he kept asking himself.

    About five minutes later, Su-hyeun finally settled the dilemma between the two items.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±

    He then extended his hand to one side.

    Grab¡ª

    What his hand grabbed was the Palm Leaf Fan.

    While holding on to it, Su-hyeun said, ¡°I¡¯m choosing this one.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t you regret this choice?¡±

    ¡°At the end of the day, it¡¯s nothing more than a ¡®Sage¡¯ title, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun recalled what the Bull Demon King had said to him right in the final seconds.

    ¡°Aim to reach godhood.¡±

    Although he heard them in dreamy haziness, the intent behind those words was still engraved deep within him.

    That suggestion seemed like a completely hopeless dream. However, that was what the Bull Demon King wished for, and Su-hyeun was thinking of giving his best shot as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll eventually earn that title sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°Sage,¡± it was the title given to the greatest practitioner of the Sage Arts among humanity.

    Without a doubt, that title was incredible. However, it was also something he would inevitably earn during his pursuit to reach godhood, just as the Bull Demon King had told him to do.

    On the other hand, he might not have another opportunity to get his hands on the Palm Leaf Fan like this.

    Most importantly¡­

    ¡°This Palm Leaf Fan, I¡¯m guessing my big brother gave it to you. Am I wrong?¡±

    Su-hyeun had figured out how the administrator ended up with this fan, which was a property of the Bull Demon King, in the first place.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have been able to forcibly take it away from him, after all.¡±

    ¡°You know very well.¡±

    ¡°Well, no matter how much I think about it, I don¡¯t believe you guys are stronger than my big brother.¡±

    Although it happened for the briefest of all brief moments, Su-hyeun ¡°faced¡± the Bull Demon King right after his magical energy reached the ninth level.

    Even then, he couldn¡¯t see the depth of the Yogoe¡¯s true strengths.

    On the other hand, the administrator before him gave off a different feeling. Like he would be able to touch this ¡°person¡± if he chose to reach out¡ªSu-hyeun got that kind of feeling.

    That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t believe that this administrator had taken the Palm Leaf Fan away from the Bull Demon King by force. No, the Bull Demon King must have ¡°given¡± it to him.

    ¡°The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven told me this¡­¡± The Administrator stared at the Palm Leaf Fan held tightly in Su-hyeun¡¯s hands and muttered, ¡°He said, he wanted to prepare a parting gift for their last brother, you, so that you won¡¯t get bullied or beaten up by someone else.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t get the chance to give it to you in person since you left without saying a proper goodbye, so he requested me to hand it over to you. And that¡¯s why I feel greatly relieved right now. If by any chance you kept obsessing over the title of ¡®Sage¡¯ then well, that item would have to be returned to the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven.¡± The administrator took a short pause there and chuckled softly. ¡°Even I feel scared by him, you see. Honestly, I think your choice wasn¡¯t too bad. The Palm Leaf Fan is no doubt a heaven-defying divine artifact, after all.¡±

    ¡°However, I parted ways with my brothers only a few minutes ago?¡± Su-hyeun lowered the Palm Leaf Fan and asked, ¡°Just where did you find the time to listen to him and receive this fan?¡±

    ¡°You already know this, don¡¯t you?¡± The administrator smiled meaningfully as he made his reply. ¡°The fact that many things found in this tower are distorted.¡±

    ¡°Is time itself one of those things?¡±

    ¡°More or less.¡±

    Clap¡ª!

    The administrator replied as such and then clapped his hands in a slightly more urgent manner. ¡°Well, our chat must end here. We¡¯ve run out of time, and I¡¯ve also handed over the items you were supposed to get. I¡¯m a bit unhappy that we need to part ways here, but it would be nice if we can meet each other again someday.¡±

    [Transfer to the 99th floor has been initiated.]

    The administrator¡¯s silhouette grew fainter and fainter.

    The same thing happened to the space Su-hyeun was in. It seemed that the administrator had undone the illusion.

    ¡°Ah, by the way, I almost forgot to tell you something else. The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven asked me to deliver a message to you if and when we meet. And he said¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun paid closer attention to the administrator¡¯s silhouette and voice as they grew fainter.

    ¡°Well, ¡®we¡¯ll meet again, little brother.''¡±

    As soon as those meaningful words were said, the environment surrounding Su-hyeun transformed. He now stood alone on the 99th floor¡¯s world, which was only fully revealed after the administrator had completely vanished from view.

    A world with year-long gloomy skies filled with damp-smelling air.

    And so, Kim Su-hyeun had arrived on the 99th floor.

    **

    The number one spot, also referred to as the top or the best, would always be a focal point of everyone¡¯s attention.

    However, that was about it. The best had to remain the best in order to stay in the limelight, and people would become disappointed in you once you began your downward slide.

    But even if you constantly occupied the number one position, all you would get was a nod, along with ¡°As expected.¡±

    However, there would sometimes be an anomaly¡ªsomeone considered to be the best suddenly accomplishing something that no one believed even he or she could pull off.

    An event where people would automatically go, ¡°That was even possible?¡± instead of ¡°As expected of him.¡±

    Title: Kim Su-hyeun on the 99th floor, for real?

    Content: One of my high school alumni is an awakener currently on the 99th floor, see? He told me that Kim Su-hyeun has shown up on the 99th.

    ©¸Piss off. Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s been stuck on the 60th for half a year already. He¡¯s probably finally decided to stop there.

    ©¸Makes sense. Honestly, plenty of folks besides him choose to go with much lower difficulty on the floors below his. About time he hit a wall.

    ©¸Man. What a letdown.

    ©¸U R full of sh*t.

    ©¸Let¡¯s unpack this. One of two possibilities. Either your friend or you are full of bull. Nice work, tho.

    ©¸No, hang on. I¡¯m being serious¡ª

    Half a day later¡­

    Title: Kim Su-hyeun on the 99th floor. Verified. News articles everywhere yesterday.

    Content: Punks busy running your mouths off yesterday, why don¡¯t you say something now?

    ©¸Something.

    ©¸Crazy SOB, LOL WTF did he do to get to the 99th in one day?

    ©¸Where art thou, keyboard awakeners gleefully yapping on about Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s bubble popping? ROFL

    ©¸BTW, I honestly can¡¯t believe it. Has there ever been a situation like this one before? Did he just bulldoze through the floors after lowering the difficulty by one level or something? No, it¡¯s still too fast for that.

    ©¸No records of him from the 61st all the way to the 98th, so something special must¡¯ve happened.

    ©¸Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s class is permanent.

    ¡°¡­Class, eh?¡±

    Sluuurp¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes took in the sight of Lee Ju-ho who was smirking away while sucking on a refreshingly cool cup of Americano with a straw. It seemed that he was deriving much amusement from reading all the comments through the smartphone that he currently held in his hand.

    The two men were currently sitting alone inside a cafe with no customers. Su-hyeun asked Lee Ju-ho out of curiosity, ¡°What¡¯s so amusing that you¡¯re grinning like that?¡±

    ¡°There are plenty of funny comments, actually. Take a look here. You have over 300,000 members in your fan club already.¡±

    ¡°Please stop looking at stuff like that. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to join it, anyway.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a member for a long time, actually. And I¡¯m the vice-chairman of the club, too.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?!¡±

    ¡°Nope. Puh-heuph!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny this time?¡±

    ¡°Your flustered reaction. You do have some funny reactions, you see,¡± Lee Ju-ho guffawed pretty loudly and then resumed sucking in the cool coffee with the straw. Unlike Su-hyeun, he finished his drink rather quickly and, while putting away his phone, asked, ¡°Okay, so, you were saying that you reached the 99th floor in one go, all thanks to these people calling themselves administrators?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think these administrators are responsible for running the trials of the tower.¡±

    ¡°Well, the tower is one peculiar place, to begin with, so that¡¯s not all that surprising, but their choice to show up before you was rather unexpected.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not 100% sure what they are exactly, but I get the feeling that they hold the key to something.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­We need to look into this somehow. But if you can¡¯t tell anything, then there¡¯s no way for us on this side to figure it out.¡±

    While saying that, Lee Ju-ho began jotting something down on a memo pad resting on the coffee table. He was recording the slew of new information that he received as he chatted with Su-hyeun.

    Maybe this information was the important key to solving the mysteries of the tower¡¯s system, as well as the dungeons currently appearing in the outside world.

    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s that indigo-colored dungeon thing going? You said it¡¯s become a bit of headache since about three days ago?¡± Su-hyeun asked next.

    ¡°You mean, the one at Gwangju?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that one.¡±

    ¡°Two Titan Turtles showed up as bosses, you see. Because of their super-tough shells, killing them is turning out to be a difficult task. Although all the other monsters have been dealt with by Thomas and Hak-joon working together, unless Mister Gordon joins us, I don¡¯t think dealing with those turtles will be easy.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho turned on a tablet PC and pushed it toward Su-hyeun as he said that. The screen displayed the images of the Titan Turtles taken by someone from inside the dungeon.

    ¡°Makes sense that they are having a hard time. Just the level of defense these monsters boast alone is ridiculous, after all,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Do you know about them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. I did kill one during a trial before. It was only one turtle back then, though.¡±

    There were two Titan Turtles, which should be more than enough for the dungeon¡¯s color to ¡°evolve¡± to indigo. The dungeons where one of these massive turtle monsters showed up often sat precariously on the boundary of blue and indigo, after all.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell how big they are from these images, though. How big are they really?¡±

    ¡°About the size of a small island? One of them is just slightly larger than the other, but the difference isn¡¯t that noticeable.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Okay, so let me ask you this favor. I can¡¯t get in touch with Mister Gordon because he¡¯s entered the tower and hadn¡¯t come out for a long time.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask me. I was planning to go right away, anyway.¡±

    ¡°So soon? We still have some leeway, though.¡±

    ¡°I recently came across this new item and figured that Titan Turtles would be pretty decent opponents to test it out.¡±

    Out of all the monsters Su-hyeun knew of, Titan Turtles boasted particularly excellent defenses. As such, they would be ideal targets to test out both his newly acquired powers and the ¡°item¡± itself.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only listened to the verbal explanations on the Palm Leaf Fan, after all,¡± he thought.

    He heard some simple explanation from the Bull Demon King. This divine artifact was apparently powerful enough to raise storm winds capable of blowing away a city with just one flap, depending on the wielder¡¯s abilities.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s main weapons might be a sword and spears, but he actually didn¡¯t have any preferences on weapon types. Therefore, the Palm Leaf Fan should add an extra dimension to Su-hyeun¡¯s combat capabilities depending on how he utilized it.

    He leisurely sipped on his coffee. It¡¯s only been three days since the dungeon had shown up, so there was plenty of time to spare.

    He chatted with Lee Ju-ho about things that happened so far, and about one hour of shooting the breeze later, the bottom of his coffee cup finally revealed itself. Only then did Su-hyeun stand up from his seat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way now. I¡¯m planning to challenge the next floor as soon I dealt with the indigo-colored dungeon. I¡¯ll send you a text when I¡¯m finished.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stay here and do some work before leaving a bit later.¡±

    ¡°Okay, see you.¡±

    Su-hyeun got up to leave, but before he could exit the cafe¡­

    ¡°Hey, Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho hesitated for a little while, wondering whether he should say this or not, but eventually, he chose to cautiously open his mouth. ¡°You know, you seem¡­a bit different?¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t seem to be in a hurry anymore.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho had been feeling this vague sense of disharmony from Su-hyeun. Through this meeting, though, he finally identified that feeling.

    Normally, Su-hyeun would have quickly finished his coffee and got up to leave right away, yet he seemed laid back today for some reason.

    ¡°You look happier this way, actually.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Su-hyeun grinned at what Lee Ju-ho said. ¡°It¡¯s a relief, in that case, I guess.¡±

    Clink¡ª

    Su-hyeun exited from the cafe soon afterward.

    Lee Ju-ho pulled out a notebook PC from his bag but couldn¡¯t help glancing at the exit even after Su-hyeun had left.

    ¡°Not sure what happened to him, but¡­¡±

    He shifted his gaze over to the notebook¡¯s screen and grinned a little.

    ¡°He does seem better this way.¡±

 Chapter 282

    <hr />

    Gwangju, South Jeolla Province.

    At the Mudeung Mountain, famed for its beautiful snow-covered winter scenery.

    Normally, the footpaths should have been teeming with hikers by now, but they were currently all blocked off by military personnel. As a result, there was no foot traffic, and snow continued to pile on without anyone disturbing it.

    ¡°It¡¯s this way.¡±

    Scrunch¡ª

    New footsteps were engraved on the surface of the pure-white snow.

    Three people have arrived¡ªtwo soldiers and one man in the middle.

    Su-hyeun was currently being guided by the soldiers toward the indigo-colored dungeon located somewhere near the top of the Mudeung Mountain.

    ¡°Where are Hak-joon and Thomas?¡± he asked the soldiers.

    ¡°They defeated all the monsters except the bosses, and after they heard that you¡¯ve returned, Mister Hak-joon directly headed to the tower, while Mister Thomas should be in the Jongno tower.¡±

    Both soldiers, colonels no less, were awakeners themselves. They were fairly skilled awakeners, and as a result, their ranks rose up rather quickly despite their young ages.

    ¡°Here are some videos shot by the filming crew that accompanied them inside the dungeon. Not only do the bosses boast incredible defenses, but their sizes are also as massive as mountains, so if they manage to come outside, we predict they¡¯ll cause a huge disaster.¡±

    The soldier showed the videos to Su-hyeun as he said that, but the latter had already seen some images from Lee Ju-ho, so he wasn¡¯t all that interested in seeing them again.

    He asked something else instead. ¡°What about the scale of the dungeon itself?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that large, actually. No, hang on, it is large, but¡­Even then, you should be able to discover the location of the bosses as soon as you step inside.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great, then.¡±

    If he could immediately see the monsters upon entering the dungeon, then that would indicate that the dungeon itself wasn¡¯t dozens of kilometers wide in its overall scale. Besides, locating a Titan Turtle should not be that difficult considering its massive size.

    ¡°Please inform the association that I won¡¯t take long.¡±

    ¡°We also think that will be the case.¡±

    They continued to walk up the footpath and eventually spotted the indigo color dominating one of the peaks.

    The dungeon itself was located pretty far away from the usual mountain trails. No visible paths led to it, but Su-hyeun ignored that and simply jumped up high toward his destination.

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    He closed in on the peak and eventually disappeared inside the dungeon¡¯s entrance. For a moment there, the indigo color completely dyed everything before his eyes.

    And by the time his feet landed on solid ground, he was already inside the dungeon.

    Boom¡ª, Thud¡ª

    Gu-wahhhh¡ª

    Loud thudding footsteps and roars came from far away. There they were, two massive turtles visible right at the edge of the wide-open horizon.

    The Titan Turtles.

    ¡°Been a while seen I¡¯ve seen one of those.¡±

    This should be their first appearance in the world. Although he had no memory of two appearing at the same time, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t too perturbed by this event.

    The ¡°future¡± had been distorted aplenty by now, anyway, and he realized that there was no point in thinking or worrying too deeply about it.

    ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Riiip¡ª

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s summon, Miru peeked out its head before fully emerging. The dragon¡¯s size hadn¡¯t grown any noticeably bigger after it mastered the ¡°giantification technique.¡±

    Growl, grrrrr¡ª

    Miru began growling threateningly the moment it appeared, though. It must¡¯ve discovered the massive Titan Turtles in the distance, as they were busy sending shockwaves throughout the land.

    ¡°Take me over there, please.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Miru¡¯s expression said as it presented its back.

    Su-hyeun lightly jumped on the dragon¡¯s back. Miru unfurled its wings and began rapidly flying toward the Titan Turtles.

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    Bu-wuuuung¡ª

    Miru¡¯s movement speed was so much faster than before.

    In its transformed and ¡°giantified¡± state, the dragon would only need around three or four hours to reach the other side of the planet, but even in its smaller state, Miru was still faster than an average plane.

    They were able to close the distance between them and the monsters in an instant. The two Titan Turtles must have discovered Su-hyeun and Miru¡¯s presence because they stopped rocking the ground and raised their heads to look at the flying duo.

    ¡°Two of them, really?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He took out a long staff fastened to his back.

    Chwa-rarak¡ª

    When he lightly shook it, tall feathers suddenly came out from the sides and the staff transformed into a large fan.

    It was none other than the Palm Leaf Fan, the weapon once wielded by the Bull Demon King.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    A jewel embedded in the middle of the fan reacted to Su-hyeun¡¯s magical energy and began emitting a bright light.

    ¡°The Palm Leaf Fan is a divine artifact like the Somersault cloud. While the latter is the cloud of the beginning, the fan is crafted with a jewel containing the wind of the beginning engraved in the center.¡±

    According to the Bull Demon King¡¯s explanation, the Palm Leaf Fan was a divine artifact capable of summoning powerful winds. Depending on how one utilized those winds, it was eminently possible to even create a storm.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun injected his magical energy and very lightly waved the fan around.

    His actions caused some winds to blow¡ªnot some movements of air caused by the fan itself, no, but actual breeze gently blowing in from somewhere behind him.

    Whoosh¡ª

    He waved the fan once more, this time a little faster and with a little more magical energy.

    The winds got stiffer. They were now strong enough to blow away an average-sized adult male.

    ¡°So, this is what it feels like.¡±

    After waving it around twice, Su-hyeun could more or less figure out how to wield this fan.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand that was holding the Palm Leaf Fan gripped it even harder. The two Titan Turtles were looking up at him and Miru flying in the sky and continued to roar noisily.

    ¡°One, two¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun pulled the fan far back and began counting down in his mind just like when he would throw his spears.

    A short moment later.

    ¡°Three.¡±

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    He powerfully swung the Palm Leaf Fan right at the two Titan Turtles below.

    Swhoooooooosh¡ª!

    Powerful winds coalesced together in one spot. Then, the winds transformed into a massive typhoon capable of sweeping across an area as large as dozens of kilometers wide and eventually became a massive flow that crashed into the Titan Turtles.

    The spectacle produced by this process was truly something else to behold.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    Both of the Titan Turtles floated up into the sky.

    The winds transformed into sharp blades and began shaving and clawing away at the monsters¡¯ shell, and then, the creatures¡¯ massive bodies floating up in the air flipped around before crashing back to earth.

    BOOM, BANG¡ª!

    Kura-raaaaah¡ª!

    The Titan Turtles screeched.

    Although sturdy shell protected most of their bodies, some of their body parts were left uncovered. Wounds opened up in various uncovered parts of the turtles and thick blood trickled down from them like streams.

    Their back shells weren¡¯t sliced open, however. No matter how sharp or fierce the winds were, they were not powerful enough to overcome the Titan Turtle¡¯s defenses.

    ¡°It¡¯s not concentrated enough.¡±

    There was no such thing as ¡°limit¡± to the types of winds that the Palm Leaf Fan could rouse up. The only reason why the winds this time reached this level was because of Su-hyeun¡¯s unfamiliarity with wielding the fan itself. However, he wasn¡¯t all that interested in the amount of power exhibited by the concentration of the winds.

    ¡°But even then¡­This is still pretty good.¡±

    To flip that around, although he was not yet familiar with it, he still managed to draw out this much power from the jewel containing the winds of the beginning and the large fan that utilized that power.

    ¡°I feel bad for saying this about big brother¡¯s present, but as expected, a fan-type weapon isn¡¯t my thing.¡±

    Just one big swing was enough for Su-hyeun to figure out how to best use the Palm Leaf Fan.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but it¡¯s time to go and speak to uncle.¡±

    The large Palm Leaf Fan was a simple weapon best used to create powerful gusts of winds like tempests with one large swing.

    Unfortunately, such a type of weapon wasn¡¯t really suited to Su-hyeun¡¯s fighting style. However, if the structure of the jewel could be understood and researched, then the fan could potentially be modified or even be restructured into a new type of weapon altogether.

    ¡°It should be possible if it¡¯s uncle.¡±

    The odds weren¡¯t that good, but Su-hyeun believed in Kim Dae-ho. If the Palm Leaf Fan could be changed into something like a sword or even a spear, then the world would get to welcome the birth of a weapon that could exceed Balmung.

    Ku-uhhhhhh¡ª!

    Kiii-aaahk¡ª!

    The two Titan Turtles continued to howl. The monsters suffering from numerous wounds struggled ungainly before finally managing to roll back to their bellies and regain their balance.

    Crack, crunch¡ª

    Scrunch¡ª

    In the meantime, the cracks on the Titan Turtles¡¯ back shells began closing up gradually. Not only were the shells¡¯ defenses absurdly high, but the shells themselves also boasted an excellent self-repair capability to fix any broken parts.

    Shu-rung¡ª

    Su-hyeun put the Palm Leaf Fan away and gripped Balmung and the Dragon Slaying Spear in each hand. Now that he has finished confirming the fan¡¯s effects, he no longer had any business with the Titan Turtles.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    [¡°Sage¡¯s Eye¡± is activating.]

    [¡°Gyeol¡± is activating.]

    An azure light swirled within Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. At the same time, he could clearly see ¡°it¡±¡ªa narrow line between the tiles of each Titan Turtle¡¯s shell.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s so big, I can clearly see it.¡±

    Indeed, it was the Gyeol of the monsters visible through the Sage¡¯s Eye.

    ¡°Wait for me here for a bit.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words were promptly answered by Miru. At the same time, he leaped off from the dragon¡¯s back and descended toward the Titan Turtles below.

    Swoooooosh¡ª

    Pah-ahahahk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun increased his speed toward the Titan Turtles, which were each as big as a small island. Balmung continuously trembled in his hand as he amplified the blade with a massive amount of magical energy.

    Buzz, buzz, bzzzzzz¡ª

    ¡°One, two¡­¡±

    Just before he crashed into one of the Titan Turtles, Su-hyeun powerfully threw his spear mid-descent.

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    [Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style]

    Kwa-jajajajajajak¡ª!

    Craaaaack¡ª

    The spear he threw mid-air pierced past the turtle¡¯s back shell and penetrated deep inside it. At the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword collided with the shell of the slightly larger turtle, causing the narrow fracture created by the Palm Leaf Fan to crack and split its shell apart viciously.

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The two Titan Turtles screeched simultaneously.

    Kwa-dudududu¡ª

    Splaaaat¡ª!

    The Dragon Slaying Spear that penetrated past the broken shell proceeded to mercilessly tear apart the innards of the Titan Turtle. As its power was greatly enhanced by the effects of ¡°Explosion Style,¡± the spear instantly transformed the massive turtle monster into a hedgehog full of bloody holes.

    As for the other Titan Turtle¡­

    Split¡ª

    Along with a destroyed back shell, its body was split in half.

    THUD¡ª

    Tumble, drooop¡ª

    The shattered shell pieces rained down to the ground below, while the lifeless lumps of flesh powerlessly collapsed to the sides. Su-hyeun hurriedly dashed out from underneath of the falling body parts.

    ¡°Whoa, I would have gotten squashed flat there.¡±

    Because of the monster¡¯s massive body, getting trapped under it would have been a big problem. No matter how physically strong Su-hyeun was if he got squashed by the turtle¡¯s massive lump of flesh, extracting himself from under it would be no laughing matter.

    He took a good look at the defeated Titan Turtles. He was under the impression that killing these two wouldn¡¯t be that hard after acquiring the ninth level of magical energy, but this result was well beyond his expectations.

    ¡°Sure, since it¡¯s so slow and lumbering, I didn¡¯t think cutting through its Gyeol would be hard, but this¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun studied the shattered-to-bits back shell of the Titan Turtle and began pondering.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think my attacks would be this powerful when I¡¯ve only just reached the ninth level of magical energy.¡±

    Some extra time was always necessary to acclimatize to a suddenly acquired power. Even if he wielded this power back in his previous life, Su-hyeun thought he would still need some time to get used to wielding it again.

    He initially figured that he would need around 10 minutes to kill these two Titan Turtles. Of course, he had not taken into account the Sage Arts or the Gyeol in that estimation.

    ¡°I really need to thank my big brothers.¡±

    He didn¡¯t get to figure it out while contending with opponents on the level of Sun Wukong, the Roc Demon King, or the Jade Emperor, but now, he could definitely feel it after returning to this world.

    The Sage Arts, the breathing technique, as well as the Gyeol¡ªthey were far greater skills than what Su-hyeun had initially bargained for.

 Chapter 283

    * * *

    Twenty minutes.

    That was the length of time Su-hyeun spent inside the dungeon. Rather unsurprisingly, the two soldiers waiting for him in front of the dungeon thought he had given up halfway through the raid.

    ¡°As expected. Is it too difficult to attempt alone?¡±

    ¡°Should we contact Mister Thomas and¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. That¡¯s not it. Please tell the relevant people that they can go in and start mining for the Ether stones,¡± Su-hyeun quickly replied.

    The soldiers froze up and blinked their eyes for a little while, then stared at each other. They were wondering if they properly understood what had been said just now.

    ¡°It¡¯s over?¡±

    ¡°But it should take at least half an hour to get to where the Titan Turtles are¡­¡±

    Was that all? Taking into account the Titan Turtles¡¯ defensive capabilities and the tenacious vitality that matched their humongous size, spending several hours inside the dungeon just to kill one wouldn¡¯t be strange.

    Yet Su-hyeun had returned after only 20 minutes. Not to mention, everything had been taken care of.

    ¡°I have a way of traveling quickly, you see. And I only needed a few minutes to deal with the Titan Turtles,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I-in that case, you really¡­¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of materials to be extracted from the Titan Turtles¡¯ shells, and I think they¡¯ll greatly help in manufacturing defensive equipment. Not enough time remains until the dungeon closes, so please hurry.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, understood!¡±

    And so, the indigo-colored dungeon in Gwangju was dealt with in this manner.

    The Association should be busy for a while. A single Titan Turtle was basically a mountain-sized treasure trove, after all.

    ¡°Two of them appearing at once was actually a blessing in disguise,¡± he thought.

    The giant shell of a Titan Turtle alone was an invaluable resource.

    Defensive equipment crafted out of the shell should greatly enhance the survival rate of the awakeners. Most regular monsters would have a hard time overcoming their defenses, so such a result was to be expected.

    ¡°Although I feel bad for Thomas¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun climbed on Miru¡¯s back and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head that way.¡±

    ¡°Gya-ong¡ª!¡± Miru replied energetically.

    He was planning to go to the Jongno Tower, where Thomas and Lee Ju-ho were, later in the evening because he wanted to stop by a certain place first.

    **

    Claaang, CLANG¡ª!

    Those clanging noises remained familiar no matter when he heard them.

    The sounds of Kim Dae-ho¡¯s hammer always resounded at a fixed time. Su-hyeun waited for a little bit in front of the blacksmith¡¯s workshop before knocking on the door.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s me.¡±

    Clang¡ª

    The hammering noise came to a brief stop, and Kim Dae-ho¡¯s voice came from beyond the door. ¡°It¡¯s open!¡±

    Claaang¡ª

    As soon as he made his roaring reply, the hammering noise resumed.

    For a while, Kim Dae-ho had stopped greeting Su-hyeun by the door. He instead told the younger man to just step inside if the door was unlocked.

    It meant that he trusted Su-hyeun implicitly; it also indicated that every single workday had been hectic.

    Creaaak¡ª

    Su-hyeun pushed open the thick gate and stepped inside.

    He headed to the backyard to find the staircase. He took only a few steps down, yet the stifling heat still rushed out to slap him squarely in the face.

    Clang, clang¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°Are you still busy nowadays?¡±

    ¡°Got a lot of orders incoming lately, but not much stuff goes out the door.¡±

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? That even the products you consider to be failures will be seen as well-crafted products on the market.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m selling those products off as a bundle in one go instead of passing them off to the auction houses. I no longer melt them down like I used to in the past.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho continued to hammer away before placing a lengthy spear-like item inside the furnace.

    He then picked up a towel nearby to wipe away the sweat on his forehead and asked Su-hyeun, ¡°So, what have you been doing for the past half a year? You haven¡¯t even shown up once during that time.¡±

    ¡°I was a bit occupied.¡±

    ¡°A bit occupied, you say? Hmm¡­¡±

    Kim Dae-ho wordlessly scanned Su-hyeun¡¯s expression. The latter blinked his eyes in silence, somewhat puzzled by that stare, and waited for the older man to say something.

    While wiping away his sweat, Kim Dae-ho studied Su-hyeun for a bit and then suddenly grinned and said, ¡°Hey, you look better for some reason?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were occupied? Did you go on a trip or something?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t get it,¡± Kim Dae-ho guffawed at Su-hyeun¡¯s puzzled face.

    It was rather uncharacteristic of him to suddenly laugh like that. Su-hyeun was initially confused by this behavior but eventually recalled what Lee Ju-ho had told him earlier.

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t seem to be in a hurry anymore¡­ You look happier this way, actually.¡±

    Now that he thought about it, hadn¡¯t Lee Ju-ho said something similar earlier?

    Kim Dae-ho tossed aside the towel and led the way. As Su-hyeun followed behind, he took out his smartphone and checked his complexion.

    ¡°Did I look that anxious to other people?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho led Su-hyeun to his private room. Unlike the workshop that was filled with stifling heat and smell of molten iron, the room was awash with the enticing aroma of fresh grass that wafted off of all sorts of expensive tea leaves decorating the interior.

    Driiip¡ª

    Not too long afterward, Kim Dae-ho brought out a steaming teapot.

    Perhaps because Kim Dae-ho had already earned quite a bit of money, his private room was rather smartly furnished now.

    Su-hyeun took a look around the room as he took his cup. ¡°The d¨¦cor¡¯s changed a lot.¡±

    ¡°After I began supplying the Association with my stuff, this guy called Lee Ju-ho started showing up here often. And every time he comes, he says something is missing here and brings me a few things. As you can see, this is the result.¡±

    ¡°Do you personally clean the house?¡±

    ¡°An auntie comes around once a week to do that for me. I think that Lee Ju-ho guy hired her.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Sluuurp¡ª

    Su-hyeun noticed that the taste of the tea had also changed and thought to himself, ¡°I guess Lee Ju-ho has been looking after him.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho had never been to Seoul.

    He had no family. He had no friends either. His sole family and friends were iron and a hammer.

    Yet such a man decided to come to Seoul. The only person he could call his acquaintance was Su-hyeun, yet the latter simply didn¡¯t have enough time to worry about or look after the blacksmith.

    Therefore, Su-hyeun had asked Lee Ju-ho to take care of Kim Dae-ho, requesting that the latter do whatever he could if he had some time to spare.

    ¡°Okay, so what brings you here today? I don¡¯t think you came to visit me for a cup of tea, now did you?¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t always come here because I have business with you, do I?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But your whole vibe is different if you do have some business with me. Whenever you want to ask me for a favor, you have this habit of sneaking glances at me, and that makes me a wee bit uncomfortable, you see.¡±

    ¡°Do I really do that?¡± Su-hyeun, wondering if he was too easy to read, smiled awkwardly. Then, he extended his hand to the side and extracted the Palm Leaf Fan from the subspace pouch. ¡°I¡¯m here because of this item.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one big fan, alright.¡± Kim Dae-ho narrowed his eyes as he studied the large fan. ¡°And I can see that it¡¯s no ordinary fan either.¡±

    It was as he said¡ªthe Palm Leaf Fan was definitely not an ordinary fan by any stretch of the imagination, and not simply because of the jewel embedded in the center of the fan, either. He was merely speaking what his observation had told him after taking a look at the fan¡¯s handle and blades.

    Su-hyeun handed the fan over to Kim Dae-ho. Although the weapon was rather weighty, the latter was used to handling iron all his life, so he had no problem lifting it up.

    He wordlessly fidgeted with the fan and examined it. About ten minutes passed by like this before a look of puzzlement surfaced on his face. ¡°It¡¯s supple enough to create wind, yet the feathered blades are made of something so unbelievably tough. The spine that supports the handle and the fan itself is several times tougher, too.¡±

    As expected of Kim Dae-ho. He managed to pretty accurately analyze the Palm Leaf Fan¡¯s structure after fiddling around with it a little.

    That made sense, though; a layman wouldn¡¯t even be able to imagine the number of different minerals Kim Dae-ho had handled in his life so far.

    The story wouldn¡¯t have changed even if he was staring at a mineral he had never seen before.

    Undoubtedly, Kim Dae-ho was an undisputed genius when it came to matters of blacksmithing.

    ¡°By the way, this thing here¡­¡±

    Yet, such a man was making a puzzled expression, perhaps for the first time in his life.

    ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what this is,¡± Kim Dae-ho said while pointing at the green jewel embedded in the middle of the Palm Leaf Fan. ¡°For some reason, I get this breezy sensation from it, but it feels vaguely different from the energies contained in Ether stones. I¡¯ve dealt with a few jewels containing powers of specific attributes before, but this one is a bit different from those.¡±

    ¡°That should be the case. It¡¯s not an ordinary elemental stone, after all.¡±

    Su-hyeun, too, had come across several element stones before.

    ¡°Elemental stones¡± were stones that possessed specific natural attributes, such as fire, water, wind, earth, or electricity.

    Such stones possessed magical powers like average Ether stones, but the difference between the two was that elemental stones possessed abilities to process magical energy into elemental attributes from the get-go.

    Kim Dae-ho had used such elemental stones to create various pieces of equipment in the past. Therefore, he could easily tell that the jewel found on the Palm Leaf Fan had an unmistakably different air from the other regular elemental stones.

    ¡°First things first. I must confirm its hardness. If it shatters after I tap on it a few times with a hammer, then well, too bad, because something so brittle that it shatters that easily shouldn¡¯t be on a piece of equipment.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too irresponsible to say?¡±

    ¡°You fool, it¡¯s much better to destroy a cheap subpar material before making fragile and useless equipment with it. Think about it. What will you do if your sword snaps in half while you¡¯re using it?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­ In any case, is it possible?¡±

    ¡°Sword or spear? Which one?¡±

    ¡°Sword, please.¡±

    Clack¡ª

    Su-hyeun pushed forward his Balmung along with its scabbard.

    Kim Dae-ho instantly understood what he wanted and replied with a smirk. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy. And I¡¯ve never handled that material before.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°The highest-grade Ether stone, adamantium, and now, the minerals that make up this fan¡¯s structure and the jewel containing unknown energy. Blending all these things together will be difficult even for me.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why it¡¯s going to be even more interesting.¡±

    In major contrast to his words, which implied the sheer difficulty of the task at hand, Kim Dae-ho¡¯s face expressed nothing but glee. For the first time in a long while, he looked genuinely pleased about something.

    He was indeed a true blacksmith right down to his core.

    ¡°I was kind of getting fed up lately with hammering away at the exact same things all the time, but as expected of you, your requests are indeed different from the rest. Not sure how long it¡¯ll take, so when I¡¯m finished, I¡¯ll give you a call.¡±

    ¡°Uncle.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be arriving on the 100th floor soon.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho was about to examine the Palm Leaf Fan closely but stopped after hearing that and shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun. The older man felt his heart nearly tumble to the pit of his stomach.

    ¡°The 100th floor, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Just when did you get that far? I thought you were on the 60th?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho obviously had eyes and ears.

    Even if he didn¡¯t want to care much about the outside world, he now lived in Seoul. He met a lot more people nowadays, and that naturally meant he came to hear a lot more news as well.

    News regarding Su-hyeun was included.

    He was South Korea¡¯s, as well as the whole world¡¯s, most famous awakener, after all. Moreover, Kim Dae-ho was vaguely familiar with the pressure and danger posed by the 100th floor to the awakeners climbing the tower.

    Finally, he also knew the level of difficulty that Su-hyeun chose to climb the tower.

    ¡°Somehow it happened that way. It was quite sudden for me, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m currently on the 99th, so if I pass it, then it¡¯ll be the 100th floor, and¡­ It¡¯s possible that I might die there.¡±

    The 100th floor. Su-hyeun had already climbed past this floor before. Back then, he attempted it on eighth-level difficulty, but this time, the difficulty would be on the tenth.

    However, he was not thinking of lowering the difficulty at all.

    He would be happier if it was dangerous, actually, because he would earn something big in the end.

    However, since he knew the degree of the dangers involved, he was planning to prepare for all possibilities before challenging the floor.

    Using the Palm Leaf Fan to modify Balmung was one of those preparations.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it in your hands, uncle. Please make me the best weapon you can create.¡±

    ¡°You think the weapon will be finished sooner because you¡¯re pestering me like this? Fine, I got it, so drink your tea and be on your way. Don¡¯t forget to pick up a useful replacement sword from storage before you leave. I¡¯ve seen enough of you for today.¡±

    While saying that, Kim Dae-ho gathered up both the Palm Leaf Fan and Balmung and then hurriedly got up to leave the room.

    Su-hyeun stared at Kim Dae-ho¡¯s teacup, which he had not taken even a sip from yet, before nodding quietly.

    Clack¡ª

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me.¡± Kim Dae-ho called someone on the phone after he stepped out of the room, carrying the fan and the sword in one arm. ¡°Yeah, about all the commissions you received? Cancel them all.¡±

 Chapter 284

    Act 7

    After requesting Kim Dae-ho to modify Balmung, Su-hyeun went straight to the Jongno Tower next.

    Thomas, who was waiting for him by the tower, welcomed him with wide-open arms. As their schedules conflicted with each other¡¯s, they couldn¡¯t get together as easily as before, and as a result, this was their first meeting in several months.

    ¡°It¡¯s Su-hyeeeeun¡ª!¡±

    ¡°H¡ªhey, hold on a second. Wait!¡±

    Thomas bounced up suddenly and high enough to almost ram his head against the ceiling as soon as he spotted Su-hyeun. The latter barely managed to catch the former when he rushed in for a hug.

    Su-hyeun had to deal with Thomas¡¯s rather energetic greeting for a while and then requested Lee Ju-ho to provide Kim Dae-ho with special protection.

    ¡°I¡¯ve left behind a seriously valuable item with him, you see. So look out for him more than you normally would, please. If this information leaks out, I¡¯m guessing more than one idiot will try to steal it somehow.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Until the item¡¯s finished, I¡¯ll request the Reaper Guild to protect him. As for the request fee, the Paragon Guild will¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll pay for that. I¡¯m the one who asked him to craft my equipment, after all.¡±

    ¡°Well, sure. Besides Mister Gordon, you should be the most loaded among us, after all. I mean, just how much is a single Titan Turtle¡¯s shell, anyway?¡±

    The hiring fee for awakeners was, unsurprisingly, quite expensive. Even if you wanted to hire a small awakener guild, you would still end up spending almost $850,000 per month.

    Not to forget, the Reaper Guild was one of South Korea¡¯s top guilds, so their requesting fee would obviously be exorbitant. However, the current Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid at the potential cost involved.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that no one in this world making as much moola as you do is as big a Scrooge as you are,¡± Lee Ju-ho complained next.

    He then made a face of a man who just discovered a totally weird creature in front of him, and Su-hyeun could only chuckle at that. The latter shifted his gaze outside the Jongno Tower¡¯s windows and, while staring at the evening sky, said, ¡°I¡¯m planning to challenge the 99th floor tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°So soon? Aren¡¯t you going to take a break first?¡±

    ¡°Nah. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a big issue requiring my presence on this side, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Still, aren¡¯t you being too hasty about this?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked as he took a good look at Su-hyeun¡¯s expression as the latter stared at the nightscape of the city. He then realized that his thoughts were incorrect. ¡°No, wait. I guess you aren¡¯t being hasty here.¡±

    ¡°No, not hasty. It¡¯s more like I¡¯m curious, actually.¡±

    The 100th floor.

    Even in the past, he himself thought of reaching the three-digit floor as a big achievement.

    The difference between the awakeners who had reached the 100th floors and those who hadn¡¯t¡ªthis issue wasn¡¯t merely about how they were perceived by the others.

    Out of the current crop of S-Ranks, only a few hadn¡¯t reached the 100th floor yet. As most of them climbed the tower through lower difficulties, their speed of clearing the floors was unsurprisingly fast.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Su-hyeun¡¯s speed was slow.

    His awakener experience was on the shorter side compared to many other high-ranking awakeners who were currently active. On top of this, having challenged a 10th-level difficulty, he was suddenly transferred directly to the 99th floor, so his climbing speed ended up being faster than if he had chosen to climb with lower difficulties.

    ¡°More than anything else, it¡¯s what the administrator had told me,¡± he said inwardly.

    The administrator said that Su-hyeun would run often into ¡°them¡± once he broke past the 100th floor.

    ¡°¡­What he said back then still bugs me.¡±

    The administrators, just what were they exactly?

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes grew deeper and more withdrawn as they took in the scenery of the city¡¯s nightscape.

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun took a long and relaxing sleep.

    He was about to challenge the 99th floor. Since the floor number suddenly got higher by a big margin, he figured that the trial¡¯s difficulty should have increased accordingly as well. Therefore, he did his very best to maintain his peak condition.

    Despite his caution, he wasn¡¯t too worried, however.

    Not only was the 99th floor not considered as a difficult hurdle in the first place, but the administrator also sent him there believing that he was strong enough to reach the 99th on his own sooner or later.

    ¡°This sword is pretty good, actually,¡± he mused.

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun lightly swung the sword that he had in his grip. In terms of the sword¡¯s length, weight, and even hardness, it was not bad at all.

    Honestly speaking, it was pretty great.

    He took this sword from Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop, hoping to use it until Balmung was fully modified.

    He picked out a blade that most closely matched Balmung¡¯s weight and hardness, but the weapon was crafted by Kim Dae-ho in the first place, so there was no way it would be a subpar item.

    ¡°Wait a minute, isn¡¯t that Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right. I heard he¡¯s arrived on the 99th but¡­¡±

    ¡°Is he going to challenge the trial right away? It hasn¡¯t even been a couple of days, right?¡±

    ¡°Man, that¡¯s some drive.¡±

    As soon as Su-hyeun arrived on the plaza, a group consisting of three or four awakeners stared at him and whispered among themselves.

    Due to this place being a high-numbered floor, there weren¡¯t that many awakeners to be found on the plaza. And with such a small number of people, it was obvious that Su-hyeun¡¯s face would easily be recognized. He didn¡¯t particularly feel the need to hide either.

    ¡°No one should bother me when the floor is this high up,¡± he thought.

    The 99th floor.

    Even if you weren¡¯t an awakener passing the trials with a 10th-level difficulty, this floor was still sufficiently high enough in the tower. Regardless of how low the levels of the trials they chose to undergo were, the awakeners on this floor should be mainly A- to S-Ranks or B-Ranks at the bare minimum.

    As such, no one looked at Su-hyeun in pure disbelief or tried to approach him for no reason. Although they did stare at him as if he was some kind of a celebrity, none of them were dumb enough to not know that approaching him for no good reason was not proper etiquette.

    Su-hyeun directly headed toward the gate located in the center of the plaza.

    He chose the difficulty and said that he wanted to start the trial right away, prompting a message to float up before him. Then, his silhouette gradually disappeared from the spot.

    [The 99th floor¡¯s trial will now commence.]

    <hr />

    Early the next morning.

    Around the same time Su-hyeun entered the 99th floor¡¯s trial, Lee Ju-ho arrived in his office at the Jongno Tower.

    Mountains of work required his attention. His value in the Association got more and more recognized, and as a result, his workload grew accordingly.

    Not only that, but he also needed to handle all the requests meant for the Paragon Guild. On top of this, he even had to take care of the awakener mediation business, which he started after partnering up with Gordon¡¯s company.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy¡­¡±

    Clack¡ª

    The first thing Lee Ju-ho did upon arriving in the office at early dawn was to switch on the lights while yawning grandly.

    The office was silent. He was always the first one to arrive, and every single day proved to be one hectic ride after another.

    He chased away his sleepiness with a large gulp of a drink that contained an unhealthy amount of caffeine and taurine and then settled down in front of his computer.

    ¡°For sure, the dungeon appearance frequency has been getting shorter recently,¡± he thought.

    One of Lee Ju-ho¡¯s tasks was to analyze the locations of the dungeons being generated. It entailed determining their colors, compiling all available information, and then dispatching the suitable awakeners to the scene. It felt like he was currently running a type of a mercenary-for-hire business.

    He started doing this work after partnering up with Gordon Company some time ago. And to get it right, he definitely needed to keep himself informed on the latest dungeon generation rate.

    ¡°The only indigo-colored dungeon that appeared in the last six months was dealt with by Su-hyeun yesterday. The frequency of the blue-colored dungeon generation remains static.¡±

    Click¡ª

    The computer was powered on, and Lee Ju-ho moved the mouse to launch an app.

    After he got the Dungeon Management Agency to cooperate with the Association, they let him use this app that featured the capability to indicate where the dungeons were, as well as what colors they were.

    When the report of the dungeon¡¯s generation came through, its location and the color would be collated and then showed on the map in real-time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­81 reds, 19 oranges, and 9 yellows¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho confirmed the colors and the numbers of the dungeons currently recorded by the app, and a frown gradually formed on his face.

    ¡°¡­One green and one blue.¡±

    This was a lot more than usual, especially so considering that an indigo-colored dungeon had been successfully raided only recently. Yet a blue-colored one had appeared almost immediately.

    ¡°¡­Something¡¯s off.¡±

    Not even once did these many dungeons show up in a single day for the past half a year.

    Thankfully, the number of S-Ranks had increased recently, and they should be more than capable enough to raid a blue-colored dungeon of this level, especially considering the fact that South Korea was a global awakener powerhouse.

    However, the problem wasn¡¯t with the posed danger.

    ¡°If the number of dungeons keeps increasing at this rate¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho immediately shook his head at the suddenly creeping ominous feeling. ¡°No way. That can¡¯t be true.¡±

    After muttering to himself inside this empty office, he then continued to move the mouse this way and that. As so many dungeons had shown up overnight, he predicted that today would be a lot busier than usual for him.

    Lee Ju-ho had slowly forgotten about all his worries because of all the work he had to do for the rest of the day. But even then, he couldn¡¯t get rid of the vague feeling that a frozen-stuck cogwheel somewhere had begun turning once more.

    <hr />

    Five days after the 99th floor¡¯s trial began.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    A rain of fire fell on top of the desert. The sun had been blocked off by the rare occurrence of pitch-black clouds in the sky, yet the ground below was illuminated even brighter than during the middle of the day.

    At the same time, countless snakes darting around on the sands of the desert were scorched to death by the falling flames.

    Kya-aaahk¡ª!

    Kya-aahk¡ª!

    The large snakes shrieked loudly. Although they didn¡¯t seem all that large compared to the Ouroboros, the real issue at hand was their sheer numbers.

    ¡°Man, that¡¯s one repulsive sight, alright.¡±

    Su-hyeun groaned in disgust as he looked at all those snakes. There were so many here that they seemingly blanketed the entire desert.

    He then shifted his gaze toward a 10-meter-tall demon with a half-human and half-snake body, who also happened to be the one responsible for summoning all these snakes in the first place. ¡°You finally decided to show up, then? I got the impression that you got scared sh*tless from how you keep running away from me.¡±

    ¡°Are you really a human?¡±

    That was a rather tiresome and far too obvious a question.

    ¡°You know, you lot always ask me that,¡± Su-hyeun replied while looking down at the edge of the badly damaged sword that he had been relentlessly swinging around for the past five days or so.

    ¡°You lot?¡±

    ¡°Demons. You can¡¯t let go of your prejudice and always think humans can only be weaker than you.¡±

    It was the ¡°Naga,¡± the demon of the desert with a lower body of a snake and a torso of a human. Not only did it wield all the snakes and poisons in existence, but it could also increase or decrease its body size at will.

    The world of this trial was ruled by ¡°snakes.¡± Humanity was the livestock, the prey, of these snakes, and the Naga was their king and their deity.

    And now¡­

    Su-hyeun had come to wreck the world they had constructed up until now.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯ll die by my hands today.¡±

    Rumble, rumbleeee¡ª

    Rumblings of lightning resounded from the thick dark clouds above.

    The Naga turned its head and looked up at the sky. Somewhat strangely, so many dark clouds had gathered up there even though not even a drop of moisture could be sensed in the desert air today.

    ¡°It seems that you have forgotten what fear tastes like, human.¡±

    However, the Naga didn¡¯t pay much heed to the clouds. Instead, it began emitting thick bloodlust toward the man standing before its eyes.

    ¡°Go, my children!¡±

    The moment the Naga¡¯s command reverberated¡­

    Hisssss¡ª

    Kyah-ahk¡ª!

    Hundreds of thousands of snakes spread out all over the desert floor rushed toward Su-hyeun simultaneously.

    He gripped his sword tighter. He then murmured toward the blade that was vibrating ominously as if it would explode at any second. ¡°Just hold it together for two more times, okay?¡±

    [Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style]

    Flash¡ª

    Kwa-jajajajak!

    The moment he took a mighty swing with the sword, powerful torrents of sword winds spread out everywhere, with Su-hyeun in the middle.

    The sword winds containing his magical energy tore through the rushing snakes until no visible corpses of the large creatures were left behind.

    Su-hyeun glanced at his sword as he confirmed the aftermath of his attack.

    Jiii-iiing¡ª

    Tick¡ª

    The blade was vibrating precariously.

    The blade edge was completely ruined as a result of the rebound from the effects of the Wave Sword. From the get-go, this skill shaved away at the durability of any sword it was used with. Unless the weapon was mixed in with a lot of adamantium in its construction, he couldn¡¯t even use the skill as much as he would like.

    The only reason he could use the Wave Sword a few times on this particular sword was that it was Kim Dae-ho that crafted it.

    ¡°One more time,¡± he thought.

    More snakes rushed toward him. Su-hyeun took a step toward the Naga and then powerfully swung his sword again.

    [Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style]

    Kwa-jajajajak¡ª!

    Claaang¡ª

    The sword winds extending from Su-hyeun¡¯s swing turned hundreds of thousands of snakes into blotches of blood on the ground in an instant. Almost at the same time, his sword shattered into pieces and fell on the sand below.

    ¡°And with that, you¡¯re finished,¡± the Naga said after confirming that the sword in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand had shattered to bits. It then began to slowly slither forward. ¡°I shall indeed acknowledge you. You are stronger than any human that I know of. Even among us demons, not many would be strong enough to be your opponent. However¡ª¡±

    ¡°Seriously, preparing it takes so long.¡±

    Su-hyeun muttered while looking up as if he was not even remotely interested in what the Naga had to say.

    The monster¡¯s mood soured for a moment when its speech was rudely interrupted, but then, it quickly raised its head after feeling a sense of foreboding.

    It followed after Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze and looked up to discover that the dark clouds had gotten even thicker in the meantime.

    ¡°Clouds?¡± it thought.

    Something felt wrong. The Naga had sensed this for a while now, but it also believed that it was nothing to fret over. But what was this? Why did the thought of avoiding the clouds suddenly pop up in its head just now?

    ¡°But where to?¡±

    The moment that question entered the Naga¡¯s mind¡­

    ¡°Strike down¡­¡± Su-hyeun dropped the hilt of the broken sword and extended his hand toward the clouds above. ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

 Chapter 285

    The pitch-black clouds emitted a bright light.

    The searing light blinded the Naga¡¯s vision with pure whiteness. At the same time, scorching and viciously powerful electrical energy coursed through its entire body.

    ¡°What is the meaning of¡­?¡±

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    The rumble of thunder came a short moment later.

    And that¡¯s when it happened¡ªthe electrical energy flowing through the Naga suddenly began burning the creature¡¯s entire body.

    Kyah-aaaaaah!

    The Naga¡¯s scream reverberated throughout the desert.

    The snakes on the desert floor had long turned into ashes by then.

    <hr />

    Fuu-wuu¡ª

    Su-hyeun made a long exhale.

    The dark clouds were slowly rolling back, as the Somersault cloud¡¯s effects were slowly dissipating.

    ¡°It takes way too long.¡±

    Back when Sun Wukong was lost in his Yogoe¡¯s instincts and started rampaging around, Su-hyeun got to wield the Somersault cloud anyway he liked.

    But that was only temporary. After he regained his consciousness, he found it hard to control the cloud as he did back then.

    Of course, there was no denying that controlling it had become much easier than in the past. However, he knew it was still not at a satisfactory level because he had already tasted what the Somersault cloud was fully capable of.

    While controlling the clouds already existing up in the sky was doable, creating clouds where there was none proved to be incredibly difficult. Not only did this act consume a lot of his magical energy, but it also simply took far too much time.

    ¡°Still, I¡¯m glad that the Naga fell for it,¡± he thought.

    After learning that the goal of this trial was to kill the Naga, Su-hyeun ended up agonizing over the ways to do that.

    Killing the Naga itself wasn¡¯t an issue. As long as he could find it, then cutting its head off wouldn¡¯t pose much of a challenge, after all.

    No, the real issue at hand was the fact that the Naga¡¯s life was connected to the other snakes. The creature enjoyed an ability that made it semi-immortal, such that unless every single snake it had summoned was killed off, it would never die.

    Su-hyeun debated on the ways to deal with such a creature before finally coming up with an idea, that is, to use the Somersault cloud.

    He stared at the desert that used to gleam in a golden hue before the battle had commenced. The entire terrain had become scorched black now.

    Even after acquiring the Somersault cloud, Su-hyeun still didn¡¯t have enough power to create such a scene. Sure, he could cause a lightning bolt to strike down once, maybe twice. Any more than that would be too tough even for him, however.

    So, he made some preparations. For the past four days, he began casting clouds in this location of the desert and prepared that one incredibly powerful strike.

    Then, he lured the Naga in.

    He fought against the snakes the creature had summoned for about half a day and deliberately acted exhausted. And by pretending to be too exhausted and ready to fall at any time but continued fighting on, he forced the Naga to reveal itself.

    In the end, Su-hyeun had been basically gathering his strength for precisely this very moment.

    ¡°What a relief that the Naga chose to personally act in order to kill me. If it wasn¡¯t for that, this trial might have taken a lot longer to clear.¡±

    Five days.

    Considering that this was the 99th floor¡¯s trial, he sure did clear it pretty quickly. If his plan had failed, however, then he would be at a loss from the prospect of needing to kill all these snakes.

    ¡°I¡¯d have eventually killed all of them, but¡­¡±

    At the bare minimum, he would have to waste another half a year in this place.

    ¡°Are¡­you¡­really hu¡­man¡­?¡±

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re still asking me that?¡±

    Su-hyeun furrowed his brows as he stared at the Naga¡¯s scorched-black body on the ground. He was wondering why the trial¡¯s clearance message hadn¡¯t appeared yet, but as it turned out, the creature was still alive somehow.

    He walked toward it with a slightly unsteady gait. As expected, using the Somersault cloud drained too much of his powers.

    ¡°Enjoy your trip to hell.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun lightly snapped his fingers, causing the divine Flame to ignite on the Naga¡¯s burnt body.

    He didn¡¯t even use a lot of his magical energy, yet the body of the creature that was barely holding on rapidly burned away and disintegrated into ashes.

    Pa-sususu¡ª

    The Naga¡¯s ashes were scattered everywhere by the desert winds.

    At the same time, several messages popped up one after another.

    [You¡¯ve acquired 5,000,000 achievement points.]

    [You¡¯ve attained the highest degree of completion.]

    [You¡¯ve perfectly cleared the 99th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [Your achievement ranking is being tallied.]

    [You¡¯ve achieved the first place.]

    [You¡¯ve acquired ¡°Snake¡¯s Blood.¡±]

    [Your stamina, magical energy, and recovery abilities have all received adjustments.]

    [You¡¯ll be transferred to the 100th floor.]

    <hr />

    The world of the 100th floor was peaceful. And no, this peace didn¡¯t imply that there was no fighting or bickering in this place.

    The village found here looked peaceful at a glance¡ªsimple, charming buildings, beautiful scenery, and an ever-blue sky above.

    The village, located on a small island with expansive oceans surrounding it from all sides, was the world of the 100th floor itself¡ªthe ¡°Village of Beginning.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really been a long time,¡± Su-hyeun thought to himself.

    ¡°Over here! See how cheap this is! Fresh fish caught earlier today for sale!¡±

    ¡°Young man, why don¡¯t you stop by here for a second? Looks like you¡¯ve arrived here today. Do you need some provisions? You seem to like a challenger¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to walk around without a weapon, you see? Come here and¡­¡±

    ¡°My man, over here¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun, having finally reached the 100th floor, looked around at the village¡¯s entrance and fell into a deep reminiscence of the past.

    Unusually, there were a lot of inhabitants found on this floor. The village was small, to begin with, and that kind of forced many people to gather around in one spot, but even after taking that into consideration, there were still quite a lot of people here.

    Rather obviously, many awakeners chose to settle down on a floor with a good environment to live in. Not many people would want to settle down in a place where freezing winds blew nonstop throughout the year, a hot desert, or even a world where it rained every single day, after all.

    Su-hyeun took a look at them before settling down in a corner of the plaza. He acquired a new skill after going through so much hardship, so he wanted to confirm how good the effects of his prize were first before doing anything else.

    [Snake¡¯s Blood]

    <ul>

    Blood of the Naga, the king of the snakes. The king of the snakes possessed tenacious recuperative powers, which allowed it to enjoy immortal-like vitality.

    Category: Passive

    Proficiency: 0%

    Effects: Stamina recovery rate +15%, magical energy recovery rate +5%, regeneration rate +25%

    </ul>

    It was rather useful¡ªno, scratch that. This skill was so much better than some random, neither-here-nor-there offensive skill.

    In a certain sense, this could be that one skill Su-hyeun needed the most right now. He really liked the fact that not only it recovered his stamina and injuries, but it also enhanced his magical energy recovery rate.

    ¡°After I raise its proficiency high enough, this one should also turn into a ridiculous cheat skill.¡±

    As expected of the 99th floor¡¯s reward.

    Although not as stunning as the Palm Leaf Fan or the ¡°Sage¡± title, it was still more than satisfactory as a reward.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take a bit of time until my sword is ready, so¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun tore open space and transferred back to the world outside.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take a break while waiting.¡±

    <hr />

    His intention might have been to relax and wait, but the situation on the outside wasn¡¯t all that relaxing at all, as he found out after exiting the tower.

    After learning that Su-hyeun had returned, Lee Ju-ho urgently sent a text containing coordinates first rather than a welcome-back message.

    ¡ªIn the past few days, four green dungeons and two blue ones showed up. Sorry, I know you¡¯ve just finished your trial and all, but please help me deal with this one.

    It seemed that the amount of work had increased in the past couple of days.

    Without any warning, two blue-colored dungeons popped up in South Korea. One of them was being raided at the moment, but there wasn¡¯t enough manpower available for the other, so things had gotten quite troublesome.

    As things stood, no one could tell how long it would take to raid the first blue-colored dungeon. In the end, Su-hyeun did as Lee Ju-ho requested and finished raiding the second blue dungeon that had appeared in Daejeon.

    ¡°Thank you so much. A new dungeon showed up yesterday, so I was even thinking of sending a request for assistance to other countries, but man, you really saved my skin,¡± Lee Ju-ho said.

    ¡°The manpower shortage was that bad?¡±

    ¡°Even Thomas hasn¡¯t been around for the past few days, you see. Mister Bak Yun-gyu said he¡¯d take responsibility for one of the two, but most of our S-Ranks hadn¡¯t returned from the tower yet.¡±

    ¡°The timing was bad, in other words.¡±

    ¡°You know, that documentary you filmed earlier? I think that thing was responsible in some ways.¡±

    ¡°¡­You mean, that?¡±

    What Lee Ju-ho brought up just then caused an awkward expression to form on Su-hyeun¡¯s face as he tried to avoid meeting the other¡¯s gaze.

    Not too long ago, he filmed a program during a couple of days he was back in the outside world. The objective of the program seemed like a good one, so he said yes to the filming. And he was relieved to hear that it had some positive effects, but he also felt a bit embarrassed at the same time.

    Lee Ju-ho carried on, ¡°We¡¯re not climbing the tower for ourselves only, and someday, the world will need our combined strengths. No, wait. That day has already arrived¡­¡±

    ¡°Argh, please stop, bro. I remember even without you reminding me.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke. You know, it was funny and cool to see you in it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, funny?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t your first time being in a TV show, so I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why you were so stiff and stuttered like that. You should¡¯ve just read off from a script like a newsreader or something.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho chuckled by himself and then waved his hand and changed the topic when he saw Su-hyeun respond with a lengthy groan.

    ¡°Okay, okay. In any case, after that program was broadcast, the people¡¯s perception seemed to have changed really quickly. And a portion of the awakeners even seemed to be feeling the weight of the responsibility, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­With great power comes great responsibility.¡±

    ¡°Although a bit cheesy, yeah, it¡¯s a cool saying, alright. An idealistic one, too. But, you can¡¯t deny that some people will feel something after witnessing you, the strongest person in the world, taking the initiative and setting an example for the others to follow.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words.

    If things really worked out that way, then he would feel greatly relieved. This would be the main reason why he agreed to go on that program despite his misgivings.

    He hoped that people would feel a bit more responsible for the powers they possessed and also get stronger at least a little bit more so that they would be ready to tackle any calamity heading their way in the near future.

    ¡°Fafnir won¡¯t be the only monster I have to fight, after all,¡± he thought.

    Back then, Su-hyeun never got to properly fight Fafnir. That creature was powerful, but honestly speaking, he didn¡¯t know how powerful since they had never properly fought each other.

    Fafnir was smarter than humans and always, always sent out other monsters to do its bidding first. Su-hyeun was forced to fight against hundreds of thousands of monsters until he got dead tired and had to run away eventually.

    In the end, he risked his own life and dragged his exhausted body to fight Fafnir. But he failed to even inflict a single injury on it. That was what he remembered¡ªhis final battle as Kim Sung-in.

    ¡°At the bare minimum, a one-on-one fight against Fafnir needs to be engineered somehow.¡±

    In order to facilitate that, the world needed to become much stronger.

    More importantly, he must not run away. Not from that monster.

    Lee Ju-ho continued, ¡°In any case, all these dungeons suddenly flooding this side are driving me up the wall, man. But I can breathe a bit easier, thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°If you need a helping hand, don¡¯t hesitate to call me. I¡¯ll do what I can to help when I¡¯m on this side.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the sentiment, but if it¡¯s at all possible, I¡¯ll make sure that your help isn¡¯t necessary. I mean, it¡¯s the 100th floor, right? You should focus on that instead.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ll have a bit of time in my hands for a while, you know? To challenge the 100th floor, I need the sword that I asked uncle to¡ª¡±

    Bzzzz¡ª

    It was then that Su-hyeun¡¯s smartphone resting on the caf¨¦¡¯s table vibrated. A text message had arrived.

    Lee Ju-ho pointed at the phone, implying that Su-hyeun should check it out first, and then began slurping away at his drink. The latter leaned back against the chair and accessed the message.

    ¡°Bro, I¡¯m sorry about this, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡±

    ¡°What I said just now? Looks like I¡¯ll have to take them back.¡±

    The corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled up.

    Judging from his reaction, it didn¡¯t seem to be bad news. Lee Ju-ho, who was making a curiosity-filled face, asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Rather than a verbal answer, Su-hyeun turned his phone around and showed Lee Ju-ho the text message itself.

    ¡ªIt¡¯s complete. Come and get it.

    It was too obvious what had been completed without someone mentioning it outright.

 Chapter 286

    <hr />

    Snooore¡ª, Puuuh¡ª

    Su-hyeun arrived at the workshop, but rather than the usual sounds of constant hammering, he was greeted by the sounds of loud snoring instead.

    It seemed that Kim Dae-ho had fallen asleep straight away after completing the weapon. The blacksmith suddenly called on the phone a few hours ago and said that he might be asleep, so Su-hyeun should just unlock the door and let himself in. There was a good chance that he ended up pulling an all-nighter to finish the sword.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡±

    Creak¡ª

    Su-hyeun opened the gate, crossed the yard, and reached the front door in no time. He already knew the security code, so he was able to open the door with ease, thereby letting out that loud snoring.

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Clunk¡ª

    Just as Su-hyeun entered Kim Dae-ho¡¯s residence¡­

    ¡°Uh-mm, you here?¡±

    An inarticulate voice came from the inside. Kim Dae-ho, who was dozing off on a couch opposite the front door, had woken up from the sound of Su-hyeun¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s about time to get up, anyway.¡±

    Yaaawn¡ª

    While replying as such, Kim Dae-ho roughly scratched his unkempt and oily hair. Anyone could tell that he wasn¡¯t fully awake yet.

    ¡°How long have you been asleep for, uncle?¡± Su-hyeun asked as he poured water from a kettle resting in front of the couch into a cup and handed it over.

    ¡°What time is it?¡±

    ¡°About four in the afternoon.¡±

    ¡°I dozed off after giving you a call, so I guess it¡¯s been two hours? Argh, I feel like I¡¯m dying here.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho loosened his neck muscles while complaining in a hoarse voice and then hurriedly gulped down the cup of water Su-hyeun handed over.

    The latter took a look at the blacksmith¡¯s oily and dirty hair before asking in an unsure voice, ¡°You haven¡¯t washed your hair for a few days?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that you skipped sleeping as well?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For some people, silence indicated their acknowledgment, and Kim Dae-ho was one of those people. Su-hyeun was able to figure out from Kim Dae-ho¡¯s silence that, as he feared, the blacksmith didn¡¯t even sleep a wink.

    All for the sake of modifying Balmung, too.

    ¡°Argh, so what if I didn¡¯t? I thought I shouldn¡¯t stop in the middle, you see.¡±

    ¡°Even then, you should have taken regular breaks, uncle.¡±

    ¡°I was planning to, okay? Well, until I started the job, that was.¡±

    ¡°Until?¡±

    ¡°Instead of me explaining it, let¡¯s go take a look. Argh, I¡¯m still too damn sleepy.¡±

    Even though he kept saying he was fine, his actual inner thoughts still ended up leaking out of his mouth while he rubbed his face clean with a wet wipe. Seeing all that fatigue still visible on Kim Dae-ho¡¯s face, Su-hyeun tried to persuade the older man to go back to bed, but none of his recommendations got through in the end.

    Kim Dae-ho led Su-hyeun to one of the rooms found in this large residence. The room was not frequented by human traffic during normal times, even the cleaning lady was not allowed to go in there.

    But that was only because the room was actually Kim Dae-ho¡¯s storage for the kind of equipment that could be called his own private collection.

    Clack¡ª

    ¡°Of all the equipment I crafted in my career, those that I consider the best are currently in your hands, as well as that guy named Gordon Rohan. Balmung was the greatest sword I¡¯ve ever created.¡± While unlocking several padlocks overlapping each other, Kim Dae-ho continued to explain. ¡°However, this new thing is on another scale.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°The issue isn¡¯t with the weapon¡¯s durability or its hardness, or even its sharpness. Honestly, I¡¯m the one who made it, yet even I can¡¯t tell for sure.¡±

    That statement sounded ¡°weak,¡± which was uncharacteristic for Kim Dae-ho.

    Su-hyeun was greatly surprised by that. He never expected to hear Kim Dae-ho willingly admit that he didn¡¯t know for sure.

    Clunk¡ª

    Creaaaak¡ª

    The final padlock was unlatched, and the tightly sealed door creaked open. The spacious room that was about 10 square meters in size was practically empty with not much furniture to speak of.

    ¡°Uncle¡¯s still as fastidious as ever,¡± Su-hyeun mused inwardly.

    The things found inside the room were swords, spears, axes, and armors¡ªbasically, battle equipment. There was only a handful of them in total, which made the room look desolate and empty.

    However, every single one of those pieces of equipment could be called Kim Dae-ho¡¯s masterpiece, something you couldn¡¯t even buy with all the money in the world.

    To paraphrase Kim Dae-ho¡¯s own words, one should think of them as items waiting for their fated masters.

    ¡°Over here.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho was pointing at a certain sword hanging inside a display cabinet in the center of the room. But Su-hyeun had already been staring at that very same weapon since he stepped inside the room. Well, it looked remarkably similar to his own Balmung, to begin with.

    But¡­

    ¡°How about it? It feels different, right?¡±

    As soon as Su-hyeun gripped the sword tightly, Kim Dae-ho quickly asked without a trace of drowsiness in his expression. On the contrary, the blacksmith¡¯s face was filled with so much vitality now.

    Not knowing what to say, Su-hyeun simply stood there while holding the sword.

    ¡°You know, I was really surprised while I was modifying that sword. I¡¯ve handled not only elemental stones but also lots of other ores and jewels containing all sorts of innate attributes in my life, but let me tell you, this is my first time witnessing something like this. I was initially planning to assimilate that jewel¡¯s effects to the sword since I made the weapon out of adamantium and the highest grade Ether stone, but as I worked on it, it became the other way around.¡±

    The two main materials that formed Balmung were adamantium and the highest grade Ether stone.

    These two materials increased the sword¡¯s hardness, durability, the blade¡¯s innate magical energy conductivity, and even its cutting force to the absolute maximum.

    What Kim Dae-ho initially planned to do was to refine and modify the jewel extracted from the Palm Leaf Fan to match Balmung to preserve the unique natures of the two base materials.

    However, after spending one full day examining the jewel, he had no choice but to amend his plan completely¡ªthat was, to refine and modify the sword called Balmung to match the jewel instead.

    ¡°There¡¯s no change to its durability or hardness. The only true difference is that the jewel¡¯s ability has been engraved into the blade itself. Honestly, I¡¯ve never seen any material like that before in my whole life.¡±

    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that the jewel caused winds to blow, it attracted them instead.¡±

    ¡°Attracted¡­the winds?¡±

    As Su-hyeun asked that, he finally realized the truth about the vague difference he had been sensing ever since he gripped the sword in his hand.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    It was true.

    Even as he stood there unmoving with the sword in his hand, he could sense some sort of faint movements of air in the room converging toward the weapon.

    Kim Dae-ho continued, ¡°It¡¯s like the air, the winds, are following the jewel around. As for the hardness of the thing? Of course, I¡¯ve confirmed it. And there¡¯s no need to even mention it, too. It couldn¡¯t be shattered no matter what. I don¡¯t know anything about this magical energy or whatever, but well, even I couldn¡¯t guess the total energy reserve contained in that jewel.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that amazing?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I got so damn excited while modifying the sword that I could barely contain myself. I was looking forward to the kind of thing it would turn out to be in the end, and that¡¯s why I forgot to sleep and all that stuff. This sword¡­It¡¯s undoubtedly my greatest achievement.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho¡¯s standards were arguably higher than anyone out there.

    Here was a man who would unhesitatingly call a piece of equipment ¡°junk¡± and chuck it aside for storage when other people would gladly pay millions for the very same article. Su-hyeun had never seen him praise any equipment like this before.

    Maybe it was because Su-hyeun had never crafted a sword before, so he just couldn¡¯t come to grips with what Kim Dae-ho had said. Other than thinking that the modified Balmung felt a bit lighter than before, it just¡­

    ¡°¡­Uh? Uncle, did you also reduce the sword¡¯s weight somehow?¡±

    Finally realizing that something else was different, Su-hyeun quickly asked Kim Dae-ho, and the latter replied with a deep smirk. ¡°It¡¯s not just the sword, is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess so.¡±

    For the first time after sensing that something was off, Su-hyeun belatedly confirmed the effects of the sword.

    The difference was very small as he was standing still, which was why it took him a long time to notice. However, with every passing second, he couldn¡¯t help but recognize the changes his body was experiencing.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [¡­]

    [Agility: 99(98+1)]

    [¡­]

    When he checked the status window, just in case, he discovered the change in his own stat.

    The agility of 99.

    Although by only one point, his agility still rose merely because he was holding the sword. That ¡°+1¡± most likely indicated the temporary rise in his stat brought on by the sword¡¯s effect.

    ¡°A sword that not only lightens the wielder¡¯s body but also influences the stat to this extent?¡± he thought.

    It certainly was a surprising thing, but Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t that shocked. Not because he found it not all that exceptional, however. The thing was, he was now feeling very confident about there being much more to the sword than what¡¯s been displayed so far.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand gripped the sword¡¯s hilt even harder. He wanted to take a swing with this weapon so badly and could barely contain himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m really grateful, uncle.¡±

    ¡°No need for that. It¡¯s me who¡¯s grateful. Where would I find another person like you who can consistently bring me stuff like that jewel?¡±

    Five days.

    Kim Dae-ho didn¡¯t sleep a wink, didn¡¯t get to eat or drink properly during those days, and merely devoted himself to hammering away at the sword. Even then, he seemed to be really pleased with himself. And it was all because of the happiness and satisfaction he felt in the knowledge that his own two hands handled a truly excellent material.

    ¡°Okay, then. Hurry up and go away now. I better go and finish my nap or something in the meantime,¡± he released an enormous yawn just then.

    ¡°I will, uncle. Thank you for your hard work.¡± While saying his thanks, Su-hyeun hurriedly took out the scabbard that was also hanging inside the display cabinet and sheathed the sword in it before turning around to leave. ¡°After I get to use it, I¡¯ll give you a call and tell you what it felt like.¡±

    <hr />

    On the basement floor of the Awakener Authority¡¯s building, located in the district of Yongsan, Seoul.

    Su-hyeun called Bak Yun-gyu and asked to borrow this place. For the first time in a long while, their timing matched, and his call got through, which saved Su-hyeun from going afar to find a dungeon with a suitable level.

    ¡°Originally, our awakeners use this space to train themselves. It should have everything you need,¡± said Bak Yun-gyu while introducing that empty space to Su-hyeun.

    The place was three, maybe four times bigger than an average athletics field but utterly devoid of anything. The training area was designed to withstand an awakener¡¯s training regime by having reinforcement ¡°skills¡± embedded in its various spots.

    ¡°You said that you wanted to use a dungeon created out of an illusion?¡± Bak Yun-gyu continued.

    ¡°Ah, yes. Make it the highest difficulty one, please.¡±

    ¡°If you want the highest difficulty, then¡­Currently, our limit is blue. If you¡¯re looking for something higher, then you have to travel to America.¡±

    ¡°No, that should be enough.¡±

    Nowadays, one could experience a dungeon without risking one¡¯s life by using an ¡°augmented reality¡± dungeon created through an illusion-type magic circle manufactured by a joint operation run by Johnny Brad and the Gordon Company.

    Thanks to that, the percentage of awakeners dying inside dungeons improved greatly. Also, the training offered here was as close to reality as possible, which also greatly improved the overall skill levels of the awakeners.

    Su-hyeun was planning to use this very magic circle. It was a bit too much of a task to find an unoccupied blue-colored dungeon right now, after all.

    ¡°Once the magic circle activates, magical energy will seep into your body. Don¡¯t resist it. If you wish to escape, clench both of your fists tightly and then count to three in your mind,¡± Bak Yun-gyu explained.

    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll set the difficulty to the highest available. It should be set as a blue-colored dungeon that¡¯s almost on the level of an indigo one.¡±

    Tap, tap, tap¡ª

    Bak Yun-gyu tapped several times on a panel of buttons located to the side of the training area as he said that. He must have been setting the difficulty of the dungeon about to be generated through the magic circle.

    Jiii-iiing¡ª

    Soon afterward, a blue-colored magic circle floated up in the center of the training area where Su-hyeun was standing.

    ¡°The illusion magic is unique in that it changes depending on not just the user but also the target¡¯s mind, isn¡¯t it?¡± he thought to himself.

    There were several different types of magic out there.

    The most ¡°basic¡± ones were, of course, attack and defense magic. The one that was a bit more complicated than those were recovery- and buff-type magic. And then, the one known to be the most complicated of the lot was the illusion-type magic.

    Every type of magic had its own unique points. As far as Su-hyeun knew, only the illusion-type magic would see its result changed depending on the target the magic was meant for in the first place.

    ¡°What I want is¡­¡±

    The moment the illusion was cast on him, Su-hyeun directly interfered with the magic with his mind.

    ¡°An even stronger monster.¡±

    He closed his eyes and imagined ¡°it¡± inside his head. He thought about that one monster that was stronger and bigger than any of the others he knew of, an opponent that would be most ideal to test out his new sword.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    After Su-hyeun¡¯s will interfered with the magic circle, its color gradually began changing.

    The previously azure hue slowly darkened. Bak Yun-gyu, watching on from the distance, was able to witness this change quite clearly, unlike Su-hyeun who was caught inside the illusion.

    ¡°Indigo¡­?¡±

    The magic circle¡¯s color was changing to an indigo hue.

 Chapter 287

    ¡°But I was told that the dungeon¡¯s highest difficulty setting is the blue color?¡±

    The difficulty of the illusory dungeon created by the magic circle was indicated by the magic circle¡¯s color. It meant that the illusion Su-hyeun was currently under had the same level of difficulty as an indigo-colored dungeon.

    This illusion-type magic circle was constructed under the cooperation of the Gordon Company and Johnny Brad. Bak Yun-gyu was the man responsible for importing it into the country.

    As such, he was given an in-depth explanation of the magic circle¡¯s operation, as well as the things to look out for by the Gordon Company. Therefore, he was certain that the circle installed in the training area couldn¡¯t go higher than the blue color.

    ¡°The only indigo-colored dungeon created out of illusion-type magic should be in America and nowhere else,¡± he thought.

    He was sure he did not make a mistake about that information, which meant that there was only one other possibility.

    ¡°Could it be¡­? Did Mister Su-hyeun actually interfere with Johnny Brad¡¯s illusion magic?¡±

    Johnny Brad was widely acknowledged as the world¡¯s best as far as illusion-type skills were concerned. However, there could be no other explanation here other than Su-hyeun personally tampered with a magic circle created by such a man.

    <hr />

    Johnny Brad was the world¡¯s best illusion-type magician.

    There was no room to doubt his capabilities. Even Su-hyeun, recognized by pretty much everyone as the world¡¯s greatest awakener, was thought to be unable to match up to Johnny Brad when it came to the matters of illusion magic.

    This wasn¡¯t the issue of ¡°who¡¯s stronger¡± but the difference in their specialized fields.

    Su-hyeun had no problem accepting this. That was how well constructed the illusion he currently found himself in.

    ¡°At least in the matter of illusion magic, he¡¯s probably better than the Lich King.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know much about Johnny Brad, other than this one thing¡ªthat he was the world¡¯s best awakener when it came to illusion-type skills. And he would also suddenly vanish sometime in the future.

    ¡°This is far closer to a trial than a dungeon, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    There were two types of trials that Su-hyeun had detected so far.

    The first one was tampering with a world that actually existed and establishing a specific goal within it. The second type was somewhat like this one, where you had to solve video game-like missions inside massive-scale illusions.

    Johnny Brad¡¯s illusion created dungeons, but a closer look into his illusion¡¯s mechanics would show that the process seemed far closer to the illusions found within the tower of trials.

    The thing was, he wasn¡¯t the first person to come up with such a mechanism as far as Su-hyeun could remember.

    ¡°If it¡¯s like this, I think it¡¯ll be possible to do practice runs of not just the dungeons but even trials in the tower.¡±

    He was quite familiar with the basic framework of the trials that showed up often in the tower. Su-hyeun inwardly told himself to discuss this idea with Gordon Rohan in the near future and then shifted his gaze away.

    Krrrrr¡ª

    He caught sight of a giant currently baring its massive fangs at him and drooling away.

    Su-hyeun was standing on a cliff, while the giant was standing at the bottom looking up at him.

    ¡°The Cyclops.¡±

    It was a human-shaped monster with a single large eye on its forehead.

    It was a monster that Su-hyeun, in his previous life, chose to hunt right after acquiring ninth-level magical energy. Not only did it possess a body the size of a Titan Turtle, but the club it carried around was also powerful enough to shatter that turtle monster¡¯s shell.

    ¡°This guy should suffice.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Just as Su-hyeun locked gazes with the monster, the Cyclops swung its large club in his direction.

    The cliff was completely destroyed and crumbled to the ground below.

    The monster¡¯s lips contorted into a smile, perhaps thinking that it successfully crushed Su-hyeun¡¯s body just now.

    Gu-ruk¡ª?

    But then, its lone eye began moving around this way and that as a puzzled expression surfaced on the monster¡¯s face.

    And at that very moment.

    Slice¡ª

    Tumble¡ª

    The end of the club held by the Cyclops was cleanly sliced off.

    The monster hurriedly looked at the club in astonishment. That¡¯s where the human the Cyclops tried to kill a second ago could be seen standing tall.

    ¡°The cutting force is about this much, and¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun smoothly swung his sword around.

    He didn¡¯t feel to be in much danger. It might be because this was an illusion, but he was also confident that had it been real, he would still be able to kill this monster without much difficulty.

    The reason for that was currently gripped tightly in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Uncle named it Palm Leaf Sword, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    After learning that the fan with the green jewel was called the ¡°Palm Leaf Fan,¡± Kim Dae-ho immediately named the new sword as the Palm Leaf Sword.

    Apparently, he chose this name because the materials from both Balmung and the Palm Leaf Fan had been combined into one. Honestly speaking, the name change was rather simplistic considering only the ¡°Fan¡± part had been swapped for ¡°Sword.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how I can use this sword, but¡­¡±

    He did feel relieved by the fact that he had already wielded a power similar to this one in the past.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty similar to the Somersault cloud, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The Somersault cloud was the ¡°cloud of the beginning,¡± while the Palm Leaf Fan was the weapon of the Bull Demon King crafted with the jewel containing the ¡°winds of the beginning.¡±

    Despite not being the same, these two had some similarities as well.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Winds gathered around the blade.

    For some reason, Su-hyeun began thinking that he could control the winds anyway he wanted to.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cut it down.¡±

    Su-hyeun took a powerful swing at the Cyclops with his sword.

    He didn¡¯t use any magical energy. There was no need for that.

    It felt like he could already cut anything down without it.

    <hr />

    A few minutes went by since the dungeon magic circle had activated.

    Bak Yun-gyu was constantly looking at his wristwatch during that period. Weirdly, it felt like time was crawling along really slowly right now.

    ¡°It¡¯s been three minutes.¡±

    Now normally, the awakeners affiliated with the Authority and currently being trained directly by him needed at least half a day to escape from the illusion created by the magic circle.

    However, Bak Yun-gyu didn¡¯t believe that Su-hyeun would need as much time as those people.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun has already conquered indigo-colored dungeons all by himself. Not to mention, he has reached the 100th floor, too.¡±

    The issue was with time. How long would Su-hyeun take to break free from the illusion of the magic circle and emerge outside?

    Bak Yun-gyu waited in anticipation.

    And after about five minutes went by¡­

    Buzz, buzzzzz¡ª

    A change occurred in the indigo-colored magic circle.

    ¡°Already?¡±

    This was much sooner than he expected.

    The color shifted from indigo to blue, then from blue to green.

    Gradually, the coloration approached a reddish hue. This change indicated the weakening of the magic circle¡¯s effects.

    ¡°I expected him to take at least two hours¡­¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu was deeply stunned by the fact that Su-hyeun managed to raid the indigo-colored dungeon much faster than expected and couldn¡¯t help but take another look at the current time.

    He checked several times in disbelief, yet only five minutes or so had passed by.

    ¡°Five minutes to raid an indigo-colored dungeon¡­¡±

    Other than ¡°As expected of him,¡± Bak Yun-gyu couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say.

    Su-hyeun always managed to exceed his expectations. No, not just his, but even the entire world¡¯s on his way of reaching the current heights.

    Now was no different either.

    As the magic circle¡¯s color changed completely to red and slowly dissipated, Bak Yun-gyu began applauding.

    Clap, clap, clap¡ª

    ¡°As expected of you, what an amazing¡ª¡±

    Drip¡ª

    The sound of liquid dripping onto the floor resounded.

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s keen hearing caught that sound clearly. That¡¯s why he instantly stopped clapping and shut his mouth.

    Soon afterward, the magic circle¡¯s color completely vanished, and Su-hyeun¡¯s figure revealed itself.

    ¡°M¡ªMister Su-hyeun?!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    The blood that flowed out from Su-hyeun¡¯s body was now pooling on the ground.

    He staggered unsteadily before discovering Bak Yun-gyu and then, while barely supporting his body with his sword, asked, ¡°Can I¡­ask you for a favor?¡±

    ¡°Just what on earth¡­? N¡ªno, before all that¡­¡±

    ¡°I trust you, so¡­I¡¯m going to¡­sleep for a bit.¡± Su-hyeun, barely keeping himself upright by leaning against the sword with shaking hands, finally lost consciousness at that point.

    Plop¡ª

    <hr />

    He didn¡¯t need long to take a hold of his faint consciousness and open his eyes again.

    The current location was South Korea¡¯s top hospital where recovery-type awakeners could be found. It was precisely at this place that Su-hyeun opened his eyes after receiving the medical care of the best physicians and A-Rank-and-higher recovery-type awakeners.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?!¡±

    ¡°How are you feeling???¡±

    ¡°The patient has regained consciousness!¡±

    After opening his eyes, Su-hyeun was greeted by a cacophony of urgent voices, which helped him realize that he was currently lying on a hospital bed.

    ¡°How long have I been out for?¡±

    Su-hyeun asked the two people he saw first after opening his eyes, Lee Ju-ho and Bak Yun-gyu.

    Since Bak Yun-gyu was with him back in the training hall, this made sense, but Lee Ju-ho must have rushed here after receiving the news.

    ¡°About one hour? You woke up almost right away after you got transferred here, got your injuries healed, and had some IV fluid injected in you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Just what happened back there? Unless you were taking on a trial, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten injured that badly, right?¡± asked Lee Ju-ho as he observed Su-hyeun¡¯s expression.

    The latter seemed to be a bit out of it at the moment. Lee Ju-ho waved his hand in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s face to make sure. ¡°Did he black out again?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m feeling fine now,¡± Su-hyeun replied before shaking his head. He seemed to have finished organizing his thoughts by then and raised his upper body, only to lie back down on the bed again.

    ¡°Just what exactly caused your injuries?¡± Bak Yun-gyu asked, hoping for an explanation.

    The word of Su-hyeun¡¯s injuries had already gotten around and reached those with robust information networks by the time he was admitted to the hospital. Reporters that picked up on the scent of a potential story had already published articles filled with nothing but their baseless conjectures.

    One wrong move could result in the Authority being blamed for Su-hyeun¡¯s injuries. That¡¯s why Bak Yun-gyu couldn¡¯t help but get deeply anxious from the entire affair.

    ¡°Could it be that a defect in the magic circle or¡ª?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d have broken out of the magic circle by myself if that was the case. It¡¯s nothing like that, so you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Su-hyeun replied while quickly waving his hand around. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I was not good enough, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Not good enough, you say?¡±

    ¡°That ¡®guy¡¯ turned out to be far more dangerous than I thought, you see.¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s expression became even more confused at Su-hyeun¡¯s reply. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what kind of a monster you ran into inside the simulation, but I was under the impression that all the injuries inflicted by a monster inside the magic circle will disappear as soon as the simulation is over.¡±

    ¡°That should be the case. If not, it¡¯d be no different from a regular dungeon, after all.¡±

    ¡°In that case, how¡­?¡±

    ¡°The magic circle wasn¡¯t the cause,¡± Su-hyeun replied and then glanced at his own sword resting next to his bed. Bak Yun-gyu had recovered it and brought it here. ¡°It¡¯s just that I incorrectly used my powers, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Your powers¡­incorrectly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you any more than that. And if it¡¯s possible, please block the publication of the news reports as well. There¡¯s someone who will feel bad after learning about this incident, you see.¡±

    If Kim Dae-ho learned about what happened here, he would no doubt feel apologetic toward Su-hyeun. He might even start thinking that he failed to craft the sword properly and caused Su-hyeun¡¯s injuries.

    Su-hyeun obviously didn¡¯t want that.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for him to feel that way, after all,¡± he thought.

    Despite what happened, a grin appeared on Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    Up until now, his preference when it came to weapons had always leaned toward something that boasted better sharpness, sturdier durability, and smoother magical energy conductivity than his previous gear. Su-hyeun¡¯s nature of sticking to the basics played a large role in that.

    Of course, he hadn¡¯t had a change of mind about the basics being important.

    However, the story had to change if things were like this. This Palm Leaf Sword was basically a custom-made weapon exclusively for Su-hyeun¡¯s use.

    ¡°Uncle has created something truly extraordinary here,¡± he inwardly triumphed.

    Su-hyeun had been thinking that the biggest gain from the 60th floor¡¯s trial was the rise in the level of his magical energy. But he was wrong. In all honesty, both the level and the total reserve of his magical energy would have reached this point sooner or later.

    However, knowledge such as the Sage Arts was a different matter altogether. On top of that, he even received presents that he couldn¡¯t fully comprehend yet.

    The Somersault cloud from Sun Wukong.

    And then the Palm Leaf Fan from the Bull Demon King.

    These two things had to be some of the greatest presents Su-hyeun had ever received in his life.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put them to good use, big brothers.¡±

    He abruptly remembered the Bull Demon King¡¯s message delivered by the administrator.

    ¡°We¡¯ll meet again, little brother.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t believe they were some simple parting words.

    Once one reached the zenith of the Sage Arts, one would apparently see through the truths of the world and even gain the power to predict future events.

    The Bull Demon King was infinitely close to becoming an actual god. Therefore, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the Yogoe had already foreseen the future where they would meet again.

    Honestly, Su-hyeun wished for it.

    Every time he used either the Somersault cloud or the ¡°Palm Leaf,¡± he thought he could see their faces.

 Chapter 288

    Act 1

    Only one thought entered Su-hyeun¡¯s mind right after he first used the Palm Leaf Fan.

    ¡°Hey, this is not bad at all.¡±

    That was rather tame as far as first impressions went.

    However, Su-hyeun felt quite satisfied by that much. Only a handful of items in the entire world could make him feel this way, after all.

    He knew about many items in existence.

    As a matter of fact, he probably knew every single ¡°pretty good¡± item there is, as well as those that haven¡¯t appeared yet.

    Despite that, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have much interest in those things. His reason was pretty simple¡ªhe didn¡¯t need them.

    Even after searching through the entire world, items that might make him think they were useful could be counted on one hand.

    A treasure capable of raising someone else¡¯s overall ability as an awakener to the next level would be seen as a so-so item in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    As such, the Palm Leaf Fan could very well be easily considered as one of the best among all the existing items after he found it ¡°not bad at all.¡±

    On the other hand, he did feel a bit rueful about this.

    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have gotten carried away and picked the Sage title?¡±

    The Sage title.

    Even though it was a title, it could still be used alongside another already-existing title. This reward also possessed the ability to speed up one¡¯s proficiency in the Sage Arts for which Su-hyeun was currently training.

    After trying out the Palm Leaf Fan, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but think back to that title. Still, he comforted himself by thinking that it was still too early to pass judgment since the fan hadn¡¯t gone through the hands of Kim Dae-ho yet.

    And so, the Palm Leaf Sword was completed, but then¡­

    ¡ªA little punk who can¡¯t even properly wield the Somersault cloud yet wishes to wield me?

    The first time he tried to bring out the sword¡¯s true powers, an unknown voice suddenly invaded his hearing.

    It felt similar to the time when he first heard the Somersault cloud¡¯s voice. His whole being became weightless as if he had drifted away in the incoming winds, and a refreshingly cool sensation took over him.

    The whole world seemed to have come to a stop just then.

    ¡ªDo you think the difference between Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King is the same as the difference between you and me, the ¡°Palm Leaf?¡±

    ¡ªIt is I who have taken him to the position of the Taoist god.

    ¡ªThat is a laughable notion. He hasn¡¯t become a Taoist god yet, and you certainly didn¡¯t play a significant role either.

    ¡ªSurely, even you should know that it¡¯s only a matter of time? Besides, worry more about Sun Wukong, and¡­

    The Somersault cloud and Palm Leaf suddenly entered Su-hyeun¡¯s mind and began fighting each other. Of course, it wasn¡¯t actual fisticuffs but more like loud bickering, but still.

    Even then, the exchange seemed to have taken place in the blink of an eye from Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective. What was truly amazing to him was that despite how quick everything seemed, he could still clearly hear and understand their voices.

    ¡ªLet me ask you, young punk. Do you think you can really exceed those two?

    ¡°Those two¡± obviously meant Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King.

    Su-hyeun estimated that the current him should be stronger than Sun Wukong but not the Bull Demon King. However, the Palm Leaf¡¯s question didn¡¯t have anything to do with who was stronger among the three of them.

    No, what it meant with that question was, ¡°who would step closer to the realm of godhood by mastering the Sage Arts?¡±

    For sure, Su-hyeun was worse off in the Sage Arts compared to Sun Wukong. For instance, he only just managed to come to grips with seeing the ¡°Gyeol¡± recently, while Sun Wukong had already been training in the Sage Arts for well over 10,000 years.

    In a way, Su-hyeun had only just begun taking his first baby steps and learning to stand on his own two feet.

    However¡­

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Su-hyeun replied with certainty at the Palm Leaf¡¯s question.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely reach that realm. Godhood.¡±

    The Bull Demon King once said, ¡°One must not discard all lingering attachments. One should look to fulfill them instead.¡±

    Those words were meant for Su-hyeun.

    In all honesty, he didn¡¯t care about becoming a god or whatever. If he could become one, fine. If not, that was fine as well.

    However, this one thought took root in his head. If he managed to reach that realm, then he was sure of creating a different future compared to the one he lived in the previous life.

    That was precisely why Su-hyeun decided to reach the godhood realm.

    He would master the Sage Arts and eventually catch up to the realm that the Bull Demon King had reached.

    ¡ªAt least he¡¯s similar to Sun Wukong in that regard.

    ¡ªHe also resembles the Bull Demon King. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s a perfect 50-50 mixture of both Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King.

    ¡ªThis is the reason why I¡¯ve chosen him.

    ¡ªI¡¯m still not certain.

    Unlike the Somersault cloud, it seemed that the Palm Leaf hadn¡¯t acknowledged Su-hyeun as its master yet.

    While the Somersault cloud¡¯s personality was comparable to an unyielding and righteous old man, the Palm Leaf seemed to be quite a hothead. As such, although these two were of similar scale in their overall power, Su-hyeun needed to employ different tricks if he wanted to wield them.

    It was right then that winds of massive scale suddenly whipped around the Palm Leaf Sword that Su-hyeun held in his hand.

    ¡ªYou wish to climb up to godhood? In that case, allow me to show it to you.

    Shu-shut, shushushushu¡ª

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    With Su-hyeun as the center¡ªno, with the Palm Leaf Sword serving as the center, a massive whirlpool of winds began blowing about.

    Su-hyeun was confident of being unperturbed even at the face of a storm, yet when these winds crashed into him, he needed to strengthen his legs to withstand the pressure.

    At the same time, the winds had gotten as sharp as blades and began cutting his body everywhere.

    ¡°What kind of winds are these¡­?!¡± he thought.

    ¡ªWhy don¡¯t you take a look from the bottom and see just how high the realm you wish to reach is?

    This was the intention of the Palm Leaf.

    Winds gathering on the Palm Leaf Sword began dancing wildly out of control. And simultaneously, time began moving forward again from being frozen.

    Shwa-aaaaaah¡ª

    Fwhooooooosh¡ª

    All the winds gathering on the sword instantly enveloped Su-hyeun¡¯s figure. Although nothing had been said, he could already tell what the Palm Leaf¡¯s intention was.

    ¡°So, you want me to take a look, is that it?¡±

    Su-hyeun clenched his teeth and endured the onslaught.

    The sword felt heavier and heavier in his hand. To answer the Palm Leaf¡¯s intention, Su-hyeun kept enduring as power continued to accumulate on the sword.

    Grrrrrk, gah-aahk¡ª!

    The Cyclops became petrified by the power gathering in Su-hyeun¡¯s sword and tried to escape from there. However, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t care any less about that right now.

    ¡°Alright, fine. Let¡¯s take a look, shall we?¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Su-hyeun gritted his teeth and gripped the sword even harder, ignoring his palm that was being ripped apart.

    ¡°Let me see just how high the realm you two have been talking about is.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun used his own magical energy to forcibly suppress the violent winds. He decided to go all out and see whose strength was greater.

    If he hadn¡¯t acquired ninth-level magical energy, then he would have given up almost immediately. The Palm Leaf Sword¡¯s aura being emitted right now was well beyond the level Su-hyeun of the past could handle, after all.

    However, he believed that the current him could definitely handle this without a problem.

    Not too long after that, though, he came to realize how badly wrong he was.

    * * *

    Creak¡ª

    ¡°¡­So, that¡¯s what happened,¡± said Lee Ju-ho.

    He was currently chatting with Su-hyeun outside the hospital, with the latter still having an IV needle stuck in his arm. Lee Ju-ho and Bak Yun-gyu formed grave expressions after listening to Su-hyeun¡¯s explanation.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that far too dangerous in that case?¡± Bak Yun-gyu asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be, at least not anymore. That time would¡¯ve been the only exception, after all. And my own stubbornness had a hand in the mess, too.¡±

    ¡°Even if you say that¡­You can¡¯t be sure whether or not something similar to that will happen again, now can you?¡±

    ¡°Well, that is¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun found himself unable to continue denying the possibility.

    Without a doubt, the Palm Leaf was different from the Somersault cloud. Not only was such power sentient, but it also possessed a temper that was more volatile than that of the Somersault cloud.

    Perhaps it might refuse to acknowledge Su-hyeun as its master and cause another event of similar nature in the future. However, he was quietly confident that even if the same thing happened, the end result would be different.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t gotten some idea on how to wield it since I did experience it first-hand,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Not only that, but he also acknowledged his mistakes.

    ¡°If I protected my body with the Somersault cloud, then I wouldn¡¯t be this injured.¡±

    Su-hyeun poured all of his powers in controlling the Palm Leaf Sword. He didn¡¯t even think for one second about using either the Somersault cloud or even deploying his protective skills such as ¡°Indomitable Body.¡±

    He had been stubborn.

    He wanted to confirm just how much of the Palm Leaf he could control by himself.

    If he hadn¡¯t been stubborn like that, then he would not have been injured this badly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to control it somehow.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, somehow? Isn¡¯t it too dan¡ª?¡±

    ¡°You ain¡¯t gonna listen even if we say otherwise, right?¡±

    Even before Bak Yun-gyu could finish, Lee Ju-ho cut in with a comparatively calm-sounding voice.

    Su-hyeun nodded as if it was par for the course. Lee Ju-ho muttered, ¡°I knew it,¡± and spat out a lengthy groan.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never met a guy who doesn¡¯t listen as much as you. Should I chalk that one up to your stubborn streak?¡±

    ¡°Well, I saw its potential, that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°And the potential was that incredible?¡±

    ¡°Not sure how far your imagination can stretch, but it should easily exceed that, big bro. Because that¡¯s what happened to me.¡±

    ¡°If it exceeded your expectation, then well, it¡¯d be the same for me, I guess.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s standards were indeed high. Regular people wouldn¡¯t even be able to imagine how high his standards as the world¡¯s best awakener were when talking about various items.

    Not to forget, Lee Ju-ho was one of only a few people who got to observe Su-hyeun from his side for a long time. Even then, he barely had any idea on the level of the effects that all the items or skills Su-hyeun currently possessed.

    Yet someone like that said this item, this sword, easily exceeded his common sense. And even though he knew he couldn¡¯t wield it properly yet, he was being obstinate about it.

    Su-hyeun was wiser than anyone else in such matters, to begin with, so he came to the conclusion that he must risk the dangers in order to make this sword his no matter what.

    Lee Ju-ho asked something else next. ¡°Okay, so. You say you want to challenge the 100th floor soon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Everyone says it¡¯s the mother of all hurdles out there. But you aren¡¯t thinking of lowering the difficulty at all, are you?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s question prompted yet another confident nod from Su-hyeun. The latter suddenly grinned awkwardly after thinking that his replies were causing much anxiety in the others.

    ¡°Why are you smiling, anyway? Especially so when you¡¯re in this situation. We¡¯re talking about your life here, after all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Since things have come to this, you should just hurry up and do it. I won¡¯t try to stop you anymore.¡±

    Su-hyeun faintly smiled at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s declaration.

    Unlike Bak Yun-gyu, Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t seem all that anxious, and it was because of Su-hyeun¡¯s expression.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look gloomy, at least,¡± Lee Ju-ho thought.

    For a heavily injured guy, Su-hyeun¡¯s expression was noticeably bright. That was not the face of a man filled with ever-present anxiety or worries but more like a little kid with his heart pounding with excitement.

    And this would be Lee Ju-ho¡¯s first time witnessing such a face.

    ¡°Did he discover some kind of a possibility or something?¡±

    Su-hyeun thought a lot and often. On top of that, the level of his anxiety and worries were easily several times greater than other people.

    He always worried about the things yet to happen and felt concerned about the future. That¡¯s why he burned himself out rushing forward all the time while constantly being tortured by his worries.

    Lee Ju-ho never mentioned these things, but that¡¯s what his observations had told him.

    However, something seemed different about Su-hyeun now. More correctly, this change happened after he finished the 60th floor¡¯s trial. Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t know what happened in there, but that expression belonged to a man who found hope amid all the despair.

    ¡°Thanks, bro.¡±

    And Lee Ju-ho¡¯s thoughts were rather on point.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely come back alive.¡±

    Just like what Lee Ju-ho said just now, Su-hyeun¡¯s expression was indeed bright despite their discussion involving the topic of his survival.

    That expression couldn¡¯t have been forced. Su-hyeun really had discovered hope.

    That day, Su-hyeun remained admitted to the hospital and received medical attention from the awakeners. And thanks to the care of these people capable of completely curing critical patients in a single day, he was able to leave feeling as good as his normal condition.

    However, due to his severe blood loss, he needed to pay attention to his physical condition for a while.

    After a few days of rest, Su-hyeun began practicing controlling the Palm Leaf Sword.

    The Palm Leaf hadn¡¯t said anything since that incident. It was the same thing for the Somersault cloud.

    Once it stopped talking, the Palm Leaf, which was seemingly cursed with a personality of an unshackled raging bull, became a bit calmer overall. Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t sense the level of power that the sword exhibited on the first day, but he still managed to succeed in getting more or less familiar with it.

    And so, 10 days later, Su-hyeun got ready to challenge the 100th floor.

 Chapter 289

    * * *

    Sshwaaaah¡ª

    Rain was falling.

    A deluge had come to visit the world on the 100th floor.

    The world on the 100th floor, as Su-hyeun knew it, was a mysterious island that hadn¡¯t see a drop of rain throughout the year, yet crops still grew strong and healthy there. Its skies were always clear.

    Therefore, this would be Su-hyeun¡¯s first time seeing this place with no clear skies, topped off with continuous and persistent drizzle.

    ¡°No, wait. Back in my previous life, I only stayed for about a month in this place, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    The 100th floor¡¯s world held incredible significance for many people.

    In this world, which was referred to as the mother of all hurdles, half of the ¡°people¡± here chose to give up climbing the tower any further and simply traveled around this peaceful place for a long time.

    As for the other half, they were being cautious while gathering as much information as possible in the hopes of challenging the 100th floor.

    ¡°Back then, I did worry a lot, didn¡¯t I? Lots of people lost their lives here, after all.¡±

    In his previous life, Su-hyeun had challenged the trials with eighth-level difficulty.

    That certainly was a nearly unprecedented level of difficulty back then. Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t remember anyone who had chosen to climb the tower by challenging the trials¡¯ eighth-level difficulty other than Gordon and Hak-joon.

    Out of the three, it was Gordon who passed the 100th floor first. That was why he could enjoy the title of the world¡¯s best awakener until another man named Kim Sung-in appeared.

    However, those things had happened a long time ago.

    The current Hak-joon had also passed the 100th floor and managed to get somewhere even higher.

    ¡°Rain, is it¡­?¡±

    Shwaaaaah¡ª

    Su-hyeun raised his head and stared at the falling rain.

    None of the raindrops landed on his body. He enveloped himself in a thin layer of magical energy and kept the rainwater away from him.

    However, the majority of people couldn¡¯t do something like that. Perhaps that was the reason why he could hardly see anyone out and about, and so, this eerie silence descended upon the previously bustling streets.

    The avenues were now filled with only the sounds of falling rain.

    Splash¡ª

    Su-hyeun continued to walk toward the plaza.

    Unsurprisingly, it was also devoid of people. The only presence visible here was a man dressed as a beggar with an old and worn-out hat pressed closely down on his head.

    Su-hyeun approached the beggar.

    The administrator in the beggar¡¯s attire raised his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you find this atmosphere wonderful?¡±

    The administrator that was sitting down looked up at Su-hyeun.

    His face was dirty, and he was sporting a thick and unkempt beard. It was one of those faces that a painter might come up with when asked to draw a beggar on the street.

    Su-hyeun quietly observed that face for a bit before muttering something that had nothing to do with what the administrator asked him. ¡°Your face, it¡¯s not real.¡±

    His observation caused the administrator to narrow his eyes. The man then pulled the hat down even lower to hide his face.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I can¡¯t see what you really look like, after all.¡±

    ¡°Were you bluffing then?¡±

    The administrator¡¯s voice had a certain hint of sharpness to it. It seemed that he thought Su-hyeun had tricked him.

    Su-hyeun resolutely shook his head. ¡°No. I could simply see it, that¡¯s all. And it wasn¡¯t my original intention, so please don¡¯t be too unhappy about it. Aren¡¯t I the one who was tricked all along, anyway?¡±

    The administrator took off his hat and grumbled unhappily, ¡°Urgh, that damn fool that called himself the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven sure taught you something troublesome, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    Su-hyeun smirked at the mention of the Bull Demon King and said, ¡°Besides, what¡¯s so wonderful about this weather, anyway? It¡¯s just raining incessantly, isn¡¯t it? But if your preference leans toward gloomy and soggy weather, then I can certainly respect that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re late with your reply, you fool.¡±

    ¡°My apologies. But like I was alluding to earlier, you should also consider my feelings when I need to chat with a faceless person, you know.¡±

    ¡°Why does it feel like I¡¯m on the losing end while talking to you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also not a big fan of this kind of chitchat. Why don¡¯t we get to the main topic?¡±

    The administrator nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Alright. What are you curious about? Hints for the trial you¡¯re about to embark upon? Or¡­¡±

    A meaningful grin appeared on the face of the sitting administrator.

    ¡°Or is it the truth about the tower?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun was obviously thinking of asking for the hint, so the question caused his lips to clamp shut for a bit there.

    An administrator had brought up the topic of the tower¡¯s truth first. That also happened to be what Su-hyeun was most curious about.

    ¡°The truth about the tower¡­¡± he thought.

    Everything just appeared without any warning one day.

    Dungeons, awakeners, and the tower that bestowed them with abilities.

    No, hold on¡ªhonestly, no one knew if it was indeed a ¡°tower¡± or not. It was merely named the ¡°Tower of Trials,¡± and the individual worlds were classified as ¡°floors,¡± but other than that, no one so far had claimed to have seen the actual tower from the outside.

    Just how did all these things appear? How were the trials given, and just what kind of existence were these administrators?

    Nothing about them was known at this stage.

    ¡°You can actually tell me about them?¡±

    Su-hyeun had already asked another administrator about the truth of the tower before. However, he couldn¡¯t get any answers. That¡¯s why he had basically given up on learning more about the subject until now.

    Yet the 100th floor¡¯s administrator brought it up first.

    ¡°Only a portion of it. Obviously, not the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°When can I learn the whole truth, though? No, what do I need to do?¡±

    ¡°Climb higher. Then you¡¯ll learn it. However, now isn¡¯t the right time for you.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression crumpled at that reply. The one asking if he was curious was now saying no answer would be forthcoming?

    The administrator noticed Su-hyeun¡¯s expression and quickly waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t make that angry scowl. I told you, didn¡¯t I? I can only tell you a portion. Even that¡¯s coming from my own discretion, so obviously, I can¡¯t tell you the whole thing. Think of it as a kind of special privilege.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure, thanks a lot, I guess.¡±

    ¡°In any case. I¡¯m cheering you on, you know? There¡¯s a reason why I can¡¯t tell you the whole story, so please be more understanding, will ya?¡±

    ¡°But why are you willing to ignore that reason to tell me a portion of the information in the first place?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit different from the other guys, you see. I believe that hiding the truth wouldn¡¯t lead to anything good in the end. Doesn¡¯t matter what it is, it¡¯s always better to know the truth rather than be ignorant about it, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    As expected.

    With this reply, Su-hyeun came to understand one new piece of information.

    ¡°This guy has a similar personality to the administrator from the 43rd floor,¡± he realized.

    Administrators supervising the individual floors all had their own personalities. They might have shared their opinions and agreed on things while working within a larger framework, but some of them also definitely held differing opinions from the rest.

    ¡°So, one faction wants to let the information out, while the other doesn¡¯t,¡± he inwardly mulled.

    There was the 43rd floor administrator who appeared as a hero named Luslec and then bestowed Su-hyeun with a trial to fight against numerous other heroes, and then, there was the 100th floor administrator who was of the opinion that the information regarding the tower needed to be known publicly.

    As such, he didn¡¯t mind sharing the info with Su-hyeun in the slightest. No, he was even willing to go against the rules to share a little bit of information with Su-hyeun.

    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to the amount of info I can get,¡± he thought.

    Maybe one or two pieces of information at most, but even then, the administrator wouldn¡¯t be able to answer the questions that got uncomfortably close to the truth of the matter.

    If that was the case, then there was one thing that he wanted to know more than anything else. On the other hand, he felt fearful of the potential answer.

    When Su-hyeun kept his eyes tightly shut for a while, the administrator couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re curious about something, yet why do you look so scared to ask?¡±

    Su-hyeun opened his eyes. Indeed, it was better than not knowing, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°The worlds found inside the trials¡­¡±

    Even then, he was still afraid, and his words came to a halt. He sucked in a deep breath before continuing.

    ¡°Are they worlds that really exist?¡±

    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re really curious about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s important to me. More than anything.¡±

    Su-hyeun bit down hard on his lip.

    Even though he thought, ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± a part of him just couldn¡¯t shake off his curiosity.

    Were they all made up?

    Were they like fantasies created within a framework called ¡°trials¡±?

    Were they merely bits of data like in video games, which only existed for the purpose they were given?

    Questions came one after another one.

    According to the 43rd floor¡¯s administrator, the trials found on each of the floors depended on the individual administrator in charge.

    This meant that the type of trials could be changed based on the whims of the administrators involved, just like the 43rd floor¡¯s trial took place in a made-up world created by the administrator.

    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve grown fairly attached to the 60th floor¡¯s world.¡±

    ¡°There are many others besides that one.¡±

    Before he reached the current floor, Su-hyeun had encountered many different people.

    Despite him repeatedly telling himself that these were merely trials, he just couldn¡¯t help but get close to the people that he encountered. That was his personality as a human being, and there was nothing he could do about it.

    And so, he silently wished every time he encountered a person within the trial.

    He prayed that one day, he would get to meet them again¡ªthat it would be wonderful for all of them to survive and meet again with smiles on their faces in a peaceful world.

    He also wished for one more thing. He prayed that his meetings with those people had not been simple fantasies.

    His wish became even greater after the events on the 60th floor. He prayed that all the things he went through with his sworn brothers, those who called him their little brother and showed him affection, were not illusions.

    ¡°They are all real.¡±

    And then, Su-hyeun¡¯s wish came true.

    ¡°Everything from the 10th floor up, it was all real. The 43rd floor was the sole exception, though.¡±

    The trial on the 43rd floor was specially cooked up by the administrator of that floor.

    Everything except that floor was all real?

    ¡°All of them?¡± Su-hyeun asked back with a face full of excitement.

    ¡°Yes, all of them.¡±

    A definite answer came his way.

    It felt like tension escaped from his whole body. Su-hyeun breathed a sigh of relief but still didn¡¯t forget to satisfy his curiosity on a different but still related matter. ¡°In that case, are the trials of other people also¡­?¡±

    ¡°Nope, they are an exception. Actually, should I say you¡¯re the exception in this case?¡±

    ¡°I am?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s as much as I can tell you. Any more than this and I¡¯ll get scolded,¡± replied the administrator in a firm voice. However, his expression showed how rueful he was about it.

    It seemed that he wanted to provide more answers but found it tough to do so under the agreement reached by all the administrators.

    Su-hyeun could only smack his lips ruefully as well. He had a mountain of questions to get off his chest.

    Why was he the only exception?

    1

    Also, if his trials were the exception, then in what manner did other awakeners¡¯ trials proceed?

    Many other questions were birthed from this answer, and now that he couldn¡¯t get any clarity, frustration tightly clogged up his chest.

    Still, that one thing he was curious about, as well as most worried about, had been answered clearly that day.

    ¡°They were all real,¡± he thought.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun tightly clenched his fist.

    The feeling of relief washed over him, and the fresh and bright emotion intertwined with his thoughts, which almost made him cry out in elation as he raised his head toward the falling rain.

    ¡°None of them were fake.¡±

    Su-hyeun continued to repeat those words in his mind.

    He was so worried¡ªworried about what he would do if all the experiences he¡¯d had so far were make-believe and lies.

    ¡°You seem really happy.¡±

    The administrator smirked while looking at Su-hyeun, who was desperately reining in his laughter by biting his lip.

    Unlike the gloomy, rainy weather, Su-hyeun¡¯s expression was bright from happiness at the administrator¡¯s answer. It was as if he had forgotten that the 100th floor¡¯s trial, feared as the mother of all hurdles, was right before his eyes.

    ¡°I get that you¡¯re really pleased, but you¡¯ll find it hard to survive the next floor¡¯s challenge with that mindset.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±

    Su-hyeun regained his wits at the administrator¡¯s advice and smiled sheepishly.

    He lost his tension for a moment there from the euphoric feeling. He believed that some amount of tension was a necessity, but judging from what happened, he must have been far too lax.

    Su-hyeun nodded and hardened his expression back to how it was previously, prompting the administrator to ask in a satisfied voice, ¡°So, you still want the hint?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°The 100th floor¡¯s hint is a bit expensive, though. I know that you¡¯ve managed to save up a lot of points, so why don¡¯t you be a big spender today and get a hint that¡¯ll help you out in the future, too?¡±

    Su-hyeun heard the administrator¡¯s advice and pondered for a while, but he eventually nodded his head in agreement.

    At the very least, the administrator of the 100th floor seemed to be especially friendly toward him. If he paid the information fee now, the administrator should have the pretext to hand out the relevant information, so Su-hyeun thought it would be for the best to pay out a lot of points as suggested.

    ¡°Three million. I¡¯ve been told to subtract the information fee from the 60th floor since the hint you got became meaningless, all thanks to the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven. The original fee was five million, but I¡¯ve subtracted two.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still a considerable sum.¡±

    ¡°Even then, I¡¯m giving you a big discount here. If I go any lower, the others will complain big time.¡±

    Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders at the administrator¡¯s playful tone and paid the requested amount of points.

    In the blink of an eye, his three million points were gone. He did think that it was a bit of a loss, but he told himself that whether it really was a loss or not would depend heavily on what the administrator said next.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see¡­ Where should I begin¡­? Right.¡± The administrator took his time contemplating and then said, ¡°That thing you learned from the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven? That training thing to become a god.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the Sage Arts?¡±

    ¡°Right, that. The Sage Arts,¡± the administrator nodded theatrically as if he had finally recalled that name. ¡°You gotta be careful of that from now on.¡±

 Chapter 290

    Act 2

    The administrator¡¯s serious tone caused Su-hyeun to take a moment and contemplate the implication of what was being said here.

    Be careful of the Sage Arts?

    Not some unknown enemies or unexpected variables within the trial itself?

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    Su-hyeun expressed his honest impression.

    Was the advice that told him to be careful of the Sage Arts really the hint for this trial?

    A more detailed explanation came out of the administrator¡¯s lips next. ¡°It¡¯s as I said. That¡¯s no ordinary power at all. In all honesty, we can¡¯t tell whether the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven teaching you that power was a good thing or the absolute worst possibility for us yet.¡±

    A good thing or the absolute worst?

    Those seemed like extremely contradictory judgments.

    It was still unknown whether the administrators were on Su-hyeun¡¯s side or not, but it seemed that the Sage Arts had been deemed as a dangerous power by them in the meantime.

    ¡°In which way is it bad exactly?¡±

    Unsurprisingly, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t figure out the reason.

    Never mind the person actually learning the art, Su-hyeun himself, but even the Bull Demon King or Sun Wukong who started way before him had not said anything like what this administrator was saying.

    If the Sage Arts were truly dangerous, then they would¡¯ve warned him way before this administrator said something.

    The administrator silently contemplated for a long while as the rain continued to pour down. No, actually, he seemed to be mumbling something inaudibly with his eyes closed.

    ¡°Is he talking to someone else?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    If so, that ¡°someone else¡± obviously had to be the other administrators.

    The 100th floor¡¯s administrator chatted to the others for a long while and only opened his mouth when the falling drizzle began thinning out.

    ¡°¡­Sorry, but apparently, I can¡¯t tell you the details.¡±

    ¡°But¡­why not?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it? Those guys are such worrywarts, you know? Seriously, one should know the truth regardless of how the outcome might turn out to be.¡±

    Judging from all the grumbling pouring out of his mouth, the administrator seemed rather pissed off right now. There must have been a big disagreement between the fellow administrators on how to handle this matter.

    ¡°In any case, that¡¯s as far as I can tell you about the Sage Arts. Just be careful with that power. This isn¡¯t a hint meant for the 100th floor but for your future,¡± the administrator said before shaking his head belatedly and revising his statement. ¡°No, wait a second. Maybe it can also be the hint for the 100th floor.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I was talking to myself. Okay, this is your hint for the floor.¡± The administrator waved his hand dismissively and then spoke with a grave tone, ¡°Greed is a monster that doesn¡¯t know when to stop.¡±

    ¡°A monster that doesn¡¯t know when to stop¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s puzzling, right? Kind of like sophistry in a way. Even I think that. Why can¡¯t we just tell you straight away and stop beating around the bush like this?¡±

    The administrator spoke what was in Su-hyeun¡¯s mind without holding back at all.

    Su-hyeun smiled faintly at that and nodded his head. A hint was supposed to be just that, a hint, but as expected, the one given this time was also hard to figure out.

    ¡°A monster, is it?¡± he thought.

    However, for some reason, this hint touched something in him.

    Greed.

    Everyone in this world probably possessed it.

    Only when you rid yourself of all greed or no longer lust over anything else would you be able to step into the realm that the Bull Demon King had reached.

    ¡°Oh, and also, I¡¯m saying this since your current case is different from the¡­answer to your question from earlier.¡± After giving out the hint, the administrator added something else. ¡°The trial you¡¯re about to undergo will be different from the one you¡¯ve experienced so far.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s not real.¡±

    That answer caused yet another puzzled expression to surface on Su-hyeun¡¯s face. ¡°Is it like an illusion, then?¡±

    ¡°No, this one¡¯s on another dimension compared to something so shoddy like that. As an example¡­You still remember the 43rd floor¡¯s trial, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you also remember how the people you met during that had been created.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at that question.

    How could he not remember? That was when he first learned about the existence of the administrators. Back then, it felt like the dense and blurry fog had been pulled back just a little.

    ¡°Did they feel like an illusion to you?¡±

    ¡°They were¡­certainly not like that.¡±

    The heroes Su-hyeun encountered on the 43rd floor¡¯s world were definitely not illusions. Every single one of them possessed their individual egos, real physical bodies, and their former strengths.

    ¡°They did exist, but their memories, their data, weren¡¯t from the present. They came from the past,¡± he silently recalled.

    According to the administrator of the 43rd floor, the ¡°past versions¡± of the individual heroes had been ¡°brought¡± there intact. Meaning, one could think of them as ¡°living¡± data.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same here. Not fakes but not exactly real either.¡±

    Neither fake nor real.

    That sounded about right.

    Also, this type of backdrop would be the hardest one for Su-hyeun to experience.

    Concerning the ¡°human¡± beings that possessed the silhouettes of their past, Su-hyeun would have trouble trying to decide whether they were real and actual living beings or nothing but vestiges of the already-dead past.

    ¡°Even so, you better not take this thing lightly. You¡¯ve experienced it before, so you should know it full well, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do know.¡±

    ¡°You see? It¡¯s fine in that case. Let¡¯s stop here, shall we? We¡¯ve chatted long enough, after all. You¡¯ve been warned about that thing, I believe?¡±

    ¡°You mean, the one about not being able to come outside in the middle of the trial?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that. You knew, then. In that case, you should be on your way now.¡±

    The administrator waved his hand as if to say, ¡°Hurry up!¡±

    The deluge that seemed to have come from a hole up in the sky had almost stopped by then. Su-hyeun bowed a little at the administrator and headed toward the portal resting in the center of the plaza.

    [Will you commence the 100th floor¡¯s trial?]

    The message floated up.

    His answer was simple.

    The difficulty was set at the 10th level.

    His choice hadn¡¯t changed.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    The scenery before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes began changing. Everything, even including the temperature of the winds and the overall atmosphere he could feel on his skin, changed gradually.

    Soon, his eyes caught the sight of a dense forest with thick verdant trees and a large city in the far-off distance.

    Chirp, chirp¡ª

    The skies above were clear. The chirping of the birds sounded pleasant and refreshing enough to make one feel like taking a nap.

    [The 100th floor¡¯s trial will now commence.]

    [Save points do not exist in this trial.]

    [You cannot return until you have achieved your goal.]

    [Prevent the birth of the ¡°predator.¡±]

    Messages continued to float up.

    Save points didn¡¯t exist. As for the part that said that he could not return until he had achieved his goal, Su-hyeun had already heard about that from the 60th floor¡¯s administrator.

    He wasn¡¯t surprised by these announcements. But now that he had seen them, he couldn¡¯t help but start worrying inwardly.

    Even though he didn¡¯t want to be hasty, he still thought about achieving his goal as soon as possible. But when he saw this trial¡¯s goal, his brows ended up furrowing deeply.

    ¡°What does it mean by ¡®predator¡¯?¡±

    The explanations of the trials themselves would become more unfriendly the higher one climbed the floors and the higher the trial¡¯s difficulty was set at.

    And from a certain point on, there would be several occasions where the trial didn¡¯t even bother to tell you about the end goal.

    Thankfully, he was at least informed of the goal this time.

    Unfortunately, the details of who or what this predator whose birth he needed to prevent had been omitted entirely from the explanations.

    ¡°I¡¯ll probably learn about it one way or another, but¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun took a bit of time to organize his thoughts and then began walking toward that large city in the distance.

    ¡°It¡¯s far plainer than I thought.¡±

    The 100th floor¡ªthe floor referred to as the mother of all hurdles. Even if its difficulty was set the same as other floors, the trial on the 100th floor was renowned for being especially difficult.

    As such, Su-hyeun had resolved himself before coming here.

    He thought that the moment the trial got underway, he would be set upon by a massive monster or some such. That was why he was deeply tense as he entered this place, yet he was greeted by the level of peace too good to be true for the backdrop he was given.

    Su-hyeun took in the surrounding sights as he continued to move down the road.

    Paht, paaaht¡ª

    Until he got closer to the city, Su-hyeun chose to dash forward at a high pace, but when he got close enough, he discovered something odd almost immediately.

    ¡°There are no gatekeepers?¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter which world¡¯s city it was, gatekeepers always existed.

    Spies from a rival nation might try to infiltrate, and not to forget, dangerous individuals with no clear identities could slip inside the city as well.

    To compare it to Su-hyeun¡¯s homeworld, having gatekeepers would be similar to getting his passport checked at the airports.

    ¡°Something feels a little strange¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at the wide-open gates to the city itself.

    ¡°Can I just waltz straight in?¡±

    He hesitated for a moment or two before starting to walk again.

    Even if he deliberated on it, the conclusion he would arrive at should be the same anyway. Besides, this large city was the only thing in the near vicinity.

    Without entering the city, he would not find any clues to solving this trial.

    ¡°Welcome, welcome! Today¡¯s vegetables are on a discount!¡±

    ¡°Wonderful new medicines from up north have come in! Why don¡¯t you stop by and take a look?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll sharpen any dulled blades! Free only for today!¡±

    The interior of the city was bustling with activities.

    There were plenty of people, and as a result, the atmosphere was lively. The attires of the passersby were diverse in style and color palette.

    Su-hyeun quietly studied the faces of the people.

    For sure, they were truly ordinary citizens.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a city with people living in it,¡± he thought.

    The architectural style of the buildings resembled the shabby wooden structures from the European middle ages. But the castle visible in the distance looked quite majestic.

    ¡°An ordinary-looking world where there doesn¡¯t seem to be any special dangers. And I¡¯m supposed to find this predator in this place somehow?¡±

    Su-hyeun could only sigh.

    The first thought that popped up in his head was that perhaps, unsurprisingly, this trial was not going to be simple at all.

    A trial that seemed ordinary at a glance could be one of two things.

    Either it was exceedingly easy or extremely difficult.

    This was the trial of the 100th floor, so obviously, the odds of it being the latter case were exceedingly high.

    ¡°Over here, young man! I can see that you¡¯re a wandering swordsman, so why don¡¯t you stop by at my place? Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯ll sharpen your sword for free today?¡±

    It was then that a blacksmith discovered Su-hyeun¡¯s attire and waved his hand at him.

    Su-hyeun pondered for a bit before going along with the blacksmith to enter the workshop. Whatever the case might have been, he needed to come in contact with someone if he wanted to get information on this world.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any hard cash, but do you accept gold?¡±

    ¡°Gold, is it? That¡¯s also good.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question was met with a bright expression from the middle-aged blacksmith.

    Gold could be used as a currency replacement in most of the worlds he visited. That¡¯s why Su-hyeun always prepared and carried some amount of gold coins to use within the trials.

    By doing this, he could save on the time wasted on earning money and familiarizing himself with the world he was in.

    ¡°What do you need, young man?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for¡ª¡±

    Clack, clack¡ª

    The sounds of hooves hitting the ground suddenly resounded among the crowd.

    Su-hyeun abruptly stopped chatting with the blacksmith and turned his head in the direction of the noises. The sounds of the hooves grew closer quite quickly.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the knights.¡±

    ¡°Knights, you say?¡±

    ¡°Right. Looks like they are on patrol today as well,¡± the blacksmith said as he raised his hand and performed a salute. He glanced at Su-hyeun and said, ¡°What are you doing? You should also be saluting, you know?¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course.¡±

    Su-hyeun noticed that not only the blacksmith but everyone else had also assumed the saluting posture and quickly did the same as well.

    ¡°Looks like they highly respect these knights,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun studied the faces in the crowds.

    Normally, it would be hard to find any amount of respect toward low-ranking nobility in a class-based society. Even if people saluted, they would merely be going through the motions, with their expressions remaining flat and unmoved.

    However, the majority of people he could see held genuine respect toward the incoming knights.

    While Su-hyeun was feeling inwardly mystified by this rather rare spectacle¡­

    Clack¡ª

    The sounds of the hooves grew even closer.

    And right at that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes opened wider.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡±

    He felt a unique aura coming from the knights riding on horseback.

    It was an aura Su-hyeun knew rather intimately.

    ¡°The Sage Arts?¡±

 Chapter 291

    Those who practiced the Sage Arts would come to possess something called ¡°Dao energy,¡± not magical energy. And this power¡¯s ¡°color¡± was completely different from the latter energy source.

    Was that the reason why Su-hyeun could sense an aura similar to the Sage Arts emanating from the knights outfitted in silver armor, who were gradually closing the distance as they rode on horseback?

    ¡°How do they know the Sage Arts¡­?¡± he thought.

    Tap¡ª

    When Su-hyeun stood there with a stiff expression, the blacksmith lightly shook him by the waist.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, young man? Making that scary face and all.¡± The blacksmith hurriedly signaled to Su-hyeun to start smiling. ¡°They are the protectors of the world we live in, so it¡¯s not nice to make that kind of a face, you see.¡±

    Su-hyeun bowed his head as his apology at the blacksmith¡¯s advice and shifted his gaze back to the knights.

    There were about 20 of them in total. The pure-white horses they were riding trotted past the street as the gathered crowd showered them with respect.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze was locked on one particular knight leading the group from the front¡ªthe only knight to have his helm off to reveal his face and his white hair.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s him,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The master of the aura Su-hyeun had sensed was coming from that knight.

    It wasn¡¯t him alone; the other knights were also letting out similar auras, but none of them were as concentrated as the helm-less knight¡¯s.

    ¡°Is he like the commander of the knight order? In any case¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun began gradually leaking just a little bit of his own aura.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to search for information anymore, it seems,¡± he said to himself.

    And so, when Su-hyeun revealed his presence just a little¡­

    ¡°Company, halt.¡±

    The helm-less knight leading the group raised one hand while pulling on the reins of his horse with the other. At the same time, the other knights following from behind also stopped their horses.

    Their gazes now focused on one spot.

    ¡­Right where Su-hyeun was.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a knight, it seems¡± The knight who must have been the commander directed the horse to leisurely approach Su-hyeun¡¯s position. He looked down from his saddle and said, ¡°Are you a wandering swordsman? I wish to speak to you for a moment if you will.¡±

    It was done.

    Su-hyeun cried out in elation inwardly.

    * * *

    Driiip¡ª

    Hot tea was poured into a cup.

    Su-hyeun and the white-haired knight before him, Binladen, exchanged small talk and picked up their teacups at the same time.

    ¡°Thank you for the tea,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°The tea served in this place is of very high quality. Although, I don¡¯t know if you like drinking tea.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do like them.¡±

    Su-hyeun took in the aroma of the tea first.

    Indeed, this was good-quality tea. He took a sip of the warm tea and asked, ¡°By the way, is this fine? I thought that your schedule was busy, considering that you were on your way back to the palace?¡±

    ¡°A short break will not be frowned upon. Besides, I¡¯m sure nothing major will happen, anyway. The empire has been fully unified, after all.¡±

    A unified empire¡ªthis was the backdrop of the trial Su-hyeun had been given.

    Not once in this continent¡¯s history going back tens of thousands of years had it been unified under one ruler.

    However, everything changed with the rise of the empire. It unified the whole continent 100 years ago, and it had not been broken apart yet.

    ¡°Where did you learn to wield a sword, young man?¡±

    Drinking his tea, Binladen finally got to the main topic.

    ¡°It¡¯s self-taught.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t hesitate with his reply. He already expected this question to be asked, after all.

    ¡°Self-taught?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You mastered ¡®aura control¡¯ by merely training yourself? Friend, looks like you¡¯re lying to me right now.¡±

    Binladen didn¡¯t seem to believe him.

    But that was only obvious. No matter how great a genius you were, it would be almost impossible to master the Sage Arts without anyone¡¯s supervision unless you were the progenitor of the art itself.

    ¡°The Sage Arts is called aura control in this place, it seems,¡± Su-hyeun surmised inwardly.

    He expected the people to call the Sage Arts with a different name in this place, but even then, the unfamiliar name still came across as a bit awkward to his ears.

    Su-hyeun put the teacup down and with a hardened expression, replied to Binladen¡¯s accusation, ¡°Honestly speaking, I can¡¯t remember the truth.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t remember?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t remember anything about myself since about a month ago. My name, my background, not even where I learned the swordsmanship from. It¡¯s as if¡­¡± Su-hyeun looked up toward the ceiling and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve suddenly fallen out of the sky.¡±

    As he spoke, he didn¡¯t forget to make an expression that showed longing.

    His expression was not the only thing that changed; his eyes also seemed to have moistened with a barely held emotion. This was the repertoire Su-hyeun had often relied on for a while now.

    ¡°No other excuses are as convenient as amnesia, after all,¡± he thought early on.

    If he chose to be honest and said that he had no knowledge whatsoever of this world, then people would naturally start suspecting him. When others asked how come he didn¡¯t know anything, he couldn¡¯t come up with any sensible answers other than, ¡°I just fell out of the sky one day.¡±

    Somewhat predictably, though, amnesia sounded a lot more believable compared to the story of falling from the skies or the Tower of Trials itself.

    However, being suspected didn¡¯t mean much to him, anyway.

    ¡°If the empire has unified the continent, then I don¡¯t need to worry about others suspecting me as a spy from a rival nation,¡± he thought.

    Unsurprisingly, Binladen the knight looked at Su-hyeun with pity.

    Since there was no possibility of a spy coming from another country or even from another fiefdom, the white-haired knight figured that Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have any reason to put up an act like this.

    ¡°Oh, my¡­I should apologize for unfairly suspecting you.¡±

    Binladen seemed genuinely apologetic just then.

    Su-hyeun smiled inwardly. One careless slip-up and he could¡¯ve really laughed out loud at Binladen¡¯s earnest response. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I did sense a faint amount of aura coming from you, friend. As the aura control is the discipline of the knights, I was initially thinking that maybe a wandering knight taught you the basics of it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Is it possible for you to show me your swordsmanship? From the looks of it earlier, you may have lost your memories, but you didn¡¯t lose your grasp on how to handle the aura.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at Binladen¡¯s suggestion and stood up from his chair. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Binladen was taken aback by the response that came right away as if Su-hyeun had been waiting for the suggestion all along. ¡°Eh? So soon? Why don¡¯t we enjoy our tea first? Its wonderful aroma will be lost once the tea cools down, you see.¡±

    ¡°No need to worry about that, actually,¡± Su-hyeun replied while picking up his sword resting by his side. ¡°It¡¯ll be over before the tea cools down.¡±

    * * *

    The knight order led by Binladen boasted 20 knights, so, with him included, it would be a knight order with a total of 21 men.

    And that knight order had gathered around to spectate on Binladen and Su-hyeun¡¯s sparring session.

    They found this event quite interesting.

    Binladen was famous for his unwillingness to move his butt. Unless it was for something major, he would not draw his sword, and besides during individual training time, he could hardly be seen sparring with someone else.

    He also used wooden swords instead of real swords when training the members of the knight order. Therefore, it was only natural that the knights would become interested in this sparring.

    However, that only lasted for a few brief moments.

    ¡°The commander, he¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡­Did he lose?¡±

    The sparring ended in less than 30 seconds, puzzling all the spectating knights from the looks on their faces.

    Su-hyeun stood on his feet.

    On the other hand, Binladen was kissing the ground with his butt.

    The tip of Su-hyeun¡¯s blade was pointing at Binladen¡¯s throat. With that, the victor and loser had been clearly decided.

    Binladen remained sitting there with a dazed expression. He thought to himself, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s see how skilled you are,¡± when he heard Su-hyeun said it would be over before the tea cooled down, but the outcome simply exceeded his imaginations.

    ¡°Just how¡­did I lose?¡±

    Binladen didn¡¯t even know how he lost just then.

    Su-hyeun withdrew the sword at those words that acknowledged defeat and extended his hand. ¡°That was unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°It was unfortunate? Huh, huhuhuh¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t say anything else¡ªnothing about what was unfortunate here or how Binladen lost the spar. He didn¡¯t explain anything.

    But the reason for that was simple¡ªthere was no need.

    There would be no other way to describe how or why Binladen lost than to say he was much weaker than his opponent this time.

    He muttered, ¡°This¡­Well, things did really turn out as you¡¯ve predicted.¡±

    Indeed, the tea shouldn¡¯t have gotten cold yet.

    Although some time had been wasted because the knight order members gathered around to spectate, the spar itself only lasted 30 seconds at most.

    Not only that¡­

    ¡°He went easy on me,¡± Binladen realized.

    When their sparring session was in full swing, Binladen had gotten the impression that Su-hyeun was going easy on him.

    Despite that, the white-haired knight¡¯s balance had crumbled at the last moment, and Su-hyeun¡¯s blade was placed underneath his chin even before he could figure out what happened.

    In other words, it was a perfect defeat.

    ¡°Friend, would you like to accompany us back to the imperial palace?¡±

    Binladen asked as he took hold of Su-hyeun¡¯s offered hand to stand back up.

    As for Su-hyeun, he formed a surprised expression at that question and asked back in a ¡°surprised¡± voice, ¡°The imperial palace, you say?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. You said you lost your memories, didn¡¯t you? Which means that you don¡¯t have anywhere else to go. You probably don¡¯t remember your family either.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let us travel together. I¡¯d dearly like to introduce you to his majesty the emperor.¡±

    Su-hyeun formed an expression of deep contemplation for a little while because he figured answering right away would come across as a bit too strange.

    And so, a short while later, he voiced the answer he had decided on at the beginning. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Haha! You made the right choice. Maybe we¡¯ll end up as one family later on.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s reply brought about a loud peal of laughter from Binladen.

    While the knight patted him on the shoulder, Su-hyeun felt relieved inside.

    ¡°As expected, entering a bigger pond is better for gathering information,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun aimed to find out two things: one, what or who this ¡°predator¡± could be and, two, where it might be hiding.

    Finding out necessary information should prove to be easier inside the imperial palace when compared to getting it from regular citizens. Without a doubt, the majority of useful information from all corners of the continent would be gathered in the palace, after all.

    And so, Su-hyeun accompanied Binladen to the imperial palace.

    * * *

    Clack, click¡ª

    The sounds of hooves rang out at a fixed interval. It might have been a long time since Su-hyeun rode a horse, but that didn¡¯t mean he had forgotten how to.

    As he followed on horseback from right at the rear of the knight order, he kept his gaze fixed on Binladen¡¯s back. Su-hyeun¡¯s mind was replaying the sparring session he had with the white-haired knight, which took place earlier.

    ¡°Where would he be situated in this world¡¯s hierarchy?¡±

    Their spar lasted around 30 seconds, which admittedly wasn¡¯t that long. However, if you asked him if it proved to be a letdown, then he would answer that it wasn¡¯t the case at all.

    ¡°His level was higher than I thought.¡±

    Binladen had trained in the Sage Arts, which seemed to be referred to as ¡°aura control¡± in this world.

    However, Binladen was human at the end of the day. He definitely couldn¡¯t be compared to Sun Wukong, the Bull Demon King, the Roc Demon King, or the other transcendental existences like them.

    Even then, Su-hyeun evaluated Binladen¡¯s skills quite highly. The latter possessed the skill level that rivaled an average S-Rank awakener.

    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance more people like him can become my allies¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun tried to imagine just what kind of existence the ¡°predator¡± could be.

    For some reason, he had a feeling that that title didn¡¯t belong to a human. Quite likely, the creature might be closer to a monster than a person.

    If that was the case, he might get assistance from fellow humans like Binladen or even the empire itself.

    If the empire¡¯s forces were teeming with skilled individuals like Binladen, and he was able to get their help, then that alone could become a powerful strength he could rely on.

    ¡°But if I flip that around, doesn¡¯t that mean the monster is so strong that I¡¯ll need the help of these people?¡±

    He felt more and more curious about just what this predator could actually be. But his worries were growing just as great as well.

    And so, after riding on horseback for another 30 minutes or so¡­

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± said Binladen who rode in front of the group. He turned his head toward Su-hyeun and said, ¡°So, what do you think? I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t remember it, but since I didn¡¯t recognize your face, it must mean this should be your first time seeing the imperial palace.¡±

    While waiting for the palace gates to open up, Binladen got closer to Su-hyeun and began chatting with him.

    However, for some reason, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t respond. It was as if his soul had been spirited away; he simply stared at the mouth of the massive imperial palace in utter silence.

    ¡°Fella, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I beg your pardon? Did you say something just now¡­?¡±

    ¡°Friend, looks like you got too absorbed in sightseeing just now. But I understand where you¡¯re coming from. Everyone who comes here for the first time does that. Hahaha!¡±

    Binladen thought that the cause of Su-hyeun¡¯s dazed state was the imperial palace¡¯s majestic scale.

    Su-hyeun smiled back awkwardly and mumbled some reply. Of course, he wasn¡¯t so stupefied because of such a simple reason.

    ¡°Just who¡­?¡± he thought.

    The distance must have been considerable, yet he could still sense it.

    He could sense an overwhelmingly massive presence that even managed to dwarf this majestic and humongous imperial palace, making it look shabby in comparison.

    With that, Su-hyeun became certain of it.

    He was sure that somewhere within this palace existed an incredible monster.

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292: Chapter 292

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me what kind of a person His Majesty is?¡±

    Inside a small reception room within the imperial palace.

    Su-hyeun was sitting on the opposite side of Binladen. Before he could be introduced to the emperor, they had to wait for a little while.

    ¡°He¡¯s an amazing person, of course.¡±

    ¡°Is it alright for a man of such a stature to meet someone like me?¡±

    ¡°What do you find unusual about that? His Majesty the emperor only wishes to meet talented and skilled individuals, that¡¯s all.¡±

    For sure, someone on Su-hyeun¡¯s level would be seen as an incredible talent in this world.

    Although Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know where Binladen would be placed in this world¡¯s hierarchy in terms of strength, he nevertheless was a commander of a knight order belonging to the imperial palace, which implied that he was stronger than average knights.

    So, Binladen didn¡¯t even need to question Su-hyeun¡¯s skills when Su-hyeun was capable of subduing him in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I think it¡¯s a problem. Normally, you wouldn¡¯t openly invite someone with an unknown background inside the imperial palace, am I wrong? For instance, what if I wanted to harm His Majesty, or¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you just say that for laughs?¡± Binladen chuckled in dismay at Su-hyeun¡¯s words. ¡°His Majesty? You will do what?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you may not be aware of it due to your memory loss, completely forgetting about what kind of a person His Majesty is.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡±

    Of course, Su-hyeun had no clue. He had just arrived in this world, and the only comprehensive conversation he had so far was with Binladen.

    He asked about what kind of a person the emperor was simply because he heard that the same man was responsible for unifying the continent for the first time in its history.

    ¡°His Majesty is the strongest individual in the entire continent.¡±

    ¡°I knew it,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Binladen¡¯s reply affirmed Su-hyeun¡¯s initial guess that the massive presence he sensed earlier belonged to the emperor.

    The emperor who successfully unified the continent for the first time in its long history was an absolute being who ruled over the continent for over a hundred years without letting go of his throne once.

    That was the current emperor, Wick Bradley, in a nutshell.

    ¡°His Majesty was born a slave, a position even lower than that of a commoner, but he still became an aristocrat and then, eventually, a king by relying only on his own strength. I heard that His Majesty has lived for several hundred years already, but he personally has said that he can live past 1,000.¡±

    After the initial introduction, Binladen continued on with a really long-winded tale of Emperor Bradley¡¯s exploits. Rather than a character introduction, it verged on exaltation at this point.

    However, Su-hyeun did pay close attention since these stories were of the emperor¡¯s actual accomplishments. Some of the things, ¡°abilities,¡± he heard just now definitely fell into the category of the ¡°Sage Arts¡± Su-hyeun was familiar with.

    ¡°Splitting the ocean apart with just a single sword strike probably means cutting through the Gyeol,¡± he thought.

    Even those outlandish-sounding accomplishments would not be impossible to pull off if he had mastered the Sage Arts to some degree.

    For instance, Su-hyeun could also split water in half, albeit only for a brief moment, by also cutting through the Gyeol.

    ¡°So isn¡¯t it obvious now? No one in this world can harm His Majesty. And that¡¯s why not only you don¡¯t see any personal guardian knights around him, but His Majesty also doesn¡¯t care about letting suspicious people inside the imperial palace.¡±

    ¡°I see. I get it now.¡±

    Actually, Su-hyeun got it from the very beginning.

    It would not make much sense for a stupefyingly powerful emperor to fear for his own safety and be reluctant to let people inside the imperial palace, after all.

    It was just that Su-hyeun felt deeply curious about just what kind of a person he was.

    ¡°From what I can see, Mister Binladen doesn¡¯t seem to know where the emperor learned the Sage Arts from,¡± Su-hyeun inwardly considered.

    Apparently, the emperor was the progenitor of the Sage Arts called ¡°aura control¡± in this world. Along with his arrival, other knights learned the Sage Arts, and in turn, humanity had become stronger than ever before.

    ¡°In that case, just where did the emperor learn the Sage Arts from?¡±

    One question simply birthed another one that continued to brush past his mind.

    And so, while he was chatting to Binladen about this and that¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze toward the reception room¡¯s entrance.

    And right at that moment¡­

    ¡°His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwhat? He¡¯s here?¡±

    Binladen was taken aback by the announcement coming from outside the door and hurriedly shot up from his seat.

    He had been thinking that the emperor would obviously call for them once the message got to him, yet for some reason, the emperor himself had personally come to visit the reception room instead.

    Creak¡ª

    Once the door began opening up, Su-hyeun imitated Binladen and also stood up from his spot.

    It didn¡¯t matter which country it was, no subject would welcome their kings and queens while sitting down. Although Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t a denizen of this world, only he himself knew that.

    ¡°So, he¡¯s the emperor,¡± Su-hyeun silently observed.

    Ba-dump¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s heart powerfully pounded away.

    What greeted his sight was a young face that seemed to be of a similar age to Su-hyeun, with a head full of short-cropped blonde hair standing upright. Just from his outer appearance alone, you would never believe that the emperor had lived for hundreds of years by now.

    However, Su-hyeun could still read the passage of time from the emperor¡¯s expression and the light gleaming within those eyes.

    ¡°¡­First brother? No, wait. He¡¯s not on the same level, but¡­¡±

    His hands discreetly clenched into fists by his sides.

    ¡°As I thought, he¡¯s a monster.¡±

    The emperor.

    Seeing this man drove the fact home a little harder: that Su-hyeun was stuck inside the world of the trial found on the 100th floor.

    Emperor Wick Bradley strode inside the reception room and then alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and Binladen. The latter hurriedly went down on one knee and bowed his head to act according to the established decorum.

    ¡°Your loyal subject Binladen is honored by your presence, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not even inside the audience chamber so no need to be such a stickler for formalities. Be at ease, gentlemen. At ease.¡±

    Bradley motioned for Binladen to stand up and settled down on the seat of honor.

    His gaze then shifted over to Su-hyeun and remained there. ¡°So, it¡¯s this man? The wandering swordsman who managed to subdue you in 10 moves?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Due to his memory loss, he doesn¡¯t know who taught him swordsmanship nor where he¡¯s from. Hence, I thought of bringing him here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well. I welcome any talented individuals.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your favorable evaluation. But Your Majesty, you didn¡¯t have to personally grace us with your¡ª¡±

    ¡°My curiosity got the better of me,¡± Bradley replied, smirking. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a man like this before, you see. As a matter of fact, it¡¯s like staring at my past self.¡±

    ¡°The past version of Your Majesty¡­?¡±

    ¡°Binladen, please leave us for now. Why don¡¯t we have a chat at another time?¡±

    Binladen got up after receiving Bradley¡¯s order. Although he seemed affable and easy-going on the outside, the emperor had an extreme dislike for repeating himself.

    Thud¡ª

    Binladen closed shut the rather heavy door behind him and left, leaving Su-hyeun and Bradley alone in the reception room.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have anything particular to say, so he kept his mouth shut and waited for the emperor to speak first.

    ¡°Say, you¡¯ve lost your memories?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How did it happen?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t remember that either, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°This is strange. If there was someone like you, then I¡¯d have definitely known about it.¡±

    The emperor settled further into the chair and crossed his legs and then, while making a puzzled expression, stared openly at Su-hyeun.

    He studied Su-hyeun¡¯s hair and eye colors, before asking another question. ¡°Are you from another world?¡±

    That prompted Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes to narrow. This question¡­it sounded somewhat familiar.

    ¡°As I thought, he¡¯s quite similar to the first brother.¡±

    As implied, Emperor Wick Bradley was similar to the Bull Demon King.

    However, that was about it. Being ¡°similar¡± also meant ¡°not the same.¡± The difference between Bradley and the Bull Demon King would be their ¡°class.¡±

    Su-hyeun read the suspicion contained in Bradley¡¯s question. The latter suspected that the former had come from another world but did not feel confident about his guess.

    Which was different from the Bull Demon King who was quite certain of Su-hyeun being a person from another world altogether.

    From Su-hyeun¡¯s observation, this man was well below the Bull Demon King. Well, his first brother was like a massive castle; you would have a tough time looking up to see how tall he was, figuratively speaking.

    ¡°I think you could be correct,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°I could be?¡±

    ¡°Even I¡¯m not sure where I came from, actually. However, there is only one reason why I came here. And that is to¡­¡±

    The initial reason why Su-hyeun came up with the excuse of amnesia and acted accordingly was to find the necessary information about this world.

    And now, the emperor holding the most information than any other person in this world was sitting right before his eyes.

    ¡°Defeat the one called the predator.¡±

    And as such, Su-hyeun decided not to continue with his charade in front of Bradley. He chose to come clean and see what his reactions would be like.

    ¡°The predator, you say?¡±

    Bradley¡¯s expression became unreadable after hearing Su-hyeun say that. It was a confusing expression, where he might or might not have an idea.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t quite read the emperor¡¯s thoughts from his expression alone. His reaction was too vague, and it was hard to tell whether he knew about the existence called the predator or not.

    ¡°Do you have any idea, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Maybe it¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking of.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I only know that much as well. I have no clue what it looks like nor where it could even be right now.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Can you think of something?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one¡­¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, what can it be?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. Hmm¡­¡± Bradley seemed to ponder on something after Su-hyeun¡¯s question and then smirked softly. ¡°If you wish to know more, then you should join me.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually in the middle of gathering strong individuals. If it¡¯s you, I can even bestow you with a spot right next to me as the continent¡¯s second most important being. So, how about it?¡±

    The continent¡¯s second most important being?

    This decision seemed rather grave for something that asked for a quick yes or no. Su-hyeun ended up taken aback greatly by the offer. ¡°Isn¡¯t this headhunting attempt way too sudden?¡±

    ¡°What about it? I¡¯ll just keep you around me, and if I don¡¯t like something about you, either I¡¯ll just cast you out or simply get rid of you. Because I¡¯m stronger than you, right?¡±

    Those words could be deemed quite harsh when spoken in front of the person in question. However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t find it strange for Bradley to say such things. Instead, he thought it suited the emperor rather well.

    An arrogance that went beyond pure confidence but backed up by real abilities that ensured it wasn¡¯t simply his conceit speaking.

    Bradley was the ¡°transcender¡± who possessed all these qualities.

    ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re gathering strong individuals in the first place?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°What do you mean, why?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you strong enough to not care about forming a group?¡±

    Su-hyeun stopped calling Bradley ¡°His Majesty.¡±

    But the latter didn¡¯t pick a fault with that. He genuinely thought that Su-hyeun had ample qualifications to do so.

    At least at this moment, no one in this world understood Bradley better than Su-hyeun. This was the type of problem that only those standing in the same realm as he could understand.

    Indeed, what Su-hyeun said was correct. Bradley didn¡¯t need to form a group anymore.

    Which was obvious because he was already so powerful. Too powerful, in fact, that he could singlehandedly defeat an opposing group without the backing of his own group.

    If he wished to appease his loneliness, then it would be more understandable, but what Bradley wanted was powerful individuals¡ªas if he wanted to create an even stronger organization.

    To Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, such an action seemed like a meaningless endeavor.

    ¡°The answer to that is connected to your earlier question,¡± the emperor replied.

    ¡°My earlier question, is it?¡±

    ¡°That creature called the predator. It sounds like someone that I know of.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes shot wide open at Bradley¡¯s reply.

    As he thought, he made the right call to come here. Bradley did indeed know about the creature called the ¡°predator,¡± the ultimate goal of the trial given to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What kind of being is it?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it? If you want to know more, join me.¡±

    ¡°But, that¡ª¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t hold onto someone who¡¯s not willing. However, my goal of finding strong individuals is related to it.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Bradley lightly snapped his fingers before continuing, ¡°Take your time and think about it. I¡¯ll give you one day. Treat this place like your home and take a good rest. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re feeling worn out from all that traveling.¡±

    ¡°This is a bit¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun formed a troubled expression at this sudden and out-of-control development.

    Did the emperor want Su-hyeun as his subject when he said ¡°join me¡±? If this was any other occasion, that was fine, but as he couldn¡¯t get back to his own homeworld right now, he certainly didn¡¯t feel like getting tied down by the empire¡¯s matters and wasting his time.

    ¡°Ah, and by the way, this is a secret, but that creature called the predator?¡± Bradley suddenly said something else as if he was being generous as he got up from his spot and headed for the door to leave. ¡°It¡¯s a monster that preys upon the world. Well, that¡¯s all I can tell you. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the one you¡¯re looking for, but if it is, then come see me tomorrow.¡±

    Creak, thud¡ª

    And with those parting words, Bradley left the reception room.

    Su-hyeun remained sitting in a daze from what the emperor told him.

    ¡°A monster that preys upon the world¡­¡±

    Ache¡ª

    Suddenly, he felt a rush of a migraine.

    It felt as if a piece of memory buried deep in the recess of his brain was floating back up to the surface. And this memory was not from Su-hyeun¡¯s current life.

    It was from¡­

    ¡°I shall devour you, and then, I¡¯ll finish preying upon this world.¡±

    Fafnir.

    From his final battle against that abominable monster.

 Chapter 293

    * * *

    Su-hyeun stayed behind in the reception room and mulled over his conversation with the emperor, Wick Bradley.

    Bradley wanted him¡ªor more correctly, he wanted the power Su-hyeun possessed because Bradley was gathering powerful individuals to his side.

    When Su-hyeun asked for the reason, the emperor simply replied that it was related to the ¡°predator.¡±

    ¡°Is it a coincidence?¡±

    More than anything else, he kept thinking back to what Bradley said toward the end¡ªthat the predator was the monster that preyed upon this world.

    Su-hyeun had only ever heard such a thing once in his entire life.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same as what Fafnir said.¡±

    In Su-hyeun¡¯s final moments, Fafnir told him that it would devour him and then finish preying upon the world.

    Although he was too exhausted and dying at the time, he still clearly remembered those words. And that was precisely why Su-hyeun just couldn¡¯t get rid of Bradley¡¯s words from his head.

    ¡°The predator¡­¡±

    When he initially heard the term ¡°predator,¡± he thought it was a title simply reserved for a type of existence that sat on top of the local food chain. But the ¡°predator¡± Bradley was thinking of didn¡¯t seem to be the same creature.

    Su-hyeun took a look at the reception room he was in.

    At first, he figured this world was an ordinary one.

    Even if this was a unified empire, nothing seemed all that special about it. Unifying a continent under one rule wouldn¡¯t be an impossibility if a kingdom or an empire boasting an overwhelming military strength existed somewhere, after all.

    He also wasn¡¯t too perturbed either after learning about the knights of this world training in the Sage Arts called ¡°aura control.¡± There was no rule saying that only Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King could learn the discipline called the Sage Arts, after all.

    However, after his encounter with Emperor Wick Bradley, Su-hyeun began questioning the existence referred to as the predator.

    ¡°Whatever the case may be, there¡¯s no point if I stop here.¡±

    Bradley said that Su-hyeun should come to see him tomorrow if the latter decided to join him.

    So, he had to choose between two options: leave or stay.

    He didn¡¯t need long to make up his mind.

    If he left now, it would become impossible to progress further in this trial.

    He still hadn¡¯t found anything concrete about who this Bradley could be and what kind of existence the objective of this trial, the ¡°predator,¡± even was. However, he at least had run into a sliver of hint right now.

    But if he left the imperial palace, he would not get to learn anything more.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    Bradley.

    The ¡°predator.¡±

    Su-hyeun silently mulled on that name and that title.

    And so, a day had passed by inside the 100th floor¡¯s trial to herald the arrival of a brand new morning.

    * * *

    Chirp, chirp¡ª

    Shwa-aaaah¡ª

    The singing of birds and the sound of a waterfall filled the morning air.

    Bright sunlight cast down from the clear sky above highlighted the beautiful scenery decorated by verdant grass and colorful flowers.

    Bradley was strolling around in the imperial palace¡¯s garden but stopped and turned around. It had taken a while before his visitor showed up as he was taking his usual morning stroll.

    ¡°Have you decided?¡± he asked while taking another look at the flower garden.

    It was as if he didn¡¯t feel all that interested in the person standing behind him.

    A reply soon came his way.

    ¡°What will you do after I hear what you have to say and still wish to leave?¡±

    ¡°Answering a question with another question? I¡¯ve never enjoyed humoring such a thing.¡± Bradley seemed to consider for a little while and then replied, ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re mistaken about something here. When I asked you to join me, I didn¡¯t mean you should become my retainer. No, it¡¯s as I said. Join me, and fight alongside me. Well, regardless of what, if I was correct in reading you, then you¡¯d probably choose to stick by my side anyway.¡±

    Bradley¡¯s behavior today was somewhat different from yesterday when he was so set on convincing Su-hyeun to become his ally.

    Su-hyeun became curious at that type of response that seemed to communicate, ¡°Can¡¯t be helped in that case,¡± and simply had to ask. ¡°What do you see me as?¡±

    ¡°The same type of person as me.¡± While saying that, Bradley picked a flower up and held it in his hand. The flower¡¯s color suddenly paled before all of its moisture was drained from it. It withered and dried up before disintegrating into powder. ¡°A monster full of ambition. No, more correctly, someone who¡¯d become such a monster.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit difficult to understand.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t understand now even if I explain to you. Let me add one more thing. I¡¯ve spread aura control to the rest of the world so that I can find people like you.¡±

    Of course, the ¡°aura control¡± was the discipline Su-hyeun knew as the Sage Arts.

    He knew that Bradley distributed the Sage Arts and let the knights master them, but to think that the purpose of doing that was to find others like him?

    ¡°When you train in aura control, you will inevitably awaken a unique ability specific to an individual. Were you aware of this fact?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at Bradley¡¯s question.

    He already heard from the Bull Demon King about awakening one¡¯s unique abilities through the Sage Arts. Not to forget, he had witnessed it in full display for half a year recently as well.

    ¡°Third brother¡¯s cloning technique was precisely that, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he thought.

    You couldn¡¯t tell what kind of an ability you would awaken nor when it would awaken in the first place. Sometimes, it would manifest out of the blue and, almost always, when you needed it the most.

    That¡¯s what the Bull Demon King had told him.

    ¡°Since you already know, explaining will be easier for me, then. The ability that I awakened is ¡®precognition.¡¯ To be more specific, I should say that this ability allows me to foresee any dangers that will happen in the future.¡±

    ¡°Any dangers, you say?¡±

    ¡°Right, any dangers. Dangers that will threaten me and the world that I rule.¡±

    Bradley spoke up to there and raised his head.

    Su-hyeun followed after his gaze. The skies that used to be sunny and clear a second ago gradually grew darker, and soon enough, pitch-black stormy clouds completely blanketed everything.

    ¡°You asked me why I¡¯m gathering strong subjects, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Is this an illusion?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun instantly realized that this scenery, the surrounding air, and even the massive pressure bearing down on him were all part of an illusion.

    However, he didn¡¯t sense any malicious intent behind it. It seemed that Bradley merely wished to show him something.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of that thing.¡±

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The black clouds covering the skies split open, and a monstrous roar resounded from within. The roar was so loud that not only it reverberated throughout the sky, but the ground below also rippled noticeably.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but gaze toward the torn opening of the black clouds above as if he was drawn to it.

    Something was coming.

    It was something massive and terrifying.

    It was something that no other monsters Su-hyeun had come across so far could even be compared to.

    ¡°No, wait. This¡­¡±

    Actually, there was one creature he could compare it to.

    Soon, a creature¡¯s head emerged from the gap in the clouds, and Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes shot open incredibly wide.

    ¡°Fa¡ªFafnir?!¡±

    It was a humongous dragon covered in jet-black scales, one that was large enough to cover the entirety of the heavens above.

    Its size or how it looked differed from his memories. Not only did Fafnir possess a human-like body but its size also wasn¡¯t as humongous as that black dragon.

    However, Su-hyeun had fought against Fafnir for a very long time, so he could definitely tell. The face of the massive dragon was exactly the same as Fafnir¡¯s.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    The black dragon readied its Breath and then exhaled it to the ground below. Not too long after that, the ground Su-hyeun stood on turned into a sea of flames and, eventually, scorched land of death.

    Right at that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s vision was assaulted by the images of his homeworld, now completely obliterated.

    Rumble, ruuuumble¡ª

    Tumble, shatter¡ª

    The land and cities were burned beyond recognition and filled with rivers of blood and corpses of people torn and scorched to death.

    Grit¡ª

    Su-hyeun gritted his teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut right after that, and by the time he opened them again, the illusion had ended.

    ¡°You don¡¯t wish to watch anymore, it seems,¡± Bradley said.

    ¡°What¡­Just what was that?¡±

    ¡°The predator.¡±

    Bradley¡¯s reply was what Su-hyeun had been expecting to hear.

    ¡°The true monster that will devour this world.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Not too long from now, that monster will show up to devour this world. What you witnessed wasn¡¯t an ordinary illusion but the future that will happen not too long from now.¡±

    ¡°When you say not too long from now, how long are we talking about?¡±

    ¡°About 15 days.¡±

    Fifteen days was a period normally considered to be neither too short nor too long.

    However, as the remaining time until the advent of the world¡¯s destruction, it certainly felt mercilessly short indeed.

    ¡°So, how about it? Are you willing to join my cause now?¡±

    ¡°In 15 days¡­¡±

    For Su-hyeun, who couldn¡¯t go back to his world, 15 days was an awfully long time.

    Still, it was good that the trial¡¯s outline had finally revealed itself. He was able to get a hold of the clue pertaining to the ¡°predator¡± far easier than he thought.

    ¡°As soon as I kill the ¡®predator,¡¯ I plan to leave right away.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your choice. And I don¡¯t plan to stop you, anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s great that our discussion has become simpler.¡±

    Su-hyeun extended his hand toward Bradley.

    The latter looked at the offered hand for a little while before smirking softly and said, ¡°You¡¯re the first person to ask for my handshake in the past 100 years.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Bradley grabbed his hand and, while holding it tightly, shook it up and down.

    ¡°And it¡¯s not such a bad feeling, indeed.¡±

    * * *

    Another day passed by after Su-hyeun shook hands with Bradley.

    A conference of great importance was held in the imperial palace¡¯s audience chamber every 10 days. The occasion was meant to inform everyone of the continent¡¯s state of affairs and discuss the potential solutions to the problems that cropped up.

    The conference was also used as a ceremony to bestow peerage or to announce the appointment of a noble to an important position within the empire¡¯s government.

    ¡°And so, I shall be appointing him as my personal guardian knight for the next 15 days.¡±

    On this occasion, Bradley announced Su-hyeun¡¯s new position. Whatever the case might have been, a suitably important position was necessary if he wanted to have a smoother life inside the imperial palace.

    The role of the emperor¡¯s personal guard was a pretty good position since Su-hyeun would get to use the personal training area, as well as the imperial court¡¯s armory as much as he wanted.

    ¡°Are you really sure you don¡¯t want the peerage of a duke?¡±

    ¡°Being a personal guardian knight is perfect, actually.¡±

    ¡°But that feels shortchanged.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t try to tie me down unnecessarily. I don¡¯t know how to handle such a position, anyway.¡±

    Su-hyeun always felt uncomfortable when people looked up to him.

    A duke should be second only to the emperor in terms of the hierarchy, so basically, one could think of it as a position reserved for the No. 2 of the entire empire.

    It would suit the crown prince best, but from what Su-hyeun heard, Bradley didn¡¯t even have any kids.

    ¡°Your Majesty, forgive this servant for his impertinence, but bestowing a foreigner with the position of your personal guardian knight is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s correct, Your Majesty. How about searching for a talented individual among the commanders of the knight orders? If not, this humble servant¡¯s household has produced a rather excellent knight, and he¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Your Majesty. The House of Count Walts has¡­¡±

    Bradley¡¯s announcement caused the chorus of the nobles to grow louder. The emperor remained quiet and listened to their opposition for a while. But he eventually intervened around the five-minute mark of the nobles¡¯ insistent suggestions voiced in different manners.

    ¡°I now understand all of your opinions on the matter, good sirs.¡±

    Once he spoke up, all the other nobles promptly shut their mouths.

    Even if they had raised their voices in agitation, they wouldn¡¯t dare to cut off their own emperor mid-speech.

    Bradley continued, ¡°So, your objections boil down to the question of his skill, correct? The question of whether or not I can leave the duty of my personal knight to this man.¡±

    ¡°It is indeed so, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°There can be only one sword qualified enough to escort you from your side, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Although we¡¯ll never dare to imagine that Your Majesty would find yourself in danger, we must still beseech you to consider the significance of the position.¡±

    The personal guardian knight of the emperor was certainly not a lightweight role.

    In a way, this position was higher than the empire¡¯s count or marquis. It was a glorious and honorable role that indicated that the emperor had acknowledged a person¡¯s abilities.

    ¡°I¡¯ll guarantee his level of ability. However, anyone dissatisfied by his appointment should challenge him because if you manage to defeat him, I shall immediately appoint you as my next personal guardian knight.¡±

    ¡°¡­I beg your pardon?¡±

    ¡°Challenge the personal knight appointed by you, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Is this true?¡±

    Proverbial flames lit up within the eyes of the nobles at Bradley¡¯s declaration.

    Standing next to the emperor, Su-hyeun witnessed their reactions and couldn¡¯t help but sneak a glare at Bradley.

    He inwardly tutted, ¡°What¡¯s up with this unfunny prank¡­?¡±

    It was hard to tell whether Bradley was aware of Su-hyeun¡¯s glare as he chuckled on his throne.

    And soon, the conference had come to an end. It happened just as Su-hyeun exited from the audience chamber along with the other nobles.

    ¡°Look here.¡±

    Someone approached Su-hyeun and grabbed his shoulder.

    Before Su-hyeun turned his head, he glanced at the hand restraining him. The other guy must have been thinking of provoking him because that hand was gripping him fairly tightly.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a brief chat?¡±

    ¡°Man, things got really annoying,¡± Su-hyeun groaned under his breath.

    It was simply at that level, though¡ªnothing more than some annoyance.

    Su-hyeun hurled profanities in his mind at Bradley, the instigator of this mess, and turned his head to look.

 Chapter 294

    ¡°What is it?¡± Su-hyeun replied in a slightly cocky manner, which was unlike his usual self, and studied the man before him.

    It was a knight with a manly face, in his mid-30s, and kitted out in heavy and uncomfortable-looking full plate armor. His eyes were shaped upward as if he was angry about something.

    ¡°His Majesty has said this, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    Kiiing, clack¡ª

    He unsheathed his sword about a finger¡¯s length before sheathing it again. Despite not knowing the etiquette of this world, even Su-hyeun could tell that such actions signified this man¡¯s desire to challenge him to a duel.

    ¡°He said that I must defeat you and stand next to His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°You must be as dumb as a pile of bricks.¡±

    ¡°What was that?!¡±

    ¡°Is that how you interpreted what His Majesty said? Honestly, this is what I heard,¡± Su-hyeun said as he stared straight at the knight¡¯s reddened face. Then, with a sneer, he continued, ¡°Get beaten up black and blue and then learn your place.¡±

    ¡°Are you done running your mouth?!¡±

    ¡°You better loosen your grip.¡±

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed and squeezed the knight¡¯s wrist that was still holding onto his shoulder. ¡°Unless you want me to break your hand before we start fighting.¡±

    ¡°Keuh-euh¡­¡±

    The knight tried to use his brute strength to yank his hand back, but he couldn¡¯t. No matter what he did, the wrist grabbed by Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even budge an inch.

    Just as the knight became fearful that his wrist might really break if they kept this up, Su-hyeun suddenly relaxed his grip and let go.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It seems that Lord Milton has issued his challenge.¡±

    ¡°Lord Milton did already?¡±

    ¡°Makes sense since Lord Milton¡¯s personality won¡¯t allow for some random rock to roll in and block his path.¡±

    ¡°I am the same as he is. We don¡¯t even know what his background is¡­¡±

    The nobles in the vicinity whispered among themselves when Su-hyeun and the knight began their standoff.

    It seemed quite a few people here had predicted a situation like this one would happen sooner or later judging from their lack of surprise. From what Su-hyeun heard just now, this knight standing before his eyes, Milton, was famed for his hotheadedness.

    ¡°Hah-ah¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun gave out a long sigh and scanned his surroundings.

    The eyes of every single noble glaring at him contained naked animosity. Bluish light swirled within Su-hyeun¡¯s own eyes as he studied them all.

    ¡°You know, let¡¯s not complicate this.¡± He scratched his head and spoke in an annoyed tone. ¡°I really hate the idea of accepting challenges one at a time, so why don¡¯t we get started right away? I¡¯ll resign immediately if I lose, so¡­¡±

    He then turned around and headed toward the underground drill hall that Bradley told him about yesterday.

    ¡°If you are confident about your chances, then all of you should come at me.¡±

    * * *

    The nobles that joined in after Su-hyeun made his announcement numbered more than quite a few.

    They were so confident of their own skills that they all unhesitatingly followed Su-hyeun down to the underground drill hall while carrying triumphant expressions.

    Although this result wasn¡¯t all that surprising to behold, he still felt rather dumbfounded by it nonetheless. Their expressions all implied how they viewed themselves¡ªmore than qualified enough to immediately earn Bradley¡¯s approval and get appointed as the new personal guardian knight.

    ¡°Friend, I hope you can be more understanding of them. I mean, many people dream big despite their comparatively lacking skill levels, right?¡±

    Among the gathered nobles happened to include Binladen as well.

    Binladen, as it turned out, was the commander of the imperial court¡¯s 12th knight order.

    ¡°Mister Binladen? Why are you coming along as well?¡± Su-hyeun had to ask the knight when the latter followed him into the drill hall.

    ¡°How can I miss such a wonderful opportunity?¡±

    ¡°An opportunity to spectate?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡±

    Unlike the first impression Su-hyeun had of him, Binladen replied with a naughty grin on his face. It seemed that he found the notion of Su-hyeun fighting off all these nobles rather entertaining to behold.

    In the meantime, more nobles were streaming inside the hall.

    The majority of the nobility of this world were individuals who had their strengths acknowledged in some ways. This was solely because of Bradley¡¯s policy of giving preference to strong people.

    As such, the nobles were rather willing to personally step up and fight Su-hyeun. They all believed that becoming the emperor¡¯s personal guardian knight would elevate the station of their house to the next level.

    Of course¡­

    ¡°I guess they all look rather shabby to you, friend.¡±

    Even to Binladen¡¯s eyes, the strengths of these nobles were merely on the ¡°alright¡± level, so he could easily guess how Su-hyeun viewed these hapless men right now.

    ¡°Well, a few handfuls are the exceptions, though,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°Are you talking about those men over there?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze toward the same spot Binladen was looking at, where a group of knights kitted out in plate mail armors was standing around.

    Among them was the knight named Milton¡ªthe very first man to pick a fight with Su-hyeun.

    ¡°They are all knights affiliated with the imperial knight orders. A few of them are commanders, too.¡±

    ¡°Where would a commander-level knight rank in terms of strength?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hard to answer since the differences in strengths are too great.¡±

    ¡°Let me change the question in that case. How good is the strongest person in all of the imperial knight orders?¡±

    ¡°Lord Waffman, the commander of the imperial court¡¯s first knight order is second only to Duke Layard in terms of skills. There¡¯s no doubting his abilities, but he¡¯s famed more for his viciousness and cruelty, you see.¡±

    ¡°Even if you explain it like that, I don¡¯t know who Duke Layard is, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Let me change the question again, then.¡± Su-hyeun pondered for a bit and then asked Binladen, ¡°How strong are they compared to His Majesty?¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    Binladen was stunned by that question and stared at Su-hyeun in a stupor.

    Could he compare them to the emperor?

    Su-hyeun had never met this Duke Layard, but he certainly did meet the emperor. And then, he was appointed as the emperor¡¯s personal guardian knight soon after.

    That request to compare them to Bradley implied that Su-hyeun had some grasp on the true capabilities of the emperor by now.

    Binladen kept his mouth shut for a little while since he wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that question. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have any solid idea of how strong Bradley actually was.

    ¡°If it¡¯s too hard to answer, you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll find out once we start fighting, anyway.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun took a big step forward as he said that.

    The glares of the nobles and the knights standing around in groups were immediately locked on him.

    Su-hyeun frowned and said, ¡°We¡¯ll see after it¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    What he said prompted puzzled gazes to gather on him from here and there.

    He strode into the middle of the drill hall only to say they would ¡°see after it¡¯s over¡±?

    After he said something that seemingly made no sense, Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to Milton. The latter had been loosening himself up by then, so he unhesitatingly walked over while unsheathing his sword.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be wearing a proper set of armor?¡± Milton asked.

    It seemed that he considered the thin armor Su-hyeun currently had on as not a real armor at all.

    ¡°No need,¡± said Su-hyeun as he unsheathed his own sword.

    But then, he didn¡¯t even assume any proper stance and lowered his weapon. From Milton¡¯s perspective, Su-hyeun seemed to be full of openings.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting into your stance already?¡±

    ¡°My stance, huh?¡± Su-hyeun spread open both of his arms wide. ¡°Alright, then. Come at me.¡±

    ¡°You dare¡­¡±

    Anyone could tell that Su-hyeun was mocking him, so Milton began gritting his teeth. This would be the first time he had been looked down upon to this degree. To make matters worse, he was a pretty renowned knight within the empire.

    He was the commander of the imperial court¡¯s 11th knight order, to boot.

    ¡°Do not resent me for reaping your life, then!¡±

    Wuu-uuung¡ª

    Aura began enveloping Milton¡¯s blade. It was the same ¡°power¡± referred to as Dao energy back in the world found on the 60th floor.

    From what Su-hyeun heard, it seemed that people called this energy ¡°aura¡± in this world.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that aura blade?¡±

    ¡°Oh ho ho. So Lord Milton did have a reason to be confident, I see.¡±

    ¡°So young, yet he¡¯s already reached that stage¡­¡±

    ¡°It is indeed the empire¡¯s great fortune.¡±

    Judging from the reactions of the peanut gallery, Milton¡¯s skill seemed to be a rather amazing thing. Su-hyeun studied Milton¡¯s ability with some interest as well.

    The knight had wrapped his sword with aura and created a silhouette of a larger blade. It became even sharper than any treasure swords you could find in the world.

    One could easily spy just how much Milton had to polish his ¡°Sage Art¡± in order to perfect the skill called the aura blade.

    ¡°Even then, it¡¯s a bit¡­¡±

    When Su-hyeun openly stared at his aura blade, Milton formed a triumphant expression and asked, ¡°And so, do you still not plan to get into a proper stance?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t bother to reply to that.

    Milton must have thought that he was still being ignored because a deep scowl dominated his expression almost immediately. He then grasped his sword with both hands and took a large stride forward.

    ¡°I see. In that case, why don¡¯t you¡ª?¡±

    Paaahk¡ª!

    Swooooosh¡ª

    The moment his feet left the ground, his whole body flew in front of Su-hyeun, aiming for his open chest. However, even as he held his sword to make a downward strike, Su-hyeun¡¯s stance showed no change whatsoever.

    ¡°Die already¡ª!¡±

    CLAAAANG¡ª!

    Milton was planning to cut apart his opponent¡¯s chest in one stroke, but his expression ended up stiffening in pure disbelief.

    His sword, which definitely should have split open Su-hyeun¡¯s torso, was currently stopped in front of the latter¡¯s chest.

    Shudder, quiver¡ª

    ¡°What is going on?¡± he thought.

    No matter how much he pushed, the blade didn¡¯t go any further.

    It was as if he was trying to hammer down on forged steel. No, wait¡ªhis sword should have easily cut through mere forged steel like a radish.

    But now¡­

    ¡°How come¡­?¡±

    [Somersault cloud]

    [Indomitable Body]

    [The Armor of Hades]

    The thin armor Su-hyeun had on was a piece of equipment crafted by Kim Dae-ho using the shell of the Titan Turtle. On top of that, the Somersault cloud wrapping around his body, plus the effects from the Indomitable Body, was more than enough to withstand most physical and magical damages.

    Meaning, Milton wouldn¡¯t be able to even scratch Su-hyeun even if the latter chose to stand still.

    ¡°So this is the aura blade?¡±

    Su-hyeun grabbed Milton¡¯s sword with his bare hand.

    Milton was stunned by that move and tried to yank his weapon back, but too bad for him, it didn¡¯t even budge an inch just like his wrist earlier.

    Su-hyeun continued, ¡°It certainly is sharp, but in terms of either its density or structure, I have to say it¡¯s on the poor side. It¡¯s only at the level of barely manifesting the correct shape, and that¡¯s about it.¡±

    Crack, crunch¡ª

    Veins bulged on Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    His strengthened grip easily distorted the aura Milton had generated. The flustered knight tried to reclaim his sword by strengthening his arms and legs and urgently pulled back.

    Clang¡ª!

    And right at that moment, Milton¡¯s sword snapped in half, causing him to stumble ungainly several steps back.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to use my sword for the likes of you.¡±

    Cruuunch¡ª

    Su-hyeun crushed the broken piece of the sword in his hand. The audience waiting for an exciting fight grew silent at what had transpired out of the blue.

    ¡°Anyone else wishing to challenge me? If you¡¯re reluctant to come at me one at a time, it¡¯s fine for you to attack in groups.¡±

    The drill hall fell into an even deeper silence, so much so that it was hard to believe that dozens of people had gathered in the place.

    They were either too busy sussing out each other¡¯s moods first or were glancing at Milton. As for Milton himself, he simply stood there, dazedly staring at his broken sword.

    A voice came from the group of knights. ¡°Goodness me. The faces of the imperial knight orders are rather shameful to look at right now.¡±

    Someone with a smiling face suddenly stepped out from among the hesitant knights. It was an old man with pure-white hair and white eyes.

    Quite unlike his aged outer appearance, however, his physique was well-toned, and the atmosphere he carried spoke volumes for his hidden strength.

    ¡°Please forgive us for passing judgment on you based solely on your appearance. As expected of a man acknowledged by His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m the commander of the imperial court¡¯s first knight order. Waffman is my name.¡±

    He was the imperial court¡¯s best knight according to what Binladen said not too long ago.

    ¡°This man is that Waffman,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Although Binladen did bring him up, this old man¡¯s overall countenance seemed somewhat ill-matched to the description of being vicious and cruel.

    However, that smiling face was hiding something underneath. One would normally resort to such a face when they wanted to hide a part of themselves they didn¡¯t like sharing with the rest of the world.

    An unnatural smile forced upon one¡¯s lips¡ªthat was the easiest mask a person could wear.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of you from Sir Binladen. He mentioned that you¡¯re probably the strongest person out of everyone present.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That friend, his praise was a bit excessive.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s not wrong. Even I can tell you¡¯re strong.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Waffman laughed at that. ¡°This old man is happy that so many youngsters are evaluating me so highly.¡±

    Unlike his chuckling face, though, Waffman¡¯s eyes were not smiling at all.

    Su-hyeun studied the aura wafting around Waffman. For sure, this man¡¯s level was far greater than Milton.

    ¡°Aura blade, huh?¡± Su-hyeun contemplated inwardly.

    Although only by a little, he was now interested in the upcoming battle.

    The level of abilities of this world wasn¡¯t high overall, but as far as its structure was concerned, Su-hyeun had to admit that it had been quite well-developed. Aura control began from the same roots as the Sage Arts, so he thought that there must be a few things he could learn from it.

    ¡°Okay, should I try it myself?¡± he thought.

 Chapter 295

    Giiii-iiing¡ª

    Su-hyeun loaded the sword with his magical energy.

    His energy had come to resemble the Dao energy in some ways after he trained in the Sage Arts and relied on the breathing technique for a while now.

    After pouring some magical energy onto the blade, he began picturing the ¡°sword¡± Milton was swinging earlier in his mind.

    To be specific, he reshaped the sword by placing one more layer on top of its blade using his aura.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­?¡± Waffman¡¯s eyes grew large when he witnessed the aura envelop Su-hyeun¡¯s own sword. ¡°I see. So you also knew how to wield the aura blade.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true,¡± Su-hyeun replied as he studied ¡°another blade¡± that now wrapped around his sword. ¡°But I am now able to use it, though.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°The theory behind it isn¡¯t all that difficult to emulate, is it? Anyone who¡¯s mastered some degree of control over their powers can recreate something on this level pretty easily,¡± Su-hyeun said confidently.

    Waffman nodded contemplatively in response. What Su-hyeun said wasn¡¯t wrong. The aura blade simply added aura to the sword to produce an even sharper blade.

    You would need exacting control over your own powers in order to manifest the shape and maintain it while swinging your sword around, but when flipping that around, this ability wouldn¡¯t be hard to use as long as you were good at controlling your powers.

    ¡°Indeed, a talented individual on your level wouldn¡¯t have found something like this all that difficult to pull off. But if that¡¯s the case, what have you already mastered?¡± Waffman said.

    The aura blade was like a symbol for all the knights out there.

    It was the ultimate idealized form of swordsmanship the current set of knights sought to reach. As such, a knight who was capable of properly using the aura blade was often referred to as the ¡°complete knight.¡±

    That was why knights dedicated their whole lives mastering that single skill so that they could polish and perfect it for the others to acknowledge them.

    Su-hyeun said that he only started using the aura blade today, which meant that he had not fully grasped it yet.

    Waffman believed that, rather obviously, Su-hyeun had already mastered some other skills. Otherwise, he would not be able to reach such a realm without mastering a skill at least on par with the aura blade.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll soon see it for yourself, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun looked around at the knights and nobles in the vicinity. ¡°Don¡¯t you think our stage is a bit too small?¡±

    The members of the peanut gallery heard him speak and began looking at each other before stepping back to create more distance.

    Soon, a big open circle was created around Su-hyeun and Waffman. The former nodded in satisfaction after thinking that the stage was large enough for his liking.

    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± Waffman spoke.

    ¡°With this much distance, I¡¯m sure they can now mind their own safety.¡±

    ¡°Your confidence in your abilities is rather sizeable, isn¡¯t it?¡± Waffman finally stopped smiling and narrowed his eyes. ¡°In that case, allow me to make the first move.¡±

    Paht¡ª

    Pah-paht¡ª

    Almost at the same time as Waffman¡¯s figure seemingly vanished into thin air, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure also vanished from the spot.

    Just as the crowd thought that the two men had disappeared, a loud noise exploded from the center of the hall.

    Claaaang¡ª!

    Kwa-wuuuu¡ª

    The collision of two swords caused the ground to cave in, a mere side-effect born out from the collision of their weapons, and as they swung their swords again, their feet stomped down on the floor underneath.

    ¡°Since when¡­?¡±

    ¡°As expected of Lord Waffman!¡±

    ¡°That man is also quite amazing. To think that he defended against Lord Waffman¡¯s attack!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s more than simply defending¡­¡±

    Swiiiish, whoosh¡ª

    Claaang¡ª! Clang¡ª!

    The two men¡¯s swords continued to clash with each other. The shockwaves of each impact scattered in all directions and gouged out countless sword scars on the ground in an instant.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they an equal match?¡±

    Waffman was probably the closest to being the continent¡¯s number one swordsman after the emperor.

    There was another man who was just as good as he was¡ªDuke Layard¡ªbut he was a veteran of all veterans who had been wielding his sword far longer than even Waffman himself.

    Many believed that in only a few years, Waffman would exceed Duke Layard in power, so for all intents and purposes, one could say that Waffman was the empire¡¯s best swordsman.

    ¡°Yet, against Lord Waffman¡­¡±

    ¡°It makes sense that His Majesty has chosen that man.¡±

    Their emperor, Wick Bradley, sought out powerful individuals.

    Currently, the continent was going through an epoch where only one¡¯s strength was prioritized above all else. This was an era where your station would reach even higher if you mastered excellent swordsmanship and breathing technique, but at the same time, even a commoner or slave could dream of raising their own stations as long as they had enough strength to do so.

    And that¡¯s why the nobles and the knights grew suspicious when Su-hyeun was declared as the emperor¡¯s personal guardian knight. They wondered if he had the requisite abilities for such a role.

    ¡°Wonderful.¡±

    Creaaak, creaaaak¡ª

    Waffman felt genuinely stunned as he clashed his sword with Su-hyeun¡¯s.

    He already suspected that Su-hyeun was rather highly skilled when the latter blocked and broke Milton¡¯s sword.

    The thing was, though, Waffman could also easily defend against Milton¡¯s attack with his torso or break the sword in half. Therefore, he didn¡¯t initially believe that Su-hyeun would be this strong.

    ¡°This man, he¡¯s actually testing out the aura blade right now,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun did say that today was the first time he used the aura blade. And that turned out to be true. From Waffman¡¯s perspective, Su-hyeun¡¯s handling of the skill fell far behind his evaluation of the young man¡¯s actual talent level.

    But that was only for a short while because Su-hyeun¡¯s aura on the sword gradually took an even clearer shape as it got firmer. As implied, he was copying and practicing the aura blade while fighting against Waffman.

    ¡°I need to acknowledge that he is indeed talented. However¡­¡± Waffman realized.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Waffman strengthened his grip on the sword. ¡°As I thought, this much isn¡¯t enough for you to talk about standing next to His Majesty, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Shu-ka-aaang¡ª!

    Waffman¡¯s sword shoved Su-hyeun¡¯s sword back.

    For a moment there, the aura permeating on the latter¡¯s weapon thinned out. At the same time, a small gap opened up in Su-hyeun¡¯s stance.

    A gap opened up just because of something so small?

    However, Waffman¡¯s curiousness only lasted for a blink; he quickly made his next move.

    Staaab¡ª

    His sword stabbed into Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. Or that was what he thought until he realized that Su-hyeun had caught the incoming blade with his bare hand.

    ¡°He even caught my sword?¡±

    It was the same action from the fight against Milton earlier, but Waffman didn¡¯t expect that Su-hyeun would be able to grab his version of the aura blade like this.

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Of course, the end result was slightly different from before.

    Blood trickled down from Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. He was cut open, albeit only by a little.

    ¡°Calm down. Be still.¡±

    Griiip¡ª

    Su-hyeun seemed to have muttered to no one in particular as he held onto Waffman¡¯s sword.

    Who was he even talking to? Waffman strengthened his grip on the weapon in order to extract it but didn¡¯t forget to listen closely.

    ¡°One mistake and¡­¡±

    Waffman then clearly saw it¡ªSu-hyeun¡¯s gaze was locked on his own sword.

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    He was like a tamer trying to pacify a wild animal trying to go on a rampage.

    He then whispered something else to his sword, ¡°Everyone might die.¡±

    Shudder¡ª

    Ta-dack¡ª

    Even unbeknown to himself, Waffman hurriedly leaped backward and created some distance between them, which was only possible because Su-hyeun let go of the older man¡¯s sword after he finished muttering to his weapon.

    What was this chilling sensation?

    The perspiration that didn¡¯t break out while Waffman was swinging his sword around was now trickling down his neck, all because of what Su-hyeun muttered just now.

    Waffman had a very good hunch.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t trying to block my sword.¡±

    The reason why Su-hyeun¡¯s aura became unstable wasn¡¯t that Waffman¡¯s attacks proved to be threatening. No, it was because Su-hyeun had been suppressing a certain ¡°power¡± out of his concern for the spectating crowd in the vicinity.

    He was worried that one mistake could result in the death of everyone present.

    ¡°Truly interesting.¡±

    Smirk¡ª

    Waffman grinned again.

    Su-hyeun finally managed to calm his sword down and shifted his gaze back to Waffman. The older man that was covered in cold sweat began grinning again.

    And his grin was not like the fake smile he displayed before the battle either.

    His eyes and his lips were freely smiling. One could tell that his smile was genuine.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m genuinely curious about this power you¡¯ve been trying to conceal.¡±

    Woo-uung, woo-uung¡ª

    More aura leaked out through Waffman¡¯s sword.

    This time, it was far greater than at the beginning of the fight. It was as if he was saying that everything so far had been merely an appetizer, and the main course would commence from now on.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brow curled up.

    This was strange.

    If it were someone else, sure, but a man like Waffman should have realized by now why Su-hyeun went as far as grabbing the knight¡¯s sword to temporarily halt their battle.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t show it to you now,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°No, I¡¯d like to witness it right this moment.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being stubbo¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you worried about the people in this place? Is that why?¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The aura leaking out from Waffman¡¯s body began emitting a sinister atmosphere now.

    It was killing intent.

    As a matter of fact, Waffman¡¯s whole demeanor had transformed completely after his eyes began smiling.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about them.¡±

    Madness could be spied on him now.

    With a different expression on his face, Waffman began approaching Su-hyeun. ¡°If bad things happen to them, that only means they were too weak. It¡¯ll be the same story for me, too.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Aura shot out from his sword and split into three stunningly sharp strands.

    One headed straight toward Su-hyeun, while the two others flew in different directions. He fired these attacks while predicting which path Su-hyeun would take to evade.

    ¡°Son of a¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brows shot up high as he hurriedly swung his sword.

    Paaaang¡ª!

    The aura that split into three strands collided against his sword and dissipated. If he hadn¡¯t smacked them away, the spectators in the distance watching the fight would have been attacked as well.

    However, they seemed none the wiser at the moment, which wasn¡¯t surprising, considering that no one got injured yet.

    No, they merely thought that the fight between Su-hyeun and Waffman had become a bit more intense, that¡¯s all.

    Su-hyeun angrily asked, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like you were too mindful of them from what I can see, so I decided to go all out first.¡±

    ¡°Did you do that deliberately?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really planning to kill them. However, you don¡¯t need to mind them and restrict your own powers, after all.¡±

    ¡°Are you insa¡ª?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly sane, thank you.¡±

    Swish, swhoooosh¡ª

    Kwa-gagagagagak¡ª!

    Waffman¡¯s aura suddenly scattered in all directions. His eyes gradually changed into a crimson hue as he watched Su-hyeun smack away all those aura strands one by one. ¡°To me, it¡¯s you who is not of a sound mind. Why do you care so much about some stranger¡¯s life? It¡¯s not your life, after all.¡±

    Bang, ka-boooom¡ª!

    As if to match his transformed atmosphere, even the power and nature contained within Waffman¡¯s sword had changed.

    He was no longer conscious of his surroundings. He also didn¡¯t seem to care that in case Su-hyeun dodged or deflected his attack, the spectators would get sucked into the battle unwittingly.

    He had now transformed into someone else entirely, whether it be his speed, his power, or even the viciousness of his aura.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you aiming to reach the pinnacle of aura control? In that case, you better discard your humanity! Let your ambition take over you! If you don¡¯t, you shall not progress any further!¡±

    Woo-wuuuung¡ª

    The aura permeating on Waffman¡¯s sword rapidly grew larger and larger until it became a massive blade.

    ¡°Become a true monster! If it¡¯s you, it should be possible!¡±

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun hastily looked behind at the spectators.

    Even they had come to realize that something was off now that things had reached this stage. One by one, they noticed the madness in Waffman¡¯s expression and tried to escape.

    But it was too late by then.

    Shu-aaaahk¡ª

    And so, Waffman¡¯s giant aura blade descended on Su-hyeun¡¯s head. The power behind the strike was more than enough to completely decimate the underground drill hall.

    Jiggle¡ª

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    However, Waffman¡¯s face was filled with confusion after his plan of splitting Su-hyeun¡¯s head apart in one strike failed to come to fruition.

    Some kind of a whitish cloud or fog had suddenly materialized, and it blocked his sword mid-way.

    ¡°Man, you¡¯re a true nutjob, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Clack¡ª

    For the first time since the battle started, Su-hyeun assumed a stance. He gripped his sword with both hands and then placed it behind him as if he would take one mighty swing with it.

    ¡°You said you are curious about what kind of power I was hiding, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Also, for the first time during the fight, Su-hyeun¡¯s expression displayed hostility toward his opponent.

    He initially started this battle so that, one, there wouldn¡¯t be any annoyance later down the line and, two, to witness and research more about the technique of this world called aura control.

    However, since the event had escalated to this state, it seemed that he needed to get a bit more serious now.

    And so, as if swinging a fan, Su-hyeun brought down his sword in a strange manner as he muttered, ¡°Blow away, Palm Leaf.¡±

 Chapter 296

    Whoosh¡ª

    A gentle breeze blew by.

    Su-hyeun lightly swung the sword as if it was a hand fan, and Waffman, who was watching this scene, couldn¡¯t help but form a puzzled expression.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Just what was he trying to do here?

    He was acting so mysterious and all, as if he wanted to display something truly immense, yet to take a lame swing like that?

    ¡°You dare to fool around in our current situ¡ª?¡±

    Slash¡ª

    Slash, slaaash¡ª

    Just before Waffman could say something to express his dismay¡­

    He looked down at his own body and discovered numerous thin red lines running across his entire figure.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Splaaaash¡ª!

    Fountains of blood exploded from Waffman. The wounds themselves weren¡¯t all that deep, but there were just too many of them. As a result, a lot of blood flooded out from him.

    Waffman suddenly felt dizzy and went down on his knees.

    Plop¡ª

    Keo-uhrk¡­

    He tried to prop himself up with his hands to prevent himself from collapsing on the ground, but he still ended up kissing the floor with his face.

    ¡°My¡­My arms¡­¡±

    His arm was torn to rags.

    Unlike the rest of his body, only his arm was inflicted with deep injuries. With all the important muscles severed like this, his arm was now no better than a dirty rag.

    Both of his arms were in the same state.

    Would he be able to wield his sword ever again with these arms?

    When that thought filled his head, Waffman¡¯s pain was quickly overtaken by the fear welling up from deep within him.

    U-uwaaaah¡ª!

    ¡°You asked me to show it to you, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll kill you!!!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what you¡¯ve been telling me only a few seconds ago. Yours is not my life, anyway.¡±

    Clack¡ª

    Su-hyeun sheathed his sword and continued to speak, ¡°You¡¯re indeed correct, so do your best to live on with those arms.¡±

    Uwaaaah¡ª!

    Waffman¡¯s screams resounded throughout the drill hall.

    Su-hyeun no longer paid attention to that. With both of Waffman¡¯s arms in that state, he should not be able to wield a sword ever again.

    ¡°Or maybe he¡¯ll start swinging one around with his feet. Who knows?¡± he thought.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun began walking away.

    A bone-chilling air circulated within the drill hall now. Several members of the crowd, who were previously scared silly by Waffman¡¯s sudden bout of madness, had shifted the target of their fear¡ªfrom Waffman to Su-hyeun, that is.

    Su-hyeun nonchalantly accepted their gazes. He was ready for this eventuality when he decided to leave Waffman in that state.

    Of course, that was that, and this would be something else¡­

    ¡°Did you enjoy the proceedings?¡±

    Riiiip¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked toward a certain spot and stopped to extend his hand in the empty air. Then, when he moved his hand as if to rip the air itself, that space wavered slightly before a person¡¯s figure was revealed to the world.

    It was a person that everyone present could easily recognize.

    ¡°Y¡ªyour¡­¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±

    Wick Bradley.

    Indeed, it was none other than this nation¡¯s emperor.

    He stood there with his arms crossed and smiled in amusement. He then alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and Waffman. The latter still hadn¡¯t been able to get a hold of his body and was kneeling on the floor.

    ¡°That was an entertaining match,¡± Bradley said.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a normal match either.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, his state isn¡¯t very good. Men, hurry and take Waffman to the healers.¡±

    The knights responded quickly to Bradley¡¯s order and helped Waffman out of the drill hall.

    Su-hyeun observed Bradley, who was still smiling despite his loyal subject ending up in that state, and decided to ask, ¡°Did you plan for this?¡±

    ¡°Plan for what, exactly?¡±

    ¡°That guy going out of control.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. But thanks to you, the match ended without any further issues, and I¡¯m much relieved by that.¡±

    Any further issues?

    Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes into blade-like slits and stared at Bradley. The latter seemed to really think that there had been no issues with this match, judging from how his expression didn¡¯t waver once.

    That would be understandable from Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective, but wasn¡¯t Waffman a loyal retainer who served Bradley until he reached that advanced age?

    How could he not feel at least a bit concerned about Waffman¡¯s current state?

    From what Su-hyeun had observed so far, Bradley didn¡¯t seem like a righteous enough person to simply think that Waffman did something wrong and, thus, needed to be punished.

    ¡°And so, everyone¡¯s suspicion has been cleared with this, I hope?¡±

    Bradley looked around at the crowd with an expression that said, ¡°See, I told you so.¡±

    The gathered nobles at first questioned Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities, and then, after Bradley made his declaration, they wanted to defeat Su-hyeun and become the next personal guardian knight of the emperor.

    But now, they knew the truth.

    They understood now why Bradley suddenly created a position of the ¡°guardian knight,¡± which didn¡¯t exist until today.

    They also knew how much of a talented individual the man named Kim Su-hyeun was.

    ¡°In that case, go home, take a bath, and have a good night. Alternatively, you can reflect on your own inadequate strength.¡±

    Bradley sneered at his own retainers and dismissively waved his hand around. He was signaling them to stop complaining and go home.

    The gathered crowd began dispersing from the drill hall, and by the time everyone was gone, Su-hyeun turned to look at Bradley and addressed the emperor, ¡°We need to talk for a minute.¡±

    ¡°With me? Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only for a minute. I know you¡¯re not busy anyway, so make some time for me.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have any problem with that.¡± Bradley maintained that amused smile as he stepped outside the drill hall. ¡°Follow me. We should move from here first.¡±

    * * *

    Bradley led Su-hyeun to the flower garden at the back of the imperial palace.

    The garden that boasted of tens of thousands of square meters in size was so complicated that a first-timer could potentially get lost inside it; nonetheless, it was just as beautiful to behold.

    Su-hyeun spoke first. ¡°You seem to like this place.¡±

    ¡°Why? Doesn¡¯t it suit me?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be the type to enjoy looking at flowers, actually.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? But then again, I¡¯m a tyrant and not some benevolent leader, after all. Honestly speaking, I don¡¯t like them all that much. Even then, isn¡¯t it wonderful? Knowing that I possess a garden of such unparalleled beauty.¡±

    He didn¡¯t like it but still wanted to possess it.

    Su-hyeun could understand where that mindset was coming from. A person, regardless of who, would always harbor some desires to possess and show off their possessions. It was just a matter of how big or small those desires were.

    The story wouldn¡¯t be any different just because the person was an emperor.

    ¡°Alright, so? What did you want to talk to me about? No one can enter here without my permission, so you can relax and speak freely.¡±

    ¡°Just what did you teach those people?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it was you who invented aura control and made others train in this discipline. But this¡­¡± Su-hyeun recalled the figure of Waffman from earlier and frowned deeply. ¡°It¡¯s far too different from what I know.¡±

    Su-hyeun had been under the impression that the discipline of this world was exactly the same as the Sage Arts because the nature of the energy that accumulated in one¡¯s body after mastering aura control was the same.

    As the two discipline branched off in different directions from the same root, there should be different and new types of techniques to be found within aura control, and he was thinking about spending some of the remaining time to learn those techniques.

    However, through his match against Waffman, he came to realize that his thoughts were wrong.

    For sure, both the Sage Arts and aura control had the same roots. The starting point for both was the same, so unsurprisingly, the energy type that accumulated in one¡¯s body was also extremely similar in nature.

    However, the direction of the growth of one¡¯s strength was completely different. Only their starting point was the same, but as the two disciplines branched off into completely disparate directions, it was inevitable that the distance between them would grow further apart the more you trained in either one.

    In Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, this aura control was¡­

    ¡°Do you believe that a discipline that allows you to become stronger after discarding more of your humanity is truly beneficial?¡±

    ¡°Is there something bad about it?¡±

    And then, that answer came his way.

    Su-hyeun had been wondering to himself.

    Did Waffman twist this discipline called aura control and master it incorrectly, or was this the correct way of mastering it in the first place?

    However, he eventually thought that Waffman had mastered aura control the correct way.

    The reason for that was simple¡ªrather than the other knights who also had practiced aura control, the air Waffman gave off happened to resemble Bradley¡¯s the closest.

    It was precisely Bradley who came up with aura control and taught it to everyone.

    ¡°At the end of the day, the purpose of the martial arts we train in is to kill people. We don¡¯t need emotions to do that. When you discard all your emotions and focus solely on killing, then inevitably, you will end up becoming stronger.¡±

    Bradley replied in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone.

    However, that reply only caused Su-hyeun¡¯s brows to furrow heavily.

    But at the same time, his heart shook. What Bradley said just now had something similar to the larger framework of the Sage Arts¡¯ ultimate goal that the Bull Demon King told Su-hyeun in the past.

    ¡°The first brother, he had to discard all of his emotions to become a god,¡± he thought.

    It was the same story for Bradley as well¡ªthe emperor said one should discard all of their emotions. It also means discarding one¡¯s humanity.

    In the end, those two ways were the same.

    In a certain sense, you could say that you being truly honest with your purest ambition was the same thing as you discarding all of your emotions.

    Su-hyeun spoke, ¡°The path I walk is different from yours.¡±

    They had similar yet different disciplines. No, more correctly, they were the same, yet the paths they were taking were different.

    Or as the Bull Demon King told Su-hyeun while he was teaching him about the Sage Arts, ¡°The one who taught me said that this power had been created for ¡®man¡¯ to become good again.¡±

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, those words came across as utterly nonsensical to Bradley¡¯s ears. He was the one who invented aura control in this world, after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who came up with aura control. Where did you even hear such a crazy¡ª?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s merely the difference in the direction.¡±

    Bradley¡¯s forehead creased ever so slightly from Su-hyeun¡¯s reply. ¡°Direction?¡±

    ¡°Yes, direction.¡±

    With this, Su-hyeun witnessed two different paths.

    The first one was about discarding all attachments and emotions like the Bull Demon King had done to earn the qualifications of a god.

    The second path was about discarding one¡¯s humanity and only leaving behind one¡¯s desire¡ªone¡¯s ambition¡ªlike Bradley before his eyes had done and slowly erased one¡¯s emotions away.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t say either of these were the correct way.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll acknowledge some parts of that. I¡¯m the one who created it, after all, so of course, I would know. If one can reach godhood by discarding all emotions and even lingering attachments, then yes, that method seems rather viable.¡±

    In the end, it didn¡¯t matter whether it was the Sage Arts or aura control. They both had the same roots.

    Bradley was the inventor of aura control that happened to have the same roots as the Sage Arts, and both disciplines¡¯ ultimate aim was to reach godhood in the end.

    ¡°But why should one do that?¡± Bradley asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°That method is much harder, isn¡¯t it? The easiest way to discard your emotions is to throw away your humanity and become a monster that¡¯s only true to your desires. Why should you choose a harder path when there¡¯s a simpler one right there?¡±

    Those words helped Su-hyeun understand why aura control, which was seemingly the same as the Sage Arts, was headed down a different path.

    ¡°An easier path and a harder one exist on the road for one to become stronger. In that case, why do you need to select the harder path, especially so when there¡¯s a much easier and quicker path to your goal?¡± Bradley said before narrowing his eyes. ¡°Do you remember what I said about you ending up as the same type of person as I am in the future?¡± he continued.

    ¡°Yes, I do remember.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll acknowledge that for the time being, you and I are rather different. However, as long as the ideal end you seek to reach is the same as mine, there will come a day when you don¡¯t have a choice but to accept that my way is correct.¡± Bradley smiled mockingly and turned around to leave. ¡°I¡¯m sure you want to reach it too. Godhood, I mean.¡±

    He left behind some words meant to provoke Su-hyeun.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Now left alone in the garden, Su-hyeun quietly stared at the spot where Bradley previously stood.

    The difference between aura control and the Sage Arts was how one¡¯s attachments and their emotions were discarded. Rationally speaking, Su-hyeun knew that Bradley wasn¡¯t wrong with his assertion.

    In fact, everything he said so far was correct.

    Su-hyeun desired to be stronger, and all the trials he had gone through were precisely for that purpose.

    If he discarded his humanity and chose the easy path rather than the hard one, then he would become stronger.

    Also, doing so could make him stronger much faster. Honestly, if he heard those things first, then he might have been swayed by them.

    However¡­

    ¡°You have no idea,¡± he inwardly said.

    Su-hyeun truly felt that he was fortunate to have met the Bull Demon King first.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that on the path I¡¯m walking on, there exists one being who has managed to reach a realm far higher than you can even imagine.¡±

    Su-hyeun had witnessed that person who walked on the path that Bradley had deemed too difficult and unnecessary, and he ended up becoming stronger than anyone else.

    And that¡¯s why Su-hyeun¡¯s belief wasn¡¯t shaken.

    ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I?¡±

    Jiggle¡ª

    Whitish cloud-like currents wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s figure, and then, the Somersault cloud¡¯s voice entered his ears.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Su-hyeun made his reply while still mulling over what Bradley had told him just now.

    ¡°I think you were right.¡±

 Chapter 297

    Act 3

    ¡°One, two, three, four¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho was sitting inside the office of the Awakener Association located in the Jongno Tower, busy counting something displayed on the monitor.

    The higher his count got, the more ashen his complexion became. If this happened a few days ago, he would have been stunned silly by what he was seeing, but he currently had no energy left having been stunned constantly for the past handful of days.

    BANG¡ª!

    ¡°Bro! What is going on here?!¡±

    Hak-joon shoved open the office¡¯s door, hurriedly rushed inside, and then shouted at Lee Ju-ho.

    The office had been deathly quiet until then, so the commotion he raised prompted all the workers inside to focus their attention on him for a moment there.

    Even then, Hak-joon ignored all that and, unlike his usual self, hurriedly strode over to where Lee Ju-ho was.

    The latter knew the younger man would be coming to pay him a visit anyway, so he got up from the chair and said, ¡°For now, let¡¯s go outside and talk. We¡¯re making a noise.¡±

    ¡°But, bro. Right now, it¡ª¡±

    ¡°I get it, so let¡¯s get out of here first.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho patted Hak-joon¡¯s shoulder and stepped outside the office.

    He got a can of instant coffee from the corridor¡¯s vending machine and settled down on one of the bench seats placed there and then, finally, addressed Hak-joon. ¡°Okay, so you know about the rough outline of the situation, right?¡±

    ¡°Is our world coming to an end or something?¡±

    ¡°I wonder about that myself. I¡¯m scared that it might be true. Thankfully, we still have some time left, but¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.

    He didn¡¯t even bother to open the canned coffee. His head was in too much of a mess, and the thoughts of drinking it didn¡¯t even enter his mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure no one could¡¯ve predicted that the dungeon generation speed would suddenly triple without any warning. We¡¯ve sent out texts and official announcements to all the returning awakeners to ask for their assistance, and thankfully, quite a few have responded positively so far.¡±

    ¡°That sure is a relief.¡±

    ¡°If we get it right, it might be possible to raid everything somehow within the time limit. We¡¯ve been raising the overall strengths of the awakeners just for an occasion like this one, after all. However, the real problem is¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Gangwon Province, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Click¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho finally popped the lid of the canned coffee in his hand as he replied, ¡°The number of dungeons showing up in Gangwon is not a laughing matter. Not only there¡¯s one indigo and three blues, but we also have over 30 greens on top of that, and 20 of them alone showed up just today, no less.¡±

    ¡°More¡­showed up?!¡±

    Hak-joon was notified yesterday. He checked his phone¡¯s inbox after he finished his trial and then ran straight here to speak to Lee Ju-ho.

    However, as it turned out, the number of dungeons written on the message was too low. In just one day, there was an explosive rise in the overall numbers.

    ¡°What should we do? Maybe we should request assistance from another country or¡ª¡±

    ¡°They are also incredibly busy themselves, although maybe not as serious as our side. Assistance? We shouldn¡¯t expect one to come. Even if they have some wiggle room, they can¡¯t tell when their own countries would face a similar crisis.¡±

    ¡°In that case, what should we do?¡±

    ¡°We have to wait.¡±

    They had only one option remaining.

    ¡°Wait for Su-hyeun.¡±

    Indeed, they had to wait for Kim Su-hyeun to return.

    However, it was unknown whether or not this crisis could be averted even if he returned in time. No matter how amazing Su-hyeun was, could he deal with all these dungeons in time, especially when one of them was an indigo color?

    ¡°When is he supposed to return, though?¡± Hak-joon asked.

    ¡°He said that there¡¯s a good chance that no save zone exists inside his trial this time, which means, he probably can¡¯t return until the trial is over.¡±

    ¡°But then¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll probably have to give up on Gangwon Province.¡±

    This was not an easy decision to make.

    More importantly, it was not a decision Lee Ju-ho could make, anyway. Although the influence wielded by the Paragon Guild, and by extension Lee Ju-ho, on the Korean Awakener Association was quite substantial, he still didn¡¯t have the authority to make such a decision.

    Unfortunately, the situation was developing at breakneck speed at the moment.

    ¡°Will that even be possible?¡± Hak-joon asked again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure our dear higher-ups understand the situation well enough. They simply have to consider it. Evacuate every resident in Gangwon. Then, it doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s the military or the Awakener Association, we gotta gather enough people to cordon off the whole district where the cluster of dungeons is located.¡±

    Crush¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho unknowingly crushed the coffee can in his hand. The half-drunk bitter liquid trickled down his hand and dripped to the floor.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t do that, then well, we¡¯ll really all die.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The current situation gradually became starker to Hak-joon as he saw how grave Lee Ju-ho¡¯s expression was.

    The world seemed to have changed literally overnight.

    No, wait¡ªthe change had begun a long time ago if he was being honest. It was merely continuing even now. It was just that the changes took place so gradually that he or anyone else had failed to sense it.

    ¡°Bro, is this what you were talking about?¡± Hak-joon thought.

    ¡°Is this what you predicted would happen?¡± Lee Ju-ho inwardly mulled.

    They were thinking of the exact same thing at that moment.

    Su-hyeun had been saying for a while now that dungeons were not the treasure trove of resources for the convenience of mankind. He said that one of these days, they might end up devouring the entire world in an instant.

    ¡°Although Su-hyeun seems to hate the idea¡­¡±

    This bleak situation caused Lee Ju-ho to close his eyes and recall Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it in this kind of a situation, me hoping for a hero to step up.¡±

    The time a dungeon needed to become a full-on outbreak was, at its shortest, 15 days and about a month at the longest.

    Lee Ju-ho fervently prayed that Su-hyeun would return within 15 days from his trial.

    And so, while leaving his prayers as just that, prayers, the 15 days passed by in a flash.

    * * *

    People descended on the empire¡¯s capital city.

    Knights and swordsmen with some skills came to the city from all corners of the continent, all because of Emperor Wick Bradley¡¯s official announcement.

    While standing on one of the imperial palace¡¯s balconies, Su-hyeun looked at the massive throng of people gathering from the distance.

    Fifteen days had flown by so quickly, and during that time, he had been checking out and studying the crowd that continuously streamed into the empire¡¯s capital.

    ¡°At this rate, the city will burst at its seams.¡±

    The capital, which currently had no single civilian inside, was in a situation similar to a conflict zone because those who had gathered there at the empire¡¯s decree numbered well over hundreds of thousands.

    It certainly was an incredible number.

    Every single one of them possessed a skill level that rivaled a regular awakener, and several among them were individuals that easily matched S-Ranks.

    Su-hyeun focused magical energy to his eyes and studied the appearances of these people in the distance.

    They looked so human and realistic as they laughed and chatted away with their comrades and friends that he just couldn¡¯t see them as mere ¡°illusions.¡±

    ¡°They said that I should consider them as data of the people and their world that did exist.¡±

    The administrators, Su-hyeun felt that he could vaguely make out what they actually were.

    But then, an event that was completely out of his scope of understanding and common sense would happen, just like the one before his eyes, and their existences suddenly felt like distant mirages.

    It was as if they were saying, ¡°You thought you saw clearly, but that¡¯s not true at all.¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head to get rid of that thought that abruptly popped up in his mind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that now.¡±

    Su-hyeun was always on guard against his mind wandering off toward unnecessary distractions during the trials.

    Even if they were things he definitely had to uncover or would require later in the future, they were also not things he needed to take care of right now.

    It didn¡¯t matter what the distraction was, there was no need for him to waste his mental energy on one during the trials. If he was in a trial, he needed to focus on clearing that first and foremost.

    Worrying about something else should happen afterward.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s today.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze drifted upward.

    In the past two weeks, the sky had always been clear and hinted not a single drop of rain, but today, it was heavily overcast.

    Those dark clouds seemed like they would start raining down lightning bolts at any second now.

    A little more time went by.

    The crowd gathering from all corners of the continent had approached the front of the imperial palace. After seeing that, Su-hyeun began to pack his stuff.

    Clang, clang, clang¡ª!

    Someone rang a massive bell in the distance.

    The time had finally come.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun finished packing up, and while carrying his luggage, headed to the front of the imperial palace as well.

    Many people had gathered there by now. Nobles and knights, plus renowned swordsmen from every corner of the continent, had filled up the large avenue as if they had come to lay siege to the capital.

    ¡°Huh? What are you doing here, friend?¡±

    While on his way, Su-hyeun ran into Binladen.

    Su-hyeun bowed slightly in greeting and replied, ¡°I was just killing some time.¡±

    ¡°Time, eh?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So you can play dress up and goof off, for that matter as well, I see. But friend, you need to keep your wits about you. I mean, today is an extremely important day, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Binladen looked deeply tense.

    But that couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s abdication ceremony, after all, so we need to stay wide awake. Although it¡¯s only been a fortnight, you¡¯re still His Majesty¡¯s personal guardian knight.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Su-hyeun replied while sweeping his gaze over not just Binladen but also the other people busily preparing some things around them. ¡°That did happen.¡±

    Right now, the empire¡¯s capital was teeming with countless people to witness Emperor Wick Bradley¡¯s abdication ceremony.

    The emperor had made an official announcement. Through magical means, he played the video footage of himself in every corner of the continent to declare his abdication ceremony and a festival to go along with it, which could only be attended by talented and powerful individuals.

    This world was a land of the strong¡ªa world where only the strong were treated well, and only they could survive.

    And this was the abdication ceremony of the emperor who popularized this idea of the strong. Therefore, rather obviously, countless people had gathered to witness his abdication.

    On top of that¡­

    ¡°Today, the next emperor will be decided as well.¡±

    Tap¡ª

    Binladen lightly patted Su-hyeun¡¯s side and brushed past him. ¡°You need to watch carefully who¡¯ll become the new emperor since you¡¯ll be guarding that person starting tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun watched the back of Binladen as he got further away before sighing deeply under his breath.

    The abdication ceremony of the current emperor, an announcement ceremony for the next emperor on top of that, and then a coronation ceremony of the new emperor to follow soon after¡ªthose things had been advertised to take place today. However, they were all part of Bradley¡¯s plan to attract people to the capital city.

    ¡°There¡¯s no war, so it would have been difficult to attract people with something that sounded normal, after all,¡± he thought.

    The current emperor, Wick Bradley, was the symbol of strength, as well as the living history of the empire itself. The abdication of someone like that would naturally interest anyone with some connection to the empire, regardless of how loose it might be.

    However, that alone would not be enough.

    People who only possessed a simple desire for more political power and not pure respect and awe for their emperor would not necessarily feel all that compelled to attend the abdication ceremony.

    And that¡¯s why the emperor also mentioned that the announcement and coronation of the new emperor would take place at the same time as well.

    Then, he issued a summons that said everyone with stations higher than a ¡°knight¡± must gather in the empire¡¯s capital city.

    On the other hand, he ordered anyone who didn¡¯t even meet the minimum qualifications of being a knight to leave the capital.

    And so, under the pretext of the new emperor¡¯s coronation, powerful individuals from all over the continent had gathered in one place.

    Woaaaaaah¡ª!

    Your Majesty¡ª!

    The loud roars of the crowd resounded.

    Maybe they were truly excited because some unrestrained energy spikes could be felt amid all the roaring. Something like that was inevitable when so many people had gathered in one place.

    Su-hyeun walked to another spot and then shifted his gaze toward Bradley, who was currently standing on top of a tall podium located in front of the massive crowd.

    ¡°First of all, thank you all for traveling a great distance to witness our abdication ceremony. Also, we will borrow this occasion to¡­¡±

    He began with a pretty nice-sounding speech.

    Somewhat mysteriously, despite all these people standing around in one place, there was not a single hint of disorder anywhere. Everyone was razor-focused on Bradley¡¯s grand speech.

    Blind loyalty and faith, and even awe and respect, were clearly visible in their eyes.

    That made perfect sense, however.

    Before they were nobles and knights, they were warriors who trained in the art of aura control.

    The person before their eyes was the creator of aura control and was also a true living legend. He was also the sole existence that stood on the peak of the path they were walking on.

    It would be far weirder for them to not respect the man.

    ¡°Is this why he divided the social classes via one¡¯s abilities?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He observed the crowd that was fervently listening to Bradley¡¯s speech.

    They most likely had no idea of what was about to transpire in this place.

    Su-hyeun slowly raised his head.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s¡­¡±

    The dark and gloomy clouds thickly spread over the skies were slowly and gradually splitting apart.

    ¡°About time.¡±

 Chapter 298

    * * *

    The contents of the speech mostly had something to do with Bradley¡¯s life stories, such as how he came up with aura control or what he was thinking about when he founded the empire. He also told about the kind of trials and tribulations he had to overcome to reach this moment.

    All those standing around out of pure respect toward Bradley found these stories deeply interesting, but to those who weren¡¯t, this whole speech proved to be a mountain of tedium instead.

    Ya¡ªwn

    ¡°Keum, keu-heum.¡±

    One by one, more and more people grew bored by the proceedings, and Bradley¡¯s eyes clearly noticed what was going on.

    He stopped his speech, and a brief silence descended on the crowd.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re all bored stiff.¡±

    Bradley¡¯s words were softly spoken, yet the people could still hear him crystal clear¡ªso clear, in fact, that hundreds of thousands currently in the capital heard him with no problem.

    ¡°In that case, I shall end my speech here. Since this will be my last public outing, I might as well leave behind a good last impre¡ª¡±

    Kiii-aaaaah¡ª!

    A loud screech reverberated from somewhere up in the heavens.

    Bradley stopped talking and raised his head. The gathered crowd followed suit as well.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Some kind of noise coming from above¡­¡±

    ¡°The clouds, are they splitting apart?¡±

    The crowd began murmuring to each other.

    Only up until a few moments ago, they were keeping their mouths shut trying to listen to Bradley¡¯s speech, but now, they were raising a frightening commotion, with some of them even freezing up where they stood.

    The thick and heavy clouds covering the skies were gradually splitting apart, and somewhere beyond them was a presence so massive that merely sensing it sent shivers down their spines.

    ¡°All of you should brace yourselves,¡± Bradley¡¯s stiff voice resounded. His voice came across as quite different from when he was making his grand speech, his tone sounding combative and on edge. ¡°And get ready for battle.¡±

    And so, just as Bradley was about to make his first move¡­

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª, Ka-booooom¡ª!

    Suddenly, a massive wall of indigo-colored flames covered up the sky, followed by a loud explosion. Bradley stopped pulling out his sword mid-way and took a look behind him. He found Su-hyeun walking up on the platform.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally here, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Bradley replied in a small voice that only Su-hyeun could hear. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    Kiii-aaaaah-ooooh¡ª!

    Another round of monstrous screech resounded.

    Su-hyeun canceled his divine Flame covering up the skies. He cast his skill to protect all the people below from the massive aura emanating from up above, but honestly speaking, that creature hadn¡¯t even mounted a proper attack yet.

    ¡°No, that thing was just exhaling loudly,¡± he thought.

    The massive monster flying up in the air, the predator, gave off an incredible sense of presence, and for the first time in a long while, goosebumps broke out all over Su-hyeun¡¯s skin.

    More than anything else, he was stunned rather deeply by the fact that he had to urgently spread the divine Flame to protect the crowd just because the monster breathed a bit hard.

    And also¡­

    ¡°This guy over here is the same, too.¡±

    Su-hyeun glanced at Bradley standing next to him.

    ¡°They resemble each other.¡±

    The monster was a dragon covered in pitch-black scales, but Su-hyeun had no knowledge that such dragons existed. At first, he wondered if this was a new type of a dragon he hadn¡¯t come across before, but that turned out to be incorrect.

    Because the aura coming off from the predator resembled Bradley¡¯s aura.

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    Eventually, the clouds completely split open, and the creature revealed itself.

    It was a dragon wrapped up in pitch-black scales, and it was so massive in size that it seemingly filled up the entirety of the heavens above. One could sense the ominous and corrupted aura, as well as the unmasked hostility, oozing off from its whole body.

    This monster¡ªit was here to devour everything.

    ¡°Faf¡­nir,¡± Su-hyeun muttered the monster¡¯s name without realizing it.

    The atmosphere it oozed, its sheer size, and even the aura concentration it emitted were all different, but that face definitely resembled Fafnir¡¯s face which Su-hyeun remembered.

    More importantly, the creature¡¯s aura that Su-hyeun could sense almost matched Fafnir¡¯s own, too.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s not a perfect match¡­¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun gulped back his tension and gripped his sword harder.

    ¡°At the bare minimum, that thing is definitely related to Fafnir.¡±

    Fafnir, the worst monster that ruined Su-hyeun¡¯s world.

    The thing was, Su-hyeun never really got to fight the monster in his previous life. Not only Fafnir ruled over countless monsters, but it was also smart and always used the creatures under its command to fight Su-hyeun instead.

    Su-hyeun, exhausted from the continuous fighting, decided as a last-ditch effort to directly confront Fafnir, but even then, he failed to gauge the monster¡¯s true depth.

    The only thing he found out was that majority of Fafnir¡¯s skills seemed to be closer in nature to magic-type attacks.

    As such, this trial was an opportunity of sorts for him.

    ¡°I might get to find out the difference between me and that monster.¡±

    Su-hyeun hardened his resolve and made his move first. ¡°Miru.¡±

    Split¡ª

    Miru ripped through space and peeked its head outside when Su-hyeun called out to it. At any other time, it would have started rubbing its face on him as it mewed away, but for today, it bared its sharp fangs and growled threateningly as soon as it appeared.

    Grrrrr¡ª

    Su-hyeun had never seen Miru unleash so much naked hostility before, but he quickly remembered that other dragons, Miru¡¯s kin, were nearly driven to extinction by Fafnir.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    Miru began transforming after he made his request.

    Its crimson hide and scales extended, its bones ballooned, and its overall size rapidly grew much larger.

    However, despite becoming so much bigger, Miru¡¯s size was still way, way smaller than that of the predator. The massive black dragon, fully revealed below the cloud cover, was as big as one-quarter of the capital city.

    Flap¡ª

    Whoooosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun climbed on Miru¡¯s back and they lifted off toward the sky.

    He looked down at the crowd of people gradually getting farther away below him. Bradley was saying something to them and urged them to get ready for the upcoming battle.

    They didn¡¯t have much of a choice in the matter.

    It seemed that the predator was planning to kill every living being present in this place. The hostility it continued to emit wasn¡¯t aimed at a particular thing but was meant for the entire world itself.

    ¡°At least they won¡¯t die a dog¡¯s death now,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He stopped worrying about them. He figured that he wouldn¡¯t have any leeway to do that from this moment on.

    He simulated in his mind how he should go about fighting this gigantic ¡°predator.¡±

    He quickly chose not to overcomplicate it. He looked at it as another flight-type monster, albeit one with a humongous size, and came up with a battle plan accordingly.

    ¡°First things first, we need to bring that thing down.¡±

    No matter how big it was, the humans numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

    However, not all of them could fly, which meant that only by bringing that monster down to the ground would getting the assistance from his allies be much easier.

    And thankfully, Su-hyeun possessed a pretty good method to bring the monster down to the ground.

    ¡°Strike down¡ª¡±

    Riding on Miru¡¯s back, Su-hyeun neared the cloud cover, but just as he began issuing his command¡­

    ¡°Somersault¡­¡±

    ¡°Come, descend to earth¡ª¡±

    Bradley¡¯s loud voice reverberated throughout the sky.

    ¡°Meteor.¡±

    Gu-woooo¡ª

    A huge shadow was cast over the head of the predator.

    The moment that ¡°thing¡± began its descent, Su-hyeun urgently placed his hand on Miru¡¯s back and shouted, ¡°Dodge that!¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru didn¡¯t hesitate for a second when Su-hyeun shouted and quickly changed its direction. Not even a few seconds later, right after Miru had managed to create some distance¡­

    Ka-boooooom¡ª!

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    A massive piece of meteorite slammed on top of the predator¡¯s back. The black dragon couldn¡¯t withstand the impact force, and its entire body staggered before its wings snapped upward as the huge monster began crashing right down to the ground below.

    Su-hyeun and Miru barely managed to distance themselves from it in time and avoided getting swept up in the crash. All they could do was watch the ensuing spectacle with dumbfounded expressions etched on their faces. Eventually, they spotted Bradley standing on the ground with his hand raised up high.

    ¡°He¡­dropped a meteorite?!¡±

    This was not the result of a magical spell. No, this attack closely resembled Sun Wukong¡¯s ability to control the clouds via the Sage Arts. However, the scope of the effect or the overall destructive power was completely on another level.

    ¡°He¡¯s stronger than the third brother in terms of the realm that they have reached in the Sage Arts.¡±

    Whether clouds or a meteor was used, it didn¡¯t take a genius to tell which of the two would be harder to control.

    Compared to the clouds that were closer in distance or even lighter in weight, a piece of a meteorite was located much further away and weighed far greater. Therefore, obviously, controlling the latter would eat up a lot more energy.

    Of course, Sun Wukong¡¯s true strength wasn¡¯t controlling the clouds but his marvelous and brilliant combat ability that utilized the Ruyi Jingu Bang, plus his near-infinite energy reserve.

    KWA-BOOM¡ª!

    The predator¡¯s body, which was still pinned by the fallen meteorite, crashed to the ground. Due to its humongous size, quite a few people got sucked in by the impact and lost their lives, but that only served to boost the overall morale instead.

    ¡°The monster has fallen! Go! I swear that the one who kills the monster will be crowned as the next emperor!¡±

    Bradley panted heavily after dropping the meteorite but still managed to roar out at the top of his voice, and those words brought about a momentary silence in the surroundings.

    The next emperor¡ªthat one thing alone managed to ruthlessly suppress any confusion and fear in the hearts of the crowd and pushed them into the pit of wild frenzy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where that damn thing appeared from, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Slay it for the time being!¡±

    ¡°Right! His Majesty will fight with us, after all!¡±

    Uwaaaah¡ª!

    And that linked up with the morale as well.

    Despite the sudden appearance of a massive monster, Bradley¡¯s pre-emptive strike still caused it to crash to the ground, causing the crowd to see their emperor as an even bigger and mightier being than this black dragon.

    After all, this would be a battle where they fought alongside the living legend, Wick Bradley.

    Moreover, they could become the emperor that lorded over the whole continent after this.

    No, even if that wasn¡¯t it, there wouldn¡¯t be a greater honor than to survive a battle of this magnitude.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    Su-hyeun was aware that what was happening here was not real.

    If what the administrator had said could be trusted, then all these people were simply ¡°data¡± of those who existed in the past, which naturally meant that whether they lived or died today made no difference whatsoever.

    That¡¯s what his rational mind told him.

    However, he still couldn¡¯t do anything about his moods souring gradually, especially more so because he knew that this whole stage had been set up by Bradley himself.

    Indeed, the emperor was truly thinking of these people as mere pawns or, more correctly, as meat shields.

    ¡°I need to wake up.¡±

    Su-hyeun soothed himself like how he would usually do and took a cold, hard look at the current situation. He needed to remember what he was here for.

    ¡°For now¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply as he stared at the predator as it shook its head in dizziness after getting struck by Bradley¡¯s meteorite.

    ¡°I must focus on killing that thing.¡±

    Su-hyeun sucked in a quick, soft breath.

    Organizing his thoughts helped him feel lighter inside. His goal was now set, so it was about time he moved toward achieving that.

    The predator had crashed to the ground. In that case, the first thing he had to do was obvious.

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can now see or command the dead.]

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    * * *

    Clang, claaang¡ª!

    Staaab¡ª

    Humans climbed on the predator¡¯s body and stabbed their blades into the dragon¡¯s neck area or sliced off its scales.

    Even though the scales proved to be especially sturdy, people hacked away at the same locations over and over again, plus some of them were powerful individuals capable of using their own aura blade as well.

    Wounds steadily and gradually accumulated on the monster¡¯s body. Even if each wound was no more than a small scratch, the overall damage would still be great when such wounds numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

    ¡°The bastard is about to wake up!¡±

    ¡°Those who haven¡¯t managed to climb, get away from here!¡±

    ¡°Hurry the hell up!¡±

    Even if the monster was struck by a meteor, it would not stay lying on the ground forever.

    Despite being pinned to the ground by the meteorite, it began to gradually lift its body up little by little. That simple movement alone caused quite a lot of warriors to hurriedly get out of the way to avoid being crushed to death.

    Krrrr¡ª

    The predator¡¯s mouth slowly opened up.

    And at that moment¡­

    ¡°Go and duck behind the creature¡ª!¡±

    Bradley¡¯s command loudly rang out.

    ¡°B¡ªbehind it?¡±

    ¡°Could it be¡­?¡±

    A massive amount of energy could be felt gathering on the predator¡¯s maw.

    Every single one of the humans gathered here were powerful warriors who had trained in aura control and were capable of sensing what was going on. Therefore, many of them instantly realized what would soon be pouring out from the predator¡¯s mouth.

    The symbol of all dragons, as well as its deadliest weapon¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s going to use the Breath¡ª!¡±

    An attack from a dragon, a species that had disappeared from the continent¡¯s history but was still recorded in the history books regardless, was about to be unleashed. Knights instinctively realized it and loudly shouted out.

    But just before the black Breath accumulating within the predator¡¯s maw could be fired¡­

    Chwa-rarararararak¡ª

    Countless steel bars suddenly materialized around the predator¡¯s maw and connected to each other as if to create a magic circle.

    ¡°Con¡­fine¡­it¡­¡±

    And so, the spherical enclosed space made out of steel clamped shut and exerted enormous pressure on the predator¡¯s maw.

    ¡°Yogoe¡­Capturing Rope¡­¡±

 Chapter 299

    That voice was so faint that no one else could hear it.

    However, the end of that command said by the voice coincided with the predator¡¯s maw being clamped shut tightly.

    Ka-claaack, squeeeeze¡ª!

    Kurung, krrrrr¡ª

    A sound of something exploding inside the predator¡¯s maw resounded. The black dragon, unable to open its mouth and screech in pain, violently shook its head around.

    The knights trying to escape from the Breath¡¯s range all stared at that sight in pure shock. All they could see just then was that the predator suddenly closed its maw and thrashed about for some reason.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat just happened?¡±

    ¡°Why did it suddenly close its¡­?¡±

    ¡°H¡ªhold on!¡±

    Kiii-aaah-oh¡ª!

    It was at the moment that they finally saw the figure of a massive snake-type monster. However, that wasn¡¯t the only one.

    Many large monsters several meters tall began appearing one by one. None of them were as large as either the predator or the suddenly appearing gigantic snake, however.

    ¡°M¡ªmore monsters¡­¡±

    ¡°Just how many of them are here?¡±

    Unsurprisingly, the knights thought of them as new enemies but only until they witnessed what happened right afterward.

    Chomp¡ª

    Cruuunch, crunch¡ª

    The massive snake, the Ouroboros, began biting and ripping into the predator¡¯s side.

    It was the same story for the other monsters as well. Knights stopped for a moment at the sight of these unknown monsters attacking the predator and analyzed the current situation once more.

    ¡°Those creatures¡­¡±

    ¡°Are they enemies or allies?¡±

    ¡°As the old saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is an ally.¡±¡®

    ¡°If they display any hint of attacking our side, then immediately treat them as enemies.¡±

    Most of them came to similar conclusions.

    The enemies of their enemy would be their allies.

    Even then, they were still monsters in the end, so the knights all concluded that they needed to deal with the most threatening enemy, the predator, first before getting rid of these creatures afterward.

    Just as they came to that conclusion¡­

    Crunch, cruuunch¡ª

    SHATTER¡ª!

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The predator, shaking its head around and forcing its maw open, finally managed to free itself, and at the same time¡­

    Flap¡ª

    The predator spread its wings wide open.

    That flapping of its wings caused the blood that leaked out from the numerous wounds adorning its body, both small and large, to splatter in all directions.

    The skies turned crimson simultaneously as well.

    The predator was launching an attack.

    ¡°Something¡¯s coming!¡±

    ¡°The sky, it¡¯s¡­!¡±

    Shoooooo-eeeehk¡ª

    A shower of large and small crimson meteorites began descending on the capital city. They fell like raindrops, prompting the knights to either duck inside the nearby buildings or use their swords to deflect them.

    Aaaaahk!

    ¡°E¡ªevade them!¡±

    BOOM¡ª!

    Mixed among the meteor shower were several rocks the size of houses. Individually, each rock was not very powerful, but even then, the magical attack encompassed the entirety of the city and caused a catastrophic level of damage everywhere.

    Before the predator could ready its next attack magic¡­

    ¡°Yogoe¡­Slaying Sword.¡±

    ¡°Blow away¡­¡±

    Just as the predator spread open its expansive wings and floated up, low, hushed voices came from both sides of its head.

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Chwa-aahk, chwa-aaaaaah¡ª!

    Humongous sword aura and sword winds smashed into the black dragon from both directions.

    The predator¡¯s scales were split apart, and its flesh underneath was torn to bits. Although the creature was screeching out in pain, it still shifted its head in the direction where the sword winds blew in from and opened his maw.

    Split¡ª

    Ruuumble¡ª

    It was another Breath.

    Right at that moment, Su-hyeun extended his hand forward.

    ¡°Block it¡­¡±

    To answer Su-hyeun¡¯s will, the clouds covering the skies descended to his front.

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    KWA-AAAAAHT¡ª!

    The Breath exploded forth from the predator¡¯s maw and rushed toward Su-hyeun. He watched the Somersault cloud that was acting as his shield gradually got shaved away and layered his body with several skills.

    [Indomitable Body]

    [Spirit¡¯s Grace]

    [Armor of the Mage]

    [Sky King¡¯s Feather]

    [Reflect]

    All of them were meant to raise his magic resistance. Even if these skills demanded heavy magical energy consumption, he didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment to use them.

    Soon afterward, the protection offered by the Somersault cloud was breached, and the predator¡¯s Breath flooded over Su-hyeun¡¯s figure.

    Kwa-wuwuwu¡ª

    While Su-hyeun¡¯s figure was obscured by that Breath, and he disappeared from view¡­

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    A blade as heavy as a falling meteorite slammed down on the predator¡¯s head.

    SLAAAAM¡ª!

    That attack caused the predator that was beginning to flap its wings to screech out and stagger around precariously once more.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    That blade belonged to Bradley who had been watching the battle without doing anything until then.

    His sword might have been small, but having been infused with the powers of nature and Bradley¡¯s own aura, its weight easily rivaled the meteorite Bradley had dropped earlier.

    After successfully shoving the predator down to the ground, Bradley quickly distanced himself.

    Kwa-wuwuwu¡ª!

    Just as he suspected, another Breath immediately shot out from the predator¡¯s maw. Almost at the same time, the black dragon¡¯s body began floating upward again.

    It managed to rise up even though its wings weren¡¯t moving.

    ¡°Is it flotation magic? How troublesome.¡±

    Witnessing that, Bradley was about to frown, but then¡­

    ¡°Strike down¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s voice resounded throughout the sky

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    FLASH¡ª

    KWA-RUMBLE¡ª!

    The gloomy sky was briefly illuminated. At the same time, a light enveloped the predator¡¯s figure.

    BUZZZZZZ¡ª!

    The humongous body of the predator trembled, and then, it became visibly paralyzed. The electrical shock must have been rather considerable because the flotation magic it had cast lost its effect, and the creature fell back down to the ground.

    Bradley muttered in admiration, ¡°Hoh-oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you standing around looking so impressed?¡±

    Shu-aaaahk¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s blackened body shot forward, and he started cutting the predator¡¯s body down with his sword. ¡°If you have enough leeway for that, you should think about swinging your weapon one more time instead.¡±

    Despite the great distance between the two, Su-hyeun¡¯s voice still reached Bradley¡¯s ears clearly.

    The latter had been under the impression that Su-hyeun got sucked into that Breath and was killed off, so a faint little grin crept upon his face as he gripped his sword tighter.

    ¡°Controlling the clouds and winds, eh?¡± Bradly mused.

    He was rather surprised.

    This would be his first time to properly witness Su-hyeun¡¯s fight.

    He did see Su-hyeun control clouds and winds during his match against Waffman, but back then, that ability didn¡¯t seem all that impressive.

    However, those attacks just now¡ªthe thunderbolt that struck the predator¡¯s head and the sharp winds that cut the dragon¡¯s back¡ªwouldn¡¯t fall too far back when compared to his own strength.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that our paths are different?¡±

    At first, Bradley thought that those words were short-sighted, na?ve, and rather idiotic.

    But now, he began to feel a little different as he witnessed Su-hyeun before his eyes. There was little doubt that the latter was so much younger than he was, yet seeing just how high he managed to climb up so quickly, the emperor couldn¡¯t help but get a feeling that maybe the path he walked on until now was indeed incorrect.

    ¡°However, even then¡­¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Bradley¡¯s eyes, which were locked on Su-hyeun, turned crimson as he made his next move.

    ¡°In the end, you¡¯ll also give up,¡± he thought.

    * * *

    The capital was laid to waste.

    Countless people lost their lives. Half of all those who gathered in the city were turned into sacrifices. The Ouroboros that bit and ripped into the predator¡¯s body was burned away after being struck by the dragon¡¯s magic, while even the God of War Nezha had lost one of his arms after it melted away.

    Krrrr¡ª

    On the other hand, the predator was just as exhausted and weakened. Blood continued to leak from its whole body, while one of its wings was almost completely severed and flapped about precariously.

    Pant, pant¡ª

    Su-hyeun panted heavily in exhaustion, too.

    This battle had already lasted for over one hour. The price of borrowing and using the powers of the Palm Leaf Sword and the Somersault cloud was making his body lethargic.

    ¡°That thing¡¯s power of recovery is no joke.¡±

    The predator¡¯s physical defense wasn¡¯t that impressive. It certainly was greater than a regular run-of-the-mill monster, but it was still nothing to write home about in terms of the intense pressure the black dragon gave off.

    However, that made sense because this monster waged war not through physical means but through its magical attacks.

    The real issues were with the creature¡¯s stubborn life force and the rate of its recovery that matched its massive size.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would heal its wounds with magic and keep fighting on.¡±

    As its body was humongous, the creature didn¡¯t bother to protect itself. It probably thought that it wouldn¡¯t get killed off in one stroke.

    On the other hand, it chose to gradually heal its body. The magical recovery was added on top of its inborn healing factor, so there was no real need to protect its body.

    Most of its regular wounds would recover fully given enough time, in other words.

    ¡°Even then¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun observed the predator¡¯s body that no longer showed any sign of recovering and muttered to himself, ¡°I guess this is the end, then.¡±

    Chwa-aaaah¡ª!

    Bradley¡¯s blade sliced open the predator¡¯s back.

    After his eyes became crimson, the emperor seemingly had transformed into a different person altogether.

    He swung his sword around like a man lost in the madness and didn¡¯t even bother to look after his own body. He just took on the predator¡¯s magic with his body and simply focused all his being in inflicting one more injury on the massive black dragon.

    His state was exactly the same as Waffman¡¯s.

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something about those eyes?¡±

    Su-hyeun wondered if those crimson eyes were similar to his own Sage¡¯s Eye.

    ¡°Whatever the case may be¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits. He locked his gaze on the ¡°chest¡± area of the predator¡¯s bloodied and torn body.

    That was the only intact part of the creature.

    It was unsurprising, however.

    Even though the rest of its body was basically uncovered, only that portion was being protected by magic.

    It was not just any magic either but one so powerful that it could¡¯ve protected its entire body without any issues. Su-hyeun had been wondering why this creature was paying so much attention to that particular location, but after taking a long, hard look, he could now tell the reason.

    As a matter of fact, his Sage¡¯s Eye had shown him the truth.

    That¡¯s where the ¡°Gyeol¡± of this monster was located¡ªthe key to its defeat.

    ¡°There might be only one chance.¡±

    Su-hyeun began pouring his energy into the Palm Leaf Sword.

    [The Wave Sword¡ªExplosion Style]

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    And then, through ¡°Explosion Style,¡± which he had refrained from using until now, he amplified the magical energy through the blade.

    Shake, tremor¡ª

    At the same time, the Palm Leaf Sword began vibrating as if it would go out of control.

    The ¡°Explosion Style¡± skill was already difficult to control, to begin with, yet after Balmung¡¯s center was relocated to the jewel extracted from the Palm Leaf Fan and the sword evolved into its current form, the skill became even harder to wield.

    The Explosion Style amplified one¡¯s energy at the cost of eating away at one¡¯s sword. Not to forget, the Palm Leaf Sword was also capable of summoning deadly winds when injected with magical energy.

    In other words, the Explosion Style served to amplify the winds rushing out from the Palm Leaf Sword itself, so much so that even Su-hyeun found it almost too hard to deal with.

    ¡°Alright, now¡­¡±

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    Su-hyeun, who was constantly soothing and pacifying the Palm Leaf Sword during the battle until now, finally changed his mind.

    ¡°Go on a rampage as much as you want.¡±

    What he needed right now was that one sure-kill hit.

    [Leap]

    KWA-BOOM¡ª!

    Su-hyeun activated Leap as his first step and rapidly flew up. In the meantime, he completely unleashed the Palm Leaf Sword¡¯s powers as it continued to amplify.

    Piiit, piiii-iiit¡ª

    Chwa-aaaah¡ª

    Bit by bit, Su-hyeun¡¯s body was cut open.

    He wrapped himself with the Somersault cloud, but that wasn¡¯t enough. His hand that was holding the sword was cut open, and the skin there was torn away.

    And so, the moment the Palm Leaf Sword thrust forward to slice open the predator¡¯s chest¡­

    Kwa-jajajajajajak¡ª!

    Kiiii-iiiiiiiiiing¡ª

    Countless sparks shot out from the magical barrier cast on the dragon¡¯s chest. However, it didn¡¯t take long for the weakened barrier to shatter completely.

    Shatter¡ª!

    And then, the barrier was gone.

    Su-hyeun took another swing with his sword toward the ¡°Gyeol¡± hidden behind it.

    ¡°Blow away,¡± He began while gritting his teeth and enduring the Palm Leaf¡¯s powers. ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Tu-kwa-gagagagak¡ª!

    Kiii-aaaaah¡ª!

    The predator¡¯s screams reverberated throughout the heavens. Su-hyeun¡¯s powerful swing managed to slice open a huge hole in the black dragon¡¯s chest, and Bradley¡¯s expression as he watched this spectacle unfold was filled with pure unbridled joy.

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± he thought.

    Right now, he didn¡¯t even have enough mental leeway to admire the power Su-hyeun had just unleashed. The moment he had been waiting for in a long time had finally arrived before him.

    It happened at that very moment when Bradley tried to approach the predator.

    ¡°The future you saw, it was this, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Drip, driiip¡ª

    Su-hyeun emerged from the predator¡¯s back by penetrating through the dragon¡¯s torso, and then, he coldly stared at Bradley.

    ¡°This is what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    And in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand was a black sphere the size of a human head.

 Chapter 300

    * * *

    When one practiced in the Sage Arts, one would eventually awaken a unique ability that matched one¡¯s attributes.

    Su-hyeun knew about that story after the Bull Demon King had told him. As for Bradley, he certainly had stepped up onto the realm that allowed him to awaken his ability.

    ¡°His ability allows him to bend and move through the dimensions.¡±

    Su-hyeun figured out what Bradley¡¯s unique ability was on the day he was appointed as the emperor¡¯s personal guardian knight.

    That day, Bradley had watched the commotion taking place in the underground drill hall. He did so while hiding in space that ¡°belonged¡± to another dimension.

    Simply put, Bradley¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t precognition as he claimed. No, he simply deceived Su-hyeun by saying he could see the future.

    He said that in 15 days, a monster called the predator would invade this world.

    The truth was the exact opposite. Actually, he had summoned the ¡°predator¡± to this place from a completely different dimension using his unique ability.

    ¡°I told you so, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    The Somersault cloud spoke to Su-hyeun back then.

    ¡°I said that fool would never be satisfied by being a mere emperor of humanity, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Bradley was born a slave, yet with his own strength, became a nobleman and, eventually, a king.

    Was that all? He founded the empire and succeeded in unifying the continent, too.

    As a human, Bradley had nothing more left to accomplish.

    Not only that, but the administrator¡¯s hint was also related to ¡°greed,¡± and Bradley himself said that Su-hyeun should become a monster true to his desires.

    Only then would he become even stronger and reach godhood much easier as well, he said.

    The administrator¡¯s hint and what Bradley said lined up perfectly, and Su-hyeun became confident after what Bradley asked him to do.

    ¡°This trial isn¡¯t about killing the predator,¡± Su-hyeun realized back then.

    [Prevent the birth of the predator.]

    Su-hyeun would never forget a trial¡¯s goal after committing it to his memory, and he became certain when what Bradley had said and the trial¡¯s goal differed in their objective.

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to stop the birth of the predator.¡±

    Su-hyeun was in a dilemma from that.

    Could he really be able to defeat Bradley?

    The odds were fifty-fifty. Considering the possibility of him hiding some cards up his sleeve, Bradley should be about equal in power to Su-hyeun.

    However, even if he managed to defeat the emperor, one more problem remained.

    ¡°Even if I do manage to kill Bradley¡­¡±

    The emperor wanted to use Su-hyeun¡¯s power and hunt the ¡°predator¡± with him.

    ¡°As I thought, I keep worrying about that dragon.¡±

    It was the dragon that resembled Fafnir that Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but worry about.

    Just who among the two would end up as the predator?

    His feelings said that it had to be Bradley, but he just couldn¡¯t stop thinking that the black dragon that appeared in the emperor¡¯s illusion could potentially go on to become Fafnir in the future.

    The goal of this trial, the one about preventing the birth of the predator, just who was it referring to?

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to complicate this.¡±

    He had already figured out what Bradley¡¯s end goal was. The latter most likely wanted to get his hands on the heart of the dragon he summoned. From what Song Hyeong-gi had told him, a dragon apparently had another heart dedicated solely for storing its magical energy reserve somewhere in its chest area.

    ¡°I¡¯ll simply stop both of them.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°That item¡­Put it down.¡±

    Bradley¡¯s voice became icy in an instant.

    However, when he took a step forward, Su-hyeun strengthened his grip.

    Crack¡ª

    That action caused a crack to run across the large sphere in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand, which was also enough to stop Bradley¡¯s advance in an instant.

    ¡°Even if my whole body is a wreck¡­¡±

    Grip, craaack¡ª

    ¡°You feel up to it? One stupid move and I¡¯ll shatter this thing right away, you know,¡± Su-hyeun continued while gripping the sphere harder.

    ¡°S¡ªstop, wait¡ª!¡±

    Bradley immediately shouted out and hesitatingly lowered both of his hands.

    Su-hyeun confirmed that the emperor was not trying to get closer anymore and relaxed his grip.

    Bradley glared at him. ¡°Bastard, do you have any idea what you are trying to do?¡±

    ¡°I do. So why don¡¯t you and I have a brief chat first?¡±

    Su-hyeun no longer addressed Bradley with polite speech. There was no need, anyway. They were no longer comrades in arms but enemies now.

    ¡°You fool, do you also wish to make that power yours?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders.

    If he could earn it then sure, it would be nice, but he was well aware of which dragon¡¯s heart this sphere was.

    This object was, in the end, nothing more than a way-too realistic illusion manufactured by the administrator. He had no reason to be interested in the sort of power that would scatter away like some mirage once the trial came to an end.

    ¡°However, I do not want it but you do, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Bradley was also a person of a world that existed in the past, created by the administrator as well. Therefore, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know if Bradley could make this power his even if he managed to acquire the dragon heart.

    ¡°¡­What if I do?¡±

    ¡°Let me ask you a few questions, then. This monster, is this thing really the predator?¡±

    ¡°If I answer you, are you going to hand over that item?¡±

    ¡°If I think you¡¯re being truthful.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s reply made Bradley take a bit of time and studied Su-hyeun¡¯s expression. However, Su-hyeun was able to read what he was thinking through that act.

    Bradley was in a dilemma.

    He was wondering if he could snatch the dragon heart away in time or if he should reply to the question while hoping that Su-hyeun would hand it over later.

    Soon, though, Bradley opened his mouth, ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I do not know what the predator you were looking for could be.¡±

    He gave up on snatching the heart away. To him, that¡¯s how important it was.

    If for some reason, Su-hyeun destroyed the heart in his hand and scattered away the power contained within it, then just like that, Bradley¡¯s end goal would turn into nothing more than popped bubbles.

    ¡°I simply used it to entice you.¡±

    ¡°Then, what is this monster?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a dragon from another dimension that knows aura control or, more correctly, a power similar to that.¡± Bradley suddenly took on an entranced expression after he replied. ¡°Do you have any idea how small this world we call home actually is? Did you also know that outside this world exists far wider and far bigger worlds populated by higher-dimensional existences?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really interested. Anyways, this monster is one such creature, that¡¯s what you¡¯re saying, right?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. And I became certain after discovering this creature.¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Bradley clenched his teeth tightly and spat out words filled with resentment that he had been suppressing until now. ¡°I am certain that, once I devour that dragon heart, I can obtain far greater power, as well as the qualifications of godhood.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡± Bradley smirked darkly next. ¡°It¡¯s about time you put it down on the ground.¡±

    Swoooosh¡ª!

    Right at that moment, when Bradley finished speaking, a sharp sword swung into Su-hyeun¡¯s midriff.

    The blade approached without making any noise whatsoever, and Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t respond in time. Watching this scene from the distance, Bradley became sure of it.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± he thought.

    However, what he heard next was the sound of hardened steel.

    CLAAANG¡ª!

    The sword failed to cut Su-hyeun apart in the waist. Something blocked it mid-air and stopped it dead.

    Su-hyeun turned his head and stared at the wielder of this blade.

    A middle-aged man was staring with wide-open eyes at his own sword. It was none other than Duke Layard.

    ¡°Enjoy your trip.¡±

    Duke Layard failed to comprehend what Su-hyeun said just then.

    Slice¡ª

    He didn¡¯t even know that he would die after being sliced apart in half there and then.

    In one sharp stroke, a sword had split his torso apart into two clean halves.

    It was the Yogoe Slaying Sword belonging to Su-hyeun¡¯s summon, the God of War Prince Nezha.

    Krrrrr¡ª

    Kiii-aaah¡ª!

    Sha-aaaah¡ª

    And at the same time, Miru and the other summoned creatures appeared all around Su-hyeun¡¯s side.

    Every single one of his summons that got burned and crushed to death by the predator¡¯s magic had all been revived.

    ¡°So, this was your unique ability, then?¡±

    Bradley gritted his teeth when Duke Layard¡¯s sneak attack ended in failure. It seemed that he thought all these creatures had been summoned here through Su-hyeun¡¯s unique ability awoken by the Sage Arts.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not exactly like that.¡±

    Crack, crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun began cracking his knuckles and shoulders all of a sudden. It felt like his body, covered in wounds all over until a few seconds ago, had finally recovered to some degree.

    ¡°Finally done. Feels like I¡¯m alive again.¡±

    ¡°That bastard, his wounds¡­?¡± Bradley studied him quietly.

    His eyes shot open wider when he witnessed Su-hyeun touch and inspect his body here and there.

    Without a doubt, blood used to trickle down from Su-hyeun¡¯s body not too long ago, but now, only a few minutes later, almost all of his bleeding had been staunched somehow.

    His previously pale complexion had regained its normal flushed color, while his heavy panting had returned to normal as well.

    ¡°You even knew recovery magic as well?¡± Bradley asked.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t sense anything like that from him?¡± he thought.

    Only then did Bradley realize that the reason why Su-hyeun suddenly started talking to him wasn¡¯t solely to dig some information from him.

    It was also to buy enough time to recover from all of his injuries.

    ¡°It¡¯s not magic but something similar to that.¡±

    [Snake¡¯s Blood]

    * Proficiency: 3.67%

    It was the passive-type skill he acquired back on the 99th floor¡¯s trial.

    This ¡°Snake¡¯s Blood¡± skill turned out to be rather useful. It boosted his stamina recovery rate, as well as his regenerative powers, quickly stopping the bleeding from whatever wounds he suffered.

    Not only that¡­

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even activated the Immortality skill yet,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He had been saving one final card all for this moment.

    The skill that raised his physical abilities to the absolute limits and, at the same time, temporarily recovered all of his depleted stamina and injuries he sustained¡ªthat was his Immortality skill.

    ¡°My odds are more than good enough,¡± he mulled.

    If Bradley had managed to get his hands on the dragon heart, then the ensuing battle would¡¯ve been so much harder. He already possessed enough strength to threaten Su-hyeun¡¯s life, so if the heart was added on top of that, it became as obvious as staring at burning wreckage that the fight would become incredibly tough.

    Thankfully, the dragon heart was in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand right now.

    ¡°I said this to you already, right?¡±

    Crack, craaaack¡ª

    The crack on the heart¡¯s surface gradually and rapidly spread out.

    ¡°I warned you that if you do something stupid, I¡¯ll shatter this thing right away.¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwait a mi¡ª¡±

    Shatter¡ª!

    Even before Bradley could finish, the dragon heart in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand shattered into pieces.

    The heart lost its shape from a powerful external force and scattered into the air like small sand particles. At the same time, the energy it contained also scattered everywhere.

    Blood vessels bulged hideously within Bradley¡¯s eyes. ¡°You bastard¡ª!¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Bone-chilling murderous intent and rage instantly blanketed the surroundings. On the other hand, Bradley¡¯s roar out of sheer rage only elicited a smirk from Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Alright, then. Hurry up and come at me, you¡ª?¡±

    Su-hyeun was about to raise his sword after confirming Bradley¡¯s enraged state, but he couldn¡¯t finish his own sentence and stood there stiffly.

    The cause of this was the sudden stop in Bradley¡¯s movements as he kicked the ground to pounce on Su-hyeun. It wasn¡¯t only him, however¡ªeverything within this world had come to a stop, and even all sounds ceased to exist as well.

    ¡°The world¡­has stopped?¡±

    Su-hyeun had to doubt his own eyes.

    He knew that this world of the trial had been recreated by the administrator, but this would be his first time experiencing the sensation of being inside a frozen time.

    ¡°No, wait¡­It hasn¡¯t actually stopped.¡±

    A few breaths later, though, Su-hyeun had to revise his own thoughts.

    ¡°Time is actually being rewound.¡±

    Bradley, who was about to pounce on him, was stepping back. The dragon¡¯s heart that was shattered into powder reverted to its original state, and then, the dead predator with a big hole in its chest had fully recovered before floating back up into the clouds.

    Time itself had rewound. As if Su-hyeun had become the odd man out, everything except him rapidly returned to their original positions.

    And so, the amount of time that rewound back was about 15 days in total.

    ¡°It¡¯s the world before I arrived.¡±

    Indeed, it was back when Su-hyeun first arrived in this world.

    ¡°And what¡¯s about to be shown to me is¡­¡±

    The world began ticking forward again from that moment on, and while watching it progress from a distance, Su-hyeun became certain of something.

    ¡°The original history of this world without my interference.¡±

 Chapter 301

    Act 4

    The world began moving forward again, leaving only Su-hyeun behind as the odd man out.

    He watched recreated events unfold after being separated from the rest of the world. He was now looking at the actual events of this world.

    ¡®Bradley¡­¡¯

    Bradley¡¯s figure was the very first thing that Su-hyeun had laid eyes on.

    He had been talking to himself for a long time. People could not decipher what he was talking about; Bradley¡¯s words didn¡¯t make sense. He was a nutcase.

    As he continued to utter meaningless words, a fissure suddenly occurred in front of him.

    It simply appeared out of nowhere. He reached out his hand, and the fissure opened further.

    Rip.

    And then, the small opening eventually widened.

    Su-hyeun had seen a similar scenario many times.

    ¡®It¡¯s similar to when one enters the tower.¡¯

    Indeed, it resembled the phenomenon of the awakeners of the outside world crossing over to the Tower of Trials after acquiring their powers.

    Su-hyeun carefully observed as the scenery changed. Shortly after, he could now see the new world Bradley had gone into.

    Nothing existed in this new world.

    The land was ruined and deserted, and the sky was dark. There were no signs of life anywhere, and Su-hyeun could only see a vast, empty land, and the skies that stretched beyond the horizon.

    Ki-aaah!

    This was where Bradley encountered the black dragon.

    It was a massive dragon, and it devoured everything in this world.

    ¡°I found it.¡±

    Bradley¡¯s voice could be heard next.

    He was smiling. He had been searching nonstop for that one possibility, and it finally appeared before his eyes.

    Bradley met the gaze of the black dragon.

    At that moment, he decisively turned around and returned to his own world. He was not confident enough to defeat the dragon alone. That¡¯s why.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    The world Su-hyeun was watching became blurry and disorientating as if it was a smudged painting.

    How much time had passed by?

    The mix-up world began regaining its original look. It eventually returned to how it once was and now displayed a completely shocking scenery.

    It was the scene with the black dragon appearing in the skies above along with the countless knights below.

    ¡®It¡¯s a war against the black dragon¡­¡¯

    The battle plan Bradley chose to go with was somewhat similar to when fighting alongside Su-hyeun.

    He dragged a meteor from space to force the black dragon down to the ground and then sent out the knights to kill the huge creature.

    One could easily tell who would emerge as the victor in this battle. However, Bradley didn¡¯t make any move until the final moment.

    Numerous knights died. In the end, Bradley was the only one remaining.

    Only then he finally made his move.

    And eventually¡­

    BANG!

    He struck the dragon with his sword. It squirmed and then died.

    Pant. Pant.

    Despite his labored breathing, Bradley had a big grin on his face. The dragon attacked him with its deadly breath earlier. As a result, his body was gradually decaying, yet he didn¡¯t even feel any pain from it.

    He began digging into the dead dragon¡¯s remains. He ripped open its chest, extracted its heart, and cautiously held it in his hands.

    Crunch!

    Then he started to devour it.

    Crunch, chew, crunch¡­

    Was it good?

    Bradley could not help but smile as he consumed the dragon¡¯s heart. When he was done, however, he hurriedly covered his mouth and began to vomit.

    ¡°Wuu-wuuk¡­¡±

    His whole body convulsed as he threw up.

    Was this some kind of a side effect?

    Bradley quivered for a moment, then he calmed down. When Bradley raised his head again, Su-hyeun saw that he was transforming.

    ¡®Scales¡­¡¯

    He saw scales spreading from Bradley¡¯s throat area.

    Bradley¡¯s skin started to peel off layer by layer. He was slowly transforming into a human covered with dragon¡¯s scales.

    His eyes turned red. His madness-filled face shifted to another direction.

    He then began walking towards the dead dragon.

    Crunch¡­

    He started to eat what was left of the corpse without hesitation.

    Crunch, chew, crunch..

    ¡®It must have been really¡­satisfying.¡¯ That¡¯s all Su-hyeun could think about.

    How did a dragon taste like? Was it really satisfying for Bradley to devour it? Su-hyeun scowled as he stared at the former emperor. He couldn¡¯t hide his disgust.

    The black dragon had a huge physique that would make up a quarter of the city. Yet Bradley continued to consume its carcasses. He chewed and swallowed until his stomach could not take it anymore. He rested for a while, then continued to devour the remains when able. He kept doing this for some time until he finally consumed everything.

    How many years did it take Bradley to eat all of the dragon¡¯s remains?

    When Bradley was done digesting the last piece he consumed, he looked different¡ªhis appearance had been completely transformed.

    And he seemed to look exactly like¡­

    ¡°Faf¡­nir¡­¡±

    A creature Su-hyeun was all too familiar with.

    Gulp.

    It was a giant with the head of a dragon.

    It was the boss of the purple dungeon, as well as the vilest monster that destroyed Su-hyeun¡¯s world.

    And also¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s an absolute predator.¡±

    Su-hyeun heard a voice coming from his side, and he quickly turned his head in its direction.

    Then, he spoke. ¡°Is it over?¡±

    The world before him reverted to nothingness.

    Su-hyeun silently scanned his surroundings for a while before shifting his gaze back to the person talking to him. It was the 100th floor¡¯s administrator that he encountered before the start of the trial.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over. And you were excellent at it.¡±

    ¡°Is this how it really ends?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked bitter and unsatisfied.

    He had been planning for a battle against Bradley. He felt he had a good chance of defeating him. Besides, the emperor was about to make his move, too.

    The administrator replied, ¡°There¡¯s no point.¡±

    ¡°What point?¡±

    ¡°You have already completed this trial¡¯s goals. After all, you did prevent the birth of the predator, the one you saw at the end.¡±

    The ¡®predator¡¯¡­ The administrator called Fafnir from Su-hyeun¡¯s memories as the predator.

    He asked, ¡°That thing¡­ Was it the predator?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Just what exactly is it, this monster you are referring to as the predator?¡±

    Su-hyeun tensed up.

    He ardently prayed that he was mistaken. In an instant, gloomy thoughts filled his head. He shut his eyes. He quietly waited for the administrator¡¯s reply.

    That moment felt agonizingly long.

    Then came the response.

    ¡°Well, they are something like that. Actually, the one you saw was more like a mutant, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°You said ¡®they¡¯¡­¡±

    The administrator wasn¡¯t talking about one Fafnir. Su-hyeun felt his heart sank. A sad, sinking feeling filled his chest.

    Su-hyeun hoped that the monster he remembered as Fafnir was simply called the predator by the administrators and that the word ¡®predator¡¯ was not a generalized term to denote a type of monsters.

    But his hope had been shattered to bits in an instant.

    ¡°There are more than one?!¡±

    As it turned out, Fafnir, the monster who brought Su-hyeun¡¯s world down to its knees, was not the only one.

    ¡°This discussion would take a while.¡±

    Snap.

    The administrator snapped his fingers and a chair appeared behind Su-hyeun. He then continued, ¡°Take a seat so we could discuss properly.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    Su-hyeun pulled the chair and sat down.

    During this lull in their conversation, Su-hyeun took deep breaths to calm his pounding chest. The revelation from the administrator was the most shocking news he had ever heard in his life.

    What if there were two or three predators like Fafnir out there? What if there were much more than that?

    ¡®Does this mean there¡¯s something else beyond it, too?¡¯

    Grit.

    Nothing was certain at this stage.

    Even if there were several ¡®predators¡¯ out there, the odds were that they might never appear in Su-hyeun¡¯s world. Maybe Fafnir would be the only one.

    But the current Su-hyeun had no way of confirming that right now.

    ¡°First of all, my apologies. You see, this is classified information. Oh, you know how talkative I can be,¡± the administrator playfully said.

    It seemed that he was trying to put Su-hyeun at ease. He was anxious since the administrator informed him about the existence of other predators.

    Su-hyeun nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯m grateful for that.¡±

    ¡°Even then, I can¡¯t tell you everything. Honestly, the information I revealed to you earlier already crossed the line, too.¡±

    ¡°What line are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Are you confident of,¡± the administrator began casually as he settled on his own chair, ¡°not falling into despair after listening to me?¡±

    That was a ridiculous question.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know about the ¡®truth¡¯ of this world. He might have seen or experienced a little of it, but so many things had remained a complete mystery to him even now.

    Was he confident enough to take what the administrator was about to impart to him?

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t be sure.

    No, the truth was¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not confident at all,¡± Su-hyeun replied honestly.

    The administrator was taken aback by Su-hyeun¡¯s response. He was clearly not expecting it from him.

    Su-hyeun breathed deeply, calming himself, and then went on, ¡°To be honest, what you said just now was too shocking for me. To learn that there are more than one of those things out there, it¡­that revelation took the wind out of my sails.¡±

    The administrator said ¡®they¡¯ when referring to Fafnir. Being informed that there more than the likes of Fafnir had shaken Su-hyeun.

    And if he were to be honest, he did feel despair for a moment. Then again, when he thought about what the administrator had said, he realized that it wasn¡¯t all there was to that revelation.

    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s better to be informed now rather than be kept in the dark in the end,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°Is that so? I thought ¡®ignorance is bliss¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one of Earth¡¯s proverbs. Where did you hear that from?¡±

    ¡°I have my ways¡­¡± The administrator smiled.

    ¡°The moment you told me that there were more than one of such a monster, I admit, I was shocked. Thoughts of despair immediately popped into my mind. I even questioned my abilities. I wondered, ¡®Would I even be able to defeat just one?''¡±

    Su-hyeun was thinking that it wouldn¡¯t take too long for Fafnir to appear in his world. Since several indigo-colored dungeons had already appeared, it would take five years at most for a purple one to show up.

    No. Maybe one would appear much sooner than that.

    Su-hyeun met Bradley. He witnessed the latter devour a dragon¡¯s heart and even went on to eat the rest of the huge serpent¡¯s remains, too.

    That¡¯s how Fafnir was born. Su-hyeun could never defeat the creature with his current level of strength. And now, there was a lot of Fafnir?

    ¡°But what can I do?¡± Su-hyeun asked, smiling. ¡°I can only go as far as I can. That¡¯s all.¡±

    He knew this was no laughing matter. Even then, he still smiled. He thought that this was the only way to at least stay optimistic.

    He had not given up yet.

    ¡°If I were to give up, I would have done so a long time ago.¡±

    Su-hyeun had lived a life far more miserable than this one. He existed and fought for many years in a world where everyone else died.

    There was more to hope for at present than in the past.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    The administrator patiently listened to Su-hyeun¡¯s replies and slowly cupped his chin. Judging by his expression, he was contemplating.

    Eventually, he nodded and grinned. ¡°That¡¯s a relief in that case,¡± he commented. He then straightened his back and stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a rush. Forget about knowing or not knowing for now¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re on the wrong track.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m also relieved.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pleased. It¡¯s now time to reward you for passing the trial exceptionally. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    The subject of their discussion changed abruptly. Su-hyeun asked in a puzzled expression. ¡°But what about the predators? What do we make of them?¡± Su-hyeun asked, confused.

    ¡°Receive the reward first. Think about the predators later. The thing is, I¡¯ve argued and fought pretty hard to choose a reward that¡¯s perfectly suited for you, you know?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t say anything. The administrator reached inside his inner pocket and pulled something out, then presented it before Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re gonna love it. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s one of a kind.¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at the item the administrator gave him, and then, he formed an expression of a man chewing on a bug.

    ¡°You mean¡­this?¡±

    [Broken Sandglass]

    The item was a small hourglass that didn¡¯t work.

 Chapter 302

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t like it?¡± the administrator asked.

    ¡°Well, judging from how it looks¡ª¡±

    ¡°Whoa!¡± the administrator cut Su-hyeun off. ¡°Looks can be deceiving! And that other saying about a book¡­,¡± he tried to remember.

    ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book¡­,¡± Su-hyeun began.

    ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡±

    Of course, Su-hyeun knew better than being deceived by appearances. He would rather be amazed by the content than its packaging.

    ¡°In any case, take it.¡±

    Su-hyeun received the hourglass from the administrator. It was as small as a finger, and no matter which direction he turned it, the sand didn¡¯t settle to the bottom part.

    ¡°I thought about what reward you would need the most. Any regular weapon would not be much of a reward for you, and I heard that you rejected the title of ¡®Sage¡¯, too.¡±

    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not like I reje¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he assured Su-hyeun. ¡°No need to be so humble. I heard that you prefer to attain the Sage title through your strengths. Which means, we can¡¯t bestow it upon you as a, say, favor¡­can we?¡±

    Was the administrator making fun of Su-hyeun or he actually meant what he said?

    Whatever the case might be, it seemed that aquiring the Sage title would be impossible now. Su-hyeun sighed and took another glance at the hourglass.

    ¡°Check it out first,¡± the administrator confidently suggested. ¡°We can talk about the details afterwards.¡±

    As proposed, Su-hyeun decided to check out the hourglass¡¯s effect.

    [Broken Sandglass]

    * This is the first failed attempt by the God of Time to create an hourglass. It cannot reverse time, but, when used, the user can stop the flow of time and enter a specific time frame.

    * Remaining usable period: 3 years

    * Grade: God

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    That explanation confused Su-hyeun.

    He couldn¡¯t tell whether this was good or¡­not so good.

    ¡®This is the first time I have seen such an item with that grade. But then, what does it mean that I can ¡®enter a specific time frame¡¯?¡¯

    Even after reading the explanation, he couldn¡¯t grasp what this item¡¯s effect was supposed to be. However, the first thing that caught his attention was the item¡¯s grade.

    A god-grade item¡­

    Su-hyeun had seen all sorts of items in his life, but he had never seen and held a god grade before. He had never even heard about such a grade in the first place.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell, right?¡± the administrator spoke.

    ¡°Yes, just where should I even¡­¡±

    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you use it? You have plenty of time left anyway.¡±

    At the administrator¡¯s recommendation, Su-hyeun nodded.

    The moment he grasped the hourglass, he instantly understood how to activate it. The user must wield the hourglass for it to work.

    Su-hyeun placed the hourglass on his palm. And when he wished for it to activate, the sand began to settle at the bottom.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    However, no remarkable changes were seen.

    Su-hyeun was puzzled. He then turned to the administrator. ¡°Excuse me. Could this be a faulty item?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not,¡± the administrator replied with a knowing expression. ¡°Its effect should have already¡ª¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    The administrator suddenly stopped mid-speech. Su-hyeun was looking at him, confused.

    He wondered if the administrator was pulling a prank on him. He then waved his hand in front of the man¡¯s face, but didn¡¯t get a reaction.

    No matter what, it did not seem like a prank.

    ¡®He¡¯s not even breathing¡­¡¯

    The administrator, although he wasn¡¯t human, suddenly stopped breathing. Su-hyeun was shocked and worried. Then, he noticed that all the sand inside the hourglass had already settled at the bottom.

    [Remaining usable period: 2 years and 364 days¡­]

    The Broken Sandglass was now activated, and the time was specified.

    ¡®Is this the definite time frame?¡¯ he wondered.

    Su-hyeun was stunned by the hourglass¡¯s power and stumbled backwards.

    Nothing could be found in the white world created by the administrator. Then with a loud thud, a chair fell over at Su-hyeun.

    Thud!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Su-hyeun scratched his head. He was stunned that, for a moment there, he forgot about the chair behind him.

    He reached for the chair to put it back on its feet but stopped.

    A thought occured to him. ¡®It fell over¡­¡¯

    Didn¡¯t the time flow stop through the hourglass¡¯s power?

    Yet the chair still fell over. A chair falling over would need ¡®time¡¯ to do so.

    ¡®Can it be¡­¡¯ he mused.

    Su-hyeun recalled the part in the Broken Sandglass¡¯s explanation, the one about the specific time frame.

    Shu-rung!

    He then unsheathed his sword. With his mind still in doubt, he struck the chair.

    Slice!

    The chair was sliced into halves, and each part fell to either side.

    Shortly after, Su-hyeun flipped the hourglass.

    And just as the sand began to settle again¡­

    ¡°¡­manifested by now,¡± the administrator finished his speech.

    In that moment, Su-hyeun was startled, but he was able to regain his wits. He realized exactly where he was at present.

    ¡°Judging from your expression, looks like you have experienced it for yourself.¡±

    Whoosh!

    Su-hyeun noticed the chair he was sitting on. He clearly remembered slicing it into halves a while ago, yet it was completely intact.

    ¡°Changes brought by the actions performed in the definite time frame end as soon as the item¡¯s effect run out. Is that it?¡± Su-hyeun clarified.

    ¡°Something like that, but not quite.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°From the get-go, you can¡¯t influence any changes after activating that hourglass. In the same way that other people can¡¯t inflict any changes on you.¡±

    The administrator pointed at the Broken Sandglass in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and continued, ¡°It is said that this item will send you to a specific time frame, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°As soon as the hourglass is activated, technically speaking, you vanish from this world. You end up in an isolated world similar to this one, but without the passage of time.¡±

    What an absurd story this was.

    Something like this was pretty much capable of freezing time. Of course, Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t be able to influence any changes to the world, but this item was more than enough to be referred to as a ¡®god¡¯ grade.

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you need. Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Time¡­,¡± Su-hyeun whispered.

    The administrator knowing what Su-hyeun needed was puzzling. Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help himself but ask, ¡°So you knew that I needed time?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± the administrator confirmed.

    Time¡­ It was given ¡®fairly¡¯ to everyone.

    It was just that time¡¯s worth varied from person to person, depending on how one chose to utilize it and where to spend it.

    In that sense, time itself was perhaps the most valuable reward among others for Su-hyeun.

    The administrator went on, ¡°Then let¡¯s proceed to the second thing¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun, still stunned by the Broken Sandglass¡¯s effect, quickly paid attention. What he was about to hear could very well be as important as this hourglass.

    Whatever the case might be, Fafnir was an enormous enemy, literally and figuratively, that Su-hyeun must overcome.

    ¡°That creature you saw earlier? As I said, it¡¯s basically a variant.¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡± Su-hyeun was genuinely curious to know.

    ¡°That guy became a full-fledged predator by devouring the half-complete predator,¡± the administrator explained. ¡°The difference lies in consciousness. Normally, those who have just become a predator do not possess any ego. But that guy, he retained his consciousness when he was still human.¡±

    Now this was a rather detailed explanation. Even if it only pertained to Fafnir, this information was still useful especially for future reference.

    ¡°Just what is exactly a ¡®predator¡¯?¡± Su-hyeun asked curiously.

    ¡°Well, simply put, it¡¯s like a monster that failed to become a god.¡±

    ¡°A monster that failed to become a god?¡± Su-hyeun pressed on.

    If it was a ¡®god¡¯, then that should be the final stop in the long and winding path called the Sage Arts, the goal that Sun Wukong, the Bull Demon King, and even Bradley longed badly to achieve.

    However, it was concerning to think that a ¡®predator¡¯ like Fafnir or other similar monsters would be created when they failed to reach godhood.

    ¡°That¡¯s basically what I am allowed to reveal to you.¡± It must have been a confidential topic to discuss as the administrator hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°The predator you will encounter in the future would be a lot different from the one you saw today.¡±

    ¡°Really? Different? How so?¡±

    ¡°Well, it would be larger and more terrifying.¡± The administrator¡¯s face turned serious as he informed Su-hyeun about the future predator. ¡°A predator is a monster that grows by devouring a world. Considering how much time has passed by since he ate that half-predator, I can¡¯t even imagine how much bigger it has gotten by now.¡±

    That was a shocking revelation. Su-hyeun could not help but despair.

    Just to barely defeat a half-predator, not only Su-hyeun and Bradley had to work together, they would need the assistance of hundreds of thousands of knights as well.

    What¡¯s worse was Bradley consumed that half-predator and evolved into an absolute one. This monster alone would be too difficult for Su-hyeun to deal with.

    Just about now, Su-hyeun was informed that time had passed by since then and no one could tell how much stronger that thing had become.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything to change that,¡± Su-hyeun replied in a rather calm manner, though he meant what he said.

    The administrator was not expecting this kind of response from Su-hyeun. ¡°You¡¯re not shocked¡­ I thought you would be.¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s certainly a shocking revelation, but,¡± Su-hyeun recalled what the Bull Demon King had told him in the past, ¡°I was told to take my time and be patient.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The administrator¡¯s face lit up, then he stood up. ¡°In any case, I will cheer for you. You are destined to go far. The powers you possess, they are one of a kind, far greater than your wildest imagination.¡±

    The white background gradually darkened. Su-hyeun watched the temporary world created by the administrator broke down. Afterwards, he got up.

    ¡°Since things have come to this, aim for the top¡­¡± The administrator left Su-hyeun some parting words as he disappeared with the white world. ¡°¡­the godhood.¡±

    The godhood¡­

    Su-hyeun had been hearing that term pretty often lately.

    [You have acquired 10,000,000 achievement points.]

    [You have perfectly cleared the 100th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [You have acquired the ¡®Broken Sandglass¡¯.]

    [Transferring to the 101st floor¡­]

    Shortly after, system messages popped up.

    The 101st floor¡­

    He managed to pass the 100th floor, known as the mother of all hurdles and the hardest floor. Its level of difficulty was 10.

    The scenery before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes transformed once more.

    The world, which was once dark, had some color and morphed into a small city. Heavy, gloomy clouds hung above as if it would rain any moment.

    ¡°Wait, did the 101st floor originally look like this?¡±

    Su-hyeun began walking along this somewhat strange scenery.

    The buildings were only three to four floors high, and they looked as if they would collapse at any second. The city had this European vibe to it, but it was ruined and deserted. In fact, it gave off a ghost town atmosphere.

    Su-hyeun wandered around this city for a while and eventually discovered a familiar avenue, one that was visible after leaving the main plaza.

    ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s definitely the 101st floor,¡¯ he thought.

    But it also felt different.

    From the winding streets to the buildings¡¯ architecture, and even the tall tower visible from a distance¡­

    He stayed here only for a couple of days in the past, but he clearly remembered this place. This should be the world of the 101st floor: Harprium.

    ¡°Was this place also got destroyed or something?¡± Su-hyeun muttered to himself as he walked through the deserted streets. What he found had clearly dumfounded him.

    He had never heard of a world inside the tower being destroyed before. Indeed, if the 101st floor¡¯s world was laid waste like this, then Abyss Online would be in complete pandemonium by now.

    ¡®Besides, there¡¯s no one else here.¡¯

    Su-hyeun was currently scanning his surroundings after raising his perception to its most alert state.

    Even if no one lived in the city, it would be normal to sense at least some living presence. Wouldn¡¯t it be common for rats or, even at the very least, insects to exist somewhere?

    However, he had not encountered any of those.

    He continued to scan his surroundings and then closed his eyes. When he opened them, he quickly turned his head to look at a particular direction.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± he called out.

    He sensed someone had flinched.

    Was this creature trying to sneak from behind and then attack Su-hyeun? Su-hyeun then directly addressed the said being. Doing so would intimidate the lurker. It was currently hiding its presence by utilizing a stealth technique. ¡°I would like to speak to you if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Su-hyeun felt a bit apologetic, but he was not thinking of pretending not to notice anything right now.

 Chapter 303

    The lurker did not immediately respond to Su-hyeun. Meanwhile, Su-hyeun waited for it to come close. He was calm, but vigilant.

    About 10 seconds later, a well-groomed man appeared from the corner of a street and spoke, ¡°Well, now. Just as I have been told, your senses are remarkably well attuned. I am impressed.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    His previously invincible body slowly showed its form and color. This skill resembled a chameleon¡¯s ability to camouflage itself.

    Su-hyeun examined the man from head to foot. Then he asked, ¡°Are you the administrator?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am the administrator of the 101st floor.¡±

    As expected, the only living being remaining on the 101st floor¡¯s world was the administrator. This didn¡¯t surprise Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What were you trying to do by concealing yourself?¡± Su-hyeun continued to question him.

    ¡°I was just trying to gauge your skill level. That¡¯s all. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. But, to be honest, I never really believed you would get this far.¡±

    What was this guy even saying? Sure, the 101st floor was not a low floor, but it was also not that high either.

    In the case of the awakeners choosing the first level of difficulty, six out of 10 challengers would successfully clear the 100th floor and enter this floor.

    Of course, it was not as if Su-hyeun was completely clueless. This place was simply far too different from the 101st floor¡¯s world he remembered.

    He asked again, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why is this place deserted? I haven¡¯t seen a single soul since I arrived.¡±

    ¡°This is normal.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®normal¡¯? I know several people who have entered the 101st floor¡¯s world a long time ago. The 101st floor that I know of isn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s not normal,¡± the administrator began, ¡°is the ¡®other¡¯ world you know about.¡±

    The other world Su-hyeun knew about?

    He considered the possibility after hearing the administrator¡¯s explanation. As they had been talking about the 101st floor, the ¡®other¡¯ world the administrator referred to could be¡­

    ¡°That place is a sham, and this is the real one. Is it clear now?¡± the administrator clarified.

    Su-hyeun took another look at the surroundings. Although not a perfect replica, this place certainly resembled the 101st floor¡¯s world he remembered.

    The difference was obvious: the original had living creatures on it, while the replica was abandoned.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t accept it?¡±

    ¡°No, not really.¡±

    It was not because Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t accept it or didn¡¯t understand what the administrator had just told him. He felt that something was off, and he had sensed it since he arrived.

    ¡°Was the 100th floor¡¯s trial a sort of doorway¡­a hurdle?¡±

    ¡°More accurately, it¡¯s the 10th level of difficulty of the trial.¡±

    Now that was one absurd requirement¡ªthe 100th floor and its trial set at the 10th level of difficulty.

    For someone who had experienced and passed that trial, Su-hyeun found the level of difficulty absurd. If an aspirant was able to climb all the way to the 100th floor, then it would be that person¡¯s prerogative on how to manage the trial. However, a sane individual would find it impossible to clear that level nonetheless.

    The only one who stood a chance of successfully clearing this trial had to choose and clear the 10th level of difficulty and reach the 100th floor.

    Not only that, even Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t have passed it if it weren¡¯t for his fortuitous encounters on the 60th floor that included acquiring both the Palm Leaf Fan and the Somersault cloud, as well as learning about the Sage Arts.

    ¡°This is the real world, while the other one is a replica¡­¡± Su-hyeun let those words sink in before asking another question. ¡°In that case, the people¡­they are¡­¡±

    ¡°Stuck,¡± the administrator finished the sentence for Su-hyeun and went on, ¡°They are unable to climb any higher.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    That answer puzzled Su-hyeun.

    The condition to climb to the 101st floor was to pass the trial set at the 10th level of difficulty on the 100th floor¡¯s world.

    Those countless awakeners who failed to meet this requirement but still passed the 100th floor were now stuck in a fake world. They thought they were diligently ascending the floors, but they were all mistaken.

    This was no isolated incident. Even the awakeners in Su-hyeun¡¯s previous life, as Kim-Sung-in, also faced this unfortunate event.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what¡¯s the point of dividing the difficulty levels for each trial, especially when you can¡¯t even go any higher?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t go higher,¡± the administrator refuted. ¡°It will just take a longer time.¡±

    ¡°Longer time?¡±

    ¡°Ten requirements exist to reach this ¡®next world¡¯. Tenth level of difficulty on the 100th floor, ninth level on the 200th, eighth level on the 300th, and, eventually, first level on the 1,000th. Difficulties are composed of different sections, and all you have to do is to pass those trials,¡± the administrator explained in detail. Su-hyeun seemed to be absorbing this information and remained silent, so the administrator continued, ¡°Your abilities will invariably improve faster if you choose an advanced difficulty setting on higher floors. Meaning, only the awakeners who have acquired a suitable level of strength to clear the 100th floor or 10th level of difficulty are qualified to step into the ¡®real¡¯ next world.

    In Su-hyeun¡¯s previous life as Kim Sung-in, he cleared trials set at the eighth level of difficulty and eventually reached the 294th floor. However, he failed to see the real next world; he was six floors short.

    ¡°And you are the very first person to pass all the tests we have prepared and set foot in this world.¡±

    ¡°The first?¡±

    ¡°I hope that answers all your questions. I¡¯m sure you have more, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t divulge too much information. Besides all that, I recommend that you hurry back home first.¡± The administrator stretched his limbs, then turned around to leave. ¡°I¡¯m sure ¡®that¡¯ side is in utter chaos as we speak.¡±

    Su-hyeun then realized that he had not been to the outside world for quite a while now.

    He originally planned to return immediately once the trial was over, but the 101st floor turned out to be too different from his memories, and that ended up delaying his plans.

    ¡®When he said it was in ¡®utter chaos¡¯ over there, could it be¡­,¡¯ Su-hyeun pondered.

    Su-hyeun urgently went back to the outside world.

    It had been 20 days since he went away.

    * * *

    Kaboom!

    On a small rice field located near Yangpyeong of Gyeonggi Province and Chuncheon¡­

    It was autumn. The wind blew ruthlessly, and the leaves changed colors. No one was around. If the rice field owner was here, he would be heartbroken by the sight.

    Kuruk, krr!

    A group of monsters stomped past the field. They got a whiff of the surroundings and howled.

    They seemed to be starving. They began chewing on the appetizing aroma of rice stalks. However, they eventually spat all the grains out. Perhaps the taste was not to their liking.

    Kururuk, ki-aaah!

    Awoo!

    The monsters, large gray wolves, howled. They were craving for fresh meat and blood. Something caught their attention. They turned their heads in a particular direction.

    They saw pitch-black fog gradually rising.

    [Dark World]

    Shu-wuwuwu!

    The fog rushed in and suffocated dozens of gray wolves. The pressure exerted by the fog effortlessly crushed the monsters¡¯ bodies.

    Crunch!

    Splat!

    The pack of monster wolves were killed and exploded in an instant.

    Thomas, who was controlling this darkness, turned around and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m finished!¡±

    ¡°Nice work. Well done.¡±

    Hak-joon praised Thomas and then shifted his attention back to the remains of the wolves.

    These two came here just in case, and, sure enough, the monsters had already got this far.

    ¡®Monsters have begun crossing over from Gangwon Province now.¡¯

    Yangpyeong was located right next to Chuncheon, so it basically served as the entry to Gyeonggi from the neighboring Gangwon Province.

    Of course, there were other roads besides this one, but the majority had been blocked by now.

    On top of this, the association had set up a barrier to make sure that no monster would emerge from Gangwon Province. If some tried to break in, the association would quickly form a team of high-ranking awakeners and drive the monsters out.

    That was why they had been doing their best to keep the monsters from leaving Gangwon Province. Unfortunately, they reached their limit.

    Hak-joon immediately called Lee Ju-ho after confirming that Thomas had taken care of one horde. Lee Ju-ho answered after one ring.

    ¡°Hello? Yes. We have confirmed it. They are all headed this way.¡±

    ¡ªThat place was right all along?

    Lee Ju-ho sounded rather grave just then.

    That made sense under the current situation. After all, the number of monsters heading towards Yangpyeong was quite significant.

    ¡°Yeah. And more of them should show up here after picking up the scent of blood just now.¡±

    ¡ªI heard that there are quite a few of them. You two have to be careful. I¡¯m really sorry that we could not join the two of you.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Can¡¯t be helped since we lack manpower anyway.¡±

    At present, the awakeners were suffering from an unprecedented case of shortage in manpower. The C-Rank awakeners were as common as grass in the past, but even they were in short supply. That¡¯s how many dungeons had appeared recently.

    Awakeners were occupied trying to raid all dungeons that showed up not only in and near Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, but throughout the countryside as well.

    To make matters worse, the association had to stay mum about the monsters that emerged within Gangwon Province. Thus, it was not surprising that they had only dispatched Hak-joon and Thomas in this particular location.

    Hak-joon slightly hesitated before continuing, ¡°Bro, if this is how it is, why don¡¯t I just¡ª¡±

    ¡ªI told you, you can¡¯t.

    Lee Ju-ho decisively cut Hak-joon off.

    ¡ªDo I have to remind you about the current state of Gangwon right now? A full-on outbreak instigated by the indigo dungeon is supposed to happen either today or tomorrow. Tell me, what can you achieve by going there alone?

    Hak-joon had been suggesting to be assigned at Gangwon Province for the past 10 days.

    All because he was frustrated waiting.

    Since Seoul and Gyeonggi Province could not be overrun no matter what, Hak-joon had to remain as the final line of defense.

    If monsters marched straight towards Seoul right now while Hak-joon was in Gangwon Province, then no one would be able to stop them.

    ¡ªWay too many dungeons showed up in the countryside as well. It¡¯s not as bad as here, but still, it¡¯s urgent over there, too. The raid of Gangwon will only happen after everything else. And that¡¯s why the whole province has been evacuated in the first place, you know.

    ¡°Argh¡­ Still, it¡¯s so frustrating.¡±

    ¡ªI understand. But remember that without Su-hyeun around, you and Thomas are our remaining defenders. If something bad happens to any of you, then it will really be over for us.¡±

    Hak-joon heard Lee Ju-ho through the phone¡¯s receiver and slightly nodded his head. He couldn¡¯t argue with Lee Ju-ho. In his frustration, he kicked the ground.

    ¡°I think the monsters are about to show up anyway, so I¡¯m going to hang up now.¡±

    From the get-go, the reason why Hak-joon and Thomas came to Yangpyeong was to prevent the monsters from coming here.

    After receiving the news of a fairly large group of monsters rushing over, they decided that rather than dispatching an equally large manpower to the location, it would be better to simply send two highly skilled individuals instead.

    ¡ªWhat about their numbers? How many?

    ¡°Not sure¡­¡±

    Hak-joon¡¯s last word came out as a mere whisper. He was staring at the horde of monsters that was rushing towards his direction after sniffing the scent of blood.

    There seemed to be several thousands of monsters at a glance. But there could be even more behind them.

    Hak-joon looked closely and spoke in an unimpressed tone of voice, ¡°It¡¯s not a lot, actually.¡±

    ¡ªOh, is that so?

    ¡°Yeah. So we¡¯ll wrap everything up quickly and head back home. And since we had to go so far and back, you have to buy us good food when we get there. We have been eating cheap stuff lately. They are far from delicious, but enough to keep us full.¡±

    ¡ªOkay, got it. Do come back safe, okay?

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Beep.

    Hak-joon hurriedly ended the call. He figured that the commotion would get transmitted through the line if the call lasted any longer.

    ¡°Wow! So many of them!¡± Thomas exclaimed. He could not keep himself calm.

    Hak-joon chuckled at Thomas¡¯s reaction. He wondered why Thomas always react this way while looking at so many monsters.

    ¡®I mean, they are so disgusting to look at,¡¯ Hak-joon thought.

    Boom! Boom!

    Kyah-aah¡ª!

    Kya-ruk! Kyahk!

    All sorts of bizarre screeches and howls resonated. Even their outer appearances colorfully varied. Hak-joon had never seen a number of them before.

    Some of the monsters were at a superior level as well. A superior creature from the blue dungeon was not something Hak-joon and Thomas could take lightly.

    ¡®Can we really handle this?¡¯ Hak-joon wondered. For a moment, he was uncertain.

    He also regretted not calling for support. On the other hand, he could not help but think that even if support did come, not much would change in this situation.

    Besides, even if he called for help, Seoul had no reserve S-Rank awakener manpower left anyway.

    ¡®If it was bro¡­¡¯

    Hak-joon continued to mull over the situation while watching the horde of countless monsters steadily getting closer.

    ¡®Would he have been able to kill them alone?¡¯

    Surely, it wasn¡¯t an outlandish thought. Nothing seemed impossible for the ¡®Su-hyeun¡¯ that Hak-joon knew, after all.

    ¡°Hey, Thomas!¡±

    ¡°N-ng?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet on who kills more today?¡± Hak-joon suggested with a smirk.

    ¡°A bet! Cool!¡± Thomas replied enthusiastically.

    ¡°Alright. The loser gets 500 Dutch rubs.¡±

    ¡°F-five hundred? Uweck.¡±

    ¡°We can forget about it if you¡¯re not up for it. I will just hunt all of them down on my own.¡±

    ¡°No! Wait! Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    They had been hanging out for so long that Hak-joon had already learned how to handle Thomas.

    For sure, Thomas was much better suited to deal with this many enemies with his magic-based skill rather than Hak-joon and his sword strikes.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? Well, in that case, let¡¯s get cracking then.¡±

    Step.

    Hak-joon unsheathed his sword and moved forward. Thomas was right behind him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 304

    Act 5

    Ki-aah!

    Kuruk, kuk!

    A monster resembling an ox waved its horns. Right after that, another monster that looked like a toad displayed its lengthy tongue.

    Slice.

    Ku-ruk!

    The long tongue was sliced in half, and blood splattered everywhere. The toad-like monster screeched and thrashed around in pain.

    The human it tried to devour was simply too fast. The monster, even while in pain, tried to attack once more, but its supposed prey had already escaped.

    Shortly after that, sword-brandishing Hak-joon descended from the air.

    Whoosh!

    Swish!

    A thin but lengthy line followed Hak-joon¡¯s movement as he wielded his blade. The line was produced by the magical crimson energy emanating from his sword.

    Splat!

    In the blink of an eye, dozens of monsters were cut down. While wielding a lengthy sword made out of magical energy, Hak-joon spun in the air and landed on his feet.

    ¡°Fu-wuwu¡ª¡±

    He took a deep breath, the one he had been holding back subconsciously until now, and exhaled loudly.

    It had already been three hours. He lost count how many monsters he killed so far.

    ¡°It got harder to count after going past the 1,000 mark,¡± Hak-joon commented.

    Things got more challenging when the more skilled and superior monsters appeared. This group of monsters was a mix of pawns and skilled fighters.

    Just like now¡­

    BANG!

    Hak-joon extended his hand and created a transparent barrier. Immediately, massive hooves slammed right on top of it.

    His body slid on the ground. He was trying to dodge the creature¡¯s attacks.

    ¡®The Undead Unicorn¡­¡¯

    The unicorn had a half-broken horn. It was a superior creature from the blue dungeon. It wasn¡¯t that large, but it moved fast and its strength was impressive.

    Grit.

    Hak-joon gritted his teeth and shoved aside the Undead Unicorn¡¯s front hooves. Just as the monster lost its balance, a magical energy gushed from Hak-joon¡¯s sword.

    Splash!

    The Undead Unicorn¡¯s head was severed. The headless creature thrashed for a moment before trying to kick Hak-joon again with its front hooves.

    This was the reason for its ¡®undead¡¯ moniker. Even if its head was cut off, it still had life in it that it would continue to survive unless it was cut into pieces.

    Hak-joon dodged the Undead Unicorn¡¯s relentless attacks. The creature did not even bleed despite its head being cut off. Hak-joon swung his sword again.

    [Massive Sword]

    Gugugugu¡ª

    Hak-joon¡¯s sword enlarged to match the Undead Unicorn¡¯s size.

    He then forcefully wielded the enlarged sword. The Undead Unicorn, along with the advancing monsters, was cut into pieces. Blood was everywhere.

    Splat!

    Neigh!

    The Undead Unicorn fell on the ground, but it continued to neigh. Although it was quite a chilling sight to behold, Hak-joon was not a bit horrified. He was actually relieved that it was over.

    Pant. Pant.

    Hak-joon¡¯s skill, the ¡®Massive Sword¡¯, was one of the best techniques he currently possessed in terms of pure power. Unfortunately, it cost a lot to use it.

    The Undead Unicorn proved to be a challenging opponent. Hak-joon had no choice but to use the ¡®Massive Sword¡¯ skill to defeat it in one strike. It was worth the steep cost of magical energy anyway.

    Shu-wut!

    It was right then when a sharp spike was thrown at Hak-joon¡¯s direction. It was aiming for his unguarded back.

    He was panting heavily. He didn¡¯t notice the sudden attack. However, as the weapon was about to strike him, he caught sight of it, and then it stopped midair.

    Tsu-chut, chut¡ª

    The pitch-black fog trapped the spike and prevented it from making contact with Hak-joon. Soon, the fog traveled across the spike and spread out to the white monster wielding it.

    Kya-ahk!

    It was a short white human-shaped monster, only about one meter tall.

    The creature looked like a dwarf, but its opponent would do well not to underestimate it. What he lacked in size, he made up for in his skills. Besides, it was a terrifying monster and appeared at blue dungeons. Its main method of attack was to adapt to the color of its surroundings like a chameleon and stealthily stab its prey in the back.

    It was one of the monsters that one should be most wary of in a battlefield like this one. Hak-joon heaved a sigh of relief and turned his head. ¡°Thanks, Thomas.¡±

    ¡°I got another one!¡± Thomas replied with a grin.

    Despite Hak-joon and Thomas energetically fighting the monsters, they were exhausted. Although they had killed a lot, the monsters still outnumbered them.

    ¡®It¡¯s like their numbers have increased somehow,¡¯ Hak-joon noticed.

    He wasn¡¯t mistaken.

    He was focused on the battle that he did not notice monsters arriving. What¡¯s worse was, this new batch was larger than the last one, of which members were mostly dead by now.

    One could not deny that a ridiculous number of monsters had been flooding out of Gangwon Province.

    ¡°This is totally nuts, man.¡± Hak-joon chuckled helplessly.

    With how things were, he couldn¡¯t fall back anymore. If he and Thomas retreated now, no one could tell where these monsters would be heading to. They would surely destroy each town that they passed by.

    Moreover, the city of Yangpyeong was not too far from here. With their remarkably acute sense of smell, these monsters could head over there next and wreak havoc.

    ¡®What about reinforcements?¡¯ Hak-joon considered.

    ¡®Out of the question,¡¯ he thought, responding to his own question.

    The remaining manpower currently consisted mainly of low-ranked awakeners around C-, maybe even D-.

    Majority of capable individuals were dispatched to locations other than Gangwon Province to raid the dungeons being generated there. As for those awakeners ranked B or higher who had not been dispatched yet, they were all either injured or recovering at the moment. Hence, they were not fit to fight.

    What help could they possibly provide even if they came here?

    Probably nothing more than killing one or maybe two monsters out of so many here and bravely meet their ends. That¡¯s all.

    ¡®If bro was here,¡¯ Hak-joon mulled, ¡®he would have fought till the end. He would go on no matter how spent he was.¡¯

    Grit.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Hak-joon raised his arms that used to falter from this sense of hopelessness. ¡°Let¡¯s go as far as we can, shall we?¡±

    * * *

    The sun set beyond the horizon, and the skies darkened.

    Night fell, yet the battle continued. Hak-joon couldn¡¯t tell just how his body was still able to move and fight.

    Chu-wak!

    Pow!

    Hak-joon, in the midst of his swinging his swords, punched to his side. Then a red-nosed monkey trying to attack him flinched in surprise.

    Hak-joon moved with momentum and swung his sword.

    Splat!

    The monkey¡¯s torso split in half and its blood splashed everywhere.

    Hak-joon didn¡¯t bother to keep away from the blood bath. He was too exhausted to do so that he opted to save his remaining energy for the next opponent.

    Pant. Pant.

    Buzz¡­

    While panting, Hak-joon felt the smartphone stashed in his pocket vibrate. The call was most likely coming from Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡­Probably calling to find out why Hak-joon had not returned despite his promise of coming home soon.

    ¡®How many calls did I miss?¡¯ Hak-joon wondered.

    His phone had been ringing nonstop for the past 30 minutes or so. Lee Ju-ho must have been really worried over there.

    Then again, he should have realized that something was wrong by now¡ªrealized that a large number of monsters were flooding out of Gangwon and heading towards Yangpyeong.

    Then a thought occurred to Hak-joon, ¡®Bro, sorry about this but¡­¡¯

    Hak-joon¡¯s knees were shaking, and he had to use his sword as a support. ¡°It looks like we may not have that good meal as promised,¡± he muttered softly.

    He didn¡¯t have any means to answer the phone.

    Almost half of the wave of monsters still remained. Thomas was extremely fatigued as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­tired¡­,¡± Thomas whispered.

    Thomas¡¯s voice, always energetic, was faltering. Both his stamina and magical energy reserve had already been depleted.

    Could they even escape in their current state?

    ¡®If it was bro¡­¡¯

    Hak-joon squeezed his eyes shut. As much as he wanted to think of him and what he would do in such a situation, staying alive was more important than wishful thinking.

    He mustered his remaining energy, and then focused on the horde of monsters before his eyes.

    ¡°Come at me, you ugly motherf*ckers!¡±

    [Provocation]

    This would be Hak-joon¡¯s final skill activated through his remaining magical energy. This skill attracted all of the monsters¡¯ attention caught in his field of vision.

    Hak-joon¡¯s yell prompted the monsters to focus their attention on him. Then he turned around and started to run as fast as he could.

    ¡®He would have done this.¡¯

    It was impossible to keep on fighting.

    Hak-joon planned to put as much distance as possible from the monsters. He was thinking of running elsewhere, far from a city inhabited by people.

    ¡­While leading tens of thousands of monsters giving chase right behind him.

    Crack!

    But just as he began to dash away, a strong blow landed on his head.

    Hak-joon¡¯s vision spun and his knees faltered before crashing on the ground face first. Wondering what just happened, he took a look and discovered a tall ¡®scarecrow¡¯ mocked up to resemble a clown standing there with a club in its hands.

    ¡®It¡¯s a Scarecrow Clown,¡¯ Hak-joon realized.

    A Scarecrow Clown was a superior monster from blue dungeons. Despite the considerable size and shabby appearance, this monster infamously used strange, unpredictable movements to drive many awakeners to their deaths.

    If such a creature was on the battlefield, one should always be on guard because it possessed a rather cunning streak.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯

    Hak-joon stopped himself from saying something. He didn¡¯t have enough energy to finish it anyway.

    He sensed his own demise looming, but was oddly at peace. Probably because he didn¡¯t, or even tried to, run away. He had no regrets.

    ¡®Was I really this brave?¡¯ Hak-joon asked himself.

    Then a face suddenly popped in his mind. A half-smile formed in his lips.

    ¡®Yun-seon¡­ She¡­she¡¯ll probably get worried.¡¯

    Would it be only ¡®worry¡¯, though?

    She would probably be very sad, too.

    Recalling her face only made him feel even sorrier.

    ¡®It would be better for her to not cry because of me.¡¯

    Hopefully, something like that would not happen.

    ¡°Kekek, kekekekek¡ª,¡± the Scarecrow Clown cackled.

    It must have found something very amusing. Hak-joon would love to punch the bastard¡¯s lights out, but was unable to.

    ¡°My friend!¡±

    Thomas¡¯s voice came out of nowhere.

    Even then, that voice sounded strained. Hak-joon could not help but feel how unfortunate it was that Thomas would be joining him soon.

    ¡®Man, you should have escaped,¡± Hak-joon thought when he saw Thomas. ¡®You could have warned them at least.¡¯

    Hak-joon smirked.

    ¡®But then again, it was the same for me anyway.¡¯

    He closed his eyes while thinking of unimportant things.

    Shortly after, the Scarecrow Clown¡¯s club flew towards Hak-joon and hit his head.

    Pow!

    And then, a dull noise resonated.

    ¡®Was my head struck just now?¡¯ Hak-joon asked himself, confused. He couldn¡¯t feel any pain. Then he opened his eyes.

    And he was able to see ¡®him¡¯.

    ¡°What are you doing there, lying face down in the dirt?¡±

    ¡°Bro?¡± Hak-joon weakly responded. The man¡¯s voice was familiar to him.

    The Scarecrow Clown¡¯s head was smashed into pieces.

    Su-hyeun was standing tall, looking at Hak-joon.

    Hak-joon felt as if he was coming back to life as energy returned to his exhausted limbs. He forced himself up.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Su-hyeun insisted. ¡°Stay down. You almost died.¡±

    ¡°Are you back for real?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am. And although I don¡¯t understand what the hell is up with this pandemonium¡­¡±

    Split!

    The third eye in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead opened. The atmosphere around him cooled down rapidly at the same time.

    ¡°The first thing Ju-ho told me was to come here as soon as possible.¡±

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator]

    Gugugugugu¡ª

    From his comparatively small figure, a massive sense of presence came out. The target of this skill were the monsters in the surroundings. However, Hak-joon was the closest to Su-hyeun, and he felt some difficulty in breathing from the pressure alone.

    ¡°Keok¡­¡±

    Hak-joon¡¯s eyes widened.

    This kind of skill simply announced the wielder¡¯s presence. Su-hyeun did not mean to affect Hak-joon with his ability. It was just that, when it took effect, Hak-joon was exhausted and had nearly zero stamina remaining. His poor condition also explained why he failed to sense Su-hyeun¡¯s presence until now.

    ¡°Thomas.¡±

    ¡°Su-hyeun!¡± Thomas exclaimed.

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s call, Thomas hurriedly went to his direction, leaping from one monster to another.

    Due to the effect of the ¡®Predator¡¯ skill, the monsters couldn¡¯t easily move from their positions. Thomas used the monsters¡¯ backs as footholds to quickly reach Su-hyeun.

    Stop!

    Su-hyeun gestured for Thomas to stop. Thomas flailed both of his arms and tried to get closer to Su-hyeun. He was too happy to see Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Please calm down for a sec, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Thomas replied energetically and nodded his head.

    Thomas was relieved that Su-hyeun was now here, but he was exhausted from the fight and sustained wounds. He also had bloodstains from all the monsters he had killed. He looked pale and was sweaty. His current state was not that good as he already used up most of his magical energy despite his reserve being larger than average awakeners.

    ¡°Both of you,¡± Su-hyeun began, addressing Hak-joon and Thomas, ¡°stay close to me¡­¡±

    Shu-rung!

    Su-hyeun slowly unsheathed his sword and went on, ¡°¡­if you don¡¯t want to get killed.¡±

    Rustle.

    At the same time, a soft breeze blew from somewhere. It was pleasantly cool, but Hak-joon felt a chill run down his spine for some reason.

    ¡®What kind of wind does that?¡¯ he wondered.

    Pi-it¡ª

    Drip.

    Hak-joon felt a stinging pain on his cheek. He touched his cheek and then gently scratched it.

    He noticed something from his cheek. When he looked at his hand, there was blood in it. The skin where the breeze made contact just now had been sliced open.

    ¡°I want to know more about the situation later,¡± Su-hyeun commented. ¡°For now¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun tightly gripped his sword. He was now ready for battle.

    ¡°Sweep them away.¡±

    Whoosh!

    And while swinging his sword skillfully towards numerous monsters, Su-hyeun softly whispered, ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    [The Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style]

    [Palm Leaf Sword]

 Chapter 305

    * * *

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    At first, it was nothing more than a gentle breeze.

    ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Hak-joon wondered. Su-hyeun¡¯s actions confused him.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t bother to rouse a lot of magical energy nor did he swing the sword in a particularly threatening manner. He wielded that weapon as if it was weightless.

    ¡°When he said ¡®Palm Leaf¡¯, isn¡¯t that¡­,¡± Hak-joon pondered.

    Whoosh!

    But just before Hak-joon could ask his questions, the wind began to blow harsher. Shortly after, it turned viciously sharp.

    An unbelievable spectacle happened afterwards.

    Pi-pit! Pipipipipipipik¡ª

    Splat!

    Slice, slice, slice.

    In an instant, the sharp wind transformed into a windstorm. It then killed countless of monsters that it encountered along the way. Blood was splattered all around, and mutilated body parts were literally flying in all directions.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have to swing his sword. The windstorm did most of the job. It appeared to be sharper than any known blades as it mercilessly tore and cut the monsters¡¯ bodies.

    ¡°Whoa!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is¡­¡±

    ¡°Blow away!¡±

    However, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t satisfied with that one swing. He felt that something was lacking, so he swung his sword again.

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Whoosh!

    Windstorms were roused once more. It was more savage this time. It destroyed the monsters trying to cross from Gangwon Province. A lot of them were killed, and the scene was terrifying.

    Drip. Dribble.

    Tumble. Drip.

    Mutilated body parts were all over the place. Having witnessed everything that transpired at that moment, Hak-joon was speechless; he couldn¡¯t believe it. He was amazed that he forgot how exhausted he was.

    ¡®If it¡¯s bro¡­¡¯

    He wondered if Su-hyeun could deal with all these monsters by himself. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that it was definitely possible.

    Result-wise, it was indeed a possibility. However, the process to achieve that result completely differed from what Hak-joon had imagined.

    ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯

    He still couldn¡¯t believe what he had just witnessed.

    ¡®It was¡­it was too easy.¡¯

    It was mere two strokes of a sword.

    Su-hyeun caused windstorms to destroy all monsters using only his sword. This was another level of power compared to every wind-type attack skill Hak-joon knew of.

    There was no need to suspect ¡®it¡¯ from the very beginning. Su-hyeun was still out of reach somewhere farther than Hak-joon thought.

    ¡°You guys feeling okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­yes,¡± Hak-joon replied with a nod.

    Less than one or two minutes ago, they were surrounded by countless monsters. Now, they were all killed. Hak-joon and Thomas were still trying to get a grip on the current situation.

    Too tired to even stand, Hak-joon and Thomas simply plopped down on the ground and rested. Even Thomas, who would normally get excited to talk to Su-hyeun, lay on the ground to relax.

    ¡°Bro, how did you get here anyway?¡± Hak-joon asked, eager to know.

    ¡°Brother Ju-ho told me that he couldn¡¯t get in touch with you,¡± Su-hyeun related. ¡°He informed me of your whereabouts, so I learned that you were here, fighting monsters.¡±

    ¡°When did you come back from the trial, though? I thought you would be stuck there for a long while, with no save zones this time.¡±

    ¡°About 10 minutes ago? Not sure.¡±

    ¡°Ten minutes?¡± Hak-joon¡¯s eyes widened. He could not believe what he just heard.

    Hak-joon was puzzled with Su-hyeun¡¯s reply. No matter how hard he thought about it, there was just no way that Su-hyeun could have gotten there so fast.

    ¡°Brother Ju-ho called me on the phone, and he told me that you guys were here. And then, I got here quickly because of an item I acquired in a trial a while ago.¡±

    The ¡®Celestial King¡¯s Feather¡¯¡­

    This item allowed Su-hyeun to teleport to a location from his memories. Its name was similar to a skill that Su-hyeun already possessed.

    Su-hyeun explain the item¡¯s effect to Hak-joon, and he soon understood. It now made sense how Su-hyeun could travel as fast as lightning.

    ¡°Okay¡­ So,¡± Su-hyeun began, ¡°what is up with this situation? Brother Ju-ho simply said it was too urgent and I should hurry up. I wasn¡¯t able to ask him for details.¡±

    ¡°Well, what happened was¡­,¡± Hak-joon began to describe what happened during the past 20 days to Su-hyeun.

    While listening, Su-hyeun¡¯s expression gradually changed.

    Gangwon Province had to be abandoned for good. There was an outbreak of dungeons¡ªtoo many that they proved difficult to stop. Recent events were indeed disastrous.

    ¡°Does that mean Gangwon is completely deserted at present?¡± Su-hyeun inquired.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± Hak-joon confirmed. ¡°Before the first dungeon became an outbreak, we had confirmed that everyone was evacuated through the usual means, and the whole of Gangwon Province was set as a restricted area afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Su-hyeun had a strange expression after listening to Hak-joon¡¯s explanation. ¡°So that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze shifted to his sword, which he put back in its scabbard.

    ¡®Will the size of Gangwon be sufficient for it?¡¯ Su-hyeun wondered.

    He had not confirmed it yet, but that didn¡¯t mean he had found a suitable location to test it out either. Any old magic circle would not be enough to withstand the power of his weapon. That¡¯s why he had been patiently waiting for the right opportunity.

    The situation was certainly terrible, but it was also the opportunity he had been waiting for. If he succeeded today, resolving this crisis would become so much easier as well.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    ¡°Excuse me? What is good?¡± Hak-joon asked Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get rid of all monsters in Gangwon Province,¡± Su-hyeun declared confidently, without hesitation.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s response didn¡¯t surprise Hak-joon. He was in fact expecting it.

    He barely managed to suppress the corners of his lips from smiling. ¡°Is it okay for Thomas and I to come with you?¡± he then asked, hoping for a positive response.

    Hak-joon still wanted to fight alongside Su-hyeun even though the latter had gotten so far ahead of him that it was difficult to reach his current level.

    Besides, even before Su-hyeun came back, Hak-joon had been feeling quite frustrated by the fact that they had to abandon Gangwon Province.

    However, if Hak-joon and others worked with Su-hyeun, Lee Ju-ho would not have any issues about them going to Gangwon and reclaiming it from the monsters. Not only that, they would also raid those dungeons that had yet to be conquered.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Nah, there¡¯s no need,¡± Su-hyeun refused to Hak-joon¡¯s dismay.

    Rip.

    Gya-ong!

    Su-hyeun raised his hand in the air, and Miru emerged. The red dragon poked its head out first. Then after spotting Hak-joon and Thomas, it greeted them.

    It had been a while since Hak-joon last saw Miru. He began to pat its head to say hi before turning around to speak to Su-hyeun. ¡°Tell me, why did you summon Miru?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to hop over there for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Where?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in no time. Take a rest. Recover your strength. Miru, let¡¯s get going.¡±

    Gya-ong!

    Miru turned its back to Hak-joon when Su-hyeun called it. Su-hyeun lightly jumped up and mounted the dragon, and the duo quickly soar into the sky.

    Shu-ahahaha¡ª

    Despite not activating the gigantic option, Miru¡¯s flight speed easily rivaled an average plane.

    Hak-joon watched Su-hyeun and Miru took off and muttered to himself, ¡°But this place reeks of blood, you know¡­¡±

    While standing amidst the blood and thousands of mutilated body parts, Hak-joon could only groan under his breath.

    Snore.

    In the meantime, Thomas had already fallen asleep and was loudly snoring.

    * * *

    Swoosh!

    Swoosh!

    Su-hyeun directed Miru to fly to Gangwon, where all those monsters were coming from.

    While riding on the red dragon¡¯s back, Su-hyeun could only tut at the sight of countless monsters on the ground.

    ¡®Just how many of them are down there?¡¯ Su-hyeun mused.

    Hak-joon explained that far too many dungeons had appeared in Gangwon, and it was almost impossible to count them all.

    And that¡¯s why the higher-ups decided to abandon Gangwon Province, which had a low population density, and dispatch the available manpower to the capital as well as to the rest of the province.

    Su-hyeun tried to count the monsters currently scattered in Gangwon but eventually gave up. His priority was to check if there were survivors instead of checking out how many monsters made camp in this place.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eye color suddenly changed.

    After activating the Sage¡¯s Eye, he was able to see clearly everything beneath him. He was like a satellite from space looking down on Earth. It was not that hard to know the monsters¡¯ locations, their actual number, and even what they looked like.

    It was like practicing clairvoyance.

    ¡®For sure it is completely deserted,¡¯ Su-hyeun thought.

    It seemed that the evacuation had been carried out smoothly. No, wait. If some people could not be evacuated and had to remain in Gangwon, then, unfortunately, it would not be possible for those people to survive until now.

    The odds of normal people, not awakeners, surviving amidst all those monsters and their attacks were very slim.

    ¡®In that case¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun rubbed Miru¡¯s head, signaling the dragon to stop midair. He then unsheathed the Palm Leaf Sword.

    ¡°No more reason to hesitate then,¡± Su-hyeun finally decided.

    He looked down at the ground.

    Quite a few monsters were looking up at him, sensing his presence from afar. However, the distance between them was too great, and all they could do was bare their fangs and wait for Su-hyeun to come down from the sky.

    He closed his eyes for a while. When he opened them, he began to focus on the wind on the Palm Leaf Sword. He firmly held the sword.

    ¡ªDo you want to know how First Brother fought in his prime?

    Su-hyeun was curious about how the Bull Demon King fought during his time, so he asked Sun Wukong about it.

    Sun Wukong scratched his chin as he tried to remember. After a while, he realized that he wasn¡¯t sure how to relate it to Su-hyeun. However, eventually, he opened his mouth.

    ¡ªWell, he just swings, and everyone is dead.

    When Su-hyeun heard that, he wondered what Sun Wukong was referring to. The latter¡¯s information was not that clear.

    But not too long after that, Su-hyeun realized that Sun Wukong literally meant what he said. He actually pointed out the obvious.

    ¡®That¡¯s how I learned about the existence of the Palm Leaf Fan, didn¡¯t I?¡¯

    Su-hyeun became interested in the fan afterwards.

    He never witnessed the Bull Demon King wielding the Palm Leaf Fan before, but he still asked both Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King in passing several times anyway.

    ¡­Asking them just what kind of a weapon the Palm Leaf Fan was.

    ¡ªWhen it is wielded, everyone dies.

    ¡ª¡­

    Su-hyeun had never imagined that the Bull Demon King, whose personality was entirely different from Sun Wukong¡¯s, would reply in the exact same manner.

    But the Bull Demon King was kind enough to elaborate what kind of an item the Palm Leaf Fan was.

    He also mentioned how he wielded the fan as a weapon in battle, too.

    ¡ªThe Palm Leaf Fan is basically a fan that controls a typhoon.

    ¡ªControls a typhoon? But how do you use that kind of weapon in a fight?

    ¡ªIn layman¡¯s terms, it means the fan can control that much power. Moreover, the ability to control the wind through the Palm Leaf Fan thoroughly depends on the wielder¡¯s will.

    ¡ªWielder¡¯s will?

    ¡ªDo not fear the wind.

    The Bull Demon King suddenly said something that made little sense.

    ¡ªOnly then will you be able to command the wind.

    Looking back, it was possible that the Bull Demon King had started entertaining the idea of gifting the Palm Leaf Fan to Su-hyeun from that moment on.

    After all, it was the Bull Demon King who taught Su-hyeun how to wield the fan. Besides, Su-hyeun had not forgotten his advice: not to fear the wind. This advice was etched on Su-hyeun¡¯s memory, for only then he would be able to command the wind, the Palm Leaf Fan.

    Su-hyeun did fear the wind until now. But it wasn¡¯t because he was scared of being injured. No. On the contrary, he feared that the wind he roused would become too powerful and out of control, and kill countless other people.

    That was the only reason why he feared the wind.

    ¡®But now¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun continued to attract the wind. He didn¡¯t set any limit for himself. This large piece of land called Gangwon Province was completely deserted right now, after all.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry,¡± he muttered to himself.

    He could do whatever he wanted; he could go all out.

    Ki-ing¡ª

    As Su-hyeun held the Palm Leaf Sword, magical energy began to surround it. The wind permeating the weapon swirled and danced violently like sharp blades.

    Su-hyeun knew he would not be satisfied by simply creating a ¡®typhoon¡¯ here. That wouldn¡¯t be powerful enough to kill less than half of the monsters that emerged from the dungeons.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s weapon was not a fan, but a sword.

    It was sharper than before and even more powerful.

    ¡°Rage on.¡±

    While whispering softly, Su-hyeun released all the wind gathered to the Palm Leaf Sword at once.

    ¡°Palm Leaf!¡±

    And then, the wind blew by¡ªno, a ¡®typhoon¡¯ blew by.

    Whoosh!

    Ku-gu, ku-gugugugu¡ª

    A huge typhoon consumed the large land called Gangwon Province in an instant.

    Cha-jak, rip.

    Ki-aah!

    Screams of pain resonated from the ground. Meanwhile, Su-hyeun looked down at his torn and injured hand and muttered to himself, ¡°Well, this much is so-so.¡±

    He was still not proficient with handling the Palm Leaf Sword.

    Palm Leaf was mighty powerful and aggressive like a bull. Even though it was fairly easy to maneuver the intricacies of its power, the rebound was also equally strong that Su-hyeun often ended up getting injured in the process.

    On the other hand, the Somersault cloud was much ¡®safer¡¯. However, utilizing all of its power was a harder task to accomplish.

    Both of them had their pros and cons, and those happened to be in complete opposite of each other.

    Ku-ruk, krrrk¡ª

    Su-hyeun looked down at the surviving monsters from the sky. They were inflicted with many wounds, but it would only take little time for death to come and take them. The superior-level monsters from blue- and green-colored dungeons were not wipe out by the Palm Leaf Fan¡¯s typhoon and were still breathing.

    It seemed that due to the large area, the typhoon generated by the sword could not inflict a great deal of impact on an individual target.

    ¡®But, if it is only that many¡­,¡¯ Su-hyeun contemplated.

    Su-hyeun extended his hand upwards.

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    When he did, clouds began to form, consuming a large amount of his magical energy. Currently, it wasn¡¯t that hard to use his magical energy to generate heat, then create some steam to ¡®summon¡¯ clouds.

    ¡°Strike down!¡±

    Squeeze!

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist and spoke loudly, ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

 Chapter 306

    Act 6

    ¡®Since Su-hyeun¡¯s back, I can start breathing a bit easier now.¡¯

    Lee Ju-ho realized the difference one¡¯s absence could make. Su-hyeun¡¯s absence caused a huge gap, and Lee Ju-ho was relieved that he was back.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s absence was certainly felt. It had caused a lot of difficulties for everyone. The idiom ¡°you don¡¯t know what you have until it¡¯s gone¡± proved to be true.

    If Su-hyeun was around, he would have formed a raid team and they would be on their way to reclaim Gangwon Province by now.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not yet too late. The people living there have been evacuated pretty early. If we form that raid party now¡­,¡± Lee Ju-ho muttered to himself.

    Lee Ju-ho calculated the awakener manpower that should become available soon and nodded his head.

    ¡°We will be able to reclaim Gangwon Province in less than a week,¡± he concluded.

    Lee Ju-ho felt at ease with the recent developments.

    Su-hyeun should have reached where Hak-joon and Thomas were by now. After all, he had the greatest means of transportation, aptly named Miru, at his disposal.

    A call from them should come in less than a few hours after they finished wiping out the horde of monsters in that location.

    Rrr¡ª

    As Lee Ju-ho was contemplating, his smartphone suddenly began ringing loudly.

    ¡®No way! Already?¡¯

    He was astonished that Su-hyeun was already with Hak-joon and Thomas, and that they were done destroying monsters. He hurriedly checked on his phone and was disappointed to find it wasn¡¯t the call he was waiting for. He answered it nevertheless.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡ªWhat on earth is going on out there?

    The call was actually from Bak Yun-gyu.

    Lee Ju-ho was confused by Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s remarks, so he clarified, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡ªA typhoon has been generated in Gangwon Province!

    A typhoon?

    Summer had already passed. October had just begun, which meant it was currently in the middle of autumn. Indeed, it was a strange turn of events as it wasn¡¯t a typhoon season anymore.

    From Lee Ju-ho¡¯s perspective, a typhoon should not be generated over the land.

    ¡°A typhoon? Summer¡¯s already over. I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡ªThat typhoon is consuming the monsters, too.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    What was said next proved to be even more surprising.

    That strange typhoon had ¡®consumed¡¯ the monsters?

    No matter how powerful of a natural disaster a typhoon was, it wiping out monsters simply didn¡¯t make any sense. He immediately called Su-hyeun who had just returned 20 minutes ago.

    ¡®No way¡­¡¯ Lee Ju-ho couldn¡¯t believe it.

    The Palm Leaf Sword was Kim Dae-ho¡¯s greatest masterpiece. It was created after combining the mythical fan called the Palm Leaf Fan and Balmung. Moreover, Su-hyeun was currently using it as his weapon.

    Even the world¡¯s greatest awakener, Su-hyeun, couldn¡¯t control the Palm Leaf Sword properly and got injured in the process. And as far as Lee Ju-ho could remember, the Palm Leaf Fan was a weapon capable of controlling typhoons.

    ¡°That guy, just how¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho tilted his head and chuckled. He thought about Su-hyeun and his recent actions: returning from the trial and cleaning up Gangwon Province, a great source of their distress.

    ¡°How far is he planning to climb up, anyway?¡± Lee Ju-ho wondered.

    * * *

    Rumble! Rumble!

    Slam! Crack!

    Lightning bolts crashed down throughout Gangwon Province.

    Black clouds covered the sky and produced these bolts. The monsters that survived the typhoon were eliminated one by one.

    As expected, the energy needed when commanding both the Palm Leaf and the Somersault cloud was far too great. The breathing technique somehow helped to decrease the magical energy consumption, but it was still rather taxing even for Su-hyeun.

    ¡®It would be so much better if I can wield them properly soon¡­¡¯

    Sun Wukong freely controlled the Somersault cloud. He summoned lightning bolts and rode on the clouds, flying everywhere. Even then, he had no issues using it. Thanks to his near-infinite energy reserve.

    ¡®If my magical energy grade increases further, the toll on me should decrease by a bit. But¡­¡¯

    The important part was that the difference in proficiency between them was too big. Still, Su-hyeun did feel that compared to the first time, using the Somersault cloud was now easier.

    [The trait ¡®Necromancer¡¯ is activating.]

    [By spending ¡®Death Aura¡¯, you can see or command the dead.]

    As for the last remaining superior-level monster from an indigo dungeon, the ¡®Chief Gatekeeper¡¯, Su-hyeun used his summons to defeat it.

    The giant monster with a bulging stomach was covered in flames and wielded a chain connected to a massive iron ball. It was almost 20 meters tall and appeared as the senior creature in indigo dungeons.

    Although it was a humanoid-type monster, the Chief Gatekeeper¡¯s intelligence was actually worse than regular monsters. Despite that inadequacy, its defense skills, strength, and techniques at using the chain ensured that even a team consisting of average S-rank awakeners would have a hard time dealing with one.

    Kaboom!

    Ki-aah!

    For sure, even the Ouroboros was writhing in pain after getting struck by the superior monster¡¯s chain. The undead snake creature might be larger, but that meant nothing in the face of the destructive power contained in that iron ball.

    Splat!

    In the end, however, the Chief Gatekeeper could not withstand the combined assault from the Ouroboros, Prince Nezha, and the other summoned creatures.

    In all honesty, though, the God of War, Nezha, would have been enough to fight the Chief Gatekeeper.

    ¡®The God of War has grown noticeably stronger with the improved application rate.¡¯

    The God of War, Prince Nezha, was easily the strongest summon Su-hyeun currently possessed. And as such, the number of summons Su-hyeun could possess had to be decreased in order to command the former heavenly world¡¯s god. Even then, he didn¡¯t feel disadvantaged at all.

    The proficiency of the trait ¡®Necromancer¡¯ increased in time, and the levels of both ¡®Soul Accumulation¡¯ and ¡®Dead Summoning¡¯ were continuously increasing as well.

    [Soul Accumulation has been utilized.]

    [The soul of ¡®Chief Gatekeeper¡¯ has been stored.]

    [You are setting the target for Dead Summoning.]

    [You can now summon the ¡®Chief Gatekeeper¡¯.]

    Out of all the monsters defeated today, Su-hyeun designated only the Chief Gatekeeper as his summon. That¡¯s because the number of souls he could store had decreased while commanding the God of War, Prince Nezha.

    ¡®Is this my first time acquiring a senior monster from an indigo-colored dungeon?¡¯ Su-hyeun thought.

    Unfortunately, the Lich King could not be designated as one of his summons. The ¡®Dead Summoning¡¯ could only be activated if Su-hyeun possessed the target¡¯s soul. However, the ¡®Soul Accumulation¡¯ skill didn¡¯t work on the Lich King to begin with. That¡¯s probably because the Lich King¡¯s soul was already under someone else¡¯s control.

    ¡®What I need to improve at the moment are the proficiencies for the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf Sword, the Necromancer trait, the Soul Accumulation, and the Dead Summoning. Oh, and finally¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun listed all the skills he needed to improve as soon as possible.

    ¡®¡­improving the proficiency for the Sage Arts.¡¯

    Increasing the magical energy¡¯s grade and reserve would be too difficult for now. Aside from the issue of time, acquiring rewards and purchasing the relevant elixirs through accumulated achievement points required hard work.

    However, the matter of proficiency was a different story.

    The issue of a skill¡¯s proficiency could only be solved through improving one¡¯s understanding on that skill, continuous practice, and enough time utilizing it.

    It was the same thing with the Sage Arts as well.

    The Bull Demon King previously said that the Sage Arts was a discipline akin to studying, but the system recognized it as a skill instead. This meant that as long as Su-hyeun had enough time on his hands, it would be possible to train in the Sage Arts and improve one¡¯s proficiency.

    And then a thought occurred to him, ¡®I have bought myself three years of time¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun was toying with the small hourglass inside his pocket.

    He had a feeling that these three years would get quite busy for him. In that case, he wouldn¡¯t notice it going by.

    * * *

    The wide-scale dungeon generation incident that took place throughout the world needed at least one full month for things to settle down.

    The awakeners focused on raiding the dungeons, effectively shutting them one by one, and the unattended monsters that emerged from those dungeons were eventually taken care of as well.

    In South Korea, the dungeons located in the countryside were raided first. This afforded the country a recovery period after Su-hyeun¡¯s unbelievable feat managed to reclaim Gangwon Province.

    ¡°Well, a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,¡± Lee Ju-ho remarked as he slumped over the chair with a pale complexion. He was sleep deprived for the past several days.

    Su-hyeun came to visit Lee Ju-ho. It had been a while since he last visited. After finding Lee Ju-ho in such a sorry state, Su-hyeun gave him a piece of candy. ¡°Thank you for all your hard work. You must have been really busy, Bro.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho took the candy, unwrapped it, and then put it in his mouth. The sweetness of the candy roused him.

    ¡°Matters like this are invariably issues of manpower distribution, you see. Sending manpower in one location causes a gap to open up somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°When was the last time you had some sleep?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ I haven¡¯t slept for the past seven days, I think. But when you came back, I managed to nap. My body is okay, perfectly fine, but my mind is struggling to keep up,¡± Lee Ju-ho admitted as he put another candy in his mouth. ¡°By the way, did you pass the 100th floor without any problems?¡±

    ¡°I did, although I couldn¡¯t return in the middle because there was no save point.¡±

    ¡°Well, as long as you came back before it¡¯s too late, it¡¯s all good.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes were half-closed by now. It was already a miracle that he could chat with Su-hyeun in his current state. That¡¯s how exhausted he was.

    ¡°Get some rest first, Bro.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I will. Thanks.¡±

    When Su-hyeun got up to leave, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes slowly shut. He mumbled some words and eventually fell asleep.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t bother to say goodbye to Lee Ju-ho. He left the office and headed to the Jongro Tower¡¯s lobby.

    The TV screens in the lobby were dominated by the news reports of the current crisis.

    ¡ªHundreds of people have lost their lives during the 15-day dungeon outbreak. Thankfully, the Awakener Association responded quickly, preventing further loss of lives and damages on infrastructures. But even then, the scale of the destruction this time around is¡­

    Su-hyeun stood still and watched the news broadcast for a while.

    ¡®It¡¯s already the First Outbreak.¡¯

    The First Outbreak was an incident where humans started to fear the dungeons. It was previously seen as nothing more than some treasure troves of natural resources.

    ¡®Should I consider this incident fortunate to end only on this scale?¡¯ Su-hyeun wondered.

    Some people might find all the news being reported as a horrible and unfortunate.

    From those who lost their homes after the dungeons showed up, to the number of parents and siblings who lost their loved ones, indeed, all these scenes painted a heartbreaking situation. However, the First Outbreak Su-hyeun remembered from his previous life was actually far more horrifying than this one. For one, that incident was responsible to decreasing the world¡¯s population by 10%.

    Despite knowing that, Su-hyeun could not see the level of damage this time around as fortunate at all.

    Step.

    ¡°Not everything has changed,¡± he uttered.

    Su-hyeun was working towards changing the future he knew. The influence he had on the world had certainly succeeded in shaping the future.

    ¡®It needs to change further.¡¯

    Clench.

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist. As he walked away, the light in his eyes gleamed brightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get started right away,¡± he promised.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun was heading to Gangwon Province.

    The province was still designated as a restricted area. The monsters not only caused destruction in this place, but they also filled it with their filth. The typhoon that Su-hyeun had created effectively destroyed the monsters, and their remains were scattered everywhere.

    To make matters worse, quite a few of the monsters were highly venomous. If an ordinary person carelessly stumbled in here, they might get poisoned by the toxins coming from the dead monsters.

    Gya-ong.

    Su-hyeun soon arrived at the Daegwallyeong Ranch located in Gangwon Province and immediately pulled out the Broken Sandglass.

    ¡°So it¡¯s good for three years, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun regulated his breathing for a moment.

    He had already prepared enough food. Inside the subspace pouch he had purchased in an auction house a while ago were food and drinks that should last him for three years. Some potions had also been prepared and carefully stored in there in case he got injured.

    ¡°Hopefully, this will be enough.¡±

    Three years was a long period, and it would most likely be a lonely one, too, since he would be on his own. He should be able to return by flipping the hourglass around, but Su-hyeun had no plans on doing that.

    Because if he couldn¡¯t even endure this much, then he would be unable to prevent himself from being miserable at worse events in the future.

    Shwa-ah-ah¡ª

    He flipped the hourglass upside down on his palm, and the sand began to settle.

    The sound of falling sand seemed especially loud for an hourglass not bigger than his finger.

    [The Broken Sandglass has been activated.]

    [Remaining usable period: 2 years and 364 days¡­]

    Then, all the sand in the hourglass settled to the bottom.

 Chapter 307

    * * *

    One year had passed by.

    Su-hyeun was sitting in a lotus position. He did this not only for the good it caused to one¡¯s body but also to improve his concentration. He learned all about this while living with the Bull Demon King, and it had become the most comfortable position for him since then.

    Shu-wut, shu-wuwu¡ª

    Clouds moved around Su-hyeun¡¯s vicinity.

    It was the Somersault cloud.

    Thick clouds rising like fog covered the surroundings. They eventually blanketed the mountainside, and everything became so hazy that it was almost impossible to see.

    ¡ªEven now, the consumption of energy is too great.

    The Somersault cloud spoke, and Su-hyeun wiped the sweat trickling down his forehead and focused.

    For the past year, he had been stuck in a certain time frame. Su-hyeun had been refining the methods of controlling both the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf.

    He needed to master these two divine artifacts through the Sage Arts. They helped greatly in raising the overall proficiency level of the discipline itself.

    ¡°Command the clouds personally¡­,¡± he reminded himself.

    Su-hyeun focused his attention on controlling the Somersault cloud. It had become a part of him. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly when it started happening, but the cloud would engage him in a conversation every so often.

    The cloud would usually remind him to try not to control it through his energy, but to rely instead in the forces found in nature.

    ¡®I can feel it.¡¯

    Su-hyeun succeeded in spreading the ¡®fog¡¯ all around this expansive mountainside. Right at that moment, Su-hyeun began to lose his sense of where exactly his body was.

    He felt as if this massive fog was part of him as well.

    ¡®This is¡­this is the Somersault cloud.¡¯

    The Somersault cloud was the cloud of the beginning. It was also another type of ¡®authority¡¯ that he was given.

    At first, Su-hyeun simply thought of it as another ability that allowed him to command the clouds and summon lightning bolts. Maybe he took the Somersault cloud as yet another item or skill rather than the ¡®cloud of the beginning¡¯ or the ¡®living divine artifact¡¯.

    But as he gradually got more familiar with it and his understanding deepened, he realized what kind of an entity the Somersault cloud actually was.

    ¡ªThe first cloud to be created in the beginning¡­the proof of godhood and the living divine artifact¡­

    The Somersault cloud revealed to Su-hyeun when he first asked what or who it was.

    He had forgotten about the bit of it being the ¡®first cloud to be created in the beginning¡¯. Moreover, he had not fully understood neither claims of ¡®proof of godhood¡¯ nor the ¡®living divine artifact¡¯. He solely focused on the abilities it offered. That¡¯s all.

    But now that he got this far, it felt as if he finally understood one-tenth of what those statements meant.

    ¡®This is the proof of godhood.¡¯

    The godhood signified the ¡®qualification¡¯ to become a god, and the Somersault cloud was part of nature. The authority to control the nature¡¯s power as if it was part of his own body was basically the Somersault cloud in a nutshell.

    The Somersault cloud was the ¡®authority¡¯ that possessed an ego but had no physical form.

    ¡®It seems like I have figured it out just a little bit.¡¯

    Bang!

    Su-hyeun opened his eyes the moment he heard a noise coming directly at him.

    A massive shadow cast over the hazy fog from beyond, and many smaller shadows were standing around it as well.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brows furrowed, and then he spoke irritably, ¡°So noisy.¡±

    ¡°Guruk, gururuk¡­,¡± the reply came to him, although it sounded rather scared.

    His entire summons, including the Ouroboros and the Chief Gatekeeper, instantly stopped moving when they heard him sounding annoyed. They were trained well.

    Miru was flying around the world at the moment. Thankfully, the red dragon and the other summons were under his control, and the Broken Sandglass¡¯s effects applied to them as well.

    ¡®I¡¯m still not sure whether I should be happy or not about these guys gaining some ego after the application rate has gone up¡­¡¯

    He was also diligently raising the ¡®Dead Summoning¡¯ skill¡¯s proficiency. Normally, he didn¡¯t need to utilize this skill, but, while staying in this place, he left them summoned all the time.

    As his proficiency improved, so did the application rate. Prince Nezha, for instance, had regained about half of his original appearance by now.

    However, their curiosity and consciousness had improved gradually as well. Thus, when no particular orders were issued, they would often do what pleased them.

    Just like now¡­

    He ordered them not to go too far, but they ended up causing a ruckus in the surrounding area after messing around among themselves for a while.

    He figured that allowing them some degree of freedom would greatly improve their proficiency, so he didn¡¯t restrict them from doing what they like. However, he certainly could not accept them causing a commotion, which disrupted his concentration.

    ¡°In any case, at this point, I¡¯m happy with the Somersault cloud,¡± he commented.

    It took him a year to get to this stage¡ªimproving proficiencies for the Somersault cloud, the Necromancer trait, and also the Dead Summoning.

    He reached the goal he had set for the period of one year. He felt like his degree of understanding in the Sage Arts had deepened while learning to control the Somersault cloud better.

    ¡®Next up is¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun stood up and unsheathed his sword.

    ¡®¡­the Palm Leaf.¡¯

    He slowly waved the Palm Leaf Sword around and roused some wind. At first, the wind was gentle. But he continued to swing the weapon to his heart¡¯s content until a strong typhoon emerged, wreaking havoc.

    * * *

    A year and a half had passed.

    The Palm Leaf proved harder to control than the Somersault cloud.

    It was as if trying to tame an enraged bull. Suppressing and restricting the Palm Leaf¡¯s powers was extremely difficult. Even by injecting a little bit of strength into it, Su-hyeun felt like waving a hiltless, blunt iron rod.

    Even so, he was getting used to the sensation. There was an unexpected advantage from all his concerted effort to better control the Palm Leaf.

    [Basic Breathing Technique]

    * Grade: ¡ª

    * Category: Active (activation type)

    * The Sage Arts¡¯ basic breathing technique: While maintaining the breathing technique, the magical energy consumption will decrease by 45%.

    * Proficiency: 71.21%

    * Depending on the proficiency, the magical energy concentration will improve.

    [Sage Arts]

    * Grade: ¡ª

    * Category: Passive

    * It is a type of discipline created by Taoist gods. It improves the magical energy¡¯s purity. One can also acquire related skills. A unique ability will manifest with the improvement in the proficiency.

    * Proficiency: 21.81%

    * The proficiency for the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf is +15%.

    Su-hyeun had no idea on how to improve the Sage Arts¡¯ proficiency.

    The Bull Demon King wasn¡¯t around to guide him, and he didn¡¯t have any mentors to give him pointers about the Sage Arts. As such, all he could do was stick to what the Bull Demon King had told him before, which was to meditate and strengthen his mind to refine the Sage Arts.

    That¡¯s why he decided to improve the Somersault cloud¡¯s and the Palm Leaf¡¯s proficiencies. He thought that learning to freely wield them was the fastest method to become stronger.

    But a happy variation appeared in an unexpected place.

    ¡®The opposite of that idea was also a possibility.¡¯

    Mastering the Sage Arts would make it easier to wield both the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf. However, the reverse of that was him working hard on freely wielding both the divine artifacts caused the Sage Arts¡¯ proficiency to increase naturally as well.

    Su-hyeun had confirmed his status for the first time in the past two and a half years, and he was quite satisfied by this sudden change. On the other hand, he was also somewhat puzzled by it, too.

    ¡®But what exactly had changed about me?¡¯

    Su-hyeun had been hoping for an improvement in the Sage Arts¡¯ proficiency. He figured that maybe he would actually reach the realm of the gods once the proficiency reached the 100% mark.

    But even after it had significant improvements, he could not really tell what had changed about him. The only thing that did change was the numerical value.

    ¡®The proficiency has increased by more than 10%, too¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun scratched his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± he muttered, annoyed and frustrated at the same time.

    With the change not in proportion to the numerical value, his body did not seem to have undergone changes. Su-hyeun could only smack his lips in frustration.

    He wondered if he was being too ambitious.

    ¡®But being ambitious is a positive trait¡­ Too ambitious?¡¯

    He had already gotten so much better in controlling both the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf, anyway. The proficiency for the Dead Summoning had improved, and the scope of the Necromancer trait¡¯s usage had expanded as well.

    His rate of growth reached the original target he had set for himself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not get impatient here¡­,¡± he reminded himself.

    Su-hyeun recalled once more the Bull Demon King¡¯s advice to be patient. He remembered that nothing good or worth having would come out of things done in haste.

    * * *

    More time went by.

    Su-hyeun had only a day left.

    ¡®Has it been three years already?¡¯

    He hardly noticed it. How should he go about spending this one day, though?

    He had been thinking about this for a while, but he couldn¡¯t really think of anything. There was still much that he could do or accomplish in one day.

    After contemplating some more, Su-hyeun finally managed to come up with something ¡®special¡¯.

    ¡°Everyone, go back,¡± Su-hyeun ordered all the summoned creatures.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    For the past three years, Su-hyeun had the grunts and cries of the summons for company. Miru had not much to do anyway, so it slept most of the time. It had grown bigger as a result.

    Su-hyeun had Miru return as well. Then, he made his move. He searched for the most scenic location in the surroundings.

    He found a grassy plain with a nice view and the sun overhead. Then he lay on the ground. He felt the cool, gentle breeze.

    The wind shouldn¡¯t blow in this kind of world, however. Yet it did.

    ¡ªYou worked hard.

    The Palm Leaf had brought that wind, complimenting Su-hyeun.

    ¡®Thank you very much.¡¯

    Su-hyeun lay down and used his hands as pillows.

    ¡®Worked hard, it said,¡¯ Su-hyeun repeated, feeling good about himself.

    That was the first thing the Palm Leaf said in the past three years.

    For some reason, hearing those words from the Palm Leaf had put his mind at ease. He felt that he really did work diligently and that he deserved anything good that would come out of this.

    The breeze tickled his cheeks.

    Even the grass on his back felt comfortable and inviting. Although it was not as comfortable as an actual bed, no presidential suite could top its atmosphere and spectacular view.

    ¡®This is great.¡¯

    The final day ought to be special. It was to¡­

    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯

    ¡­to stop worrying altogether and take a long break.

    ¡®I really worked hard after all, didn¡¯t I?¡¯

    Three years¡­ No, I still had one more day. Not exactly three years yet.

    In any case¡­

    ¡®As for the remaining day, I don¡¯t want to bother with anything.¡¯

    Stuck in a time frame where nothing moved¡­ As such, it was truly a quiet world, too.

    At first, he found it rather unnatural. But now that he started to ease up, he began to ponder that rather than lonely and isolated, everything seemed so peaceful and still.

    In other words, it all depended on his state of mind.

    ¡®How long has it been since I was like this?¡¯ Su-hyeun recalled.

    To go somewhere far away without anybody to disturb his peaceful sleep as the wind gently caressed him¡­

    It might seem way too simplistic, but this was how Su-hyeun wanted to spend his last day.

    Shu-ru-ruk¡ª

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes. In less than a minute, he fell into a slumber.

    [The Sage Arts¡¯ proficiency has increased by 10%.]

    A system message popped up, but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t get to see it.

    In his hazy, dreamy state, he briefly wondered if something happened. But he chose not to care. He didn¡¯t bother to check, thinking that he could always look into it later when he woke up. For the time being, he didn¡¯t want to be interrupted by anything else.

    Eventually, the period of three years afforded by the Broken Sandglass came to an end, and¡­

    Whoosh!

    The wind began to blow once more. However, the Palm Leaf did not cause this wind.

    The clouds overhead moved, and the sunrays touched Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    Once again, time moved forward.

    And right at that moment¡­

    Wu-wuong, buzz¡ª

    The world¡¯s aura started to gather around Su-hyeun. It was silent and swift.

    Even then, Su-hyeun did not wake up. He was in deep sleep. His mind and body was finally able to get its much-needed rest.

    [Magic count has increased by 1.]

    [Agility has increased by 1.]

    [Stamina has increased by 1.]

    [Reflex has increased by 2.]

    [Death Aura has increased by 25.]

    [Strength has increased by 1.]

    [Strength stat has reached 100 points.]

    [Your body has taken a step beyond the boundaries of man.]

    [You have acquired the qualification of godhood.]

 Chapter 308

    Act 7

    Chirp, chirp.

    Su-hyeun could hear the birds chirping when he regained his consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes, got up, and scanned his surroundings. He then noticed a sparrow on a branch over his head.

    Chirp.

    The sparrow met Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze and chirped again.

    He bewilderedly stared at the bird for a little while before coming to his senses.

    ¡°A bird?¡± he said, confused.

    The sparrow got near enough. Su-hyeun walked closer, careful not to scare it away.

    He should currently be in a ranch located in the middle of Gangwon Province. This place was supposed to be destroyed during the First Outbreak crisis. Humans and animals would find it difficult to live in this desolate land.

    Birds were not an exception. Yet, how come there was a sparrow here?

    Su-hyeun hurriedly searched through his pockets. But when he pulled out his phone to confirm the date¡­

    Shatter.

    The moment he held the phone, the screen cracked.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Not one to easily give up, Su-hyeun tried to turn it on. He was hoping that it would still work despite the broken screen. After several attempts, he stopped.

    He stared at the device, thinking he could still do something about it. He tried each solution he could think of, but none worked. He put it down next to him. Then he repeatedly clenched and opened his hand.

    ¡®Did something change?¡¯

    He wanted to know, but he feared the answer¡ªit might disappoint him.

    It felt like he had been asleep for a long time. Seeing how a sparrow managed to get this far, he must have slept for more than one or two days. As for the smartphone failing to start up, it could also be due to the battery running on empty; nothing to do with the broken screen.

    ¡®As for my body, it¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun examined his body. He was feeling light but overflowing with energy. He clenched and opened his fists again. This time, it felt different.

    This new sensation, along with a whole new different atmosphere, Su-hyeun felt that the world had become part of his being.

    He was still getting used with his newfound strength.

    ¡®Could it be?¡¯ he wondered.

    Su-hyeun immediately checked his status.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic count: 93]

    [Magic level: 9]

    [Strength: 100] [Agility: 99]

    [Stamina: 99] [Reflex: 99]

    [Death Aura: 70]

    [Skill: Leap * advanced]

    [Skill: Transfiguration * advanced]

    [Skill: Flame * advanced]

    ¡­.

    [Fatigue: 0]

    [Sage Arts]

    * Grade: ¡ª

    * Category: Passive

    * It is a type of discipline created by Taoist gods. It improves the purity of magical energy. One can acquire the related skills. A unique ability will manifest when the proficiency improves.

    * Proficiency: 31.81%

    * Proficiencies for the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf is +20%.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Through the Broken Sandglass, he was able to train and polish his abilities for three years. His proficiency of the Somersault cloud, the Palm Leaf, and the Necromancer trait had improved. His understanding of the Sage Arts deepened as well.

    He basically achieved the goals he had set out for himself. However, he still felt a bit frustrated as he could not sense any noticeable change despite the improved proficiency.

    But now¡­

    ¡®Is it because time has begun to move again?¡¯ he suspected.

    This magical energy transcended the scope of modern science. Scientists persistently worked on the magical energy. Eventually, they discovered the source of this power.

    It was nature¡­ The ¡®magical energy¡¯ was the power of nature. That power would accumulate in a person¡¯s body. Later on, that person would emit that power. This was the essence of magical energy.

    The reason for his magical energy count going up might have something to do with the time moving again. The ¡®frozen¡¯ world started spinning again, and the magical energy began flooding back to Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    To put it the other way, it meant that the vessel called Su-hyeun had grown larger than before.

    And finally¡­

    ¡®Yeah, I definitely got it right.¡¯

    Now he was sure of it.

    ¡ªYour body has taken a step beyond the boundaries of humans.

    ¡ªAcquired the qualification of godhood.

    Su-hyeun held on to the memories and dragged them back to the present.

    He remembered hearing something about it back then. He received a lot of messages, but he was too sleepy at the time. He didn¡¯t pay much attention on the information being relayed to him. However, after confirming the changes, he realized that they weren¡¯t part of his dream at all.

    ¡®Godhood¡­ Is it¡­¡¯

    ¡®Godhood¡¯¡­ It was the qualification to become a god. It meant that the power of his body had exceeded the human state. He was now a step closer to the realm of the gods.

    A stat that reached the three-digit mark¡­ Su-hyeun was not expecting to reach godhood in this fashion, although he originally set his sights on it.

    ¡®The Sage Arts is a discipline that helps an individual to reach godhood. That¡¯s what he said.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out why his stats had a sudden increase.

    ¡®He also said that the more one practices the Sage Arts, the closer they would get to being a god and acquiring the qualifications of godhood.¡¯

    That was what the Bull Demon King told Su-hyeun in the past. When the latter heard that for the first time, it didn¡¯t make sense. Sure, his stats did improve a bit when he trained for the Sage Arts, but such a result could also be achieved by climbing a tower as well.

    But when his Strength stat reached 100 and those messages popped into his brain¡­

    Su-hyeun finally realized what the Bull Demon King meant.

    The Sage Arts was a discipline that enabled a mere human to acquire the qualification to become a god and to possess a body and strength that rivaled an actual god.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at his hand for a while, and then clenched it. He opened it and then clenched it again, then slammed it to the ground.

    When he did¡ª

    Ku-gugugugugu¡ª

    RUMBLE!

    The ground shook forcefully.

    His fist didn¡¯t make a dent on the ground, but his power managed to penetrate the ground and caused an earthquake. It lasted for a minute or two.

    ¡°It¡¯s really possible,¡± Su-hyeun remarked, amazed.

    He initially thought he couldn¡¯t do it, but he figured he wouldn¡¯t find out unless he tried. So he did. He was quite pleased.

    Additionally, the boost in the Strength stat alone imparted this completely different, higher level of perception compared to the past. The reason why he unintentionally broke the phone¡¯s screen was because he had not adjusted yet with his sudden improvement in strength.

    That was how great it was¡ªthe difference in the strength Su-hyeun possessed back then and now.

    ¡®Is the three-digit mark some kind of a wall?¡¯ Su-hyeun wondered.

    When the Strength stat remained within double digits, he didn¡¯t experience such a massive transformation with each improvement.

    Even if there was a noticeable difference in every improvement, it would only be around the level of him needing about a day or two to adapt.

    But the three-digit stat was another story. He even had to question if this was real. This power was simply beyond Su-hyeun¡¯s comprehension.

    ¡®And I am only at 31%, too.¡¯

    Even now, the Sage Arts¡¯ proficiency was increasing at a frustratingly slow rate.

    Once it got past the 10% mark, its rate had slowed down. Now that it had reached 30%, Su-hyeun was pretty sure that the rate would get even slower than before.

    However, it didn¡¯t matter¡­because Su-hyeun had now fully discovered its potential.

    * * *

    South Korea enjoyed a period of peace when the First Outbreak had ended. It was so peaceful that the previous commotion did not cause an alarm to the people.

    Except that Gangwon Province still remained a deserted land even then¡­

    It had been a while since the end of the First Outbreak. Su-hyeun decided to pay the Jongno Tower another visit.

    ¡°Hey! You came back¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho welcomed Su-hyeun into the office. He didn¡¯t seem to find it strange that the latter could not be reached for the past few days.

    Su-hyeun found it awkward, though he was careful not to let Lee Ju-ho notice.

    In Lee Ju-ho¡¯s defense, he thought Su-hyeun was someplace else, taking a much-needed break. He didn¡¯t want to disturb him.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun felt sentimental by the fact that they were meeting for the first time in a long, long while, yet Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t appear to be enthusiastic. But in all fairness to Lee Ju-ho, he was meeting Su-hyeun again after 10 days¡ªfor his part. Su-hyeun had an entirely different notion.

    ¡®I guess it¡¯s only me feeling this way,¡¯ Su-hyeun realized.

    Su-hyeun heaved a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t look it, but he was really happy to hear another person¡¯s voice after a long while.

    ¡°But how could you go back to the tower without saying anything? I mean, come on! Even if you were really busy, you should have at least left a text message or something,¡±Lee Ju-ho ranted while handing Su-hyeun a cup of coffee.

    It seemed that he was under the impression that Su-hyeun could not be reached for a while because he had already begun his trial on the next floor.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t say a word. He just patiently listened to Lee Ju-ho¡¯s ramblings. Even if he tried to explain, the old man would never understand the things he had experienced in the last three years only he knew of.

    ¡°Well, it somehow happened that way.¡±

    Su-hyeun took the cup of coffee and quickly sipped from it.

    ¡°It¡¯s hot!¡±

    ¡°What were you expecting?¡± Lee Ju-ho replied sarcastically.

    It was too sweet for his taste. He wasn¡¯t into sweets, but welcomed the effect of caffeine in his system. It perked up his mood.

    In the last three years, Su-hyeun only consumed water, dried meat, and nuts. They weren¡¯t what he would consider ¡®delicious¡¯, but they sustained him, provided the nutrients his body needed.

    ¡°This tastes pretty good actually,¡± Su-hyeun commented.

    ¡°Really? I was worried you wouldn¡¯t like it. But that¡¯s all I have in here.¡±

    ¡°Really. I¡¯m not actually a coffee person, but I liked this¡­for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s a surprise. I guess you really like it, then.¡±

    All they had in the office were coffee mixtures, so Lee Ju-ho had no other options to offer Su-hyeun. He was puzzled to see Su-hyeun genuinely enjoying the drink.

    They didn¡¯t really have much to talk about. Their conversation was mainly about the progress of things post-outbreak crisis. Su-hyeun felt good talking to another human being. He missed company.

    As they went on updating each other, Su-hyeun learned one important thing.

    ¡®It has been 10 days from what I can recall.¡¯

    Which meant that Su-hyeun had been asleep that long.

    It did feel like he was asleep for a long time, but he wasn¡¯t expecting it to be 10 days. It was too long, which explained the fatigue he had been experiencing.

    ¡®In any case¡­¡¯

    Squeeze.

    Thoughts occurred to Su-hyeun. He was silent for a while, clenching and opening his fist.

    ¡®I have basically found a lead now.¡¯

    Su-hyeun continued to talk with Lee Ju-ho. He agreed to a dinner, a small get-together with Lee Ju-ho, Hak-joon, and Gwok Yun-seon.

    He was reminded of how enjoyable it was to have a good meal with the people he cared about and how precious it was to spend a normal day with them.

    He missed doing mundane stuff. It gave him some sense of normalcy.

    But, on the following day¡­

    He directly headed back to the 101st floor.

    * * *

    The world found on the 101st floor remained deserted.

    No living creature could be found in there.

    The silence was deafening that the moment Su-hyeun arrived, he shouted, ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±

    It echoed throughout the deserted city.

    Not too long afterwards, the administrator¡¯s reply came to him, ¡°Man, have you forgotten that I¡¯m still here?¡±

    The administrator¡¯s hands were covering his ears, teasing Su-hyeun. He then walked closer towards him.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­right. You had that thing, didn¡¯t you?¡± the administrator muttered softly as if he was already aware of the Broken Sandglass. ¡°Oh my! That didn¡¯t feel like three years, did it? I wasn¡¯t expecting it to be this fast.¡±

    He sounded rather unhappy about something somewhere.

    He wasn¡¯t sad or anything like that. Just unhappy. Actually, seeing that satisfied grin etched on his face, he must have been feeling pretty good right now.

    Su-hyeun immediately realized what the administrator was talking about and gave a knowing smile. The latter¡¯s slightly jealous reaction didn¡¯t bother Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Do I still look desperate even now?¡± Su-hyeun asked, eager to know.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself,¡± the administrator answered, chuckling. ¡°You ain¡¯t there yet.¡±

    The administrator didn¡¯t directly shoot Su-hyeun down, which would indicate that he, too, had seen some kind of potential here.

    Su-hyeun was satisfied with that. He wasn¡¯t planning to remain in this state, anyway. He was determined to improve.

    ¡°In any case, congratulations¡­,¡± the administrator greeted Su-hyeun. He paused and a sheepish grin formed in his lips. He avoided Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze and spoke again, ¡°¡­on acquiring the first qualification of godhood.¡±

 Chapter 309

    The qualification to become a god¡­

    The administrator¡¯s statement was similar to the system message. It seemed that he knew what kind of powers Su-hyeun had acquired.

    Su-hyeun went on, ¡°Can you tell me what exactly this qualification is?¡±

    ¡°It is as it says,¡± the administrator answered matter-of-factly. ¡°It pertains to the qualification of godhood and the authority accompanying that. It¡¯s an ability that gods possess.¡± The administrator was looking at Su-hyeun¡¯s sword as he spoke. ¡°The power contained in that sword has a similar story. What you have gained is the qualification of ¡®strength¡¯ out of several qualifications that the godly beings possess.¡±

    ¡°The qualification of strength?¡±

    ¡°Simply put, your physical strength has exceeded that of a human.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean the three-digit mark is the boundary?¡± Su-hyeun clarified.

    ¡°More or less. But that shouldn¡¯t be the end, though. Various qualifications for godhood exist out there, and even if it¡¯s the same type of qualification, there¡¯s also the difference in class to consider.¡±

    The three digits in a stat denoted the boundary between a man and a divine being.

    According to the administrator, 100 points was not the maximum limit attainable for a stat. Since the ¡®class¡¯ and the gap in strength also existed within the scope of godhood, any value higher than 100 must exist as well.

    ¡°Although a bit of a shortcut has been taken here, with this, you have now acquired three types of qualifications for godhood.¡± The administrator narrowed his eyes and gestured as he spoke, ¡°The clouds, the wind, and now, strength.¡±

    The ¡®clouds¡¯ and the ¡®wind¡¯ indicated the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf.

    ¡°The first two might be nothing more than half-realized powers. But still, depending on how you utilize them, they can become full-fledged ones,¡± the administrator explained.

    ¡°Just how many qualifications for godhood are there?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be specific,¡± Su-hyeun pressed on. ¡°Even a vague explanation will do.¡±

    ¡°There are way too many of them to count.¡± The administrator shook his head. ¡°In general, acquiring just one qualification is enough for you to be referred to as a quasi-god. However, I really don¡¯t know what the requirements are to become a ¡®full¡¯ god. But I can assure you that I have never seen or heard of a god that possessed countless qualifications.¡±

    The administrator scratched his head the moment he finished. He felt he had said too much, including unnecessary information.

    ¡°Argh! Whatever. Okay. So you¡¯re here to take up the next challenge, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am. But when I got here the first time, that plaza didn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°No plaza exists in this place,¡± the administrator remarked, shaking his head, as if Su-hyeun had said something outrageous. ¡°I¡¯ll be directly sending you to the next floor.¡±

    ¡°In that case, what about the hints for the floor¡­¡±

    ¡°No hints from now on.¡±

    Shuwuk, shuk¡ª

    The administrator crouched on the ground and began drawing a circle with his finger. ¡°Even we don¡¯t know anything, you see.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°I said, I don¡¯t have any hint to give you. Okay? All done.¡± The administrator finished drawing a circle and some lines that resembled a star on the ground, then dusted his hand in satisfaction. ¡°Get inside.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun stepped into the circle. He didn¡¯t say a word, but he was in doubt. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of magic circle this was. Once inside, he began to sense a unique power emanating from it.

    This simple magic circle turned out to be a door to a different dimension.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see for yourself when you get there. Alright, now then¡­¡±

    Snap!

    Ging!

    When the administrator snapped his fingers, the magic circle began emitting bright light.

    ¡°We believe in you.¡±

    Along with those words, the view before Su-hyeun¡¯s very eyes transformed.

    ***

    Caw! Caw!

    BOOM!

    The cawing of a huge crow and a loud footstep intertwined with the sound of wind rustling past the tall grass.

    The new scenery was a forest. However, it was far too different from a typical one.

    ¡®Trees here are absolutely tall.¡¯

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t recognize what these trees were. The whole forest seemed to be made solely out of these huge, thick trees, at least 100 meters tall.

    He quietly roamed around the forest. He found a stump and decided to take a rest. Then a message popped up.

    [Prevent the birth of the next predator.]

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    That message was somewhat familiar. He was told of it before.

    It was almost akin to the message from the trial back on the 100th floor: to prevent the birth of Fafnir.

    If the 100th floor¡¯s trial was a type of test the administrators had prepared, then this would be the beginning of the ¡®real¡¯ thing.

    ¡®Preventing the birth of a predator means¡­¡¯

    BOOM!

    Su-hyeun turned his head to where the sound came from. He saw a huge monster that resembled a dinosaur in the midst of trees.

    ¡®Could it be that creature?¡¯

    Krr!

    Green spittle drooled out from the maw of this dinosaur-like monster with yellow eyes. Its size was almost as big as a small apartment block.

    Drip. Dribble.

    The thick drool landed on the ground. The grass melted as if the spit was contagious. If the spit was that bad already, then its blood could be deadly.

    ¡®Is it a venomous monster? It looks like a physical¡­¡¯

    Whoosh!

    Crack! Crunch!

    Slam!

    The dinosaur-like monster swung its front limb. Su-hyeun moved quickly and leapt up. The trees swayed and then fell to the ground.

    BANG!

    ¡°Well, I guess it fights with its body.¡±

    Tak.

    Su-hyeun landed on a thick branch above and looked down on the creature. Its huge head turned to Su-hyeun¡¯s direction. Su-hyeun noticed that the monster could actually see him from afar. Even its movement was agile as well.

    ¡®With this kind of skill, this thing must be stronger than a senior monster of an average-strength blue dungeon.¡¯

    However, such a thing wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    ¡®This monster isn¡¯t going to be a predator.¡¯

    It certainly was strong, but it was not exactly overwhelming. Compared to the black dragon Su-hyeun encountered, the one that Bradley ended up devouring, this monster was lacking in many aspects.

    ¡°Still, this guy wouldn¡¯t be so bad as a new summo¡ª¡±

    Crack! Crunch!

    Su-hyeun quickly turned his head to a different direction. He sensed that someone¡ªor something¡ªwas coming, and it was moving fast.

    Swoosh!

    Whoosh!

    A wild beast sprang out from the trees. It leapt towards the enormous monster¡¯s head. It attacked the creature with its claws, scratching its head.

    Rip!

    Ki-aah!

    The monster howled.

    The beast ripped its face. It continued to howl in pain, flailing its limbs. Its eyes were badly injured that it couldn¡¯t see anymore. It hit a number of trees as it moved aimlessly.

    The wild beast then moved closer to the monster. It stood at its rear.

    Pow!

    Crunch!

    The beast slammed the monster¡¯s neck with its fist. Its thick hide was ripped apart and the bones were crushed. The dinosaur fell to the ground, dead.

    BOOM!

    The ground shook because of its massive weight.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t move as he watched the wild beast. It was a bipedal wolf covered in white fur. It stood on its hind legs like a human being and was at least three meters tall.

    ¡®This guy is also not a predator.¡¯

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t sense any magical energy from this wild beast.

    It wasn¡¯t as if this creature had been concealing its magical powers. No. That energy source simply didn¡¯t exist in it.

    ¡®Wait. So, that wild beast hunted that monster down using only its physical strength?¡¯

    Honestly, that came a complete surprise.

    Although the wild beast was bigger than an average bull, its broad shoulders certainly looked threatening. However, it was still smaller and more worn out compared to the now dead monster.

    Despite that, it managed to easily kill a bigger and considerably stronger opponent.

    Aside from the physical strength and speed, its battle instinct was also top-notch. The vibe Su-hyeun got was that this creature was a highly trained warrior.

    In other words, a formidable opponent had shown up.

    Krr¡ª

    The wild beast suddenly bared its fangs. It had noticed Su-hyeun standing on the side.

    Its wolf-like face turned to confront Su-hyeun. It glared at him and howled. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t move or make a sound. Then the beast spoke, ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t have enough meat on your bones.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°Go away. You don¡¯t even look

    delectable for an appetizer. But we¡¯ll see once you grow much bigger later.¡±

    The wild beast grabbed the dead monster¡¯s large thigh as it spoke.

    Drag. Drag.

    And then, it began to drag the huge corpse away.

    Drag.

    This amazed and puzzled Su-hyeun at the same time. Just how did the wild beast did that? Where did its strength came from? That monster must have weighed a hundred tons! It was heavier now that its dead.

    The wild beast had a well-toned body that enabled it to drag a bigger and heavier creature. It also had intellect, which enabled it to talk to Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun stared at the back of the wild beast as it walk away.

    ¡°Did it actually consider me as its prey?¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    It felt like he somehow got dissed. He ended up scratching his head.

    He still had no idea where this was or what kind of world it was. Even so, he began to walk after the wild beast.

    ***

    Drag. Drag.

    Su-hyeun continued tailing the wild beast.

    The white-furred beast didn¡¯t seem burdened by the weight of the dead monster as it effortlessly dragged its corpse.

    ¡®This animal¡¯s strength is pretty exceptional,¡¯ Su-hyeun thought.

    The beast glanced at Su-hyeun. He was 10 steps behind it.

    ¡°Stop following me. Or else, I will hunt you,¡± it threatened Su-hyeun.

    The beast growled. It bared its fangs to scare Su-hyeun away.

    Su-hyeun meekly smiled at the beast. He didn¡¯t want to provoke it. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to follow you. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m lost, you see.¡±

    The beast flinched when Su-hyeun spoke. It was surprised that he could actually talk.

    ¡°Can you show me the way to the nearest village, if there¡¯s any?¡±

    ¡°But how¡­ How can a monster talk?¡± the beast commented.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not¡ª¡± Su-hyeun attempted to explain but the beast cut him off.

    ¡°I was talking to myself,¡± the beast clarified.

    A monster? Who was it referring to? Su-hyeun looked around, then shook his head.

    ¡®If this world is made up of therianthropes, then yes, I¡¯ll definitely be seen as a monster.¡¯

    Not just a monster, but a small and weak-looking monster at that.

    ¡®Maybe he sees me as someone on a goblin¡¯s level?¡¯

    A goblin was a dwarf-like monster that ranged from 50 centimeters to one meter in height. Moreover, it was the lowest and the weakest monster commonly appearing in red dungeons.

    The difference in size between Su-hyeun and this wolf therianthrope was around the same as a human to a goblin.

    ¡°What an interesting creature you are.¡±

    The wolf therianthrope¡¯s lips curled as it studied Su-hyeun. It was actually smiling. It must have found something really amusing.

    ¡°Looks like you are not some mindless little monster¡­ Could it be that you¡¯re some kind of an intelligent subspecies? Never heard of a species like you before, however.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Well, now you have.¡±

    ¡°What an insolent little monster you are, too. Mind your manners, or I might just bite you to death.¡±

    Krr!

    The therianthrope bared its fangs once more to warn Su-hyeun.

    Its demeanor had changed. A few minutes ago, it was threatening Su-hyeun with its sharp canines. Now, it seemed friendly.

    Of course, he might really try to rip Su-hyeun apart with his fangs.

    ¡®Can¡¯t be too careful,¡¯ Su-hyeun reminded himself.

    But from what Su-hyeun could tell, this therianthrope wouldn¡¯t try to harm him.

    He asked, ¡°Is the village far from here?¡±

    ¡°I never said I¡¯ll show you the way. Besides, you are going to cause a big commotion if you go there. I¡¯m sure you will. To our kind, someone as weak as you is nothing more than an easy prey.¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to be careful in order to not be someone else¡¯s snack then. I¡¯ll take it to heart.¡±

    The therianthrope stared at Su-hyeun. It wasn¡¯t expecting that kind of reply from him. One could easily tell that it was utterly astonished.

    The therianthrope cackled and replied, ¡°Do what you want.¡±

    Whatever the case might be, the wolf therianthrope wasn¡¯t wary of Su-hyeun. He must have thought that the little monster wasn¡¯t much of a threat at all.

    On top of that, the therianthrope was also thinking that it didn¡¯t really matter if Su-hyeun got attacked by its kin.

    ¡®Not much of a snack. I doubt he¡¯s tasty,¡¯ the therianthrope thought.

    Drag. Drag.

    Su-hyeun and the therianthrope walked for a while.

    ¡°You know, we¡¯re moving slowly. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Su-hyeun spoke. He was bored and was trying to engage the therianthrope in a small talk.

    The latter replied while dragging the huge monster with one hand. ¡°This thing is heavier than you think. You can help me carry it, you know.¡±

    The therianthrope shot Su-hyeun with a look that implied, ¡®If you¡¯re not going to help, then just shut up and follow me.¡¯

    But then¡­

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I do that?¡±

    Su-hyeun strode forward and grabbed the dead monster¡¯s hide.

    Then¡­

    Drag!

    Then, he effortlessly walked forward with the corpse in tow¡ªat a faster speed than the therianthrope, too.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su-hyeun turned around and asked the therianthrope. It looked at Su-hyeun in disbelief. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you coming along?¡±

 Chapter 310

    Act 1

    Drag.

    Su-hyeun dragged the monster¡¯s body on his own.

    Without them actually noticing it, Su-hyeun and the wolf therianthrope had traded places. Su-hyeun was now leading and the therianthrope following.

    The therianthrope couldn¡¯t keep its eyes off Su-hyeun. It couldn¡¯t believe what it had seen.

    It stared at Su-hyeun¡¯s body, observing how each part moved. Then it commented, ¡°Well, he did have a bit of muscle on him, but¡­¡±

    It groaned and then tilted its head.

    ¡°Okay. You got me curious,¡± it began to speak. ¡°Just where exactly is your strength coming from? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re one of us. I mean, you¡¯re not one of my kind.¡±

    ¡°Are all of your kind as strong as you?¡±

    ¡°My kind? That¡¯s obvious.¡± The therianthrope raised its arm to flex and show off its well-toned muscles. ¡°We rely on our bodies. We are born physically perfect and with great intellect. Our bodies are incomparable, whereas our battle, and even hunting, instincts are sharp. My kind founded a powerful tribe, and it flourished,¡± the therianthrope explained.

    It spoke full of pride about its kind. It was proud to be part of the tribe.

    But then¡­

    ¡°However, I am now starting to think that we are not the only strong species¡ªstrongest, if you may,¡± it remarked. It looked dejected. ¡°It never occurred to me that a more powerful and intelligent species than our kind existed. I thought we are one of a kind¡­¡±

    A creature so strong that it could take down an opponent twice its size feeling down?

    Su-hyeun tried to keep a straight face. This wolf therianthrope must have thought that all humans were as strong as Su-hyeun.

    ¡°The species I belong to is called ¡®human.''¡±

    ¡°Human?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We are small beings and weak as well,¡± Su-hyeun described, gesturing. He was trying to cheer the therianthrope up, but it was skeptical.

    ¡°Are you making fun of me? You¡¯re incredibly strong. What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m strong, but that doesn¡¯t mean all humans are strong. Humans are actually weak species that would be too easy to hunt.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. That¡¯s why¡±¡ªSu-hyeun went on as he dragged the corpse with one hand¡ª¡±you don¡¯t have to be depressed. Besides, I also think that your tribe is one of a kind.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The wolf therianthrope rubbed its chin while looking at the massive creature being dragged away by Su-hyeun. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t find your words convincing at all, especially when I can see you effortlessly dragging this monster with one hand.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve learned one thing about you.¡±

    ¡°About me? What is it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a nice guy. I don¡¯t know. You look nice.¡±

    ¡°Not sure whether that¡¯s a compliment or¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an insult,¡± the therianthrope cut him off. ¡°A nice guy like you won¡¯t survive in this place for long.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Su-hyeun smiled meekly and nodded. ¡°Well, that might be true.¡±

    Drag. Drag.

    Su-hyeun glanced back at the monster he was dragging by its hide.

    Although he discovered several monsters on his way here, none of those creatures were as large as this one. They had probably seen Su-hyeun and the therianthrope dragging a humongous monster, and the sight intimidated them that they didn¡¯t bother to approach them.

    Without a doubt, he would have to work extra hard to drag something this big in the past.

    He might even have to rely on magical energy too.

    But it was a different story now.

    ¡®Why do I feel like I¡¯ve become some creature with incredibly high physical strength and nothing else?¡¯

    Su-hyeun smirked at that thought.

    The wolf therianthrope mistook him as a monster just now, but even to his mind, he had exceeded the limits of an ordinary person a long time ago.

    In the next few hours, Su-hyeun, along with the therianthrope, kept dragging the carcass as he headed to the village.

    While chatting every now and then, Su-hyeun and the therianthrope became more acquainted with each other.

    The therianthrope commented that Su-hyeun¡¯s name was weird before introducing its name.

    Its name was Raboonta. It was a warrior too.

    ¡°There are a lot more of my kind stronger than me back in the village. I¡¯m still too young to be officially recognized as a warrior, you see.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re actually¡­young?¡± Su-hyeun asked cautiously.

    ¡°That I am.¡±

    ¡°How old are you, then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve turned 80 this year. One has to be at least a hundred years old before it can become a warrior. Only 20 more years to go for me.¡±

    ¡°Eighty?¡±

    By human standards, 80 was considered old. Yet he encountered a creature who said otherwise. He was surprised but didn¡¯t find it strange.

    ¡®Then again, dragons live for thousands¡ªno, tens of thousands of years, so¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t really concerned with the life span of therianthropes. Something else was of interest to him.

    ¡®He¡¯s still not a warrior yet, which means¡­¡¯

    Therianthropes stronger than Raboonta existed.

    ¡®Just how much stronger are actual warriors, then?¡¯

    Raboonta was undoubtedly an excellent warrior already. It was so capable that it could hunt monsters twice its size in a forest like this one.

    The fact that it was aiming to become a warrior was proof of its physical and mental strength. However, Su-hyeun still couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Raboonta was a special case that simply happened to be stronger than average.

    ¡°By the way, if you¡¯re considered young by your kind¡¯s standards, then why are you hunting by yourself? Shouldn¡¯t you be accompanied by an ¡®adult¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to find something to eat.¡±

    ¡°No. I mean, why are you doing it alone?¡±

    ¡°All because of that bastard.¡±

    ¡°That bastard?¡±

    Krr!

    Raboonta bared its fangs and growled. ¡°The monster that ruined our world.¡±

    Its reactions seemed ¡°suspicious,¡± to say the least.

    But before Su-hyeun could ask more questions, Raboonta spoke, ¡°We have arrived.¡±

    Su-hyeun already knew that there was a village in the vicinity. Even from afar, he could sense the presence of other beings.

    He didn¡¯t bother to continue with his probing. The distant view of the village captured his attention. From a distance, he could see houses made of lumber.

    Judging from all the presence he sensed, the number of therianthropes living on the outskirts of the village alone could easily be around several hundred.

    A dozen of therianthropes lined up to welcome Raboonta back.

    As expected, they all boasted generally muscular physiques. Most of them stood on their hind legs and were three meters in height, which was about the same as Raboonta.

    However, all these therianthropes were astonished to witness Su-hyeun dragging an enormous carcass. As he passed by them, they bared their fangs to intimidate him.

    Raboonta swiftly stood before them. ¡°All of you, wait. This guy over here, he¡¯s with me. He¡¯s a good guy.¡±

    ¡°Raboonta?¡±

    The therianthropes calmed down when Raboonta spoke. However, they were still suspicious of Su-hyeun and refused to back off.

    ¡°You know that no warriors are present in the village right now, don¡¯t you? We can¡¯t let a monster inside,¡± a therianthrope reminded Raboonta.

    ¡°I know. However, this guy isn¡¯t a monster.¡±

    ¡°Not a monster? What do you mean?¡±

    A half-smile formed on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips.

    ¡®This is awkward.¡¯

    Su-hyeun was uneasy when the therianthropes called him a monster and remained wary of his presence.

    He certainly never expected to be treated like a monster when visiting a foreign land. Then again, even humans would treat another race that looked different than themselves as monsters, so there was that.

    But if there was one saving grace¡­

    ¡°Nice to meet you, everyone.¡±

    It would be that Su-hyeun could at least hold a conversation with these creatures. Thanks to the tower¡¯s system.

    ¡°My name is Kim Su-hyeun. Unfortunately, I¡¯m lost. I was wondering if I can bother you for the next few days.¡±

    ¡°It spoke?¡±

    ¡°A monster could speak?¡±

    ¡°Wait. Maybe it¡¯s not really a monster after all.¡±

    The therianthropes present were all confused.

    They seemed to contemplate something and then called Raboonta. They got together in a huddle and discussed among themselves.

    Most of the questions had something to do with Su-hyeun. They were curious if he was food, prey, or monster. Raboonta did its best to answer each query and put Su-hyeun in a good light.

    What he said next prompted a noticeable change in the therianthropes¡¯ demeanor.

    ¡°He¡¯s definitely an outstanding warrior.¡±

    ¡°Warrior¡±¡­ That word was enough to arouse the interest of the therianthropes toward Su-hyeun. They sized him up, staring at him from head to foot.

    It seemed that they held warriors in high esteem.

    Step. Step.

    They soon approached Su-hyeun, and one of them extended its hand, which was larger than its head.

    ¡°Welcome to our village. We were informed that you¡¯re an outstanding warrior.¡±

    It was the biggest therianthrope among the group. Su-hyeun took its hand and shook it. He felt a tight grip on his hand.

    This huge therianthrope wasn¡¯t trying to pick a fight. To the therianthropes living in this place, this was how they welcomed visitors.

    ¡°Raboonta informed us of your deed. You helped him bring home our food.¡±

    Raboonta did hunt this monster for its people. The monster¡¯s size was enough to feed the entire village, though Raboonta was not the only one hunting for the tribe.

    ¡°Actually, Raboonta was the one who successfully hunted the creature down,¡± Su-hyeun emphasized.

    ¡°Hunting one isn¡¯t difficult, but transporting it is. Even without trying to carry it, I can tell that its heavy weight is a burden to anyone who was tasked to take it home.¡±

    The therianthrope acknowledged that it was indeed a burden. It was an impossible task to accomplish alone. From the therianthrope¡¯s statement, Su-hyeun supposed that these creatures had the same level of strength as Raboonta.

    ¡°Well, then. Come on in. And since you ended up breaking a sweat instead of that kid, allow us to treat you to a meal at least.¡±

    ¡°In that case, please excuse me.¡±

    Su-hyeun began walking through the village accompanied by Raboonta and the other therianthropes.

    Tall and thick trees populated the village. They were majestic to look at. Su-hyeun was in awe as he walked through their midst.

    ¡®This place is more of a city than a village.¡¯

    Its size was big enough for thousands to live. Even after taking into consideration the physical size of the wolf therianthropes, at the very least, ten thousand creatures should be able to live in this place.

    Su-hyeun was met with curious glances from the rest of the therianthropes. He could sense passiveness from them. They seemed withdrawn compared to those who welcomed him and Raboonta.

    ¡®Are they afraid of something?¡¯

    Su-hyeun noticed some of them cowering. However, he was sure that he didn¡¯t cause whatever fear they might be feeling at the moment.

    ¡®But what are they afraid of?¡¯

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze toward Raboonta as well as the other therianthropes with him. They didn¡¯t look afraid¡ªnot one bit. In fact, they looked sharp.

    ¡°Did something happen to the village?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    The therianthropes¡¯ demeanor noticeably changed.

    One of them turned its head and asked Su-hyeun, ¡°Are you asking us because you really don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Is it because of that monster?¡±

    Su-hyeun actually didn¡¯t know what that monster was, but he still asked out of curiosity.

    The therianthrope nodded. It was likely that the unknown creature all these therianthropes were afraid of was somehow related to the ¡°predator¡± Su-hyeun was searching for.

    ¡°That bastard is currently headed toward this village. The forest and this village are our last strongholds, you see.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean other places are already¡­¡±

    ¡°All destroyed,¡± the therianthrope finished Su-hyeun¡¯s sentence. Then it continued, ¡°Not even a blade of grass survives wherever that monstrous bastard goes. That thing is a monster that devours any and all living things.¡±

    That sounded oddly similar to the characteristics of a ¡°predator¡± or at least a monster about to become one.

    A predator was a monster that preyed on a world and grew stronger by devouring the energy existing within it.

    And this unknown monster was trying to devour everything in this world.

    ¡°However, things will be different this time,¡± the oldest-looking therianthrope among the group chimed in while stroking its lengthy beard with its claws. ¡°Our king has taken it upon himself to hunt that bastard down.¡±

    ¡®The therianthropes had a king?¡¯ As Su-hyeun paid attention to the information being revealed to him, his mind was also at work, absorbing every detail.

    That therianthrope must have been the strongest one among them, considering the importance they put on one¡¯s strength and ability.

    ¡°If it¡¯s your people¡¯s king¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. You may not know who he is. Well, you¡¯re not from our race, after all.¡±

    ¡°Is he really that amazing?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the heir of a noble bloodline. He decided to move along with hundreds of our remaining warriors. Surely, nothing would be impossible for them. Wouldn¡¯t you say so?¡±

    In the old therianthrope¡¯s manner of speaking, one could see its trust and reverence toward its king.

    For a moment there, fear and worry clouded the faces of other therianthropes. However, as soon as their king was brought up, hope and relief filled their hearts.

    Only then did Su-hyeun understand something important. The reason why they were anxious in the first place was not because of some monster that would soon be a ¡°predator.¡± It was because their king was not with them at the moment.

    The therianthropes¡¯ expression of relief confused Su-hyeun.

    One hundred therianthrope warriors possessing abilities that exceed Raboonta and their king, who was supposedly stronger than them¡­ A combat force of this scale would more or less be able to defeat the black dragon that showed up on the hundredth floor.

    ¡®But if the king of therianthropes can really hunt that monster down¡­,¡¯ Su-hyeun contemplated.

    ¡®Then the administrator would not have sent me here in the first place.¡¯

 Chapter 311

    * * *

    Crunch, chew, crunch¡ª

    A distinctive noise could be heard. It was a sound that one would hear when a bone was being chewed. It was unmistakable, too; when prey was hunted down and consumed in its entirety, bones and all, such a noise would often be produced.

    ¡°What kind of noise is¡­?¡± he thought.

    He forced his eyelids to open. His vision was blurry and hazy. Crimson liquid blocked his view.

    It was blood.

    ¡°Blood¡­?¡±

    Why am I bleeding in the first place?

    However, before he could answer his own questions, he managed to recall his and everyone¡¯s current situation first.

    ¡°My¡­my subordinates¡­¡±

    He tried to say something, but no sound came out.

    The loyal retainers that followed him to this place, the brave and powerful therianthrope warriors, what happened to all of them?

    It was right at that moment that his blood-soaked vision finally identified the source of the disturbing noise.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    He saw a massive maw.

    Then, he saw rounded teeth that seemingly lacked all semblance of sharpness, horns that pointed upward like a bull¡¯s, a jaw that jutted out to the front, and, finally, eyes that were dyed in the colors of blood.

    And, currently, inside the mouth of the creature possessing such features was one of the therianthrope warriors being devoured whole, someone who used to be his loyal subordinate.

    Aaaaahk¡ª!

    Plop¡ª

    Talkun tried to get up and rush toward the monster immediately, but his body simply crumpled to the ground. Only then did he notice the state of his lower torso.

    ¡°My, my legs¡­¡±

    They were gone¡ªdevoured away.

    Talkun¡¯s wide-open eyes landed on the monster next. The monster, still continuously chewing and devouring the now-dead subordinate, had its eyes locked firmly on Talkun.

    ¡°You¡­are¡­¡±

    A deathly chill ran down on Talkun¡¯s back.

    The monster¡¯s voice leaked from its mouth. Unlike how it looked, the voice was high-pitched, which resonated clearly, and carried a languid tone.

    ¡°The¡­tastiest¡­¡±

    This creature was thinking of Talkun as nothing more than food.

    Talkun quickly scanned his surroundings. Other than him with his lower torso gone, it seemed that the other warriors had already been devoured by now, as he could only see their traces remaining.

    Meaning, he was the only one still alive.

    ¡°This monster, it left me until last.¡±

    Talkun realized the reason why he was still alive.

    ¡°Because it thinks I¡¯m the tastiest one.¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    The monster finished chewing the dead subordinate and devoured it whole.

    The one that got devoured just now was a warrior second only to Talkun within the ranks of the therianthropes. The monster seemed to have decided on the order of tastiness of its prey based on their strength.

    And to enjoy the tastiest food to the fullest, the monster had chosen to let Talkun live until now.

    ¡°Huh, huhuh¡­¡±

    Talkun could only chuckle hollowly.

    Along with him, the king of the therianthropes, 100 warriors had set out together. They really believed that they could defeat the monster this time. That was why Talkun temporarily halted his lengthy training regime to step outside the village.

    He called upon the powerful beings from his race spread throughout the land and intended to kill this monster even if it cost his life.

    But even then¡­

    ¡°Just for a mere¡­¡±

    Talkun stared at the flesh wound on the monster¡¯s neck, the one that his claws managed to inflict.

    ¡°Just for a mere wound like that¡­¡±

    Split¡ª

    The monster opened its maw wide.

    Talkun stared at the maw of the giant ¡°bull¡± and muttered in resigned acceptance of his defeat, ¡°The future of our races has been¡ª¡±

    Crunch¡ª!

    The monster threw Talkun inside its mouth and began chewing away.

    As befitting the title of the therianthrope race¡¯s king, he didn¡¯t give up fighting even until the end. The moment he entered the creature¡¯s mouth, Talkun clawed and bit to try to tear into the creature¡¯s inner flesh.

    However, they were all for naught.

    The monster savored all his bitter struggling as if it was savoring a delicious slab of fresh meat. It then bit down on Talkun, issuing a loud crunch, and devoured the king. However, it suddenly stood around in a daze before opening its mouth again.

    ¡°Something¡­even¡­ tastier¡­¡±

    The monster began moving again.

    It still hadn¡¯t had its fill yet.

    And to be fully satisfied, the monster would have to go on to devour this world itself.

    **

    ¡°The battle should have finished by now,¡± said one of the therianthropes in the village when Su-hyeun asked where the king and the 100 warriors had headed off to.

    It seemed that they hadn¡¯t returned yet.

    ¡°But why do you ask that? Could it be that you wish to lend them your aid?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was thinking of doing so.¡±

    ¡°Just as Raboonta said, you are indeed a nice creature. My advice may sound funny or nonsensical to you, but listen, you cannot become an excellent warrior when you¡¯re too nice.¡±

    The therianthrope before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was named Kariburn, a former warrior who had to retire due to his advanced age.

    Kariburn had instinctively realized that Su-hyeun was an incredibly powerful being. For one thing, it was not Raboonta but Su-hyeun who had dragged the carcass of such a massive monster to the village.

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I can¡¯t just sit by and let others die.¡±

    ¡°You only say that because you don¡¯t know anything about our king.¡±

    ¡°That may be true, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Our king is strong enough to handle a hundred warriors of our race. No matter how powerful that monster is, there¡¯s simply no way that it can deal with our king and 100 of our finest warriors at once.¡±

    Kariburn¡¯s words spoken with much confidence only elicited a soft sigh from Su-hyeun¡¯s lips.

    This guy said that he didn¡¯t know anything about their king. He wanted to return those words right back at the therianthrope, though.

    What did they really know about the monster, anyway?

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do if it¡¯s already too late,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He had already changed his mindset.

    What if the king of all therianthropes and his warriors managed to kill the monster without Su-hyeun doing anything?

    ¡°That isn¡¯t such a bad outcome, I guess.¡±

    Basically, he would have blown his nose without using his hands.

    Nothing would be more priceless and valuable than achieving victory without fighting, and honestly speaking, being able to move to the next floor and get his hands on the rewards without lifting a finger would be a good thing for Su-hyeun in the end, too.

    However¡­

    ¡°The odds of that happening are pretty slim.¡±

    Considering the reason why he had been sent to this world, he figured that things wouldn¡¯t be that easy for him, so he had no choice but to assume the possibility of the king and the warriors being defeated.

    ¡°If everywhere else has been devoured except this forest¡­¡±

    The creature was a monster that couldn¡¯t be satisfied and continued to devour the world.

    A monster created in such a manner was called the ¡°predator.¡±

    ¡°That thing¡¯s next destination should be here.¡±

    Meaning, there was no need to wander around anymore.

    Rather than wasting time combing through the wide-open world, it would be far simpler to wait for that monster to get here instead.

    Su-hyeun entered a house with a tall ceiling under the therianthrope¡¯s suggestion. The place boasted a fireplace and a large bed made of tree branches that looked pretty comfortable.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us outside for dinner?¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Dinner time indeed happened to be right around the corner. Su-hyeun had been feeling a bit hungry after walking for a few hours, so he expectantly strode outside the house. However, what greeted him was slabs of meat only lightly singed on the surface strewn about in the middle of the village.

    Su-hyeun immediately knew what happened here; the villagers had skinned the monster that Raboonta hunted and Su-hyeun brought in and then lightly cooked its meat over some fire just now.

    ¡°Are we going to eat it just like that?¡± Su-hyeun hesitated.

    He had been wondering how these people would prepare the meat, but to think they would only lightly singe its surface and nothing else. Besides¡­

    ¡°But that thing¡¯s poisonous¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, that. It¡¯s alright. Most regular toxins do not have an effect on us, and even if some of us get ill, one good night¡¯s rest will cure it.¡±

    What an amazing level of self-confidence that was.

    Su-hyeun stared at the massive mountain of meat in the middle of the therianthropes that gathered around for their share of dinner.

    Driiip¡ª

    Hissss¡ª

    Droplets of blood fell and caused a hissing and melting noise to come from the ground.

    Now that was a pretty powerful toxin, alright.

    ¡°They saw that, yet they¡¯ll still eat that thing?¡±

    Su-hyeun slowly shook his head.

    If he wanted to, then he could¡¯ve also eaten that meat. His body wasn¡¯t so weak that such a level of poison would end up wreaking havoc in him.

    But the thing was, meat basically pickled in poison would definitely not be something he would sit down for and consciously enjoy.

    ¡°Well, uh, I wasn¡¯t feeling hungry, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then again, I heard that some monsters only need to eat once in an entire month. Still, if you do feel hungry later, let us know.¡±

    ¡°Alright, will do.¡±

    Su-hyeun returned to his assigned room.

    The sounds of the therianthropes smacking their lips and savoring the meat could be heard coming from outside the walls. He wondered if it was really alright for them to consume that, but seeing how none of them were screaming in pain right now, it looked like his worries were for nothing.

    ¡°I guess that means more jerky for me, then,¡± Su-hyeun groaned under his breath and pulled out a strip of jerky from his pocket.

    He had spent the last three years in the company of beef jerky and dried raisins, and it seemed that he would have to ¡°enjoy¡± that lifestyle for a little bit longer.

    ¡°I better finish this trial quickly and return or something.¡±

    While filling himself up with a mouthful of jerky, raisins, and water, he could only groan softly once more.

    He was already missing the warm bowl of rice he had the night before.

    **

    A big commotion happened in the village for a while there. It was all thanks to Su-hyeun letting Miru out.

    He made a promise earlier that he would let the red dragon out in the middle of the trial. However, when the therianthropes witnessed Miru, they almost went on a rampage, saying that potential prey had walked into their village on its own.

    Su-hyeun had to work hard for a while to calm everyone down.

    Thankfully, none of them tried to be stubborn. Other than the difference in cultures, the therianthropes certainly were not any worse than humans in terms of their intelligence.

    When mealtime was over, Su-hyeun exited the house once more.

    He watched the therianthropes one by one return to their dwellings with full bellies. Three or four individuals lived under one roof, and from that revelation, he got a feeling that even with such tall ceilings, so many living together would make it seem rather cramped inside.

    He took his time surveying this village.

    The therianthropes who were out and about must have heard about him because no one bared their fangs at him. No, most of them were more like scared. And just like before, their fear wasn¡¯t directed in Su-hyeun¡¯s way.

    ¡°Things remain the same wherever it is.¡±

    Su-hyeun had seen that sight many times before as Kim Sung-in in his previous lifetime.

    The sight of the survivors barely clinging onto their lives while sharing what little scraps of food were left in villages they cobbled together after the monsters took over the world¡ªtheir silhouettes seemed to overlap with the figures of the therianthropes right now.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not just this place, though.¡±

    Su-hyeun abruptly recalled the trial from the 10th floor. He remembered a particular village.

    The village populated by the weak and helpless humans¡ªthe place where he met the child named Mellie, where the village chief sacrificed his own fellow villagers as food to use the monster called the ¡°Predatory Snake¡±¡ªand this one, which was filled with therianthropes capable of slaughtering such humans in the thousands, didn¡¯t differ much.

    ¡°People are the same everywhere, it seems.¡±

    Ku, ku-gugu¡ª

    BOOM¡ª

    Kiii-aaaahk¡ª!

    Loud roars resounded from the distant forest surrounding the village.

    Therianthropes hurriedly emerged from their dwellings one after another, having heard those monstrous roars. While they started baring their fangs and growled menacingly, Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to the forest.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s on its way.¡±

    Most monsters living inside the forest boasted highly developed primal instincts for the sake of their own survival.

    Those roars were not meant to threaten their prey during a hunt and were not screams of suffering and agony either. No, they sounded more like an attempt to shake away fear gripping their hearts.

    ¡°The predators of this forest are terrified by the appearance of the real predator, it seems.¡±

    Some of those roars definitely belonged to monsters far larger than the one that ended up as the therianthropes¡¯ dinner. Besides those, there must be other monsters in the upper ruling class of this forest, plus a creature that could claim to be the top dog in the food chain.

    Even then, they were all roaring away because of their fear of the even bigger and even more powerful predatory presence.

    To make matters worse, this monster didn¡¯t even know the meaning of ¡°enough¡± either.

    ¡°Something¡¯s coming,¡± loudly said Raboonta, who had finished his meal not too long ago, when he stepped into the streets.

    He was closest to an actual warrior among the therianthropes remaining in the village. The only reason he hadn¡¯t been officially recognized as one was due to his young age.

    As such, Raboonta understood the threat that has invaded the forest faster and more instinctively than the others of his race.

    ¡°It seems that¡­¡± Su-hyeun began in response to Raboonta¡¯s observation. ¡°Your king has failed in his mission.¡±

    Unlike the young therianthrope, Su-hyeun already had his grip on the hilt of his sword.

 Chapter 312

    Act 2

    Gu-gu, gu-gugugu¡ª

    The monsters began their rampage all over.

    The chaotic noises of their pounding feet rocked the ground. The predators of the forest that were previously slumbering had encountered the true predator, and their fear spread to the rest of the forest like wildfire.

    Crack, crash¡ª!

    Kiii-aaaah¡ª!

    The monsters that lost their aim and desperately tried to distance themselves from the real predator eventually flooded into the village of the therianthropes.

    The therianthropes were originally the rulers of this forest; they were people who were not some weak prey to be helplessly hunted but actual hunters who killed monsters of this forest.

    But even the presence of such people would become meaningless when faced with the real predator.

    ¡°How dare those things come here?!¡±

    ¡°Prey have come to us on their own volition!¡±

    ¡°I guess we won¡¯t have to worry about food for a while!¡±

    Some therianthropes were enraged, while some rejoiced.

    The monsters of the forest, which were nothing more than sources of food for the therianthropes, had crossed over the threshold of the village on their own.

    However, while preparing to hunt, the therianthropes all sensed something was amiss.

    ¡°Why are there so many?¡±

    ¡°What is going on with all this number?!¡±

    Kiii-aaaahk¡ª!

    Indeed, something didn¡¯t feel right about the number of monsters that had shown up. When there were so many of them like this, they should not be seen as mere prey or food anymore.

    Krrrr¡ª

    Woof, bark¡ª!

    The therianthropes bared their fangs and extended their sharp claws. Soon after, they nimbly jumped up tens of meters in one go.

    Splat, sliiiice¡ª!

    The monsters crossing over the village¡¯s outskirts fell one by one. Even if these therianthropes weren¡¯t warriors, they were fundamentally excellent fighters, to begin with.

    However, there were those who didn¡¯t step forward to fight. They were the ones closest to being warriors¡ªtherianthropes such as Raboonta and the retired warrior Kariburn.

    ¡°Our king, our king, he¡­¡±

    Kariburn was making a completely stupefied expression.

    No matter what, he was a warrior of his race. He used to live a life steeped in battles, and some aspects of his animalistic battle sense were even better tuned than the currently fighting therianthropes.

    And as such, he could definitely tell the level of fear the monsters flooding into the village felt right now.

    He could also tell just what the source of all their fear was.

    Su-hyeun approached Kariburn and asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    The therianthropes present were more than enough to deal with the horde of monsters flooding into the village.

    ¡°We¡­we need to escape from here,¡± he muttered.

    Kariburn was shivering. His whole body had become paralyzed from terror¡ªthe instinctive terror felt by the flesh.

    ¡°That¡­that bastard! It¡­it¡¯s headed over here!¡±

    ¡°Where should we run to, though?¡± Su-hyeun replied to his muttering.

    ¡°T-that¡­¡±

    ¡°There are no places left to escape to, are there? I thought this place was the last refuge.¡±

    Kariburn nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s questions.

    With the exception of this forest, the majority of the world was basically the land of the dead by now.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to procure any food, and besides everything, just how long are you planning to run away, anyway? Were you thinking of simply running all the time until you die?¡±

    Kariburn couldn¡¯t utter a single word as Su-hyeun continued to question him.

    It was as he said. As long as that monster was still alive, they had no choice but to confront it.

    And while that fight had been fought by their king Talkun and hundreds of their warriors earlier, now it would have to be¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    In their absence, Kariburn must step forward and fight as well, since he was still a warrior despite his retired status.

    ¡°Indeed, we must fight back.¡±

    Kariburn shifted his gaze back to Su-hyeun.

    Unlike the members of his race, this smaller being was prepared to fight despite knowing the truth. He probably didn¡¯t know what kind of a monster was heading toward the village right now, but at the very least, he should be aware of the fact that the therianthropes would find it very hard to deal with the incoming enemy.

    ¡°Fella, you are a true warrior.¡±

    Kariburn was speaking the truth.

    Su-hyeun was an excellent warrior, a far more outstanding warrior than when Kariburn was one.

    ¡°I¡¯m a pacifist, actually,¡± Su-hyeun replied and grinned softly.

    While the two of them chatted briefly, the number of monsters breaching the outskirts of the village had swelled. They were cutting straight through the forest to escape, so inevitably, they had to cross the village of the therianthropes.

    Ku-uhhhhk¡ª!

    Among the horde of the monsters was one creature than even the therianthropes found difficult to deal with.

    ¡°It¡¯s an Abyss Worm!¡±

    ¡°Why is that thing even¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Especially when our king had to vacate his position¡­!¡±

    A long and massive monster resembling a larva broke through the outskirts of the village. Its rotund but lengthy body wiggled about disgustingly and began spitting out a thick green-colored viscous liquid.

    Its size was about half of the Ouroboros.

    The clear difference between it and Su-hyeun¡¯s massive snake was that despite its smaller size, it could spit out a toxin so powerful that the ground would melt away after getting hit.

    Kariburn spoke in a worried voice. ¡°This is bad. If it¡¯s that creature¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you know what that thing is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like the king of this forest. Normally, it resides underground, but why did it have to¡ª?¡±

    ¡°The king of this forest, you say?¡±

    Su-hyeun observed the Abyss Worm. Hundreds of the therianthropes had formed a barricade around the monster to take it down, but it didn¡¯t give them a moment¡¯s glance and continued its rampage.

    ¡°Hey, Miru?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru, sticking real close next to Su-hyeun, spoke energetically. What he wanted from his red dragon was only one thing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone die, okay?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Along with that reply, Miru initiated its giantification.

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    Miru had grown older in the past three years of training, and its size was far, far bigger now. For some reason, its original physique hadn¡¯t grown bigger, yet when it initiated its giantification, it seemed to have grown at least double its previous size.

    Its bulk wasn¡¯t the only thing that had changed, however.

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to Miru¡¯s forehead. Embedded in the center of that forehead that was seemingly larger in surface area than a World Cup soccer pitch, was a small marble-like object.

    It was none other than the Cintamani that Miru had swallowed in the past.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    In the next instance, the Cintamani began emitting a crimson light.

    [Grace of the Dragon God]

    At the same time, a thin layer of magical power began forming over the bodies of the therianthropes. In other words, the red dragon had cast a defensive-type skill on all these people.

    Kariburn observed the magical power enveloping him and muttered, ¡°Is this¡­the dragon¡¯s sorcery?¡±

    Dragons used to be the only intelligent beings that lorded over this forest before the therianthropes appeared.

    Although they had disappeared in the pages of history by now, the records still clearly indicated that they were the progenitors of magic and sorcery.

    Chwu-eeeehk¡ª!

    The Abyss Worm discharged more green liquid everywhere. The therianthropes boasted impressive resistance against most poisons, but the toxin secreted by the Abyss Worm was simply too deadly even for them.

    Hissss¡ª

    Fortunately, though, the protective barrier created by Miru perfectly kept out the secretion. The red dragon¡¯s ability was all thanks to its improved handling of the Cintamani in the past three years.

    Step, step¡ª

    Clang¡ª

    While walking toward the Abyss Worm, Su-hyeun slowly unsheathed his sword.

    To the therianthropes that used their lengthy claws as their primary weapon, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword came across as nothing more than a mere piece of steel that imitated their claws. Kariburn watched in alarm as Su-hyeun approached the Abyss Worm alone.

    ¡°I need to help him,¡± he thought.

    The Abyss Worm was a powerful monster that required several therianthrope warriors to work together to defeat. Not many of them lived inside the entirety of the forest, but even then, several therianthropes had already lost their lives trying to hunt just a single one.

    And with their king¡¯s absence, Kariburn had to take on the role of a warrior once more to lead his people.

    ¡°Everyone! Provide me with cover so I can¡ª¡±

    Just before Kariburn could dash toward the Abyss Worm, however¡­

    Shudder¡ª

    His primal instinct screamed at him.

    It told him not to step forward.

    Kariburn¡¯s feet froze up right there, and right at that very moment, the source of that chilling threat revealed itself.

    [The Wave Sword, Explosion Style]

    Splaaaash¡ª

    Jets of green-colored blood gushed out from the Abyss Worm¡¯s body, and not too long after that, countless green lines appeared on the massive monster¡¯s hide.

    Pow¡ª!

    The blood pouring out from inside the creature caused it to explode in a spectacular fashion, and its chunky bits of torn-off flesh flew and landed everywhere.

    Kariburn and the other therianthropes all froze up on the spot from that spectacle. No one could even figure out what just happened, except for two people, that is.

    ¡°Did he¡­?¡±

    Kariburn and Raboonta quickly shifted their gaze over to Su-hyeun who was currently standing before the messy carcass of the Abyss Worm.

    ¡°Cause that?¡±

    It all happened in the blink of an eye.

    All they saw was a single line that extended forward. Despite the therianthropes¡¯ animalistic instincts and superb visual acuity, they still failed to completely see how Su-hyeun moved just then.

    On top of this, they could tell that Su-hyeun possessed a different type of ¡°power¡± compared to them.

    ¡°Although its toxicity is too strong for the therianthropes to endure, its defensive capabilities and the rate of its natural recovery aren¡¯t all that great, it seems.¡±

    While thinking as such, Su-hyeun extended his hand toward the carcass of the Abyss Worm currently lying in bits and pieces.

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can now see or command the dead.]

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes caught the figure of the Abyss Worm¡¯s soul. The monster still hadn¡¯t realized that it was dead.

    He shifted his gaze between the worm¡¯s soul and the sliced-up carcass as he muttered to himself, ¡°Having a summon with this sort of characteristics won¡¯t be so bad, I think.¡±

    Whatever the case might have been, the Abyss Worm would become one of the most powerful monsters among Su-hyeun¡¯s current lineup of summons. It was probably the strongest creature after Prince Nezha, Ouroboros, and the Chief Gatekeeper in his estimation.

    [Soul Accumulation has been used.]

    [Storing away the soul of an immature Abyss Worm¡­]

    [Assigning the target for Dead Summoning¡­]

    [You can now summon the Abyss Worm.]

    Splat, shlep¡ª

    Drip, tumble, splat¡ª

    When Su-hyeun¡¯s skills were activated, the pieces of the Abyss Worm¡¯s carcass, which were scattered in all directions, began gathering together in one spot.

    It was one of the effects of the Necromancer trait in full display¡ªan ability to ¡°revive¡± any summon no matter how gruesome its death was, as long as the corpse and the soul of the dead remained, as well as enough supply of Death Aura.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s Necromancer trait had also gotten stronger compared to three years ago.

    [Application rate: 75%]

    Su-hyeun confirmed the application rate for the Abyss Worm and nodded in satisfaction.

    Now, he could get a pretty high application rate even for a monster of such caliber. Prince Nezha¡¯s rate, for instance, was already around the 60% mark.

    ¡°What? The Abyss Worm has been revived!¡±

    ¡°I knew it! It hasn¡¯t died yet¡­!¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    When the Abyss Worm appeared again, the therianthropes extended their claws and tried to pounce on it, only for the giant creature to scatter away like a fog and vanish from their view.

    The therianthropes could only stop moving in confusion after their target had disappeared. On the other hand, Su-hyeun was already scanning through the monsters that had broken through the outskirts of the village.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything else that¡¯s useful,¡± he silently concluded.

    He was hoping to procure a few more useful summons through this event, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t see anything else that seemed as good as or better than the new addition to the roster.

    But then, a summon on the level of the Abyss Worm would be pretty uncommon, to begin with. Moreover, since the number of souls he could acquire through the Soul Accumulation was still limited, Su-hyeun had to choose potential candidates rather carefully.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad, but there¡¯s no helping it.¡±

    Bang¡ª!

    Then, a loud footstep resounded.

    No, never mind that. He could sense a humongous presence that exceeded that noise in sheer scale in the far-off distance.

    With this sort of presence, there was no need to doubt it anymore.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s still the biggest fish remaining, so¡­¡±

    It was an existence that made the countless monsters residing inside the forest, as well as the Abyss Worm that could be referred to as the king of the forest itself, shudder from fear.

    It was the monster that devoured the world of the therianthropes and still continued to fill its unquenchable appetite.

    That bastard was getting closer.

    ******

    Thud¡ª

    Through the ground that rocked every time the creature stepped forward, one could feel it getting closer one loud stomp at a time.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    The creature was chewing on something.

    No one could tell just what it was chewing on. Its maw must¡¯ve been so unimaginably big judging from how the chewing noise seemed louder than its footsteps.

    Crunch, crunch, crunch¡ª

    The noises were getting gradually closer.

    Eventually, the creature¡¯s figure could be spotted within the gaps of the distant giant trees.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­hun¡­gry¡­¡±

    A cracked high-pitched voice resounded. It was a voice that didn¡¯t contain any sort of emotions and only expressed a voracious appetite to consume.

    Crunch¡ª

    The creature swallowed up several monsters in one go and started chewing away.

    Rumble¡ª

    Even then, the creature¡¯s stomach grumbled in hunger.

    ¡°Food¡­I need¡­food¡­¡±

    It had crimson eyes and horns, a head that resembled that of a bull, a maw ripped open all the way to its ears, and rows of roundish teeth¡­

    When Su-hyeun and everyone else first saw the figure of that creature with the size of a small mountain, only one word popped into their heads.

    ¡°Appetite.¡±

    That was the sole remaining desire this creature had retained.

    Su-hyeun scanned the therianthropes around him.

    These people who called themselves natural-born hunters began stumbling back one by one after seeing the monstrous creature for the first time ever.

    They were lost to instinctive fear.

    ¡°M-m-monster¡­¡± one of them uttered.

    Their heads were already filled with the clear difference of strength between them and this abominable monster.

    The therianthropes had always been the hunters. They hunted monsters, and to hunt more efficiently, they trained their physical bodies. That¡¯s how they became unparalleled warriors and hunters.

    However, at least at this very moment, never mind being hunters, they weren¡¯t even in the position of being the prey. No, they were just another meal to this creature. Not only that, but also they were nothing more than a mere grain or two of rice that wouldn¡¯t even satiate the monster¡¯s appetite.

    ¡°The tasty¡­food¡­¡±

    The monster with a bull-like head emitted horrifying light from its crimson eyes as it breached the outskirts of the village.

    Crack¡ª!

    The trees that used to divide the boundary between the village and the forest shattered and broke. The creature gulped down the monsters already in its mouth and then even scooped up the trees serving as the boundary to chew on them as well.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    Su-hyeun and every therianthrope stared at this scene.

    ¡°It said ¡®prey,¡¯ didn¡¯t it?¡±

    The type of monster before it could become the ¡°predator¡±¡ªthe system had called that monster ¡°prey.¡±

    However, ¡°prey¡± denoted the species to be weaker than the ¡°predator,¡± which was generally found at the lower rungs of the food chain. Since it wasn¡¯t a full-fledged predator yet, that meaning still technically applied, but no one in their right mind would think of the word ¡°prey¡± when looking at that thing.

    ¡°Is eating a lot that much fun? I wonder.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun began walking toward the prey.

    ¡°W-wait, fella!¡±

    Kariburn reached out toward Su-hyeun as he stepped forward.

    Tremble¡ª

    However, at the same time, he lowered his head and took a look at the state of his own legs.

    ¡°My legs¡­¡±

    He reached out while thinking that he needed to stop this human, but his legs simply refused to move.

    As a matter of fact, his legs, which were trembling uncontrollably, threatened to give out at any moment now. He didn¡¯t want to accept it, but Kariburn knew very well that fear was the cause.

    Kariburn failed to stop Su-hyeun in the end. While the therianthropes all stumbled back one step at a time, only he was approaching the prey.

    ¡°You¡­are¡­tasty one¡­¡± it said.

    The prey shifted its gaze to Su-hyeun. It even swallowed back its drool.

    It knew instinctively just who was the strongest and the tastiest opponent here.

    Krrr, krrrrrr¡ª

    Miru, accompanying Su-hyeun, bared its fangs and growled menacingly at the prey. Su-hyeun raised his hand and stopped the red dragon. Without doing that, he thought that Miru would rush angrily at the prey.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and eat me?¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun continued to approach the monster quite leisurely. His steps were measured and slow as if he was on a stroll.

    ¡°If you can, that is.¡±

    Was it because of Su-hyeun¡¯s provocation?

    Gulp¡ª

    The prey, despite swallowing back its slobber, didn¡¯t readily pounce on him.

    It didn¡¯t dare to move just yet because even it could tell that the creature before its eyes was not a simple game that would easily end up inside its mouth and become nice little food.

    It knew that this creature before its eyes was a vicious tiger, a powerful predator similar to a lion that could easily rip its throat apart and kill it.

    ¡°You¡­are¡­food¡­?¡±

    The tone of its voice toward the end went up. It was a mutter containing some confusion.

    The creature that initially slobbered all over the place like a starving dog had finally recognized Su-hyeun, not as prey but a predator that could actually threaten its life.

    ¡°You can¡¯t? Well, you¡¯re surprisingly cowardly, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled up while staring at the prey that couldn¡¯t come closer to him despite all that drooling.

    ¡°You swinelike bastard.¡±

    Bulge¡ª

    Veins bulged on the prey¡¯s head.

    Even though its intelligence had dulled after becoming a ¡°predator¡± candidate, it didn¡¯t mean it became so stupid that it couldn¡¯t understand words anymore.

    Actually, it was the exact opposite. Its reasoning and intelligence that would¡¯ve normally hold its rage back when someone insulted it had degraded even further.

    ¡°I¡­will¡­¡±

    Crack¡ª

    The previously halted foot of the prey took a step forward.

    And right at that moment¡­

    ¡°Eat you!¡±

    Bang¡ª! Ka-boooom¡ª!

    The prey madly dashed forward.

    It all happened so quickly.

    No one could have predicted that the prey that looked dull and slow, as well as boasted a physique as large as a mountain, could pounce so nimbly like that.

    The therianthropes were stunned.

    Inside the still frozen time, it almost felt like the prey was the only thing that was moving forward.

    ¡°G-get out of¡ª!¡±

    Kariburn was the first to regain his wits, and he shouted out at Su-hyeun. But by then, the wide-open maw of the prey was about to swallow the human whole.

    While watching this scene play out, Su-hyeun clenched his fist. And right at the moment, the prey went for Su-hyeun to swallow him up. Just as the prey¡¯s wide-open maw arrived in front of him, he slammed down hard with his fist.

    And then¡ª

    Boooom¡ª!

    Craaaash¡ª!

    The ground caved in, and the prey¡¯s head slammed violently into the dirt below.

 Chapter 313

    * * *

    The administrator said that ¡°godhood¡± was the qualification to become a god, as well as achieve godly authority.

    When Su-hyeun first heard that, he couldn¡¯t simply think of that statement as some kind of dreamy nonsense because he could tell.

    Even though he only managed to cross the threshold just now, he could already tell that the power of godhood indeed deserved to be called the ¡°godly authority.¡±

    Somewhat ironically, though, Su-hyeun had no way of finding out just how much physical strength he could actually exert.

    The heaviest weapon he knew of would be the ¡°Yogoe Beating Mace¡± that Prince Nezha used. It was a massive war hammer that used its incredible weight to utterly crush opponents¡ªas a matter of fact, it was too heavy even for Prince Nezha, someone who rivaled Sun Wukong in terms of physical strength, to swing around freely.

    Even then, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t find the weapon all that heavy at all.

    And also¡­

    ¡°This creature doesn¡¯t seem that heavy either.¡±

    The story remained the same while he observed the prey, which boasted the size of a small mountain.

    If he would only consider the prey¡¯s weight, then the prey would never match up to the Yogoe Beating Mace. The weapon¡¯s mass and weight would be several times greater than a mountain once it had become bigger, after all.

    The issue here would be with the strength of the prey, then. And even in that aspect, things were just as simple to determine.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely not lose in strength.¡±

    He was certain of it. His head hadn¡¯t come to this conclusion but his body did, and the result was on full display right now.

    ¡°Wow, it really worked,¡± murmured Su-hyeun while looking at his own fist.

    If his strength was found lacking and he ended up getting swallowed up, he still had other means to get out of this thing¡¯s maw, so he gave punching this monster a shot while thinking that if it worked, great, but if not, it would not matter much.

    But he was successful in the end.

    Crack¡ª!

    Kah-aaaah¡ª!

    The prey raised its head that was buried on the ground and made a monstrous howl.

    And as Su-hyeun was standing right in front of it, the loud noise coming out from that large mouth caused his eardrums to ring painfully. He covered his ear with one hand and glared upward at the prey.

    ¡°Man, you¡¯re really noisy.¡±

    While scowling deeply, he gripped a spear tied to his back.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    [Flame]

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    The divine Flames permeated on the Dragon Slaying Spear.

    Perhaps due to the magic count reaching a higher number than in the past, the concentration and the amount of magical energy permeating the spear currently were quite considerable. On top of that, the proficiency for his divine Flame had improved much further in the past three years as well.

    Split¡ª

    The prey opened its mouth one more time. It sure was one stubborn bull.

    Despite getting its face smashed into the dirt, the creature hadn¡¯t learned its lesson and tried the same exact tactic¡ªall because of the simple desire to devour Su-hyeun in any way possible.

    ¡°One, two¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t in a hurry.

    He bent his body backward like he usually did and focused the strength of his whole body on his arms and the spear as if he was getting ready to shoot an arrow.

    In the meantime, the humongous maw of the prey descended on his body from above.

    Kwa-dudududuk¡ª

    Grab¡ª

    Then, the prey swallowed Su-hyeun up.

    Right at that moment¡­

    ¡°¡­Three.¡±

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    The Dragon Slaying Spear split apart into many pieces inside the prey; its fragments, permeating with the divine Flame, rushed madly toward all corners of the monster¡¯s body.

    Pow, stab, puh-pupupupuhk¡ª!

    Bang, papapang¡ª!

    House-size holes began opening up on the huge body of the prey after it gobbled Su-hyeun up.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Not too long after that, flames suddenly lit up all over the body of the prey that now resembled a block of Swiss cheese, and as its crimson eyes lost color and darkened, its ruined and dying figure powerlessly collapsed to the ground.

    BOOM¡ª!

    Driiip¡ª

    All the blood flooding out from the prey pooled and formed a large puddle on the ground. While dusting off all the blood on his body, Su-hyeun strode outside the wide-open hole in the prey¡¯s maw.

    ¡°I got showered by blood, it seems,¡± he muttered to himself while scanning the remains of the prey.

    However, the creature wasn¡¯t dead, and its whole body was still trembling. In human terms, this guy was basically riddled with dozens upon dozens of bullet wounds, and yet, it was still somehow holding on to life.

    ¡°¡­How tenacious.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist again and then powerfully punched the lower jaw of the prey mercilessly.

    Splaaaat¡ª!

    At that very moment¡­

    [You have passed the 101st floor¡¯s trial.]

    [You have acquired 10,000,000 achievement points.]

    [Will you transfer to the next floor?]

    The trial clear messages floated up to his view, indicating that the prey was dead for good this time.

    ¡°Delay it for a little bit.¡±

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t planning to travel to the next floor right away, however. There was one more thing he still had to do.

    [Soul Accumulation has been used.]

    [The targeted soul is too large.]

    [You have exceeded the number of souls that can be stored.]

    Su-hyeun used the Soul Accumulation to assign the prey as his new summon, but those messages caused his brows to quiver.

    ¡°Seriously now?¡±

    The Soul Accumulation was a skill that allowed him to store away a targeted soul and, at a later stage, insert that soul inside a summoned corpse.

    To do so, though, he needed greater strength and mental focus than the targeted soul. However, the current situation was a bit different. The condition this time required a larger number of available soul slots.

    Even though the unoccupied slots for the souls right now exceeded well over 10.

    [Soul Accumulation]

    * You can now accumulate a targeted individual¡¯s soul. The number of souls you may accumulate will depend on your proficiency and the soul¡¯s grade.

    * Proficiency: 29.27%

    * LV: 9

    * The number that can be stored: 15

    The number of soul slots required heavily depended upon the types of the monsters. And especially in the case of the monsters with large souls like Ouroboros or the Chief Gatekeeper, they eat up a lot of available empty slots.

    For instance, Prince Nezha alone took over 20 open soul slots.

    Su-hyeun used the Necromancer trait to take a look at the soul of the prey. And by doing that, he immediately figured out why the number of soul slots required was so many in order to command this creature.

    ¡°It¡¯s an aggregate of countless souls¡­No, wait. Quite a few souls haven¡¯t been fully merged yet.¡±

    The creature¡¯s soul wasn¡¯t exactly ¡°one.¡± The prey devoured everything in the world that it came across, which included even souls as well. And those souls were plastered over the prey¡¯s soul to become its flesh and blood.

    The prey that Su-hyeun had dealt with was such a creature.

    [Required number of soul slots: 35]

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit on the high side.¡±

    To think that the required soul slots would be 35¡­

    That number was almost double than that of Prince Nezha.

    The requirement that easily exceeded his expectations gave him a brief moment¡¯s hesitation, but Su-hyeun came to a decision pretty quickly enough, and that was to discard some other summons currently in his roster.

    ¡°Okay, so the Abyss Worm I got just now, the Death Knight, Cerberus, Pantera, and also¡­¡±

    After releasing a handful of souls, he managed to reach the required number.

    * The number that can be stored: 35

    ¡°Okay, cool.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded after confirming the number of souls he could procure now and then activated the Soul Accumulation skill right away.

    [Soul Accumulation has been used.]

    [The soul of ?? has been acquired and stored away.]

    [The target for Dead Summoning is being set.]

    [You can now summon ??.]

    [Please assign it a name.]

    ¡°A name?¡±

    This was an unusual situation, which must¡¯ve happened because its soul was an aggregate of many others.

    Su-hyeun pondered a bit before settling on a name.

    ¡°Gluttony.¡±

    [The name of ?? has been set as ¡°Gluttony.¡±]

    Gluttony.

    It was a name meant to denote the one that devours.

    He checked the application rate, but it hovered at only around the 50% mark. It seemed that the summoned creature¡¯s strength and the grade of its soul were too great, which caused the application rate to be judged lower as a result.

    If the proficiencies for both the Necromancer trait and the Dead Summoning skill were low, the rate would¡¯ve been no better than 30% or so.

    ¡°If it¡¯s about 50%¡­I wonder how much of its original strength it can use.¡±

    There was only one reason why Su-hyeun decided to command Gluttony as a summon.

    ¡°As it¡¯s a monster about to become the predator, and only has its appetite remaining¡­then there¡¯s a good chance that it would become stronger by consuming other monsters.¡±

    This creature¡¯s ability was to devour endlessly.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s new summon, Gluttony, was a monster that nearly devoured an entire world and became unimaginably powerful in the process. What Su-hyeun wanted to get his hands on was Gluttony¡¯s unique ability.

    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s now over, so¡­¡±

    After the Dead Summoning skill prompted Gluttony¡¯s remains to vanish into thin air, Su-hyeun turned his head toward the therianthropes standing some distance behind him.

    Every single one of them was staring back at him with completely stupefied expressions.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s been brief, I had fun, everyone.¡±

    Su-hyeun lightly waved his hand at them.

    The trial this time was rather short.

    Less than half a day had passed by. If only he knew the trial would end this quickly, then he would have had a meal together with them at least once despite how unappetizing the food on offer was.

    When Su-hyeun decided to head to the next floor immediately¡­

    [Transferring to the 102nd floor¡­]

    **

    Su-hyeun stared at the desolate desert and the shabby little village he was standing in.

    He should definitely be in the world of the 102nd floor. The system said so, after all.

    However, he got the feeling that this place somehow resembled the interior of a dungeon instead. A desert covered by thick gloomy clouds above and a dust-covered village as small as a proverbial hand, really?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you disappointed?¡±

    Su-hyeun turned his head toward his side when that voice suddenly came to him.

    A figure had appeared there before he had noticed it¡ªa figure with burned-out gray hair and darkened skin. Su-hyeun thought that this being wasn¡¯t there originally and simply appeared abruptly.

    ¡°Where did you appear from?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s so important about knowing where I came from?¡±

    ¡°I guess you have a point there,¡± said Su-hyeun while nodding at the reply. He then changed his question, ¡°Are you the administrator?¡±

    ¡°I am. Name¡¯s Phaethon.¡±

    ¡°Phaethon, is it?¡±

    It didn¡¯t really matter what his name was, but Su-hyeun was somewhat curious why the administrator decided to reveal his name, in the first place. Up until now, no one else volunteered to reveal their name like this.

    Perhaps that was why he found this situation rather unique.

    ¡°What¡¯s your reason for telling me your name?¡±

    ¡°No real reason. Sounds like the others didn¡¯t tell you about theirs?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What a bunch of uptight people they are. What could possibly be a problem with them telling you their names, anyway?¡±

    ¡°A problem?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun gleaned yet another information from Phaethon¡¯s rant just then. ¡°Information regarding the administrators is a secret, and maybe it¡¯ll cause some kind of a problem if they were leaked?¡±

    All the administrators behaved similarly until now.

    While interacting with Su-hyeun, they never brought up any detailed information. As for the administrators of the 43rd and 100th floors, they must¡¯ve been the special cases because they revealed little bits of information to him.

    However, they still didn¡¯t tell him their names. Maybe they thought mentioning their names didn¡¯t have much of a point under the circumstances.

    ¡°As for this person¡­He doesn¡¯t look like he operates that way,¡± he mulled.

    To him, Phaethon seemed different from the administrators of the 43rd or the 100th floors.

    He didn¡¯t seem all that friendly toward Su-hyeun. More correctly, he didn¡¯t look like the type to voluntarily offer up information. If that had been the case, he would have started talking nonstop by now.

    Although the administrator willingly revealing his name, Su-hyeun quickly lost interest.

    ¡°His name isn¡¯t all that important, anyway,¡± he told himself.

    Indeed, there was only one thing important to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Please give me the hint and send me to the next floor right away.¡±

    In all honesty, the trial on the 101st floor hadn¡¯t been difficult at all. He didn¡¯t need a lot of time to clear it either, and perhaps that was the reason why he didn¡¯t receive any other rewards besides the usual achievement point payout.

    ¡°You seem to be in a hurry. You just cleared the 101st floor, but you¡¯re going straight to the 102nd already?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m tired or anything, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? In that case, well¡­¡± Phaethon shrugged his shoulders and replied, ¡°There¡¯s only one hint. I don¡¯t need any fee for the info, so you should consider buying whatever items you wanted to buy.¡±

    ¡°Do you really not need the fee?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really. Oh, and by the way, you can access a new point store from the 100th floor onward. You can take a look later or something.¡±

    Now that was good news.

    The types and effects of the items found in the new store that only appeared after the 100th floor should be far better than the ones found on the lower floors.

    As a consequence, they should cost an arm and a leg, but Su-hyeun was swimming in points right now anyway, so this certainly was a piece of great news to him.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see. The hint for this floor is¡­¡±

    Phaethon contemplated for a while before opening his mouth, ¡°Right, Hercules. That dude might be a problem.¡±

 Chapter 314

    Act 3

    Hercules?

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brows rose when a familiar name was brought up. If it was Hercules, then he had to be the human who inherited a god¡¯s blood that appeared in the Greek myths.

    But more than that¡­

    ¡°What do you mean by he ¡®might¡¯ be a problem?¡±

    The administrator didn¡¯t sound sure.

    Su-hyeun could more or less accept that Hercules would appear. After all, he had already run into the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal, the one and only Sun Wukong, in a trial, and Hercules was also among all the heroes he met back on the 43rd floor.

    However, the issue this time was with how Phaethon had said the hint.

    ¡°Are you not sure about the hint itself?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°The hint? Ah, well. I guess it¡¯s difficult to call this a hint, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Then what is it?¡±

    ¡°Should I say it¡¯s a piece of advice? Honestly, even we don¡¯t know for sure. We¡¯re simply giving you advice based on several pieces of information, and just like you said, we¡¯re not perfectly sure about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it always a hit or miss with you guys?¡±

    ¡°There are way too many variables at play, you see. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t ask you for any points, you know.¡±

    Su-hyeun could only groan at Phaethon¡¯s reply and did a facepalm.

    However, the administrator wasn¡¯t wrong. A piece of advice was simply that¡ªadvice and not an actual hint¡ªand since no points had been spent here, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t even complain anymore.

    ¡°But then again, the administrators aren¡¯t gods, so¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Most of the trials took place in not some made-up worlds but ones that actually existed somewhere. Moreover, the ¡°trial¡± of each floor was basically a mission handed out by an administrator, or maybe the system itself, that you needed to complete in those worlds.

    All you needed to do was to reach a favorable end, but no one had any way of knowing how the future would unfold, which meant that the hints of the administrators were not ¡°hints¡± per se related to the events that had already taken place. They were more like information necessary to reach the end goal instead.

    ¡°Whatever the case may be, Hercules is the problem. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet.¡±

    ¡°Not yet?¡±

    ¡°Our reply will be the same as always. You¡¯ll see when you get there.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at Phaethon¡¯s reply.

    Things had been broadly similar until now.

    Hints that made only some vague sense and sounded like a challenge to catch floating clouds would become far clearer once he entered the trial and saw what was going on. Meaning, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell until he experienced it himself.

    ¡°Where can I access the store? No matter how much I look, I can tell that you¡¯re the only person in this village.¡±

    Su-hyeun scanned the world that was seemingly made up of desert and nothing else.

    A bluish aura swirled in his eyes as he activated the ¡°Sage¡¯s Eye¡± to look into the distance, but even then, he could only see more of the same desert that seemingly stretched forever.

    It was rather likely that nothing remained in this world other than this dust-covered little village.

    ¡°The store, you say? You want to use it right away?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve managed to amass a lot of points, actually. I can¡¯t think of anything I need right now, but who knows? I might spot something useful.¡±

    [Current stored achievement points: 47,544,500]

    Not only did he acquire quite a lot of achievement points on the 100th and 101st floors but even the points he obtained from the 60th and 99th remained untouched as well.

    In reality, there wasn¡¯t anything he particularly wanted in the store, and he ended up saving the points, but now that a new store became accessible, he simply had to check out its contents.

    ¡°Sure, you do have some points on you. Maybe you can purchase a few knick-knacks, then.¡±

    ¡°A few knick-knacks?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look? Here,¡± said Phaethon as he extended his palm forward.

    This was the same method employed by the street merchants found inside the tower when they wanted to show off their wares.

    Su-hyeun pressed his palm against Phaethon¡¯s. When he did, the list of goods available in the store appeared before his eyes.

    [The Golden Goblin¡¯s Master Key]

    [Balrog¡¯s Lost Magic Staff]

    [Gabriel¡¯s Golden Spear]

    [The World Tree¡¯s¡­]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes darted around faster and faster as he read down the list.

    Each item was more than enough to make him go agog. Items that far outstripped those found in the stores below the 100th floor in grade utterly filled up the list.

    ¡°The starting price is 10 million points?¡± he thought to himself.

    Even if the item in question was the cheapest and should be treated like junk in terms of this store¡¯s line-up, its base price still went past 10 million points.

    In the cases of the equipment-type items, some of them even exceeded 30 or 40 million.

    Of course, most of the types of equipment on offer were pointless for Su-hyeun.

    In terms of armor, most of them boasted performance that was either similar or only slightly better than his Armor of Hades, while it was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t find any weapon that matched up to the Palm Leaf Sword.

    A handful of consumable items did catch his eyes, but until he could confirm their details properly, he couldn¡¯t buy them on a whim.

    ¡°That¡¯s useful, and that one¡¯s also not bad, but I don¡¯t really need them right now,¡± he told himself.

    It was at that moment that Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes that were rapidly scanning the item list spotted a certain name.

    [A God¡¯s Tear]

    That name alone instantly grabbed his attention. Su-hyeun had become especially more mindful of the term ¡°god¡± lately, hence, his sudden interest.

    ¡°One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thou¡ªWait, hundred million?!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

    ¡°One hundred million points?!¡±

    Now that was an absurdly expensive item, that¡¯s for sure.

    However, how amazing was it to warrant such a price? Su-hyeun checked the item¡¯s details right away.

    [A God¡¯s Tear]

    * A single teardrop shed by an unknown god. Although it is small in quantity, the power of a god permeates within it.

    * Increases any stat by +1 (Only usable on a stat with less than 100 points).

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun was dumbfounded after checking out its effect. ¡°What was so special about it that it would cost 100 million points?¡± he thought.

    But after a brief moment of contemplation, he realized that he was very wrong.

    ¡°It can increase any stat without any restrictions whatsoever?¡±

    This consumable item might have come across as nothing special in the eyes of the other regular awakeners, but Su-hyeun¡¯s thoughts were different from theirs. After all, he was the first awakener to push his ¡°Strength¡± stat to the 100-point mark and acquired the qualification of godhood called ¡°Strength¡± in the process.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    Su-hyeun was aware of it. No matter how incredible an item was, none of them could compare to the power of godhood.

    And unless the items contained the qualifications of godhood similar to the Somersault cloud or the Palm Leaf Sword, he didn¡¯t have to agonize about them.

    ¡°To reach 100 million, I need 53 million more.¡±

    That was indeed a ridiculous amount of points. However, he should be able to amass that sooner or later while climbing the tower one floor at a time. Besides, the number of points being acquired by clearing a trial seemed to have gone up somewhat after the 100th floor.

    He quickly scanned through the remainder of the store¡¯s list. This item called ¡°A God¡¯s Tear¡± happened to be found almost right at the end of the list.

    ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? What will you buy then? As a bonus, let me give you another piece of advice¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not buying anything. Not yet, anyway.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t buying anything?¡± Phaethon asked back at Su-hyeun¡¯s reply; then, the corners of his lips curled up. ¡°Very smart.¡±

    He too was fully aware of it.

    He knew that out of all the items in the store he displayed, the smartest choice for Su-hyeun would be ¡°A God¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Make a ton of points later and buy it no matter what. Doesn¡¯t matter how you do it. As long as all of your stats reach triple digits, a brand new world that you weren¡¯t aware of before will open up to you.¡±

    The administrator seemed to know something. Maybe he also knew something about the system currently applied to Su-hyeun.

    A question popped up in Su-hyeun¡¯s mind just then.

    Were the administrators like this Phaethon before his eyes responsible for establishing this tower? If so, were they also responsible for the system currently applied to the human awakeners?

    These questions hadn¡¯t been answered yet. But even if he asked, he would not get an answer. Even then, he was certain of one thing¡ªat the very least, Phaethon wasn¡¯t lying to him.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll definitely take those words to heart.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    After Su-hyeun made his reply, his figure began to slowly vanish from the spot. Just as his body became transparent and the view before his eyes got hazy, a system message rang in his ears.

    [The trial on the 102nd floor will now commence.]

    **

    What appeared before Su-hyeun¡¯s view was a wide-open field.

    However, he couldn¡¯t see something as common as a tree or a village filled with people who should be cultivating unknown crops visibly growing in this field.

    Su-hyeun scanned his surroundings more closely.

    ¡°Is there really nothing here?¡±

    His thoughts didn¡¯t wander off too far, however, because a new system message arrived shortly.

    [Protect the god¡¯s bloodline for the next 30 days.]

    Su-hyeun could only make a puzzled expression at the 102nd floor¡¯s ¡°mission.¡±

    Protect the god¡¯s bloodline?

    ¡°In this place?¡±

    One more time, Su-hyeun scanned the uninhabited wide-open field.

    There really wasn¡¯t anything there. He waited on the spot while hoping for something, but no other message came his way.

    Su-hyeun groaned and activated the Sage¡¯s Eye again, which allowed him to look much farther.

    ¡°As I thought, there really is noth¡ª¡±

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun, observing the endlessly-stretching empty fields, quickly shifted his head above. The moment he activated the Sage¡¯s Eye, something began flying in his direction.

    That something got obscured by the sun in the sky and became a small black dot before descending to the earth below.

    SPLIIIIIIT¡ª!

    The thing that was descending from the heavens slammed into the ground. Su-hyeun stood still and observed the sight of the ground being torn apart and the soil overturning spectacularly to shoot up in the air.

    ¡°The moment it fell, it changed its trajectory,¡± Su-hyeun thought to himself.

    What amazing speed! But what was even more surprising was the power on display.

    It came from pure physical strength without the aid of an aura or energy. A man with blue hair and a short beard quietly emerged from the overturned earth as he fixed the lion headdress resting on his head.

    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± he then spoke in a voice that was imposing and dignified sounding.

    ¡°It¡¯s Hercules,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Although there were some minor differences in appearance from the 43rd floor¡¯s version, his overall vibe or facial features were still the same.

    Even the Nemean Lion Headdress adorning his head was the same, despite looking a bit worn-down now.

    More importantly, though¡­

    Tumble, tumble¡ª

    Bang¡ª

    The overturned earth tilted over and collapsed back down to the ground. The crop fields became even more unusable as a result.

    It was merely a single strike. Just one downward strike with the club that he held in his hands was already this powerful.

    More importantly, at the last moment, Hercules discovered Su-hyeun and urgently withdrew his strength and changed the trajectory of his strike.

    If he hadn¡¯t done that, the ripples from the overturned earth would have reached where Su-hyeun was currently standing as well.

    ¡°You seem to be quite shocked at the moment. My apologies. I thought you were from the race of the Giants, and I may have caused you inconvenience.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m unhurt.¡±

    Su-hyeun, admiring Hercules¡¯s strength, hurriedly waved his hands around. Even the latter¡¯s personality seemed a little different somehow.

    ¡°I mean, when I saw him back on the 43rd floor¡¯s arena, I thought he had an obstinate, relentless, and aggressive personality,¡± he inwardly recalled.

    A stage of various heroes was the theme of the 43rd floor that was created by the administrator. It was a stage where heroes from many different worlds came together to fight and discover who was the strongest among them.

    That was also the goal of the trial, and Su-hyeun encountered Hercules during the occasion. They might not have chatted at length after being matched-up in the arena, but at least from Su-hyeun¡¯s memories, Hercules wasn¡¯t someone this courteous or formal in nature.

    ¡°The god¡¯s bloodline, was it?¡±

    Upon meeting Hercules, Su-hyeun immediately recalled the latter¡¯s birth as told through the popular myth.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he the son of Zeus?¡±

    Hercules was a demigod born between the bona fide god Zeus and a human woman. In that sense, he definitely qualified as the ¡°god¡¯s bloodline¡± as stated.

    ¡°But to protect him?¡±

    And that¡¯s why Su-hyeun was even more puzzled.

    ¡°This dude?¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at Hercules before his eyes and formed a deeply confused expression.

    The goal of this trial was to protect Hercules.

    But the administrator said that Hercules might be a problem.

    Even from the get-go, things were not making sense.

 Chapter 315

    ¡°You seem to be greatly stunned.¡± Hercules lightly waved his huge hand in front of Su-hyeun and continued, ¡°But I definitely sensed a unique aura coming from you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you mean this?¡±

    Su-hyeun activated his Sage¡¯s Eye once more. A bluish color swirled in his eyes, and a small amount of magical energy surrounded him.

    Hercules clapped his hands and nodded. ¡°Right, that¡¯s what I sensed. What is that exactly?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sort of magic.¡±

    ¡°Magic, huh? Aha! You must be a magician then. But you look like a warrior, you see.¡±

    Hercules nodded his head theatrically as if he finally understood it.

    It seemed that magicians were real existences in this world. Thanks to that, Su-hyeun now had a cover story.

    He told himself, ¡°Well, not a lot of magical energy leaked out, so it should be fine.¡±

    What¡¯s even more surprising to him, though, was Hercules¡¯s reaction speed.

    ¡°Just where did he fly in from, anyway?¡± he wondered.

    The moment Su-hyeun activated the Sage¡¯s Eye, Hercules detected an unknown power being used and immediately flew toward the source. Moreover, he came from the sky, which meant that he flew in from beyond the scope of Su-hyeun¡¯s field of vision.

    ¡°You should return home at once. You seem to be lost, and the place beyond this point is somewhere you shouldn¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t any place in this world that ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be,¡¯ though. As long as my feet can take me there, I can go there. And by the way, I¡¯m not actually lost.¡± Su-hyeun extended his hand toward Hercules. ¡°I came to meet you, Hercules.¡±

    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m here to meet you. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize who you are.¡±

    ¡°Where did you hear about my whereabouts?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about it. I actually located you. Apparently, you¡¯ve been having a hard time in this place, so I was planning to lend you a helping hand.¡±

    Su-hyeun carefully observed Hercules¡¯s reaction as he said that. Judging from how the latter mistook him for a Giant and attacked, there was little doubt that the demigod was involved in a war with this race of Giants.

    Sure enough, Hercules scanned Su-hyeun from top to bottom and slightly furrowed his brows.

    ¡°A helping hand, you say¡­¡±

    Although his words trailed off, even a moron could tell what he chose to omit just now.

    Hercules proudly boasted a height of over 2.5 meters and a body full of rippling muscles, while Su-hyeun was about 1.8 meters tall and only had an adequately sized athletic physique.

    The latter was by no means small, but when standing in front of Hercules, he came across as a little neighborhood kid in comparison.

    ¡°You don¡¯t fight with your physique, though?¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°Indeed. You fight with strength,¡± Hercules chuckled softly and extended his hand as well. ¡°It sure has been a long while since I ran into an outsider like you, and I¡¯m not hating it. Although this place is rather dangerous, you being able to come this far indicates that you should be a skilled magician at least. Good to have you.¡±

    Su-hyeun shook the offered hand. ¡°My name is Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim Sheon?¡±

    ¡°Kim. Su. Hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim, Kim Su¡­hyeun. That¡¯s an odd name.¡±

    It seemed Hercules found it rather tough to enunciate Su-hyeun¡¯s name properly because he continued to mumble it as they cautiously shook hands.

    Su-hyeun looked at Hercules¡¯s large and heavy hand.

    The demigod was doing his very best not to grip too hard with his hands. He was probably thinking that the moment he gripped any harder, Su-hyeun¡¯s hand would be crushed to bits.

    A little while later, they stopped shaking hands and Hercules spoke again, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t stop any warrior wishing to fight. Although you¡¯re a magician, I still applaud you for your bravery. It must be five years already since I last saw a human who willingly stepped forward to battle against the race of the Giants.¡±

    Thankfully, Hercules didn¡¯t turn Su-hyeun away.

    For one, Su-hyeun was a human, and two, this race of Giants that Hercules kept bringing up must have been enemies of mankind.

    It meant that the demigod saw Su-hyeun as an ally, not an enemy. The latter had been wondering what he should do in case he got turned away due to Hercules¡¯s change in personality, but it seemed that the change didn¡¯t transform him into a stuffy old man.

    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we leave right away? Well, then¡ª¡±

    Snatch¡ª

    Hercules snatched Su-hyeun¡¯s waist with one arm and placed him over his shoulders. Wondering what the demigod was doing here, Su-hyeun could only silently blink his eyes but became stunned by what happened next.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Accompanied by a noise that sounded like a bomb that went off, the scenery before their eyes changed in an instant.

    While carrying Su-hyeun on his back, Hercules leaped and practically flew in the air. To make it clear, the demigod didn¡¯t possess the power of flight, but just the action of him kicking the ground to jump up was enough to fling him hundreds, no, thousands of meters into the air.

    ¡°Flying¡± like this, Hercules eventually landed somewhere with a well-practiced posture. It kind of felt like Su-hyeun was on a wild theme park ride without any safety harness.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Hercules asked while putting Su-hyeun down.

    After landing lightly on the ground, Su-hyeun looked up and replied, ¡°That was fun, actually.¡±

    ¡°Eh? It was fun?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was quite entertaining. I think you might earn a decent living by charging for this service.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­Well, I¡¯ll be.¡±

    Hercules formed a somewhat sheepish expression from Su-hyeun¡¯s response.

    He figured his passenger would not be alright at all, but too bad, the response proved to be rather lackluster. And judging from Su-hyeun¡¯s perfectly normal complexion, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t seem to be bluffing either.

    Hercules muttered, ¡°You are a strange guy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something you should be saying, though.¡±

    ¡°Touch¨¦. Follow me.¡±

    Hercules simply nodded as if he didn¡¯t have any comebacks and started walking in one direction. The two crossed some distance in an instant, and soon, their eyes caught the sight of a fairly large two-story wooden building.

    The demigod stared at this lone house standing on an empty field and shouted, ¡°Your dad¡¯s home¡ª!¡±

    ¡°¡­Dad?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He was stunned by that word and hurriedly stared at the house. Around the same time, the front door to the wooden building with smoke rising from its chimney was thrown open wide.

    ¡°It¡¯s daddy¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    Two small kids¡ªa girl and a boy¡ªonly as big as Hercules¡¯s biceps emerged from the house.

    The girl with her hair elegantly tied behind her head rushed in first. Hercules bent down and picked the kids up in each of his arms to place them on his shoulders. ¡°Oh my goodness, so heavy! Palaemon, Hale, my dear children! Did you miss your dad?¡±

    ¡°We missed you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re late!¡±

    The two kids named Palaemon and Hale didn¡¯t seem to notice Su-hyeun¡¯s presence and simply rubbed their faces on Hercules¡¯s beard. Su-hyeun stayed a few steps behind and silently observed this scene for a little while.

    ¡°Hale! Palaemon! Bring your dad inside and¡­Oh, my!¡± It was then that a woman exited from the house with a ladle in her hand. She immediately spotted Su-hyeun and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°We have a guest?¡±

    She was beautiful. That was the first thought that popped up in Su-hyeun¡¯s head upon meeting the woman who must have been Hercules¡¯s wife.

    Her golden hair extended down to her waist, and unlike Hercules, her figure, her arms, and even her legs were long and slim. As for her skin, it was flawlessly pristine as if the sun¡¯s rays had never touched her, while her slender but clear facial features were beautiful enough for most men to fall instantly head over heels in love.

    Hercules replied, ¡°Ah, him. He says he wants to help me. It sure has been a while, right?¡±

    ¡°To help you? But even after that event, how can he¡­?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a brave fellow indeed. He says he¡¯s a magician. So I suggested we should have a meal together at least. Oops, I forgot to introduce you. This is my wife, Megara.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that I¡¯ve prepared enough for everyone. Please, don¡¯t just stand there and come on in¡±

    Megara turned around and lightly waved the ladle around.

    A rather appetizing aroma wafted out from the open doorway. Now that he thought about it, Su-hyeun took care of his hunger back on the 101st floor with some beef jerky and raisins, didn¡¯t he?

    ¡°In that case, excuse me for this intrusion.¡±

    Just what was he supposed to do in this trial?

    Su-hyeun decided to postpone searching for the answers and enjoy the meal in peace for the time being.

    It wasn¡¯t as if he could come to a conclusion right away, anyway.

    **

    The meal was excellent.

    They had warm soup and bread, a flame-roasted duck, and some vegetables he didn¡¯t recognize pickled in sour-tasting spices.

    The roasted duck and bread were both good, but the soup happened to be the tastiest soup Su-hyeun had ever had in his entire life. Megara saw how Su-hyeun had emptied his bowl so quickly and was silently hoping for a second helping. She served him with another bowl of soup filled to the brim.

    Clack¡ª

    Su-hyeun put his spoon down as the mealtime went on for a while. As for the kids, they had finished their food and immediately ran outside the house. They probably wanted to play in the front yard.

    ¡°Thank you for the food.¡±

    Megara smiled in contentment when Su-hyeun made a deeply satisfied face as he patted his full stomach. ¡°You seem to really enjoy the meal. My husband used to be like that in the beginning, too.¡±

    Hercules quickly defended himself. ¡°But dear, I still enjoy your cooking even now.¡±

    ¡°You may say that, but your expression doesn¡¯t seem to agree, dear,¡± Megara replied as she lightly pinched Hercules¡¯s cheek.

    Su-hyeun smiled softly at the couple and asked, ¡°How long have you been staying here?¡±

    ¡°Maybe about 10 years.¡± The reply came from Hercules this time. ¡°I stayed here alone when the damn Giants started crossing over, and we couldn¡¯t see each other for five long years, so I was really against the idea, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°I was the one who insisted on it. If we were to live that way, then I should just stay by his side even if it¡¯s a little dangerous,¡± Megara took over the explanation.

    ¡°Urgh! I always thought that no one can defeat me, but as it turned out, the world is much bigger than I could have imagined. To think that it wasn¡¯t some Giant, but this little lady that I can¡¯t win against¡­¡±

    Hercules formed a completely exaggerated expression that said, ¡°I¡¯m completely helpless.¡±

    But then, Megara pinched his cheek again and started nagging him next. He obviously wouldn¡¯t have been hurt from her action, yet he still cried out and complained that he was in too much pain. Su-hyeun thought that these two really looked great together.

    Su-hyeun, Hercules, and Megara chatted away like this as they took care of the rest of the meal, and in the process, Su-hyeun got to learn why no other people lived nearby.

    ¡°Portals from where the Giants appear, hmm¡­and it seems that Hercules has been stopping them,¡± he thought.

    He still had no clue just what kind of existence these Giants were.

    Nothing stopped him from asking them about it, but he got a feeling that if he did, the overall mood during the meal would become rather gloomy. If he was alone with Hercules, that might have been fine, but since Megara was also here, he didn¡¯t want such a thing to happen.

    Su-hyeun was really liking the current atmosphere, after all.

    ¡°I can more or less tell why Hercules has changed, too.¡±

    The ¡°Hercules¡± Su-hyeun met on the 43rd floor was from his younger days.

    Back then, Hercules gave off a somewhat gruff and aggressive vibe, but someone like that was now giving off the air of a gentle and dependable dad.

    That was most likely due to Megara¡¯s presence.

    She was certainly a charming woman. Not only was she beautiful, but she also had this natural air about her that soothed a person¡¯s mind.

    ¡°By the way, you say you¡¯re a magician? What kind of magic did you learn?¡± Megara asked Su-hyeun. ¡°Honestly speaking, I¡¯ve never met a magician before.¡±

    ¡°The simplest I can show you is¡­¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun raised his fingers and created some small licks of divine Flame on his fingertips.

    ¡°Something like this.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡ª¡±

    ¡°Looks like I won¡¯t have to go fetch firewood for a while, then.¡±

    The reactions of the couple were split after witnessing the flames Su-hyeun had created. Megara was genuinely impressed, her hands clapped together. Hercules, on the other hand, was nodding away happily as if something great had just happened.

    ¡°By the way, friend. Have you ever battled Giants before?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Do you know what kind of creatures they are, then?¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head.

    The race of the Giants¡ªHercules brought that up several times, but for obvious reasons, Su-hyeun had no clue what those things were.

    Just that, judging from the name alone, he could guess that those creatures had to be massive in size.

    ¡°Makes sense, considering that most people don¡¯t know much about their distinct characteristics or their weaknesses. In that case, let¡¯s see¡­Where should I start my explanation¡­?¡±

    Hercules rubbed his chin and pondered for a little while. It seemed that he wanted to start discussing the Giants right away.

    But then¡­

    Tremor, shake¡ª

    From the spoon Su-hyeun had put down to the other utensils and tableware, things on the table began vibrating noticeably. Su-hyeun and Hercules both stood up almost simultaneously at the minute vibration transmitting from the ground.

    ¡°It seems that¡­¡± Hercules looked at Su-hyeun with a face that said, what good timing. ¡°Rather than my words, seeing them with your own eyes should be a better way of learning about them.¡±

 Chapter 316

    Act 3

    Jii-iing, jiii-iiing¡ª

    Su-hyeun traveled on Hercules¡¯s back once more, and after flying for a few minutes, he spotted a familiar color spreading on the skies above.

    ¡°Purple¡­¡±

    A section of the skies was dyed in a purple hue.

    Without a doubt, it was caused by a dungeon.

    Even the aura he could sense felt the same as well. Su-hyeun decided to go and see alongside Hercules because of the familiar aura, and what waited for him at the destination turned out to be a purple-colored dungeon.

    Hercules spoke, ¡°Why are you freezing up like that? I thought you have already resolved yourself to fight?¡±

    ¡°Is that where the Giants show up from?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That is the pathway that connects the world of the Giants to ours.¡±

    The pathway¡ªthat was a perfect term to describe the dungeons.

    Just like what Hercules said, a dungeon was indeed a portal¡ªa pathway¡ªthat connected a different world to this one, and Su-hyeun had experienced several worlds inside the trials where dungeons were manifesting.

    However, even then, an event like this would be the first time for him.

    A purple color? That was the dungeon color with the highest difficulty that Su-hyeun knew of.

    And also¡­

    ¡°The dungeon where Fafnir showed up was a purple one, too.¡±

    When his thoughts reached that point, Su-hyeun shook his head.

    This wasn¡¯t the world he lived in. No, this was inside the trial, and the dungeon before his eyes didn¡¯t produce a monster on the caliber of Fafnir but the race of the Giants.

    Judging from what the administrator had said, Fafnir wouldn¡¯t suddenly appear in a trial found on the 102nd floor. If that happened, the rise in the difficulty would have been far too much for just one floor¡¯s difference, after all.

    ¡°They are about to come out,¡± muttered Hercules as he stared up at the purple-colored sky.

    Su-hyeun too sensed a suspicious aura spreading about. This sensation was pretty familiar to him.

    ¡°The Sage Arts?¡± he thought.

    It was similar to the aura he first sensed coming from the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong, the two people that had mastered the Sage Arts.

    ¡°No, wait¡­It¡¯s more similar to Bradley¡¯s, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The aura called ¡°Dao energy¡± currently being spread around was far murkier, and all sorts of impure energies were also mixed with it.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    A massive hand suddenly extended from above the purple skies.

    Soon after that, gigantic faces and flesh-colored naked bodies began appearing one by one. These creatures¡¯ eyes were pure white with no visible irises, and each of them was as big as a small mountain. They belonged to none other than the race of the Giants.

    ¡°One, two, three, four¡­there are 30 of them. Quite a few have shown up, I see.¡±

    Hercules took out the large club tied to his back.

    And before the Giants descended fully to the ground, he turned around and addressed Su-hyeun, ¡°Now take a close look. Those things are the Giants, the opposers of the gods.¡±

    ¡°Opposers of the gods¡­?¡±

    ¡°It means, even from their birth, these creatures possess opposing nature to the gods. Their starting points might be similar, but the paths that they took were different. These things couldn¡¯t become gods as a result. They are such types of monsters.¡± Hercules looked back at Su-hyeun once more. ¡°How about it then? Are you still planning to fight them?¡±

    Without saying anything, Su-hyeun stood there and studied the Giants for a while. Hercules must have taken that as Su-hyeun being afraid, and he simply turned around and got ready to pounce.

    ¡°If you wish to fight, then follow me. However, I won¡¯t blame you even if you go back without saying anything. It¡¯s not surprising that you¡¯re scared. Well, it was fun sharing a meal with you.¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Hercules leaped up, and the ground beneath him caved in and overturned. Soon after, he was high up in the air, and his club began crushing the heads of the Giants.

    Su-hyeun continued to study the Giants that were extending their hands toward Hercules.

    These creatures hadn¡¯t mastered any unique discipline like the Sage Arts or anything like that.

    ¡°Creatures that are born with godlike qualifications from their birth, eh? No, wait¡­¡±

    The way these creatures looked was quite different from the godhood the Bull Demon King had brought up in the past.

    It was more like¡­

    ¡°The opposite of godhood¡ªthe predator. These creatures resemble that.¡±

    These creatures were natural monsters¡ªa species that neither could be classified as a man, god, nor even a predator.¡±

    ¡°Thirty days, hmm¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun quietly observed Hercules as he fought them off for a little while.

    Out of everyone that Su-hyeun had run into, the demigod¡¯s physical prowess, which was on display as he swung the club to crush the Giants¡¯ heads and suppress the monsters far larger than him, was second only to the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°Something will happen during that time period, in other words.¡±

    Hercules had been battling these Giants all by himself for over 10 years by now, so Su-hyeun didn¡¯t believe such a man would suddenly find himself in danger unless something unexpected happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising to get scared, huh?¡±

    Su-hyeun, moving and observing Hercules¡¯s battle from afar, finally reached down to his sword.

    ¡°Well, I wonder about that.¡±

    **

    Splat¡ª!

    A Giant¡¯s arm broke and hung limply. Hercules swung his large club then while kicking away the Giant¡¯s arm and leaped up high once more.

    Whooooosh¡ª!

    A punch from a Giant was descending to hit Hercules¡¯s head, but right at that moment, Hercules also threw a punch in the direction of the huge fist.

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Crack¡ª

    The one that was destroyed during the collision of punches was the Giant¡¯s fist.

    Every single one of its fingers was crushed and broken, and the Giant stumbled while retracting its arm. However, Hercules would have none of that. He immediately grabbed the Giant¡¯s hide¡­

    Griiiiip¡ª

    Fuu-wuu-wuuph!

    And swung his arms with all his might. The Giant¡¯s massive body became airborne and got flung away into the distance.

    Fwhooooooosh¡ª

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    The Giant flew far away and crashed into the ground, all four of its limbs breaking apart at the same time. The remaining Giants began faltering when several of their kin were killed off in an instant.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you lot to come with a force that boasted triple-digit numbers.¡±

    A voice came from over the shoulder of a Giant. The monster¡¯s head quickly spun in that direction, but right at that very moment, the head powerfully swung in the opposing direction instead, along with a loud ¡°smack!¡±

    ¡°The likes of you aren¡¯t even enough to warm me up.¡±

    While saying that, Hercules retracted the club he had swung just now. After sensing that the Giant with its neck bent in the wrong direction was gradually tipping over, he powerfully leaped up in the air again.

    ¡°Thankfully, those other creatures haven¡¯t shown up. If it¡¯s only these 30 individuals, then I can quickly take care of them and go back¡ª¡±

    SPLAT¡ª!

    It was right then that a familiar noise came from somewhere next to him.

    He usually heard that noise when his fist went on to kill a Giant.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Hercules turned his head around, and that was when he saw it.

    A Giant collapsed on its back after its face was pummeled by a fist, and the figure of Su-hyeun who threw that punch just then came into view.

    ¡°How?!¡±

    Hercules was left momentarily flustered and formed a confused expression.

    ¡°What kind of magic did he use?¡± he wondered.

    As he stood there stiffly in disbelief for a bit, a large shadow loomed over his position. He instantly raised his head. After discovering a fist as big as a house was descending on him, he tried to swing his club upward, but then¡­

    Whooooosh¡ª

    SLAM¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s foot flew in and powerfully kicked away the Giant¡¯s fist. Accompanied by the sounds of bones breaking, the Giant¡¯s hand was broken into shreds.

    Su-hyeun spoke, ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too relaxed? Why are you looking away during a battle?¡±

    ¡°Friend, are you really a magician?¡± Hercules chuckled in dismay.

    At first, he thought Su-hyeun was a magician, but as it turned out, he was wrong.

    A magician who could hunt a Giant with bare fists?

    Hercules had never seen anyone capable of doing that among the warriors he knew. No, among the entirety of humanity itself.

    The only person strong enough to do that was none other than Hercules himself.

    ¡°That¡¯s my side profession.¡±

    Clang¡ª!

    Slice¡ª

    Su-hyeun rapidly unsheathed his sword and sliced a Giant¡¯s leg off.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I can use magic, after all.¡±

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The surface sliced apart by the sword caught on fire, and the Giant collapsed to the ground. The ground rocked noisily as a creature as big as a small mountain fell down. Su-hyeun scanned the remaining Giants.

    Only about 10 or so remained now.

    Most of them had been dealt with by Hercules already, but with Su-hyeun¡¯s aid, the act of killing the Giants had sped up by another level.

    ¡°I guess I have been too disinterested in the matters of the world lately that I have not heard about the news of someone like you appearing here.¡±

    It seemed that Hercules was under the impression that Su-hyeun was a renowned warrior, or a magician, among the human population.

    The truth was that Su-hyeun didn¡¯t originate from this world, but he didn¡¯t plan on undoing the demigod¡¯s misunderstanding. Being mistaken like that was better for him since he wouldn¡¯t need to explain at length anymore.

    ¡°Regardless of what, his physical strength is better than mine,¡± Su-hyeun inwardly said.

    Su-hyeun glanced at Hercules while fighting against the Giants.

    He could tell the difference between them while fighting against the Giants and comparing the results. If the criterion was ¡°Strength¡± stat and nothing else, then Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even come close to Hercules.

    ¡°Did he acquire the qualification of godhood, too?¡±

    A thought abruptly popped up in his head, and he ended up chuckling at that because that would be obvious.

    From the get-go, Hercules was the son of Zeus from the Greek pantheon and was also known as a hero that symbolized strength. He was a godlike existence that fought in the frontlines of the war of the gods.

    Of course, the myth and reality differed by quite a lot. Just like how it was with Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King from the tale called ¡°Journey to the West,¡± this world with Hercules had its differences from the myth Su-hyeun was familiar with.

    However, even after considering all that, there was no doubting the simple fact that Hercules was a descendant of a godly bloodline.

    BOOM¡ª

    The last Giant keeled over to the ground.

    Su-hyeun turned his head.

    Hercules had taken care of the last Giant a while ago and was observing Su-hyeun¡¯s battle with his arms across his chest.

    Step, step¡ª

    He then walked over to Su-hyeun, and with a pretty serious expression on his face, he reached out and grasped the latter¡¯s arm.

    Grab¡ª

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I was wondering where such strength could come from this body of yours, you see.¡± While saying that, Hercules continued to touch and grip Su-hyeun¡¯s arms and legs as if he couldn¡¯t quite figure it out. ¡°Truly mysterious. Friend, are you a descendant from the ones above, too?¡±

    ¡°Ones above?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the gods. Those who live in a place we can never reach, somewhere far beyond the skies.¡± Hercules replied and then let go of Su-hyeun¡¯s arm and began scratching his head. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m sure you were already aware of me being their descendant. Thanks to that, at least my strength alone isn¡¯t lacking when compared to theirs. Should I say that I¡¯m half-human and half-god then?¡±

    Hercules was Zeus¡¯s son, and what he inherited as the god of lightning¡¯s blood descendant was the strength of a god.

    That was something Su-hyeun also possessed.

    Of course¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m a human being.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s case was different from Hercules¡¯s.

    ¡°At least for now.¡±

    ¡°For now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m planning to climb up, all the way up there.¡±

    ¡°All the way up, you say¡­?¡±

    Hercules raised his head and stared at the heavens above.

    The ¡°world¡± where the gods resided, Olympus, was a world so high and out of reach that just staring at it alone would cause his neck to creak unnaturally. That¡¯s what Hercules believed even though he was a son of a god, even if he was only a ¡°half¡± as he claimed.

    But now, Su-hyeun declared that he would climb up to godhood despite being a human being.

    ¡°Your ambition is certainly admirable. I¡¯ll cheer you on then. But I¡¯m not sure how the ones above will respond to your determination.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask them when I get there.¡±

    Hercules laughed at that. ¡°When I first saw you, I thought you were some kind of a gigolo magician, but as it turned out, you¡¯re a man among men! Friend, I¡¯m liking you more and more.¡±

    Hercules pounded on Su-hyeun¡¯s back with his large hand. Any regular person would have been crushed to death by that, but Su-hyeun could accept the ¡°patting¡± with a smile on his face.

    Of course, it still hurt like hell.

    ¡°Before all that, though¡­¡± Su-hyeun ducked low to sneakily evade Hercules¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Can I take care of one business first?¡±

    ¡°Is it number one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that,¡± Su-hyeun groaned and shook his head at Hercules¡¯s rather childish question. ¡°Remember when I told you that being a magician is my side profession?¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    A blackish fog began flooding out from all around Su-hyeun¡¯s vicinity. Along with the activation of the Necromancer trait, Death Aura began swirling around his body.

    ¡°This is my side profession.¡±

    [Dead Summoning ¨C Gluttony]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, now dyed in black, were locked on the corpses of the giants lying on the ground.

    ¡°Devour, Gluttony.¡±

 Chapter 317

    Split¡ª

    The first to appear was a massive mouth. Its pitch-black opening did not even hint a speck of light, which gave a look that its depth stretched on for eternity.

    Even before exposing its body, Gluttony simply opened its maw wide and let its endlessly voracious appetite surface first.

    Crunch¡ª!

    Its rounded but tightly packed fangs began munching and chewing on the carcasses of the fallen Giants.

    A body of a Giant was about half the size of Gluttony. Meanwhile, Gluttony¡¯s mouth alone was as big as a Giant, and when devouring one, the summoned creature¡¯s cheeks ballooned rather noticeably.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    The scene of Gluttony munching on the Giant¡¯s body was a truly monstrous and bizarre sight to behold.

    The creature that almost had no flesh or skin and with half-broken horns and a huge maw came across as far more threatening and dangerous than the dead Giants on the ground.

    Hercules reflexively got ready to swing his large club the moment Gluttony appeared. If Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t stopped him in time, he really might have done that.

    ¡°Why are you stopping me?¡±

    ¡°That thing is my summoned creature.¡±

    ¡°Your summoned creature?¡±

    Hercules¡¯s brows rose higher as he stared at Gluttony once more. The summoned monster had already finished devouring one Giant and was about to swallow up the second one.

    ¡°Are you saying you summoned that thing out here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a dark magician? No, wait. Until now, you definitely¡­¡±

    Even if Hercules didn¡¯t know how to use magical energy, that didn¡¯t mean he was unable to sense its flow.

    That was why he knew that Su-hyeun was using an energy source similar to that of the gods every time the divine Flames was activated, which was at complete odds with what dark magicians normally used.

    But now, the aura leaking out of Su-hyeun¡¯s body was opposite from that divine aura.

    Forget about being divine, it was far closer to the ominous and evil energy that defied life and fate itself.

    ¡°I¡¯m neither of those,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°Are you saying that you are neither a dark magician nor a regular one?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yet someone like that can beat up a Giant with bare hands? Well, I¡¯ll be,¡± Hercules chuckled hollowly and stared at Su-hyeun.

    He was prepared to accept the fact that Su-hyeun, who looked to be a regular magician like any other, could kill the Giants with his fists. Although rare, one would sometimes find an excellent warrior capable of wielding magic in some capacity.

    But then, that excellent warrior has mastered both regular white magic and dark magic at the same time?

    Not only that, but he also had the physical prowess that allowed him to kill a Giant with his bare fists, use powerful magic, and even know dark magic capable of commanding a summoned creature of such caliber?

    Hercules muttered, ¡°I thought you were merely unique, but as it turns out, you were actually far more remarkable than I bargained for.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°If you were a magician who only knew some dark magic, I¡¯d have told you to go back immediately. Nine out of ten dark magicians that I know of are all failures of human beings, you see.¡±

    Crunch, crunch¡ª

    While saying that, Hercules shifted his gaze over to Gluttony once more.

    The creature that was still chewing and munching on the corpses of the Giants seemed to have gained new flesh on its body somehow. Now that some flesh and hide had been added to its frame, albeit only by a small amount, Gluttony¡¯s outer appearance looked a bit more passable compared to a couple of minutes ago.

    ¡°Your creature seems to have quick digestion. Has it already managed to digest all the Giants it had consumed?¡±

    ¡°I believe it¡¯ll be of some use pretty soon. Even if it¡¯s a bit lacking right now.¡±

    Gluttony¡¯s application rate when summoned through Dead Summoning was currently at a pathetically low state. However, separate from that, Gluttony possessed a unique ability that enhanced its powers simply by devouring an object.

    Therefore, even if its application rate was on the low side, as long as it continued to devour the Giants that showed up in this place, not only would it regain its former appearance, but there was also a possibility that it might become even stronger than back when it was still alive.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun and Hercules returned to the wooden house. The day had come to a close, and a gorgeous amber sunset dyed the sky.

    Supper had been served early on in the evening, so Hercules, while complaining of his starvation, caught a pig in the pen out in the yard and began roasting it over some raging fire.

    When the pork BBQ roasting over the fire was ready, he ripped one of its legs off and began munching on it.

    ¡°You have some too. It¡¯s juicy and delicious.¡±

    Driiip, sizzle¡ª

    Hercules opened his large mouth and devoured the leg in the blink of an eye. Su-hyeun received another hind leg of the swine from the demigod.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡±

    The BBQ meat looked well roasted on the outside, and it tasted just as great on the inside as well. Although the meat wasn¡¯t seasoned at all, the aroma from the firewood and all the fat juice oozing from the pork, as well as the fact that they were enjoying a BBQ outside, served as the best seasoning available.

    ¡°What made you come to this place? It couldn¡¯t have been an easy decision to make,¡± Hercules asked as he ripped off another leg.

    Su-hyeun had taken his first bite just then, so he hurriedly chewed and swallowed the meat to reply, ¡°I came to fight, you know.¡±

    ¡°But how come?¡±

    ¡°Do I need a reason? Some people simply have to, after all.¡±

    Their worlds might have been different, but his ¡°reasoning¡± would still be the same.

    ¡°If I choose to look away, then eventually, the world I live in will be ruined, now won¡¯t it? Besides¡­¡± Su-hyeun then turned his head toward the wooden house that the children and Megara called their home. ¡°It¡¯ll be the same for people, too.¡±

    ¡°I see that you too have a family.¡± Hercules grinned and took a large bite out of the meat. ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay by your family¡¯s side? I mean, they might fall into danger while you¡¯re so far away like this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something you should say, though.¡±

    Puh-heuph!

    Hercules guffawed in the middle of his munching, and Su-hyeun had to hurriedly raise his hand to block all the bits of meat that flew all over.

    ¡°Ah, my apologies. I felt a little embarrassed, you see.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Despite my own state, I still ended up yapping on and on, trying to give you counsel. I guess I¡¯ve finally gotten old and senile.¡±

    Hercules guffawed jovially, his somber appearance of earlier having disappeared without a trace now.

    The passage of time seemed to have softened his hardened shell, as evidenced by his facial expressions. Su-hyeun knew what the demigod in his youth was like, so he couldn¡¯t help but find the current Hercules far more to his liking.

    Clack¡ª

    ¡°Daddy¡ª!¡±

    ¡°What are you eating?¡±

    It was around then that Hale and Palaemon who were staying inside with Megara rushed outside the house. Hercules used his oily hands to pick the children up and placed them on his lap. He then ripped the meat into small chunks and placed them in the waiting mouths of his kids.

    ¡°Dear?! You mustn¡¯t feed the children so late at¡ªOh my gosh! Look at all those oil stains!¡±

    ¡°T¡ªthat is, my dear, I didn¡¯t want to give them, but the children pestered me, so I¡ªOuch?!¡±

    ¡°Come with me, this instant. You said you¡¯ll treat our guest, yet you only give him a hind leg and hog the rest for yourself? As for the children¡¯s clothes¡­¡±

    ¡°H¡ªhold on, why don¡¯t we talk after you let me go first? We have a guest, you know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s embarrassing to do this in front of the guest, so I must¡­¡±

    Megara reached out and pinched Hercules¡¯s cheek before pulling at him. He didn¡¯t dare to push her hand away and simply got dragged away to somewhere.

    In the meantime, Hale and Palaemon approached Su-hyeun. When they looked at him with their sparkling puppy-dog eyes, he decided to sub for their dad and ripped the meat into small pieces before placing them inside their mouths.

    ¡°Is it good?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah! Really tasty.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s tasty.¡±

    The energetic replies from the two kids brought out a gentle chuckle from Su-hyeun. He placed his finger on his lips and whispered to them in a hushed voice, ¡°It¡¯s a secret from your mom, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a secret!¡±

    ¡°Secret.¡±

    At their replies, Su-hyeun ripped more meat and continued to feed the kids.

    While spending the rest of the evening with the kids energetically munching on the meat by his side, he listened to Megara lecturing her husband inside the house.

    He couldn¡¯t tell how Hercules felt about living here, but well, Su-hyeun was really liking this lifestyle at the moment.

    * * *

    The Giants crossed over using the purple-colored dungeons at a fixed interval. They did it once every three or four days, and that cycle didn¡¯t change for the next 15 days.

    ¡°The number of individuals crossing over can be anywhere between 30 and a maximum of 80. Each of them is on the level of a blue-colored dungeon¡¯s boss. No notable special abilities other than aggressively attacking by relying on their body sizes,¡± Su-hyeun thought to himself while reading the notes he jotted down on a memo pad.

    ¡°According to Hercules, there are different tiers even among the Giants, but the truly high-ranking individuals only appear once or twice per year.¡±

    Tap, tap¡ª

    While organizing his thoughts, he tapped his head with a pen and muttered softly to no one in particular, ¡°Fifteen days remain now¡­¡±

    Shuwuck¡ª

    Su-hyeun stored the pen and pad inside the subspace and crossed his arms. ¡°Will it end like this, I wonder?¡±

    ¡°What will?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what will?¡±

    Hale and Palaemon who were playing in the yard with a ball asked after Su-hyeun muttered. He couldn¡¯t help but think that these two must have been twins from how they asked the same question almost at the exact same time.

    He shook his head and answered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, kids.¡±

    Creak¡ª

    He then leaned his body against the rocking chair resting in the yard. When he sat inside this cocooning rocking chair and stared up at the sky, he felt his heart gradually calmed down.

    [Remaining time: 15 days, 1 hour¡­]

    Su-hyeun confirmed the time once more. As long as no particular incidents happened during the countdown, he would probably be able to clear this trial safely and painlessly.

    ¡°Is it fine to simply spend my time like this, though?¡± he thought.

    The extent of Su-hyeun¡¯s work so far involved stopping Giants that periodically came down from the skies. Not only was that task pretty simple, but Hercules alone was also more than enough for that job.

    So then, would the trial end in this manner? Although that idea didn¡¯t sound so bad, the chances of that happening should be quite low.

    ¡°Without a doubt, something will happen somewhere¡­¡±

    Creak, creak¡ª

    While rocking in the chair, Su-hyeun covered his face.

    ¡°I feel more anxious when nothing¡¯s happening instead.¡±

    For the past 15 days, he had been trying to be more laid back and patiently waited, but when nothing really happened, more and more questions began popping up in his head.

    It felt as if he had missed something crucial somewhere.

    And so, as he quietly rocked in the chair with his eyes closed¡­

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    His eyes snapped open as he raised his head.

    From beyond the distant edges of his vision, some people were approaching the house.

    * * *

    Hercules¡¯s home was located in the wide-open field where practically nothing existed within the radius of dozens of kilometers.

    Sure, there were a few low-lying hills around, but no villages with people living in them existed nearby. Not to mention, this area had been known as the place where the Giants frequently showed up, so no one ever came to pay a visit either.

    However¡­

    ¡°Just who are they?¡±

    Some people actually came to speak to Hercules right now¡ªnot just one or two either but several tens of thousands.

    While Hercules was meeting the visitors outside the house, Su-hyeun, who was staying indoors, asked Megara.

    She sighed and replied, ¡°They are from the Holy Kingdom of Apollo.¡±

    ¡°The Holy Kingdom, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a kingdom established by the Order of Apollo. Actually, even though it¡¯s called a kingdom, it¡¯s grown big enough to be called an empire these days.¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a kingdom or an empire, what business do they have here?¡±

    ¡°Something like this also happened in the past. They can¡¯t trust my husband and are stepping forward to fight against the Giants themselves.¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t trust him?¡± Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but ask back, confused.

    Hercules was fighting against the race of the Giants, and there was simply no way that regular humans could fight against those massive creatures.

    Even if the Giants¡¯ number was minute, those monstrous beings had inherited the blood of the gods. The event of their invasion should be a matter of grave concern in the eyes of the kingdom or the empire.

    And wasn¡¯t Hercules a hero who had been stopping the invasion of the Giants all by himself for a long time now?

    ¡°A person can have a change of heart on a whim, after all¡­That¡¯s what they probably believe. Honestly, I also sometimes think about it. Like, why does my husband toil so hard by himself like this? Isn¡¯t it fine for him to search for another way to find happiness¡­?¡±

    After saying those words, Megara stared outside the windows while resting her chin on the dining table.

    Hercules¡¯s back could be seen through the window. Somehow, he didn¡¯t seem all that pleased by this event.

    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s always been the issue of trust. Even if he¡¯s inherited the blood of a god, he¡¯s not a god, after all. He¡¯s not a ¡®full¡¯ god, and they can¡¯t trust him because of that.¡± Megara slowly stroked the hair of her child, Hale, who was sticking right by her side and spoke in a slightly sorrowful tone of voice, ¡°And that¡¯s why they even tried to chase us out of here.¡±

 Chapter 318

    ¡°Chase you out?¡± Su-hyeun formed a puzzled expression at Megara¡¯s reply. ¡°Why would they want to go that far? Is there a problem with defending this place together?¡±

    ¡°The problem is ¡®political power.¡¯ Everyone already knows that the Giants are invading our world and that it¡¯s my husband who has been stopping them all this time. But what if a kingdom can perform that role instead?¡±

    ¡°Do they even have the necessary confidence to pull that off?¡±

    ¡°My husband is fighting in their stead exactly because they don¡¯t have the confidence to. They have already lost their army in the battle against the Giants in the past, after all. But now¡­¡± Megara shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why they suddenly chose to show up here.¡±

    A complicated mixture of emotions clouded her face, and judging from how tightly she hugged her children, she seemed to be quite anxious as well.

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze back outside the window.

    If those people already knew they were helpless in the battle against the Giants, why did they choose to show up now?

    ¡°Well, something has finally happened at least,¡± Su-hyeun thought as he suppressed a chuckle that was trying to break free.

    He had been feeling anxious since nothing of note had happened so far, yet something was finally starting to unfold. He felt more settled now that an event was about to happen.

    There was no need to waste time pondering stuff.

    Dururuk¡ª

    Su-hyeun pushed his chair back and got up.

    Megara asked, ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go outside and join the conversation for a little bit,¡± he replied and exited from the house.

    He should simply go and listen if he wanted to know why they showed up today.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­So, let me get this straight. To put simply, you want us out of here?¡± Hercules asked.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m grateful that you have simplified our proposal so succinctly, you¡¯re also making us look quite ill-mannered. All we are saying is that you can rest easy from now on and retire,¡± replied a middle-aged knight kitted out in pure-white mail armor.

    Hercules, wearing a simple thin robe, stood there with his arms across his chest and stared at the knight before him.

    This middle-aged knight was quite tall at two meters in height and was ably filling up the heavy-looking armor, but even then, he still came across as a little kid in front of the demigod.

    ¡°You are still the same. You care more about keeping up appearances rather than the actual heart of the matter, so what¡¯s the difference between what you said and how I understood it?¡±

    The tone of Hercules¡¯s voice noticeably changed. A man who seemed like a gentle sheep transformed into a mighty beast after a little yawn.

    The middle-aged knight flinched and hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Please, don¡¯t think of it as us trying to keep up appearances but trying to treat you with absolute respect. Surely, you also do not wish to waste the rest of your life in this place?¡±

    ¡°Just because I look like this, you think my head is also filled with muscles or some such?¡± Hercules smirked, the corners of his lips contorting a little. ¡°You came here to really let me retire? Not even a stray mutt would believe that. You better stop with such pretensions. I¡¯ll just simply flip everything on its head if you don¡¯t.¡±

    Hercules sounded like he was almost kidding. It was unknown what the soldiers behind the middle-aged knight felt at that moment, but for him, he ended up sensing a vague hint of danger from the demigod¡¯s current attitude.

    ¡°So this is none other than the son of Zeus, Hercules?¡±

    The rumor was widespread and well known¡ªthe son of Zeus was a hero who fought head-on against the race of the Giants.

    Although more than a decade had passed by and the tale became something of a legend to the newer generations of knights, there were still quite a large number of them that idolized him even now.

    It was the same story for the middle-aged knight as well. Back in his youth, he grew up listening to the heroic tales of Hercules.

    However¡­

    ¡°We can¡¯t forever stand aside doing nothing while watching you fight alone.¡±

    A legend would just be that, a legend.

    It would be different from reality.

    ¡°Please, step aside from now on, Hercules.¡±

    The middle-aged knight¡¯s insistence prompted Hercules to narrow his eyes.

    The demigod hadn¡¯t emitted any special aura or didn¡¯t even change his expression all that much, yet even then, the middle-aged knight still ended up taking a large step backward.

    Hercules scanned the middle-aged knight and the soldiers behind the man, before asking a question out loud, ¡°After I step aside, then what?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You really think you can handle the aftermath? After you lot did something as stupid as this back then¡­has it been 15 years already?¡±

    Fifteen years ago¡­

    The event back then was an unforgettable part of history for the Holy Kingdom. Half of the army they prepared so meticulously was wiped out, and the kingdom had no choice but to rely on Hercules in the end.

    ¡°Back then, you all couldn¡¯t deal with the aftermath and dumped everything on me. But what would¡¯ve happened if I ended up going down the wrong path, or I got fed up with your disgusting nonsense and decided to drop everything?¡±

    ¡°Back then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Right, you said it was a mistake. But you think you won¡¯t repeat the same mistake twice? Because of your stinking lust for more power, hundreds of thousands of soldiers had to enter the land of death. They exploded like worms under the feet of the Giants, and your proud knights were too busy turning tail to escape.¡±

    Hercules growled like a wild beast.

    Bulge¡ª

    Veins bulged clearly on his arms all the way down to his hands. The middle-aged knight nervously swallowed back his saliva and quickly studied Hercules¡¯s mood.

    Any more unnecessary stimulation, and it would not be strange to see the knight¡¯s head go ¡°pop¡± like a ball by the demigod in this place.

    ¡°Are you confident you will not repeat the same mistake?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± the middle-aged knight replied at Hercules¡¯s question with a slight quiver in his voice. ¡°It¡¯ll be different this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Hercules became puzzled by that.

    This knight, who was clearly scared silly and seemingly ready to slink back home only a few moments ago, was now making a confidence-filled expression.

    ¡°Does that mean there¡¯s something he trusts in?¡± Hercules thought.

    However, it didn¡¯t matter what that was. Hercules still didn¡¯t trust the knight¡¯s words.

    The horrifying spectacle of countless soldiers crushed to death like worms was not something he would like to witness ever again.

    ¡°Okay, so what you¡¯re saying is that you will fight the Giants from now on, and you want us out of here, is that it?¡±

    A voice suddenly came from behind Hercules, and the middle-aged knight shifted his gaze in that direction. An unfamiliar man was currently walking out of the house where only Hercules and his family should have been staying in.

    ¡°Who you might be?¡± the knight asked.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun. Although, you wouldn¡¯t recognize my name, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Kim¡­what?¡±

    ¡°And who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Chris, the commander of the Holy Kingdom of Apollo¡¯s Second Holy Knight Order. And who could you possibly be that you¡¯re living in this place?¡±

    The knight introduced himself as Chris, and while asking that, he looked over to Hercules.

    Hercules seemed to be somewhat flustered as well. He shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun with a confused look on his face. ¡°Friend, you don¡¯t seem to be all that renowned?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve led a quiet life, you see.¡±

    ¡°No matter how quiet it was, rumors should still do rounds with your skill level?¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m from another world, then.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s reply made in jest brought about a dumbfounded expression on Hercules¡¯s face next.

    However, Su-hyeun paid no mind to the demigod¡¯s reaction and stepped forward to take a better look at Chris. The knight was still alternating his confused gaze between Su-hyeun and Hercules even then.

    He then asked, ¡°Can I trust you to make the necessary introduction on who this person is?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you already? I¡¯m Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡ª¡±

    ¡°My relationship with him is that of a comrade. We¡¯re currently fighting the Giants as partners.¡±

    ¡°¡­A partner?¡±

    Chris frowned deeply and began scanning Su-hyeun from top to bottom. He then shifted his gaze back to Hercules. His eyes seemed to be asking the demigod for the veracity of that claim.

    ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± Hercules asked back.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this different from what you¡¯ve been telling us earlier?¡±

    ¡°Sure, there are two points of difference here. One, he didn¡¯t tell me to get lost from here, and we¡¯re fighting side by side. And two¡­¡± Hercules raised two thick fingers and continued on while scanning not just Chris but all the soldiers behind the knight as well. ¡°Unlike you weaklings, this guy is pretty damn strong, you see.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡­insults our pride,¡± Chris muttered while sweeping back his blonde hair.

    Although not comparable to the one and only Hercules, Chris was still one of the top knights of the Holy Kingdom, so to think that he was compared and evaluated to be worse than some unknown, no-name punk? That was definitely not something he could overlook.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, why don¡¯t you have a go at him then?¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that fine with you?¡±

    Chris¡¯s eyes were set ablaze from Hercules¡¯s suggestion.

    At the same time, he reached down and unsheathed his sword mounted on his hips. He was planning to not beat around the bush and immediately test Su-hyeun¡¯s capabilities.

    But right at that moment¡­

    ¡°You use a good-quality sword.¡±

    The voice that should¡¯ve come from Chris¡¯s front was now coming from behind him.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Also, his hand felt empty now.

    Before Chris turned around, he brought his hand up to his eye level first.

    His sword was gone.

    ¡°But just when did he¡­?¡± he thought.

    Clack¡ª

    Just as he was about to turn his head, the sword was returned to its scabbard on his hips. Su-hyeun, standing right next to Chris, had put the weapon back.

    ¡°You should take good care of it. You¡¯ll feel bad if its edges get damaged or something,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Shiver¡ª

    Chris fidgeted with the hilt of the sword that he had pulled out but was then returned to its scabbard by someone else¡¯s hand.

    He was dazed.

    When would he ever get to experience an event like this again? Never mind ¡°experiencing,¡± he had never heard of something like this before either.

    There was no point in fighting anymore. If Su-hyeun wanted to cut off Chris¡¯s head just now, then he certainly had more than enough time to do so.

    Su-hyeun carried on, ¡°Would you like to continue? If you do, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I concede defeat.¡±

    Chris bit down on his lip after realizing that fighting on any further would be meaningless.

    Hercules was still standing there with his arms crossed, the corners of his lips curling up into a grin. Being a commander of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s Second Holy Knight Order implied that Chris was one of the very best they had.

    ¡°Now then, why don¡¯t you all go back now? Rather than wasting time like this,¡± he said.

    The red-faced Chris bit his lower lip again then replied to Hercules¡¯s suggestion, ¡°The reason why I said it¡¯ll be different this time, was¡­not because of me.¡±

    ¡°What then?¡±

    ¡°Do you believe you¡¯re the only one with a god¡¯s blood?¡±

    Hercules¡¯s brows shot up at what Chris said, and Su-hyeun mirrored his expression.

    With Chris¡¯s use of the words ¡°a god¡¯s blood,¡± he was properly referring to Hercules as Zeus¡¯s son.

    And also¡­

    ¡°Please step forward, Phaethon.¡±

    Step¡ª

    A young man with golden hair extending all the way down to his waist stepped forward from among the soldiers.

    His presence was ¡°blinding¡±¡ªwith him merely stepping forward like that, he made his audience feel a stifling heat as if a small sun was approaching.

    Phaethon. Now that was a familiar name.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same name given by the administrator.¡±

    The administrator of the 102nd floor was the first one ever to reveal his name. And now, someone possessing the exact same name had appeared before Su-hyeun.

    He took a much closer look at the golden-haired man, Phaethon. For a moment there, their gazes met.

    In the meantime, Chris continued, ¡°This man is Phaethon, none other than the son of the sun god, Apollo. He¡¯s like you. He belongs to a god¡¯s bloodline.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the son of Lord Apollo?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We believe that Sir Phaethon will stop the invasion of the Giants just like you have. Our job is merely to assist him from the sidelines.¡±

    Chris¡¯s expression had changed now. He seemed defeated in spirit from Hercules and Su-hyeun only until a few seconds ago, but now, he looked as if he had gained a powerful and dependable backer.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it before? That it¡¯ll be different this time.¡±

    Phaethon had a disinterested expression all the while. It seemed that he was not particularly interested in the conversation between Hercules and Chris.

    ¡°With the blood of a god, huh?¡±

    Su-hyeun frowned a little while studying Phaethon, allegedly the son of Apollo.

    ¡°It feels like he¡¯s an imposter.¡±

    This Phaethon gave off a different vibe from Hercules.

    No, this man was not a god¡¯s son. He didn¡¯t emit any feeling of ¡°godhood¡± similar to what Su-hyeun could pick up from Hercules.

    But still¡­

    ¡°He does possess something similar to a godhood qualification, though.¡±

 Chapter 319

    Act 4

    Apollo was the god in charge of the sun and fire. According to the myth, he was a god that rode on a chariot to guide the sunrise and was a being who was able to manifest anywhere as long as there was a flame burning.

    And Phaethon claimed that he was the real son of the sun god Apollo.

    ¡°This guy is the son of Lord Apollo? Really?¡±

    At Hercules¡¯s probing stare, Phaethon simply nodded his head. Just like Su-hyeun, the burly demigod was suspicious of this golden-haired young man¡¯s true identity.

    Hercules continued, ¡°And how do you intend to prove that claim?¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason for me to prove myself to you?¡±

    The question was countered with another question.

    Hercules¡¯s expression crumpled ever so slightly. He uncrossed his arms and stood upright next. ¡°It¡¯s not up to you whether you want to prove it or not.¡±

    Crack¡ª

    His joints popped noisily as he clenched his fist tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to judge you, after all.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you want to blindly rely on your physical strength once more to solve your problems?¡±

    ¡°Once more, you say? You speak as if you know about me.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I do. This may be our first meeting, but I¡¯ve already heard tales of your many accomplishments. The killing of the Nemean lion, suppressing Cerberus¡­you relied on your brute physical strength to overcome them.¡±

    ¡°So what about it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to showing off while relying on pure strength alone. Although you are the son of Zeus, in the end, half of your blood comes from a human, does it not?¡± Phaethon smirked. ¡°Despite your best efforts, you¡¯re still nothing more than a half-blood.¡±

    ¡°You really¡­wish to die by my¡­¡± Hercules¡¯s expression turned truly murderous.

    Rumble¡ª

    Suddenly, the ground rumbled.

    But it wasn¡¯t a natural phenomenon like an earthquake. Hercules was far too familiar with the source of this rumbling. It was the same for Su-hyeun, as he had come to experience it a few times by now as well.

    It was coming from the footsteps of the Giants.

    ¡°Great timing,¡± growled Hercules while glaring at Phaethon. ¡°Now, prove it to me. Prove to me that you¡¯re better than me, punk.¡±

    * * *

    The Giants were huge¡ªabsolutely massive, in fact.

    Never mind the fact that one could easily make out their appearances from afar, the intense pressure they gave off when crowded together exceeded anyone¡¯s wildest imaginations.

    Tens of thousands of soldiers had come, but this number was meaningless in the presence of the Giants.

    It didn¡¯t matter whether the number of tens or hundreds of thousands. When facing a massive ¡°mountain,¡± whether you were human or ant, you would still come across as tiny and inconsequential in the end.

    ¡°U¡ªuwah¡­¡±

    ¡°T¡ªthose¡­those are the Giants¡­¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they far bigger than what we¡¯ve been told?!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s as they said. But after seeing it with my own eyes, this is¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun and Hercules stood around observing the dozens of Giants from a distance. The demigod locked his gaze on a Giant with two eyes visible among the horde and spoke, ¡°Three Gigantes, is it? I see that several fairly tough individuals are here today.¡±

    ¡°The ones you mentioned earlier, they haven¡¯t shown up, right?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°If those creatures showed up, I wouldn¡¯t have left these soldiers to their devices. Failing to kill one and letting it slip away would be more than enough to devastate a kingdom in no time, after all.¡±

    Giant, then Gigantes, and finally, Colossus¡ªthese three were the different classes of Giants that Hercules had come up with.

    The Giants boasted the biggest sizes, while the Gigantes were comparatively smaller but slightly quicker and stronger, and finally, there were the few-in-number but as strong as low-ranked gods, the Colossi.

    Although no Colossus had shown up this time, a handful of Gigantes-class giant monsters were mixed in among the invading group.

    ¡°How about it, then? Hey, mister son of the sun god, are you still up for it?¡±

    ¡°Watch closely and witness it for yourself.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Phaethon glanced at Hercules once and then his body transformed into a roaring flame. ¡°Witness what the true descendant of a god is like.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    After transforming into a flame, Phaethon¡¯s figure then flew directly toward the Giants in the distance. Su-hyeun found the ability to turn into a flame rather mystifying and observed the distancing Phaethon more closely.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty unique ability, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said.

    ¡°Even then, it¡¯s some lukewarm flame, nothing more,¡± Hercules retorted with an unimpressed expression on his face.

    Lukewarm? While making a dumbfounded expression at the demigod¡¯s reply, Su-hyeun stared at Hercules. Even if the latter wasn¡¯t impressed by Phaethon¡¯s antics, one had to admit that this was well past the level of being ¡°lukewarm¡± at this point.

    Hercules asked Su-hyeun, ¡°And what about you, friend? Are you going to spectate from afar, or¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll spectate from somewhere a bit closer instead.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Su-hyeun quickly summoned Miru out and finished his preparations to leave and then turned his attention back to Hercules. ¡°Apologies, but Mister Hercules, you are too heavy, and it might be a little difficult for Miru to give you a ride.¡±

    ¡°A dragon, is it? I thought you only commanded the undead, but you also had a summoned creature like this one?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not planning to join in the fun now, I¡¯ll go on ahead first. Let¡¯s go, Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s call, Miru began shooting forward right away. Hercules watched the duo fly like a thunderbolt to catch up to Phaethon, and he began chuckling wryly.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve been jumping around with another dude on my back for no reason.¡±

    Boom¡ª!

    Hercules then powerfully kicked the ground and leaped high.

    And so, Su-hyeun and Hercules began their observation of how Phaethon would fight off the race of the Giants.

    * * *

    Rumble, ruuumble¡ª

    A massive wave of flames blanketed the skies.

    A rain of flames in varying shades and sizes descended and burned the bodies of the Giants. Even then, the massive creatures still managed to spot Phaethon¡¯s real body and angrily swung their huge arms at him.

    Puh-hwack¡ª

    Shu-shushushu¡ª

    But just before the huge hand could grab the flame, the flame enveloped the Giant¡¯s hand first instead.

    Hiss, sizzle¡ª

    Its pale skin turned crimson from the heat, and Phaethon¡¯s flames scorched the Giant¡¯s body pitch-black in no time.

    ¡°Burn to ashes, you abominable Giant bastards¡ª!¡±

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    Pow-pow-pow-powwww¡ª!

    Accompanying his near-hysterical roar, hundreds and thousands of pillars made out of pure flames exploded all around him.

    The Giants, with their bodies stabbed through and scorched by the flame pillars, began collapsing on the ground one by one.

    Soon, Phaethon¡¯s flames enveloped the entire surroundings. In other words, massive space seemingly made of fire had materialized.

    And this flame instantly swallowed up the Giants.

    ¡°¡­It seems that his claim of him being Lord Apollo¡¯s son might be true,¡± Hercules muttered while observing the battle.

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Su-hyeun asked back.

    ¡°That technique of his that allows him to assimilate with fire is definitely something permitted only to gods related to fire. No matter how excellent you are as a magician, you still can¡¯t utilize the techniques of the gods.¡±

    ¡°If that technique is permitted to all the gods related to fire, then it can be someone other than Apollo, can¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Well, sure. That¡¯s also true. Still, the possibility is there, regardless. Even then¡­¡± Hercules frowned deeply and continued to murmur, ¡°Something about this just feels off.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at the last part of Hercules¡¯s observation.

    For sure, something about Phaethon¡¯s ability didn¡¯t feel right. It wasn¡¯t as if the ability itself was defective or anything like that, but more like the ¡°identity¡± of the ability came across as rather suspicious.

    ¡°By the way, are you planning to stay down there?¡± Su-hyeun then asked.

    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped, now can it? I don¡¯t have the power of flight like this dragon fellow here. Even though I can jump up quite high.¡±

    Hercules was currently holding on to Miru¡¯s paw to dangle in the air. Miru was barely managing to stay afloat in the sky at the demigod¡¯s weight.

    Su-hyeun could only sigh while thinking that if he knew how things would turn out, he should¡¯ve just asked the demigod to climb on top even if there wasn¡¯t enough room for both of them. He then shifted his gaze back to Phaethon.

    ¡°Although it is amazing, something about it does feel different,¡± he thought.

    The sight of Phaethon combating the Giants was certainly deserving of a round of applause. For one, the soldiers watching on from the distance were no longer gripped by fear after witnessing his display of power.

    Which wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.

    If a battle against an unknown enemy, or even against those Colossi Hercules had spoken of earlier, was waiting in the near future, then Phaethon would certainly provide a powerful additional combat force, after all.

    But this vague feeling of disharmony coming from him left behind a strangely sour aftertaste. It was as if Su-hyeun had missed something crucial here.

    Rumble¡ª

    It was then that something hot awakened inside Su-hyeun.

    An indigo-colored flame rumbled, and at the same time, the divine Flame roused up from his hand.

    This happened outside of Su-hyeun¡¯s control.

    Then, a voice entered his mind. ¡°Come, get closer,¡± it said.

    Was it the Somersault cloud? Or the Palm Leaf?

    No, it was neither of them. This voice was completely different from those two. Su-hyeun¡¯s brows shot up greatly.

    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden?¡± Hercules asked in confusion when Su-hyeun suddenly roused up his divine Flame.

    Without a doubt, it was Phaethon¡¯s job to fight the battle this time. He needed to prove that he could take the place of Hercules in the future battles against the Giants.

    If he failed to accomplish this, Hercules was thinking of rushing toward the so-called Holy Kingdom and grab the collars of the pope living there or something.

    Su-hyeun patted Miru¡¯s head and spoke, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to hop over there for a little bit.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª?

    ¡°You have to hop over where?¡±

    Just as both Miru and Hercules formed puzzled expressions¡­

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure vanished after transforming into a flame right there on the spot.

    * * *

    Sizzle¡ª

    His flesh was getting cooked.

    Su-hyeun had enveloped his body with various skills, but Phaethon¡¯s flames were still hot enough to break through their defenses.

    In the end, Su-hyeun, who used ¡°Leap¡± to enter the space of fire, had no choice but to rely on Somersault cloud¡¯s defensive capabilities.

    Shu-wu, shu-wuwu¡ª

    Once the Somersault cloud wrapped around him in a thin layer, the choking heat seemed to lesson to some degree.

    ¡°And he said this is lukewarm?¡±

    Su-hyeun realized how straightforwardly nonsensical the declaration of Hercules from earlier was.

    ¡°Well, that dude is also a bona fide monster, after all.¡±

    While fighting the Giants together for the past 15 days, Su-hyeun had learned that Hercules was rather very strong.

    However, that observation was strictly confined to the realm of physical strength.

    Even then, they hadn¡¯t fought against a Colossus-class Giant yet, so it was hard to fully figure out the depth of his strength, and even in the area of his stamina, Hercules had yet to reveal where his limits were.

    Therefore, when Hercules labeled Phaethon¡¯s flames as merely ¡°lukewarm,¡± Su-hyeun gained an important clue to help him re-evaluate the durability of Hercules¡¯s body.

    If that wasn¡¯t him bluffing, then not only his physical strength but also his stamina and the sturdiness of his body should all be considered infinitely close to an actual god¡¯s.

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun entered the crimson waves of flames Phaethon had created.

    Phaethon was currently battling Gigantes inside this space. The monsters with two eyes were different from other Giants in that they possessed a functioning ego.

    One of the Gigantes was already dead. Two of them remained.

    ¡°How did you get in here?¡±

    Phaethon turned his head toward Su-hyeun.

    The remaining Gigantes were unable to rashly pounce on Phaethon at the moment and found themselves trapped within the fire arena he created.

    Two Gigantes wouldn¡¯t present much of a threat in this situation, it seemed.

    ¡°This guy is also pretty exhausted,¡± Su-hyeun quietly observed.

    He discovered large droplets of sweat trickling down Phaethon¡¯s forehead.

    He couldn¡¯t tell if this young man was the real son of the sun god Apollo, but there was little doubt that the latter did possess some kind of godhood-rivaling authority. Therefore, someone like that wouldn¡¯t be breaking a sweat from the high temperature.

    It could only mean that fatigue was catching up to him.

    ¡°I asked you how you managed to enter this place!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to shout. I can hear you just fine. And if you must know, I simply entered, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°¡­Simply entered?¡±

    ¡°Why do you sound as if no one can enter here no matter what? These flames aren¡¯t all that powerful, anyway. With only this much, it wouldn¡¯t just be me but even Hercules can easily waltz in here,¡± Su-hyeun replied in an apathetic voice as if to imply that something dumb had been asked of him.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Besides all that, does anyone else know about it too?¡± Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes and peered right through Phaethon¡¯s facade. ¡°¡­That you¡¯re not a god¡¯s descendant but a regular human being?¡±

 Chapter 320

    Phaethon¡¯s expression crumpled unsightly at Su-hyeun¡¯s provocation.

    But he couldn¡¯t immediately vent his anger toward Su-hyeun. Instead, he thickened the wall of flames burning all around them, and only then did he begin to say something.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±

    The first thing he chose to do was to feign ignorance.

    Unfortunately, his eyes faltered noticeably. He might be good at lying, but it seemed that he didn¡¯t know how to respond when his lies were exposed.

    ¡°Hercules is the son of Zeus and has acquired his qualification of godhood through his blood. He is not the same as you, who directly borrows the power of a god through ¡®Union with God,''¡± Su-hyeun continued.

    Phaethon¡¯s eyes quivered even more.

    ¡°Union with God¡±¡ªSu-hyeun had come across this ability once before.

    During the trial on the 60th floor, the Jade Emperor used this ¡°Union with God¡± ability to directly borrow and use Buddha¡¯s powers.

    The level of power one could borrow would vary with each individual, but according to the Bull Demon King¡¯s analysis, the Jade Emperor only managed to bring out less than one percent of Buddha¡¯s actual powers.

    Phaethon¡¯s case seemed to be better than the Jade Emperor¡¯s. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know what method Phaethon resorted to, but he managed to borrow quite a lot of power, so much so that an ordinary person would start wondering if he really was a son of a god and possessed the qualification of the godhood through his bloodline.

    ¡°You¡­How do you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Someone told me,¡± said Su-hyeun before shifting his gaze. He scanned the still-remaining Giants and the Gigantes before continuing, ¡°For now, why don¡¯t we get rid of all the hindrances first?¡±

    Shu-rung¡ª

    He unsheathed his sword. At the same time, a breeze blew among all the hotly burning flames.

    ¡°Blow away¡ª¡±

    [The Wave Sword¡ªExplosion Style]

    [Palm Leaf Sword]

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Just as the wind blew, the magical energy permeating within the sword rapidly got amplified. The Palm Leaf and the skill that amplified the force, the Explosion Style, joined as one.

    ¡°¡­Palm Leaf.¡±

    Sha-ahah¡ª

    The slowly swung sword didn¡¯t touch any of the Giants. Even then, Phaethon instinctively placed an even thicker wall of flames all around his body.

    Right after that¡­

    Chuwa-aaaaah¡ª!

    Jets of blood gushed out from the Giants¡¯ bodies. It was the same story for the Gigantes as well.

    Phaethon soon withdrew the flames around him, and when he did, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

    ¡°What just happened?!¡± he thought.

    He sensed a bone-chilling danger looming over, so he protected himself with flames but that ended up obscuring his view. However, when he confirmed the situation afterward, what greeted him was a horrifying bloodbath. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, quite literally at that.

    ¡°This¡­Isn¡¯t this way crazier than what I¡¯ve heard?!¡±

    He had heard stories related to Hercules as well. According to some accounts, one punch of his would be enough to cause an earthquake, or one swing of his club would shatter a mountain or blow up the head of a Giant, and so on. Phaethon had heard all sorts of improbable rumors up until now.

    However, he didn¡¯t believe any of those rumors.

    Even if that man were the son of the god Zeus, in the end, he was a half-blood. Phaethon believed that Hercules simply could not be stronger than he was, the one who borrowed the powers of a god.

    ¡°Alright, now. We¡¯ve more or less created a suitable environment, so why don¡¯t we finish our discussion from earlier? As for that thing¡­¡± Su-hyeun spoke while glancing at the wall of flames belonging to Phaethon, which hadn¡¯t dissipated yet. ¡°Whether you cancel that or not, I¡¯ll leave that up to you.¡±

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Phaethon cussed under his breath and gritted his teeth. He then shouted at Su-hyeun, his brows shooting up higher. ¡°Haven¡¯t I asked you already to clarify what the hell you are even talking about?!¡±

    ¡°The one who must start the interrogation shouldn¡¯t be you, but our side. Honestly speaking, I don¡¯t think you alone could¡¯ve staged this whole thing, so I¡¯m guessing that including the knight I saw earlier, Chris, pretty much all the important higher-ups are in the know.¡±

    The longer Su-hyeun continued, the redder Phaethon¡¯s face got.

    Nonetheless, Phaethon gradually became calmer as well because he soon realized that he didn¡¯t need to keep lying anymore.

    Phaethon sighed deeply and, with a comparatively calmer voice, asked Su-hyeun, ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±

    ¡°Two reasons. One, I¡¯ve already come across someone who had a vibe that was similar to yours a while ago.¡±

    He was referring to back when he fought against the Jade Emperor.

    As he had experienced it once before already, Su-hyeun could figure out that Phaethon¡¯s power was not the same as ¡°godhood¡± but still rather similar to it.

    If it weren¡¯t for that, Su-hyeun would¡¯ve been just as confused as Hercules. One could definitely sense a power similar to godhood from Phaethon, yet it didn¡¯t actually belong to him, after all.

    ¡°As for the second reason¡­¡±

    And there was another reason, one that made him far more confident of his guesses.

    ¡°Because I¡¯ve called him here.¡±

    RUMBLE¡ª

    Crimson flames began coagulating in one spot. The flame that made a person think there couldn¡¯t be another flame redder than this one rapidly took on the silhouette of a man.

    The silhouette that was slightly larger than Hercules¡¯s built was more beautiful than any sculpture in existence despite being formed out of blazing flames.

    And the moment Phaethon witnessed this being, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. ¡°L¡ªlord Apollo?!¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you. This will be our first time meeting and chatting face to face like this, right?¡±

    He was Apollo, the god of the sun and fire; he was also the son of Zeus.

    Phaethon immediately gathered his hands together and bowed reverentially.

    Even if he dared to call himself the son of a god and tried to pull the wool over people¡¯s eyes, he was still a citizen of the Holy Kingdom that worshiped Apollo. Besides, there wouldn¡¯t be all that many humans in this world who were capable of standing upright in the presence of a god.

    ¡°A faithful servant to Lord Apollo, Phaethon, pays his respects to his lord.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure. Oh, and you¡¯re supposed to be my son, right?¡±

    Apollo asked with an amused face. Of course, this topic wasn¡¯t something to be discussed with an expression like that from Phaethon¡¯s perspective.

    ¡°T¡ªthat, that was¡­¡±

    Apollo smirked at Phaethon¡¯s expression which was a cross between perplexity and embarrassment. The latter briefly looked relieved from that grin, but what the sun god said next caused a dazed and blank expression to fill his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ¡®talk¡¯ to you later about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A con that sold itself in the name of a god¡ªjust what kind of punishment would be in store for that?

    Phaethon had never imagined in his life that Apollo would personally manifest through the flames, and he slowly fell down on his knees.

    In the meantime, Apollo shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun. The latter had no particular expression on his face as he stared right back at the sun god.

    Apollo studied that expression and frowned ever so slightly. ¡°Strange.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t read you. Have you acquired godhood already?¡±

    Can¡¯t read, he said.

    Su-hyeun immediately figured out that the reason why Apollo stared at his face was to read his thoughts.

    Reading a person¡¯s thoughts simply by staring at that person? Something like that would be one of the highest-grade skills for an awakener, but to a god, that must¡¯ve been a pretty basic ability.

    Of course, it seemed that Apollo failed to read Su-hyeun¡¯s thoughts, but still.

    ¡°How does it look to you?¡± Su-hyeun asked back.

    ¡°You must¡¯ve acquired it, then. And here I was, thinking that you only managed to acquire a half-piece so far.¡±

    A half-piece?

    Su-hyeun made a puzzled face before raising his hand. The indigo-colored divine Flame appeared from his fingertips. ¡°Are you talking about this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Its color didn¡¯t want to change after reaching this darker shade of indigo. I was under the impression that it¡¯s because the skill¡¯s power has reached its limit¡­¡±

    ¡°Its limit? There¡¯s no such thing for flames.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Apollo approached Su-hyeun as the flames danced. The latter initially thought he would be beset with stifling heat, but what he felt was a comforting warmth instead.

    Apollo wasn¡¯t hostile¡ªSu-hyeun was greatly relieved once he confirmed this fact. It certainly would not be good news if a god was hostile to him, after all.

    ¡°The power the fire possesses is infinite. It¡¯s the same for the power you possess. As for why its hue has not changed, should I say, you¡¯ve run into a wall?¡±

    ¡°When you say ¡®wall,¡¯ do you mean the qualification of godhood?¡±

    ¡°The ¡®godhood of fire¡¯ is a fairly high-tier qualification. Not something you can easily acquire.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you didn¡¯t summon me here to boast,¡± said Su-hyeun, having already figured out that the voice that summoned him to this location belonged to Apollo. ¡°Why did you call me here?¡±

    ¡°A god of my level can develop something called ¡®Precognition,¡¯ you see. In my eyes, you¡¯re the kind of a guy who will walk on the path of Shura.¡±

    Walking on the path of Shura?

    Now that wasn¡¯t a nice thing to hear, but technically, it wasn¡¯t wrong either. Judging from what the administrators had said so far, the path before Su-hyeun would no doubt be incredibly dangerous and difficult.

    At least the fight against Fafnir alone would be well beyond the realm of people¡¯s imaginations. And that was why Su-hyeun didn¡¯t find Apollo¡¯s declaration all that shocking and could let it go out the other ear.

    Such a flaccid response prompted a chuckle from Apollo, however. He seemed to find this reaction that betrayed his expectation rather interesting.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I was thinking of bestowing you with a gift.¡±

    ¡°A gift?¡±

    ¡°Give me your hand.¡±

    ¡°My hand¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun did as he was told and presented his hand toward Apollo. The sun god then placed his own hand on top of Su-hyeun¡¯s. The flames that felt warm until a second ago suddenly grew hot enough to cook his skin.

    Sizzzzle¡ª

    Su-hyeun furrowed his brows and bit down on his lip.

    It hurt a lot, but he endured. That didn¡¯t mean he was going to do nothing, however. He also activated his divine Flame and began resisting against the fire.

    Apollo watched as Su-hyeun fought back and quietly expressed his admiration. ¡°Yes, just like that. Don¡¯t take your hand away and be patient. Be patient and endure.¡±

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already realized it, have you not? The larger flame will swallow up a smaller flame, you see.¡±

    ¡°The larger flame?¡±

    ¡°The flame you possess is merely a half-complete qualification of godhood. And I, as I stand before you, am also nothing more than a half-complete piece merely manifesting through that guy¡¯s flames.¡±

    Indeed, Apollo standing before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was the fire itself, a mere silhouette of the actual god created through the flames.

    ¡°Even then, divinity still permeates within this fire, so it will be of some help to you. That¡¯s why¡­¡±

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    ¡°You should try your best to devour the fire I possess.¡±

    Keuk¡­

    The crimson flames traveled from Apollo¡¯s hand and began to creep up to Su-hyeun¡¯s arm. They were much hotter than before as well.

    Apollo¡¯s flames instantly reddened Su-hyeun¡¯s arm and began devouring the divine Flame next.

    ¡°Okay, fine.¡±

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    The indigo-hued flames roused on Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. All of his magic count of 94 was solely focused on activating the divine Flame. His magical energy consumption had decreased by a lot through the breathing technique, and it wasn¡¯t as if he had been fighting a serious battle until then, so there was more than enough energy left in his tank to fall back on as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do just that and devour it for you.¡±

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t exactly aggressive in nature. If one were to label him, then he would be a pacifist. However, that didn¡¯t mean he had no competitive streak in him that desire to win.

    Especially more so like now, when someone provoked him first or there was a juicy reward waiting for him right before his eyes¡ªhe would transform into a completely different person.

    Rumble, whoooosh¡ª

    Sizzle¡ª

    Two different types of flames¡ª crimson and indigo¡ªintermingled and danced through his hand, latching onto Apollo¡¯s own.

    As they devoured each other, they took on the hues of the other one. The crimson flames traveled up Su-hyeun¡¯s arm, and the indigo flames swallowed up Apollo¡¯s arm next.

    A precarious balance was established and somehow maintained.

    However, maintaining the perfect balance was an act that verged on impossibility.

    Eventually, this balance collapsed.

    RUMBLEEEEE¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s divine Flame overwhelmed and swallowed up Apollo¡¯s fire.

    He then looked at the sun god. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what?¡±

    Apollo¡¯s figure, which was previously made of crimson flames, was gradually changing into an indigo hue as Su-hyeun¡¯s flame had begun swallowing up Apollo¡¯s silhouette.

    ¡°Lending a helping hand to a meek little lamb? Something like that?¡±

    Su-hyeun was dumbfounded by Apollo¡¯s reply but couldn¡¯t find anything malicious about it. No, he should be grateful to the god, actually.

    ¡°¡­Thank you. I¡¯ll use it well.¡±

    And so, the moment all of Apollo¡¯s figure was dyed in the indigo hue¡­

    [You have acquired the qualification of ¡°godhood of fire.¡±]

    A message popped up in his mind.

    Su-hyeun had acquired his second godhood qualification.

 Chapter 321

    Act 5

    Rumble¡ª

    Flames rose within Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    It was purple in color.

    The divine Flame had changed its hue. It was a hue that displayed no signs of changing for a long, long time.

    Every time the grade of his magic level rose, the Flame¡¯s hue also changed, so when he reached the ninth level, he expected the hue to change as well, but it seemed that he was wrong about that one.

    The qualification of ¡°godhood of fire¡± was the requirement for the purple color, as it turned out.

    ¡°This is¡­my second godhood qualification,¡± he thought.

    It was one of the many qualifications out there to become a god.

    It was said that even within the realm of the same type of godhood, and many other types out there, the upper-class gods possessed a far higher concept of godhood.

    For instance, Apollo in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes might possess a similar type of godhood, ¡°fire,¡± but his was higher in concept than Su-hyeun¡¯s, and that was why he was currently known as the god that represented fire.

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    Su-hyeun created more of the purple-colored flames and enveloped his whole body with them. The flames soon became his armor, and when it wrapped around his hand, it became a sharp dagger.

    Not only was he able to change the flame¡¯s shape according to his will now, but he could also even freely control its temperature.

    Most likely, he should be able to create a flame far hotter and more powerful than ever before.

    At the same time, all the flames Phaethon had created currently surrounding them felt quite familiar to him. They now felt like air or magical energy that existed around him at all times.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you find it too amazing?¡± Apollo asked.

    ¡°Never mind ¡®amazing,¡¯ for now¡­¡± Su-hyeun withdrew the divine Flame burning in his hand. The existence before his eyes loomed far, far too large for him to leisurely enjoy his newly earned ability. ¡°May I ask about what exactly you want from me?¡±

    ¡°What I want from you, you say?¡±

    ¡°There is this saying among humans¡ªgive and take. It kind of means that if someone gives you something, they expect something else in return, so you shouldn¡¯t accept a show of goodwill or unconditionally offer one yourself.¡±

    ¡°There is such a saying? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m hearing it.¡±

    Apollo, still maintaining his silhouette but through the indigo-hued flame, nodded his head in understanding.

    The master of that flame was no longer Phaethon but Su-hyeun, of course. In other words, Apollo was manifesting and maintaining his figure through the divine Flame Su-hyeun had created.

    ¡°Why are you showing me this gesture of goodwill?¡± Su-hyeun asked again.

    ¡°He¡¯s right, my lord!¡± The one to raise his voice loudly at Su-hyeun¡¯s question was Phaethon. ¡°Just why?! Why did you show your favor to this man? How could you permit your godhood to someone with no faith like him and not us?!¡±

    Seeing all those veins bulging in his throat, Phaethon must¡¯ve been feeling truly aggrieved right now.

    Faith, he said. Indeed, to the eyes of a believer who lived his whole life filled with faith and devotion up until this moment, the current situation should come across as truly irrational.

    ¡°Faith, hmm¡­¡±

    The corners of Apollo¡¯s lips curled up.

    Just by having the most beautiful man in the world smile, it almost felt like the surroundings had gotten even brighter than before. If more exaggerations were to be added on top, then that smile was gorgeous enough for half of all men to fall head over heels.

    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful thing, faith. Indeed, you¡¯ve done well in that regard.¡± Apollo nodded softly a couple of times before suddenly asking, ¡°But so what?¡±

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±

    Was it because of the unexpected response? Phaethon looked completely taken aback. It seemed that he had been expecting to be rewarded with an answer by Apollo for his unyielding faith.

    ¡°Besides your devotion in me, what else have you done? You were too afraid to fight against the race of Giants, so you all cowered away, yet the moment you gain the necessary strength, you acted solely for the sake of your political power and fame. But now you wish to talk about faith?¡±

    ¡°But that was¡­!¡±

    ¡°You convinced yourself that your faith is pure and unblemished, but I wonder about that. In my eyes, this guy might not be one of my believers, but he still looks far better than you.¡± Apollo shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun once more while still maintaining that gorgeous smile of his from earlier. ¡°Well, you can now more or less understand my reason, I hope?¡±

    ¡°Are you taking pity on me?¡±

    Apollo willingly admitted that he possessed a power similar to Precognition.

    And that claim must have been true because he was peering straight into Su-hyeun¡¯s future. He warned that the path before Su-hyeun would be difficult, and it would be like Shura itself, which sounded remarkably similar to the warning of the administrator.

    Did he help Su-hyeun out now for what was about to come?

    ¡°Pity? Although there¡¯s some of that, that¡¯s strictly not true.¡± Apollo shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s more for our own sake too, you see.¡±

    ¡°When you say for your sake¡­¡±

    ¡°Gods, of course. Up there.¡± Apollo pointed upward. He was referring to Olympus, which should be somewhere up in the heavens.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze naturally followed the direction of Apollo¡¯s finger. Although he couldn¡¯t see it, he still felt its existence. And in that place, those claiming to be the gods of this world were observing the mortals down below.

    Whether those gazes from above were because of Apollo, Su-hyeun himself, or even Hercules, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t really tell, but regardless, the oppressive weight of their combined gazes still felt incredibly heavy.

    ¡°The ones you¡¯ll get to fight in the future are diametrically opposed to us, you see.¡± Apollo began speaking again, but his figure was gradually getting blurrier. ¡°Do your best to win, Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    This god knew his name?

    Su-hyeun had never revealed it to Apollo, and his thoughts apparently couldn¡¯t be read, so it could only mean that the sun god already knew his name.

    However, before he could ask how the sun god came to know it, Apollo¡¯s figure completely vanished from view.

    Su-hyeun stopped reaching out with his hand and sighed deeply under his breath.

    ¡°Should I be happy about this?¡± he thought.

    This certainly qualified as a good thing. A godhood qualification was incredibly difficult to acquire, yet he got his hands on one in an unexpected place, after all.

    But for some reason, this power felt like a heavy lump of lead pressing down on his shoulders, and he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to celebrate his power-up.

    * * *

    Rumble¡ª

    Flames rose higher from within the burning fireplace, and among the dancing flames, a handsome man with long crimson hair and a sleek jawline revealed himself.

    ¡°You¡¯ve returned?¡±

    Apollo grasped his long, free-flowing hair and tied them neatly. He then replied to the voice that came from behind him, ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡±

    ¡°You must¡¯ve had a lot to talk about, seeing how long you took.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been watching from the beginning, so stop pretending, will you? You were staring so hard that I thought I might freeze to death.¡±

    After tidying up his hair, Apollo looked behind him. That was where he found a silver-haired woman sitting next to the fireplace while slowly stroking the head of a white-furred wolf.

    She was a blindingly beautiful woman, but Apollo had seen that face for far too long and no longer felt any particular impression about her looks.

    ¡°Pay it no heed, Artemis. This is the role that your immature older brother must perform, after all.¡±

    She was the goddess of the moon, Artemis.

    ¡°How can I not? Knowing full well that you¡¯ll earn father¡¯s ire, you still manifested down below, and you even yielded a portion of your godhood to that human, too,¡± she replied to Apollo¡¯s advice while gently and studiously stroking the wolf¡¯s head.

    She then abruptly lifted her hand away from the wolf and looked back at Apollo.

    ¡°Are you insane?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Father will scold me quite seriously this time. I hope all I get is a lightning bolt and no more than that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a small miracle if the punishment ends at only that. You might get imprisoned in the netherworld for 10,000 years.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s rather horrifying. Would I be able to win against Uncle Hades, I wonder?¡±

    ¡°You want to fight him?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Even if I win, that¡¯s going to present another problem. Father will scold me even more.¡±

    Apollo grinned brightly as he settled down next to Artemis in front of the fireplace. His reaction was far too relaxed for the situation he was in, and as if frustrated by his attitude, Artemis slapped Apollo¡¯s arm with her hand.

    ¡°You damn fool. Why couldn¡¯t you just leave it to Hercules and let him handle it? Why do something like this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right about that, but you also know this, don¡¯t you? That guy¡¯s potential is just incredible despite his bloodline,¡± Apollo replied.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    Artemis was unable to say anything at what Apollo said and eventually nodded her head.

    That human didn¡¯t inherit an excellent bloodline unlike Hercules nor had he been in existence for a long time before acquiring a godhood qualification.

    What¡¯s more, the godhood qualification had only been in his possession for a short time, and he already managed to reach this far. As far as pure potential was concerned, he was more excellent than any human the gods were currently aware of.

    It was not that difficult to understand why Apollo placed so much expectation on that human¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Well, regardless of what, he¡¯s a mere human, and his bloodline is also ordinary, so this is the least I can do for him. Father will also understand.¡±

    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t?¡±

    When Artemis asked as she shook her head, indicating that no such thing would ever happen, Apollo pondered his answer for a bit before saying something.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it can¡¯t be helped, then.¡±

    * * *

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    The flames died down.

    The wall of flames Phaethon had created vanished, and the surrounding view could be seen once more.

    Phaethon¡¯s state remained the same ever since Apollo disappeared¡ªa blank and hollow expression was etched on his face.

    Su-hyeun glanced at the kneeling blonde-haired young man. Only he would have any clue as to what Phaethon was currently thinking about. Su-hyeun also used to carry such an expression for a while in the past, after all.

    ¡°That¡¯s the face of a man who lost everything,¡± he thought.

    As the gazes of the countless men landed on him, Phaethon simply ignored them all and stared at the spot where Apollo had stood.

    Several minutes passed by like that.

    The presence of Chris and the other knights approaching closer forced Phaethon to weakly stand back up.

    ¡°Thank you for all your hard work, Phaethon.¡±

    ¡°The Giants have all been¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let us return,¡± Phaethon abruptly replied.

    Those words came straight out of the mouth of the hero responsible for defeating the Giants all by himself, and they were quite different from what the others expected to hear from him.

    Did he say ¡°return¡±?

    ¡°What do you mean by that, Phaethon?¡±

    The one to step forward and ask that was Chris.

    He was far more excited than anyone else right now. Phaethon had succeeded in defeating the Giants, and this accomplishment meant so much from the perspective of the Holy Kingdom.

    It was an opportunity to take over the status and fame of Hercules the hero. However, Phaethon was willingly forsaking such a heaven-sent opportunity.

    ¡°Do you even understand the deeper implications of what you just said?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand them fully.¡±

    Chris, with madness raging within his eyes now, completely forgot about Su-hyeun¡¯s presence next to them and continued to shout, ¡°If you do, then you mustn¡¯t be like this! Don¡¯t you¡­don¡¯t you know how much the Holy Kingdom had to toil away and sacrifice for your sake?!¡±

    ¡°Or maybe he thinks that I have no idea what they¡¯re talking about in the first place,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Eavesdropping on those words helped Su-hyeun figure out how Phaethon managed to borrow Apollo¡¯s powers.

    ¡°Did he get the backing of the Holy Kingdom?¡±

    Normally, the members of the clergy found in various worlds would focus specifically on mastering the methods of borrowing the powers of their chosen deities, and that practice seemed to be true even for the people of this world.

    In the end, Phaethon¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t his own, and the only reason why he succeeded with ¡°Union with God¡± with Apollo was that the Holy Kingdom had researched the method and provided him with the necessary assistance.

    ¡°Our god, he has forsaken us,¡± Phaethon muttered.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the details after we return,¡± Phaethon chuckled helplessly as if everything had been in vain and raised his head. ¡°For now, I do not wish to do anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Chris stood there and silently studied Phaethon¡¯s condition. He looked the complete opposite of his confident self from a while ago, and his expression seemed to be utterly drained of all energy.

    ¡°What exactly happened inside the wall of flames?¡± Chris wondered inwardly.

    Grit¡ª

    He gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do for now.

    All the power of divinity that existed in the Holy Kingdom had been concentrated on Phaethon, and with him disillusioned like this for some reason, going ahead with their plans would be impossible now.

    ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll eventually uncover the truth of what happened,¡± Chris said while turning around after reaching that bitter decision. ¡°Everyone, we shall¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hold on for a minute.¡±

    Grab¡ª

    A huge hand suddenly grabbed Chris¡¯s shoulder. The knight turned around to find Hercules making a stern expression.

    The demigod, who was looking up at the purple-colored sky, slowly opened his mouth, ¡°They are here.¡±

    Even his voice sounded serious.

    Slap¡ª

    Chris barely managed to shove aside Hercules¡¯s hand that was gradually gripping his shoulder harder and asked unhappily, ¡°Just who are coming here exactly?¡±

    ¡°Those bastards.¡±

    ¡°Those¡­bastards?¡±

    Buzzzzzz¡ª

    While staring at the purple sky wavering ominously, Hercules pulled out his club.

    ¡°The Colossi.¡±

 Chapter 322

    * * *

    Buzz, bzzzz, vrrrrr¡ª

    The vibrations didn¡¯t feel right.

    Su-hyeun looked up at the purple sky above¡ªat the dungeon up there, rather. He knew only too well what the current phenomenon signified, and that was why he found it so much harder to accept the current situation.

    ¡°Just how many dungeon outbreaks have happened so far?¡± he asked inwardly.

    Su-hyeun might know more about dungeons than anyone else, but even then, he didn¡¯t have much knowledge on purple-colored dungeons because only one such dungeon had appeared on Earth¡ªthe one where Fafnir had shown up from.

    As such, he guessed that the purple-colored dungeon must be unique compared to other colors, at the very least, and he also definitely remembered that a near-infinite number of monsters that flooded out from the purple dungeon.

    However, that dungeon¡¯s outbreak wasn¡¯t split into several different incidents like what had been happening here. No, it simply let out countless hordes of monsters in one outbreak and drove the world to its demise.

    ¡°The ones Hercules has mentioned before¡­¡± he thought.

    The aura coming from the dungeon felt incredibly ominous. It was on another realm compared to all the other ragtag mobs that had shown up so far. It was powerful enough to send chills down his spine, in fact.

    ¡°The really dangerous ones are the Colossi. As for the other ones¡­Well, in human terms they are like regular foot soldiers.¡±

    These were the creatures that made the mountainous Giants look like mere foot soldiers; they were the leaders of the race of Giants that even made the gods and Hercules, who was capable of killing a Giant with one hit, deeply nervous.

    The Colossus¡ªthere could be no other monster aside from it that was capable of emitting this much amount of ominous aura.

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes and probed the aura coming from the purple-colored dungeon a little deeper than before.

    ¡°Their numbers¡­That¡¯s a lot.¡±

    He furrowed his brows unconsciously.

    Did the Giants and Gigantes appear first to test the waters? Or was there another reason why they couldn¡¯t appear here together?

    The reason was unknown at this stage, but there was no mistaking the fact that the number about to show up was far greater than the Giants he and Phaethon had taken care of minutes ago. Regular Giants alone numbered over a hundred individuals, and he thought he could sense at least 10 Gigantes.

    Then, there were two more that emitted an aura that was even greater than all the others combined¡ªthe Colossi.

    ¡°Hercules,¡± Su-hyeun called out to the demigod.

    Hercules was already getting his club ready. He walked over to Su-hyeun and addressed the latter, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to handle one of them.¡±

    ¡°Is it difficult to deal with two at the same time?¡±

    ¡°This is the first time two of them have appeared together. It seems like the one I chased away the last time brought along a friend.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hold back when you beat that thing up? Did you hurt it so bad that it even decided to bring a friend along?¡±

    ¡°Urgh! I didn¡¯t know things would turn out this way.¡±

    ¡°And about the other Giants and the Gigantes¡­¡±

    ¡°That fool will have to take them on.¡±

    Hercules turned his head to look at Phaethon behind him.

    Although Phaethon looked a little exhausted from the battle earlier, he was still one of the few combat forces who could still able to participate in the upcoming battle. The tens of thousands of soldiers and knights like Chris would most likely find it difficult to deal with just one Giant, after all.

    ¡°Well, at least he¡¯s going to be helpful in moments like this,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told them to get out of here since the other soldiers will simply get in the way. Just why did he have to go and bring along so many people today?¡± Hercules muttered, clearly not liking the whole situation, and glanced at Chris.

    In the meantime, the soldiers were busy making their retreat under the command of Chris and the other knights.

    Phaethon walked over to the side of Su-hyeun and Hercules. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    His voice contained a little more energy than before.

    It seemed that regardless of how lost and empty he felt, his personality wasn¡¯t so soft and weak that he would remain demotivated and not even bother to face the invading enemies. That was certainly a relief.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the Colossi. You deal with the other Giants,¡± said Hercules.

    ¡°Will that be fine?¡±

    ¡°Judging from how you fought earlier, I¡¯m thinking that anything stronger will be too much for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I know that you feel deeply embarrassed after your lie of being a son of a god was exposed, so if you manage to handle this crisis well, I promise I won¡¯t beat you up and let you go home, so do your best.¡± Hercules stared at the Giants that began descending from the purple-colored skies and finished what he wanted to say. ¡°Remember that if you fail to kill even one, tens of thousands of people will lose their lives.¡±

    ¡°Tens of thousands¡­¡± Phaethon mulled over what Hercules said and nodded his head soon afterward.

    For some reason, it felt like a huge and heavy lump of lead was crashing down on his shoulders. The meaning of the upcoming battle¡­It seemed that Hercules understood that far clearer than Phaethon had.

    The gods, not humans, were supposed to fight against the race of the Giants. The appearance of just one, maybe two Giants would result in the deaths of countless people.

    ¡°And the one stopping them until now is none other than Hercules.¡±

    This felt different from when he would listen to all the tales about Hercules. Phaethon could now understand the truth after personally participating in a battle and then witnessing the ones Hercules talked about, the Colossi, getting ready to make their entrance.

    The potential blowback and the responsibility of losing the battle or making a fatal mistake somewhere turned out to be far weightier and more frightening than what Phaethon had bargained for.

    ¡°Don¡¯t freeze up and do your best.¡±

    Pang¡ª!

    Hercules slapped Phaethon¡¯s back. The latter flinched greatly and nodded hastily. Then, the burly demigod pounded on Su-hyeun¡¯s back next.

    POW¡ª!

    ¡°You too. Don¡¯t die on me.¡±

    ¡°Why does it feel like you hit me harder than him?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re tougher than him, of course.¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m some kind of an indestructible iron man or something?¡±

    ¡°An iron man? No, you¡¯re well beyond that. I mean, you¡¯ve already acquired two different qualifications of godhood, haven¡¯t you?¡± A meaningful grin appeared on Hercules¡¯s face as if he had witnessed what transpired between Su-hyeun and Apollo even though he was a great distance away. ¡°So, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    The demigod stopped talking there and turned his head away, a grave expression etched on his face.

    This would be the first time Su-hyeun saw Hercules make such a tense expression. It was as good a proof as any just how dangerous the existence of the creature called the Colossus was.

    And Su-hyeun somehow figured out the reason for the demigod¡¯s nervousness¡ªthey were the prey.

    The incoming Colossi emitted a type of aura that was similar to what Gluttony emitted when it was still alive¡ªin other words, the ¡°prey.¡±

    However, these two came across as far more threatening than Gluttony.

    Their outer appearances perfectly resembled humans. At only around five meters in height, they could be described as ¡°small¡± only when compared with other Giants.

    One of them was wearing armor and had a shaven head, while the other boasted short but unruly blond locks.

    Hercules stared at the Colossus with a shaven head and spoke, ¡°Oh, so you came back, baldie.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back.¡±

    The two of them stared at each other and growled menacingly.

    As for Su-hyeun¡­

    ¡°Hey, look over here.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    He snapped his fingers and lit a flame right in front of the other Colossus¡¯ eyes.

    The Colossus asked, ¡°A dog of Apollo, I see.¡±

    ¡°Wrong.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Su-hyeun snapped his fingers again at the Colossus¡¯ comment.

    When he did¡­

    Fhwoooosh¡ª!

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom¡ª!

    Purple-colored flames appeared all around the blond Colossus and caused a chain of explosions.

    Sizzle¡ª

    The corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled up into a smirk as he stared at the Colossus and its scorched skin. ¡°Guess again.¡±

    The eyes of the Colossus gleamed dangerously.

    * * *

    Boom¡ª

    The two Colossi landed fully on the ground and stood in front of Su-hyeun and Hercules.

    The Colossus that chose to stand before Hercules silently glared down at the demigod for a while. Hercules called it ¡°baldie¡± since it was indeed bald, unlike its companion.

    Hercules broke the silence first. ¡°Even if I did beat you up senseless back then, how could you go and call your big brother? That¡¯s way too embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not my brother but my father.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter whether he¡¯s your brother or father, it still doesn¡¯t change the fact that you got your ass handed to you, and you had to run back home in tears to ask for help.¡±

    Hercules replied with a snicker and glanced to his side. That¡¯s where he saw the other Colossus facing off against Su-hyeun. Judging from either the physical size or the aura oozing out from the creature, it was definitely stronger than the baldie before him.

    ¡°I better wrap this up quick and help out over there,¡± he thought.

    But as soon as Hercules¡¯s gaze shifted to his side¡­

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    ¡°How dare you get distracted before me?!¡±

    Craaack¡ª!

    The Colossus punched the ground Hercules was standing on. The earth below split apart and overturned, and the debris shot up toward the demigod¡¯s face.

    Grip¡ª

    Hercules tightly grasped his club and stepped on the rocks shooting up in all directions.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll definitely bust open that shiny head of yours today!¡±

    KWA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    The bald Colossus and Hercules collided.

    In the meantime, Su-hyeun and the blond Colossus maintained their tense standoff. The creature¡¯s body, which was previously scorched by Su-hyeun¡¯s flames, had recovered to full health by now.

    ¡°So, you aren¡¯t Apollo¡¯s dog, then?¡±

    Even though the Colossus asked a question, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t reply and simply took his time scanning the creature from top to bottom. Thanks to the creature¡¯s large size and their close proximity, it was kind of difficult to take in the Colossus¡¯s entire figure in one glance.

    The creature furrowed its brows and stared at Su-hyeun when the latter didn¡¯t bother to reply. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°The way I see it, the only noticeable difference between you and us is that you¡¯re big and we¡¯re small.¡±

    Su-hyeun got a feeling that a Giant would resemble a human more and more the higher it went in the Giant race classifications¡ªthe bottom-tier Giant-class, Gigantes, and then, the Colossus before his eyes.

    ¡°Are you seriously comparing us to humans? Not even to the gods?¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s one advantage you have over humans, then it would be your bigger size.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­But you also do not look like a regular human to me.¡±

    ¡°Meanwhile, you are a monster.¡±

    Swish¡ª

    While lightly spinning the sword in his hand, Su-hyeun walked toward the blond Colossus. ¡°That¡¯s why I should become a monster, too.¡±

    Hercules once said this.

    He said that if they failed to kill even one, two Giants that appeared in this location, then that would lead to the deaths of tens or hundreds of thousands of people.

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can now see or command the dead.]

    ¡°Come out¡­¡±

    Split¡ª

    ¡°Gluttony.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s call, Gluttony and the other summons¡ªfrom the Chief Gatekeeper and Ouroboros to Prince Nezha¡ªrevealed themselves.

    And finally, there was Miru.

    The blond Colossus paid close attention to Gluttony and Miru among all the summoned creatures. His brows shot up especially high after he sensed a vibe similar to his coming from Gluttony. ¡°What is that thing?¡±

    ¡°Kill them all. Oh, and Gluttony?¡± Su-hyeun didn¡¯t bother to reply to the Colossus again and simply issued his command to the summons instead. ¡°Don¡¯t eat the humans, okay?¡±

    ¡°Ta¡­sty¡­things¡­!¡±

    BOOM¡ª

    Gluttony made its move. The same applied to Ouroboros, the Chief Gatekeeper, and Prince Nezha.

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Miru used magic and provided protection to all the summoned creatures. Even though the punches of the Giants were fearsome, they shouldn¡¯t be able to easily penetrate past Miru¡¯s defense magic.

    ¡°How dare you¡­!¡±

    The blond Colossus didn¡¯t idly sit by and let the summons rampage unchecked. No, more correctly, it raised its hand and tried to do something about the situation.

    Pow¡ª!

    However, that hand was struck dead on by a spear that rapidly flew in, and its direction had changed at the last second.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you forget about that side,¡± Su-hyeun spoke while spinning another spear in his hand. ¡°And pay more attention to this side instead?¡±

    ¡°You insolent little¡­¡±

    The Colossus¡¯ expression crumpled unsightly.

    Su-hyeun succeeded in attracting its fury. While injecting his power into the spear, he then continued to speak to the blond Colossus. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long since I acquired this power, you see.¡±

    [Flame]

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    It was a bit difficult to call this a mere ¡°skill¡± anymore. The flames permeating with divinity swirled around the spear as Su-hyeun got ready to throw the weapon.

    ¡°Even then, I promise you that it¡¯s going to get really hot.¡±

 Chapter 323

    * * *

    One, two, three¡­

    This was an old habit of his, counting to three before throwing his spear.

    The speed of the countdown didn¡¯t matter. It could be fast or slow enough to be yawn-inducing. However, the countdown itself would never change.

    It was also his internal process to set the zero point and confirm his target.

    What about simply throwing the spear according to his gut feeling?

    That wouldn¡¯t be so bad, but the difference between him counting down and not was actually quite noticeable. The amount of power permeating the spear would be that much greater, and its accuracy would also go up.

    He rapidly counted to three in his head.

    And then, the spear flew out of his hand.

    RUUUUMBLE¡ª

    POW¡ª!

    The spear pierced and punctured a hole in the Colossus¡¯ left chest, and powerful flames exploded from that huge hole.

    Keo-urhk¡­

    The Colossus hurriedly grasped at its left chest.

    It crumpled in pain from the rumbling purple-hued flames and went down on its knees. At the same time, Su-hyeun pulled out yet another spear.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    [Flame]

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    Flames came alive on the spear that Su-hyeun held in his hand, and the moment it left his grip¡­

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª!

    The spear split into dozens of pieces and stabbed mercilessly into the kneeling blond Colossus.

    Stab, stab, stab, stab, stabbbb¡ª!

    Rumbleeeee¡ª!

    The Colossus turned into Swiss cheese with the numerous puncture holes on its body, and flames danced all over it.

    Thud¡ª

    Soon, it collapsed face-first.

    The battle had come to an end with just two spear throws.

    ¡°That was simpler than I¡ª¡±

    Thinking that it wasn¡¯t as hard as he thought, Su-hyeun turned around to leave, but then¡­

    Whooooosh¡ª

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    A cudgel flew in his direction and slammed into the very spot where he had been standing moments ago before he activated ¡°Leap¡± to evade.

    Upon jumping up high, Su-hyeun looked down below him to find the blond Colossus, which entire body was still on fire and stabbed all over by seemingly thousands of spear pieces; it was swinging around its cudgel.

    ¡°You dare to turn your back on me with this much?¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Craaaack¡ª

    The cudgel that was swung in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction split the ground apart, and a deep crater formed below it. It literally took one moment for the earth to completely overturn and for the terrain to alter beyond recognition.

    Su-hyeun wrapped himself up with the Somersault cloud to protect his body from the impact and stared at the Colossus through the foggy protective layer.

    Getting directly hit by that attack could prove to be dangerous. It was powerful, but as a consequence, it wasn¡¯t all that fast.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something you should say in your state,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°I can say it regardless of what state I am in.¡±

    Tap¡ª

    Crackle, riiiip¡ª

    It was around then that the Colossus rested the cudgel on its shoulders as the wounds on its body healed at a visibly rapid rate. Its rate of recovery seemed scarcely believable, considering that the divine Flame had been burning its wounds until then.

    ¡°Now do you understand?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    Su-hyeun replied while staring up at the heavy, gloomy clouds covering the skies now. ¡°I don¡¯t think I get it even now.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then, allow me to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Strike down,¡± Su-hyeun said, ignoring the Colossus as if there was no point in listening to it anymore, as he clenched his fist to finish his command, ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

    * * *

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    A lightning bolt struck.

    That wasn¡¯t natural lightning either. A cloud cover appeared, and a lightning bolt struck out of the blue, so it definitely couldn¡¯t have been a normal phenomenon.

    Hercules furrowed his brows at the loud thunderclap and the bright flash of light going off nearby. Although he had to frown from the searing flash of light, inwardly, he wasn¡¯t feeling so bad at the moment.

    ¡°Well, I guess I don¡¯t need to worry too much about him.¡±

    He was thinking of finishing his fight quickly to lend a helping hand over there, but it seemed that he didn¡¯t need to be in a hurry anymore.

    And while still looking away¡­

    SMACK¡ª!

    He swung the club that he held in his hand.

    Keok!

    Fwooosh, boooom¡ª!

    The bald Colossus was struck by the club and flew away before crashing noisily into the ground. Hercules turned his head to his front and lightly tapped his palm with the club before saying something that would directly wound the Colossus¡¯ pride, ¡°Man, even after receiving this much beating from me, you still can¡¯t figure it out yet? You can never win against me.¡±

    To be defeated twice by not even a low-ranking god but Hercules, a mere demigod whose veins were filled with human blood?

    The Colossus thought, ¡°There was a reason why those gods decided to raise this man.¡±

    Indeed, Hercules would live for less than a hundred years, yet someone like him was already this powerful. This power level easily matched the likes of a low-ranking god, never mind a measly little demigod.

    ¡°But that would be true if I was alone,¡± said the bald Colossus. It seemed that he had already accepted the fact that he alone could not deal with Hercules.

    And that was precisely why it brought along its father, another Colossus.

    ¡°Although the plan went slightly awry because of the presence of an unexpected fool, all I have to do is buy more time. Nothing¡¯s changed.¡±

    That¡¯s what the bald Colossus thought, but such a thought process was far too easy even for Hercules to read, someone who could be argued as not the sharpest tool in the shed.

    Hercules replied, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s one or two of your kind showing up, nothing would¡¯ve changed in the end. But¡ª¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Another lightning bolt slammed down just then.

    The bald Colossus turned its head in that direction. Hercules followed suit, and while smirking deeply, he muttered to himself, ¡°He even possessed clouds?¡±

    He was initially worried.

    He already knew that Su-hyeun was strong, and he also saw him meet Apollo to receive the godhood of fire, but wielding that new power was a separate issue.

    As it turned out, however, his fears were baseless.

    Despite Hercules¡¯s worries, Su-hyeun had no issues whatsoever with utilizing his new power. Not only that, but he also possessed another type of godhood that Hercules didn¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°Well then, I guess it¡¯s about time to wrap things up on this side.¡±

    Hercules smirked deeply and shifted his gaze over to the bald Colossus. The latter was actually getting ready to flee by retreating slowly by then. Hercules got the feeling that he had already experienced a similar event to this one before.

    The demigod¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply as he quickly moved toward the bald Colossus.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you go this time.¡±

    Crack¡ª!

    * * *

    Buzzz, buzzzz¡ª

    Electricity arced and raced in all directions.

    These strands of electricity were intense enough to burn a person¡¯s body simply by coming into contact with it. The only one not to get burned black inside this electrical storm was Su-hyeun.

    The arcs of electricity traveled and moved according to his hand gesture. They coagulated into a single point and then morphed into a powerful spear.

    ¡°One, two, three.¡±

    Then, the spear of lightning left Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Accompanied by a loud roar of a thunderclap, the spear slammed into the Colossus¡¯ body. The large creature was already scorched jet-black by then.

    ¡°Looks like you can¡¯t regenerate yourself anymore.¡±

    Su-hyeun took a close look at the Colossus¡¯ body currently stabbed through by a spear and burned beyond recognition.

    Even after ending up in that state, the creature still didn¡¯t fall down. However, the only reason it hadn¡¯t fallen to its knees must have been its final show of pride.

    That was indeed amazing willpower¡ªor would that be stamina?

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t expect the Colossus to withstand so many of the Somersault cloud¡¯s lightning bolts, so he was quite stunned but refrained from showing this reaction.

    ¡°Man, that¡¯s seriously nasty,¡± he said instead.

    Su-hyeun lightly swung his sword.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Plop¡ª

    At the same time, the Colossus¡¯ body shattered like a boulder, and the pieces tumbled down to the ground.

    Su-hyeun wiped away the small traces of sweat off his forehead. Above all else, this Colossus certainly boasted a frightening level of life force and physical strength.

    ¡°And there are way more than one or two of such creatures up there,¡± he thought.

    Hercules said that he had already dealt with over 10 of such Colossi so far. However, he also said that this would be the first time two individuals appeared together, and that was the problem here.

    ¡°What if the numbers gradually increase and become three or four¡­?¡±

    When that happened, this would no longer be on the level of a mere migraine. Things could balloon rapidly to an uncontrollable level and become impossible to deal with.

    Splat¡ª!

    It was then that the sound of something being crushed resounded.

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to a far-off distance and spotted Hercules¡¯s club currently resting inside the caved-in skull of the bald Colossus lying on the ground.

    ¡°I see that side¡¯s also finished now.¡±

    The two Colossi had been dealt with almost at the same time.

    As for the final remaining side¡­

    Crunch, munch¡ª

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    One hundred Giants and Gigantes were currently being munched on by Gluttony, while Miru was firing its Breath at them, and then, there were his other summoned creatures.

    And finally, Phaethon was freely wielding flames by borrowing Apollo¡¯s powers as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Although a loud commotion had broken out, they were able to end it without too many problems somehow.

    ¡°No, wait.¡±

    Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between the two downed Colossi and muttered to himself, ¡°I guess this is only the beginning.¡±

    Fifteen days still remained, after all.

    * * *

    The people of the Holy Kingdom including Phaethon had left.

    They came to acknowledge their lack of abilities. As for Phaethon, the battle this time taught him that his combat abilities were only good enough to handle the Gigantes class.

    On the other hand, Hercules was powerful enough to deal with a Colossus-class Giant without breaking too much sweat.

    The same also applied to Su-hyeun.

    The Holy Kingdom and the rest of the world were still too weak to handle the Giants.

    ¡°Welcome back.¡±

    When Su-hyeun and Hercules returned home, Megara welcomed them back with a bright complexion. She must¡¯ve been worried sick until a few moments ago because her expression showed how relieved she was.

    Hercules lightly embraced her and placed his children on his back.

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s daddy!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m home, my children.¡±

    Hercules smiled and playfully raised and lowered his two kids a couple of times before looking back at Megara.

    He held her gaze for a little while, and then, as his brows arched in a warm smile, he spoke in a gentle voice, ¡°By the way, were you preparing supper, dear?¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes. I was just preparing it.¡±

    ¡°Please make them extra delicious. I have something to discuss with our guest for a little bit, you see,¡± Hercules said as he shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun.

    Discuss something? Su-hyeun was puzzled for a moment but eventually nodded his head. He figured that the topic was probably something best discussed without Megara¡¯s presence.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll look forward to supper,¡± said Su-hyeun, and then, he lightly patted the heads of Hale and Palaemon.

    After walking outside the house with Hercules, Su-hyeun settled down on an outdoor chair. ¡°What do you wish to discuss?¡±

    ¡°You saw them, right?¡±

    ¡°You mean, the Colossi?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, them. What do you think?¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head as if just thinking about them caused a headache. ¡°The one I fought against was a lot more tenacious than I thought. He didn¡¯t want to die and was really strong, too. Besides, you mentioned that there are many others. The ones like him, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not just one or two, that¡¯s for certain. I think there are more of them than the number of the gods, actually.¡±

    ¡°Still, they are weaker than the gods, aren¡¯t they?¡± Su-hyeun asked while recalling Apollo¡¯s figure.

    The sun god was the second ¡°person¡± Su-hyeun had encountered that qualified as a being that existed outside of the norm.

    If the Bull Demon King¡¯s scale felt like an immeasurably large but calm ocean, then Apollo gave off a feeling of a dense fog where one couldn¡¯t even see its depth.

    In Su-hyeun¡¯s estimation, the Colossi were nowhere near the level of Apollo or the other gods, and that¡¯s what Hercules also thought.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not surprising. They might be diametrically opposed to the gods, but originally, they are also derivatives of a god, after all.¡±

    ¡°Derivatives of a god?¡±

    ¡°Uranus¡­Hmm, since he¡¯s the grandfather of my father, does that make him my great-grandfather? I¡¯ve never seen his face, but well, the children born from his blood are none other than the Giants.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know the Greek myth in detail, so he could only nod slightly at Hercules¡¯s explanation. He only took those Giants as nothing more than some monsters that opposed the gods, and in all honestly, he wasn¡¯t really interested in learning about their origins.

    While halfheartedly listening to the explanation, a thought abruptly popped up in his head.

    The Giants came from Uranus¡¯s blood, and existences such as gods, as far as Su-hyeun knew, lived for near-eternity like the Bull Demon King.

    Could it be?

    ¡°Is Uranus still alive?¡±

    The question that he asked while assuming the worst-possible scenario was answered by Hercules with a nod.

    His affirmation prompted Su-hyeun to ask another question. ¡°Does that mean he¡¯s riding in the same boat as the Giants?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Not only that but he¡¯s also completely changed now.¡±

    This was the absolute worst possibility¡ªa full-fledged god was in bed with the Giants. That revelation threw the insides of Su-hyeun¡¯s mind into a messy tangle.

    ¡°Is the current trial related to this god named Uranus? But if that¡¯s true¡­¡± his thoughts trailed off.

    Then, it meant that the difficulty would be too outlandish. Su-hyeun shook his head when his thoughts reached that far.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no way.¡±

    This was merely the 102nd floor.

    The jump in the difficulty from the 101st floor¡¯s trial, where he was asked to kill Gluttony, would be too large in that case. There was a possibility of the trial being distorted like what happened back on the 60th floor, but such a case should be quite rare.

    ¡°What kind of a¡­god is Uranus?¡±

    ¡°Talking about my great-grandfather in this manner is undignified, but it¡¯s also true that calling him a god is incorrect at this stage.¡±

    ¡°What should we call him, then?¡±

    ¡°My father, Zeus,¡± Hercules began, minding his next words.

    Then, a familiar term left his mouth and entered Su-hyeun¡¯s ears.

    ¡°He once referred to him as the ¡®Predator.''¡±

 Chapter 324

    Act 6

    The night grew deeper.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so he went outside the house. He settled on the rocking chair in the front yard and, while enjoying the cool breezes, looked up at the moon above.

    Creak¡ª

    The quiet stillness of the front yard was broken by the sounds of the rocking chair.

    ¡°The predator, is it¡­?¡±

    To Su-hyeun, the word ¡°predator¡± equaled ¡°Fafnir.¡±

    He had not yet seen another predator beside that monster nor did he hear about one yet, and he only knew it as a monster that failed to become a god.

    But now¡­

    ¡°So, a god could become one, too.¡±

    He learned a new fact this time¡ªthat even someone like Uranus, the grandfather of Zeus and the possessor of countless qualifications of godhood from his birth, could also become a ¡°predator¡± depending on what his ideals were.

    And when he learned of this fact, the mental images Su-hyeun had of predators had to change alongside the new revelation.

    ¡°Diametrically opposed to the gods, hmm¡­¡±

    When he was told that the race of the Giants stood diametrically opposed to the gods, Su-hyeun simply thought that the term was used symbolically, a figure of speech in other words.

    The predators were those that opposed the gods and were also beings that possessed auras similar to those creatures. That¡¯s why they were ¡°diametrically opposed¡± to the gods, at least that¡¯s what he thought.

    But Su-hyeun began thinking about some things after learning that they were monsters born from Uranus, who was defeated by Zeus and had been forced to retreat while bleeding profusely from his wounds.

    ¡°What you guys said to me earlier might be right, after all.¡±

    A while ago, the administrator asked Su-hyeun if he was confident of not falling into despair after learning the whole truth.

    Through the current events, Su-hyeun learned more about these existences called predators and came to realize that the battle against them would be even harder than he initially bargained for.

    Like an onion, the layers were still coming off to reveal what¡¯s deeply hidden underneath.

    He abruptly recalled what Apollo told him because what he said echoed the administrator¡¯s own words pretty closely.

    He said that Su-hyeun would walk the path of Shura and that the path before him would be difficult and fraught with dangers.

    ¡°Is this why you gave me this?¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The purple-hued flame rose above Su-hyeun¡¯s hand and illuminated the pitch-black night.

    This was his newly acquired godhood.

    Rather than acquiring this power through his own perseverance, it had been added on top of his already-existing skill, and that was probably why he still found wielding it freely difficult compared to his other skills and powers.

    Even then, there¡¯s no doubt that this fire was much hotter and more dangerous than ever before.

    ¡°So you were sitting here busy lamenting your pitiful fate, I see,¡± said a hushed voice, accompanied by cautious footsteps.

    Click¡ª

    Su-hyeun looked behind him and spotted Hercules exiting through the house¡¯s open door.

    The burly demigod quietly walked over, and Su-hyeun asked, ¡°You also couldn¡¯t sleep?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t feel sleepy.¡±

    ¡°What about your wife and the kids?¡±

    ¡°Slumbering quietly without a care in the world. Wifey¡¯s gone to bed not too long ago, as well.¡±

    Not too long ago? That was certainly late into the night, then.

    But it seemed that Megara too was having a hard time falling asleep. Including Hercules, she was probably one of only a handful of people who knew intimately about what¡¯s going on in this world, after all.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she beautiful? Megara, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes. Sure.¡±

    ¡°And my children, they are so adorable, too. It¡¯s a relief, them not resembling me but my wife, that is. Still, I kind of wish that my son resembled me a little more. He¡¯s a boy, but he¡¯s just too pretty, you see.¡±

    He suddenly began boasting about his family. For a little while, he talked about seemingly happy-sounding subjects mainly related to his family without much energy behind his voice.

    His broad shoulders were slumping forward. Hercules bent down and picked up a small stone before rolling it around in his palm. ¡°With how things are going, it¡¯ll get harder to protect them all soon.¡±

    Then, he suddenly changed the subject. His complexion had darkened considerably as well.

    ¡°Even if I can somehow deal with one, maybe two Colossi¡­If five or six of them show up at once, then it¡¯ll become too hard even for me. So, what if more than 10 suddenly appear next? Well, as long as you¡¯re here with me, maybe it¡¯ll be doable,¡± Hercules said before breaking out in a soft, hollow chuckle. ¡°However, if Uranus¡­if my great-grandfather decides to show up, then, well, even I can¡¯t think of a way to handle that one.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever met him before?¡±

    ¡°No, not even once.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we don¡¯t know if¡ª¡±

    ¡°However, I did meet my father before.¡±

    His father¡ªHercules meant Zeus, the god. The word ¡°father¡± that already weighed heavily became even weightier as it left Hercules¡¯s mouth.

    Squeeze, crush¡ª

    ¡°I inherited this strength from my father. When I was young, I never paid much attention to stuff like this.¡±

    Hercules used his hand grip to crush the stone into a fine powder before dusting his hand.

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    ¡°I grew up thinking that something like this was an obvious thing, that everyone else was capable of doing this much. Then, well, was it when I was around eight years old? It was nothing more than a childish little prank, but the punch I threw out of anger shattered the skull of my first-ever friend.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I was really shocked back then. It¡¯s truly lamentable, but I didn¡¯t inherit a bright head from my father. So, events similar to that happened every now and then. Naturally, I grew to distance myself from other people.¡± Hercules picked up another stone. ¡°I was scared of people because they died so easily. Even if I made a small mistake, even if my emotions got the better of me by a just little bit¡­I could kill them so easily.¡±

    Crush¡ª

    ¡°Just like this,¡± Hercules muttered absentmindedly before continuing with a slightly brighter expression. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s none other than my father who gave me this strength. It¡¯s not as if he has deliberately given me this amazing power like how Apollo has granted you with one. No, what father has given me is simply his bloodline.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the blood of a god?¡±

    ¡°Right, that. Even out of all the others mixed with human blood, apparently, the blood of a god running in me is quite dense or some such. Isn¡¯t it surprising? The fact that a monster like me can be born merely because of some bloodline?¡±

    ¡°Is your father that powerful?¡±

    ¡°Is he powerful, you ask? That¡¯s obvious,¡± Hercules replied as his eyes gleamed sharply with an intense desire to win. ¡°It¡¯s my goal¡ªmy everything¡ªto win against that man, after all.¡±

    ¡°That man?¡± Su-hyeun echoed in his mind.

    The title being used had changed somewhat just then. Actually, though, this new one felt more honest than the title of ¡°father.¡±

    ¡°Well, in any case, I have not even a tickle of confidence in winning against my father. And according to his estimation, Uranus is such a monstrous being that, at the bare minimum, father needs to step up to have some chance of defeating him.¡±

    ¡°That sure sounds hopeless.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s the problem,¡± Hercules muttered with a bitter expression and raised his head. ¡°Because what will come for us eventually will be annihilation.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at Hercules with sympathetic eyes.

    To the demigod, the existence of Uranus was the same as Fafnir to Su-hyeun¡ªa calamity verging on Armageddon that would come to visit sooner or later. Then, there was his fate of needing to stand up to such a creature.

    Knowing that made Hercules feel that with every passing day, the world was getting one step closer to its annihilation.

    ¡°How did you meet your wife?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Hercules¡¯s head snapped back down at that unexpected question. ¡°You mean, Megara?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was kind of curious about how you met her since you say you were afraid of people.¡±

    Hercules laughed at that. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Sounds like I¡¯ve turned myself into a liar.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t take it that way, you know.¡±

    ¡°She was special. By the time I met her, I had learned to control my strength quite well. She was a princess of a kingdom, and¡­¡±

    For a while there, Hercules talked about the past tales related to his wife, Megara.

    However, anyone would¡¯ve done that. Tales involving the one you loved would always be beautiful and enjoyable to talk about, especially more so when it was about the person you currently loved, not some past lost love that left you with deep emotional scars.

    It was a relief to see; Hercules¡¯s complexion seemed to brighten up just a little as he talked about his meeting with Megara.

    [Remaining time: 14 days, 7 hours¡­]

    Su-hyeun confirmed the remaining time while listening to the tale.

    ¡°Half and a bit remain,¡± he thought.

    Quite a lot of time still remained until the end of the trial.

    ¡°And it¡¯s just really the beginning, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Apollo, the god of fire and the sun; Zeus, the god of the skies; and then, Uranus, the grandfather and also the ¡°predator¡±¡ªSu-hyeun had heard about and also ran into some serious heavy hitters here recently. The scale of this trial, as it turned out, was far greater than what he initially bargained for.

    He got the feeling that there would be yet another twist in the tale somewhere in this trial.

    * * *

    [Remaining time: 12 days, 18 hours¡­]

    Snap, snap¡ª

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun lied on the ground and snapped his fingers over and over again.

    Every time he snapped his fingers, flames repeatedly flared up like a lighter before going out.

    He was currently somewhere far away from the house, where the surroundings were a sea of fire, yet nothing was burning.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy.¡±

    Su-hyeun could do only one thing in a world where Giants haven¡¯t shown up yet, and that was to get familiar with the godhood of fire and master its usage.

    Rumble¡ª

    His method of using the power hadn¡¯t changed from before. He just thought about wanting to use the skill and injected his magical energy¡ªit was as natural as breathing to him at this stage.

    However, it felt like something somewhere was still missing.

    Gya-ong¡ª

    When Su-hyeun repeatedly roused up the flames only to kill them shortly afterward, Miru, who was dozing off next to him, raised its head and cried out softly.

    ¡°Did I annoy you? Sorry about that.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru shook its head to say that wasn¡¯t it.

    Su-hyeun patted the red dragon on the head while feeling slightly puzzled. Miru wasn¡¯t asking to play with him, and it wouldn¡¯t suddenly cry out for no reason either.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like something dangerous is nearby¡­¡± he thought.

    Miru¡¯s instincts were highly accurate.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s own senses were highly developed themselves, but they were nowhere near as good as Miru¡¯s. The red dragon would sometimes discover hidden dangers or leads that usually couldn¡¯t be found simply by relying on one¡¯s senses.

    And its reaction seemed rather similar to those times.

    ¡°Just what is¡ª?¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    Suddenly, a lick of the flame Su-hyeun lit up almost out of habit suddenly grew larger.

    The fire soon enveloped the surroundings and drew a large circle with Su-hyeun in the center. A large space created by flames had materialized in an instant.

    But these flames were not hot at all but wonderfully warm.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t my fire,¡± he inwardly observed.

    Su-hyeun shifted his head to the side after sensing someone¡¯s approach.

    Step¡ª

    ¡°We meet again,¡± said a familiar voice.

    In the direction of Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze, a familiar silhouette of a man walking out of the dancing flames appeared. He was as beautiful as a sculpture, and his skin was just as smooth as well.

    It was Apollo.

    ¡°You came here personally this time?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Well, this is my flame, after all. I did use your flame as the starting medium, though.¡±

    ¡°But is it alright for a god to appear before a human like this? If it is, why don¡¯t you personally fight the Giants off instead?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not possible, especially when I¡¯m currently on the run from my uncle.¡±

    ¡°Your uncle?¡±

    ¡°Hades. The one you know as the god of death.¡±

    Death.

    Most likely the framework of that ¡°power¡± was related to the stat of ¡°Death Aura¡± Su-hyeun possessed.

    Even though Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes gleamed a little at the revelation that Apollo was currently on the run from the god of death, he couldn¡¯t help but form an expression of confusion.

    Why would Apollo run away from Hades, anyway?

    ¡°It¡¯s similar to banishment. You¡¯re supposed to get punished if you do something wrong, after all,¡± the sun god supplied.

    ¡°Did you do something wrong, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, father found out that I¡¯ve shared my godhood with you. Even though he¡¯s normally a taciturn guy, he¡¯s still my father, so he probably didn¡¯t want his son losing out.¡±

    ¡°In that case, why did you come here?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it? I¡¯m on the run. Because my uncle should be really angry right about now,¡± Apollo replied in a troubled voice while scratching his head. ¡°You see, I¡¯ve escaped from my punishment¡­after burning hell down, too.¡±

 Chapter 325

    Did he say he burned hell down?

    That was a truly flabbergasting thing to say.

    Meanwhile, Apollo was laughing sheepishly. It seemed that even he found his own actions way too absurd to behold, and Su-hyeun got an even bigger sense of disharmony while looking at the sun god who was laughing awkwardly like that.

    ¡°Was the story of you burning hell down something that can be recounted so nonchalantly like this?¡± Su-hyeun sighed softly under breath.

    If Apollo wasn¡¯t a god on friendly terms with him, he would be busy thinking of ways to escape from this place right now.

    It didn¡¯t matter what anyone said, Apollo was a top-tier god. His class was on another realm compared to Su-hyeun, who only recently earned his qualifications of godhood, or a demigod like Hercules.

    On top of that, someone on his caliber wouldn¡¯t just show up to spew lies so that they could share a good chuckle together either. He really must have been banished to hell and escaped from it in one day.

    ¡°If you are on the run, is it okay for you to be here like this?¡±

    ¡°This place is fine, actually. We¡¯re inside the conflagration I¡¯ve created, after all. I won¡¯t be discovered as long as I stay inside.¡±

    ¡°But what if you step outside?¡±

    ¡°Well, my uncle will immediately chase me down, and I¡¯ll be locked up in hell for about 10,000 years.¡±

    Ten thousand years, he said.

    That sounded like an eternity of torture to a normal person, yet Apollo spoke as if it didn¡¯t even bother him one bit.

    Did that period of 10,000 years come across as merely ¡°suitably¡± long to him?

    Su-hyeun shook his head. There would be no end in sight if he kept getting impressed, shocked, or even ponder too deeply at every little thing Apollo said.

    Such questions should be asked later. For now¡­

    ¡°But why did you have to escape while going that far? Is it really because of me?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. That¡¯s one of the reasons.¡±

    ¡°One of the reasons?¡±

    ¡°What you¡¯re guessing is correct, but honestly, it was not just for you but for the sake of the gods, too. Although father and the other gods don¡¯t seem to share the same opinion.¡±

    ¡°Are you really planning to use a human to defeat Uranus? And is that why you were using Hercules?¡±

    Apollo looked a little stunned by Su-hyeun¡¯s questions. He must have not expected the name ¡°Uranus¡± to leave Su-hyeun¡¯s lips.

    ¡°This is why talking to a human whose mind can¡¯t be read is so tough. Did you hear that from Hercules?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard everything, including Uranus being the predator.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you already know what a predator is. Well, you¡¯re not from here but from the other side, so¡­that makes sense.¡±

    As expected, Apollo was aware that Su-hyeun was not a person from this world.

    ¡°Right, you¡¯re correct. Father is thinking of developing Hercules and letting him defeat Uranus. Hercules has the potential to become strong enough to do that, after all.¡±

    ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t you be aiding Hercules instead of me?¡±

    ¡°My thought process is a little different.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the question of investment. I figured that you¡¯re better than Hercules, although other gods don¡¯t see it that way yet. Whatever the case may be, you¡¯re a pure human, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What kind of situation is this? Investment? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re raising a game character to defend your nodes either¡­¡± Su-hyeun recalled a video game he used to play in the distant past and chuckled in dismay.

    To stop the race of Giants from invading the human world, gods were raising Hercules, while Apollo chose to support Su-hyeun. He understood this much, and at the same time, he felt that this whole thing was rather absurd.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you were all doing, why don¡¯t you personally step forward instead?¡±

    If no special promise or something was preventing him, just the presence of Apollo alone would become a great help to this side, especially more so when, unlike the other gods, the sun god seemed to be rather friendly toward humanity.

    ¡°You mean, me?¡± Apollo asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Apollo shook his head. ¡°Well, in my heart, I would like to, but I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    Apollo answered Su-hyeun¡¯s inquiry with a slightly bitter expression, ¡°That side is not completely safe either.¡±

    * * *

    From the scorched skies to the black land still filled with fierce flames, the whole world seemed to be burning away.

    An old man was walking amid all these hot flames. ¡°¡­Everything has burned away.¡±

    He shook his head and headed toward a tall gate. When he stood before it, the gate opened up and revealed a pathway connected to a lengthy cave.

    ¡°He has already escaped.¡±

    The old man shifted his gaze over to the pile of bones lying on the ground, which definitely belonged to Cerberus that should have been guarding the gate.

    Hell, that was the name of the world found beyond the gate; it was also the world that this old man was in charge of.

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    The old man, Hades, issued a command, and the pile of bones began creaking and moving about.

    Pitch-black aura permeated into the bone pile and became the flesh, intestines, and hides of the creature.

    Soon, a massive hound with three heads, Cerberus, stood back up.

    Krrrr¡ª

    ¡°Was this Apollo¡¯s handiwork?¡±

    His question was answered by a couple of fierce cries.

    ¡°I see. I shall punish him. It must¡¯ve hurt a lot, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    Hades gently patted the heads of Cerberus as the hell hound whimpered and lowered itself.

    The god of the netherworld never expected Apollo to escape when he had to vacate his post for a little while. He knew that the sun god had an undignified side to him, but even then, he was obedient to his father Zeus and adhered to his commands.

    ¡°He needs to be captured again, but¡­¡±

    However, even if this was hell¡¯s matter, the top god of fire Apollo couldn¡¯t simply be apprehended by force and dragged back here. It meant that Hades, a fellow god and the top god of death, had to personally step forward.

    ¡°But before that¡­¡±

    The old man turned his head toward a new presence in his realm.

    Not many guests would come to visit hell on their own volition. Those who did were either fellow gods or sometimes an unwelcome guest.

    And there could only be one existence that Hades thought of as an ¡°unwelcome guest.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, hell has burned down.¡±

    KRRRR¡ª

    A growl came from a distance.

    Hades discovered an ominous glare shooting out from a pair of eyes from the end of the cave, and he straightened his previously bent back.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you call it a day here and go back? I was going out to catch my troublesome nephew, you see.¡±

    ¡°O¡ªlym¡ªpus¡­¡± The voice of the monster responsible for that nightmarish glare could be heard now.

    It uttered Olympus¡ªthe world where the gods besides Hades lived¡ªwith clear and unmistakable hostility.

    ¡°If you were searching for Olympus, then you came to the wrong place. This here is underground, and that place is much higher up,¡± Hades said as his eyes were dyed in a pitch-black hue. ¡°However, I can¡¯t let you go if that was your ultimate destination.¡±

    Ka-gagagagak, kwa-dudu¡ª

    The monster started rushing forward while continuously shooting out that nightmarish glare, and Hades, who was standing on the other end of the dark cave, extended his arm toward the incoming monster.

    Shu-aaaaah¡ª

    Pah-saaaah¡ª

    The hide of the monster that resembled a massive snake instantly turned into powder and scattered away.

    The monster couldn¡¯t come any closer to Hades. No matter how resilient its life force was, and no matter how strong its powers of regeneration was, in the end, a life form with only bones remaining on its body would have no way to move forward.

    Boom¡ª

    Hades stared at the corpse of the monster as it collapsed to the ground. He then lightly tutted while studying the lengthy creature that was huge enough to almost completely fill up the massive cave. ¡°Tsk. It was merely prey?¡±

    Hades muttered as if he lost all of his enthusiasm just then, but then again, a predator would never show up here alone even if its mind had dulled considerably.

    ¡°Even measly preys have started infiltrating this place?¡± he muttered to no one in particular as he started to walk away.

    His destination was above ground¡ªthe world of humans.

    * * *

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s arm transformed into a ¡°flame.¡±

    He stared at his arm in amazement. The arm that was now made of fire didn¡¯t seem to weigh anything, and he couldn¡¯t sense any high temperature from it either.

    Although he could only change his arm, for now, this much was already good enough.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally taken your first step,¡± said Apollo.

    After turning himself into a flame, he had been leisurely coiling around Su-hyeun, but he revealed his humanoid appearance once more.

    He floated in the air for a while, and then, while looking a bit bored, he stared at Su-hyeun¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Well, you should be able to practice it by yourself from now on.¡±

    ¡°Is this the ¡®Transformation¡¯ you¡¯ve been talking about?¡±

    ¡°Right. Although it¡¯s only your arm, for now, that is definitely Transformation.¡±

    ¡°Transformation,¡± a technique available through the godhood of fire, allowed the wielder to turn his body into fire. Not only did this ability nullify physical impact, but it also made releasing one¡¯s aura so much easier.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve succeeded in Transformation, it should get easier for you from now on. Besides, you getting this far in only two days is quite fast.¡±

    ¡°Is it really?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Even other gods need about one year to succeed, so you¡¯re incredibly fast compared to them. Although, I could do it even before I started walking, so there¡¯s that.¡±

    For the past two days, Su-hyeun had learned many things while staying next to Apollo. He also learned that gods were classified into different types as well.

    There exists a ¡°species¡± that was born with godhood qualifications, and then there are those beings that polished their abilities and eventually acquired the necessary qualifications¡ªall of them were combined under one umbrella and were called ¡°gods.¡±

    Apollo belonged to the former. He was an existence born with godhood, and even his genes were different from the rest.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty unfair¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He learned from Apollo that the latter species, those who became gods by acquiring godhood, were extremely rare.

    It wasn¡¯t as if you automatically became a god after acquiring one or two qualifications and you also didn¡¯t live for eternity either.

    ¡°Has anything happened outside?¡± Su-hyeun asked while activating ¡°Transformation¡± once more to change his arm into flames.

    At the same time, he grasped the sword and lightly swung it with his flaming hand. He wanted to experiment if he could properly swing his weapon even if his body was made of flames.

    ¡°Nothing much, for now,¡± Apollo replied nonchalantly.

    Su-hyeun stopped swinging the sword at that reply and turned his head. ¡°For now? Does that mean something will happen soon?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s possible.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes quietly gleamed at Apollo¡¯s reply. As a complete god, the sun god did possess the ability of some foresight.

    ¡°How long do we have left?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Not a lot. Maybe even¡ª¡±

    ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve not been warned by Zeus to never teach humans about the future that hasn¡¯t happened yet.¡±

    Ku-gugugugu¡ª

    A cold air that was icy enough to send shivers down Su-hyeun¡¯s spine rushed in. His whole body froze up. He grasped his arm with goosebumps breaking out only to discover that his skin had already turned dark.

    ¡°Death Aura?¡± he thought.

    It was a familiar sensation.

    The sensation of cold air was just an illusion. Rather than coldness, this aura was far closer to death itself. Also, it was the aura the Lich King wielded back then and something Su-hyeun currently wielded as well.

    ¡°You finally came, uncle.¡±

    Su-hyeun chased after Apollo¡¯s gaze. Inside this space completely blanketed by flames, only a section of the fire had turned into a pitch-black color.

    It was Hell Fire, also known as the flames that burned in the depths of hell.

    It was a fire under Apollo¡¯s control, but at the same time¡­

    ¡°Your father asked me for a favor, so I took it on, but never did I guess that you¡¯d cause such a scene and make a run for it.¡±

    This fire also belonged under the authority of the god of hell, Hades.

    Hades walked out from the black flames with his bent back. Su-hyeun¡¯s whole body froze up even more as he stared at the god of death.

    ¡°This¡­is a god?¡± he inwardly asked.

    The sense of presence Hades gave off was a whole other class compared to Apollo¡¯s. It was a feeling that made one think that merely getting closer would cause one to lose their lives, that they would immediately be embraced by death itself.

    ¡°For sure, there¡¯s a reason why you¡¯d be interested in him. Even if you have helped him out, to think that he acquired two different types of qualifications of godhood at such a young age¡­¡±

    Hades¡¯s blackened eyes were peering right through Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun held his breath and stared back. Even though merely holding that gaze caused his breathing to nearly stop, and his whole body felt like it was rotting away, he still endured and held on.

    Hades continued the stare-down with Su-hyeun for a little while longer before smiling faintly. Then, he looked beyond Su-hyeun¡¯s position and opened his mouth, ¡°By the way, you don¡¯t have any desire to show yourself here, it seems?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Who was he talking to just now? Su-hyeun looked behind him, but he couldn¡¯t see anyone.

    Hades continued as he disregarded Su-hyeun, ¡°If you don¡¯t come out now, I will kill this man, so how about it?¡±

    ¡°Well, this is¡­¡±

    It was a familiar voice.

    ¡°Troublesome. Indeed, quite troublesome.¡±

    Su-hyeun reflexively turned his head in the direction of the new voice.

    Whooooosh¡ª

    Soft breezes were flowing out from the Palm Leaf Sword.

    As for the voice that he heard just now¡­

    ¡°First¡­brother?¡±

    It belonged to none other than the Bull Demon King.

 Chapter 326

    Act 7

    Whiiiiiish¡ª

    The winds flowing out from the Palm Leaf Sword gathered in a spot and turned into a small tornado.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly stared at the sight of the gathering winds. The colorless winds coalesced into one solid shape and took on a half-transparent silhouette of a person. Soon, colors were added to the figure.

    It was a man about a head taller than Su-hyeun who had white hair, a broad and expansive dragon robe, and a pair of horns on a head that was too small to see unless one looked closely.

    ¡°Are you really¡­the first brother?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s voice trembled ever so slightly.

    ¡°It has been a while, little brother.¡±

    ¡°Are you truly him?¡±

    ¡°Rather than my answer, trust your eyes.¡±

    There was no doubting it.

    The man before his eyes, this being that appeared in a completely unrelated world, was none other than the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°It must¡¯ve been difficult going, brother. You¡¯ve lost some weight.¡±

    Su-hyeun replied hurriedly, ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m doing okay. Besides all that, how did you even¡­?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we discuss that later? But first¡­¡± The Bull Demon King stopped his affable laughter and shifted his gaze over to Hades. ¡°I must do something about the mouth of that arrogant god,¡± he said as he brushed past Su-hyeun¡¯s side.

    Hades, who discovered the Bull Demon King¡¯s presence before Su-hyeun could, simply stood there with his hands on his back and observed the approaching Yogoe.

    As for Apollo, he was standing a fair distance away, as if this had nothing to do with him, and watched the situation develop while resting his head on his interlocked hands.

    Hades spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a truly amazing Yogoe lives in a small dimension located somewhere in the outskirts. It seemed that the rumors were talking about you.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, but as I¡¯m not a god yet, I haven¡¯t heard about your names.¡±

    ¡°To a powerful Yogoe like yourself, a god isn¡¯t much of an importance, I¡¯d say. Besides, it¡¯s not that you ¡®couldn¡¯t¡¯ become a god but ¡®haven¡¯t¡¯ yet, is it?¡±

    The Bull Demon King smiled faintly at what Hades had said.

    Although that smile was outwardly warm, Su-hyeun caught a little of that smile as he stood behind the Yogoe and felt a vague chill in his heart.

    ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve confirmed it, so it¡¯s all fine now. I was wondering just who was sticking to that human like a guardian, but as it turned out, you were¡ª¡±

    Grab¡ª

    Hades couldn¡¯t finish the rest of his sentence because the Bull Demon King, who was already in front of the god of death before anyone could notice him move, had grabbed the god¡¯s mouth hard and lifted him up high in the air.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    The Bull Demon King then wordlessly slammed Hades¡¯s head straight into the ground below.

    The earth was instantly overturned and split apart, causing Apollo¡¯s flames that filled up the surroundings to waver faintly.

    Pah-sususu¡ª

    Hades¡¯s body became black ashes and scattered before reappearing in a spot about a couple of steps away from the Bull Demon King.

    The latter raised his head and stared at the god of death.

    Hades muttered, ¡°That hurt quite a lot. Since I let you hit me once, I hope your fury has been lessened somewhat.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad now, so I advise you to vacate yourself from this place right away.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to know that your methods are not so vicious. Apollo?¡±

    ¡°Yes, uncle.¡±

    ¡°We shall now return. And you should prepare yourself for 10,000-year-long imprisonment in hell.¡±

    ¡°But, uncle, that¡¯s a bit¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it further after we return.¡±

    Apollo let out a lengthy groan at Hades¡¯s reply. He then glanced in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction and waved his hand.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Split¡ª

    A circular pathway materialized before Hades and Apollo. It gave off a similar vibe to the ¡°doorway¡± that led directly to the Tower of Trials.

    The two gods disappeared into the pathway a moment later.

    Rumble¡ª

    Hiss, sizzle¡ª

    After Apollo disappeared, the flames in the surroundings also petered out and vanished, and when the sights of the bright and clear skies above and the wide-open plains entered Su-hyeun¡¯s view, all nervous tension flew out from his body.

    ¡°Ha-ah¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you injured anywhere?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m fine, first brother,¡± Su-hyeun replied in a slightly stiff expression.

    Honestly, even now, he could scarcely believe that the Bull Demon King managed to appear in this place. This was inside the 102nd floor¡¯s trial, while he met the Yogoe back on the 60th floor.

    ¡°How did you get here, brother?¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, the Palm Leaf Fan was safely delivered to you. Although, it¡¯s no longer a fan now but a sword,¡± replied the Bull Demon King.

    Su-hyeun came to realize from those words that the Yogoe used his Palm Leaf Sword as the medium to reach this world.

    Back when the Palm Leaf Fan was handed over to Su-hyeun, the administrator also passed along the message that he and the Bull Demon King would meet again. It seemed that the latter had foreseen an event of this nature taking place.

    ¡°But why did you appear only now? You could¡¯ve appeared a little earlier, you know,¡± said Su-hyeun while sounding a little rueful.

    If the Bull Demon King could visit Su-hyeun whenever he wanted to, then well, he could¡¯ve appeared much sooner for a reunion.

    ¡°I still have two very worry-inducing little brothers on that side, so I can¡¯t just simply cross over to where you are. Besides, as the littlest of the siblings, you are still at an age where you need to mature more outside the care of us older siblings.¡±

    ¡°Even then, wasn¡¯t that a little too harsh even for you?¡±

    ¡°I was far worse to the second and third brothers. I¡¯ve grown a lot more benevolent these days,¡± said the Bull Demon King, smiling softly.

    For sure, the ¡°Bull Demon King¡± Su-hyeun knew wasn¡¯t the type of person to step up willingly and lend his aid even if a particularly dangerous event or a truly difficult task had presented themselves.

    No, he actually thought that one would grow as a person after experiencing all those things and actively recommended that one should accept trials and tribulations as invaluable life experiences.

    ¡°And this time, it was probably because Hades called out to the big brother first¡­¡± he thought.

    Would the Bull Demon King have shown himself if Hades didn¡¯t call him out first and threatened to instantly end Su-hyeun¡¯s life?

    It was possible both ways. He could¡¯ve shown up or not appear at all.

    That¡¯s what the Bull Demon King was like. He might care deeply about Su-hyeun as Su-hyeun¡¯s older brother, but that didn¡¯t mean he personally stepped up to solve all the matters troubling his little brothers.

    ¡°In any case, we have a lot to talk about, don¡¯t we? There are so many things I¡¯d like to hear from you, and our reunion greeting has been delayed somewhat.¡±

    With the situation being what it was, the Bull Demon King could only say the following words only after some time had passed by since his appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, youngest brother. How have you been?¡±

    * * *

    Step, step¡ª

    The passageway was really long.

    Apollo and Hades walked down this dark path that led to the world referred to as hell located in another dimension.

    Although the path was supposed to be walked on only by the dead, and even then, only those who had committed wicked deeds, Apollo didn¡¯t look all that worried or anxious. After all, he knew he possessed enough abilities to escape from hell if he felt like it.

    And with an expression filled with not worries but curiosity, he asked, ¡°Just who was that, by the way? That absolute monster of a guy?¡±

    The sun god couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity any longer and had to ask Hades who was walking ahead of him.

    ¡°Monster,¡± that word actually left the lips of Apollo, a god who was strong enough to be included in the upper tier of all gods.

    However, Hades didn¡¯t even feel a single hint of incongruence from that term. The Yogoe they had encountered earlier definitely deserved such a lofty description.

    ¡°He¡¯s called the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven. He¡¯s a famous Yogoe who¡¯s often talked about among the gods living in a dimension not too far from ours.¡±

    ¡°Not a god, but a Yogoe?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t he become a god already? The way I see it, he can become one at any time he wants to. No, wait¡­¡± Apollo shook his head as if to imply that what he muttered just now was incorrect. ¡°Isn¡¯t that monster of a guy basically on the same level as the Three Deities already?¡±

    The Three Deities¡ªit was the title that referred to the three strongest and most famous gods in Olympus: the king of the gods, Zeus, the god of the oceans, Poseidon, and the god of hell and death, Hades.

    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s because of his little brothers.¡±

    Apollo nodded sagely as if he knew that such an answer was coming after listening to Hades¡¯s explanation. ¡°So, he can¡¯t ascend to full divinity because he can¡¯t forsake his blood ties. Something like that often happened in the past as¡ª¡±

    ¡°Since they share no blood, it¡¯s more correct to call them sworn brothers.¡±

    ¡°Sworn brothers?¡± Shock overcame Apollo¡¯s expression.

    To become a god, one had to escape from the fetters of lingering attachments from one¡¯s previous life. Only then could one acquire eternal life and leave the bounds of one¡¯s previous species and experience a rebirth.

    The things that definitely needed to be severed were the blood ties and loved ones, meaning, other people.

    ¡°Hesitating to become a god because of some others who don¡¯t even share a drop of his blood¡­¡±

    Apollo, someone born a god, couldn¡¯t understand that at all. He cared about humans more than other gods, and that¡¯s why he found humanity¡¯s limited lifespan a lamentable, even pitiful, thing to behold.

    ¡°Although it is difficult to comprehend, that¡¯s what I heard. And we¡¯ve confirmed it with our own eyes,¡± Hades said.

    ¡°I knew it. That human, I recognized he was special right away. Even though he¡¯s just a human being, he¡¯s a little brother to a Yogoe like that guy.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I admit that he was a rather excellent human.¡±

    Hades recalled the figure of Su-hyeun who, despite facing up to the god of death, didn¡¯t avoid meeting his gaze right up until the Bull Demon King appeared to disrupt the proceedings.

    ¡°Despite facing death right in front of him, he didn¡¯t back off¡­¡± Hades mused.

    He originally planned to kill Su-hyeun next to Apollo.

    ¡°Death¡± was a type of aura that humans, never mind low-ranking gods, couldn¡¯t withstand. It was an aura that killed the living and extinguished the dead.

    It was one of the authorities that belonged to Hades, the possessor of the godhood of death.

    However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t choose to run away or avert his gaze when he confronted such authority. Whether that was out of his unyielding pride or not, Hades couldn¡¯t tell, but regardless of what, the human endured and stared right back into the god¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s certainly no ordinary human.¡±

    At least by a little bit, Hades began to understand why Apollo chose to yield a portion of his godhood to Su-hyeun.

    Apollo was the son of the strongest god, Zeus, and his own strength nearly rivaled the Three Deities. His discerning eyes had not failed him this time, it seemed.

    ¡°Apollo.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I commute your sentence to 1,000 years.¡±

    A thousand years, that was the new sentence handed out to Apollo, the culprit who ran away after burning hell down.

    Originally, it should¡¯ve been 10,000, and Hades planned to imprison Apollo for a much longer time than that, but he commuted it to one-tenth of the original punishment instead.

    ¡°It seems that your decision may not have been poor, after all.¡±

    * * *

    Su-hyeun walked alongside the Bull Demon King.

    It would be nice to chat leisurely while sharing a pot of tea, but before they could talk about what happened so far, it wasn¡¯t good to inconvenience Hercules¡¯s family unannounced like this.

    ¡°How long has it been since I left?¡±

    ¡°It must be about two years now.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded while not looking surprised at the Bull Demon King¡¯s reply.

    He became aware that the time flow between this side and other sides were not the same after the 60th floor¡¯s trial ended.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s been two years, I guess it hasn¡¯t been as long as I initially thought,¡± he said inwardly.

    For Su-hyeun, it had been only a few months, but for the Bull Demon King, two years had passed by.

    But unlike the former who had lived for just over 20-odd years so far, the Bull Demon King had existed for unknown tens of thousands of years. The period of two years should be not that long of a time for him.

    ¡°How are the other brothers doing?¡±

    ¡°The second is spending his time among humans lately.¡±

    ¡°The second brother?¡± Su-hyeun was surprised by the revelation that the Roc Demon King was living among humans since he knew that the Yogoe originally hated humanity. ¡°What kind of a reversal is this?¡±

    ¡°Even I was surprised, but he seemed to be enjoying his new life far more than I thought. He certainly has changed a lot.¡±

    ¡°Does it qualify as a fortunate thing?¡±

    ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s not an unfortunate thing. Besides, it was nice to see him like that. His eyes were used to be filled with so much murderous intent, but now, he smiles more often than before.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine it.¡±

    The Roc Demon King smiling along with the humans?

    Su-hyeun tried to picture that scene but couldn¡¯t really imagine it. He couldn¡¯t tell what kind of a personality shift happened there, but ultimately, he didn¡¯t think that this transformation was a bad thing.

    Unlike Sun Wukong who was energetic and friendly to just about everyone, the Roc Demon King used to be hostile with pretty much anyone he met, after all.

    Not to forget, the Roc Demon King also hid a painful memory related to humans, so this pointed to his wounds being healed to some degree.

    ¡°What about the third brother?¡±

    ¡°The third is¡­¡±

    The Bull Demon King smiled meaningfully while making the end of his sentence inaudible.

    Wondering what the Bull Demon King wanted to say here, Su-hyeun stopped walking and stared at the Yogoe.

    The Bull Demon King didn¡¯t say anything for a little bit, but then, while suppressing his laughter, he finally continued, ¡°From what I hear, he¡¯s been climbing the ¡®tower.''¡±

 Chapter 327

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    For a moment there, Su-hyeun doubted his own hearing.

    Did he just hear the words ¡°climbing the tower¡±? Obviously, the Bull Demon King wasn¡¯t implying that Sun Wukong was currently climbing a tall tower as upright as a cliff face. In that case, Su-hyeun only knew of a ¡°tower¡± that fit the context.

    ¡°He tells me that it¡¯s a strange tower. On every floor, a new trial is given, and every time he solves one, he acquires a new ability¡­¡±

    ¡°How many floors has he managed to climb so far?¡±

    ¡°As expected, you were climbing the tower as well.¡±

    Su-hyeun became speechless for a moment there at the Bull Demon King¡¯s observation.

    He wasn¡¯t necessarily planning to keep the tower and the systems a secret, but with this, he was now certain that the Bull Demon King had left the restrictions of the system itself.

    The Bull Demon King saw Su-hyeun nod his head and continued to speak, ¡°In that case, is this your original world? Or is it yet another part of that thing called trials?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is the trial on the 102nd floor, and I met you and the rest of the brothers back on the 60th.¡±

    ¡°I see. I did suspect that would be the case.¡±

    Even after hearing Su-hyeun¡¯s reply, the Bull Demon King didn¡¯t seem all that surprised. He seemed to have realized something was going on for a while now.

    As for Su-hyeun, he was certainly stunned by the revelation that Sun Wukong was also climbing the tower, but he had seen many different worlds where awakeners and dungeons were making their appearances by now.

    Of course¡­

    ¡°Since the third brother has begun climbing the tower, he will become seriously powerful before long.¡±

    Su-hyeun had never seen anyone like Sun Wukong climbing the tower.

    Sun Wukong was born with an excellent physique and, in the latter part of his life, acquired the Sage Arts and even consumed the Peach of Immortality to become even stronger.

    From an undying body to a near-infinite magical energy reserve and, on top of that, a gifted battle sense¡ªjust on these points alone, Sun Wukong was stronger than any other awakeners Su-hyeun knew of.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he will be. He said that he¡¯s currently on the 20th floor, and it¡¯s been about two months since he began climbing the tower.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that the third brother has chosen the 10th level of difficulty?¡±

    ¡°Indeed he has.¡±

    ¡°I knew it. The 20th floor, hmm¡­¡±

    Reaching the 20th floor in two months was extraordinarily quick progress.

    Then again, even if the trials were set at the 10th level of difficulty, the lower floors would not pose much of a challenge to Sun Wukong. He might even be able to reach the 70th floor without encountering many issues.

    Su-hyeun muttered, ¡°I¡¯d like to see him soon.¡±

    ¡°That day will come for sure. That I guarantee.¡±

    Su-hyeun grinned at what the Bull Demon King said.

    Su-hyeun found anything the Yogoe said quite mysterious even if the subject matter didn¡¯t seem all that special. The simplest and most obvious form of encouragement that anyone could have said sounded as if it would come true when they came from the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°Big brother, do you also possess something like foresight? The gods we saw earlier apparently enjoy something like that.¡±

    ¡°Foresight? Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Really? But if you have it, then you should still have it, so what do you mean by you did?¡±

    ¡°I can see, but I can¡¯t see much about you. No, wait. Even if I can see, there¡¯s no point.¡±

    Those words were rather difficult to comprehend.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly stared at the Bull Demon King. His body language implied that he needed a slightly more in-depth explanation than that.

    The Bull Demon King also knew that he sounded too vague just then, so he continued with the rest of his explanation, ¡°Once I acquired some amount of godhood, I began getting some visions of the future every now and then. Of course, it¡¯s not as if I can see whenever I want to, and it only happens infrequently.¡±

    ¡°Can you see the future now?¡±

    ¡°No, not now, but I did in the past. I saw it when you and I first met.¡±

    ¡°What did you see back then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t particularly feel like talking about that. Honestly speaking, there is no point anymore since you¡¯ve reached this far.¡±

    ¡°But how come?¡±

    ¡°Things like the laughable notion of one¡¯s destiny only apply to those who lack the ability to struggle and break away from their assigned fate. Once you acquire godhood, it¡¯s no longer impossible to carve out your own destiny.¡±

    This was certainly a mystifying tale to listen to and to think that the Bull Demon King saw Su-hyeun¡¯s future during their first encounter.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, he did say that, didn¡¯t he?¡± he inwardly recalled.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lived twice.¡±

    He said that Su-hyeun had lived two lives.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know if the Bull Demon King said that while he was aware that Su-hyeun was a regressor, but even if he wasn¡¯t, the Bull Demon King still seemed to know a lot about him.

    For some reason, Su-hyeun felt relieved.

    If the future waiting for him was fixed and could never be changed¡­

    If the future was too difficult and tough like the path of Shura, as hinted at by Apollo and the administrators, and he could never endure it¡­

    If it was like that, then he had to wonder whether or not he was running forward in vain to change an unchangeable future.

    But one word from the Bull Demon King was enough to blow wide open his tightly clogged chest.

    ¡°When are you planning to return?¡±

    Although they somehow got to have a reunion, Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King were still on the ¡°other side.¡± Su-hyeun knew that the Bull Demon King cared about him, but the latter surely wouldn¡¯t remain here forever and leave those two alone to fend for themselves.

    ¡°Hmm¡­I wonder¡­¡±

    The Bull Demon King raised his head and looked up at the ¡°Heavenly World¡± of this place, Olympus.

    He was looking up as if to respond to all the gazes coming from the gods up there before replying to Su-hyeun¡¯s questioning, ¡°We¡¯ve only met each other again just now, so wouldn¡¯t be it too bad if we part ways so soon?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression brightened in an instant from that reply.

    * * *

    Hercules wasn¡¯t all that concerned even after Su-hyeun had disappeared.

    He already knew that Apollo was paying attention to Su-hyeun and was also aware of the sun god hanging around the latter.

    But now¡­

    ¡°Who is this gentleman?¡±

    Hercules¡¯s expression was stiff as he stared at the Bull Demon King who accompanied Su-hyeun back to the residence.

    Megara, who was staying in the house alongside Hercules, greeted the Yogoe with a gracious bow while carrying Hale in her arms. The Bull Demon King gently smiled at them and bowed slightly in return.

    ¡°He¡¯s my big brother,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all.¡±

    ¡°My man, I¡¯d like a moment with you,¡± said Hercules, and then while pushing Su-hyeun¡¯s back, they exited from the house. They headed to the corner of the backyard, and after blocking all sounds from coming in or out, he continued, ¡°That person is really your big brother?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s not even human, is he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a Yogoe. We¡¯re not blood-related but sworn brothers.¡±

    ¡°A Yogoe? Is that a species similar to humans?¡±

    Hercules didn¡¯t know anything about Yogoes, so he muttered to himself while furrowing his brows. He seemed to be pondering something but shook his head shortly afterward. Rather than wasting time thinking about this unknown species called Yogoe, he needed to worry about something else, the real problem at hand.

    ¡°He¡¯s not dangerous, is he?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s not dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Even though he¡¯s not a god but a human-like species, who also happen to possess powers rivaling the Three Deities?¡±

    ¡°The Three Deities?¡±

    ¡°That refers to the three gods, my father Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon.¡±

    Su-hyeun was surprised to learn that the Bull Demon King possessed a similar level of strength to the three gods Hercules mentioned but still nodded his head quickly.

    It wouldn¡¯t be so surprising to see the Bull Demon King become a god right away, and not to forget, his proficiency with the Sage Arts was on another realm compared to Su-hyeun who had only recently mastered the basics of the discipline.

    If it was the Bull Demon King, then he wouldn¡¯t be found wanting even after being compared to most gods out there.

    ¡°Wait a minute, if big brother decides to become a god, then¡­¡±

    Although Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t completely sure of what the ¡°qualification of godhood¡± really meant, he was certain that there should be a noticeable difference between a full-fledged god and someone yet to become one.

    The Bull Demon King had been putting off becoming a god for a very long time now because of his attachment toward his younger siblings. However, if he did decide to severe that, then he would immediately become a god.

    So, if he became a real god, just what ¡°kind¡± of a god would he end up as?

    ¡°Surely, it wouldn¡¯t be some low-tier god,¡± he continued to muse inwardly.

    The Bull Demon King already enjoyed enough strength to rival the likes of the Three Deities of Olympus¡ªZeus, Poseidon, and Hades¡ªso if someone like that became a god, then it was too difficult to even imagine the level of status he would possess.

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about us staying under the same roof, then we shall find another lodging nearby. Actually, I¡¯m also mooching off you anyway, so I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Daddy¡ª! Daddy¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Daddy¡ª!¡±

    The voices of Hale and Palaemon suddenly resounded. They were desperately looking for Hercules.

    The moment those voices came to them, Hercules¡¯s legs moved on their own like bolts of lightning. ¡°Hale, Palaemon!¡±

    Step, dash¡ª

    Su-hyeun hurriedly chased after Hercules¡¯s back.

    Did something happen?

    Bang¡ª!

    The demigod pushed the door wide open with enough force to nearly break it and rushed inside the house and urgently searched for Hale and Palaemon.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Daddy! Look at this!¡±

    ¡°Horns! They¡¯re really horns!¡±

    He found Hale clinging onto the Bull Demon King¡¯s arm and Palaemon riding on the Yogoe¡¯s back.

    Hercules stared at this scene in a daze for a second or two before stiffening greatly on the spot.

    Megara seemed at a loss as to what to do about the children¡¯s behavior, while the Bull Demon King was happily playing along with Hale and Palaemon.

    ¡°Hale! Palaemon! Dear, please stop the children somehow.¡± Megara sounded rather flustered.

    ¡°Mom, they¡¯re horns!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s so tall!¡±

    ¡°You dummy, daddy¡¯s still taller.¡±

    Unlike the grave-faced Hercules, Hale and Palaemon didn¡¯t seem to mind anything at all. The demigod rushed here fearing that something bad had happened to his children, so he could only let out a lengthy groan at this sight.

    He then strode toward the Bull Demon King and easily lifted up Palaemon who was clinging onto the Yogoe¡¯s neck with one hand. ¡°Is it alright to do that to a guest or not?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! Go to your room for a time-out.¡±

    ¡°Ehhhh!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, daddy¡­¡±

    With a serious face, Hercules peered deeply into the eyes of Hale and Palaemon. The two children carried dejected expressions and went to their room while being led by Megara.

    Hercules sighed softly again. Then, he slightly bowed his head at the Bull Demon King. ¡°My apologies. My children are still immature, so¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. All children are like that, after all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you see it that way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot of time with a couple of people who doesn¡¯t want to act their ages, you see. Rather than adults acting like a bunch of kids, isn¡¯t it far more preferable to see children acting their age?¡±

    At the Bull Demon King¡¯s question, Hercules started nodding unknowingly in agreement. He then smiled awkwardly and pointed to one of the rooms. ¡°You can use that spare room. My apologies, but we don¡¯t have any spare rooms, and looks like you¡¯ll have to share it with your little brother.¡±

    ¡°My family of three used to stay in a room as small as my palm, so this much is already a considerable luxury. Thank you, I¡¯ll use it well,¡± the Bull Demon King said as he headed to the room.

    Su-hyeun relaxed a little more after Hercules willingly pointed to a room and entered it along with the Bull Demon King. Warm air circulated inside the room with sleeping quarters already laid out as if the hearth had been lit not too long ago.

    ¡°Did you like children originally?¡± Su-hyeun asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°Did I look like I hated them?¡±

    ¡°No, well, not really, but I didn¡¯t expect to see you get along so well with kids.¡±

    ¡°Our third brother is like an overgrown child, after all. Still, those two children are quite adorable, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Looks like I was very much mistaken. Big brother, you do get along with children.¡±

    ¡°Is that how it looks?¡± replied the Bull Demon King as he settled down on the warm floor.

    Su-hyeun requested Megara for some tea after she finished scolding her kids and returned to the living room. He then re-entered the room while carrying two cups filled with fragrant tea.

    Now that he got to enjoy some tea with the Bull Demon King and relax a little, he felt the inside of his head settle down once more.

    ¡°The taste of tea found in this world is rather mystifying. Indeed, the differences in cultivated lands seem to be real,¡± the Bull Demon King commented first.

    ¡°This is one of the good things about climbing the tower, actually. Tea tastes differently in different worlds. Of course, I¡¯m not an avid drinker of tea as you are, big brother, but I can still notice the difference.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little envious of that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll procure some in the future and brew them for you next time we meet.¡±

    ¡°If only our second and third brothers were half as mature as you are, it¡¯d be so wonderful.¡± After saying that, the Bull Demon King drank about half the cup and quietly shifted his gaze toward the door to the room. ¡°By the way, that fellow. Is he going to be alright?¡±

    Before he opened his mouth, he roused up his aura to block all sounds from leaving the room.

    It seemed that the discussion that was about to take place was not meant for the ears of Hercules or his family.

    Su-hyeun raised his teacup while making a puzzled face. The Bull Demon King was asking the exact same question as what Hercules asked earlier regarding the Yogoe.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°That fellow, he¡¯s almost become a full monster.¡±

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s reply halted Su-hyeun¡¯s hand from lifting the teacup higher.

    ¡°He¡¯s only white on the outside, but his insides are pitch-black.¡±

 Chapter 328

    Act 8

    His insides were pitch-black.

    Those were some abstract words, indeed. On top of that, one¡¯s outside not being the same as their inside would not be a good thing either.

    But why was this? Su-hyeun didn¡¯t take those words as Hercules¡¯s actions and his true thoughts not matching up, so the meaning of his insides being pitch-black was probably¡­

    ¡°Big brother, are you saying his heart is not well?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what worries him so much. He reminds me of you back when we first met each other.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ¡°You were too impatient, filled with worries and concerns, and you never saw the future in an optimistic light, and instead chose to see it only negatively. In your own way, you must¡¯ve been preparing for the absolute worst possibilities.¡±

    ¡°But brother, isn¡¯t your criticism a little too harsh?¡±

    While smiling away, the Bull Demon King continued with his observation that was sharp enough to stab Su-hyeun¡¯s heart, ¡°It¡¯s history now. Although you haven¡¯t changed a lot, you¡¯ve taken a step in the right direction.¡±

    Su-hyeun sighed softly under his breath.

    No doubt his mental state has improved a lot compared to his past, but there was nothing he could do about agonizing and worrying about the future to come in the circumstances he found himself in.

    If such a thing could be seen as one¡¯s nature, then it must¡¯ve been his, too.

    Of course, he did improve as hinted at by the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°At the very least, I¡¯ve now stopped worrying about unimportant things,¡± he thought.

    Some things could be solved by worrying, while some others, not really. After meeting the Bull Demon King, Su-hyeun learned how to put aside those matters that fell into the latter category.

    That resulted in his impatient streak disappearing, and the void left behind was soon replaced by some breathing room for his mind.

    Su-hyeun was already doing his very best, and he couldn¡¯t try any harder even if he wanted to.

    The Bull Demon King taught him that what Su-hyeun needed wasn¡¯t worries or impatience but the composure of mind and patience. Then, he even taught the latter how to attain those things.

    ¡°Did you say he¡¯s almost become a monster?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°That I did.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I was also close to becoming a monster?¡±

    ¡°You might have if you mastered the Sage Arts incorrectly, and my teachings were not up to par.¡±

    ¡°Hah-ah¡ª¡±

    He couldn¡¯t deny that.

    Su-hyeun recalled the figure of Bradley whom he met back in the 100th floor¡¯s trial.

    Bradley, the one who devoured the black dragon and became the predator, could only be suitably called a ¡°monster.¡±

    He sought out an even greater strength and, due to his lust for power, ended up becoming a monster.

    Su-hyeun required power as well, even if his purpose was different.

    In a way, maybe he too¡­

    Inwardly, he continued his musing, ¡°Is this the reason why the administrators seemed so unhappy about me mastering the Sage Arts?¡±

    Su-hyeun had no idea what kind of existences these administrators were nor what their goal could even be. However, one thing was certain: they were in an antagonistic relationship with the ¡°predator.¡±

    And according to what the Bull Demon King said, and also judging from Bradley¡¯s case, it wasn¡¯t necessarily only gods that could reach the pinnacle of the Sage Arts.

    If one continued to crave power, and to attain this power, didn¡¯t hesitate to cross the line, then, in the end, one would end up as the monster called ¡°predator.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little scary,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You need to remain cautious even in the future.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll engrave it to my heart.¡±

    The advice of needing to be cautious, it probably implied that Su-hyeun could end up like Hercules or Bradley at any time.

    He said inwardly, ¡°Besides all that, Hercules being in a similar situation as Bradley can only mean¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun picked up the teacup he had to put down earlier and glanced at the door where Hercules should be.

    ¡°Something big will happen pretty soon.¡±

    * * *

    Late at night.

    The bed Hercules used was made out of an expansive and large tree so that it would be roomy and wide.

    While he was lying on the sheets and slumbering away, cold sweat began coating his forehead. He clenched his chest with one hand as if to dig into his flesh, while moans escaped from his mouth.

    Euh, euh¡­

    ¡°You think you¡¯ve become someone special after people started praising you as a hero?¡±

    Hercules could hear a voice, and even if its pitch was indistinct, it rang inside his head. At the same time, his chest became very hot as if flames had lit up inside.

    ¡°You¡¯re weak. Or rather, your enemies are too strong. You can tell, can¡¯t you? With your current strength, you can¡¯t protect anything.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Get lost or I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Clench¡ª

    He clenched his teeth and roared out frantically in his head, yet the unknown voice didn¡¯t even sound agitated in the slightest.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re scared. Never mind the world, at this rate, you won¡¯t even be able to protect your family. Megara? Hale? Palaemon? Let me show you what their future looks like.¡±

    Fwooooosh¡ª

    The scenery suddenly spread out before Hercules¡¯s eyes.

    He didn¡¯t want to see it, but he had no choice. It didn¡¯t matter whether he closed his eyes or turned his head away, the scene continued to follow after him.

    It was a mountain of piled-up human corpses.

    Drip, drip¡ª

    ¡°Daddy¡­¡±

    ¡°Dear¡­¡±

    And from somewhere in the middle of the corpses whose blood was flowing rivers, the voices belonging to Hale, Palaemon, and Megara came to him.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ah, ah¡­¡±

    Hercules opened his mouth.

    He wanted to scream at the very least but couldn¡¯t. He shook his head to deny the vision, telling himself that it was merely an illusion, yet even doing that proved to be too difficult.

    He couldn¡¯t deny it. This was the future waiting for him.

    Corpses might not pile up into a mountain like this, but he was certain that he would fail to protect them at the very least.

    ¡°You already know the truth, don¡¯t you? Even if I don¡¯t come out and say it. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, please¡­¡±

    ¡°You require power. In that case, become a monster, and that will be all.¡±

    A ¡°monster,¡± he was familiar with that term. A long time ago, he often heard his friends called him that.

    He swore he would never go back to being that thing. If he became a monster out of his desire for more power, then he thought that would be like a repeat sign on a music sheet.

    However¡­

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, your family will die.¡±

    Such a thing must never happen. Never.

    And as the enticing voice continued, Hercules, lying on the bed, slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we should join hands.¡±

    That voice¡­it sounded exactly like his own.

    * * *

    Dawn broke.

    The dungeon in the sky started emitting light even from early morning, and Giants came visiting once more. Thankfully, Colossi didn¡¯t show up this time.

    Crack, crunch¡ª!

    Poooow¡ª!

    Hercules¡¯s club obliterated a Giant¡¯s head, but he continued to smash down on the already-dead Giant¡¯s head on the ground again and again.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun reached out and grabbed Hercules¡¯s arm that was repeatedly bringing down the club.

    ¡°Why are you wasting your energy like this?¡±

    ¡°Let me go.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already dead.¡±

    ¡°I can see that.¡±

    Kku-du-duk¡ª

    More strength gathered in Hercules¡¯s arm.

    This strength didn¡¯t seem right for some reason. He glanced to his side, but his eyes were filled with thicker killing intent.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Crunch¡ª!

    In the end, he managed to yank his arm from Su-hyeun¡¯s grip.

    Hercules¡¯s hands showed no mercy, and Su-hyeun quietly stood by the sideline and observed the demigod¡¯s attitude.

    The Giant came down here to slaughter humans, so Su-hyeun didn¡¯t have much of a reason to stop Hercules if the latter wished to vent some steam.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll listen to me even if I say something now, anyway,¡± he thought to himself.

    Su-hyeun waited a long while for Hercules to stop swinging his club. Eventually, when he did, his appearance did not betray any sign of being worked up¡ªhis breathing wasn¡¯t rough, and not a drop of sweat could be seen on his face.

    He walked up to the demigod once more and asked, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting more frequent.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°In the past, it was around once a month, then once every fortnight, but now, they show up every couple of days.¡±

    Hercules held his face with his hand that was dyed in crimson from splattered blood. He didn¡¯t seem to be conscious of that as he continued to mutter, blood now staining his face.

    ¡°As for the Colossi¡­Two, three of them will probably show up. But what about Uranus?¡±

    ¡°Did something happen to you?¡±

    ¡°Something? Yes. And it¡¯s in the middle of happening, too. In the past, in the present, and even in the future,¡± answered Hercules, whose glare became so much more vicious and savage.

    He somehow also seemed impatient.

    Su-hyeun recalled Hercules struggling in his sleep last night. It seemed that something indeed had happened to him yesterday.

    Not only that¡­

    ¡°The whites of his eyes are disappearing,¡± he silently observed.

    It wasn¡¯t the mere external change in his eyes either, but even the aura emanating from him was transforming along with that change.

    ¡°It¡¯s similar to the aura I sensed from Gluttony back then.¡±

    Hercules was changing into a monster.

    Su-hyeun recalled what the Bull Demon King had said.

    The ¡°monster¡± the Yogoe was referring to was ¡°prey.¡± In other words, he was talking about a monster with nothing but desires remaining, which was only a step away from becoming a predator.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too impatient. There must be a reason why not only Uranus but also the other Colossi can¡¯t simply appear here. That¡¯s why just like how it¡¯s been so far, they should continue showing up one at a time, sticking to some kind of a schedule or something like that.¡±

    ¡°A reason? What reason?¡±

    ¡°Such as gods are currently stopping them.¡±

    ¡°My father is doing what? You speak such things because you don¡¯t know,¡± Hercules snorted derisively. ¡°Father is definitely not someone like that. You think he will step up to personally stop the Giants for his son or his grandchildren?¡±

    ¡°There are other gods under Zeus¡¯s command. For instance, you know very well that Lord Apollo cares about humanity, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, Lord Apollo is a good god. However, there is still no guarantee, is there?¡±

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, what good will beating up a corpse of a Giant do for you?¡±

    ¡°But I just can¡¯t get rid of this damn frustration!¡±

    Bang¡ª!

    Hercules stomped down hard on the blameless ground and raised his voice high. ¡°I¡¯m still this weak, and all alone, yet¡­Not only are they not alone, but someone even stronger than I am is hiding among them, too!¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Hercules gritted his teeth.

    Madness.

    His eyes had completely gone pitch-black.

    ¡°This is bad,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Hercules had been displaying some hints of impatience in the recent past. However, they were never this bad. Of course, he harbored some anxiety in his heart all the time, but something had to have happened for him to change this much in one day.

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    The purple-colored sky began wavering once more.

    They were coming again. The Giants were here.

    Su-hyeun spoke up, ¡°It looks like you might need to calm down first. They are coming again.¡±

    ¡°Calm down? Right, be calm. Yes. I should be calm,¡± Hercules said while hoisting his club on his back. He then completely pulled down the Nemean Lion headdress on his head and turned around to trudge away from the spot and went in the direction of his own home.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going now?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    He was about to go after Hercules but quickly stopped his advance because of what Hercules said next.

    ¡°Do not come after me,¡± came his icy voice. ¡°I¡­I can no longer trust you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was an extreme level of anxiety and wariness in those words, and a naked warning was clearly visible in his expression as well as his voice tinged with killing intent.

    Su-hyeun could only sigh as he stared at Hercules¡¯s retreating figure. It seemed that the demigod was no longer interested in the appearance of the Giants. Without a doubt, his state was not normal.

    ¡°Which means, I must stop them by myself¡­¡±

    Stopping the Giants wasn¡¯t the issue here; the problem right now was leaving Hercules alone.

    ¡°Well, it is a relief that I¡¯m not alone right now.¡±

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword once more.

    Giants were descending like a swarm of bees.

    * * *

    Trudge¡ª, trudge¡ª

    While walking away in great anguish, Hercules hid his face in his hand. Right after the battle today came to an end, the voice he heard last night began whispering into his mind nonstop.

    ¡°That man is dangerous. Stay away from him. You can¡¯t trust him. Who knows when he¡¯ll try to harm you?¡±

    ¡°Shut up¡­That¡¯s not true.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s not true? You only met him recently, didn¡¯t you? He could be an agent of the kingdom. Or maybe even the Giants. Really now, where would someone that strong suddenly pop out from?¡±

    ¡°That¡ªthat is¡­¡±

    ¡°Trust no one. You can only trust me. And you know why? Because I¡¯m you.¡±

    He walked forward while listening to that headache-inducing voice, and before long, he had reached his house.

    Hercules regained his wits and examined his hand. Seeing all the blood on his palm, the inside of his head became hot once more.

    ¡°You need an even greater power, right?¡±

    Hercules nodded slowly; his eyes that changed to a pitch-black color was more prominent now.

    ¡°You want me to tell you the fastest method to power up?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Take away someone¡¯s godhood.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t take godhood away from the gods.¡±

    ¡°No, you know it too, don¡¯t you? It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s a god or not.¡±

    Urgh¡ª

    His head pulsed painfully as if it would shatter right now.

    He tried to hold onto the thread of his reason, but a far stronger power snapped it in half.

    ¡°Our son and daughter¡­¡±

    His anxiety and obsession with power that he managed to suppress until now finally managed to paralyze his reasoning completely.

    ¡°Devour them both.¡±

 Chapter 329

    Act 9

    Creeeak¡ª

    He opened the door, but he didn¡¯t enter his house right away. There was something he wanted to confirm first.

    Hercules¡¯s eyes scanned the interior of the house. ¡°Not here.¡±

    He stood still and heightened his senses, but he couldn¡¯t sense the presence of that monster with the gigantic aura, the Bull Demon King.

    He was thinking of chasing that man out of his house before anything else, but things had gotten simpler for him.

    Trudge¡ª

    Hercules began walking forward again.

    The whole house was quiet, as everyone was still slumbering. He entered the main bedroom and discovered Megara sleeping alongside Hale and Palaemon.

    Paaah, haaa¡ª

    Haaa¡ª

    The two children were in a deep sleep next to the woman he loved more than anyone else in this world.

    ¡°Hale, Palaemon, Megara¡­¡± Hercules reminded himself of those names in his mind. Right away, the killing intent oozing out from him died down.

    But moments later¡­

    ¡°Devour them and take away their godhood.¡±

    Urgh¡ª

    A head-splitting migraine assaulted him again.

    ¡°When you do that, their powers will become yours. That is the only way to protect your family.¡±

    Devour his family and then use that newly acquired power to protect his family? That was a truly nonsensical suggestion.

    However, power¡­

    Hercules¡¯s desire for more power even dulled his ability to see the exceedingly obvious flaw in that logic.

    Right now, he was unable even to see how nonsensical it was to give up on his original purpose for the sake of achieving the means.

    ¡°Hale, Palaemon.¡± Two children with his blood flowing through them.

    For now, they were too young and couldn¡¯t unleash their powers yet, but without a doubt, there would come a day when they would awaken the godhood hidden inside them.

    They might not become as powerful as Hercules himself, but they were still the inheritors of Zeus¡¯s bloodline.

    ¡°My children¡­¡±

    He then shifted his gaze over to Megara.

    She was more beautiful than anyone in the world as if the manifestation of the goddess of beauty herself. At least that was true in Hercules¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    Shu-ruck¡ª

    His hand extended toward Hale and Palaemon, but just before his large hand could grab Hale¡¯s head¡­

    GRAB¡ª

    A long and slender hand suddenly reached out from nowhere and grabbed Hercules¡¯s arm.

    ¡°My apologies for entering the bedroom of the master of the residence without permission.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ¡°By the way, fella, what were you thinking of doing?¡±

    The tall man that suddenly appeared and stared at Hercules with calm and withdrawn eyes was none other than the Bull Demon King.

    Grit, bulge¡ª

    Hercules tried to shake his arm loose, but he just couldn¡¯t do it. The grip on his arm was so strong that even Hercules, who was famed for his physical prowess, couldn¡¯t easily free himself.

    ¡°Mm¡­¡±

    ¡°Ng¡­¡±

    The weird change in the atmosphere between these two men caused Hale and Palaemon to stir in their sleep, and that led to the quietly slumbering Megara to faintly crack open her eyes.

    She murmured, ¡°Dear, you¡¯re home earlier than¡ª¡±

    But her lips clamped shut right away.

    Hercules and the Bull Demon King were standing next to the bed, but they were glaring at each other as the latter held tightly onto her husband¡¯s outstretched arm.

    ¡°D-dear, what is going¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Although I¡¯m not the master of this residence¡±¡ªthe Bull Demon King cut her word off while smiling warmly at her¡ª¡±may I ask you to vacate the house for a little while? Along with your children, of course.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are to tell them to leave?¡±

    Grrrit¡ª

    Hercules strengthened his arm even more.

    The thick killing intent leaking out from his eyes, dyed in a pitch-black color, gradually spread to the surroundings.

    Megara didn¡¯t need long to realize that Hercules¡¯s current state was not normal.

    The Bull Demon King was blocking most of the killing intent right now, and when he continued to block Hercules¡¯s path, Hercules impatiently took a swing at him with his other arm.

    However¡­

    Whoosh¡ª

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Kkyak¡ª!

    Hercules¡¯s arm was shoved back in an instant, and then, the demigod¡¯s head was snatched up by the Bull Demon King¡¯s swift hand before he slammed it straight into the floor.

    ¡°Please hurry,¡± said the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°Pardon¡­pardon me?¡±

    ¡°Waaaah¡ª!¡±

    ¡°So noisy¡­¡±

    That round of commotion finally caused Hale to start wailing and Palaemon to awaken blearily. Megara stared at Hercules, who barely managed to lift up his head from the floor.

    She saw the vicious light oozing out from his eyes and immediately recalled the sight of him reaching out toward her children. This man was not the Hercules she spent her life with.

    ¡°But how can I¡­?¡± Her reasoning told her to run from this place, yet she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do that.

    The Bull Demon King noticed Megara¡¯s expression, which displayed the conflict in her heart, and sagely nodded his head. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s the correct thing for the guest to leave instead.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Apologies for this inconvenience.¡±

    Smash¡ª!

    The noise of something breaking could be heard. At the same time, the Bull Demon King and Hercules, who was being held down on the floor by the Yogoe, both disappeared from her sight.

    Stunned silly by this development, Megara hurriedly looked around before raising her head to look up.

    Tumble¡ª Drop¡ª

    The ceiling was a wreck, and debris was falling to the floor from the gaping hole.

    * * *

    Whooooooosh¡ª

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    A thick dust cloud kicked up.

    Hercules, suppressed in the contest of strength yet again, barely managed to push his torso up. The Bull Demon King withdrew his hand that was pressing down on the demigod¡¯s head and spoke. ¡°It seems that I¡¯ve committed a grave offense, especially to the master of the house that let me rest for a night under his roof.¡±

    ¡°Why are you hindering me?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I hinder you? You were about to murder your family with your own hands.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything!¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, I do know very well. I¡¯ve already done what you did, after all.¡±

    The Bull Demon King killed Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King with his own hands.

    That Yogoe was Sun Wukong¡¯s first family member and the Bull Demon King¡¯s younger brother too. Yet he still killed the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King and had to endure an empty feeling akin to a hole in his chest for a while.

    That feeling still stayed with him even now.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that because you¡¯ll regret it.¡±

    ¡°Regret? Who will?!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Bang¡ª!

    Hercules swung his club to smash down on the Bull Demon King, only for the poor ground to explode into pieces. He continued to take powerful swings with his blunt weapon while chasing after the Yogoe¡¯s figure.

    Whoosh, whooooosh¡ª

    Swish, swish¡ª

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any thoughts of hurting you. That¡¯s not my role, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell will hurt who?!¡±

    ¡°The more paralyzed your reasoning gets and the more agitated you become, the harder you should take a look at yourself. You mustn¡¯t become a monster out of impatience.¡±

    Push¡ª

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s fingers lightly shoved aside Hercules¡¯s swung club. The latter¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets due to that action.

    He definitely took an almighty swing, yet to think his opponent easily pushed aside his club as if it was a small wooden stick, he just couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t even trying to block it, too¡­¡± he thought.

    Shudder¡ª

    Hercules immediately took several steps back. He finally realized that there was no point in swinging his club anymore.

    ¡°You chose well. I won¡¯t block you anymore, however,¡± the Bull Demon King said.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°The person who will stop you has arrived, you see.¡±

    ¡°Stop me?¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Crash¡ª!

    Suddenly, an impact force assaulted the back of Hercules¡¯s head, and his view of the world spun around. He felt himself seemingly float up, only for his body to actually lift off and be flung away to a distance.

    Tumble, bang, ka-boom¡ª

    The Bull Demon King watched as Hercules¡¯s figure was ungainly flung away.

    The demigod quickly regained his stance. It seemed that the impact to the back of his head had been largely absorbed by the Nemean lion leather.

    That didn¡¯t change the fact that it was a powerful impact, nonetheless.

    ¡°You took a while,¡± the Bull Demon King spoke up.

    ¡°A lot of Giants showed up, you know. But I didn¡¯t miss a single one of them.¡±

    ¡°Well done. I shall step aside, then.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Can I ask you for a favor, big brother?¡±

    ¡°Please protect the kids. When I¡¯m not around, that is.¡±

    This was the lone insurance Su-hyeun had prepared just in case.

    He wasn¡¯t worried about Hercules regardless of where the latter might end up, but the problem was with his two children.

    Hercules¡¯s children also inherited Zeus¡¯s blood, but unlike their father, Hale and Palaemon didn¡¯t have any abilities to protect themselves.

    ¡°Thank you for your help, brother.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your brother, after all,¡± the Bull Demon King replied while crossing his arms. ¡°However, this is as far as I¡¯ll go to shield you.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Su-hyeun replied while staring at Hercules and his hideously contorted expression as he walked closer.

    Step¡ª

    The naked killing intent that Hercules emitted, which could only be faintly felt as he headed back to his house earlier, was now gushing out like floodwater that couldn¡¯t be suppressed at all. His whole demeanor exactly matched that of an enraged wild beast.

    Hercules bared his fangs like that of the hide of the lion on his head and glared at Su-hyeun. ¡°As I thought, you¡­were my enemy.¡±

    A small trace of his reasoning still remained. He hadn¡¯t fully become a monster yet.

    ¡°No, not true. I¡¯m still on your side.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you hindering me? Why did you attack me?!¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s the only way to protect you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡±

    Crack¡ª

    Hercules kicked the ground hard.

    The pressure emanating from him as he used his thick legs to kick the ground and pounce forward was more than enough to send chills down the backs of all of his opponents. However, that was unsurprising since Hercules possessed enough strength to instantly bring down a Giant as tall as a mountain.

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    POW¡ª!

    Walls of flame exploded before his eyes, but Hercules simply barged through it and slammed down on Su-hyeun¡¯s waiting sword. The latter¡¯s wrist ached instantly from the weighty impact.

    Euhk¡­

    ¡°Where do you think you can run off to?!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun watched Hercules¡¯s club descend on top of his head.

    The heavy-looking blunt weapon was swung with enough power to shatter a mountain. Even Su-hyeun would end up with a shattered head if he were to get struck by something of that level.

    ¡°Block that¡­¡±

    Jiggle¡ª

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    Along with his quiet murmur, pure-white clouds mushroomed up and formed a barrier between him and Hercules.

    For a brief moment just then, briefer than a blink of an eye, the clouds managed to stop Hercules¡¯s club midair.

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    Right afterward¡­

    Purple-colored flames exploded in the location Su-hyeun had disappeared from.

    Bang, boom, boom, booooom¡ª!

    Explosions went off one after another.

    Keuh-heuph¡­

    Hercules urgently retreated. Even if it were him, he would not emerge unscathed from the scorching flames containing godhood.

    In the meantime, Su-hyeun hurriedly distanced himself from Hercules. His wrist that blocked the club was still aching even now.

    ¡°Well, his strength is certainly incredible.¡±

    Su-hyeun knew that the demigod was already physically really strong, but after unleashing his killing intent, it seemed that the latter had gotten even stronger.

    What would¡¯ve happened if Su-hyeun didn¡¯t acquire the godhood of strength? His wrist might have broken during Hercules¡¯s first attack.

    Of course, as far as pure physical strength was concerned, Hercules had far exceeded low-ranking gods by now. Maybe he was even physically stronger than most average gods out there.

    ¡°Which means I shouldn¡¯t stupidly fight him with physical strength only¡­¡±

    Still, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t think he would lose here.

    He had been fighting against the Giants alongside Hercules up until now, and during the process, he was naturally able to get an estimate of the differences between them.

    Then, he confirmed his estimate during their earlier exchange.

    ¡°Excluding his strength and ability to take blows, yeah, it¡¯s more than doable.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s combat style had fundamentally evolved into specializing in close-quarter engagements. His styles consisted of outstanding cutting force that relied on his main weapon, a sword, and attacks that relied on his physical strength and quick speed. Sometimes, he created some distance and either threw his spears or fire the divine Flame to keep his opponents in check.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s head quickly decided on how he would go about fighting Hercules.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to do it the other way around.¡±

    Close-quarter battle tactics would now be supplementary. He needed to go with ranged attacks as his main maneuvers from now on.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    [Leap]

    Su-hyeun leaped from his spot and created an even more distance between them before gripping a spear with his spare hand.

    ¡°Time to get started.¡±

 Chapter 330

    * * *

    Baaaang¡ª!

    Buzz, ache¡ª

    Hercules smacked away the spear that flew toward him with his club. The power behind the throw was quite considerable, and the impact force transmitted through his hands was just as great as a result.

    ¡°There you are!¡±

    Crush¡ª

    Hercules kicked the ground and rapidly shot up into the sky. By flying up like that, he was able to reach where Su-hyeun was in an instant.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    He swung the club mid-air, but Su-hyeun¡¯s figure simply turned into a flame and vanished from the spot after barely singeing Hercules¡¯s poor lion hide.

    However, Hercules, who was still in the air, quickly spun his body around and took another swipe with his club.

    Baaaang¡ª!

    He deflected a spear that was aimed at his shoulder.

    However, right at that moment¡­

    ¡°Rain?¡± Hercules discovered purple-colored ¡°rain¡± falling from above him.

    ¡°No, wait. This isn¡¯t rain but¡­¡±

    Rumble, ruuuumble¡ª

    It wasn¡¯t water but fire.

    Thousands, no, tens of thousands of spear fragments permeating with the divine Flame were raining down from above.

    Grit¡ª

    Hercules clenched his teeth tightly and continued to swing his club mid-air. As he smacked away each spear bit that fell toward him, his feet finally touched the ground below.

    But suddenly¡­

    ¡°Blow away¡­¡±

    A voice came from a distance.

    Shudder

    A creeping chill washed over Hercules, and while he was urgently pulling down on the lion leather to cover himself better, he hunkered down.

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    Slash, chwa-rararararak¡ª

    A powerful squall began whipping up.

    Unbelievably sharp wind blades instantly blanketed Hercules¡¯s surroundings. To Hercules, it felt as if countless blades were hacking away at his body, but he could do nothing to shake them off.

    It would¡¯ve been more preferable if he was being attacked by actual blades instead because, then, he could simply swing his club and shatter them.

    However, no matter how strong he was, he still couldn¡¯t destroy the formless winds.

    Trickle¡ª

    Drip, tumble¡ª

    A round of squall passed by, and blood began trickling down from all over Hercules¡¯s body.

    He stopped hunkering down and quickly evaded a sharp sword light that flew in toward his back.

    Su-hyeun, who swung his sword in a big arc, could only be impressed by that reaction and checked the status of Hercules¡¯s body. ¡°You sure are sturdy.¡±

    ¡°For a while now, you¡¯ve been gnawing at me like an insect. Is that how you originally fight?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s always been like that.¡±

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Grab¡ª

    The spear that Hercules had smacked away returned to Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    While spinning the spear in his hand, Su-hyeun finished making the rest of his reply, ¡°The best method to win¡ªI fight while caring only about that.¡±

    ¡°Mere petty tricks¡­¡±

    ¡°Think of it however you want.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s torso cocked back.

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª!

    Almost at the same time, a single spear flew in, and Hercules powerfully swung his club once more in response.

    Baaaang¡ª!

    Buzz, ache¡ª

    His hand continued to ache after smacking the spear away.

    He had deflected the spear several times already by now, yet it kept returning to Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. The weapon¡¯s tip was so strong that despite being struck by the club, it didn¡¯t bend out of shape at all.

    Swhoooooosh¡ª

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun rapidly collected the spear again.

    Hercules clenched his teeth as he watched Su-hyeun got ready to throw the spear once more.

    ¡°His throws are getting stronger,¡± he thought.

    At first, he thought he was mistaken, but after deflecting the spear a couple of times, he became certain of his findings. The power contained in the spear was getting greater.

    ¡°Well then, how about¡­¡±

    Bulge, squeeze¡ª

    Thick veins bulged on Su-hyeun¡¯s arm that was gripping the spear.

    ¡°One more throw?¡±

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    The spear containing flames flew toward the target.

    The throwing spear now permeating with the divine Flame containing godhood was at least twice more powerful than if it was thrown with only physical strength. No matter how strong Hercules was or how excellent his durability was, he simply couldn¡¯t brush aside this spear attack and rush forward.

    Ta-dack¡ª

    As soon as he threw the spear, Su-hyeun leaped back to create more distance. While doing that, he pulled out yet another spear and gripped it tightly. It was the Dragon Slaying Spear this time.

    The situation repeated itself.

    After throwing a single-use spear that could be recovered later, he would retreat to a distance, and then load the Dragon Slaying Spear that specialized in AOE attacks which force was enhanced by the divine Flame.

    Then, he would throw that Dragon Slaying Spear to tie down Hercules¡¯s movement, collect the spear, and get ready for the next round.

    Whenever a gap presented itself, he would unleash an attack that relied on the Palm Leaf Sword.

    Su-hyeun had already repeated these processes 10 times.

    ¡°I only have 10 spears remaining.¡±

    The number of Dragon Slaying Spears he had in reserve wasn¡¯t that great. He originally had 20 after purchasing some through the store using his points or asking Kim Dae-ho for a favor and had a few similar items crafted. That was about it.

    ¡°But these should be enough.¡±

    Slowly, while shaving away Hercules¡¯s stamina, Su-hyeun continued with his sure-fire strategy to win.

    * * *

    Slash, pi-pipipipik¡ª

    Ruuumble¡ª

    The spear that split apart into numerous pieces scratched past Hercules¡¯s skin, and purple flames seared his wounds.

    The demigod couldn¡¯t smack away every single piece of the divided Dragon Slaying Spear; hence, wounds continued to accumulate on his body.

    Only one spear remained now.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s creepy.¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at Hercules who was currently glaring back at him like some kind of a wild beast¡ªa wild beast that was prepared to rip him to pieces at any time, all the while baring its sharpened claws and fangs. Not only that, he was a beast that didn¡¯t care about his wounds and only got more vicious the more he got injured.

    Hercules was already so full of injuries, and several spear pieces were actually sticking out of his body as well. His flame-scorched skin had darkened so much that the flesh underneath must have been cooked by now, too.

    Even then, Hercules showed no signs of moving from his spot, just like how he was at the beginning.

    ¡°You¡¯re hesitating to throw that spear.¡± Hercules smiled for the first time in a while. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve run out of your spears, except the one that you keep collecting back.¡±

    That smile was a victor¡¯s smile.

    ¡°I, on the other hand, can easily deal with you as long as one of the two spears are no longer in play. So, what will you do now?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve suddenly become talkative.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Ruuumble¡ª

    A humongous flame enveloped the tip of the spear that Su-hyeun held in his hand. It was the hottest and most intense flame that had permeated the spear so far.

    ¡°As long as I block that¡­¡± Hercules thought as he pulled down the Nemean lion hide more securely on his head and grasped his club even tighter.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    [Flame]

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    Rumble¡ª

    A huge fireball swallowed up Hercules. Spear pieces carrying considerable power were mixed in among it.

    While enduring that flame with his body, Hercules tirelessly swung his club around.

    Bang, baaang¡ª!

    Bang, bang¡ª

    The countless individual spear pieces weren¡¯t strong by themselves, but there were so many of them, and they were fast, too. As such, it was easy to miss them completely.

    Staaab¡ª!

    A spear piece Hercules didn¡¯t smack away in time stabbed deeply into his shoulder.

    At the same time, his posture crumbled, which caused him to stagger. It looked as if strength would abandon his legs right away, yet he somehow sent more power to his hands instead.

    BANG¡ª!

    Then, he swung the club hard to knock away three more spear pieces that flew toward him, and following shortly after that¡­

    ¡°Here it comes.¡± He braced himself.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    A huge spear with the divine Flame swirling around it flew in amid the other pieces.

    Graaab¡ª

    Hercules had been biding his time for this spear to arrive and extended his free hand to grab it when it did.

    Sizzle¡ª

    It didn¡¯t matter to him that his hand would be seriously burned because the moment he successfully grabbed the spear, he became sure of his victory in this battle.

    Crunch, crack¡ª

    Hercules used his hand grip to crush and fold the spear shaft. The spear, which was heated up by the fire, continued to melt his palm flesh, but he was already used to the heat by now.

    Stab¡ª

    He stabbed the twisted spear on the ground. With how contorted it was now, that spear could no longer be thrown around anymore.

    Not just the throwing Dragon Slaying Spear but even the spear Kim Dae-ho crafted using a mixture of adamantium was broken now.

    The only weapon remaining in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand was the sword. Meaning, there shouldn¡¯t be any more annoyances left.

    ¡°Although, I must keep an eye out on that bastard over there¡­¡±

    Hercules glanced at the Bull Demon King who was spectating the proceedings from a distance.

    The Yogoe had been simply observing the fight and had done nothing else. He hadn¡¯t displayed a single hint of entering the fray so far.

    Maybe he was the type that didn¡¯t enjoy fighting but liked to observe.

    ¡°That bastard is too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I know already.¡±

    Hercules no longer rejected the voice. Rather, he completely accepted it now. He even made the power afforded to him by the voice as his own.

    ¡°Kill the one before our eyes and quickly leave this area. Snatching godhood away will have to come after that.¡±

    Ache¡ª

    Why was this, though?

    He had been feeling fine until now, but his head ached a little after he heard that voice. However, the pain lasted only for a second, and Hercules nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright. Now then¡­¡±

    Grip¡ª

    He gripped the club even harder as a wider grin spread over his face.

    ¡°Is it my turn now?¡±

    The spears were gone.

    Although the flame containing godhood was a worry, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t able to perfectly wield that yet.

    If it wasn¡¯t used to add flames to the spears to increase the spears¡¯ power, then it would be only around the level that Hercules could easily withstand with his durability alone.

    Crunch¡ª

    Hercules¡¯s foot stomped down hard on the ground, and at the same time¡­

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Hercules¡¯s hulking figure kicked the ground and rapidly flew in toward Su-hyeun. When he smashed down with the club, Su-hyeun also kicked the ground and retreated from the spot.

    Craaaack¡ª!

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    The descending club tore the ground apart, and the earth below was split in half. Just as hot energy gushed up from underneath him, Hercules kicked the ground again and flew up.

    Powpowpooow¡ª!

    Purple-colored flames exploded near the surface. Hercules chased after Su-hyeun¡¯s figure and smirked confidently. ¡°It seems that without your spears, you have no other way to keep me in check, do you?¡±

    Griiip¡ª

    Claaang¡ª!

    His club collided with the sword.

    Su-hyeun defended against the swung club and was shoved far back from the impact. However, right at that instant, Hercules reached out and grabbed Su-hyeun by his nape.

    Grab¡ª

    Whoooosh¡ª

    The demigod then threw Su-hyeun into the air.

    The latter¡¯s stance crumbled from the instant acceleration caused by the sudden explosion of power.

    And then suddenly¡­

    Smaaaash¡ª!

    Hercules¡¯s club powerfully smashed into Su-hyeun¡¯s chest area as he floated up in the air, sending him far away.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun loudly crashed in the ground, his figure deeply embedding in the ground.

    Hercules stared at the destroyed ground but began frowning at the strange sensation that came from his hands earlier.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    Without a doubt, he sent his target flying with a direct hit.

    The strike contained enough power, too. Even his posture was planted and stable when he swung the club.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Is it that cloud again?¡±

    He guessed that the white cloud that instantly wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s body had absorbed most of the impact.

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun, who was flung away and had crashed into the ground from the club strike, simply dusted himself and stood right back up. He didn¡¯t seem to be greatly injured at all. As expected, the impact force hadn¡¯t been transmitted to him properly.

    Su-hyeun more or less finished dusting himself off, picked up his sword, and while walking up to Hercules, spoke up, ¡°You asked if it¡¯s your turn now, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Indeed, Hercules did say that.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think it is.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t¡ª?¡±

    Hercules was about to rebuke his opponent, accusing the latter of spewing rubbish, but he stopped himself and scanned his surroundings.

    His view out front had turned hazy.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡± he thought.

    It was definitely the white cloud that wrapped around Su-hyeun to stop his club a few seconds ago, but now, that cloud had spread out all over his surroundings.

    Something didn¡¯t feel right, and the sense of danger exceeding that feeling of incongruence rapidly filled his head.

    ¡°This¡­this is dangerous.¡±

    Hercules quickly looked back to Su-hyeun. Even though their surroundings had become hazy and indistinct, he was clearly visible.

    ¡°It¡¯s still my turn. And also¡­¡±

    A bluish light began swirling within Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    Crack¡ª

    And at the same time¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    A crack had appeared on the club that Hercules still had in his hand.

    ¡°Your turn will never come.¡±

 Chapter 331: Chapter 331

    Act 10

    Swhoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Pah, pah-ahk¡ª

    Hercules¡¯s tightly wound nerve caught numerous noises coming from his surroundings.

    Then, suddenly, a sound came from behind him, but he couldn¡¯t turn around to take a look because Su-hyeun¡¯s figure was still visible in front of him, albeit only as a faint silhouette.

    ¡°Which one is real?¡± he asked inwardly.

    Whoosh¡ª

    He felt the sensation of an oncoming knife.

    Claaang¡ª!

    Hercules urgently swung his club to deflect the incoming blade.

    Slice¡ª

    A thin but long line of blood was left behind on his arm. Hercules frowned and quickly took several steps back.

    But right at that very moment¡­

    ¡°Wrap him up and strike down¡­¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Pure-white clouds that had gathered in the surroundings suddenly wrapped around Hercules¡¯s body.

    ¡°Dammit! Again¡­?¡± Hercules inwardly cursed.

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    Kwa-jajajajajak¡ª!

    Lightning flooded the surroundings, which paralyzed Hercules on the spot. Clouds were everywhere, and that meant he had no place to evade this attack.

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    Hercules hurriedly defended against the sword strike that was flying in from somewhere.

    Ache¡ª

    Not only the power contained in the strike itself was rather concerning, but Hercules¡¯s body had also been paralyzed, so he couldn¡¯t assume the correct defensive postures at all.

    Despite his original intention of deflecting the sword strike, in the end, he was forced back by his opponent¡¯s strength and had to take a couple of steps back. Unsurprisingly, Hercules¡¯s eyes opened wider from the sheer shock of it all.

    ¡°I was forced back?¡±

    If he was in a normal state, something like this wouldn¡¯t have happened. However, regardless of whether he wanted to make excuses about this or that, it was still the first time that he had been pushed back by his opponent¡¯s strength.

    It was an unfamiliar first-time experience indeed.

    Grit¡ª

    ¡°Dammit¡­¡±

    Griiip¡ª

    Hercules, who barely managed to defend against Su-hyeun¡¯s sword strike, roused up the last vestiges of his strength.

    ¡°Dammit¡ª!¡±

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    It was a true mystery just where he could summon so much strength like this. Even as the end neared, Hercules forgot about his paralyzed body and took the heaviest, strongest swing he had performed so far with his club.

    But at that moment¡­

    Crumble¡ª

    The very instant his club collided against Su-hyeun¡¯s sword, the weapon he had been using almost half of his entire life shattered into bits, and its resulting debris scattered in every direction.

    The club with many cracks running through it had broken apart due to the sudden explosion of Hercules¡¯s strength at the final moment.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it? I always fight in the surest way to win.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Piiit, pi-pi-pi-pi-piiit¡ª

    Su-hyeun wielded his sword, and wounds accumulated rapidly on Hercules¡¯s body.

    Thanks to Hercules¡¯s ridiculously tough body and the excellent defense afforded by the lion¡¯s hide, none of the sword wounds were deep enough to be grievous, but the situation was similar to how light drizzle would eventually soak your clothes inside out.

    Hercules¡¯s body was already full of small injuries by then.

    Thud¡ª

    Pant, pant¡ª

    He fell on one knee.

    He tried so hard to not falter, but he no longer had any stamina left to stay upright.

    Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, his whole body was paralyzed, and just moving one of his fingers proved to be immensely difficult. His other knee was also precariously faltering and barely holding up.

    More than anything, though, he had lost too much blood.

    ¡°Did you think you could win as long as you got close to me?¡± Su-hyeun asked, which only caused Hercules to grit his teeth.

    That was indeed true. Hercules mistakenly believed that to be the case after fighting against Su-hyeun who repeatedly distanced himself and threw spears from out of his reach while also relying on other means to keep him at bay.

    As long as the distance between them would close, then Hercules believed that he could easily subdue Su-hyeun.

    But that wasn¡¯t it.

    ¡°The reason why he kept creating distance wasn¡¯t that he was weak in a close-quarter battle, but because I¡¯m weak in the long-distance battle, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he realized.

    Without a doubt, he had never encountered an opponent as adept as Su-hyeun at unleashing long-distance attacks until now.

    Magicians with so-so abilities were never much of a challenge to Hercules anyway, and as for the Giants, most of the time, they favored fighting in an old-fashioned way, relying on physical strength alone.

    Because of these factors, Hercules didn¡¯t know how to respond to the type of battle where spears kept flying in from a distance and his stamina was constantly being shaved away.

    ¡°No, even if that¡¯s all true¡­¡±

    Tremble, tremble¡ª

    Hercules looked down at his palms that were currently trembling nonstop from the impact forces.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±

    He just couldn¡¯t accept it.

    With time, Su-hyeun gradually got better at handling his powers.

    No matter how exhausted Hercules was and how paralyzed he was from the lightning, it was still no ordinary feat to be able to push him back with sheer strength alone, especially so when his opponent was still so young. Also, to think he had already acquired the godhood of strength, fire, and even cloud.

    On top of that, he seemed to be far more proficient at handling the godhood of cloud than the godhood of fire. From the way he used the clouds to defend himself to using them to occupy and control the surrounding space, everything seemed really natural to him.

    Step, step¡ª

    ¡°Are you feeling exhausted now?¡± Su-hyeun asked as he walking closer to him. He wiped away the sweat trickling down his forehead.

    The battle might have unfolded as he planned, but that didn¡¯t mean it was easy.

    He had to repeatedly do the same thing without making a single mistake, and in the process, he had to expend a lot of magical energy as well. Therefore, it was unsurprising he felt tired himself.

    Of course, there was no doubt that it was still the surest method.

    ¡°Well then, can we have an earnest conversation now?¡±

    ¡°Conversation?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s talk.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you trying to kill me?¡±

    ¡°If that had been my aim, I wouldn¡¯t have taken such a roundabout way,¡± Su-hyeun replied as if to say, what kind of dumb things are you saying? ¡°Get a hold of yourself and think. Think about what you were trying to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI only wished to get stronger¡­¡±

    For a brief moment there, Hercules¡¯s atmosphere changed. His eyes which were filled with dense killing intent suddenly showed signs of confusion.

    Why was this?

    Su-hyeun was definitely trying to kill him. At least, that was what Hercules believed.

    No one could be trusted. The only one he could believe in was himself, and only by getting stronger could he protect ¡°them.¡±

    Protect¡­

    ¡°Protect who?¡±

    Ache¡ª

    Hercules¡¯s expression contorted so much.

    The pain that was assaulting his head significantly worsened. Maybe because his stamina was at rock bottom and his body was a mess, his headache grew to the point where he found it difficult to endure.

    Euh-euhk, urgh¡­

    He held his head with his hands and went down on his knees. It felt like something that had been forcibly suppressed inside his head was endlessly thrashing about.

    He held on and began clawing at his head, which felt like it would explode at any second, before barely managing to squeak some words out.

    ¡°Just who¡­was I¡­¡±

    The tone of his voice had changed.

    The killing intent lessened, and the glare in his eyes had changed, although only by a little.

    Did his body ending up in a mess have the desired effect? Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know the reason for the change currently happening to Hercules, but he welcomed it nevertheless.

    ¡°Trying to protect?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t remember it.

    Some faces entered his mind, but they were too blurry. He knew that he was trying to protect something, and for that purpose, he needed strength.

    That¡¯s what he remembered, and he also recalled trying to kill someone to take their powers away to achieve his goal¡­

    ¡°Hale, Palaemon, Megara,¡± Su-hyeun said their names one at a time. ¡°Those are the names of your children and your wife.¡±

    ¡°My¡ªmy children¡­¡±

    ¡°Just what has happened to you? Why were you suddenly trying to murder your own kids?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s voice sunk even lower.

    He requested the Bull Demon King to protect Hercules¡¯s children Hale and Palaemon.

    And as per his request, the Bull Demon King did suppress Hercules, which could only mean that the demigod actually tried to harm his own kids.

    This was too lamentable.

    Su-hyeun witnessed how the demigod behaved while he was with his family. Then, he recalled Hercules from the 43rd floor¡ªthe one with the aggressive and overbearing personality.

    The only reason why Hercules could change into someone this warm and caring was because of his family, but somewhat ironically, to protect them, he chose to kill them instead.

    ¡°Hale, Palaemon, Megara¡­¡±

    The whites returned to Hercules¡¯s eyes.

    His now-opened eyes looked down at his own hands.

    His hands were stained with blood. He remembered himself trying to grab Hale and Palaemon with these blood-soaked hands.

    ¡°What¡ªwhat¡­did I¡­?¡±

    Tremble, tremble¡ª

    Hercules stared at his blood-stained hands before covering up his face.

    He got his reasoning back, and even the voice that was coming from somewhere deep inside him disappeared. The unknown strength that filled him a little while ago was gone, and in its place, his paralyzed reasoning came back in full force.

    Perhaps ironically, though, his memories didn¡¯t go anywhere. He could still recall the horrible thing he almost ended up doing.

    He recalled Hale and Palaemon.

    He indeed attempted to devour his own two children.

    Keok, Keo-uhrk¡­

    Rather than just remembering everything, his mind began functioning properly now, and he was instantly sickened by his own thoughts. He retched and began emptying out everything in his stomach.

    Hercules fell down on the spot and vomited painfully while howling out in tears.

    * * *

    Hercules howled and cried until sunset. As the cold night descended, he stopped and raised his head, perhaps finally running out of energy to continue.

    Su-hyeun had been waiting without a word until then. He helped Hercules stand up. He was wondering worriedly about what to do in case the demigod lost his reasoning again, but much to his relief, no such thing happened.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to wash up first.¡±

    Those were the very first words Hercules spoke.

    His regenerative ability was so outstanding that all the injuries on various parts of his body had mostly healed by now. However, there was no helping the blood staining his figure.

    Hercules washed in a river nearby, and Su-hyeun roused up the divine Flame to dry the demigod¡¯s wet clothes.

    Afterward, Hercules returned home.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you planning to go inside?¡± the Bull Demon King asked Su-hyeun. The latter hadn¡¯t entered the house and was simply leaning his back against the building¡¯s exterior.

    Su-hyeun nodded before casting his gaze lower to the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see it anymore, you see.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking at a person¡¯s crying face for a whole day, you know. And it will be Miss Megara¡¯s turn to cry now.¡±

    She, unfortunately, had to witness Hercules¡¯s change in appearance.

    She saw his hands that threatened to harm their children, and she felt the murderous aura that leaked out of his eyes. That moment must have been her first time to witness her husband sneak back home with bloodstains on both his hands and with his face like that.

    ¡°No one in this world would want to show you their crying selves, you know.¡±

    Sure enough, sobbing sounds could be heard coming from the house.

    Hercules¡¯s voice could also be heard. He was trying to soothe Megara and worked extra hard to pacify the two still-immature children, Hale and Palaemon.

    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re right.¡±

    The Bull Demon King also leaned against the wall and stood next to Su-hyeun.

    For a while, they silently listened to the sounds of a sobbing family.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly glanced at the shadows of two people cast on the window. The silhouettes belonged to the wide-shouldered and hulking physique of Hercules who was currently hugging Megara tightly.

    For some reason, though, his once-broad and dependable back looked indescribably small and helpless today.

    Even though he shed tears for the whole day, Hercules still cried again. He could only repeat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± over and over again.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s heart ached. He felt terrible despite knowing that he would never be able to even guess one-one hundredth of what Hercules and his family were going through right now.

    Hercules was probably feeling a pain severe enough to rip his heart to pieces.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t pity them too much,¡± said the Bull Demon King as he looked at Su-hyeun who was sharing the family¡¯s grief. ¡°Shedding tears is proof that you¡¯re releasing your pain outside and letting it go. We should let them be so that they could work through their pain and cry together.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded and, while sighing deeply, raised his head.

    But right at that moment¡­

    ¡°Rain?¡± he thought.

    His eyes caught sight of a single small raindrop falling from the sky.

    This drop fell ever so slowly.

    But the weather didn¡¯t look like it would rain, though? Su-hyeun unconsciously reached out and caught the raindrop on his palm.

    Drip¡ª

    The rainwater pooled on his palm.

    It felt strange. For a drop of rain that fell on this rather chilly day, it felt too warm.

    However, it wasn¡¯t a drop of rain.

    [You have acquired ¡°A God¡¯s Tear.¡±]

    It was none other than a teardrop of the god Hercules.

 Chapter 332: Chapter 332

    Act 1

    Swahhh¡ª

    The rain fell for a while.

    Su-hyeun kept staring at the drop of water on his palm. Rather amazingly, this drop didn¡¯t mix with the other raindrops and dissolve; it simply continued to circle around within his hand instead.

    The falling rain soaked him to the bones, and it felt like his whole body might sag to the floor.

    Su-hyeun cupped his hand to get more rainwater, and then, along with ¡°A God¡¯s Tear,¡± drank them all.

    [You have acquired a stat point.]

    A single stat point¡­

    Although it was just one point, it was still extremely important to Su-hyeun.

    With that single stat point, he would get to earn new godhood.

    ¡°I had no idea I¡¯d earn one in this way, though.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help but feel strange.

    All the falling raindrops looked so slow to his eyes. It had been a long time since he just stood around getting showered by rain.

    Only when one was young would they enjoy the rain on their skins; people would normally avoid getting wet.

    The rain that continued to fall the whole night only came to a stop the following morning. That was also when Hercules emerged from his house.

    He spoke up, ¡°My apologies. I made you both wait for a long time.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize, fella. We¡¯re staying under your roof, after all.¡±

    Both Su-hyeun and the Bull Demon King quickly waved their hands to say it was all fine.

    Hercules had barely managed to calm down Megara and his kids and watched them fall asleep before stepping outside. He leaned his back against the wall like the others and sat down. He was at least two and a half meters tall, so his sitting height almost matched Su-hyeun¡¯s height as the latter stood on his feet, and they had no problem matching their eye levels.

    ¡°Thank you for stopping me. I¡¯ve¡­lost my mind for a little while back then.¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling alright now?¡±

    ¡°Right now, I can¡¯t say that I am. In all honesty, my thoughts haven¡¯t changed at all. I¡¯m still too weak to protect my family. I¡¯m even weaker than you.¡±

    ¡°But that was¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel sorry for me. If you wanted to kill me, surely, there must¡¯ve been a simpler way, am I correct? I know that you worked hard to defeat me without killing me. That¡¯s why I am truly grateful.¡±

    Hercules got down to his knees as he said that.

    That was his way of showing his gratitude. Su-hyeun did feel burdened by this display but didn¡¯t try to make Hercules stand back up. To the demigod, this must have been the best and most complete way to say thanks out of all the things he could do, so Su-hyeun didn¡¯t stop him.

    Hercules finally raised himself back up, his complexion a lot more haggard than before. ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to stop, and the voice that came from inside my head is not there anymore.¡±

    ¡°A voice? What voice are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It could¡¯ve been my inner self, or it could be an external force¡¯s interference. I don¡¯t know. If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯d like it to be the latter, but¡­honestly, I¡¯m not confident of that.¡±

    Su-hyeun began having a lot of questions regarding the revelation that some kind of voice was involved in Hercules¡¯s sudden transformation.

    ¡°Is that a part of the process to become a predator?¡± he thought to himself.

    A predator was a monster that failed to become a god. However, Hercules was already a god-like existence. Most likely, his obsession with wanting to protect his family took a hold of him in a similar way to how one¡¯s desire behaved.

    As for him hearing some kind of voice¡­

    For now, Su-hyeun had no way of finding out whether that was a symptom unique only to Hercules or it was one of the byproducts in the process of becoming a monster called the predator.

    ¡°What about Miss Megara?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s scared. A lot.¡±

    ¡°Scared of what, though?¡±

    ¡°Of the current situation. Let me be honest here. I don¡¯t have any confidence in whether or not I¡¯ll change again.¡±

    That must have been the reason why Megara shed her tears.

    She cried at the possibility of her children falling into danger at any moment and at the fact that Hercules was the reason for the danger in the first place.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to rely on you forever, so I¡¯m planning to give it my all.¡±

    ¡°Is Miss Megara thinking the same as well?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told her that she should leave whenever she feels it¡¯s the right thing to do. Our kids, Hale and Palaemon, are in danger, after all. But when I told her that, she said we should work through my problem together so that I won¡¯t change again,¡± Hercules said while smiling softly.

    Not much energy was behind that smile, but it was still a relief to see that he at least could smile a little.

    Su-hyeun felt deeply relieved that Megara chose to remain by Hercules¡¯s side and that she found the courage to do so.

    ¡°I promise you, I won¡¯t change. Never. If that voice shows up again, I¡¯m just gonna curse the living hell out of it.¡±

    * * *

    The succeeding events were not that different from what had transpired before Hercules¡¯s episode.

    Except for stopping the Giants that showed up every now and then, Su-hyeun spent his free time with the Bull Demon King in Hercules¡¯s house.

    Hercules seemed to be cautious about everything somehow. He was probably wary about changing back into that monster again.

    However, as long as he remained wary, he would surely not revert back to that state anymore.

    [Remaining time: 1 hour, 35 minutes¡­]

    Not much time remained now.

    After defeating a whole bunch of Giants and Gigantes that had appeared, Su-hyeun headed back to Hercules¡¯s residence.

    It had been a month. He ended up staying here for a fairly long time.

    He didn¡¯t feel rueful about the upcoming goodbyes, however. It would be a lie to say he hadn¡¯t grown close to Hercules¡¯s family, but that¡¯s how all trials were like. Therefore, Su-hyeun decided to treat this trial just like any other where he was simply passing through.

    If he coldly analyzed his reason even further, then he also hadn¡¯t grown as close to them as he did to the Bull Demon King, Sun Wukong, and the Roc Demon King from the 60th floor.

    Besides, there was something else that caused many dilemmas in Su-hyeun¡¯s mind right now.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic count: 93] [Magic level: 9]

    [Strength: 100] [Agility: 99]

    [Stamina: 99] [Reflex: 99]

    [Death Aura: 70]

    [Skill: Leap * advanced]

    [Skill: Transfiguration * advanced]

    [Skill: Godhood ¨C Flame * advanced]

    ¡­.

    [Fatigue: 0]

    [Additional point: 1]

    There weren¡¯t any notable changes to Su-hyeun¡¯s stat window.

    None of his stats that had reached 99 showed signs of improvement. The same thing also applied to his ¡°magic count.¡±

    The only real change was to the section of ¡°Flame,¡± which was currently being treated as a skill and was indicated to have acquired godhood, as well as the last line that showed ¡°additional point.¡±

    ¡°Now where should I invest that point?¡±

    That was Su-hyeun¡¯s biggest dilemma right now.

    A single stat point that could be invested in anything, where would it be most appropriate to spend that point on?

    He had already excluded his ¡°Reflex¡± stat because he had already reached the 100-point mark for that stat back when he was Kim Sung-in.

    Maybe because he hadn¡¯t learned the Sage Arts back then, he had no clue that reaching that milestone was the same as acquiring godhood, but without a doubt, he did acquire the sensory perception that was on another dimension.

    There was definitely some merit in investing that point in the Reflex stat. However¡­

    ¡°With enough time, I know I can get back to the Reflex stat from back then through my own abilities.¡±

    The crux of the matter involving the Reflex stat was with his sensory perception, and his senses hadn¡¯t reached the point that Kim Sung-in had reached in the past.

    Of course, his overall combat capability was a separate matter. Kim Sung-in mastered more skills than Su-hyeun had, his Reflex stat had reached the 100-point mark, and even his magic count was higher.

    However, the current Su-hyeun enjoyed the godhood of strength, as well as the divine Flame. Not to forget, he had the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf, and he was currently mastering the Sage Arts as well.

    It was safe to assume that he had already leapfrogged past Kim Sung-in at this stage.

    ¡°Ultimately, it¡¯s down to either agility or stamina¡­¡±

    His dilemma was only getting worse.

    In the end, he failed to put a full stop to his dilemma this time around. Su-hyeun, sitting on the front yard¡¯s rocking chair, slowly shook his head and got back on his feet.

    He didn¡¯t have a reason to decide right away, anyway, so he figured that it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to take a little more time to decide on things.

    ¡°I guess about one hour remains?¡±

    He had basically cleared the trial already, judging from how things currently were. It was most likely that the trial of the 102nd floor was to stop Hercules¡¯s transformation into a predator.

    ¡°That hint about Hercules being the issue is probably no longer relevant now.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for that hint, would Su-hyeun have failed to notice the minute changes to Hercules¡¯s personality?

    No, that was unlikely, but there was a chance that he might have paid a little less attention.

    Creak¡ª

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡±

    The Bull Demon King pushed open the front door and emerged from the house. Then, he placed a folding chair he brought outside next to Su-hyeun¡¯s rocking chair and settled down on it.

    Su-hyeun nodded and sunk his body deeply back in the rocking chair before looking up at the blue sky above. ¡°Yes, only a little bit of time remains.¡±

    ¡°Which means this is yet another farewell.¡±

    ¡°Farewell,¡± that word made a corner of Su-hyeun¡¯s heart hurt a little.

    He felt a rush of frustration. He knew that it couldn¡¯t be helped, but a small part of him thought that it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to spend a little more time with him like this.

    ¡°It would be wonderful if all of us can be together the next time we meet,¡± said the Bull Demon King.

    A smirk made its way to Su-hyeun¡¯s lips right then. That feeling of frustration didn¡¯t last for long.

    The moment he heard the Bull Demon King, all thoughts of rueful longing simply melted away like snowflakes. To his ears, that sounded pretty much similar to what the Bull Demon King said in the past, the one about them definitely going to meet again.

    ¡°When you say something like that, it feels as if it would definitely come true¡­¡± Su-hyeun spoke while turning his head to the side, only to freeze up right there. ¡°Big brother.¡±

    The Bull Demon King, who was sitting next to him only a second ago, had vanished. Only the small chair he had brought outside remained on the spot.

    Over one hour still remained, though?

    ¡°He already left?¡±

    Then again, the Bull Demon King had often been bringing up his worries over the other brothers for the past few days. It wasn¡¯t all that strange to see him leave a little early.

    A dragged-out and tedious farewell would only hurt more in the end, after all.

    Still, they did promise to meet again before parting ways. Su-hyeun figured this was a pretty decisive and cool farewell whatever the case may be, so he raised his head.

    Hale and Palaemon energetically ran out of the house, and Su-hyeun played with them for a little while. Before long, Hercules came outside to stand next to him.

    ¡°Are you leaving as well?¡± the demigod asked after checking out Su-hyeun¡¯s expression. Hercules didn¡¯t seem all that surprised. Maybe he began thinking about the possibility a little while ago.

    Su-hyeun nodded and replied, ¡°Yes. It looks like I must.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for everything.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. What are you going to do from now on?¡±

    ¡°Regarding what?¡±

    ¡°Everything.¡±

    Although Su-hyeun did beat around the bush a little, there could be only one thing he was asking about.

    Uranus.

    Indeed, he was asking the demigod how he was planning to deal with that monster who used to be a god from the generation before Zeus and somehow ended up becoming a predator.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what Olympus is planning to do through me, but for now, I¡¯m thinking of taking it one step at a time.¡±

    ¡°One step at a time, you say?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­Your big brother told me that I need to learn to relax and breathe a bit more. He taught me this thing called breathing technique or something, which has been helping me with relaxing my mind lately.¡±

    ¡°The breathing technique, huh?¡±

    ¡°Right. Thanks to him, I stopped being so impatient, too.¡±

    Sure enough, Hercules¡¯s complexion while saying those things seemed a lot brighter than the first time Su-hyeun ran into him.

    The Bull Demon King had personally taught Hercules the breathing technique, though?

    Su-hyeun was well aware of the effectiveness of that technique. Once upon a time, he too was impatient in his heart, but through the breathing technique and the Bull Demon King¡¯s guidance, he was able to turn things around.

    The same thing applied now.

    It seemed that the Bull Demon King couldn¡¯t forsake Hercules, someone he had been living with under the same roof for a little while.

    ¡°That does sound like the big brother, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    What a relief that was. Hercules¡¯s state was similar to the past version of Su-hyeun. No, more correctly, the demigod closely resembled Kim Sung-in¡ªalways impatient and always under the sheer pressure of needing to achieve something. He lived his life while constantly being under the tremendous burden of needing to carry all those lead-like baggage that was ruthlessly bearing down on his shoulders.

    The current Su-hyeun had gotten rid of a lot of that baggage. The same thing should also apply to Hercules.

    From this point onward, he should take his time step by step; moving forward while gradually ridding himself of that baggage would do the trick.

    ¡°In that case, I shall get going as well.¡±

    Su-hyeun got up from the chair. Not much time remained now.

    ¡°Are you leaving right away?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please tell Miss Megara and the children.¡±

    ¡°How about you say farewell directly to¡ª?¡± Hercules¡¯s eyes opened wider as he watched Su-hyeun¡¯s figure gradually fade out.

    The latter waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s meet again in the future.¡±

    Before he completely vanished from the world, Su-hyeun abruptly recalled the myth related to Hercules. He wasn¡¯t all that knowledgeable about the Greek myths, so he didn¡¯t know much about the tales involving Hercules¡¯s life.

    However, he was still sure that the ¡°Hercules¡± he knew was the hero among heroes who achieved a great victory in the gods¡¯ war against the Giants.

    ¡°And I believe you¡¯ll achieve the same feat here, too,¡± Su-hyeun inwardly cheered on Hercules¡ªa man who most resembled himself and someone more human than any other despite being born as a half-god.

    And right at that moment¡­

    [Remaining time: 00:00:00]

    [You have passed the 102nd floor¡¯s trial.]

    [You have acquired 30,000,000 achievement points.]

    [You are now receiving the grace of the god Hercules.]

    [Your ¡°Strength¡± has risen by 1.]

    [Will you transfer to the next floor?]

 Chapter 333

    * * *

    Darkness settled after dusk had come to the world.

    A trail of dust cloud was heading toward a small and humble-looking thatched-roof house located in the deeper part of a mountain valley.

    Tadadadadada¡ª

    Inside the house, the Bull Demon King had just finished brewing tea and was about to drink it, but after hearing all those raucous approaching footsteps, he quietly put the teacup down.

    Du-rururuk¡ª

    Bang¡ª!

    ¡°Big brother!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being too loud. You might break the door, too.¡±

    The Bull Demon King spotted the tea¡¯s surface rocking about and looked back at Sun Wukong with a somewhat stern expression.

    If it was any other occasion, Sun Wukong would have calmed down a little after getting scared by that expression, but he didn¡¯t budge an inch this time.

    ¡°Big brother, I heard that you went to see the fourth brother.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that from the second brother?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now, is it?!¡±

    Sun Wukong rushed over to the Bull Demon King¡¯s side and settled down there. Even though they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a while, the monkey king didn¡¯t seem to be all that interested in the latter¡¯s return.

    Then again, the Bull Demon King was far too powerful to be worried about anyway, and more importantly, he hadn¡¯t been gone as long as the fourth brother.

    ¡°Where did you see him? Was he doing well?¡±

    ¡°You know better than anyone that I didn¡¯t see him on this side.¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, on which world did you meet him?¡±

    ¡°It was a place with many strange gods.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you, like, tell me in detail already?¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s highly excited face got really close, and the Bull Demon King lightly flicked his finger on his younger brother¡¯s nose. He then began leisurely talking about what had transpired in the other world.

    Unlike in the past, the Bull Demon King was now well aware of the kind of world Su-hyeun was originally from. Sun Wukong was currently climbing the tower, the one with countless many floors, the same as Su-hyeun, after all.

    These two got to learn a lot more about who Su-hyeun was.

    ¡°Maybe because there¡¯s no more need for secrecy, he told me quite a lot of things. Like, what the world he¡¯s living in is like, what kind of people are around him, and how he¡¯d been living until now.¡±

    ¡°That punk. He¡¯s never told me anything like that, though.¡±

    ¡°And his life has been a lot harder than I thought. After listening to him, I finally understood a little why he was making those kinds of expressions when we first met him. He lives every day with billions of lives shackling him like a lump of lead, so how could he relax and be more carefree?¡±

    ¡°What are you even talking about?¡±

    ¡°Well, there is something like that.¡±

    ¡°Big brother! Are you going to keep the fourth¡¯s matters a secret, too?!¡±

    Sun Wukong shot up from the spot with a wounded face, but the Bull Demon King simply nodded his head as if it was the obvious thing.

    ¡°You should hear it directly from him when you two meet again later.¡± The Bull Demon King stared at his face¡¯s reflection on the ceramic teacup¡¯s surface and continued with a slightly sorrowful voice, ¡°Because this tale isn¡¯t something I should convey.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After hearing that, Sun Wukong sat back down on the spot even though he was still frowning deeply. ¡°Dang it.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t continue asking anymore.

    Sun Wukong rested his elbow on his knee and placed his chin in his hand. The Bull Demon King saw that and smiled faintly. The monkey king must have been worried about their fourth brother because his expression showed how jittery and nervous he was.

    ¡°If you keep climbing that tower, wouldn¡¯t you someday run into him?¡±

    ¡°But I wanted to know when that will be. Could it be that I won¡¯t ever get to run into him for the rest of our lives?¡±

    Sun Wukong must have been feeling frustrated because he was replying with an unusually higher tone. Judging from what he said, he seemed to be worried about the possibility of never seeing Su-hyeun ever again.

    ¡°Hmm¡­I wonder about that.¡± However, the Bull Demon King¡¯s thoughts were a little different from Sun Wukong¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be that long from now.¡±

    Those were some meaningful words.

    Sun Wukong made yet another pouting unhappy expression and slapped his knee. ¡°Fine, but when will that be, big brother?¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°Brother, are you going for that ¡®I know, but I¡¯ll pretend to not know¡¯ again? I mean, you didn¡¯t even tell us and went behind our backs to meet the fourth brother all by yourself.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still too lacking.¡±

    ¡°Awww, really now?!¡±

    ¡°Next time, why don¡¯t all of us get together and share a drink?¡±

    At the Bull Demon King¡¯s sudden suggestion, Sun Wukong faltered a little and began scratching his head. ¡°You mean, that bitter thing called booze?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to drink, then you can just accept the cup. In human society, drinking together is apparently a type of ritual that they do to signal their intent to become brothers in arms.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± Sun Wukong scratched his chin while thinking for a bit and then nodded contemplatively. ¡°Well, since the fourth brother is a human, let us do that,¡± he said, the corners of his lips curling up ever so slightly. His expression said how hard he was suppressing a smile from breaking out. It seemed that he was feeling rather pleased after thinking about the future.

    ¡°Indeed, let us.¡±

    The Bull Demon King began picturing it¡ªhim, the second brother, the Roc Demon King, the third brother, Sun Wukong, and the fourth brother, Kim Su-hyeun¡ªall four of them together, drinking happily.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be nice if that day comes sooner rather than later.¡±

    * * *

    [Strength: 101]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun confirmed his stat one more time and quietly stared at his palm for a little while.

    It hadn¡¯t been all that long since his strength stat had increased, yet it went up again. Was it because the trial was related to Hercules? Out of several different stats he had, it happened to be his ¡°strength¡± that went up.

    ¡°Is this kinda like the evolution of godhood, then?¡±

    According to what the administrator said, class differences existed even within the same type of godhood.

    Currently, Su-hyeun possessed the godhood of strength and fire, and the fact that his strength stat had risen up indicated that the godhood of strength had gone up a level.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been nicer to have either agility or stamina rise up, though.¡±

    In any case, an improvement in his stats was something to be happy about, like the sweet rainfall after a lengthy drought.

    Although it was just a one-point increase, Su-hyeun began thinking that even if he were to fight Hercules again, he would not be pushed back so much now with his current level of strength.

    Of course, he would still need another point added to his ¡°strength¡± stat if he wished to compete with Hercules in purely physical power alone.

    Su-hyeun sheepishly scratched his head while scanning his new surroundings.

    Tumble, swah-aaah¡ª

    Splash, splash¡ª

    Tall waves crashed and scattered away. The sounds of the ocean coming from the beach felt so refreshing to him, while the bright and clear skies above tried to burn his eyes.

    Su-hyeun found himself standing in the middle of a small island, completely surrounded by an endless stretch of ocean. More correctly, on a beach where not even a single tree could be found, just plenty of sand under his feet.

    ¡°So, this is the 103rd floor.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t see the administrator for the floor. He couldn¡¯t even sense any presence here at all. It seemed that just like the 101st and 102nd floor, this world had already been destroyed as well.

    He wondered if he should search for the administrator right away, but decided to postpone that.

    He had spent enough time on the 102nd floor, after all. After clearing the 101st floor, Su-hyeun immediately challenged the 102nd, so he had been basically neglecting his own world for far too long.

    ¡°Right, for now, I should go back.¡±

    * * *

    During Su-hyeun¡¯s month-long stay on the 102nd floor, he returned to his own world only once.

    The save zone included everywhere else except Hercules¡¯s house and the purple-colored dungeon where the Giants spawned from. Meaning, it was not all that hard to discover the save zone, but the trial¡¯s content was about protecting someone, so he couldn¡¯t stay away for too long.

    In the end, Su-hyeun chose to phone Lee Ju-ho when he got back during that one visit, asked about the current events, and once he heard that nothing of note had happened, quickly returned to the trial.

    That was about a fortnight ago.

    ¡°Okay, so, still nothing happened, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, something did happen,¡± Lee Ju-ho replied on the phone. It seemed that something must have happened in the last 15 days.

    Su-hyeun made a puzzled expression.

    If that something was a serious matter, then Lee Ju-ho wouldn¡¯t have sounded like this on the phone. Indeed, he would be replying with an urgent or grave tone right about now.

    But, well, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice sounded rather irritated somehow.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when you get here.¡±

    ¡°Is it something really urgent?¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯re home again, so you should take your time and, I dunno, wash up, relax, and come to the office. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± After saying that, Lee Ju-ho one-sidedly hung up. He sounded like he was moving away from the phone as he ended the call, and it seemed like he was talking to someone else at that time.

    Maybe he was busy.

    It seemed that something did happen here. However, it must¡¯ve been not that urgent either, just enough to cause him a little bit of irritation.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll find out once I get there.¡±

    Su-hyeun put the phone down, took a shower, and got ready to depart.

    For the first time in a while, he started his car and drove to the Jongno Tower. He was about to step into the first floor after parking his car when Lee Ju-ho called him up on the phone.

    ¡°I forgot to tell you this. When you get here, come to the top floor.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why?¡±

    ¡°Since last week, I¡¯ve become the association¡¯s chairman.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°In any case, just come to the top floor, please. Okay, I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±

    Beep¡ª

    Su-hyeun wondered what was going on here and scratched his head while pressing the top floor button in the elevator.

    On the 45th floor.

    It felt like the elevator was going up forever. The other people in the elevator left one by one, and eventually, Su-hyeun was the only one remaining.

    He stepped onto the top floor of the Jongno Tower and directly headed to the office of the Awakener Association¡¯s chairman.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    ¡°Come in,¡± came Lee Ju-ho¡¯s voice from the inside.

    Creak¡ª

    Su-hyeun opened the door and stepped inside. Lee Ju-ho was sitting inside the chairman¡¯s office, which was certainly a lot larger than his previous one.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°What do you mean what? It¡¯s as you can see.¡±

    ¡°But what about Mister Jung Yoon-ho?¡±

    ¡°That uncle never liked the idea of being the association chairman, to begin with. Honestly, I did most of his work, anyway. But then, not too long ago, he just called for a press conference and suddenly declared his intention to step away from the role, and then, without asking for anyone¡¯s opinion, he¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s expression showed how stressed he was.

    With how gaunt his cheeks were and the messy state of his hair, he must have been not sleeping lately and had been tearing his hair out several times already.

    Su-hyeun found Lee Ju-ho¡¯s current state somewhat funny and ended up smiling a little before hurriedly changing his expression to a worry-filled one. Lee Ju-ho was probably in the most serious state he had ever been in right now.

    ¡°Did the handover go well?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t much to ¡®handover¡¯ in the first place, though. I¡¯ve already been doing most of that uncle¡¯s job for a while, after all.¡±

    ¡°What about the Paragon Guild¡¯s matters?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s chugging along fine all on its own. Honestly speaking, Gordon is the main player there instead of me, anyway. Ah, right. Coffee?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s reply, Lee Ju-ho got up from his seat while groaning loudly. He prepared coffee and returned to the desk.

    Su-hyeun took the coffee, and while taking a sip, he surveyed the chairman¡¯s office. ¡°The office looks pretty nice, though. And wide, too.¡±

    ¡°Whether having authority is good or not, I don¡¯t know anymore. I never imagined that one day, I¡¯d end up in a position like this one. But somehow, I¡¯m already here.¡±

    ¡°Does it suit your disposition, though?¡±

    ¡°My disposition, hmm?¡± Lee Ju-ho seemed to be pondering it while sipping his own coffee and then nodded his head. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good match.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a relief in that case.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. Honestly, if it was only me, how could I have gotten this far? Sure, A-Rank isn¡¯t exactly low-tier, but there are plenty of S-Ranks around these days, you know.¡±

    ¡°That only goes to show that you¡¯ve been doing excellent work so far, bro. Isn¡¯t that why Mister Jung Yoon-ho handed the chairman¡¯s position over to you?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that it had some effect in that regard, but it¡¯d not have been possible without you or the Paragon Guild. I¡¯m sure other people are thinking the same thing. And it¡¯s also a fact.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho looked like he had already accepted his new reality by now as he said that while shrugging his shoulders. The ¡°Lee Ju-ho¡± Su-hyeun knew since the beginning was not the type of person to care much about others pointing their fingers at him or talking behind his back.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out as long as I do my best. All I have to do is to gradually let the world know that me being in this position is a good thing for everyone. When that happens, this position will have become truly mine.¡±

    ¡°Bro, you are unexpectedly power-hungry, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? What I¡¯m really good at isn¡¯t fighting but something like this. I told you, right? It¡¯s a good match for me,¡± Lee Ju-ho replied, his expression not looking so bad.

    Even if his new duties were tough and complicated, he seemed to be more than satisfied enough by the position of the chairman itself and the gratification he derived from the job.

    ¡°When you said something happened, I wondered what it could be, but what a relief that it wasn¡¯t anything bad, bro. I thought that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, that. This wasn¡¯t it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a separate issue from me becoming the association chairman.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something else?¡±

    ¡°There is. As soon as I became the chairman, the Awakener Authority started provoking us. Actually, it¡¯s the director picking a fight, but still.¡± Unlike how he was a second ago, Lee Ju-ho replied with a face full of irritation. ¡°And this whole thing, it¡¯s a provocation aimed not at me but at you.¡±

 Chapter 334

    Chapter 334: Chapter 334

    Act 2

    ¡°At me?¡± Su-hyeun asked with a puzzled expression.

    He hadn¡¯t heard all the details yet but couldn¡¯t really help asking.

    The Awakener Authority was picking a fight with him?

    If they were targeting the Association, then it made some sense. The relationship between the two organizations wasn¡¯t all that amicable, to begin with. As a matter of fact, the two being in a cat-and-dog relationship was already a part of history and tradition at this point, and practically everyone knew about it.

    Even then¡­

    ¡°Picking a fight not with the association but with me? Just what does that even mean?¡±

    With Su-hyeun, the story was different. Rather, more correctly, it was different with Paragon Guild, which Su-hyeun was a part of.

    The association and the guild were obviously not one and the same, in the same way that the Paragon Guild and Su-hyeun were distinct. Meaning, the Authority simply didn¡¯t have a reason to get on Su-hyeun¡¯s bad side.

    The Paragon Guild was undeniably the strongest guild on Earth. Its size might not have been the biggest, but each member of the guild could not be taken lightly at all.

    Never mind Su-hyeun¡¯s presence, there was also Gordon Rohan, America¡¯s strongest awakener and the world¡¯s wealthiest man.

    Not only that, but both Hak-joon and Thomas were also acknowledged as two of the world¡¯s best. Finally, Lee Ju-ho as the chairman of the Korean Awakener Association was also not someone you could look down on either.

    So, now that Lee Ju-ho was installed as the association chairman, the Awakener Authority should be even more passive.

    ¡°Everyone in the world knows that you and I are connected. But as soon as I become the association chairman, the Authority has made a move. Honestly, I don¡¯t think they are doing this to target only me.¡±

    ¡°Then, you think they are aiming for the Paragon Guild, bro?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I think.¡±

    ¡°Just what happened here? Can you tell me at least?¡±

    ¡°You know that there¡¯s a system of sorts in place to raid the dungeons, right? The locations of dungeons, the dangers associated with its tier, the order of appearance, assigning the currently available awakener manpower, and so on. All of those things are actually pretty complicated.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Back in the beginning, when there weren¡¯t enough dungeons to go around and plenty of awakeners could be found, the system was as simple as it could get.

    If a dungeon showed up, awakeners could apply to raid it first, and then, they would get the priority on raiding it before everyone else.

    Of course, there were other complicated criteria within that setup to consider as well, but the priority on raids worked on a first-come, first-served basis.

    But now, in an era when people were worried about possible dungeon outbreaks, this system became a lot more complicated.

    Just like Lee Ju-ho said, one now had to consider a dungeon¡¯s level of danger, its location, and even the spare awakener manpower when talking about the order of dungeon generation.

    ¡°The association has been operating on its own system for a while, and the story¡¯s the same for the Authority. But now, a problem has reared its head recently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing, shortages in manpower?¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°As expected, you¡¯re quick on the uptake.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho snapped his fingers and nodded his head theatrically.

    ¡°Correct. The problem is with the shortage of awakener manpower. In the past, we had plenty of awakeners but not enough dungeons, so both the Authority and the association could freely utilize their own systems. It didn¡¯t matter in what order you raided the dungeons, there never was enough of them, to begin with,¡± he explained and began massaging his forehead as if a migraine began assaulting him. ¡°But that¡¯s not how it is lately, right? If we divide the awakener manpower incorrectly or decide on the wrong order to raid the dungeons, then that might result in an outbreak. And that¡¯s why the Authority wants everyone to operate according to the system they had set out.¡±

    ¡°When you say according to their system¡­¡±

    ¡°Simply put, they want people to raid dungeons according to the order they have assigned. While saying that¡¯s the most effective and safest way.¡±

    ¡°Hah-ah¡ª¡± Su-hyeun let out a long groan.

    Only then did he understand why Lee Ju-ho was so irritated and why he said that the Awakener Authority was picking a fight.

    Su-hyeun muttered, ¡°So, they want everyone to follow their orders, in other words.¡±

    ¡°Right. From the perspective of the Authority, they think they now wield the sharpest knife or something because I¡¯m now the chairman and can make the association move at my behest. Meaning, I can make the Paragon Guild move and, by extension, you, too.¡±

    After hearing what Lee Ju-ho had to say, Su-hyeun slowly nodded his head.

    This choice was, from the perspective of the Authority, an aggressive move and a crafty one at the same time.

    The existence of Su-hyeun and the Paragon Guild had been gradually robbing the Authority¡¯s power and the ground to stand on, but they had cottoned on to a sure-fire pretext to control the association.

    ¡°That snake-like geezer. He¡¯s way too good at coming up with cunning schemes,¡± Su-hyeun said, scratching his head in irritation. ¡°Ignore him for now.¡±

    ¡°Will that be alright, though?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not sure which side the public sentiment will favor more, but the Authority shouldn¡¯t have a way to instantly prove that their system is superior to the association¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°The public sentiment has already turned against us, though. That sly director must¡¯ve planned this for a while because several articles saying the association is disregarding the Authority¡¯s system for the sake of profit have popped up already.¡±

    ¡°And you haven¡¯t done anything yet?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a week since I¡¯ve become the chairman, you know. Besides, didn¡¯t I say it? It looks like that old man has been working on this whole thing for a long while now. No matter what I say, the press won¡¯t even budge.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the association¡¯s stance on this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same as yours, ignoring them for now. But that¡¯s not as easy as you think. No matter what, it¡¯s almost fatal for the association to have an image of turning a blind eye toward a dungeon¡¯s threat to pursue better profit, you know.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho must¡¯ve thought that he had run out of time because he quickly gulped the coffee down after saying that.

    As for Su-hyeun, his own coffee became lukewarm during the conversation, so he warmed it back up again.

    While Lee Ju-ho stared at the steam coming off from the coffee with a look of amazement, Su-hyeun spoke to him again. ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, the Authority won¡¯t be able to make any aggressive moves until they can physically prove that the association¡¯s system is faulty.¡±

    ¡°But to flip that around, one wrong move from us and that¡¯d be enough of a pretext for the Authority to attack.¡±

    ¡°Just wait for a little while longer. There haven¡¯t been any mistakes so far, right?¡±

    ¡°You want me to wait? What are you planning?¡±

    ¡°That director geezer, it¡¯s about time to pull him down from his position.¡±

    The glare in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes changed all of a sudden. As he sat there drinking coffee, he noticed that Lee Ju-ho was staring at him with a stunned expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, bro?¡±

    ¡°You¡­your personality seems to have changed a lot.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°In the past, you came across as a pretty ¡®pure¡¯ guy, but now, there¡¯s some venom in your eyes, you know.¡±

    What Lee Ju-ho said just then made Su-hyeun smirk a little.

    He had changed?

    That wasn¡¯t wrong, however. Even to his own eyes, Su-hyeun felt that he had changed quite a lot lately compared to how he was.

    He didn¡¯t feel all that dissatisfied with that, though. Actually, he thought this was a good kind of change.

    ¡°In any case, I better finish up the remainder of my work first. Can you make time for supper? I might need until dawn to finish up all the piled up work, but we should still get together and¡ª¡±

    Knock, knock¡ª

    Someone had suddenly urgently knocked on the office door.

    ¡°Mister Chairman, please excuse me. I¡¯m coming in.¡±

    Creak¡ª

    The door had opened up even before Lee Ju-ho could respond. It seemed that the matter at hand was too urgent.

    ¡°Hyeong-seok? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone, sir?¡±

    ¡°I left it on silent.¡±

    ¡°But sir, you also had the office¡¯s phone unplugged. We¡¯ve been trying to call you several times already¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Oops¡­This isn¡¯t the right time.¡± A young man named Hyeong-seok urgently pushed forward a tablet PC he brought along. ¡°Please take a look at this, sir.¡±

    With a puzzled expression, Lee Ju-ho took over the tablet. Su-hyeun craned his neck a little to check out the screen of the device as well, and their expressions hardened instantly after seeing what was on that screen.

    ¡°What the hell happened here?¡±

    There was a large red dot blinking on top of the city of Cheonan located in South Chungcheon province, which indicated that a dungeon that had appeared in that location was about to enter the outbreak stage.

    ¡°We¡¯re also not sure how this happened, sir. Without a doubt, this dungeon was not in our system¡¯s raid order, so it¡¯s unclear how it managed to progress to this stage¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you saying it was somehow omitted from the order?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. And we¡¯ve only found out recently. Not only is it a blue color, but from the call we received earlier, it¡¯s also a fairly large-scale dungeon.¡±

    ¡°How big are we even talking about here?¡±

    ¡°According to the electromagnetic signal, the interior of the dungeon is as large as a province, sir.¡±

    ¡°¡­Son of a gun.¡±

    A dungeon as large in scale as a province would normally need at least 10 days to raid. If this dungeon¡¯s existence had been discovered earlier, then it would have taken the number one priority in the raid order.

    ¡°With this rate of progress, it¡¯ll be not too surprising to see it become an outbreak not in a day but in one hour¡­¡±

    ¡°We must immediately summon all awakener manpower to Cheonan and evacuate the nearby civilians, sir.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Hey, Su-hyeun, you heard that¡ª¡± Lee Ju-ho pulled his eyes away from the tablet and looked over to Su-hyeun, only to keep looking around his office.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir?¡±

    ¡°Where did he go?¡±

    ¡°He?¡±

    As the matter was too urgent, Hyeong-seok didn¡¯t even have the mental leeway to recognize Su-hyeun¡¯s face earlier, so he could only make a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, weren¡¯t you speaking to someone just now, Chairman?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey, Hyeong-seok?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes began gleaming dangerously.

    ¡°Make a call to a couple of reporters.¡±

    The Awakener Authority was meant to manage the awakeners, and naturally, the awakeners were supposed to abide by the organization¡¯s commands. That was the director¡¯s honest opinion.

    ¡°I guess the ¡®event¡¯ is about to go down right about now.¡±

    A thick veil of cigarette smoke filled the director¡¯s office. The director of the Awakener Authority had been smoking nonstop for quite a while before finally stubbing the very last cigarette from his packet on the ashtray.

    ¡°But, sir, isn¡¯t this too dangerous?¡± Section Chief Han Myeong-gyun spoke in a worried voice, but the director simply scowled deeply.

    ¡°It¡¯s already progressed this far, yet you¡¯re asking if it¡¯s too dangerous? Is that something you should say in this situation?¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwell, that¡¯s true¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something you should do before making a move. What will change by worrying about it after making a move already?¡± The director watched the last cigarette die inside the ashtray and buried his body deep in the couch. ¡°That ship has already set sail. If all goes well, I¡¯ll immediately become the next vice minister, while you, my man, will become the director of the Authority. Instead of worrying about something that won¡¯t help us but simply ruin my mood, just patiently wait, will you?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, I understand.¡±

    Despite his answer, though, Han Myeong-gyun¡¯s expression betrayed how concerned he was.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped, however. Picking a fight with the association, with the Paragon Guild and Kim Su-hyeun in particular, was such a monumental task, after all.

    If they made one slip up somewhere and ended up colliding against either the association or Kim Su-hyeun head-on, then his head might figuratively roll off his neck or some such.

    Inwardly, he thought, ¡°On the other hand, if this matter works out well for us, then¡­¡±

    Then, just like what the director had said, climbing up several ladders in the career ladder wouldn¡¯t even be a challenge anymore.

    Holding the clear justification to make the association, the one where Lee Ju-ho was the new chairman, move meant that the Awakener Authority¡¯s power would grow just as much.

    It also signaled the position of the Authority¡ªthe organization that managed the awakeners¡ªgrowing so much more significant. If all went well, then the director could rise up to the position of a minister soon.

    The director asked first, ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t it about time that we hear something back?¡±

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve already called a few people. I¡¯m sure they are on the move by now.¡±

    ¡°Well done. What about the association?¡±

    ¡°They must¡¯ve cottoned on to it by now, too. And the fact that they realized it only now means that even if it¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun¡ªno wait¡ªeven if his grandfather showed up, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it from happening at this stage.¡±

    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s true. Then again, that punk is probably too busy climbing the tower and isn¡¯t even on this side, anyway.¡± The director leisurely reached out to his cigarette packet while saying that, but he belatedly remembered that he finished the last one not too long ago and could only smack his lips.

    ¡°Look, Section Chief Han. Give me a cigarette,¡± said the director as he pulled out a lighter and beckoned with his free hand. However, Han Myeong-gyun, who was staring at his phone¡¯s screen, didn¡¯t respond at all.

    ¡°Section Chief Han, a cigar¡ª¡±

    ¡°S¡ªsir, please take a look at this!¡± urgently said Han Myeong-gyun and pushed his phone forward.

    Dying for the next hit of nicotine, the director could only frown deeply and took over the phone.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong now?¡± he asked in an irritated voice and glanced at the phone¡¯s screen. Then, his eyes caught the headline of an article composed only a few minutes ago.

 Chapter 335

    ¡ºKim Su-hyeun heads to ¡®Chungnam¡¯ dungeon as soon as returning. Are his actions related to his connection to Lee Ju-ho, the new¡­¡»

    It had been quite a while since a dungeon generated in Cheonan, Chungnam (South Chungcheong) Province. On top of that, it was blue in color. Excluding the indigo color, this type of dungeon carried the highest degree of danger.

    Its location was in the middle of the city, not some isolated mountain valley. Since it was right bang in a place where people could easily see it, there should be no reason to not notice this dungeon.

    Rather obviously, the citizens expected either the association or the Awakener Authority to step up quickly and raid this dungeon.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this getting a bit too dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Feels like it¡¯s been a month already¡­¡±

    Once a dungeon showed up, it was normal to prohibit civilians from entering the one-kilometer range of the portal until the raid was successfully concluded.

    However, for some strange reason, the entry prohibition signboard remained in the same spot although the one-month mark was approaching. Meaning, the raid hadn¡¯t finished yet.

    Unsurprisingly, the civilians walking past grew increasingly concerned. If something went wrong somewhere and the dungeon became a full-on outbreak, then the city of Cheonan would be leveled flat in no time at all.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone report this to the Authority?¡±

    ¡°I actually called them yesterday. They said not to worry at all.¡±

    ¡°Hey, dude. Why did you call the Authority? You should¡¯ve called the association.¡±

    ¡°I called the association, too.¡±

    ¡°Really? Wait, did they forget about this dungeon, then?¡±

    ¡°How should I know?¡±

    Crowds gathered in one spot and began murmuring to themselves. While that was happening, someone shouted out loudly among them.

    ¡°They are here! Awakeners from the Authority have come!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Whew! That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Numerous awakeners, already geared up, had gathered near the dungeon¡¯s vicinity. These awakeners, with the Awakener Authority emblem clearly visible on their attires, began to set up a defensive cordon around the dungeon in a professional and orderly manner.

    Restrictions on movements for civilians also got underway. While saying that they needed to widen the prohibited area, they proceeded to evacuate the civilians to an even further-off location.

    In the middle of all that, a lone figure stepped forward and headed toward the prohibited area around the dungeon.

    ¡°Uh? Excuse me! If you go that way¡­?¡±

    The man who was trudging toward the dungeon suddenly vanished from view.

    The civilian who was urgently moving according to the guidance provided by the Authority-affiliated awakeners could only make a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Did I see a ghost or something?¡±

    * * *

    Kim Jae-ho was one of the two top awakeners affiliated with the Authority.

    He was known as the other S-Rank awakener working for the Authority along with Bak Yun-gyu, and as he managed to reach this rank at a young age, many evaluated him to have a bright future ahead of him.

    And he had one role to perform today.

    ¡°They want me to stop an outbreak, huh?¡±

    Kim Jae-ho scanned his vicinity and observed that quite a large number of awakeners were present¡ªabout two hundred of them, as a matter of fact. Every single one was a B-Rank awakener or higher and also happened to be affiliated with the Authority.

    Gathering these many awakeners would have taken the Authority a considerable amount of time and effort, not to mention coordination to match everyone¡¯s schedule. With that alone, Kim Jae-ho was certain of this whole thing not being cooked up in one day.

    ¡°Bak Yun-gyu is scheduled to join us a little later¡­¡± he thought.

    Their role was not to raid but to defend. They must stop the monsters from pouring out from the dungeon and work with Bak Yun-gyu or any other available awakeners from the various guilds to minimize the losses that would arise from the outbreak as much as possible.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s about time they show up.¡± Kim Jae-ho checked the time with his wristwatch. It said, three o¡¯clock.

    If what he had been told was correct, then the people from the association should be arriving right about now.

    Sure enough, a man with a familiar face walked up to Kim Jae-ho and asked, ¡°Ah, you guys must be from the Authority?¡±

    Kim Jae-ho¡¯s eyes gleamed brightly at that. He had instantly recognized the man that arrived in a sedan.

    ¡°Jung Yoon-ho,¡± Kim Jae-ho inwardly said.

    Indeed, it was none other than Jung Yoon-ho, the retired association chairman and an S-Rank awakener affiliated with the association.

    ¡°Ah, hello. Yes, we came to face off against the upcoming dungeon outbreak. We¡¯ve already instructed the evacuation of the civilians, and we are currently on standby until enough personnel arrived to safely pull off the defensive battle.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for responding so quickly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind. By the way¡­¡± Kim Jae-ho paused and glanced at the other awakeners disembarking from several cars that came along with Jung Yoon-ho. ¡°It seems that no one in the association knew that a dungeon was here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jung Yoon-ho couldn¡¯t immediately reply. It was an obvious question, after all.

    If they knew, they would have never neglected such a dungeon. A blue-colored dungeon would have been set as a priority if they knew of its existence, yet it was still left unattended until now, and that clearly indicated the association¡¯s mistake.

    After all, the Awakener Authority was an organization meant to manage the awakeners, not raid dungeons.

    Kim Jae-ho continued, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think there will be a major problem, anyway. Most of the civilians have been evacuated by now, and the Authority has mobilized enough manpower to prepare for the worst.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±

    ¡°I have to say, I do feel that much more confident now that you¡¯re here with us, Mister Jung Yoon-ho. Another S-Rank from our own side is scheduled to arrive pretty soon, so I think the assault will be easier than¡ª¡±

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    The heads of both Kim Jae-ho and Jung Yoon-ho spun toward a certain direction¡ªthe dungeon in the distance.

    Energy began whipping up into a storm from within the dungeon. Kim Jae-ho nervously swallowed back his saliva and clenched his fists. ¡°So, it¡¯s finally begun.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jung Yoon-ho shook his head after hearing Kim Jae-ho¡¯s voice filled with determination. ¡°It¡¯s the exact opposite.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the beginning, but the dungeon¡¯s disappearing instead.¡±

    Tap¡ª

    Jung Yoon-ho kicked the ground and leaped up. Seeing how Jung Yoon-ho¡¯s figure rapidly darted toward the dungeon, Kim Jae-ho began chasing after him even before he could think.

    The dungeon in question was about one kilometer away from the signs denoting the beginning of the restricted area. It wasn¡¯t that far away, in other words.

    Although several buildings obscured it, the dungeon became visible soon enough after they dashed forward quickly for a dozen or so seconds.

    ¡°The dungeon, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    Kim Jae-ho¡¯s eyes opened wider.

    A building that was previously dyed in the distinctive blue color had almost fully reverted to its original coloring. The blue light hadn¡¯t fully disappeared yet; it lingered on in a faint and blurry state.

    Every single awakener in the world should know what this phenomenon signified.

    ¡°The raid¡­it¡¯s over?¡±

    That was the most common phenomenon a dungeon would display after a raid had been completed. It indicated that even though the entrance to the dungeon remained, just about every monster existing inside was gone.

    Both Kim Jae-ho and Jung Yoon-ho stopped dashing and stared at the raided dungeon with puzzled expressions on their faces. They glanced at each other, their eyes expressing questions about what to make of this situation. Neither of them was responsible for this, so it was only natural that they began suspecting the other party, but it didn¡¯t take long for them to realize the truth after looking into each other¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t you?¡± Kim Jae-ho asked first.

    ¡°No. And it wasn¡¯t your side either?¡± Jung Yoon-ho replied. The former nodded when the latter asked back and reverted his gaze to the dungeon.

    Not too long afterward, a figure of a person emerged from inside the blurry dungeon entrance while riding on a red dragon, no less.

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    ¡°Is that Kim Su-hyeun?¡± Kim Jae-ho asked, stunned.

    ¡°Huh? Why is Kim Su-hyeun coming out of there?¡± Rather obviously, Jung Yoon-ho didn¡¯t have any answers to give.

    Su-hyeun spotted the two men and lightly rubbed Miru before dismounting from the dragon¡¯s back. After landing on the ground, he recognized Jung Yoon-ho and walked up to the latter. ¡°Hello. You came as well?¡±

    ¡°What is going on here?¡±

    ¡°As you can see.¡± Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders and glanced back to the dungeon.

    A detailed explanation wasn¡¯t necessary.

    Kim Su-hyeun was the world¡¯s top awakener who was strong enough to raid a blue-colored dungeon all by himself, and it had been like that for a long time now. Therefore, even a dummy could tell that he raided this blue dungeon by himself as well.

    The issue here was¡­

    ¡°Is the raid really over?¡± Jung Yoon-ho asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over. By the way, who is this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Kim Jae-ho, an awakener affiliated with the Authority.¡±

    ¡°Kim Jae-ho? The one who entered the S-Rank not too long ago?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°It seems like quite many awakeners have gathered over there. Could it be that the association requested help from the Authority?¡±

    ¡°No, the Authority¡¯s people were already here by the time we arrived.¡±

    At Jung Yoon-ho¡¯s reply, Su-hyeun formed a puzzled expression. ¡°They were already here?¡±

    Kim Jae-ho¡¯s own expression twitched a little at Su-hyeun¡¯s probing gaze, and he quickly changed the topic. ¡°S¡ªsince the raid is over, we shall return to base for now. Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    He bowed a little toward Su-hyeun and Jung Yoon-ho and hurriedly turned around to head back to the rest of his group. The two remaining people stood around in silence for a little while, staring in the direction Kim Jae-ho had disappeared to.

    As the Authority-affiliated awakeners began to professionally withdraw from there, Jung Yoon-ho finally spoke, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little odd?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled up into a grin. ¡°It might be a good thing, actually.¡±

    * * *

    SHATTER¡ª!

    Tumble, drop¡ª

    A bookshelf toppled over, and a glass on the table fell to the ground to shatter into pieces.

    The coffee contained in the glass stained the floor, and various documents scattered chaotically throughout the office.

    ¡°What kind of bullsh*t is this?!¡±

    The director shot up from his chair and roared out like he was freaking out, his face flushing in anger.

    Section Chief Han Myeong-gyun could only sweat nervously while cautiously studying his boss¡¯s moods after witnessing such a violent reaction. He realized that no matter what he said now, nothing would work to calm the director¡¯s rage.

    ¡°Why the hell did Kim Su-hyeun show up there?!¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun heads to ¡®Chungnam¡¯ dungeon as soon as returning. Are his actions related to his connection to Lee Ju-ho, the new association chairman?¡±

    That was the headline of the article Section Chief Han Myeong-gyun showed him.

    The article talked about Kim Su-hyeun making a move to raid the dungeon in question. The director, well versed in the antics of political machinations, could easily tell just how those articles that began showing up only a few minutes ago had come about.

    ¡°Lee Ju-ho. That son of a b*tch has spread around these articles,¡± he inwardly cursed. The director panted like an enraged bull, the glare in his eyes sharpening even further.

    Obviously, these articles weren¡¯t fake. Kim Su-hyeun making a move would no doubt be for real, but the person tipping off the reporters into writing these articles had to be none other than Lee Ju-ho.

    From the perspectives of the reporters, they would be losing nothing here.

    Kim Su-hyeun had returned, and he personally made a move to raid the blue-colored dungeon. Something like that should be a scoop that all reporters waited for with bated breaths, especially more so when the dungeon was about to reach the outbreak stage.

    The world thirsted for a hero, and Kim Su-hyeun was the most ideal hero that the world wanted to see.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m coming in.¡±

    Creak¡ª

    Someone opened the door and stepped inside the office. The director quickly smoothed out his crumpled expression and turned his head.

    The man visiting the director¡¯s office, Bak Yun-gyu, momentarily froze after discovering the chaotic state of the office itself.

    ¡°Do come in, even though it¡¯s a little messy in here.¡±

    ¡°Sir, please excuse me.¡±

    Clack¡ª

    Bak Yun-gyu closed the door behind him, and instead of sitting down somewhere, he chose to remain standing with his hands on his back.

    Meanwhile, the director sat back down on the couch and poured some water on a paper cup instead of his glass, which had broken earlier.

    He didn¡¯t tell Bak Yun-gyu to sit down. He knew that the man wouldn¡¯t even if he asked him to.

    ¡°What happened to the matter when you got there?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the news, sir?¡±

    ¡°Did we lose our timing to Kim Su-hyeun, then?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. We didn¡¯t lose our timing, but Kim Su-hyeun stopped a dungeon that we failed to raid in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Still an inflexible fella, aren¡¯t you?¡± The director furrowed his brows greatly to indicate that he didn¡¯t like this at all.

    Bak Yun-gyu was different from Section Chief Han Myeong-gyun. He wasn¡¯t exactly riding on the same boat as the two of them. To put it in another way, he was someone riding on a ¡°similar¡± type of a boat as they were.

    It would be smarter not to get too agitated in front of such a man.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll acknowledge Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s contribution. It is true that he urgently stopped a dungeon his association missed somehow, after all.¡±

    The director decided to find the good among the bad. The ideal outcome he wanted to see was as good as ruined by now. However, other than the event not working out as intended, the process of getting there and the end result hadn¡¯t changed a great deal.

    ¡°Did you confirm that we had more agents on location compared to the association?¡± the director asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that, Section Chief Han?¡± The director had finally calmed down by then and continued to speak as his eyes narrowed into slits like a snake¡¯s, ¡°Call for a press conference. Right now.¡±

 Chapter 336

    * * *

    Step, step.

    Bak Yun-gyu, wearing his military boots, was walking slower than usual at the Awakener Authority¡¯s corridors.

    His meeting with the Authority¡¯s director had come to an end. He only came to see the old man to report the results of today¡¯s event.

    It would have been fine for other awakeners, even those of lower ranks, to brief the director. However, Bak Yun-gyu was requested to personally confirm the situation.

    ¡®How strange¡­¡¯

    Bak Yun-gyu was the head of all Authority-affiliated awakeners. They also turned to him for advice and emotional support.

    Bak Yun-gyu might not be as important as Kim Su-hyeun, but he had a good reputation. The soldiers who chose to become awakeners looked up to him. Bak Yun-gyu was a role model to them.

    And that was why Bak Yun-gyu often found himself at odds with the director¡¯s opinions on various matters, even the smallest ones.

    ¡®This event, it¡ªthings are actually going well, according to plan.¡¯

    A strange sense of discord filled his head.

    The association seemed to have missed a blue dungeon, and a raid had not been done yet. The Awakener Authority accidentally discovered this dungeon, and to prepare for the eventual outbreak, they mobilized the awakeners under their control and evacuated the civilians.

    At first glance, nothing seemed wrong. Bak Yun-gyu tried to shake off his misgivings. He should feel proud as the awakener affiliated with the Authority.

    However, the events progressed perfectly without any hiccups. As a matter of fact, it went on so well that it came off as¡­unnatural.

    First, Lee Ju-ho just became the new association chairman. During his appointment, the organization¡¯s internal system missed the raid order at the same time. Second, the awakeners affiliated with the Authority were gathered in one place as if they had been preparing for such an eventuality.

    However, Bak Yun-gyu just couldn¡¯t get rid of his suspicion that this whole thing had been planned from the beginning.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    He contemplated for a while before taking out his phone. He browsed through his list of contacts before making a call.

    ¡°Hello. It has been a while. I¡¯d like to speak to you if that¡¯s okay¡­¡±

    ***

    Inside a small caf¨¦ located in Yeoui Island¡­

    Three people had come together for an important meeting in this cozy caf¨¦.

    Su-hyeun was first to break the ice. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to personally come this far, you know?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fitting for me to come here,¡± Bak Yun-gyu insisted. ¡°How can I possibly ask you to come and go as I please?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®how¡¯? Just call me and say come here or go there.¡±

    ¡°Your humor lately is off the charts! Besides, I didn¡¯t expect you to come with the association chairman, Lee Ju-ho.¡±

    ¡°How can a string not follow where the needle is going?¡± Lee Ju-ho chimed in as he scanned the menu.

    ¡°Enough with your silly words. They¡¯re cringey, bro.¡±

    As they waited for their drinks, Su-hyeun, Bak Yun-gyu, and Lee Ju-ho updated each other of their recent adventures and misfortunes.

    Lee Ju-ho carried the conversation. He was a good talker after all. He mediated between the old-fashioned Bak Yun-gyu and the modern, sometimes weird, Su-hyeun.

    And about 30 minutes later¡­

    ¡°By the way, what brings you this far? It must be really important. Knowing you, Chief Bak Yun-gyu, you wouldn¡¯t have come this far without a good reason.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­well¡­ That¡­¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu hesitated at first. He debated on his mind whether to tell Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho or not. He was silent for a while, and then he bit his lower lip and began to speak, ¡°It concerns the previous matter.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho frowned. They had no idea what Bak Yun-gyu was talking about.

    ¡°The previous matter?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean the dungeon in Cheonan?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that one,¡± Bak Yun-gyu confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m suspicious of some events involving that dungeon. They were¡­unconvincing.¡± Bak Yun-gyu was careful with his words.

    ¡°When you say ¡®unconvincing¡¯, you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°The raid went smoothly, wasn¡¯t it? Hardly any fights and losses on our part. It was as if someone predicted that an event of this nature would happen very soon.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes widened at Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s speculations. He then nodded his head, signaling Bak Yun-gyu to continue.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible that the association¡¯s system missed the dungeon in Cheonan. After all, there are no absolutes in this world. Something similar may happen to the Authority¡¯s system in the future.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But then, the Authority made a move as soon as such an event occurred. It was as if they had finished the preparation for raiding a dungeon and were waiting for exactly that sort of an event.¡±

    ¡°And you find that strange?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I honestly do find it strange¡­very strange. Even within the Authority, it¡¯s uncommon to see so many B-ranking and superior awakeners with so much time in their hands. If I say the timing was way too convenient¡­does it mean I¡¯m being judgmental towards the Authority?¡±

    ¡°No, you are not being judgmental towards the Authority, but its director.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that,¡± Bak Yun-gyu admitted and smiled. He then grabbed his cup of coffee and sipped.

    After listening to what Bak Yun-gyu had to say, Lee Ju-ho laid out the implications of his statement. ¡°If it is as you say, Mister Bak, then this is how the situation probably looks like,¡± Lee Ju-ho began. ¡°The Authority did something underhanded which caused the dungeon in Cheonan to be left out in the association¡¯s assault order. And to minimize the damage from such a dungeon, the Authority mobilized its affiliated awakeners. Is that what you think has happened, Mister Bak?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t have any proof, but I believe it¡¯s possible,¡± Bak Yun-gyu said with conviction. ¡°If it turns out to be true, then the current director must not be forgiven.¡±

    ¡°As you say, you don¡¯t have any proof. Be careful. If you can, keep yourself from making unfounded and hasty judgments.¡±

    ¡°If I have said something I shouldn¡¯t have and if what I did just now was perverting the Authority¡¯s pure intentions, then I shall resign from my position immediately,¡± Bak Yun-gyu stated decisively. ¡°And without expecting any reward in return, I will spend the rest of my life serving the public.¡±

    Of serving the public, Bak Yun-gyu was already doing that remarkably.

    Bak Yun-gyu was the kind of soldier one would only read in books or see in the movies. He was an ideal soldier who fulfilled his sworn duty to protect the country and its people.

    However, the first part of his statement carried a different weight from the rest, at least that¡¯s what Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho had noticed.

    Resigning from his position¡­ He was saying that he would let go of all of the glorious accomplishments he achieved, and rightfully deserved, as a soldier and as an Authority-affiliated awakener.

    There was no need to even mention how important the rank and honor were to a soldier. Right now, he was willing to risk half of what he had worked hard for all his life over his suspicion.

    Of course¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go that far,¡± Lee Ju-ho commented. ¡°Even if you were wrong, we would never betray you.¡± He smiled at Bak Yun-gyu reassuringly. Lee Ju-ho¡¯s words eased the tension that Bak Yun-gyu was feeling.

    ¡°No, even if that¡¯s true¡­¡±

    ¡°At least, we now know one thing from this meeting¡­,¡± Su-hyeun interrupted.

    Clack.

    He put down his cup of coffee. He took a sugar cube and dropped it in the still steaming coffee. Then he gently mixed it with a teaspoon. ¡°Mister Bak Yun-gyu, it seems that you¡¯re not involved in this matter. I already suspected it as much, though.¡±

    Su-hyeun lifted his cup and sipped some coffee. He was more laid-back than his usual self.

    As this matter required utmost caution, Bak Yun-gyu had been really careful. He was even talking softly, so soft that it was almost a whisper, thinking that someone might hear what they were talking about. Thus, after seeing Su-hyeun act this way, Bak Yun-gyu managed to relax and care less. He raised this topic, willing to risk his own life, yet his two listeners didn¡¯t show much of a concern at all.

    ¡®Is this why he wanted to see me in a regular caf¨¦?¡¯ Bak Yun-gyu speculated.

    Bak Yun-gyu suggested that they should meet in a restaurant or a bar with a private room so that they could converse quietly, but it was Su-hyeun who insisted on having the meeting in a caf¨¦ he knew well if it was to take place in Yeoui Island.

    Although he wasn¡¯t convinced with Su-hyeun¡¯s suggestion, Bak Yun-gyu still went there. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be that hard to block any information from leaking.

    He then asked, ¡°Could it be that the association isn¡¯t really concerned about this event?¡±

    Bak Yun-gyu believed that such a thing could not be true. Although they were not really close, he felt Su-hyeun was an easy person to read.

    The ¡®Su-hyeun¡¯ he knew was a righteous person. If the Authority indeed came with a scheme that could have hurt innocent civilians, then, without a doubt, he would not let this matter slide quietly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that they are not concerned. Perhaps they just don¡¯t find it alarming¡­yet,¡± Su-hyeun answered. Bak Yun-gyu was surprised with Su-hyeun¡¯s response. He was obviously expecting the latter to react otherwise. ¡°Even if they are trying to start a fight, their weight class is too low for a fair battle, you know?¡±

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t really Su-hyeun¡¯s intentions, but still.

    It wasn¡¯t just Bak Yun-gyu who was surprised with Su-hyeun¡¯s still relaxed demeanor.

    Even Lee Ju-ho, sitting next to him, was surprised by that declaration. He stared at Su-hyeun and asked him mockingly, ¡°Since when did you learn to say stuff like that?¡±

    What Su-hyeun said just now was unusual. His words were full of confidence.

    Of course, Su-hyeun had all the reasons to be confident. He was not being arrogant, especially when the world¡¯s best awakener was backed up by his impressive skillset.

    ¡°I just feel right about it. That¡¯s all.¡±

    And now Su-hyeun had accepted that fact as well.

    Even if Lee Ju-ho found this manner unusual with Su-hyeun, he agreed with a smirk, ¡°Well, yeah, you¡¯re right about that.¡±

    He nodded before sipping his coffee. His eyes narrowed, inattentive to what his companions were talking about. He was lost to his own thoughts.

    ¡®Su-hyeun¡­has he finally grown conscious of his status now?¡¯ Lee Ju-ho wondered. ¡®Or maybe, he has been thinking of using his status¡­¡¯

    Lee Ju-ho was fond of Su-hyeun, even more so than his own family. He liked Su-hyeun¡¯s courage and guts. He was gentle yet tough.

    If he could find one flaw from Su-hyeun¡¯s character, if one could even call it a flaw, it would be Su-hyeun¡¯s concern about others. He thought about them too much, neglecting himself at times.

    Simply put, he wasn¡¯t assertive enough.

    For instance, Su-hyeun would often give in and do as told when he could have voiced his opinion first and push for a discussion.

    Then again, what if Su-hyeun was thinking of utilizing his status and abilities to their fullest?

    ¡®It seems like the Authority provoked the wrong person this time.¡¯

    The Awakener Authority had no idea on what kind of a man Su-hyeun was.

    He had been shying away from the world while focusing solely on getting stronger. Perhaps that was why the Awakener Authority seemed to have developed this habit of underestimating him.

    ¡­Thinking that no matter how strong a person was, one wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore the right kind of justification.

    ¡­Thinking that by doing this, they should be able to manipulate the association and Su-hyeun as much as they pleased because of his personality, knowing what was right from wrong and always making sure that the former was imposed.

    Lee Ju-ho agreed with the second part, and maybe that was the reason why he was so concerned until now. He didn¡¯t know whether or not Su-hyeun was capable of firmly ignoring the Authority¡¯s pretext and doing what he wanted.

    But now¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s going to be alright¡­,¡¯ Lee Ju-ho assured himself.

    There didn¡¯t seem to be a need to be worried anymore.

    The reason for that was simple enough.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t worried at all.

    ***

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t do anything.

    He literally didn¡¯t do anything and was on the lookout for what the Awakener Authority would do next.

    Actually, he had already figured out what they would do and simply waited for them to act.

    He was waiting patiently.

    ¡°Hello? Yeah.¡±

    Currently, he was in a dinner with Lee Ju-ho.

    Hak-joon and Thomas both were still in the tower and couldn¡¯t join them this time. Lee Ju-ho urgently answered a phone call. He looked at Su-hyeun as if he was relaying information to him.

    ¡°Alright. Got it,¡± Su-hyeun remarked and nodded.

    Beep.

    The call was rather brief.

    Su-hyeun took a piece of sashimi and put it in his mouth. ¡°What was that about?¡± he inquired.

    ¡°I asked someone to call me as soon as they hear something, you see.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the Authority?¡±

    ¡°Right. They have begun manipulating the media by getting in contact with reporters, feeding them some rubbish about how the media is now waiting for the Awakener Authority to announce their stance on that matter. As for the contents of those ¡®articles¡¯, I¡¯m sure the Authority probably came up with that one,¡± Lee Ju-ho remarked, fixated on his phone. ¡°Look at this. Here.¡±

    He then showed the phone¡¯s screen to Su-hyeun.

    The content of the article was rather provocative.

    ¡ºWas the Authority aware of the dungeon missed by the association¡¯s system? The Authority responds ahead of time¡­¡»

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s finally online.¡±

    It was an article that could prove to be damaging from the association¡¯s perspective. Despite that, the reactions of both Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho were lukewarm at best.

    No, actually¡­

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s make our moves as well.¡±

    They were all smiling, relieved.

 Chapter 337

    Act 3

    The number of reporters that had shown up in the Awakener Authority¡¯s headquarters went past three digits. People from public networks, cable stations, and internet news media outlets were present.

    However, it wasn¡¯t as if there would be an important announcement scheduled for today.

    It was just that the names involved in the incident were about to be discussed.

    ¡°Senior, was this matter that serious? Look how many showed up today.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, you dumbass! Not just the association and the reporters, but even Kim Su-hyeun is involved in this matter. He hasn¡¯t directly returned to the tower yet. What do you think his reason is?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s because of this incident?¡±

    ¡°Even Kim Su-hyeun must be paying attention right now. This incident? I¡¯m telling you, the Authority is biding its time for this one.¡±

    The reporters were murmuring to one another.

    This was supposed to be a simple press conference meant to clarify the Authority¡¯s position about the issue, yet so many reporters had shown up. They pulled out and prepared their recorders and note pads, and gave their undivided attention to the rostrum in front of them.

    Step, step.

    Shortly after, the Authority¡¯s director stepped out to meet the eager crowd.

    Click, click.

    Cameras started clicking. Blinding flashes annoyed the director, but he didn¡¯t let it get to him. He managed to maintain a stoic expression.

    Soon enough, the director reached the center of the platform. He raised his head and began to speak, ¡°As you all know, the dungeon that recently appeared in the city of Cheonan was successfully raided by the awakener Kim Su-hyeun. Before we begin, I would like to express my gratitude as a representative in charge of ensuring our nation¡¯s safety.¡±

    Whatever had transpired, it was Su-hyeun who took care of the incident, not the Authority.

    If it had all gone according to plan, then it would have been the Authority stepping up to stop the dungeon outbreak and further solidifying their position before holding this press conference.

    However¡­

    ¡®Since it happened, I will acknowledge what must be acknowledged.¡¯

    The director¡¯s manner as he delivered his speech was so earnest that the casual observers would have thought he was genuinely proud of Kim Su-hyeun, an awakener from his country.

    However, as he continued praising Kim Su-hyeun, the director¡¯s expression gradually hardened. And precisely at that moment, the reporters knew that he would get to the main topic of today¡¯s conference.

    ¡°It is unfortunate, but this event has laid bare the deficiencies in the association¡¯s system.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The reporters held their breaths.

    The things about to be brought up right now was what the director wanted to say all along.

    ¡°Thankfully, due to the presence of an excellent awakener named Kim Su-hyeun, as well as the Authority¡¯s swift response, we were able to overcome this crisis without any losses, but still, that doesn¡¯t mean there was no underlying problem.¡±

    ¡°In that case, is the Authority planning to take the Awakener Association to task?¡± a reporter eagerly asked.

    The director simply smiled. It seemed that he had been waiting for this question all along.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± the director denied. ¡°How can we dare to criticize the association that works so hard to protect our country?¡± He smiled amiably and waved his hand in denial. He sounded like a man worried about the future of his nation and thus decided to devote his whole life serving the public. ¡°It¡¯s just that,¡± he went on, ¡°I would like to point out that even the association has some inadequate points. That is all. So for anyone to suggest that we wish to take them to task, that¡¯s not true at all. What happened this time was purely a mistake, and, as such, we are not planning to publicly criticize them.¡±

    ¡°In that case, are you saying that this matter will be overlooked?¡±

    Heads turned towards the reporter who asked the question.

    While the reporter managed to keep a straight face while he asked the question, he was implying that the association had the tendency to look past some issues.

    The thing was, some reporters shared this brave correspondent¡¯s view. It was just that they didn¡¯t dare provoke the director.

    What if this incident was indeed caused by the association¡¯s mistake, and if there was a possibility of something similar happening in the future¡­

    ¡­Hundreds of thousands of lives were at risk here, so this incident couldn¡¯t just be labelled as an accident because the neglect might have been deliberate.

    ¡°We definitely cannot do that.¡± The director¡¯s voice was firm. The manner of his speech and even his expression suddenly changed. He continued, looking grave, ¡°How many lives are at risk from such an incident? Since there is a possibility that an event like this nature could happen again, we must come up with a way to prevent it.¡±

    ¡°And what is that way you¡¯re talking about?¡±

    Here was yet another question he had been waiting for. The director suppressed a smile and replied seriously, ¡°The Awakener Authority has acknowledged that the association¡¯s system is flawed, and, as such, we ask for cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Cooperation?¡±

    ¡°When he said cooperation¡­¡±

    ¡°Can it be¡­¡±

    The crowd was stirred instantly.

    The Awakener Authority requested the association for cooperation. Something like this had never happened before.

    However, a word such as ¡®cooperation¡¯ didn¡¯t suit the undercurrents happening beneath the surface.

    ¡°The Authority is filled with many excellent and talented individuals. Yes, our awakener manpower is, well, less compared to the association. However, the Authority is a department meant to manage the awakeners instead. Thus, we have been focusing on thoroughly analyzing and coming up with a suitable system to manage the dungeons.¡±

    A system that calculated which order the dungeons should be raided, as well as how many awakeners and in what rank must be sent to a dungeon in order to maximize the safety and efficiency¡­

    The Authority was publicly boasting about its system¡ªon the back of the association¡¯s mistake.

    ¡°Without a doubt, the association possesses a powerful combat force. Well, it does boast the likes of Paragon guild¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun, Thomas, Choi Hak-joon, Jung Yoon-ho, and several S-ranks, as well as countless other awakeners, in their roster.¡±

    The director sighed.

    This was where the real show began.

    ¡°I believe that the Authority and the association can cover for each other¡¯s inadequacies. I mean, the association¡¯s flawed system and the Authority¡¯s insufficient manpower.¡±

    ¡°What is the position of the association in this matter?¡±

    ¡°We have sent an official request and are currently waiting for their reply. We believe that in a few days, good news will¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to wait for a few days.¡±

    Someone cut off the director¡¯s speech. In normal circumstances, no one would do such a rude thing, especially to the director, but one actually dared.

    The director frowned and turned his head. The reporters did the same.

    However, the venue was filled with murmurs as the people saw who the speaker was.

    ¡°It¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°The new association chairman, Lee Ju-ho, is also here.¡±

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Take their pictures!¡±

    Click, click.

    Flash! Flash!

    Camera flashes came from every direction.

    The reporters were giddy and excited. One could read what¡¯s going on their heads right now: scoop. Meanwhile, the director had a firm expression on his face at first, and then he turned pale as he watched the reporters going wild about the newcomers.

    He hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho showing up to the conference, creating a commotion. It was a miscalculation on his part as he knew that they were informed of the said event.

    ¡®Why are those bastards here¡­¡¯ The director was annoyed.

    Then again, there was no reason for Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho to show up and announce themselves like they did. After all, it was the association that needed time, not the Authority.

    More than anything else¡­

    ¡®Kim Su-hyeun.¡¯

    Grit.

    The director clenched his fist but maintained his composure. Su-hyeun held the director¡¯s gaze and waited for a while, letting the reporters take enough pictures of him.

    Since he has decided to reveal himself, he didn¡¯t stop the reporters from doing their jobs.

    ¡°Mister Kim Su-hyeun, how long have you been here?¡±

    ¡°Did you hear the position of the Authority just now?¡±

    ¡°The Authority has apparently sent you an official request. Is it a yes? We would like to hear the association¡¯s response!¡±

    The questions from the reporters flooded in.

    Su-hyeun raised his hand. And as his lips slowly parted, the reporters quickly shut their mouths.

    ¡°We have seen the official request.¡± The first one to speak was Lee Ju-ho, though. ¡°And our reply is¡­we refuse.¡±

    ¡°They refused!¡±

    ¡°So easily like that? Why?¡±

    ¡°Refusal¡­ Hey! Write about it and hurry up!¡±

    The crowd stirred once more.

    Among them was a reporter talking to his junior colleague in a whisper, telling the latter to quickly compose an article and post it right away.

    Meanwhile, Lee Ju-ho went on, ¡°We¡¯ve investigated this matter several times in order to figure out just where it went wrong. If our system has flaws, then we wanted to quickly address it.¡±

    He slowly made his way to the platform as he spoke.

    It was his turn to be under the spotlight.

    The director stepped aside. Lee Ju-ho shot the old man a death stare, then resumed addressing the reporters. ¡°During the process, we uncovered that one of the employees working for the association, in charged with managing our system, was at fault.¡±

    ¡°But, doesn¡¯t that employee work for your association? In that case¡­¡± another reporter commented.

    ¡°Mind control,¡± Lee Ju-ho revealed.

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s declaration surprised the director. Their eyes met, and the director cowered. He was quick to regain his composure, though.

    Su-hyeun had been watching him all this time and observed how he changed expressions and demeanor.

    ¡°It¡¯s an upper-tier skill found in the hallucination-type set of abilities. Not only can you control the mind of the target, but once your proficiency increases, you will also gain the ability to command the subject to perform a task or control their daily activities. Moreover, the subject will not realize that they are being controlled at all.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the employee in question was being mind controlled?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We have determined it yesterday. During the process of establishing the dungeon raid order and publishing the list, the employee deliberately omitted the dungeon found in the city of Cheonan. All because he was under the influence of mind control,¡± Lee Ju-ho explained.

    The story had taken a dark turn.

    If what Lee Ju-ho said was true, then someone out there had deliberately planned to cause an outbreak with Cheonan¡¯s dungeon.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t uncovered who the culprit is yet,¡± Lee Ju-ho admitted. ¡°It¡¯s already too late to find it out through magical energy sensor. Also, the employee himself hasn¡¯t realized that he is being manipulated until now.¡±

    ¡°In that case, how will the association respond?¡±

    ¡°For the time being, we are going to refuse the Authority¡¯s request for cooperation, just like what I said earlier,¡± Lee Ju-ho declared, shifting his gaze back to the director. ¡°We suspect that the Authority is involved in this matter.¡± The reporters were shocked; they were in disbelief. Lee Ju-ho continued, ¡°It is unfortunate, but we cannot accept their proposal at this stage. Well, not until we find out who the guilty party is first.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The director wore a stoic expression. He was trying to suppress the urge to talk. He was contemplating how to best react in the current situation.

    ¡®Do they already know everything?¡¯

    Cold sweat trickled from the director¡¯s forehead. He was stressed and anxious. He might have managed to control his expression somehow, but he didn¡¯t have the ability to control his sweat glands.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say this time.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho finished his speech and stepped down.

    Soon after that, the director tried to step up to the platform, but someone unexpected could be seen climbing there first.

    Step, step.

    His footsteps were soft, yet his presence was heavy¡­heavier than anyone present.

    Su-hyeun stepped up on the platform. That prompted the reporters to crowd the stage.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun went up there¡­¡±

    ¡°But I thought he doesn¡¯t like the limelight?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he has an announcement to make¡­¡±

    Either way, this day was turning out to be a good one for these reporters. Their cameras were busy taking pictures, and their minds were filled with headlines.

    Perhaps, from this day forward, every word that came out of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips would be newsworthy. Su-hyeun was a very private person. At times, he was difficult to read. Showing up today in a very public event surely surprised everyone.

    ¡°Just like what chairman Lee Ju-ho has said, we are suspecting that this event was caused by someone¡¯s underhanded scheme. Believe what you want to believe. We are not trying to convince anyone to be in our side. We are here to let you know that we know,¡± Su-hyeun announced.

    A few of the reporters nodded slowly at what Su-hyeun said.

    After all, something like this did happen fairly often.

    Blaming others for another¡¯s mistake was not new. It was never easy owning to one¡¯s mistake, especially if it involved the safety of many people.

    Lee Ju-ho and Su-hyeun didn¡¯t show up in the conference to convince people to take the association¡¯s side. They were there just to inform. Whether people believed them or not, it didn¡¯t matter. They knew what really happened.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to show them all¡­¡± Su-hyeun stated with fervor. He then turned and looked straight at the director next to him. The old man lowered his head. He couldn¡¯t return Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze. ¡°¡­show them that they provoked the wrong person this time.¡±

    Drip.

    The director couldn¡¯t help but take out a hanky¡­to wipe the excessive sweat from his forehead.

 Chapter 338

    * * *

    Step, step.

    Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho walked side by side in the corridor.

    They lost the reporters trying to chase after them. They wouldn¡¯t catch up to these two, no matter how they tried. After all, Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho had special abilities that these reporters didn¡¯t possess.

    ¡°Will this be fine?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked out of the blue.

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s question might be vague, but Su-hyeun understood what he meant. He simply replied, ¡°Of course.¡±

    If it weren¡¯t fine, he wouldn¡¯t have started this whole thing in the first place.

    Su-hyeun replied nonchalantly, shrugging, while Lee Ju-ho sighed. He then said, ¡°It would have been so much better if we managed to prove that the Authority was behind everything¡­ A lot simpler too.¡±

    ¡°Such a thing will be too difficult to pull off,¡± Su-hyeun disagreed, shaking his head. ¡°The director is not stupid. He would cover his tracks. Any traces related to the manipulation of the system through mind control will be removed or deleted.¡±

    The ¡°mind control¡± skill was quite a high level within the hallucination-type abilities. The victim would not realize that they were being manipulated, and also even the magical energy used would quickly disintegrate, not leaving much evidence behind.

    As such, it was the perfect skill to utilize in an awakener-related criminal activity.

    However, an awakener strong enough to use mind control skills didn¡¯t need to commit crimes in the first place.

    ¡°The Korean awakeners capable of using mind control can be counted in two hands, Bro. It should only be around 10 people, and two of them are affiliated with the Authority.¡±

    ¡°Well, these people should start suspecting them at the very least. In that case, our side¡¯s position will be somehow strengthened too,¡± Lee Ju-ho remarked. ¡°I think public opinion will be divided into three. First, the association is lying. Second, the Authority is doing something sneaky. Third, an unknown force is involved, such as another country.¡±

    ¡°At least, we won¡¯t lose anything.¡±

    ¡°In that case, what will you do from now on? Aren¡¯t you already convinced that the Authority is responsible for this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s almost a certainty, judging from the current situation. Almost¡­ I¡¯m still not a hundred percent sure. It is already prepared in advance. Let¡¯s not forget that an event like this happened as soon as you became the association chairman too.¡±

    ¡°Although we are ¡®almost¡¯ to 100% sure, we must remember that there is no physical evidence¡­yet¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t figure it out. I just can¡¯t think of a way with my dumb brain. All I can come up for now is a justification to reject the request to cooperate made by the Authority. That¡¯s all.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho had been dealing with the events as they happened.

    The Authority used the pretext of the association¡¯s system being faulty and ¡°requested¡± for cooperation, and Lee Ju-ho came up with a fairly logical reason to reject that request.

    Should the Authority attacked, Lee Ju-ho was prepared to defend. However, he was also aware of his limitations.

    ¡°And from now on, it¡¯s up to you, Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Su-hyeun assured Lee Ju-ho. Then he immediately called Miru as soon as they exited the Authority¡¯s building. ¡°It won¡¯t take long. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Gya-ong!

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s call, Miru replied enthusiastically and spread its wings wide before soaring to the sky.

    Lee Ju-ho watched Miru and Su-hyeun fly away and slowly shook his head.

    ¡°Will it really be possible?¡± he wondered.

    There was no need to doubt Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities, but Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t feel confident this time.

    Would such a ¡°thing¡± even be possible?

    Lee Ju-ho kept thinking about it.

    He shook his head again. He just couldn¡¯t stop worrying about it. If Su-hyeun said it was doable, then it should be.

    ¡°Starting today, at this very moment, it¡¯s¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho couldn¡¯t stop thinking of how people all over the world would take the news. He smirked and then muttered to himself, ¡°Showtime.¡±

    An event that he wanted to show everyone¡­

    Su-hyeun began that ¡°thing.¡±

    * * *

    Step, step.

    The director¡¯s handkerchief was soaked with sweat.

    The sound of people¡¯s footsteps reverberated throughout the corridor. The director was cranky that he was annoyed at the sound of his own footsteps.

    ¡°Dangerous.¡±

    The word lingered in his head.

    It wasn¡¯t as if an event similar to this one had not happened before. He was blessed with long life, and he had always fought for his share of the pie. He worked hard and had been through a lot, clashed and destroyed a lot of people, to reach his current position.

    Perils were inevitable in the process.

    Sirens were meant to alert him of imminent danger. The thing was, these sirens echoed in his head. He was sensing danger. When such things happened, the director would make sure to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

    However, things were different this time.

    The siren kept going in his head, and it was crazy loud.

    The director felt as if his head would explode, and his eyes would pop. Beads of sweat trickled from his forehead. He was profusely perspiring.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Grit.

    The director gritted his teeth and pulled out his phone.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me, Section Chief Han. Come to my office right away.¡±

    Creak.

    The director opened the door and entered his office. He walked toward the small fridge and took out some cold water. He then gulped it in less than a minute.

    His shirt was still wet from sweat, but he managed to calm himself. He breathed in and out loudly and then sat on the sofa as he waited for Section Chief Han Myeong-gyun to arrive.

    Knock. Knock.

    ¡°Director, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and come inside!¡± the director yelled. He couldn¡¯t shake off the anxiety and stress he was feeling.

    Han Myeong-gyun sensed something was off. He reminded himself to be cautious with his words as he didn¡¯t want to upset the director further. He gently opened the door and stepped inside the office.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t make any mistake back then, right? No evidence whatsoever, right?¡± the director immediately spoke when he saw Han Myeong-gyun enter.

    ¡°No, sir,¡± Han Myeong-gyun responded confidently. ¡°No mistake. I have confirmed it several times.¡±

    ¡°Have you seen the news?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir, I have. I honestly didn¡¯t expect them to figure it out this quickly. Their response came sooner than we predicted, sir.¡±

    Section Chief Han seemed also flustered by the development, but he wasn¡¯t as worried as the director.

    Section Chief Han remained objective toward the recent turn of events. As such, he was able to make sound decisions.

    Although the plan to manipulate the association with the pretext of cooperation born out of their system¡¯s flaw had gone down the drain at this stage, it still didn¡¯t mean any potential problematic elements didn¡¯t remain for them to worry about.

    After all, no evidence of wrongdoing was found.

    The association would never be able to prove that the Authority cooked up this scheme. The Authority was sure of this.

    Section Chief Han stared at the worried director and asked, ¡°Is that the reason for calling me here, sir?¡±

    ¡°There has to be something¡­something,¡± the director muttered. He was now lying on the sofa, eyes closed and an arm on his forehead. He didn¡¯t respond to Section Chief Han¡¯s inquiry.

    Then Section Chief Han Myeong-gyun¡¯s phone rang.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Please excuse me, sir.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± the director asked without looking at the chief.

    ¡°It¡¯s a call from some guys working for me.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead and take it. I could use some time with my thoughts.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Section Chief Han turned around and answered the phone.

    But just as the director closed his eyes and held his head, Section Chief Han was told of the news. ¡°Wha-what was that? That¡¯s motherf*ck*ng insane!¡±

    Han Myeong-gyun was utterly shocked. He kept on cursing, forgetting that his superior was just right behind him.

    The director opened his eyes and looked toward Han Myeong-gyun¡¯s direction. Section Chief Han urgently ended the call and turned to speak to the director. ¡°Si-sir¡­¡±

    ¡°What now? What happened?¡± The director was triggered. He was now exasperated.

    Han Myeong-gyun licked his dried lips before he spoke. ¡°Kim Su-hyeun¡­ He¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    * * *

    Above Gwanak District in the city of Seoul¡­

    While riding on Miru¡¯s back, Su-hyeun looked down at the ground. The entirety of Seoul filled up his view.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Because he was so high up in the air, he activated his Sage¡¯s Eye, and then his eyes changed to a bluish hue. Looking at Gyeonggi Province in the distance was made easier.

    ¡®There sure are a lot of them, though¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun unfolded the map he brought with him. The districts marked with various colored spots denoted locations where dungeons had appeared.

    He confirmed the marked positions in the map, which meant that this map was quite accurate.

    He counted the number of dungeons and began thinking that it had swelled quite noticeably lately.

    ¡°About 800 in total. Among them, 300 in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province alone. As for Gangwon Province, not a lot have generated. Probably because so many did show up not too long ago.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze shifted over to the most dangerous dungeons among them.

    ¡°Three green dungeons. No blues, though.¡±

    Even though the number of S-ranks had increased recently, the green dungeons still posed a danger.

    If an outbreak somehow happened, then something on the scale of Gwanak District would be wiped out in the blink of an eye. That was how high the level of the monsters from such a dungeon was.

    ¡°All of you¡­¡± Su-hyeun began, extending his hand and unleashed his Death Aura, ¡°Arise.¡±

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    Wobble.

    White clouds materialized in the air, and several dark shadows began to appear on top of them.

    From the gigantic Gluttony and Ouroboros to the Chief Gatekeeper and Prince Nezha¡­

    All the summoned creatures Su-hyeun could call appeared on the clouds. There were around 20 creatures.

    ¡°We will begin our raids from now on. The people¡¯s safety is our priority. If someone attacks, evade if possible. Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage. If you can¡¯t, flee from the perpetrator and return to my side.¡±

    The other awakeners could potentially start attacking the summoned creatures since they could mistake them for regular monsters. Su-hyeun wanted to avoid such incidents as much as possible.

    ¡°Miru, ¡®silence¡¯ and ¡®invisibility,¡¯ please.¡±

    Gya-ong!

    Shu-shushu¡ª

    Magical energy pouring out from Miru¡¯s figure enclosed the bodies of the summoned creatures. All sounds coming from them were blocked, and then their silhouettes became transparent.

    Spells to block the sound and turn the target invisible had been cast on them. With the exception of some awakeners, the normal inhabitants would not be able to spot the summoned creatures now.

    ¡°You only have one day. Then the magic wears off. Around 800 dungeons in total are found inside the country. Your goal is one or more dungeons per hour. It will be your responsibility to raid and clear them. However, if there is another raid party present inside the dungeon, then move to another one right away.¡±

    Every time Su-hyeun issued an order, the summoned creatures nodded their heads in unison.

    ¡°Especially you two, Gluttony and Prince Nezha. Each of you has to take care of two or more dungeons per hour. They must be either yellow ones or greater.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t making an unreasonable request here. From the get-go, both Gluttony and Prince Nezha were so strong that a dozen or more average S-rank awakeners would find it very hard to deal with just one of them.

    If it were up to these two, never mind the yellow dungeons, they could even raid an indigo dungeon together.

    When Su-hyeun issues his orders, his intent would directly be transmitted to the summoned creatures along with his words so they faced no problem in understanding what he wanted.

    He had already designated different districts for his summons in his head and issued his last order. ¡°For now, we start in Seoul. Everyone, scatter.¡±

    Pat, pa-pat¡ª

    The summoned creatures quickly moved in all directions.

    While not causing any losses to human lives or destruction to property, his summons cautiously and silently headed to the districts they were assigned to.

    And lastly¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡±

    Gya-ong!

    Su-hyeun headed to a green dungeon.

    * * *

    ¡°Blow away.¡±

    Inside the entrance to a green dungeon¡­

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword.

    ¡°Palm Leaf,¡± he commanded.

    WHOOSH!

    The massive typhoon that previously swept away the entirety of Gangwon Province in the past had now been wreaking havoc on every corner of the green dungeon.

    In just a short amount of time, the interior of the dungeon was cleansed out. The monsters¡¯ bodies were instantly torn apart, and just like that, a dungeon ceased to exist from the world.

    ¡°Fu-woo¡ª¡±

    This green dungeon was fairly large in scale, and the monsters¡¯ levels were higher. Thus, he had to exert quite an effort, exhausting a bit of his strength.

    However, the spent magical energy was replenished not too long after¡ªall thanks to his breathing technique.

    ¡°Okay. Next.¡±

    Gya-ong!

    Miru took Su-hyeun to the closest dungeon right away.

    The order of the raids?

    It no longer mattered.

    What about a dungeon¡¯s difficulty?

    Also not important.

    He simply raided everything he could find and see.

    No, wait. It could not even be called ¡°raids¡± anymore.

    He entered a dungeon and used the Palm Leaf Sword to bring about a massive typhoon inside. If his magical energy was depleted during the process, he would take a short break before moving to his next target.

    It was a massacre.

    He alone took care of five dungeons in one hour.

    And when the dungeons in Seoul got rapidly raided one by one, the whole of South Korea was roused in no time at all.

    Kim Su-hyeun had begun his crazed rampage.

 Chapter 339

    * * *

    ¡ºKim Su-hyeun, rampaging out of control in a freight train, completes the raids of all dungeons in Seoul!¡»

    ¡ºThe trampled raid rights¡­ Will this be fine?¡»

    ¡ºAssociation chairman Lee Ju-ho has been announced as a Paragon guild master, not the chairman. All the loot recovered in the dungeons which Kim Su-hyeun raided will be surrendered.¡»

    ¡ºKim Su-hyeun¡¯s actions: What¡¯s his goal? Professor Jo Min-hyeong from Dongguk University¡¯s Department of Psychology¡­¡»

    ¡ºDungeon drought in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. How strong are Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s actual abilities?¡»

    ¡ºThe association¡¯s dungeon omission and alleged plot: Is Kim Su-hyeun sending a message?¡»

    Numerous articles appeared online. Every single one came with a provocative headline.

    The people began to suspect of the connection between this event and the association¡¯s strange omission of the dungeon. But that was rather obvious considering the timing of the events.

    Public opinions were divided.

    ©¸ Wow! That¡¯s seriously insane! Calling him a one-man army is an understatement. Less than half a day and he¡¯s almost finished getting rid of dungeons in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

    ©¸ At this rate, all dungeons in Korea will be gone in two days¡¯ time, don¡¯t you think?

    ©¸ This can¡¯t be real¡­ A large guild needs to form a proper raid party for a single green dungeon, and the raid itself takes over a day. How is this possible?

    ©¸ By the way, will this be fine? He doesn¡¯t have raid rights. Is it okay to attack nonstop like this?

    ©¸ Apparently, he didn¡¯t touch any dungeons being raided by someone else. Also, raid rights only mean something when ether stones and monster by-products are involved, don¡¯t they?

    ©¸ Even then, this may cause problems. With how things are, the raid order will go out of whack, you know?

    ©¸ I think Kim Su-hyeun did this to let everyone know that things like raid orders have no meaning to him. He¡¯s making a point by wiping out every dungeon in Korea by himself.

    ©¸ Oh, the post above mine has a good point. Crazy, I tell ya, this Kim Su-hyeun guy.

    Thousands of people left comments on each article.

    The comments were reflections of public sentiments. Despite people¡¯s differing views, everyone agreed of one thing¡­

    ¡­that Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities were the real deal.

    They thought that his level was way beyond anybody else.

    He did an impossible task alone¡ªa task that even if all awakeners in South Korea worked together would find it difficult to deliver good results.

    And naturally, Korea was enthusiastic about it. The citizens were full of pride by the fact that the awakener Kim Su-hyeun was one of their own.

    However, there was this one man who¡­

    ¡°Uwahk!¡±

    ¡­wasn¡¯t happy with this news. He was actually freaking out at the moment.

    * * *

    Two days¡­ It only took two days for every single dungeon in South Korea to be raided.

    When the uproar ended, some people from the Awakener Authority paid Su-hyeun a visit.

    ¡°Mister Kim Su-hyeun¡­¡±

    They were awakeners affiliated with the Authority. They belonged to the tactical response team of the Awakener Management Bureau, which was meant to apprehend awakener criminals.

    Every one of them were B-rank awakeners or higher, and 10 of such people had shown up at Su-hyeun¡¯s doorstep.

    ¡°Sir¡­I¡¯m afraid you have to come with us,¡± one awakener said politely.

    Gulp.

    They were careful with their words and actions, considering who they were dealing with this time.

    After all, Su-hyeun was not someone these agents could arrest by force.

    The leader of the tactical response team and an A-rank awakener himself, Bak Han-sol, looked fine. However, looks could be deceiving. In his mind, he could not help but ask, ¡®What the hell am I doing here? This is Kim Su-hyeun¡­THE Kim Su-hyeun.¡¯

    Back when Su-hyeun was an ally and when he was the hero who willingly stepped forward to raid dungeons for the safety of the public, Bak Han-sol wasn¡¯t aware of it.

    However, things took a different turn¡ªan ugly turn. As a consequence, Su-hyeun must be arrested as per the regulation.

    The overall vibe Bak Han-sol felt was completely different. It was terrifying.

    What if Su-hyeun didn¡¯t want to cooperate?

    What if he was planning to put an armed resistance or something?

    ¡®No one can stop him¡­absolutely no one.¡¯

    Never mind the tactical response team, for not even the combined might of the association and the Authority would be enough to stop Su-hyeun.

    A chill ran down on Bak Han-sol¡¯s spine just thinking about that.

    No matter how strong someone was, if they broke the law, they must be tried and judged. After all, a single person couldn¡¯t win against many, and one couldn¡¯t possibly win against organizations or even the world.

    However, one man was an exception¡­

    A person possessing enough strength to surpass the law had finally come. Such a thing had been deemed impossible in the past, yet it happened now.

    No, wait¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s not that he has come, but he was just announcing it.¡¯

    Announcing that he had this much power in him¡­that he had finally decided to reveal it now¡­

    Gulp.

    After listening to Bak Han-sol, Su-hyeun just stood at the doorway for a while without saying anything. The whole tactical response team tensed up visibly as they stared back at him. It was a rather awkward situation.

    Eventually, he replied, ¡°Alright. Let me change my clothes first. Can you wait for me?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­yes¡­of course.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you all come inside?¡± Su-hyeun invited. ¡°Instead of standing outside the door like that. However, I don¡¯t have anything much to treat you with. I can only offer you some water. I hope that¡¯s enough.¡± He stared at the sweaty Bak Han-sol, gulping nervously. ¡°I mean, you guys look thirsty.¡±

    Su-hyeun then widely opened the front door to his home and let the members of the tactical response team enter.

    His home wasn¡¯t all that spacious considering his wealth. The living room became completely filled up when the team members came in.

    Su-hyeun handed out 500-milliliter bottles of water to each member then went to his bedroom to get changed. Once he was done putting on a clean white shirt and a pair of pants, he offered his wrists to Bak Han-sol. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get going now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Clack.

    Bak Han-sol cuffed Su-hyeun¡¯s wrist according to the procedure.

    This pair of handcuffs was capable of sealing the flow of magical energy and restricting the awakener¡¯s physical strength.

    ¡®It¡¯s pointless, though.¡¯

    However, Bak Han-sol was certain that Su-hyeun could easily break off this type of handcuffs as if they were made out of paper.

    Also, even if he was imprisoned, he would still be able to escape easily unless he was maimed or his legs were mutilated.

    On top of it all¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s not going to get that far, anyway.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t as if Su-hyeun had committed a terrible crime.

    Sure, attacking a dungeon while ignoring the raid rights was a crime, but, normally, such a case would be treated as ¡®closed¡¯ when the guilty party paid a small fine and handed over all the ether stones, as well as other stuff, recovered from the dungeon.

    Su-hyeun had already yielded all the ether stones and the loot to the guilds and parties who held the raid rights. It was the right thing since those loot belonged to them to begin with.

    ¡®I have no idea why I¡¯m supposed to apprehend him in the first place¡­¡¯

    Bak Han-sol could only shake his aching head. He had to do his duty¡­what was expected of him. What he thought of the matter had no bearing. He was there to make sure that orders were carried out.

    Eleven of them got on the elevator and headed to the first floor. However, for some reason, there seemed to be a bit of a commotion outside the building.

    ¡®Reporters?¡¯

    The hubbub of voices definitely belonged to the reporters eagerly waiting outside. They lived for this kind of scoop. They could smell news even miles away. That was why the Authority chose to carry out Su-hyeun¡¯s arrest in secret.

    Even then, the reporters still managed to catch the whiff¡­

    Sure, these people were skilled at finding scoops, but someone might have leaked information for them to show up here.

    That could only mean¡­

    ¡®It wasn¡¯t the Authority, but the association¡­,¡¯ Bak Han-sol surmised. His hands felt cold.

    Since the Authority dispatched the arrest warrant ahead of time, the association should have been aware that the tactical response team would come to apprehend Su-hyeun today.

    Since that was the case, the association possibly leaked information to the reporters.

    ¡®But why would they do that?¡¯ he wondered.

    The more Bak Han-sol thought about it, the more anxious he got.

    It was around then that Su-hyeun decided to say something. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going outside?¡±

    He sounded relaxed. Not even a hint of agitation could be seen in his expression even though there was a throng of reporters outside.

    Then it became crystal clear. There was no doubt that the association had brought all these reporters here.

    They must have had something to say that they wanted publicized through the reporters since they called them.

    ¡°Y-yes, let¡¯s get going,¡± Bak Han-sol replied with a trembling voice. He then started walking while grabbing Su-hyeun¡¯s arm.

    As soon as the reporters saw them, they came rushing towards them. The sounds of clicks and people shouting to be noticed and flashes swarmed them all at once.

    Click, click. Flash.

    ¡°Mister Kim Su-hyeun, why are they arresting you? On what charges?¡±

    ¡°What kind of discussion did you have with the association?¡±

    ¡°What was the message you wanted to tell us through your actions? Was it simply you venting out your anger?¡±

    ¡°Mister Kim Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°Please tell us¡­¡±

    The lobby was in chaos.

    The awakeners of the tactical response team prevented the reporters from getting too close. They made a path to the waiting vehicle, and Bak Han-sol led Su-hyeun past the reporters and their cameras.

    ¡®Please, please¡­,¡¯ Bak Han-sol thought, ¡®let us get through without any problem.¡¯

    And so, as they continued to walk forward¡­

    Stop.

    Su-hyeun suddenly stopped walking.

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware that my actions have caused problems,¡± he finally spoke.

    The reporters all turned quiet. They put their microphones forward and waited for his next words.

    Bak Han-sol forcibly pulled Su-hyeun¡¯s arm and tried to drag him away, but the latter didn¡¯t even budge. Other awakeners of the tactical response team couldn¡¯t make him move either. It was as if they were trying to push a heavy statue.

    ¡°Someone asked me just now what my message was,¡± Su-hyeun stated, looking at the reporter who asked that. He then continued, ¡°There were two reasons for my actions: One, to show off. There hadn¡¯t been an opportunity to show off my skills since I¡¯ve been too focused on climbing the tower until now.¡±

    His eyes narrowed.

    ¡°And I guess that¡¯s what made them think I¡¯m an easy mark¡ªsomeone they can easily provoke but will not retaliate.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°As for WHO tried to provoke the association, well, I have my suspicions, but unfortunately, at present, I don¡¯t have the evidence to back it up. However, the guilty party knows who they are better than anyone, so I won¡¯t waste my time mentioning their names.¡±

    ¡°What about the second reason?¡± one reporter reminded Su-hyeun.

    ¡°It¡¯s my way of presenting you with a gift.¡±

    ¡°A gift, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The reporters were confused at what Su-hyeun said.

    How could sweeping away every dungeon in South Korea constitute a gift?

    The answer to that question soon came out from Su-hyeun¡¯s lips. ¡°Although I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet, I¡¯m considering leaving the country for good.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Leave for good? Why? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If I do leave, then I won¡¯t be raiding Korean dungeons in the future. Who knows, an indigo dungeon might suddenly appear tomorrow. To prepare for an event like that, I thought I should just wipe out everything at least once before leaving.¡±

    ¡°But what¡¯s your reason for leaving?¡±

    ¡°I have grown sick and tired of this country.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s expression hardened. The reporters held their breaths as they waited for Su-hyeun to continue. ¡°I always thought that I was doing my part to serve the public, that I have been dedicating myself to our society. I have never asked for anything in return or even a special treatment. I truly believed that people can be safe as long as someone like me with enough power keep using that strength.¡±

    The reporters cringed at what he said.

    Even Bak Han-sol and the other awakeners from the tactical response team found Su-hyeun¡¯s statement out of place.

    Su-hyeun was not only Korea¡¯s hero¡ªhe was the world¡¯s hero.

    It was true that he didn¡¯t ask for anything in return. More than half of his earnings had been donated to society. The money was used in areas affected by the dungeons and in various community projects.

    To top it off, it wasn¡¯t as if he was living in luxury with the remainder of his wealth.

    His home was a small studio apartment in Yeoui Island. He almost never drove his car, and he always focused on either raiding the dungeons or climbing the tower.

    He was the perfect¡ªwithout exaggeration¡ªexample of the ideal awakener.

    ¡°But then, this is the treatment I get,¡± Su-hyeun remarked as he looked at his cuffed hands.

    For all of his devotion and selfless service, he was rewarded with an underhanded plot.

    Of course, he would get sick and tired. How could they not understand where he¡¯s coming from?

    ¡°H-have you already thought about which country you would like to migrate?¡±

    ¡°At the moment, no¡­not yet. However, I can assure you that I won¡¯t be making any rash decisions. Well, then.¡±

    After speaking, Su-hyeun walked past the throng of reporters.

    Even though he looked and sounded calm in front of the reporters, he was actually working quite hard to stop himself from exploding in anger.

    ¡®I knew it! Acting isn¡¯t really my thing.¡¯

    His announcement surprised everyone. People would certainly be talking about it. They weren¡¯t expecting this from Su-hyeun.

    Moreover, Su-hyeun knew how to play and provoke his adversaries.

    ¡®The dice has been rolled now, so¡­¡¯

    While walking away, Su-hyeun glanced at Bak Han-sol¡¯s trembling hand.

    ¡®I guess the next thing to do is wait¡­¡¯

 Chapter 340

    Act 4

    ¡ºKim Su-hyeun, sick of South Korea. Announces he¡¯s leaving!¡»

    ¡ºKim Su-hyeun, where to next?¡»

    ¡ºPotential impact Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s absence will have on Korea¡»

    ¡­

    South Korea was in chaos.

    It turned out that the news of Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s plan to leave the country had more impact than him wiping out all the dungeons.

    Moreover, his revelation on how his decision had something to do with the association¡¯s dungeon omission incident caused the citizens to panic. Even the National Assembly was experiencing an unprecedented crisis.

    ¡°What dogsh*t rubbish is this?¡±

    The minister of the Awakener Management Department, Jeon Gyeong-guk, went to the meeting held during the National Assembly to discuss the matter. Once it was over, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from yelling at anyone he encountered.

    His aide kept his head low. He didn¡¯t utter a word as he waited for the minister¡¯s rage to subside. The aide had already been serving consecutive terms and working for Jeon Gyeong-guk for some time, so he knew very well how to deal with the minister.

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun wants to leave the country?! That is b*llsh*t! Who set it in motion?!¡±

    He really wanted to know. He was waiting for an answer.

    Only then did the aide open his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s possible that our Authority was the one that got this ball rolling, Sir.¡±

    ¡°What, our Authority?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, Sir.¡±

    ¡°Then, who the hell was it?!¡±

    ¡°The Authority¡¯s current director, Sir,¡± the aide revealed. ¡°There was a report submitted by the director not too long ago, right after Lee Ju-ho was appointed as the association chairman. He said that he had a plan to make the association and Kim Su-hyeun do whatever they wanted.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s related to this issue?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a good chance that it is so, Sir. The report did say that we can exploit the system¡¯s flaw to manipulate the dungeon raid order. And, through that, we should be able to absorb the association¡¯s strength as ours¡­¡±

    ¡°Meaning, the director was confident of there being some kind of a flaw in the association¡¯s system¡­ And, with perfect timing, an incident did happen.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir. Indeed, it was perfect timing.¡±

    ¡°That stupid son of a b*tch¡­¡±

    The thing was, the Assembly had come to a unanimous decision that the culprit for unnecessarily provoking the association needed to be identified as soon as possible.

    If not, Kim Su-hyeun might just pack up and leave Korea for another country.

    In the current era, as well as in the near future, an awakener like Kim Su-hyeun would serve as basically the best indicator of a country¡¯s strength.

    A man with enough power to deal with a country¡¯s numerous dungeons all by himself? Any country would welcome him.

    If they failed to hold onto someone like that, then even Jeon Gyeong-guk¡¯s position as the minister of the Awakener Management Department would become precarious.

    ¡°Summon that damn director to my office and launch an investigation regarding this matter. I want results as soon as possible,¡± the minister ordered.

    ***

    There was no such thing as the perfect crime in this world, especially when the act in question was perpetrated not by a lone individual, but an organization. There would inevitably be traces¡ªrecords, texts, e-mails, and even phone calls¡ªsomewhere.

    Uncovering such things might be difficult for an individual or a small-scale organization, but¡­

    Slap!

    Jeon Gyeong-guk threw the documents in his hand. Before the director could react, pieces of paper were everywhere, scattered in his office.

    The director took the paper near his desk and read it. His eyes widened in disbelief. Some contents of his previous text messages were on that piece. He stood up and took another paper, which contained his e-mails.

    Dates, contents, orders of the arrangements¡­

    All information tied him to what had just happened¡ªhe was involved. The connection between the Authority-affiliated awakener who knew mind control skill and the Authority¡¯s director were undeniable.

    ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Answer me, you son of a b*tch!¡±

    ¡°M-minister¡­ Sir. I think there had been some misunderstanding¡­¡±

    ¡°You better come out clean here. Unless you want to ¡®mysteriously¡¯ disappear.¡±

    Jeon Gyeong-guk¡¯s anger gradually subsided. He was trying to suppress his rage.

    The director realized it. There was no point in defending himself or coming up with excuses at this point. If he kept denying it despite all the evidence, he would be challenging Jeon Gyeong-guk¡¯s sources and would imply that the minister was mistaken.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir. This wasn¡¯t my original intention¡­¡±

    ¡°Who told you to start this crap in the first place?! Are you f*cking insane? Why the hell did you provoke Kim Su-hyeun?!¡±

    Whoosh!

    Smack!

    Jeon Gyeong-guk threw an ashtray and it smashed into the director¡¯s forehead. The latter stumbled before wiping away the streaming blood with the back of his hand, then stood demurely again.

    ¡°You wiped that? Did you just wipe that off?!¡±

    ¡°I¡­I apologize.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know that you need to apologize now, do you?! You should be sorry for existing! I¡¯m in this sh*t because of some bullsh*t you started!¡±

    The minister stood up and shoved the chair towards the director. He couldn¡¯t contain his anger anymore.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get the level of impact Kim Su-hyeun has on our country, not to mention his overall worth?! Don¡¯t you read reports? Analysts commented that if we just let Su-hyeun be, our country¡¯s strength could surpass that of America in less than a decade! America! Do you hear me?¡±

    The longer Jeon Gyeong-guk¡¯s berating went on, the paler the director¡¯s complexion became.

    ¡°But now, Kim Su-hyeun is considering leaving the country because of a pest like you!¡±

    ¡°S-sir, I was merely acting on the belief that if the Authority had control over Kim Su-hyeun, then our organization would become stronger¡­¡±

    ¡°You were acting solely on your desire for promotion. That¡¯s all, you ambitious prat!¡±

    Slap!

    Jeon Gyeong-guk couldn¡¯t control his anger any longer and grabbed whatever was near him and threw it to the director.

    ¡°Because of your greed, the whole National Assembly has been on the edge! If Kim Su-hyeun leaves Korea because of this,¡± Jeon Gyeong-guk pointed angrily at the director, his eyes filled with rage, ¡°you¡¯re a dead man. Got that?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, Sir.¡±

    The director squeezed his eyes shut.

    His arms and legs were trembling, and his heart was pounding.

    The bit about the ¡®dead man¡¯¡­ The minister surely wouldn¡¯t use those words just to reprimand, or even scare, the director for his wrongdoing.

    The director¡¯s ¡®mistake¡¯ had thrown the entire National Assembly in disarray. There was even a rumor of the Korean president organizing a secret discussion with Kim Su-hyeun.

    It was probably to stop him from leaving Korea.

    The director wasn¡¯t that na?ve. He knew the effects and consequences of his actions. He was also aware that at this very moment, his life depended on Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s decision.

    ***

    ¡°Son, aren¡¯t you going to eat some more?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m already full. I¡¯ve eaten a lot already,¡± said Su-hyeun as he wiped his lips with a tissue.

    It had been quite a while since they had a lovely meal like this.

    They were currently in a posh restaurant. Although this didn¡¯t really suit Su-hyeun¡¯s style, his mother wanted them to have a cozy meal since they had not been together in a long while.

    ¡®It is certainly tasty.¡¯

    Su-hyeun usually preferred Korean cuisine, especially the traditional and home-cooked ones. But he had to admit that this restaurant¡¯s food tasted really great.

    It probably had to do with how famous and insanely expensive this restaurant was and the fact that he was sharing a meal with Shin Su-yeong again.

    The person one was eating with, as well as where they were eating, contributed to the overall experience of the meal. One could have a not-so-good main course, but it wouldn¡¯t matter because they were with good company.

    ¡°By the way, Son,¡± Shin Su-yeong spoke, ¡°why did you do that this time?¡±

    Her question surprised Su-hyeun. He wasn¡¯t expecting his mother to inquire about such matters.

    Actually, he wasn¡¯t expecting her to ask that question while they were still having dinner.

    Shin Su-yeong didn¡¯t press her son for answers. Instead, she waited for him to go through his food and respond.

    ¡®That¡¯s how cautious she was about it¡­¡¯

    Su-hyeun was arrested by the Authority¡¯s tactical response team recently.

    The truth was, after he got arrested, they had to release him right away since they couldn¡¯t find anything to charge him with. However, the media reported that he was taken to the Authority.

    And then, there was Su-hyeun¡¯s public declaration¡­ Shin Su-yeong must have been worried about her son.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, Mom. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡±

    ¡°But you did say something to worry about, you know?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Should I also leave with you, too?¡± his mother asked. She really would like to know.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Su-hyeun responded, eyes widening in surprise.

    ¡°You said you¡¯re leaving the country, didn¡¯t you? Where should we go? The United States? Canada? France or United Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Mom, why do you sound more eager than me?¡±

    ¡°Well, just, you know¡­ I thought that it must have been really tough for you to actually come out and say that. Besides, I have enough savings now. It¡¯s about time that I retire and enjoy the rest of my life. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Su-hyeun smiled at his mom as he listened to her.

    Even though she tried to sound cool about it, it seemed that Shin Su-yeong was quite concerned about the news of Su-hyeun¡¯s desire to move to another country.

    After Su-hyeun publicly declared that he got fed up of Korea, she began to consider how hard her son had been working for the country.

    ¡°Mom, actually, it¡¯s.¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you in there?¡±

    A voice was suddenly heard. It came outside.

    Su-hyeun and Shin Su-yeong turned their heads at the same time. The restaurant had separate rooms for diners, but even then, someone had deliberately stopped in front of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡±

    Step.

    The sound of footsteps could be heard beyond the door.

    As for the man entering through the door, he wasn¡¯t exactly someone Su-hyeun was thrilled to meet. Sure, he did expect this man to show up sooner or later, but still, he didn¡¯t think it would happen this soon and in this place, too.

    It was no other than the Authority¡¯s director.

    ¡°Who is this gentleman, Son?¡±

    ¡°How did you find out where I was?¡±

    Su-hyeun was finished eating by then, so he simply crossed his arms and glared at the director.

    The director had always been arrogant and bossy, but this time, he looked tame. There was something in his behavior that showed he was forced to do this.

    ¡°Can we¡­can we chat for a while?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of dinner with my mother.¡± Su-hyeun glanced at Shin Su-yeong, then shifting his gaze back to the director. ¡°Is it urgent? I can sense your dire need to talk to me.¡±

    Gulp.

    The director, staring at Su-hyeun, didn¡¯t say a word. He was struggling to find the right thing to say.

    It was the press conference all over again. He was under pressure, but had to keep his emotions in check. As for Su-hyeun, his attitude towards the director had changed a lot.

    During their first encounter, Su-hyeun was calculative and insolent. Even so, he had not lost his naivety. He wasn¡¯t tainted by the world yet at the time.

    However, just like how it was during the previous press conference, the current Su-hyeun came as a completely different man.

    Only then did the director truly understand it.

    ¡®Su-hyeun¡­he was never my opponent.¡¯

    If it was during their first encounter, who knew what might have happened.

    Maybe, just maybe, it had been the same story even back then. This was a fight he shouldn¡¯t have started in the first place.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize,¡± the director remarked, bowing his head.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I am truly sorry. I apologize for everything. That is why¡­¡±

    He was about to kneel when Su-hyeun responded.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s talk elsewhere.¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t have minded it if this was any other occasion, but he certainly didn¡¯t want to discuss such things in front of his mother. After all, they had barely seen each other.

    ¡°Mom, I will just go and talk to this man. Can you wait for me by a caf¨¦ somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­no. Wait. I should just go home and turn in for the night. It¡¯s late anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh, are you sure?¡± Su-hyeun inquired before shifting his gaze towards the director. ¡°Please wait for me somewhere. I believe you know my contact number.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I will do that.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Su-hyeun replied and then turned to his mother. ¡°Let me take you home, Mom. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°R-right,¡± Shin Su-yeong agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The only person not looking flustered was Su-hyeun. Shin Su-yeong was surprised when some random-looking man suddenly barged in, bowing his head and apologizing to her son. As for the director, he had no choice. His neck was on the line here.

    While Su-yeun was driving Shin Su-yeong home, she continued to question her son.

    First, just who was that man?

    Second, why was he apologizing to Su-hyeun like that?

    As expected, he didn¡¯t provide any in-depth explanation.

    His reply was¡­

    ¡°If I tell you, you will get hurt, mom.¡±

    It was a short, teasing answer.

    Shin Su-yeong knew that Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t give her a comprehensive answer, so she didn¡¯t press him further. She reluctantly changed the topic instead. ¡°Drive carefully on your way home, Son. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but I trust that you will handle it well. Make sure to not create a situation where you will feel sorry, or someone else feeling sorry because of you. Okay?¡±

    With those parting words, Shin Su-yeong get off Su-hyeun¡¯s car and walked to her house. She didn¡¯t want to keep Su-hyeun long. She knew that the man he was about to meet was someone important.

    It was the exact opposite, though, if she only knew.

    The director wasn¡¯t someone important to Su-hyeun. Instead, it was Su-hyeun who held so much importance to the director.

    ¡ªI¡¯ll wait for you in the ** Bar next to Jongno Tower.

    ¡°Fu¡ª¡±

    The meeting place was in a bar¡­of all places.

    This wasn¡¯t Su-hyeun¡¯s style. Being wined and dined? He was considering whether to still meet the director or not.

    How uncomfortable this was. Still, Su-hyeun headed to where the director was.

    ¡°Sir! Come this way! You look familiar. No? Why does it feel like I¡¯ve seen you somewhere bef¡­¡±

    The bar turned out to be quite a flashy joint. Touts were busy doing their jobs in front of the establishment. One of them recognized Su-hyeun and decided it would be wise to keep his mouth shut. Well, they were about to deal with a seriously big fish, after all.

    ¡°Is the Awakener Authority¡¯s director inside? I¡¯m sure he asked you to inform him as soon as I¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes! Please follow me.¡±

    The employee guided Su-hyeun as he made his way to meet the director. When they reached the biggest room in the darkest part of the establishment, the guide left him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve come. Thank you¡­¡±

    The director greeted Su-hyeun with an open bottle of an expensive-looking liquor while waving his hand.

    He was not alone. Two women sat next to him.

    Thoughts suddenly occurred to Su-hyeun, ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as ¡®people change¡¯. It¡¯s just who they are. They show you what you want to see. The director is ready to let his guard down and reveal who he really is.¡¯

 Chapter 341

    * * *

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun leisurely walked into the room.

    The director poured liquor in a cup as if he had been waiting. A girl barely old enough to have taken off her ¡°underage¡± tag recently sidled up right next to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Please, all of you leave the room,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± the girl asked, surprised.

    Su-hyeun used his eyes to point at the door. ¡°It will be all right, everyone. We have an important topic to discuss, you see.¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwhat are you doing, fella?¡±

    ¡°Will it be fine for you to not have them leave, Director? Considering what we are about to say?¡± Su-hyeun answered the flustered director¡¯s question with another question instead.

    The director gulped his saliva down and hurriedly scanned the room before cautiously opening his mouth, ¡°All of you, leave.¡±

    Would the voice of a man biting the bullet sound like his?

    Two girls present in the room to ¡°service¡± the clients carefully studied the director¡¯s moods and left. Finally, some peace and quiet had settled down in the room now.

    Driiiip¡ª

    The room¡¯s soundproofing was excellent, completely cutting off all noises coming from the outside. Only the sound of liquor filling up a cup rang within the room.

    It was the sound of Su-hyeun pouring himself a cup.

    The director hurriedly tried to pour the liquor himself for Su-hyeun, but the latter simply ignored the extended hands.

    ¡°As I thought, you and I are not really compatible with each other.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even bother to clink the cup with the director and simply took a sip. A single bottle of this luxurious imported liquor cost over $1,000, but he had no clue about that. All he did after drinking this expensive and rare alcohol was to furrow his brows instead.

    ¡°Kinda tastes like petroleum, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun complained about the bitter taste and put the cup down. In all honesty, he was acting like a young child who didn¡¯t know how to appreciate the taste of fine liquor.

    If it was someone else doing the same thing, the director would¡¯ve shot back with, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still too young and don¡¯t know how to drink properly yet.¡± He was a connoisseur of expensive imported liquor, after all.

    However, he couldn¡¯t do that this time. He simply gulped down the strong liquor and filled up his cup instead.

    Su-hyeun watched that sight for a little while before shaking his own cup a little. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can ever enjoy drinking stuff like this. It¡¯s just too bitter and disgusting.¡±

    At the end of his words, he put the cup down and then added something else, ¡°Just like you.¡±

    The director momentarily couldn¡¯t breathe, and his head dropped lower. The inside of his mind had turned blank, not knowing just from where he should start his excuses.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something you wanted to say to me?¡±

    ¡°T¡ªthat¡­that was¡­¡±

    He forced some colors into his blank mind. If he couldn¡¯t say anything right now, then all of his efforts to make Su-hyeun come here would have been pointless.

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    ¡°About what exactly?¡±

    ¡°The event in the city of Cheonan, I was the one behind it. I¡¯m the one to blame.¡±

    ¡°Okay. So?¡±

    ¡°Your emigration¡­please reconsider it. Please.¡± While saying that, the director knelt down before the chair. ¡°I beg of you. Our country needs someone like you. We can¡¯t afford to lose you because of my mistake.¡±

    ¡°Stop pretending to be worried about this county.¡± Su-hyeun massaged the bridge of his nose and frowned deeply. ¡°I¡¯m assuming here, but if I do emigrate, you will lose your head immediately. Am I right? Chopped clean off and all that.¡±

    Su-hyeun could easily guess the reason for the director¡¯s desperation.

    But then again, that was obvious since this was what he aimed for when making his moves in the first place.

    ¡°Is there a reason for me to save your neck, though?¡±

    ¡°P¡ªplease¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, the only reason why I left you alone was that I thought having you remain in the position was better than letting some other trash that¡¯s worse than you take over. But it seems that you¡¯re far worse trash than I initially thought.¡±

    ¡°That¡­that¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡±

    ¡°Not a misunderstanding. You manipulated the events so that a dungeon outbreak would occur in the city of Cheonan.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ve made sure no damage would come to civilians.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you made sure? If that¡¯s true, you would¡¯ve evacuated the citizens well ahead of time first. But you didn¡¯t because the association would¡¯ve noticed it if you did.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s words caused the director to forget what he wanted to say.

    The latter couldn¡¯t think of any excuses at this stage. For sure, this scheme had to be undertaken without the association¡¯s knowledge. After all, the purpose of this whole thing was to promote the role of the Authority by any means necessary and expose the problems of the association¡¯s system to the public.

    ¡°The safety of the citizens? That was only secondary, wasn¡¯t it? You thought that if they can be protected, fine, but if not, it¡¯s also fine. Your number one priority was to create a pretext to bind the association and me to the Authority somehow. Am I wrong?¡±

    The director squeezed his eyes shut.

    For him to survive, he must hold onto Su-hyeun somehow. The moment the latter confirms his emigration, the former would be killed off in the most gruesome manner imaginable.

    Right now, countless national assemblymen and minister-level individuals and even the president of the nation were focusing their attention on the director.

    If they combined their might, then offing one person wouldn¡¯t be a difficult thing to achieve.

    ¡°P¡ªplease, spare my life.¡±

    After listening to the director¡¯s trembling voice, Su-hyeun let out a long groan and swept his hair back.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t feel one iota of pity for this man. Out of the three things the director said so far¡ª¡±I¡¯m sorry,¡± ¡°It¡¯s my mistake,¡± and ¡°Spare me¡±¡ªonly the last one sounded genuine.

    ¡°I have one condition,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    The director, who had been keeping his eyes shut and waiting for his execution, quickly raised his head at those words.

    Although faint, a thin threadlike ray of hope appeared in his heart. Su-hyeun, putting forward a condition, indicated that he wanted something from the director.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat is it?¡±

    ¡°How deep does the rot extend to?¡±

    ¡°When you say how deep¡­?¡±

    ¡°Surely, you couldn¡¯t have planned and carried out this event all by yourself. At the very least, there must¡¯ve been several people involved, right? With you as the line, some people above you and below you, plus several other awakeners, are all riding on the same boat.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You and all of them better go down with that boat, together. That¡¯s my condition. If you do that, I won¡¯t emigrate.¡±

    What Su-hyeun said just then prompted an unreadable expression to surface on the director¡¯s face. It was an expression that was a jumbled mixture of hope and despair.

    As long as Su-hyeun didn¡¯t emigrate, the director would find himself with a lifeline. All the problems crushing down on the latter came about because of Su-hyeun¡¯s announcement of emigration, after all.

    However, on the flip side¡­

    ¡°He wants me and everyone else involved to sink with the ship?¡± he thought.

    Gulp¡ª

    The inside of the director¡¯s head became a mess of complicated thoughts.

    If he did that, would he be able to survive?

    ¡°Hey, Tae-ho. You know this, don¡¯t you? You should go down alone. But it¡¯ll only be for a little while. Once people start forgetting things, I¡¯ll fish you out again.¡±

    He used to believe what he was told.

    He believed that as long as he could convince Su-hyeun, then even if he had to spend a few years in jail, he would still be able to make his triumphant comeback someday.

    Not only did he have a powerful backer, but also he had a few incriminating things to threaten his backer with if the latter didn¡¯t play the ball. As such, the director held onto this faint little hope.

    But now¡­

    ¡°If it happens as he says, then how will I be able to make my comeback?¡±

    Even with his brain¡ªthe one he felt confident of being ingenious¡ªhe couldn¡¯t come up with anything no matter how hard he tried.

    Not wealth, not pretexts, not even the backer¡­

    Without any of those things, a way to stage a comeback didn¡¯t exist in the world the director was familiar with.

    ¡°I¡¯m also unwilling to emigrate just because of single garbage like you. So I urge you to make a wise decision here and repent for your crimes,¡± Su-hyeun said as he stared at the dazed face of the director before getting up from the chair. ¡°Inside a jail cell for the rest of your life, of course.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun left the room with those parting words, and the director watching his back ended up drowning himself in liquor where he sat.

    * * *

    [Dark scheme of the Awakener Authority, a collaboration between the vice minister of the management bureau and several Authority-affiliated awakeners]

    [Kim Su-hyeun retracts emigration decision, ¡°Will remain in the country now that the plot has been exposed¡±]

    [Corrupt Authority Minister Jeon Gyeong-guk bows head in apology]

    [How far does the chain of irregularity extend to? The Authority¡¯s end goal, absorbing the strength of the association?]

    [Cheonan¡¯s dungeon outbreak, manipulated. Unprecedented in history; what is the proper punishment?]

    Articles were flooding out from practically everywhere.

    Lee Ju-ho had to field various phone calls without a single break for a while, and eventually, he simply turned his phone off and collapsed on the desk. ¡°It¡¯s finally over.¡±

    ¡°You worked hard, bro.¡± Su-hyeun lightly patted Lee Ju-ho¡¯s shoulder.

    The latter had been mentally tormented for the last few days, attending various meetings with people occupying quite high places. Since Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t all that accomplished in the art of conversation, Lee Ju-ho had to sub for him as the representative of the association and deal with the politicians.

    Of course, those people wished to speak to Su-hyeun as well. However, Lee Ju-ho didn¡¯t think that was strictly necessary.

    There was only one thing to discuss during the meeting, after all.

    All those people connected to this incident had been culled from the Authority, and then, by using Su-hyeun¡¯s emigration announcement as the gun to their heads, the association¡¯s position had been strengthened and solidified even further, and finally, the hammer of justice was brought down on the criminals that included the likes of the director.

    ¡°What do you mean, I¡¯ve worked hard? There¡¯s more to be done. I still need to hammer the nail on the coffin lid of life sentences on the director, the vice minister, the section chief, and everyone else involved in this incident.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t that happen naturally even if you don¡¯t do anything?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how the politicians operate? Those folks, they all lead one another, drag one another out, push and pull, whatever. If I don¡¯t pay attention, I bet you they¡¯ll try to shave away at the sentences, you know?¡± Lee Ju-ho said while remaining slumped on his desk but still scratched his head roughly before groaning grandly. ¡°In any case, you did well.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do much, though. All I did was to meet the director and chuck a little bait in his way, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s that, but also, all these were only possible because you rampaged around big time. Without that, we might not have such a desired influence.¡±

    The goal of this event was one thing¡ªmake sure everyone understands how valuable Su-hyeun was.

    And Su-hyeun easily achieved the goal. Thanks to this feat, South Korea suddenly found itself with some leeway in the awakener manpower department, and the plan was to dispatch some of the available awakeners overseas.

    ¡°What were the international reactions like?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me because you don¡¯t know? Of course, it¡¯s been crazy.¡±

    He said ¡°crazy.¡±

    No other description suited the situation better.

    ¡°Since they couldn¡¯t contact you, all the calls came through to the association instead. Well, out of all your known associates, I¡¯m the closest to you and also the easiest to discuss political matters with, after all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. It¡¯s the same as wasting your time by making an unnecessary announcement, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°For a while there, it felt like I was dreaming, you know? Especially with Americans. If you went to America, it would¡¯ve become the world¡¯s strongest nation with you and Gordon Rohan on their roster. It wasn¡¯t just the Americans, though,¡± Lee Ju-ho suddenly groaned as he explained the situation and sat back up from the desk before grandly stretching his limbs.

    ¡°It was the same story for the other countries too. They all offered to pay for the huge penalty fee the Korean government slapped you with due to this incident and on top of that eye-watering amount of annual salary, plus various benefits.¡±

    ¡°Well, that sure sounds tempting.¡±

    ¡°Korea was the same. Oh, and they issued you with a special privilege, and they also canceled the penalty fee.¡±

    ¡°What kind of special privilege is it?¡±

    ¡°The master dungeon raid permit. Simply put, it¡¯s a free pass.¡±

    Although no in-depth explanation had been provided, Su-hyeun could already figure out what this special privilege was from what was being said. ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s a privilege allowing me to raid any dungeon without the corresponding permit.¡±

    ¡°Correct. Only in Korea, though, and those dungeons with already-issued permits are excluded.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still a pretty major deal, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°The reason for getting a permit was to prevent low-leveled awakeners blinded by greed from attempting a raid on a dangerous dungeon, anyway. But you¡¯ve proven that you don¡¯t need such things.¡±

    ¡°No one opposed it?¡±

    ¡°There was some opposition, but it looks like most have no problem with it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not too bad, considering.¡±

    ¡°However, in case you do exercise your privilege, half of the resulting loot from the raided dungeon will belong to the government instead. You know, if you really want to, it won¡¯t take long before you become the wealthiest person on Earth.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do something that¡¯ll only delight the government, though. Besides, I won¡¯t have the time, anyway. I gotta climb higher as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Right, you aren¡¯t that kind of a person, to begin with, anyway.¡± Lee Ju-ho smirked and nodded sagely.

    It would¡¯ve been easy to abuse such a privilege, but he knew Su-hyeun and wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest.

    From the very beginning, Su-hyeun was never interested in raiding dungeons for the resulting wealth; his focus had always been on climbing the tower as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Still, it feels like you¡¯ve been staying on this side for a longer time than usual. I was busy enough to almost lose my hair, but you seemed to be taking it easy recently.¡±

    ¡°Well, I figured that I should take a break every now and then,¡± Su-hyeun replied while recalling the trial on the 102nd floor when he ran into Hercules. ¡°I learned the importance of doing that recently, you see.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like Su-hyeun was blowing hot hair here. Rather, his expression indicated that he was pondering something deeply.

    Lee Ju-ho was about to ask what was going on but quickly changed his mind. He thought that Su-hyeun¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t 100 percent relaxed somehow.

    So he changed the topic instead. ¡°What did you do during your downtime, though? I did hear that you had dinner with your mom.¡±

    ¡°I was in a bit of a dilemma.¡±

    ¡°A dilemma?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Su-hyeun with a nod.

    [Agility: 99]

    [Stamina: 99]

    ¡°A dilemma on¡­what will be for the best.¡±

    During his break, Su-hyeun had been deliberating at length on one of those stats.

    It might have been a happy dilemma, but even then, it was not something he should decide on carelessly either.

    ¡°And did you make up your mind?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked, and the corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips arched up.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 342

    * * *

    Crack, creak, tick¡ª

    The rhythmic sound of nail-biting rang out within the room. The maker of that sound was currently hunched up with narrowed shoulders, displaying his withdrawn and sorry state.

    ¡°Man, you¡¯re being too damn noisy over there! Hey, boomer uncle over there, can¡¯t you put a cork in it or something?!¡±

    ¡°Let him be. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be a big shot or something on the outside? It must¡¯ve been a real shock to the system to end up in this place.¡±

    ¡°Aha! So he used to be a big fish, then?¡±

    ¡°Kekeke. And that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been having so much fun tormenting that geezer lately. Oi, uncle! Come over here and be my footstool for a while. I wanna take a nap.¡±

    Convicts wearing the same type of attire as the nail-biting man stared at him and sneered mockingly.

    Apparently, no matter how mentally out of sorts he was, he could still hear what the convicts were saying.

    The Authority¡¯s ex-director subjected to their mockery looked down at his own fingers that had started bleeding after he ran out of nails to bite. He never had a habit of biting his nails before in his life, but now that he was incarcerated, he understood why some people started chewing their nails when feeling anxious.

    Number 386¡ªthat was the director¡¯s new ¡°name.¡±

    It would at least be bearable if he got a solitary cell, but too bad for him, that didn¡¯t happen. He had to share a cell with other low-class criminals.

    These people had lived far too different lives compared to the director.

    They were hardened career criminals who committed murder, assault, and attempted rape among many others. The director just couldn¡¯t accept the fact that he now had to live among these animals.

    ¡°Number 386. You have a visitor.¡±

    The director¡¯s head snapped up. He shot up from his spot and smiled brightly as if his once-escaped soul had returned to him.

    ¡°Finally. Someone has come to get me out,¡± he thought.

    Someone who would rescue him from this hellhole.

    The director headed to the visiting rooms. He began harboring baseless anticipation that maybe Minister Jeon Gyeong-guk had personally come to pay him a visit today.

    If the director had been maintaining his former cold and calculating mentality, he would never ever think of something like that.

    ¡°Someone will definitely get me out of here. I mean, just how much money did I spread around already? Without a doubt¡­¡±

    Creaaak¡ª

    Before he could finish that thought, he arrived at the visiting room.

    And when he did, someone he definitely didn¡¯t expect to see came into view beyond the reinforced glass.

    ¡°Ah, so you came?¡±

    ¡°¡­Chairman Lee Ju-ho.¡±

    Certainly, Lee Ju-ho was a big fish. He could even be the person holding the ¡°key¡± in this entire situation.

    If Lee Ju-ho cooperated, then the director might be able to get out of this place.

    ¡°Ugh! Don¡¯t they clean this place or something? Why is it so dirty in here? How about the inside, though? Is it more hygienic at least?¡±

    ¡°Why are you¡­here¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. I had something to say to you face to face, you see. Also, I wanted to check out how you look like these days, so you can say that it¡¯s like hitting two birds with one stone.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho instantly shattered the director¡¯s hope.

    He revealed that he wasn¡¯t here to help the director and made sure to ram the point home.

    The director growled back, ¡°Just what more do you want to say to me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about your sentence. It¡¯s been decided that you¡¯ll get life without parole. An announcement will be made soon, probably.¡±

    Thud¡ª

    The director felt like a heavy chunk of lead crash-landed inside his head.

    ¡°The vice minister, the section chief, the Authority-affiliated A-Rank awakener capable of using mind control skill, Yu Min-hyeok, plus the others connected to you, they were all fired from their positions. Meanwhile, the minister is being disciplined. And all your wealth has been confiscated.¡±

    ¡°But why¡­are you¡­me¡­?¡±

    ¡°I wanted you to despair. All the money you¡¯ve been spreading around and the connections you¡¯ve made through that, well, I just wanted to tell you that they are all useless now, so you shouldn¡¯t hold any hope anymore,¡± Lee Ju-ho sneered.

    The director clearly witnessed that expression, causing his eyes to instantly redden and his fist to clench tightly in anger.

    Bang¡ª!

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me?! Even if I did something wrong, this¡­¡±

    He pounded on the glass partition and roared out frantically.

    Even if he was in the wrong, why was the other side going this far?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this way over the line?!¡±

    That was the director¡¯s honest thought.

    ¡°This incident. The majority of your plan was focused on proving the fault of the association¡¯s system by any means necessary,¡± Lee Ju-ho replied.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But the plan to stop the dungeon in Cheonan wasn¡¯t all that detailed and didn¡¯t seem like well thought out. To me, it looked like you went, it¡¯s not that important so this much should suffice.¡±

    ¡°What are you even¡­?¡±

    ¡°The idea behind that action was, probably, if we fail to stop it, then it can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ll just dump the responsibility on the association. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    The director clamped his mouth shut at Lee Ju-ho¡¯s question because the latter¡¯s assertion was on the money.

    It was true that the plan was to blame the association for messing up the dungeon raid order if the Authority¡¯s people failed to stop Cheonan¡¯s dungeon outbreak for some reason.

    ¡°A bastard who treats people¡¯s lives like disposable insects is saying what now? This is too much? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡±

    BANG¡ª!

    Crack, split¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho punched the glass wall.

    The bulletproof glass began cracking apart, and the director flinched in shock and hurriedly stumbled back.

    ¡°If it was up to me, I¡¯d have killed you already. So, let me ask you a favor, okay?¡±

    Shove¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho shot a glare filled with bloodlust and shoved back his chair to stand up.

    ¡°You, stay in there for the rest of your miserable life until everyone forgets about you and then die a pathetic and lonely death all alone. Because if you do somehow weasel your way out of here, I¡¯ll end up killing you with my own hands.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You get what I¡¯m saying, right? Dear mister director¡ªno, wait¡ª¡± Lee Ju-ho turned around to leave and, while exiting the room, called out the director¡¯s name, ¡°Mister Song Gyeong-tae.¡±

    The director, or rather, Song Gyeong-tae, stared at his face¡¯s reflection on the cracked glass pieces.

    Song Gyeong-tae. He hadn¡¯t been called that name in a long time, and the moment he heard it, he came to a sudden realization: he was no longer the holder of the position ¡°director¡± and that even if he got out of here somehow, the government position meant to shield him no longer existed.

    ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­¡±

    For the last time, Lee Ju-ho glanced at ex-director Song Gyeong-tae, who was chuckling hollowly, and moved to leave the visiting room.

    Before he could fully step outside, though, he saw it. He saw Song Gyeong-tae¡¯s hand slowly, ever so agonizingly slowly, crept toward the shattered glass pieces.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Hey, you stinking punk! Stop!¡±

    The roar of the guards that pounced on Song Gyeong-tae could be heard afterward.

    * * *

    With that, the incident had been mostly taken care of.

    This incident could be seen as a complicated matter that involved the awakener management bureau, the Authority, and the association, plus all the associated political implications surrounding it, but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t think of the whole affair as all that complicated.

    After all, it wasn¡¯t a complicated or challenging incident in the first place.

    He believed that getting rid of the director was an easy thing to do as long as he wanted it done. The issue had always been with the right timing or finding the good-enough justification, but the fight itself had never been a fair one, to begin with.

    Indeed, the problem Su-hyeun found far more troubling was something else entirely.

    ¡°Which one should I choose?¡±

    Agility or stamina?

    They were both important stats.

    By raising agility, he would be able to move around much faster than before, while raising stamina would afford him far sturdier defense, better resistance against magic, and also faster recovery speed.

    As both stats were important, he had to agonize quite a bit over his decision.

    Eventually, though, he made up his mind.

    [You are spending the single free stat point.]

    [Stamina has risen by one.]

    [Your physical body has exceeded the realm of human beings by a step.]

    [You have acquired a ¡°qualification of godhood.¡±]

    This would be his second time witnessing that last part of the message.

    With this, he now had three qualifications of godhood¡ªstrength, fire, and stamina.

    And when stamina reached the 100-point mark, his physical body took yet another step beyond the realm of human beings.

    ¡°So, only agility and reflex remain.¡±

    He became certain of it.

    When all four basic stats the system granted at the beginning¡ªstrength, agility, stamina, and reflex¡ªreached the three-digit mark and he acquired the individual qualifications of godhood as a result, then an unknown change would happen to him.

    Although it was just a vague feeling right now, he still felt certain of it.

    As such, he was looking forward to it.

    ¡°As for reflex, I can reach it on my own. Which means¡­¡±

    The remaining task was to acquire another ¡°God¡¯s Tear.¡±

    Su-hyeun transferred to the 103rd floor.

    The first thing he did after arriving back on this small island surrounded by oceans on all sides was to check out the points he currently possessed.

    [Stored achievement points: 77,544,500]

    He acquired 30 million points during the last trial.

    People¡¯s jaws would¡¯ve hit the floor from such an insane amount of points. If it was any other time, Su-hyeun might have been clamoring to spend the points and buy something. His mindset would¡¯ve been to prioritize the safe completion of the next floor¡¯s trial, after all.

    What if he tried to save up the points but ended up running into a problem with increasing his combat power and fail to pass the trial, which, in turn, led to his demise? Now that would be one of the stupidest things imaginable.

    However, the situation this time was rather different.

    ¡°It¡¯s God¡¯s Tear, right?¡±

    A voice came from below.

    Su-hyeun looked down. He briefly wondered why someone¡¯s voice would come from so low on the ground and eventually spotted a person¡¯s head poking out from the sandy beach.

    No, well. It¡¯s actually¡­

    ¡°¡­Are you enjoying a sand bath?¡±

    ¡°What else can I do in this place? I might as well do something like this to spend my time.¡±

    Pa-susu¡ª

    The administrator stood up, and all that sand covering him fell from his body. He looked the shabbiest out of all the administrators Su-hyeun had met so far, what with his bald head and his underwear weaved out of plant leaves.

    ¡°You were in the middle of a rather rude thought, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°If you can tell that, why don¡¯t you put some proper clothes on?¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m happy like this. Besides, we ain¡¯t gonna stare at each other for too long anyway, so why should I go out of my way for a positive impression?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­You do have a point there.¡±

    ¡°You want to go to the next floor, right? And what you want is probably the God¡¯s Tear, too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    The administrator correctly guessed what Su-hyeun wanted as if they have known each other for a long time.

    Since there was no need to beat around the bush here, Su-hyeun felt at ease and replied without holding back, ¡°What about hints, though?¡±

    ¡°No hints. Didn¡¯t you get the explanation? There aren¡¯t any hints from beyond the 100th floor. Way too many variables to deal with, you see. Although, there was something we could more or less predict back on the 102nd floor.¡±

    That must¡¯ve been Hercules¡¯s mental state.

    The hint mentioned by the 102nd floor¡¯s administrator was that ¡°Hercules might be a problem,¡± after all.

    ¡°Is that so? Then, never mind.¡±

    ¡°You accepted it easier than I thought? I figured you¡¯d ask more about it, though.¡±

    ¡°A hint without the minimum level of confirmation can turn into poison instead, you know. I may even miss the essence of the trial after getting obsessed with the hint, too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly level-headed, aren¡¯t you? Normally, giving up ain¡¯t that easy.¡±

    Even if it couldn¡¯t be of any help, or even prove to be wrong, it was only normal for a person to wish for someone¡¯s help or at least a rotten lifeline to be cast their way.

    However, Su-hyeun unhesitatingly discarded the rotten lifeline and chose to make his own instead.

    It was a rational but emotionally difficult decision.

    The administrator asked, ¡°Okay, then. Are you setting off right away?¡±

    ¡°I am, but I¡¯d like to ask you something first.¡±

    ¡°About?¡±

    ¡°Just what exactly is the God¡¯s Tear? Is it literally a tear shed by a god?¡±

    The God¡¯s Tear¡ªjust that name and the accompanying explanation alone made it seem like it really was a drop of tear shed by a god.

    However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t witness a god crying that day. That drop simply fell from the heavens along with the rain.

    ¡°Yup, you¡¯re right. It is a teardrop shed by a god.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that simple¡­?¡±

    ¡°Nope, not simple at all. Gods don¡¯t cry, after all.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes widened at the administrator¡¯s reply.

    Indeed, the latter was right.

    Unless you teared up during a yawn, tears were evidence of you pouring out your emotions, according to what the Bull Demon King had said, and he was a creature currently working hard to get rid of his emotions to become a god, so he should know all about it.

    ¡°In that case, God¡¯s Tear is¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s proof that a god has rediscovered their emotions. The godhood that leaked out because of that has fallen along with the teardrop to become that item.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t Hercules¡¯s teardrop?¡±

    ¡°What? The one you got on the 102nd floor? Hercules just barely managed to squeak past the level of low-ranking gods, so no matter how much he sobs, it ain¡¯t gonna come from him. No, what you got came from someone much higher up.¡± The administrator pointed up with his finger while continuing, ¡°Out of all the gods up there, which one do you think is capable of controlling the clouds and the rain, and feel sorrow at Hercules¡¯s plight?¡±

    ¡°¡­Zeus.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Hercules¡¯s teardrop but the god Zeus.

    He had been watching all along, and when Hercules cried, he also cried along, and his tears became rainfall.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He might be known as a playboy and cold-hearted, but he at least cares deeply about his children. Anyways, he must¡¯ve been feeling really sad back then, seeing how he failed to control his emotions and ended up shedding tears and all.¡±

    Su-hyeun learned something new today¡ªthat a god¡¯s tear literally lowered a god¡¯s qualification of godhood and that the tear he consumed belonged to Zeus.

    ¡°Anything else you¡¯re curious about?¡±

    ¡°Nothing at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Great.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    The administrator snapped his fingers.

    At the same time, the island they were standing on began to tremble faintly.

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll be looking forward to it this time, too.¡±

    Su-hyeun made a puzzled face at that. ¡°What do you mean by¡ª?¡±

    Before he could finish his sentence¡­

    The scenery spread out before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes changed. The previous world scattered away like some kind of a mirage, and his blurry opaque view gradually regained some semblance of color.

    Soon afterward, the world he stood on had changed completely. More correctly, the system had transferred Su-hyeun to another world altogether.

    The new scenery¡ªthe blackened skies, the murky clouds that blocked out the sun, and the smoky, acrid air¡ªfelt quite familiar, however.

    ¡°Been a while since I last saw a scenery like this.¡±

    It was a destroyed world.

    Every now and then, he would run into such scenery in trials where he was tasked with hunting down monsters. Not only that, but back when he was Kim Sung-in, Su-hyeun was also left alone on Earth that came to resemble this very world and had to fight all by himself for many years.

    He scanned his vicinity. He thought that he should get a better understanding of where he was before the system message popped up.

    ¡°Humans?¡±

    Su-hyeun turned his head, and at the edge of his vision, he spotted a group of people. They seemed to be hurriedly moving to somewhere.

    This world still had some survivors, it seemed.

    [Protect the villagers for a month.]

    [The rewards will depend on your achievements.]

    The trial¡¯s content finally showed up, and it was as simple as it could be.

    Even if the system did get unfriendlier the higher the floor count and the level of difficulty, this was verging on being way too unfair.

    ¡°You want me to figure it out by myself, is that it?¡±

    That thing about the rewards depending on the achievement probably meant that it would depend on the number of surviving villagers by the end of the trial.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not as simple as merely protecting them. Also, even if it is about protecting them, the monster in question should not be an ordinary creature, either. Most likely, it¡¯s a¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun let out a long groan at the system message that popped up sooner than he thought and at the contents that happened to be briefer than he would like.

    But almost at the same time, his gaze shifted to the ground.

    Rumble¡ª

    He sensed something beneath the surface.

    ¡°¡­Dammit.¡±

    He had no time to rest.

    Su-hyeun immediately made a move.

 Chapter 343

    Act 5

    Children and the old would inevitably move at a slower pace.

    They had nothing to ride on, and their strides weren¡¯t that fast either. Even then, this group of villagers, numbering around 30 people, were continuously moving ahead despite running out of breath.

    Plop¡ª

    ¡°Mommy, my legs hurt.¡±

    ¡°My child! You must hurry and stand back up. Hurry!¡±

    ¡°But my legs¡­¡±

    ¡°Excuse me! What are you all doing there instead of hurrying along?!¡±

    The mother, left with no choice, picked up her child. It was then that someone began scolding her.

    It would be normal for at least one person to help them, but no one showed even a hint of thinking about doing that.

    But it was understandable.

    Never mind a young child, even the burly adult men were currently feeling the strain of forcibly marching forward without a break in between.

    Trying to help a child and exhausting what little stamina that remained in the process could realistically threaten your own survival at this stage.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t get up right away, we¡¯ll just leave you here. No, wait. Let¡¯s just get going. They¡¯ll catch up to us on their own.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not be like that. Waiting for a few moments won¡¯t be¡ª¡±

    ¡°If we dawdle around, those bastards might suddenly show up behind us! Don¡¯t you know that if we don¡¯t quickly join up with the lord wizard who¡¯s supposed to be residing in the village over yonder, we¡¯ll all be dead meat in no time?¡±

    ¡°However, aren¡¯t we all too exhausted? Now that things have come to this, let¡¯s just take a break for 10 minutes. Just 10.¡±

    ¡°Ten minutes, huh? Hmm¡­¡±

    Shouldn¡¯t 10 minutes be fine?

    The middle-aged man who was acting as the group¡¯s leader fell into a dilemma. He too was exhausted by now. The other members of the group also didn¡¯t seem too averse to the idea of taking a short break.

    ¡°¡­Shall we rest up a little?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we should.¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s only 10 minutes, so¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure nothing will happen during that time.¡±

    The majority seemed to be in agreement.

    The middle-aged man pondered briefly before nodding slightly. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s.¡±

    Although he felt this unexplainable foreboding, he figured there¡¯s no helping it. The situation they were in was perfect for feeling nervous, after all. Besides, the group just couldn¡¯t continue with the relentless march when taking into consideration the remaining distance.

    It might be the right call to take a short break before continuing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be fine. Surely¡­¡±

    No one said anything.

    Even saying something was too taxing for them at the moment.

    The same applied to the middle-aged man. Not much water remained in his container, but he took a mouthful and sloshed it around for a long while before gulping it down.

    Pah-suk¡ª

    The sound of sand stirring up suddenly came to him. The middle-aged man quickly glanced in the direction of that sound.

    The child who threw a tantrum earlier was there.

    ¡°Stop messing around, kid.¡±

    ¡°But, it wasn¡¯t me, though?¡± the child replied like that before pointing in a direction with his finger. ¡°He did that.¡±

    ¡°¡­He?¡± The middle-aged man shifted his gaze to where the child was pointing at. And almost right away, he shot up from his spot and cried out, ¡°E¡ªeveryone, run away, now!¡±

    Bang, psuhi¡ª!

    As soon as he broke into a sprint, a huge pair of pincers suddenly exploded out from the spot where he sat on the sand a second ago.

    At the same time, a huge needle-like tail erupted from the direction the child pointed at before it threateningly waved around this way and that. The appearance of a giant scorpion threw everyone into a panic.

    ¡°I¡ªit¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°Everyone, get your weapons ready!¡±

    ¡°How many of them are here?!¡±

    All the men capable of fighting quickly picked up spears and swords to aim at the scorpion. If it was only one monster, they believed they could do something about it by themselves.

    However, they soon realized that their thoughts were incorrect.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this creature?¡±

    The giant scorpion that was rising out of the sand was staggering around. Green-colored blood streamed down its carapace.

    Plop¡ª

    Soon afterward, the giant monster collapsed on the soft-looking sand.

    It had already been killed by someone else.

    ¡°Just who¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hi, everyone,¡± a bright and pleasant voice that didn¡¯t suit the situation suddenly came to them. ¡°How are you all doing?¡±

    Su-hyeun, who was previously obscured by the scorpion¡¯s corpse, stepped outside into their view and waved his hand at them.

    But his audience had frozen up like a paused video clip.

    ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve acted more naturally,¡± Su-hyeun thought as he smiled awkwardly at them.

    Should he keep smiling away like this, or should he just nonchalantly slip in among the crowd? Or maybe he should¡¯ve made a worried expression and asked if anyone was hurt. He couldn¡¯t quite figure out which was the right course of action to take.

    Normally, in cases like this, people¡¯s reactions would either be one of the two: they would thank you for the help and welcome you in, or grow very wary of the powerful stranger.

    However, these people chose neither of those options.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± In the end, Su-hyeun opened his mouth first. ¡°Are you alri¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Lord wizard?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s the lord wizard?¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwe¡¯re saved!¡±

    Someone muttered out the word ¡°wizard,¡± and that prompted the rest to break out into cheers one by one.

    Su-hyeun had no clue what was going on here, but the reaction didn¡¯t seem to be bad overall. He figured that this was actually better than these people getting scared of him and keeping him at an arm¡¯s length.

    ¡°Are you really the lord wizard?¡±

    A middle-aged man approached him and asked, so Su-hyeun replied without much hesitation. ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much. Really, thank you!¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t mention it. I shall protect you all from this moment onward. By the way¡­¡± Su-hyeun looked over at the deeply moved people and asked, ¡°Where were you headed?¡±

    ¡°Oh. We were on our way to meet up with you, lord wizard. We heard that a village has been established in that direction, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah. Aaah, so that¡¯s what it was.¡±

    Su-hyeun thought that acting oblivious now would be most unwise, so he ended up smiling awkwardly again.

    ¡°At least now I know the rough direction,¡± he thought.

    Since he had already observed from afar which direction this group of people was heading to, it wasn¡¯t all that difficult to figure out where he should lead them to.

    ¡°Miru.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s call, Miru peeked his head outside.

    The middle-aged man was taken by surprise, and he hurriedly stumbled back but soon calmed down once he realized that Miru wasn¡¯t all that big and that Su-hyeun was busy patting the creature on the head as well.

    ¡°Hey, can you give all these people a ride?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s question, and almost right afterward¡­

    Hiiiiiiek?!

    The villagers became terrified once more after witnessing Miru¡¯s giantification.

    * * *

    Miru, after going through the giantification, was large enough to have dozens of people ride on its back.

    It was almost a respectably sized mature dragon now. The villagers were initially scared of riding on Miru, but once they accepted the fact that it was Su-hyeun¡¯s summoned creature, they began climbing up on the dragon¡¯s back one by one.

    They didn¡¯t have much of a choice, anyway. If they didn¡¯t ride on Miru¡¯s back, then it would mean they would be abandoned in the middle of this desert teeming with monsters.

    ¡°Mm¡­¡±

    They must¡¯ve flown for about 10 minutes or so.

    Fearing that some people might get scared, Su-hyeun had kept their flight speed to a minimum. Yet, he still got to see a village in a not too far-off distance up ahead.

    ¡°Looks like they were headed there, but they almost got killed off just around the corner from their destination, weren¡¯t they?¡±

    Regardless of what happened, though, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to arrive early at their destination.

    Su-hyeun turned his head and looked back at the scared people riding on Miru¡¯s back. ¡°We¡¯ve arri¡ª¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    He looked up ahead again, and right at that moment, he shouted in surprise, ¡°Miru, stop!¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    Kkyahk!

    ¡°W¡ªwhat¡¯s going on?!¡±

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s shout, Miru flapped its wings and came to a sudden halt. The recoil caused the people riding on the dragon¡¯s back to cry out in alarm and hold onto the dragon¡¯s skin for their dear lives.

    Thankfully, no one fell off.

    Miru let out a low growl and stared ahead. Just like Su-hyeun did, the dragon had realized that something transparent was right in front of their eyes, blocking them.

    ¡°There¡¯s a wall here.¡±

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Su-hyeun extended his hand forward, only for an unknown powerful repelling force to shove him back in the opposite direction.

    It was a transparent wall made with magical means.

    ¡°Excuse me! Can you hear me?¡±

    Su-hyeun shouted out as loud as he could.

    He waited for a while, but no reply came his way.

    He looked at the people behind him. ¡°Are you sure this is the place you were trying to reach?¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Y¡ªyes, we¡¯re sure. But I thought you created this village, lord wizard?¡±

    ¡°Ah, my apologies. The truth is, I¡¯m not the wizard that you think I am.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°I deceived you to calm you all down. Whatever the case may be, by now, I¡¯m sure you all understand that I don¡¯t mean to harm you,¡± said Su-hyeun while pointing ahead of him. ¡°However, there¡¯s a wall before us, preventing us from getting inside. And as you¡¯ve noticed, no reply has come our way.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s not possible!¡±

    ¡°We definitely heard that anyone will be welcomed¡­¡±

    The villagers all wore similar expressions of despair.

    It seemed that the dual revelation of Su-hyeun not being the wizard they were talking about and the village with the real wizard not letting them in had greatly disappointed them.

    Su-hyeun looked back at the wall. There was still no response.

    ¡°They don¡¯t want us to enter?¡±

    The village might be right in front of them, but the wall surrounding it ensured that none could enter.

    The wall was surprisingly sturdy. The power he briefly sensed coming from it was quite considerable.

    ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be a wizard in there¡­¡±

    It seemed that this mystery wizard was no ordinary one, judging from the wall before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes which happened to be sturdier than any magical barrier he had come across so far. As a matter of fact, even Su-hyeun would find that breaking it down would be not that easy.

    ¡°I might get a lead or two from this wizard.¡±

    The 103rd floor¡¯s trial¡ªits backdrop seemed ordinary and so did the contents of the trial itself. He was wondering where he should go to find a lead, like some kind of a clue, but now, a lead had practically presented itself.

    Was that why? Rather than feeling flustered, he actually welcomed this development.

    ¡°For now¡­¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun, still in his sitting position, clenched his fist tightly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s break it.¡±

    Su-hyeun focused magical energy on his fist and assumed a punching posture. People behind him tilted their heads from side to side, wondering about what he was trying to do here.

    And right at that moment.

    CLAAAAAANG¡ª!

    Crack, pa-susususuk¡ª

    Kkyaaahk¡ª!

    ¡°W¡ªwhat was that?¡±

    A loud noise that reverberated throughout the heavens shocked the villagers.

    However, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t planning to stop at a single punch.

    Clang, claaaang¡ª!

    Boooom¡ª!

    [Strength: 101]

    A second strike and then a third.

    He landed several punches, causing cracks to gradually spread on the transparent wall. The repelling power that resisted his fist also gradually got weaker.

    ¡°It¡¯s seriously tough, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun received Hercules¡¯s grace during the 102nd floor¡¯s trial, and as a result, his strength stat had reached 101 points.

    On top of that was his qualification of godhood that had risen by another step recently, so he believed his physical strength to be quite close to that of Hercules.

    The reason he didn¡¯t bother to unsheathe his sword and chose to use his bare fist was to experiment with his strength stat of 101 points.

    He didn¡¯t hold back and continued to punch away.

    As a result, cracks appeared on the wall after three consecutive punches.

    ¡°This is making me more curious.¡±

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun lit his fist on fire. Rather, more correctly, his entire arm had turned into a mass of flames.

    [Flame¡ªTransformation]

    Whooooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s flaming fist extended forward.

    At the same time, the arm of the divine Flame shot out a huge pillar of fire.

    Ka-booooooom¡ª!

    Crack, craaaaack¡ª

    Shatter¡ª!

    The wall shattered into bits.

    The Transformation came undone, and Su-hyeun¡¯s arm reverted to normal. While lightly clenching and unfurling his fist that was still permeating with heat, he took a look down below.

    Countless gazes were looking up from the ground because of the loud commotion. Even screams filled with terror could be heard among them.

    It seemed that people on the ground perceived Miru as a monster.

    Their misunderstanding wasn¡¯t that surprising, though.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go down, Miru,¡± Su-hyeun asked Miru after he lightly patted the dragon¡¯s back, wanting to quickly show the people that he had no intention of attacking.

    But then¡­

    Grrrr¡ª

    ¡°Miru?¡±

    Miru¡¯s response seemed a little off. Usually, the dragon would have instantly reacted to Su-hyeun¡¯s orders, but right now, it was focusing its attention elsewhere.

    And right at that moment.

    Split¡ª

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    The crimson-colored Cintamani emerged from Miru¡¯s forehead and began glowing brightly.

 Chapter 344

    ¡°Cintamani?¡±

    Su-hyeun detected the unique magical energy and climbed up to the top of Miru¡¯s head and then took a look below.

    The Cintamani was emitting light with a completely different level of clarity compared to before.

    It was as if that marble itself possessed a will and was trying to say something.

    Grrrrr¡ª

    Miru began descending to the ground.

    Although its action was the same as usual, Su-hyeun was certain that Miru was acting separately from his order from earlier. In fact, Miru was heading toward the village of its own free will.

    ¡°Is there something in that village?¡±

    Su-hyeun rubbed Miru¡¯s head.

    The dragon was clearly excited. It trembled in excitement ever so faintly, but even then, he could clearly sense it.

    However, Miru being this agitated could result in damages to the village down below.

    ¡°Calm down, Miru. Calm down.¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    Miru let out a soft growl at Su-hyeun¡¯s petting.

    Thud¡ª

    Soon, the dragon landed on the ground and lowered its head. The people riding on its back hurriedly dismounted.

    As for the villagers, they didn¡¯t come outside the village. Judging from their presence while keeping their distance, Su-hyeun figured that they were immensely scared and wary of Miru.

    He casually took a look at the village.

    It was fairly large. At a rough headcount, there must have been at least well over a thousand people here.

    The houses were built simply with fabric and wooden boards but looked quite sturdy in their own right. Besides, the outer wall surrounding the village prevented strong winds from blowing in, so they shouldn¡¯t collapse that easily, anyway.

    ¡°No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s just a regular village¡­¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun glanced at Miru.

    That Cintamani protruding out of the dragon¡¯s forehead¡­

    That item¡¯s reaction of suddenly emitting light seemed pretty similar to back when Miru discovered it hidden inside the Titan Turtle¡¯s body.

    ¡°Miru, I think you should get smaller for now. Everyone¡¯s scared of you.¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    Crunch, creaaaak¡ª

    Miru¡¯s body began growing smaller. Its figure that was as big as an apartment building instantly shrunk down to the size of a baby winged dragon that was no bigger than a tiger.

    ¡°Are you there?¡±

    Su-hyeun sensed the villagers¡¯ alertness soften just a tad, so he called out to them once more. When he did, a handful of brave people began emerging from the village.

    ¡°W¡ªwho are you?¡±

    ¡°Well, these folks behind me said that they need to come over here, so¡­¡± Su-hyeun replied while pointing at the people behind him. ¡°They told me it¡¯ll be safe here.¡±

    ¡°And what about that monster?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a kid that accompanies me wherever I go. Hey, Miru. Greet them.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª!

    Su-hyeun replied while petting Miru, and the dragon responded with an energetic bow of its head.

    The villagers all made puzzled expressions at that response. They thought Miru was a monster, but to think that it followed a human¡¯s orders and even knew how to greet other people.

    ¡°In that case, why did you cause that commotion earlier? Lord wizard would have opened the way for you even if you didn¡¯t do anything threatening and simply told us that you wanted to enter.¡±

    This time it was Su-hyeun¡¯s turn to be puzzled when someone asked him that.

    They would¡¯ve let his group in if only he announced his intentions first? That implied that the people inside could tell the situation outside the wall.

    ¡°Does that mean I did something unnecessary? Or¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun scanned the crowd of the villagers that had appeared before him.

    It was then that he heard a certain voice.

    ¡°Ah, my apologies. Sorry about that.¡±

    A good-natured chuckle accompanied that voice.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed in response. The villagers all focused their attention on the entrance of an old man with a long snow-white beard.

    ¡°Uh, sir!¡±

    ¡°Sir, what brings you here¡­?¡±

    ¡°Guests from afar have arrived, so of course, I must come to welcome them in,¡± the old man replied.

    The old man had plenty of wrinkles on his face. His back was bent forward, and his steps seemed labored as well, but he still looked around his vicinity with a warm smile on his face.

    That was when a male villager nearby walked up and addressed him. ¡°Sir, the magic circle protecting the village has been shattered. What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°It was my fault, that one. I got too carried away with my stubborn streak.¡±

    ¡°I beg your pardon? Your stubborn streak?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing to worry about. In any case, I was planning to do something soon anyway, so it¡¯s not a big problem. That¡¯s how it is, so you can rest easy and welcome our guests,¡± the old man addressed the villagers and then shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun next. ¡°As for me, I¡¯d like to have a chat with that gentleman in private.¡±

    He then turned around to walk away first.

    Su-hyeun trudged slowly after the old man. The large gathering of the villagers didn¡¯t try to stop him and simply moved aside to make way for him.

    He could hear their murmurings.

    Is he a monster in disguise?

    Does the good sir know him?

    What is the monster next to him, anyway?

    Suspicions regarding Su-hyeun spread around in an instant.

    The old man eventually stepped inside the biggest building in the village, which was really only slightly taller and had thicker wooden boards than the other houses.

    Miru was much larger than a full-grown adult man and, as a result, only barely managed to fit through the doorway.

    Su-hyeun took a look at the Spartan interior featuring only a temporary bed before asking a question, ¡°Sir, did you create that magic wall outside?¡±

    The old man settled down on the temporary bed and stared at Su-hyeun who had cut straight to the chase before making his reply. ¡°That I did. Couldn¡¯t you tell with just one look?¡±

    ¡°Were you protecting the villagers?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. You were better than I expected as well. Although I couldn¡¯t tell whether what you used was magic or not.¡±

    Grrrng, growl¡ª

    Just as the two people began chatting away, Miru got close to the old man and began pushing its head toward him.

    Grrrr, grrrrowl¡ª

    This would be the first time ever for Miru to display this much friendliness to someone other than Su-hyeun.

    The old man chuckled affably and petted Miru¡¯s head. Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between the former and the dragon, and as the thought of ¡°I knew it¡± entered his head, he said a certain name, ¡°Ellid¡­¡±

    The old man that was petting Miru¡¯s head flinched in surprise at Su-hyeun¡¯s muttering, and that reaction only served to reaffirm Su-hyeun¡¯s guesses.

    ¡°So, you were Lord Ellid.¡±

    Ellid¡ªthe name he came across during the trial on the 40th floor¡ªwas the name that belonged to the being referred to as the ¡°dragon emperor.¡±

    Also, he was Miru¡¯s ancestor in terms of the bloodline.

    ¡°Where did you even hear about my name?¡± the old man, Ellid, asked back.

    Almost at the same time, the skin on his face broke down like particles of sand, and his fa?ade went away.

    Red scales underneath revealed themselves. This was the historic moment of Su-hyeun finally running into another red dragon beside Miru.

    ¡°I knew it,¡± he thought.

    Back when he first came face to face with the wall outside the village, he felt that the magical energy emanating from it was kind of familiar.

    Just like one¡¯s fingerprints or blood, magical energy was bound to manifest certain characteristics that were unique to the individual user.

    And the magical energy felt from the wall was quite similar to the energy he sensed back when he watched Ellid¡¯s last will recorded in the Cintamani.

    That was why Su-hyeun had been wondering ¡°what if¡± until now, and Miru¡¯s actions toward the old man reaffirmed his guesses.

    ¡°A while ago, I happened to come across the world where you used to live, and I got to watch your memories through the Cintamani,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    ¡°In that case, my name¡­?¡±

    ¡°I heard it from the other dragons living there. Dragon Emperor Ellid, the one who led the dragons for a long time, the descendant of the one true dragon king, and the strongest dragon ever in history.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s kind of embarrassing. Is that how others perceived me?¡± He chuckled.

    The corners of Ellid¡¯s lips curled up greatly.

    That chuckle that forced its way out of his lips was quite a distance apart from Su-hyeun¡¯s initial impression of the dignified and wise old man.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, he¡¯s originally like this, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Su-hyeun quietly observed.

    Ellid from the memories stored in the Cintamani did possess a rather frivolous personality.

    The dignified aura he emitted or the expression he often made gave off an impression that he was a solemn character, but the way he spoke was best described as easygoing, and he didn¡¯t seem to sweat over the formalities all that much, either.

    And his personality hadn¡¯t changed a bit even though it¡¯s been quite a while since he went missing.

    ¡°We have lots to talk about. I¡¯m way too curious about so many things, you see. Such as, how did this guy end up following a human? How did you run into my kin? And how did you even reach this place?¡±

    ¡°I also have a lot of questions.¡±

    ¡°First of all, you aren¡¯t thinking of doing anything to this village, right?¡±

    Ellid¡¯s eyes were filled with waves of magical energy as he asked that. He was deliberately exposing his aura.

    For a brief moment there, Su-hyeun witnessed the giant figure of the dragon emperor he saw through the Cintamani standing imposingly behind Ellid.

    ¡°Even in his current state, he can still exude this much pressure¡­¡±

    Indeed, he deserved to be called the dragon emperor.

    When thinking about how Miru¡¯s own presence would grow so much more substantial after going through the giantification process, then it became almost impossible to fully estimate what Ellid¡¯s true strength was.

    ¡°Doing such a thing won¡¯t be beneficial for me, so no.¡±

    Su-hyeun raised both of his hands to express his lack of intention to fight. Even Miru purred and nodded its head vigorously.

    Ellid alternated his gaze between Miru and Su-hyeun and then chuckled again as if he felt relieved. ¡°But of course.¡±

    Su-hyeun could only make a puzzled expression at that.

    Now that he thought about it some more, why was a being referred to as the dragon emperor who used to lead his entire race currently protecting some human villagers in this place?

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you find it strange?¡±

    ¡°If you were alive, why haven¡¯t you returned to your kin?¡±

    Without a doubt, as a red dragon Ellid possessed the ability to travel between different dimensions.

    He used that ability to send away Fafnir who invaded his dimension to somewhere else and, in the process, ended up in this world himself.

    He did believe that he wouldn¡¯t survive the process and left behind his will through the Cintamani, but here he was, alive and well.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go back even if I wanted to.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You have the Cintamani, so you should know why I ended up here.¡±

    ¡°You wanted to chase away the demonic beasts, and so, you traveled to a distant dimension along with them. That¡¯s what I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Indeed. To put it simply, I¡¯m lost. The distance is so great that it¡¯s really challenging to find my way back home.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you will never be able to go back home?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as impossible in this world, you know. However¡­¡± Ellid shifted his gaze toward the doorway before continuing, ¡°I can¡¯t abandon those guys, you see.¡±

    ¡°Those guys, you say?¡±

    ¡°Some people saved me when I was near death. I owe them a great debt.¡± Ellid scratched his head while wearing an awkward expression on his face. ¡°It¡¯s not like I knew of a way to go back, and I figured it wouldn¡¯t take long anyway, so I chose to stay and protect those people for a while. As you can see, this world isn¡¯t all that different from the one where my race lives.¡±

    ¡°Is it pity, then?¡±

    ¡°Something like that. After all, my kin can operate properly without me being around them, but that¡¯s not the same story for this place, is it?¡± Ellid took a look around his shabby dwelling. ¡°The people here can¡¯t even build a proper house because they are constantly on the run from the demonic beasts, and without me, they won¡¯t live past a couple of days. It¡¯s not right to ignore their troubles and run away by myself when I owe them my life.¡±

    While saying that, Ellid reverted his appearance to that of a human old man.

    It seemed that he had made up his mind to protect the people of this world.

    That meant that Su-hyeun, also in the position of needing to protect these villagers, could now ask Ellid for his assistance.

    ¡°Not sure whether I should feel happy about this or not¡­¡± he thought.

    Without a doubt, the goal of the current trial was to protect the villagers.

    However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t feel like celebrating the fact that now he could get Ellid¡¯s help.

    Ellid being a part of this trial¡¯s backstory implied that the trial itself would be very tough to clear even after receiving his help.

    ¡°Could it be that the demonic beast from back then is here now?¡±

    Su-hyeun wondered if Fafnir had ended up in this place as well and had to ask for clarification, only for Ellid to shake his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that creature.¡±

    ¡°In that case?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something similar. Its personality is slightly different, but the atmosphere it gives off is broadly similar.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a predator, then,¡± Su-hyeun inwardly guessed.

    Something with a similar atmosphere to Fafnir, meaning, a complete predator existed in this world, although it wasn¡¯t Fafnir.

    ¡°Finally.¡±

    Su-hyeun knew that sooner or later, he would end up fighting a predator if he kept climbing the tower.

    And such a day had come a little sooner than he had expected.

 Chapter 345

    Act 6

    Su-hyeun chatted with Ellid for a long time. He did the most of the talking, though, because Ellid wished to hear about his own people more than anything else.

    Ellid asked, ¡°What happened to the demonic creatures?¡±

    Su-hyeun replied that they were all gone.

    ¡°Who was leading the dragon kind now?¡±

    And Su-hyeun replied that the oldest surviving dragon, Blanc, was leading them now.

    ¡°Were they doing well?¡±

    Indeed, they were, according to Su-hyeun.

    After listening to all of Su-hyeun¡¯s answers, Ellid brought him outside the shabby house.

    ¡°Grandpa!¡±

    ¡°Grandpaaa!¡±

    When Ellid began walking on the street, several children ran up and clung to him.

    They seemed to be around six, maybe seven, years old.

    A total of five kids were in this group. The oldest of the lot, a boy about 10 years of age, bowed his head at Su-hyeun as a greeting.

    ¡°Aigoo, these kids. You are getting too heavy for me now. Huhuhu.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa, who is this uncle?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my friend. You should all greet him. Now, now. You should say hello.¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    The other kids also bowed their heads belatedly.

    After a brief round of greetings, Ellid walked past the group of kids. Su-hyeun walked alongside him and glanced back at the kids.

    He asked, ¡°Were they the kids you told me about earlier?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°They are far younger than I expected.¡±

    ¡°They are good kids. It¡¯s the same story for the other villagers. Although the current hardships have placed them on edge, their original nature is to be kind and considerate.¡±

    While saying that, Ellid gently waved his hand and greeted the villagers passing by.

    He continued to walk on the outskirts of the village like this and then drew a huge circle on the ground surrounding the village itself. The next thing he did was to inject magical energy into it.

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    This circle acted as a medium, and the wall was generated once more.

    Su-hyeun stared in amazement at the wall that instantly rose up to surround the village.

    Bang, bang¡ª

    He lightly tapped on it with the back of his hand and felt the hardness of the structure.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as hard as the previous one, but even then, it¡¯ll still be very useful,¡± he thought.

    Most monsters wouldn¡¯t be able to break through this wall. Even if some did manage that, the wall would surely buy enough time for Ellid to sense something was amiss.

    ¡°As expected of the dragon emperor.¡±

    ¡°I really enjoy it when people praise me like that,¡± Ellid laughed.

    Ellid relaxedly placed his hands behind his back and guffawed before snapping his fingers.

    Right away, a huge wave of magical energy whipped all around Su-hyeun, but he didn¡¯t respond and simply let it be.

    Almost at the same time, the surrounding view changed.

    The village itself had become a blurry little dot in the distance. In the blink of an eye, they had teleported several kilometers away.

    ¡°Alright, now. This is a good place for a conversation, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. It¡¯s not so bad. The weather is fair as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear you say that.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Crunch, creaaak¡ª

    Ellid snapped his fingers again, and several wooden branches rose up from the ground to transform into chairs. He sat down on one of them.

    Su-hyeun stared in amazement at the wooden chairs. ¡°You could do such things with magic?¡±

    ¡°Water and fire, wind and earth, and beyond that, even gravity and the powers of attraction and repulsion. Magic allows you to create something out of nothing or turn something into nothing. So, wooden chairs like this? It¡¯s nothing special.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t wrong there.

    For sure, this field of study called ¡°magic¡± was so amazing that it even made bringing down a meteor from outer space possible.

    The sole issue would be whether you¡¯ve learned the subject in question or not.

    ¡°Magicians or wizards wouldn¡¯t normally learn magic like this, after all.¡±

    Using magic to create a tree and then turn that tree into a chair? Without a doubt, as far as utility and application were concerned, ¡°magic¡± was more outstanding than any other fields Su-hyeun was aware of.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you want to learn?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? You mean, magic?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, it¡¯s not all that tough to learn, you know? And from the look of things, fella, you seem to be quite proficient with magical energy already.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru nodded to say that¡¯s true.

    Su-hyeun was flustered by that abrupt offer out of nowhere, but at the same time, he was hurriedly making some internal calculations.

    ¡°Well, the offer itself isn¡¯t bad at all¡­¡±

    In all honesty, learning magic from a dragon would be great from Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective.

    Su-hyeun had researched magic several times in the past. Even the Awakener Authority researched the field of magic and had achieved some success.

    However, the results from all that research could only be classified as insignificant at best. Compared to a dragon, referred to as the progenitor of magic, or even to the archmages found in various worlds out there, the awakeners capable of using magic were only on the level of a low-ranking magician.

    With the help of skills, one could exhibit power that is similar to magic, but it was still not possible to wield numerous different magic spells like real magicians.

    ¡°Are you going to teach me for free?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    As expected.

    Ellid¡¯s quick reply prompted a nod from Su-hyeun as if the latter had already foreseen it.

    Although the offer to teach him how to use magic sounded really tempting, he realized that there had to be a reason for Ellid to make such an offer in the first place.

    The creatures called dragons were rather calculative. Unlike humans who could sometimes act out of goodwill without expecting anything in return, dragons placed quite a heavy emphasis on the concept of giving and taking.

    If a dragon was willing to give something first, then it must have perceived that there was something of equal value to receive in return.

    Most of them would try to hide their real intentions just in case their calculations weren¡¯t spot on. But then again, Ellid wasn¡¯t the type to hide his intentions.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°What¡¯s the condition?¡±

    ¡°I want you to become this village¡¯s hero.¡±

    ¡°Hero¡±¡ªa word Su-hyeun didn¡¯t really like suddenly popped up. He hated it in all honesty.

    However, it was also true that he wasn¡¯t as miffed about it nowadays compared to the past.

    And¡­

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that price a little too much?¡±

    Su-hyeun knew better than anyone what Ellid meant by the word ¡°hero.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a suitable price to pay if you want to learn magic from me.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I can handle that much.¡±

    It was connected to the goal of this trial, anyway. What he needed to do remained the same, so he wouldn¡¯t be losing out on anything if he got to learn magic on top of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®that much,¡¯ fella. You have no idea what kind of a bastard we¡¯re dealing with.¡±

    ¡°No, I do know. Although it¡¯s not the same creature, I know of a similar one.¡±

    ¡°You do know?¡±

    ¡°The demonic creature that showed up in your world, it¡¯s called Fafnir in my home world.¡±

    Ellid¡¯s eyes widened in an instant.

    For the first time ever, Su-hyeun revealed his own backstory to someone. ¡°My world was destroyed. At the hands of that monster, actually. I couldn¡¯t stop that bastard and nearly died, but somehow, I managed to survive in the end.¡±

    ¡°You¡­really ran into that thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, I couldn¡¯t even put up a proper fight back then. Unlike how it was with you, sir.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be.¡±

    Ellid seemed to have found it hard to believe since he began chuckling wryly while staring into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    Fafnir¡ªthat creature was easily the worst of all demonic beasts Ellid knew in existence, and it was also a predator.

    The odds of running into a monster that traveled to different dimensions and devoured worlds were very low. Ellid was certain of this since he knew about the existence of multiple dimensions out there. There were as many as the stars in the night sky, so naturally, it would be much harder than forming a connection in the same world.

    As such¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence but fate. Is that it?¡±

    Ellid came to accept that this meeting with Su-hyeun, and Miru¡¯s figure next to him, could not be a simple coincidence.

    ¡°No, wait. Maybe it¡¯s been arranged that way.¡±

    ¡°Arranged, you say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m simply positing that you reaching this place is no coincidence. Well, such thoughts are popping up in my head, anyway.¡±

    What Ellid said just then made Su-hyeun feel just a little guilty inside.

    For sure, he didn¡¯t coincidentally come to this place. The trial, as set up by the administrators, had brought him here.

    In other words, rather than ¡°coincidence,¡± it was indeed far closer to someone ¡°making arrangements,¡± just like Ellid said.

    ¡°He¡¯s got a sharp intuition.¡±

    Ellid was a dragon that had lived an uncountable length of time. Maybe, the length of his life so far could even rival the Bull Demon King¡¯s.

    And those long years not only afforded Ellid knowledge on various abilities like magic but also granted him the keen intuition on solving problems.

    Ellid spoke up, ¡°Let me ask you this first. How did you get here, and what are your plans from now on?¡±

    ¡°Even if you ask how, I have no way of answering that. It wasn¡¯t my choice to come here, you see.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t come here by choice?¡±

    ¡°Yes. When I regained consciousness, I found myself already in this world. That¡¯s the only way I can explain to you.¡±

    Just like before, Su-hyeun replied in an ambiguous way this time as well.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. He couldn¡¯t provide detailed explanations on stuff related to the tower and the system, after all.

    That had been prohibited by the administrators from the get-go, and he might get hit with a ¡°reward penalty¡± if he deliberately tried to disclose the truth.

    ¡°Are you trying to hide it? Well, fine. I can understand that much.¡±

    Ellid didn¡¯t believe Su-hyeun¡¯s explanation. However, he didn¡¯t continue to dig for the truth of the matter.

    Instead, he asked something else. ¡°In that case, what do you planning to do here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of helping you so that the villagers can get their home back.¡±

    He was being truthful with that answer.

    This was the trial Su-hyeun had to carry out, but at the same time, it was also Ellid¡¯s wish. Now, it was Su-hyeun¡¯s wish, too.

    People were in trouble, and Su-hyeun possessed the abilities to aid those people.

    As such, he was able to reply quickly to the second question.

    ¡°You¡¯re being truthful on this one,¡± said Ellid.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Crimson-colored irises could be seen on Ellid¡¯s eyes.

    Only then did Su-hyeun realize that the magical energy leaking out from the old dragon had penetrated through his body without him noticing it. The change in Ellid¡¯s eyes had been so subtle that it would¡¯ve been impossible to notice without consciously looking straight into his gaze.

    ¡°Is it like the insight skill?¡± Su-hyeun guessed inwardly.

    ¡°Insight.¡±

    It was a skill that allowed the holder to ¡°discern¡± what¡¯s in the other party¡¯s mind, but almost no one had mastered it as magic.

    Apparently, only Johnny Brad, the awakener who was most proficient in illusion-type magic, as well as an S-Rank awakener from Italy, knew how to use the ¡°insight¡± skill. Depending on the level of proficiency, this skill even allowed one to read an opponent¡¯s subconscious as well.

    Of course, the skill wasn¡¯t omnipotent, as it either didn¡¯t work against an opponent with a far higher level than the user, or its effects would be greatly curtailed in such a case instead.

    However, Ellid at the very least didn¡¯t fall that much behind Su-hyeun in terms of his abilities.

    ¡°At least he should be able to discern whether I¡¯m lying or not.¡±

    Ellid must¡¯ve figured that if even the first answer was a lie, it didn¡¯t matter in the end as long as the second question was truthfully answered.

    When Su-hyeun openly stared at Ellid¡¯s eyes, Ellid sneakily avoided meeting his gaze. He placed his hand on his forehead and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Ah, sorry about that. If it was at all possible, I didn¡¯t want to resort to this, but it¡¯s not easy to figure out what kind of person you are.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to overlook it, but only this time.¡±

    Su-hyeun certainly didn¡¯t feel good about being subjected to this skill, ¡°insight,¡± at all.

    If you were a living person, then you would have a dark side¡ªmaybe a thought or even mindset¡ªthat you wouldn¡¯t want anyone else to know, but this skill completely bared such secrets in the open.

    And it felt far worse than being forced to strip in front of strangers.

    Su-hyeun was willing to accept being subjected to it once or twice if it was absolutely necessary, but even then, he did not enjoy having his inner thoughts pried into without his permission.

    Ellid also knew this, and that was why he apologized right away.

    He said, ¡°Well, then. Shall we start the class right away?¡±

    ¡°Pardon? So soon?¡±

    ¡°Why, do you need time to prepare? You don¡¯t look tired to me, so now is the perfect moment. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Alright. In that case, let¡¯s start with the theories of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Actually, let¡¯s go with the quickest route, please.¡±

    ¡°Quickest, you say?¡±

    Ellid pondered for a little bit and then began waving his hand around.

    Rumble, dudududu¡ª

    A thin branch rose from below, and Ellid grasped it. He used this branch to draw a circle on the ground. ¡°In that case, using magic through magic circles is the answer. After all, you don¡¯t have to memorize all those difficult formulas and just simply picture the images you want.¡±

    ¡°I do know a little bit about magic circles, but I don¡¯t know how to use magic through the magic circles.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? What a relief that at least you know some. In that case¡­¡±

    Scribble, jot¡ª

    Ellid filled in the magic circle on the ground with various ¡°lines.¡± Once all those snake-like twisting lines were completed, Ellid opened his mouth. ¡°Restrict him¡ª¡±

    Shu-rururuk¡ª

    ¡°Bind.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Thin strands of magical energy shot out from the magic circle and wrapped around Su-hyeun. He didn¡¯t try to free himself and quietly observed the process.

    ¡°A magic circle is basically turning the magic formula into a drawing. Whether it¡¯s the formula or magic circle, what you really need in the end are ¡®will¡¯ and ¡®magical energy.''¡±

    ¡°Will and magical energy¡­¡±

    ¡°You seem to have plenty of magical energy, so that leaves us with the question of will¡­I¡¯m thinking that it might take you a while to add your will to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Restrict him¡ª¡±

    Flaaash¡ª

    The moment Su-hyeun spoke, the magic circle emitted a faint light.

    At the same time, Ellid¡¯s eyes opened wider.

    ¡°Bind.¡±

    Whoosh, slap, tighten¡ª

    Thin and sturdy strands wrapped tightly around Ellid next. These purple-colored strands were far stronger and tougher than what he had produced earlier as a demonstration.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not as difficult as I thought.¡± When the magic spell came to life easier than he expected, Su-hyeun tore off the strands and freed himself before sheepishly scratching the back of his head. ¡°This thing called ¡®will,¡¯ that is.¡±

 Chapter 346

    * * *

    One day after he started learning magic.

    Scribble, jot¡ª

    Su-hyeun drew a circle on the ground.

    It was a fairly well-drawn circle, too. He filled it up with some lines and then opened his mouth to give a command, ¡°Crush it.¡±

    Gugugugu¡ª

    A powerful force began bearing down on the surroundings with the middle of the circle acting as the center.

    ¡°Gravity.¡±

    Crunch, cruuuunch¡ª

    The sand particles found all around the circle got crushed and became even smaller than before. A rather strong pressure continued to bore down, but it didn¡¯t impact Su-hyeun at all.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Su-hyeun turned toward Ellid who was observing the proceedings and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    For some reason, he had been making a puzzled expression.

    Ellid alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and Miru who was snoring peacefully to the side before finally asking his question, ¡°Fella, are you really a human being?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Well, first of all, there¡¯s the matter of this child following you around and then¡­¡± Ellid shifted his gaze over to the magic circle Su-hyeun drew on the ground. ¡°I also think your rate of learning magic is pretty much impossible for a human being.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s no rule that says all humans must learn magic really slowly, is there?¡±

    ¡°Well, sure. There¡¯s no such rule. However, your learning speed is even quicker than that of dragons.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t learned it elsewhere first, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never been taught how to cast magic, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun replied while drawing the next magic circle. ¡°I¡¯m quite familiar with injecting ¡®will¡¯ into something.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re familiar with it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know something like that.¡±

    Su-hyeun smiled faintly while making his reply.

    ¡°It¡¯s similar to controlling the Somersault cloud and Palm Leaf,¡± he thought.

    According to Ellid, you needed three things to cast magic: one, magical energy; two, a medium of some kind; and three, one¡¯s will.

    Su-hyeun had so much of the first requirement that it was practically overflowing.

    The second part was taken care of not with theoretical formulas but magic circles brought to life by his drawing skills.

    Therefore, the remaining issue was with the third requirement.

    But then, he had been practicing that part for a while now by learning to command both the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf.

    No, actually¡­

    ¡°Magic is so much easier.¡±

    Both the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf were proofs of fairly high-leveled qualifications of godhood, so they required so much more concentration and willpower to command when compared to simple magic spells like this one.

    Indeed, compared to those two, handling average magic spells was as easy as breathing to Su-hyeun now.

    Meaning, even the third requirement needed to cast magic¡ª¡±will¡±¡ªdidn¡¯t prove to be a hindrance for him.

    Su-hyeun stopped drawing the magic circle and stood up before placing his hand on the ground.

    Ellid closely watched, wondering what Su-hyeun would do next.

    And right at that moment¡­

    ¡°Freeze up¡ª¡±

    Crack, craaackle¡ª

    Simply by audibly saying the activation phrase that also indicated his desire, the ground began freezing up instantly. The surrounding air temperature plummeted as if a truly bitter cold front had suddenly rushed in.

    As he thought, it was possible after all.

    ¡°As long as there¡¯s enough magical energy, I can still bring about a powerful end result with my will and a simple magic spell like this.¡±

    Of course, one had to pay the corresponding penalty afterward.

    ¡°The magic energy consumption is not very efficient, though.¡±

    This was why the magicians kept creating different spells¡ªthe more complicated the formulas, the more complicated the magic circles. Those things weren¡¯t simply for amplifying the power of the spells, however.

    They were the results of all their research into increasing the magical energy consumption¡¯s efficiency, which, in turn, would allow them to use much stronger magic.

    While watching Su-hyeun getting ready to activate the next magic spell, Ellid crossed his arms and muttered to no one in particular. ¡°Has he memorized the magic circles already?¡±

    Not just in the manifestation of his will but Su-hyeun also proved to be top class in memorization and his understanding of the magic circles.

    The last part was mostly due to Su-hyeun¡¯s long-time interest in the compositions of the magic circles and his continued analysis of them that began back when he was still Kim Sung-in, but Ellid didn¡¯t know that, so he could only think of it as his latent talent.

    ¡°Well, I guess we can just skip the basics, then.¡±

    Crimson scales suddenly rose up above the eyes of Ellid who was currently in the figure of an old man.

    ¡°Interest.¡±

    That was the most wonderful emotion for a dragon that had been living for a very long time.

    Ellid had lived for far too long and lost interest in much of the things in existence, but then, he ended up experiencing something that his knowledge base said was impossible, and that roused his interest again for the first time in several dozen millennia.

    ¡°It seems that I won¡¯t get bored for a while,¡± the dragon mused.

    * * *

    By the second day, Su-hyeun was able to converse and cast magic at the same time.

    ¡°Hmm, how should I put this? The feeling I got was like looking at the god of the dead,¡± said Ellid.

    ¡°The god of the dead, you say?¡±

    Pah-bababababak¡ª

    Su-hyeun gestured with his hand, and countless sharp wooden spikes shot up from the ground.

    He ¡°drew¡± the shape of a magic circle inside his mind and poured his will into it, all the while chatting to Ellid.

    ¡°Indeed. It wasn¡¯t the magical energy nor the dark magical energy normally utilized by the dark magicians. That creature commanded something far darker than theirs, kind of similar to the ominous energy the undead possesses.¡±

    ¡°Could that be¡­¡± Su-hyeun stopped casting magic briefly and roused up a different kind of energy in his hand. ¡°Something like this?¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    From his hand, a faint but black-colored aura began spreading out.

    At the same time, Ellid, who was sitting on the wooden chair, jumped up from his spot. ¡°But, how¡­?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Death Aura.¡¯ Just like you said, it¡¯s a type of energy required to command the dead, sir.¡± While saying that, Su-hyeun extended his hand to a spot on the opposite side to Ellid and commanded, ¡°Arise.¡±

    Shu-aaaahk¡ª

    The Death Aura whipped up and coalesced on a spot before turning into a single figure. Prince Nezha soon made his appearance and knelt down before Su-hyeun.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Fella, you were a dark magician?¡±

    ¡°Sir, you know better than anyone that that¡¯s not true.¡±

    Ellid nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s reply.

    Without a doubt, the aura coming off from Su-hyeun was different from the dark magical energy controlled by dark magicians. ¡°Death Aura¡± was a completely different type of power compared to magical energy, after all.

    Su-hyeun said, ¡°Although I haven¡¯t learned magic before, I did pick up quite a few other sundry tricks along the way, you see.¡±

    ¡°That power, is it one of the abilities you possess?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, it¡¯s also my first time learning that a demonic beast is capable of wielding Death Aura.¡±

    Su-hyeun got to acquire Death Aura after mastering the traits of a Necromancer through the transfiguration skill.

    The attribute called ¡°Necromancer¡± that allowed him to command the dead had granted him this new power called ¡°Death Aura.¡±

    This energy was originally produced at the moment of a living creature¡¯s death. This aura, through the manipulation of someone¡¯s power, didn¡¯t disperse from the world and remained behind.

    It was a far cry from things like magical energy that existed in pretty much every world out there, and not to mention, it was also a lot more dangerous.

    A dangerous energy type that would kill a regular person simply by coming in contact with it¡ªthat was the ¡°Death Aura.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence this is. What a coincidence¡­¡± Ellid, on his feet, muttered to himself for a little while, and then, he suddenly tapped Miru who was napping on the side. ¡°Wake up, little one. It¡¯s time to travel somewhere with your grandpa.¡±

    Gya-ooong¡ª

    Miru opened its eyes only halfway up as if to say it was still sleepy. Su-hyeun became puzzled by Ellid¡¯s sudden actions and stared at the old dragon.

    ¡°You too, fella. Stop with the magic practice for a while and accompany me somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°The dead lands.¡±

    ¡°The¡­dead lands?¡±

    ¡°Will you hurry up?! Are you expecting this old me to use my back to carry you?¡±

    Ellid continued to nag Miru. The latter blinked its eyes a couple of times before yawning grandly and began the giantification.

    * * *

    Miru flew in the direction Ellid had pointed to while carrying the old dragon and Su-hyeun on its back.

    After they flew leisurely for about 15 minutes, Su-hyeun picked up a familiar sensation on his skin.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun took a look at the distant ground below. The already-darkened ground had become pitch-black in this place.

    And it wasn¡¯t just some random patches, either. He used his Sage¡¯s Eye and looked as far as his sight could see¡ªto the land beyond the horizon, beyond the range of normal eyesight.

    ¡°Everything¡­ is dead,¡± he silently observed.

    All living things could move, possessed beating hearts, and flowing blood as well as souls. Meanwhile, living nature possessed magical energy.

    That was the common rule applied to not just the world Su-hyeun was in but also every single dimension out there.

    However, the ground spread out right before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes had completely upended that rule.

    Miru was unable to fly any further forward from here. More specifically, it didn¡¯t want to.

    The dead lands actively rejected the approach of any living beings. Even the descendant of the red dragons, Miru, was feeling such a strong rejection, so it would be impossible for regular people to live in this place.

    ¡°Most of the land is in this state,¡± Ellid said. ¡°These are the lands that bastard had devoured so far.¡±

    That bastard, of course, meant the predator of this world.

    ¡°That bastard kills all living things and devours the power that comes out during the process of killing. And I¡¯m not just talking about living people, either. Like this land, the whole world is dying.¡±

    ¡°Is such a thing even possible?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible for that bastard. And also, that demonic beast you called Fafnir would be able to do it, too, although maybe not in the exact same manner.¡±

    The moment he heard Ellid¡¯s explanation, what Fafnir said back then brushed past Su-hyeun¡¯s mind for a fleeting moment.

    ¡°I shall devour you and consume this world.¡±

    Those were the words that monster said while swallowing up Su-hyeun/Kim Sung-in.

    Consuming the world¡ªSu-hyeun hadn¡¯t paid much attention to that part before. Well, he had already returned to the past, so there was no need to think about what happened to a destroyed world. That¡¯s what he believed.

    Also, he thought it was a symbolic declaration rather than a literal one.

    To consume a world¡­

    His world had already been destroyed by Fafnir by then. That¡¯s why Su-hyeun simply took those words as the declaration of successful conquest.

    But now¡­

    ¡°Those words actually meant this,¡± he thought.

    It might not be exactly the same as this world.

    For one thing, while the predator of this world was extracting Death Aura from the dead lands, Fafnir didn¡¯t use Death Aura at all.

    However, the middle of the process itself wouldn¡¯t be all that different.

    With blackened ground and skies, that¡¯s how a world would eventually look when it lost its vitality and strength.

    And predators like Fafnir absorbed that strength as their own and became even larger, more threatening monsters.

    ¡°That bastard will grow larger with the passage of time. Well, it¡¯s still devouring all the magical energy, all the life force, and the complex combination of powers like the soul, as well as that Death Aura you showed me, existing in this world, you see. I¡¯m sure there are more places like this one in the world right now.¡±

    ¡°What about this energy remaining in this place¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like the leftover residue that the bastard couldn¡¯t fully devour. An insidious aura that spreads onto the rest of the world like some kind of a plague, more or less.¡±

    When Su-hyeun heard up to that point, he figured out why Ellid had brought him here.

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t found the way yet, but well, how about you, fella?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll give it a shot,¡± Su-hyeun answered like that and lightly leaped off from Miru¡¯s back.

    [Leap]

    Pow, pooow¡ª

    Su-hyeun powerfully stepped on the empty air.

    The Death Aura he could sense only faintly became so much clearer as he got closer and closer.

    Its level still remained on the faint side, but even then, no normal people or animals would be able to live in such an environment.

    ¡°I wonder, will I even be able to absorb it?¡±

    That question popped up in his head. On the other hand, his chest was beginning to pound faster in anticipation.

    ¡°Although it does make me feel dirty¡­¡±

    There was no doubt that this was an opportunity.

    The Death Aura¡ªit was the energy created by forcibly restraining the aura emitted when a living being or nature itself died.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t naturally collect this energy from somewhere. That¡¯s why he needed to kill something, but killing one or two couldn¡¯t replenish enough Death Aura.

    Thankfully, he did acquire quite a lot of Death Aura while clearing all the dungeons in South Korea, but that was incomparably tiny when looking at the truly stupendous amount of Death Aura found in this land.

    ¡°Whatever the case may be, I¡¯ll gladly absorb it.¡±

    Shu-wut, shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes and focused his mind.

    The black aura pervading the vicinity got sucked into his body. He had activated one of the abilities of the Necromancer attribute that allowed him to command the dead.

    [Death Aura has increased by one.]

 Chapter 347

    Act 7

    [Death Aura has risen by one.]

    How many times did it appear so far? Su-hyeun abruptly thought that to himself. He had been focusing nonstop all this time and couldn¡¯t properly count how many messages had popped up before his eyes so far.

    The rate of Death Aura absorption was gradually slowing down. Only after his whole body had become soaked in sweat did he stop and take a good look around him.

    ¡°Is it finally over?¡±

    Not much Death Aura remained in the surrounding terrain.

    Most of it had been absorbed into Su-hyeun¡¯s body, and the remaining task was for him to refine this power and make it his own.

    Plop¡ª

    Fuu-woo¡ª

    Su-hyeun plopped down on the ground, utterly exhausted. He couldn¡¯t win against his curiosity, however, and immediately checked his status out.

    [Death Aura: 84]

    [Fatigue: 78]

    Two specific parts within his lengthy stat window caught his eye. The first was the Death Aura stat that had seen an abrupt increase. The second part was the level of his fatigue.

    The figure of 78 meant that it would be difficult for him to fight properly.

    ¡°Makes sense, I did receive a massive amount of energy abruptly, after all¡­¡±

    It would be even stranger if he didn¡¯t feel tired at all.

    Thankfully, though, the magical energy inside him was quickly circulating throughout his body and breathing vitality into him.

    While sensing the vitality slowly filling him back up, he scanned his vicinity one more time.

    ¡°Looks like the nearby areas have been taken care of¡­¡±

    Almost all Death Aura found within the radius of several dozen kilometers had vanished. There was a good reason why his Death Aura stat had risen up by several points.

    ¡°Feels like it had been only a few minutes, but¡­¡±

    But he could easily tell just from looking that his hunch was incorrect. It was impossible to absorb and digest the aura found in such a huge area in only a few minutes, after all.

    ¡°Are you finished?¡±

    Grrr, growl¡ª

    Ellid and Miru descended from the air. Su-hyeun looked up at them and asked, ¡°How long have I been doing this?¡±

    ¡°Around three hours, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Three hours, is it¡­?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t really short but also not really a long-enough period. He was too focused and wasn¡¯t aware of the time flow.

    ¡°In any case, thanks to you, I have gathered some useful data for my research,¡± said Ellid with a pleased face.

    Data for his research? Su-hyeun stared with a puzzled expression, prompting Ellid to guffaw and answer. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough!¡±

    Of course, he didn¡¯t bother to provide a proper answer.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun and Miru returned to the village with Ellid.

    As Su-hyeun was deeply fatigued, the first thing he did was to rest inside the unoccupied house he asked the villagers to find for him.

    His fatigue level was quite high, so he figured he would need at least two hours of rest to get back to his usual self.

    He took a short nap, but after waking up, he sensed that the outside of the house had become somewhat noisy.

    He yawned grandly and raised his torso off the bed. The first thing he did was to check his fatigue level.

    [Fatigue: 21]

    He wasn¡¯t completely refreshed yet, but this much was more than enough for him to move. The remaining fatigue should gradually go away as he moved his body more and more.

    Su-hyeun got up from the temporary bed and stepped outside the door made out of a wooden board. That¡¯s when he noticed the gathered villagers over yonder, all of them gripping onto things like sickles, swords, and spears.

    He asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Over there. Monsters are¡­¡±

    ¡°Over there, you say?¡±

    Only then did Su-hyeun turn his head in the direction the villagers were pointing at.

    He witnessed a horde of monsters by the outer edge of the village trying to rush in while making no sounds or giving off any noticeable presence.

    The wall had blocked their path and made it impossible for them to get any closer, but they still didn¡¯t give up and were currently attacking the invisible wall with their sharp beaks, claws, and pincers.

    ¡°Does the wall even block out the sounds and presences, too?¡± he inwardly asked.

    Su-hyeun had to acknowledge the effects of the wall Ellid had set up once more.

    The wall must have been set up this way to prevent the Death Aura from pervading into the village.

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case¡­Maybe he didn¡¯t want the villagers to feel trapped in here, but making the wall this transparent was probably not the best decision.¡±

    Unlike the villagers, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t see this situation as all that serious. While scratching his head, he strode toward the wall.

    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder why all these monsters have rushed here.¡±

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes and began drawing something in front of him. It was a circle, and soon, complicated lines filled its inside.

    While drawing the most complex magic circle he had ever attempted so far, Su-hyeun recalled what Ellid had told him earlier.

    ¡°Magic is basically unleashing of energy through your will.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t feel all that concerned with getting rid of these monsters before his eyes, so he decided to experiment on a couple of things using this opportunity.

    Whoosh¡ª

    He extended his fist forward and struck the center of the magic circle that appeared before his face.

    ¡°Depending on your application, you can freely modify the method of that unleashing of energy.¡±

    [Earthquake¡ªTremor]

    Kwaaaa-booom¡ª!

    Buzz, bzzzzzzzzz¡ª

    Crack, craaaaaack¡ª!

    Humongous vibration spread out in the direction Su-hyeun had extended his fist.

    The vibration went through the wall unobstructed and began tearing apart the figures of the monsters outside. That was the result of his ¡°punch¡± being added to the magical impact force.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not so bad.¡±

    Su-hyeun clenched and unfurled his fist a couple of times while observing it closely.

    Although it was still hard to focus the power of the vibration, for the time being, he was certain of things getting much better with a just little more practice.

    The villagers stared at the remains of the monsters collapsed on the ground, expressions of relief washing over their faces.

    Ellid had already introduced Su-hyeun to the villagers, assuring them the latter was his acquaintance who so happened to be an excellent magician on top of being a swordsman. They were no longer afraid of Su-hyeun after listening to all those explanations.

    ¡°T¡ªthank you, sir magician.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±

    The villagers walked up to Su-hyeun and expressed their gratitude.

    He quickly accepted their thanks and asked them, ¡°Do you know where Sir Ellid has gone off to?¡±

    ¡°He said that he was going somewhere for a short while, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you know where? And when did he leave?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t say where, but he did leave as soon as you two returned to the village.¡±

    ¡°Right afterward, huh?¡±

    He had been wondering why Ellid hadn¡¯t shown up yet despite the village falling into a bit of commotion.

    ¡°Is it because he acquired some data for his research?¡± he thought.

    That¡¯s what Ellid had said after observing Su-hyeun for a bit¡ªacquiring data for his research.

    He was a dragon but, at the same time, an excellent wizard as well. As far as magic was concerned, Su-hyeun could confidently say that out of every magician he had met in his entire life, Ellid was the absolute best of the lot.

    To put it another way, he was a genius. To Ellid, magic was as easy and natural as breathing air.

    ¡°What did he exactly discover, I wonder¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun sighed grandly. Realistically speaking, locating Ellid who had disappeared to somewhere would be nearly impossible.

    Rather than searching for Ellid¡¯s whereabouts in this wide world, it would be a far smarter use of one¡¯s time to simply wait for him to come home, instead.

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    Su-hyeun summoned Prince Nezha.

    Was this because the Death Aura stat had been enhanced so much? Prince Nezha¡¯s application rate had shot up greatly compared to before, and his current appearance could easily pass off as a normal person rather than an undead.

    ¡°Protect the village for a while. I want to go somewhere for a little while.¡±

    Kneel¡ª

    Prince Nezha knelt before Su-hyeun to signal his reply like a highly trained warrior.

    Su-hyeun was taken aback a little, but he quickly realized that this was Prince Nezha¡¯s original personality.

    This was the attitude of a subordinate respectfully answering his master.

    Su-hyeun left Prince Nezha behind and turned around to leave.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, I might as well go somewhere and train by myself.¡±

    Ellid had already taught Su-hyeun countless magic-related theories and magic circles.

    And now, it was up to Su-hyeun to train and master them all.

    Acquiring magic and the more-than-enough amount of Death Aura practically found everywhere, Su-hyeun began thinking that this entire floor was actually a massive stage prepared just for him.

    * * *

    Crunch, craaaackle¡ª

    Buzz, whirrrr, whoosh¡ª

    The surrounding air was vibrating.

    The ground repeatedly went through the cycle of destruction and restoration. Su-hyeun had extended both of his hands out and was trying to use two different magic spells at the same time.

    ¡°This is harder than I thought.¡±

    The difficulty of using two spells at once was on another level compared to using only one.

    Theoretically, all he had to do was to think of two things in parallel. So far, he somehow managed to activate two different magic spells at the same time.

    However, doing anything more than that was not something his current level of concentration could do anything about.

    ¡°Is it the issue of my lack of training or some other problem¡­?¡±

    It was true that Ellid hadn¡¯t taught him anything about this part yet. The dragon said that several years of training were necessary before he could learn about double-casting.

    Of course, he had to retract that statement after Su-hyeun learned magic at a far faster rate than he thought, but even then, he would still have a hard time believing that anyone sane would attempt to pull off double-casting on their second day of magic training.

    ¡°Instead of casting individual spells, linking them to the skill system before using them is far more efficient.¡±

    And through this event, he got to clearly confirm this one truth.

    ¡°In the end, even magic isn¡¯t all that different from the skills.¡±

    Up until now, Su-hyeun never had a chance to learn magic in a systematic and organized manner. Not only was there no one to teach him the fundamentals of magic casting in an easy-to-understand manner but most awakeners didn¡¯t willingly step forward to master magic either.

    After all, magic itself wasn¡¯t easy to learn, and awakeners already had access to a far more convenient ability system called ¡°skill.¡±

    Meaning, they had no real reason to go out of their way to learn magic.

    Even Su-hyeun would¡¯ve given up on this idea due to his lack of time if it weren¡¯t for him already being familiar with imparting his will to something via his mastery over the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf.

    This concept of bringing one¡¯s will to reality through magical energy¡­

    The ¡°skill¡± in the end was a similar type of medium to the magic circles, one that acted as an assistant to bring one¡¯s will to reality.

    At first, Su-hyeun was curious about what the base theory behind the skill was, but now that he had a chance to learn magic, it felt like he was getting a much better understanding of the whole thing.

    ¡°Which means¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun extended his hand forward. ¡°Ice Spear.¡±

    [You have used ¡°Ice Spear.¡±]

    Crack, chwa-rararah¡ª

    A long and transparent spear of ice materialized above Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. He wordlessly spun it around in his grip.

    A system message unmistakably had popped up just now.

    ¡°Repeat the same magic circle many times over, and when combining them into one single magic circle¡­¡±

    Chwa-rak, chwa-rararahk¡ª

    Countless ice spears were generated in the sky that the surrounding air froze up instantly.

    And when all the spears were fully generated¡­

    [Skill: ¡°Spear Shower¡± has been acquired.]

    [Spear Shower]

    * Magic Level: ¡ª

    * LV: 1

    * Proficiency: 0%

    * Creates countless Ice Spears. The hardness and the rate of generation will improve depending on your proficiency.

    A new skill had been created.

    How mysterious this was.

    Su-hyeun did feel that it might be possible, but even he didn¡¯t expect to succeed this easily.

    In other words, both of them stemmed from the same starting point.

    ¡°The fact that a magic spell can change into a skill¡­Does that mean I can also recreate all the skills in existence that I know of?¡±

    Goosebumps broke out on his skin when a hypothesis popped up in his head.

    What if such a thing was really possible¡­?

    ¡°No, wait. It¡¯s not what-ifs anymore.¡±

    Scribble, jot¡ª

    Su-hyeun began drawing more magic circles on the ground.

    He scribbled all kinds of magic circles taught by Ellid. Su-hyeun carefully studied them¡ªthe magic circles and the magic spells themselves and then their connection to the ones that had been converted into skills¡ªscanning from top to bottom in order to analyze the principles behind these magic circles.

    If he could understand the make-up of a magic circle that reproduced the exact effects of skill, then it would not be impossible for him to acquire various other skills that he got to witness or confirmed their effects personally.

    And to make such a thing a definite possibility, he simply had to learn more about magic from Ellid.

    ¡°Just where did he go off to, though¡­?¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun raised his head up after abruptly picking up a presence in the distance.

    That¡¯s how he discovered ¡°something¡± in the darkened skies above where not a speck of cloud could be seen.

    ¡°¡­Sir Ellid?¡±

    That ¡°something¡± was the figure of Ellid without his wings unfurled falling headlong to the ground.

 Chapter 348

    * * *

    Fluff¡ª

    Pure-white clouds enveloped Ellid¡¯s falling body.

    Su-hyeun had summoned the Somersault cloud to catch Ellid and then leaped up into the air to check up on the dragon.

    ¡°What was he doing after undoing his human appearance?¡±

    Ellid was currently in the figure of the dragon emperor that Su-hyeun saw quite some time ago.

    Even if Miru had learned the giantification through the Cintamani¡¯s power, it was still a little kid compared to the size of the one referred to as the dragon emperor, Ellid.

    Although he was currently wounded and unconscious, the sense of pressure Ellid gave off was still quite considerable.

    ¡°Hey, Miru, I need your help.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru activated its giantification after Su-hyeun asked it.

    It transformed into a giant dragon and flew above Ellid, and almost at the same time, crimson-hued magical energy enveloped the dragon emperor¡¯s body.

    Buzz, wuuuuuung¡ª

    Shu-shushushu¡ª

    The wounds on Ellid¡¯s body began healing gradually little by little.

    Now normally, it would have been the end with the healing of the wounds, but Miru was the descendant of the red dragons, and its healing magic was working a little differently this time.

    Simply put, it was exhibiting the power of its bloodline.

    Its magic went beyond healing wounds and even helped recover Ellid¡¯s lost vitality. Thanks to it, Ellid didn¡¯t need a long time to regain consciousness.

    Grrrrr¡ª

    Ellid woke back up while growling softly.

    His crimson eyes gleamed sharply as he opened his maw.

    ¡°That was really close, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    That observation was surprisingly human-like.

    Su-hyeun, waiting for Ellid to open his eyes within this grave atmosphere, asked a question while watching the dragon leisurely stand back up, ¡°Where did you go to get beaten up so badly?¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure that I got beaten up?¡±

    ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t look like you went there to dish out a beating, you know.¡± Su-hyeun sighed in relief once Ellid regained consciousness without an issue. ¡°Was it that bastard?¡±

    ¡°Well, I somehow ran into that bastard, you see. It seems that it is getting ready to move once more.¡±

    ¡°When you say it¡¯s getting ready¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting hungry, so it wants to devour the rest of the world.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression became grave at Ellid¡¯s reply.

    The reason why he hadn¡¯t yet made an intentional move was that the general outline of the goal of this trial wasn¡¯t to ¡°attack¡± but to ¡°defend¡±¡ªto protect the village for one month.

    And to meet that goal, Su-hyeun made sure not to stray too far away from the village if he could help it. This was his reason why he didn¡¯t seek out the predator despite knowing of its existence.

    He didn¡¯t see the need to deliberately awaken a bastard that was slumbering away with a full tummy.

    But now, such a creature had begun moving again.

    ¡°How long do you think that bastard will take to get here?¡±

    ¡°I think its main body won¡¯t start moving right away.¡±

    ¡°Its main body?¡± Su-hyeun made a puzzled face at Ellid¡¯s answer.

    He realized that in order to use that term, there had to be other clone-like creatures.

    ¡°You will see soon enough without me explaining it.¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    Ellid managed to sit up and stared into the distant horizon. Su-hyeun also turned his head in that direction and immediately activated the Sage¡¯s Eye.

    What his vision caught just then was a horde of ¡°something¡± rushing from afar like a jet-black tsunami wave.

    ¡°I barely kept my life, but it looks like I still can¡¯t afford to take it easy just yet.¡±

    * * *

    Chwa-aaaaah¡ª

    A tall wall of ice finished materializing all around the village. It completely surrounded the village and boasted dozen-plus meters in thickness.

    ¡°This should be enough to block out what¡¯s happening on the outside.¡±

    While saying that, Ellid lightly dusted his hands. He looked so full of energy that it seemed like him almost dying earlier was an illusion.

    He must¡¯ve been feeling fatigued right now, but even then, he showed no signs of discomfort while casting magic of this scale.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Is it alright for you not to rest?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem for me since you¡¯ll be the one fighting in the frontline, anyway,¡± chuckled Ellid while placing his hands on his back.

    Su-hyeun asked because he was worried about the dragon¡¯s condition, but hearing such a thing from the proverbial horse¡¯s mouth irritated him for some reason.

    ¡°Hah, hahaha¡­¡±

    Ellid narrowed his eyes while looking at Su-hyeun who was awkwardly chuckling away.

    ¡°Once you stop those things, the bastard will show up next.¡± Ellid kept staring at Su-hyeun and asked, ¡°Are you confident?¡±

    ¡°Confidence, huh?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know anything about this world¡¯s predator. He had no clue as to how many worlds that thing had devoured already or just how strong the bastard was in reality.

    In that regard, that thing was not all that different from Fafnir.

    Besides¡­

    ¡°I never felt something like that before.¡±

    For obvious reasons, Su-hyeun never really felt confident about it. More correctly, he hadn¡¯t given the matter much thought until now.

    He believed that it would be completely pointless to estimate his chances at victory.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere to escape to, anyway,¡± he thought.

    Shu-ka-ahk¡ª

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword and leaped down to the ground below.

    Before long, the horde of enemies rushing in had come close enough to be seen by naked eyes.

    He slowly walked over to them and scanned the faces of each enemy.

    ¡°Looks like they are similar to zombies.¡±

    These creatures had darkened bones and skin, while Death Aura continued to leak out from their entire bodies.

    From their appearances alone, they didn¡¯t seem all that different from regular zombies, the walking dead, that Su-hyeun was already familiar with.

    However, something about their atmosphere seemed different. Not only that but the level of Death Aura leaking out from them was also far more lethal than some toxins emitted by regular monsters.

    ¡°Well, in that case¡­¡±

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    Winds wrapped around the Palm Leaf Sword¡¯s blade.

    ¡°Should I find out how tough they are?¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    The moment Su-hyeun¡¯s sword swung forward, a humongous wall of wind spread out in all directions.

    The wind split into tens of thousands and then hundreds of thousands of strands and began tearing into the blackened zombies. Their flesh and bones were torn apart into pieces and cast up in the maelstrom, and then, piles of bones and deeply rotten bloody bits rained down to the ground.

    Tumble, drip, thud¡ª

    Guh-uh-uh-uh¡ª

    The surviving zombies staggered back up to their feet.

    Su-hyeun furrowed his brows and observed them.

    Half.

    About half of the zombies swept up by the Palm Leaf had been killed off. In other words, the other half had not been defeated yet.

    Zombies that were strong enough not to get ripped apart even after getting sucked into the Palm Leaf¡¯s attack?

    Such a thing did not exist within Su-hyeun¡¯s common sense.

    ¡°So, these aren¡¯t your regular zombies, is that it?¡±

    He had already figured that out by himself.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes that were glowing with a blue hue looked far beyond the horizon. A sea of zombies, seemingly with no visible end, was gathering here from beyond the edges of his vision.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll be sweating a bit today.¡±

    Su-hyeun gripped his sword tightly again.

    It seemed that this fight would drag on for longer than he initially thought.

    * * *

    Snap¡ª

    Rumbleeee¡ª!

    Gu-waaaaah¡ª!

    A gigantic flame exploded upward. The horde of zombies trying to pounce on Su-hyeun thrashed about in sheer torment before collapsing on the ground and melting away.

    It wasn¡¯t all that hard to figure out the weakness of these zombies: fire.

    It happened to be a well-known weakness of the zombies already.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Shu-aaahk¡ª

    The heads of the zombies were cut off.

    On the outside, their flesh looked rotten, and they seemed easy enough to defeat, but in reality, they were surprisingly sturdy.

    Some of them even managed to withstand the Palm Leaf¡¯s winds several times.

    ¡°If I raise the firepower, the range decreases, but if I increase the range, the firepower takes a hit. And to go for both¡­the magical energy consumption is too high.¡±

    Without a doubt, the Palm Leaf was an incredible power.

    The Palm Leaf could affect a far greater area out of all the skills Su-hyeun possessed¡ªno, wait¡ªthan any other skills in existence that Su-hyeun knew of.

    However, as that was the case, the Palm Leaf consumed a great deal of magical energy and his mental strength. Also, he could say that the match-up this time wasn¡¯t all that favorable.

    The Palm Leaf sliced apart the bodies of his opponents using wind, but zombies couldn¡¯t be killed off unless you accurately cut off their heads.

    Even if their limbs were severed or their lower torsos were gone, they could still move. Also, it was hard to argue that the magical energy consumed during the process of chopping them apart was an effective use of the energy in the first place.

    So, the correct answer was ¡°fire.¡±

    ¡°Burn them one by one and cut their heads off.¡±

    Slice, rumbleee¡ª

    Ka-pow¡ª!

    Su-hyeun loaded his sword with the divine Flame and repeatedly cut down the zombies.

    Zombies enveloped in flames couldn¡¯t get back up nor pose any threat to Su-hyeun anymore.

    Gu-waaaaah¡ª

    Zombies were still flooding in from all sides, and some of them managed to get to the ice wall Ellid had created, trying to break it down with their bare hands.

    And toward such zombies¡­

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Kwa-boooom¡ª!

    Huge waves of crimson flames that shot out from Ellid¡¯s hands mercilessly crashed on them.

    Thousands upon thousands of zombie corpses began piling up everywhere.

    At the same time, Ellid got ready to cast his next magic. While doing that, he glanced at Su-hyeun who was currently wielding his sword in the distance.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he get tired?¡±

    It had already been a day.

    No, wait¡ªit had been a little over a day now. He couldn¡¯t even estimate how many zombies that man had killed already.

    Ellid¡¯s job was to defend, to stop the zombies Su-hyeun had missed, and to swap his role with Su-hyeun when he got too tired and ready to collapse to continue to stop the influx of zombies.

    However, Ellid was thinking that his role had been largely pointless until now.

    The thing was, a portion of zombies slipping past Su-hyeun¡¯s attack range only happened because he trusted in Ellid¡¯s ability and let them go past him.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    An eyeball as big as a person¡¯s head floated up above Ellid.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Far away. Even farther away¡­

    Ellid closed his eyes and stared into the far-off distance beyond his normal range of vision through the power of magic. After taking a gander at a considerably far-off distance, Ellid finished confirming the situation.

    ¡°So, then, the remaining ones are about the same in number as the ones that got killed off so far.¡±

    Su-hyeun had been enduring far longer than Ellid initially thought.

    The period of one day for a dragon as mighty as Ellid would be fine, but a regular person would have lost much of their stamina after failing to get some rest. But then, Su-hyeun continued to fight for the whole day long.

    In all honesty, Ellid didn¡¯t expect such a feat from Su-hyeun despite knowing how incredible the latter was.

    Also, Ellid¡¯s body had almost fully recovered by now, so even if Su-hyeun withdrew from this moment on, the dragon would have no trouble stopping these zombies.

    But then¡­

    ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    Ellid narrowed his eyes into slits at the newly unfolding spectacle.

    ¡°It¡¯s not something to be happy about, at least.¡±

    * * *

    Wriggle, wiggle, writhe¡ª

    The movements of the zombies seemed strange.

    Su-hyeun stopped wielding his sword and observed for the time being. The horde of zombies rushing toward him had stopped and begun bunching up into one.

    ¡°What the¡­? Are they trying to combine into one?¡±

    He muttered to no one in particular, wondering what these things were up to now, but that turned out to be a problem, it seemed.

    Soon afterward, Su-hyeun groaned out in dismay.

    ¡°¡­Well, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡±

    Wriggle, crunch¡ª

    Flesh and bones had meshed into one; zombies rolled into several huge black masses.

    Su-hyeun was about to make a move to stop them from combining but abruptly stopped himself. He pondered for a little while before standing still and waiting.

    When he stood around doing nothing like that, the inside of his head reverberated, and a voice entered his mind.

    ¡°Why are you standing still and doing nothing?¡±

    The voice belonged to Ellid.

    Su-hyeun turned his head and stared at Ellid at a fair distance away. Unlike the dragon, though, he opened his mouth to audibly answer. ¡°I don¡¯t see a reason to stop it, actually.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t see a reason? But when they finish combining, I think it¡¯s going to be a lot more troublesome.¡±

    ¡°Does it look that way to you?¡± Su-hyeun asked back and turned his head toward the huge black masses still being created. ¡°But to me, they look far easier to chop down?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s about to finish combining.¡±

    A faint little smile was etched on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips.

    What appeared before him was many silhouettes of black giants at least several dozen meters tall.

    The creatures enveloped in Death Aura turned their heads and stared at Su-hyeun with their empty eye sockets.

    And right at that moment¡­

    Shu-aaaahk¡ª

    Sliiiice¡ª!

    ¡°See? I told you.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s blade chopped a giant¡¯s body in half as he dashed forward.

    ¡°It¡¯s so much easier to slice them apart now.¡±

 Chapter 349

    * * *

    Pu-ha-hak¡ª!

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The intimidatingly huge bodies of the giants that were approaching Su-hyeun while radiating Death Aura were enveloped in the purple-hued flames.

    Soon afterward, their heads were severed, and their torsos were sliced in half before collapsing to the ground.

    In Ellid¡¯s eyes watching on from the distance, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure remained ¡°invisible,¡± and the only thing he could see was the giants falling like puppets with their strings cut.

    ¡°It¡¯s far easier to cut them down?¡±

    Initially, he had to wonder why Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t doing anything and instead let those creatures combine into something much bigger.

    Even without doing that, these zombies were already hard to kill with regular types of magic, and they even possessed tenacious endurance. Sure, they were comparatively weaker against fire, but that¡¯s still ¡°comparatively¡± speaking.

    Not only did these creatures boast excellent magic resistance and endurance but the Death Aura that stuck like clumps of dirt all over their bodies also worked as powerful toxins.

    Therefore, it would be hard to guess just how much worse their endurance and magic resistance might get after they combined into a bigger individual.

    That was why Ellid was concerned, but this¡­

    ¡°There was no need to be worried, after all.¡±

    There was a crucial difference between Su-hyeun and Ellid¡ªwhile the latter was a magician, the former was a swordsman.

    Not just any swordsman either but one capable of wielding fire, too.

    Zombies were weak against fire and lacked a strong physical defense, so for them, no other opponent would prove to be as bad of a match-up as Su-hyeun out there.

    Whether they combined into one or not, it didn¡¯t really matter.

    It wasn¡¯t as if their lacking physical defense would suddenly become sturdier anyway, and even their regenerative powers were being hampered by the flames. From Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective, this event was basically the same as the number of enemies he needed to behead decreasing significantly instead.

    As a result, Su-hyeun only needed about three more hours to kill off all the remaining giants.

    Drip, drop¡ª

    Su-hyeun shook off the chunks of flesh and the dried blood of the giants stuck to his blade to the ground.

    Ellid landed back on the ground below the ice wall and approached Su-hyeun. ¡°Well, it has turned into a pigsty.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I was fighting against these dirty creatures, after all.¡±

    Corpses of zombies and the giants were littered everywhere.

    Even if these things were burned and purified by the flames, the Death Aura leaking out from their bodies was more than enough to contaminate the ground below.

    Ellid spoke again, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have to ask you again.¡±

    ¡°I was planning to without being asked, though.¡±

    Shu-aaaahk¡ª

    The Death Aura spread to the surroundings began getting sucked into Su-hyeun¡¯s body. Although the concentration wasn¡¯t all that high, once the Death Aura did enter him, it rapidly became his own energy source.

    However, the stat didn¡¯t change.

    He hadn¡¯t absorbed Death Aura from a massive area, after all. And as it was mentioned already, the concentration of the aura itself was lower than what he had absorbed earlier.

    Fuu-woo¡ª

    Thinking that it was finally finished, Su-hyeun exhaled deeply.

    Ellid studied Su-hyeun¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling tired?¡±

    ¡°This much is alright.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t bluffing.

    Even when taking a closer look at Su-hyeun¡¯s face, Ellid could not find a single drop of sweat on Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead.

    He seemed a little out of breath just now, but that was due to the process of absorbing the Death Aura, which had added to his fatigue from the battle.

    He certainly didn¡¯t look like someone who fought nonstop for well over a day without taking a single break.

    ¡°Well, your stamina is truly amazing. Also, I don¡¯t think your magical energy reserve is infinite, now is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more than doable as long as I manage it properly.¡±

    ¡°Manage?¡±

    ¡°Yes, both the stamina and the magical energy. If I allocate the correct amount, then I can fight for quite a long time. You¡¯ll end up exhausting yourself when consuming a lot of magical energy or using a powerful attack, you see. And it¡¯ll be harder to recover your spent energy the lower your magical energy and stamina reserve become.¡±

    ¡°I also know that, at least theoretically.¡±

    ¡°Since you know, it shouldn¡¯t be all that hard to pull off. After that, just make only the necessary movements and continue fighting. As long as the rate of recovery is faster than the rate of magical energy consumption, and by operating under the premise of not using more than a set amount of magical energy at once, you should be able to utilize an unending stream of magical energy.¡±

    When Su-hyeun explained himself, Ellid couldn¡¯t help but make a disbelieving expression.

    When looking at the theory alone, what he said was not wrong.

    Assuming that one¡¯s lung capacity was unlimited, while the muscles in arms and legs could withstand the fatigue, plus if the magical energy consumption and the rate of recovery more or less maintained an equilibrium, then well, what Su-hyeun said could be put to practice without a problem.

    However, such a thing was only a theory and nothing more.

    ¡°Even a dragon would find it impossible to pull off,¡± Ellid inwardly mused.

    Not to forget, the zombies Su-hyeun had been fighting possessed a rather excellent endurance. Without exhausting quite a lot of strength and magical energy, it would be hard to kill even one of them.

    ¡°In order to make that a reality, the level of stamina allowing you to fight the whole day without a rest is a must, and you¡¯d need to fight while having quite a lot remaining in your reserve, too¡­¡±

    Ellid could proudly boast that he was a genius and that he practically knew everything under the sun, but at least this time, he felt quite puzzled.

    ¡°I can¡¯t figure it out.¡±

    Should he take what Su-hyeun said at face value or not?

    Su-hyeun stared at Ellid who was busy making a puzzled face. When the latter didn¡¯t say anything for a while, he decided to break the silence first. ¡°By the way, just what happened to you earlier?¡±

    * * *

    Tumble, sizzle¡ª

    Bubble, pop¡ª

    A pretty good-looking soup was currently being boiled inside a pot.

    Ellid scooped some of this soup on a bowl and handed it over to Su-hyeun. It contained meat of an unknown creature, various vegetables, and spices and proved to be surprisingly edible.

    ¡°This is actually delicious.¡±

    Su-hyeun was taken aback greatly.

    He wasn¡¯t simply being polite here. The soup was really delicious. When Ellid said he would personally cook something, Su-hyeun even tried to dissuade him initially, but now, he was beginning to regret saying anything.

    While scooping some soup into his own bowl, Ellid replied, ¡°Us dragons can live our whole lives drinking only water, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t have a need to satisfy our taste buds, even more so for a dragon like me.¡±

    ¡°You were an epicurean?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Alright, let¡¯s enjoy our meal first, shall we? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re famished by now.¡±

    Clack, clack¡ª

    For a while, the only sound that could be heard was their utensils hitting their bowls.

    All conversation came to a stop, but even while busy moving his spoon, Su-hyeun was inwardly organizing what Ellid had told him before the meal began.

    Tap¡ª

    Not long afterward, the meal came to an end, and after confirming that Ellid¡¯s bowl was empty, Su-hyeun opened his mouth to speak once more, ¡°Okay, so¡­it¡¯s like ¡®fission,¡¯ isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I guess you¡¯ve got it now.¡± Ellid wiped the edges of his lips with a handkerchief he took out of nowhere. He then organized his answer. ¡°I¡¯ve said this to you already, but well, that bastard is an extremely lazy creature. However, that¡¯s obvious, considering that it¡¯s as big as a small country. Making such a huge body move would require an enormous amount of energy, after all.¡±

    As big as a small country.

    Even after listening to the explanation, Su-hyeun just couldn¡¯t quite picture it. The biggest monster he had ever come across was the black dragon he saw back during the 100th floor¡¯s trial.

    But even that black dragon would be hopelessly tiny compared to a small country.

    He began pondering just how he should go about fighting off a monster like that and eventually ended up furrowing his brows.

    He asked, ¡°Did you end up fighting that thing?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intention, but that¡¯s what happened. That bastard was seriously starving, you see.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but you still haven¡¯t told me why you went there, you know?¡±

    ¡°Wow, so you finally decided to ask me that now. Anyway, here.¡±

    Toss¡ª

    Ellid¡¯s hand disappeared into the empty air before pulling out a small bottle, which he tossed to Su-hyeun.

    The latter caught it and looked at it. The bottle was about as big as one¡¯s middle finger, and it contained liquid as black as ink.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Ask me after opening it first.¡±

    Ellid made a strangely triumphant face, and Su-hyeun, now feeling even more puzzled, cautiously pulled open the cork lid.

    Plop¡ª

    And when a certain aura leaked out from the bottle, he flinched in surprise and hurriedly closed the lid.

    Ellid chortled and asked, ¡°So? What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Just what did you do?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what? It¡¯s the same thing as what you did. Except that my medium was different from yours, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Su-hyeun could only chuckle hollowly at Ellid¡¯s reply.

    ¡°A potion made of condensed Death Aura, is it?¡± he thought.

    The moment he popped open the bottle¡¯s cork, the black liquid inside began oozing out Death Aura. In a way, this potion was quite similar to the ¡°highest-grade magical energy catalyst¡± that Su-hyeun was already familiar with.

    The highest-grade magical energy catalyst was a potion designed to forcibly enhance the quality and reserve of one¡¯s magical energy by inserting a dose of extremely condensed magical energy into one¡¯s body.

    As an added bonus, the catalyst¡¯s effect that reached every corner of one¡¯s body increased one¡¯s sensitivity toward magical energy, and it awakened one even further as well.

    Although the type of energy was different, it would not be a tall order to call the potion Ellid had managed to create the ¡°highest-grade Death Aura catalyst.¡± Rather, judging from the concentration of the energy contained within the bottle, this potion was much better than the highest-grade magical energy catalyst.

    ¡°You managed to create something like this in less than a day?¡±

    ¡°If only that bastard didn¡¯t interfere in the middle, I could¡¯ve made more than 10 bottles. Here.¡±

    Clank¡ª

    While saying that, Ellid tossed three more bottles. Including the bottle in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand, there were now four of them.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but quip, ¡°You sure have created a lot.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I was lacking in stamina or anything, so it wasn¡¯t a problem. But all because of you, I finally found a way to take care of this disgusting aura, so I should really be thanking you.¡±

    ¡°You only saw me absorb it once, yet you thought up such a way?¡±

    ¡°I observed the process of that aura called Death Aura gathering up and getting absorbed into you. Since it was a different type of energy compared to magical energy, I didn¡¯t know where to even start my research, but thanks to you, I got plenty of hints.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Just like how Ellid was surprised while observing Su-hyeun¡¯s fight, Su-hyeun too felt surprised by Ellid¡¯s answer, even if the two occasions weren¡¯t exactly the same.

    There were many geniuses to be found under the heavens. However, it was still rare for those geniuses to exceed the limitations of their species.

    The dragon race, referred to as the pinnacle of magic users, and Ellid, called the dragon emperor and undoubtedly the greatest dragon among his kind, for instance¡­

    ¡°As far as magic is concerned, common sense doesn¡¯t apply to him,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Whatever the case might have been, it was a good thing from Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective.

    He was able to learn magic from Ellid, after all. Also, consuming the potion concocted by the dragon would allow Su-hyeun to absorb more of Death Aura far quicker in turn.

    Of course, just like how it was with the magical energy, he shouldn¡¯t be able to increase his Death Aura reserve past a certain level with potions alone.

    The truth was, the numerical value appearing in the stat system didn¡¯t only denote the total amount of the energy in question but also the quality of its concentration.

    Even if one increased the amount of energy, as long as one didn¡¯t improve its ¡°quality,¡± the stat value would not increase past a certain level.

    But it also meant that¡­

    ¡°I can increase the stat quickly up to a certain level.¡±

    Su-hyeun popped the lid open and, without hesitation, emptied the bottle in his mouth.

    Unsurprisingly, the taste was as bitter and disgusting as the highest-grade magical energy catalyst.

    [Death Aura has risen by 1.]

    [Death Aura has risen by 1.]

    And when he focused his mind for a little while, his stat improved by two points.

    This growth seemed a bit lacking compared to the past. Su-hyeun wiped the trickling sweat off his forehead and sighed ruefully.

    ¡°I knew it. It¡¯s unrealistic to expect the stat to rise up at the same rate as the past.¡±

    Assuming that he only needed one unit of Death Aura to increase the stat back in the beginning, then he needed tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of units now that his stat was past 80 points.

    And even in the future, the amount of Death Aura required to increase the stat value would only grow larger.

    The stat rose up by two points with a single bottle of this potion, so he figured that even if he did drink the three remaining bottles, it would be unrealistic to expect the stat to improve by more than four points.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s better than nothing, so I¡ª¡±

    But then, a thought abruptly popped up in Su-hyeun¡¯s head, and he shot up from his spot.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ellid watched his reaction and asked, confused, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to experiment on.¡±

    While replying like that, Su-hyeun extended his hand forward.

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Gugugugu¡ª

    The black-colored Death Aura whipped up, and Gluttony¡¯s large physique was summoned to this world. Meanwhile, Prince Nezha appeared kneeling toward Su-hyeun next to Gluttony.

    ¡°Hey, you two.¡±

    Su-hyeun handed out two bottles of the potion to Gluttony and the last bottle to Prince Nezha.

    ¡°Drink this.¡±

 Chapter 350

    * * *

    Prince Nezha and Gluttony.

    These two happened to be the best out of all the summons Su-hyeun currently possessed.

    The energy source maintaining these two already-dead beings was none other than the ¡°Death Aura,¡± the energy that killed the living but brought the dead back to life.

    Just like how a car needed an engine and fuel to operate, Su-hyeun¡¯s summons needed Death Aura as their medium to bring their powers to life.

    In that case¡­

    ¡°What will happen if my summoned creatures directly acquire Death Aura?¡±

    Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t experience all that great of an effect by consuming the potions, anyway. It was unrealistic to expect his stat to improve past a certain point with only potions, and besides, this idea did warrant a confirmation.

    Split¡ª

    Tuk¡ª

    Plop¡ª

    Gulp¡ª

    Prince Nezha popped open the lid of the bottle and drank its content, while Gluttony simply swallowed up the bottles.

    When nothing notable happened to both of them, Su-hyeun could only make a disappointed face.

    ¡°Maybe letting these summons, who aren¡¯t even alive, to begin with, drink these potions wasn¡¯t the wisest gamble¡­¡±

    Hiss, sizzzzle¡ª

    Shu, shushu¡ª

    However, the transformation happened a beat later than Su-hyeun had anticipated.

    Black smokes began rising up all around Gluttony and Prince Nezha¡¯s bodies. At the same time, the flesh attached to the latter¡¯s body became much more substantial.

    Prince Nezha¡¯s application rate for Dead Summoning was too low, and he remained all skin and bones until now, which gave the impression that he was destined to never regain his original looks back when he was still alive.

    Not only that but some parts of him also had no flesh whatsoever, with bones left exposed for all to see.

    Yet, his body had almost regained his former appearance.

    The same thing happened for Gluttony as well.

    Other than its mountainous physique, Gluttony¡¯s appearance had been truly pitiful until now. It used to look like a gigantic bull, but after becoming Su-hyeun¡¯s summon, it ended up looking like a starving, emaciated calf instead.

    But now, it was regaining its former appearance.

    ¡°It really worked.¡±

    He did think there was some possibility of success, but he didn¡¯t feel confident about it.

    Thankfully, the end result was good enough for him to not regret using up the potions in this way.

    The two summons with comparatively low application rates had now almost regained 100% of their former appearances.

    And just maybe¡­

    ¡°It might be possible to exceed this state,¡± he thought.

    To find out, he needed a lot more of this potion.

    Su-hyeun quickly turned his head toward Ellid, and the moment he was subjected under that intense gaze, the latter understood what the former wanted from him.

    ¡°Hey, are you asking me to go and kill myself?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Su-hyeun belatedly recalled the state Ellid had ended up in while making these four bottles of potion and could only smile sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s true that you were a great help anyway, so no need to sweat over it.¡±

    ¡°I see. In any case, when will the bastard make its move again?¡±

    ¡°No matter how much of a lazy bastard it is, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll start moving around again when its hunger grows too big.¡±

    ¡°Meaning, there¡¯s no way of finding out?¡±

    ¡°Hey, even though I¡¯m a genius, that¡¯s not something I can calculate, you know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something you should say about yourself, though.¡±

    ¡°Well, I got fed up with other people calling me that, you see. Besides, I¡¯m not wrong, anyway.¡±

    Su-hyeun chuckled at Ellid¡¯s reply.

    He wasn¡¯t thinking of disputing that fact, anyway. The level of ability Ellid had shown so far was simply too amazing for that.

    ¡°In that case, how about you use your amazing ability for me once more?¡±

    ¡°You want me to keep teaching you magic?¡± asked Ellid after staring into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    For some reason, Su-hyeun seemed to be a lot more eager than before as he replied, ¡°Time is more precious than gold, isn¡¯t it? Especially more so now.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t try to deny it. In all honesty, he was pressed for time, more so than ever before.

    The length of time he could learn magic from Ellid was already set in stone, and he might not get to meet Ellid ever again after this trial was over.

    And before that time came, Su-hyeun had a need to learn as much about magic as possible from him.

    ¡°Whatever the case may be, magic is somehow related to skills,¡± he said inwardly.

    He had created a skill. Although it was only one, since it did happen, creating two more or even three shouldn¡¯t be impossible now.

    And if he got to figure out the basis of how a skill was created, then maybe, just maybe, he might get to unravel the secret behind the ¡°system¡± applied to not just Su-hyeun but also countless other awakeners out there.

    ¡°You sure do look really motivated, fella.¡±

    Ellid got up from his spot and dusted his hands, and then, he drew a circle in the air before placing his palm on it. When he did¡­

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    ¡°Alright, then.¡±

    The ground below emitted a crimson light, and numerous other magic circles lit up down there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get started right away.¡±

    * * *

    Wriggle, wiggle¡ª

    A humongous, pitch-black mass was shifting around.

    This thing didn¡¯t look like a living creature. Although it writhed in a heartbeat-like pattern, this thing was simply far too large to be seen as a living creature.

    Everything from the mountains to the height of the clouds floating in the skies felt tiny compared to this gigantic black mass.

    ¡°How¡­bother¡­¡±

    Wuuuuong¡ª

    A voice coming out from the black mass reverberated throughout the surrounding atmosphere. The black mass stopped wiggling as the voice finished coming out.

    ¡°¡ªsome¡­¡±

    Drrrrrip¡ª

    Blood dripped down from the black mass.

    This stream of blood pooled on the ground, completely blanketing it. It began to writhe like a living being, before morphing into bizarre shapes next¡ªinto zombies with pitch-black bodies.

    They pushed themselves from off the ground. The volume of the gigantic black mass decreased as much as the amount of blood it had cast off, and its voice also became as smaller.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Wriggle¡ª

    The black mass began wiggling once more.

    At the same time, the zombies born from the ¡°blood¡± began moving as well to answer the will of the black mass, the predator, and to satisfy the appetite of the exceedingly lazy main body.

    ¡°Hun¡­gry¡­¡±

    * * *

    For a while, Su-hyeun¡¯s daily tasks remained largely the same: stop the horde of zombies rushing in and study magic.

    As for Ellid, he taught Su-hyeun magic and created more of those potions with the Death Aura left behind by the zombies.

    And so, 10 days passed them by.

    ¡°How should I interpret this?¡±

    ¡°Is it illusion-type magic? Again?¡±

    ¡°I thought it¡¯d be a good idea to learn more about them.¡±

    ¡°The magic circles for illusion-type magic are easy to modify. They can exhibit a much stronger effect when the applied will is stronger, too. These types affect one¡¯s brains directly, and it can potentially be the basis for creation-type magic¡­¡±

    Whenever Su-hyeun asked a question, Ellid quickly resolved the former¡¯s curiosity. His answers displayed an extremely high degree of understanding of the subject matter.

    Su-hyeun was far more interested in those magic spells that would make up all of his various lacking points rather than the usual attack-type spells.

    And sometimes, he would create a skill after learning the magic in question.

    [Skill: ¡°Clockwork¡± has been acquired.]

    [Clockwork]

    * Magic level: ¡ª

    * LV: 1

    * Proficiency: 0%

    * Either slows or speeds up time in one¡¯s perception. The higher the user¡¯s proficiency, the better the speed of time manipulation will be.

    Ellid became intrigued by the skill Su-hyeun had created.

    ¡°Magic to manipulate time, huh? It¡¯s not a real manipulation of time like Time Barrier, but even considering that, it¡¯s still a pretty useful spell in its own right.¡±

    Ellid was somewhat surprised by the spell Su-hyeun had managed to cook up.

    What he did was, he created a unique spell that interfered with the brain of a living target by combining formulas of various illusion-type magic.

    In reality, the magic itself wasn¡¯t all that amazing, but in terms of application, it would surely prove to be a great help to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°For sure, this guy has real talent.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s talent that Ellid was thinking of was actually not what one would normally associate that word with.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s ability to pour his will into a spell was already highly accomplished, yes, but besides that, his level of understanding of either magic theory or magic circles was simply far too lacking compared to the dragon kind.

    So, Su-hyeun¡¯s talent Ellid was thinking of, was this¡ªhis application of magic.

    ¡°He¡¯s mastering all the spells while thinking about how to utilize them directly in combat. And also¡­¡±

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Ellid watched Su-hyeun activate the ¡°Clockwork¡± skill.

    ¡°The rate of his magic activation and utilization ability in a handful of spells have become absurdly fast, too.¡±

    Ellid couldn¡¯t figure this part out yet, but that was unsurprising.

    Unlike Su-hyeun, Ellid hadn¡¯t detected the existence of the ¡°system¡± yet.

    The magic skill Su-hyeun had created through the system could be used whenever he wanted without resorting to drawing magic circles.

    He didn¡¯t even need to remember the magic circle in his mind, too.

    What about double or triple casting, then?

    As long as he had enough magical energy, firing a barrage of skills wouldn¡¯t be all that difficult, either.

    ¡°I¡¯ve mostly figured out how to create new skills by now, so¡­¡±

    Plop¡ª

    Flip¡ª

    Su-hyeun sat down and opened the pages of a book.

    This tome, which was thicker than the width of his own palm, was a grimoire personally composed by Ellid himself.

    It contained the essence of all the magic Ellid had witnessed and mastered over the years, with its original purpose being a textbook during the intensive learning course meant for the dragon race.

    ¡°Is it alright for you to freely hand out something like this?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t understand everything in it, anyway. And it¡¯s not just for you but for the cub you¡¯re raising, too.¡±

    ¡°Even then¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, that¡¯s a copy. If you happen to run into my people again sometime in the future, I want you to deliver that book to them.¡±

    For sure, he discovered plenty of parts he couldn¡¯t understand while reading the book.

    The system seemed to be helping him since he didn¡¯t have much trouble with reading and interpreting the contents, but when it came to figuring out the meaning behind each line of a magic circle, methods of combining them, and various magic formulas, it proved to be tougher than all the other problems Su-hyeun had come across so far.

    It kind of felt like someone had shoved a whole bunch of university-level mathematics questions in his face when he was only an elementary school student.

    ¡°It¡¯s all seriously difficult.¡±

    He opened the book, hoping to get some pointers but he soon closed it shut again.

    He then let out a soft groan.

    For the time being, he had no choice but to give up on reading other books during his break.

    He couldn¡¯t quite remember the last time he studied this diligently before, but from the looks of things, he might have to return to that lifestyle once more.

    ¡°¡­Ng?¡±

    While in the middle of reading the grimoire, Su-hyeun raised his head and stared in a direction.

    Thud¡ª

    He closed the book¡¯s cover and stood up from the spot, prompting Ellid to turn his head in the same direction as Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that its size is as big as a small country?¡±

    ¡°I did say that.¡±

    Booooom¡ª

    Was that the sound of a footstep?

    No, wait¡ªit was actually the bastard¡¯s sense of presence. Not a physical sound that one¡¯s ears could hear but the massive pressure and presence the creature gave off caused the sensation.

    Those things were heavy enough to make one think that they were actually hearing the sounds.

    However¡­

    ¡°However, if that bastard is so huge, we should be able to see him with our own eyes, no?¡±

    ¡°It certainly is strange. To think that we can¡¯t see it even though it¡¯s come so close to our position.¡±

    Boooom¡ª

    Its steps were slow, but with every step taken, it came closer by dozens of meters.

    Su-hyeun activated the Sage¡¯s Eye and stared into the far-off distance. That¡¯s when he discovered a single black spot in the middle of the empty desert.

    It was that creature.

    ¡°¡­Is that the one?¡±

    Ellid replied, ¡°The vibe it¡¯s giving off seems similar¡­and it feels similar, too, but it now looks different from before.¡±

    ¡°I hope there aren¡¯t several of such creatures out there.¡±

    ¡°No, just one. And you shouldn¡¯t look down too much on a dragon¡¯s gut feeling.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on here, but¡­¡±

    Shu-rung¡ª

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun immediately started walking toward the creature.

    ¡°As we¡¯ve discussed earlier¡­¡±

    Grip¡ª

    He gripped the sword harder and narrowed his eyes while enveloping himself in a dense killing intent.

    ¡°For now, I shall have a go at it by myself first.¡±

 Chapter 351

    Act 8

    Plow¡ª

    Its feet sunk into the sand below.

    Even taking a single step was so annoying for the black humanoid silhouette, the predator, but it continued to stagger forward.

    ¡°So¡­annoying¡­¡±

    Moving around was just too bothersome.

    It didn¡¯t want to do anything. Unfortunately, a different type of desire had reared its head, ensuring that it had to move.

    ¡°Hun¡­gry¡­¡±

    Its hunger was a desire that it had forgotten about for a long, long time.

    Its ego or all of its desires wouldn¡¯t simply disappear into the ether because of how lazy it was. Now that its starvation had reached its peak, the predator had no choice but to move.

    Even then, its steps were slow and dull. Even to this moment, the predator¡¯s body was being ruled by its indolence.

    ¡°So¡­anno¡­ying¡­?¡±

    The predator¡¯s meandering steps suddenly came to a halt.

    Someone was coming.

    ¡°You¡¯ve become really small now,¡± muttered Su-hyeun after checking out the predator¡¯s current size.

    Quite different from what he had been told, this predator¡¯s size was only a little larger than a young kid. It was a black mass that looked like a person only about 160 centimeters tall but had no facial features like eyes, nose, or mouth.

    ¡°Anno¡­ying¡­¡±

    Shu-arhk¡ª

    Just before the predator could walk past Su-hyeun¡¯s side, though, his sword rapidly slashed toward the creature¡¯s throat.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    The predator¡¯s figure disappeared from the spot. After slicing apart the black air current remaining there, Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze shifted to his side.

    That was fast.

    Those excruciatingly slow-moving legs had moved at a speed almost undetectable by naked eyes.

    ¡°You¡­annoying¡­¡±

    ¡°Either say the full sentences or say it quickly, will you?¡± Su-hyeun tutted briefly before raising his sword up again.

    First of all, he confirmed it to be fast, but was that all it had to offer in hand-to-hand combat? It was hard to tell.

    ¡°Still, I should be able to estimate it.¡±

    Ba-dump¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s heart began beating harder and faster.

    ¡°Just by how much¡­has the gap closed up?¡±

    The predator¡ªthe antithesis of the gods, completed after it devoured a world, was an existence that had failed to become a god and ended up as a monster instead.

    Just like Fafnir.

    ¡°Okay, for the time being, let¡¯s not think about what Sir Ellid has told me.¡±

    Ellid told Su-hyeun that the predator used its Death Aura, sheer size, and countless tentacles to fight.

    The tentacles that shot out from its massive lump-like body, which were made of Death Aura apparently, possessed such incredible destructive might that even Ellid found them difficult to block with his magic.

    But right now, this creature had a completely different outer appearance.

    It wasn¡¯t all that hard to figure out why, though.

    ¡°Those zombies. Were they like this bastard¡¯s excretion or something?¡±

    If this creature was originally as large as Ellid had said and those zombies came out from this thing¡¯s body, then¡­

    Su-hyeun had fought off all those countless zombies until now, so he could guess up to a certain point.

    But the real issue was with ¡°why.¡±

    ¡°The meaning of him getting rid of all the excretion¡­¡±

    Snap¡ª

    While taking a step toward the predator, Su-hyeun snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Something about the bastard must¡¯ve changed.¡±

    Pa-pa-pow¡ª!

    A chain of explosions went off where the predator was standing.

    The explosions were strong enough to burn your average monsters to death, but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t think the predator would be damaged from an attack of such a level.

    And as he suspected¡­

    ¡°You¡­annoying¡­¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    The predator walked out of the explosions in lazy steps.

    There wasn¡¯t even a hint of burn marks on that creature¡¯s pitch-black body. However, rows of pure-white teeth showed up on its face.

    ¡°But you¡­dangerous¡­¡±

    Pahk¡ª

    Whoosh, ka-boom¡ª!

    Kwa-dudududuk¡ª

    The predator rushed in and kicked the top of Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. The latter was shoved far back, and only by pressing his free hand down on the ground did he manage to dissipate the impact force.

    Kwa-wuuuuu¡ª!

    At the same time, the predator slammed its foot down on the ground, kicking up an almighty dust storm that rose up beyond the desert clouds above.

    Numb, buzz¡ª

    ¡°What strength¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know how the bastard would attack by using all that Death Aura wrapped around its body, so he had been on full alert just now.

    But then, that strike just now¡­

    It was so strong and fast that he almost didn¡¯t believe such a small body had produced it.

    ¡°Well, this is no joke, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    Just one exchange and Su-hyeun became certain of it.

    This creature was a certifiable ¡°monster.¡±

    He initially wondered that it might have gotten weaker after shrinking down in size. However, he was so wrong about that.

    Grit, crunch¡ª

    Veins bulged on Su-hyeun¡¯s arm.

    At the same time, his figure became a blurry line that shot straight toward his target.

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Craaash¡ª!

    His sword scythed past the air and cut down on the predator¡¯s waist. However, the noise that resulted from the attack wasn¡¯t metal cutting into soft flesh but a blunt impact noise usually associated with hard objects colliding.

    His fluster lasted only for a moment.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure again dashed toward the predator that had been sent flying.

    Pow, pa-pow¡ª!

    Crash, bang¡ª!

    Kwa-dudududuk, rumble¡ª

    A series of purple-colored flames exploded, and a dozen-plus sword strikes accurately landed on the body of the predator.

    And for the last strike, he aimed to slice open its chest and slammed his sword down as hard as he could, all the while suffusing the divine Flame into the blade.

    Split¡ª!

    He followed that up with a powerful kick, sending the predator far up in the air once more.

    Su-hyeun visually confirmed the sword wound inflicted on the predator¡¯s body and furrowed his brows deeply.

    ¡°That thing¡¯s stupidly sturdy.¡±

    While he was hitting the creature, Su-hyeun got the sensation akin to hitting forged steel with a wooden stick.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as if that thing doesn¡¯t have any Gyeol, but¡­¡±

    However, the predator didn¡¯t leave its Gyeol unguarded even in the middle of getting pummeled by him. It actually tilted its body ever so slightly whenever Su-hyeun¡¯s blade tried to cut its Gyeol down, thereby escaping from the range of the attack just enough.

    ¡°Is it instinct, I wonder?¡±

    The bastard didn¡¯t look like a deep thinker.

    The only reason why the predator, which was seemingly made up of lumps of laziness, chose to attack Su-hyeun was that it knew that the latter wouldn¡¯t move out of its way.

    The creature was starving. Currently, its desire to devour something had overruled its laziness.

    To flip that around, it would not do anything else until that desire had been satisfied.

    ¡°Things just got really annoying.¡±

    It might have been better if the bastard had maintained its huge size because it would have been slow-moving due to its size, and Su-hyeun could have taken his time attacking it in a guerilla warfare style.

    However, against an enemy that fought back in such patterns, he would have no choice but to completely alter his strategy.

    In the end¡­

    ¡°Fighting it head-on.¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Baaaang¡ª!

    A pitch-black line descended from the sky and aimed for Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    Ka-gak, creeeak¡ª

    Su-hyeun used his sword to defend against the ¡°hand¡± of the predator and muttered to himself, ¡°That¡¯s the only option left, huh?¡±

    Kyah-aaaaaah¡ª!

    Wuuu-uuuung¡ª

    Paaaaah¡ª

    Along with the predator¡¯s screech, an incredible amount of Death Aura spread out to the surroundings. The impact force caused the sand particles to fly away in a wide circle.

    Puh-hahk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure flew up into the air.

    Thankfully, he had plenty of immunity against the Death Aura.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that I enhanced my stamina earlier.¡±

    This creature¡¯s defenses didn¡¯t look like it would be broken through easily. His gut feeling said that lots of impacts would have to be overlaid on top for a long time.

    In the meantime, he would have to evade and defend against the predator¡¯s attacks, all the while not forgetting to hit the enemy a lot to accumulate damage over time.

    That was the victory condition for this battle.

    ¡°If the fight drags on¡­¡±

    Grip¡ª

    Su-hyeun tightened his grip on the sword as his eyes gleamed sharply.

    ¡°I will win.¡±

    * * *

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Ku-gugugugu¡ª

    Whenever two distant blurry lines collided, the resulting shockwave rippled everywhere.

    By now, dozens of deep craters pockmarked this expansive desert landscape, flanked by countless smaller holes. As for the black clouds overhead, they had been sliced apart into many smaller bits a while ago.

    Ellid was furrowing his brows while busy blocking out the shockwaves generated by those two who had been fighting nonstop.

    ¡°It¡¯s already been half a day.¡±

    How could anyone be able to fight so intensely for this long?

    Speed, strength, and the management of magical energy¡­

    The reaction speed necessary to block and dodge the opponent¡¯s attack, and also to counter it¡­

    Finally, the level of concentration and mental strength to merge all of those points together¡­

    Ellid was well aware of how excellent Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities were by now, but even then, he didn¡¯t expect the latter to fight on such a level.

    On the other hand, he was also surprised by the predator currently opposing Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Just how many times did it get struck by that attack by now?¡±

    That previously huge body had shrunken down to a much, much smaller size.

    Obviously, its strength must have become concentrated, and its body was so much sturdier as a result. Not a single part of its body had been severed or cut open despite getting struck hundreds, no, thousands of times by Su-hyeun¡¯s sword.

    There were plenty of small nicks on its body, but without a doubt, nothing had been sliced apart yet.

    ¡°Even if the scale is tautly balanced, there are no perfectly equal weights in this world.¡±

    Especially more so when it wasn¡¯t about a balancing scale that simply measured the weight difference but an actual battle where many complicated variables were at play.

    Physical strength, stamina, speed, reflex, magical energy, adaptability, and tactical acumen, as well as many different magic spells¡­

    The answer to which way the scale would start tipping due to the weights affected by all those variables was bound to reveal itself after a long time of fighting.

    And then¡­

    ¡°The moment the scale starts to tilt¡­¡±

    As per Su-hyeun¡¯s request, Ellid continued to watch to make sure that the scale wasn¡¯t tipping in the predator¡¯s favor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a move right away.¡±

    * * *

    Bang, ka-boom¡ª!

    Split¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword slammed into the predator¡¯s waist once more.

    It was literally slamming into the creature, not cutting it open.

    Kah-ahk¡ª!

    The predator screeched out.

    The bastard that hadn¡¯t let out a squeak began displaying some reactions from about 30 minutes ago, which could only mean that the impact forces had accumulated by now.

    ¡°Envelop and¡­¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    As soon as Su-hyeun opened his mouth, pure-white clouds suddenly enveloped the body of the predator.

    ¡°Strike, Somersault cloud.¡±

    Kwa-zizizizizizik¡ª!

    The clouds that wrapped around the predator¡¯s body struck it with lightning bolts, and Su-hyeun immediately dashed forward to cut down on the predator¡¯s Gyeol.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    It was right at that moment that the predator¡¯s figure drew a black line and exploded forward.

    Its fist looked humongous in his vision.

    While swinging his sword to cut open the predator¡¯s chest, Su-hyeun also punched with his left fist.

    [Damage Counter]

    [Reflect]

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Crunch¡ª

    Their fists collided against each other and got flung back in opposite directions. Although the punching power was similar, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword continued to travel forward and managed to slice into the predator¡¯s body.

    Ka-gagagak¡ª

    CLANG¡ª!

    The predator flew up after getting struck by the sword. However, rather amazingly, it reached out and grasped the empty air to stop its body from flying away.

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice trick.¡±

    Su-hyeun dusted his hand.

    He wondered that if his strength stat hadn¡¯t risen up by one point, just how would he go about solving this battle?

    He barely managed to equal the creature¡¯s strength by mixing in the impact-reflecting magic he had acquired recently during the battle.

    The predator was also superior to him in speed, but its attacks were so straightforward and easy to read that he had no problem dodging or blocking them for now.

    However, not a single mistake was allowed during this battle.

    If he got injured greatly because of some simple mistake, then this battle would instantly become something really difficult from that moment onward.

    On the other hand¡­

    ¡°I need to make sure damages keep accumulating on it.¡±

    Fuu-wuu¡ª

    Su-hyeun exhaled at length.

    It¡¯s been half a day.

    What a tediously long battle this had been so far.

    Had he ever fought against a single monster for this long before? He couldn¡¯t remember.

    ¡°Is it my first time?¡±

    It seemed that way.

    Not all that surprising, really.

    This type of battle wasn¡¯t Su-hyeun¡¯s preferred way of fighting, to begin with. If it was him using the guerilla tactic to fight against countless many monsters, then he wouldn¡¯t care much about it, but to think that he would be fighting against a single monster in a single location for this long.

    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the matter with it now¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes and stared at the predator.

    The creature that didn¡¯t hold back and attacked Su-hyeun for half a day straight had suddenly stopped moving and was simply hovering in the air.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it moving?¡±

    Crack¡ª

    It was at that very moment that Su-hyeun had spotted a small crack on that creature after looking at it with the Sage¡¯s Eye.

    Finally, its Gyeol had split open.

    ¡°That sure took a while,¡± Su-hyeun smirked deeply.

    He believed that there would be a reaction of some kind, and he thought that said reaction was pretty slow to come.

    Still, what a relief it was¡ªa relief that it didn¡¯t take too long in the end.

 Chapter 352: Chapter 352

    Act 9

    Without a doubt, this was an illogical battle.

    Things might have been different if Su-hyeun brought out his everything and fought without holding back.

    He would have been able to attack much faster and much more furiously, after all.

    He could have used the Somersault cloud to continuously seal off the enemy¡¯s movements, all the while hitting it with lightning bolts, and then strike rapidly with the Palm Leaf on top¡­

    And then, by spreading the divine Flame everywhere to secure his territory and ruling over it, he could have continuously heated up the enemy¡¯s body and create an advantageous environment for himself.

    Besides this tactic, he could have performed a barrage of different magic spells or land a powerful impact force in an instant and so on.

    However¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to tell when its defenses will be overcome, so¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun chose not to take such a gamble.

    His opponent was a predator. It was on a whole other realm from the other creatures he had been fighting until now, the ¡°preys.¡±

    As such, there was simply no way that he wouldn¡¯t contemplate what was to come.

    ¡°I figured out most of its attack and defensive power, as well as its speed. As for the Death Aura¡¯s corrosive factor, that won¡¯t work on me. Which means¡­¡±

    The conclusion wasn¡¯t hard to get to.

    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s a protracted battle, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Correct distribution of stamina and magical energy, and then, fight the drawn-out battle¡­

    He aimed to continue hitting the enemy until that horrifyingly tough body broke down, and to achieve his goal, Su-hyeun had been staying at his highest level of concentration for half a day straight.

    Crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes caught the sight of a crack that appeared in the predator¡¯s body.

    That wound did not regenerate. It was not that hard to tell that the creature¡¯s stamina had been depleted by a lot from how the predator wasn¡¯t moving at all.

    ¡°That¡¯s my opening.¡±

    Su-hyeun extended his hand toward the predator. At the same time, a magic circle drawn out with black lines floated on his hand.

    Chwa-ruru, chwa-ru¡ª

    [Chain of Darkness¡ªPrey Hunting]

    The magic circle devoured his magical energy and Death Aura to produce lengthy and thick chains.

    They quickly extended out and tightened around the predator¡¯s body. When the chains bound its arms and legs, as well as its torso, and even its neck, the creature suddenly began screeching out.

    Kyah-aaaah¡ª!

    CLANG¡ª

    Along with that enraged howl, the black chains shook around violently.

    Creeeak¡ª

    Clang, snap¡ª

    When the predator strengthened its arms and legs, the sturdy and thick chains simply snapped apart oh so easily.

    It all happened in the blink of an eye. However, Su-hyeun took advantage of that brief moment and made his move.

    CLANG¡ª!

    Kha-aaahk¡ª!

    For the first time ever during this fight, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword sliced open the enemy¡¯s Gyeol.

    Crack¡ª

    The thin crack that appeared on the predator¡¯s body opened up even further. It was the result of suffering the impact on its ¡°Gyeol¡± while it had been exposed to accumulated damage.

    Also, for the first time, Su-hyeun felt the correct sensation in his hand that was gripping the sword.

    With that, he became certain. There was no reason to conserve his strength and fight a protracted battle anymore.

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    Gugugugu¡ª

    Undead creatures began rising up all around Su-hyeun.

    From Prince Nezha and Gluttony that had consumed the potions and became much stronger to the Chief Gatekeeper, Ouroboros, and Hydra, countless other undead revealed themselves in full, all the while looking almost like their original appearances.

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    [Flame¡ªLand of Fire]

    The desert was instantly enveloped in gigantic indigo-hued flames.

    The sand particles were heated up by the scorching temperature, and smoke began rising up from the feet of the predator standing on them.

    It showed no signs of suffering from the heat, but there was no way that it would feel fine while it was stuck in this environment.

    The creature had already received quite a lot of blows by now. This heat would surely accumulate diligently within the creature¡¯s body and, at a certain given moment, start cooking it alive from the inside.

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s blade was heated up into a purple hue.

    ¡°Well then¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun signaled with his hand. At the same time, Prince Nezha, Gluttony, and the other undead started moving forward.

    Guwuaaaaahk¡ª!

    Gluttony¡¯s massive mouth closed in to swallow up the predator. The latter didn¡¯t move and simply seemingly stared at the incoming undead.

    Swallow¡ª

    Gluttony successfully swallowed up the predator and tried to move its mouth to chew the creature but then¡­

    Crunch, cruuuunch¡ª

    Spliiit¡ª

    The predator ripped open Gluttony¡¯s lower jaw with its hands and emerged outside again. However, what waited for it was a huge shadow cast over its head.

    ¡°What¡­is¡­?¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    The massive Yogoe Beating Mace descended on top of its head, but after slamming that weapon down, a faint little expression formed on Prince Nezha¡¯s face.

    It was puzzlement, and soon, the reason for such an expression revealed itself.

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    Bang¡ª!

    The Yogoe Beating Mace was lifted up again, but Prince Nezha wasn¡¯t the one doing the lifting.

    The truth was, the weapon had been pushed up from below.

    ¡°So¡­ many¡­¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Baaaang¡ª!

    However, the moment the predator shoved the Yogoe Beating Mace away, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword flew in toward it instead.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Kya-aaahk¡ª!

    The purple-hued divine Flame entered the sliced-open crack of the predator. The creature screamed after the sword attack struck it dead-on, and the scorching heat entered its body.

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun powerfully grabbed the predator¡¯s throat. He gripped so hard that the creature couldn¡¯t even squeak out a sound before lifting up the predator in the air and slamming it straight into the ground below.

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    The desert sand exploded up.

    The predator¡¯s body that was stuck in the ground got buried under the falling sand. At the same time, the summoned creatures directly leaped into the crater where the creature was still buried.

    Kyah-aaaaah¡ª!

    Crunch, ku-gugugugu¡ª

    Hydra spat out powerful toxins, while the Chief Gatekeeper swung its massive steel ball. Ouroboros slammed its tail down, while the Yogoe Slaying Sword¡¯s crushing blow extended out to its target.

    Lastly, Gluttony opened its giant mouth once more and tried to devour the predator. Its mouth had already fully recovered by then after absorbing Su-hyeun¡¯s Death Aura.

    But right at that moment¡­

    Pu-haaaahk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s summons were torn into pieces and got blown away from the sand crater where the predator was buried in. Gluttony and Prince Nezha seemed to have managed to withstand the impact force somehow because they answered Su-hyeun¡¯s will to quickly create a great distance from the creature.

    Bang¡ª

    The predator¡¯s figure floated up in the air.

    Su-hyeun watched the creature from a bit of a distance away.

    Countless purple-lines could be seen on its pitch-black body now. It reminded him of a previously sturdy vase about to shatter at any second.

    ¡°A little more push.¡±

    Grip¡ª

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun enveloped his sword in the divine Flame.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Soon after that, hot winds blew across the ground covered in the divine Flame. The predator seemed to have sensed that something dangerous was afoot because it suddenly began dashing rapidly toward Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Rip that thing apart¡­¡±

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun held the sword with both of his hands. Huge roaring winds engulfed the flames and created a sharp blade.

    Poooow¡ª!

    The predator¡¯s figure rapidly closed in.

    However, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t planning to dodge or block that.

    The creature¡¯s hand extended toward Su-hyeun¡¯s throat. Even though he saw that, he didn¡¯t deviate his sword swing from its original intended direction and pressed on.

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Puuu-hwaaaaak¡ª!

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    The winds made the flames burn even more violently. The scorching conflagration became sharp blades that spun around like a tornado to stop the predator¡¯s figure right there on the spot.

    Creaaack, screeeech¡ª

    The predator¡¯s extended hand slowly inched toward Su-hyeun. However, just before it could touch his throat, its arm faltered weakly to the ground.

    ¡°So¡­annoying¡­¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun cocked his arm back, and a blue-lined magic circle materialized above his clenched fist.

    [Earthquake¡ªTremor]

    RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    CRACK¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s punch, along with the tremor focused on a single point, slammed into the predator¡¯s head. Then, the monster¡¯s body was powerfully flung away.

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª!

    Gu-wuwuwuwu¡ª

    The predator flew away for several kilometers before crashing into the ground, kicking up an almighty dust storm. Su-hyeun blew at his numb-feeling fist and dusted it off.

    ¡°Man, that thing¡¯s seriously tough, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    The divine Flame spread around the surroundings dissipated.

    He sensed a distinct feeling in his fist. It was the shattering of a hard shell into bits, which had definitely been transmitted to his hand just then.

    ¡°With that much, maybe¡­¡±

    Maybe it had died.

    Logically speaking, it had to be dead. The bastard had already been weakened considerably, after all. On top of that, Su-hyeun had confirmed the changes to the creature¡¯s body just now, too.

    ¡°Its whole body showed up as its weakness.¡±

    Through the power of Sage¡¯s Eye, he took a look at the creature¡¯s Gyeol.

    The Gyeol indicated where one should cut or hit to inflict the most amount of damage. Meaning, it didn¡¯t matter where Su-hyeun hit the creature, his attack would still prove to be fatal. That was why he didn¡¯t worry about where to hit and powerfully struck the predator in the head.

    However, for some strange reason, he didn¡¯t feel confident at all.

    ¡°Something¡¯s still¡­¡±

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Kyaa-aaaaaah¡ª!

    The first thing to shoot past Su-hyeun was an incredibly huge ripple of energy. He hurriedly raised his arms to block it, and a beat later, the predator¡¯s loud screech resounded next.

    ¡°I knew it.¡±

    That thing was still alive.

    Not only was it sturdy but its vitality was also top-tier.

    Unfortunately, out of the two guesses in his mind¡ª¡±it must be dead from all those attacks,¡± and ¡°it¡¯s probably not dead yet¡±¡ªthe truth turned out to be the latter.

    Su-hyeun dashed toward the predator once more, but when he stepped on the desert sand to fly forward¡­

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    He came to a temporary halt because he discovered a huge black ¡°matter¡± in the distance.

    His expression crumpled instantly.

    That previously small bastard was growing back in size, it seemed.

    * * *

    Flap¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    Ellid discovered the predator beginning to enlarge itself again, so he spread his wings and flew to where Su-hyeun was.

    Miru accompanied the elder dragon as well after having been apart from Su-hyeun during the battle. Even though the red dragon had gone through giantification, it was still only about one-fifth of Ellid¡¯s total size.

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°And you really won.¡±

    ¡°No, I still haven¡¯t defeated it yet.¡±

    While replying like that, Su-hyeun pointed at the predator in the distance.

    The black matter taking on a truly bizarre appearance was grotesquely writhing around while still getting larger. Su-hyeun could tell that what they were seeing now was the true appearance of the gigantic predator that Ellid had mentioned earlier.

    ¡°No, you¡¯ve won, judging from that thing¡¯s state. That bastard is simply going on its final desperate struggle, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Gya-ooong¡ª

    Miru energetically nodded to say that Ellid was right.

    Su-hyeun simply shrugged his shoulders as his reply, though. Even if they said that, in all honesty, he didn¡¯t think it was already over.

    ¡°By the way, why did you guys come over here? Just like you said, I haven¡¯t lost yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, that looked a little too dangerous, you see. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll lose at this point, but even then, there¡¯s a slight issue¡­¡±

    While saying that, Ellid looked behind them.

    The village was currently being protected by the solid wall of ice dozens of meters thick, as well as the magic circle Ellid had set up earlier, but the amount of energy gushing out from the predator before their eyes had already gone past the level of worrisome by now.

    If and when such an intense amount of Death Aura was unleashed on all of the surroundings, then even though Su-hyeun and Ellid might be fine, the ice wall protecting the village could melt down in an instant.

    ¡°It seems that getting rid of that thing as soon as possible might be in our best interest. Even I can¡¯t tell just by how much larger that thing will grow.¡±

    ¡°I was already planning to do so, anyway.¡±

    ¡°But I thought you were taking a break due to your fatigue? You¡¯ve been staying still for a while now.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t being still, actually.¡±

    Rumble, grumbleeee¡ª

    Su-hyeun raised his head and looked up. ¡°I was preparing that.¡±

    ¡°Preparing¡­?¡±

    Ellid followed after Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze and looked up as well.

    Dark, murky clouds had drifted into the pitch-black skies. If this was any other time, Ellid would have dismissed them as simply regular clouds, but right now, he could tell that they were anything but ordinary.

    Ellid quietly observed, ¡°Now that I see it, the entire the sky has¡­¡±

    The cloud cover had blanketed everywhere.

    Just how far did this cloud cover extend to? These clouds densely covering the skies were rapidly churning and tumbling as if they were forming a typhoon.

    ¡°N¡ªno, wait. They aren¡¯t moving away.¡±

    Rumble, Ku-rururu¡ª

    Ellid¡¯s eyes progressively opened wider and wider as the clouds churned while letting out a furious grumble as if they were enraged right now.

    ¡°They are gathering above this guy¡¯s head.¡±

 Chapter 353

    * * *

    At a casual glance, those clouds might have come across as merely ordinary.

    No, wait¡ªeven in the eyes of regular people, those clouds wouldn¡¯t have looked ordinary at all. Those thick clouds would be something only seen in truly terrible weather where thick raindrops fell mercilessly while powerful gale-force winds blew about in anger.

    However, not many people out there would imagine that such a weather phenomenon had been artificially created by someone.

    ¡°I think I can tell why this guy was so good at magic from the beginning,¡± Ellid thought.

    Just how much willpower would one need in order to command all those clouds?

    It would not be easy at all to use magical means to create, then control, all those clouds. This power currently on display was basically flipping the law of nature on its head.

    Yet, Su-hyeun was making that into reality.

    ¡°Just stay back and watch, please.¡±

    Drip¡ª

    Sweat drops trickled down Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead.

    Not too long afterward, the predator¡¯s ever-growing body became so big that it could touch his nose, so to speak.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to finish this for real now.¡±

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun reached up with his hand before clenching his fist tightly.

    ¡°Destroy it.¡±

    Flash¡ª!

    The entire world was dyed in a pale-yellow light.

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    RUUUUMBLEEEEE¡ª!

    The noise came after that.

    The arcs of electricity shooting out from the thick stormy clouds poured down on top of the predator¡¯s body like falling raindrops. Light flashed hundreds, no, thousands of times, and the sounds of the heaven and earth being ripped up exploded nonstop.

    The world seemed to have become bright white, although some flashes of color could still be spied every now and then.

    The predator¡¯s body split apart and began burning away.

    Ellid hurriedly used one of his wings to shield himself and protected Miru with his other wing.

    ¡°What kind of power is this¡­?!¡±

    This was definitely not magic. He hadn¡¯t taught Su-hyeun this kind of magic before.

    This was like witnessing a god sending his divine retribution to the ground below.

    Ku-rurururu¡ª

    The deluge of thunderbolts gradually died down. Soon after that, the view out front was restored back to normal.

    Su-hyeun lowered his hand that had been extended to the sky and wiped the streams of sweat off his forehead.

    Fuu-wuu¡ª

    He tasted something bittersweet in his lengthy sigh.

    The battle had lasted for half a day. On top of that, he had to pour out all of his strength at once to command the Somersault cloud.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve used the Somersault cloud to this extent.¡±

    The Somersault cloud was different from the Palm Leaf in that it was far less sophisticated and had ¡°heavier¡± power.

    He could quickly use minor techniques like surrounding himself with clouds to protect and defend his body, but if he wanted to fire off thunderbolts containing this much level of firepower, then he had to make preparations first.

    He could call forth lots of storm clouds above and store up enough power and then manifest his will afterward. This process was definitely not short at all, so, realistically speaking, it would be hard to use lightning attacks with this much power during combat situations.

    Still¡­

    ¡°Somehow, I made it.¡±

    The predator had no clue about this part of Su-hyeun¡¯s abilities, and thanks to that, he was given enough time to summon the clouds.

    The end result was visible for all to see.

    Sizzle, crackle¡ª

    Rumble, tumble¡ª

    The debris of the predator was strewn about everywhere on the ground.

    Flames were burning on the bits of its black flesh, while its main body, which had been cracked and split apart, was writhing weakly on the ground before lifelessly slumping on the hot sand.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally over,¡± Ellid muttered while staring at the debris.

    It was really finally over now.

    * * *

    The trial didn¡¯t end right away. The goal of the trial wasn¡¯t to eliminate the predator but to protect the village, after all.

    Still, the trial was as good as over by then.

    The predator was dead, and Ellid already knew a way to revive the world that had been eaten away by the creature. As long as the Death Aura blanketing the skies and the land below was removed, the world would eventually regain its original appearance, and the magical energy would regenerate as well.

    Despite the village going through a huge commotion, Su-hyeun returned to his rest area and plopped down on the bedding.

    ¡°That might have been really bad.¡±

    He had no strength left in his body.

    While fighting against the predator, he made sure to correctly apportion his magical energy and stamina so that he could fight for a long time without tiring himself out. However, while in the middle of doing that, he couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved by the fact that he chose to raise his stamina stat.

    ¡°If I had chosen to increase my agility stat, then the battle would¡¯ve turned against me in no time.¡±

    It was indeed a fairly great advantage to be able to move around faster than before.

    Power and speed¡ªthese two things were the most basic requirements for close-quarter battle, after all.

    However, it was ¡°stamina¡± that played the role of supporting those two requirements. Especially more so in protracted battles like this, greater stamina was a must-have.

    No matter how strong you were, there was a clear and large difference between being able to punch only once or a hundred consecutive times.

    ¡°Did I get lucky, though?¡±

    He didn¡¯t think about this point during the battle itself. All he cared about was hitting the enemy as much as possible and then dodging or defending against the enemy¡¯s attacks.

    If he thought he was about to get hit, he injected magical energy into his armor and wrapped the Somersault cloud around his body. The attacks had been straightforward and without variations, so thankfully, it didn¡¯t prove to be difficult to dodge or defend.

    However, the predator had been way too fast.

    If he had allowed even one attack to land, then it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to see a hole open up in his body.

    What if they fought again?

    ¡°I wonder.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t tell whether it was purely down to his skill or simply a positive outcome that was borne out of his excellent condition at the time that allowed him to prevent all attacks from landing on him.

    It seemed that the battle wasn¡¯t as easy as he thought it was, seeing how he didn¡¯t feel confident about reaching the same conclusion if they had fought one more time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore.¡±

    Su-hyeun stopped organizing his thoughts and, while scratching his head, sat back up on the bed.

    Honestly, he was reasonably confident. He had become stronger, after all, and not in the simple meaning of that word either. Everyone had already acknowledged that Su-hyeun was strong by now. For instance, even Ellid, who was referred to as the dragon emperor, wouldn¡¯t be able to refute that claim.

    He had acquired qualifications of godhood: strength, stamina, and fire.

    He had even obtained the Somersault cloud and Palm Leaf that could be seen as quite high levels of godhood in their own right as well.

    Unless you were on the level of the Bull Demon King, you couldn¡¯t call Su-hyeun weak anymore.

    However, Su-hyeun becoming stronger was all relative.

    There was Fafnir. What Su-hyeun needed was the strength that could assure him of his victory against Fafnir when he compared the gap existing between them.

    But at the moment¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not confident.¡±

    He didn¡¯t get the assurance that he had become strong enough for that.

    He lied down and rested for a little while, allowing enough of his stamina to regenerate. It was all due to him not getting greatly injured in the first place.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to take a long break, though.¡±

    Ten days remained until the end of the trial.

    The predator was gone now, and the village had Ellid as well.

    There shouldn¡¯t be a monster capable of shattering the magic circle, so it would be fine to assume that nothing else would pose danger to the villagers.

    In that case, during the remaining time, he should¡­

    ¡°I should work hard and devour all the remaining scraps.¡±

    Su-hyeun got up from the bed.

    There was too little time left for him to waste lying down.

    * * *

    He entrusted the protection of the village to Miru.

    Ellid went out to refine the Death Aura and turn it into those potions. As for Su-hyeun, he too went some distance away to absorb the Death Aura on his own, and once his stamina fell, he returned to the village and studied magic.

    [Death Aura has risen by 1.]

    [Death Aura has risen by 1.]

    [Death Aura has¡­]

    The stat continued to rise slowly but constantly, and from a certain point, he temporarily gave up on studying magic and focused solely on improving his stat.

    However, it stopped rising higher after reaching a certain point.

    [Death Aura: 98]

    It said 98. Although he didn¡¯t expect it to reach the triple-digit figure, he did feel somewhat rueful at the number that still managed to exceed his expectation.

    If only it had risen by one more point¡­

    Just one more point and the Death Aura stat could¡¯ve reached the three-digit mark with the help of ¡°God¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped, I guess.¡±

    Even after he drank 10 potions and continued to absorb the Death Aura from the surroundings, the stat didn¡¯t change at all.

    It was the same as pouring water into a cup already filled to the brim. Unless the cup itself got larger, the stat couldn¡¯t get any higher.

    After that, Su-hyeun yielded all the potions Ellid had created to his summons.

    From a certain point in time, Prince Nezha and Gluttony no longer enjoyed the effects of the potions, so he chose to enhance his other summons from that moment on.

    And so, 10 days passed by like that.

    [Remaining time: 00:07:55]

    The end was almost here.

    ¡°Thank you for everything.¡±

    Su-hyeun went to visit Ellid and deeply bowed his head.

    Despite the sudden goodbye, Ellid didn¡¯t get flustered. He simply patted Miru on the head and replied nonchalantly as if the expected event had finally come, ¡°If you leave, you won¡¯t come back here, I assume?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good possibility.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re not sure.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re correct.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru cried out ruefully at what Ellid said.

    The two had gradually gotten close during their stay. To Miru who hadn¡¯t met its kin before, Ellid was not only its very distant ancestor but, in a way, its real family as well.

    However, Ellid was still a family member that they had not met for a lifetime, and there existed a small wall between Miru and the elder red dragon as a result.

    That wall was slowly crumbling away during the period of one month, but it still hadn¡¯t completely broken down yet.

    ¡°Do take good care of this child and the treasure of our race as well.¡±

    ¡°When you say treasure, are you talking about the Cintamani?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯ll help this child out a lot in the future.¡± Ellid gently patted Miru¡¯s head before looking back at Su-hyeun. ¡°Just like the sword you¡¯re using, actually.¡±

    Su-hyeun looked at the sword mounted on his hip when Ellid said that.

    The sword Ellid was referring to could only be the Palm Leaf.

    ¡°Does that mean the Cintamani is similar to the Palm Leaf?¡± he thought.

    Both the Palm Leaf and Somersault cloud were proofs of godhood. Just like the divine Flame Su-hyeun possessed, they were items with innate godhood.

    ¡°This child will realize how to use it in time. It¡¯s unknown when that will be, but it will happen without a doubt.¡±

    ¡°Miru will figure it out?¡±

    ¡°Only red dragons like us will know how to control the Cintamani. I¡¯m too old and at death¡¯s doorstep already anyway, so it¡¯s not right for me to demand it back, which means, this child will have to keep taking good care of it moving on.¡±

    Ellid didn¡¯t seem to have any attachments to the Cintamani.

    From Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective, this was a good thing. Whatever the case might have been, he had received a lot from Ellid already.

    ¡°Thank you for the grimoire. I¡¯ll use it well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my disciple, so you better work hard to not embarrass me.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re about to leave, then.¡±

    When Ellid said that, Su-hyeun took a look at his own body. It was getting blurrier. The same thing was happening to Miru as well.

    Ellid waved his hand at them. ¡°Do have a safe trip.¡±

    [You have cleared the 103rd floor¡¯s trial.]

    [You have acquired 30,000,000 achievement points.]

    [Achievement progress is being analyzed.]

    [You have acquired 20,000,000 additional achievement points.]

    [Magic Count has risen by 1.]

    [Death Aura has risen by 1.]

    [Will you transfer to the next floor?]

    * * *

    It was a peaceful world.

    The sky above was clear, and the clouds up there moved so lazily that watching them float away would make anyone doze off.

    Su-hyeun stood on the spot for a little while and stared at the sky before taking a look at his new surroundings.

    He was in a quaint little village with small buildings about twice his height stacked quite closely; it wouldn¡¯t have been all that surprising if the sounds of children playing on the streets came from beyond the corner.

    However, there was no one here.

    ¡°You came right on time.¡±

    Except for one person, that was.

    He was already familiar with this sort of thing. Su-hyeun turned his head and looked behind him.

    That¡¯s where he found a farmer wearing a large hat made out of straws.

    Su-hyeun replied, ¡°The trial this time was a type that ended when its duration came to an end, after all.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it difficult, though? It must¡¯ve been your first time battling a predator.¡±

    ¡°My first time¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun trailed off with his sentence and nodded at the administrator¡¯s observation.

    He didn¡¯t know it back then, but he had already encountered a predator before, and although the ensuing battle couldn¡¯t be called a proper fight, it was true that he did try to fight it.

    ¡°It was just¡­not as bad as I thought.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Besides all that, I¡¯d like to take a look at the store.¡±

    There was a trace of anticipation in Su-hyeun¡¯s voice.

    Administrators could communicate with one another, and that was why the 104th floor¡¯s administrator instantly realized what Su-hyeun wanted.

    ¡°It seems you have finally collected it? One hundred million points, that is.¡±

 Chapter 354

    Act 1

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve collected enough points,¡± replied Su-hyeun with a grin on his face.

    [Current achievement points: 127,544,500]

    That number seemed hard to believe even though it was clearly visible for him to see.

    Until now, no item in the store needed these many points to buy. Besides, he always used up his points before amassing them like this, and he believed that the act of saving up points was too adventurous and idiotic in the first place.

    However, acquiring the qualification of godhood had become far more important than any other to Su-hyeun right now, and as such, he definitely required that ¡°God¡¯s Tear.¡±

    ¡°I already know what you want, so I¡¯ll give it to you as soon as you pay the required points,¡± said the administrator.

    ¡°Here you go.¡±

    Su-hyeun immediately extended his hand.

    Soon, the administrator reached out as well, and Su-hyeun suddenly felt like a man who had been saving up a lot of money to buy a house only to spend it all in one go.

    Their extended hands touched one another.

    And right at that moment¡­

    [You have spent 100,000,000 achievement points.]

    [You have acquired the God¡¯s Tear.]

    A small drop of water slowly fell from above Su-hyeun¡¯s head. He hurriedly cupped his hands and caught the drop. It was the same God¡¯s Tear as the one he got as a reward for passing the trial on the 102nd floor.

    ¡°No need to ponder what to do with it this time,¡± he thought.

    Back then, he was in a serious dilemma, wondering which stat to increase first¡ªstamina or agility.

    However, with his stamina already improved, there was no need to ponder his choice anymore.

    Gulp¡ª

    [You have acquired a single stat point.]

    After he swallowed up the ¡°tear¡± he caught with his hands, the familiar message popped up in his head.

    And right after that¡­

    [You have spent the single free stat point.]

    [Agility has risen by 1.]

    [Your physical body has taken a step beyond the realm of man.]

    [You have acquired the qualification of godhood.]

    More messages rose up one after the other.

    All of them were good messages to hear, too.

    When he acquired the godhood related to stamina, he felt like vitality was endlessly surging out of his body. It was as if no matter how much he moved, he would never, ever get tired.

    On the other hand, improving agility made him feel like wings had grown out of his back.

    This feeling of being able to run to the other side of the world simply by moving his feet ever so slightly¡­

    This sensation of his body being too light to be controlled caused a disharmonious feeling to wash over him, and he ended up freezing up on the spot like a stone statue.

    The administrator muttered, ¡°You¡¯re as rash as I¡¯ve heard, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Is it okay for me to run around for a little while?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, though. You might get lost.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like what a father might say to his child, you know,¡± Su-hyeun quipped before patting Miru¡¯s head, who had arrived in this world along with him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru raised up one of its wings and waved as if to say, ¡°take care.¡± It seemed that the dragon had seen and copied how Su-hyeun bade goodbyes.

    He smiled faintly after finding Miru funny and cute at the same time. Then, he turned around and began dashing away.

    Bang¡ª

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    The scenery in Su-hyeun¡¯s view suddenly changed in an instant.

    He was shocked by this change and quickly came to a stop. Sure, he had deliberately run at full speed, but even then, he didn¡¯t anticipate himself to move this fast and this far away.

    ¡°Why the heck am I this fast?¡±

    He did expect his body to have become lighter, but as it turned out, he was actually about 50% quicker than he expected.

    Maybe that was why it felt like his body and mind were doing their own things right now. Unlike the stamina stat that simply improved the body¡¯s durability and sturdiness, agility proved to be the hardest stat to properly control.

    ¡°Let¡¯s change it up. Faster, by about 50%.¡±

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Wanting to rediscover the feeling of his feet moving again, Su-hyeun began lightly tapping the ground below him. He then bounced up and down several times on the spot, but even the sensation of jumping felt completely different from before.

    Maybe he really did grow a pair of wings?

    Or could it be that his body had really become lighter?

    He quickly discarded those notions, however. Su-hyeun sharped his senses and began running once more, at his top speed, to boot.

    Pa-aaaaaht¡ª

    Whoosh, fwhoooooosh¡ª

    The scenery slipped past him in a fragmented and blurred state.

    When he focused harder and became more used to it, the fragmented scenery gradually reconstructed itself, and his vision slowly restored back to how it was.

    ¡°For sure, my body feels so much lighter than before.¡±

    It was certainly a big advantage for his body to become lighter and much faster than before because it now meant that, while accurately landing his own attacks, he would be able to dodge the enemy¡¯s counter-attacks much more easily.

    If he could get used to his new state, then he thought that the battle against the predator in the previous trial wouldn¡¯t be all that difficult anymore if they had to fight one more time.

    Ta-dak¡ª

    Su-hyeun went around the perimeter of the large village once and returned to where the administrator and Miru were.

    It took him a total of one minute or so to do that.

    This place might not have been a major city, but even then, that time was still simply too short for someone to run around a considerably large village like this one.

    The administrator asked, ¡°Do you like it, then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±

    ¡°And so, you now have two more to go.¡±

    ¡°Two more, you say?¡± Su-hyeun asked while sounding puzzled.

    The meaning behind the number two that the administrator brought up should be roughly the same as what Su-hyeun was thinking about.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Not one but two?¡± he thought.

    Strength, agility, stamina, reflex¡­

    Su-hyeun had a gut feeling that once all four stats reached the three-digit mark, something about him would change.

    And for the first time ever, an administrator mentioned something related to that topic. As the administrators were deeply connected to the tower, as well as the system itself, they must¡¯ve had some in-depth knowledge on the matter.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re also including the magic level?¡±

    ¡°Why would you leave that one out?¡±

    ¡°Well, magical energy is a separate thing from one¡¯s physical body, after all.¡±

    ¡°Races like dragons learn magic from the moment they are born, so why do you think humans are any different? All humans possess some amount of magical energy, with the difference being some have more of it than the others. Why do you think it¡¯s a separate thing in that case?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t wrong there.

    The modern world, with its advanced science, had already finished analyzing this power called magical energy and had also discovered that this energy source permeated all life forms and Mother Nature itself in varying amounts.

    However, Su-hyeun still didn¡¯t see magical energy as physical ability. It wasn¡¯t just him, though, but everyone else as well.

    ¡°Which means there are two stats left,¡± he inwardly guessed.

    The magic count of 100 points¡ªhonestly speaking, he hadn¡¯t given that numerical value much thought before.

    He simply thought that he would get there sooner or later.

    The magic count of 100 was basically the same thing as the magic level of 10.

    The first digits of both the count and level maintained the same number, so in reality, the changes to this stat¡¯s number of digits held a completely different meaning to all the other stats.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic count: 96] [Magic level: 9]

    [Strength: 101] [Agility: 100]

    [Stamina: 100] [Reflex: 99]

    [Death Aura: 99]

    [Skill: Leap * advanced]

    [Skill: Transfiguration * advanced]

    [Skill: Qualification of godhood ¨C Flame * advanced]

    ¡­.

    [Fatigue: 3]

    Su-hyeun confirmed his stats that had significantly changed.

    During the trial, his magic count climbed up by a few points, while it climbed by one more just now. Another point went up during the process of learning magic as well.

    As for Death Aura, the stat that remained stuck at 98 had broken through to reach 99. Only one more point remained until it reached the 100-point mark.

    ¡°Well, that sure is a lot of change, alright.¡±

    Three of his stats had already reached the three-digit mark.

    On top of that, excluding the magic count, both the reflex and Death Aura stat were literally at the threshold of reaching the triple digits as well.

    ¡°Will you be challenging the trial right away? You don¡¯t look all that tired, after all.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go back home for a little while.¡±

    ¡°Do what you want. I¡¯ll be here waiting for your return.¡±

    The administrator replied like that and then rested a thin, long stick on his shoulder. He turned around and began trudging away to a distance.

    That large hat that was woven out of straws, the long stick, and even the sickle in his hand¡­

    Anyone who would look at the administrator would think that he seemed like an average farmer.

    Rippp¡ª

    Su-hyeun immediately opened the doorway.

    It had been a month since he returned home.

    * * *

    The very first person he contacted after his return was Lee Ju-ho to learn about what happened during his absence and to ask if there were matters that required his attention.

    ¡°There¡¯s none. No, really,¡± was Lee Ju-ho¡¯s reply.

    ¡°You mean, there¡¯s nothing at all?¡±

    ¡°Yup. There really isn¡¯t anything. It¡¯s actually mystifying, really.¡±

    They were currently in the Jongno Tower.

    Su-hyeun paid a visit to the office of the Korean Awakener Association Chairman, Lee Ju-ho. Once he got there, he took a closer look at the map displayed on the wall.

    For sure, the number of ¡°spots¡± had declined.

    He had completely swept aside all the dungeons about a month ago, so quite a few new ones should¡¯ve regenerated by now.

    But now¡­

    ¡°They¡¯ve declined a lot, for sure,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Right. After you left, the number of dungeon appearances decreased noticeably,¡± Lee Ju-ho continued while also staring at the map on the wall. ¡°Fifteen red colors, six orange colors, and two yellows. Not a single green color. Some are even saying the past month or so has been like we¡¯re back in 2016.¡±

    Back then, in 2016, the value of a dungeon couldn¡¯t even be described in words. That was when the value of Ether stones had been firmly set in stone and the number of dungeons also happened to be at its lowest figure.

    Su-hyeun murmured seriously, ¡°Still, it¡¯s too small.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it is too small. At first, I thought it was some kind of an after-effect of you sweeping aside all the dungeons in around one day, but then, other countries are experiencing the same situation.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve already contacted Gordon Rohan about it. Not just America on the other side of the globe but the whole planet is also going through the same thing. And thanks to that, the Ether stone prices are going through the roof as we speak.¡±

    The existing pile of Ether stones was not only a valuable source of energy but also a form of cash like gold that was accepted throughout the world.

    When the rate of dungeon generation went up, the price would come down gradually, but when the number of dungeons declined, the price would inversely go up.

    And for the past month, the dungeon generation rate had gone down so much that it was as if the dungeons would stop appearing altogether.

    Lee Ju-ho asked, ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s going on here. How does it look to you, though?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not all bad, I guess.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s not what your expression says.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t just blindly welcome any unknown changes, after all, especially when the dungeon generation rate had been rising rapidly not too long ago, too¡­¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡± asked Lee Ju-ho, making a slightly uneasy face.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t wrong there. Was it really alright to simply welcome the sudden decrease in the number of dungeons? Such a change could be for the better, yes, but there was a chance of it going the other way as well.

    ¡°Is it only a vague worry? No, wait. To simply call it that, he¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho quietly observed Su-hyeun¡¯s expression closely.

    ¡°He looks far too worried about that.¡±

    There hadn¡¯t been all that many times when Su-hyeun was this concerned in the past.

    For instance, he wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest, just somewhat annoyed, when the Awakener Authority tried to do something underhanded not too long ago.

    It was the same story when the Lich King made its appearance. Back then, Su-hyeun did look pressed for time but not really concerned. That¡¯s probably because he was confident of solving the matter somehow.

    But now, the vibe he gave off seemed a little different.

    Su-hyeun spoke up, ¡°In any case, I¡¯ll go and meet up with Thomas and Hak-joon. It¡¯s been too long since I hung out with the two of them.¡±

    ¡°Uh? Ah, right. Go ahead first, then. I¡¯ll join you guys later in the evening.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Clack¡ª

    Su-hyeun bade goodbye to Lee Ju-ho and exited from the chairman¡¯s office.

    Right after that, the awakeners associated with the association that came to speak to Lee Ju-ho discovered Su-hyeun and immediately bowed their heads to greet him. However, he couldn¡¯t properly respond to them because his mind had been completely occupied by something else by then.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be. Already¡­?¡± Su-hyeun chewed his lips from his worries.

    From Su-hyeun¡¯s memories, this phenomenon where dungeons suddenly declined in numbers was a type of sign for an event that would take place a few years from now.

    ¡°But it¡¯s trying to appear so soon?¡±

    And that event in question was¡­

    ¡°That Fafnir¡­¡±

    The very first, and also the last, appearance of the purple-colored dungeon.

 Chapter 355

    * * *

    After the meeting, Su-hyeun stayed in the outside world for about 10 days.

    He didn¡¯t do a lot during that period, however. Getting used to his newly acquired stats was amply doable by simply carrying on with his daily activities.

    What Su-hyeun did was to observe.

    ¡°The number has decreased even more,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    Lee Ju-ho replied, ¡°Some people are saying that in three years, all dungeons and Ether stones will completely disappear from our world.¡±

    ¡°What about the trend of the new awakeners awakening?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same. No, wait. It has accelerated, actually. I mean, 0.5% of the entire world¡¯s population is now awakeners, after all. South Korea has a lot higher percentage of awakeners than others, though, at about 1% of the entire population of the country.¡±

    ¡°Five hundred thousand awakeners in South Korea alone¡­¡±

    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s a lot, alright. Of course, the number of people actively working as awakeners is far lower than that, but still.¡±

    That was unsurprising.

    Not everyone could live like an actual awakener even if they had become one and given the right to access the tower.

    Only those people who possessed the absolute minimum qualification¡ªthe courage to fight against monsters¡ªwould be bestowed with the awakener rank and earn the right to act like a real awakener.

    Su-hyeun murmured slowly, ¡°Awakeners are increasing in numbers, but the dungeons are decreasing¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s bugging you like this, though? It¡¯s already been 10 days.¡±

    ¡°Ten days?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how long you haven¡¯t returned to the tower. I can¡¯t remember the last time you¡¯ve stayed outside for this long.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Su-hyeun made a sheepish expression and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing major.¡±

    ¡°You know, almost no one who says that really has nothing major going on.¡±

    ¡°Please believe in me. If I¡¯m not saying anything, there¡¯s a good reason for that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t said anything in particular until now. I have a mountain of things I wanna ask you for the past 10 days, yet I¡¯ve been holding myself back, you know,¡± Lee Ju-ho complained before groaning deeply under his breath. He then lightly waved his hand and issued the ultimatum for his guest to vacate the premises playfully. ¡°If you¡¯re done confirming, then get going already. I mean, there are a ton of things I need to get to ever since the number of dungeons decreased so steeply lately.¡±

    ¡°Dungeons decreased in number, yet you have more things to do?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the lower number of dungeons has worsened the competition for them. Can you even guess how many guilds and mercenaries are pouncing on a single dungeon raid permit these days? I¡¯m slowly dying here trying to humor them all, you know?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­Well, do your best.¡±

    ¡°I will. Take care of yourself, too,¡± Lee Ju-ho said as he confirmed that Su-hyeun was leaving his office and picked up the phone to call someone. It seemed that he wanted to discuss the current state of things with the Awakener Authority people.

    * * *

    For the past 10 days, Su-hyeun had frequented the Association¡¯s offices and continued to gather information.

    ¡°Dungeons are continuously decreasing in numbers, while the number of awakeners is ballooning.¡±

    He initially wondered if this was a temporary phenomenon. However, that turned out to be wrong.

    ¡°How long do we have left?¡±

    The existence of dungeons gave rise to the development of the industry related to Ether stones found in dungeons and the subsequent economic boom. But the reason why that economic boom gradually entered the decline was that the dungeons slowly ceased to exist altogether. As a result, the awakeners lost their jobs, and the industry around Ether stones lost its source of energy in an instant.

    And so, the world reverted to how it was in the past, and then, two years later¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªit was two years.¡±

    No, wait. It could be even shorter this time around. It might have been two years in the previous timeline, but the future had already changed a lot from Su-hyeun¡¯s knowledge by now.

    The existence of dungeons hadn¡¯t changed at all, but the timing of their appearances and locations had shifted a little here and a little there.

    Maybe one year¡­

    Or worse, the time remaining could be shorter than that.

    Fuu-wuu¡ª

    Su-hyeun roughly scratched his head.

    He felt impatient again. The very emotion the Bull Demon King warned him against was welling up in his heart once more.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not get too impatient here.¡±

    He still had some time left.

    Also, he had been noticeably improving with every subsequent trial he cleared after the 100th floor.

    ¡°Right. I still have enough time left,¡± Su-hyeun repeated that in his head.

    And so, more time passed by.

    The next day, he challenged the trial on the 104th floor.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun started the next trial with the help of the administrator, and the first thing to greet him after the transfer was the humongous circular ceiling above his head.

    ¡°A ceiling¡­?¡±

    The ceiling had to be hundreds of meters high and wide enough to be called a sky all on its own. Not only that but the dimension of the floor below was also as big as a major city.

    Su-hyeun had arrived alone in this massive space, and he stood around in a slight daze. He had no idea what he was even supposed to do here.

    ¡°The system isn¡¯t working.¡±

    Without a doubt, the system would¡¯ve explained this trial¡¯s purpose by now.

    However, it hadn¡¯t said anything even though he had been waiting for a few minutes already. Since he had no other alternative, Su-hyeun just stood there in this wide-open empty field, wondering what he should do next.

    But then¡­

    Swhooosh¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    A figure suddenly appeared somewhere a bit farther away inside this open space, but he immediately realized that it was not just one person but two.

    ¡°Humans?¡±

    No, wait, one of them wasn¡¯t a human.

    ¡°A race similar to humans is also included?¡±

    A race similar to humanity, that was how Su-hyeun perceived the giant that was at least three meters tall possessing an especially large head and eyes that looked quite similar to humans. His race was unknown, but he didn¡¯t seem like a monster. The term ¡°monster¡± usually denoted those species that couldn¡¯t control their hostile natures.

    The giant seemed quite flustered, but other than that, he didn¡¯t try to attack Su-hyeun or the other person in this open space.

    ¡°But what am I supposed to do with¡ª?¡±

    Swhoosh, whoosh¡ª

    Paht, pa-paht¡ª

    Countless more humans and other similar races continued to appear one after another in this open space.

    One, two, ten, hundred¡­

    Several hundred, thousands, and straight into tens of thousands¡­

    Even Su-hyeun became flustered as he took in the sights of people continuously getting summoned here.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡±

    Were all these people being summoned from other worlds to experience this trial, just like himself?

    However, the expressions of fluster and confusion on their faces were too clear for that idea to be true. Some even seemed like they had no idea why they had been brought here.

    ¡°W¡ªwhere is this place?¡±

    ¡°Am I¡­dreaming?¡±

    ¡°Why am I even here¡­?¡±

    ¡°A¡ªa monster?!¡±

    Some began crying out ¡°monster!¡± after spotting the races similar to humans.

    Unsurprisingly, those people from similar races became antagonistic toward others treating them like monsters. No one would feel happy after being called a monster, and that remained true with them, it seemed.

    Tens of thousands of people were here. It was quite a number.

    Without a doubt at this stage, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t the only one summoned here.

    [Exactly 50,000 individuals¡­Oh, two extras as well? Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter.]

    Buzz¡ª

    The ceiling seemed to vibrate.

    Su-hyeun momentarily mistook that voice as one from the system, but he was wrong. It belonged to someone else.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    For some reason, he wasn¡¯t getting a good vibe from that voice.

    There never had been a case where a voice similar to the system¡¯s had entered his hearing like this, after all.

    [You all must be curious about how you got here. Unfortunately, there¡¯s only one thing I can say to you. I¡¯m the one who brought all of you here, and you are going to do whatever I tell you to.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What kind of bullsh*t are you saying?¡±

    ¡°Where the hell are you?! Why don¡¯t you say it to my face first?!¡±

    Unsurprisingly, the gathered people raised their voices of opposition.

    The voice came from a faceless being. Not only that but this being also suddenly abducted them all and told them to do its bidding.

    Those with very short fuses and violent temperament soon became red-faced and roared out at the top of their lungs.

    However¡­

    Crunch, cruuunch¡ª

    Shatter¡ª

    The heads of two people among all those shouting in anger were suddenly crushed without warning.

    Heo-uhph¡­

    ¡°T¡ªtheir heads¡­¡±

    The interior of the open space became instantly silent.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly observed this situation. He had been trying to find out where the voice was coming from, but tracking down its origin proved to be tougher than he thought.

    [Stop shouting already. I¡¯m the one talking here. Well, it¡¯s true that I enjoy noisy commotions, but¡­But I¡¯m not a fan of opposition. In any case, this is better. With that, we now have perfectly even 50,000 here.]

    Gulp¡ª

    All of a sudden, that flat but flippant-sounding voice came across as rather intimidating. The gathered people swallowed back their dry saliva and began nodding without even realizing it.

    The owner of the voice seemed to be looking down at this scene from somewhere because it soon continued.

    [Nice, nice. Alright. The task you all need to do from now on is a simple one. Okay, raise your heads and take a look before you. What can you see?]

    Su-hyeun looked to his front. It wasn¡¯t simply because of the voice, though; no, it was more to do with a middle-aged man trembling in anxiety currently staring at him.

    A few people here had already instinctively realized it.

    They had a gut feeling that they knew what the next set of words would be like, and the middle-aged man in front of Su-hyeun just so happened to be one of those people with good instincts.

    [Kill that person.]

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°K¡ªkill, you say?¡±

    ¡°Without any reason¡­?¡±

    Unsurprisingly, the people got deeply flustered.

    It was already panic-inducing to be suddenly summoned to an unknown location but to be told to kill a person you had never met before¡­

    Still, a few individuals among the crowd were already staring with a suspicious glint in their eyes. They seemed to be the sort who didn¡¯t really feel any repulsion at the idea of murdering someone.

    ¡°This uncle is the same story.¡±

    That middle-aged man was staring at Su-hyeun with a pair of sharply gleaming eyes.

    Su-hyeun had a relatively smaller physique, so he must¡¯ve thought that it would not be all that difficult to break the former¡¯s neck. He didn¡¯t seem all that averse to the idea either.

    The problem he had right now was with figuring out how this situation had come about.

    [You better decrease the number of people in this space by half in one hour. If the half of you aren¡¯t dead by then, expect all of you to die instead.]

    [Remaining time: 01:00:00]

    A timer popped up in the heads of everyone present. It was a very similar ability to the system.

    Su-hyeun continued to look around to discover the location of that voice, but even now, he couldn¡¯t do it.

    [Well now. Let¡¯s get started.]

    Tick¡ª

    The timer began counting down.

    The inside of the open space remained deathly still. It was so quiet, in fact, that it was hard to believe these many people were currently inside it.

    Tock¡ª

    Some were deeply frightened, while some were glaring sharply.

    It seemed like no one wanted to make the first move, but that was understandable. It would be troublesome if you decided to make a move first, only to become a target of everyone else, after all.

    Also, it didn¡¯t really matter even if you didn¡¯t kill the person before your eyes. All you had to do was to survive without killing anyone. The goal was to decrease the number of people in here by half in one hour, after all.

    Even then¡­

    ¡°Are none of you willing to do anything?!¡±

    Realistically speaking, no one making a move forever was an impossibility when 50,000 strangers had been gathered in a sealed-off space.

    ¡°We¡¯re told to kill, right?! We¡¯re told to decrease our number by half! So, are you just gonna stand there and do nothing like some bunch of losers?!¡±

    The voice was filled with contempt. Even the energy contained in his voice seemed rather robust as well. It came from the middle-aged man in front of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll show you how it¡¯s done.¡±

    Thud¡ª

    He took a step toward Su-hyeun, and that footstep contained considerable weight behind it.

    The floor split apart with a cracking noise, and Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze was directed toward the middle-aged man¡¯s foot.

    The latter took that as Su-hyeun trying to avoid meeting his gaze and began smiling faintly. He must have thought that Su-hyeun was scared of him.

    ¡°Hey, you. Is your sword a fancy decoration? A grown-ass man getting scared is¡ª¡±

    ¡°So, you want to look strong, is that it?¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    Su-hyeun opened his mouth for the first time since he got here.

    Unlike the middle-aged man¡¯s voice that reverberated loudly, Su-hyeun¡¯s voice sounded softer and lower. However, weirdly enough, everyone present could hear him crystal clear.

    Su-hyeun raised his head and stared deep into the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes. ¡°You want to display how strong you are and, therefore, not be anyone¡¯s target?¡±

    ¡°Hey, punk. What the hell are you even¡­?¡±

    ¡°Scared, you say?¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    The middle-aged man involuntarily swallowed back his saliva.

    It was the same story for the other people in the surroundings. They were all suppressed by Su-hyeun¡¯s voice and the intense air he emitted, and they couldn¡¯t even move a muscle.

    Split¡ª

    It was at that very moment that the third eye opened up in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead.

    [Third Eye¡ªPredator]

    ¡°I have a feeling that you weren¡¯t talking about me.¡±

 Chapter 356

    Act 2

    Ku-wuwuwu¡ª

    A massive pressure swept across the middle-aged man.

    He shivered as an icy chill took over him. It felt like huge blocks of steel were tied to his shoulders and legs to crush him on the spot.

    ¡°What¡­what is this?¡± he thought.

    Shudder, tremble¡ª

    His body began trembling without him even realizing it.

    No, wait, it wasn¡¯t as if he was not fully aware of it. His instincts certainly have realized the truth by now.

    ¡°This guy¡­what the hell is he?¡±

    He realized that this man before his eyes was a true monster.

    It wasn¡¯t just the middle-aged man that felt that, however. The crowd of people nearby all felt the exact same thing.

    They couldn¡¯t even take a single step. Even then, the timer continued to tick down.

    ¡°Let me make this one thing clear ahead of time,¡± said Su-hyeun while scanning his surroundings with his eyes, which included the third one in his forehead.

    No one dared to move, and his gaze drifted toward a few who flinched every now and then.

    ¡°If you make a move, I¡¯ll kill you myself.¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    That was a warning filled with his killing intent.

    Su-hyeun was deliberately aiming for one thing: making sure that no one moved a muscle.

    ¡°However, I can ensure everyone¡¯s survival if no one makes a move.¡±

    ¡°Everyone?¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­even possible?¡±

    ¡°Hold on, if you think about it, why can¡¯t it be done?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s someone like him¡­¡±

    The one who had confined all these people here and ordered them to kill was certainly a powerful individual. However, that being was nowhere to be seen right now, and someone seemingly as strong as that being was standing right before their eyes.

    Someone strong enough to suppress 50,000 people with nothing but the air he emitted. If it was someone like that¡ªif it was Su-hyeun¡ªwouldn¡¯t he be able to do something here?

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s organize what I know so far,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He was indeed busy using his brain trying to figure out what to do, just as they had said.

    ¡°The location, the time, and the numbers.¡±

    The unseen voice said this: they must decrease the number of people in this place by half, and Su-hyeun was thinking of doing exactly that. His gaze shifted over to the wall in the distance.

    ¡°Are you thinking of destroying that wall and getting out of here?¡±

    Almost at the same time, a voice came to Su-hyeun from the side.

    Step, step¡ª

    Not only that but the owner of the voice was also moving, disregarding Su-hyeun¡¯s warning, no less.

    Two minutes had passed by already. Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze shifted over to the man who began walking toward him.

    Although he did warn the others, this man had not pulled out his weapon nor emitted any hostility. All he did was to say something as he approached Su-hyeun.

    In that case, there was no reason to kill this man.

    Not only that but Su-hyeun also realized that the man¡¯s face was somewhat familiar.

    ¡°Where have I seen him before?¡± Su-hyeun briefly searched through his memories, but no one, in particular, stood out. He could only frown slightly at how the man¡¯s face seemed to be censored in blurry mosaic before replying to him, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my plan.¡±

    ¡°As expected. If that happens, decreasing the number of people in this place by half will be more than possible to pull off. Without killing anyone, to boot.¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    ¡°However, it won¡¯t be easy. The wall looks quite thick, after all.¡±

    At a casual glance, it was hard to tell how sturdy the wall was or its potential thickness. This man seemed to have checked those points out already.

    A considerable number of people among these 50,000¡ªespecially among the races similar to humans¡ªwere fairly highly skilled individuals, but even then, this man came across as unparalleled by anyone.

    ¡°He escaped from the influence of my skill.¡±

    No, wait¡ªit wasn¡¯t simply him escaping from it. He wasn¡¯t affected by it in the first place.

    ¡°Who exactly is this guy?¡±

    Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes while staring at the man with unknown motives. The latter was grinning without a care in the world as if he didn¡¯t feel all that threatened at the moment.

    He spoke up, ¡°Well, let¡¯s just break the wall down first and see. I was thinking along the same thing, anyway.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at that.

    For the time being, they seemed to be thinking the same thing.

    And what he said didn¡¯t seem to contain falsehoods either. Su-hyeun decided to think of this situation as another individual as skilled as he was being summoned here.

    When Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Are you going to help me?¡± the man smirked and replied, ¡°Of course.¡±

    He then raised his hand toward the wall that the former had been staring at earlier.

    ¡°Okay, okay. Now then, it¡¯s going to get dangerous, so everyone? Step aside for a little while.¡±

    ¡°Uh, eh?¡±

    ¡°My body¡­?¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Something huge and transparent began pushing the crowd of people back. Su-hyeun withstood that ¡°something,¡± and soon, only he and the unknown man were the two people remaining near the wall.

    ¡°Did he create a thin but sturdy transparent barrier with magical energy and push all these people back?¡± he inwardly asked.

    The theory behind it wasn¡¯t all that difficult to grasp. However, you would still need quite a precise control of your power to perfectly push all these people aside without hurting them.

    ¡°Well, then. Let¡¯s break this thing down.¡±

    While saying that, the man unsheathed his sword.

    His attire was as far removed from being a swordsman as one could get, yet he had been carrying a sword on his hips.

    ¡°The atmosphere he gives off is closer to a magician rather than a swordsman.¡±

    Su-hyeun observed the man for a little while and then stopped paying attention to him.

    Five minutes had passed them by already. Fifty-five minutes now remained.

    Since there was a time limit, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste time on something unnecessary.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword and injected enough magical energy into it. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±

    [Wave Sword¡ªExplosion Style]

    [Palm Leaf]

    [Flame]

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    Pa-shhhh¡ª

    A huge amount of magical energy concentrated on Su-hyeun¡¯s sword, and soon, winds and flames viciously whipped about.

    ¡°Ooooh¡­¡±

    The man had distanced himself far away by then, and he began expressing how impressed he was with pursed lips. Su-hyeun glanced at him before striking the wall with his sword.

    CRUNCH¡ª!

    Ku-rururu¡ª

    The wall¡¯s surface crumbled down. It must¡¯ve been several meters deep because the wall continuously crumbled down with no signs of opening up yet.

    ¡°Ten meters, no, wait, a little over that.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Not only was the wall thick but its hardness was also something else.

    Still, it wasn¡¯t unbreakable, at least.

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    [Transformation]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s left arm was enveloped in flames, or rather, it had actually become fire itself.

    This was the ¡°Transformation¡± ability he learned from Apollo.

    On top of this¡­

    [Amplification¡ªPinwheel]

    A magic ability Su-hyeun had developed himself that was meant to be used in conjunction with the divine Flame was activated.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    A massive whirlpool of winds containing condensed air violently whipped up in front of Su-hyeun. At the same time, his left arm was loaded with a stupendous level of strength before punching forward.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    Along with the heavy punch, the flames that became amplified after devouring the condensed air exploded toward the thick wall.

    When that happened¡­

    Rumble, crush, tumble¡ª

    The thick and sturdy wall began collapsing noisily, and another space beyond it finally revealed itself.

    Krrrrr¡ª

    Woof, growl¡ª!

    Kyah-aaaah¡ª!

    What came from there were enraged roars and plenty of killing intent.

    An artificial forest teeming with countless monsters was revealed by the broken-down wall.

    ¡°Well, this is¡­we¡¯ve overcome one steep mountain, only to run into another one, haven¡¯t we?¡±

    The man stared into the forest beyond the wall and spoke in a troubled and lost tone, but of course, his expression had not one hint of such emotions at all.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± It was the same story for Su-hyeun. However, his opinion on the subject of steep mountains was slightly different. ¡°Isn¡¯t it more like, this is a hill after a steep mountain?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Just sit back and watch.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked through the wide-open wall. He then raised his sword while gathering winds around it. ¡°Blow away¡ª¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    He tightly gripped the sword with both of his hands before powerfully swinging it.

    ¡°Palm Leaf¡ª¡±

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Swiiiiiiish¡ª

    Winds gushing out from the Palm Leaf Sword morphed into a gigantic storm and swept the forest aside. These winds were focused more on creating this storm and didn¡¯t contain too much killing power.

    The man took a step back and whistled loudly. However, it was hard to tell whether he found Su-hyeun¡¯s ability to create a storm amazing to behold or was simply impressed by the spectacle.

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    Soon after that, scorching purple flames flared up on Su-hyeun¡¯s palm.

    It was the divine Flame which power wonderfully suited the winds roused up by the Palm Leaf.

    Crackle, sizzle¡ª

    ¡°That¡¯s burning well, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun muttered to no one in particular while staring at the flames sweeping across the forest.

    This forest was about twice the dimension of the open space where 50,000 people had been summoned. As for the number of monsters found in this place, it should¡¯ve easily breached the 10,000th mark.

    Ki-aaaaah¡ª!

    Kyahk, khaak¡ª!

    Several monsters that happened to be close to the wall dashed over there although flames were burning their whole body away. Su-hyeun had been waiting for them to come closer, but just before he could walk over to them¡­

    Swish¡ª

    A lengthy, black spear flew out from somewhere.

    Pa-babababak¡ª!

    And there was more than one spear, too.

    Hundreds of spears impaled the burning bodies of the monsters rushing toward the wall, and soon, all those monsters could only look like hedgehogs and collapsed on the ground.

    Boom, thud¡ª

    Krrrr, krr¡ª

    Su-hyeun observed the monsters that still managed to cling precariously to life before turning his head to look at the man behind him who was responsible for throwing all those spears.

    The man spoke up, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave something for me? I had nothing to do here and was getting bored, you see.¡±

    ¡°You should find your own task if that¡¯s the case. You aren¡¯t even a little kid, you know.¡±

    ¡°You saying that kinda makes me feel sad, somehow? I thought we were a team?¡±

    ¡°A team, you say¡­¡±

    That word didn¡¯t exactly suit Su-hyeun.

    More than anything else, he didn¡¯t trust the unknown man. He still didn¡¯t know anything about that man who was capable of summoning those black spears to start trusting the other party.

    [Exactly 50,000 individuals¡­Oh, two extras as well? Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter.]

    That mysterious voice spoke as if there were more people than expected among the summoned¡ªtwo more, to be exact¡ªand Su-hyeun was confident that he knew one of those two.

    It was none other than himself.

    Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t been summoned here by the owner of that voice but by the trial that the system had given him, so it was unsurprising that he wasn¡¯t included in the initial number prepared by that unknown ¡°being.¡±

    And then, most likely¡­

    ¡°That guy must be the same story as me.¡±

    An existence outside of the regular standard¡ªthat¡¯s how Su-hyeun saw his own case as. He was already strong enough to hunt down a predator by himself, after all.

    And in his view, this man wasn¡¯t all that different from him.

    Su-hyeun spoke up, ¡°In that case, go right ahead and help yourself.¡±

    ¡°Help myself with what, exactly?¡±

    ¡°You said that we¡¯re a team, didn¡¯t you? At the very least, shouldn¡¯t team members not do things that might get in the other¡¯s way?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­You aren¡¯t wrong there,¡± said the man while nodding in acceptance.

    Su-hyeun stepped back and, at the same time, the man stepped up to the plate. The former crossed his arms in front of his chest and simply stared as if he had no intention of helping out.

    ¡°The kind of abilities he uses, the kind of person he is¡­¡± Su-hyeun continued to ponder.

    Something about that man continued to bother him.

    ¡°I need to figure those things out first before¡­¡±

    And just as he began observing the man¡­

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Creak, screeeaaak¡ª

    All those monsters felled by Su-hyeun just now turned black and were revived again as summoned creatures.

    The black summons weren¡¯t only made up of the monsters either. Some creatures had unidentifiable silhouettes, while some even had outer appearances of humans. These creatures were now standing right next to the man.

    This was somewhat different from the concept of the ¡°undead.¡±

    ¡°The corpses remain as they are.¡±

    That¡¯s because the corpses remained on the ground untouched. In other words, the souls had directly manifested into this world.

    And the moment Su-hyeun confirmed that, he finally remembered where he saw this man who was currently standing before his eyes.

    It was during the 43rd floor¡¯s trial, back where he had to fight against countless heroes the likes of Chun Ha-jin and Hercules inside the Coliseum.

    And that man was the strongest hero among all of them, whose body had been used by the administrator of that floor.

    ¡°His name was Luslec, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    The ¡°Necromancy¡± used by the man before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was definitely the same as that hero¡¯s.

 Chapter 357

    <hr />

    Sizzle. Crackle.

    The forest was burning.

    Trees turned to ashes, while burnt hides of dead monsters were everywhere.

    Also, corpses were piled up in front of the ruined wall.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like anything else is coming. What do you think?¡±

    The man, Luslec, turned around to speak to Su-hyeun.

    It had been 10 minutes already.

    Some time had passed by now. Su-hyeun confirmed with the timer.

    [Remaining time: 00:44:39]

    The system helped him confirm the remaining time as set by an unknown voice. They would be cutting it close even if they started moving half of the people who were still in the ¡®space¡¯.

    In other words, there was no time to dither.

    But then, another message came right at that moment.

    [All the monsters found inside the forest have been dealt with.]

    [You have passed the second trial.]

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    For a moment, Su-hyeun was puzzled by the messages suddenly popping up.

    Passed the second trial. Was it over?

    ¡®Different trials are supposed to be given in different spaces,¡¯ Su-hyeun thought.

    He had already experienced several trials where a number of goals had to be met first to clear them. Su-hyeun nodded, thinking that maybe this could be a similar case as well.

    ¡®This means that destroying the wall has messed up the order of things.¡¯

    The original ¡®first¡¯ trial goal was to decrease the number of people by half. However, Su-hyeun destroyed the wall and completely burned down the forest and monsters on the other side.

    All thanks to him, even the second trial had been resolved ahead of time.

    The voice giving them the trial probably had not been expecting such an outcome.

    ¡®Let¡¯s worry about it later.¡¯

    Su-hyeun looked back to the crowd of people gathered to one side. They were still deeply wary of one another. He then began to address them, ¡°Everyone, get to the other side.¡±

    <hr />

    It took quite some time for 50,000 people to move to another location. Fortunately, none of them were children and old or sickly. Quite a few among the crowd were fairly strong, so the journey itself proved to be a trouble-free affair.

    [Remaining time: 00:32:12]

    There was still time.

    Su-hyeun stood there with his arms crossed and observed the crowd as they moved.

    At this rate, they shouldn¡¯t encounter any major problem dividing the number of people in the open space.

    ¡°What will that voice be thinking of right now? Can¡¯t help but wonder¡­,¡± Luslec remarked as he walked towards Su-hyeun.

    The latter replied without looking at him, ¡°It¡¯s probably one of the two.¡±

    ¡°One of the two?¡± Luslec inquired further, confused.

    ¡°Either it¡¯s angry or entertained.¡±

    ¡°Those are polar opposites.¡±

    Su-hyeun shook his head. ¡°It sounded like the type to enjoy this sort of situation. Whichever side it is, it should definitely be the one of those two.¡±

    ¡°Well, well. Are you¡­,¡± a hint of laughter was now evident in Luslec¡¯s tone, ¡°¡­acknowledging us as a team now?¡±

    ¡°I wonder about that,¡± Su-hyeun replied vaguely and finally turned to face Luslec.

    He seemed a fair bit older compared to when the administrator chose to ¡®borrow¡¯ his appearance.

    Su-hyeun went on, ¡°Why are you so set on forming a team with me?¡± He really wanted to know.

    ¡°You¡¯re Kim Su-hyeun. So is it a yes?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes instantly narrowed the moment he heard Luslec¡¯s question.

    This man knew his name¡­

    Of course, he also knew Luslec¡¯s name despite him not revealing it yet. However, that was only because of the trial back on the 43rd floor.

    However, the ¡®Luslec¡¯ back then was a different entity compared to this ¡®Luslec¡¯. The ¡®Luslec¡¯ then was not the real deal. However, some data from the past version of him was ¡®possessed¡¯ by the administrator.

    ¡°You know who I am?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± Luslec replied. His eyes widened at Su-hyeun¡¯s wary question. ¡°I¡¯m a fan. Well, one of the fans actually.¡±

    Su-hyeun was flustered at his response.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    <hr />

    For a while, Luslec chatted nonstop in front of Su-hyeun. He looked like a man well past his 30s, but he spoke like a teenager, not even a young adult.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s head ached listening to Luslec¡¯s explanation. He felt that it had gotten more complicated than it was. He cut him off and commented, ¡°Okay. So in short, it¡¯s like a myth?¡±

    ¡°A myth, you say? Uh¡­yes. It¡¯s similar.¡±

    ¡°Like the one about the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s equal or Hercules?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who those two are, but the tales of your heroic deeds are really famous in the world I come from. You¡¯re the hero Kim Su-hyeun, the one who wields a sword in one hand, a spear in the other. You¡¯re the one capable of controlling both wind and fire.¡±

    ¡®Holy cow.¡¯

    Su-hyeun¡¯s face reddened. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was embarrassed or annoyed by what Luslec had been blabbering.

    It sure had been a long time since someone said such things about him. He thought he was already used to the adulations he usually received from random people. However, this was a whole different type of situation.

    ¡®A myth? In another world?¡¯

    This ¡®problem¡¯ wasn¡¯t that hard to accept, though.

    Hercules and the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s equal¡­

    Greek mythologies or the ¡°Journey to the West¡± were ¡®realities¡¯ that existed in some other worlds.

    Of course, the actual details were quite different from what Su-hyeun knew. Greek mythology¡¯s Hercules or Journey to the West¡¯s Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King had similarities to their fictional counterparts; but their appearances, their pasts and even the future awaiting them, differed quite a lot.

    Su-hyeun organized his thoughts for a moment there and lifted his head to stare at Luslec¡¯s face. The latter was still smiling.

    Did he mean this when he referred to himself as a fan?

    ¡°I grew up listening to your tales, you see. You are my favorite hero, and your story was my favorite, too. But I was really stunned. Wow! I have never imagined that I would run into you in a place like this.¡±

    ¡°You grew up listening to ¡®my¡¯ myth?¡± Su-hyeun never knew that he had one.

    ¡°Yes. You are the hero that saved the world from a world-devouring giant dragon! I always wanted to become someone like you, although that was nothing more than a child¡¯s dream.¡±

    Luslec smiled awkwardly while as he said that. It seemed that he even found what he had said earlier embarrassing.

    However, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t just brush this off.

    A myth was just that¡ªa myth.

    ¡°Is that how the myth goes? That I killed the dragon and saved a world?¡± Su-hyeun pressed on.

    ¡°Yes. But of course, I don¡¯t believe that every part of your myth is actually true. I¡¯ve already encountered entities from other myths a few times by now, but the reality turned out to be different from the tales.¡±

    ¡°Meaning, the ¡®me¡¯ you know from the myth can be quite different from the real me, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is true, but¡­,¡± Luslec nodded, then stared intently at Su-hyeun, ¡°¡­now that I¡¯ve seen you in the flesh, you don¡¯t seem that different from the myth, actually.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Your personality that I¡¯ve been hearing about and your actual one seem pretty similar,¡± Luslec explained. ¡°For instance, the reason why you¡¯re doing something this cumbersome is to find a way to save all these people, isn¡¯t it?¡± Luslec smiled while saying that, then shifted his gaze to the crowd of people who had half-way crossed the other side of the wall. ¡°I can¡¯t do what you did. No, wait. I won¡¯t do it. All these people have nothing to do with me, so I believe it¡¯s none of my business whether they live or not.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°However, Mister Su-hyeun, you are not like that. And that¡¯s why you¡¯re the hero I looked up to when I was young.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at Luslec¡¯s explanation. He didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He didn¡¯t seem to be lying even now. Of course, Su-hyeun did think that Luslec was a different breed than him.

    None of his business whether the people unrelated to him lived or died¡­

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t keen on criticizing such an attitude.

    However, if that was Luslec¡¯s current mindset, then it would be safe to assume that the child version of him that looked up to Su-hyeun no longer existed.

    Luslec knew quite a bit about Su-hyeun through all those tales, but the latter knew almost nothing about the former. He only had a vague idea that Luslec was not only a necromancer, but also a powerful individual as well.

    [Remaining time: 00:03:21]

    Not much time left now. Most of the people had already crossed to the other side of the wall.

    Now that the number of people had decreased well past the halfway mark, Su-hyeun and Luslec began walking towards the center of the open space while chatting with each other.

    Luslec remarked, ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to that guy¡¯s reaction now. How do you think it will respond?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll surely find out in three minutes.¡±

    Three minutes went by in a blink.

    And the two felt confident about this thing. They were confident that the ¡®supervisor¡¯ responsible for coming up with this game-like situation had been watching them from somewhere.

    Shortly after, the timer ticked down to zero, and messages began to pop.

    [Remaining people: 2]

    [You have passed the first trial.]

    [Second trial will start.]

    [You have passed the second trial.]

    [Please be on standby.]

    A message appeared after the other.

    Originally, the second trial should have started right away after the first one had been completed. However, the plan had gone awry¡ªthanks to Su-hyeun¡¯s intervention.

    And once the stream of messages came to an end, the unknown voice could be heard once more.

    [That was an entertaining idea.]

    The voice sounded slightly excited. It seemed that the voice¡¯s master was enjoying this situation.

    Then again, this would be an obvious reaction if one thought that this was a ¡®game¡¯.

    After all, a boring game with a foreseeable end wouldn¡¯t be popular with anyone.

    [And I never expected someone capable of pulling that off would show up this time. The two of you are really entertaining, though the second game I¡¯ve prepared is pretty much ruined¡­ Thanks to you.]

    ¡°If it is so entertaining, why don¡¯t you come out here and observe up close?¡±

    Su-hyeun called out while staring at the ceiling. He was still trying to locate the voice¡¯s actual location even now.

    However, this event made him certain about one thing.

    It couldn¡¯t be located through the voice alone, which meant that either they had to keep going through this boring ¡®trial¡¯ or make the other party show up somehow.

    Unfortunately¡­

    [That does sound appealing, but I want to make this last for a little bit longer, you see.]

    As expected, the voice didn¡¯t fall for Su-hyeun¡¯s provocation. Actually, it didn¡¯t think of it as a provocation at all. It must have perceived itself as all-powerful and great because it didn¡¯t even bother to process Su-hyeun¡¯s incitement. It just didn¡¯t care.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t find that amusing at all, but still, he realized that there was no point in trying to provoke the other side anymore.

    ¡°What a weirdo that predator is. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Luslec whispered to Su-hyeun¡¯s ear.

    The ¡®predator¡¯¡­

    Now that was a familiar word.

    Although Su-hyeun had been suspecting it to a certain extent, that term leaving Luslec¡¯s lips was filled with surprising certainty.

    Su-hyeun stared at Luslec with a slightly stunned face. Luslec actually knew about the existence of ¡®predators¡¯.

    Luslec shrugged his shoulders, but before he could say something else, the unknown voice spoke to them again.

    [With things like this, more people now need to participate in the third game¡­ Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. After all, the more the merrier.]

    The third game¡­

    Originally, only humans and other races similar to humanity who managed to survive the countless monsters found in the second room, the gigantic forest, should have participated in that game.

    Initially, 50,000 people had been summoned, and their numbers should have been cut down in half during the first game. However, thanks to Su-hyeun and Luslec, all those people were now going to participate in the third game.

    [For those who survived despite being weak, it would have been far better for them to have died earlier. They will, eventually.]

    The voice became lower, heavier, in an insidious manner.

    And not too long after that, the temporarily halted system began operating again.

    [Third trial will commence.]

 Chapter 358

    Act 3

    Shuwuwuwu!

    The thick fog suddenly blocked Su-hyeun¡¯s vision.

    The world before him became so blurry that he couldn¡¯t see an inch in front of him. Still, he tried to look around.

    Luslec, who was next to him only a second ago, had vanished. It was the same story for other people as well.

    Did the location change?

    ¡®Yeah. It did. Definitely.¡¯

    Su-hyeun was now standing on an empty, fog-covered field. Although this set was an illusion, the location he now stood had surely changed.

    He probably had been transferred to elsewhere in a similar manner to how other people had been summoned earlier.

    ¡®It shouldn¡¯t have been easy to summon all those people at once, but then¡­illusion on top of that, too.¡¯

    The predator he met before was specialized in physical defense, speed, and strength.

    In that case, could this new predator be adept in magical abilities?

    Su-hyeun thought about the unknown voice before paying attention to the system¡¯s voice.

    [Please select the trial¡¯s difficulty.]

    [Your rank will be determined based on the overall score, the difficulty chosen, and the passing of the trial.]

    [The higher rank will ensure that you receive better benefits in the fourth trial.]

    ¡®Difficulty? Rank?¡¯

    No detailed explanation was given.

    It certainly was a rather unfriendly explanation.

    If it was about difficulty, then he didn¡¯t really need an explanation for it. However, he had no way of finding out what this ¡®rank¡¯ even meant.

    ¡®Better benefits¡­ Is it¡­¡¯

    [Please select your difficulty.]

    [Levels 1 to 10]

    That was a rather familiar question. He didn¡¯t need much time to make up his mind.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with the 10th level, then.¡±

    [You have selected the 10th level.]

    [Additional trial will be applied with the passage of time.]

    [Please select the type of your trial.]

    [Weight, air, monster, darkness, weather]

    Five different types of trials were laid out. He was supposed to choose one of them.

    ¡®It said my rank will depend on the difficulty and the overall result, right?¡¯

    He still had no idea what that rank thing meant. However, one thing was certain.

    Without a doubt, by passing this trial with better results and acquiring nicer benefits, he would be able to get much closer to the unknown voice.

    In that case¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll be selecting all of them,¡± Su-hyeun decided.

    He already had an answer to this question as well.

    [You have selected all types for your trial.]

    [Weight will be increased with the passage of time.]

    [Air will be reduced with the passage of time.]

    [More monsters will appear with the passage of time.]

    [Denser darkness will unfold with the passage of time.]

    [The weather will become more extreme with the passage of time.]

    [In case you wish to terminate the trial, shout, ¡°I give up!¡±]

    [The minimum length of time you must endure is one hour.]

    Five different types of trials¡­

    The moment it started, this unmistakable feeling of weight was placed on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders.

    Although only by a little, it became tougher to breathe as well.

    Then, he sensed the presence of monsters in the distance, and the darkness seeped through the fog, obscuring his view.

    As for the weather, it seemed to have become a little colder, too.

    ¡®So this is what you meant.¡¯

    Su-hyeun smiled faintly.

    In the end, the goal was to endure.

    Endure the weight on his shoulders, endure the environment where it was getting harder to breathe, endure one¡¯s instinct of fearing the darkness, and endure the hot and cold weather.

    Su-hyeun had chosen all of those trials, so now he had to endure the worst situation available.

    ¡°Fine, then. Let¡¯s endure them all. No, wait¡­¡± Su-hyeun raised his head and addressed the unknown voice that must have been watching him. ¡°Let¡¯s see who will win in the end.¡±

    * * *

    A lot of time had passed.

    Drip. Drip.

    Monster remains were scattered everywhere, while green- and red-colored blood dripped to the ground and got mixed into one.

    Currently, Su-hyeun was sitting on one of the corpses. It felt like he was carrying a steel beam with several dozen tons in weight on his shoulders, but it was still quite bearable at the moment.

    ¡®I can¡¯t see an inch in front of my face.¡¯

    He had no choice but to rely on his senses to check his surroundings.

    Not only that, the air became gradually thinner, so he had to rely on the breathing technique and his stamina while moving around now.

    The number of monsters and their levels had gotten stronger over time as well.

    Of course, all of those were pointless in the end.

    As for the weather, a bitter cold snap would rush in, only for it to change abruptly to temperature so hot it would have burned one¡¯s flesh. He preferred the hot weather over the cold because he needed to envelop himself in magical energy to endure the cold snap.

    That was how a day had passed by.

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of getting boring.¡±

    Su-hyeun took a jerky from the subspace and munched on it.

    This was his first meal.

    Monsters showing up one horde at a time continued for three hours straight and only then did they stop showing up. He must have fought off several thousands of them by now.

    Fuu-wuwu.

    Soon after that, the weather changed again.

    The cold snap went away, and the searing heat toasted the ground below.

    ¡®This weather is no longer on the level of being hot, but more like stepping directly inside a furnace¡­¡¯

    The air had become so thin that it was almost impossible to breathe without the breathing technique.

    ¡®If I wanted to, it would not be that hard to break this illusion,¡¯ Su-hyeun considered. ¡®But that kind of feels like I¡¯m admitting defeat, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯

    The basic principle of an illusion was all about manipulating the target¡¯s mind.

    And the most basic way to shatter such an illusion was for the target to perceive that they were stuck in one and break out of it forcibly.

    If doing that was impossible, then one could also destroy the illusion¡¯s medium or even the connecting points for the power itself. However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t need to go through all those cumbersome processes.

    ¡®Are other people also experiencing these sorts of trials?¡¯ Su-hyeun wondered. Surely, he wouldn¡¯t be the only one, right?

    However, there were some differences depending on one¡¯s chosen difficulty.

    After all, Su-hyeun not only chose the highest level of difficulty, he even selected all types of trials as well.

    Even after considering that, though, it would still be tough for the others to endure this sort of trial, especially those who were close to being or actually regular people.

    ¡®Still, it¡¯s a relief that you can select your difficulty and can also give up after a set amount of time.¡¯

    Those scared of losing their lives wouldn¡¯t have chosen to go with higher levels.

    But if they did, then that would mean that they were confident of their chances.

    What could he do when they themselves chose higher levels despite their lives being on the line only to get killed? Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t planning to babysit them that far.

    Gu, gugugu.

    The weight pressing down on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders stopped increasing once it reached a certain level.

    The same thing happened to the scorching hot weather or the number of monsters.

    No more trials happened after a day had passed.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Is it over already?¡±

    Su-hyeun chuckled. ¡°Surely, this wasn¡¯t it? Something will happen,¡± he muttered.

    He looked up and smirked derisively.

    As if to say, ¡°Are you giving up already?¡±

    As if to say, ¡°The trial you started could only amount to this much?¡±

    And so, more time passed by.

    And then¡­

    Kyah-aah!

    Bang! Thud!

    He detected the presence of monsters rushing towards him from somewhere in the darkness.

    Just how many there were this time?

    The darkness had become even denser, and he almost began to think that something might suddenly leap out right in front of his nose.

    Su-hyeun easily suppressed his fear of the darkness, only for his body to shiver a little. That¡¯s because the bone-chilling coldness biting into his skin had become even harsher than before.

    He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt confident about this¡ªconfident that this was the last hurdle.

    ¡°Yup. This is what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    He was referring to an unknown number of monsters that couldn¡¯t even be seen.

    Su-hyeun stood up from the monster¡¯s remains and did some stretching.

    It didn¡¯t feel like he was resting just now.

    The cold made his body shiver, while the darkness made it impossible to see what might jump out at him. Then, his body felt like it weighed several dozen tons and even the air was too thin to breathe.

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t rest properly in such a situation.

    However¡­

    ¡®I still have plenty of stamina left, you know.¡¯

    * * *

    Swish!

    Splat!

    Su-hyeun swung the sword skillfully as he dashed forward. The monster was sliced into halves.

    He still couldn¡¯t see anything, but his other senses were functioning just fine. He could determine the movements of the monsters to a certain extent by remaining focused. He could sense their presence.

    Besides, the attacks of those monsters didn¡¯t work on Su-hyeun in the first place.

    [Somersault cloud.]

    Pow!

    A monster¡¯s stomp coming above was blocked off by the white clouds.

    The somersault cloud surrounded Su-hyeun¡¯s body. It was the strongest defense he currently possessed. It absorbed most physical damage and also possessed resistance against magical attacks.

    And finally¡­

    ¡°Blow away¡­¡±

    Whoosh!

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Whoosh!

    The gigantic storm winds created by the Palm Leaf were the strongest wide-area attack technique Su-hyeun currently possessed.

    The storm winds that turned to sharp countless blades proceeded to shred the bodies of the monsters. When the storm spun crazily with Su-hyeun in the center, the entire area surrounding him fell under his attack range despite him being unable to see anything.

    Thus, the remaining monsters were ripped apart just like that, and Su-hyeun pushed his senses to their limits.

    ¡®The ones remaining are 10 individuals.¡¯

    Some monsters managed to survive, but not because they were especially strong or anything like that.

    They were simply lucky.

    There was no reason to use the precious Palm Leaf on these creatures.

    [Ice spear.]

    Large spears of ice materialized around Su-hyeun. There were 10.

    While in that state, Su-hyeun began bending backward.

    ¡®One, two¡­¡¯

    After taking aim at 10 different directions¡­

    Gi-ing!

    More magical energy surrounded the ice spears, and then¡­

    [Spin.]

    Whir¡­

    The spears began to spin rapidly.

    ¡°Three.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Ten ice spears flew at the monster writhing on the ground.

    Pow!

    Thud!

    Almost at the same time, he heard sounds of things collapsing.

    This wasn¡¯t too bad. Due to the weight pressing down on him, he couldn¡¯t exert as much strength, but he could easily supplement that by using his magical energy.

    ¡®It was definitely worth learning magic.¡¯

    Magic certainly had plenty of uses during battles.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s combat style was based on his swordsmanship as well as techniques to throw spears, so the magic spells to create ice spears and to amplify their destructive powers proved to be useful to him.

    ¡®Beside this one, magic that can be used in battles are¡­¡¯

    While Su-hyeun was briefly pondering about the types of magic and their combinations¡­

    [Third trial has concluded.]

    [Difficulty: 10]

    [Number of trials: 5]

    [Time: 27:30:12]

    [You have recorded the highest result.]

    [Your rank is ¡®Grand Duke¡¯.]

    ¡°Grand duke, is it?¡±

    Messages popped up, one after the other. These puzzled Su-hyeun.

    He had been told that his rank would be determined depending on the results. Then again, the ¡®rank¡¯ was the kind that existed in human aristocracy.

    [Will you transfer to the next area?]

    The message was demanding his consent.

    It didn¡¯t seem like a simple message. If Su-hyeun was a normal person, transferring his body to someplace wouldn¡¯t have been that difficult, if that¡¯s what the unknown voice wanted.

    However, his case was somewhat unique. Unless Su-hyeun decided to give his consent, the predator wouldn¡¯t be able to send him to another location.

    ¡®Just what is that guy planning here?¡¯

    The predator had summoned all those people and subjected them to trials under the pretext of those being a game.

    The creature could speak and was even proficient at illusion-like magic that allowed it to freely create an artificial world.

    It would be safe to assume that as far as the level of intelligence went, this creature was far smarter than the predator Su-hyeun had run into in the previous trial.

    ¡°Alright. I will.¡±

    When Su-hyeun expressed his consent¡­

    Swish!

    His body left this world and was transported to another location. It all happened briefly, but it felt like he had moved quite a lot nonetheless.

    So the third trial came to an end, and a new world was revealed to Su-hyeun.

    A clear blue sky above his head, the rolling lush grass fields, and the refreshing scent of spring¡­

    And the biggest object his eyes could see, the gigantic golden castle.

    This scenery was so peaceful and beautiful that he briefly wondered if this was paradise.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    And what surprised him the most was¡­

    ¡®This is not an illusion.¡¯

    This peaceful world Su-hyeun now found himself in was all ¡®real¡¯.

 Chapter 359

    Su-hyeun looked examined his surroundings.

    He didn¡¯t really need to look to know, but even then, he couldn¡¯t help but do a double take anyway.

    He then bent down to touch the ground and feel the blades of grass.

    The grass, full of moisture, looked and smelled splendid. It was a complete contrast to the 103rd floor¡¯s world that had lost all of its vitality and magical energy.

    ¡®Is this really a world where a predator exists?¡¯

    First things first: this was not an illusion. He confirmed several times, but his surroundings remained the same.

    However, if this was really an illusion, so perfectly crafted that even he couldn¡¯t detect it, then¡­

    ¡­then he wouldn¡¯t win here.

    As such, he decided not to entertain such thoughts.

    Step.

    Su-hyeun began to walk away.

    He put some distance between him and the city and, for the time being, headed to the castle nearby that seemed to have been constructed purely out of gold.

    Chirp, chirp.

    Croak, croak.

    He heard the sounds of birds chirping and frogs croaking in a small pond nearby. The path he was on was just about perfect for a peaceful stroll.

    After walking for a while, Su-hyeun discovered a group of people yonder.

    ¡®Humans? No, wait. Similar races to humans are among them, too.¡¯ Su-hyeun¡¯s brows furrowed.

    The group was composed of about 50 individuals.

    Not only that, they were already well-armed as well.

    Step, step.

    Su-hyeun slowly walked up to them.

    He didn¡¯t sense any hostility or resistance from them. However, the group seemed to be prepared for battle, judging from their armament.

    Which also meant¡­

    ¡®I should prepare, too.¡¯

    Su-hyeun mounted it on his hips. He wanted it handy in case something happened.

    Each and every one making up that group looked quite highly skilled. Not only the level of magical energy they possessed was quite considerable, but the light gleaming in their eyes couldn¡¯t be described as ordinary either.

    Especially so with one or two among them. They were quite powerful individuals.

    Thus, as Su-hyeun got close, preparing to unsheathe his sword¡­

    Clack, clack.

    ¡°We greet your lordship, Grand Duke,¡± one welcomed.

    ¡°We offer our greetings, Grand Duke!¡± another greeted him.

    Starting with the man standing in front of the group, the 50 odd people all went down on their knees in a rather restrained, cultured manner, too.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun, who had been getting ready for a fight, stopped in his tracks. He was confused. He didn¡¯t know how to process the situation.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on? Did they just call me ¡®grand duke¡¯?¡¯

    <hr />

    The 40 knights and 10 magicians said that they were from the imperial guard corps.

    Su-hyeun wondered what ¡®imperial guards¡¯ could mean when he had been summoned to the world of the predator. But more than that, he found the title ¡®grand duke¡¯ even more puzzling.

    ¡°Okay, so¡­ Are you saying that I am your grand duke?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to speak politely to us, my lord.¡±

    The being from a similar race to humans, who introduced himself as the leader of the imperial guard corps, Kyle, a Dark Elf, still had his head lowered before Su-hyeun.

    Kyle wouldn¡¯t dare to look a grand duke in his eyes. He deemed himself not worthy.

    These people were calling Su-hyeun ¡®grand duke¡¯. That was because of the third trial he cleared earlier.

    ¡°If I¡¯m really the ¡®grand duke¡¯ that you need to serve, then,¡± Su-hyeun groaned as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯d like you to answer some things that I¡¯m curious about.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Kyle agreed. ¡°How about we change the location first?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded in agreement.

    Kyle got up and headed to the imperial palace. By then, the 50 imperial guard corps members had already been dismissed according to Su-hyeun¡¯s order.

    Su-hyeun followed Kyle and asked him, ¡°First of all, what kind of place is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the imperial court,¡± Kyle paused, looked at Su-hyeun, then continued, ¡°but I feel that what your lordship is asking me about isn¡¯t to learn where we are.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m asking what kind of a world this is.¡±

    ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s an artificially created world, Sir.¡±

    ¡°Artificially created?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And I trust that you already have a rough idea on what that means.¡±

    ¡°Several summoned races, trials, and even the peerage¡­ You receive a rank depending on your performance during the trial, and then, you¡¯re supposed to live in this world according to the rank?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve correctly guessed it, Sir.¡±

    Step.

    They stepped into the imperial palace, and Kyle stopped walking after entering a wide circle on the floor. When Su-hyeun joined the Dark Elf within the circle, their bodies began to ¡®rise¡¯.

    It seemed that this ¡®circle¡¯ functioned similarly to an elevator.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible to improve your peerage rank, Sir. In this place, strength rules,¡± Kyle explained. ¡°You can always challenge anyone and then take their peerage, and acquire the right to challenge higher ranks.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fairly simple.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Indeed, it is. However, in the eyes of those in the lower ranks, this rule is more on the side of cruel than simple.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cruel?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s brows furrowed.

    Whir.

    The magic elevator continued to go up. Its speed wasn¡¯t all that fast, and the location Kyle was guiding Su-hyeun to also happened to be somewhere up.

    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you fall behind in the competition, Sir. Once every month, 100,000 people will lose their lives starting from the lowest peerage and ranking.¡±

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to swear, Sir,¡± Kyle cut Su-hyeun off. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, strength rules in this place. This place is a world where the strong preys on the weak.¡±

    Just as Kyle finished saying that, the magic elevator stopped.

    The Dark Elf took a large stride forward before walking through the corridor right before their eyes.

    ¡°The weak will fall behind and lose their lives. That is the natural course of things in this place. There¡¯s no need to swear or think of it as bizarre at all, Sir. You¡¯ll soon get used to it.¡±

    Su-hyeun continued to follow Kyle. Then a thought occurred to him and said, ¡°The flesh of the weak will become the food for the strong.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the definition of the ¡®strong preys on the weak¡¯ that I¡¯m familiar with. Tell me, do you believe you¡¯re part of the strong? Just because you think this rank of the imperial guard corps, or whatever you call it, is not a low-ranked peerage?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know all the peerages of this world in detail. Even then, he could easily surmise that in this world, the weak was sacrificed in hundreds of thousands periodically instead of the so-called strong.

    To fill the void left behind by those who died, the predator dragged other people from different worlds. Just like that, the roles of the weak and the strong were filled again, and the people trapped here would train hard to become stronger and continue to compete in order to survive.

    And this being before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, Kyle, was someone occupying a fairly high peerage that belonged to the imperial palace.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken about something here.¡±

    However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t see Kyle as one of the so-called ¡®strong¡¯.

    ¡°You are all ¡®weak¡¯ in this place. You struggle so hard in order to survive, yet barely manage to flee to somewhere safe, so you huddle in fear.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say, Sir?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that you shouldn¡¯t mistakenly think that you¡¯re ¡®strong¡¯ just because your flesh isn¡¯t being ripped off as a sacrifice,¡± Su-hyeun explained. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re a hare or a deer. You¡¯re still nothing more than a prey in front of a lion.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Kyle didn¡¯t respond to what Su-hyeun had said. Su-hyeun¡¯s words made him think for a while. Silence ensued as they walked through the corridor.

    Su-hyeun glanced at Kyle¡¯s face for a bit before scratching his head.

    ¡®How did he get to this state?¡¯ Su-hyeun wondered. He was genuinely curious.

    The Dark Elves¡­ Normally, they were a race that possessed a bit more human-like streaks than regular elves. They had a ¡®darker¡¯ side to them than other elves as well.

    However, their roots still came from the elves. They treasured life and loved nature, and it would not change no matter what.

    Yet Kyle had changed so much that his race¡¯s original nature was nowhere to be seen. He didn¡¯t manifest it at all. He found the death of 100,000 people as something natural and talked about it casually as if he knew there was nothing he could do.

    In that case, could his nature be villainous to begin with?

    No, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. He didn¡¯t give off any sense of hostility in the way he spoke until now.

    It¡¯s just that¡­

    ¡®He became used to it.¡¯

    He, too, had to struggle to survive.

    He simply had become used to this¡ªthus, his mindset¡ªafter spending far too long of a time in this place.

    ¡°We have arrived, Sir.¡±

    Creak.

    Kyle arrived before a heavy-looking door and opened it.

    Even the doorway to this room, located at the end of the long corridor, was huge. The door was at least four meters high, and the room was around 50 square meters.

    There were a huge bed wide enough for 10 people to lie down and roll around, clothes rack where he could hang his clothes, and a bedside corner; two couches and a table between them; and then the peaceful scenery visible through the wall made out of thick glass.

    It certainly was a fantastic accommodation.

    More than anything else, the entire room seemed to be crafted out of solid gold, too.

    ¡®If such a room exists back in my world, it would probably cost tens of thousands of dollars to stay for a single night.¡¯

    But what really confused Su-hyeun was, ¡®How could such a lodging even exist in this world, though?¡¯

    First of all, it was already ridiculous to have a palace made out of gold.

    While Su-hyeun stood there impressed, Kyle opened his mouth to say something. ¡°From today onward, my lord grand duke can stay in this lodging, and¡­¡±

    He hesitated, but then, abruptly bowed his head.

    ¡°What you said just now, I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­sure. Please do.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t expect that reaction and could only reply in a slightly stiff manner. He briefly wondered if he had said something unnecessary, so he changed the topic since there was something else he wanted to ask, anyway.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, can you tell me how high the peerage of grand duke is? It does sound like something pretty high.¡±

    ¡°To my knowledge, a person who started their stay in this place right off the bat as a grand duke is¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Su-hyeun¡­ Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Yes, you¡¯re the very first one to do so, Grand Duke Kim Su-hyeun, Sir.¡±

    ¡°How many grand dukes are there? Seeing how everyone¡¯s being classified according to their peerages, it doesn¡¯t sound like I¡¯m the only grand duke here.¡±

    ¡°There are three others. And now with you, Sir, there are four grand dukes. And above you is His Majesty the Emperor. There is only one emperor, however.¡±

    ¡°The emperor, is it¡­¡±

    It might be possible that this ¡¯emperor¡¯ was the predator. Su-hyeun considered it and nodded again before asking something else. ¡°Where can I find the emperor?¡±

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t have that information.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Do you wish to challenge His Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°In order to do so, you must fight and win against the other grand dukes first, Sir.¡±

    ¡°What, you mean all of them?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It will be very difficult and arduous to¡­¡±

    Ti-ri¡ª

    Buzz, buzz.

    It was at that moment that a sound and a vibration came from Kyle¡¯s pocket. He got a little nervous and hurriedly turned halfway away from Su-hyeun. ¡°M-my apologies. May I¡­?¡±

    Kyle then pulled out a square-shaped stone from his pocket and brought it to his ear. Su-hyeun found this sight surprising to behold and continued to stare.

    ¡®Is that a phone? Not much of a gap in such things from modern science, then.¡¯

    From the magic elevator earlier to that stone telephone¡­

    Su-hyeun found it mystifying that through magical means, one could catch up to a certain level in modern times. He had not run into other worlds where the civilization had progressed to this degree yet.

    ¡®Then again, ether stones are just some rocks containing magical energy, so¡­¡¯

    It was meaningless to label which civilization was backward and which one was advanced anyway.

    While Kyle was talking on the phone, Su-hyeun turned around to take a better look at this wide room. Around that time, he could hear Kyle¡¯s surprised voice.

    ¡°W-what did you say?¡± Kyle couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard.

    Su-hyeun looked at Kyle.

    Although he couldn¡¯t hear what the other party was saying, something serious must have happened, judging from the tone of Kyle¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I¡­I see. I¡¯ll call you back as soon as possible.¡±

    Kyle ended the call.

    Su-hyeun sat at the edge of the bed and stared at the Dark Elf. ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­yes,¡± he replied hesitantly. ¡°It¡¯s an issue concerning other grand dukes.¡±

    ¡°Other grand dukes, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A new duke has arrived recently, but he¡­,¡± Kyle tried to calm himself down and continued, ¡°¡­has already defeated one of the grand dukes and became one.¡±

    The grand duke¡­ It was the highest peerage in this world and the one right after the emperor himself.

    From Kyle¡¯s perspective, this situation of a grand duke falling so quickly was not all that different from the half of the heavens suddenly flipping over.

    However, the story was slightly different from Su-hyeun¡¯s point of view.

    He didn¡¯t find it surprising at all.

    ¡®That guy made a move sooner than I expected.¡¯

    After all, he could more or less guess the identity of the new grand duke.

 Chapter 360

    Act 4

    For all intents and purposes, the title ¡°grand duke¡± was no different from a king.

    There was only one emperor in this world, but this individual never revealed itself. Thus, the three existing grand dukes acted as the rulers of this land.

    Even though this world was small and boasted around ten million inhabitants, the existing grand dukes were still satisfied with this arrangement.

    The position offered them safety and the authority to do whatever they want.

    And the necessary strength to protect that authority¡­

    Despite this being the worst possible situation where one had been abducted by an unknown entity, the life afforded here was rather satisfying in its own way.

    But now¡­

    ¡°What on earth is up with this sudden upheaval?¡±

    Grand Duke Kang Mu-hyeok was strong enough to be among the top 10 on the continent back in his world.

    And through that strength, he earned himself the position of the grand duke after being dragged into this world and managed to carve out a rather comfortable life until now. Everything was within reach, and nothing could stop him. Being a grand duke had afforded him such luxuries.

    It was a position where one possessed not only strength but also authority.

    But then, a change had occurred to such a position.

    ¡®Maruhan¡­ That fool got killed, and someone else took over his position as the grand duke. And there¡¯s another one who¡¯s starting off as a grand duke too.¡¯

    Maruhan was a two-horned dokkaebi.

    Once upon a time, Kang Mu-hyeok fought against Maruhan, who utilized various sorcery techniques. However, their skill level turned out to be equal, and the battle ended in a draw.

    Thus, Maruhan losing to the newcomer could mean that Kang Mu-hyeok was in danger of losing as well.

    ¡°Are you saying that a newbie is that strong?¡±

    Periodically, new people would arrive here. Countless races had arrived in this world, and whenever that happened, Maruhan would pay attention to them.

    From an ordinary fool to someone slightly noticeable¡­

    And even some who seemed especially outstanding too.

    All sorts of people had been in this place before, but not even once had there been anyone quite like these two newbies.

    ¡°I better hide for a while.¡±

    In order to initiate the duel, participants had to be face-to-face, staring at each other. One had to either kill their opponent or get them to surrender to take the other¡¯s peerage.

    As that was the case, if Kang Mu-hyeok hid now, he should be able to bide his time until the ¡°day of the duel.¡±

    ¡°After that, I¡¯ll think about what to do next¡­¡±

    Knock, knock.

    Someone suddenly knocked on the door.

    ¡°Who can it be?¡±

    Kang Mu-hyeok stopped himself from standing up and saying something.

    Something didn¡¯t feel right here.

    It wasn¡¯t a rational decision, and there was no clear reason for making such a call.

    It was just that his instincts were trying to warn him right now, encouraging him to flee.

    That was the warrior¡¯s instinct Kang Mu-hyeok had carefully honed throughout his life.

    However, in moments where one¡¯s instincts and reasoning were not in harmony, one would inevitably end up hesitating, just like what he was feeling at the moment.

    This brief moment of hesitation was enough to alter Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s fate.

    Kaboom!

    The door that had been securely locked earlier was torn down in an instant. Kang Mu-hyeok reached out to the pair of gauntlets resting on the table, put them on, and prepared for battle.

    ¡°Who goes there?¡±

    ¡°Are you Grand Duke Kang Mu-hyeok?¡±

    Unlike his actions, the intruder¡¯s manner of speech was surprisingly courteous.

    Kang Mu-hyeok lowered his fists halfway to the floor. He considered that maybe the intruder wasn¡¯t an enemy. The intruder had a sword strapped on his hips, but he hadn¡¯t unsheathed it yet.

    ¡°My name is Kim Su-hyeun. I¡¯m the new grand duke, you see.¡±

    ¡°When you say you¡¯re the new grand duke¡­¡±

    ¡°You are Sir Kang Mu-hyeok. Yes?¡±

    Kang Mu-hyeok ended up nodding at Su-hyeun.

    Up until a short time ago, Kang Mu-hyeok had been deeply wary about the arrival of the new grand duke. The news of Maruhan¡¯s defeat worried him.

    ¡°Maybe he isn¡¯t an enemy?¡±

    He began to think that maybe his worries were for nothing now that he had run into Su-hyeun like this.

    Of course, Kang Mu-hyeok had temporarily forgotten about the small matter of Su-hyeun ¡°breaking the door¡± to enter without permission.

    Su-hyeun said, ¡°Are you going to fight me or simply surrender?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not satisfied with just being a grand duke, you see. It is unfortunate, but in order to fight the one higher than my position, I apparently need to either defeat you or get you to surrender, Sir Kang Mu-hyeok.¡±

    His manner of speech remained friendly and polite, but his words were sharp, basically the same as thrusting a blade right under Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s throat.

    Simply put, it was the same as demanding him to hand over the peerage of grand duke.

    ¡°Wait, if I surrender here, do I get demoted to a duke?¡± Kang Mu-hyeok considered.

    A ¡°duke¡± wasn¡¯t such a bad rank. Only five dukes currently existed, and it was a rank right below ¡°grand duke¡± as well.

    One could still command thousands of subordinates, including the right to possess a castle as one¡¯s own property.

    However, there was no way that Kang Mu-hyeok would be satisfied by that.

    No, no, no¡­

    ¡°You want me to surrender? Me?¡±

    Grit.

    Kang Mu-hyeok gritted his teeth. The light in his eyes began to burn as he glared at Su-hyeun.

    Clack.

    Kang Mu-hyeok fixed the gauntlets properly on his fists. The hard metal touching his skin silenced the warning bells of his instincts that ceaselessly rang.

    He was rapidly building confidence.

    As long as he had his gauntlets, he didn¡¯t feel like he would lose to anyone.

    ¡°A young punk dares to say something quite insolent, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s body gave off a murderous aura.

    Crack. Split.

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    The aura coming out from his body caused a mess in his room and went on to ruin the floor.

    Clang! Shatter!

    The windows shattered to bits and the ceiling began to quake precariously. The aura he emitted was enormous and violent enough to shake the entire golden castle.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we see your skills first, then? If you are the new grand duke, then your strength must at least be¡­¡±

    Slap!

    ¡°Slap?

    Kang Mu-hyeok didn¡¯t finish the rest of his sentence¡­

    All because of a fist that landed in his face.

    Crack!

    Crunch!

    The fist landing on Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s philtrum broke his balance, and his body was slammed to the floor. The floor was already ruined by his violent aura, so the impact caused it to completely break apart. Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s body tumbled down several floors as a result.

    Bang!

    ¡°Keo-euh¡­ Euph¡­¡±

    Kang Mu-hyeok touched his lips. Blood was dripping from his nose.

    The crimson blood¡­

    He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he bled like this. But then, that blood wasn¡¯t coming from a wound or a blasted body part. It was coming from his broken nose. There couldn¡¯t be any worse humiliation than this.

    ¡°I punched you to make you go down, but you are still standing. I see.¡±

    ¡°You bastard! Suddenly attacking without any¡­¡±

    Pah-ahk¡ª

    Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s silhouette suddenly turned blurry.

    At the same time, he reappeared right next to Su-hyeun and punched him as hard as he could.

    Crack!

    He felt something on his fist.

    It felt quite heavy.

    ¡°It landed properly!¡±

    At the very least, the target¡¯s face should have caved in, and the impact could have damaged the brain too.

    This was a tragedy brought by one¡¯s carelessness. That¡¯s what Kang Mu-hyeok thought.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Since I struck you first, we are now even.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Kaboom!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s fist smashed Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s face one more time.

    As he collapsed on his back, Kang Mu-hyeok almost blacked out. He barely managed to grab on to his fading consciousness and prevented the unsightly spectacle of him rolling on the floor like a piece of trash.

    ¡°Keuh-euh¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, now.¡± Su-hyeun stood tall on his spot and slowly lowered his fist. ¡°Let¡¯s find out who will pass out first, shall we?¡±

    ¡°What the hell is¡­¡±

    Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s eyes widened at what Su-hyeun had said.

    It wasn¡¯t that the attack had landed successfully, but the opponent simply let it hit him. Was it?

    Since he struck first, they were even?

    ¡°He wants to see who will pass out first¡­¡±

    Kang Mu-hyeok shook the cobwebs off his bludgeoned head and then made a despair-filled face.

    ¡°You want me to withstand punches this strong again?¡±

    * * *

    Su-hyeun stared at Kang Mu-hyeok as he lay on the floor.

    The latter¡¯s body was convulsing intermittently after managing to withstand three of Su-hyeun¡¯s punches.

    He felt sorry for this guy.

    Well, it was Su-hyeun who had forced his way in and began swinging his fists while demanding the other party to give up the grand duke title.

    Of course, Kang Mu-hyeok responded with brute force. He wouldn¡¯t give up his title without a fight.

    [You have acquired the token of the grand duke.]

    Once Kang Mu-hyeok completely lost his consciousness, a ball of light appeared on Su-hyeun¡¯s chest. It came from a golden badge shaped like a wing.

    It seemed that this little thing was the token of the grand duke.

    [Token of grand duke]

    * This is the token that symbolizes the peerage of grand duke.

    * You can command less than 10 counts, viscounts, and barons.

    * You can command less than 100 knights.

    * You can command less than 5,000 commoners.

    * When three tokens are acquired, you can challenge the emperor.

    Its most fundamental ability¡­

    Being able to command 5,000 or so people with just one token was indeed a major privilege. It was the same type of privilege the nobles of medieval times might have enjoyed.

    ¡°No, wait. I guess this level of authority is greater than that.¡±

    This place was not some simple class-based society.

    No, it was a world where a special power was applied, and that power was none other than the powers of the ¡°system.¡±

    And in the context of such a system, ¡°commanding¡± someone probably was the same thing as calling for a summoned creature.

    In other words, absolute obedience¡­

    The higher one¡¯s peerage was, the higher the number of subordinates one could command. That would naturally lead to one enjoying greater, more absolute authority.

    ¡°What an insane world this is.¡±

    With this, Su-hyeun had now acquired two tokens.

    He could challenge the emperor as soon as he collected three tokens. Meaning, there was one more that needed to be acquired.

    But then¡­

    ¡°I see that this side is already taken care of.¡±

    One person was in possession of the remaining token.

    It was Luslec.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°What about your side?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already dealt with the two of them. I heard that only the guy named Kang Mu-hyeok remained. However, Mister Su-hyeuk, it seems you¡¯ve already taken care of things here.¡±

    Luslec stepped inside the wrecked room and stared at the unconscious Kang Mu-hyeok on the floor.

    Su-hyeun took a closer look at Luslec¡¯s chest.

    Two badges were there.

    The news of him defeating one grand duke had made the rounds by now, but the truth was, he had already defeated two.

    That was quite fast.

    ¡°When did you arrive here?¡±

    ¡°I arrived about half a day earlier than you, Mister Su-hyeun. Before you came, I defeated one and won against the second guy, but well¡­I heard that a new grand duke has arrived, and as expected, it was you.¡±

    Luslec had finished his third trial and arrived in this world much earlier than Su-hyeun. He was given the peerage of ¡°duke,¡± and before Su-hyeun arrived, he killed one grand duke and acquired the token.

    While Su-hyeun sought out Kang Mu-hyeok and ¡°fought¡± him, Luslec had defeated the remaining grand duke and took the token.

    Wiggle.

    It was at that moment that Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s body writhed.

    Although he was still unconscious, his body seemed to be gradually waking up.

    Luslec checked out Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s reactions and remarked, puzzled, ¡°This guy, it seems he isn¡¯t dead yet.¡±

    Luslec raised his hand as he spoke.

    His magical energy concentrated on a single point, and the tip of his hand transformed into something razor-sharp. The hand, sharper and tougher than your average famed sword, decidedly headed toward Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Should I finish him off?¡±

    ¡°Leave him be. I deliberately didn¡¯t kill him.¡±

    ¡°But why not?¡± This confused Luslec.

    ¡°Why should I kill him?¡±

    Luslec thought for a moment at Su-hyeun¡¯s reply and nodded. ¡°Well, I guess you have a point there. I¡¯m sure this guy won¡¯t be a hindrance to us even if he manages to live.¡±

    Then Luslec withdrew the magical energy from his hand and lowered his arm.

    It seemed that he was okay with letting Kang Mu-hyeok live.

    There was no real reason to kill someone, but from the look of things, Luslec must have believed that an opponent had to be killed without exception.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t think that it was a wrong philosophy. He just had different beliefs compared to Luslec.

    Rather than wrong, it was simply a matter of different perspectives.

    Kang Mu-hyeok revealed his intention to kill, clearly planning to kill Su-hyeun from the get-go.

    If someone tried to kill another, would there be a reason to spare them in such a case? If Su-hyeun would be asked the same question, he wouldn¡¯t be able to come up with a rational answer.

    It was just a difference in perspective. That¡¯s all.

    Su-hyeun had always believed that it would be better to spare one¡¯s life, even of an opponent¡¯s. He wouldn¡¯t kill unless it was either him or his enemy.

    ¡°In any case, I heard that you can only fight that emperor or whatever if you have three of these tokens¡­¡± Luslec shifted his gaze between the two tokens on his chest and the other two on Su-hyeun. Then he continued, ¡°So what are we going to do now?¡±

    A faint trace of desire to fight could be seen in Luslec¡¯s eyes. He knew Su-hyeun was no easy enemy, but he was willing to give it a try. He might get lucky and be able to defeat him.

 Chapter 361

    ¡°Are you saying we should fight?¡±

    The light gleaming in Luslec¡¯s eyes seemed a bit suspicious.

    His question of ¡°what should they do next?¡± contained the intent of ¡°shouldn¡¯t we fight each other as well?¡±

    And their situation certainly seemed ripe for that.

    Now normally, the token of the grand duke could only be acquired by someone after defeating other grand dukes.

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they knew each other, Su-hyeun would have punched the other party first the moment they met.

    Luslec went first, ¡°Tokens can be yielded to the other party, you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of doing that.¡±

    ¡°However, I was.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Now that was an unexpected reply.

    Su-hyeun became slightly flustered and stared at Luslec. Unlike how sharp his eyes remained, there was a happy grin plastered on his lips.

    ¡°I have to say, what you¡¯re saying right now doesn¡¯t really match your expression.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so?¡±

    Luslec pointed to his mouth and eyes. It seemed that he himself was aware of the discrepancies between his expression and the light burning in his eyes.

    Luslec said, ¡°That¡¯s not that surprising since I¡¯m holding back at the moment, you see.¡±

    ¡°Holding back, you say?¡±

    ¡°I told you this already, yes? I¡¯m a fan of yours, and as my feelings regarding this matter are genuine, I also have this desire to fight you at least once.¡±

    ¡°If you know about me, then you should also be aware that I¡¯m not the biggest fan of fighting.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same story for me. Well, this is more like¡­¡± Luslec trailed off in his sentence for a bit as if he wasn¡¯t sure of how to continue and even began frowning. ¡°Curiosity. Yes, it¡¯s something like that. I¡¯m really curious about just how close I¡¯ve gotten to the hero that I respect.¡±

    ¡°And the reason for not satisfying your curiosity this time?¡±

    ¡°Because now isn¡¯t the time for that,¡± Luslec said as he walked up to the broken window.

    The room he and Su-hyeun were in was located on the 10th floor. When they looked down from there, they could see many buildings set closely together below.

    ¡°This place is one of the most elaborate ones out of all the worlds I¡¯ve been to so far, which is a clear proof of how excellent this predator¡¯s true ability is.¡±

    ¡°Are you implying that its creation magic is that amazing?¡±

    Luslec turned around to stare with surprised eyes and asked, ¡°You even know about the creation magic?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded silently. Honestly speaking, this was what he found most shocking after setting foot in this world.

    ¡°The ¡®creation magic¡¯ is magic where you outright create something you want through nothing but your own will. Creating base elements like fire, water, earth, and wind can also be seen as the basic form of creation magic, but when you¡¯re talking about the actual creation magic, then you are referring to the act of creating something through just your will without relying on magic formulas or magic circles.¡±

    When Ellid explained the ultimate pinnacle of magic to Su-hyeun, the first example he went with was the ¡°creation magic.¡±

    His reasoning was simple. Starting from the base elements, which were the foundation of the creation magic itself, this magic allowed one to create an intact world and even a whole dimension at its absolute pinnacle.

    ¡°Of course, creating a planet, and more than that, a whole dimension, is only possible in theory. Even the upper-tier gods would find it impossible to pull off.¡±

    ¡°When you say that the predator created this world, are you implying that it actually created this dimension?¡± Su-hyeun asked while thinking that it couldn¡¯t be true.

    Ellid said he had taught himself the basics of the creation magic, and the basics referred to his ability to create an object he wanted in the shape he would like to see it in.

    However, the story would be on a whole another dimension if it was about creating an entire world out of nothing.

    According to Ellid, even upper-tier gods like Hades and Zeus would¡¯ve found it impossible to pull off something like that.

    Luslec replied, ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not as grand as that. What the creature has created should be just that city down there where people can live, as well as this system thing. As for the planet and the sky, or the other large objects that act as the foundation of the world? I¡¯m pretty sure that they existed from the get-go.¡±

    Luslec knew quite a lot regarding what¡¯s going on here¡ªthings that even Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know much about¡ªor more correctly, Luslec held a lot of information on these creatures called the ¡°predators¡± even though Su-hyeun had only begun learning about them recently.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t your first time dealing with such enemies?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not. This would be my third.¡±

    ¡°Third, is it¡­?¡±

    ¡°A world that had been completely destroyed and another world where the predator acted as its ruler, just like this one. The world I went to before coming here was far smaller than this one. Not many people lived in there as well.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s such a small world out there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are even smaller ones somewhere out there, and some worlds should be far bigger than what our imaginations can come up with, too,¡± said Luslec while placing his hand on his chest.

    Jiii-iiiing¡ª

    The two tokens emitted a light before tumbling onto Luslec¡¯s palm. He extended his hand at Su-hyeun. ¡°Please take them.¡±

    ¡°You sure about this?¡±

    ¡°There is this saying in your world, yes? That it doesn¡¯t matter which road you take as long as you end up in Seoul. Well, if you fail, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll just try my luck after you. It won¡¯t be all that hard to wait for my turn, anyway. Besides, I¡¯m your fan, remember?¡±

    To put it simply, he was ¡°yielding because he¡¯s a fan.¡± This was an unexpected development from Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective.

    ¡°Does that mean he believes in me?¡± Su-hyeun inwardly considered.

    Honestly speaking, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t trust Luslec. They were complete strangers, after all.

    Not only that but he also didn¡¯t know anything about the other party¡¯s goal or for what purpose the other party had come here.

    The only two things Su-hyeun knew about Luslec were that the latter was a Necromancer of some kind and also his ¡°fan.¡±

    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll gladly hold onto these.¡±

    Su-hyeun held Luslec¡¯s offered hand. When he did, the two tokens in the latter¡¯s hand traveled up Su-hyeun¡¯s arm to reach his chest.

    [You have acquired the token of the grand duke. ¡Á2]

    [You have acquired the right to challenge the emperor.]

    [A new emperor candidate has been born.]

    [At midday tomorrow, the duel will take place in the imperial palace¡¯s combat arena.]

    ¡°The arena?¡± he thought.

    The moment he gained all three tokens, the right to challenge the emperor as well as the time and place for the duel had been set.

    However, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t the only one who received that message.

    ¡°So, midday tomorrow, in the imperial palace¡¯s arena, huh?¡±

    ¡°Mister Luslec, you also received the message?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems that the message has been sent to everyone in this place. But then again, it¡¯s an occasion where this world¡¯s emperor will be decided, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s an important event even to the other citizens.¡±

    ¡°Well, this system sure made things quite annoying, didn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun scratched his head in irritation.

    At this rate, he would have to fight in front of a lot of people, and since he was assuming that the emperor sitting above the peerage of the grand duke was indeed a predator, he wanted to avoid having many people show up during the fight if possible.

    ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡±

    ¡°You can ask anything. Even if you order me to kill myself.¡± Luslec looked really willing as if all he needed was to be asked. His eyes that used to sharply gleam with the desire to fight was gone now and were replaced by a pair of happily shining eyes.

    Su-hyeun chuckled slightly at Luslec¡¯s mischievous-sounding reply and said, ¡°Never mind that. Actually, what I want is¡­¡±

    Luslec paid attention to what Su-hyeun said next.

    Meanwhile, the sun was setting outside.

    <hr />

    Late into the evening after the sun had set.

    After concluding the discussion, Su-hyeun left the wrecked room. He was planning to ask Kyle for dinner and then take a short rest.

    No one knew where the emperor was residing. Even though the being occupied the position meant to rule this world, his whereabouts were still a mystery. Meaning, Su-hyeun had no choice but to wait. But that wasn¡¯t such a bad thing. After all, Su-hyeun had made his move directly after the end of the third trial.

    ¡°Urgh¡­¡±

    Around at the same time¡­

    The ex-grand duke, now demoted to merely a duke, Kang Mu-hyeok finally regained his consciousness inside this dark room.

    He moaned at the throbbing pain in his head. The impact force that he received had been so enormous that he ended up blacking out for several hours.

    ¡°How did I¡­?¡±

    Right at that moment, his memories cut off before starting again.

    That last punch¡­

    After the moment he realized that the punch, the fourth one in a row, had landed on him, he regained his wits only to find himself in this state.

    ¡°I¡­have lost.¡±

    He could count on one hand how many times he lost after his birth.

    If he was the type to lose constantly, then he would not have survived until now. The strongest opponent he had ever fought up until this point was the dokkaebi, Maruhan.

    But now¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t win.¡±

    He was sure about that¡ªthat he would still not win even if they fought again for the second, or rather, ten times, maybe hundreds of times more.

    Just when was the last time he felt such a difference in strength level?

    ¡°My master¡­¡±

    That happened only back when he first started learning fist arts from the person whom he looked up to as his master, and the current Kang Mu-hyeok had surpassed the master from back then, too.

    ¡°He is one hell of a monster, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°No, not a monster but a hero.¡±

    Paht¡ª

    Kang Mu-hyeok heard that chill-inducing voice coming from somewhere behind him and reflexively threw himself away before assuming a battle stance.

    Even though he only had regained consciousness just now, he wasn¡¯t suffering from a major injury. Kang Mu-hyeok grew deeply wary of the figure entering the room through the wrecked window.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    He had definitely asked that question before.

    His new opponent was a duke-ranked man, but his face was unfamiliar. However, Kang Mu-hyeok knew the faces of all five dukes.

    ¡°If he¡¯s the new duke, then for sure¡­¡±

    The inside of Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s head became filled with complicated thoughts.

    ¡°Wait, but I heard he became a grand duke after defeating Maruhan?¡±

    Did that mean there was someone else who had newly become a duke?

    Kang Mu-hyeok wondered if it was possible for so many strong people to show up during a single cycle like this, and his thoughts became even more complicated than before.

    While he was thinking that, Luslec addressed him with a smirk, ¡°You better change what you said while I¡¯m being nice here. Say that he¡¯s a hero. I really hate the word ¡®monster,¡¯ you see? So, can you imagine¡­¡±

    Stab¡ª

    Keuph¡­.

    ¡°How unhappy I¡¯ll get when you say that stupid thing about him?¡±

    Kang Mu-hyeok looked down at his own chest.

    Luslec¡¯s finger had dug into a spot right below where his heart was. Kang Mu-hyeok could only stand there like a tree stump after finding it too difficult to move his body.

    ¡°You know, that gentleman you fought earlier? He doesn¡¯t really like killing someone. Doesn¡¯t matter whether that person deserves to die or not, he still prefers not to. However, I¡¯m of the opinion that someone like you deserves to die.¡±

    Keuk, keuh¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll kill you instead. I mean, there¡¯s no reason for him to dirty his hands with the tainted blood of a vile bastard such as yourself.¡±

    Kang Mu-hyeok moaned in pain. Even lifting a finger proved to be difficult for him, but the pain spreading throughout his body made him want to flail about like crazy. This pain felt like his flesh was being ripped apart from the inside.

    ¡°Hey, man. You have a pretty unique hobby, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re pretty famous as the married women killer,¡± Luslec cackled.

    Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s lips parted open. He couldn¡¯t even swallow his saliva from the pain, and a strand of drool trickled down from the corner of his lips. ¡°S¡ªspare¡­me¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure. Okay, so recant what you said earlier first. Now, follow after me¡ªnot a monster but a hero.¡±

    ¡°Not a¡­monster¡­a hero¡­¡±

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    Pull¡ª

    Luslec pulled his finger out from Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s chest. Finally, the pain had subsided, and the latter faltered to his knees before completely plopping on the ground.

    Pant, pant¡­

    Stab¡ª

    But soon after that, Kang Mu-hyeok felt something hot inside his head.

    The finger that had been stabbing his chest earlier was now impaling his head.

    ¡°But, why¡­?¡±

    ¡°I never said I¡¯ll let you live. I only wanted to make you suffer less, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Driiip¡ª

    Blood trickled down from Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s nostrils and mouth.

    Soon after that, his eyes lost all signs of life, and he collapsed on the floor.

    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s dirty.¡±

    Luslec pulled his blood-stained finger out from Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s head and wiped it on the dead man¡¯s clothing before turning around toward the window that he used to enter earlier.

    But right at that moment¡­

    ¡°How long have you been there?¡±

    He discovered Su-hyeun leaning against the window sill.

 Chapter 362

    Luslec¡¯s body froze up. Even his smiling expression from a second ago had vanished as well.

    This would be a first for Su-hyeun to see Luslec¡¯s expression freeze up to that degree.

    The light in Luslec¡¯s eyes would change often, but that smile on his lips remained constant all the time, so much so that he barely seemed to change his expressions, if at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a little while.¡±

    ¡°And did you see everything?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and heard everything as well.¡±

    When Su-hyeun made his reply, Luslec couldn¡¯t help but sneak a glance at Kang Mu-hyeok¡¯s corpse slumped on the ground. He then curled the corners of his lips upward in his attempt to put his fa?ade back on. He laughed nervously, ¡°Well, sorry about this. I know you were thinking of letting him live, but I just couldn¡¯t win against my own whims and ended up¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not your whims. This was what you planned to do from the beginning, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡±

    Luslec discreetly lowered his head and avoided meeting Su-hyeun¡¯s gaze. He seemed to be at a loss as to what to do here.

    His current demeanor was the complete opposite a few moments ago when he stabbed a person to death using his finger without even batting an eyelid.

    Su-hyeun silently stared at Luslec for a little while. He wondered which of the two completely different faces of the latter was the real one but failed to figure it out in the end.

    ¡°Maybe both of them are real,¡± he inwardly guessed.

    However, the two sides were just too contradictory for that.

    ¡°A fan, huh?¡±

    Su-hyeun initially thought that Luslec was just saying that, but now, he began thinking that the word held a far deeper meaning than he had assumed.

    Just what kind of life did Luslec live through in his youth? And what kind of tales did he hear about Su-hyeun¡¯s exploits while growing up?

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not planning to criticize you, anyway. I only followed you after spotting you coming here, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°He deserved to die. That¡¯s why¡ª¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine. I heard it all, so don¡¯t sweat over it too much. If I knew he was that kind of punk, then I¡¯d have killed him myself.¡±

    Su-hyeun waved his hand and turned around to leave. He didn¡¯t have anything else to say, and he also figured that staying here would only make the mood even more awkward.

    ¡°More importantly, I¡¯ll be in your care tomorrow.¡±

    Tap¡ª

    After saying that, Su-hyeun jumped up high in the direction of his room, which was originally located much higher up than where he found Luslec.

    ¡°For now, I can assume that he¡¯s not an enemy,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun continued to suspect Luslec and had been observing him.

    It was the same story this time as well. Right after they parted ways, Su-hyeun kept his eyes on Luslec¡¯s movements. Thanks to that, he got to witness the latter murdering Kang Mu-hyeok and got to learn about his true character just a little.

    Luslec was a different type of person from Su-hyeun, but he definitely possessed a yearning and favorable impression bordering on being excessive in regard to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    For now, it seemed safe to assume that he was closer to being an ally rather than an enemy.

    ¡°A rather dependable ally, too.¡±

    * * *

    The night drew to a close, and the sun emerged once more.

    Countless people gathered near the imperial palace all because of the message from yesterday.

    ¡°To think that three grand dukes have fallen in one night¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard that all of them are dead.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean we¡¯ll have a new emperor?¡±

    ¡°This has never happened before, right?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t challenge the emperor without being blinded by your own confidence, though. I mean, you can live your life in absolute luxury when you¡¯re a grand duke, after all.¡±

    ¡°You should learn how to be satisfied by such things in this f*cked-up world, you know.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a newbie who just came here, isn¡¯t he? It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s dreaming big, that¡¯s all, and he probably doesn¡¯t know much about the affairs of this world, too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a really long time since I last saw the emperor. He¡¯s been stuck inside the closed-door seclusion for a good few years now, so I wonder, will he come outside today?¡±

    ¡°His position will be threatened if he doesn¡¯t, so he will come out, surely.¡±

    Unlike how it was usually, the areas surrounding the imperial palace was a hive of activities.

    Humans and other similar races with knight ranks or higher were descending on the arena to clap their eyes on the current emperor and the overconfident challenger.

    The arena itself was located behind the imperial palace and was several tens of thousands of square meters large. Grandstands for the audiences were prepared all around the arena itself, but when people tried to enter there, they got flustered and had to stop in their tracks.

    ¡°Uh? What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°What is it? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Something is blocking the way.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, something is¡­Eh?¡±

    Bang, bang, bang¡ª

    Something invisible to the naked eye¡ªa transparent wall¡ªhad barricaded the arena¡¯s surroundings.

    ¡°What is this thing?¡±

    ¡°Hey, get out of the way!¡±

    Clang¡ª!

    Ku-rururu¡ª

    A handful of high-ranking individuals who felt confident of their own strength pounded on the wall, but it didn¡¯t shatter.

    Crack¡ª

    Still, a crack or two did appear after so many people pounded on the wall. However, it repaired itself right away, which meant that someone was still pouring magical energy into maintaining this wall from somewhere.

    ¡°Dammit! Which son of a b*tch is it?¡±

    ¡°Just how emboldened is he to pull the prank of blocking the entire arena like this¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a prank, though,¡± said someone walking out from the interior of the arena.

    Even though the others were blocked by the wall and couldn¡¯t enter, this person was actually previously inside. Unless one was a moron, one would be able to tell that the person was the culprit of this event.

    ¡°You asked which son of a b*tch it was, didn¡¯t you? Well, I¡¯m right here. So what now? What are you gonna do now that you saw me?¡±

    ¡°What garbage are you trying to pull here?¡±

    ¡°What about you? What business do you have here, anyway? And besides all that, can¡¯t you see this?¡± Luslec pointed to his chest. After handing over the tokens of the grand duke, he had been demoted to the peerage of a duke.

    A ¡°duke,¡± although not as high up the hierarchy as the grand duke, was still a high-ranking position nonetheless.

    ¡°A bunch of low-class dregs is trying to piss me off? Better scram or else.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also a duke, you punk!¡±

    Bang¡ª!

    A man who made a crack on the wall Luslec had materialized slammed his fist on the transparent wall once more.

    The power behind the punch was rather considerable. It seemed that the concept of a higher rank equating to being stronger was true all along.

    ¡°Is that right? In that case, killing you will make it quiet here, right?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a fight and¡ª?¡±

    The man felt a chill and hurriedly clamped his mouth shut and cautiously lowered his gaze. It was at that moment that he discovered a pitch-black blade digging into his throat.

    He had no idea just when it even appeared, but without a doubt, this blade had cut open his skin, and some blood was trickling down its surface.

    ¡°Oh, really now?¡±

    ¡°N¡ªno¡­¡±

    ¡°This punk, you sure do have quick wits, don¡¯t you? Sure, I¡¯ll spare you, then.¡±

    Luslec waved his hand dismissively. When he did, the blade pressing against the man¡¯s throat vanished, and the volatile atmosphere loosened up ever so slightly.

    At the same time, the commotion in the surroundings had become deathly quiet in an instant.

    Only then did Luslec make a satisfied expression.

    Only two people were allowed to step inside the arena currently enveloped in the transparent wall. Other people couldn¡¯t enter, and it would probably remain that way as long as Luslec maintained the wall.

    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s just unfortunate that he had an overly caring heart,¡± Luslec thought.

    If it was him, he wouldn¡¯t have cared whether or not all these people ended up as collateral damage.

    However, Su-hyeun still asked Luslec for a favor regarding their safety. He asked the latter to ensure that not one person must be able to step inside the arena by blocking their access.

    You wouldn¡¯t really ask a random person to stop tens of thousands of people. Even then, Su-hyeun still asked Luslec, implying that he trusted the latter to be strong enough to handle the task.

    ¡°That¡¯s kinda making me embarrassed here,¡± Luslec grinned from the satisfaction at the fact that Su-hyeun had personally requested him. He then turned his head and looked back at the giant arena behind him, particularly the roofless coliseum-type arena made of gold.

    ¡°I wonder, has he met the emperor by now?¡±

    Su-hyeun and the emperor should be inside that place right about now.

    * * *

    Although titles like ¡°emperor¡± and ¡°grand duke¡± all sounded magnificent, it wasn¡¯t as if the ones with those titles chose to dress accordingly.

    If someone said emperor, one would automatically picture an image of a man draped in a brilliant opulent dragon robe and a crown encrusted with all sorts of sparkling diamonds adorning his head, but the ¡°emperor¡± before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was nothing like that.

    He was the complete opposite of that, as a matter of fact¡ªhis overall appearance was unkempt, and as if he hadn¡¯t taken a bath in ages, his whole body was covered in dirt and dust. Moreover, his jaw area was covered with a piece of cloth, so only half of his emaciated face could be seen.

    ¡°This is¡­the emperor?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Just from the man¡¯s appearance alone, he didn¡¯t even look like an emperor.

    However, a sparkling badge shaped like a crown on his chest, plus the sense of presence he emitted, all served as ample proof that this man was indeed the emperor.

    ¡°He¡¯s not a predator, though.¡±

    Although his face wasn¡¯t fully visible, his atmosphere was quite different from the other ¡°preys¡± or the predator Su-hyeun had run into before. Rather, the atmosphere or the aura that could be sensed from this emperor was far closer to Kang Mu-hyeok.

    In the world of martial artists called ¡°Murim,¡± the type of magical energy wielded by the denizens of that world could be sensed emanating from the emperor.

    And this particular aura belonged to¡­

    ¡°Chun Ha-jin?¡±

    Stop¡ª

    The forehead of the emperor who was standing on the other side of the arena creased up at what Su-hyeun said.

    Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t been sure until now, but to think that it really was him.

    ¡°I thought I was sensing an aura containing all sorts of other auras, but well, it really is you.¡±

    ¡°You know who I am?¡± The emperor opened his mouth for the first time since his entrance.

    Chun Ha-jin was one of the heroes from another world that Su-hyeun ran into on the 43rd floor, where he also met Luslec. He was a martial art practitioner that relied on a technique called ¡°Death-Force Absorption¡± that stole away the life force and magical energy from someone else to strengthen the body of the technique wielder instead.

    A lot of time had passed by since then, so Su-hyeun believed that Chun Ha-jin must¡¯ve gotten much stronger compared to back then. As long as the latter didn¡¯t die, then even if he wouldn¡¯t end up as a hero, he¡¯d certainly become a villain somewhere and continue to survive. That was what Su-hyeun believed.

    But to think that they¡¯d meet each other in this place.

    ¡°Even though he wouldn¡¯t remember me or anything,¡± he thought.

    He was the emperor, the strongest existence in this world where almost 10 million people lived.

    Not to forget, those 10 million were no ordinary people either. They had been selected from various other worlds and had to pass trials with their own strength, allowing them to survive until this day.

    And on top of that, the aura coming from Chun Ha-jin was far more overwhelming than from the likes of Kang Mu-hyeok.

    ¡°Just how many have you devoured already?¡±

    ¡°It seems that you do really know about me.¡±

    When Su-hyeun asked in dismay, the ¡°emperor¡± pulled down the cloth covering his mouth. With that, the unkempt bearded face of a middle-aged man was revealed to the world.

    Although that face had changed a lot, it wasn¡¯t all that difficult to recognize. That man was definitely Chun Ha-jin.

    The light in his eyes had become a bit murkier, while his expression was filled with killing intent so dense that just his glare alone might be enough to kill someone.

    He exuded so much of his overwhelming presence simply by standing still. That aura of his in the shape of a giant lump was still surging over in every direction even right at this moment.

    ¡°Is it because he didn¡¯t bother to fully refine the energy and simply increased its size? Even if that¡¯s true, its size is seriously enormous,¡± Su-hyeun silently observed.

    Just for how long had he been devouring people up?

    The ¡°Death-Force Absorption¡± was a martial art technique that absorbed a person¡¯s life force and magical energy. Judging from how his aura had increased by seemingly dozens of times compared to the last time Su-hyeun saw him, he must¡¯ve devoured the energies of countless people over the years.

    ¡°I heard that the emperor has been secluding himself for several years, but this¡­¡± Su-hyeun groaned at length in irritation. ¡°As it turns out, you needed a lot of time to digest everything you have devoured, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You¡­just who are you?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡±

    Crunch¡ª!

    Crack, spliiiit¡ª

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    When Su-hyeun took a step forward, massive ripples of magical energy spread out all around him, and right at that moment, his sense of presence that seemed so small suddenly swept across the entire arena.

    Up until then, Chun Ha-jin had been feeling curious about how Su-hyeun knew about him, but now, his eyes were steadily opening wider and wider.

    Although the size of the lump of magical energy that could be sensed from Su-hyeun was incomparably smaller than Chun Ha-jin¡¯s own, there was something else that could be detected from him.

    Su-hyeun muttered, ¡°It seems that you are one of those people who shouldn¡¯t be allowed to live.¡±

    Rage¡ªnow that was an emotion that Su-hyeun didn¡¯t feel often.

    He had come across countless bad people who deserved to die until now, after all, and he thought that he had grown accustomed to such people and that his rage had gradually worn away as well.

    However, he would find those people every now and then¡ªthose truly despicable bastards that made him so damn angry, just like Chun Ha-jin before his eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡±

    [Third Eye¡ªPredator]

    [Sage¡¯s Eye]

    The third eye in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead opened up, and a bluish aura was overlaid on this newly opened eye next.

    ¡°You need to pay for your crimes before dying today.¡±

 Chapter 363

    Act 5

    Clang, claaang¡ª!

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Swords clashed, and sword slashes landed everywhere.

    Ku-ruru, rumble¡ª

    The ground overturned, and the grandstands collapsed. Huge waves of flames swept across the battle arena, and the storm of magical energy lashed out to shove away the flames.

    Clang, screeeeek¡ª

    Crack¡ª!

    Chun Ha-jin¡¯s body was roughly shoved back.

    He strengthened his leg muscles and barely managed to regain his balance, but it still proved to be inadequate. He was having a hard time understanding just what was going on here right now.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Without a doubt, the size of his aura was greater, but in a frontal collision, it would always be him on the losing end.

    The reason for that was simple.

    ¡°What is up with this ridiculous strength¡­?¡± he thought.

    Indeed, he was being forced back simply through physical strength alone. However, that only made it so much harder for Chun Ha-jin to understand because all his life, he believed that being weaker in terms of physical strength could always be overcome through the application of the power called ¡°internal force.¡±

    No, wait¡ªthat was not the end of the story either.

    Piiiht¡ª

    Sliiiice¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin reflexively swung his sword and was immediately rewarded with the impact force from a sword strike that numbed his hand. He couldn¡¯t even see the speed of the attack.

    He realized that his opponent¡¯s power and speed were both far superior to his. Nonetheless, Chun Ha-jin believed that he held the advantage of one thing.

    ¡°I must manipulate this fight into a battle of inner strength!¡±

    His power was a result of stealing from tens of thousands of people for the past dozen-plus years. Only by turning this fight into the battle of inner strength did he stand a chance at winning here.

    Pounce¡ª!

    Chun Ha-jin¡¯s figure shot forward.

    He might not be able to keep up in terms of speed, but he was still a martial artist who spent his entire lifetime repeatedly fighting countless life-or-death battles with his sword by his side.

    Even if his opponent was faster than him, it would still be possible for him to catch up by determining where the opponent would move to next, especially more so, if he relied on the internal force currently overflowing within him.

    [Heaven Murdering Grand Strike]

    [Death-Force Absorption¡ªHeavenly Demon Silhouette]

    An image of a giant demon suddenly materialized behind Chun Ha-jin. The massive aura sleeping in him erupted at once outside his body and entered his sword before pouncing on Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun felt as if a massive evil phantom was leading a tsunami wave to pounce on him, but he calmly pointed his sword at it.

    ¡°I can see it.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s vision could clearly pick up the slender gap emitting a soft light amid the gigantic wave of energy, and he found no need to hesitate nor evade at this point. All he had to do was to cut it down.

    Clack¡ª

    ¡°Slice it apart¡ª¡±

    A lone strand of wind enveloped the sword when Su-hyeun softly whispered.

    ¡°Palm Leaf¡ª¡±

    Vroooooph¡ª!

    His descending sword unleashed that lone strand of wind and sliced apart the atmosphere. As a result, the tsunami in the image of the evil phantom was instantly split apart to reveal Chun Ha-jin¡¯s stunned figure right behind it.

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡­!¡±

    Chun Ha-jin¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and right at that moment, his sword loudly clashed against Su-hyeun¡¯s own.

    CLAAANG¡ª!

    Tuu-kwaaaaaahk¡ª

    The vestige of magical energy still remaining in the air swept across the surroundings. Meanwhile, the sword strikes couldn¡¯t cut either of the men and were blocked by the walls of energy, utterly devastating the poor arena instead.

    Creak, creaaaak¡ª

    ¡°I did it!¡±

    In the middle of all this, Chun Ha-jin was smiling faintly.

    He no longer lost out in strength, all thanks to him raising his inner force to the absolute max and going on a series of offenses earlier. As long as they were locking swords in this manner, Chun Ha-jin could turn this battle into the fight of inner force, just as he wanted.

    Wu-wu-woong¡ª

    The inner force entered Chun Ha-jin¡¯s sword.

    The power that Su-hyeun knew as ¡°magical energy,¡± the power and life force stolen from hundreds of thousands of people over many years, focused on one point and began howling out through Chun Ha-jin¡¯s sword.

    That magical energy was gradually traveling through Su-hyeun¡¯s sword toward him.

    ¡°What are you grinning about?¡±

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    Su-hyeun also proceeded to rouse up his own energy.

    The battle of inner force was the name given to a type of battle back in Chun Ha-jin¡¯s former world where duelists locked swords and clashed in a rather straightforward manner by using their inner energies.

    ¡°You want to challenge me in a contest of inner force?¡±

    To Chun Ha-jin, this action seemed incomprehensible. He assumed that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t a dummy, so he should¡¯ve fully realized that his advantage lay with physical strength and agility, yet this? Therefore, Chun Ha-jin was absolutely confident that he would never lose in the battle of inner force.

    The corners of Chun Ha-jin¡¯s lips arched up, ¡°Not sure whether you¡¯re brave or stupid, but¡ª¡±

    But right at that moment¡­

    Cough¡ª!

    Chun Ha-jin reflexively coughed out without even realizing that he did. A lump of blood came flying out at the same time and landed on Su-hyeun¡¯s chest.

    ¡°What the hell¡­?¡±

    An internal injury?

    Su-hyeun¡¯s energy that traveled through his sword and entered Chun Ha-jin¡¯s body proceeded to completely wreck the latter¡¯s inside by blowing up and tearing apart his internal organs.

    More blood threatened to gush out of his mouth, but Chun Ha-jin barely managed to suppress that and hurriedly retreated a few steps back. Just as he lowered his sword, his innards tumbled greatly once more.

    Bleeeergh!

    Drip, tumble¡ª

    Lumps of blood and bits of organs spewed out of his mouth.

    Chun Ha-jin¡¯s eyes shot open wide in disbelief, and he stared at the blood he had vomited just now. This blood, in its sickly black color, served as ample proof that his innards had been thoroughly damaged by now.

    ¡°Having lots of something doesn¡¯t mean a whole lot, now does it? Do you fight while relying only on your big body?¡±

    ¡°What dogsh*t are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°As a result of you focusing so much on making your power bigger, both your magical concentration and density have become just too insufficient in the end. If you were intending to simply enlarge its size to a ridiculous degree to crush your foes, then too bad for you, that makes it easier for me to deal with you.¡±

    To put it simply, Chun Ha-jin boasted a magical energy reserve with an impressive ¡°count,¡± but in reality, it was nothing more than half-cooked.

    The magical energy of all regular awakeners was split into two categories¡ªthe count and the rank.

    The rank denoted the magical energy¡¯s density and quality. The higher the rank, the thicker the concentration was, and magical energy boasting greater density could exhibit far better effectiveness and firepower compared to a similar amount of energy reserve.

    As for the ¡°count,¡± it denoted the magical energy reserve¡¯s size. The higher your count was, the more magical energy you possessed, which allowed you to pour out as much as you want for a longer period of time.

    Not to mention¡­

    ¡°Besides, having something that big only makes it so much harder to control, you know?¡±

    The magical energy reserve that had been enlarged to such a degree was actually far harder to control.

    Your technique had to be quite good if you wanted to control magical energy properly. You were trying to wield a power invisible to naked eyes, so unsurprisingly, the degree of difficulty in controlling it was far higher than moving your arms or legs.

    As such, the rank and count went hand in hand, and taking a shortcut of forcibly increasing only the magical energy reserve would more often than not turn into poison that bit you back in the end.

    Even if you succeeded in enlarging your reserve, your magical energy would only become that much harder to properly control.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been fine while bullying the weaker opponents. I¡¯m guessing that it probably got easier and easier for you to crush the smaller and weaker guys as your reserve grew bigger, am I wrong? And that also made you mistakenly think that you¡¯ve become incredibly strong, too.¡±

    Pow¡ª!

    Craaack¡ª

    Keok¡­

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it so?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s fist rapped on Chun Ha-jin¡¯s abdomen. Along with the sounds of rib bones breaking to bits, the latter¡¯s body bent forward in agony.

    He tried so hard not to collapse, but there was nothing he could do about his buckling knees. While clutching at his abdomen, Chun Ha-jin¡¯s eyes shot open so fast that his facial skin was torn.

    ¡°You¡¯re hurting only from this much? That won¡¯t do.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand reached out toward Chun Ha-jin¡¯s head, and right at that moment, murky magical energy which color changed to black entered Chun Ha-jin¡¯s skull and spread throughout his body.

    [The Curse of the Dark Psychic¡ªPain]

    Kkeuh, kkeuhhh¡­!

    Sounds made when holding back a scream leaked out from Chun Ha-jin¡¯s mouth.

    Although Su-hyeun didn¡¯t use this skill all that much, he used it this time, so its power was double what it normally should be.

    The Curse of the Dark Psychic wasn¡¯t a very special skill, but it could be quite useful depending on how it was utilized.

    A skill that belonged to the school of dark magic, it was normally used as a means of torture to dig out information, and Su-hyeun had used it a few times for that purpose as well.

    Of course, today would be an exception.

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Cruuunch¡ª

    Kkeuhhhh¡­

    Chun Ha-jin swallowed back yet another scream.

    He possessed a commendable mental strength that he endured against the pain of his shoulders breaking apart, as well as his bones and flesh being crushed and shredded to bits. Despite his pain worsening by dozens, hundreds of times through the effects of the Curse of the Dark Psychic, he didn¡¯t scream once. That must¡¯ve been the last vestige of his pride.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then endure as much as you can.¡±

    Stab, staaab¡ª

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop until you scream out loud, anyway.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword began piercing holes on Chun Ha-jin¡¯s body one stab at a time.

    * * *

    Aaaaaaaahk¡ª!

    A loud scream reverberated throughout the arena, and on top of this completely destroyed and overturned arena was a half-dying man coated in blood currently collapsed on the ground.

    Kkeuh¡­Kkuh-uhhh¡­

    ¡°You sure held on for a while.¡±

    Thirty minutes, that was how long Chun Ha-jin managed to withstand the barrage of pain.

    It didn¡¯t seem like a long time to other people who weren¡¯t doing anything, but to Chun Ha-jin enduring the unimaginable pain, those 30 minutes would have felt even longer than the entirety of his life that he lived up until that moment.

    Su-hyeun was also aware of this, so he couldn¡¯t help but praise Chun Ha-jin¡¯s mental strength at least.

    ¡°Still not planning to show up, I see,¡± Su-hyeun muttered softly before raising his head.

    The response was coming later than he expected. He quietly tutted before lowering himself to match Chun Ha-jin¡¯s eyeline.

    The fear of death existed equally in everyone.

    One might be able to steel oneself at the prospect of sudden death, but they would still feel so much fear when the unavoidable death crept ever so slowly toward them, especially more so when death was accompanied by a truly horrifying pain.

    By the moment he let out a scream, Chun Ha-jin¡¯s mind had already been broken.

    ¡°Should I tell you a way that might let you live?¡±

    ¡°A way¡­to live¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Of course, it won¡¯t be me sparing you but someone coming to save you. Who knows? Just like some kind of a lie, a worse villain than you might show up to save you,¡± Su-hyeun said while raising his head again to look up.

    Unlike the situation below, the sky up there remained clear and crystal blue. The current state of the weather hadn¡¯t changed for a long time, remaining still and tranquil.

    But right at that moment¡­

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    Gloomy clouds that hadn¡¯t shown up in a long while began spreading thickly in the sky.

    ¡°So, it finally came,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    His provocation had worked.

    The annoying prospect of searching around for his target was gone now. Although his assumption of the emperor being the predator was wrong, the two of them still had some kind of connection.

    The final goal of this trial was to find the predator and kill that thing to bring about an end to this damnable game and the world itself.

    ¡°Well, what a noisy entrance that is,¡± Su-hyeun muttered while staring at the sky that was gradually getting darker before looking back at Chun Ha-jin. ¡°Hey, it looks like your savior is coming, after all.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    A massive amount of magical energy swirled crazily within the clouds and began concentrating on one spot.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s lips distorted into a smirk. This reaction of his was several times more cheerful compared to when he ran into Chun Ha-jin earlier.

    ¡°A villain worse than you.¡±

    Euh¡­ Kkeuh-euh¡­

    Chun Ha-jin groaned in pain and shifted his gaze around.

    He was still bathed in blood, and his vision had been dyed in crimson, making it impossible for him to see anything well. However, he could still instinctively tell that something gigantic was approaching them right now.

    Buzz, numb¡ª

    This fear was different from what he felt from Su-hyeun.

    If Su-hyeun¡¯s sense of presence was shockingly dense yet surprisingly compact to detect properly, then that unknown thing approaching them gave off a far crueler and more sinister vibe.

    Su-hyeun looked behind him. ¡°You¡¯re finally here?¡±

    The black fog that had inconspicuously descended to the ground was slowly taking on a solid shape.

 Chapter 364

    Wiggle, wriggle¡ª

    The black fog coalesced and transformed into pitch-black skin. Then, gathering in one location, it gradually shrunk down.

    Sliiiice¡ª

    Pu-haaaaak¡ª!

    At the same time, Su-hyeun swung his sword downward, causing the black lump to tear apart and blow up.

    Fire and wind jumbled up as the lumps that were transforming into flesh splattered everywhere. However, the bits quickly regrouped back to their original appearance.

    ¡°I knew you are quite insolent but to think it¡¯d be on this level,¡± said a shady voice from the reformed lump.

    The lump sped up its transformation and soon took on a more defined silhouette. Before long, a pitch-black-skinned humanoid with a lengthy horn growing out in the space between its forehead and hairline, wearing equally-black clothing, materialized.

    To Su-hyeun, the voice that he heard just now was familiar, and that was how he became sure of it. ¡°So, it¡¯s you,¡± he said.

    ¡°You were looking for me?¡±

    ¡°I was. Since from the first game, no less.¡± The corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled upward.

    This creature¡¯s voice indeed came across as quite familiar. It uncannily resembled the ¡°voice¡± Su-hyeun kept hearing after the ¡°trial¡± in this place began.

    The predator, it had finally revealed itself.

    ¡°So you were a hound of the gods, then?¡±

    ¡°A hound?¡± Su-hyeun thought. He was inwardly puzzled by that, but he had no other way to explain himself for now.

    Besides, they were about to fight, anyway. It didn¡¯t seem likely that the other party would answer him even if he asked what this ¡°hound¡± was supposed to mean. Also, he got a hunch that maybe he should be asking that to someone else instead.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say that you¡¯re right for now¡­¡±

    Clap¡ª

    Fwhooosh, rumble¡ª

    The moment Su-hyeun clapped his hands, a massive wall of flames suddenly materialized above the arena. The flames descended as a ring of fire to envelop the entirety of the arena itself.

    [Flame ¨C Territory Declaration]

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    The purple-colored flames quickly enveloped the surroundings. The ground melted down, and the air burned away. The only one not affected was the person activating this ability, Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯m done with my preparations.¡±

    ¡°Could it be that you did this to prevent me from fleeing?¡±

    The predator made a dumbfounded expression while looking around.

    It wasn¡¯t being affected all that much despite being trapped inside the territory made out of the divine Flame. It was a noticeably contrasting sight compared to Chun Ha-jin, who was withering away at a visible pace as if he would die at any second now.

    The predator quipped, ¡°Hey, that guy will die at this rate. Didn¡¯t you say it earlier? That you¡¯d let him live as long as I showed up.¡±

    ¡°That depends on what you do. I did say it, didn¡¯t I? It¡¯s not me sparing him but you coming to save him.¡±

    Despite the things Su-hyeun said to Chun Ha-jin, the truth was, he was talking to this world¡¯s predator who should¡¯ve been watching him from somewhere.

    Su-hyeun was aware of the predator paying close attention to him, but he had no way of tracking the creature down. That¡¯s why he changed his approach. If it was too hard for him to track down his target, then he could make the other side come and find him instead.

    And his new approach was none other than Chun Ha-jin.

    ¡°After all, this punk is your prey, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    When Su-hyeun said that, Chun Ha-jin¡¯s brows shot up high.

    The ¡°prey.¡±

    To think that the existence before his eyes boasting such a terrifying aura was treating him as mere prey¡­

    The predator stared at Chun Ha-jin who was looking back at it with disbelieving eyes for a little while before breaking out in a smirk.

    Chun Ha-jin became certain from that expression that he was nothing more than a cow fattened up after being fed lots of fodder until now.

    ¡°Well, I was planning to take my time and savor him. However, I have never imagined that someone like you would suddenly show up. I thought I could fatten him up just a bit more, you know.¡±

    Fatten him up some more¡­

    Such a description shouldn¡¯t be used to talk about a person, especially more so when the actual meaning wasn¡¯t literally about fattening him up.

    By ¡°fattening up,¡± this creature was talking about Chun Ha-jin¡¯s magical energy reserve, as well as the size of his life force getting larger.

    ¡°The position of the emperor was all for this?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked down at Chun Ha-jin.

    After arriving in this world, he must have started from a low status just like everyone else and managed to climb up this far. He acquired the position of ¡°emperor¡± many years ago, and by abusing the authority afforded by that position, he stole away the life force and magical energy of countless people to reach this point.

    People naturally desired higher stations in their lives, and to achieve their aim, they thirsted for more power.

    ¡°No, wait. This whole system was designed for this purpose,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The higher your rank climbed up, the better your lifestyle would get, and the safer you would be.

    And for that purpose, you simply had to get stronger.

    In a way, this place was like a giant breeding farm.

    The predator had been taking its time fattening up all these humans and other similar races trapped inside the breeding farm.

    ¡°This punk here, he¡¯s valuable to you, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    Kkeuh-aaaaah¡ª!

    The effects of the Dark Psychic¡¯s Curse was still active in Chun Ha-jin, so when Su-hyeun stepped on his ankle, he began screaming tragically once more.

    As Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t trying to kill the punk, he deliberately avoided attacking Chun Ha-jin¡¯s vital body parts. Besides, the latter also boasted exceptional vitality, so, despite his whole body resembling a torn rag right now, Chun Ha-jin was still barely hanging on at the moment.

    ¡°Of course, he¡¯s valuable. He is one of the very best preys I¡¯ve created so far, after all.¡±

    A long tongue coiled out from the predator¡¯s mouth to lick its lips.

    Drool dripped from that snake-like tongue. However, the predator¡¯s avaricious gaze filled with hunger wasn¡¯t locked on Chun Ha-jin but on Su-hyeun.

    ¡°The thing is, I¡¯m more curious about how a hound would taste. Well, devouring both of you wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea in itself.¡±

    ¡°I thought that¡¯s why you showed up here.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you allude to it earlier? The only reason why you didn¡¯t kill him was to provoke me, wasn¡¯t it? You were basically saying that if I appear now, then I might get to devour him and you at the same time. Am I wrong?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at what the predator had said.

    It was on the money.

    Su-hyeun chose not to kill Chun Ha-jin right away in order to drag the predator out in the open.

    He was hoping for the predator to feel antsy about Chun Ha-jin¡¯s death and reveal itself from its hiding place somewhere.

    However, the predator didn¡¯t show up in the end. The creature was planning to simply devour Su-hyeun after he killed Chun Ha-jin and became the new emperor.

    Nonetheless, to such a predator, Su-hyeun said something else. If the creature appeared now, then it wouldn¡¯t have to give up on either one of them.

    He said, come and try to rescue Chun Ha-jin if it can.

    ¡°And you¡¯ve been quite an insolent punk.¡±

    Such a provocation was directly insulting the predator¡¯s pride.

    This creature was a powerful existence that had created the system of this world and abducted many people to create a functioning society.

    Meaning, it was no different than a god to these people, and the predator thought of itself in that manner as well.

    ¡°So you did all this while thinking that I¡¯d try to flee from here, is that it? You¡¯re going to regret that very soon.¡±

    Pah-sususu¡ª

    ¡°Because very soon you¡¯ll come to realize that only by scrounging up even a tiny little bit of power from somewhere, you will have a chance at extending your life by a fraction of a second.¡±

    Jiii-iiii¡ª

    Black fog leaked out from the predator to blanket its surroundings. This fog corroded the ground and gradually shoved Su-hyeun¡¯s aura back.

    The surroundings that had been eye-searing bright became dyed in darkness almost immediately.

    Su-hyeun strode over to this wall of black fog that sent chills down one¡¯s spine, before raising his sword up high. ¡°I wonder about that. Why don¡¯t we find out¡­¡±

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    A massive flame rose up around Su-hyeun.

    His arm gripping the sword transformed into a pure fire and brightly illuminated his surroundings.

    ¡°Who will realize what first?¡±

    [Flame ¨C Transformation]

    * * *

    [Indomitable Body]

    [Spirit¡¯s Grace]

    [Armor of the Mage]

    [Sky King¡¯s Feather]

    [Reflect]

    [Doppelganger ¨C Substitution]

    [Ice Spear ¨C Rain of Spears]

    Su-hyeun utilized every means at his disposal.

    He didn¡¯t hold back on his magical energy consumption and activated all sorts of skills and even cast every combat-related magic spell.

    And the result of all that was¡­

    Tu-hwaaak¡ª!

    Pow, popopopopow¡ª

    Everything had been blocked off.

    The spears of ice falling from above shattered into pieces even before reaching the predator¡¯s body and lost their momentum. Meanwhile, Su-hyeun grabbed onto one of the ice spears and injected magical energy into it before throwing it, hard.

    Pooow¡ª!

    The spear that was carrying considerable power flew accurately at the predator¡¯s head, but when that happened, the black fog surrounding the predator rapidly shifted and wrapped around the incoming spear.

    Swoooosh¡ª

    Pa-su-wuwu¡ª

    The fog stopped the spear and quickly corroded it before crushing it into powder. However, while that was happening, Su-hyeun had already appeared behind the predator while gripping onto another spear.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    [Flame ¨C Transformation]

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    The flames traveled down Su-hyeun¡¯s arm and quickly enveloped the spear. Out of all the abilities Su-hyeun possessed, the combination of the Dragon Slaying Spear, the Wave Spear skill, and the divine Flame was the best method to attack the widest possible area.

    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll get rid of the fog surrounding it,¡± he thought.

    PAAAANG¡ª!

    Su-hyeun threw his torso forward, and at the same time, the spear flew out from his grasp.

    The spear boasting weighty power split into thousands of smaller pieces and transformed into fiery raindrops falling right on top of the predator.

    The rain of spears and fire pounded on the black fog around the predator.

    The spears turned into powder and disappeared, while holes were repeatedly punctured in the black fog countless times.

    Paht, pa-paht¡ª

    Shu-aaaaahk¡ª

    And Su-hyeun¡¯s figure, having finished with throwing spears, dug in among the open gap.

    The agility of 100 points, the stat that had reached the three-digit mark, allowed him to move around so much faster than if he had activated some skills.

    And when Su-hyeun got close¡­

    Shu-ahk, shu-aaaahk¡ª

    The black smoke spreading out around the predator closed in on Su-hyeun to capture him.

    When that happened¡­

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Cutting the Sky]

    [Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style]

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t bother to evade and simply got into position by raising his sword up high, and while dashing toward the predator, he powerfully swung the sword down.

    Tu-kwaaaaaak¡ª!

    Craaack¡ª

    The black fog was sliced right open, and the remaining sword wind split the ground apart. Although his attack wasn¡¯t enough to break through the black fog surrounding the predator, it proved to be sufficient enough to close the distance.

    ¡°I¡¯m close,¡± he thought.

    The distance had become close enough that he might touch the target if he took a swipe with his sword.

    But just as Su-hyeun got ready to swing his sword¡­

    Pu-hwaaaaahk¡ª!

    The black smoke wrapping around the predator coalesced in one point before shoving Su-hyeun¡¯s body back.

    Keuh¡­

    Su-hyeun was pushed far back in an instant, and he could only bite his lip.

    He managed to close the distance somehow only for everything to go back to square one.

    ¡°Spells belonging to the school of dark magic that the devils favor, huh? And judging from its outer appearance, it must be from the devil race,¡± Su-hyeun inwardly guessed.

    During this exchange of attacks that lasted for around a dozen or so minutes, Su-hyeun analyzed the abilities and race of the predator.

    The magical energy the creature used was turbid and contained a negative aura, just like what dark magicians would use. As for the black smoke, it was unknown whether that was magic or the unique ability of this creature, but judging from either its characteristics or the way it could be freely manipulated, it seemed to be quite similar to dark magic as well.

    ¡°It pretty much attacks and defends only with the fog surrounding its body. I can¡¯t tell whether it knows other magic spells or not, but seeing how the predator is still maintaining this fog, it could only mean that the creature feels most confident of this ability, and it forms the basis of its combat style.¡±

    Shu-aaaaah¡ª

    The fog extended toward Su-hyeun once more. It was as if he was staring at lengthy tentacles reaching out to him.

    Su-hyeun flung himself to the side and dodged the fog before making another move.

    ¡°Although it isn¡¯t fast, its speed and power increase the closer I get. It might be that this power can exhibit a stronger effect when in closer proximity to the one using it¡­It¡¯s easy enough to get within a certain distance, but digging in even closer than that would be difficult.¡±

    Su-hyeun circled around the predator.

    He required quite a lot of magical energy in order to maintain his territory currently spread out in the surroundings. Therefore, a drawn-out battle would be disadvantageous for him.

    Even though his previous battle against the different predator was built upon the foundation of the mind-numbing protracted warfare, the story this time was completely different.

    ¡°A blitzkrieg, then.¡¯

    Once he made up his mind on it, figuring out in his head how he should go about manipulating this battle proved to be quite simple.

    After he was done computing what the abilities of his opponent were, how strong it was, and the potential variables that could show up, he immediately got his plan rolling.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Pa-aht¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure continuously circling around and evading the fog suddenly began dashing toward the predator.

    ¡°I¡¯m finished with planning.¡±

 Chapter 365

    <hr />

    Writhe, wriggle¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin barely managed to move his arms and crawl away.

    Boom, rumbleeee¡ª

    Pow, kwa-wuuuuu¡ª

    Two massive auras were violently colliding against each other not too far from where he was. The aftermath of the clash flung Chun Ha-jin to some distance away, and from there, he began creeping away to a safer place.

    ¡°What kind of monstrous bastards are those two¡­?¡±

    Shudder, shiver¡ª

    He almost lost his life just then.

    Once the fear of death that came close enough to touch his face had receded away a little, he could objectively analyze the situation he used to be in not too long ago.

    It was pure humiliation.

    His pride had fallen to the ground to be trampled on. From the fact that he screamed in pain to how he got terrified by the enemy before his eyes¡ªsuch things shouldn¡¯t have happened to a heavenly demon like himself who was used to be worshiped by a million followers and was currently the ¡°emperor¡± to 10 million citizens in this world.

    Grit¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin gritted his teeth.

    He was at least certain of who one of those two was, and that would be the ¡°devil¡± with the pitch-black skin that had arrived last.

    ¡°The god that summoned us to this place.¡±

    No, wait, he couldn¡¯t be sure whether that creature was a god or a devil.

    However, judging from the battle between those two, this existence that everyone thought of as a god definitely was not an omnipotent creature.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, keep fighting like that.¡±

    Stumble¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin barely managed to make his legs move and forced himself up.

    ¡°And when you show just a bit of an opening¡­¡±

    He¡¯d become the god of this world instead!

    Crunch, crunchhh¡ª

    His bones, broken and twisted in unnatural angles, were reverting to their original positions.

    Although he didn¡¯t have a lot of opportunities during his life to try out martial art techniques that healed the practitioner¡¯s injuries, Chun Ha-jin had mastered several types of them. He believed that they could become the lifeline that would save him during a critical moment in his life.

    And as it turned out, his thoughts were right on the money.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    Although he lost a lot of blood, he hadn¡¯t suffered any fatal wounds.

    In order to inflict as much pain for as long as possible, Su-hyeun deliberately avoided vital points and only stabbed or broke Chun Ha-jin¡¯s body parts that would hurt the most.

    Such torture was meant to break Chun Ha-jin¡¯s mind but not an act to take his life.

    Thanks to that, Chun Ha-jin didn¡¯t have much trouble restoring his body.

    ¡°Just a little bit more, a little more¡­¡±

    And so, he slowly strengthened the muscles on his legs that had gone soft earlier, but just before he could stand back up¡­

    Swish¡ª

    Piii-iiit¡ª

    He felt a stinging and hot sensation coming from his neck.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Chun Ha-jin raised his hand and touched his neck. Crimson blood, still warm to the touch, stained his palm. He gasped out in shock and hurriedly clutched at his throat, but it was too late by then.

    Splatter¡ª!

    Tumble¡ª

    Chun Ha-jin¡¯s severed head rolled to the ground. His hands clutching at his throat went limp, and someone else¡¯s foot extended toward him from behind.

    Kick¡ª

    Crunch¡ª!

    Luslec kicked Chun Ha-jin¡¯s back to shove the dead body away and began dusting away at his scorched clothing. ¡°Gee whiz, I finally managed to get inside.¡±

    Luslec faced a lot of trouble trying to enter the arena due to the territory of divine Flame spread out everywhere, and the first thing he saw after making his way inside was Chun Ha-jin, who somehow managed to keep his life after fighting Su-hyeun.

    From the body of Chun Ha-jin, who looked half-dead initially but began recovering himself, Luslec sensed a lump of magical energy that seemed to be stolen from countless many people.

    Luslec muttered, ¡°So, it¡¯s that guy? The quarry of this world, that is.¡±

    The predator was waving its hand at Su-hyeun.

    The black fog wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s body and tried to restrict him like chains. He was pushed back by the predator¡¯s aura, but he ripped apart the fog with his bare hands and flew up again.

    The sequence of each engagement remained largely similar as before: Su-hyeun closed in, and the predator created some distance and continued to pile damages on Su-hyeun.

    At a glance, he seemed to be at a clear disadvantage.

    ¡°Well, that thing does look pretty tough, but¡­¡±

    Luslec pursed his lips a little and whistled.

    Whistle¡ª

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯ll work out in the end.¡±

    <hr />

    Tu-hwaaaak¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure was shoved powerfully back again.

    The predator waved its hand around to control the fog. That was a type of unique ¡°authority¡± called ¡°darkness manipulation¡± that the predator felt most confident of using in a battle. The predator had created this ability by utilizing its impressive magical know-how.

    This magic was about imbuing energy into the darkness that had no form and then using it to cause physical and magical damage.

    This magic could be activated anywhere darkness existed, and in a limited space like this one, its power could be focused more and exhibit even greater strength.

    ¡°This fool doesn¡¯t know when to give up.¡±

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Su-hyeun rushed toward the predator once more, a process that had been repeating itself.

    Nothing had changed, and Su-hyeun continued to rush in blindly like some kind of a wild animal.

    ¡°Compared to what I¡¯ve heard before, a hound isn¡¯t all that special, is it? He just keeps rushing at me without even thinking too much about it¡­¡±

    The predator waved its hand again.

    The darkness spread out everywhere rapidly gathered in order to snatch up Su-hyeun¡¯s body once more.

    He twisted his body this way and that. He also moved at an eye-searing quick pace to slice apart the gaps in the darkness before digging through the opening created.

    ¡°Blow away¡­¡±

    In the middle of that, he held the sword with both of his hands. Flames and winds¡ªtwo attributes that matched each other so well¡ªswirled around the blade.

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    A huge wall of flames rushed in, and a blinding light accompanied the flames to drive the darkness away. Meanwhile, the winds completely shredded apart the physically manifested darkness.

    At first, the predator became somewhat flustered by this attack. But now¡­

    ¡°Darkness exists everywhere.¡±

    Chwa-rururu¡ª

    The shredded-apart darkness quickly reverted to how it was.

    ¡°And there is plenty of it, too.¡±

    Ta-da-dak¡ª

    Su-hyeun instantly closed the gap.

    Of course¡­

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    He was pushed back once more when the predator waved its hand around. At the same time, ¡°rain¡± began falling from the darkness filling up the skies above.

    Chwa-ruk, chwa-rurururu¡ª

    ¡°Block that,¡± said Su-hyeun as he raised his hand. ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    Pi-pit, pi-pipipit¡ª

    The rain of darkness falling from above was blocked by the Somersault cloud. The previously-white cloud turned ashen in color, but the raindrops failed to reach Su-hyeun¡¯s body in the end.

    ¡°We¡¯re back to square one again.¡±

    The predator furrowed its brows.

    This fight didn¡¯t seem like it would end any time soon. Meaning, someone had to get tired first for this battle to reach its conclusion.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be me, at least. But still¡­¡±

    Even then, the predator was getting irritated. To think that it would fail to kill its opponent and could only crawl forward at a snail¡¯s pace.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll keep repeating myself until you run out of steam.¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    While thinking that, the predator began drooling excessively.

    ¡°One, two, three, four¡­five, and six. Their individual tiers aren¡¯t all that high, but he still has six qualifications.¡±

    That number was higher than all the other emperors the predator had devoured in the past. Even Chun Ha-jin had barely managed to acquire a single qualification of godhood so far, after all.

    ¡°So, if I devour the fool over there, then I¡¯ll be getting seven quali¡ªHuh?!¡±

    The predator shifted its head ever so slightly to take a look at Chun Ha-jin, who should still be collapsed on the ground, only for its eyes to shoot open wider.

    ¡°Who the hell is that punk now?¡±

    There was a punk currently spectating the battle without a care in the world while using Chun Ha-jin¡¯s corpse as his chair.

    The predator couldn¡¯t even tell when that man had entered the place.

    When Luslec met the predator¡¯s gaze, he smirked and waved his hand, and then, he pointed in a direction while speaking in a cheery voice, ¡°Look to your front. Your front.¡±

    The predator gasped in shock and hurriedly turned its head while waving its hand around. Su-hyeun, who had sneaked in quite close by then, was shoved back again and began cutting down the black fog trying to enclose him.

    ¡°There was another hound?¡± The inside of the predator¡¯s head became a mess of jumbled thoughts.

    If it was only Su-hyeun before its eyes, no problem, but the story would change radically if there was another one like him in the picture.

    Two hounds? If the other one joined in, then the odds of victory for the predator would only get slimmer.

    ¡°Are you going to interfere?¡±

    It was at that moment that Su-hyeun suddenly stopped his attack.

    The predator looked at him to discover that he was paying attention to Luslec as he lowered his sword to the ground.

    Luslec pondered for a bit before asking back, ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer that you don¡¯t butt in, actually.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that there¡¯s no need for me to intervene?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem all that urgent, so Luslec simply shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, if you say so.¡±

    Luslec remained sitting in the same spot.

    Even though this situation called for his assistance, he didn¡¯t display any hints of making a move, and that was all because Su-hyeun didn¡¯t want him to butt in.

    ¡°These bastards¡­¡±

    Wriggle, wiggle¡ª

    Rage began boiling inside the predator while looking at these two hounds because the conversation between them sounded as if they were completely looking down on it.

    As if to match the predator¡¯s rage, the darkness spread out to the surroundings wavered even more ominously. Su-hyeun furrowed his brows while staring at the predator and the fog that was gradually getting denser.

    ¡°Even though I made myself clear, it¡¯s still worried, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun observed quietly.

    However, that seemed to be expected. Even he would naturally worry if another enemy was hovering somewhere behind him.

    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t so bad.¡±

    Whatever the case might have been, Su-hyeun was in a situation where he had to hunt the predator down.

    Su-hyeun declined any assistance from Luslec for one reason: he felt confident that he would still be able to kill the predator without getting any outside help.

    ¡°If he¡¯s not going to intervene, then there shouldn¡¯t be a reason for us to trip each other up, and I¡¯d already get the desired outcome if the predator loses its focus.¡±

    The environment was at its most optimum state.

    ¡°Now what I need is confirmation.¡±

    The predator still had no idea what Su-hyeun had been doing for the past 30 minutes or so.

    The creature probably was thinking that Su-hyeun would repeatedly rush in like an idiot only to tire himself out in the end.

    ¡°That thing said that darkness exists everywhere and in plenty of quantity, too,¡± Su-hyeun recalled what came out of the predator¡¯s mouth earlier.

    Honestly speaking, that was an undeniable fact.

    Su-hyeun was genuinely surprised as the fight dragged on. Was it an ability that granted an actual physical form to the darkness and made it exhibit physical and magical powers?

    Depending on the scale of this power, one could even destroy a world in an instant, and as darkness existed pretty much everywhere, it seemed nearly impossible to break through its sturdy and meticulous defenses.

    However¡­

    ¡°Even then, the one controlling it is that creature.¡±

    Such darkness was still moving according to one creature¡¯s will. Meaning, patterns existed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll break through it in one go this time.¡±

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    Su-hyeun began dashing forward once more. Sure enough, his pattern was the same as before.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes changed to a blue color, and with them, he saw an opening.

    More specifically, it was a slender little gap among the tightly woven net that seemed so frail and easy to break.

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    Shu-aaaak¡ª Shu-ahk¡ª

    Thud, driiiip¡ª

    The blade burning in flames sliced the gaps in the black fog. Su-hyeun¡¯s figure rapidly darted forward and closed the distance toward the predator in an instant.

    ¡°Next up should be¡­this side.¡±

    Su-hyeun pulled out a spear with his left hand. It was the Dragon Slaying Spear.

    It was normally a spear designed for a wide-area attack, but employing it as a single-use throwing weapon wasn¡¯t so bad either.

    He didn¡¯t even need to count to three as usual.

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    The spear that left his hand rapidly flew toward its target.

    Kwa-jajajajajak¡ª!

    The spear pierced through a part of the fog, creating a path, and to see this path, Su-hyeun continued to rush in without hesitation.

    ¡°And now¡­¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Bluish aura began rousing up from Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    It was the sign of the single-use skill that could be activated once in a day. It was the greatest skill Su-hyeun currently possessed¡ªit was none other than ¡°Immortality.¡±

    [¡°Hero ¨C Immortality¡± trait is being activated.]

    [You have not met the requirements.]

    [Vitality and stamina will not recover.]

    [Your physical abilities will rise rapidly.]

    ¡°I shall run.¡±

 Chapter 366

    Act 6

    Immortality¡ªa cheat-like skill that not only steeply increased the physical abilities but also restored all abnormal physical statuses and spent stamina¡ªwas like an extra life for Su-hyeun. No, wait¡ªmaybe it was even better than having an extra life.

    In a way, an extra life would only prove to be useful in case he died, but Immortality allowed him to escape from the jaws of death.

    As such, Su-hyeun tried his best not to use this skill if it was at all possible.

    He feared that if he relied on it a little too much, then he might end up mistakenly thinking that he really did have an extra life and become too dependent on the skill¡¯s effects.

    But at this moment¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice if I want to break through it.¡±

    Su-hyeun activated the Immortality skill, steeply enhancing his physical abilities.

    Tsu-wuwuwu¡ª

    This enhancement wasn¡¯t reflected on the stats themselves, but it was obvious, considering that the enhancement wasn¡¯t permanent in the first place. At least from how it felt to Su-hyeun, the effects of that ¡°steep¡± increase came across as quite similar to how one or two stats of his had gone up at least a point or two.

    And to the current Su-hyeun, a point or two increase in his stats would result in a truly enormous transformation.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Cutting the Sky]

    Su-hyeun grasped the sword with both of his hands, and without stopping his forward motion, he hacked down with his weapon.

    This slash contained an enormous weight and an incredible amount of magical energy.

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    Kwa-boooooom¡ª!

    The darkness now given a physical form was torn apart mercilessly. Even though Su-hyeun was attacking the especially weak part, the path he carved out in an instant was still humongous.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    For the first time in this fight, the predator began panicking.

    In the meantime, the distance between them was halved, and so, the predator hurriedly waved both of its hands around and gathered the darkness from the other parts to confine Su-hyeun.

    Chwa-ruk, chwa-rururu¡ª

    Fwoooosh¡ª!

    The darkness possessing a physical form confined Su-hyeun and shoved him back in the opposite direction. At the same time, the tips of the darkness transformed into sharp spikes and targeted his throat and other vital parts.

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    Piiit, pi-pi-pi-pi-piiit¡ª

    His blade, now heated up by the divine Flame until it changed its color to purple, began cutting everything down near his vicinity, and right at that instant, his figure suddenly became a single line as he rushed toward the predator.

    His speed was so fast that naked eyes couldn¡¯t chase after him. Su-hyeun swung his sword and created a path for himself, and in an instant, he got very close to the predator.

    ¡°This bastard¡­¡±

    The predator, still waving its hands in a dizzying manner, watched on as its eyes opened wider in shock.

    ¡°He can tell where the path lies?¡± the predator thought.

    Su-hyeun easily weaved in and out of the way as if he knew where to go already whenever the predator moved its hands. Not only that but he also moved at a much faster speed than before.

    The distance had rapidly closed up¡ªclose enough that he was practically right in front of the predator¡¯s nose.

    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll create some distance and then¡­¡±

    [Teleport]

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    The predator¡¯s figure gradually grew faint.

    ¡°Teleport¡± was a movement magic spell meant for traveling long distances. However, the predator wasn¡¯t trying to get somewhere far from the place, and as such, the activation time required by the magic wasn¡¯t that long.

    If the distance between them had closed up, then the predator just had to open it up again.

    It had been thinking that to itself, but then, its figure suddenly became distinct again.

    ¡°What is the meaning of¡ª?¡±

    Split¡ª

    [Third Eye ¨C Neutralization]

    An eye had opened up in Su-hyeun¡¯s forehead.

    It was the neutralization skill.

    When neutralizing the opponent¡¯s skill, Su-hyeun needed to spend several times greater magical energy than what the opponent had spent to activate their skill. The neutralization skill¡¯s magical energy expenditure wasn¡¯t very good, in other words.

    That was why Su-hyeun didn¡¯t resort to using it often, but in a situation like this one, the story would be rather different.

    ¡°It looks like my insurance paid off beautifully.¡± Su-hyeun thought about what to do if the predator tried to create more distance between them at the last second.

    All thanks to him learning magic from Ellid, he now had some level of knowledge on magic, so he had an adequate grasp on how magicians would react when their safety net of distance had been lost.

    If the distance had closed up, they would resort to casting teleport-type magic to create more distance and then start bombarding the opponents with other attack spells. That was the fundamental method of attack for magicians.

    Even if one was a high-ranking magician, the fundamentals of this method didn¡¯t change all that much.

    That was exactly why Su-hyeun had readied the neutralization at the last second, and he was perfectly on target.

    Chwa-aaaaaah¡ª!

    Keuh-euh-euh¡­

    The predator still managed to physically create some distance, albeit a beat too late, and hurriedly clutched at its chest.

    A wound so deep that its internal organs were visible was now inflicted on its torso. The predator tried to cover the wound with its hand, but blood continued to stream from there.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    It activated healing magic right away, but the spell couldn¡¯t display much of an effect, and that was because of the influence of the divine Flame loaded on the blade.

    The divine Flame was power at complete odds with the darkness. On top of that, the burn wound caused by it naturally made healing difficult.

    Wobble¡ª

    The predator¡¯s body wobbled.

    As the wound was deep, the creature¡¯s concentration also fell off a cliff. Su-hyeun rested his sword on his shoulder and began walking toward the predator once more.

    He spoke up, ¡°You kept using an ability featuring a ridiculously defensive-minded nature. And as I thought, your weakness is with lack of durability. If that wasn¡¯t it, you¡¯d have been more attack-minded during the fight itself.¡±

    ¡°You merely got lucky, so stop with your bull¡ª¡±

    ¡°To say that I got lucky, well¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure seemingly teleported right in front of the predator, and the latter¡¯s eyes shot open wide in shock, and right at that instant, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword approached the predator¡¯s throat.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Slice¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you again, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    Keo-uh-uh¡­

    The predator¡¯s neck was severed halfway.

    There was a shallow wound on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder as well, which was a result of him forcibly carving out a path so that he could reach the target much faster than before.

    However, it should¡¯ve been clear to anyone watching who had suffered more among the two.

    Unlike the predator whose neck had been half-severed and was now dangling precariously, Su-hyeun¡¯s wound was so shallow that only a handful of blood drops fell from there.

    On the other hand, the predator was desperately clutching at its dangling neck with one hand while ungainly stumbling backward.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun rested the sword on his shoulders at an angle once more.

    At this rate, he no longer needed the effects of the Immortality skill to deal with this predator.

    First of all, the net of darkness being controlled by the grievously injured predator was now so full of holes that even naked eyes could tell how one should go about breaking through it.

    The battle was basically over at this stage, and Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t the only one thinking that.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s over, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Indeed, even Luslec who was watching on from a distance was thinking the same thing.

    And the predator seemed to be thinking the same thing as well because the way his eyes urgently darted around was remarkably different from earlier.

    ¡°I must¡­escape,¡± it thought.

    The predator activated its powers in order to cast Teleport one more time, but for some reason, the spell didn¡¯t want to activate.

    ¡°How come?¡±

    ¡°Why do you think I went to so much trouble in the first place?¡± Su-hyeun asked while scanning all those flames he had laid out in the surroundings. ¡°You thought I simply wanted to prevent you from walking out of here?¡±

    ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll face a lot of problems if you were planning to break out of here. These flames aren¡¯t as simple as they look, you see.¡±

    The divine Flame possessed the qualification of godhood, and when a territory was created using this skill, it granted a certain side effect of stopping any magical influence from leaving its boundaries.

    The Teleport spell was definitely the greatest evasion magic out there, but even if it was some other space-traversing skill and not this powerful spell, Su-hyeun still wouldn¡¯t have been able to chase the predator down as he hadn¡¯t mastered any magic to counter such things.

    Since that was the case, he simply had to stop all possible avenues that the predator could use to flee from the place. He believed that once this creature decided to hide somewhere, tracking it down again would become exceedingly difficult.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you should just die quietly here.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword rose up high.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Earth Divider]

    Swiiiiiish¡ª

    His sword then descended while leaving behind a thin line. No sounds were made. It was a clean cut.

    Sliiice¡ª

    Then, his sword returned to its scabbard.

    Tumble¡ª

    Finally, the predator¡¯s severed head tumbled to the ground.

    [The system is collapsing.]

    [In sequential order, you will return to where you were originally from in 10 days¡¯ time.]

    Messages rose up one after the other, but these were not coming from the system set up by the predator. Indeed, they belonged to the system given to Su-hyeun by the tower of the trials.

    [You have passed the 104th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [You have acquired 50,000,000 achievement points.]

    [Magic count has risen by two points.]

    [Reflex has risen by one point.]

    [Your flesh has taken a step beyond the realm of humans.]

    [You have acquired a qualification of godhood.]

    [Will you transfer to the next floor?]

    <hr />

    The rumor had spread around quickly.

    It said that people had begun disappearing one by one.

    This rumor started off as some kind of a spooky ghost tale, but eventually, it took on a different story as it continued to spread around. According to the new account, the system had collapsed, and they were being sent back to their original worlds.

    Everyone already knew that the system had collapsed, but the ones spreading the more accurate ¡°rumor¡± were actually none other than Su-hyeun and Luslec.

    ¡°But why did we have to spread around such a rumor, when it¡¯s super annoying to do so?¡±

    Luslec returned after completing the task while scratching his head, annoyance evident in his gesture.

    Su-hyeun initially asked the ones residing in the imperial palace to spread the rumor and later on even asked Luslec for his help.

    The intentionally-spread rumor quickly propagated. Although the special privileges granted to the emperor or the grand duke ranks no longer applied, the weight carried by each and every word Su-hyeun said was still undeniable.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it so much better this way? Rather than being worried about not knowing when you¡¯d disappear next, you¡¯d feel hopeful that you¡¯ll soon return to your homeworld instead.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but the people would¡¯ve found out by themselves eventually, anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only a couple of words to let them know, and it also doesn¡¯t take long to inform them.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. That¡¯s also true¡­¡± Luslec continued to grumble in a small voice as if he was still annoyed by the task and then he shook his head.

    It seemed that he just couldn¡¯t understand the reason for Su-hyeun¡¯s considerate action, judging from how openly annoyed he looked even now.

    Of course, he still humored Su-hyeun¡¯s favor despite his complaints.

    He had done that several times by now.

    ¡°You said that you¡¯re my fan, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Currently, Su-hyeun was sitting on a sofa located inside a spacious room.

    Luslec made a slightly embarrassed face and smiled faintly. ¡°Ah yes. I did.¡±

    ¡°In that case, can you answer me truthfully if I ask you some questions?¡± Su-hyeun sounded surprisingly tense.

    He found it somewhat difficult to bring this topic up. He feared that, with how it was with the administrators, Luslec would also choose not to answer Su-hyeun¡¯s questions.

    In all honesty, he didn¡¯t have high expectations from the get-go.

    However, the reply coming from Luslec now who was sitting across from Su-hyeun was much simpler and straightforward than he anticipated.

    ¡°Yes, of course. You can ask me anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°Why are you making a face like that? You were the one who said you wanted to ask me some things.¡± Luslec became less enthusiastic and retorted back after seeing Su-hyeun¡¯s strange facial expression.

    He wasn¡¯t wrong here, though. To think that a person asking first was now making an expression that said, ¡°Now that¡¯s unexpected,¡± when the other party replied he would comply.

    Maybe Su-hyeun was the strange one here.

    ¡°No, well, I thought that you might find it difficult to answer me, you see, so I was wondering if I should keep pressing you for answers or try to convince you first.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like my tongue would wear out for talking a lot, so why should I find it difficult, anyway? If you¡¯re curious about something, you can ask me anything. What would you like to know first? My birthday? My hobby? Maybe my favorite food?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your personal information, though,¡± Su-hyeun ended up chuckling without being conscious of it.

    But that made asking difficult questions that much easier. Luslec probably had a good idea already of what Su-hyeun wanted to ask him about.

    As such, Su-hyeun was able to ask while feeling less burdened by the weight of the topic at hand. ¡°The predator asked me if I was a hound. Initially, I didn¡¯t know what it was talking about, and I couldn¡¯t be bothered to reply anyway, so I glossed over it, but now¡­After giving it some more thought, this one person came to my mind.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that we¡¯re on the same wavelength. Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    The person Su-hyeun thought of when the predator brought up the matter regarding the hound of the gods was Luslec.

    For some reason, Su-hyeun felt that Luslec was similar to him in some ways.

    ¡°Are you really the hound of the gods?¡±

 Chapter 367

    ¡°The hound of the gods, hmm,¡± Luslec muttered softly before finally replying, ¡°Technically speaking, it¡¯s not wrong. Although we don¡¯t call ourselves that.¡±

    ¡°We?¡±

    ¡°The term ¡®hound¡¯ is a slang word, actually. A term that has been spread like a rumor among the predators, or more correctly, the ones that had come into some kind of contact with the gods and also possess clear awareness.¡±

    ¡°So, you are saying it¡¯s not an official title?¡±

    ¡°Well, the ¡®hound¡¯ isn¡¯t really a nice name, is it?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at Luslec¡¯s reply.

    Indeed, it would be tough to say that the intent behind calling people ¡°hounds¡± was a nice one. Unless it was an extraordinary circumstance, you wouldn¡¯t call people working for you, or even yourself for that matter, as ¡°hounds,¡± after all.

    ¡°Okay, then what¡¯s the original title?¡±

    ¡°A proxy¡­That¡¯s the usual title, but we are also known as apostles.¡±

    ¡°A proxy? Apostles?¡±

    ¡°Both terms have roughly similar meanings. Well, a proxy means you¡¯re acting on behalf of another, while an apostle implies that you were sent by someone. So, instead of god¡¯s hound, it¡¯d be more like a god¡¯s proxy or god¡¯s apostle. Something like that.¡±

    ¡°You really are connected to the gods?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as grandiose as that, though. You already know this, don¡¯t you? Anyone coming to possess one or more qualifications of godhood basically has earned the right to be recognized as a low-ranking god. So, being a god¡¯s apostle isn¡¯t all that amazing or exceptional.¡±

    That assertion wasn¡¯t wrong.

    Su-hyeun accepted it without making any fuss about it back then, but the truth was, anyone who acquired the qualification of godhood was all grouped together under the label of ¡°low-ranking gods.¡±

    When looked at in that way, Su-hyeun too was a low-ranking god now. Therefore, being called a proxy or an apostle of such a ¡°god¡± like himself didn¡¯t sound all that impressive or special.

    Su-hyeun asked again, ¡°What¡¯s the role of an apostle?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s doing something similar to this mission.¡±

    ¡°You mean, hunting predators down?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not really wrong, but it¡¯s a bit more complicated than simply ¡®hunting¡¯ predators down.¡±

    Luslec rubbed his chin in contemplation for a little while as if he wanted to figure out how to explain himself.

    In the middle of that, he threw a question in Su-hyeun¡¯s way, ¡°Mister Su-hyeun, in your opinion, why do you think the predator of this world created a society like this one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably to devour even more people and to fulfill its own craving.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. However, would that be the sole reason?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another reason?¡±

    ¡°A predator is basically a monster who has failed to become a god. Some say they are ¡®antipodes¡¯ of the gods or simply call them ¡®evil¡¯ gods. These creatures thirst constantly to satisfy their desires and greed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more or less aware of that.¡±

    ¡°In that case, what would be their common desire?¡±

    Su-hyeun became momentarily speechless at the follow-up question.

    The common desire of the predators?

    He hadn¡¯t thought about that until now.

    For Gluttony, who was a ¡°prey¡± that gradually morphed into a predator, its desire was to satisfy its hunger. As for the predator from the 103rd floor, it was the desire to laze around.

    However, there was a common thread among them all.

    Su-hyeun could imagine that one desire that all the predators might harbor. ¡°To become a god¡­¡±

    ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re quick on the uptake.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Luslec snapped his fingers and leaned his torso forward. ¡°You¡¯re correct. To become a god. It¡¯s a dream that won¡¯t come true¡ªa desire that can never be fulfilled¡ªyet some will go to great lengths to fulfill their ambitions.¡±

    ¡°And this is one of those lengths? Creating a world of its own?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Even though it comes across as nothing more than an attempt to satisfy one¡¯s own desires to others like us.¡±

    ¡°Hah-ah¡ª¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t even get angry here.

    He already knew that these creatures were fully capable of pulling off such a stunt.

    These bastards devoured the living and various worlds as if it was nothing. To them, it would be the most obvious thing imaginable, like a lion hunting and devouring prey.

    So, creating a system like the one found in this world and fashioning itself into a god just so that it could feel the gratification of it all shouldn¡¯t be all that surprising.

    ¡°That¡¯s making me sick.¡±

    Rather than anger, Su-hyeun felt sickened by their actions instead.

    Su-hyeun abruptly became conscious of the fact that far more monstrous beings than all the monsters he had encountered so far existed somewhere out there.

    ¡°Well, yes¡­Indeed.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so the role of these servants is to prevent things like this?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, servants? In some worlds, the apostles are treated like demigods, you know.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it just now? According to the standard you mentioned, I¡¯m basically half a god by now. That¡¯s why it really doesn¡¯t matter what the label is. We shouldn¡¯t even care about that.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re right. In any case, yes, that¡¯s our role, and that¡¯s also the reason why the predators call us hounds. After all, it¡¯s our job to hunt down predators.¡±

    ¡°I more or less understand.¡±

    To the predators, ¡°hounds¡± referred to the apostles that hunted predators down. Su-hyeun understood up to that point and asked his second question, ¡°Well, how did you become an apostle? You have some kind of a connection to a god?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like someone with a devout religious belief, who also likes to devote and sacrifice himself?¡±

    Su-hyeun resolutely shook his head.

    The bit about religious belief was unknown, but Luslec simply didn¡¯t suit such beautiful concepts as devotion or sacrificing oneself for the greater good.

    Although they hadn¡¯t known each other for a long time, the ¡°Luslec¡± Su-hyeun witnessed so far was someone fully capable of murdering another person while smiling away. Sacrificing oneself and devotion? Rather obviously, he seemed quite far removed from such concepts.

    ¡°You figured me out correctly. I don¡¯t care about such things. I simply hate the predators, that¡¯s all. That¡¯s why I want to kill them all,¡± Luslec smirked deeply after saying that.

    However, he wasn¡¯t smirking out of amusement or happiness. A person would oftentimes resort to forcibly squeezing out a smile to hide their true expressions.

    The reason for that was simple enough¡ªit¡¯d be the easiest mask to put on.

    ¡°It¡¯s even simpler than you think. The beings possessing enough strength to fight predators, the ones that possess enough drive to fight the predators¡ªthese people are given the position of apostles by the gods, and they go on to fight the predators.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your case is a bit unique, Mister Su-hyeun. Instead of an apostle, you¡¯re far closer to a pioneer, actually.¡±

    ¡°A pioneer? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°The ones that battle predators even though they aren¡¯t apostles¡ªthey are referred to as pioneers. Honestly, isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re doing right now?¡±

    Su-hyeun thought about this for a bit but, in the end, had to nod in agreement.

    Whether it was out of his own choice or not, all the trials he found himself in after the 100th floor had been related to the predators.

    ¡°A pioneer, huh?¡± he thought.

    A person who turned a wasteland into fertile land, that¡¯s the ¡°pioneer.¡±

    Su-hyeun turned his head and stared outside the wide-open window for a little while.

    In some distance away, he could see a crowd of people had gathered outside the imperial palace.

    Many different races, such as humans, elves, and dwarves, were there. The vitality that couldn¡¯t be seen before was now visible in their various expressions of anxiety, relief, and happiness.

    Su-hyeun rested his chin on his hand and thought about it some more.

    Whether it was a hound, an apostle, or even a pioneer, it didn¡¯t really matter what they were supposed to be, but one thing was certain.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel so bad,¡± he inwardly mused.

    * * *

    After that discussion ended, Su-hyeun and Luslec chatted about many other things, such as how Luslec came to acquire this level of strength, how he became an apostle, how many apostles were out there, and how many people that could be labeled as pioneers existed.

    Although there was a ton of things Su-hyeun was curious about, he didn¡¯t receive all that many satisfactory answers. Even Luslec didn¡¯t have much idea on most of the subjects.

    However, Luslec¡¯s answer for how he acquired his strength proved to be quite simple in nature.

    ¡°My case isn¡¯t all that different from yours, Mister Su-hyeun. I received trials through the system and got stronger that way. You¡¯re already quite familiar with this arrangement, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Su-hyeun was speechless at the information that Luslec¡¯s case was not different from his.

    In all honesty, he should¡¯ve expected such an answer without racking his brain over it. When he thought about it, he unexpectedly ran into people climbing the tower through the trials or who had acquired power through the system more often than not.

    ¡°As for being selected as an apostle, honestly, I also don¡¯t know how. I didn¡¯t choose to become one, you see. I have no idea why the folks that called themselves gods chose me. Maybe it¡¯s because I have a grudge against the predators,¡± Luslec said.

    Not even Luslec himself knew the reason why, and Su-hyeun almost asked what Luslec¡¯s grudge was about after hearing that explanation but stopped himself. He thought that it would not be a good memory to bring up.

    Besides, it wasn¡¯t even a must-hear story, anyway. He also didn¡¯t want to dig out unpleasant memories of someone else.

    Their discussion soon came to an end. After one hour of asking questions, Su-hyeun decided that his curiosity had been satisfied.

    ¡°Thank you for answering me without holding back,¡± he said and slowly got up from his seat.

    ¡°I also enjoyed chatting to you,¡± Luslec replied. ¡°Ah, please wait a moment¡­Here.¡±

    Luslec stopped Su-hyeun who was about to fully stand up on his feet and then reached inside his own pocket. He then pulled out a small, round marble and handed it over to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Please take this with you.¡±

    ¡°And this is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a medium that displays the dimensional coordinates, as well as enables communication to other people. It might get difficult to confirm or call someone if the distance is too great, but such things happen rarely.¡±

    ¡°But why are you giving me this¡­?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m a fan. I wanted to get in touch with you every now and then, you see. And also, you can call on me whenever you need help on something,¡± Luslec said while securely placing the marble in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    The marble was quite small at only around the size of a pinky fingernail. Carrying it around like this might be difficult, so Su-hyeun thought that he should turn it into either a bracelet or a ring to wear it like a piece of equipment instead.

    A device that could send or receive communication through the dimensions¡ªalthough its utility didn¡¯t seem all that useful, there was still no doubting how impressive this item was.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be in your care every now and then from this moment.¡±

    ¡°You can call on me any time,¡± Luslec replied and also stood up from his seat like Su-hyeun. As he did that, his figure began growing blurrier. Su-hyeun was slightly taken aback by this development and stared at the disappearing figure, only for a smirk to appear on Luslec¡¯s face. He even waved his hand.

    ¡°It seems that I must depart before you. I¡¯m busier than I look, you see.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a lot on your plate. My bad for holding you up.¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing as serious. No need to apologize. Actually¡­¡± Luslec made a somewhat sheepish face and scratched his head before turning his face away, ¡°It was my honor to meet you. For real.¡±

    ¡°Me too. I¡¯m glad that I met you as well,¡± Su-hyeun answered and bowed his head just a little. Luslec got flustered and hurriedly lowered his head even further.

    Soon after that, his figure completely disappeared from view.

    Su-hyeun raised his head and sighed deeply.

    ¡°It somehow feels like a lot has happened,¡± he thought.

    More correctly, he got to learn about a lot of things¡ªapostles, pioneers, the common desire of the predators¡­and the twisted worlds they had created.

    Su-hyeun opened his hand and stared at the small marble left behind by Luslec.

    There should come a moment when he would get to contact Luslec again, and maybe, they might get to meet each other again.

    ¡°One day, he might tell me about it first.¡±

    Su-hyeun became rather curious about Luslec¡¯s past. The past of a man who seemed to respect and revere him a bit too excessively¡ªhe wondered if he would get to learn more about it when they meet again in the future.

    Su-hyeun stored the marble away in the subspace. It would be fine to ask Kim Dae-ho later to fashion the marble into a bracelet or a ring.

    ¡°Well, the rumor should¡¯ve completely spread around more or less by now,¡± he thought.

    The trial was already over. He could¡¯ve entered the next floor at any time he wanted.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time I get going as well.¡±

 Chapter 368

    Act 7

    The 105th floor.

    As expected, it was set in another uninhabited city¡ªand not just any city but one that had almost completely crumbled away and was covered in thick layers of dust.

    Su-hyeun was no longer taken aback by such a sight, and he started looking around him straight away. As he thought, the administrator could be found leaning against one of the walls, and he was yawning rather grandly away.

    ¡°I almost fell asleep waiting for you. What took you so long? Your trial ended ages ago, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    It seemed that he had been waiting here since Su-hyeun passed his trial.

    Su-hyeun briefly thought that he made the administrator wait unnecessarily and replied with an awkward grin, ¡°I had some things to discuss with someone, you see.¡±

    ¡°You mean, with that guy, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luslec. He said he¡¯s an apostle.¡±

    ¡°Tsk! He¡¯s got pretty loose lips, alright. Well, unlike us, he isn¡¯t under some kind of restrictions, anyway.¡±

    The administrator let it all slide without any fuss. His attitude made it seem like he didn¡¯t care as long as the stuff didn¡¯t come directly from either him or his colleagues.

    It was rather likely that the 105th floor¡¯s administrator wasn¡¯t a firm believer in hiding the truth about everything.

    ¡°Okay, so? Will you start your challenge right away?¡±

    ¡°No, not right now.¡± Su-hyeun momentarily clenched and unfurled his hands for a bit before making his reply, ¡°I¡¯ll see you again after a day from now.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. Well, then,¡± the administrator replied and simply vanished from the spot.

    Now that he was gone, Su-hyeun no longer had a reason to remain on the 105th floor, so he immediately opened the portal and returned home.

    The first thing he did after returning was to carefully comb through his current status.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic count: 98]

    [Magic level: 9]

    [Strength: 101] [Agility: 100]

    [Stamina: 100] [Reflex: 100]

    [Death Aura: 99]

    [Skill: Leap * advanced]

    [Skill: Transfiguration * advanced]

    [Skill: Godhood¡ªFlame * advanced]

    [Fatigue: 8]

    [Godhood¡ªFlame]

    * LV: 1

    * Proficiency: 48.43%

    * The sacred flame that burns away evil. It inflicts fatal wounds on enemies with darkness attribute, and its power is determined by magic level.

    Su-hyeun now possessed a total of seven qualifications of godhood.

    His reflex stat had finally reached the triple-digit mark, and excluding magical energy, that stat was the most useful one for Su-hyeun out of all the four primary stats.

    The reason for that was simple enough.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s been too long because I can¡¯t seem to get a grip on it that easily¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes for a bit and heightened his other senses.

    ¡°But it¡¯s still great, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    In his previous life, Su-hyeun had reached the peak at 100 points in his reflex stat as well.

    It was the only stat that reached the three-digit mark back then, and it was also the most familiar sensory perception to him. That¡¯s why Su-hyeun felt like he had gone back in time to when he first experienced this sensory perception, which was something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long, long time.

    Of course, he was currently a lot stronger than back then.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun immediately started walking, picked up his phone, and called someone.

    ¡°Hello? Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    * * *

    A massive change had occurred in the Awakener Authority in recent times.

    Not just the director responsible for the day-to-day running of the Authority but even the vice-minister above him got axed, and the minister had been suspended as well.

    In all honesty, the Authority had lost at least half of its powers at this point.

    But even then¡­

    ¡°Welcome.¡±

    Su-hyeun came to visit Bak Yun-gyu who was currently accepted as the Authority¡¯s strongest awakener, but that wasn¡¯t all; behind Bak Yun-gyu was a large group of awakeners affiliated with the Authority standing in rank and file.

    They were all here because of a request Su-hyeun had asked earlier.

    ¡°Welcome, sir!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our honor to make your acquaintance, sir!¡±

    Their loud and energetic voices resounded.

    About 100 awakeners present today were directly under Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s command, and their skill levels were quite high. Indeed, they were a gathering of the Authority¡¯s elites who were under the direct command of no one but Bak Yun-gyu alone.

    Su-hyeun bowed slightly at them in greeting and then extended his hand toward Bak Yun-gyu.

    After shaking hands briefly, Su-hyeun spoke up first, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d gather this many people, Mister Bak Yun-gyu.¡±

    ¡°But you did say the more, the better, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Still, with this scale, isn¡¯t it like you have gathered most of the available awakeners affiliated with the Authority?¡±

    ¡°Doing this much is only obvious, of course. Mister Su-hyeun, we do owe you a good deal of debt, after all. However, I¡¯m rather pleased by the fact that the Authority has been thoroughly cleaned out, all thanks to your efforts,¡± Bak Yun-gyu laughed.

    Su-hyeun made a somewhat awkward expression at Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s words.

    He knew that the Authority had lost a lot of its power due to the events from not too long ago. This wasn¡¯t what he intended, but he still did expect it to be the likeliest result.

    Whatever happened, Bak Yun-gyu was an Authority-affiliated awakener at the end of the day. He was not just any awakener, though, but an instructor in charge of fostering the awakeners and, at the same time, the figure that best represented the Authority in the public eye.

    Su-hyeun felt apologetic toward him.

    While Su-hyeun was hesitating on what to say next since he couldn¡¯t think up of anything suitable, Bak Yun-gyu said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, Mister Su-hyeun. What happened was the natural course of action. The correct resolution, if you will.¡±

    ¡°Even then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Mister Su-hyeun, you aren¡¯t the type to regret the choices you make, are you? You did the right thing. If there was a body part that has been rotting away for some time, then it¡¯s only natural to cut it off before it can taint the rest of the body,¡± Bak Yun-gyu said while deeply bowing his head.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m grateful for your actions. You did something that I should¡¯ve done,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Thank you for putting it like that,¡± Su-hyeun smiled awkwardly and shifted his gaze over to the awakeners behind Bak Yun-gyu. ¡°Well then, please take care of me for today.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Please take good care of us instead, sir!¡±

    Although their replies seemed a bit too spirited, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t go out of his way to point that out because their gazes didn¡¯t feel all that unfamiliar to him.

    Envy, adulation and respect, and even expectation¡ªso many different emotions were contained within their gazes.

    In a way, such a thing would only be an obvious result since the world¡¯s best awakener was standing right before their eyes. Even if that was indeed true, Su-hyeun still thought that their gazes were merely at the ¡°beginning point¡± of what¡¯s to come.

    Well, he had already experienced what the world would think of him ¡°past¡± this sort of gazes, after all.

    ¡°A hero, hmm¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun scratched his head while walking away.

    He wasn¡¯t really a fan of that title in the past. Just hearing that name made his shoulders feel like they weighed thousands of kilograms, and he couldn¡¯t even breathe properly.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a bit better now.¡±

    Maybe time was indeed a good medicine? If not, was it all thanks to meeting the Bull Demon King and learning the Sage Arts?

    He was no longer concerned about what might happen afterward. His thoughts were slightly complicated, but he chose not to worry too much about it.

    And so, while chatting to Bak Yun-gyu regarding the current events, Su-hyeun headed to the Authority¡¯s underground space.

    ¡°As you¡¯ve requested, we¡¯ve turned off the virtual reality dungeon system, Mister Su-hyeun. And also¡­¡± Bak Yun-gyu trailed off and shifted his gaze to where several awakeners were approaching them while carrying some ¡°luggage,¡± which were actually bundles of slender short spears, piled up on the side of the space. There seemed to be at least a thousand of those spears, and the several awakeners began distributing 10 short spears per awakener.

    Bak Yun-gyu spoke up, ¡°As for the spears, we had to source them at a short notice, so their quality isn¡¯t so great, unfortunately. Still, they should be able to fly faster and stronger if magical energy is injected into them before throwing them.¡±

    ¡°Your preparations are quicker than I thought.¡±

    ¡°By the way, will you really be alright?¡±

    ¡°To heighten my senses, I need to resort to this kind of behavior. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely pay for tomorrow¡¯s meal cost for everyone. No, wait, I promise to take care of the tab for the rest of this month¡¯s meals for everyone here.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. I do have a lot of money, you know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that my guys have quite an appetite, you see.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just send me the bill afterward. However, at least for today¡­¡±

    Snap, crackle¡ª

    Su-hyeun loosened his finger joints and the rest of his body.

    ¡°Please make sure that they work without a rest for half a day.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Bak Yun-gyu replied and took a quick look around.

    His gaze prompted the 100 or so gathered awakeners to spread out. It was the same story for Bak Yun-gyu as well.

    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot¡­¡± Before the things could begin, though, Su-hyeun spoke about one more thing. ¡°I will hand over the armor I¡¯m wearing right now to the very first person who manages to hit me with their spear. Please think of it as a bonus.¡±

    What he said instantly changed the temperature of the underground space.

    Of course, anyone who was an awakener knew about the armor worn by Kim Su-hyeun. It was famous not only because was it crafted out of the Titan Turtle¡¯s back shell mixed with adamantium but also because the master craftsman Kim Dae-ho proudly boasted that the armor was one of only a handful of masterpieces he had crafted in his entire life.

    More than anything else, it was an item used by Kim Su-hyeun, so it should be unsurprising to see the highest premium imaginable being attached to the armor in the eyes of the awakeners.

    Putting that armor on would be no different from acquiring dozens of extra lives, and if one wanted to sell it for money, one would be able to live the rest of one¡¯s life in the lap of luxury.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s more like it,¡± Su-hyeun thought and smiled faintly as if he finally felt satisfied.

    Up until a second ago, their gazes were much, much closer to idolizing and curiosity.

    With their pride at being able to do something like this with the one and only Kim Su-hyeun, their reverence toward the world¡¯s best awakener, their own curiosity at how strong he really was, and so on¡ªseparate from how willing they were to humor his request¡ªone couldn¡¯t really say that they looked like they were planning to go all out today.

    However, Su-hyeun definitely needed them to go all out.

    They must throw those spears with enough determination to kill him. Only then would they be really helpful in heightening his senses.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes, and his action caused puzzled expressions to appear on the faces of the awakeners who were busy psyching themselves up until then.

    ¡°Please begin.¡±

    And then, silence ensued.

    No one threw a spear because not only did Su-hyeun close his eyes but he hadn¡¯t even roused up his magical energy.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwhat¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°His eyes? Why did he¡­?¡±

    ¡°Wait, is it really okay to throw this thing?¡±

    They were now getting flustered, wondering if something had gone wrong somewhere.

    The same story applied to Bak Yun-gyu as well. Despite gripping the short spear tightly in his hand, he couldn¡¯t easily throw it at Su-hyeun when the latter had his eyes closed.

    He feared that if he threw the spear now, it might strike the target dead right away.

    But right at that moment¡­

    Swiiiiiiiish¡ª

    Stab¡ª!

    A short spear flying from one side scythed through the air and impaled the wall on the opposite side. The gazes of everyone present were now split between their colleague who threw the short spear with all he had and Su-hyeun over there.

    ¡°Well, he told us to throw, didn¡¯t he?¡± the awakener replied as if he couldn¡¯t see a problem here and grabbed another spear before assuming the throwing posture.

    And as the second spear left this person¡¯s hand, the other awakeners also began throwing their spears one after the other.

    ¡°What the heck? Is it really okay to do this?¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s alright?¡±

    ¡°Huh. Take a look. He¡¯s dodging them all, isn¡¯t he? Wait a minute, maybe his eyelids are open a little bit?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s using some kind of special skill?¡±

    ¡°Eh, if he was using one, then we should be detecting the flow of magical energy.¡±

    ¡°Damn. I don¡¯t know anymore!¡±

    Whoosh, whooooosh¡ª

    Stab, papapapapabak¡ª!

    Dozens of spears flew about without a break in between. The awakeners threw their initial pile of 10 short spears, and when they ran out, they retrieved 10 more to continue throwing them at Su-hyeun.

    But he kept his eyes closed and didn¡¯t even use his magical energy.

    Swiiiish, whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun moved his body just a little bit¡ªwith the absolute minimum movements and not all that quickly either.

    He didn¡¯t rely on his sight but purely on his sensory perception to determine the trajectories of dozens of incoming spears.

    ¡°I can see,¡± he mused.

    His eyelids were closed, so his view should have been dyed in darkness, yet it had become an even wider and brighter ¡°world¡± for him right now.

    All the angles and locations his vision couldn¡¯t take in before were now so vivid as if he was looking down at them from the sky. He could estimate the trajectories beforehand and was able to tell where he should move to dodge the spears.

    This sensory perception that made it seem like he was looking one second into the future was getting clearer as more time passed by.

 Chapter 369

    <hr />

    Whoosh, Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Stab! Pa-babababak¡ª

    Ruuuumble, ka-booooom¡ª!

    The underground space had turned into a pandemonium.

    The open space big enough to be mistaken for a World Cup venue was littered with various traces of spears being impaled before being pulled out, while many parts of it were clearly scorched and destroyed by the shockwaves from various skills.

    Around the third-hour mark, Su-hyeun announced something else.

    ¡°You can use your skills as well,¡± he said while still keeping his eyes closed.

    His movements didn¡¯t look fast. It even felt like one could touch him simply by extending their hands.

    Yet none could reach him.

    The 100 or so B-rank and higher awakeners, who became noticeably worked up at that point, began pouring out their skills indiscriminately at his prompting.

    Some people focused on throwing their spears since all they had to do was strike him down. Some others resorted to activating hex-type skills to restrict Su-hyeun¡¯s movements or even create jagged stones underfoot.

    Despite all of their attempts, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t falter once. Not a single skill or spear managed to even get close to him.

    And around the sixth-hour mark¡­

    ¡°Swords or spears, it¡¯s fine to use anything you want,¡± he announced once more while still keeping his eyes closed.

    To interpret that in the simplest terms, one should ¡°resort to whatever means necessary¡± to land a single hit on him.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t open his eyes and didn¡¯t even rely on his magical energy. Not only that, but also there was only so much room he could maneuver around despite how wide this underground space was. He wasn¡¯t even fighting back.

    Their job wasn¡¯t to bring him down but to merely reach him. It would be fine just to tap him with the tip of their hands even.

    Those awakeners confident of their close-quarter combat capabilities immediately welcomed this change in the rules. Soon afterward, dozens of awakeners rushed toward Su-hyeun.

    And the result was¡­

    ¡°How absurd,¡± helplessly muttered Bak Yun-gyu as he watched this scene from some distance away.

    To be honest, he had been doubting ¡°it¡± all along.

    It was only natural for one¡¯s senses to become even sharper after one closes their eyes. However, one would need an incredible level of focus to maintain that.

    Not to forget, it was also natural for a person¡¯s overall perception to be heavily reliant on their sight. A person wouldn¡¯t feel confident of not colliding into something despite walking on a familiar path if they couldn¡¯t see.

    If a spear was flying in from behind, even Bak Yun-gyu would be able to figure that out without looking.

    However, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to guess how fast that spear was flying or what trajectory it was flying at. As such, he would have to make a move early and get somewhere as far as possible to dodge the spear.

    If it were only up to there, then he would have no problem understanding it.

    However, Su-hyeun was different. He only used the absolute minimum movement and the most optimal timing to dodge, and his judgment made it seem like he could actually see into the future.

    It was all so blinding to behold, really.

    Not counterattacking would¡¯ve made dodging all that harder, yet Su-hyeun continued to simply dodge all the spears by smoothly gliding around.

    Bak Yun-gyu checked the current time with the watch on his left wrist.

    It said 9:00 p.m.¡ªnot too long remained until midnight.

    ¡°From here on, only three more hours remain.¡±

    The duration Su-hyeun requested for at the beginning was ¡°half a day¡±¡ªto be more precise, until midnight today.

    With every passing second, Su-hyeun¡¯s movements had been getting slicker and smoother, so much so that Bak Yun-gyu couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was realistic for anyone to enhance their senses this quickly.

    Was it talent?

    If so, then although it seemed unfair, Bak Yun-gyu had no choice but to acknowledge it.

    He put the spear and sword in his hands on the floor.

    Not too long ago, it felt like he might be able to reach Su-hyeun. Even though the latter had his eyes closed, he didn¡¯t use any magic and didn¡¯t even fight back¡­

    Not just one but 100 or so awakeners were also present, and since they were given such a long duration, Bak Yun-gyu thought that they might be able to reach Su-hyeun.

    ¡°No. We¡¯ll never reach him,¡± he conceded inwardly.

    In the past nine hours, he believed that he could potentially reach his target soon enough and felt disappointed by all those close brushes.

    But now, he became certain of this one thing¡ªall those ¡°close brushes¡± that seemed so agonizingly close, despite what Bak Yun-gyu saw as them getting closer to reaching Su-hyeun, were actually what the latter was aiming for in the first place.

    And also¡­

    ¡°The reason why I could get closer wasn¡¯t because of my own abilities.¡±

    Neither He nor anyone else would ever be able to close down the remaining gap between them and Su-hyeun because that¡¯s the gap Su-hyeun wanted in the first place.

    Bak Yun-gyu became certain of this point, and both of his arms went slack as he stood still in his spot, not even thinking of moving another inch.

    <hr />

    Strength and stamina.

    Agility and reflex.

    These two stats affected each other. The higher one¡¯s strength, the higher one¡¯s stamina must be to support it, while the high agility needed good reflex to shine properly.

    This was the reason why the very first stat Su-hyeun chose to raise with the god¡¯s tear was stamina. And unlike the other stats, he didn¡¯t need a lot of time to get fully acclimatized with the reflex stat.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    From a certain point in time, his head and body reacted first.

    This ability of his allowed him to dodge the spears flying in at a much faster speed with a much slower movement. It allowed him to utilize his own amazing speed in the most optimum way possible.

    While effortlessly evading incoming spears, blades, and various other skills, Su-hyeun took a glance at his wristwatch. The second hand ticked slowly until it finally reached twelve midnight.

    And right at that moment¡­

    Woo-wuuuuung¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun rapidly unsheathed his sword and lightly swung it around, sending a storm of heavy winds all around him. Not only the incoming short spears but also the awakeners trying to close in on him were all flung away by the winds.

    ¡°Thank you all for your hard work.¡±

    Shu-ka-ahk¡ª

    While thanking them, Su-hyeun sheathed his sword.

    Unlike him who had barely broken some sweat, all the awakeners were completely soaked in their own sweat from head to toe.

    A few among them had been struck by stray skills or short spears and were currently suffering from minor injuries.

    ¡°T-thank you for your hard work, sir!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±

    Their replies came a beat later.

    Su-hyeun shook hands with everyone present and exited from the underground space.

    Bak Yun-gyu walked up to him and said, ¡°Thank you very much for today.¡±

    ¡°Why the sudden gratitude, if I may ask?¡±

    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve been a great help to their education process today. Without a doubt, being able to cross swords with the world¡¯s best awakener like this will help them out greatly in the future.¡±

    Su-hyeun smiled faintly at what Bak Yun-gyu said and continued walking toward his parked car. ¡°Please don¡¯t forget to send me the bill after you guys eat out later. You helped me out a lot today, so I¡¯ll make sure to repay you later.¡±

    ¡°Are you leaving right away?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have another appointment, you see.¡±

    ¡°At this hour?¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded and climbed into his car before turning on the ignition. When the engine roared noisily into life, he immediately stepped on the accelerator.

    The destination he headed off to in that manner was Kim Dae-ho¡¯s workshop. Since the hour was so late, the whole suburb should¡¯ve been whisper-quiet, but Su-hyeun¡¯s hearing still caught the sounds of hammering coming from the workshop rather clearly.

    ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s me!¡±

    ¡°Come on in!¡± Kim Dae-ho replied without stopping his hammering.

    Su-hyeun opened the door and headed straight to the workshop. When he went down the stairs connected to the basement, the hammering sounds became even louder than before.

    ¡°You came?¡±

    ¡°My bad for coming at this hour, Uncle.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you come because you knew I wouldn¡¯t be asleep at this hour, anyway? It¡¯s fine. You showing up now is a hundred times better than showing up in the morning.¡±

    Claaang, clang¡ª!

    Kim Dae-ho replied to Su-hyeun¡¯s greeting without even looking back. He was too focused on his crafting, and as such, his replies seemed a little half-hearted, but neither man cared in the least.

    Soon enough, Kim Dae-ho shoved the piece of equipment he¡¯d been hammering inside the burning furnace to prepare it for the tempering process. He then took the warmed-up towel on the side to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

    Su-hyeun saw all those wrinkles on Kim Dae-ho¡¯s face and let out a long sigh. ¡°Even then, I beg of you to differentiate night from day if possible, please. This isn¡¯t healthy for your body, you know.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m eating a lot of what¡¯s supposed to be good for my body. Besides, humans are supposed to be nocturnal, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about that, again?¡±

    ¡°How many bums who don¡¯t go to work and don¡¯t do anything in the first place actually sleep early and wake up on time in the mornings? I¡¯m telling you, those dang schools and commuting to work are the only reason why we humans get up early in the mornings. Besides¡ª¡±

    ¡°You know your health better than anyone?¡±

    ¡°So you already know,¡± Kim Dae-ho cackled hoarsely.

    Su-hyeun pushed forward cooled coffee he had prepared before coming here. ¡°Please have some before it gets lukewarm. Even iced coffee will start boiling in this place in no time.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so what business brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Do I only show up here if I have a business with you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s written all over your face, you punk. You have a different look about you depending on whether or not you have a business with me.¡±

    ¡°I-is that so?¡±

    ¡°I told you, you should just go ahead and ask if you have a request. Don¡¯t hesitate like this. You¡¯re so easy to read when you¡¯re struggling to figure out when and how you should ask me,¡± Kim Dae-ho quickly said what was on his mind before gulping down the coffee Su-hyeun had brought along. Even he knew that taking his time to drink his coffee would result in it getting lukewarm from the workshop¡¯s temperature, just like what Su-hyeun said earlier.

    Su-hyeun smiled sheepishly before taking out the marble he got from Luslec from the subspace. ¡°Here. Can you possibly turn this into either a ring or a bracelet?¡±

    ¡°Is this a gemstone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s supposed to be a communication tool, and I thought leaving it inside the subspace all the time seems like a waste, you see.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Let me take a look first.¡±

    Kim Dae-ho received the marble from Su-hyeun. The old man narrowed his eyes and closely studied the small object from this and that angle.

    He studied the marble for around five minutes or so before nodding his head theatrically. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a problem.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take?¡±

    ¡°Why? Is it urgent?¡±

    ¡°If possible, the sooner the better, please.¡±

    ¡°Then wait for around two to three hours. It¡¯s too big for a ring, so I¡¯m thinking that a necklace will suffice.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You can go upstairs and get some rest. Get some sleep while you¡¯re at it.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I prefer the atmosphere in this place, actually.¡±

    ¡°Busy saying something you don¡¯t even mean,¡± Kim Dae-ho replied with a pout, but the corners of his lips were subtly curling up. He must¡¯ve been happy to hear that the atmosphere in his workshop, the one he treasured the most, was good even if the one saying it didn¡¯t really mean it.

    He got right back to work.

    Su-hyeun silently studied the workshop in the meantime. Quite a few items had filled it up while he wasn¡¯t here, it seemed.

    ¡°The Blood Knife? He¡¯s already crafted it? It sure is too good of a weapon to gather dust in this place,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun even recognized several among the equipment on display.

    Many of Kim Dae-ho¡¯s creations would go on to become renowned masterpieces throughout the world after getting the ¡°numbers treatment,¡± similar to how it was with Geneva¡¯s creations. Some of them became so famous that even Su-hyeun clearly remembered those pieces of equipment even now.

    For instance, the ¡°Blood Knife¡± was one of the masterpieces that Kim Dae-ho crafted in the latter part of his career. This item absorbed an opponent¡¯s blood to replenish the user¡¯s magical energy.

    ¡°Is this because he came to live in Seoul? If not, is it because he got to handle far better materials a lot sooner than before, and that¡¯s why uncle¡¯s skills have improved even faster¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun studied each piece of equipment on display in the workshop and spotted several that took a bit of his fancy.

    ¡°If you like what you see, you can take them with you. They are basically ownerless products at this point in time, after all.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Ah, no. I¡¯m all right.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling sorry about me, don¡¯t sweat it and just take them. Only by meeting good owners will the good items prove their true worth, and there isn¡¯t anyone in this world who can bring out their true worth better than you, no?¡±

    ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t wrong there, but¡­¡±

    Even though he said that, there wasn¡¯t anything he desperately wanted to take with him because whether it was a set of armor or a weapon, he determined that none of them were better than the ones he was currently using.

    And so, while he was perusing through the displayed equipment and waiting, Kim Dae-ho suddenly spoke up, ¡°Argh, you¡¯re being too noisy, you punk!¡±

    Now that was out of the blue.

    Su-hyeun had been doing his best to be silent to not interfere with Kim Dae-ho¡¯s work, so he ended up asking back, confused, ¡°But, Uncle, I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this? You were over there?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho made a puzzled face when he turned his head to look at Su-hyeun.

    He confirmed that the latter was some distance away from him and dug his ear canal, perplexed. ¡°Huh. Did I hear it wrong, then?¡±

    ¡°No, wait. I think you heard right, Uncle,¡± Su-hyeun groaned with a slightly stiff face before saying something else. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time that you show yourself?¡±

    Buzz¡ª

    The moment he said that, the marble resting next to Kim Dae-ho began vibrating without warning.

 Chapter 370

    The marble with the distinctive yellow tinge gradually changed its hue to red. Kim Dae-ho shot up from his seat after noticing the item emitting light and magical energy all on its own and stumbled several steps away from it.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening right now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± Su-hyeun said as he took a step closer to the marble.

    And right at that very moment, the reddish light coming off from the marble began taking on a blurry and indistinct silhouette.

    Not too long after that, a man smiling awkwardly while scratching his head appeared from the red light. The man laughed, ¡°It¡¯s been a while!¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a day for me yet, though?¡±

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s been 10 days on my side, you see. I guess the flow of time is really different here.¡±

    It was Luslec, and he literally popped out of the marble itself. The item was supposed to allow one to communicate by shortening the distance between dimensions, but to think that one could even move through dimensions like this.

    ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°I was curious about the world you live in, Mister Su-hyeun. Ah, but I ask of you not to think of it as a troublesome matter. I can only stay here for a few days, after all.¡±

    ¡°Is that some kind of a restriction?¡±

    ¡°Yes, correct. Anyways, wow, this is really that place? The workshop of uncle Kim Dae-ho? And that gent over there is Mister Kim Dae-ho?¡±

    Luslec¡¯s sparkling eyes landed on Kim Dae-Ho.

    He didn¡¯t seem to have any special business for being here nor did he emit hostility. Instead, his current reaction was similar to a child filled with curiosity.

    Su-hyeun could only hold his head. With how things have developed, it seemed that he now had no choice but to stick very closely to Luslec for a day at least.

    Although the chances of this happening were low, if he really got into a fight somewhere and decided to go on a rampage, there would be no one strong enough to stop him other than Su-hyeun.

    ¡°When you say you were curious, are you thinking of doing something similar to a sightseeing tour?¡±

    ¡°Yes, correct again. I¡¯m a tourist.¡±

    ¡°Please behave yourself and wait for a little while. The crafting should be over soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, got it. But, uh, is it alright for me to take a quick look around here?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t go too far.¡±

    Suddenly feeling rather exhausted, Su-hyeun groaned deeply and waved his hand dismissively.

    With an overly excited face, Luslec replied with an energetic, ¡°Yes!¡± and quickly stepped outside the workshop. Su-hyeun glanced to his side and noticed Kim Dae-ho making an uncharacteristically confused face.

    ¡°Who was that guy?¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­¡± Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that, so he mulled over his answer for a bit before saying something, ¡°He¡¯s apparently my fan.¡±

    * * *

    Kim Dae-ho returned to his work.

    Su-hyeun quietly waited so that he wouldn¡¯t be a bother. Kim Dae-ho hardened the liquefied steel and then weaved some hard and sturdy threads to create a necklace.

    While watching the master blacksmith do his thing from behind, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but notice Kim Dae-ho¡¯s hunched back.

    ¡°His back has gotten more crooked these days,¡± he thought.

    Kim Dae-ho¡¯s back was gradually bending lower, and his shoulders were shrinking slowly as he got older; only his voice remained loud and sharp, while his age was already creeping into the border between ¡°uncle¡± and ¡°grandpa.¡±

    It was only obvious that his lifespan would decrease by spending the whole day inside the boiling workshop to hammer away while sweating profusely like this.

    ¡°And I can¡¯t even dissuade him.¡±

    Su-hyeun knew very well why Kim Dae-ho was acting this way: he was feeling the weight of responsibility.

    It was the responsibility of knowing that even a single piece of equipment he crafted could save the life of an awakener, who would go on to save countless many others in the process.

    And that was why Kim Dae-ho couldn¡¯t stop. He was fighting alone inside this narrow workshop.

    ¡°Uncle,¡± Su-hyeun quietly called out to Kim Dae-ho. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    Kim Dae-ho turned around to look at Su-hyeun after getting thanked out of the blue. However, the latter wasn¡¯t planning to say anything else, so he simply kept his mouth shut and expertly hid his smile.

    The blacksmith stared at Su-hyeun for a bit before turning around to focus on his crafting instead.

    ¡°Silly kid,¡± Kim Dae-ho muttered softly and got back to work, but Su-hyeun still discovered Kim Dae-ho¡¯s lips quivering into a smirk as he stood behind him. The blacksmith usually had almost no discernible changes to his expressions, so something like this was a noticeable change, indeed.

    Not too long afterward, the necklace was completed. In total, the job took about two hours.

    ¡°I¡¯ve added additional functions of increased strength to prevent it from getting ripped off, as well as weight reduction. I thought that adding too many functions on it might disrupt the flow of the marble¡¯s magical energy, so I didn¡¯t make it too complicated.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll use it well.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so, are you heading out along with that punk from earlier?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s very hard to figure out, so I need to keep an eye out on him before he causes an incident somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Are you two talking about me?¡±

    It was at that moment that Luslec abruptly descended into the workshop. He didn¡¯t seem to have used the steps but floated in the air and rapidly dropped down.

    ¡°Yes. I wanted you to hear it, actually. As such, please try not to start a fight somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t. Saying something so obvious.¡±

    ¡°Especially murder. That¡¯s completely off-limits.¡±

    Su-hyeun still vividly remembered Luslec¡¯s smiling face as the latter killed Kang Mu-hyeok.

    Although Luslec seemed genuinely nice to Su-hyeun, the fact that he was a dangerous individual still hadn¡¯t changed at all.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be in trouble if they find out, you know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be¡­in trouble?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They¡¯ll scold me real good if I go around blabbing my mouth everywhere. The things about me and the tales I told you, they are all top secret, you see. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to worry so much,¡± Luslec replied confidently while grinning mischievously. It was hard to imagine that this face also made that chill-inducing expression when murdering Kang Mu-hyeok back then.

    ¡°Well, he did help me out a lot, so¡­¡± Su-hyeun inwardly considered.

    Since he couldn¡¯t exactly chase this guy away, he figured it would be better to simply show this guy around the world for a day or so.

    ¡°Is there a particular place you wish to see?¡±

    * * *

    The place Su-hyeun took Luslec to was the middle of Jongno.

    Despite the late hour, quite a few people were still out and about in the vicinity of the Jongno Tower even now. This was the very first place Luslec wanted to see.

    ¡°Oh, ooooh¡­¡±

    Luslec¡¯s wide-open eyes were looking around their surroundings.

    Those eyes were sparkling away like an excited kid¡¯s as he took in the sights of the brightly lit streets of Jongno.

    ¡°So that¡¯s the Jongno Tower? Wow, it¡¯s seriously tall.¡±

    ¡°Is it that amazing?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a building I¡¯ve only ever heard about in stories, you know. To think that one day I¡¯d actually come here¡­¡±

    Luslec seemed rather moved by this experience.

    He insisted on seeing the Jongno Tower first, and it seemed that his reason for that had something to do with the mythical tales he heard about in the past.

    His eyes remained wide open as he continued to stare around like some kind of a tourist from a foreign country, and Su-hyeun observing that from the side could only chuckle softly.

    It didn¡¯t feel like Luslec would start a commotion or something just as troublesome. Su-hyeun wondered why he even bothered to come here, but it seemed that sightseeing really was his purpose for this trip.

    ¡°Where is Mister Lee Ju-ho, though?¡±

    ¡°You even know about brother Ju-ho?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. He¡¯s one of the heroes who has saved the world alongside you, after all.¡±

    ¡°Their meeting is taking longer than expected, it seems.¡±

    ¡°I guess so. Wait, maybe he¡¯s already asleep, what with the late hour and all?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he is. Besides, I heard that he¡¯d be hosting a business dinner meeting until well into the night.¡±

    It was currently around three in the morning.

    Although it was definitely late, Lee Ju-ho wouldn¡¯t be asleep at this hour.

    From what Su-hyeun had heard, Lee Ju-ho took residence in a studio apartment close to the Jongno Tower and only signed off from work at around four or five o¡¯clock in the morning. He usually slept for around two to three hours and went back to work around nine in the morning.

    It certainly was an unforgiving schedule, yet Lee Ju-ho handled it without a single complaint. He barely had any break after becoming the association president.

    ¡°Even then, will it be okay to call him at this hour?¡± Su-hyeun contemplated as he fidgeted around with his phone.

    No matter what, it was still late, so he thought that calling someone now would be just too inconsiderate.

    His dilemma didn¡¯t last long; Su-hyeun shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s quite late now, so let¡¯s meet him tomorrow if you¡¯re so dead-set on seeing him. I also need to think about how to introduce you to bro.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Can¡¯t be helped since it¡¯s already so¡ª¡±

    ¡°Su-hyeun!¡±

    It was right at that moment that someone in the crowd of passersby in the distance called out Su-hyeun¡¯s name.

    Su-hyeun turned to find the person that called him and was surprised by what he saw¡ªit was the person he planned to see after sunrise a few hours later, Lee Ju-ho, waving his hand and walking closer to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s Su-hyeunnnn¡ª!¡±

    And Thomas sticking close to Lee Ju-ho also discovered Su-hyeun and, in the blink of an eye, bounced toward where Su-hyeun was. Before Su-hyeun could figure out what¡¯s what, he had to catch Thomas with both of his hands.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Thomas could only chuckle and repeat, ¡°It¡¯s Su-hyeun¡­¡±

    Thomas¡¯s face was currently deeply flushed. Judging from how dull his eyes were, it seemed that he had consumed some alcohol not too long ago.

    He was smelling quite heavily of booze, too.

    Lee Ju-ho walked over with a slightly faster pace than before. Just like always, Su-hyeun lightly pried off Thomas who was sticking to him like a piece of gum and asked Lee Ju-ho, ¡°Bro, did you let this kid drink?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And he drank quite a lot, too.¡±

    ¡°Please tell him to snap out of it already. He¡¯s seriously drunk right now.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not gonna listen just because I said so, you know? He doesn¡¯t want to sober up since it feels great to him, so what can I do? If it¡¯s you, then maybe he¡¯ll listen.¡±

    ¡°It feels great?¡± Su-hyeun let out a groan and shifted his gaze back to Thomas.

    For sure, Thomas¡¯s foolishly grinning face while calling out Su-hyeun¡¯s name made it seem like he was having a good time right now.

    To Su-hyeun, who didn¡¯t enjoy drinking booze and found the sensation of being drunk more tiresome than enjoyable, this sort of behavior is incomprehensible.

    ¡°Even then, if he likes it, then well¡­¡±

    Rather unexpectedly, it seemed that Thomas was pretty good with alcohol.

    If so, there really wasn¡¯t a reason to forcibly sober himself up through magical energy. Besides, an awakener on the level of Thomas should be able to snap out of a drunken stupor all on his own pretty soon, anyway.

    ¡°By the way, did you already finish your dinner meeting?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I wanted to teach Thomas how to drink today, you see. This guy told me that he had never drunk before. In any case, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Ah, well. The thing is¡­¡± Su-hyeun trailed off and sneaked a glance at Luslec. He pondered for a bit on how to introduce the guy before finally saying something, ¡°He¡¯s a younger acquaintance of mine, but he really wanted to say hello to you, you see.¡±

    ¡°H¡ªhello there! My name is Luslec,¡± he introduced himself with a loud and energetic voice, prompting a weird expression to form on Lee Ju-ho¡¯s face. While still looking a bit awkward, the latter extended his hand for a shake.

    After the handshake, he turned toward Su-hyeun next. ¡°You had a younger acquaintance like this guy? And he¡¯s a foreigner, to boot.¡±

    ¡°Is it a problem for me to know some people?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, but it¡¯s not like you have plenty of friends, you know. Besides, this person, he¡¯s really fluent in Korean, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho stared at Luslec as if something still felt weird to him.

    Su-hyeun was currently sweating buckets internally. On the other hand, Luslec was grinning brightly even though he was the one making the request to keep his identity a secret.

    Maybe he was too much of an airhead?

    Vrrrr¡ª

    It was right then that Lee Ju-ho¡¯s phone, which should¡¯ve been staying quiet due to how late it was, began noisily ringing.

    He turned around while reaching into his pocket. ¡°Ah, sorry about this. I need to take this,¡± he said.

    He confirmed the number on the screen and hurriedly answered the call.

    After fully turning around, he began whispering into the device¡¯s receiver. Of course, doing that didn¡¯t prevent Su-hyeun from eavesdropping on the conversation itself.

    ¡°What was that? Sons of b*tches! Did they lose their damn minds? Yes, yes. No, wait. Even if that¡¯s true¡­Also, why did such things happen at the same time¡­?¡± Lee Ju-ho let out a pained grunt before holding his head. He then glanced in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction and nodded theatrically. ¡°Alright, I got it. We¡¯ll try to send some reinforcements from our side somehow. Yes. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho ended the call a little abruptly.

    Su-hyeun, who had listened to the contents of the phone call, groaned exaggeratedly, ¡°I¡¯ve more or less heard about what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°It seems that the Germans were trying to raid an indigo-colored dungeon by themselves and botched it. They were trying to keep it a secret and dragged everything out, only for an outbreak to happen about 10 minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°And there¡¯s been an act of terror in Argentina?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The timing of those two things have coincided way too closely, and it has become a bit of a headache now. If neither of them is resolved quickly enough¡­¡±

    Two incidents happened at the same time in two completely different locations.

    The reason why Lee Ju-ho was holding his head was quite simple. If it was Su-hyeun, then it wouldn¡¯t matter which location he went to; he¡¯d take care of the issue quite easily, but the other one would still remain a significant problem.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s an emergency, we¡¯ll have to send Thomas, but I¡¯m not sure if he alone can handle it. It sounds like some big shots are behind the act of terror, you see.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun pondered for a bit before shifting his gaze over to Luslec.

    When their gazes met, Luslec blinked in confusion and asked back, ¡°What, me?¡±

 Chapter 371

    Act 8

    Su-hyeun nodded at Luslec¡¯s question and beckoned with his hand¡ªa gesture that said, ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Luslec scratched his head and followed after Su-hyeun. The latter whispered once they got a bit of distance from Lee Ju-ho, ¡°Please lend us your assistance.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say I mustn¡¯t cause a commotion?¡±

    ¡°I said that in case you caused a ¡®problem¡¯ somewhere, you know. What I¡¯m requesting to you now is to help me deal with this problem.¡±

    Even if it was Su-hyeun, he had only one body. It was impossible for him to take care of two events happening simultaneously in two different locations.

    It was also uncertain if Thomas could raid an indigo-colored dungeon all by himself. Not only that but an outbreak had also occurred, and monsters were flooding out even now, so they would definitely need several times more the manpower required to raid a dungeon.

    Also, unlike the inside of a dungeon where you could go as wild as you want, you¡¯d inevitably worry about the safety of other people when fighting inside a city.

    Su-hyeun continued, ¡°Well, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you. It¡¯ll be several hundred times easier than dealing with the predator we met back then, for instance.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°I know that you don¡¯t have much time, but please, help us.¡±

    Su-hyeun bowed his head at Luslec.

    He knew that the length of time the latter could stay here was limited to a few days, but the lives of far too many people were hanging in the balance right now.

    If the act of terror perpetrated by the awakeners turned out to be severe, then that could result in the loss of tens of thousands of people, not to mention the severity of a dungeon outbreak.

    ¡°Argh, I¡¯m not supposed to do this, you know¡­¡± Luslec said while slightly lowering his head as he began chuckling.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°Only this one time, okay? Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine if I¡¯m the mysterious hero appearing out of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°You seem to be enjoying this somehow.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m enjoying it. After all, I¡¯m going to work together with you, Mister Su-hyeun. This will be 10 times more thrilling than some random sightseeing tour, you know?¡±

    Su-hyeun thought Luslec would be troubled by the prospect of losing his valuable time; on the contrary, the latter seemed genuinely pleased about this development.

    Su-hyeun sighed in relief and walked back to Lee Ju-ho along with Luslec.

    ¡°The incident in Germany, please leave it to this¡­dude over here,¡± he told Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°Really? He¡¯s an awakener?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Even then, he alone stopping an indigo-colored dungeon¡¯s outbreak is a bit¡ª¡±

    ¡°It should be more than doable, actually,¡± Su-hyeun interjected without a trace of hesitation in his voice.

    Lee Ju-ho fidgeted around with his smartphone while quietly mulling over his options. If it was Su-hyeun willing to go, then he wouldn¡¯t have been this undecided.

    Su-hyeun was fully capable of easily handling an outbreak of an indigo-colored dungeon, after all. Being unsure of such a man¡¯s capabilities would be one of the most stupid wastes of time imaginable.

    But what about this awakener before his eyes, whose name was Luslec?

    ¡°Even if Su-hyeun is personally vouching for him¡­¡±

    Lee Ju-ho contemplated for a bit longer before eventually making up his mind. ¡°Please go with Thomas.¡±

    That was him giving half a consent.

    After saying that, Lee Ju-ho called someone on the phone. It was to let the other party know that under the name of the Paragon Guild, they would send support to both Germany and Argentina.

    ¡°Yes, sir! Understood!¡± Luslec replied energetically, his voice sounding clearly excited. He then grabbed Thomas¡¯s arm without warning.

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    Right after that, he kicked up a mighty dust cloud, and both of their figures instantly disappeared upward.

    ¡°We¡¯re flyiiiiiing¡ª!¡± Thomas¡¯s excited voice belatedly resounded from somewhere high above the skies.

    Tumble, drop¡ª

    The rising dust gradually settled down. Lee Ju-ho in the middle of his phone call completely forgot about the call itself and dazedly stared at the empty spot, still wondering what just had happened.

    ¡°See what I mean?¡±

    Tap, tap¡­

    Su-hyeun lightly tapped on Lee Ju-ho¡¯s shoulder before calling Miru out. He then quickly climbed on the dragon¡¯s back and flew toward Argentina.

    All of that happened in the blink of an eye.

    As wry laughter leaked out of his mouth, Lee Ju-ho¡¯s hand holding the phone gradually dropped toward the ground.

    ¡°Who was that monstrous guy, anyway?¡±

    * * *

    Germany was seen as one of the awakener powerhouse nations in its own right. Although not comparable to South Korea or the United States of America, it still retained four S-rank awakeners, and it also boasted quite a high number of A- and B-rank awakeners that formed the vital pillar for the whole system.

    Not only that, but the number of dungeons had also noticeably decreased in recent times, leaving a lot of awakeners on standby.

    In the middle of this situation, an indigo-colored dungeon had suddenly appeared.

    ¡°We can definitely raid this dungeon all by ourselves.¡±

    Germany, and the German Awakener Authority, began drooling greedily at the appearance of such a tasty indigo-colored dungeon.

    Compared to other ¡°regular¡± dungeons, an indigo-colored dungeon boasted a far richer deposit of Ether stones. Not only that, but the market price of Ether stones had also shot up due to the sudden drop in the rate of dungeon generation in recent times.

    Without a doubt, the price of Ether stones would only climb higher with every passing day. Successfully raiding an indigo-colored dungeon could, therefore, result in earning an enormous profit internationally for the country.

    Of course, that reason alone wasn¡¯t quite good enough to take on the risk.

    No matter how valuable an indigo-colored dungeon was, and even if the worth of Ether stones mined from such a dungeon reached billions and tens of billions of dollars, they still weren¡¯t quite attractive enough to risk the potential problem of said indigo-colored dungeon causing an outbreak.

    However, the story would change if it was no longer about the money, but the prestige of one¡¯s nation on the line.

    ¡°Just by successfully raiding this indigo-colored dungeon, the international community¡¯s evaluation of Germany will change significantly.¡±

    The common reason among those voicing their desire to raid the indigo-colored dungeon by themselves was precisely this one.

    They said that by clearing a dungeon of such a caliber, Germany¡¯s international acclaim would rise up to the same level as that of the two powerhouse nations, America and South Korea, and that¡¯s why they needed to turn this critical moment into an opportunity instead.

    Thus, Germany brought together her four S-rank awakeners and launched the indigo-colored dungeon raid.

    And the end result was¡­

    ¡°We¡¯re all screwed¡­¡±

    The minister in charge of Germany¡¯s awakener management bureau, Louis Hesse, was currently holding his head.

    ¡°A way to solve this situation,¡± was the line of thought that very briefly popped up in his head, but it got thrown out just as quickly.

    ¡°Of course there is none.¡±

    Hesse began tearing at his hair.

    He didn¡¯t have a lot of hair remaining in the first place, yet a fistful still got ripped off, but that only went to show how stressed he was right now.

    Despite staring at a handful of torn hair, he couldn¡¯t even get angry at that. His condition had reached such a severe state that something this minor wouldn¡¯t get him riled up anymore.

    ¡°Sir, do not be too concerned. Thanks to issuing evacuation orders earlier and making preparations, losses to human lives are¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, sure! But for how long?!¡±

    It had been only 30 minutes since the outbreak began.

    All thanks to deploying quite a number of awakeners beforehand and evacuating the citizens living in the near vicinity just in case, they were able to minimize the losses.

    If the surrounding cityscape turning into piles of rubble was a better consolation than the deaths of tens of thousands, then yes, it certainly was a consolation indeed.

    But in the end, that was nothing more than just the lesser of the two evils. It was merely the beginning as well.

    ¡°What about the support from the Paragon Guild? Still nothing yet?¡±

    ¡°They said they will be here very soon. Don¡¯t be too concerned, sir.¡±

    ¡°Dammit! Stop telling me not to worry. Unless Kim Su-hyeun himself shows up here, we won¡¯t be able to stop the possibility of Munich disappearing from the face of Earth, so stop spewing useless words meant for comfort and try to think up of a way!¡±

    ¡°B¡ªbut, sir¡­¡±

    Bzzz, bzzzz¡­

    In the middle of his head being bitten off, the adjutant noticed his phone vibrating furiously inside his pocket.

    Since various reports had been streaming in endlessly for a while now, Hesse didn¡¯t think much about it and simply frowned deeply while waving his hands dismissively. ¡°Answer it already.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, sir.¡±

    The adjutant bowed a little before answering his phone. Rather obviously, both he and Hesse didn¡¯t expect the contents of the call to be anything good.

    They were dealing with none other than an indigo-colored dungeon¡¯s outbreak, and the situation seemed way too bleak for any positive news.

    But then¡­

    ¡°W¡ªwhat was that? The Paragon Guild did what? Thomas did what?¡±

    Hesse found a ray of hope from the adjutant¡¯s replies, and he began listening in more eagerly while gradually leaning forward.

    Thomas¡ªthat man was one of the top-ranking awakeners in the whole world. His main skill, ¡°Dark World,¡± could exert physical and magical effects over a wide area, thereby potentially lowering the damage incurred from an outbreak.

    ¡°Wait, what? It wasn¡¯t Thomas? Then who was it? You don¡¯t know? Then why are you even¡­?¡±

    Soon after that, the adjutant¡¯s voice calmed down substantially.

    He listened without saying anything for a while, and then his face gradually stiffened. He sneaked a glance at Hesse to gauge the latter¡¯s moods and finally replied to the other person on the phone while nodding theatrically. ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll give you a call as soon as possible. Find out who that person was, no matter what it takes. Got that?¡±

    The moment the adjutant ended the call, Hesse asked in an urgent voice, ¡°What happened? It wasn¡¯t Thomas who came here?¡±

    The adjutant hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°That was¡­Sir, I¡¯ve been informed that another Necromancer-type awakener has appeared.¡±

    ¡°A Necromancer-type awakener, you say? Wait, isn¡¯t that Kim Su-hyeun, then?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. To be more precise, I¡¯ve been told that this individual didn¡¯t command corpses but something closer to dead spirits. Thomas was also present with this person, but he didn¡¯t do anything and simply spectated from the sidelines¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not doing anything?! Son of a b*tch! A damn city is about to get destroyed, so what the hell¡ª?¡±

    ¡°But, sir, I¡¯ve also been informed that he doesn¡¯t need to do anything in the current situation.¡±

    The adjutant¡¯s urgent explanation temporarily shut Hesse¡¯s mouth because he found it somewhat difficult to understand what¡¯s being said here.

    Actually, his current reaction was quite similar to the adjutant¡¯s when the latter was answering the phone. As such, the adjutant felt a definite need to clarify himself here.

    ¡°Sir, that lone Necromancer apparently has stopped the entirety of the outbreak. All by himself.¡±

    * * *

    An act of terror, normally this term would have denoted someone or a group resorting to methods such as murder, bombing, or abduction to achieve whatever goal they had in mind.

    Before the advent of awakeners, such acts of terror utilized firearms or explosives, but the times had moved on now. From a certain point in time onward, ¡°acts of terror¡± came to mean a type of ¡°armed protests¡± that centered on the awakeners.

    After the group of murderers, the Dump Guild, had been uprooted, such acts of terror were in a decline, but this didn¡¯t mean that groups willing to commit acts of terror had all unilaterally disappeared.

    ¡°Seriously now, what a mess.¡±

    And Su-hyeun was currently staring at the location of such an act: an empty city.

    The current condition of the city of Cordoba was giving off a similar vibe to a destroyed world that Su-hyeun had witnessed in the past. There was no one here, and the empty city had half-way crumbled down.

    Those were the traces of the acts of terror.

    ¡°The terrorists have taken over the city and took about 10,000 people as hostages. The hostages are divided into groups of 1,000 each and are currently imprisoned in different locations. The terrorists are demanding that, first of all, the city be emptied and, secondly, half of all Ether stones currently stored in the Argentinian authority¡¯s reserves be handed to them.¡±

    An awakener sent by the Argentinian authority was sticking close to Su-hyeun¡¯s side. His role was to act as an assistant to Su-hyeun who had just arrived in Argentina by providing information and answering other requests.

    ¡°We¡¯ve marked the locations of where the hostages are being held on this map, sir. However, we estimate that the rescue operation of the hostages will not be easy, as there are a lot of people to rescue and with the locations being where they are. Also¡ª¡±

    ¡°Before all that, let me confirm this one thing first. The terrorists. What kind of punks are they?¡± Su-hyeun asked while scanning the map handed over to him by the Argentinian awakener.

    ¡°The name of their guild is ¡®Hungry.¡¯ But contrary to that name, you could say they are very well fed, sir, because they used to make a move only when enough money was involved, you see. As for their number, we roughly estimate it to be somewhere around 400. Every single one of them is an awakener, and their nationalities are also varied.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I was asking,¡± Su-hyeun shook his head and continued, ¡°But I want to know whether or not anyone will care if they all died.¡±

    ¡°If anyone will care¡­¡± The Argentinian awakener pondered for a bit before nodding a little. ¡°No one will miss those bastards, sir. From kidnapping to contract murder, rape, and even committing acts of terror for money or even for fun sometimes, they have done all those things, after all.¡±

    ¡°In that case,¡± Su-hyeun began.

    An act of terror with a goal toward one¡¯s financial gains was easily one of the worst evil acts out there.

    Even then, Su-hyeun made sure to ask one more time because there was a chance that the information he had could be incorrect somehow.

    And now, he heard a clear-cut confirmation from someone else¡¯s lips, which made things rather simple for him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this right away.¡±

 Chapter 372

    * * *

    The Hungry Guild.

    This guild that operated mainly in the American continents was, in reality, better known as a terrorist organization.

    The reason for an awakener ending up as a criminal was fairly simple: they might possess a powerful ability, but they also didn¡¯t want to risk the dangers.

    Whether a dungeon raid was a major or a minor one, some degree of danger would always exist. No matter how good an individual was as an awakener, oftentimes, that person would lose their life in vain simply by letting down their guard or making a little mistake somewhere.

    Raiding a dungeon was a dangerous business. However, criminal activities including acts of terror were a bit different. Such things were far safer than raiding dungeons, and one could earn a bigger payout much easier as well.

    ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about!¡±

    An Argentinian A-rank awakener, Ginovali, lightly tossed up a small bar of gold he held in his hand.

    Clang, tumble¡ª

    The gold bar landed on the large pile of accessories and pieces of jewelry and made a clean metallic noise. Ginovali stared at that with a deeply satisfied expression.

    These riches were a result of emptying every single jewelry store found in the city. Just these things alone should amount to tens of millions of dollars in total.

    Of course, he and his group didn¡¯t cause this commotion just to rob this pitiful little amount. Their real goal was something else.

    ¡°One hundred thousand dollars per hostage and we secured 11,150 hostages. In total, 1.115 billion dollars.¡±

    A truly astronomical sum, indeed.

    Once they successfully pull off this job, they would be earning closer to 30 million dollars per person, and when that happened, none of them would have to worry about money for the rest of their lives.

    Ginovali chuckled, ¡°This is wonderful. Wonderful, I say.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s wonderful now, isn¡¯t it?¡± A voice suddenly came from right behind Ginovali.

    He jumped up in shock and tried to turn his head, but right at that moment, a sword was thrust against his neck, and he froze up stiff on the spot.

    ¡°W¡ªwho the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°Rather than finding out who I am, isn¡¯t the fact that a sword was pressing against your neck more important? Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    Ginovali hurriedly swallowed back his saliva.

    He felt a chill run down his spine. Although he didn¡¯t sense the other party¡¯s murderous intent, this would be his first time letting an enemy get close enough to place a blade on his neck. As such, he couldn¡¯t help but get nervous.

    ¡°Wait a minute. This voice, where have I¡­?¡± Ginovali mulled over this for a minute before gasping out in shock. ¡°Kim Su-hyeun?!¡±

    ¡°You recognized me pretty quickly.¡±

    ¡°Anyone living on this planet who doesn¡¯t recognize you is the strange one, mister. Goddammit! To think that it¡¯s you who showed up today.¡±

    Ginovali had been entertaining the idea of suddenly activating his skill to fight back, but now, he chose to raise both of his hands high to reveal his lack of desire to resist.

    His opponent today was none other than Kim Su-hyeun, so Ginovali determined that there was no point in even thinking about resisting.

    ¡°What do you want? Why are you pointing your sword at my throat, anyway? If you wanted to subdue me, you could¡¯ve just killed me or knocked me out. I¡¯m guessing you want something from me?¡±

    ¡°The priority is to rescue the hostages.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s going to be very difficult. Even if it¡¯s you, it¡¯d be tough to rescue every single hostage in ten separate locations, now wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Despite having both of his hands up in the air and a sword pressed against his neck, Ginovali didn¡¯t look all that scared right now.

    His reasoning was pretty simple.

    ¡°To you, people¡¯s lives are the most important thing. Isn¡¯t that true?¡±

    He was confident that Su-hyeun¡¯s personality wasn¡¯t callous enough to forsake the hostages, and that¡¯s why he figured that he wouldn¡¯t lose his head today despite a sword being pressed against his neck.

    ¡°If you wish to rescue the hostages, you better get this sword away from me, buddy. If you don¡¯t, as per our guild¡¯s regulations, we¡¯ll have to start killing hostages one by one.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re mistaken about something here.¡±

    Shu-wuk¡ª

    Su-hyeun withdrew the from Ginovali¡¯s neck.

    In all honesty, there was not much difference in whether the sword was placed against this fool¡¯s neck or not. Su-hyeun was confident of chopping off Ginovali¡¯s head whenever he wanted to.

    ¡°The reason why I came here for you is that you¡¯re the top dog in this place. Meaning, no one here knows more than you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, I know more?¡±

    ¡°I need information. You see, I was thinking of completely uprooting your Hungry Guild just like how I¡¯ve done with the Dump Guild since an opportunity presented itself like this,¡± Su-hyeun replied in an unconcerned tone.

    However, the content of his words would never be described as light-hearted. The Hungry Guild was reviled as one of the worst terrorism-related awakener guilds out there, after all.

    ¡°What the f*ck is this as*hole even talking about?¡± Ginovali thought.

    Shouldn¡¯t the safety of the hostages take precedence here no matter what?

    Ginovali began wondering if he had figured Su-hyeun out wrongly, and thick sweat drops streamed down his face. If the latter didn¡¯t really care much about the safety of the hostages, then without a doubt, all of the Hungry Guild members would be as good as dead before long.

    ¡°And another thing. You¡¯re mistaken about something else here. I didn¡¯t come here because of the safety of the hostages, you know,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun abruptly grabbed the scruff of Ginovali¡¯s neck and began dragging him away.

    ¡°Come outside for a sec, okay?¡±

    Clunk¡ª

    Ginovali gasped and struggled for breath at Su-hyeun¡¯s sheer hand strength gripping onto his neck. He got forcibly dragged outside the building he was in.

    Tumble, crash¡ª

    Keo-heok, keok¡­

    Su-hyeun tossed Ginovali to the side. The latter tumbled and rolled on the ground before coming to a stop, and then while grasping at his neck, he struggled for some air.

    ¡°You¡ªyou, what are you trying to¡­?¡±

    Ginovali finally managed to control his rough panting and raised his head to stare at Su-hyeun, but it was also at that very moment that the Argentinian¡¯s eyes caught onto a bizarre phenomenon taking place in the skies overhead.

    ¡°A magic circle?¡±

    ¡°Right. I had to work hard to create that. I mean, it was my first time drawing magic lines in the sky, after all. But I learned a lot today.¡±

    Vuoo-woong¡ª

    While saying that, Su-hyeun pressed his palm on the ground. At the same time, magical energy boasting high concentration spread out to the surroundings and encased both Su-hyeun and Ginovali like some kind of barrier.

    Ginovali naturally flinched for a moment after feeling threatened there, but he didn¡¯t need a long time to realize that this event hadn¡¯t harmed him at all. ¡°W¡ªwhat are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too scared since I¡¯m trying to shield you. Besides, those on the other side will be the ones in deep trouble from now on.¡±

    ¡°On the other side¡­?¡±

    ¡°Did you know that there are so many different types of magic in the world? One of them is a magic spell that causes hallucinations after reacting to a special type of energy,¡± Su-hyeun said while looking up at the sky¡ªat the gigantic magic circle that seemingly filled up the skies above the city itself.

    He needed quite a lot of time constructing that. Not to forget, activating a magic circle of such a size would also require a huge amount of magical energy.

    ¡°That magic circle has a pretty simple structure. It¡¯s an illusion magic circle that rouses fear in people¡¯s hearts by directly interfering with their brains after reacting to their magical energy. Other than its wide area of effect, it¡¯s nothing special. Of course, the AOE this time is ridiculously wide, but let¡¯s not mind that for now.¡±

    ¡°An illusion to stimulate one¡¯s fear¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already requested the Argentinian government for their assistance. Once I give my signal, regular police officers, not awakeners, will be deployed.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s impossible!¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible. Impossible for you, maybe, but not for me.¡±

    Ginovali made a face that reflected his confusion at Su-hyeun¡¯s resolute reply. What the latter said, could they be all true?

    ¡°Is it really possible?¡± he thought.

    Ginovali was an A-rank awakener. Although he hadn¡¯t climbed the tower ever since getting that evaluation and didn¡¯t increase his strength, he was still acknowledged as a strong awakener. Thanks to that, he was able to occupy a fairly high spot in the Hungry Guild¡¯s pecking order. In other words, he was rather confident of his own abilities, and that fact only made his mind even more chaotic than before.

    No matter how much he thought about this, it was simply impossible to cast illusion-type magic on a location this large. That¡¯s what his common sense kept telling him.

    Swhooooosh¡ª

    Pow, po-po-po-pow¡ª!

    Su-hyeun pointed to the sky with a finger, and a streak of flame left from his fingertip to begin exploding like a bright firework.

    That must¡¯ve been the ¡°signal¡± he said earlier.

    At this point, Ginovali had no choice but to accept what Su-hyeun had said as true. After all, the latter wouldn¡¯t go to the trouble of setting up such a huge magic circle over a city and starting a light show just to trick someone like Ginovali.

    Most importantly, not one of Hungry Guild¡¯s awakeners had made a move even as such a commotion was taking place.

    ¡°No need for you to try and understand. Nothing will change whether or not you do, anyway. What¡¯s important for you right now is¡­¡±

    Step, step¡­

    Su-hyeun leisurely walked up to Ginovali. ¡°To answer my questions without making a fuss since you no longer have the luxury of the protection called hostages. That¡¯s all.¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    Kkeu-aaaaaah¡ª!

    Su-hyeun used his foot to crush Ginovali¡¯s thigh. Just as a painful scream resounded out, Ginovali tried to jump up.

    Crunch¡ª

    Aaaaaahk?!

    Su-hyeun proceeded to crush Ginovali¡¯s other leg as well.

    While staring at the Argentinian that had collapsed on the ground, Su-hyeun spoke up with an icy-cold voice, ¡°Alright, then, why don¡¯t we start with the process of selling your friends out?¡±

    * * *

    Hundreds of police officers were deployed inside Cordoba that had halfway collapsed from the acts of terror.

    Their goal was this one thing¡ªto safely rescue the hostages.

    Originally, such a job wasn¡¯t meant for regular police officers, as all acts of terror perpetrated by awakeners fell outside the jurisdiction of the police. These problems were for the special guilds, mercenaries, or the awakener authorities tasked with handling awakener criminals to solve. Awakeners being the only people capable of dealing with awakener crimes was a widely accepted opinion at this point.

    Despite that, the regular police force had been deployed, and the only reason for this event was Su-hyeun¡¯s request for assistance.

    ¡°So, it was all true.¡±

    ¡°Sir, from sector A-1. Several hallucinating awakeners have been discovered. Hostages have been found all tied up, sir.¡±

    ¡°Report coming in from sector B-2. It¡¯s the same situation, sir.¡±

    ¡°Also, over on sector¡­¡±

    The situation within the city limits had already been wrapped up more or less.

    The awakeners from the Hungry Guild were all under some sort of hallucination, and they were collapsed on the ground, while the hostages were found tied up and confined.

    The jobs of the police officers were to place the special handcuffs on the hallucinating awakeners and extract the hostages to a safer place.

    ¡°Sector F-1 reporting in. A corpse has been found.¡±

    In the middle of this operation, one of the officers ran into a corpse still dripping with a copious amount of blood.

    No, wait. More correctly, it was¡­

    ¡°N¡ªno, wait. He¡¯s still alive. His identity is¡­he is the ringleader of this terrorist act, Ginovali from the Hungry Guild.¡±

    It was actually a person who almost resembled a corpse. His being caught signified that the terror act had been successfully and completely suppressed.

    ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯re more or less finished with the operation on this side. Hostages have been safely rescued, while the terrorists haven¡¯t regained their consciousness as if the skill¡¯s effect isn¡¯t over yet. But sir, we couldn¡¯t locate Kim Su-hyeun anywhere,¡± a lieutenant of the Argentinian police force named Picardo concluded his report on the walkie-talkie.

    Quite literally, everything happened in an instant.

    The police moved out after they received the signal. As for rescuing the hostages, it was so easy that rather than calling it a rescue, it would be closer to leading people on a tour instead, so much so that the cops felt foolish for being so tense earlier.

    ¡°Are you telling me that just one person pulled this off?¡±

    Picardo waited for the medics to arrive while standing next to Ginovali.

    Su-hyeun took only a few hours to fly over here from the distant land of South Korea and, quite literally, subdued a group of terrorists in the blink of an eye. He dealt with it so swiftly and cleanly that no one had died in the end.

    However, for some strange reason, Su-hyeun had vanished from this place. He must¡¯ve been responsible for leaving Ginovali in this wretched state, yet he decided to abandon this terrorist like this and went somewhere else.

    ¡°Just where did he go off to, I wonder¡­?¡±

    And while he continued to wait for an ambulance¡­

    Hiss¡ª

    Picardo¡¯s walkie-talkie buzzed at him, so he answered it. As for the news he received¡­

    ¡°The guild master of Hungry Guild is what?¡±

    It was the announcement on the awakener terrorist organization¡ªthe Hungry Guild¡¯s dissolution.

 Chapter 373

    * * *

    ¡°Please send the commission related to the request to Mister Lee Ju-ho. By the way, the dissolution of the Hungry Guild was a service from me, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    After suppressing the acts of terror in Argentina, Su-hyeun learned the whereabouts of the Hungry Guild¡¯s headquarters from Ginovali and attacked it right away.

    The Hungry Guild was created around the former S-ranked awakener from Brazil, Jake Ricardo. Right after Ricardo acquired his S-rank, he used his fame to quickly form a terrorist organization.

    This guy was one of the most prolific criminals who evaded capture for the past five years. Not only was it difficult to determine where he was but Jake Ricardo was also an S-rank awakener, so even if his location had been found, no one could catch him if he decided to make his escape.

    Tracking him had been even more challenging when he mastered the mobile warfare-type skill that enhanced agility, so average S-rank awakeners couldn¡¯t chase him down even if they wanted to.

    That¡¯s why the Argentinian awakener authority couldn¡¯t help but get flustered when Su-hyeun dragged the unconscious Jake Ricardo into their building out of the blue.

    ¡°T¡ªthis man is really Ricardo?!¡±

    No one there had imagined in their wildest dreams that the most-wanted criminal that had been giving Argentina such a headache for the past few years would get apprehended this easily.

    Su-hyeun replied, ¡°Confirm his identity, please. Although, he should be the right guy. I¡¯m not sure what he looks like exactly, but an awakener of this man¡¯s capability shouldn¡¯t be that common, to begin with.¡±

    ¡°But, sir, how did you even capture him?¡±

    ¡°I got the location of the Hungry Guild¡¯s headquarters from one of their executives, and when I got there, he started running away the moment he saw my face, so I gave chase and caught him.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    Galeno made a puzzled face at Su-hyeun¡¯s simple explanation. He was an A-rank awakener affiliated with the Argentinian authority who held a pretty high position within the organization. As such, he had quite a lot of information on Jake Ricardo¡ªthe one and only Jake Ricardo.

    This awakener possessed a skill similar to instant teleportation. As far as mobility was concerned, no one could hope to even catch up to him, so much so that one could say his ability to escape was truly unparalleled in this world.

    The halo effect of the S-rank, as well as his ¡°perfect¡± ability to escape, served as the perfect shield that protected Jake Ricardo despite him perpetrating acts of terror for the past several years.

    But then¡­

    ¡°He captured THAT Ricardo in less than one day?!¡± Galeno thought as he continued to stare at Ricardo with a befuddled expression on his face only to finally realize that Su-hyeun, who had been next to him only a second ago, was gone without a trace.

    Just when did he disappear? Galeno hadn¡¯t even detected any movement at all, yet in the blink of an eye, only Galeno and the incapacitated Jake Ricardo on the floor remained in the office.

    Galeno hurriedly pulled out his phone and brought up the mug shot of Ricardo. He compared that face to the man currently lying on the floor unconscious with the whites of his eyes showing. With that, the confirmation was complete.

    ¡°It¡­really is him.¡±

    * * *

    Su-hyeun rode on Miru¡¯s back to fly to Germany.

    A voice coming from the marble Su-hyeun wore around his neck continued to stream into his mind.

    ¡°They are being unreasonable, you say?¡±

    ¡°To put it simply, they are saying I just put some garnish on an already-finished dish or something,¡± the voice said. It was Luslec¡¯s.

    The marble allowed Su-hyeun to communicate regardless of the distance between different dimensions. As such, it wasn¡¯t hard to converse with Luslec no matter how fast Miru was going.

    ¡°Who is saying that, exactly?¡±

    ¡°They are from the German authority, and they think they are real tough guys or something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to the details once I get there,¡± Su-hyeun spat out a groan and patted Miru¡¯s back. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to speed up even more.¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    Flap¡ª

    Miru began flying even faster at Su-hyeun¡¯s prompt.

    From Argentina to Germany, the distance between the two countries was quite vast, but it took only about one hour for him to get there, all thanks to Miru¡¯s flight speed.

    Su-hyeun immediately sought out the German Awakener Management Department. When he got to the department located in Berlin, he discovered that not only Luslec and Thomas were there but even Lee Ju-ho had arrived as well.

    ¡°You¡¯ve come?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked while handing over a cup of coffee he had bought earlier.

    Su-hyeun was feeling thirsty, so he took a healthy gulp of the coffee and asked back, ¡°I asked Miru to fly a bit faster, actually. In any case, what happened?¡±

    ¡°This¡­acquaintance of yours managed to stop the outbreak, but then, a problem occurred after all¡¯s said and done, and that¡¯s to do with the ownership of the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°What kind of problem?¡±

    ¡°The main actor who stopped the outbreak is Mister Luslec over here, yet the German authorities are arguing that their role had been far greater, you see.¡±

    ¡°Please tell me the rest while we¡¯re on our way.¡±

    Su-hyeun wanted to wrap up this absurd situation as soon as possible for Luslec¡¯s sake, and he didn¡¯t want to waste his own time on this, either.

    Su-hyeun, Lee Ju-ho, Luslec, and Thomas stepped inside the department building. Lee Ju-ho walked next to Su-hyeun and explained the situation, ¡°First of all, they said that they will honor the commission for stopping the outbreak in full. Well, it¡¯s undeniable that we did what they asked us to do, after all.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking of flipping a table or something if they were unwilling to even honor that.¡±

    ¡°The problem is separate from the commission itself and more to do with this indigo-colored dungeon¡¯s Ether stone deposits. The deposit found inside this dungeon must be quite enormous.¡±

    ¡°By how much, exactly?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s apparently the largest among all the indigo-colored dungeons that have appeared so far. I¡¯m guessing it must be around five times the average.¡±

    ¡°Five times¡­¡± Su-hyeun became speechless and chuckled hollowly.

    To think that the deposit was around five times of not some average dungeon but other indigo-colored dungeons¡­

    Sure enough, there was a good reason for the German authorities to argue their case until their faces turned blue.

    Lee Ju-ho continued, ¡°At the current Ether stone market price, five times a regular indigo-colored dungeon would indeed be an enormous amount of money. To be honest, even I¡¯m getting tempted by that amount, even though I don¡¯t really care about wealth.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the case, especially when the market price for Ether stones has risen up by several times lately.¡±

    The worth of an Ether stone deposit found inside the indigo-colored dungeon a few years ago was still rich enough for countries to drool over it.

    The story was already like that, yet the Ether stone price had gone through the roof by several times recently, which meant that the monetary value of Germany¡¯s indigo-colored dungeon boasting five times the deposit of other average indigo-colored dungeons would¡¯ve been dozens of times higher compared to several years ago.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why they are ¡®asking¡¯ us to yield the indigo dungeon¡¯s ownership?¡±

    ¡°Of course, they haven¡¯t asked us to completely yield the ownership since our side did the majority of the work.¡±

    ¡°Okay, what then?¡±

    ¡°The split of one to nine, and we are the ¡®one.¡¯ It¡¯s literally putting a garnish on a finished plate.¡±

    ¡°What about confirming the truth?¡±

    ¡°Mister Luslec over here did basically everything by himself. Never mind the boss, even the number of monsters flooding out was ridiculous, you see. Honestly, I was seriously concerned, but¡­¡± Lee Ju-ho trailed off and stared at Luslec. The latter shrugged his shoulders with a triumphant look on his face.

    Lee Ju-ho shook his head as if he just couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about it later. In private.¡±

    ¡°Okay, got it,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    It was obvious what Lee Ju-ho was thinking about. His face was filled with questions regarding just from where Su-hyeun had found a guy like Luslec.

    ¡°Mister Su-hyeun?¡±

    While the quartet walked to the meeting place with the awakener authority¡¯s government minister, Luslec suddenly called out to Su-hyeun.

    The latter looked back and Luslec leaned in to whisper quietly into his ear. Su-hyeun heard what the other party had to say and furrowed his brows ever so slightly.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if things don¡¯t devolve that far.¡±

    ¡°Still, you never know, am I right? I mean, plenty of folks get blinded by wealth all the time, after all.¡±

    Su-hyeun had to agree with what Luslec said just now.

    Money and power could easily blind people that they would fail to see the distant future ahead of them. In the end, those things would turn into poison that gnawed away at their lives, especially more so in a case like this one.

    Issues over raiding a dungeon and its ownership occurred quite regularly, and it got especially more troublesome in cases like an outbreak where the ¡°raiding¡± did not happen in what would be called a normal circumstance.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s hear what they have to say first.¡±

    The four of them finally reached the conference venue.

    They individually revealed their identities and stepped inside to take in the sight of a round table and people sitting around it.

    The Awakener Management Bureau¡¯s minister and his deputy, as well as a large contingent of high-ranking officials from the German government, were present.

    ¡°Welcome, welcome. We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    They welcomed Su-hyeun with smiling faces, and the first person to walk up and offer his hand for a shake was the minister of the Awakener Management Bureau, Louis Hesse.

    Su-hyeun grasped that hand and lightly bowed his head. No preamble was made, and the four, including Su-hyeun, settled down on empty seats. Thomas continued to look around the conference venue in amazement, while Luslec was clamping his mouth shut.

    The first person to speak was Lee Ju-ho. ¡°It is quite unfortunate that we have to meet under the current circumstances. It seems that our opinions in this matter are not in line with the others¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That is certainly regrettable. However, when it comes to opinions, we can always come to a compromise, isn¡¯t it so? The Paragon Guild is Germany¡¯s benefactor, so please, do not hesitate and speak what is in your mind,¡± said Louis Hesse while chuckling magnanimously.

    His smile made him seem like a good-natured person. In fact, that expression of his suggested that he might say yes to everything being asked of him.

    However, Su-hyeun already knew full well what Louis Hesse¡¯s expression really meant.

    Click, click¡ª

    Paht, flash¡ª

    Camera flashes exploded in every conceivable direction.

    They came from the reporters of the German news media. Flooding this conference venue with them was meant to prevent Su-hyeun from being too strong-willed on this occasion.

    As for that smile, it was just a type of acting, and Su-hyeun had seen that sort of a smile countless times before.

    ¡°The split of nine to one, right?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s lips distorted in a smirk. ¡°It seems that I didn¡¯t get your message properly. Germany takes nine, while Paragon Guild walks away with only one. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°No, you heard correctly.¡±

    ¡°Even though the German authorities haven¡¯t done anything?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t beat around the bush and directly drove the knife into the heart of the matter.

    He asked, what exactly have you done?

    What did you do that warranted you taking away the 90 percent of the split?

    ¡°What do you mean, we haven¡¯t done anything?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you want to argue that you did something by sending in four of your country¡¯s S-rank awakeners even though you had no strength to raid that dungeon, which then resulted in the death of three of those awakeners, then yes, you certainly have done something.¡±

    Louis Hesse frowned a little at Su-hyeun¡¯s retort. He was obviously trying hard to maintain his smiling facade, but he must¡¯ve determined that now was a good time to harden his expression because the corners of his lips did come down naturally. ¡°You are crossing the line there, sir.¡±

    ¡°I only spoke of the truth, but you think that¡¯s crossing the line? Are you suggesting that we should lick your boots today instead?¡± Lee Ju-ho spoke up next. ¡°Attempting an impossible raid, then leaving a dungeon alone despite knowing that an outbreak was imminent, and after we stopped that, you now argue about taking away 90 percent of the dungeon¡¯s ownership.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re grateful for your help. However, it¡¯s also true that Germany¡¯s awakeners have valiantly sacrificed themselves to greatly decrease the number of the monsters inside the dungeon. Our position is that we simply can¡¯t forego acknowledging their sacrifices and hard work, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°We fully understand the unfortunate circumstances of the German authorities and all the losses you¡¯ve incurred. However, one should also know when to separate personal from business matters.¡±

    ¡°How can you even think about separating those two issues? This matter is¡ª¡±

    Thud¡ª

    Even before Louis Hesse could finish his sentence, a loud and heavy noise resounded inside the conference venue.

    Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted in the direction of the source of that noise. Luslec was there, busy cackling away with both of his legs relaxedly perched upon the round table.

    The noise from a second ago came from him placing his legs on the table¡¯s surface.

    ¡°What kind of disrespectful behavior is this?¡± Louis Hesse said and furrowed his brows deeply while staring at Luslec.

    The German minister already knew that the latter was a powerful awakener, thanks to this event, but even then, to think that he would make such a flippant smile and an attitude to match.

    It wasn¡¯t just Louis Hesse but all the others present in the conference venue were sending displeased gazes in Luslec¡¯s direction.

    ¡°But it¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? Wait, maybe not?¡± Luslec looked around him before making a puzzled face. He wiped the smile off his face, and then while shrugging his shoulders, asked a question, ¡°I mean, you were basically asking us to mop up all the crap you pooped out, weren¡¯t you? Maybe I heard you wrong?¡±

 Chapter 374

    Act 9

    A bout of silence descended on the conference venue at what Luslec said.

    The only sounds were the intermittent camera flashes of the reporters, and their pens scribbling away on their notepads. As for the officials from the German government, they had basically turned into mutes after failing to think up a suitable response.

    Even Luslec himself didn¡¯t seem to expect such a reaction, so he glanced back to Su-hyeun. The latter sighed and then smirked while raising his thumb up.

    Only then did Luslec began grinning again, and that grin was the same as pouring oil into the already-incendiary mood inside the conference venue.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve crossed the line there?!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Should I soften the language a bit, then? Were your feelings hurt just now?¡±

    ¡°No, never mind. In any case, we sincerely hope that you don¡¯t interpret our intentions in such a manner.¡± Louis Hesse cooled his rage inwardly for a bit, coughed to clear his throat, and then continued to speak, ¡°Our opinion always has been that the dungeon in question was on the brink of being fully raided, all thanks to the sacrifices of the three S-rank awakeners and many other German awakener authority-affiliated awakeners. Yes, we avoided losses to civilian lives, thanks to your efforts, but it will be wrong not to consider their heroic sacrifices.¡±

    What he said was utter garbage.

    Lee Ju-ho chuckled hollowly and retorted, ¡°In case an outbreak occurs due to the failure of the raid, all raid operations that happened before the outbreak are no longer acknowledged. Normally, you¡¯d be criticized on moral grounds.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s nothing but criticism on some shaky moral grounds. As I¡¯ve said earlier, we at the Awakener Management Bureau are unwilling to simply forego the resulting articles created through the sacrifices of the awakeners inside the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Resulting articles, you say.¡± Su-hyeun quietly closed his eyes at what Louis Hesse said.

    Something about this exchange sounded familiar to him.

    ¡°Right, this also happened back then,¡± he thought.

    Louis Hesse was also the minister of Germany¡¯s Awakener Management Bureau. However, it wasn¡¯t just him.

    The story was exactly the same back when he wasn¡¯t Kim Su-hyeun but Kim Sung-in. Various awakener authorities argued about their ownership over the dungeons he had raided.

    ¡°Back then, what did I do?¡±

    Back then, he was fearful of sowing discord.

    He didn¡¯t have any attachment to money, and he wasn¡¯t doing it for money, either, so, he just let all those events slide by.

    He simply did what they wanted from him, and after letting such things happen once or twice, it soon became a normal thing for everybody. Then, from a certain moment onward, even Su-hyeun began thinking that such a thing was par for the course.

    ¡°This incident has caused numerous damage to private citizens¡¯ property. All resources recovered from the indigo-colored dungeon will be used for their sake. Mister Kim, for their sake, please try to understand where we are coming from,¡± Louis Hess said, changing his approach. He was now saying ¡°Please yield on the account of the citizens¡± on top of the contributions of the German awakeners.

    ¡°Mister Kim, you also spend all the wealth you accrued until now on people encountering hardships in life, don¡¯t you? You can think of this as the same. Please, for their sake, let us come to a favorable arrangement,¡± he continued while getting up from his chair to bow deeply afterward. He seemed so respectful while performing that gesture.

    If someone unfamiliar saw this scene, they would¡¯ve thought of him as a minister genuinely willing to lower his head to a foreign awakener for the sake of his own countrymen.

    Of course, you¡¯d instantly realize that that¡¯s not true if you thought about it for a second.

    ¡°You say it¡¯s the same thing¡­¡±

    The smirk on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips grew deeper. However, his eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all, just his lips stretching almost to touch his ears.

    Seeing that expression from the side, Lee Ju-ho heard the alarm bells go off in his head. ¡°Yup, he¡¯s pissed,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun usually didn¡¯t express his anger outwardly. His personality dictated that he would normally cool his anger inwardly.

    However, when he made such an expression, he would cause an incident or two without exception.

    Sure enough, such an incident would ensue here.

    ¡°So, you trying to cheat the Paragon Guild in whatever way and dodging responsibilities are the same thing as me trying to be a good person now, are they?¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwhat are you even¡­?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb, please. Someone has to take the blame for this outbreak. And let¡¯s not forget, all issues related to awakeners and dungeons are primarily the Awakener Management Bureau¡¯s responsibility.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits.

    He was forcibly suppressing his killing intent since his opponent right now was a regular person, but even then, Louis Hesse felt like he¡¯d wet his pants just by being subjected to Su-hyeun¡¯s glare.

    Not just the aura he gave off but even the sense of presence Su-hyeun emitted proved to be so much larger and imposing than any politician Louis Hesse had dealt with up until now.

    ¡°An absurd excuse and an attempt to appeal to our sympathy. With only those, you plan to steal away the dungeon¡¯s ownership. You even say that you¡¯d look after the citizens affected by this incident with what you took away¡­You know, none of this would¡¯ve happened if it wasn¡¯t for your greed.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, our greed? Sir, it was simply a mistake on our part.¡±

    ¡°Did you determine that you could raid that dungeon by yourselves?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we did.¡±

    ¡°The awakeners affiliated with the Paragon Guild, Gordon Rohan, Thomas, Lee Ju-ho, and myself¡ªnot once did anyone succeed in raiding an indigo-colored dungeon without us. So, may we hear about what kind of stupid and totally absurd basis prompted you to make such a decision?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Louis Hesse couldn¡¯t readily answer.

    In all honesty, they had no assurance. They were taking a gamble, a shot in the dark, so to speak.

    ¡°You probably thought that if things go wrong, you could just request the Paragon Guild for help, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    When Su-hyeun asked that pointed question, Louis Hesse shuddered just a little.

    Did he use some kind of skill to read the latter¡¯s mind or some such?

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be it. Using a type of skill that read someone else¡¯s thoughts is definitely illegal unless it¡¯s a special situation,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t seem to be the type to resort to using potentially problematic skills in situations like this one, and he was known throughout the world as an upright person.

    ¡°It looks like things worked out according to your plan so far. We did come rushing here to mop up all the crap you left behind, after all. But now, after we cleaned up your mess, you are demanding for us to give up even our own luggage¡­¡±

    ¡°Mister Kim.¡±

    ¡°You know what, let¡¯s just follow the international law, shall we? We¡¯re wasting time on something petty, anyway.¡±

    Dururuk¡ª

    Su-hyeun abruptly got up from his chair. With that gesture, he was indicating that there was no reason to talk anymore.

    ¡°According to international law, it¡¯s not a split of nine to one but 10 to zero. And obviously, the 10 goes to us. Oh, and also, please don¡¯t expect the Paragon Guild to pitch in on the repair work on your destroyed city. On top of that, this will be the last time Germany and the Paragon Guild will be in touch.¡±

    ¡°M¡ªMister Kim?!¡±

    ¡°If similar incidents happen to Germany at a later time, and if a dungeon that¡¯s beyond your capability to deal with shows up, then I advise you to seek out other mercenary guilds.¡±

    Louis Hesse¡¯s expression gradually grew stiff at Su-hyeun¡¯s continuous cold dagger-like verbal shots.

    Su-hyeun left behind the Germans¡¯ desperate calls and exited from the conference venue.

    Soon after he left, Lee Ju-ho, Luslec, and Thomas followed him outside. Su-hyeun wordlessly and confidently strode outside the bureau¡¯s building but then quietly closed his eyes as he walked forward.

    He tried to put on a confident appearance, but he wasn¡¯t feeling so hot right now.

    ¡°Were you being serious?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked with a quiet voice.

    Only then did Su-hyeun open his eyes.

    Lee Ju-ho was making a concerned face. ¡°Just now, what you said right at the end¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t reply. He believed that Lee Ju-ho would understand without listening to his verbal reply.

    ¡°You did well.¡±

    Tap¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho patted on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That old saying of ¡®beginning is the hardest part¡¯? Knowing it and actually doing it right are two different things, you know? A lot of people are morons and selfish to the core, so they more often than not look to follow the set precedence rather than separate what¡¯s right and wrong.¡±

    ¡°Our world is like that, after all.¡±

    ¡°I know it was hard for you to say those things. Still, that was refreshing to watch. Besides all that, you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Lee Ju-ho grinned and continued, ¡°Those events you are worried about, they probably won¡¯t happen.¡±

    * * *

    Su-hyeun and Luslec visited a cafe on their own.

    Although a place for the latter to stay had already been prepared, they didn¡¯t feel like resting right now. It felt as if some things hadn¡¯t been fully resolved yet, somehow.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work,¡± Su-hyeun said as he pushed a cup of coffee forward and settled down on his chair.

    Luslec reached out with both of his hands and received the cup. ¡°Wow, so this is that thing called coffee? This will be my first time drinking it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have coffee on your side?¡±

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s your first time drinking it, it might come across as a bit bitter. Lots of people say that, you see.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are times when you have to gladly drink poison, so something tasting bitter is nothing much to complain about. Thank you, I¡¯ll enjoy this.¡±

    After making his reply, Luslec turned his head away slightly and drank the coffee. Su-hyeun smiled faintly at this over-the-top display of etiquette and brought the steaming cup of coffee to his lips.

    Their conversation entered a temporary lull as they drank at the same time. Su-hyeun fidgeted around with the warm coffee cup and didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°You know, it was so strange.¡± The first person to break the silence was Luslec. ¡°They should be thinking about how to reward a hero who willingly sacrificed himself by walking through the fire, yet¡­why were they hoping to gain more from him instead?¡±

    ¡°Is that how you see it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I mean, isn¡¯t it true? People usually think that all heroes are boundlessly kind and good, and as such, they should act accordingly, too. So, if you act like you are in a desperate need or if you plead ardently, then the heroes would always humor you. That kind of thing is¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, not that.¡± Su-hyeun shook his head. That wasn¡¯t what he was asking.

    ¡°I was asking you if you saw me as a hero.¡±

    ¡°Pardon me?¡±

    ¡°Earlier today, did I resemble the hero from the myths you heard about, Mister Luslec?¡±

    Su-hyeun was acting a little different today from his normal self.

    To be more specific, he was acting differently from himself of the previous lifetime.

    What he altered this time wasn¡¯t the future of the world, but his own.

    That was why he got curious to find out how different his actions of today were compared to that of Kim Sung-in¡ªto learn how different he was now when compared to the ¡°hero¡± created by the world busy goading him forward from behind.

    ¡°Before I can answer that, you don¡¯t mind me asking you another question first, do you?¡±

    ¡°What question is it?¡±

    ¡°Mister Su-hyeun, what do you think a ¡®hero¡¯ is?¡±

    ¡°What do I think it is?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was wondering about your opinion on the subject matter that made you ask me that question. Well, it¡¯s not a super important question, anyway.¡±

    Sluuurp¡ª

    Luslec asked and then began drinking his coffee once more. As expected, the taste must¡¯ve been a bit too bitter because he furrowed his brows, but he still continued to stare at Su-hyeun regardless.

    ¡°My thoughts on the hero¡­¡± Su-hyeun began contemplating it deeply.

    He hadn¡¯t given it much thought until now.

    A hero¡­

    An individual possessing a remarkable air, boundless bravery, and extraordinary talents¡­

    An individual who, unlike other people, willingly took on and resolved various difficult matters¡­

    It didn¡¯t really matter what the dictionary definitions were like. With those definitions in mind, Su-hyeun definitely qualified as a hero.

    However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t really see those as what a ¡°hero¡± was, and it was the same story for the rest of the world as well.

    The ¡°hero¡± that Su-hyeun thought of, and what the world thought of, was ¡°an individual possessing excellent abilities who frequently sacrificed himself to serve the community without complaining once about it. He was someone who mustn¡¯t get angry and someone who cannot walk by unconcerned while ignoring the others in unfortunate situations. And finally¡­¡±

    He pictured what a hero should look like in his mind and began thinking up of all the qualifications of being one.

    That image of a hero was what Su-hyeun, and indeed the rest of the world, thought of as a true hero, and it was a figure of a person that didn¡¯t exist in this world as well.

    And even before he realized it, Su-hyeun believed that he needed to become that individual.

    He believed that only then would the people not be disappointed by him.

    ¡°The ¡®hero¡¯ that I think of is¡­¡±

    For some reason, a chuckle wanted to break out from him.

    In the end, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t hold it back and chuckled softly, ¡°I guess¡­it¡¯s someone who discards ¡®me.''¡±

 Chapter 375

    Su-hyeun¡¯s expression changed.

    His somewhat convoluted and unhappy look had shifted into something a little bit brighter.

    Su-hyeun also gravely disliked the term hero because whenever he heard it, his chest would feel clogged up, and his shoulders felt like they weighed a ton.

    He didn¡¯t even know why he detested the term ¡°hero¡± so much, and not knowing only made him feel even more frustrated.

    But now, he thought he had finally figured out the reason.

    The one who discards ¡°me,¡± the one who cared about other people more than oneself, the one who thought that sacrificing and devoting oneself was an obvious thing to do¡ªSu-hyeun perceived the existence called ¡°hero¡± as such.

    That was why whenever the world called him a hero, he thought that he must answer their expectations of him because he didn¡¯t want to let them down.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been like this for a long time now.¡±

    Was it his nature that couldn¡¯t be changed?

    ¡°I found myself not wanting to betray anyone¡¯s expectations of me. I guess it¡¯s my mother¡¯s influence to blame on that one.¡±

    But it was not Su-hyeun¡¯s mother but Kim Sung-in¡¯s¡ªthat woman expected a lot from Su-hyeun. She expected her son to grow up into an excellent educator when he was still young, and when he got older, she expected him to become an excellent awakener instead.

    After some time passed by and Su-hyeun was called a hero, she became so elated and proud of that as if it was happening to her personally.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I always felt it was just a burden to me. What if my actions disappointed those people, and what would I do if they started hating me and resented me¡­? That¡¯s what I thought.¡±

    ¡°Do you still think that way?¡±

    ¡°It seems that a small part of me still does. After I said it¡ªafter I told them that I was different from the one they were expecting to see¡­Well, it still feels a little, you know, even now.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you regret it?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Su-hyeun shook his head. There was no point in even entertaining that notion.

    ¡°No, I feel refreshed, actually.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Luslec whipped the coffee with the straw. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s all good, isn¡¯t it? Why were you so concerned about it, then?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, why¡­?¡±

    ¡°You asked me just now if I saw you as a hero, right? To my eyes, you are still you. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve committed a crime serious enough to turn a hero into a villain, you know? And besides all that, it¡¯s not like you wanted to keep living that way, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯ll be fine for you to just live the way you want to. I mean, what can be an issue or a sin if I wish to live my life how I want as long as I don¡¯t harm anyone else? If anyone tries to argue that it¡¯s wrong, then well, that person is an insane jerk-off, I tell ya,¡± Luslec spoke in an unconcerned tone as if one shouldn¡¯t sweat over such things in the first place.

    His attitude brought on a faint chuckle to Su-hyeun¡¯s lips. Su-hyeun¡¯s dilemma suddenly didn¡¯t seem worthy of losing his sleep for, at least not anymore.

    ¡°Now that I hear you, you¡¯re right. I guess I was overthinking it.¡±

    If you wanted to undo your bad mood, then you needed to understand the reason for such a mood first.

    And at this moment, Su-hyeun finally figured out why he detested the term ¡°hero,¡± and why he had lived a life carrying such a heavy burden on his shoulders.

    ¡°Thank you. I feel a bit lighter, thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwell, glad to be of some use,¡± Luslec smiled sheepishly and turned his head when Su-hyeun thanked him.

    He coughed to clear his throat and quickly changed the topic, ¡°A discussion like this should¡¯ve taken place over some good booze, you know? Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Both coffee and alcohol taste bitter, anyway. Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s the same difference.¡±

    ¡°No, booze tastes sweet, actually.¡±

    ¡°Symptoms of an early onset of alcohol addiction include a similar response to yours.¡±

    ¡°Hey, calling it an addiction when it¡¯s only this much, is a bit¡­¡±

    * * *

    There was an old Korean adage that said, ¡°A limbless horse travels 1,000 leagues.¡±

    It was a play on the Korean word for ¡°horse,¡± which was pronounced the same as ¡°human words.¡± It basically meant that rumors or bad news tended to travel really fast.

    However, in the 21st century where the internet and mass media existed, that adage had become a bit outdated.

    Never mind 1,000 leagues, the so-called limbless horse could now roam to every corner of the planet in an instant¡ªliterally in the blink of an eye, too.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked.

    He had come to pay a visit to Louis Hesse once more.

    The German minister was making a despondent face at the moment.

    Lee Ju-ho¡¯s visit was practically the same as a shot fired to confirm the kill in Louis Hesse¡¯s perspective.

    ¡°Has the Paragon Guild¡¯s stance changed?¡± the German asked.

    ¡°Like what we told you earlier, we at Paragon Guild do not have any reason to be sympathetic to your current situation. This matter can¡¯t be chalked up to you making a simple mistake, after all,¡± Lee Ju-ho replied in a flat voice.

    That was the Paragon Guild¡¯s stance, which was also Su-hyeun¡¯s, and it was also the same as a death sentence to not just Louise Hesse but even to the German awakener authority as well.

    Lee Ju-ho continued, ¡°Your press has turned their backs on you already. As far as your citizens are concerned, about half of them have already turned their backs on you, too.¡±

    ¡°About half, you say¡­¡±

    ¡°All of this happened in less than a few hours. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t even take half a day for the rest to completely turn on you.¡±

    The remaining half either hadn¡¯t heard the news yet or were the kind of people who were doing their best to ignore the reality.

    However, they should no doubt come to accept it in the end. The declaration of the Paragon Guild was directly linked to their own survival, after all.

    Almost no one in this world wanted to die.

    The matters of the German authority¡¯s greed and their subsequent mess, and the Paragon Guild making an important decision out of their disappointment, were more than grave enough for the minister in charge of the Awakener Management Bureau, Louise Hesse, to lose his job. It was only a matter of time before that happened.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fully aware of it. I¡¯m aware that I was being too greedy and that the German people are now in danger because of my greed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief that you understand.¡±

    ¡°Will this matter be resolved by my resignation?¡±

    Louise Hesse had no choice but to make that decision. He was responsible for driving this event forward, so he simply had to step down from his role.

    However, if he tendered his resignation now, then it wouldn¡¯t be so surprising to see him meet his untimely demise one day after a stone flew in from somewhere and struck him dead.

    That was how angry the German people and so many influential folks in the country¡¯s political sphere were with Louis Hesse at the moment.

    ¡°The ratio will be 10 to 0. Nothing will change from this.¡±

    ¡°Of course, that belonged to the Paragon Guild from the get-go, after all.¡±

    ¡°You knew that, yet you still decided to behave this way?¡±

    ¡°I apologize. Still, I beg of you¡­The relationship between the Paragon Guild and Germany, please reconsider it. Please.¡±

    Louise Hesse sounded rather desperate just then.

    The part that the German media and the citizens reacted most sensitively to was none other than the declaration that the Paragon Guild would sever its ties with Germany. Rather obviously, the German citizens were trembling in fear at that news.

    If another incident of similar nature happened to Germany in the future, then they no longer had the luxury of the final bastion called the Paragon Guild coming to save them.

    ¡°From now on, we shall demand more than double the normal request fee whenever we¡¯re dealing with the German authority. We are willing to continue partnering with Germany only under that condition.¡±

    More than double the normal fee¡ªthat was a type of a penalty.

    If they wanted to keep working together, then this penalty would have to be applied to the German authority, as they had already set a precedence of doing something untrustworthy.

    Although it was indeed a painful pill to swallow, Louise Hesse readily accepted this condition. If another incident of similar nature happened in the future, then forget about the doubled rate, the Germans would have no choice but to cling onto the Paragon Guild even if the price had shot up several times higher.

    ¡°This is all I have to say this time. Well, then.¡±

    With their discussion concluded, Lee Ju-ho stood up from his seat. This incident was now more or less wrapped up. It turned out the way Su-hyeun wanted in the end.

    ¡°And with this, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve warned the rest about all the benefits they stand to lose by doing anything unwise,¡± he thought.

    Paragon was a mercenary guild. It was a for-profit organization that had set ¡°making money¡± as its goal and exercise its influence through the completion of various requests.

    On the other hand, the evaluation of Kim Su-hyeun on the individual level was somewhat different from the guild. He was seen as someone who didn¡¯t get hung up over wealth, someone who chose to crush the Dump Guild early on for the other people, and as a hero who saved nations and cities.

    As such, many other parties that made requests showed signs of planning to use Su-hyeun¡¯s compassion, and in Germany¡¯s case this time, they got blinded by the massive potential profit before their eyes and openly displayed their desire.

    ¡°Okay, next up is¡­¡±

    Rrrrrrr¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho called someone on the phone.

    The ringtone went on for a long while. Just as he was about to hang up, wondering if the other side was too occupied to answer, the call got through.

    ¡°Hey. Sorry for answering late. Been a bit busy here. What¡¯s up?¡±

    That voice belonged to Gordon Rohan.

    Lee Ju-ho had heard that the American had returned from the tower, but chatting to the latter still proved to be difficult, as he was too busy running his massive company.

    Now that the call got through, Lee Ju-ho directly went to the main topic at hand. ¡°Have you heard the news yet?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I have. Not sure which one you¡¯re talking about, though. Germany or Argentina?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Germany.¡±

    ¡°Those punks. They were trying to do something stupid, but well, your response was pretty good in the end. Although, it was a bit lukewarm for my liking.¡±

    ¡°If you call this lukewarm, then what¡¯s ¡®hot¡¯ in your vocabulary?¡±

    ¡°That kid Kim Su-hyeun has the Necromancer skill, right? If it was me, I¡¯d have reverted everything back to how it was and then leave, telling the fools to take care of it themselves.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too over the top?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing it for money, so, of course, we should be prepared to do something like that. What¡¯s the difference between those people and some thugs telling you to enjoy dinner in a diner and then saying that you should slice up your own belly?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho pondered that for a bit and then nodded in agreement.

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s assertion wasn¡¯t wrong.

    Just like how he alluded to, the way Louis Hesse and the German authority acted so brazenly was not that different from someone who didn¡¯t want to pay the full price but still wanted to have his delicious cake and eat it.

    ¡°In any case, why are you calling me?¡±

    ¡°I have a favor to ask you, actually.¡±

    ¡°You what? Favor from me? About what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of Su-hyeun. He¡¯s high maintenance, you know.¡±

    ¡°Okay, shoot. I¡¯ll do it as long as it¡¯s not too difficult.¡±

    * * *

    Su-hyeun got a phone call while sitting inside the cafe with Luslec. The call was from Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°It¡¯s been decided that the provision of relief supplies and temporary places to stay for those who lost their homes during this event, as well as the city¡¯s restoration work, will be handled by the Arena World Foundation. The relief supplies will be delivered right away, while the restoration project should get going in a few days.¡±

    ¡°The cost involved should be pretty hefty, though?¡±

    ¡°That foundation is a fairly well-known organization within Germany, apparently, and the plan is to sell off the Ether stones mined from the indigo-colored dungeon, and the proceeds from the sale will be sent from the Paragon Guild to Gordon Company first and then laundered through the Gordon Company and a few other foundations under its umbrella before being donated to the Arena World Foundation.¡±

    ¡°Paragon will do that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I mean, us helping out with the relief goods and the restoration projects wouldn¡¯t look so good at this stage, after all. That doesn¡¯t mean we can turn a blind eye, either.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you feeling bad about it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Was I being too tough? Maybe the people who might have received help now won¡¯t be helped because of my decision. Isn¡¯t that what you were thinking?¡±

    ¡°Well, uh¡­¡± Su-hyeun sheepishly scratched his head while pressing the phone to his ear. It seemed that Lee Ju-ho knew Su-hyeun a lot better than he thought.

    Through Gordon Rohan¡¯s help, Lee Ju-ho managed to cleanly deal with that one thing Su-hyeun had been worried about.

    ¡°Thanks, bro. I have one less thing to worry about now, thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°Next time, tell me if something is bugging you, okay?¡±

    ¡°I should be dealing with the mess I¡¯ve created, you know. It won¡¯t do if I ask for your help all the time.¡±

    ¡°Since you said that, let me ask you this, am I a combatant? But after being surrounded by monsters like you lot, I don¡¯t even get a chance to beat up a real monster nowadays, so I might as well make myself useful and do stuff like this. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    At Lee Ju-ho¡¯s joking tone, Su-hyeun ended up smirking as well, ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Again, thanks, bro.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let me call you later. I gotta meet someone else now.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Talk to you later.¡±

    Su-hyeun ended the call with Lee Ju-ho. Luslec, who was just sitting in front of him after having finished his coffee by then, playing around with the ice blocks with the straw, commented, ¡°Your mood seems to have improved.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that. Yes, something nice happened, actually. Never mind that, though. Let¡¯s continue from where we left off.¡± Su-hyeun warmed the coffee on the table with his hand and said, ¡°Enlightenment of one¡¯s abilities through the Sage Arts¡ªyou said that there¡¯s a way to do that.¡±

 Chapter 376

    When Su-hyeun asked that question, Luslec exaggeratedly looked around them before cautiously leaning in closer to say, ¡°Please lower your voice. Someone might hear us.¡±

    ¡°But haven¡¯t we already blocked off all sounds so that no one can hear us?¡±

    Luslec laughed, ¡°I just wanted to say something like that at least once.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to what we¡¯ve been talking about, shall we?¡±

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun drummed on the table with his fingers as if to say, ¡°Please get a hold of yourself.¡± Only then did Luslec pull his torso back and sit upright, but he still cackled, anyway.

    He said, ¡°The Sage Arts is simply a name given by the folks of this side. It has no real agreed-upon title. It¡¯s called the Sage Arts somewhere, while some other places call it aura control or even ¡®inner energy cultivation method,¡¯ you see.¡±

    Su-hyeun also knew that much.

    For instance, back when Fafnir was still an emperor of humans, he invented ¡°aura control,¡± which turned out to be quite similar to the Sage Art, and then, he went on to completely master it.

    The field of study similar to the Sage Arts but with different names, which ultimately allowed you to become ¡°gods,¡± existed in other worlds as well.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the important part. The main point is this one.¡±

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Luslec quietly tapped on the table as if to say, ¡°Please pay attention.¡±

    ¡°There are no two the same persons under the heavens,¡± he declared.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re talking about twins, it¡¯ll be difficult for them to think about the exact same thing while looking at an object at the same time. As such, it¡¯s utterly impossible for two exactly the same people to exist. That logic also applies to your unique abilities. Everyone may have some kind of an ability unique to them, but there are plenty of people who never get to find out what exactly it is even until their dying day.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s connected to the Sage Arts, then well, that sounds rather obvious, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Normally, you¡¯d be right. However, Mister Su-hyeun, you aren¡¯t exactly a normal person now, are you?¡±

    When Su-hyeun heard Luslec¡¯s reply, he had to nod while making a slightly awkward face.

    Not a normal person, he said. Su-hyeun neither had a reason to deny that nor could he even deny that notion in the first place.

    If he was ¡°normal,¡± then no one in this world would qualify to be called ¡°special,¡± and this wasn¡¯t simply the matter of being stronger or more excellent than others.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived two lives,¡± he thought.

    There was something unique and different about him compared to everyone else.

    Every once in a while, Su-hyeun would be reminded of the fact that he was living his second life.

    Of course, things had gotten a lot better these days.

    At first, he would often feel that after waking up from his sleep, he would revert to being Kim Sung-in and would still be stuck in his previous life.

    Such a feeling caused him many restless nights and even severe bouts of nightmares. He feared that the destroyed world was still his reality, and this was all merely himself dreaming away.

    ¡°In any case, there is a way, yes?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°The simplest¡ªthe most basic¡ªway would be to use the field of study you know as the Sage Arts to keep stimulating the doorway inside you and eventually opening it.¡±

    ¡°A doorway in me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a doorway. Do you still remember that sensation when you first awakened your ability to wield magical energy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, more or less.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite similar to that. Basically, you¡¯ll be opening your eyes to brand new power. Honestly speaking, though, I don¡¯t know how to explain it in theory, at least any more than what I have. This is really a matter of you perceiving by yourself, so there¡¯s not much you can do about it other than keep trying.¡±

    ¡°Meaning, it¡¯s a problem only solvable through time. Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Basically, yes.¡±

    ¡°But that isn¡¯t exactly a method per se, is it?¡±

    ¡°Argh, really now. Please listen to someone until the end, will you?¡±

    Clap, clap¡ª

    Luslec clapped his hands and got back to the beginning of his explanation. ¡°In the end, what you refer to as ¡®methods¡¯ are simply the know-how on how to shorten that required time, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Why do you sound like a junkie while saying that¡ª?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, a junkie? Please refer to me as an excellent physician, instead.¡± After quipping like that, Luslec cackled again, but when he saw Su-hyeun groaning softly, he quickly got back to the topic at hand. ¡°Have you heard about elixirs?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already drunk a few, actually.¡±

    Although that¡¯s how Su-hyeun replied, the truth was that he had taken more than just a few.

    Starting from the magic catalyst, Su-hyeun had consumed all sorts of elixirs until now¡ªall in his pursuit of raising his stats even higher.

    While he was making his reply, Su-hyeun¡¯s expression became really distorted to a kind of face that he would normally never put on.

    However, that¡¯s because the better the effects of an elixir were, the worse its taste usually tend to be.

    Luslec chuckled slightly, ¡°Judging from your expression, you certainly seem to know them well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I told you already.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly it¡ªthe method I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    Su-hyeun simply made a confused face.

    What did Luslec mean by that was the method?

    ¡°To be a bit more specific, there¡¯s an elixir that allows what we¡¯ve been talking about. Yup, it¡¯s a truly incredible elixir that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. So that¡¯s what it was,¡± Su-hyeun retorted with a deflated voice.

    He barely managed to suppress an even heavier groan from escaping his mouth. Even if such a thing existed for real, Su-hyeun was in no position to acquire it this instant, after all.

    ¡°First of all, something like that doesn¡¯t even exist in this world,¡± he thought.

    He didn¡¯t have the ability like Luslec had, which let him hop over to other dimensions.

    However, even Luslec probably couldn¡¯t enter and leave a dimension as he pleased. He managed to come to this side only because he had borrowed the power of an external item. Meaning, Su-hyeun would have to get seriously lucky and receive the system¡¯s help if he wanted to acquire such a thing.

    ¡°It¡¯s unrealistic to wait for a coincidence like that,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Just as Su-hyeun was prepared to forget about it¡­

    ¡°Why do you look so disappointed so soon? You¡¯re making me feel bad here, you know.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°I know where you can acquire that elixir, and rather obviously, I can also take you there.¡±

    Brightness returned to Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes at what Luslec said just then.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re finally interested.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    Enlightenment of one¡¯s abilities¡ªthat was something Su-hyeun had been looking forward to for a long while now. The Bull Demon King previously said that the enlightenment of one¡¯s unique ability through the Sage Art was like the fruit of one¡¯s attainment in the Art itself.

    The unique ability varied greatly from person to person, but if Su-hyeun could acquire an ability similar to Sun Wukong¡¯s cloning technique, then well, that would be one hell of a jackpot, indeed.

    ¡°Even if my unique ability turned out to be not all that good, acquiring an elixir like that wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing overall,¡± he pondered.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s current magic count was 98. If that stat could be raised up 100, then excluding the Death Aura stat, he would have raised all of his other stats to the triple-digit mark.

    ¡°But the thing is, it¡¯ll be tough with me alone. I need someone¡¯s help,¡± Luslec said.

    ¡°You mean, my help?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, your help. More or less,¡± Luslec replied with a nod after pondering something for a little bit. ¡°The red dragon called Miru is part of your strength, after all.¡±

    * * *

    1

    Gya-ong¡ª?

    Miru was brought outside, but it began tilting its head in slight confusion when Su-hyeun and Luslec stared at it with a somewhat different light in their eyes.

    Even though Miru was growing up at a slow pace, it was the size of a small elephant now. It had barely begun shedding some of its immature sides, in other words.

    Su-hyeun patted Miru¡¯s head and then looked over to Luslec. ¡°Okay, so what you¡¯re saying is, you need Miru¡¯s power?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°I know that red dragons can travel between dimensions, but that¡¯s only after one matured into an adult, so don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be difficult for Miru? As you can see¡­¡±

    Growl, groooowl¡ª

    Miru seemed to enjoy being patted and rubbed its head against Su-hyeun¡¯s hand even more. Su-hyeun watched his red dragon for a bit before continuing from where he left off, ¡°Miru¡¯s still a child, you know.¡±

    ¡°Even then, it¡¯s still a red dragon. There might be some difference in the distance of dimensions it can cross, sure, but its unique power engraved deep into its instinct is still the same.¡±

    ¡°But the problem here is that Miru hasn¡¯t awakened that power yet.¡±

    ¡°And that thing over there will help with that problem,¡± said Luslec while pointing at the marble stuck on Miru¡¯s forehead.

    It was the divine artifact of the dragons, the Cintamani.

    Luslec even knew about it as well.

    The Cintamani was capable of forcibly awakening the powers of dragons and greatly amplifying them.

    Luslec continued, ¡°Mister Su-hyeun, can you go ahead and speak to the dragon first?¡±

    ¡°What should I say?¡±

    ¡°Please tell Miru to trust me.¡±

    The light in Luslec¡¯s eyes became serious. He then took a step closer to Miru and reached out with his hand.

    Gya-rrrrr, grrrrrr¡ª

    Miru became wary at the unfamiliar hand and bared its fangs. Su-hyeun quickly walked up to the red dragon and patted its head. ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Su-hyeun kept patting Miru¡¯s head.

    The red dragon never opened itself to anyone else nor trusted them, but was it because Su-hyeun was patting its head that Miru stopped baring its fangs and accepted Luslec¡¯s touch?

    Giiii-iiiing

    Soon after that, the bangle on Luslec¡¯s arm and the Cintamani stuck on Miru¡¯s forehead began emitting light at the same time.

    Shortly after that¡­

    Giii-iiiii

    A doorway appearing through the light coming out of Luslec¡¯s bangle slowly opened up.

    ¡°Nicely done, Yong-yong.¡±

    Grrrr¡­

    Miru narrowed its eyes after being called Yong-yong and growled lowly again. It seemed that the dragon didn¡¯t like Luslec all that much after he used a different name to call it.

    Su-hyeun stared at the wide-open doorway emitting a crimson light. This would be his first time looking at a doorway that led to not the tower of trials but to a completely different world.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain the details after we get there. This doorway will close in around 10 minutes, you see.¡±

    * * *

    1

    Rub, rub¡ª

    A pair of hands slowly wiped a long staff covered in dust, but then, the owner of the hands stopped and yawned grandly before staring at the cloud below his feet.

    ¡°Man, I¡¯m getting bored to death here.¡±

    For some weird reason, this trial featured a lengthy waiting period.

    ¡°Hey, you! Isn¡¯t there anything fun to do around here?¡±

    The owner of the hands, a ¡°man,¡± turned his head and stared at a monkey currently standing upside down on its hands.

    The monkey lightly leaped using one of its hands and easily landed back on its feet. It walked over like a regular person and stood behind the man and then replied intelligently, ¡°Please wait for a little bit longer. We¡¯re in a world where there really is ¡®nothing,¡¯ after all.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s taking so long to prepare, anyway?¡±

    ¡°How should I know? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m in charge of the preparation, you know.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you said this is already the eighth turn, didn¡¯t ya?¡±

    When the man asked that, the monkey silently nodded in reply, and right at that moment, the man¡¯s fist came flying in.

    Smack¡ª!

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s your verbal answer, dude?! Impudently nodding your head like that and all.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the eighth turn, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. That¡¯s correct!¡±

    ¡°How many more days until that elixir shows up?¡±

    ¡°The exact date is unknown, but according to my own experience, it should reveal itself within the next five days, sir!¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? In that case, there will be plenty of strong guys, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there will be lots of them¡ªseriously incredible people the likes of which I can¡¯t even compare.¡±

    ¡°And that bastard called the predator is among them, too?¡±

    ¡°Most likely, they are also aiming for it.¡±

    ¡°Dang it! That means I don¡¯t have a choice but to wait for a few more days. I¡¯ll really die of boredom at this rate.¡±

    The man roughly scratched his head in irritation. The monkey winced a little, wondering if its conversation partner would start swinging his fists around again.

    ¡°In any case, you¡¯re saying that there¡¯s nothing fun to do around here, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Ha-ah! By the way, why do you have to be so weak? If only you had some skills, we could be fighting a bit to kill some time, but you¡¯re no fun at all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Why do you apologize so much, anyway? Being weak isn¡¯t a crime, you know? Get going, you dumbass.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    The monkey¡¯s attitude when answering the man changed every time it got hit in the head by the latter. The man waved his hand dismissively and chased the monkey away before groaning out. ¡°Man, at least it wasn¡¯t boring when the youngest bro was around¡­¡±

    The man sighed again, before peeking below the cloud at the far-off mountain.

    ¡°How are you doing these days, little bro?¡±

 Chapter 377

    Act 1

    The fog was thick and heavy.

    The whitish fog made it difficult to even confirm what¡¯s in front of one¡¯s nose.

    Having crossed over to this new world through the gateway along with Luslec, Su-hyeun filled his eyes with magical energy and took another look at their surroundings. His view had gotten a bit brighter this way.

    However, the world he saw had nothing.

    ¡°A world with only the fog and nothing else, hmm¡­¡±

    Only plains, hills, mountains, and fog were here.

    Never mind humans, he couldn¡¯t see a single trace of anything that lived here. Some kind of animals at least should¡¯ve existed here, but he couldn¡¯t sense even their presence.

    It was the same story with the mountains as well. Only tall rock mountains with not a blade of grass or trees on them were there. Not even moss or fungi existed on them.

    The place felt quite different from a destroyed world. It was as if it was an artificially created world.

    ¡°This place is originally like this,¡± said Luslec.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You think I¡¯d bring you to a place I¡¯ve never been to? This place is quite famous among the apostles, actually.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Luslec walked ahead of Su-hyeun. The latter followed right behind him.

    ¡°A top-tier god whose name isn¡¯t known created this world. That god is apparently a bit of a pervert, an eccentric.¡±

    ¡°An eccentric, you say?¡±

    ¡°You can earn the elixir by passing the trial given during every ¡¯round,¡¯ you see. However, no one has passed that trial so far.¡±

    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that what predators usually do?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s similar, but there¡¯s a decisive difference. The god involved here doesn¡¯t forcibly kidnap participants, unlike the predators.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that, like, splitting hairs?¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why the ¡®perverted, eccentric¡¯ bit. A god isn¡¯t acting like one, after all.¡±

    Stop¡ª

    Luslec who was walking ahead suddenly came to a stop, and unlike his usual self, he spoke in a slightly graver voice, ¡°Not all gods act in a godly way, you know. That applies to humans and predators, too.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying. In any case, we¡¯re almost there. Ah, right over there, actually.¡±

    Luslec pointed at a small cave at the foot of a rock mountain in front of them.

    The inside of the cave was almost clear of the fog. After Su-hyeun and Luslec entered, they unpacked some of their luggage.

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun snapped his fingers to light up an undying fire, which brightly illuminated the interior of the cave. He had been wondering if an animal might have lived in here since it was a cave and all, but there was no trace of such a thing.

    Luslec spoke, ¡°I¡¯m the one who made this little cave. I once participated in the trial, you see.¡±

    ¡°To find that elixir?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Back then, I was a very curious guy. Well, I couldn¡¯t find it in the end, but still,¡± Luslec said as he settled down in front of the fire. He then proceeded to extract dried meat and some plates from the subspace and prepared for a meal right away. Among the things that he brought out was a handful of large bottles.

    He quipped next, ¡°For sure, you just can¡¯t have this sort of discussions without some fine booze by your side. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°You seem to like your drinks quite a lot.¡±

    ¡°Would you like some?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you. I don¡¯t like their taste, and I certainly don¡¯t get drunk anyway, so the alcohol will be wasted on me.¡±

    ¡°I guess you have a point there.¡±

    Luslec nodded before picking up the booze bottle. He took several gulps of the booze with a strong smell and began munching on the dried meat.

    He quenched his thirst first and continued from where he left off, ¡°You know why the predators prey on the worlds, yes?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably to acquire the qualifications of godhood or to evolve even further by absorbing energy sources like magical energy.¡±

    ¡°Correct. In that case, what is an elixir?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a solidified form of energy? Why would you¡­?¡± Su-hyeun became puzzled when Luslec asked about something obvious, only for his brows to shoot up. ¡°Could it be that the elixir this time is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yup. The energy source that maintains this small world.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Luslec snapped his fingers as if that was the correct answer. ¡°It¡¯s exactly that.¡±

    ¡°Hah¡­¡± Su-hyeun chuckled in dismay.

    No matter how big an elixir was, it would still be an ¡°elixir.¡± If it was huge, one could expect it to be around the size of a fist, while a small one would be only about a finger joint length or so.

    However¡­

    ¡°If it¡¯s an elixir of this scale, no wonder others would be tempted by it,¡± he thought.

    This ¡°wonder medicine¡± possessed enough power to maintain a world, even if it¡¯s a small one.

    ¡°Wait, what will happen to this place if one acquires that elixir?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°It¡¯ll probably disappear, I guess?¡±

    ¡°Then, what about the people here?¡±

    ¡°Surely, the world won¡¯t just go ¡®poof!¡¯ in an instant, you know? There should be enough time for everyone to go home before that happens. If not, well, the god of this world will just send everyone back where they came from,¡± Luslec replied, unconcerned. It didn¡¯t look like he had thought that far ahead yet. ¡°But the real issue at hand is the rules.¡±

    ¡°When you say rules, I¡¯m guessing there is some kind of a mission?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Luslec suddenly showed the back of his hand.

    Su-hyeun stared at it and discovered a magic circle emitting a soft light there. This would be his first time seeing such a design and the patterns engraved within.

    ¡°It¡¯s a magic circle of an oath. It has the effect of preventing me from divulging any information related to the mission itself.¡±

    ¡°Meaning, you can¡¯t expose any of the information?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But I can still tell you about the basic stuff, and the magic circle¡¯s effects almost completely disappear once the mission gets going.¡±

    ¡°What are the basic stuff, then?¡±

    Luslec shrugged his shoulders and replied, ¡°Information on the participants of the mission and what to watch out for when you clash with them¡ªstuff like that.¡±

    **

    A few days went by.

    Su-hyeun came out of the cave after suffering from sheer boredom. There wasn¡¯t anything interesting to look at since the whole world was covered in a thick fog, but it was still better than being inside an enclosed cave.

    ¡°Gee whiz, it feels like time is moving really slowly.¡±

    Having woken up from a slumber that lasted a few short hours, Su-hyeun yawned grandly and trudged away from the cave. In his hand was a book he got from Ellid.

    He walked for a few minutes and discovered a few flat-top boulders and then settled down on one. With the fog being so heavy, he thought that even he would get lost if he wandered too far away from the cave.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not so bad to spend some time doing nothing like this.¡±

    But strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t been doing anything until now.

    For the past few days, Su-hyeun had been closely studying and researching the contents of the grimoire Ellid had given him.

    He thought that his current level was something like, ¡°quite familiar with magic to a degree.¡± Because he already somewhat possessed a high level of magic-related knowledge, to begin with, and supported by his high magical energy level and magic count, he was able to acclimatize to magic at quite a fast pace.

    And as he delved deeper and deeper into magic, he began getting this feeling that pretty soon, he might grab hold of ¡°something,¡± somehow.

    ¡°For sure, it¡¯s somehow related to the system, but just what kind¡­?¡± he thought.

    He did get to realize this one thing, though: the tower¡¯s system and magic itself were deeply related.

    He felt that, as long as he could figure this one out, he might even get to unravel all the secrets of the tower.

    Flip¡ª

    And so, Su-hyeun continued reading the grimoire.

    Half of it hadn¡¯t even come to his attention yet. Whenever he ran into a magic circle, he needed to spend a good few hours on that page trying to analyze its operating principle.

    ¡°You only came this far?¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Luslec followed Su-hyeun outside a bit later.

    He didn¡¯t appear fully alert as if he had been asleep until now. He yawned lazily before taking a look around his surroundings. ¡°There are a lot more people here compared to a few days ago, aren¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But it seems that they are not minding that right now.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure no one here wishes to fight inside such a heavy fog.¡±

    This dense fog didn¡¯t only affect one¡¯s vision but also paralyzed the rest of one¡¯s other five senses.

    If people wanted to fight inside this type of fog, they¡¯d have to concentrate even harder than usual, and such a battle would be more tiring than a normal fight by several times.

    That was probably the reason why several people didn¡¯t bother to start a fight even though they were conscious of others¡¯ presence.

    No, rather than trying to get in contact to fight, they seemed to be more focused on forming teams.

    Su-hyeun expressed his observation, ¡°A few groups of three or four people have sprung up lately.¡±

    ¡°They are forming teams.¡±

    ¡°You said that around 3,000 people will participate in a round, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Three or four folks forming a team is not that surprising at all. There had even been instances where up to 10 people worked together,¡± Luslec shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, as they are all hastily-put-together teams, they¡¯ll just run around confused like a bunch of headless chickens, only to break up in the end.¡±

    ¡°Coming from personal experience, I presume?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Unless your partner is someone you really trust, you might as well not even bother,¡± Luslec said, turning his head. In the direction where he looked, around the midway point of the rock mountain, was a silhouette of a person sitting all alone while staring at the scenery below.

    ¡°Look at him. Someone who thinks they have some skills will always try their luck by themselves alone. You only team up with other people when you don¡¯t feel confident of your own strength.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Certainly, the strong ones were mostly by themselves.

    The ones seemingly in a hurry to form teams and groups were mostly people without the qualifications of godhood and those who were frantically struggling to acquire the elixir to break through their limitations.

    ¡°Is there a reason why the number of people has increased so suddenly?¡± Su-hyeun asked. ¡°There weren¡¯t a lot of people only until a few days ago.¡±

    ¡°That just means the start isn¡¯t too far from now.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the next mission?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big event that only happens once every year, after all. Well, most of who have decided to come here after hearing the rumors won¡¯t even get a chance to get their initial investment back, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Is everyone here an apostle like you?¡±

    ¡°No, not everyone,¡± Luslec replied before pointing at the man in the middle of the rock mountain. The man was also looking back at them, having discovered them by the rocks. ¡°Other than that guy, the rest are just stragglers.¡±

    ¡°In that case, how did the others learn about this place and come here?¡±

    ¡°Half probably fell for that eccentric god¡¯s scheme. There are plenty of ways to attract people here without forcing them to come, after all. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t drool at the idea of acquiring a god-like power if you get lucky enough?¡±

    ¡°As for the other half?¡±

    ¡°Just like Yong-yong in your care, Mister Su-hyeun, quite a few races are capable of traveling to different dimensions, even if they aren¡¯t that common¡ªeither they use their superpowers to enter or leave a dimension, or rely on their scientific advancement to interfere in dimensions.¡±

    After listening to Luslec¡¯s explanation, Su-hyeun nodded in understanding.

    There was no doubt that countless dimensions existed out there. As such, it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise to learn that there were other races capable of traveling through different dimensions and interfere in them besides a red dragon like Miru¡ªand this place was where other such races had gathered.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing there aren¡¯t all that many apostles here. We will get a mighty harsh scolding if we get found out loitering around here, you see.¡±

    ¡°From that god or whatever?¡±

    ¡°Yes. More specifically, the god of this world isn¡¯t exactly a fan of apostles interfering in the mission.¡±

    ¡°In that case, what about the apostle over there?¡±

    ¡°A newbie who doesn¡¯t know anything, I¡¯m guessing. That adorable little junior¡¯s gonna get a proper beating after he returns,¡± Luslec muttered in a rueful voice, only for his gaze to meet with the other apostle¡¯s in the middle of the rock mountain in the distance.

    And right away, Luslec¡¯s brows shot up high. ¡°Huh! How dare a wet-behind-the-ears punk shoot me a damn glare?! Son of a¡­!¡±

    He glared straight into the fog as if he had entered into a staring contest. Su-hyeun looked at him for a bit and let out a soft groan and closed the grimoire.

    Close¡ª

    And exactly at that moment¡­

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Sshwa-aaah¡ª

    The thick fog that was obscuring his vision gradually thinned out. Soon after that, a wide-open plain revealed itself, as well as quite a few humans and other humanoid races.

    Just the ones caught in Su-hyeun¡¯s immediate visual range were easily past 100.

    ¡°More people were here than I thought,¡± he inwardly said.

    Before the fog had receded, he only sensed the presence of around 20 or so people in the vicinity, but now that he got to see the truth, the number was far higher after all.

    It seemed that the fog that had been spread around the area even blocked off people¡¯s presences, and the fact that it had receded could only mean¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s about to start, is that it?¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun looked up at the sky.

    The fog that had blanketed the ground was now floating up to become gloomy clouds overhead.

 Chapter 378

    * * *

    The sky above changed for the first time when the fog rose to blanket the heavens, and as the dark clouds covered the span of the sky, the surroundings rapidly became dark.

    Gugu, gugugugu¡ª

    The ground began rumbling next, causing Su-hyeun to lower his gaze.

    ¡°Something from beneath¡­?¡±

    Kwa-gaaaak, rumble, shatter¡ª!

    Soon afterward, the ground overturned, and another type of ¡°ground¡± rose from beneath.

    Su-hyeun quickly regained his balance and took a look around himself. He observed that the new ground that was breaking through the old one was slowly rising.

    ¡°What is the meaning of¡­?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t get too flustered so soon,¡± said Luslec who maintained a serene face¡ªthis wasn¡¯t his first time, after all. ¡°It¡¯s not the right time to get shocked, anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at the ground beneath him that continued to rise higher before shifting his gaze over to the scenery that was growing smaller below him.

    Then, he noticed large green-colored leaves sprouting out from here and there.

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t a regular ground at all,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun lightly tapped on the brown-colored ground with his foot. Although it did feel hard, the sensation he got back was different from ¡°earth.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a tree.¡±

    Rumble, gugugugu¡ª

    The tree that had planted its roots in the blink of an eye to rise up to the heavens continued to grow larger while spreading its branches in every direction.

    Su-hyeun and Luslec, as well as the participants of the upcoming mission nearby, were actually standing on one such branch all this time.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Just how much bigger will this thing grow?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only just started, you see. It¡¯ll still be some time before it¡¯s fully grown.¡±

    The tree had already broken through the clouds covering the sky by now. With the way it continued to spread its branches out, the tree seemed large enough already to completely wrap around a single world.

    ¡°But it¡¯s going to keep getting bigger?¡± he thought.

    It was like this thing was an infinitely-growing tree. While watching this tree that only got bigger and bigger, Su-hyeun began picturing a certain image in his mind.

    ¡°The World Tree¡­¡±

    It would be a gigantic tree large enough to blanket the entirety of the sky, one that also functioned as a world in itself. The tree that appeared in this place definitely fit that description.

    Just like what Luslec said earlier, the tree continued to get larger for a long while. At the same time, the branches got warped and bent, while the leaves overlapped to create several ¡°floors¡± in the process.

    And so, the gigantic tree that seemingly broke through the heavens to grow bigger ended up expanding to the size of this small world by several folds.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s almost finished, and I get a feeling that it¡¯s gotten bigger than the last time I was here,¡± said Luslec.

    ¡°Is this really the World Tree?¡± Su-hyeun asked, sounding mystified.

    He had gone through trials related to myths and personally experienced many different worlds, but this was still his first time witnessing a World Tree. As such, even someone like him was stunned by this amazing spectacle.

    ¡°Eh? Who told you that this is a World Tree?¡± But somewhat ironically, Luslec¡¯s reaction was different from what Su-hyeun was expecting. Luslec was resolutely shaking his head instead. ¡°The real World Tree isn¡¯t this small, you know.¡±

    ¡°You¡­are saying this is small?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. But that¡¯s when comparing it to the World Tree you¡¯re referring to, Mister Su-hyeun. If I am to make a comparison here, then this one¡¯s size is kind of like the World Tree¡¯s seed.¡±

    ¡°Not even a sapling, but¡­a seed?¡±

    If Luslec said ¡°sapling,¡± then it might have been understandable. For one thing, the world he and Su-hyeun found themselves in wasn¡¯t all that big. To put it in perspective, this planet was slightly smaller than Earth¡¯s moon.

    As such, if there was indeed a World Tree capable of supporting a world far bigger than this place, then he would have understood the reason for calling this tree that appeared before their eyes as a World Tree¡¯s sapling.

    But now, it was not even a sapling but a mere seed?

    ¡°This tree can¡¯t even be compared to the real World Tree, you know. I mean, a World Tree doesn¡¯t just maintain one world but also supports several other dimensions and the worlds found inside them, after all.¡±

    ¡°In that case, just how large is it?¡±

    ¡°Please imagine the smallest tree you can think of.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°That, and this tree, well, I guess the difference is around that.¡±

    Even though Su-hyeun heard the explanation, his mind could only come up with a blank.

    After Luslec prompted him, what Su-hyeun pictured in his mind as the smallest tree was a sapling so small that calling it a ¡°tree¡± was being a bit too optimistic. But now, Luslec was saying that the difference was kind of like that sapling and this ginormous tree that Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t even take in with one glance¡­

    ¡°A tree that connects dimensions, is it?¡± Su-hyeun chuckled wryly to himself. The whole concept just didn¡¯t sink in, and because of that, he didn¡¯t feel anything much from it.

    He even wondered whether Luslec was blowing some hot air here or not.

    ¡°Well, then¡ª?¡±

    Before Su-hyeun¡¯s questions had time to be resolved¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s about to begin.¡±

    Luslec narrowed his eyes just as several messages floated up.

    [The first assignment will now begin.]

    [Please acquire a golden leaf of the fake World Tree.]

    [Additional rewards will be awarded depending on the number of golden leaves procured.]

    [Anyone not in possession of a golden leaf half a day later will be disqualified.]

    [Remaining time: 12:00:00]

    Swiiiiiish¡ª

    Pah-bak, pa-babababak¡ª!

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    A sudden bombardment enveloped the location Su-hyeun and Luslec were standing on. Leaping up in the air almost at the same time, Su-hyeun confirmed with his eyes the culprits responsible for that sneak attack.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s those guys from earlier?¡±

    It was the group of people that joined forces just before the fake World Tree appeared. It seemed that they became confident after shoring up their inadequate strength with headcount and then decided to attack first.

    ¡°Nezha.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    Prince Nezha¡¯s figure appeared before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes as he flew up high in the air. ¡°You know what needs to be done, right?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    Nezha nodded once before directly flying toward the group of 10 down there.

    Individually, none of them were all that impressive. At the very least, none of the 10 was the apostle Luslec was talking about earlier.

    ¡°Finding the golden leaves takes priority.¡±

    The time limit given was 12 hours, and only the ones found to be in possession of the golden leaves after that period would pass the first mission.

    What a nasty mission this was. One could see its nastiness simply from the fact that a person wouldn¡¯t immediately earn the right to move on to the next stage by acquiring a golden leaf but only after they managed to hold onto at least one for the next 12 hours.

    ¡°It¡¯s to encourage competition, in other words.¡±

    What a transparent scheme that was¡ªattack the ones who acquired the golden leaves first and then take them away. However, it was inevitable that one would end up as yet another target after acquiring the leaves.

    In the end, acquiring the golden leaves early on wasn¡¯t necessarily the best strategy.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Bluish light swirled within Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. After activating the Sage¡¯s Eye, he felt like the entirety of this enormous tree¡¯s branches could be surveyed with just one glance.

    Then, he spotted faint little lights among the branches.

    ¡°The golden leaf.¡±

    Unlike the other leaves that were practically the sizes of mountains, the golden leaves were no bigger than a person¡¯s palm.

    They had sprouted in remote edges and were hard to spot, but it seemed that several participants had already noticed their existence by now.

    ¡°One, two, three, four¡­five in the near vicinity.¡±

    Su-hyeun counted the number of the golden leaves and looked back at Luslec. As expected, the latter¡¯s eyes had changed to black. He must¡¯ve activated a special skill similar to the Sage¡¯s Eye that enhanced his vision.

    Luslec asked first, ¡°You¡¯ve located where they are, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes. What about you, Mister Luslec?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have as well. I¡¯ll go and procure the ones on this side.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll procure the ones on the other side.¡±

    Paht, paht¡ª

    The figures of Su-hyeun and Luslec vanished from the spot at the same time.

    [Leap]

    Pow, poooow¡ª

    Swhooooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body seemingly became a single streak that flew forward. At some distance away, he could see several participants surrounding a golden leaf, busy waging a war of nerves at the moment.

    Paht¡ª

    Landing right in between them, Su-hyeun easily snatched up the golden leaf.

    A deathly silence instantly descended on the area.

    ¡°Do carry on with what you¡¯ve been doing, everyone.¡±

    [Leap]

    Pah-aaaahng¡ª!

    Su-hyeun activated Leap once more and flew up high.

    Almost at the same time, the glares of the participants locked on Su-hyeun¡¯s fleeing figure.

    ¡°Catch that son of a b*tch¡ª!¡±

    Whoosh, fwhoooosh¡ª

    Bang, ka-boom¡ª!

    Projectiles made of magical energy and various types of weapons flew in toward him. Su-hyeun used Leap continuously and evaded them all before looking below his position.

    ¡°Looks like they¡¯re planning to chase me down until the end.¡±

    But that would be obvious.

    The whole reason for these people being here was to acquire the elixir no matter what, and the golden leaf that Su-hyeun held in his hand was one of the ways to acquire that elixir.

    Fighting was inevitable as long as their goal clashed with his.

    ¡°Well, in that case¡­¡±

    Rumbleee¡ª

    Su-hyeun transformed his hand into a purple-hued flame through his godhood before clenching his transformed fist and powerfully thrusting it forward.

    RUMBLE¡ª

    Kwa-fwhooooooosh¡ª!

    ¡°F¡ªfire?!¡±

    ¡°Dodge it¡ª!¡±

    The six participants hurriedly scattered in different directions to evade the huge pillar of flames exploding forth from Su-hyeun¡¯s fist.

    The purplish flames spread out at a lazy speed and melted the surface of the tree down before enveloping the surroundings in dense flames.

    Creak, tumble¡ª

    A fairly deep crater was formed on the ¡°floor.¡± However, the flame itself didn¡¯t spread out as much as Su-hyeun expected and went out quite quickly as well.

    Since the floor was wood, he figured it would burn pretty well, but that assumption turned out to be wrong.

    ¡°It¡¯s tougher than it looks. It also doesn¡¯t burn easily.¡±

    Su-hyeun was inwardly worried about burning the whole tree down by mistake, so he did feel somewhat relieved by this revelation and nodded in contemplation.

    ¡°Well, this much should be enough for them to get the hint.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t really a need to keep fighting them here. Judging from their current expressions, they no longer seemed to harbor any thoughts of attacking him.

    Bang, swhoooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun activated Leap once more and flew toward the designated location where he¡¯d meet up with Luslec.

    Meanwhile, below him, the six participants who were currently lying near the wide crater created by the intense flames melting the tree were staring with their jaws on the floor.

    ¡°This thing just now¡­the World Tree melted for real, right?¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyeah, it looks that way.¡±

    ¡°What the hell was that guy¡­?¡±

    Even though the giant tree was a ¡°fake,¡± it was supporting this world nevertheless. Therefore, there being a fire strong enough to melt down such a tree should be, at least according to their common sense, completely impossible.

    For one, even an ability user capable of producing flames hotter than magma wouldn¡¯t be able to melt down this fake World Tree.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a bust this time, too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too¡­¡±

    * * *

    [Remaining time: 00:33:11]

    Gu-wuuuuong¡ª

    A hammer dropped to the floor, and the branch of the fake World Tree trembled ever so slightly. Su-hyeun reached out toward the participant who was currently trapped under the hammer. ¡°Give it to me,¡± Su-hyeun ordered.

    ¡°H¡ªhere¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun ¡°confiscated¡± the golden leaf from the participant whose legs were trapped under the hammer.

    The golden leaf was the ticket that allowed one to enter the next mission, and confiscating a lot of it had the effect of decreasing the number of competition.

    Moreover, just as important, there seemed to be some other merit in collecting additional golden leaves as well.

    ¡°With this, I now have six.¡±

    The total number of golden leaves Su-hyeun acquired until now was six. The minimum number required was one leaf, so he had a spare of five, which equaled to him securing himself additional merit as well.

    ¡°I wonder, has he also secured as many as I did?¡±

    Su-hyeun had teamed up with Luslec, and to procure more golden leaves, the two of them were working in opposite directions.

    Even if they had formed a team, it was unlikely for them to run into an extraordinary participant from the get-go. Also, if one was aiming to acquire as many golden leaves as possible, it was a wise decision to widen one¡¯s area of activity.

    ¡°Those who acquired the golden leaves are now in hiding, and it¡¯s getting harder to find them¡­¡±

    After securing the last leaf, Su-hyeun decided he should stop there despite feeling a bit unsatisfied. When around 30 minutes remained, he thought that finding and securing one more leaf during that period would be a bit too difficult to pull off.

    ¡°I guess I should go back to¡­ Mm?¡±

    Just as he turned around to return to the meeting place with Luslec, he sensed an unexpected bloodlust directed in his way coming from behind him.

    It kind of felt familiar.

    He turned his head to look and spotted a man with a hulking physique sitting on the fake World Tree¡¯s leaf some distance away.

    ¡°It¡¯s that apostle from earlier.¡±

    It was the same apostle who sat around the midway point of the rock mountain and held a steady gaze at Su-hyeun and Luslec before the World Tree revealed itself.

    ¡°Looks like he has a golden leaf as well¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun smirked deeply. Then, while looking straight into the eyes of the man in the distance, he mouthed the following words, ¡°Come at me, then.¡±

 Chapter 379

    Act 2

    The effect of his provocation was quite noticeable. However, as that guy, one of the apostles, had been targeting Su-hyeun all along, he didn¡¯t display any signs of getting angry. Rather, he seemed to welcome this development as he lightly leaped from his spot to rapidly close the distance between them.

    Bang¡ª

    The moment he landed, the floor felt as if it rocked ever so faintly.

    One thing was for sure: he seemed pretty strong, not just from what could be sensed from his physique but from every step he took and every gesture he made that attested to that fact. His lack of hesitation in closing the distance first was also another good indicator.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s head was quickly filled up with this man¡¯s information. Of course, the latter didn¡¯t seem to suspect that his data was being thoroughly analyzed right now.

    ¡°So, you said I should come at you?¡± said the man as the corners of his lips quivered. He seemed to be rather pleased about this situation.

    Su-hyeun rummaged through his pocket and pulled out five golden leaves before gripping them in his hand. A leaf already in his hand¡ªthe one he acquired just now¡ªwas added to the pile to make them six golden leaves in total. They glowed brilliantly in his hand.

    Su-hyeun said, ¡°This is what you¡¯re aiming for, right?¡±

    ¡°You seemed to have gotten pretty excited after defeating some small fries, what with rushing here and there nonstop.¡±

    ¡°As if you haven¡¯t taken those away from other small fries yourself,¡± Su-hyeun retorted while pointing at the man¡¯s inner pocket.

    Two leaves were there. Thus, this man before his eyes had already met the minimum requirement, but he was still trying to gather additional leaves.

    The man laughed, ¡°My thought process changed a bit after collecting these two leaves. All I have to do is to forcibly take the leaves away from the punks who have collected a lot as the mission draws to a close, so tell me, is there a reason for me to act so soon when it¡¯s just annoying to do that?¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve been waiting for the others to tire themselves out, too.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t as dumb as you look.¡±

    ¡°You, on the other hand, are quite stupid.¡±

    BOOM¡ª

    Su-hyeun took a large step toward the man. ¡°Or you¡¯re just too brave for your own good.¡±

    The World Tree rocked again slightly, just like what happened a couple of moments ago. The man narrowed his eyes and glared at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°This punk, is he the same type as me?¡± he thought.

    Ariche Dugol¡ªthat was the man¡¯s name, and right now he was analyzing Su-hyeun through the outward appearance the latter had deliberately put up.

    ¡°That¡¯s some strength in his legs. His physical strength seems to be good. Luring him into a close-quarter battle will be easy,¡± he inwardly guessed.

    Dugol forcibly stopped a faint smile from spreading to the rest of his face. He figured that if he got too happy here, then Su-hyeun might change his tactic to a long-distance fight, which would prove to be rather annoying to deal with.

    Whatever the case might have been, he wanted to lure the other party into a close-quarter fight. His godhood could display its true worth only in such a case, after all.

    Step, step¡ª

    Thankfully for Dugol, though, Su-hyeun was indeed slowly closing the distance one step at a time.

    Dugol was inwardly elated by this and began walking toward Su-hyeun as well.

    Soon enough, the distance between the two had closed up considerably.

    ¡°The reason for your defeat is¡­¡± Dugol¡¯s eyes shot wide open just as he suddenly accelerated forward. ¡°Your arrogance!¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Dugol¡¯s figure exploded forward.

    CRUNCH¡ª

    But at the same time, the spot Su-hyeun¡¯s front foot stepped on suddenly caved in greatly.

    That leg strength was strong enough to break through the World Tree¡¯s surface¡­!

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Unfortunately for Dugol, by the time he realized that fact, it was already too late.

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure was already in front of Dugol by then, and the latter didn¡¯t even see just when or how he even got here. Su-hyeun, on the other hand, while staying one step ahead of his opponent, slammed his fist deep into Dugol¡¯s abdomen.

    Craaaaack¡ª!

    Keu-urhk!

    Dugol¡¯s back snapped forward in half. The apostle¡¯s hulking physique that was at least two heads taller than Su-hyeun got folded in half like a piece of paper.

    The impact force that slammed deep into Dugol¡¯s lungs was strong enough to disorient him completely, which made him think that his body was impaled just now. He stumbled several steps back, and the first thing he did while enduring the intense pain was to confirm the status of his abdomen.

    He wanted to know if his stomach had been punctured straight through or it was still in one piece.

    ¡°What the hell¡­is up with this power¡­¡± he thought.

    Forget about a fist, it felt like a huge sword had stabbed him just now.

    Su-hyeun stared at Dugol with dismay for a little while. The latter saw that expression and belatedly realized something else: something was wrong here.

    ¡°Hey, you. Are you really an apostle?¡± Su-hyeun asked, sounding disappointed. He seriously thought that this situation was far below his expectation.

    ¡°You only possess the godhood of strength, and you seem to have barely crossed the threshold for it. But, then, your stamina or endurance is nothing to write home about. Even your movement is far too sluggish. Your reflex is also well below par, and by the looks of it, you don¡¯t even have the eyesight to read my movements, either,¡± Su-hyeun said, which thus revealed a habit of his¡ªanalyzing.

    He had been fighting against a large variety of monsters for a long while, and he¡¯d be continuously fighting more monsters in the future, so there was a need to accurately analyze the combat capabilities of his opponents.

    Perhaps that was why, as his habit dictated, Su-hyeun was systematically analyzing Dugol¡¯s combat capability, and the end result of his analysis was that a fool like him couldn¡¯t be an apostle at all.

    ¡°Hey, you. You¡¯re not really an apostle, are you?¡± he said.

    Dugol only possessed one qualification of godhood. As for the rest of his stats, they seemed to have barely crossed the 90-point mark not too long ago.

    To put it simply, this man¡¯s balance was in shambles. Even his nonsensical physical strength couldn¡¯t exert its full power since his other stats just couldn¡¯t back it up properly.

    Most important of all, this man didn¡¯t try to hide his advantage and exposed it far too easily. If physical strength was your main weapon, then it was the most basic of all basics to hide it and lure the other party into a close-quarter fight.

    ¡°You bastard¡­Are you looking down on me?¡±

    Unfortunately, Dugol¡¯s reply to Su-hyeun¡¯s question perfectly met the latter¡¯s expectation.

    Then again, this wasn¡¯t surprising. Su-hyeun was the winner here, while Dugol was clearly the defeated. That fact had become clear from this one exchange of blows.

    That was why Dugol thought that Su-hyeun was making fun of him.

    ¡°What a letdown,¡± muttered Su-hyeun before sighing softly under his breath.

    The first apostle Su-hyeun had ever met was Luslec. Maybe that was the reason why¡ªeven before Su-hyeun realized it¡ªhe had been seeing Luslec as the ¡°standard¡± for what an apostle should be.

    Even if Dugol wasn¡¯t as strong as Luslec, Su-hyeun believed that he would be at least somewhere pretty close. But this¡­

    ¡°This guy is more like a gopher who became an apostle recently, right?¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun scratched his head. It seemed that making a comparison would be difficult with things like this.

    ¡°Just quietly hand over the leaves and go home. You won¡¯t win against me, anyway,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying this to make you laugh.¡±

    SMACK¡ª!

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Just as Dugol roared out loudly, Su-hyeun powerfully smacked him in the head.

    Dugol¡¯s head crashed hard into the ground below, causing the ground to rumble noisily. His ability to take hits wasn¡¯t so great, so he naturally ended up spasming helplessly, while foams bubbled out of his slack jaw, along with his wheezing gasps.

    ¡°I was trying to wake you up, you know,¡± Su-hyeun tutted softly before waving his hand in front of Dugol¡¯s face. A short while later, he sheepishly withdrew his hand. ¡°Huh. He actually blacked out.¡±

    Sure, he did seriously smack the other guy, but to think that someone possessing godhood would lose his consciousness from one hit¡­

    Su-hyeun figured that this guy¡¯s endurance had to be far weaker than he initially thought.

    He stared at Dugol for a bit longer, then dug through the unconscious man¡¯s pockets.

    Two more leaves were added to his tally.

    ¡°With this, it¡¯s now eight leaves,¡± Su-hyeun thought as he stuffed the golden leaves in his pocket and began moving once more.

    Twenty more minutes remained until the conclusion of the mission.

    * * *

    After moving for 10 minutes or so, he finally reached the location where he and Luslec were supposed to meet.

    Luslec was already there, waiting. Sure enough, not a single scratch was on him.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve arrived?¡± Luslec smiled and waved his hand in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction.

    Leisurely walking up to Luslec, Su-hyeun decided to take another close look at him. He didn¡¯t need a long time to reach his conclusion.

    ¡°I knew it¡ªhe¡¯s different,¡± he thought.

    Luslec was another breed compared to the apostle he fought just now was Su-hyeun¡¯s realization.

    Whether or not it was because Su-hyeun had earned several qualifications of godhood and got familiarized with them but he could now faintly sense whether the other party possessed godhood or not. Although he couldn¡¯t tell exactly how many qualifications the other party had or how high their statuses were, he could still more or less tell their presence now.

    In Su-hyeun¡¯s view, Luslec¡¯s whole figure seemed to be draped in the qualifications of godhood.

    At a bare minimum, Su-hyeun sensed five. At most, Luslec possessed over 10 qualifications.

    ¡°What are you staring so intently at me for?¡± Luslec asked in a puzzled voice when Su-hyeun openly stared at him.

    The latter shook his head and replied, ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem like nothing to me¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides all that, have you collected lots of leaves?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve collected enough. Here,¡± Luslec replied while handing five golden leaves over to Su-hyeun. ¡°One will be mine. I also need to get to the next stage, you see.¡±

    In other words, he kept one for himself while yielding the rest over to Su-hyeun.

    Luslec had secured six leaves, which was the same number as Su-hyeun right up until he confiscated two more from another apostle just now.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to yield all of them to me,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°But you¡¯re the one who needs to acquire the elixir, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t really need it, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll be nice if I can acquire it, but¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at Luslec who was currently waving the golden leaves in his hand as if to say, ¡°Hurry and take them already.¡±

    ¡°Was it really alright to accept them?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    ¡°Why are you so troubled by the prospect of getting someone¡¯s help?¡±

    When Luslec asked that, Su-hyeun faltered a little.

    ¡°Even though you enjoy helping others, is it that weird to receive someone else¡¯s help in return?¡±

    ¡°Well, no. Rather than that, it¡¯s more like¡ª¡±

    ¡°If not, then maybe it¡¯s suspicion?¡±

    What Luslec said just then rendered Su-hyeun speechless because he had accurately pointed the truth out.

    Su-hyeun knew that Luslec was a fan of his and that the latter was helping him out of goodwill. He certainly wasn¡¯t dense enough to not realize whether someone was being genuinely friendly or not.

    Even then, something about this felt strange and made him question whether or not it was fine to receive such one-sided help?

    ¡°Do you really need a reason?¡± Luslec asked after staring at Su-hyeun¡¯s current expression. Then, while smirking deeply, he stuffed the golden leaves into the latter¡¯s hand. ¡°Acts of goodwill without expecting anything back, such things do happen in real life, you know.¡±

    After hearing that, Su-hyeun looked at the five golden leaves he now had in his grip.

    ¡°Acts of goodwill without any strings attached¡­¡± he replayed in his mind.

    Something about that statement felt familiar to him. He had basically been living his entire life on that mantra, after all, whether that life was the previous one or the current one.

    However, he never expected to hear those words come back to him someday like this. Despite him trying to stick to that mantra, he hadn¡¯t truly accepted it for himself, it seemed.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Such things do happen,¡± he inwardly accepted.

    Shuffle¡ª

    Su-hyeun folded the golden leaves and shoved them inside his pocket. With this, he had secured 13 leaves, which was 12 more than the minimum requirement.

    Su-hyeun and Luslec chatted about this and that for the remaining duration. Even though they had been actively moving around for the past 12 hours, they didn¡¯t feel all that tired, thanks to not getting involved in any big fights.

    ¡°You actually fought that guy? That arrogant hatchling dude?¡±

    ¡°Since you said that he was an apostle, I figured he¡¯d be decently strong, but that wasn¡¯t the case.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s obvious, you know. That idiot just barely crossed the threshold for an apostle, you see. I mean, even in your homeworld, Mister Su-hyeun, the skill levels of people who fight monsters vary like crazy, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    He was indeed correct on that one.

    Most normal people believed that the awakeners, regardless of who, were amazing existences, but in all honesty, plenty of them had no real substance to back them up.

    As that guy happened to be an apostle, Su-hyeun expected something great from him, but the reality was starkly different. When looked at that way, it wasn¡¯t so surprising to see Su-hyeun making a mistake about this subject matter.

    ¡°To put it in another way, it also means there¡¯s that big of a difference, too,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun revised the image of apostles he had in his mind.

    Time passed by as the two of them chatted away some more.

    [Remaining time: 00:00:00]

    [You have passed the first mission.]

    [Golden leaves in possession: 13]

    [Ranking is being tallied.]

    Messages floated up one after another. It seemed that the ranking was determined by the number of golden leaves one possessed.

    Soon enough, the tallied ranking appeared before their eyes.

    [1st place: Sun Wukong]

    [2nd place: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [3rd place: Grang Lou]

    [4th: Allawu]

    [5th: ¡­]

 Chapter 380

    The list of rankings floated up.

    Sun Wukong, yawning grandly as if he was bored out of his mind, noticed a name on the list, which made his eyes open wider in surprise. ¡°Huh?¡± He had to doubt his own eyes for a moment there and hurriedly rubbed them. ¡°Huh? Youngest brother?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Did you call for me?¡±

    Another voice came from right next to him. Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes and spun his head to the side in response.

    Smack¡ª!

    Twinkling stars floated up in front of the monkey next to him. While the poor creature began shielding its aching head with both of its hands, Sun Wukong replied in an irritated voice, ¡°Not you, dumbass.¡±

    ¡°Ouch¡­But, but! Who else is here beside me?¡± The monkey sneaked a glance around their vicinity and asked back in protest, ¡°I mean, Lord Great Sage has killed practically everyone else, after all¡­¡±

    Indeed, corpses littered the vicinity of Sun Wukong and the monkey. Every single one of them used to be other participants that rushed in blindly to steal or rob him of his golden leaves.

    Sun Wukong never planned to go easy on the participants that came to attack him. In truth, he was pleased by the fact that he got to fight against so many enemies like this.

    Of course, none of the fights lasted for too long.

    Sun Wukong explained himself, ¡°Remember I told you some stuff about my youngest brother?¡±

    ¡°Aha! Yes, I remember. You said he¡¯s strong enough to rival you, Lord Great Sage¡­¡±

    ¡°You see over here, on the message? The second place?¡±

    ¡°You mean, Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the exact same name as my youngest bro.¡±

    The monkey¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the floor at Sun Wukong¡¯s explanation. ¡°T-then, he¡¯s our youngest brother?¡±

    ¡°Of course he¡¯s ¡®our¡¯ youngest. You think he¡¯s ¡®your¡¯ youngest?¡±

    ¡°B-but it¡¯s possible that it¡¯s a different person with the same name, you know?¡±

    ¡°Stop saying something unlucky, will ya? Imma just¡­¡±

    ¡°Heeeek?!¡±

    When Sun Wukong threateningly raised his fist, the monkey quickly crouched while shielding its head with both hands again.

    If this was any other time, a fist might have come flying in toward the monkey¡¯s head, but the story was different this time. Sun Wukong muttered while sounding genuinely happy about something, ¡°You know, I just have a good feeling about this.¡±

    * * *

    Su-hyeun doubted his own eyes for a moment there.

    Sun Wukong?

    ¡°Wait, the third brother is here?¡± he thought.

    He certainly didn¡¯t read it wrong.

    The message continued to hover in the air. No matter how many times he read it again or rubbed his eyes, the name ¡°Sun Wukong¡± remained prominently on display on the rankings list.

    Could it be someone else with the same name?

    ¡°That¡¯s unlikely.¡±

    From the get-go, a name like ¡°Sun Wukong¡± wouldn¡¯t be that common.

    Also, Sun Wukong was currently climbing the tower of trials, according to what the Bull Demon King had said. By borrowing the power of the tower¡¯s system to travel between different dimensions, it shouldn¡¯t be entirely impossible for them to coincidentally run into each other in some dimension or the other.

    Finally, he thought that Sun Wukong as the person ahead of him in the rankings despite himself having acquired 13 golden leaves made a lot of sense.

    ¡°I mean, he does have his cloning technique, so¡­¡±

    No matter how strong Su-hyeun was, in the end, he was still only one person.

    On the other hand, Sun Wukong possessed a unique skill called cloning technique. Since he could create dozens or hundreds of himself, searching for the golden leaves would be inevitably simpler for him.

    Without a doubt, the number of golden leaves Su-hyeun or Luslec managed to find would be nowhere near the total Sun Wukong had in his possession.

    In that case¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s the real deal,¡± Su-hyeun said, the smile on his lips growing wider.

    Sun Wukong was really here.

    ¡°Eh? What is?¡± Luslec asked.

    ¡°It seems my older brother is also in this place.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Your older brother?¡± Luslec sounded rather puzzled by that. ¡°You have a sibling?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. He¡¯s not an actual relative but a sworn brother. But we don¡¯t get to see each other often because of how far away he lives from me¡­¡±

    He did think that they might never see each other again, however.

    ¡°It looks like we might run into each other in this place.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes were sparkling several times brighter than usual. He couldn¡¯t help but think that they might get an unexpected but still welcome reunion.

    [The next stage will begin in five minutes.]

    Only five extra minutes were given, which implied that they would only get that much to rest.

    Such a rest period seemed hopelessly inadequate considering that it came at the end of 12 hours of hard labor. To those who had exhausted their magical energy reserve and stamina, five minutes should feel like a mere blink of an eye.

    Of course, for Su-hyeun, those five minutes felt like an eternity.

    ¡°Hurry up already,¡± Su-hyeun inwardly said.

    He wanted the period to be over already so that they could enter the next stage as soon as possible, especially because he believed he¡¯d get to meet Sun Wukong when that happens.

    ¡°Come on, hurry up.¡±

    Minutes ticked by at a crawling pace.

    Thanks to his breathing technique, he had plenty of magical energy left, and that rest period of five minutes was more than enough time for him to recover from the negligible level of fatigue he had accumulated so far.

    [The second mission will now commence.]

    [Survive against the false World Tree¡¯s parasites.]

    [Hunt down the false World Tree¡¯s parasites.]

    [Acquire 1,000,000 points.]

    [In case you knock out or murder another participant, you can acquire half of that participant¡¯s accumulated points.]

    [You may escape from the stage by declaring that you surrender.]

    [In case you surrender, half of your points will be transferred to the nearest participants.]

    [Additional rewards will be granted depending on the number of additional points you acquire.]

    [Remaining time: 24:00:00]

    At first, it was competition, but now, they would be hunting.

    They were indeed simple-enough topics. If there were some things of note here, then it would be that one, the fixed amount of points acted as the qualifications to move on to the next stage, and two, you¡¯d earn extra rewards depending on the additional points you acquired.

    Finally, you could also take away half of what the other participants possessed when you murdered them.

    ¡°The methods are either surrender or knock the other party out or just outright kill them. Overall, it¡¯ll be a choice between hunting down either the parasites or the participants.¡±

    While Su-hyeun was thinking that, the next set of messages continued.

    [The number of golden leaves in your possession will now be tallied.]

    [Golden leaves in possession: 13]

    [You will earn an additional 10% of points with every extra golden leaf in your possession.]

    [Additional acquired points: 120%]

    ¡°Hah¡­¡± Su-hyeun chuckled wryly at that.

    He had been wondering what the world that created the top-tier god would be like, but as it turned out, it didn¡¯t differ all that much from the tower¡¯s system.

    ¡°The condition of needing one million points to pass¡­At first, it¡¯s logical to earn points by hunting down the parasites, but as the stage goes on, it¡¯ll become increasingly more efficient to fight the other participants, instead.¡±

    Su-hyeun imagined what might happen during this second stage. The first half would entail hunting, but the odds of the second half turning into a battle royale featuring the surviving participants were uncomfortably high.

    ¡°It might get dangerous if I waste too much of my stamina in the first half.¡±

    The plan was simple¡ªduring the first half, take things slowly and leisurely, and then when the second half arrived, a pandemonium would naturally ensue. That would be the right time to go on a rampage.

    Ki-aaaaaah¡ª

    Monstrous screeches came to him just as he finished organizing his thoughts.

    It wasn¡¯t all that hard to pinpoint the culprit of those screeches. Besides, you¡¯d be truly stupid if you couldn¡¯t figure that out even after reading the messages from earlier.

    ¡°Well, they are here,¡± said Luslec while pulling his sword out and summoning his shadows. ¡°The parasites.¡±

    ¡°Sounds that way.¡±

    What appeared next was green caterpillars at least several meters wide and nearly 100 meters in length. They revealed their ugly mugs above the World Tree¡¯s branches as viscous liquid drooled out from their mouths.

    Quite a few of them had shown up, and no matter where you looked, the only thing you could see were these critters.

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can now see or command the dead.]

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    A blackish aura oozed around Su-hyeun¡¯s vicinity, and almost at the same time, he opened his mouth and said, ¡°Arise.¡±

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    The Death Aura flowing close to the ground began coalescing and eventually formed several silhouettes¡ªfrom Gluttony and its small-hill-like physique to Prince Nezha and even boss creatures from various dungeons.

    When it came to a wide-scale hunt, going this route was still the most optimal way.

    ¡°Go in that direction and sweep away as many parasites as possible.¡±

    Gu-wuhaaaah¡ª

    Clack¡ª

    Gluttony let out a growl, while Prince Nezha nodded once before gripping his Yogoe Slaying Sword tightly.

    Thanks to his improved Death Aura stat, as well as skill proficiency, both Gluttony and Prince Nezha had achieved an application rate of nearly 100% of their selves when they were still alive.

    On top of that, they also consumed the potion Ellid had crafted, which turned them into combatants that were even better than an average apostle that possessed a qualification of godhood.

    Splassssh¡ª!

    Ka-boom¡ª

    Crunch, chew¡ª

    The Yogoe Slaying Sword continued to slice and dice the parasites apart, while Gluttony munched on the parasites. The other summoned creatures utilized their own unique abilities to hunt the parasites down.

    [You acquired 240 points.]

    [You acquired 155 points.]

    [You acquired 600 points.]

    [You acquired 340¡­]

    Messages began appearing continuously. Thankfully, points accumulated diligently every time Su-hyeun¡¯s summons eliminated the parasites.

    Observing that, Su-hyeun suddenly gripped his sword tightly with both hands. ¡°Blow away¡­¡±

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª

    A humongous wind began enveloping the blade, then¡­

    Rumble¡ª

    A purple-colored flame danced along the path of the wind and enveloped the blade as well.

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    * * *

    [You acquired 457 points.]

    [You acquired 654 points.]

    [You acquired 244 points.]

    [You acquired 441¡­]

    The messages floating up nonstop were making it hard for him to concentrate.

    The points that he earned from the parasites depended on their sizes. At most, the points were around 800, while at the lowest, it was below 200. In other words, the difference was about four times.

    Flames and winds raged on in a chaotic dance to sweep away all the parasites near Su-hyeun and Luslec.

    Afterward, Su-hyeun confirmed the number of points that he earned.

    [Current points: 142,234]

    Over 140,000 points! He had earned quite a lot in a short period. He figured that by repeating this process a few more times, he should reach the goal of one million points in no time at all.

    ¡°Right. This mission isn¡¯t the hardest to clear.¡±

    The level of the parasites themselves wasn¡¯t all that special.

    However, these things must¡¯ve been venomous because toxic gases continued to ooze out from their corpses, but such a problem could be dealt with by not getting closer to them in the first place.

    Besides, with Su-hyeun¡¯s stamina or magical energy level, his immunity against poison was already more than good enough.

    ¡°This is a stage to filter out the people that fall below a certain ability threshold. Also, I guess it¡¯s to decrease the number of participants through competition.¡±

    The parasites that had appeared in the vicinity had been all taken care of. It was time to change locations.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little too much?¡± It was at that point that Luslec began speaking in a slightly dissatisfied voice. ¡°Maybe you want us to part ways after this stage, seeing how you swept everything away by yourself?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Oops¡­¡±

    Only then did Su-hyeun become conscious of Luslec¡¯s presence next to him and ended up making an ¡°Oh, crap¡± face.

    As all the parasites had been swept away clean by the Palm Leaf, Luslec didn¡¯t even get a proper chance to hunt one down.

    The remaining time was still around 24 hours. Even if a lot of time still remained, there was no guarantee whether or not Luslec would get to amass a million points if Su-hyeun didn¡¯t pay him any attention and did as he pleased.

    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Su-hyeun smiled awkwardly.

    It was indeed his fault for not thinking about Luslec¡¯s case.

    Whatever the case might have been, they agreed to act as a team, so there was a definite need to work together until both of them reached the minimum stage clear condition of one million points.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be more cautious in the next location. If not, we can always individually go¡ª¡±

    ¡°Heeeeeeey¡ª!¡±

    A loud shout came from somewhere to abruptly halt Su-hyeun¡¯s suggestion. The volume of the call was loud enough to probably damage the vocal cord of the other person. However, the voice itself was rather familiar to him.

    ¡°Youngest bro¡ª! Are you there¡ª?!¡±

    Buzz, buzz¡ª

    The incredibly loud voice even managed to shake the World Tree.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brows shot up high at that voice as well. ¡°Third brother?¡±

 Chapter 381

    Act 3

    On one of the floors of the World Tree, where the parasite corpses could be found just about everywhere, around 10 participants had gathered. They were busy checking out each other¡¯s movements, while their own bodies remained deeply tense.

    Of course, some among them did display a relaxed demeanor. One of them was even leaning with his arms across his chest against a parasite¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Okay, so¡­you want to form an alliance?¡± One of the participants spoke up with a slightly trembling voice.

    He belatedly realized how nervous he sounded just then and promptly shut his mouth right after asking that question. It was already too late by then, but no one paid any mind.

    ¡°Ah, yes, an alliance. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°But is there a need for that? Only one person can walk away with the elixir, after all.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. And it¡¯s also impossible to tell who will backstab you when.¡±

    The opinions were unfavorable, but that wasn¡¯t so surprising.

    The participants that gathered in this place were people who were deeply confident of their own skill sets, after all. As these people didn¡¯t win while relying on headcount due to their lack of confidence, they just couldn¡¯t find a good-enough justification to enter an alliance or form teams.

    More correctly, they abhorred the idea of a ¡°team¡± because they believed that the scariest thing wasn¡¯t a known enemy but a dubious ally.

    ¡°Well, in that case, we can fight it out right here,¡± said the man leaning against the parasite¡¯s corpse at last.

    His words immediately caused the temperature in the surroundings to drop. That man before their eyes was the reason why they had gathered here in the first place. He was also acting as the suppressor of the volatile atmosphere that was seemingly ready to erupt at any given moment. Therefore, as to be expected, each of the participants had a few thoughts about their encounter with the man.

    ¡°Just from where did a monster like this bastard even show up from¡­?¡±

    ¡°Is he an apostle? No, he comes across just too ominous for that.¡±

    ¡°Dammit! I sure stepped on sh*t today.¡±

    These people were also powerful individuals who believed that they were someone impressive in their own right. Even then, they were ruthlessly suppressed by a single individual and became no better than some obedient little kids, so it was little wonder why they felt so incensed inwardly right now.

    When the silence continued for a bit longer, the mystery man began scanning his surroundings. Quite a few seemed to be seriously mulling the offer right now.

    The man addressed them, ¡°The elixir will be mine, anyway. If you¡¯re dissatisfied by that, die by my hands right here.¡±

    He had no thoughts of yielding the elixir to anyone else. To him, all these other participants present were nothing more than pawns to help his cause. That¡¯s all.

    ¡°However, by forming a team with me, you might walk away with pretty substantial scraps as your rewards.¡±

    ¡°Scraps?¡±

    ¡°Are you telling us to be satisfied by only that?!¡±

    Some participants were triggered by that offer. However, the ones moved first by their emotions and not their rational reasoning numbered only two.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad offer.¡±

    ¡°I know for a fact that I won¡¯t secure the elixir, so to get my hands on the by-product at least, well¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s basically like I¡¯m getting what I came here for.¡±

    ¡°Right, what I wanted from the beginning wasn¡¯t the elixir, but the sap of the World Tree, after all. If I can acquire something better than that, there¡¯s no reason why I won¡¯t lend my help.¡±

    The majority chose to submit; rather than challenge, they settled for safety.

    That was indeed the normal choice in this sort of situation. Because¡­

    ¡°So, only two aren¡¯t happy with the idea?¡± The man stopped leaning against the corpse and began making a move. ¡°That¡¯s perfect, actually. Not too many, but not too little, either.¡±

    He moved toward the two people who opposed his suggestion just now.

    Shu-rurururu¡ª

    Hiss, sizzle¡­

    Countless black hands suddenly rose from the two people¡¯s shadows and began wrapping around them. Their arms and legs were tied up, and their whole bodies were frozen up solid. They were shocked by this development and immediately tried to say reason with the man.

    ¡°W¡ªwait a moment¡ª!¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m also fine with¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Cruuuuunch¡­

    Aaaaaahk!

    ¡°It¡¯s too late now.¡±

    The countless black hands began crushing the bodies of the two people. Their skin melted down, and they screamed at the excruciating pain of their bones shattering to pieces.

    The man grinned at this sight and then closed his eyes to focus his attention on their screaming. ¡°Ah¡­what a pleasing sound that is.¡±

    <hr />

    ¡°Heeeey, youngest bro¡ª! Over heeeere, bro¡ª!¡± Sun Wukong shouted incredibly loudly while opening his mouth wide.

    There hadn¡¯t been many times where he had to shout this loudly or for this long. Besides, there had never been a time where he needed to earnestly look for someone, either.

    ¡°Ke¡ªeck. Ugh, seriously now. I might blow my vocal cord at this rate.¡± Sun Wukong rubbed his throat for a bit while frowning deeply. He then scratched his head while muttering in a rueful voice, ¡°Huh. Maybe it really was someone with the same name?¡±

    ¡°Why are you all so depressed, unlike your usual self?¡±

    ¡°Wanna get beaten up or something? Imma just¡­!¡±

    Sun Wukong raised his fist in the air, but the monkey next to him didn¡¯t try to flee. It didn¡¯t even get scared, either, but that¡¯s because Sun Wukong¡¯s current actions didn¡¯t come across as all that threatening compared to how he usually was.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really depressed, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll really get a beating if you keep this up.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you only started shouting just now, you know? Besides, you don¡¯t even know how big this place is. It¡¯s possible that he didn¡¯t hear you, right?¡± the monkey said while circling around Sun Wukong.

    The latter, currently sitting on the ground, didn¡¯t say anything, but his brows were quivering suspiciously. The monkey got scared of that reaction and hurriedly distanced itself.

    However, weirdly enough, Sun Wukong didn¡¯t react to that.

    ¡°Eh?¡± uttered the fearful evading monkey, thinking that a fist was coming its way. However, when nothing happened, it turned its head and stared at Sun Wukong.

    The latter had stopped moving like a broken machine, only to dazedly stare into the distance. ¡°Little bro?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°It really is him¡ª!¡±

    Jump¡ª!

    Sun Wukong jumped up right away. He leaped by dozens of meters in an instant and then began flying into a far-off distance by kicking the air behind him.

    A short while later, the voice he had been waiting for finally came to him.

    ¡°Third brother¡ª!¡±

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun immediately set off after hearing that voice.

    He dashed toward the direction where that voice came from with everything he got. He was in such a hurry that he even got on the Somersault cloud to move, which he normally didn¡¯t use often due to its large consumption of magical energy reserve.

    ¡°Without a doubt, that was the third brother¡¯s voice.¡±

    He had to be near was Su-hyeun¡¯s initial thought.

    Unfortunately, he was wrong.

    ¡°Just how far away is he?¡±

    He was so sure that Sun Wukong was not that far away from him after hearing that loud shout, but even after dashing forward on the Somersault cloud for a while, he still failed to pick up Sun Wukong¡¯s presence.

    Su-hyeun thought about using the Sage¡¯s Eye to find him, but the terrain proved to be just too uneven and a chaotic mess to behold, which prevented him from getting a good view.

    Furthermore¡­

    Screech, screeeeeech¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯re all seriously getting on my nerves.¡±

    The parasites distracting him proved to be the most annoying problem of them all.

    Rumble¡ª

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The combination of fire and wind enveloped Su-hyeun¡¯s blade once more. ¡°Burn them all¡­¡±

    Giiii-iiiiing¡ª

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t adjust his strength this time. He didn¡¯t have the leeway for that. He unleashed his magical energy and drove his will to it, as this sense of urgency that was more contagious than ever before took over his reason. ¡°Palm Leaf!¡±

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª!

    Winds and flames gushing out from the sword swirled into a huge purple-hued typhoon. This typhoon emitting intense heat mercilessly swept away all the parasites that appeared before his eyes.

    It carved out a path for him, and right at that exact moment¡­

    ¡°It really is him¡ª!¡±

    That voice had finally gotten closer.

    A wide grin spread on Su-hyeun¡¯s lips. ¡°Third brother¡ª!¡±

    The distance wasn¡¯t far off now. His Sage¡¯s Eye, which allowed him to take in the sights from a far-off distance, finally caught a familiar face.

    It was Sun Wukong.

    ¡°Euh-hat! Ahahaha!¡±

    Despite no longer possessing the Somersault cloud, Sun Wukong still rode on a cloud to fly toward where Su-hyeun was. He must¡¯ve been feeling genuinely pleased because his face was sporting a never-before-seen extremely happy smile.

    Ta-dak, tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong leaped off their clouds almost at the same time and landed on the ground.

    ¡°Are you really my littlest bro?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am. You think I¡¯m a fake?¡±

    ¡°Euh-hat! You¡¯re the real deal, alright! That stiff manner of speech! Yup, you¡¯re really my younger bro.¡± Sun Wukong quickly walked up closer and then took his time surveying Su-hyeun¡¯s face. Like the latter, it wouldn¡¯t have been a significantly long time for the Great Sage since their parting, but he was still genuinely happy to see his little sworn brother. ¡°What have you been doing all this time? Sure, the First Brother told me the rough story about you, but still.¡±

    ¡°I was just doing the usual thing. Ah, right. When I say the usual, I meant¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know, even though you didn¡¯t tell me before. I¡¯m also, you know, the same as you.¡±

    Pow¡ª

    Sun Wukong slapped Su-hyeun¡¯s back with his palm.

    Su-hyeun could only make a complicated smile while feeling both happy to see him and apologetic about not being truthful. He did keep the story of the tower and the world he lived in as a secret from the Bull Demon King, the Roc Demon King, and Sun Wukong, after all.

    ¡°We have lots to talk about, don¡¯t we? Sure, we¡¯ve got plenty of stuff to do, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Judging from his speed of gathering points, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t feel much sense of urgency. Even now, his summons were rapidly hunting the parasites down and acquiring the points bolstered by the additional 120% boost.

    ¡°Aha! I¡¯ll be fine, too. My clones are doing all the work, after all.¡±

    The same story also applied to Sun Wukong. Rather, maybe it was even more pronounced for him because he could create a lot more clones than Su-hyeun¡¯s summons, and each one of them boasted a far greater combat prowess than a summon.

    ¡°In that case, lemme ask you.¡±

    Plop¡ª

    Sun Wukong settled down on the spot and asked, ¡°What have you been doing these days, bro?¡±

    <hr />

    The contents of Su-hyeun¡¯s chat with Sun Wukong¡ªsuch as how Su-hyeun began climbing the tower, how he got to meet the trio, and what he did after that, including what the world he called home was like and what his life had been like up until now¡ªdidn¡¯t differ too much from his chat with the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°Sounds like an interesting world, what with all those hunks of metal driving and flying around¡­¡±

    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t really find them all that interesting, though, probably because I¡¯ve been living my whole life in that world.¡±

    One hour¡ªthat was how long the two of them chatted for. It certainly wasn¡¯t a long time, but it was still enough for Su-hyeun to speak about his story to Sun Wukong.

    ¡°I heard from the First Brother that you¡¯ve begun climbing the tower recently, like me¡­¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that, you wouldn¡¯t have told me all those stories just now, right?¡±

    After the truth was accurately pointed out, Su-hyeun chuckled awkwardly to avoid making a verbal answer. Thankfully, Sun Wukong didn¡¯t dig any further into that topic, either.

    Su-hyeun, of course, felt bad about it but decided not to be too hung up on it in the end.

    For one, he knew that Sun Wukong didn¡¯t ask that question to criticize Su-hyeun in the first place. Right now, the Great Sage was beaming in happiness at the fact that he got to meet Su-hyeun like this in this place.

    ¡°How did your deciding fight with Erlang Shen go? Did you win?¡±

    ¡°Heck, if I lost to that guy, you think I¡¯d be here alive and kicking?¡±

    ¡°But, brother, you can¡¯t die, can you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. There¡¯s that, too,¡± Sun Wukong sagely nodded as if he remembered that just now. ¡°Well, I keep forgetting that since nothing threatens my life anyway.¡±

    ¡°But what about the eight-way trigram Crucible¡­?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die from some measly flames of that size. Don¡¯t you know me by now?¡± Sun Wukong asked with a deep smirk.

    It wasn¡¯t all that surprising to hear that.

    One couldn¡¯t even dream of piercing through Sun Wukong¡¯s hard skin with some lukewarm attacks. Unless it was Su-hyeun¡¯s divine Flame that boasted the qualification of godhood, most other flames would¡¯ve come across as mildly warm to Sun Wukong.

    He ended up asking an unnecessary question, so Su-hyeun moved on to another topic, one he was curious about. ¡°In any case, how do you find it? Climbing the tower, I mean.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fun, actually. There are plenty of amusing people, for sure.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you are referring to fighting?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. After finishing that decisive battle with Erlang Shen, I was getting bored out of my skull, you know? But thanks to this system or whatever, I now get to fight really strong punks from many different worlds. That¡¯s been nice for me so far,¡± Sun Wukong replied, sounding genuinely excited.

    Again, that wasn¡¯t so surprising, either.

    To Sun Wukong, fighting was one of his life¡¯s greatest pleasures, but now that the war against the Heavenly World had come to an end, he must¡¯ve been feeling really bored.

    ¡°And this time, too, apparently, there¡¯s a really amusing guy present in this place.¡±

    ¡°An amusing guy, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s called ¡®predator¡¯ or something. This other punk calling itself a god keeps telling me to be wary of that guy, saying that that dude is seriously dangerous.¡±

 Chapter 382

    ¡°God¡± and ¡°predators¡±¡ªthose two terms caused Su-hyeun to snap out of his excitement at their reunion. ¡°Third brother, how do you know those two things?¡± he asked, mood already quite different from earlier as they chattered away.

    ¡°Mm? What do you mean by those two things?¡±

    ¡°The god and the predator¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you also knew about them, eh? I was really surprised, you know? I mean, I finally met the real god and not some idiots from the Heavenly World who were busy calling themselves the gods, after all.¡±

    It seemed that Sun Wukong had also run into a real god.

    ¡°Third brother, did you become an apostle?¡±

    ¡°An apostle? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Well, uh, should I say it¡¯s like an agent of a god?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. Yeah, we talked about something similar to that. I declined, though.¡±

    He declined? That would mean that Sun Wukong didn¡¯t become an apostle.

    That made sense, however.

    Without a doubt, it wasn¡¯t in Sun Wukong¡¯s personality to act according to someone else¡¯s orders. He possessed such a wild character that he didn¡¯t even listen to someone as amazing as the Bull Demon King and did as he pleased all over the place.

    ¡°How did you meet that god?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Some punk got in my face during one of the trials, you see. So I killed that punk that called himself the emperor and fought against an army, and then¡­ Well, it sure was fun, though. Some of them were pretty strong in their own right, too. But in the middle of that, a god butted in.¡±

    ¡°A god did? Really?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I was told that it¡¯s not cool to interfere too much in the business of that side or something.¡±

    Could it be that a god might appear if one interfered too deeply into the affairs of the other world during one of the trials?

    ¡°No, wait. Come to think of it, haven¡¯t I behaved basically the same way until now?¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun looked back to all the trials he had cleared until now. Some missions were too minor to mention, but since his trials were of the highest difficulty, around half happened to be missions that boasted quite a large scale.

    For one, during the 60th floor¡¯s trial where he met Sun Wukong, didn¡¯t he get to wreck the Heavenly World?

    It was a similar story back on the 50th floor as well. He saved Roy, killed the emperor of an empire, and waged war against the alliance of a kingdom and the undead Liches.

    Therefore, his actions so far weren¡¯t all that different from what Sun Wukong had done, according to the latter¡¯s testimony.

    ¡°Or a god will interfere if I influence something not related to the trial itself.¡±

    This second hypothesis sounded rather plausible.

    Unlike Sun Wukong, who started a war against some empire just because they got in his face, Su-hyeun never really stepped outside the boundaries of the missions he was in.

    ¡°Which might mean that gods of individual worlds and the structures of the trials found there are connected to some degree¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun briefly pondered this new revelation. If this was true, then the inner workings of the tower of trials might be far more complicated than he initially bargained for.

    When his thoughts reached that far, he suddenly felt that all the images he had in his mind until now were getting thrown into messy disarray.

    ¡°Why are you making that face?¡± Sun Wukong asked.

    ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s nothing. I was just amazed¡­¡±

    ¡°Amazed about me? Or the fact that I met a god?¡±

    ¡°That you happened to meet a god, third brother.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you met one, too. The first brother told me. He said that you two ran into some real weirdo gods and that they were seriously strong, too.¡±

    The gods Su-hyeun met along with the Bull Demon King? They had to be Hades and Apollo, then. Those two happened to be gods that possessed the highest-tier godhood.

    ¡°Since you declined the invitation to become an apostle, does that mean you¡¯re now climbing the tower just for fun?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Well, yeah. Kinda. There are plenty of strong punks to be found here, after all. Calling it a trial doesn¡¯t really suit me, you know? This is more like playtime for me.¡±

    Now that was a Sun Wukong-like declaration. Then again, his personality meant that he would treat a fight where he had to risk his life as an entertaining game.

    ¡°Are you here because of a trial?¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯d come here on my own two feet? Isn¡¯t it the same story for you, though?¡±

    ¡°Actually, my case this time is a bit of an exception¡­¡± Su-hyeun found the matter of Luslec difficult to explain and began scratching his head. ¡°Ah, I forgot.¡±

    He eventually realized that he had completely forgotten about Luslec and shot up from his spot.

    When he did¡­

    ¡°Have you finally remembered me?¡± Luslec¡¯s voice, tinged heavily with sadness, could be heard coming from the marble.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry about this. I rushed to meet someone important. By the way, where are you right now?¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought following you was not the right thing to do. I also didn¡¯t want to become the uninvited guest during your happy reunion. I mean, isn¡¯t excusing myself without being told the sensible thing to do in moments like this?¡±

    That was a rather sly-sounding reply.

    Su-hyeun was wondering why Luslec hadn¡¯t followed him here despite possessing enough abilities to do so, but as it turned out, this was the reason.

    ¡°Once you¡¯re done with your reunion, call me. I¡¯ve already collected around half a million points by now, so I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m finished here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    Luslec initially sounded a bit sad, but just one ¡°thank you¡± from Su-hyeun later, he seemed to be feeling a lot better already, as there was a hint of mirth in the rest of his reply.

    Su-hyeun chuckled a little and let go of the marble.

    Having witnessed that, Sun Wukong asked in a puzzled voice, ¡°What was that? Were you talking to someone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, with a companion I was traveling with. Although, I briefly forgot about him while talking with you, third brother.¡±

    ¡°A companion, hmm? Is he strong?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Very strong.¡±

    ¡°Heh, I should fight him later.¡±

    Sun Wukong seemed to be intrigued by the fact that Luslec was strong and narrowed his eyes, while his fighting spirit burned fiercely.

    A thought of his third brother not having changed one bit entered Su-hyeun¡¯s head, and he could only groan softly before asking another question, ¡°By the way, are you also aiming for the elixir, third brother?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Earning that will be nice, sure, but if I don¡¯t get it, that¡¯s fine, too. I¡¯m already overflowing with Dao energy, after all.¡±

    Sun Wukong was right about that. He had consumed all of the Peaches of Immortality found in the Heavenly World and acquired near-infinite energy in the process. Therefore, if he could acquire the elixir here, that certainly wouldn¡¯t harm his cause, but he didn¡¯t have a reason to get obsessed about it, either.

    ¡°Then, what¡¯s the clear condition for you this time?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, that bastard called the predator is somewhere here. Not just one either but several of them.¡±

    ¡°Not just one?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m supposed to prevent the elixir from falling into their hands. I¡¯m not interested in whatever this elixir is, but I¡¯m still kinda curious about what it looks like. What about you, though?¡±

    ¡°I came here to acquire the elixir, actually. The thing is¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun told Sun Wukong what he discussed with Luslec, the one about him needing the elixir to awaken his unique ability, and that¡¯s why he came here when it had nothing to do with the trial itself.

    ¡°Really? That thing was that amazing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I definitely need it. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a way where we can be a great help to each other.¡±

    ¡°What? You wanna help me with my trial, and you want me to help you acquire the elixir in return?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°How dare you put up conditions against your own sworn brother?¡± Sun Wukong distorted his expression. ¡°You¡¯re my little bro, so I¡¯ll just help you. As for the punks called predators, they are my opponents, so don¡¯t you touch them, you hear?¡±

    ¡°In that case, should I do nothing if they come at me first?¡±

    ¡°First, eh?¡± Sun Wukong contemplated for a bit when Su-hyeun asked that before shaking his head. ¡°Well, no. In that case, you fight them. Just go somewhere and let someone hit you. A lot. Please?¡±

    Su-hyeun knew he would reply like this, and he smirked at that.

    At that grin, Sun Wukong furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t look happy, though?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You dummy, I can totally tell what you¡¯re thinking of. I¡¯ve been just letting it slide until¡ª?¡±

    Sun Wukong suddenly stopped in the middle of his sentence.

    He froze up like a stone statue, and after finding this reaction rather suspicious, Su-hyeun immediately asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°My clones are gone.¡±

    Sun Wukong looked into a clone¡¯s memory. His clone¡¯s disappearance signified that someone had defeated it. Although Sun Wukong¡¯s clone wasn¡¯t as strong as the main body, the opponent should still be notably strong if he could defeat it.

    Smirk¡ª

    And that fact made Sun Wukong grin instead.

    It was as if he was having fun.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, bro.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°What the hell is up with these guys?¡±

    ¡°The punks that look exactly the same¡­¡±

    ¡°And they were pretty tough, weren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Look, their corpses disappeared. As soon as they died, too.¡±

    Four men had gathered together. They were also making grave faces when the corpses lining the ground suddenly vanished.

    They fought a grueling battle and finally won, but the corpses of their victims simply disappeared, and no points were added to their tally.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s like some kind of magic or a skill. Dammit! We targeted the wrong group. We ended up hunting down some idiots without any merit whatsoever¡­¡±

    ¡°And there are no parasites around here, either, all thanks to these bastards that swept them clean already.¡±

    ¡°Man, we wasted our time for no reason.¡±

    Their opponents had been three white-haired men with the exact same faces. Initially, they thought the three of them were triplets or something, so they quietly sneaked closer to attack their unguarded backs.

    Their sneak attack proved to be successful. One of the three got his arm severed, while another one was wounded fatally on the abdomen.

    However, it was an empty victory in the end. The quartet earned nothing for defeating the trio.

    ¡°That bastard is going to shout our heads off.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get out of here. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    Around 22 hours remained. Two hours had passed by already, in other words. The goal of these people wasn¡¯t simply to amass one million points, so obviously, every minute and every second was precious to them.

    ¡°Ri-ol? Why aren¡¯t you coming?¡±

    The group rebuked one of their members who was just dazedly standing there looking in a direction.

    But then, he suddenly said, ¡°Something¡¯s coming!¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s coming¡­?¡±

    KWA-AAAAAAAH¡ª!

    They could hear something¡ªthe noises of something scratching, breaking, and ruthlessly approaching.

    The noises sounded small initially as if they came from so far away, but the noises rapidly got closer to the quartet. Right at that exact moment, the heads of all four quickly snapped in the direction of the commotion.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat the hell?¡±

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the way first¡ª!¡±

    A massive pole was flying in their direction.

    The four men hurriedly flung themselves out of the way to the left, right, and in the air. The pole that flew in punched right through where they had been standing a moment ago.

    Kwa-gagagagak¡ª

    The pole stopped extending just then.

    It wasn¡¯t just flying past them but accurately taking aim at them, and the pole that appeared before their eyes was something they instantly recognized.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that thing¡­?¡±

    ¡°Right, that looks like the weapon that those bastards used earlier!¡±

    This pole was exactly the same as what the trio with the same faces wielded.

    Sshu-wuwuwuk¡ª

    Slap¡ª

    The thick and lengthy polearm rapidly shrunk down and wrapped around someone¡¯s arm, and right after that, the figures of two people riding on the pole revealed themselves.

    ¡°Hey, you four! Are you the ones that bullied our kids?¡±

    ¡°Saying ¡®our kids¡¯ makes us look like delinquents, third brother.¡±

    ¡°Eh? What are delinquents?¡±

    ¡°You know, those thuggish morons.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Wait, did I look like them just now?¡±

    The man with white hair, who spoke with so much menace just then, suddenly made a sheepish face and chuckled awkwardly after the guy next to him said something.

    The trio stared at the two and made dismayed expressions, but only the man named Ri-ol lost all color from his complexion.

    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t he the same bastard from earlier?¡±

    ¡°Is this an illusion? This punk, annoying me to this degree!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to work on us anymore. An illusion¡¯s effectiveness is halved once we recognize it, you see?¡±

    This trio thought that Sun Wukong¡¯s clones were illusions. There was a reason good enough for them to mistakenly think that way since several beings that looked exactly the same had appeared, while their deaths didn¡¯t yield any points whatsoever.

    ¡°Illusion? You thought it was a sundry skill like that?¡± Sun Wukong scratched his head as he listed to their blabbering.

    Su-hyeun sighed grandly after thinking that, thanks to Sun Wukong¡¯s curiosity, he now had no choice but to get into a fight. Whatever the case might have been, they did attack Sun Wukong, even if they were attacking his clones, and besides, there was no reason to avoid fighting them here, anyway.

    Clack¡ª

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword. These four men were definitely no pushovers.

    ¡°At the very least, they are stronger than the apostle I met earlier,¡± he thought.

    These four people could be judged as quite strong even in this world.

    Although they weren¡¯t all that special in terms of the enemies he met so far, the fact that four of such individuals needed to band together as a team told the tale of how difficult the challenges found in this world were.

    Just before Su-hyeun could take a step forward, though¡­

    Rustle¡ª

    Sun Wukong¡¯s raised arm stopped Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, third brother?¡±

    ¡°This is my fight.¡±

    ¡°Do you really need to argue that point now?¡±

    ¡°But they attacked me, you know? Or am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sun Wukong had a point there. If they were to get technical here, then their situation was the same thing as Su-hyeun just tagging along.

    ¡°Just sit back and watch carefully.¡±

    Swissssh¡ª

    Sun Wukong smirked deeply while lightly spinning the Ruyi Jingu Bang in one hand. ¡°Watch how much stronger your third brother has become.¡±

 Chapter 383

    Act 4

    Sun Wukong stepped forward with a triumphant expression plastered on his face.

    Now that things had come to this, Su-hyeun had no choice but to bow out. If he tried to interfere, who knows what kind of Sun Wukong¡¯s nagging he¡¯d be subjected to later?

    ¡°Well, this is for the better, actually,¡± he thought.

    Honestly speaking, Su-hyeun was curious about how much stronger Sun Wukong had become.

    The tower¡¯s system rapidly enhanced a regular person¡¯s stats. Su-hyeun also climbed the tower under the system¡¯s help and, in the process, experienced many trials to earn corresponding rewards, which helped him get this far.

    However, Sun Wukong was different. He was already monstrously strong by the time Su-hyeun met him for the first time.

    He waged war against the Heavenly World all by himself and even freely wielded the godhood called the Somersault cloud.

    His physical body was unkillable, and he possessed a near-infinite amount of Dao energy on top of that.

    That version of Sun Wukong was already so much stronger than any awakener Su-hyeun knew of, but now, that Sun Wukong had received the help of the system to become even stronger.

    So, the question was, just by how much did he get stronger?

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Flick¡ª

    Sun Wukong beckoned with his finger. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna come at me?¡±

    It was such a simple, naked provocation, but it also showed how confident he was.

    ¡°You son of a¡­!¡±

    ¡°You dare to bluff in front of me?!¡±

    The difference in the headcount was clear: two versus four.

    Not only that, but the quartet had also experienced fighting the clones that looked exactly like Sun Wukong not too long ago. Rather unsurprisingly, they began looking down on Sun Wukong as a result.

    It was rather unfortunate for them.

    SMASH¡ª!

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    The man standing at the front of the group was ruthlessly struck by Sun Wukong¡¯s Ruyi Jingu Bang and was instantly sent far, far away.

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    His flying figure crashed hard into the branch of the World Tree. Just as that loud noise resounded, Sun Wukong¡¯s silhouette rapidly dug into the ranks of the remaining three. ¡°There are no rules when fighting.¡±

    Whoosh, whoooooshk¡ª

    Smack¡ª, slap¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang, now extended, slammed into the head of one man and the legs of another. By then, they had already confirmed that their comrade had been flung far away. Despite staggering from the impact, they still managed to extend their hands in Sun Wukong¡¯s direction.

    Craaaackle¡­

    Pa-babababak¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s body froze up in the layer of whitish frost, while pink-colored spears that flew toward him landed before him to jut out from the ground below.

    ¡°Hey, this is pretty refreshing!¡± Sun Wukong spun around smoothly.

    His body that looked to be frozen solid didn¡¯t even creak once as he moved. He really must¡¯ve felt refreshed as he alluded to just now because he was even smiling happily away.

    Just how was he moving so freely? He didn¡¯t seem to be moving that fast, yet he dodged all the incoming spears with nimble movements.

    ¡°What¡­?!¡±

    ¡°He dodged them¡­?¡±

    The two, still staggering from the Ruyi Jingu Bang¡¯s impact, gasped in surprise and tried to create some distance. However, that was a pointless action in the end.

    ¡°Extend¡ª¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Sun Wukong¡¯s Ruyi Jingu Bang that was extending downward right now was a heavenly treasure that was not restricted by piffling things like distance, after all.

    Craaaack¡ª!

    Keok!

    The man whose head was cleanly struck became the second person to lose consciousness. As for the other one, he was still wobbling around as the result of his legs getting hit earlier.

    In the blink of an eye, two lost their capability to fight, while the third got injured.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s really amazing,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He knew full well that Sun Wukong was an excellent fighter, but he wasn¡¯t this strong.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s earned the godhood related to reflex? His speed had gotten much faster than before, and his proficiency in wielding the pole has improved as well.¡±

    To put it simply, he had simply gotten stronger.

    Was it thanks to the system? All of his stats seemed to have improved in equal measure. The truth was, none of his opponents this time could be labeled weaklings, yet he still managed to completely subdue them.

    Sun Wukong was already a genius-level talent in combat even before the upgrade, and now, he had become an even scarier monster.

    Only one opponent remained. Sun Wukong stared at him while casually slinging the shortened Ruyi Jingu Bang on his shoulders. ¡°What about you, then?¡±

    ¡°Would you be kind enough to spare me?¡± The man with yellow hair, whose name was Ri-ol, raised both of his hands up high in the air.

    He was surrendering.

    ¡°What are you doing, man?¡± Sun Wukong stared at him, distorting his expression. Ri-ol didn¡¯t display any reaction even as the tip of the Ruyi Jingu Bang was pointed in his direction.

    ¡°Tsk.¡± In the end, Sun Wukong tutted softly and withdrew his weapon. He scratched his head in irritation before spinning around to leave. ¡°It¡¯s no fun beating up a guy who doesn¡¯t even want to fight, you know.¡±

    He turned around, but then, a strange expression formed on his face. He bent down a little before taking out the Ruyi Jingu Bang that he placed on his back.

    Right after that¡­

    CRUNCHHHHH¡ª!

    ¡°Come out.¡±

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang, which had suddenly extended, punched a lengthy hole into the World Tree¡¯s branch. When that happened, something jumped out from beneath Sun Wukong¡¯s shadow.

    ¡°Aikoo!¡± Luslec landed back on the ground before sitting down as he rubbed the back of his aching head.

    Sun Wukong stared at Luslec with an amused face. ¡°Who are you? You seem like an entertaining guy.¡±

    ¡°Third brother!¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡± Sun Wukong turned to look at Su-hyeun who called out to him.

    As for Su-hyeun, he stared at Luslec before sighing grandly. ¡°He¡¯s the companion I told you about earlier.¡±

    ¡°What? This guy?¡±

    ¡°Aha, hello there?¡± Luslec waved his hand at Sun Wukong.

    He didn¡¯t display any hostility whatsoever. Because he was hiding in the shadows, Sun Wukong thought this man was an enemy, but according to Su-hyeun¡¯s explanation, that didn¡¯t seem to be it.

    Sun Wukong, feeling deflated again, smacked his lips and put his Ruyi Jingu Bang away.

    Su-hyeun walked up to Luslec. The latter, squatting on the ground after getting struck in the head with the Ruyi Jingu Bang, dusted himself off and stood back up.

    ¡°When did you arrive?¡±

    ¡°Just now, actually. I finished gathering one million points not too long ago, you see,¡± Luslec replied proudly.

    There were still over 20 hours left, however. Su-hyeun¡¯s brows shot up high as he remarked inwardly, ¡°Already?¡±

    That speed was way too fast. Even if Luslec commanded a legion consisting of many souls via his Necromancy technique, this was simply way too fast.

    First of all, he didn¡¯t even have the advantage of enjoying the additional point acquisition reward from the extra golden leaves. It was only natural that Su-hyeun¡¯s questions would only grow larger at this turn of events.

    ¡°By the way, that punk over there, I¡¯m somewhat acquainted with him, so, uh¡­¡± Luslec pointed at Ri-ol and asked, ¡°Is it fine if I chat with him for a little while?¡±

    * * *

    The man with short yellow hair, Ri-ol, was an apostle.

    It was unknown which god he was an apostle of, however. Even Luslec said he didn¡¯t know, and apparently, the apostles were not allowed to discuss things like that between themselves in the first place.

    Discussing the matters of the gods they served in the open was akin to lese majeste or something similar. In any case, Ri-ol at least displayed no hostility, and he was also acquainted with Luslec.

    They were not forbidden from exchanging other information, however.

    ¡°A predator formed a team?¡± Luslec asked with an unimpressed face.

    On the other hand, Ri-ol explained himself in a far graver-sounding voice, ¡°Yes. My goal was to eliminate the predator that appeared here¡­But that bastard turned out to be someone beyond my capabilities.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­sure. Figured as much.¡±

    Luslec eavesdropped on Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong¡¯s discussion earlier, and since he knew that, he wasn¡¯t all that surprised by this revelation.

    ¡°A total of three predators are here. Two of them are indiscriminately hunting down any participants they run into, while the other one has coaxed the other participants to create a team for itself. Including myself, 30 participants in its team have been identified so far.¡±

    ¡°Well, that sure sounds troublesome.¡± Luslec scratched his head.

    Not just one but three predators? Not only that but one of them wasn¡¯t simply drunk on its own strength and even chose to form a team.

    Ri-ol was an apostle, so he didn¡¯t fall for the predator¡¯s coaxing, but even then, this was the world of the strong. People had no choice but to submit when someone much stronger suppressed them.

    Also, that predator now came to possess a power that shouldn¡¯t be ignored¡ªa team with a considerable number of combatants that came together as one under that creature¡¯s banner.

    ¡°Alright, sure thing. You must have it hard out there. Well, do your best.¡±

    ¡°It seems that even before reaching this world, that predator has made up its mind on acquiring the elixir no matter what.¡±

    ¡°Aikoo, goodness me. That sure sounds bad.¡±

    ¡°Including myself, I¡¯ve detected a total of five apostles, but we aren¡¯t strong enough to hunt those predators down.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Huh, that¡¯s too bad. Well, do your best anyway.¡±

    ¡°Please help us.¡± Ri-ol bowed deeply in Luslec¡¯s way.

    The truth was, Ri-ol wasn¡¯t considered as all that strong even among the apostles. It was a bit of a stretch for him to hunt a predator down by himself. ¡°From the very beginning, this situation is not something we can resolve by ourselves. That¡¯s why¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m on a holiday?¡±

    ¡°The god I serve asked me to deliver this message to you.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Please hold on¡­¡±

    Ri-ol whispered something into Luslec¡¯s ear.

    The latter¡¯s expression gradually distorted the more he listened until he glared at Ri-ol in sheer irritation. ¡°Wow, what a cheapskate¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my opinion, so please stop biting my head off.¡±

    ¡°Man, I¡¯m sooo happy that my lips are about to reach my ears. Dammit.¡± Luslec scratched his head, hard.

    He ended up getting tangled up in an annoying matter, but he had no choice but to go with it. He let out a groan and walked up to Su-hyeun.

    Luslec didn¡¯t see a reason to keep this secret anyway since they had discussed matters related to this already, and that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t try to prevent Su-hyeun from eavesdropping on the conversation with Ri-ol. ¡°Well, it¡¯s as you heard.¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t hear what was said at the end.¡±

    Ri-ol deliberately whispered into Luslec¡¯s ear so that Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong wouldn¡¯t hear the contents of the god¡¯s message.

    ¡°Ah, that. You don¡¯t have to bother yourselves with that part, actually. Besides that, I¡¯m sure you know what¡¯s happening after listening in, so¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean, the part about hunting the predators down?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already discussed that with my third brother. If I want to acquire the elixir, I have no choice but to¡ªWhat are you doing?¡± Su-hyeun asked after witnessing Luslec casting a magical barrier to prevent sounds from leaking out.

    ¡°Ah, this? No need to worry about it, really.¡±

    ¡°Is there some other topic that shouldn¡¯t be overheard?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A lot of them, too.¡±

    ¡°Are you worried about getting a scolding from the god you serve?¡±

    ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± Luslec made an awkward expression after he got found out. ¡°W¡ªwell, I¡¯ve been told that as long as I handle this matter properly, I¡¯ll be let off the hook. Apparently, this has been the plan all along.¡±

    ¡°The plan?¡±

    ¡°I guess I got suckered by that dude again. Whatever the case may be, it¡¯s a good thing for everyone present in this place, anyway,¡± Luslec said as an expression that strongly hinted mischief began forming on his face.

    He looked like he was having fun.

    ¡°Well, he did say he can only stay for a few days on the other side after traveling through the marble,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    On top of that, Luslec also said that he couldn¡¯t influence the other worlds. If he did, then the god he was working for would bite his ear off, he said.

    Didn¡¯t he plead Su-hyeun to keep things about him a secret, too?

    Even then, he still acted for Su-hyeun. He wasted quite a lot of his limited time by staying in this place and even directly helped Su-hyeun out.

    According to what Luslec said earlier, getting a scolding was already as good as a done deal for him at this point.

    ¡°In that case, our goal has been set.¡± Luslec scanned both Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong. ¡°For you Mister Su-hyeun, it¡¯s to acquire the World Tree¡¯s elixir, and for the third brother here, it¡¯s to hunt the predators. And I¡¯m supposed to prevent the predators from going wild in this place¡­Let¡¯s be honest, all of our goals are practically the same thing.¡±

    ¡°So, you want us to act together?¡± Sun Wukong asked in a less-than-impressed voice. It seems that forming a team and moving together just didn¡¯t suit his personality. Not only that but he also didn¡¯t look all that keen to yield the fight against predators to someone else.

    ¡°Third brother, since your goal is to fight the predators, I can definitely yield that to you. However, if I see you having a hard time, we¡¯ll join you in the fight. How about that?¡±

    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s that¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. Then, our discussion is more or less concluded with this.¡±

    Tap, tap¡­

    Su-hyeun placed his arms around the shoulders of Sun Wukong and Luslec and then smirked deeply.

    Even though this event would no doubt turn out to be dangerous, it still sounded like it might get entertaining nevertheless.

    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s do this.¡±

 Chapter 384 - Chapter 384

    * * *

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    A loud commotion could be heard coming from a distance. It was the noise of thick ¡°flesh¡± being blown apart combined with the surface of the World Tree¡¯s branch being broken and stripped apart.

    In other words, it was the sound of Sun Wukong fighting hard while wielding his Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    ¡°He still prefers to fight raucously, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Su-hyeun softly tutted away.

    No matter how many times he had witnessed Sun Wukong¡¯s fights, Su-hyeun always found them rather raucous.

    Su-hyeun began wondering if Sun Wukong really had changed his fighting style after checking out his battle against some other participants several hours ago, but as it turned out, that assumption missed the mark by a wide margin.

    Indeed, Sun Wukong simply fought like that earlier because he figured that would be the most effective way to go about it.

    Kiii-reeek, kiii-reeeek¡ª

    Su-hyeun observed the fights unbothered as parasites began showing up near his position¡ªthis was his goal, after all. That was why he had been riding around on the Somersault cloud for a while now to attract the parasites from far away and bring them to a single location.

    These parasites weren¡¯t the same as other monsters in that they weren¡¯t really ¡°outside,¡± as they were. They used the venom in their bodies to melt down the branches of the false World Tree and dug deep under the surface to suck up the tree¡¯s nutrients.

    Therefore, there was no point in simply swinging around his sword indiscriminately. Unless these creatures showed themselves out of their holes, he couldn¡¯t hunt them down with the storm winds roused up by the Palm Leaf. It was just as well since this type of wide-scale game hunt was his specialty, after all.

    ¡°Well, I guess this much is enough,¡± he said before raising his hand.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    When he did, the huge gloomy clouds that had gathered overhead began showing some reaction.

    ¡°Slam down¡­¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    KA-RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    The lightning bolt shooting down from the clouds rammed into the parasites below.

    The bodies of these caterpillar-type parasites were mostly made up of venomous substances and moisture. Maybe that was the reason why they received a nastier battering from being struck by lightning rather than getting burnt or sliced up by a sword.

    Simply put, Su-hyeun had found a way to deal far greater damage at a lower cost to his magical energy reserve.

    [You acquired 545 points.]

    [You acquired 479 points.]

    [You acquired 334¡­]

    Right afterward, messages announcing his acquisition of points floated up one after the other.

    Su-hyeun watched the parasites fall to the ground one by one and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Well, that¡¯s quick and simple.¡±

    Accumulating a lot of points was what the trio¡ªSu-hyeun, Sun Wukong, and Luslec¡ªdecided to accomplish first and foremost.

    [Accumulated points: 9,456,770.]

    [Remaining time: 04:01:13.]

    Su-hyeun had already amassed quite a lot of points, thereby shooting past the necessary point minimum of one million a long time ago. As for the 8.4 million extra points in his possession, they would probably be linked to the additional rewards awarded after the mission itself.

    Also¡­

    [Current ranking¡­]

    [1st: Sun Wukong]

    [2nd: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [3rd: Luslec]

    [4th: Reoric Dusa]

    [5th: Grang Lou]

    ¡­

    The names of Sun Wukong, Su-hyeun, and Luslec were recorded one after the other on the official ranking list, and all those listed in the rankings had their names displayed right above their heads in crimson letters.

    After the 12th-hour mark arrived, the names of the participants had appeared in red letters above their heads.

    ¡°It¡¯s so obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    This display seemed to openly tell them to fight.

    Just as Su-hyeun suspected, the first half was about hunting the parasites down, while in the latter half, the mission¡¯s topic had switched more toward the participants battling each other to steal away accumulated points.

    The ranking was compiled according to how many points one currently possessed, but that wasn¡¯t the end of the story. The names were even displayed openly to indicate who possessed how many points.

    In other words, the mission was designed in such a way to encourage everyone to aim for an instant reversal of fortune by attacking the participants with lots of points.

    ¡°Well, thanks to that¡­¡±

    Giii-iiiing¡­

    Su-hyeun turned around after sensing this heavy pressure bearing down on his shoulders.

    ¡°I get to fish out guys like that one, so there¡¯s that.¡±

    Pa-bababak¡ª!

    BOOM¡ª!

    Dozens of arrows flew in and stabbed into the very spot where Su-hyeun had been standing, and right at that same moment, his figure pounced and flew in a direction.

    ¡°What the fu¡ª?!¡±

    ¡°What kind of reaction is¡­?!¡±

    His opponents this time were two individuals. One of them was a magician capable of casting gravity-type magic, while the other one was an archer-type fighter that dealt with bows and arrows.

    These two seemed to have formed a team.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t what I¡¯m looking for.¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Smack¡ª!

    Pow¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s scabbard flew out and landed one blow each to the heads of the two. The impact force caused their eyes to roll over, and they limply crumbled where they stood.

    Plop¡­

    Thud¡­

    [You acquired 493,882 points.]

    [You acquired 402,122 points.]

    ¡°They were small fries.¡±

    It seemed that this duo was thinking of defeating him and snatching away a ton of points in one go. They probably planned to flee if their sneak attack didn¡¯t work because their skills weren¡¯t all that great for a pair of people daring to brazenly attack him.

    ¡°Did something happen on your end?¡±

    That voice belonged to Luslec.

    ¡°Did a fight break out over there?¡±

    Right after that, Sun Wukong¡¯s voice came to Su-hyeun.

    Luslec transmitted his voice through the marble in Su-hyeun¡¯s possession, while Sun Wukong sent his voice through ¡°Voice Transmission¡± that used his Dao energy.

    ¡°No, nothing happened this side.¡±

    ¡°Ah, really?¡±

    ¡°I guess it was another small fry.¡±

    The trio maintained a certain distance from each other while moving around. The reason for that was simple: to sweep everything away. They would eventually run into predators or whatever was also out there if they did that.

    The points would naturally accumulate while they continued to hunt down the parasites, anyway. Besides, if one of their own team members fell into danger somehow, they could rush to each other¡¯s aid almost instantly.

    ¡°This place is far bigger than I thought. I figured we¡¯d run into one quite easily, but this¡­¡±

    ¡°I think this place is about a quarter of the world you¡¯ve been living in, Mister Su-hyeun. It¡¯s not that large, in other words.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s already big enough, though. I¡¯m not sure if we will ever run into them at this rate.¡±

    All three of them possessed an ability to command a legion¡ªSu-hyeun with his trait of Necromancer, Luslec with his necromancy technique that controlled souls, and Sun Wukong with his cloning technique.

    Their abilities were rather specialized in hunting-type missions like this one. They could hunt down the parasites in all directions, so their comparative advantage versus the other participants was rather obvious.

    Without a doubt, the predators must be searching for Su-hyeun¡¯s team even right now, or so Su-hyeun thought. Somewhat ironically, however, the predators hadn¡¯t made any moves yet.

    ¡°It looks like one of them is quite smart.¡±

    Luslec agreed with Su-hyeun¡¯s suspicion.

    ¡°Well, one of them was supposedly forming a team, after all. Maybe it¡¯s a perfectionist, which sounds rather odd.¡±

    A predator was basically a walking lump of avarice. It wanted to become even stronger by devouring a world, which would, in turn, allow them to become a complete god later on. That¡¯s what those creatures were after.

    And such powerful desires were bound to overcome one¡¯s reasoning. However, every once in a while, you¡¯d find some individuals possessing powerful mental strengths capable of suppressing such desires. Which meant that¡­

    ¡°A predator that¡¯s a lump of avarice and possesses an even tougher mental strength than its own desire,¡± Su-hyeun pondered.

    Just how tough would its mind be, then?

    Su-hyeun abruptly recalled what Ellid told him.

    ¡°The most important things in magic are one¡¯s will and spell formulas. Those are the beginning and the end of all magic, and one¡¯s will is a result of one¡¯s strong mental strength.¡±

    Those were the very first words Ellid said when he started teaching Su-hyeun magic theory.

    One¡¯s strong will came from one¡¯s strong mental strength, which sounded rather plainly obvious, and possessing a stronger mental strength would result in greater firepower of a spell even if the spell itself was the same as what the weaker individual used.

    ¡°If that predator is proficient in magic-type abilities¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun then recalled the second predator he had run into. That creature was different from the first one in that it preferred to fight while relying on magical abilities.

    A small sigh escaped from Su-hyeun¡¯s lips. ¡°I guess it¡¯s going to get troublesome, then.¡±

    Normally, he wouldn¡¯t be this worried. He was the natural enemy of all magicians, after all.

    Even though he did learn quite a bit about magic, Su-hyeun¡¯s fighting style still shined the most when he went for close-quarter combat. He had been focusing most of his training in the ways of countering magicians to prepare for his battle against Fafnir, after all, thus, the equipment adorning his body, plus all the skills and habits he had acquired over the years. Everything he had was dedicated to fighting magician-type enemies.

    This was also the reason why he could quickly come up with a way to defeat the predator during the last trial.

    Even if that¡¯s the case, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t exactly enjoy the absolute advantage over the magicians. The sole creature that did defeat Su-hyeun was Fafnir, after all.

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    While using his Sage¡¯s Eye to look around, Su-hyeun¡¯s vision caught a rather disharmonious scenery out there, and the moment he confirmed that, Sun Wukong¡¯s voice reached him.

    ¡°Hey, little bro, do you see it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Sure enough, Sun Wukong too seemed to have discovered something similar to what Su-hyeun was seeing.

    ¡°Should we avoid it?¡±

    Luslec¡¯s voice came after that, but that only triggered Sun Wukong.

    ¡°You mad?! Of course, we go and say hello.¡±

    ¡°I somehow knew you¡¯d say that.¡±

    For some reason, Su-hyeun thought he could hear a soft sigh in Luslec¡¯s reply, which wasn¡¯t surprising, really. Luslec was the type to not enjoy anything that might prove to be too annoying. Although his personality seemed cruel and merciless, that didn¡¯t mean he actively enjoyed fighting.

    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s going to get annoying, for sure.¡±

    Su-hyeun was the same as him, though. He would¡¯ve preferred to avoid any unnecessary fighting if possible.

    ¡°Besides, it doesn¡¯t seem like one or two people, either¡­¡±

    The location in front of him, as seen through the Sage¡¯s Eye, was dyed in a pitch-black aura. Meaning, ominous magical energy had completely blanketed the area.

    The same story applied to both Luslec and Sun Wukong. Just like how there was a group waiting for Su-hyeun to walk into their trap, there seemed to be other groups also lying in wait for Luslec and Sun Wukong.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to get a bit more serious now.¡±

    Su-hyeun leisurely walked forward, feigning complete ignorance, and that¡¯s how he willingly walked into a trap lying in wait for him.

    * * *

    A single leaf of the World Tree was as big as a small-sized city, and this was where dozens of participants were hiding while holding their breaths.

    ¡°He¡¯s coming,¡± a participant named Nahuru who was acting as a temporary leader of this group quietly said while staring at one person, making sure not to get detected by him, and raised his hand.

    At that signal, dozens of participants held their breaths once more and cautiously roused up their magical energy.

    [Kim Su-hyeun]

    The name written in crimson letters was floating over the head of their opponent who was leisurely walking toward their position from afar.

    Kim Su-hyeun was currently second place in the points ranking. If they could defeat him here, then there wouldn¡¯t be a need to wander around and hunt those parasites down with great difficulty. To them, his defeat would mean that they would acquire, never mind three or four hundred points but, millions in one go!

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to have noticed us yet. Just a little closer. A little bit closer to us and then¡­!¡±

    Nahuru¡¯s raised hand began twitching, and the moment he swung his hand down would mean that this operation would commence.

    Step, step¡­

    Su-hyeun¡¯s steps gradually slowed down, and the distance narrowed.

    ¡°One hundred meters, no, just 50 more¡­¡±

    Nahuru held his breath. He then also began cautiously rousing up his magical energy and counted down inwardly while sharpening all of his senses to their extreme.

    The distance gradually closed up, and just as Su-hyeun¡¯s foot reached the very spot that Nahuru was thinking of¡­

    ¡°Now¡ª¡± Nahuru, about to lower his hand, came to a stuttering halt. ¡°Huh?¡±

    Su-hyeun had vanished from their view and the spot where he was standing until a second ago.

    And on top of that¡­

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Scwwwhing¡ª!

    Nahuru quickly spun his body around and swung the shortsword that he held in his hand.

    CLANG¡ª!

    At the same time, his shortsword shattered into thousands of pieces to scatter everywhere.

 Chapter 385

    Snip, slice¡ª

    Screeeeek¡ª

    Nahuru¡¯s face got pelted by the countless blade fragments, and he hurriedly retreated from there. His movements were surprisingly agile, and his reflex was quite commendable, too.

    Tumble¡­

    The hilt, or what remained of the shortsword, fell to the floor.

    As for Su-hyeun, he was staring at the fallen shortsword despite standing in the middle of dozens of participants.

    Plop¡ª

    Right after that, two other participants collapsed without warning.

    ¡°Just when did he¡ª?!¡±

    ¡°Do not shrink back! What can you even do after getting scared by your enemy?!¡± Nahuru roared and yanked out another shortsword while gritting his teeth.

    Although he got flustered just now, he quickly reined in his composure, and after his command jolted the others awake, the dozens of participants simultaneously roused up their magical powers and got into their battle stance.

    ¡°Dammit. Just how did he even find out?¡± Nahuru thought.

    The reason why Nahuru agreed to lead this team was that he possessed the ability that specialized in assassination. His ability allowed him to cloak not only his presence and his magical energy emission but also everyone within a certain radius.

    But now, his main ability was no longer relevant in the current situation. Su-hyeun had already discovered their position and closed the distance in the blink of an eye. Two of them had been defeated already, and Nahuru¡¯s weapon had been broken.

    ¡°However, we¡¯re still in the advantageous position.¡± Nahuru gritted his teeth and then placed his palm on the floor.

    Jiii-iiiiing¡ª

    When he did, the surrounding terrain was suddenly blanketed by deep darkness, and the thinly dispersed magical energy began vibrating viciously.

    Shu-wu, shu-wuwuwu¡­

    [Ghostly Night ¨C Killing Five Senses]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s surroundings had transformed into pure darkness. All presence seemed to have disappeared, and even his vision was blocked now.

    ¡°It¡¯s fairly similar to the skill Thomas uses,¡± Su-hyeun thought to himself.

    Having said that, it was certainly inferior to Thomas¡¯s skill, the Dark World.

    Compared to the Dark World, which not only blocked off all five senses but also interfered with one¡¯s mind, this ability simply suppressed the target¡¯s five senses.

    ¡°Well, it seems like there¡¯s another effect of restricting one¡¯s physical abilities to a degree, but even then¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun clenched and unfurled his fist a couple of times to experiment with the level of restriction this space exerted on him.

    He discovered that its influence extended past interfering with his senses; it even messes with his equilibrium. To exert this level of interference to his perception in such a large area through their abilities, these people would have needed quite a lot of preparation.

    ¡°So the trap they had laid out for me was¡­just this?¡±

    Su-hyeun knew they laid out a trap for him. He knew that they had dispersed magical energy over a wide area, and he was also aware that they prepared some kind of space-type magic. That¡¯s why he was kind of looking forward to this encounter, thinking that he might get to learn something here if all went well.

    But this¡­

    ¡°What a letdown.¡±

    Swish¡ª

    Pii-pii-piiit¡ª

    Su-hyeun slightly tilted his body this way and that to evade the incoming shortsword. The sword swings were surprisingly well-honed without any wasted movements, and the speed was also on the ¡°fast¡± side.

    The shortsword itself was the same as the one Su-hyeun shattered just now.

    ¡°Not visible to one¡¯s eye doesn¡¯t mean one can¡¯t dodge it, though.¡±

    A fight wasn¡¯t fought using just one¡¯s eyes, but that also didn¡¯t mean one depended on all five senses all the time, either. No, it would be the sixth sense¡ªthe one sense that exceeded all the others.

    Only when one was capable of combining extraordinary ¡°instinct¡± and the necessary experience to merge all the senses together could one legitimately claim to be using the full extent of their abilities.

    ¡°Actually¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun tilted his head to the side before slashing down with his sword.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Clang¡ª, slice¡ª

    He felt the sensation of something breaking, followed by the tip of his sword cutting through something else, but then Su-hyeun¡¯s lips stretched into a smile as he remained in this world where all five of his senses were restricted.

    ¡°It¡¯s far scarier when you can¡¯t evade no matter what, even though you can clearly see it coming.¡±

    <hr />

    Pant, pant¡­!

    Nahuru was harshly panting at this point.

    Driiiip¡­

    The floor beneath his feet was getting soggy, but that¡¯s because of all the blood coming from the scattered corpses on the floor.

    Around half of them had been defeated already in less than a few minutes, a proverbial blink of an eye.

    And also¡­

    ¡°My¡­my arm¡­¡±

    Nahuru¡¯s own arm had been severed as well.

    Toss¡ª

    Su-hyeun discarded a severed arm in his hand on the floor. The displeasure on his face was like that of someone who just touched a disgusting bug or some such. However, not one trace of suffering from tiredness or anything like that could be seen on him.

    ¡°Huh? Did you run away? That was quick,¡± Su-hyeun muttered quite annoyed, which sent a deathly chill down Nahuru¡¯s spine.

    Did he say ¡°quick¡±?

    Nahuru used his team members as distractions and sneak-attacked from behind, but Su-hyeun easily countered that.

    That counter couldn¡¯t completely be evaded; in the end, Nahuru had no choice but to give up his arm and quickly create some distance.

    ¡°His five senses should definitely be paralyzed by now, so how¡­?¡±

    For someone suffering from such a restriction, his movements were just too natural. Actually, he was much faster and far more precise than people with perfectly functioning five senses.

    Su-hyeun, who was moving around untroubled until then, suddenly furrowed his brow and softly muttered to no one in particular, ¡°Hmm¡­This is a lot more uncomfortable than I thought.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    When he did, his arm transformed into a flame. More correctly, it wasn¡¯t just his arm, but half of his entire body was instantly enveloped by the fierce flames as the light in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes sharpened considerably.

    [Flame ¨C Transformation]

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡­!¡± Nahuru cursed inwardly and cried out loudly, ¡°Everyone, duck¡ª!¡±

    Right after that¡­

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Along with the noise of something blowing up, the darkness blanketing the surroundings was instantly overwhelmed by the bright light.

    Ruuuuumbleeeee¡ª

    Nahuru flew himself to the side in a hurry, but his legs still caught fire. He thought he managed to evade, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t prevent the flames from reaching him.

    ¡°Aaaahk?! Ahhhk!¡±

    Smack, slap¡ª!

    Nahuru urgently tried to put out the fire burning his legs by smothering it, but that didn¡¯t work, so he drove his magical energy to his hands and struggled in vain to kill the flames. However, the pain shooting from his burning legs only got worse.

    ¡°Aaaaahk?!¡±

    ¡°So, it was you? The one who swung around a shortsword?¡±

    Trudge¡ª

    Hiss, sizzle¡­

    Su-hyeun¡¯s voice came from near Nahuru¡¯s head, and at the same time, the fire burning his legs went out, and the pain lessened by a bit.

    Nahuru wasn¡¯t the one responsible for killing the fire, but Su-hyeun was.

    ¡°Euh, euh¡­¡±

    Even though Nahuru boasted strong tolerance to pain, a burn wound was easily the absolute worst pain a human being could experience.

    He continued to moan in pain, but he still managed to suppress it to a degree. He then scanned his surroundings. He observed that the surface of the World Tree that didn¡¯t even get singed by regular flames had been melted down. On top of that, most of the participants that had formed the team with him were lying on the ground, unmoving.

    As for the surviving few, they had already lost their will to fight.

    Su-hyeun was perfectly fine even when compared to the beginning of this battle, while the space of darkness that Nahuru had constructed was gone as well.

    There was no point in continuing with this battle anymore.

    ¡°If you were laying down a trap, you probably would¡¯ve had better luck by coming up with a way to restrict my physical abilities, instead. Even if you worked hard to restrict my senses, it¡¯d be useless if it doesn¡¯t work as intended, you see.¡±

    ¡°But such a thing is impossible¡­!¡±

    ¡°Your trap is meant to interfere with one¡¯s senses by producing vibration through magical energy, after all. So, simply detecting that vibration will render your trap completely useless.¡±

    Crunch¡­

    ¡°Kkeuh,¡± Nahuru moaned softly in pain when Su-hyeun stepped on his hand and pressed it down hard. The pain he felt should be as bad as his hand bones turning into fine dust, yet he still didn¡¯t scream. It seemed that his tolerance to pain was quite considerable.

    ¡°The burn wound on your legs can be fully healed if you deal with it as soon as possible. If you answer me truthfully, then never mind letting you go, I¡¯ll also heal you.¡±

    ¡°What¡­what do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that this many people would¡¯ve come together naturally. How did it happen?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re weak, then at least you should use the numbers game. You¡¯re asking the obvious here.¡±

    ¡°So, you all just came together, is that it? Like, organically?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°And you want me to believe that?¡±

    ¡°If you want me to come with a non-existent reason, then sure, I can do that. Is that what you want?¡±

    ¡°No, not really.¡±

    Stab¡ª!

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Su-hyeun thrust his hand into the right side of Nahuru¡¯s chest. Although he was definitely not a fan of the sensation of torn flesh and blood wetting his hand, there was something he wanted that was embedded right here.

    His action caused Nahuru to cough. ¡°What are you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t sound all that convincing with this kind of thing buried in your body, you see.¡±

    Ba-dump, ba-dump¡­

    A rather small black sphere-like object was palpitating in Su-hyeun¡¯s palm. It looked like a small artificial heart. Despite having a hole in the right side of his chest, Nahuru still made a stupefied face after seeing a weird object getting pulled out from his body. ¡°Just¡­what the hell is¡­?¡±

    ¡°You can see it for yourself right now.¡±

    ¡°Kkeuh¡­¡±

    ¡°Kkeuh-aaaaahk¡ª!¡±

    Nahuru¡¯s comrades who were lying unmoving everywhere began screaming without any warning whatsoever.

    They barely managed to survive after fighting Su-hyeun, yet they were now screaming with their eyes rolled over. Their blood vessels, now black in color, began bulging all over their skins as well.

    Soon after that, their bodies withered at a visible pace to resemble mummies. Nahuru stared at this scene in an utter daze.

    ¡°Those bastards never planned to let you guys live in the first place. They are getting rid of you now since it¡¯s almost time, or they think you¡¯re no longer useful.¡±

    ¡°Son of a¡ª!¡±

    ¡°You probably have been thinking that you were actually using them for your own gain. Or maybe, you had to cooperate since you needed each other¡¯s powers. Judging from your personality, I¡¯m guessing that you thought they were practically your comrades¡­¡±

    Pop¡ª!

    Su-hyeun burst the palpitating black heart in his hand and continued to speak, ¡°I hope you realized it by now, that you¡¯ve been fooled.¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Nahuru touched the blood trickling down from the wound on his chest and bit down hard on his lower lip.

    ¡°That bastard definitely said it was an elixir that supplements one¡¯s magical energy reserve,¡± Nahuru thought.

    That was a lie, and he and his comrades all fell for such an obvious lie.

    The reason for that was simple enough: if they hadn¡¯t accepted that explanation right away, they would have been killed on the spot, after all.

    Even so, he wanted to believe that he became a team member with such powerful creatures.

    ¡°What with things like this, I¡¯m sure you can no longer deny your connection to them. So, where are they right¡ª?¡± Su-hyeun suddenly stopped talking and turned his head.

    His sudden action caused Nahuru to make a puzzled face. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Paht¡ª!

    Right at that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure vanished from the spot. Nahuru flinched nastily in surprise and urgently forced his body to stand up. ¡°H¡ªhey, wait! What about my legs¡­ Eh?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Lick¡ª

    Nahuru felt something wet and slimy behind his head. When he turned to look, he discovered a red dragon with a huge body was busy licking the back of his head.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    <hr />

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang that had been widened flew forward. Veins bulged on both of Sun Wukong¡¯s arms as he swung the gigantic Ruyi Jingu Bang around to sweep everything away in his vicinity.

    Kwa-gagagagak¡ª!

    ¡°Aaaahk!¡±

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang enlarged to the size of a small mountain like this was an incredibly threatening weapon even if the wielder only moved it by a bit.

    Sun Wukong maintained a grin on his face while fighting against dozens of participants that tried to pounce on him. ¡°Been so long since I had this much fun!¡±

    Swooooosh¡ª!

    One of his hands let go of the Ruyi Jingu Bang¡¯s shaft, and then, he spun around to punch with that hand.

    Smash¡ª!

    At the same time, a sharp spike made out of bones collided with his fist to shatter into pieces before clattering to the floor.

    ¡°What the heck? Why is it so soft and squishy?¡± Sun Wukong smirked while withdrawing his hand before punching the air in the direction of the one responsible for throwing that bone spear or spike or whatever at him from far away.

    POW¡ª!

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    The air expanding rapidly from his punch reached the participant in the distance and blew apart the latter¡¯s head.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? The distance doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±

    Shu-aaaahk¡ª

    Pahk¡­

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang shrunk back down to its normal size and settled on Sun Wukong¡¯s hand. He then swept his gaze over the remaining participants.

    A total of five were still on their feet, but they all seemed to have lost their desire to fight because they were stumbling back in fear.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Sun Wukong took a look at them before tutting softly. For sure, it wasn¡¯t his style to fight against opponents who were not willing.

    He then raised his head, and while staring at the empty air above, he said, ¡°Stop spectating. Why don¡¯t you come out already?¡±

 Chapter 386

    Act 5

    Shu-rururu¡­

    The space above with seemingly nothing in it blurred and wavered around.

    Sun Wukong planted the Ruyi Jingu Bang on the ground, then stood still while watching the wavering space above.

    A short while later¡­

    Split¡ª!

    A huge black eye opened its firmly shut eyelids and finally revealed itself.

    ¡°Is it an Evil Eye Phantom? But it¡¯s kinda too big for that,¡± Sun Wukong muttered while recalling a certain Yogoe existing in his world that happened to be a floating eyeball like this one. ¡°I guess only your looks are the same and not much else, judging from how different you feel. Hey, you! Where are you, anyway?¡±

    ¡°You actually discovered me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d miss something as grotesque as you. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m blind or anything, anyway. Stop hiding like a coward and come out already.¡± Sun Wukong pointed his Ruyi Jingu Bang at the eyeball. ¡°I want to fight you.¡±

    ¡°Fight me, huh?¡±

    The wide-open eye slowly narrowed to a slit. It wasn¡¯t simply narrowing, though, but it actually looked like it was smiling.

    ¡°That sounds like an amusing proposition.¡±

    ¡°You think so, too? It¡¯s gonna be fun, right?¡±

    ¡°But why should I do that? If we get technical about it, is there a reason for me to fight you in the first place?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Too scared and wanna run away?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not running away. Surely, you also don¡¯t consider yourself running away when you ignore a barking mutt, now do you?¡±

    That remark was meant to completely look down on Sun Wukong. It would¡¯ve only been natural to get angry at that, but he didn¡¯t lose his cool. He had already won the fight to fall for such an obvious provocation like that, after all.

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re enjoying yourself.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. I¡¯ve already outpointed you, after all. Wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an immature way of thinking. A victory achieved without fighting is the truly worthy victory.¡±

    ¡°Nah, that¡¯s the excuse of a coward running away.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? There¡¯s no helping it if you think that way. I¡¯ll just take back my interests from here now, then.¡±

    ¡°Your interests?¡±

    Kkeuh-aaaaah¡ª!

    A scream suddenly resounded, but it didn¡¯t come from just one place; several screams broke out in several places simultaneously.

    Sun Wukong quickly shifted his gaze to the screaming participants, the enemies that he had been fighting against not too long ago.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat the heck?¡± Sun Wukong got flustered while witnessing them become emaciated rapidly, but it didn¡¯t take him long to realize why this was happening. He gritted his teeth, ¡°Hey, is this your doing?¡±

    ¡°These pawns weren¡¯t as useful as I thought, you see. I was thinking of retrieving them at the end after acquiring the points, but now, my schedule has been brought forward by a little bit.¡±

    ¡°Was this your true intention when you started gathering all these people?¡±

    ¡°Obviously. Should there be another reason? You thought I¡¯d really act together with them to clear this mission?¡±

    The eyeball¡¯s voice was filled with clear ridicule.

    ¡°No, they were simply tools to make my life a little bit easier, that¡¯s all. It would have been preferable if they succeeded in hunting you down, though.¡±

    ¡°You stinking little punk¡­¡±

    Grit¡­

    Sun Wukong¡¯s expression distorted hideously.

    The eyeball merely blinked several times in confusion at his rage.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Weren¡¯t you trying to kill them earlier? I do not understand the reason for this anger.¡±

    ¡°You think this and that are the same?!¡±

    ¡°Dying is still the same either way. I¡¯m still not sure what¡¯s different about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry about their death but pissed off at what you did just now.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Does that mean I¡¯ve outpointed you now, then?¡± answered the eyeball¡¯s voice thickly laced with mocking laughter. ¡°I¡¯ve managed to make you angry, after all.¡±

    Those words finally flipped Sun Wukong¡¯s switch. ¡°You as*hole! Where are you right now?!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­I wonder. Where could I be? But I don¡¯t see why I should tell you that now and have to deal with you at this junc¡ª¡±

    Right at that moment, the voice suddenly came to a stop, and the eyeball opened even wider. Silence descended in the area.

    On the other hand, Sun Wukong¡¯s eyes that were filled with rage until then suddenly shifted in the opposite direction. ¡°Looks like they found you,¡± he said, the corners of his lips curling. Then, he lifted up the Ruyi Jingu Bang that was resting below him in the air. After pointing his trusty staff at the floating eyeball, Sun Wukong opened his mouth and commanded, ¡°Extend, Ruyi.¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Stab¡ª

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang rapidly extended and stabbed straight into the center of the large eyeball, and then¡­

    ¡°Get bigger¡­¡±

    Gigigigik¡ª

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    ¡°Ruyi.¡±

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang heeded Sun Wukong¡¯s will and grew dozens of meters in width, utterly ripping apart the eyeball in the process.

    ¡°Well, that makes me feel a bit better.¡± Sun Wukong shrunk the Ruyi Jingu Bang before slinging it on his shoulder. Soon after that, moisture rapidly gathered in the air above to create a cloud. He lightly jumped up on the cloud that was created through his Dao energy. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±

    <hr />

    Ruuuumbleee¡­

    Crumble, tumble¡­

    Humongous walls of flames blanketed the entire area. It was none other than Su-hyeun¡¯s doing.

    Su-hyeun rode on the Somersault cloud at its fastest speed to arrive at the top of the World Tree, and the first thing he saw after he got there was a man who was sitting cross-legged on the ground by the corner. The moment he confirmed this sight, Su-hyeun spread his divine Flame around to isolate the surrounding space.

    [Flame ¨C Territory Declaration]

    This ability of his burned the ones deemed his enemies while blocking all space-type magic spells; an average opponent would¡¯ve been burned to ashes simply by being inside it. However, this man showed no signs of getting burned, and he simply stood up on his feet.

    Nonetheless, he did look somewhat stunned. ¡°How did you find me?¡±

    ¡°Not finding you would¡¯ve been even stranger after you acted so openly like this.¡±

    ¡°But you definitely¡­¡± The man furrowed his brow.

    He had been observing countless participants through equally countless eyes. That was this man¡¯s¡ªthe predator¡¯s¡ªability.

    His reason for spying on everyone was quite simple: to locate everyone so that they could be eliminated at any given moment.

    ¡°Cannot be here.¡±

    As such, the predator was deeply puzzled by Su-hyeun¡¯s entrance.

    He definitely had been observing Su-hyeun with one of his eyes. The latter had eliminated all the participants trying to sneak attack him and was currently headed elsewhere.

    But now, Su-hyeun had appeared in this place somehow. It was such a bizarre thing for two of the same person to exist in two different places.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard to fool a single eyeball, though,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Illusion¡± was the field of magic Su-hyeun specialized in, after all, and he had been focusing most of his studies on this field and worked hard to master it because he had been wondering if the tower¡¯s system was an extension of the illusion-type magic.

    Of course, no matter how much Su-hyeun trained in the illusion-type magic, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to fool the predator standing right before him. However, what he cast the illusion on wasn¡¯t the predator¡¯s main body but just a single eyeball out of over a thousand being controlled by the monster.

    ¡°Hah¡­¡± the predator sighed, quickly realizing what had happened even without listening to Su-hyeun¡¯s explanation. He also realized that Su-hyeun traced his position by using the eyeball. ¡°Well, that was my mistake, indeed.¡±

    The predator had taken his opponent too lightly. He had no choice but to accept that fact. He certainly didn¡¯t expect not only Sun Wukong but also Su-hyeun to easily detect the positions of the eyeballs he had assigned to them.

    Moreover, he never imagined that Su-hyeun would use that very eyeball to track down his position like this. ¡°It seems there was someone smarter than my initial estimation.¡±

    ¡°My third brother is a bit simplistic, though.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right about that. I mean, he figured it out so late when it¡¯s this easy and all.¡±

    Rumble¡­

    Luslec said that while entering the divine Flame¡¯s space Su-hyeun had created. This was possible because Su-hyeun didn¡¯t recognize him as an enemy. The divine Flame didn¡¯t harm anyone Su-hyeun had acknowledged as his ally, after all.

    ¡°But, well, that¡¯s one of his charming points,¡± Luslec smirked and stared at the predator.

    The creature frowned slightly as if that smirk soured his mood. He then lightly waved his hand around, causing the space Su-hyeun created to briefly ripple.

    What happened was that the predator used his power to get rid of this space and failed at it.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you trying to flee from here?¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡­

    The aura oozing out from Luslec¡¯s body canceled the aura coming out from the predator. The latter¡¯s expression became even more displeased at how this newcomer was interfering with his power.

    ¡°Or you got too scared and wanted to call a friend? Maybe your mommy? Choose wisely, though. Someone that will definitely be of help, in any case.¡±

    ¡°You bastard¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh? Are you angry? Wow, you¡¯re angry, aren¡¯t you? Goodness me, you should¡¯ve said so sooner. I would¡¯ve started mocking you even sooner if you did, you know?¡± Luslec cackled annoyingly.

    Maybe it was Luslec¡¯s trademark flippant cackling or the contents of his words, but whatever it was, the predator¡¯s face stopped maintaining that calm look and distorted even further in rage.

    Soon after that, a dense murderous aura leaked out from the entire figure of the predator. His eyes shone in a nightmarish crimson hue as he glared at Luslec. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll enjoy a painless death.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure. Thanks for that corny line that I¡¯m so sick of hearing.¡±

    ¡°Come, then.¡±

    Riiiip, tear¡ª!

    The moment the predator said that, the space behind Su-hyeun and Luslec tore open, and two more figures¡ªa man and a woman¡ªappeared. Su-hyeun and Luslec looked at them and immediately realized that the pair were also predators.

    Luslec made another quip, ¡°Are you two feeling alright? I mean, forcing your way in here must¡¯ve taken a lot out of you two.¡±

    ¡°You can still run your mouth off in this situation? That is certainly amazing. I acknowledge that.¡±

    The aura leaking out from the figures of the two new predators spread around suspiciously.

    Rumble, hiss¡­

    At the same time, the divine Flame Su-hyeun had spread out grew blurry by a little, and the space seemed to ripple. Then, the aura leaked out by the trio of predators began taking over the surroundings.

    The predator that had been there from the beginning smirked deeply again. It was a grin of someone who had regained his composure. ¡°It seems that our side has a higher number now, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Just as the predators grew puzzled by Su-hyeun¡¯s reply¡­

    Paht, pahat¡ª!

    Both Su-hyeun and Luslec quickly leaped from their spots as if they had a prior agreement.

    ¡°Get bigger¡ª!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª!

    A loud voice powerfully rocked the surroundings.

    ¡°Ruyi!¡±

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    Almost right away, the Ruyi Jingu Bang that had grown large enough to sweep the entire terrain slammed into the figures of all three predators.

    Creak, creaaaaaaak¡ª!

    Two of the predators were pushed back, but they also raised their hands simultaneously to block the Ruyi Jingu Bang and managed to withstand the impact force.

    Shrink¡ª

    When that happened, Sun Wukong shrunk the Ruyi Jingu Bang back and retrieved it. He opened his eyes in amazement and stared at the predators. ¡°Oh, you actually stopped that?¡±

    His face showed how excited he was right now. However, the light burning in his eyes was completely the opposite of what his smiling lips were expressing.

    His eyes burned scarily as if he was deeply angry right now. It seemed that he was still enraged by what happened earlier.

    Ache, burn¡­

    The two predators who managed to block the Ruyi Jingu Bang felt the numbing pain shooting from their palms and clenched their fists tightly.

    It might have been a brief exchange of moves, but that was already enough.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t an ordinary man, then.¡±

    ¡°Is he also a hound?¡±

    The two grinned widely enough to display their pearly-white teeth. They had been itching for some action, after all.

    ¡°Looks like now we have some parity in numbers.¡±

    The two predators chuckled after thinking that they might get to enjoy some proper fighting now.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Our numbers, you say? You think so?¡±

    Poof, poof, poof¡ª!

    Suddenly, a thick fog descended everywhere. Right after that, hundreds of clones with the exact same face as Sun Wukong completely filled up the surroundings.

    The predators gradually froze up while watching these ¡°Sun Wukongs¡± who were all carrying their Ruyi Jingu Bangs on their shoulders appear.

    ¡°Alright. How about now?¡±

 Chapter 387

    Smirk¡­

    Sun Wukong¡¯s lips spread wide open, revealing his pearly-white teeth.

    Almost at the same time, the three predators were overcome with this ominous foreboding and simultaneously made their moves.

    ¡°Get bigger¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get bigger¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get bigger¡ª¡±

    The activation phrase was uttered from everywhere at the same time.

    The clones speaking in the exact same voice got into the exact same stance and pointed their Ruyi Jingu Bangs.

    ¡°Ruyi¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ruyi¡ª¡±

    Ka-ka-boom¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bangs fired and tore apart the surface of the false World Tree¡¯s branch. The floor got gouged out, a thick dust cloud got kicked up, and the surroundings fell into pandemonium in an instant.

    The trio of predators flung themselves upward and evaded the hundreds of Ruyi Jingu Bangs. They still had to punch a few away or even had to defend against them, however.

    Of course, there was no reply to Sun Wukong¡¯s question. There was no reason to answer, though; even a blind person could tell that the trio was under an overwhelming disadvantage in numbers here.

    The three predators swept their gazes over Sun Wukong¡¯s clones.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion.¡±

    ¡°They all can¡¯t be the real body¡­Are they summons instead?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it, either.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense since every single one of them possesses the same type of aura.¡±

    ¡°What an amusing ability. Ever since I first saw it through my ¡®eye,¡¯ I have been wondering what kind of trickery it was.¡±

    However, it didn¡¯t look like the predators were flustered by this development or anything like that. On the contrary, they seemed to be rejoicing right now.

    ¡°We now have more prey.¡±

    ¡°Even though the points we¡¯ll get remain the same.¡±

    ¡°Even then, don¡¯t they look rather delectable? Who cares about points or whatever?¡±

    Driiip¡­

    After the trio of predators landed back on the solid ground; one of them began licking its lips with a long tongue.

    Sun Wukong found that lengthy, snake-like tongue disgusting to behold and began dry-retching. The animal he hated the most happened to be snakes, after all. ¡°Hey, little bro. You take care of that one. I¡¯m graciously yielding that one to you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sure thing. Thanks a bunch.¡±

    ¡°In that case, let me deal with that punk over there.¡±

    ¡°Nope, that one¡¯s mine.¡±

    Pang¡ª!

    When Luslec spoke up, Sun Wukong resolutely shook his head and then pounded his fist on his palm. ¡°I¡¯m gonna beat the living snot out of that bastard, you see.¡±

    His expression showed how pissed off he was right now.

    Su-hyeun could only sigh softly at that. He began thinking that if things went any further south here, then he might accidentally end up getting swept up in Sun Wukong¡¯s fight.

    Sun Wukong¡¯s current state suggested that he wouldn¡¯t care about his surroundings during his fight.

    ¡°Shall we change the location?¡± Su-hyeun asked the predator he was in charge of.

    In response, the creature merely smirked before asking, ¡°Is there a reason for that?¡±

    ¡°I think things might get really messy if we remain here and fight, you see.¡±

    ¡°No need for that. This fight will end very soon any¡ª¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    The predator couldn¡¯t finish the rest of its sentence, as a powerful hand suddenly grabbed it by the throat.

    ¡°Just shut up and come with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Su-hyeun had closed the distance and tightly gripped the predator¡¯s throat even before the latter had the chance to realize what happened. He then powerfully leaped into the air.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    A thick dust cloud got kicked up again in the surroundings, and the other predator became slightly flustered by the event that happened in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Should we change locations as well?¡±

    ¡°Sure, whatever.¡±

    Luslec turned around to leave, prompting the other predator to also vacate its position. That meant only Sun Wukong and the predator that had been here since the beginning remained now.

    ¡°Well, this just became rather annoying.¡± The predator swept its hair back and made a deeply irritated face.

    Nothing seemed to be working out as planned.

    All those participants the predator had gathered with some difficulty, while suppressing its own irritation, turned out to be not much of a help in the end. It might have been a bit better if their energies had been farmed beforehand, but even that seemed to be a difficult task at the moment.

    In the end, the job of mopping up had ended up as this predator¡¯s.

    ¡°Why are you standing around doing nothing?¡± Meanwhile, Sun Wukong was still stewing in his anger.

    When he began shifting the Ruyi Jingu Bang, hundreds of his clones also matched him and moved as well.

    Thinking that another attack similar to the one earlier was now coming, the predator opened its eyes wide and quickly roused up its own power.

    ¡°All right, now. Hurry and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get bigger¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get bigger¡ª

    The voices of the clones echoed throughout the entire area.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    At the same time, hundreds of Ruyi Jingu Bang slammed down on the predator.

    Sun Wukong smirked and finished the rest of his sentence, ¡°Start moving already.¡±

    <hr />

    Swhooooooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure rapidly flew forward; his hand still gripping the predator¡¯s throat.

    Rather unsurprisingly, the predator was trying to get away from Su-hyeun¡¯s grip, having been grabbed in the blink of an eye. The creature¡¯s tough and ultra-sharp nails were poised and ready to sever Su-hyeun¡¯s entire arm, but right at that moment¡­

    SMASH¡ª!

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Su-hyeun stopped flying, then powerfully slammed the predator¡¯s head into the ground below.

    Gu-wuuuuu¡ª

    The World Tree¡¯s branch sank greatly, which showed how strong his downward force was.

    He then quickly let go and used Leap to jump up and away, as the predator still tried to attack with its nails without caring about the impact force.

    Tumble, drip¡­

    ¡°Your movement is rather swift,¡± the predator said as it lifted itself from the deeply caved-in hole in the floor. It was holding its head with one hand and furrowing its brow greatly, implying that it did suffer from some amount of damage just now. ¡°You are also quite strong. It seems that you¡¯re one of the strongest among the hounds.¡±

    ¡°Does that make you one of the weaker ones among the predators, though?¡± Su-hyeun asked while lightly clenching and unfurling his fist. ¡°I mean, you couldn¡¯t even react properly and all.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself just because I fell for your sneak attack.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve mostly figured out what your personality is. It¡¯s like an open book.¡±

    Each predator held its own desire, and those desires differed from one predator to the next. Even if their desires ran the gamut of all possibilities, in the end, one particular desire would serve as the differentiator of their personalities.

    ¡°Overly egotistical and loves to show off¡ªthat¡¯s your identity and your biggest desire.¡±

    Egotistical and a show-off¡ªthese two traits make up a type of desire where one wanted to reveal oneself and proudly boast about one¡¯s greatness.

    That kind of applied to just about everyone. If you had a part about you that was quite outstanding, then you¡¯d naturally desire for the others to acknowledge it, so you¡¯d reveal yourself to the world and boast about this part of you. The animal called ¡°human¡± couldn¡¯t help but be an egotistical and boastful creature, with the only difference being the level of their desire to show off.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s easy to figure you out. You can¡¯t help but boast about yourself, after all. You just don¡¯t know how to be humble or stay incognito,¡± Su-hyeun said.

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°I have figured you out, like, just how good you are, but you¡­¡±

    Snap¡ª!

    Po-popopopow¡ª!

    The moment Su-hyeun snapped his fingers, flames exploded all around the predator.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any idea about me.¡±

    Rumble¡ª!

    Keuph

    The predator leaped outside the flames while flailing its arms about.

    Its whole body had been singed black, and a confused expression was etched on its face. Su-hyeun¡¯s flames that could easily be dealt with until a few moments ago suddenly came across as the hellish conflagration that the predator had never experienced before.

    Su-hyeun quipped again, ¡°Judging from your expression, you still don¡¯t get it, do you? Well, that¡¯s not that surprising. You haven¡¯t seen the real me yet, after all.¡±

    ¡°You still dare to run your mouth off¡­!¡±

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    Right at that moment, a thin ¡°line¡± suddenly came flying toward the predator.

    CLAAANG¡ª!

    Sliiice¡ª

    The predator¡¯s body was flung back far away. At the same time, blood sprayed out from a long sword wound cut open on the creature¡¯s arms as the creature tried to shield itself with its arms.

    ¡°Having said that, your body sure is pretty tough, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun muttered.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Clang, claaang¡ª!

    Slice, snick, splaaash¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword quickly cut apart and sliced the predator¡¯s body. The latter¡¯s eyes gleamed murderously as it reached out toward Su-hyeun¡¯s figure that appeared next to its position¡ªor more correctly, it tried to.

    Chwa-rarararak¡ª!

    Ka-claaang¡ª!

    Sturdy ¡°ropes¡± suddenly bound the predator¡¯s body. ¡°W¡ªwhat is the meaning of this?!¡±

    [Yogoe Capturing Rope]

    It was one of the six treasures Prince Nezha possessed. This weapon was capable of restricting even Sun Wukong in the past, and such an item was now binding the predator¡¯s body.

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Prince Nezha put more strength into his arms, causing the constricting force around the predator to gradually grow stronger. His own energy was also enhancing the toughness and gripping power of the Yogoe Capturing Rope with every passing second.

    Of course, that alone wasn¡¯t enough to confine the predator forever. However¡­

    ¡°This short moment is already enough for me.¡±

    Ruuumble¡­

    Half of Su-hyeun¡¯s body transformed into roaring flames.

    He activated none other than ¡°Transformation,¡± a skill he already boasted a fairly high proficiency in.

    ¡°This one will probably get a lot hotter than before,¡± said Su-hyeun while putting more strength into his arm.

    There was no need for him to emit his power outwardly here.

    Poooow¡ª!

    Su-hyeun kicked the ground and rapidly dashed forward, and after his powerful sprint, his transformed fist punched powerfully at the predator still bound by the Yogoe Capturing Rope.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    The condensed flames slammed mercilessly into the predator¡¯s body, and Su-hyeun felt the sensation coming from his fist and quietly added, ¡°It¡¯s also going to be a lot heavier.¡±

    <hr />

    Tumble, crackle¡­

    Hiss, sizzle¡­

    The predator¡¯s whole body burned fiercely and turned into charcoal. It didn¡¯t look like it had survived that attack.

    Of course, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t fall for it.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t received the points yet.¡±

    There were three ways of taking the points away after defeating another participant: kill your opponent, knock them out, or get them to surrender.

    In other words, none of the three conditions had been satisfied if the point acquisition message didn¡¯t show up.

    ¡°Are you pretending to be unconscious now?¡±

    Keuk¡ª

    When Su-hyeun asked while looking down at it, the predator distorted its lips and began sneering derisively.

    Soon, however, it began guffawing madly.

    Although it didn¡¯t have enough energy left to move its body, it seemed that the predator still had enough leeway to laugh. Su-hyeun got ready to wield his sword at any given moment, only to relax after spotting the tips of the predator¡¯s hands crumbling away.

    Even if he did nothing, this creature would soon die.

    ¡°Its body was sturdy, but it¡¯s also really weak,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun had run into two predators until now. The first one was specialized in physical battles, while the second one was specialized in magic-type abilities.

    As for the third one, the one in front of his eyes, it was closer to the first one, technically speaking. If there was one thing separating the predators, then it would be with how much weaker this one was.

    ¡°Since its mind was functioning properly, I thought it¡¯d be really strong, but that isn¡¯t really the case, it seems.¡±

    Su-hyeun naturally believed that the strength of a predator was connected to whether it was still rational or not.

    He thought that rather than fighting mindlessly and in a straightforward manner, it was far more logical to use one¡¯s reasoning and determine the best way to fight.

    Also, he figured that a creature that could still reason although its powerful desire had turned it into a predator would be a high-level existence.

    However, now, it seemed that this quandary was not necessarily like that.

    ¡°Could it be that, if you¡¯re still able to make rational decisions, then your desire as a predator isn¡¯t all that strong?¡±

    Whatever the case might be, he was still disappointed either way. This creature was no longer worth his time or attention.

    ¡°Are you finished laughing now?¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun cocked his fist once more. ¡°In that case, have a nice trip.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re all going to die.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s fist faltered a little. ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Even if you kill me, all of you will still die by that one¡¯s hands,¡± the predator chuckled insidiously.

    Even though its burnt body was slowly crumbling away, the predator didn¡¯t even show a single sign of despair. Its voice and expression even indicated how much it was enjoying this situation.

    The creature muttered some confusing things, but Su-hyeun soon understood what it was trying to say. ¡°Wait, are you referring to that guy you were with earlier?¡±

    That predator proficient in magic, the one who observed everyone with floating eyeballs¡ªindeed, something seemed different about that guy. This predator seemed to trust that creature rather deeply.

    It was just unfortunate for this predator, though.

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, will you?¡± Su-hyeun mocked the predator¡¯s claims. How could he not, when he knew intimately well how strong the opponent that the eyeball-controlling predator was currently fighting against?

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know who that guy¡¯s opponent is, so no one¡¯s going to die, you moron.¡±

    ¡°Eternal youth and immortality,¡± one of the phrases that symbolized Sun Wukong, came to Su-hyeun¡¯s mind, and he chuckled softly to himself.

 Chapter 388

    Act 6

    Scratch¡­

    Sun Wukong was scratching his cheek with an awkward expression on his face. He then stared at the predator¡¯s tentacle currently wrapped around his throat and asked, ¡°And what¡¯s this supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°You¡­Just what are¡­?¡± the predator¡¯s voice trembled.

    The one getting shocked here should¡¯ve been Sun Wukong, yet that role had been reversed.

    ¡°Just what the hell are you?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from a punk who uses a disgusting crap like this.¡±

    Grip, rip, tear¡ª

    Sun Wukong simply used his hand strength to tear off the tentacle wrapped around his throat. This black tentacle writhed within his grip for a bit before withering away and scattering in ashes. ¡°Back in my world, creatures that rely on sucking out other people¡¯s energy are seen as not even on the same level as the lowest-ranked Yogoes. Right, they are seen as mongrels, instead. But you, you are so strong, yet why are you relying on a cheap trick like this?¡±

    ¡°How can you possess such an abundant energy?!¡±

    The predator¡¯s confusion was rather unsurprising.

    Absorbing the energy of the opponent and turning it into its own was this predator¡¯s ability.

    However, that ability was meaningless in front of Sun Wukong, for the power he possessed wasn¡¯t something that would run out simply because some creature decided to absorb it.

    His power could be compared to an ocean. You would never make it run dry no matter how hard you tried if you¡¯re using a bucket to scoop out all the water there.

    ¡°My energy? Are you talking about Dao energy?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what it¡¯s called.¡±

    ¡°You see, this elixir thing you idiots want so badly to acquire? I¡¯ve already eaten a ton of those, and thanks to that, even I can¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on with my own body.¡±

    Stab¡­

    While saying that, Sun Wukong stabbed his own arm with his hand. The pierced flesh on the arm regenerated at a visible pace. He didn¡¯t even look like he was in pain, nor did it look like he was having a hard time healing his wound. ¡°You know, controlling my Dao energy in the past was really tough, but lately, I¡¯ve been gradually learning the ways to control it better.¡±

    Sun Wukong had been aware for a while now that he had not been properly using his near-infinite energy and his undying, eternal body that was sturdy and resilient enough to wield all that power. That near-infinite energy simply came from all those elixirs he had consumed, and there was a clear limit to how much he could use that energy.

    The reason for that was he lacked physical stats.

    That infinite power was continuously regenerating his body so that he wouldn¡¯t die, but his physical body itself was so much weaker compared to that infinite energy reserve.

    ¡°Well, technically, I knew it from the beginning. It¡¯s just that, there was no way to change it. In the end, though, the answer was with me getting stronger. And then¡­¡±

    Crunch, crack¡­

    Sun Wukong firmly pressed his foot on the ground, causing the surface of the World Tree¡¯s branch to crack and split apart. ¡°I found a way to do exactly that recently.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    The Tower of Trials, as well as the system that existed in that tower, rapidly transformed Sun Wukong.

    ¡°Still, there was a downside to all that. The thing is, no one can challenge me now that I¡¯ve become so much stronger, you know? And I love fighting against really strong guys, too¡­¡±

    Shu-aaaahk¡­

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang suddenly elongated. Even though Sun Wukong didn¡¯t say his usual activation phrase, the weapon still changed its length according to his will. ¡°As for you, I guess you¡¯re only good enough to kill some time? Something like that?¡±

    Swhoooooosh¡ª

    CLAAANG¡ª!

    Black barriers rapidly forming around the predator were easily shattered into pieces. The predator dodged the shock waves by quickly moving its body to someplace not too far away.

    Paht, pa-paht¡ª!

    Chwa-rarararara¡­

    Right after that, it extended its hands and fired multiple black spheres of varying sizes. They resembled black raindrops, and as soon as those spheres finished dispersing to every corner, the predator powerfully clenched its fist.

    Ka-ruuuumble¡ª!

    Pow, popopopopow¡ª!

    A humongous explosion enveloped the surroundings. The ripples from the explosion dyed everything black except where the predator was.

    Sizzle, hiss¡­

    There was no place to dodge nor a way to block it. Soon, the explosion stopped, and the surroundings could be seen again.

    ¡°To think that it¡¯d end this easily,¡± the predator inwardly said, thinking that the fight was over.

    However, his troubles had only just begun even before he regained a clear view of the surroundings.

    Fluff¡­

    As the explosion subsided, a bundle of pure-white clouds revealed itself.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    Soon, though, the clouds also disappeared, revealing Sun Wukong within. ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t so bad, I guess¡±

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡­!¡±

    He managed to withstand that?!

    The predator was thrown into confusion, and as it stood there in a daze, unable to form a coherent thought, Sun Wukong¡¯s figure suddenly flew forward.

    ¡°Get longer¡­¡±

    Shu-aaaak¡ª

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang grew instantly in length like it wanted to pierce the heavens, and then, its incredible weight came crashing down.

    ¡°Ruyi!¡±

    Kwa-wuuuuuu¡ª!

    Screeeeech¡ª

    The palm strike shooting out from the predator¡¯s hand began pushing Sun Wukong¡¯s Ruyi Jingu Bang back. The closely fought contest of strength between Sun Wukong who powerfully slammed his weapon down and the predator who tried to shove it back began right there and then.

    ¡°Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit¡ª!¡± the predator inwardly cursed in panic.

    ¡°Dammit!!!¡±

    Creaaaak¡­

    Splat, pow¡ª!

    The shoulders and thighs of the predator were suddenly blown apart. But then, almost instantly, the blood streaming down from its wounds stopped, and all the damaged flesh started regenerating.

    ¡°Oh? Is that high-speed recovery? That makes this a bit more interesting,¡± Sun Wukong smirked deeply before snapping his fingers.

    Pow! Popopopow¡ª!

    Ten clones suddenly materialized, all of them wielding identical Ruyi Jingu Bangs, and simultaneously opened their mouths to command.

    ¡°Grow bigger¡­¡±

    ¡°Grow bigger¡­¡±

    As the multiple Ruyi Jingu Bangs pointed at the predator, it hurriedly extended its hand forward once more, all the while swearing to high heavens in his head.

    ¡°Ruyi¡ª!¡±

    <hr />

    Wriggle, writhe¡­

    Riiip, stick¡­

    The predator¡¯s crushed body was now sticking like a piece of gum on the ground.

    Surrounding it from all sides were 11 Sun Wukongs¡ªor more correctly, one Sun Wukong and 10 of his clones.

    ¡°Why¡­?¡±

    ¡°Mm? What do you mean, why?¡± Sun Wukong, who was getting ready to wrap things up by pointing with his Ruyi Jingu Bang, made a puzzled face.

    ¡°You¡­were¡­definitely not¡­ this strong¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. You were peeking at us, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    The predator had used thousands of eyeballs to spy on not just all the participants but also Sun Wukong and his companions.

    ¡°No adult will get serious while fooling around with kids, you know? Besides, these guys¡­¡± Sun Wukong looked around at his clones and replied, ¡°They get weaker the more I create them, you see? The amount of Dao energy I can use at any one time is limited, so creating lots of them would disperse Dao energy that much more.¡±

    Pow, popopopow¡ª!

    As soon as he was finished, countless more clones suddenly materialized, which completely filled up the surroundings. There must¡¯ve been several thousand of them here.

    ¡°Back then, I created something like 2,000 of them, so of course, they would be so much weaker. What¡¯s wrong? You saw my clones get defeated by the participants you managed to lure in, so you thought they were all weak?¡±

    Splat¡ª!

    ¡°Well, it was fun while it lasted.¡±

    Sun Wukong stomped with his foot and crushed the predator¡¯s head.

    The predator¡¯s body, which had regenerated about halfway, writhed weakly around. Sun Wukong lowered his head as the glare in his eyes burned viciously. ¡°And I got to vent my anger a bit, too.¡±

    Soon afterward, the point acquisition message floated up in Sun Wukong¡¯s mind, which was proof of the predator being dead for sure.

    ¡°Did you guys wait for long?¡±

    ¡°You did take longer than I expected, third brother.¡±

    ¡°Still, watching you was not boring at all.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Luslec appeared one after the other. For the past 30 minutes or so, they had been patiently waiting for Sun Wukong to wrap his fight up.

    The winner was obviously Sun Wukong¡ªa completely predictable result.

    ¡°By the way, just how big is your magical energy reserve? I mean, you got caught multiple times and got your energy sucked out, yet you¡¯re completely fine even now,¡± Luslec asked incredulously.

    He didn¡¯t know anything about Sun Wukong, and that was why he ended up asking.

    There was no such thing as ¡°moderation¡± in the way Sun Wukong fought. He didn¡¯t hold back on his magical energy, and rather unsurprisingly, he didn¡¯t even care about apportioning his power, either.

    Not only that but even after the predator stole away some of his magical energy, Sun Wukong continued to respond normally as if none of that mattered.

    ¡°Not sure. I can¡¯t answer you since I also don¡¯t have a clue.¡±

    ¡°Do you mind if I directly check it out?¡±

    ¡°Sure, go ahead,¡± said Sun Wukong while extending his hand forward.

    Luslec, now making a deeply curious face, reached out and grabbed Sun Wukong¡¯s hand, but right at that moment, his face lost its color.

    Shwa-aaaaaah¡­

    The Dao energy Sun Wukong wielded, or magical energy as some others called it, could be felt so clearly like a gigantic tidal wave.

    There didn¡¯t seem to be an end to this vast energy reserve. It felt like Luslec wouldn¡¯t be able to extricate himself if he got lost in this deep reservoir of power that came crashing in like a humongous tsunami wave.

    ¡°Heok¡ª?!¡±

    Gasping out in shock, Luslec hurriedly let go.

    Su-hyeun chuckled a little while checking out Luslec¡¯s pale face. ¡°I was also shocked the first time. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how there could be a human like him¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not human but a Yogoe, little bro.¡±

    ¡°In any case. But after consuming a Peach of Immortality, I kind of understood how such a thing is possible.¡±

    The Peach of Immortality¡ªthe precious fruit and the treasured elixir of the heavens that the so-called gods of the Heavenly World back in Sun Wukong¡¯s world valued so much¡ªonly ripened once every 3,000 years, and a single one was capable of boosting Su-hyeun¡¯s magic energy count by several points in one go. It also possessed the effect of increasing the magical energy level.

    However, Sun Wukong didn¡¯t just consume one peach. As a matter of fact, he completely devoured every single one found in the Heavenly Peach Garden that the Heavenly World held so dear, then made all that power his.

    ¡°You are a lot stronger than I¡¯ve imagined,¡± said Luslec.

    ¡°Even if you say that, you seem to be a lot stronger than I expected, too.¡± Sun Wukong alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and Luslec. ¡°Judging from how you two arrived here around the same time and all,¡± he explained.

    Su-hyeun and Luslec had dealt with their predators and arrived back here almost at the same time. Since the levels of the predators that left with each of them were quite similar, Sun Wukong could now roughly estimate Luslec¡¯s strength.

    Luslec replied, ¡°Well, that punk wasn¡¯t all that special in the end, you see. Not only did it become a predator recently, but its desire also had waned quite a bit. That¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°Wait, does a predator get weaker if its desire wanes?¡±

    When it came to knowledge concerning predators, Luslec, as an apostle, knew a lot more than Su-hyeun.

    Sure enough, he didn¡¯t hold back and openly replied to Su-hyeun¡¯s question, ¡°Yes. That¡¯s because the main source of motivation for a predator is its desire. So, if that desire is satisfied to some degree, and it no longer thirsts to fulfill it, then a predator will indeed get weaker.¡±

    ¡°In that case, the scale of its desire equals to¡­¡±

    ¡°To the strength of the predator, or to put it simply, it¡¯s like the tier of predators. These bastards can become endlessly stronger if they are not conscious of where the end of their desires lies and continue to strive to fulfill it by preying on more worlds, you see.¡±

    Now, this was new information. However, now that he learned about it, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but tilt his head a little. ¡°But wait, didn¡¯t third brother fight against a predator that could suppress its desires quite well?¡±

    ¡°Well, in this case, it¡¯s a bit of a stretch to call it ¡®suppressed,¡¯ actually. I¡¯m not sure what this bastard¡¯s desire was, but if its ultimate gain of the elixir by passing the missions was connected to its desire, then this punk simply chose the most logical way to go about it, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Su-hyeun nodded only then after listening to Luslec¡¯s explanation.

    He had been thinking that maybe the predator had suppressed its desire and tried to make the most logical choices to pass the missions and acquire the elixir, but according to Luslec, that didn¡¯t seem to be it.

    If that predator desired to become stronger by acquiring the elixir, then it certainly had been staying true to its desires.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, we don¡¯t have much time left, do we?¡±

    [Remaining time: 00:11:01]

    A little over 10 minutes remained, meaning they didn¡¯t have a lot of time left until the end of the mission.

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s just take a short break and wait for the next set of rewards,¡± said Luslec while plopping down on the spot.

    Su-hyeun nodded and settled down as well. There were no parasites or participants in the near vicinity, anyway.

    As for the second mission¡¯s reward, it had to be what most of the participants who came to this world were aiming to get their hands on. Luslec had also acquired this reward the last time he came here, he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be the plant sap of the false World Tree, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

 Chapter 389

    * * *

    The sap of the false World Tree was also a type of elixir.

    The water containing sacred power that coursed through the false World Tree was the reward distributed to those participants who managed to acquire additional points over the base of one million points.

    And countless participants came to visit this world covered by the false World Tree to get their hands on that sap.

    This was, in a way, manual labor. Basically, one would continue to participate in the missions, earn the sap as a reward, and then repeat this same process over and over again while diligently consuming this elixir.

    However, there weren¡¯t all that many participants who managed to fulfill the base condition of one million points.

    The majority of them couldn¡¯t meet this condition, and even if they did, they could only barely break past the one million point threshold.

    ¡°My current point tally is¡­¡±

    However, the trio including Su-hyeun emphatically did not fall in the category of ¡°barely passed the threshold of one million.¡±

    They had surpassed that a long, long time ago, and the points they earned after killing the predators were also quite considerable.

    [Total points: 17,299,330]

    Over 17 million points¡­

    Su-hyeun got to this point tally from the accumulated bonus ¡°additional point acquisition¡± reward of the golden leaves, all those points that he acquired using his summons, and, finally, the points that he earned after killing a predator.

    ¡°¡®Even then, I¡¯m still number two in the rankings¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun could only groan and shake his head after confirming the point ranking one more time.

    Despite amassing so many points like this, there was no change to the rankings. Sun Wukong who created two thousand clones to hunt down the parasites still maintained his stranglehold on the number one spot.

    And so, the remaining time ticked by.

    [Remaining time: 00:00:00]

    [You have cleared the first mission.]

    [Total points: 17,299,330]

    [Excess points: 16,299,330]

    [Acquired the sap of the false World Tree.]

    [Acquired the sap of the false World Tree.]

    ¡­

    [The next stage will begin in 30 minutes.]

    Several messages floated up one after another. To be more precise, messages popped up 16 times, and currently, in Su-hyeun¡¯s cupped hands was quite a quantity of liquid that pooled in there.

    ¡°So this is the sap of the false World Tree?¡±

    Su-hyeun, while looking like an entranced man, brought the sap toward his mouth.

    Gulp, gulp¡­

    Then, he cautiously drank it, careful not to miss a single drop.

    The moment that the very last drop of the sap of the false World Tree traveled down his throat¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s consciousness suddenly snapped awake.

    All sounds and presences around him vanished, but his eyes could still see Luslec and Sun Wukong.

    Could it be that time itself had come to a stop?

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    Only one thing continued to move in this world, and that was the sap of the false World Tree that had entered Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    It was spreading to all corners of his body and continuously stimulating his flesh.

    ¡°What exactly is happening right now?¡±

    He tried to move his body, but it didn¡¯t listen to him. It felt like he had become a broken machine with all of its screws missing.

    Nonetheless, he could sense the transformation happening to his flesh more vividly than ever before.

    The elixir melted into his whole body and began blending with the already-existing magical energy, and the blended magical energy permeated deep into his flesh and internal organs to restructure his physical body.

    [Magical energy count has risen by one.]

    [Magical energy count has risen by one.]

    [Magical energy count has risen by one.]

    [You have acquired the qualification of godhood.]

    [Your physical body is being restructured.]

    Within this world of frozen time, Su-hyeun¡¯s own internal clock continued to tick forward.

    * * *

    Of course, the time hadn¡¯t really stopped. It was simply ticking forward incredibly slowly¡ªso slowly, in fact, that it was nearly undetectable.

    Sun Wukong reached out toward Su-hyeun. Although Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t hear what Sun Wukong was saying, he could still see the latter¡¯s lip movements.

    ¡°Hey, little bro, what¡¯s¡­?¡±

    That was the extent of what Su-hyeun managed to decipher after trying to read Sun Wukong¡¯s lips.

    He was probably asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    That sounded about right, though. From their perspective, Su-hyeun should be standing stiffly on the spot with a considerably dumb-looking expression on his face.

    ¡°How long has it been already?¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t quite remember how much time had passed him by. It felt like at least several months.

    If it was any other normal person, they would¡¯ve gone insane by now. It was utterly boring, static, and also quite frightening.

    If there was one saving grace here, that would be his senses slowly coming back to him.

    ¡°Restructuring of the physical body, huh?¡±

    In particular, his senses gradually returning to him in this manner imparted a completely new and different feeling from before the transformation.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic count: 100] [Magic level: 10]

    [Strength: 101] [Agility: 100]

    [Stamina: 100] [Reflex: 100]

    [Death Aura: 99]

    [Skill: Leap * advanced]

    [Skill: Transfiguration * advanced]

    [Skill: Godhood ¨C Flame * advanced]

    ¡­.

    [Fatigue: 34]

    Except for Death Aura, all his other stats had reached the triple-digit mark. Additionally, his Magic Level that had been stuck in its previous level also reached the 10th level, meaning he finally reached his target on this stat as well.

    ¡°Is this the process of restructuring one¡¯s physical body?¡±

    He could sense very slowly, so agonizingly slowly, how his body was being reconstructed.

    His fatigue level continued to creep up, but all he could do for now was simply watch.

    34, 35, 36¡­

    His fatigue that kept ticking up one digit at a time eventually ticked over 50 quite some time later.

    He felt rather tired; on the other hand, he also sensed a power he had never sensed before welling up from deep within his own body.

    With that, time seemed to flow a little bit faster.

    ¡°Get¡­ a¡­ hold¡­ of¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun could now hear Sun Wukong¡¯s voice, too, and he could also see the latter raising his hand as if to slap him in the face.

    ¡°At least don¡¯t hit me. Please.¡±

    Unfortunately, his wish was in vain.

    Slap¡ª!

    A burning sensation soon came from his cheek. It didn¡¯t hurt at all, but getting slapped certainly didn¡¯t feel all that nice.

    When Su-hyeun thought about it, no one had ever slapped him in the face before.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s going through something like an Ascension?¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look that way?¡±

    ¡°I can also tell that. All I¡¯m saying is, it¡¯s pretty similar.¡±

    The voices of the Palm Leaf and the Somersault cloud came to him next.

    Su-hyeun chuckled faintly in his mind as those two voices noisily conversed in his head. These two had been keeping quiet all this time, yet they suddenly chose to raise a ruckus now. It didn¡¯t matter what their reason was, though. Su-hyeun felt a little better after listening to someone¡¯s actual, proper voice.

    ¡°Ascension, huh?¡±¡®

    Ascension, or more correctly, ¡°Ascending to Heaven,¡± meant becoming a Taoist God that the Bull Demon King so desperately wanted to become.

    Both the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf were the cloud and wind of the beginning that, in the process of reaching Su-hyeun¡¯s hands, had to pass through several other Taoist Gods.

    ¡°They think this is similar to the Ascension?¡±

    The restructuring of one¡¯s physical body was how the system explained the current process Su-hyeun was experiencing.

    Just as the end of the transformation that happened once all the stats reached the three-digit mark and in which even the magic level reached the 10th level drew near, Su-hyeun¡¯s own internal clock began to match the normal time again.

    * * *

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that was effective at all,¡± Luslec said.

    ¡°Arghhh, man, this is driving me nuts.¡± Sun Wukong slapped both of Su-hyeun¡¯s cheeks with quite a lot of force, then muttered while frowning rather deeply, ¡°Why is this guy going all dazed and stuff like this? I mean, it¡¯s already been over five minutes and all.¡±

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s been some kind of a change to his body after he drank the sap?¡±

    ¡°Eh? But with only that little amount?¡±

    Both Sun Wukong and Luslec had also drunk the false World Tree¡¯s sap, yet it was only Su-hyeun among the trio who displayed such a pronounced reaction.

    Luslec had already received the sap before, and as for Sun Wukong, the amount of the sap he got was puny compared to the magical energy reserve he already enjoyed.

    In that regard, Su-hyeun certainly should be the one benefiting the most from drinking the sap. Even if that was all true, displaying such a reaction after drinking it was still quite strange.

    If he had been concentrating in order to amplify the effects of the elixir, then sure, but he was simply standing there in a daze with a pair of glazed eyes, no less.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like something has gone wrong here, right?¡± Sun Wukong¡¯s voice trembled ever so slightly. He began worrying that something might have gone wrong with Su-hyeun.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± Luslec¡¯s thoughts were different.

    He faintly noticed the transformation taking place within Su-hyeun. ¡°He¡¯s definitely standing still, but the vibe he¡¯s giving off has changed,¡± he quietly observed.

    It wasn¡¯t just Luslec who had noticed this change, of course. Sun Wukong also sensed it, and that¡¯s why his worries only grew a lot worse.

    ¡°Dammit, it¡¯s not like he drank some poison or something, so why¡­?¡±

    The structure of his body itself had begun changing.

    A human¡¯s body consisted of bones, skin, and muscles, yet Su-hyeun¡¯s body seemed to be breaking down its own boundaries. It was as if he was transforming into an existence that was no longer human.

    This phenomenon seemed to be in a different realm when compared to the concepts of either ¡°leaving the fetters of the old body to become new¡± or ¡°reverting from old age to young.¡±

    It was right then that Sun Wukong realized something and muttered softly, ¡°Ascension¡­¡±

    ¡°Ascension?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard about it from my first brother. He said that when one experiences Ascension, your body will leave the boundaries of mortal man and experience a complete rebirth.¡±

    ¡°Could it be that this Ascension thing is somewhat like ascending to become a god?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. Something like that, but¡­¡± Sun Wukong scratched his head with a complicated expression. ¡°But I¡¯ve met a dude calling himself ¡®god¡¯ already, you know? And to be perfectly honest, I was really underwhelmed back then.¡±

    ¡°Eh? How come?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know, that Ascension thing that my big bro so badly wanted to experience, becoming a god or whatever, did it only amount to that much? That¡¯s what I thought.¡±

    Sun Wukong had been observing the Bull Demon King for a long time from a close vantage point. As such, he often imagined vaguely in his head what this ¡°god¡± thing could be since the Bull Demon King was so ardently focused on becoming one¡ªnot like those fake gods found in the Heavenly World but a real, bona fide god.

    However, when Sun Wukong finally ran into one, he walked away bitterly disappointed by the encounter.

    ¡°I mean, that dude looked super weak, you know? A lot weaker than even my big bro.¡±

    ¡°Just what the heck is up with your siblings if you don¡¯t mind me asking?!¡±

    ¡°Well, we should at least be like that if we want to keep our titles of ¡®Great Sages,¡¯ you know? In any case¡­¡± Sun Wukong pondered for a little while before shifting his gaze on Su-hyeun. ¡°Right. Rather than an Ascension, calling this an ¡®Awakening¡¯ is far more accurate, it seems.¡±

    ¡°Awakening? Now, what is that?¡±

    ¡°Dunno. I just came up with it on the spot.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an Ascension, but his physical body is still transforming, after all. Besides, that alone is already plenty amazing, anyway. Whatever the case may be, that¡¯s what¡¯s going on here, so we might as well come up with a new term, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Crack, split¡­

    Sun Wukong watched Su-hyeun¡¯s skin split apart only to reveal blemish-free pristine new skin underneath before asking another question, ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, little bro?¡±

    When he did, Su-hyeun¡¯s lips parted, and a half-hearted reply came out, ¡°Sorry?¡±

    * * *

    How much time had passed just now?

    Since the next stage hadn¡¯t begun yet, it shouldn¡¯t have been over 30 minutes at least. The remaining time for breaks wasn¡¯t even indicated, so there was no accurate way of telling how much time had passed by.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, little bro?¡± Sun Wukong suddenly asked a question.

    Agree on what exactly, though? What was he even talking about?

    Su-hyeun, who had been completely out of it until a second ago, reflexively asked back, ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Uh? Looks like he came to.¡± Sun Wukong asked that while not expecting a reply, so when Su-hyeun did respond verbally, he smirked deeply and wrapped his arm around the latter¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hey, dude. Congratulations!¡±

    Sun Wukong then used his incredible strength to place Su-hyeun in a headlock, then began grinding his fist into the latter¡¯s head.

    Su-hyeun was still unable to figure out his current situation properly and could only ask back with a slightly more dazed expression and voice than his usual self. ¡°Eh? For what?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this? You don¡¯t know?¡± The clearly excited Sun Wukong, who was playfully grinding his fist into Su-hyeun¡¯s head, let Su-hyeun go and replied, ¡°Hey, man. You just became a demigod.¡±

 Chapter 390

    Act 7

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    What did he mean by ¡°demigod¡±?

    Su-hyeun, who had regained his wits only just now, began making a puzzled face at what Sun Wukong said. ¡°Not a Taoist God but a demigod? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°What else could it be? It¡¯s a half-Taoist God.¡±

    ¡°A half¡­Taoist God, you say?¡±

    This would be his first time hearing the term. He heard the details regarding the Taoist Gods from the Bull Demon King a few times in the past. In principle, all living things were capable of becoming a Taoist God by ascending, and one¡¯s ¡°level¡± after becoming a god would be wholly dependent on the individual¡¯s strength.

    But to say that he wasn¡¯t a full-fledged Taoist God but a half-god? A demigod?

    ¡°In simpler terms, only your body has become a god,¡± said Sun Wukong.

    ¡°Only my body¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun could faintly sense the changes that happened to his physical body.

    He clenched and unfurled his fists a few times and then began rotating his shoulders as well, eventually spotting the differences compared to his old body. At a casual glance, it seemed to have become a little lighter, yet beyond that, something about his body felt somewhat unfamiliar as well.

    It was as if¡­

    Ba-dump¡ª

    ¡°Did I gain another heart or something?¡± he asked inwardly.

    He pressed his hand on the spot somewhere below his chest where he could sense a rhythmic palpitation and some kind of energy contained within.

    It was a completely new type of energy that seemed very different from magical energy.

    No, wait¡ªit wasn¡¯t a new type of energy, strictly speaking. It was just that this would be his first time sensing it. Indeed, Su-hyeun had already been in possession of it for a very long time, simply that he couldn¡¯t sense it until now.

    It was the ¡°power¡± that all living people, Yogoes, and, as a matter of fact, every living being possessed.

    ¡°It¡¯s prana,¡± Sun Wukong said, instantly recognizing that power.

    Luslec made a puzzled expression at the term he had never heard of before. ¡°What¡¯s prana?¡±

    ¡°Most normal people know of it as life force or even as lifespan itself.¡±

    ¡°Eh? One¡¯s lifespan, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The reason why a person¡¯s lifespan runs out, getting old and all that, is all because the energy called prana, the life force energy, is slowly being consumed, you see. So it¡¯s not that weird to call this energy one¡¯s lifespan itself.¡±

    From how he explained things, it seemed that Sun Wukong was quite familiar with prana.

    ¡°Most living creatures can¡¯t even sense it, though. But that¡¯s only obvious when you think about it. Now normally, there¡¯s simply no way to figure out in detail just how much of your own lifespan is remaining, right?¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, does that mean one shouldn¡¯t use it even if it¡¯s your energy?¡± Luslec asked with a concerned face.

    But that wasn¡¯t surprising. According to Sun Wukong¡¯s explanation, this prana was basically the same thing as one¡¯s lifespan, so using it equated to shortening one¡¯s own life.

    ¡°Normally you¡¯d be right. Normally, that is. But do you think a demigod is a regular existence?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°You see, this demigod? That¡¯s an existence who can sense their prana and recover the amount spent through their own will.¡± While saying that, Sun Wukong smirked and stared at Su-hyeun. ¡°Just like you, little bro.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it still doesn¡¯t feel real to me.¡±

    All of his stats had reached the three-digit mark. This transformation took place when that happened. To think that change was simply a process to become a demigod and to acquire an ability to control this energy form called prana.

    Su-hyeun felt like he now understood a little more about the changes that had occurred to him after listening to the explanation, but that didn¡¯t mean this transformation felt real to him just yet.

    He now could wield and recover prana, the power that controlled his own life force.

    ¡°Does that mean it¡¯s possible for me to live forever?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Although not as ridiculously overpowered as the indestructible immortal body that Sun Wukong possessed, Su-hyeun now possessed a quasi-indestructible body as well¡ªmeaning, he shouldn¡¯t die from most injuries anymore.

    But still, he felt this intense feeling of separation right now, something he didn¡¯t even feel when he first acquired the god-like powers of the qualifications of godhood.

    This really felt like he was no longer a human being but a deity.

    ¡°No, wait¡ªI¡¯m far closer to being an actual god than a human at this point, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    He would¡¯ve loved to take his time and analyze what kind of changes had occurred to his body. Unfortunately, he simply didn¡¯t have the luxury of time for that.

    [The third mission will now commence.]

    [Please eliminate the parasite that has taken over the false World Tree.]

    [The false World Tree will now recognize you as its enemy.]

    [The moment you announce your intention to quit, you shall be expelled from the World Tree.]

    Gugu, gugugugu¡ª

    The ground rumbled and shook. More correctly, the branch of the World Tree they were standing on was trembling.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t giving us time to rest.¡±

    ¡°Well, they did, but little bro, you couldn¡¯t rest because you were occupied with something else,¡± Sun Wukong replied

    ¡°Urgh,¡± Su-hyeun could only groan as his mind faltered.

    Honestly, though, he was right. The one saving grace here was that Su-hyeun still managed to regain his wits before the next mission got underway.

    ¡°My fatigue level is too high,¡± he thought.

    He ascended to a demigod, and he could also use prana now, but if he was being honest, he was feeling the worst level of fatigue right now compared to when he experienced other transformations. Even the numerical representation of his fatigue had shot up quite high as well.

    [Fatigue: 54]

    ¡°Fifty-four, is it?¡±

    That figure was equal to his state right after finishing a considerably fierce battle.

    Even then¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel all that tired, though.¡±

    His body didn¡¯t feel heavy. On the contrary, it felt slightly lighter than how it was usually.

    What an odd thing this was. What would it feel like when his fatigue level was at zero?

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    When Su-hyeun faintly smiled while thinking that¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    Gu-gugugu¡­

    Luslec next to him said that while noticing the branches of the World Tree beginning to arch. ¡°If we get careless, we¡¯ll get crushed to death here.¡±

    <hr />

    Lilac William was an apostle who served a god with fairly high godhood.

    A veteran with two successful predator hunts under her belt, Lilac felt quite proud of her own skills as a result.

    She was aiming to acquire the elixir that supported the World Tree using this opportunity. She thought that drinking that elixir would help her become a god herself and stop being a regular apostle¡ªa god with a really amazing qualification of godhood, no less.

    But now¡­

    KA-BOOM¡ª!!!

    Gugugugu¡­

    Lilac was running as hard as she could without even glancing behind her.

    She was a very confident runner but never before had she used her skill to flee for her life like this.

    The moment she sensed that something was wrong coincided with the start of the third mission.

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to overcome this kind of mission?!¡±

    A total of 100 people managed to pass the second mission and entered the third stage. That was easy enough to check when looking at the ranking list.

    However, the moment the mission commenced, about half of that 100 simply vanished from the list right in front of her eyes.

    She initially thought that they were all morons. They could¡¯ve acquired the elixir by trying a little harder from this moment on, but to give up now¡­

    She definitely believed that quitting even before giving the challenge your all was stupid. It was something only a weakling would do.

    That mindset lasted only until the World Tree began moving, however.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Heo-urhk¡ª?!

    Lilac urgently threw herself forward and began sprinting with every ounce of her energy.

    A heavy impact noise came from behind her. It came from somewhere uncomfortably close.

    It was the noise of the World Tree¡¯s branch crushing the spot she used to be only a second ago.

    ¡°You want me to fight against something like that?! That¡¯s impossible!¡±

    She had encountered countless huge monsters during her time, and the thought that kept popping up in her head while fighting such creatures was that one¡¯s physical size often had no relation to the actual battle taking place.

    Sure, one could rely on the physical power afforded by sheer massive size, but such a thing would no longer matter once one acquired a qualification of godhood.

    Even then, that was still within the boundaries of common sense.

    The false World Tree was not just the central pivot of this world. For all intents and purposes, it was basically another world on its own. The ground she was running on and the air she was breathing in¡ªall of those had been created by the false World Tree.

    But now, that very World Tree was trying to kill her.

    Uwaaaaah¡ª!

    ¡°Dammit! Should I just give up now?¡±

    The system said that the moment one declared their intentions to give up, one would be expelled from the World Tree.

    In other words, she would get to escape from this life-threatening situation simply by saying out loud that she was quitting.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m almost¡­¡±

    Gu-wuwuwu¡­

    Right at that very moment, a humongous shadow loomed over Lilac¡¯s head, and a deathly chill suddenly attacked her spine.

    Just as she reflexively turned her head to look¡­

    Uwaaaaaahk¡ª?!

    She got so shocked that she screamed instead of declaring her intentions to quit, and something else happened right at that moment.

    Paht, swiiiiiiish¡­

    In the blink of an eye, the scenery Lilac could see changed.

    Only a second ago, she thought she was going to die, crushed by the branch of the World Tree, but now, even before she realized what happened, nothing could be seen above her.

    And at that moment¡­

    KA-BOOOOOOM¡ª!

    RUMBLE¡­

    Along with a loud, heavy impact noise, the ground she was standing on quaked ominously. She turned her head to look and saw that the World Tree¡¯s branch had landed.

    But, without a doubt, she was standing on the impact zone only a moment ago.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat is going on¡­?¡±

    ¡°If you thought you were going to die, you should¡¯ve just quit, you know? Why were you screaming like an idiot, instead?¡±

    Someone was gripping Lilac¡¯s throat.

    Quite a sharp intent could be sensed from the hand gripping her. Lilac flinched in shock and quickly looked at the owner of the hand, only to discover Su-hyeun standing there.

    He said, ¡°Either quit now or lose your consciousness here and wait for your death. Please choose. I¡¯ll count to three. One¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI quit!¡±

    Poof¡­

    Lilac cried out without a shred of hesitation. At the same time, she simply vanished from the view. She had already been thinking that giving up was far better than dying, so of course, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate at all.

    ¡°Why were you saving a useless moron like that?¡± Sun Wukong asked.

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I help, though? I can save a person¡¯s life just by reaching out, after all.¡±

    It was a simple enough story. If one could save another person hanging on the edge of a cliff simply by extending one¡¯s hand, if one possessed enough ability to help, then it was only correct to help out.

    That¡¯s what Su-hyeun believed, and that¡¯s how he lived her life, and both Sun Wukong and Luslec knew that side of Su-hyeun¡¯s personality all too well.

    ¡°Well, yeah. Sure thing, since we didn¡¯t have to take too much of a detour, anyway.¡±

    Rumble¡­

    The trio stared at the World Tree¡¯s branch that had begun moving again.

    The majority of the remaining participants should be terrified out of their minds by now. They would be mindlessly occupied with the task of surviving and eventually declare their intentions to quit.

    ¡°This is the real hurdle, in all honesty.¡±

    The first mission of acquiring the golden leaves and the second mission of hunting the parasites down and surviving against the other participants weren¡¯t all that difficult in reality.

    Only a hundred or so participants out of the initial thousands could reach this far, but when one considered the rate of competition, it wasn¡¯t actually all that unreasonably astronomical.

    But the real issue started from the third mission.

    The goal of this mission was to hunt the parasite in control of the World Tree itself, and to reach that goal, you had to survive against the World Tree that had designated you as its enemy.

    ¡°I could also only get this far. I managed to endure for a bit, but in the end, I couldn¡¯t locate the parasite,¡± Luslec shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Honestly speaking, there¡¯s just no way to find the damn thing, anyway. Finding that small parasite in this big place while constantly dodging the attacks of the World Tree is just too¡ª¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s possible.¡±

    Paht¡ª!

    Su-hyeun began moving again.

    Luslec made a puzzled face and started sprinting as well. Sun Wukong was already following Su-hyeun without saying anything by then.

    Luslec urgently caught up to them and asked, ¡°It¡¯s possible? But how?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t have a good way to explain it in detail. At first, they were thinking of splitting up to search for the parasite, but Su-hyeun told them there was no need to do that, and they should just follow him.

    That was because he was confident of something.

    ¡°I can just tell.¡±

    Buzz¡­

    The sound the other two couldn¡¯t hear, Su-hyeun could hear it just fine.

    ¡°It¡¯s screaming right now,¡± he thought.

    It was none other than the World Tree¡¯s screams.

 Chapter 391

    <hr />

    ¡°It hurts¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun started hearing that voice after the third mission commenced, and the World Tree began writhing around.

    At first, he thought he was simply hearing things. Not only was the sound faint but the feeling it gave off was also far closer to ¡°words¡± rather than an actual ¡°sound.¡±

    But the next set of voice that came to him sounded far more vivid than before.

    ¡°It hurts! It hurts so much! Aaaaaahk!¡±

    It was a scream so loud and tragic that the one making it must¡¯ve damaged its vocal cords.

    The screaming continued, and rather obviously, it was coming from somewhere.

    However, it wasn¡¯t just that sound either.

    ¡°I can sense it, too,¡± he thought.

    He didn¡¯t even need to close his eyes, yet he could still sense this ¡°energy¡± simply by focusing.

    This energy felt quite similar to what Su-hyeun possessed, and it wasn¡¯t the newly acquired and therefore unfamiliar type of energy but something all creatures that managed to survive from their birth possessed.

    ¡°Miru, to your side!¡± Su-hyeun cried out as he rode on Miru¡¯s back.

    Flying rapidly, Miru instantly twisted its body. At the same time, Sun Wukong leaped and retrieved the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Poof, poof poof poof¡ª!

    Ten clones quickly materialized, and they assumed the exact same stance and pointed their own Ruyi Jingu Bangs. Then, they spoke in unison along with Sun Wukong, ¡°Get bigger¡ª!¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    ¡°Ruyi!¡±

    Creeeak, ka-gagagagak¡ª!

    Ten Ruyi Jingu Bangs blocked the branch of the World Tree that was closing in on them. The sizes of those polearms were the largest Su-hyeun had ever seen up to this point.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Whoosh, tap¡­

    Soon afterward, Sun Wukong, having successfully blocked the branch, rode on his cloud to get back on Miru¡¯s back.

    Su-hyeun looked at him and raised his thumb, ¡°That was great.¡±

    Thanks to his efforts, they managed to overcome one hurdle.

    They were traveling on Miru¡¯s back since their destination was somewhere very high, but the thing was, the red dragon¡¯s defensive ability wasn¡¯t strong enough to defend against the incoming branches of the World Tree.

    Even if they were still ably dodging the branches, the fact remained that every single attack was potentially fatal. A single branch was the size of a large city, so even if it was Miru, just one solid strike would result in every bone in the dragon¡¯s body breaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s coming again! This time, on both sides!¡±

    ¡°Please take care of the other side.¡±

    Tap¡ª!

    Su-hyeun leaped toward the branch that was flying in from their left side. At the same time, Luslec groaned grandly and jumped in the opposite direction.

    Half of Su-hyeun¡¯s body transformed into purplish flames, while a black aura flooded out from Luslec¡¯s body to coalesce into a lump in his hands.

    [Flame ¨C Transformation]

    [Wave Fist ¨C Explosion Style]

    [Palm Leaf]

    The ¡°Wave¡± skill that amplified one¡¯s magical energy was added to his fist that had transformed into a purplish flame. At the same time, Palm Leaf answered Su-hyeun¡¯s will and powerfully swirled around his arm to morph into something similar to a skill.

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun punched with all of his might. Along with a ginormous explosion, the tornado of flames shoved the World Tree¡¯s branch away and burned it.

    Sizzle, crumble¡­

    The branch caught on fire and slammed into the floor. The scream of the World Tree echoing in Su-hyeun¡¯s ear became even sharper.

    ¡°What the heck?!¡±

    Stunned, Su-hyeun hurriedly looked at his own transformed fist and then looked down at the spot below his chest, silently touching it.

    ¡°The energy down here moved on its own.¡±

    It was prana, the energy that all humans possessed, which was the same thing as one¡¯s life force¡ªone¡¯s life span¡ªbut was different from magical energy.

    Su-hyeun still had no clue on how to utilize it. As such, he was planning to not use it until he completely cleared all the missions and acquired the elixir.

    He was thinking of gradually discovering its secrets, but then, prana activated all on its own.

    The moment Su-hyeun willed it and tried to use his own powers, the energy automatically blended in with the rest of his power and produced a much greater end result.

    ¡°Controlling my strength just got harder.¡±

    Still, this wasn¡¯t a bad result at all. He could now use up less energy yet still get to exhibit far greater power, after all.

    And also¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but it feels like controlling this energy won¡¯t be that difficult overall.¡±

    The amount of prana he used up just now was quickly refilled.

    It was as Sun Wukong said earlier¡ªthose who became a demigod could sense prana, and they could even recover it at will.

    The changes to him¡ªbeing able to hear the World Tree¡¯s voice and also getting to sense his own prana¡ªall occurred after he became a demigod.

    Su-hyeun turned his head and glanced at the direction Luslec flew off to.

    Over there, Luslec created a gigantic black skull made out of his black energy and then fired it at the other World Tree¡¯s branch flying in from that side.

    The huge branch was shoved back, and at the same time, its surface began rotting away in a blackish hue.

    The World Tree¡¯s scream could be heard once more, making Su-hyeun think that they should hurry up some more.

    Tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun landed back on Miru¡¯s back and lowered himself to pat the red dragon.

    Maybe, this might work¡­

    ¡°Hey, Miru?¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡­

    Grrrr¡ª

    Miru¡¯s growling became even more energetic, and at the same time¡­

    Flap¡ª

    Even the dragon¡¯s wings flapped with even greater vigor. Miru¡¯s flight speed going up became so much faster.

    Fwhooooooosh¡ª!

    Meanwhile, Luslec urgently landed back on the dragon, and just like what Sun Wukong was doing, held onto Miru for his dear life, trying not to fall off.

    ¡°Wow! What is going on here?!¡± Luslec asked with widened eyes, genuinely amazed.

    ¡°You can even do something like this with prana?¡± Meanwhile, Sun Wukong, having knowledge on the matters of prana already, quickly figured out what Su-hyeun had done.

    As for Su-hyeun, he only gave it a shot because he felt that it might be doable. He replied in a somewhat stupefied voice, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible, as it turns out.¡±

    Fwhooooooosh¡ª!

    Miru¡¯s speed increased by at least another level, and they rapidly climbed up the thick pillar-like trunk of the World Tree.

    Su-hyeun climbed up to Miru¡¯s head to see the direction of their flight, and then, he closed his eyes for a brief moment. He still heard the World Tree¡¯s voice, and it seemed that the destination where its prana could be sensed wasn¡¯t too far from here.

    ¡°It hurts¡­Hurts so bad¡­Please¡­¡±

    That voice sounded as if it was ardently wishing for something¡ªas if it wished for someone to hear its voice.

    Su-hyeun opened his eyes and pointed to the side, ¡°That way.¡±

    ¡°Eh? You mean, over there?!¡± Luslec cried out in shock.

    However, that was because the direction Su-hyeun pointed at wasn¡¯t up but the ¡°wall¡± of the World Tree¡¯s trunk.

    ¡°Not sure what¡¯s what, but let¡¯s go! Little bro!¡±

    Sun Wukong didn¡¯t seem to care about minor stuff like that. He was thinking that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t planning to kill himself in the first place, so they should just trust his intuition in times like this.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat are you even thinking here?! Let me know first at least before trying something!¡± Luslec cried out again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s break through.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?!¡±

    Shruuuung¡ª!

    Ruuuuumble¡ª!

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword and then wrapped it in the divine Flame. At the same time, the Palm Leaf responded to his will, and a massive storm was condensed on the sword to create a violent vortex of winds.

    Swiiiiiiish¡ª!

    Without hesitation, Miru flew toward the direction Su-hyeun pointed at with every ounce of its energy.

    Luslec groaned deeply before driving his magical energy to his hands once more. On the other hand, Sun Wukong was happily smirking away, ¡°I knew it. It¡¯s so much fun hanging out with you, little bro!¡±

    Creak, gigigigigi-gik¡ª!

    Dao energy concentrated on the Ruyi Jingu Bang that Sun Wukong held in his hands. He pointed the tip of his polearm at the main body of the World Tree and sucked in a deep breath as if he was preparing to explosively unleash all of his stored-up power. ¡°Get bigger¡­¡±

    ¡°How are you even going to break that¡­?!¡±

    [Clone ¨C Ruyi Jingu Bang]

    [Necromancy ¨C Soul Integration]

    [Flame ¨C Palm Leaf ¨C Explosion Style]

    The enlarged Ruyi Jingu Bang, the black aura taking on the shape of a huge skull, and the sword wind fired off from Sun-hyeun¡¯s sword flew into their target all at once.

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Sa-aaaaah¡­

    Ruuuumble¡­ Ka-gagagak¡ª!

    Ten Ruyi Jingu Bangs viciously pounded on the World Tree¡¯s bark, while the aura of concentrated souls caused the Tree¡¯s surface to melt and rust, and finally, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword wind transformed into a typhoon wrapped in flames to repeatedly slash at the same spot.

    Ruuuumble¡­

    Slash, slice¡ª

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    A huge flame billowed from the side of the pillar-like World Tree¡¯s trunk. Its surface was being scorched black.

    ¡°What? The false World Tree is being burned?¡± Luslec¡¯s eyes went wide open.

    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the plan was when Su-hyeun obstinately chose to go straight forward. But to think that the false World Tree¡¯s trunk would actually catch fire, even if his and Sun Wukong¡¯s attacks had weakened it somewhat beforehand.

    Not only that but the sword wind from Su-hyeun left behind a considerably deep sword gash on the bark as well.

    ¡°Miru!¡±

    Grrrrrrr¡ª!

    Split¡ª

    For the climax, Su-hyeun called out to Miru, and the red dragon opened its maw wide to amass a huge amount of magical energy in there. No, more correctly, Miru had been gathering magical energy in its maw for a while already even before Su-hyeun had said anything.

    [High Breath]

    Ruuuuumble¡ª!

    The powerful Breath fired from Miru¡¯s mouth poured straight on top of the World Tree¡¯s burnt-black trunk.

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    The surface of the trunk exploded and crumbled, and at the same time, a bright light shone from the open gap to reveal a wide-open space beyond the bark.

    ¡°Euhk¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Little bro, you have a migraine?¡±

    When Su-hyeun frowned deeply and held his head with his hand, Luslec and Sun Wukong quickly walked up to him in surprise.

    As expected, he might have pushed himself too much.

    Su-hyeun hurriedly waved his hand to assuage their concerns, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing major.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if his head was hurting. No, the voice had gotten so loud that he was reflexively trying to cover his ear for a moment there.

    ¡°It hurts. It hurts so much!¡± The World Tree¡¯s screaming became so much louder than before, and it only became even louder once they entered the trunk of the Tree itself, which was understandable, considering that from the World Tree¡¯s perspective, it would have felt like a hole had opened up somewhere on its body.

    ¡°What do you want from me when this is the only way¡­?¡± Su-hyeun groaned at length.

    This damn World Tree was acting like a child, and Su-hyeun¡¯s ears were hurting from all that screaming, which made it harder for him to focus.

    He took a little time to calm his numb hearing and then scanned his new surroundings. There was a cave-like empty pathway found inside of the World Tree, and a variety of colored lights came from several spots on the walls. Therefore, securing one¡¯s vision proved to be not an issue.

    The cave was so massive that its end couldn¡¯t be seen, while the ceiling was tall enough to seemingly touch the sky outside.

    Luslec also stepped inside, only to mutter with a grave expression on his face, ¡°You know, it kinda feels like we¡¯ve entered somewhere we shouldn¡¯t have.¡±

    On the other hand, Sun Wukong¡¯s face showed how excited he was right now. He gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang even tighter and cried out in pure excitement, ¡°Yes! This is it!¡±

    No one had seen Sun Wukong acting this excited before.

    As for Su-hyeun¡¯s reaction, his was far closer to Luslec¡¯s rather than Sun Wukong¡¯s, who welcomed any and all forms of fighting. ¡°Well, this is¡­I can¡¯t even guess how many of them are here.¡±

    Wiggle, wriggle¡­

    Countless parasites and a gigantic insect that looked like their ¡°mother¡± that was seemingly commanding them all greeted them. Su-hyeun looked at all these creatures and tried to calm the nauseating feeling rumbling in his stomach.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I fought against monsters, but even then, this would be my first time seeing a sight as disgusting as this one,¡± he said.

    ¡°Wait, are you scared of insects?¡±

    ¡°No, not scared but more like disgusted. They are repulsive, too.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that. I think I know a saying to match your sentiment.¡± Luslec furrowed his brow as if he was slightly confused about something and then spoke up, ¡°You don¡¯t avoid sh*t because it¡¯s scary but because it¡¯s dirty? Was that it?¡±

    ¡°Where did you even hear such a saying?¡±

    He laughed, ¡°I studied a bit, you know.¡±

    Could it that the old adages were also recorded in the myths? Su-hyeun stared at Luslec with a puzzled face.

    However, the latter was already preparing to fight while scanning all the parasites that were practically overflowing in their surroundings.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s own attention shifted over to the parasites that were gradually closing in on them.

    He suddenly felt a bit apologetic for finding the World Tree¡¯s screaming quite annoying after setting his eyes on all these parasites that filled up the Tree¡¯s interior.

    ¡°I guess there¡¯s a reason for its torment, then,¡± he thought.

    Just how badly was the World Tree suffering from this many parasites?

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    ¡°Hold on for a bit longer,¡± he silently communicated to the World Tree as the prana that was slumbering away below his navel area began circulating when he willed it.

    As he lightly jumped off from Miru¡¯s head to land near the parasites, a different type of vitality was already manifesting within his body. However, he wasn¡¯t conscious of it yet.

    ¡°We shall completely exterminate every single one of these creatures soon enough.¡±

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392: Chapter 392

    Act 8

    Kwa-aaaaaaah¡ª!

    Whoosh, fwhoooosh¡­

    A massive wind storm blew inside the ¡°cave¡± filled to the brim with the parasites found within the World Tree¡¯s trunk.

    This wind contained intense heat, as well as sword-like sharpness. And following right behind that storm wind, an echoing voice utterly filled up the cave, ¡°Get bigger¡­!¡±

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    ¡°Ruyi!¡±

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang that had been widened and lengthened swept away thousands of parasites in one go. Sun Wukong quickly retrieved his polearm, changed his direction, and took aim once more, ¡°Get bigger¡­¡±

    At the same time, on the other side¡­

    Creak, gi-gigigigik¡­

    The movements of the parasites become quite unnatural.

    ¡°Die.¡±

    Pow, splat¡­

    Splat, bang, pow¡ª

    The bodies of the parasites exploded one by one, and their fluids flooded the ground. In the blink of an eye, a whole horde of parasites that filled up one side of the cave was obliterated into bits.

    ¡°What did you do just now? Was that some kind of a sorcery technique?¡± Sun Wukong asked curiously after glancing at what just happened.

    Luslec thought about his answer for a bit before shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s rather similar. Although I¡¯ll find it a bit difficult to answer you if you ask me how I did it.¡±

    ¡°You sure know some weird stuff, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s nothing compared to your staff that grows bigger or smaller like that. How do you pull that off anyway, big bro?¡±

    ¡°What, this? It just gets bigger if I ask it to, and by the way, why am I your big bro, dumbass?¡±

    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t be like that, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Where did my little bro disappear to, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Luslec quickly looked around at what Sun Wukong said.

    All the parasites in their surroundings were dead, and that¡¯s why he relaxed for a bit just now, but during that brief time, Su-hyeun and Miru vanished from view.

    ¡°He¡¯s already gone so far ahead.¡±

    Whistle¡ª

    Sun Wukong summoned a cloud and climbed aboard to get a move on.

    Luslec, who was almost left behind all by himself, hurriedly reached out and grabbed Sun Wukong¡¯s arm. The latter glanced at him for a bit and then controlled the cloud to quickly fly forward. And with that, the scenery around them changed in an instant.

    The eyes of both Sun Wukong and Luslec grew wider and wider as the two of them flew into the center of the trunk.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°He sure has been busy, hasn¡¯t he?¡±

    Sun Wukong and Luslec stared at the same sight and gasped in admiration that came from differing thoughts that were also rather similar in nature.

    This whole area was filled with burnt-black objects that seemed to be parasite corpses. It was the path that Su-hyeun carved out when he had gone ahead.

    ¡°Heeey, little bro! Don¡¯t you get tired or something?¡±

    ¡°But, third brother, you don¡¯t get tired either, right?¡±

    Grrr¡ª

    At Su-hyeun¡¯s reply, Miru also theatrically nodded away as if to agree with him.

    Sun Wukong, reaching the two while riding on his cloud, scratched his head. When put that way, he couldn¡¯t come up with a suitable retort, but in reality, he and Su-hyeun were significantly different.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m me, after all,¡± was all Sun Wukong could say.

    He searched long and hard for the right type of retort, but that was all he could come up with. Su-hyeun chuckled softly at that.

    It wasn¡¯t a wrong assertion, after all.

    ¡°Third brother possesses infinite energy, after all,¡± he thought.

    However, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t like that.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s energy reserve was finite, and as he only possessed finite strength, it was only natural for him to get tired quicker. If he wanted to use his powers most efficiently, he simply had to modulate his own speed.

    If he had been his old self, that was.

    In all honesty, he too was amazed right now.

    ¡°I¡¯m not getting tired at all,¡± he mused.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    The prana that he could sense somewhere below his abdomen was sweeping through every corner of his body.

    Whenever Su-hyeun roused up his magical energy to use his strength, prana answered his will on its own and automatically activated as well, and the prana that began activating this way provided a deep well of vigor in his body and helped with recovering the spent magical energy reserve.

    It was as if some kind of an elixir that restored one¡¯s stamina was coursing through his veins right now.

    He didn¡¯t get tired all that much no matter how much he moved, and the large amount of magical energy he spent while wielding the Palm Leaf was being recovered at a far faster rate than before, too.

    He initially planned to gradually recover his magical energy and try to preserve his stamina as much as possible, but there was no need to do that anymore.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you standing still like that?¡± Sun Wukong asked while staring in some puzzlement at Su-hyeun who just stood there dazedly looking down at his own hands.

    The latter silently shook his head to indicate that it was nothing.

    He got the feeling that the longer the battle became, the more he would get to understand what being a ¡°demigod¡± was all about.

    Of course, he was still a long way from getting a full understanding of it. The reason for that assessment was fairly simple.

    ¡°I have not yet activated prana through my will,¡± he inwardly concluded.

    He had not used this newly acquired power called prana consciously yet. A small amount of this power could already energize him to this degree, so it was quite hard to even imagine what might happen if he consciously tried to use this power.

    ¡°How much farther do we need to go?¡± asked Luslec, who was feeling genuinely fed up with fighting against the parasites at this point.

    Su-hyeun was acting as the guide for the group; Sun Wukong and Luslec were basically tagging along, and Su-hyeun was leading them to their destination.

    It had already been one hour since they stepped foot inside the World Tree¡¯s trunk.

    Su-hyeun was heading toward somewhere within the World Tree where he could sense its prana, but there was still quite a distance left to cover. There was the tree¡¯s height to consider, but some of the blame lay with how wide the trunk was.

    It felt like they were currently digging into the core of the planet or something.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that far, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun replied and then scanned all the parasite corpses strewn about everywhere. The reason he didn¡¯t advance any further and stopped for a little bit wasn¡¯t to catch his breath. ¡°Third brother, the goal of your trial this time is to eliminate the predators, yes?¡±

    ¡°Uh? Ah, yeah. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°By any chance, is the system saying that the trial has been completed?¡±

    Sun Wukong tilted his head at Su-hyeun¡¯s question before replying, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t seem to be completed yet. Wait, now that I think about it, this is kinda weird.¡±

    ¡°I knew it,¡± Su-hyeun nodded. He wasn¡¯t completely sure of it, but that answer made it certain now. ¡°These creatures, they were the parasites, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I mean, they do look like huge parasites, don¡¯t they?¡± Luslec replied, not quite seeing what could be the issue here.

    He was correct about that. These creatures did look like parasites at a casual glance, after all.

    These things burrowed into the World Tree¡¯s body and sucked away its energy, making it their own.

    ¡°Huh. Hold on for a sec.¡± When his train of thought reached that far, Luslec hurriedly placed his hand on the floor.

    Quite obviously, the energy the World Tree possessed flowed within its trunk. Every living being was imbued with magical energy; even if this was the ¡°false¡± World Tree, considering how enormous it was, the overall energy it possessed simply had to be incredibly easy to notice.

    Luslec soon figured out what was strange. ¡°Where is all the energy sucked out by the parasites going?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Wait, now that I¡¯ve looked around¡­¡± Even Sun Wukong began making a puzzled face now.

    If the parasites had been sucking out all the energy from various parts of the World Tree, all that energy should¡¯ve been converted into their own power. Even if it was only a minute amount, some traces of the World Tree¡¯s energy should¡¯ve remained within the parasites.

    But they couldn¡¯t sense anything else from these critters other than bodily fluids containing toxins.

    ¡°They are all being gathered at one point,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°At one point?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The main host that created all these parasites, the ¡®real¡¯ insect living inside this World Tree.¡±

    Su-hyeun carefully pondered the system message once more.

    It told them to eliminate the ¡°parasite¡± that had taken over the false World Tree. That was the goal of this mission, but the truth was, literally countless parasites, easily numbering past millions upon millions, could be found hiding away within the trunk of the gigantic tree.

    However, was the system telling them to eliminate every single one of them? And could anyone really argue that these parasites had ¡°taken over¡± the World Tree?

    ¡°Only one host is controlling all these things, and that could only mean¡­¡± Luslec¡¯s expression turned indescribably grave. ¡°The power of the World Tree all these things have been sucked up for a long, long time has been transferred to just one creature.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Su-hyeun kept his silence, while Sun Wukong smirked in awe.

    Tap¡ª

    Sun Wukong rested his Ruyi Jingu Bang over his shoulder. With how his whole body shuddered intermittently like that, he seemed to be really excited right now. ¡°That means, it¡¯s incredibly strong, right?¡±

    ¡°That might not be good enough to describe this thing, actually. We might end up running into a monster ranked within ¡®One Hundred Evils¡¯ today, you know.¡±

    ¡°One Hundred Evils?¡±

    ¡°One Overlord, Three Destroyers, Ten Great Evils, and One Hundred Evils. They are the worst of all the predators found throughout all the dimensions,¡± Luslec said as he held his aching head.

    Without a doubt, this would be the first time he looked this serious.

    ¡°A predator rated as one of the One Hundred Evils is that powerful?¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, it means that thing is super strong, isn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s get going already!¡±

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong spoke up at the same time.

    Luslec seemed to have determined that there was no point in listening to Sun Wukong, judging from how he replied only to Su-hyeun. ¡°In the vastness of all the dimensions out there, only the predators stand diametrically opposed to the gods, and the One Hundred Evils denote the top 100-ranked predators among them.¡±

    ¡°That means they are super stro¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go and take a look,¡± Su-hyeun cut Sun Wukong off.

    Of course, that reply was something the latter had been waiting for. ¡°Yes, as expected of you!¡±

    ¡°Will it be fine, though?¡±

    Sun Wukong chuckled after finding that decision to his liking, while Luslec asked back with a face full of concern.

    Su-hyeun nodded. He had no idea how strong a creature ranked as one of the One Hundred Evils was, but at the very least, Luslec didn¡¯t say they should flee from here, meaning, winning was possible in this situation. Besides, even if that possibility was tiny, he wasn¡¯t going to give up after coming this far and run away.

    ¡°That thing will only get stronger if we leave it alone, after all,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    And the World Tree would also gradually die.

    Finally¡­

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to fight, we don¡¯t have a choice in the matter anymore.¡±

    Splash, splatter¡­

    Chiiirup, hissss¡­

    Numerous presences could be sensed from the front and the rear of the group on this long stretch of the cave, and noises were coming from the distance where their eyes couldn¡¯t see.

    Su-hyeun and companions shifted their gazes over in the direction they had been traveling toward earlier, and they spotted seemingly hundreds of millions of parasites.

    However, their overall numbers didn¡¯t really matter. No matter how many of them showed up, they didn¡¯t present much of a threat in the end.

    The real problem lay elsewhere.

    ¡°Here it comes.¡±

    Screeeech¡­

    Hiss, hiiiissss¡ª

    Ruuumble¡­

    Its size didn¡¯t seem all that big. However, the aura this creature emitted was more than enough to shake the World Tree itself.

    ¡°Damn! That¡¯s incredible.¡±

    Gulp¡­

    Sun Wukong swallowed his saliva. Even the one and only Sun Wukong was getting tense with how massive the presence of their new opponent felt.

    Shuffle, srrrrr¡­

    The movements of the parasites changed. The countless creatures that had been bunched up like a white bundle of wool suddenly split off left and right.

    It was as if they were creating a path for their king¡¯s march.

    ¡°That thing is mine, got that?¡±

    ¡°But, third brother, can you handle that thing all by yourself?¡±

    ¡°What, you think I can¡¯t do it?¡±

    ¡°I mean, that thing¡¯s definitely on another realm compared to the predators from earlier, you know?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Actually, yeah, I think so, too.¡±

    Sun Wukong acknowledged it as well. He admitted that it might be too tough for him alone.

    That response certainly was not something Su-hyeun was expecting, but that only served to reaffirm the truth¡ªthat monster was unlike anything they had run into up until now.

    ¡°Well, in that case, should we get rid of it together?¡± Sun Wukong suggested.

    He and Su-hyeun had fought side by side several times by now, but this would be their first facing off against one enemy together.

    A chuckle escaped Su-hyeun¡¯s lips, which didn¡¯t suit their current situation at all. He replied while gripping his sword in one hand and a spear in another, ¡°Yes, we should.¡±

 Chapter 393

    <hr />

    A parasite is a type of ¡°bug¡± that hid inside another living creature¡¯s body and parasitically sucked out nutrients from its host¡ªa worthless, filthy, and insignificant existence that no one acknowledged or cared for.

    That was this creature in a nutshell, but that remained true only up until it coincidentally began parasitizing a certain corpse.

    ¡°What is this thing?¡±

    The nutrients it absorbed felt different from the usual. The more it absorbed, the greater it transformed. Power overflowed within its body, and its outer appearance eventually changed.

    The creature that was once a bug now grew to resemble an actual monster.

    It was ecstatic. It learned to feel emotions, and its thought process broadened. Then, it began devouring other monsters using all the overflowing power in its body.

    The more it led this life, the greater its greed grew while not knowing if it was under someone else¡¯s influence all along.

    ¡°Won¡¯t there be a creature much larger and tastier out there?¡±

    Its greed and appetite¡ªits thirst for possessing an even greater power¡ªbecame ever-growing.

    And so, this creature eventually transformed into a horrifying hybrid where its identity as a bug and the greediness of a predator had combined into one. It matured enough to possess a functioning ego and a mind that could reason, yet they were all suppressed by its greed.

    And while in such a state, it roamed around many different worlds and dimensions to devour countless monsters. Eventually, it discovered a creature so, so much larger than anything it had ever seen before¡ªa tree that enveloped an entire world, a gigantic tree that was basically a world in itself.

    It had to be the best prey the bug had discovered so far, and so, the bug predator parasitized this tree for the past several thousand years.

    In the beginning, the tree powerfully fought back, but it gradually lost its strength and even lost its ego, too.

    And now, yet another delicious prey had appeared before its eyes.

    <hr />

    Wriggle, wiggle¡­

    The outer appearance of the mother body of all these parasites was quite bizarre, to say the least.

    While its body and tail resembled a long, black parasite, the upper part of its body and its head resembled a humanoid.

    ¡°Did a person turn into a bug or did a bug morph into a person¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t figure out what this creature even started off as, but he was sure that this thing was not only grotesque but also extremely dangerous. ¡°Mister Luslec?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll lend you my summons. Please take care of the other bugs.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    Black aura flooded out of Su-hyeun and gathered around him to transform into his summoned creatures. He had summoned about a hundred or so creatures, which included the likes of Gluttony and the God of War, too.

    When they materialized, Luslec nodded and also called out his own summons. ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Little bro, you take your time, okay?¡±

    Pooow¡ª!!!

    Sun Wukong explosively flew forward and with blinding speed while carrying his Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hands.

    His target was, of course, the ¡°bug¡± in front of their eyes. Outwardly at least, the creature seemed like it should be slow-moving due to how large it was, making it easier to land a hit.

    ¡°Get longer¡­!¡±

    Swhooooooosh¡ª!

    Bang, pow, poooow¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang that was in Sun Wukong¡¯s grip rapidly moved and slammed into the bug¡¯s body.

    It struck the creature¡¯s torso, its head, its neck, and even where its heart should be. Each of Sun Wukong¡¯s strikes was aimed at the vital parts, and as such, they were all quite lethal.

    ¡°Get smaller again.¡±

    Whoosh, land¡­

    Sun Wukong had swung his weapon dozens of times by then. He secured his grip on the polearm and leaped toward the bug¡¯s head.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Get bigger¡ª!¡±

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    ¡°Ruyi!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, the Ruyi Jingu Bang enlarged to the size of a small mountain. It all happened within a truly brief time that wasn¡¯t even a dozen or so seconds.

    Su-hyeun observed this spectacle from a little bit of distance away.

    For some reason, the bug was getting one-sidedly pummeled here.

    ¡°Maybe its reaction is slow? If not¡­¡±

    This was strange. Rather than its reaction being tardy, the bug simply didn¡¯t display any reaction whatsoever. Not even during the moments when it was getting hit, too.

    If it lost consciousness after getting struck earlier, then fine, but it hadn¡¯t, and it not displaying any sort of reaction to this degree made it difficult to understand why.

    Sure enough¡­

    Creak, gi-gi-gik¡­

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang that had grown much larger and longer got stuck and couldn¡¯t go forward anymore, and Sun Wukong¡¯s expression slightly distorting also happened around the same time. He couldn¡¯t move his weapon despite using more of his strength than before and forcing his will into it.

    Whoooosh¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s body was suddenly lifted up, along with the Ruyi Jingu Bang extending in front of him.

    Fwhoooosh¡­

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    Soon afterward, Sun Wukong¡¯s figure was slammed straight into the floor. What happened was that the upper torso of the bug that resembled a humanoid used its incredible strength to grab the polearm and lifted up both the weapon and its wielder, Sun Wukong.

    Shu-wuwu¡­

    The bug¡¯s gaze then shifted over to Su-hyeun again. The creature had been doing that ever since the beginning of the fight. It only paid attention to him and no one else.

    Screeeech¡­

    But just as the bug began shuffling toward Su-hyeun¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can start fighting against you yet,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°If I do, I¡¯m going to get scolded by my third brother, you see.¡±

    BAAANG¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang came in flying again and struck the back of the bug¡¯s head with a much larger size and carrying so much greater force.

    Stagger¡­

    The bug that didn¡¯t even flinch from the attacks earlier suddenly began staggering now.

    Sun Wukong, who had swung his Ruyi Jingu Bang from a distance, beckoned with his finger. ¡°My turn hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡±

    Hisss¡­

    The bug¡¯s head turned around, and at the same time, Sun Wukong¡¯s body shot up high as well.

    ¡°Restrict that thing¡­¡±

    Shu-rururu¡­

    Clouds rose up from below to envelop the bug¡¯s body. Sparks then arced from within all those clouds simultaneously as well.

    And the exact moment Sun Wukong¡¯s will reached the clouds restricting the bug¡­

    Squeeze¡ª

    He tightly clutched his fist. ¡°Strike now, lightning bolts.¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

    Rumble, Ka-boooooom¡ª!

    A barrage of lightning whipped up viciously within the white clouds enveloping the bug. Su-hyeun shielded his eyes from the blinding light and muttered softly to himself, ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that it¡¯s a type of sorcery?¡±

    Even though Sun Wukong had gifted the Somersault cloud to Su-hyeun, it was as if he hadn¡¯t lost it at all.

    To someone like him who possessed near-infinite energy, commanding clouds and shooting lightning bolts through them were fairly easy things to do.

    As such, Sun Wukong fought as if he still controlled the Somersault cloud even now. Even if the overall power didn¡¯t come anywhere near the real Somersault cloud, at the very least, he didn¡¯t need to radically alter the way he had been fighting all along.

    Of course¡­

    ¡°It didn¡¯t even work, though.¡±

    Some little burn marks were the extent of the damage the bug had suffered.

    And there was no way that Sun Wukong would¡¯ve missed something that Su-hyeun was able to see from a distance away. The Monkey King roused up even more of his Dao energy and took an almighty swipe with his lengthened Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Whiiirl, swiiiiiiish¡ª!

    Sliiiice¡ª

    The long polearm scythed through the air. Several powerful thrusts followed, but all they produced was the sounds of air splitting and nothing else.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but doubt his own eyes just then. ¡°Son of a¡­¡±

    Even an expletive, something he didn¡¯t use all that often, threatened to jump out of his mouth, too.

    Was he seeing things correctly right now?

    Paaang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong¡¯s Ruyi Jingu Bang was thrust at the bug¡¯s figure once more, but the moment the weapon was about to land on the target, the huge monster relied on a truly bizarre movement, and its body seemed to bend away.

    Paaang¡ª!

    Yet another sound of the air exploding resounded. The Ruyi Jingu Bang had missed its target again, and then, the bug¡¯s body began emitting an ominous light.

    Staaab¡ª!

    ¡°Keuph¡­!¡±

    A ¡°thorn¡± suddenly shot out from the bug¡¯s pitch-black body and impaled Sun Wukong¡¯s side. His eyes shot wide open as his flashy movements of earlier came to an abrupt halt.

    Suck, sluuurp¡­

    The bug then began absorbing Sun Wukong¡¯s Dao energy through the thorn. This was something he also suffered in the earlier battle against another predator. However, there was one thing different this time, and that would be Sun Wukong standing paralyzed as if poison was affecting him right now.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Hey, punk.¡± Sun Wukong suddenly smirked and opened his mouth, ¡°Above you¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The bug¡¯s head tilted up at what Sun Wukong said.

    Whoosh, whirl¡­

    And that¡¯s when it discovered the Ruyi Jingu Bang flying right above its head. Also at the same time, Sun Wukong said something else.

    ¡°Get bigger, Ruyi.¡±

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    The bug¡¯s figure got crushed by the enlarged Ruyi Jingu Bang and disappeared from view. As an added bonus, the thorn impaling Sun Wukong¡¯s side lost its strength and went limp as well.

    ¡°Tsk. That freaking hurts.¡±

    This was Sun Wukong¡¯s honest impression after a hole was punctured in his torso. He pressed his hand on his bleeding wound and watched Su-hyeun walk up to his side.

    He asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°You said you wanted to fight together, third brother.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re definitely not a fan of fighting?¡±

    ¡°Well, for some reason, I¡¯m hankering for one today.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun stepped forward.

    Creak, creeeak¡­

    Meanwhile, the enlarged Ruyi Jingu Bang was being lifted up. The bug that got crushed by the polearm was actually lifting the weapon away with only one arm while glaring at Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m not going to stand back anymore, so come at me already.¡±

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    While wielding a spear in his left hand and a sword in his right, Su-hyeun flung himself forward.

    Pooow¡ª!

    Bang, pow, whoosh¡ª

    The first few hits landed on target. However, the bug soon began twisting its body in a bizarre fashion to duck and weave out of Su-hyeun¡¯s blades.

    As he thought, this creature was rather fast, and more importantly, it still hadn¡¯t shown a lot of what it was capable of yet.

    ¡°Surely this isn¡¯t all it has.¡±

    Tsu-tsutsu¡­

    [Palm Leaf]

    [Explosion Style]

    Winds enveloped Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. Right after that, he swung his weapon upward and sliced apart the bug¡¯s head.

    Chwa-jajajajajak¡ª!

    Tumble, driiiip¡­

    The bug¡¯s insanely tough flesh finally got cut open, and blackish fluid splattered from there.

    Su-hyeun urgently tilted his body out of the liquid¡¯s path. The black liquid landed on the floor and melted the tough body of the World Tree to leave behind a surprisingly deep hole.

    Su-hyeun was quite confident of his resistance against most toxins, but that thing¡¯s toxicity was just too ridiculous, even for him.

    ¡°What a troublesome creature you are.¡±

    Creak, gigigik¡­

    The bug¡¯s figure writhed. It must be in pain, judging from how it held onto its half-sliced head. What an amazing thing this was for it to not die even after getting injured to that degree.

    Pu-shu-shiiiii¡­

    Suddenly, smoke escaped from the bug¡¯s sliced body. Su-hyeun unleashed flames out of his own body to get rid of the smoke around him. Even though his immunity was strong, the smoke containing this level of toxicity would still prove to be dangerous nonetheless.

    ¡°Did it convert all the absorbed energy into poison?¡±

    The creature¡¯s regenerative power must¡¯ve been considerable as well, as all of its wounds had been recovered already.

    The smoke continued to spread around ominously. Then, the walls melted down, and the floor became soggy. What¡¯s notable was the fact that the other parasites weren¡¯t affected by the poison at all.

    No, it would be more correct to say that these parasitic creatures became even more energized as if they were fish meeting water.

    In the meantime, the World Tree began screaming once more. It was probably due to all the smoke containing poison rapidly filling up its interior.

    Su-hyeun groaned at length at the screaming, ¡°Gee whiz. I got it already.¡±

    Ruuumble¡­

    Su-hyeun used the divine Flame to dissipate the smoke and started walking forward.

    His magical energy stat that had broken past the ¡°10¡± mark imparted a completely different sensation. It felt like he was drawing a bucket of water to use from a massive ocean that would never run dry¡ªso much so that he began wondering if this was what Sun Wukong had been feeling all this time while using his powers.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    At the same time, the prana sleeping somewhere below his navel also began circulating.

    Things were different from the last time when this mysterious energy simply tagged along as he activated his other powers.

    ¡°I think I can do this.¡±

    Su-hyeun swept his gaze over the blackish smoke densely filling up the surroundings. While taking them in with his eyes, he slung his spear on his back.

    And then¡­

    Rumble, fwhooooosh¡ª

    The activated magical energy and prana permeated in his surroundings and gave birth to flames of high density.

    [Flame ¨C Territory Declaration]

    RUUUMBLE¡ª!

    The surroundings, bathed in the black smoke and in which one couldn¡¯t even see an inch in front of their nose, suddenly got brightly illuminated. Intense flames instantly filled up the interior of the World Tree¡¯s trunk, utterly scorching the parasites to death and turning them into cinders.

    However, the World Tree itself wasn¡¯t burned in the slightest. The divine Flame only burned the things Su-hyeun wished to burn, after all. It went on to warmly envelop the injuries pockmarking the World Tree, instead.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Luslec¡¯s jaw fell as a soft sigh of admiration leaked out of there.

    The one now ruling the World Tree was none other than Su-hyeun.

 Chapter 394

    Act 9

    Ruuumble, sizzle¡­

    Hissss, sizzle¡­

    The parasites were either burnt black or melted down.

    The flames that were completely filling up the interior of the World Tree¡¯s trunk continued to rage on, but that¡¯s because the moment the flames were withdrawn, the ¡°bug¡± would start spitting out the toxic smoke once more.

    Sun Wukong and Luslec watched this scene in amazement. They had no idea that performing something like this was even possible.

    ¡°Just how big is the affected area?¡±

    The divine Flame was one of Su-hyeun¡¯s main skills. As such, Luslec had witnessed the divine Flame¡¯s activation many times already while tagging along with Su-hyeun.

    But even then, this was his first time seeing this sort of flame. It was not only bright but also warm. More than anything else, though, the skill¡¯s range was on a completely different dimension compared to before.

    Rumble¡­

    The moment flames that seemed to have filled up the World Tree activated and prana took over Su-hyeun¡¯s body, the light burning in his eyes changed.

    Squeeeeze¡­

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist tightly as he began walking toward the bug. The creature was stuck in the center of the blaze, writhing away in torment. It must¡¯ve found the flames too hot to endure.

    No matter what, a fire was the natural enemy of all insects.

    ¡°Despite becoming a monster, you still couldn¡¯t change your true nature, could you?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know why, but he could clearly see the original appearance of the bug in front of his eyes.

    It was a parasite that subsisted on the sweat and blood of other life forms. It was also a monster that, despite coming to possess more than enough power to completely change what it was, couldn¡¯t be satisfied and continued to harm others with its greed for even greater power.

    However, the creature¡¯s true appearance was nothing more than some small and insignificant little bug as tiny as a strand of fabric.

    ¡°Go back to how you used to look.¡±

    Ki-ririririk¡­!

    The bug¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply as if it actually understood what Su-hyeun had said just then, and then, it straightened its writhing body.

    Chwa-aaaaaah¡ª!

    The creature suddenly flung itself toward him with movements so much more agile than ever before.

    Craaaack¡ª!

    Black thorns extended out and flew in toward him from all sides as they scratched the walls, but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even bother to dodge and simply took a large stride toward the incoming thorns.

    And right at that moment¡­

    Paht¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure vanished from the spot.

    ¡°Where did he go?¡±

    Luslec, who no longer had anything left to do after the parasites had all been burned to death, looked around him. He was trying to locate the ¡°vanished¡± Su-hyeun.

    But then¡­

    KWA-DUDUDUDU¡ª!

    Splaaaat¡ª!

    Loud noises came to him a little bit later.

    Luslec hurriedly spun his head around and discovered the black blood profusely pouring out from the bug, all of its black thorns broken and severed. It let out a bizarre-sounding screaming as if it was suffering from intense torment and even began shaking its tail all over the place as well.

    ¡°When did he cut that thing down?¡±

    Luslec¡¯s gaze quickly shifted up after he sensed a presence up there.

    [Immortality]

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    [Flame ¨C Explosion Style]

    Squeeze, grip¡­

    Veins bulged on Su-hyeun¡¯s arm.

    The flames on the tip of the spear burned viciously. Su-hyeun met Luslec¡¯s incredulous gaze and mouthed some words, ¡°Please dodge on your own.¡±

    Luslec was instantly overcome with an ominous foreboding and quickly melted into the ground right where he stood. He traveled along the shadows and only reappeared again quite a distance away, and by the time he reappeared above the surface, the spear had already left Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    Chwa-rarararak¡ª!

    The spear that left Su-hyeun¡¯s hands split into thousands of pieces. In response, the bug twisted its body and tried to dodge, but there were just too many of them.

    Pow, bang, popopopopow¡ª!

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    Kkyah-aaaaahk¡ª!

    The bug screamed again.

    Its screams were unsurprisingly bizarre and monstrous. Back when it was still a parasite, it had no mouth, so it couldn¡¯t scream. After it acquired power and changed its appearance, it had no opportunity to scream like this, either.

    The sound of a scream made through sheer pain cracked. The bug, with its body punctured straight through in several places and its flesh burning away, thrashed wildly about. In the meantime, Su-hyeun made another move.

    Swhoooosh¡ª

    Splat, crack¡ª!

    Sliiice¡ª

    The creature¡¯s large body was deeply cut wide open, but it regenerated quickly.

    Poooow¡ª!

    A thorn impaled Su-hyeun¡¯s body. At least that¡¯s what it outwardly looked like.

    Squeeeeze¡­

    Su-hyeun grabbed the thorn mid-air with his bare hand and then utterly crushed it using nothing but his grip alone.

    Ruuuumble¡­

    Flames traveled along the crushed thorn and the ¡°vine¡± connecting it to the bug. The creature was set on even fiercer flames, and its horrifying screeches rang out even louder than before. Because of the flames, it couldn¡¯t even regenerate properly.

    Su-hyeun seemed to be ready to wrap this up because he raised his sword high above his head, stepped on the thorn¡¯s vine, and dashed straight toward the bug¡¯s head.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Great Mountain Splitter]

    Gu-wuwuwuwu¡­

    His sword densely permeating in prana now carried enough power to seemingly split the World Tree itself in half.

    But just before his terrifying sword attack could come down¡­

    Split¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª!

    The bug¡¯s mouth split wide open without warning and swallowed Su-hyeun in the blink of an eye. The scorched-black body of the creature, still burning in flames, twisted and wrapped around its head that had swallowed Su-hyeun up just now.

    ¡°Mister Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°Little bro?!¡±

    Luslec and Sun Wukong cried out in shock, but their worries only lasted for a brief moment.

    Split¡ª

    Not too long afterward, a long and thin ¡°line¡± suddenly drew along the bug¡¯s coiled body.

    Pu-haaaaaaahk¡ª!

    The severed flesh exploded. Sun Wukong¡¯s eyes widened as he took in the sights of the fountain of blood and torn flesh bits scattering in the air. ¡°Gyeol?¡±

    The singular ¡°line¡± that acted as the fatal weak point existing in every single object in the universe was none other than ¡°Gyeol.¡±

    Su-hyeun had definitely cut that Gyeol down. Even though he got devoured, he still accurately grasped the creature¡¯s weakness and took a swing with his sword.

    Drip, tumble¡­

    The bug¡¯s torn bits of flesh exploded upward before raining down on the floor. Su-hyeun¡¯s hand broke through the clamped-shut mouth of the bug and forcibly pried it open. Then, he walked out of his confinement, his whole body completely bathed in the black blood.

    Step, step¡­

    His eyes seemed to be glazed over for some reason, and Sun Wukong and Luslec wordlessly observed him for a moment.

    But then¡­

    Plop¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure powerlessly collapsed on the ground.

    <hr />

    [You have cleared the third mission.]

    [The World Tree has commenced with purification.]

    [The World Tree has¡­]

    ¡­

    [The purification has concluded.]

    [The awarding of the clear reward is being deferred.]

    System messages floated up.

    He couldn¡¯t hear any sounds, however. Maybe losing consciousness was to blame here because the voices sounded faint and indistinct. Even his memories were faint and blurry.

    Just what happened here?

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t quite remember what happened from about the half-way mark of the battle.

    Shu-wuwu¡­

    While he remained collapsed on the floor, energy gradually returned to him, which started with his emptied prana pool recovering.

    ¡°What the hell happened here?¡±

    His memories began connecting the dots again, and his head ached painfully. He recalled that his memories got cut off from the moment he began circulating prana.

    A brand-new type of energy¡ªone unlike anything else he used before¡ªruled over his body. At the same time, he moved as if instincts had taken over, and when he finally regained consciousness, he found himself utterly bathed in the blood heavily laced in poison.

    ¡°You are finally up?¡±

    The first thing he saw after opening his eyes was Sun Wukong¡¯s face.

    Su-hyeun was taken by surprise at the latter¡¯s mug filling up his view but soon calmed down. He pushed that face aside and sat up.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake?¡± Luslec asked while raising his ladle. He was in the middle of cooking.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the burnt-black corpses of the parasites strewn about everywhere, Su-hyeun might have mistakenly thought that they were out camping somewhere.

    He looked around their vicinity with a somewhat dazed face. ¡°How long was I out for?¡±

    ¡°Around two days, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Two days?!¡± Su-hyeun jumped up in shock and asked back.

    A lot more time than he expected had passed by. He thought he was taking a nap for a short while, but to learn that so much time had passed by already¡­

    That was when Su-hyeun finally recalled the fact that he got bathed in the bug¡¯s blood right toward the end. That blood contained enough toxin to even melt down the World Tree¡¯s trunk.

    ¡°I guess that makes sense.¡±

    Su-hyeun took a look at the dried crusted blood still sticking to him. It seemed that most of the toxins seeped into his body and dissipated, but still, it was not that surprising for him to blackout after getting so much poison dumped on top of him.

    Well, to be still breathing like this was a miracle in itself, and the only reason why he was still alive was all thanks to prana.

    ¡°Hey, little bro, you sense anything has changed about you?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Su-hyeun turned around to face Sun Wukong when the latter asked him a question.

    Sun Wukong shifted his eyes around and scanned Su-hyeun from top to bottom. ¡°I¡¯m asking you if you noticed anything¡¯s different about you.¡±

    ¡°Well, when you say different¡­¡± Only after being asked twice did Su-hyeun consciously began analyzing his body, and it finally dawned on him. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Your prana¡ªit¡¯s now spread throughout your body. Instead of staying in one place as a single lump, now it¡¯s circulating within you like blood using your blood vessels.¡±

    ¡°I did get this feeling of power surging through my whole body, but¡­¡±

    To think that was all because prana had spread throughout his body.

    Prana really was roaming all over his body like blood flowing to heal his wounds. The reason why he recovered completely in two days was solely because prana was evenly circulating throughout his whole body.

    ¡°Well, we can take our time and discuss a bit later. For now, we¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you awake now?¡± a voice asked.

    ¡°We should eat.¡± Luslec stopped pouring soup into a bowl with his ladle and slowly shook his head.

    Su-hyeun raised his head when that voice echoed within the interior of the huge trunk. That was definitely the voice he was familiar with, but the direction it came from was different this time. ¡°The World Tree?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the World Tree, though.¡±

    Wuuung¡­

    A reply came to him¡ªnot just any reply but one made directly by the World Tree itself.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes widened in amazement. He was already aware of the World Tree possessing ego and being capable of human speech, but even then, he didn¡¯t expect it to directly address him like this.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s feeling a bit better¡­?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, though? Are you still hurting?¡±

    Su-hyeun heard the World Tree¡¯s next words and hurriedly suppressed a chuckle threatening to break free from his lips.

    ¡°Its childish manner of speech is still the same,¡± he thought.

    He couldn¡¯t help but laugh when something this humongous sounded and behaved like a kid.

    The real World Tree was supposed to be large enough to connect several dimensions together, but such a thing was impossible to view with naked eyes, anyway. And even if he could somehow see it, it would still come across just too unreal to him.

    As such, this World Tree Su-hyeun could see right now didn¡¯t feel like a little kid to him. ¡°No, I¡¯m not hurting anymore.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. You mustn¡¯t die, you know.¡±

    It seemed that the Tree was really worried about Su-hyeun dying here.

    He also asked a question himself, ¡°What about you? Are you alright now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. It¡¯s all thanks to you!¡±

    The voice sounded like the Tree was grinning shyly away.

    It used to scream in pain all the time earlier, but judging from its demeanor now, its condition must¡¯ve been back to normal. Thanks to his divine Flame, a part of it should be healing the Tree¡¯s trunk to some degree, but the Tree¡¯s current condition mostly had to do with there being no more parasites sucking out its energy.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Su-hyeun confirmed the state of the World Tree first, and then, his thoughts shifted to something else. ¡°Now that I think about it, what happened to the mission?¡± he thought.

    He vaguely remembered that some system messages did pop up, but he couldn¡¯t recall even a single one as he was too busy blacking out back then.

    ¡°Since nothing seems to have happened in the past two days, I¡¯m guessing all the stages have been cleared?¡±

    According to what Luslec told him earlier, their group should be the very first people to clear the third mission, which meant that there was a possibility of this mission being the last one as well.

    When Su-hyeun asked that question, both Luslec and Sun Wukong nodded away, but for some reason, their reactions seemed a bit strange.

    Su-hyeun asked again in a puzzled voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you two?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°You see, it¡¯s seriously crazy, that¡¯s why.¡±

    Luslec didn¡¯t seem to be able to explain, while Sun Wukong was wryly chuckling away.

    What Su-hyeun required right now was an explanation, so he was about to ask again, only for the World Tree to cut in first, ¡°My mom wants to speak to you first.¡±

 Chapter 395

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    The Tree¡¯s mom? Why was its mom suddenly being brought up in this conversation?

    If such a thing was to be mentioned, then it should¡¯ve been done so much sooner. Besides all that, though, a World Tree¡¯s mother, was it? Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t wrap his head around the current flow of their conversation at all.

    His thoughts instantly became too complicated.

    It was at that moment that Sun Wukong began guffawing at Su-hyeun¡¯s dazed expression. ¡°Fuu¡­fuu-hahahaht! You¡¯re definitely my little bro, that¡¯s for sure! The exact same reaction as mine, eh?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, everyone will react the same as he did when they found themselves in the same situation, you know?¡± Luslec retorted.

    Judging from Sun Wukong¡¯s and Luslec¡¯s reactions, they seemed to have been informed of what was going on while Su-hyeun was unconscious.

    And just as Su-hyeun remained sitting there in a daze for a little while¡­

    Chwa-ruk, chwa-rururu¡­

    The floor rose, and a small tree grew from there. This tree¡¯s vines twisted and coiled around to eventually morph into a silhouette of a person.

    Sun Wukong stopped his snickering immediately. Even Luslec sucked in his breath and watched this scene unfold.

    If it was only Luslec, then it would have been understandable, but even Sun Wukong, too? That made Su-hyeun also suck in his breath.

    The tree that was rising up finished forming the silhouette, and then, ¡°flesh¡± materialized above the brown tree before being covered up in a human-like skin.

    It had turned into an actual person. Whether it was a woman or a man, it was hard to tell from its outer appearance alone. At a glance, it seemed like a handsome woman or a beautiful man¡ªthe most beautiful woman or man ever in history.

    The figure that was giving off an androgynous feeling opened its eyes and stared at Su-hyeun.

    Even though Su-hyeun saw a lone individual, he was sensing an indescribably vast universe spanning behind the figure. He could instinctively tell.

    Gulp¡­

    Su-hyeun was unable to remain sitting anymore and stood on his feet. ¡°Are you¡­the World Tree?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± it smiled pleasantly but did not say no to the question.

    But the stupefying and vast presence emanating from the rather small figure was more than enough for Su-hyeun to confirm that, indeed, this individual was the real World Tree.

    Gulp¡­

    A sense of nervousness completely swallowed him up by now but not because he was scared or anything like that.

    It was more like nervousness born out of facing a gigantic ¡°world¡± that he had never encountered before. ¡°Ah, y¡ªyes. It¡¯s a¡­pleasure to meet you, too.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be too nervous. I have no plan to harm you, nor do I possess the means to do so. I merely wished to meet the person who protected my seed. That was all.¡±

    ¡°When you say your seed¡­¡±

    ¡°I meant this child.¡± The World Tree looked around their surroundings. They were currently inside the false World Tree¡¯s trunk.

    The ¡°child¡± referred to in this case was rather obvious¡ªa World Tree smaller than the actual one.

    ¡°But wasn¡¯t this the fal¡ª?¡±

    Just before Su-hyeun could finish asking if this wasn¡¯t the false World Tree, he stopped himself and smiled awkwardly.

    Without a doubt, the real World Tree before him referred to the so-called ¡°false¡± Tree as its child, so he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was stepping out of line by asking whether it was really a ¡°false¡± Tree or not.

    ¡°Yes, it is indeed a false Tree. There¡¯s no need to be so jittery. For sure, this child is unlike the other World Trees, as it has been ¡®manufactured,¡¯ you see.¡±

    ¡°Manufactured¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know anything about the World Tree, so he couldn¡¯t quite understand what the tree meant by that.

    He knew that the ¡°false¡± World Tree he was standing inside, as well as the realm this tree had created, was actually a world created by a god of some kind. At least that¡¯s what he heard.

    However, the thing was, not even Luslec knew a lot about World Trees in the first place.

    Was a World Tree ¡°manufactured¡± or born naturally? Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even know something as elemental as that, so he would never get to fully understand what the World Tree was telling him right now.

    ¡°It is not necessary to learn the process of how this child came to be, but what is important right now is the fact that you saved this child.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI see.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve answered my request most excellently.¡±

    Su-hyeun became puzzled when he heard the World Tree. Answered its request? When did the World Tree even request him?

    Su-hyeun, standing there with a puzzled face for a little while, soon opened his eyes wide and suddenly asked, ¡°Could it be that the system we have been hearing in this world was¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one who created it. I¡¯m unable to directly interfere in the matters of this world, you see.¡± While saying that, the World Tree swept its gaze over its arm. ¡°Other than creating a small body like this one.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been waiting for individuals such as yourselves. I feared that it was getting too late, but thankfully, you have come at the right time.¡± The World Tree bowed its head toward Su-hyeun.

    He hurriedly bowed in reply as well, as did Luslec.

    Only Sun Wukong stood tall, merely lightly nodding. It seemed that he was still uncomfortable with bowing his head to someone.

    ¡°As such, I must bestow you with your reward. After all, I did make a promise.¡±

    ¡°A reward, you say?¡±

    If the World Tree was indeed the creator of the system of this world, according to the information regarding this world, then the final reward should be an elixir of some kind.

    And that elixir was the source of energy that composed this world. In other words, it meant the false World Tree itself.

    ¡°If I could, I¡¯d have given the reward to all three of you, but that¡¯s not possible¡­So, I shall give it to the person who has played the most active role.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it, actually. I¡¯m only tagging along to hand that reward over to Mister Su-hyeun in the first place, you see.¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t need it. I¡¯ve already eaten way too many elixirs by now.¡±

    Both Luslec and Sun Wukong expressed their refusal.

    The World Tree smiled faintly at the two men quickly refusing the heavenly elixir. It then addressed Sun Wukong, ¡°But this elixir is rather different from the ones you¡¯ve already consumed. The Peach of Immortality is indeed an excellent elixir worthy of being called the fruit of the gods, but even the gods are tempted by my elixir, you know?¡±

    Creak, gugugu¡­

    As the World Tree continued to speak, another tree rose from the floor. This small tree quickly began sprouting some leaves, and soon, a small seed appeared on one of the leaves.

    ¡°This is a seed of the next World Tree.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°A seed?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Sun Wukong stood there in confusion, so Luslec leaned over and whispered in his ear, ¡°That is the genesis of the vast universe standing right before our eyes.¡±

    ¡°Genesis of the universe? What¡­?¡±

    Other than the matters involving fighting, Sun Wukong was rather simple in nature when it came to everything else, so he couldn¡¯t figure out what that was all about.

    The universe and the genesis of a realm¡ªthat was the World Tree¡¯s seed.

    Such a seed was the genesis that went on to become a small realm first, which would eventually branch out to many other massive realms, and this was the reward of this mission¡ªthe fabled elixir.

    ¡°Is it really okay for me to accept this?¡± Su-hyeun asked in a tense voice.

    It was always better to have the biggest possible reward, but this was on another scale altogether.

    There was simply no way that a World Tree¡¯s seed was a common item. Just one of these could grow up to become a single world, and when a realm was created in such a way, countless life forms would start living in it as well, just like Earth, the planet he lived on, or many other worlds he came across during his trials.

    But the moment he received that seed, the potential bud that would become such worlds would be gone. Something like that was a burden beyond one¡¯s comprehension.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too burdened by it. You shouldn¡¯t worry about the ones that haven¡¯t come to exist yet. Focus more on saving the ones who are alive right now.¡±

    Shu-wuwuk¡­

    The leaf widened, and the seed within fell. Su-hyeun reflexively reached out and caught the falling seed.

    A brownish hue began appearing over the World Tree¡¯s skin. Now that it had handed the reward, it was planning to return. ¡°It¡¯s up to you on how to use that seed. However, the responsibility of dealing with what happens after you consume it also lies with you. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    Crack, split¡­

    The World Tree¡¯s mouth area hardened. As if it was a sculpted doll made from a block of wood, the Word Tree¡¯s silhouette reverted to being a tree.

    Su-hyeun tightly grasped the jewel-like seed that shone in a verdant color.

    [You have completed the final mission.]

    [You shall be sent back to your original worlds in five minutes.]

    ¡°Uh? What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°So suddenly, too?¡±

    Luslec and Sun Wukong muttered, flustered.

    Out of the duo, Sun Wukong¡¯s fluster was visibly greater. He hadn¡¯t gone back even though he had already passed his assigned trial, but now, he had no choice but to part ways with Su-hyeun in five minutes.

    However, Sun Wukong calmed down soon enough and scratched his head before nodding in a disinterested manner. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need for a drawn-out goodbye, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Third brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, man. Why are you making such a face? This won¡¯t be our last meeting, you know. We¡¯ll definitely see each other again later, right?¡± Sun Wukong smirked deeply, ¡°Next time, all of us will get together. Got that?¡±

    All of us, he said.

    No matter the occasion, those words managed to make Su-hyeun emotional. He had been feeling somewhat dejected after he already began missing his sworn brothers, so the confident declaration by Sun Wukong instantly brought a faint smile back on his lips. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s definitely do that.¡±

    ¡°Dude, this is getting too awkward already. Imma head out right now. I hate this sort of drawn-out cringeworthy goodbyes, you know.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡­

    Sun Wukong¡¯s figure grew blurry. He was moving onto the next floor.

    ¡°Take care of yourself in the meantime, little bro.¡±

    With those parting words, Sun Wukong vanished completely from view. It hadn¡¯t even been one minute out of the five given.

    Luslec scratched his head while staring at the spot where Sun Wukong vanished. ¡°Even until the end, he didn¡¯t treat me as his little brother,¡± he muttered to himself and then turned around to speak to Su-hyeun next. ¡°It looks like I must say goodbye as well.¡±

    ¡°You mean, right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I gotta say this before I leave.¡± Luslec¡¯s expression became somewhat dark all of a sudden. His gaze was locked on Su-hyeun¡¯s hand, which held the seed given away by the World Tree. ¡°You need to be careful here. The World Tree isn¡¯t what it seems on the outside, after all. Since its godhood is ridiculously high-ranked, it would never lie, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s on your side, either, Mister Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m already aware of that.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Although the World Tree might come across as a good being, in the end, it was the one that came up with the system of this world, after all.¡± Su-hyeun looked at the seed in his hand. ¡°The first and the second missions¡­Those were designed to make people fight each other, and the participants who died here would become the fertilizer for the seedling World Tree.¡±

    Even though the predators were ¡°evil,¡± that didn¡¯t automatically make the World Tree ¡°good,¡± either. As proof, the latter had created a system like the one found in this world and the missions to go along with it.

    The World Tree was a neutral being, and that was why it could act more rational and logical than any other. The existence that placed more importance on mutual benefits than the lives of thousands, millions, or even billions was none other than the World Tree.

    That was why the World Tree neither wanted to aid nor harm Su-hyeun. Its seed was simply the best reward it could hand out, and it appeared today to hand it over to the promised recipient, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°The World Tree¡¯s seed is, without a doubt, the greatest elixir imaginable. I mean, it contains this enormous magical power and life force that can go on to construct a realm on its own, after all. However¡­¡± Luslec bit his lower lip before continuing, ¡°When you consume that, Mister Su-hyeun, you could become the fertilizer for the World Tree.¡±

    ¡°Fertilizer, you say?¡±

    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that you might get consumed instead by the World Tree that will sprout from that seed.¡±

    Su-hyeun stared at the seed in his hand one more time. From this small thing, the vast world he had witnessed just now would be created.

    Honestly speaking, he couldn¡¯t even picture it. To think that the moment he ate this, he would end up as a world¡¯s fertilizer¡­

    ¡°Although I believe in you, Mister Su-hyeun, I¡­I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t recommend eating it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your advice. I¡¯ll engrave it in my heart,¡± Su-hyeun replied.

    Luslec could only sigh at that, ¡°I knew it. You¡¯ve already decided to¡ª¡±

    Wuuung¡­

    Su-hyeun¡¯s ears suddenly began ringing loudly. At the same time, his vision grew blurry and indistinct.

    Neither the figure of Luslec nor the world he was staring at only a second ago could be seen now. His eyes were now staring at a deserted field somewhere in Germany.

    The promised five minutes had gone past already, returning both Su-hyeun and Luslec to their original worlds.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand slowly rose. ¡°Yes.¡±

    He lifted the seed with his fingers, brought it to his mouth, and then swallowed it down.

    Gulp¡ª

    And just like that, the seed that could have created a vast world started its process of getting absorbed into Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

 Chapter 396

    <hr />

    ¡°They left, mom.¡±

    After Su-hyeun and his two companions vanished, a humongous tree appeared and loomed over the so-called false World Tree.

    However, the appearance of this tree was rather strange. Unlike any other tree, it didn¡¯t have a conventional trunk, not a single branch, and not one leaf adorning it anywhere.

    It was as if a person had turned into a tree or maybe it was the other way around. This strange-looking tree was so massive that it easily towered over the false World Tree and then some.

    This was merely a small ¡°portion¡± of the real World Tree. It paid attention to the false World Tree¡¯s sorrowful voice and replied, ¡°His is a sad fate, indeed.¡±

    ¡°Mom, you also saw it, too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did. I can only pray that he makes the right choice.¡±

    Unlike the false World Tree, the World Tree spoke with not a single hint of emotion in its reply.

    ¡°Without making a gamble of such nature, he would never be able to stop the calamity about to happen in his future, after all.¡±

    ¡°Will he be fine, though?¡± the false World Tree asked tearfully.

    Unlike the World Tree that it referred to as its mother, the false World Tree did possess emotions, and it held quite a deep affection for the human named Su-hyeun who had rescued it.

    ¡°He mustn¡¯t become like me, though¡­¡±

    The World Tree stared at the ¡°false¡± World Tree that had grown so much in seemingly a blink of an eye.

    Thousands of years ago, it had been a seed that was planted in the tiny body of a person, and as years flew by it had grown to this size. That person had completely lost its humanoid appearance and became a World Tree¡ªeven if it was referred to as a false one¡ªand then went on to create a world of its own.

    A World Tree that wasn¡¯t really one¡ªthe false World Tree and the ¡°child¡± being referred to here¡ªwas such an existence.

    Once ¡°planted,¡± the World Tree¡¯s seed would immediately find itself between one of the two pathways.

    One of the pathways would continue to split into more crossroads. If one didn¡¯t want to end up as a World Tree, one simply had to constantly keep this incredible power in check and control it.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry too much, child.¡±

    Unlike the tearful voice of the false World Tree, though, the World Tree¡¯s voice remained calm and unperturbed.

    The reason for that was simple enough¡ªbecause it wasn¡¯t worried at all.

    ¡°He already possesses the power to alter his own fate, after all.¡±

    <hr />

    Tree vines began tightening around his body and planted him deep below the surface.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s mind remained crystal clear, but he didn¡¯t put up any resistance.

    There was no problem with his breathing. For some reason, despite being stuck underground, he didn¡¯t feel any discomfort and had no trouble breathing freely.

    ¡°Am I turning into a tree or something?¡±

    At first, he thought that was a laughable notion, but then, he recalled the false World Tree.

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why that was called the false tree.¡±

    That young tree must¡¯ve been someone like Su-hyeun who had consumed a seed. Just like him, a seed was implanted in that person¡¯s body, causing them to lose their original appearance and morph into a tree, eventually becoming the false World Tree.

    Crack, break¡­

    ¡°I got really lucky with unlocking prana before that, though.¡±

    The seed was continuously trying to take over Su-hyeun¡¯s body, but a certain power was blocking that. It was prana.

    This energy injected much vitality into Su-hyeun¡¯s body and protected him from the seed trying to take over his body.

    Grip, snap, craaack¡­

    Still stuck deep underground, Su-hyeun clenched his fist tightly and began ripping apart the tree vines that wrapped around him.

    He sensed the screaming of the seed that had begun using his body as nourishment to grow. Of course, he had no thoughts of going easy on it.

    ¡°This is my body,¡± he thought.

    Cruuunch, crack¡­

    He crushed the tree roots sprouting from his chest with his bare hands, and then, his lips parted to say some things, ¡°That¡¯s why¡­you should stay all nice and quiet, got that?¡±

    Riiip¡ª!

    Pow¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand finally yanked the tree root out. At the same time, the seed went quiet.

    Its will had been broken, thereby leaving behind only its strength, and the seed that would¡¯ve become the origin of a vast universe redirected its full power away from trying to plant its roots and into something else.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body was now acting as the substitute for the tree roots. The energy gushing out from the seed rapidly spread throughout his flesh.

    It felt truly peaceful and comfortable.

    Prana, the magical energy, and the energy flooding out from the World Tree¡¯s seed were seeping into every corner of his body, and the final destination of that energy was none other than Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    Ache¡­

    His head suddenly began throbbing painfully like his skull was being shattered. He had deliberately focused this energy there, but the pain was well beyond what he had anticipated.

    ¡°Crap. Give me a break¡­¡±

    It felt like his head was about to explode, but considering his reason for going through so many hurdles to acquire the seed, he just couldn¡¯t give up here.

    Su-hyeun recalled what Sun Wukong and Luslec had said to him.

    ¡°Awakening your unique ability, huh? That¡¯s pretty simple, you know. You just have to concentrate a heck of a lot more Dao energy than what you currently possess into your head, then keep at it until you hear something going ¡®Bang!¡¯ inside your mind. As for me, I awakened mine after chowing down all the peaches found in the Garden.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was saying earlier. Of course, there are always a few exceptions¡ªlike those beings who are already born with their unique abilities unlocked. But those are exceptions, so you shouldn¡¯t mind them¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t need any further explanation than that.

    In the end, the main point was that he needed to focus his suddenly acquired energy into his brain and break open a blocked-off ¡°vein¡± there. This was because a person¡¯s flesh would gradually adapt and become even stronger when it acquired a powerful source of energy. It was the same story for the pathways of both blood and magical energy.

    However, the moment when one would freshly acquire the energy was a different story altogether.

    It was like breaking down a wall via the quantity of water far greater than what was there before. Because the wall hadn¡¯t yet adapted to the new change, it would thus be weaker.

    And the pulsing pain in his head came from pounding on that ¡°wall.¡±

    Ache, pulse¡­

    His head felt like it might shatter into bits, but the pain itself didn¡¯t last for long.

    Fwhooooosh¡­

    Once the pathway was broken open, the pain instantly dissipated, and the inside of his head cleared up, making him feel refreshed.

    No, it wasn¡¯t merely on the level of ¡°refreshed¡± here.

    It felt something greater than that.

    His closed eyes opened up, and memories began flooding back into his head.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    These memories were blurry as if some kind of fog was covering them up, and after some time slowly passed by, a message suddenly popped up in Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    [¡°Unique Ability: Samsara ¨C Six Paths of Heavenly Ways¡± has been awakened.]

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    There it was, the Unique Ability he so longed to unlock. However, its name sounded rather ominous.

    Wondering just what kind of an ability this could be, Su-hyeun was about to check out its explanation, but right at that moment¡­

    Whooooosh¡­

    The previously blurry memories became vivid to him. It felt like all that fog obscuring his view had been cleared away.

    His whole body floated¡ªor more correctly, he thought that he had become weightless.

    His eyes slowly opened even wider, and the scenery before his eyes transformed. He now found himself ¡°standing¡± in the air.

    Above him were nothing but pitch-black clouds. Below him were rivers of flowing blood, and the corpses of chopped-up monsters were strewn about everywhere.

    ¡°Where am I?¡±

    This location suddenly popped out of nowhere.

    However, something about this place seemed familiar, especially the skies that had turned pitch-black and the ground filled with mountains of monster corpses.

    Although his viewpoint was now different, he was sure that he had seen this place before.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    Without a doubt, this was his past. More correctly, it was the world before he was reborn.

    ¡°Fuu-wuu¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hearing caught the only noise to be picked up around here.

    Someone over there was letting out a long sigh as if he was too exhausted to even move.

    Su-hyeun turned his head in that direction. In the far distance below him, someone was sitting on a monster corpse, his whole body soaked in blood.

    And that man¡¯s face was something Su-hyeun would never forget because it belonged to¡­

    ¡°Kim Sung-in.¡±

    None other than himself.

    Thud, thud¡ª

    Loud thundering footsteps could be heard coming from a distance. Other than the noise, though, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t sense any real presence, but that was because this was merely a vision, and as such, there couldn¡¯t have been actual bodies present right now.

    ¡°You came right on cue, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kim Sung-in muttered.

    Everything was coming back to Su-hyeun now with crystal clarity¡­

    ¡°Now¡­¡±

    Including that man¡¯s¡ªhis own¡ªwords being spoken.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and die.¡±

    Having said that, Kim Sung-in began making his next move toward the hundreds of millions of monsters, and that one monster that commanded over all of them.

    He was moving toward the predator¡ªFafnir.

    ¡°Right. That¡¯s what I said back then.¡±

    He was the only one left in the whole world. In that state, he continued to fight, and he fought some more. While he kept telling himself that he simply had to kill that Fafnir somehow and that would be the only way to resolve the knot in his heart, he kept fighting, he kept running away, and then he started fighting again.

    Then, one day, on this very day, he came to a decision.

    He decided that he would go all out without holding back right until the end¡ªthat he would not run away even if his fatigue level hit its limit, he couldn¡¯t breathe anymore, and his magical energy was drained until there was nothing left.

    After all, he was the only one alive.

    Just like that, Kim Sung-in began fighting the monsters.

    Floating up in the air, Su-hyeun watched this scene unfold. Now that he got a chance to observe himself like this, he had to admit that he did put up one hell of a struggle back then.

    Despite knowing that his death was approaching, he never stopped wielding his sword and continued to chop the monsters apart. Even as bloody holes opened up in his body and toxins splashed on him, he didn¡¯t care.

    The ¡°Hero,¡± that word felt truer than ever before right now. He thought he could understand just a little bit more why other people insisted on calling him with that title back then.

    Anyone would think the same after witnessing such a scene.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­kinda cool,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Even though he could sense his impending demise, he continued to fight back.

    In front of him were hundreds of millions of monsters, yet Kim Sung-in still chose to become a spear to dig into his enemies¡¯ ranks.

    At the end of this horde was Fafnir, a giant over four meters tall, a monster with a dragon¡¯s head.

    No, it was not a monster but a predator.

    Kim Sung-in momentarily faltered at that creature¡¯s entrance.

    Shu-rururu¡­

    The ominous magical energy in the purplish hue began tightening around his body. That was Fafnir¡¯s magic.

    And right at that moment¡­

    Stab¡ª!

    A hole suddenly opened up in Kim Sung-in¡¯s body. He was struck by the rake belonging to ¡°Ant Hell,¡± a boss monster found inside an indigo-colored dungeon.

    If it was any other time, he wouldn¡¯t have been struck like this. His other stats might not be as high, but Kim Sung-in¡¯s reflex stat at least had reached the three-digit mark and allowed him to basically ¡°see¡± his immediate future, after all.

    However, seeing the future and evading it were two different matters. Indeed, even if he did see what might happen in the future, his body still had to answer his command to evade in the first place.

    By this time, it wouldn¡¯t be all that surprising to see Kim Sung-in collapse in exhaustion.

    Sliiiice¡ª!

    Splatter¡ª!

    Even then, Kim Sung-in still wielded his sword. He chopped the Ant Hell in half and started moving forward again.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s some persistence, alright.¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t fully remember how he fought back then. The inside of his head had gone blank, and he just madly fought according to how his body wanted to move.

    And in the end¡­

    Plop¡­

    Just like that, he went down on his knees.

    His strength had run out. He attempted to straighten his knees that didn¡¯t want to listen to him, but even doing that was impossible now.

    Crunch, stab¡ª!

    Several more bloody holes opened up in his body, and his limbs were torn off by the fangs of the monsters. Even then, Kim Sung-in didn¡¯t make any pained expression. His body simply sagged without energy.

    Only then did Fafnir walk up to where he was.

    ¡°Even though we were enemies, you have been an excellent foe until the end, oh hero of humanity.¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t forget that bastard¡¯s voice even now, and when Kim Sung-in heard those words, he sensed his death finally approaching.

    ¡°You are the last one.¡±

    Kim Sung-in looked into Fafnir¡¯s eyes.

    How could he ever forget the light burning in those monstrous eyes?

    He became too exhausted trying to fight against hundreds of millions of monsters. ¡°If only that wasn¡¯t it,¡± was what he told himself, but the moment he looked into the predator¡¯s eyes, Kim Sung-in became acutely aware of the truth.

    Even if he had been in perfect condition, the end result wouldn¡¯t have changed all that much.

    Fafnir¡¯s massive maw split wide open.

    ¡°I shall devour you and prey on this world.¡±

    Back then, Kim Sung-in had no idea what those words even meant. He was about to die anyway, so he didn¡¯t feel the need to ponder their true meaning.

    Honestly speaking, he could feel just one emotion back then.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go and die.¡±

    Those words were his attempt at self-hypnosis.

    He kept thinking like this. Even if he clung to his life, this world was already finished, anyway. He told himself that there was no point in dragging out a fight he couldn¡¯t win.

    He thought that he shouldn¡¯t be afraid of something like dying, and so, he hardened his resolve.

    But the truth was he didn¡¯t want to die.

    Kim Sung-in wished for everything to revert to how it was.

    Crunch¡ª!

    Just like that, Kim Sung-in was swallowed up by Fafnir.

    Right at that moment¡­

    [All conditions have been satisfied.]

    [The first authority of ¡°Unique Ability: Samsara ¨C Six Paths of Heavenly Ways¡± is being activated.]

    [Samsara ¨C Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation]

    [Time will now be wound back.]

    A miracle had begun.

 Chapter 397

    Act 10

    Samsara is a Buddhist concept where a human repeats the cycle of death and rebirth through six different ¡°worlds.¡±

    Rather than calling it one¡¯s ability, it was far closer to being a religious concept. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know much about it, but he still got deeply puzzled by the fact that his supposed unique ability was related somehow to a Buddhist concept.

    And at least in this very moment, he was deeply taken aback after realizing what his unique ability was capable of doing.

    ¡°It distorts the chain of Samsara.¡±

    The name of one¡¯s unique ability was not set. The system was actually responsible for coming up with a suitable name, and the assigned name would be based on the language, knowledge, and terms that Su-hyeun was familiar with.

    Samsara was basically the link that connected death and rebirth, and Su-hyeun¡¯s ability¡ªhis unique ability of ¡°Samsara¡±¡ªdistorted that very link and returned him to the past.

    [Samsara ¨C Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation]

    <ul>

    The authority of Samsara, which allows one to go against one¡¯s fate, can defy death and is also capable of distorting the chain of time itself. It can be used only once.

    You can return to the period you wish.

    Number of uses left: 0

    Has already been used.

    </ul>

    The first authority of the Six Paths, the Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation, was the ability that could not only return him to the period he wished for but also even defy death itself.

    Su-hyeun became stupefied by that explanation. Never before in his whole life did he imagine that there would be such an OTT cheat ability like this one, and he would be the one to possess it.

    On top of that, to think that he had already used that ability up¡­

    ¡°Is this the reason why I was able to return to the past?¡±

    Regressing to the past¡ªsuch a thing should normally be impossible to pull off.

    No matter how transcendental the abilities of the awakeners were, interfering with the flow of time to return to the past and messing with the future could not be that easy to pull off.

    But now, he was told that such an ability was actually his, to begin with.

    ¡°The Six Paths, is it¡­?¡±

    Even though this was supposed to be his own ability, it kind of felt like a tale from a distant galaxy or some such.

    ¡°The authority for one-time use only¡­and there are six of them as its name suggests.¡¯

    And this ¡°Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation¡± had been unlocked just before Su-hyeun¡¯s death.

    He didn¡¯t want to die. No, he wanted to go back instead.

    He wanted to go back to the time when the world hadn¡¯t been destroyed yet. He wanted to go back and start everything anew.

    That desire of his activated the Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation.

    ¡°But¡­something is still off.¡±

    He was suddenly overcome with an unexplainable discomfort.

    Fine, let¡¯s say that things now made some sense at least up to this point.

    But why¡­?

    ¡°Why not my previous body and this current one instead?¡±

    Since he was going back in time, it would have been fine to simply regress to his old self, but he regressed to the past of this person named Su-hyeun. At the same time, the existence of Kim Sung-in was wiped out from this world.

    This was what he found so strange.

    ¡°Just what on earth is¡ª?¡±

    Just as his thoughts reached this point, his point of view suddenly shifted.

    This new POV couldn¡¯t have been Su-hyeun¡¯s. He seemed to be somewhere far, far away¡ªan unknown space.

    He had no way of knowing where he was exactly, but it was definitely not Earth.

    It even seemed different from outer space. Never mind the stars, there was no trace of the sun, either.

    Pitch-black with nothing in it¡ªit was that kind of place.

    Although there was no light, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes spotted a single silhouette nevertheless.

    ¡°Fafnir?¡±

    Why was he seeing that creature?

    Su-hyeun had no memories of seeing a scene like this before. If everything he saw up until this point was based on his own past memories that happened before the activation of the Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation, then yes, he¡¯d be convinced by that explanation. But this scene of Fafnir all alone, floating around somewhere? Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t recognize it at all.

    ¡°Why am I seeing the past of this bastard¡ª?¡± Su-hyeun began wondering, only for his brain to come to a standstill.

    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.¡±

    <hr />

    Around one month had passed by since Su-hyeun¡¯s disappearance. He went away while saying he would only take a short while, but now¡­

    Lee Ju-ho was currently sitting side by side with Hak-joon, worriedly fidgeting with his smartphone.

    ¡°That punk, he still hasn¡¯t come back yet, I suppose,¡± Lee Ju-ho muttered.

    He came to work early in the morning and waited in the Jongno Tower, but unsurprisingly, there hadn¡¯t been any reply from Su-hyeun yet.

    Could something have happened to him?

    Hak-joon had come from an early dawn raid of a dungeon found in the countryside. While sitting next to Lee Ju-ho, he asked with worry showing on his face, ¡°What did he say before leaving?¡±

    ¡°He was like, I¡¯ll be going somewhere for a bit, along with this ¡®younger brother¡¯ of mine.¡±

    ¡°Wait, ¡®younger brother¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That guy was a bit peculiar¡­But also really strong¡ªstrong enough to raid an indigo-colored dungeon all by himself, no less,¡± Lee Ju-ho said as he turned to look at Hak-joon. ¡°At the very least, he should be around your level.¡±

    Hak-joon, who hadn¡¯t returned from the tower in a long while, had improved by a remarkable level in terms of strength, so much so that he was now strong enough to solo raid an indigo-colored dungeon, as soon as returning from the tower, too. Lee Ju-ho knew that the younger man had the talent for it, but he still didn¡¯t expect the latter to develop this quickly.

    ¡°Maybe Su-hyeun has something important to do with that person?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell. In any case, that weird fella didn¡¯t come across as a normal awakener, that¡¯s for sure. Even I¡¯m wondering who he could be.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure nothing has happened to Su-hyeun. We shouldn¡¯t worry about him.¡±

    ¡°Even though you said that, why do you look more worried than me?¡±

    ¡°Because I haven¡¯t seen him in a long while, you know?¡±

    Unlike Lee Ju-ho who stopped climbing the tower, Thomas and Hak-joon, as well as Su-hyeun, didn¡¯t have a lot of opportunities to meet up with each other.

    Except for a few days, all of them devoted most of the months trying to climb the tower, so they simply didn¡¯t have many chances to run into one another on the outside.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like this matter can be solved by us worrying away, anyway. Since Su-hyeun said something before leaving, it shouldn¡¯t be something major. Okay, let¡¯s not mind that. Can you tell me more about the next request instead?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a short break before going, though?¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s urgent?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho merely groaned when Hak-joon asked that. Then, he took out a tablet, switched the screen on, and then handed it over to Hak-joon.

    ¡°The request this time came from Australia. The explanations are on the tablet, so study them in detail,¡± he said.

    ¡°When will I be heading out?¡± the younger man asked.

    ¡°In one hour. Take a break in the meantime. It¡¯s not that urgent, you see.¡±

    Hak-joon had been constantly on the move for the last few days without taking a single break due to several dungeons simultaneously appearing. Quite a few blue- and indigo-colored dungeons showed up at the same time, and as a result, many requests for the Paragon Guild¡¯s assistance had piled up, waiting to be cleared as soon as possible.

    Currently, all the members of the Paragon Guild bar Hak-joon were unavailable, which meant that there was no choice for him but to remain busy for the time being.

    ¡°What a sudden mess this is,¡± muttered Hak-joon.

    ¡°Yeah, and it all began about a fortnight ago. Dungeons suddenly showed up in large numbers, and more are still showing up even now.¡±

    For a while, the dungeons remained ¡°quiet,¡± so much so that people even wondered if they would vanish from the world for good. Their numbers continued to decline until it became almost impossible to locate even one. That was last month.

    But then, about 15 or so days ago, the number of dungeons suddenly exploded. At least 50 percent more than the peak period showed up at once, making it too difficult to deal with them all.

    To make matters worse, most of the awakeners were currently in the tower after having failed to acquire dungeon raid permits earlier.

    So to experience such a situation¡­

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been getting this feeling recently,¡± said Hak-joon.

    ¡°What feeling?¡±

    ¡°The future Su-hyeun was worried about, it might not be all that far ahead in the future, after all¡­That kind of feeling.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho went silent at that. That sentiment was something that always threatened to come out of Lee Ju-ho¡¯s mouth only for him to suppress it.

    But now, Hak-joon went and said it first. All along, Lee Ju-ho had been wondering if he was the only one thinking about that, but it seemed that he wasn¡¯t alone, after all.

    ¡°This won¡¯t do. I better get a move on. I¡¯ll just get some rest on the plane.¡±

    ¡°Okay, do that. I¡¯ll call them and let them know that you¡¯re leaving sooner than scheduled.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, bro. Let¡¯s talk more after I¡ª¡±

    Just as Hak-joon got ready to leave¡­

    Clack¡ª

    The sudden sound of the window being pulled open caused the two men to turn their heads in that direction, and in that location was¡­

    ¡°Ah, Hak-joon¡¯s here, too?¡±

    ¡°Su-hyeun?!¡±

    ¡°Huh, is that you, Su-hyeun?¡±

    Su-hyeun was climbing through the open window.

    Tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun, finally reappearing after a month-long absence, lightly waved his hand as his greeting¡ªa sudden greeting and entrance through the window and not the usual door¡­?

    Lee Ju-ho hurriedly asked Su-hyeun, ¡°Just where have you been? And why the rush? Did something happen?¡± While asking that, he took a good look at the latter¡¯s state from top to bottom. ¡°You don¡¯t look injured anywhere, at least¡­Where¡¯s that little brother you were with?¡±

    ¡°Where have you been for the past month?¡±

    Both Lee Ju-ho and Hak-joon began peppering Su-hyeun with questions, so the latter urgently waved his hands to indicate that they should slow down.

    But then, he realized what Hak-joon said just now and turned his head in surprise. ¡°Past month?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a month since¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait, what? It¡¯s been a month?! Not a week?¡±

    Su-hyeun definitely thought that it had only been a few days since he left. Sure, he did spend several days trying to rescue the false World Tree, but a whole month? That¡¯s far longer than what he could remember.

    Not one week but a whole month¡­

    ¡°More specifically, it¡¯s been one month and two days. It¡¯s June already.¡±

    Su-hyeun muttered, ¡°Time sure flies, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Okay, so please tell us already. It looks like you don¡¯t remember properly what happened to you.¡±

    It was true that Su-hyeun rushed here to talk to Lee Ju-ho, but it was also true that, in his haste, he had not properly organized his thoughts just yet.

    ¡°The thing is¡­¡± Su-hyeun scratched his head for a little while before finally speaking again, ¡°First of all, I¡¯m actually from the future.¡±

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun spoke about the things that happened while he was with Luslec, the matters involving the predator inside the false World Tree, and the ¡°real¡± World Tree he got to meet afterward inside the tree trunk.

    Then, he told them about the World Tree¡¯s seed he received as a reward and the unique ability he acquired after consuming the seed.

    Finally¡­

    ¡°Not sure whether to believe everything you said or not¡­¡±

    There was no discernible difference between Lee Ju-ho¡¯s reaction and Hak-joon¡¯s. They both had this dazed expression as if they couldn¡¯t quite come to grips with the current reality.

    ¡°Still, yeah, I can sort of understand now. Your rate of growth was just too fast to be simply your natural talent at work, after all.¡±

    The first person to break the silence and nod away was Lee Ju-ho.

    What made Su-hyeun¡¯s explanation that much more convincing was his strength and the rate of his growth. That rate was hard to explain based on his talent alone, but the story would radically change if that talent, enough to turn him into the world¡¯s greatest awakener in the first place, was reinforced by his experience of several decades.

    When thought about that way, Lee Ju-ho began getting a feeling that all those unanswered questions were getting finally resolved after listening to Su-hyeun today.

    It was the same for Hak-joon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll believe you since it¡¯s you, Su-hyeun. Like what Ju-ho said, it¡¯s not that hard to believe, and you are definitely not the type to say these things for a laugh, anyway. I mean, you don¡¯t have a reason to lie about stuff like this, right?¡±

    Fortunately, the two men accepted it rather quickly. They had been more accepting because of their trust in Su-hyeun and the probability arising from the chain of events that happened so far.

    With that, the need for more complicated explanations was eliminated.

    ¡°Still, Su-hyeun, you had to live a really harsh life, didn¡¯t you? Before you regressed, you had to fight all alone before the world was destroyed, lost your life against that monster called Fafnir, and now, you¡­¡± Hak-joon was unable to finish the rest of his sentence, choosing to swallow his words back down.

    Indeed.

    Su-hyeun died. He then returned to the past and was still fighting away. He silently shouldered the burden of the future only he knew and continued to run forward at full tilt hoping to prevent that very future from happening again.

    That was what he had been doing all along.

    ¡°Although that end of the world being true still doesn¡¯t feel real to me¡­¡±

    The world would be destroyed not too long from now, as this future had already happened before. However, that fact still didn¡¯t feel real to Hak-joon since he was not like Su-hyeun, who had personally ¡°experienced¡± that reality once before.

    It almost felt like listening to people saying that Earth would be destroyed one of these days through global warming.

    ¡°I always thought that the apocalypse could be stopped,¡± Su-hyeun said in a graver, heavier voice.

    Both Lee Ju-ho and Hak-joon held their breath at how serious Su-hyeun sounded. What he said just then indicated his belief in being strong enough to kill Fafnir.

    ¡°I¡¯m a lot stronger than back then, and the world is in a much better shape overall, after all. Most of the calamities have been overcome, and the denizens of the world are much stronger than ever before, too.¡± Su-hyeun stopped there for a second and rubbed his face with his hand. ¡°But then¡­things have gotten a bit more complicated.¡±

    ¡°How come?¡± Hak-joon asked, voice also getting serious.

    Su-hyeun recalled the past he saw through the awakening of his unique ability, as well as the Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation¡ªmore specifically, that space where not a single thing, not even a speck of light, existed. Then, he remembered the giant creature with the head of a dragon floating within that space.

    Fafnir.

    The Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation didn¡¯t just make one error while sending Su-hyeun back in time, which was sending him into someone else¡¯s body. Indeed, that ability made two distinctive errors.

    The second one being¡­

    ¡°Because that bastard also came back to the past along with me.¡±

    None other than Fafnir¡¯s regression.

 Chapter 398

    <hr />

    Crunch¡ª! Fafnir¡¯s fangs stabbing deep into his body¡ªthat sensation remained with Su-hyeun. It stayed so vividly within his muscle memory.

    This was also the exact moment that the Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation activated.

    The ability that activated at the moment of his death¡ªit activated right inside Fafnir¡¯s mouth. Perhaps that was the reason for the errors of the reincarnation ability.

    ¡°If not, maybe it was because I hadn¡¯t completely awakened my unique ability back then.¡±

    Whatever the case might have been, one of the Six Paths, the Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation which formed a part of his unique ability, activated without fully being awoken.

    Without a doubt, it was Su-hyeun¡¯s unique ability, but it got unlocked only a millisecond ago. Kim Sung-in still had no idea what the Six Paths could do even as he died from Fafnir¡¯s attack.

    And just like that, Fafnir was also influenced by the Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation and returned to the past along with Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Well, that sure has become troublesome, alright.¡±

    ¡°Meaning, it¡¯s back to square one?¡±

    The main point of Su-hyeun¡¯s explanation until now was this: before he regressed or reincarnated, the world was destroyed, and he lost to the monster named Fafnir.

    And the reason that the ¡°future¡± had changed so much until now was all down to Su-hyeun coming back to the past. But if he was indeed not the only one who came back, then, in the end, it was practically the same as nothing much had changed.

    ¡°No, wait.¡± However, Su-hyeun still shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not back to square one, at least.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    Both Lee Ju-ho and Hak-joon formed puzzled expressions at how certain Su-hyeun sounded just then.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t give them a detailed explanation, but that was because even he didn¡¯t know everything.

    ¡°There are still five other abilities left,¡± he thought.

    The Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation was only one part of the Six Paths. Meaning, there were five more left yet to be explored, and those would prove to be the strongest cards Su-hyeun currently possessed. As long as those cards were still in his deck, he couldn¡¯t say they were back to square one.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing major. Besides all that, I gotta ask you for a favor, brother Ju-ho,¡± said Su-hyeun. His explanation up until now was meant to explain that he came from the future and knew what was supposed to happen. ¡°Fafnir. That bastard might appear very soon.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    ¡°Man, it keeps getting worse, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Lee Ju-ho grumbled while holding his head.

    He was already getting a serious bout of headache after learning that a monster even Su-hyeun found hard to deal with existed somewhere out there, but now, he was also told that such a creature might show up soon?

    Hak-joon, who had been checking his watch while listening to the explanation, urgently got up from his seat. ¡°I have to be on my way now. Can you tell me the rest of the explanation over the phone later?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, alright. See you later.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho waved his hand at Hak-joon. The latter, who had been cutting it real close to stay and listen as much as he could, quickly jumped outside the open window and exited from the office, just like how Su-hyeun did earlier to enter.

    ¡°Really now? Jumping in and out of windows even though the door¡¯s right over there?¡± Lee Ju-ho muttered softly before asking Su-hyeun, ¡°Okay, so what is it? That favor you wanted to ask me.¡±

    ¡°Bro, you¡¯re still the association chairman, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The Korean association.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re also the Guild Master of the Paragon Guild.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, too. But what about it?¡±

    ¡°That means you have some clout with other nations, right? I¡¯m willing to let you borrow my name too if that helps.¡±

    Now that was a suspicious-sounding question. Lee Jo-ho quietly nodded and waited for the next part of Su-hyeun¡¯s request.

    ¡°Starting now, we must stop all the awakeners coming back from the tower from going back in.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°The dungeon progression rate, it has gotten faster, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question caused Lee Ju-ho¡¯s eyes to sharpen.

    Su-hyeun ended up mentioning that one thing Lee Ju-ho had found quite concerning lately, after all.

    Lee Ju-ho asked, ¡°Did something like this happen in the¡­past, too?¡±

    ¡°Before Fafnir made its entrance, dungeons suddenly stopped materializing. For around the period of five years or so, dungeons showed up infrequently, so much so that it became hard to find even one.¡±

    Five years, he said.

    There was a noticeable difference in the time frame, but things had already become distorted and out of whack by a lot at this point. It wouldn¡¯t be all that surprising to see that the period of five years greatly shortening to only one year or even to a matter of a few months instead.

    ¡°It¡¯ll only accelerate even more from now on, even shooting past the level of impossible to handle.¡±

    ¡°When you say impossible to handle, just how impossible are we talking about here?¡±

    ¡°Several times. Dozens. At worst, over one hundred times.¡±

    There was no real need to delve too deeply into his memories. After unlocking his unique ability, Su-hyeun got to see the events of the past through the effects of the already-used skill, the Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation.

    He saw just how many monsters Kim Sung-in, who was himself, had to fight against in the previous timeline.

    Considering the countless number of monsters seemingly blanketing every corner of the globe, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered how many hands you had to help you with counting them.

    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­no one must return to the tower. Absolutely no one.¡±

    <hr />

    Crunch, crack, shatter¡­

    Chew, grind, crunch¡­

    Sharp fangs tore through the hide and began munching on the bones.

    The huge ¡°dragon¡± was emitting an ominous, evil aura from its black eyes. After it successfully transformed a planet into a wasteland, it was currently ripping and munching into another dragon.

    The victorious dragon¡¯s appearance could only be described as bizarre. Even though it possessed a head of a dragon, the rest of its body belonged to a giant humanoid.

    Krrrrr¡­

    The dragon, Fafnir, growled softly.

    Its victim was vomit-inducing vile in how it tasted, but Fafnir couldn¡¯t stop eating it.

    It was suffering from this endless gluttony and also its unquenchable thirst to obtain even more power.

    ¡°And you¡¯ve finally devoured that fool, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Fafnir turned its head at an unfamiliar voice.

    It couldn¡¯t see anything, but it could definitely sense this incredible presence crushing down on this vast planet.

    A little after that, Fafnir finally discovered the existence that addressed him earlier.

    It was also at that moment that the color of the sky had changed. It turned blackish, a little closer to grey, perhaps.

    Fafnir asked, ¡°And who you are supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the king of your kind.¡±

    Ruuuumble¡­

    The entirety of the heavens above was being rocked ominously. Rather, more precisely, the massive life form blanketing the heavens was shifting around.

    Fafnir could only shiver from the sheer sense of presence this unknown life form emanated. It was true that the giant with the dragon¡¯s head was deeply exhausted from fighting that dragon earlier, but even if that wasn¡¯t the case, nothing would¡¯ve changed in the outcome.

    And that was because that humongous existence blanketing the sky had far surpassed Fafnir¡¯s current strength by an incalculable margin.

    Fafnir muttered, ¡°You do look delectable.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you wish to devour me as well?¡±

    ¡°Not right now. It¡¯s not the right time yet.¡±

    ¡°I see. It is indeed a talent to say that you¡¯re too weak and scared in such a nice-sounding manner.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t a cheap provocation. That vast presence was being sincere here.

    However, Fafnir didn¡¯t get angry at those words. Its pride wasn¡¯t wounded, either. No, it was actually feeling happy inside.

    A tastier, far more enticing prey had shown up before its eyes, after all. However, it might take a long time to be able to hunt a creature like that.

    ¡°Have you come to kill me, then?¡±

    ¡°No. But I¡¯m here to offer my congratulations for the birth of a new myth, a new legend.¡±

    ¡°A new myth?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you already? I¡¯m the king of your kind.¡±

    Fafnir smirked at that.

    The ¡°King,¡± huh?

    At first, Fafnir ridiculed that notion, but now, it could understand just a little bit better why this vast creature openly called itself the king.

    Still, Fafnir found it humorous regardless to hear the creature calling itself a king when Fafnir had sworn to devour it in the future.

    ¡°I see. So, one of the Three Destroyers has deigned to make his way here.¡±

    The Three Destroyers were the three predators that possessed the strongest powers out of all the different realms out there combined¡ªthe strongest life forms in existence, after excluding the One Overlord.

    If one thought of One Overlord as the deity of all predators, then the Three Destroyers would no doubt be the kings of predators, and according to what Fafnir knew, only one among the Three Destroyers boasted such a humongous physique.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re Uranus.¡±

    Uranus, the existence that boasted the biggest physique among all the predators, was the monstrosity that devoured other gods. The rumor even said that the number of gods it had devoured so far was in excess of four digits.

    For some reason, Uranus never devoured another predator, so it was a fortunate thing, indeed, for Fafnir.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m one of the Three Destroyers, Uranus. And I shall¡­¡±

    Wuuuunng¡­

    Uranus¡¯s voice reverberated throughout the vast expanse of outer space.

    ¡°Offer my congratulations for the birth of a new myth, a new legend¡ªthe birth of a new addition to the Ten Great Evils.¡±

    <hr />

    Above a cloud cover somewhere¡­

    In a place located high up in the sky with a perfect, unhindered view to the tallest mountain in the world far, far down below¡­

    Sun Wukong stepped onto such a place after altering the Ruyi Jingu Bang into a thin but lengthened state. He sat down in a lotus position and closed his eyes.

    Dao energy gently flowed like water inside of him. It transformed from gentle waves to a massive tsunami. Circulating his Dao energy in that manner, Sun Wukong soon opened his eyes and fixed his gaze to his front.

    The clouds were splitting apart.

    Those thick clouds had been gathering in the sky as if they were about to start a massive storm, yet Sun Wukong could control them without even lifting a finger.

    And his honest impression on that impressive spectacle was this one thing: ¡°Not good enough.¡±

    If the Bull Demon King heard that, he would have been greatly surprised. To think that Sun Wukong, who suffered from strong pride and was filled with arrogance and impudence, would willingly say that he was still not good enough.

    Sun Wukong stood up from the lotus position and loosened his muscles, but then, he abruptly clutched the part in his torso that got stabbed by the monster¡¯s thorn earlier.

    He deeply furrowed his brows.

    Although his physical injuries had quickly healed, the wound to his pride didn¡¯t want to heal at all.

    More than anything else¡­

    ¡°Seriously now, so damn embarrassing.¡± Sun Wukong¡¯s face crumpled.

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Sun Wukong lightly tapped the Ruyi Jing Bang with his foot and spoke up, ¡°Get even longer, Ruyi.¡±

    Sh-whooooooosh¡ª

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang lengthened even more.

    Then, traveling with his polearm that pierced right through the sky, Sun Wukong soon reached somewhere even higher up.

    After reaching this place where the ground below was nothing more than a faint and blurry speck, Sun Wukong opened his mouth to yell, ¡°Heeey! Mister God!¡±

    His voice echoed everywhere.

    However, no reply came his way for a long while. Sun Wukong and his short fuse couldn¡¯t wait that long and he shouted again, ¡°Hey, man! Are you gonna answer me or what?!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come and seek me out first,¡± a reply belatedly came to him.

    Sun Wukong turned his head as if he was already familiar with that voice. It would only be normal for one to get surprised after hearing a voice from someone not giving off any presence whatsoever, but he was already too used to this sort of response by now.

    When he turned around to look, he discovered an absolutely vast Buddhist statue with a bald head sitting in a lotus position. Sun Wukong had met this god several times already, but even then, today was his first time seeking the latter out on his own volition.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, ¡®Muni.''¡±

    It was Sakyamuni, the Buddha himself, the highest-seated deity in Buddhism and also worshiped by the Heavenly World¡ªa being whose existence was still being questioned even to this day.

    However, Sun Wukong ended up running into Sakyamuni several times after he began climbing the tower.

    ¡°Man, you¡¯re still huge as heck,¡± Sun Wukong grunted in admiration at the sheer size of Sakyamuni, who was vast enough to place the entire planet in its two hands and still have some room left.

    ¡°For a reunion after a long while, you speak of some rude things.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you were expecting me to be polite?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. How could the one and only Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal be like that?¡± Sakyamuni formed a benevolent smile.

    But Sun Wukong only distorted his expression at such a reply from the gigantic Buddha. That¡¯s because Sakyamuni¡¯s personality was polar opposite to his carefree and hot-blooded attitude.

    ¡°It seems that you still yearn to fight me, Sun Wukong.¡±

    ¡°Yup. And it¡¯s driving me nuts.¡±

    ¡°But you already know what the result will be like, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Sun Wukong could only scratch his head in irritation after listening to Sakyamuni¡¯s reply.

    That baldie Buddha was right.

    Sun Wukong wished to enjoy a good fight, but no matter what, fighting against Sakyamuni never yielded a nice result for him. The gigantic Buddha always avoided fighting Sun Wukong as if to say he didn¡¯t want to kill or even harm the latter.

    Sun Wukong could never reach Sakyamuni. The so-called fight against him always repeated itself within his palm.

    ¡°I mean, really? Is it so bad to fight me seriously at least once?!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we discuss that after you find a way to escape from my palm first?¡±

    ¡°Dang it.¡±

    ¡°Why do you feel so pressed? Without a doubt, you should be able to escape from my palm not too long from now.¡±

    Sun Wukong¡¯s expression softened at what Sakyamuni said, and he stared at the gigantic god in the distance. ¡°You know, there¡¯s this one nice thing about talking to you, and that¡¯s you perfectly seeing through what¡¯s in my head. That makes our conversation so much smoother, you know what I mean?¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s only because you¡¯re a simpleton. Surely, no gods existing out there would be capable of actually seeing through your mind when you possess the qualification of godhood called Immortality.¡±

    ¡°Whatever, man. That just says you¡¯re one smart du¡ª¡±

    ¡°However, I¡¯m not certain this time,¡± Sakyamuni abruptly cut Sun Wukong off. ¡°I can¡¯t tell why you wish to speak to me this time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Sun Wukong smirked deeply. For some reason, when Sakyamuni said he couldn¡¯t guess what the Monkey King was trying to do here, Sun Wukong began feeling like he had won in a fight against the massive Buddha today. ¡°In that case, let me clear up the air for you.¡±

    Keh-hmph!

    Sun Wukong softly coughed to clear his throat.

    Something about what he was about to do felt weird and cringy as hell. However, he did come here to say these things out loud, so there was no turning back.

    Sun Wukong collected his breathing for a bit and then valiantly opened his mouth, ¡°I, the Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal Sun Wukong, will become the representative of the god, Sakyamuni.¡±

 Chapter 399

    Sakyamuni was rendered speechless for a little while at what Sun Wukong said. It was as if the giant Buddha couldn¡¯t quite process what was being said here.

    ¡°Are you being serious?¡± Sakyamuni asked back to confirm the seriousness of what the other party had said. Such a response was unbecoming of Sakyamuni who was included in the upper echelons of the strongest gods out there. An even thicker grin appeared on Sun Wukong¡¯s face at such a response. Indeed, this was the feeling of victory. ¡°Yup, I¡¯m being dead serious,¡± he answered.

    ¡°However, you have repeatedly rejected my continued offer in the past. You even stated that the power borrowed from me would be meaningless to you, too.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s not borrowing?¡±

    ¡°Correct. My role is simply to awaken your true powers. That is all. And the power you acquire through such a method will solely belong to you and no one else.¡±

    Up to this point was the tale Sun Wukong already knew because he had heard all of it before. Even then, he still refused it. His reason for that was simple enough.

    ¡°If I do that, I won¡¯t get to fight you later, right?¡±

    There was that rule that stated that a representative, an apostle, could never fight against the god they were affiliated with.

    To Sun Wukong, Sakyamuni was quite literally the greatest opponent that ever in existence¡ªa real, bona fide god, unlike those fake gods found in the Heavenly World.

    This was an existence so vast and powerful that even the Bull Demon King had to look up, so not being able to fight someone like that would be the worst injustice of all for Sun Wukong.

    ¡°What made you change your mind, Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal?¡±

    ¡°I can always find someone else to fight.¡±

    Grit¡­

    Sun Wukong gritted his teeth. His sharp fangs were exposed as a furious expression filled his face. ¡°But I only have one little brother, you know?¡±

    Sakyamuni nodded at what Sun Wukong said, indicating that he had finally understood it. ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of your sibling, then?¡±

    Although it was difficult to figure out the details, he knew what Sun Wukong¡¯s personality was like.

    The Monkey King might be known as the ¡°Victorious Fighting Buddha¡± who was addicted to battles, but the truth was, he valued his siblings even more than fighting itself.

    His First Brother was the Bull Demon King, so he had nothing to worry about when it came to him. The latter possessed the godhood that easily exceeded your average gods and even rivaled Sakyamuni. Even though the Bull Demon King was technically stuck in the demigod realm right now, in reality, he was pretty much a real god at this point.

    However, Sun Wukong¡¯s other brothers weren¡¯t like that, especially more so with the last brother, as he wasn¡¯t even a Yogoe but a human.

    Sakyamuni asked, ¡°Is this to protect your little brother?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit weird to say it¡¯s ¡®to protect¡¯ him.¡± Sun Wukong scratched his head at the question. Although not wrong, he got this bitter taste in his mouth when thinking that way. ¡°I found out that my little bro has become incredibly powerful when I ran into him earlier. I mean, he¡¯s already reached the realm of a demigod, just like the First Brother, too¡­¡±

    ¡°Not everyone can be like The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven just because they became demigods. After all, he occupies a realm far higher than regular Taoist Gods now.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right about that. In any case¡­¡±

    Sun Wukong recalled Su-hyeun¡¯s figure fighting against the parasite predator, and then, he also thought about the conversation he had with the World Tree while Su-hyeun was unconscious.

    ¡°This person is under the burden of a truly cruel fate¡ªa burden too heavy for one life form existing in a simple planet in a simple dimension to carry¡­The fate that the strength of one person could never overcome, it¡¯s that kind of fate.¡±

    The World Tree seemed to have seen through Su-hyeun¡¯s fate.

    Of course, beings who possessed the qualifications of godhood also possessed the qualifications and the ability to escape from the shackles of fate. However, it was never going to be that easy to break free from your fate just because you had the requisite qualifications.

    ¡°I shall return again once he wakes up. I¡¯d like to provide him with small help that might allow him to control his own fate.¡±

    A small help that allowed one to control their fate¡ªthat was none other than the seed of the World Tree.

    After parting ways with Su-hyeun, Sun Wukong continued to mull over the words spoken by the World Tree.

    ¡°It¡¯s not to protect him but to help him out.¡± Sun Wukong then began recalling his fight against the parasitic monster inside the false World Tree. ¡°But I¡¯m just too weak to do that.¡±

    He was simply too strong to judge himself to be ¡°weak.¡±

    He was a being in possession of the godhood called ¡°Immortality.¡± Even when scouring the entirety of all the dimensions out there, there would only be a handful of gods that possessed the same or similar godhood as him, yet Sun Wukong who was in possession of such incredible godhood judged himself to be too weak.

    That meant that he was willingly discarding his confidence and pride.

    None other than the one and only Great Sage Heaven¡¯s Equal was willing to do that.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I need your help, Muni.¡±

    The World Tree said that Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t be able to alter his fate by himself. In that case, he shouldn¡¯t have to do it alone.

    Sun Wukong gritted his teeth, ¡°Do this for me, please.¡±

    <hr />

    The number of dungeons increased exponentially, and with every passing day, that explosive increase relentlessly marched toward a point where the whole world would find it difficult to overcome.

    ¡°The SS-Rank Awakener of the United States, Gordon Rohan, has returned from the tower. While displaying a far greater strength than ever before, he has taken the lead in the dungeon raids, and the stocks of his company, the Gordon Company, continue to shoot up in value the more he accomplishes in the¡­¡±

    Gordon Rohan had come back from the tower. His activities and performances were being reported in both the print and on-air news media.

    ¡°What about Kim Su-hyeun?¡± asked Gordon Rohan, keeping his eyes closed, as he sat in the back seat of this multi-million dollar vehicle, a large sedan coasted in diamond dust.

    His secretary riding shotgun in the front passenger seat quickly replied, ¡°Sir, he¡¯s on his way to America.¡±

    ¡°When did you receive that update?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been around one hour, sir.¡±

    ¡°That means he will arrive within two hours.¡±

    ¡°Two hours, sir?¡± the secretary asked back in a fluster, only to hurriedly cover his mouth.

    Gordon Rohan was not a fan of people asking back on what he had already said. The secretary had been employed for over five years by now and thus knew what his boss did and didn¡¯t like, but even then, it was rather difficult to accept that only two hours remained until Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s arrival.

    Reaching the USA from South Korea in around three hours total? Just what was that man even flying in to get here that quickly, anyway?

    ¡°No need to sweat it. I¡¯m also aware that it¡¯s quite hard to believe what I just said.¡±

    ¡°M¡ªmy apologies.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also not much of a fan of people apologizing.¡±

    ¡°S¡ªsir¡­¡±

    The secretary didn¡¯t know what to say here, and his eyes darted around in alarm. He was so sure of getting fired right here and now if he chose to say something that soured his boss¡¯s mood any further.

    But to his surprise¡­

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m willing to overlook it this time.¡± Unlike his usual self, Gordon Rohan nonchalantly brushed the secretary¡¯s slip-up, and the secretary soon figured out the reason why. ¡°Because even I was wrong this time, too.¡±

    Screeeech¡­

    The vehicle came to an urgent stop.

    Even though it braked suddenly, the car came to a smooth and controlled stop, which was yet another evidence of how top-notch this car was.

    Of course, Gordon Rohan riding in the back seat wouldn¡¯t even spare a moment of thought on such a subject. To him, the really important point wouldn¡¯t have been about how smoothly the car came to a stop but how his chauffeur serving him ended up driving in this manner.

    The chauffeur also nervously waited for Gordon Rohan¡¯s ire.

    But then¡­

    Clunk¡­

    Gordon wordlessly exited from the car. He then walked up to the cause of the car coming to an abrupt halt: Kim Su-hyeun standing right before his eyes.

    He spoke up first, ¡°What¡¯s so urgent that you came to see me like this?¡±

    ¡°It is rather urgent, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders and replied nonchalantly.

    Gordon Rohan initially thought that Su-hyeun would need another two hours to get to America, so he couldn¡¯t help but get surprised at how quickly the latter showed up here. ¡°Did you really fly here in around one hour?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I heard that you¡¯re really busy at the moment, so¡­¡±

    ¡°The number of indigo dungeons in America alone is three. Even if it¡¯s me, it¡¯s impossible to raid all three of them at the same time.¡±

    It truly was a mess at the moment. To think that three indigo-colored dungeons suddenly materialized in the United States of America when finding even one around the world used to be quite difficult¡­

    Once that news got out to the media, never mind the USA, the whole world was thrown into turmoil.

    Gordon Rohan was returning from a three-day-long raid of a blue-colored dungeon, and raiding those three indigo-colored dungeons right after seemed rather unrealistic at the moment.

    ¡°Where are their locations?¡±

    This was the reason why Su-hyeun came to meet Gordon Rohan.

    The American awakener gestured to his secretary. The latter urgently switched a tablet PC on and brought up the map of America on its screen. Three red spots could be seen on this map.

    ¡°For now, you should head to the one in Washington. I¡¯ll head to the one in LA. As for the one in Boston, whoever finishes their raid first should¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that one as well,¡± Su-hyeun replied quickly.

    Gordon Rohan furrowed his brows. ¡°Are you trying to say that you¡¯ll definitely finish your raid before I do?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯ll be sending my summon to that dungeon.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡­

    As soon as he finished saying that, the shadow below Su-hyeun¡¯s feet rose and congealed into a solid shape. It soon morphed into the figure of the God of War, Prince Nezha.

    Gordon Rohan narrowed his eyes when this creature carrying six different types of weapons on his back suddenly showed up. This was his first time seeing this summon, but even then, he could sense a rather powerful aura emanating from this being.

    ¡°So, you want this guy to deal with the remaining dungeon, is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think it won¡¯t be that difficult for him.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s your summon. Is it fine for this guy to get so far away from you?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem, I believe.¡±

    Unlike the other types of summoning skills where the user had to continuously supply their magical energy to maintain their summoned being, Su-hyeun¡¯s Dead Summoning operated on the principle that the summon beings received Su-hyeun¡¯s Death Aura at the beginning and remained active until its energy source was depleted.

    Meaning, it didn¡¯t matter how far the summoned being got from Su-hyeun until it completely depleted the energy it was charged up with at the beginning.

    And Su-hyeun had injected most of his Death Aura in Prince Nezha as he summoned the latter.

    Although the overall efficiency was worse than when summoning multiple creatures at the same time, as a trade-off, it was now basically the same as Prince Nezha possessing a pseudo-immortal body until he depletes all of his energy.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    Prince Nezha¡¯s figure disappeared from view. He was heading to Boston right away. His mind was connected to Su-hyeun, so he realized what his role this time was and immediately set out to fulfill it.

    ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll get going as well. It seems that I have another place to get to after I¡¯m done here.¡± Now that the conversation here was over, Su-hyeun prepared to move out.

    Even after he dealt with the three indigo dungeons in America, he still had a ton of places he needed to get to.

    ¡°Alright, do that. By the way, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Was there something else?¡±

    When Gordon Rohan trailed off in his sentence, Su-hyeun found it strange and stopped walking away to ask back, just in case.

    Gordon pondered what to say for a little while, took a good look at Su-hyeun once more, and then finally spoke up again, ¡°You know, you feel¡­quite different from how you used to be.¡±

    ¡°Different? In what way?¡±

    ¡°In the past, you were like a tall mountain¡ªa difficult mountain to overcome but still possible to overcome. That kind of feeling.¡±

    That¡¯s what Gordon Rohan felt when he met Su-hyeun for the first time¡ªa stupidly tall mountain.

    But now, the only thing that felt similar was how tall he felt. Everything else just seemed too different from the past.

    ¡°But now, you feel just¡­¡±

    ¡°Just?¡±

    ¡°Like the sky. Yeah, it¡¯s like you¡¯ve become the sky.¡±

    Both were tall, yes, but one could at least attempt to climb up a mountain. However, no matter what a human tried with their natural strength, they could never climb up the sky. Didn¡¯t matter how hard one worked, a human could never become a bird, after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to put it in words, but that¡¯s the feeling you give off. It¡¯s like at any moment now, you will suddenly become a god or something and ascend to the sky.¡±

    Su-hyeun ended up smirking a little at Gordon Rohan¡¯s observation. At the same time, he was inwardly surprised, just a little bit. Gordon Rohan was basically talking about ¡°ascension¡± here.

    ¡°Who knows, that might come true one day,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Wait a minute. For real?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Su-hyeun hesitated slightly, unsure of how he should go about answering Gordon here.

    But then¡­

    Bzzz, vrrrr¡­

    Without any warning whatsoever, a yellow-hued heat haze shimmered from the middle of the road Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan stood on.

    That indicated the appearance of a new dungeon.

    Su-hyeun stopped talking at this sudden event happening right before his nose and frowned deeply. That was the exact same reaction Gordon Rohan had.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s kind of irritating,¡± said Gordon.

    A dungeon just showed up right before his eyes. Even though it was irritating, Gordon Rohan still planned to deal with it and get a move on since the raid itself shouldn¡¯t take too long.

    But then, Su-hyeun suddenly lifted his hand to stop the American.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Please wait and take a look.¡±

    ¡°Look? Look at what, exact¡ª?¡± Gordon Rohan did as Su-hyeun asked and looked around them, only to end up utterly speechless next.

    Vrrr, bzzzz¡­

    Whirrrr¡­

    Bzzz¡­

    Accompanied by intense vibrations, shimmering hazes began rising seemingly from everywhere their eyes could see.

    Dungeons began materializing one by one everywhere they could see. Even if the dungeon rate had accelerated greatly recently, this was simply too abnormal.

    Su-hyeun, who remained frozen for a bit, spoke up, ¡°For now, let¡¯s go up and take a look.¡±

 Chapter 400

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan rode on Miru¡¯s back and flew up high in the sky. Su-hyeun waved his hand and commanded the thick clouds covering the sky to recede. When the duo looked down from the cloudless sky, they immediately saw the current situation in the city of Chicago.

    Gordon Rohan took in this sight and uttered his honest impression, ¡°It¡¯s like looking at a breakout of molds or something.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at that rather blunt assessment.

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s description was pretty much on point. It wasn¡¯t just Chicago; seemingly every city in the United States of America was experiencing the same phenomenon.

    Countless dungeons appeared everywhere. So many of them popped up that counting all of them was practically impossible. Even Su-hyeun had never seen these many dungeons showing up at once.

    ¡°Besides all that, this is simply too fast,¡± he thought.

    He was aware that the future had changed. He was also aware that the time would come when it would no longer be possible to resist the dungeons with the strengths of the awakeners alone.

    However, that time had come far too quickly, and the number of dungeons was simply too many.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way we can deal with all of them,¡± he inwardly concluded.

    No matter how incredible Su-hyeun was, at the end of the day, he was just one person.

    He might have a prior record of raiding every dungeon that had appeared in South Korea by himself, but that was the extent of what he could realistically do.

    No matter how quickly he could raid the dungeons, considering the length of time required to travel between different dungeons, conquering a single country¡¯s dungeons would be Su-hyeun¡¯s limit.

    He silently calculated, ¡°A majority of them are red. Some orange and green are mixed in among them, too, and a handful of blue can be seen.¡±

    Su-hyeun took a closer look at the dungeons. Thankfully, their overall difficulty wasn¡¯t that high.

    ¡°Can I even say thanks in this case, though?¡± Su-hyeun barely managed to suppress a wry chuckle that tried to break out of his lips, but then, another thought popped up in his head. ¡°Could it be that even Fafnir¡­?¡±

    Fafnir showed up through a purple-colored dungeon. Su-hyeun remembered that and asked Gordon, ¡°Does the Gordon Company own satellites?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we do have one. But why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow that for a while. There¡¯s something I want to confirm.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    <hr />

    As it turned out, the Gordon Company owned two satellites. One was for communication purposes, while the other was for observing and analyzing dungeons.

    Both satellites were based on the Ether stone energy technology and crafted out of the highest-grade Ether stones.

    Su-hyeun, currently in the heart of the Gordon Company, carefully perused the data transmitted by the satellite.

    ¡°Thought as much.¡±

    ¡°The whole world has gone insane, I see.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Gordon Rohan both muttered to themselves while checking out the data.

    The data was in the form of a world map displayed on a huge screen. It detailed quite accurately the dungeon situation within each country and each city.

    Colored dots on the map indicated the locations of dungeons and their colors, just like how they would¡¯ve been with other national agencies. And those dots, they were virtually covering up the entire planet.

    Gordon Rohan muttered again, ¡°This can¡¯t be some kind of error, right?¡±

    ¡°You saw it with your own eyes, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Well, that means this crap is all real then,¡± Gordon Rohan grunted. His thoughts didn¡¯t need too long to process. He resolutely shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t stop this.¡±

    A long sigh left his lips as he plopped down on a chair. Since he was a smart man, he was able to quickly analyze the unfolding situation.

    ¡°This is the end of our civilization. Wait. Forget civilization! It might be the end of humanity itself, the destruction of our planet.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, are you listening?¡±

    When Su-hyeun didn¡¯t reply, Gordon Rohan made a puzzled face.

    The confirmation of the data should¡¯ve been over by now, yet Su-hyeun was still staring daggers at the screen. He even manipulated the image to confirm the current dungeon situation in better detail, starting from South Korea and then the rest of the world.

    ¡°What is he trying to confirm here?¡± Gordon Rohan silently observed. He became even more puzzled at Su-hyeun¡¯s current appearance.

    Despite how apocalyptic this situation was, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t despair or give up. Rather, it was as if he was fully focused on searching for something.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, he asked for access to this data, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    Gordon Rohan didn¡¯t demand an answer and instead chose to sit still and quietly wait until Su-hyeun was prepared to speak up.

    In the middle of this, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes continued to dart around the map.

    ¡°It¡¯s not there,¡± Su-hyeun quietly realized.

    He had already experienced the phenomenon unfolding right now. It was the exact same situation that occurred as the purple-colored dungeon manifested itself¡ªthe dungeon where Fafnir showed up from.

    That was why Su-hyeun was fully focused on finding the purple-colored dungeon, but¡­

    ¡°No matter how much I look, it¡¯s not there.¡±

    Despite the phenomenon being similar, he couldn¡¯t spot the purple dungeon anywhere.

    There were 11 indigo-colored dungeons. As for dungeons below blue in color, there were so many that it was a near-hopeless task to count them all.

    However, it seemed that Fafnir wasn¡¯t thinking of making its appearance just yet.

    Su-hyeun slightly furrowed his brows. ¡°Not sure if I should feel happy about this or not¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to feel happy about?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± Su-hyeun didn¡¯t go out of his way to offer a detailed explanation. The current situation didn¡¯t require an explanation, and they couldn¡¯t waste time explaining, anyway. ¡°First of all, we need to inform everyone about the crisis.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already done that through my secretary. Since the situation is sh*y as fk, I told him to quickly send the word out to mass media.¡±

    ¡°What about the solution, though?¡±

    ¡°While you were trying to bore a hole in my screen with your eyes, I was thinking of one.¡±

    ¡°Did you succeed?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Gordon Rohan resolutely shook his head. ¡°How about you, though?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­Well, I wonder¡­¡± Su-hyeun trailed off, only to shake his head. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not that confident,¡± he continued.

    ¡°Not confident, you say?¡± Gordon Rohan tilted his head this way and that, wondering what Su-hyeun was saying here. ¡°It¡¯s not like, I¡¯ve thought of a way, but you¡¯re simply not feeling confident?¡±

    ¡°Well, rather than calling it a solution¡­¡± Su-hyeun recalled an event that happened back in the false World Tree before finishing his reply. ¡°I¡¯ll just have a go at it and see what happens.¡±

    <hr />

    Hundreds of thousands of dungeons showed up throughout the world.

    This event threw the whole world into unprecedented chaos.

    The dungeons that had shown up first would¡¯ve been prioritized in the list of raids in normal times, but for the newly materialized dungeons, people had given up on raiding them and simply left them be.

    There could only be one choice to make, after all.

    ¡°What kind of mess is this?¡±

    Da-dadada¡­

    ¡°Please pay attention. All residents residing in Yeongdeungpo-dong District One are advised to quickly evacuate to¡­¡±

    Hak-joon was currently standing in the middle of a street, observing the citizens hurriedly moving along according to the public announcements.

    Dungeons could be seen literally everywhere. For instance, in this Yeongdeungpo-dong District One alone, the number of dungeons was well over a few dozens, making it impossible to deal with them.

    For some reason, more dungeons seemed to have appeared in South Korea than in other places. The response the Awakener Authority came up with was to designate shelters for people to evacuate to, give priority to raiding the dungeons around those areas, and then protect all those people inside the evacuation shelters.

    ¡°Is this really the apocalypse?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he has a plan.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho walked over to Hak-joon¡¯s side. Now that the ¡°apocalypse¡± was literally right in front of their noses, they had no choice but to believe in one man.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try whatever I can.¡±

    That was Su-hyeun¡¯s reply when the reporters asked him whether or not he had a solution to the current crisis.

    ¡°Whatever I can,¡± he said. In a way, such a statement sounded like a rather irresponsible thing to say, and people began thinking the same thing after listening to his reply¡ªthat even Kim Su-hyeun had no solution to speak of.

    ¡°What will we do when even you¡¯re thinking like that? Will you look at this first?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Hak-joon stared at the screen of the smartphone Lee Ju-ho handed over.

    Several new articles showed up online every minute or so. Among the deluge, he spotted an article detailing the interview Su-hyeun did.

    [Is this the End of the World? Kim Su-hyeun¡¯s Advice: Please Do Not Run Away.]

    This so-called article was one of those blatant rip-off Internet hack jobs that simply copy/pasted Su-hyeun¡¯s interview.

    To their credit, the person who wrote the article even added their own opinion and came to the conclusion that Su-hyeun had no solution in mind, so he simply chose to say some words of encouragement instead.

    However, Lee Ju-ho and Hak-joon knew Su-hyeun well, and as such, their thoughts were quite different from the article¡¯s conclusion.

    ¡°I guess he really has something in mind, after all.¡±

    ¡°Right. He¡¯s not the type to say stuff like that without a plan.¡±

    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t sound that confident¡­¡±

    ¡°When did he ever sound confident of his plans?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vigor returned to the light gleaming in Hak-joon¡¯s eyes as he replied.

    There was a way.

    That idea alone was enough to give them a fighting chance. When the light started gleaming within Hak-joon¡¯s eyes as expected, Lee Ju-ho smirked softly.

    He shifted his gaze back to his smartphone¡¯s screen and quietly tutted, ¡°But then, this dude¡­I knew it. He¡¯s just not wise enough on things like this. It seems that he was worried about many awakeners choosing to give up on this side and hiding in the tower, but at this rate¡­¡±

    When Lee Ju-ho groaned under his breath, Hak-joon asked in a puzzled voice, ¡°What will you do?¡±

    Seeing that Lee Ju-ho brought that topic up, he¡¯d definitely do something about it. If the real source of power behind the Paragon Guild was Su-hyeun, then Lee Ju-ho was the one who provided justification for that power to act¡ªsomeone who ensured that what Su-hyeun wanted would turn into reality.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about that from now on,¡± said Lee Ju-ho, biting and chewing his lower lip. He made this expression whenever he was deeply pondering something.

    He then turned around and began walking away to somewhere. Hak-joon watched him leave and sighed at length, ¡°Looks like something will happen, but¡­¡±

    Thinking about Su-hyeun made him feel hopeful of the future, but this sense of frustration quickly returned to fill his chest the moment he took in the surrounding sights. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if someone turns this event into a movie after all the dust settles down.¡±

    The screams and tearful cries of people hurriedly evacuating could be heard.

    Hak-joon studied the faces of the evacuating people filled with so much anxiety and quietly muttered to himself, ¡°And they should title it as the Apocalypse or something.¡±

    Of course, that would be if everyone managed to survive.

    <hr />

    Currently, on top of the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest¡­

    Conquering this mountain was something to be proud of for the rest of one¡¯s life, and one man and a dragon were standing on this peak seemingly filled with nothing but winds cold enough to penetrate one¡¯s soul.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really high up here, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Su-hyeun smirked at Miru¡¯s reply. The red dragon was making a face that reflected exhaustion right now, but that wasn¡¯t all that surprising.

    It wasn¡¯t them simply climbing up Everest, but the truth was, they had been traveling all around the globe until now.

    ¡°Just a little bit more, please. About 15 days or so from now on.¡±

    Gya-oh-ohng¡ª

    Miru cried out pitifully. If it could speak in the human tongue, it probably would¡¯ve said, ¡°For 15 more days?!¡±

    Su-hyeun smirked again. It seemed that he needed to let the red dragon rest for a little while longer and then hoof it around even more urgently later. ¡°Okay, I got it. Let¡¯s rest up for 10 more minutes before moving out.¡±

    After saying that, Su-hyeun looked down toward the base of the mountain.

    This panoramic view when seen from the world¡¯s highest spot with no cloud cover to spoil it was quite literally breathtaking. No matter how many times he looked at the expansive mountain range covered in snow and the scenery stretching below, he thought that he¡¯d never get tired of this view.

    He began to understand just a little why people craved so much to climb tall mountains.

    ¡°I wish I could go on a trip,¡± Su-hyeun muttered softly while taking in this view.

    He didn¡¯t even feel the cold trying to restrain his body. His physique that had now reached the realm of a demigod always maintained the most optimal state regardless of where he was, whether it was hot as hell or against the biting cold winds of Mount Everest.

    Taking in the most beautiful view of the world in his peak condition, he abruptly thought that it would be nice to live a life spent mostly on traveling the world with a body like this one.

    ¡°How long would doing that take me, I wonder?¡±

    He had no way of finding out how long that would take. In reality, though, no one knew whether such a time would come or not in the first place.

    Su-hyeun sat down and lost himself in this sweet dream for a little while.

    And so, the promised 10 minutes ticked by like that.

    He was genuinely tempted to just sit still here and take in this scenery. Maybe that was the reason why he let one or two more minutes fly by as well.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s get going now.¡±

    Gya-ong¡ª

    Miru replied to Su-hyeun¡¯s call.

    He got to spend some time lost in happy thoughts. He even wasted a little more time on top of the absolutely necessary break too. In a way, one could say that lives of countless people were hanging in the balance on those few precious minutes.

    ¡°We need to hurry if we want to get it done in time.¡±

    Su-hyeun began moving once more.

 Chapter 401

    <hr />

    Fifteen days. That was the accepted minimum grace period before the dungeons would start entering the outbreak stage one by one.

    And the entire world had to watch the timer to apocalypse count down ever closer to that 15-day mark.

    In the World Cup Stadium located in the city of Seoul, from the inside of the stadium to its edges, hundreds of thousands of people could be seen, and Hak-joon, Lee Ju-ho, and Thomas were standing near this very place.

    The island of Yeoui happened to be the location of the highest concentration of dungeons. An indigo-colored dungeon showed up here as well.

    Lee Ju-ho was urgently phoning various places. Since he was the chairman of the Korean Awakener Association, he was naturally in command of the current crisis.

    He asked, ¡°What¡¯s the number of the remaining awakeners?¡±

    ¡°It looks like about one-third has escaped to the other side, Ju-ho. They are probably thinking that there¡¯s no hope on this side.¡±

    ¡°Gimme a f*cking break,¡± Lee Ju-ho could only hold his head at Hak-joon¡¯s reply.

    Around one-third?

    That was the total number of awakeners who fled to the Tower of Trials and chose not to return. Currently, the remaining two-thirds were protecting the helpless citizens.

    ¡°How long do you think we will be able to endure, bro?¡±

    ¡°Not sure. Still, we gotta endure until we can¡¯t anymore.¡±

    ¡°What about Su-hyeun, though? Still can¡¯t reach him?¡±

    ¡°Well, he did send me a text message earlier. He said that he¡¯d pass through Korea briefly and that he needs to get going immediately. He¡¯s not answering his phone now, though.¡±

    ¡°Which means, he must still be on this side¡­¡± Hak-joon lowered his voice and asked, ¡°The media still doesn¡¯t know, right?¡±

    ¡°I think they have cottoned on to it by now, but for them to also survive, they are trying to gag the news from coming out.¡±

    Su-hyeun was currently absent, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that his no-show would not be treated as good news.

    Judging from how Su-hyeun alone managed to raid every single dungeon in South Korea, there was no doubting that he could easily do the job of thousands, no, tens of thousands of people by himself.

    Yet, someone like that had disappeared. By ¡°running away,¡± he left behind a large impact on other awakeners.

    Of course, those who knew him didn¡¯t think that way, but there were far more people out there who had no clue on what Su-hyeun¡¯s real personality was like.

    Hak-joon sighed, ¡°Just where did he even go to in this sort of situation¡­?¡±

    ¡°It sounded as if he had a plan, though.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the vibe he gave off.¡±

    ¡°Eh? He didn¡¯t actually say it?¡±

    ¡°Uwaaaah¡ª!¡± Thomas suddenly broke out in an impressed cry.

    ¡°I guess it has begun, then.¡±

    Buzz, vrrr¡­

    At the same time, the dungeons near the World Cup Stadium began humming ominously. That was the first sign of the impending dungeon outbreak.

    Normally, witnessing such a phenomenon had been difficult. A dungeon outbreak was basically a natural calamity that would devastate the surrounding area, so it was strictly managed to the point where one wouldn¡¯t really occur unless something freakish caused it.

    But now, the situation was different.

    Hak-joon muttered, ¡°In a way, this is one really memorable scenery, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. Dozens of dungeons are simultaneously entering the outbreak phase, and that hasn¡¯t happened before, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it certainly isn¡¯t a common occurrence.¡±

    Shu-rung¡­

    Hak-joon pulled out his sword.

    All the dungeons that had appeared in the vicinity of the World Cup Stadium entered the outbreak phase simultaneously. From red to indigo, all of these varied dungeons began spitting out monsters to the outside world.

    ¡°I hope he¡¯s not going to take too long.¡±

    ¡°We can only hold on and wait for now while thinking that there will be good news sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    Chwa-rururu¡­

    Hundreds of swords began floating up into the air.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to somehow defend this location.¡±

    Only three people were protecting this huge stadium, and they were Hak-joon, Thomas, and Lee Ju-ho.

    Out of all the combat-capable awakeners in the Paragon Guild, two of them were defending this place. The other awakeners were currently dispatched to different areas.

    ¡°Wow, there are so freaking many of them,¡± Lee Ju-ho sighed and pulled out his own sword as well.

    He had stopped raiding dungeons quite a long time ago. Sure, his A-rank wasn¡¯t exactly low, but when compared to the other awakeners in the Paragon Guild, he couldn¡¯t help but notice how pathetic he was.

    ¡°An old man should just step back, though. It¡¯s too dangerous to butt in, you know?¡±

    ¡°I know, you fool. I¡¯ll just focus on eliminating monsters that come this way.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll leave it up to you,¡± said Hak-joon before lowering his hand.

    When he did, all those swords in the air pointing downward began falling like raindrops.

    Crash, rumble, chwa-rararak¡ª!

    Stab! Pow, staaaab¡ª!

    The rain of swords stabbed and sliced apart the countless monsters. Lee Ju-ho spectated with great interest Hak-joon¡¯s skill at work.

    ¡°That¡¯s called the Sword Manipulation through Energy Technique, right? With the use of magical energy to store or summon various swords and even freely manipulate them without touching them, it¡¯s easily top-tier in the realm of AOE skills,¡± he silently observed.

    Most of Hak-joon¡¯s skills didn¡¯t stray too far from what one would call the conventional path. Like most awakeners, he would start off from ¡°normal¡± sword techniques and train until he attained complete mastery over them to acquire the skills as his own.

    That was Hak-joon¡¯s way of doing things, and the final form of the evolution his skills had taken was the Sword Manipulation.

    Swords flew around freely in the air. With this technique, Hak-joon became someone capable of solo-raiding an indigo-colored dungeon.

    Also¡­

    Ruuumbleee¡­

    Pitch-black clouds were blanketing the sky above.

    The moment Lee Ju-ho saw them, he began thinking to himself, ¡°It has begun.¡±

    [The Dark World]

    [Blackened Rain]

    Sshwa-aaaaah¡­

    Even if Hak-joon was now capable of wielding hundreds, no, thousands of swords through his technique, in the end, the role of being the main AOE damage dealer fell on a different awakener.

    That person was none other than Thomas.

    The Dark World¡ªthe skill that was known to be unrivaled as far as wide-area skills were concerned¡ªcould freely change its shape depending on the level of its user.

    What was happening now was the very first form of the Dark World meant to attack a large area at once.

    Hiss, sizzleeee¡­

    Drip, tumble, driiip¡­

    Ki-aaaaaah¡ª!

    Monsters screamed in torment. The falling black rain pelted the figures of the monsters to melt their hides and seep into their internal organs. These raindrops weren¡¯t simply toxic, however. If that had been the case, the surrounding buildings would have melted down as well.

    The black rain actually contained Thomas¡¯s will¡ªhis animosity and killing intent were directed solely at the monsters.

    The raindrops sensed his will and seeped under the hides and bodies of the monsters to decompose and melt them down.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Lee Ju-ho ended up letting out a soft exclamation of amazement.

    He couldn¡¯t help but get surprised and be awed at the same time. These were his fellow guild members, whom he shared laughs with and worked with for so long.

    Now that he saw them fight, he thought he would start respecting them even more than before.

    ¡°Thomas! Fight while conserving your strength!¡± Hak-joon called out to Thomas while still activating his Sword Manipulation technique.

    Krrrrr¡­

    Ki-aaaah¡ª!

    This commotion caused the howls and screeches of the monsters to become even more ferocious. In an instant, all of their attention was focused here. The attention of all the monsters spread out in a wide area far beyond had been successfully attracted to this side and not just around the World Cup Stadium.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know how long we need to endure, after all.¡±

    Grit¡­

    Only two of them were here, realistically speaking.

    If Hak-joon and Thomas fell here, then hundreds of thousands of people being sheltered inside the stadium would die.

    His shoulders felt heavy. Only then did Hak-joon finally get to understand one percent of Su-hyeun¡¯s burden.

    ¡°Su-hyeun has been fighting this sort of battles for so many years, hasn¡¯t he?¡± he thought.

    This battle had only just begun. Not only that, but the lives of the people on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders were also incomparably greater in number than what Hak-joon was tasked with protecting.

    Eventually, though, everyone still died in the end back then.

    Knowing about Su-hyeun¡¯s personality where he couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing as people died before his eyes, Hak-joon couldn¡¯t even imagine what Su-hyeun must¡¯ve felt in those moments.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, at least this time¡­¡±

    Krrrr¡­

    Hak-joon glared at a particular monster made out of crimson viscous liquid in the distance. The creature¡¯s eye was gleaming eerily.

    It was a boss monster found within the indigo-colored dungeons called ¡°Mad Doom.¡±

    Hak-joon strode forward toward that creature while muttering, ¡°Let us share your workload.¡±

    <hr />

    Several hours later, Mad Doom was lying unmoving on the ground, its crimson liquid spreading out everywhere, while its eerily glowing eye lost its light and was rolling around on the floor.

    Hak-joon was huffing and panting heavily after chopping Mad Doom to death. It wasn¡¯t just that monster either, though, as he had to fight countless other monsters all around him as well. That took a bit out of his stamina reserve.

    ¡°Man, so persistent.¡±

    Mad Doom had already appeared once before as a boss of an indigo-colored dungeon. At that time, Gordon Rohan was responsible for felling it, and more than anything else, the monster was noted for its truly resilient life force.

    The creature relied on its defenses and life force afforded to it by its large size, as well as its recovery ability, to stubbornly cling on to its life.

    Hak-joon spat out a long groan, ¡°Fuu-wuu¡­¡±

    Thanks to him conserving his magical energy and stamina, he wasn¡¯t all that exhausted. However, the number of monsters remaining was still a big problem.

    ¡°There are just too many of them.¡±

    Krrrr¡­

    Kkyah-ak, khyak¡ª!

    Those monsters that didn¡¯t die from Thomas¡¯s skill, ¡°Blacked Rain,¡± were glaring at Hak-joon with vicious light in their eyes.

    Despite screaming and howling in torment, these monsters continued to pounce around. All of them were fairly large monsters that showed up from blue-colored dungeons or higher.

    By now, corpses of monsters had piled up like small mountains. Because monsters were still rushing in from other districts of Seoul, their numbers weren¡¯t decreasing at all but gradually increasing instead.

    ¡°Something similar to this happened in the past, right?¡±

    Indeed, Hak-joon did experience something similar to this situation back when countless dungeons manifested in Gangwon Province.

    Monsters piled up like mountains and crashed in like tsunami waves, and back then, Hak-joon fought without rest to stop their tides. In the end, though, he still had to receive someone else¡¯s help.

    It was none other than Su-hyeun¡¯s help, of course.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t expect that help to come this time.¡±

    There was only one Su-hyeun, and the current crisis was quite different from that outbreak of Gangwon Province. It was happening throughout the whole world.

    Places requiring Su-hyeun¡¯s help were just too many to count. Meaning, it was unrealistic to expect Su-hyeun to appear here this time.

    ¡°Thomas!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! What?¡±

    ¡°Take a short break! I¡¯ll stop the monsters for now, so preserve your stamina and magical energy. Their numbers have decreased by a lot, so let¡¯s start taking turns from now on.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m still fine.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for now. But it¡¯ll be bad if both of us get tired at the same time, so stop arguing and take a break.¡±

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    The sword that Hak-joon had in his grip began emitting a bright light.

    [Thunderclap Sword]

    Fwhooosh¡ª!

    KA-RUUUUMBLE¡ª!!!

    The sword light exploded with blinding lightning. Monsters that were barely hanging on were instantly ripped apart, decreasing the size of the horde.

    ¡°Okay. Hurry.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    Thomas did as Hak-joon said and plopped down right where he was.

    Not too long after that, though, a new horde of monsters appeared while stepping over the corpses of their kind. Hak-joon stared at the new batch and let out another long groan, ¡°It¡¯s literally one thing after another, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Around slightly less than half of his magical energy reserve remained. The skill he used just now did exhaust him quite a bit.

    ¡°How many more hours will I be able to hold on at this rate¡­?¡±

    While thinking that, Hak-joon trained his sword toward the incoming monsters, but the moment he did¡­

    Grrrrr¡ª

    The monsters began reacting rather strangely.

    Only a second ago, they bared their fangs and displayed naked hostility in Hak-joon¡¯s direction, yet now, they had all turned their heads away simultaneously.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Did some other awakener appear or something?

    He too turned his head in that direction, but he couldn¡¯t see anyone there.

    Hak-joon cautiously observed the strange reactions of the monsters but didn¡¯t do anything. Then, the monsters suddenly began moving again.

    Boom, bang, crash¡­

    Tumble, rush¡­

    They were moving in the opposite direction¡ªaway from the World Cup Stadium packed with countless people.

    Hak-joon remained standing on his spot, eyes blinking nonstop. However, he didn¡¯t feel the need to chase after the monsters that were moving away from the evacuation shelter.

    He still felt quite stupefied at what happened. ¡°What was that all about?¡±

    He wondered if those bastards had been entranced or something.

    <hr />

    Back at the peak of Mount Everest¡­

    Standing tall there, Su-hyeun muttered softly, ¡°That¡¯s right, gather here¡­¡±

    The top of Everest, usually covered in pure-white snow, was now dyed in black and red blood, which came from the remains of the monsters that were strewn about in the vicinity.

    With Mount Everest in the center, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes took in the sight of a long purple line.

    This line was splitting into many, many different directions, however, and these lines all ultimately connected to the peak of Everest, where Su-hyeun was currently standing.

    ¡°All of you¡­get over here.¡±

    [Provocation ¨C Wide Area]

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    He activated his skill in the center of the huge magic circle he had constructed. As for the affected area¡­

    The entirety of planet Earth.

 Chapter 402

    <hr />

    Something peculiar happened. A few hours ago, outbreaks occurred. Those outbreaks were not just any regular outbreaks. They happened simultaneously all around the world and were too many that their overall number couldn¡¯t even be accurately counted.

    The world gave up.

    It was simply not possible to raid all those dungeons, they said. Might as well evacuate to a place and try to survive for as long as possible, they said.

    However, even doing that proved to be quite difficult. The number of dungeons was far greater than the number of available awakeners, and there was a limit to just how far one could escape.

    What waited for them, in the end, was the destruction of the world. That was what everyone thought.

    But then¡­

    ¡°This¡­what kind of situation is this?¡±

    The awakeners who had been mindlessly fighting off the waves of monsters were puzzled at the sudden shift that most of them were now wearing identical expressions of bewilderment.

    In the middle of the fight, the monsters suddenly began behaving strangely. Every single one of them was now heading in the same direction. It was as if all of them had been entranced by something. When provoked, they did fight back, but when left alone, the monsters did not attack humans.

    It was as if¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s like all of them have fallen for the effects of the Provocation skill, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The ¡°Provocation¡± skill was a skill with a wide range of uses that attracted the attacks of enemies found within the designated area to the caster. Awakeners who mainly possessed the abilities of warriors and tankers used this skill.

    However, even they didn¡¯t dare use it often because it could get seriously dangerous if they ended up attracting too many monsters.

    Even then, practically every single awakener knew about the existence of the Provocation skill, and they knew well how monsters reacted when they had fallen under the skill¡¯s effect.

    And now¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s like someone had cast a spell on them¡­¡±

    Indeed, these monsters all acted as if they were under the effects of that very skill.

    Of course, something like that made next to no sense whatsoever.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be so damn far away? And to this many monsters, too?!¡±

    The range of Provocation was about 20 meters at its shortest and around 100 meters at the longest.

    Although the skill could potentially extend up to one kilometer depending on the rank of one¡¯s magical energy or the skill proficiency, it was extremely rare for the range to exceed that.

    Not only that but activating Provocation from somewhere so far away that eyes couldn¡¯t even see?

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned.¡±

    ¡°This can¡¯t be related to the outbreaks, right?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Maybe the monsters want to bunch up and combine into one giant or something.¡±

    ¡°Stop jinxing it, alright?¡±

    Whatever the case might have been, as long as the monsters weren¡¯t attacked, they didn¡¯t attack back, either. As if they had really been affected by the Provocation skill.

    Not a lot of ballsy awakeners were prepared to attack the monsters, and those few who attacked didn¡¯t dare to take on monsters that they couldn¡¯t deal with.

    More importantly, this event was occurring in every corner of the world.

    ¡°Is it Su-hyeun?¡± Lee Ju-ho muttered softly while taking in the sight of the monster parade. He had been fighting hard all by himself against a couple of monsters until then.

    Hak-joon walked up next to him and replied, ¡°That¡¯s probably it, I think.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s the only one capable of doing this.¡±

    ¡°Still, just how did he even¡­?¡±

    ¡°He had been jetting around the world from one end to the other nonstop, didn¡¯t he? He must¡¯ve performed some kind of magic while doing that,¡± Lee Ju-ho replied in a joking tone, but he had no idea that his thoughts were actually on the money.

    Jiii-iiiing¡ª

    His smartphone tucked away in his pocket suddenly began vibrating. It seemed that it was still possible to call someone at the moment.

    Lee Ju-ho answered the call and immediately heard Gordon Rohan¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Is it the same story on that side?¡± Rohan asked.

    ¡°Wait, what? It¡¯s the same over there, too?¡± Lee Ju-ho asked back in surprise.

    He thought this situation was happening only in South Korea, but from the sound of it, the same thing must be happening near Gordon Rohan, who was currently in the United States of America.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just this side but everywhere.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the entire world?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I got curious, so I made sure. I took a look through the satellite, and the monsters, they are all moving somewhere like a huge swarm of ants. As for the flight-capable monsters, they are like a swarm of locusts, too.¡±

    It sounded as if Gordon Rohan was also deeply stunned by this turn of events.

    ¡°It¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    And since he owned satellites, he could see the unfolding situation from up above.

    ¡°A truly massive magic circle has been drawn up. One big enough to cover the entire world, in fact.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Lee Ju-ho¡¯s head blanked out the moment he heard what Gordon Rohan had to say.

    A humongous magic circle covering the entire world?

    Su-hyeun¡¯s strange actions of riding on Miru¡¯s back and continuously coming and going without any explanation for the past 15 days¡­

    Only now did the puzzle pieces fall to their places inside Lee Ju-ho¡¯s mind.

    ¡°He had been trying to construct a magic circle?¡± he thought.

    Magic was not among the usual abilities of awakeners. It was another type of supernatural power that existed within the Tower of Trials, which was even referred to as a field of study.

    A magic circle was a medium meant to maximize the effects of magic skill and to increase its effective area.

    And Lee Ju-ho recalled that, not too long ago, Su-hyeun sent a small sample of a grimoire to him, saying that it belonged to red dragons.

    ¡°You know, this thing called magic? As it turns out, it¡¯s a lot more useful than what we bargained for. That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking of learning it, and I heard that I might have a knack for it, too.¡±

    Initially, Lee Ju-ho wondered why anyone would want to learn magic.

    Instead of going through the trouble of researching and learning magic, one would still get to acquire plenty of skills while climbing the tower.

    Lee Ju-ho even thought that it was a complete waste of time. More than anything else, the skills in Su-hyeun¡¯s repertoire would never be found lacking even when compared to high-rank magic abilities. They might even be superior.

    ¡°Ah, so this was why.¡±

    The truth was, there was literally no limitation to how one could utilize magic. Only now did Lee Ju-ho understand why Su-hyeun decided to dip his toes into the study of magic.

    ¡°Where is he right now, though?¡± Hak-joon walked up while listening in on the call. ¡°If all the monsters are in the provoked state, they must be gathering somewhere, right?¡±

    The Provocation skill attracted the enemies¡¯ attacks on a single target, that is, the caster of the skill itself, which meant that the location where the monsters were heading was also where Su-hyeun should be.

    ¡°It¡¯s Everest,¡± Gordon Rohan replied to Hak-joon¡¯s question.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s thinking of shooting a movie on the highest location in the world or something.¡±

    <hr />

    For the past 15 days, Su-hyeun had been flying around the world. He had drawn a circle that went around the entire planet and then began filling in ¡°images¡± within this circle.

    They were two magic circles with the same layout. He drew one circle each on the Northern and Southern Hemisphere with the planet¡¯s rotation in mind. The form of the magic circles was rather simple. It was the same story for their effects¡ªthey were meant to simply amplify the effects of different magic spells cast within the range of the magic circles.

    He had been thinking about one thing for a long while now¡ªthe Provocation skill was seemingly simple yet also easily the most effective one when a very dangerous individual was nearby.

    Of course, the skill would only work against monsters weaker than the caster, and its effects would get weaker the greater the distance was. Still, he thought that if he managed to ¡°provoke¡± every single monster out there, then he would get to fight them off without anyone else dying.

    ¡°Even if the skill is a simple one, it¡¯s no joke maintaining it when the covered area is so large,¡± Su-hyeun muttered to himself while sensing his magical energy reserve rapidly draining out.

    Thankfully, prana and the breathing technique quickly replenished his spent reserve. Without those two factors helping him out, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain the Provocation skill for that long.

    He probably wouldn¡¯t have thought about doing this, though, since even he found this whole plan pure insanity in the first place.

    ¡°Still, I might not have a lot of wiggle room for my magical energy.¡±

    Despite the two favorable factors, the energy required to maintain Provocation was easily greater than the rate of recovery.

    His magic count had broken past the 100th mark, and his reserve seemed near bottomless, but eventually, it would run dry in the end.

    Even if he relied on prana to recover his magical energy in an instant, a clear limitation still existed. It meant that, as long as he maintained Provocation during this fight, to him, it would be like fighting with large ankle weights attached to his legs.

    Some time had passed by, and he started seeing countless monsters show up by the foot of Everest.

    ¡°Wow, there are so many.¡±

    It felt like he was staring at a swarm of ants.

    Just how many of them were down there? Tens, no, hundreds of thousands?

    Or maybe even millions?

    Even now, more monsters were still showing up. Mixed in among their ranks were the lowest-tier monsters like Goblins and Kobolds that showed up in red-colored dungeons, as well as boss creatures from blue-colored dungeons.

    ¡°Seriously now, there are so freaking many of them.¡± Su-hyeun turned his head behind him and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Grrr¡­

    Clack¡ª

    Drooool¡­

    Behind Su-hyeun were Miru, Prince Nezha, and Gluttony.

    Gluttony had become as large as a small mountain by now, so it had to hold on to the peak of Everest with its arm just to remain there.

    Even if Su-hyeun might run short of his magical energy reserve, he still had his summoned creatures. Aside from the descendant of the red dragons, Miru, Prince Nezha, and Gluttony, many other summoned creatures were also tightly filling up the peak of Mount Everest.

    ¡°In times like these, I gotta say, it¡¯s too bad that the Death Aura stat couldn¡¯t reach the triple-digit mark¡­¡±

    He was fully aware of the difference between a stat in a two-digit mark and the one that had broken through the triple-digit mark after experiencing it several times already.

    A stat that reached the triple-digit mark was the qualification to attain the lowest-grade godhood. Meaning, one would acquire new godhood simply by having a stat reach the triple-digit mark.

    Most likely, the Death Aura stat would also transform into a ¡°godhood¡± the moment it reached the triple-digit mark.

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped for now. Miru?¡± Su-hyeun looked at Miru and said, ¡°Burn them all down with your Breath.¡±

    Grrrr¡­

    Miru nodded and then vigorously spread its wings.

    Su-hyeun turned his attention over to Prince Nezha next and commanded, ¡°Your role is to deal with all the boss-level monsters. Cut them all down with the Yogoe Slaying Sword.¡±

    Clack¡ª!

    Nezha went down on one knee before standing back up. He had begun gaining some sort of sentience now, which allowed him to act courteously toward Su-hyeun.

    ¡°And you, Gluttony¡­¡±

    Dribble¡­

    Gluttony stuck its long tongue out and licked its lips.

    This guy was in a similar situation to Prince Nezha. It now boasted a similar level of appetite from back when it was still alive most likely due to it gaining some sentience.

    And that appetite meant that it would be able to perform even better as Su-hyeun¡¯s summon.

    ¡°You, just devour everything in your way.¡±

    Gwuh-uuuuuuh¡ª!

    Vrrrr¡­

    The mountains and the sky rocked from its roar.

    Gluttony was easily the strongest summon in Su-hyeun¡¯s roster. However, controlling it had been getting a bit harder, too.

    The moment he gave his order, or permission, in this case, Gluttony destroyed the mountain¡¯s peak and jumped down to the ground below. It then instantly swallowed up a bunch of monsters right before its eyes and chewed them to up satisfy its ¡°gluttony.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting worse, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Gluttony was originally a ¡°Prey.¡± It used to be an existence stuck in the stage just before completely transforming into a ¡®Predator¡± when its desire would be at its absolute worst.

    However, it was killed off, and through Su-hyeun¡¯s powers, it retained its soul and revived into a new body. By consuming a sufficient enough amount of Death Aura, it regained most of its original appearance and began devouring even more monsters lately.

    And not too long ago, it even got to devour a few Predators as well. Maybe that had some kind of an influence? Unlike how it used to be in the beginning, Gluttony¡¯s appetite had grown so strong that it became a bit harder to control.

    Gu-wuwuwu¡­

    Ka-boooom¡ª!!!

    With Gluttony moving its large figure around, it was basically the same thing as wielding a deadly weapon. Not only that but it was also surprisingly nimble, and its physique was stupidly sturdier, rendering fangs, poisons, and horns of the monsters mostly ineffective. No, they were only good for filling up Gluttony¡¯s belly instead.

    At this point in time, Gluttony was no different from a real Predator.

    Kwa-aaaahk¡ª!

    Soon afterward, Prince Nezha¡¯s Yogoe Beating Mace descended, while his Yogoe Slaying Sword split the land apart. Cogwheels covered in flames, Wind Fire Wheel flew around to rip the monsters apart and set them alight.

    Ruuumble¡­

    Meanwhile, Miru¡¯s Breath began sweeping the foot of the mountain. After firing one, the red dragon quickly prepared another Breath in its maw.

    For now, hundreds of thousands of monsters didn¡¯t dare come any closer. The reason for that was simple enough: the summoned creatures were just too dangerous.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t budge from his spot. He figured that he didn¡¯t need to move for the time being, and his job was merely to maintain the Provocation skill activated through the magic circle.

    ¡°Okay, so, from this point on¡­¡± While sensing his Death Aura reserve rapidly draining out, Su-hyeun stared at the hundreds of monsters that began fighting against his summoned creatures. ¡°Why don¡¯t we keep fighting for as many days and nights as we can?¡±

 Chapter 403

    <hr />

    Kim Su-hyeun was fighting right now; this news rapidly spread around all over the world. The person who spread the news was, of course, Lee Ju-ho.

    Someone famous once said the immortal line, about how social media was a waste of one¡¯s life, yet the current situation was the exact opposite of that.

    ¡°A hero is born.¡±

    That single line that appeared on various social media sites gave the world renewed hope.

    The term ¡°hero¡± in the current despair-inducing situation proved to be truly enticing and sweet to mention.

    Lee Ju-ho continued to stare at the post he made a few hours ago. His post that started off with some rather stimulating words would go on to explain in detail the currently unfolding situation.

    ¡°A hero. A hero, huh?¡±

    That was a nice-sounding term, indeed. Anyone would¡¯ve dreamed of becoming one when they were young, at least once. Being a hero was an ideal like that, after all.

    ¡°But it¡¯d be nice if he wasn¡¯t the West-influenced type of hero who likes to go lone wolf all the time.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho was currently the only one remaining behind in Seoul¡¯s World Cup Stadium. Unlike Hak-joon or Thomas, who urgently got on a plane to go where Su-hyeun was, he was too far from being the hero seen in those blockbusters.

    Even if he went there, it would be a miracle if he didn¡¯t end up as a hindrance instead.

    All he could do for now was to urgently post on social media sites and spread Su-hyeun¡¯s name everywhere and, in the process, instill this seed of hope in everyone¡¯s heart.

    Wasn¡¯t it funny and also pathetic at the same time?

    ¡°I might get smacked by him later, though.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t like the term ¡°hero.¡± No, wait¡ªto be clear, it wasn¡¯t as if he hated that word with passion. To him, the word came with a heavy burden, responsibilities, and a sense of dejection.

    Indeed, the term hero was the symbolic word that made him recall some unpleasant memories. Even then, the world desperately needed a hero right now.

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s fine to get a smack later,¡± Lee Ju-ho muttered with a long groan.

    He then tossed the smartphone aside and plopped down on the ground. He supported his head with both of his hands and leaned halfway back to watch the clouds above floating silently by.

    The sky was pristine and clear, which didn¡¯t really fit the current situation. When looking at such a sky and not his surroundings that were filled with corpses of monsters, he couldn¡¯t help but get the feeling that today was no different than any other normal days.

    ¡°Huh. That sight feels way too peaceful, doesn¡¯t¡ª? What?!¡± Lee Ju-ho thinking that to himself shot back up to his feet. He stared dazedly at the sky above with his eyes opening up wider than ever before. ¡°The sky?¡± he muttered only that and then let his mouth hang open.

    <hr />

    Hak-joon, Thomas, and Gordon Rohan¡­

    And the awakeners Daian Gedeck, Ashlyn, Bak Yun-gyu, and Mirage Rowoon¡­

    Besides them, countless other S-Rank awakeners continued to gather in one location¡ªEverest.

    This place had become the center of planet Earth.

    The first person to arrive was Gordon Rohan since he possessed the ability to fly, which allowed him to travel faster than planes. With his ¡°Archangel¡± trait, the flight speed he could achieve with his wings didn¡¯t fall all that far behind Miru¡¯s speed.

    That¡¯s how he arrived at Mount Everest, and he was rewarded with a truly unbelievable spectacle despite witnessing it with his own eyes.

    ¡°Are they his summoned creatures?¡±

    If this was any other time, he would have assumed that monsters were busy fighting one another. However, the red dragon that was spewing out Breath from high up in the air was a creature famous for being Su-hyeun¡¯s trademark summon.

    And one of the abilities Su-hyeun was well-known for was the Necromancer trait that exceeded Daian Gedeck¡¯s ability, although Gedeck used to be known as the world¡¯s best Necromancer.

    ¡°Well, at this rate, I don¡¯t have anything to help with, it seems.¡± Although he said that, Gordon Rohan didn¡¯t stop moving and set out to search for Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun was sitting in a lotus position with his eyes deeply closed and focusing solely on his breathing technique.

    He was fully immersed in his breathing technique to recover his magical energy, but to Gordon Rohan who didn¡¯t know that, he looked like slacking off right now.

    ¡°What is he even doing?¡±

    Kkha-aaaahk¡ª!

    It was right at that moment that a flight-capable monster broke through the cordon of the summons and flew directly toward Su-hyeun. This creature was as large as an adult tiger, while its wings were hard and sharp like forged steel blades.

    Gordon Rohan materialized a pure-white spear in his hand and immediately threw it.

    Stab¡ª!

    With its head impaled, the monster crashed to the ground.

    It was also at that moment that Su-hyeun opened his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± he greeted.

    ¡°Well, I had no idea that you¡¯d do something this ridiculous.¡±

    To think that he would cast Provocation against every monster that appeared throughout the world¡­

    Thinking up of such a plan and then bringing it into reality were completely insane things to pull off. On one hand, Gordon Rohan was suitably impressed. That didn¡¯t mean he could still believe it, though.

    ¡°Hey, you. Just what have you become?¡±

    He was most curious about this point.

    ¡°In the past, you were like a tall mountain¡ªa difficult mountain to overcome but still possible to overcome. But now, it¡¯s like you¡¯ve become the sky.¡±

    Gordon Rohan said some things like that after running into Su-hyeun in what felt like not seeing each other for a very long time.

    Back then, that feeling remained vague. That feeling was similar to looking at a place so high up that it almost seemed impossible to reach, which also made him feel that he had lost even without fighting first. In turn, he was not happy about feeling that way at all.

    But now that he had witnessed this spectacle, that earlier unhappiness he felt instantly dissipated.

    Here was the proof that Su-hyeun had become an existence far outside of Gordon Rohan¡¯s common sense.

    ¡°Does it matter whatever it is? As long as we can win, I¡¯m prepared to become anything.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Gordon Rohan nodded and then scanned the horde of monsters by the foot of Everest. ¡°Thanks to you, everyone is still alive.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were capable of saying stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m grateful, after all. Ah, looks like the others have finally arrived.¡±

    Either the timing was perfect or he just wanted to change the topic, but Gordon Rohan turned his head in the direction of a private plane that was flying in toward them.

    Two figures could be seen leaping out from the moving plane before it even had the chance to land. They were none other than Hak-joon and Thomas.

    ¡°Bro¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Su-hyeuuuun¡ª!¡±

    The two men made their entrance with loud cries, and Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that. What a relief it was that they didn¡¯t take too long to get here. With their help, enduring should become so much easier from now on.

    Gordon Rohan continued to mutter, ¡°And it seems that all the ones who should come have come.¡¯

    They weren¡¯t the only ones to arrive, either.

    Except for Lee Ju-ho who was basically a noncombatant at this point, all the members of the Paragon Guild, as well as S-Rank awakeners from various countries around the world, had shown up here.

    Other than the Ranking Wars, S-Ranks had never had an opportunity to come together in such a large number before. It seemed that all the stars had gathered in one spot.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    Rays of light that were shooting out from Gordon Rohan¡¯s two wings began engraving the skies above.

    Chwa-rararara¡­

    All those light rays soon morphed into thousands, no, tens of thousands of spear shafts. Gordon Rohan spread his wings wide open and flew up to grab a humongous light spear.

    [Divine Punishment]

    ¡°Let¡¯s mop everything up here.¡±

    <hr />

    Dozens of awakeners¡­

    Specifically, dozens of S-Rank awakeners had gathered in one location to fight against the horde of monsters nonstop.

    Each and every one of Gordon Rohan¡¯s light spears was basically the same as bombs that could destroy a wide area. He poured out thousands of such spears and utterly massacred monsters down below.

    It was the same story for both Thomas and Hak-joon. Honestly speaking, Thomas was doing a lot more than Gordon Rohan when it came to using his wide-area skill.

    Unfortunately, though, it didn¡¯t really matter how many S-Rank awakeners were present today, as the number of monsters always far surpassed them.

    There were hundreds of thousands¡ªno, make those millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions of monsters!

    Even if dozens and hundreds of monsters were slaughtered in the blink of an eye, such a thing didn¡¯t even put a dent in the entire horde in the end.

    Even Gordon Rohan was shaking his head at the continuous stream of the monsters. ¡°Damn, there is simply no end to this.¡±

    It was the right call to use Provocation and bring all the monsters over here, but now, the problem lay with human stamina.

    ¡°It seems that everyone is gradually reaching their limit.¡±

    It had already been half a day.

    Fighting without rest for that long was no easy feat, even if they happened to be highly skilled awakeners. To make matters worse, boss-level monsters from the dungeons boasting difficulty of green color or higher were regularly mixed in among the horde as well.

    S-Rank awakeners would not find it easy to hunt such creatures down on a good day. That must¡¯ve been the reason why a large number of them were easily injured here.

    Almost half of the combatants who came here had already been forced into early retirement, so to speak.

    And then¡­

    Gwuh-uuuuuh¡ª!

    Grrrrr¡ª

    The bosses from indigo-colored dungeons were here too.

    A Titan Turtle and a Steel Dragon with a long maw resembling a crocodile showed up to severely impact the fighting spirit of the gathered awakeners.

    ¡°Even those creatures¡­¡±

    ¡°Looks like they have crossed the oceans to get here.¡±

    ¡°Is this how far we can go?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day, though. Just a little bit more¡­!¡±

    Shurururu¡­

    And it was also around here that Gluttony, which used its mountainous physique to overpower and relentlessly devour other monsters, disappeared from view.

    However, it wasn¡¯t just Gluttony, either; all of Su-hyeun¡¯s summoned creatures that had been helping the awakeners began disappearing one by one. The only one remaining was Miru, who seemed to have a lot more left in its tank even now.

    Just Gluttony and Prince Nezha alone did the work of dozens upon dozens of awakeners, especially more so with Gluttony, which had been exceeding Gordon Rohan in terms of overall impact in the battle.

    But now, all of them had disappeared.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± Gordon Rohan summarized the situation rather succinctly.

    Thankfully, they had avoided the absolute worst possibility for now. One could argue that attracting the attention of all the monsters to one location was probably the best outcome in this situation. However, the problem now was dealing with all these monsters, which would be an exceedingly difficult task.

    Grrr¡­

    Boom¡ª!

    The boss from the indigo-colored dungeon, the Steel Dragon, made its move.

    Even though this creature¡¯s size was only about half of the Titan Turtle, the power it could generate from its tail or its fangs easily surpassed that of the gigantic turtle monster.

    Only by exhausting every scrap of magical energy Gordon Rohan still had would they be able to kill those two boss monsters.

    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no other choice,¡± Gordon Rohan muttered before preparing his final technique.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    [Divine Punishment ¨C Ragnarok]

    All the spears Gordon Rohan had materialized began gathering in one spot. He had activated this skill thinking that he should prioritize dealing with the boss monsters before their eyes first.

    Just as he got ready to use this technique¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s time to substitute the players.¡±

    His ears picked up the soft but still vivid voice.

    Gordon Rohan canceled his technique at that familiar voice and turned his head. Su-hyeun had finally stood up from his lotus sitting position and walked up over to him.

    ¡°Everyone, please take a break for now.¡±

    ¡°What will you do all by yourself, though?¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Giii-iiing¡­

    Su-hyeun snapped his fingers, and a ring of bright light suddenly rose from the vicinity of the mountain range.

    And right after that¡­

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª!

    Ruuuuuumble¡ª!

    Purple-colored flames spread out and swept across the entire mountain range in an instant.

    Every single monster within Gordon Rohan¡¯s view was either incinerated by the flames or melted down. Many awakeners were also seemingly enveloped in these flames, but other than their panicked state, their bodies remained unhurt.

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡­!¡±

    ¡°W-what is this?¡±

    Sheer flustered voices broke out from their lips.

    Gordon Rohan turned his head to stare at Su-hyeun. The latter had unsheathed his sword to scribble on the ground with it.

    Kwa-dudududu¡­!

    With the mountain in the center, he had drawn up a massive circle in an instant. This huge-scale magic circle was completed at a break-neck pace, and it was soon used as a medium.

    Meanwhile, the magic circle for the Provocation skill was still active even now. Gordon Rohan could scarcely believe what he was seeing right now.

    ¡°Activating another skill all the while maintaining a skill of this magnitude¡­?¡±

    This was ¡°multicasting,¡± a technique for using several skills simultaneously.

    An awakener that boasted some level of proficiency could feasibly activate more than two skills at the same time, but the thing was, Su-hyeun¡¯s Provocation skill was cast throughout the entire world.

    Rather obviously, not just Gordon Rohan but every other awakener present didn¡¯t think Su-hyeun could maintain the Provocation skill when choosing to activate another skill.

    Not only that but he had also been summoning and maintaining his summoned creatures up until now.

    Now that his summons had disappeared, they all thought that Su-hyeun¡¯s magical energy reserve had been depleted.

    Some monsters managed to survive, and the majority of them happened to be boss-level creatures from blue dungeons or higher.

    Among them, the Titan Turtle, which was specialized in defense to start with, didn¡¯t seem to have suffered any major damage. It screeched loudly and pounced straight ahead for Su-hyeun¡¯s position.

    It was right at that moment that Su-hyeun¡¯s blade made another move.

    ¡°Cut it down¡­¡±

    Sliiice¡ª

    It was the sound of something hard being cleanly sliced apart!

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    A strand of vicious wind extended from his blade, drawing a single unbroken line on the figure of the Titan Turtle.

    Split¡ª

    Ka-boom¡­

    The Titan Turtle was split in half, and the severed halves collapsed to the ground.

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze and stared at the monsters right at the edge of the range of his Sage¡¯s Eye.

    ¡°Well, the Death Aura reserve has run out now, so¡­¡±

    He had been commanding his summons continuously for over half a day. Doing so completely depleted his full-to-the-brim Death Aura reserve. However, he still had more than enough magical energy left, all thanks to the hard work of the other awakeners.

    Focusing solely on maintaining the breathing technique to restore his magical energy reserve was paying off handsomely right now.

    ¡°And now, it¡¯s the start of the main round.¡±

 Chapter 404

    <hr />

    The awakeners, who came to Mount Everest as soon as they could in order to fight, plopped down on the snow while panting in exhaustion. Their eyes were currently taking in a rather unbelievable spectacle.

    ¡°Why did we even come here?¡± Ashlyn muttered that question.

    Sitting about a handspan away from her, Gordon Rohan thought about something for a minute or two before shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, either.¡±

    Kwa-aaaaaah¡ª!

    Flames erupted from the foot of the mountain and incinerated the bodies of the monsters that appeared from the side.

    Whooooooosh¡ª!

    Splat, riiiiiip¡ª!

    The other side was being pummeled by a massive tornado. It was as if sharp blades were mixed in among the whipping winds as the bodies of the monsters were cut apart and torn asunder, their ripped flesh bits piling up like small hills on the ground.

    As for Su-hyeun, he must¡¯ve disappeared somewhere else because no one could quite follow where he was. It was as if he was teleporting from east to west, moving too fast for people¡¯s eyes to catch him.

    And more than anything else, he came across as a ¡°god¡± handing down divine punishment from the heavens above.

    ¡°You, just what have you become?¡±

    Gordon Rohan remembered that he asked Su-hyeun a question similar to that not too long ago. Back then, the latter avoided answering him. He simply mumbled some things about how it didn¡¯t really matter what he had become.

    Gordon Rohan back then brushed that topic aside without giving it too much thought. A part of that was because he thought that the question was just too ridiculous in the first place.

    But now¡­

    ¡°Did he actually become a deity or something?¡±

    It seemed that Su-hyeun had really transformed into something else.

    <hr />

    Shu-aaaaahk¡ª

    A huge rake was extending downward.

    It was a boss monster from a blue-colored dungeon, Rake-chain. This creature possessed a thousand ¡°rakes¡± sprouting from its body.

    Pu-ha-ahk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure was torn apart into three. For a moment there, the Provocation effect concentrated on him disappeared. As a result, the monsters¡¯ cognitive ability froze up after they couldn¡¯t find the Provocation¡¯s target.

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    At the same time, the three ¡°torn¡± parts of Su-hyeun transformed into flames.

    [Flame ¨C Transformation]

    Siiiizzle¡­

    Kkyaaaaah¡ª!

    The rake that cut Su-hyeun apart instantly melted down. The Rake-chain screeched from the pain from its limb melting away, but at the same time, a thin line was suddenly drawn upon its body.

    Slice¡ª!

    Creak, creeeak¡­

    That wasn¡¯t the only line, however; thousands to tens of thousands of lines suddenly appeared all around the boss monster.

    The movements of all the monsters came to a stop after they had been sliced apart.

    [The Wave Sword ¨C Explosion Style]

    Splaaaaatter¡ª!

    Fountains of blood exploded into the air.

    Kwa-jajajajak¡ª!

    The ground before everyone¡¯s eyes was also torn apart, and the corpses of the monsters all fell into the newly appearing chasms.

    Rumble, ku-rururu¡­

    Meanwhile, thick and dark clouds were gathering high up in the sky. These clouds, so vast that their ends couldn¡¯t be seen, actually started off as a tiny little droplet of moisture.

    Su-hyeun looked up at the clouds above before extending his hand above. ¡°Strike down without mercy¡­!¡±

    Squeeze¡ª!

    The moment Su-hyeun¡¯s hand tightly clenched¡­

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

    Ruuuumble, ka-boom¡ª!

    The heavens suddenly grew blindingly bright as a huge lightning bolt enveloped the land below.

    Once the light subsided, the revealed scenery was the scorched-black corpses of various monsters.

    ¡°Fuu-wooo¡­¡± Su-hyeun breathed heavily out and furrowed his brow, all the while sensing his magical energy reserve draining at a crazy rate. ¡°The amount of energy required to maintain the magic circle is turning out to be more than I expected,¡± he thought.

    The more one focused on the breathing technique, the faster one¡¯s magical energy would recover, so he had been focusing on the breathing technique even during the battle. However, inevitably, the recovery rate would always be worse when compared to him idling and not doing anything.

    The more he fought, the more magical energy he had to spend. Su-hyeun carefully managed the energy expenditure during his fight because, if his magical energy supply ran out and the Provocation skill maintained through the magic circle came to an end, then the monsters would start attacking the various parts of the world once more.

    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to get tired already, in other words¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­want help?¡±

    A voice he had never heard before suddenly rang within his head. Initially, he thought it belonged to either the Somersault cloud or the Palm Leaf, but that thought didn¡¯t last for long, and Su-hyeun realized just whose voice it belonged to.

    ¡°The World Tree?¡±

    ¡°You figured me out so quickly!¡±

    Would a newborn who just learned to speak sound like this? With how inarticulate and immature it sounded, Su-hyeun thought that he was chatting to a young child right now.

    This voice sounded rather similar to the false World Tree from earlier. No, it sounded even younger.

    ¡°Did the seed mature already?¡± he thought to himself.

    The voice of the World Tree came directly from Su-hyeun¡¯s body, and the reason why he could hear it right now seemed to be related to his desire for a little more power than what he had currently.

    The World Tree¡¯s seed hadn¡¯t completely disappeared from his body, it seemed. It had merely been suppressed by his prana for the time being, and most likely, it would never disappear from inside him for the rest of his life.

    ¡°I thought you wanted help. Are you more curious about me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s both.¡±

    ¡°You need help, and you¡¯re curious about who I am?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯m in a bit of a dilemma. Should I really ask for your help in the first place?¡±

    The World Tree was not simply a tree, after all. It was basically a small world of its own, one that came equipped with a functioning ego the moment it was born.

    And Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but get the feeling that the World Tree taking root within him had a bit of mischievous streak. He thought that it didn¡¯t hold simple and straightforward goodwill toward him, either.

    ¡°Do you desire a body that will allow you to move around?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re refreshingly honest. So, is that why you want to give me extra power?¡±

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°In other words, you want to plant your roots even deeper, huh.¡±

    High risk, high return¡­

    The World Tree¡¯s ego would no doubt grow stronger if it planted its roots deeper within him and acquire an even greater strength through such an action.

    Su-hyeun was indeed feeling conflicted, but that conflict didn¡¯t last for long.

    ¡°Give it to me, then.¡±

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡±

    Shu-rururu¡­

    The moment Su-hyeun¡¯s will permitted it, the seed that had found home within his body began sprouting tree roots. These roots began extending toward various corners of his body. Su-hyeun frowned slightly at this weird sensation akin to a tree growing right underneath his skin.

    On the other hand, he also felt his drained energy rapidly filling back up.

    [Fatigue: 0]

    [The magic count has risen by one point.]

    [The magic count has risen by one point.]

    ¡°¡­Son of a b*tch.¡±

    Su-hyeun confirmed the series of messages floating up. His fatigue level had dropped back to zero, which caused him to utter something that he¡¯d usually not say out aloud.

    His magic stat had increased by two points all of a sudden, and this stat didn¡¯t want to improve at all after reaching the three-digit mark, too!

    The improvement of a stat after it reached the three-digit mark was on a completely different realm compared to when it was still stuck in the two-digit mark.

    It was practically the same as one¡¯s godhood improving, after all.

    The moment he decided to accept the World Tree¡¯s powers, Su-hyeun¡¯s magic count shot up by two points.

    ¡°So, this is the World Tree¡¯s seed?¡±

    Up until now, the seed hadn¡¯t done anything else other than helped him awaken his unique ability. However, the seed was no simple elixir but an object that burrowed into Su-hyeun¡¯s body and planted its roots to grow even further.

    ¡°So? You need more?¡±

    ¡°Nah, this is plentiful already.¡±

    Squeeze¡­

    Su-hyeun powerfully clenched his fist. All the strength he had spent until now had returned to him in an instant.

    His body, the vessel that accepted more magical energy, had been enhanced a great deal now. With things like this, he might be able to put to practice something he had been thinking of trying, which could only remain as a hypothesis until now.

    ¡°Miru!¡±

    Whooooosh¡ª

    Miru, who had been spewing Breath attacks for a long while now, heard his call and quickly flew back toward him.

    Su-hyeun leaped on the red dragon¡¯s back in its adult form. He held onto the dragon¡¯s wing and looked up. ¡°Let¡¯s go up! As high as possible!¡±

    Whooooosh¡ª!

    Miru began its flight upward.

    Maybe because the Provocation skill was still active, all the flight-capable monsters also begun their pursuit of Miru. Su-hyeun lightly swung his sword around and swiped away all those flying monsters that managed to close the distance.

    Although there were a lot of flying monsters, not many of them were fast enough to catch up to Miru. One of them, though, happened to be a boss-level monster.

    This creature was known as a mid-boss-level monster that usually showed up in indigo-colored dungeons. Its name was Mammoth Eagle, and this bird creature sported a huge horn on its head. It also happened to be fast enough to match Miru¡¯s flight speed.

    ¡°Man, how persistent.¡±

    Squeeze¡­

    Su-hyeun pulled out the spear mounted on his back and then gripped it tightly. Then, he didn¡¯t even bother to assume the regular throwing posture and simply chucked it down below.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear]

    Chwa-rarararak¡ª!

    Stab! Pow, popopopow¡ª!

    The spear shaft split apart into thousands of pieces and mercilessly stabbed into the Mammoth Eagle¡¯s body, causing the monster to fall from the sky powerlessly.

    Su-hyeun mopped up all the monsters giving chase behind him and continued to fly up on Miru¡¯s back.

    Soon, they flew past Mount Everest¡¯s tall peak and even went past the stratosphere. The air grew fainter, but he could hold his breath for a few hours, so it was not a problem for him.

    When he looked below, he was treated to the sight of clouds covering seemingly everywhere.

    Su-hyeun raised his hand. The cloud cover below split apart, and he was able to see what he wanted to see¡ªthe massive magic circle maintained by his own magical energy supply.

    ¡°Magic amplification circle,¡± he said inwardly.

    It was seemingly a simple magic circle. Its effect was to amplify both the range and power of a deployed spell, and as such, the magic circle itself didn¡¯t consume a lot of his magical energy.

    Even one of the most common skills, Provocation, which didn¡¯t eat away a lot of its caster¡¯s magical energy, had taken quite a lot out of him to maintain over the whole planet. But now, the story should be quite different for the current him.

    ¡°Just like back then¡­¡±

    Back inside the false World Tree, Su-hyeun declared a truly vast location as his territory, but Earth before his eyes was several times larger than the false World Tree¡¯s world. Obviously, he would need a lot more magical energy this time. As such, Su-hyeun had no choice but to be satisfied with casting only the Provocation skill.

    But, if it¡¯s now¡­

    ¡°Yes, I can do this.¡±

    Su-hyeun pointed his hand downward.

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª!

    The faintly glowing purple lines grew even more vivid. All those faint lines drawn up all over the large landmass grew even brighter, indicating that the magic circle¡¯s power had become amplified even more.

    And Su-hyeun let loose his flames containing godhood into the amplified magic circle.

    [Flame]

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    The purple-colored flames followed along the lines of the magic circle and rapidly spread out. He sensed a truly ridiculous amount of magical energy drained out from his body at once, but his reserve now resembled a vast ocean that he couldn¡¯t even sense when it would run out.

    The divine Flame continued to spread according to the magic circle. And soon¡­

    BUZZ¡­!

    The prana that was sleeping away near his navel began rousing as well.

    [Flame ¨C Territory Declaration]

    [Amplification]

    <hr />

    The entire world was suddenly enveloped in flames. The planet gleaming in the blue color was instantly dyed in a purple hue and emitted an even greater light than ever before.

    ¡°Ouch! Fire! I¡¯m on fire¡­?!¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not hot at all.¡±

    People panicked at the sudden spread of fire, but that didn¡¯t last for long.

    These flames were not hot at all. Instead, they seemed to actually warm people up from the somewhat chilly weather.

    This reaction was not unique to non-awakeners, either; of course, the awakeners became deeply flustered as well.

    On top of this, the awakeners that were keeping wary eyes on the monsters outside of the mountain range in case the damn creatures started going on a rampage again were treated with an even more unbelievable spectacle.

    ¡°T¡ªthe monsters¡­?¡±

    ¡°What the hell? I am really not seeing things, right?¡±

    Kkayaaaaah¡ª!

    Grrr, kkyak¡ª!

    The monsters that were continuing to stream in one direction were incinerated and melted down.

    Such an event wasn¡¯t happening only in one spot on Earth, either.

    Lee Ju-ho was staring agog at a dungeon nearby, one that hadn¡¯t had the chance to enter the outbreak phase yet.

    Hiss, sizzle¡­

    This dungeon was actually disappearing from the world. Even before it could start an outbreak, the heat of the divine Flame had reached inside the dungeon and annihilated it.

    Lee Ju-ho could instinctively understand what happened, ¡°It¡¯s over now.¡±

    At this moment¡­

    He knew that their world had taken a step farther away from the apocalypse Su-hyeun spoke of.

 Chapter 405

    Rumble, hiss, sizzle¡­

    The sight of the once-blue planet now glowing in a completely different hue was, without a doubt, something truly spectacular to behold. Su-hyeun stared at this scene for a long while, his eyes glowing in blue. His Sage¡¯s Eye was now taking in the sight of the rotating planet below him.

    The divine Flame was a fire that burned only the wicked and evil. The fire containing godhood was basically the same as Su-hyeun¡¯s self and left alone those people he didn¡¯t want to harm.

    And sometime later, the purple fire engulfing the planet died down.

    Fuu-wuuk, huff¡­

    Just how much time did pass by?

    With his concentration pushed to the absolute max, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t even conscious of the passage of time until now.

    He plopped down on Miru¡¯s back. Sweat dripped from his body, drenching the clothing beneath his armor. However, he didn¡¯t cancel Sage¡¯s Eye and continued to scan the planet below.

    He confirmed several times, but even then, it remained the same.

    ¡°All of them¡­are gone.¡±

    All those monsters that poured out from the dungeons¡­

    And even the dungeons themselves¡­

    All those things that he wished to burn down had disappeared for good.

    It was a resounding success.

    ¡°Haa-aaah¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun finished confirming and then lied down spread-eagled on Miru¡¯s back.

    His built-up tension came undone. The feeling he got right now exceeded the simple relief of knowing this event had been safely negotiated; no, it was as if one of the chains tightly binding his heart until now had come undone.

    There wasn¡¯t much oxygen up here, yet he could breathe easily. That was because his level of frustration had decreased by a great deal.

    ¡°I did it¡­¡±

    The corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled up gradually.

    ¡°I really did it!¡±

    He closed his eyes tightly.

    He thought he could faintly see certain blurry scenes¡ªa scene where everything was burning down and falling apart, a scene where body parts of people were strewn about everywhere after monsters ripped and trampled them to death, and then, a scene where he was too powerless to do anything despite watching all these things unfold.

    Those scenes that haunted him at least once whenever he closed his eyes were slowly dissipating like a mirage.

    Only after Su-hyeun confirmed that those scenes were gone did he open his eyes once more.

    ¡°Okay, so, the only one remaining is¡­¡± Su-hyeun looked at a faint little purple spot far, far down below. ¡°That one.¡±

    That dungeon had appeared only a few hours ago. Its color, purple.

    As for its location, the county of Gapyeong in South Korea.

    That was a different location from what he remembered, however. The purple-colored dungeon that spat out Fafnir originally appeared somewhere in China, as far as he could recall.

    Whatever the case might have been, that bastard had finally shown up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down there.¡±

    Grrr¡­

    Miru heeded Su-hyeun¡¯s command and began flying again to the ground far, far below.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun cut off the supply of his energy that had been maintaining the magic circle and relied on the breathing technique to refill his drained magical energy reserve.

    They arrived quite quickly at the destination: Gapyeong county of South Korea.

    In this particular location where the entrance of the monsters had stripped the mountains and brought all the trees down, Su-hyeun confirmed once more with his eyes that this area was glowing in the unmistakable purplish hue.

    There it was, the entrance to the dungeon.

    Su-hyeun stood in front of it and collected his heavy breathing for a little while. His heart was pounding away faster than ever before, but that was yet another reason why he needed to remain cool and unflustered.

    His magical energy reserve wasn¡¯t exactly running low, but it wasn¡¯t quite sufficient enough, either. His prana reserve was the same as well.

    He ended up exhausting quite a bit of prana during the event just now. Although he had recovered quite a lot of his Death Aura pool, it too couldn¡¯t be seen as completely recovered, either.

    He needed to be in the best possible condition. Not only that but he should do this only when he wasn¡¯t in such an agitated state but still able to maintain a suitable level of tension.

    This situation called for such a measure.

    ¡°Right. No need to rush it. There is still some time left.¡±

    Fuu-wuu¡­

    Su-hyeun deliberately worked on reining his breathing.

    The breathing technique was indeed a marvelous thing. Just by following the prescribed pattern of breathing, not only was he able to recover his spent energy but he even felt like his mind was calming down as well.

    And so, he spent about half a day like this while maintaining his steady breathing.

    That was the length of time needed to recover all of his strength and also for him to feel confident about his physical self reaching the most optimal condition possible.

    ¡°Now¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, now¡­¡± Su-hyeun, collecting his breath while sitting down until then, finally stood back up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and die.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and win this.¡±

    His mindset this time was markedly different from the past.

    Su-hyeun set foot inside the purple-colored dungeon.

    <hr />

    Shwa-aaaah¡­

    Pitter-patter¡­

    When he stepped inside the dungeon, a completely different world appeared before his eyes.

    The size of a dungeon depended on its scale as well as the color. At the smallest, it should be around a high-rise building, and it could even be as wide as an island, too. Dungeons came in all shapes and sizes, in other words.

    However, this place wasn¡¯t like that.

    It was actually a world. A sky was above it, and Su-hyeun could see a distant horizon. This was definitely not on the scale of a small island or even a country.

    ¡°And it¡¯s raining here, too¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought as he looked up.

    Raindrops fell on his eyes, but he didn¡¯t care about that. What he found amazing was the fact that actual rain was falling.

    ¡°But why?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s voice seemed to have lost all strength.

    Even his earlier fighting spirit that was oozing out from his entire figure gradually waned.

    Rain was falling. That could only mean one thing.

    ¡°Why are you here and not him?¡± Su-hyeun muttered before raising his head.

    He looked up at the sky¡ªmore specifically, somewhere within the pitch-black clouds where the heavy downpour came from.

    From up there, a pair of eerie, evil glowing eyes were glaring down at Su-hyeun. This creature let out a threatening growl toward him, but the sound got buried among all that falling rain, and he couldn¡¯t really hear it well.

    It was a humongous dragon¡ªno, wait. It was ¡°something¡± resembling a dragon, but whatever this creature actually was didn¡¯t really matter.

    What mattered to Su-hyeun was something else entirely.

    ¡°That¡¯s not Fafnir!¡±

    He closed his eyes and swept his senses over every presence nearby.

    This was definitely inside the purple-colored dungeon.

    However, Fafnir wasn¡¯t in this world where it was supposed to be. Only the army it commanded, the one made up of countless monsters, was present in this place.

    ¡°Strike them down¡ª!¡± Su-hyeun looked up at the clouds covering up the heavens above. ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    A gigantic lightning bolt crashed to the ground. The huge black dragon flapping its wings within the clouds quivered from the shock and descended to the ground.

    Pah-ahk!

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword and leaped on the dragon¡¯s back. Then, he pressed the blade against the dragon¡¯s neck. ¡°Where is Bradley?!¡± he asked.

    Bradley¡ªthat was Fafnir¡¯s original name, the one Su-hyeun remembered.

    Bradley used to be an emperor of his world before he became a Predator. His overriding desire was to conquer everything.

    He was an emperor who had unified an entire world and ruled over it with an iron fist, yet he wasn¡¯t satisfied with that. His ambition¡ªhis desire¡ªwas too large to be satisfied by the small world he lived in.

    In the end, he set out to conquer other worlds through his own strength after becoming a Predator that was half-man and half-dragon.

    ¡°How come you know our king¡¯s name, you bastard?!¡±

    Grrrr¡­!

    The black dragon replied to Su-hyeun¡¯s question with a question.

    This creature was Fafnir¡¯s slave. Back when he was still Kim Sung-in, he remembered having a difficult time when he tried to hunt this monster down.

    But things were quite different this time.

    He only needed to will it to easily press his blade against this dragon¡¯s throat, and he could also cut its head off at any time he wanted.

    However, what was important wasn¡¯t this damn dragon.

    ¡°Shut up and answer me.¡±

    To Su-hyeun, the really pressing issue was the current whereabouts of Fafnir that had come back to the past along with him.

    ¡°I do not know, either.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t? But isn¡¯t he your king?¡±

    ¡°He suddenly vanished without a trace. Even though he urgently came here while saying that he wished to meet a certain human, he suddenly vanished some time ago and hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡±

    ¡°He vanished?¡±

    Su-hyeun continued to press his sword on the dragon¡¯s throat, but his head was getting chaotic right now.

    Fafnir had vanished?

    It didn¡¯t seem like the dragon was lying. As proof, the rain was still falling on this world.

    Since rain was falling, that meant this world was still rotating¡ªthat it was still alive.

    A Predator grew stronger by devouring a world. This logic also applied to Fafnir. As such, falling rain signified the fact that Fafnir didn¡¯t stay in this world for long or didn¡¯t even show up in the first place.

    ¡°Just what is going on here?¡± he thought.

    Fafnir wished to meet him again yet vanished without a trace.

    Su-hyeun could easily guess why the Predator wanted to meet him.

    ¡°Probably because it managed to come back to the past, all thanks to me.¡±

    With the ambition to conquer, along with its desire to gain more power, to Fafnir, Su-hyeun would¡¯ve been the greatest prey out there. It could be thinking that by running into Su-hyeun again, it might get to travel back to the past once more and acquire an even greater power than ever before.

    Or maybe it wanted to make the unknown power capable of distorting the fabric of space and time as its own.

    Whichever it was¡­

    ¡°So, he simply vanished irrespective of what his wishes were, is that it?¡± Su-hyeun asked, wanting to confirm the extent of what he could figure out so far.

    ¡°You bastard must be the one our king wished to find.¡±

    The dragon seemed to recognize Su-hyeun, and its guess was on the money.

    ¡°And you were searching for our king, too!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°In that case, you should consider yourself lucky. I can see that you are indeed an extraordinary human, but¡ª¡±

    Slice¡ª!

    The dragon¡¯s head was cleanly severed. Su-hyeun thought that there was no point in listening any further and simply swung his sword that he was pressing against the monster¡¯s throat.

    ¡°You¡­too weak¡­to be¡­king¡¯s¡­opponent¡­¡±

    Boom¡ª!

    The head of the huge dragon crashed to the ground, its voice slowly echoing.

    ¡°I also heard that the last time.¡±

    Su-hyeun jumped off from the back of the dragon.

    There was no need to worry about that warning. This dragon said the exact same thing back when Kim Sung-in killed it as well, so he thought of it as nothing more than the last struggle of a monster about to die.

    Grrrr¡­

    Clack, claaack¡­

    Thud, bang¡­

    Su-hyeun looked around and stared at the monsters rushing toward him from all directions. This was Fafnir¡¯s army.

    If they were in the past, they should¡¯ve been unleashed outside the dungeon, but right now, they couldn¡¯t go to the other side and had been basically abandoned by Fafnir as well.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll use them to vent a little, then.¡±

    Although he felt like an idiot for all getting worked up¡­

    There was nothing he could do about it; other than these small fries, Fafnir was not here.

    Pah-ahk¡ª

    [Leap]

    Su-hyeun kicked the air and dug into the middle of the monster horde.

    With one hand, he gripped his sword tightly, and then with the other, he held two spears at the same time. As he flew forward, he cocked his whole body back greatly before throwing the spears.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear x 2]

    ¡°Sweep them away¡­!¡±

    At the same time, winds wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s sword.

    The Palm Leaf was the first wind to blow at the beginning of everything, and the symbol of this power was to create Mother Nature¡¯s calamity¡ªa typhoon¡ªat will.

    ¡°Palm Leaf¡ª!¡±

    Kwa-aaaaaah¡ª!

    The dark clouds above were ripped apart as a massive typhoon descended on this land.

    Su-hyeun dug into the gusts of wind and began his slaughter.

    <hr />

    Meanwhile, in some barren wasteland¡­

    The sky above was dark and lifeless, while the land below suffered the same fate. A world that had lost its ¡°power¡± became unable to give birth to new life nor support its growth.

    However, the skies and the lands hadn¡¯t simply turned black.

    Crack¡­

    The ground had been split apart in chasms, while huge craters could be seen dug out in several places. A landmass tall enough to be a mountain had been shaved clean off, and the earth previously belonging to that terrain was strewn about everywhere as debris.

    In this world where all civilization and life had ceased to exist, a certain creature was collapsed on the ground, bleeding profusely.

    Grrrr¡­

    Its torso, which was powerlessly pressed down to the dirt below, quivered continuously.

    This creature was a giant with a dragon¡¯s head and a humanoid body.

    It couldn¡¯t travel to the nearby world, its intended destination, because of another existence in this place that had summoned this dragon-headed giant.

    ¡°Did you not bring me here to kill me?¡±

    The giant, Fafnir, shifted its eyes and stared at a certain man who was currently shoving its head against the dirt with just one hand.

    This man had a small body when compared to Fafnir at around two meters tall and with small horns rising up from his head, too.

    His hair was long, and his facial features were delicate and refined. Outwardly at least, he didn¡¯t seem all that strong.

    But after they started fighting and continued to fight for over a day, Fafnir finally realized that this man possessed strength that far surpassed its own. The loser turned out to be Fafnir, after all.

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t planning on doing that.¡±

    The man with the delicate features replied.

    During the battle itself, the man said not a single word. He simply summoned Fafnir over here, and Fafnir answered the call and came to this world.

    The craters and chasms running on the ground were the evidence of their battle. If this world still had civilization, then it would¡¯ve met its end from the battle of these two mighty creatures.

    ¡°Then why did you summon me here?¡±

    ¡°Well, it was to delay you here for a little while, actually,¡± the man, the Bull Demon King, replied while pulling back his hand that was shoving Fafnir¡¯s head into the dirt. ¡°And besides, your demise¡­It¡¯s not up to me to kill you right now.¡±

 Chapter 406

    The Bull Demon King lightly dusted his hands as he said his piece.

    The battle that went on for one full day left several small injuries to appear on his body. For instance, his waist had been torn, while his forearm had been burned rather deeply. Even then, the Bull Demon King remained utterly composed. A part of that was down to the victor¡¯s mental leeway, but it was also because he had plenty of leeway during the battle itself.

    Fafnir slowly opened its mouth to speak, ¡°I see. So you are the one called the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven.¡±

    The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven¡­

    This name was surprisingly well-known. Among the gods and Predators capable of interfering with the matters of other dimensions, the Bull Demon King was known as a candidate to become one of the Five Godly Sages in the future.

    As such, even Fafnir got to hear about the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°And so, what brings someone as amazing as the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven to a small planet in the outskirts?¡±

    ¡°Well, a little brother of mine stays this side, you see.¡±

    ¡°A little brother, you say?¡±

    ¡°You see, this little brother of mine¡­he had to live twice.¡±

    Fafnir¡¯s brows rose high at that.

    Lived twice, he said; Fafnir could easily figure out what that claim meant.

    The Bull Demon King stared into Fafnir¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°And it seems the same applies to you, too.¡±

    ¡°You are actually in a sibling relationship¡­with that man?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t even from the same species, never mind from the same realm, yet brothers? Now that¡¯s a laughable notion. Even a passing stray would mock this whole idea,¡± Fafnir replied snarkily as its lips distorted in a sneer.

    As for the Bull Demon King, he chuckled affably at that. ¡°Ah, is that so? Are you saying something like, we don¡¯t even share a drop of blood, so being brothers is as nonsensical as dogs eating grass for life?¡±

    ¡°Of course that is¡ª¡±

    CRAAACK¡ª!

    Kwa-booooom¡ª!

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s palm powerfully smacked Fafnir¡¯s head. The dragon head deeply crashed into the ground, causing the earth to explode and overturn.

    However, the Bull Demon King was still smiling away. Even his eyes were smiling, too.

    He no longer enjoyed the fluctuations of emotions and had forgotten how to get angry. Only his head was ¡°aware¡± of the emotion.

    He was aware that he shouldn¡¯t just let anyone off the hook when they dared to slander his brothers and ridiculed their relationship.

    ¡°I have accepted him as my little brother, and he acknowledged me as his older brother. So, what do things like species or realms even matter in such a case?¡± The Bull Demon King said that out matter-of-factly, only to go, ¡°Oh, shoot!¡± and immediately asked Fafnir, ¡°Goodness me. Are you still alive? You mustn¡¯t die here, you see.¡±

    ¡°If you really wish to save your brother¡¯s life, you should have killed me in this place.¡±

    Fafnir was still alive. Even though its entire body was left in tatters, an attack without any killing intent would never kill it.

    And the Bull Demon King never planned to kill Fafnir in the first place.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say it? I¡¯m not the one who will kill you.¡±

    ¡°Your foolishness will be the demise of your little brother. And also¡­¡±

    Drip, tumble¡­

    ¡°I shall definitely devour you one day, too.¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    Fafnir pulled out its head buried underground, stood back up, and then glared murderously at the Bull Demon King. Although the Predator staggered unsteadily as if it would collapse at any time now, it still forced itself to stand up straight again. Doing so was the last vestige of Fafnir¡¯s pride.

    Step, step¡­

    Soon after that, Fafnir turned around and headed to the other side of the empty plain, leaving the Bull Demon King behind.

    The latter also wasn¡¯t planning to continue to fight, so he simply watched the dragon-headed Predator leave.

    Jiiii-iiing¡ª

    Fafnir stepped inside a magic circle that appeared before its eyes. This teleportation circle would take it to a completely different destination from Earth.

    The Bull Demon King confirmed that Fafnir was indeed going to a location different from its original plan and also turned around to leave.

    ¡°Well, then. Been a while, so¡­¡± He chose to head to another place, which was different from where Fafnir was heading to. ¡°Should I go and say hello?¡±

    <hr />

    Giiii-iiing¡ª

    The purple-colored dungeon faintly vibrated, and then, Su-hyeun stepped outside.

    Although he was literally coated in blood, none of that belonged to him.

    After exiting, he looked up at the skies above. The heavens were still blue and pristine. Seeing that there was no change, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he couldn¡¯t figure it out much sooner.

    ¡°I knew it. He didn¡¯t come.¡±

    Fafnir didn¡¯t come to Earth.

    The appearance of countless dungeons and the subsequent outbreaks, followed by the entrance of the purple-colored dungeon, meant that Fafnir was trying to come to Earth but, in the end, failed. The blue sky above was proof of that.

    Buzzz¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s phone buzzed noisily inside his pocket, so he dug around in there to find it.

    The battle had been fought for quite a long while, resulting in his phone¡¯s screen cracking. This device had been constructed out of high-grade Ether stones, as well as a variety of special materials, so it cracking like this served as a reminder of how ferocious the ripples of the battle were.

    He answered the call, ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°What were you even doing until now that we couldn¡¯t even contact you?¡±

    It seemed that the other party had tried to get in touch lots of times while he was absent from Earth.

    Su-hyeun slightly distanced his ear from the phone¡¯s speaker where the frantic voice was coming from and replied, ¡°Just, you know, popping in and out of a dungeon for a bit.¡±

    ¡°A dungeon? What dungeon are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a dungeon. A purple-colored one still remained, you see.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what? A purple?! Is it the dungeon where that monster called Fafnir comes out of?!¡± the voice of the caller, Lee Ju-ho, grew shrill in an instant.

    Such a reaction was understandable since the monster that Su-hyeun of the previous timeline failed to win against and somehow ended up traveling back in time with was supposed to come out of a purple-colored dungeon. Therefore, Lee Ju-ho not panicking would have been even weirder, actually.

    ¡°Yes, that one. But Fafnir wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°Not there?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He was quite literally not there. I ran into plenty of other small fries, sure, but it seems that Fafnir didn¡¯t come to Earth in the first place. I don¡¯t know the reason, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is that why?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The sky. It hasn¡¯t changed yet. You said that when Fafnir showed up, the sky turned pitch-black, right? And that monster showed up with countless dungeons back then, just like how things were unfolding this time.¡±

    Lee Ju-ho clearly remembered what Su-hyeun had told him. The sky turning pitch-black¡ªthat was the sign of a dead world that had lost its magical energy.

    A world that lost its energy, its vitality, would turn black in color. Su-hyeun had confirmed this already.

    However, the world he reached by going through the purple-colored dungeon had rain falling in it even now, which could only mean that that world hadn¡¯t been fully devoured yet.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I sort of knew that Fafnir hasn¡¯t shown up yet. But now, Fafnir is not there, but a purple dungeon still showed up¡­? Could it be that it was a different type of dungeon? Or maybe the future changed as you traveled back in time?¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a different type of dungeon. All the monsters I saw in the past were in it.¡±

    ¡°What kind of monsters are we talking about here?¡±

    ¡°The Heavenly Dragon, Dragoon. The Insane Knight, Chang. The Corrupt One, Cloone¡­They were all boss-level monsters from the purple-colored dungeon that I remember.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t only Fafnir that came out of that purple dungeon in the previous timeline.

    Many boss-level monsters also showed up in droves. Each of those monsters was even more threatening than bosses from indigo-colored dungeons, and they could all be thought of as Fafnir¡¯s underlings.

    ¡°Did you run into them all?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What happened to them?¡±

    ¡°I killed them all. It¡¯ll make things easier by killing them while Fafnir isn¡¯t around, after all. It wasn¡¯t such a bad deal in the end.¡±

    The number of monsters that showed up in this purple dungeon was about 10 percent of the total monsters that appeared on Earth.

    Meaning, tens of millions of monsters would pour out from just one dungeon, and Fafnir commanded them all, so that bastard was like an impregnable fortress that you couldn¡¯t even get close to.

    But now¡­

    ¡°Its defenses are gone now,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Fafnir¡¯s army had been decimated by Su-hyeun.

    All the monsters were dead.

    No, more correctly, he killed them all¡ªsomething he failed to do in his past life.

    But he did it this time.

    ¡°For now, I¡¯m coming home.¡±

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun made his way back to Seoul.

    The world still remained unsettled and disorderly. Although not too many people had died, the damage to physical assets was simply too extensive.

    Buildings and homes were demolished by countless monsters, and society had become paralyzed as a result. However, it was still not to the level of extreme despair because there were almost no casualties.

    ¡°This is the footage we received from one of our satellites called Bruce. Dear viewers, as you can see, a massive pattern was drawn over the entire Earth at that very moment. This is the so-called ¡°magic circle¡± that a portion of awakeners uses. All of the awakeners know what had been used for¡­¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun has saved the world. He has definitely earned the qualification to be called the hero.¡±

    ¡°The material damage of the outbreak this time will cost¡­¡±

    ¡°What kind of reward should we give to the individual who has saved the entire world? Many people say that the Nobel Peace Prize isn¡¯t going to be enough for him. The leaders of various nations are¡­¡±

    The mass media were completely dominated by the stories of Su-hyeun and the worldwide outbreak.

    Stories such as losses of life and destruction to properties or stories about such an outbreak potentially not being a one-time phenomenon and even the stories related to Su-hyeun¡¯s rewards, as well as his feats, continued to be published nonstop.

    The way things were unfolding in the media was like watching a movie right now.

    ¡°Speaking of which, you also got a movie offer.¡± This was the first thing Lee Ju-ho said when Su-hyeun showed up at the half-destroyed Jongno Tower. ¡°Not only that but as the lead, too. So how about it? Interested?¡±

    ¡°What are you even on about all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m honest, you got an offer in the past, too. But I didn¡¯t bring it up since the role was for a supporting character.¡±

    ¡°No, wait¡ª¡±

    ¡°The subject this time is the ¡®Hero¡¯s Journey.¡¯ They said that they wanted to shoot a movie with this event as the focal point. So, are you interested now?¡± Lee Ju-ho continued to ask while showing his phone¡¯s screen to Su-hyeun. It showed an email written in English.

    By the look of things, that email seemed to have come from a film director.

    Su-hyeun groaned, ¡°No, thank you. Please stop teasing me.¡±

    ¡°The whole world has started calling you a ¡®hero¡¯ again, though. But well, even to me, you do look like the hero who successfully defended everyone this time.¡±

    ¡°But Fafnir hasn¡¯t shown up yet. It¡¯s a bit too early to call it a success, unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± While replying like that, Lee Ju-ho sneakily gauged Su-hyeun¡¯s current moods.

    Su-hyeun was staring outside the windows for a bit from the top floor of the Jongno Tower. He occasionally sighed and shook his head at the sight of the city that was left in ruins after countless monsters appeared, but Lee Ju-ho thought that the expression on the younger man¡¯s face didn¡¯t look all that bad overall.

    ¡°I guess he¡¯s gotten over one of his worries, then,¡± he thought.

    Fafnir might not have shown up, but regardless of what, the end of the world had been prevented. That fact alone seemed to have taken off a large portion of the massive burden crushing down on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders, especially when seeing how he didn¡¯t show much of a change to his expression after hearing the term ¡°hero,¡± which he used to react sensitively to in the past.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about weird stuff like movies. Is there any other news to worry about, bro?¡± Su-hyeun asked Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a day since this crisis has come and gone, you know. People are still scared of not knowing when an event like this one will occur again, and the awakeners are still on high alert for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°For now, restoring all the damaged buildings will take priority, I believe. Thankfully, the communication lines seem to have been repaired somehow, and the Gordon Company is unleashing their wealth and know-how to assist the refugees who lost their homes.¡±

    ¡°Only the Gordon Company, though?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll always find those unscrupulous people who chase after money even in times of great anarchy and turbulent changes, after all. That¡¯s why we need your help one more time.¡±

    ¡°What kind of help?¡±

    ¡°Can you speak publicly at least once? I know that you don¡¯t really enjoy being in the spotlight like that, but I think it¡¯ll help everyone a great deal.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it,¡± Su-hyeun nodded in agreement rather easily.

    He wasn¡¯t the type to step up to the front to become famous. That was why Lee Ju-ho was in charge of handling such matters up until now.

    However, there was a clear limit to how much Lee Ju-ho could do in Su-hyeun¡¯s stead.

    Until now, Su-hyeun was something like an idol to the people, or even the top celebrity, but his status had completely changed.

    Su-hyeun had become a true hero now.

    ¡°And besides that, there¡¯s also¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hold on for a sec.¡± Su-hyeun briefly stopped Lee Ju-ho and then turned his head away at the slightly ajar door.

    He definitely remembered closing that after entering the office, though?

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Excuse me, who goes there?¡±

    ¡°Well, your perception seems to have improved.¡±

    A familiar voice came to him.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes grew wider just as a familiar figure revealed itself. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, little brother.¡±

 Chapter 407

    Creaaak¡­

    That voice was accompanied by the noise of the door opening. To Su-hyeun, it felt like the door was opening in slow motion. After that, what he saw was a figure with two small horns on his head who had already stepped inside the doorway.

    There it was, the familiar face.

    ¡°First brother?!¡±

    It was none other than the Bull Demon King.

    He spoke up first, ¡°How have you been, brother?¡±

    Although it had been quite a while since their last meeting, the Bull Demon King didn¡¯t make a significant emotional facial expression like overly enthusiastic or anything like that. His greeting was as simple as lightly waving his hand at a family member who was staying under the same roof as him. As if he was asking, did you sleep well last night?

    As such, Su-hyeun also didn¡¯t react noisily and calmed himself down to reply in a composed manner. ¡°Yes, first brother. I have been doing well.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, who¡­?¡± Lee Ju-ho could only alternate his confused gaze between Su-hyeun and the Bull Demon King.

    He could clearly see those pair of horns. He could tell that their new guest was not really a human being, but this person could still speak in the human tongue, and not only that but Su-hyeun seemed to be very familiar with him, too.

    Lee Ju-ho remained confused as ever, so Su-hyeun introduced the Bull Demon King to him, ¡°Ah. This person is the Bull Demon King, brother Ju-ho.¡±

    Although they didn¡¯t share any blood, Su-hyeun still grinned deeply and spoke without a shred of hesitation, ¡°He¡¯s my oldest brother.¡±

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun went on to introduce the Bull Demon King to Lee Ju-ho in full, starting from how he met the Yogoe first during the trial within the Tower to how he stayed in the latter¡¯s home and became sworn brothers. He even explained how the Bull Demon King continued to aid him even after that, and finally, he explained how the Yogoe was the strongest being he had ever met.

    ¡°Okay, so¡­This gentleman is that powerful?¡± Lee Ju-ho cautiously asked.

    ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t even serve as a warm-up to him,¡± Su-hyeun replied confidently.

    When he first met the Bull Demon King, he couldn¡¯t even tell just how mighty the latter was as an existence, other than vaguely sensed that the Yogoe was an amazing individual. Back then, he had no idea about the depths of the power or how lofty the status of the Bull Demon King was.

    However, the story was rather different now that he had acquired a few qualifications of godhood, became a demigod, and took in the seed of a World Tree.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes could ¡°see¡± the true extent of the Bull Demon King. He could see now how incredibly vast and tall the latter was.

    ¡°Hmm. This tea is quite delectable,¡± the Bull Demon King savored the tea brought out by Lee Ju-ho.

    The Yogoe that was leisurely drinking tea was at least a head taller than most adult men.

    Lee Ju-ho could be called an ordinary person when compared to Su-hyeun, so he found it hard to accept the latter¡¯s explanation. He just couldn¡¯t sense the awe-inspiring aura similar to what Gordon Rohan emitted, the air of a seasoned veteran Su-hyeun gave off, or even some kind of a tangible presence from the Bull Demon King.

    The Bull Demon King spoke up, ¡°I have never tasted this kind of tea before. Is it possible for you to give me some when I leave?¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course. It¡¯s not a problem,¡± said Lee Ju-ho.

    ¡°Thank you. This makes it very much worth the trouble to come this far,¡± the Bull Demon King replied and smiled faintly.

    Lee Ju-ho continued to steal some glances at the Yogoe while gathering up every tea stored in the office¡¯s pantry.

    ¡°Wait, could it be that the little brother Su-hyeun had brought along was also¡­?¡± Lee Ju-ho began recalling Luslec, who showed up alongside Su-hyeun in the past.

    Something about that guy kind of seemed off back then. Lee Ju-ho abruptly thought that that Luslec guy was also someone Su-hyeun ran into inside one of his trials, just like the Bull Demon King.

    Despite the large commotion earlier, Su-hyeun found the current development much to his liking. He had to part ways with Sun Wukong not too long ago but to think that he would get to meet the Bull Demon King again.

    Not only that but in his own homeworld, Earth, too!

    ¡°How did you come to this world, first brother?¡±

    ¡°The path to come here was somewhat complicated, as it turned out. Although I used the Palm Leaf in your possession to search for you, it still took me quite some time. Thankfully, however, it wasn¡¯t so far away that I had to give up on coming here and say hello.¡±

    ¡°How did you find the trip?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should blame my old age because I fear I won¡¯t be able to visit this place often. The way back is already proving to be a bit of a hassle, so next time, you should come and visit us instead.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll do that,¡± Su-hyeun replied confidently.

    He initially thought that he would never get to meet his sworn brothers ever again, but things were different now.

    Not only did he meet Sun Wukong but he even met the Bull Demon King twice like this, and he even had a ¡°lead,¡± too.

    ¡°Feels like I can really make it happen,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The Bull Demon King got here through the Palm Leaf, while an item allowed individuals to communicate through dimensions as well.

    Su-hyeun had been searching for a way after learning about these two possibilities, and he was confident that it wouldn¡¯t take that long for him to succeed.

    ¡°By the way, why do you think I¡¯ve come to you?¡± the Bull Demon King abruptly asked, but when Su-hyeun made a puzzled face, the Yogoe asked a different question, ¡°Why do you think I showed up now?¡±

    It was right at that moment that a thought flashed past his head.

    ¡°Our king¡­wanted to meet a human¡­was in a hurry to reach this place¡­suddenly vanished¡­never returned¡­¡±

    That was what the Heavenly Dragon, Dragoon, had told Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun recalled the conversation he had with that black dragon, and while wondering about it, asked back, ¡°Was that you, first brother?¡±

    There was no context to that question, but the Bull Demon King understood it nevertheless because it was the right question to ask. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Because you are still not ready to deal with that creature.¡±

    Squeeze¡­

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hands clenched tightly into fists. His current expression, something he had never shown to the Bull Demon King before, indicated how hard he was trying to hold himself back. He barely managed to suppress his frustration and rage and said, ¡°But it¡¯s impossible to tell that without fighting first, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°No, I can tell.¡±

    ¡°It all¡­could¡¯ve come to an end. I could have ended it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you could have.¡± The light in the Bull Demon King¡¯s eyes gleamed softly. ¡°If what you wanted to do was to repeat the events of the past.¡±

    ¡°But First Brother¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do not get ruled over by your emotions. You are currently acting differently from the courageous little brother that I know, the one who is always composed and cool-headed.¡±

    ¡°Fuu-woo,¡± Su-hyeun did as the Bull Demon King suggested and sucked in deep breaths to control himself.

    The latter was right; getting agitated wouldn¡¯t solve anything. No matter how prickly he felt right now, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to listen to the Bull Demon King and take his time digesting the new information.

    ¡°In that case, please explain it in a way that I can understand.¡±

    ¡°Now you sound somewhat like the little brother that I¡¯m used to,¡± the Bull Demon King grinned brightly.

    The conversation progressed in a lot calmer atmosphere compared to a few seconds ago.

    ¡°That creature has been trying to reach this world for quite a while. From the look of things, it seemed that he was urgently heading here from a realm very far away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was aware of that. It¡¯s probably because that guy desperately wanted to find me.¡±

    ¡°Correct. Only a few years ago, that creature was merely one of the One Hundred Evils, but during these short years, he has grown powerful enough to devour Asura.¡±

    ¡°Asura¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a deity who had become a Predator after its desire to fight had grown out of control. Apparently, it was one of the Ten Great Evils.¡±

    The Ten Great Evils¡ªSu-hyeun had heard about this from Luslec. Among the Predators, the most dangerous ones were ranked as One Overlord, Three Destroyers, and Ten Great Evils.

    According to the Bull Demon King, Fafnir was now one of the Ten Great Evils.

    ¡°You said it yourself earlier, didn¡¯t you? You willingly admitted that you can¡¯t even serve as my warm-up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°Since that is the case, it will be the same story with that creature. I required almost one full day to suppress that Predator, after all.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes widened at what the Bull Demon King said.

    This had to be the most shocking thing he had heard so far. Out of everyone Su-hyeun had met, the Bull Demon King happened to be the godliest creature without being an actual god.

    ¡°Rather than just listening to me, you should see for yourself so that you¡¯ll understand more quickly. So, why don¡¯t you confirm it for yourself?¡± The Bull Demon King extended his hand toward Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t reject that hand and waited. When the Yogoe placed his hand on top of Su-hyeun¡¯s head, Dao energy began flowing inside him.

    ¡°Confirm the difference between the Predator you remember and how it is currently like.¡±

    Buzz¡­

    Right at that moment¡­

    The scenery around the two men staring at each other gradually changed.

    Giii-iiing¡­

    The surroundings, twisted and distorted as if many different paint colors had been messily mixed around, shifted around to finally recreate a completely new landscape.

    This new world was filled with nothing but pitch-black skies and land. Su-hyeun was still staring at the Bull Demon King face-to-face, but another Bull Demon King was standing a little bit away from them.

    And in front of that Yogoe was a giant Su-hyeun could never forget, the one with the head of a dragon.

    ¡°Fafnir¡­!¡±

    The ¡°Fafnir¡± Su-hyeun knew of was around four meters in height, but this version was completely different.

    When considering the timing, then this would be about 10 years before Fafnir and Kim Sung-in met in person, yet the Predator¡¯s physique was at least double its original size.

    Just what on earth had happened to this creature in the meantime?

    ¡°Probably the same thing as me,¡± he thought.

    Fafnir returned to the past, just like Su-hyeun had.

    Su-hyeun knew about the future events. He had the knowledge, and it would¡¯ve been the same situation for Fafnir.

    Most likely, the Predator decided to walk the same path as Su-hyeun had done; by utilizing the fact that he knew the future, he focused solely on getting much, much stronger than ever before, regardless of the cost or the method involved.

    That was Fafnir¡¯s desire, after all.

    Gu-wuwuwu¡­

    A loud, heavy noise reverberated from above, which made Su-hyeun look up.

    Small planetary bodies were falling toward the ground. It was one of Fafnir¡¯s abilities that allowed it to drag in asteroids existing in the far reaches of space.

    Su-hyeun got to witness this ability at work during the trial of the 100th floor.

    However, there was one noticeable difference, and that would be¡­

    ¡°What is up with that ridiculous number¡­?!¡±

    The number of asteroids falling from the sky wasn¡¯t just one. In the blink of an eye, it became impossible to count just how many had begun falling.

    One of them happened to be so huge that Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes grew incredibly wide in alarm. That thing was almost the same size as Earth¡¯s moon, and it alone possessed enough destructive power to obliterate the planet on impact.

    Pah-aht¡­

    The Bull Demon King jumped up into the deluge of meteors. As he flew up, he opened his mouth to say something.

    His voice couldn¡¯t be heard perhaps because this was inside an illusion, but still, a vast quantity of Dao energy flooded the surroundings of the Bull Demon King to materialize a figure.

    Buzz, vrrrr¡­!

    The figure, an image of a gargantuan ox, began blocking off the falling meteors.

    Gu-gugugu¡­

    The meteors shattered into bits, and the debris pelted the ground below.

    In the meantime, Fafnir was preparing a different type of magic spell. Dozens of dragons appeared next and bared their fangs threateningly at the Bull Demon King¡¯s humongous ox. The Yogoe nimbly darted forward and punched at Fafnir.

    Crack, riiiiip¡ª!

    The land below cracked and split apart, and the debris of the meteors crash-landed to gouge out deep craters.

    A barrier materialized all around Fafnir, but the punch cracked it. The sheer power contained within the Bull Demon King¡¯s fist was enough to break this magical barrier.

    But right at that moment, the barrier vanished. It hadn¡¯t been shattered into oblivion, but it had been Fafnir who willingly canceled it.

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Pow-popopow¡ª!

    Jet-black flames instantly enveloped the Bull Demon King.

    This wasn¡¯t some flame summoned from the depths of hell. No, it was even hotter than that, something that Fafnir had created.

    This flame possessed a nature that was at complete odds with Su-hyeun¡¯s divine Flame.

    Ruuumble¡ª!

    Fuu-hoooph¡ª

    As the flames raged on, the Bull Demon King¡¯s cheeks bulged as he began sucking in the surrounding air. The flames Fafnir had materialized also got sucked inside the Yogoe¡¯s mouth.

    He then breathed out the flames stored in his mouth back at the Predator.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Ka-boom! Poooow¡ª!

    A ray of light shooting out from a staff that Fafnir held in its hand collided against the black flames and caused a massive explosion.

    KA-BOOM, BOOM¡ª!

    Craaack¡­

    Su-hyeun continued to watch the two battle it out. This wasn¡¯t a simple illusion but the record of the battle that had already taken place.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± the real Bull Demon King, not the illusory version, asked Su-hyeun. ¡°Do you still think you can win?¡±

 Chapter 408

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    The illusion soon disappeared.

    The light gleaming in Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes deepened, but it wasn¡¯t because he was simply thinking about how to answer that question of whether he could win or not.

    He was currently calculating what might happen if he battled against the version of Fafnir he saw just now.

    He could wage a war of numbers using his Death Aura and use attacks that relied on the divine Flame, the Palm Leaf, amplification through the Explosion Style, as well as various magic circles. As for defense, he could rely on the Somersault cloud, as well as various skills that enhanced his magic resistance, and even the Immortality skill that gave him the cushion of regeneration.

    If he relied on every single one of them, then¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Su-hyeun shook his head.

    This was the conclusion he arrived at after thinking about it with a cool head all the while leaving out his emotions.

    ¡°Honestly speaking, I¡¯m not confident of it.¡±

    It was as the Bull Demon King said.

    He had no reason to feel that he had missed his chance just because the Yogoe decided to prevent Fafnir¡¯s invasion. On the contrary, Su-hyeun should bow his head to express his heartfelt thanks to the Bull Demon King for stepping in.

    It¡¯s not that he saw himself losing. However, the odds of him emerging victorious didn¡¯t seem all that high, either.

    Besides, even if he defeated the Predator, that would also present another problem on its own.

    He recalled the battle between the Bull Demon King and Fafnir.

    If Su-hyeun had to fight such a battle for one full day, then without a doubt, half of planet Earth would be laid to waste.

    ¡°It might end up as a situation where winning isn¡¯t a win at all,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s quest for vengeance against Fafnir wasn¡¯t as simple as getting even. No, his quest was to ensure that the future he knew¡ªthe destroyed world¡ªwould not happen again.

    But now, the potential battle against Fafnir had become a serious problem that could easily destroy the world Su-hyeun called home.

    Even if he won, Earth would be destroyed. No, wait¡ªmaybe it wouldn¡¯t be complete destruction, but still, the planet would no doubt suffer a devastating impact close to utter annihilation nonetheless.

    Having considered all of these, he was left with two choices now.

    ¡°Either I fight that bastard in a different realm or kill him most overwhelmingly.¡±

    It could very well be that the Bull Demon King foresaw this, and that was why he dragged Fafnir to another planet before the Predator had a chance to reach Earth.

    ¡°That creature is not something you can deal with right now. But paradoxically, he is also the one you must deal with by yourself.¡±

    Those words came across as hard to grasp; to do so was like trying to catch floating clouds. But Su-hyeun had no choice but to accept them.

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s eyes could see through the ¡°truth,¡± allowing him to peek at the blurry visions of the future. According to such an individual¡¯s opinion, the role of killing Fafnir did belong to none other than Su-hyeun.

    Squeeze¡­!

    He tightly clenched his fists again, but the emotions that caused him to do this were different from the frustration and anger directed at the Bull Demon King earlier.

    ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough.¡±

    The Ten Great Evils were the third-strongest rank for the most dangerous Predators in all of the realms out there. That indicated that a creature belonging to this rank would surely possess strength that easily surpassed the average highest-tier gods.

    Indeed, it was as exactly as the Bull Demon King implied: Su-hyeun was simply not strong enough.

    ¡°How much time did you buy for me, First Brother?¡±

    Only now did he fully realize the Bull Demon King¡¯s true intention.

    The Yogoe prevented Fafnir from coming to Earth because Su-hyeun still didn¡¯t possess enough strength to kill Fafnir, but the Bull Demon King certainly did.

    Maybe that was the reason why the Bull Demon King chose to stop Fafnir since he was fully aware of this situation.

    ¡°Do you believe it¡¯s doable simply because you now have extra time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not? Then what?¡±

    ¡°Come with me, then. There is a place we should go to.¡±

    Right after he said that, the Bull Demon King seemingly vanished from the spot.

    Su-hyeun also followed after him. Of course, to the eyes of Lee Ju-ho who had been cautiously observing the interaction of the two from the corner of the tea room, it did look like they had vanished into thin air.

    ¡°What on earth is going on here?¡± Lee Ju-ho muttered to himself with a confused face after he failed to understand those two¡¯s conversation.

    He had been carefully preparing the boxes of tea bags to hand over to the Bull Demon King, but the two of them had finished their chat in that brief time and suddenly vanished from his view.

    Not only that but while chatting loudly enough for Lee Ju-ho to eavesdrop on everything, too.

    ¡°B¡ªbut what about your interview?! And I¡¯ve already got the tea ready, too¡­Hmm?¡± Lee Ju-ho looked at the gift of tea bags in his hand.

    He was thinking that something felt rather empty for some reason, but when he took a look, the boxes of tea bags that should have been in his hand were all gone.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    <hr />

    Swhooooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun continued to chase after the Bull Demon King.

    The Yogoe traveled hundreds of meters with every step. Even though he looked leisurely and unhurried as if he was out strolling, he remained far ahead of Su-hyeun who was quickly dashing forward.

    ¡°That¡¯s the famed Earth Shrink Technique?¡±

    The ¡°Earth Shrink Technique¡± was like a magic spell that ¡°folded the land¡± to move rapidly forward, and it was quite similar to space-movement skills that Su-hyeun knew.

    If there was one clear difference between them, then while the awakeners would need quite a lot of magical energy and preparation time to activate those skills, the Bull Demon King could freely move around on the folded space.

    It was as if he was performing teleportation with every step he took.

    Bang¡ª

    The Bull Demon King stepped on the air and went up. Su-hyeun used Leap to follow after him. And so, as they continued upward, they saw a small ¡°heat haze¡± ahead of them.

    Giii-iiing¡­

    It was purple.

    Su-hyeun froze up and came to a stop right there. However, the Bull Demon King stepped inside the haze without any hesitation whatsoever.

    ¡°Is that a dungeon?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Although its size was small, it had to be a dungeon, a purple one at that. It was the same thing as the dungeon with the highest difficulty where Fafnir was supposed to show up from.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming in?¡± the Bull Demon King said from the inside.

    Su-hyeun hesitated slightly before also entering the purple haze. When he did, a completely different world to Earth revealed itself to him.

    And it happened to be the same purple dungeon he had conquered not too long ago.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this place¡­? But how¡­?¡±

    ¡°This way.¡±

    Su-hyeun turned his head toward the Bull Demon King¡¯s voice. That was when he discovered yet another purple-colored heat haze over there. The Bull Demon King stepped inside it, so Su-hyeun also went through it.

    This time, he was taken to yet another familiar scenery. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    Lots of craters of varying sizes were pockmarking seemingly everywhere, the land was cracked and broken, and the skies above were pitch-black.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the place where I fought that creature,¡± the Bull Demon King began his explanation. ¡°And also, this is a dead world. A world that lost its power¡­It will gradually lose its form and crumble to dust.¡±

    Pah-susu¡­

    It was as the Bull Demon King said; dust blew off from the dead, barren land and drifted up in the air.

    The ¡°power¡± every planet possessed, gravity, was gradually getting weaker. Now normally, such a thing shouldn¡¯t have been noticeable, but now that he became aware of it, even Su-hyeun could faintly sense it happening.

    It was indeed a world that lost its ¡°power.¡±

    Su-hyeun, now finding himself standing on a destroyed, barren planet, turned around and stared at the purple heat haze shimmering away, which had newly materialized in front of the Bull Demon King.

    He asked, ¡°Just what is that thing, first brother?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­I wonder. Should I say, it¡¯s a ¡®doorway¡¯?¡±

    ¡°A doorway¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun knew of another type of ¡°doorway¡± that held a similar meaning as used at this moment, and that would be the doorway to enter the Tower of Trials that any awakener could open up¡ªthe doorway that narrowed the distance between different realms.

    ¡°Both you and Wukong can do the same thing as I can, it seems. Of course, that¡¯s probably because you were receiving the aid of that ¡®System¡¯ thing.¡±

    The Bull Demon King knew about the doorway to the Tower, most likely because he had been observing Sun Wukong from close by.

    ¡°Its foundation isn¡¯t all that different from the Earth Shrink Technique, except that, while the latter simply narrows the distance to help you hop over space, this doorway breaks down the ¡®wall,¡¯ so to speak.¡±

    ¡°But aren¡¯t those two completely different things?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think of space and dimensions as two different things. Just like how the spots where you and I are standing are ¡®physically¡¯ different, you should consider the different dimensions and realms as simply the difference in space. When you start thinking in that mindset, it shouldn¡¯t be hard for you to open the doorway by yourself.¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be hard¡­¡± Su-hyeun slowly nodded.

    Just as the Bull Demon King said, Su-hyeun had already been opening one type of doorway. He used this doorway to enter or leave the Tower of Trials at will.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think more about it, first brother.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­You¡¯ll gradually come to grasp it,¡± said the Bull Demon King as he continued to open another doorway.

    Su-hyeun followed after him. After the new doorway was opened up, they walked through a very long yet empty pathway.

    Just how long did they walk like this?

    Eventually, he could see the end of the path.

    Fwhooosh¡ª!

    When they stepped outside the doorway, a world filled with the undulating pitch-black fog entered his view.

    Su-hyeun ended up hugging himself at this chilly and eerie aura. He rubbed himself with one hand as he started shivering, only to realize that he was feeling cold right now.

    ¡°Just where are we?¡± he inwardly asked.

    It felt similar to being trapped inside Thomas¡¯s skill, the ¡°Dark World.¡± If there was a difference between this place and that skill, then the current surroundings were filled to the brim with a far grimmer bone-chilling and foreboding aura than the Dark World.

    More importantly, though, this was not a destroyed dead world. Even then, to think that so much black fog had filled this place up¡­

    ¡°We are now in the Land of the Dead Gods.¡±

    ¡°The Land of the Dead Gods, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the world where all the dead gods congregate¡ªa world where the emotions of the dying gods such as anguish, desire, and despair continue to gather.¡±

    The moment the Bull Demon King¡¯s explanation ended, formless souls began surrounding them.

    At first, there was just one and then two, ten, twenty, forty, and eventually a hundred.

    Their number went past several hundred in no time at all.

    However, these souls could approach neither Su-hyeun nor the Bull Demon King. Despite being called souls of gods, they were nothing more than some minor deities found in the distant outskirts of dimensions who only had barely crossed the threshold of godhood.

    ¡°These are the ones who got trapped in the prison of gods after their powers and even their godhood had been lost through death. They have failed to ascend to a true Taoist God, and now, they must repeatedly experience the unbroken fetters of their lingering attachments from back when they were still alive.¡±

    The fetters of their lingering attachments¡ªjust what could that even be for it to hold back the beings who had acquired the qualifications of godhood?

    ¡°Even after becoming a demigod, you still need to let go of all your lingering attachments if you wish to truly ascend to a Taoist God. You, my little brother, are currently in a state where only your physical body has reached the realm of the gods.¡± The Bull Demon King lightly patted his own chest and said, ¡°Just like me.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that.¡±

    ¡°From this moment on, you must discover what your lingering attachment is.¡±

    When he heard what the Bull Demon King had to say, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but make an uncertain face. ¡°But my lingering attachment, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you believe you know what it is?¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t answer.

    Honestly speaking, he thought he knew what it was already.

    His lingering attachment, his regret, was Fafnir. He believed that the moment he managed to kill that bastard, all of his attachments would be resolved.

    However, the Bull Demon King¡¯s thoughts were different. ¡°It took me over ten thousand years just to realize what my attachments were, but it sounds like you only needed less than half a century to figure it out.¡±

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize. It¡¯s possible that what you think you know is the correct one, after all. However, finding out why you have developed that lingering attachment and then resolving it take precedence.¡±

    The Bull Demon King lightly waved his hand.

    His action caused the souls of the gods surrounding them to recede and create a path. A seemingly endless dark pathway appeared beyond them.

    ¡°The Land of the Dead Gods shows the dead what their lingering attachments are and gifts them with a chance to recount their lives so that they may get to overcome their regrets. And it¡¯s up to them on how to use that chance, whether to use it to reincarnate or to remain dead in this place.¡±

    ¡°Reincarnation¡­?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be concerned. You still possess a physical body, so you won¡¯t end up reincarnating. However, the real problem lies with the length of time you may need to discover what your lingering attachments are.¡±

    Time, indeed, was what Su-hyeun needed the most at this moment.

    ¡°It may take only one day or one whole year, a decade, even ten thousand years. If not, it¡¯s also possible that you may never discover it. No one can tell how long you will need to realize what your attachments are.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t afford to stay here for that long.¡±

    ¡°One year,¡± the Bull Demon King spoke in a resolute tone. ¡°If you fail to experience any substantial change during that period, I shall come and get you out of this place, but when that happens, it¡¯ll be the same as you wasting the valuable period of one year.¡±

    Su-hyeun fell silent once more.

    ¡°Are you still willing to go through with it?¡±

    Su-hyeun had to contemplate for a little while after listening to the Bull Demon King, but in the end, he nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll try.¡±

    Step¡ª

    After replying, Su-hyeun began walking ahead. On his own volition, he stepped into the Land of the Dead Gods, the hell of the gods where lingering attachments and regrets of the dead gods congregate.

    ¡°In that case, I shall pray for your fortunes in war,¡± the Bull Demon King¡¯s voice grew farther and farther away.

    The more Su-hyeun walked forward, the more he sensed that the world around him was getting blurrier.

    The view before his eyes became completely black. It felt like his body had no strength left, and it was now floating weightlessly.

    A complicated reel of images suddenly flooded his mind next.

    ¡°Is this¡­my life?¡±

    Indeed, the images were from Su-hyeun¡¯s life¡ªmore correctly, from the memories he possessed. As they continued to flood in, the scenery before his eyes slowly transformed.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    A familiar sight now greeted him. It was from quite a long time ago, no less.

    ¡°It¡¯s my old home.¡±

    It was none other than Kim Sung-in¡¯s home.

 Chapter 409

    Trudge, shuffle¡­

    Su-hyeun was stepping outside as he dragged his slippers. The window of a parked car reflected his current appearance.

    His face hadn¡¯t changed. It wasn¡¯t Kim Sung-in¡¯s but Su-hyeun¡¯s.

    Even then¡­

    ¡°Mom¡¯s going to come home late from work, so why don¡¯t you order takeout when you come home later, son? I¡¯ll leave some money on the dining table. And you said it¡¯ll soon be the start of exams, right? Do your best to study and wait for me.¡±

    His phone that was tucked away in his pocket received this text message. Those words had been sent by Kim Sung-in¡¯s mother.

    Just what was going on here?

    ¡°Did I go back to when I was still Kim Sung-in?¡±

    The Land of the Dead Gods was supposed to show a person what their lingering attachments, their regrets, could be, which meant that all these things happening now were related to Su-hyeun¡¯s regrets.

    Just as he tried to sort through all the tangled mess of thoughts in his head, his eyes caught sight of a building bathed in an orange hue.

    ¡°Entry into this area is prohibited! I repeat, entry into this area is strictly¡­¡±

    Some people who looked to be soldiers had gathered in a fairly large number to block the roads.

    It seemed that a dungeon had shown up here. Su-hyeun pulled out the phone he had stashed back in his pocket and checked the current date once more.

    ¡°July 1, 2021.¡±

    This date was around the time when dungeons were getting rather active, but they were still not at the level of truly threatening just yet. They infrequently caused a few issues, but that was about it.

    ¡°But this scene, why does it feel so¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes gradually opened wider.

    Now that he thought about it, this scene, this location, and this date¡ªhe was quite familiar with them all.

    Gu-gugugu¡­

    Sure enough, the building dyed in an orange hue began quaking ominously. To be more precise, the dungeon had begun quaking.

    ¡°They are coming out!¡±

    ¡°Dammit, where are our reinforcements, sir?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°Prepare to engage!¡±

    Soldiers grew quite busy. There weren¡¯t any civilian-looking people nearby; it seemed that the soldiers had them evacuated ahead of time.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I remember this,¡± Su-hyeun could still vividly recall this moment.

    Before he regressed, when he was still living as Kim Sung-in, this scene happened right before his eyes, and it was on the very same day that Su-hyeun became an awakener.

    An orange dungeon had entered an outbreak phase. And then¡­

    ¡°Sir, the report says there¡¯s still someone inside the building!¡±

    ¡°What was that?!¡±

    ¡°Son of a b*tch! Why are you telling me that only now?!¡±

    The soldiers became more overwhelmed with urgency.

    Their voices and their desperate faces¡ªSu-hyeun could recall them all so vividly.

    Wah¡ª! Eung-aaaae!

    He could also recall the faint wailing of an infant coming from somewhere inside the building.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun took a step forward.

    No, wait¡ª

    Poof!

    He vanished from the spot.

    Swhoooosh¡ª

    The surrounding scenery changed. He slipped past the figures of the soldiers and easily reached the location in question within the building that was currently stuck in the middle of a dungeon outbreak about to go off.

    Despite this event of the past being recreated through an illusion, Su-hyeun¡¯s strength remained the same.

    Eung-aaae¡ª!

    In the building, which had already been emptied of people, an infant had been abandoned on a surprisingly high floor. It was unknown where this child¡¯s parents had disappeared to, but Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even feel remotely curious about it.

    ¡°There, there. Everything will be alright.¡± Su-hyeun carefully picked the child up and then lightly flung himself down to the building¡¯s ground floor.

    Land¡ª

    Su-hyeun quickly walked over to the soldiers. He handed the infant over to one of them while ignoring their puzzled faces. ¡°Everything will be alright now.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ah, yes! Thank you, sir!¡±

    ¡°Are you an awakener affiliated with the Authority, sir?¡±

    The soldiers realized that Su-hyeun was not a civilian and began asking him questions. However, he had no intention to reply, so he simply waved his hands at them and urgently left the location.

    Back then, nothing much of note happened during this outbreak. Even if it was an outbreak, something on the level of an orange-colored dungeon could be dealt with using the firearms wielded by the regular soldiers.

    However, one thing about this outbreak stayed with Su-hyeun even after all these years¡ªit was none other than the cries of that infant.

    ¡°Why this moment, though?¡± he thought. He became more puzzled. Just why was the Land of the Dead Gods showing him his memories of this day?

    He kept walking for a bit and spotted an all too familiar street, but the people around him were moving as if they were stuck in fast-forward.

    As a matter of fact, they moved dozens, no, hundreds of times faster.

    The only person stuck in the normal flow of time was Su-hyeun. He took out his phone and confirmed the date again.

    ¡°First¡­¡±

    ¡°Second¡­¡±

    ¡°Third of July¡­¡±

    ¡­

    The dates flew right past him. Night and day cycled what seemed like dozens of times, and the sun whooshed past above him to match the rapid passage of time.

    It slowed down back to normal when Su-hyeun or, more correctly, Kim Sung-in had been an awakener for just over a year.

    ¡°My first dungeon raid¡­¡±

    The current location was in front of another orange dungeon, and around him, more awakeners were making some sloppy, amateurish preparations.

    Their faces weren¡¯t all that clear in his memories, but he still remembered some things about them. These awakeners were the members of his party that was setting out for his first dungeon raid.

    Kim Sung-in spent about one year inside the Tower of Trials at this point, and he only chose to raid a dungeon after building up sufficient self-confidence first. Back then, half of his raid party lost their lives.

    If Kim Sung-in hadn¡¯t been among those that survived that raid, he couldn¡¯t have regressed as Su-hyeun later.

    He muttered, ¡°What is going on here?¡±

    ¡°Sorry? Did you say something?¡±

    ¡°Mister Sung-in? You alright?¡±

    ¡°You know, your complexion doesn¡¯t look so good¡­¡±

    Awakeners of his raid party walked up to him and expressed their concern over his welfare.

    They were all good people.

    It was hard to remember who among these people survived or died back then. However, one thing was for certain; if Su-hyeun were to choose to do nothing now, half of them would die for sure.

    He fixed his gaze on the dungeon before him and then lightly snapped his finger.

    ¡°Flame.¡±

    Ruuuumble¡­!

    ¡°Huh? Eeeeh?!¡±

    ¡°F¡ªfire!¡±

    ¡°Hold on, the dungeon¡­?¡±

    The purple-colored flames swept up the interior of the dungeon. At the same time, the dungeon¡¯s color grew fainter, and its entrance began to disappear.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°The dungeon has vanished!¡±

    ¡°Dammit! And I worked my ass off to get the dungeon raid permit, too!¡±

    The year was 2022. Around this time, each dungeon raid permit held quite a high value. Not only the competition to acquire one was quite fierce but the Ether stones mined from a dungeon fetched a premium, too.

    As such, their dungeon suddenly disappearing was quite a serious problem. Of course, from Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective, he had no reason to care about their whining.

    ¡°Money can¡¯t be more precious than your life, after all.¡±

    Su-hyeun pretended to not hear their whining and walked away from there. Regardless of what, all these beings were simply illusions.

    None of them were real.

    But then¡­

    ¡°Just what is this?¡±

    Ache¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s chest was aching. Despite knowing that none of this was real, his heart was in pain.

    ¡°Why are you showing me all these?¡±

    Su-hyeun looked around him. The scenery had changed once more. The world around him spun in a dizzying fashion. He was alone once more.

    And the new scene was¡­

    ¡°Aaaaahk!¡±

    ¡°R¡ªrun!¡±

    ¡°Monsters! Mon¡ªUwaaahk!¡±

    ¡°What are the awakeners doing?!¡±

    Crash, ka-boom¡ª!

    Kkyah-aaah¡ª!

    It was sheer pandemonium.

    Monsters were roaming the streets, while civilians were fleeing. Soldiers and awakeners were urgently hunting down the monsters.

    All these disparate elements came together to turn the city into a hellscape of confusion.

    Kkyaaaahk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun turned his head at that scream and spotted a person being chased down by a large monster that resembled a boar. The distance wasn¡¯t far. Just a moment¡¯s indecision would have resulted in that person getting trampled to death.

    His body reacted before his head could.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Slice¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword split the boar monster in half. Right after that, he activated Leap and began chopping and cutting down the monsters that had appeared everywhere.

    Huff, pant¡­

    His breathing got heavier and rougher, but it made no sense for him to get tired just by moving only this much. What made him exhausted, however, was this situation itself.

    ¡°Even this¡­it¡¯s the same.¡±

    He vividly recalled this scene, too. He remembered it all.

    Right after the third wave of outbreaks, monsters poured out into the middle of this city. Countless people died then, and Kim Sung-in had rushed to this city to stop the slaughter.

    And if his memories still served him correctly¡­

    Vrrrr¡ª!

    As expected¡­

    Su-hyeun¡¯s phone rang, and he quickly took it out and answered the call.

    The caller was Bak Yun-gyu.

    ¡°Foreign nations requested your assistance.¡±

    He was speaking to Kim Sung-in; unlike Su-hyeun¡¯s current relationship with Bak Yun-gyu, Kim Sung-in was an awakener affiliated with the Authority that the latter was working for.

    Meaning, they were in a clear hierarchical relationship.

    ¡°Are they Japan and France?¡±

    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Bak Yun-gyu asked back, surprised.

    Although Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t answer back, there was no way he didn¡¯t know; in Su-hyeun¡¯s timeline, the future had been rejigged, and this event never happened, but as Kim Sung-in, he could never forget this event even if he tried.

    ¡°I¡¯ll head to both locations.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, both? They are occurring at the same time! You can only choose one!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to both locations. Please do not worry,¡± Su-hyeun replied like that and one-sidedly ended the call. He then summoned Prince Nezha and gave it a new order, ¡°You head to Japan. I¡¯m going to France.¡±

    It was impossible to cast Provocation over the entire Earth like before without the amplification magic circle, but even then, taking care of dungeons appearing in two different locations shouldn¡¯t be that hard.

    ¡°If only I had this sort of powers back then¡­¡±

    That line of thought popped up in his head subconsciously, but getting a move on took priority over mulling over things.

    <hr />

    Paris, France, had fallen into a panicked state from the appearance of a blue-colored dungeon. This city was waiting for the arrival of one person.

    ¡°Kim Sung-in isn¡¯t here yet?¡±

    They were waiting for Kim Sung-in, known as the world¡¯s strongest awakener. He was even exalted as the hero of the new era.

    Without help from someone like him, it was not possible to deal with a large-scale dungeon that had appeared in Paris.

    ¡°Sir, I heard a report that a similar incident has taken place in Japan right now!¡±

    ¡°What?! Okay, and then?¡±

    ¡°They seem to have lodged the request to the South Korean Authority as well, but¡­as their timing matches ours¡­¡±

    ¡°Dammit! Don¡¯t they know that this dungeon is about to blow up sometime today?! Did you make sure to deliver that part of the message, too?!¡±

    ¡°Sir, Japan is having the exact same situation as us. Even the part about failing with their raid and missing the optimal timing¡­¡±

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡­¡±

    The Minister in charge of the French Awakener Authority, ¡°Brut¡± Plac¨¦, began mouthing some curse words that he normally shied away from¡ªthe situation definitely called for it.

    The moment that dungeon before his eyes entered the outbreak stage, then without a doubt, Paris would be turned into a devastated wasteland.

    And that signified the complete collapse of France¡¯s economy. It was not feasible for a country to return to normalcy after its capital was wiped out, after all.

    ¡°Mister Minister, sir. You should at least evacuate from this location.¡±

    ¡°Got it. In that case¡ª¡±

    Gu-wuuuu¡ª

    It was at that very moment that the dungeon seemingly blanketing the entire street began rumbling. That was the first sign of an impending outbreak.

    ¡°M¡ªminister, hurry!¡±

    ¡°Paris is finished, then,¡± Minister Plac¨¦ chuckled hollowly as he was evacuated from the scene.

    Without a miracle, it was no longer possible to save Paris. Minister Plac¨¦ was already thinking that fleeing this place was a pointless act.

    Kiiaaaaah¡ª!

    Monstrous howls came from inside the dungeon; what a chill-inducing noise that was. Those cries made one¡¯s body shudder even more than calls of any known vicious predators in the wild.

    The outbreak was only moments away. Monsters were gathering up before the dungeon¡¯s exit, itching to get out of there as soon as possible.

    Then, a short while later¡­

    Crush¡ª!

    A red-furred monster¡¯s massive front hoof revealed itself outside the dungeon and crushed a building.

    ¡°They are coming out!¡±

    ¡°Stick to your formations! Get ready, everyone!¡±

    ¡°Warrior-type awakeners, pick up your shields and¡ªHuh?¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Rough winds that seemed too refreshing to suit the current situation suddenly blew, and along with those winds, a voice said, ¡°Blow away, Palm Leaf.¡±

 Chapter 410

    For a while, stiff storm winds madly whipped about.

    The massive storm chopped and ripped apart the limbs and flesh of the monsters that appeared outside the dungeon. The winds then got ¡°sucked¡± inside the dungeon next.

    As for the people outside, they dared not get anywhere closer and did their best to hold their ground, hoping not to get tangled up in the aftermaths.

    The winds dissipated pretty soon afterward, replaced quickly by the acrid stench of blood that stung people¡¯s nostrils. The bloody odor came from several monsters that emerged from the dungeon only to be ripped to pieces.

    ¡°Just what the hell happened here?¡± Minister Plac¨¦ quickly scanned his surroundings, and that was when he discovered a familiar face. ¡°Kim Sung-in?¡±

    Kim Sung-in was sheathing his sword and turning around to move some distance away. Minister Plac¨¦ was about to rush up to him, but in the blink of an eye, Kim Sung-in¡¯s figure vanished from view.

    The French Minister wondered if he had seen a mirage. Even if it was Kim Sung-in, Minister Plac¨¦ wondered, would he still be able to raid a blue-colored dungeon in one breath like this?

    But one thing was for certain.

    ¡°He did help us.¡±

    Kim Sung-in had come here. Not only that but he very stealthily helped them and left again.

    Minister Plac¨¦ took off his hat and pressed it to his chest. He bowed his head lightly and earnestly thanked Kim Sung-in who had already left by then.

    * * *

    ¡°Fuu-wuu¡ª¡± Su-hyeun let out a long groan.

    He confirmed it with his own eyes. ¡°It¡± being the state of France where the blue-colored dungeon had appeared.

    ¡°No, wait. It¡¯s a bit difficult to say that I have personally confirmed it, now is it?¡±

    This place was not the real world nor was it the one Su-hyeun used to live in.

    This wasn¡¯t the past he had returned to by using his Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation ability but merely an illusory world cobbled together with bits and pieces of his memories as its foundation.

    As such, it was wrong to call this world, and all the events taking place within it, real. Indeed, everything happening here was simply things based on Su-hyeun¡¯s own thoughts that went, ¡°This probably would have happened.¡±

    Even if that had been the case¡­

    ¡°As I thought, ignoring them still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun let out a long sigh and scratched his head, ¡°Even though I know none of this is real, that it¡¯s all illusion¡­¡±

    Before his head could process anything, his body reacted first. Maybe this was his instincts at work. That meant there was nothing he could do about it.

    Still, he did feel a bit better inside after taking action.

    ¡°Well¡­I guess I¡¯ll just go back for now.¡±

    And so, after handling the French crisis, Su-hyeun sought out Bak Yun-gyu. The latter was staring at the former with a somewhat strange expression on his face.

    Su-hyeun knew what that face signified, though. Bak Yun-gyu¡¯s probing eyes were asking how Su-hyeun had pulled it off.

    ¡°It¡¯s a new skill that I have acquired recently.¡±

    ¡°What kind of skill is that?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s a secret.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t bother to answer, but it was fine not to. An awakener had the right to keep their acquired skills a secret, after all. They were free to do that.

    The thing was, though, Kim Sung-in always revealed what skills he had acquired to Bak Yun-gyu, which allowed the latter to research and map out the most efficient ways to use Kim Sung-in¡¯s abilities.

    The Awakener Authority always considered maximizing Kim Sung-in¡¯s abilities as their top priority, but now, Su-hyeun was trying to keep his ¡°new¡± ability a secret. Therefore, Bak Yun-gyu became even more puzzled.

    ¡°Something feels different about you.¡±

    Such an observation made sense, though; despite being the same person, Su-hyeun was different from Kim Sung-in. Not only were their skills different but even their mindsets were different, too.

    Two people who were the same yet different at the same time¡ªthose two were none other than Kim Sung-in and Su-hyeun.

    ¡°He recognizes me as Kim Sung-in,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun glanced at his own reflection in the windows. Without a doubt, he still had the appearance of Su-hyeun.

    Even then, Bak Yun-gyu perceived him as Kim Sung-in. This probably had something to do with the Land of the Dead Gods creating these illusions with his memories as the foundation.

    ¡°In any case, I¡¯ll go home to get some rest.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    Su-hyeun parted ways with Bak Yun-gyu and exited the offices to step into the streets outside.

    He scanned the crowds of people living their regular lives. Everything felt so vivid and real, so much so that it was rather hard to tell all this was nothing more than a simple illusion.

    ¡°The Land of the Dead Gods is supposed to show me what my regrets and attachments are.¡±

    He had been moving around too fast for a while now, which did not give him much time to organize his thoughts. He had some leeway now, however, so he began pondering what had been happening to him.

    ¡°I always thought that my regret had been Fafnir.¡±

    But it seemed that he was wrong.

    Fafnir was nowhere to be seen within this series of illusions and events that the Land of the Dead Gods chose to show him so far.

    For one thing, Fafnir would only appear a dozen years or so from this point in time that the illusion had recreated.

    ¡°Does that mean my regrets and lingering attachments weren¡¯t all about Fafnir after all?¡±

    It was possible for the regrets he was thinking of and the ones buried deep inside his heart to be completely different. Even the Bull Demon King needed over 10 thousand years to realize that, so Su-hyeun could tell that things wouldn¡¯t be easy for him, either.

    Knowing a person¡¯s true lingering regret might seem easy, but in a way, it could very well be one of the hardest tasks ever.

    Letting go of one¡¯s notion of self and discovering a different notion altogether were basically the same as discovering something else to replace what a person always thought of as ¡°obvious truth¡± to oneself.

    No one knew how long Su-hyeun would need to discover that and truly accept it as is. Even if that was the case, he had no choice but to figure it out soon in this place.

    ¡°Just what is it that you want to show me?¡±

    Buzz¡­

    The surrounding scenery changed once more. Su-hyeun still remained standing as Kim Sung-in, however.

    The brand new scene that appeared before his eyes was the sight of awakeners affiliated with the Authority who had been freshly murdered.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun continued to fight.

    The battle wasn¡¯t that hard; he wasn¡¯t up against some seriously strong monsters or even Fafnir, after all.

    Indeed, the fights were easy, but something else made Su-hyeun feel exhausted.

    ¡°Just for how long am I¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun held his pounding head and walked off. Just how many days had this been going on? Without any rest or sleep, he was forced to repeat his past.

    No, wait¡ªit couldn¡¯t really be called a ¡°repeat¡± at this point since he was using his own strength to change the outcome of all the events he did not hold fond memories of.

    Of course, they were still illusions in the end, but still¡­

    ¡°My head feels like it¡¯s going to explode.¡±

    Fuu-woo¡­

    Su-hyeun let out a long, long sigh and leaned his back against the remnants of a half-destroyed building.

    The illusions continued to make Su-hyeun move without rest, all the while showing him the vestiges of his past that left him with mental trauma.

    This process seemed to have no end.

    Just what was it trying to tell him?

    So far, he only got to learn just one thing.

    ¡°My lingering regret is not Fafnir, after all.¡±

    Unlike when it began, he was sure of his thoughts now.

    The illusions that had repeated for the past few days never once showed Fafnir, and during the repeated process, Su-hyeun felt an ache in his chest that he had never felt before.

    ¡°If that had been the case,¡± he thought. ¡°This bastard wouldn¡¯t have appeared only now.¡±

    Su-hyeun was now staring at the purple-colored dungeon before him.

    The purple-colored dungeon, according to the Bull Demon King¡¯s explanation, was a type of gateway to cross realms and dimensions.

    Fafnir was able to directly open such a doorway. If there was one difference here, then the Bull Demon King chose to open a simple and small, easy-to-open doorway, while Fafnir chose to open a massive portal so that it could show up alongside its vast army.

    ¡°This does look like the real thing, though,¡± Su-hyeun muttered softly while staring at the dungeon.

    The purple dungeon had manifested in Guangzhou, China. Maybe because he was there in the past to personally witness this moment, it came across as far more realistic compared to all the other illusions so far.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes were sparkling softly away.

    Fafnir was coming out from there. Even if this was nothing more than an illusion, Su-hyeun¡¯s animosity toward that creature remained strong despite him beginning to think that Fafnir was not his lingering regret after all, which the illusions had helped him realize.

    Still, that Predator bastard had some kind of link to his regret¡ªthat was for certain.

    ¡°For now,¡± Su-hyeun said as he strode toward Fafnir¡¯s army that revealed themselves outside the dungeon. ¡°I¡¯ll just kill them first and see.¡±

    * * *

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Splaaat¡ª

    Hundreds and thousands of monsters were ripped apart inside a massive typhoon. At the same time, Su-hyeun dug inside the chaos and rushed toward a black knight with a hulking physique.

    Claaang¡ª!

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Their swords collided, causing powerful ripples of magical energy to spread out to the surroundings.

    It was the Insane Knight, Chang, one of the three boss-level monsters who happened to have a humanoid shape that appeared from this purple dungeon.

    This creature¡¯s skills, powerful enough to cleave a mountain apart, had reaped the lives of countless awakeners. Even Kim Sung-in had a hard time trying to suppress this monster.

    But now¡­

    Creeeak¡ª

    Chang¡¯s sword that was clashing against Su-hyeun¡¯s blade was slowly being bisected.

    Splat¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s blade eventually broke Chang¡¯s weapon and chopped the latter in half in the blink of an eye. Right after that, though, countless black spikes suddenly jutted out all around Su-hyeun.

    Right at the same time, his gaze shifted over to a magician in a black robe that was hiding among the hordes of monsters. ¡°Here I am, running into that punk again.¡±

    It was the Corrupt One, Cloone, also one of the three bosses.

    Su-hyeun immediately looked up next because he had sensed a massive shadow blanketing the skies above.

    Grrrrr¡ª

    This time, it was the Heavenly Dragon, Dragoon.

    Now that this thing had shown up, all three mini-bosses were here.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    ¡°Strike them, Somersault cloud.¡±

    At the same time, the dark clouds covering the heavens were already under the authority of Su-hyeun by now.

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    The dark clouds were brightly illuminated by a flash of light. Soon after that, a thunderous boom roared.

    The screams of the monsters were buried under the noise of lightning that came crashing down.

    Su-hyeun extended his hand among the burnt-black corpses of the monsters.

    Grab¡ª

    Keo-urhk!

    The Corrupt One, Cloone, happened to be an excellent magician and was also the sole creature that managed to defend against the Somersault cloud¡¯s lightning strike.

    Su-hyeun sprinted forward the moment the monster¡¯s protective barrier shattered from the lightning. He quickly snatched up Cloone¡¯s throat and gripped it tightly.

    Cruuunch¡ª

    Its neck was crushed instantly.

    Magicians were weak against physical battles, and Su-hyeun used that weakness to easily get rid of Cloone.

    ¡°All that¡¯s left now is¡­¡±

    Step¡ª

    The sounds of its footsteps were muted.

    Then again, a monster only four meters high wouldn¡¯t make footsteps loud enough to rock the ground, even if it was larger than regular human beings.

    Even then, Su-hyeun definitely sensed its presence¡ªa massive one that numbed one¡¯s entire body.

    The ¡°apocalypse¡± far more dangerous than any other calamity Su-hyeun knew of was closing the distance.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Su-hyeun, while wiping off the bloodstains on his body, stared at the giant creature that was stepping outside the purple-colored dungeon.

    It was a monster with a black dragon¡¯s head¡ªFafnir.

    ¡°Its size isn¡¯t any different from my past,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The version of Fafnir he saw through the Bull Demon King¡¯s memories was much larger in physique than the one Su-hyeun saw before his reincarnation.

    Even then, his impressions on Fafnir from his old memories must¡¯ve been stronger than the one he saw within the Bull Demon King¡¯s memories.

    Su-hyeun walked up to Fafnir before him.

    ¡°Well, you might be just an illusion, but¡­¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Winds enveloped Su-hyeun¡¯s blade, and the glare in his eyes sharpened considerably, much more so than ever before.

    Even if this was all an illusion, it was still unbelievably life-like. Through this, even if only by a little bit, he might be able to confirm one thing¡ªjust how wide the gap between Fafnir¡¯s status and his own was¡ªand figure out the link between this Predator and his own lingering regrets at the same time.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s this place, let¡¯s have a showdown anyway.¡±

    Maybe he might get to figure them all out from this event.

 Chapter 411

    ¡°Blow away, Palm Leaf,¡± Su-hyeun decided to gently welcome the other party first.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    The winds swirling around his sword extended forward in a strand. Magical energy powerful enough to create a typhoon had forcibly compressed all those winds that would¡¯ve normally gone to cause a storm. The winds, now tightly condensed into a single strand, rapidly extended forward according to the sword¡¯s trajectory.

    Chwa-jajajajak¡ª!

    Creeeaaak¡ª

    The wind rushed toward Fafnir¡¯s figure, only to dissipate without a trace before reaching its target. A black barrier materialized by the staff in the Predator¡¯s extended hand answered Su-hyeun¡¯s attack.

    It was one of the abilities Su-hyeun saw in the illusion that the Bull Demon King had shown him before.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Fafnir asked, which was something he didn¡¯t do in the past.

    Of course, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t thinking of answering. Right now, his whole body was burning up in the anticipation of finally having a go at Fafnir.

    [Indomitable Body]

    [Spirit¡¯s Grace]

    [Armor of the Mage]

    [Sky King¡¯s Feather]

    [Immortality]

    [Flame ¨C Territory Declaration]

    [Flame ¨C Armor of Fire]

    Many skills were activated on Su-hyeun¡¯s body. Half of those happened to be the ones he had prepared just for this occasion¡ªone where he¡¯d be battling a powerful magic-user.

    This was a battle that Su-hyeun had simulated thousands, no, tens of thousands of times in his mind. Therefore, at this very moment, he utilized the findings and experiences from them to their fullest extent.

    KWA-JAJAJAJAK¡ª!

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    A sharp and deadly sword strike enveloped in the divine Flame shot forward. Fafnir had to take a step back at that attack overflowing with magical energy and superheated flames.

    ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t wish for a conversation.¡±

    Fafnir¡¯s voice was the same as Su-hyeun remembered. He had come face to face with the Predator and heard its voice only once in the past, but even then, he had never forgotten how the creature sounded.

    ¡°Conversation, my foot.¡±

    Pah-aht¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure darted and landed behind Fafnir.

    ¡°No need to chat to a bastard who wrecked my home.¡±

    Fwhooosh¡ª!

    Snick¡ª!

    The energy that gushed out from Fafnir¡¯s hand swept Su-hyeun¡¯s figure away, but the latter¡¯s sword that sliced across finely nicked the Predator¡¯s throat.

    Crack¡ª

    Its scales were ever so slightly cut open. Crimson blood leaked out from its wound, while Su-hyeun was shoved back as dark ¡°dust¡± caked his figure.

    Fafnir was surprised, ¡°You¡¯re a Hound?¡±

    The Predator used the word ¡°Hound¡±¡ªthe slang word that circulated among the Predators to denote the proxies of the gods, the Apostles¡ªyet Su-hyeun still didn¡¯t find any value in replying even now.

    However¡­

    ¡°Strike down mercilessly¡­¡±

    Ku-rrrrrr¡ª!

    He still addressed the Somersault cloud up in the skies.

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    A bolt of humongous lightning was concentrated in one spot and crashed to the ground. It was also during this moment that Fafnir¡¯s figure glowed white.

    Even if it was none other than Fafnir, there was simply no way that it could roundly ignore the lightning strike from the Somersault cloud, which had been highly concentrated in one spot.

    A thin barrier of energy materialized around Fafnir. This barrier managed to absorb as much damage as possible, but it still failed to perfectly protect the creature from the lightning.

    Fafnir rubbed its torso with its hand. With the sword nick on its throat and the burn wound from the lightning, it had been injured twice now.

    ¡°Surprisingly painful, I see,¡± the Predator glared at Su-hyeun. Unlike the beginning, it no longer looked down on Su-hyeun. It acted disdainfully earlier because, even at this very moment where Su-hyeun was encountering Fafnir for the ¡°first time,¡± it was a powerful existence ranked among the One Hundred Evils.

    ¡°You know who I am. Am I wrong?¡±

    Su-hyeun, planning to ignore every attempt at conversation, heard that and paused for a moment.

    A creature that was nothing more than an illusion had managed to figure out this situation and was trying to talk back to him.

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m just an illusion, too.¡±

    Not only that but the Predator even figured out what it was.

    ¡°Which means that the current me was recreated from your memories.¡±

    Fafnir the Predator was born when Bradley devoured the heart of a black dragon. He used to be an outstanding knight and the emperor of a world and, at the same time, an excellent magician.

    As such, Fafnir was able to quickly figure out its true nature. It noticed that its own construction was different from what it remembered and quickly realized that something about this situation was unnatural.

    However, rather than getting flustered by the revelation, Fafnir remained composed as it continued to speak, ¡°You have already faced me before. Have you not?¡±

    Su-hyeun reined in his quickened breathing. Excessive tension and agitation were not that different from fighting after ingesting poison, but thanks to his breathing technique, his rushed breathing returned to the state before the fight began.

    Su-hyeun regained his cool and finally replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. I have faced you before.¡±

    ¡°So you finally have decided to answer me,¡± Fafnir chuckled, baring its fangs. It seemed to be happy that its hypothesis was right.

    ¡°In that case, I should be in a state that you are familiar with. It seems that you see me as a rather omnipotent being and an arrogant creature as well.¡±

    Those observations were right on the money. Fafnir¡¯s current personality was based on Emperor Bradley from the 100th floor¡¯s trial. As for its abilities, they were based on the Bull Demon King¡¯s illusion.

    This interpretation of Fafnir was not as strong as the one from the illusion, but even then, it still wouldn¡¯t be far off to call this version near-omnipotent with its current set of abilities.

    ¡°Honestly speaking, I don¡¯t know much about you.¡± Indeed, Su-hyeun knew only one thing. ¡°But what I do know is that I must kill you.¡±

    ¡°Is it resentment? No, it¡¯s something else.¡±

    The light within Fafnir¡¯s eyes deepened as it stared at Su-hyeun. It was as if the Predator was seeing right through him.

    At such a response, Su-hyeun took another swing with his sword.

    Smash¡ª!

    Poooow¡ª!

    Fafnir¡¯s shoulder was sliced open, and more blood splattered into the open. Su-hyeun watched that happen with burning eyes. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what it is, really.¡±

    ¡°Yes. And it¡¯s the same story for me.¡±

    Go-oooooh¡ª

    The color of the skies changed. A huge shadow loomed over everything as Fafnir raised its staff in the air.

    ¡°I, too, was given life in order to kill you. Therefore, I shall do everything in my power to achieve that goal.¡±

    The skies had become completely dark now. The sunlight that was baking the ground was completely blocked out by a humongous falling asteroid big enough to blanket the entirety of Guangzhou.

    It was Fafnir¡¯s power.

    ¡°Well, at least we¡¯re on the same page, then.¡±

    Squeeze¡­

    Su-hyeun gripped a spear with his left hand. This spear made of adamantium was given to him by Kim Dae-ho.

    He arched his body like a bow.

    [Flame]

    [Wave Spear ¨C Explosion Style]

    [Prana]

    Giiii-iiing¡ª

    Rumbleeee¡ª

    Divine Flames and prana gathered at the tip of the spear. The two forms of energy amassing there amplified the Explosion Style, causing the spear to vibrate as if it would shatter at any moment.

    One, two, three¡­!

    Su-hyeun counted to three in his head before throwing his upper body forward and releasing the spear.

    STAB¡ª!

    It slammed right in the center of the falling meteor. More correctly, it hit the center of the sole ¡°Gyeol¡± of the meteor that would shatter it to countless pieces.

    KWA-AAAAAH¡ª!

    The meteor broke apart and shattered into innumerable smaller pieces.

    As the powdered debris of the meteor fell all around him, Su-hyeun charged right into Fafnir¡¯s defenses.

    <hr />

    Kwa-aaaah¡­

    The ground split apart, and one side tilted precariously before breaking apart and crashing further below.

    Ka-booooom¡­

    The ripples caused an earthquake, and on top of this broken-off section of terrain, another massive meteor fell.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The meteor¡¯s debris exploded and shot up everywhere. Su-hyeun smartly used them as his footholds and leaped high into the air. At the same time, he gripped his sword tightly with one hand and rapidly rushed toward Fafnir¡¯s location.

    Fwhooosh, boom¡ª!

    Chwa-aaaaah¡ª!

    His sword and Fafnir¡¯s hard scales collided, causing Su-hyeun¡¯s body to be shoved far, far back. His other arm dangled limply. As for Fafnir, the lower portion of its shoulder had been cut open wide, and blood gushed out gruesomely from the wound.

    Su-hyeun used his still-functioning arm to stab the sword on the ground to support his figure. His heavy breathing seemed to echo.

    ¡°Mm¡­¡± the Predator unintelligibly uttered.

    The battle between these two had been going on for half a day already.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s magic energy reserve was almost empty since he hadn¡¯t been holding himself back. Even his complexion was deathly pale after he exhausted his prana supply.

    Despite all that, Su-hyeun could claim one thing.

    ¡°I won.¡±

    Slice¡­

    A paper-thin line was drawn on Fafnir¡¯s waist. Not too long after that, blood began gushing out from that thin red line. The Predator¡¯s torso began sliding to the side before it slammed to the ground, leaving behind its lower torso.

    Plop¡ª

    Its body had been severed in half.

    Fafnir was just as exhausted as Su-hyeun was; it had already stopped using magic for a while, perhaps because its own magical energy reserve had run dry, too.

    It didn¡¯t seem to have died instantly since Fafnir still managed to force its head up from the ground.

    However, no life-form would be able to continue fighting with this sort of blood loss.

    Stagger¡­

    Plop¡ª

    Su-hyeun plopped down on his rear when all of his tension left him.

    He hadn¡¯t been aware of it due to his own alertness and tension, but he, too, had exceeded his body¡¯s fatigue limit a while ago. Still, he wasn¡¯t suffering from wounds that were grave enough to threaten his life.

    While sitting on the ground, Su-hyeun observed the collapsed and bleeding Fafnir.

    The task had been difficult, and the level of relief and refreshment he felt easily matched such difficulty.

    This whole thing was nothing more than an illusion, but a victory was still a victory. He felt a sense of relief rush in, although he couldn¡¯t understand what kind of relief it was.

    He briefly thought that with this level of power, maybe he could also emerge victorious against the real deal, only to smirk at his own foolish thoughts.

    ¡°It seems you are happy about defeating me,¡± Fafnir suddenly spoke to him. Despite facing its impending demise, the Predator remained composed.

    That made some sense, however. This being was already aware of the fact that it was not a real living creature but simply an illusion based on Su-hyeun¡¯s memories.

    From the get-go, it didn¡¯t even exist. Thus, it made sense that the Predator wouldn¡¯t fear losing its life.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m really happy.¡±

    ¡°But why are you happy? For what, exactly?¡±

    Fafnir¡¯s question managed to completely wipe out any trace of Su-hyeun¡¯s smile.

    Why?

    In simple terms, it was rather obvious that winning was better than losing. At the very least, Su-hyeun had never seen anyone being pleased about losing.

    In any case, there was a reason why Su-hyeun was happy about defeating Fafnir today, even though the latter was nothing more than an illusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s because now I have hope that I can probably defeat the real you.¡±

    Even if it was an illusion, he still won against it. Not only that but this Fafnir before his eyes was based on the memories shared by the Bull Demon King.

    It might have been weakened compared to ¡°Fafnir¡± the Yogoe had fought, but regardless of what, Su-hyeun still managed to win against it.

    Although faint, he could see the possibility here, and that was enough for him.

    ¡°In that case, allow me to ask you this. What is your reason for wanting to defeat me?¡±

    ¡°My reason?¡±

    ¡°You do not resent me nor hate me. The way you look at me, it¡¯s as if¡­¡±

    What Fafnir said next made Su-hyeun¡¯s heart crash to the pit of his stomach.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s as if you¡¯re looking at a heavy burden.¡±

    ¡°Heavy¡­burden?¡±

    Those two words caused Su-hyeun¡¯s brows to shoot up.

    Not even once did he think about it before. ¡°It¡± being his own emotions regarding Fafnir.

    Resentment?

    Just as the Predator had said, Su-hyeun¡¯s emotions regarding Fafnir were quite far removed from things like resentment and hatred¡ªand even the desire for revenge.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t trying to fight Fafnir out of his personal vendetta or anything like that. No, his reason was something else.

    ¡°It¡¯s to not repeat the past,¡± he realized.

    That was his only reason.

    The destroyed world and all those people who lost their lives way before the planet died¡ªtheir figures and silhouettes brushed past Su-hyeun¡¯s memories.

    As if to drive its message home, Fafnir opened its mouth once more, ¡°I see. You are a slave to your past, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The past¡ªthat was Su-hyeun¡¯s biggest lingering regret.

 Chapter 412

    <hr />

    His throat seemed to have been momentarily clogged up, but he could soon breathe freely again.

    ¡°A slave to his past¡±¡ªwhen Su-hyeun heard those words, he began hyperventilating, wheezing heavily and shallowly.

    Not once did he ever think about such a thing. But at the same time, he had to question himself why he hadn¡¯t thought about it until now.

    ¡°If only¡­I had the same strength back then as I do now.¡±

    Didn¡¯t he think about such things before?

    No, wait; it wouldn¡¯t just be Su-hyeun but everyone else would¡¯ve thought about it, too. Anyone would think about the possibilities of what might have been if this or that happened or if they knew things back then what they knew now.

    It was all rather obvious; everyone alive had some kind of regret or two. It was simply the matter of one¡¯s ability to deal with them, and Su-hyeun believed this to be true even for himself.

    If there was one thing different here, then it was Su-hyeun traveling to his past and changing the events he wanted to change.

    But now¡­

    ¡°Just what are you still kicking yourself over for? Have you not already altered the past you wished to change?¡± Fafnir opened its mouth once more.

    Su-hyeun raised his head and stared at Fafnir. The Predator spoke as if it knew everything.

    The moment Su-hyeun heard those questions, he realized that this being before his eyes was not Fafnir.

    Shu-wuwu¡­

    Fafnir¡¯s figure melted like snow. It soon assumed another figure, and the existence that materialized possessed an all-too-familiar face.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­me?¡±

    It was none other than himself, Kim Sung-in.

    ¡°Answer me. What do you regret? No, wait. This can¡¯t even be called regret anymore.¡±

    Step, step¡­

    Kim Sung-in strode right over to Su-hyeun. The latter remained still and observed this scene because the figure before him was not Fafnir but Kim Sung-in.

    Grab¡ª

    Kim Sung-in grabbed Su-hyeun¡¯s collar. The latter, who had been sitting on the ground, was effortlessly lifted back up in the air.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering me? Why are you still behaving this way like a moron?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by like a moron?¡± Su-hyeun asked back.

    The one before his eyes was none other than himself¡ªno, more correctly, someone Su-hyeun knew, Kim Sung-in.

    Unlike the current Su-hyeun, this being was a projection of himself who hadn¡¯t experienced the destruction of his world yet.

    And so, the Kim Sung-in of the past was talking to Su-hyeun of now.

    ¡°Because of lingering regrets, you are forgetting to save the people right in front of your eyes now.¡±

    ¡°I am?¡±

    ¡°They are already dead. Wait¡ªyou managed to save them all this time around. So, what¡¯s the problem, then?¡±

    What was the ¡°problem¡±?

    Su-hyeun pondered this for a bit, but he could find no problem here. However, if he had to reply, then it could only be¡­

    ¡°If only I had this level of strength back then¡­¡± The moment those words left his lips, Su-hyeun ended up chuckling helplessly. ¡°Ah, so this was it,¡± he thought.

    The ¡°epiphany¡± wasn¡¯t really anything special.

    What he was afraid of and what he had been thinking deeply within his subconsciousness¡ªhe finally realized the reason behind them. His lingering attachment¡ªhis regret¡ªwas not Fafnir.

    All those people he had failed to save in the past and his thoughts of, ¡°If only I had the current level of strength, what would have happened back then?¡± confined and restricted his present.

    For instance, Fafnir from the past had appeared before him today not the one from the present times. The reason for that was simple enough: because Su-hyeun was still stuck in his past.

    ¡°Now, look carefully,¡± Kim Sung-in said and took a look around their vicinity.

    Wu-wuuuung¡­

    The surrounding scenery changed. The new surroundings no longer reflected the devastated landscape of Guangzhou, which was destroyed by the battle against Fafnir.

    This was not the world Kim Sung-in used to live in but the one Su-hyeun had been living in.

    ¡°Dad! Please buy me this!¡±

    ¡°But son, you have the exact same thing back home, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going on a blind date!¡±

    ¡°Really? When? Come on, show me her photo if you have it! Is she hot?¡±

    ¡°Please give me 150 grams of miyeok for miyeokguk.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! One hundred and fifty grams of miyeok¡­Whose birthday is it today, sir? I can see that you bought some flowers as well¡­¡±

    The scenery rapidly changed, and he could hear all sorts of voices and sounds.

    The conversations he heard contained daily dilemmas of regular people, such as what was for dinner today or should one buy that newly released notebook? He heard someone deciding to break up with their date, while someone else was mulling over the decision to quit their job and work somewhere else, and so on.

    The world they lived in was truly ordinary and also truly peaceful.

    It was not the world of Kim Sung-in but the one Su-hyeun was living in.

    ¡°This is the world you have changed¡­¡± Then, Kim Sung-in continued with another question, ¡°Do you regret any of this?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Su-hyeun answered after a moment.

    The world had changed. The people who should¡¯ve died were now alive, while the world that should have been destroyed was left intact.

    This was what Su-hyeun had changed¡ªnot the ¡°future¡± but the ¡°present.¡±

    ¡°Do you think all those people died because of you?¡± Kim Sung-in asked again, and this time, Su-hyeun shook his head.

    Indeed, the end result might be the same, but the reality was not.

    ¡°No. They are all alive thanks to you.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at those words.

    Without being fully aware of it, he used to think differently¡ªthat they were dead because of him.

    ¡°Dead, because I failed to save them. If only I was a little bit more powerful back then¡­if only I had this level of strength back then, then I would have saved them all. It¡¯s the same thing as me killing them¡­¡±

    Those thoughts were responsible for saddling Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders with the weight of several billion people¡¯s lives.

    In the end, Su-hyeun was moving forward all because of his guilt.

    ¡°It¡¯s not because of you,¡± said Kim Sung-in.

    However, those words were not spoken by someone else to Su-hyeun. He was speaking to himself.

    He was saying that it wasn¡¯t because of himself and that not being strong enough was not a crime.

    The one who could make him see that was none other than himself.

    <hr />

    The Bull Demon King stood by patiently in the same spot, awaiting Su-hyeun¡¯s return.

    He didn¡¯t dare to sleep. The moment he did, countless dead souls would rush in toward him to take over his body.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a month.¡±

    In a way, it had ¡°only¡± been a month. The Bull Demon King had been anticipating a period that was much longer than that. But now¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re out already?¡±

    Su-hyeun had returned.

    Su-hyeun walked out from the inky-black darkness belonging to the Land of the Dead Gods and smiled faintly after noticing the Bull Demon King, ¡°Yes, first brother. I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°Have you discovered something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about it yet,¡± Su-hyeun replied, scratching his head.

    The Bull Demon King paid attention to a couple of words in that reply in particular. ¡°It¡¯s¡­not yet, hmm?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Not just yet,¡± Su-hyeun simply replied, but he emitted an aura that came across as quite different from before. The Bull Demon King smiled faintly at that.

    When he met Su-hyeun for the first time, he felt the latter¡¯s restlessness and lack of patience. When those things were resolved, anxiety and guilt remained behind.

    But now, it felt like even those two had been resolved as well.

    ¡°Well, should we get going, then?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­Wait for a little bit. I shall quickly create¡­?¡± The Bull Demon King, who was extending his hand forward to open up a gateway, stopped talking just then. He saw that a small ¡°doorway¡± had already materialized before Su-hyeun.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun had opened up a doorway and entered it.

    Without a doubt, he didn¡¯t know how to do that before coming here, but now, he had already gone past the wall in only one month.

    ¡°What do you mean, not yet?¡± The Bull Demon King thought.

    It had only been a month. For the Bull Demon King who had existed for the length of time that regular people couldn¡¯t even imagine, a month would be short enough to feel like a blink of an eye.

    But during such a short time, Su-hyeun managed to do something that the Bull Demon King needed tens of thousands of years to achieve.

    Even though he did receive the help of the Land of the Dead Gods in the process, there was no doubt that he had done something truly amazing.

    The Bull Demon King followed after Su-hyeun while quietly muttering to himself, ¡°Little brother, you will soon become a deity.¡±

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun returned to Earth using his own power.

    A month had passed by after he followed the Bull Demon King.

    The world had changed quite a lot during the past month. The foundation work for the repair of the damaged buildings had already begun, and people who were left without jobs had found new work, too.

    The first thing Su-hyeun did was to head to Jongno.

    Quite a lot of people were out and about in the streets. Some people looked as if they were filled with worries and fears of the new environment they hadn¡¯t adapted to yet, while some people could still find things to laugh about in the current situation.

    ¡°Uh? It¡¯s Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°Bro, is that you? Did you go somewhere?¡±

    Thomas and Hak-joon discovered Su-hyeun from a distance and walked over to him.

    However, Su-hyeun turned around to leave instead. As he disappeared from view through the crowd, Thomas and Hak-joon tried to go after him, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t even see him anymore.

    Su-hyeun summoned Miru, climbed on the dragon¡¯s back, and rapidly flew off to somewhere.

    They headed for Paris.

    ¡°There sure are a lot of people here,¡± he said to no one in particular as he observed the avenues of Paris that were teeming with people.

    As he began walking among the bustling crowds of passersby, a faint voice came to him, ¡°That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun glanced to his side. That¡¯s when he discovered Kim Sung-in walking right next to him.

    ¡°Back then, not even a single ant lived here.¡±

    The blue-colored dungeon that appeared in Paris was filled with venomous monsters. After escaping from the dungeon, those creatures turned Paris into a land of death. The city had turned into an area where, never mind humans, not even ants could survive.

    But now, this place¡­

    ¡°Huh? Hey, it¡¯s Kim Su-hyeun!¡±

    ¡°What brings him here, though?¡±

    ¡°My son, you should say thank you. Hurry, now.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Thank you, mister!¡±

    ¡°We all survived thanks to you.¡±

    People were still very much alive.

    They discovered Su-hyeun and greeted him warmly. A couple of kids among the crowd even walked up to him and shared pieces of candy they had been snacking on.

    Su-hyeun gently grasped the candy the kids handed over and felt an indescribable thing.

    When he looked into their eyes, he clearly sensed their emotions from their clear and genuine eyes. They expressed gratefulness and idolization.

    Su-hyeun received all of their gazes of respect for their hero, the savior of their lives. He then turned around to leave while muttering to himself, ¡°I want to see for a little bit more.¡±

    ¡°Look as much as you want.¡±

    Su-hyeun summoned Miru once more.

    They didn¡¯t need the latter¡¯s giantification; he wasn¡¯t looking to travel to somewhere fast, after all.

    He wanted to take his time to leisurely survey and tour the world he called home.

    ¡°This is the world I¡¯m currently living in.¡±

    This would be his first time taking a leisurely, unhurried stroll through his own world.

    ¡°This world right here, right before your eyes, is your present. The world you have managed to change.¡±

    Kim Sung-in stayed next to Su-hyeun and surveyed the world alongside him.

    ¡°You heard that earlier, right? They are grateful to you. They want to become a hero just like you. Yes, that¡¯s right. I couldn¡¯t be one, but you¡­¡±

    The difference between Kim Sung-in of the previous life and the current Su-hyeun was that¡­

    ¡°You are a hero. You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed about being called one.¡±

    He no longer felt ashamed and undeserving of the label ¡°hero.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Su-hyeun chuckled sheepishly.

    Honestly speaking, it was fine either way; the world had changed so much from the one Su-hyeun remembered, anyway. He no longer felt undeserving of all the gratitude he received from the others.

    ¡°I guess¡­it seems that way.¡± Su-hyeun looked to his side and saw Kim Sung-in¡¯s silhouette gradually fading away. The mirage of the lingering regrets belonging to a man enslaved to his past was disappearing. ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    Shu-rururu¡­

    Kim Sung-in left for good.

    All those people he met in the past, the world that had been destroyed, his memories and experiences of the past, and the past version of ¡°him¡±¡ªall of his lingering regrets vanished alongside Kim Sung-in.

    And now, only Kim Su-hyeun remained.

    [Sage Arts proficiency level is increasing.]

    [Proficiency: 100%]

    [A change has occurred to the Sage Arts.]

    [You have acquired the Divine Art.]

    [Magic Count has risen by one point.]

    [Magic Count has risen by one point.]

    [Magic Count has risen by one point.]

    [Magic Count has risen by one point.]

    [Magic Count has risen by one point.]

    [Magic Level has risen by one level.]

    [You have acquired the ¡°Title: Taoist God.¡±]

 Chapter 413

    * * *

    Su-hyeun was taken aback by the messages he hadn¡¯t heard in a while.

    The emotions and thoughts he felt until now didn¡¯t enjoy the chance to stay for long as the noisy system messages shattered them to bits like breaking glass.

    ¡°Huh,¡± a soft exclamation escaped from his lips.

    That was when he sensed the change taking place within his physical body.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic Count: 110]

    [Magic Level: 11]

    [Strength: 101] [Agility: 100]

    [Stamina: 100] [Reflex: 100]

    [Death Aura: 99]

    [Skill: Leap * advanced]

    [Skill: Transfiguration * advanced]

    [Skill: Godhood ¨C Flame * advanced]

    ¡­.

    [Fatigue: 0]

    [Title: Hero] [Title: Taoist God]

    He confirmed through his status and made sure that he didn¡¯t hear wrongly just then¡ªthe Magic Count of 100 and 10, then, the Magic Level of 11, and finally, a brand new title that appeared right below the title of ¡°Hero¡±: the ¡°Taoist God.¡±

    Su-hyeun quickly confirmed the title¡¯s details.

    [Title: Taoist God]

    * Someone whose mind and body have ascended to godhood.

    * Can live for eternity

    * Will not experience aging

    * Will receive additional correction on all the abilities related to the Sage Arts

    * 100% increase in the recovery speed of prana

    * 20% increase in proficiency in the Divine Art

    * May overlap with the effects of other titles

    [Divine Art]

    * Grade: God

    * Category: Passive

    * The cultivation technique used by the Taoist Gods will enhance the purity of magical energy and will push the abilities of the Sage Arts to a higher realm. It can create new abilities.

    * Proficiency: 0.00%

    He had just acquired a title, as well as a ¡°skill.¡± Even though he had confirmed the details of both, the Divine Art still gave off a strong sense of ambiguity.

    The cultivation technique used by the Taoist Gods, abilities of the Sage Arts reaching higher realms, and finally, the creation of new abilities¡ªalthough he had read about them, they didn¡¯t seem all that impressive to him quite frankly. However, the story was different for his new title.

    ¡°This title¡­It¡¯s really something else.¡±

    Forget about the enhancement to the Divine Art¡¯s proficiency for now or the eternal life or the prevention of aging for that matter, one effect definitely caught his attention.

    ¡°One hundred percent rise in prana¡¯s recovery speed. Really?¡±

    After reaching the realm of a demigod, Su-hyeun became able to wield a power called prana, and although he hadn¡¯t been wielding it for long, he still knew what kind of power this was and how incredible it was.

    As strength that was different from magical energy, a source of power on a higher realm, Prana could substitute magical energy, and even with only a small amount of it, it allowed Su-hyeun to use many powerful skills. This power also allowed him to completely recover from fatigue and heal wounds riddling his body. This energy was basically the essence of life for not just humans but all living things.

    Not only that but the utility of prana was truly limitless and only depended on how he decided to use it.

    ¡°Could it be that the creation of new abilities through the Divine Art referred to this?¡±

    In a way, this was similar to magic. The only difference between magic and the Divine Art was that the former used magical energy instead. Other than that, magic was also a field of study, a cultivation technique if you would, that allowed you to create brand new abilities.

    ¡°As for the details, I can gradually uncover them myself.¡±

    He suddenly acquired this power. Of course, he earned them through his efforts and not through the aid of the system, so this new power didn¡¯t feel too sudden or foreign to his senses.

    Still, he needed to confirm the extent of the change to his status.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun returned to the Jongno Tower. The worldwide news media had already reported on where he had made his appearances by now.

    When he went to see Lee Ju-ho, he discovered that he wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±

    The Bull Demon King was with him, sharing some tea with him.

    ¡°First brother, you¡¯re here as well?¡±

    ¡°As it turns out, I had nowhere else to go since I know no one here. Thankfully, this gentleman here ensured that my stay during the past day or so would be quite comfortable,¡± the Bull Demon King replied while shifting his gaze over to Lee Ju-ho who was sitting in front of him. ¡°I am grateful. Thank you for your hospitality.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything special, though. More than that, however, please continue to look after our Su-hyeun. He might not look it on the outside, but inside, he¡¯s still a bit immature, you see.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Bull Demon King chuckled softly and looked at Su-hyeun, ¡°However, it seems that you don¡¯t have to worry about such things anymore.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say something like that, first brother. Besides¡­¡± Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to Lee Ju-ho and asked, ¡°Did anything happen during the last month or so?¡±

    ¡°Nah, nothing much. A few dungeons popped up, but the awakeners already on this side easily took care of them, and those awakeners who ran off to the Tower got the news and are coming back one by one.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°No need to worry, little brother. I¡¯m sure that fool won¡¯t show up here for a while.¡±

    Slurp¡ª

    The Bull Demon King took a sip of the tea and continued to speak, ¡°That creature said that it¡¯d devour me one day. Most likely, it will only appear after it¡¯s confident of devouring me for real.¡±

    ¡°Which means it could very well be some time in the distant future, first brother.¡±

    ¡°When short, several years. If not, dozens of decades, maybe several hundreds of years. As such, you don¡¯t need to be so concerned after you¡¯ve been away for only a month,¡± the Bull Demon King said and leisurely stood up from his seat. He then picked up a box of tea resting on the side, which had been prepared by Lee Ju-ho earlier. Right after that, however, his demeanor changed, ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    FWHOOOOOSH¡ª!

    Baaaang¡ª!

    The Bull Demon King¡¯s punch rushed toward Su-hyeun. In response, the latter opened his palm and blocked the punch, which caused powerful ripples to explode everywhere around them.

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Crash, kaboom¡ª!

    The interior of the office was overturned in an instant. The impact force that crashed in like a storm shattered all the windows, blew apart the floor tiles, and utterly ruined the surroundings.

    Lee Ju-ho couldn¡¯t withstand the ripples and got flung off his chair, his butt kissing the ground hard.

    What the hell just happened here?!

    He quickly took a look only to discover Su-hyeun grabbing hold of the Bull Demon King¡¯s fist. This whole thing happened just too quickly.

    ¡°Mm. With this, it seems that I don¡¯t have to worry about you, little brother,¡± the Bull Demon King said as he withdrew his fist.

    As for Su-hyeun who had reflexively reached out to catch the fist, he began making a somewhat dazed expression. He found the Bull Demon King¡¯s action and words rather drastic and uncharacteristically hurried.

    ¡°I must leave now to look after our second brother. That kid, he¡¯s getting involved in so many things lately. Seriously now, I just can¡¯t look away for too long before something else happens,¡± the Bull Demon King chuckled and then turned around to leave by opening the door. Since his business here was over, he planned to go back to his original world.

    ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t help but wonder about something at the current appearance of the Bull Demon King and had to ask, ¡°First brother, are you preparing for ¡®it,¡¯ too?¡±

    ¡°It must be several tens of thousands of years that I have maintained this lifestyle,¡± the Bull Demon King replied with his back still turned toward Su-hyeun. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree that it¡¯s time for me to also forge ahead?¡±

    Su-hyeun kept silent after hearing that.

    Step, step¡­

    The Bull Demon King then left through the doorway. His figure soon vanished beyond the door.

    Su-hyeun bowed deeply at the spot where the Yogoe used to be.

    ¡°Thank you, first brother,¡± he said in his head.

    The Bull Demon King walked on a long pathway for his own sake, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t abandon the lingering attachment called his family.

    However, he was no longer trying to abandon them; instead, he was going through the process of satisfying his wishes so that he wouldn¡¯t have any lingering attachments or regrets in life.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat just happened here¡­?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho, holding his head protectively as he sat on the floor, alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and the doorway where the Bull Demon King had vanished through. A stupefied expression refused to leave his face, as he gingerly stood back up.

    After taking a look at the state of their surroundings, though, he could only make a tense face. It was just one punch, and a block of said punch, yet the office ended up in such a state.

    Lee Ju-ho shook his head helplessly and then got down to reorganizing his office, only to be interrupted by a phone call.

    Vrrrr, riiiing¡­

    Wondering what happened, he pulled out his smartphone tucked inside his pocket. The call came from Hak-joon. ¡°Hello? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Bro! Did something happen in the office?!¡± The voice from the other side sounded frantic.

    Lee Ju-ho asked back, confusion evident in his voice, ¡°Yeah, something happened here, alright, but how did you know?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see from there? Look up at the sky!¡±

    ¡°The sky?¡±

    Lee Ju-ho walked over to the broken window. He looked outside, but all he could see initially was a thick cloud cover blanketing the sky.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing out here, so what¡¯s¡­Eh?¡±

    However, Lee Ju-ho soon forgot what he was saying, as his phone slipped out of his grasp.

    ¡°T¡ªthe sky¡­it¡ª?!¡±

    The sky right above the Jongno Tower, which he saw when he poked his head out of the window itself, had dissipated in a circular pattern right above the building, which caused Lee Ju-ho¡¯s head to snap back inside to stare at Su-hyeun.

    By then, the latter had finished expressing his gratitude and was trying to fix the mess left behind in the office. Lee Ju-ho had never felt that figure to be so unfamiliar and unfathomable like this.

    * * *

    The world returned to how it used to be. The repair work for the destroyed buildings had progressed to around the halfway mark. As for Su-hyeun, he wandered from one dungeon to the next for a while.

    High-ranked dungeons rarely showed up during this period. Even the highest was only around the green color, meaning there was no real need for Su-hyeun to step up.

    Even then, he still made a move because he wanted to check out the effects of his new title, the Divine Art, the newly acquired boost to his stats, as well as his prana.

    Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°At this rate, I¡¯ll never get a proper confirmation,¡± he thought.

    The dungeon Su-hyeun had entered just now boasted the difficulty of green color. He urgently rushed here since he heard that it was the highest difficulty dungeon that appeared recently, but this¡­

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone attacking me?¡± Su-hyeun let out a groan and continued to stroll forward.

    The backdrop of the dungeon was a forest. This sort of dungeon appeared rather frequently, and unsurprisingly, most of the monsters that showed up here were the wild beast types that could be found in dense forests.

    These creatures were not only carnivorous but also quite aggressive. Su-hyeun even recognized a fair few of the monsters he could see.

    However, not a single one tried to attack him yet.

    Never mind being aggressive, they were all huddled together and shivering away pathetically as if they were all deeply terrified right now.

    This reaction seemed similar to when he used the Predator skill. No, wait¡ªthey seemed to be even more scared compared to when he used it.

    ¡°Is it because of the Taoist God title? Or something else entirely?¡±

    He didn¡¯t feel like hunting some scared monsters that didn¡¯t even try to fight back. Killing such creatures wouldn¡¯t even give him any yardstick to measure his current ability.

    At this point, he could only hold out hope for the boss monster of this green dungeon. Unfortunately, the story here was the same.

    Whimper, whimper¡­

    A humongous wolf, with a physique as big as a house and enough leg strength to make it jump dozens of meters in one go, began cowering the moment it discovered Su-hyeun¡¯s figure.

    If a wolf could sweat, this monster¡¯s silver fur would have been coated and dripping with cold sweat by now. This boss monster of the green dungeon, called the Silvers Wolf, showed not a single trace of wanting to fight Su-hyeun.

    ¡°What the heck,¡± Su-hyeun spat out yet another groan.

    He got the exact same reaction from the other dungeons. Still, he did hope for something a bit better since this monster was the boss of the green dungeon, but as expected¡­

    ¡°At this rate¡­I knew it.¡±

    If it was at all possible, he wanted to confirm everything on this side first, but now, it seemed that he had no other choice left.

    ¡°No other way except to go to the next floor, is that it?¡±

    The recent trials of the Tower had been related to the Predators without an exception.

    As such, Su-hyeun had been paying especially close attention whenever he decided to challenge the Tower¡¯s trials. He believed that challenging the next floor without even fully analyzing his newly acquired powers made zero sense.

    But now, he couldn¡¯t do much here.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go ahead, then.¡±

    It had been a long while.

    Returning to the tower, that was.

 Chapter 414

    * * *

    Su-hyeun directly headed to the 105th floor.

    He was greeted by a ruined and crumbling city where not a single living soul was around. He took a look around for a while only to remember something: he hadn¡¯t been away from the Tower this long in a while time.

    He inwardly pondered, ¡°Now that I think about it¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you so late this time?¡± The Administrator of the 105th floor, a slender but tall person who looked like a vagabond, stared at Su-hyeun and began frowning deeply.

    When Su-hyeun thought about it, didn¡¯t he say that he would be back in a day or so? He smiled awkwardly and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Some things happened.¡±

    After he left the Tower, he met Luslec and immediately visited a world centered on the false World Tree. That was where he acquired the seed of the World Tree, and the worldwide outbreak of dungeons kept him really, really busy for a while.

    On top of that, the Bull Demon King showed up after stopping Fafnir¡¯s advance, and he and Su-hyeun traveled to the Land of the Dead Gods afterward.

    It wouldn¡¯t be strange to spend a few hours trying to explain everything that had happened so far.

    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡±

    Su-hyeun had to wonder if his words would be convincing enough, but then, he realized that the Administrator was staring back at him with somewhat unreadable eyes. His facial expression even indicated that he easily accepted the explanation.

    The Administrator muttered, ¡°Well, it looks that way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    ¡°Just what happened to you? And in such a short time, too.¡±

    Such a short time, he said.

    Su-hyeun was returning to the world on the 105th floor after several months away, so calling that period of absence ¡°short¡± felt strange. However, in the eyes of the Administrator, it felt like Su-hyeun had been on a journey that easily lasted decades or maybe several centuries.

    ¡°And you became a real deity, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that somehow happened,¡± Su-hyeun awkwardly scratched his head.

    While doing that, he continued to stare at the Administrator, but the latter turned his head away, obviously trying to avoid meeting eyes directly. Nonetheless, all Su-hyeun did was to stare.

    The Administrator shielded his face and muttered again, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to alert the other Administrators and tell them that they shouldn¡¯t look into your eyes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit unfortunate,¡± Su-hyeun licked his lips ruefully and stopped looking at the Administrator¡¯s eyes ¡°innocently.¡±

    He had been wondering about it, but as it turned out, ¡°it¡± was doable for real.

    [Insight]

    * Can see through a target¡¯s inner thoughts through their eyes

    * Can spy into a target¡¯s memories depending on your proficiency

    * Can peek into a target¡¯s future depending on your proficiency

    * Proficiency: 0.01%

    ¡°Insight¡± is one of the Divine Art¡¯s skills and the technique of the gods that allowed them to see through someone¡¯s true heart and inner thoughts through their eyes.

    The Divine Art was basically the evolved form of the Sage Arts, and the effect of the Divine Art was to evolve all the abilities found within the Sage Arts to the next level.

    ¡°Insight¡± was the evolved form of the ability Sage¡¯s Eye. It not only went beyond the latter¡¯s ability to look far ahead and peer into the truth of the world but also allowed the user to peer into the target¡¯s thoughts, memories, and even their potential future.

    However, it didn¡¯t mean the user would automatically read the minds of everyone as soon as they stared into their eyes. Insight only activated whenever Su-hyeun wanted it to.

    His current proficiency was too low, and he couldn¡¯t see into a target¡¯s memories or the future, but it was still enough to let him peer into their inner thoughts at least.

    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t abuse it,¡± he thought.

    The highest-tier gods like Apollo or Hades read others¡¯ memories or thoughts as if it was nothing important.

    Even if Apollo didn¡¯t get to read Su-hyeun¡¯s thoughts, he still spoke as if he managed to glean some things about what lay in store for the latter.

    ¡°Right. I should use it only when necessary,¡± he inwardly concluded.

    Acquiring new information on the Tower through the Administrator was a failure; the 105th floor¡¯s Administrator now knew that Su-hyeun possessed Insight, and soon, all the other Administrators would come to learn this fact as well. Without a doubt, none of them would look into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes now.

    ¡°You came here to challenge the next trial, I¡¯m assuming?¡± asked the Administrator.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m planning to do so.¡±

    ¡°My bad, but we need to talk first.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. Go ahead,¡± Su-hyeun replied without getting flustered, sounding rather easygoing in the process. His reaction only made the Administrator flustered.

    However, Su-hyeun had expected something like this to happen even before he stepped inside the Tower, so he could afford to reply in an unconcerned manner. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the same reason as before? The current me isn¡¯t suited to the difficulty of the 105th floor, which means you will have to adjust the floor again.¡±

    After the trial on the 60th floor, where he met the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong, came to an end, the Administrators held a conference of sorts.

    The reason for that had to do with Su-hyeun¡¯s growth speed that exceeded the Tower¡¯s system. That was how he earned the reward of the Palm Leaf and was directly sent to the 99th floor.

    Things should be the same this time as well. No, wait¡ªthe difference this time should be even more pronounced than before.

    When Su-hyeun just reached the 105th floor, his Magic Level was only around nine, but since then, he had broken through to the demigod realm, only to even exceed that and truly ascend to the godhood.

    The adjustment of difficulty right now was far more pressing than back when he went from the 60th floor to the 99th.

    ¡°Well, yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°In that case, don¡¯t worry about it and please attend that conference. For now, I¡¯ll just keep myself entertained in here.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s literally nothing here, so how will you even do that? In any case, fine. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡­

    After saying that, the Administrator¡¯s figure grew blurry. Soon, he was gone for good. In the past, this process came across as abrupt, yet now it no longer felt that way to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Is it like boring a hole through the dimensional wall to move to a different floor? It kind of looks like there¡¯s a special locking mechanism at work here¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun attempted to create a doorway similar to what the Administrator created but soon gave up.

    Each and every ¡°world¡± within the Tower seemed to be isolated from one another as if sturdy door locks existed in between them. Forcibly breaking through them was a method he could try, but that would obviously take quite a lot of time to do so.

    Also, there was simply no way that the Administrators would simply sit back and do nothing.

    Not to forget, Su-hyeun¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t simply to reach higher floors of this Tower but to clear the trials and earn the associated rewards by doing so. It was meaningless to simply break through the walls and climb up to higher floors.

    ¡°Okay, then¡­¡± Su-hyeun was now left alone in a world without the Administrator. He smiled faintly and muttered to himself, ¡°He said that there¡¯s literally nothing here, so what should I do to keep myself amused, I wonder?¡±

    A world with nothing in it is commonly a world that had been destroyed by some unknown Predator. Finding himself all alone in such a world, he muttered to himself once more, ¡°You see, since there¡¯s nothing here, I have a lot of things to do.¡±

    * * *

    The conference of the Administrators went on for quite a while.

    One, two, three, four, and then five days passed by, and before long, the conference reached its 10th day.

    There was only one subject of the conference: Kim Su-hyeun, as well as which floor to send him off to.

    Currently, inside a pure-white space where not even a single table or chair could be found, the Administrators stood around in a circle and proceeded to cast their final vote.

    Eventually¡­

    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s the 199th floor.¡±

    ¡°Back then, we sent him to the 99th, but to think that it¡¯ll be 199th floor this time.¡±

    ¡°As I thought, that floor is too high for him. I mean, he only managed to reach the 105th floor, so to elevate the floor by 94 in one go is a bit¡­¡±

    Several Administrators obviously didn¡¯t seem pleased with the result of this conference.

    The Administrator of the 105th floor spoke to appease their dissatisfaction, ¡°But the trials he¡¯d encounter up to that floor won¡¯t even serve as real trials to him. Any ole Predators won¡¯t even act as a stumbling block for him at this stage.¡±

    ¡°If he has indeed acquired Insight, as you say, then yes, that may be true.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, he has even awakened his unique ability.¡±

    ¡°We still don¡¯t know what his unique ability does, but depending on its power, we should consider sending him to the 200th floor straight away.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we sending him to the 199th since we don¡¯t know the extent of his unique ability?¡±

    The conference seemed to be drawing to a close, yet it didn¡¯t want to end.

    The 105h floor¡¯s Administrator, thinking that the meeting would continue forever at this rate, urgently spoke again, ¡°Stop, all of you. We have already made a decision. It¡¯s 199th floor. We won¡¯t overturn this decision anymore. It¡¯s been decided by the majority vote.¡±

    ¡°Right, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°I have no objections.¡±

    ¡°Good. Well, then.¡±

    The conference finally came to an end there. That meeting, which had lasted 10 days, took quite a toll on both the mind and body of the participants. The 105th floor¡¯s Administrator turned around and opened the doorway back home.

    He then returned to the world of the 105th floor under his management, but then¡­

    ¡°What is all this?¡±

    He saw a blue sky and also green moss among several buildings.

    ¡°What is all this?!¡± The Administrator panicked. The level of panic he felt right now was easily one of the worst in his entire life.

    No, wait! When he thought about it some more, he had to wonder when was the last time he panicked this badly. The scene before him was that shocking to his senses.

    ¡°The world¡­it¡¯s been revived?!¡± he inwardly marveled.

    The Administrator¡¯s head turned to the side. A flower was budding there. It was a small flower that hadn¡¯t even bloomed yet, but it was no doubt alive, with moisture within it.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally back?¡±

    The Administrator turned his head again when he heard that voice.

    Su-hyeun was standing over there, busy wiping some sweat off his forehead. He definitely looked exhausted, but even then, the Administrator still ended up stumbling back several steps without even realizing it.

    He even forgot to avoid Su-hyeun¡¯s Insight because he was too shocked by the truly incredible feat Su-hyeun had managed to achieve in this place.

    ¡°Uhm, I didn¡¯t do this to shock you, but¡­Ah, the 199th floor, huh? That¡¯s a lot higher than I expected.¡±

    The Administrator urgently snapped his head away when Su-hyeun said that. He remembered that he couldn¡¯t afford to let his mind be read through Insight. However, that line of thinking didn¡¯t occupy his head for long, and he looked around again to take in the gravity of the current situation.

    He soon realized that his own analysis had been incorrect. ¡°Right. We should¡¯ve decided to send him straight to the 200th floor¡­¡±

    Some Administrators opined that the 199th floor was too much, and it was this Administrator of the 105th floor who vociferously opposed that opinion, saying that the 199th floor was indeed most suitable.

    But now that he took in this sight, he had to wonder if the 199th floor had been too low all along.

    * * *

    The world on the 199th floor came with a devastated and blackened terrain. The sand on the ground, the skies, and even the rays of light were all black in hue. It was like staring at a world tainted by black ink.

    ¡°I never imagined that someone would actually come this far,¡± said the Administrator of the 199th floor, a man who had a somewhat sleepy expression. He yawned grandly and continued to rub his eyes.

    It seemed that he was abruptly roused from his slumber.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Are you still sleepy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been asleep for around 500 years, so how can I not feel drowsy even now?¡±

    ¡°But the conference lasted for 10 days. Didn¡¯t you attend it as well?¡±

    ¡°Try sleeping for 500 years and then wake up, see what happens. You won¡¯t wake up fully even after 10 days.¡±

    The Administrator yawned again after replying. He then began nodding off again. He most likely acted the same way during the conference.

    The Administrators really came in all shapes and sizes, it seemed. Even then, this would be Su-hyeun¡¯s first time encountering one who dozed off like this.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we quickly start the trial instead?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no hint, is there?¡±

    ¡°Nope, no hint. But I do have a message for you.¡± While saying that, the Administrator didn¡¯t avoid Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes and stared straight back.

    Su-hyeun could only wryly chuckle, ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too annoying otherwise. The other idiots said I shouldn¡¯t look into your eyes, but let¡¯s be real here, this is way more convenient, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you want to call the ability to fill your head with only the things you want to say a talent, then it sure is a talent, alright.¡±

    ¡°You only ascended to full godhood recently, so obviously you wouldn¡¯t be proficient with Insight yet. You think I wouldn¡¯t know that when I¡¯ve been serving my god for how many years now?¡±

    ¡°As expected, you were all Apostles, then?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The light within the Administrator¡¯s sleepy and annoyed eyes suddenly transformed, a sharp gleam burning within those half-closed eyes as he stared at Su-hyeun. ¡°Could it be that you can see it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can,¡± Su-hyeun replied while staring at the space behind the Administrator, or more correctly, at the something behind him.

    Su-hyeun was staring at the unknown ¡°power¡± that made the Administrator move.

    ¡°Who is it? The god you guys are serving?¡±

 Chapter 415

    This would be his first time sensing something like this.

    No, wait. It couldn¡¯t technically be called the first since Su-hyeun sensed something similar when he first ran into the Bull Demon King.

    He had a feeling that he was staring at something without form, something with an unfathomable depth. Even though its scale was minute, Su-hyeun could definitely sense a similar vibe from somewhere behind the administrator.

    This was the power that could be felt from the so-called Apostles, the proxies of the gods.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that,¡± answered the administrator. He no longer appeared drowsy from sleep; he looked so much sharper now.

    That answer only proved how sensitive Su-hyeun¡¯s question of who the ¡°god¡± the administrators were serving had been.

    As if to indicate that the information was out of bounds, the administrator simply closed his eyes tightly. He didn¡¯t want to mistakenly let Su-hyeun use Insight on him.

    ¡°No need to be on guard like that, though. I¡¯ve already finished using Insight by now, anyway,¡± said Su-hyeun, causing the administrator to flinch notably.

    ¡®Had he already used Insight?¡¯

    Su-hyeun noticed how stunned the administrator was and sighed softly under his breath. ¡°It seems that the god you guys serve really hates to be under the spotlight or something. To think that even Insight failed to pick up the info related to that god.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªis that so?¡± the administrator deeply sighed, looking obviously relieved.

    He must¡¯ve been quite nervous just then. His earlier drowsy face was gone for good now.

    ¡°Besides all that, let¡¯s talk about my compensation first, shall we?¡± Su-hyeun beckoned with his finger as if he were asking for stuff he had left behind in the administrator¡¯s care.

    From the 105th floor to the 199th in an instant, he bypassed 94 floors in one go. Since he had leapfrogged so many floors, it was now time to cash out all the clear rewards that had accumulated in the bank, so to speak.

    The conference of the administrators that lasted for 10 days wasn¡¯t simply to figure out which floor they should send Su-hyeun off to but also the corresponding compensation.

    ¡°You have to choose between two items this time too.¡± The 199th floor¡¯s administrator was involved in discussing Su-hyeun¡¯s reward in the past as well, so he immediately understood what the latter was demanding here. He put forward a couple of options to choose from. ¡°One is an item crafted by a certain god. Weapons have been excluded since it¡¯ll be hard to find something better than what you¡¯ve been using already. This item is in the form of a glove.¡±

    ¡°What about the other one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fallen leaf of Yggdrasil. It might be something you need the most, actually.¡±

    ¡°Yggdrasil?¡±

    ¡°Take a look for yourself,¡± the administrator waved his hand in the air.

    Two images materialized before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. One was a glove, while the other was a small leaf just big enough to cover his palm.

    [Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove]

    <ul>

    The glove used by the highest-tier god Zeus when he holds lightning bolts contains the power of a god that can rouse up and command thunder and lightning.

    </ul>

    [Yggdrasil¡¯s fallen leaf]

    <ul>

    A leaf that fell from the First World Tree, Yggdrasil

    Grants the power of the World Tree when consumed

    </ul>

    The rewards on offer were truly outstanding.

    Their explanations alone made him salivate over both items, especially more so with the fallen leaf from the First World Tree Yggdrasil. This item was a heaven-defying elixir that granted you the power of the World Tree simply by consuming it.

    Elixirs granted one enormous power simply by consuming it, and as such, countless awakeners desired to acquire them. Even Su-hyeun was no different in that regard.

    He had to seriously contemplate his choice this time.

    ¡°You need more time?¡± the administrator asked after about five minutes of silently waiting.

    Su-hyeun could only reply after another five minutes of silence went by. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±

    ¡°Which one will it be?¡±

    Su-hyeun extended his left hand forward. ¡°I will go with this one.¡±

    [You have acquired ¡°Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove.¡±]

    Slide¡ª

    A transparent glove was slipped over Su-hyeun¡¯s left hand. Outwardly, it looked like nothing was there, but he was definitely wearing a glove over his hand now.

    The sensation of wearing it felt pretty good. Su-hyeun lightly clenched and unfurled his left hand a couple of times before nodding his head.

    Puzzled, the administrator asked, ¡°Why did you choose that one?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the need to rely on another elixir, you see.¡± Of course, he had a good reason for his decision. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m still relying on an item, but I believe that I¡¯ve already borrowed enough power from something or someone else at this stage.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Only then did the administrator discover the ¡°seed¡± inside Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    The First World Tree, Yggdrasil, was easily the biggest in all of the realms out there. Even so, a leaf that came from such a tree was still nothing more than a single leaf in the end.

    A seed, however, was already growing inside Su-hyeun¡¯s body right now, and he was no longer suppressing its growth. On the contrary, he was helping the World Tree mature even better by providing some of his energy as fertilizer. He was confident that he wouldn¡¯t get devoured by the World Tree, after all.

    Since that was the case, he didn¡¯t need to rely on some other things related to the World Tree.

    ¡°In any case, I¡¯ll use this item well. I¡¯ll gradually figure out how to use it on my own as well.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have regretted it no matter which one you chose, anyway. We have selected both of these, thinking that they suited you the best, you see.¡±

    ¡°I can see that.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t regret his decision. Just as the administrator had alluded to, both of the options available were quite tempting, for sure.

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, he decided that Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove between the two would serve his needs better at this point, so he chose it over the leaf.

    He studied his hand with the transparent glove for a while and then nodded again. Just by having it on, he thought he could get some idea on how to use it.

    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±

    ¡°All right. Is it okay to send you away right now, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Is there some other preparation I should make?¡±

    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t any.¡± The administrator shook his head. As he did, the surrounding scenery began distorting. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get it started immediately. I wish you fortune in war.¡±

    The moment he finished saying that, the distorting scenery transformed completely.

    The 199th floor¡¯s trial had truly begun.

    ¡°So the 199th floor¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun ended up climbing to a lot higher floor than he had anticipated. Without a doubt, he would be facing a trial boasting a far greater difficulty than ever before.

    ¡°What will show up in the 200th floor¡¯s trial, I wonder?¡±

    While he was thinking about this and that, the distorted scenery finally righted itself.

    The view before his eyes belonged to a city that would have been right at home around the 20th century. This world¡¯s level of scientific progress didn¡¯t seem that advanced, but it didn¡¯t feel that primitive, either.

    Su-hyeun scanned his surroundings for a while.

    Vuuooooooh¡ª!

    He spotted a steam locomotive quickly dashing across the tracks. There was a magic circle drawn in front of the vehicle, however.

    ¡°A fusion of magic and science, hmm?¡±

    Just as his thoughts reached that far, a couple of messages appeared before him.

    [The 199th floor¡¯s trial is commencing.]

    [Stop the Tyrant¡¯s game.]

    ¡°Game?¡±

    What ¡°game¡± was the system talking about?

    The contents of the messages lacked any details. However, he didn¡¯t need a lot of time to figure out what the system was telling him.

    Kyaaaahk¡ª!

    ¡°T¡ªt¡ªthe dead people, they¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Sh*t, what¡¯s gotten into these punks all of a sudden?¡±

    A commotion was coming from a distance. The voices were coming from the passenger compartment of the steam locomotive noisily chugging ahead.

    Sure enough, his clue appeared almost right away.

    ¡°Bingo.¡±

    <hr />

    The commotion began with just one person.

    Grrrk¡­ ggggrrrk¡­

    A woman began growling like some wild beast. Then, she indiscriminately attacked everyone. She displayed extraordinary strength that she even managed to shove aside several grown men and began tearing into their throats with her teeth.

    Blam, pow¡ª!

    Several police officers, unable to hold back anymore, unloaded their firearms at her. These guns possessed enough firepower through magical means to even penetrate steel plates without a problem. They were all convinced that the woman would be dead the moment the rounds hit her head.

    Unfortunately¡­

    Kiaaaaah¡ª!

    Despite having three holes in her head, she remained unperturbed and began attacking the officers.

    And so¡­

    Crunch, chew¡­

    Slurp, swallow¡­

    She tore through the throat of five people, but that wasn¡¯t the end of the bad news.

    Gwuhhh¡­

    Grrrk¡­

    The victims with their throats ripped out by her began displaying the same symptoms as her.

    The passengers gave up on resisting and began retreating to the rear compartment of the train. It was obvious that they would lose their will to fight after witnessing the woman still ruthlessly attacking back despite the bullet holes in her head.

    On top of that, she possessed physical strength several times greater than an average person.

    ¡°Stop the train!¡±

    ¡°Dammit! Don¡¯t they know what our situation is?¡±

    ¡°I said stop the train now!¡±

    ¡°How long until the next stop?¡±

    ¡°Still at least one hour¡­¡±

    It was complete pandemonium.

    Several people became so terrified that they simply flung the moving train¡¯s doors wide open and chose to throw themselves outside.

    They knew they wouldn¡¯t survive the impact; they were basically committing suicide. However, they still made this extreme choice, as they did not want to end up in such a wretched state if death was the only thing in store for them.

    Terror spread among the masses faster than even the most contagious virus.

    ¡°I¡ªisn¡¯t there a knight among us? Or someone with a knightly background, even¡ª!¡±

    ¡°I used to be a knight, but even I have never seen anything like that before!¡±

    ¡°You used to be a knight?¡±

    ¡°Then, what are you doing not protecting the citizens?¡±

    ¡°Since you got paid your wages through our taxes, do your job properly, will you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just an old man who retired after hurting my back, so what are you even saying to me right¡ª?¡±

    Uwaaah!

    Gyaaaak¡ª!

    The woman that began all of this pounced on the old man, the former knight. He reflexively swung the book in his hand to ward off the incoming woman.

    Smack¡ª!

    However, his book ended up hitting the back of a completely different target. The knight¡¯s eyes landed on this man¡¯s wide back instead of the woman trying to pounce on him.

    ¡°Hmm¡­Is this a zombie? For a game, isn¡¯t this a bit too clich¨¦?¡± muttered the unknown man in a monotone voice.

    This man¡¯s tone was different from the others. He didn¡¯t sound flustered; instead, he was calm and composed. As such, his voice had a calming effect on everyone else too.

    It was as if he had come from another world altogether.

    ¡°W¡ªwho are you?¡± asked the retired old knight to the man who still had his back to him. He was hoping that the man who rescued him today was a famed warrior or some such.

    ¡°My name is Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Why? Is it a strange name? Well, besides all that, just what are these things, anyway?¡± Su-hyeun asked as he extended his hand to the side.

    When he did¡­

    Hiiieeeek?!

    Creak, crunch¡­

    The old knight got so frightened that he stumbled to the floor.

    He had just witnessed how the crazed woman that had been trying to pounce on him bite into Su-hyeun¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Y¡ªyou¡­you¡¯re also bitten!¡±

    ¡°Ah, aaah¡­!¡±

    ¡°But I hoped that you¡ª!¡±

    Despairing expressions filled the faces of the crowd.

    Their reactions were to be expected, however; their experience up until then said that getting bitten by these crazed people who were letting out beast-like howls would make you act the same as them.

    Su-hyeun abruptly appeared to inspire confidence in their hearts, but that didn¡¯t last for long, as they all feared that he would also transform into a savage monster and turn on them as well.

    But then¡­

    ¡°N¡ªno, wait!¡±

    ¡°Hold on, his arm¡­?¡±

    ¡°Her teeth¡­can¡¯t break the skin?¡±

    Crunch, creaaak¡­

    The way the woman was trying to bite into Su-hyeun¡¯s arm looked as if she was chewing on a hardened steel plate or some such. Not a single teeth managed to break through the skin on his arm, while the contact surface continued to issue metallic creaking noises.

    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s definitely a zombie, so¡­¡±

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed the woman¡¯s throat with his other hand.

    Gyaaaahk¡ª!

    Almost as soon as he did that, something seeped out of her body.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    It wasn¡¯t just her, though. The others who were displaying similar symptoms of zombification reacted the same as her, and blackish smoke leaked out from their bodies to float to the ceiling.

    Soon, though, all those smoke coagulated into a single mass. Su-hyeun stared at that and asked, ¡°Okay, so where are you now?¡±

    No reply came from that black mass, but that was already enough for him.

    Smirk¡ª

    A faint grin appeared on Su-hyeun¡¯s face as he fixed his eyes at a location much farther away than the black smoke before him.

    ¡°Aha! So that¡¯s where you were.¡±

    He decided to think that this was as good as an answer.

 Chapter 416

    <hr />

    Crunch, chew, crunch¡­

    A man was munching on some bones¡ªbones that had piled up into a small mountain and which used to belong to hundreds of thousands, no, millions of people. Those bones now resemble an eerie snow-covered mountain.

    Only one being retained the color of flesh, and this being was the man chewing on the white bones. He had a pair of deeply sunken dark eyes that made him looked as though his eye sockets were hollow and that he was staring vacantly as he kept chewing.

    Crunch

    Whether it was out of habit or because he genuinely found the bones tasty, he continued to munch on the bones. Whenever he finished devouring one piece, he would move onto the next one. He continued to munch and munch some more.

    But then, his mouth and hands suddenly stopped moving. He then lowered the half-devoured bone to the ground. ¡°What an amusing punk,¡± he muttered. Not a trace of emotion could be detected in such a flat-pitched utterance.

    Amusing?

    He had no emotions to feel that way, but his brain processed that word nonetheless. Even then, it was true that this man had never experienced a thought like this before.

    ¡°A hound?¡±

    He just said the word ¡°Hound,¡± the slang to denote the proxies of the gods¡ªthe Apostles.

    This man had encountered many Apostles before. In fact, a few of them were mixed in among the pile of bones he was currently sitting on.

    The reason for that was simple enough¡ªthey were weak, while this man was strong. The weak were destined to become the prey and, subsequently, the nutrients for the strong. That was the law of the jungle, the unwritten rule that would never change.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m right here,¡± the man muttered again and then tossed the bone in his hand behind him.

    A bone was still a bone regardless of where it came from, but even then, how bones tasted differed.

    How a bone tasted was determined by the combined factors of a person¡¯s level of magical energy and life force, plus a few other things, when a person was still alive. That was why this man only picked and devoured those bones that met his fastidious taste buds out of this large bone pile.

    ¡°Come at me, then. I¡¯m getting curious about how your bones will taste.¡±

    Crunch¡­

    Although the distance between him and his new opponent was great, the two of them were definitely staring at each other right now.

    The man was really looking forward to finding out how the bones of the Hound that had accurately seen through to where he was would taste.

    ¡°He really looks appetizing,¡± the man said as he salivated voraciously.

    Crunch¡ª

    The man continued to dine on that bone pile of his, which was once millions of people of an empire¡¯s capital that he destroyed for a tasty meal.

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun stared at the creature¡ªa man that was sitting on the pile of bones and leisurely snacking away¡ªthrough the black fog.

    ¡°So, I guess that creature is Tyrant?¡±

    The Tower¡¯s system informed him of two things: one, the name of Tyrant and, two, the clue of a ¡°game.¡±

    That creature from just now didn¡¯t seem to have any purpose for murdering people other than to have a meal. To him, this was far closer to an amusing distraction rather than an actual purpose, and the meal it was having right now was nothing more than some dessert rather than an overabundant feast.

    Just for that, Tyrant destroyed a country, and most likely, this creature wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with only that much.

    ¡°An ability based on some type of virus¡ªsomething like that should be quite convenient when not wanting to lift a single finger, I guess,¡± he thought.

    It was unknown whether the Predator called the Tyrant only had one ability related to viruses or it was merely a part of his repertoire.

    However, one thing was for sure: Tyrant did possess an ability related to the manipulation of viruses, and those victims infected by the viruses would suddenly become indiscriminately aggressive to other nearby life forms.

    On top of that, the infected target would also come to possess tenacious vitality and resistance toward physical damage. Not to forget, their physical strength would also be significantly enhanced.

    The so-called zombies strengthened in such a manner would instantly become Tyrant¡¯s army of the dead.

    Even if Tyrant didn¡¯t do anything else, the world found within the 199th floor¡¯s trial would have turned into pandemonium filled with zombies in only a matter of days.

    Finally¡­

    ¡°If you do get infected, though, it¡¯ll be a miracle to survive for 10 days or so.¡±

    Normally, you weren¡¯t shown the final fate of zombies in movies, but when you thought about it for a bit, you should be puzzled by such a thing. How would all these zombies continue to survive in a world filled with only zombies?

    What would happen when there were no more humans or animals left to devour?

    What about those special zombies that sometimes appeared, the ones with high physical strength and a truly resilient vitality? Where did they even acquire those powers from?

    The answer was simple: they were abusing their dead bodies. As such, the flesh with all of its strength being squeezed out wouldn¡¯t last for more than 10 days before losing all of its energy.

    In other words, the moment the virus began circulating, this world had entered the 10-day-long countdown to an apocalypse.

    ¡°And this is the so-called game, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    For a game of amusement, this sure was a crappy one. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t feel remotely amused at all.

    ¡°Hold on, did you just say Tyrant?¡±

    Buzz¡ª

    It was at that moment that Su-hyeun¡¯s necklace began humming.

    He brought the necklace before his eyes. The voice coming from it belonged to Luslec.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Good to hear from you again, Mister Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Me too. By the way, it sounds like you know that name, Tyrant?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that bastard is one of the One Hundred Evils. Uh, it¡¯s about¡­Here it is. Right, it¡¯s the 65th on the rankings.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get that info from?¡±

    ¡°Well, we have dossiers on Predators, you see. They contain the details of those Predators that became infamous. Although not every single Predator has been noted down, the names and special characteristics of around half of the One Hundred Evils are in our files.¡±

    Luslec knew quite a lot about the Predators.

    The One Hundred Evils were the creatures found on the outskirts of this ranking, which came after One Overlord, Three Destroyers, and Ten Great Evils.

    Originally, Fafnir was one of the One Hundred Evils. Its current version was said to have stepped into the rank of the Ten Great Evils, but the version before the regression would¡¯ve been stuck somewhere in this ranking.

    Meaning, this particular Predator could serve as a yardstick to measure himself.

    ¡°Tyrant. A Predator that uses special viral infection to destroy several different dimensions and realms. Its main abilities are ¡®regeneration¡¯ and close-quarter combat, as well as casting curses using viruses. That¡¯s what this bastard is known for.¡±

    ¡°That dossier thing, is that something in circulation among the Apostles?¡±

    ¡°No, not to everyone, but I did get my hands on one after going through so many hoops. If you need anything, just ask me. I¡¯ll let you know everything there is to know.¡±

    ¡°Wait, is it okay to tell me any of these?¡±

    ¡°If it were up to me, I¡¯d have already leaked the copy of this dossier to you. But if I do that, uh, I don¡¯t think my punishment won¡¯t end with just some heavy scolding, unfortunately.¡±

    After his reply, Luslec¡¯s laughter seeped out of the necklace. Then, the light shining from the necklace soon dimmed. Maybe the sizeable distance between them was to blame for that.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll get in touch next time,¡± Su-hyeun ended the communication with Luslec there. He then looked beyond as his eyes took on the blue hue. ¡°Well, then. Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Clouds materialized below Su-hyeun¡¯s feet.

    It was the Somersault cloud. He lightly tapped the cloud with his foot after sensing the soft plushness below.

    The power of the Somersault cloud, as well as the Palm Leaf, is maximized by the Sage Arts, a ¡°cultivation technique.¡± The same could be said for the effects of the Divine Art, which evolved form of the Sage Arts, only that it happened to go beyond the level of simply maximizing powers.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Fwhooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure riding on the Somersault cloud instantly became a small dot in the sky before disappearing completely. A white trail had been left behind in the cloud¡¯s wake as if someone used chalk to draw a line.

    <hr />

    He could see tall outer walls in the far-off distance.

    The walls, at least 100 meters tall, were installed in such a way that they could not be brought down no matter how powerful the magic attack was or how threatening siege weapons could be. Even the innate defenses of the walls themselves were top-notch.

    The exterior was protected by special alloys, while the physical and magical means befitting a world with advanced magic engineering were utilized in full to maximize the defenses.

    The outer walls didn¡¯t have a single scratch, and no traces could indicate that it had been under attack.

    However, Su-hyeun instantly figured out that not a single person was alive beyond those walls the moment he laid eyes on them.

    Crunch, creak¡­

    Crack, creak¡ª

    The corpses of millions of people, or more accurately the bones belonging to them, lay beyond those walls, piled up into a small mountain.

    Su-hyeun still riding on the Somersault cloud stared at the situation beyond the walls. A lone man was sitting on the pile of the bones, looking up at him.

    ¡°You got here sooner than I thought,¡± the man muttered in a rather relaxed manner while sitting in a lotus position. It seemed that this being didn¡¯t find Su-hyeun appearing like this all that surprising to behold. ¡°You found me so easily with only one look? I thought you¡¯d need some time.¡±

    ¡°Well, your disgusting stench was detectable even way over there, you see. It wasn¡¯t that hard to track you down.¡± Su-hyeun lightly jumped off from the Somersault cloud.

    A sizeable city that lay beyond the walls was completely emptied out that no trace of people could be seen anywhere. Even a moron could tell what happened to them, though, and the man right in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was the reason why they came to be nothing but countless skeletons.

    ¡°Disgusting stench, you say? Well, makes sense. There are so many corpses overflowing here, so it would¡¯ve been even stranger if there had been no smell at all. Even then, they still taste great. If you¡¯re curious, why don¡¯t you grab a leg and find out for yourself?¡± Tyrant nonchalantly brought another bone to his lips while saying that.

    Right at that moment¡­

    Piiiing¡ª

    Tick¡­

    Something came flying in and sliced apart the bone in Tyrant¡¯s hand. When the bone about to enter his mouth broke off and clattered to the floor, the Predator stopped moving his hand and began shooting a sharp glare in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction.

    ¡°You ain¡¯t some hungry tramp, so you should think about eating later,¡± Su-hyeun said. He had already drawn a sword in his hand by then.

    Despite being some distance away, Su-hyeun deliberately aimed not at Tyrant but at the bone he had in his hand. His purpose was to get on the Predator¡¯s nerves, and his provocation worked like a charm.

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Toss¡ª

    Tyrant tossed the halved piece of bone behind him.

    Having a meal could wait. Besides, all these bones were nothing more than tasty snacks before he was ready to move onto another world. ¡°All these small fries will only spoil my taste buds, after all.¡±

    Smirk¡ª

    Gulp¡­

    He stared at Su-hyeun with a creepy grin and, at the same time, began drooling away.

    A carnivore but also a gourmet¡ªthese two things could describe Tyrant¡¯s ¡°desires,¡± and at the moment, Tyrant believed that he could possibly be staring at the most delicious-looking prey he had ever run into since his birth.

    Although he had devoured countless people up until now, he was certain that prey as delicious-looking as Su-hyeun would be a first.

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s time to recycle all this trash, then.¡±

    Clap¡ª

    Tyrant clapped his hands while saying that, which prompted strange noises to resound everywhere.

    Crunch, creaaak¡­

    Crack, snap, break¡ª

    The noisy smacking and breaking sounds rang within Su-hyeun¡¯s ears, and he instantly figured out the source of all those noises. ¡°You also knew Necromancy, huh?¡±

    ¡°No need to dirty my hands, is there?¡± Tyrant perched himself on a chair made out of bones. As if he had become a king of death, he levitated high up into the air, along with his new bone throne. He rested his chin on his hand on the throne¡¯s armrest and looked down at Su-hyeun below. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to come up here after dealing with them? Once I¡¯m done spectating your struggles, I may think about having a bit more fun with you.¡±

    ¡°Struggle, my foot.¡± Su-hyeun didn¡¯t even pay any heed to the animated skeletons. ¡°From the beginning, you aren¡¯t the one in charge of these things.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Just as Tyrant began making a puzzled face at that proclamation¡­

    Giriririririk¡ª!

    The throne he was sitting on abruptly made a strange movement. The bone throne altered its shape and became a sphere that wrapped around him.

    CRUNCH¡ª

    Then, the ends of the bones became sharp fangs that crushed down Tyrant¡¯s figure.

 Chapter 417

    Crunch, creak, crush¡ª

    The bones forming a tight sphere continued to compress into something even smaller. As the power behind the compression grew and as the size of the bone mass shrunk unnaturally, the impact force crushing down on Tyrant increased.

    Of course, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t expect this much of an attack to cause any lasting damage to his opponent.

    Wu-dududuk¡ª

    Bang¡ª!

    An arm crushed all the bones in its way and broke through the surface. Once an arm was freed, the rest didn¡¯t prove to be difficult to free. Tyrant easily shattered the bones tightening around him and escaped completely.

    Dribble¡­

    Drip, drip¡­

    Black blood leaked from his body and dripped on the ground. Su-hyeun stared at that wretched figure and thought to himself, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that he¡¯s not dead yet.¡±

    Many bloody holes had opened up in the Predator¡¯s body, including not just on various vital points but even on one side of his head, which was completely gone now.

    Since the sharp bone pile wrapped around him and started crushing him, such a state shouldn¡¯t be all that surprising to see. If such a thing happened to a regular person, they would¡¯ve already ended up as unrecognizable fine meat paste.

    Of course, Tyrant was not something that could be compared to a regular person. He was a Predator ranked among One Hundred Evils, after all.

    ¡°Even then, his defensive capability is surprisingly weak,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t even attacked directly. He merely utilized his Necromancer trait to forcibly pry away Tyrant¡¯s control over the skeletons and then, when the Predator had let his guard down, made his throne move. He then injected some of his magical energy and prana to enhance the hardness of the bones. Finally, he proceeded to crush the target using the hardened bones. That was all.

    ¡°Or maybe I¡¯ve become stronger than I thought?¡±

    It was hard to determine if this was the reason, at least not right now. Besides, the ability that best represented Tyrant hadn¡¯t entered the picture yet.

    Hiss, sizzle¡­

    All those large bloody holes in Tyrant¡¯s body began to close up. The wounds healed at a visible pace; even his complexion, pale as a sheet of paper after all the blood loss, quickly regained its original color.

    Extremely high-speed regeneration¡ªthat was basically Tyrant¡¯s godly authority.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t expect me to die just because you managed to open up a few holes in me,¡± Tyrant said, deeply confident of his own ability. Perhaps that was the reason why he didn¡¯t display any signs of getting flustered about the current situation. ¡°Even I don¡¯t know how I can actually die, after all. My physical body is built in such a way that even if I want to die, it won¡¯t. It¡¯s basically the same as true immortality, the one you people often talk about.¡±

    Riiip¡ª

    The Predator suddenly ripped his own limb off while saying that. Despite having ripped off his own arm, Tyrant didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid.

    He definitely didn¡¯t hesitate to hurt himself, but Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t tell whether that was because he couldn¡¯t feel pain or he simply didn¡¯t fear it.

    ¡°If you really wish to kill me¡ªno wait¡ªif you wish to inflict even a single proper wound on my body, you better be prepared to chop me apart into hundreds of thousands of pieces. If you do that, then who knows? I might really end up with a wound after I finish regenerating.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Tyrant stepped forward while speaking up.

    Before him, though, were countless skeletons lining up. Spears, blades, and even pointy bone pieces in their hands, plus their sharp and glowing eyes all aimed for the Predator¡¯s direction.

    ¡°So, he stole my command over them, is that it¡­?¡±

    Although Tyrant spoke in a relaxed tone, inwardly, he was quite surprised by this turn of events.

    Controlling the dead wasn¡¯t Tyrant¡¯s specialty, true, but even then, he didn¡¯t think there would be a human capable of commanding these many skeletons with ease.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re no ordinary Necromancer, then.¡±

    As they were all skeletons, Tyrant¡¯s virus wouldn¡¯t work anymore. Controlling viruses was an ability that only affected the living, after all.

    Since that was the case¡­

    ¡°Just disappear, then.¡±

    Gu-wuuuung¡ª

    Tyrant slammed his palm on the ground. At the same time, the land below began quaking ominously.

    Gu-gugugu¡­

    Crack, split, craaaack¡ª

    The ground split apart, and the terrain separated. All those countless skeleton soldiers helplessly tumbled below the chasm.

    Su-hyeun leaped high in the air and watched this event unfold. Luslec¡¯s information turned out to be true, after all.

    ¡°Close-quarter hand-to-hand combat, incredible regenerative power, and virus manipulation were supposed to be this Predator¡¯s specialty, right?¡±

    For sure, Tyrant¡¯s physical strength was indeed something else. Splitting the ground apart by simply standing still and slapping it with one hand meant that his power must be extraordinary.

    If speed was to be added to such power, then just one strike would be enough to easily destroy a single city.

    ¡°Well, in that case, why don¡¯t we find out how long you can keep regenerating?¡±

    Tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun landed back on the ground and, while wielding his sword, began to leisurely walk over to Tyrant.

    Tyrant also unhurriedly approached Su-hyeun, and so, when they got within 10 steps of each other¡­

    Pa-aht¡ª

    Paht¡ª!

    In the blink of an eye, their figures seemed to have vanished.

    Claaaaang¡ª!

    Kwa-woooooo¡ª!

    The ground deeply caved in as thunderous noises boomed throughout the surroundings.

    <hr />

    Clang¡ª!

    Riiip, craaaack¡ª!

    The defensive walls tens of meters tall that surrounded the city were crumbling down. Even if they were several meters thick, crafted with special alloys, and treated with magical defensive means, in the end, they were all useless.

    The walls were ripped apart like pieces of paper and crumbled to bits after losing their balance. Among the falling debris, Tyrant was forcing his half-crushed body back up.

    Swhooooosh¡ª

    POW¡ª!

    Just as the Predator stood back up, a long spear suddenly flew straight into his head and stabbed him. The flames burning on the spear quickly set Tyrant on fire, scorching him pitch-black.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    With Tyrant in the center, purple-colored flames rapidly spread out. In the meantime, he yanked the spear that was stabbing him in the head and threw it right back where it came from.

    Whooooosh¡ª!

    Bang¡ª!

    The spear tore through the air and returned to Su-hyeun¡¯s grip. While holding the spear, Su-hyeun stared at Tyrant down below on the ground.

    Wiggle, wriggle¡ª

    Buzzz, hiss¡­

    Tyrant¡¯s body was in complete tatters. He got chopped up and punched by Su-hyeun¡¯s sword strikes and fists, causing him to fly away and crash into the defensive wall of the city. Even then, he remained undaunted as he stood back up. Su-hyeun threw the spear right back at the Predator.

    Not just the spear but all of Su-hyeun¡¯s attacks so far had landed on the Predator¡¯s vital parts. Despite all that, Tyrant continued to regenerate just fine.

    ¡°But the rate of his regeneration has slowed down, thanks to my Flame.¡±

    The divine Flame had the side effect of suppressing the opponent¡¯s ability to regenerate. However, Tyrant still regenerated himself at a fairly quick rate despite being burned by the divine Flame.

    This had been going on for one hour already.

    As expected, this Predator was a far better sandbag than some monsters that crawled out of a dungeon. Not only was he hard to kill but Tyrant was also strong and fast, which truly made him an ideal opponent to test out Su-hyeun¡¯s newly acquired abilities.

    At first, Su-hyeun had to wonder to himself. This creature was supposed to be one of the One Hundred Evils, yet wasn¡¯t he much weaker than expected?

    However, now that some time had passed by, Su-hyeun became more and more familiar with his newly acquired body and magical energy reserve, which, in turn, allowed him to realize something else.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really in full control of my own strength.¡±

    Since Tyrant¡¯s regenerative ability was so good, Su-hyeun initially thought that the Predator¡¯s defensive capability was rather poor in comparison.

    That assumption turned out to be incorrect.

    Over time, he began sensing that the strength contained within his attacks was no longer the same as before. His Strength stat hadn¡¯t increased, yet not just his physical strength but even the sensation he felt when moving his body were all different now.

    Magical energy and prana were responsible for this change.

    ¡°My abilities have been enhanced across the board, and skills requiring magical energy also have seen an increase in their firepower¡­¡±

    As a happy accident, Su-hyeun even discovered a part of himself that he had failed to notice during this battle as well.

    ¡°I have been aiming for Gyeol all this time without realizing it.¡±

    When the battle against Tyrant began and the moment he decided to kill Tyrant, Su-hyeun began targeting Tyrant¡¯s Gyeol instinctively. Thanks to that, the Predator was getting easily chopped apart like a block of tofu.

    ¡°I guess I better take note of this, too.¡±

    All of his abilities, including Insight, Gyeol, and the breathing technique, came to him so naturally just like breathing air.

    On the other hand, Tyrant was getting surprised in a completely different sense to Su-hyeun¡¯s own surprises.

    ¡°How can this be¡­?¡±

    As Tyrant quickly regained his original appearance, his eyes quaked powerfully. Plenty of questions were reflected in his trembling expression.

    This couldn¡¯t be right.

    BOOM¡ª!

    Tyrant angrily rushed in toward Su-hyeun once more. ¡°This can¡¯t be right¡ª!¡±

    Split¡ª!

    Tyrant¡¯s hand opened wide like the mouth of an anglerfish. It even changed color to pitch-black and immediately swallowed Su-hyeun up.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Cruuuunch¡ª!

    Tyrant squeezed his hand hard. When he felt the sensation of crushing Su-hyeun down, he began grinning, too.

    That didn¡¯t last for long.

    Whooooosh¡ª

    Riiiiiiiip¡ª!

    Massive storm winds raged on within Tyrant¡¯s hand and began ripping his arm apart. Blood splattered everywhere, and the left side of the Predator¡¯s body was completely shredded apart.

    Keuh-euh¡­

    Wiggle, wriggle¡ª

    Tyrant¡¯s shredded body writhed and began coagulating as one once more. During his regeneration, though, he began stumbling back.

    He seemed to have gotten weaker than before because his rapid regeneration had slowed down just a little.

    The effort to regenerate must have required a lot of stamina, it seemed.

    Grit¡ª

    The noise of gritting teeth even reached Su-hyeun¡¯s position. Tyrant seemed to be truly enraged right now.

    ¡°You dare to toy with me?!¡±

    Tyrant finally realized something: Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t been taking him seriously all along.

    This had been going on for a while now¡ªSu-hyeun stopped attacking and waited when Tyrant ended up in tatters and ripped to pieces.

    He was actually waiting for the regeneration to take place.

    Rip, tear¡ª

    Tyrant¡¯s body suddenly split apart, and dozens, hundreds, of arms spread out to their surroundings. Then, the Predator transformed into a bizarre monstrous figure.

    It was like staring at the pitch-black Asura that boasted hundreds of arms. It didn¡¯t stop there, as he even opened his maw wide and pounced on Su-hyeun next.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Baaang, booooom¡ª

    Hundreds of arms took aim at Su-hyeun and rapidly descended on him, but he simply tutted inwardly while staring at those arms crushing and devouring the debris of the destroyed ground.

    ¡°Is this your last gasp struggle, then?¡±

    The number of Tyrant¡¯s arms was still rapidly increasing, which, in turn, led to his size getting even bigger as well.

    ¡°So that¡¯s his original appearance, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He had been wondering about this ever since coming face to face with Tyrant.

    For some reason, this Predator was too ¡°small,¡± but the sense of presence that the creature gave off was simply too large. Therefore, that didn¡¯t make Su-hyeun think that Tyrant¡¯s physical size was indeed small. Rather, he felt that the outward appearance of the Predator was simply a facade.

    Also, the shadow extending behind Tyrant did look different from a humanoid shape.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my Insight, I guess.¡±

    As a technique, Insight would only get more useful the more he used it, and he didn¡¯t initially think he could even use it to see through a monster putting on a disguise.

    Now that his suspicion had been proven to be true, he no longer felt curious about anything else. ¡°Yup, you were a pretty nice sandbag, alright.¡±

    This would be Su-hyeun¡¯s first time encountering an opponent with such a tenacious regenerative ability.

    In the past, he might have gotten flustered by this development, but now, it was a different story. Excluding that regenerative ability, Tyrant fell well behind Fafnir in every aspect even if both of them were ranked among the One Hundred Evils.

    As such, Su-hyeun was able to gradually unleash his powers and fight the Predator, and Tyrant¡¯s role today was simply to act as a sandbag.

    ¡°Lastly¡­¡±

    Buzz, crackle¡­

    Su-hyeun then began gathering powerful arcs of electricity within his left hand.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be over after I confirm this one.¡±

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    Thick storm clouds were gathering in the skies above. The speed of the clouds that were coming together was much faster than in the past as well. After he ascended to godhood and his Sage Arts evolved into the Divine Art, commanding the Somersault cloud became as natural as moving his hands and feet.

    In addition, all those thick clouds that he summoned were imbued with powerful electrical currents.

    [Somersault cloud]

    [Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove]

    And soon after that¡­

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The Somersault cloud¡¯s lightning shooting down from the sky wrapped around Su-hyeun¡¯s left hand.

    Sizzle, buzzzzzz¡ª

    Soon, the arcs of electricity took on the shape of a lightning bolt¡ªpower that did not feature any physical form. Nonetheless, that power took on the shape of a spear in Su-hyeun¡¯s grip.

    [Thunderbolt]

 Chapter 418

    <hr />

    Ku-rung, rumble¡ª

    Bzz, vzzzz¡ª

    The lightning energy from the Somersault cloud was still gathering in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    Honestly, there wasn¡¯t a real need to reach up with his hand to grasp the electrical energy. From the get-go, all the lightning energy infusing the Somersault cloud was the power he commanded, anyway. As such, all the electricity gathered in his hand rather naturally as well.

    However, the ability to hold onto electrical energy that didn¡¯t have any physical form or shape and giving it a tangible form came from the glove Su-hyeun wore over his left hand.

    ¡°For sure, its compatibility is really outstanding,¡± he thought.

    The ability of the god of Olympus, Zeus, was wielding lightning bolts. Su-hyeun had never met Zeus before, but even then, he still knew that the power symbolizing the god in the myths was the heavenly punishment that struck down from the skies¡ªthe thunderbolts.

    The Thunder Glove was an item that allowed the wearer to grasp lightning and amplify its destructive power. This item alone granted the authority to freely command thunder and lightning, which was basically the same as acquiring yet another qualification of godhood.

    And Su-hyeun already possessed the power called the Somersault cloud that could command lightning.

    ¡°Did they choose this reward in consideration of my Somersault cloud?¡±

    He had no choice but to think that way. After using it, he now knew for sure. He understood how well this item combined with the Somersault cloud.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    One of Tyrant¡¯s numerous hands reached right before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. Each of these hands featured sharp fangs, and they were pouncing on him with incredible gripping power, too.

    Nonetheless, to Su-hyeun, they were all moving very slowly. No, wait¡ªit wasn¡¯t as simple as ¡°moving slowly¡± but something more than that.

    He was vividly seeing the future that would happen in a short while.

    [Clairvoyance]

    <ul>

    The user can confirm the future about to happen shortly.

    The future confirmed in this manner can be altered by the user.

    The scope of the future that can be confirmed will depend on the user¡¯s proficiency.

    Proficiency: 0.08%

    </ul>

    Clairvoyance was another skill that he acquired through Divine Art. This skill could only be activated through prana and not the usual magical energy. It was also completely on another realm compared to how one could foresee the possible future after raising one¡¯s Reflex stat extremely high.

    Su-hyeun had to confirm the difference between sensing the future like seeing it and then actually seeing it vividly.

    Crunch¡ª!

    It looked as though Tyrant¡¯s hand had swallowed up Su-hyeun¡¯s body. However, Su-hyeun had already moved out of the way to the side by then.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Chomp, choooomp¡ª

    Chomp, chomp, chomp, choooomp¡ª

    Hundreds of hands busily darted about to capture Su-hyeun, but he simply flitted left, right, up, and down to dodge, all the while activating his Clairvoyance.

    He could clearly see everything¡ªspecifically, where he should move and which action would be the most optimal course to take for him.

    ¡°One, two¡­¡±

    And as he dodged the hundreds of hands, Su-hyeun¡¯s back began arching back like a bow. In his left hand still wearing Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove was the famed Thunderbolt ready to be thrown at the target.

    And so, right after he counted inwardly to two¡­

    ¡°Three!¡±

    When he had counted the last number, he threw the pure-white Thunderbolt crackling with electricity that had been completed in his hand.

    Right in that moment¡­

    FLASH¡ª!

    The entire world was instantly dyed in a searing white light.

    KWA-RUUUMBLE¡ª!

    <hr />

    The whole world became pure white. The light was too intense that not even ¡°Insight¡± could see through it. It was bright enough to even blind the eyes.

    Even the one who threw the lightning bolt, Su-hyeun, had to furrow his brow really deeply. He wasn¡¯t affected by the electrical discharge, but he couldn¡¯t even guess the quantity of electricity currently blanketing the world.

    Without a doubt, the Thunderbolt was shaped like a slick and slender spear in his hand, which was only around two meters in length, yet it had this effect. It must have contained one heck of an electrical charge than Su-hyeun had imagined.

    Time passed by, and gradually, color returned to the whitened world.

    The first thing he saw was one of Tyrant¡¯s arms reaching out toward him. Su-hyeun extended his hand at the burnt-black arm.

    Crumble¡­

    The moment their hands touched, the Predator¡¯s arm turned into powder and crumbled to the ground before scattering away.

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to Tyrant¡¯s torso connected to the crumbling arm. The Predator, with its entire figure scorched black, was not regenerating anymore.

    However, that wasn¡¯t all that surprising since Tyrant¡¯s body had become fine powder that crumbled to the ground. It wasn¡¯t just his arm but his entire being had turned into blackened powder.

    Crumble, scatter¡ª

    Soon after that, Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes finally caught the surrounding scenery.

    ¡°Well, this is definitely more than I imagined.¡±

    The single lightning bolt that Su-hyeun fired at Tyrant and no one else ended up affecting everything his eyes could see. The destructive power on display was one thing, but the attack range was also well beyond Su-hyeun¡¯s initial estimation.

    His divine Flame could also influence an area as large as this, yes, but the case with the Thunderbolt was definitely not the same at all.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been really bad if someone was nearby.¡±

    The divine Flame burned all those that Su-hyeun wanted to burn. The flip side of that meant that those he didn¡¯t want to burn would never be affected.

    On the other hand, Su-hyeun was not in complete control of the Thunderbolt. Therefore, if its attack range turned out to be well beyond his estimation, then the skill would become difficult to use if there were allies nearby.

    Crackle, buzzzz¡ª

    Su-hyeun created one more Thunderbolt in his grip, but then he noticed something within his reserve.

    Maybe using the powers of both Somersault cloud and the Thunder Glove at once was to blame here, but he sensed that his prana and magical energy reserve were draining out at an alarming rate.

    Nonetheless, he proceeded to throw the bolt at a tall mountain visible in a far-off distance.

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª

    Crackle, bzzzzz, crackleeee¡ª!

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    A blinding light flashed from the mountain targeted by the spear, and a plume of electricity exploded upward. The mountain itself shattered into pieces, and even before its debris could scatter, it got pulverized out of existence.

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡­¡±

    No wonder.

    He activated this power while adjusting the destructive power to be as low as possible, yet he had still spent a lot more magical energy and prana than he expected just now.

    He wondered why that was, but the truth turned out to be that the attack still contained far greater destructive power than he bargained for.

    This wasn¡¯t something to be fully happy about because a power that couldn¡¯t be either restricted or controlled properly was not much different from handing a treasured sword to a little child.

    Su-hyeun had never imagined that one day he would be handed a stupendous power that he couldn¡¯t even control properly.

    ¡°And Zeus can fire something like this as many times as he wants, right?¡±

    The Thunder Glove originally belonged to Zeus, and the power activated through this item originally was also Zeus¡¯s.

    Su-hyeun was still not skilled enough in handling this power. On the other hand, Zeus would be more than proficient enough with it since it was his own power in the first place.

    The difference in how they handled this power would only be starkly noticeable, but when he thought about it in another way, it might mean something significant about him.

    ¡°If I can control this power properly, does that mean I¡¯ve almost reached Zeus¡¯s level?¡±

    He thought about Insight, Clairvoyance, Thunderbolt, and the others, as well as his proficiency in Divine Art that included all of the above. If he continued to dig deeper into this Divine Art, then it was inevitable that his own status as a god would grow higher. Since that was the case, it might be possible that one day, his own abilities could rival that of Zeus, one of the highest-tier gods out there.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Su-hyeun asked as he raised his head to look up. The sky had nothing in it, yet he spoke in that particular direction anyway, ¡°It¡¯s over now, right?¡±

    Right after that¡­

    [You have cleared the 199th floor¡¯s trial.]

    [You have acquired 80,000,000 achievement points.]

    [Death Aura has increased by one point.]

    [Your soul has taken a step beyond the boundaries of man.]

    [You have acquired the qualification of godhood.]

    [Skills related to the ¡°Trait ¨C Necromancer¡± have been partially altered.]

    [Will you transfer to the next floor?]

    Messages appeared one after another.

    The Administrators who had been discussing the rewards until now had to decide quickly on Su-hyeun¡¯s new reward after he egged them on.

    Eighty million achievement points? That was a lot more points than he anticipated.

    With this much, it would be possible to purchase another God¡¯s Tear. He was planning to save up the points to improve his Death Aura, but now¡­

    ¡°Well, another one has increased, then.¡±

    His Death Aura stat had reached 100 points as well.

    This transformation also brought along quite a few changes to the related skills, but there was no real need to confirm them right here.

    [You will be transferred to the next floor.]

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body grew blurry.

    Floor number 200¡ªthis would be his second hundred-floor hurdle.

    <hr />

    ¡°I had no idea that Tyrant would be killed that easily.¡±

    ¡°One strike¡­was it?¡±

    The Administrators were all looking down on the floor.

    The floor they were standing on was projecting an image, and it contained a pulverized mountain, a destroyed city, and finally, a scorched-black corpse that was turning into powder.

    That place was where Su-hyeun had vanished from only a second ago.

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to wonder if we¡¯ve given him something a bit too over the top here.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s already the 200th floor. It¡¯s certainly not over the top considering that.¡±

    ¡°You still think that way after clapping your eyes on this end result? A so-called unkillable immortal died in one hit. A bastard that we all thought couldn¡¯t be killed no matter what died in that man¡¯s hands!¡±

    ¡°The whole idea of that thing being unkillable was nothing more than some rumor circulating among those bottom-feeder gods. Let¡¯s be honest here, you think those gods in the Five Godly Sages tier will feel that way?¡±

    One question from this Administrator managed to utterly silence his surroundings, but that wasn¡¯t because providing an answer would¡¯ve been too troublesome or difficult. Rather, it was all because of one term that came out of this Administrator¡ªthe Five Godly Sages.

    ¡°Wait a minute, fella. Did you really compare that man to the gods in the Five Godly Sages tier?¡±

    ¡°Why, am I not allowed to do that?¡±

    ¡°Compare him to someone comparable, fella. How could you even bring those noble beings into this¡­?¡±

    Their voices grew louder, which made some sense since the term ¡°Five Godly Sages¡± carried that much weight.

    Even when searching through all the dimensions and realms, you still wouldn¡¯t find all that many existences that could rival them.

    But now¡­

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it for yourselves? Besides, that man is a human who hasn¡¯t even lived for 100 years yet. As far as I know, there has never been any precedence like him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    What he said shut the other Administrators up once more. Without a doubt, Su-hyeun¡¯s growth speed was extraordinary.

    It had only been a few years since he began climbing the Tower, and that was precisely the length of time he required to break through the boundaries separating man and god to reach this realm.

    Even if gods and men were not the same, his current growth speed couldn¡¯t simply be explained with such a line of thinking.

    ¡°The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven is being considered as another being who can rival the noble beings, yet that man is displaying the growth rate exceeding even him. It¡¯s already extraordinary that he can use Insight as soon as becoming a god, too¡­¡±

    ¡°Just what is it that you are trying to say, fella?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about what the reward for him will be after he clears the 200th floor.¡± The Administrator, who had been leading the discussion, seemed to ponder on something for a bit before asking a question to his fellow Administrators, ¡°How about we do this?¡±

    <hr />

    There was nothing to be found on the 200th floor.

    This place was pitch-black. Since it was so dark here with not even a trace of faint light, to Su-hyeun, it felt like he had fallen into outer space without any stars to guide him.

    He found himself standing all alone in such a space. Despite there being no light, he could still take a look around through Insight and could also sense what was around him.

    Even then¡­

    ¡°There really is nothing here.¡±

    There were no ground, mountains, and rivers, but what shocked him the most was the fact that there was no sky above as well.

    Even if a world was destroyed, a blackened sky that had lost all of its colors should still exist above, but in this place, the boundary separating the sky and the ground was gone, making it appear as if he was floating in empty space.

    ¡°The ground where life form can grow, the air one needs to breathe, and the sky that should emit at least some light¡­¡±

    None of those existed here, but that didn¡¯t mean this place began as a complete nothingness, either.

    The tainted but faint dregs of magical energy that he could still detect told him that there used to be something existing in this space.

    Su-hyeun slowly scanned the world where even its land had been devoured, which made it impossible for anything else to exist. ¡°Just¡­what kind of monster appeared in this place?¡±

 Chapter 419

    Su-hyeun was currently looking at a world that existed but no longer really existed¡ªa realm where not just its planets but even the universe itself had been erased.

    ¡°This place still sours my mood whenever I come here,¡± said a voice that came from behind him.

    The Administrator had arrived in this world as well. This particular Administrator was an old man with plenty of moles and liver spots on his face. He lightly patted his bent back with one hand and used the other to rub his blurry eyes.

    Su-hyeun asked the Administrator, ¡°Just what is up with this place?¡±

    For sure, this world was just too strange to behold.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? It¡¯s a realm that has ceased to exist.¡±

    ¡°Not destroyed but ceased to exist?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. No longer existing. Originally, this place here was a truly wonderful world to live in. There were no wars, no famines, droughts, nothing. You wouldn¡¯t have found another realm as great to live in as this one,¡± the old man continued, but to Su-hyeun¡¯s ears, what the Administrator said didn¡¯t sound like some simple explanation anymore.

    ¡°Elder, did you used to live in this realm?¡±

    If that wasn¡¯t it, the Administrator wouldn¡¯t have made such a face or spoke in such a tone.

    The old man nodded slowly. ¡°Also correct. I used to live here. My child passed on pretty early, but I still lived with two of my grandkids,¡± he chuckled affably. However, the emotions in his voice and his expression were at odds with one another. The old Administrator was swimming in sadness and the reminiscence of the past. ¡°But then, everything just disappeared in one moment.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°There can be only one existence capable of doing this.¡±

    Only one existence, he said. From that clue, Su-hyeun could vaguely guess the identity of an existence capable of completely erasing a world to this degree. ¡°The One Overlord.¡±

    ¡°The One Overlord.¡±

    Su-hyeun and the old man spoke at the same time.

    The latter¡¯s brows rose as if he was taken aback. He stared at Su-hyeun and asked, ¡°Could it be that your Insight works on me, too?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been deliberately avoiding looking into my eyes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have. In that case, how much do you actually know? Did you run into that monstrosity before?¡±

    ¡°No, never.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that makes sense. If you did, then there¡¯s no way you¡¯d be standing here alive.¡±

    The One Overlord¡ªthe top existence of all the Predators out there¡ªwas a creature whose story Su-hyeun first heard about from Luslec. He then learned about Fafnir being ranked among the One Hundred Evils and heard that it had reached the ranks of the Ten Great Evils not too long ago.

    After learning about all of these facts, he began thinking about one thing: just how much stronger were the Three Destroyers ranked above the Ten Great Evils?

    Also, what about the One Overlord?

    He tried to imagine it, but he couldn¡¯t really picture anything. Never mind the Three Destroyers, Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t even fought against a Predator in the Ten Great Evils tier yet, after all.

    However, now that he had taken a look at this place, he could vaguely start imagining it. ¡°Honestly speaking, I won¡¯t be able to fight against a creature capable of doing this.¡±

    Quite literally, this creature wiped this vast realm out of existence¡ªthe creature completely erased this world. It went beyond the simple concept of erasing a planet and completely erased the entire universe out of existence, too.

    Just how much power would one require to pull off an act this ridiculous?

    Su-hyeun shook his head. He might have ascended to proper godhood now, but even then, this whole thing exceeded his own imagination.

    ¡°I sincerely hope I don¡¯t run into this creature any time soon,¡± he thought.

    Unfortunately, though, he was getting an ominous foreboding for some reason. Wanting to get rid of this bad feeling, Su-hyeun decided to change the topic of the discussion. ¡°I need a little bit of time for myself.¡±

    ¡°If you require a break, you can always come back later.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need too long of a break. Around one hour will do.¡±

    ¡°Is it to check out your newly acquired qualification of godhood?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense since that godhood of death isn¡¯t all that easy to acquire, to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Death,¡± that was the name of the qualification of godhood Su-hyeun had newly acquired and also the authority he had gained.

    Unlike the other stats he started off with, the Death Aura stat was something he acquired during a trial.

    Sure enough, he earned a new qualification of godhood the moment this stat reached triple digits. The Necromancer trait was then affected by the change since it was related to the Death Aura stat.

    Su-hyeun wanted to use this opportunity to confirm the changes.

    ¡°In that case, allow me to create a suitable stage for you.¡±

    Shu-wu¡­

    When the old Administrator said that, the surrounding scenery began changing. The previously dark surroundings twisted and altered, and before long, the solid ground was created beneath Su-hyeun¡¯s feet. It was the same story for the sky.

    Although this whole thing was nothing more than some ¡°images¡± inside a walled-off area, a blue sky and bright light now filled the space. Also, a fairly large grassy plain spread out before their eyes now.

    This terrain and the sky above weren¡¯t the results of some illusion, either.

    ¡°Is this a type of summoning technique?¡± he wondered.

    This space actually existed. In other words, this space had been transferred in its entirety from somewhere else.

    ¡°Is this not a pretty good stage for you? You can ask me if you need more.¡±

    ¡°No, this should be enough.¡±

    It didn¡¯t really matter, anyway.

    He didn¡¯t need a bit of space, to begin with. In all honesty, it would¡¯ve been also fine to not create a stage like this at all since he was simply thinking of checking out the skills and trying them out at least once, after all.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be off, then. I won¡¯t spy or anything like that, so take care of everything in one hour.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±

    ¡°Well, then. Later.¡±

    The old man left those parting words and disappeared like a mirage.

    Su-hyeun checked and confirmed that indeed, the old man wasn¡¯t spying from anywhere, just as he promised. That was the same story for the other Administrators as well.

    While progressing through the last floor¡¯s trial, he learned that seemingly all of the Administrators were watching the proceedings of the trials in progress.

    Of course, with the number of awakeners being what it was, not all trials would be in progress simultaneously. However, there was no doubting that the Administrators held a special interest in Su-hyeun¡¯s progress.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now since no one¡¯s looking¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun activated his Necromancer trait first.

    [The trait ¡°Necromancer¡± has been activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can see or command the dead.]

    The messages popped up, and to accompany them, Death Aura oozed out all around Su-hyeun¡¯s vicinity. Then, many shadows began revealing themselves.

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    That word had basically become the activation chant to summon his creatures.

    The moment that word left his mouth, his numerous summons finally revealed themselves around him.

    However, he didn¡¯t summon Gluttony, just in case; it was simply colossal, so there was a chance of inadvertently breaking this enclosed space if he summoned it.

    Clack¡ª

    Kneel¡ª

    With Prince Nezha clad in armor in the front of the pack, all of the summoned creatures knelt before Su-hyeun.

    Their level of intelligence had risen a bit recently. On top of this, they all seemed to have been trained by Prince Nezha or some such because they acted in a restrained and composed manner.

    Even from Su-hyeun¡¯s perspective, various monsters forming rank and file were a sight to behold. Sure, their number was only at a few dozens, but thanks to their huge build, he would have believed it if someone said there were hundreds of them here.

    ¡°I was thinking of getting rid of those summons that just took up space for no good reason, but now, there¡¯s no need for that.¡±

    [Soul Accumulation]

    <ul>

    You can now accumulate a targeted individual¡¯s soul. The number of souls you may accumulate will depend on your proficiency and the soul¡¯s grade.

    Proficiency: 0.00

    LV: 10

    The number that can be stored: ¡Þ

    </ul>

    [Dead Summoning]

    <ul>

    Summon a body without a soul. The designated body will not decompose and will be stored away. The number that can be stored will rise with your proficiency.

    Proficiency: 0.00

    LV: 10

    The number that can be stored: ¡Þ

    </ul>

    The alteration to these two skills was the first thing that happened. The actual number of summoned creatures he could possess denoted by the storage limitations of both ¡°Soul Accumulation¡± and ¡°Dead Summoning¡± had changed.

    ¡°Soul Accumulation¡± stored away the target¡¯s soul, while ¡°Dead Summoning¡± stored away its physical body. By having those two, Su-hyeun was given the command over the creature he had felled.

    But now, the storage limitation had been completely removed, which meant that he could now command almost an infinite number of summons.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not really infinite, but still.¡±

    Even if he now wielded the godhood of death, Su-hyeun¡¯s Death Aura reserve wasn¡¯t infinite; a clear limitation to his energy reserve existed, so the number of summons he could command was limited as well.

    As an example, even the original owner of the Necromancer trait, Roy, or even the boy¡¯s father, couldn¡¯t command an infinite number of summons.

    Still, with this, something became a certainty now.

    ¡°I can command Predators as my summons.¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes were sparkling brightly at the thought.

    Up until now, Su-hyeun tried to use both the Soul Accumulation and Dead Summoning to command the Predators as his summons, after he hunted them down, of course. However, every time he tried, he failed.

    The reason for that was straightforward enough: to actually store away the physical bodies and souls of Predators, he simply required far too many slots in his storage.

    Now, with the storage limitation becoming meaningless, he should be able to freely store and summon the souls and flesh of the Predators.

    ¡°This¡­is a far greater harvest than I imagined.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t some simple increase in the Death Aura stat.

    Commanding Predators as his actual summons? There wouldn¡¯t be any more confidence-inspiring summons than them, in all honesty.

    ¡°Does this mean I do not need to feed Gluttony with the remains of Predators? Well, that¡¯s kind of disappointing in a way, but¡ª¡±

    Wriggle¡ª

    Just as he began thinking that, something within Su-hyeun¡¯s shadow began wriggling around, which drew his attention.

    After he activated the Necromancer trait, the summons had appeared near the vicinity of his shadow. However, one creature hadn¡¯t been summoned yet.

    ¡°¡­Gluttony?¡±

    Gluttony was directly communicating with Su-hyeun.

    It said it wanted to come outside, too.

    It said it wanted to show him something, too.

    Now that was a completely different behavior from the past. After all, Gluttony was a ¡°Prey¡± that failed to become a Predator, and not only that, even as a summoned creature, it wasn¡¯t all that bright, either.

    As such, Gluttony didn¡¯t really say anything else to him unless it was to fulfill its hunger.

    ¡°But if I let you out now¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun explained the reason why Gluttony couldn¡¯t come outside for now; he said that due to the small space here, the creature could not be summoned.

    Even then, the communication from Gluttony remained the same.

    A stubborn streak?

    Such a thing would be next to impossible to happen in the relationship between the summoned and the summoner, and at this response, Su-hyeun realized that something must¡¯ve had changed.

    ¡°Hold on a minute. It¡¯s not just Gluttony now, is it?¡±

    The intelligence level of all the summons continued to improve the more his proficiency with the Necromancer trait, as well as the Death Aura stat, increased, especially more so with Prince Nezha. He could independently make decisions and act according to his will without Su-hyeun¡¯s direct communication now. It might be because he used to be the ¡°smartest¡± of all the summons before his death.

    Of course, all of Nezha¡¯s decisions were based on his loyalty to Su-hyeun, so he always thought it would also be the same with Gluttony. However, this was slightly different now.

    ¡°Maybe it evolved?¡±

    No, it seemed to be a change far greater than that.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun stored away his other summons first and then spoke to the largest shadow currently in his possession, ¡°Come out, then.¡±

    The moment he gave his permission¡­

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Gluttony¡¯s writhing shadow that had been contained by Su-hyeun¡¯s shadow suddenly filled up the entire plain. The mountainous figure of this creature was finally revealing itself.

    Up to here was the same development as before, but then¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Su-hyeun ended up smiling faintly when Gluttony began revealing its true form. ¡°So, that¡¯s what it was, huh?¡±

    The shadow that completely filled up the ground was rapidly coalescing into one location, and it coalesced in such a way that it became a relatively smaller figure of a male humanoid around two meters tall.

    [The evolution of the summon, Gluttony, has concluded.]

    [Gluttony¡¯s Stat Window will be generated.]

    [Gluttony¡¯s grade will change to ¡°Predator.¡±]

 Chapter 420

    A grade change¡­

    Gluttony changed from ¡°Prey¡± to ¡°Predator.¡± It wasn¡¯t just its grade that changed, though, as its external appearance also changed at the same time.

    After it evolved to a ¡°Predator,¡± Gluttony now appeared to have a somewhat rotund-looking torso and short, small legs, wide shoulders, and a round face. It now looked like a male humanoid with lots of meat on his bones and tall stature of around two meters.

    ¡°Is this the personification of gluttony, then?¡±

    The desire of Gluttony the Predator involved ¡°insatiable appetite.¡± That desire was basically the entirety of Gluttony the monster. Despite becoming a full-fledged Predator, its appetite hadn¡¯t disappeared at all. Rather, it even seemed to have grown stronger.

    Indeed, this version of Gluttony that now stood before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes was the embodiment of that very desire.

    Gluttony¡¯s lips slowly parted, ¡°I¡­want to¡­say¡­something¡­¡±

    A monster that didn¡¯t think about anything else besides fulfilling its appetite until now finally became able to speak. Its evolution into Predator probably gave it the ability to think rationally.

    ¡°The amount of Death Aura required to summon him has increased accordingly, but¡­¡± his thoughts trailed off.

    But, it didn¡¯t really matter.

    ¡°The total reserve of my Death Aura has increased a lot more than that, anyway.¡±

    The moment Su-hyeun¡¯s Death Aura stat reached the triple-digit mark, its total reserve shot up by several folds.

    Gluttony did consume a ton of his Death Aura during its evolution, but rather than feel unhappy about it, Su-hyeun thought that this was an event that must be celebrated.

    Besides, this event allowed Su-hyeun to figure out the reason why Gluttony couldn¡¯t evolve into a Predator until now. ¡°It was simply that you couldn¡¯t digest everything you ate, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Gluttony slowly nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s muttering.

    It used to be a ¡°Prey,¡± and its entire existence was based on its insatiable appetite. It devoured the living and used them as nutrients to become even stronger and nothing more.

    Gluttony accompanied Su-hyeun on various adventures and got to devour a few Predators, but even then, it was unable to absorb almost all of its victims¡¯ powers and energy.

    Su-hyeun had been thinking that this was because Gluttony wasn¡¯t a true Prey but a summoned creature bound to him.

    But that turned out to be wrong.

    ¡°So my lack of strength was to blame all along,¡± he concluded.

    After all, Predators were existences diametrically opposed to the gods.

    The thing was, Su-hyeun¡¯s own Death Aura stat simply wasn¡¯t high enough to command such creatures. More correctly, he wasn¡¯t in possession of the godhood related to that purpose, the godhood of death.

    ¡°If I flip that around, then¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun recalled all of his summons that had become even stronger after he acquired the godhood of death and stared at Gluttony, a summon that had successfully evolved.

    ¡°The stronger I get, the stronger my summons will get, too.¡±

    Su-hyeun checked out the application rate for the other summons. The lowest was around 120%, while the highest sat around 300%.

    The average of the application rates had gone past the 100% mark, which meant that Su-hyeun¡¯s summoned creatures were now stronger than when they were still alive.

    However, Gluttony¡¯s application rate was still only 80% even now.

    [Death Acceleration]

    <ul>

    It forces a living target to quickly die and takes away the life force of the living as the target reaches their death.

    LV: 1

    Proficiency: 0.00%

    </ul>

    He also got himself a new skill after acquiring the godhood. This skill, Death Acceleration, did what it said on the tin and allowed him to steal a target¡¯s life force, thereby pushing them into death¡¯s doorstep much faster.

    It was basically a skill that represented the godhood of death the best, but it also refilled his Death Aura supply in the process; it might be an attack skill, but it was also a recovery-type skill at the same time.

    ¡°In a way, this is the most cheat skill I have.¡±

    Death Acceleration was supposed to accelerate the target¡¯s death, but in truth, this skill was basically designed to suck in their life force instead.

    And the target didn¡¯t always have to be an enemy he was fighting against, either; beings brimming with life force existed in practically every world out there, after all¡ªfor instance, things such as a blade of grass, a tree, a flower that one could find anywhere, and even a living, breathing planet.

    If he decided to steal all of their energy, then Su-hyeun would be able to resupply his own energy reserve almost infinitely.

    ¡°I guess this is kind of like the Death Aura stat¡¯s own breathing technique, then.¡±

    Since the death of living things was the price to pay when using it, he knew he shouldn¡¯t be abusing this skill, but even then, there was no doubt that it would prove to be very useful.

    And so, the promised one hour went by quickly as he confirmed his newly acquired godhood and skill one at a time.

    ¡°Are you finished now?¡± the Administrator asked upon his return, eyes half-closed to prevent Insight from being used on him.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m finished. Let¡¯s get started right away.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s. By the way,¡± the Administrator suddenly hesitated for a bit. Normally, the trial would¡¯ve started without any other ¡°advice¡± given, but this time, it was different. ¡°Fella, you are aware which floor this is, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Aren¡¯t we on the 200th floor?¡±

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll believe that you understand how challenging this trial will be, even for you.¡±

    Su-hyeun was slightly stunned.

    On every tenth and hundredth floor, the difficulty of the trials would spike higher to a freakish level. He was well aware of this, but that information was solely based on the experiences of various awakeners.

    This would be Su-hyeun¡¯s very first time to hear that information directly from an Administrator.

    ¡°Your warning that this trial will be harsh¡­Is that my hint this time?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying. You know that there are no more hints past the 100th floor, right? Even we can¡¯t predict what might happen from that point on, after all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the case. Even you Administrators won¡¯t be able to accurately foresee the future of the gods possessing the qualifications, after all.¡±

    The old Administrator flinched in surprise at Su-hyeun¡¯s observation. Su-hyeun merely smiled faintly at that reaction. He was only taking a stab in the dark, but looking at that reaction affirmed it for him.

    After acquiring Insight, Su-hyeun began wondering about something. If this Insight was the type of power that allowed one to see into a target¡¯s future simply by looking into their eyes, then could it be that all the hints the Administrators gave to him until now were something similar?

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s all true, then.¡±

    The hints from the Administrators sounded like ¡°clues¡± that had been based on the knowledge of what might happen in Su-hyeun¡¯s future. However, this wasn¡¯t some pre-programmed quest found inside a video game, so it would¡¯ve been impossible to foretell how Su-hyeun would proceed with a trial.

    Seeing into the target¡¯s future but not being able to see the future of someone who had acquired the godhood was of no use; there was no point since even if the future could be witnessed, it could always be altered, anyway.

    And that was why past the 100th floor, the Administrators stopped giving Su-hyeun hints after he acquired his godhood.

    ¡°Whatever the case may be, thank you for the advice. I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±

    ¡°Feels like I¡¯ve said something unnecessary here.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. You might be fine, but I might get an earful later on. In any case¡­¡± the Administrator smiled awkwardly just as the surrounding scenery began changing to something new. The old man¡¯s figure grew blurry, and all the color from the surroundings vanished. The transfer to the new stage for the upcoming trial had begun, in other words. ¡°I wish you the best of luck.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    The scenery completely changed before Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes. The blanked-out world gradually regained its color, and the new sight that greeted him was a cityscape that didn¡¯t seem any different from what could be found in the other worlds.

    Tap¡ª

    ¡°Ah, my bad.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Why are you standing in the middle of the street all dazed and stuff?¡±

    ¡°We have fresh meat on sale! Butchered today!¡±

    ¡°Which way to the mercenary guild?¡±

    ¡°Mercenary guild, you say? Let¡¯s see¡­You keep going down that way, then¡­¡±

    It was a rowdy and noisy street. Su-hyeun¡¯s surroundings were filled with innumerable people.

    Su-hyeun ended up bumping shoulders with a few other passersby as he stood in the middle of the street; some apologized before going on their way, while others got annoyed that he was blocking their path.

    ¡°It¡¯s peaceful here,¡± he thought.

    The vibe he got was different from the 199th floor¡¯s trial. Unlike with that trial, where he heard loud screaming from the very onset, this world seemed to be way too peaceful.

    He needed a lead first to get going, but he didn¡¯t have to wait long. Messages finally came to him a short while later.

    [The 200th floor¡¯s trial will now commence.]

    [The first trial will now begin.]

    [Please destroy the altar.]

    ¡°The altar?¡±

    He was given two leads. One, this was the first trial, and second, he was given that term, ¡°altar.¡±

    Since this was the first trial, it could mean that there would be a second and then a third trial later on. As for that altar, he wasn¡¯t sure what it meant just yet. It could refer to something secretive or something readily accepted and obvious to the denizens of this world.

    For now, he didn¡¯t have enough information to go on.

    ¡°This might take a while.¡±

    Tap¡ª

    It was at that moment that a little kid among the passersby ran into Su-hyeun. This child was still young and only reached around Su-hyeun¡¯s waist in height.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± the child bowed at Su-hyeun and then tried to walk past him.

    And right at that moment, Su-hyeun reached out toward this kid.

    Grab¡ª

    ¡°Hey, kid.¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyes?¡±

    ¡°Do you need money?¡± Su-hyeun asked, which made the kid flinched in surprise.

    Although the pickpocketing technique was pretty good, this kid wasn¡¯t so accomplished in the art of hiding one¡¯s guilty facial expression, it seemed.

    Su-hyeun unfurled the child¡¯s clenched hand. Gold coins that were previously resting within Su-hyeun¡¯s pockets were on the kid¡¯s small palm.

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Smack¡ª

    The kid urgently shook off Su-hyeun¡¯s grip and began running away.

    Thanks to his small physique, the kid proved to be rather swift; either the kid was trained professionally or he knew the lay of the land too well since that small figure slickly weaving in and out of the crowd looked rather extraordinary even to Su-hyeun¡¯s observation.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Su-hyeun stared at the kid who was getting further away and smiled faintly. ¡°Well, I paid upfront, so I guess it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    <hr />

    Dash, rush¡­

    The kid, Millie, continued to briskly dash and weave past the crowd.

    Although he ended up bumping into a few other people, Millie didn¡¯t stop running. A marketplace with so many people like this one was an easy place to hide a small physique like Millie¡¯s, after all.

    ¡°Dunno how he found out, but whatever, I managed to lose him,¡± Millie thought as he stepped inside a secluded back alley.

    No one was here; this alley where people almost never stepped inside, thanks to the persistent disgusting stench, was a place he would always stop by after successfully picking someone¡¯s pockets.

    Clang¡ª

    Millie confirmed the three gold coins in his grip. They felt rather substantial.

    Wondering if they were fake, he even bit down on a coin, just to make sure.

    ¡°It¡¯s real!¡±

    A bright smile bloomed on Millie¡¯s face.

    Each of the gold coins was a bit bigger than his finger and felt quite weighty. He would have to work for a whole month straight if he wanted to earn three of such gold coins. Obviously, his moods perked up instantly.

    ¡°Hey, you over there?¡±

    But then, he heard a voice he did not want to hear right now.

    Millie looked behind him and noticed three other kids approaching him. They were all bigger than him, too.

    ¡°What¡¯s that in your hand?¡± asked a blonde-haired boy with lots of freckles on his face, who also happened to be the biggest of the trio. He was the leader of the pickpocketing kids in the neighborhood. His physique was significantly bulkier than other kids of his age, thanks to experiencing an unusual growth spurt, and he made sure to use his superior strength to take away the money that other pickpocketing kids managed to steal.

    ¡°T¡ªthis¡­¡± Millie quickly hid the gold coins in his hand behind his back. He acted on reflex at the sudden arrival of this trio, but in the end, his reaction meant nothing because they had already seen the gold coins in his hand.

    ¡°You better give it up when we¡¯re being nice, alright? If you don¡¯t want to get beaten up like the last time, that is.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too cowardly?!¡±

    ¡°Cowardly? Hey, you also stole that from someone anyway. I¡¯m merely taking that away. Isn¡¯t that true?¡±

    The boy wasn¡¯t wrong there; the real owner of the coins was someone else, so calling the boy a coward for stealing what was already stolen was a laughable thing, indeed.

    Nonetheless, it was still unfair no matter how one sliced it.

    ¡°That¡¯s why¡ª¡±

    It was right then that an unfamiliar voice suddenly came to them from behind the trio of boys. Their gazes automatically shifted to see the owner of that voice.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it back to me?¡± Su-hyeun, who had stepped into this remote back alley, pointed at the gold coins in Millie¡¯s hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s my money, after all.¡±

 Chapter 421

    The four children including Millie all clamped their mouths shut after discovering Su-hyeun¡¯s presence.

    Someone actually followed them into this dark, smelly, out-the-way back alley?

    Not only that but it was also rather strange to see someone claiming his gold coins have been stolen to be grinning like that.

    ¡°Is it true?¡± the leader of the pickpockets, William, asked Millie.

    Millie stared straight at Su-hyeun¡¯s face. Although he only saw that face in passing, he still clearly remembered it, as their encounter happened just a while ago.

    However¡­

    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s my money, you know?¡± Millie obviously feigned ignorance, but that reaction only reaffirmed William¡¯s suspicions. Those three gold coins in Millie¡¯s hand? Those definitely belonged to the stranger.

    A pickpocket would never admit to stealing money even if the original owner managed to catch up to them.

    William smirked deeply; things would¡¯ve been troublesome if the money he wanted to forcibly take away was returned to the victim after the latter caught up to them.

    ¡°Look here, uncle. He says it¡¯s not, so what now?¡± William ordered his two cronies to surround Millie so that he couldn¡¯t escape and then took large strides toward Su-hyeun.

    The boy was blessed with a much faster growth spurt compared to the kids his age, and he nearly matched Su-hyeun¡¯s height. Not only that but he also had some muscles on his frame, and as he had wandered around in these dark back alleys for a while, he was rather confident of his fighting skills.

    Su-hyeun stared at William as the boy¡¯s face got real close to him.

    ¡°This kid is also hiding a blade, huh,¡± he thought.

    It wasn¡¯t just William, either; the other two kids were also hiding a short dagger each.

    Although faint, there were some traces of murderous intent permeating in their eyes, too. It seemed that they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take a person¡¯s life in a location as isolated as this one.

    And sure enough, the boy expressed this.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to end up in a bad way, mister, I advise you to get lost right now. If you don¡¯t, you might get a knife scar on your face or something,¡± William confidently pulled out the knife and aimed it at Su-hyeun.

    This boy wasn¡¯t just bluffing. Su-hyeun could tell since he was looking directly into William¡¯s eyes. His Insight was telling him that this threat was genuine and that the boy would really stab him if he didn¡¯t get out of the way.

    ¡°You have stabbed someone before, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    William flinched at Su-hyeun¡¯s sudden question because the latter was just too nonplussed even after spotting the knife.

    Only then did William discover that there was a sword attached to Su-hyeun¡¯s hip.

    ¡°T¡ªthat¡¯s right! That¡¯s obvious! But so what? F*ck! You want me to stab you, too?!¡±

    William was scared. Su-hyeun could clearly see it and feel it. He was scared by the fact that it wasn¡¯t just him but the target was also armed with a blade. Even then, the boy waved the dagger around to appear more threatening, all because of his childish pride.

    However, the words he spoke just now didn¡¯t simply come from some immature pride. He definitely had stabbed someone before; that really happened.

    Su-hyeun glanced at the two other kids behind William and asked, ¡°What about you two?¡±

    They didn¡¯t answer. They weren¡¯t as ballsy as William, but that didn¡¯t mean they hadn¡¯t answered him at all, either.

    This ability called Insight was quite convenient but also rather forceful. One could see the inner thoughts of someone simply by looking into their eyes, after all.

    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun took a step toward William. ¡°Kids shouldn¡¯t behave like that. No, wait¡ªnever mind one¡¯s age, a person shouldn¡¯t be like that at all.¡±

    ¡°What dogsh*t are you¡ª?¡± William abruptly stopped talking.

    That was because his arm had already been caught in Su-hyeun¡¯s grip. Even before he realized how, his body had been spun around, and his arm was bent behind him. William, totally panicking now, cried out, ¡°N¡ªno, wait¡­!¡±

    Snap, crack¡ª

    William¡¯s arm was bent in a bizarre angle.

    Kkeuh-aaaaaaahk¡ª!

    William screamed while holding his broken arm and rolled around on the ground.

    Even if he had a knife, even if his physique was much bigger than his peers, in the end, he was still a child. William couldn¡¯t withstand the pain.

    His legs were fine, but he couldn¡¯t remain standing up and pathetically rolled around on the dirty floor.

    Step¡ª

    ¡°Hey, you two? Come over here.¡±

    ¡°Euh, euh¡­!¡±

    ¡°Uwahhh¡­!¡±

    The two other kids stumbled back when Su-hyeun called out to them. They were reaching out to their own daggers hidden by their hips just now, but then, they urgently turned around to escape from here.

    But then¡­

    Cruuunch¡ª

    Crack¡ª

    Aaaaahk!

    Su-hyeun twisted their arms behind their backs and broke them, too.

    Clatter¡ª

    After he finished doing that, he stepped on the dagger that had fallen on the ground to break the blade. He then addressed the kids, ¡°Don¡¯t think that this is unfair. If you were resolved enough to stab someone, you should¡¯ve also resolved yourselves to get your arms broken, too.¡±

    What he meant sounded logical: If one was planning to take a life, then one should also be ready to lose one¡¯s life.

    Most likely, these kids won¡¯t get to use their broken arms ever again, which obviously meant that they wouldn¡¯t be able to swing knives around and stab someone else to death.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun began walking toward Millie, who was shivering in fear in a corner. ¡°Why don¡¯t we finish our discussion from earlier?¡±

    ¡°U¡ªuwah¡­¡±

    Trickle¡ª

    When Su-hyeun said that, Millie¡¯s pants became soaking wet. The boy then plopped down on the ground while shivering even more in fear. Su-hyeun could only scratch his head after seeing his reaction while inwardly going, ¡°Oops¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugh, this¡­¡±

    It seemed that he got frightened by how scary the atmosphere had gotten just now.

    Su-hyeun had a feeling that it might take a while before their chat could proceed normally.

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun had a lot of trouble trying to calm Millie down. Trying to pacify a young child, especially a scared one, was one of the hardest tasks out there, that¡¯s for sure.

    Despite reassuring Millie that he meant no harm or he wouldn¡¯t get angry at him, none of it worked. The reason why he did something to William and the two other kids was that they wielded knives, and they didn¡¯t even hesitate to harm other people.

    The situation with Millie was, of course, quite different. In the end, Su-hyeun had to physically prove that he wasn¡¯t planning to hurt him. That task was surprisingly simple in nature, however.

    Millie asked, ¡°It¡¯s not really because of the money?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, so if you answer my questions, I¡¯ll even add this one on top.¡± Su-hyeun placed one more gold coin in Millie¡¯s hand.

    With this, he had proved to him that he didn¡¯t follow him here to take the stolen money away and to punish him for the crime.

    From the get-go, Su-hyeun had no attachment to money. As for the gold coins, he still had so much that they were forming a literal mountain within his subspace, anyway.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re pickpocketing, but that¡¯s none of my business. You must¡¯ve been to pretty much everywhere, so surely you know quite a lot about how this world operates, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyes, of course. Besides being a pickpocket, I also sometimes work as a news seller, you see.¡±

    ¡°News seller?¡±

    ¡°I sell the news regarding all accidents and incidents that happened recently, regardless of their scale. Lots of news that the regular people don¡¯t know about can easily be heard in the shadier part of the streets, you see.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded at the fact that this kid, Millie, knew more than he initially expected. He inwardly guessed, ¡°So, this was no coincidence, is that it?¡±

    He made the right call not catching Millie right away for stealing and letting him be on his own for a while.

    Every little thing that happened within a trial had context, a probability, to the overall goal. There were no such things as meaningless and random incidents within trials, such as a pickpocketing incident that happened right off the bat.

    The reason why Su-hyeun appeared in this place at this time was probably a machination meant to help him acquire information through this child, Millie.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let me ask you a few things. First of all¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun demanded an explanation and general information of this world, the kind that even a common citizen would know of. Learning about such things took precedence above all else for the time being.

    Millie asked back why Su-hyeun would ask about stuff like that, only to start his explanation nonchalantly when another gold coin was waved in front of his face.

    The name of the continent they were on was Pangaea. According to Millie¡¯s explanation, this world didn¡¯t seem that weird at all. The level of scientific understanding was comparable to Medieval Europe; as Su-hyeun had seen quite a few varied worlds, he could say that this sort of setting was rather common.

    Although there were no magicians, knights did exist. It seemed their overall skill level was quite excellent.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special to note here,¡± Su-hyeun initially deduced. He didn¡¯t see any special trait that immediately jumped at him, but there was something that did sound strange. ¡°But the size of the continent is stupidly large, isn¡¯t it?¡± he thought.

    That was the most surprising information of all so far.

    ¡°To think that the population of this world is in trillions¡­¡±

    The scale of this world was by far the largest in Su-hyeun¡¯s memory.

    The overall population here reached several trillion, and the population density seemed quite low as well, much more so than any other world that Su-hyeun knew of, which could only mean that this planet had to be at least several hundred times larger than Earth.

    As a matter of fact, this planet could very well be as large as the Sun.

    ¡°That¡¯s well beyond my imagination, alright.¡±

    He initially thought that there was nothing to note about this world, but as it turned out, the world itself was the most special part. Out of all the civilizations he had encountered so far, this had to be the largest planet he had ever seen.

    ¡°One day is nearly three thousand hours. Around 62 days and nights exist in this world, while four days constitute one year.¡±

    Something about this felt off. Up to this moment, this place looked far too peaceful to him, and he couldn¡¯t help but think that it didn¡¯t exactly suit a trial taking place on the 200th floor.

    But to think that this was a world filled with a population several thousand times higher than back on Earth¡­

    ¡°Okay, then. In that case, can you tell me what an altar is?¡± Su-hyeun asked Millie about the next lead of the trial, the ¡°altar.¡±

    However, that caused the child¡¯s expression to change once more. ¡°Uncle, you also don¡¯t know what that is? Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know. And I¡¯m not an uncle, you know¡ª¡± Su-hyeun abruptly stopped talking right then.

    If it was at all possible, he didn¡¯t want to use Insight on normal people, but right now, he had been relying on that very skill just in case Millie was lying or left something out inadvertently.

    And that¡¯s how he learned about the truth of the ¡°altar¡± through his eyes.

    ¡°Oh, I got it. I won¡¯t call you uncle anymore. You don¡¯t have to be so unhappy about it¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not it,¡± Su-hyeun hurriedly shook his head.

    Millie cowered a bit at that and continued to speak, ¡°The ¡®Altar¡¯ means the city where we send our offerings for our various gods. I¡¯m a follower of the Brahma Order, but unfortunately, I still haven¡¯t been chosen even after 13 years of life in this world.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what¡ª? You said it¡¯s unfortunate?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Millie continued to explain himself, but what he said next made Su-hyeun bite his lower lip, ¡°Going to the side of Lord Brahma by surviving no matter what and becoming an offering, that¡¯s my dream, you see.¡±

    ¡°Offering¡­Just how many people get offered up like that?¡±

    ¡°Once every year, around one out of every hundred people get selected as offerings. Some people are so unfortunate that they never get chosen throughout their whole lives, while some very young lucky kids get chosen early.¡± He then pointed at Su-hyeun, ¡°As for you, uh, big brother, you still haven¡¯t been chosen despite your age, so¡­Well, normally, people get chosen by the time they are around 40 or 50 years of age, so you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    He spoke in a soothing tone as if there was nothing to worry about, and that flabbergasted Su-hyeun indeed.

    If this was before, he would¡¯ve thought that this kid was not quite right in the head, but his Insight told him that Millie was being genuine, that he was truly devoted to his belief. This child genuinely wished to become an offering and die.

    There was no hypnosis here, not even a mass delusion. This was a type of brainwashing done to him since his birth.

    ¡°Is everyone in this world the same as him? What the fu¡ª?¡± he thought.

    It had been a while since he last swore, but he nearly swore out loud just now.

    Even if he wanted to say it was all wrong, this world had been structured in this way seemingly from a very long time ago, so, to this child, there was nothing wrong with this situation.

    ¡°Big brother, which religious order do you believe in?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an atheist,¡± Su-hyeun said. He didn¡¯t even have to think about his answer.

 Chapter 422

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Millie had to wonder if he heard it wrong. He even briefly wondered if there was a religious order called ¡°Atheist,¡± but that couldn¡¯t be it, either.

    Not believing in any gods? Such a thing was simply impossible as far as Millie¡¯s common sense was concerned.

    ¡°B¡ªb¡ªbig brother! You¡¯ll receive divine punishment if you say that! What do you mean, you don¡¯t believe in any gods! When you die later, no gods will want to save your¡ª¡±

    ¡°You really think that¡¯s salvation?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°But why? Just because you¡¯ve been told so? Because gods exist?¡± Su-hyeun stared deep into Millie¡¯s eyes and continued with his questions. ¡°Honestly, though, are they really gods?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that question?¡±

    ¡°Whether they are genuine gods or devils, or even monsters that don¡¯t fall into either category, you can¡¯t really tell now, can you? Because no one has uncovered the truth, after all. Even then, at the very least, they are beings that prey on the lives of all those people, so what separates them from actual monsters?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°You should think about that on your own. I know that it¡¯ll be impossible to change what you know as common sense with just a handful of words, anyway.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun left the back alley after that. Millie, on the other hand, remained there in a daze. His face seemed to say that what Su-hyeun told him just now struck the boy¡¯s mind hard.

    It was an obvious quandary that no one had questioned yet.

    Su-hyeun then emerged from the alley and out into the open, but right at that moment, his gaze went up. ¡°Should I go up there? Or are you coming down, instead?¡±

    Flinch¡ª

    He sensed someone up there flinching slightly. He then turned to enter a different alleyway, and that prompted the hidden figure up on the roofs to follow him there.

    Once they were in an alleyway with no one else in it, the hidden figure finally revealed himself.

    Land¡ª

    Su-hyeun asked first, ¡°Do you have a business with me?¡±

    ¡°Did you just say that you don¡¯t believe in any gods?¡±

    His question was answered with another question.

    It didn¡¯t really matter, though. Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between the man before his eyes and at the top of the building this man had leaped off from.

    The structure had to be at least five, maybe even six, floors high. Being able to jump off from there and land safely indicated that this man was quite highly skilled.

    ¡°Yes, I did. I only believe in myself.¡±

    ¡°Truly?¡±

    For questions coming from someone who had appeared out of nowhere, they seemed rather strange. Since this man didn¡¯t emit any hostility, it seemed safe to assume that he was not a robber out to steal money, but whatever the case might be, he was clearly puzzled by Su-hyeun¡¯s declaration of not believing in any gods.

    ¡°It might be simpler if I use Insight, but¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun decided to use Insight sparingly. This skill was certainly convenient, but it was also a double-edged blade.

    Not only did Insight not work against Predators or existences that possessed qualifications of godhood but his ability to read other people¡¯s intentions or inner thoughts would also get duller if he relied on it too much.

    Thankfully, the scope of Insight¡¯s powers didn¡¯t just start and end with reading the minds of the others.

    Su-hyeun asked back, ¡°It¡¯s the same story for you, too?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m also an atheist.¡±

    This man actually said he was an atheist in such a grim and determined fashion. That response was hard to understand from the common sense of Su-hyeun¡¯s world, but that only served to indicate how abnormal it was in this world to declare oneself as an atheist that didn¡¯t believe in any of the gods.

    ¡°He¡¯s being truthful,¡± he thought.

    Truth or a lie¡­

    This was the restriction Su-hyeun applied to Insight this time. He limited the scope of his ability so that it could only determine whether the opponent was lying or not when looking into their eyes.

    That alone was already a substantial hint. That didn¡¯t mean it was now an omnipotent ability, though. No, this was simply the middle ground where his own ability to determine the other party¡¯s intentions wouldn¡¯t get rusty, all the while he still got to exploit the advantages of Insight.

    ¡°What do you want from me, then?¡±

    The man hesitated slightly before asking Su-hyeun, ¡°Are you really our god?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Su-hyeun was taken aback by that and was about to say that was incorrect, only for his words to get stuck in his throat.

    When he thought about it, that assertion wasn¡¯t technically wrong at all.

    ¡°Well, uh, I am a god, aren¡¯t I?¡± he inwardly said.

    <hr />

    Su-hyeun followed after the man who introduced himself as Shen. He guided Su-hyeun to the city¡¯s underground.

    Rumble¡ª

    When Shen lit a torch in his hand, a long stairway going down revealed itself under the dim light. The area of this stairway was surprisingly wide; the width alone seemed to be around a dozen or more meters, indicating that the construction work had been ongoing for a long while.

    ¡°Being an atheist is illegal, and such atheists have gathered to start an organization, is that it? Yeah, this is just too strange, alright,¡± he thought.

    In Pangaea, you were supposed to choose which god you would serve, along with the religious order tied to each god, but this was not something like a simple choice. No, this was the common sense of this place. More than that, it was set as the law in the continent, too.

    However, this man named Shen before his eyes opposed such logic and had chosen no religion, which made him the most ¡°normal¡± person Su-hyeun had met so far, at least in his view.

    ¡°An otherworlder that I met not too long ago told us this.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Holding a torch while walking down the stairway, Shen suddenly spoke up, ¡°He said that the world I live in, Pangaea, is a strange place. He also said that the gods we serve are not normal, either¡­¡±

    His voice was trembling softly.

    ¡°We were thinking the same thing at the time.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded when he heard the term, ¡°otherworlder.¡±

    ¡°Is he talking about an Apostle?¡± he inwardly guessed.

    That seemed likely.

    An existence capable of freely traveling between dimensions and realms, and one also capable of reaching a world of this size, was most likely an Apostle.

    ¡°Back when I had to send my child to the Altar, I began harboring questions regarding the true will of the gods. Did the gods really wish to cause pain and suffering in us, the common folks? Was my child really going to the embrace of the god?¡±

    ¡°I wonder about that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. You have to wonder about that since it¡¯s literally unknown. I will never be able to meet my child who has supposedly gone to the embrace of the god again unless I actually die first.¡±

    ¡°Just what did this otherworlder tell you?¡±

    ¡°He said that our so-called gods are nothing more than devils. He said that he knows of a real god.¡±

    ¡°A real god, you said?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and this god¡¯s name is Kim Su-hyeun¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. He wondered who this real god could be, but his name was suddenly brought up here. There was no mistaking it being his name, either.

    He halted his steps for a bit and asked aloud, ¡°What was the name of this otherworlder?¡±

    ¡°He said he was called Luslec.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, but can you give me a minute?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll only be a minute. Go on ahead without me, I¡¯ll catch up to you,¡± said Su-hyeun and then he turned around to walk up the stairway. He then blocked the flow of sounds in the surroundings and activated the necklace.

    ¡°Hello? What¡¯s going on? You¡¯re also contacting me first and all,¡± a bright and happy voice that didn¡¯t suit the mood came out of the device.

    Su-hyeun asked while holding his head, ¡°What on earth have you been telling people of this place?!¡±

    ¡°This place? Oh. Aaah!¡± Luslec seemed to recall something and quickly replied, ¡°I did good, right?¡±

    ¡°Just what have you made me into in this place?¡±

    ¡°The people of that side, their lives are hanging in the balance every year simply by believing in some bullsh*t religions. Once every year, which is about four days on that planet, tens of billions of people get killed, you see. And all those people are served up to the fake gods.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s question was replied with a seemingly unrelated topic.

    ¡°Most people there think such a thing is the correct logic of that world, but a portion of them do not agree with that view. I¡¯d say, around one to two out of every hundred fear their demise. It¡¯s the instincts of humankind triumphing against even the most stringent brainwashing method, in other words.¡±

    The fear of one¡¯s death¡ªSu-hyeun was intimately familiar with that. Honestly, no one out there would be as familiar with that notion as Su-hyeun was. He had already died once, after all.

    ¡°However, they end up accepting their death eventually. Sure, some try to run away, but they are the exception. That¡¯s why I decided to create a new god that they could believe in.¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­what you did here, Mister Luslec?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Unfortunately, though, that¡¯s as far as my abilities could take me.¡±

    The proxies of the gods, Apostles¡ªtheir role was to heed the will of the gods and hunt down various Predators or rebuild the worlds wrecked by the Predators¡¯ rampage.

    Luslec had stopped by in Pangaea in the past, but he failed to hunt the Predator at large, and so, he decided to revise his goal to establish a new religious order instead.

    It turned out to be ¡°Atheism¡± or simply creating a new religion that worshiped a new deity.

    ¡°Since that was the case¡­I can¡¯t even scold him for it,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun had to swallow back the heavy groan wanting to jump out of his mouth.

    This was basically the same as helping these people save their lives by discarding their old religions. Never mind getting angry, the situation actually called for Su-hyeun to praise Luslec for a job well done instead.

    ¡°Just what on earth is going on in this place, anyway?¡±

    Luslec had already done some ¡°work¡± in this place, so he should know many secrets of Pangaea, at least much more than the people of this place.

    ¡°You know that this is against the rules, right?¡±

    ¡°Really? It is?¡±

    ¡°Yes. One of the rules says that you¡¯re not supposed to get help from other Apostles during the trials of the gods. It¡¯s common knowledge among us Apostles.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but well, I don¡¯t really worry about stuff like that anyway. I¡¯ll just sit through another round of an earful and that¡¯ll be all!¡± Luslec laughed.

    His laughter seemed to express genuine happiness no matter when one heard it.

    Su-hyeun also faintly grinned at Luslec¡¯s explanation. By saying all these things in advance, even though he already made up his mind to tell Su-hyeun the necessary information, Luslec was asking the latter to understand the amount of trouble he was getting into.

    However¡­

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about that rule, then you can breathe easy, I think.¡±

    ¡°Sorry? How come?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not an Apostle anyway, and I¡¯m also a real god now, you see.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A short bout of silence came to visit their little chat.

    Su-hyeun, waiting for some kind of a reply, could only make a puzzled face. The reply did come, albeit much later than expected.

    ¡°B¡ªbut it hasn¡¯t been all that long since you became a demigod, though?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°If it was someone else telling me this, I would¡¯ve never believed it. Wow. Wooow. Wooooooow¡­.¡±

    His voice sounded rather deeply moved just then.

    ¡°So damn incredible¡­¡±

    It was right then that Su-hyeun was reminded of something, ¡°Wait, he said he was my fan, right?¡±

    Luslec was Su-hyeun¡¯s fan.

    It was rather likely that, right now, Luslec was seriously excited by what Su-hyeun said, reveling in the fact that someone he liked and respected shot past being a demigod and ascended to full godhood in such a short time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details, but I¡¯m not an Apostle anyway, so you won¡¯t have to worry about any penalties. That¡¯s why you can tell me everything without any reservation.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then! First things first, I was in that place around eight hundred years ago.¡±

    ¡°Eight hundred? Mister Luslec, just how old are you exactly?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret. In any case, I was also your fan back then, Mister Su-hyeun. I thought about who to use as the god of the new religion and ended up using your name.¡±

    ¡°Okay, enough about that. More importantly, though, there is a Predator in this world, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    He knew it.

    Even if things looked outwardly peaceful, the only reason why Su-hyeun would get sent to this place called Pangaea was because of the Predator¡¯s presence.

    The problem was that locating a Predator in this vast world would be no easy feat.

    It was a fortunate thing that he was about to get a hint from Luslec without needing to search around blindly for clues on his own.

    ¡°What kind of creature are we talking about? There were more than one or two fake gods in this place, after all.¡±

    When Su-hyeun asked that, Luslec didn¡¯t reply for a little while. His reply only came after a bit of pause.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just one.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°All those fake gods you learned about¡­They are all Predators, Mister Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°All of them¡­?!¡±

    Su-hyeun immediately recalled all the gods he learned about from Millie. They were monsters that made people sacrifice their lives as offerings¡ªmonsters who derived entertainment from their lives.

    He didn¡¯t believe there would be a single ¡°real¡± god among their ranks but to think that every single one was a Predator.

    ¡°Wait, why did I think that there would be only one Predator per world?¡± Su-hyeun reflected on his mindset right there and then.

    Back then in the world of the false World Tree, several Predators formed a group to act together. The situation was the same in this world.

    Since the planet boasted a humongous scale, several Predators had come together to act as a group. In a way, this development seemed quite logical.

    Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the end of the problems.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the nature of the trial you¡¯re in right now, but whatever the case may be, that world you are in is incredibly dangerous, Mister Su-hyeun. That¡¯s because¡­¡± Luslec sighed deeply as he continued with the rest of his explanation, ¡°One of the Ten Great Evils, Kali, calls that place home.¡±

 Chapter 423

    Kali.

    It sounded like a name Su-hyeun might have heard of before somewhere, but maybe it wasn¡¯t all that famous of a name because he couldn¡¯t quite remember when he heard of it.

    ¡°What kind of creature is it?¡±

    The Ten Great Evils¡ªFafnir was said to have devoured another Predator called Asura and placed its name among the ranks of the Ten Great Evils.

    This meant that Kali was a Predator in the same realm of strength as Fafnir. So, unlike other Predators, it could very well serve as a benchmark if Su-hyeun wanted to compare himself to Fafnir.

    ¡°This creature is an ally to Asura. She is a true monster-like woman who just loves battles and bloodshed, plus devouring sacrificial offerings. Oh, and she also wields a spear,¡± Luslec said.

    ¡°When you say Asura¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard that it recently slipped out of the Ten Great Evils rank. Apparently, that event greatly infuriated Kali, but that¡¯s because the two of them were some kind of rivals or something.¡±

    If it was that Asura, then it died by Fafnir¡¯s hands.

    It was unknown to him whether Kali knew of this fact, but whatever the case might be, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t think him showing up in her world was a simple coincidence.

    There was simply no way that it was a coincidence at all.

    Out of literally countless dimensions, realms, and planets out there, he defied the near-impossible odds to appear in Kali¡¯s world.

    ¡°What about the clue to locate her?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Altar.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean she ¡®enjoys¡¯ the Altar?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    That was already enough of a hint for him.

    The Altar, was it? The first step in this trial was to destroy the Altar, to begin with.

    ¡°As for the other Predators, they all rank among the One Hundred Evils. More specifically, they are basically Kali¡¯s goons, and their names are¡ª¡±

    ¡°Those names are the same as the gods the people of this world believe in, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are exactly the same. They have no need to hide or anything like that, after all.¡±

    After confirming that, Luslec told Su-hyeun all the information on the Predators one by one. His information proved to be invaluable, and thanks to this chat, Su-hyeun was able to set a definite goal now: the Altar and the Predators lead by Kali.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll call you again after having a go at Kali first.¡±

    ¡°With this, you¡¯re letting the¡­earlier thing slide, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. You did well here. I don¡¯t need to let anything slide, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Whew! Thinking about you getting mad at me really kept me on edge, you know? Ah, before I forget. I told you that Kali uses a spear, right? But she must possess other types of abilities besides what¡¯s been publicized, so I want you to be extra cautious with her.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Su-hyeun ended the communication there.

    Based on their little chat, this was a world dominated by 10 Predators, including Kali, who were acting like gods.

    Su-hyeun then turned around and headed down the steps once more. Shen was a bit further down, waiting with a hardened expression. He looked at Su-hyeun and asked worriedly, ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t anything important,¡± Su-hyeun shook his head and continued to walk down the stairway. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡±

    The stairway grew wider as they went lower. When they reached the end, he picked up the presence of people.

    ¡°There seems to be a surprising number of people down here.¡±

    ¡°But there aren¡¯t all that many, only a few dozen thousand.¡±

    Su-hyeun could only smile wryly at Shen¡¯s serious reply. It was not ¡°only a few people,¡± but ¡°only a few dozen thousand¡±?

    The residents of Pangaea and Su-hyeun held a noticeably differing ¡°opinion¡± on population numbers, it seemed. As such, people here didn¡¯t place much value on human lives.

    That was also probably the reason why they didn¡¯t find it strange to offer up humans as sacrifices.

    ¡°Oh, ooooh¡­!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°That person is¡­Kim Su-hyeun?¡±

    ¡°Outwardly, he doesn¡¯t look all that different from us, though¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh! Watch what you say.¡±

    These people hiding underground were not affiliated with any religious order; they were people who came to worship another god named Kim Su-hyeun.

    Such people were now filling up Su-hyeun¡¯s view.

    Shen spoke up, ¡°Besides this place, there are many more people like us hiding in other cities.¡±

    ¡°How many are we talking about?¡±

    ¡°If we tally the numbers, then I¡¯d say there are around two billion of us. Of course, this total is just too small, so comparing ourselves to other religious orders is like placing a lit torch in front of the sun¡­¡±

    Shen lowered his head and couldn¡¯t finish the rest of his sentence as if he was too ashamed to speak, but Su-hyeun was quietly shaking his head at this unexpectedly high number.

    Considering the fact that Pangaea¡¯s population exceeded several trillion, around two billion people was certainly quite minuscule. The number of people who worshiped Su-hyeun was less than one percent of the total population of this planet, far closer to 0.1 percent in reality.

    However, that number was almost one-third of Earth¡¯s total population.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°What are your goals?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    ¡°Believers in other religious orders wish to become offerings so that they could reach the side of their gods. Their faith is entirely based on that. In that case, what is it that you all want?¡±

    Su-hyeun wanted to learn what the true intentions of these people were.

    It would¡¯ve been so much simpler to use Insight here, but people sometimes acted and thought differently from what they were really like in their hearts.

    More than anything else, though, Su-hyeun wanted to hear directly from them.

    Just what was their reason for gathering here?

    It wasn¡¯t all that difficult to hear their reason.

    ¡°We do not wish to die,¡± Shen replied first.

    Right after that¡­

    ¡°And we also don¡¯t want to hide forever.¡±

    ¡°Right, we wish to stop shivering from fear of not knowing when we will be chosen as sacrifices every year.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also worried about my mother and father back outside.¡±

    ¡°My sons¡­¡±

    ¡°My brothers¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this world, for sure!¡±

    These people had sensed something was not right.

    They might form an extreme minority that reached only around 0.1 percent of the overall population, but they were still people who had woken up to the fact that sacrificing one¡¯s life for the so-called salvation did not make one iota of sense.

    What they wanted was just one thing¡ªthe appearance of a god named Kim Su-hyeun who would proceed to flip the script on the unfair and corrupt ¡°gods.¡±

    ¡°You wish to stop hiding and live your lives in the open. Is that the gist of it?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct!¡±

    ¡°In that case, you all need to stay hidden for a little while longer.¡±

    Shen flinched at what Su-hyeun said just then. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, you shouldn¡¯t wander around outside or try to head over to the Altar. Aren¡¯t you all doing this so that you can survive?¡±

    The desire for one¡¯s continued survival¡ªthat was an obvious instinct everyone possessed. Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t planning to say these people were wrong for desiring that.

    ¡°If you do that, though, you will all die.¡±

    Even then, for their survival, Su-hyeun definitely had to stop them.

    ¡°If you do not wish to die, you must stay hidden a bit longer.¡±

    ¡°You are planning to attack the Altar, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°B¨Cbut how did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Could it be that you can see through our minds?¡±

    ¡°As expected of a god¡­¡±

    Several people became teary-eyed after their emotions swelled from what Su-hyeun said.

    At a glance, they came across as religious zealots. However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t really feel like breaking the bad news to them at this stage.

    He hadn¡¯t used Insight this time; he didn¡¯t no need to use that ability since he could still see their intentions rather clearly.

    ¡°I mean, they are burning with so much hunger for battle, so how can I not notice it?¡± he thought.

    The wide-open underground space that revealed itself when Su-hyeun and Shen reached the foot of the stairway was filled with tens of thousands of people; it was emitting white-hot heat of intensity belonging to someone getting ready to fight.

    They were obviously planning to storm the Altar, and two billion was definitely not a small number.

    Between people who accepted the societal structure of sacrificing human lives as normal and those who would never do that, a clear difference in one¡¯s intent to fight and hunger for battle would manifest.

    If things went their way, then they could have destroyed the Altar of sacrifices and cause a revolution.

    Unfortunately for them, though¡­

    ¡°There are 10 Predators. Nine of them are in the One Hundred Evils rank, while the other one is Kali, who ranked among the Ten Great Evils.¡±

    Not only were these people disadvantaged numerically but the beings lording over this world as gods were not some simple fake deities. They were bona fide Predators. One of them was Kali, a monster who just loved sacrificial offerings, conflicts, and warfare, just like Asura.

    If someone like her got pissed and decided to personally intervene, then¡­

    ¡°They will all die.¡±

    Su-hyeun recalled the battle between the Bull Demon King and Fafnir and thought that each of those Ten Great Evils could easily destroy a single planet. Even if Pangaea was hundreds, no, thousands of times larger than an average world, the story should remain the same.

    Even then, Kali chose not to destroy Pangaea and decided to build her nest here. There could only be one reason for that. It meant that rather than personally destroying a world with her own hands, she enjoyed receiving sacrifices under her name even more.

    Pangaea boasted a population base of several trillion, which meant there were plentiful of sacrifices to go around, and Kali chose to maintain the structure of receiving a suitable number of sacrifices at regular intervals.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a humongous breeding farm, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun could only groan deeply.

    For the time being, he should prioritize preventing all these people from leaving this place.

    ¡°Going outside is a definite no. If you¡¯re facing a shortage of provisions, try to scrape something together, and if you insist on going to the surface, then I advise you to locate a small city first.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already been several years since I last saw sunlight, but this¡­¡±

    ¡°You were supposed to save us, but¡­¡±

    The atmosphere in the underground hall became filled with agitation from what Su-hyeun said, but that was just how shocking his words came across to them. After all, they fervently believed that a new deity would appear one day and lead them to the light without requiring the need for sacrifices. To them, this was the moment their beliefs came tumbling down.

    ¡°For how long are we supposed to stay down here?¡±

    Still, some among this crowd managed to maintain their composure. More correctly, they seemed to have already overcome their confusion, which indicated how tough their mentality was. In other words, they were the ¡°captains¡± of this group.

    Su-hyeun loaded his voice with magical energy so that everyone could hear him, ¡°It¡¯s until I destroy the Altar.¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    His words echoed powerfully within the wide-open underground space.

    Although his voice was small, it could be heard more vividly than any other sound. It was as if he spoke directly into their ears.

    ¡°D¡ªdestroy the Altar?¡±

    ¡°Just by yourself?!¡±

    Several gasped in pure shock and hurriedly asked back. Everyone seemed to be deeply stunned right now.

    The Altar was a symbolic and gigantic structure where sacrifices were offered up to the gods. It wasn¡¯t just some common soldiers camping out in that place; it was where the gods descended to accept the human sacrifices. Therefore, if Su-hyeun wanted to destroy the Altar, then the task went beyond simply destroying the structure but also defeating the gods that descended to the individual altars located there.

    ¡°You all said that I¡¯m your god, didn¡¯t you?¡± Su-hyeun replied to their shock. ¡°So, why don¡¯t you believe in me, at least this one time?¡±

    <hr />

    Another 240 hours went by since that declaration.

    Meanwhile, around the Altar, quite a large number of people had gathered. It was essentially a city entirely covered by a humongous dome. It was a land where tens of millions could live, and that large dome blanketing the area placed above them was the symbol of the Altar. At the entrance of the Altar, countless people had already lined up.

    ¡°Please stay in line and take your time entering, everyone. There¡¯s no need to be in a hurry, either. Our gods will always wait for your¡­¡±

    ¡°Charles! Have a good journey! Man, I¡¯m so envious of you!¡±

    ¡°Congratulations, son.¡±

    ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll definitely follow after you soon!¡±

    Around the waiting lines were the family members and friends of those about to be offered up as sacrifices. What they said didn¡¯t sound like something one would say to the ¡°dead men walking.¡± No, they were actually encouraging and cheering on their family members and friends who were about to become sacrifices. It was a bizarre spectacle.

    Today happened to be the day of the sacrifices that happened once every year.

    ¡°Wow, there are so many people this year, too.¡±

    ¡°Lots of people die of old age after failing to get chosen, so they are all very blessed people, indeed.¡±

    ¡°Look at that child over there. Looks to be around five years old or so, right?¡±

    ¡°Only five, yet to be selected already¡­¡±

    ¡°What a blessed child that is.¡±

    The soldiers there to guide the people selected as sacrifices whispered among themselves. Their expressions were filled with envy. People were smiling brightly as they marched toward their death.

    In the middle of this, a soldier guarding the entrance asked one of the sacrifices, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why do you seem troubled?¡±

    The man distinguished as a sacrifice shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He stayed in the queue and eventually brushed past the soldiers.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much security to speak of,¡± the man thought.

    To indicate that a person was chosen as an offering, a type of ¡°oracle¡± would manifest on that person. A red dot that suddenly appeared on the person¡¯s forehead was this so-called oracle. Therefore, anyone who bore that dot could easily pass the inspection to enter the Altar, even if anyone could have simply painted that dot there by themselves.

    From the get-go, everyone thought that those without the oracle wouldn¡¯t become sacrifices, so no one bothered with special inspections or anything like that.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡± Su-hyeun, hidden among the countless sacrifices, leisurely stepped inside the Altar. ¡°I wonder what will happen inside.¡±

 Chapter 424

    <hr />

    Millie calmed his pounding heart.

    Finally, the day had come for him. He had been chosen.

    ¡°Lord Brahma has finally selected me.¡±

    Brahma¡ªhe was the god of freedom and entertainment, and he commanded countless believers under his wings.

    Millie, as one of Brahma¡¯s believers, pursued a life of freedom and fun throughout his entire life. He believed that doing so was the right way for Brahma¡¯s believers to live their lives.

    And right at this moment, Millie had no doubt that his life so far had not been in vain.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Millie stepped through the entrance and entered the Altar, and the first thing he did was to let out an exclamation.

    The ceiling and the stone walls were so tall that it was hard to grasp just where they ended, while the land below was crimson in hue. Only the chosen ones could enter the Altar, and no one was allowed to leave. That was why no one knew what the inside looked like past its doorway.

    ¡°Where is Lord Brahma, though?¡± Millie scanned his surroundings.

    Just as countless Pangaea residents had done before him, he had been thinking that Brahma would be waiting for them the moment they stepped inside the Altar. However, Brahma was nowhere to be seen. Instead, only the first batch of tens of millions of people chosen as offerings could be seen still entering the structure.

    ¡°Aha! Our lord will appear only after everyone¡¯s inside.¡±

    His faith that Brahma would definitely appear hadn¡¯t changed at all. Even at this very moment, Millie was reveling in his happiness.

    ¡°There sure are a lot of people here.¡±

    It was also at that moment that Millie heard a familiar voice.

    ¡°Huh? Uncle?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you. I said I¡¯m a ¡®big brother,¡¯ not an ¡®uncle.''¡±

    It was none other than Su-hyeun.

    Millie smirked deeply when Su-hyeun tussled his hair and then asked the older man, ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯ve been saying some weird stuff like being an atheist and all that, but in the end, you were also a believer in the Brahma Order?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°But how can you be a chosen, then? This guy, really now.¡± Millie must have thought that Su-hyeun was lying because the boy began playfully elbowing the latter with a smirk on his face.

    Of course, Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t really interested in what Millie was saying.

    Only one thing interested him at this moment.

    He asked the boy, ¡°Do you know how many Altars there are for Brahma?¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Just curious.¡±

    ¡°Ten Altars. From what I heard, other gods also have 10 Altars each.¡±

    ¡°Even Kali?¡±

    ¡°Yes. By the way, big brother, you shouldn¡¯t refer to the gods so disrespectfully, you know. I mean, you¡¯ve been chosen as an offering and all, so¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t really hear the rest after that. To be more precise, he did hear the rest but promptly ignored it. He didn¡¯t hear anything useful, anyway.

    ¡°So, then, there are a total of 100 Altars. Around 50 million people are herded inside here, so that¡¯s about five billion lives being sacrificed in one go. Which means¡­¡± he thought.

    An event like this was happening 10 times every year in a hundred different locations.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Stay still for a bit, okay?¡±

    ¡°Big brother? What are you¡ª?¡± Millie squeezed his eyes shut when Su-hyeun reached out to him.

    Su-hyeun placed his hand on the boy¡¯s head. It was at this moment that he detected something within Millie¡¯s skull¡ªa faint little trace of thread-like magical energy.

    ¡°I knew it,¡± Su-hyeun quietly muttered to himself.

    He had been thinking that something was off with this whole setup.

    Any living creature would harbor the instinctive fear of one¡¯s death regardless of whether they knew about the existence of the gods. The desire to survive was deeply engraved into one¡¯s primal instincts. It was the most basic and strongest desire one had, even.

    And as far as Su-hyeun knew, no belief system out there could suppress that instinct to this degree. However, these people didn¡¯t seem to be brainwashed nor under some kind of an illusion magic spell either, so he found this whole thing just too weird to behold¡ªuntil now.

    As it turned out, both of his guesses were wrong. His assumption was off by miles.

    ¡°Their desire to survive has been sealed away?¡±

    These people didn¡¯t fear their impending death.

    To a human who lost the desire to survive, their ¡°death¡± was no longer something to fear. In its place, they ended up believing these fake gods and started fearing not being able to reach the sides of their gods instead.

    Rather ironically, though, that seal was gradually getting weaker. It was right after they stepped inside the Altar, no less.

    ¡°By the way, if we stay here, we¡¯ll die, right?¡± Cold sweat drops trickled down Millie¡¯s forehead.

    Su-hyeun glanced at the entrance to the Altar.

    THUD¡ª

    Once everyone was inside, the doorway was firmly closed shut, and right away¡­

    ¡°H¡ªhey, I¡¯m kind of getting nervous here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a bit scared, too¡­¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyou too? W¡ªwell, we¡¯re about to die, after all¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you scared of dying?¡±

    ¡°Honestly¡­a little bit. You?¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyeah, me too¡­¡±

    The expressions on the people¡¯s faces gradually transformed.

    Up until a short while ago, they all resembled a bunch of innocent villagers about to enjoy a festival, but now, negative emotions like fear and anxiety began clouding their faces.

    ¡°So, then, the role of these Altars is to undo the sealing placed on these people since their birth,¡± the corners of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips distorted into a smile. It wasn¡¯t one of amusement but of rage.

    ¡°What a stinking hobby this is.¡±

    Soon after that, the Altar began quaking ominously.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The Altar that began shaking from its interior unleashed a large quantity of magical energy.

    Not long after that¡­

    [The first trial of the Altar will now commence.]

    [You must murder at least one person.]

    [Those who fail to satisfy this condition in the next one hour will automatically die.]

    [Only the one surviving until the end will receive salvation.]

    [We pray for Brahma¡¯s grace to be with you all.]

    ¡°W¡ªwhat is the meaning of this?!¡±

    ¡°Murder¡­?¡±

    ¡°Only one person can receive salvation¡­?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense is this?!¡±

    Many in the confused crowd began muttering among themselves in panic.

    Some among them were now saying things that would have been construed as sacrilegious even by their own standards. They were questioning how something this nonsensical could even take place on the Altar of a god they absolutely worshiped, while some others began pleading to be let outside.

    The seal suppressing their fear of death had fully come undone at this stage.

    On top of this, their hearts were filled with the crazed desire to receive their god¡¯s salvation. Rather unsurprisingly, one by one, they chose to do something about it.

    ¡°Everyone, stop.¡±

    [Predator]

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    Right at that moment, a voice deeply dug into their ear canals and restricted their bodies.

    Just two simple words were enough to halt the movements of people who were about to approach each other. Even before their heads had a chance to think, their bodies simply froze up in place.

    The same thing happened to Millie. The boy, frightened nearly out of his wits, was planning to escape from here somehow, but the moment he heard Su-hyeun¡¯s voice, his body began shivering uncontrollably. His feet didn¡¯t want to leave the ground, too.

    ¡°B¡ªb¡ªbig brother?¡±

    That voice just now? It definitely belonged to Su-hyeun.

    He then saw Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword.

    Shu-rung¡ª

    Su-hyeun was the only one still fully armed among the people inside the Altar. These people had no real reason to bring their weapon in here, after all.

    Then, without saying a word, Su-hyeun pointed the tip of his sword up. And then¡­

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Sky Splitter]

    Sliiiice¡ª

    Split¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s blade suddenly shot up and cleanly sliced open the Altar¡¯s ceiling.

    This ceiling was large enough to blanket the massive land that could house tens of millions of people, yet such a ceiling was oh-so easily split apart like some blocks of tofu.

    The chopped-up debris fell, and just as they were about to hit the crowd below¡­

    ¡°Nezha.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Prince Nezha rose from beneath Su-hyeun¡¯s shadow.

    Claaack¡ª!

    Kiii-iiing¡ª

    [Yogoe Capturing Rope]

    Six ¡°marble¡± spread out over a wide area and unfurled a massive barrier. This barrier then ably stopped the debris from falling on top of the people below.

    In the meantime, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword began pointing in a different direction.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Great Mountain Splitter]

    [Palm Leaf]

    Split¡ª!

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    The large gateway of the Altar was chopped apart, and a humongous storm rushed outside. The doors themselves couldn¡¯t withstand the storm winds and got blown outside as well.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    ¡°T¡ªthe exit¡­it¡¯s¡­¡±

    An exit suddenly presented itself to all these people who had been trapped in here until then.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat should we do now?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°It feels like something has gone wrong here, so how about we exit first and see?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That might be a good idea, right?¡±

    Their uncertain murmuring didn¡¯t last for long. One¡¯s survival instinct was strong enough to override one¡¯s reasoning, after all, so the people trapped in here didn¡¯t argue for long and began to rush outside the Altar.

    ¡°Hey, kid? You should get going, too,¡± Su-hyeun lightly patted Millie¡¯s back.

    Millie then began walking toward the Altar¡¯s exit with an uncertain expression on his face.

    After confirming Millie¡¯s distancing figure, Su-hyeun shifted his gaze elsewhere.

    In the middle of the fleeing crowd was a man who didn¡¯t even bother to move, his facial expression completely at odds with everyone else.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re the one masquerading as Brahma?¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re yet another Hound, I see.¡±

    This creature, which took on the appearance of a man, boasted bronze skin and black hair. Unlike everyone else, it was grinning widely as if it was fully enjoying the current situation or some such.

    However, just like all the other Predators, it mistook Su-hyeun as yet another Apostle.

    The Predator spoke up, ¡°Do you have any idea what kind of this place this is?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°This is where the Goddess of Fighting, Kali, resides, and she was planning to start her favorite pastime, war, quite soon, too.¡±

    This pretend Brahma referred to the Predator it served, Kali, as the Goddess of Fighting.

    Did that mean they really saw themselves as genuine gods?

    When Su-hyeun thought about it, he did hear that the common desire of all the Predators was to become a genuine god.

    However, he wasn¡¯t interested either way. Whether they called themselves gods or not, he simply thought of them as pitiful, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°Sure, I already know that and still came here, anyway.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun stepped past the fleeing crowd and approached Brahma. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, how about we chat like a pair of civilized people? I have a few things to ask you about Kali, you see.¡±

    ¡°Chat? What rubbish are you even¡ª?!¡±

    Grab¡ª!

    The Predator couldn¡¯t finish its sentence, its eyes opening up wide in shock when it sensed a powerful hand grab its throat.

    ¡°There are still too many people here, so¡­¡±

    BANG¡ª!

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go somewhere else, then?¡±

    Su-hyeun then leaped from the spot.

    Their two figures flew up toward the Altar¡¯s ceiling. Su-hyeun continued to activate Leap and rose as high as possible in the sky.

    Once he broke past the cloud cover, he scanned the surroundings briefly. He then located a wide-open empty plain where not a single person could be found.

    ¡°One, two¡­¡± While gripping the Predator¡¯s throat, Su-hyeun bent his back and cocked his arm. ¡°Three.¡±

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª

    Brahma¡¯s body became a single continuous line as it flew down to the ground. It soon struck the middle of the empty plain, spectacularly overturning the ground and creating a deep crater.

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The ground powerfully quaked, as if an earthquake broke out just then.

    After throwing Brahma down, Su-hyeun activated Leap again to fly toward the landing zone. The ground was still faintly trembling when he got there, while Brahma, buried deep underground, hadn¡¯t extricated itself out from there yet.

    ¡°Wait, are you already dead?¡±

    Break¡ª

    The moment he said that, a hand broke through the surface at the bottom of the crater. This hand, trembling pathetically, barely pulled the rest of itself out from there. Brahma, its whole body covered in dirt and wounds, wheezed and coughed painfully.

    Cough, cough!

    ¡°I knew it. If you died from only that much, now that would¡¯ve been too much of a waste.¡±

    It seemed that this Predator¡¯s defensive capability was a bit better than that of Tyrant. On the other hand, its regenerative powers seemed much weaker than that of Tyrant. Whatever the case might have been, if it died from a simple attack like that, then the rank of the One Hundred Evils was wasted on this guy.

    Brahma barely forced itself to stand back up, its irises powerfully trembling. Underestimating Su-hyeun as another Apostle must have been the source of its troubles because its mind was in complete disarray right now.

    It wiped off the smile from earlier and asked Su-hyeun, ¡°You¡­Just what are you?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, what am I?¡±

    There could be only one suitable answer for that.

    Su-hyeun pointed to the sky and replied, ¡°I¡¯m a god, obviously.¡±

 Chapter 425

    That was a rather playful reply.

    But Brahma took it seriously and nodded while staring into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, ¡°You¡¯re not lying.¡±

    ¡°God¡± was the noble existence that all Predators wished to become, but in reality, the two camps were diametrically opposed.

    The qualification of godhood was indeed that¡ªthe qualification to become a god¡ªand the authority symbolizing an individual¡¯s power, but actually becoming a god was another matter altogether.

    Obviously, one needed to possess the qualifications, but one also needed a physical body capable of wielding all those qualifications, as well as a mind that was tough enough to withstand such a physique.

    Brahma stared straight into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    There it was, one of the abilities that symbolized the gods¡ªInsight, the eyes of the gods that could see through everything.

    Brahma had seen eyes like Su-hyeun¡¯s in the past. ¡°A god like you existed? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing. How bizarre.¡±

    It seemed that Brahma was unable to even imagine the simple fact that Su-hyeun ascended to full godhood despite being a human.

    However, something like that was understandable. Countless unknown, unfamous, gods existed throughout the universe, but even then, there weren¡¯t all that many who, despite being born as a mere mortal, reached full godhood on their own strength.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, now does it?¡± Su-hyeun asked back.

    ¡°Is that so? Indeed, that¡¯s true. Regardless of what, the only certain thing here is that Goddess Kali will direct her rage at me if I fail to kill you in this place.¡±

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    A sharp and purple-hued spike suddenly materialized over Brahma¡¯s hand. It was no ordinary spike, however. A massive quantity of energy, much greater than any contained in a weapon Su-hyeun had seen so far, was compressed inside that thing.

    With that much energy, it could even slice through adamantium depending on who wielded it.

    ¡°Are you that scared of her?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s far scarier than the likes of you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m really looking forward to meeting her now.¡±

    Piiit¡ª

    Brahma¡¯s figure suddenly vanished from the spot. Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t even see how the Predator had moved even with his eyes, but that wasn¡¯t so surprising, really.

    He thought, ¡°Was that some kind of teleportation ability?¡±

    Brahma had literally vanished from the spot, after all.

    A blink of an eye later, Su-hyeun tilted his body out of the way.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Sliiiice¡ª!

    A thin line was carved out in the ground. This line extended on and on¡ªclouds up in the skies were split apart, and a purple line manifested itself to seemingly connect the split sky and the ground.

    ¡°Was that like ¡®erasing¡¯?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t a simple blade strike. Rather than slicing something apart, it looked far closer to erasing whatever was found in its long path, instead.

    It was most likely this Predator¡¯s ¡°authority.¡±

    ¡°Is it an attack-focused combat style that utilizes its quick speed and killing power? I¡¯ve already confirmed its defensive capability earlier, and it looks like this guy¡¯s specialty is that teleportation ability.¡±

    Slice, chop, sliiiiice¡ª

    Piiit, pii-piiit¡ª

    Su-hyeun continued to move this way and that as if he was on a dance floor. Meanwhile, Brahma¡¯s blade strikes grew faster and faster.

    ¡°The range of its strikes are really long but narrow enough to fit a palm¡¯s width. As for the attack pattern¡­¡±

    Whoosh, swiiiish¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes rapidly darted around, and soon, he spotted Brahma appearing again to wield that purple-colored spike in its hand.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun reached out to the Predator, and then¡­

    Grab¡ª

    Keok!

    Brahma, appearing in that position right then, suddenly had its throat firmly gripped by Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Crack, split¡ª

    Su-hyeun powerfully slammed the Predator¡¯s head on the ground.

    Keo-hurk!

    Its whole body violently shuddered. That horrifying impact forced all strength to seep out from its body. As expected, this Predator might have been fast, and its killing power, extraordinary, but in return, its defensive capability was well below par.

    Fu-wuuu¡ª

    Su-hyeun exhaled at length for a very brief moment.

    He saw something earlier. Although the moment didn¡¯t even last 0.1 seconds, Su-hyeun still got to clearly see it.

    ¡°I saw the future that would happen a little bit later.¡±

    Indeed, Insight wasn¡¯t some simple ability meant to read the target¡¯s mind. No, it was a power that allowed its wielder to see what they wanted to see. That was the true power of Insight.

    ¡°Now that got a bit annoying just to catch a mosquito¡­¡±

    Cruuuunch¡ª

    Kkeuh¡­

    Su-hyeun used his free hand to break Brahma¡¯s thigh bone. At the same time, the divine Flame traveled through his fingertips to enter the Predator¡¯s leg and scorched the gap between the broken bone bits.

    With this, the Predator should find it too difficult to get up and start rampaging again.

    ¡°Alright, then, I hope that you can now more or less figure out what your current situation is.¡±

    ¡°What¡­do you want¡­?¡±

    ¡°For now, stop the trial within the Altars under your control.¡±

    ¡°But that means I¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, just die here, then. If you start running right away, maybe you can escape from Kali¡¯s grasp, but if not, well, you¡¯ll definitely die by me.¡±

    Brahma¡¯s expression distorted as if it was conflicted by Su-hyeun¡¯s offer.

    It seemed that Kali was indeed a terrifying existence, seeing that this Predator was actually debating what to choose between the figurative blade thrust in its throat and Kali who should be somewhere far away, beyond one¡¯s visual range.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll just end you right here. That will probably end the trial automatically, anyway.¡±

    ¡°A¡ªare you going to let me live if I do as you say?¡±

    It seemed that this Predator¡¯s obsession over its survival was rather strong, which was great since that would simplify this discussion.

    ¡°Of course. Except on the condition of you leaving this planet for good.¡±

    ¡°That will be obvious. If I agree to your demands, I will then have no choice but to escape from her reach, too. However, you must promise me. Swear it on your honor as a god.¡±

    ¡°My honor, you say?¡± Su-hyeun nodded nonchalantly, ¡°Something like that? Why not?¡±

    Brahma sighed in relief at that reply. It used one of its hands to barely prop itself up. ¡°I need a little bit of time. It¡¯s not an easy task to undo the system cast on every location, you see.¡±

    ¡°Sure, whatever,¡± Su-hyeun withdrew his attention for a little while.

    Brahma cautiously gauged Su-hyeun¡¯s alertness several times after that. However, the latter was sitting down with his back turned toward the Predator.

    ¡°Should I sneak attack him? No, it¡¯ll be useless,¡± it surmised.

    Su-hyeun dodged all of Brahma¡¯s attacks, even though the latter was practically invisible all the time. Things shouldn¡¯t be any different now, too.

    ¡°How much longer?¡± Su-hyeun abruptly asked, his back still turned.

    Brahma immediately answered with a flinch, ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Su-hyeun raised his head and looked up, ¡°That means they¡¯ll be here soon, too.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Brahma shot up from the spot.

    But right at that moment¡­

    Shu-rururuk¡ª

    Grab¡ª!

    Pure-white clouds suddenly materialized all around Brahma and tightly restricted it.

    ¡°W¡ªwhat are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°You know, those Altars you¡¯ve created? Their mechanism will stop automatically when you die, so there¡¯s no real need to waste my time waiting for you, right?¡±

    ¡°Do you not have any honor as a god?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really interested in stuff like that. Besides all that, you never planned to honor the promise in the first place, anyway.¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Lightning bolts flashed in the suddenly darkened sky. However, all those storm clouds gathering there were not summoned by Su-hyeun.

    He said loudly, ¡°One, two, three¡­Huh, you sure called a lot of them out, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°W¡ªw¡ªwait a minute!¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, my foot. Here¡¯s my answer.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist tightly, ¡°Strike down, Somersault cloud.¡±

    Pazzzzzzzzzik¡ª!

    Aaaaaaaaahk!

    Lightning bolts were unleashed from the Somersault cloud, enveloping Brahma¡¯s body. The Predator was instantly scorched pitch-black, and then, its burnt figure rapidly started withering.

    Soon afterward¡­

    [Ten Altars have stopped functioning.]

    [The false god, Brahma, has been defeated.]

    [The second trial is concurrently underway.]

    [Please eliminate 10 false gods.]

    Several messages popped up one after the other.

    It sounded like the second trial was to get rid of all the fake gods including Kali. In other words, all of the Predators.

    ¡°Thankfully, the Altars stopped functioning¡­¡±

    The system handily took care of the slight problem of Su-hyeun needing to confirm everything personally. He raised his head and stared at the other Predators summoned here by the fake Brahma.

    Faint silhouettes were visible within the dark clouds. One was a dokkaebi with a massive horn, another was a giant with a canine head, and then finally, a female with an arresting figure who also happened to possess four arms.

    ¡°He¡¯s really dead?¡±

    ¡°Looks that way.¡±

    ¡°To think that Brahma really died. The Hound this time seems a bit different, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°That only shows how desperate the gods have become. Goddess Kali¡¯s strength is only getting stronger, after all.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense since, in 10 thousand years, the Three Destroyers will surely become Four Destroyers, instead.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not such a bad offering, that¡¯s for sure. She will definitely prefer a Hound over those insect-like humans, after all.¡±

    The three of them chatted among themselves while staring at Su-hyeun.

    Their voices reverberated throughout the sky. Perhaps common people witnessing this scene from far away might say that the gods had actually descended to the land right now.

    ¡°Three, huh?¡±

    Su-hyeun, having finished Brahma off, slowly got up from the spot.

    These three Predators were all ranked within the One Hundred Evils. Su-hyeun recalled the information from Luslec while taking in their appearances.

    ¡°That¡¯s Zawucheon, then Anubis, and finally, that female is none other than¡­¡± Su-hyeun locked his gaze on the female with four arms in the middle of the trio. ¡°Kalira.¡±

    Luslec said that, excluding Kali, the one to be most wary of among the 10 Predators was Kalira.

    ¡°A creature born from the mixture of blood shed by Kali and Asura during their battle. Quite literally, she¡¯ basically their offspring,¡± Su-hyeun quietly muttered while picking up a ton of murderous intent oozing off of her.

    A child born from two long-time rivals who kept fighting each other? Now that was an ironic existence if there ever was one.

    For sure, the murderous intent oozing off from Kalira¡¯s body and eyes were denser than any other Su-hyeun had experienced so far.

    ¡°She¡¯s the closest to being one of the Ten Great Evils. A monster who is a Predator from her birth and loves bloodshed, warfare, and constant battles.¡±

    He got to meet her sooner than he anticipated.

    Not too long after that, Kalira, who had been keeping quiet until then, finally said something, ¡°An amusing opponent has shown up after a long while, it seems.¡±

    Kalira then pulled out four vajras.

    ¡°Both of you, do not interfere.¡±

    ¡°But, Kalira, Brahma is dead.¡±

    ¡°Even you could¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you dare interfere, then¡­¡± Kalira¡¯s eyes changed color to crimson. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you first myself.¡±

    Anubis and Zawucheon clamped their mouths shut.

    She had such a fervent desire to fight, and they figured that getting on the current Kalira¡¯s bad books might cause the fight to spiral in an undesirable direction, instead.

    But right then, something happened.

    ¡°Strike them¡ª¡±

    KA-RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    Lightning bolts struck down from the dark clouds up in the sky.

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    Bzzzzzzzzik¡ª

    ¡°Keuh-euh¡­¡±

    ¡°That stings.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The trio, struck by the lightning, glared murderously at the culprit¡ªSu-hyeun.

    That attack only caused Kalira¡¯s glare to become even more twisted than before. She never thought that Su-hyeun would dare to attack them simultaneously despite eavesdropping on their conversation.

    The meaning behind that attack was quite easy to understand.

    ¡°Stop wasting time and attack me together,¡± Su-hyeun beckoned with his hand. ¡°If you don¡¯t, you will only make me rueful, you know.¡±

    ¡°Kalira.¡±

    ¡°We cannot overlook this.¡±

    Naked killing intent filled up the eyes of both Zawucheon and Anubis. It seemed that their pride would not allow them to hand Su-hyeun over to Kalira when he dared to attack them first.

    Kalira shot a glare at the two before nodding slightly. She was saying they should do what they want.

    Soon, the trio¡¯s fighting spirit converged on Su-hyeun.

    Being on the receiving end of the fighting spirit of three Predators ranked among the One Hundred Evils was a surprisingly weird experience, and the fighting spirit coming off of Kalira was rather ominous, as well.

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword with one hand and then raised his free hand up in the sky.

    And then¡­

    ¡°Strike down, Somersault cloud.¡±

    Flash¡ª!

    [Somersault cloud]

    [Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove]

    He grasped the lightning bolt that fell down and gave it a tangible form¡ªa long spear that was glowing in a blinding reddish-golden light.

    Kalira¡¯s eyes bulged out of their sockets as she took in the sight of Su-hyeun wielding a sword and spear in each of his hands. ¡°Zeus?¡±

 Chapter 426 - Chapter 426

    Pazzzz, bzzzzzik¡ª

    The spear that was flashing brightly with reddish-golden lightning currents looked suspiciously like a certain weapon that reaped the lives of many Predators until now.

    ¡°You¡¯re an Apostle of Zeus?¡±

    ¡°If so, Brahma dying at your hand makes sense.¡±

    Zawucheon and Anubis became deeply wary of Su-hyeun.

    It sounded like they mistook him as Zeus¡¯s Apostle.

    Sure, Su-hyeun had already met Zeus¡¯s brother Hades and son Apollo, but that didn¡¯t automatically mean he knew how incredible an existence Zeus was to these Predators.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s not technically wrong,¡± he thought.

    Whatever the case might be, Su-hyeun was wearing the item called Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove on his left hand. There was no doubting that the power he was wielding right now was based upon the abilities of the god named Zeus.

    Su-hyeun inwardly mused, ¡°Looks like they misunderstood something, but¡­¡±

    He wasn¡¯t planning to correct them.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± he told them.

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body arched back into a stance of throwing a spear.

    Anubis recognized that stance right away and was the first to rush toward Su-hyeun.

    Right after that, Su-hyeun¡¯s arched torso sprang forward, and the Thunderbolt in his hand hurtled toward its target.

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    A blinding light flashed from Anubis¡¯s rushing figure.

    An explosion noise loud and sharp enough to rupture eardrums and shatter the world rocked the surroundings. As for Anubis, it was violently flung back like a broken kite.

    Kuuugh¡­

    Anubis moaned while gripping a long and large metal hammer. The weapon was scorched black, but as if to indicate that the Predator couldn¡¯t block everything with its metal hammer, Anubis¡¯s face was also scorched pitch-black.

    Thud¡ª

    Anubis fell to its knees on the ground.

    It only took one strike; the spear didn¡¯t even hit Anubis directly, and Anubis had successfully defended against it, yet the impact was still this heavy.

    The Predator forced itself to stand back up and tried to approach Su-hyeun. But then¡­

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzzik¡ª!

    Yet another spear had materialized within Su-hyeun¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Crazy son of a¡ª¡±

    ¡°So he can fire something like that several times?¡±

    Anubis cursed aloud while Zawucheon frowned deeply at this sight.

    That lightning energy was basically an incredible quantity of destructive power compressed into a spear-like shape.

    They found it odd that a spear created through the lightning energy could be tossed around so easily. Spear throwing was indeed a powerful attack technique, but there was a clear drawback of not easily retrieving the spear once thrown.

    Also, there was the fact that what Su-hyeun threw earlier wasn¡¯t a real spear but simply compressed lightning energy.

    Such energy that once left one¡¯s hand would inevitably fail to maintain its shape and explode, and rather obviously, there was no way to retrieve such a spear as well.

    On top of those points, it should not be that simple to create another spear like that so quickly.

    That was what they thought.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be defending against that, then,¡± Kalira became incredibly cautious now, unlike a few moments ago.

    Kalira didn¡¯t rush in blindly like what Anubis had done. Instead, it chose to cautiously creep forward one step at a time.

    When it did¡­

    FLASH¡ª!

    Kwa-aaaaaah¡ª

    A humongous explosion noise resounded from somewhere behind Kalira, and at the same time, a small hill in the distance completely disintegrated. Su-hyeun had fired the second spear just then.

    ¡°I see. So it can be evaded as long as I concentrate,¡± said Kalira.

    Indeed, Kalira was different from the other two Predators. Anubis barely managed to stand back up, its legs trembling even now, but Kalira was good enough to evade the Thunderbolt.

    Kalira was supposed to be the closest to ranking among the Ten Great Evils; that claim didn¡¯t seem to be an empty boast, after all.

    ¡°Gluttony, Nezha.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡­

    From Su-hyeun¡¯s shadow rose the tall and fat frame of Gluttony and then Prince Nezha.

    Gluttony was drooling heavily and even began swallowing its saliva. It seemed that its appetite was acting up again.

    ¡°You, take care of that dokkaebi over there. As for you, Nezha¡­¡±

    Clack¡ª

    Prince Nezha knelt down, indicating that it was waiting for Su-hyeun¡¯s command.

    ¡°You see that one over there looking all sickly and all? Have a go at it.¡±

    Prince Nezha silently nodded.

    After Su-hyeun acquired the godhood of death, his summons also in turn acquired the level of intelligence that surpassed what they had when they were still alive.

    On top of that, Prince Nezha used to be revered as the God of War back in the Heavenly World. He was a prodigy in combat, and as such, he obviously could tell the gap between himself and his opponent.

    Unlike Gluttony, Prince Nezha didn¡¯t have enough strength to fight a Predator ranked among the One Hundred Evils. However, Anubis was gravely wounded right now. Also, Su-hyeun only called out two summons this time.

    ¡°If I focus much of my Death Aura on Nezha, he should be able to somehow fight back,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t worried about Gluttony at all. It had already devoured a number of Predators by now, and on top of that, not too long ago, it even devoured Tyrant¡ªa Predator also ranked among the One Hundred Evils.

    Actually, not doing this much would make it more troubling for him.

    Kalira stared at the two summons and asked, ¡°Are those your summoned creatures?¡±

    Su-hyeun replied while nodding, ¡°They won¡¯t interfere during our fight, so you can rest easy.¡±

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re planning to set them loose on the others.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°Those two might be a part of your abilities, but I¡¯m not interested in wasting time with some measly summons, you see. Should I say I¡¯m thankful for that?¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Kalira slowly walked up to Su-hyeun, ¡°Well, now. Our stage has been set.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get started, then.¡±

    Just as Su-hyeun assumed the position¡­

    ¡°Very good!¡±

    Pah-aht¡ª!

    Kalira¡¯s figure vanished from the spot. At the same time, four vajras flew in from up, below, and both sides, with Su-hyeun¡¯s head as their target.

    CLANG¡ª!

    A powerfully swung sword deflected all four vajras away. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the end.

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    The deflected vajras quickly regained their center and shifted around rapidly. The four weapons darted and dodged past the sword strikes and tried to aim for Su-hyeun¡¯s vital areas.

    Clang, bang, diiiing¡ª!

    The trajectories of the sword swatting away the incoming vajras were dizzying to behold, so much so that even Su-hyeun began wondering if he had ever wielded a sword this fast before. Just one mistake and Kalira¡¯s vajra might shatter his skull without mercy.

    However¡­

    ¡°I can see everything,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    He could clearly see the trajectories of Kalira¡¯s vajras. It was like staring at four pens dancing around on top of a blank piece of drawing paper. He could see oh-so vividly like a painting not only the trajectories but even how Kalira would move next.

    And at the end of all that was¡­

    ¡°Right there.¡±

    He glimpsed into the future about to happen where the vajras would show up next.

    Clang, claaang, diiing¡ª!

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    The vajras Kalira swung around were deflected up into the air.

    Swinging his sword while knowing what would happen beforehand wasn¡¯t quite enough to deal with all those vajras dizzily dancing and darting about.

    Shu-wuwuwuwu¡ª

    After Su-hyeun¡¯s sword swatted away the vajras, sharp winds gathered around his blade. The power of a storm intense enough to blow away an entire city, no, an entire country, was gathering there.

    ¡°Blow away¡ª¡±

    Whooooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword sliced open Kalira¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Palm Leaf!¡±

    Kwa-aaaaaaah¡ª!

    A huge storm lashed out over Kalira¡¯s wounded chest. Thousands, no, tens of thousands of sword cuts were inflicted on the Predator¡¯s torso as massive winds swept it up and flung it back.

    Driiip¡ª

    Paaaaahk¡ª!

    As Kalira was flung back, it used its vajras to swat away the winds tearing at its chest. The winds morphed into a powerful typhoon that swept across the lands around the Predator.

    Huff, pant¡­

    Kalira gasped laboriously. Cuts and wounds completely covered its upper and lower torsos. Unsurprisingly, blood dripped gruesomely from all those wounds and seeped into the ground below.

    Kalira had suffered serious wounds.

    Smirk¡ª

    Despite all that, it began grinning. It must have found this quite entertaining.

    ¡°She¡¯s insane,¡± Su-hyeun tutted unhappily while staring at Kalira.

    To think that it would actually smile despite all those grave wounds and all that bleeding, too. It actually found this entertaining? This Predator was the type Su-hyeun found most difficult to understand.

    ¡°You are the insane one, not knowing the true pleasure of this.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Kalira¡¯s steps grew faster and faster.

    ¡°Simply enjoy it!¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Vajras were swung in his direction. Their speed had become faster by a level compared to before. To Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, the trajectories of those vajras seemed disconnected.

    He was certain of blocking three, but for the last one¡­

    Clang, claaaang¡ª

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    The last vajra he couldn¡¯t deflect slammed into the ground.

    Su-hyeun took a step back and watched as the ground overturned and rose up. For a moment there, the ground jutting up blocked his view.

    Pah-ahk¡ª!

    Kalira used this opening to try and stab him with its vajra.

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    But the vajra that it thrust forward was blocked by pure-white clouds.

    Pazzzzzik¡ª!

    The clouds restricted the vajra and began sending powerful electrical shocks. However, Kalira ignored the electrical currents, shattered the boulder before it, and then pounced straight at its opponent.

    Unfortunately for Kalira¡­

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Great Mountain Splitter]

    What awaited it after breaking through the boulder was Su-hyeun¡¯s sword that he held up high.

    Sha-aaaaahk¡ª

    Kwa-gagagaga¡ª

    The heaven and earth were split apart, and debris noisily tumbled down the chasm now opened up on the ground.

    A long sword wound ran down on Kalira¡¯s face. Right at the last possible moment, it stopped advancing and raised a single vajra to protect itself before it was chopped apart in half.

    Smirk¡ª

    However, Kalira continued to smile regardless, ¡°This is so much fun!¡±

    CLANG¡ª!

    Two vajras swung downward and shoved Su-hyeun¡¯s sword down.

    Kalira¡¯s wounds continued to accumulate. Despite that, it remained unperturbed, clearly not fearing shedding more of its blood. Actually, it was enjoying this battle even more thoroughly, its strength getting stronger over time.

    However¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m getting more used to it now.¡±

    The same applied to Su-hyeun.

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s body spun around in a large arc, his sword slicing the air apart. At the same time, a crimson line was drawn on one of Kalira¡¯s arms.

    Splaaash¡ª!

    A fountain of blood shot out from the arm; Kalira¡¯s hand had been cleanly severed.

    Su-hyeun quipped, ¡°Well, three more to go.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Kalira¡¯s attitude, filled with killing intent and burning fighting spirit evident in its crimson eyes, faltered noticeably for a moment then.

    But that made some sense; unlike the wounds inflicted on it until now, a part of its limb got severed. Losing an arm meant the number of vajras it could swing around would decrease, which in turn, would negatively affect its overall combat capability.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Kalira seemed to ponder something before another smile was etched on its face, ¡°become even more interesting.¡±

    ¡°How nice that you still think that way.¡±

    ¡°However, why aren¡¯t you using that power from earlier?¡±

    ¡°That power?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the power of Zeus. The power you acquired after you agreed to become Zeus¡¯s hunting dog. From the look of things, you¡¯re quite proficient with swordsmanship,¡± Kalira spoke while recalling Su-hyeun¡¯s Thunderbolt that brought Anubis to its knees. ¡°You better use that power again. Only then will this battle be even more entertaining.¡±

    ¡°You sound way too eager to die, you know that?¡±

    ¡°It matters not,¡± Kalira replied without a shred of hesitation. ¡°Death cannot be separate from conflicts and warfare. Even if it¡¯s unknown whether your life or mine will be forfeited today, for the sake of maximum enjoyment, I will gladly offer up my life.¡±

    This Predator had such an obsession for fighting and an overwhelming desire for the amusement derived from fighting itself. As Kalira was an offspring between Asura and Kali, it truly enjoyed fighting against a strong opponent, and it had not fought anyone as strong as Su-hyeun until now.

    If at all possible, Kalira wanted to see the strongest state of the strongest opponent it had ever met.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have a reason to humor you just because you asked me, but,¡± Su-hyeun replied while scratching his head, ¡°Honestly, though, there¡¯s something I wanted to test out myself, you see.¡±

    Kalira said that the power Su-hyeun possessed came from Zeus. In a way, Kalira was right.

    Also, Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t fully mastered Zeus¡¯s power, the power of lightning. As such, learning how to wield that power was a task he would have to gradually solve by himself over time.

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    When Su-hyeun raised his left hand, lightning began cracking again. However, the electrical charge didn¡¯t gather around his hand this time; it instead floated up in the air and assumed a physical form where he was pointing at with his fingertip.

    It was a spear glowing in a reddish-golden hue. Right after that, though, a second one materialized, quickly followed by a third one, a hundredth one¡­and then hundreds of them.

    [Thunderbolts ¨C Divine Punishment]

    That was a somewhat familiar technique.

    Su-hyeun recalled the original owner of this technique, Gordon Rohan, and muttered softly to himself, ¡°Hey, Gordon. This isn¡¯t too shabby, actually.¡±

 Chapter 427

    It wasn¡¯t exactly correct to call all those countless Thunderbolts blanketing the sky a ¡°skill.¡± Su-hyeun had created them just now, after all; meaning, rather than a skill, it was closer to a technique he had come up with by himself.

    Su-hyeun simply copied someone else by materializing lots of Thunderbolts and had them maintain their form up in the air.

    ¡°Doing this does eat up a ton of magical energy and prana, but¡­¡±

    Pazzzik, bzzzzz¡ª

    But he got to create a spectacle of this magnitude as well.

    Rumble, ku-rurururu¡­

    Kalira¡¯s lone figure stood on the spot where all those spears were pointing at. She pushed all of her senses to the extreme as an ominous feeling swept over her.

    Buzz, buzz¡ª

    Kalira looked up at countless lightning spears up in the air. Every single one was as powerful as the spear that brought Anubis to its knees.

    ¡°And I need to dodge all of them?!¡± she inwardly calculated, her thick grin vanishing instantly.

    The speed of the lightning attack was far faster than what Kalira¡¯s eyes could see. The only reason she managed to dodge the first Thunderbolt was not that she spotted the spear¡¯s movement but simply because she was paying attention to Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    But now, it was impossible to dodge with so many spears up there, plus none of them were coming from Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    Grit¡ª

    Kalira angrily clenched her teeth. If dodging was impossible, then only one option remained.

    ¡°Damn it all¡ª!¡±

    And that was to withstand everything.

    Kalira charged straight at Su-hyeun. At the same time, his hand extended upward and clenched into a fist.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    <hr />

    Boom, ka-booooom¡ª!

    Kalira¡¯s whole figure was being scorched black. She used two of her arms to shield her head, while the other two arms busily defended against the Thunderbolts striking down at her.

    By now, dozen-plus lightning spears had struck her.

    Plop¡ª

    She fell down to her knees. Only after the 10th Thunderbolts struck her did she go down to her knees. She was indeed far more amazing than Anubis, who went down after only one strike.

    Unfortunately for her¡­

    ¡°I still have plenty left.¡±

    Flash¡ª!

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    One more Thunderbolt fell from the sky.

    Kalira¡¯s spine bent backward, and the arms shielding her head trembled weakly. Her scorched-black figure resembled a piece of charcoal at this point.

    Kkuck, kkugh¡­

    The whites of her eyes were showing, while her breathing intermittently ceased.

    Su-hyeun observed Kalira¡¯s state for a bit and then canceled the rest of the Thunderbolts.

    ¡°Around 17 shots.¡±

    His technique placed importance on the number rather than the individual spear¡¯s firepower, but even then, the overall attack power seemed to be adequate enough.

    A spear that could not be dodged nor blocked¡ªthat was the Thunderbolt in essence.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s still difficult for me to shoot them all at once, this isn¡¯t shabby at all.¡±

    Gordon Rohan¡¯s technique, the Divine Punishment, allowed him to summon and rain down countless spears to the ground. However, Su-hyeun found it hard to shoot more than three Thunderbolts at once, which meant his firing rate wasn¡¯t so great.

    On top of that, its consumption of his magical energy and prana reserve was a big burden, too.

    ¡°I need to refine it a bit more.¡±

    The matter of improving his proficiency would be dealt with in time, but the matter of how to efficiently and effectively use this technique was something Su-hyeun alone had to contemplate and resolve.

    Su-hyeun looked into the bottom of the deep crater where Kali was currently kneeling.

    This deep, deep crater was created from the combined might of 17 Thunderbolts.

    Sliiiide¡ª

    Su-hyeun slid down to the bottom of the crater and walked up to Kalira, who barely raised her head and stared at him. Maybe she noticed that he had come closer to her position, as her irises were gradually showing back on her eyes.

    ¡°I¡­must¡­fight¡­¡±

    ¡°You still want to keep fighting me?¡± Su-hyeun tutted while staring at Kalira as she tried to fight back rather than plead for her life, despite her current wretched state.

    If he wanted to kill her, he could have done so using the remaining Thunderbolts, but there was a reason why he spared her.

    ¡°Where is Kali?¡±

    And that was to locate her mother, Kali.

    Creeeak¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    Kalira didn¡¯t verbally reply to his questioning and instead chose to respond with her vajra.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Pow¡ª!

    The vajra that she swung with all of her remaining strength landed on Su-hyeun¡¯s palm. Although the impact felt rather weighty, it no longer carried the same destructive force from earlier.

    He found it really amazing that she could still move and wished to fight him despite her current state. Without a doubt, Kalira was a creature born only to fight.

    ¡°Come¡­fight¡­me¡­¡±

    Creak, clack¡ª

    She forced her bent knees to straighten and somehow managed to make the other three vajras move.

    Literally, she made them move; despite not being held in her hands, the three vajras swam through the air and emitted a somewhat scary level of fighting aura.

    ¡°Keep¡­fighting¡­me¡­¡±

    ¡°Your obsession is seriously something else.¡±

    It seemed that she had no thoughts of answering him. Indeed, the only thing occupying Kalira¡¯s head was the obsessive desire to keep fighting Su-hyeun.

    Pazzzzik¡ª

    Another Thunderbolt materialized in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    The speed of creating one this time was a level quicker than before, and this time, he was confident of hitting his target.

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to answer me, there¡¯s no need to delay it any further, then.¡±

    One, two¡­

    While counting down in his head, Su-hyeun arched back his torso.

    And just like that¡­

    Flash¡ª!

    The Thunderbolt shot out from his hand.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Kwa-jiiiik, bzzzzzzzik¡ª

    The thrown Thunderbolt dyed the world pure white.

    Su-hyeun had been planning to completely kill off the dying Kalira for good, but then, a surprised expression overtook his face.

    Pazzzik, pazzzzik¡ª

    Kalira, her eyes without any focus and her life force ebbing away, somehow managed to catch his thrown Thunderbolt. More surprisingly, her eyes had regained some semblance of vitality, too.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Su-hyeun stared at Kalira who was tightly gripping the Thunderbolt and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The light burning in her eyes had changed. The eyes of Kalira, who couldn¡¯t control her own overzealousness to fight and rampaged around, were now calm like she had regained her composure.

    Crunch¡ª!

    Pah-sususu¡ª

    One of her hands, the one that stopped the Thunderbolt, burned away and crushed to bits. Her physical body had already reached its limit by then, so it seemed that she couldn¡¯t stop the lightning spear without any lasting damage to herself.

    However, Kalira didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid to the lost arm. She instead raised her head and stared at the sky, ¡°It sure has been a while.¡±

    She sounded as if she didn¡¯t really care about Su-hyeun¡¯s presence either. She then quietly closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

    Su-hyeun picked up an incredible level of fighting aura quietly oozing off from her, one strong enough to numb his whole body. It was truly mystifying how she could emit such an aura simply by standing still and breathing in and out.

    This was completely different from Kalira of earlier.

    She outwardly emitted a crazed fighting aura that she couldn¡¯t control, but now, the current Kalira was easily reining in her own fighting aura.

    Seeing her like this, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t need long to realize who this was. ¡°Are you Kali?¡±

    Was she indeed Kali, Kalira¡¯s mother and Asura¡¯s rival?

    His question prompted Kalira¡¯s gaze to shift over to him, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±

    ¡°No, not exactly.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you know my name?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You think it¡¯s unfair that I know your name, but you don¡¯t know mine?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I already know who you are,¡± Kali¡¯s lips distorted into a grin. ¡°Kim Su-hyeun. The sword of the gods who is caught under an unfortunate fate.¡±

    ¡°The sword of the gods¡­?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s brows rose. Kali actually knew of him? But that wasn¡¯t all. She sounded as if she had accurately seen through his fate just like the other gods had done.

    Did the Predators also have powers similar to Insight, which was supposed to be the power of the gods? Or was it nothing more than her scheme to shake him up, instead?

    If it was the latter, how did she learn of his name, Kim Su-hyeun?

    Or¡­

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Kali¡¯s vajra suddenly slammed down on Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    It was a sudden sneak attack. The weapon closed in on his head far faster than he could react.

    Fluff¡ª

    Rather than a heavy and dull noise, a soft and malleable sensation was transmitted through Kali¡¯s hand. It came from the Somersault cloud protecting Su-hyeun¡¯s body.

    He grabbed the vajra and then pulled Kali¡¯s figure close.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    [Flame ¨C Transformation]

    Then, without stopping, his arm that had transformed into pure flames shot out toward Kali¡¯s unguarded abdomen.

    Pooooow¡ª!

    A huge hole opened up in Kali¡¯s torso.

    Even if a new consciousness had taken over Kalira¡¯s body, it would be impossible for her to move around now that there was a massive hole in her torso. Kali, who had taken over Kalira¡¯s body, smirked as she fell to the ground, ¡°You seem to have a few tricks up your sleeve.¡±

    Calling the godhood capable of controlling clouds a trick? Su-hyeun didn¡¯t respond to her provocation because all she could do right now with the damaged body was a single sneak attack.

    She continued, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long, but well, it¡¯s been fun.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that body belong to your daughter?¡±

    Kalira was born from a mixture of Kali and Asura¡¯s blood. As such, Kalira was basically Kali¡¯s daughter¡ªa life form that shared her blood, a creature that most resembled her in this universe.

    However, Kali actually took over Kalira¡¯s body and was personally experiencing her daughter¡¯s impending death, so how could she smile like this?

    ¡°Do you consider a drop of blood your offspring?¡±

    From the very beginning, Kali never thought of Kalira as her offspring but merely a single drop of bloodshed during a fight. She was technically not wrong with her thought process; Kalira was born from her blood, and no person out there would bring themselves to mourn or be wistful over a drop of blood they had inadvertently shed.

    Su-hyeun muttered, ¡°Well, sure thing.¡±

    Honestly speaking, he wasn¡¯t really interested, anyway. What did it matter to him whether these two had parental love or not?

    Whatever the case might be, Su-hyeun simply had to kill them all.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, let me ask you, where are you right now?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. Where can I possibly be?¡± Kalira¡¯s torso had halfway disintegrated by now, the skin on the remaining body part scorched pitch-black. Even then, Kali¡¯s voice remained unperturbed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you seek me out on your own? This will be the trial I bestow you with.¡±

    Hiss, sizzle¡ª

    Kalira¡¯s body began melting down next. Rather, more correctly, the blood inside the body was going through a transformation. Kali was actually speeding up her daughter¡¯s death as she grinned, ¡°This kind of fight might be amusing in its own way.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    Hiss¡ª

    Su-hyeun stared at Kalira¡¯s corpse that had turned into a puddle of blood and muttered in confusion, ¡°This kind of fight?¡±

    What did Kali even mean by that?

    He raised his head, and that was when he got to see it, ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    Drip, driiip¡ª

    Splash¡ª

    The crimson blood floated up from the ground before shooting up high in the air. The blood, having defied gravity, morphed into ink and began drawing a massive portrait as well as texts in the sky.

    That portrait belonged to none other than Su-hyeun¡¯s face.

    [From this moment on, all Altars will cease functioning.]

    [All believers of Pangaea, bring the head of this individual to the Altar.]

    Kali¡¯s message inscribed in the air said those words, and they were inscribed in the eyes of all beings existing in the land of Pangaea at the same time. Her ¡°oracle¡± was absolute as far as the residents of Pangaea were concerned. No matter what Su-hyeun said, all of this planet¡¯s denizens would treat him as a hostile entity from this moment on.

    Bring Su-hyeun¡¯s head: this was the trial bestowed unto the people of Pangaea. It was likewise a trial given to Su-hyeun. It seemed, from here on out, Su-hyeun must either evade all of Pangaea¡¯s residents or kill them all before he could discover where she was hiding.

    After realizing what Kali was scheming here, he ended up biting his lower lip, ¡°A war, then?¡±

    She wished for a war between Pangaea and Su-hyeun.

 Chapter 428

    <hr />

    Kali the Predator loved conflicts, warfare, sacrificial offerings, and bloodshed. She was different from Kalira who was simply fanatical about having a good fight; Kali was far more meticulous but, at the same time, overflowing with just as much madness.

    What she wanted to achieve right now wasn¡¯t to simply kill Su-hyeun. She wanted to use him to satisfy her desire at the same time.

    Until now, she made the residents of Pangaea offer themselves up as sacrifices, thereby satisfying one of her desires that way. Now, she had initiated a huge war¡ªa battle between trillions of people versus one god.

    ¡°What a mess,¡± Su-hyeun groaned at length.

    Crunch, chew, crunch¡ª

    Right next to him, Gluttony was busy chewing and swallowing the corpses of two Predators. Unfortunately, Kalira¡¯s corpse was gone; it was melted down by Kali and became a puddle of blood instead.

    ¡°So tasty!¡±

    Crunch¡ª

    The sight of the clearly excited Gluttony enjoying its meal was quite something else to behold. In the past, it resembled a bull the size of a mountain, but now, Gluttony had taken the outer appearance of an overweight man around two meters tall.

    Seeing the humanoid version of Gluttony devouring a dokkaebi and Anubis with a canine head was rather upsetting to one¡¯s stomach even at a casual glance.

    ¡°You must be happy being so carefree,¡± Su-hyeun muttered and waited until Gluttony finished its meal before he got up from the spot. ¡°Altars, is it?¡±

    This was Kali¡¯s world. There were 100 Altars, and 10 of them belonged to her.

    ¡°This might take a while.¡±

    Su-hyeun glanced at Gluttony.

    After devouring two Predators, it had ballooned in size noticeably. Its height now hovered around 2.3 meters, and more flesh was attached to its frame now, making him look neither a human nor a full-on monster.

    ¡°Are you still hungry?¡± Su-hyeun asked, and Gluttony nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Ah, well, obviously, you wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied already, anyway.¡±

    A Predator whose desire was insatiable appetite would never feel fully satisfied. A Predator that fulfilled its desire would no longer be a Predator but practically a god, after all.

    ¡°Still, you mustn¡¯t eat humans. The only thing you can eat in this place is other Predators.¡±

    ¡°Ehhhh¡­¡±

    Gluttony¡¯s intelligence had developed enough now to express its emotion at Su-hyeun¡¯s command.

    That didn¡¯t mean Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t control his summoned creature, though.

    ¡°If you devour one, know that I won¡¯t feed you, like, forever.¡±

    This was the most effective threat.

    Gluttony¡¯s expression froze up for a little while, and then, it urgently nodded several times. It should¡¯ve understood the gravity of the situation with this, then.

    ¡°Nezha.¡±

    Clack¡ª

    When Su-hyeun called out, Prince Nezha, who was sitting a bit away, stood up and walked over. His body that was greatly damaged from his fight against Anubis had already finished regenerating by then.

    Since Nezha was already dead, he didn¡¯t shed a single drop of blood, and he could be revived at any time as long as Su-hyeun had his Death Aura reserve.

    This was not a matter of whether he was weak or strong. A warrior who couldn¡¯t die even if he was killed¡ªthat was the current Prince Nezha.

    ¡°You and Gluttony work together to destroy the Altars. You can act separately, but make sure to fight Predators together with Gluttony. You two have good compatibility, after all.¡±

    The individual abilities of Gluttony and Prince Nezha had a great synergy during battles as one specialized in defense, while the other, offense. If these two worked together, they should be able to take on two or three Predators on the level of Anubis or Zawucheon.

    ¡°Begin right away,¡± Su-hyeun issued his command, and Gluttony and Nezha nodded simultaneously.

    Nezha grabbed Gluttony¡¯s shoulders. The latter let out a beast-like growl and concentrated its power on its legs.

    Then, at the next moment¡­

    Booooom¡ª!

    Gluttony, carrying Nezha on its back, sprang high into the air and soon disappeared from view.

    Su-hyeun watched them leave and then opened his mouth again, ¡°And Miru.¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    His calling prompted Miru to reveal itself, its massive wings proudly unfurled.

    Miru was now a somewhat proper-looking dragon that had shed a lot of its immature and childish traits.

    ¡°You¡¯re coming with me.¡±

    Gya-aaaah¡ª

    It issued a cry that was halfway between that of a kid and an adult. Still, it sounded much more dependable than before. More than anything else, though, Su-hyeun required Miru¡¯s mobility to traverse the huge expanse of Pangaea.

    ¡°From this moment on, we will destroy every Altar found in this world.¡±

    <hr />

    In the Empire of Pangaea, the only nation that existed on this massive land where the sole emperor existing under the gods lived¡­

    The imperial palace where the Pangaean Empire¡¯s absolute ruler stayed was currently mired in an unprecedented level of chaos and confusion.

    ¡°God Bergo¡¯s Altar, confirmed destroyed! The target is now moving north!¡±

    ¡°The target¡¯s next goal must be God Niguras¡¯s Altar. The news has been sent, and our combat force is in the middle of amassing in the¡ª¡±

    ¡°At the same time, God Dalos¡¯s Altar has been confirmed destroyed! The target is now moving south¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough, enough!¡±

    Jiiii-iiing¡ª

    The emperor¡¯s enraged roar rocked the imperial palace. In response, the retainers reporting in promptly shut their mouths at his rage.

    The emperor was deeply distorting his aged face, adding more wrinkles to what he already had there. ¡°Just why did the noble gods grant such power to someone so sacrilegious?¡±

    All residents of Pangaea believed that their own magical powers were gifts granted by the gods. As such, the emperor thought the power of Su-hyeun who was riding around on a dragon and destroying the Altars was actually acquired through the gods, too.

    ¡°What is the total number of destroyed Altars?¡±

    ¡°Including the divine altars that ceased operation, the number of destroyed divine altars is 48, Your Majesty. We predict that majority of Altars will be destroyed within today.¡±

    ¡°Forty-eight?¡± The emperor squeezed his eyes shut. His dilemmas were only getting heavier.

    The emperor was a man who had managed to climb to the highest position that ruled over trillions of people. One word from him was basically the same as a message from the gods.

    At the end of his long deliberation, the emperor finally opened his mouth to speak, ¡°We shall give up on the next Altar.¡± As he said that, he opened his eyes as well.

    No one cried out or voiced their objection. They quietly waited for the emperor to speak the next part of his declaration. They simply used their faces to express their surprise or fluster instead.

    ¡°Have we not come to learn that it¡¯s impossible to chase after that man¡¯s movement speed during these past few days? Continuously chasing after him in this fashion is indeed meaningless.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡ª¡±

    ¡°The itinerary of that man so far has been surprisingly simple. He aims for the nearest Altar, then he moves on to the next nearest one. We must consider what will happen soon in that case.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, when you say we will give up on the next Altar, does that mean we won¡¯t ready the soldiers?¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± the emperor nodded gravely. ¡°Gather all flight-capable knights. He has been destroying the Altars from the air rather than ground, after all.¡±

    No one objected because they all knew that what the emperor said was the correct call. They knew that at this rate, all the Altars would be destroyed one by one.

    Even then, no one could easily agree to do it. The reason for their reluctance was simple.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fully aware of it. Even I cannot be certain if this is the right decision or if we¡¯re on the right course,¡± he said, voice becoming firmer, more resolute, ¡°That is why I shall bear all responsibility for this course of action. Whether I receive the divine punishment or get sent to hell, I shall take on all responsibilities and the punishment meted out.¡±

    The emperor scanned the crowd and then asked aloud again, ¡°Do you understand me?¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyes, Your Majesty!¡±

    ¡°We shall follow, Your Majesty!¡±

    ¡°In that case, get on with it immediately! I shall also accompany you to the next possible location. The location where we will prepare shall be¡­¡±

    Clack¡ª!

    The emperor unsheathed his sword, the one he hadn¡¯t wielded in such a long while, and roared out majestically, ¡°Goddess Kali¡¯s second Altar!¡±

    <hr />

    Flap¡ª

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    The scenery below was passing by at a break-neck pace when viewed from high above.

    The panoramic view as seen from above the clouds was as beautiful as always regardless of what it was. It also didn¡¯t matter if the planet wasn¡¯t Earth.

    ¡°The morning air sure is refreshing,¡± Su-hyeun spectating on the scenery below yawned and rubbed his eyes.

    He hadn¡¯t slept for a few days while continuously moving around, and he wanted to get some shut-eye for a little while.

    He thought, ¡°It¡¯s not like I need to sleep, but¡­¡±

    For some reason, he didn¡¯t need to sleep after becoming a god, but that also didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t fall asleep either. It was just that every once in a while, he felt the need to sleep despite knowing it wasn¡¯t necessary.

    This sure was a strange sensation. Even after falling asleep, he could wake up whenever he wanted. If he willed it, he thought that he could even sleep for all eternity.

    ¡°Still, taking a quick siesta is nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su-hyeun yawned grandly and climbed up to Miru¡¯s head.

    The red dragon also didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep. However, the race of dragons preferred to sleep a lot at once and then not sleep for a long time. As for Miru, it mostly slumbered away whenever Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t summoning it.

    Thanks to that, Su-hyeun could take quick naps here and there while riding on Miru¡¯s back.

    ¡°Has it been two hours?¡±

    He didn¡¯t have a watch or his smartphone with him, but he could more or less tell how long it had been.

    The distance between the Altars was quite considerable. Miru was fast enough to travel halfway around Earth in less than three hours, but even it needed several hours to reach the next closest Altar.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting closer.¡±

    Su-hyeun climbed up on Miru¡¯s head and used Insight to peer into the far-off distance.

    He could see a lot of people over there; first, wyverns and then countless knights riding on these flight-capable monsters that were thought to be devolved dragons. Finally, heavily armed knights were standing in huge rank and file below the Altar, too.

    ¡°That¡¯s to stop me, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Now it made sense why he couldn¡¯t spot any proper soldiers or knights guarding the last few Altars.

    It seemed that they decided to sacrifice those Altars to protect this one or, more specifically, to capture Su-hyeun who had been going around destroying said Altars.

    ¡°They really used their brains this time, didn¡¯t they?¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    Miru growled lowly to reply to him.

    The Altar was under a tight lockdown that made it nearly impossible to approach the structure, and the army surrounding the massive Altar numbered in the hundreds of millions. It seemed that all the renowned knights throughout the land had been brought here.

    ¡°When judged solely by the number¡­Man, this is more troublesome than a regular purple-colored dungeon, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Hundreds of millions of knights? Without a doubt, some really capable individuals would be among them, too. Of course, they weren¡¯t going to be the problem; having a greater number of opponents was no longer an important factor to him, after all.

    No, the real problem was¡­

    ¡°I need to evade all those people and destroy the Altar¡­¡±

    In a situation like this, Su-hyeun had two options: one, kill them all or, two, evade them all and then destroy the Altar.

    Rather obviously, Su-hyeun chose to go with the latter.

    He scratched his head unhappily, ¡°Hey, Miru.¡±

    Grrr¡ª

    ¡°Just in case, once we arrive there, put me down and go back inside. I mean, it¡¯ll be hard to tell how many will die if you inadvertently use your Breath here.¡±

    Different magic spells and the Breath attack Miru used were all seriously powerful. However, their attack range was just as wide as they were powerful, and the dragon still hadn¡¯t fully mastered controlling its destructive power as it was still not an adult yet.

    Gya-oh¡ª!

    Miru nodded at Su-hyeun¡¯s new command and energetically beat its wings. Back when it was still young, it might have thrown a bit of a tantrum, saying it didn¡¯t want to. He proudly thought that the dragon had grown up a lot.

    Soon, Su-hyeun no longer needed Insight to stare at the massive Altar and the countless knights guarding it. He quietly muttered to himself, ¡°Well, this has gotten a bit annoying.¡±

    Indeed, the task of not killing anyone but still destroying the Altar at the same time had gotten annoying for him. However, that was about it; his task shouldn¡¯t really be challenging at all.

 Chapter 429

    <hr />

    The Imperial Guard, the guardians of the Imperial Court filled with hundreds of thousands of elite among the elites of Pangaea continent¡­

    And then the Imperial Knight Order placed just below the Imperial Guard in the pecking order, filled with millions of knights who called themselves the swords of the Emperor, as well as the servants of the gods¡­

    Besides them, hundreds of millions of renowned knights hailing from many different cities had gathered in one location.

    The fact that this many knights had come together was already an amazing spectacle to behold.

    ¡°That¡¯s the hero of the city of Neparim, Sir Kallamahn.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the knightess Lady Charllora who hunted down a King Wyvern by herself and tamed it not too long ago?¡±

    ¡°Even the Imperial Knight Order¡¯s treasured sword, Sir Nepa, is here too¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor is personally participating today, so it¡¯s not all that surprising for them to show up.¡±

    Many voices expressing surprise roused up from here and there. That only went to show how renowned some of the gathered knights in this place were. Not a single knight found here could be looked down on or dismissed out of hand; knights with their names known not just in their cities but even in the capital were accompanying the Emperor here.

    On top of this, the tamed wyverns mobilized for this battle easily numbered in the millions. In truth, every single wyvern that could be mobilized had been brought out here.

    ¡°Have you determined the location of the corrupt heretic yet?¡± the Emperor asked.

    His question prompted his retainer and the Imperial Court¡¯s treasured sword, Nepa, to reply, ¡°The report of the Altar before ours being destroyed has reached us a few hours ago, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°In other words, he will soon be here.¡±

    Clack¡ª

    The Emperor grasped the hilt of the sword mounted near his hips. He was rousing up his battle aura ahead of time.

    An old man over a hundred years old, he never got selected by the gods and remained as the Emperor until now. Recorded as the longest-serving Emperor in history, he never once stopped wielding his sword, so much so that one of the Emperor¡¯s unofficial titles was the ¡°high priest.¡±

    ¡°Command the Wyvern Regiment to immediately issue a signal once they spot the heretic. He apparently rides on a red dragon.¡±

    ¡°Understood, sire.¡±

    ¡°As for the additional personnel, where are¡ª?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± A voice that roared out from the megaphone caused the knights to turn their heads. However, they couldn¡¯t see anything in the air.

    ¡°He¡¯s here? But where?¡±

    ¡°Maybe the report is wrong?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything, though?¡±

    Their opponent, who had been going around destroying various Altars, was supposed to be traveling on a red dragon. No matter how he tried to hide, his options should be limited as long as he was flying in the air.

    Rather unsurprisingly, everyone¡¯s gaze shifted toward the sky, searching for a flying red dragon.

    However¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s on the ground!¡±

    Their opponent wasn¡¯t in the air at all.

    ¡°Ground?¡±

    ¡°No way¡­?¡±

    One by one, the knights lowered their binoculars and searched on the ground.

    How far away was he? They all spotted a single man trudging through the distant grass field.

    ¡°He¡¯s really walking over here?¡±

    ¡°Is he insane?¡±

    ¡°Why is he not using the more convenient air travel?¡±

    A knight that rode on a dragon¡ªnow that was like a legendary existence that only appeared in fables or in one¡¯s dreams, yet their opponent who did ride on a dragon went around committing heinous acts of destroying the Altars.

    There was no need to wonder why he traveled in the air, though. If one had a method of travel called a ¡°dragon¡± that boasted high mobility, as well as a powerful attack called Breath, then there wouldn¡¯t be a reason to persist with traveling on foot, after all.

    Also, the knights who couldn¡¯t fly would never be able to attack the enemy in the air, but for those who did fly, they could easily attack their foes on the ground.

    This was the ¡°absolute advantage,¡± yet their opponent today had discarded such advantage and was walking on foot instead.

    ¡°Is he looking down on us?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a man who dares to commit the blasphemy of the highest order, so we shouldn¡¯t find this act strange at all.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, this is the gravest insult imaginable to the continent of Pangaea and to the gods above.¡±

    ¡°We must punish him no matter what!¡±

    These knights with unyielding pride were immediately enraged. They all thought that they were being underestimated here.

    However, only the Emperor was not seeing it the same way. ¡°Is it really because he¡¯s looking down on us?¡±

    The distance gradually closed in, and the figure of the man they referred to as the corrupted one, the heretic Su-hyeun, entered their view.

    The Emperor had met all sorts of people during his life that span a century and then some. Among them were individuals that drooled over the position of the emperor after their lust for power had blinded them. He also met countless aristocrats who lost their faith and became deeply corrupted, stained to their core with the lust for political power.

    As such, the Emperor was quite confident of his ability to discern people. He could even tell what category the other party belonged to simply by staring into their eyes.

    But now¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t sense any hostility from him.¡±

    Their opponent today didn¡¯t emit a single trace of rage or hostility toward the army.

    Step, step¡ª

    The remaining distance to the Altar was about a dozen or so kilometers, and this man was walking rather slowly.

    However, there was no more time to leisurely think about this and that. The Emperor then opened his mouth, ¡°Heed me, all of you¡­¡±

    He raised his hand, as magical energy permeated his loud voice, ¡°Go and eliminate the betrayer of our faith!¡±

    ¡°Waaaaaaaah¡ª!¡±

    The moment his command rang out, roars from hundreds of millions of people loudly rocked the sky, and then, the crowd of warriors too numerous to count became a tidal wave that charged toward Su-hyeun.

    <hr />

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    A sword was powerfully swung around, but it only ended up slicing the empty air instead.

    Su-hyeun, who was right in front of this sword-wielding knight¡¯s eyes just now, scattered away as nothing more than an afterimage.

    The knight hurriedly looked around, and only then did he hear the voice of his fellow knight crying out from a distance, ¡°Over here!¡±

    This exact same thing repeated itself several times almost simultaneously. Su-hyeun slipped past the wall of the crowd and gradually narrowed the distance to the Altar.

    It was at that moment that someone attempted to strike Su-hyeun¡¯s head from behind.

    CLANG¡ª!

    A fairly heavy noise rang out. For the first time since their attacks began, Su-hyeun pulled out his sword. The reason why he didn¡¯t dodge and blocked the attack after he kept dodging the other knights was that he ran out of room to evade this particular attack.

    Also, the knight that managed to intercept Su-hyeun boasted of excellent abilities.

    ¡°I am Kallamahn of Neparim.¡±

    ¡°Sir Kallamahn has captured the heretic!¡±

    ¡°Surround him in a circle!¡±

    ¡°Make sure he can¡¯t escape!¡±

    Countless knights rushed to where Kallamahn was.

    Su-hyeun stared at this knight named Kallamahn who was currently locking swords with him. In this world with trillions of people, this knight¡¯s name was highly respected, which meant his skills were quite excellent as well.

    Of course¡­

    Su-hyeun spoke, ¡°There¡¯s this saying in one of the worlds out there.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying in this situation, you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°A truly excellent swordsman can easily tell the ability of his opponent just by crossing swords once.¡±

    Shudder¡ª

    Suddenly, Kallamahn¡¯s whole body shivered from a deathly chill.

    The moment Su-hyeun finished speaking, Kallamahn abruptly dropped his sword and stumbled back. A short while later, a clear clanking noise reached his ears.

    Kallamahn¡¯s gaze drifted lower, ¡°My sword¡­?¡±

    Shards of a broken blade that belonged to his sword were lying on the ground.

    Clang, shatter¡ª

    Ka-gang¡ª

    Almost at the same time, the same sort of noises resounded from everywhere.

    All the swords were being broken right now.

    ¡°What on earth is¡ª?¡±

    Their heads were not being chopped off; instead, their swords were being broken into pieces. No matter how one tried to simplify it, the latter was far harder to achieve than the former.

    From the get-go, a sword was a weapon designed to cut through flesh and bone. Therefore, it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise to learn that it was exceptionally hard to break a sword, especially more so with swords not held in one¡¯s hand, but in someone else¡¯s hand; it was already difficult to break a stationary sword, so it would take an enormous amount of effort to break swords wielded by your opponents.

    But now, slicing apart swords without making any sounds or without even seemingly making a move? Even someone like Kallamahn, who had been wielding swords for a long time, found it hard to believe or even imagine such a thing.

    Clang, claaang¡ª

    Shatter, clatter¡ª

    However, those breaking noises didn¡¯t want to stop at all.

    The noises of sword shards clattering to the ground continued without any break in between.

    <hr />

    In a world where the time flow had seemingly come to a stop, the path Su-hyeun needed to walk was vividly painted before his eyes. He followed after this path, slipping smoothly forward.

    Slice, crack¡ª

    Blades were smoothly being cut apart.

    One sword, two swords¡­

    When he finished slicing apart the swords of all the knights in his path, the stopped time began ticking forward once more.

    Clang, clatter¡ª

    Tiiiing, ting¡ª

    ¡°M¡ªmy sword?!¡±

    ¡°The enemy has vanished!¡±

    ¡°But he was definitely here a second ago¡­!¡±

    The surroundings were thrown into chaos once more in an instant.

    Bang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s figure shot up into the air¡ªup high and even higher than that.

    The Emperor was first to discover Su-hyeun leaping toward the Altar and roared out loudly, ¡°Stop him!¡±

    Kyaaaaahk¡ª!

    His roaring prompted the Wyvern Regiment to head straight for Su-hyeun.

    Not only were they placed nearest to the Altar but they also belonged to this land¡¯s greatest and strongest knight order that boasted the highest level of skills.

    They were the Imperial Guard¡¯s Wyvern Riders.

    But Su-hyeun jumped high into the middle of the Wyvern Riders, and in the blink of an eye, scanned everyone in this group that easily numbered past tens of thousands.

    Right after that, his eyes became dyed in a yellowish hue, and his third eye opened up in his forehead.

    [Third Eye ¨C Predator]

    Sha-aaaah¡ª!

    The image of a gigantic snake suddenly materialized right behind Su-hyeun, but no actual snake had appeared there. He merely gave the impression that it had.

    The skill that broke the spirit of opponents to be weaker than the caster and restricted their movements, Predator, had been activated.

    ¡°W¡ªw¡ªwhat is that?!¡±

    ¡°My wyvern¡­?!¡±

    ¡°H¡ªhey, listen to my command!¡±

    These knights had spent almost their entire lifetime with their wyverns. One could even argue that they spent more time with their rides than with their friends or family members. Also, wyverns were courageous enough to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of their masters.

    Nonetheless, such wyverns suddenly stopped listening to their riders¡¯ commands.

    Step, dash¡ª

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    Right at that moment, a certain knight rapidly flew in like a streak of lightning. Even though it was only for a moment, this individual still managed to almost match Su-hyeun¡¯s speed. The latter, in the middle of using the Predator skill, turned around while feeling inwardly impressed and swung his sword.

    Claaaang¡ª!

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    The swords of the two people clashed, sending out ripples of vicious broken sword lights everywhere.

    Su-hyeun stared at the knight before his eyes, who was wielding the weapon with wrinkled hands. He turned out to be an old man with all-white hair, who must be well over 100 years of age.

    ¡°May I ask the reason why you are participating in this battle despite your age?¡±

    The old man flinched in surprise at Su-hyeun¡¯s question. He was taken off guard by the tone of voice in that question; it was far too polite for a couple of men crossing swords like this.

    ¡°How can I command my retainers with a straight face if I¡¯m not willing to set an example?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    Creaaaak¡ª

    He strengthened the force behind his sword pressing forward.

    He was charging in while fully prepared to die today, so the Emperor was giving this exchange his everything. Since he was old, his overall stamina had fallen compared to his youth, but even then, he was exhibiting strength far above what he could display back in his heyday.

    Su-hyeun replied, ¡°You are a good leader, indeed.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Creak¡ª

    The Emperor¡¯s sword pressing against Su-hyeun¡¯s gradually got cleaved apart, and even though the Emperor was watching this happen, he could do nothing about it.

    Tiiing¡ª

    The sword that had never tasted defeat, the number one treasured weapon in this entire land, was cleanly cleaved apart.

    At the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure vanished from the spot.

    The shock of watching his treasured sword break into pieces lasted only for a little while; the Emperor hurriedly spun his head around to locate the now-gone Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Where did he¡­?!¡±

    Right at that moment, the Emperor¡¯s eyes bulged greatly. He instinctively realized where Su-hyeun had headed off to.

    Whoosh¡ª

    He turned around, his eyes now taking in the sight of a crimson roof, which happened to be the roof of the Altar.

    ¡°We¡ªwe must stop¡ª¡±

    Even before he could finish his sentence¡­

    FLASH¡ª!

    A blinding light flashed from the Altar.

    CRACK¡ª!

    Rumble, crash, gugugugu¡ª

    As if to follow that light, the Altar split into half; the roof lost its balance and began crumbling, while the once-sturdy walls developed sharp cracks before tumbling down, too.

    The Emperor watched all this happen from the closest vantage point.

    ¡°Huh. Ha, haha¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun could no longer be seen anywhere. He broke through the defensive cordon and made his move with such speed that pretty much rendered all of the empire¡¯s preparations meaningless.

    A short while later, the Emperor stared at his sword with a broken blade that he still had in his grip and realized something¡ªall these things happened in less than three minutes.

    Not only that but not a single person was killed..

 Chapter 430

    ¡°Just what is going on here¡­?¡±

    The Emperor became utterly confused, but he couldn¡¯t help it, especially more so when he stared at the broken treasured sword he had in his hand, Chloe.

    ¡°He could have cut my head off.¡±

    The other knights must be thinking the same thing, but the Emperor was certain of this fact better than anyone else.

    Su-hyeun could have easily killed his obstacles, but he chose to break their swords and stopped there instead.

    ¡°Yes, he didn¡¯t cut us down and slipped past us.¡±

    Just as Su-hyeun¡¯s sword came bearing down right in front of the Emperor¡¯s eyes, the weapon suddenly vanished.

    He cut down all the swords wielded by the knights blocking his path, thereby rendering them powerless, and then, while they were in a flustered state, he slipped past their defensive cordon.

    Obviously, doing such a thing was several times harder than simply cutting off the heads of his enemies. Even then, he still chose this method.

    Maybe it wasn¡¯t a difficult task for him in the end, but there must have been a more fundamental reason for making this choice.

    The Emperor muttered softly, ¡°Such as he didn¡¯t want to kill anyone¡­¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty! Are you unhurt, sire?¡± The loyal retainer of the throne, Nepa, hurriedly approached the Emperor. It seemed that he was worried about his ruler¡¯s wellbeing after the latter tried to personally stop Su-hyeun.

    The Emperor turned his head to look and noticed that Nepa¡¯s sword was also broken. ¡°Sir Nepa.¡±

    ¡°Glad to see you are unscathed, Your Majesty. But sire, your sword¡­¡±

    ¡°It is of no concern. Rather than that, we should be thankful that we¡¯re still breathing.¡±

    The number one treasured sword of the Imperial Court, no, the entire Pangaea continent, was now broken. Although a broken weapon could always be reforged, this matter was already a great humiliation to the Imperial Court.

    However¡­

    ¡°Sir Nepa, the Altar has been destroyed,¡± the Emperor turned his head and stared at Kali¡¯s second Altar, now laying in the rubble. With this, the number of Altars meant for sacrifices had decreased once more. ¡°That was the 51st Altar.¡±

    One hundred Altars existed throughout the entire continent, and now, over half of them had been destroyed.

    ¡°But then¡­no one among us has died today.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°It seems that it was the same story for you, Sir Nepa.¡±

    In response, Nepa hurriedly hid the broken sword behind him.

    A broken sword was a truly humiliating matter to a swordsman. That was why he reflexively hid his weapon, but even then, Nepa knew it only too well. ¡°It seems so, Your Majesty,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why did that man not take our lives? Even though he was fully capable of doing so. Do you have any guesses as to why?¡±

    ¡°No, sire. This servant does not know.¡±

    A ¡°heretic¡±¡ªa truly vile villain who defied the faith and teachings of this continent and went around destroying the sacred Altars¡ªwas how Su-hyeun was known as. He was a villain, and Goddess Kali had commanded everyone to kill him.

    Unsurprisingly, the residents of Pangaea, including the Emperor himself, designated Su-hyeun as a villain and tried to execute him. However, right at this moment, a crack formed on the foundation of that belief.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about what that man¡¯s true goal is.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty? His true goal?¡±

    ¡°Yes. One thing is for certain, and that is¡­he has no animosity aimed toward us.¡±

    ¡°Even if that is true, sire, his current actions, seemingly based on his animosity toward the gods, are not something we can easily forgive.¡±

    ¡°That¡­is indeed true,¡± the Emperor nodded slowly. Even though he was nodding his head, his mind was being bombarded with many complicated thoughts right now.

    The Emperor¡¯s gaze drifted toward the crumbled ruin of the Altar. In front of it were the knights howling out desperately in sadness at this ¡°wretched and unfair¡± sight.

    He stared at them as a single thought began floating up in his head, ¡°The Altar brings death to the citizens, while that man didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡±

    The figures of these people busy shedding their tears after such a structure was brought down and the figure of Su-hyeun from earlier overlapped in his mind.

    The Emperor turned around to leave. He knew that Su-hyeun was probably heading directly to the next Altar.

    No individual in existence could stop that man now. The Imperial Court pulled out all the stops, even the Emperor himself participated, yet they still couldn¡¯t stop one man.

    The only remaining ones that could possibly do it were the gods the residents of Pangaea worshiped.

    ¡°Just who is evil? And who is the righteous?¡± the Emperor quietly muttered while closing his eyes.

    For some reason, all of the values he held dear until now felt like being shaken up from their foundation.

    <hr />

    ¡°Water naturally flows downward, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun recalled the Emperor he met not too long ago. That old man had this pair of rather righteous eyes.

    It didn¡¯t matter which world it was, the light in most people¡¯s eyes would grow murkier once they came to possess some political power or even physical strength. Their moral values would become less defined and blurrier.

    However, that Emperor wasn¡¯t like that. Whether that was due to his faith in the gods or he was like that, to begin with, it didn¡¯t really matter.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve given that elderly gentleman an arduous task, but¡­¡± Su-hyeun, riding on Miru¡¯s back, scratched his head and muttered quietly, ¡°It¡¯s as he said, anyway. They need an example, after all.¡±

    It was tremendously difficult to change the world by simply changing a single person, but it would be a different matter altogether if that person happened to be the Emperor who lorded over the entire continent.

    That was why when Su-hyeun met the Emperor, he sneakily undid the seal ruling the old man¡¯s head, and so, the latter¡¯s desire to survive, as well as his instinctive understanding of how important such a thing was, was unlocked.

    The Emperor should start questioning certain things in his head now, such as was it really alright to kill tens, no, hundreds of millions of people every year through those Altars? Was that really what the gods they worshiped wanted from them?

    Maybe he would even question if these gods existed for the sake of the common people.

    Still on Miru¡¯s broad back, Su-hyeun raised his head, ¡°Alright, so what will you do now?¡±

    A moment later, an eerie crimson pool of blood rapidly coagulated and morphed into a beautiful figure of a woman in front of him.

    It was Kali.

    She didn¡¯t reveal her true self before Su-hyeun even now; she had been planning to use the residents of Pangaea and have him fight them off, but her scheming missed the mark by a wide margin¡ªall because Su-hyeun chose to avoid direct confrontation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t what you wanted, right? What you envisioned was a fierce battle where people would shed blood and die in droves, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Su-hyeun was aware of Kali observing him for quite a while now. More specifically, she had started watching him just before he clashed against the massive army led by the Emperor.

    Of course, she did this not through her main body but with her clone.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Her voice was filled with questions as if she couldn¡¯t understand his actions at all. A trace of murderous intent was mixed in her tone as well, which was somewhat different from before.

    Since this clone was created through a lump of blood, her facial features were not there, and Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t see her expression as a result; nevertheless, he had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t be a happy one.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I could destroy the Altar without killing them. Sure, it¡¯s a bit cumbersome, but nothing more than that.¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason to take on this cumbersome task?¡±

    ¡°Doing something like this isn¡¯t troublesome for me after all. I¡¯m not that impatient enough to kill a few hundred million just because I couldn¡¯t be bothered, either.¡±

    This was rather obvious, so much so that he didn¡¯t even need to ponder on his options.

    However, what was considered obvious differed from people to people, as well as species to species¡ªeven more so, when one was a Predator and the other was Su-hyeun, who used to be a regular human.

    And well¡­

    ¡°I see. You¡¯re different from the other gods, then. Is it because you lived longer as a human than as a god?¡±

    It sounded as if the gods weren¡¯t any different on that front.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°In this vast universe and countless dimensions and realms, there is one planet among them that is no different from a small speck of dust, a single little dot. And on that planet, humans who are even smaller than said dust speck exist. How about you? What do you think about that?¡±

    Countless dimensions and realms, a giant planet, and a few humans living on such a planet¡ªwhen put that way, they really did seem insignificant. In the end, humans were different from the gods; even these humans didn¡¯t hesitate to kill ants or ticks who were infinitely smaller than them.

    ¡°You are still not a completed god, it seems. Your physical body and mind might have ascended to godhood, but your values are still that of a human. If you were a real god¡ª¡±

    ¡°If I were a real god, I wouldn¡¯t have cared about one or two lives, is that it?¡± Su-hyeun abruptly interrupted Kali mid-speech. ¡°Hey, you.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re scared of me, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    Grab¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s hand grabbed Kali¡¯s throat made from the lump of blood.

    She couldn¡¯t put up any resistance. From the get-go, this version of her was merely a copy created through blood, and as such, she couldn¡¯t use her normal strength.

    ¡°I know that you acquire strength through warfare, bloodshed, and sacrifices, and that¡¯s why you issued that command to kill me, causing all those people to start making their moves. But someone like you should already know that normal people can¡¯t do anything to me.¡±

    To Su-hyeun, playing a numbers game no longer meant anything. No matter how many people the other side brought to the table, if Su-hyeun wanted to, he could easily kill tens of thousands, no, hundreds of millions in one go.

    Even then, Kali schemed for the residents of Pangaea to fight Su-hyeun so that her power could grow even further.

    ¡°I am scared of you, you say?¡± A hint of laughter could be detected in Kali¡¯s voice. However, she didn¡¯t deny it.

    ¡°Indeed, that might be true. No, for sure, I am scared of you. At the same time, I¡¯m interested in you, too.¡±

    Smirk¡ª

    Kali¡¯s lips, also made out of blood, arched up in a smile. Such ¡°enjoyment¡± in that smile was reminiscent of Kalira¡¯s from earlier; that Predator also smiled like this when it was fighting against Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Yes, I am scared of you because you have escaped the fetters of your fate and became an unpredictable existence, after all. Maybe you will be the one to put an end to my far-too-long life.¡±

    ¡°Are you scared of that possibility?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not scared of dying. However, I¡¯m indeed scared of not being able to fight anymore. Also¡­¡±

    Slurp, wriggle¡ª

    A single eye floated upon her head made out of a lump of blood.

    She was gradually taking on a more complete silhouette of a person now.

    ¡°Asura¡­for the sake of finishing my battle against that fool, I must fight that black dragon.¡±

    The black dragon? She must be talking about none other than Fafnir.

    Kali and Asura were long-time rivals. They started fighting each other a very long time ago but could never find out who was the true victor in the end, and Kali¡¯s obsession with achieving that victory meant she now held this animosity toward Fafnir. Since she could no longer fight against Asura, she might as well fight Fafnir, who was responsible for felling Asura.

    Winning against Fafnir ultimately meant she won against Asura, after all.

    ¡°I wonder about that. From where I stand, that will be difficult for you.¡±

    ¡°It will be difficult, you say?¡±

    ¡°I know something about that black dragon dude, and you won¡¯t win against him, anyway. That¡¯s because¡­¡±

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s glare peered straight through Kali¡¯s clone, ¡°Before you even have a chance to meet him, you mustn¡¯t die by my hands first, you see.¡±

    [Insight]

    Shwa-aaaah¡ª

    Through this clone, Su-hyeun¡¯s vision locked onto the real body of Kali somewhere else. He did this all thanks to Insight¡¯s power of seeing through the truth.

    He peered into the origin of his opponent¡¯s power. With that, he figured out the current location of Kali.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re in that direction.¡±

    The distance to cover was rather considerable. However, he still got to more or less determine the location.

    He thought, ¡°If it¡¯s in that direction, then¡­¡±

    He recalled the map of the Pangaea continent in his mind. Out of the hundred Altars, Kali had been staying in one of them, and that place was¡­

    ¡°The last Altar, huh?¡±

    The hundredth Altar, the very last one to be built, was Kali¡¯s current location.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite proficient with Insight, I see.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult to use, you know, and since you were so kind enough to create an eye like this, how can I not find out?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Still, you located me faster than I expected.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. If you didn¡¯t help, it would¡¯ve taken a bit longer. By the way, you aren¡¯t thinking of running away, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. But before that¡­¡±

    Drip¡ª

    A drop of liquid fell from above.

    ¡°It¡¯s still unknown whether you¡¯ll be able to reach me unscathed or not.¡±

    With those last words, Kali¡¯s clone vanished.

    Su-hyeun wiped away the droplet that had fallen on his head.

    This drop of ¡°rain¡± was reddish in color. It was not water but blood.

    ¡°The land of blood, is it?¡±

    Everywhere seemed to be dyed in red¡ªthe ground, the sky, and so on¡­

    The land soaked in blood quickly lost all vitality. One by one, drops of blood fell from the sky.

    With this expansive land of blood, what Kali wanted this time was for Su-hyeun to get devoured in this place and become some lump of blood instead.

    Su-hyeun stared at this unfolding scene and muttered to himself, ¡°If it¡¯s fighting over a territory, then¡­¡±

    [Flame ¨C Land of Fire]

    [Flame ¨C Territory Declaration]

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Purple-colored flames rapidly spread out to the surroundings.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done it a few times by now, too..¡±

 Chapter 431

    <hr />

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Everywhere Su-hyeun walked past, jets of blood shot up from the ground along with crimson clouds, and the closer he got to the altar, the strength of the space Kali ruled grew stronger and stronger. Although he had burned everything down with his flames, the situation didn¡¯t improve.

    To Su-hyeun, it felt like the blood flow within his body was reversing due to this space created by Kali herself.

    Her authority¡ªher power¡ªwas the power to rule ¡°blood.¡±

    The skies and the ground below dyed in crimson¡ªthe blood found within this space¡ªbelonged to Kali, even the blood that was not hers. You would have to exhaust quite a large amount of energy to free from her control.

    However, purple-hued flames were burning vigorously within this space.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s burning so well,¡± Su-hyeun muttered to himself while staring at the flames scorching the color of blood out of this place.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    His blood, wanting to flow backward, regained its stability as if the previous matter didn¡¯t happen in the first place. This was because the power to rule this space had been ripped out of Kali¡¯s hands and now belonged to him.

    Moooo¡ª!

    A loud cry of an ox crying broke out, which prompted Su-hyeun to turn his head to look in its direction.

    Out in the middle of a mountain, quite a distance away, an ox that was probably previously grazing peacefully on grass was crying out tragically as blood poured out from all of its orifices.

    Plop¡ª

    Not too long after that, the eyes of the ox rolled, and the animal collapsed to the ground. It finally died after suffering miserably from the reversing blood flow.

    Without a doubt, all life forms that dared to venture into this space would suffer the same fate.

    The power to rule over all blood would prove to be fatal to any life form out there¡ªan absolute power indeed.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    The range of the flames rapidly expanded. Soon, the area of flames Su-hyeun had created completely blanketed the terrain.

    Animals found in the mountains, with blood leaking out from their eyes and noses, thrashed about in fear but soon calmed down. They seemed to have realized that the flames weren¡¯t harming them.

    Splash¡ª

    Soon after that, the blood-colored clouds covering the skies began moving. They descended and surrounded Su-hyeun. Almost at the same time, the bodies of blood, spread over a wide area, rapidly gathered in one place with Su-hyeun in the center.

    This blood-colored fog began constricting his body next.

    Creak, crunch¡ª

    The blood bound his arms and legs, while it tried to seep into his flesh, but right at that moment, a bright spot of light flashed above his head.

    [Somersault cloud]

    FLASH¡ª!

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    Thunder roared a bit later. The streak of lightning landed right above Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    The blood that confined him accidentally became a sort of armor protecting him. The choking heat and sharp electric current scorched the blood black, hardening it like a brittle rock before it all crumbled to bits.

    Tumble, crumble¡ª

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Su-hyeun lightly dusted all the blood crust off his body. Then, he shifted his gaze over to the massive altar looming largely in his view. ¡°Miru.¡±

    Grrrr¡ª

    ¡°Don¡¯t get angry at me and please listen, okay? Let me down and go back inside.¡±

    Gya-rrrrr¡ª

    When Su-hyeun said that, Miru suddenly bared its fangs. However, the dragon wasn¡¯t growling at him; its animosity was directed at a certain creature hiding within that altar instead.

    Not too long after that, Miru did as Su-hyeun asked and neatly folded its wings before disappearing from the view. Seeing how agitated his red dragon was, Su-hyeun figured that Miru wouldn¡¯t be dozing off anytime soon.

    Land¡ª

    Step, step¡ª

    As soon as Su-hyeun climbed down from Miru¡¯s back and landed on the ground again, he quietly walked over to the altar. Some distance was still left before he could actually reach the structure, but since it was so humongous, he thought that he might actually touch it by extending his hand right now.

    ¡°Come out already,¡± he challenged, but no reply came his way.

    However, now that Su-hyeun was this close, he could sense Kali better and tell that she was definitely here.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re scared, you can always try to escape.¡±

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    Splash, splatter¡ª

    The ground rumbled quietly; then, the noise of water smashing into each other to create huge waves suddenly came to him.

    This world didn¡¯t have any oceans, so upon hearing waves crashing like this, he began to wonder what was going on here. It was only then that he noticed the walls and the roof of the altar turning bright crimson.

    The entire structure was being transformed into blood; all those flowing blood was responsible for making the wave noises by splashing around.

    ¡®The entire altar was made out of blood, is that it?¡¯ he thought.

    There was a reason why he could sense her powers so vividly here. This altar, which was last to be built and possessed the scale of a small country, was actually constructed solely from Kali¡¯s blood.

    The blood rapidly concentrated and coagulated. A portion floated up in the air, while the other portions continued to gather into a singular mass.

    The gathered blood soon morphed into a figure of a slender woman.

    ¡°You said I should escape?¡± The blood mass was soon covered in ¡°skin,¡± creating a face. The first to be completed was her lips from which a seductive voice said, ¡°How can I do that when it¡¯s already so much fun?¡±

    A woman with bronze skin and whose hair was tied up finally appeared before him. She outwardly resembled Kalira, with four arms and all. Her long tongue snaked in and out, and on her bloodstained forehead, another eye slowly opened.

    Not a thread covered her alluring and bare figure, but she didn¡¯t emit any trace of sensuousness nor seductiveness at all. No, all those accessories and equipment adorning her figure in place of proper clothing imparted a bizarre and ominous feeling instead.

    A monster that closely resembled a human¡ªthat was probably the best description for her.

    Su-hyeun asked her, ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°The others?¡±

    ¡°The other Predators under you. There are still five of them left, right?¡±

    The number of Predators Su-hyeun took care of so far had been four¡ªBrahma, Zawucheon, Anubis, and Kalira. And now that Kali was standing before his eyes, it meant that five other Predators still remained somewhere.

    ¡°Oh, you were talking about them?¡± Kali¡¯s long tongue flickered as she smirked deeply at Su-hyeun¡¯s question.

    Right after that¡­

    ¡°Kugh¡­ Kuwaaah¡­¡±

    ¡°K¡ªKali, why¡­?¡±

    ¡°Let¡­me go¡­Keugh¡­¡±

    The pool of blood surrounding Kali suddenly began undulating to morph into bizarre shapes, moans of agony coming from them.

    Those shapes, now taking on the forms of various monsters making tortured expressions, were none other than the Predators that had been serving Kali.

    ¡°To think that they willingly offered themselves up as sacrifices, what loyal children they are. I am truly grateful.¡±

    ¡°Willingly, you say?¡± Su-hyeun stared at the Predators moaning and howling in pain with distressed faces.

    They were miserably thrashing about, begging to be let go and saying that they were in too much pain. One of them even begged to be killed.

    They seemed to be stuck in a state where they were neither alive nor dead. Thinking about the number of people they had killed so far, this sort of treatment seemed a bit tame overall, but even then¡­

    ¡®I still don¡¯t like it,¡¯ Su-hyeun thought.

    Whatever the case might have been, those creatures were loyal to Kali. Whether their reason was out of pure respect or subservience in front of greater power, it didn¡¯t matter; Kali shouldn¡¯t have rewarded their loyalty in such a manner.

    Su-hyeun growled out, ¡°As I thought, 10 out of 10, I just can¡¯t find anything to like about your kind.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? However, I do find you very much to my liking.¡±

    Sswhaaaaa¡ª

    The surrounding space was getting dyed in pure crimson. This one¡¯s level was on another realm compared to the previous space that tried to obstruct Su-hyeun earlier.

    Suddenly, he sensed his blood flow reversing again. He quickly roused up his prana and spread it out to the rest of his body; although only by a little bit, his body soon regained its stability.

    ¡°When I drink your blood, I may finally get to cash out from this lifestyle.¡± Kali licked her lips.

    It seemed that she was planning to add Su-hyeun to that pool of blood containing the five Predators.

    She grew stronger through blood. Without a doubt, all those innumerable people offered up as sacrifices until now were trapped in there too.

    Su-hyeun thought, ¡®When she said cashing out from here, does she mean she¡¯s ready to go kill Fafnir?¡¯

    Kali had built her nest on this planet for quite a long time. Even the history of Pangaean residents that believed in these gods went back tens of thousands of years, which implied that Kali had been staying here for just as long.

    Her stay here probably had something to do with getting ready to fight Asura, but now that her longtime rival was dead, Kali had no choice but to change her target.

    Crack, crackle¡ª

    Su-hyeun popped his knuckles. The surroundings were now the space of blood, and within were the five Predators and the souls of countless humans.

    He knew that he must not get distracted by them. Their souls should be freed when Kali died, so he simply had to focus on the monster standing right before his eyes and nothing else.

    ¡°Fuu-wuu.¡± Su-hyeun exhaled at length and unsheathed his sword. Taut tension invaded his entire frame, and thick sweat droplets soaked his back.

    It had been a really long time since he felt this tense.

    A long time, indeed.

    For sure, he stopped feeling this tense before a fight from a certain moment in time¡ªnot even back when he became a full-fledged god and was about to begin his fight against the Predator named Tyrant, not even when he fought the three Predators including Kalira earlier, and certainly not when he faced down hundreds of millions of knights to destroy the Altar.

    He didn¡¯t feel tense at all back then.

    But now, his tension was steadily creeping up, even if it was only by a little. However, it wasn¡¯t because his opponent today was too strong for him nor was she someone he couldn¡¯t handle.

    ¡®Right, I used to do this, didn¡¯t I?¡¯ he thought.

    He was reminded of something at this very moment. In the past, Su-hyeun used to psych himself up to some degree before a fight. He did that to calmly reorganize his headspace before a big fight and to maintain his sharpness so that he would not let his guard down.

    It was basically a habitual action¡ªa spell even.

    But why was this? Why hadn¡¯t he been doing that lately?

    He figured out the reason quickly enough. ¡®I guess none of them had been what I would call a proper fight.¡¯

    Even if it was the act of psyching himself up to a suitable level for an upcoming battle, at the end of the day, he was still ¡°psyching himself up.¡± A minimum level of tension must be present so that he could psych himself up willingly. Only when that level was breached would he feel truly tense, and the creature before his eyes, Kali, was strong enough for his tension to breach that level.

    Wriggle¡ª

    The prana within his body began fluttering. To Su-hyeun, it felt like his prana had gained a functioning ego to shout at him, telling him to use it. It was the same story for the seed of the World Tree.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    The energies whirring inside Su-hyeun¡¯s body began waking up one by one, and even though he didn¡¯t will it to happen, it just happened naturally.

    Winds swirled around the sword he had in his grip. The Somersault cloud wrapped around him and became a sturdy armor, while hot flames lit up below his feet and spread out everywhere.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Enormous waves of magical energy spun and viciously whipped around with Su-hyeun in the center.

    Kali watched all this happen and then held up a sword, shield, a noose, and a skull in each of her hands.

    ¡°Yes, hurry and come at me.¡± Kali¡¯s lips distorted into a cruel grin as she spoke.

    She was genuinely enjoying this. At least she was similar to Kalira in this regard¡ªor more correctly, Kalira resembled Kali.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun began walking up to Kali. With every step he took, a path of flames appeared from his footsteps.

    On his right hand, he had the godhood of wind contained within the Palm Leaf sword.

    Bzzzik¡ª

    On his left hand, he had the godhood of thunder and lightning from the Somersault cloud and the Thunder Glove.

    He unleashed all of their powers and leaped high.

    Chwaaaaah¡ª!

    At the same time, the crimson wave of blood that wrapped around Kali exploded forward to devour him.

    Kwa-aaaaah¡ª

    The wave of blood instantly swallowed Su-hyeun up.

    Kali, while wielding a skull with one hand that controlled all this overflowing blood, made a somewhat deflated expression. ¡°I have expected too much from you, it seems.¡±

    She even sounded disappointed.

    In all honesty, she didn¡¯t expect Su-hyeun to die so quickly after a simple attack like this. She saw him as nothing more than a hurdle, the final test, for herself, but this whole battle ended far easier than she thought it would.

    Of course, the battle wasn¡¯t over yet, but breaking out from the pool of blood after getting trapped inside would be incredibly hard to pull off. Even if he did manage to break out, he wouldn¡¯t look the same.

    ¡°I at least expected you to be on par with that fool, Asura, but maybe I was being too greedy with¡ª¡±

    Sliceeeee¡ª

    Right at that moment, a thin but long line suddenly drew past the wave of blood Kali had created.

    Split¡ª!

    Almost at the same time, Kali¡¯s vision suddenly divided in half.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Just as she got flustered by this development¡­

    Drip¡ª

    Her vision swayed before being dyed in crimson color.

    She raised a hand and touched her face. Blood trickling down from her forehead covered her eyes. Her third eye up there had been sliced apart.

    Right after that¡­

    Splaaaash¡ª!

    The wave of blood was sliced apart, and Su-hyeun¡¯s figure emerged from within..

 Chapter 432

    <hr />

    Shake¡ª

    Tumble, driiip¡ª

    When Su-hyeun powerfully shook his sword once, all the blood staining its blade flew off.

    The dropped blood wriggled for a while but eventually stopped moving. This was a good indicator that Kali¡¯s blood, each and every drop of it, was capable of moving on its own as if it possessed an independent ego.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad,¡± Su-hyeun said after he had chopped the wave of blood apart by swinging the Palm Leaf. He stared at Kali, ¡°I was trying to slice your whole body apart in one go, though.¡±

    Still, he managed to slice up one of her eyes, which was certainly better than nothing.

    Kali¡¯s expression was weird, to say the least. She seemed happy on one hand, but on the other, she looked enraged. She was also briefly stunned. In any case, her mind seemed to be a chaotic blend of all sorts of emotions right now.

    She finally opened her mouth, ¡°You escaped quite easily.¡±

    ¡°I only needed to cut an opening, after all.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound easy.¡±

    Smirk¡ª

    The corners of Kali¡¯s lips extended to reach her ears. Quite literally, they were touching her ears right now¡ªher already large lips had split open like that of a terrifying ghostly apparition from some spooky tale.

    Su-hyeun had just witnessed her smile.

    ¡°Yes, I like you. Asura was also capable of this much, after all.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°I now fully acknowledge you, and I should also express my gratitude. Your death by my hands today will finally signal that I have truly surpassed Asura,¡± said Kali, as she began manipulating the skull in her hand.

    Her action prompted the wave of blood to start undulating. It seemed that the skull was her medium to make the wave move according to her will.

    Shwaaaaaaah¡ª

    The blood wave charged toward Su-hyeun once more at a much faster speed and with greater force behind it. However, at the same time, he raised his foot before powerfully stomping the ground.

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Poooooow¡ª!

    A pillar of flame erupted from the ground beneath his feet and collided against the incoming blood wave. The wave couldn¡¯t break through the flames and evaporated in an instant, turning into a fog of blood.

    ¡°Hoh-oh?¡± Kali¡¯s brows arched up.

    Her blood had instantly evaporated. Since the wave containing a huge quantity of her blood evaporated so easily like this, those flames couldn¡¯t have been something simple at all.

    ¡°This is getting even more interesting!¡± Her grin grew only deeper.

    Step¡ª

    Kali then finally began moving. Her vision that was dyed in blood didn¡¯t matter at all to her since the blood was hers, to begin with. No, it only made her even more excited.

    Pow¡ª!

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Kali placed her shield before her, broke through the pillar of flames, and then charged straight ahead. At the same time, she swung her sword and tried to slice Su-hyeun by his waist.

    Claaaang¡ª!

    Creaaak, creak¡ª

    Two sturdy swords collided, sending huge ripples of magical energy everywhere. At the same time, Su-hyeun¡¯s free hand rose into the air.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Pazzzik, bzzzzik¡ª

    [Thunderbolt]

    Arcs of electricity slammed down from the heavens to enter his left hand and quickly morphed into the distinctive shape of the Thunderbolt.

    Currently, he was clashing swords with his opponent; he then reversed his grip on the Thunderbolt and thrust it down on Kali¡¯s head with all of his strength.

    KA-RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    FLASH¡ª!

    An explosion that was loud enough to rip eardrums off, along with a flash of blinding light, rocked the surroundings.

    Kali¡¯s shield clashed against the Thunderbolt. Her entire figure was viciously shoved back, causing her to stagger.

    ¡°That¡­what a destructive power that is¡­something I have not experienced before until now,¡± Kali muttered as she stared at the surface of her shield.

    The shield that somehow managed to block the Thunderbolt was scorched jet-black, its surface dented deeply. It might be possible to block a couple more Thunderbolts after this, but if possible, it seemed safer to simply dodge instead of blocking.

    ¡°How strange. He did not possess this much power earlier,¡± she inwardly observed.

    Not too long ago, Kali got to fight Su-hyeun for a few moments by taking over the body of Kalira, her ¡°daughter¡± and perhaps her most perfect clone that was created out of her blood.

    That exchange allowed her to more or less gauge Su-hyeun¡¯s strength, but now, the strength he possessed, or even the fighting aura he emitted right now, was completely on another level.

    If Su-hyeun back when he was fighting Kalira was like a dull and unrefined iron ingot, then the current him gave off the air of a sharp treasure sword that had been repeatedly refined.

    ¡°Just what has changed in him?¡± Kali gripped her sword and shield tightly and pounced on her target once more. ¡°This is great. Truly wonderful!¡±

    Chwarururu¡ª

    She then threw the noose in her hand forward. Su-hyeun swung his sword down to cut it down, but not only did the noose not get damaged, it instead wrapped tightly around the blade.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Kali tautly yanked at the noose, and it responded to her strong tug to briefly disrupt Su-hyeun¡¯s balance. During that brief opening, her sword rapidly swung downward.

    Kwa-jajajajak¡ª!

    The Thunderbolt and her sword clashed noisily.

    Kali¡¯s weapon couldn¡¯t break through the spear of lightning, but now that their distance had closed up so much, a spear couldn¡¯t exert as much strength as a sword.

    Bang, boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Crunch, crack, shatter¡ª!

    Kali¡¯s sword repeatedly struck to chop off Su-hyeun¡¯s head. The light shining from the Thunderbolt grew duller as a result. She completely ignored all the electricity buzzing off the spear and focused her entire being on chopping his head off.

    But right at that moment¡­

    ¡°Arise¡ª!¡±

    A huge shadow suddenly loomed large over Kali¡¯s head.

    ¡°Nezha.¡±

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    [Yogoe Beating Mace]

    A humongous steel mace descended right on top of Kali¡¯s head. She hurriedly raised her shield in defense, but that action created a small opening.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The Thunderbolt vanished, only for Su-hyeun¡¯s unoccupied hand to be enveloped in flames.

    [Flame ¨C Transformation]

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    His punch, thrown with all of his strength, landed on Kali, bathing her in the fierce flames. She got flung far back along with the trajectory of the flames, while her noose that was ensnaring his blade came undone at the same time.

    Crackle, hiss, sizzle¡ª

    Kali faltered from where she was standing as flames burned on her. Soon after that, though, the blood spread all over the area quickly wrapped around her to extinguish all the flames and seep into her wounds.

    Hisssss¡ª

    Her scorched-black wounds gradually recovered.

    Kali quickly stood back up, ¡°You and your bizarre summoned crea¡ª?¡±

    Gu-ooooooh¡ª

    Kali detected the changes to the airflow above her, as well as the huge shadow still looming over her, and raised her head to look. The sky had suddenly turned dark¡ªno, more correctly, something was blocking out the sky.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing this for a bit,¡± Su-hyeun said as he grabbed the hilt of the Yogoe Beating Mace with both hands.

    Nezha¡¯s massive weapon, the mace of the gods designed to punish the Yogoes, made its descent.

    Kwaaaaaaahng¡ª!

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The ground trembled unsteadily, all thanks to the weapon¡¯s weight and Su-hyeun¡¯s strength. However, Kali wasn¡¯t squashed flat as he expected, which was rather unfortunate from his point of view. ¡°Now that¡¯s one weird-looking hand, alright.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my loyal subordinate.¡±

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    A huge hand that materialized through blood was holding onto the Yogoe Beating Mace. The said hand originally belonged to another Predator that Kali had devoured.

    ¡°Slice it¡­¡±

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Split¡ª

    A single strand of wind moving extremely fast sliced apart Kali¡¯s massive hand.

    THUD¡ª!

    The Yogoe Beating Mace began descending once more, but Su-hyeun, wielding the weapon in one hand and his sword in the other, frowned deeply at the sensation he felt from the impact.

    He didn¡¯t sense something getting crushed under the Yogoe Beating Mace.

    Crack, split¡ª

    Crunch, shatttttter¡ª

    Soon after that, cracks developed on the weapon, and the Yogoe Beating Mace, which was supposed to be made from near-unbreakable hardened metal, shattered into million pieces.

    As the debris rained down, Kali extended her sword forward and stabbed at Su-hyeun¡¯s heart.

    Grab¡ª!

    ¡°What?¡±

    A questioning look took over Kali¡¯s face. Her sword was caught by Su-hyeun¡¯s bare hand, and when she tried to yank it back, she couldn¡¯t as the sword remained firmly in his grip.

    If he was trying to block or dodge her attack, then she would have understood it, no problem, but to think that he actually caught the blade bare-handed? To make it worse, he wasn¡¯t finished yet.

    Squeeze, crack¡ª

    Claaang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun snapped Kali¡¯s sword in half with his hard grip, which left the Predator gasping in shock and stumbling back.

    Swhooosh¡ª

    Right at that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s figure rapidly closed in on Kali.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    CLAAANG¡ª!

    Kali raised her shield to block the sword that was coming down, causing her feet to dig into the ground and carve out a deep crater below.

    Splat¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª!

    A blade of blood that materialized in Kali¡¯s hand successfully sliced Su-hyeun¡¯s torso in half, but in that instant, his whole body dissipated like an afterimage, only for the real him to appear behind her.

    Splatttter¡ª!

    ¡°Kugh¡­!¡±

    She staggered when a deep cut was made on her back. She used the blood in the surroundings to quickly envelop her torso to protect herself. Then, through all four of her arms, she began swinging the sword and shield around, all the while throwing the noose in Su-hyeun¡¯s position.

    Splash, whoooosh¡ª

    Sliiiiice-

    Su-hyeun quickly darted about and cut Kali¡¯s flesh open. Her eyes hurriedly chased after his darting figure, but she needed some time to heal the damaged third eye in her forehead at the moment.

    ¡°He¡¯s getting faster,¡± she thought.

    Both Su-hyeun¡¯s movements and his strength had gotten faster and stronger than when this battle had started, but that wasn¡¯t all.

    Fluff¡ª

    Before Kali had time to take notice, dark storm clouds had appeared all around her. She knew that Su-hyeun possessed the ability to command the clouds, but even then, he shouldn¡¯t have been capable of creating them to ensnare her this quickly.

    ¡°Strike her¡­¡±

    Flash¡ª!

    ¡°Somersault cloud.¡±

    Rumble¡ª!

    Lightning flashed ominously within the clouds surrounding her. In the meantime, Su-hyeun gripped his sword with both hands and cocked the weapon as if he was getting ready to swing a large fan.

    ¡°Mercilessly cut everything¡­¡±

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª!

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª

    A massive typhoon condensed into a single spot and swept aside the clouds. The blood armor protecting Kali was mercilessly and viciously sliced and torn apart, thereby exposing her bare flesh beneath in no time at all.

    Slice, sliiiiiice¡ª

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Hundreds and thousands of wounds quickly accumulated on her body. Although they were cuts from the harsh winds, none of them were shallow scratches at all. For instance, the ground behind her had been already carved out by countless sword cuts.

    They actually resembled the aftermaths of a massive storm. All of that was simply the after-effects of the winds that had pummeled Kali just now.

    Drip, driiip¡ª

    Dribble¡ª

    ¡°Keuh-eugh¡­¡±

    Kali moaned in pain as blood leaked out from all over her figure. She was utterly confused.

    ¡°He¡¯s different from earlier.¡±

    She noted that he did not simply get faster or stronger. The time needed to activate not only the godhood of Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf but also the others had decreased, and their effects had gotten so much stronger.

    She just couldn¡¯t keep up with his speed now; Su-hyeun wrapped the clouds around himself, concentrated storms into one spot, and even roused up massive flames with a snap of his fingers.

    Just how much faster would he get? And why was he getting faster in the first place?

    It wasn¡¯t just Kali whose head was getting filled up with the question of ¡°why¡± at the moment.

    Huff, pant¡ª

    Su-hyeun was panting quickly and heavily.

    Something about himself felt different compared to before. The more he moved, the lighter his body felt. At the same time, wielding and commanding not just the Somersault cloud and the Palm Leaf, but also the other godhood felt as comfortable and natural as moving his own hands and feet.

    What could be the reason for this?

    ¡°Did something about me change?¡±

    Su-hyeun thought back to the moment he unleashed the Palm Leaf when he swung it and tried to remember the sensation he felt back then.

    Indeed, something was different.

    The moment he wielded Palm Leaf using his prana, another energy source naturally acted alongside as well.

    ¡°My magical energy, prana, and then¡­¡± Su-hyeun closed his eyes for a moment there and scanned the energies writhing within his body. ¡°The seed of the World Tree.¡±

    He had been using the three energies individually, but just now, for some reason, all three energy sources resonated and acted together when he unleashed his godhood.

    When he thought about it, hadn¡¯t this been true all along? Magical energy, prana, and even the seed of the World Tree were all his powers, so was there a reason for him to consciously activate them and use them separately?

    ¡°Well, I learned something important today,¡± Su-hyeun smiled faintly. At the same time, he roused all three energy sources.

    When that happened, a blend of energies rose like heat haze all around him.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s finish this..¡±

 Chapter 433

    <hr />

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun took a step forward.

    Kali stared into his eyes. Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, where blue light had been coming from after he used Insight, had now changed its color to gold in hue.

    ¡°What has changed in him?¡±

    This inexplicable sense of danger took root deep within her mind. Outwardly, the only thing that had changed about him was the light shining from his eyes, but she thought that something else had changed for sure.

    ¡°His method of controlling his powers and his familiarity with them¡­Even though it hasn¡¯t been one year since he became a god!¡±

    Kali finally understood the reason why Su-hyeun continued to evolve during their battle. It was a problem that could be resolved pretty quickly if one thought about it for a moment.

    It hadn¡¯t been that long since Su-hyeun became a god. Even Kali herself mentioned that his mindset was still that of a human¡¯s not too long ago, didn¡¯t she?

    That was indeed a problem that initially didn¡¯t seem like one¡ªthe fact that he had not yet fought as a full-fledged god before and that he hadn¡¯t fully grasped or was unaware of all the powers sleeping within his own flesh.

    The longer he fought, the more proficient he got with his own abilities. In other words, by fighting against Kali, he was getting better at controlling his godhood.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a smart idea to drag things out, but¡­¡±

    She understood it in her head. The longer this fight dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would become for her. However, she was conflicted.

    ¡°I do not wish it to end this quickly.¡±

    It had been too long since she felt the tremor that was running down her spine.

    After her battle with Asura, Kali hadn¡¯t had a single chance to have a battle of this nature. For one thing, she couldn¡¯t meet another Ten Great Evils, and not only that, they didn¡¯t desire to fight each other.

    To be more precise, getting into a fight with another Predator in that rank was basically the same as breaking their agreement. Only Asura was worth breaking that agreement and starting a fight.

    But now, an opponent capable of making her heart pound as much as Asura had appeared before her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve bled enough.¡±

    Drip¡ª

    Blood continued to drip down from all of her open wounds. A normal life form wouldn¡¯t be alive after losing this much blood. However, Kali was an exception.

    To her, the meaning of bleeding was the same as getting sufficiently warmed up.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we bleed some more together?¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    The ground under Kali¡¯s feet caved in, and her figure shot forward. Rain of blood constantly fell from the skies that were still dyed in a crimson hue. As the blood fell on Su-hyeun¡¯s body, he also shot forward to meet the incoming Kali.

    Clang¡ª!

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Their collision ripped apart the clouds. At the same time, their figures leaped high, turning into two lines that intertwined messily. Thunderous blasting noises began exploding from the heavens above one after another.

    Boom, baaaang¡ª!

    Flash¡ª!

    Blood splattered as Kali¡¯s chest was sliced open.

    Baaaang¡ª!

    Her shield slammed into Su-hyeun¡¯s head; loud and clear bell noises rang out in the air as the Thunderbolt brightly flashed.

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Lightning exploded between their figures.

    Su-hyeun observed Kali¡¯s arms; the Thunderbolt that he threw was blocked by her hand holding the skull. Meaning, she actually decided to lose her hand and have it ripped apart into pieces.

    Pah-suk¡ª

    Right after that, her balance crumbled just as her remaining three arms moved about.

    Powpowpowpowpowpow¡ª!

    BOOM¡ª!

    Kali directed spears of blood to stab into Su-hyeun¡¯s back. At the same time, her shield with cracks running on it broke through the Thunderbolt and tried to slam on Su-hyeun¡¯s head. Then, her noose came flying in, its target being Su-hyeun¡¯s throat.

    Sliiiice¡ª

    Rumble¡ª!

    The noose was sliced apart by Su-hyeun¡¯s blade. The shield that Kali swung toward his head collided with yet another Thunderbolt and was thrown up in the air along with Kali¡¯s arm, while the blood spears were blocked by the Somersault cloud.

    However, one spear still managed to stab him in the shoulder. Su-hyeun suppressed the painful sensation of his blood wanting to drain from his body and opened his mouth, ¡°Blow away¡­!¡±

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Flames rapidly enveloped his sword. Even though it hadn¡¯t touched her yet, the heat that was intense enough to cook flesh still reached Kali¡¯s body, so she quickly manifested the armor of blood on herself.

    Right at that moment, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword finally made its move. ¡°Palm Leaf!¡±

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Kuwaaaaah¡ª

    The flames whooshing about like sharp blades began slicing Kali¡¯s body and burned her wounds with their intense heat.

    Sizzzzle¡ª

    Kali stomped her feet down and braced herself so that she wouldn¡¯t get shoved back. No, wait¡ªher actions didn¡¯t simply stop at not getting pushed back.

    Pah-aaahk¡ª

    She actually broke through the sizzling heat storm and extended that huge blood hand of hers toward Su-hyeun¡¯s head. It was the very same hand that had stopped the Yogoe Beating Mace.

    Just as that huge hand made of hardened blood was about to crush him flat¡­

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    His entire figure suddenly transformed into flames, and he easily slipped through the gaps of the massive descending blood hand.

    [Flame ¨C Transformation]

    For the first time ever, he succeeded in transforming his entire body. In the past, he could only transform his hand, maybe his arm at the maximum, but this time, the Transformation of his whole being came about so naturally.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Purple-hued flames quickly surrounded Kali, and a hand shot out from the wall of flames to smash Kali¡¯s head down to the ground below.

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    Crack, split, craaack¡ª

    A huge crater formed on the ground beneath her head before the entire terrain crumbled powerlessly. Almost at the same time, waves of blood explosively rose up all around Kali¡¯s figure.

    Kwa-gagagaga¡ª

    BOOOOM¡ª!

    Blood exploded all around her. Su-hyeun wrapped himself up in the clouds and quickly slipped out from the commotion. At the same time, Kali pulled up her smashed head from the ground and rose into the air; her broken sword swung toward Su-hyeun¡¯s head next.

    Claaang¡ª!

    Slice¡ª, crunch¡ª!

    Pow, splaaaat¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword strikes had become even faster and harder-hitting. To match him, Kali also grew stronger the more she bled. The longer their fight dragged on, the more it got intense and more savage.

    Ruumbleeee, ku-gugugu¡ª

    Crrrraaaack¡ª

    The terrain could no longer endure the battle and completely caved in. Over this broken and cracked land, a sword and a shield collided, creating a crack of a thunderous boom.

    BOOOOM¡ª!

    Flash¡ª!

    And then, actual lightning materialized in the heavens.

    [Divine Punishment]

    More correctly, hundreds of Thunderbolts had appeared there. The moment they finished materializing, Kali hurriedly raised up the skull held in her hand.

    Chwaaaaaah¡ª!

    A massive wave of blood covered her from above, becoming a huge wall that protected her. However, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t pay any heed to that and lowered his raised left hand that had created all those Thunderbolts.

    And when he did¡­

    Crunch, kwa-zzzzzzak¡ª!

    Dozens, no, hundreds of Thunderbolts slammed into the wave of blood.

    ¡°Keuh-ugh¡­.¡± Kali moaned as her arms trembled.

    In the end, she was the one controlling all this blood; the quantity of blood present was enough to form a small ocean, yet she needed to utilize all of it to barely block the Thunderbolts.

    Her arms continued to shudder, but she managed to stop them all¡ªwhen such a line of thought popped up in her head, Kali¡¯s lips settled into a smirk, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s over now for¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    Stab¡ª!

    Along with Su-hyeun¡¯s voice suddenly coming to her as if he was right in front of her face, she felt a sensation of white-hot metal penetrating her forehead. The inside of her head quickly grew hot; her entire body became rigid, and a familiar face filled up Kali¡¯s vision.

    Su-hyeun¡¯s blade had cleanly stabbed through her forehead.

    ¡°This¡­is the end.¡±

    Swhoooosh¡ª

    Winds gathered on his blade.

    ¡°Blow away, Palm Leaf.¡±

    Then, when he gave the command, the winds began to go on a rampage.

    <hr />

    Tumble, drop, tumble¡ª

    Bits and pieces of severed flesh blew up into the air before raining down.

    Su-hyeun, standing amid the falling bits of meat, exhaled softly under his breath. His entire figure was literally bathed in blood as a result of his fight against Kali. All sorts of small wounds also pockmarked him.

    ¡°Something still doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    That was the very first thought that entered his head after he realized that the battle was finally over. At the same time, his body suddenly sagged, which was a rebound from using up all of his strength. Even fatigue belatedly hit him as well.

    ¡°Please, just die now,¡± Su-hyeun muttered as if he was reciting a chant.

    Although it was unlikely she was still alive after ending up in this wretched state, he just couldn¡¯t let his guard down after running into a Predator like Tyrant earlier.

    ¡°It¡­ hurts¡­¡±

    Sure enough, Kali¡¯s voice came to him as if she was waiting for this moment, but her voice lacked energy. She wasn¡¯t dead yet, but her voice indicated that it wouldn¡¯t be that long before she died for good.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even have a mouth anymore, yet you can still say you¡¯re hurting, huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡­have won today.¡±

    ¡°Right. I did win.¡±

    ¡°Asura, too¡­died¡­at the¡­hands of another¡­ not related to me.¡±

    A hint of laughter could be picked up from Kali¡¯s fading voice. For the parting words coming from dying bits of flesh, her voice sounded rather pleased right now.

    ¡°Are you¡­familiar¡­with that¡­black dragon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°I¡­shall¡­wish for¡­your victory. Even though¡­I¡¯m dead¡­Asura¡­I don¡¯t¡­want to lose¡­¡±

    The tremor in Kali¡¯s voice grew more noticeable. Seeing how she couldn¡¯t finish what she wanted to say, it seemed that her end was near, which wasn¡¯t all that surprising.

    ¡°Managing to hold on when in such a state is the craziest thing here, obviously.¡±

    Su-hyeun took in Kali¡¯s state currently ripped apart into thousands of pieces from the Palm Leaf¡¯s winds. Her blood was still wriggling on the ground, indicating that she was somehow still alive.

    He decided to finish her off for good and got ready to move, but then¡­

    ¡°This¡­fight¡­it¡¯s not¡­over yet.¡±

    His brows quivered a little at that rather nonsensical claim. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be one of those unreasonably obstinate types.¡±

    ¡°Fighting¡­isn¡¯t always¡­about¡­swinging¡­swords around¡­¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°You¡­can¡¯t¡­ kill¡­ people¡­because¡­you are¡­a hero.¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡±

    ¡°A new¡­war¡­will begin.¡±

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brows shot up as he locked his gaze on the wriggling bits of Kali¡¯s body. Her voice was just about ready to fade, so to catch every little thing she was saying, he paid even closer attention.

    ¡°When¡­I die¡­Altars¡­activate¡­wars and¡­bloodshed¡­Slaughter¡­of the world¡­will start¡­¡±

    ¡°Time limit¡­destroy¡­Altar¡­¡±

    ¡°Stopping¡­the spell¡­¡±

    ¡°This battle¡­I¡­have won¡­¡±

    Her words came in pauses, but he still got to understand their meaning more or less.

    ¡°The moment Kali dies, the remaining Altars will activate. The longer I take to destroy these Altars, the more people will die.¡±

    Su-hyeun was certain of his guess on what she said¡ªhe had to destroy the Altars as quickly as possible.

    All the people influenced by the Altars would either kill themselves or bare their weapons to wage wars. This was Kali¡¯s final scheme meant to completely obliterate Pangaea.

    [Remaining Altars: 48]

    Su-hyeun confirmed the number of remaining Altars. ¡°Forty-eight altars are left¡­¡±

    Normally, he would have needed several days to destroy them all. However, he didn¡¯t feel pressed or anxious right now, all because he just thought of a pretty good idea.

    ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s how it is, huh?¡± Su-hyeun turned around and called out, ¡°Miru?¡±

    Riiiip¡ª

    Miru peeked its head out when Su-hyeun¡¯s voice reached it.

    Without explaining himself at length, he climbed on Miru¡¯s back, but before he set off, he glanced at the dying Kali and said, ¡°Do your best to hold on and not die too quickly, okay?¡±

    He then lightly patted Miru¡¯s head, prompting the red dragon to unfurl its wings and began flying.

    ¡°After all, I will only need a few minutes here.¡±

    Flap¡ª

    Miru quickly beat its wings and began its flight.

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    The dragon broke through the cloud cover and ascended higher.

    The air became quite thin when they arrived at a really high altitude. However, they had no trouble breathing or anything like that. Actually, they wouldn¡¯t die just because they couldn¡¯t breathe for a few hours.

    And so, after they climbed higher and higher for a few minutes¡­

    ¡°Fuu-woo¡­¡±

    Air had completely disappeared now, replaced by a bone-chilling cold that caused white breaths to escape from his lips. He looked below, and the sight of the huge planet entered his view. Perhaps due to his Insight, he had no problem taking a closer look despite the incredible distance.

    ¡°Seriously now, being a hero isn¡¯t enough, so I have to act like a god, too?¡±

    Bzzzik, pazzzzzik¡ª

    Dozens of Thunderbolts materialized above Su-hyeun¡¯s head. He squeezed out the remainder of his strength to create these. They numbered exactly 48.

    ¡°Huh, I guess this is my destiny, then,¡± Su-hyeun groaned under his breath and then grasped one of the Thunderbolts above him. He powerfully hurled it at a certain location in Pangaea below.

    A short while later¡­

    RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    A thunderous boom came from not the sky but the ground below. Now that was a new experience, alright.

    However, he couldn¡¯t afford to take his time admiring the freshness of this experience.

    ¡°Okay, the next one is¡­¡± He grasped the second spear.. ¡°Over there, huh?¡±

 Chapter 434

    <hr />

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    Boom, ruuumble¡ª

    The booming noises of thunder after a blinding flash of lightning bolt crashed down, as well as the sounds of the ground being ripped apart by such a powerful lightning strike, came from far away.

    The stupendously bright light coming from below created a small sun. Its location was where yet another Altar used to be.

    The Emperor, who had been urgently making his way to the nearest Altar, had to stop and ask, ¡°Just what kind of commotion is this?¡± The knights around him, who lost their swords earlier, all turned their heads in the direction of the raucous noises.

    Those noises that came from the location where the blinding light flashed sounded quite ominous. Lightning struck from the heavens above and had created a massive pillar of light in that place.

    ¡°The kind of light that we can clearly witness despite such a great distance away¡­?¡±

    The power that could be detected from that reddish-golden light was quite extraordinary. The explosion that happened there must have been equally out of this world since it produced a pillar of light of such a scale.

    ¡°Perhaps the gods are truly enraged now,¡± softly muttered the Emperor, but his words still stunned the nearby knights.

    The gods were enraged?

    Nothing was more terrifying than that to them. To these people, who lived their entire lives for a chance to earn the acknowledgment and salvation of their gods, the rage of the gods sounded far more shocking than being abandoned by their parents when they were still young kids.

    ¡°Kuk, keuh¡­¡±

    But then, a knight suddenly collapsed without warning, bubbles gushing out of his mouth.

    The Emperor¡¯s head spun to take a look when a painful moan entered his hearing from somewhere nearby. It was the same story for the other knights who had been distracted by the pillar of light until then.

    ¡°F¡ªfella, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyour throat, why are you¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Is he trying to commit suicide?!¡±

    Other knights stepped up one by one to stop their collapsed colleague, but that was when the sh*t hit the fan.

    Splaaaatter¡ª

    ¡°Kuwaaaah!¡±

    Knights began attacking each other while swinging their broken swords. Some even tried to choke themselves or stabbed their blades into their abdomens.

    Watching this scene unfold, the Emperor, could only mutter to himself, ¡°Have the gods really forsaken us?¡±

    Wriggle¡ª

    An inexplicable desire to fight, as well as thick murderous intent, suddenly began writhing inside the Emperor¡¯s heart. These two things were now screaming at him, telling him to kill all the loyal retainers near him.

    He raised his hand, and with some force¡­

    Stab¡ª!

    He stabbed his own chest with that hand, but he wasn¡¯t trying to kill himself.

    ¡°Be silent!¡±

    He was trying to suppress the murderous urge wriggling deep within him, even if only by a little.

    He might be over 100 years old, but his mental strength was still strong enough to pull this off. However, the real issue at the moment was everyone else except him.

    ¡°Indeed, the gods have abandoned us.¡±

    He was certain of it now.

    What was happening right now was definitely wrong; if the gods they worshiped really existed, if they were meant to save the denizens of this world, then a horrific spectacle unfolding before their eyes shouldn¡¯t have been allowed to occur.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Another lightning crashed down. Was that thunderclap the sign of the gods¡¯ rage? The Emperor shifted his head and stared at the Altar not too far from where he was, the one he and his company were originally heading toward before this event began.

    It was at that moment that the next event unfolded.

    Flash¡ª!

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    The lightning struck that very Altar, creating a blinding pillar of light. This would be the fifth one they had witnessed so far.

    ¡°The Altar, it¡¯s¡­?¡±

    The massive structure exploded to bits, its debris shooting up in the air only to be disintegrated by the lighting pillar and scattered away in the winds as nothing but dust.

    The boiling murderous urge and the desire to fight in the Emperor¡¯s heart calmed down by a little bit just then.

    However, that wasn¡¯t the last of the light pillar to appear.

    Rumble, ka-boooooom¡ª!

    The number of these light pillars began increasing one by one. These lightning bolts crashing down from the heavens accurately landed on other Altars next.

    ¡°If a real god is out there, then¡­¡± The Emperor watched the Altars being destroyed and muttered softly, ¡°I pray that you come to our aid.¡±

    <hr />

    One, two, three¡­!

    Flash¡ª!

    Another spear flew out of Su-hyeun¡¯s hand; accompanied by an eye-searing light, it flew toward a certain location, and soon, a loud thunderclap exploded from there. This noise arrived far later than the light, however.

    Huff, pant¡ª

    That was already 46¡ªthe number of Thunderbolts he had fired by now after taking a careful aim.

    Su-hyeun was currently focusing all of his being right now. Just one shot missing its mark would bring about a massive catastrophe.

    After confirming the location of an Altar, he had to precisely aim at it before firing his spear. If a stray shot landed in a densely populated city by mistake, then in the blink of an eye, millions, no, tens of millions of people would lose their lives.

    His control over the destructive power also had to be exact. Each Thunderbolt possessed immense power that was strong enough to obliterate the Altar with a single shot.

    He couldn¡¯t make it any more, or any less, powerful than that. If he made a mistake with that task, he could potentially fail to destroy the Altars or end up with a much larger range of destruction that could affect the nearby cities.

    ¡°Two more shots left.¡±

    All 46 spears accurately hit their targets. There hadn¡¯t been any collateral damage so far as he destroyed the Altars for good.

    Now, only two more Altars remained. Su-hyeun raised his hand and then grasped a Thunderbolt floating up there and took aim in a certain direction.

    One, two¡­

    ¡°Three.¡±

    Paaaaaaang¡ª

    Flash¡ª!

    Ka-boooooom¡ª!

    A bright light flashed, followed by a loud thunderclap, to illuminate the land below.

    A humongous pillar of light shot up into the air; due to the sheer size of the Altar, Su-hyeun could vividly see the spectacle taking place below even though he was so high up in the sky that he could take in the entirety of Pangaea with just one glance.

    Fuu-woo¡ª

    He relied on the breathing technique to get a hold of his heavy panting. His hotly burning chest cooled down by a bit.

    Now, only one shot remained.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t something I want to repeat ever again, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    Grip¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed the last Thunderbolt.

    Only one Altar remained, but it was the farthest one away from him, and he was honestly most hesitant about this one. He even briefly entertained the idea of relying on Miru to narrow the distance to this Altar, but in the end, he figured that it would take quite some time before he could get close enough.

    Back at the beginning, he was worried about whether he could accurately throw a spear that far or not, but now, he was already rather confident of his spear-throwing ability.

    Flash¡ª!

    The spear left his hand and hurtled forward as a streak of pure light. Su-hyeun used Insight and observed the situation of the last Altar in the far-off distance.

    The Thunderbolt accurately struck it, pulverizing the entire structure and turning it into nothing more than a pile of scorched rubble.

    How much time passed by after that happened?

    Ku-rururu¡ª

    The noises of destruction reached him quite sometime later, but due to the great distance, the noises were really faint.

    [The 200th floor¡¯s trial has been cleared.]

    [You have acquired 300,000,000 points.]

    [Strength has risen by one.]

    [Agility has risen by one.]

    [Reward handout is being delayed.]

    [Reward will be handed out in 10 days.]

    [Will you transfer to the next floor?]

    No matter when he heard those messages, they sure perked him up. They were proof that he had definitely passed this floor¡¯s trial.

    ¡°But my reward is being delayed?¡±

    Rewards regarding his stats and points had been definitely handed out, but another reward was being delayed, only to be handed out 10 days later? This would be his first time experiencing something like this.

    ¡°Is there a special reason for that?¡±

    Regardless of why, this was still better than not getting anything at all. In all honesty, the other rewards were already pretty good. The increases in both the strength and agility stats were a far better reward than most items, after all. On top of that, he also gained 300 million points.

    Maybe it was because this happened to be the trial of the 200th floor that the acquired points were quite extraordinary indeed.

    ¡°With this amount, maybe I can finally buy that thing.¡±

    A new store window became available after he crossed the 100th floor, but the general pricing of items there was incredibly steep, and he had already spent most of his accrued points on purchasing the God¡¯s Tear, so in his current situation, even if he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t buy anything else.

    Still, he had memorized a few useful-looking items from the store.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they are as good as the Thunder Glove, but things like Master Subhuti¡¯s Robe or Indra¡¯s Eye, or even Odin¡¯s Golden Bracelet, are definitely god-tier items.¡¯

    The administrators used the classification of ¡°god-tier¡± to refer to the items that represented the ¡°gods.¡± Those items were either used by the gods or were made by them. Unfortunately, every single one of them was ridiculously expensive.

    ¡°The one I want the most is, without a doubt, Odin¡¯s Golden Bracelet, but¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun remembered that the golden ¡°armor¡± cost as much as five billion points. Not only was his current point amount not even close, but he couldn¡¯t even be certain if he could save up that much any time soon.

    From the get-go, that price tag of five billion seemed just too outlandish to seem realistic to him.

    ¡°As for Indra¡¯s Eye, that¡¯s two billion. Meanwhile, Subhuti¡¯s Robe was three billion. And also¡­¡± Su-hyeun then recalled one more item with a god¡¯s name attached to it. ¡°Hephaestus¡¯s Hammer, 500 million.¡±

    It was an item that Su-hyeun could feasibly buy with his current points. This hammer alone could, depending on how it was used, create several god-tier items. Of course, Su-hyeun wouldn¡¯t necessarily be the one to wield such an item in this case.

    However¡­

    ¡°Well, I might not need to buy it, after all.¡± Rather than spending his hard-earned points to buy this item, Su-hyeun came up with another idea, ¡°Besides, I have another matter to attend to there, anyway.¡±

    He thought of two matters that needed his attention, and to get them done, he started moving once more.

    <hr />

    The skies and the air were black and murky that it was nearly impossible to find a normal patch of ground here. The terrain was also seemingly filled with spikes made of hardened steel. As for the temperature, it seesawed between boiler-cooker hot and as cold as the North Pole. To top it all off, dead spirits continuously howled cries of torment.

    This was Hell, the ¡°world¡± where those existences who committed grave crimes and thus carried the weight of karma would eventually end up.

    On this specific part of Hell, a certain young man was happily humming away within a lava fall found inside a lava cave. However, this place was supposed to be the ultimate destination for the souls that had committed the worst sins.

    ¡°Well, you seem to be enjoying your life here.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Another man entered this lave cave. This man, who boasted abundant and unkempt black beard, was none other than the master of this cave, as well as Hell itself, Hades.

    ¡°Uncle, lava as hot as this one cannot be found anywhere else except in Hell, so I might as well enjoy it to the fullest while I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just live here for good, then?¡±

    ¡°Aha, but I couldn¡¯t do that. It¡¯s just too boring here. I fear that I¡¯ll get bored of this lifestyle in less than a century,¡± Apollo replied to Hades while leisurely bringing some grapes to his mouth.

    That was the heavenly fruit that didn¡¯t melt or burn to a crisp despite being inside the hot lava of Hell. Such a fruit would¡¯ve been seen as the greatest heaven-sent elixir to some people, yet Apollo simply munched on one every time he got a little bored.

    Although this whole spectacle seemed unbelievable, he was currently being punished for his indiscretions. For the price of burning the netherworld down, he was sentenced to 1000 years of imprisonment in this part of Hell.

    Of course, that was already a rather soft sentence. If Apollo hadn¡¯t been Zeus¡¯s son, Hades wouldn¡¯t have ended the punishment there, after all.

    ¡°Still, this lava fall isn¡¯t bad at all, uncle. It¡¯s so warm that it¡¯s easy to fall asleep in here.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re here to repent for your crime?¡±

    ¡°But uncle, you weren¡¯t really planning to punish me anyway, were you? In any case, what brings you here?¡± asked Apollo as he got back up to his feet and stepped outside the lava fall

    Splash¡ª

    A chiton boasting an amber hue that leaned closer to being a golden color materialized over his chiseled body with not a single ounce of unnecessary fat.

    Apollo chose to step outside since his bath time was over, and Hades addressed him while leaning against the nearby wall, ¡°Kali has died.¡±

    ¡°Kali?¡± Apollo was tying his long hair, only for his hands to come to a stop at that surprising news. ¡°Was it also that black dragon that devoured Asura?¡±

    ¡°No. It was that human from before.¡±

    ¡°When you say that human from before¡­¡±

    ¡°The one who accompanied Hercules.¡±

    ¡°Aaaah! That human,¡± Apollo nodded sagely as if he just finally remembered. ¡°Yes, he certainly was an extraordinary man. Not only did he manage to suppress Hercules, who has inherited father¡¯s blood to an unbelievable degree, but he now even defeated Kali?¡±

    ¡°Is it hard for you to believe?¡±

    ¡°Well, it certainly is unbelievable news.¡± Apollo finished tying his hair. ¡°But I have no choice to believe it after seeing ¡®this¡¯ now.¡±

    Just as he finished speaking¡­

    Bang, bang bang¡ª!

    Someone loudly knocked on the door. It was not just any doorway but the entrance of Hell itself, and that person was now busy pounding on such a door.

    ¡°It seems that our reunion has come about sooner than expected, uncle,¡± Apollo smiled brightly. Then, his figure transformed into flames and vanished from the spot.

    Rumble¡ª

    Hades stared at the spot where Apollo used to stand.

    It seemed that his nephew was really glad to see that human again, but that made some sense, seeing how Apollo was destined to spend several centuries more in Hell. That human¡¯s visit would prove to be a joyous distraction, indeed.

    ¡°This is the second time that a human willingly waltzed into Hell, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hades muttered to himself while recalling a certain event from a long time ago. ¡°The world of the gods will get a bit noisy for a while, it seems..¡±

 Chapter 435

    <hr />

    Krrr, krrrr¡ª

    A low growl came from a vicious-looking dog with three heads baring their fangs. However, Su-hyeun simply clenched his fist.

    Bang, bam, smack¡ª!

    Whimper, whimper¡ª!

    Another fleshy bump swelled on the heads of this dog. Even though this creature had three heads, they all behaved the same as if they were triplets. They bared their fangs and growled menacingly only to cower, tuck their heads away, and make pitiful faces after getting smacked around by Su-hyeun.

    The same spectacle repeated itself several times over, however.

    ¡°This guy just doesn¡¯t want to stay down even after I killed it,¡± Su-hyeun let out a heavy groan and then raised his fist again. This creature that had tucked its tail firmly between its hind legs began baring its fangs at him once more. ¡°Should I just bury this punk deep underground or something?¡±

    W¡ªwhimper, kkiiiing¡­

    It seemed that the creature was rather intelligent, judging from how it actually understood what Su-hyeun was saying and from how it started shivering in fear.

    Still, it was one hell of an annoying creature to deal with.

    ¡°So, this thing is the real Cerberus, huh?¡±

    The ¡°Cerberus¡± Su-hyeun knew of was a boss monster that appeared in some dungeons. Their sizes varied, but still, they were rather well-known monsters that appeared in blue-colored dungeons.

    They were around the size of a house; their physical abilities and their magical resistance were known to be rather exceptional. However, that was about it, really; a raid party built around an S-Rank awakener could definitely kill a Cerberus without borrowing the strength of the Paragon Guild.

    But the Cerberus found in this place was altogether a different proposition.

    ¡°It is comparatively small at only around the size of a tiger, but it¡¯s so much faster and stronger. It can spew out Hellfire from its mouths, and on top of that, it¡¯s also smart as hell. It¡¯s definitely strong enough to hunt a low-ranked Predator on its own. Most importantly¡­¡± Su-hyeun recalled his brief fight against Cerberus just now and muttered softly, ¡°To think that it¡¯s an immortal monster that literally can¡¯t be killed.¡±

    He never imagined that there would be another ¡°immortal¡± aside from Sun Wukong. It would be near impossible to emerge fully victorious against a true undying creature of this caliber no matter how long one fought it.

    Of course, if he continued to fight it, then maybe he might find a way, but for the time being, Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t immediately think of a solution during his suppression of this Cerberus.

    The three-headed dog had died multiple times already, only to revive again and bare its fangs in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction; Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know whether it had forgotten about his fist leaving behind welts on its heads or if it had overcome its fear already.

    To Su-hyeun, while trying to wait until the entrance opened up, this creature was proving to be one annoying distraction.

    ¡°Right. I should just bury it underground.¡±

    Just as Su-hyeun made up his mind and was about to make a move¡­

    Creaaaak¡ª

    The heavy doors that Cerberus had been guarding began opening up.

    ¡°That¡¯s going to be a bit troublesome if you do that,¡± came a familiar voice from beyond the doorway. The voice was rather cheery, which didn¡¯t suit the dark and damp Hell. Not only that, but his outer appearance was even more at odds with Hell.

    Red hair so bright that was almost blinding, chiton that boasted an even brighter and slightly amber hue, and luminescent skin that seemed even more pristine than white jade¡ªthese all made up for an eye-catching appearance that was not something one could easily forget.

    ¡°Lord Apollo?¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Apollo waved his hand cheerfully at Su-hyeun.

    Cerberus wagged its tail and approached the Sun God, probably thinking that its ally had finally shown up or some such.

    Too bad¡­

    Smack¡ª!

    ¡°Hey, get away from me. I just took a bath, you know.¡±

    Whimper¡ª

    Cerberus let out a pitiful whimper. Today was turning out to be a not-so-nice one for the guardian monster of Hell, a creature that even the gods thought of as an object of terror.

    Apollo asked Su-hyeun next, ¡°How did you get here, though?¡±

    ¡°I created a pathway.¡±

    ¡°A pathway, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Apollo¡¯s expression said he didn¡¯t really get it.

    He was born a god, and opening doorways to enter or leave dimensions was all too natural for him. Therefore, Su-hyeun¡¯s explanation came across as rather strange to Apollo. However, it wasn¡¯t just him, but most other gods would¡¯ve reacted the same as he did.

    ¡°As I thought, this place was close to the 102nd floor,¡± Su-hyeun inwardly confirmed.

    He met both Apollo and Hades during the 102nd floor¡¯s trial, and to meet them again, he climbed ¡°down¡± the tower¡¯s floors. Now normally, such a thing would¡¯ve been nearly impossible, but Su-hyeun forcibly created the pathway anyway.

    Just like that, he headed to the world where he met Hercules through the 102nd floor, and right after that, he opened the doorway just like how Apollo and Hades did and entered Hell.

    ¡°Not sure I get you, but in any case, you have also reached this realm of strength, huh?¡±

    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±

    ¡°I did expect this outcome. No, wait¡ªhonestly, I did have a glimpse of it. In the future that I glimpsed back then, you had ascended to this very realm, after all. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t know it would be this quick.¡±

    Rustle¡ª

    Apollo swept up his long hair and revealed his eyes while talking to him. The light in his eyes was glowing in a bluish hue.

    It was Insight.

    It seemed that he really did peek into Su-hyeun¡¯s future when they first met.

    ¡°Can you¡­still see even now?¡± Su-hyeun asked while holding Apollo¡¯s gaze.

    Unlike before, Su-hyeun also possessed the same type of ¡°eyes¡± as the Sun God now¡ªthe ¡°eyes¡± called Insight that could see through the truth of the world.

    Apollo stared at Su-hyeun for a bit before replying. ¡°Well, I can see something, but,¡± he trailed off.

    He eventually continued with some uncertainty in his voice, ¡°I can see way too many.¡±

    ¡°Too many?¡±

    ¡°Right. Back then, your future that I saw was just one, but now, there are hundreds, thousands, no, millions of possibilities, so much so that my eyes are hurting, and my head feels like it¡¯s going to explode. At this rate, there¡¯s no point in taking a peek.¡±

    Apollo squeezed his eyes shut. It seemed that his eyes really hurt after staring into Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    He continued, ¡°You are changing your already-set destiny through your own strength. No, wait¡ªwe should say that you¡¯ve already changed it. That should be the reason why your future is all jumbled up, and I ended up seeing so many possibilities.¡±

    ¡°To put it simply, you can¡¯t see it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I can¡¯t see it,¡± Apollo held up both of his hands in defeat.

    When he did that, though, another voice came from behind him, ¡°If my nephew can¡¯t see it, then it¡¯ll be the same story for the other gods, too.¡±

    That baritone voice, low but booming enough to rock the tall ceiling, belonged to Hades. He followed Apollo and stepped outside Hell¡¯s gateway as well.

    ¡°His Insight has been regarded to be even better than the Five Godly Sages, after all,¡± said Hades.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Su-hyeun bowed his head at Hades¡¯ entrance, but the greeting itself didn¡¯t last long. He immediately asked about the topic he found curious in the God of the Netherworld¡¯s explanation, ¡°By the way, can you tell me what this ¡®Five Godly Sages¡¯ is?¡±

    ¡°The five strongest gods that represent all the other gods. In other words, they are like the kings of the gods.¡±

    ¡°Kings of the gods¡­?¡±

    ¡°This fool¡¯s father, my little brother Zeus, is one of them.¡±

    ¡°I knew it,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t all that surprised by this revelation; after he personally experienced the power of the Thunder Glove he was currently wearing over his left hand, he could more or less estimate the level of strength the god named Zeus possessed.

    ¡°The Five Godly Sages, huh,¡± he inwardly said.

    They were the five gods that represented all the gods¡ªone of them was Zeus, then there was his son, plus his older brother, who just so happened to be standing right in front of Su-hyeun.

    ¡°I would like to meet him one day,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°You mean, Zeus?¡±

    ¡°What, my father?¡±

    Hades and Apollo both made slightly stunned faces. They had been wondering why Su-hyeun came to a place as cumbersome to visit as Hell, yet he suddenly said he wanted to meet Zeus on top of that.

    Of course, his real purpose in coming here wasn¡¯t Zeus. He quickly waved his hands about to dispel any potential misunderstanding, ¡°Ah, no. I didn¡¯t come here today to meet him. I was thinking of meeting someone else, actually.¡±

    ¡°Who is this someone else, then?¡±

    ¡°Hephaestus. That¡¯s who I¡¯d like to meet today.¡±

    ¡°Hephaestus, you say?¡± Hades scanned all the equipment currently worn by Su-hyeun and then nodded in understanding.

    There were quite a few gods who relied on equipment to some degree. For instance, even top gods like Zeus or Poseidon used Thunderbolts or the Trident when they fought their battles.

    Wanting to acquire even better equipment would be a good enough reason why Su-hyeun was seeking out Hephaestus.

    Hades spoke up, ¡°Normally, it¡¯s impossible for the gods not affiliated with our realm to enter Olympus.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°However, Zeus was getting genuinely curious about you recently. I¡¯m sure the necessary permission will be granted quite easily.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡± Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t sure why a top god like Zeus knew about him, let alone be curious about him.

    But the reason was surprisingly simple.

    ¡°It has to do with Hercules. That man is Zeus¡¯s son, after all, even if the blood of humans flows in his veins.¡±

    Su-hyeun nodded right away at Hades¡¯ reply.

    It wouldn¡¯t be too strange to be curious about the individual who saved your child, after all. Also, it wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out how Zeus knew about that incident if Su-hyeun thought about it for a second.

    ¡°The God¡¯s Tear that fell back then¡­¡± Su-hyeun realized the origin of the ¡°God¡¯s Tear¡± that fell after the matter of Hercules¡ªthe trial of the 102nd floor¡ªhad been resolved. ¡°That belonged to Zeus?¡±

    Zeus had been watching everything¡ªwhat kind of difficult road Hercules had to walk, what kind of emotions and desires tried to overtake the demigod, and what kind of transformations he was subjected under.

    And Zeus shed his tears, which was none other than God¡¯s Tear, while watching everything.

    ¡°I mean, just because a god cried, that wouldn¡¯t necessarily turn into a God¡¯s Tear, after all.¡±

    However, such a thing did happen, and it most likely indicated that Zeus¡ªa god in the Five Godly Sages-tier, the king of other gods, and the original master of the Thunder Glove¡ªheld a favorable impression of Su-hyeun.

    It was rather unexpected, but Su-hyeun might get to meet such a being after all.

    ¡°Should we get going right away, then?¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    Apollo spoke up and then swirled his finger in the air to open a doorway. Amber-hued flames spread left and right and revealed the sight of azure skies.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to Olympus.¡±

    <hr />

    On the azure sky, white clouds gathered to create soft and fluffy ¡°ground.¡± A humongous temple was located on top of such clouds¡ªit was none other than the temple of the Sun God, Apollo.

    Hades was standing behind Apollo, all the while making an expression that said that he was definitely not impressed about something. ¡°You punk, do not forget that you still have a lot of time left in your sentence,¡± he said.

    ¡°Uncle, I beg of you to let this one slide, please,¡± Apollo laughed good-naturedly.

    Even a blind man could see that he was planning to use Su-hyeun¡¯s visit as his excuse to escape from Hell.

    Hades thought about something for a bit and then alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and Apollo. Currently, the trio was walking toward Apollo¡¯s Sun Chariot. ¡°Fine, 10 days, but no more. Any longer than that, then I shall personally drag you away and throw you inside the depths of Hell,¡± he warned.

    ¡°Understood, uncle.¡±

    ¡°However, don¡¯t get distracted and drive your vehicle properly. If you crash your Sun Chariot on the ground like how you did before, then know that I shall keep you locked up in Hell for 2000 years straight.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, uncle.¡±

    Neiiiiigh¡ª!

    Three horses pulling the chariot that had been on standby inside the temple all neighed energetically. Actual flames gushed out from their nostrils, and along with stifling heat, a bright light illuminated the surroundings.

    However, once the trio stepped into the chariot painted in luscious gold, all semblance of heat miraculously vanished. Su-hyeun wordlessly studied the interior of this golden chariot, ¡°Is everything made of adamantium?¡±

    The rarest and most valuable metal back in Su-hyeun¡¯s homeworld was none other than adamantium. For one thing, Su-hyeun¡¯s sword and armor were crafted out of this metal, and the prices on equipment containing adamantium reached astronomical numbers in the marketplace, too.

    Therefore, to think that a chariot the size of a train car was entirely made of adamantium¡­

    ¡°This much should be enough to buy out a small country back home,¡± Su-hyeun could only be silently astonished when he thought about the potential price tag of this vehicle. While he was feeling genuinely impressed inwardly, the chariot began moving.

    Clunk¡ª

    Neiiiiigh¡ª!

    The horses neighed as the chariot became airborne, but the sensation of it moving lasted only for a truly brief moment. Soon afterward, the scenery visible outside the chariot changed instantly and displayed something new: another sky that existed over the sky below and a new world in the distance.

    ¡°That¡¯s Olympus.¡± Apollo walked up behind Su-hyeun, who had been busy spectating the scenery outside. ¡°I welcome you to the land of the gods,¡± he said..

 Chapter 436

    ¡°Olympus,¡± Su-hyeun looked up at the distant but humongous landmass that became visible outside the chariot.

    The imposing temples and buildings, and all those clouds floating high above the clouds below, imparted a mystical feeling in him. More than anything else, having to ¡°look up¡± at a city was a refreshingly new experience.

    It was the land of the gods. Buildings boasting gorgeous but still traditional architecture could be found there, but excluding the fact it existed on top of clouds, this city didn¡¯t seem all that different from the worlds of regular humans.

    ¡°But one of the Five Godly Sages calls this home.¡±¡®

    A land where gods lived together certainly felt a little bit mystifying, didn¡¯t it?

    The fact that the world these gods called home wasn¡¯t all that different from the worlds of the mortals below was one of the biggest reasons why he felt so mystified right now.

    Clack¡ª!

    The chariot slowed down as they neared Olympus. When they finally reached the outskirts of the city, the horses pulling the chariot all neighed loudly.

    Neiiiiigh¡ª

    Pu-rururu, whoosh¡ª

    They were trying to say that they had arrived.

    Despite moving so fast, the chariot didn¡¯t even rock noticeably. If the outside scenery didn¡¯t visibly change, even the most perceptive observer would¡¯ve failed to notice that the chariot was actually moving.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going.¡± Apollo was the first one to step outside the vehicle.

    Hades followed after his nephew. Su-hyeun, who was taking in the outside scenery, finally exited as well and followed after the two gods.

    Fluffy¡ª

    The sensation he got from his feet was soft and plush, just like when he was stepping on the Somersault cloud. At the same time, the view of one of the streets of Olympus immediately entered his sight.

    ¡°Are all those people gods, too?¡± Su-hyeun inwardly asked.

    The outer appearances of every single god walking on the street didn¡¯t seem all that special. As a matter of fact, they all looked like ordinary people¡ªsome were carrying flutes of wine in their hands, while some were leisurely strolling around with their hands resting behind their backs.

    If it weren¡¯t for the godhood of various scales that could be sensed from them, it would have been difficult to think of them as gods.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Lord Apollo¡¯s chariot?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°But wasn¡¯t there a rumor that he was being locked up in Hell by Lord Hades?¡±

    ¡°Lord Hermes provided that info, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe so.¡±

    ¡°In that case, it should be accurate, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait, I think Lord Hades is accompanying him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. But who is that next to them?¡±

    The gods began paying attention at the entrance of Apollo¡¯s chariot. But then again, the light emitted by the vehicle was so bright that it would have been impossible for it not to stand out.

    Both Apollo and Hades were not flustered at all as if this level of attention was simply par for the course. As for Su-hyeun, he too was rather familiar with being under the spotlight.

    Of course, things were a bit different this time since the spotlight cast on him wasn¡¯t from regular people but actual gods.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s not as amazing as I thought.¡±

    Su-hyeun, scanning the faces of the resident gods of Olympus, couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. Up until now, Su-hyeun hadn¡¯t encountered all that many existences worthy of being called a ¡°god¡± other than himself.

    The Bull Demon King was indeed incredible, but he hadn¡¯t ascended to full godhood yet, so the only beings Su-hyeun could use as an example were Hades and Apollo who were both walking alongside him.

    Therefore, the overall impression he got after observing the other gods was simply disappointment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even need to use Insight to figure out what they are thinking,¡± he thought.

    Apollo noticed Su-hyeun¡¯s expression and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure the ¡®god¡¯ in your view is someone like me or my uncle right here. Even the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven is someone on the same level as us despite not being a god himself.¡±

    ¡°My First Brother might not be a god, but yes, he is certainly in a far higher realm than these gods. However, can you tell me the difference between one who is a god and who isn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Between a god and a man, then a god and someone who isn¡¯t a god, well, the difference isn¡¯t in their strength but their existence.¡±

    ¡°Difference in existence?¡±

    ¡°Humans are fundamentally weaker than dragons. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that humans are weaker than dragons, you know what I mean? Take you, for instance. Even before you ascended to godhood, you were strong enough to slaughter a whole bunch of dragons all by yourself, but that didn¡¯t mean you were not human, right?¡±

    Apollo was right; humans were weak existences. If you looked at physical strength alone, humans were weaker than tigers, while in the level of intelligence, they fell behind the race of demi-humans, the Elves. Certainly, humans were not worthy of being compared to the race of dragons in every facet one could think of.

    The same thing applied to gods.

    To put it simply, it was the matter of being a different existence¡ªwhen looked at that way, it became easier to understand.

    ¡°Just think of it as a¡­completely new existence possessing a more perfect physique and mindset. The moment you acquired your godhood, you started growing distant from being human, and you are getting closer to being a god. In other words¡­¡± Apollo scanned the other gods staring at them and continued, ¡°Gods are simply existences different from the others. It¡¯s like, being a god doesn¡¯t automatically make you more amazing.¡±

    ¡°A different existence¡­¡± Su-hyeun quietly nodded.

    He found Apollo¡¯s explanation difficult to fully understand, at least right now. It must have been so because the length of time he spent as a human was longer than as a god so far.

    However, he could still roughly grasp what a ¡°god¡± was.

    ¡°At the very least, it¡¯s different from the omnipotent existence I¡¯ve been thinking of.¡±

    Regular humans thought of a ¡°god¡± as an omnipotent and absolutely perfect being. Even Su-hyeun¡¯s own idea of a god didn¡¯t stray too far from that concept.

    The very first god he ran into was Apollo, followed by Hades. Back then, he saw them as two perfect beings. One ruled over the entirety of Hell, while the other was capable of bending all fire under his will and strong enough to burn Hell down, too.

    Not to forget, even someone as incredible as the Bull Demon King hadn¡¯t become a god yet, so it was only natural that Su-hyeun would initially think this way.

    However, the truth wasn¡¯t like that. Even a god was simply another existence, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°I think I get it a bit,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Really? Well, it¡¯s good that you got to learn something import¡ª¡±

    Smack¡ª!

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Hades suddenly smacked Apollo¡¯s head with his fist. The impact must¡¯ve been quite strong because a portion of the Sun God¡¯s head actually vanished and transformed into licks of flame before reverting to normal.

    Still, there must have been a lingering pain there because Apollo hurriedly shielded his smacked head and asked helplessly, ¡°What was that for?!¡±

    ¡°Stop yapping on about unnecessary things. It has not been that long since this man ascended to godhood, after all.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Also, we must never acknowledge that we¡¯re in some ways inferior to mortals down below. Have you forgotten already?¡±

    ¡°But uncle, I¡¯m still not a fan of that mindset.¡±

    ¡°Apollo!¡± Hades admonished while making the sternest face he had made so far. ¡°Didn¡¯t we tell you this already? Those without strength need to believe in someone else to continue on, and that someone else is us¡ªthe gods. Even if you didn¡¯t mean it, you¡¯re still strictly forbidden from saying something or acting in a way that betrays their faith.¡±

    ¡°Yes, uncle,¡± Apollo forced himself to nod, his expression indicating that he still didn¡¯t agree with that sentiment.

    Su-hyeun was quietly eavesdropping on their conversation from the side. These two were both gods, but their views were not the same at all.

    Hades said that, as gods, they needed to reward the faith placed in them by the mortals, and then, Apollo said that being a god didn¡¯t make one automatically better than the others. Neither of their opinions was wrong. It was just a matter of differing ideals they pursued.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been distracted long enough. Let us get going already,¡± said Hades as he took the lead in guiding Su-hyeun. The latter silently nodded and followed after the God of the Netherworld.

    The gazes directed at Su-hyeun were as sharp and inquisitive as the ones landing on Hades and Apollo. However, the nature of the gazes meant for him was not even remotely the same.

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s a god from our side¡­¡±

    ¡°A god that isn¡¯t affiliated with Olympus? They brought someone like that here?¡±

    ¡°But both Lord Hades and Lord Apollo seem to approve of him, so¡ª¡±

    ¡°Still, without Lord Zeus¡¯s permission?¡±

    These gods instantly realized that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t a god belonging to the same realm as them.

    They inherited the bloodlines of gods from their birth, and as such, every single one of them resembled gorgeous hand-crafted statues boasting blemish-free skin. Their proud and sharp noses and other facial features were a lot closer to what was accepted as the standard of beauty in the West.

    Without a doubt, Su-hyeun looked different from them outwardly.

    He silently scanned their expressions of dissatisfaction, antipathy, and even some hostility.

    He could vividly sense all of their emotions regarding him. He didn¡¯t even need to resort to using Insight, either. After all, people tended to fear and ostracize others who were different from them. This notion remained pretty much the same with the gods as well.

    ¡°Ignore them. None of what they say matters,¡± said Hades as he finally glanced at them.

    ¡°Seriously now. This happened back then with Hercules, too. These people just hate change way too much. This is why I don¡¯t frequent this place,¡± Apollo nodded as if he agreed with his uncle.

    Eventually, the trio arrived at their destination, which was at the far back of Olympus, which boasted of impressively imposing structures.

    This place was basically the Olympus version of an eerie and deserted back alley found in a bustling mortal city. Compared to the other streets, the number of gods that passed by was noticeably fewer, and even the state of the street itself was lagging behind everywhere else.

    Of course, this being Olympus, the light was everywhere to chase away the darkness.

    Clang, claaang¡ª!

    The sounds of firm hammering reached Su-hyeun¡¯s ears. He was intimately familiar with these metallic noises coming from the gaps of the street before him.

    ¡°Uncle Kim?¡± he thought.

    Indeed, the hammering noises of the master craftsman, Kim Dae-ho, sounded like a lot this. That old man¡¯s face suddenly popped up in Su-hyeun¡¯s mind, but he shook his head to get rid of that image. ¡°Man, stop being deluded,¡± he told himself.

    Not only Kim Dae-ho wouldn¡¯t be here but the only hammering noises Su-hyeun had ever heard in his life was from the old blacksmith. That was all.

    To think that he would recall Kim Dae-ho just because he heard some hammering sounds?

    ¡°Still, it does sound really similar, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    The hammering noises belonged to Hephaestus, who was in a sizeable forge at the back of an imposing temple.

    Apollo walked up to it and shouted out first, ¡°Hey, Hephaestus! We¡¯re here to see you!¡±

    CLANG¡ª!

    The hammering sounds came to a brief pause, and a reply soon came from the forge, ¡°Come in, please.¡±

    Unlike how strong and wild the hammering sounded, his baritone voice came across as calm and composed. After the trio was told to enter, the hammering commenced once more.

    Creaaak¡ª

    The door to the forge, which was around four meters tall and as thick as an adult¡¯s palm, opened up all by itself.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    But the moment the door opened, an intense wave of heat rushed outside, prompting Su-hyeun to shield his face from the heatwave.

    The heat was surprisingly intense, even more so than the flames of Hell.

    ¡°That bad habit of his still remains the same, I see,¡± said Apollo.

    ¡°Bad habit, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you can¡¯t withstand this level of heat, then you better forget about entering his forge, and you also don¡¯t have the qualifications to use his equipment. You know, that sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m qualified?¡±

    ¡°You can say that. Hey, congrats,¡± Apollo patted Su-hyeun on the shoulder. The latter, having already gotten used to the intense heat, entered the forge along with the other two gods.

    Hiss, sizzle¡ª

    Maybe Hephaestus was in the middle of the tempering process, the hammering sounds had temporarily come to a halt. After waiting around for a few minutes, they heard the sounds of someone walking out from the inner parts of the forge.

    A middle-aged man soaked from head to toe in sweat appeared before them. He walked slightly unnaturally with a limp.

    He used a towel draped over his shoulder to wipe the sweat off his face and then bowed, ¡°Welcome to my workshop, Honored Uncle.¡±

    ¡°Good to see you,¡± said Hades.

    ¡°Am I invisible to you, though?¡±

    When Hephaestus offered his greeting to Hades, Apollo pushed his head forward in between them.

    The God of Blacksmithing roundly ignored the Sun God and shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun, ¡°May I ask who this person is?¡±

    ¡°He said he¡¯d like to speak to you, so we brought him here,¡± said Hades.

    ¡°Speak to me?¡± Hephaestus silently studied Su-hyeun for a little bit; then, his probing gaze drifted down to the latter¡¯s left hand. His eyes narrowed, ¡°You possess one of my children, I see.¡±

    ¡°You mean, this?¡± Su-hyeun raised his left hand with a transparent glove worn over it. Although the item was not visible to the naked eyes, everyone here was already aware that he was wearing the Thunder Glove.

    One of his children, he said. Judging from that statement, the craftsman responsible for manufacturing this Thunder Glove had to be Hephaestus.

    ¡°I see. So, the master of the current request¡¯s item must be you, then.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    When Hephaestus said that, Su-hyeun was not the only one who expressed confusion but even Apollo and Hades.

    The master of the request¡¯s item?

    Instead of providing an explanation, Hephaestus simply turned around and said something else, ¡°Follow me. There¡¯s something I want to show you..¡±

 Chapter 437

    <hr />

    Crackle, crack¡ª

    Sizzle¡ª

    The deeper they went inside the forge, the hotter the heatwave became.

    Su-hyeun thought that it really had been a long time since he felt this level of temperature. After acquiring the godhood of fire through the divine Flame, most fires came across as not even lukewarm to him.

    Even the flames found in Hell wouldn¡¯t be this hot; after all, Hell was supposed to be the place that imprisoned and punished regular beings, not gods, but what about this place? Not even gods would find it easy to just waltz in and stay.

    ¡°It¡¯s rather toasty in here,¡± he thought. Even someone who possessed the godhood of fire as Su-hyeun found this place just a bit hotter than usual.

    Surprisingly, the one under most distress turned out to be Hades. ¡°This place still remains as unpleasant as always,¡± he said.

    Apollo, a god who possessed the highest-tier godhood related to fire, didn¡¯t even shed a single sweat, but his uncle Hades had to rouse up a considerable amount of his own strength to withstand the high temperature. Thanks to his strength, he managed to prevent himself from being cooked alive, but even then, his pride as the god in charge of Hell was in danger of being trampled on.

    ¡°But Honorable Uncle, I¡¯ve already recommended you to wait outside.¡±

    ¡°Do not even bring that up. What do you expect me to do outside all by myself?¡± Hades replied with some irritation when Hephaestus addressed him. It seemed that not even gods could do something about their moods souring rapidly when they were subjected to intense heat.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    They reached the end of a long corridor that led to the workshop. Beyond it was a huge open space, its ceiling easily reaching dozens of meters.

    The interior of this open space was heated up at the moment; the temperature here was so high that all the walls were radiating in crimson. With things like this, it would be no different than walking straight into a furnace.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Is this where you do your work?¡±

    ¡°Normally, yes. However, I don¡¯t particularly care about locations. For a master craftsman, this is all I need, after all,¡± Hephaestus replied while picking up a hammer resting next to the entrance.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    This hammer was emitting a somewhat warm and gentle golden light¡ªit was none other than the very hammer Hephaestus personally used.

    ¡°Does that hammer have some kind of special power?¡± Su-hyeun asked while inquisitively staring at the hammer that Hephaestus held up with so much pride.

    But the God of Blacksmithing resolutely shook his head, ¡°No, not really. I do not discriminate on my equipment choices. Even if it¡¯s not this hammer, others will do just fine.¡±

    ¡°Which means your hammer is not really a special treasure or anything like that, unlike the items used by the other gods, in other words.¡±

    When Su-hyeun said that, Hephaestus¡¯ expression crumpled ever so slightly.

    He seemed to have taken offense that his hammer had been compared to the items of the other gods and underestimated on top of that. ¡°Correction. I¡¯m the only one that does not find this treasure tempting to behold, but that¡¯s only because this hammer contains my experiences and memories.¡±

    ¡°Your experiences and memories, you say?¡±

    ¡°This hammer is crafted from these three items¡ªadamantium, Soul Stone, and Reinforcement Stone¡ªand it contains all my experience and memories of the items I have crafted up until now.¡±

    Clang¡ª

    While saying that, he used his hammer to lightly pound on a shield that seemed to have been discarded. ¡°A hammer like this? It¡¯s not hard to make one, sure, but my experiences and memories permeating this hammer are truly irreplaceable. Priceless. So, is it still not special, in that case?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Su-hyeun grinned. ¡°That is indeed really amazing.¡±

    A hammer permeating with Hephaestus¡¯ experience and memories¡ªnow that was a much better function to have than other the so-called special abilities when crafting various items.

    Of course, such functions were not really useful to the owner of the hammer, Hephaestus. However, if another blacksmith were to use this hammer, then that individual would get to absorb some techniques and skills belonging to the God of Blacksmithing himself.

    Hephaestus was the smith responsible for crafting the Thunder Glove, so to think that a hammer would let you acquire such a blacksmith¡¯s technique and knowledge, now that was truly a heavenly treasure, alright.

    ¡°What is the meaning behind your odious smile? In any case, just follow me,¡± said Hephaestus, who then abruptly turned around to lead the way.

    Numerous pieces of equipment were practically left discarded, unclaimed, in the deeper part of the workshop. Even at a casual glance, several of the equipment seemed to be high-quality goods crafted from rare and valuable material like adamantium.

    Su-hyeun casually picked up a sword discarded on the floor and gripped it tightly to see for himself. The sensation of sturdiness and sharpness of its blade was transmitted to his fingertips; a blade of this caliber, even if it wasn¡¯t comparable to Balmung, would still be worthy of being referred to as a mass-produced copy of Balmung.

    If Kim Dae-ho had produced this nameless sword, then people would have called it a masterpiece.

    ¡°You seem oddly interested in a failure.¡± However, Hephaestus casually called such a sword a failure, not even bothering to attach a proper name to it. Instead, he strode over to a display cradle standing over there and then yanked off the black cloth draped over it. ¡°This is the item you should be taking a look at instead.¡±

    Flap¡ª

    Once the thick black cloth was pulled off, a set of crimson armor revealed itself underneath. Its material was slightly see-through, although the transparency was on the murkier side. Obviously, this armor was not made of metal.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    For some reason, Su-hyeun picked up a familiar aura from it. Hoping to figure out why, he cautiously reached out to the armor. He glanced at Hephaestus, and the latter simply nodded and said nothing else, indicating his permission.

    After confirming that nod, Su-hyeun¡¯s hand reached out all the way to the crimson armor, and the moment he touched its surface¡­

    Splaaash¡ª

    The armor transformed into a bizarre shape and then traveled up his arm like some kind of viscous liquid and wrapped around his torso.

    The ¡°liquid¡± then seeped under his clothing and armor underneath. Although it was barely visible to the naked eyes, he could still feel it on his skin that this ¡°thing¡± had hardened like real armor under his clothes now.

    A pair of messages came to him just then as well.

    [You have acquired ¡°Kali¡¯s Armor.¡±]

    [All rewards have been paid out.]

    The delayed reward payout arrived. However, Su-hyeun had already anticipated something like this would happen the moment he detected Kali¡¯s aura. The reason why the reward had to be delayed was probably to give Hephaestus sufficient time to craft the armor.

    ¡°Having said that, to think that he¡¯d complete something like this in one day,¡± he marveled inwardly.

    The time flow differed from one dimension to another. Even if that was the case, though, it should still be terribly difficult to use Kali¡¯s blood to craft a set of armor of this caliber in such a short time.

    ¡°As I thought, the owner of that armor was you,¡± Hephaestus¡¯ hardened expression softened as a content grin appeared on his face. ¡°Kali¡¯s blood responds to the one responsible for shedding it in the first place. Of course, there aren¡¯t all that many entities capable of making Kali bleed, and more importantly, there is only one god who recently killed her, too.¡±

    ¡°But why are you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Father requested me. He said that I must craft a set of armor using Kali¡¯s blood.¡±

    ¡°When you say father, you mean Zeus?¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Hephaestus asked puzzled while glancing at Apollo and Hades.

    The other gods merely shook their heads to indicate that they hadn¡¯t told Su-hyeun about it. Hephaestus shifted his gaze back to Su-hyeun, allowing the latter to explain himself.

    ¡°The tales of Olympus are quite well-known in the world I originally come from. Of course, those stories are not accepted as actual history. They lean a lot closer to works of fiction.¡±

    ¡°Tales of Olympus, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Someone once told me that even tales about me are talked about in other worlds as legends as well.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like someone went around talking about us again.¡±

    ¡°It was probably that fool, Hermes. He really likes to run his mouth wherever he goes.¡±

    Hephaestus, Hades, and Apollo all nodded in understanding.

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t know what kind of god Hermes was, but one thing was for sure¡ªhe must have been a big fan of going around spreading all sorts of stories and rumors.

    ¡°In any case, Zeus was the one who asked Hephaestus to craft the 200th floor¡¯s trial reward,¡± he thought.

    That was a rather valuable piece of information related to the Tower of Trials.

    Su-hyeun got his hands on his reward from the 200th floor a little early by coincidentally choosing to seek out Hephaestus himself. Learning about Zeus as the requester of the reward item was indeed an unexpected windfall.

    ¡°The armor is not fully completed yet since I was pressed for time. However, it should still be quite useful in its current state,¡± said Hephaestus.

    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s not completed yet, even though it¡¯s like this already?¡±

    ¡°Correct. It has been enjoyable to use Kali¡¯s blood to craft a set of armor, but on one hand, it is rather unfortunate. If I had another 50 years or so, I could have completed it,¡± Hephaestus pursed his lips in disappointment.

    At least when it came to things like this, the God of Blacksmithing definitely resembled Kim Dae-ho¡¯s personality. They both displayed unparalleled fervor and dedication for crafting equipment as proud blacksmiths.

    ¡°Fifty years¡­No, that¡¯s too long,¡± Su-hyeun thought. Honestly speaking, he would have loved to get his hands on the ¡°completed¡± item as his trial reward. However, the time frame of 50 years was simply unfeasible to him. He couldn¡¯t afford to wait that long.

    But then again¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s actually great.¡±

    Su-hyeun was actually happy about this turn of events. Fifty years of additional crafting time, plus Hephaestus¡¯ greed as a blacksmith¡ªthanks to those two things, it became easier for Su-hyeun to bring up a certain topic that he had been wondering about how to get the ball rolling.

    ¡°Would you like to have a wager with me?¡±

    ¡°A wager?¡±

    ¡°Yes. At stake will be this crimson armor and that hammer,¡± Su-hyeun pointed at the hammer in Hephaestus¡¯ hand.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡±

    The first ones to react to what he said were Apollo and Hades. Expressions of intrigue appeared on their faces as they alternated their gazes between Su-hyeun and Hephaestus.

    A short bout of silence visited the workshop.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain that I saw Hephaestus¡¯ Hammer as an item that can be bought with enough points. Meaning, it¡¯s seen as a regular purchasable product,¡± Su-hyeun thought. To confirm this, he tested the waters regarding the hammer with Hephaestus earlier.

    Once in a while, you would find blacksmiths who held much affection toward their favored equipment. In cases like that, they would treasure their tools as much as their lives.

    Fortunately enough, Hephaestus didn¡¯t belong to that camp. He was more obsessed with crafting new items regardless of the equipment or methods employed, just like Kim Dae-ho.

    ¡°However, how will we even compete?¡± Hephaestus asked.

    ¡°It really doesn¡¯t matter as long as it¡¯s not a wager on finding out who makes the better item or something like that.¡±

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean a blacksmith like me can fight against someone like you who is strong enough to kill Kali.¡±

    Su-hyeun and Hephaestus specialized in different professions: one was a warrior, while the other was a blacksmith.

    Since their specialties were so different, finding a fair-enough event to compete in proved to be cumbersome, and so, as they silently pondered on the kind of event to compete in.

    ¡°Apollo¡ª!¡± A thunderous roar suddenly exploded from outside the workshop. ¡°Are you in there¡ª?¡±

    Buzz¡ª

    Vrrr, drrrrrr¡ª

    That voice caused the entire workshop to rumble and shake. Various equipment on their cradles came loose and clattered to the floor messily, and even the hotly boiling air inside the forge visibly wavered as well.

    However, the voice wasn¡¯t simply loud.

    ¡°I can sense a dense combative desire,¡± Su-hyeun silently observed.

    Indeed, the voice of the unknown man contained a heavy amount of fighting aura. The emotion permeating the voice strongly indicated that he wanted to fight someone.

    Whoever he was, he was strong. Just his voice alone was enough to impart that knowledge.

    ¡°Ares, that stinking punk,¡± Hephaestus muttered in irritation as he witnessed his workshop being shaken around.

    That loud yelling caused the interior of the workshop, which Hephaestus had arranged to suit his particular taste, to become a messy pandemonium in an instant.

    But his scowl didn¡¯t last for long; a smirk suddenly replaced his frown as if he had come up with an interesting idea just now, ¡°We were discussing the potential event for our wager, weren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Su-hyeun suddenly sensed a slightly foreboding premonition.

    Hephaestus began walking toward the exit of the workshop while saying the following words, ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. Come with me..¡±

 Chapter 438

    <hr />

    Buzz, bzzzz¡ª

    The loud and heavy voice continued to reverberate inside the workshop. It echoed on and on, prompting even the individual responsible for shouting out Apollo¡¯s name to frown heavily.

    The individual that called out the Sun God¡¯s name was physically bulkier than most gods by about 50%. Not only was his height easily over two meters and then some, but his shoulders were also so wide that his rather sizeable head looked as puny as one¡¯s fist.

    Behind this man was a group of four gods consisting of two males and two females standing in an orderly line. The man stopped shouting and waited patiently.

    A short while later, the occupants of the forge emerged.

    ¡°You¡¯re being noisy, Ares.¡±

    The man referred to as Ares scanned the faces of everyone stepping outside the workshop.. He then promptly bowed his head in the direction of the god with black hair and beard, ¡°Good to see you again, uncle.¡±

    ¡°I thought I would go deaf just now.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be here as well. My apologies,¡± Ares smiled good-naturedly and then shifted his gaze elsewhere. ¡°There seem to be a lot of¡­faces that I¡¯m glad to see today,¡± the God of War smirked deeply.

    His gaze was currently locked on Apollo, but the latter¡¯s expression as he held Ares¡¯ stare couldn¡¯t be described as nice. ¡°For how long will you keep on chasing me around?¡± Apollo asked.

    ¡°I heard that you got thrown into Hell earlier. Are you that scared of fighting me?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m soooo scared right now, so why don¡¯t we just say that you won, hmm?¡±

    ¡°Still planning to run away?¡±

    ¡°All the way to the ends of Hell if need be.¡±

    The two gods¡¯ war of nerves began heating up the surrounding temperature, but unlike Ares, who had been aggressively trying to start a fight, Apollo was trying to avoid getting into one.

    The reason for that was simple enough.

    ¡°You¡¯d be the winner, anyway,¡± said Apollo.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°No, we do know. How many times has it been already, anyway?¡± Apollo retorted in an irritated voice.

    It sounded as if this situation had happened more than once before.

    It was around this time that Ares discovered Su-hyeun¡¯s presence, ¡°And who is that supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°Someone who will fight you.¡±

    ¡°Say what?¡±

    Apollo was grinning brightly, while Ares who was previously making an annoyed face was now glaring at Su-hyeun.

    That face seemed to shout, ¡°who is this punk, and why is he fighting me?¡±

    ¡°He made a wager with Hephaestus. If he fights you and emerges victorious, then he wins the wager. But if he loses, then Hephaestus wins.¡±

    ¡°And who in their right mind would accept such a wa¡ª?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already heard the news of Kali¡¯s death, right?¡±

    When Apollo said that, Ares¡¯ brows shot up high. Then, he stared at Su-hyeun, his expression now completely transformed. ¡°Could he be¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He was the one.¡±

    When Ares heard Apollo¡¯s reply, he silently studied Su-hyeun for a while.

    It kind of felt like he got roped into the war of words waged by the two gods here, but Su-hyeun decided not to say anything and simply wait.

    Ares finally said something a little while later, which sounded like he was whispering to himself more than anything else, ¡°Kali¡¯s blood¡­So, it was true.¡±

    Kali¡¯s blood could only be ¡°controlled¡± by the individual responsible for making her bleed in the first place. Ares was already aware of that fact, so when he detected the existence of the crimson armor under Su-hyeun¡¯s clothing, he had no choice but to acknowledge that the latter had indeed defeated Kali.

    Smirk¡ª

    His state of awe soon morphed into an expression of amusement and even delight. His focus that used to be locked only on Apollo now shifted in full toward Su-hyeun.

    ¡°Very good. Apollo, our fight will have to be delayed until next time. My new priority is this man.¡±

    ¡°Hah-ah,¡± Su-hyeun ended up inadvertently groaning under his breath.

    Someone who fanatically enjoyed fighting was a tiresome person to deal with. Now normally, Su-hyeun would do his absolute best not to associate himself with people possessing such a preference. He was not a fan of fighting, after all.

    Apollo grinned, ¡°Thanks, man.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Besides, I¡¯ll definitely be calling on this favor later, so please don¡¯t forget.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Apollo lightly patted Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder.

    Su-hyeun raised his head and took a look at Ares. Those wide shoulders, tall stature, and imposing armor the god was wearing over his muscular frame imparted the distinct impression that a giant was standing before his eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s supposed to be the God of War and Destruction, right?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Among all the gods of Olympus, he was known as the god who was most obsessed with having a good fight. Athena was also a God of War like him, but she used her wits to fight. Ares, on the other hand, relied on his brute strength¡ªor at least that was how it was known.

    Honestly speaking, that brief description of his personality seemed to be pretty much spot-on for the real deal as well. Ares was currently raring to go; his fighting spirit bubbling up to a dangerous level even now.

    It was rather likely that he wanted to confirm the skill set of the one responsible for felling Kali.

    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s a wager, so¡­¡±

    If Su-hyeun could win against Ares today, Hephaestus should only be happy to hand over his hammer.

    This was a rather fortunate turn of events because, if Hephaestus obstinately insisted on a wager in something that clearly favored him, then it would have become a very troublesome situation overall.

    ¡°Shall we head over to somewhere else, then?¡±

    <hr />

    Clack¡ª

    The gods, including Su-hyeun, all climbed aboard Apollo¡¯s Sun Chariot and traveled to their new destination.

    The travel itself didn¡¯t take long; not only was the Sun Chariot really fast but the distance itself wasn¡¯t all that far, either.

    The destination turned out to be a massive temple that resembled a Coliseum.

    Su-hyeun stepped inside and took a look around its interior. The Coliseum¡¯s grandstands were occupied by the four gods accompanying Ares, plus Apollo, Hades, and Hephaestus.

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun lightly tapped on the temple¡¯s floor with his foot.

    It was tough and hardy¡ªthose were the sensation he picked up through his foot.

    Ares broke the silence first, ¡°This is the Temple of War Declaration, a perfect place to serve as our stage, indeed.¡±

    ¡°War Declaration, you say?¡±

    A temple with a name that meant starting a war? With a name like that, it would be hard to consider this structure as a place to peacefully serve gods.

    ¡°Originally, this was where gods and giants battled each other. Before their war could begin, they would duel each other to rouse up their fighting spirit in this sacred arena,¡± Ares explained further. Then, right at that moment¡­

    Whoosh¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    A blade swung and bounced back from the floor. The one who swung that sword was none other than the God of War and Destruction, Ares. His strike, lethal enough to cleanly cleave apart forged steel like a block of tofu, could only faintly nick the floor and not much else.

    ¡°This is how tough this place¡¯s construction is. It¡¯s the work of that guy over there, Hephaestus.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°As long as we fight in here, the ripples will not affect the outside. Therefore, we do not need to conserve our strength or hold ourselves back. Not to mention, it¡¯s quite spacious in here, isn¡¯t it? So, how about it? You like it?¡±

    ¡°The thing is, though, I don¡¯t particularly enjoy fighting, you see. I¡¯m only fighting you strictly because of the wager.¡±

    ¡°What a peculiar fella you are. You possess such strength, yet you don¡¯t like fighting? I don¡¯t get you at all,¡± Ares replied while equipping one hand with a long spear and a round shield in the other.

    The spear and shield combo looked fairly standard and unremarkable outwardly, with no visible decorations on them, but that was simply their appearance. Some seriously threatening aura were barely contained within both of Ares¡¯ armaments.

    ¡°You have killed Kali, yes?¡±

    Ka-clack¡ª

    Ares got into his stance.

    A far stronger fighting spirit was now burning fiercely in his eyes. He gave off the air of someone about to close the distance in a single breath, so Su-hyeun also got into his stance and prepared for the upcoming battle.

    Ares spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to have a go at that creature. Not just Kali but Asura, too. The Predators that were crazy about fighting¡­after I learned about those two¡¯s existence, I became deeply interested in meeting them.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s unfortunate since you won¡¯t get a chance to fight them anymore.¡±

    ¡°No, not unfortunate at all because the one responsible for defeating Kali¡ªyou¡ªis currently standing right in front of me, after all.¡±

    Step¡ª

    Unlike the vibe Ares was giving off, which was similar to a bull about to crush the ground underfoot and charge right in, he began walking forward in a composed manner.

    A thick grin didn¡¯t leave his lips even now. ¡°Let us enjoy today to the fullest,¡± he said.

    Step, step¡ª

    When he began getting closer, his already hulking physique seemed to grow even larger and intimidating.

    In Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes, the figure of the smiling Ares raring for a fight was gradually being overlapped with that of Kali¡¯s.

    What was the difference between those two?

    One was a god, while the other, a Predator. They were supposed to be diametrically opposed to each other, but from what Su-hyeun could see, they didn¡¯t seem all that different at all, at least at this very moment.

    So, Su-hyeun decided to think of his new opponent as another Kali. ¡°Although I¡¯m not going to enjoy this, it looks like I¡¯ll still have to win this fight regardless,¡± he declared.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun headed toward the incoming Ares. The distance between the two that stood on the opposite sides of the arena gradually narrowed.

    When the distance became narrow enough for them to touch each other simply by reaching out¡­

    Paht, paht¡ª

    Their figures suddenly vanished from the spot, and then¡­

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    FLASH¡ª!

    A huge explosion, along with a flash of light, resounded from the center of the Temple of War Declaration.

    <hr />

    Rumble, crush¡­

    Flash¡ª!

    Ku-rurururu, claaaang¡ª!

    A cacophony of explosions and thunderclaps, a sword and a spear colliding, and a shield smashing down continued to rock the surroundings.

    The gods sitting in the grandstands located at the edges of the arena were watching the battle with deeply intrigued expressions. This Temple of War Declaration was originally designed to facilitate the battles of various gods, so the ripples of the current fight were unable to reach the audience members.

    ¡°What a spectacle this is.¡±

    ¡°That idiot Ares, he looks really excited, doesn¡¯t he, uncle?¡± Apollo asked, and Hades nodded silently.

    BANG¡ª!

    While the two gods were chatting, Ares¡¯ figure could be seen briefly stumbling mid-air. His balance was lost for a moment there when the Somersault cloud controlled by Su-hyeun managed to trap his feet.

    Pow¡ª!

    But almost at the same time, Ares threw the spear he had in his grip. The long polearm looked as if it would pierce straight through Su-hyeun¡¯s head, but in the nick of time, he swung his sword up to alter the spear¡¯s trajectory.

    The battle was truly intense, making it impossible to look away even for a second.

    Hades replied, ¡°There are no other gods, at least in Olympus anyway, who can evenly fight Ares to this extent, after all. Meanwhile, the one god who is most comparable in terms of combat strength to Ares, which is you, keeps avoiding him, so¡ª¡±

    ¡°How is that my fault, though? Why don¡¯t you fight him in that case, uncle?¡±

    ¡°You think someone as old as I am should get into a scuffle with a young hatchling like Ares?¡±

    ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s be honest here, shall we? Just admit that you¡¯re not confident of winning.¡±

    ¡°If I fight in Hell, my territory, not even Zeus can win against me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. Of course,¡± Apollo shrugged his shoulders, his gaze still following the battle between Ares and Su-hyeun. ¡°Really now, he is certainly a naturally gifted fighter,¡± he quietly observed.

    The God of War and Destruction, Ares, didn¡¯t possess some amazing godly authority, nor did he possess particular godhood like how Apollo had his godhood of fire or Hades with the godhood of death¡ªnot even the right to rule over a domain, like how Hades ruled over Hell.

    To put it simply, Ares was not ¡°specialized¡± in any particular field, but on the flip side of that coin¡­

    ¡°That idiot abandoned everything for the sake of a good fight, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    It also meant that he had no weakness.

    Ares was born for the sake of waging warfare.

    Ares was acknowledged as the strongest in Olympus after excluding the top god, Zeus, a member of the Five Godly Sages, and his two brothers who were born in the same era¡ªthe Three Deities.

    But now¡­

    ¡°That guy, he also knows how to fight, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    Su-hyeun was ably fighting against that very Ares.

    ¡°The physique and mind of a god, then fire, cloud, wind, even thunder¡­those are his godhood that I can see outwardly.¡±

    Unlike Ares who blindly relied on his physical abilities to fight, Su-hyeun relied on various godhood to pull him through.

    The total number of his godhood couldn¡¯t even be counted in one hand. It would be hard to find other gods in possession of so many different godhood like him; for instance, even Apollo possessed only a handful of godhood, including the godhood of fire and another one related to prophecies.

    Also, Su-hyeun¡¯s proficiency in wielding all those godhood was quite excellent. However, none of his godhood seemed to be heads and shoulders above the others at the moment, either.

    Rather ironically, the one area he seemed to be most proficient in was fighting, so much so that his gallant figure relying on his various abilities to evenly fight against Ares imparted an impression to all the onlookers that another God of War had made his entrance today.

    ¡°That guy¡­¡± Suddenly, a question popped into Apollo¡¯s mind, ¡°I wonder what kind of ¡®god title¡¯ he will receive.¡±

 Chapter 439

    * * *

    Ka-pow¡ª!

    The spear hurtling out of Ares¡¯ hand quickly filled up Su-hyeun¡¯s vision.

    Bang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun hurriedly swung his sword to deflect the incoming spear. His hand had begun aching from numbness from parrying each attack.

    ¡°Just how many damn spears does he even have?¡± he thought.

    It had only been a single breath ago that he had to urgently smack a spear away, yet another spear was instantly in Ares¡¯ hand again. It seemed likely that his spears were not some specially crafted heavenly weapons but ordinary throwing spears that happened to contain the power of Ares.

    ¡°A spear can be used as a melee weapon or as a throwing weapon. And in a period as brief as a flash of light, you will often lose your window of opportunity just because you hesitated to throw your so-called valuable weapon,¡± said Ares before assuming a posture preparing for a throw once more..

    Here it comes!

    Paaaaang¡ª!

    Clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun defended against yet another thrown spear. However, the impact force still lingered in his hand. Just how high was Ares¡¯ Strength stat anyway? These spears contained the level of pure power Su-hyeun had not experienced before.

    Ares continued, ¡°For that purpose, there is no reason to use good spears. Rather than enhancing your combat strength, it is far more important to make that decision at the snap of a finger, after all. A good spear will only serve to muddy that decision-making process.¡±

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, aren¡¯t you too carefree with your spear wasting right now?¡±

    ¡°I have plenty of spears. Why should I conserve them in that case?¡± Ares retorted before assuming the familiar stance once more.

    Su-hyeun had always been the one throwing spears during his fights, and maybe that was the reason why he wasn¡¯t feeling so great at the current reversal of fortunes, so to speak.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Su-hyeun began thinking.

    Ares finished assuming the stance, and then, another spear flew out from his hand.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    The spear tore through the air like a launched missile with the sound that it made, but almost at the same time, a different noise exploded from the opposite side.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    ¡°What?!¡± Ares hurriedly raised his shield.

    The impact arrived shortly after that.

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    Ares, holding up the shield, quivered and jolted uncontrollably several times. He was barely able to prop himself up by strengthening his leg muscles, which prevented a humiliating spectacle of him getting helplessly flung away.

    On the flip side, his arm with the shield required a lot of his strength to prop up.

    Ares withdrew the shield, revealing his stunned face. There was a scorched spot in the center of the Temple.

    He quietly muttered, ¡°That¡¯s father¡¯s power.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Although it does take a bit of effort to pull off¡­¡±

    Pazzzzzik¡ª

    Another spear emitting an amber-golden light materialized within Su-hyeun¡¯s grip. ¡°I can still create several more of it, no problem.¡±

    Pazik, bzzzzzik¡ª

    The spear containing a stupendous amount of power affected the surroundings simply by materializing like this.

    Ares glanced at the ashes scattered on the arena¡¯s floor. Those were the remnant of a spear crafted by a fairly well-known blacksmithing god, although that individual was no Hephaestus.

    Even so, a god-made spear couldn¡¯t withstand a lightning bolt containing Zeus¡¯s might, which disintegrated it into fine powder. It would be impossible to block the Thunderbolts unless the spear itself was a top-quality item, in other words.

    ¡°With things like this, spear-throwing won¡¯t get me anywhere fast,¡± Ares inwardly mused.

    Basically, Ares had lost one of his attacking options. No, actually, it would be more correct to say that one of the methods that proved to be more advantageous for him had now become his opponent¡¯s advantage instead.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    Ares discarded his spear and then unsheathed his sword next. Unlike his spears, this sword was rather gorgeously designed. Its hilt was decorated with gold, while some types of metal in varying sizes and quantities could be seen embedded within the blades, enhancing the weapon¡¯s cutting power.

    That was definitely one of Hephaestus¡¯ products.

    The meaning behind Ares pulling his sword out was simple¡ªhe had chosen to change his battle strategy.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a sword this time,¡± Su-hyeun glanced down at his own sword. Then, while looking at the Thunderbolt he still had in his left hand, he muttered to no one in particular, ¡°But I don¡¯t need to play along, now do I?¡±

    He began smirking deeply.

    Right after that, Ares charged straight into Su-hyeun.

    Pshuuuuak¡ª!

    Sliiiiice¡ª!

    He swung his sword downward to perfectly match his forward charge, but it only ended up cleaving the floor apart. Despite the Temple¡¯s tough construction, a long but shallow sword scar was left behind. Ares stopped moving for a moment on the spot where Su-hyeun used to be and quickly looked around to locate his foe.

    At that very moment, he sensed a presence above his head.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Claaaang¡ª!

    Ares blocked the Thunderbolt falling on top of his head, causing his legs to buckle for a moment there.

    The electrical energy from the lightning traveled down the sword at the same time and briefly paralyzed his hand. However, he ignored that and tried to leap to where Su-hyeun was, only for the latter to kick the air and rise even higher to create more distance between them.

    The situation had reversed completely now.

    Ares normally used his sword, spears, and shield to fight; he concluded that a long-range battle using spears was impossible to continue and gave up doing that, but now, Su-hyeun was the one throwing a bunch of spears at him.

    ¡°This has become a bit troublesome,¡± said Ares as he shed some cold sweat.

    Even if the Thunderbolt couldn¡¯t be thrown around willy-nilly, the destructive power contained in each shot still proved to be considerably lethal even to someone like Ares. No matter what, he had to avoid getting directly struck by one.

    With one more danger to look out for, trying to wage close-quarter combat would be very hard to pull off.

    ¡°Not only that, but he¡¯s also not too shabby up close, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Ares recalled when he and Su-hyeun briefly fought in close quarters earlier.

    The levels of their skills were quite evenly matched. However, Su-hyeun seemed to possess more trump cards, and this situation was proving to be too disadvantageous for Ares.

    ¡°In that case, time to change my strategy, then,¡± Ares suppressed a smirk from breaking out on his face.

    * * *

    Rumble¡ª!

    The Thunderbolt flashed brightly once more.

    Ka-zzzzzzik¡ª!

    Kagagagak¡ª!

    Ares was shoved far back after he defended against another Thunderbolt with his shield. He was closing in for a melee just now only to suffer a considerable amount of damage from the lightning spear, and then, the distance between them widened even further.

    ¡°Fuu-woo¡­Let me tell you something, every one of these Thunderbolts feels exactly like when father smacks me around,¡± Ares quipped despite his whole body getting drenched in sweat.

    Even Su-hyeun was in a similar state; the only difference was that he had shed less sweat than his opponent.

    This battle had been going on for several hours already.

    The way it unfolded remained largely the same since the beginning; Su-hyeun used Thunderbolts to create distance and continued to damage his opponent from afar.

    When Ares did manage to get close, Su-hyeun responded with his own sword, dropped another Thunderbolt on top of the God of War, or even used his divine Flame to create distance again.

    ¡°Even then, I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t have a lot more left in your reserve, now do you?¡± For the first time in several hours, Ares smirked again.

    He could sense that the might of the Thunderbolt had decreased a lot. Su-hyeun had also become exhausted with the passage of enough time.

    ¡°It looks like you sweated a lot more than me, though?¡±

    ¡°A fight on this level is nothing more than a child¡¯s play compared to my battles against the race of giants. I lost count how many times I was driven to death¡¯s doorstep with my breath about to cut out at any moment.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s lips distorted into a smirk. If one wanted to talk about such a thing, then well, he could totally relate as someone who had already experienced death before. ¡°Why don¡¯t we find out who will be left standing in the end?¡±

    ¡°Very good.¡±

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Ares raised his shield and charged toward Su-hyeun. He was going for a body slam here.

    Kwa-aaaaah¡ª!

    With Ares charging in while tearing the atmosphere apart, he carried enough momentum to completely obliterate a huge mountain. He held his shield up to defend against the incoming Thunderbolt, only to sense something was not quite right, ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any attack?¡±

    The Thunderbolt that came flying in like clockwork suddenly was nowhere to be found, so Ares briefly peeked over the shield to look, but right at that moment¡­

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª

    A humongous storm of winds was already concentrating on Su-hyeun¡¯s sword. ¡°Blow away¡­¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    ¡°Palm Leaf.¡±

    Baaaaaang¡ª!

    The huge storm focused on one spot and began mercilessly pounding on Ares¡¯ shield. The wind pressure borne out of an incredible amount of winds succeeded in forcing him back. Ares gritted his teeth and strengthened his grip on his shield.

    Pa-zzzzzik¡ª

    The next thing he knew, a Thunderbolt materialized in Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    Ares clenched his teeth when he spotted the Thunderbolt visible just below his shield. ¡°This punk, he suddenly changed his¡ª¡±

    Up until this moment, Su-hyeun always hurled a Thunderbolt whenever Ares tried to close in on him and created an extra distance that way.

    However, he suddenly changed his tactic. He then relied on the Palm Leaf, not the usual Thunderbolt, to generate mighty wind pressure to disrupt Ares¡¯ sense of balance.

    If Ares was aware of this ahead of time, or if he had detected even a hint of what was about to come, then he would have never lost his balance like this. He would have probably made plans to deal with the second attack, too.

    Unfortunately, Ares couldn¡¯t respond to the unexpected second attack, which happened to be another round of Thunderbolt.

    Ares¡¯ whole body was now airborne from the Palm Leaf¡¯s mighty winds, and he clenched his teeth as he witnessed the lightning spear leave Su-hyeun¡¯s hand.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Kwa-zzzzzzik-!

    The Thunderbolt snuck under the slightly raised shield to slam into Ares¡¯ torso, but at the same time¡­

    Stab¡ª!

    A single spear came flying from out of nowhere and pierced deep into Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Kugh¡­!¡± Su-hyeun staggered from the impact.

    The moment he fired his Thunderbolt, Ares also threw his own spear. Their timing was almost a perfect match.

    Ares wasn¡¯t the only one who got caught unawares just now. Su-hyeun also ended up overlooking the potential counterattack after their battle unfolded in a fixed pattern until now because Ares had not thrown a single spear during the past few hours.

    ¡°I let my guard down.¡±

    Su-hyeun, having fired many Thunderbolts up to this point, was in a fatigued state. On top of that, the battle was fought in the same pattern for a while, so he ended up forgetting about Ares¡¯ spears.

    ¡°Is this what he has been aiming for?¡±

    Just like how Su-hyeun was biding his time and waiting for an opening to manifest by changing the attack pattern just once, Ares had also been holding onto a trump card.

    Thanks to his carelessness, Su-hyeun now had an extra hole in his shoulder. Of course, Ares was also suffering from grievous injuries.

    ¡°Keuh-euh¡­This certainly stings.¡±

    Pazzzik, bzzzz¡ª

    Ares distorted his torso while enduring the pain. He was already greatly exhausted by this battle, so the Thunderbolt ended up shocking his body, halfway paralyzing him.

    Even if he belonged to the group of gods that possessed ridiculously strong physical bodies, there was no way he would emerge unscathed after getting struck directly by a Thunderbolt with how exhausted he was.

    ¡°So, how about it? You think you can continue?¡± Ares began walking over to Su-hyeun while quivering and twisting his paralyzed body.

    Even though he was obviously exhausted, the light burning in his eyes was still going strong. It even seemed to be burning fiercer than ever before.

    This fight was reaching its climax, it seemed.

    Su-hyeun asked back, ¡°Are you seriously asking me that in your current state?¡±

    ¡°Well, you also have a new air hole in your shoulder, after all, and it seems that you are not aware of this, so let me clarify it for you. This level of injury is nothing to me.¡±

    It didn¡¯t look like Ares was bluffing, either.

    His body must have been truly monstrous because, during their brief verbal exchange, his paralysis seemed to have come undone.

    At this rate, he would only go down for the count after getting struck by a few more Thunderbolts.

    Puu-wuuk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun yanked out the spear in his shoulder. It had really been a long time since he got wounded to this degree. To him, the level of pain was just as intense, but his pain tolerance was quite extraordinary, to begin with.

    Also¡­

    ¡°Even then, it seems that I still hold more trump cards than you, Ares.¡±

    [The trait, ¡°Hero ¨C Immortality,¡± is activating.]

    [Vitality and stamina will rapidly recover. The abnormal status, ¡°bleeding,¡± will partially heal.]

    [Physical abilities will be greatly enhanced.]

    Sizzle¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s wound rapidly closed up, and all of the sweat pouring out from his body nonstop evaporated and became a fog of moisture.

    Ares¡¯ brows shot up at this unbelievable spectacle.

    It sure had been a long time since Su-hyeun had to rely on this skill. What had taken even longer to happen was a battle like this one where his stamina and energy were almost completely depleted, and he was even injured during the battle itself.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist tightly.

    This much was already good; he could get back to fighting in this state.

    ¡°The duration is around 15 minutes,¡± he thought.

    Once that was over, the skill¡¯s effects of temporarily enhancing his stamina, as well as stemming the bleeding, would vanish. Even then, 15 minutes should be more than sufficient to put the exclamation point in this battle¡¯s climax.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    The scale that had been balancing itself precariously had suddenly tilted to one side.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we continue?¡±

 Chapter 440

    Chapter 440: Chapter 440

    <hr />

    Bang, ka-boom¡ª!

    Cruuuunch, whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun no longer fought long range. He instead actively closed in and ceaselessly pressured Ares.

    If the latter raised the shield to block, Su-hyeun would mercilessly pound on it, and when an opening presented itself, his hand shot out to grab Ares¡¯ arm before throwing the God of War and Destruction around like a rag doll.

    Slam¡ª!

    ¡°Kuh,¡± Ares could only grunt softly after he crashed to the floor.

    It felt like every bone in his body was screaming in pain. Even then, he wasn¡¯t given time to stew in his stupefaction.

    Crouuuuk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun¡¯s sword roughly scratched the floor, and Ares urgently rolled his body to the side to get out of the way.. However, right at the last second, fierce flames exploded from below.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Hiss, sizzle, crackle¡ª

    Ares¡¯ figure became airborne; after rolling on the ground, he kicked the floor beneath him to quickly jump up.

    ¡°Rain down!¡± Almost at the same time, countless spears suddenly floated in the air above the Temple of War Declaration. They were the same type of spears that Ares used to throw around.

    He then assumed the spear-throwing posture despite not wielding any spear, and when he finished getting ready¡­

    Fwhooooooosh¡ª!

    All those countless spears spread out in the sky above rapidly descended to the ground.

    Stab, staaab, bang¡ª!

    Stab, puk, bang¡ª

    However, the tens of thousands of spears that rained down were easily blocked off by pure-white clouds.

    ¡°Dammit¡ª!¡±

    Ares¡¯ fluster didn¡¯t last for long.

    Whooooosh¡ª!

    Storm winds blowing up from below threw Ares off balance, causing him to stagger greatly in the air.

    Swhoooosh¡ª

    Ares¡¯ figure spun around as he continued to be pushed up farther in the air. Powerful and razor-sharp wind pressure nicked and wounded him all over, but he still tried to minimize the damage to him by getting into a fetal position.

    Pazzzzzzik¡ª

    Su-hyeun watched all this unfold and then generated a Thunderbolt that boasted a far greater destructive power than any others that came before.

    ¡°With this, it¡¯s over,¡± eyes gleaming sharply, he assumed the spear-throwing posture.

    FLASH¡ª!

    And so, just as a streak of lightning spear left his hand while flashing blindingly¡­

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    A similar type of light accompanied by a thunderous roar flashed powerfully from a completely different direction.

    Rumble, kurururururu¡­

    The Thunderbolt was disintegrated in the middle of its flight.

    In the meantime, Ares, being helplessly buffeted around by the winds, was wielding a massive spear that reached at least four meters in length. However, he wasn¡¯t moving an inch.

    More correctly, he couldn¡¯t even if he wanted to. The same thing applied to Su-hyeun as well.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this battle here, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Ares lowered the hand that held that huge spear and mouthed a word with some difficulty, ¡°Father?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s Ares¡¯ father, then¡­¡± Su-hyeun thought as his gaze quickly shifted over to an old man with radiant golden locks who had suddenly appeared in the air over the Temple. ¡°Zeus?¡±

    He ended up inadvertently blurting that name out aloud.

    Zeus¡¯s gaze landed on Su-hyeun next upon hearing his voice. The latter was jolted awake from surprise and then, while clamping his mouth shut in a fluster, bowed his head slightly.

    Zeus, the head god of Olympus and one of the strongest gods in existence, the father of all the gods as well as mortals below, the god of the skies¡ªthese were among the many flashy and majestic titles that best described what kind of god he was. However, the ranks of gods including Su-hyeun knew of another title to refer to him as, a more awe-inspiring title.

    Zeus was none other than the god among the Five Godly Sages¡ªone of the five strongest and mightiest gods in all of the realms out there.

    ¡°My apologies, but our greetings will have to be delayed for a little while,¡± Zeus smiled rather warmly. His smile was quite blinding, despite him not even emitting any light.

    Ares hurriedly went down on his knees and deeply bowed his head in Zeus¡¯s direction, ¡°Father, what brings you to this¡ª?¡±

    ¡°I have to say, I¡¯ve been treated to quite an entertaining spectacle, a first in a long while,¡± Zeus replied as he locked his gaze on Ares below. ¡°You have lost this one, Ares.¡±

    ¡°Father! But that¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you want to say that you haven¡¯t lost yet. You still have your Giant Spear, after all.¡±

    Ares maintained his silence as he faltered from Zeus¡¯s scrutiny.

    From the sound of it, Zeus must have been watching the battle for a long while.

    ¡°If you two continued, then one of you would have died today, and that would have been you, Ares.¡± Zeus turned his head and asked the seemingly empty air, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, son?¡±

    ¡°Yes, most likely so.¡±

    Ruuumble¡ª

    That was when Apollo revealed himself between Su-hyeun and Ares. He had been getting ready to intervene just in case the battle reached its climax.

    His eyes were peering into a future not too far ahead. His Insight was acknowledged to be not any worse than the Five Godly Sages. Rather, his was actually better than theirs at this point.

    He might have been the God of Fire, but he was also known as the God of Prophecies.

    ¡°Did I really lose, father?¡± Ares asked, and Zeus nodded without hesitation. The God of War and Destruction pondered this for a moment and then also began nodding, ¡°I see.¡±

    His boiling excitement instantly cooled down. Ares calmly analyzed his situation from earlier and then stored the huge spear in his hand away.

    He then walked over to Su-hyeun and extended his hand, ¡°That was fun.¡±

    ¡°I also learned a thing or two from you today,¡± Su-hyeun held that offered hand and shook it.

    After they shook hands, Ares patted Su-hyeun on the shoulder, ¡°If it¡¯s possible, let¡¯s have another round before you depart from Olympus. The thing is, calling it a finished business with my defeat leaves a rather sour taste in my mouth.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡± Su-hyeun briefly faltered but simply nodded after seeing Ares¡¯ expression, ¡°Very well. Understood.¡±

    ¡°As I thought, you¡¯re a cool dude,¡± Ares grinned in contentment and then turned around to leave. Accompanied by the four gods working as his underlings, he soon left the Temple of War Declaration.

    And so, only Su-hyeun, Zeus, Apollo, and Hades remained.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, this is my first time meeting my son¡¯s benefactor, isn¡¯t it?¡± With the situation now having calmed down a bit, Zeus finally began greeting Su-hyeun properly, ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Zeus, father of Hercules.¡±

    He introduced himself and bowed his head in a dignified manner.

    A god among the Five Godly Sages was actually lowering his head? Su-hyeun jumped in surprise and bowed his head even deeper to greet back.

    He was genuinely getting flustered here. By a lot, too.

    The ¡°Zeus¡± from Su-hyeun¡¯s imagination was nothing like this. But that¡¯s because Zeus from the Greek myths was a bit of a libertine, so to speak. He was known to be a lustful playboy that went after any pretty woman and was as far from being dignified as humanly possible.

    Of course, not all gods behaved in the same manner as described in various myths. Even then, the behavior of this Zeus was quite far removed from all the gods Su-hyeun had encountered so far.

    ¡°My name is Kim Su-hyeun.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware. You may not know this, but I¡¯ve been watching you for quite a while, benefactor.¡±

    ¡°When you say you¡¯ve been watching me¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the benefactor who saved my son, Hercules? I¡¯ve always been grateful for your actions,¡± Zeus replied and began chuckling affably all by himself.

    It was almost as if he was a good-natured neighborhood grandpa. If said grandpa was a totally ripped and hulking dude with radiant golden locks, that was.

    ¡°Rather than being majestic as a god ranked as one of the Five Godly Sages, he was¡­friendly,¡± he thought.

    And that was why it felt so weird right now.

    Zeus gave off a truly dangerous vibe.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be frightened, you know.¡±

    Shudder¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s brows shot up when Zeus calmly said those words.

    This feeling he was getting¡­It was rather similar to back when he first encountered the Bull Demon King.

    ¡°At the very least, I won¡¯t harm my son¡¯s benefactor.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Su-hyeun replied with some difficulty and let out a long sigh.

    He only belatedly realized how nervous and tense he was¡ªnervous at this old man standing before his eyes with an affable expression.

    ¡°Now then, shall we change the venue?¡± Zeus grinned contentedly and turned around. His figure smoothly glided up in the air next. ¡°Please allow me to guide you to the palace.¡±

    <hr />

    The Palace of Olympus was the place where numerous gods gathered. However, not just any god could freely waltz in as they pleased. Only those who directly inherited Zeus¡¯s blood or had some mixed blood in their veins were allowed to enter here.

    Su-hyeun parted ways with Hades and Apollo because Zeus wished to speak to Su-hyeun privately.

    Since one of the purposes of visiting Olympus was to have an audience with Zeus, Su-hyeun had no problem agreeing to that offer.

    ¡°Hercules is doing well. After that day¡¯s event had come and gone, he¡¯s still doing his best to stop the Giants. His impatience has vanished now, and he has taken another step closer to becoming a complete god,¡± Zeus continued to speak, but most of what he talked about were stuff related to Hercules. ¡°Although things were awkward for a while, his family has grown close again. Even my grandchildren have both grown up a lot now. They already reached the age of¡­¡±

    He went on about the topics related to Hercules for a while but then suddenly stopped himself and made a slightly sheepish face, ¡°Did I sound too much like an idiot father just now?¡±

    ¡°N¡ªno, not at all,¡± Su-hyeun ended up inadvertently smiling faintly. He actually preferred this, a lot more so than a god trying to put on some airs and looking dignified.

    While chatting away, they finally reached the Palace of Olympus.

    ¡°It¡¯s really huge,¡± said Su-hyeun.

    The Palace was as big as a small city. The tallest part of the structure reached the heavens, while its garden was basically a dense forest.

    Su-hyeun was sure he had never witnessed a palace as big or as beautiful as this one before in his life.

    ¡°You see, the beings called gods hate the idea of doing things in small quantities. They want to make it bigger and then make it even bigger than before.¡±

    ¡°Did the gods come together to build this palace?¡±

    ¡°No, but I heard that gods far more ancient than myself have constructed it. Even I¡¯m not privy to all the details, but¡­¡±

    Was he not keen on speaking the truth, or did he really not know?

    Su-hyeun became ever so slightly curious but decided not to pry. It wasn¡¯t a topic that he simply had to get to the bottom of, anyway.

    Zeus continued, ¡°I heard that you wished to acquire Hephaestus¡¯ hammer.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why we had that wager.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you fought Ares earlier. Since you achieved victory, I shall inform Hephaestus. Also¡­¡± As the two walked down the corridor of the impressive palace, a grin appeared on Zeus¡¯s face, ¡°I¡¯d like to give you a small gift in my personal capacity.¡±

    ¡°A gift?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a token of my gratitude for saving Hercules. Please, do not be troubled and accept it.¡±

    There was a reason why Zeus brought Su-hyeun to the palace, but to think that reason was about a gift¡­

    ¡°I guess I should be happy about this,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    First, Hephaestus¡¯ hammer and then a gift from Zeus himself.

    Su-hyeun couldn¡¯t even guess what kind of gift it would be, but there was no way it would be something simple or plain. For instance, the glove he wore over his left hand was an item that contained Zeus¡¯s power.

    He quietly followed after Zeus into the palace while mulling over such things.

    The interior of the palace was as complicated as a maze. The ceiling was tall, and countless rooms and chambered existed inside; doors leading deeper inside automatically opened whenever Zeus got close to one.

    They walked for a while like that, and when they finally arrived at the central part of the palace¡­

    Creeeeak¡ª

    The biggest golden door they had run into opened up automatically with a heavy noise.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a well?¡± Su-hyeun muttered softly while taking in the sight beyond the doorway.

    It happened to be a huge space.

    Unlike a normal room, though, not a single piece of furniture could be seen inside. The only thing in it was a massive well at least dozens of meters in diameter smack bang in the middle of the chamber.

    As for the water found inside, it was surprisingly clean and pristine, especially considering it was an unmoving body of water indoors. He peeked his head past the edges and looked at his own reflection; it was as if he was staring at a massive mirror.

    ¡°The Hero and Taoist God,¡± a couple of familiar terms came out of Zeus¡¯s lips next. ¡°You possess the ¡®power¡¯ called titles, yes?¡±

    In response, Su-hyeun tore his gaze away from the well¡¯s water and looked back at Zeus.

    What he said just now made one thing certain: Zeus knew about the existence of the system, as expected.

    ¡°In that case, have you heard about the God Title as well?¡±

 Chapter 441

    The God Title¡­

    Quite literally, it was a ¡°title,¡± a name, of a god.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡±

    Su-hyeun understood what it was supposed to be, but he didn¡¯t think he had heard of one before.

    No Administrators responsible for giving out trials¡ªand rather obviously, no awakeners out there¡ªbothered to mention anything about this God Title to him.

    He asked for an explanation, ¡°Is it somehow related to one¡¯s titles?¡±

    ¡°To be more specific, it should be thought of a higher concept of the ¡®titles.''¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how do you know about the titles?¡± Su-hyeun seized this opportunity and quickly asked about that one thing he was dying to know..

    A ¡°title¡± was a special mechanism that existed within the system that granted special powers to the awakeners. This was a separate type of power from, say, ¡°items.¡± It directly interfered with one¡¯s physical body and soul, and not even the race of dragons, referred to as the progenitor of magic, could create something like this.

    Also, it would be impossible to know about the system in such detail without being an actual awakener¡ªexcluding someone like Zeus who was currently standing before Su-hyeun, of course.

    ¡°Besides the name they were given at birth, countless gods also acquire new and different ¡®names¡¯ as they live their lives,¡± Zeus replied, but what he said was completely unrelated to Su-hyeun¡¯s question. ¡°Ares is the God of War and Destruction. As for Apollo, he¡¯s the God of Fire and Prophecies. My older brother, Hades, is the God of Death and Hell, while Hephaestus is referred to as the God of Blacksmithing. As for me, I¡¯m the God of Light and Thunder, as well as the God of the Sky and Daylight.¡±

    All those ¡°titles¡± were the symbols that represented the respective gods that even Su-hyeun was aware of.

    ¡°The second names that symbolize me are the God Titles. The God Title is not what I call myself but what others call me by.¡±

    ¡°What others call you by, hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Please step inside the well. You shall be able to find out what your God Titles are once you¡¯re inside.¡±

    Su-hyeun didn¡¯t say anything and slowly approached the well.

    When he took another look at his own reflection in the well, he found that the experience was like looking at a pristine mirror. Before he entered, though, he turned his head and looked over at Zeus one last time. And when he did¡­

    ¡°Have a good trip,¡± Zeus waved his hand nonchalantly.

    He probably knew. He was the top god of this realm¡ªsomeone deeply connected to the system¡ªso he would have definitely known what Su-hyeun was dying to know.

    ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t intend to tell me?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    And here he was, thinking that just by having an audience with Zeus, he would get to learn so many new pieces of information. Maybe there was some kind of a restriction, an agreement even, which prevented Zeus from speaking, like how it was with the Administrators.

    Su-hyeun reverted his gaze to the well.

    He had no way of telling how deep it was, and without actually stepping inside, he would not be able to figure out anything.

    ¡°My God Title¡­¡±

    Su-hyeun slowly leaned forward.

    It was true that he was getting curious to find out just what kind of god he was.

    Splash¡ª

    <hr />

    The well was quite deep.

    He couldn¡¯t tell how deep he had sunk so far. He was slowly losing consciousness that he couldn¡¯t tell how many minutes, hours, or even days he had been down here.

    ¡°Is this¡­me?¡±

    The flowing water inside the well was truly pristine; it acted like a transparent window that soon began displaying ¡°footage¡± of certain nature.

    The footage was of him engaging in combat. Su-hyeun could tell it was his own figure.

    ¡°That¡¯s Igolas, the boss from the green-colored dungeon that appeared in Anyang.¡±

    He was watching an event that happened quite a long time ago when a dungeon outbreak occurred mid-air, and monsters literally rained down from there.

    He was able to stop that outbreak, and it was the moment that the name Kim Su-hyeun first became known throughout the world.

    Shwaaaah¡ª

    The water flow became rougher, and the footage changed as well. The next to be shown was Su-hyeun fighting against a certain man inside a sprawling city.

    ¡°Hwang Jun-peong.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t all that hard to recall that man¡¯s name. In all honesty, though, it was his true identity rather than his name that remained etched in Su-hyeun¡¯s memories¡ªhe was the guild master of the Dump Guild.

    This footage was of the fight he had against the world¡¯s top superstar awakener who also happened to be a psycho serial killer.

    ¡°A hero. Yes, a hero¡­¡±

    That voice belonged to Zhu In, who happened to be nearby.

    Su-hyeun pretended that he didn¡¯t hear what he said because, back then, he was definitely not a fan of that term. Never mind not being a fan, he hated it with all his guts because of the burden he felt from that single word.

    Shwa-aaaah¡ª

    The footage changed once more.

    This time, it was a scene of a tearful woman. She was holding a rather sizeable bundle close to her chest, whispering softly toward a spot with no one in it.

    ¡°Thank you so much¡­¡±

    Shwa-aaaah¡ª

    The footage changed even faster than before.

    Several scenes began appearing all around him now. Most of the faces reflected in the screens in the water were completely foreign to him, but all these people, whom he had never met before, were all thanking him.

    They said they were alive, thanks to him.

    They were truly grateful.

    ¡°Please¡­help¡­¡±

    A familiar voice, and a familiar face, appeared alongside a familiar setting among all the footage being shown. It was a scene where Hak-joon was squeezing his eyes shut.

    ¡°Please help us¡­Someone, anyone¡­please¡­¡±

    His plea seemed to be contagious as the same words started to be uttered in countless other footage of people asking Su-hyeun for help. Then, they were also saying they were grateful.

    Shwaaaaaah¡ª

    The water flow became harsher once more, but there was no other footage being played. However, it was not that there was nothing more to show, but the direction of the water flow had changed.

    Instead of scenes of the past, letters began floating in front of Su-hyeun¡¯s eyes.

    They were his God Titles.

    <hr />

    A few days had passed by.

    To the gods, such a period would be nothing more than a blink. To these gods who had been existing for tens of thousands of years at their youngest and hundreds of millions of years at their oldest, a couple of days was really not a long time at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not over yet?¡±

    However, Hades was unable to patiently wait and came to visit the well in the Palace.

    As the God of Hell, he rarely, if ever, paid a visit to Olympus because he was unable to use most of his strength outside of Hell.

    Zeus replied, ¡°It seems that matters have been slightly delayed, brother. By the way, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Well, I became quite curious about what the God Title of that punk will be, so I¡¯m here to find out. How long has it been?¡±

    ¡°Around three days so far.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s longer than I thought. I figured he¡¯d need only one day.¡±

    ¡°That simply indicates that he has many ¡®tales¡¯ related to his God Title.¡±

    The ¡°tales¡± were the traces of a god¡¯s life so far; they were clues that helped determine one¡¯s God Title.

    The more tales you had, the more traces would appear inside the well. As a consequence, you would need a long time before finally earning your own God Title.

    Hades asked, ¡°What do you think his God Title will be?¡±

    ¡°How should I know that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh, little brother. I¡¯m well aware of the fact that you¡¯ve been watching over him for a long time. Besides, he hasn¡¯t been a god for long. He was still a human being not too long ago.¡± Hades narrowed his eyes and glared at Zeus, ¡°You bastard¡­no, you and your cohorts¡­just what are you scheming?¡±

    His glare became so much sharper. The aura leaking out from his body began dyeing the surroundings jet-black. He wasn¡¯t trying to be intimidating, however. This phenomenon was simply a by-product of his aura that leaked out due to his fluctuating emotions.

    Hades was bringing this topic up only after agonizing a great deal over it. He was aware of how Zeus often vacated his seat to deal with some matters not related to Olympus.

    Of course, Zeus wasn¡¯t scared of Hades. This wasn¡¯t Hell but Olympus, Zeus¡¯s backyard, after all. Not only that but these two were siblings, after all. They were family.

    ¡°Please, you do not need to be worried. Everything will work out, brother.¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem with Olympus, then?¡±

    When Hades asked that, Zeus shook his head, ¡°There is no problem with abandoning a land like this one and moving on. We can always find another place to call home, and that will be the end.¡±

    ¡°In that case,¡± Hades changed the subject, ¡°What about Yggdrasil?¡±

    A heavy silence descended in the chamber after that question.

    Zeus would always act like this¡ªdespite having lived for hundreds of millions of years, he was still unable to lie. Instead of lying to answer a difficult question, he would simply change the subject or choose to remain silent.

    It was the same story this time.

    Hades pressed on, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything even now?¡±

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously thinking of not saying anything until the end?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already made a pledge with the other Five Godly Sages.¡±

    Hades flinched at that.

    The Five Godly Sages? That was the group of the strongest, mightiest five gods that included Zeus.

    Since he was Zeus¡¯s sibling, Hades, of course, knew all about the existences of the gods included in that group. They were each strong enough to be called the main gods of their respective realms.

    Since it was a pledge among them, even if Hades wanted to know more, he was not in the position to press for more answers.

    Zeus could only apologize, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Bubble, bobble¡­

    With excellent timing, bubbles began floating upon the well¡¯s surface.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s finally done, anyway.¡±

    <hr />

    Puh-haaaak¡ª!

    Su-hyeun desperately pushed his head past the surface of the well¡¯s water.

    His breathing was harsh and labored. He ended up ingesting too much water, and more importantly, his chest was all clogged up.

    This was so weird.

    Without a doubt, he had never run out of breath after becoming a god, whether he was swimming underwater or floating in outer space. The whole concept of needing to breathe had become a bit ¡°unnecessary¡± to him at this stage.

    Huff, wheeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun climbed out of the well while huffing and wheezing breathlessly. He urgently reached out and propped himself up against the stone walls on the edges of the well.

    Rather amazingly, though, all the water soaking him top to bottom instantly dissipated soon as he was completely outside the well.

    ¡°What just happened to me?¡± That question popped up in his mind, but he didn¡¯t need long before recalling everything that happened to him inside the well, ¡°The God Title.¡±

    He stepped inside the well to acquire his God Title, and sure enough, he did acquire his titles. He also remembered watching quite a long tale through various footage.

    ¡°You worked hard, benefactor.¡±

    ¡°Is it over?¡±

    Waiting on the side, Zeus and Hades welcomed Su-hyeun back.

    Su-hyeun nodded and asked them, ¡°May I ask how long I took?¡±

    ¡°About 103 hours in human time scale.¡±

    ¡°One hundred and three hours¡­?¡±

    Su-hyeun could more or less sense that quite some time had passed by, but he was still surprised to learn that it had been longer than he anticipated. One hundred and three hours were well over three days.

    But something didn¡¯t seem right here. Since he had been stuck underwater for that long, it would make some sense for him to be exhausted right now, but he was actually feeling even stronger than ever before¡ªfilled to the brim with energy.

    ¡°Have you confirmed your God Title?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that. Yes.¡±

    ¡°How many did you acquire?¡±

    Zeus¡¯s question prompted Hades to glance at his brother. Not even asking about what the God Title was but wanting to find out how many there were instead?

    Su-hyeun replied right away, ¡°There were two.¡±

    ¡°Two¡­God Titles¡­?¡± Hades asked, stunned.

    Plenty among the ranks of the gods would fail to acquire their God Titles. Also, it went without saying that there were only a few who managed to acquire more than two God Titles.

    In Olympus, the god with the most number of God Titles was Zeus¡ªthe God of Light, Thunder, Sky, and Daylight. He was an existence in possession of four God Titles. Besides him, only half of the 12 gods who had their names recorded in the halls of the Palace of Olympus possessed two or more God Titles.

    ¡°Someone who hasn¡¯t even been a god for a few years already possesses two?¡± Hades pondered.

    Originally, Hades wasn¡¯t curious about what Su-hyeun¡¯s God Title would be. What he wanted to find out was whether the latter would actually acquire a God Title or not in the first place.

    But to learn that he had acquired two?

    Zeus asked, ¡°What are they?¡±

    ¡°The first one was ¡®Hero,''¡± Su-hyeun recalled the letters that floated before him inside the water. No, wait¡ªthere was no real need to remember anything.

    He didn¡¯t know about how it was like with other gods, but there was this thing called the system that existed for Su-hyeun.

    [God Title: Hero]

    <ul>

    A God Title given only to the one who is either already referred to as a hero or is destined to become one

    Grants additional 40% damage to the target recognized as an enemy

    Grants additional 40% resistance to the magical and physical attacks made by the target recognized as an enemy

    Increases the duration of ¡°Immortality¡± by 100%

    Improves the effects of ¡°Immortality¡± by 50%

    Increases the recovery rate of magical energy, prana, and stamina by 20%

    ?? (Unconfirmed)

    </ul>

    Hero, was it?

    It was the same term as his previous title, but when he thought about it for a second, the God Title was supposed to be the higher concept of the titles, so it wouldn¡¯t be so strange for the same term to show up.

    He didn¡¯t really like this new God Title, but he was no longer the same person who felt displeased by the term Hero anymore. Besides, whatever the case might have been, the accompanying effects were truly top-notch, so that was great.

    ¡°Even after excluding that unconfirmed option, the new effects are so much better than my old title,¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    From the additional damage and defense against opponents he recognized as enemies to the improvement to the Immortality skill and the rate of his energy recovery¡ªmore than anything else, all these improvements would prove to be a great advantage for him during a prolonged battle. Simply by acquiring this God Title, he could now fight even longer by as much as 1.5 times.

    However, what stunned Su-hyeun the most was his second God Title, ¡°And the second one is ¡°Combat.''¡±

 Chapter 442

    [God Title: Combat]

    <ul>

    A God Title given only to the one born with the fate of constant battles or the one who must fight and win to protect what he cares about

    All Stats: +5 when entering combat situations

    Maintains the most optimum physical condition when entering combat situations

    Additional rise in Stats corresponding to the exhaustion of stamina

    </ul>

    The God of Combat¡ªnow that was a completely unexpected God Title.

    Su-hyeun had been hearing the term ¡°Hero¡± for so long and so many times by now that he was rather sick of it, but not even once before in his entire life did he think that he actually enjoyed fighting.

    Since that was the case, he never imagined that he would end up with such a God Title, but now¡­

    ¡°Wait. A God Title isn¡¯t something that I come up with, right?¡± Su-hyeun thought. . Indeed, a God Title wasn¡¯t something he would get to choose, but someone else¡ªthe entire world even¡ªhad chosen for him. Also, maybe the fate you were born with could be a deciding factor in choosing that title.

    If so, it made some sense. Su-hyeun had been constantly fighting until now, after all.

    When it came to the matters of ¡°combat,¡± he was confident of not losing to even Ares, who was supposed to be the God of War and Destruction.

    Honestly speaking, though, the title itself wasn¡¯t really important to him. Indeed, the truly important thing for him was the effects accompanying the God Title.

    ¡°Five-point increase in all of the stats?¡±

    That effect immediately caught his attention out of everything else. It wasn¡¯t just one or two points but five points. Enhancements of stats to such a degree would be no less significant than acquiring a completely new and better physical ability.

    Not only that, it wasn¡¯t just one stat like Strength or Agility that had been improved but all of the stats. What a blatantly cheat ability this was.

    As for the other effect, the one about him entering the most optimum physical state when entering a battle? He wasn¡¯t sure what that could mean. He figured that he would need to be in a real fight to find out.

    Finally¡­

    ¡°This part about my stats rising in relation to stamina exhaustion¡­That sounds like a Berserker skill or something pretty close to it.¡±

    Fundamentally, the God Title of ¡°God of Combat¡± focused all of its boosts on physical abilities. Su-hyeun was feeling very much satisfied here. No, wait¡ªthis was well above and beyond his expectations.

    ¡°Hero and Combat, hmm,¡± Zeus listened to Su-hyeun¡¯s God Titles and slowly nodded. ¡°I have to say, they are rather good titles, and they suit you well.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡± Su-hyeun replied, only to stare at Zeus¡¯s face for a long while without saying anything else.

    The latter asked with an expression of someone who was portraying innocence, ¡°Is there something else you¡¯d like to say?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have something important to tell me?¡±

    There was no doubt in Su-hyeun¡¯s mind that Zeus was connected to the Tower somehow.

    Su-hyeun sounded so sure just now, forcing a troubled expression to appear on Zeus¡¯s face. He glanced to his side, only to discover that Hades was making a deeply mischievous smirk.

    ¡°Hmm¡­I¡¯ll be outside for a bit.¡±

    ¡°But brother¡ª¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two going to talk about ¡®that¡¯ topic, which is something you can¡¯t even tell me, your own brother, about? I don¡¯t know what you Five Godly Sages are cooking up, but at the very least, I can tell that you have great expectations of this punk, as well as Hercules.¡±

    Shu-wuwu¡­

    Black smokes oozed out all around Hades. That energy seemed rather similar to the Death Aura Su-hyeun possessed, but its density was far greater.

    The black smoke soon seemingly erased the lower half of Hades. He gradually vanished along with the black smoke, and eventually, only his head remained. That was when he opened his mouth to say something else, ¡°I shall speak to you later, little brother.¡±

    Zeus remained quiet as he watched Hades disappear and then let out a long and heavy groan.

    Surprisingly, it seemed that Zeus was not a very good liar. Then again, he would have never been in a position where he had to lie. He was an existence who could always afford to be upfront and honest about everything. As such, there wouldn¡¯t be a need for him to lie, and in those times where he simply had to, he was very bad at it.

    ¡°Benefactor, there are only a few things I can tell you at this stage.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of that restriction thing the Administrators talk about?¡±

    ¡°Honestly speaking, it was us who placed that restriction. As for us, it¡¯s not a restriction but far closer to a pledge, a promise, among ourselves,¡± said Zeus.

    He then settled down comfortably on the spot. From the looks of things, the story he was about to unpack would be a long one.

    ¡°What I can tell you without holding back is the information related to the 201st floor.¡±

    ¡°But I can already get that kind of info from the Administrator.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d need to spend your hard-earned points for that, though. Getting it from me is totally free, isn¡¯t it? Besides, this info? Let me tell you, it¡¯s incredibly expensive.¡±

    When Su-hyeun heard this, something about this exchange sounded way too familiar. Without a doubt, the blond-haired old man before him was Zeus, so why did he sound like¡ª

    ¡°An Administrator?¡±

    ¡°Well, they are our representatives, after all. It¡¯s obvious that we come across as rather similar to one another.¡±

    Representatives? Meaning, they were Apostles.

    However, this revelation was not an earth-shattering one to him since Su-hyeun had already suspected that the Administrators could very well be Apostles of some other gods.

    What Zeus said just now simply reaffirmed Su-hyeun¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°In that case, the one who created the Tower and the Tower¡¯s system¡­¡±

    ¡°It was indeed us who created the system, yes,¡± said Zeus.

    Just as an ¡°I knew it¡± expression floated upon Su-hyeun¡¯s face, a completely unexpected answer was said to him next.

    ¡°However, it was not us who created the Tower.¡±

    ¡°It was not? Then, who¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s a difficult subject to answer. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Rather than lie, Zeus chose to shut his mouth and bow his head.

    Su-hyeun thought that it would be useless to continue pressing for more answers. An individual like Zeus with a straightforward, old-fashioned, and honest personality would never divulge information if he determined it was not something to be shared.

    So, Su-hyeun decided to not rack his brain over another way to dig out information and asked about something else, ¡°Since your group has created the system, you must know about the existence of the dungeons, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    ¡°In that case, is there a way to eliminate them altogether?¡±

    Su-hyeun had two goals.

    One was to kill Fafnir. He had already experienced his world being destroyed by Fafnir, so he wanted to prevent that history from repeating itself.

    And finally, the other goal he would try to achieve after killing that Predator was to ultimately eliminate all types of dungeons. Indeed, it was to completely wipe out all dungeons from existence.

    After he asked his question, Su-hyeun¡¯s heart began pounding faster than ever before.

    If he was lucky here, then¡­

    And so, when a brief moment that felt like an eternity passed them by, Zeus made his reply, ¡°I do not know.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t ¡°I can¡¯t tell you,¡± but ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    It felt like his expectations that had ballooned up to a huge size suddenly got deflated with a hole in the side.

    This development was not surprising. There was no way things would be resolved this conveniently, after all. Su-hyeun didn¡¯t expect everything to be resolved simply because he met and spoke to Zeus, so he was able to swallow this disappointment to some extent.

    He asked again, ¡°In that case, do you know the reason why dungeons are generated in the first place?¡±

    ¡°Benefactor, I believe you¡¯re already aware of the connection between the Predators and the dungeons you speak of.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. Hard not to be aware of it, actually.¡±

    Fafnir was a monster that popped out of a dungeon. And it was a Predator, too. So, he could easily guess that dungeons and Predators were connected somehow.

    ¡°A dungeon is a type of system set by the Predators to devour a world much more easily. They use dungeons to lead many different worlds to their doom and then appear at the last moment to prey on those dying worlds.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like they are a viral infection.¡±

    ¡°Yes, quite similar. Dungeons that increase in numbers in this fashion operate to achieve the ultimate goal, that is, to satisfy the desire of the existence responsible for creating this dungeon system in the first place.¡±

    ¡°The existence responsible for creating the dungeon system?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The one who detests the universe, and as such, his ultimate aim is to destroy the universe. One of the Three Destroyers, Shiva.¡±

    The Three Destroyers¡ªthe ranking given to the top-tier Predators that existed just below the rung of the One Overlord.

    And so, the existence responsible for the dungeon creation had been finally brought up, prompting Su-hyeun¡¯s whole body to tense up without him even realizing it.

    He asked, ¡°Your group, the Five Godly Sages, do you perceive these dungeons as a threat?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. They are a threat. Individually, they may not amount to much, but their overall numbers are rapidly approaching that threat level even as we speak. At this rate, it won¡¯t be long before dungeons completely overtake the entire universe.¡±

    ¡°In that case, can¡¯t we just kill that Shiva?¡±

    By killing the one who created the dungeons, it could be possible to destroy the dungeon system itself.

    It was an obvious guess since Zeus did mention that these dungeons were created out of Shiva¡¯s desire, his will, of wanting to destroy the universe.

    ¡°Well, locating where he¡¯s hiding is a big quandary, but more than that¡­¡± Zeus trailed off. It seemed that there was more than one problem to consider here. ¡°Even if he¡¯s found, he¡¯s not someone we can easily kill, either.¡±

    ¡°Even with the combined might of the Five Godly Sages?¡±

    ¡°Shiva might be one of the Three Destroyers, but in all honesty, he should be considered as a ¡®Primordial God.¡¯ Just like how the universe was born, the universe will one day be destroyed. And Shiva as an existence is destined to lead the universe to that destruction.¡±

    ¡°Wait, he¡¯s not a Predator but a god?¡±

    ¡°Initially, he was a god. Although, that¡¯s no longer the case now.¡±

    Was that a similar situation to Hercules?

    It became easier to understand when looking at it from the angle of how a god became a slave to a specific emotion or to his desire and fell from their godhood to end up as a monster.

    Even then, it was still surprising. The Three Destroyers were the highest tier of Predators, excluding the One Overlord, so, to think that Shiva, one of the Three Destroyers, was originally a god¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s a Primordial God, born to destroy a universe. And to defeat such an existence, one or two of the Five Godly Sages will simply not be enough.¡±

    ¡°Hah-ah¡­¡± Su-hyeun let out a long groan.

    So, in conclusion, there was no good way of stopping the dungeons. With this revelation, his worries became more serious.

    ¡°His explanation implies that the destruction of the universe has already commenced, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he thought.

    Now the problem no longer involved only Su-hyeun¡¯s world. No, this problem was far, far graver and larger in scale than he ever imagined.

    He was starting to get a migraine from these unbelievable things being told to him.

    ¡°Please, do not be too concerned. We are also doing our best to come up with a suitable solution regarding that quandary, and we have already established a defensive measure of our own to counter that threat.¡±

    ¡°That defensive measure, are you referring to our system?¡±

    Zeus became silent once more. He pondered something for a little while before nodding slowly, ¡°Yes, that was definitely a part of our purpose.¡±

    ¡°In other words, there is something else besides¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. Unfortunately, that¡¯s all I can reveal to you at this stage. My apologies.¡±

    ¡°No, this much is already enough, if I¡¯m being honest. If I hear more, I think my head will split in half.¡±

    The dungeons, the Tower, and the accompanying system¡ªto awakeners, those three things served as chains that tightly bound them together. The sudden appearance of dungeons and the Tower of Trials and then the appearance of the awakeners who became stronger through the system¡¯s powers all happened so close to one another that it might very well be called ¡°simultaneous.¡±

    As such, it was not hard to hear theories of how the dungeons¡¯ appearance prompted the Tower to appear, too. Of course, quite a few people questioned that order of things.

    Was it really the case of the system appearing because dungeons showed up? Or were the dungeons the result of the system?

    The truth was, it was the former.

    Dungeons, which were created through Shiva, made their presence known first, and to defend against that, the system was created as the defense mechanism.

    ¡°Ah, and one more thing,¡± Su-hyeun abruptly recalled what Hades said earlier. ¡°Lord Hades brought up this topic earlier, didn¡¯t he? That the Five Godly Sages have great expectations of Hercules and me. May I ask, what do you expect from us exactly?¡±

    ¡°I heard that it¡¯s ¡®transformation.''¡±

    ¡°Transformation? What kind are we talking about here?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, even I¡¯m not sure of it. I wasn¡¯t the one who saw that future. My Insight is even worse than Apollo¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°You are not sure?¡±

    What an absurd story this was¡ªthey were expecting great things from him, but they didn¡¯t know what to expect?

    However, it didn¡¯t look like Zeus was lying here, either.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be too concerned. At the very least, you won¡¯t come to harm, benefactor. Also, it should happen not too long from now.¡±

    ¡°Meaning, you want me to find out for myself.¡±

    ¡°No, what I¡¯m saying is that there¡¯s no need to go out of your way to investigate because you¡¯ll find out soon enough. However, if you still wish to learn more, then I advise you to seek out Master Subhuti.¡±

    ¡°Master Subhuti?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s one of the Five Godly Sages. He¡¯s the first human to ascend to godhood and also the person who taught Sage Arts to both the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven and the Great Sage, Heaven¡¯s Equal.¡±

    ¡°He taught my older brothers?¡±

    Su-hyeun knew that a human taught both Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King the Sage Arts. However, he had no idea that such a person would be one of the Five Godly Sages.

    Zeus continued, ¡°He¡¯s also responsible for thinking up the system. His Insight is the greatest among the ranks of the Five Godly Sages.¡±

    And so, Su-hyeun now had to add one more name to the list of people¡ªor gods in this case¡ªthat he needed to meet.

    Thankfully, he already had points of contact, which happened to be Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King. Through these two, maybe Su-hyeun would get to speak to Master Subhuti sooner or later.

    ¡°It seems that our conversation will have to come to an end here,¡± Zeus suddenly said and raised his head while Su-hyeun was submerged in his thoughts. ¡°Athena, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Almost at the same time, a crest shaped like a shield materialized near the ceiling. The square shield featured the image of a monster with a snake¡¯s head.

    ¡°Father Zeus, head god of Olympus, I bring you unfortunate news,¡± said a low-pitched and genderless voice that came from that shield crest.

    ¡°Poseidon has fallen in battle, father.¡±

 Chapter 443

    <hr />

    Olympus was thrown into utter chaos upon the death of Poseidon, the God of Oceans.

    A brother to Zeus and Hades, and one of the Three Deities that represented Olympus, had fallen in battle.

    ¡°Just what has happened? Can you tell me?¡± Su-hyeun asked Apollo who was currently sitting opposite him.

    The Sun God was sipping from a wine flute. He had already knocked back dozens of shots by now. Even then, his expression remained cloudy.

    ¡°My honored uncle, Poseidon, has passed on.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡­.have heard that. But how did he¡ª?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll soon find out. Athena has brought us the details, after all,¡± Apollo replied casually and then took another swig of the wine.

    Gulp¡ª

    His cheeks had become slightly flushed now, indicating that he must be feeling the effects of the booze.

    The pungent odor of alcohol wafted around, so the drink must have been quite strong.

    ¡°Would you like a glass yourself?¡±

    ¡°Do you require a drinking buddy, so to speak?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll be grateful if you¡¯re willing.¡±

    ¡°In that case, pour me a glass, please.¡±

    Su-hyeun received a flute of wine from Apollo. When he brought the beverage closer to his face, a strong stench of booze stung his senses. He then took a small sip, only for a rather powerful alcoholic taste to hit his palate. He also picked up that uniquely sweet yet sour taste of wine, but it still couldn¡¯t disguise the fact that this was one strong alcohol, indeed.

    When Su-hyeun¡¯s face scrunched up from just a single sip, Apollo began smirking deeply, ¡°If you¡¯re not a fan of wine, then you don¡¯t have to force yourself to drink. This particular wine has been brewed specifically to knock out even the gods, after all¡ªit¡¯s far stronger than you think.¡±

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s not totally undrinkable.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to stop there. Booze is supposed to be drunk by people who know how to enjoy it. Otherwise, it¡¯s just a waste of good booze to let someone drink it when he doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate the taste or the atmosphere.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Hmm, if the one in question says so.¡±

    Trickle¡­

    Apollo poured more booze into his flute. He had emptied the glass several times now, yet there was no sign of him stopping anytime soon.

    ¡°My uncle, Poseidon¡­His personality was completely the opposite of mine, you see? I love to be free, unshackled, whatever, but him? He was a totally stuck-up dude. Very old-fashioned.¡±

    Su-hyeun quietly listened to Apollo¡¯s rambling. He sipped the wine every now, but he chose to remain silent.

    Despite Apollo¡¯s claim that he and his uncle were not that close, the thing was, the lifespan of the gods was on a completely different scale compared to regular mortals who could live up to, at best, a century.

    Gods were near-immortal existences that could live for hundreds of millions of years. The sheer scale of the memories they would get to accumulate in that length of time, as well as the resulting reminiscence and longing, was not something Su-hyeun could even imagine properly.

    ¡°He even shoved my head in the ocean this one time, telling me to cool down for a while. The water was so bloody cold back then, you know? I¡¯m telling you, he was so damn strict.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you don¡¯t have a lot of fond memories of him.¡±

    When Su-hyeun finally replied for the first time in hours, Apollo pondered a little and then nodded in agreement, ¡°Hmm? Ha, I guess so.¡±

    For sure, most of all the grumble-like rambling coming out of the Sun God so far was meant to badmouth Poseidon. The God of the Oceans was way too strict and stuck-up, hence, the constant bickering between uncle and nephew.

    That was why Apollo used to badmouth Poseidon behind his back. Sure, it might have happened when the Sun God was still an immature punk, but even then, none of those memories were especially nice to recall.

    So how come¡­?

    ¡°Why do I miss him so much already? Is it because I know that I¡¯ll never see his face ever again?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you did have a good relationship with him.¡±

    ¡°But all he did was nag whenever he saw me, though,¡± Apollo retorted, his face deep pink as if he was quite drunk.

    He put the flute down and then wordlessly took in the sight outside his temple.

    In the far-off distance, a large wolf emitting moonlight could be seen running across the sky. Apollo recognized who that was despite the great distance and muttered softly, ¡°Artemis¡­¡±

    It was the twin sister of Apollo, Artemis.

    However, it wouldn¡¯t be just her this time. The 12 top gods who had been temporarily absent from Olympus were gathering for a meeting¡ªwell, that number should be only 11 now.

    ¡°And so, everyone is here,¡± Apollo stood up from his spot. The flush was noticeably gone from his face now. He roused up his power to get rid of his drunkenness that he had deliberately left untouched until now. ¡°Well then, I shall get going now. Ah, by the way. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll also be on your way?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve stayed here for too long.¡¯

    Su-hyeun had been staying in Olympus for a few days now. A part of it was down to the sudden commotion that came to visit this place, preventing him from finding an opportune moment to say goodbye, but he wanted to get some new information before leaving as well.

    This was Olympus, a place where various gods gathered. No other place would be as convenient to acquire information from¡ªat least that was what he figured.

    The topic Su-hyeun was most interested in right now was related to the Three Destroyers, more specifically, Shiva.

    Su-hyeun sought out information regarding that particular Predator for the past few days, but in the end, he didn¡¯t get to hear any solid intel. Most of the residents here were in a state of chaos and confusion due to Poseidon¡¯s death.

    And this was the reason why Su-hyeun had been acting as Apollo¡¯s drinking buddy since yesterday.

    ¡°Is that so? In that case, have a safe trip, alright? And don¡¯t forget to come by and say hello next time.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    ¡°I should get going and attend that meeting now. Alright, then¡­Hmm?¡±

    Clack, step¡ª

    Sounds of heavy armor could be heard echoing within Apollo¡¯s temple. When they turned their heads in that direction, they spotted a beautiful woman sporting bob-cut black hair with a helm tucked under her arm, striding gallantly toward them.

    ¡°Athena?¡¯

    She was none other than the Goddess of Wisdom and War, Athena.

    Rather unlike her refined, beautiful facial features, her physique definitely warranted the description of being ¡°stunningly athletic.¡± Even her eyes gleamed sharply, exuding a strong fighting spirit even though she wasn¡¯t doing anything particular.

    The goddess responsible for delivering the news of Poseidon¡¯s death had come seeking out Apollo for some reason.

    ¡°It¡¯s already time for the meeting, Apollo. You twins are proving to be the tardiest.¡±

    ¡°Well, I was waiting for my sister. Besides all that, did you come all the way here to fetch me?¡±

    ¡°That is one of my reasons.¡± Athena¡¯s gaze shifted over to Su-hyeun next. ¡°However, I bring a message from my father, as he wishes our guest to accompany us.¡±

    ¡°Wait, me too?¡± Su-hyeun asked back at this unexpected development.

    Athena nodded once, and with a dignified demeanor, she handed over a carefully folded letter to Su-hyeun, ¡°Father has asked me to pass this on to you.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Su-hyeun accepted the letter as a confused expression formed on his face, and when he unfurled the letter that had been carefully folded three times¡­

    [The 201st floor¡¯s trial will now commence.]

    [Please attend the meeting taking place in Olympus.]

    The moment he saw the contents of the letter, those two messages popped up in Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    The next trial, just like that?

    The content of the letter was just as simple as the system messages.

    [Please aid us.]

    He didn¡¯t recognize the alphabets, but probably thanks to the system¡¯s intervention, he had no trouble reading these foreign words.

    What exactly did he need to help with, though?

    For sure, the author of this letter had to be Zeus. Only he in the entire Olympus knew about the system and the Tower of Trials, after all.

    So, then, a new trial had commenced already. If Su-hyeun chose to leave Olympus now, this trial would surely end in failure. However, if he went directly to the Tower¡¯s 201st floor from here, then he could get another trial, instead.

    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t thinking of stopping, anyway,¡± he thought.

    Su-hyeun was planning to challenge the 201st floor¡¯s trial as soon as he returned, but now, it seemed that Olympus itself had become the stage for his next trial. With this, he no longer had a reason to leave.

    Shuffle¡ª

    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll accompany you,¡± said Su-hyeun as he folded the letter once and shoved it inside his pocket.

    The trial had already commenced.

    <hr />

    The Palace of Olympus was even quieter compared to earlier.

    It was the same story on the road here, too¡ªgods were grieving over Poseidon¡¯s death, and they were also scared.

    The matter of his passing was the biggest ¡°incident¡± ever to take place since the founding of Olympus.

    ¡°He¡¯s quite late, that Apollo.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. He might have gotten scolded often, but in truth, he spent more time with Honored Uncle Poseidon than anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Athena has come with him.¡±

    ¡°As for the being behind them, is he the guest who has been allowed to attend this meeting?¡±

    ¡°Allowing an outsider god into Olympus wasn¡¯t enough, and now, he¡¯s even attending our meeting?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s supposed to have felled Kali, so as far as his combat strength is concerned, he is most certainly qualified.¡±

    ¡°But simply because he¡¯s strong¡­?¡±

    When Su-hyeun stepped inside the conference venue, he noticed that several gods had already settled down while keeping some distance between each other. The seat of honor was in the center of the venue, and the gods were chatting away among themselves.

    Four spots were unoccupied right now: the seat of honor, another spot belonging to Poseidon, and the last two belonging to Apollo and Athena.

    ¡°With this, everyone is here.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Heavy footsteps could be felt reverberating within the conference venue. At the same time, all the gods in the venue stood up. The main god of Olympus and the rightful owner of the seat of honor, Zeus, had made his entrance.

    ¡°No need to stand. All of you, take a seat,¡± Zeus spoke in a dignified tone and manner, which was different from when he was speaking privately to Su-hyeun.

    The gods all sat back down again with his permission. Apollo and Athena too walked over to their assigned seats, leaving only Su-hyeun on his feet.

    ¡°I shall yield the¡­newly emptied spot to our guest. Since it¡¯s only temporary, there are no objections, I presume?¡± Zeus asked, and the other 10 gods of Olympus nodded in unison.

    A few of them weren¡¯t too keen on Su-hyeun taking up Poseidon¡¯s seat, but that didn¡¯t mean they could voice their objections out in the open. In this place, Zeus¡¯s words were basically the law.

    Du-ruruk¡ª

    And so, Su-hyeun settled down on the empty chair. Ares was sitting across from him. He discreetly waved his hand at Su-hyeun. Just as Su-hyeun nodded in acknowledgment, Zeus spoke, ¡°Athena.¡±

    ¡°Yes, father.¡±

    ¡°Let us begin.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Athena replied and stood up.

    She was the one who brought the news of Poseidon¡¯s death, and she was also the one who argued for this meeting to be convened in the first place.

    ¡°I believe that everyone gathered here today has already received the news of Lord Poseidon¡¯s tragic passing. Normally, his funeral should have been prioritized over holding a conference like this, but¡­¡±

    A meeting had to be convened even before the funeral. That was something even Su-hyeun thought was odd.

    ¡°There is a good reason for doing so.¡±

    ¡°Athena, this reason needs to be good enough to convince us all. If Lord Poseidon¡¯s funeral was delayed due to an insignificant reason, then all the gods present today will be greatly enraged,¡± a woman spoke with a gentle smile despite the obvious sorrow visible in her expression.

    It was Goddess Hestia. She was the Goddess of Family and Order and was known to possess quite a gentle disposition. But she was also the sister of Poseidon, and as such, she was grieving just as badly as everyone else.

    ¡°I, too, am saddened by the Honored Uncle¡¯s passing. No, let me clarify myself. I feel incredibly frustrated and angry, as I was the one who witnessed his murder with my own eyes.¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Athena gritted her teeth in anguish and continued, ¡°It¡¯s war.¡±

    War?

    The only one taken aback by her words was Su-hyeun, while the other gods became puzzled rather than surprised.

    ¡°When you say ¡®war,¡¯ haven¡¯t we been waging that already?¡± asked Ares in a disinterested voice.

    The other gods nodded in agreement at his question. None of what Athena said just now seemed particularly special or surprising to them.

    ¡°It¡¯s already been many hundreds of millions of years since this war against the Giants began. I have been standing in the frontlines to combat those accursed Giant bastards for a long time, too. So, this doesn¡¯t sound like a good reason, now does it?¡±

    ¡°Do you really consider those skirmishes war?¡± Athena asked, prompting Ares to think about it for a moment.

    He then shook his head, ¡°No. Rather than war, it¡¯s more like they were trying to pick a fight with us.¡±

    ¡°Correct. Just picking fights. We, the gods, and those hostile Giants¡ªthese two sides have been pointing weapons in each other¡¯s direction for a very long time, true, but none of us have truly risked our lives to fight until now. For instance,¡± Athena turned her attention over to Zeus before continuing, ¡°It has been a really long time since father was required to participate in the battle.¡±

    ¡°What is it that you wish to say, Athena?¡±

    ¡°He has finally made a move.¡±

    All the gods tensed up when she said that.

    ¡°One of the Three Destroyers, Uranus.¡±

    Sure enough, that one name they had been worried about was finally brought up.

 Chapter 444

    <hr />

    Complete silence was the response of everyone at the conference venue to Athena¡¯s news.

    The name that even made the gods struggle to breathe had been uttered by Athena today.

    ¡°Uranus,¡± Su-hyeun thought, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that creature Zeus¡¯s grandfather?¡±

    He was a god that had been forgotten a long time ago whose name was rarely¡ªif at all¡ªuttered in the halls of Olympus. He was a fallen god who had become a Predator, after all.

    Su-hyeun suspected that Uranus would be a powerful Predator, but today, he finally learned that the grandfather of Zeus was actually one of the Three Destroyers.

    He was suddenly getting an ominous foreboding here¡ªthe kind where it felt like a big ¡°something¡± was about to happen. The vicious winds had already ballooned past anyone¡¯s control. They had become a powerful storm, and this conference venue was the center of the said storm now.

    The eye of the storm was always the most dangerous spot and the quietest, too..

    ¡°Is this information reliable?¡± Hades was the first god to break the heavy silence.

    Athena nodded as she replied, ¡°I trust that everyone here is aware of how Uranus, who was the predecessor, the ancestor, of our Olympus, had fallen to become a monster that devours other gods¡ªthat he is now one of the Three Destroyers.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean Poseidon was¡­?¡±

    ¡°Along with the weapon he used during his life, the Trident, the Honored Uncle was devoured by Uranus. As for me, I¡­¡± She squeezed her eyes shut as a faintly trembling voice barely broke past her lips, ¡°Only managed to escape from that place.¡±

    ¡°Athena!¡±

    BANG¡ª!

    The enraged Ares slammed his hand down on the table before him.

    Athena was none other than the Goddess of War, not some common god. Unlike Ares who relied on strength to fight, she used her wisdom and intellect to win, but even then, the two of them were quite similar in several ways, perhaps more than any other gods present today.

    Their most notable similarity would be their fervor toward warfare, as well as their unyielding pride in the battlefield.

    ¡°How dare you say something like that?¡±

    ¡°Ares.¡±

    A deep voice suddenly stopped Ares. The God of War couldn¡¯t continue the rest of his outburst as his half-rising torso flinched greatly. He then shifted his head to his side to look.

    That voice belonged to Zeus. ¡°Keep your mouth shut for a while, Ares,¡± Zeus ordered.

    Tap, tap, tap¡ª

    However, Zeus wasn¡¯t even staring at Ares. He tapped on the table and muttered quietly as if he was deeply engrossed in his thoughts, ¡°Uranus, Uranus¡­¡±

    Ares was unable to say anything until Zeus could collect his thoughts.

    And so, when a bout of silence that felt like an eternity had come to an end, Zeus spoke up, ¡°Does anyone here have something to say?¡±

    No one answered.

    It seemed that he wasn¡¯t aware how many hours it had been before he finally opened his mouth and how the other gods had to spend all those hours in sheer frustration unable to even breathe too loudly.

    ¡°If that¡¯s not it, then he can simply do whatever he wants?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    Zeus¡¯s atmosphere was completely different compared with how he was during his chat with Su-hyeun. Someone who initially came across as a well-built neighborhood grandpa was now lording over everyone present as their undisputed leader.

    Just one word from Zeus¡ªno, just a shift in his expression alone¡ªwas enough to alter the mood within the conference venue.

    Even Hades, whom Su-hyeun thought was the sole individual capable of controlling Zeus to some extent, had become overwhelmed by the atmosphere surrounding the God of Thunder.

    A few gods were even sweating profusely as if merely being here was proving to be too taxing for them.

    In simple terms, the air in the venue was heavy that Su-hyeun even began wondering for the first time in a long while about how heavy gravity could be.

    ¡°We must¡­fight back,¡± Ares finally managed to say something a while after Zeus asked his question.

    His words promptly gained the attention of all the gods present.

    Fight back, he said. In a way, what he said could be construed as far too simple-minded, but at the same time, it also sounded obvious.

    One of the top gods of Olympus, who was also Zeus¡¯s brother, Poseidon, was killed. What Ares said didn¡¯t sound rebellious or problematic in that context since he was advocating for avenging his uncle¡¯s death.

    However, the meaning behind his suggestion went past the level of being extraordinary and straight into the territory of terrifying.

    ¡°What are you so afraid of?¡± Ares scanned his fellow gods that numbered 10, including Zeus.

    Some of them avoided meeting his gaze.

    Ares, who had survived countless battlefields up until now, found it far too easy to read the expressions of his fellow gods. ¡°Are you all that afraid?!¡±

    ¡°Ares, that is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you all so scared of dying?¡±

    ¡°Ares, watch what you¡¯re saying,¡± Hades intervened, unable to sit still.

    Zeus didn¡¯t say anything and simply watched on, his arms across his chest.

    Meanwhile, Ares didn¡¯t stop, ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to watch anything, uncle. Did you not hear that Honored Uncle Poseidon has fallen in battle?¡±

    Hades could only sigh at Ares¡¯s combative words.

    The God of War continued, ¡°Let¡¯s forget about revenge for a moment. Do not forget that Uranus has begun getting involved directly now. The bastard who avoided getting in conflict with Olympus and only focused himself on devouring gods has declared war on us!¡±

    A few gods quickly averted their gazes when Ares¡¯s eyes began burning in pure rage.

    Without a doubt, he possessed the greatest combat prowess out of all the gods in Olympus bar Zeus; Hades could exhibit all of his strength in Hell, but this was Olympus, not Hell.

    Not only that, if this situation was the opening act of the war as Ares had alluded to, then no other god¡¯s suggestion would be more trustworthy than his.

    ¡°Even if we don¡¯t do anything, the other side will act first,¡± Zeus, who had been quietly listening, finally said something.

    Ares looked back at his father and nodded in agreement. Several others¡ªAthena, Hades, Hephaestus, and finally, Artemis¡ªalso nodded in unison.

    ¡°You¡¯re indeed correct, brother.¡±

    ¡°It seems that war is unavoidable, father.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get busy for a while, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was thinking that this peace has been going on for too long already.¡±

    The four gods each said some things.

    In addition, Ares and Zeus joined them. Meaning, more than half of the remaining gods had said some things that sounded as if they approved of starting the war.

    The rest of the gods couldn¡¯t deny what their fellow gods were saying. In all honesty, they also knew what it meant when Uranus personally got involved.

    ¡°It¡¯s decided, then.¡± Zeus uncrossed his arms and issued a new order, ¡°Ares, Athena.¡±

    ¡°Yes, father!¡±

    Clack, clack¡ª!

    Ares and Athena stood up at attention simultaneously.

    The two deities of war had been called out at the same time. As such, they could already anticipate what Zeus¡¯s new order would be.

    And finally, the command that had not left Zeus¡¯s lips in such a long time was made, ¡°Prepare for war!¡±

    That was the decision of Zeus and Olympus itself.

    <hr />

    They agreed to suspend the meeting for a little while.

    The gods returned to their respective temples in the meantime. The busiest of them were Ares and Athena, as they needed to prepare for the upcoming war.

    As for Su-hyeun, he followed Apollo and returned to the Sun God¡¯s temple.

    He didn¡¯t have a place to stay anyway, so he simply chose to set up camp in Apollo¡¯s temple. Besides, the Sun God was the very first god Su-hyeun had met, and he also happened to be the closest to a friend Su-hyeun could consider among the gods.

    Maybe that was the reason why Zeus¡¯s order to Apollo concerning Su-hyeun¡¯s stay wouldn¡¯t be found lacking. To put it in another way, Apollo was now tasked with guiding Su-hyeun around Olympus as a visiting guest and making sure the latter had a good time during his stay.

    Now that Apollo had officially invited Su-hyeun to stay in his temple, he spoke as he moved to settle down on the sofa, ¡°Well, we now call it a war, but we shouldn¡¯t mistake it for something else. Father is probably worried. By a lot, too. He must be thinking about Olympus falling into danger.¡±

    ¡°Is that creature that threatening? Enough to scare all the gods to this degree?¡±

    The intense emotion Su-hyeun picked up from the gods during the meeting was, almost universally, fear.

    That was the emotion every god felt with the sole exception of Zeus. Even the one who argued for the option of fighting back, Ares, was also afraid inwardly.

    Olympus was the land that the great and powerful gods like Zeus, Hades, Ares, and Apollo called home.

    But now, an enemy so strong had appeared that all these gods still felt afraid although they would be working together. Su-hyeun found such a thing too hard to even imagine.

    ¡°Well, the Three Destroyers are the most dangerous existences in not just this universe but in every realm out there, so I guess it¡¯s something a bit hard for you to properly grasp.¡±

    ¡°Looks like I asked a wrong question,¡± Su-hyeun decided to change his line of questioning. He figured that continuing down this line wouldn¡¯t get him the answer he wanted to hear. ¡°Can we win this fight?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Apollo shook his head. He chose not to lie.

    Apollo was supposed to be even more proficient in Insight than anyone among the Five Godly Sages, yet someone like him was shaking his head?

    Su-hyeun had been thinking that the Sun God would¡¯ve been able to ¡°see,¡± but this¡­

    ¡°Originally, I would¡¯ve replied that it¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Originally?¡±

    ¡°Yes, originally.¡±

    ¡°A future that¡¯s no longer ¡®original?¡¯ What has changed?¡±

    When Su-hyeun asked that, Apollo, who was now comfortably seated on the cushions of the sofa, began staring at his conversation partner without saying anything.

    The atmosphere suddenly became awkward at that.

    Su-hyeun asked again, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°How can I when you don¡¯t¡­Mm?¡± An uncertain expression formed on Su-hyeun¡¯s face as he pointed to himself. ¡°Wait, could it be because of me?¡±

    ¡°Bingo,¡± Apollo replied without a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    Su-hyeun became lost in his complicated thoughts for a moment there and ended up standing still with a dazed face.

    The future had changed again? And it was because of him?

    ¡°Hey, dude, what¡¯s up with that face? Wait a minute, you still haven¡¯t recognized what kind of an existence you are?¡± Apollo spoke in a dismayed tone after seeing Su-hyeun¡¯s expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you kill one of the Ten Great Evils, Kali? With no one¡¯s help, to boot? And you also won against Ares, didn¡¯t you? Unless we¡¯re talking about my uncles fighting against Ares in their backyards like the oceans or Hell, only my father is strong enough to beat him in Olympus. So, it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that the tides of the upcoming war have changed after someone like you joined our side.¡±

    It felt like a heavy burden was suddenly placed on Su-hyeun¡¯s shoulders.

    Zeus requested his assistance by even hijacking the trial system. Not only that but Apollo, the God of Fire and Prophecies, whose Insight was supposed to be equal to, or even better than, that of the Five Godly Sages, was now saying such things, too.

    ¡°Could it be that you have seen the future?¡± Su-hyeun asked, wondering if Apollo had indeed taken a peek at what might happen.

    ¡°I¡¯m always ¡®looking,¡¯ whether I want to or not.¡±

    ¡°Just what kind of future have you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°My bad, but I can¡¯t tell you that.¡±

    Su-hyeun could only frown at Apollo¡¯s firm refusal.

    This discussion definitely was related to him. It also concerned the potential continued existence, or even destruction, of Olympus.

    Yet, Apollo chose not to say anything¡ªnot during the meeting and also not to Su-hyeun.

    ¡°May I ask why? Wouldn¡¯t your predictions have a purpose only by talking about them in the first place?¡±

    ¡°I only speak of the future that will come true,¡± Apollo replied as he stood back up. ¡°However, the future that can change? Something like that isn¡¯t a prediction or anything like that,¡± he continued, his confusion showing on his face.

    He was right, however; a future that could be changed was ¡°meaningless.¡± Something like that was not worth bringing up even if you had seen it.

    Countless possibilities existed for the future, but the actual future could only be one out of all of them¡ªand Apollo was unable to make any predictions about it.

    Apollo then abruptly began heading outside his temple.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I want to speak to my father. Get some rest in the meantime. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    <hr />

    Inside the deepest part of the Palace of Olympus¡­

    Zeus was currently standing still in front of the Well of God Title with his hands resting behind his back. He just stood there in silence, staring at the surface of the water, evidently deeply submerged in his thoughts right now.

    Step, step¡ª

    The sound of footsteps had reached him, and upon hearing those steps coming from beyond the thick and heavy doors, Zeus asked, ¡°You¡¯ve come, son?¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The doors didn¡¯t open; Apollo simply phased through the doors themselves with his figure enveloped by flames.

    Did he just use his powers inside the palace? In any other times, he would have already been sternly reprimanded because of such an action.

    However, despite knowing that, Apollo remained unfazed when Zeus didn¡¯t bother to say anything.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you, father.¡±

    But that was because, compared to the severity of the events happening right now, Apollo¡¯s little indiscretion was as insignificant as a speck of dust existing out there in the great cosmos.

    ¡°You may ask.¡±

    ¡°I saw the future,¡± Apollo said and then held his breath for a moment or two.

    Zeus didn¡¯t urge his son to carry on and simply stared at the well in silence, waiting for the next part of the inquiry.

    ¡°But it was a future that would change, so it doesn¡¯t even qualify as a prediction of what¡¯s to come. But through that version of the future, I ended up learning something that I did not know until now.¡±

    The future could be changed; even if that was true, though, it didn¡¯t mean the power of prediction would lose all of its usefulness.

    Even if that possibility of the future was not going to be the reality, something that would change eventually anyway, it was still one of the possibilities that could happen, regardless.

    So, as a clue to what might happen, or even as a piece of information, what he saw was still quite valuable.

    ¡°Is that so? What is it that you wish to ask me, son?¡±

    ¡°I only have one question, father.¡±

    Zeus finally turned around Apollo uttered, ¡°Just¡­what is he?¡±

 Chapter 445

    After Apollo asked that, Zeus wordlessly stared at his son for a long, long while.

    So many thoughts swirled around his head. However, even Apollo, renowned for his extraordinary Insight, couldn¡¯t read what was on Zeus¡¯s mind right now.

    Zeus was basically an existence outside of heaven¡¯s purview. Even the gods of Olympus who had inherited the same type of blood as him, Poseidon or Hades, couldn¡¯t match up to their youngest brother, Zeus.

    As such, Apollo quietly waited because there was not much he could do unless Zeus chose to speak first.

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t say anything, it seems that I can¡¯t keep it a secret from you any longer,¡± Zeus finally said something after a long bout of silence. He maintained his posture where his hands were behind his back and began walking around the edges of the Well of God Title. ¡°Apollo,¡± he called.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what the true age of the universe is?¡± . Now that was an unexpected question.

    Apollo didn¡¯t even need to think before answering, ¡°Father, there¡¯s no way of knowing that unless you¡¯re a primordial god.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°But father, why are you suddenly asking me that?¡±

    ¡°In that case, have you ever wondered what the lifespan of the universe could be?¡±

    ¡°The lifespan of the universe?¡± Apollo¡¯s frown deepened as the strange and difficult questions came one after another. This inexplicable foreboding swept across his entire figure next.

    ¡°This universe has become diseased, decrepit. The inhabitants of this universe were no longer content with what they have, eventually giving birth to monsters called the Predators. In a way, Shiva making a move is the inevitable result.¡±

    ¡°But father, this isn¡¯t the first time Shiva started something. And we can certainly stop him again this time, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is indeed not the first time. Despite experiencing several near extinction-level events, this universe managed to pull through, and Yggdrasil was maintained.¡±

    ¡°If so, why are you¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Let me ask you something else again,¡± Zeus cut off Apollo and changed his question, ¡°Tell me, which ¡®number¡¯ do you think this universe is?¡±

    Apollo was unable to answer.

    It wasn¡¯t simply because he didn¡¯t know which number it was, however¡ªthat was merely a secondary issue here.

    No one was aware of this tale. No, it would be more accurate to say that not one individual had even entertained such a notion before in their whole lives.

    It could only mean that the universe had already been destroyed several times by now.

    ¡°It seems that our discussion has been sidetracked, son. You asked me earlier what that man is, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°S¡ªsorry?¡±

    Apollo had forgotten about his question for a while there, thanks to a completely unrelated tale, which was nonetheless of far graver importance.

    That question was the sole reason why Apollo came here to speak to Zeus, after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m also curious about it, myself,¡± said Zeus as he closed his eyes in contemplation. ¡°Really now, which side does he belong to¡ª?¡±

    What he could see with his closed eyes was simply pure darkness.

    <hr />

    A second visitor showed up in Olympus, and Su-hyeun was quite familiar with that man¡¯s identity.

    ¡°Hercules?¡±

    ¡°Oh, oooh! It¡¯s been a long while! But what brings you here, fella?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you too.¡±

    Both of them were taken aback after finding each other here; Su-hyeun was surprised to find Hercules had reached Olympus, while the latter was greatly stunned to see that the former had made his entrance into the land of the gods.

    They grabbed each other¡¯s hands and shook enthusiastically. With a good-natured grin on his face, Hercules explained himself, ¡°Father requested my presence here. It¡¯s good timing, too, considering that dungeons have suddenly stopped showing up on my side recently, and I was getting a bit concerned.¡±

    ¡°All dungeons have vanished, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been almost half a year since the Giants stopped showing up, but it seems the matter has ballooned to a concerning level.¡±

    The dungeons that persistently showed up for decades in the mortal realm that Hercules called home had suddenly vanished, meaning practically no Giants invaded there now.

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t the end of the story but merely the beginning of something else.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve heard it, too?¡±

    ¡°Well, if I haven¡¯t, then I wouldn¡¯t have hurried to this place.¡±

    Hercules had been fighting the Giants for a long time. Sure, the time he spent performing this task was just a blip in the long history of Olympus, but to Hercules, it was long enough to call it his entire lifetime.

    And the war against Uranus would be the final battle that could potentially put an end to that long and arduous fight.

    ¡°What about you, friend? What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Originally, I had some other unrelated business to attend to, but now,¡± Su-hyeun groaned deeply, ¡°As you say, the matter has ballooned up.¡±

    He already got his hands on the Hephaestus¡¯s hammer. He fought Ares and won, and with the hammer, he was planning to have several useful items crafted.

    But now, a massive crisis had reared its head here, and the 201st floor¡¯s trial was suddenly thrust upon him.

    Since it was connected to the Three Destroyers, the difficulty this time should be quite considerable. However, the accompanying reward should equally be considerable as well. More importantly, though, Su-hyeun sensed that he might learn a valuable piece of information or two regarding dungeons through this opportunity.

    Shiva, who was also one of the Three Destroyers, was responsible for creating dungeons, after all.

    ¡°Are you planning to help Olympus out, friend?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I received the request.¡±

    ¡°Mm. I feel a lot more confident, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, me too.¡±

    And so, Hercules also joined the party.

    Even then, Su-hyeun¡¯s heart still felt heavy. The battles hadn¡¯t started yet, and he found it hard to even picture what kind of battles he would soon be involved in.

    Su-hyeun and Hercules spent their downtime chatting about stuff that happened in their lives. The things Hercules talked about usually involved his family, however.

    As for where he would stay, that hadn¡¯t been decided yet, but Apollo¡¯s temple featured dozens of unoccupied rooms that could be taken up as a sleeping quarter. Hercules was free to use any room he wanted.

    Step, step¡ª

    They suddenly heard loud footsteps.

    Clack, clank¡ª

    But that wasn¡¯t all; even the sounds of heavy armor resounded as well.

    This presence didn¡¯t belong to Apollo. In the middle of a big smile, while talking about his family, Hercules turned his head to look, and Su-hyeun also shifted his gaze.

    ¡°You two are both here, I see.¡±

    It was Ares. The one who was supposed to be the busiest with the war preparation had personally come for a visit.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Lord Apollo?¡±

    ¡°He should still be in a meeting with father.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s taking a while.¡±

    It had already been several hours since Apollo left the temple. Su-hyeun expected him to return fairly quickly, but the Sun God was taking his time. Maybe the discussion had been extended for some reason?

    ¡°Well, I guess they have a lot to talk about. That idiot hasn¡¯t come to visit Olympus in a long while, after all.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Lord Ares? Weren¡¯t you busy as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was. From rallying the other gods alongside the 12 gods of Olympus to distributing the equipment and dividing the teams¡­all these tasks are something this noble God of War must¡ª¡±

    ¡°But hang on, aren¡¯t those Lady Athena¡¯s job?¡± Hercules suddenly asked while munching on some grapes as he sat next to Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun ended up chuckling a little at that, while Ares frowned deeply. That was because that question had struck the nail in the head.

    ¡°Sure. Such official duties are Athena¡¯s to take care of. As for my role, it¡¯s to step into the frontlines whenever wars break out and just blindly fight, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. And since we¡¯re on that subject¡­You two?¡± Ares beckoned them to him and then turned around to leave. ¡°It seems that both of you will have to come with me to fight, too.¡±

    <hr />

    Neiiiiigh¡ª!

    A humongous crimson steed was dashing across the sky, and Su-hyeun, Hercules, and Ares were riding on the back of that creature.

    Su-hyeun glanced back at Olympus rapidly growing farther away.

    The distance between them grew quite quickly; the speed of this crimson steed was so fast that it almost matched Miru¡¯s flight speed.

    Su-hyeun asked, ¡°Where are we going right now?¡±

    Ares abruptly took both Su-hyeun and Hercules and then began traveling somewhere. He said he would explain while they traveled, but he had said nothing so far.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to Hell.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve already been there? No wait, it was only up to the entrance, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Ares replied nonchalantly, but the name of their destination was certainly a chill-inducing one nevertheless.

    Even Hercules who was quietly listening in made a troubled expression, ¡°I also had to go there once before.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. You¡¯ve been there, too. Weren¡¯t you the very first human in history to subdue Cerberus? But now, you¡­¡± Ares glanced at Hercules and then continued the rest of his sentence, ¡°Seemed to have become a full-fledged god now.¡±

    Hercules¡¯s transformation, while Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t around, couldn¡¯t be called minor at all. Not just his physical abilities but even his mindset had also fully reached the realm of the gods by now.

    Excluding Ares, it would be difficult to find another god possessing a better combat ability than Hercules in Olympus right now.

    ¡°Why are we heading to Hell, though?¡±

    ¡°It seems that a problem has occurred there.¡±

    ¡°What kind of problem is it?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find out when we get there. Honored Uncle Hades has already departed for Hell yesterday. I mean, that place is like his home, after all.¡±

    Hell was indeed Hades¡¯s residence.

    And the Giants including Uranus should be aware of that fact. Even if Hades could exhibit his full strength in Hell, the story would still be a grim one if Uranus decided to personally get involved here.

    For instance, even Poseidon, the God of the Oceans, died within his beloved water.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up, then.¡±

    Neiiiiigh¡ª!

    The crimson steed neighed loudly and increased its speed.

    The passing scenery changed in an instant, but that was because the creature wasn¡¯t simply ¡°running¡± right now.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    From Olympus to the mortal realm and then to Hell that existed in a realm even below the latter, the creature hopped past the ¡°wall¡± between them.

    It didn¡¯t even take half an hour to reach their destination.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The scenery finally stopped rapidly changing.

    The new scenery was utterly dominated by pitch-black darkness. Not just the skies above but even the land below was dyed in this black hue.

    The flowing river was as black as ink, but it did occasionally reveal crimson light glowing from beneath the surface. Its high temperature could be sensed even from far away.

    ¡°So, this is Hell?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    From what he heard, several different types of Hell existed out there.

    This particular Hell, as lorded over by Hades, was the world where humans living in the realms under the purview of Olympus were sent to receive their punishment. Their souls would receive punishment based on the law of cause and effect, and then, after serving their sentence, they would be reincarnated.

    So, normally, this would be where you would find countless souls to intense torment.

    But now¡­

    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone here,¡± said Su-hyeun as he scanned their surroundings using his Insight.

    Even though he searched through the far-off distance where normal eyesight would never be able to reach, he couldn¡¯t spot a single soul, never mind anyone¡¯s presence.

    It was like staring at a destroyed world. Rather obviously, Hell¡¯s scenery wouldn¡¯t be what you would call nice to look at, but even then, Su-hyeun didn¡¯t expect it to be this empty, either.

    ¡°I knew it. Something did happen here.¡±

    All the souls that should be found in Hell had vanished completely.

    This couldn¡¯t have been an ordinary problem; to those souls subjected to intense torment in this place, this might be a type of blessing, but the truth was, dying inside Hell was equal to a complete and total erasure from existence.

    If Hades saw this, he would¡¯ve been greatly incensed.

    ¡°Did Uranus personally get involved here?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we would have seen that bastard by now. His size is absolutely ginormous, after all.¡±

    This spooky silence came across as far too unnatural.

    More importantly, though, they couldn¡¯t see Hades anywhere, even though he was supposed to have departed for Hell ahead of them. Along with this foreboding, this instinctive warning bell was going off in their minds.

    And right at that moment¡­

    ¡°It seems that,¡± Su-hyeun was the first one to look up and say something, ¡°We¡¯ve been had.¡±

    ¡°Had? Had what?¡±

    Ares didn¡¯t seem to be up to speed with certain slangs modern humans used.

    Su-hyeun groaned deeply and corrected himself, ¡°It means, they have managed to deceive us.¡±

    He pointed up, indicating that the others should look up, too. Only then did Hercules and Ares realize what was going on.

    Go-ooooooh¡ª

    What they discovered up in the sky was tens of thousands of Giants, and more of them were still appearing even now; in a matter of seconds, the skies became dyed in a purplish hue, signaling that a dungeon had opened up.

    This was a trap.

    Claaang¡ª

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword at their sudden appearance. ¡°For now¡­¡±

    At the same time, Hercules pulled out his club, while Ares extracted his spear and shield.

    ¡°Thinking¡± could wait. They had only one thing to do right now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s break through first.¡±

 Chapter 446 - Chapter 446

    <hr />

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Pow, popopopow¡ª!

    Splaaaash¡ª!

    A massive storm raged on and ripped the bodies of the Giants gathering in the sky into bloody pieces. Their blood filled the air while Su-hyeun dug even deeper among them to wield his sword once more.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Poooow¡ª!

    His sword, which was hacking down amid the Giants, cleanly sliced one of them apart in half. However, the other living Giants were about to extend their hands toward Su-hyeun from behind, but then¡­

    ¡°Strike them¡­.¡±

    FLASH¡ª!

    The sky suddenly flashed, and along with it was an earsplitting sound.

    ¡°Somersault cloud!¡±

    KA-RUUUMBLE¡ª!

    Pazzzzik, bzzzzzik¡ª!

    The lightning bolt that came crashing down charred the Giants completely. These creatures that were trying to pounce on Su-hyeun from all directions became utterly paralyzed as their bodies burned away before limply plummeting to the ground below.

    Boom, thud¡ª

    Thousands of Giants were felled in an instant.

    Hercules and Ares witnessed this scene, and after briefly stopping their fight, they began chuckling hollowly.

    ¡°He¡¯s become a complete monster in the meantime, hasn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°That kid¡­Was he originally this insane?¡±

    Hercules, who hadn¡¯t seen Su-hyeun in a long time, quietly sighed in admiration, while Ares deeply frowned after recalling their fight a few days ago.

    Of the two, the one most surprised right now was Ares.

    That fight did end as Su-hyeun¡¯s victory, but the gap back then wasn¡¯t all that great, so much so that Ares even thought that if only Zeus didn¡¯t interfere, maybe¡­

    That was how narrow the gap was back then. That was why if Ares and Su-hyeun fought again in the future, Ares genuinely thought that he might get to win.

    But now, the current Su-hyeun was utterly different from the person he met a few days ago.

    Gu-wuwuwu¡­

    It was right then that a Giant¡¯s figure loomed large behind Su-hyeun. As if it was a Giant even in the eyes of the Giants, this particular creature boasted a physique that must have been several hundreds of times larger than the other Giants.

    This Giant was on the level of a Colossus. Even among the ranks of Predators, it was quite a high-tier creature.

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    The fist of this Colossus that was the size of a massive mountain slammed straight down on top of Su-hyeun¡¯s head.

    However, its fist came to a sudden halt right in the middle of its downswing. Another hand had grabbed the creature¡¯s arm.

    Squeeeeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s palm had grabbed hold of the descending arm of the Colossus.

    A human and an ant¡ªno, wait¡ªthe difference in their sizes must have been much more significant than that.

    But Su-hyeun still used his grip to hold the creature¡¯s arm firmly and lifted it off its feet despite such disparity.

    ¡°Fuu-heuph¡ª!¡±

    Lift¡ª

    Whoooooooosh¡ª

    The creature¡¯s colossal figure began spinning in the air. The other Giants were struck by the spinning body and got flung away everywhere.

    And so, after spinning the Colossus around several times, Su-hyeun let go, and then¡­

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The Colossus flew far, far away before crashing deeply into the ground.

    ¡°Hey¡­you think you can do that, too?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Hercules scratched his head at Ares¡¯s question before replying with, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Lord Ares.¡±

    ¡°Hah¡­¡±

    As far as pure physical strength was concerned, no other gods in Olympus could rival Hercules. Just in the category of physical abilities alone, Hercules was already being evaluated as having inherited Zeus¡¯s blood far thicker than even Ares.

    ¡°Even so, there are still too many of them here,¡± Ares thought as the number of Giants still kept increasing.

    It must have been a really long time since this many Giants had shown up at once. As a matter of fact, Ares couldn¡¯t remember the last time he encountered such a number during the long and exhausting war against the Giants, which happened to be still ongoing.

    Well, with the sole exception of the very first battle against the Giants that took place so long ago, he could barely remember an instant that reached this degree.

    ¡°So, they want to see this through till the end, is that it?¡±

    That first battle, which nearly drove Olympus to the brink of utter destruction, was threatening to repeat itself once more.

    This turn of events had been predicted to some degree right after the announcement of Poseidon¡¯s passing. Still, now that an army that boasted such a dramatic scale was upon Ares, the impression he was currently getting felt strikingly different.

    ¡°How long are you going to stand around spectating, Lord Ares?¡±

    Step¡ª

    Hercules walked ahead of Ares. While wielding his heavy club, he leaped high to beat some Giants to death.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Ares witnessed that and quickly shook his head to bring his mind back to reality, ¡°I should not be standing still like this.¡±

    There was no time to stay shocked like this. Ares¡¯s competitive spirit always had been strong, so merely staying still made him feel like he was losing again.

    ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s see who gets to kill the most today, and¡ª¡±

    Just as Ares picked up his spear and shield and got ready to charge, a roar so chilling resounded that it even managed to numb Ares.

    Kyaaahk, kkyaaaah¡ª!

    Not just Ares but even Hercules, who was about to swing his club to swat away a Giant, and Su-hyeun stopped moving and shifted their gazes in the direction of the roar.

    Gu-wuwuwu¡­

    A colossal hand descended from the purple-hued sky. However, that lone hand was followed by others. Each one was as large as the torso of a Giant, and dozens of them were descending right now.

    Fifty single-eyed heads¡­

    One hundred enormous hands¡­

    ¡°What the¡­hell is that?¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    Hercules audibly gulped down his saliva.

    This gigantic and bizarre creature did not just blanket the sky above; it also emitted an aura that made the surrounding atmosphere feel much heavier.

    Hercules certainly felt that his body was heavy just then.

    Ares, who had encountered this monstrosity in the distant past before, muttered slowly, ¡°Gyges¡­¡±

    ¡°Just what is that thing?¡± Su-hyeun asked while walking up to Ares.

    He thought that the God of War Ares seemed to know something about this bizarre creature based on his reaction.

    This hundred-armed and fifty-headed creature stretched itself the moment it appeared as if it wanted to yawn. Many Giants got sucked up in the creature¡¯s movement and got crushed into bloody meat paste.

    ¡°That¡¯s Gyges, a Giant with a hundred limbs and 50 heads. It is also one of the Ten Great Evils.¡±

    ¡°The Ten Great Evils, you say?¡±

    ¡°Out of all the Giants working under Uranus, that creature easily ranks among the top 10. This is also my first time seeing that bastard again after the end of the last Great War¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that thing dangerous?¡±

    ¡°More than anything else, you have to question why that thing has shown up at this time. During the Great War, that bastard¡¯s first appearance happened around the 50th year mark.¡±

    The gears in Ares¡¯s mind were spinning at a dizzying speed. Despite being a God of War, he wasn¡¯t as bright as Athena. Even so, he could still figure out what¡¯s going on here without too much trouble.

    Ares muttered, ¡°It¡¯s an all-out war, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    ¡°These bastards are not planning to take it easy anymore. This creature¡¯s presence can only mean that the other strong Giants under Uranus have made their moves as well.¡±

    Ares quickly drew up the potential progression of this war in his mind.

    The gods thought that this new war had only just begun. They believed that the enemy¡¯s first target was Poseidon, and their second would be the netherworld and Hades.

    That was what Athena and Ares, as well as the rest of Olympus, thought would be the sequence of the war, but this?

    ¡°Their real target is Olympus.¡±

    Judging from the current situation, Ares had no choice but to correct that belief.

    ¡°This was just a bait. Uranus went to Olympus, instead!¡±

    ¡°Which means that creature¡ª¡±

    ¡°That thing is meant to keep us here. Well, its endurance and defense are insanely great, after all. Back in the previous Great War, even after I combined my strength with Uncle Poseidon, we still failed to kill that thing. Of course, it also couldn¡¯t kill us, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°That thing is here to buy time, is that it?¡± Su-hyeun asked.

    ¡°Uncle Hades disappeared out of the blue. He probably got sneak attacked on his way to the netherworld. And the war commander, me, is now trapped down here, too.¡±

    Kya-ruk, kkyaaah¡ª!

    Gyges¡¯s 50 heads let out all sorts of howls and screeches. Unlike Kali, this creature didn¡¯t seem to possess a well-developed ego.

    The sound waves from its screeches shook the inside of everyone¡¯s head. Su-hyeun frowned deeply and spoke up, ¡°Is it okay for me to take that creature on by myself?¡±

    ¡°Wait, you alone?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we should break through together? We will create the path together, then. I will catch up to you as soon as I dealt with that monster,¡± Su-hyeun said confidently.

    Originally, Ares would have never agreed to something like this. But when he thought back to how Su-hyeun was fighting earlier, the plan seemed pretty doable. More importantly, Olympus was his priority.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to break through,¡± Ares said.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Pure-white rays exploded forth from Ares¡¯s hand as a gigantic spear materialized there. Its length alone must have been near four meters.

    It was none other than the divine artifact representing Ares, the Giant Spear.

    ¡°Hercules.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°The moment I give my signal, follow me and jump. We shall escape from here and return to Olympus.¡±

    Hercules¡¯s brows furrowed as he listened. He didn¡¯t like the sound of this choice. Leaving someone else behind to deal with a battlefield was a concept far too foreign to him.

    Even so¡­

    ¡°Alright, I shall follow you.¡±

    Even if he didn¡¯t like it, the current situation did not permit him to raise objections.

    Hercules held his bow and pulled out an arrow from the quiver tied to his back. He nocked an arrow and then pulled at the bowstring hard.

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    ¡°We must break through in one go, Lord Ares,¡± said Hercules.

    ¡°Having Apollo around in times like these would¡¯ve been so bloody convenient, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ares followed suit and got ready to throw his spear.

    Apollo boasted the most incredible range of abilities among all the Olympian gods. As such, Ares couldn¡¯t help but ruefully wonder what would¡¯ve happened if the Sun God was here, but he didn¡¯t dwell on that thought.

    Pazzik, pazzzzik¡ª

    Along with Su-hyeun¡¯s Thunderbolt that formed on his left hand, the weapons of the trio flew toward their targets at the same time.

    [Hydra¡¯s Poison Arrow]

    [Giant Spear]

    [Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove ¨C Thunderbolt]

    Swiiiiiish, whiiiiish¡ª!

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    The fired arrow and spears pierced a giant hole in the sky. In reality, it wasn¡¯t as if a hole had opened up in empty air. More correctly, the countless Giants that had filled up the sky above had been vaporized without a trace, making it seem like a hole had opened up.

    ¡°Heavenly Steed.¡±

    Neiiiigh¡ª!

    At Ares¡¯s call, the crimson steed they rode on to enter the netherworld, the Heavenly Steed, revealed itself once more.

    Ares and Hercules jumped on the steed¡¯s back simultaneously, which prompted Gyges¡¯s 50 eyes to lock onto them.

    Gu-ooooh¡ª

    A humongous palm descended to capture the Heavenly Steed, and 100 arms and legs began moving around. Just as Ares grasped the steed¡¯s reins, he discovered Gyges¡¯s descending palm. But right at that moment¡­

    ¡°Shove that aside¡ª!¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Powerful winds focused in one spot.

    ¡°Palm Leaf¡ª!¡±

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    The wind pressure shoved Gyges¡¯s hands aside. Several other hands got pretty close, but even those couldn¡¯t win against the wind pressure and got deflected in the opposite direction.

    Ares, while holding the steed¡¯s reins, discovered that Su-hyeun had activated Leap to jump high.

    The God of War addressed him, ¡°I shall leave the aftermath to you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, and go ahead.¡±

    The Heavenly Steed rapidly flew away.

    Out of Gyges¡¯s 50 heads, half of them were staring in the direction of the steed carrying Ares and Hercules. It seemed that this creature had no plans of letting them leave.

    As expected, this monstrosity¡¯s real purpose was to keep them trapped down here.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡±

    Griiip¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed Gyges¡¯s arm and felt an even greater bulk than when he tossed around that Colossus.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­?¡±

    Gu-wuwuwu¡­

    Crunch, craaack¡ª

    He roused up as much strength as he could in his arm and then spun Gyges¡¯s body halfway around.

    ¡°Stay and entertain me instead!¡±

    KA-BOOOOOOM¡ª!

    Crack, spliiit¡ª

    The netherworld¡¯s terrain filled with boiling lava tumbled and rocked viciously for a little while, all because of Gyges. While it was trying to reach out toward the Heavenly Steed, it had been ungainly thrown down to the ground.

    ¡°Fuu-woo¡­¡± Su-hyeun exhaled at length after exerting himself. Although the ground rocked quite loudly, there didn¡¯t seem to be much of an impact in the end. The creature stood back up unhurt while shaking only a handful of its 50 heads.

    Even so¡­

    ¡°I still bought enough time, huh?¡± Su-hyeun thought.

    The Heavenly Steed was no longer in sight. Buying only a moment was already enough, as it turned out.

    Su-hyeun scanned his surroundings and found that the army of Giants was still flooding through from the dungeon-like opening.

    ¡°Ares and Poseidon couldn¡¯t kill you, right?¡±

    Su-hyeun was singularly facing an army of Giants and one of the Ten Great Evils, Gyges.

    ¡°In that case, how about me?¡± Su-hyeun asked, which prompted all of Gyges¡¯s eyes to lock their glare on him before it growled menacingly.

 Chapter 447

    Giiii-aaaaah¡ª!

    Buzz, wu-ooong¡ª

    Su-hyeun¡¯s eardrums shook painfully. The raucous screech reverberating throughout the netherworld was shrill enough to make Su-hyeun instinctively furrow his brow.

    ¡°Gee whiz! You sure do have a set of pipes, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Rumble¡ª!

    Pazzik, bzzzzik¡ª

    Su-hyeun summoned a Thunderbolt in his hand and said, ¡°Whatever the case might be, I¡¯ll regard it as you accepting my challenge.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve made a foolish decision.¡±

    Vrrrrr¡ª

    Soundwaves invaded Su-hyeun¡¯s head which soon turned into a stiff voice. Su-hyeun immediately realized who was talking to him¡ªthere could be only one creature here that might want to talk to him, after all. . ¡°You have a surprisingly cool-sounding voice, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°If Ares and Hercules were both here, you probably could have escaped from here alive. Even if it took you three days and night, well, I wouldn¡¯t have won against those two in the end, after all.¡±

    Gyges was clearly underestimating Su-hyeun. Just from its voice alone, he could hear its disdain for him.

    The corner of Su-hyeun¡¯s lips curled up at such a reaction coming from Gyges. ¡°That¡¯s just your opinion.¡±

    ¡°Then, what are you planning to do against an army of this size?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡­¡±

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    POW¡ª!

    The moment Su-hyeun¡¯s Thunderbolt flashed, the bodies of all the nearby Giants exploded into bits and pieces like overinflated balloons.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to eliminate you all.¡±

    ¡°You overestimate yourself.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t do for you to make an important judgment like that even before you start fighting me. And also¡­¡±

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    ¡°The difference in the combat force is just your opinion, too.¡±

    [The ¡°Necromancer¡± trait is being activated.]

    [By using ¡°Death Aura,¡± you can see or command the dead.]

    Death Aura leaking out to Su-hyeun¡¯s surroundings seeped into the ground below.

    ¡°Arise.¡±

    Crack, crunch¡ª

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    The corpses of the fallen Giants began standing back up one by one, but that wasn¡¯t even the end of the story.

    Clack¡ª

    ¡°Deli¡­cious¡­food¡­¡±

    Prince Nezha and Gluttony, the renowned summons under Su-hyeun¡¯s command, began appearing one after the other as well.

    Just Gluttony alone was a summoned creature powerful enough to rival Predators ranked within One Hundred Evils.

    But what Gyges paid most attention to wasn¡¯t Gluttony nor Prince Nezha.

    Chwa-aaaah¡ª

    ¡°That creature, isn¡¯t it¡ª?¡±

    It was a creature wrapped in a gigantic wave of blood¡ªa beautiful naked ¡°woman¡± currently sporting pure-azure skin.

    ¡°Kali?¡±

    The new addition to Su-hyeun¡¯s summons was none other than Kali.

    <hr />

    Olympus wasn¡¯t a place anyone could enter without permission. Not only many gods resided here, but it was also surrounded by an independent line of defense.

    This barrier was the handiwork of the God of Blacksmiths, Hephaestus.

    Boom, bang¡ª!

    Buzzzz¡ª

    But that protective barrier was being shaken around right now.

    The impact force got transmitted inside as well. The noises as the barrier shook were loud enough to reverberate within the entirety of Olympus.

    The part of the barrier being attacked had turned pure-white opaque. The change indicated that the barrier, which had been operating for a very long time to keep out the Giants, was rapidly reaching its limit.

    Meanwhile, at the spot below it, many gods had gathered.

    Athena, who was among them, asked, ¡°Where is Lord Ares right now?¡±

    ¡°He must¡¯ve chased after Lord Hades and traveled to the netherworld, my lady. Also, we believe the outsider and Hercules have departed with Lord Ares.¡±

    ¡°Why did it have to be now, when it¡¯s¡ª?¡± Athena muttered before shaking her head.

    There was no such thing as ¡°convenient timing¡± in war.

    If an event occurred, then it stood to reason that a cause must exist too. No ¡°result¡± could exist without the ¡°cause¡± and ¡°process.¡±

    Athena closed her eyes for a short while and calmed her racing mind. She finally muttered, ¡°We¡¯ve been had.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lady?¡±

    ¡°Where is my father right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s currently in a meeting with Lord Apollo.¡±

    Athena mused loudly, ¡°He must¡¯ve heard the commotion by now¡­¡±

    Just what kind of discussion were they having that Zeus hadn¡¯t shown up even after such a loud commotion?

    It was too late now to urge some other gods to go and call Zeus here, which meant that the gods that were already present and finished with their equipment inspection had to hold on until Zeus arrived.

    ¡°Lord Hades has disappeared after heading off to the netherworld. Lord Zeus is currently tied down by another urgent matter. And finally, Lord Poseidon fell during battle not too long ago.¡±

    Thud¡ª!

    Athena slammed her heavy shield on the ground. The terrain faintly rumbled, causing the attention of the gods gathered here for war to focus on her.

    ¡°We must engage our enemies without the presence of the Three Gods representing Olympus. Are you all prepared?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    SHATTER¡ª!

    The barrier shattered right then.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    Pow, popopopow¡ª!

    Through the open gap of the shattered barrier, large spears rained down indiscriminately.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Clang, claaaaang¡ª!

    Popopopow¡ª!

    The counterattack of the gods was just as fierce.

    Gods stood up to the Giants¡¯ attacks and began wielding their swords and various other weapons. Some even powerfully threw spears, while a few others fired their energy rays to directly blow up the Giants¡¯ heads.

    They might not rank among the Twelve Gods of Olympus, but even then, enough of the gods present possessed fairly high divine status in their own right.

    ¡°So, he came today, too.¡±

    And then, visible within the gap of the shattered barrier was a truly gigantic eye.

    An iris humongous enough to completely blanket the sky was ¡°floating¡± right above Olympus.

    ¡°U¡ªuwaahh, euh¡­.?!¡±

    ¡°W¡ªwhat the hell¡­is that?!¡±

    Several of the gods were frightened out of their wits by that existence and knelt down. If a non-divine creature ended up looking at that existence, they would¡¯ve simply keeled over and died just from the sheer terror alone.

    Unlike the Three Gods, including Zeus, this was Athena¡¯s first time encountering that existence. Even so, she could quickly tell what or who that existence was. ¡°Uranus,¡± she said.

    It was the king of Predators and one of the Three Destroyers¡ªa forefather of Olympus and an existence ranked among the Primordial Gods.

    The biggest lifeform in the universe, Uranus, had finally made its entrance.

    <hr />

    [Summon: Kali]

    [Application Rate: 43%]

    There was a big difference in Kali¡¯s current stats from the past: the application rate of 43%.

    After reaching the three-digit mark for Death Aura, Kali would be Su-hyeun¡¯s first summon to boast this level of application rate. It indicated how excellent her starting stats and powers were already.

    Although he quietly wished for her application rate to be above the 50% mark, that was him simply being too greedy.

    His Death Aura stat increased dramatically after he acquired God Titles, which also boosted the application rates across the board. Even then, Kali¡¯s rate reached only this much.

    ¡°On the other hand, the application rate for my other summons increased greatly, so there¡¯s that,¡± he thought.

    The application rate¡¯s limit wasn¡¯t 100%. No, it was well beyond that¡ª120%. Even 200% existed, too.

    This meant that the abilities of his summons had become even better than back when they were still alive, all thanks to Su-hyeun¡¯s power.

    And because of that¡­

    Crunch¡ª!

    Fu-hwa-aaak¡ª

    The tide of the battle had turned in Su-hyeun¡¯s favor.

    Splaaaat¡ª!

    The strike from Prince Nezha¡¯s Yogoe Slaying Sword sliced clean through the clouds drifting over the netherworld¡¯s terrain. That attack alone caused all the Giants to fall down en masse like a cascade of cherry blossom leaves.

    Split¡ª

    Right after that, a massive mouth suddenly appeared in the sky.

    The mouth was huge enough to easily gobble up hundreds of Giants in one go. Just as the Giants flinched in surprise, they were all swallowed up instantly.

    Crunch, chew¡ª

    That mouth belonged to Gluttony.

    To Gluttony, who was cursed with insatiable hunger, this battle was basically a grand feast to satisfy its appetite.

    Besides the two, the fallen Giants became Su-hyeun¡¯s new allies and continued to rise up one by one.

    ¡°Nice. Very nice,¡± Su-hyeun muttered while observing their battles. ¡°I have more than enough Death Aura supply too, so it¡¯s not too taxing for me, either.¡±

    He abruptly recalled the moment he first acquired the Necromancer trait.

    Back then, he didn¡¯t have a lot of Death Aura. He could command an army boasting countless combatants for only a few brief minutes. That duration decreased even further if the summons he brought out used to possess excellent abilities when they were still alive.

    But now, his Death Aura stat had reached the three-digit mark. No, wait¡ªit was a lot more than that now.

    [Death Aura: 105(+5)]

    All in all, the stat sat at 105.

    But now that he was in a combat situation, all of Su-hyeun¡¯s stats had risen by five additional points, including the Death Aura stat.

    Maybe that was the reason why his Death Aura reserve was still overflowing even now. Even the application rates had shot up greatly, boosting the abilities of the summons, too.

    His only problem was that¡­

    ¡°Seriously now, what a bloody tough exterior this is.¡±

    For the first time in a long while, Su-hyeun felt an annoyance during a fight.

    This battle was different from the one he had with Kali or Ares, which required a high degree of concentration, and he couldn¡¯t afford to think about anything else.

    However, the battle against Gyges was basically a long continuous chain of boredom.

    Pow¡ª!

    Drip¡ª

    The sword that he powerfully swung tore through Gyges¡¯ skin. However, the wound wasn¡¯t all that deep¡ªonly a few meters at best. Compared to how big Gyges was, such a wound was nothing more than a tiny little scratch.

    Rumble¡ª!

    [Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove ¨C Thunderbolt]

    [Somersault cloud]

    Lightning gathered within Su-hyeun¡¯s hand. He then powerfully thrust the newly generated lightning spear into the flesh wound he had left behind just now.

    Cruuuunch¡ª!

    A portion of the flesh burned away. That should¡¯ve hurt a great deal, but Gyges simply used one of its hands to shield the wound and extended its other hands in Su-hyeun¡¯s direction.

    Wuuuong¡ª

    Baaaang¡ª!

    The shockwave shooting out from its handclap distorted and crushed the atmosphere. Su-hyeun crossed his arms in front of him and braced his legs to withstand the shockwave.

    Gyges¡¯ power wasn¡¯t anything to write home about. However, the real issue here was with its defensive capabilities.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s not as simple as having a huge body, is that it?¡±

    Su-hyeun had been pummeling Gyges¡¯ body for the past three hours. Still, there was no discernible change to the gigantic creature. If every wound was sized up on their own, they seemed pretty deep, but compared to the creature¡¯s colossal physique, they were just minor scratches in the end.

    Su-hyeun could figure out just a little why Ares and Poseidon had failed to kill this creature back then.

    ¡°Well, even so¡­¡± Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t worried. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s bound to fall after I injure it enough times.¡±

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Su-hyeun leaped high again.

    The number of times he could activate ¡°Leap¡± now had surpassed hundreds, no, thousands of times. Even that would be reset the moment he landed, so it was basically the same as him having no more restrictions during the aerial battles now.

    Gyges¡¯ eyes shifted to where Su-hyeun was, but he was long gone from there by then.

    Grrrrr¡ª!

    Just as Gyges hurriedly looked around to locate Su-hyeun¡¯s whereabouts¡­

    Fuu-haaaak¡ª!

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Purple-colored flames exploded from one of Gyges¡¯ mouths while letting out a low growl.

    Kyaaaaah¡ª!

    This head let out a loud screech as one of the hands shot up to cover its mouth. Gyges did that to prevent Su-hyeun, who had somehow slipped inside its mouth unnoticed, from escaping from there.

    ¡°Blocking the exit doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t get out, though,¡± Su-hyeun¡¯s voice rang within Gyges¡¯ mouth.

    Gyges was suddenly overcome with an ominous foreboding, so it tried to do the opposite by opening its mouth to spit him out, but right at that moment¡­

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Sky Divider]

    Puuu-haaaak¡ª!

    Gyges¡¯ eye was sliced wide open. Su-hyeun succeeded in creating a large enough hole in one of its heads by swinging his sword from the inside.

    Fwhoosh¡ª!

    That was how Su-hyeun emerged after willingly slipping in through the creature¡¯s mouth. Excluding the head that now lost its lone eye, the rest of the heads snapped toward him, their eyes burning in pure rage.

    ¡°It won¡¯t do for you to become this angry already, you know,¡± Su-hyeun smirked deeply and glanced at the eyeless head. ¡°My present hasn¡¯t even started yet, after all.¡±

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    A loud thunderclap went off right inside Gyges¡¯ body, no less.

    Gyaaaaaaaaah¡ª!

    All 49 heads screeched in torment at the same time.

    Su-hyeun smirked against the creature¡¯s reaction, ¡°The way to kill you is surprisingly simple, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The creature¡¯s massive body, reminiscent of toughened steel, didn¡¯t seem like it would be toppled no matter what. But the way to fight against this opponent that Su-hyeun wasn¡¯t going to lose to, but was also seemingly unable to win against, was surprisingly more straightforward than he thought.

    Having slipped inside Gyges¡¯ body to leave behind a ¡°present¡± of a Thunderbolt, Su-hyeun began creating another Thunderbolt.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­¡±

    Forty-nine heads still remained.

    ¡°Find out how many more times you can endure it?¡±

 Chapter 448 - 448

    Maybe Gyges heard Su-hyeun¡¯s muttering because it promptly shut its mouth up.

    It meant to cut off any avenues that Su-hyeun might use to infiltrate its body.

    Gyges wasn¡¯t completely stupid, after all. But then again, its intelligence shouldn¡¯t be low at all, considering the length of time it had lived so far.

    It had realized that Su-hyeun found a way to defeat it. Even then¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s not like there are no other avenues left.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun leaped toward Gyges¡¯ head, clenched his fist tightly, and then threw an almighty punch..

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Tumble, crumble¡ª

    Several of Gyges¡¯ teeth were shattered; the broken bits of teeth tumbled from its mouth, which now resembled a corncob missing several kernels.

    Wasn¡¯t one of the worst pain imaginable supposed to be toothache?

    Gyges¡¯ mouth shot wide open involuntarily as it screamed in pain, and that proved to be its biggest mistake.

    Su-hyeun assumed a spear-throwing posture, his target inside the wide-open mouth.

    Ku-rururu¡ª

    Lightning striking down from the heavens gathered in his hand. A moment later, arcs of electricity containing a far greater energy level than earlier morphed into a massive spear.

    [Somersault cloud]

    [Zeus¡¯s Thunder Glove]

    [Grand Thunderbolt]

    The spear looked as if it was made out of dozens of smaller Thunderbolts bunched up together.

    Su-hyeun arched his back greatly before firing the Grand Thunderbolt straight into the wide-open mouth of Gyges.

    FLASH¡ª!

    Rumble, ka-booooom¡ª!

    An intense flash of light, accompanied by a loud thunderclap, exploded from within Gyges¡¯ body.

    Kya, gyaaaaaahk¡ª!

    Gyges screamed in pain.

    Even gods had internal organs. The only thing they didn¡¯t experience was aging. That story wasn¡¯t different with the Predators.

    Even more so, as Gyges, a member of the Giant race who also happened to be a Predator, was a creature quite close to being an actual god.

    The pain of one¡¯s internal organs being scorched was not something anyone could endure, no matter how tough one¡¯s mind was.

    ¡°Screaming so soon? That won¡¯t do.¡±

    Pazzik, bzzzzik¡ª

    Su-hyeun summoned yet another Thunderbolt, which happened to be another ginormous one like the spear before it.

    ¡°I mean, there are still plenty more left, you know?¡±

    This creature was a tenacious bastard. It got hit by numerous Thunderbolts already. Even now, it was shuddering away after being electrocuted, yet it still hadn¡¯t collapsed.

    However, it didn¡¯t really matter in the end; Su-hyeun was planning to strike it with more Thunderbolts, anyway.

    He powerfully flung the Thunderbolt he had in his grip.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    <hr />

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    A lightning bolt struck down.

    For a moment there, the whole world was dyed in a rose-golden hue; then, the scorched-black corpses of Giants began tumbling down like rainfall.

    Several of them were even turned into ashes after getting directly struck by lightning.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that¡­?¡± Athena urgently turned her head. ¡°Father?¡±

    Rumble, fwhooosh¡ª

    But that wasn¡¯t all.

    Intense amber-colored flames quickly burned through the skies. Those flames acted as if they possessed ego and transformed into snakes that tightly wound all around the Giants.

    They began screaming in torment as these flame snakes wrapped tightly around their torsos, but soon, they were burned to a crisp and stopped breathing altogether.

    Most regular Titans also suffered the same result.

    Athena knew only one god capable of creating flames of this high temperature over such a wide area.

    ¡°Apollo!¡±

    ¡°Athena.¡±

    Fwhoosh¡ª

    Apollo appeared right next to Athena.

    He asked, ¡°Where is Ares?¡±

    ¡°What have you been listening to earlier? The distance to the palace isn¡¯t that great, you know?¡±

    ¡°My bad. I had something important to talk to father about. I couldn¡¯t hear anything.¡±

    ¡°Dammit. He traveled to Hell but has not returned yet. I fear something may have happened to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Indeed, something did happen!¡±

    Neiiiigh¡ª!

    A familiar voice reverberated around them.

    The gazes of Athena and Apollo shifted simultaneously. The latter was even smiling faintly as a relieved expression formed on his face, ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°All troops¡ª!¡±

    Ares¡¯s loud voice rocked the surroundings. His voice might have come across as too simple-minded and straightforward just then, but even so, listening to him seemed to reinvigorate everyone almost immediately.

    ¡°Are you all ready to fight?!¡±

    ¡°Waah¡­¡±

    ¡°Waaaaah¡ª!¡±

    The gods all cheered loudly at Ares¡¯s rallying cry.

    Their God of War, Ares, had finally returned. His entrance to this stage meant something on a completely different level to simply boosting their morale.

    The roar of their God of War was enough to push the crowd¡¯s strength to their limits. It not only eliminated their fear but also significantly pushed their abilities to their extremes.

    This was the reason why Ares had been leading all wars waged by Olympus until now.

    ¡°Man, what a noisy entrance that was.¡±

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Ka-baaaang¡ª!

    It was right at that moment that an arrow flying through the sky pierced straight past the torsos of several Giants.

    This arrow kept going and eventually reached the gigantic life form looming over the protective barrier cast over Olympus, resulting in a comparatively small arrow wound.

    That was fired by none other than Hercules himself.

    He grunted, ¡°Didn¡¯t even budge, huh?¡±

    He did hear about it already, but now that he had actually seen it, Uranus¡¯s actual size was enough to make him agog.

    If they were dealing with a huge monster, then he wouldn¡¯t have been all that bothered. To someone as strong as Hercules, enemies having big bodies simply meant he would have a bigger target to land his attacks, after all.

    But even then, a limit still existed to such a mindset.

    ¡°Just how big is he, anyway?¡± Hercules wondered.

    The only thing visible beyond the penetrated barrier was simply the skin of Uranus. His eyes seemed to be closed for now, as if he was in a deep slumber.

    ¡°What took you so long? And where is Lord Hades?¡± Athena asked Ares as if she was interrogating him.

    He climbed down from his heavenly steed and, while equipping himself with his spear and shield, replied to her, ¡°It was a trap.¡±

    ¡°A trap?¡±

    ¡°Our uncle was nowhere to be found. Before we could reach Hell, they must¡¯ve done something to him.¡±

    ¡°Then what¡ª?¡±

    ¡°Gyges was waiting for us, along with an army of innumerable Titans and Giants.¡±

    ¡°Gyges was there?¡±

    Gyges was a Predator ranked among the Ten Great Evils and a Giant that tormented Olympus since ancient times.

    The tale of Ares and Poseidon working together to hunt down that creature¡ªbut ultimately returning with neither a victory nor defeat¡ªwas rather infamous in the long war history of Olympus.

    ¡°And I was wondering why I couldn¡¯t find that creature recently¡­What happened to Gyges then? Have you killed it?¡±

    ¡°No, but we left it up to him.¡±

    ¡°Left it up to him? Who are you even talking ab¡ª?¡± Athena abruptly recalled Su-hyeun just then, who was said to have left with Ares and Hercules earlier. Now that she took another look, he was nowhere to be found. ¡°Could it be¡­?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my decision. What can I do when he volunteered for it? Especially in our current situation, too.¡±

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case¡ª!¡±

    ¡°No need to worry, Athena. At the very least, he won¡¯t lose.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±

    ¡°That man, he was already stronger than me a few days ago, but the current him I saw before leaving¡­ Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and out with it. Can¡¯t you see our urgent situation?¡±

    Ares, clearly not too keen on providing a further explanation, roughly scratched his head and let out a groan before finally opening his mouth, ¡°He¡¯s gotten even stronger now.¡±

    ¡°Even more?¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe, and it certainly is a kick to my pride. But I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes, so I have to believe it. In any case,¡± Ares hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°Right now, the situation here is far more urgent than that side.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Athena stared at the barrier that was almost at its breaking point, ¡°That is indeed true.¡±

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    SHATTER¡ª!

    Finally, the barrier protecting Olympus completely shattered to pieces. Meaning, Giants now had far more room to invade this land.

    But quite different from how it was like earlier, the Giants were a lot less enthusiastic about stepping into Olympus.

    Pazzzik, bzzzzz¡ª

    Some kind of an electro-magnetic field had been created all around Olympus.

    A ridiculously high-voltage current powerful enough to scorch anyone that got too close prevented the Giants from invading.

    This was the power of Zeus, the head god of Olympus, also referred to as the God of the Sky and Thunder.

    However, the true problem for Olympus wasn¡¯t the Giants.

    ¡°How troublesome,¡± Zeus frowned deeply as he flew above the clouds and then looked up at the sky. No, wait¡ªthat was not a sky but a face of a certain creature. ¡°Just how far have you fallen?¡±

    When Zeus asked that question, those huge eyes that had been closed until now opened.

    SPLIT¡ª

    ¡°It is not I who has fallen but you and your group.¡±

    Giii-wuuuoong¡ª!

    The entirety of Olympus shook around.

    Uranus¡¯s voice streamed past the listeners¡¯ ears and began overturning the insides of their heads. The solid ground of Olympus vibrated faintly, triggering the expressions of the gods facing off against that humongous creature to stiffen up.

    ¡°My children, dying in most wretched manners. We were ostracized and imprisoned just because we looked different from you. So, how can any of you understand our resentment?¡±

    ¡°Well, that couldn¡¯t be helped,¡± Zeus shook his head. ¡°You are all monsters, after all.¡±

    ¡°And who gave you and your kind the right to judge us? You may call yourselves gods, but to our eyes, you are the true monsters.¡±

    Uranus¡¯s voice echoed throughout the land and the sky above. Many low-ranked gods were sweating buckets, while a few even blacked out completely.

    Such was the effect that Uranus, one of The Three Destroyers¡ªthe strongest and mightiest Predators in all of the dimensions out there¡ªhad on them.

    ¡°Do you really have to do this?¡±

    ¡°This universe has already reached a crossroad, anyway.¡±

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    That gigantic mass of flesh displayed hints of movement. Uranus, who had been a mere spectator of this battle from some distance away, had finally begun moving.

    ¡°As such, I can no longer patiently wait.¡±

    Gu-oooooh¡ª!

    Uranus¡¯s figure crushed the atmosphere as he approached closer to Olympus. It was like watching a huge world quivering and writhing.

    ¡°If that¡¯s your decision, grandfather, then¡­¡±

    Crunch¡ª! Pazzzzzik¡ª!

    Zeus gestured with his hand, generating countless Thunderbolts in the process. The electrical current instantly surrounded the entire perimeter of Olympus. The sharp tips of the Thunderbolts then began pointing at every single Giant that had shown up today.

    As for Zeus himself, he stepped on clouds and grasped a huge spear emitting an amber hue.

    [Ten Thousand Lightning Bolts Opening the Heaven]

    Rumble, kwa-boooom¡ª!

    Countless lightning bolts had engraved the sky.

    ¡°Today, we shall witness the end of our long history.¡±

    And every single one of them suddenly pointed at Uranus before firing at their new target simultaneously.

    KA-BOOM! BABABABABANG¡ª!

    FLASH¡ª!

    All those countless lightning bolts struck Uranus, forcing that gargantuan figure back. The Predator that seemed impossible to push back no matter what was actually being pushed back.

    Then, Ares roared loudly at the gods who were dazedly watching this scene unfold, ¡°All of you, wake up, now¡ª!¡±

    His roar snapped the gods back to their senses.

    ¡°No matter how big our enemy is physically, he is not invincible! We have Zeus on our side!¡±

    ¡°T¡ªthat¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t fight a battle with your size alone!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even guess how big he is, but as long as Lord Zeus is with us¡ª!¡±

    ¡°We can win!¡±

    Their morale was greatly boosted. The best piece of news to these gods, who had been stuck in despair at the prospect of fighting Uranus, was the presence of Zeus itself.

    That gargantuan life form seemed impossible to surmount, yet Zeus had begun fighting such a creature now.

    Uranus¡¯s opponents weren¡¯t the other gods. Indeed, one of the Five Godly Sages, Zeus, was facing off against that humongous Predator in their place right now.

    ¡°Entrust me with their command. As for you, Ares, you must provide cover to father.¡±

    Athena was better than Ares in terms of commanding an army. The latter had become a God of War through his individual combat prowess that relied on a minimal level of strategy. Still, the former earned her title as the Goddess of War by employing the most optimal strategy that relied on only the minimum needed combat strength.

    Now that the morale of the gods had been appropriately stoked, it would be a wiser decision to let Athena take over the overall command.

    ¡°To think that I get to fight against one of the Three Destroyers. This is kind of getting exciting, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ares replied, but his expression said something else.

    Normally, he would be obsessed with the prospect of having a good fight, but even someone like him couldn¡¯t help but get nervous at the mere mention of the name Uranus.

    ¡°Apollo!¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You and Hercules will join me to provide cover for our father!¡± Ares roared, his gaze locked on Uranus and his father Zeus, who was currently pouring out tens of thousands of lightning spears.

    Claaack¡ª!

    ¡°Let us go and hunt down one of the Three Destroyers, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 449 - 449

    * * *

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    A vast figure crashed down and caused a chasm to open up in Hell''s terrain.

    Su-hyeun had grabbed Gyges'' arm and threw the Predator down. He then grasped his sword with both hands. The blade emitting a blinding golden-orange light contained the currents of the Somersault cloud.

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    [Zeus''s Thunder Glove - Thunder Sword]

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything - Earth Divider]

    FLASH¡ª!

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    The lightning current that shot out from the sword morphed into a deadly blade and cut deep into Gyges'' body.. The Giant howled in pain at the considerably deep wound and shuddered noticeably.

    "I definitely cut its Gyeol just now," Su-hyeun said inwardly.

    In the beginning, its Gyeol was almost not visible, but now, one by one, they became apparent to Su-hyeun''s vision as the Giant was inflicted with more and more wounds.

    The "Gyeol" was basically the weak point of an opponent, and such weakness, as Su-hyeun saw through his Insight, now numbered in the thousands. This indicated that Gyges had gotten so much weaker.

    "Fuu-wuu..." Su-hyeun exhaled at length after wielding the Thunder Sword.

    That strike was performed with his magical energy and the combined might of prana and the power of the World Tree.

    This technique seemed possible to pull off in theory, but he had no opportunity to unleash it until now. The energy consumption of the skill was ridiculous, but the most significant sticking point was that he had no clue how the surrounding terrain would end up if he decided to try it out as an experiment.

    "For now, I guess I should see it as a success?"

    All thanks to getting struck by enormous waves of energy, the current state of Gyges was indescribably wretched. Its humongous body was almost split in half, while it was spasming unsteadily, too.

    But that indicated that it had accumulated a lot of damage.

    "Even if that''s true, this guy..." Su-hyeun scanned Gyges'' overall condition and muttered to himself, "Seriously now, how can you be this tenacious?"

    He plopped down on the spot for a bit.

    His summoned creatures were still fighting off the remaining Giants. He was thinking of letting his summons deal with the rest of the fight and get some rest himself.

    One whole day¡ªthat was how long his fight against Gyges had lasted.

    "I think I understand why Ares and Poseidon were unable to defeat this guy."

    The reason was fairly simple: Gyges'' truly insane level of endurance. That was enough explanation.

    This Predator wasn''t simply massive in size. Its power of regeneration was also insane. Even if its flesh was ripped apart and its internal organs burned to crisp, it still moved around soon afterward.

    Against such a foe, Su-hyeun continued to swing his sword and fired Thunderbolts for almost a full day.

    Just thinking about what would''ve happened if he encountered Gyges before he acquired his God Title gave him the case of nasty heebie-jeebies.

    "Never mind one day...I might not be able to defeat it at all."

    Despite being in the ranks of the Ten Great Evils like Kali, Gyges was a different enemy than her. Rather than specializing in defense or endurance, Kali''s strong points lied with her offense.

    It all depended on who fought who, but at least to Su-hyeun, he found fighting against Gyges far more difficult.

    Gyges might not have any particularly threatening attacks. Still, its strength and endurance due to its massive size ensured that subjugating it would not be an easy task, to say the least.

    Whatever the case might be, though, Su-hyeun still managed to defeat such a creature.

    And finally...

    "The Thunder Sword, is it?" Su-hyeun faintly smiled, "Well, I got my hands on something pretty good."

    It took one day.

    A considerable length of time had passed by, but he didn''t feel that it was a waste at all. Along with becoming more familiar with the Thunder Glove through repeated experimentation, he also had the chance to get used to his strength, which was greatly enhanced by his newly acquired God Titles.

    "I will need a bit of time to rest, though."

    Su-hyeun caught his breath through the breathing technique. He still needed some time to refill the reserves of magical energy and prana, which was currently only a quarter full.

    "Too bad, isn''t it?" a voice suddenly said.

    Su-hyeun frowned deeply. A certain someone suddenly talking to him happened fairly often, actually.

    "I''m busy right now, so don''t talk to me," Su-hyeun answered.

    That certain someone was the seed of the World Tree that had taken root in his body. It possessed an ego of its own, and it often tried to talk to him.

    It said it would grant him even greater strength. By doing so, the power of the World Tree would grow, too, and in return, Su-hyeun''s own ego would get devoured by the World Tree.

    At first, he remained wary, but there was no need for that now.

    "You can''t win against me, anyway," Su-hyeun said.

    Su-hyeun''s ego had already completely suppressed the World Tree''s seed by now. No matter how much it struggled, it had no way of winning against him.

    Even then, he tried not to rely on the World Tree''s power if he could help it. His reasoning was simple enough¡ªthere was always that one in a million chance, wasn''t there?

    Who knows, the World Tree could get strong enough somehow and extend its roots completely to become even larger.

    But then...

    "That wasn''t me, though," the World Tree''s seed replied. It had been sleeping until now, and its ego only barely managed to peek out when Su-hyeun talked to it.

    Su-hyeun, concentrating on the breathing technique, abruptly opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings.

    When he thought about it...

    "Right, the World Tree seed''s ego is in a slumber unless I permit it."

    And not only that, but the voice was also not the same.

    "You," Su-hyeun slowly opened his mouth, "Who are you?"

    The reply came quickly, "I''m..."

    Su-hyeun''s heart suddenly began constricting, and his consciousness instantly grew faint.

    "Your true nature."

    * * *

    Ares, riding on the back of his heavenly steed, flew high into the sky. Eventually, he reached outer space beyond the boundaries of Olympus, where no oxygen existed.

    He began tutting unhappily, "To think that I can only barely see Uranus''s overall shape by reaching this far..."

    Among the Three Destroyers, Uranus was known to be the biggest of them all.

    No planet out there could contain Uranus, all because he was big enough to hold a small planet with just one hand.

    As for how he looked, he was a humanoid just like the other Giants, while his face was that of a middle-aged man with black hair.

    Ares, who had been swinging his sword against such a creature, readied one last powerful attack despite his accumulated fatigue.

    [Giant Spear]

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Ares gripped the Giant Spear tightly. "Most attacks don''t even work on that thing."

    Bulge, stretch¡ª

    Ares''s arm muscles began ballooning up.

    The pale-green veins visibly bulged on his skin, and even his already colossal physique soon swelled further by about 50% next.

    Soon after that, the Giant Spear twisted bizarrely because of the power now contained in the weapon.

    "I only have one shot at this..."

    He aimed the Giant Spear at Uranus''s head from a great distance away.

    Uranus was currently reaching out toward Zeus. Ten thousand lightning bolts traveled up Uranus''s extended arm. They paralyzed him, while Zeus himself transformed into lightning and disappeared from there.

    Ruuuuumble¡ª!

    And as if on cue, Apollo''s flames rapidly enveloped Uranus''s torso.

    At the same time, Ares''s eyes gleamed sharply.

    "It''s..."

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    "Now!"

    Swhooooooosh¡ª!

    The Giant Spear was launched at its target.

    Uranus''s huge head turned toward the spear hurtling in at a threatening speed. However, that reaction was a step too late to avoid getting struck by the weapon.

    Poooow¡ª!

    Uranus''s head turned to the side. Thanks to the Giant Spear''s power, a hole the size of a mountain was gouged out on the side of the colossal head.

    However, something like that wasn''t powerful enough to leave behind a big wound, just some minuscule nick. When considering Uranus''s sheer size, such an impact would''ve been negligible at best.

    Even then...

    "Thunder Dragon."

    That momentary distraction was more than enough.

    Pazzzik, pazzzzzik¡ª!

    Kkyaaaaaah¡ª!

    A massive Thunder Dragon emitting a golden-orange light that was entirely made up of electrical currents rapidly coiled around Uranus''s arm before climbing up the Giant''s throat.

    It all happened in the blink of an eye.

    And this Thunder Dragon wrapping around Uranus''s torso with the speed of light began tearing into the Giant''s neck.

    CRUUUNCH¡ª!

    Electrical currents swam all over Uranus''s gargantuan body.

    Ares and Apollo urgently created a great distance away from Uranus to avoid getting sucked into that maelstrom of flashing lights and electrical currents.

    "Wow..."

    "He''s really going for it, isn''t he?"

    Even Ares had never witnessed Zeus unleash that much electrical energy at once. Uranus, who got struck by the Giant Spear and failed to defend himself in time, could only open his mouth after his whole body became paralyzed.

    "Ze¡ªus..."

    "Please, do not utter my name in such an affectionate manner."

    Pazik, pazzzzzik¡ª!

    A gigantic electromagnetic field was generated all around Uranus''s figure. Zeus extended his hand toward his grandfather and then tightly clenched his fist, "We are foes who must kill each other, after all."

    [Lightning Chain]

    Pazik, bzzzzzik¡ª!

    The electrical currents enveloping Uranus took on physical properties and began gradually tightening around the Giant. It crushed down on him and broke his balance.

    Ares watched Uranus slowly tilt to one side and urgently cried out, "Pegasus!"

    Neiiiiigh¡ª!

    The heavenly steed kicked the void and dashed forward at Ares''s call. At the same time, Hercules, riding on its back, pulled the bowstring once more.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Pow¡ª!

    Several holes opened up on Uranus''s torso.

    Ares''s eyes gleamed sharply as he witnessed this. "We can do this," he thought.

    They were capable of defeating that gargantuan Uranus. This war that initially felt impossible and despair-inducing suddenly felt not all that difficult to overcome.

    But something happened just then.

    "That stings a bit."

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    Uranus lifted up his arm. But wasn''t that arm definitely restrained by the electromagnetic field created by Zeus?

    "Huh...?!"

    "But how...?"

    Apollo, who had turned himself into flames and landed on Uranus''s shoulder, gasped in pure shock.

    Uranus raised his arm and scratched his waist where Hercules''s arrow had pierced through only a moment ago.

    "It seems that you have pushed yourself too far, Zeus," the corners of Uranus''s lips distorted into a grin.

    This was the first time he had smiled during this fight. Ares, overcome with a terrible foreboding, hurriedly turned his head to look at Zeus.

    His father had a sickly pale face. Zeus, who had been using his lightning power to continuously attack Uranus, was finally displaying how fatigued he was.

    Ares cried out in his mind, "No, we were never in an advantageous position!"

    Zeus had been unleashing one attack after another without taking a break. The reason for that was simple enough.

    At that moment, Uranus raised his palm and said, "First of all..."

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    "I shall now declare the end of Olympus."

    Directly below his raised palm was Olympus.

    "N¡ªno!" Ares cried out in shock.

    The moment that hand came down, the Palace of Olympus would literally be smashed into millions of pieces.

    The same end was in store for all the other gods fighting in and around the palace itself. Except for the Twelve Gods, no other gods down there were capable of withstanding a single flicker of Uranus''s hand.

    And so, as the gigantic palm of Uranus descended to the ground below...

    Paaaaht¡ª!

    Boooooom¡ª!

    Along with a loud, heavy boom, Uranus''s hand stopped descending for a moment there.

    "Urgh...Kkeuh..."

    This was the result of Hercules''s incredible strength. He was actually lifting up Uranus''s palm while propping himself in the empty space with both of his feet. He was doing this to protect Olympus.

    "Hmm, another son of Zeus?" Uranus was somewhat stunned.

    The impression Hercules gave off during the fight was that he didn''t possess any special abilities. It wasn''t as if he was as good as Ares in handling weapons, nor did he possess the authority over fire like Apollo had.

    But his ridiculous physical strength was enough to momentarily lift up Uranus''s palm.

    "Your strength is indeed strong enough to lift up a planet. Unfortunately..."

    Hercules''s figure was progressively being crushed by Uranus''s gigantic hand.

    "In the end, your strength is still slightly lacking."

    Squeeeeze¡ª!

    "Fu-huuuuph...!"

    Hercules''s leg muscles ballooned up to a near-bursting state.

    He tried to prop himself up in the empty space and shove that palm away with all of his strength, but it was still not good enough. Uranus''s physical strength was something Hercules was helpless against.

    "Apollo!"

    "It''s too late!"

    Ares cried out while Apollo was already heading toward Olympus below. Since they had no way of stopping Uranus, he chose to hurry down there and try to save as many gods as possible.

    He couldn''t afford to waste the precious time Hercules had earned for them.

    But then...

    "It''s..."

    Gu-gugugu...

    Uranus''s palm suddenly stopped its descent toward Olympus and then began to gradually rise.

    "Not too late yet."

    BANG¡ª!

    Uranus''s gigantic hand was flung back as if something had repulsed it.

    And right at that moment...

    Splaaaatter¡ª!

    One of the fingers belonging to the gigantic hand that tried to crush Olympus was cleanly sliced off, blood gushing out from the wound.

 Chapter 450 - 450

    "Huh?"

    "What just happened...?"

    Ares and Apollo stared agog at the chopped-off finger of Uranus and then eventually discovered Su-hyeun.

    "But how...did he get here?"

    "Well, he did arrive right on time."

    Ares was stunned to see Su-hyeun here since the latter should still have been fighting against Gyges. As for Apollo, he was sighing with mixed emotions on his face..

    Their reactions were a bit different from each other''s, but they also shared something in common: a sense of relief.

    Whatever the case might be, there was no doubting that Su-hyeun had prevented the total annihilation of Olympus and all the gods residing in it.

    Hercules shifted his gaze and stared at Su-hyeun, who had pushed Uranus''s palm back along with him. Although the Son of Zeus was utterly covered in layers of sweat, he didn''t feel too bad right now.

    "You''re a bit late, friend," Hercules said.

    "So that''s him, isn''t he? The one called Uranus."

    "I''m sure you can tell just by looking, no?"

    "Well...I have to say, that''s one hell of a huge body."

    The first impression Su-hyeun got after laying his eyes on one of the Three Destroyers wasn''t all that complicated.

    Uranus possessed an impossibly gargantuan physique. Just his head alone was as large as a planet. Most regular people would simply die on the spot out of sheer fear from taking in the sheer size of Uranus.

    Which was unsurprising, really. For instance, when regular humans ran into a tiger, their heartbeat would quicken rapidly, and their legs would start trembling out of fear. But that humongous creature was not some tiger-like predator but an indescribably gargantuan monster, so how could any normal person withstand the level of fear they felt by instinct?

    This was no longer the issue of how brave one was.

    "That bastard is also in tatters, as you can see. However, our problem is," Ares turned his head toward Zeus, who was still holding onto a Thunderbolt some distance away. "Father is also in a similar state right now," he continued.

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The fired Thunderbolt pounded on the chest of Uranus, causing the Giant to falter for a moment there due to the flash of light. He visibly shuddered afterward.

    "Indeed, his overall power has weakened considerably. And after he used the Thunder Dragon, for a moment there, he seemed to have discharged too much of his strength, too..."

    "Wait, are you saying that''s Zeus in the weakened state?" Su-hyeun asked back in disbelief.

    That Thunderbolt was powerful enough to shake around a gargantuan monster. Su-hyeun would have to pour all of his energy just to create one such lightning spear, yet Zeus didn''t need all that much time or effort to create one.

    Chucking around such Thunderbolts as if it was nothing? And when you were in a fatigued state too?

    Su-hyeun shook his head, reminding himself that the important thing right now wasn''t figuring out how strong Zeus actually was.

    "In any case, it''s still true that both Uranus and Lord Zeus have weakened compared to before, yes?"

    "Correct. But it''s the same story for us, too," Hercules raised his arm, his complexion pale.

    Even though all Hercules could do was buy only a little bit of time, both of his arms were trembling unsteadily from simply defending against Uranus''s slap just now.

    "You must be exhausted from your battle against Gyges¡ª"

    "No, I''m fine."

    "It''s better to be upfront in situations like this one. There''s no way you are still...Hmm?" Hercules scanned Su-hyeun''s expression and asked again, "You were serious?"

    "Of course."

    That reply was just too composed, but at the very least, he looked outwardly fine for real. Su-hyeun was not grimacing, he wasn''t sweating, and he wasn''t even panting breathlessly, either.

    So much so that it was hard to imagine that he had concluded his fight against Gyges not too long ago.

    While observing Su-hyeun''s current state, Hercules''s facial expression became even graver than before, "Friend, did something happen to you?"

    "I''m not really sure."

    Pazzik, pazzzzzik¡ª!

    Su-hyeun created a Thunderbolt of his own and said, "I''m curious about it myself, actually."

    He then threw the lightning spear at Uranus with a ton of power. His target was the Giant''s hand extending toward Zeus.

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    Uranus''s hand was pushed back, rising and falling slightly in the process. Zeus had been in the middle of rousing his strength to deflect Uranus''s hand himself, so when he discovered a Thunderbolt that wasn''t his own, he turned his head to look at the one responsible for firing it.

    [Are you able to fight on, benefactor?]

    That voice belonged to Zeus.

    Su-hyeun nodded in silence. Zeus must''ve seen that small head gesture despite the great distance because his next words arrived with some urgency.

    [Can you buy me some time? All I need is just a few moments. Nothing more.]

    "A few moments?"

    Su-hyeun wasn''t sure for how long he could hold up. Still, he thought it was totally doable.

    Whether or not Uranus knew about the conversation between Su-hyeun and Zeus, Uranus turned his head in the direction of the one who threw that Thunderbolt just now. He discovered Su-hyeun in the distance, and then, with a crumpled expression, he spoke in an annoyed voice, "The outsider who doesn''t know anything better step aside. This issue concerns Olympus and us Giants."

    "I don''t care about stuff like that," Su-hyeun retorted while moving his sword to his left hand.

    Pazzik, pazzzzzzik¡ª!

    [Zeus''s Thunder Glove - Thunder Sword]

    "But I''d like you to keep me company for a little while."

    "Keep you company?" Uranus''s eyes gleamed sharply. Its right hand, which was now missing a finger, reached down toward Su-hyeun next. The movement itself was comparatively slow, but thanks to how gargantuan he was, that hand seemed to be closing in very quickly.

    "The Flash of the Berserk Dragon," Su-hyeun quietly muttered as he maintained the Thunder Sword.

    Right at that moment, his figure seemed to lean forward, and then...

    Paaaht¡ª

    Splaaaaash¡ª!

    Uranus''s palm was inflicted with dozens upon dozens of sword wounds, and his blood gushed out uncontrollably. He hurriedly pulled his hand back and confirmed the damage to his palm.

    That sword strike contained electrical currents that stung quite harshly. Uranus had no idea how that attack had unfolded. Still, whatever the case might be, its range was wide enough to hurt his entire palm, and its power was strong enough to leave behind deep wounds.

    But that wasn''t all.

    "If I step here, like so..." Su-hyeun''s feet were already stepping on Uranus''s forearm by then.

    Crunch, crunch¡ª!

    They were in outer space, where the influence of gravity was minimal, yet gravity was generated out of nowhere. Uranus''s forearm was visibly crushed, and the arm rising up lowered on its own.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun traveled up Uranus''s falling arm. With every step he took, his figure flickered in and out of view like an afterimage.

    [Heavenly Demon''s March of Sovereign]

    [Earth Shrink Technique]

    Before anyone could notice, Su-hyeun was already standing on top of Uranus''s shoulder.

    The light in Ares''s eyes sharpened as he witnessed this scene, "Was that Earth Shrink? Wait, something like that was possible in the first place?"

    However, it wasn''t just the Earth Shrink Technique; Su-hyeun, a god now, used the "martial art techniques" developed by mortals living in some worlds.

    Even if the used technique was the same, its power would differ like heaven and earth depending on who used it. Also, even if the amount of energy available was the same, its utility would change depending on who was using which technique.

    On that point, the current Su-hyeun had managed to harmonize both the technique and energy quite perfectly.

    Pazzzik, pazzzzzik¡ª!

    And so, after reaching Uranus''s shoulder without any hindrance, Su-hyeun gripped the Thunder Sword with both of his hands and then raised it vertically.

    "Shattering the Sky, Absolute Destruction."

    At that command, a massive amount of energy that combined magical energy, prana, and even the power of the World Tree began focusing on his blade.

    All the energy Su-hyeun possessed concentrated in the weapon in an instant. Despite being made of adamantium, the blade began harshly vibrating and resonated as if it would shatter at any moment.

    And at the next second...

    [I shall bet everything on you, benefactor.]

    Kkyaaaaah¡ª!

    A thunderous screech rocked space. But even before that happened, a blinding light poured down first. Su-hyeun looked up and discovered a gargantuan "dragon" emitting a golden-amber light opening its maw wide.

    The lightning dragon, the size of Uranus''s torso, screeched before descending onto Su-hyeun''s raised blade as if it was a lightning rod.

    Rumble! Kwa-zzzzzik¡ª!

    Paaazik, bzzzzzzzz¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s arms were trembling hard from the massive voltage. Zeus''s lightning current acted just like the flames created by Apollo or Su-hyeun. It didn''t affect those who were not their original targets. Still, such a thing would only be true up to a certain level.

    "Heavy...!" Su-hyeun sensed his whole body wanting to freeze stiff but still held the sword even higher up.

    This was the lightning charge created by Zeus, one of the Five Godly Sages, and this technique was basically Zeus''s most powerful attack.

    Now, such an attack was contained in Su-hyeun''s sword, so it wasn''t surprising that not just the physical weight but even the psychological burden Su-hyeun felt was incredibly heavy right now.

    Finally, he managed to raise his sword high enough. Every muscle in his arms was bulging greatly.

    "Fuu-huu-euph¡ª!"

    FLASH¡ª!

    An image of a gigantic dragon was superimposed over the raised sword. It was none other than Zeus''s lightning dragon that was now contained within the blade.

    And that very blade permeating with the lightning dragon was thrust down below.

    Crrrrruuuuush¡ª!

    [Thunder Dragon Sword]

    [Shattering the Sky, Absolute Destruction]

    CRAAASH¡ª

    RUMBLE, KWA-RURURURU¡ª

    And for a long, long time afterward, the roars and rumbles of thunderclaps didn''t want to cease.

    * * *

    The thunderclaps went on without a break, and the golden-amber light dyeing the world almost pure-white only disappeared after several hours later.

    All sounds of thunder ceased as if there hadn''t been any in the first place, but that wasn''t all. Even the color of the world that had been robbed away by the intense light storm finally began returning to their rightful places.

    Ares''s firmly shut lips began to part slowly as he took in the spectacle now visible to his eyes, "He''s..."

    Massive bits of torn flesh floated around.

    "Dead!?"

    Those massive pieces of fleshy debris definitely belonged to Uranus''s corpse.

    Just how many pieces did he get ripped apart into? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of millions?

    And during that relatively short period, just how vast and ridiculously expansive was that sword strike?

    After thinking about it for a moment, Ares began shaking his head involuntarily. Even with a sword containing Zeus''s Thunder Dragon, this spectacle didn''t seem possible to replicate.

    Yet, the reality was right before his eyes. That gargantuan Uranus, one of the feared Three Destroyers, had lost its life.

    "It was...all true," Apollo muttered softly. His shock was different from what Ares felt, however.

    "What do you mean, all true? Wait, Apollo, did you foresee this outcome?"

    "I saw countless futures. I can''t be certain how many there were, but it must''ve been well over tens of thousands."

    "Could it be that one of those was¡ª?"

    "It was this type of future...where that guy felled Uranus," Apollo replied while locking his gaze on Su-hyeun currently collapsed among the floating debris of Uranus.

    Hercules quickly approached the unmoving Su-hyeun to offer his assistance. The latter must be unconscious, as his eyes were closed and his figure was slumping without energy.

    That wasn''t surprising at all, however; it wouldn''t have been strange to see his whole body turned to powder after the collision of the enormous powers not too long ago.

    Ares asked again, "Why didn''t you say something earlier then? Was it because you were worried about the future changing again? If I only knew in advance, I''d have volunteered to fight Gyges and send that guy over here from the get-go."

    "It was something like that, but also," Apollo contemplated something for a little while before continuing, "I wanted to see for myself as well. I just couldn''t believe it."

    Ares tilted his head at what Apollo said.

    Couldn''t believe it, he said.

    It was true that unexpected events that seem hardly believable were bound to occur regardless of your opinion during your life. Apollo should know this fact better than anyone since he was the God of Prophecies, yet he said what now?

    "Why do you say that? Isn''t it possible that things could happen this way? As you''ve already alluded to, the future involving one of the Three Destroyers will be one of many, many possibilities, no? Doesn''t matter what kind of future it is, isn''t there always the possibility of it coming true regardless of its odds?"

    The future involving a Predator from the tier of the Three Destroyers could never be perfectly predicted, even by someone like Apollo, who boasted excellent Insight.

    As such, he ended up checking out countless futures that could potentially happen, and one of those countless eventualities happened to become the current reality.

    However...

    "One of those countless futures was it," Apollo shook his head. "It wasn''t like that."

    "Not like that? What do you mean?"

    "Although the process was slightly different, the outcome always remained the same. Even in all those countless futures that I saw, and all those millions, billions of possible futures that I hadn''t had the chance to see properly," Apollo explained as he stared at Su-hyeun being helped up by Hercules in the distance, "The one who always felled Uranus was that man."

    "Say what?!" Ares''s head instantly turned in that direction.

    A fluke among all those innumerable chances, that was what he initially thought of this event, but now, his thoughts had to change after listening to Apollo.

    All of the potential futures were headed toward the outcome of Su-hyeun killing Uranus as if that was the destination this universe had to reach no matter what.

    Ares wondered, "Just...what is that guy?"

 Chapter 451 - 451

    * * *

    The Giants urgently retreated right after Uranus was killed. They had judged that this battle was no longer winnable.

    And that''s how the war of Olympus against the race of Giants came to an end. Four days have passed since then.

    During this period, Su-hyeun was in a half-asleep state.

    "Feels like I heard something, but..."

    He was gradually waking up from this hazy, sleepy state.

    "But...what was it?"

    His thoughts were dragging on quite lazily.

    Just how long have I been unconscious? Or...could it be something else happened in the meantime? What happened to the war, and did I even survive it?

    His train of thought became a complicated mess of questions that began circling around inside his head.

    A short while after that...

    "Ah..."

    His lips parted, and his eyes gradually cracked open.

    His eyes, having been shut for some time, couldn''t immediately perform their function. Only after several seconds passed by did his blurry and grey vision revert to how it used to be.

    "Oh! You''re finally awake!"

    A large face suddenly filled Su-hyeun''s view. He inwardly wondered about how prominent that forehead was while noticing that the voice was familiar to him. "Her¡ªcules?"

    His own voice sounded scratchy and hoarse; his vision was fully restored not too long afterward.

    He found himself lying on a bed and Hercules standing right next to him. "Why don''t you remain in bed for a little while longer? Your body is still a complete mess, you know?"

    "My body is?"

    "Your sword couldn''t withstand father''s lightning dragon, so you had no choice but to receive it through your whole body, remember? Since your flesh wasn''t as tough as adamantium, it''s only natural that it couldn''t hold up in the end."

    Su-hyeun recalled what happened back then after listening to Hercules''s explanation.

    Honestly speaking, he couldn''t really remember what happened back then. It was like he had been moving almost purely out of instinct or some such.

    Despite barely managing to drag out the remnants of his memories, none of them were crystal clear. It was like staring at still images resembling panels of a comic book page.

    "Wait a minute," he thought.

    Among the memories, he finally recalled witnessing a gargantuan lightning dragon. That dragon definitely got "absorbed" into his sword, too. After recalling that much, he reflexively scanned his waist in a hurry.

    His sword wasn''t there.

    "Hephaestus looked after your sword, friend. It was shattered into bits, so he said he''d repair it," Hercules explained and then handed the sword over to Su-hyeun.

    The repair work must''ve been completed already because the blade before his eyes was clean and smooth with no sign of breakage anywhere.

    "It was shattered?" Su-hyeun asked after lightly flicking his finger over the blade''s surface. He found it quite hard to believe¡ªto think that a sword made of adamantium would shatter into pieces.

    It wasn''t "broken" but "shattered," indicating that the blade couldn''t withstand the power being focused on it, causing its internal structure to give out.

    According to Su-hyeun''s common sense, adamantium could not be shattered or even broken into pieces. Knowing this, he could barely estimate how enormous the level of power he had to endure back then was.

    "That''s right. That did happen."

    His memories continued to come back to him bit by bit.

    What he did back then was almost instinctual. He sensed that his sword was about to break, so he accepted the power of the lightning dragon Zeus had unleashed into his own body.

    His action ensured that his sword didn''t snap in half immediately, allowing him to wield the improved Thunder Sword.

    "Being made of adamantium does not mean it''ll never shatter or break, friend. There is no such thing as absolute or infinite in this universe, after all. Adamantium is simply a type of material that seems too tough to break, that''s all," Hercules continued.

    "It''s my first time learning that."

    "It''s good to learn something new, regardless of what. Of course, it''s still true that adamantium is a near-absolute material as long as the situation is nothing like what happened to you."

    Su-hyeun nodded at Hercules''s explanation.

    For sure, breaking adamantium apart would be almost impossible unless you were one of the Five Godly Sages. No, wait¡ªit would still be a mighty tall order even if you were one of them.

    "By the way, friend. What exactly happened to you?"

    "Sorry?"

    "During the last battle, you seemed different from your usual self. Even now, too."

    "I seem different?"

    "Correct. You''ve changed in just one day. To be specific, you come across as someone who has already lived decades, no, centuries by now."

    Hercules recalled the techniques Su-hyeun displayed during his battle against Uranus.

    The Su-hyeun of then was definitely different from the one before, not only in the way he wielded his sword but also in how he utilized his powers.

    Although his powers and godhood all remained the same as before, it was like he was borrowing someone else''s technique to use.

    "It''s not possible to change that much in such a short time. No human and no god can do that. A person with an ego that encompasses intelligence, personality, and disposition...none of those things can be changed in one or two days."

    "You sound like a really old man right now."

    "You''re right. I''ve been alive longer than you, friend."

    "Is that so? Well, yes, I''m still young and all," Su-hyeun replied with an awkward smile. Even an idiot could tell he was forcing himself to smile right now.

    Hercules wordlessly stared at the current Su-hyeun. The latter did not answer the earlier question and instead chose to change the subject.

    Hercules was in a bit of a dilemma. Should he continue to ask the same question that the other party was clearly reluctant to answer, or should he be a good sport and go with the flow?

    His decision didn''t take long; he burst into peals of booming laughter, "Ahaha! I feel like I''ve somehow become one of those uptight uncles, didn''t I?"

    "I didn''t mean it that way, though."

    "In any case, isn''t it true that I''m so much older than you? Ah, by the way, how is your First Brother doing these days? He helped me a great deal back then, but I haven''t even asked about how he is."

    After this exchange, Hercules brought up sundry topics that had nothing to do with what he wanted to ask initially.

    And the more their conversation drifted away from the original topic, the more enthusiastic Su-hyeun became in his replies.

    They chatted for about 10 minutes before Hercules got up from his chair. "It looks like I''ve been needlessly exhausting a patient with my prattling. I shall get going first. Once you are fully recovered, you should go and speak to my father."

    "Thank you."

    "I haven''t done much to deserve a thank you, friend. In any case, get some rest," Hercules bade goodbye and left the room.

    With the only piece of furniture being the bed, this room seemed to be one of the spare rooms found inside Apollo''s temple. The Sun God''s aura was permeating every nook and cranny of this place.

    Four days¡ªSu-hyeun realized that''s how long he had been unconscious and sighed deeply.

    Inside his head was a complicated mess. It would be the first time after becoming a god that he felt this conflicted and complicated.

    [The second authority of your "Unique Ability: Samsara - Six Paths" has been unlocked.]

    [Samsara - Six Paths of Past Lives]

    The "Six Paths of Past Lives" was the second of the Six Paths'' abilities that Su-hyeun somehow managed to awaken.

    The second part of his unique ability that wouldn''t awaken no matter what suddenly activated all on its own, and he didn''t need any in-depth explanation on its effects to figure them out on his own.

    "Cheon Mu-jin."

    A name and a face accompanying it, and then a flood of far-too familiar memories rushed inside Su-hyeun''s head.

    These memories and experiences belonged to none other than Su-hyeun''s past life.

    "And it''s not just one past life, either."

    Although comparatively fainter, memories of several other individuals were messily tangled up in his head right now too. Not just their memories, either, but he could recall even their experiences.

    There were drawbacks to this unique ability, of course; it had to be his own past life, and he couldn''t control how much and how far he could remember. But depending on who he was during his past life, this ability could undoubtedly prove to be something extraordinary.

    And this was how Su-hyeun acquired the memories and experiences of Cheon Mu-jin, which also included the martial art techniques of the man referred to as the Heavenly Demon.

    "Hah..."

    This was the biggest reason why he felt complicated things right now.

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes. The reason for Cheon Mu-jin''s memories being the most vivid out of everything was solely because his life happened just before Su-hyeun''s began.

    When he closed his eyes, the view of Cheon Mu-jin filled up his mind, and in this vision, countless people were being mercilessly slaughtered¡ªall by his own hands, no less.

    "Justice or whatever, I''m sick of such pretenses!"

    "Do I look like a demonic madman to you?"

    "If so, then just as you said, I shall become a demon!"

    Those things were what he said as Cheon Mu-jin.

    That person''s whole life was filled with rage. His boiling anger and resentment gradually turned him into a demonic villain with every passing year.

    He hated the world and randomly killed people. Everyone was Cheon Mu-jin''s enemies, not just the vast nations ruled by emperors. Even the martial arts practitioners belonging to the righteous sects were his foes since they stood in his path.

    He drove that world to the brink of destruction, and in the end, he, too, was driven to death.

    Su-hyeun didn''t have enough confidence to keep watching these memories and opened his eyes again, "Seriously now, I was one nasty piece of work, wasn''t I?"

    He scratched his head in irritation. He just couldn''t stand watching those past memories.

    That person of his past life felt so close yet so far. That was because, although Cheon Mu-jin must''ve been a real person judging from how vivid the memories and experiences were, it still felt quite disharmonious to Su-hyeun as if he was stealing someone else''s memories.

    Almost at the same time, he recalled memories belonging to other past lives, causing more and more scenes to pop up in his head. In one of them, he was a slave. In another, he was a king. They weren''t as vivid as Cheon Mu-jin''s memories or experiences, but time would surely solve such an issue.

    "I''m still Kim Su-hyeun," he squeezed his eyes shut. The memories from his past lives were blown away, just like that. No, more correctly, he turned his attention away from them altogether.

    "Let''s not think about them."

    He buried away all those memories deep within his head.

    No matter what, the past lives were just that¡ªpast lives. The current him and his mind being Kim Su-hyeun was an undeniable fact.

    "Now then," Su-hyeun, having gotten rid of all the distracting thoughts in his head, rose from the bed. "I should go and get my rewards."

    * * *

    "My whole body is still aching from the imprisonment they put me through."

    "..."

    Hades deliberately spoke in a slightly louder voice than usual as if he wanted a certain someone to hear him.

    But Zeus continued to stare into the Well of God Titles. It was unclear if he heard his brother''s complaints or not.

    Hades massaged various parts of his body before saying something else, "Have you suddenly become mute?"

    "You''ve become rather talkative lately, brother," Zeus finally replied after not uttering a single word for an entire day.

    A content expression surfaced on Hades''s face as if he was pleased by this development. He then walked up next to Zeus, "Uranus is dead and so is Gyges. The only one remaining now is that punk, Briareus. And there isn''t much he can do alone."

    "I know that, brother."

    "If so, what are you worried about? This time, we really did put an end to our far-too-long war, did we not?"

    "But brother, do you really think it''s over?"

    "..."

    This time, the opposite happened¡ªit was Hades who clamped his mouth shut and temporarily became mute.

    In all honesty, he too was aware that, even though Uranus was no more, nothing could be seen as really over already.

    "Where are you thinking of going this time?" Hades asked while sensing that Zeus would disappear without warning very soon.

    Not only did Hades live for eons, but he was also connected to Zeus through blood, so his intuition on this matter was entirely accurate, to say the least.

    "It seems that we must locate Lord Brahma somehow."

    "Brahma, you say?" Hades''s brows shot up at that unexpected name. "You mean that lost Primordial God?"

    "He''s been missing for far too long now. As such, it''s time that we try to find out where he is."

    "Sounds like you''ve been mulling this over for a long while, not just a day or two."

    "I''ve been thinking about it for about a decade now, brother."

    "If so, why haven''t you left yet?"

    Hades knew that Zeus was the type of god who would act immediately upon his thoughts. It was already a puzzling matter that a god like him had been standing around agonizing over something for this long, and more than that, it was hard to understand why he hadn''t acted yet despite already making up his mind.

    "There is still one matter I must attend to, you see."

    Hades asked, "In this place?"

    "Yes."

    Step, step¡ª

    Someone''s footsteps could be heard approaching from afar.

    Zeus and Hades turned their heads simultaneously. The latter immediately remembered a certain someone after hearing those footsteps.

    "It seems that he''s arrived."

    "Oh, so it was him."

    Creak¡ª

    The door leading into the chamber containing the Well of God Title was pushed wide open, and Su-hyeun walked in through the open doorway.

    "The one you''ve been waiting for."

 Chapter 452 - 452

    * * *

    When Su-hyeun noticed that Hades, who was nowhere to be found in Hell, was standing here all fine, he wanted to ask about what happened back then, but he didn''t get the chance.

    Hades decided to leave right then.

    Zeus spoke first, "The greetings will have to be delayed for a little while."

    "Okay. I understand."

    The atmosphere here was quite different from before. Zeus, who came across as a kind neighborhood grandpa, stood tall with a serious face, not a trace of a smile visible anywhere on his expression.

    "Did something happen?" Su-hyeun asked.

    "Not just my older brother, but even you are quick to catch on, benefactor."

    "Well, the vibe in here is a little bit different from the last time, that''s why."

    "Indeed, you''re correct. I''m planning on a journey to find someone. Before all that, however, I believe you have a business with me, yes?"

    "I''m sure you''re are aware of it."

    Su-hyeun recalled the faint voice he heard just before he blacked out.

    [You have cleared the 201st floor''s trial.]

    [You have acquired 1,000,000,000 points.]

    [You can receive your clear reward from Zeus.]

    "I''m here for my reward."

    The rest of the reward, excluding the points, were all with Zeus. Although it was rather cumbersome to come all the way here to receive them, it was also true that Su-hyeun''s anticipation had built up even more so. He couldn''t wait to find out what kind of reward he would get from Zeus, one of the Five Godly Sages.

    "Yes. Yes, of course," Zeus nodded and then extended his hand forward.

    Su-hyeun hesitated slightly, wondering what was going on, but eventually, he grasped Zeus''s offered hand.

    When he did...

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    "Heoph...!" Su-hyeun was stunned by the sensation transmitted through his palm and let go of Zeus''s hand before stumbling back one step. He hadn''t been holding the latter''s hand too tightly, so it was easy to let go.

    The sensation he got didn''t feel disharmonious but unfamiliar nonetheless; something different from his own energy or power had traveled through his hand.

    "Please don''t let go, and keep holding on," said Zeus.

    "Understood."

    No matter what, this was supposed to be the reward for the last trial, so it shouldn''t be something that would harm him in the end.

    Su-hyeun reached out and grabbed Zeus''s offered hand. It was at this point that something refreshing began entering him.

    [You have acquired the "Godhood of Sky."]

    [The effects of "Zeus''s Thunder Glove" are being strengthened.]

    "Godhood of Sky...?"

    That was a completely unexpected reward. Never mind the surprising fact that the qualification of godhood could be handed over as a reward for a trial, Zeus''s state was a problem that shouldn''t be ignored.

    "Is it really alright to give me something like this?"

    "If it wasn''t, I wouldn''t have given it to you, benefactor," Zeus faintly grinned when Su-hyeun asked worriedly.

    He got a reward directly from one of the Five Godly Sages.

    The thing was, though, a trial reward wasn''t something created out of thin air. This was not some video game, so a reward payout had to be with "something" that already existed within the system.

    Even if it was Zeus, he couldn''t just grant godhood to anyone just because he felt like it. On top of that, it was the "Godhood of Sky," which was basically one of the symbols of Zeus himself.

    This could only mean that he was "yielding" one of his godhood to Su-hyeun.

    "The battle against Uranus is already over, anyway. Also, benefactor, you will need that power more than I in the near future."

    "Meaning, you want me to work even harder?"

    "Is that how I sounded?"

    "Actually, it doesn''t really matter. I have a feeling that that''s how the future will unfold, anyway."

    He didn''t deny it. Nothing had been concluded yet, after all.

    No matter what happened, the massive event in Olympus was an incident limited to the confines of Olympus and nowhere else. Su-hyeun''s own war hadn''t even begun yet.

    "And with this, I can do it," Su-hyeun thought.

    He now had the Godhood of Sky.

    He had been thinking about "something" even before acquiring this reward.

    Just how big was the gap between himself and Fafnir? If it was the version of Fafnir that he saw through the Bull Demon King''s vision, then he felt that his odds of victory were better than great.

    But just as Su-hyeun was getting stronger pretty quickly, so was Fafnir after returning to the past through the Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation.

    It was impossible to estimate how fast the growth rate of Fafnir was, so it was only apparent that Su-hyeun didn''t feel confident of his chances. No, more than that, he even felt some vague, indescribable anxiety.

    In percentage terms, it would only be fifty-fifty.

    But now...

    "I can win."

    He was certain about this.

    He carefully calculated over and over again, yet the odds of his victory were well over 90% percent. Maybe that was why he felt an intense satisfaction after acquiring his new power, which hadn''t happened in quite a while.

    "It seems that you rather like this reward, benefactor."

    "I''m sorry. Was I that obvious?"

    "No need to apologize. Compared to the grace you''ve shown to Olympus, this level of reward is nothing to boast about. Also...I''m not all that hung up on the title of one of the Five Godly Sages, you see."

    It seemed like Zeus could no longer remain as one of the Five Godly Sages after losing the Godhood of Sky.

    Su-hyeun felt a little apologetic about that, but that didn''t mean he was thinking of rejecting the reward.

    "Are you planning to head to the next floor right away, benefactor? If you wish, I can start the 202nd floor''s trial right away from here."

    When Zeus said that, Su-hyeun quickly waved his hand to say, "No, it''s fine. I must get back home for now, anyway."

    He ended up spending too much time in Olympus. No one knew when Fafnir would return to Earth, and he was getting a feeling that he needed to stay home for the time being, at least for a little while.

    But then...

    "In that case, I don''t think you''ll need to worry, benefactor."

    Su-hyeun made a puzzled face at that.

    Zeus''s own expression was quite mischievous, however. He even burst into a peal of laughter. When Su-hyeun asked for more clarification, Zeus simply shook his head and replied, "You''ll see when you get back home."

    "I''ll see, you say?"

    "Yes. As such, I would personally recommend that you challenge the 202nd floor''s trial right away in this place. And I''m saying this in no uncertain terms, either."

    Just what could be happening back home? Su-hyeun mulled over the possibilities for a bit, but nothing came to mind for now.

    He nodded again after a brief moment of pondering. "I shall do as you say," he finally said.

    "You made the wise decision, benefactor."

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s figure soon blurred, and the familiar voice entered his head.

    [The 202nd floor''s trial is commencing.]

    Just as Su-hyeun''s view blurred, Su-hyeun heard Zeus''s voice over the system''s announcement, "I pray that you succeed in your goal."

    * * *

    The skies above were densely packed with clouds.

    The expansive forest below spread out seemingly infinitely. The only sign of civilization visible within the trees tightly packing this forest was a small thatched-roof house.

    "First Brother! It''s mealtime!"

    A booming voice loudly rang within the forest.

    The powerful wild predators found in this forest woke up from their siesta at that voice. Still, they soon recognized who that voice belonged to and went back to sleep as if to say that they didn''t hear anything.

    But that made some sense; several wild beasts failed to rein in their instincts just because that voice got on their nerves and had rushed toward the owner of said voice already. Such things happened a few times by now, and every single time, the end result hadn''t been a nice one for the beasts.

    "You''re noisy. Can''t you see that you''ve rudely woken up those who were enjoying their sleep?"

    "Well, if they try to attack me, I can just kick their asses again, right?"

    "Even though you''re spending your time with Buddha, your personality just doesn''t want to change, it seems."

    A man with a tall stature opened the house''s door and stepped outside. A pair of small horns protruded from his head. He was none other than the Bull Demon King, and he was walking in a leisurely manner.

    Tasty deer meat was being roasted in the middle of the front yard.

    "First Brother, hurry and take your share. If you don''t, I might eat everything by myself."

    "But are you going to be satisfied with that amount?"

    An entire deer was being cooked, an adult one at that. No matter how healthy you were, this amount of meat should still be too much for only two people to finish.

    Despite that, the Bull Demon King asked anyway since he knew how much of a glutton Sun Wukong was.

    Never mind a whole deer, Sun Wukong could normally devour an entire tiger in one sitting, and he still wouldn''t feel full afterward.

    "Buddha told me not to kill if it''s at all possible, so I only caught this one. As for the rest, well, I''ll just munch on some grass or something."

    "I see. So that''s why you didn''t kill those wild beasts and just chased them away."

    "Well, yes, something like that. Anyways, let''s dig in," Sun Wukong handed over the thigh meat of the deer to the Bull Demon King. He accepted the meat with his pure, unblemished hand and then brought the meat to his mouth.

    The taste of the deer meat, with its rich oil dripping from it, was quite delectable. Sun Wukong eagerly dug into the meat and even began licking his fingers clean off the juicy oil.

    Once the meat''s quantity had been diminished by some degree, he spoke, "First Brother, I''m really getting itchy here, you know?"

    "Indeed, you aren''t really suited for this type of lifestyle."

    The two of them started living in this forest recently. The reason for that was fairly simple¡ªto curb Sun Wukong''s violent tendencies as much as possible.

    Sun Wukong loved to fight. He enjoyed it so much that he even earned the title of "Victorious Fighting Buddha."

    But after he asked Buddha for extra strength and became the latter''s Apostle, he ended up receiving a truly simple-sounding order.

    "You must kill as little as possible and avoid conflict."

    That order indeed seemed a simple one. Anyone could''ve easily followed it, even if they weren''t as strong as Sun Wukong.

    However, in practice, everyone would find such an order quite hard to pull off successfully.

    "I mean, where in the world can you find humans and Yogoes who don''t kill or fight, like, forever?!"

    Sun Wukong wasn''t saying that simply because he was a violent being.

    Any living person would have to kill to live. Since time immemorial, humans consumed animal meat. To do so, they had to kill.

    The matter of handling a "conflict" was also rather similar.

    It would be uncommon to find a person who had never thrown a punch out of anger. Worse still, having something as trivial as a verbal altercation, a quarrel even, fell under the bigger framework of "conflict," too.

    Not only that, conflicts and killings were far easier to commit for Yogoes than regular humans.

    Unlike humans that had strict rules regarding murder, Yogoes killing other Yogoes was an obvious thing.

    And to Sun Wukong the Victorious Fighting Buddha, he...

    "Still, you''ve done well to endure, little brother."

    "First Brother, I have to say, you look very much at peace right now."

    "Mm¡­This kind of lifestyle isn''t so bad."

    "In that case, why didn''t you help out your little brother and hunt another deer or something? I mean, we end up sharing the catch, anyway."

    "I only ate a thigh. Haven''t you gobbled up the rest all by yourself? Besides, I don''t mind filling myself up with wild berries or some other fruits."

    "Are you really gonna be like this? So uptight and all?"

    "You already know Buddha''s command of refraining from taking a life is part of your training, don''t you? Seeking my help to circumvent the guilt of taking lives will only serve to dilute the purpose of your training."

    "Urgh..." Sun Wukong didn''t have anything to retort with, so he shut his mouth and lowered his head.

    Honestly speaking, he too knew that.

    The Bull Demon King was the type to never offer his help to his siblings for some insignificant matters. The only times he would step up would be when Sun Wukong''s abilities were simply not enough or when great harm might befall his brothers.

    However, the current situation was neither of those.

    Refraining from taking a life was always an issue of Sun Wukong''s determination, and this "trial," as bestowed by Buddha, was part of the overall plan to grow Sun Wukong''s willpower.

    "Urgh. I wonder, does ''he'' even know that his Third Brother is working this hard...?"

    "Don''t worry. You will soon meet him again."

    Although what the Bull Demon King said just then sounded like nothing more than some cheap lip service, Sun Wukong''s expression still changed a great deal.

    He wouldn''t have paid any attention if someone else said the same thing, but it was different now since the Bull Demon King had said it.

    Not once in their lives did the latter say something that sounded like lip service. Actually, the Bull Demon King didn''t even know the meaning of that term.

    "Wait a minute, how do you know that, First Brother?"

    "Didn''t Buddha say anything to you?"

    "Well, that dude is a strong silent type, so not really. But, uh, why mention Buddha all of a sudden¡ª?"

    Whoosh¡ª

    A breeze blew by just then, and Sun Wukong stopped his sentence there. He froze¡ªa clear sign that he was flustered.

    The Bull Demon King smiled faintly and turned his head in the direction where that wind came from.

    "First Brother, could it be...?"

    "Have you already forgotten?"

    "Are...are you being serious?" Sun Wukong shot up from his spot.

    His emotions began running wild; he couldn''t hold himself and was about to rush ahead, only for him to hear footsteps coming from beyond the dense foliage.

    Step¡ª

    "No need to go out of your way to welcome me, Wukong."

    It was an unforgettable voice.

    And then...

    "Old man."

    An unforgettable face, too.

    An old man used his long pole to lift up the corner of his large conical bamboo hat and then raised his voice, "Have you been well, Wukong?"

    This old man took both Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King under his wings and taught them the Sage Arts.

    He was the 10th disciple of Buddha and the progenitor of the Sage Arts.

    He was none other than Master Subhuti.

 Chapter 453 - 453

    * * *

    [The 202nd floor''s trial is commencing.]

    [Please stop the incoming apocalypse.]

    "Huh?"

    Su-hyeun heard the messages just as the trial began.

    His brows rose at the second message, though. Stop the apocalypse? It sounded pretty simple, but to him, it was a special trial for sure.

    Not only that...

    "No way..."

    The scenery that appeared before his eyes as the trial began proved to be rather familiar to him: a long and winding river in the distance, countless skyscrapers standing tall and near each other with not a visible gap, cars and people busily going about their business under the daylight, and the distinct smell of exhaust fumes mixed in with the trees.

    And then, there was the tall yet spindly tower he was standing on...

    "Isn''t this...Nam Mountain in Seoul?!" he muttered under a cloud of uncertainty, but his uncertainty didn''t require a lot of time to morph into certainty.

    Vrrrrr¡ª

    His smartphone that was tucked away inside his pocket began ringing loudly.

    His phone suddenly coming to life by ringing even outside the range of data or communication network could only mean that the device was now connected to the grid.

    And that was the evidence Su-hyeun needed to prove that this was Earth he called home.

    "Could it be an error?"

    Without a doubt, the system clearly stated that the trial of the 202nd floor was commencing.

    But to think that he ended up returning to Earth, of all places.

    He couldn''t help but wonder if the trial hadn''t begun yet after the system developed some kind of an error somewhere, but that thought didn''t last for long.

    Su-hyeun tried to open the "doorway." Opening it was the unique privilege given to awakeners, which allowed him to connect his homeworld to the Tower of Trials.

    But then...

    "It''s not opening up."

    The doorway that he could open oh-so naturally like breathing didn''t want to budge as if it had been locked up tight¡ªas if something was blocking his access.

    "I can break through if I want, but..."

    There could only be one reason why the doorway that not just Su-hyeun but all the other awakeners were permitted to use was firmly locked.

    "Hah..." Su-hyeun spat out a long groan and then took in the sight of Seoul below the Namsan Seoul Tower. "So, that''s how it is, huh?"

    Zeus recommended challenging the 202nd floor''s trial right away because Earth was the stage for the trial given to Su-hyeun this time around.

    * * *

    Lee Ju-ho was sneaking a glance at Su-hyeun, who had suddenly returned to Jongno Tower without any warning.

    The latter entered the chairman''s office suddenly, opened the cover of a book, and kept his eyes glued to it. Lee Ju-ho sneaked another glance, this time on the book''s contents, but it was written in letters that he didn''t recognize at all.

    "What is he reading, anyway?"

    Driiibble...

    Lee Ju-ho prepared the coffee that Su-hyeun seemed to like. The sound of coffee filling up the cups was quite loud inside this strange silence.

    That sound caused Su-hyeun''s gaze to finally drift away from the book for the first time in several minutes. Lee Ju-ho didn''t know what Su-hyeun was so focused on right now, but it seemed that Su-hyeun wasn''t even aware that Lee Ju-ho prepared coffee.

    "Ah, hold on. Let me¡ª"

    "It''s fine. I was getting sleepy anyway. Here," Lee Ju-ho pushed forward a cup with coffee in it to Su-hyeun. He then took his own cup and settled on the edge of his desk. "What are you thinking about?"

    "You said that nothing particular has happened while I was gone, right?"

    "Yeah. Too little has happened, and that''s proving to be the problem. Dungeons are getting scarce, and consequently, Ether stone production has fallen, too. Thanks to these events, I can safely say that the biggest problem so far has been the Gordon Company''s stocks losing as much as 20 percent of their value."

    "That''s a steep drop."

    "It''s an issue on a global scale. Well, since it''s the Gordon Company, I''m sure it can rise back up again even without the Ether stones. By the way, why are you asking me about that?"

    "It''s nothing, really," Su-hyeun replied briefly and then took a sip of the coffee.

    Once some caffeine slipped past his throat, his concentration from earlier softened a little. His mind seemed to have been refreshed, and new chains of thoughts were able to enter.

    "Stop the apocalypse. The apocalypse..."

    That message from the system indicated that a crisis on the apocalyptic level was about to hit Earth. As such, Su-hyeun asked Lee Ju-ho as soon as he returned if there had been any strange phenomena to take note of. But rather weirdly, it seemed that nothing much important had happened during his absence, which wasn''t what the system had alluded to.

    "Do I have to wait? No wait, is it fine for me to simply wait?"

    Even if he was inside a familiar setting, this was still a trial nevertheless. Until now, the trial found a way to lead Su-hyeun into taking some kind of action.

    So, waiting until something happened since nothing was happening right now wouldn''t be the correct answer to solve this problem.

    He had to do something. Anything would suffice.

    "Even if it''s a trivial incident, please let me know if there''s something off about it."

    "Are you done mulling about it?"

    "Yes."

    "I guess something major is going to happen, then. Okay, got it. Come back tomorrow. I''ll organize every incident in the reports that seem off into a readable file for you."

    "Thanks."

    Lee Ju-ho was indeed an excellent partner to have. Su-hyeun had not seen anyone who could quickly and perfectly take care of all official business.

    Lee Ju-ho was the partner who filled the parts Su-hyeun was lacking. If it was Lee Ju-ho, then he was completely trustworthy.

    Lee Ju-ho asked, "What will you be doing in the meantime? If you''re planning to take a break somewhere, let me know, so I can send the file over to you."

    "Nah, it''s fine. I''m not going anywhere far."

    "Really? Where?"

    When Lee Ju-ho asked that in confusion, Su-hyeun lightly tapped the floor with his foot, "The basement here, actually."

    "What?"

    * * *

    Su-hyeun headed to the Jongno Tower''s basement.

    A wide-open space where he could move around freely was located below the underground parking lot of the Tower, the home to the Awakener Association.

    Its original purpose was to let awakeners test out their skills or allow them to spar with one another. However, it was rarely used now.

    The reason for that was simple enough: the illusion magic circle produced by the Gordon Company.

    One could experience what a dungeon raid would be like ahead of time, basically nullifying most of the purpose this underground space was built for.

    "That''s why it was pretty easy for me to rent this place for a day, but still," Su-hyeun scanned this vast underground space that was at least several dozen thousand square meters wide and muttered to no one in particular, "It''s way too big for me alone, isn''t it?"

    It was far too quiet in here, so even his soft muttering ended up bouncing off the walls and returned to him as an echo.

    It was a perfectly enclosed space. Not only that but this place was constructed quite sturdily, so most regular impact forces shouldn''t affect the Jongno Tower above.

    "Still, anything can happen, so..."

    Shu-kaaahk¡ª

    Whoosh, slice¡ª

    Su-hyeun unsheathed the sword by his waist and then flashily swung it around in the air.

    With him as the center, a huge circle was suddenly engraved on the ground surrounding this huge underground space that reached dozens of square meters.

    This circle was perfectly round, with not a single deviation anywhere. He then began inscribing new "symbols" within this circle next.

    [Six Paths of Past Lives]

    [Grand Wizard, "Arwen"]

    He didn''t have much trouble trying to inscribe a magic circle that he didn''t know anything about until now.

    It was all thanks to the memories of Arwen the Grand Wizard, the greatest wizard in the history of his world, who also happened to be one of Su-hyeun''s many past lives.

    "I mean, I can now instantly understand the grimoire I was having a tough time with recently, so..."

    Su-hyeun tried to read again the grimoire Ellid the red dragon gave to him. Thanks to the Six Paths of Past Lives, a part of his unique ability Samsara, he acquired the memories of Arwen. At the same time, he also got his hands on the theories concerning magic, as well as all the related experiences that he had been sorely lacking.

    All of this allowed him to reach the same height as Ellid in terms of magic. No, wait; it shouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that, considering all the qualifications of godhood in his possession, he had already surpassed the red dragon to enter an even loftier realm.

    Tsh-ut...

    Su-hyeun didn''t need to work hard to complete the magic circle.

    Wuuuung¡ª

    From the circle he had created, a transparent barrier spread out. This magic circle could not be broken no matter what hit it.

    The principle was simple enough: the caster of the magic circle was Su-hyeun, and as long as he spent his energy, the barrier would continue to absorb all impact force that tries to leak outside.

    In other words, the magic circle''s barrier would not shatter unless Su-hyeun collapsed out of exhaustion first.

    "With this, any impact happening in here won''t affect the outside, so..."

    He could relax just a bit more now.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked over to the center of the magic circle.

    "Come."

    Tsu-tsutsutsu...

    When Su-hyeun unleashed his will, pure-white clouds were generated on the highest point within the range of the magic circle''s influence.

    "Somersault cloud."

    Flash¡ª!

    A flash of light struck down from within the clouds. The thunderclap soon became an echo that rang around within his ears. The lightning bolt of the Somersault cloud accumulated in Su-hyeun''s left hand, which still wore Zeus''s Thunder Glove.

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzik¡ª

    The electrical charge maintained its form inside his grip without scattering away. It initially took on the shape of a spear and then changed into a sword next. Not only did it possess a physical form, but its destructive power had been enhanced by a great deal, too.

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s figure floated off the ground, but he hadn''t activated "Leap" or used his magical power to make himself levitate.

    The Somersault cloud was actually supporting his body. He couldn''t try out this method until now simply because his proficiency level was still too low.

    "As I thought, this..."

    This wasn''t merely the matter of his proficiency with the Somersault cloud shooting up. No, its control was now completely under Su-hyeun''s will.

    He figured out the reason for this easily enough, "Is it because the Godhood of Sky is above the Godhood of Clouds?"

    That seemed reasonable. Clouds were a part of the massive space called the sky. Even though many different types of godhood existed out there, it was true that godhood with higher concepts also existed.

    Now that he had acquired a qualification of godhood boasting a higher concept, Su-hyeun found it as easy and obvious as breathing to "rule" over the Somersault cloud.

    "Which means this too...!"

    Pazzzik¡ª

    Rumble, ku-rururururung¡ª!

    According to Su-hyeun''s will, lightning bolts rained down everywhere. The hundreds of lightning fell like raindrops, but then, all these bolts of golden-orange hue came to a sudden stop as if time had come to a standstill.

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun reached out to one of the lightning bolts and grabbed it, and then, he watched it assume another shape within his grip.

    "The required amount of energy to create a Thunderbolt has gone down by a lot. My stats haven''t been increased since I''m not in a battle, so to be like this..."

    Not just commanding the Somersault cloud but even using the Thunder Glove became so much easier for him after acquiring the Godhood of Sky.

    Originally, his magical energy reserve would''ve drained out at an alarming rate whenever he fired off a single Thunderbolt, but now, he didn''t require a whole lot of effort to summon a lightning bolt through the Thunder Glove.

    "Maybe I can..."

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes for a bit.

    All magic came from one''s imagination. This was the opinion of Arwen the Grand Wizard from Su-hyeun''s past life.

    And one''s power of imagination included all sorts of things that one had witnessed and experienced.

    Su-hyeun tried to imagine the technique he witnessed Zeus using not too long ago in his mind.

    When he successfully recalled that technique, which had been powerfully engraved in his consciousness now, all the unmoving lightning bolts around him began moving once more.

    Paazzzik, bzzzzz¡ª

    Rumble, ka-boooom¡ª!

    Soon after that, lightning continued to flash from the dark clouds near the ceiling of this place.

    The loud thunderclaps filled up the interior of Su-hyeun''s magic circle. The ceaseless lightning bolts answered Su-hyeun''s will and his imagination to create a colossal silhouette next.

    Boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    Kkyaaaaah¡ª!

    The reddish-golden lightning current gathered into one silhouette, and then, its maw split open to issue a thunderous screech. It was as if this "creature" was announcing its birth to the world.

    Su-hyeun opened his eyes and looked at the large silhouette of the lightning wrapped around his body.

    A huge "dragon" was coiling around him right now.

    "Strike down¡ª!" One order from him and the crimson-gold dragon suddenly sprang into action.. "Thunder Dragon."

 Chapter 454 - 454

    * * *

    Crack, split, craaaack¡ª

    Visible cracks appeared on the dome-shaped barrier.

    It didn''t take long for one crack to become many. The white cracks rapidly multiplied before the rays of a bright light spread outside the barrier altogether.

    SHATTER¡ª!

    RUMBLE, KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The moment the barrier shattered to bits, a deafening thunderclap exploded outside. The noise not only filled up the underground space but also rocked the ground above. For a moment there, the ground rumbled ominously, causing the terrain to shake.

    Fortunately, the artificial earthquake ended very quickly, all thanks to Su-hyeun quickly withdrawing his power.

    "Fuu-wuu..." Su-hyeun sighed at length as he landed softly back in the center of the magic circle. One slip up from him, and the impact force could''ve spread out to the surface.

    "That was way too close for comfort."

    For a split second there, it felt like the inside of his head blanked out.

    Su-hyeun recalled the gigantic Thunder Dragon that Zeus had manifested, and using his own powers, he tried to recreate it.

    He was still unsure of the underlying principle of how to create that dragon. It was kind of similar to how he couldn''t explain the principle of acquiring the qualification of godhood and materializing the power associated with it.

    He had acquired the Godhood of Sky and was currently wearing the Thunder Glove, which contained the Godhood of Thunder.

    When he combined those two powers, he was able to imitate Zeus''s power to some degree, allowing him to recreate the Thunder Dragon.

    The destructive power of this Thunder Dragon was even greater than Su-hyeun had anticipated.

    "To think that it exceeded the regenerative rate of the magic circle..."

    The magic circle was built on the principle of sucking out Su-hyeun''s energy to recover itself whenever impact forces landed on the barrier.

    The most impact would not be able to shatter the barrier. When its durability did decrease from impact forces, it would recover right away. So, unless Su-hyeun keeled over from exhaustion, no impact force should leak outside the barrier.

    Of course, the only way to shatter it was an overwhelming destructive power that exceeded the barrier''s regenerative rate.

    At the very least, Su-hyeun didn''t possess a technique powerful enough for that¡ªuntil now.

    Still...

    "This is great," Su-hyeun smiled.

    He was very much satisfied right now.

    Sure, he did get a bit flustered after the barrier shattered, but regardless of what, the power of this new technique being so ridiculous could only be great news for him.

    The magical energy consumption was just as ridiculous. Still, this attack would serve as a perfect hidden trump card against a strong opponent in the future.

    Su-hyeun now found himself with a new task for the time being.

    "Learning to control the Thunder Dragon takes priority."

    The Thunder Dragon was on another realm compared to his other techniques.

    It was created by combining the god-tier item Thunder Glove, his godhood, prana, and finally, magical energy. At this point, it was basically a new life form created and controlled by Su-hyeun''s will.

    Not only restricting its power output but even controlling its direction would not be an easy task. It should take some effort on his part if he wanted to create a Thunder Dragon as big as the one Zeus had created or control it freely without any restrictions.

    "But before all that..."

    Now that he was finished confirming his newly acquired power, he needed to move on to the next topic.

    He hurriedly left the underground space, utterly unaware that he had caused the whole of the Jongno Tower to shake unsteadily. As a result, the building''s inhabitants were panicking.

    * * *

    "Okay, so, you''re saying this is the hammer of Hephaestus?" Kim Dae-ho asked with a disbelieving face while staring at the hammer that Su-hyeun brought along.

    Su-hyeun made a troubled face before smiling awkwardly. Honestly, even he thought that it all sounded rather implausible despite him being the one who said it.

    "Yes, it''s true, uncle."

    "Dammit, man. Say something that makes sense, will ya?"

    "No, I''m being serious."

    "Oh, so you met a god that only shows up in some ancient myths, won a wager, and then got your hands on this hammer? Huh. You punk, who in their right mind will believe such a tale?"

    Indeed, this story sounded too absurd to be believable.

    Obviously, Kim Da-ho didn''t believe Su-hyeun''s story at all. He was not an awakener, but even other awakeners would still have found the events Su-hyeun had gone through rather hard to believe.

    "Uncle, just grab it first. You''ll see."

    "Really now...You and your stubborn streak."

    Kim Dae-ho just couldn''t keep saying no, so he reached out and grabbed the hammer''s handle. Only then did he stop talking.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly stared at Kim Dae-ho, who was frozen solid like an app experiencing a processing error.

    And so, a few minutes of silence later...

    "T¡ªthis," Kim Dae-ho slowly opened his lips, "It''s the real deal?"

    Unlike before, the disbelief in his voice was significantly less.

    In response, Su-hyeun nodded without hesitation. If the question was about whether this hammer really belonged to Hephaestus or not, then, of course, it was the genuine article.

    Kim Dae-ho could only chuckle softly and let his admiration show, "With this, I can''t not believe you, now can I?"

    "So, you believe me now?" Su-hyeun smirked softly.

    Hephaestus''s hammer was made of adamantium. Although it didn''t have a hidden option of imbuing special magic or extra sturdiness to the bits of steel it hit, another effect¡ªsomething even more decisive¡ªwas at work. It granted Hephaestus''s memories and experiences to any blacksmith who wielded this hammer.

    Su-hyeun, too, had experienced this effect, which wasn''t surprising since he had held the hammer several times already.

    "Although, when I had it in my grip, the things I saw were blurry like a veil of fog," he thought.

    Hephaestus was the God of Blacksmithing. His hammer, therefore, wouldn''t grant any noticeable effect to the ones who didn''t think of themselves as blacksmiths.

    It also meant that this item would display the greatest effect when wielded by Kim Dae-ho, a man whose pride of being a blacksmith was stronger than anyone else out there.

    "What is it that you want to be made?" Kim Dae-ho''s eyes were dangerously gleaming now.

    To him, this hammer of Hephaestus would be the greatest, most valuable treasure without equal in the entire world.

    A hammer permeating with the power of God of Blacksmithing?

    Kim Dae-ho was the world''s best blacksmith, and as such, he had nothing left to learn. A blacksmith better than him didn''t exist in this world, and it would be impossible for him to learn something from someone else in the first place.

    However, the story would greatly change with Hephaestus''s hammer. To Kim Dae-ho, this hammer was the greatest teacher imaginable.

    Through this hammer, he would step even closer to the realm of the God of Blacksmithing.

    "Just, you know, please keep doing what you''ve been doing until now."

    "What I''ve been doing until now, you say?"

    "Yes. Uncle, you''ve already been crafting things that I wanted, haven''t you? From the armor I''m wearing to this sword and everything else, too."

    As long as Hephaestus had access to the right materials, he was good enough to create god-tier items on the level of Zeus''s Thunder Glove.

    And now, Kim Dae-ho was wielding Hephaestus''s hammer. Even if the level of his crafted items would not exactly match what the God of Blacksmithing produced, they should still be quite close.

    Without a doubt, items crafted by Kim Dae-ho should prove to be a great deal of help to Su-hyeun from now on.

    "I see. In that case," Kim Dae-ho closed his eyes for a moment, his hand still gripping the hammer. It seemed that he was absorbing the memories permeating the hammer.

    Then, his eyes shot open without warning, "Give me your sword and armor."

    "My sword and armor? Why?"

    "I didn''t make them correctly," Kim Dae-ho said something no one expected him to say. "Adamantium wasn''t supposed to be handled that way."

    * * *

    Su-hyeun handed over his sword and armor to Kim Dae-ho and then left the workshop.

    The latter''s mood was too serious for them to catch up on what happened during Su-hyeun''s absence. After receiving the sword and the armor, Kim Dae-ho said, "Come back in 10 days," and shut himself up in the workshop right away.

    Su-hyeun somehow ended up losing his sword and armor, but it didn''t really matter to him.

    "Well, I still have Kali''s Armor, plus he did give me a pretty good sword as a sub, anyway."

    Kim Dae-ho''s workshop was home to lots of excellent equipment. Although they didn''t contain adamantium, several pieces of his equipment were still amazing enough to drive the whole world into a frenzy if they were ever put up for sale.

    He picked up the best sword among his creations and gave it to Su-hyeun while saying, "Please return it after using it for a little while."

    Of course, even a sword this good was merely okay to Su-hyeun. Compared to his own sword with the Palm Leaf residing within, all the other swords might as well be common kitchen knives sold in supermarkets.

    Not to mention, Su-hyeun''s skills weren''t so subpar that he had to rely on a good sword all the time.

    And so, after he emerged from the workshop...

    Vrrr¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s phone began ringing. Lee Ju-ho was calling him.

    It hadn''t even been a day yet¡ªonly a few hours¡ªbut he was getting in touch already.

    "Hello? Have you found something already?" Su-hyeun asked.

    "Ah, no. We''re still looking. Where are you, though?"

    "I''m on my way out after chatting to Uncle Kim."

    "Well, you sure went somewhere far, didn''t you? You should hurry back here, though. Someone''s looking for you."

    "Looking for me? Who is it?"

    "That foreigner little brother of yours. The one you were hanging around with the last time."

    Su-hyeun''s brows shot up. There could be only one "foreigner little brother" of Su-hyeun that Lee Ju-ho knew of.

    "And why is that guy over there?"

    Since "he" had been introduced as a "little brother," Su-hyeun couldn''t refer to him with a more polite term.

    Lee Ju-ho was someone with quick wits. Even so, he pretended to be falling for this line of excuse and expertly changed the subject, "How should I know? Besides all that. What did you do down in the underground training area?"

    "Sorry?"

    "The whole of Jongno Tower was shaking around earlier, you know. Everyone panicked back then, wondering if a dungeon suddenly opened up in the basement or something. Fortunately, it ended pretty quickly."

    "Oh."

    "What do you mean, ''oh''? In any case, hurry back here."

    Lee Ju-ho ended the call there.

    Su-hyeun groaned while sensing a sudden wave of mental fatigue rushing in. He was thinking of taking a bit of downtime, but now it felt like a rather troublesome matter had landed on his lap.

    "I better take care of this quickly and get some rest."

    Su-hyeun stepped forward, and when he did, the road before his eyes began "folding."

    [Earth Shrink Technique]

    Step¡ª

    Every step he took equated to hundreds of steps.

    The scenery changed several times, and eventually, the Jongno Tower came into view. He took another step, and the door to the chairman''s office appeared next.

    He reached out and lightly knocked on the door.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    "Who is it?"

    "It''s me, bro. I''m coming in."

    Clunk¡ª

    Su-hyeun opened the door and stepped inside the office.

    Tumble, crash¡ª!

    "Heok?! Haaahk?" Clearly stunned, Lee Ju-ho tried to push the chair back to stand, only to ungainly tumble on his butt. His heart was pounding as if he saw a scary phantom or some such, so he hurriedly patted his chest to calm himself down. "W¡ªwhat the heck? Didn''t you say you just finished speaking to Uncle Kim?"

    "Yes, I was. I came from there directly."

    "Wait, were you pulling a fast one on me? If not, did you, like, use teleportation or something to go poof and appear here? You shocked me, dude."

    "I was worried about you getting a heart attack, so I didn''t enter the office straight away, but it seems it was a useless worry in the end."

    Lee Ju-ho stood back up right away, indicating that falling on his butt didn''t hurt him much.

    As for Luslec, he could not say anything at this sudden commotion and had to quietly observe the situation from the side. When he met Su-hyeun''s gaze, he grinned brightly and waved his hand, "It''s been a while!"

    "For now, let''s talk elsewhere," Su-hyeun gestured at Luslec, telling the latter to follow him. If possible, he didn''t want the conversation they were about to have in front of other people.

    Fortunately, Luslec seemed to understand Su-hyeun''s intention and followed him without any complaints. They headed to the rooftop of the Jongno Tower.

    Creak, thunk¡ª

    Su-hyeun locked the roof access door behind them. Now that they were alone, he turned around to face Luslec, who was still smiling, and asked, "Why did you come here this time?"

    "I wanted to see you. Didn''t I mention this already? I''m your biggest fan."

    "Didn''t you promise not to come to this side if you can help it? And if you must come, then you said you''d contact me first, too."

    "Honestly, I wanted to see you, so I just hopped back here. The food I ate the last time I was here was top-tier stuff, and well, I was thinking of going on a short sightseeing tour, too."

    "Are those really your reasons?"

    Su-hyeun''s eyes were filled with bluish light.

    Luslec''s smile was finally erased after he noticed those eyes. He avoided looking into those eyes and turned his head in another direction, "Are you going to use Insight? That''s cheating, you know?"

    "Although I can''t read what''s in your mind, I can still figure out whether you''re lying or not, at least. I don''t need Insight to figure that out this time."

    "Aha, is that so?" Luslec asked back, his head still turned away. It seemed that he was definitely not a fan of the idea of his intentions being read by Su-hyeun''s Insight.

    Su-hyeun understood that sentiment all too well, but he still had to do this. Unlike how Luslec knew so much about him, he knew almost nothing about Luslec at this stage.

    "Actually, it''s good that you''re here like this. There''s something I''ve been curious about for a while now, you see."

    "You were curious about something?"

    "The god supporting you, among the Five Godly Sages, who is it?" Su-hyeun''s Insight became stronger as the blue light in his eyes swirled. "Just who ordered you to keep an eye on me?"

 Chapter 455 - 455

    "..."

    Luslec didn''t reply to Su-hyeun''s question.

    However, the Su-hyeun didn''t need to hear Luslec''s answer to know that he was incredibly flustered right now.

    That fluster was all that Su-hyeun needed to confirm his guesses.

    "Hah¡ªah," Luslec sighed at length as the air around him grew increasingly colder. He had finally realized that he would not be able to deceive Su-hyeun any longer. "When did you figure it out?"

    "I''ve known that your gestures of goodwill weren''t as simple as you made them out to be a long time ago. More than anything else, the god supporting you is keeping their eyes on me, so there must be a reason for that."

    "So, like, can you tell me from when?"

    "I started suspecting something was off when you first showed up on this planet. Nothing more than innocent curiosity? That could''ve been true, but even then, I thought you had another more definitive purpose for coming here."

    "Holy cow, you are rather untrusting of people, aren''t you?"

    Luslec walked up to one of the benches on the rooftop and then settled down on it. He crossed his legs and began pouting in dissatisfaction, too¡ªindicating that he was genuinely displeased right now.

    Su-hyeun did find such an expression somewhat funny, but the current situation didn''t allow them to exchange meaningless banter.

    "Are you not going to answer me?"

    "I''m not here to keep an eye on you."

    "Sorry?"

    That reply was unrelated to his question.

    Rather than providing a straight answer, Luslec chose to correct Su-hyeun''s question first, "I''m not here to monitor you. Of course, our first encounter was not a coincidence, and my goodwill isn''t strictly borne out of some simple fan worship, but anyway¡ª"

    "Okay, then what is it?"

    "Urgh! I''ve already been scolded a lot for crossing the line, you know? If I let you know this one too, then I''m really gonna lose my head...Can''t you, like, let this one go?" Luslec made a distraught face.

    Unfortunately for him, there was no way Su-hyeun would let this slide when his suspicions were confirmed to some degree like this. "No, I cannot."

    "Urgh! In that case, let''s keep this to a bare minimum, shall we? Please?"

    "What do you mean, bare minimum? I have more than one or two things to ask you, after all."

    "Even so, I have never done anything to harm you, Mister Su-hyeun. Am I wrong?"

    Indeed, he was right about that. No¡ªforget about harming¡ªLuslec proved to be a big help.

    From their first encounter onward, he helped Su-hyeun overcome the trial. He was the one who gave away a clue to acquiring the World Tree''s seed. Then, he even provided information on the ranks of Predators, such as the One Hundred Evils or the Ten Great Evils.

    In a way, he was performing the role of an invaluable assistant until now.

    "If it weren''t for those times, I''d have kicked you out already."

    This was the reason why Su-hyeun didn''t immediately chase away Luslec, a man with too many secrets who also happened to be a rather suspicious person.

    "You weren''t going to kill me?"

    "It''s something similar."

    "So cold-hearted."

    "In any case, if the purpose is not to monitor me, then what is it?"

    "It''s the same thing as what I''ve been doing until now. To assist you."

    "Assisting me, you say?"

    Luslec had indeed been helping him out.

    This realization made Su-hyeun furrow his brow.

    Despite saying that the purpose was to assist him, Luslec was unwilling to divulge his secrets? Su-hyeun didn''t know his current circumstances, but there was no doubting that everything Luslec said so far was more than enough to rouse up substantial suspicions.

    "Still, I''m sure of it now. Behind him is one of the Five Godly Sages," Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun only knew of two such gods: Zeus and Master Subhuti.

    Out of the two, he had yet to run into Master Subhuti. Still, he didn''t even know the names of the remaining three.

    At the very least, he now knew Zeus and Master Subhuti were not involved here.

    If Zeus was supporting Luslec, then Su-hyeun would''ve figured it out already. It was also the same story with Master Subhuti.

    "This guy''s ability is far too different from the Sage Arts."

    Not only was Master Subhuti the progenitor of Sage Arts, but he was also the teacher of Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King. He didn''t seem like the kind of individual who would have "Apostles" serving him, and more importantly, Luslec''s abilities were cut from a different cloth than the Sage Arts.

    "Which means it has to be one of the remaining three..."

    Excluding Zeus and Master Subhuti, Luslec would probably not reveal the identities of the remaining three gods even if Su-hyeun asked. All he could figure out through Insight, for now, was to determine whether Luslec was lying to him or not.

    "Can''t you tell me who''s behind you?"

    "I''d rather choose to die before I tell you that," Luslec replied in a resolute voice.

    It was unknown whether his faith and trust in his god had become too deep after becoming an Apostle or the "pledge" he talked about in the past getting in the way of revealing the truth. Still, at the very least, he wasn''t saying that just for fun.

    Most likely, it would be near impossible to coax Luslec into coughing out the information related to the Five Godly Sages regardless of the methods employed.

    "Fine, then, what''s your real purpose for coming here?"

    In the end, Su-hyeun had no choice but to be satisfied with the information he had managed to gather up to now. He then asked about the real reason for Luslec''s sudden visit.

    Now that the interrogation was over, Luslec sighed softly in relief and replied, "I''ve already heard about the events in Olympus, Mister Su-hyeun. The news of one of the Three Destroyers dying is a big topic of conversation back in the God Realm."

    "The God Realm?"

    "It''s a world where various gods gather to live together. Most gods with some fame would have traveled there at least once. Even Olympus is simply a part of the God Realm."

    The world of the gods?

    It seemed that there was another place like that aside from Olympus. According to Luslec, it sounded as if this God Realm was far bigger in scale than Olympus.

    Su-hyeun''s curiosity was piqued all of a sudden. Just like how Zeus, one of the Five Godly Sages, was residing in Olympus, he wondered if this God Realm was also home to another god in the same tier.

    "Most likely, at least more than one, too."

    The diagram of societal relations among gods didn''t seem to differ too much from the world of mortals, as far as Su-hyeun could tell.

    He even briefly wondered if the lives and societies of mortals were reproductions of the world of gods in some way. Also, Apollo said something similar to this in passing in the past as well.

    In a world, no, even in a nation where people came together to live, an "order" was bound to be established. Whether that order was in the shape of a democratic society or a communist dictatorship, it would be established without fail.

    And the one standing at the top of that order was...

    "Probably, one of the Five Godly Sages."

    Su-hyeun already heard from Zeus that the Five Godly Sages were involved with the Tower of Trial''s system. Among them, Master Subhuti was supposed to be the core architect of the system itself.

    Su-hyeun needed to search for, and speak to, Master Subhuti in the near future. But if it was also possible, he was thinking of meeting all Five Godly Sages as well.

    He asked, "How can I travel to this God Realm?"

    "I''m sorry, but even I don''t know," said Luslec.

    "You don''t?"

    "Yes. I only heard about it from someone else, you see. I''ve never been there before, and I''ve never been in contact with the gods living there, too."

    Luslec said that the God Realm was in an uproar, so Su-hyeun wondered if this mysterious Apostle had a point of contact with the gods living there, but to think that wasn''t it...

    That revelation deflated Su-hyeun a bit, but at least, he was sure of Luslec telling the truth. He would get nothing useful even if he continued with this line of questioning.

    "Okay. But why did you bring up the matter about the God Realm...?"

    "This matter is already a hot topic among the gods, so what do you think is happening among the Predators?"

    "..."

    The viewpoint was switched around.

    What about the Predators, the ones standing diametrically opposed to the gods?

    This event was related to Uranus, one of the Three Destroyers standing at the peak of the Predators. The news of his death should weigh as heavily among the Predators as the death of one of the Five Godly Sages to the gods.

    Which could only mean that...

    "Shiva has begun paying you attention, Mister Su-hyeun."

    The two other Predators in the rank of the Three Destroyers were now getting interested in Su-hyeun''s matter.

    "Is that so?"

    "You don''t sound surprised?"

    "Of course not," Su-hyeun answered. He then began grinning, "Killing that Predator means this whole thing will be over for good, doesn''t it?"

    "W¡ªwell...I suppose that''s one way of looking at it," Luslec nodded at Su-hyeun''s opinion, even if the latter''s reaction was not what he expected.

    For sure, the current violent upheavals taking place throughout the universe were centered on Shiva.

    Following up Uranus'' death with Shiva''s demise would be the same as ending the universe''s annihilation. At the very least, there was little doubt that the threat called dungeons would stop appearing in Su-hyeun''s homeworld.

    "Anyway, I''ll keep cheering you on, regardless. I''m actually legit scared of Shiva, you see."

    "Thanks for all that cheering."

    "Well, I should be on my way now," Luslec quickly sprang back up from the bench.

    Su-hyeun thought that he would be staying for a few days just like before, so he couldn''t help but ask him, "Do you have an urgent business to take care of?"

    "The whole universe is kind of out of kilter these days, you see. I''ve got a lot on my plate, unfortunately," Luslec shrugged his shoulders as he replied.

    Su-hyeun stared at Luslec, who was now making a mischievous grin, and waved his hand, "Take care, now."

    Luslec turned around to leave and waved his hand as well to say goodbye. When Luslec did, a tear in space revealing a black void appeared before him and then gradually closed in to swallow him up.

    Split¡ª

    Crunch¡ª

    No one now stood in the spot where Luslec got "swallowed" up.

    Su-hyeun lowered his waving hand and pocketed it.

    "The God Realm, Uranus, Shiva, the Five Godly Sages..."

    Quite a lot of information had been crammed into his head and got messily tangled up in there.

    The death of Uranus...

    Back then, Su-hyeun was simply working diligently toward solving the trial he was given, but the end result caused this universe to enter a new phase of upheaval.

    Before leaving the rooftop, Su-hyeun looked up and stared at the sky. At least for today, the usual calm sky up there looked rather different to him.

    The violent upheavals taking place throughout the vast expanses of the universe and countless many dimensions had morphed into a gigantic storm that was steadily approaching here.

    * * *

    Afterward, Su-hyeun sought out an open field in the unpopulated part of Gangwon Province.

    Honestly speaking, he would''ve preferred to rent out the same underground space below the Jongno Tower since it was the closest, but he was worried about making a mistake with controlling the Thunder Dragon and shattering the magic barrier once more.

    He spent most of the remaining time perfecting his control over the Thunder Dragon.

    And the next day...

    In the morning, which hadn''t exactly been the promised one day yet, Su-hyeun''s pocket began vibrating noisily.

    Vrrr¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho was calling him.

    "Huff, huff..."

    Su-hyeun swept aside the magic circle drawn on the ground as sweat poured down his face.

    Brush, whoosh¡ª

    When the outline of the magic circle he carved out with his sword collapsed, the barrier surrounding the area vanished without a trace.

    He then picked up a towel lying around on the side and wiped away his sweat. His whole body was drenched like a soaked sponge, so he decided to sit down first before anything else.

    He pulled out the phone from his pocket and answered the call, "Yes, hello?"

    "What are you doing right now?"

    "You know, just¡ªI had something to do, so I''m somewhere a bit far away."

    "Even though you came back not too long ago, you''re still busy as always. Anyways, we''ve finished organizing what you asked me for. Just as you asked, we compiled every incident no matter how trivial it is, as long as it seemed unusual somehow. Put the phone on speaker. Then, let''s check out the files I sent you."

    Su-hyeun did as told and switched the phone on speaker mode. His phone had been noisily ringing a few times for a little while now; it must have been the device telling him that several files had arrived.

    "For now, that''s all we managed to compile. As for the remainder, I think it''ll take another day or so. Take a look and see if anything catches your eye, and if there aren''t any, give me a call."

    "Alright, thanks."

    "However, you should pay attention to the files of the first incident, the 12th, 37th, 55th, 91st, and..."

    Lee Ju-ho began listing those incidents that even he found unusual. Su-hyeun, not really caring about the order, took his time opening the first file and confirmed its contents.

    But then...

    "Bro?" The photo accompanying the very first file instantly caught his attention. "This...Where did you find this photo?"

    This particular photo showed a humanoid giant with the head of a dragon.

    Su-hyeun was all too familiar with this creature''s name.

    "Fafnir!"

 Chapter 456 - 456

    * * *

    Thunk¡ª!

    "Argh, what the heck?!"

    Lee Ju-ho shoved his chair back and shot up to his feet when Su-hyeun abruptly opened the door and entered his office.

    Thankfully, he avoided kissing the floor with his butt like the last time, but he still couldn''t do anything about his heart nearly crashing to the pit of his stomach.

    "H¡ªhey, didn''t you say you were somewhere far away?!"

    "But I''m back now. In any case, bro?" Su-hyeun urgently walked up to Lee Ju-ho and asked, "The first file, can we take a closer look at that?"

    "Oh, that one?" Lee Ju-ho returned the shoved chair back to its rightful place and picked up the tablet PC resting on the corner of his desk.

    The time this tablet took to switch on felt unnecessarily long. The screen finally came to life. After Lee Ju-ho accessed the file in question, the photo containing a far-too-familiar thing popped up.

    "Yeah, even I thought this was a bit weird. This photo showed up in an American community board, but other than this one photo, there aren''t any useful descriptions on what''s going on."

    "Who posted it, though?"

    "We tried to find out, but as it turns out, it''s meaningless."

    "Sorry?"

    "That person is dead," Lee Ju-ho shook his head to say it was an unfortunate thing. "The time of death and the time when this post appeared are almost a match. It''s like this person died almost immediately after uploading the photo online."

    "Sounds like that person was uploading it rather urgently."

    "I guess so. And that''s why it gained so much traction online. The original post got deleted, but you know how fast the internet can be. Now that it''s gone viral, the photo''s been spreading around at the speed of light. Although, the American authorities are treating it as a simple murder and are investigating it that way¡ª" Lee Ju-ho suddenly cut himself off and took a look at Su-hyeun''s expression. "What''s the matter? You interested?"

    Su-hyeun nodded gravely. How could he not be interested?

    It was unknown whether this was a CGI or a real photo, but there was no doubting that this lead was connected to Fafnir.

    "Can you find out where this photo was taken?"

    * * *

    Los Angeles¡ªa giant metropolis second only to New York in the United States¡ªwas teeming with countless people.

    It was a testament to a world that had welcomed the era of peace.

    All wars had vanished after humanity united against the common enemy called monsters. Even dungeons had almost stopped appearing in recent times.

    The United States, which never really feared war, always had a real fear of dungeons. Still, for the past year or so, the number of dungeons appearing in and near the city of Los Angeles could be counted in one hand, so much so that awakeners fiercely competed against each other to raid what few dungeons did show up. It had gotten so bad that even S-Ranks were pouring their all to secure raiding permits for even orange-colored dungeons.

    For all intents and purposes, the threat level posed by dungeons had become almost nil.

    And in such a situation, an unexplained murder was enough to bring about great ripples.

    Especially when...

    "We still can''t figure out the identity of the monster in this photo."

    The person who took the photo of a monster that hadn''t shown up yet in the world had died mysteriously, so it was unsurprising to learn that the societal alarms raised would be rather intense.

    The Senior Special Agent working for the FBI''s LA Office, John Zade, alternated his gaze between the photos of the crime scene and the image of the unknown monster.

    He was a special agent who also happened to be a C-Rank awakener. He had his fair share of run-ins with monsters that no civilian could deal with back inside the Tower. Also, he held a special interest in the "society" of the awakeners, so naturally, he had a sizeable knowledge of most monsters.

    However, not even Zade''s recollections or any other available information network could help identify the monster in the photo. Hell, not even a single awakener stepped forward to say they had encountered a similar monster like this inside the Tower.

    "The victim''s name is Ben Lloyd, a B-Rank awakener. Since an awakener was murdered, the perp cannot be an ordinary civilian," Zade spun the pen shaft around with his fingers while holding his head. "Incidents related to dungeons are tied to one''s career."

    In other words, he simply had to solve this crime no matter what.

    If this incident was really connected to some dungeon and if he was the one to uncover that link, then well, his ascend in the career ladder was basically a done deal.

    "Sir?"

    Zade didn''t reply. That voice that came from behind him belonged to a rookie who recently joined his office.

    "Sir."

    "Ah! What now?" John Zade turned his head in irritation after his chain of thoughts was broken.

    When he looked back, the rookie named Logan replied with a slightly trembling voice, "S¡ªsir...You have a...uh...a guest¡ª"

    "What was that? Speak louder!"

    "S¡ªsir! A guest is looking for you, sir!" Logan roared his reply at Zade''s obvious displeasure.

    The Senior Special Agent scrunched up his face as if he didn''t like this one bit and then stood up from his chair.

    Du-ru-ruk¡ª

    "Who is it? If it''s nothing major, you should''ve just sent them home. Can''t you see I''m busy as¡ª?"

    "But, sir, it''s Su-hyeun Kim."

    Zade, who had been spitting out his dissatisfaction, froze in place after hearing Logan''s report.

    He stayed still for a bit and then turned around to the newbie agent to ask one more time, "Who did you say it was?"

    * * *

    This was Su-hyeun''s first time visiting an FBI office like this.

    That remained true even after combing through his past life or this one. But that''s because Su-hyeun worked together with not the FBI but the American Awakener Authority on most of the incidents happening within the American borders.

    He wanted to speak to the Special Agent responsible for handling that particular crime. He didn''t have to wait too long in the reception area.

    "Hello there! My name is John Zade, Special Agent of FBI''s Security Department!"

    "Ah, hello. I''m Kim Su-hyeun," Su-hyeun extended his hand toward Special Agent Zade, who had entered the reception area and greeted him in a rather stiff manner.

    Their greeting was brief. Zade remained standing and rambled on with a taut face, "It''s an honor for you to pay us a visit like this, sir. If you need anything, please don''t hold back and ask us for¡ª"

    "Well, I was planning to do that, actually," Su-hyeun quickly cut Zade off after getting a premonition that their chat might get derailed unnecessarily. He then tapped an empty seat opposite his, gesturing the Special Agent to take a seat.

    Zade stood still stiffly for a bit and then hurriedly followed after Su-hyeun''s gesture and settled down. In the meantime, the latter took out the tablet PC he brought along from Korea and switched it on. He then presented it forward, "Are you in charge of investigating this incident?"

    "Y¡ªyes, that''s correct."

    "No need to be so tense. I''m not here to argue or pick fights with you. The thing is, though, I''m somewhat intrigued by this incident. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions and request your cooperation in the matter."

    Getting information on the crime that the FBI was investigating and then asking for the cooperation of said organization?

    It would be common knowledge for the locals that you wouldn''t receive such information from the FBI without being a Special Agent yourself. However, Zade found it impossible to push such common sense unto the man sitting right before his eyes.

    It was because the man was none other than Kim Su-hyeun. His existence was on another realm compared to, say, awakeners with some star power. At the very least, he was a peerless hero without equal on this planet.

    Some people even began worshiping him like a real deity, for crying out loud.

    "I shall take full responsibility."

    That was why that one sentence from Su-hyeun was all it took.

    "What would you like to know, sir?"

    Zade had a feeling that the crime he was in charge of investigating could very well get solved now. Su-hyeun also shared that sentiment.

    "For now," Su-hyeun, feeling relieved that Zade was quite cooperative, immediately replied with what he had been planning before coming here, "I''d like to speak to the victim."

    * * *

    Under Zade''s guidance, Su-hyeun reached a certain skyscraper in the middle of Los Angeles.

    The building itself looked like the kind where fairly wealthy people would choose to call home, and as such, it boasted a high level of security. As for its height, it must have reached several dozens of floors.

    The investigation seemed to be still ongoing since the floor where the crime had taken place was teeming with FBI Special Agents.

    "Huff, huff, bleeergh," Zade, who had arrived on the scene on Su-hyeun''s shoulder, began dry-retching.

    For a moment there, his innards twisted around, and his head began ringing noisily. They traveled in such fashion because Su-hyeun couldn''t afford to waste a single second, so he simply picked up the FBI agent and ran all the way here on his two feet.

    "O¡ªover...there...that''s where¡ª"

    He couldn''t even speak in a complete sentence as he continued to dry-heave.

    "Thank you for your hard work."

    Pat, pat¡ª

    Su-hyeun put Zade down nearby and then lightly patted the latter on his back a couple of times.

    Prana traveled through his hand, substantially calming Zade''s tumbling innards. Su-hyeun, now finished with his impromptu first aid, headed directly to the crime scene.

    A few Special Agents tried to stop him, but Zade, now feeling much better, stepped forward to push them aside. Thanks to that, they didn''t encounter any problems and were able to enter the crime scene.

    When Su-hyeun walked past the lengthy entrance and entered the living room, he noticed the marble floor stained with a copious amount of blood.

    The computer was also located here. Special Agents worked diligently to find clues, but Su-hyeun didn''t have any professional know-how or technique to help them out.

    On the other hand...

    Shu-wuwu...

    Su-hyeun''s eyes became dyed in a black hue.

    As soon as he activated his Necromancer trait, Death Aura rose from the living room floor.

    He could now see several spirits of the dead congregating here. These wandering souls, having picked up the scent of death, had gathered here. However, they quickly got frightened by the glare in Su-hyeun''s eyes and urgently scattered away as if they were making a quick getaway.

    And then, only one soul remained.

    "That''s Ben Lloyd," Su-hyeun thought.

    His soul still resembled a person; he hadn''t lost his original form and became a complete wandering soul just yet.

    This indicated that it hadn''t been long since he died, allowing Su-hyeun to confirm his face clearly. It was the same as the victim''s¡ªthe one he saw, thanks to Zade''s cooperation.

    It was indeed none other than Ben Lloyd, the one responsible for uploading that photo.

    "Although I would''ve said it''s nice to make your acquaintance...what happened to you was too unfair for that."

    "Am I...really dead?" Ben Lloyd asked. His voice was trembling. Only Su-hyeun could hear this voice, though, and he was the only one who could reply to it.

    "Yes. You must accept it."

    "Ah," a sigh of lamentation escaped from Ben Lloyd''s lips.

    Although Su-hyeun would''ve liked to sympathize with the victim''s sadness and share the pain here, he simply didn''t have the time nor leeway for that.

    He used the special ability of the Necromancer trait and placed Ben Lloyd''s soul under his command. However, he weakened the strength of his control so that Ben''s ego would remain. "Can you tell me what happened?"

    When he asked that, Ben Lloyd slowly opened his mouth.

    "It...it was a dungeon."

    "A dungeon, you say?"

    "Yes. It was definitely a dungeon. But it was colorless. It had no color to it."

    Su-hyeun''s eyes flickered at that reply.

    A colorless dungeon?

    That dungeon "color" hadn''t been discovered until now. If this got out, then without a doubt, a huge commotion would break out once more.

    "Did you enter this dungeon?"

    "I was actually boating near Santa Monica coastline back then. But in the middle of that, a powerful wave suddenly hit me, and I lost my consciousness. The wave was too powerful, and I couldn''t even do anything about it."

    Ben Lloyd was a B-Rank awakener. If someone like that was unable to withstand the wave, then without a doubt, it couldn''t have been generated naturally.

    But the strange occurrences didn''t end there.

    "Okay. When you came to, did you find the dungeon?"

    "It was located at the foot of a cliff quite a distance away from the beach. The colorless dungeon, murals on the wall, and then...several people who seemed to be awakeners were gathered there..."

    "In that case, that photo you uploaded online was¡ª"

    "It was one of the murals. I took the photo, but the phone ended up making a clicking noise, so I couldn''t take other pictures. Thankfully, I was a B-Rank awakener, so I managed to get away from there, but¡ª"

    "They came after you."

    "Yes. There were just too many of them. And they were quite highly skilled, too. I thought that since I was going to die, I need to spread this photo around at the very least."

    "Awakeners, huh?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Several awakeners were involved in this incident.

    Their levels must have been quite high since even Ben Lloyd, a B-Rank awakener, got frightened and had to run away. As for their goal, Su-hyeun didn''t even need to investigate to make an educated guess.

    "The number of dungeons decreasing is definitely not good news for the awakeners, after all."

    When there was not enough work to go around, people were bound to feel threatened for their livelihood. Whatever their excuses were, they probably needed the presence of dungeons desperately.

    "Do you still remember its location?"

    "I don''t know the exact coordinates, but I do roughly remember where it was."

    "That''s more than good enough," Su-hyeun stepped toward the window instead of the perfectly fine doorway.. "Let''s go."

 Chapter 457 - 457

    * * *

    The beaches of Santa Monica in the middle of summer were gathering spots for countless people.

    Even though the sun was steadily setting below the horizon to welcome the cool evening, people were still swimming around. Strangers chatted with one another, mingled, and shared a beer or two as well.

    Su-hyeun put on a mask to cover half of his face. He figured that nothing good would come about by raising a commotion in the public space by showing his face.

    "I was boating over...over that side. But after losing my consciousness, I''m not sure where I¡ª"

    "No, this is already enough," Su-hyeun replied as such and then released Ben Lloyd''s soul from under the control of his Necromancer trait. "I''ll definitely avenge you. I pray that you find your peace."

    Suh-wuwuwu¡ª

    After Su-hyeun said that, Ben Lloyd''s soul scattered away. Su-hyeun had forcibly caused the soul, which was wandering around the world of the living due to its resentment and lingering attachments, to be purified and sent to the afterlife.

    "Well, it''s still better than ending up as a malicious ghost," Su-hyeun thought.

    Most souls that remained on Earth due to their lingering regrets and resentment eventually turned into malicious spirits.

    Ben Lloyd was in the same boat. Even though his soul still retained the outward silhouette of a person, it was only a matter of time before he became corrupted and changed into a lump of impure aura.

    That was why Su-hyeun used the power of his trait to forcibly purify and send Ben Lloyd''s soul to the afterlife. Besides, he had already acquired all the info from the victim.

    "Well, then," Su-hyeun used his Insight to scan the far-off distance and then slowly stepped forward. "Time to take a good look at the faces of these punks."

    [Earth Shrink Technique]

    Step¡ª

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The scenery around him changed with every step he took. He eventually arrived at was a cliff of a mountain range located pretty far away from the beach.

    Splash¡ª, shwa-aaah...

    Waves were crashing into the precariously tall cliff face, breaking apart into a countless smaller spray of water.

    "Man, this is boring."

    "Hey, just when is this thing supposed to open up?"

    "Dunno."

    "Haven''t you heard anything at all?"

    "You think I know all the details? But what I did hear was that, as long as this thing works out for us, everything will revert to how it was five years ago."

    "Yeah, back then was the best time for us. Lots of work and wasn''t too busy, either. But uh, this isn''t gonna get too dangerous for us, right?"

    "Dude, weren''t the monsters inside this dungeon friendly toward us? So what could possibly get dangerous for us? You also went inside before, didn''t you? Those things are on our side."

    Su-hyeun heard a few mutterings. He walked up closer and eavesdropped on the conversation. From what he heard, there seemed to be around 10 or so awakeners present.

    Several of them were shooting the breeze out of boredom, while a few others were playing games on their phones. They didn''t seem to have anything particular to do around here. Beyond them, Su-hyeun spotted the "white" dungeon just as Ben Lloyd had described.

    And finally...

    "It''s that thing," Su-hyeun thought.

    A huge stele was standing tall next to the dungeon entrance, and on its surface was a truly detailed image that looked almost like a photograph. It depicted a creature that totally resembled Fafnir from Su-hyeun''s memories.

    "That''s not a regular stone stele, that''s for sure."

    Indeed, that was no ordinary large slab of something with some drawing carved on it.

    Some type of unique aura was flowing within it. He was not sure what kind of aura it was, but the mere fact that an aura was flowing within it signified this stele had a definitive purpose.

    It was not built to attract tourists, at the very least. Its outer appearance wasn''t enough to show its intended purpose.

    Su-hyeun eavesdropped for a bit more before revealing himself in front of the awakeners, "Hey, you guys. Let me ask you something."

    "Huh?!"

    "Who the hell is this?!"

    "Where did he come from?"

    When Su-hyeun revealed himself, the awakeners tasked with guarding the dungeon began standing up one by one. The atmosphere instantly became ugly.

    Su-hyeun glanced at all sorts of weapons they had in their hands and muttered nonchalantly, "I''m approaching you all peacefully, saying I just want to ask you something, yet the first thing you do is pulling out your weapons?"

    It kind of felt like he had run into a bunch of street thugs while walking on a street.

    His lips distorted to let out a chuckle at this fresh, alien feeling, something he hadn''t felt in a long, long while. His mask hid his smiling lips to some degree, but it couldn''t hide his smiling eyes.

    "Hey, you, does this look like a peaceful atmosphere to you?"

    "What a crazy bastard."

    "Wait, isn''t he a regular civilian?"

    "No way. How can someone without powers come this far?"

    The 10 awakeners quickly surrounded Su-hyeun in a circle. They didn''t get into a formation or even positioned themselves. It seemed that they were either underestimating Su-hyeun''s capabilities or were too trusting of their numbers advantage.

    But that wasn''t all that surprising.

    "Four A-Ranks, five B-Ranks, and then," Su-hyeun''s gaze shifted over to the youngest man out of the group, currently standing right in front of him, "He''s an S-Rank, it seems."

    From the concentration of magical energy to its flow and even the air this S-Rank gave off felt qualitatively different from the others here.

    It wasn''t as if Su-hyeun knew everything about every S-Rank in existence, but seeing how this man''s face looked a bit familiar. He must have run into this young S-Rank at least once in his past life.

    "He''s covering his face, so I guess he''s a cat burglar or something?" This S-Rank, whose name Su-hyeun didn''t recall, began mocking him. "Is he Asian? Not sure how you ended up here, but whatever, just consider yourself really unlucky today."

    Step, step...

    He walked up to Su-hyeun.

    Outwardly, this S-Rank seemed unguarded, but in truth, he was already prepared.

    The shadow beneath his feet was wavering around, probably due to some kind of skill he had activated. This skill then bound Su-hyeun''s shadow, restricting his body.

    "Don''t you agree, boys?"

    He called out, prompting the other nine awakeners to say something as if they were pre-programmed machines.

    "Of course!"

    "Don''t know whether he''s an idiot or just naive, but huh, he''s completely helpless now!"

    "What a dumbass."

    "He''s caught in the Shadow Chokehold now, so it''s already over."

    Su-hyeun received ridicule and mocking laughter. He could only sigh softly at their reactions. It was here that he felt his own warm breath on his skin due to the mask. So, he raised his hand toward the mask to pull it down.

    "Huh?!" The young S-Rank awakener became incredibly flustered when he saw Su-hyeun move without any issues.

    But his skill was still active?

    And then, the moment Su-hyeun pulled down the mask obscuring half of his face...

    The awakeners all made the exact expressions after seeing his face.

    "Su¡ªSu, S¡ªS¡ªSu¡ª"

    "Su-hyeun Kim?!"

    "As I thought, this shadow..."

    Shuruk, shu-rururu...

    Su-hyeun asked while staring at the shadow on the ground, "It''s yours, isn''t it?"

    "Huh?"

    A new shadow extended from Su-hyeun and got connected with the shadows of the 10 awakeners, and the moment they realized this...

    Fwhoosh¡ª!

    Crunch, cruuuuuch¡ª!

    "Kkeuaaaaaaah¡ª!"

    "Aaahk, aaaaahk!"

    His shadow bound their shadows tightly and then proceeded to break the arms and legs of all 10 awakeners in unnatural directions.

    They screamed tragically while flailing about with their now mollusk-like limbs and then began collapsing to the ground after being unable to stand straight. The name dominating their minds was instantly wiped out, and they continued to thrash about in the kind of pain that they had never experienced before in their whole lives.

    Only one among them managed to hold onto his wits.

    "Now I remember. You''re the Shadow Artist, Edward Rockwell."

    Even if the number of S-Rank awakeners increased over time, most of them would still go on to become globally renowned superstars.

    Su-hyeun had heard most of their names back in his previous life, and he even encountered about half of them, too. Although they had never met each other face to face before, Edward Rockwell was still famous for reaching the S-Rank very quickly despite being a late starter.

    "I heard that you''re quite a human trash, but even then, I didn''t expect our first encounter to be in a place like this one."

    "U¡ªurgh, kkeuh..."

    "Are you trying to connect your limbs back together with your shadow?" Su-hyeun asked while glancing at the wriggling shadows creeping along on the ground. "In that case, I wonder. Can you reconnect your head, too?"

    Shudder...!

    Deathly goose bumps broke out all over Rockwell after he mistakenly thought that his throat got crushed just now.

    He couldn''t move his arms, so he used only his eyeballs to look lower, but quite obviously, his head was still attached to his torso. Still, with this, he instinctively understood something.

    Su-hyeun could easily rip his head off whenever he wanted if he felt like it.

    "Just... how...?"

    Rockwell was trying to ask how Su-hyeun copied his skill like this, but the latter''s reply was fairly simple.

    "It wasn''t even all that special, anyway."

    To someone like the Grand Wizard Arwen, magic spells to control shadows were no more difficult to cast than moving around his own limbs. Compared to the shadow magic Arwen used to perform, Edward Rockwell''s skill was only on the level of a crude child''s play.

    But Su-hyeun didn''t feel the need to explain this fact in detail today. Honestly, he even thought that chatting briefly for a few seconds like this was already a waste of his valuable time.

    "That''s enough of your questions, so..."

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun placed his hand on top of Rockwell''s head. "Give me the name of the one at the top of your little group. What''s your reason for being here? And what''s the purpose for that thing over there?"

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Rockwell''s eyes were clouded by a blackish hue. He hesitated slightly before slowly opening his mouth.

    "The one...at the top...is...Johnny...Brad..."

    "Who?" Su-hyeun asked back in surprise at the mention of that unexpected name.

    It wasn''t because he hadn''t heard of that name before. No, it was because everyone on this planet should know that name.

    "...Johnny...Brad..."

    "Crazy son of a..."

    "Guard the...dungeon...Purpose...spreading dungeons...revive...fortunes of...awakeners..."

    It seemed that he didn''t know anything else besides the name. Either that was everything he was told, or the information itself had been hidden deeply from Rockwell. It was hard to tell which was which.

    But Su-hyeun did learn something new.

    "Johnny Brad is connected to this matter."

    That man was the world''s top awakener of illusion-type skills. He didn''t possess any skills related to combat and therefore never personally raided a dungeon before. However, even then, he still earned his S-Rank qualification through his illusion skill alone.

    In other words, he was a powerful superhuman.

    Not to mention...

    "He''s in a cooperative relationship with the Gordon Company, too."

    Su-hyeun hurriedly called Gordon Rohan on the phone. He felt that, at the very least, he needed to warn the American to be wary of Johnny Brad.

    But then...

    "The person you''re calling is unable to come to the phone. Please leave your messages after the¡ª"

    "Dammit."

    Rather than waiting and trying again later, he decided to send a text message instead.

    Su-hyeun didn''t know whether Gordon Rohan was in the Tower or was taking care of his company business right now. However, seeing that he didn''t answer the phone, it would be difficult to get in touch with him for the foreseeable future.

    After sending the text, Su-hyeun turned his attention elsewhere.

    "And now, the issue is figuring out what this thing is supposed to do..."

    He walked up to the stele.

    Unlike how this large slab with a detailed image of Fafnir carved on its surface looked on the outside, it was permeated with a special aura.

    It was an aura that was neither magical energy, Death Aura, nor even prana.

    But that didn''t mean he had never encountered this type of aura before. He was sure of it after walking up to it and placing his hand on its surface.

    "It''s made from the World Tree."

    The gigantic tree formed the worlds; indeed, this stele was created by shaving down a piece of World Tree. The weird aura flowing within it was because of its origin.

    He figured out what it was made from, but the issue wasn''t with that.

    Figuring out its purpose was the important part.

    Just touching it like this wasn''t enough to find out what this stele''s true purpose was. It wasn''t as if there was a magic circle inscribed on it. It wasn''t even acting as a medium that maintained the colorless dungeon either.

    After Su-hyeun got close and studied the stele, he did uncover something new, but it wasn''t about the purpose of this large object.

    "There''s more than one, huh?" He muttered after tracing the World Tree''s aura flowing out from the stele.

    The aura had split into countless many strands, and when he followed them, he picked up the presence of several hundred, no, thousands, of identical steles.

 Chapter 458 - 458

    "Their locations are...at the edges of American coastlines."

    But those weren''t everything.

    "Even wider...With the Pacific in the center, there must be at least several thousands."

    Creaaaak¡ª

    Crack, spliiiit¡ª

    When he sent his power to his hand, pressing against the stele, cracks began running on the slab made out of the World Tree.

    Puff¡ª!

    And then, the stele shattered into powder.

    The stele could no longer continue with its intended purpose after breaking apart. When that happened, the colorless dungeon next to it briefly wavered ever so faintly.

    "As I thought, they were connected somehow, huh?"

    Su-hyeun unhesitantly stepped inside this colorless dungeon.

    Its interior didn''t look all that different from other dungeons. Its entrance that lacked any discernible color seemed to be the only difference, as he could still sense the presence of monsters within this large cavern.

    "No, wait."

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s eyes gleamed sharply as he walked inside this enclosed cavern. "There is something different here, alright."

    "What brings you back in here?" A skeleton waiting by the entrance of the dungeon suddenly addressed Su-hyeun.

    Its cracking voice sounded androgynous. It wore a set of a smart, gentlemanly business suit while a fedora adorned its skull. This creature was no doubt the top dog in this dungeon.

    Also, it was no ordinary monster, either.

    "Did we not warn you that until the promised date, there will not be any further interaction¡ª?"

    "A Prey¡ªNo, you seemed to be a low-rank Predator."

    "What was that?!" The gentleman skeleton gasped in a flustered voice.

    If its face still had muscles and skin, it would''ve probably made a rather funny expression by now.

    Shu-ahahahk¡ª

    Crack, ka-boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun dashed forward, grabbed the skeleton''s throat, and lifted it up before slamming the undead down hard on the ground. A deep crater caved in on the spot, and the ripples from the impact rocked the entirety of the cavern.

    Krrrrr¡ª!

    Hiss, hsssss¡ª!

    Sha-aaaah¡ª!

    All sorts of monsters began leaping out from the deeper part of the cavern next. It seemed that they sensed a threat after their leader, the skeleton, got attacked.

    "Nezha."

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Su-hyeun called out, and Prince Nezha answered by revealing himself. This time, Prince Nezha appeared with his torso guarded by the treasure armor. At the same time, his hands wielded the Yogoe Slaying Sword and the Yogoe Rending Saber.

    "Sweep them all away."

    "Yes, my lord."

    Pang, paaaaang¡ª!

    Dozens of spheres circling around Prince Nezha shot out toward the monsters. At the same time, he kicked the ground to dash forward while swinging both of his mighty blades.

    Kwa-dududu¡ª!

    Splaaat¡ª!

    He began dashing and weaving through the ranks of countless monsters. The current Nezha shouldn''t have any problem dealing with a Predator ranked among One Hundred Evils.

    "What are you trying to do?" asked the skeleton.

    Despite being buried halfway into the ground, it had not blacked out. For one thing, it didn''t have a brain inside its skull, and also, Su-hyeun had pulled back his strength at the last second.

    The skeleton, with its smart suit now all in tatters, also understood the latter fact.

    Grip, squeeze¡ª

    The undead grabbed Su-hyeun''s wrist and tried with all its might to pull that hand away, but in the end, it failed.

    Su-hyeun''s physical strength easily outclassed the undead. With his gripping power or strength alone, it would be too easy for him to crush the skeleton''s throat to powder.

    "You. You are not really undead, are you?"

    When Su-hyeun first spotted this skeleton with the suit, he felt that something seemed off, and as it turned out, this was the reason. This creature possessed a rather stock appearance of an undead, which was a skeleton, but even then, it was not undead.

    Meaning, it was not a dead skeleton but a living one.

    If it was a dead creature, it wouldn''t have been able to rebel against Su-hyeun. His Necromancer trait possessed a powerful controlling influence over all dead and undead, after all.

    So, a mere low-rank Predator wouldn''t have been able to escape from Su-hyeun''s control.

    "I''m different from those lowly things."

    "Yeah, I know. You''re even worse."

    "What''s your goal here?"

    "Fafn¡ªNo, wait. I guess you wouldn''t know that name. Okay, so, what''s your relationship with Bradley?"

    Push¡ª

    The skeleton''s skull momentarily pushed back. Its resistance had gotten even stronger than before. "How do you know the name of that noble one?"

    "I see, so he''s still using that name, huh? And judging from your reaction, you are in a master-servant relationship with him, then?"

    "..."

    "You want to stay quiet, is that it? I know torturing you won''t work, so that leaves me with only one other method."

    Crunch¡ª!

    Su-hyeun unhesitantly shattered the skeleton''s neck. Although its skull was now separated from the rest of its torso, the skeleton didn''t die immediately.

    But then...

    [Flame]

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    The purple-colored flames enveloped the skeleton''s torso and began melting all of its bones down with the suit. Even if the Predator boasted a "life force" as tenacious as that of the undead, it was impossible for it to still cling on when its entire body had melted down to nothing but black liquid.

    "Alright. Now then," Su-hyeun stared at the soul of this now-dead skeleton, "Why don''t we have a proper conversation in this manner?"

    "Inconceivable. Just how...?"

    Maybe because it used to be a Predator, the skeleton still retained some level of its ego despite ending up as nothing but a soul.

    It was certainly different from Rockwell earlier, at least. Still, that didn''t mean it could resist the control exerted by the Necromancer trait.

    "What is this place? It doesn''t look like a regular dungeon, at least."

    "To put it simply, this place is a stepping stone that connects different dimensions. But the passageway is still too narrow, and we are waiting for the signal to...Huph?!"

    The skeleton hurriedly covered up its mouth with its hands. It seemed to be incredibly flustered because it replied so willingly and honestly to Su-hyeun''s questions.

    But Su-hyeun simply ignored that reaction and continued with his questioning, "What is this signal you''re talking about?"

    "The moment our sovereign arrives, the exit''s color will change. That is the signal."

    "Fafnir is headed over here? If so, is there a reason why you are all waiting around like this?"

    This didn''t seem to make much sense.

    An existence on the level of Fafnir shouldn''t have found entering this world all that difficult. He would not have a reason to waste time by creating artificial dungeons like this.

    "That''s because he''s not coming alone."

    "Then what?"

    "He shall create a gigantic passageway that connects the other dimension to the world beyond the exit. This side is merely one of the countless worlds our noble sovereign lords over, that''s all."

    "Dammit. Figures," Su-hyeun groaned at length while sweeping back his hair that had tumbled down on his face.

    He asked a few more questions afterward but didn''t get any more information that seemed to be useful.

    He learned that Fafnir had been traveling to various worlds out there and made the residents of said worlds serve him as their ruler.

    As for the image carved on that stele, it was nothing more than some narcissistic action of a being who wanted others to worship him.

    "Fafnir...No, Bradley. If it''s him, that kind of makes sense, doesn''t it?"

    Su-hyeun didn''t know what Fafnir was like now all that well, but at least he knew some things about the latter when he was still a human being.

    A man who held an intense desire to rule, who was profoundly arrogant and quite prideful, too¡ªthat was Bradley, who was Fafnir now. Engraving his image on some steles and forcing the ones he had enslaved to worship and exalt him should come somewhat naturally to him.

    "For now, it looks like I don''t have a choice but to destroy them, huh?"

    The only thing that could serve as a lead of some kind were those steles erected in several parts of the world.

    Whatever the case might be, Fafnir seemed to be thinking of connecting Earth to some other world. If many more Predators were waiting on standby in all of those places, then without a doubt, the upcoming situation would become seriously troublesome.

    Su-hyeun was about to make a move but stopped himself and hesitated for a bit. And then...

    "Can you hear me?"

    No reply came back his way. Even so, Su-hyeun continued, "Now is the time you should help me out, you know."

    * * *

    In a chamber with a tall ceiling and marble floor spanning several thousand square meters...

    A humongous throne was at the end of a long crimson carpet that led to the door, and a giant was sitting on it.

    "How tedious," the giant muttered, causing all the retainers to bow their heads in nervousness.

    Almost at the same time, the giant turned his head toward a skeleton, who had been bowing its head deeper than anyone else.

    The giant asked, "How much longer?"

    "A few more days...We only need a few more days, sire."

    "A few more days, you say? Not a few more hours, but days," the giant muttered softly as a sense of impatience washed over him.

    Crunch, cruuuush¡ª

    The armrest of the throne with his arm on it was crushed to powder. That wasn''t all, however; even the throne itself noticeably buckled as his rage was transmitted in full throughout the interior of this vast audience chamber. "That''s taking too long."

    Go-oooooh¡ª

    "Make it faster. I now grow tired of waiting."

    The giant''s rage resulted in a stupendous pressure to bear down on the audience chamber. With their heads bowed, the retainers all had to go down on their knees as if they were collapsing from the pressure crushing down on them.

    "Just as the rumors say, your personality is rather terrible, isn''t it?"

    "Hm?" The giant''s glare shifted toward the far end of the audience chamber.

    A figure was brazenly walking into the throne room after throwing the door open.

    Step, step¡ª

    The heavy pressure was still bearing down on the interior of the audience chamber. Even the average Predators would''ve found it hard to control their bodies from the pressure exerted on them.

    Yet this individual strode in airy steps, indicating that the pressure was not affecting him in the slightest.

    Go-ooooh¡ª

    Crunch, crack...

    The pressure grew even more intense, which caused several of the retainers to get shoved down flat to the ground before exploding into gory bits. However, the giant didn''t even pay any heed to that and continued to focus his glare on the new visitor.

    "Nice to make your acquaintance, Bradley. I heard a lot about you."

    "I''ve never seen you before."

    "I''m not someone a lowly punk like you can meet even if you try."

    The eyes of the giant, Fafnir, gleamed sharply as he glared at the man. The latter was a handsome green-haired man decked out in a smart black business suit.

    At a casual glance, he came across as a regular human being, but this outer appearance was simply a form that the "man" had decided on.

    "You''re not Shiva, and Uranus is dead. Which means...You''re Osiris, then?"

    "If you''ve realized that, I shall graciously give you some time to bow your head to me. Any intentions on coming under my wings?"

    "I refuse."

    "What a pity."

    Dududududu¡ª!

    The marble floor rose to support Osiris and then morphed into a flashy throne to reach a height even higher than Fafnir''s throne.

    "And now our lines of sight finally match. So, what were you planning to do now?"

    "You came here already knowing that, did you not?"

    "Well, that''s true. You''re targeting the planet called Earth, yes? Humans on that planet are exposed to the thing called the system of the Five Godly Sages, after all. They are tasty prey, indeed."

    "That used to be my initial goal," Fafnir grinned sinisterly as it bared its fangs. "Although, that''s no longer the case."

    "Then, the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven?"

    "That''s right."

    The initial reason for Fafnir''s actions was to devour all those awakeners blessed with the system''s power. Absorbing their powers significantly boosted the strength of Predators. In truth, Fafnir himself had been growing stronger by devouring various awakeners before he was returned to the past.

    But now, his goal had changed.

    "I shall call that bastard back out in the open."

    "But it''s not going to be easy for you. Even if you succeed in calling out The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, he has come in contact with Master Subhuti by now."

    "Master Subhuti?"

    "He''s one of the Five Godly Sages and the one who taught the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven."

    "The Five Godly Sages..."

    Smirk¡ª

    Fafnir''s lips distorted into a grin, "I was wondering where I can find one, so this is even better."

    "Hmm..." Osiris stopped talking and then pondered on something for a moment before scanning their surroundings.

    After he made his entrance, Fafnir''s retainers didn''t even dare raise their heads. Among them were a few faces that even Osiris recognized.

    He asked, "Looks like you''re planning to unleash the monsters of the Dark Realm?"

    Here was the reason for the seemingly reckless confidence of Fafnir.

    Not just inside this audience chamber, but even the outside was teeming with countless Predators. Fafnir had become their king. Now, not only did he enjoy his own considerable strength, but he also commanded an entire army.

    "Absolute dominion is my true desire, after all," Fafnir nodded before sweeping his gaze over his retainers. "Does it not fill you with anticipation?"

    Even though they were now subservient toward him, every single one of these creatures had already brought several worlds to their complete annihilation.

    And this was the army Fafnir had amassed.

    "To witness these creatures go on a rampage?"

 Chapter 459 - 459

    "Hmm..."

    Osiris scanned Fafnir''s underlings. They consisted of the lowest-ranked Predators that had only just evolved past the stage of Prey, as well as some who had barely managed to register their names on the tail end of the list of the One Hundred Evils.

    "Their original boss...Wasn''t it Lucifer, if I''m not mistaken?"

    "If you''re talking about that fool, he''s right in here," Fafnir pointed to his own belly.

    Osiris looked a little stunned as he muttered, "Devoured, huh?"

    "I haven''t had a fairly good meal in a long time. The power of corrupted divinity is a rare delicacy, after all."

    Lucifer was one of the Ten Great Evils and the ruler of the Dark Realm, a world that countless Predators called home. He was also renowned as a Predator, infinitely close to reaching the level of Three Destroyers¡ªa fallen, corrupted devil.

    Osiris asked, "Even so, he was the ruler of the Dark Realm. Why didn''t you make him your underling?"

    "He was too proud of himself. He didn''t get scared of me, too. A retainer like that would eventually stab me in the back. No point in making him one of my subjects, then."

    "Indeed, you do have a point," Osiris shrugged his shoulders. "Since you have devoured Lucifer, then it seems that I must treat you now as the real master of the Dark Realm. Even though this world will soon disappear along with you."

    "Do you believe that I will be defeated?"

    "Not ''believe.'' It''ll be a reality soon."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Don''t worry. Soon..."

    Shu-wuwu...

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    Osiris''s figure gradually thinned, and the marble throne he was sitting on began crumbling to pieces.

    "You''ll see for yourself."

    "..."

    Ku-rung, crumble¡ª

    Tumble, drop, crumble¡ª

    Fafnir glared at the fallen debris of the crumbling throne.

    Osiris, who had been chatting to him only a second ago, was nowhere to be found now. Fafnir wasn''t even able to sense how this Predator managed to vanish like that.

    "Osiris, the master of Lucifer and the hidden true ruler of the Dark Realm," Fafnir mused.

    The majority of Predators residing in the Dark Realm were under the impression that Lucifer was their ruler. However, Fafnir had already devoured Lucifer, which in turn, allowed him to learn the truth.

    "My lord shall punish you."

    Those were Lucifer''s final words as he died in one of the most composed and calmest manners imaginable.

    Fafnir mulled over those words and found them rather humorous, "How pitiful, it seems that your dear lord has forsaken you."

    Osiris came to see him, but the member of the Three Destroyers didn''t even try to regain the lost Dark Realm, nor did he even bother to avenge his fallen underling.

    In fact, he ran away, meaning Osiris didn''t amount to much in the end.

    Fafnir had been concerned about Osiris inwardly, but now, he languidly sunk back in his throne.

    Although Osiris''s warning lingered in his mind, Fafnir decided not to pay any heed. One should not be retreating from war or conflict just because one was worried about losing.

    Such an act was the complete opposite of Fafnir''s desire for absolute dominion.

    So, instead of retreating, Fafnir set his sight on the next target for his conquest, "After the Dark Realm, the next will be the God Realm."

    He set his sight somewhere even higher up.

    * * *

    "Brad," Gordon Rohan, exiting from a business meeting, suddenly called out.

    He was standing in the middle of the corridor and, just as always, looking at the screen of his phone. Except now, he was searching for someone he didn''t usually search for.

    "Brad, are you there?"

    "It''s been a while since the last time you looked for me."

    Gordon Rohan turned his head in the direction of that voice to discover a face he hadn''t seen in a long time.

    "Yes, it''s been a while. About a year or so, isn''t it?"

    It was Johnny Brad. He was an awakener who enjoyed an amicable relationship with Gordon Rohan. He would stick around the latter if he had nothing urgent to take care of and even helped run the company.

    It would not be an exaggeration to say that about 30 percent of everything the Gordon Company had achieved so far was all thanks to Johnny Brad''s contribution.

    Johnny Brad asked, "What''s going on?"

    "Oh, it''s nothing special, but here."

    Tap, tap tap¡ª

    Gordon Rohan tapped the screen of his phone a couple of times, then showed what was on it to Johnny Brad next, "I need you to explain this to me, friend."

    Johnny Brad stared at the screen and went silent for a little while.

    His silence lasted long enough for him to finish reading the text message and then some. Even then, he still chose to say nothing.

    His reply came quite sometime later, "They''re all lies."

    "You know, it would''ve been nicer if that reply came maybe 10 seconds sooner."

    "Rohan."

    "Brad, you know better than anyone that I never work with someone with a shady past. You know that I hate anything uncertain and unclear, don''t you, friend?"

    How could he not know that? That was Gordon Rohan''s business management philosophy known throughout the world, after all.

    He was not only the "perfect" awakener but also the "perfect" business owner. His philosophy was what allowed him to reach his current lofty heights.

    "It might sound really simple and easy, but in truth, it''s tough to pull that off. There aren''t all that many complete and certain things in this world, after all. You need a ton of effort and determination to turn what''s uncertain into a certainty. But Brad, your reaction just now¡ª"

    "Rohan."

    "It''s way too damn suspicious."

    Squeeze¡ª

    Crunch¡ª!

    Gordon Rohan''s phone was crushed within his palm. The device was crumpled into a sphere with the unmistakable imprints of his fingers on the surface. Rather obviously, it wouldn''t be able to carry out with functions anymore.

    "I wonder why?"

    The questioning continued, but Johnny Brad still didn''t reply.

    Gordon Rohan waited for a long while for a reply to come his way. He leaned against the wall, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and then even watched several people walk past him in the corridor.

    The silence carried on.

    In the end, Gordon Rohan reached the end of his patience. He roughly brushed back his hair, which had been oiled a little too much, and began muttering to himself, "That''s right. It could''ve been my mistake. When I think about it, from the get-go, nothing about you was clear or certain."

    "From the get-go?"

    "You didn''t have a country. You didn''t have parents. Hell, you didn''t even have something as common as a Social Security Number. At first, I thought you were an orphan. Even then, I thought we could be good friends."

    "Because my ability was extraordinary, was it not?"

    "Right. That''s all true back in the beginning. You were a big help to me, and I was a big help to you. I figured that, no matter what our individual end goals were, we would''ve become comrades with enough time. Well, I really thought that we had become friends."

    "But what about now?"

    "That''s what I want to ask you, Brad."

    Piiing¡ª!

    Several silver-colored spears suddenly appeared all around Johnny Brad. "You''ve never called me your friend once, have you?"

    Johnny Brad contemplated something for a bit before finally opening his mouth, "Now that I think about it, yes, that''s true."

    Wu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The air wavered to bend and obscure Gordon Rohan''s vision.

    He blinked his eyes several times. He witnessed the silver spears he had generated seemingly melding into the figure of Johnny Brad.

    "Sorry about that. But saying something that''s the complete opposite of what''s on my mind? That disgusts me too much, unfortunately."

    With that, Johnny Brad completely disappeared.

    The last thing he said became echoes that lingered in the corridor. Gordon Rohan, who was already getting ready with a spear in his grip, could only mutter to himself in a hollow voice, "So, it was true."

    He had been feeling bad about getting suspicious because of just one text message from Su-hyeun. However, there was no need to sweat over it now. Johnny Brad was gone, and their ties would be severed cleanly from this moment on.

    Gordon Rohan stared at the lump of the smartphone that got rolled into a ball by his own hand and then called out to one of his employees walking on the corridor, "Hey, can I borrow your phone for a minute?"

    Gordon Rohan used the phone he borrowed from the employee to make a call. He had already memorized most of the numbers stored in his phone, anyway.

    "Hey, yeah, it''s me. I confirmed your text. I''ve also finished chatting to Johnny Brad. It was all true."

    "Did you uncover anything useful?"

    "No, not really. As soon as I brought it up, he just up and vani¡ªHey, what was that noise just now?"

    BOOM¡ª!

    He heard the noise of something exploding through the phone. He even thought that he heard occasional screaming.

    "You called me at a good time, actually."

    "What''s so good about it?!"

    "I''ll be sending you a new text on this phone''s number, so..."

    Buzz¡ª

    Just as soon as Su-hyeun said that, Gordon Rohan''s borrowed phone buzzed.

    "Don''t hang around and get on with it, please."

    Click¡ª

    The call ended there.

    Gordon Rohan chuckled hollowly and confirmed the incoming message.

    A short while later, he tapped on the shoulder of the employee, "I want to buy this phone of yours."

    * * *

    It had been a few hours since Su-hyeun began destroying the steles.

    "How are things on your side?"

    "I destroyed about 20 of them so far, but man, this is literally endless, you know."

    Luslec''s voice sounded a bit graver than at the beginning.

    "By the way, these steles, they seem to be connected to the Dark Realm."

    "The Dark Realm, you say?"

    "It''s one of the ''Three Realms'' that Predators reside in. One of the Ten Great Evils, Lucifer, is the ruler of that place, but the thing is, that dude is connected to Osiris, one of the Three Destroyers. Anyway, the Dark Realm is similar to the God Realm where gods live together. But if these things are really connected to that place, then this is seriously bad, Mister Su-hyeun."

    Luslec complained initially that he was being forced to work on something trivial. Still, it sounded like his mind had significantly changed. Su-hyeun had no clue what this Dark Realm was like, but at least he now had some idea after hearing the explanation of "many Predators reside there."

    "The God Realm is where many gods live, so a world that''s the opposite of that will be like..."

    Just that alone was enough to alert him to the severity of the current situation.

    If a gateway directly connected to a world tied to Osiris, one of the Three Destroyers, opened on Earth, it didn''t take a genius to figure out what might happen next.

    "For now, I think we need to destroy all the steles acting as mediums no matter what. The problem is, though, low-ranked Predators are occasionally stepping outside the dungeons."

    "I''ve already dispatched my summons to a few places."

    "That''s not going to be enough, I''m afraid. Just one stele should be enough to complete this gateway, you see. The difference will be with the size of the gateway itself."

    "We must continue as long as we can."

    The trial of the 202nd floor¡ªthe outline of this once-vague goal of the trial of stopping the apocalypse¡ªhad been finally revealed.

    "This thing obviously didn''t happen in one or two days."

    You would need a good few years to erect this many steles in many parts of the world, employ people to guard them, and keep everything super-secret to this degree.

    And only one person seemed capable enough of engineering this whole thing, at least in Su-hyeun''s mind.

    "Johnny Brad."

    That man was still shrouded in veils.

    He was an S-Rank awakener and also known as Gordon Rohan''s close aide. Still, he was someone who simply vanished from existence one day.

    Back in Su-hyeun''s past life, he believed that Johnny Brad had escaped to the Tower and didn''t bother to return, but judging from the current state of affairs, it no longer seemed that simple now.

    "He''s connected to Fafnir somehow."

    Whether Fafnir and Johnny Brad were in a master-servant relationship or even under some contractual relationship, what mattered now was that Su-hyeun had confirmed that Johnny Brad was in a relationship of some sort with Fafnir.

    "I need to treat him as an enemy."

    Crack¡ª!

    While organizing his thoughts, Su-hyeun punched another stele before him and shattered it.

    "That was the 83rd one."

    He was inwardly calculating the coordinates for the next stele. He was about to use the Earth Shrink Technique to head to the next location. But then...

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    Unlike all the other steles he had destroyed so far, this one reacted a little differently.

    "This aura...?"

    An aura leaked out from the destroyed stele before taking on a certain silhouette as colors seeped into it. This familiar aura made him shudder as it finished morphing into a figure of a creature.

    "I was wondering who dared to interfere."

    Su-hyeun glared at the giant image projected before him.

    It had a body so tall that Su-hyeun needed to look up high just to see its head. Su-hyeun gazed at familiar red eyes shooting out creepy, ominous light. It had a head that wasn''t a human''s but that of a dragon''s.

    "So, we meet again, oh hero of humans."

    This was the long-awaited reunion between him and Fafnir.

 Chapter 460 - 460

    "Ah, yeah, we meet again."

    Su-hyeun froze up for a moment there, but he quickly calmed his pounding heart.

    Suppose he hadn''t already run into the illusion of the past Fafnir back in the Land of the Dead Gods. In that case, he might have ended up getting far too agitated at this moment.

    Whatever the case might be, though, Su-hyeun regained his calm very quickly. And that''s why he was able to come to a decision really quickly.

    "Sorry, but I''m kind of busy right now."

    Snap¡ª

    Rumbleeeee¡ª

    Su-hyeun snapped his finger, causing the divine Flame to burn Fafnir''s image created through the energy from the destroyed stele.

    "So, stop messing around with clones like this and show up yourself if you want to fight me."

    "The reason you''re busy is you''re trying to stop the doorway to the Dark Realm from opening up?"

    "That''s right. The crappy mess you left here is huge and stinky."

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    The "clone" withstood even the divine Flame, so Su-hyeun gripped a Thunderbolt next. "That''s why you should keep your trap shut and¡ª"

    "If that''s what you''re worried about, fret not."

    "What? Why?" Su-hyeun furrowed his brow deeply and glared at Fafnir''s gradually fading image. He was trying to figure out the meaning behind what the Predator said.

    "Originally, I planned to take a little more time before invading you, but this should be enough of a preamble. I shall simply go with a smaller scale invasion and open the doorway right away."

    "You know, that doesn''t really line up with what you said earlier about not fretting."

    "That''s to be expected since no matter how much you struggle in vain, you cannot stop me. Besides, this is your fault as well."

    "My fault?"

    "The doorway was designed to automatically open up when the number of the mediums decreased past a certain level for some reason. Although the doorway''s size will become that much smaller, the end result of your world coming to an end again will not change much."

    "Aaah, is that so?"

    Su-hyeun didn''t need to listen anymore.

    Flash¡ª!

    Rumbleeee¡ª!

    The Thunderbolt in Su-hyeun''s hand flashed, and Fafnir''s clone was sucked into the maelstrom of crimson-gold light before getting extinguished altogether.

    "Thanks for the good info. It''ll come in handy later."

    He didn''t have a lot of time left.

    Since the information came straight from Fafnir''s mouth, Su-hyeun wasn''t totally sure if he could trust it, but even then, the odds were good enough.

    "First of all, finding out the location of the doorway takes priority."

    This fight wasn''t simply against Fafnir. No, it was against a huge world called the Dark Realm, too.

    It was a race against time as well.

    "The scale of the doorway. If I want to find that out..."

    Su-hyeun looked up.

    Rather ill-fitting for the current crappy situation, the sky above was so pristine, blue, and utterly beautiful to behold.

    Ba-dump¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s heart powerfully pounded away.

    Why hadn''t he thought about it before?

    No, more than that, why hadn''t he been conscious of it until now?

    "The sky!"

    The Godhood of Sky he now possessed was definitely not some sundry ability to strengthen the Thunderbolts and do nothing else.

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes. When he did, it felt like his body was floating up.

    And then, he became the sky itself.

    "I can see it."

    It felt as if he was sitting by a desk and taking a look at the world through a globe, and as he looked down on the planet, the power of his Insight activated.

    "Found it."

    There it was, in the middle of the vast, blue expanse of the Pacific.

    Quite a large area there had become dyed in "darkness." The affected area seemed to be around one-third of the Pacific''s entire surface area.

    It was the doorway connecting to the world on the other side¡ªto the place with a name literally meaning a world of darkness, the Dark Realm.

    "It''s already halfway open, isn''t it?"

    The color, for now, hadn''t completely turned black yet. Technically speaking, it would be right between gray and black.

    However, it seemed the color wouldn''t need a lot of time before completely turning black.

    "So, it was true."

    Honestly, Su-hyeun was inwardly hoping that Fafnir was just bluffing or trying to mislead him with false information. Unfortunately, neither of those seem to be the case.

    Dudu, dudududu¡ª

    Ku-gugu¡ª

    Rocks strewn about on the seafloor were trembling. Then, the terrain itself began rumbling ominously.

    "It has begun, huh?"

    It began even sooner than he expected.

    Just like what Fafnir said, the doorway was opening up.

    [Earth Shrink Technique]

    [Leap]

    Su-hyeun activated both the Earth Shrink Technique and Leap at the same time. He stepped on the empty air several times and reached his destination, the center of the Pacific, in a matter of minutes.

    His eyes soon caught the sight of the blackened ocean. There it was, the passageway connected to the Dark Realm as he saw just now.

    "What on earth is going on here, Mister Su-hyeun?!"

    Bzzzt, vrrrr¡ª

    Luslec''s voice came to him almost at the same time as the phone tucked in his pocket began noisily ringing.

    It seemed that both of his helpers had sensed what was happening here to some degree.

    Su-hyeun reached inside his pocket to pull the phone out and answered it. He then spoke to both Luslec and Gordon Rohan at the same time, "From this moment on, please make sure that not one person comes near the center of the Pacific. And also, please don''t try to join me during the battle."

    "Has the doorway opened up already?!"

    "I don''t know what''s going on here, but...Will you be okay?"

    The two men''s reactions contrasted each other. Luslec was stunned to learn that the doorway had opened up, while Gordon Rohan, seemingly having understood how grave the situation was, asked in a serious voice.

    What a relief it was, though. If Gordon Rohan recklessly tried to come here, saying he wanted to fight alongside Su-hyeun, the latter would have had no choice but to send a summon to stop the American.

    Gordon''s role was to destroy the steles, and that was it.

    "Yes, I''ll be alright."

    Crunch¡ª

    Su-hyeun stopped talking, then crushed the phone and dropped it to the ocean below.

    "It''ll have to be alright."

    He no longer needed to receive calls or even make one.

    Su-hyeun sucked in a deep breath. He stared at the vast ocean that was gradually getting darker in hue and enhanced the power of Insight.

    "I wonder. If all of the steles were still intact, just how wide would this thing have been?"

    Maybe a doorway so large that it exceeded the Pacific and covered the half of Earth might have opened up. Compared to that, this size wasn''t all that special.

    "Well, now..."

    That''s why doing this was also possible for him.

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Massive flames traveled through Su-hyeun''s arms and spread out to the surroundings.

    The flames soon blanketed even the sky and eventually created a massive enclosed sphere.

    This enclosed space of fire had completely surrounded the gigantic doorway.

    [Flame - Territory Declaration]

    A space that burned and killed all those Su-hyeun recognized as enemies had been created now.

    "As I thought. Doing this eats up a chunk of my magical energy, but still..."

    Even then, maintaining a space of this size didn''t burden him all that much.

    "Hurry up and come already," Su-hyeun muttered as he stared at the slowly opening black doorway. "Fafnir."

    * * *

    "Mmmm?"

    Munch, munch¡ª

    Sun Wukong raised his head as he continued to munch on the food that filled up his mouth.

    Both of his hands were holding the large thigh meat of a deer. He was in the middle of devouring his meal as if there was no tomorrow since he hadn''t had meat in a while.

    "Wukong."

    "Fi¡ªrst Bro¡ªther¡­you¡­also¡­sensed¡­that?"

    Sun Wukong quickly turned his head and looked at the Bull Demon King across the bonfire in the front yard with deer meat sizzling on top.

    The Bull Demon King was rendered speechless by Sun Wukong''s face just then. He then slowly face-palmed and replied, "You should swallow first before saying something."

    Gulp¡ª!

    Sun Wukong forced all the meat in his mouth down his throat, then shot up to his feet while even throwing away the meat he had been looking forward to enjoying so much. "What was that just now?!"

    "Isn''t this the moment you''ve been waiting for?"

    "Wait, so today is that day? Really?"

    He sounded both excited beyond words and worried deeply at the same time. Even Sun Wukong himself found it hard to figure out his own emotions.

    The Bull Demon King staring at him chuckled hollowly as well.

    "Will you head out, then?" As such, the Bull Demon King decided to ignore Sun Wukong''s state.

    Because there could be only one answer, after all.

    "Isn''t it obvious, First Brother?" Sun Wukong hurriedly packed up the deer''s thigh meat to eat, then waved his hand in another direction, "I''ll be back soon, old man."

    * * *

    Wiggle, wriggle¡ª

    The darkened ocean began "writhing." The black color, which used to be closer to gray, had now become completely black.

    "Here they come."

    POW¡ª!

    Kkyaaaah¡ª!

    A monster resembling a huge centipede rose rapidly from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. It was a Prey.

    "Gluttony."

    Split¡ª!

    And then, a mouth so huge that it dwarfed the centipede appeared mid-air.

    "Devour them all."

    Chomp¡ª!

    Crunch, munch¡ª

    Gluttony''s mouth began swallowing up and devouring the Preys rushing outside the doorway. Initially, only one or two Preys showed up at once, but some time later, they appeared in dozens upon dozens.

    "Are the weak ones crossing over to this side first?"

    Su-hyeun didn''t do anything at the entrance of all these Preys.

    There was no need for him to directly get involved in the current stage. Gluttony and Prince Nezha were more than enough. And if it got a bit too close, then he could even deploy a hidden card called Kali, too.

    One of the most important things in a battle of numbers was one''s endurance.

    Even if he had acquired the Godhood of Sky, and the amount of magical energy required to fire Thunderbolts had decreased, and even if all of his stats had risen up overall, his individual strength still remained finite.

    Crunch, munch, chew¡ª

    Slurp, drool¡ª

    Gluttony continued to devour the Preys that showed up. In all honesty, it was now basically strong enough to enter the tail-end of the list of the One Hundred Evils, so these Preys that didn''t even possess much intelligence or ego wouldn''t have served as good snacks to satiate the summoned creature.

    Despite that, though, Gluttony seemed quite satisfied right now.

    "So...tasty..."

    It was not important whether they were strong or not. To Gluttony, who suffered from the desire of "insatiable appetite," any food that could fill its stomach up would come across as delicious.

    "Sure, sure. Eat to your heart''s content, okay?" Su-hyeun slowly unsheathed the sword he got from Kim Dae-ho. "Today will be a huge feast for you."

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzzik¡ª

    Arcs of electricity began dancing around the sword next.

    "So, they are finally here."

    Su-hyeun raised the sword up high.

    He sensed a profound, heavy aura emanating beyond the Preys rushing out from the blackened ocean waves.

    Hundreds. Thousands. Tens of thousands...

    Innumerable Preys practically impossible to count caused writhing movements in the depths of the ocean. And when he detected them...!

    [Thunder Sword]

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything - Ocean Divider]

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    The currents of the Thunder Sword split the ocean apart along with the flames surrounding it.

    SPLAAAAASH¡ª!

    The ocean was split in half.

    For a greeting, this attack seemed a bit on the excessive side.

    The dark passageway revealed itself on the seabed after all the seawater parted ways.

    The sword strike slashed straight through that passageway, and ashes that used to be Predators scorched to death by the electrical currents were scattering everywhere. That single strike was enough to kill about 20 percent of all the Predators that had shown up this time.

    He had expected the strike to deal with at least half of them in one go, but even so, he wasn''t all that disappointed by the result.

    "As I thought, it''s not going to be that easy." From the get-go, Su-hyeun''s true target wasn''t all these small-fries. "So, you finally decided to show up."

    Gu-wu-wung¡ª

    The ocean undulated violently, and waves tumbled about. The skies beyond the range of the divine Flame were suddenly dyed black, while the visible land and vegetation instantly lost all vitality. Even winds stopped blowing.

    The whole world was shrinking back just because one creature had made its appearance.

    Below the split-open ocean...

    A giant that had traveled through the passageway connected to the Dark Realm to reach this world had raised his staff to block the Thunder Sword.

    This giant''s creepy red eyes locked glares with Su-hyeun''s eyes shining in a blue hue.

    It was an unforgettable giant with the head of a black dragon¡ªFafnir!

    Perhaps the long wait was to blame here because rather than getting all tense, Su-hyeun was actually feeling glad about this long-delayed reunion.

    But then...

    "Have I remembered you wrong?" Su-hyeun stared at Fafnir that had finally come, and asked, "You aren''t even going through puberty, so why do you look even bigger than before?"

 Chapter 461 - 461

    The "Fafnir" from Su-hyeun''s memories was huge.

    His height was easily around four meters at the top of his dragon head.

    Of course, he was "small" when compared to your regular dragons. But compared to humans, this physique was indeed illogically big. Technically speaking, Fafnir was a bipedal "humanoid."

    However, Su-hyeun had encountered monsters that reached dozens, no, hundreds of meters in height lately, so such a physique would have come across as somewhat puny.

    But now...

    "He must be around eight meters now."

    Fafnir was almost eight meters tall, and his actual physical size should be even bigger.

    The difference in physique between a person with 170 cm height and another with 180 cm was already considerable. So, it would be safe to assume that Fafnir''s actual physique had grown at least five, maybe six times bigger than before, judging from his height that had doubled.

    "You, on the other hand, didn''t seem to have changed," Fafnir''s voice rang around in the surroundings.

    His voice sounded louder and clearer than any explosions, so much so that it was almost like someone was speaking directly next to Su-hyeun''s ears.

    Maybe that was to blame here because, despite the great distance between them, Su-hyeun had a feeling that they were having a face-to-face chat right now.

    "Even though my face is completely different now?"

    "I''m referring to your size. You seemed to have gotten shorter, actually."

    "Well, that''s true."

    Su-hyeun''s current height was a few centimeters shorter than back when he was Kim Sung-in. It sounded like Fafnir was simply talking about the comparative height here.

    "But the status of your soul is...It''s incomparably greater than your past self."

    "At least you can tell that much."

    "Where is the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven?"

    The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven? That title belonged to the Bull Demon King, the name Su-hyeun was a lot more familiar with.

    For a moment there, he wondered why Fafnir was searching for his First Brother, but when he thought about it, this wasn''t the Predator''s second visit to Earth. Indeed, this was the third time.

    During his second time, he got chased away by the Bull Demon King and had to run away with his tail firmly tucked between his legs.

    "My First Brother is not here, as you can see."

    "Your First Brother? I see, so you two were siblings," Fafnir slowly nodded.

    While the two conversed, Predators were still flooding out of the doorway.

    The ocean split apart by the Thunder Sword didn''t close back up and remained split open like the mythic Red Sea.

    "I couldn''t understand why the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven suddenly interfered in this planet''s matter, but now¡ª"

    "By the way," Su-hyeun interjected.

    Sliiiice¡ª!

    Kiiii-iiiing¡ª!

    The energy from the sword strike flew right above Fafnir''s head. Perhaps he was already prepared for it because he nonchalantly stood still and scattered away that sneaky attack.

    "You think you can overcome me?" Su-hyeun said.

    "I don''t have a habit of looking back at the mountain that I''ve already surmounted."

    Su-hyeun''s eyes gleamed at that reply. He was certain of it now.

    "So, the changes to the future weren''t all unplanned, is that it?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun knew that he wasn''t the only one who returned to the past, thanks to the Reincarnation ability. Fafnir also came back, and he, too, retained all of his memories.

    Clack¡ª

    Su-hyeun glanced at the blade''s surface after taking a swing with it.

    It had a smooth, unblemished surface, and it had a perfectly adequate weight. Its sharpness transmitted through his grip felt like it could cut his hand open just by holding the weapon''s hilt.

    This was a good sword. But now that this event was underway, he couldn''t help but feel a little rueful.

    "I had no idea I''d miss the Palm Leaf this much."

    The sword containing the wind of the beginning, the Palm Leaf, was currently stuck inside Kim Dae-ho''s workshop.

    With its ability to wield winds, the Palm Leaf greatly boosted the blade''s sharpness by several folds.

    "Not only that," Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to the Predators that had flooded out from the doorway alongside Fafnir and wondered, "Just how many of them were here now?"

    Even if he counted all the Predators he had encountered until now, the total still would be nothing more than a small speck compared to their actual might of in the thousands or tens of thousands.

    Seeing how many were still pouring out, their actual number must have been even higher.

    Sure, most of them were bottom-ranked Predators, but some hidden among their ranks emitted a somewhat ominous aura.

    "So, this is the Dark Realm."

    It was the world of the Predators. These creatures, each and every single one of them, had led several dozens, no, hundreds of worlds to their doom.

    Meaning, they were like harmful parasites of the universe, and Fafnir had climbed up to a position that was basically their ruler, their king.

    "Your standard may have changed, but in the end, nothing''s really changed," Su-hyeun muttered as he glanced back at Fafnir in the distance. Fafnir was standing tall with his hands resting behind his back.

    Fafnir might have been a magician, but he was also a born knight. However, his true nature, his disposition, was that of an emperor, a conqueror¡ªa ruler.

    Fafnir would never join the battle himself.

    In the past, Su-hyeun chalked that down to the Predator simply being overly cautious. He suspected that Fafnir was trying to ensure his safety first and achieve complete victory over whatever fight he was involved in.

    That line of thought wasn''t entirely wrong. However, Fafnir wasn''t staying in the back because he lacked confidence in head-on fights.

    "It''ll not be any different from the past."

    "Sorry, but the future has been distorted by a lot now."

    Pazzzik, bzzzzik¡ª!

    Thick storm clouds rapidly rushed in above Su-hyeun''s head. "So, it''s time to find out what the real result will be."

    Su-hyeun extended his hand upward.

    FLASH¡ª!

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    [Somersault cloud]

    [Zeus''s Thunder Glove - Rain of Thunder]

    Rumble, ku-rururu¡ª

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    The whole world was transformed into a white space.

    The lightning strike fell right on top of the Predators. Their bodies were charred black, while some were electrocuted and fell headlong into the ocean water.

    "How was that?"

    "Indeed, it certainly has changed."

    Fafnir glanced at the remains of the fallen Predators, then raised up his staff.

    "In that case, try your best to stop me this time."

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Clack, splaaaash¡ª

    The energy that gushed out from Fafnir''s staff rapidly enveloped the figures of the surviving Predators.

    Su-hyeun instinctively understood what that was for. Fafnir''s energy had created a crimson layer over the bodies of the Predators.

    "A barrier with physical and magical resistance. Is that a protect-type buff spell?" Su-hyeun thought.

    The divine Flame''s territory affected every corner of the area it was set on. This technique not only restricted the movements of every opponent caught inside its range but also shaved away the enemies'' stamina constantly by affecting them with high temperatures.

    Meaning, this technique was one of the very best when dealing with large numbers of enemies. But with this turn of events, those effects were rendered meaningless. The Predators wouldn''t be affected unless they were in direct contact with the flames.

    "Alright, so you are coming at me with the numbers game again, is that it?"

    Su-hyeun gripped his sword even tighter.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzzik¡ª

    "Hoh-oh...!"

    Fafnir paid attention to the raucous thunderclap going off in the sky. The electrical charge that emitted a blinding light quickly wrapped around Su-hyeun''s sword, while his left hand fitted with the Thunder Glove simply grabbed the lightning arcs.

    The Somersault cloud enveloped Su-hyeun''s figure-like armor, and he stepped on the air to advance forward. "I don''t have time to fool around. Let''s wrap this up quickly."

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    More energy leaked out from Su-hyeun''s surroundings and fused into the figures of his many summons.

    [Gluttony]

    [Kali]

    [Gyges]

    "All of you," Su-hyeun issued an order to his summons next, "Sweep them all away!"

    * * *

    Pazzzik¡ª, Chwaaaaaah¡ª!

    He thrust forward the lightning wrapped around his left hand.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Along with the loud thunderclap, the lightning exploded forth. The bodies of those Predators trying to pounce on him were instantly vaporized into ashes and scattered away.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    In the middle of the falling ashes, a handful of Predators withstood the lightning strike and managed to pounce on Su-hyeun, with his throat as their target.

    Of course, he didn''t expect that he would kill them all in one strike. He unhesitantly stepped on the empty air.

    [Heavenly Demon''s March of Sovereign]

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    Massive pressure crushed down on the bodies of the Predators. Their fast movements came to an abrupt halt, allowing Su-hyeun''s sword to flash past during that brief window.

    "Meteorite Blade!"

    Shwa-aaaaah¡ª!

    Countless blades¡ªnot fakes but all real blades¡ªbegan raining down.

    "Eighth Stance!"

    Splaaaatter¡ª!

    The bodies of the Predators were chopped apart into dozens, no, hundreds of bloody pieces. That was one of the "stances" of the martial technique Su-hyeun had acquired through Cheon Mu-jin''s memories.

    Dozens of Predators had been cut apart to death in one go, but that still didn''t give him enough room to take a step back.

    This had been going on for a few hours already.

    He lost count on how many Predators he had cut down so far. Although they weren''t some small fry monsters by any metric, they were also not much of a threat.

    "Seriously now, so annoying..."

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    [Flame - Transformation]

    [Heavenly Demon''s Hundred Steps Fist]

    Ka-pooooow¡ª!

    Shoots of flames that gushed out from his punch utterly swept away the Predators before his eyes. The attack was meant to strike all those within a hundred steps from him, but it ended up wrecking everything within his view instead.

    "I modified the original Hundred Steps Phantom Fist into this, but I guess it needs a name change now, huh?"

    This martial stance originating from the Shaolin faction allowed you to punch any opponent within a hundred steps from you, hence, its name, the "Hundred Steps Phantom Fist." Su-hyeun recalled the past memories of him trying to modify that martial technique to suit himself.

    "Finally, we caught you!"

    Grab¡ª!

    Chwa-aaaah¡ª!

    Predators appeared behind Su-hyeun and reached out, managing to grab hold of his limbs next.

    Almost at the same time, hooks of another Predator tore through Su-hyeun''s open back. He staggered precariously, only for a broad smile to spread on his face, "Did you really catch me, though?"

    The Predator was momentarily confused.

    Buzz, vrrr¡ª

    Right below where he stood, a magic circle made of crimson lines suddenly floated. At the same time, his figure morphed into fluffy clouds and vanished from there altogether.

    The Predators didn''t need a lot of time to realize that this was a trap.

    "Run...!"

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    Flames exploded, and the Predators that attacked Su-hyeun were all charred jet-black. Other Predators nearby lost sight of Su-hyeun just then, and they hurriedly looked around their vicinity.

    "Heavenly Demon''s Blade..."

    His voice came from above them.

    Tsu-tsutsutsu¡ª

    Crimson current leaked out from his blade next. This energy coalesced into one lump before shifting into a crimson sphere.

    [Meteorite Sphere]

    Bang, bababang¡ª!

    Splaaaash¡ª

    The gigantic crimson current viciously whipped about and utterly vaporized the Predators'' bodies right there and then.

    Su-hyeun, having performed several powerful techniques in a row, briefly took a break to calm his breathing and scanned his surroundings. "As expected, the numbers game shouldn''t be underestimated, is that it?"

    Kali, Gyges, Gluttony, and Prince Nezha, plus many other summons, were fighting alongside him right now, but there was always going to be a clear limit to how his summons could deal with all these Predators.

    There were just too many of them.

    His Death Aura reserve was gradually emptying, too. Unlike him, his summons were not in a position to conserve their strengths during the battle, nor did they have enough wiles to do so.

    At a casual glance, the number of Predators didn''t seem to have decreased at all. On the contrary, there seemed to be more of them now compared to the beginning.

    This indicated that the number of Predators crossing over through the doorway was quite insane to behold.

    "This is just endless," Su-hyeun sighed softly under breath, "I might as well..."

    Pazzzik, bzzzzik¡ª

    Electrical currents leaked out from the tips of Su-hyeun''s hands.

    His mind was already picturing it; he was looking back to the scene of him borrowing Zeus''s strength to kill Uranus.

    "Sweep them all away in one shot..."

    It was the Thunder Dragon, the strongest technique Su-hyeun currently possessed.

    If he could use that skill now, then he might be able to sweep away every Predator that had appeared in this place in one shot.

    Not only was the Thunder Dragon''s range extensive, but its destructive power should be more than enough for the job.

    He didn''t contemplate it for long.

    Pazzzzik¡ª

    "At this rate, I won''t get to fight Fafnir properly, anyway."

    He would use the Thunder Dragon and deal with the small fries in one go.

    But just as he made up his mind...

    "Get bigger¡ª!"

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    A humongous polearm slammed down in the middle of the Predators.

    "Ruyi¡ª!"

    Su-hyeun stared at the lengthy pole that had broken through the divine Flame''s space.

    The electricity he had begun unleashing to create the Thunder Dragon was already extinguished by then. His tension pulled tautly by the continuous battle seemingly softened a little immediately.

    "Did I come at a good time or what?"

    Fwhoosh¡ª

    A truly welcome voice came to him as the divine Flame was scattered aside.

    Su-hyeun turned his head and replied, "Yes, it''s the perfect timing."

    Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King, the two individuals capable of overturning the flow of this battle, had just entered.

 Chapter 462 - 462

    * * *

    The world came to learn that the period of peace they had been enjoying for the past year or so was actually the eye of the storm.

    It was all because dungeons had appeared throughout the world¡ªno, it was because all those dungeons had suddenly entered the outbreak stage.

    Dungeons appeared without any warning whatsoever. As people failed to notice them on time, it was also impossible to raid them. The reason for that was every single one of them caused the outbreak at once as if they had a prior agreement or something.

    Not only that...

    "Wait, so you''re telling me that Su-hyeun is fighting in there?!" Lee Ju-ho cried out.

    The "in there" was the "small sun" that had appeared in the center of the Pacific Ocean.

    You didn''t even need the satellites to take a look at that thing. Its scale was so enormous that regardless of where you were in South Korea¡ªa country situated very close to the Pacific in the first place¡ªyou would be able to see it with your naked eyes.

    And the actual scale of this small sun as picked up by the satellites was almost one-third of the entire Pacific Ocean.

    "Yes. And Gordon Rohan and one other unidentified awakener are suppressing outbreaks that are taking place in various locations at the moment."

    "An unidentified awakener, you say?"

    "Yes. Apparently, it''s not possible to check his background or his identity. That''s why the authorities are suspicious of him, but it sounds like his abilities are the real deal, at least."

    Lee Ju-ho listened to Bak Yun-gyu''s explanation and recalled a certain someone. That would be none other than the "little brother" who came to hang out with Su-hyeun a few days ago.

    "You know, I might have an idea who that awakener is."

    "You do? Who is he?"

    "I also don''t know all the details, but I do know that he''s Su-hyeun''s acquaintance."

    "Mister Kim Su-hyeun''s acquaintance...I see."

    Although that awakener''s identity was still unknown, Bak Yun-gyu seemed to have accepted him as Su-hyeun''s acquaintance.

    Bak Yun-gyu''s trust in Su-hyeun was responsible for this. Actually, most people who knew Su-hyeun would probably not have any issues with this situation, even if it was not Su-hyeun himself but someone else with whom he was acquainted.

    "In any case, you require the assistance of both Thomas and Hak-joon, correct?"

    "Yes. I believe our forces will be enough to somehow suppress the matters in South Korea. However, the real problem is now with the nations near the Pacific, such as China and Russia."

    "Thomas hasn''t returned from the Tower, unfortunately. As for Hak-joon, I''ve already dispatched him to Gangwon Province. But if you need assistance, I''ll redirect him to another location."

    "Yes, please. We''ll leave it up to you."

    The phone call with Bak Yun-gyu ended there.

    After hanging up the phone, Lee Ju-ho shifted his gaze outside his window. There it was, a small "sun" blazing in the distance¡ªexactly like how the whole world was talking about it.

    If it was really Su-hyeun who had created that "space," then it was not that hard to guess his reason for doing so.

    "He''s trying to trap something in there, most likely."

    Su-hyeun showed a great deal of interest in that photo. This event must''ve been connected to it somehow.

    Everyone was searching for Su-hyeun as the outbreaks happened. Their reasoning was simple enough¡ªthey all believed Su-hyeun as their hero, and they prayed for him to come and save them this time as well.

    Unfortunately, they had no clue.

    "We must solve this situation by ourselves."

    Su-hyeun was fighting against "something" inside that space.

    He had never once before fought so flashily and loudly like this, which indicated his opponent this time was strong enough to necessitate such a display. In all likelihood, they should not expect Su-hyeun''s help to come for the foreseeable future.

    Honestly speaking, Lee Ju-ho wanted to go there and help Su-hyeun if he could.

    But...

    "Me trying to help is in itself a hindrance."

    Su-hyeun had already created a huge gap in the level of power between himself and every other awakener. That gap had widened so much nowadays that it was hard to even see where he was now. Even the original number one awakener in the world, Gordon Rohan, had no choice but to accept this reality.

    Grit¡ª

    "Dammit," Lee Ju-ho could only quietly swear under his breath.

    From a certain point on, he found himself receiving help from Su-hyeun all the time but never reciprocating that help to the latter.

    Lee Ju-ho was gutted and angry about this.

    That wasn''t all. His sources of frustration were that no one could help Su-hyeun now and that Su-hyeun was slowly becoming isolated and alone.

    That was when he heard a certain noise.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    This noise, small and faint, came from quite some distance away.

    Lee Ju-ho, who was almost losing his mind here as he tightly clenched his fists in helpless anger, abruptly raised his head back up. That was how he saw a massive pole piercing through the small sun Su-hyeun had created.

    That polearm must be colossal as it was possible to behold with one''s naked eyes despite the great distance.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A short while later, the polearm that so suddenly announced itself to the world vanished from view.

    It had gotten smaller, in other words.

    After witnessing this brief but bizarre phenomenon, Lee Ju-ho abruptly recalled a certain mythical item, "Was that Ruyi Jingu Bang?"

    * * *

    Land¡ª

    Sun Wukong gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang once more. He lightly spun the narrow and lengthy polearm around his palm while scanning his surroundings, "Man, there are so many of them!"

    "It seems that it''s not just their great numbers, either," said the Bull Demon King as he cocked his hand while glancing at all the Predators that flooded out from the Dark Realm.

    The light burning in his eyes was noticeably different from his usual laid-back expression; it seemed far sharper and with a hint of viciousness.

    Su-hyeun had not seen the Bull Demon King fight in earnest before, so he found the current atmosphere rather unfamiliar.

    Even so, he felt very much reassured. "Looks like he''s thinking of not holding back," Su-hyeun thought.

    The Bull Demon King always took some steps back and assumed the role of an onlooker, a bystander.

    However, there was no doubting the depths of his abilities. After all, wasn''t he the one who stopped Fafnir''s earlier invasion all by himself?

    And maybe the Predators had cottoned on to that fact early because they grew visibly tense and wary after Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King made their entrance.

    Of course, there would always be those suffering from reckless bravado among them.

    Paaahk¡ª

    Fwhoosh¡ª

    Some Predators that happened to be nearby pounced on the Bull Demon King without any warning.

    Predators possessing magic-type abilities tried to bind the limbs of both the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong as the physical combat-type ones unleashed their weapons or claws.

    "Got y¡ª!"

    Swiiiish¡ª

    A Predator rushing in from behind the Bull Demon King couldn''t finish what it wanted to say when a humongous palm had suddenly appeared before its eyes.

    SLAP¡ª!

    Riiip¡ª!

    The Bull Demon King''s palm dismissively slapped the Predator''s head, separating it from the rest of its body. It was as if he swatted an annoying fly.

    "It seems that I''ve got something dirty on me now."

    "Are these punks the ''Predator'' thing Buddha was talking about?"

    "It seems so. And that one over there," the Bull Demon King glanced at Fafnir, who was still standing before the doorway to the Dark Realm with a staff in his hand, "He seems to have gotten bigger than before."

    The battle against Fafnir was still fresh in the Bull Demon King''s memory.

    He spent one whole day fighting that Predator to stop it in its tracks, then eventually chased that monster away. The battle was even more challenging because the Bull Demon King did his best not to kill Fafnir. Even so, he still had to acknowledge the latter''s strength regardless of what.

    "Listen, Wukong."

    "Yes, First Brother?"

    "You''re forbidden from touching that creature."

    "Why? Do you want to have a go at him yourself?"

    "Didn''t you hear what I said earlier?" The Bull Demon King let out a groan and then shook his head, "That creature is our little brother''s prey."

    "Ah, you''re right," Sun Wukong conceded quickly and nodded.

    He had already heard about Fafnir several times from the Bull Demon King. Meaning, he had accepted the fact that Fafnir was Su-hyeun''s opponent this time.

    Besides...

    "Well, the others here are plenty enough for me, anyway."

    Smirk¡ª

    Sun Wukong''s grin was far brighter than ever before. He looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself.

    This was because he was no longer bound by the restrictive state of not fighting and killing. Such a thing was akin to heavy shackles coming undone in Sun Wukong''s perspective.

    The Bull Demon King shook his head as if Sun Wukong''s reaction couldn''t be helped and then glanced at his surroundings.

    "Well, then," he said as he pulled out a fan as big as his torso from behind his back. "It''s been a while since my last fight, so why don''t we go on a rampage for a bit?"

    "Yeah, it''s been a really long time since I last worked with you, First Brother," Sun Wukong spoke in agreement, then pointed with his Ruyi Jingu Bang. "Get bigger¡ª!"

    "Blow away¡ª"

    The two Yogoe brothers opened their mouths simultaneously.

    "Ruyi¡ª!"

    "Palm Leaf¡ª!"

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Fwhooooooosh¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jingu Bang shoved aside the Predators as vicious storm winds ripped apart the sky. Su-hyeun hurriedly wrapped himself up in the Somersault cloud to evade the winds.

    However, the sensation transmitted through the clouds wrapped around him felt a bit strange.

    "Winds are not reaching me?"

    Wondering, he scattered the clouds away only to realize that he couldn''t feel any winds touching him.

    Of course, he could clearly hear the whooshing noises of the winds from close by. It was just that the Bull Demon King had excluded Su-hyeun from the range of the winds'' effects.

    Not only that...

    "That''s not Palm Leaf."

    The Bull Demon King called out to the Palm Leaf, which was probably out of his long-time habit, but what he activated just now was definitely not the Palm Leaf''s ability.

    This was the Godhood of Wind itself. Not only that, but it boasted a high degree of proficiency.

    "Hey, little bro," Sun Wukong walked on the shaft of the Ruyi Jingu Bang and approached Su-hyeun. "We''ll drink booze later, so you should just go and beat the living snot out of that punk first."

    "Booze?"

    "Didn''t you say we''ll drink booze together some other time?"

    Su-hyeun chuckled at that. To think that the first thing Sun Wukong said to him in the current situation was, "They would drink together later."

    It felt like his gravely determined mindset had instantly become more relaxed for some reason.

    "Yes, let''s do that."

    Why was that, though?

    He briefly thought about why his mind was relaxing, but he figured it out quickly enough.

    "Right. Back then, I was all alone, wasn''t I?"

    His previous fight against Fafnir ended in Su-hyeun''s resounding defeat. He fought against countless monsters and eventually died alone.

    Initially, some awakeners fought alongside him, but they were soon eliminated.

    However, things were different now.

    "Let''s finish this quickly and have a drink, Third Brother."

    "Very good."

    Poof, poof, poof, poof¡ª!

    Thick "fog" spread around Sun Wukong. Next, hundreds of clones sporting the exact same face and attire as Sun Wukong materialized. They must have found something delightful because they were all smiling brightly while spinning their own Ruyi Jingu Bangs.

    "Get bigger, Ruyi!"

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jing Bang belonging to one of the clones lengthened in an instant to shoot forward. Its target wasn''t the Predators but their leader, who was wielding a staff and standing right at the back of them all. That leader no longer had a smile on his face.

    The target was right in front where Fafnir was standing.

    "Okay, then, have a good trip."

    "Thanks, Third Brother."

    Land¡ª

    Su-hyeun leaped on the Ruyi Jingu Bang and began walking toward Fafnir. He used the Earth Shrink Technique and approached his opponent quite quickly.

    The ranks of Predators that had split apart to avoid getting hit by the Ruyi Jingu Bang tried to stop Su-hyeun''s advance, but right at that moment, storm winds swept them aside.

    Fwhooooooosh¡ª!

    Slice, splaaat¡ª!

    Those Predators that couldn''t dodge in time were ripped apart into bloody chunks. Even then, the winds continued on to chop and slice apart the bodies of all those Predators trying to block Su-hyeun''s path.

    With this, there were no more obstacles in his path.

    The distance between Fafnir and Su-hyeun closed up quickly.

    "Let''s finally end this."

    Pazzzik¡ª

    Arcs of electricity enveloped Su-hyeun''s blade.

    When that happened, Fafnir, who had been standing back and observing the unfolding battle, finally showed some reaction.

    "Are you happy about their participation?" Fafnir raised his staff as he watched Su-hyeun arrive right before his nose.

    "Too bad, the end result will not change. Actually, this development will unfold in the manner that I have been greatly wishing for."

    "Oh, you mean, your fight against my First Brother?"

    "That''s right."

    "I heard about it, so yeah, I know. But like I said earlier..."

    Rumble, cackle¡ª

    The ominous thunderclap could be heard coming from the heavens above.

    "You think you can win against me?"

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Paaazzzzzzik¡ª

    Fafnir would have normally replied that it wouldn''t be hard at all, but today, he couldn''t do so.

    It was all because of the unbelievable spectacle unfolding right before his eyes.

    Kkyaaaaaah¡ª!

    A humongous figure of a dragon was screeching loudly.

    This dragon of electricity, whose mere presence managed to break through the protective magic barrier of Fafnir to sting his skin, emitted an eerie crimson light and coiled around Su-hyeun''s figure next.

    [Cintamani]

    [Zeus''s Thunder Glove - Thunder Dragon Miru]

 Chapter 463 - 463

    * * *

    He had been thinking about this for a while now.

    Just what kind of an item was the Cintamani?

    "It''s not like I can break it apart to find out..."

    Was it just an instrument to amplify the powers of the dragons and nothing more?

    If that amplification ability was something that could enhance an entire race''s powers over a wide range, then yes, that alone would''ve qualified it as the mythical god-tier item for the dragon race.

    Initially, Su-hyeun also judged the Cintamani''s powers through what he had been told. But after he met Ellid, he began thinking that maybe this red marble had some other uses.

    "To think that it''s an item with godhood just like the Palm Leaf or the Somersault cloud..."

    Greatly enhancing an entire race''s power was, without a doubt, an extraordinary ability. But that ability alone wasn''t enough for it to be ranked alongside either the Somersault cloud or the Palm Leaf.

    The Cintamani wasn''t displaying its full range of powers, in other words.

    And so, sometime later¡ªrather unexpectedly¡ªSu-hyeun was given an opportunity to confirm the Cintamani''s true powers. It happened at the same time he activated the Thunder Dragon.

    "There''s definitely something..."

    A strange and unfamiliar phenomenon...

    When he "summoned" the Thunder Dragon, Miru, who was quietly slumbering, suddenly transmitted its will to him.

    It said it wished to be let outside.

    Its reason wasn''t all that hard to figure out. Miru was reacting to the process of him imagining, then materializing, the image of the Thunder Dragon.

    But that wasn''t all.

    Wuuuong¡ª

    The Cintamani in Miru''s possession suddenly began emitting a bright light for the first time ever.

    * * *

    Krrrr¡ª

    The Thunder Dragon coiling around him growled deeply.

    Su-hyeun reached out and patted the dragon''s head, despite that head being several dozen times larger than him.

    Even though the dragon couldn''t speak and its growling sounded different, Su-hyeun still called out the Thunder Dragon''s name, "Miru."

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    The Thunder Dragon raised its head at Su-hyeun''s call. It actually recognized its name and responded to him.

    What a relief that was.

    He had been worried inwardly, but that one thing he was most concerned about didn''t happen.

    Even after being swarmed by the souls of countless dragons, the consciousness of Miru, the descendant of the red dragon, did not become diluted.

    "To think that it was an artifact containing the afterlife of dragons..." Su-hyeun got his confirmation through today''s event, and a soft, hollow chuckle escaped his mouth, "What an absurd item this is."

    When dragons died, their souls didn''t travel to a specific world. Their souls would be encased within a certain "stone" after their demise.

    This process was a unique tradition of the dragons who did not have an "afterlife" like everyone else.

    A stone containing the souls of all the dragons from the span of history long enough to be called an eternity¡ªthat was the Cintamani.

    On top of that, Su-hyeun thought, "Miru is the one in control of the Cintamani."

    Miru had become one with the Cintamani. It probably happened back when the red dragon swallowed up the artifact. This indicated that the Cintamani, or the souls of the ancestor dragons, had acknowledged Miru as their new master.

    "What is that thing?" Fafnir asked as if he genuinely didn''t know. It seemed like he just couldn''t understand it.

    But that couldn''t be helped. To a magician like him, the Thunder Dragon listening to Su-hyeun''s order and accordingly acting was a difficult phenomenon to accept, especially when it should''ve been nothing more than just a mass of electricity given form through magic.

    "I wonder about that, too. That''s why," Su-hyeun lightly waved his hand around. His action prompted the Thunder Dragon to move along with him. "I was thinking of confirming it for myself today."

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    The Thunder Dragon flew toward Fafnir.

    In the blink of an eye, the enormous golden dragon swallowed up the Predator. However, the Thunder Dragon immediately screeched in a fury and spun its head.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    At the same time, a magic circle suddenly materialized in the sky some distance away. Fafnir, who had vanished from the spot, was there.

    His figure was ever so slightly charred; he had hurriedly activated a spell to escape from there just as Su-hyeun gestured with his hand.

    His activation speed was unbelievably fast, considering that he had teleported to quite some distance away.

    "What a bothersome technique that is."

    The Thunder Dragon, which possessed both a soul and an ego, was not a single-use attack. Therefore, it didn''t disappear after an attack. It acted like a summoned creature and searched around to locate Fafnir''s current position.

    "However, thunder-type magic spells have a clear weakness."

    Buzz, wuuuong¡ª

    Fafnir raised the staff in his hand, causing hundreds of magic circles to materialize between himself and the Thunder Dragon.

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzik¡ª

    Arcs of electricity leaking out from the Thunder Dragon got sucked into those magic circles.

    Tall steel spikes had risen above those magic circles.

    "Lightning energy tends to follow the lightning rods. Although it will be impossible to suck up such a large mass of lightning energy, merely changing its direction is nothing for me."

    It was the same principle as redirecting the falling lightning. It was a widely known basic knowledge to magicians that didn''t require a separate study on the subject.

    This method demonstrated a clear and tangible effect in either canceling out lightning energy-type magic spells or, at the very least, changing their directions.

    The arcs of electricity contained within the Thunder Dragon were now trickling toward those hundreds of lightning rods.

    These steel spikes were definitely not some ordinary items; they boasted high endurance enough to withstand all the electrical charge of the Thunder Dragon they had sucked up.

    The Thunder Dragon''s power seemed to waver. Even so, Su-hyeun looked unconcerned as he raised his hand.

    "Since you don''t seem to have understood what I¡ª?!"

    Fafnir was stunned by something, and he hurriedly extended his staff forward. At the same time, a purple-colored magic circle materialized right in front of his eyes.

    A blinding flash of light exploded right after that.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The light completely filled up the view, the explosion noise accompanying it a beat later.

    Once the blinding light subsided, the ashes of the Predators vaporized in the Thunder Dragon''s wake scattered away like dust.

    "But how...?"

    For the first time ever, Fafnir''s expression revealed how flustered he was.

    His eyes, which were always filled with unshakeable confidence, were rocking visibly to denote his nervousness. At the same time, his mouth that had been clamped shut all along finally opened up to reveal his fangs.

    Judging from how charred his body was, it seemed that he failed to completely evade the Thunder Dragon.

    That wasn''t all that surprising, however. After all, he was thinking that the lightning rods had effectively stopped the Thunder Dragon from easily moving around, or at the very least, they would be able to redirect it to elsewhere even if it did move.

    "You''re the one who can''t understand."

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s hand shot out and grabbed Fafnir''s throat, "For now, come with me."

    [Leap]

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Splash¡ª!

    Su-hyeun threw himself and Fafnir toward the bottom of the ocean.

    Rustle, shu-shu-shu...

    The scenery changed. At the bottom of the ocean was the wide-open black "sky." Not a speck of clouds existed here, there was no breathable air, and even gravity was weak.

    Meanwhile, the terrain was pockmarked by countless craggy craters.

    They were now on the moon.

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    Craaack¡ª

    Su-hyeun powerfully slammed Fafnir''s body straight into the hard ground.

    Another crater was added to the moon''s surface as a result. He raised his sword with his free hand and then thrust it down on Fafnir''s head.

    But right at that moment...

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Creak, scraaatch¡ª

    Something incredibly hard blocked the motion, preventing the sword from going any lower.

    Bang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun hurriedly kicked Fafnir''s chest and jumped up.

    The Predator dusted his chest off, then wiped a few droplets of blood off himself.

    "Was that Space Distortion?"

    "Space Distortion," just like the Earth Shrink Technique, was an ability that allowed one to fold a fixed amount of distance to allow one to travel in one breath.

    The most significant difference between it and the teleportation was that, while the latter simply changed the target''s location, Space Distortion briefly created a "doorway" connecting one space to another.

    If one was proficient in it, one could even redirect the enemy attacks to another space altogether. As such, its difficulty was also incredibly great.

    "I thought you''re a swordsman. You''re, in fact, a magician, is that it?"

    Unlike the Earth Shrink Technique, the Space Distortion as a technique had its roots in magic.

    As a magician, Fafnir also knew how to perform Space Distortion. Of course, even he would find traversing this much distance tough to pull off.

    That was why he began thinking that Su-hyeun was not a swordsman but a magician.

    "Well, I was one," Su-hyeun replied in the past tense. He thought, "Even I didn''t know if I could pull it off or not, though."

    One of Su-hyeun''s previous lives, as Arwen the Grand Wizard, understood the fundamental principles of Space Distortion but was never able to perform it properly.

    That was how difficult Space Distortion was as magic. Not even someone like Arwen, who was referred to as history''s greatest wizard, could do it, and even the dragon race didn''t have many individuals strong enough to cast Space Distortion at will.

    If one was to get technical about it, only the red dragons could do it, who were the descendants of the Dragon King.

    But unlike Arwen, Su-hyeun was practically overflowing with magical energy. Thanks to that, he was able to forcibly tear through space.

    "That''s an amusing answer. But why did you change our location?"

    "It was too cramped down there."

    "Oh, was it to protect the world you live in?"

    Wuuuong, buzz, wuuuuong¡ª

    Countless magic circles began floating up in the empty space next.

    Su-hyeun scanned these magic circles. Each looked different from one another, meaning they all contained countless other types of magic spells in them.

    "If so, then, unfortunately, you have wasted your energy."

    To think that Fafnir could activate all these magic spells at once¡ªworse still, they weren''t even the same type of magic but several different elements and types of magic!

    "Something like this was even possible?"

    This time, it was Su-hyeun''s turn to be stunned.

    Back when Fafnir created hundreds of lightning rods, Su-hyeun more or less brushed that event aside. After all, activating the same type of spell in a row was possible to pull off as long as one''s calculation speed was fast enough.

    However, this act of activating hundreds of different types of magic spells at once¡ªunless hundreds of different consciousness existed in one''s mind¡ªwould be utterly impossible to pull off successfully.

    Not only that...

    Guoh-oooooh¡ª

    Su-hyeun glanced at the asteroids traveling in the far-off distance. Dozens of them were rapidly closing in on his location, their speed gradually increasing.

    That was none other than Fafnir''s unique ability at work.

    "I knew it."

    Pazzzik¡ª

    The Thunder Dragon coiled around Su-hyeun''s figure once more.

    "I was thinking that things have been too easy so far."

    * * *

    Slice¡ª!

    An asteroid the size of a small mountain got sliced in half.

    Split¡ª

    Whoooosh, stab¡ª!

    A huge spike flew in between the sliced asteroid and tried to impale Su-hyeun in his abdomen. He wrapped the Somersault cloud around him to block that spike, then stepped on the void to rise up.

    KWA-AAAAAH¡ª!

    POW¡ª! Popopopopow¡ª!

    His flames rising up alongside his advance defended against magic spells of various elements. However, a few of the spells still managed to break through the Somersault cloud and inflicted injuries on Su-hyeun''s body.

    Pazzzik¡ª

    A Thunderbolt was generated in his hand next.

    He cocked his body back for a moment there, his glare locking onto a certain spot. He located Fafnir, who had been hiding through invisibility magic.

    FLASH¡ª!

    BOOM¡ª!

    A flash of light so dazzling that it could blind one''s eyes exploded violently, accompanied by the tearing noise of the space itself. However, both the noise and the flash of light came from a totally different place than Su-hyeun''s aim.

    Pazzzik, crackle¡ª

    A lightning rod created by Fafnir had sucked up the Thunderbolt, extinguishing it completely.

    "Unless it''s the Thunder Dragon, it''s all useless, is that it?"

    Right now, Su-hyeun couldn''t create a gigantic Thunder Dragon like how Zeus had done.

    The combined power might be stronger, but compared to Zeus, who had been wielding lightning for hundreds of millions of years, Su-hyeun''s own proficiency was nowhere even close.

    Thankfully, acquiring the Godhood of Sky enhanced his ability to wield thunder and lightning. Still, using the Thunder Dragon several times in a row proved to be too much of a burden for him.

    If that was the case...

    "Should I use that?"

    Su-hyeun made up his mind just then. His hand pointed to the ground below.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s energy traveled along the ground to spread out everywhere.

    When that happened...

    Shu-ruru¡ª

    Fafnir, still using the invisibility spell to hide, abruptly revealed himself.

    "What?" Fafnir''s was evidently puzzled.

    Despite casting magic without any issues until now, he began raising his staff in a stiff, unnatural manner.

    The flow of magic itself was creaky and coarse. His body was getting as heavy as a lump of lead, and even his sense of balance was gradually crumbling away.

    "What...did you do?!"

    "It''s nothing special, really."

    Su-hyeun was also clenching and unfurling his hand, his movement clearly unnatural and seemingly restricted.

    And right at that moment...

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The ground''s color changed.

    The moon''s surface was instantly enveloped in black flames, and the choking heat began cooking the land.

    "Just that..."

    [Six Paths - Path to Hell]

    "I want us to die together."

 Chapter 464 - 464

    * * *

    Rumble, fruuuuuush¡ª!

    The ranging flames turned the place into a furnace.

    The color of these flames was far removed from the purple hue of Su-hyeun''s own divine Flame. They were hotter than any known flames sporting every other imaginable hue. They burned in an ominous, pitch-black color, the mixture of all the colors.

    This was the Path to Hell. Among the "Six Worlds" of the Six Paths, this place was where the ones with the gravest sins would eventually end up after their death.

    Not only that, but the "Path to Hell" summoned on the Moon, with both Su-hyeun and Fafnir on it, was a part of "Hot Naraka," also referred to as Eight Burning Hells.

    Fafnir tried to kill the flames burning his body with his staff, but the flames didn''t want to die at all. That was because these flames were the type to never die for all eternity.

    Hiss, sizzle¡ª

    The unavoidable flames began burning Fafnir down. However, it was the same story for Su-hyeun.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Hiss...

    A small amount of flame landed on Su-hyeun''s body. Although hot, it wasn''t intolerable. Compared to all those flames burning Fafnir down, this was nothing at all.

    "When you said you want us to die together, is this what you meant? Going to Hell together?"

    "Not exactly."

    Step¡ª

    Sizzle¡ª

    When Su-hyeun took a step forward, the black flames undulated and wavered for a moment.

    These flames might have been hotter than any other known flames, but when he took a step, they abruptly parted to the left and right. It was as if the flames themselves were trying to avoid him.

    "What is the meaning of¡ª?!"

    Grab¡ª

    Fafnir witnessed that scene and tried to leap, but the flames persistently coiled around him and yanked him back down to the ground. However, if that was all, the Predator wouldn''t have staggered unsteadily in the first place.

    Heavy!

    His feet didn''t want to leave the ground. Fafnir looked down and discovered black hands writhing and wiggling about to firmly grab hold of his feet.

    "The Path to Hell, also known as Narakagati, is a space that looks at all the sins you''ve committed, like the crimes of murder, as well as all the good deeds you might have performed. Then, it sentences you with an appropriate penalty," Su-hyeun spoke while staring at those black hands grabbing onto Fafnir''s feet. "You see, those hands belonged to all those people you have killed so far."

    Indeed, the Path to Hell, or Narakagati, was where your sins were tallied up.

    Normally, it existed as one of the netherworlds where you would have to go to endure great pain before you were allowed to reincarnate into the next life.

    However, summoning the Path to Hell in this manner would noticeably change its utility.

    "It''s hard to move around, isn''t it?"

    All the murder he had committed was tying Fafnir down, his whole body now being crushed down to the ground. His shoulders were pushed down from all the weight of the sins he had committed.

    Due to Fafnir''s sins, the flames burning within the Path to Hell grew even hotter and more vicious.

    Of course, even Su-hyeun wasn''t entirely free from sins. It didn''t matter who it was; a living person would inevitably commit sins of various nature as they lived, after all.

    For instance, Su-hyeun had caused harm to many people and even killed many as well, regardless of what his reasons were.

    On the flip side, though, he had also saved countless lives. As such, he was able to escape the effects of the Path to Hell.

    "You think an attack on this level will immobilize me completely?"

    "No, of course not."

    No matter how powerful the Path to Hell''s influence was, and no matter how grave all the sins Fafnir had committed up until now, they were simply not enough to restrict him completely.

    However, Su-hyeun''s intention was never about confining Fafnir using the Path to Hell to begin with.

    "The thing is, though, this will potentially give me the advantage."

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzik¡ª

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Lightning bolts crashed down all around Su-hyeun, and then, every single one of them transformed into lengthy Thunder Dragons.

    Their sizes were far smaller than the Thunder Dragons he created earlier. However, Fafnir''s brows still shot up far higher than before.

    Khya-aaaah¡ª!

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzz¡ª!

    At first, there were dozens, but now, there were hundreds of Thunder Dragons. Their sizes were smaller, but their numbers were far greater now. A few of the comparatively bigger Thunder Dragons coiled around Su-hyeun''s figure, while the rest roamed freely above in the sky to brightly illuminate the Path to Hell.

    Every single one of them contained souls of dragons, thanks to the effect of the Cintamani.

    "Well, then, do your best to dodge."

    Su-hyeun raised his hand. When he did that, the glares of all those dragons that were aimlessly wandering around until then suddenly focused on one spot.

    The moment his hand came down...

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    The explosive thunderclaps resounded within the Path to Hell without pause.

    * * *

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Splat¡ª!

    A Ruyi Jingu Bang extended to shove aside the sternum of a Predator. At the same time, another clone of Sun Wukong swung his Ruyi Jingu Bang to utterly crush the head of a different Predator.

    Staaab¡ª!

    A Predator thrust its hand forward and stabbed Sun Wukong''s chest from behind.

    Poof¡ª!

    The clone vanished in that very instant.

    "Peekaboo!"

    Splaaaat¡ª!

    Sun Wukong swung his Ruyi Jingu Bang and smashed the head of the Predator responsible for eliminating the clone.

    The head was ripped clean off from its torso by that stupendous impact force. Sun Wukong pulled his polearm back then jumped up high.

    Spiiiin¡ª

    Land¡ª

    He lightly landed on a giantified Ruyi Jingu Bang belonging to one of his clones. He peered down the side and watched his clones continuously fight against all those Predators.

    "Man, this is literally endless," Sun Wukong muttered and softly tutted.

    The number of Predators still flooding out from the doorway connected to the Dark Realm was far higher than Sun Wukong initially bargained for.

    No matter how many he killed, more still popped out of there, so it kind of felt like he was going around in circles at the moment.

    "First Brother, aren''t you going to seriously fight?"

    "But I am fighting, am I not?" the Bull Demon King nonchalantly replied as he slapped away a Predator that pounced on him.

    Smash¡ª!

    The Predator, swatted like some annoying fly, ended up as a bloody chunk of meat and crashed down to the ocean below.

    Sun Wukong pouted at the Bull Demon King''s nonsensical level of destructive power and replied testily, "But you don''t look like you are too eager to fight, you know?"

    "How can I, as your dear brother, steal away what makes you happy?"

    "Well, uh, I guess that''s true," Sun Wukong scratched his head and muttered helplessly.

    He did feel a bit short on power at the moment, but even so, he was having a good time right now. All those feelings he experienced back when he was still called the "Victorious Fighting Buddha" came back to life bit by bit.

    Of course, Sun Wukong''s question wasn''t about getting help from the Bull Demon King in the first place.

    "In that case, why did you follow me all the way here, First Brother?"

    If the Bull Demon King wasn''t even thinking of fighting properly, why was he so eager to join earlier?

    He was someone who had discarded his emotions as his ascension loomed, causing him to become rather detached, for the lack of a better word.

    Although he did display a hint of interest when the Last Brother, Su-hyeun, joined the siblings, today would be his first time in tens of thousands of years to be so eager about something.

    The Bull Demon King replied, "It''s all to set up a stage."

    "A stage?" Sun Wukong scratched his head as if he was confused, then he came to an abrupt halt, "Wait, could it be that you wanted our little brother to fight that crocodile-head bastard?"

    "It''s not a crocodile but a dragon''s head. If I''m being pedantic, then he''s a human who devoured a dragon''s heart and transformed to his current state, but yes, that''s him."

    "In any case, did you come here so that our little bro can have a go at that punk?"

    The Bull Demon King heard Sun Wukong''s question and smiled faintly.

    They had lived for who knows how long together, so of course, Sun Wukong instantly recognized what that smile implied. Even before Sun Wukong heard a verbal answer, he began frowning deeply, "Just what are you planning, First Brother?"

    "What do you think?"

    "I can never tell what''s inside your head, you know?" Sun Wukong spat out a long groan, "Just how far did your ''eyes'' see?"

    Sun Wukong learned about something quite important only recently.

    It was about "Insight," the "eyes" that allowed one to see through the truth of the world and, more than that, to peer into the future and past, as well as some things that should not be visible to one''s eyes.

    The Bull Demon King had been polishing his Insight through the Sage Arts for a very long time. According to what Master Subhuti said, the Yogoe''s Insight had already surpassed the level of the Five Godly Sages by now.

    Meaning, the Bull Demon King had constantly been "looking" at something that Sun Wukong could not see. And he would frequently avoid talking about most of what he saw.

    "What I saw was the past of our little brother."

    "Sorry?"

    The Bull Demon King said something as he watched the clones noisily fight down below. Sun Wukong, who had been getting ready to rejoin the melee, turned around to stare at his First Brother.

    The Bull Demon King raised his head to look at the skies and continued to speak, "His connection to the giant he''s fighting up there runs quite deep, as it turned out. Rather than a good connection, though, it can only be called a terrible one. Regardless of what, this connection needs to be severed by our little brother alone."

    "Is that really the only reason?" Sun Wukong questioned the intention of the Bull Demon King.

    The Bull Demon King thought that he had provided an adequate-enough answer until then. However, his content grin changed to a bitter one after he heard the question. "Maybe," he answered.

    "Tsk. Give me a break," Sun Wukong tutted greatly in frustration and spun around to leave.

    As he flew down, a golden light suddenly glowed from just above his forehead as a certain golden fillet revealed itself.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    This was the device created by Master Subhuti to prevent Sun Wukong from going berserk.

    Since it revealed itself out in the open, it could only mean that Sun Wukong''s reasoning had become paralyzed, and the device''s power to suppress his violent nature had to be strengthened.

    However...

    "Now listen well, Wukong. You have one hour. Past that, you will enter the berserk state once more."

    That was Master Subhuti''s request and advice.

    Smirk¡ª

    Sun Wukong recalled those words and smirked deeply.

    There certainly had been a noticeable improvement from following what Buddha said about not killing or going violent. Despite deliberately weakening the golden fillet''s sealing, not only did he not lose his rationale, but power began filling him up.

    "So, one hour, eh?"

    Whoosh¡ª

    He viciously swung around the Ruyi Jingu Bang in his grip.

    Splat¡ª!

    The bodies of several Predators were crushed flat, and the terrain pointed at by the end of his polearm caved in deeply.

    Sun Wukong sensed the satisfying feeling of power transmitted through his hands gripping the Ruyi Jingu Bang, then muttered in deep satisfaction, "That will be more than enough."

    * * *

    Kkyaaaaah¡ª!

    A Thunder Dragon''s open maw tried to swallow up Fafnir''s head from above. The scorching electrical current collided against the purple-hued energy gushing out from his staff next.

    Fafnir succeeded in defending against that Thunder Dragon, but he was given no time to catch his breath as he had to spin his head in another direction.

    Chomp¡ª!

    Pazzzzzik¡ª!

    Yet another Thunder Dragon bit down hard on Fafnir''s extended arm. Almost at the same time, two other Thunder Dragons pounced on him one after the other.

    Crunch, chomp¡ª

    Vzzzzzzik¡ª!

    The scorching-hot electricity of the Thunder Dragons traveled through Fafnir''s bitten arm and legs. Unlike other types of "lightning energy," these Thunder Dragons contained souls of dragons and were not affected too much by the lightning rods.

    As such, Fafnir had to come up with another method to respond to them.

    Crack, split, crack...

    Fafnir''s hide began splitting apart from where the Thunder Dragons had bitten him. He didn''t seem to care about his limbs being chomped on by the lightning dragons and continued to swing his staff around.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    At the same time, black energy rose from all around him to swallow up four Thunder Dragons.

    Tumble, crumble¡ª

    Fafnir''s cracked hide split apart and tumbled to the ground. It was none other than a set of improvised armor possessing the characteristics of thick rubber.

    "Even this is not a sustainable method, it seems."

    Since he couldn''t redirect the flow of the lightning energy, he chose to outfit himself with the type of armor that could cancel out the Thunder Dragon''s attacks as much as possible.

    Of course, the armor created on the fly couldn''t completely protect him. He felt the subtle numbing sensation spreading all over his limbs and raised his head.

    "Was this all to buy yourself some time?"

    Pazzzik, vzzzzik¡ª

    Kkyaaaaah¡ª!

    Countless Thunder Dragons were still flying around in the skies of the Moon. Their numbers had doubled compared to the beginning.

    Fafnir instinctively understood something after witnessing this scene.

    "So, then, this will be your last hurrah?"

    Creating that many Thunder Dragons would not be an easy task, even if you were a high-tier god. Indeed, even one of the Five Godly Sages would not be able to freely unleash a technique of this caliber.

    While Fafnir was dealing with four Thunder Dragons, Su-hyeun was getting ready to activate his "last" technique, it seemed.

    Shu-shu-shu-shu...

    The black energy current rose up all around Fafnir''s surroundings and began coalescing in one spot. With him in the center, a massive magic circle taking up at least half of the Moon''s surface was generated.

    The black energy current finished coalescing, and a pitch-black dragon raised its head up from the magic circle. It screeched out an ear-piercing white noise and began flying up.

    And at the exact same time, hundreds of Thunder Dragons rained down like a thunderstorm.

    [Rain of Thunder Dragons]

    [Doomsday]

    The moment the Thunder Dragons and the black dragon collided...

    FLASH¡ª!

    For a moment there, the entirety of the Moon glowed brightly and began emitting a bright light as powerful as the sun itself.

 Chapter 465 - 465

    * * *

    Ku-gu, gugugu¡ª

    The Moon''s shape transformed into a crescent. Other than some portions of the terrain, most of it was had been erased out of existence.

    Pazzik, pazzzzik¡ª

    Shu-shushushu...

    Electricity and black energy current continued to buzz and dance around what remained of the Moon.

    And in the center of it all was a pair¡ªa man and a giant¡ªbarely standing up.

    Stagger¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s figure stood unsteadily.

    Half of his torso had melted down while blackened blood leaked out from the corner of his lips. He tried to strengthen his legs to prevent himself from falling to the ground, but even so, it still felt as if he would still collapse if he relaxed just a little bit.

    Cough!

    His innards tumbled about, and in the end, he vomited even more dead blood.

    His magical energy reserve was empty, and only a tiny little amount of prana left in his tank was barely holding his lifeline together.

    His trembling hand managed to stab the sword on the ground so that he could prop himself up, delaying his inevitable collapse for the time being.

    Afterward, Su-hyeun slowly raised his head.

    Step¡ª

    Fafnir took a step forward.

    Other than the part of the staff he was gripping, the rest of it had been vaporized. The same applied to half of his face.

    The left part of his head, including his eye, was completely gone, blood continuously dripping from there. Even so, Fafnir continued to advance, one step at a time.

    "He''s...still alive?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun yanked the sword from the ground. He was thinking of cutting Fafnir''s head off for good somehow.

    But then...

    Stagger¡ª

    "Huh?"

    As soon as he pulled the sword out, his knees buckled, and he faltered to the ground. He had no choice but to stab the sword down again. Without propping himself up against the sword, he found it too difficult to even stand up still.

    Step¡ª

    In the meantime, Fafnir continued to advance. The distance between them gradually narrowed.

    "Dammit."

    He tried to desperately rouse up any remaining magical energy, but his whole reserve was utterly empty¡ªsqueezed dry. It was the same story for the World Tree''s energy.

    The only remaining energy was his truly minute level of prana, so small and faint that it was barely detectable.

    "If I use this..."

    He would definitely die.

    Prana, the energy, was the same as the life force of a living being. If it was running dangerously close to being empty, then it meant Su-hyeun''s own life force had been depleted by that much, too.

    Judging from the grievous injury on his torso, it didn''t take a genius to figure out what would happen if he squeezed out his remaining prana.

    "It can''t be helped, I guess."

    Even so, Su-hyeun still decided to use the remaining amount of his prana.

    The small quantity of prana circulated and spread around his body. His trembling legs regained some of their previous strength back.

    Enough strength had returned to him so that he could fight.

    But then, just as he prepared to move again...

    "Huh?"

    He sensed that something was strange. Fafnir, who was steadily approaching him, had stopped moving for some reason.

    "His steps have gotten slower?"

    The Predator hadn''t suddenly come to a standstill. From the moment he began walking toward Su-hyeun, Fafnir''s steps were gradually slowing down.

    And right now, he had come to a complete standstill.

    Su-hyeun chuckled hollowly, "Hah..."

    All tension abandoned him just then, and he let out a long sigh.

    Plop¡ª

    His body, initially re-energized by rousing up what little remained of his prana, suddenly became as heavy as soaked cotton. He didn''t even have enough strength to hold onto his sword.

    He kissed the ground with his butt and settled down there completely.

    Fafnir, who had managed to get within 10 paces of Su-hyeun, was no longer getting closer. He was a giant of nearly eight meters tall, so such a distance would''ve been covered with one or two extra steps, yet the Predator didn''t even move an inch.

    Su-hyeun silently stared at Fafnir for a while, then said something in a hushed whisper, "It''s... over."

    He was dead.

    Fafnir was dead.

    Countless thoughts brushed past Su-hyeun''s head just then¡ªfrom the memories of the first purple dungeon''s appearance, one where Fafnir showed up from, to the battle against a monster where his own strength seemed not quite enough, to even the intense loneliness he had to suffer from as he became the only one alive in the world about to meet its annihilation.

    So many thoughts and memories of past situations brushed past him like a panorama. Su-hyeun laid down on the ground spread-eagled.

    Even keeping up with his thoughts was getting tiresome. He was too exhausted both physically and mentally to think and feel.

    There was only one thing he could think about and mutter in the open, "It''s finally over..."

    Lying on the ground, Su-hyeun slowly closed his eyes.

    And then...

    Snore¡ª

    He fell into a deep, deep slumber.

    * * *

    It had been a really long time since he had slept without worries and without being vigilant of his surroundings.

    Su-hyeun had always been aware when he was "sleeping." Therefore, rather than calling it "sleeping," it was more correct to say he was only half asleep.

    In any case, this restful slumber was a long time coming.

    Unfortunately, though, it didn''t take too long for his slumber to be disturbed.

    "Why is he working so hard for that kind of world?"

    "Yeah, I wonder about that myself."

    "I wiped out the world I lived in with my own hands."

    "Yeah, it''s the same for me."

    "It''s all because his experience with his world has been too frivolous and soft-hearted. To think that the last version of me would use the one and only chance to regress in this manner..."

    The increasing chatter caused Su-hyeun to furrow his brow deeply.

    His eyes were still closed, so he couldn''t see anything. It felt like he was floating aimlessly in outer space without stars to guide him.

    The voices continued.

    "Doesn''t matter what you do, you can''t delay the inevitable Armageddon."

    "Didn''t he already see it? How desolate and lonely it is to be the only one left standing."

    "Whether you''re a hero or a villain, being a part of a world is the only way to give your existence a meaning, after all."

    "I don''t get it. Just what does it take for someone to grow desensitized to the deaths of other people?"

    Su-hyeun also heard opposing voices. This conversation sounded as if it was between those who agreed with Su-hyeun''s actions and those who didn''t.

    The loud conversation continued for some time. Su-hyeun wanted to tell them to quiet down so that he could get some sleep, but he couldn''t think of a way to voice his unhappiness.

    "Let me sleep, will you?" he thought.

    In the end, he got royally irritated in his mind and ended up yelling angrily. Rather unsurprisingly, though, his inner voice didn''t reach the owners of those voices.

    The one they were yapping about didn''t want to think about anything due to his exhaustion, yet they went on and on regarding his actions.

    One side argued that he did something unnecessary. In contrast, the other side opined that what he did was par for the course, something completely necessary.

    And as they chatted away, though, a familiar voice could be heard within their arguing.

    "Well, it doesn''t really matter either way."

    Su-hyeun''s attention naturally focused on that voice.

    "Whatever the end result is, ''we'' will be the one to pass the final judgment."

    That voice belonged to one of Su-hyeun''s past lives, Cheon Mu-jin.

    * * *

    Huff¡ª!

    Su-hyeun hurriedly sat up breathlessly as if he had been holding his breath for a long while.

    His body still felt as heavy as a lump of lead, but at the very least, his mind didn''t feel too tired to think, thanks to getting a bit of rest.

    Still, he felt dazed and numb for a moment. Without focus in his eyes, he found himself sitting on the ground.

    "What...the hell was that?"

    Was it a dream? But for a dream, it was far too vivid. Also, the last voice he heard belonged to Cheon Mu-jin. He was sure about that.

    In his past life as Cheon Mu-jin, an existence referred to as the evil phantom¡ªthe heavenly demon¡ªdrove his world to destruction. Su-hyeun clearly recalled that man''s life. That was how he recognized the voice immediately.

    What a weird conversation they were having, though. Just why were those beings discussing the right and wrong sides of Su-hyeun''s actions among themselves?

    But that wasn''t the only thing that bothered him.

    "He said ''we,'' didn''t he?"

    During the last exchange, Cheon Mu-jin definitely said "we."

    The "we" obviously referred to the owners of the voices arguing just then. But more than that, Su-hyeun instinctively felt that he too was included in that "we" they were talking about.

    The reason for that was simple enough.

    "...My past lives."

    Slap¡ª

    Su-hyeun face-palmed himself.

    It wasn''t as if all of the past memories had returned to him.

    Through one of the abilities of the Six Paths, he had "awakened" his past lives, allowing him to acquire their memories and experiences.

    However, he still hadn''t awakened every single one of his past lives. As a matter of fact, he had a feeling that the lives he had awakened so far were nothing more than a tiny sliver of the long history of the universe.

    The voices just then belonged to Su-hyeun''s past lives, which could only mean one thing.

    "Cheon Mu-jin wasn''t the only one, huh?"

    From Su-hyeun''s perspective, Cheon Mu-jin was easily the worst villain bar none. Compared to him, even someone like Hwang Jun-peong, the guild master of the Dump Guild, which was a gathering of bloodthirsty murderers, came across as a relatively nice guy.

    Cheon Mu-jin resented his world, and through his own strength, he led that world to destruction. Unfortunately, he wasn''t the only one out of Su-hyeun''s past lives to think the same as him.

    Thankfully, though, Su-hyeun wasn''t bothered at all about his past lives. Whatever the case might have been, their lives were already finished. They were "past," and the current him had already drawn a clear line to denote that he was different from them.

    Maybe that was why he came to realize only one thing through this "dream" event.

    "Wow. If the Path to Hell''s effect was also influenced by the past lives, then it would''ve been terrible for me."

    Even if several of his past lives were similar to Cheon Mu-jin''s, he also lived several other past lives similar to his current.

    "I am me," Su-hyeun told himself one more time, then tried to get up from the ground.

    This happened just then.

    Lick¡ª

    A wet tongue licked him from above his head, leaving behind hot and sticky saliva. He looked behind him to discover a colossal dragon sitting on the ground, its wings neatly folded away.

    "Miru?"

    Grrrr¡ª

    The huge red dragon that had almost reached adulthood after its "puberty" stage ended was indeed Miru.

    It was at this point that Su-hyeun discovered Miru''s saliva soaking his whole body. He hadn''t been aware of it during his "slumber," but it seemed that Miru had been licking him constantly while he was unconscious.

    "My injuries...they are almost all fully healed."

    The grievous wound Fafnir had inflicted on him had healed up nicely. Su-hyeun figured it would at least leave behind a scar, but his skin was so blemish-free that he even briefly wondered if he got injured in the first place.

    He realized that this was all thanks to Miru''s recovery ability, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly, "Thanks, Miru."

    Gya-rrrrr¡ª

    Even though Miru was an adult now, its growl didn''t sound that much different. Sure, it might have gotten a bit deeper, but its "gya-ong" remained the same as back then when it was still a newborn.

    Su-hyeun patted Miru''s head a couple of times, then got back up to his feet. He walked over to Fafnir''s corpse next.

    "It''s not completely over, now is it?"

    In the beginning, he believed that everything would be over after he defeated Fafnir. He thought that when he stopped Armageddon, things would get back to how they were.

    But with time, he learned that it wouldn''t be the case. He realized how narrow and shallow his worldview was and how difficult the job of protecting his world actually was, which turned out to be well beyond the scope of his imagination.

    For that purpose, Su-hyeun still required even greater power.

    Step¡ª

    Fafnir, who had died standing up, didn''t even move an inch from the spot.

    "From now on..."

    [You are activating the "Necromancer" trait.]

    [By using "Death Aura," you can either see or command the dead.]

    Shu-shushu...

    Death Aura began leaking out from the tip of his hand.

    "Become my slave."

    And right at that moment...!

    Sha-aaaaah¡ª

    The crimson aura leaking out from Fafnir''s corpse suddenly flowed over to Su-hyeun and began surrounding him like a halo.

    "Huh?"

    Su-hyeun flinched at this unexpected response. He planned to use the Necromancer''s special ability to turn Fafnir into one of his summoned creatures. Still, this reaction was completely out of his expectation.

    Shu-aaaaaah¡ª!

    And so, the crimson aura escaping from Fafnir''s corpse began seeping into Su-hyeun''s body. It all happened so quickly that he couldn''t even put up any meaningful resistance.

    Right afterward...

    [You are now acquiring "Dragon Blood."]

    [You have acquired "Predation."]

    One after another, two messages popped up in his view.

 Chapter 466 - 466

    * * *

    Wiggle, wiggle...

    The crimson current wrapped around Su-hyeun''s body and gradually got absorbed into him.

    At first, he got flustered and even felt some repulsion, but that state didn''t last for long.

    Su-hyeun confirmed that this crimson energy current wasn''t trying to harm him. Even the system said so, and the sense of fullness welling up from deep inside his body gave him the confidence to believe it as well.

    "It said, I''m now acquiring it, didn''t it?"

    The system would never lie. This fact was something Su-hyeun had continuously confirmed starting from his past life to this one.

    And the message from the system said that he didn''t "acquire" it, but he was now acquiring it. The difference there was subtle; it meant that he hadn''t yet acquired this ability, whatever it was.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    When his sense of repulsion was gone, the crimson energy current seeped into him at an even faster rate. His heart was pounding heavily, and it felt like his blood flow was going backward. Even then, he didn''t reject it.

    Su-hyeun had definitely witnessed something quite similar to this. "Fafnir also did something similar with the heart of that black dragon, didn''t he?"

    Bradley, the original name of Fafnir, was an emperor who ruled over the world. To satisfy his desire for absolute dominion, he craved even greater power. In the end, he sacrificed countless knights to lure a dragon from another dimension. He then dug out that black dragon''s heart to bathe himself in the draconic blood.

    What was happening right now seemed to be the same process as that one. However, Su-hyeun had nothing to be afraid of if he wanted even greater power himself.

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The crimson energy current clearly visible to him gradually grew thinner. Since the current circling him had vanished, it could only mean that most of the energy had been absorbed into his body now.

    Sure enough...

    [You have acquired Dragon Blood.]

    [All stats have risen by two points.]

    [Magical Energy has risen by two points.]

    [You have acquired Demonic Aura.]

    [Your Demonic Aura has risen by 50 points.]

    Those messages sure perked him up.

    While basking in the sense of fullness within his body, Su-hyeun spent some time familiarizing himself with his new power level by doing things like clenching and unfurling his fists.

    His body, which previously felt heavy like a lump of lead, was now as light as a single feather. As a matter of fact, he even felt refreshed, as if he had shed a thick layer of extra skin.

    "Demonic Aura, hmm?"

    Besides the upgrades to his regular stats, he also acquired something new.

    Since its name ended with "aura," it seemed to be some type of special energy, just like Death Aura or even prana.

    This must have been the weird and disparate energy emitted by Fafnir that Su-hyeun had sensed.

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic Count: 119(+5)]

    [Magic Level: 11]

    [Strength: 109(+5)]

    [Agility: 108(+5)]

    [Stamina: 107(+5)]

    [Reflex: 107(+5)]

    [Death Aura: 107(+5)]

    [Demonic Aura: 55(+5)]

    ....

    [Fatigue: 0]

    [God Titles: Hero, Combat]

    [Titles: Hero, Taoist God]

    A new stat boasting a starting value of 55 had been generated.

    Compared to all the other stats, this one''s numerical value was nothing to write home about. Also, compared to the Pacific Ocean¨Clike depths and scale of his magical energy reserve or even Death Aura, this new energy reserve was like a tiny stream in a small valley.

    It didn''t seem that useful just yet. However, this stat should also experience a rapid improvement as he climbed the Tower even further.

    "Right, the real issue isn''t this one."

    First, the "Dragon Blood" and, then, "Predation"¡ªthese two new "skills" he had acquired were far more important to him.

    [Dragon Blood]

    * It is the blood of a dragon that has devoured countless monsters. Many types of blood have been mixed in it, refining it and strengthening it even further.

    * All Stats +2 points

    * Magical Energy +2 points

    * Possible to acquire Demonic Aura

    * Grants the skill, "Predation"

    * All physical, magical damage halved

    [Predation]

    * It is the ability to devour the powers and souls of the victims you''ve killed. It cannot be used if the Predation target is of a higher status than you when still alive. Proficiency determines the power you will potentially absorb.

    * Proficiency: 0.00%

    After confirming the effects of the latter skill, Su-hyeun ended up chuckling hollowly for a little while. He wouldn''t have been this surprised by some regular abilities. Despite being surprised, it also helped him to understand something else.

    "This Predation skill, it''s way too OP."

    Fafnir became strong really quickly after his regression, so quickly that it even seemed unnatural, too.

    Sure, Su-hyeun also had gotten strong incredibly quickly. Still, even by his own admission, his case was a special one. Not only was the system there to help him out, but he was also fortunate enough to experience several fortuitous encounters.

    What about Fafnir, then?

    As far as Su-hyeun knew, the system did not exist for the Predators. The only way for them to get stronger was to destroy many worlds and absorb the energy of the dying worlds.

    However, relying only on something like that would not make you strong as rapidly as Fafnir''s case. However, with this Predation skill, it made a lot more sense.

    "Unlike Gluttony that simply devours the physical body, absorbing the entirety of a being must be far more efficient."

    Fafnir was far stronger than even Su-hyeun had imagined¡ªso strong, in fact, it would have been impossible for him to win without summoning the Path to Hell.

    Squeeze¡ª

    But from this moment on...

    "This is my power now."

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist tightly, then raised his head up. Only then did he notice the wrecked state of the Moon.

    It seemed that from here on out, Earth would be deprived of the sight of the beautiful full Moon.

    "Mm..." In an instant, he started feeling a bit embarrassed about all of his previous grim determination. "What should I do about this now?"

    Su-hyeun mulled over his options for a moment, but nothing immediately came to his mind. While roughly scratching his head full of complicatedly tangled thoughts, he groaned at length.

    He then shifted his attention over to Miru, who was totally innocent in this case, "It can''t be helped, right? Don''t you agree?"

    Grrr¡ª?

    Miru tilted its head this way and that in evident confusion.

    Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders and then looked up, "What a view that is, don''t you think?"

    There it was, the beautiful blue planet in the distance.

    He was not conscious of it while trudging around on that planet''s surface, but now that he got to see it like this, he couldn''t help but realize how beautiful the world he called his home was.

    Su-hyeun began walking forward again, and just like that¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    His figure vanished from the spot.

    * * *

    Spiiiin¡ª

    Pow, bang, popopopow¡ª

    Ruyi Jingu Bang, extended to dozens of meters in length, spun around powerfully to pummel the bodies of several Predators. Their bones were crushed, while some heads were even sent flying.

    Sun Wukong lightly stepped on his polearm, then jumped up high, "Strike down¡ª!"

    Squeeze¡ª

    The moment he clenched his fist...

    "Thunderbolt!"

    Ka-ruuumble¡ª!

    Lightning viciously exploded within the clouds gathering from all directions, charring the figures of the Predators jet-black.

    Pah-sususu...

    Land¡ª

    Sun Wukong landed back on a version of Ruyi Jingu Bang belonging to one of his clones. He staggered a little just then, his breathing heavy and shallow.

    Fuu-aaaaah...

    There literally was no end in sight.

    He always believed that he would be perfectly fine even after fighting for three days and nights straight, but that was only when the situation was at a manageable level. To kill a Predator, which couldn''t be killed with weak attacks, to begin with, even Sun Wukong had to exert himself greatly.

    It was already almost one full day since the battle began. His stamina was gradually getting depleted now.

    "The golden fillet...Should I, like, one more time...?" A thought popped up in Sun Wukong''s mind, but he quickly shook his head, recalling Master Subhuti''s warning. "Dang it. I should''ve held myself back then."

    "And that''s the meaning of restraint, Wukong."

    Just as Sun Wukong muttered to himself with a teary face, he heard the Bull Demon King''s voice.

    He spun his head, and with a face full of dissatisfaction, which also included a deep pout, he slung his Ruyi Jingu Bang over his shoulder, "That''s why I asked you to help me out earlier, Big Brother."

    "It''s only been a day."

    "Aaargh, but this is getting really tough, you know?" Sun Wukong replied in an unconcerned voice, but he knew that the situation was definitely concerning.

    Even though Sun Wukong went on a rampage just now to clear out a group of Predators, new ones had shown up to fill up the vacant space.

    And this endless scene of Predators that kept reappearing no matter how many Sun Wukong had killed even made him feel that this fight was getting boring and just a bit beyond his capabilities.

    "I mean, really, would you look at these things? They keep crawling out, even though that''s not even a freaking anthill!"

    "I''m also busy."

    "All you''re doing is making sure no one escapes outside, so what could you possibly be so busy for?!"

    "Even if a single one escapes from here, countless humans will die."

    "Shouldn''t one be responsible for protecting their own neck?"

    "Our little brother will be sad."

    The Bull Demon King''s reply rendered Sun Wukong speechless for a moment there.

    A short while later, Sun Wukong said, "Urgh, give me a break," roughly scratching his head in irritation.

    He couldn''t think of something to say.

    "This kid, it''s been a day already, but he still hasn''t come back yet."

    The Bull Demon King laid out a stage so that Su-hyeun could fight against Fafnir. Sun Wukong believed that Su-hyeun would return unscathed, so he also willingly chose to act as a pawn, maybe a knight piece, on this stage.

    However, a problem had reared up, and that was with Su-hyeun still not returning yet. Since Fafnir hadn''t shown up too, it didn''t look like Su-hyeun lost either, at the very least.

    So, it had to be one of the two possibilities: either they were still fighting up there, or both of them had perished.

    If it was the former, that was a relief, but it was another story if it was the latter.

    "Dang it," Sun Wukong grumbled, "When we''re done here, I''m gonna smack him real good in the head. What kind of slave labor is this, anyway?"

    "If you can help it, please be gentle when you do."

    Whoosh¡ª

    Sun Wukong quickly turned his head. When he did...

    "Ahh?! What the heck?!"

    He got shocked out of his boots at a certain face that appeared right next to him and jumped up in a hurry.

    Su-hyeun stood next to him.

    "What''s this? When did you arrive?"

    "Just now, actually."

    "Eh? Just now?"

    "Yes."

    "Dude, you should''ve made a sound or something. I thought I''d die of a heart attack!" Sun Wukong patted his still-pounding chest.

    Despite all of his grumblings, he was inwardly relieved.

    Su-hyeun chuckled at Sun Wukong''s response. The latter might be complaining, but his third brother was one of the easiest people to read in the world as far as he was concerned.

    It was as if Sun Wukong''s inner thoughts were written in large letters on his face; his personality was completely the opposite of the unfathomable Bull Demon King, after all.

    "Looks like he was worried about me a lot," Su-hyeun realized.

    A layer of sweat covered Sun Wukong''s forehead. A Yogoe who fought against Erlang Shen for three days straight without getting tired was looking rather exhausted right now. That alone was enough for Su-hyeun to figure out how long he had been away.

    "Thank you for all your hard work, Third Brother."

    Ku-rururu¡ª!

    When Su-hyeun raised his hand, thick storm clouds immediately formed in the sky. "You can take a break now."

    Rumble, ka-boom¡ª!

    Kkyaaah¡ª!

    Along with the continuous thunderclaps, the screeching of dragons could also be heard reverberating up there.

    Sun Wukong looked up at the storm clouds and saw dozens of Thunder Dragons writhing and emerging from them.

    [Rain of Thunder Dragons]

    The moment he discovered them up there...!

    FLASH¡ª!

    The whole world became filled with a light for a brief moment.

    Kwa-zzziiiiik, rumble¡ª!

    Kkyaaaaaah¡ª!

    Arcs of lightning viciously whipped around while the dragons were howling loudly. Sun Wukong had to turn his head away and close his eyes at this blindingly brilliant light.

    A short while later, after the light died down...

    "Huh?"

    The Predators crossing over through the doorway connected to the Dark Realm had been vaporized without a trace.

    Sun Wukong made a dumbfounded face for a bit and then looked over to Su-hyeun. He had witnessed the skill called the Thunder Dragon before, but never in a million years did he think it would be this powerful.

    He asked, "Are you sure you just finished a bitter battle?"

    "I did blackout after the end of the battle, though. I got a good rest, thanks to that."

    "Even so, aren''t you, you know, too energetic?"

    "I''m your little brother, so this much is obvious," Su-hyeun replied playfully, and Sun Wukong could only shift his gaze away while rubbing his chin.

    The unleashed Thunder Dragons took care of a wave of Predators. However, the doorway connected to the Dark World still remained wide open.

    "How are we going to close that thing?"

    "No need to close it, actually."

    "Eh?" Sun Wukong made a confused face at that unexpected reply.

    Su-hyeun quickly explained himself, "We''ll just hop over to that side."

    Sun Wukong became utterly dazed at that.

    But then...

    Smirk¡ª

    An expression reflecting Sun Wukong''s excitement appeared on his face next, "You know, that sounds like it''ll be a ton of fun."

 Chapter 467 - 467

    * * *

    In the Dark Realm¡ªa world populated by Predators and, size-wise, a realm even larger than Hell itself¡ªunprecedented warfare was taking place.

    "Even if this is all to kill the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, this is a bit..." Baal, the last seat of the One Hundred Evils, muttered in disbelief at the unfolding situation.

    Only a few short years ago, a new king was crowned in the Dark Realm. That being grew strong at a blinding rate. Then, after devouring the previous ruler of the realm, Lucifer, he began lording over countless Predators with an iron fist of terror.

    The first goal of the new king was to hunt down a certain Yogoe, a creature said to be very close to in power level as the Five Godly Sages: the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven.

    That Yogoe was indeed a dangerous existence, so dangerous, in fact, that not even Lucifer dared to carelessly provoke that creature.

    As such, the new king decided to mobilize the entirety of the Dark Realm to hunt down the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven. Since he used to be an emperor back in his original world, the new king quickly restructured the army and came up with various battle strategies.

    It began with the first division, then the second, third...

    Eventually, hundreds of divisions were created.

    And now...

    Baal asked in disbelief again, "Are you sure they are all dead?!"

    All those monsters overflowing within the Dark Realm were meeting their gruesome demise right now.

    "Y¡ªyes. At the hands of the ones that crossed over to our realm through that doorway¡ª"

    "What? Are you telling me that the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven has personally come here?!"

    "N¡ªno, it''s not him. It''s his companion, the Great Sage Heaven''s Equal, plus one other god who started off as a human being. Only those two."

    "Two...individuals?" Baal narrowed his eyes.

    If it was the Great Sage Heaven''s Equal, he should be another Yogoe widely known as a sworn brother of the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven. Although his strength was nowhere near his older brother''s level, he was still rather infamous for being another pupil of Master Subhuti, who happened to be one of the Five Godly Sages.

    However, a god who used to be a human being? With that little information, Baal couldn''t immediately think up of anyone in particular.

    "Since he was brave enough to invade the Dark Realm along with the Great Sage Heaven''s Equal, he cannot be some ordinary..." It was at that part of his train of thought that Baal recalled a certain incident from not too long ago, "No, it can''t be?!"

    "What''s the matter, sir?"

    "Uranus."

    Baal was reminded of the Three Destroyers¡ªmonsters that were strong enough individually to threaten all the worlds and dimensions in the universe and were strong enough to even potentially devour the Five Godly Sages¨Ctier gods.

    These Three Destroyers were Shiva the Primordial God, Osiris the King of Hell, and finally, Uranus the Titan.

    The death of Uranus was the biggest topic of discussion among the ranks of the Predators recently. After all, this event was grave enough for the delicate balance between the Predators and gods to be tilted in one side''s favor.

    Those in the know probably knew all about it.

    "That god, he must be the one who killed Uranus."

    They knew that the one who killed Uranus happened to be another sworn brother of the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven.

    "A¡ªare you serious, sir?!"

    Baal growled in anger, "That stupid king of ours...!"

    It wasn''t just the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven they had to worry about now. Their new king ended up getting into a fight with a truly nonsensical existence.

    Their new king sounded like someone with a commendable ambition whenever he said he would devour the Three Destroyers sooner or later. But that eventuality should take place in the far-off future, or "later," if everything went well.

    Meaning, it wasn''t "right now," not by a long shot.

    "However, he only killed Uranus because he was with Zeus..."

    "Doesn''t matter either way. The fact that they are here means our king is dead."

    "W¡ªwhat should we do, then?"

    "What do you mean, what?" Baal turned around to leave, "It''s time to bounce, obviously."

    * * *

    Inside a massive palace...

    This structure, humongous enough to seem like a small city, was none other than the "home" of the master of this Dark Realm, Fafnir.

    Tens of thousands of the highest-ranked Predators resided here, and this place served as the heart of the Dark World''s governance, too.

    Whooooosh¡ª

    CRUNCH¡ª!

    Dashing forward, Su-hyeun grabbed a Predator''s head and mercilessly smashed it straight into a nearby wall.

    Not only was the palace incredibly huge, but its construction material also seemed to be rather absurdly tough. The wall didn''t break down, causing the Predator''s head to be thoroughly crushed to form a pool of blood.

    Shortly after that, countless Predators began pouring out from inside the palace.

    Unfortunately, they were coming down a lengthy passageway.

    "Get bigger¡ª!" Sun Wukong pointed his Ruyi Jingu Bang at that passageway, "Ruyi."

    KA-BOOOOM¡ª!

    Containing an astonishing amount of Dao energy, Ruyi Jingu Bang extended at a breakneck pace. The Predators'' bodies were instantly crushed while Su-hyeun stepped on the extended polearm to continue his advance.

    Pazzzzzik¡ª

    [Thunderbolt - Rain of Thunder]

    Large spears of lightning materialized above the skies of the palace. Hundreds of Thunderbolts answered Su-hyeun''s hand gesture to rain down to the ground.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Kwa-aaaaah¡ª!

    Struck by the Rain of Thunder, the palace lost over half of its structure in an instant, gone without a single trace. Sun Wukong nimbly dodged the Rain of Thunder and flew up high while riding on his Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    The altitude he reached was where large clouds had gathered.

    Poof, pow, popopow¡ª!

    Countless clones of Sun Wukong were then created above the clouds. There must have been well over several hundreds of them.

    Every single one of them assumed the same stance and began rapidly spinning their own versions of Ruyi Jingu Bangs.

    "Get bigger, Ruyi."

    "Get bigger, Ruyi."

    "Get bigger..."

    BANG, ka-booooom¡ª!

    Hundreds of Ruyi Jingu Bangs began wrecking and destroying many parts of the Dark Realm in the blink of an eye. Sun Wukong watched the polearms extending seemingly endlessly and muttered in clear excitement, "Man, this brings back some good memories."

    A really long time ago, Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King left the Heavenly World, the one ruled by the Jade Emperor, in utter destruction.

    His companion this time wasn''t the Bull Demon King but Su-hyeun. However, the feeling he got was still quite similar. No, wait, it felt even more fun this time, in all honesty.

    "What are you grinning about?"

    "Oh, this? Just, you know, because it''s fun."

    "Are you sure you don''t need to take a break, though?" Su-hyeun asked while looking at the drops of sweat trickling down Sun Wukong''s forehead.

    Sun Wukong wouldn''t sweat like this for some minor things, so this indicated how exhausted he must be feeling at the moment.

    Since Sun Wukong possessed the Godhood of Immortality, Su-hyeun didn''t have to worry about him dying. Still, this seemed a bit concerning.

    "It''s almost over anyway, right?"

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Sun Wukong looked up at the doorway floating in the skies, "Looks like it''s starting to close."

    That doorway connecting Earth to the Dark Realm was gradually narrowing.

    It seemed like the energy to sustain the doorway created by Fafnir was running out. Maybe something that maintained it had vanished or some such.

    Whatever the case might be, a significant quantity of energy was required to keep the doorway open.

    "It can''t be Fafnir since he crossed over to our side, so I''m guessing the punk responsible for maintaining the doorway has run away," said Su-hyeun.

    "Oh? So that dude''s name was Fafnir?"

    "Yes."

    "That''s a weird name. Well, whatever. Shouldn''t we quickly hop back home? I mean, it looks like it''s gonna close soon and all."

    Su-hyeun pondered for a bit after listening to Sun Wukong. Should they stay for a bit longer in the Dark Realm and try to decrease the number of Predators even more? Or should they just leave since the doorway was closing up?

    "In that case..."

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Death Aura began leaking out to Su-hyeun''s surroundings. When that happened, his summoned creatures began revealing themselves one by one from his outstretched shadow.

    First, Gluttony, then Prince Nezha, Kali, and finally, Gyges.

    These summoned creatures, Gyges with its huge body and the three others, were easily the strongest combat force in Su-hyeun''s arsenal.

    His Death Aura reserve that had emptied out had been refilled to some degree during the past day or so.

    "Rampage to your hearts'' content, then come back."

    The moment Su-hyeun issued his order...

    "It''s foooood!"

    Clack¡ª

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    Wuuuong¡ª

    Gluttony dashed out with a huge smile on its face, while Prince Nezha went down on one knee. Kali''s figure transformed into a stream of blood before disappearing from view, and Gyges''s heavy body began trudging forward.

    All four summons began making their move. Each one of them now possessed greater strength than most of the One Hundred Evils. These four should be enough to deal with most of the remaining Predators here.

    "We can go now," Su-hyeun smirked deeply and placed his hand on Sun Wukong''s shoulder. "Let''s go and drink some booze, shall we?"

    * * *

    The doorway connected to the Dark Realm closed up not too long afterward.

    Su-hyeun confirmed that his connection to the summons had been severed. That was the surest proof of the doorway closing up for good.

    Besides that, many artificial dungeon outbreaks had been sorted out to some degree as well. It was all thanks to Sun Wukong''s help.

    "This thing called the Cloning Technique, it''s seriously convenient, isn''t it?" Lee Ju-ho asked while delivering cups of coffee to Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King.

    This would be Sun Wukong''s first time seeing coffee, so he sniffed its scent for a little bit and replied, "Well, yeah, I guess."

    His reply was as nonchalant as it could get. However, he ended up furrowing his brow deeply after taking only a single sip of the coffee. It tasted far more bitter than he had been expecting.

    He put the cup down and got up from his spot to wander around the office. He then shifted his gaze outside the window and took in the sight of the sprawling city below.

    When nicely put, he seemed innocent and air-headed, but when not so nicely put, he seemed a bit scatter-brained.

    Su-hyeun tugged at Sun Wukong''s clothes to say the latter should settle down. He then asked Lee Ju-ho, "Have you located the whereabouts of Johnny Brad?"

    "After he disappeared, it has become near-impossible to find him again. Since he''s the holder of the greatest illusion-type skill, it''s not surprising that we can''t find him."

    Johnny Brad was definitely connected to this event in some capacity. Gordon Rohan himself came out and said it, so it had to be true.

    "But even so, the connection is a bit uncertain, you know what I mean?" Lee Ju-ho picked up a pen with his free hand, his other hand lifting up his own coffee cup. He scribbled some drawings on a piece of paper, then drew lines over them next. "It''s not like he was after money. But we also can''t say with absolute certainty that he was siding with Fafnir either. His goal is unclear, his intentions obtuse."

    Question marks were scribbled on the paper next.

    "I just can''t figure it out."

    "You mean his goal?"

    "Yeah, that. The end goal, the means, and the opportunity...From our perspective, Johnny Brad lacks two of those things. Not only that, even his birth or background is unclear, too...At this point, I''m beginning to suspect that he''s an extraterrestrial entity or something."

    Lee Ju-ho seemed to be most perturbed by Johnny Brad.

    A man who suddenly appeared only to vanish just as suddenly. On top of that, he was also the most suspicious individual involved in this Fafnir incident.

    Su-hyeun was also quite bothered about this matter.

    He frowned a little and sank deep into his thoughts, but then, Sun Wukong climbed down from the window sill to address him, "What are you racking your brain for again?"

    "Third Brother, the thing is..."

    "You can ponder it later. Don''t we have something more urgent to do first?"

    When Sun Wukong asked that, the Bull Demon King nodded sagely as well, "Indeed. Resting every now and then is a necessity."

    Lee Ju-ho chimed in, "I totally agree. I''ll give you a call once we find Johnny Brad''s trail, so you should go and get some rest."

    All three of them were in agreement.

    Su-hyeun sighed softly. It did feel like something bothersome still remained somewhere, but on the one hand, his heart was beginning to beat faster.

    "But not all of us are here, though?" Su-hyeun said.

    The more urgent thing, as mentioned by Sun Wukong, was for all the sworn brothers to share some booze together.

    Su-hyeun had been waiting for it for a long time.

    This would be a first for him to look forward eagerly to drinking some alcohol. Just by having his brothers together and sharing some booze while chatting away, he felt like he had everything he needed in this world.

    That was why his heart was beating faster. Now that his mind was set on it, he was getting more impatient.

    Sun Wukong replied, "Well, our Second Brother has been dang busy lately, you know. We might as well hop over to that side instead."

    "Now that I think about it..."

    "Yeah, he''s living among humans now. Even I was shocked at how he managed to stay so long with them."

    The Roc Demon King hated humans, but somewhat paradoxically, he deliberately chose to live among humans.

    In order for them to drink together, it seemed that they now had to go visit the Roc Demon King first.

    "This is good timing. Even if it''s not our Second Brother, there is someone else who''d like to speak to you," said the Bull Demon King.

    "Speak to me?" Su-hyeun asked back in confusion. But then, even before he heard the Bull Demon King''s reply, he was able to recall a certain name.

    The name he was thinking of asking Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King if he ever got a chance to run into them...

    "Could it be?"

    Sure enough, the Bull Demon King brought up that very name Su-hyeun was thinking about, "It''s Master Subhuti, the first Taoist God and the teacher of us three brothers."

 Chapter 468 - 468

    * * *

    The destruction of the Dark Realm was the second incident, after Uranus''s demise, to greatly shock the Predators who called themselves the "Outer Gods."

    And one particular god was involved in both of those incidents.

    "The God of Hero and Combat, hmm?" the handsome "man" with green hair, Osiris, muttered softly while grinning faintly.

    He was lying sideways on a spacious bed with his head propped up while popping green grapes in his mouth. Inside this palace lavishly stuffed with golden objects, he continued to swim within his thoughts, all the while constantly munching on various heavenly fruits.

    Many loyal subjects of his were kneeling in front of him, their heads deeply bowed.

    Osiris popped yet another green grape in his mouth. Then, while chewing, he muttered to no one in particular, "Although it was an expected result, it still happened this way, huh?"

    "My king, do you not think it was an unnecessary waste?"

    "What was?"

    "Losing the most powerful card you have been preparing for such a long time and also with such dedication, my king."

    Osiris shook his head at the question of his loyal retainer currently kneeling and bowing his head, "That card had already been taken out of my hands, anyway. It was not mine, to begin with, so its destruction wasn''t a waste for me."

    "It was taken out of your hands, my king?"

    "Yes. That punk grew too strong. He exceeded not just mine but even Shiva''s prediction. There''s only one way to deal with a variable that you can''t predict, and that is through another, even bigger variable."

    The retainer heard Osiris''s reply and stopped questioning his liege''s decision or being puzzled by it. He was nothing more than a loyal slave to his king, after all. His role was to become a puppet that acted according to Osiris''s commands.

    "And what about him? What was he like when you saw him from nearby?"

    "I''ve run into him a few times in the past, but he didn''t seem as impressive as you have indicated, my king. His growth was indeed rapid, but to me, it always seemed to be because of the ''system'' created by Subhuti."

    "Is that so?"

    "Yes, my king. However, there''s no doubting that he has now become one of the strongest beings, even among the high-ranking gods. Before he becomes an even bigger threat, perhaps nipping the bud now¡ª"

    Osiris shook his head at that recommendation, "No. No can do."

    "May I inquire as to why?"

    "He''s not on this side yet, you see."

    The retainer slightly raised his head at what Osiris said and made a confused face.

    However, Osiris didn''t look like he would resolve the confusion at all. Instead of a detailed explanation, he simply got up on his feet.

    He lightly tossed aside the fruit in his hand and walked up to the nearby window to take in the sight of the land beyond the palace. "Regardless of what''s happening, in the end, this universe still has entered its final phase."

    Gyah, gyaaaah¡ª!

    Aaaahk¡ª!

    Krrr, krrrrr¡ª

    All sorts of growls and screams were resounding.

    Beyond the window was an expanse of land that seemed to stretch on infinitely.

    This world, stained deeply by the eternal torment and filled with every known pain and anguish, was one of the Hells Osiris ruled.

    This world was so large that it was easily several dozen times larger than the Dark Realm.

    Osiris was the existence in command of the largest number of Predators in the universe.

    "And so, it''s about time we start making our move, too."

    Upon Osiris''s muttering, the retainer spoke on behalf of his colleagues, "We shall always obey you regardless of what."

    "That''s right. Ah, now that I think about it, I haven''t given you a new assignment, haven''t I?" Osiris turned around to look at the retainer. "Your old identity as Johnny Brad has run its course. You now have a different task to handle."

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    At those words, the retainer with bowed head, "Johnny Brad," looked up, the facade of his face cracking apart and falling to reveal a skull with no living flesh and skin. "I await your command, my king."

    "We shall now prepare for war against Asgard."

    "That means..."

    "It seems that I''ll have my long-delayed reunion with Odin soon."

    Odin was the god protecting Yggdrasil and the ruler of Asgard. Also, he was one of the Five Godly Sages and someone who had been fighting against the Predators the longest.

    Not to mention, he was Osiris''s long-time sworn enemy as well.

    "My king, are you planning to destroy Yggdrasil?"

    "It certainly has been a while since we began working on it, hasn''t it?"

    Yggdrasil¡ªa gargantuan tree that connected and propped up so many dimensions¡ªwas an existence that started its life just as the current universe was born.

    Suppose that the tree was destroyed, which happened to be supporting at least half of the entire universe. In that case, no one could possibly imagine just how many worlds out there would stop existing altogether.

    "I shall personally handle Odin. Your task in the meantime will be to locate Subhuti."

    "Do you desire the destruction of the system, my king?"

    "That system of his is rather troublesome. If you find him, employ whatever means possible to kill him and bring me his corpse. It does not matter how much combat force you decide to utilize. I shall overlook it."

    "Understood, my king."

    "Get on it right away." When Osiris issued that order, the figures of his retainers seemingly melted down before scattering away in black smoke.

    Every second was precious now.

    "Now, then," Osiris smiled in satisfaction at the quick response of his retainers and shifted his gaze back to the view from the window, "why don''t we start dragging the Five Godly Sages down one by one?"

    * * *

    Chirp, chirp¡ª

    Whoooosh¡ª

    The playful chirping of birds or the winds being broken apart by lush leaves always managed to perk up Su-hyeun''s mood.

    He followed the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong to return to the small house he stayed at during the 60th floor''s trial. He spent almost half a year under this roof, so the incoming rush of emotions packed quite a punch.

    "Don''t just stand there and come inside. Is it not our home?" the Bull Demon King addressed Su-hyeun, who was standing around awkwardly, before taking off his traditional shoes and stepping inside the house.

    Su-hyeun followed suit and carefully removed his shoes, then stepped inside as well. When they opened the door, thick layers of dust whipped up in the air, causing a choking, unpleasant smell to sting his nose.

    "It seems that we''ve left the house unattended for too long. Look at all this dust. Do try to understand since we haven''t been home in a while," said the Bull Demon King.

    "Ah, no, it''s fine. I understand."

    "Why don''t you rest for a little while? We won''t take long cleaning the house."

    "Let me help you."

    "No, you shouldn''t. We certainly can''t force our little brother to work when he''s come home after a long time away. Wukong¡ª!"

    Sun Wukong, who was already quite some distance away from the house and was walking hurriedly away, flinched grandly when the Bull Demon King called out his name.

    It seemed that he had predicted what might happen and was trying to make a quick getaway.

    "Ah, you see, big brother...I was, uh, trying to go and fetch Second Brother from¡ª"

    "Uncle should be meeting up with him right now. Besides, it''s not that urgent anyway, so there''s no rush."

    "I, uh, I need to go and procure booze too, so¡ª"

    "I''ve already prepared rare and precious alcohol. You don''t need to worry about it. Just come over here."

    Sun Wukong''s face became all teary at the Bull Demon King''s insistence. He seemed to be unable to come up with other excuses and trudged back to the house and helped out with cleaning its interior.

    Su-hyeun watched his two older brothers as they started "spring cleaning" and could only stand there uncomfortably, not knowing what he should do here.

    The Bull Demon King glanced at him and said, "If you head in that direction, you''ll find a village."

    "Hmm?"

    "Second Brother is there. You should go and find him."

    It seemed that he was concerned about Su-hyeun standing around uncomfortably like that.

    Since Su-hyeun also couldn''t just stand around watching the others busy themselves, he quickly agreed by bowing his head, "Okay. In that case, I''ll be right back."

    "Mm. Take your time."

    And so, Su-hyeun left behind the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong and began walking down the path through the forest.

    If it was any other time, he would be rushing to get to his destination. He abruptly realized that he hadn''t taken a relaxed stroll like this one in a long while.

    A room to breathe¡ªthat was a state he had forgotten about for a long time. He needed not only mental leeway but also physical time-off, but recently, it felt like he just couldn''t do so.

    "This is great," he thought to himself.

    These moments and his current feelings all felt like a part of a painting.

    To someone who had to rush around all the time, brief time-off like this would be the most special moment for them. The same applied to Su-hyeun, too.

    He began wondering if the Bull Demon King wanted to gift this precious moment to him, and that was why the Yogoe had him run a simple errand like this.

    After he strolled for a while...

    "Ah..."

    He could see a village in the distance, beyond the thickets of the forest. He felt a bit rueful, but this thought was quickly replaced by his happiness at the upcoming reunion.

    The Roc Demon King was the sibling that didn''t exactly enjoy the most cordial relationship with Su-hyeun. If one wanted to get technical about it, then the Roc Demon King didn''t accept Su-hyeun as his little brother right until the end.

    Indeed, he only called Su-hyeun "little brother" right before their parting.

    Even so, Su-hyeun was curious.

    "He''s supposed to be staying in a human village, right?"

    It was rather hard to picture when he first heard that. To think that someone who glared at him with such contempt just because he was human was now living among humans?

    Once that thought piqued his curiosity, his ruefulness quickly vanished. Su-hyeun sped up his steps a little more and entered the village''s boundaries.

    "Oi, over there! You stepped on the rice stalks!"

    "I didn''t step on it! It was like that already!"

    "Already, my ass! You better¡ª"

    "Oi, oi! There, there. Stop being rowdy, will you? Let''s keep going! Things like that can happen when we''re all working hard, don''t you agree?"

    "Daddy! Come here and eat some potatoes!"

    "What? Is it already the hour of the Monkey?" [1]

    "Everyone, over here! Have some before getting back to work!"

    The villagers were in the middle of their harvest.

    It was at the tail end of autumn, and the fields were golden-brown in hue, indicating that the time for harvest had come around once more. They might be working hard and also in competition with one another in the fields, but from the perspective of a bystander, this scene looked peaceful and rather calming to behold.

    Su-hyeun walked up to the villagers, and then...

    "Excuse me, I''m kind of starving. Can you spare me a potato?"

    He approached them with a smile and cautiously extended a hand.

    Six healthy adult males were gathered around the boiled potatoes. They shifted their gazes over to Su-hyeun, scanned him from top to bottom, and then started commenting.

    "You say you''re starving?"

    "This young fella''s arms and legs are so stick-thin and frail-looking, aren''t they?"

    "Where are you from, fella?"

    "Agh, what are you all saying? Fella, you seem to be from somewhere far. Why don''t you take a seat first? Here."

    They gladly offered Su-hyeun a spot to settle down.

    Thankfully, the village didn''t seem to be suffering from a food shortage. With the villagers'' generosity, Su-hyeun was able to get two potatoes to eat without much trouble.

    "Where are you from?"

    "What brings you here?"

    "From the looks of you, you must be a scion of some important family or something..."

    The village men began asking Su-hyeun this and that. He replied to those questions that he could answer and chatted to them about trivial matters.

    And so, after the short snack time came to an end...

    Su-hyeun chimed in, "I''d like to help."

    "Ah, ah, it''s fine."

    "Young fella, I''m sorry, but you don''t look strong enough for the job. Rather than wasting the food you just ate, let us take care of it."

    "He''s right. If you still want to do something, our village chief is staying in the middle of the village, so you can go and speak to him. Oi, Mister Wong! Can you show this fella the way?"

    "Yes, sir!" A man with a hulking physique named Mister Wong shot up from his spot and took the lead in guiding Su-hyeun away.

    Su-hyeun wanted to help out, even if only by a little, so he felt a bit apologetic about this turn of events. Still, he followed after this Mister Wong. His initial reason for approaching the villagers was to provide his help if at all possible.

    And so, while following Mister Wong and leaving the rice fields about halfway...

    Su-hyeun suddenly guffawed uncontrollably, "Haha...Ahahaha...!"

    "..."

    "Mister...Wong? Really? Wong...?"

    Su-hyeun began staggering as he tried to hold back his laughter.

    Mister Wong, who was walking ahead, slightly turned his head and furrowed his brow deeply, "What? Is it that funny?!"

    "Do the other brothers know about this?"

    "Not really."

    Su-hyeun barely managed to suppress his laughter again.

    This "Mister Wong," a big man with a friendly and somewhat wholesome-sounding name, was none other than the Roc Demon King from Su-hyeun''s memories.

    "You seem to be kept busy."

    "What brings you here?"

    "First Brother sent me."

    "First Brother did?"

    The Roc Demon King didn''t say anything else after learning that the Bull Demon King had sent Su-hyeun here.

    Even if it was the Roc Demon King, who was famed for his violent temper, he was still unable to openly express his dissatisfaction regarding the Bull Demon King.

    "Yes, he did. He asked me to come and find you so that we can drink together, but this...Kek."

    "Hey, stop laughing already!"

    "It''s¡ªMy bad..."

    The Roc Demon King must have been deeply embarrassed because his entire face was beet red. He hurriedly rubbed his face down.

    Su-hyeun was doing his best to suppress his laughter, but he found it hard to control his expression at what could be possibly the funniest, most unexpected scene he had run into in recent times.

    But then...

    "Hey, you punk, do you have any idea who that person was? The one who called me Mister Wong?"

    "How can I know that?"

    Of course, Su-hyeun wouldn''t know.

    The man that the Roc Demon King referred to was a middle-aged uncle with a thick beard, who suggested for Su-hyeun to sit down and even handed a couple of potatoes over to him.

    Su-hyeun simply saw him as a good-natured, friendly neighborhood uncle of the village or some such.

    However...

    "That man is none other than Master Subhuti, the 10th disciple of Buddha. Did you get that? Ah?"

    At that completely unexpected revelation, Su-hyeun stopped suppressing his laughter and let his jaw hit the ground, "Huh?"

    [1] Between 3 and 5 pm

 Chapter 469 - 469

    * * *

    Su-hyeun and the Roc Demon King headed back to the outskirts of the village.

    The sun was setting over a vast expanse of the grasslands while the villagers were still working hard at harvesting on the golden fields at some distance.

    Now, normally, Su-hyeun would be spectating on this scene while feeling at peace. But at the moment, their situation wasn''t exactly conducive toward such a laidback atmosphere.

    "So you''re saying that the uncle earlier was Master Subhuti?" Su-hyeun asked.

    Su-hyeun heard that the outgoing uncle who called the Roc Demon King "Mister Wong" earlier was none other than Master Subhuti.

    "That''s right. Even I found out not too long ago."

    "How did you find out, though?"

    "He told me himself that he went to see my older brothers not too long ago. What''s the matter? Something wrong?"

    "Well..."

    Su-hyeun was mired in some confusion right now.

    In all honesty, there was nothing wrong here. Whether Master Subhuti was a stout-figured uncle with an unkempt beard or a good-natured old man riding on some clouds to travel the world, it didn''t really matter how he looked¡ªat least in Su-hyeun''s perspective.

    What surprised Su-hyeun, though, was that he ended up running into Master Subhuti in a place like this and that one of the Five Godly Sages looked quite different from how he imagined him.

    "Did you hear about him from First Brother?"

    "Yes. He said that Master Subhuti wanted to meet me."

    "Really? In that case, what did you think he''d look like?"

    "I haven''t really thought about what he''d look like," Su-hyeun replied as such while shifting his gaze over to the rice paddy currently being harvested by Master Subhuti. "Although, if I''m honest, I didn''t think he''d look like that."

    The Roc Demon King chuckled at that reply.

    His eyes, usually filled with sharpness and killing intent, had become a lot more relaxed and softened, even if he was wearing his human disguise right now.

    "Hah, I guess you still haven''t figured it out?"

    "Sorry?"

    "That uncle is also in disguise, just like me. And he''s been staying in this village far longer than I have."

    "Really?"

    Su-hyeun felt a chill run down his spine at the Roc Demon King''s explanation.

    The thing was, he could clearly "see" the original appearance of the Roc Demon King before his eyes.

    A Yogoe with long wings, blue feathers, and narrow eyes¡ªthat was the true appearance of the Roc Demon King, something far removed from a villager named Mister Wong.

    In other words, even without Insight''s help, Su-hyeun didn''t find it hard to figure out the Roc Demon King''s true nature.

    But now...

    "I couldn''t see through him at all," Su-hyeun thought.

    Would things have been different if he relied on Insight? Su-hyeun still shook his head.

    Even with that ability, he didn''t feel confident. There was no guarantee that Insight could help him clearly see someone that he had overlooked in the first place.

    "Alright, so? Didn''t you say that First Brother sent you to find me?"

    "Ah, that. Yes. He said he got some booze, so¡ª"

    "That booze, it''s not our big brother but me who procured it. It''s actually a pretty common drink among humans. They call it Bamboo Leaf Wine."

    "It''s common?"

    "Yeah, but being common doesn''t mean its taste is common, too. Even our Big Brother likes it, probably due to its aroma or something. I''ll bring some later in the evening, so you should head back first," the Roc Demon King explained before walking away.

    He was carrying a farming tool, and it looked like he wanted to finish up what he was doing earlier.

    "Second Brother?"

    "Yeah?"

    Su-hyeun called out to the Roc Demon King, who was already making his way to return to the field. By now, the sun had set completely to welcome the night.

    "Are you happy being here?"

    When Su-hyeun asked that, the Roc Demon King stood still and didn''t reply right away.

    But a short while later...

    "Nope, not even close!"

    His verbal reply was utterly at odds with his expression or what Su-hyeun could sense.

    Su-hyeun watched the Roc Demon King get farther away. Then, he turned around to leave in the opposite direction.

    "He''s still the same."

    The mere fact that he was stuck in a dilemma for a while there was a good enough indicator for what the Roc Demon King''s real answer was. If he really hated his current lifestyle, not only would he not take his time to ponder his answer, but he wouldn''t have persisted with this lifestyle in the first place.

    It became very dark now.

    Su-hyeun sped up his steps a little.

    Tap, tatap¡ª

    Whooooosh¡ª

    He lightly leaped and jumped across the forest.

    But when he was about halfway over the forest...

    Land¡ª

    He landed on a comparatively wide opening among the trees and turned around, "Are you planning to keep following me?" he asked, but no reply came his way.

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    The distinctive blue light swirled within Su-hyeun''s eyes next. Activating his Insight allowed him to see into the dark forest. The moonlight only faintly illuminated the surrounding, but Su-hyeun could see just fine as if he had gained a pair of a wild animal''s eyes.

    His gaze then shifted toward the rear of a tree to the side. "I heard that you have something to say to me?"

    "Isn''t using Insight now against the rules a bit?"

    Step¡ª

    A large man with a thick beard walking on clogs stepped in front of the tree. It was none other than the "uncle" who called the Roc Demon King Mister Wong.

    "Are you Master Subhuti?"

    "Did that kid, Roc, tell you that?" Subhuti asked with steely eyes and a face that differed significantly from his good-natured expression earlier, "Or can you see me?"

    Su-hyeun nodded slightly.

    He couldn''t see as clearly as with the Roc Demon King. Still, he could see something. It seemed to be due to using Insight.

    "You''re smaller than I thought."

    "Oh-hoh."

    "Quite wrinkled, and...the farming tool in your hand, it''s actually a walking stick."

    "And what else?"

    Su-hyeun didn''t answer. That was all he could see.

    Insight, which was supposed to allow him to peek into another''s thoughts and even look into their future and past, could only let him see a part of Master Subhuti''s outer appearance and not much else.

    Meaning his opponent had to be the real deal.

    "Huh, huhuhuh!" Master Subhuti suddenly broke into a fit of laughter.

    His appearance then gradually began changing.

    It was as if the vivid mirage before one''s eyes was scattering away. The large man with a bushy beard transformed into a small-statured old man with a face stained deeply by many wrinkles.

    "Did this old man''s prank go a bit overboard? If so, allow me to apologize. I''m sorry about that."

    "Oh, no, it''s fine, sir. No need to apologize..."

    "You''re a nice fella," Master Subhuti plopped down on the spot. He then pounded on his shoulder and leaned his back against a nearby tree. "All this harvesting is making my back and shoulders, heck, my whole body, sore like crazy. Fella, why don''t you take a seat over there, too?"

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    A branch nearby began stretching and arrived in front of Su-hyeun. It was fairly thick, so there shouldn''t be a problem sitting on it.

    "Honestly, I''m fine over here, sir." However, Su-hyeun didn''t sit on the branch but settled down on the ground opposite of Subhuti instead.

    He didn''t want to make his conversation partner look up at him just because he was worried about getting his clothes a bit dirty.

    "I knew it. You are a good person."

    "Do you know about me?"

    "Wukong told me nonstop about you until I started bleeding in my ear. Also, even though the Bull Demon King hasn''t said anything, he seems to care a lot about you, too."

    Master Subhuti began describing all the tales he heard from both Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King. Somehow, his storytelling carried on for a while. Even so, it wasn''t boring or anything like that.

    Su-hyeun got to hear what Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King were saying about him and about how the Roc Demon King had been fairing so far.

    Apparently, he had been maintaining a surprisingly normal life of a villager for quite some time.

    At the end of about an hour of nonstop explanation, Su-hyeun finally opened his mouth to ask, "Is there a special reason why you''re staying in that village?"

    Master Subhuti was about to continue with his storytelling but stopped himself and stayed quiet for a little while. Since Su-hyeun couldn''t hear his inner thoughts even with Insight''s help, Su-hyeun had no choice but to wait until he decided to speak.

    "Well, I''m in hiding, you see."

    "In hiding?"

    "Right. I don''t know what''s so appealing about this old neck of mine, but there''s this fool who''s been obsessively chasing me down. Although, it''s been a long time since I managed to lose him."

    The truth he revealed with some difficulty was somewhat unexpected. No, it was actually quite shocking. Never in a million years did Su-hyeun think that Master Subhuti, one of the Five Godly Sages, was being chased around like a dog.

    Worse still, he couldn''t think of many existences strong enough to do something like that. "Is it Shiva?"

    "You automatically thought of the Three Destroyers?"

    "There aren''t any other beings strong enough to target you, sir."

    Su-hyeun was confident of his own powers, so confident that dealing with the Ten Great Evils didn''t feel all that difficult for the current him.

    However, it would be a different story against the Three Destroyers. Not only Uranus, but even Shiva was a being in another realm compared to him.

    Every single one of them was an existence capable of changing the fate of the universe itself, just like the Five Godly Sages.

    "You''re right. It''s one of the Three Destroyers, but not Shiva."

    "Then who?"

    "It''s some punk named Osiris. He''s one nasty character, that fool. I wandered around here and there trying to avoid him, but in the end, I chose to return here and hide in that village."

    Osiris¡ªSu-hyeun made sure to remember that name. That was a god from the ancient Egyptian pantheon, who happened to be the god of the dead.

    "Even so, he hasn''t tried to find me in the past couple of centuries or so. Thanks to that, I didn''t have to be anxious all the time and could leisurely help out with the village''s harvest like today."

    "What''s his reason?"

    "Well, we can''t really say it''s not related to you, friend."

    "Sorry?" Su-hyeun wondered what Subhuti was talking about and made a puzzled face, but then...

    [Will you start the 202nd floor''s trial?]

    A message suddenly popped up before his eyes.

    As Su-hyeun''s expression morphed into a flustered one, Master Subhuti asked him, "What can you see?"

    "It can''t be."

    "Looks like you have guessed it. Indeed. It''s all because of that."

    It was because of the "system," the device Master Subhuti had created to counter the apocalypse brought on by Shiva.

    "Although the rest of the Five Godly Sages helped me with its creation, only I know the method to break the system apart, and Osiris is hell-bent on finding that out."

    "If the destruction of the system is Osiris''s goal, does that mean his ultimate goal is the same as Shiva''s?"

    "Yes, it is, but they will probably never work together."

    "Why not?"

    "They are bitter rivals. But, more correctly, Osiris is the only one feeling the heat of the rivalry between them."

    Master Subhuti then got back to his feet. Su-hyeun followed suit and walked along with him.

    While staying one step back, he listened to the next part of Subhuti''s explanation. "Just like Shiva, Osiris wishes for the annihilation of the universe so that his territory can be greatly expanded. The Five Godly Sages, including me, created the system to counter them, but Osiris now desires to bring it down, too."

    "Shouldn''t you stop him in that case?"

    "Of course. That''s why we exist, after all," Master Subhuti replied as such, then came to a stop and turned his head.

    Su-hyeun also stopped when Subhuti did and stared back, puzzled.

    "To achieve that goal, your role is also very crucial, friend."

    "My role?"

    "Do you believe that you ended up here this time just for the sake of sharing a cup of booze?"

    Su-hyeun shook his head. He initially thought that, but now, he knew that wasn''t the case anymore.

    Even so...

    "But sir, I don''t think I was brought here to deal with these small fries."

    Flinch¡ª

    When Su-hyeun said that, he felt the faint multiple presences around them more clearly.

    They had begun gathering up one by one a while ago, and before long, their number had swelled up dramatically. Their appearance was also why Master Subhuti suddenly got up and started walking in the middle of their conversation.

    Sure enough, Subhuti seemed to have cottoned on to their presence as well, as he didn''t display a single hint of fluster at what Su-hyeun said.

    "It seems that this lifestyle of mine is drawing to a close now," Subhuti began chuckling affably.

    The presences within the forest began emitting bloodlust one by one. Without a doubt, they were here for Master Subhuti.

    Su-hyeun stood before Subhuti protectively and unsheathed his sword.

    But then...

    "Trees feel pain, too."

    Now that was a totally unexpected observation.

    Su-hyeun was about to move out but stopped himself and looked back at Master Subhuti.

    "If it''s possible, please ensure that they aren''t harmed. Can you do it?"

    Subhuti said that trees would be damaged if they fought inside the forest, so Su-hyeun should take extra care.

    If it was anyone else, they would have argued back while saying, "What kind of nonsense was that?"

    But strangely enough, Su-hyeun no longer thought that way.. He simply smirked back at Subhuti and replied, "That''s a rather easy request."

 Chapter 470 - 470

    * * *

    Pow¡ª!

    Crumble¡ª

    When Su-hyeun struck the skeleton just below its jawline using the blade in his hand, the pitch-black bones cracked apart and crumbled to pieces. This creature never got to find out how it got attacked from behind as it collapsed in a heap to the ground.

    Crack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun stepped on the skull to completely crush it.

    Normal Lichs would''ve had "life vessels" that acted as their life source inside their skulls. However, the skeleton Su-hyeun had stepped on didn''t have such a thing in its skull.

    "So, the bones themselves possess the necessary energy and use that as their medium to move around?"

    These things operated in a fundamentally different way than other Lichs.

    Initially, Su-hyeun wondered if they were once upon a time Predators, or Preys that hadn''t become Predators yet, but as it turned out, even that guess was wrong.

    "They are not Lichs but summons."

    Despite being rather similar to Lichs and Death Knights that use magic and sword techniques, and even more crucially, despite being dead creatures, not a single one of them responded to Su-hyeun''s Death Aura.

    But that still didn''t mean they were "living," either. It simply meant that some other force stronger than Su-hyeun''s power to command the undead was at play here. Thus, he couldn''t rely on his Necromancer trait to wrestle control of them away.

    "This should be enough, I guess," Su-hyeun glanced at his surroundings.

    Using Insight, he could clearly see every single one of these undead hiding throughout the forest as if this was happening on top of his palm.

    Bang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun jumped up high. Right after that...

    [Wide Area - Provocation]

    Giiii-iiiing¡ª

    With him in the center, his aura spread out over a wide area, meaning the entirety of the forest itself.

    When that happened, the summons gathering around Su-hyeun changed their behavior.

    Pahk¡ª paaahk¡ª!

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª!

    To take potshots at him, the undead creatures hiding in the forest chose to leave their hiding spots to jump up toward him instead.

    Su-hyeun, who had been waiting for this to happen, quietly muttered, "Strike them down..."

    Flash¡ª!

    [Somersault cloud - Rain of Thunder]

    "Somersault cloud."

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Dark storm clouds gathered in an instant, and bolts of lightning emitting a blinding light crashed down like raindrops. The skeletons were charred black and turned into ashes that got scattered away by the blowing winds.

    Su-hyeun didn''t immediately go back down to the ground, instead of taking a bit of time to scan the forest''s interior.

    There were none left.

    "Did they run away?"

    He was certain about this not being all of them.

    Even at a casual glance, the number of the undead that had gathered here easily reached the four-digit mark. He only had dealt with about half of them, but the rest of them were gone without a single trace by now.

    It didn''t look like they escaped to avoid falling for his Provocation, either.

    "They weren''t planning to fight properly from the very beginning, then."

    They constantly skulked around Master Subhuti and him but didn''t do anything else besides. At first, he thought they were planning to harm Subhuti, but his thoughts had changed now that some time had passed.

    Would someone like Osiris, the "god" of the dead, send some measly summons with only this much strength to kill Master Subhuti?

    Indeed, they weren''t here to kill Subhuti at all. They were simply meant to locate him.

    "They achieved their goal, is that it?"

    After confirming that no other summoned undead remained, Su-hyeun returned to the forest below.

    Thanks to activating the Rain of Thunder high up in the sky, there wasn''t much damage to the forest below. Only some leaves down there were lightly singed by the electric currents.

    "Huh-uh. Leaves got burned in the end," complained Master Subhuti still.

    Su-hyeun looked back at him. The old man with a slightly bent back trudging along was currently dragging a limp skeleton behind him.

    "You''ve arrived, Master Subhuti?"

    Someone benevolent-looking was dragging along a skeleton, so this sight came across a bit surreal somehow.

    It seemed that several summons managed to reach Master Subhuti''s side.

    "The rest have run away," said Subhuti.

    "They did accomplish what they set out to do, after all."

    "And just like that, my current lifestyle is now over. Tsk," Subhuti tutted as if he was deeply unhappy while walking up to the tallest tree in the surroundings. He reached out and began rubbing the tree along its grain.

    Vitality quickly returned to the leaves that got slightly singed by the Rain of Thunder. He smiled faintly and nodded in satisfaction, "It''s done."

    "Are you going to leave now?"

    To think that they had to part ways right after meeting for the first time...

    Su-hyeun still had many things to ask Subhuti. No, even if that wasn''t the case, this individual had deep connections to the Bull Demon King, Sun Wukong, and the Roc Demon King.

    He taught them the Sage Arts. Not only did he take in Sun Wukong, who had to say goodbye to his Yogoe family back in the Mountain of Flower and Fruit a long time ago, but he even acted as a father figure to them, too.

    Su-hyeun also wanted to talk to him for a bit longer.

    "How can I leave right away? We should have a couple of days of leeway. I don''t know about the others, but I definitely have to say goodbye to Wukong at least. He might not show it on the outside, but he''ll definitely get depressed," Master Subhuti said and then grinned bitterly. "I''m also kind of worried about the Bull Demon King."

    "First Brother, you say?"

    Now that was a surprise.

    It might not be the case with the other two, but if it was the Bull Demon King, Su-hyeun naturally thought that he would be unperturbed by the prospect of saying goodbye to Master Subhuti.

    Subhuti shook his head to reply to Su-hyeun''s question then avoided the subject altogether. It seemed that hearing more about the Bull Demon King would not be possible now.

    Subhuti turned around and headed toward the house where the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong should be waiting for them. "Why don''t we get a move on now? I fear that there isn''t a lot of time left for us to chat like this."

    Step¡ª

    Whoosh¡ª

    He took one step, and he simply vanished from the spot.

    That was the "Earth Shrink Technique."

    However, it was impossible to tell just how far he had moved with that single step. Despite using Insight, Su-hyeun couldn''t see where Master Subhuti was.

    "That fast...?"

    Su-hyeun''s brows rose slightly while staring at the spot where Subhuti used to be.

    The Earth Shrink Technique was a sorcery-like technique that allowed you to leap over a fixed space by "folding" it. It wasn''t a simple movement technique at all, and it required a little bit of prep time to use, just like a magic spell.

    But Master Subhuti clearly didn''t require any prep time at all.

    Su-hyeun, too, could use Earth Shrink Technique, but what Master Subhuti used here was literally on another realm compared to his.

    "I''ve got a lot to learn from him, it seems," Su-hyeun smiled faintly and got going as well.

    The space folded, and Su-hyeun began tracing the steps of Master Subhuti.

    His own Earth Shrink Technique kind of felt shabby, for some reason.

    * * *

    The location Master Subhuti headed to was a small hut inside the forest, with Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King in it.

    Originally, it should''ve taken several hours of nonstop walking in the forest to reach here. However, Su-hyeun and Subhuti reached the hut in only a matter of a few steps.

    Since they approached the hut without trying to hide their presence, Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King quickly noticed that Su-hyeun and Subhuti had returned.

    Sun Wukong quickly leaped outside the house first.

    "Huh? Uncle?" He alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and Master Subhuti, then asked them a question, "Why did you arrive here together?"

    "Well, it happened somehow while I was on my way," Su-hyeun tried to brush it aside since he wasn''t sure how to explain it in depth.

    Technically speaking, he wasn''t lying there. It was true that while he was on his way, Master Subhuti did seek him out, after all. Not only that, but Subhuti also asked him a favor.

    "It might be fine with the Bull Demon King, but to Wukong, I''d like you to keep what happened to us as a secret, please."

    "You mean, the bit about Osiris targeting you?"

    "Yes, that. Knowing Wukong''s personality, he''ll definitely go on a rampage if he finds out. He might even throw an uncontrollable tantrum, saying he''ll take down Osiris all by himself."

    "Well, yes, considering his personality..."

    "Oh, and also, the thing about me and the system."

    "That one, too? Why?"

    "For now...I beg of you."

    So, Su-hyeun decided to humor Master Subhuti''s request, at least for the time being.

    The latter had been looking after and helping Sun Wukong grow for a far longer time than Su-hyeun could even imagine, not to mention, he even went to the great trouble of teaching the Sage Arts, too.

    Someone like that would surely not do anything that might harm either Sun Wukong or the Bull Demon King. That was what Su-hyeun believed.

    Sun Wukong asked again, "While on your way here? Ah, now I remember. Uncle did say he wanted to meet you, didn''t he? Okay then, did you two have a good chat?"

    "Yes, it was a fruitful discussion."

    "Really? What did you discuss, though?"

    Su-hyeun was momentarily rendered speechless at Sun Wukong''s follow-up question, not knowing what to say. Just as he began hesitating...

    "My back''s killing me. Let''s just go in already," Master Subhuti suddenly walked into the hut while massaging his lower back.

    Sun Wukong tilted his head a little, then wordlessly followed after Subhuti. Also stepping into the building, Su-hyeun was inwardly relieved at how innocent and simple the Monkey King was.

    "Huh?"

    "Hey, you''re finally here?" The Roc Demon King greeted Su-hyeun with a wave of his wing.

    He must''ve finished the Autumn harvest while Su-hyeun and Master Subhuti were chatting away.

    Even though the Roc Demon King didn''t know the Earth Shrink Technique, he was renowned as the fastest Yogoe alive once upon a time. Flying from the village to get here shouldn''t even take a few minutes for him.

    Su-hyeun, Master Subhuti, and Sun Wukong all stepped into the room. With four people inside the relatively small room, it began feeling rather cramped now.

    "When did you arrive, Second Brother?" Su-hyeun asked.

    "It''s not too long after you left the village, actually. Anyway, how was your chat with the old man?"

    "It went well. He''s a kind person, as it turns out."

    "Sure, he''s kind. But I don''t like him."

    "Why not?"

    "That''s because he got beaten up a lot."

    When Su-hyeun asked in a slight puzzlement, the reply came from a different direction.

    It came from the Bull Demon King. "Unlike Wukong or myself, this child didn''t want to learn the Sage Arts back then. He was still filled with bloodlust toward all humans, you see."

    He was entering the room with a bottle of booze and four cups. That had to be the "Bamboo Leaf Wine" or something that the Roc Demon King previously talked about.

    The Bull Demon King settled down on the spot in the room, then continued, "In the end, uncle had to apprehend the Roc Demon King and forcibly taught him the Sage Arts. So, by the time you first met him, he had gotten a lot less intense compared to how he was initially."

    "Back then, you say?" Su-hyeun recalled the Roc Demon King of back then who emitted an intense killing intent because he was human.

    The Yogoe looked like he held some serious animosity against humans back then. But to think that that version of him was a lot less intense one...

    Such a thing was quite hard to even picture. Su-hyeun wondered just how bad the Roc Demon King must''ve been initially, so he was about to ask Master Subhuti, but then...

    "Huh?"

    "What''s going on? Where did uncle go?"

    Master Subhuti, who had definitely entered the building a couple of steps ahead of him, was nowhere to be seen now.

    Surprised, Su-hyeun rose about halfway while Sun Wukong simply leaped to his feet.

    "It seems that he wishes us to spend this time together."

    Drip...

    The Bull Demon King used some water to clean out the cups, then handed one over to each of his younger brothers, "Now then, take one."

    The proceedings got going rather abruptly.

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong both settled down and awkwardly accepted the cups. They were common bluish-green shot cups taken from the village.

    Driiip¡ª

    The very first cup to be filled was the Roc Demon King''s. Next up was Sun Wukong, then finally, Su-hyeun.

    "Let me pour you some," Su-hyeun hurriedly took over the bottle and poured the Bull Demon King''s cup next.

    The alcohol was pristine-clear, enough for one''s facial expression to be reflected on its surface.

    "It has taken a while, but we''re finally all together," said the Bull Demon King.

    Everyone shifted their gazes to him.

    The Bull Demon King acted unlike himself and spoke in a somewhat awkward manner, "Honestly, I have not learned many things in life. That''s why I''m not certain what needs to be said in an occasion like this one, but..."

    He extended his cup forward.

    "At least know this one thing. We are family."

    "Yes."

    Cling¡ª

    Inside a small hut located in an expansive forest and a small room inside that hut illuminated by a small lamplight, the four sworn brothers lightly clanged their cups in an honest yet straightforward manner.

    Su-hyeun brought the booze to his lips. He couldn''t even remember the last time he drank alcohol. The piquant scent of the alcohol was mixed with the aroma of the bamboo leaves, and the mixture went down his throat relatively smoothly.

    He didn''t really like to drink, but even so, he thought that this drink was easily the tastiest one he had ever drunk, even sweeter than any top-grade honey.

    Today was the first time Su-hyeun learned that alcohol could be this delicious.

    Their cups continued to cling, and the emptied cups were refilled. They chatted about what happened to them and shared genuine laughter together.

    While spending their time like this, Su-hyeun abruptly thought of something: sometimes, there would be moments like this.

    A moment when he was actually living through like this one would somehow be remembered, like a scene being viewed by someone else from above.

    A moment that would vividly live on in his reminiscence like a painting¡ªthis moment was exactly like that to Su-hyeun.

 Chapter 471 - 471

    * * *

    Inside a cramped, barely four-meter-square room, empty booze bottles were scattered on the floor.

    Three large, healthy individuals could be seen lying around amid the messy bottles, too. The already cramped room now resembled a chaotic mess when the three of them were tangled in their slumber like this.

    Snore, kuh...

    Snooooore¡ª

    Su-hyeun was abruptly roused up from his slumber, and the first thing he heard was someone''s loud snoring.

    He didn''t have to turn his head to figure out whose grand snoring that was.

    "The smell of booze, it''s..." Su-hyeun muttered out of drowsiness without even realizing it.

    The aroma of booze that seemed so sweet and piquant last night began stinging Su-hyeun''s nose rather nastily upon waking up from a good night''s sleep. It made his innards tumble somewhat.

    It wasn''t as if he wanted to throw up or he had a hangover, but even so, the smell of the booze didn''t seem that pleasant anymore.

    He scrunched his face for a bit, then while blocking his nose, he finally noticed that someone was missing from the room.

    "First Brother?"

    The Bull Demon King wasn''t here. He must''ve woken first.

    Su-hyeun cautiously got up to make sure the other two wouldn''t wake up.

    Creak...

    Despite being so cautious, though, he couldn''t do anything about the old door hinges creaking rather audibly. He checked to see Sun Wukong toss around in his sleep before he resumed his exodus from the house.

    "You''re up?"

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze to a spot next to a large bowl with freshly drawn water when he heard that question.

    That was where he found the Bull Demon King, who had woken up not too long ago himself, drinking some water.

    "Yes, brother. Just now, I¡ª"

    "What about a hangover, though?"

    "I may not be a fan of drinking, but I can handle it just fine. Honestly, it feels like I can handle it even better these days."

    "Perhaps I should''ve brought even stronger alcohol in that case." The Bull Demon King took another sip of the water that he scooped up with a smaller steel bowl, then handed it over to Su-hyeun. The latter wet his throat then settled down on a small wooden chair nearby.

    The Bull Demon King asked, "Are others still asleep?"

    "Yes, they are."

    "But they need to wake up soon so that uncle can return. Perhaps it''s time that we rouse them up."

    "I''m sure that''s not necessa¡ª"

    "But there isn''t a lot of time left, is there?"

    Su-hyeun, who was about to dissuade his First Brother, couldn''t continue with the rest of his sentence.

    Not a lot of time left¡ªit felt like that simple line contained so many meanings.

    "How much do you know, First Brother?"

    "After I reached this age, I''ve begun seeing things that even I''d like to not see in the first place," the Bull Demon King chuckled softly. But that chuckle slowly lowered in tone, eventually turning into a bitter grin instead. "Outwardly, he looks much older than me, and that''s why we call him ''uncle,'' but in actual age, I''m several tens of thousands of years older than him. Well, when you reach my age, that sort of gap stops mattering altogether, really."

    "I heard that you were the first to meet Master Subhuti."

    "Yes. I was the first, the Roc Demon King was the second, and Wukong was the third. That was the order of our meeting with uncle, and our ages matched it, so we decided to become sworn brothers like that, too."

    To the trio of Yogoes, Master Subhuti was like their father who helped them connect the thread of brotherhood.

    When only counting the years, the Bull Demon King was far older than Master Subhuti, who used to be a human being. Even so, the Yogoe deeply respected and adored the latter. That side of him was easy to see during last night''s drinking party.

    "We weren''t able to see him for a very long time. We didn''t know why, and uncle remained far away from us for too long. He did eventually return to our side quite recently, but...even then, there is another parting on the horizon waiting for us."

    "First Brother, is saying goodbye getting difficult even for you?"

    "An empty spot is bound to be noticed no matter how big or small it is, after all. The old saying goes like, ''you don''t remember the filled seats, but you are aware of the empty ones.''"

    Thunk¡ª

    It was at that moment the door Su-hyeun had cautiously closed behind him was flung wide open. Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King had woken up and were trudging outside the building.

    "Let''s eat breakfast," yawned Sun Wukong.

    The first thing Sun Wukong did as soon as he opened his eyes was to rub his belly and sound his internal clock. The Roc Demon King was also trudging outside while rubbing his eyes in drowsiness.

    "Wukong," called another voice, "come and enjoy your breakfast."

    Master Subhuti was walking up to them from some distance away.

    * * *

    The meal was plain and simple. Some roots and wild vegetables freshly picked from the forest, plus some potatoes sourced from the village, took care of their needs.

    Sun Wukong complained about the lack of meat, prompting Master Subhuti to say something, "Didn''t our teacher tell us to refrain from consuming meat?"

    Master Subhuti''s teacher could only be the one currently teaching Sun Wukong, the one who gave him the current trial: Buddha.

    Sun Wukong listened to Subhuti, then, while stuffing a potato in his mouth, continued to grumble, "Even so, you and little brother are here, so¡ª"

    "Coming up with this and that excuse to stray from the path will inevitably lead you to the path of no return. Even if the wild vegetables taste bitter, endure it and satiate yourself."

    "Ugh...Okay," Sun Wukong made a dissatisfied face. Still, he reached for the lightly boiled and seasoned vegetables.

    This was Su-hyeun''s first time seeing Master Subhuti and Sun Wukong together. He found the Monkey King being so obedient like this incredibly unusual to behold and continued to stare at the scene with mystified eyes.

    And so, as breakfast drew to a close...

    "Well, then, why don''t we find out how much better you''ve gotten a little later, Wukong?" Master Subhuti asked while taking away the plates.

    Sun Wukong''s ears visibly perked up at that. He had been feeling down after sating his hunger with some measly vegetables and potatoes. Still, his energy perked right back up after hearing that challenge. "But it''s not gonna be that easy this time, you know?"

    He even spoke in a provocative tone.

    Master Subhuti simply chuckled affably, then replied, "I already heard that from you back when you first acquired the Somersault cloud and then when you acquired the Ruyi Jingu Bang, too."

    "No, it will be different this time for real!"

    "I pray that this declaration, which is your 11th, by the way, will indeed come true."

    One couldn''t win in a verbal exchange against Master Subhuti.

    Sun Wukong fumed in anger. Nonetheless, he was clearly filled with anticipation and excitement, judging from how he gripped Ruyi Jingu Bang, which was slung on his back, with so much strength.

    After Master Subhuti tidied up the plates, he called out to Su-hyeun next, "Can we speak in private for a moment?"

    "Of course."

    Su-hyeun followed Master Subhuti and left the spot, but they didn''t actually go that far.

    The location they reached was a nearby thicket. Sun Wukong had dashed to some distance away while carrying his polearm, while the Roc Demon King had never been interested in sparring with Subhuti, to begin with.

    As for the Bull Demon King, after breakfast, he climbed on the hut''s roof, lay down, and then watched the clouds drift by.

    "Won''t they hear us?" Su-hyeun asked, cognizant of both the Bull Demon King and the Roc Demon King nearby.

    He didn''t know what Subhuti wanted to discuss right now, but if it was related to either Osiris or the system, weren''t those topics the old god wanted to keep as secrets from the Yogoe siblings?

    Unlike Sun Wukong, who was already somewhere pretty far away, this distance was close enough for the remaining two to overhear the contents of their discussion.

    "Don''t worry, they aren''t the types to eavesdrop on our chat. Also, I''ve already placed some restrictions, so it should be fine."

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The surrounding air began flowing in bizarre directions.

    A short while later, it began spinning dizzyingly and unstably over the area, effectively blocking out all sounds from escaping. The sorcery technique to freely control the atmosphere wasn''t that easy to pull off. Yet, Master Subhuti did it as if it was as simple as flipping his hand around.

    "Alright, then, regarding what I''m about to say to you," Master Subhuti shifted his gaze over to the Bull Demon King lying on the roof and expressionlessly watching the skies above, "please do not miss a single word and commit them to your memories."

    As soon as he said that...

    [The 202nd floor''s trial is now commencing.]

    A new message floated up in front of Su-hyeun''s eyes.

    * * *

    Sun Wukong was currently in deep meditation.

    For a while now, he had been emptying his mind.

    Buddha taught him how to do this, saying that having too many thoughts would make one easier to read.

    Thankfully, even Sun Wukong found it easy to pull off; he was not the kind of person to think too much about anything in his daily life, making it relatively simple for him to empty his mind.

    And so, after quite sometime later...

    "As I thought, you were here."

    Master Subhuti had arrived. He was accompanied by Su-hyeun and the Bull Demon King. As this was his first time coming here, Su-hyeun began looking around his new surroundings.

    "I knew you''d also come here, uncle."

    "Well, this is your favorite place in the whole world, after all. Even so, is it alright to do it here?"

    "Of course not! We can''t fight here. I only came here because it relaxes me, you know?"

    The view of the mountainscape below, as seen from the peak, was truly beautiful. Flowers boasting a rainbow spectrum of colors like red, yellow, and blue hues were growing in abundance and in perfect harmony, while all sorts of enticing fruits were dangling on the branches.

    It was the Mountain of Flower and Fruit¡ªa mountain filled with flowers and fruits, a location so beautiful that it was even referred to as the mountain of the heavenly immortals.

    It was Sun Wukong''s birthplace, his former home, where his first family used to live.

    "Uncle."

    "Yeah?"

    "I''m not going to lose today. For real," declared Sun Wukong, his eyes gleaming sharply. His usual mischievous, grinning face was nowhere to be found now. It was incredibly rare to see him be so serious about an upcoming fight to this degree.

    Master Subhuti stared at Sun Wukong''s determined expression, then grinned so subtly that it was almost impossible to spot.

    He then turned around to head toward the foot of the mountain. "In that case, follow me."

    Whoosh¡ª

    Once Subhuti left, Sun Wukong and the others also began moving to the new spot.

    The location was at the foot of some nameless mountain range quite a distance away from the Mountain of Flower and Fruit. A large open plain could be found here, with all the trees already cleared out. However, no one was certain what this space was originally meant for.

    Land¡ª

    Sun Wukong landed in the middle of this open plain, then pulled out his Ruyi Jingu Bang. He proceeded to spin his limbs around and massaged them in various spots to loosen his muscles, something he couldn''t do during his meditation earlier.

    Su-hyeun, the Bull Demon King, and the Roc Demon King were all riding on the Somersault cloud in a location high up in the sky to look down below.

    "Looks like they are about to start," the Roc Demon King muttered while propping his chin up with his hand.

    After a short exercise to loosen himself, Sun Wukong dashed forward while wielding his Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Paaahk¡ª

    Whoooosh, BANG¡ª!

    His polearm lengthened in an instant to smash down on the ground; it spun around with a speed of a lightning flash, smashing into the side of the mountain range to carve out a new cliff there.

    Kwa-ruuuuumble¡ª

    Pow¡ª!

    However, it was also at that very moment that Sun Wukong''s head was greatly shaken around. It was all because of Master Subhuti''s punch that flew in from right next to the Monkey King''s position.

    "This time," Sun Wukong began with the same intensity in emotion as earlier. Right afterward, Ruyi Jingu Bang shortened at a breakneck pace and spun around in a threatening manner. He said, "That ain''t gonna work on me!"

    BAAAANG¡ª!

    Gu-wuwuwuwu¡ª

    Master Subhuti''s palm strike collided with Ruyi Jingu Bang, spending out powerful shockwaves to the surroundings.

    "Oh-hoh?" Subhuti made an ever-so-slightly surprised face because the impact force he felt from the polearm was fairly noticeable.

    But that wasn''t all.

    "It''s only the beginning, uncle!"

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    The golden fillet revealed itself on Sun Wukong''s forehead next.

    Master Subhuti''s eyes narrowed when he witnessed this scene; the golden fillet was a device that sealed away Sun Wukong''s true nature, as well as his hidden strength. Therefore, the fact that it showed up in the open like this indicated that the seal''s power had gotten weaker temporarily.

    "This might get a bit dangerous," said Subhuti as he slid his hand inside his robe to pull out a small fan.

    Although it didn''t even really qualify as a proper weapon, the moment he gripped it, the atmosphere or the energy he emitted transformed in an instant.

    Sun Wukong also noticed this and smirked deeply, "You better watch out, uncle."

    "Sure thing. Hurry up and come at me."

    "Well, then..."

    Thud¡ª

    Sun Wukong''s right foot stepped forward. "Here I come!"

    Poof!

    He vanished from the spot. However, he wasn''t using something like the Earth Shrink Technique.

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    The ground was overturned, and the plumes of dust exploded into the air.

    They began moving so fast that it was nearly impossible to follow them with the naked eyes.

    Su-hyeun, who had been spectating with his normal vision, hurriedly activated Insight. They had gotten so fast that following them with his bare eyes was practically impossible now.

    "Isn''t this amazing?"

    "Sorry?"

    The Bull Demon King suddenly said something while watching Sun Wukong and Master Subhuti duke it out, "That immature child has managed to grow this much already. Even our Second Brother has let go of his hatred toward humans and can live among them now."

    "Huh?" Su-hyeun glanced at the Roc Demon King. He didn''t seem to have heard what the Bull Demon King said, as he was still spectating on the fight below with his chin propped up.

    "No, wait. He can''t hear us, is that it?" Su-hyeun thought.

    The Bull Demon King was addressing Su-hyeun right now.

    It might have sounded like a monologue, but the truth was, he had something to say.

    "And now...only I remain, it seems."

    Only I...

    The Bull Demon King muttered that softly and slowly closed his eyes.

 Chapter 472 - 472

    * * *

    Clang¡ª! Craaaaack¡ª

    Spliiit¡ª!

    The lengthened Ruyi Jingu Bang blew away a part of the mountain range. It was initially aimed at Master Subhuti''s back, yet its direction had been altered to the side.

    Creaaak¡ª

    That was because Subhuti''s palm had shoved aside the Ruyi Jingu Bang wielded by Sun Wukong.

    Swish¡ª

    Sun Wukong temporarily let go of his polearm then pounced on top of Master Subhuti''s head.

    He instantly closed the distance and threw a punch, but Subhuti didn''t panic and simultaneously answered with his own punch.

    Craaaack¡ª!

    Booooom¡ª

    When the two punches collided, the ground caved in deeply to alter the terrain once more.

    Crack¡ª

    A faint crack developed on the golden fillet on Sun Wukong''s forehead.

    This fight had been going on for over four hours now.

    "It''s gradually getting dangerous."

    "Yes, too much time has passed."

    The Bull Demon King and Su-hyeun confirmed the golden fillet''s state from afar and spoke in turn.

    Maybe both Master Subhuti and Sun Wukong also realized it since their movements were getting slower compared to earlier. The latter held the golden fillet while staggering unsteadily.

    "So, in the end, it has come to this," said the Bull Demon King.

    "Still, Wukong somehow managed to hold out for this long, even though he''s going up against uncle," said the Roc Demon King, who had been unable to keep his jaw closed from some time ago.

    Four hours was a fairly long time. Even if Sun Wukong was someone who wouldn''t get tired after fighting for three days straight, his current opponent was on another realm compared to the likes of Prince Nezha or Erlang Shen.

    The Roc Demon King wasn''t aware of it, but that old man, Master Subhuti, was one of the Five Godly Sages. Not only that, but he was a teacher who taught the Sage Arts to the three Yogoe brothers, too.

    He was an existence that even the one and only Bull Demon King bowed down to.

    He was the progenitor of the Sage Arts, and Sun Wukong had been sparring with someone like that for over four hours now.

    "Well, that''s because..." the Bull Demon King swallowed back the rest of his sentence.

    It seemed that the Roc Demon King wasn''t aware of it; only the Bull Demon King and Su-hyeun possessed Insight capable of seeing the truth, after all.

    "It would''ve ended much sooner if that''s what he wanted," Su-hyeun thought.

    The flow of the battle was different from what it looked like on the surface and was actually entirely one-sided.

    Other than a brief period after the golden fillet''s sealing came undone, Master Subhuti could''ve suppressed Sun Wukong whenever he wanted by relying on many methods at his disposal.

    Also, there were so many countless openings that could''ve been exploited, too.

    Even then, Master Subhuti didn''t capitalize on any of them. One didn''t need to rack their brains to figure out his reason for that.

    It was also an apparent reason.

    "Because this isn''t a real battle."

    Master Subhuti''s method was to teach at every opportunity. They fought under the pretext of sparring, and through this fight, he continued to teach Sun Wukong.

    Despite the latter loudly proclaiming that things would be different this time, nothing was different in the end. At a casual glance, this battle seemed to be finely balanced, but the truth was, Subhuti was constantly teaching Sun Wukong, who had been exposing many openings up until now.

    "You made a correct call not to use your clones."

    And even right now...

    "If you''ve chosen to use clones, controlling the golden fillet would''ve become so much harder for you. I don''t know whether or not you realized that playing a numbers game against me was meaningless, but no matter what, you did well."

    Master Subhuti was imparting his final teachings to Sun Wukong.

    "I see that you can control the golden fillet for much longer now. Even so, your proficiency with Ruyi Jingu Bang is still quite inadequate. As for Insight, well, it''ll definitely get easier to use once you learn to control your temper a bit more."

    He continued to point out Sun Wukong''s shortfalls and talked about improving on those things that the latter lacked.

    From the posture of swinging around a staff to the circulation of Dao energy required to throw a punch and even the methods of using Insight Sun Wukong had newly acquired through Buddha''s teachings¡ªSun Wukong absorbed Subhuti''s teachings. Hence, his posture had noticeably improved compared to before.

    Bang¡ª!

    Master Subhuti deflected Sun Wukong''s final attack¡ªthe Ruyi Jingu Bang that had grown to the size of a mountain¡ªupward. He did that with only a flick of his finger.

    "Alright then, let''s stop here."

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    The Ruyi Jing Bang landed on the ground, shaking it greatly. The reverberation even reached Su-hyeun, who was riding on the Somersault cloud high up in the air.

    Huff, pant...

    Sun Wukong heard that, and rather than continuing with his rampage, he retracted the Ruyi Jingu Bang and hid the golden fillet away.

    He continued to huff breathlessly and then held his aching head with one hand. He found it hard to suppress his primitive instincts from going out of control due to the length of time the golden fillet''s sealing had been lifted.

    "T¡ªthank you for..."

    Rustle...

    Plop¡ª

    Sun Wukong continued to stagger, but in the end, he crumbled to the ground face first.

    Master Subhuti didn''t support him, though, and instead chose to turn around and trudge away. "Fuu-woo, that sure was tough."

    "Thank you for your hard work, uncle."

    "Oh, you were watching, too?" Subhuti accepted a wooden canteen from the Bull Demon King. He then glanced back and saw Su-hyeun and the Roc Demon King helping Sun Wukong up.

    As for Sun Wukong himself, he must be fast asleep since his whole body was limp while soft snoring noises could be heard coming from him.

    The water inside the offered canteen made out of bamboo was refreshingly cold.

    Subhuti drank half of the water, then poured the rest on his head. All the sweat streaming down his forehead was cooled down instantly, and his soaked clothes were dried up just as quickly as well.

    "Now that feels refreshing," said Master Subhuti.

    "How was it, uncle?"

    "That kid, Wukong, he sure has grown up a lot. It''s gotten fairly tough even for me to fight him while matching his pace."

    Master Subhuti had actually sweated?

    This would be the Bull Demon King''s first time seeing such a thing.

    He had never sparred against Master Subhuti. As for Subhuti''s reason, he always said that the Bull Demon King had "nothing left to learn from sparring."

    As such, Master Subhuti only sparred with Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King. Even when both of them attacked together, not only did Subhuti not break out in a sweat, but even his breathing was left unruffled as well.

    But now, one of the Five Godly Sages, Master Subhuti, was sweating away.

    Even if he had been fighting and teaching Sun Wukong for four hours, this was...

    "Uncle, you''ve gotten a lot frailer," the Bull Demon King sensed that something was off. Subhuti had ascended to the realm of Taoist God, so he would be blessed with an infinite lifespan, yet his face was filled with wrinkles. "Have you gotten older as well?"

    "It''s only natural for one to grow older as time passes. There''s no need to forcibly hold onto life with no more regrets left, don''t you agree?"

    Now that was something a Sage might say.

    The Bull Demon King nodded at Master Subhuti''s meaningful words. Although his heart was aching beyond imagination, he couldn''t just turn away and reject reality.

    Master Subhuti was this type of person¡ªfrom their first meeting all the way to even now, too.

    "How long...do you have left, uncle?"

    "Mm, maybe..." Subhuti replied while closing his eyes.

    His reply caused a single tear to trickle down from the Bull Demon King''s usually expressionless eyes.

    * * *

    After losing consciousness, Sun Wukong didn''t wake up even after the sun had set and the day drew to a close. It was all thanks to abusing the golden fillet for too long.

    The Bull Demon King and the Roc Demon King remained by Sun Wukong''s side to nurse him. They brewed medical herbs and fed the concoction through his lips. They even lit some warming fire within the room, something they hadn''t done in a long while.

    And so, as the day drew to a close, Su-hyeun made his way through the forest.

    Tap, whoosh¡ª

    For some reason, the moon was brighter than usual tonight, and there weren''t a lot of clouds to obscure the view. Despite the deepening night, he didn''t feel that the forest was too dark to see through.

    After dashing across the forest for a while, he spotted the tallest tree found here.

    Leap¡ª

    Fwhoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun broke through the branches to reach the top of the tree. And after grabbing hold of a particular branch sticking out...

    "You were here, sir?"

    Su-hyeun greeted Master Subhuti.

    The latter was sitting down on the top of the tree. While sitting all alone in the middle of the night to stare at the full moon, he replied without looking back at Su-hyeun, "So, you''ve finally arrived."

    "Were you waiting for me?"

    "It''s not like I saw it through Insight, though. I mean, just how old am I, anyway? Even a blind person could see it. It was that obvious that."

    Meaning, he didn''t need to see into the future to figure out that Su-hyeun would sooner or later reach him.

    That made sense since they had already made an appointment earlier. Before the sparring session with Sun Wukong got underway, they had talked to each other about it, after all.

    Fluff¡ª

    Rather than sitting on top of the tree, Su-hyeun summoned the Somersault cloud and lay on it. As the night deepened, the previously pleasant weather became just a bit chilly on the skin.

    While lying on the Somersault cloud, Su-hyeun muttered to no one in particular, "Pretty..."

    The moon in this world looked especially large. It was a similar story for the stars, too. Su-hyeun couldn''t tell whether there were more stars visible in this place or it was just an optical illusion. Regardless of what, the night sky above was more beautiful than any others he had witnessed in his life.

    "It seems that you like the sky?"

    Su-hyeun nodded, "Yes, I like it a lot."

    Lying on a cloud to stare at the moon...

    Anyone who heard about such a thing would''ve loved to experience it at least once in their lifetime, but Su-hyeun was capable of doing it whenever he felt like it.

    However, in truth, it was almost impossible to do so unless it was during certain times such as this one.

    Su-hyeun remained lying on the cloud to feel the winds on his skin and stared at the sky for a little while longer before finally asking something, "How much time do you have left, sir?"

    Master Subhuti responded to that question with, "You''re asking the same question as the eldest did, huh?"

    That reply was not really related to the question itself.

    Was it because he didn''t feel like answering? Su-hyeun chose not to dig any further. He had no right to hear the answer if the Bull Demon King himself didn''t get it earlier.

    "Even I do not know for sure."

    "Hm?" Su-hyeun made a confused face.

    Not sure, he said.

    Someone on the level of Master Subhuti could surely tell what his remaining lifespan must be. When he thought that, another line of thought brushed past his mind abruptly, "Could it be that...?"

    "It''s being forcibly held back, so to speak," said Master Subhuti as he raised his hand.

    Faint smoke leaked from the tips of his hand to scatter in the air.

    But that was no ordinary smoke. In reality, his physical body was slowly evaporating.

    "I always thought that I wouldn''t cling onto my life, but doing that turned out to be a bit harder than I thought. Remaining time, you ask? It can be many years, months, maybe a few days, a few hours...or even a matter of seconds," Subhuti said with the same expression as his usual self. "Or maybe...it could be right this moment, too," he continued.

    Su-hyeun remained silent.

    A state where he could "disappear" right away if that''s what he chose¡ªsomething he could easily do since only the most insignificant lingering attachment was left for him¡ªwas Master Subhuti''s current state.

    "Did you know? As you live a near-infinite life, the value of life itself wears out and grows diluted in your mind. And then, sooner or later, you begin to ardently wish for your own existence to end."

    "Are you saying you''re tired of living, sir?"

    "Tired, hm? Well, yeah, I guess it''s similar. Honestly speaking, before I met those kids, I had been thinking of ending it soon."

    Those kids, he said. He was referring to Sun Wukong, the Bull Demon King, and the Roc Demon King.

    "Wukong has grown up a lot, didn''t he? And even the Roc seems to have cooled down a lot of his anger simmering in his heart, too."

    "What about the First Brother, though?"

    "The eldest, he..." Master Subhuti''s words trailed off, then he shook his head, "I can only apologize to him, that''s all."

    Su-hyeun didn''t say anything.

    "Hmm...Maybe I''ve told you some unnecessary things here. Repeating the same old tale over and over again...I didn''t prevent my body from growing old and didn''t stop time from taking hold of me, so it seems that I''ve grown a lot more senile these days."

    "No, it''s fine, sir."

    "Ah, that''s right. I did promise to tell you the answer to the question you were most curious about after the sparring with Wukong ended, didn''t I?"

    When Master Subhuti asked that, Su-hyeun silently nodded.

    This was the reason why he sought Subhuti out so late at night like this. Still, he couldn''t bring himself to ask it first since the old god looked like he would soon turn into a wisp of smoke and disappear¡ªthat was how unpredictable his state looked.

    Thankfully, though, Master Subhuti took the initiative to mention it first.

    "Yes, you were right," Subhuti started nodding and began his reply. "The Tower you''ve been climbing all this time is indeed Yggdrasil."

    The thing Su-hyeun had been curious about for a very long time wasn''t the system but the true identity of the Tower itself.

 Chapter 473 - 473

    * * *

    He had been thinking about this for a while.

    If the system was created by the Five Godly Sages, including Master Subhuti, then what was the Tower of Trials?

    "There are countless worlds in the Tower," Su-hyeun thought.

    In a nutshell, the Tower was practically an infinite number of worlds.

    Different worlds existed on each of its floors, and through the trials given out from each of these worlds, an awakener would get to travel to another¡ªa new world.

    The structure of the Tower was this: you received trials through the system, and after clearing it, you were transferred to the next world.

    Basically, awakeners grew stronger through the "Tower" and the "system." And this was to counter the dungeon threat created by Shiva¡ªkind of like a "vaccine" meant to fight against the virus affecting the universe.

    "Yggdrasil..."

    And now, Su-hyeun finally learned what the Tower actually was straight from Master Subhuti himself.

    He had heard that name before, of course. It was probably the best-known example of a World Tree that usually appeared in the Northern European mythologies.

    It was also known as a Tree that "connected different worlds," and that was similar in meaning to the Tower of Trials that bound many different worlds to one entity and divided them into floors.

    Su-hyeun asked, "Just what exactly is Yggdrasil?"

    "It''s the largest World Tree¡ªa passageway that connects many different dimensions, which also happens to be a gigantic world itself that occupies half of all known universe and dimensions."

    "And you created the Tower using such a tree?"

    "Technically, we can''t say we created it. We merely overlaid our system on Yggdrasil that already existed, after all. We simply utilized a tiny little portion of the countless worlds out there, that''s all."

    It was not a created world but one that already existed. What they had done was simply weaving and tying together the worlds that already existed as floors in the form of the World Tree.

    "Well, if we wanted to create it, then there wasn''t much stopping us back then, but still."

    Su-hyeun was surprised by what Subhuti said seemingly in passing, "Wait, something like that was even possible?"

    The Godhood of Creation was an ability on another realm compared to every other godhood out there. That was, without a shred of doubt, the power of the biblical God Su-hyeun was familiar with.

    Even after becoming a god himself, and not just any god but someone fairly close to the Five Godly Sages in terms of strength, Su-hyeun still didn''t even dare to entertain any thoughts regarding the act of creation.

    "Of course, it''s impossible for me. However, I do know of an existence capable of doing it."

    "Who is it?"

    "Brahma, one of the Five Godly Sages and also a Primordial God."

    "Brahma," Su-hyeun quietly mouthed that name.

    If it was that Brahma, then he should be the god who stood diametrically opposed to Shiva. It was stated that when Brahma created a universe, Shiva would eventually destroy it. Apparently, this process had been repeating itself endlessly.

    He could very well be the cornerstone in stopping Shiva''s threat, then.

    "Where is he right now?" Su-hyeun urgently asked.

    "I also do not know."

    Unfortunately, Subhuti''s reply left no room for doubts. Still, Su-hyeun thought that Subhuti should know since they were all Five Godly Sages.

    "Is there a way to find him, in that case?"

    "It has been eons since he disappeared. Actually, since the beginning of this universe up to this day, he hasn''t shown himself for about half of that time," Master Subhuti said before standing up from his spot. "As such, it''ll be better to give up on trying to find him."

    "Sir, were you also searching for him?"

    "Yeah, I searched for him for a long time. I must''ve been searching for several millennia at least, but I probably gave up after realizing that it''s impossible, if I remember correctly."

    Several millennia, he said. To Su-hyeun, who had only lived for a handful of decades, that time was unimaginably long. Sure, he now had acquired memories of his past lives, but even so, he still felt that such a period was just too indescribably long.

    "Not only that but there isn''t too much left in this universe''s lifespan, anyway," Master Subhuti muttered while looking up at the stars in the night sky.

    Those stars had a finite lifespan, and the same applied to the universe as well.

    Now that Shiva had begun moving, the destruction on the scale that surpassed mere clusters of planets and reached the entirety of the universe and all the dimensions within it would commence quite soon.

    "But who decided that?" Su-hyeun asked in a combative tone. He wasn''t asking that because of his curiosity, though.

    He wouldn''t let that happen, was what he was trying to imply. It didn''t matter whether it was a Primordial God or not; he was planning to fight them right until he couldn''t fight anymore.

    "Mm, I wonder," but then, Master Subhuti suddenly stared intensely at Su-hyeun and asked, "Tell me, who do you think has decided it?"

    "Huh?"

    "The universe has already met its destruction repeatedly. There are no universes with an infinite lifespan. Even most of the gods who boast about possessing infinite lifespans will perish at the end of the universe, too. The universe will eventually get destroyed so that it could be reborn again."

    "But there''s no reason that has to be now."

    "Well, it''s bound to happen sooner or later whether you like it or not."

    What an inflexible statement that was.

    It seemed that he didn''t care about the destruction of the universe or matters related to it from the get-go. Then again, Subhuti was someone with no attachment to life itself in the first place, and that was why he didn''t stop his age from taking hold of him.

    Any further arguing from here on would basically be meaningless.

    More importantly, though, a new guest had joined them by now.

    "What are you two doing up there?"

    Step, step¡ª

    The Bull Demon King was walking closer while being bathed in the bright moonlight.

    His silver hair was sparkling under the pale light. Master Subhuti looked over to the Bull Demon King, then whispered in a soft voice, "I''ll leave it up to you, young man."

    "Understood."

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    Subhuti''s figure melted into the tree itself.

    Su-hyeun shook his head helplessly after watching the old god instantly transform into a tree branch.

    "Seriously now, with him, it''s like I''m witnessing some crazy magic trick," Su-hyeun inwardly sighed.

    Su-hyeun was confident he would not get surprised by an odd thing these days. Even so, he had to admit that every so often, Master Subhuti''s techniques came across as too otherworldly and bizarre to him.

    For instance, turning into a part of a tree just like now, or even getting absorbed into the ground, things like that.

    His "sorcery" technique seemed to have already become a part of nature itself. At this point, it would not be strange to see him somehow create heaven and earth outright with a slight exaggeration.

    After confirming that Master Subhuti was gone, Su-hyeun jumped down to the ground below the tree and greeted the Bull Demon King, "You''re here, First Brother?"

    The Yogoe quietly stared at the spot where Subhuti used to be, then asked a question, "Weren''t you with uncle just now?"

    "Yes, but he said something came up, so he had to leave right away."

    "Something came up?" asked the Bull Demon King looking somewhat unconvinced.

    Then again, he wasn''t some ordinary idiot who would fall for an excuse that flimsy. Even though that was the case, Su-hyeun couldn''t come out and say the truth out aloud since he promised Master Subhuti.

    Still, what a relief it was.

    "Yes, I''m sure he has many things to prepare."

    The Bull Demon King was a rather quick-witted individual, after all. He figured out easily enough that Master Subhuti was deliberately avoiding him.

    Even so, he pretended to not notice it because he knew the real intentions of Subhuti all too well.

    "Were you able to discuss many things with him, then?"

    "Ah, yes, more or less..."

    "Is that so?" the Bull Demon King smiled meaningfully, then began walking away. "Come with me for a little walk," he said.

    Step, step...

    The Bull Demon King took the lead, and Su-hyeun didn''t say anything as he followed after him. Su-hyeun didn''t make any sound and remained quiet.

    They reached their destination about one hour of silent walking later.

    The Bull Demon King led him to a massive oriental palatial complex located within the forest.

    "This place is...?"

    "It''s my old home."

    Walking for one hour might have covered some distance, but in the end, it wasn''t as far as one might think. If one chose to run or even use the Earth Shrink Technique, one could have reached this place in the blink of an eye.

    When Su-hyeun heard that it was the home where the Bull Demon King used to live, he instinctively scanned the complex.

    Its scale was rather considerable. Although it wasn''t tall, the overall length stretching left to right must have been well over a few hundred meters.

    It was hard to even imagine just how vast this whole place must have been inside. Quite a lot of dust had accumulated on the perimeter walls. Still, some traces of human activity could be spotted here and there.

    "First Brother, have you been coming here often?"

    "I stop by once every year or so, and today is exactly one year since the last time."

    "So how come¡ª?" Su-hyeun was about to ask why the Bull Demon King wasn''t staying in this sprawling palatial complex but stopped himself in the end.

    Between a small hut only around four square meters big that could crumble to dust at any given moment and a massive palatial complex stretching for tens of thousands of square meters, you didn''t have to be a genius to figure out which one would be a better place to stay.

    Despite not even going through with his question, the Bull Demon King still understood what Su-hyeun wanted to ask.

    While stepping across the entrance of the complex, he spoke, "This is where I lost my previous family."

    "I''m sorry?"

    "I killed them."

    The moment Su-hyeun heard that, he felt like his breathing suddenly stopped.

    He killed his family. Those words sounded even worse when knowing how deeply the Bull Demon King cared about Sun Wukong, the Roc Demon King, and Su-hyeun.

    When Su-hyeun stood around awkwardly, not knowing what to say, the Bull Demon King decided to continue to break the ice instead, "Do you remember the time when Wukong went berserk on us?"

    "Yes."

    "That was the true nature of us, the Yogoes. We may seem similar to humans on the surface, but we''re not that much different from monsters on the inside. We sometimes lose our reasoning and go berserk and lose ourselves to our baser desires."

    Creaaak...

    The Bull Demon King cast his gaze over the various spots of the palatial complex, the location where he used to live with his family a long time ago.

    Su-hyeun, looking around the place after being cognizant of that fact, began spotting several dried blood spots here and there that hadn''t been erased or washed away through time just yet.

    "I was no different. Even though I tried so hard to suppress it, I failed. And despite knowing this, I got greedy for something that I shouldn''t have desired."

    "What greed are you referring to?"

    "I fell in love with a human woman. Such a thing is an absolute taboo among the Yogoes. Even so, I loved her, and with her by my side, we built our home here and lived together. For ten years, we were truly happy."

    Ten years¡ªto the Bull Demon King, something like that would be like a blink of an eye since compared to the length of time he had lived, a decade would indeed just be a fleeting moment and nothing more.

    However, this thing called reminiscence¡ªone''s longings and regrets¡ªwas bound to be mired in some of the briefest brief moments one could imagine. Because you could never turn back the clock, those moments would inevitably feel even more tragic.

    The current Bull Demon King was stuck in that stage.

    "Ten years. Ten years was my limit¡ªa limit of time that I could remain as a human and not as a Yogoe, that is."

    Su-hyeun didn''t need to hear the rest to figure out what happened next.

    The Bull Demon King, too, seemed less than keen on discussing the events back then and quietly tucked his memories away.

    "Afterward, I found myself with a new family. I also learned the Sage Arts so that I wouldn''t end up like back then. I really did put in a great deal of effort over the years. Whenever Wukong went berserk, I suppressed him, and when he woke back up, I patted him on the back just like how I had always been doing."

    "Is that your lingering regret, First Brother?"

    "I can no longer clearly remember the face of my wife. I promised that one day I''d find her again, but oddly enough, it didn''t become my lingering regret."

    "In that case?"

    "My little brothers..." For the first time ever, the Bull Demon King''s voice was audibly laden with his emotions. "I need to look after them, but..."

    This was the first time that the Bull Demon King''s voice was laced with such genuine emotions.

    "If it''s us, you don''t have to worry too much about¡ª"

    "Do you honestly believe that Osiris will only target uncle?"

    When the Bull Demon King said that, Su-hyeun was instantly rendered speechless.

    Master Subhuti had requested Su-hyeun not to divulge any information on the current matter to anyone. And as per the request, Su-hyeun didn''t bring this matter up with anyone, which obviously included the Bull Demon King.

    However, the Bull Demon King already knew about the "relationship" between Osiris and Master Subhuti.

    Su-hyeun asked, "How long have you known, First Brother?"

    "Did you think I would be doing nothing after uncle disappeared out of the blue?"

    "Why didn''t you say something?"

    "What good would talking among us do, anyway? All I can do is get stronger, and that''s about it."

    Su-hyeun recalled the time when he first met the Bull Demon King.

    The Yogoe instantly figured out that he was under the influence of the "power" called the system. Back then, Su-hyeun chalked that down to the Bull Demon King''s innate mysterious power or something like that, but that wasn''t entirely correct, as it turned out.

    No, he already had knowledge of almost everything by then.

    "Youngest brother," the Bull Demon King began, his voice now containing so many emotions.

    "Yes, First Brother?"

    "May I burden you with a favor?"

    Goh-oooh, goh-ooooh¡ª

    The entirety of the palatial complex began shaking ominously, with the spot below the Bull Demon King acting as the epicenter.

    Both heaven and earth seemed to be quaking as the ground caved in deeply. This incredible pressure, heavy enough to send deathly chills down Su-hyeun''s back, suddenly manifested, causing him to swallow back his saliva.

    And then, an image of a gargantuan white ox could be seen standing behind the Bull Demon King, and it was glaring at Su-hyeun. That was the true nature of the Bull Demon King, the primal instinct of a Yogoe.

    "That favor..."

    Shu-ru-rung¡ª

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword and gripped it with both hands, then respectfully got into a stance, "I shall gladly take it on, First Brother."

 Chapter 474 - 474

    * * *

    Guu-ooong, craaaack¡ª

    The ground rocked violently and eventually began splitting apart.

    Clouds that drifted from afar were torn to shreds to scatter in the skies. The trees in the forest were either pulled straight out of the ground¡ªwith their roots and all¡ªor were broken in half to roll around on the ground.

    "W¡ªwhat the heck was that?" Roused up from sleep by the shockwaves, Sun Wukong forced himself to sit up. The injury-induced slumber left him drowsy, but he could still tell quite clearly what was going down right now. "Big Brother?"

    The aura he felt belonged to the Bull Demon King.

    There was no mistaking it. The impact force capable of rending the heaven and earth and the Dao energy that drew from nature itself belonged to no other.

    As for his opponent...

    "But why with the last brother...?"

    It was none other than Su-hyeun.

    As soon as Sun Wukong had woken up, he knew that something seemed to have happened, so he hurriedly shot up from his bedding.

    Even though Sun Wukong''s injuries from his fight against Master Subhuti were not fully healed, and the mental fatigue built up from abusing the golden fillet for too long was still there, Sun Wukong forced himself to move.

    Step, step...

    Creeeak...

    Every step he took was arduous, but eventually, he opened the door to exit. When he did, though...

    "Where are you going?" the Roc Demon King, who was sitting on the roof, asked while looking at Sun Wukong.

    The latter stopped for a moment and looked up at his Second Brother. The Roc Demon King was perched up on the roof, his wings neatly tucked away.

    Sun Wukong pointed at some distance, "Can''t you tell by looking? Big brother is currently fighting against our little brother over there, right?!"

    "I also have eyes, you know."

    "Then why?"

    "Don''t butt in. That''s what First Brother wanted."

    Sun Wukong faltered at what the Roc Demon King said, but his train of thought didn''t trail off for long, "I dunno what''s what, but I still have to go over there and try to stop them, Second Brother."

    "Is that so?"

    Just as Sun Wukong got going again...

    Whoosh¡ª

    Craaash¡ª!

    The Roc Demon King leaped off from the roof, grabbed Sun Wukong''s head, and slammed it straight into the ground.

    Such a thing wouldn''t crack Sun Wukong''s head open; even if it did crack, he possessed the Godhood of Immortality, so he wouldn''t die at the hands of the Roc Demon King.

    Crack, crunch...

    The Roc Demon King''s hand continued to crush Sun Wukong''s head to the ground. The latter couldn''t shake off his Second Brother''s grip; he only barely managed to turn his head slightly so that he could ask something, "What...do you think you''re doing?!"

    "First Brother asked me this favor. He said, you''ll definitely act recklessly like this, so I must stop you no matter what."

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    The Roc Demon King used his whole body to press Sun Wukong down to the ground, then looked up at the storm clouds amassing in the skies some distance away, "That''s why you should behave yourself and stay here."

    "Why are you... doing this...?!" Sun Wukong tried to struggle free in his rage, but his body didn''t want to listen to his commands.

    Now, usually, he would never be suppressed by the Roc Demon King like this. The gap between their individual physical strength had widened far considerably by now, after all.

    But at this moment, at least...

    "What can you do with your current body, anyway?"

    Griiip¡ª

    The Roc Demon King was well aware of Sun Wukong''s current physical condition.

    "And who told you to overuse the golden fillet in the first place?"

    "Eeeeek!" Sun Wukong continued to struggle for a while longer.

    Sun Wukong tried so hard to escape from the Roc Demon King''s grasp, but he just didn''t have enough in the tank right now. At his current healing rate, he probably would need another half a day for his body to sufficiently recover and use his strength to free himself.

    Eventually, Sun Wukong was drained of his strength, and he sagged to the ground. "Just why are those two fighting, anyway?"

    The Roc Demon King heard that spiritless question coming from below him, then replied while still sitting on his little brother, "It''s time to let our First Brother go."

    Sun Wukong''s whole body flinched at that.

    He was well aware of how his First Brother couldn''t let go of that single lingering attachment that held him back for a very long time and caused him to be stuck here for far too long. Both Yogoes also had a vague idea that such an attachment was deeply connected to them.

    "But will our littlest be enough, Second Brother?"

    "No choice but to believe in him, I guess."

    From this exchange, Sun Wukong finally understood how the fight had started in the first place.

    And if the Bull Demon King indeed asked the Roc Demon King to hold Sun Wukong down here, then it could only mean that their First Brother was really determined this time.

    "Dang it," Sun Wukong gritted his teeth, "Gimme a break. I can''t even tell who to cheer for here."

    A part of him didn''t want the Bull Demon King to leave, while the other part wanted his big brother''s wish to come true and get rid of his lingering regret. These two parts of Sun Wukong got tangled up messily in his mind.

    On the one hand, if Su-hyeun managed to win here, then the Bull Demon King should be able to rid himself of his attachment. On the other hand, the latter''s victory would mean he would have to keep staying next to their side.

    To put that in another way, Su-hyeun''s victory would prompt the Bull Demon King to leave their side, but the latter''s victory would leave him still bound to his attachment.

    "It''s the same for me, too."

    It wasn''t just Sun Wukong who had that dilemma, however.

    "I also can''t tell what I am supposed to do here." While saying that, the Roc Demon King strengthened his grip suppressing Sun Wukong below him.

    He did that to hide the trembling of his hand.

    And so, the two of them continued to struggle while spectating the battle between Su-hyeun and the Bull Demon King taking place far away.

    * * *

    [Thunderbolt]

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    A Thunderbolt fired straight out of Su-hyeun''s hand brushed past the Bull Demon King''s head. That wasn''t the only one, however.

    Su-hyeun gripped several more Thunderbolts and continued to fire one after another with all of his power.

    Flash¡ª!

    Shu-wuu...

    The Bull Demon King''s figure darted to the left and right.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Ka-zzzzzzik¡ª!

    Thunderclaps resounded belatedly.

    The explosion noises of the Thunderbolts could be heard a bit after that. In the middle of throwing the lightning spears, Su-hyeun realized that there was no point in persisting with this type of attack anymore.

    "He''s using Insight to see ahead, isn''t he?"

    The Bull Demon King''s Insight was truly exceptional. He probably saw a few seconds into the future that involved him and with a startling level of clarity, too.

    No matter how fast Su-hyeun threw the Thunderbolts, his attacks would all be useless in the end if the Bull Demon King already knew when, where, and in which trajectory they would be flying in.

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    So, Su-hyeun decided to change his tactic.

    [Thunder Sword - Earth Divider]

    Su-hyeun went with the basic swordsmanship that he knew intimately. Instead of throwing spears, he dashed straight in and powerfully swung his sword down.

    Flash¡ª!

    Kwa-dudududu...

    A mountain some distance away was split apart in half to follow the trajectory of Su-hyeun''s blade. Still, his weapon couldn''t complete its downward swing like how he had envisioned it.

    It was all because the blade got stopped midway.

    Grip¡ª

    The Bull Demon King''s bare hand had caught the blade mid-swing. However, Su-hyeun had no time to get stunned because...

    Smack¡ª!

    The Bull Demon King''s other hand, now rolled into a fist, crashed straight into Su-hyeun''s side.

    "Kkeuk..."

    Su-hyeun wasn''t flung away, however; he strengthened his abdomen and legs to withstand the impact force. At the same time, his hand that was not holding the sword thrust forward to throw a punch.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Smaaaash¡ª!

    His fist, now transformed into flames, slammed into the Bull Demon King''s chest. The exchange of blows forced Su-hyeun to stagger back. The Yogoe had to take a step back as well.

    The intense heat charred the Bull Demon King''s skin. While dusting his scorched body nonchalantly, the Bull Demon King said, "My hand is somewhat numb after hitting you."

    "I''m confident of my toughness, actually."

    The "Dragon Blood"¡ªone of the "abilities" Su-hyeun acquired after felling Fafnir¡ªwas a skill that halved the damage from both physical and magical attacks.

    Not only that, but Su-hyeun wore "Kali''s Blood Armor" under his current external armor set. That particular piece of equipment featured an ability to heal the wearer.

    The overall level of his defenses at the moment meant that he wouldn''t be shaken around by some average impact forces. Even if the Bull Demon King enjoyed monstrous physical strength, Su-hyeun was certain of withstanding one or two body blows without too much trouble.

    "Very good. In that case..." The Bull Demon King suddenly pulled out a fan.

    And right at that moment...

    "Blow away¡ª"

    "Arise¡ª!" Su-hyeun hurriedly called out to his summoned creature.

    "Palm Leaf."

    "Gyges!"

    Pu-haaaa-ahk¡ª!

    Powerful winds viciously blew toward Su-hyeun. The winds were as sharp as a treasure blade, and their nature meant that it was utterly impossible to dodge them all.

    Splat, splasssh¡ª!

    The harsh winds were everywhere, ripping apart some flesh and crushing some bones under their pressure.

    The Bull Demon King finished waving his fan, then stopped moving for a while to stare at a giant creature standing before his eyes. There was no mistaking it; he had definitely seen this creature back when they were wreaking havoc across the Dark Realm.

    "Is that your summoned creature?"

    Drip, tumble...

    It was Gyges, a humongous giant that possessed 50 heads and hundreds of arms and legs. This summoned creature suffered the attacks, its bones visible under ripped flesh.

    Once the winds stopped blowing, Su-hyeun jumped up and landed on top of Gyges. Those winds were impossible to evade, and he couldn''t think of any other way to protect himself. In the end, he had to summon Gyges to act as a meat shield.

    "Excellent. Truly excellent," the Bull Demon King smirked deeply.

    Summoned creatures could be used not only as weapons during a battle involving great numbers but also as shields during critical moments. A creature like Gyges with a tough physical body and humongous size would present the summoner with near-infinite possibilities depending on how it was utilized.

    The Bull Demon King went beyond complimenting Su-hyeun''s ability; he was feeling genuinely pleased right now.

    The better Su-hyeun''s skills were, the greater the odds were of the Bull Demon King finally ridding himself of his lingering attachment.

    "Well, then. Now..."

    Crunch, crack, ku-dududu¡ª

    Power seeped into the Bull Demon King''s legs, and the ground below began cracking and splitting apart. He assumed a standard punching stance, then opened his mouth once more, "Here I come again."

    Baaaang¡ª!

    The Bull Demon King''s figure seemingly vanished from the spot.

    Right at that moment...

    Su-hyeun''s eyes saw a certain scene.

    "AH!!!"

    BANG¡ª!

    A loud explosion of air came from right next to Su-hyeun''s head as he tilted it out of the way. The Bull Demon King''s fist had missed him by a hair''s breadth.

    "If it wasn''t for Insight...!"

    Su-hyeun would''ve been struck square in the face.

    For an instant there, he saw himself getting hit in the head by the Bull Demon King''s punch and flying away helplessly.

    Su-hyeun twisted his body and punched when the Bull Demon King closed in fearlessly for close-quarter combat.

    [Heavenly Demon''s Hundred Steps Fist]

    Smaaack¡ª!

    Crunch, bang¡ª!

    Physical combat was now taking place. Its participants were facing each other at an even closer distance than when one used swords to fight.

    Pow¡ª!

    A mountain''s summit some distance away from them was blown away; the storm clouds of the Somersault hovering in the skies were ripped to shreds, and the explosion noises reminiscent of thunderclaps continued to rock the surroundings.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s figure was instantly enveloped in flames. His fist, burning in purple-colored flame, stretched toward the Bull Demon King.

    But right at that moment...!

    POW¡ª!

    The Bull Demon King''s fist landed on Su-hyeun''s head first.

    The latter''s body that had transformed into flames scattered instantly, but the flames quickly wrapped around the Bull Demon King, and their purple color became even more intense.

    Bang! Boom! Ka-boom¡ª!

    Flames exploded in a row. The Bull Demon King raised his hand and cocooned himself in Dao energy.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun took some distance away then stared at the Bull Demon King.

    "It wasn''t all that effective, was it?"

    He relied on his transformation to land that sneak attack, yet his target didn''t even get singed at the end of it all. The Bull Demon King had deployed Dao energy all around himself as a protective barrier. Even though that was as basic as a technique could get, there was no doubting its effectiveness.

    Clack...

    Su-hyeun glanced at the sword he held in his hand. "Why did it have to be now, of all times?"

    He couldn''t help but feel rueful at the fact that Palm Leaf wasn''t with him right now.

    He could substitute the effects of the Armor of Hades with Dragon Blood, but he didn''t have anything to replace the cutting power or the sturdiness of the Palm Leaf Sword on him.

    Sure, he had already surpassed the realm where he needed to rely on his weapons to fight many moons ago. Still, he could do nothing about missing his sword in an urgent situation like this one.

    "Well, there''s no helping it, I guess."

    Squeeze...

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    While gripping his sword tightly, Su-hyeun began directing lightning energy into the blade.

    [Thunder Sword]

    Baaaang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun gripped the Thunder Sword and dashed straight at the Bull Demon King.

    The latter watched on, then, for some reason, put away the fan in his hand, "So, you wish to rely on weapons to fight now?"

    Right at that moment...

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    "Huh?!" Su-hyeun hurriedly retracted the sword he was about to swing down at the Bull Demon King, then urgently leaped back.

    Gu-wuuuung...

    Craaaaaack¡ª!

    The land the Bull Demon King stood on was spectacularly overturned and shot up in the air. Su-hyeun stared at the jutting landscape before slicing it clean horizontally.

    Slice...

    Kugugugu...

    The jutting landmass followed along the cut surface and fell to the side, allowing him to take in the Bull Demon King''s figure beyond the crumbling rocks.

    "So, that was it."

    The cause of the warning bell that suddenly went off in his head...

    A slender black rod was currently slung over the Bull Demon King''s shoulder.

    [Mixed Iron Rod]

 Chapter 475 - 475

    * * *

    The night before, when the four of them were drinking together...

    "What Big Brother was like in the past, you ask?"

    That was the question Su-hyeun threw out to his brothers during that occasion.

    Just what was the Bull Demon King''s personality like way back in the past?

    Although it was rude to ask that in front of the person in question, Su-hyeun was far too curious to let it slide. After all, he had already heard some bits and pieces about the Bull Demon King''s old personality from Sun Wukong in passing.

    "Well, it was no joke, I can tell you that."

    "Back then, we couldn''t even freely talk about it like this."

    Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King replied in turn, then smirked to themselves.

    When Su-hyeun sneaked a glance to the side, he noticed the Bull Demon King faintly smiling as well. He would''ve at the very least pretended to smack his younger brothers in the head if they said nonsense about him, yet he was not doing any of the sorts.

    "Wow, it must be true, then," Su-hyeun thought.

    Although they were smiling, the two Yogoe brothers were definitely telling the truth here.

    And the fact that the Bull Demon King was also smiling? It probably meant that he was also conscious of what he was like in the past.

    "Can''t you just tell me what he was like back then?" Su-hyeun, his curiosity now greatly piqued, pestered the others for more answers.

    When he did, Sun Wukong pondered something for a bit, then replied contemplatively, "Okay. Hmm¡­he was utterly terrifying."

    That was a somewhat vague, roundabout answer.

    However, it wasn''t that Sun Wukong didn''t want to answer properly, but this was most likely the limit of his ability to describe something in detail.

    However, that vague answer was still enough to let Su-hyeun know that Sun Wukong was genuinely scared of the Bull Demon King back then. The one and only Sun Wukong, who possessed the power of immortality that even surpassed the grip of death and fear itself, was actually scared of someone.

    Now that it made sense why Sun Wukong was utterly helpless against the Bull Demon King''s orders.

    The Roc Demon King chimed in, "Let me tell you something. Our Big Brother was even more violent than this kid, Sun Wukong, back then."

    "More violent...?" Su-hyeun sneaked a glance at the Bull Demon King.

    The Bull Demon King silently nodded. His expression said he agreed with the usage of the term "violent." Despite the revelation of him being even more violent than Sun Wukong, he didn''t try to deny it.

    "Just how bad must he been for him to..." Su-hyeun''s thoughts trailed off.

    There was no doubting that Sun Wukong was a good brother to Su-hyeun, but that didn''t automatically turn him into a kind brother. A good person was only a single word difference from a kind one.

    But to think that the Bull Demon King was even more violent than Sun Wukong. It was almost impossible to even imagine how bad he must''ve been like back then.

    "Wow, that''s practically at the level of a gang boss..."

    Su-hyeun ended up muttering something without realizing it, causing the whole room to suddenly fall into this eerie silence.

    Then, a short while later...

    "Fuut, fuu-hahahahaha!"

    "Ahahah! Hahat, ahahahat!"

    Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King burst into peals of laughter. They were so close to one another that it was hard to tell who started laughing first.

    Even the Bull Demon King was chuckling. It seemed that he also found Su-hyeun''s opinion of "gang boss" too amusing to hold back.

    "Aaargh, my tummy. Kek. Kekeke," Sun Wukong held his aching belly and rolled around on the small room''s floor while laughing, then wiped away some tears that had trickled from of his eyes.

    The boisterous laughter continued for a while, and Su-hyeun eventually joined them with a sheepish grin of his own. He was beginning to feel apologetic to the Bull Demon King for some reason.

    Sun Wukong barely managed to stop laughing to his mouth to say, "Right, back in the past, he used a weapon called the Mixed Iron Rod. He originally used that instead of the Palm Leaf Fan, and when I first met him, he often beat the living snot out of me with that thing."

    "Mixed Iron Rod?"

    "Yeah, it''s this pitch-black rod for dishing out beatings. It hurts like hell if you get hit by it. Big Brother took it out less and less as his Sage Arts got better, though. Even I haven''t seen it in ages."

    The Bull Demon King had another weapon beside the Palm Leaf?

    Although Su-hyeun''s curiosity was piqued again, he couldn''t ask for the rod to be displayed during this occasion. The Bull Demon King not bringing that rod out could only mean that he no longer wanted to use it.

    "Will I get to see it in the future, I wonder?" Just as Su-hyeun''s curiosity regarding this Mixed Iron Rod was about to reach its fiery peak...

    "Wait a minute, are you implying that only gangsters are more violent than me?!" Sun Wukong, who abruptly regained his wits, spun his head to stare at Su-hyeun.

    And his sudden outburst caused the room to explode into another fit of laughter.

    "Fuu-hahahahat! Now you finally figured it out!" the Roc Demon King laughed loudly.

    Meanwhile, the Bull Demon King said, "Now that you understand, perhaps you should behave yourself better in your daily life, Wukong."

    And so, they spent the night in that manner¡ªmerrily and boisterously.

    * * *

    The discussion regarding the Mixed Iron Rod was nothing more than a brief interlude during the night and nothing more.

    Even so, it was made abundantly clear that the Bull Demon King hadn''t brought that weapon out in a truly long time.

    "Which means he''s thinking of getting serious now," Su-hyeun inwardly concluded.

    The Bull Demon King, who had been using his bare fists or his fan until now to fight, finally pulled out his Mixed Iron Rod¡ªa "club" around one meter in length and somewhat thick in width, too.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The Bull Demon King grasped the Mixed Iron Rod with both his hands, then assumed the stance of taking a big swing.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Craaaack¡ª!

    Riiiip, ka-booooom¡ª!

    He then smashed a nearby tree, shattering it into million pieces, with those pieces flying toward Su-hyeun like bullets. But the flames that rose in front of Su-hyeun burned all those tree shrapnel to ashes.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Right after that, the Bull Demon King held the Mixed Iron Rod up high.

    Su-hyeun looked up at the rod that was already above his head, then powerfully swung the Thunder Sword diagonally upward.

    [Heavenly Demon''s Blade - Dragon Ascending to Heaven, Annihilation]

    Smaaaaash¡ª

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    The Thunder Sword clashed and blocked the Bull Demon King''s descending Mixed Iron Rod. Powerful ripples of electricity spread out, with the spot where the two of them collided as the epicenter. The ground where Su-hyeun stood on deeply caved in.

    "So heavy!" Su-hyeun inwardly complained.

    "Kuk..."

    Su-hyeun''s hand gripping the sword shook with the pressure. Without driving a ton of magical energy into the blade, he guessed that the blade would snap in an instant.

    "What on earth is up with this stupid level of strength?" he thought.

    Sure, the Bull Demon King''s height wasn''t exactly on the short side, but even so, how could someone with that physical size bring out this much strength?

    Su-hyeun wielding the Thunder Sword was the one being pushed back in the contest of strength. Despite his stats rising by two points after killing Fafnir, all he could do right now was to hold on for his dear life with everything he had.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Smack, bang, pooow¡ª!

    The Mixed Iron Rod moved around seamlessly.

    Su-hyeun barely responded by raising the sword to defend on time, yet his wrist was rapidly getting numb. He staggered back and stared at the Bull Demon King, who was lightly wielding the Mixed Iron Rod with his usual expression.

    "It''s like he''s a completely different person."

    The usual Bull Demon King had a serene personality, like a gentle stream of water.

    There were times when he would reveal a dangerous, oppressive side similar to today. Still, even then, he only did it for very brief moments.

    But his current fighting style was like that of a fighter even more crazed than Sun Wukong¡ªvicious and terrifying. That black rod was certainly hard, yes, but even so, each clash sent shockwaves powerful enough to rock the terrain.

    Most likely, that was the hidden ability of the Mixed Iron Rod, the Bull Demon King''s other weapon besides his favorite, the Palm Leaf Fan.

    Griiit¡ª

    Just as Su-hyeun clenched his teeth...

    Claaang¡ª!

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    The Mixed Iron Rod was deflected upward, and at the same time, arcs of powerful electricity exploded everywhere.

    [Thunder Dragon Sword - Miru]

    Bzzzik, vzzzzik¡ª

    The Thunder Dragon coiled around Su-hyeun''s sword.

    Whooooosh¡ª!

    [Shattering the Sky, Absolute Destruction - Thunder Dragon Miru]

    The electric dragon, seemingly made of crimson energy, stretched forward. The Bull Demon King grasped the Mixed Iron Rod tightly with both hands, then took an almighty downward swing.

    Mooooo¡ª!

    The massive white ox screeched loudly.

    The light burning in the Bull Demon King''s eyes became white in color. Then, the moment his Mixed Iron Rod and the crimson dragon extending from Su-hyeun''s sword collided...

    FLASH¡ª!

    All sounds instantly died as a pillar of light that emitted crimson and white aura shot up straight into the sky.

    Piiiiiii¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s ears rang. The light was so intense that not even his Insight could see through it, and he ended up shielding his eyes with his hand.

    The collision of the two powers was like water and oil, never meant to be mixed together. It was almost impossible to sense anything within this maelstrom.

    Su-hyeun rigidly waited, feeling deeply tense. He waited for the light to subside and for his vision to be restored just a little.

    Quake, shudder...

    The ground below began bucking ominously. Right after that, his vision was restored.

    "Crazy son of a¡ª!"

    His barely restored vision saw countless clumps of rocks. The ground below broke apart, and rocks rose to surround Su-hyeun from all directions. Not only was the ground below his feet quaking, but even the skies above him were filled with rocks of varying sizes.

    He finally recognized the situation he was in and urgently tried to escape, but then...

    "Crush him."

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Crunch! Wudududuk¡ª

    All those clumps of rocks closed in on Su-hyeun''s position in the center and began crushing down on him.

    * * *

    Crunch, wuduk...

    A small "planet" began floating up into the sky.

    The soil rose from various parts of the forest to stick to this floating lump of earth. Initially, it looked big enough to have the appearance of an asteroid, but the huge "boulder" gradually grew smaller and more compact in size.

    Squeeze, crunch...

    The Bull Demon King''s hand was extended toward this lump of rocks, and he was continuously squeezing even tighter by relying on his grip strength.

    It was the same principle as compacting a large boulder into the size of a small stone. A boulder might be fragile enough to easily break apart in the beginning, but that would no longer be true if one continued to compact it.

    Most importantly, though, it was none other than the Bull Demon King compacting that boulder right now.

    "As I thought, it is difficult," he furrowed his brow deeply after sensing the powerful resistance coming from deep within the boulder.

    However, that didn''t mean he was thinking of stopping his hand from squeezing. This battle had turned into a situation where Su-hyeun was inside the boulder, fiercely resisting the Dao energy driven by the Bull Demon King. Meanwhile, from the outside, the Bull Demon King compacted said boulder even further.

    The boulder that was the size of a small planet gradually shrunk. It decreased by one-one hundredth, then down to one-ten thousandth, of its initial size. Eventually, it became so small that it was only around two meters in diameter.

    Drip, drip...

    Sweat began trickling down from the Bull Demon King''s forehead.

    "And so, with this..."

    The Bull Demon King''s other hand was also extended forward. But then, his hand faltered ever so slightly as a dilemma reared its head in his mind.

    What would happen if he clenched this hand, too?

    And during that brief window of indecision...

    Crack¡ª

    A faint little crack ran down on the surface of the boulder that had shrunk down to barely over two meters in diameter. And then...

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª

    The energy circulating within the boulder experienced a sudden upheaval. The Bull Demon King''s control over the boulder, which had been acting according to his will to crush it even further a second ago, suddenly got weaker.

    Shwa-aaaaah¡ª

    The energy flow was no longer from the outside to the inside but from the inside to even deeper inside.

    It was as if energy was being sucked in.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun couldn''t move a muscle due to the sheer pressure crushing him. Even moving a single finger proved to be incredibly hard right now.

    "At this rate, I might die."

    Even though he wasn''t convinced that the Bull Demon King would actually kill him, a battle couldn''t be fought while having such a relaxed mind.

    Besides, he didn''t start this thing with such a mindset, anyway.

    This battle was the "final fight" before the Bull Demon King could ascend to full godhood. He was most likely fighting this battle with a mindset that Su-hyeun probably couldn''t even imagine.

    "What should I do here?" Su-hyeun contemplated, his eyes deeply closed.

    What were avenues available to him?

    An idea popped up in his head, so he immediately put that into practice.

    [The "Hero - Immortality" trait is activating.]

    [Lifeforce and stamina will rapidly recover.]

    [All physical abilities will be significantly enhanced.]

    It was his "Immortality" trait.

    Consequently, his magical energy and prana reserves that had fallen below the halfway mark from this fairly lengthy battle were being rapidly filled up. Even though this effect only lasted during the duration of the Immortality trait, under his current situation, it still proved to be a great help nonetheless.

    The same applied to the rapid enhancement of his physical abilities.

    Wiggle¡ª

    He could now move his fingers, but that was all he could do.

    "It''s still not enough."

    The Immortality trait alone wasn''t enough to break through this predicament.

    He could sense it through his entire body. He could sense just how much Dao energy the Bull Demon King was pouring into the boulder to create this level of crushing pressure.

    If it was this level of Dao energy, then it would surely be possible to cause an explosion vicious enough to tear his whole body apart into bloody pieces.

    "Wait a minute."

    Su-hyeun used the tip of his fingers that could barely move now to accept some of the Dao energy that was flooding in from outside the boulder.

    He could vividly sense a flow of energy reminiscent of a water stream.

    He wondered about why his senses had become so attuned to his surroundings, and he got to his answer rather quickly. It was all thanks to a new skill that got "imprinted" on him recently.

    Shu-aaaahk¡ª

    Through the tip of his hand, the Dao energy circulating within the boulder seeped into him.

    This energy, not meant to be absorbed in the first place, entered his body and caused a negative reaction, an adverse rejection akin to oil getting mixed up in his bloodstream.

    However, he still felt confident of successfully controlling this new energy.

    "Now, normally, something like this would''ve been impossible, but..."

    [Predation]

    Crunch¡ª!

    Su-hyeun extended his hand forward within this compacted boulder.

    "But if it''s the current me....!"

 Chapter 476 - 476

    Su-hyeun''s energy reserve that was running nearly empty only a second ago was rapidly being refilled.

    No, wait¡ªit went beyond simply filling up back at this point. Not only was it overflowing, but even the container itself was threatening to burst at the seams.

    He was still unable to control the energy he had sucked up through Predation fully. The Bull Demon King''s Dao energy was far too strong to do that, but there was also Su-hyeun''s low proficiency with the Predation skill to consider.

    As such, there was only one way left at this stage.

    "All this Dao energy I have absorbed, I must¡ª!"

    Wuuuuong¡ª!

    The interior of the boulder began vibrating viciously.

    The two streams of the same energy flowed in opposing directions. As the two streams collided, Su-hyeun sent in a small amount of flame into the collision spot.

    When he did that...

    Rumble¡ª!

    The powerful energy circulating within the boulder became fuel for the necessary ignition.

    And then...

    BOOM, Ka-boooooom¡ª!

    A massive explosion went off inside the boulder.

    * * *

    The explosion swept across the surroundings and even reached the Bull Demon King not too far away.

    The Bull Demon King spread a barrier of winds before him to contain the explosion. He then slammed his Mixed Iron Rod on the ground to overturn the earth, using it as a secondary layer of protection for himself. However, all of those barriers were still swept aside by the explosion, in the end, crumbling to nothingness in an instant.

    He had no choice but to endure the remaining ripples of the explosion with his own body. His brows shot up high at this spectacular level of heat he had never experienced before in his entire life, and he muttered helplessly, "Little brother..."

    The inside of his head blanked out at that moment.

    While he was briefly stuck in hesitation, that one thing he was most worried about ended up happening for real.

    He might not have willed it to happen, but even so, the compacted rocks and the Dao energy circulating within became the necessary fuel for the explosion.

    That boulder was something he created by spending around half of all of his Dao energy reserve. Such an amount was used to cause an explosion, so it wouldn''t have been strange to see at least half of the forest disappear from the face of the planet.

    No, wait¡ªif the Bull Demon King hadn''t used the Palm Leaf to contain the explosion, then this could have become an even bigger catastrophe.

    Cough, wheeze¡ª!

    As he became worried about his little brother''s fate, he heard someone cough their lungs out within the smoldering ruins and billowing flames.

    Only one person was strong enough to survive such an explosion despite being stuck in the middle of it. The Bull Demon King''s eyes, which had no focus to speak of until then, quickly regained their composure.

    "First Brother, I... really thought I was going to die just now," Su-hyeun complained as he stepped out of the burning flames, a set of crimson "blood" armor protecting him.

    It was Kali''s Blood armor, the armor set created by Hephaestus from the blood of the Predator Kali, one of the Ten Great Evils. It offered protection against heat to such a degree that the wearer could ignore most high-temperature situations.

    Not only that, but the flames were created through the Dao energy Su-hyeun had absorbed in the first place, so they did not significantly affect him. The only damage he had incurred was some charring from the remaining heat that couldn''t be fully kept away.

    "In that case, why did you do something that reckless?" the Bull Demon King asked.

    "Were you worried about me, First Brother?"

    "Of course."

    "I think we should stop here."

    The Bull Demon King didn''t make a reply.

    Clack¡ª

    Su-hyeun sheathed his sword. Even the blood armor covering his figure seeped back under his regular armor.

    In other words, he was in a completely defenseless state.

    And shortly afterward...

    "You''re right. It is time for us to stop," the Bull Demon King finally said, also putting away his Mixed Iron Rod. He then raised his head.

    His whole body was soaked in sweat. Compared to Su-hyeun, who was charred black from top to bottom, he certainly looked to be in a much better state, but even so, the Bull Demon King had to acknowledge the truth.

    There was no point in continuing this fight. He was too exhausted now; he was no longer in a state good enough to continue fighting.

    "You have gotten stronger, little brother."

    Su-hyeun had finally reached the Bull Demon King''s level where he could protect his siblings. On this level, he could ably take on his First Brother''s role in his absence.

    "Were you planning to do this from the beginning, First Brother?"

    The Bull Demon King froze for a moment at Su-hyeun''s question.

    Su-hyeun continued before a reply could come his way, "Surely, you could have ended it just now, couldn''t you? Normally, there''s no reason for you to try and contain the explosion itself, either."

    "..."

    "From the very beginning, winning or losing didn''t matter to you. Am I wrong?"

    The Bull Demon King didn''t reply to Su-hyeun''s questions for a long time.

    He simply kept his eyes closed and opened them after some time to take in the skies peeking through the black smoke plumes. "I have been delaying it until now," he said.

    "Delaying it, you say?"

    "I could have ascended at any time I wanted, but I did not, all because I have made a choice."

    The Bull Demon King had already reached that state of ascension to the realm of the divine eons ago. He could''ve become a god at any time he wished. He could even get rid of his lingering attachment, too, if that were what he willed.

    "I was planning to ascend after today. Even so, I wanted to see it for myself first."

    "I''m guessing that you meant me?"

    "Well, uncle did a wonderful job of confirming Wukong''s level, after all. As for the Roc Demon King, he has been living in harmony with the villagers for a while now. The remaining matter that worried me the most was you, little brother," the Bull Demon King''s eyes now shifted over to Su-hyeun. The Yogoe, who seemed to be smiling faintly, began walking away, "Still, now I can rest easy."

    Shu-ruru...

    Whitish smoke suddenly wafted around just as the Bull Demon King''s figure began growing fainter.

    He had finally let go of all his lingering attachments and regrets.

    Su-hyeun once heard about this. The moment one ascended to the realm of a Taoist God, for a brief moment, one''s physical self would "vanish" and become wisps of smoke.

    It was the process of shedding one''s mortal coil and reconstructing one''s physical body and mind.

    Finally, the Bull Demon King''s ascension had begun for real.

    "What are you doing, not coming along already?" the Bull Demon King urged Su-hyeun, who had been standing there in a daze, to follow. "It is time to say goodbye, after all."

    Step, step...

    The Bull Demon King then began walking forward alone, perhaps believing that Su-hyeun would start following very soon. However, the latter found it rather challenging to do that right away. He was scared of going with his First Brother only to deal with their farewell.

    [You have passed the 202nd floor''s trial.]

    [You have acquired 1,000,000,000 achievement points.]

    [Strength has risen by one.]

    [Magic Energy has risen by o...]

    [...]

    A trial had been cleared¡ªit was a message that always managed to perk up his mood.

    But for some reason, the significance behind the message rather than its contents bothered him much more today.

    The fact that the trial was now over, it could only mean...

    "It means he''s made up his mind."

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun quietly began following behind his First Brother. Even though he wanted to delay their parting, he couldn''t let his brothers wait for him forever.

    * * *

    By the time they reached the hut, the Bull Demon King''s figure had become about half-transparent.

    The Roc Demon King sitting on Sun Wukong hurriedly got up. The Monkey King loosened his numb, aching body and welcomed their First Brother, "You guys are back!"

    Tap, tap...

    Sun Wukong quickly dusted himself off and then said, "Please hurry and come inside. I don''t think there is much time left, anyway."

    The Bull Demon King replied, "Alright."

    Neither Sun Wukong nor the Roc Demon King looked too saddened by what was about to happen.

    Su-hyeun and the Bull Demon King heeded Sun Wukong''s recommendation and stepped inside the cramped house once more.

    Since Sun Wukong was relatively poor at brewing tea, as usual, the Roc Demon King was tasked with bringing out four cups of tea.

    It was the same tea that the Bull Demon King usually enjoyed.

    Driiip...

    The Bull Demon King accepted the teacup the Roc Demon King had handed over.

    Su-hyeun always found occasions like this uncomfortable. He thought that the brothers would at least start shedding some tears, but for some reason, both Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King didn''t act any differently from their usual selves.

    Since they weren''t crying, Su-hyeun certainly could not start shedding tears, either.

    Unable to say anything, he simply had to keep his mouth shut. And as this silence continued...

    "You know, I have also lived for a long time," the Roc Demon King was the first to break the silence, "but even now, I''m still too immature, I guess. I thought I''d be used to it by now, but even so, I find it extremely difficult to say goodbye this time."

    After saying that, he brought the teacup to his lips.

    Sun Wukong silently nodded in agreement. And their actions reminded Su-hyeun of something somewhat belatedly. He remembered just how old this trio of Yogoes was.

    He couldn''t even imagine just how many goodbyes they must''ve said during their long lives and all those events and experiences they must''ve lived through.

    "Hey, Fourth Brother, are you alright?" Right now, it seemed that Sun Wukong was more worried about Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun felt his tears well up, but he held back. Just like the other two, he nodded with the most composed, unmoved expression he could pull off, "Yes, I''m fine."

    "You''re lying, though."

    "But it''s still better than sobbing his eyes out, you know? We promised not to say goodbye in such an embarrassing manner, right?"

    Sun Wukong lightly reprimanded Su-hyeun, but the latter''s shoulders were patted by the Roc Demon King instead as if to say he did the right thing.

    Forgetting about the strength he possessed, for the time being, Su-hyeun couldn''t help but kind of feel as he had suddenly morphed into the only kid in this room.

    The Bull Demon King, who was calmly sipping tea and listening to his brothers'' banter, put the teacup down for the last time and said, "Second Brother."

    The Roc Demon King responded to that call, "Yes."

    "You shouldn''t hate the humans too much."

    The Roc Demon King flinched before replying, "I understand."

    He faltered, his face red as if he became embarrassed about something.

    Don''t hate humans¡ªthe Roc Demon King had heard those words ever since he first met the Bull Demon King. Only recently did he manage to stop hating humans too much. Honestly speaking, he didn''t expect his First Brother to say that again as his parting words.

    He now began to understand that he must''ve worried the Bull Demon King a lot up until now.

    The Bull Demon King''s gaze shifted over to Sun Wukong next, "Third Brother."

    "Yes?"

    "I''ll leave our Fourth Brother in your care."

    Sun Wukong and Su-hyeun made the same face at those words.

    Leaving the Fourth Brother in his care¡ªthose words were supposed to mean that Sun Wukong was now tasked with performing the same role as their First Brother.

    Just like how the Bull Demon King requested Su-hyeun to protect both Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King, he was now asking the same thing from Sun Wukong.

    A short while later, Sun Wukong pounded his chest confidently and replied, "You don''t have to ask me. I''m already planning to do that."

    Now that was an energetic answer befitting Sun Wukong''s nature.

    The Bull Demon King nodded to say he expected nothing less. Then, finally, he shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun, "And finally, Fourth Brother."

    Su-hyeun nodded while saying, "Yes?"

    "We shall see each other again next time," said the Bull Demon King as a smile far brighter than any other bloomed on his face.

    Su-hyeun''s eyes immediately opened wider. It suddenly felt like something that had been tightly clogging a corner of his chest was cleanly blown away, allowing him to breathe again.

    Only then was he able to let go of the sullen expression and reply in a loud voice, "Of course, brother!"

    The moment that reply was made...

    Sha-aaaah...

    The Bull Demon King''s figure that was getting progressively fainter eventually completely scattered away, vanishing without a trace.

    Ascension¡ªthe moment the Bull Demon King had been waiting for such a long, long time that verged on eternity itself¡ªhad finally come.

    The whitish smoke filled up the room.

    Su-hyeun stared at the smoke and thought to himself, "He said that after he ascends, no one can tell when he''ll be able to return to us."

    When someone ascends to godhood, they would typically forget about their former mundane mortal life.

    Unless you were like Su-hyeun, who had the system''s help to meet all the requirements to ascend to a god, you could only ascend to a Taoist God by letting go of all your lingering attachments and regrets.

    Meaning no one could tell just when such individuals would be able to return to the mundane world.

    It could be either a decade, a century, or tens of thousands of years...

    Or even never.

    This goodbye wasn''t as permanent as death, but it still felt quite similar in a way.

    However...

    "We shall see each other again next time."

    The Bull Demon King''s words had a mysterious power to them. Su-hyeun couldn''t help but think that if the Bull Demon King said them, they would become a reality sooner or later.

    This was not an eternal farewell.

    They would meet again someday, without a doubt.

    "Why are you sobbing like that, though?" Sun Wukong stared at the Roc Demon King, who had his head lowered and was crying as quietly as possible.

    They might have gone through many goodbyes up until now, but this one seemed to have stung him the most.

    Sun Wukong abruptly pressed his face up close to the Roc Demon King, who was half-wailing by now, then used his fingers to push the corners of his lips up. "I mean, come on now, our big brother''s lifelong wish finally came true today, so let''s smile in happiness, at least."

    * * *

    The Bull Demon King was diligently walking within the thick fog.

    The gradient here seemed somewhat steep as if he was climbing a tall mountain. However, the path itself wasn''t that difficult to traverse.

    He was utterly composed, as if his mind was completely empty.

    For a long time, he wondered what the ascension process would feel like, but now that he was here, it didn''t feel that special at all. Was it because he had been dreaming about this for too long?

    After experiencing ascension, the moment felt like something rather apparent. This path had to be climbed, so he climbed it. This road had to be crossed, so he simply crossed it. That was what it felt like.

    "Is this the correct place...?"

    He seemed to have been walking for a long while, yet that one person he had been waiting for had not appeared yet.

    Just how long had he been walking for?

    The Bull Demon King came to a brief stop in the middle of this mountainous path. He then looked down at the spectacular scenery below, partly obscured by the fog.

    It felt like he was looking at a gorgeous painting.

    "Surely, King Yama wouldn''t have lied to me."

    The Bull Demon King took out the rice balls he had prepared earlier.

    This was a hiking trip, after all. Although he didn''t feel hungry, he still thought it wouldn''t be such a bad idea to enjoy some snacks now and then to ward off the boredom.

    Munch¡ª

    He enjoyed the view down below while munching on the rice balls. Although the damp fog interfered with his enjoyment just a little, it didn''t feel so bad overall.

    "Uhm, excuse me..."

    The Bull Demon King heard that voice and turned his head to the side.

    Someone was approaching him.

    "May I ask if you are willing to share that rice ball with me?"

    Approaching him shyly was a young woman. She was wearing clothes with a flower motif, with her hair parted into two braids. Her face was powdered to be pristine and pale-smooth, while her lips were painted striking red.

    She was certainly well dressed for the occasion.

    Where was she heading off to?

    The Bull Demon King quietly observed her face for a bit and then replied to her, "Please take a seat."

    He then handed over a rice ball to her.

    She accepted it with her small hands then demurely settled down next to him, "Thank you for this food, sir."

    "Were you on your way somewhere, miss?"

    "I¡ªI''m not sure," the woman replied and, after slightly parting her lips at first, took a large bite out of the rice ball.

    She must have been starving because she wolfed that rice ball down without even chewing properly.

    "I''ve been wandering around here for a while, but I can''t remember when I started doing that." She instantly finished that rice ball and then pointed at the remaining rice balls, "Is it alright for me to eat another one?"

    "Yes, it''s fine."

    "Thank you," she replied and then reached for the rice ball.

    In reality, she was probably not hungry at all. She didn''t seem to lack energy or something like that on the outside, after all. It seemed more likely that the food she got to taste after such a long time proved to be too delicious to hold back.

    "Do you not know the reason why you''ve been wandering in this place, miss?"

    "I''m sure there was a reason," the woman gulped down the rice ball then continued, "but it''s been too long, and I can''t remember it anymore."

    "Please, do try to remember."

    "Mm..." Her brows furrowed as she began combing through her memories. She even closed her eyes and began muttering to herself, "Maybe I was waiting for someone?"

    She barely managed to recall those memories from the past.

    Just how much time had passed for her on this side that she even forgot about the reason why she had to roam around this place?

    The Bull Demon King asked her in a calm tone, "Why do you wait for that someone?"

    "I think I must''ve liked that person? No one would have waited for someone they don''t like for this long, after all."

    "You must''ve liked that person very much, seeing how you patiently waited for him until now."

    "Mm... I think so, too, especially when over here is still hurting a lot even now."

    "Why are you still waiting for him, though?"

    "I heard that when I die, I must reincarnate. But that means I will lose all of my memories. I¡ªI didn''t want that. That''s why I thought I should wait for a little while longer¡ªwait until I can no longer wait. That''s what I thought, but now..." She brought her knees closer then rested her chin on them. "It''s been so long that there are too many things I can''t remember."

    "Does that mean..." The Bull Demon King handed over another rice ball to her and asked again, "You can''t remember who he is?"

    "Maybe if I take a look at his face directly, I might be able to recall something at lea¡ªAh?" The woman was cut off midsentence, but then, her eyes opened wider when the Bull Demon King presented his face right in front of hers. "Uh?"

    She looked genuinely stunned.

    The Bull Demon King stared deep into those wide-open eyes and softly asked her, "Can you remember now?"

    The woman nodded silently. Tears welled up in her eyes before trickling down uncontrollably.

    The Bull Demon King smiled radiantly and picked up the last remaining rice ball. He gently placed it in her hands and murmured to her, "I missed you so much."

    She used to love the rice balls that he made for her all those years ago.

 Chapter 477 - 477

    * * *

    "And so, in the end, it has happened this way."

    Master Subhuti raised his teacup.

    He quietly closed his eyes and savored the tea''s taste. Below him, and all around him, was a sea of pure-white clouds acting as comfortable cushions.

    However, he wasn''t the only god sitting on the clouds at the moment. He was accompanied by none other than his teacher, and they had been observing the events of the mundane world below for some time now.

    "Which direction will the universe flow now that the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven has ascended?"

    It was Buddha.

    Subhuti put the teacup down and opened his eyes. The Buddha before his eyes looked quite unlike the version that Sun Wukong encountered so, so many years ago, with a much smaller and frailer figure.

    Not even Subhuti knew which one was the real Buddha''s body, however. No matter how proficient he was with Insight, he was still unable to find out the truth.

    No one among the Five Godly Sages managed to figure it out, either.

    Subhuti spoke up first, "Whether the eldest will be absent from the upcoming war or become an even more invaluable strength for us after his ascension, the choice he makes from this moment on will be crucial."

    "Even before he ascended, he was an invaluable war potential."

    "Even so, master, now that he has ascended, is he not the perfect candidate to take over my role? He is far better suited for the role than my aged and sick self at any measure."

    Subhuti was diseased and had significantly weakened. If he wished to stop the process of getting old over time, he could''ve done so at any time he wished, but Subhuti chose not to.

    He wanted his existence to disappear along with the flow of time eventually. As such, he didn''t prevent his given lifespan from running out and patiently waited for his clock to reach its end.

    And when that day comes, a spot within the Five Godly Sages, the one occupied by Master Subhuti, would become vacant.

    "The eldest will surely do an excellent job, master. If it''s him, he certainly is more than good enough to be called one of the Five Godly Sages, after all."

    "That is indeed true..."

    Buddha used his frail, thin hand to lift his teacup.

    The tea''s surface reflected the figure of the Bull Demon King leaning his shoulder against a certain woman.

    How long did it take them to meet again like this?

    Their love began at the birth of the universe, and as the end of the universe loomed, they met each other once more.

    Not only were the Bull Demon King''s patience and suffering worthy of respect, but even the woman''s perseverance in waiting for this long demanded great respect from the others as well.

    "There would never be another love as deep as theirs in this universe. I am not keen on disrupting their time together," said Buddha.

    "But for the sake of their love, we need the eldest''s aid, master."

    "Meaning, we must not be lost in the small picture but focus on the big picture instead?"

    "It''s only this disciple''s wish, master."

    "Hmm..." Buddha then finished the tea in one go.

    His incredibly parched throat felt clogged and tight. There was the event of the impending death of his disciple with whom he had spent a truly immeasurable length of time. Still, he was deeply concerned about the turbulent times ahead for the universe after Subhuti''s death.

    Only the Bull Demon King seemed to be the suitable candidate to fill the void. But that didn''t mean they could request or even demand him to take over Subhuti''s role.

    Right now, he looked to be the happiest man in the universe.

    "What will we do from now on?"

    Since they probably couldn''t request the Bull Demon King directly for a while, they needed to proceed while assuming that the Yogoe would not be playing any further part.

    Subhuti pondered on something for a little while at Buddha''s question before he replied, "Lord Zeus is currently searching for Lord Brahma."

    "That''s not going to be an easy task."

    "As for my target... it will have to be Osiris."

    Osiris was one of the Three Destroyers, an existence referred to as the king of Predators.

    If Shiva were left out of the equation, he would be the strongest and most significant Predator alive. If they could hunt down and kill someone like that, then the war could very well unfold more advantageously for them.

    Buddha asked again, "Are you planning to fight him?"

    "No, master. It will be impossible for my current abilities. No, wait¡ªeven back in my heyday, I still wouldn''t be able to do anything to Osiris."

    "Indeed. He''s not alone, after all."

    Osiris possessed an army. Not just any army either, but one boasting a scale several times greater than the one found in the Dark Realm.

    Subhuti alone was simply not strong enough to do anything to someone like that.

    "That''s why I''m thinking of powering him up, master," Subhuti replied, then shifted his gaze over to the surface of his tea. The clear liquid was currently reflecting the scene of Su-hyeun sparring with Sun Wukong. "So that he becomes strong enough to battle Osiris."

    * * *

    Even after the Bull Demon King ascended, the daily lives of Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King didn''t change much.

    Sun Wukong would be munching on grass for the whole day, while the Roc Demon King had chosen to return to the village. As for Su-hyeun, he decided to act as the Monkey King''s sparring partner by wielding a copy of Ruyi Jingu Bang that a clone used.

    During the sparring sessions, Sun Wukong looked excited. He didn''t seem to be under some duress or anything like that while going about his daily activities, either.

    "What a relief," Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun put the copy of Ruyi Jingu Bang down and plopped down on the ground.

    The sparring proved to be rather challenging. The most apparent reason for that was the polearm''s weight. It was surprisingly heavy.

    "I still can''t get used to it."

    "What, you mean Ruyi Jingu Bang?"

    "Yes. It''s not so heavy that I can''t pick it up and swing it around, but to swing around something this heavy without much problem is a bit¡ª"

    "Even so, you seemed pretty good with it, you know?"

    "Precisely controlling it is still difficult, Third Brother. And imitating you to spin this staff around with one hand or changing its trajectory mid-swing is completely out of the question for me."

    "That can''t be the issue with your physical strength, though. Hmm... I''m sure it''s because of the difference in weight from your normal weapon. I mean, honestly, you and I don''t have much difference in physical strength."

    Sun Wukong was stupidly strong. He freely wielded Ruyi Jingu Bang even back when he first met Su-hyeun, after all.

    However, the current Su-hyeun was not weaker than Sun Wukong in terms of pure physical strength. No, wait¡ªhe was slightly stronger in reality.

    Even so, he still found controlling Ruyi Jingu Bang incredibly difficult because he was pretty unfamiliar with deploying his powers efficiently for a weapon that heavy.

    "Even back in the past as Cheon Mu-jin, I never wielded a weapon this heavy."

    This fact remained true even after combing through Su-hyeun''s previous life as Kim Sung-in.

    In the case of Cheon Mu-jin, his level in martial arts was so incredibly advanced that he could perform heavenly techniques like "Blooming Flower Substitution" or the "Art of Redirecting Force."

    However, the difference in the weapon''s weight, in this case, was on another much more ridiculous level altogether. If it was simply the matter of using weaker force to manipulate or deflect the greater force, then sure, that seemed doable. But to deal with Ruyi Jingu Bang''s massive weight, an item initially meant to measure the depth of the ocean floors, one required a great deal of effort to master the necessary skillset.

    "So how about it? You think you can handle it?"

    When Sun Wukong asked that, Su-hyeun contemplated his answer for a bit before shaking his head, "No, brother. It''s too difficult for me."

    "Really? But I thought you''d be fine with it, though."

    "It looks like a sword is a better fit for me rather than a staff, Third Brother. My stance is just too unstable, and honestly speaking, I''m far more proficient in handling the sword."

    He wasn''t wrong there.

    It was indeed true that Su-hyeun''s primary weapon was a sword. Even Cheon Mu-jin''s martial art stances were all primarily focused on swordsmanship as well, not to mention the fact that even during his current life, a sword was the weapon he most relied on and used for the longest time.

    But that didn''t strictly mean that a staff didn''t suit him either.

    He might not be able to control it to the same degree as Sun Wukong, but even so, he probably didn''t need too long to reach the Monkey King''s level of proficiency.

    "I''ll need around two, maybe three years, tops," Su-hyeun inwardly guessed.

    Sun Wukong''s staff technique was genuinely excellent, yes, but Su-hyeun already had prior experience of wielding staves as his primary weapon, all thanks to a particular martial artist who had almost attained the position of the number one under the heavens by relying solely on his staff technique.

    He was Jang Chun, the Crimson Hill Staff, a staff-wielding mass murderer.

    Thanks to his indiscriminate killing spree, he was designated the enemy of all Murim. Every member of the subjugation force dispatched to kill him ended up as a broken corpse at his hands, turning the battlefield, a nameless hill, into an ocean of blood.

    That man was no saint since, well, he was a mass murderer. In a way, he could be an even worse villain than Cheon Mu-jin, who drove his world to the brink of destruction for no good reason.

    As such, Su-hyeun was less than keen to utilize the martial techniques of Jang Chun if he could help it.

    Most importantly of all...

    "If I say it''s fine, he will probably give me the staff for real," Su-hyeun thought.

    The last thing the Bull Demon King said to Sun Wukong was his request to look after Su-hyeun.

    The Monkey King might be an immature and recklessly fearless individual, but his love and sense of duty toward his family were perhaps stronger than anyone else out there.

    Someone like that suddenly asked Su-hyeun to try using Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    The reason for that seemed rather obvious.

    "He''s probably trying to look after me no matter what it takes."

    However, Su-hyeun didn''t wish for that. Sure, having Ruyi Jingu Bang as a weapon would be pretty good, but that was just about it.

    Not only was he not confident of lugging around a staff this heavy on his back just as Sun Wukong did, but he also didn''t feel much of a need to do so.

    More importantly, rather than spending two or three years just to get proficient with Ruyi Jingu Bang, it would be a far more efficient usage of his time to search for another way to become stronger.

    "Third Brother, what are your plans from now on?"

    After losing his first family from the Mountain of Flower and Fruit, Sun Wukong always stayed next to the Bull Demon King. But the Bull Demon King was no longer around. He had ascended, and the Roc Demon King had settled down in a human village.

    Since Sun Wukong was very good with the transformation technique, he would probably have no problem living among the humans.

    But whether he would do that or not was still unknown. Also, whether or not Sun Wukong would stick around in this house alone was another unanswered question.

    "For now, I''m thinking of going along with uncle."

    "You mean, Master Subhuti?"

    "Well, yeah, he doesn''t have many years left, after all."

    Su-hyeun flinched a little when Sun Wukong said that, then he cautiously gauged the latter''s mood.

    As it turned out, the Monkey King wasn''t bluffing here. He knew the truth already.

    "Huh. What was I supposed to keep as a secret, again?"

    Subhuti requested Su-hyeun not to speak of his dwindling lifespan to anyone, yet it seemed that it had been too easy to see through the old god''s ruse.

    But then again...

    The Bull Demon King already knew the truth, so there was no reason why Sun Wukong wouldn''t have figured it out by now, too. Not only that, but he even had a sparring session with Subhuti not too long ago as well.

    "I noticed that uncle has gotten a lot weaker. He seemed to be trying to hide it from me, but even so, I can tell that he''s not hung up on extending his lifespan."

    "Are you alright with that?"

    "I can see First Brother again in the future, but uncle... Well, the dude himself wants it this way, so we are in no position to stop him."

    Now that was surprising.

    What Sun Wukong said just then seemed entirely at odds with his usual manner of speech or mentality. Since the Bull Demon King''s ascension, Su-hyeun had been getting a feeling that the Monkey King, despite his behavior, seemed to have matured a lot recently.

    "No, wait," Su-hyeun quickly corrected his opinion. "It''s not that he''s gotten more mature." He then sneaked a glance at Sun Wukong''s expression. "Right, he''s already a mature person, to begin with."

    Even though he acted as the youngest of the brothers and fooled around like a spoiled kid, he was much older than Su-hyeun''s estimation.

    It would probably be difficult to find a god among the ones alive right now that was older or at least as old as Sun Wukong.

    As it turned out, Su-hyeun had been the one acting like a kid all this time.

    "We''ve rested enough, so should we get going again, Third Brother?"

    When Su-hyeun got back up while dusting his clothes, Sun Wukong looked up at him and asked, "Ng? Will you be fine, though?"

    "Yes, don''t worry. Honestly, it''s not like I was exhausted, anyway. Oh, and this time," Su-hyeun pulled out his sword, "I''m going to use my sword instead of the staff."

    The sparring just now was to learn staff-wielding techniques from Sun Wukong, who was proficient with using a staff as a weapon.

    But the sparring session this time would be where they get to pit their real strengths, which was something Sun Wukong earnestly wished for.

    "Now that sounds like fun," Sun Wukong replied and jumped back up to his feet while lifting Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    But something else happened around the same time.

    Ku-rururu, rumble...

    The white fluffy clouds floating around in the sky suddenly changed into dark storm clouds, and lightning and thunder began cracking within them.

    "Huh?" Sun Wukong stopped moving and muttered while looking up at the sudden gathering of the storm clouds, "It''s uncle."

    Flash¡ª!

    A lightning bolt struck down and split apart a nearby tree in half. At the same time, Master Subhuti using a well-made wooden stick, made his appearance there.

    "Sir, that seems like an unnecessarily flashy entrance."

    Subhuti, who had been absent for the past few days, reappeared on the scene while being accompanied by thunderclaps and storm clouds. He might be famous for commanding nature itself, but it was still questionable whether or not he needed to make such a grand entrance just now.

    "It couldn''t be helped since I wanted to get here sooner. Apologies if I ended up being a bit too noisy."

    "Uncle, First Brother¡ª"

    "Don''t worry. I saw it all, Wukong," Subhuti nodded at Sun Wukong, then shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun. "Both of you, you need to come with me to a particular place."

    Sun Wukong tilted his head at that.

    Su-hyeun likewise made a puzzled face at that sudden announcement of them needing to go somewhere. "Where are we going, sir?" he asked.

    Subhuti heard Su-hyeun''s question and used the walking stick to tap the ground below his feet.. "To the ''Hell of Scorching Heat.''"

 Chapter 478 - 478

    * * *

    It was hard to tell whether this place was on the ground or up in the sky.

    Master Subhuti had brought them to a place filled with heat intense enough to melt one''s skin down and burn one''s soul merely by coming in contact with anything.

    Su-hyeun furrowed his brow, then shielded his eyes from the intense piercing light.

    There seemed to be more flowing lava than solid ground offering stable footing in this place. It all kind of felt like he was standing in the middle of a volcano going off.

    "It''s boiling in here."

    He wouldn''t have felt this hot from some regular lava, though. The thing was, he had the divine Flame, which granted him a high level of tolerance toward most types of fire so that an absolute majority would feel lukewarm to him at this stage.

    Even Hellfire¡ªthe fire that originally burned in the netherworld¡ªfelt lukewarm to him, so it was safe to say that Su-hyeun''s Godhood of Fire was a higher class than what your average gods possessed.

    "These flames are hotter than even Hellfire. Forget about physical bodies; they might even burn one''s soul to ashes."

    He bent down a little and dipped his hand into the lava. It felt like he had just dropped his hand inside a pot of boiling water.

    As he pulled his hand out, Master Subhuti asked him from behind him, "Wasn''t that dangerously hot for you?"

    "If it weren''t, I wouldn''t have pulled my hand out, sir," Su-hyeun wiped off the lava clinging on to his hand.

    Sweat had soaked his whole body like a deluge by now.

    Sun Wukong was not fairing any better as he was plopped on the ground, panting heavily with his tongue sticking out like a puppy stuck in a stifling summer day. "Uncle, just why are we even in this place?"

    Master Subhuti shifted his gaze over to the sagging Sun Wukong, who was quite clearly defeated by the heat, and replied calmly, "For the time being, we''ll be living in this place."

    "Uh? Eeeeh?!"

    "I''m sorry?"

    Sun Wukong and Su-hyeun displayed a similar reaction at the same time. They couldn''t tell if it was even possible to eat or sleep in an insanely hot place.

    "This is a prison of sorts where Predators and even gods are locked up."

    "Wait, not humans but actual gods?"

    "Unless you''re not a god on the level of the Five Godly Sages... and a Predator on the level of the Three Destroyers, you will never escape from this place. The one guarding this place is none other than King Yama, after all, a true neutral, who doesn''t favor any sides."

    King Yama was the "gatekeeper" of Hell and served as the judge of the dead. The stories about him were easy enough to hear. Never mind those who got to meet the individual in question, it was tough to find someone who knew what King Yama even looked like in reality.

    "As such, you two will have to stay in this place from now on. No, let me correct myself there. You must now try to escape from this Hell of Scorching Heat."

    "Can''t we just retrace our steps back in that case?" Su-hyeun looked behind him at the doorway leading into this Hell of Scorching Heat.

    The opaque doorway was the same one they used to cross over into this place with Master Subhuti. It also happened to be the same sort of passageway used to hop over to different worlds.

    But then...

    Subhuti replied, "It''s impossible."

    "How come?"

    "Didn''t I say it already? This place is a prison meant to lock up not humans but gods and Predators. Of course, there is no easy way to escape from here."

    He was right about that.

    A prison would only be helpful if the prisoners couldn''t easily escape. Just about every god knew how to create doorways to travel to other worlds, so if left unchecked, they should be able to escape from this Hell of Scorching Heat relatively easily.

    "He wasn''t lying," Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun tried to open a doorway himself but could only frown deeply when his gate seemed obscured by something and turned blurry before disappearing altogether.

    The passage that led inside was open, but the path back was undoubtedly blocked.

    This situation reminded him of a certain famous saying all of a sudden.

    "If you wish to return, though, I can always speak to King Yama about it. You aren''t here to repent for your sins, after all, but even if that''s the case, you still won''t be able to leave with your powers."

    They wanted to escape from the stifling, choking heat as soon as possible. But even so, Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong were unable to say that was what they wanted immediately.

    "There must be a reason why you brought us here, correct?" Su-hyeun asked.

    Subhuti nodded slowly, "The most optimum way of training is to undertake harsh training akin to self-torture. I''ve been saying that for what feels like an eternity to Wukong. These days, I''m sure his ears hurt just by listening to it again."

    "Training, you say...?"

    "Do your best to survive in this place. Or at the very least, you should see a substantial transformation after you learn to acclimatize in this heat," Subhuti continued to speak while fanning his face with his hand.

    It seemed that even though he was the one saying these things, he, too, was suffering from the heat.

    "I did kill Fafnir, so it should be fine on that side," Su-hyeun pondered for a bit of while before nodding in agreement, "I''ll do it."

    The one who taught the Bull Demon King, Sun Wukong, and the Roc Demon King was Master Subhuti. He was also revered as one of the Five Godly Sages.

    The teachings of someone like that should not be a waste of time. And since Fafnir''s invasion had been dealt with already, Su-hyeun figured that there shouldn''t be any urgent problems popping up on Earth for the time being.

    "But why did it have to be so hot?" Sun Wukong muttered, soaked in sweat. He sounded like he hated hot weather.

    Subhuti looked at the Monkey King and asked again, "Are you not going to do it?"

    "Of course, I''ll do it, uncle," Sun Wukong replied as his eyes gleamed sharply.

    Su-hyeun said he would do it, so obviously, Sun Wukong couldn''t back down from here. Not only that but there weren''t many days left where he would get to see Master Subhuti''s face.

    In a way, this might be Subhuti''s final lesson for them. When he thought that way, his enthusiasm began burning even more fiercely.

    "Okay! So what are we supposed to do now?" When Sun Wukong asked enthusiastically, Master Subhuti suddenly grinned brightly.

    It was one of those smiles filled with lots of wrinkles that happened to be capable of putting your mind at ease.

    "You will now cross this."

    "Eh?" Sun Wukong turned his head to look at the spot Subhuti was pointing at.

    It was a lake filled with boiling crimson lava. The lava flowing there was so hot that the flames of the eight-way trigram Crucible seemed refreshingly chilly in comparison.

    After thinking, "Wait a minute," to himself, Su-hyeun asked a question as well, "Me too?"

    * * *

    Kku-rururu...

    Su-hyeun, holding his breath for a long time and walking on the bottom, finally broke through the lava''s surface.

    "Fuu-woo..."

    But never mind being cooled down, the outside didn''t even feel lukewarm. Su-hyeun was experiencing first-hand what it was like to be a slice of meat being boiled in hot water.

    And the same applied to Sun Wukong.

    "Uwaaah... I¡ªI can''t go on anymore..."

    He was limply floating on the lava surface, entrusting himself to the liquid''s flow. He might possess near-infinite stamina that allowed him never to get tired no matter how long he fought, but he was relatively defenseless against the heat.

    Su-hyeun reached out and grabbed Sun Wukong''s ankle just as the latter began drifting back to where they came from, "Where are you going, Third Brother?"

    "Little brother, can''t you, like, drag me to the finish line like this? I can''t go on anymore."

    "But what''s the point of this training if you do that?"

    "Well, you tell me, what''s the point of doing this in the first place? Urgh, too hot!" Sun Wukong''s tongue hung limply as he closed his eyes. He looked utterly pooped out.

    Honestly, Su-hyeun felt the same way as well.

    "I also had no idea that I''d get to walk inside boiling water, after all," he thought.

    However, only Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong were capable of treating lava as some boiling water. Others would most likely melt into nothingness the moment they touched the molten lava¡ªquite literally, Hell of Scorching Heat, indeed.

    There shouldn''t be all that many gods in the entire universe and all of the dimensions capable of withstanding this level of heat, that was for sure.

    "No, wait¡ªthere are ways to withstand the heat, aren''t there?"

    For instance, if he chose to envelop himself in magical energy and prana, or even by activating Kali''s Blood armor, most of his problems with heat would be resolved instantly.

    But right at this moment, he must not do that. Doing so would render the time spent in this place meaningless.

    Bubble, bobble...

    Pop, sizzle...

    More and more bubbles began popping up over the boiling lava''s surface.

    Su-hyeun nudged Sun Wukong''s leg, "Third Brother, it''s here."

    "Alright," he raised himself from the surface of the lava, extracted Ruyi Jingu Bang from his back, spun it around once, and got into a stance.

    And right at that moment...

    POW¡ª!

    Splaaaash¡ª

    The lava''s surface exploded and a lengthy creature shot out from below. It was a crimson centipede.

    It seemed to possess hundreds of legs and was around 40 meters or so in length. Rather than a centipede, it seemed more believable to call it a small dragon instead.

    "Get longer¡ª"

    Whooooosh¡ª

    Stab¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang extended at the speed of a thrown spear and pierced straight through the centipede. However, the wound itself looked like nothing more than some slight nick compared to how enormous the creature was.

    Right after that...

    "Get bigger, Ruyi."

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    The moment Ruyi Jingu Bang enlarged while stabbing it, the centipede was ripped apart into tiny shreds.

    Tumble, bang, tumble...

    Sizzle...

    When the pieces of the centipede landed on the lava, its meat instantly melted down. The carapace that protected its tender innards was strong enough to withstand the lava, but the meat inside was not.

    Clack¡ª

    Sun Wukong could only lick his lips ruefully at the latest opponent, which they defeated so easily.

    After stepping into the Hell of Scorching Heat, the only occasion Sun Wukong was able to regain his energy was whenever he was fighting against his enemies.

    "Why the heck is that thing so weak?"

    "Well, surely the creatures living in a place like this can''t be all that strong, Third Brother. Oh, and also..."

    Bubble, bobble...

    Su-hyeun stared at the bubbles popping over the lava''s surface, "There seems to be more than one this time."

    "Oooh, really?" Sun Wukong smirked as if this was for the better.

    Puhaaaak¡ª!

    Fwhooosh¡ª

    Soon afterward, dozens of centipedes burst through the lava and began spewing hot flames from their maws.

    Su-hyeun didn''t even bother to dodge or block the flames, however. He withstood them all with his body.

    It all felt like someone was pouring lukewarm water on his head.

    "Honestly, it''s not even any hotter than the lava itself."

    All the heat accumulated in him meant that most flames at this stage didn''t even feel hot to him anymore.

    This new flame felt far more pleasant to his senses. The monsters residing in this world had evolved to suit the situation of the Predators and corrupt gods being imprisoned here and naturally possessed powers of the fire element.

    Su-hyeun stood still under the flame shower for a bit before finally making a move himself.

    [Heavenly Demon''s March of Sovereign]

    Ku-gugugu...

    As if to match Su-hyeun''s step, intense pressure weighed down on the surroundings.

    The bodies of the centipedes were gradually crushed flat. The sturdy carapaces cracked and shattered, flesh leaking out to the surface.

    And when he took the next step...

    CRUNCH¡ª!

    The centipedes were completely crushed flat, their corpses sinking deeply into the lava.

    Sizzle¡ª

    The bits of flesh that leaked out of the cracked carapaces sizzled as they melted. When Su-hyeun turned his head, he spotted the rest of the centipedes floating on the lava''s surface as corpses after getting beaten up by Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    "Uh-whew... Heck, it feels a bit better now that I got to move around a bit."

    "But shouldn''t it be the opposite? Normally, you''d feel hotter after moving around, right?"

    When Su-hyeun asked that, Sun Wukong frowned with an expression that said, "Wait a second?"

    The same was happening to Su-hyeun, too.

    "The heat cools down a little after they move around," Su-hyeun realized.

    At first, he thought he had made a mistake somewhere. Since the heat was so intense in this place, he figured that it wouldn''t be strange for him to mistakenly think the level of heat was fluctuating a little here and there.

    But if Sun Wukong sensed something similar, then the odds of him not being mistaken dramatically increased.

    "Yeah, it feels like a whole bunch of heat accumulated in my body is expelled after exerting myself a bit. But I can''t figure out why," Sun Wukong muttered.

    It was the same for both of them.

    Su-hyeun also felt that the heat accumulated inside him dissipated when he moved around and used his strength. During those moments, it felt somewhat cooler, and that''s why he had been looking forward to more enemies appearing before his eyes.

    With this, things became certain.

    "Honestly, even I¡ª"

    Su-hyeun was about to say that he was getting the same sensation but had to stop after taking a look into Sun Wukong''s eyes. The Monkey King''s black irises had turned crimson.

    This wasn''t the first time he saw Sun Wukong''s eyes glow red like this. He had seen it multiple times in the past.

    Sun Wukong''s eyes were capable of substituting for Sage''s Eye or even Insight. His ability allowed him to dig deeper into the truth and greatly enhanced his five senses.

    His eyes were called the "Fiery Golden Eyes," and those eyes were glowing so much redder than ever before.

 Chapter 479 - 479

    "Third Brother, your eyes..."

    "Oh, this?" Sun Wukong pointed to his own eyes. "My eyes started getting itchier after coming here. Maybe I got an eye infection or something. Makes sense. Look how hot it is in here. It''s not that surprising to get sick in a place like this."

    He spoke unconcernedly, but to Su-hyeun, that didn''t look anything like a simple eye infection.

    Sun Wukong was suffering from not some mysterious illness but a common eye infection? There couldn''t have been a more wrong-sounding illness.

    "Other than itching, have you observed any other changes, Third Brother?"

    "Other changes, you say?" Sun Wukong pondered for a bit, then while looking around their vicinity, he replied, "I guess my senses have gotten a little sharper?"

    Stab¡ª

    Kkiiiieeehk¡ª!

    While replying, he slammed Ruyi Jingu Bang to the side, causing a shrill explosion. The head of a still-living centipede had been smashed to bits just then.

    "No, wait¡ªthey definitely have gotten sharper."

    "I''m also..."

    Rumble...

    Su-hyeun lit up the divine Flame on the tip of his finger.

    The flame burning in the purplish hue had gotten even deeper in coloration. Even the temperature raised through the divine Flame was far higher than ever before, making its destructive power that much stronger.

    He couldn''t tell the reason for this. For one thing, he had no memories of doing anything special to strengthen his divine Flame.

    However, he could still make educated guesses.

    "Does the heat of the Hell of Scorching Heat have something to do with this?"

    Su-hyeun took another look at the lava that went up to his shoulders. The heat was still so intense that he hadn''t gotten used to it yet.

    It felt as if his skin would start burning away and his body, cooked from the outside at any second now. But what if this heat was gradually being accumulated inside, and it was slowly but surely transforming into some power? The story would drastically change.

    "Maybe this..."

    Su-hyeun contemplated for a little while, then pressed his palm on the surface of the lava. Shortly, he put to action the idea that had popped up in his head.

    [Predation]

    At the same time...

    Shwa-aaaaah¡ª

    The heat emanating from the massive lava lake flowing within the Hell of Scorching Heat traveled through Su-hyeun''s hand and began seeping into him.

    * * *

    "I knew it."

    Master Subhuti was faintly smiling at the scene currently being reflected on the surface of a calm lake.

    The heat of the Hell of Scorching Heat was being concentrated in one spot. Having lost its heat, the lava rapidly hardened to become stone. Meanwhile, Su-hyeun''s skin was getting super-heated, turning crimson after he sucked up all that heat into himself.

    He was probably under intense pain akin to his whole body being burned. Sure enough, he was making a tormented, pained face right now.

    Even then, he did not stop, which indicated that he was persistent and had enough determination and ability to withstand the pain.

    It was the correct decision to send him to the Hell of Scorching Heat, indeed.

    "I had no idea that he''d resort to such a barbaric method," said Buddha, who was also looking into the lake. He then shifted his gaze over to Subhuti with a somewhat mystified expression, "Did you predict this turn of events?"

    Subhuti announced that he would train Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong before taking the pair to the Hell of Scorching Heat.

    Buddha was initially puzzled by that decision. Why was hell chosen as the place to train their Sage Arts? But now, he had to change his opinion after witnessing not just Sun Wukong''s Fiery Golden Eyes getting stronger but also Su-hyeun using Predation to suck up the heat of the Hell of Scorching Heat.

    Currently seeing the far-off future that not even Buddha could see, Master Subhuti said, "It''s only an incomplete vision like a corner of a painting, master."

    "Even so, it is already an incredible feat to see a partial future of an existence as unfathomable as that individual."

    Buddha turned and headed to the long bridge going across the pristine lake.

    Sun Wukong anxiously stood next to Su-hyeun at the moment. It was unsurprising to see him panic like that since the Su-hyeun suddenly frowned deeply in pain, and his skin turned all crimson without warning.

    What kind of impact would this moment have on their future?

    "I wonder, what would Yama think while witnessing this scene?"

    "I''m sure he''s not going to sit still and do nothing, master."

    Buddha furrowed one of his brows at what Subhuti said, "Despite knowing that, you still sent them that side?"

    "It''s a trial they must overcome by themselves."

    King Yama, the Great King of countless hells, was simply called Yama by the Five Godly Sages.

    In all of the dimensions, 9,000 hells existed, and Yama was the ruler of 8,000 of them. In a nutshell, Yama was the strongest "unknown" god in the entire universe, and he was given life back when the Primordial Gods created the first universe.

    "And this will be the last trial I''ll be giving him."

    * * *

    Su-hyeun felt like he had blacked out for a while there.

    He thought his whole body was burning down. He blacked out from that and then regained his consciousness to arrive at this point.

    "Looks like I didn''t die."

    Initially, he didn''t think he would lose his life here. Still, it seemed that his instincts had determined that things were getting way too dangerous toward the end. He made this conclusion based on how Predation automatically ended without his input, even though he was planning to devour all the heat within the Hell of Scorching Heat.

    Wiggle¡ª

    Before he could crack his eyes open, he tried to lift a finger first.

    Although still stiff, he was able to move that finger. Since he hadn''t fully regained his wits just yet, he greatly welcomed the fact that he could move at least that little bit.

    "I''ve already used up Immortality, so..."

    He wanted to devour as much heat as possible, so despite needing to activate Immortality during the process, he still chose not to stop his Predation.

    The thing was, though, Immortality was the kind of skill where your body would revert to the condition before its activation once its duration came to an end.

    In other words, it was a skill designed to help you fight indiscriminately during the battle but not something to help you heal your injuries or recover your spent stamina.

    "You''re up?"

    Tap, tap¡ª

    He sensed his hand being tapped lightly by Sun Wukong with his palm.

    That wasn''t something one should do to a patient, though. Thankfully, that level of impact wouldn''t cause pain to Su-hyeun.

    Now that he regained his consciousness, all the skills he had learned and acquired up to now became of great help. His injuries healed quickly while his stamina gradually recovered.

    Su-hyeun slowly regulated his breathing via the breathing technique, then cracked open his eyes, "How long... have I been asleep?"

    "Whew..."

    When Su-hyeun finally opened his mouth, he heard the sound of Sun Wukong sighing in relief.

    His vision hadn''t returned in full yet, and he could only see the blurry figure of Sun Wukong moving around through his half-open eyes.

    Some strength gradually returned to him, allowing him to stagger back up somehow while letting out a grunt.

    Sun Wukong replied only after watching Su-hyeun stand back up fully, "Around three days, I guess?"

    Su-hyeun, carefully loosening his stiff muscles, froze still at that revelation and asked back, "Three days, you say?"

    Rather than finding it hard to believe, he was simply perplexed by the truth. He had been thinking to himself that his blackout only lasted for a brief moment but to learn that it had been three days.

    "It''s not good to push myself too much," he thought to himself.

    Forgetting about restoring his stamina for a moment, he recalled that this wasn''t his first time losing his consciousness for this long. He couldn''t help but wonder if similar things continued to happen to him, he would end up not waking forever.

    "How does your body feel? Ng?"

    "My body?" Su-hyeun instantly muttered while confirming his fatigue level.

    [Fatigue: 51]

    It was over 50. That was considerably high, although he had been out of action for three days. It could only mean that his injuries had been indeed quite serious.

    "Still, it shouldn''t be a big problem for me to move around."

    Currently, there weren''t that many monsters, corrupted gods, and Predators imprisoned in the Hell of Scorching Heat capable of posing a threat to Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong.

    Su-hyeun''s fatigue level might be past 50 points, but his regenerative ability was also quite excellent. As long as he pays attention to his breathing technique, he should return to being in tip-top shape in around half a day or so.

    Not only that...

    "It''s not hot anymore."

    The heat of the Hell of Scorching Heat came across as lukewarm to him now. Meaning his resistance toward heat had increased significantly.

    Su-hyeun looked around and took in the sight of all the grayish exposed bedrock found seemingly everywhere. "Was I responsible for all this?"

    "If it wasn''t you, who else could it be? Although I still have no idea what you did in the first place," Sun Wukong replied.

    At that moment, Su-hyeun noticed how much redder Sun Wukong''s eyes had become compared to before, "Third Brother, your eyes..."

    "Ah, this?" Sun Wukong scratched his head, not knowing how to explain it, before finally saying something, "Well, my five senses are getting sharper the more time I spend in here. It feels similar to back when I was stuck inside the Crucible, you know? But the progress in this place is so much faster."

    "It seems that there is a good reason why uncle decided to send us here, after all."

    "But it looks like you benefited even more than me, though."

    Su-hyeun nodded at Sun Wukong''s observation. Rather than sensing the heat on the outside, he felt heat boiling deep within his body now.

    He then unleashed a tiny bit of that heat outside.

    Rumble¡ª

    "Huh?" Sun Wukong''s eyes went round as he stared at a lick of flame that ignited on Su-hyeun''s fingertip.

    Its color had changed. The flame that used to burn in a dense purplish hue had completely changed to pure crimson.

    Su-hyeun was also stunned to see this. He figured that something must''ve changed about him, but he never imagined that the flame would revert its hue to red.

    "It started as red, then reached purple, then returned to red again..."

    The changes of the hue had circled back to the beginning.

    Forgetting about whether this was a good phenomenon or not, for now, there was no doubting the fact that he still welcomed this change.

    Until now, the divine Flame''s hue changed according to Su-hyeun''s Magic Level.

    But after it reached the purple hue, there was no discernible change to the coloring at all. Knowing how the power of the divine Flame greatly improved with every color change, he had no reason to be displeased by this latest change.

    "Hey, this is a good thing, right?" Sun Wukong asked while staring at the flame burning on Su-hyeun''s hand.

    The latter deliberately made sure that the effect of the fire wouldn''t reach his Third Brother, and that was why the Monkey King had no clue how hot this seemingly little flame was.

    Su-hyeun nodded and then brought the flame closer to Sun Wukong. When he did that...

    "Ah?! Hot, hot, hot, hot!" Sun Wukong, who placed his hand close to the flame, hurriedly yanked his hand back and vigorously shook it around.

    It seemed that the crimson flame was far hotter than he thought.

    Sun Wukong treated the lava found in the Hell of Scorching Heat as a nuisance that made him sweat a lot. With him reacting like this, there was no need to doubt the improved firepower now.

    "What the heck? It wasn''t this hot a second ago, so what gives?"

    "Well, you did ask me if it''s a good thing or not, so I thought you should check it out personally."

    "Hey, are you trying to pick a fight with me? Heh, since it''s too hot in here, might as well we¡ª"

    Gu-wwwwuong¡ª

    That was the sound of a heavy footstep.

    No, wait¡ªrather than a "sound," it was more like the sense of presence. Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong turned their heads simultaneously.

    A brief bout of silence later, Sun Wukong spoke up first, "You sensed that too, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Who the heck is that, though?"

    They had sensed two things: one, the sheer distance and, two, the sense of presence.

    An existence gave off that sense of presence, of course. And that sense of presence would inevitably feel far clearer the closer the existence was.

    However, this sense of presence was not like that. It was coming from so far away that they couldn''t estimate how far the individual in question was, yet the presence itself remained strikingly clear.

    It was as if it could reach this place merely by extending its hand. That was how threatening and destructive it felt.

    It had been a long time since he last felt emotions like this.

    "On the sense of presence alone... It''s even greater than Uranus."

    The one with the highest status among all the creatures Su-hyeun had met so far was none other than Uranus, one of the Three Destroyers and an existence that required the combined strengths of Zeus, Ares, Hercules, and Su-hyeun to defeat.

    Even if his status fell way below Shiva''s, there was no doubting that Uranus did climb up to the rank of the Three Destroyers, the highest level open to the Predators.

    However, Su-hyeun still didn''t get to sense this level of presence with Uranus. For a moment there, the names of Osiris and Shiva popped up in his head.

    After feeling threatened by the heavy sense of presence, the likes of which he had never experienced before, Su-hyeun was about to reach for his sword, but at that exact moment...

    "This place is the Hell of Scorching Heat, right?" Sun Wukong brought up an unexpected name just then, "Could it be.... Yama?"

 Chapter 480 - 480

    "You mean King Yama?"

    King Yama was a name Su-hyeun was well aware of.

    That famous being appeared not only in the Journey to the West but also in many other well-known mythical tales. He was known as the chief gatekeeper of the netherworld, as well as its resident judge.

    He was also an absolute being who compiled the registry of death.

    "Do you know him personally, Third Brother?"

    "Nah, I only ran into him once. He''s a dude who judges dead people and records them and stuff... After running into him, I ripped up my registry, and that somehow turned me into an immortal."

    That was indeed a famous tale, the one about Sun Wukong becoming invincible and unkillable after erasing his name off the death registry during his run-in with King Yama.

    He became an immortal in that manner, so rather unsurprisingly, he "knew" about King Yama in reality, indeed.

    Guuu-wuuuong¡ª

    The massive presence at the far-off distance was rapidly approaching.

    As the distance narrowed, the sheer presence felt from that man''s footsteps also grew more prominent and more stifling. It felt like someone had reached out, grabbed their hearts with bare hands, and then began squeezing tighter and tighter.

    Su-hyeun gulped back his saliva, then asked a question, "What kind of an existence is he?"

    "Back then, he was kinda like a next-door uncle with a big physique." Sun Wukong''s explanation sounded rather far removed from the atmosphere emanating from far away. "But, uh, for some reason, he seems pissed off today."

    "You can''t tell why?" Su-hyeun scanned their surroundings. "I think I know, though."

    "Mm? How can you possibly know that?"

    "Third Brother, how will you react if some random punk enters your house and sets it on fire?"

    "What do you mean, how?! Imma break all of that punk''s limbs and yank out his eyeballs, and then¡ª" Sun Wukong''s expression crumpled in anger from just a simple hypothesis, but then, he immediately went, "Ah! H¡ªhey?"

    "Yes, that''s our current situation."

    Just like Su-hyeun did a second ago, Sun Wukong also scanned their surroundings.

    They were in the Hell of Scorching Heat, a higher-tier prison meant to lock away gods and Predators.

    It was also King Yama''s domain that he gatekept himself, acting as its judge. To an individual like him, each hell in existence was basically like a house where he was standing guard as the sentinel.

    Unfortunately, Su-hyeun was the culprit responsible for turning one of those hells into a charred piece of craggy land.

    "Well, this is seriously bad," Sun Wukong muttered, prompting Su-hyeun to nod in agreement.

    This was indeed bad.

    That ball of incredible rage that was closing in on them quite rapidly right now was all caused by Su-hyeun''s handiwork.

    Since this was the Hell of Scorching Heat, there was no such thing as escaping from King Yama. Either they had to endure his rage somehow or find a way to resolve it.

    "At least," Su-hyeun rose from his spot and took a deep breath once more, "We should go and say hello."

    However, he didn''t unsheathe his sword. He was thinking that talking came first before fighting.

    Sun Wukong also rose to go along with Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun''s fatigue level had barely recovered by then and was at 48 at the moment.

    * * *

    He dragged his slightly lethargic body forward and eventually spotted a large figure so far away that it resembled a small dot.

    The distance, as seen through the naked eyes, was quite considerable. However, that large figure rapidly closed the distance, eventually growing larger and more prominent in their view.

    Su-hyeun stood still and stared back at that being. The giant, with slightly reddish skin and a voluminous formal suit, had a somewhat crumpled expression.

    As expected, King Yama was angry. It was so evident that using Insight was unnecessary. He seemed to be trying hard to control himself, but even so, the anger he felt must''ve been truly difficult to contain.

    "That uncle... Yeah, he''s definitely pissed," Sun Wukong muttered in a slightly nervous voice as if he too was thinking that way.

    Seeing Sun Wukong getting this scared would be a first for Su-hyeun.

    "Is he that scary, Third Brother?"

    "You will see what a totally insane old man that dude is," Sun Wukong replied with a haunted face.

    Su-hyeun kept silent at that.

    King Yama''s nearly five-meter-tall frame was now fully identifiable to their naked eyes.

    He was smaller than Fafnir that showed up not too long ago. Therefore, at the very least, Sun Wukong wasn''t intimidated by King Yama''s size.

    Bang, bang!

    King Yama continued to walk forward with heavy steps and approached the duo while making a stern face.

    Now that Su-hyeun took a look at him up close, Yama was unexpectedly agile-looking despite his tall height. The latter''s glare was locked firmly on only Sun Wukong at the moment.

    He said, "So, it was you, the monkey I saw back then."

    King Yama''s voice was as expected, thick, deep, and rather coarse. He bent down slightly. Then, while looking at them both, he asked Sun Wukong a question, "Have you been well?"

    "Yeah, sure, I''m doing okay. It''s been a while, Yama."

    "You''re still as insolent as ever," Yama said before he began chuckling.

    He must''ve been happy about this unexpected reunion because both his voice and his expression during the chat with Sun Wukong revealed that his rage had cooled down to some extent.

    He came here trying to find the culprit responsible for wrecking his hell, but it seemed that Sun Wukong''s presence was the cause of this subtle change.

    "However, I''m not in such a good mood right now."

    "Could it be because of this place?"

    "At least you noticed. That''s good," King Yama nodded as he replied. "Some punk dared to wreak havoc in a territory under my rule. That individual stole away over half of all the heat existing in Hell of Scorching Heat."

    "Well, uh, that is¡ª"

    "I''m the one responsible," Su-hyeun cut Sun Wukong off and stepped forward.

    Yama''s gaze slightly shifted over to him. He looked down from above initially before bending his knees to match Su-hyeun''s eye line as much as possible. "You''re a god with considerably high status, aren''t you? Does that mean I need to bow down to offer my greetings or something?"

    His attitude took a noticeable turn from when he was chatting to Sun Wukong.

    His voice contained apparent hostility and even mockery, too. Since Su-hyeun expected something like this¡ªno, maybe something even worse¡ªhe didn''t panic at this development.

    Now was the time to have a dialogue first.

    "Even if I sincerely apologize, you can''t graciously gloss over it, yes?"

    "You are asking something so obvious," Yama snorted derisively during his reply.

    The exhaled air from his nostril emitted an incredible heat. Su-hyeun, whose divine Flame''s status had risen so much that not even the heat of this hell could faze him, couldn''t help but notice how intensely hot that snort was.

    At this moment, Su-hyeun erased his last resort¡ªbattling King Yama and escaping from here¡ªentirely out of his mind.

    That was because King Yama had softened his animosity toward them, all thanks to Sun Wukong''s presence next to Su-hyeun.

    "Even so, please allow me to apologize to you. It is our fault for entering your land without permission and messing with it as we pleased."

    "Hmph. At least you have some manners," King Yama, his arms crossed, nodded at Su-hyeun''s submissive attitude.

    It seemed that his anger had been appeased just a bit more.

    His personality didn''t seem to be as complicated as Su-hyeun initially suspected. Since Yama must''ve been alive for a long time, his nature could have been as complex as the Bull Demon King or even Master Subhuti. Still, somewhat surprisingly, he leaned much closer to being straightforward and simple like Sun Wukong.

    Even so, words weren''t going to be enough to brush aside the matter of one of his hells being messed up. Su-hyeun quickly brought up the next part of the conversation he had prepared beforehand, "I''d like to make a couple of offers to you, if I may."

    "Offers, you say?"

    "Yes. First, I promise to restore this hell to how it was within one year. I will even make it hotter than before as well."

    King Yama''s eyes sparkled a little at what Su-hyeun said. That wasn''t such a bad offer.

    He pondered something for a little bit, then, with a faint grin, asked, "You said it''s the first one, so there''s surely a second offer, right?"

    Su-hyeun nodded and replied, "I shall gift you with another hell."

    "Another hell, you say?"

    "How about a hell Osiris is currently lording over?"

    A brief bout of silence descended in the area.

    After hearing Osiris'' name, King Yama pointed at Su-hyeun with a finger as large as the latter''s head, "You punk, are you saying that while knowing what kind of creature Osiris really is?"

    "One of the Three Destroyers and the king of the underworld. Does he not occupy the same position as you among the Predators?"

    "So you do know. In that case, do you also know that the bastard ''took away'' a portion of the hells under my rule?"

    Su-hyeun''s brows rose at that revelation.

    Osiris took them away from King Yama?

    Now that was a statement that was quite hard to believe.

    To think that King Yama, who possessed a nature as unbendable as a thick strip of bamboo and was capable of exerting this much pressure on Su-hyeun, ended up losing the realms under his rule.

    "It sounds like you mouthed off a promise you can''t even keep. Kekeke. You see, I''ve lost nearly 1,000 realms to that bastard, Osiris. I still have 8,000 remaining, but you two decided to wreck one of them."

    "I''m really sorry about that."

    "Well, then, let me ask you again. Are you saying that you''ll return all one thousand hells Osiris has taken from me? Is that it?"

    Su-hyeun contemplated his answer to Yama''s question before nodding his head, "Yes, result-wise, that what will happen."

    "Result-wise?"

    "That''s because I''m bound to fight Osiris sooner or later."

    Su-hyeun understood that instinctively.

    Osiris was an existence at the top of the Predator ladder. If he wished for the end of this universe just like Shiva, then it was inevitable that he''d clash against Su-hyeun sooner or later.

    And when Osiris was dead, it was rather apparent that all the thousand hells under the Predator''s rule would end up returning to King Yama''s hands.

    Therefore, result-wise, it wasn''t that far removed from Su-hyeun''s goal.

    "Hmm..." King Yama pondered something, then asked once more, "Do you have another offer?"

    It seemed that regardless of what the offer was, he was thinking of listening to every single one on the table.

    "The last one is..." And in the end, Su-hyeun was forced to say one thing he didn''t want to say to King Yama. "If you''re not happy with either of those offers, then we will have to defeat you in this place."

    "... "

    Quite some time ticked by. The heavy silence extended for a while. Since King Yama didn''t say anything, Su-hyeun also couldn''t say anything.

    Sun Wukong, not wanting to butt in during the two''s negotiation, simply chose to plop his butt down on the ground nearby. Wondering what was going on now, he alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and King Yama dozens of times, and eventually...

    "Uhaha, uhahahaha, uwhahahahaha!"

    Yama exploded into a fit of booming laughter.

    Gu-wuwuwu...

    His laughter overturned the sky, and the ground with hardened lava cracked open everywhere. As if to reflect the change in King Yama''s mood, this large hell seemed to be rocking unstably as well.

    Su-hyeun thought, "Did I say something I shouldn''t have said?"

    He immediately made a troubled expression, wondering if he had run his mouth unnecessarily here. The same applied to Sun Wukong nearby.

    King Yama was an existence beyond the understanding of both Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong.

    If his laughter alone were enough to rock an entire realm to this degree, then they couldn''t even guess what might happen if he decided to flick his hand or some such.

    King Yama guffawed while holding his belly for a long while and barely managing to wipe away a trickle of tears on his face, "I thought you were joking, but you were dead serious, I see. Uhahahaha! S¡ªserious... you were serious! Ahahahaha!"

    "What''s so funny?"

    Yama laughed even louder like a madman at the new question and eventually plopped down on the ground. His abdominal muscles must''ve been hurting from all that sustained laughter.

    "Your first offer was the most realistic one, yet you still came up with two more offers. Should I tell you why you did that? The second offer is something you''ll have to do eventually, while the third one is something you''ve been secretly wishing for."

    "It''s what I wish for?" Su-hyeun''s eyes went round from something he hadn''t been aware of.

    However, he found himself unable to deny that. Even he had to admit that he would probably think that way, too.

    And that realization sent a chill down his spine. Because it meant that Su-hyeun''s personality of avoiding fighting if possible had developed a crack somewhere.

    When he thought about it some more, it became even more apparent, too.

    "Even if it was not brought up, this problem still could''ve been resolved peacefully," Su-hyeun inwardly said.

    The third offer was based on his decision to fight back while putting his life on the line. If King Yama did not wish to resolve this matter peacefully, it was only inevitable that they would end up battling.

    However, there was no need to say that out aloud here. Su-hyeun understood this.

    Even so, he still brought up the fact that he had considered fighting King Yama in this place¡ªall because he unconsciously desired it.

    "As expected, I''m reluctant to choose the first offer. The second one is the most profitable, but honestly, I''m also interested in the third one."

    It seemed that King Yama was also interested in fighting Su-hyeun.

    He pondered something and then opened his mouth once more, "However, what about doing this for me instead?"

 Chapter 481 - 481

    "Please speak."

    Whatever the case might be, King Yama chose to pay attention to Su-hyeun''s offers.

    Thankfully, though, he no longer emitted the same level of animosity from earlier. It seemed that Su-hyeun''s offers managed to entertain him.

    "If you take care of my request, I shall choose the second one of your offers. You will be fighting Osiris eventually, or some other gods will inevitably kill him anyway. Therefore, that option is what you really want, isn''t it?"

    He said some things that indicated he had seen straight through Su-hyeun''s thought process.

    The first option took too long, while the odds for the third option were just too low. Even if Su-hyeun worked with Sun Wukong, there was no guarantee that they could bring down King Yama.

    In all honesty, Yama choosing the second option was what he wanted the most.

    "What kind of request is it?"

    Still, this meant he got to turn most of the heat found in the Hell of Scorching Heat as his own, so Su-hyeun figured that it was not a significant loss to help out with a single request.

    Of course, it was still dependent on what kind of request King Yama made. Even so, Su-hyeun planned to fulfill it as long as the task wasn''t too outrageous.

    "Somewhere deep inside this Hell of Scorching Heat is a lost little child."

    "A little child, you say?"

    "That''s right. Of course, it''s a child only on the outside. Its actual age isn''t that different from the Hell of Scorching Heat itself, but its mental age is definitely still stuck in the child-like state even now."

    "Is your request related to this child?"

    "Try appeasing that child."

    Shu-rururu...

    King Yama''s figure scattered like smoke and drifted up to the sky.

    Su-hyeun stared at the scattering, rising smoke and paid attention to Yama''s parting words.

    "If you manage to appease that nuisance, then I probably don''t even need to ask for anything else."

    Su-hyeun made a puzzled face at King Yama''s faint voice drifting down from the sky, "That... nuisance?"

    To think that the one and only King Yama would use the term "nuisance."

    Su-hyeun''s curiosity was piqued just a little at that. Nonetheless, he also got an ominous foreboding. Maybe investing one year of his time staying in the Hell of Scorching Heat and restoring it might have been a better deal for him.

    Even so, he already had an agreement with King Yama. Su-hyeun certainly had no desire to lower his head and beg for the request to be changed.

    "He said deep underground, didn''t he?"

    "Eut-cha!" Sun Wukong listened from the side, stood back up, then slammed Ruyi Jingu Bang on the ground. "Planning to go down right away?"

    "Yes, I must."

    Su-hyeun confirmed the status of his body that had been gradually recovering during the negotiation.

    His fatigue level was now 39.

    If it was only that much, moving his body around shouldn''t pose too much of an issue. If he needed to fight right away, then he would certainly be able to.

    "Well, in that case," Sun Wukong smirked at Su-hyeun''s reply, then muttered softly, "Extend, Ruyi."

    Ka-booooom¡ª!

    * * *

    Ruyi Jingu Bang extended rapidly.

    It burrowed deep into the ground and continued to go lower and lower. Rather than descending underground, it would be more apt to call it breaking through the ground instead.

    Dururuk, dudududu...

    Su-hyeun, currently descending lower while grabbing tightly onto Ruyi Jingu Bang, used his free hand to prevent soil from getting in his eyes. How many kilometers had they traveled in this way? The scenery they had been searching for finally revealed itself.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Under the ground, somewhere really deep...

    The place was even hotter than the inside of the lava. Su-hyeun was under the belief that he had managed to suck up most of the heat existing within the Hell of Scorching Heat, yet so much more still remained intact underground.

    "It''s going to get pretty stuffy in here, too," he thought to himself.

    Thankfully, the divine Flame''s status improvement seemed to do the trick as it didn''t feel all that hot in here.

    However, he could still guess how hot it must be after taking in the sight of Sun Wukong next to him. The Monkey King was leaning helplessly against Ruyi Jingu Bang, his tongue hanging limply out of his mouth.

    "Third Brother, are you going to be alright?"

    "I thought I could breathe again, but man... This heat is killing me."

    Sun Wukong had also traveled down here with Ruyi Jingu Bang and, almost immediately, started sweating buckets from all the heat rising from the ground. There was even the sizzling noise of flesh on someone''s feet being cooked as well.

    As for the surrounding scenery, it didn''t look that different from the surface above. A slight difference existed: Almost no natural light coming from the sky could reach this place. The lava here didn''t flow freely like water. It simply oozed and drifted lazily among the various cracks in the terrain.

    Splash¡ª

    When Su-hyeun stepped on the lava and stood still, he felt warmth from the bottom of his feet.

    "What the hell?!"

    Of course, Sun Wukong still found it way too hot, hurriedly leaped, and created a small cloud before plopping his butt on it.

    Su-hyeun walked in the direction of the lava flow. The underground was structured similarly to a massive cavern system.

    He didn''t know just how long he had walked like this.

    "Huh?"

    "Those... seem to be trees."

    Something that shouldn''t be here was growing tall in this place.

    A tree that looked like it would burn to cinders not from the lava emitting such intense heat but from some lonely torch was growing wildly down here. It wasn''t just one tree, either.

    "A forest?" Su-hyeun thought.

    It was a forest consisting of trees that were burning vigorously in flames.

    Su-hyeun stared dazedly at this forest for a while.

    * * *

    The half-transparent image reflected on the lake''s surface finally disappeared.

    Master Subhuti, who had been leisurely watching the image, slowly got up from his spot, "It seems they have arrived."

    "You''re not going to watch anymore?" Buddha asked while observing Subhuti stand up.

    The latter had been watching Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong nonstop for the past several days, but to think that he would stand up immediately just because they couldn''t be seen anymore?

    That seemed too abrupt of a change in one''s attitude.

    "Not only can we not continue watching them, but a guest has arrived, master."

    "Yes, it seems you''re right," Buddha also got up from his spot.

    Around the same time, the sky above them turned dark, and the surrounding temperature became stiflingly hot.

    "Welcome, Yama."

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Ku-rururu...

    The skies roared like a wild beast. At the same time, a giant with reddish skin appeared among the pitch-black fog.

    "It''s been a while, Buddha."

    It was King Yama.

    He walked up while letting out heavy, thudding footsteps. Standing up, Master Subhuti and Buddha lightly lowered their heads at him, then settled back down on their spots.

    Thud¡ª

    The ground rocked as King Yama took a seat.

    He was trying to sit as carefully as possible. Yet, the surrounding animals were still startled awake from the noise in the end.

    "Sorry about that," King Yama smiled awkwardly and offered his apology, prompting both Subhuti and Buddha to chuckle faintly.

    After checking out their response, Yama reached down and picked up a teacup meant for him. It was no bigger than his pinky nail. After tossing the tea in his mouth, he alternated his gaze between Buddha and Subhuti while asking, "It was you who sent those two punks, right?"

    "It was this one over here," Buddha pointed at Subhuti.

    King Yama nodded as if he had already guessed it, then locked his gaze on Subhuti.

    "I honestly didn''t even notice the passage of time. But it seems that the time has come already. So I stopped by to say my farewell, but it seems that one of you doesn''t have much time remaining, to begin with."

    "Now that you mention it, Yama, this situation probably isn''t your first, now is it?" Buddha changed the subject when King Yama brought up the matter of Subhuti''s lifespan.

    Even someone like him didn''t want to talk about the approaching demise of his most treasured disciple if it was avoidable.

    Thankfully, though, King Yama was a relatively simple individual. He rubbed his chin and dove deep into the ocean of his thoughts.

    "Let me see... which number is this universe again...? I can''t remember it well. Still, this universe has been quite strange, alright. Osiris, Uranus, and even you two. There has never been a universe filled with so many unique fools like you until now."

    "Is that how long it has been? So long that it''s too hard to even count with your hands?"

    "Yeah, it''s hard to count them all. Too much time has passed by, after all. You two have lived for a long time, sure, but I''ve lived several times longer than both of you. Isn''t it only normal that I get confused by these things?"

    "Yama. This must be the reason why you''re so simple."

    "You have a point there. However, even my current personality results from time eroding what I was like in the past. Without being simple, you can''t avoid getting worn down by the passage of time, you see," Yama said. Then, while staring at the empty teacup for a little while, he continued, "Now then, let''s see. Since I was treated to some rare tea, it''s only fitting that I repay your kindness."

    He got up from the spot, then looked up at the sky above that had turned gloomy before anyone had noticed it.

    A giant eyeball floating in the air was above the beautiful lake and its garden where the Taoist Gods took strolls.

    "Welcome, Osiris," King Yama greeted the eyeball.

    Soon after that, hell was unleashed on the land of the gods.

    * * *

    The inner part of the vigorously burning forest was surprisingly normal.

    Except for the undying flames everywhere, this place didn''t seem that different from regular forests.

    "You know, I''ve lived inside a forest for a long time, but even so, places like this are a no for me," Sun Wukong continued to fan himself with his hand while chatting to Su-hyeun. "Don''t you agree, little brother?"

    "It''s oddly comfortable for me, though."

    "What?"

    "It''s also warm here."

    "Did you get heatstroke or something after being in here for too long?" Sun Wukong shook his head as if he couldn''t understand it. Even so, he continued to mutter while glancing at the back of Su-hyeun walking up ahead. "At least I can now figure out why uncle decided to send you to this place."

    "Sorry?"

    "Nah. It''s nothing," Sun Wukong shook his head again and tried to let it slide.

    However, it wasn''t as if Su-hyeun didn''t catch what was being said. Even he was thinking the same thing.

    "The ability called Predation, the heat of Hell of Scorching Heat, the divine Flame, and finally, King Yama," Su-hyeun thought.

    He had a feeling that all these things connecting were just too smooth and natural.

    "Did Master Subhuti plan it so that they would happen in sequence?"

    There was an old saying that went, "Before the sun sets, the sky will brighten just for a moment." It meant that the state just before one''s death would be when you shone the brightest.

    To Su-hyeun, Master Subhuti seemed to be in that state.

    He chose not to stop his aging process, causing his body to become old and diseased, making him lose his strength. However, the state of his mind was nothing like that.

    The price for not stopping the aging process and letting the innumerable passage of time affect him was his mind becoming even wiser and more savant.

    Su-hyeun had never seen a pair of eyes so deep and so unfathomable like Subhuti''s. He already met Zeus, who was also among the Five Godly Sages like Subhuti, and Apollo, who supposedly possessed Insight even better than the Five Godly Sages. Even then, Subhuti had a depth to him that the eyes of those Olympian gods didn''t have.

    As such, Su-hyeun didn''t have any misgivings on this difficult trial laid out by Subhuti. It was the same for the trial King Yama had given him.

    "In any case, just what I am supposed to do here?"

    King Yama said they should look for a "child" down here. His request was to find and somehow appease this child.

    Crackle, sizzle...

    Rumbleeee...

    The problem was with how any child could even survive in an ocean of fire like this one.

    "It just doesn''t look like any kid can survive in here, though."

    Sniff, sniff¡ª

    Just as Su-hyeun began muttering that to himself, Sun Wukong suddenly began sniffing the air while staring in a specific direction.

    Wondering what was going on, Su-hyeun stared at the Monkey King. The latter changed the direction where he was heading, his Fiery Golden Eyes glowing bright red. "Something''s over there."

    "Over there, you say?"

    That was where the flames seemed to be at their weakest compared to other locations.

    Sun Wukong gestured Su-hyeun to follow, then began walking up ahead. The latter silently followed as the Monkey King walked past the weaker flames.

    And when they did, the flow of the flames changed somewhat weirdly.

    "They are all flowing toward one direction?"

    They traced the flow of the flames.

    The longer they ventured forward, the weaker the flames burning the forest became. It was as if someone was devouring the fire burning here, just like how Su-hyeun used Predation to absorb the lava found in the Hell of Scorching Heat.

    And after walking for some time...

    Grrr-rrng, gya-ong¡ª

    A familiar growl could be heard.

    "Miru?"

    No, wait¡ªthat growl couldn''t have been Miru''s. Not only was Miru not summoned at the moment, but the red dragon had grown up quite a bit by now, so it no longer made that juvenile-sounding growl.

    That didn''t mean they made a mistake, however.

    And sure enough...

    "A dragon?"

    In the far distance, where the flow of the flames ended, was where a young dragon covered in red scales could be seen slumbering.

 Chapter 482 - 482

    Grrrng, grrrrrng...

    Su-hyeun, staring at the figure of the sleeping dragon quite a distance away, stopped walking.

    From this distance, that dragon didn''t look that different from Miru. However, the aura it emitted was incomparably greater than Miru''s when it was still a little kid.

    "It''s like it might explode at any moment."

    Su-hyeun had acquired tolerance to most heat levels, yet he still felt deeply threatened by the heat contained within that dragon.

    It was asleep, yet it continued to suck in flames burning in the forest. It tossed and turned just a little, then snorted through its nostrils.

    Ku-wuwu...

    It was still fast asleep.

    Whatever the case might be, outwardly, the dragon looked young. To begin with, King Yama wasn''t a human being, so a "kid" to him didn''t necessarily have to be a human child.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong approached the dragon. The closer they got, the more intense the heat expelled from the dragon''s nostril felt.

    "H¡ªhey, this little guy..."

    "It''ll be alright."

    Despite Sun Wukong trying to dissuade him, Su-hyeun still approached the young dragon.

    He felt the stifling heat. His face was getting hotter and hotter due to the intense temperature emanating from this creature.

    When he got near enough, the young dragon slightly opened its eyes after sensing his presence.

    Grrr...

    Its slightly open eyes gleamed like a pair of rubies as if someone had inserted black jewels within those rubies.

    Not just its overall shape and its color, but even its face was a facsimile of Miru''s. Su-hyeun waved his hand at the dragon, "Hi!"

    When he did...

    Kyaaaaong¡ª!

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    The young dragon suddenly spewed out flames from its maw.

    "Last brother!" Sun Wukong dashed forward and witnessed Su-hyeun instantly get swallowed up by the flames. But he was forced back by the rush of heat, his arms getting burned in the process. "Kuh..."

    The temperature was no joke.

    One mistake and even Ruyi Jingu Bang might get melted down here. That was how insanely hot the flames spewed out from the baby dragon''s maw were.

    Sun Wukong''s eyes opened incredibly wide as he stumbled back, "That''s freaking insane..."

    While living through an uncountable length of time, Sun Wukong had encountered the race of dragons a few times.

    Among them was a dragon that happened to be old enough to be considered well past an adult dragon and could be referred to as an "Ancient Dragon." Considering that initially, dragons got stronger the older they were, this baby dragon''s Breath attack seemed to boast an absurd level of firepower.

    Grrrrr¡ª

    After spewing out the flames for a while, the baby dragon let out a growl filled with wariness.

    It sounded angry and also a bit scared for some reason.

    Tap¡ª

    Then, suddenly, on the baby dragon''s head was Su-hyeun''s hand.

    "I don''t know much about dealing with kids and also didn''t get to learn many things in my life," Su-hyeun said as he patted the baby dragon''s head. "But Miru likes it whenever I do this, so... Not sure if I''m doing the right thing here, though."

    Grrrrr¡ª

    The baby dragon bared its fangs. It looked as if the creature was ready to spew more flames out of its maw to attack at any moment now.

    But that didn''t last for long.

    Gya-rrrrrr...

    The baby dragon withdrew its fangs, then swallowed back the flames leaking out of its maw. It seemed that when Su-hyeun did not display any hostility toward it, the creature did the same and lowered its guard.

    Sun Wukong watched this for a bit, then slowly got closer. The stifling heat, the aftermaths of the baby dragon''s Breath, still permeated the air.

    "What on earth did you do just now?" Sun Wukong asked.

    "You know, I just tried to pacify it somehow," Su-hyeun continued to pat the baby dragon''s head while lifting his other arm. "But my arm ended up in this state."

    His arm had been charred black; his skin was burnt, and even the flesh beneath had been cooked.

    Even if he did take on that Breath attack head-on, Su-hyeun''s body that didn''t get cooked or burned by the lava found in the Hell of Scorching Heat still got burned to that degree. Now that was one alarming event, indeed.

    "This little guy, just what is it exactly?" Sun Wukong asked.

    "Well, that..." Su-hyeun stared into the baby dragon''s eyes and replied, "I''m planning to find out now."

    Shu-wuwu...

    Bluish energy swirled around within Su-hyeun''s eyes. He had activated Insight. Since this ability could see through others'' thoughts, it was also possible to hold a conversation using its power.

    The dragons were intelligent creatures, and the red dragons were the noblest and most distinguished among them. Miru was like that, and so was Ellid.

    This baby dragon should understand what Su-hyeun was saying no matter how young it was.

    "Can you tell me your name?" Su-hyeun asked it.

    The baby dragon hesitated slightly before opening its mouth.

    Gya-rrrrr...

    "Britra."

    That name sounded familiar. It was as if Su-hyeun had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn''t quite remember it. He briefly thought that maybe, this baby dragon before his eyes was a creature from one of the mythical tales he had heard in the past.

    "Alright, Britra, how long have you been down here?"

    "Dunno... Several hundreds of millions? I''m not sure anymore."

    "Say what?" Su-hyeun asked back in surprise. He couldn''t help himself just now.

    Several hundreds of millions?

    He was well aware of how long the race of dragons could live for. Even so, their lifespan could not have been that long. Unless it were Sun Wukong, an existence of immortality, or after mastering the Sage Arts to awaken one''s prana at least, it would be impossible to exist for such length of time.

    But, more importantly, this baby dragon before his eyes named Britra was so small that it didn''t even look one year old.

    "Wait, so it wasn''t a baby after all?"

    It was referred to as a kid, but while its outer appearance or personality was childish, its actual age was not a child''s.

    As it turned out, this dragon was older than most gods out there. Then again, if this creature somehow managed to swallow up so much of the flames around here in only a few years, now that would''ve been an extraordinary thing to behold in its own right.

    "Why are you down here, though?"

    "I dunno. But it''s too annoying."

    "Annoying? What is?"

    "Moving around."

    "..."

    Staying down here because it was too annoying to move?

    Was that something a creature which stayed in this place for hundreds of millions of years should say? Even if one was cursed with laziness, this didn''t sound right at all.

    "So this is what I''m supposed to pacify?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Britra wasn''t violent or anything like that. If no one bothered it, the dragon seemed to slumber all the time, and in a way, it was relatively mild-mannered, too.

    The issue was that it continued to devour the flames of the Hell of Scorching Heat. In this hell made up of scorching flames and lava, what Britra was doing didn''t seem that different from what a giant parasite might do.

    "In any case, what should I do to?"

    "Do you have it?" Britra opened its mouth first. "I mean, my grave."

    "Say what?"

    "No, it''s not you then."

    What a confusing thing to say, but it didn''t take long for the meaning of those words to become clear.

    Grrrrrr¡ª

    Gu-woooong¡ª

    Heavy footsteps came from behind Su-hyeun. When he looked up, his eyes caught the face of a red dragon much bigger than Britra. "Miru?"

    But why so suddenly?

    For the first time in a long, long while, Miru had come out even before Su-hyeun could issue his command.

    At Miru''s entrance, Britra unsteadily pushed itself up. Those eyes that seemed to lack focus and swim in drowsiness had transformed by then.

    "So that''s where you were."

    Giii-iiiing...

    The Cintamani embedded in Miru''s forehead began emitting a bright light. Souls of countless dragons escaped along with the rays of light to create dazzling hazes of varying colors.

    The souls of all these dragons spread all around before encircling Britra next.

    "Whooooa!"

    "Shh..."

    When Sun Wukong exclaimed loudly in amazement at this solemn, impressive spectacle, Su-hyeun hushed him with a finger pressed to his lips. The latter looked back and spotted one of the countless souls approaching Britra.

    Britra barely managed to get back to its feet. It forced its thin, bony legs to straighten up, causing them to shake rather pitifully.

    "Finally, I..."

    Kkuduk, crunch...

    Britra''s outer appearance began to change. Its bones twisted around, and its hide expanded. It rapidly transformed and soon became even larger than any dragon Su-hyeun knew.

    It was several times larger than Miru¡ªno, it was easily several dozens of times larger.

    "Hul¡ª" Unable to hide his amazement at how humongous this red dragon was, Sun Wukong''s jaw nearly hit the floor. Even Su-hyeun couldn''t help but quietly stare at this transformation in shock.

    Hiiiissss¡ª

    But then, Britra''s body began to decompose. Its scales and hide melted down to goo, while its bones rotted away to become black powder.

    Even so, Britra didn''t suffer from anguish or scream in pain. As a matter of fact, the corners of its lips were arching up as if this was more comfortable for it instead.

    "I can rest now."

    Even to its last moment, Britra spoke like a child. Still, Su-hyeun finally understood the true identity of this dragon after seeing this scene.

    "Most likely... the dragon god."

    The Hell of Scorching Heat was meant to imprison gods and Predators alike. So, unless you were a god, you couldn''t get here.

    It was unknown how Britra ended up in this place. Maybe it committed a grave crime. Maybe there was some other tragic tale.

    But what was for certain was that it was imprisoned within this hell, not the grave of the dragons, while not dying, either.

    "Was Britra maintaining a baby dragon''s appearance to extend its life, even by just a little, so that it could rest in the dragon''s grave?"

    The Hell of Scorching Heat was the hell meant for regular gods. Even if gods had no concept of lifespan, they could still get burned to death in this place at any time, or they could choose to end their own lives.

    However, Britra was none of those things, so it was waiting. It was enduring.

    It was waiting and enduring the truly uncountable period until the grave it could comfortably rest in came to find it, even though no one made a promise of such a thing.

    Su-hyeun bowed his head deeply and closed his eyes, "Rest in peace."

    Shu-wuwuwu...

    Britra''s soul joined up with the souls of the other dragons. Those souls seemed to be honoring Britra with salutes as if to express their gratitude.

    He couldn''t hear their voices, but one thing was for sure¡ªat least their emotions were being transmitted.

    "Deep respect and gratitude...and also sadness," Su-hyeun thought.

    Those were the emotions of the souls, and at the same time, Miru''s emotions, too.

    Shwa-aaaaaah¡ª

    Viscous fluid gushed out from the melting body of Britra. Its remains instantly melted down to nothing, while its bones were completely turned into powder and scattered up in the air.

    "D¡ªdid it die or something?" Sun Wukong, sounding rather flustered, walked up to Su-hyeun. He had no idea about the existence of the Cintamani.

    Then again, he was under the impression that they had succeeded in pacifying a baby dragon who started shooting flames from its mouth upon seeing them, only for the creature''s body to balloon up and then melt into nothingness. Therefore, from Sun Wukong''s perspective, his reaction was justified.

    "Yes, Third Brother." However, Su-hyeun was aware of how long Britra had to wait for the arrival of its resting place, so he couldn''t treat this passing as yet another death. "It seems that the red dragon can finally rest in peace now."

    "Is it a good thing, though?"

    "Probably."

    "Should I be happy about it? I don''t get it at all."

    Su-hyeun smirked at Sun Wukong''s confused expression.

    Whatever the case might be, Britra, the "nuisance" of the Hell of Scorching Heat, was gone, as per King Yama''s request.

    It was unknown if anyone had predicted this turn of events, but King Yama''s request had been completed regardless of what.

    Rumble¡ª

    It was around this point that they sensed an intense heatwave.

    This form of energy, small but hotter than anything out there and compressed to a tiny sphere, seemed far more stable than any other type of fire.

    "Hey, something''s rolling around on the ground over there."

    Just as Su-hyeun sensed that energy, Sun Wukong discovered something among Britra''s remains. It was a lone "something" emitting a light among the viscous fluid created by the decomposed melted flesh.

    It was a crimson jewel.

    While walking up to that jewel, Su-hyeun began contemplating something, "Now that I think about it...."

    Britra waited all alone for its resting place to come for it in the Hell of Scorching Heat for hundreds of millions of years, all the while devouring the heat of this hell and adapting to its environment.

    Since that was the case...

    "What happened to all those devoured flames then?"

 Chapter 483 - 483

    A single sparkling jewel could be seen within the pile of Britra''s remains.

    It had a striking resemblance to Britra''s eye. It sparkled brilliantly as if it was burning in crimson flames.

    Su-hyeun bent down and picked it up, sensing warmth coming from it. It wasn''t too hot or anything like that. Not just Sun Wukong, but even regular people would be able to pick this thing up without an issue.

    But the moment he grasped it...

    KHAAA-AAH¡ª!

    An open maw of a massive red dragon suddenly pounced on Su-hyeun.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    "Heok...!" Su-hyeun was startled and ended up letting go of the jewel, only to catch it again with his other hand quickly.

    That momentary illusion that appeared before his eyes had been too vivid. It depicted the maw of Britra when it was still alive.

    Wuuong...

    "What''s the matter, little bro?" Sun Wukong asked when Su-hyeun dazedly stared at the jewel for a while.

    It seemed that he didn''t witness the illusion as his little brother did.

    Su-hyeun was about to explain but then shook his head, saying that it was nothing. It wasn''t as if Sun Wukong would see the illusion just because it was explained to him, and more than likely, he would just laugh it off while saying Su-hyeun was a scaredy-cat.

    "For now, let''s take this with us."

    The Hell of Scorching Heat, the divine Flame, and King Yama¡ªSu-hyeun had been thinking about these things and how there must be a reason why Master Subhuti chose to send him and Sun Wukong down here. The old god must have glimpsed the events of a relatively far-off future.

    But now, it seemed that two more items needed to be added to that list: Britra and the Cintamani.

    "Also, we should speak to Uncle one more time."

    * * *

    Breaking out of the Hell of Scorching Heat didn''t prove that challenging. Most of the heat had vanished from it, so they didn''t need to worry about the lava. Also, it wasn''t as if powerful opponents could stop Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong in that place.

    And so, it took them two days to escape from the Hell of Scorching Heat.

    "Whew. Yup, that''s how skies should look like," Sun Wukong muttered while staring at the azure sky visible among the gaps of the tall grass. They were on their way home after successfully escaping from hell.

    Sun Wukong climbed a tree and took his time enjoying the view of the sky and the feeling of the breeze before looking down at Su-hyeun on the ground, "Hey, little bro! Don''t you feel hungry?"

    "Do you want to catch a boar or something, brother?"

    "Well, it''s not really like that. I was thinking of dropping by Second Brother''s village and getting a couple of potatoes from him."

    Grrrrrowl...

    Sun Wukong hadn''t been able to enjoy a proper meal for the past few days, and his empty stomach began demanding for something, anything, to fill it up.

    Back then, he clamored noisily for meat, but now, it seemed that his taste buds had adopted sufficiently enough to accept things like grass, vegetables, and potatoes.

    "But if you head to his village now, you might end up devouring all the potatoes the villagers worked hard to harvest, brother."

    "I''ll only eat a little, promise."

    "We''ll go there later, then. Later," Su-hyeun chuckled at Sun Wukong as the Monkey King whined. Then, he raised his head, a severe expression formed on his face as he muttered, "It looks like we must go there first, after all."

    "There? Where?" Sun Wukong activated his Fiery Golden Eyes and looked beyond the clouds. Even his expression became serious as he replied, "Yeah, looks that way."

    Tap¡ª

    Sun Wukong climbed down from the tree, pulled out Ruyi Jingu Bang, and then stabbed it on the ground.

    When Su-hyeun walked up closer and grabbed the shaft of the staff, Sun Wukong spoke up, "Extend, Ruyi."

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang extended rapidly, allowing Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong to ascend into the sky. The staff didn''t need long to break through the cloud cover, leading the duo to the Heavenly World above.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The world beyond the clouds appeared only after the duo broke through the cloud cover.

    It was the world initially ruled by the Jade Emperor and populated by a race who called themselves gods, with the clouds themselves serving as its solid ground.

    But now, that Heavenly World was...

    "Utterly in ruins."

    That was the sight of the world above as viewed through Insight. The grand city was filled with destroyed and crumbling buildings, clouds with many holes resembling Swiss cheese, and a once-pristine lake that had become pitch-black.

    And in the middle of everything were Master Subhuti and King Yama sitting down with one more person.

    "You two have finally arrived?" King Yama said.

    Su-hyeun, who had come here to speak to Subhuti, acknowledged King Yama and lowered his head in slight astonishment. Meanwhile, Sun Wukong walked up to the trio and spoke in his usual attitude, "Why are you here too, Buddha?"

    "Buddha?" thought Su-hyeun.

    Su-hyeun, who had lowered his head to offer his greetings, looked up at the frail-looking old man next to Subhuti and King Yama.

    Buddha was the one responsible for raising Master Subhuti and the deity the people of Sun Wukong''s world believed in the most.

    "And quite possibly one of the Five Godly Sages, too," but Su-hyeun kept these thoughts to himself.

    Two of the Five Godly Sages and King Yama were together. However, their appearances seemed a bit odd.

    The clothing on Yama was either ripped to shreds or got decomposed and melted down. Master Subhuti could be seen in the same state.

    Even the surrounding environment had transformed significantly as if an intense battle had occurred.

    "Did you guys fight someone?" Sun Wukong asked about what Su-hyeun wanted to know.

    Subhuti shook his head, "It''s nothing, Wukong."

    "Listen, uncle." Rather obviously, Sun Wukong didn''t believe him. "I''m not a kid anymore."

    While saying that, he turned his head and alternated his gaze between King Yama and Buddha.

    It seemed that he was trying to get answers from those two if Master Subhuti proved to be too unwilling. Buddha, who previously had his eyes closed while quietly reciting Buddhist sutra, directly looked at Sun Wukong.

    He said, "It''s about time he learns the truth."

    "But, master¡ª"

    "Wukong is correct. You can''t treat him as a child and coddle him forever," Buddha replied before turning his head. "Do you not agree, Yama?"

    "Surely, you''re the only one under the heavens who treat the one and only Great Sage Heaven''s Equal as a child, Master Subhuti."

    The opinions of the two deities matched each other.

    The only one trying to hide the truth was Subhuti. He sighed at length, then raised his head, "In that case... take a look for yourself."

    Gu-wuwuwu...

    The surrounding air tumbled, and their color shifted. Like paint bleeding into each other, it became pitch-black in color. Then, everything is divided into various hues to reflect a different scene.

    Sun Wukong went, "Wow," to express his amazement, but Su-hyeun, next to him, didn''t, having already experienced something similar before.

    "First Brother..."

    This was the same phenomenon back when the Bull Demon King replayed his battle against Fafnir to Su-hyeun.

    Even though it might seem like an illusion, this was no ordinary illusion at all. This was the power to recreate what happened in the past and show it to the intended audiences.

    The sky had turned pitch-black.

    On the ground were the beautiful lake and trees, while Master Subhuti, Buddha, and King Yama were talking among themselves within this scenery.

    They all looked up.

    At that very moment, a massive eyeball revealed itself up there.

    "Wait, is that the Dark Realm?"

    Dark, stormy clouds filled up the skies above, and then, a massive doorway appeared.

    Countless Predators showed up from it like a swarm of bees, and in the middle of the incoming swarm, the owner of that eyeball revealed himself.

    It was a handsome man in his early 20s with green hair.

    Despite this being a recreation of the past, Su-hyeun immediately understood who this being was. That truly arrogant and haughty glare in this green-haired man''s eyes was locked only on Master Subhuti and no one else.

    "Osiris!"

    Green-colored spheres began floating all around Osiris next.

    And then, the Heavenly World was destroyed right afterward.

    FLASH¡ª!

    For a moment there, the entire world was dyed in the verdant hue, and then...

    KWA-AAAAAH¡ª!

    The buildings on the surface were reduced to rubble, while the forest was extinguished outright, from their roots and all. The only living things left intact were the two Taoist Gods and King Yama.

    The ensuing battle was surprisingly intense, and the battle ended when Osiris chose to retreat.

    Shu-ruru...

    Whoosh¡ª

    The surrounding scenery reverted to how it used to be.

    But it didn''t differ that much from the recreation of the past Master Subhuti had displayed¡ªa devastated Heavenly World, dead air, ruined skies, and Subhuti and King Yama injured in various places.

    They waited until Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong regained their wits, then Subhuti opened his mouth, "Have you seen everything?"

    "Uncle..." The whites in Sun Wukong''s eyes rapidly grew.

    His irises that burned in the distinct crimson hue due to his Fiery Golden Eyes gradually shrunk. Eventually, Sun Wukong''s eyes resembled that of a wild beast.

    Even the restriction of the Golden Fillet was meaningless now.

    Sun Wukong, who was seething in rage, was no longer the practitioner and the master of Sage Arts but just another Yogoe right now.

    "Who... the hell was that punk?" He growled like a beast that might start howling at even the slightest provocation.

    Master Subhuti didn''t want to see this, but he had no choice but to accept this side of Sun Wukong. "That was Osiris."

    "Osiris?" Sun Wukong asked back while glancing at Su-hyeun.

    That name had been brought up during King Yama and Su-hyeun''s negotiation.

    And now, his eyes were asking a question, "Little bro, did you know more about this?"

    "He''s a ''god'' from the Outer World. He''s also referred to as a Predator and a long-time enemy of mine," Master Subhuti replied as such before shifting his gaze over to King Yama next to him. "It''s the same deal for King Yama."

    Yama nodded in agreement.

    After this revelation, the explanation was mostly about things Su-hyeun already knew. Such as how Subhuti had evaded Osiris for a long time, that he got discovered not too long ago¡ªhow Osiris showed up here personally after locating Master Subhuti¡ªand that they ended up facing each other once more just now.

    "Through this battle, he probably has figured out that I don''t have much lifespan remaining, and that''s why he decided to withdraw, most likely."

    "Uncle..."

    "And thanks to this event, even ''that'' has dwindled by a lot, it seems."

    Sun Wukong''s eyes quaked powerfully.

    During the Bull Demon King''s ascension, he had not made such an expression. That was understandable, however.

    Unlike the Bull Demon King, who ascended to godhood, Master Subhuti was about to die. Unlike his First Brother, whom he sincerely believed they could meet again someday, his uncle would be welcoming his eternal rest.

    Worse still, that was what Subhuti wanted. No one could argue and dispute his decision, and no one could interfere with it.

    And that moment had already crept up right in front of his nose.

    "Wukong, come with me for a moment."

    After explaining everything to him, Master Subhuti called Sun Wukong out separately.

    Some clouds split up and flew in the middle of the two. They boarded this cloud and flew off somewhere. Su-hyeun wordlessly stared at the direction they were flying off to.

    "How did you deal with that baby dragon?"

    It was King Yama who called out to Su-hyeun just then.

    Only then did Su-hyeun recall his promise with Yama, and while pulling out the crimson jewel from his pocket, he replied, "It left this behind and returned to its grave."

    "That''s that creature''s core."

    "Do you know what this is?"

    "That punk had been staying in my Hell of Scorching Heat for a very long time while devouring the flames there. From the get-go, it had an affinity to every element, so adapting to flames and living among them wouldn''t have been an issue for that little dragon."

    As expected, King Yama was aware of Britra''s story, such as how long the red dragon had been down there and maybe even the reason why Britra was stuck in the Hell of Scorching Heat in the first place.

    "Every dragon has a ''heart.'' It may look as beautiful as a gemstone, but in reality, it''s an item that contains the entire life of a dragon."

    Su-hyeun recalled Fafnir, who had killed the black dragon and bathed in the creature''s blood flowing out from its heart.

    It seemed that this jewel was something quite similar to that.

    "Does that mean this is...?"

    "The Dragon Heart, yes. It is also the essence of all the fire of the Hell of Scorching Heat that Britra has devoured during its extended lifetime."

    The essence of fire was also the heart of Britra, the god of all dragons.

    Su-hyeun stared at the jewel shining in crimson light resting on his palm.

    "So... how am I even supposed to use this thing then?" he mused.

    He now knew that this was Britra''s heart containing the spectacular fire. However, he still had no idea what to do with an item of this nature even now.

    Since this belonged to Britra, should he just bury it somewhere to match the passing of the red dragon?

    Or, just like what Fafnir did, should he just break it open and take a bath in the blood coming from within?

    Just as Su-hyeun began pondering his options...

    "You should swallow it," Buddha, who was listening to Su-hyeun and King Yama''s conversation from the side, suddenly decided to voice his opinion.. "If you do, something quite amusing will occur."

 Chapter 484 - 484

    Su-hyeun alternated his gaze between Buddha and the crimson jewel on his palm.

    Buddha was urging him with a hand gesture. Su-hyeun was stuck in a dilemma, wondering if this was the right thing to do, but eventually, he did as he was told and placed Britra''s heart in his mouth.

    And when he did, something mystifying happened.

    Shu-rururu...

    The heart became soft and tender like a supple cloud, which was entirely at odds with what it initially felt in his grip before melting down instantly.

    Fwhoosh¡ª!

    At the same time, it felt as if liquefied metal super-heated by fire had been poured down his throat, and a wave of incredible heat crashed into his mouth.

    "Heuph...!"

    Shocked by what happened, Su-hyeun was about to spit everything out, but Buddha raised his voice, "You must not spit it out."

    His words seemed to contain some mysterious power because Su-hyeun stopped trying to spit the heat out and gritted his teeth to endure it instead. He staggered and plopped halfway down to the ground, but when he looked up at Buddha, the latter was shaking his head with an expression not too different from a minute ago.

    "You mustn''t do that."

    "..."

    The jewel melting within his mouth¡ªor rather, the Dragon Heart¡ªsoon traveled down Su-hyeun''s throat and seeped into his core.

    It was almost as if he had swallowed the spiciest, hottest food imaginable in the world. Starting from his throat down to his gut, he began to vividly sense the shape of his esophagus, the existence of which was something he hadn''t been that conscious of until now.

    "Kuh...!"

    Whoooosh¡ª

    The fire that had already taken root within Su-hyeun''s body began responding next.

    It was the divine Flame, the fire currently in Su-hyeun''s possession that had been granted godhood.

    This fire and Britra''s fire began contesting each other. Just like how water and oil would never mix, although both of them were liquid, the two fires clashed against each other as if they could not coexist.

    And that collision caused Su-hyeun''s innards to burn continuously.

    Right at that moment...

    RUUUUMBLE¡ª!

    Pure-crimson flames exploded into life all around Su-hyeun and quickly enveloped him.

    "It has begun." Buddha didn''t do anything and watched this scene unfold.

    He didn''t even try to extend a helping hand. Despite the danger that Su-hyeun could die at any second, Buddha didn''t have a single doubt in his mind. He believed that Su-hyeun would emerge victoriously.

    This was fate, the flow of destiny. That was what Buddha believed.

    * * *

    Swhiiiiish¡ª

    A cloud flew in the sky while seemingly scything the world in half.

    The duo riding the cloud stopped it after reaching the mortal realm below the Heavenly World. The quiet and lonesome scenery that greeted them was a secluded forest and a village just below their position, and that was about it.

    "Where are we?" Sun Wukong asked while looking around in curiosity. His keen five senses naturally alerted him to the fact that no one lived here. "Why are we in an empty village?"

    It wasn''t that surprising¡ªthe village didn''t seem to be an excellent place to live. It was located too deeply within the mountains, and there wasn''t enough suitable terrain to cultivate farmlands.

    One would''ve had a difficult time if they wanted to travel to another village from here.

    "I used to live in this village."

    "Uh?"

    Step¡ª

    "Its people have long abandoned it, yet the village still stands even to this day," Master Subhuti muttered while walking toward the village.

    Suddenly feeling a bit sheepish for some reason, Sun Wukong shut his mouth and followed after him.

    The village had been abandoned for too long. As such, it was covered in dust, and everything seemed to be falling in decay. Just a little tap would''ve broken the doors down. Even a gentle breeze could have brought the roofs down.

    But Master Subhuti''s eyes as he stared at this old and worn, not to mention abandoned, village grew rather sentimental, "I was abruptly reminded of something."

    Shu-wuk¡ª

    He stepped inside one of the dilapidated houses, then wiped the dust off its wall. A drawing was on its surface. A little child must have drawn it as "mom" was depicted by a female figure barely identifiable by the long hair. "Dad" was drawn slim with short limbs. Then, "son" stood in the middle of them.

    "Uncle, who are you in this drawing?" Sun Wukong instinctively understood that one of the three was Subhuti.

    Subhuti smiled brightly and pointed at the little kid in the middle, "That''s me."

    "Wow, so even you used to be this little," Sun Wukong stared at the drawing with a mystified look on his face.

    This little kid was not even half as tall as the mother or the father. Subhuti was an old man for as long as Sun Wukong had known him, so the latter found this drawing rather foreign and even weird to behold.

    "This is the flow of things." Master Subhuti also stared at the drawing for a long while before saying something, "Men will die, revert to being seedlings, and be reborn as babies. After time passes, they become parents. And as they watch over their children, they become one with nature and grow older."

    "Uncle..."

    "I had been stuck in ''that'' place. Many gods are in the same shoes. My parents from this drawing of mine from the distant past that I can''t even remember properly anymore should have probably repeated that cycle many times by now."

    "Are you thinking of leaving now?"

    When Sun Wukong asked that, Master Subhuti nodded, "Yes."

    "Mm..." Sun Wukong deeply pondered something before finally opening his mouth, "Thanks for everything, uncle."

    He spoke in a comparatively calm tone.

    Subhuti had been thinking of different types of farewells, but he preferred this manner of saying goodbye in all honesty.

    He reached up and patted Sun Wukong''s head. The Monkey King was at least a hand span taller than the old god. "You''ve all grown up, Wukong," he said.

    "Nope, I''m gonna stay a little kid," Sun Wukong replied as if he wanted to sound rebellious. However, he soon became dejected and shook his head, "N¡ªno, wait, I''ll grow up so that I don''t make you worried and all."

    Even from their first encounter, Sun Wukong''s personality had always been like this.

    He was as immature as a little kid who only started talking recently. He was a barely contained helter-skelter of a rascal. It was none other than the duo of Master Subhuti and the Bull Demon King who managed to transform Sun Wukong.

    Shu-wuk¡ª

    "Thank you, Wukong," Master Subhuti ruffled up Sun Wukong''s hair, then spoke with a subtle grin on his face, "And now, time for the final lesson."

    Whack¡ª

    "Ouch!"

    Subhuti lightly rapped Sun Wukong''s head with a stick. Although his movement seemed light, the strength was not because Sun Wukong shielded his head with both hands and rubbed the swollen bump there.

    "Now engrave this to your heart, Wukong."

    Clouds rapidly gathered, and the scenery around the two changed to that of a sky next.

    "Remember today''s teachings."

    Even though he didn''t intend to fly, Sun Wukong''s feet were already floating in the air. Subhuti was standing on the clouds, and nothing else besides clouds existed in their surroundings now.

    This space was just for the two of them.

    Smirk¡ª

    Sun Wukong smirked deeply. He retrieved Ruyi Jingu Bang tied to his back, then nodded rather energetically, "Of course, I will. I mean, it''s your lesson, after all."

    He had imagined many different types of goodbyes in his head: a farewell where they cried buckets and confessed to not wanting to say goodbye or where everything was calm and cordial as if nothing of note was happening.

    However, Master Subhuti had already prepared a farewell that most suited someone like Sun Wukong.

    And that farewell would be in the form of the "final lesson."

    Sun Wukong continuously fought against Master Subhuti in this place.

    They fought and then fought some more as if he didn''t want to accept the reality of needing to say goodbye when this fight comes to an end.

    This fight became the longest Sun Wukong had fought ever since he came into existence.

    * * *

    Trapped inside the massive flame, Su-hyeun closed his eyes.

    Rather than enduring this incredible pain, he decided to fight back instead.

    So, he closed his eyes and focused on the massive flame rampaging within his body.

    "This has to be the real hell, then."

    Ruuuuumble¡ª!

    Everything he laid his eyes on was enveloped in flames¡ªthe land, the skies, and everywhere.

    Flames fierce enough to scorch flesh and melt bones were endlessly blazing, and this place was probably inside Su-hyeun''s body right now.

    Seeing all these flames made him automatically groan. His body was now even hotter than the Hell of Scorching Heat?

    He couldn''t help but wonder if he had done something he shouldn''t have.

    "Even so, I can still fight back."

    His divine Flame was currently combating Britra''s heart.

    Two searing-red flames were matched evenly. Neither of them was forced back, and they fought each other off as if they were irreconcilable sworn enemies that had to be killed.

    "Man, now that''s intense."

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    When Su-hyeun drove his will, one of the flames grew threateningly large. It was his flame.

    With this, he became sure that the flame was definitely his. It existed within his own visualized consciousness, and Britra''s flame opposing it was trying to devour it.

    "I can''t lose this."

    He had to suppress that fire somehow and make it his own. Usually, two flames that collided against each other from opposing directions would eventually become one in the end.

    Making that happen was something he probably had to accomplish after swallowing up Britra''s heart.

    But then...

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Britra''s flames suddenly grew even more vicious. Then, they began merging in one spot. They formed a physical body, eventually sprouting wings, too.

    Finally, it morphed into the figure of a colossal dragon sporting sharp fangs.

    Grrrrr¡ª

    The creature growling lowly had a truly unforgettable outer appearance.

    "Britra..."

    It was the red dragon''s appearance revealed for one last time just before its death.

    Britra, now a full-fledged dragon made out of flames, shifted its beautiful eyes that sparkled like rubies and glared at Su-hyeun.

    When their eyes met, Su-hyeun raised his hand to wave back, "Hello there, do you still¡ª?"

    Kyaaaaaah¡ª!

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    A massive wave of flames pounced on Su-hyeun. These flames were so hot that the lava of the Hell of Scorching Heat came across as refreshingly cool in comparison.

    [Earth Shrink Technique]

    He had never deployed the Earth Shrink Technique in such a hurry like this before.

    Thankfully, this was still inside his consciousness, which meant that he had full access to his skills and techniques.

    He folded the space and landed on a spot not too far. He barely managed to evade the flames and patted his chest in relief, "If that managed to hit me dead-on, then..."

    A fairly dangerous situation would''ve occurred.

    That attack was far more dangerous than any other magic he had sensed up until now. Not only that, his defensive equipment like Kali''s Blood Armor would''ve been useless in this space, too.

    "This fight probably would''ve tilted in one side''s favor."

    Slightly surprised, Su-hyeun stared at Britra.

    He thought of saying hello since they were nominally acquaintances, but there wasn''t any discernible focus in Britra''s eyes.

    It was more than likely that its ego had not been properly formed, but that couldn''t be helped.

    "That''s not the real Britra, after all."

    The red dragon''s soul and ego were already contained within the Cintamani. The "Britra" before his eyes was nothing more than an empty shell, or maybe, the power it had left behind taking on a tangible form.

    Now that he had taken a look at this generated form, he became sure of something. This was not some simple struggle between two flames.

    No, it was a battle between the master of the divine Flame, Su-hyeun, and the original owner of the other flame, Britra.

    The red dragon''s soul might have found its eternal rest within the Cintamani, but the same couldn''t be said for the power it used to possess.

    This power lost its direction when it lost its master. This fire of intense heat, accumulated within Britra''s body throughout hundreds of millions of years, was a living entity by now.

    And it was trying to devour Su-hyeun''s fire.

    "I can''t allow that."

    Ruuumble¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s sword was encased in flames.

    Su-hyeun''s divine Flame had powered up significantly compared to the past. Even though his fire wasn''t created for a long time like Britra''s, he still relied on Predation to make the heat found in the Hell of Scorching Heat his own.

    On top of that, thanks to the godhood Apollo had shared with him, Su-hyeun''s fire had reached the realm where he fully deserved the title of God of Fire quite some time ago.

    "Your fire and mine..." Su-hyeun, for some reason, was beginning to enjoy this moment. "Which one will be hotter, I wonder?"

    Grrrr¡ª

    Britra growled in answer to Su-hyeun''s question. Then...

    Split¡ª!

    It opened its massive maw and got ready to fire another round of Breath in Su-hyeun''s direction.

    Ruuumble¡ª!

    Along with the flames burning on Su-hyeun''s sword...

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Britra fired its Breath.

    [Flame - Standard Slash]

    [Breath]

    And so, the moment those two collided...

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    A humongous tempest of flames whipped up madly within Su-hyeun''s consciousness.

 Chapter 485 - 485

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    The sword chopped apart Britra''s wing.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    However, the sliced-apart wing rapidly regenerated. All the fire within this endlessly vast space was its flesh and bones.

    Split¡ª

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Britra''s maw split open one more time. It was preparing another Breath attack.

    [Leap]

    Baaang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun jumped high and dodged the incoming Breath. He spun around in the air and looked down at Britra below, then began tutting unhappily, "I''m getting a bit tired now."

    Just how long had he been fighting?

    Britra didn''t want to go down easily at all. No matter how many times he cut it down, it continued to regenerate its body.

    "Sure, it''s just a lump of flames, but I still can''t underestimate its size..."

    Just one flap of its wings and a firestorm intense enough to be concerning madly whipped about.

    Not only that, but he had to avoid getting struck dead-on by that Breath attack at all cost. At one point, he thought he had gotten used to it and relaxed just a little, only for the attack to slightly brush past him, which left behind a burn wound that still didn''t want to heal on his back.

    "And also, no other attacks work unless it is fire-based."

    Out of all the abilities Su-hyeun possessed, the one with the highest killing power was undoubtedly lightning.

    The Thunderbolt, generated through the authority over the Somersault cloud and strengthened by the Godhood of Sky, was powerful enough to obliterate a small city without a single trace.

    However, such a Thunderbolt couldn''t even do anything to Britra. It was the same story for his other martial techniques and magic spells.

    "Only fireworks."

    That was the rule within this space.

    This was where Su-hyeun''s Flame fought against Britra''s heart. Meaning other types of power couldn''t interfere.

    Then again, this place was not reality but a visualized space depicting the current situation within his body, so such a thing couldn''t be helped. In the end, he had no choice but to fight Britra off using just his fire.

    Grrrrrr¡ª

    Britra''s eyes were sharp and angry as it glared at Su-hyeun after he dodged yet another Breath. This creature possessed emotions, and it also seemed to have an ego, although by only a little bit.

    It probably found Su-hyeun despicable for continuously dodging its Breath attacks.

    "That''s understandable." Su-hyeun put away his sword and raised his dukes instead. "I''m sure you''re also getting anxious."

    Britra''s Breath had also gotten weaker than before, after all. For sure, the flames burning on its body were gradually getting fainter, too, indicating that it had gotten quite exhausted as well.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Rather than sticking with his sword, he relied on Transformation to envelop his arms and fists in flames.

    The cutting power of his blade had no meaning here. What he needed to do right now was to deliver one punch after another that contained the hottest, strongest flames he could muster.

    Fuu-huph¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s eyes sharpened instantly. He used Earth Shrink Technique and appeared right below Britra''s maw.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    When he threw a punch, Britra''s huge body stumbled greatly.

    It was just as he thought; if he enveloped his hand in flames, he could touch Britra''s form, which was also made out of flames.

    Kkha-aaaaah¡ª!

    Britra, with its maw struck clean, howled angrily right next to him. Although it was loud enough to ring his hearing painfully, Su-hyeun had already heard it enough times by now to build up some tolerance to it.

    What followed next was another Breath attack. However, right now, Su-hyeun''s fist made its next move.

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    When he whacked its chin again, Britra''s maw was snapped shut.

    Su-hyeun muttered while watching Britra''s head float up, "Keep it shut, will you?"

    Fwhoosh¡ª

    Bang, boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    A storm of fists rained down mercilessly.

    He struck the dragon''s chin from below, then flew up to smash its crown down with his elbow next. The dragon with the bulk of a village staggered precariously before floating in the air from the impact.

    He couldn''t tell how long he kept on pounding on Britra like this.

    Huff, pant...

    By recklessly using his strength, his stamina was getting gradually depleted. It couldn''t be helped since he was using the divine Flame without any breaks and at a far quicker tempo than the usual.

    Thankfully, though, Britra was also getting just as weaker in the meantime.

    Not to mention...

    "I''m getting more and more used to it."

    Su-hyeun was rapidly getting accustomed to the method of utilizing the divine Flame.

    The divine Flame had devoured the heat of the Hell of Scorching Heat, resulting in its color changing and emitting even greater heat than ever before. As such, he needed to spend a lot more magical energy to deploy the enhanced power. At the same time, the number of flames he could unleash at once had also significantly increased.

    Initially, it was not that easy to control the Flame. More power than Su-hyeun expected got unleashed, so never mind exercising control, he even found maintaining his balance more difficult than before.

    But now, he was almost done acclimatizing.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    The more accustomed he became in controlling his flames, the greater his flames grew and spread out within this vast space.

    Grrrr¡ª

    Once the barrage of punches ended, Britra retracted its wings and stumbled back.

    Compared to the beginning, its body had gotten a lot smaller. The difference was so stark that one didn''t even need to take a closer look to realize this.

    On top of that, Britra seemed to be scared of Su-hyeun''s flames that had gotten even more belligerent than before because it no longer fired its Breath attack.

    "Hey, you want to get beaten up some more?"

    Britra hurriedly shook its head at Su-hyeun''s question.

    As expected, this creature felt pain and understood fear.

    What Su-hyeun needed to do within this visualized consciousness was to beat the living daylights out of Britra and make it submit to him.

    And right now, the flame dragon was scared of Su-hyeun.

    "Lay on the ground."

    Grrrr¡ª

    Britra slowly moved according to Su-hyeun''s command.

    It slowly knelt, but then...

    SMASH¡ª!

    Su-hyeun slammed his elbow down on Britra''s head, ramming it down hard on the ground.

    Kkhaa-aahk¡ª!

    Britra howled in pain, then looked up at Su-hyeun with protesting eyes. It was as if the flame dragon was asking him, "Why did you hit me even though I did as you said?"

    Su-hyeun addressed Britra looking back at him, "On the ground."

    He said the same thing as before.

    Britra hurriedly knelt and lowered its long neck to the ground when he did. Su-hyeun observed the flame dragon''s action done more quickly and nodded in satisfaction, "From this moment on, I''m your master."

    Britra nodded in acceptance at Su-hyeun''s declaration. The creature that tried its hardest to devour him earlier was acting much mellower now.

    Su-hyeun briefly scanned his surroundings. The two fires that didn''t want to blend like oil and water and fought each other like bitter rivals had now become a single lump of fire.

    All this fire was now his.

    "Very good, Britra," Su-hyeun smirked deeply in satisfaction, then extended his hand toward Britra. "I''ll be in your care from now on."

    That wasn''t something one should say after beating somebody else to a figurative bloody pulp, but even so, Britra stuck its head out while making a noticeably gentler expression.

    The moment it did...

    Jiiii-iiiing¡ª

    Whooooosh¡ª

    Britra''s massive body transformed into rays of crimson light before shrinking down to a small sphere resembling a firefly.

    That was as far as Su-hyeun could remember.

    * * *

    He remained a bit dazed after opening his eyes.

    He wondered if the chaotic fight earlier was just a dream. But could a dream be that vivid? Maybe the blue sky above him with not a speck of cloud was the dream instead.

    All kinds of thoughts flitted in and out of his head.

    After opening his eyes, it took him around one minute to push his upper torso up. He could see the ashes filling up the charred-black surroundings when he did.

    It was as if a colossal wildfire had swept across this place.

    "Did I do this?"

    "If not you, who else could it be?"

    Su-hyeun flinched at the voice coming from relatively close by and hurriedly turned his head. That was when he finally noticed an old man with a thin body so gaunt that it was practically skin and bones, as well as a face filled with age spots and wrinkles as if it belonged to someone over a century old.

    Now that he thought about it, he hadn''t properly greeted this being yet.

    "Are you Lord Buddha?" Su-hyeun asked with a slight tremble in his voice.

    It wasn''t because he felt nervous or uncomfortable. Rather, it was because he never imagined that one day, he would get to address someone before his eyes as "Lord Buddha."

    Buddha formed a meaningful smile at Su-hyeun''s greeting, "You seem a bit awkward there, young man."

    "Yes, kind of."

    "How come?"

    "Well, that''s because," Su-hyeun dusted the blackened ash off him and stood up from the spot, "I can''t see anything about you."

    "Oh-hoh," Buddha quietly muttered in an impressed tone.

    He didn''t outright deny it because he rather liked what Su-hyeun said just now.

    "Really, I can''t see anything from Buddha," Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun was using Insight right now.

    He believed that he had become a fairly high-tier god who could witness many things by now. He might not have ascended to the same realm as Master Subhuti, the Bull Demon King, or even Apollo, but even so, it should have been possible for him to see through his opponent''s essence at the very least.

    However, he could neither see nor sense anything from Buddha.

    It was the same story back when Su-hyeun first saw him¡ªhaving no worldly desires or possessions.

    It probably had something to do with Buddha''s beliefs. He wasn''t merely paying lip service here. He practiced his teachings, thereby becoming an existence living in the near state of nothingness.

    "I''ve never met anyone like you before," said Su-hyeun.

    This feeling was something he didn''t even get from Master Subhuti.

    It was impossible to compare who was "better" of the two; it was simply the difference in what they sought after, as well as the path they walked on.

    Even if Buddha served as the teacher, in the end, Master Subhuti was a sage, a Tao practitioner, and Buddha was a Buddhist monk.

    Buddha maintained his smile even after listening to Su-hyeun, "And so, do you find my presence rather uncomfortable?"

    "No, sir, that''s not what I meant..."

    "I didn''t mean to make you flustered when I asked that question. It''s fine, young man. Most people react similarly, after all," Buddha said, then guffawed loudly.

    Something about this felt different from the Buddha of Su-hyeun''s imagination.

    Feeling a bit sheepish now, Su-hyeun wordlessly scanned his surroundings once more before asking a question, "Where did King Yama go, if you don''t mind me asking?"

    "He''s not originally from here, so he returned, saying that he needs to check out the state of the other hells."

    "And my Third Brother?"

    "He''s still fighting," Buddha shifted his gaze in another direction. His eyes seemed to be staring at somewhere really far away. "I can''t tell when they will stop, however."

    "When you say fighting... with uncle?"

    "Once that fight ends, they will have to say goodbye, after all. That child, he''s holding onto his lifespan for the first time."

    Master Subhuti didn''t hold onto his lifespan until now. He said he would disappear according to the flow of things once his life ended and patiently waited for that fateful day.

    But now, for the first time, he was willingly going against the flow of things while fighting Sun Wukong.

    "It''ll be nice if the fight doesn''t end," Su-hyeun muttered.

    "Regardless of what possession, event, or person or even the universe that contained all those things, the end exists for all. It''s no different for them."

    Su-hyeun could only sigh deeply at Buddha''s insincere-sounding remark.

    That fight would eventually come to an end. Even if it''s Sun Wukong, even if it''s Master Subhuti, they certainly couldn''t keep fighting nonstop for a millennium or some such.

    Su-hyeun asked, "What will happen to the system from now on?"

    Master Subhuti was responsible for constructing and maintaining the system, and Osiris'' goal was to kill him and get rid of the system altogether.

    However, Osiris didn''t need to step forward since Master Subhuti was already at death''s door.

    "Most likely, the system already given to you won''t disappear. However, there won''t be new trials given out by the system. I fear that restoring this functionality will take a minimum of tens of thousands of years."

    The system was about to disappear from existence. Meaning, the method to stop the massive "virus" invading the universe, the one created by Shiva, would be gone, too.

    Su-hyeun didn''t have a leeway to grieve over Master Subhuti''s death, his expression getting even graver than before.

    He even wished for Master Subhuti not to die and stick around for much longer if possible.

    "Are you concerned?" Buddha asked before continuing without waiting for Su-hyeun''s reply, "It''s not as if there is no other way left, however."

    Su-hyeun hurriedly asked back at that, "What is it?"

    "Sounds like you''re in a great hurry," Buddha chuckled before replying, "You must find Brahma, one of the Primordial Gods."

 Chapter 486 - 486

    The storm-like period had come and gone.

    In hindsight, the start of it all could be called rather heart-warming.

    It started with the Bull Demon King, Sun Wukong, and the Roc Demon King. Then, Su-hyeun hopped over to their side to drink with them, yet he ended up meeting Master Subhuti and then even Buddha himself. The Bull Demon King finally ascended, and Su-hyeun even traveled to the Hell of Scorching Heat governed by King Yama.

    Then, he met Britra, helped the dragon achieve its eternal respite, and finally, he made the dragon''s heart his own.

    And then...

    "Brahma, huh?"

    Plop¡ª

    Su-hyeun, now back on Earth, threw himself on a bed for the first time in what felt like ages.

    His own home had been left unattended for far too long, and it was now covered in thick layers of dust. He was somewhat intimidated by the prospect of going back there, so he went to a hotel instead.

    The hotel was quite tall, and one could supposedly see the night skyline of Seoul in the distance. This view helped drive the point home that he was finally back.

    "The Primordial God..."

    Abruptly, he began wondering if his life had drifted to somewhere too far away¡ªto the vast universe out there.

    The stars twinkling in the distant skies already seemed so indescribably far away to him. But a Primordial God? It was an existence capable of creating realms like those and governing them. That was what a Primordial God was.

    He recalled Zeus, Buddha, Master Subhuti, as well as the Predators Uranus and Osiris.

    He had to wonder if his senses had become numb or something after meeting and getting tangled up with all those incredible gods.

    "That has to be it. Otherwise, there''s no way I can be this unmoved."

    "Restoring the crumbled system should be nothing to someone like Brahma. After all, he''s a deity who has been continuously recreating the universes that Shiva destroyed.

    Su-hyeun''s impression during that rather jaw-dropping explanation was just one thing: "Ah, I see."

    It was far too flat of an impression, alright, so much so that even he was left deeply spooked after realizing it.

    But that state didn''t last for long since he also realized that he couldn''t do many things right now.

    "Just how am I supposed to find someone like that now?"

    According to Buddha, Brahma had vanished without a trace a very long time ago.

    The Primordial God''s role was to create the universe and then stick around until it had a chance to settle down.

    Afterward, the universe would no longer be under Brahma''s control. If the reborn universe were destroyed by Shiva once more, then Brahma would create another universe.

    "I don''t know anymore."

    Other than fight, there was nothing else Su-hyeun could do right now.

    For the sake of restoring the system that would break down after Master Subhuti''s death, Brahma must be found, but that was not something Su-hyeun could do.

    "At least Zeus is supposedly out there searching for him, so..."

    For the time being, Su-hyeun chose to stop thinking about that matter. What he should focus on now¡ªhis goal¡ªwas something else.

    "Osiris."

    Defeating that creature, one of the Three Destroyers, was the top priority for him at the moment.

    Of course, even that goal was vastly unreachable for him right now. After all, Osiris possessed enough strength to fight against Master Subhuti, Buddha, and King Yama at the same time.

    "Even though he couldn''t win and had to retreat."

    While he thought about this and that, the morning sun gradually rose over the horizon.

    It was late autumn, and the night was getting longer.

    He glanced at a watch and saw that it was around six in the morning. He headed to the shower.

    Shwa-Aaah...

    For the first time in a while, he stood under as much warm water as he would like and washed away all the dirt caking him.

    He then wore regular clothing and headed to the hotel''s parking lot. After starting the car, he drove over to Kim Dae-ho''s workshop.

    Clang¡ª!

    The sound of hammering remained the same even now, it seemed.

    It was seven o''clock in the morning. As it turned out, Kim Dae-ho was already up and running at very early hours.

    "This uncle...he doesn''t sleep much, does he?"

    Kim Dae-ho slept for only around three hours each day. Usually, he would go to bed around two o''clock before waking up at five. One had to wonder how he could stick to such a schedule when he had to push his body so much every single day. According to Su-hyeun''s memories, the older man repeated the same routine even to his last day.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    "Uncle."

    Clang¡ª!

    "Come in!" Kim Dae-ho replied without stopping his hammering.

    His voice was still deep and loud enough to reverberate. The hour was still early enough for other people to be asleep, but raising a ruckus around here was not a problem anymore.

    Creak¡ª

    Su-hyeun scanned the surroundings for a moment while stepping inside Kim Dae-ho''s workshop.

    The suburb of Nonhyeon was famous even within Seoul as a suburb with expensive real estate.

    The neighbors lodged various complaints regarding the constant noise of Kim Dae-ho''s hammering every morning for a while there. Eventually, however, Kim Dae-ho used his wealth to solve all of their dissatisfaction.

    "I told him to use his earnings to buy something good to eat or something, but this..."

    All the unoccupied houses in the neighborhood now belonged to Kim Dae-ho. To resolve the complaints, he simply paid extra over the market price to purchase all the houses in the near vicinity.

    Even a shabby weapon he crafted fetched tens, no, hundreds of thousands of dollars. The ones judged as slightly better products even managed to change hands for millions, too.

    Kim Dae-ho''s earnings easily outperformed what an average corporation could make. As such, the world had begun speculating that Kim Dae-ho had already managed to accrue as much wealth as Geneva Ricklas.

    "You''ve arrived."

    Clang¡ª!

    Kim Dae-ho asked while not even looking at Su-hyeun.

    The latter quietly replied, "Yes," then sat down somewhere behind the old blacksmith. Kim Dae-ho was still in the middle of his work, after all.

    "Doesn''t look like he slept at all last night," Su-hyeun quietly observed.

    Su-hyeun had received a text that said he should come this morning to get his things.

    Therefore, he assumed that his equipment had been completed, but it seemed that the work was still at the final stage.

    While waiting for Kim Dae-ho to finish, Su-hyeun switched on his phone to read the news.

    When he did, various articles regarding Kim Dae-ho began showing up one after another.

    "Kim Dae-ho, the master craftsman, suddenly announces suspension of equipment crafting until the end of November..."

    "Creation of brand-new equipment? Residents near Nonhyeon: I heard hammering sounds coming from Master Craftsman Kim Dae-ho''s workshop."

    "The reason why Kim Dae-ho suspended equipment manufacturing..."

    From the look of things, he must''ve put aside all the recent orders he received to craft Su-hyeun''s equipment.

    Countless awakeners wanted to get their hands on Kim Dae-ho''s creations, so the older man''s announcement of suspension understandably became a big issue.

    Su-hyeun searched through a portal site regarding Kim Dae-ho''s news, then put his smartphone away. He silently shifted his gaze over to Kim Dae-ho''s back. That back that had bent forward quite a bit didn''t seem to enjoy many days off for it to straighten up a bit.

    Hiss...

    The super-heated blade was plunged into the water in the basin, causing vapors to engulf the place instantly.

    Just how hot was the blade for it to do that?

    Kim Dae-ho left the blade inside the basin, then wiped his sweat away with a towel resting nearby, "Did I keep you waiting for long?"

    "No, not really."

    In reality, Su-hyeun had been waiting for about one hour. He had been told that the job would take quite some time, but even so, he didn''t wait in the living room.

    He didn''t find the temperature within the workshop hot, to begin with.

    He raised his hand and lightly waved it around in the interior of the workshop that his eyes could see. When he did...

    "Huh?"

    All the heat seemingly cooking the workshop''s interior vanished instantly, replaced by a cool breeze that brushed past Kim Dae-ho.

    "Wait, did you do that?"

    "Uncle, if you keep this up, you''ll end up collapsing from heatstroke, you know."

    "Huh. Well, I''ll be," Kim Dae-ho''s amazed eyes landed on Su-hyeun.

    The latter could have gotten rid of the heat a lot earlier, but he chose not to do that. He didn''t want to break Kim Dae-ho''s concentration, after all.

    The old blacksmith theorized that one''s body needed to be warmed up at least a little bit to improve one''s concentration.

    "Did you eat instant meals again, uncle?" Su-hyeun asked while checking out the pile of empty convenience store lunch boxes to the side.

    Kim Dae-ho proceeded to stuff the trash into a refuse bag while making his reply, "I like how they taste, that''s why."

    "You think I don''t know that you''re simply trying to have a quick meal? Uncle, please, you must at least try to maintain a healthy eating habit." Su-hyeun nagged Kim Dae-ho for some time, although he hadn''t seen him in a long while.

    He wondered if he had left Kim Dae-ho unattended for too long, even though he was the one who made the older man move to the city so that the latter could be looked after better. Kim Dae-ho had not looked after his health for far too long.

    "It''s fine, kid. I know my body the best. Stop making noise and go upstairs already," Kim Dae-ho replied while placing the blade into the Palm Leaf''s scabbard hanging on the nearby wall. He then began walking away.

    Su-hyeun could only sigh deeply at Kim Dae-ho''s stubborn refusal to listen to his advice, then followed the older man. There was a storage containing Kim Dae-ho''s finished equipment found at the rear of the workshop.

    Kim Dae-ho stood before the storage entrance, then gazed near the wall. When he did, the passcode panel went up, and soon after that, he mouthed the password to undo the storage''s locks.

    Creak, thud¡ª

    Finally, Kim Dae-ho pressed his palm on the panel, prompting the storage door to open with a heavy creak.

    "This is seriously cumbersome. Those fools in the association or whatever it is called ended up raising all sorts of hullabaloo. They made the opening process just too complicated for me now," Kim Dae-ho grumbled as he strode inside the storage.

    The storage, constructed out of fairly tough, sturdy alloy, was a treasure trove renowned not just Nonhyeon but also throughout the world.

    Stealing Kim Dae-ho''s equipment found inside this storage would''ve earned you enough wealth to set you up for life, so the fame was well deserved in the end.

    Step, step¡ª

    The storage was rather spacious.

    Su-hyeun took a moment and studied the pieces of equipment stored in here¡ªswords, gloves, sets of armor, spears, bows, and so on.

    Excluding a small selection of accessories, most of what was stored here were either weapons or armor sets. Then again, Kim Dae-ho enjoyed hammering metal, so he skewed toward making larger-sized equipment most of the time.

    And what caught Su-hyeun''s eye the most was none other than his armor entrusted to Kim Dae-ho earlier.

    "The Armor of Hades."

    Clack¡ª

    Kim Dae-ho picked up the Armor of Hades, its metal bits issuing weighty clacks.

    Its outer appearance had changed only a little bit. In the past, the armor''s simple patterns resembled that of a turtle''s shell, but it seemed just a bit flashier now.

    "It''s the same story for the sword, too."

    The sword''s hilt didn''t seem any different from the past, but the blade''s surface, which he got a brief glimpse of earlier, had a distinct bluish tinge to it.

    "Why don''t you put them on first?" Kim Dae-ho handed over the armor and the sword while addressing Su-hyeun.

    Didn''t he say that he had been handling adamantium incorrectly? Since Kim Dae-ho said that, there had to be some changes made to the equipment, for sure.

    Su-hyeun put on the armor, then gripped the sword''s hilt.

    Sha-ah¡ª

    The moment he did, he sensed an incredible sharpness being transmitted from his hand.

    Until the armor''s performance could be tested, it would be difficult to estimate anything, but it was possible to tell to some degree the sharpness of a sword by gripping it in his hand.

    "This sword...it''s incredibly sharp."

    "Nah, that''s just a bonus," Kim Dae-ho spoke with his characteristically confident face. "The thing is, adamantium was never just another ''tough'' metal, and that''s about it."

    "If not, what then?"

    "Its magical energy conductivity is far, far superior to any other metal out there. People know that when you pour in the same level of magical energy, the adamantium blade will generally output at least one and half times better than other metals."

    Even Su-hyeun knew that much.

    "But that''s when it''s not refined properly."

    "Wait, uncle, are you saying that all adamantium equipment made so far has been refined incorrectly?"

    "Basically, yeah. The tempering process for this metal should be done only once at the very last moment. That''ll be enough. Before reaching that part, though, one has to chill it constantly and shape it in that state."

    This must''ve been the technique Kim Dae-ho acquired through Hephaestus''s hammer.

    "The sword''s hardness and cutting power have gotten even better than before. Its magical energy conductivity should''ve more than doubled, too. Above all else..." Kim Dae-ho''s voice grew more and more excited as he explained the sword. "With this improvement, the jewel embedded in the blade will be able to bring out almost its full power."

    "I''m sorry?"

    Bringing out its full power?

    That could only mean that Su-hyeun had not utilized the full extent of the Palm Leaf''s power until now.

    Kim Dae-ho spoke after checking out Su-hyeun''s confused face, "Well, the adamantium blade of earlier couldn''t deal with the power contained in the jewel, you see. So the jewel deliberately suppressed its powers to protect the blade. But now, there''s no more reason to do that."

    After listening to that explanation, Su-hyeun looked at the gleaming surface of the sword in a new light.

    The bluish surface reflected his face. To think that the Palm Leaf was deliberately holding its power back to protect the blade. Not even the Bull Demon King mentioned anything like that before.

    "Even adamantium can''t withstand it?"

    The metal adamantium was known as the divine metal and acknowledged even by Hephaestus as the strongest, toughest metal out there.

    Even if the blade had been incorrectly refined, learning that the weapon was still unable to withstand the Palm Leaf''s power made his heart pound for some reason.

    And what Kim Dae-ho said next lit the fire in Su-hyeun''s heart, "Why don''t you go ahead and try it? It''ll blow your mind, kid."

 Chapter 487 - 487

    Scribble, scratch...

    Su-hyeun was drawing something on the ground using his sword.

    He was currently on an uninhabited island, something he had deliberately sought out.

    "Well, I can''t inconvenience the public like the last time, so..."

    The training space below the Jongno Tower was large enough to accommodate a magic circle. However, not too long ago, he almost caused the whole building to collapse while doing his thing down there.

    He wanted to avoid repeating what happened back then, so he picked out an uninhabited island to draw the magic circle this time.

    And it would be far more detailed this time around, too.

    "Okay, this part is done, and if I want to strengthen the magic circle''s defensive powers even more..."

    Su-hyeun skimmed through the grimoire he got as a gift from Ellid.

    He might have the memories of the Grand Wizard, but he was still a long way compared to Ellid in terms of magical abilities. As such, this grimoire was proving to be of great help to Su-hyeun.

    Shu-wuk...

    And so, he spent the next half a day inscribing the magic circle on the entire island.

    "This should be enough."

    Su-hyeun, who had spent half a day focused solely on the boring task of inscribing the magic circle, lightly dusted his hands off and walked into the center of his creation.

    He then quietly stepped on the high-grade Ether stone installed there.

    Right at that moment...

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Wuuong, wuuong...

    The magic circle activated, and the surrounding scenery began changing.

    The new background was a simple white space. Several scarecrows about twice Su-hyeun''s height could be seen standing around here and there.

    However, they were no ordinary scarecrows. This became evident when Su-hyeun lightly punched one of them.

    Jiii-iiing¡ª

    Woooong,, wuuuong¡ª

    The scarecrow seemed to sway for a bit of bit before Su-hyeun''s fist bounced back. This fairly sturdy sensation was transmitted through his fist.

    A smirk was plastered on Su-hyeun''s lips.

    It was a success.

    "Scarecrows made out of adamantium..."

    Of course, they were not made out of real adamantium. Instead, they were nothing more than illusory items created through the magic circle. The sturdiness of these scarecrows was based on the level of adamantium''s sturdiness that Su-hyeun had perceived.

    "Are you planning to cut down these mere fakes?" the Palm Leaf suddenly said to him.

    This was the first time in a long while that the Palm Leaf conversed with him.

    The Palm Leaf''s emotion was transmitted clearly to Su-hyeun through his hand gripping the sword''s hilt.

    It seemed that the weapon was pleased about the prospect of fighting with Su-hyeun after a long time.

    "It probably won''t be easy."

    "Will it be, really?"

    The Palm Leaf replied as if this whole thing was ridiculous.

    It sure sounded confident. However, Su-hyeun didn''t dislike this confident side of the Palm Leaf. In truth, he greatly welcomed it.

    The blade felt so right in his hand.

    The Palm Leaf''s wind was the most compatible "ability" with Su-hyeun. The wind attribute enhanced the sword''s cutting power automatically, and compared to his other abilities, the Palm Leaf''s powers felt most familiar to Su-hyeun, who happened to be a swordsman.

    The blade''s hardness improved, and it became even sharper than before. On top of this, the power of the winds brought on through the Palm Leaf had gotten stronger by another realm, too.

    Su-hyeun lightly kicked the ground and dashed forward while swinging down on the scarecrow.

    Screeeech¡ª

    Clang¡ª!

    The scarecrow was not cut down. However, rather obviously, he didn''t even expect that to happen in the first place.

    Trying to cut adamantium down with a single strike? Not only that but not relying on any skills and using only the most basic stance, too?

    By doing this, he learned something new.

    "The recoil is weaker."

    He took a relatively strong swing with the sword, but the scarecrow was not cut down. He should''ve felt the appropriate recoil in his hand, but the impact he felt was noticeably weaker than expected.

    In other words, the adamantium blade now possessed the characteristic of absorbing the impact force.

    Swish, whoosh¡ª

    Clang, claaang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun swung his sword around as if he was weaving a net.

    Countless sword scars appeared on the scarecrow, but these scars were not deep at all. Instead, they resembled scratches left behind by some other object.

    Of course, if other people had witnessed what was happening here, they would''ve been left deeply stunned. To think that adamantium, boasting the highest hardness and toughness, was left with distinct sword scars.

    Su-hyeun continued to wield his sword at the scarecrows for around five minutes before finally enveloping the blade with the winds.

    "Well, now then..."

    The winds moved according to Su-hyeun''s sword swing.

    Whoosh, whoosh¡ª

    The highly compressed winds instantly became a humongous blade. Su-hyeun didn''t even need to walk up closer to a scarecrow anymore.

    "This time, I should be able to..."

    Shu-susususut...

    A dark red aura permeated Su-hyeun''s sword next.

    It was the final stance of the "Heavenly Demon''s Divine Technique."

    [Shattering the Sky, Absolute Destruction]

    [Palm Leaf]

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s blade sliced the empty air apart.

    Right at that moment...

    Split¡ª!

    The scarecrow''s neck was sliced open.

    Kwa-gagagagagah¡ª

    Woong, wuuuooong¡ª

    The terrain behind the scarecrow was chopped into pieces, causing the rocky debris to break apart and jut upward. His magic circle, constructed as sturdily as possible to prevent the impact force from spreading out, wavered as if it would shatter at any moment.

    "I... did it?"

    Creak¡ª

    No, wait¡ªa little bit remained. The scarecrow''s head tilted to the side, still attached to its torso. The little bit of the scarecrow''s neck that hadn''t been cleanly severed served as proof that he failed to cut through the obstacle perfectly.

    He felt a bit rueful about that.

    Even so...

    "I really did it."

    After swinging the sword around for a little while, he began thinking that he could cut his target down. However, this was nothing more than a feeling he got from his hand. His head was still filled with questions.

    Was it really possible to chop the head off a scarecrow made out of adamantium?

    The result was right before his eyes.

    "It makes sense why the Palm Leaf was so confident earlier, then."

    He recalled the Palm Leaf''s voice as it mocked his doubts earlier.

    It was true, after all.

    Su-hyeun observed the sliced neck area of the scarecrow.

    "The depth I can cut down to is around one hand span, huh?"

    Meaning, if he were fighting against an opponent boasting a similar level of defense as to adamantium, he''d be able to cut their head off but not the entirety of their torso.

    "For sure, this is compatible with me."

    The narrower the wind area, the greater the cutting power would become. Now that the durability of the sword had improved, the strength of the wind pressure had naturally enhanced as well.

    The sliced scarecrow was repaired soon afterward.

    Su-hyeun raised his sword once more at three scarecrows within his view.

    "I can cut them down."

    Fire lit up within Su-hyeun''s eyes.

    For the rest of the day, he focused solely on wielding his sword.

    * * *

    The number of scarecrows gradually increased.

    They kept growing in number one by one until this whole place was practically turned into a forest of scarecrows. Everyone found within Su-hyeun''s magic circle was made out of adamantium.

    While dashing among the scarecrows, Su-hyeun held his sword horizontally. Winds flowed along with the blade. He deftly swung the sword at the scarecrows.

    s

    Swiiiiish¡ª!

    Adamantium was getting sliced up¡ªand relatively smoothly, too.

    Through several trials and errors, he figured out this method and then improved with persistent practice. He got his answer by not firing the wind directly but enveloping his sword in them instead of hitting the target directly.

    "I can''t utilize all of the sword''s cutting power by merely firing the winds."

    The key point here was maintaining the winds. Continuously keeping the winds wrapped around the blade without any of them scattering away required quite a high level of concentration.

    Thankfully, though, cutting down scarecrows for a whole day for practice did pay off, and he felt a little more familiar with the technique now.

    Huff, pant...

    Breathing heavily, Su-hyeun stopped moving for a moment.

    He had been moving around with an empty mind, causing him to almost not breathe during the practice. When he checked his fatigue level, it had already shot past 70 points.

    "I better take it easy for now."

    Using the Palm Leaf continuously while maintaining the magic circle had almost drained his magical energy reserve to rock bottom.

    Su-hyeun sheathed his sword.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    The activation of the magic circle was canceled, and the surrounding white space vanished.

    Plop¡ª

    Su-hyeun plopped down on the spot. He planned to take a short break and get going again as soon as his stamina had recovered a bit.

    At this point, he abruptly got a hankering for some food, more specifically, kimchi stew.

    "It''s really been a while since I enjoyed a proper meal, hasn''t it?"

    After his physical body ascended to the realm of godhood, he no longer needed to eat something. There was no reason to go out of his way to absorb nutrients because his prana automatically recovered his body to its best possible state.

    However, that didn''t mean he had forgotten all about the delicious food he used to enjoy in the past. It wasn''t to the degree of a voracious appetite. Still, the gourmet-related longing hadn''t completely abandoned him even now.

    "Should I head back home and get something to eat?"

    "Oh hey, can I join you on that?"

    A voice suddenly came from the necklace.

    Su-hyeun raised his torso, then brought the necklace in front of his eyes. And so, after the necklace emitted rays of light for a little while...

    "Tada!"

    "Ah. So you came, then?"

    When Luslec appeared before his eyes, Su-hyeun let out a long groan.

    For some reason, meeting this man always caused a bout of migraine to assault Su-hyeun. Luslec''s personality seemed carefree and unrestrained but differently from someone like Sun Wukong.

    "It feels like I keep seeing you whenever I''m back on Earth," said Su-hyeun.

    "Well, I like this place, you see. And I enjoy your company, too, Mister Su-hyeun," Luslec replied and laughed in good spirit.

    Whenever Su-hyeun returned to Earth, Luslec showed up without fail. He got the latter''s help numerous times, but despite knowing that Luslec was friendly toward him, Su-hyeun still felt a lingering unease about this man.

    For one thing, Su-hyeun knew nothing about Luslec even now.

    After pondering for a bit of a while, Su-hyeun made his decision regarding Luslec, "Please don''t cause any trouble. Just have fun for a little while before heading back, okay?"

    For the time being, Su-hyeun would let him be.

    Whatever the case might be, Luslec wasn''t someone who would harm Su-hyeun based on everything he had done so far. Therefore, it shouldn''t be a big deal, even if he was left alone.

    "By the way, I keep hearing a rather entertaining piece of rumor lately."

    When Luslec said that, Su-hyeun, who turned around to leave this uninhabited island, had to stop and turn his head back instead.

    Luslec smirked deeply after succeeding in his goal of drawing Su-hyeun''s attention, "It looks like the system will break down soon."

    Su-hyeun''s brows twitched at that statement.

    It seemed that Luslec knew all about who had created the system and maintained it up until now. He also knew about Master Subhuti''s current state.

    "You sure do know lots of things, don''t you?"

    That made Su-hyeun even more curious about Luslec''s real identity.

    In the beginning, he thought this guy was just another Apostle of some god.

    Su-hyeun wasn''t that interested in finding out who that god could be, but since he knew the details of the system''s existence, the god backing Luslec couldn''t have been some ordinary deity at all.

    Luslec replied mischievously at Su-hyeun''s meaningful words, "I know many people, you see."

    "In that case, do you also know where Brahma is?" Su-hyeun asked back just in case.

    "Mm..." Luslec formed a troubled expression at that question.

    He didn''t reply right away.

    Since he seemed to know many things, Su-hyeun was silently crossing his fingers. But not even the other Five Godly Sages knew the whereabouts of the Primordial God, so Luslec somehow knew that seemed like too big of a stretch in the end.

    Su-hyeun, feeling a bit deflated, lightly waved his hand, "It''s fine if you don''t know."

    Luslec laughed, "I''m sorry about¡ª"

    Right at that moment...

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    A lightning bolt crashed down from the clear blue sky without any warning.

    For a moment there, the whole world was dyed in blinding whiteness. In response, Su-hyeun quickly flung himself back to dodge the sudden lightning strike. Luslec did the same.

    The lightning accurately landed right in between Su-hyeun''s and Luslec''s position.

    "What was that, out of the blue?" Su-hyeun inwardly asked as he yanked the sword out from its scabbard. He immediately shifted his gaze to the center of the island, currently flashing brightly from the electrical currents.

    The currents were taking on the silhouette of a person. Some seconds ticked by, and the electrical currents rapidly took on various hues and solidified the silhouette.

    They turned into a blonde-haired man draped in a white robe, who also happened to be someone Su-hyeun recognized.

    "Lord Zeus?" Su-hyeun, greatly startled now, called out the Olympian God''s name, but Zeus didn''t even look at him.

    Did he not hear Su-hyeun just now? Or perhaps Zeus heard him but chose not to answer back?

    Either way, those questions were a secondary issue here. The priority should be given to figuring out why Zeus suddenly decided to appear in this place.

    He should have been out there searching for Brahma, after all.

 Chapter 488 - 488

    "Maybe he didn''t come here to talk to me?"

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze toward the object of Zeus''s.

    The god was looking at Luslec.

    Ever since Zeus made his flashy entrance, he had been staring at only Luslec.

    Luslec was also clearly flustered. As soon as he saw Zeus, he visibly hesitated and tried to creep back ever so slightly.

    Step¡ª

    And so, the moment he tried to take a step back...

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Zeus''s figure flashed like a lightning bolt. Then, he snatched up Luslec''s head to slam it down hard on the ground.

    Su-hyeun could only mutter, "What the heck?"

    "Oh. How have you been, benefactor?"

    When Su-hyeun stood around in a daze after failing to comprehend what was going on here, Zeus finally greeted him back.

    He even made a bright smile. That expression was no different from the one he made in the past. Nonetheless, Su-hyeun still felt a bit of a chill run down his skin after remembering that Zeus was currently suppressing someone below him while making that smile.

    "Ah, yes, hello..." Su-hyeun awkwardly greeted back. He then alternated his gaze between Zeus and Luslec, who was currently trapped under the Olympian God.

    Not too long after that, Zeus realized that Su-hyeun had been chatting to Luslec just now and asked, "Do you know this man, benefactor?"

    "Yes, we''re acquaintances."

    "I see. In that case, please forgive me for this momentary rudeness."

    Su-hyeun made a forced smile at Zeus as the god asked for his understanding. The Olympian God should be asking that to Luslec, not Su-hyeun.

    Tumble, drip¡ª

    Zeus picked up Luslec''s head from the ground. The latter''s eyes were closed as if he had blacked out.

    But then...

    Bzzzzik¡ª!

    "Ouch?!"

    Zeus sent a little bit of electrical current into Luslec''s body. The latter shuddered greatly before regaining his consciousness.

    No, wait¡ªhe hadn''t actually regained anything at all.

    "He was pretending to be unconscious, huh?"

    Su-hyeun wordlessly observed the unfolding situation. Regardless of what, the one acting most suspicious here was not Zeus but Luslec.

    "Aha, haha... H¡ªhow do you do, sir?"

    "It seems that I''ve unfortunately crossed a line here. I''ll have to ask for your understanding on this one," Zeus replied with a warm smile still plastered on his face.

    However, that face proved to be much scarier.

    Su-hyeun then slowly walked up to Zeus and Luslec. The latter sent a silent, pleading gaze at him, begging to be saved, but Su-hyeun simply shrugged his shoulders.

    "Hah-ah..."

    Luslec sighed at length, then rubbed his face with his hand. When that happened, chains of electricity suddenly materialized and tightly bound Luslec''s legs.

    That was to prevent his escape attempt.

    "Sir, this thing stings a lot, so can you, like, take them off?"

    Pzzzik, pazzzik¡ª

    Luslec asked with a tearful face, but his request all fell on deaf ears.

    Zeus shook his head, "I shall free you once my business with you is over."

    "And what business do you have with him?" Su-hyeun quickly got his question in from the side, prompting Zeus to reply, although his eyes were still locked on Luslec.

    "Benefactor, do you know who this man really is?"

    That was something Su-hyeun had also been curious about.

    Just what was Luslec''s real identity? Who was he, and who was the god backing him that he knew so much about so many things?

    Zeus satisfied Su-hyeun''s curiosity right there and then, "This man is the Apostle of Lord Brahma."

    "I''m sorry?" Su-hyeun had to ask back in shock and then stared at Luslec.

    Do you know where Brahma is? That was the question Su-hyeun asked Luslec only a few minutes ago.

    After seeing the latter''s troubled face, Su-hyeun assumed that Luslec didn''t know. As it turned out, he simply found it difficult to answer honestly because the god Su-hyeun was searching for happened to be the god Luslec served.

    "Hah, hahaha... W¡ªwell, that..." Luslec, making a troubled face, tried to chuckle amicably, but then, he let out a pained groan, and his head fell even lower.

    Even if he wanted to escape, he was a mere Apostle, so it was impossible to break free from the chains created by one of the Five Godly Sages, Zeus.

    He seemed to have given up now because with his head still bowed, he finally came clean, "I also do not know where he is."

    That was basically him confirming what Zeus said was correct.

    Then again, he was in no position to feign ignorance to Zeus, who knew everything even before he showed up here. Besides, someone like Zeus would''ve resorted to all sorts of methods to dig out the truth, anyway.

    "That''s unfortunate. Are you already drawing a line in the sand even before we can start our discussion?" Zeus asked.

    "I''m telling you the truth here, sir. You can pretty much tell by looking into my eyes, can''t you?" Luslec''s eyes seemed to sparkle rather brightly while saying that.

    He wasn''t simply using his eyes to plead with the other party to see the truth here, though. He was actually revealing his inner thoughts completely so that Insight would have an easier time reading him.

    Even if he had a formidable god backing him, his opponent today was still none other than one of the Five Godly Sages.

    Not to mention, Zeus was dead-set on reading Luslec''s inner thoughts anyway, so there was no way his Insight would not be able to see through the truth today.

    "It seems you''re speaking the truth," Zeus muttered in a rueful voice.

    Regardless of what, though, Luslec being Brahma''s Apostle was an irrefutable fact. And that god was someone Su-hyeun wanted to locate in the first place.

    The goal of Zeus and Su-hyeun was one and the same.

    Su-hyeun asked again, "Is there a way to find Brahma in that case?"

    Luslec made yet another troubled face, then sighed deeply before replying, "Is it okay for us to talk after undoing these chains first?"

    * * *

    Su-hyeun and Zeus stood on either side of Luslec.

    The electric chain that had bound his body was gone now. Even then, Luslec couldn''t dare try to escape from here. He just didn''t have the wherewithal to evade both Su-hyeun and Zeus guarding either side of him like this.

    "First of all, yes, it''s true that I''m Lord Brahma''s Apostle. But in reality, my role is nothing more than a glorified messenger," Luslec slowly opened his mouth. "Meeting Mister Su-hyeun was the role he decided for me, too."

    "Does that mean you being my fan was¡ª?"

    "Oh, no, that wasn''t a lie. I was being serious. Before I became his Apostle, I knew about you, Mister Su-hyeun. That''s why I gladly took up this role, you see."

    Was he being genuine here, though?

    Whatever the case might be, Luslec being unrelated to Predators became certain through this revelation. Although his background was far grander than expected, his real identity would prove to be helpful to Su-hyeun''s cause at the end of the day.

    "Even if you don''t know where Lord Brahma is, I''d still like to get any clues as to where I can start looking for him," said Zeus.

    "I might not know the exact location, but I do have a hunch."

    "Where, then?"

    "He always has been staying in one location, you see, from the beginning of the universe up until this moment."

    Zeus''s eyes grew larger at what Luslec said.

    "It''s the location where this universe began."

    "Huh!" Zeus let out an amazed gasp.

    Unlike Su-hyeun, who couldn''t quite catch neither the head nor tail of this exchange, Zeus''s reaction implied that he had realized something crucial just now.

    Su-hyeun asked, "Can you guess where that location is?"

    "There are a few¡ªno, several hundred locations that I can think of, yes. Indeed, that number is quite a lot, but it''s still much more preferable than blindly searching through the wide expanse of the universe."

    The place where the universe had begun¡ªSu-hyeun had no clue where that could be. However, Zeus seemed to have some ideas already. Even if there were way more than one or two locations to search through, it was only a matter of time before their query would be answered.

    "Let''s search together in that case," said Su-hyeun.

    "I''m sorry, but that''s going to be difficult, benefactor."

    "How come?"

    "Even if I tell you, you still won''t be able to find the correct path, benefactor. Please rest assured, I shall make sure to speak to Lord Brahma regarding the matter of the system so that you don''t have to worry about it anymore."

    "Even so¡ª"

    Before Su-hyeun could finish his sentence, Zeus''s figure was enveloped in arcs of electrical current.

    "Well, then, I pray you stay safe, benefactor."

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Along with a loud thunderclap, Zeus vanished from the spot. Su-hyeun wordlessly watched the Olympian God say his piece and leave. The events that unfolded left a sour taste in his mouth, but at the same time, he felt deeply relieved.

    "With this, I guess it''s been taken care of?"

    If the system breaks down due to Master Subhuti''s passing, Zeus should do whatever it takes to convince Brahma to step in. Whether it be locating or convincing Brahma, Zeus should be able to do a far better job than Su-hyeun.

    Rather than Su-hyeun, who had become a god not too long ago, it would probably be more effective to have Zeus make the request since he was also one of the Five Godly Sages.

    "I can''t figure out what he''s thinking of, though," Luslec spoke in a puzzled tone while staring at the spot where Zeus used to be. "He should know that Lord Brahma would never humor such requests in the first place."

    Su-hyeun stared at Luslec with an expression that asked for more clarification.

    The latter frowned slightly at Su-hyeun''s question-filled face, "Lord Brahma is the type to seldom intervene after he finishes creating a universe, you see. It''s already rather unprecedented of him to take in an Apostle. Still, for him to take over the management of the system...something like that will never happen even if the world comes to an end."

    "Are you being serious?"

    "Not just me, but even the gods in the Five Godly Sages tier should know this, too. Lord Zeus is no exception."

    It was Su-hyeun''s turn to frown deeply at what Luslec said.

    The Five Godly Sages should already know this?

    "But that can''t be."

    The one who told Su-hyeun to locate Brahma to restore the soon-to-be-broken system was none other than Buddha.

    But now, Buddha supposedly already knew that Brahma would never get involved with the system?

    "Was he hoping to grasp at straws or something?"

    Su-hyeun just couldn''t figure out what Buddha was thinking here.

    He definitely told Su-hyeun to go and speak to Brahma. On the other hand, Zeus seemed less than keen for Su-hyeun to run into Brahma.

    They might be both Five Godly Sages, but their opinions were at odds with each other, it seemed.

    Su-hyeun wanted so badly to hop over to that side and ask what they were scheming right away, but he got a feeling that they would never give him a straight answer.

    "Meaning, I don''t have a choice but to find Lord Brahma myself."

    "But how?"

    "Well, you already gave me a clue. As for the how of it, from now on I¡ª"

    Gu-gugugugung...

    The ground began shaking all of a sudden.

    Su-hyeun staggered for a little bit before regaining his balance. Luslec was the same.

    "Was that an earthquake?"

    No, it wasn''t. Calling it a simple earthquake was not possible since the "problem" wasn''t only occurring in the underground at the moment.

    Rumble, boom¡ª!

    Spliiiiit¡ª!

    The ground cracked apart as a large crevice opened up in the sky.

    A hole had appeared in the air. It was unknown where that black hole even connected to. It was the same story for the ground as well.

    "Dungeons?"

    Su-hyeun summoned the Somersault cloud and flew to a higher altitude. Luslec also used his own flight skill and followed him up there.

    Once he got close enough to get a better look, he realized that the crevice in the sky gave off a different feeling from a dungeon.

    If it was a dungeon, then he would have sensed at least some traces of magical energy coming from it. Also, it should have some kind of color.

    However, the holes that had appeared now did not meet those two conditions.

    "Rather than dungeons, these are much closer to a fissure."

    This would be Su-hyeun''s first time witnessing this type of doorway. These were indeed passages connected to other worlds, just like dungeons, but they could not have been generated naturally.

    Kkieeeehk¡ª!

    Right at that moment, monsters with bizarre appearances began escaping one by one from the fissure in the sky.

    Snap¡ª

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    When Su-hyeun snapped his fingers, flames began blocking the fissure. Monsters pouring outside got instantly burned to dark ashes.

    Su-hyeun scanned the monsters'' ashes.

    "These aren''t monsters at all."

    These things were the same as dinosaurs.

    Rather different from the monsters whose reasoning had been paralyzed due to their violent nature, these things were visibly terrified by something. For the time being, he simply had to take action. Even so, these things were a different breed from the monsters that flooded out of regular dungeons.

    They were not monsters but simply animals found in another world.

    When he looked down while flying high up, he saw that the situation on the ground was even more catastrophic.

    "Is everything going crazy?"

    Like some kind of staircase, "floors" were created on the ocean below while the land continued to crack and split apart.

    The seawater even floated up as if gravity had vanished. Trees withered rapidly and fell on their sides as if their vitality had been sucked out.

    This place was an uninhabited island in the middle of an ocean, so this was the extent of the damage. As such, he couldn''t even imagine the level of chaos that would have unfolded in a densely populated city.

    "But why is this happening so suddenly?"

    "There can only be one reason why something like this is happening."

    Su-hyeun turned his head at the voice coming from his side. It seemed that Luslec had a fairly good idea of what was happening here.

    Su-hyeun stared at him with eyes that demanded an explanation. In turn, Luslec replied with probably the most serious face he had ever made, "The collapse of Yggdrasil."

    Luslec scanned all these phenomena¡ªfrom the sky with a fissure opening up to the ground crumbling down one layer after another¡ªand continued, "This is the precursor to that event."

 Chapter 489 - 489

    The situation in the city was even more catastrophic.

    In pure chaos, screams of people mixed in with the sounds of buildings collapsing. The whole place had turned into a pandemonium.

    Monsters that appeared in the skies didn''t even attack humans. Actually, people who got scared by those creatures and tried to run away ended up injuring themselves most of the time.

    Rumble, gugugugu¡ª

    A small villa steadily tilted to its side until its support finally gave way.

    "Kkyaaaahk!" A young woman hurriedly running away while carrying a toddler screamed helplessly.

    She didn''t have any time to escape. Just as the structure was about to fall on top of her...

    Slice¡ª!

    She squeezed her eyes shut, but then, her ears caught the sound of something being cut down.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The sound of a building crashing down could be heard from quite some distance away. Wondering what was going on, she opened her eyes only to discover a vast expanse of the sky.

    Land¡ª

    The awakener carrying her made a worried expression, "Are you alright, miss?"

    "A¡ªah, yes... T¡ªthank you, I..." She stared at her savior with stunned eyes. This man''s face was somewhat familiar to her. "Mister Lee Ju-ho?!"

    "If you go in that direction, you should be able to find an evacuation shelter," Lee Ju-ho pointed toward the World Cup stadium over there. "Please hurry."

    "T¡ªthank you so much!"

    The woman hurriedly bowed her head at him and then began running over there with every ounce of her energy.

    Lee Ju-ho, who had been urgently moving around nonstop until now, took a short break here. This catastrophe occurred without any warning whatsoever, and he began his rescue efforts right away. Even so, he was feeling the acute lack of manpower at the moment.

    Jiiing, jii-iiing¡ª

    His phone was ringing. The call was coming from Hak-joon.

    "Hey, how''s your side?"

    "The ground split up, and lots of people seem to have been injured, bro. The city is basically half-destroyed, too..."

    "Sounds like it''s the end of the world or something. What about Miss Je-su, though?"

    "She was with me, but I sent her off to an evacuation shelter. Even then, I''m still worried about her."

    "Don''t worry about the situation in the evacuation shelter. After all, the material used to build those shelters will withstand the planet splitting apart in half. If you''re still worried, though, you should send a couple more people from the association over there."

    "We''re already short on manpower, so we can''t do that. What about Su-hyeun, though?"

    "Not sure. I did hear that he came back, but after he went off to speak to Mister Kim Dae-ho, I can''t reach him at all."

    There was no way Su-hyeun would be standing still under the current situation. This phenomenon was apparently taking place throughout the entire planet, so without a doubt, he must''ve perceived this crisis by now.

    And sure enough...

    Bzzz¡ª

    His phone vibrated briefly to alert him of the incoming text message.

    "I got a text. Hold on."

    Keeping his fingers crossed, Lee Ju-ho hurriedly confirmed the contents of the text message. Indeed, it did come from Su-hyeun.

    "Is it from Su-hyeun?"

    When Lee Ju-ho remained silent for a little while, Hak-joon realized that the text had to have come from Su-hyeun and quickly asked for a clarification.

    Lee Ju-ho heard the question and read the text aloud, "If you wait for a little bit... I''ll somehow handle it...?"

    That sounded as if Su-hyeun knew something about this situation.

    "What does that even mean?"

    "He says he''ll somehow take care of this. Hey, can you hang up for a second?" Lee Ju-ho said before ending the call himself. He then hurriedly called Su-hyeun''s phone, but...

    "The phone of the caller you wish to reach is currently offline. Please try again..."

    The call didn''t get through.

    * * *

    [Earth Shrink Technique]

    Su-hyeun continuously performed the Earth Shrink Technique to rush ahead.

    After confirming the fissure, then hearing about the story related to the collapse of Yggdrasil from Luslec, what Su-hyeun did next was to head to Sun Wukong''s residence right away.

    "As expected, you came here."

    But when he arrived, the one waiting for him was Buddha.

    Sun Wukong wasn''t home. Su-hyeun already knew that quite some time had passed, yet the Monkey King hadn''t returned.

    Su-hyeun had many things to ask Buddha, such as why the latter asked him to go and speak to Brahma despite knowing the truth.

    But there was no time for him to leisurely ask at the moment.

    "How long has it been since I left?"

    The time flow of Su-hyeun''s world and this place was not the same. Although the difference shouldn''t be too vast, at the bare minimum, several days here should equal one day on Earth.

    "It must be around one month or so."

    "One month..."

    If it had been that long, even someone like Sun Wukong would''ve collapsed from exhaustion by now. Not only that, but his opponent this time was not some small fry but Master Subhuti. There was no way that their battle still hadn''t ended by now.

    "Did you come here to see the Great Sage Heaven''s Equal?"

    "Yggdrasil has begun collapsing, sir."

    "Yes, I''m well aware."

    Ku-gugugu...

    Suddenly, the whole forest tilted to one side like a slope. The ground split apart and jutted up like a staircase. It seemed that the disarray in the boundaries separating different realms was also happening to this place.

    More than likely, all the worlds existing within Yggdrasil were experiencing a similar situation right now.

    "Something must''ve happened to Odin," said Buddha.

    "Aren''t you going to help?"

    "Does it look like I''m not doing anything to you?"

    Only after listening to Buddha did Su-hyeun realize what he had been doing. A portion of the large fissure in the sky was gradually closing up.

    "Is he stopping the fissure from opening up even further?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Buddha was using his powers to stop the wall separating one world from another from crumbling down brought on by the collapse of Yggdrasil.

    What was happening right now didn''t just affect this one world. The fissure extended to several worlds, so the act of stopping one fissure from opening up was basically the same as containing all of the fissures.

    Su-hyeun initially thought that the collapse was happening really quickly. As it turned out, he was wrong. It was happening much slower than the predicted rate, all thanks to Buddha, who prevented the fissure from growing larger and thereby stopping the collapse of Yggdrasil itself.

    "What are you doing, young man?" Buddha spoke up suddenly, prompting Su-hyeun to snap back to reality. "Have you not come here to find the Great Sage Heaven''s Equal?"

    Buddha then pointed in a direction. That was where Sun Wukong could be found.

    Su-hyeun nodded, "I shall head there immediately."

    He performed the Earth Shrink Technique once more. The space folded, and the pathway instantly narrowed. While taking several steps in the blink of an eye, he continued to scan the area to find Sun Wukong.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    He heard the noise of Ruyi Jingu Bang smashing the ground apart.

    "Could it be?"

    Land¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s steps came to a brief halt as he changed direction. It was scarcely believable, but Sun Wukong seemed to be still fighting even now.

    Ruyi Jingu Bang had been extended high up into the sky to pierce the clouds. Su-hyeun quickly headed in that direction and eventually spotted Sun Wukong perched on top of the polearm.

    "You''re here, little bro?"

    "Third Brother?" Su-hyeun stared at Sun Wukong in shock.

    It supposedly had been a month.

    From the sound of Ruyi Jingu Bang destroying the ground, Su-hyeun assumed that the fight was still ongoing, but that wasn''t the case at all.

    The reason why Sun Wukong increased his staff''s length was to alert Su-hyeun to his current location.

    "Third Brother, uncle¡ª"

    "He passed on two days ago."

    Two days ago, he said, which meant they had been fighting for 28 days straight.

    Sun Wukong was in the "dragon robe" attire that Master Subhuti had personally crafted. No attack would''ve been able to tear or damage it.

    Yet, such a dragon robe had been ripped and shredded all over the place. That indicated how intense the battle must''ve been.

    What should Su-hyeun say here to console his older sworn brother?

    As he fell into a bit of a dilemma, Sun Wukong smirked deeply, "You came here because of that, right?"

    While asking that, he looked up at the fissure higher up in the sky.

    "Looks like Buddha is somehow stopping it. Even then, it seems that he isn''t going to be enough. And I''m guessing that what is happening right now isn''t only happening in this place. Leaving that alone will cause an even bigger problem, won''t it?"

    He spoke in a somewhat more mature manner.

    For some reason, Su-hyeun felt his heart relax while listening to Sun Wukong. He felt pressed for every single second up to this point, but now, he found himself with some mental leeway.

    It had been the issue with his mindset, in other words.

    "Why don''t we do it together?"

    "That''s why I''m here, Third Brother," Su-hyeun quickly approached Sun Wukong.

    After reaching the top of Ruyi Jingu Bang, Sun Wukong placed his hand on the polearm and issued a new command, "Extend even further, Ruyi."

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang shot up even higher, bringing the duo closer to the fissure. They peered over the fissure''s edge to look inside, but unsurprisingly, they couldn''t see anything.

    "So, we basically need to close this thing, right?" Sun Wukong asked.

    "This is probably inside Yggdrasil''s trunk, Third Brother."

    "Yggdrasil?"

    "Yes."

    "I''ve already heard about that tree from uncle a few times in the past. I always thought that was some first-rate nonsense since no tree can be that big, but it was all real, after all?" Sun Wukong replied, stunned.

    Still, he seemed to be aware of Yggdrasil to some degree. That pretty much eliminated the need for a lengthy explanation.

    "From this moment on, we need to enter this fissure and gain access to a much deeper part of Yggdrasil''s trunk."

    "You mean, in there?"

    "Yes. And we must find the cause of the fissure, Yggdrasil''s ''roots.'' It also goes by another name, which is..." Su-hyeun recalled the cause of Yggdrasil''s collapse that Luslec had told him earlier, "Apparently called the God Realm."

    The God Realm was the world where gods gathered to live together. It was also in charge of managing Yggdrasil''s roots. The legendary World Tree''s collapse was caused by its roots being disturbed.

    Even if it was a gigantic tree that connected countless worlds, it was still a tree in the end. If its roots collapsed, then the worlds above it were also bound to collapse.

    "The God Realm..." The facial muscles of Sun Wukong quivered visibly.

    He was clearly excited, seemingly enjoying this development. He might not have shown it outwardly, but he had been feeling depressed about Master Subhuti''s passing. Therefore, the current crisis proved to be a not-so-bad kind of stimulation for him.

    "Sounds like fun."

    "But we might get lost if we make a mistake somewhere."

    "We''ll all still die if this carries on anyway, am I right?"

    He was right about that one.

    After all, the world''s collapse was directly connected to the demise of every single entity in there. Maybe Sun Wukong, an immortal existence, or gods on Su-hyeun''s level might survive in the end. Still, what would be the point of surviving in the destroyed world if you were the only one alive in it?

    Su-hyeun had already experienced that to know all about it.

    "I can''t hold myself back anymore." Sun Wukong shrunk the size of Ruyi Jingu Bang and tied the weapon on his back. "Let''s hurry and get going already!"

    * * *

    The inside of the fissure was truly chaotic.

    It was impossible to differentiate colors in this place. The drab darkness or pure whiteness of the place, where the path was, or in which direction they were heading was impossible to tell.

    Even so, they were still fortunate. They had Ruyi Jing Bang, after all.

    "Hold on tight, little bro!"

    "Of course!"

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong, with Ruyi Jingu Bang in between them, traveled to the lower depths as the staff extended further and further.

    Without the polearm extending in one direction all this time, they wouldn''t even have realized where they were going.

    This was the second reason why Su-hyeun sought out Sun Wukong in the first place.

    "Lower. Keep going lower...!"

    Yggdrasil''s roots were obviously located in the lowest and deepest part of the tree.

    Initially, it would''ve been quite challenging to find the correct path. Without the fissure opening up, there would''ve been no straightforward method to find out where the end of Yggdrasil was or where its bottom-most realm was even located.

    But now, Yggdrasil was collapsing, and fissures were opening up everywhere. Entering through the gap in the trunk of Yggdrasil itself to go deeper shouldn''t be all that challenging to pull off.

    And so, they traveled like this for an unknown length of time.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s and Sun Wukong''s eyes finally took in the sight of a world that did have discernible colors.

    Once they began literally falling from the sky, they summoned clouds under their feet and stopped their fall. Su-hyeun settled down on the fluffy cloud and peered over the edge.

    "So, this is..."

    They couldn''t go any lower or deeper than this place through Yggdrasil''s trunk.

    They reached the lowest place in Yggdrasil, the tree that weaved together countless worlds.

    "Is this the God Realm?"

    From the name alone, Su-hyeun imagined this place to be truly stunning. He thought he would see a place where fairies playfully darted around and perfectly ripened heavenly fruits and beautiful flowers in fields that stretched endlessly.

    He imagined they would be welcomed by idyllic scenes of various gods strolling around aimlessly.

    But all those things were nothing more than Su-hyeun''s imagination.

    "It''s... already all over."

    The skies had turned black. The forests were burning, while the corpses of dead gods were piled up like hills.

    The howls and screeches of unknown monsters densely filled this world.

    "We, uhm, didn''t come to a wrong place, right?"

    Sun Wukong''s doubt was well justified. No matter how one sliced it, this world simply did not suit the glamorous title of the God Realm, after all.

    However, Su-hyeun was sure of it. "We definitely came to the correct place."

    He could see some faint letters in the distance, barely visible through the gaps of burning and crumbling buildings.

    They said, "Asgard."

 Chapter 490 - 490

    Tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun checked out the signboard half-buried under the burned debris of a building.

    Asgard.

    Although it was written in an unknown language, he could definitely read it. Probably the system''s correction ability was to thank here.

    "Even though Master Subhuti is now dead, the system granted to individuals remained."

    He knew he shouldn''t be thinking this way, but he felt massive relief even so. After all, if the system completely disappeared, he wouldn''t have been able to read these letters.

    It wasn''t only Su-hyeun who received the system''s correction, however. Sun Wukong also had begun climbing the Tower, so he was also a recipient of the system''s perks.

    "Wow, so it was true." Taking all this in as if he found everything somewhat mystifying, Sun Wukong turned around and asked Su-hyeun, "By the way, little bro? What''s this Asgard thing? I can read this, but I still have no idea what this place is supposed to be."

    "It''s the name of the world supervised by a god named Odin, Third Brother."

    "Eh? Does that mean we''re in the wrong place? Aren''t we supposed to reach the God Realm?"

    "To be honest, I''m also not sure," Su-hyeun scratched his head. He also got to learn about this fact just now, after all. "But at the very least, I think Odin as the god in charge of the God Realm seems to be true."

    He got this information from none other than Brahma''s Apostle, Luslec. Even when Luslec''s true identity had been uncertain, his information always proved entirely trustworthy. On top of that, Brahma was one of the Five Godly Sages, so he was far closer to being Su-hyeun''s ally rather than an enemy.

    Therefore, Luslec wouldn''t have a reason to give him false information. Not only were they not in a hostile relationship, but he also thought of Su-hyeun in a very favorable light.

    The god ruling Asgard was Odin, and the god ruling the God Realm was also Odin. This implied that Asgard and the God Realm were, at the very least, the same place. Either Asgard was a part of the God Realm or the other way around. It had to be one of the two.

    "Is that so? Hmm..." Sun Wukong made a troubled face as he scanned their surroundings. "By the way, it looks like no one''s alive around here anymore."

    "What do you mean ''no one,'' Third Brother?" Su-hyeun stared at the rubble of a collapsed building.

    When he did...

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    The rubble began floating.

    It was telekinesis-type magic at work.

    Although a bit cumbersome to use during a battle, it was more than enough to lift some rubble from a collapsed building.

    Boom, thud¡ª

    The rubble had been shifted over to the side, allowing them to spot a figure of a man barely clinging onto his life underneath the cleared debris.

    "What''s this? He''s still alive?"

    His breathing was truly faint. It looked as if he would die at any moment. Regardless of what, he was still alive.

    Su-hyeun quickly approached the man and cast a healing magic spell. He wasn''t very good at recovery-type magic, but it was still better than nothing.

    Huff, pant...

    "It seems that he''s not going to wake up right away," said Su-hyeun.

    This man was so severely injured right now that even a simple act like lifting his hand had to be performed extremely carefully.

    Su-hyeun picked him up using a cloud and addressed Sun Wukong, "For the time being, let''s find a shelter first."

    * * *

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong entered a basement found under the rubble of a collapsed building.

    They needed to figure out the current situation first. Unfortunately, the only person alive in the surroundings¡ªno, wait, a god to be precise¡ªwas this man and no one else.

    He had a set of neatly trimmed beards, and blood was staining his muscular figure.

    They wondered what to do next if this man failed to regain consciousness, but what a relief it was; he seemed to boast a rather robust regenerative power.

    About 30 minutes later, he slowly opened his eyes and raised his torso, "Euk...."

    "How are you feeling?" Su-hyeun asked while helping the man. The latter was holding his aching head.

    Honestly, Su-hyeun would''ve liked to tell this man to get more rest and not force himself, but now wasn''t the right time for that.

    The man waved his hand, signaling that he was fine. He still held his pounding head for a little while, though, before shifting his gaze over to Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong, "Asgard... What¡ªwhat happened to Asgard?"

    Before all else, he was still most worried about Asgard. Despite escaping from the clutches of death, the first thing he thought about was not the relief of being alive or despairing. No, it was none other than his sense of duty.

    It was not that hard to guess who this man could be, judging from the hammer he continued to hold on to despite getting beaten up to a bloody pulp. Still, giving him an answer came first.

    "It''s been destroyed."

    "Ah," the man held up both of his hands.

    The blood staining his hands had hardened by then, turning his skin crimson-black. That blood seemed to be from the blisters and injuries pock-mocking his hands. At the same time, it also seemed to have come from someone else.

    He shielded his face with stained, dirty hands. He silently wept for a long while before raising his head, "My apologies. I''ve shown you something disgraceful."

    "No, it''s alright."

    The man sensed the extraordinary air emanating from both Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong and asked cautiously, "May I ask who you are? I have not seen your faces before. And I can sense that you''re not some ordinary gods, either."

    It seemed that he was thinking to himself, "I should be able to recognize a pair of gods on their levels, but I can''t." Besides, Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong were practically spotless despite what had happened to Asgard.

    Su-hyeun replied, "You wouldn''t know even if I tell you, though. We aren''t related to Asgard or the God Realm."

    "By the way, who are you? No, hang on a second, before that, what the heck happened to this place?"

    When Sun Wukong asked that, the man staggered back up to his feet, probably thinking that introducing himself while sitting on his butt was against etiquette. "My apologies, I was tardy in my introduction to my benefactors. I am the prince of Asgard, Thor, a great god who rules the half of Asgard on behalf of my father."

    He spoke with a voice overflowing with confidence.

    He was Thor, Son of Odin and the God of Thunder. When judging solely on the type of godhood, he closely resembled Zeus, and he also happened to be the closest in terms of strength to the Five Godly Sages.

    "Even so, he actually said he''s a great god outright," Su-hyeun thought.

    What a cringe-inducing level of confidence that was. Even so, Su-hyeun didn''t show it outwardly.

    "What the¡ªyou called yourself great?! You sure have a thick skin, don''t you?"

    Of course, Sun Wukong wasn''t anything like Su-hyeun.

    Thor furrowed his brow deeply and stared at Sun Wukong. Thankfully, though, the God of Thunder didn''t seem to be cursed with an out-there personality capable of forgetting the savior of his life because of some throwaway taunt.

    All he did was frown back at Sun Wukong''s mischievous expression and explain the situation without any salty comebacks, "Asgard was attacked."

    "By whom?"

    "An outer god called Osiris. Have you heard of him before?"

    Su-hyeun nodded at Thor''s question. Sun Wukong also knew that name. In all honesty, both of them had suspected it to some degree.

    An existence capable of attacking the God Realm ruled over by Odin could only be one of the two remaining Three Destroyers¡ªShiva or Osiris.

    "And the one being most active recently has been Osiris, hasn''t he?"

    When Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong nodded, Thor continued as if their confirmation made explaining easier, "Osiris''s goal is the roots of Yggdrasil we at Asgard have been protecting. With those destroyed, Yggdrasil will collapse, causing many, many worlds to be destroyed in the process."

    "The collapse has already begun, unfortunately."

    "Already?"

    Grit¡ª

    Pazzzzik, bzzzzzz¡ª

    Thor visibly got angry, causing arcs of azure lightning to dance in the surroundings.

    Nearby, Sun Wukong yelped loudly when a spark landed on his hand, complaining that it freaking stung, and he hurriedly took a step back.

    "It seems I have been unconscious for too long," said Thor.

    "Where is Lord Odin?"

    "Father has gone to the frontline to deal with Osiris. There has not been any news since then..."

    "Could it be that he had been defeated?"

    "That''s not possible." Thor, still gripping his hammer, took a large stride forward. "I am the Son of Odin, Thor. I can certainly sense whether my father is still alive or has passed on, at the very least."

    "Meaning, he''s still alive?"

    "Although it''s very faint... Yes, he''s still breathing."

    Plop¡ª

    Thor turned around and suddenly knelt in front of Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong, "Please lend us your assistance."

    "Huh?"

    "I alone do not possess enough strength to rescue my father. It is shameful to admit this, but I acknowledge that I am also inadequate. However, you two seem to be heroes fully capable of saving not just Asgard but also the God Realm itself."

    The prince of Asgard was kneeling before them.

    It went to show how desperate he was feeling right now. But Su-hyeun couldn''t even look at Thor''s eyes despite the latter''s unwavering determination, all thanks to the unexplainable awkwardness in the air.

    Sure, they had no real reason to refuse him, but...

    "I get it, so stop being weird and get up already, you dolt," Sun Wukong, making an expression of someone about to die from cringing, grabbed Thor''s arm and pulled the God of Thunder back up to his feet. "Never, ever use that tone with me, dude. I almost died of embarrassment trying to listen to you."

    For sure, it seemed that these two were polar opposites to one another.

    * * *

    Asgard was a "nation" founded in the center of Yggdrasil''s roots.

    Its ruling philosophy from the very beginning was the protection of Yggdrasil, so its location simply had to be here. The place where Thor had collapsed happened to be the far outskirts of Asgard.

    "Osiris''s army easily outnumbered Asgard''s army. In terms of pure ability alone, Asgard''s warriors were much stronger, but the difference in number was just too overwhelming."

    Thor, who spent his entire life in Asgard, was quite knowledgeable regarding the lay of his homeland, plus the terrain surrounding it.

    Currently, they were near a defensive outer wall connecting to the inner part. This collapsed wall was the boundary dividing the inner and outer parts of Asgard.

    "Our brave warriors fell when droves of them attacked. I, too, tried to oppose Osiris and engage him in a battle, but in the end, I could not break through the innumerable Predators before him."

    Shu-wuk¡ª

    They marched forward while pushing aside the rubble of collapsed buildings until they eventually sensed some ominous presence in the distance.

    Thor spoke, "It''s over there."

    "There are quite a lot of them, for sure," Su-hyeun replied.

    The outer walls were all in rubbles. Even so, countless Predators were still meandering around there, that location acting like a boundary line that shouldn''t be crossed.

    Their role was rather obvious¡ªto stop whoever wished to enter Asgard right here.

    "And they seem pretty well organized, too," said Su-hyeun.

    They could also be here to alert the ones inside about a potential invasion from the outside.

    Thor nodded at Su-hyeun''s observation.

    Even from his view, these Predators weren''t simple creatures. Seeing how every single one possessed excellent intellect, to begin with, their leader Osiris must''ve been a truly outstanding commander.

    Without that, he wouldn''t have been able to bring together these many Predators, who were deeply obsessed with fulfilling their desires under his command like this.

    "For now, we must quietly infiltrate that location. Achieving victory through a head-on engagement will be difficult. Until we can safely rescue father, we¡ª"

    "I think it''s too late for that now," said Su-hyeun.

    "What do you mean?" Thor asked back, puzzled. He turned his head to the side to look at Su-hyeun before he hurriedly scanned their surroundings. "Where did your friend disappear to?"

    Thor was searching for Sun Wukong, who should have been accompanying Su-hyeun just now. The latter silently pointed to a location up ahead instead.

    Step, step¡ª

    And that was where they saw the back of Sun Wukong brazenly walking alone in the wide-open plain.

    "What in the name of¡ª?!"

    "That''s what my Third Brother''s original personality is like, you see."

    "Make way, now¡ª!" Sun Wukong roared at the top of his lungs as if he wanted the whole world to look at him.

    The "Roar of Lion."

    It was a method of transmitting one''s voice over a wide area to announce one''s presence deliberately. Initially, it came from a martial arts school, but it seemed that something similar existed in the Sage Arts Master Subhuti had taught the Monkey King.

    A handful of Predators had already spotted Sun Wukong by then, but now, all of them were shifting their collective attention in his direction.

    Su-hyeun thought he could almost see Sun Wukong''s deep smirk even from the back of his head.

    He was already used to this side of his Third Brother, so he was not that surprised and could get up from his hiding spot, while Thor, who was currently making a stupefied face like someone who got smacked hard in the head, could not.

    "What are you doing back there, little bro!"

    Snap, crack¡ª

    Sun Wukong urged Su-hyeun to come quickly while cracking his knuckles and loosening his muscles. "I say, let''s have some fun for a bit, shall we?"

 Chapter 491 - 491

    "We''re done for."

    That was the very first thought that popped up in Thor''s mind as he stared at the two foreign gods brazenly striding forward ahead of him.

    Now they wouldn''t have enough time to deal with the Predators stationed in the outskirts or even outwit them before the reinforcement arrived. It would only be a matter of time before Osiris noticed that something was amiss, and when that happened, everything they had planned for would be for naught.

    "Why did he do something this stupid?"

    Thor was completely unaware that he was seen as the number one dumbass within Asgard while thinking that to himself.

    But then...!

    "Expand¡ª"

    "Expand¡ª"

    "Expand¡ª"

    Countless clones of Sun Wukong suddenly appeared and aimed with their Ruyi Jingu Bangs.

    Ka-boom, booooom¡ª!

    And the Predators stationed here at the outskirts were instantly swept aside, but that wasn''t even the end of the story yet.

    "Strike them down¡ª"

    FLASH¡ª!

    A bright light flashed in the sky. Right at that moment, Thor ended up muttering a certain name despite thinking to himself there''s no way it can be true, "Somersault cloud."

    [Rain of Thunder]

    Rumble, ka-ruuuuumble¡ª!

    The roar of thunder continuously rang out.

    Thor had heard about this phenomenon before. It belonged to the god of another world who possessed the Godhood of Thunder like himself¡ªa god named Zeus.

    "Could it be that man is...?"

    No, wait¡ªthat didn''t seem right. That man introduced himself as Su-hyeun. Therefore, him being Zeus didn''t make sense.

    Not only that, but his appearance was rather different from Zeus''s. That god was supposed to be a blondie old fart, wasn''t he?

    Although he was confused, Thor knew none of this was important right now.

    FLASH¡ª!

    Pazzzzzik¡ª

    Thor drove the power of thunder into his trusty hammer, Mj?lnir. The moment the electrical current enveloped the weapon, he powerfully leaped high into the air.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    He slammed the hammer down, causing the land to tremble like it was hit by an earthquake. The electrical current traveled along the ground, electrocuting the Predators. The high temperature of the electrical charge easily scorched their bodies mercilessly.

    Sun Wukong turned to look at Thor, "Hey, uncle! Who knew, you ain''t so bad, after all!"

    He then threw an enthusiastic thumbs-up for good measure, followed by an impressed "Wow!"

    Not so bad, he said. What a lukewarm praise that was.

    Thor was someone in charge of leading the gods of Asgard, all of them renowned warriors. Yet, he still ended up getting such praise today.

    Even so, he didn''t feel awkward by it. Honestly, Thor was happy and bitter about this whole situation. The fact that those two were reliable allies had not changed, but then...

    "Compared to them, I only amount to this much."

    Su-hyeun was capable of bringing down a storm of thunder from the sky.

    And Sun Wukong, employing countless clones wielding Ruyi Jingu Bangs, utterly decimated the Predators.

    The hammer that had been accompanying Thor throughout his entire life suddenly felt so small and shabby when he looked at those two as they rampaged.

    Ka-boom, kwa-zzzzzzik¡ª!

    Thunk, ka-boom¡ª!

    The sudden intrusion of Su-hyeun, Sun Wukong, and Thor quickly took care of the Predators found in the outskirts. Betraying the trio''s initial expectation, the Predators chose to flee rather than keep fighting.

    These creatures must have realized that they stood no chance of victory.

    Huff, pant...

    Thor spat out ragged, labored breaths while glaring at the fleeing Predators.

    It wasn''t because he got freshly injured or had been exerting himself for too long. His physical condition had not been excellent, to begin with.

    "Aren''t you pushing yourself too much?"

    Su-hyeun also didn''t go after the fleeing Predators.

    Only Sun Wukong, still clearly excited, chose to chase after them. Su-hyeun didn''t and stayed back.

    It had been only around five minutes since the battle had begun. He didn''t believe the enemy would figure out the situation and quickly send reinforcements.

    Bang, ka-boom¡ª!

    The noises of Ruyi Jingu Bang destroying the terrain and crushing the Predators continuously rang out.

    Su-hyeun glanced at that before looking away. "Well, Third Brother needs time to grieve, after all," he thought to himself.

    This would be Sun Wukong''s first battle after Master Subhuti''s passing.

    He truly, innocently enjoyed combat, and while fighting, he had no unnecessary thoughts clouding in mind.

    What Sun Wukong needed right now was time. If he got to fight like this a few times more, maybe he might get over his sadness just a little bit.

    So, the one Su-hyeun should worry about right now was Thor.

    "Looks like my injuries opened up again," Thor furrowed his brow deeply and pressed down on one of his injuries with his free hand.

    That wasn''t surprising, however. He lost on a battlefield and almost died as a result. It hadn''t even been a couple of hours since he regained consciousness, and his body was still riddled with injuries.

    Su-hyeun did cast a healing magic spell on him, but that didn''t mean all of Thor''s injuries were cured by now. Not to mention, his stamina was also running empty at the moment.

    That was his current situation, yet he still activated his Godhood of Thunder and fought against the Predators. It would''ve been far stranger for his injuries not to act up again.

    "I''ll be fine after taking a short rest. This much is nothing to me," Thor said while straightening his back.

    What a monstrous physique he had. Back when Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong discovered him under the rubble, him still being alive seemed like a miracle, yet he was up and moving in no time at all.

    This happened so naturally that even Su-hyeun had briefly forgotten that Thor had been heavily injured.

    "It might be for the best if you sit out of the future fights, at least for a little while," said Su-hyeun.

    "No, I''m really fine, so I can¡ª"

    "You might be feeling fine now, but there''s a chance that you won''t be later. What will you do when we run into Osiris later, and your body''s condition is no different from now?"

    Su-hyeun''s persuasion worked like magic.

    After listening to that advice, Thor stopped forcing himself and plopped down on the ground, "I understand."

    "Hey, little brother¡ª!"

    When the duo waited around on the same spot, Sun Wukong finally returned while riding on Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Land¡ª

    "Those punks, I don''t think they want to fight anymore," Sun Wukong lightly landed back on the ground and smacked his lips while sounding rather rueful about something.

    Even if he enjoyed fighting, that was only when there were opponents worth fighting against, and they desired to fight in the first place. The Predators were too busy running away at the moment as if they no longer wanted to fight back.

    In the end, Sun Wukong couldn''t enjoy fighting anymore and had to come back.

    "For now, we should go deeper into the city," said Su-hyeun.

    "Oh? Does that mean we''ll finally meet this punk named Osiris?" Killing intent flickered in Sun Wukong''s eyes as he asked that.

    It seemed that he was still furious about Master Subhuti being chased around all over the place by Osiris for a very long time.

    However, now wasn''t the time to get angry. He had to stay composed.

    "We won''t run into Osiris that easily, unfortunately," said Su-hyeun.

    "Mm? How come?"

    "Because he''s most likely not in great shape right now."

    He was taking a guess here, but the odds of it being true were pretty good.

    Su-hyeun recalled Osiris''s battle against Buddha, Master Subhuti, and King Yama not too long ago, "On top of that, he even fought against Odin."

    That was three of the Five Godly Sages. He even battled King Yama, too. Therefore, it was more than possible that either Osiris was finding it difficult to move around freely, or his condition was still not perfect at the moment.

    Sun Wukong nodded at Su-hyeun''s explanation. Even Thor had to agree with the guess of Osiris''s battle against Odin that concluded not too long ago.

    "Which means this might be our chance," said Thor.

    "No, our priority must be with rescuing Lord Odin first. Osiris''s condition is merely a guess on my part, after all."

    "Indeed. It''s wiser to perform the task we are sure of first instead of something uncertain," Thor nodded in agreement. "In that case, let us hurry. We don''t have much time."

    Thor was again charged with guiding them. Not only was he quite knowledgeable regarding Asgard''s terrain, but he was also connected to Odin.

    Su-hyeun stared at Thor walking up ahead before scanning the crumbling ruins of the city of Asgard.

    "So Osiris is hiding somewhere in here..."

    He fully understood that the battle against Osiris would not be easy at all.

    Even if Odin was still alive, he should be grievously injured like Thor was earlier. If Osiris''s condition was much better than they expected, then things would get so much harder for everyone.

    "Even so, if it''s now, maybe we can..."

    Su-hyeun recalled the figure of Osiris he saw through the illusion magic. He then imagined fighting against that being who seemed so far out of his reach. He did that multiple times.

    Ten times out of 10, he lost.

    Twenty times out of 20, he still lost.

    But when he imagined it for the 100th time, he finally managed to win a victory.

    "So, there''s a chance."

    Three of the Six Paths remained. Su-hyeun reminded himself of one of them while silently following after Thor.

    * * *

    Asgard''s scenery was pretty close to that of Olympus.

    No, wait, it might have been similar in the past. The wrecked and ruined buildings reminded Su-hyeun of impressive temples. And unsurprisingly, none of the other structures built below these temples could be called small at all.

    The three of them instantly killed off the Predators that occasionally showed up here and there during their journey. Since Sun Wukong was a part of the team, it was impossible to infiltrate the place quietly.

    "I didn''t know that we''d announce our arrival this loudly," Thor lightly tutted while sweeping his gaze across the center of Asgard. They had reached here far sooner than he initially expected.

    He didn''t directly get involved in any of the battles while reaching this location, so his stamina had recovered to some extent. Unfortunately, the corner of his heart was the exact opposite; it was in an utter mess right now.

    The sight of the destroyed and ruined Asgard was breaking his heart. He could only grit his teeth in a rage so many times before getting too exhausted to do even that.

    "We''re here."

    The location they reached was a half-destroyed temple.

    It was noticeably different from other structures leveled flat by now. Su-hyeun took in the sight of this temple resembling a castle that rose hundreds of meters in the air.

    "It kind of reminds me of Zeus''s temple," he thought.

    Both Zeus and Odin were Five Godly Sages¨Ctier gods.

    Maybe he wanted to emphasize the difference in the class of his godhood because Odin''s temple boasted a scale on another realm compared to all the other structures.

    It also seemed sturdily constructed. That was easy enough to guess from how it still stood tall despite the entirety of the God Realm laying in ruin.

    "Is Lord Odin inside this building?"

    "Yes, I''m sure of it," Thor replied in an anxious tone. "However, his condition is truly critical, as if he''ll suddenly stop breathing any second now."

    Now that they were close, even Su-hyeun could sense it. He detected so many things happening within this building.

    He detected the weak breathing and faint presence. It was almost as if a dying dinosaur was panting, huffing helplessly away in front of him. The breathing was weak and labored, but even so, he could hear it.

    That wasn''t all, either.

    "Looks like they are still fighting inside."

    There was more than one presence inside.

    Dozens? Hundreds?

    Maybe it could be a lot more than that, and these presences were so much more vicious and violent than Odin''s.

    A battle was still taking place inside.

    Odin was still holding onto his life that had been threatening to quit him at any moment and continued to extend this war that seemed to be a lost cause already.

    The three of them would see for themselves if they stepped inside right now.

    Bzzzik¡ª

    Su-hyeun touched the temple''s door and sensed that something was blocking the access. He pulled back his deflected hand and felt the door again.

    The surface was trying hard to deflect his hand again, but he strengthened his grip even more. When he did that...

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    The invisible "wall" caught on fire. At a casual glance, it looked like the whole temple might burn down, but the flames only affected those things Su-hyeun wanted to be burned and nothing else besides.

    The wall proved to be rather challenging, but it still quickly burned away to nothing, which wasn''t that surprising.

    "This wall wasn''t placed here to prevent others from coming inside," said Su-hyeun.

    Indeed, this wall was constructed to make it easier to break down from the outside.

    Meaning its true purpose was to keep "something" inside the building.

    Su-hyeun, now knowing the purpose of the wall, reached out to the temple''s doorway once more.

    Sun Wukong gripped Ruyi Jingu Bang, while Thor held Mj?lnir and got into a combat stance.

    "I''m looking forward to this."

    "I''m ready."

    Sun Wukong and Thor sent their signals.

    "Well, then," Su-hyeun lightly nodded once and strengthened his grip, "I''m opening the door."

    Creeaaak¡ª

    The temple''s doorway began opening noisily.

    And from its interior...!

    Kkyaaaaaah¡ª!

    Along with a monstrous howl that could only be heard in hell, a spray of pitch-black blood splattered outside.

 Chapter 492 - 492

    Splat¡ª

    The blood that spluttered outside landed on a transparent barrier and slid to the ground.

    Boom¡ª

    Right after that, a fairly large corpse flew out and landed before Su-hyeun''s feet. It must''ve been the owner of the blood earlier. It was also a Predator with a head shaped like a dinosaur or a dragon.

    "Father¡ª!" Thor roared and jumped inside while swinging his hammer.

    Su-hyeun briefly thought, "He shouldn''t be forcing himself to that degree," and then prepared for battle, "Arise."

    Shu-shushushut¡ª

    Black aura spread all around Su-hyeun, and his summons began revealing themselves one by one. Prince Nezha, Gluttony, and Kali were the first to appear.

    Gyges was excluded this time. A summon with such a size might end up destroying the temple when it was already in such a precarious state.

    "For now, sweep them all away," Su-hyeun issued his order while taking in the pandemonium happening inside the temple.

    Thor and Sun Wukong were already inside, causing even more chaos. Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword and enveloped the blade in the divine Flame, "Well, then. How about..."

    [Palm Leaf, Flame]

    [Wind of Flame]

    Along with the divine Flame, he wrapped the blade with massive storm winds.

    "I get rid of the small fries first?"

    The whirlwinds weren''t as sharp, but when Su-hyeun added the flames to the winds and took a swing...

    KWA-AAAAAH¡ª!

    Flames instantly spread out to all corners of the temple. The flames that traveled with the winds landed on the Predators and started burning them down in the blink of an eye.

    Kkyaaaah¡ª!

    "Who the hell are those bastards?!"

    "Kill the flames first!"

    Predators that hadn''t been reduced to ashes from the flames roared. It seemed that they were quite flustered by this sudden intrusion.

    Over half of them survived. In other words, slightly less than half of them had been killed in that attack. Su-hyeun found this quite surprising.

    "They managed to survive?"

    The divine Flame had absorbed the heat from the Hell of Scorching Heat and Britra''s fire. So the temperature of his current Flame was hot enough to melt down most average Predators simply by coming in contact with it.

    Even if he had been focusing more on covering the wider area instead of firepower to deal with the small fries, the number of Predators that survived the attack was a bit surprising.

    "In that case..."

    Rumble¡ª!

    Su-hyeun enveloped his sword in flames once more, "I''ll just have to cut them down directly, then."

    He lightly began shrinking the space. He also activated Insight to spot all the folded space around him.

    His feet danced. At the same time, he looked a few seconds ahead of time through Insight.

    He could see it.

    "Follow the trajectory and..."

    He didn''t even need to focus on the Predators'' movements. His eyes saw the trajectories his sword needed to take, so he simply shifted his feet and wielded his sword accordingly.

    Whoosh, swish¡ª

    Slice, chop, sliiice¡ª

    He dug into the ranks of the Predators as his sword danced and darted around.

    Several Predators tried to rush in, seemingly determined to throw away their lives to stop him. Su-hyeun simply punched at them.

    [Flame - Transformation]

    [Heavenly Demon''s Heaven Shattering Fist]

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    A massive fist of flames shot forward.

    The heat of the divine Flame was already incredible, to begin with. When the fist technique employed by the Heavenly Demon was added on top, the attack became so strong that it blew apart the torsos of the incoming Predators.

    "Condense the flames..."

    Flames that simply spread around weren''t as intense. Strength rather than gentleness was the foundation of the ideal martial art that the Heavenly Demon pursued.

    Su-hyeun added the power of the divine Flame to the profound law of this martial technique.

    Sun Wukong briefly stopped swinging Ruyi Jingu Bang and muttered while staring at his little brother, who was simultaneously performing sword and fist techniques, "Wowsers, my little bro is something else, alright."

    Thor also chimed in, "Just what on earth is going on here?"

    Predators packing the temple''s interior fell in droves like autumn leaves. Swinging Mj?lnir around until then, Thor also came to a brief stop and gawked before noticing that a path had opened up behind Su-hyeun''s rampage.

    "We should follow him."

    "Why don''t you go on ahead?" Sun Wukong replied to Thor''s observation while spinning Ruyi Jingu Bang around. "I''ll catch up with you guys after cleaning this place up some more."

    "Alright." Thor quickly went after Su-hyeun. He could sense Odin''s presence from somewhere deeper in the temple.

    Crunch, splat¡ª!

    Kwa-dududu¡ª!

    Along with a loud noise, a Predator''s corpse was thrown in Su-hyeun''s way. He lightly caught that and chucked it aside. He then stepped on the head of another Predator blocking his view and jumped up high.

    That was when he spotted fountains of blood splashing around and a figure of someone gallantly fighting in the distance.

    It was a muscular man with white hair who must have been well over two meters in height. Blood streamed nonstop from the rest of his body as he staggered, but he still snatched up the head of a Predator right before him.

    Squeeze¡ª

    Crunch¡ª

    The Predator''s skull was crushed in an instant.

    The man''s gripping strength was still stupendous despite losing so much blood. Having crushed a skull so easily, he powerfully threw the Predator''s corpse.

    Bang¡ª!

    Poooow¡ª!

    The thrown corpse became a deadly projectile. Predators struck by it instantly got pulverized and exploded to bits. He didn''t even rely on magical energy but pure physical strength to achieve this feat.

    Huff, huff...

    He didn''t seem able to wield the golden spear in his left hand. It was currently stabbed deep into the floor to support the man. Without doing that, he probably couldn''t stand on his own anymore.

    Just before the man couldn''t hold on anymore and started faltering...

    "Father!"

    Rumble¡ª!

    Thor slammed Mj?lnir down and cried out.

    At the same time, Odin turned his head, "Thor?"

    It looked like he would collapse right there and then, but renewed strength concentrated on his hands. He might not have any energy left to keep fighting. Still, he forced himself to stand upright by holding onto his spear, Gungnir, and avoid the shame of falling on his knees.

    Thor''s hammer, Mj?lnir, split apart the temple''s floor, sending arcs of electricity in all directions. Meanwhile, Su-hyeun, who happened to be the closest to Odin, summoned a spear of lightning glowing in a golden-orange hue.

    [The Giant''s Thunderbolt]

    Paazzzik, bzzzzzzik¡ª

    This spear of electricity was dozens of times sharper and more extensive than a regular Thunderbolt. Su-hyeun came up with this technique after observing Ares wield the Giant Spear. He had already confirmed its firepower a few times by now.

    FLASH¡ª!

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    The thrown spear instantly pulverized all the Predators between Su-hyeun and Odin.

    Su-hyeun ran past the newly created path and quickly assisted Odin, "Are you alright?"

    "Who... are¡ª?"

    "For now, we should get out of here first," Su-hyeun turned his gaze to the nearest window.

    The opening seemed large enough to accommodate their escape.

    Su-hyeun, his eyes still locked in that direction, asked Thor as the God of Thunder finally reached his side, "Can you escape on your own?"

    "Do not worry about me."

    "Third Brother!" Su-hyeun then called out to Sun Wukong, who was still fighting somewhere far back.

    "Yeah!" His reply came back right away.

    His voice was filled with confidence and so much enthusiasm. Then again, he possessed enough stamina to continue fighting Master Subhuti for nearly one month straight. There was no way he would get tired so soon.

    "I''ll see you later, Third Brother!"

    "Yeah! Go on ahead without me!"

    The moment Su-hyeun heard that reply...

    [Heavenly Demon''s March of Sovereign]

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    His feet rose into the air and began gradually crushing the bodies of all the Predators in the surroundings.

    Plop¡ª

    Crunch, snap, crack...

    Kuk...

    Keuaaaaah¡ª!

    "Where did this pressure suddenly come from...?!"

    Predators, crushed flat and kneeling against their will, all began glaring at Su-hyeun next. They had all instinctively realized that the power crushing them came from Su-hyeun''s steps.

    The Predators who figured this out and were still able to move began rushing toward Su-hyeun, who was trying to carry Odin on his shoulder.

    But right at that moment...

    Craaack¡ª!

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang and Thor''s Mj?lnir flew at a breakneck speed and flattened the waves of the Predators once more.

    Shatter¡ª!

    Su-hyeun broke the window and jumped outside, but then...

    "Man, this is getting seriously annoying."

    Another group of Predators had shown up outside without him noticing sooner. It was rather likely that they figured something was up after the barrier cast around the temple was broken.

    Su-hyeun wanted to move Odin somewhere safe as soon as possible, so after confirming all these waves of Predators gathering around, he quietly muttered, "Miru."

    He then raised one hand and focused his lightning power.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Kkyaaaaah¡ª!

    The skies darkened instantly, and a dragon''s howl resounded from somewhere above. A massive dragon consisting entirely of electricity revealed itself from the gathered clouds, only to hide again. It repeated this action as the surroundings got brighter and brighter.

    [Thunder Dragon - Miru]

    Right in the next moment...

    "Strike down."

    FLASH¡ª!

    The bright light completely enveloped the ground teeming with countless Predators.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun managed to locate an intact building.

    Meanwhile, the Predators didn''t give chase. The impact of the Thunder Dragon Su-hyeun displayed earlier was far too shocking for them to continue their pursuit.

    In an instant, Asgard became mired in chaos once more. After bringing Odin somewhere quiet, Su-hyeun took a look at all the wounds on the Asgardian god who kept coughing out blood.

    "He probably doesn''t have much time left."

    He thought that Odin''s treatment should be prioritized, first of all, so he ended up using an extremely powerful attack to make way.

    Thunder Dragon affected an immense area. Because of that, every creature within a specific range would have figured out where the battle had occurred. If Osiris was in good condition right now, it shouldn''t take him too long to notice Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong''s presence.

    Su-hyeun didn''t mind fighting him at this stage, but trying to protect Odin during the battle would not be an easy task.

    Cough¡ª!

    Odin coughed more blood again.

    The color of the blood was as dark as ink. It was so dark that it went past the level of being dead blood.

    Su-hyeun''s eyes shot up after confirming the status of Odin''s blood. "Half of his blood is mixed with toxins."

    This was no longer a simple "poisoned" status anymore. By now, too much toxin had invaded the god''s body, and the boundary between normal blood and poison had become indistinguishable.

    Casting healing magic at this point was meaningless. The fact that Odin was still breathing right now was a miracle in itself. In comparison, all those injuries riddling the half-dead Thor earlier seemed like flesh wounds.

    "How did he manage to hold on with a body like this?"

    Su-hyeun recalled Odin''s figure as the old god beat back the waves of Predators not too long ago. Never mind moving around freely, his body was just about ready to give in, so how did he even manage to hold on and keep fighting back?

    Should the detoxification be done first, or should the treatment of the injuries take precedence instead?

    Just as thoughts in Su-hyeun''s head got tangled up more and more...

    "There''s no reason to waste your energy, fella," Odin opened his mouth to speak.

    However, just because he could speak, it didn''t mean he had recovered to some extent. Was this what they call terminal lucidity?

    Odin was burning brightly for one last time before his death. "I thank you. It''s... much better now."

    For sure, he did sound more relaxed now. That wasn''t so surprising, considering that the first thing Su-hyeun did after reaching here was to lessen Odin''s pain.

    But that didn''t mean he was being healed right now.

    "I''ll begin with detoxification first."

    "No need to waste your strength," Odin raised his shaking hand.

    Despite ending up in such a wretched state, he still hadn''t let go of his weapon.

    Odin pushed his spear, Gungnir, in Su-hyeun''s direction, "Thor is unsuitable."

    "I''m sorry?"

    "He won''t be able to win."

    Not be able to win?

    "Is he talking about Osiris?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Only Osiris and Shiva would be strong enough to leave Odin in this state out of all the Predators.

    Most likely, Odin didn''t get any time to rest after the battle against Osiris ended and had to continue his fight. He must''ve lured the Predators into the temple and made sure no one could escape through the barrier before fighting them all, not knowing that Asgard had already fallen by then.

    "Take this."

    Su-hyeun ended up receiving Gungnir, Odin''s spear.

    This was a weapon that accompanied Odin throughout his life. But after Odin handed it over, his expression looked rather relieved for some reason.. "And from this moment on, this burden shall be yours to carry."

 Chapter 493 - 493

    "Burden?"

    Su-hyeun stared at the spear he just got. Although it was gold in color, he figured out the truth the moment he gripped it.

    This spear was crafted out of adamantium.

    It was also considerably heavy. It had to be several times heavier than Ruyi Jingu Bang, which he tried to use during the sparring session with Sun Wukong.

    However, the burden Odin mentioned couldn''t be as straightforward as this spear''s weight.

    "Are you saying I must protect Asgard?"

    Odin was Asgard''s king. He spent all his life protecting Asgard and the roots of Yggdrasil. The weight of Gungnir was the representation of the weight his life carried.

    Sure enough...

    "Can you do it?" Odin did not deny it.

    Which wasn''t so surprising, really. He wouldn''t have handed over a weapon he used his entire life to a total stranger without a good reason.

    Su-hyeun took another look at Gungnir. He had been wielding spears for a long while, but even then, this had to be the heaviest of them all.

    It felt like a heavy lump of lead was attached to his arm. Even so, he was getting curious about the firepower of this weapon called Gungnir.

    "Father!" It was Thor''s voice.

    Thor was related to Odin by blood, and he could sense his father''s survival as well as his location. Finding where Su-hyeun had taken Odin after escaping from the temple shouldn''t have been difficult for him.

    "Father! Father!"

    When Thor rushed in closer while roaring at the top of his lungs, Odin frowned deeply and shut his son''s mouth up, "You''re being noisy."

    Thor momentarily looked relieved after thinking that Odin''s voice sounded relatively fine. However, that relief didn''t last long. "Father, your blood...!"

    He held up his hands with Odin''s blood. Thor''s complexion became deathly pale after confirming how inky black it was.

    Only Odin''s voice was composed and relaxed, but his complexion was dark and waning. "Thor, my son."

    "Please speak, father."

    "I saw that our Asgard... the God Realm has fallen." Odin had witnessed the destroyed Asgard on his way here. "It was all because I was not good enough."

    "No, father. It''s because I was¡ª"

    "Thor, my son," Odin extended his hand.

    But when Thor tried to hold his father''s extended hand...

    "You must... rebuild it, son."

    Pa-sususu...

    Odin''s hand crumbled to dust. Along with his soul, his physical figure slowly vanished.

    Grit¡ª!

    Thor bit down on his lip. He bit so hard that blood trickled down his chin and dripped on the floor. He was trying his best to hold back his tears.

    He slowly went down on his knees where Odin used to be, where his father''s body had turned into dust.

    Su-hyeun watched Thor''s back before shifting his gaze over to Gungnir in his hand. "In the end, it came to this," he thought.

    He more or less expected this outcome after confirming Odin''s state earlier.

    Just how many children out there would not grieve over the death of their fathers? This was a farewell between a father and a son who lived together for not just a few decades but for a length of time ordinary humans couldn''t even imagine.

    Gungnir''s weight in his hand felt so much heavier right now.

    Yet another god of the Five Godly Sages had died. Two of them were gone, while Brahma''s whereabouts were still a mystery.

    The only ones remaining now were Zeus and Buddha.

    Thor, wordlessly grieving over the passing of his father for a long while, eventually raised his head, "Did father leave Gungnir in your care?"

    He seemed to have barely squeezed out those words.

    Su-hyeun nodded and pushed the golden spear in Thor''s direction, "Do you wish to take it?"

    "No, that''s insulting my father''s wishes. And also," Thor stared at Gungnir, "I''m not good enough to wield this spear. Not yet."

    "Is that so?"

    Su-hyeun inwardly thought that that response was understandable.

    He was acutely aware of Gungnir''s weight in his hand even now. A weapon that weighed more than Ruyi Jingu Bang? He never even imagined that such a thing could exist.

    "To think that Odin used something like this as a weapon," he inwardly pondered.

    He was deeply stunned by Odin''s strength. Just how much physical power would one need if they wanted to use a spear of this caliber as a weapon and be comfortable with an object this heavy in their hands?

    If Odin''s strength was displayed in the system''s numerical value, what would it have been?

    Su-hyeun was curious, but he also felt burdened. Could he even properly wield this spear?

    Even that was a question mark for now.

    * * *

    Osiris opened his eyes.

    He had been resting with his eyes closed for a long while, but there was no more need to do that. Also, the current situation didn''t allow for that, either.

    A man guarding Osiris''s side bowed deeply, "How do you feel, my liege?"

    "Not bad," Osiris turned his head to the side, neck stiff. "A little better, in any case."

    "The injury inflicted by Gungnir still hasn''t healed, my liege. As such, perhaps it''ll be for the best not to¡ª"

    "This much will be fine. It''s not like I''ll be directly stepping in any time soon. So, you can save your worries," Osiris lightly rebuked his retainer, who was behaving a little too loyally at the moment.

    The retainer closed his mouth shut, knowing that he couldn''t repeat himself. Instead, he bowed his head even deeper.

    Despite mouthing some confident-sounding words, Osiris still frowned and touched his side. The injury down there was almost healed, but it still ached a great deal even now. "As expected, I did push myself too much."

    "My liege, even among the Five Godly Sages, Odin''s purpose was to protect Yggdrasil. Based on combat strength alone, no one would argue with the opinion that he is the strongest god in existence."

    Odin was not just the strongest god but also the strongest warrior.

    He swore to guard Yggdrasil. For this purpose, he established Asgard in the God Realm and fostered countless warriors.

    In the end, though, he was defeated by Osiris, who had raised an even greater army. Even so, Osiris had to acknowledge Odin''s strength.

    "What happened to Odin?"

    "During the brief lull in your battle with him, I directed another army to attack him, my liege."

    "He must be dead by now, then."

    "We have indeed confirmed his death not too long ago. However, an unexpected variable has entered the scene, my liege."

    "A variable, you say?"

    The good news of Odin''s death was accompanied by a variable? Osiris was not a fan of his plans going astray, so naturally, his expression crumpled just a little.

    The retainer kept his head bowed while explaining the situation, "There is no need for you to directly interfere, my liege. It should be taken care of soon."

    There were only two intruders. Thor had joined them, but even then, they were only three individuals in the end.

    If it was only that much, the army should have no trouble stopping the trio without Osiris''s involvement. That was what the retainer thought.

    But then...

    "I don''t think you or the army will be able to handle them."

    It sounded as if Osiris''s thoughts on the matter were somewhat different from his retainer''s.

    That made sense since Osiris had a good idea of the identity of the two intruders.

    "A man wielding a giant staff and another man accompanying him. In that case, they must be..."

    Osiris smirked deeply. Since his wounds weren''t healed yet, he had no plans of making a move first. Even so, he still held plenty of cards he hadn''t played yet.

    "I''m getting really curious about how long they will last."

    * * *

    Sun Wukong joined them much later after causing a lot of chaos.

    As he could use the cloning technique, one could say he was uniquely specialized in one-versus-many battles. His expression seemed a lot more refreshed after he got to fight countless Predators. "Man, it''s been a while since I had that much fun!"

    He was grinning from ear to ear. However, he clamped his mouth shut immediately after spotting the grieving Thor.

    He whispered to Su-hyeun, asking about Odin. He then walked up and lightly patted Thor on the shoulder.

    Thor replied, "I''m fine. Now isn''t the time to grieve, anyway."

    "Well, if you say so."

    "We should get going. For now, my¡ªour priority should be with securing Yggdrasil''s roots, Thor said and took a large stride forward.

    The way he was trying so hard to appear strong despite his emotions was apparent, even from his back or the way he walked. Sun Wukong was not used to this type of awkward atmosphere since he didn''t have a lot of opportunities to deal with such a thing in the past. He cautiously followed Thor but still whispered another question in Su-hyeun''s ear, "What am I supposed to do in times like this one?"

    "For now, we should follow him."

    The motivation driving Thor right now was Odin''s last words.

    He asked his son to rebuild Asgard. If it weren''t for those words, Thor might have crumbled on the spot, unable to move again.

    "Normally, in a situation like this one, there can be only one of two outcomes," Su-hyeun thought.

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun walked a little behind Thor, his face filled with concern. "Either you falter and break down, or you exhibit an even greater drive than you''d normally do."

    Most of the time, it would be the former.

    Right now, they had to pray that it was the latter. If Thor lost his focus and faltered now, then one of the combatants making up this trio would be gone.

    "Gungnir is a divine armament created even before Asgard was founded. It was crafted during the birth of this universe, as a matter of fact," Thor suddenly said as he walked ahead. He explained Odin''s spear, Gungnir, currently in Su-hyeun''s care. "It contains the power of thunder and lightning, and its creator is none other than the Primordial God, Brahma. This Mj?lnir of mine was also crafted out of the same metal, but it couldn''t recreate Gungnir''s power in the end."

    "So this is such an incredible weapon?"

    In all honesty, the impression Su-hyeun got while holding Gungnir was that this spear was simply heavy and had a sharp tip. However, upon learning that Brahma was behind its creation and that not even Mj?lnir could compare to it, Su-hyeun saw Gungnir in a new light.

    "If it''s better than Mj?lnir, then it must be really useful," he thought.

    Mj?lnir contained the power of thunder and lighting, and a single strike from it was enough to cause a massive thunderclap and a wave of powerful electricity to spread out.

    They fought side by side a few times by now, and Su-hyeun got to confirm that yes, Mj?lnir was indeed a great weapon.

    It was a weapon granted with godhood, like the Palm Leaf. This was not as simple as labeling a god-tier item and being done with it.

    "Gungnir may well be the only weapon in existence capable of piercing through Osiris''s heart."

    Now that was very high praise, indeed.

    Thor had come face to face with Osiris and even fought the Outer God''s army. Since someone like that had praised Gungnir to this degree, this spear must be hiding a truly outrageous level of firepower.

    Su-hyeun didn''t have a chance to wield Gungnir personally just yet and could not estimate anything, but it seemed that his combat power had been enhanced by another level with the spear now in his possession.

    "I''ll try my best to make that happen," said Su-hyeun.

    "Thank you."

    Grit¡ª

    Thor''s steps quickened as his eyes burned fiercely, "As for me, I must do whatever it takes to rebuild Asgard."

    But then, the moment he finished saying those words...

    Crack, split¡ª!

    Countless doorways began opening up in the sky.

    Sun Wukong, who was following them, stopped and looked up. He leisurely brought out Ruyi Jingu Bang while scanning dozens, no, hundreds of black doorways. "Hmm, more fissures?"

    "They seem a little different from those things," Su-hyeun replied while also looking up.

    It wasn''t just the sky. The same thing was happening on the ground as well. They initially looked like fissures in space, but their shapes were not irregular and random. All of them had an artificial circular shape.

    These doorways were also connected to different worlds, but the collapse of Yggdrasil did not cause them.

    Rather than that, these seemed...

    "Right, they are similar to back when Fafnir showed up."

    Indeed, they were artificially created doorways. And never mind just one or two, hundreds of them were appearing at the same time.

    "Here they come again," Thor wasn''t flustered at all. He was gripping Mj?lnir even tighter as if the things he had been waiting for had finally shown up. His eyes were now filled with a venomous drive as he shifted his gaze over to Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong, "I''m well aware of how strong you two are, but from this moment on, you better prepare yourselves."

    Then, right after he was finished with his warning, one after another, Predators began flooding out of the wide-open doorways.

    "Osiris''s army, the army of the one ruling one thousand hells, is here."

 Chapter 494 - 494

    One thousand hells.

    If he hadn''t heard about it already from King Yama, Su-hyeun would''ve failed to understand what that even meant.

    King Yama''s role was to rule over nine thousand netherworlds created by the Primordial Gods, but he lost one thousand of them to Osiris. The one thousand hells Thor mentioned obviously referred to those.

    "Could it be that Osiris was preparing for this day?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Osiris commanded a truly massive army. Its scale was undoubtedly the largest among all the Predators out there. Such an army brought Asgard down to its knees.

    Unfortunately, it seemed that the army was mostly intact even now.

    "Wow, there are a crap ton of them," Sun Wukong muttered while staring at the massive army completely blotting out the sky.

    He turned his head and noticed that more Predators had also filled the ground by now. They might be here to block the path toward Yggdrasil''s roots, but even so, this number of Predators showing up in one place was simply unprecedented.

    Just how many hundreds of thousands¡ªno¡ªhow many hundreds of millions of them were here?

    The number of Predators flooding out from one thousand hells was far higher than even Su-hyeun''s estimation.

    "Yggdrasil''s roots are below that cliff in that direction." Thor brought Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong closer and pointed to where they had to go. "It doesn''t matter who. Head there and secure Yggdrasil''s roots no matter what it takes. And kill Osiris."

    They had two goals¡ªone, protect the roots and, two, kill Osiris. Neither of them could be called easy at all.

    No, wait¡ªboth goals were incredibly challenging for only three individuals to accomplish.

    However, Sun Wukong was quaking visibly from knowing this fact, his expression excited. "Yes! This is really kickass!"

    Grab¡ª

    Pow, popopopopow¡ª!

    When he pointed Ruyi Jingu Bang to his front, lots of smoke exploded all around Sun Wukong''s position. Countless clones materialized just then. Their numbers must''ve been well into several hundreds.

    "If it''s the numbers game, I''m also pretty good with it, you see!"

    All those clones spoke up simultaneously, causing a noisy ringing in the surroundings.

    They all assumed the same stance while wielding the very weapon. Even Su-hyeun found it difficult to differentiate which one was the real deal.

    And so, after Sun Wukong and his clones got in position...

    "Extend¡ª!"

    Extend¡ª!

    The voices echoed all around them.

    "Ruyi¡ª!"

    Ka-boom, boooooooom¡ª!

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Hundreds of Ruyi Jingu Bangs enlarged to sizes never seen before. It was as if they were trying to split the world in half. The staves instantly punched hundreds of holes within the densely packed army of the Predators in the sky.

    A path forward opened up.

    Pow, popopow¡ª!

    "Huh?"

    The clones disappeared a short while later, and Sun Wukong staggered a little.

    "Are you all right, Third Brother?"

    "It''s nothing. Nothing. I''m still fine."

    It really must''ve been nothing but a little dizzy spell because Sun Wukong''s complexion didn''t change much.

    It seemed that he felt a little dizzy after exhausting a lot of Dao energy in one go.

    "Makes sense since it''s my first time seeing that many clones."

    Still, they now had a path.

    Su-hyeun grabbed the arms of Thor and Sun Wukong.

    "Ng?"

    "What are you doing?"

    The two of them made the same sort of expressions that asked, "Why are you suddenly grabbing our arms?"

    Su-hyeun replied, "Hold on tight so that you don''t fall off."

    "Eh?"

    "S¡ªsay what? What are you¡ª?"

    Clouds rapidly materialized below Su-hyeun''s feet. Sun Wukong saw that and suddenly laughed aloud as if he had figured out what was happening here.

    "Fly¡ª!" Su-hyeun shouted while staring at the path Sun Wukong had carved out, "Somersault cloud!"

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Swiiiiiiiish¡ª!

    Somersault cloud began flying forward at a breakneck pace.

    They flew straight into the path and dug in deeply, all the while avoiding the Predators trying to interfere. Thor''s complexion quickly lost all colors as he watched the scenery before his eyes rapidly changed, and the ground grew distant in an instant. "Uh, uuuuuh...?!"

    Even though he was the God of Thunder and Odin''s son, he had never experienced flying so fast in his entire life. If Su-hyeun let go of Thor''s arm now, then no doubt the latter would crash-land rather ungracefully and perform some hilarious dance routines with Predators midair.

    Thor instinctively reached out to Somersault cloud, trying to grab hold of it. However, as if it only wanted to carry Su-hyeun and no one else, the cloud rejected Thor''s flailing hand and transformed into a handful of water vapors.

    Just how long he clung onto Su-hyeun''s arm like that, Thor didn''t know.

    "Mister Thor."

    "Y¡ªyes?"

    "In front of us. Burn them all down with a lightning bolt, please."

    Thor turned his head to look at their front at Su-hyeun''s request.

    Their speed seemed to be slowing down gradually, and the cause turned out to be the Predators that had gathered around once more to create a packed wall.

    Thor raised Mj?lnir''s handle, which he had been gripping tightly. The power of the thunder and lightning gathered on the weapon, and he swung the hammer in the air.

    Baaang¡ª!

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Heavy pressure bore down from the air when he swung the hammer in. The Predators had been shoved aside before getting scorched alive by the azure arcs of lightning. The monsters began falling to the ground like dead flies.

    "Looks like this is as far as we can go," Su-hyeun smacked his lips as if he found it rather unfortunate.

    He thought that they could travel even deeper than this, but as it turned out, Sun Wukong''s path wasn''t as deep as he expected.

    "No, wait¡ªit''s more like they managed to plug up the path much sooner than expected, isn''t it?" he thought.

    They wanted to get as close to Yggdrasil''s roots as possible regardless of what, so he had been recklessly charging forward.

    Result-wise, they could make some good headway, thanks to Sun Wukong''s clone warfare. But now, the path the Monkey King had created was completely blocked off by the Predators still flooding out from one thousand hells.

    Su-hyeun looked at Thor, who was still clinging to his arm, "Do you know how to fly?"

    "I, uh, I can''t fight in the air without the assistance of Valhalla''s heavenly steeds. At this rate, it''ll be better for me to go down to the ground and provide assistance from there."

    "In other words, you need something to ride on?"

    "Well, basically, yes. But right now, we don''t¡ª"

    "Miru."

    Split¡ª

    When Su-hyeun called its name, the giant red dragon peeked its head out from a tear in space.

    Miru spotted countless Predators in the surroundings and bared its fangs in an ominous growl. Thor looked at the red dragon and let out an impressed sigh.

    "I don''t know how impressive the heavenly steeds are as a ride. Even then, my Miru shouldn''t lose out to them."

    "I assure you, never mind losing, this will be much better. A red dragon, is it? To think that I''d get a ride from a legendary god-beast!" Thor climbed on Miru''s head and grinned.

    Su-hyeun then began calling out his other summons, "Prince Nezha, you stick with me. As for the rest of you, focus on opening up the path. And Third Brother..."

    "I need three minutes," Sun Wukong replied with a pair of slightly tired eyes as if his dizziness hadn''t gone away yet.

    Three minutes wasn''t too long.

    Su-hyeun nodded and then turned his head back to his front. He placed Gungnir on his back, where he usually kept his other spears. "In that case, I''ll create a path for the time being."

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The divine Flame enveloped his sword. The surroundings were brightly illuminated when the blade was lit up in pure-red flames.

    The standard slash? Or go with a different basic sword move?

    The situation was urgent, and they didn''t have much time. However, hurrying along wasn''t the answer to every problem.

    "It would help if you did not become impatient. That should be the largest wall you must learn to overcome."

    That advice came from the Bull Demon King.

    Su-hyeun heard that constantly from his First Brother ever since their first encounter. Nowadays, he would recall those sage words whenever he began feeling impatient.

    "For now, let''s keep it simple and easy."

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything - Sky Divider]

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    His sword descended like a meteor on the heads of the Predators closing in from his front.

    Splat¡ª!

    Ruuumble¡ª!

    The Predators were chopped apart in half, and fierce flames spread out behind them. Although his strike was "simple and easy," it still killed dozens of Predators in one go.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s figure lightly darted around. However, being "light" did not mean he was slow. He was even faster since he kept it light and simple. His movement was airy and smooth, making it much easier to connect disparate arcs of sword trajectories.

    It wasn''t as if he relied on a special technique or anything like that.

    Shu-wak, sliiice¡ª

    Splaaat¡ª!

    All he did was envelop the blade in the divine Flame and began slicing and dicing the enemies.

    Flames poured out according to the trajectories of the sword swings, their heat lingering everywhere for a long time. Despite fighting while conserving his strength, he opened up a path rather quickly.

    "Nezha."

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Prince Nezha responded to Su-hyeun''s call and chucked the Yogoe Beating Mace to his master.

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun caught the weapon and drove his magical energy into it.

    The Yogoe Beating Mace was similar to Sun Wukong''s Ruyi Jingu Bang. Its size can be adjusted by the amount of energy one poured into it.

    The mace Su-hyeun had in his left grip ballooned up seemingly endlessly. He relied on his grip strength to hold on tight and took a mighty swipe with it.

    Right at that moment...

    [Yogoe Beating Mace - Thunder Hammer]

    Pazzzzzzik¡ª!

    The power of the thunder and lightning entered the Yogoe Beating Mace, turning it golden-orange.

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    Predators swept aside by the Yogoe Beating Mace fell in droves like dead flies. But then, more Predators rushed in from behind Su-hyeun, who was left wide open after making such a large move.

    Swiiiiish¡ª

    Stab¡ª

    Sharp claws dug into Su-hyeun''s exposed back. The Predator that was making a satisfied smile soon sensed that something was amiss.

    Crunch¡ª

    "Huh?"

    That sound came from bones breaking, but it didn''t come from Su-hyeun''s back.

    What got crushed just then was the Predator''s hand.

    Split¡ª

    Cruuuunch¡ª

    A massive mouth opened up from above and swallowed up the Predator in one go, noisily munching on it.

    It was Gluttony.

    "Not bad."

    Su-hyeun smirked deeply at the performance of his armor.

    He deliberately let a low-tier Predator succeed in its attack. He already confirmed the improved performance of the sword enhanced by Kim Dae-ho, but he didn''t have any opportunity to test out the armor until now, so he figured now would be a good time to do so.

    Its performance was confirmed with this. The Predator that was trying to attack him from behind broke its hand instead. The impact didn''t get transmitted underneath the armor. It seemed that the armor plating had fully absorbed it.

    As far as armors went, now that deserved a perfect score.

    Not only that, but also it was made out of adamantium, so its magic resistance should be quite considerable. Calling it the perfect armor wouldn''t be an exaggeration at this point.

    "I guess I don''t need to worry about protecting myself from most regular small fries, then."

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun reached behind him and gripped Gungnir.

    He hesitated slightly.

    He knew he couldn''t keep fighting while lugging around something this heavy on his back. Its weight was no joke, dulling his movements just a little, which in turn, led to him needing to spend more stamina.

    If he wasn''t planning to use it, he might as well discard it right away. But to throw it away just like that is unthinkable. The fact that it used to be Odin''s spear, as well as a weapon crafted by Brahma, made him hesitate.

    "I guess I''ll check it out first."

    Su-hyeun was proficient in handling spears. If he was asked to pick the weapon type he was most comfortable with, the first would be swords, followed by spears.

    Rub¡ª

    While he pulled Gungnir off his back, the spear shaft brushed past the armor and transmitted a sharp metallic sensation to his back.

    Initially, he didn''t think much about it. However, when he got into the spear-throwing position with Gungnir in his hand, a sense of disharmony suddenly flooded into him.

    "The sensation got transmitted inside the armor...?"

    A determined Predator tried to stab Su-hyeun in the back to kill him, but he didn''t feel a thing in the end. Yet just from the spear shaft brushing past the armor, he picked up the ultra-sharp metallic sensation?

    Gungnir, which came across as a heavy burden until then, suddenly seemed to transform into something else entirely in his grip.

    Like an entranced man, Su-hyeun got into the spear-throwing position. During his brief hesitation, countless Predators had assembled in front of him.

    "One, two..."

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    He readied his entire being to throw Gungnir, and when he started counting to three, the tip of the spear suddenly glowed brightly in golden light.

    And when he finished counting to three...!

    "Three."

    FLASH¡ª!

    Gungnir flew out of Su-hyeun''s hand.

 Chapter 495 - 495

    Gungnir''s spear tip was sharper than any other weapon Su-hyeun had seen.

    Also, he didn''t inject any special energy or power into the spear, yet Gungnir itself already possessed the power of azure lightning energy.

    The very first thing to "feel" the firepower of Gungnir as it left his hand was Su-hyeun''s body.

    Fwhoosh¡ª!

    "Kuk!"

    Su-hyeun''s whole body was shoved back from the sonic boom of the spear when it shot out.

    At the same time, violent air currents were generated, making it difficult to see the flying spear without activating Insight.

    His body staggered for a moment there.

    Rumble, ka-booooom¡ª!

    A loud thunderclap went off in the direction of Gungnir''s flight.

    The thunderclaps exploded over and over again, but Su-hyeun didn''t have any leeway to pay attention to that. He summoned the Somersault cloud to maintain his balance from the sonic boom of Gungnir.

    After a brief moment of distraction, he shifted his gaze back, only to...

    "What the hell¡ª?"

    For the first time in ages, Su-hyeun became utterly speechless, his jaw dropping to the ground.

    Pazzzik, bzzzzz¡ª

    In the path of Gungnir''s flight was a massive wide-open hole crackling with azure electricity. It was like looking at a colossal tunnel bored into a tall mountain.

    Fwhooooooosh¡ª!

    "Huh?" Su-hyeun was jolted awake by the spear flying back to him and hurriedly reached out.

    Gungnir, which he had thrown a moment ago, had returned to him all by itself. As if it had a functioning ego and wanted to return to its master.

    "When thrown, it''ll automatically return? Does this item have that kind of option?"

    Since he had thrown it only once, he couldn''t be sure of it yet. But to think that it was a spear with an automatic retrieval option.

    With this, he no longer needed to worry about searching for it. After throwing it, he thought that searching for Gungnir would be quite a chore, so he greatly welcomed this new revelation.

    "Since this is the case, spear throwing should become easier for me."

    He gripped Gungnir even harder.

    In the beginning, he thought of this weapon as a bit of a white elephant.

    Su-hyeun didn''t know how Odin used Gungnir. If it were supposed to be swung and thrust around, then it would not be a good match for him.

    The biggest reason why Su-hyeun wielded spears was to create some distance between him and his enemies and to have the means to wage powerful long-distance attacks.

    In other words, his spearmanship had evolved into specializing in throwing spears.

    If Gungnir''s automatic retrieval option was indeed a real thing, then he found himself the perfect throwing spear.

    "The azure electricity is Gungnir''s power."

    Su-hyeun didn''t inject any magical energy into the spear just now. In that case, the thunderclaps and the traces of the azure electrical currents had to be the power Gungnir already possessed.

    It didn''t even consume his magical energy like the Palm Leaf. As long as he could pick it up and throw it, he could manifest the weapon''s power.

    Since that''s the case...

    "One more time, then."

    Pa-zzzzzik¡ª

    Su-hyeun directed the golden-orange electrical currents through his hand that was gripping Gungnir.

    [Thunderbolt - Gungnir]

    Gungnir was enveloped in golden-orange electrical currents.

    Two disparate types of lightning energy wielded by two different gods¡ªthe main god of Olympus, Zeus, and then the main god of Asgard, Odin¡ªarced and danced around Gungnir. Despite him being the one spreading one of the currents, Su-hyeun felt the buzzing, numbing pain coming from his hand.

    "One, two..."

    He got into the spear-throwing posture one more time.

    The Predators that witnessed Gungnir''s firepower earlier urgently cried out at his new pose.

    "Here it comes again!"

    "We need to dodge first and¡ª!"

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Paaaaaht¡ª!

    Another attack flew.

    The Predators accurately struck by Gungnir got vaporized without leaving behind a single trace. Then, two disparate electrical currents spread out to the surroundings, preventing other Predators from getting closer.

    A new path had been created.

    "Three minutes."

    And when the promised time was up...

    "Now that was a nice rest," Sun Wukong smirked and stood up after getting back into the best condition possible.

    An eyeball could be seen floating in the sky, watching all these things happen.

    * * *

    "That is indeed somewhat dangerous," Osiris muttered to no one in particular, his eyes deeply closed.

    His hand was currently holding a fist-sized eyeball.

    The scene he saw through this eye was the figure of three gods slaughtering their way past an ocean of Predators.

    "M¡ªmy liege, we did not expect someone would be capable of wielding Gungnir to that degree..."

    "If it''s him, then it''s possible. However, I''m surprised by Odin not handing Gungnir over to his son, Thor."

    Osiris''s calculation was off the mark this time.

    Odin was never very good with Insight. He wasn''t even that smart to begin with. Out of all the gods in existence, he was far closer to being a straightforward idiot.

    Odin not being brilliant wasn''t all that surprising, considering his Insight was worse than an average god''s.

    However, even without such a thing, he was still acknowledged as one of the Five Godly Sages because of his insanely incredible physical strength. He also possessed the mighty weapon called Gungnir. Regardless of all that, Odin''s biggest weakness was always his poor Insight.

    That was why Osiris calculated that Odin would hand Gungnir over to his son, Thor. However, despite his poor Insight, he still chose the most "correct" answer in this situation.

    "My liege, don''t you think this will become a bit too dangerous?"

    Osiris could only frown at the retainer''s question.

    Indeed, this was getting dangerous. This situation had to be the first time for Osiris since the universe was created and since he was crowned the king of hell.

    His instincts warned him that the result would not be good if this continued.

    This was another "power" of Osiris, somewhat different from Insight.

    A "gut feeling" from an existence on his level was not something to be dismissed as a mere feeling of the moment.

    "And here I was, thinking that we still need more time."

    "My liege, will you personally interfere now?"

    "Well, I should at least try to convince him."

    With Osiris''s unexpected reply, the retainer raised his head and asked back in puzzlement, "Convince him, my liege?"

    When the retainer thought about it, didn''t Osiris say something similar in the past, too? Back then, the retainer suggested that Su-hyeun needed to be nipped in the bud before he became even stronger.

    "He''s not yet on our side, after all," Osiris''s reply back then or now remained the same. "Since that''s the case, it''s time to bring him over to our side."

    Osiris finally got up from his spot. His injuries remained, but he didn''t need to hesitate at this point.

    His opponent only started wielding Gungnir a few moments ago. Even if a god of the Five Godly Sages tier decided to show up here now, they had to be on the same level as Odin or Brahma. Otherwise, they stood no chance of stopping Osiris.

    "This is merely a passing shower, not a thunderstorm," Osiris thought.

    The powerful offensive of the trio, reminiscent of a vicious thunderstorm, came across as nothing more than some drizzle in Osiris''s view.

    * * *

    [Flame - Explosion Style]

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Boom, bang, bang, bang, bang¡ª!

    Flames shooting out from Su-hyeun''s blade exploded like a powerful bomb in the blink of an eye.

    The "Explosion Style" did eat up a ton of magical energy. Even so, this skill doubled the firepower of whatever ability he decided to use. As such, Su-hyeun had no choice but to rely on it often despite not being all that keen on using it.

    "I''ve opened up the path again," said Su-hyeun.

    "Whew, that''s pretty cool."

    "We''ll go on ahead."

    Sun Wukong rode on Ruyi Jingu Bang, and Thor flew on Miru''s back to travel along the newly opened path.

    Rushing in front, Sun Wukong powerfully swung his staff. Meanwhile, Thor all too bravely wielded Mj?lnir despite his mounting fatigue.

    They had been repeating this cycle since reaching the halfway mark. Su-hyeun broke through and opened up a path, then Sun Wukong and Thor would rush forward to create more of the path.

    In the meantime, Su-hyeun covered their rear. Then, a short while later, they would switch roles. He would rush forward and break through using the same method while Sun Wukong and Thor watched his back.

    Although their method was simple, it still proved to be somewhat effective. Even if one needed to use a large-scale technique, one would still get a little bit of rest time afterward.

    "I managed to conserve a lot of magical energy."

    It had already been half a day since they started eliminating countless Predators to open up a path forward. Their progress was slow since they had to break through constantly. Still, they managed to make good headway.

    Riding on Miru''s back, Thor looked quite tired, but Sun Wukong was still lively as if something on this level was nothing to him.

    "As for Osiris," Su-hyeun scanned the surroundings and nodded, "As I thought, he''s still not here."

    Initially, he was slightly nervous about the possibility.

    Countless Predators flooded out from one thousand hells under Osiris''s rule. The one commanding them all was none other than Osiris. As such, the possibility of Osiris butting in during this battle remained relatively strong.

    "Why hasn''t he, though?"

    There was only one reason why Su-hyeun conserved as much of his magical energy as possible: so that he could be ready for the battle against Osiris.

    The battle that was already going on for half a day had eaten up a considerable amount of his stamina. Still, that didn''t mean his physical condition was poor at the moment. Thanks to the armor, he wasn''t injured, and he hadn''t exhausted a lot of his magical energy reserve, either.

    But now, it felt like all of his hard work so far was for nothing. Osiris still hadn''t shown up yet.

    "I''m sure he''s watching us, so why?" Su-hyeun''s gaze shifted over to a small floating eyeball watching him from some distance away.

    There was more than one eye.

    A total of three floating eyeballs were staring at Su-hyeun, Sun Wukong, and Thor. He spotted those things about one hour into their battle to break through the ocean of Predators.

    Initially, he wasn''t sure whose eyes those belonged to, but he became certain of Osiris being their master around the middle point of the battle.

    Su-hyeun had seen a similar eyeball to those, although it was inside an illusory recreation of the past.

    "We''re almost there," said Thor, his whole body soaked in sweat.

    Su-hyeun nodded, "It''s over there, isn''t it?"

    He could see a steep drop some distance away.

    According to Thor, Yggdrasil''s roots began at the end of Asgard by the foot of a massive cliff.

    If they travel down there, Yggdrasil''s roots should be found. All the fissures in space should stop by securing that place and eliminating the source harming the roots.

    "Do not forget. Securing the safety of the roots must be our priority. We need to buy as much time as possible until our reinforcements get here."

    "But are you sure about that?"

    Thor nodded resolutely at Su-hyeun''s worried question, "They must be aware of the situation on this side. The gods cannot ignore the collapse of Yggdrasil, meaning it''s only a matter of time before their support arrives."

    "But if they don''t come, it''ll still be fine, though!"

    "I don''t think this problem should be taken that lightly, Third Brother," Su-hyeun sighed after checking out Sun Wukong and his overflowing energy.

    On stamina alone, none present today could match Sun Wukong. Not even Su-hyeun could emulate this Third Brother and fight for three days straight, never mind one whole month without taking a single break.

    "Breaking through and fighting all these enemies are two different things, after all," Su-hyeun thought.

    They managed to forge ahead somehow until now, but that was because they had a clear goal called Yggdrasil. But after reaching Yggdrasil''s roots, their situation would undoubtedly change drastically since they would have to protect the roots from all these Predators.

    From that point on, Su-hyeun wouldn''t be able to conserve his energy while fighting anymore. A battle to protect something was always going to be several times harder than most other types of battles.

    Not only that...

    "So, he finally came."

    Their hardest, most formidable opponent remained.

    Su-hyeun''s muttering caused the eyes of Thor and Sun Wukong to chase after his gaze.

    Split, crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun had been staring at a fist-sized eyeball floating among the Predators for a little while now.

    A crack suddenly appeared on the eyeball, and it began shattering like a glass marble. At the same time, rays of green light shot out, swallowing up all the Predators in the near vicinity.

    But these Predators, easily numbering in the hundreds, didn''t offer any resistance as the light swallowed them up. Rather, it was more like they couldn''t resist.

    The green light had swallowed them up far too quickly, even before they could fight back.

    Fwhhooosh¡ª!

    The green light glowed even brighter. Then, when it instantly vanished...

    "Osiris."

    A familiar-looking man with a handsome face and green hair revealed himself.

 Chapter 496 - 496

    Su-hyeun wasn''t surprised or flustered by Osiris''s entrance. He already knew that the Predator was watching the three of them some time ago.

    "Hmm..." Osiris rubbed his waist without saying anything else. That was where the wound inflicted by Odin was. "Not bad."

    The sacrifices from a second ago helped heal the wound just a little more. Osiris smiled in satisfaction and grabbed the other floating eyeball.

    He then began slotting this eyeball into his eye socket previously covered by his eyelid. Su-hyeun frowned at this rather unpleasant sight and generated a Thunderbolt in his hand.

    Flash¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª!

    He threw the lightning spear, and it flew instantly toward Osiris.

    For a greeting, it certainly was a bit on the nasty side. Su-hyeun fired this attack, thinking he needed to gauge how tough Osiris was as an opponent.

    Sure enough...

    Bzzzzz¡ª

    Osiris easily defended against the Thunderbolt with his bare hand, then grabbed it casually, "Isn''t this a little over the top for a welcome?"

    "That''s because I''m just so glad to see you."

    Pazzzik¡ª

    Su-hyeun retorted and generated yet another Thunderbolt. This new one was noticeably bigger than the previous lightning spear. He planned to wage reconnaissance warfare by gradually amping up the firepower.

    "I''ll use Gungnir later," he thought.

    If it was at all possible, he didn''t want to use Gungnir, which was currently mounted on his back.

    Su-hyeun spotted the wound on Osiris''s waist as soon as the Predator made his appearance.

    That was the kind of injury you''d get after getting stabbed by something. If that wound resulted from fighting Odin, it must''ve been inflicted by Gungnir.

    An existence on the level of Osiris should possess a powerful healing ability, yet the wound was still there. It could only mean that Gungnir was definitely capable of fatally wounding this creature.

    "At the very last second, I''ll use it to bring him down for sure."

    Su-hyeun had already strategized on how to fight Osiris for quite some time. Now was the time to put it to good use.

    But then...

    "Expand¡ª!" Sun Wukong suddenly appeared right behind Osiris and swung his staff down. "Ruyi¡ª!"

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang grew as big as a mansion and slammed down on Osiris''s head. Sun Wukong tutted in irritation and muttered lowly, "He dodged?"

    "Third Brother!" Su-hyeun hurriedly called out to Sun Wukong. The latter looked like he had lost his mind during that sudden attack.

    Sun Wukong shrunk Ruyi Jingu Bang, slung it around his shoulder, and then looked back at Su-hyeun. His eyes began burning in murderous intent as soon he spotted Osiris, probably because of Master Subhuti''s matter.

    His eyes glowed in a crimson color; the Fiery Golden Eyes had been activated. Also, the golden fillet had revealed itself on his forehead.

    After awakening the two supernatural powers signifying the Great Sage Heaven''s Equal, Sun Wukong yelled back at Su-hyeun in a booming voice, "What?! What''s wrong now?"

    "I''d like to deal with him by myself."

    "No, hang on. First of all, I should¡ª"

    Grab¡ª!

    Sun Wukong couldn''t finish his sentence courtesy of a hand gripping his throat from behind.

    "Is this punk the so-called Great Sage Heaven''s Equal? Now that I''ve taken a good look at you, it seems you''re much more like a vicious little monkey, aren''t you?"

    Cough, kek!

    Sun Wukong struggled mightily to break free from Osiris''s hand.

    Su-hyeun couldn''t make a move. Even though he wanted to, Osiris''s other hand pointed at where Sun Wukong''s heart was.

    "I didn''t come here to fight. I only came to talk."

    "In that case, why don''t you let him go first?"

    "I''d love to do that, but this one seems not very keen on that idea. It seems you''re the same, too," Osiris replied while maintaining that permanent smile of his.

    The current situation was indeed advantageous for Osiris.

    "Even if he''s an immortal, I''m quite sure he wouldn''t be able to move around for a long while after his heart is pierced. I wonder, what will happen if I rip him into thousands of pieces and send them to different hells under my care? Now I''m getting rather curious."

    "You said you wanted to talk, isn''t that right?"

    "That''s right, talk. It looks like you''ve finally calmed down enough for a¡ª"

    "Hey."

    Squeeeeze¡ª

    Osiris''s grip was gradually coming loose. Still caught in the Predator''s hand, Sun Wukong had begun prying off the fingers from his neck.

    "How dare you look down on me?!"

    Crunch¡ª!

    Osiris''s fingers were bent in the opposite directions. Sun Wukong finally freed himself, but then, he spun around right there and punched powerfully behind him.

    Smaaaack¡ª!

    Osiris, struck firmly on the chest, was flung far away. At the same time, Sun Wukong aimed with Ruyi Jingu Bang, "Expand, Ruyi!"

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang slammed Osiris straight into the ground. Sun Wukong held the staff in one hand while bending over. He then began coughing explosively.

    Su-hyeun was concerned about Sun Wukong''s condition, so he hurriedly approached his Third Brother, "Are you alright?"

    "Seriously now. That guy is super strong," Sun Wukong managed to answer before coughing some more.

    Su-hyeun agreed with Sun Wukong''s assessment and nodded.

    Up until now, he had never seen Sun Wukong lose to someone in terms of pure physical strength. Sure, he might lack a bit in the "techniques" department, but Sun Wukong never lost to anyone in strength or hand grip. This fact remained true from the very first moment they met until now.

    One only had to look at how he easily wielded that heavy Ruyi Jingu Bang as if it didn''t weigh anything. The staff was so heavy that one wouldn''t even need separate strength training since lugging it around would do the job for you anyway.

    "The Third Brother did lower his guard just now. Still, someone like him got suppressed by only one hand," Su-hyeun thought.

    It could only mean that Osiris''s grip strength was truly extraordinary. To make matters worse, he wasn''t even specialized in physical combat like Sun Wukong.

    According to the illusory recreation performed by Buddha, Osiris was more like a magician.

    "Whether it''s the physical or magical combat, I mustn''t let my guard down."

    Although everything happened very quickly, Su-hyeun still learned a few things just now. Besides, Sun Wukong also managed to land an attack on Osiris.

    "Maybe it''ll be better to leave it to Third Brother," Su-hyeun thought.

    "I can''t do it," Sun Wukong suddenly held up both of his hands.

    Now that was an unexpected response.

    Until only a second ago, he had been baring his murderous intent at Osiris, the culprit responsible for tormenting Master Subhuti for such a long time. That was why Su-hyeun couldn''t help but feel puzzled by Sun Wukong''s declaration of surrender.

    "Just look at the bastard. He''s totally fine, isn''t he?"

    Only after hearing Sun Wukong out did Su-hyeun shift his gaze over to where Ruyi Jingu Bang''s tip was.

    That was when he finally noticed.

    Creeeeak¡ª

    He saw the figure of Osiris deftly lifting the stupendously heavy Ruyi Jingu Bang with his hands.

    He didn''t seem hurt at all.

    To Su-hyeun''s eyes, it looked like Sun Wukong managed to hurt Osiris somehow. However, the one responsible for punching and swinging the staff, Sun Wukong, didn''t feel any of his attacks connecting.

    Even so...

    "But only for that reason?" Su-hyeun still couldn''t believe that Sun Wukong was ready to give up because of such a reason.

    There had to be another reason.

    "Is it because of me?"

    "Well, I thought you two have something to discuss."

    "You thought I did?"

    "No, not like that." Sun Wukong shrunk Ruyi Jingu Bang, then stared at Osiris, "That guy has something to say to you, I think."

    "Hmm..." Su-hyeun quietly looked around.

    The ocean of Predators had stopped moving altogether.

    No matter how many were chopped apart and burned to ashes, they still madly rushed at the trio. Only one existence present today could be capable of stopping all these Predators.

    "Does he really want to talk?" Su-hyeun pondered.

    Initially, Su-hyeun thought that Osiris was simply enjoying the current situation. Also, maybe he was trying to waste time for some reason.

    But for the time being, at least, Osiris did not emit any hostility. When he grabbed Sun Wukong''s throat from behind, he could''ve easily landed a grievous wound, yet he chose not to.

    All this, just to talk with Su-hyeun?

    "So, do you finally feel the urge to have a chat?" Osiris asked while lightly dusting his clothes.

    He then gently floated in the air and hovered closer to Su-hyeun''s position.

    They maintained a suitable distance. The ocean of Predators coming to a complete stop forced Thor to stop ungainly as well. He walked up to Su-hyeun and muttered, "I don''t understand what is going on here."

    The battle had entered a temporary lull.

    Sun Wukong sat cross-legged on a cloud. While Thor was panting heavily to recover from his fatigue, Miru continued to let out a threatening growl in Osiris''s direction.

    Clack¡ª

    Su-hyeun sheathed his sword, then crossed his arms in front of his chest while staring silently at Osiris. As if he was trying to say, "Start talking, then."

    When he did...

    "It''s kind of awkward in the current situation, so..."

    Shu-aaaah¡ª

    Black smoke rose in the surroundings.

    "Looks like we require a suitable stage."

    The black smoke spread around with Osiris and Su-hyeun as its center. Sun Wukong was about to shoot up from his spot at Osiris''s sudden suspicious behavior, but Su-hyeun simply glanced back to him, "It''ll be alright, Third Brother."

    Sun Wukong hesitated slightly. For a brief moment there, all sorts of dilemmas could be spied on his face. Soon afterward, he settled back down and muttered softly, "I believe in you, little bro."

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    The surrounding scenery changed. Now they were inside a space so dark that the walls here must''ve been painted in black ink.

    The only objects with any color in this space were Su-hyeun, who was standing in front of the green-haired Osiris, and Osiris himself in his smart black business suit.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly scanned this space. He found it somewhat familiar.

    "It''s the Dark World."

    From a long time ago, he learned a lot about this space. In here, the thoughts of the user would become "reality."

    Thomas was well known for using this skill. It had no limitation on how it could be used. Out of all the skills Su-hyeun knew, it was excellent enough to be ranked within the top 10.

    However, Osiris activated such a skill as if it was nothing to him and with the level of proficiency that Thomas could never even hope to compare.

    "Master Subhuti and the other gods probably created skills. Does that mean the Dark World is a copy of Osiris''s technique?"

    Still, what a relief this was.

    Since he knew about the Dark World, he knew how to break through this space if the need arose.

    Without that knowledge, he would have found relaxedly chatting like this pretty much impossible.

    "In here should be perfect for us two to chat for a while. Don''t you agree?" Osiris approached much closer to Su-hyeun. In fact, he was close enough to touch the other party by reaching out.

    However, Su-hyeun still did not raise his guard. Both of them were unarmed, and they were not displaying any hostility, at least for the time being.

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    A flashy, gorgeous chair with dragon engravings materialized where Osiris stood.

    He settled down on the golden chair. Another copy of the same chair appeared behind Su-hyeun, so he sat down, too.

    And so, the two of them sat close enough to be in a touching distance and began their discussion.

    "Okay, so? What do you want to talk about?" Su-hyeun leaned back and crossed his legs.

    Osiris pondered something for a while. He was the one asking for a chat, but now that the stage had been set, it looked like he didn''t have anything to say in particular.

    After a bit of waiting, no reply came his way, causing Su-hyeun to furrow his brow.

    Osiris watched the frown appear on Su-hyeun''s face before finally opening his mouth, "I''m not sure where to even begin¡ª"

    "If you have nothing to say, then I''ll take it that you are merely trying to waste my time," Su-hyeun curtly retorted and was about to get up, but then...

    "The current you, which side are you?"

    Su-hyeun''s movement came to a halt at Osiris''s question. He stared silently at the Predator.

    Which side was he?

    It wasn''t easy to decipher the true meaning of that question, but what really messed up Su-hyeun''s thoughts were the words that came before it.

    "The current me?" he thought.

    If Osiris knew about Su-hyeun''s Six Paths of Past Lives, then it made some sense he would ask a question like that. If that was indeed the case here, putting aside the question of how Osiris had figured out Su-hyeun''s innate ability, the way he uttered "the current you" sounded too natural. It was as if he had said it before.

    And the moment he heard those words, a certain scene flitted in and out of Su-hyeun''s mind.

    "Which side are you on?"

    It was a similar question, with slightly different wording.

    Without a doubt, that voice belonged to Osiris.

 Chapter 497 - 497

    "Which side are you on?"

    The voice repeating itself came from right next to Su-hyeun.

    He was jolted wide awake, and when he turned his head, Osiris was sitting right next to him.

    "What''s wrong? Why are you so taken aback like this?" Osiris lightly patted Su-hyeun''s shoulder as if to say, "What''s gotten into you?"

    Su-hyeun flinched, thinking that he was being attacked. However, that state didn''t last for long as he sensed that something was not quite right here.

    "Is this an illusion?" he thought.

    They were currently inside a fairly spacious living room. A vigorous fire burned inside an old-style fireplace while the sun had set outside to herald the night.

    This place was completely different from the space he was in a moment ago.

    The Dark World possessed several functionalities. You could submerge someone trapped inside the space in pure darkness and kill them or show them various illusions.

    This was an illusion, and the "Osiris" before his eyes was not the real deal.

    By realizing this fact, Su-hyeun met all the requisite conditions needed to break out of the illusion.

    However, he pondered, "Even then, something about this is a bit..."

    The "Osiris" before him didn''t come across as a stranger.

    This version felt quite a lot different from the "real" Osiris. Not only did "he" seem a bit younger, but the light in his eyes was not the same as well.

    As a matter of fact, he seemed so much more innocent and pure.

    Not only did Osiris lack sharpness, but he seemed softer and kinder, too. His expression when he asked that question seemed pure. That face came across as an utterly beautiful sculpture, although it belonged to a man, so much so that it could make one mistakenly think that Osiris was sparkling brightly right now.

    "What did you say?"

    "I said, which side are you on?" Osiris repeated his question.

    That was right. That was what he asked, didn''t he?

    Not just this Osiris, but even Osiris who materialized the Dark World had also asked that question.

    However, what did they mean by which side was he on?

    Su-hyeun''s head began aching. The pain was coming from somewhere quite deep.

    He had no choice but to ask for that question to be repeated.

    Osiris sighed at Su-hyeun''s request for an in-depth explanation, "Fine. Listen well. In this world, there are only good and evil. Those two. So, when push comes to shove, and you can only make one choice between the universe ending or letting it continue forever, which side will you choose and fight for?"

    Su-hyeun made a flabbergasted face at that question.

    Did that even qualify as a question, anyway?

    The answer was obviously¡ª

    "A universe like this? It''s better for it to be destroyed."

    A completely different answer to what he was thinking about jumped out of his mouth.

    Su-hyeun frowned deeply while thinking about the reason. His lips moved on their own and made that reply, but this wasn''t what he wanted to say.

    He turned his head and stared at the nearest window. The darkness of the night on the other side of the glass met with the flames burning in the fireplace, turning the window into a mirror.

    Su-hyeun got to see his current face through it.

    "Who is this?" he thought.

    The man in the reflection had red hair, a stark contrast with Osiris''s green locks.

    His eyes were black, and unlike Osiris, his face was rather angular and sharp. There was unmistakable venom in his eyes, his expression seemingly angry about something.

    Osiris made a face that said, "I knew it," at Su-hyeun''s reply. "Set, I think you should take it easy for a bit longer."

    He then got up from his chair.

    However, Su-hyeun couldn''t get up. He wanted to stop Osiris and ask for more, but the Dark World denied it.

    Would it be better to shatter the illusion at this point? He pondered this, but his heart didn''t want to, unlike his head.

    He was pretty familiar with this moment¡ªthis event.

    "I know you''re having a tough time, but I''d like you not to hate the world to this degree."

    Shu-wuwu...

    Osiris left behind those words and vanished from the spot.

    An opaque green barrier was cast around the house Su-hyeun was in. It was the same type of "wall" placed outside Odin''s temple, designed to prevent whatever trapped inside from escaping.

    "Hah..."

    Creak¡ª

    When he buried himself even deeper into the rocking chair, it let out creaks and groans while rocking back and forth.

    No firewood was inside the fireplace, yet the fire burned so well. What Osiris said just now continued to circle in his mind.

    "He''d like me not to hate the world?"

    To think that none other than Osiris said those words. The one who wanted to destroy the universe and bring down Yggdrasil in the process actually said that.

    "So that''s what you were like in the past?"

    This Osiris was utterly different from the one Su-hyeun knew.

    The inside of his mind became even more complicated.

    If this were any other time, he would think of all this as nothing but an illusion and brush it aside with a mocking chuckle.

    However, he couldn''t do that this time.

    "Set. Set, was it?"

    He could recall that name. He could not not know it, after all.

    "I did live a past life with a name like that, didn''t I?"

    That person was from Su-hyeun''s very first life.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun stepped outside the house.

    His thoughts remained complicated. It certainly had been a long time since he felt this tired, his head aching from simply thinking too much.

    Without a doubt, that man, Set, was from his past life.

    Set hated the world and wished for it to end. He held the same belief as Cheon Mu-jin and thus belonged to the side of perfect "evil."

    As such, Su-hyeun didn''t feel much disharmony at this revelation. He had already experienced multiple past lives similar to that one before and could recall all the associated memories, after all.

    That didn''t mean he could remember all of his past lives, however. The older the memories were, the slower and harder it was for him to recall them. Unsurprisingly, he only got to recall Set''s life quite belatedly.

    No, wait¡ªmaybe he would''ve never remembered it if it weren''t for Osiris.

    There was only one reason he remembered it sooner than the "schedule" dictated: because Osiris deliberately jolted Su-hyeun''s memories awake.

    "But so what? What were you planning to do with this?" Su-hyeun asked while raising his head.

    After materializing this Dark World, Osiris should most likely be watching the proceedings somewhere. Meaning he should be able to hear what Su-hyeun was saying right now.

    "Because I used to think this way, are you trying to change my mind with it?"

    His accusatory question caused the surrounding scenery to waver and distort.

    The "wallpapers" turned into blank papers before new images were painted on them. The new images were also from Set''s memories.

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Su-hyeun was holding a blade in hand.

    Blood dripped from the blade''s edge to pool on the floor. He couldn''t tell whose blood this was.

    The numerous corpses around him made it impossible to do so.

    "This is also from my memories."

    This scene eerily reminded him of Cheon Mu-jin''s memories. That man also bathed Murim in blood and, with the company of devil-like villains, slaughtered countless people.

    The current scene was the result of Set''s actions. In other words, Su-hyeun himself.

    Crunch¡ª!

    "Keuhk..."

    Right at that moment, Osiris descended from above and stomped Su-hyeun down to the ground.

    One of his arms was grabbed and twisted while the stomping foot pressed down even harder to make sure Su-hyeun couldn''t move. He didn''t try to escape, however, and simply waited for Osiris to say something.

    You''ve done it again, Set.

    "You''ve done it again, Set!"

    As expected.

    Su-hyeun could recall every word he said now.

    Even the retort "Su-hyeun" had made afterward, too. "After I did all this... Can you still ''understand'' me?"

    Osiris faltered for a moment when Su-hyeun said that.

    A warm drop of liquid fell on top of Su-hyeun''s head. It was Osiris''s tear.

    Among the victims cut down, ripped apart, and slaughtered by Set''s blade¡ªamong all these people Set had murdered¡ªwere the members of Osiris''s family.

    Set had murdered every single one of them with his own hands.

    "That''s right." Despite that, Osiris replied, "I do understand where you''re coming from, Set."

    "..."

    "Because in the world you speak of, my family and I would also be a part of it," Osiris said those words as he plopped down on the ground.

    He did say he understood, but that was only because he was trying very hard to understand. Honestly speaking, he was greatly affected by the deaths of his loved ones.

    Su-hyeun, or Set in this case, stared at Osiris on the ground.

    He remembered it now.

    He remembered his emotions while witnessing his oldest friend wail in grief and sorrow.

    * * *

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun turned around and walked away from Osiris.

    He was trying to get away from here. It felt like he might end up doing something terrible if he remained.

    When he closed his eyes, the scenes from moments ago quickly filled up his mind.

    "I was trying to kill him."

    Squeeze...

    He gripped the sword in his hand even tighter.

    That sword had been pointing at Osiris as he sobbed on the ground just now.

    For a moment there, "Set" hesitated.

    That was his last chance.

    Osiris was always better than Set in every way. Not even once had Set bested Osiris in anything, and the latter had no choice but to imprison the former who grew to resent the world.

    This incident was the first thing Set had done after breaking through the seal meant to trap him.

    And then, Set was that close to killing Osiris, who was trying to forgive his former friend for murdering his family.

    "Dammit," Su-hyeun rubbed his face with his empty hand.

    Whether it was the current Su-hyeun or Set from the past, him trying to kill Osiris remained the same.

    They were the same people, and what they wanted to do wasn''t that different, either.

    The real difference here, however, was the reason behind the action. Su-hyeun suddenly felt disgusted and greatly disappointed at himself.

    "Same as back then, is that it?"

    Out of all the past lives Su-hyeun could recall, Cheon Mu-jin was the worst villain of them all. He, too, greatly resented the world.

    This emotion felt the same as when Su-hyeun remembered the lives of all those villains. Whenever he started wondering about living through those kinds of past lives, he would tell himself this over and over again: that the current him was Su-hyeun, not those bastards.

    "So what?" Su-hyeun raised his head again and asked, "I used to be someone like that, so I shouldn''t interfere with whatever you want to do now? Is that it?"

    Technically speaking, what Osiris was doing right now was quite similar to what Set desired to do in the past.

    Set hated the world and wished to destroy it.

    The current Osiris was doing all this for the sake of destroying the universe. For this purpose, he began following Shiva and took over many hells as his own.

    He became a Predator and even reached the lofty position of one of the Three Destroyers.

    The surrounding scenery changed once more. This time, it reflected something even more ancient.

    A young girl no more than six, maybe seven years old, was bleeding profusely in Su-hyeun''s arms.

    "Ah..."

    He remembered it now.

    He remembered why he, Set, hated the world so much.

    He was urgently looking around before crying out, "Please! Anyone, please save my daughter!"

    Su-hyeun was also crying out those words.

    Many people walked past him, but no one bothered to stop and help.

    Time more precious than gold continued to tick by one second, one minute. It was moving too fast. Meanwhile, Set''s daughter in Su-hyeun''s arms grew colder and colder.

    Goddammit!

    Even knowing that this was an illusion, an expletive leaped out of his mouth all on its own.

    He couldn''t even think about breaking out of this illusion. He didn''t care whether this was real or not; he just wanted someone, anyone, to come and help his daughter.

    Clack, clack¡ª

    A high and mighty noble rode past him in a carriage. Someone like that should have been able to help his daughter. A capable magician should be accompanying such a noble, after all.

    "You dare! How dare a lowborn such as yourself block the path of a noble personage!"

    Set had heard those very same words way too many times, making him feel sick to his stomach.

    Rage boiled within his heart almost instantly.

    That was the first time he felt the urge to kill another human being. He wanted to rip those bastards apart right at that moment, but the time needed to do that was just too precious.

    Someone was bound to help him, whether a magician or a healer. That was what he thought, but...

    "Why hasn''t anyone...?"

    "Why hasn''t anyone...?"

    No one helped him.

    In the end, his daughter died.

    He remained still in the same spot, not knowing what to do. He just sat there, dazed and lost.

    The passersby stared at Set oddly.

    "It''s this bastard again?"

    Someone suddenly addressed him, so Set turned his head. It was the servant of the noble who said Set was a lowborn earlier.

    Smack¡ª!

    Plop¡ª

    Normally, he wouldn''t have budged from a measly little kick like this one. Yet, he still fell to his side. He had no energy left in his body. He didn''t want to rouse up any strength anymore.

    "Didn''t I tell you to get out of the way already?!" the noble''s servant yelled angrily and began moving again.

    "Dirty trash."

    Ptooi¡ª

    The noble riding on the carriage spat out of the window.

    Grit¡ª

    The murderous anger bubbling in Set''s heart exploded, and right there and then, he lost it.

    And then...

    Slice¡ª

    Along with the carriage, he sliced apart not just the noble but also the servant in one fell swoop.

 Chapter 498 - 498

    "Uwaaaah¡ª!"

    He roared and began cutting down every single person his eyes could see.

    "Kkyaaaahk¡ª!"

    "T¡ªthat man, he¡ª!"

    "P¡ªplease, spare me!"

    Their screams resounded everywhere, but he didn''t listen.

    He switched off his hearing and kept wielding his sword. He thought this was the most appropriate and correct thing to do whenever he sensed the corpse of his daughter in his arm.

    Just like that, an entire village was wiped off the map. On the day he committed his first murder, he must have killed a few thousand.

    Time passed, and...

    Step, step¡ª

    Osiris walked up to Set. The latter raised his head and stared at his former friend.

    The same thought popped up in Set''s mind.

    What about you? Just what have you been doing?

    "Set, what is the meaning of¡ª?!"

    Set replied to the shocked Osiris, "No one helped me."

    Only then did Osiris discover the lifeless body of a little girl in Set''s arm.

    Osiris was an intelligent man. That was why he managed to master all sorts of magic and sorcery. That was also why people treated him as a deity who protected them.

    Was that why? Osiris quickly figured out just what had transpired in this place.

    "You''re also the same, Osiris."

    On that day, Set had transformed into a complete villain.

    A deity who protected his homeworld alongside Osiris as a hidden blade changed into the most heinous evil god after that fateful day.

    Osiris was the one who had imprisoned Set inside a house, reasoning that a creature who attacked and killed every person he saw could not be allowed to roam free anymore.

    * * *

    The background changed back to the inside of the house.

    Su-hyeun''s dazed feeling didn''t last long.

    It hadn''t been that long, either; the scenery displayed by the Dark World flipped past his eyes like stills from a movie. If he calculated all the time he spent here, it would be around two hours.

    Su-hyeun finally regained his wits.

    "Hah," a long groan left his lips.

    His thoughts had never been this complicated and messed up in his entire life.

    Now that he had reached this far, only one thing remained.

    Su-hyeun''s face reflected on the window had reverted to his own, not Set''s.

    Set was now in front of Su-hyeun''s eyes. As if this was a melodramatic scene from a cheap movie, large teardrops were falling from Set''s eyes as he stabbed into Osiris''s back.

    "Kuh..."

    Osiris was stabbed right through his abdomen, his waist half severed now. He limply collapsed on the floor. Up until this moment, he managed to imprison Set for several hundreds of years, but now...

    "Set..."

    "Are you still going to forgive me after this?"

    Set had murdered Osiris''s family, and now, he even stabbed the latter on the back, too.

    He had been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time.

    He acted as if everything was fine with him. He laughed and conversed with Osiris. They had meals together and chatted about the matters of the mundane world.

    One time, Osiris even brought along a little girl who resembled Set''s daughter, letting the latter see her smiling face.

    "You... Didn''t you... forget... every... thing?"

    "No, I only pretended to so that I could kill you and escape from here¡ªso that I can kill everything."

    Set''s madness-filled eyes shed tears for the first time in years. Those tears were meant for Osiris, his longtime friend.

    "That''s why, my friend, do not try to stop me anymore. Harboring thoughts of your demise after all this time has greatly exhausted me," Set muttered before raising his sword once more. "This will be our final goodbye, my friend."

    Splash¡ª!

    He hacked down on Osiris''s figure.

    Step, step¡ª

    Then, Set left the house.

    Just like what Cheon Mu-jin had done, Set slaughtered every single person he could see. A world without Osiris had no one to stop Set''s murderous rampage.

    Yes, that was what had transpired, yet...

    "How are you still alive?" Su-hyeun muttered, prompting Osiris to appear before him.

    This version of the green-haired man had much sharper eyes, his handsome face making a sly but affable expression.

    It was the real Osiris, not the one generated by the Dark World.

    Su-hyeun asked, "Did you revive yourself after dying?"

    "No, I never died," Osiris replied. He then generated a new chair and settled down on it, resting his chin on his hand after propping his arm on the armrest.

    This Osiris felt like the polar opposite of the "Osiris" from the ancient past that Su-hyeun and Set knew. The face might be the same, but with the light in his eyes when he made that expression, he might as well be a completely different person.

    Then again, that made sense.

    Too much time had passed since those days. The duration of time Set had been away from Osiris was much, much longer than the duration of time they''ve known each other.

    "What happened, then?"

    "What you killed wasn''t the real me."

    "I see. It makes sense; you wouldn''t have died that easily by my hands."

    For hundreds of years, Set put on an act and bid his time. He thought he succeeded in killing Osiris.

    But after ridding himself of the madness and thinking about it calmly, he realized that Osiris was not a weakling who would die that easily.

    "Did you fake your death?"

    "That''s right."

    "In that case, why didn''t you try to stop me?"

    When Su-hyeun asked that, Osiris''s lips distorted into a grin, "Finally. You called yourself ''me'' just now."

    "..."

    "It''s now ancient history. Still, I should answer you regardless. It was because I, too, agreed with your opinion."

    "My opinion, you say?"

    "Yes. A world like this? It''s better to destroy it. No, wait¡ªit must be destroyed, for sure."

    Madness burned within Osiris''s eyes.

    Su-hyeun had seen those eyes before¡ªonly a few moments ago.

    "Exactly the same as Set''s eyes," he thought.

    The two of them, who used to be friends in the ancient past, met again today, but they still had different eyes from each other.

    Su-hyeun had the eyes that the Osiris from the ancient times used to have, while the Osiris of now had Set''s eyes from the past.

    "What I''m trying to do now is what you tried to achieve in the past. This universe needs to be cleansed, overturned at least once. A universe that began on the wrong foot has no hope or future left."

    "Hah..."

    What Osiris said felt all too familiar to Su-hyeun. That was because, in his first life, he used to say the same thing over and over again as Set.

    Just what made Osiris change this much?

    Could it be that Set''s words managed to change his heart? If that was not it, maybe something else happened to him? Could it be an event Su-hyeun wasn''t aware of?

    His thoughts became even more muddled now.

    Su-hyeun held his aching head in one hand, but seeing this, Osiris began chuckling once more, "You''ve finally returned, my friend."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Your eyes right now. It''s very similar to the eyes of my old friend, you see. Your face is different, but there''s no mistaking it; you''re similar."

    Shu-wuwuwu...

    The surrounding scenery began changing once more. The space generated by the Dark World was dissipating.

    The outside world was gradually revealing itself. The Dark World came undone completely, and the real Osiris stood before him, all alone. "Don''t worry. I''ll give you plenty of time to ponder this. Which side do you really belong to? Take your time and think about it."

    Shu-su-su-su...

    Then, even Osiris vanished from the spot along with his Dark World.

    Su-hyeun dazedly scanned his surroundings.

    All those countless Predators had vanished without a trace, just like Osiris.

    It was the same story for the passageways in the air connected to one thousand hells, too. Those passageways were gone, and the path toward Yggdrasil''s roots was wide open now.

    "¡ªro! Little bro!"

    Sun Wukong''s voice registered in Su-hyeun''s brain a beat later.

    Su-hyeun was jolted awake, and he turned his head. He discovered Sun Wukong gripping his shoulder, a worried expression on the latter''s face. Now that was an uncommon expression.

    "Ow..."

    Squeeze¡ª!

    Su-hyeun frowned a little at the hand gripping his shoulder. "That hurts, Third Brother."

    "You alright?"

    "Sorry?"

    What did he mean by that?

    Su-hyeun wasn''t hurt anywhere. Never mind a fatal injury, but he didn''t even have a single scratch on him.

    That made sense since Su-hyeun didn''t fight Osiris just then.

    No doubt the battle against him would''ve been very challenging, with the odds of defeat being far greater than the odds of victory. Even then, Osiris didn''t even touch a single hair on Su-hyeun.

    That was why Su-hyeun stared at Sun Wukong, his expression saying, "Why are you asking me that?"

    But what worried Sun Wukong wasn''t Su-hyeun''s health. "Your expression, dude. You are super scary right now."

    "My expression?"

    Crackle, crack¡ª

    While asking back, Su-hyeun quickly generated a mirror made out of ice.

    He then looked at the reflection of his face. The face seemed pretty much the same as the usual Kim Su-hyeun''s, but Set''s face had overlapped it somehow.

    He gasped in shock. Only then did his face revert to normal.

    He began to think, "My expression, it''s..."

    It was as Sun Wukong said. Those eyes looked truly terrifying and savage. Set''s expression filled with hatred of the world and murderous urges covered Su-hyeun''s face like some mask.

    "You sure you''re alright?"

    Sun Wukong''s concerns were well-founded.

    The expression Su-hyeun was making only a moment ago was so bad that the same person couldn''t have made it. He did regain his wits immediately, but the real issue here was that he displayed such a response in the first place, albeit only briefly.

    What was even more worrisome was that he made that face after Osiris had already left the scene.

    Sun Wukong had no idea what happened to Su-hyeun inside the Dark World.

    "I''m alright now, Third Brother. Besides all that, did all of them retreat?"

    "Yeah. They just went back. That punk, Osiris, must''ve given them the order," said Sun Wukong.

    Thor walked up to the duo and belatedly added his two cents, "I don''t know what he''s scheming right now, but our priority is still with securing Yggdrasil''s roots. We do not know if he did all this just to start yet another nefarious scheme when we reach the roots."

    Sun Wukong nodded at Thor''s opinion, but Su-hyeun thought differently.

    All of this was to start another nefarious scheme?

    "Of course not," Su-hyeun thought.

    These Predators had no real reason to scheme behind the trio''s backs. At least, when Osiris was still their leader, that is.

    Not only the changes to the battlefield''s locations wouldn''t make any difference whatsoever, but Su-hyeun already knew the reason for their retreat.

    "He said he''ll give me enough time to ponder, didn''t he?"

    "Time to ponder"¡ªSu-hyeun felt that he could figure out the real meaning behind those words.

    In all honesty, Su-hyeun couldn''t readily choose which side he was on right now. He did live many lives similar to Cheon Mu-jin or Jang Chun, the Crimson Hill Staff, who hated and resented the world. However, at the same time, he believed that their lives didn''t affect his current life all much.

    But now, his beliefs were being distorted.

    "Little bro," Sun Wukong spoke up, breaking Su-hyeun out of his thoughts as he was about to get lost in them once more.

    Su-hyeun shook his head, "For now, let''s just go and take a look first."

    Yes, thinking can come later.

    Su-hyeun decided to deal with why he came here in the first place for the time being. He thought they should stick to the original plan and secure Yggdrasil''s roots with utmost priority.

    * * *

    When they jumped down a tall cliff, a truly mysterious scene greeted them.

    No, wait¡ªrather than "mysterious," it was far closer to being dream-like instead. As if the ground and the sky had been flipped around, another sky existed below the foot of the cliff.

    "Wow," Sun Wukong let out a quiet little gasp at this scene.

    As for the "roots," they weren''t buried in the ground but were jutting up to the air. They looked a lot different from the tree roots Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong were familiar with.

    "This is this the root?"

    "Yes, one of the roots, to be precise," said Thor.

    There was a brown-colored "tree" in front of them.

    This "root" looked more like a wooden pillar rising high into the heavens. It must have been around the same size as the trunk of the massive World Tree Su-hyeun saw not too long ago.

    But to think that this was merely one of the roots...

    Thor continued, "Even this is just a small part of the root, but the only place directly connected to Yggdrasil''s roots is right here, in the depth of Asgard."

    "Does that mean the Predators were planning to destroy Yggdrasil''s roots from here?"

    "Yes. All roots are connected as one, after all. This root is connected to the trunk of Yggdrasil, which in turn, is connected to various worlds. Just like how a tree cannot survive without its roots, Yggdrasil will collapse if its roots are eliminated."

    According to Thor, something truly terrible almost happened today.

    The ends of Yggdrasil''s root were substantially charred by now. It was unknown how it had evolved, but it seemed to have the ability to put out the fire all by itself. Still, damage on that scale caused many fissures and rifts to appear in various worlds.

    Su-hyeun thought to himself, "Just eliminating one root might cause half of the worlds to be destroyed."

    Osiris''s plan almost succeeded. What a relief it was that he chose to retreat.

    "A relief, huh?" Su-hyeun could only smile bitterly.

    For some reason, this didn''t entirely feel good to him. Just as he felt relieved, he also felt rueful.

    Still, the sense of relief was greater, so that was good, wasn''t it?

    That was what he thought as he tried to calm his tangled-up mind, his eyes taking on the sight of Yggdrasil''s root. But then...

    Writhe¡ª

    Yggdrasil''s root suddenly moved.

 Chapter 499 - 499

    "Wait a second. That thing moved just now, right?"

    "Yggdrasil''s root is moving?"

    Sun Wukong pointed at the "tree" while saying he definitely saw something. Thor replied that it was simply impossible, his eyes wide open in shock.

    Was that something to be so shocked about, though?

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong stared at Thor.

    When the two stared at him with eyes clearly asking, "Why are you so surprised?" Thor regained his wits somewhat and clarified himself, "Yggdrasil will move only when it''s about to give birth to a seed of another World Tree. But to think that it''s about to create a new seed in a situation like this one..."

    "Well, it moved, alright."

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    The root began moving again.

    This time, it wasn''t a faint little movement like before. Unless you were blind, you would definitely see it.

    The root was rising from below. No, wait¡ªsince the sky and the ground were reversed at the foot of the cliff, it would be the same as the root descending lower instead.

    Whatever the case might be, the root approached Su-hyeun, Sun Wukong, and Thor.

    Crack, craaaack¡ª

    A person''s silhouette made out of wood rose from the center of the root.

    Su-hyeun had seen that figure before. Back when he saved a much smaller World Tree only a "few" years old, another World Tree claiming to be its mother appeared.

    Sure enough...

    "We meet again," Su-hyeun spoke after confirming that this one and that figure were the same beings.

    The World Tree, Yggdrasil, assumed the wooden figure of a beautiful woman and opened her eyes to stare at Su-hyeun.

    "Yes," She replied with a truly radiant smile, something she hadn''t displayed the last time they met. "It''s been a long time."

    Despite assuming the figure of unparalleled beauty, her complexion seemed noticeably paler than before.

    The damage suffered by the root was worse than expected, it seemed.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly stared at her beautiful countenance. That face was easily the most beautiful he had ever seen, including the Goddess of Beauty herself, Aphrodite.

    "So, that was Yggdrasil all along," Su-hyeun thought.

    This was not their first meeting. But back then, he thought of "her" as merely another World Tree and not the biggest tree there was, otherwise known as Yggdrasil.

    Su-hyeun got a seed of a World Tree from "her" and had it implanted in his body.

    He had to do "missions" on the world created by the young World Tree to reach that point. That was when he began questioning the nature of Yggdrasil. Was its true nature good or evil?

    "Honestly speaking, the existence called the World Tree is neither good nor evil, isn''t it?"

    Technically, the World Trees should be considered "neutral."

    For the sake of the universe''s continued existence, they needed to be protected. Other than that, one should not think of their intentions as only pure and good.

    As such, they were beings that Su-hyeun needed to be most wary of. They could easily become "evil," pretending to be good, but at the same time, they could never become a true enemy that needed to be defeated, either.

    "First of all, I''d like to offer my gratitude. Thanks to your efforts, I managed to survive. Without you, my root would have burned down in its entirety."

    "We only did what we obviously had to do, ma''am," Thor replied while kneeling before Yggdrasil.

    He would never kneel before anyone, not even to his father Odin, but Yggdrasil was the exception.

    This being was Asgard, and the entirety of God Realm, itself. No, more than that, even the whole universe. The meaning of Asgard''s existence was tied to Yggdrasil, which meant the World Tree was basically the deity of Asgard.

    Unfortunately for Thor, Yggdrasil''s attention was not on him. She continued to stare at Su-hyeun, "Good sir, what will be your decision?"

    She asked the same question that Osiris also asked.

    Su-hyeun''s heart shook for a moment. He then shook his head, "I''m still not sure yet."

    "Is that so?" Yggdrasil made a rueful face.

    But that wasn''t so surprising.

    Now that both Osiris and Shiva had begun making their moves, Su-hyeun was basically the best shield available to her right now.

    But right at that moment...

    "You better stop your bullsh*t right now."

    Su-hyeun''s seething voice was transmitted to Yggdrasil''s hearing.

    She flinched in surprise and looked back at him. Her expression remained the same as before, with a warm smile, but the voice entering her hearing was a polar opposite.

    "Relax. Don''t make a surprised face. Or a scared one."

    Su-hyeun''s voice continued, and Yggdrasil''s expression reverted to how she used to be.

    Her complexion remained pale, but she didn''t get scared or flustered, as expected of her.

    Su-hyeun thought of that even during their first encounter, but she certainly was a brilliant actress, wasn''t she?

    "Why are you saying this, good sir?"

    "If you persist with your bullsh*t, then I might end up choosing the other side instead."

    "But what do you mean by my bullsh¡ª"

    "Weren''t you trying to do something with the seed planted in my body just now?"

    When Su-hyeun brought that up, Yggdrasil stopped replying altogether as if she had nothing to say.

    Su-hyeun observed that reaction, then shifted his gaze over to Sun Wukong and Thor, "Can I speak to her alone for a little while?"

    Both Sun Wukong and Thor made puzzled faces at that request.

    Why was he suddenly asking them to leave the two of them alone to chat? Thor''s loyalty to Yggdrasil was far too strong, so he decided to step forward to say that such a thing could not be allowed. But then...

    "Please, listen to his request."

    When Yggdrasil also made the same request, Thor swallowed back what he originally wanted to say and simply nodded, "Very well."

    "Take care of it quickly, okay? I wanna head back home soon, so we can get something to eat," said Sun Wukong.

    "Understood, Third Brother."

    Thor turned around and strode gallantly away while Sun Wukong rode on the cloud to float up, his head lazily resting on his hands.

    Now that they were gone, Su-hyeun shifted his gaze back to Yggdrasil once more.

    However, his expression was far more unforgiving than a second ago, "Were you trying to use the seed to take over my body?"

    "That was not my intention, but¡ª"

    "Then, why did you do that just now?" Su-hyeun pointed to where his heart was.

    That was where the seed had been planted.

    When he pointed there, Yggdrasil instantly realized that excuses would not work anymore.

    Therefore, she chose to maintain her silence instead.

    She didn''t make any excuses or movements, either.

    It was impossible to use force against the current Su-hyeun. After all, he was already strong enough to rival the gods of the Five Godly Sages tier.

    Making excuses at this stage would be no different from antagonizing him even further.

    Su-hyeun waited for an answer, but he suddenly walked up to Yggdrasil when one didn''t come.

    Grab¡ª!

    Then, he grabbed her by her throat and lifted her off the ground.

    Su-hyeun watched Yggdrasil struggle as she held onto his hand, her expression pleading with him to be released.

    His eyes began burning murderously in rage. "You try one more crap on me, and I will join the other side without hesitation, you hear me? It looks like you know what happened to me and what kind of person I am. In that case, you should have been more careful."

    "You have changed a lot, good sir."

    "Yes, I have. And that''s why it''s driving me nuts."

    Cruuunch¡ª!

    Su-hyeun broke Yggdrasil''s neck. Her body instantly turned into pieces of wood and clattered to the ground.

    He then turned his head, "I already knew that this seed was supposed to use me as its fertilizer and become a brand-new World Tree. However, I won in the end, and the seed is now in an eternal slumber."

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    He looked toward was where a new body of Yggdrasil had generated.

    She wasn''t dead, of course. Even if he broke her neck or ripped her limbs apart thousands of times, she would not die.

    Unless all of her roots rotted away, burned down, or the whole universe was destroyed, she would live on.

    "Even so, you tried to control me through the seed. Just this once, I''m willing to let it go since the seed has been helpful to me. But the second time? I wonder what will happen."

    "It seems that I have made a mistake."

    "Yes, you have. A terrible mistake."

    Step, step¡ª

    Su-hyeun turned around and walked over to the root, not her wooden body.

    Yggdrasil''s expression instantly changed. She asked him in an urgent voice, "What¡ªwhat are you trying to¡ª?"

    "Take a good look."

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s fingers transformed into intense flames. When he slowly moved his hand, the flames morphed into the shape of a crimson dragon.

    "N¡ªno, you mustn''t¡ª!"

    "This is what awaits you in the future."

    Su-hyeun ignored Yggdrasil''s scared voice and waved his hand. When he did...

    Khaaaaah¡ª!

    Ruuuuumble¡ª!

    The crimson dragon made of condensed crimson flames rapidly flew toward Yggdrasil''s root.

    Roooooar¡ª!

    Rumble, crackle¡ª!

    An explosion went off, causing the red flames to envelop the entire root.

    The flames spread in the blink of an eye. These flames seemed to treat the "tree" as their fuel and raged on like some wildfire.

    Yggdrasil could only stare in utter stupefaction at this spectacle from far away. Her eyes trembled greatly as the flames billowed.

    It didn''t hurt, even though the root was clearly on fire, and even though she should be writhing in agony right now, she didn''t.

    There could be only one reason for that.

    "This could be your future."

    It was all because Su-hyeun controlled the power output to ensure the root would not burn down.

    His divine Flame was a mysterious power that only burned the opponents he chose.

    No matter how intense the flames were, they would not harm Yggdrasil as long as Su-hyeun didn''t will it.

    But it was another story when one flipped that around.

    "Indeed, you have changed a lot, good sir."

    Right at this very moment, Yggdrasil''s root would go up in flames if that was what Su-hyeun wanted.

    He wanted to demonstrate this fact to her, which was why he created this scene.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    The flames vanished in an instant. They were sucked back into his palm.

    He addressed her while not even looking back at her, "Now you know, so you should not provoke me anymore."

    Yggdrasil didn''t say anything, but that was already enough of an answer.

    He walked right past her. As the distance between them grew, he addressed her one last time in a voice soft enough that she would have almost missed it, "I pray that you are someone worthy of protecting."

    * * *

    Su-hyeun made his way back to Asgard.

    The city''s devastation was so extensive that rebuilding it seemed pretty difficult. Even if he wanted to search for survivors, there weren''t many, to begin with.

    Of course, that didn''t mean there were none.

    Thor managed to locate Asgard''s survivors one by one. Since Sun Wukong could perform the cloning technique, he also lent a hand. Although, technically speaking, it wasn''t just one hand but hundreds of hands instead.

    As for Su-hyeun...

    "Hey, little bro! What are you doing up here?"

    He was lying on the temple roof where Odin fought his last battle to stare at the skies above.

    "What''s up with all this daydreaming?" Sun Wukong asked.

    "You know, just¡ªI had a few things to think about."

    "What kinda things?" Sun Wukong took a seat next to Su-hyeun. He glanced at Su-hyeun lying on his back. "You know, you''ve suddenly changed."

    "Really?"

    "Yeah. Did you finally find out some things you were supposed to know? What happened with that bastard, anyway?"

    Su-hyeun chuckled at what Sun Wukong said.

    Even though he didn''t explain in detail what happened with Osiris, Sun Wukong spoke as if he already knew everything.

    He certainly knew Su-hyeun better than anyone. If Sun Wukong weren''t with him right now, Su-hyeun''s thoughts would have become even more tangled up and, eventually, lean to one side.

    "Well, something did happen, alright."

    "Is it kinda difficult to talk about?"

    "Yes. Kinda..."

    If he could help it, Su-hyeun didn''t want to discuss the matters related to his past life, the one of Set, with anyone.

    Even if they happened to be Sun Wukong or the Bull Demon King, he still felt the same way. This was his problem. He had to decide on his own.

    "Hmm..." Sun Wukong mulled on Su-hyeun''s reply before lying down himself, "Sure, whatever. Do what you think is the best."

    He didn''t seem to have any opinion on Su-hyeun''s response.

    However, Su-hyeun was grateful for that. Sun Wukong must have been curious, but he didn''t try to pry any more than necessary.

    Despite bringing it up first, Su-hyeun didn''t explain further. Sun Wukong decided that there must be a good reason for that.

    "Looks like the weather is improving, Third Brother."

    The sky above was initially dark and filled with gloomy clouds, but the weather was clearing up. Bright light broke through the gaps in the clouds, one ray at a time. The weather had been very gloomy, so the light felt somewhat blinding to their eyes.

    And so, as they wordlessly stared at the clearing sky...

    "What the heck?"

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong''s eyes caught an "object" blocking out the light. Both of them sat up simultaneously without saying anything to each other.

    However, Sun Wukong seemed to recognize what it was.. He muttered while looking up, "Oh, hey! That''s Buddha''s palm."

 Chapter 500 - 500

    Su-hyeun could tell even without being told what that was.

    It was indeed a palm, but it was filled with liver spots and wrinkles. Then, he sensed vast quantities of energy and pressure coming from the palm.

    "Is he coming here personally now that the fissures have stopped appearing?"

    Buddha had been trying to close the fissures in the space caused by Yggdrasil''s root being set on fire. During the process, he could not make a move on his own. However, now that a brief lull in chaos had presented itself, he chose to travel to the God Realm directly.

    "Even so, only showing up after the party''s over, huh?"

    In the eyes of Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong, who had been running around madly as if their feet were on fire, Buddha was nothing but a student who was showing up very late to a class.

    That was all the impression Su-hyeun had at this moment as he watched Buddha''s descending palm. He didn''t think much about why Buddha would show his palm in the first place.

    But then...

    "What''s this? How far is he planning to¡ª?"

    SLAP¡ª!

    "Huh?!"

    Su-hyeun''s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets from the sudden impact landing on top of his body.

    For a moment there, he couldn''t understand what had just happened.

    Boom, ka-boooooom¡ª!

    BANG¡ª!

    His figure was thrown far away before scraping the ground and completely overturning the earth. Su-hyeun now found himself buried rather deeply in the ground. He dazedly stood back up and exited the crater.

    He looked around and saw that his new location was somewhere in the middle of some rubble that used to be an Asgardian building.

    "What the hell¡ª?"

    That was definitely a palm.

    And he just received one hell of a slap from it. Without that explanation, he wouldn''t have flown away from this far.

    The problem was, this was no ordinary slap. He just got hit by a palm so massive that it even momentarily covered the entire sky.

    "What about Third Brother? Is he alright?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Sun Wukong was right next to Su-hyeun, so without a doubt, he too must''ve been swept up in that attack. The power behind the slap was considerable, so Su-hyeun couldn''t help but wonder about where Sun Wukong could have ended up.

    But then...

    "Little bro!"

    Swiiiiiish¡ª

    Sun Wukong riding on the cloud was already searching for Su-hyeun by then. "Heeey! You alright?!"

    "Third Brother?"

    Sun Wukong was unscathed. Not a speck of dust was on him, which was markedly different from Su-hyeun''s condition.

    But they were right next to each other, so the descending palm must''ve...

    "He slapped only me, huh?" A murderous expression suddenly appeared on Su-hyeun''s face as he turned his head.

    Step¡ª

    That was where he saw Buddha trudging closer.

    "Your expression is certainly a sight for sore eyes, young man," Buddha greeted.

    "Sorry, but I''m not nice enough to smile after getting slapped around."

    "And you are also not the type to make that kind of face, either," Buddha replied, resting his hands behind his back.

    Smaaack¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang suddenly flew out and slammed into Buddha''s head. It only looked that way, however.

    The lengthened staff couldn''t reach Buddha''s head. It was stopped midway by his palm, its shaft bending in the center.

    Whoooosh¡ª!

    Bang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong flew forward along the shaft and landed a kick on Buddha''s abdomen.

    A dull noise akin to kicking a lump of metal resounded. Finally, having succeeded in his attack, Sun Wukong flew back and landed on his feet.

    "Are you done venting your anger, Wukong?"

    "Nope, not even close." Sun Wukong made a face he had never made before and then shot a glare in Buddha''s direction. There was no killing intent or anything like that, but he certainly looked angry. "What is the meaning of this crap, Buddha?"

    Buddha showed up unannounced and slapped Su-hyeun without any warning whatsoever.

    Watching this series of events from the side, Sun Wukong was stunned. Su-hyeun was the only one who got slapped, resulting in him flying far away. Sun Wukong became worried about his little brother''s wellbeing, so he got on the cloud and hurriedly chased after Su-hyeun.

    But now, here was Buddha, leisurely standing around with his hands resting on his back as if nothing happened just now.

    Of course, as the "older brother," Sun Wukong was angry.

    "I wanted him to get a hold of himself, of course."

    "Get hold of himself? What?"

    "It''ll be better to ask your little brother next to you for more information," Buddha replied casually, prompting Sun Wukong to sneak a glance at Su-hyeun.

    For sure, he had changed.

    It had been very noticeable, starting from the look in his eyes. The past Su-hyeun would have gotten irritated and demanded an explanation, but he would never glare murderously at someone else like this.

    Su-hyeun growled in anger, "Even so, how dare you hit someone like this?"

    "Sometimes, a shock to one''s system will do some wonders," Buddha replied.

    "Is it fine for me to return that saying right back at you?"

    "Just because an old man slapped you, you lose all respect toward the elderly? Young man, that is uncalled for."

    "You''re the one who attacked me first, so what the¡ª?"

    "Now, now, have you finally regained yourself?"

    Su-hyeun faltered a little at what Buddha said just then.

    The latter continued to speak, his expression belonging to a man who knew everything, "The ones killed by your hands all have thought about the same thing. No, in all honesty, they were probably far more resentful and angrier¡ªtormented, too."

    Su-hyeun didn''t know what to say.

    He was right. What all those innumerable people killed during his rampage had to suffer from was easily well beyond getting slapped around while minding his own business. They were suddenly stabbed in the back or had their head severed without warning, so there was no comparing this and that.

    Besides that...

    "Does he already know everything?" he asked inwardly.

    It was a certainty at this point. Buddha knew about Su-hyeun''s past life¡ªwhether that past life was about Set and how it was connected to Osiris or the lives of villains such as Cheon Mu-jin or Jang Chun.

    Buddha knew something.

    "Dammit," Su-hyeun scratched his head in irritation before suddenly using the Earth Shrink Technique.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Su-hyeun folded space, only to reappear quite far away. Maybe he wanted to go somewhere where no one could find him; he continued to perform the Earth Shrink Technique.

    Soon afterward, his figure could no longer be seen. Sun Wukong shot a silent glare at Buddha before saying something, "Imma beat you up real good after I come back, got that?"

    Pah-aht¡ª!

    Sun Wukong also vanished from the spot. He went after Su-hyeun before it became too difficult to find him.

    "Hmm..."

    And so, only Buddha was left behind. He stood wordlessly on the spot, watching the duo grow distant in his view.

    "You still haven''t left, it seems," he turned around and suddenly spoke, his hands still resting on his back. "Osiris."

    * * *

    "Heeey! Little bro!" Sun Wukong hurriedly called out to Su-hyeun.

    As it turned out, Su-hyeun hadn''t gone somewhere far. He acted as though he would disappear somewhere remote, but all he did was go somewhere out of sight.

    When his name was yelled out incredibly loudly, Su-hyeun turned his head to look. He was standing amid the crumbled remnants of some buildings. "Why did you follow me, Third Brother?"

    "Hey, dude, are you in... what do they call it, growth spurt? Ah, right. Puberty! Is it your puberty?" Sun Wukong walked right up to Su-hyeun''s face, his brows arching up high. "You better come clean, bro."

    "Sorry?"

    "I''m telling you, you better tell me everything that happened."

    In the end, Sun Wukong couldn''t suppress his curiosity and had to ask. He had to know what had happened.

    Su-hyeun contemplated his answer for a little while, eventually nodding his head in agreement. Buddha already knew, anyway; what was the point of keeping it a secret anymore, then?

    But where should he start the tale?

    He pondered it some more before finally starting with how he began recalling his past lives through the Six Paths of Past Lives. Then, he went to speak about Set''s stories and the villainous lives led by Cheon Mu-jin, Jang Chun, and a few others.

    The explanation was undoubtedly a long one.

    He talked about other lives he recalled, plus those unique and extraordinary lives of Cheon Mu-jin, Jang Chun, and Set. Before he noticed it, half a day had shot past them.

    "Okay, so¡ªthis dude named Set¡ªah, wait a sec. That''s you, right? It''s quite confusing, dude. In any case, Set and Osiris were buddies. Is that it?"

    "Yes."

    "This fool named Osiris was known as a deity in some ancient world, and to put it simply, the current you and the ancient Osiris have swapped roles?"

    "The reason why he''s changed probably has something to do with me."

    "Wow. How bizarre, remembering all of your past lives. Remembering one, sure, but remembering them all? I don''t think I''ve ever heard about anything even remotely like that before."

    Sun Wukong had summoned a cloud to lie comfortably on it. Since the explanation had taken so long, it seemed that he wanted to be in a more comfortable position.

    "Okay, so? Is your dilemma about which one you are? Set or Su-hyeun?"

    Su-hyeun shook his head, "No, it''s not as simple as that."

    "Okay, what then?"

    "Honestly, a part of me has been wondering about something."

    A scene brushed past Su-hyeun''s mind just then: all those passersby who didn''t lend any helping hand when his daughter was dying, as well as the figures of the nobleman and his servant kicking him when he was holding onto his daughter''s lifeless body.

    "Wondering about... If this universe is destroyed and like how it always has, what if a new universe is born, wouldn''t it be better than the current one?"

    In truth, it wasn''t only those people. Even during this life, Su-hyeun had come across many people like that: Jung Dong-yeong, who exploited Hak-joon''s weakness, the leader of the Dump Guild, Hwang Jun-peong, and even Adel Castle.

    Among the people he had met already, he recalled so many names. As for those he hadn''t met, such as people who were complete strangers, there must''ve been so many that he probably couldn''t even count.

    "But, uh, it could be the exact opposite." However, Sun Wukong''s thoughts were a bit different. "It could get much worse, you know."

    "That''s also a possibility, isn''t it?"

    "Urgh..." Sun Wukong held his head with both of his hands.

    He looked like he wanted to say something but could not come up with anything particular. As a listener, this was probably the most challenging situation imaginable.

    A bout of silence descended between them.

    Quite sometime later, Sun Wukong finally broke the ice, "W¡ªwell, you know how your Third Brother isn''t the sharpest tool in the shed, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Right, so¡ªHey, wait a minute, what was that?! Argh, really? Fine, although I''m not happy about it. In any case, I don''t know how to dress it up all nice and pretty. And I''m not like our First Brother, so I don''t have a silver tongue, either. Since that''s the case, I''m gonna say it in an ''if I were in your shoes, I''d do it this way,'' kind of way."

    Now that was a bit of a preamble.

    It seemed that Sun Wukong had thought long and hard about this.

    Curious about what the Monkey King would say, Su-hyeun turned his head and looked at him.

    "For a while now, you''ve been talking about what''s right and wrong, this and that about the universe, good and evil, destroying and getting a new start, blah-blah-blah. You know what, I don''t care about any of those. They are not important to me, anyway. You see, I only care about my family and myself. That''s all."

    Su-hyeun chuckled at what Sun Wukong said.

    For sure, the Monkey King was someone like that. He didn''t complicate things and kept it super simple. As such, he could come to a quick decision regardless of the problem. That was why he could act freely and in an unrestrained way, too.

    If this event had happened to Sun Wukong and not Su-hyeun, then he would most likely come to a decision by now, regardless of which way he chose to go with.

    "Stop worrying about which one is the right choice. Just do what you want. What''s the point of making it so complicated? Since you remember all of those things, they are all a part of you, anyway."

    The moment he heard that, it felt like the complicated knot tangled up in his mind was coming undone.

    "Do what I want, hm?" Su-hyeun pondered.

    If he followed that advice, the answer to his dilemma would become so much simpler. Sure, he might not be able to decide right at this moment, but it at least eliminated the need to wring his head and agonize over his choice.

    "I guess you''re right, Third Brother."

    Indeed, there was no reason to come to a decision right now.

    Whether it was Set or Cheon Mu-jin, they were all him now.

    "Right. No need to think about it as many different people."

    Su-hyeun, who had been denying that point until now, finally accepted this fact.

    "They are all me, anyway."

    Su-hyeun''s expression straightened up noticeably. He then addressed Sun Wukong, who was sitting on the cloud, "Third Brother."

    "Ng?"

    "Can you protect me for a little while?"

    The look in Su-hyeun''s eyes had changed. Ever since his meeting with Osiris, those eyes contained a trace of murderous intent and remained as sharp as a knife, yet now, they had reverted to how he used to be.

    Sun Wukong peered deep into those eyes before breaking out into a confident smirk. He then rubbed his belly, "I''m getting hungry, so wrap it up quickly."

    "Can''t make any promises on that one."

    Su-hyeun sat down cross-legged on the ground. He then closed his eyes before diving deep into his consciousness.

    "Just like how it was with Britra..."

    He already experienced peeking into the visualized state of his consciousness several times by now.

    Just like those times, Su-hyeun dove into his inner self. Up to this point, he had been subconsciously scared and avoided entering here, but he felt it was all fine now.

    He was confident of winning, after all.

    "Come out!" Su-hyeun roared out inside his mind.

    His consciousness sunk even deeper, and a sensation of sinking into the unfathomable depth of water enveloped him.

    When he opened his closed eyes, he was greeted by the sight of the interior of an ocean as dark as ink.

    It was the darkest of dark oceans, the Ocean of Inner Demons.

    Now submerged inside it, Su-hyeun spoke loudly once more, "Are you scared?"

    "Why do you¡ª"

    Shwa-aaaah¡ª

    The once-calm currents began to focus in one direction. The Ocean of Inner Demons condensed to create a single silhouette.

    "Say something that makes me so sad?"

    The voice itself was pretty familiar.

    It was like listening to an echo coming back to him. Su-hyeun had expected this, yet it still felt so weird and wrong.

    The silhouette¡ªthe figure created by the condensed Ocean of Inner Demons¡ªwas...

    "Nice to meet you," Su-hyeun waved at another version of himself, which had black irises on pure-white eyes.. "My desire."

 Chapter 501 - 501

    "And so, it has begun," Buddha muttered as he opened his eyes.

    Then, he laid his eyes upon a handsome young man before him. This man, with the corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly to form a smile, was not a stranger to Buddha.

    "Why haven''t you attacked me yet, Osiris?"

    "Is there a need for that?"

    "Wasn''t it an opportunity for you?"

    The act of closing his eyes in front of Osiris was not an indication of Buddha letting his guard down, nor was he being carelessly conceited.

    He was waiting for his enemy to make a move first.

    "I''m not here to mess around with the likes of you, so why don''t we just stay civil and wait?" Osiris shrugged his shoulders during his reply.

    He seemed to be genuinely at ease.

    Even though only the two of them were here, bone-shuddering killing intent permeated the air. Buddha prepared to cross hands and turn his head away at any given moment.

    Gu-oooooh¡ª

    That was where a pitch-black pillar had manifested.

    This pillar was rising past Yggdrasil''s fissure that hadn''t properly closed up just yet.

    From this pillar, a truly intense murderous aura oozed out, sending chills down Buddha''s spine.

    The magical energy leaking from it was easily the creepiest and most evil he had ever sensed. Evil intentions and emotions even worse than Osiris''s could be sensed within the magical energy leaking out.

    "So this is the magical energy of that young man?"

    Next to this pillar was the Great Sage Heaven''s Equal, Sun Wukong. Figuring out what was on his mind right now was as easy as staring at one''s own palm.

    He was probably distraught. The event happening right now would be too much for his head to understand, after all.

    "I pray that you emerge a victor," Buddha muttered and closed his eyes once more.

    Having a standoff against Osiris like this was ultimately meaningless.

    * * *

    Despite being a pitch-black space, it seemed pretty different from when Su-hyeun was trapped within the Dark World.

    It was as if this entire space was a part of him.

    "Is this how it feels like when casting the Dark World?"

    For some reason, he thought he could figure out a little what it felt like for Thomas or Osiris when they activated the Dark World.

    Within the space generated by the skill, "Dark World," the caster would be god. Not only would one be capable of exerting physical changes, but one could also show any illusions they wanted.

    And also...

    "If I do it this way, then..."

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    The darkness spreading all around Su-hyeun began gaining vivid colors.

    The empty space that made him feel like he was floating on nothing was suddenly filled up with solid ground. An imposing coliseum rose on this brown terrain, surrounding him in all directions.

    Su-hyeun looked up and discovered a boundless sky above him, not a speck of clouds in sight. A sun blazed hotly to cast blinding rays of light on the coliseum.

    "Wow. So it really was possible," he muttered to himself while scanning the coliseum.

    This stage, which was prepared for battles, was so expansive in scale that it seemed well-suited to host a massive war or some such rather than one-on-one combat.

    Just by imagining it, he could create a whole new world.

    Inside this space, Su-hyeun was basically the deity¡ªnot just any deity, but a deity who had reached the realm of a creator.

    Shuwuk, shuk¡ª

    The audience seats of the coliseum began filling up one by one.

    Their figures were impossible to distinguish. As if they had been dunked into a jar of ink, their whole bodies, including their faces, were pitch-black.

    Tens of thousands...hundreds of thousands¡ªtheir total number couldn''t even be estimated, their dark figures utterly filling up the massive coliseum kissing the sky.

    However, every one of the audience members was a "person" Su-hyeun knew.

    "My past lives."

    About half of his past lives were here, and they were all people with contrasting natures from Su-hyeun''s.

    Among all those countless faces, a few caught his attention. They happened to be from those past lives that he vividly recalled.

    One completely unforgettable face was among their ranks.

    "Set."

    The face might be "black," but his lips were not. He was grinning in Su-hyeun''s direction as if to ask, "Why haven''t Su-hyeun prepared this sort of a stage sooner?"

    "Well, whatever," Su-hyeun swept his gaze across them and opened his mouth, "So, this is every single ''me'' dissatisfied with the current me, right?"

    Indeed, every being present here was a version of Su-hyeun himself; they were people who had the same soul but different physical bodies.

    They couldn''t be treated as strangers at this point. If Su-hyeun kept thinking of them that way, there would be a continuous chain of confusion for him.

    That was why he thought of this.

    "Now then, all of you are here now, so..."

    THUD¡ª!

    Su-hyeun stomped on the ground.

    He didn''t use Heavenly Demon''s March of Sovereign. That was Cheon Mu-jin''s technique, after all.

    He simply loaded magical energy into his foot and stomped the ground hard.

    "Anyone who has a problem with me, come out here right now," he announced.

    "Do what I want," Su-hyeun thought. He agreed with what Sun Wukong said.

    But that didn''t mean their voices, which were constantly ringing inside his head from a long time ago, would vanish altogether.

    There was no other way to make them understand.

    Not just Set, but everyone here all had their circumstances. It was not possible to overlook or dismiss their stories as nothing. Also, Su-hyeun didn''t know how to verbally convince them to set them on the path of redemption.

    As such, he came up with another way.

    "I will break you all down with my strength."

    If he couldn''t convince them, then he might as well subdue them through force.

    * * *

    Crunch¡ª!

    His fist slammed into a face of a man.

    POW¡ª!

    The head shattered into bits and pieces. The brain matter and blood exploded, a few droplets landing on Su-hyeun''s face.

    When the man died, he became a wisp of black smoke and vaporized from the scene. At the same time, though, yet another version of "Su-hyeun" rushed toward him.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    This time, he swung his sword.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything - Earth Divider]

    KWA-AAAAAH¡ª!

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The sword slammed down to utterly rip the earth apart, chopping dozens of enemies in one go.

    However, the majority had dashed left and right to dodge the strike. Each one here possessed excellent abilities.

    "That''s irritating," Su-hyeun frowned and snapped his fingers in the directions of those dodging his sword strike.

    Snap¡ª

    Ruuuumble, bangbangbang¡ª!

    A chain of explosions went off in the air, causing an ocean of crimson flames to scorch everything.

    Dozens more were swept up in the explosions. However, this number was nothing more than a fraction of all the enemies filling up the gigantic coliseum.

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    Right at that moment, storm clouds gathered in the sky. Su-hyeun wasn''t the one summoning them, however.

    "Lightning Shower!"

    A voice roared from somewhere.

    And then...

    Ka-rumble¡ª!

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    Dozens of lightning bolts descended on top of Su-hyeun''s head. At the same time...

    Swiiiiiiish¡ª!

    Stab, stabstabstabstab¡ª!

    Countless spears and arrows descended and impaled Su-hyeun''s figure.

    "Thanks for that."

    Su-hyeun gripped one of the spears and threw it right back.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Pow! Popopopow¡ª!

    The spear didn''t stop after destroying the target''s head but continued to fly forward to destroy more heads and torsos in the way.

    Su-hyeun smirked and looked up while taking on the rain of lightning bolts with his body, "Thanks to you, I don''t have to waste my energy summoning new clouds."

    And now, he would use the powerful technique the enemy started as his own.

    Su-hyeun extended his hand toward the clouds floating above the coliseum, "Strike down¡ª!"

    FLASH¡ª!

    "Somersault cloud!"

    Ruuumble¡ª!

    Arcs of lightning spread all around Su-hyeun''s vicinity. His past lives were vaporized after getting swept up in dozens upon dozens of lightning currents, thereby completely emptying a large section of the arena.

    "Fuu-woo..."

    He regulated his breathing during this brief opening.

    He activated Insight to scan his surroundings for a bit, including the coliseum''s audience seats.

    "How many are still left?"

    He thought he had managed to bring down a lot by now, but from the look of things, he was wrong.

    No matter how many he felled, he didn''t even leave a dent in their numbers.

    However, he also didn''t think it was wise to widen his area of attack. He might end up in a situation where he wasted his magical energy for no good reason and find it hard to deal with the aftermath.

    "Well, every one of my old selves used to be someone of note, weren''t they?"

    It seemed that the thing about souls gaining power was real, after all.

    Almost every past version of Su-hyeun used to be someone powerful.

    Kim Sung-in was a good example.

    None of the past lives were stronger than the current Su-hyeun. Even so, they all possessed excellent capabilities.

    A few among them were powerful beings who seemed to have transcended the limits of a human being, such as the one standing right before him.

    "Why do you need to go that far?"

    Step¡ª

    Someone walked right up to Su-hyeun.

    He survived even after getting struck by the Somersault cloud''s lightning attack. He had crimson irises and pitch-black hair, and his skin was so pale that it was verging on being pure white.

    This man with a hulking frame of over two meters tall was none other than...

    "Cheon Mu-jin."

    "There''s no need to call me by my name, now is there? In the end, you and I are one, after all."

    He was right about that.

    Su-hyeun agreed with him. Still, he had a reason to call the others by their names.

    "Even so, I can''t call you as ''another me'' all the time, now can I? It''s kinda cumbersome and also a bit cringey."

    "Well..."

    Claaang¡ª

    Cheon Mu-jin unsheathed his sword.

    An eerie crimson aura gushed out from him. It contained the Heavenly Demon''s Divine Technique, the unique martial art that Cheon Mu-jin had developed.

    "You''re correct about that one," said Cheon Mu-jin.

    He was one of the strongest past lives Su-hyeun could remember¡ªthe one called the Heavenly Demon, a deity among the villainous kind, a being who ultimately led his world to destruction.

    He thought, "As far as technique is concerned, he might be even better than Set."

    Cheon Mu-jin''s techniques had already proved to be of great help to Su-hyeun many times by now. That was why confronting him now meant something important.

    Shwa-aaaah¡ª!

    A massive monster with one hundred arms materialized behind Cheon Mu-jin. Each of the arms wielded different swords, and they were all pointing at Su-hyeun.

    None of them were fakes or illusions. They were all real.

    This was the real form of Heavenly Demon''s Divine Technique''s final stance, Shattering the Sky, Absolute Destruction.

    "Here I come."

    "No need to be so nice and inform me ahead of time, you know?" Su-hyeun began walking up toward the monster that appeared behind Cheon Mu-jin. "I already know all about this technique, after all."

    Pah-aht¡ª!

    Su-hyeun activated the Earth Shrink Technique.

    Cheon Mu-jin seemed to be able to track him. All one hundred swords simultaneously moved toward Su-hyeun as he dug in.

    Paht, papaht¡ª!

    He evaded all the swords.

    It almost looked like the swords were deliberately missing him. These hundred swords, sharper and more powerful than seemingly every sword in existence, couldn''t even touch a single hair on his body.

    And when he dodged all the swords and reached his destination...

    Flash¡ª!

    Cheon Mu-jin''s sword hacked down on Su-hyeun''s head.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything - Cutting the Sky]

    [Explosion Style]

    CLAAAANG¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s sword slashed upward to shatter Cheon Mu-jin''s blade into million pieces.

    Splaaaat¡ª!

    Cheon Mu-jin''s abdomen was sliced wide open at the same time.

    His body faltered, and he fell face-first as his blood gushed out. Just like all the other past lives before him, his body also turned into black smoke and gradually vaporized.

    "My... Heavenly Demon''s Divine Technique. Did you deliberately... not rely on it?"

    "Yes. But not just that one, but everything else."

    "Only using what you have attained through your own might, huh?" Cheon Mu-jin suddenly grinned as he vaporized completely. "In that case, I shall respect your decision."

    Shu-ruru¡ª

    Cheon Mu-jin''s figure vanished from the spot for good.

    It had only been one exchange of moves, yet a wound was made on Su-hyeun''s cheek for the first time. It was proof that Cheon Mu-jin had been one of the strongest among Su-hyeun''s past lives.

    "I guess it''s about time guys as strong as him started appearing, huh?"

    Most of those who were confident of their skills, and those that Su-hyeun himself acknowledged as strong even among his past lives, had not stepped forward until now.

    However, Cheon Mu-jin had shown up, indicating that those powerful individuals had also started making their moves.

    "Okay, now..."

    Rumble¡ª

    Crimson flames erupted all around Su-hyeun''s vicinity.

    The time to conserve his magical energy and control the pace was now over.

    "Here comes the second half."

 Chapter 502 - 502

    [Flame - Land of Fire]

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Crimson flames completely filled up the coliseum.

    The purpose of these lukewarm flames wasn''t to burn the enemies down but to create a more favorable environment for Su-hyeun. Even so, these flames were more than enough to set the much weaker small fries on fire, preventing them from interfering too easily.

    "I''ve managed to tie them down, so..."

    A bluish light swirled within Su-hyeun''s eyes. He had strengthened the power of Insight just then.

    Up to this point, he used it to see vast distances, but its use would be different from now on: That would be to see what might happen to him in the very near future.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    A long spear attempted to chop Su-hyeun''s figure in half, but he disappeared like a mirage at the same time.

    The spear that attacked him from behind lost its target and came to a brief pause.

    Smack¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s fist slammed into the head of the spear wielder.

    That head should have been blown apart into smithereens from the impact, yet only the skull got crushed to bits.

    Plop¡ª

    Still, the spear wielder died in one strike.

    The sturdiness Su-hyeun felt through his fist was somewhat different from the others so far.

    "Was that a version of Energy Barrier?"

    The "Energy Barrier" was a technique where the wielder protected themselves by wrapping their body in magical energy. The greater the quantity of their magical energy was, the denser and stronger the barrier generated would be.

    Even without seeing who it was, Su-hyeun still figured out the identity of the spear wielder through the strike, as well as the application of the Energy Barrier.

    "That was Jang Chun, wasn''t it?"

    Jang Chun, a martial artist born before Cheon Mu-jin''s time, was a demon-like man who fought against the entire world by himself.

    If there hadn''t been other notable heroes also living in the same era as Jang Chun, Cheon Mu-jin''s world would''ve been led down the path of destruction even before he had the chance to be born.

    "Should I sweep them up at once?"

    Su-hyeun was about to reach out to Gungnir tied to his back, but then, he shook his head.

    He didn''t need to go that far just yet.

    Pazzzzik¡ª

    [Grand Thunderbolt]

    The gigantic lightning spear summoned into his hand had to be dozens of meters in length. Rather than a spear, it looked more like Su-hyeun had actually caught a lightning bolt that fell from the heavens.

    The lightning wrapped around his hand and maintained its outer appearance.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    However, he wasn''t planning to throw this lightning spear. Instead of throwing it, he began to swing it around powerfully.

    Pa-sususu¡ª

    All the past lives caught in the range of the lightning spear turned into black smoke and disappeared from there. Even with only one swing, the Thunderbolt grew somewhat blurry, as if maintaining this form had become more difficult.

    "I guess I can''t use it for long."

    "One, two..."

    Su-hyeun assumed the spear-throwing stance.

    The past lives must''ve sensed the incoming danger because they stopped pouncing on him and hurriedly parted left and right to get out of the way.

    But that response was one step too late.

    Su-hyeun powerfully chucked the spear.

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    A massive explosion of electricity rocked the coliseum.

    * * *

    Flash¡ª!

    Rumble, booooom¡ª!

    [Rain of Thunder]

    [Flame - Chain Explosion]

    Electrical currents and explosions of flames continued to go off. Su-hyeun, enveloped in crimson flames and his left arm crackling with electricity, swung his sword down hard.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything - Earth Divider]

    [Flame]

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Splaaaaat¡ª!

    His blade split the coliseum in half. The audience seats, already half destroyed by then, began tilting to one side before completely crumbling to pieces.

    BOOM¡ª!

    When the heavy structure collapsed, it managed to crush several enemies along the way, too. However, the remainder of his past lives weren''t so weak that they would die by something on that level.

    Shu-pat¡ª!

    Slice¡ª

    A superficial scratch was left on Su-hyeun''s cheek.

    He failed to dodge an incoming spear completely on time.

    "Well, that''s troublesome."

    His enemies were persistently targeting only his head. That was because they had figured out that he was protected by a set of sturdy armor, making it difficult to hurt him in the torso.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    A figure broke through the explosions and reached the front of Su-hyeun just then. His hand was gripping a sword just like Su-hyeun''s.

    Smack¡ª!

    "Hmm," Su-hyeun furrowed his brow.

    The strength he sensed through his hand was quite considerable. That explained why this past life managed to break through the Rain of Thunder to reach him. However, this past life still wasn''t quite strong enough to chop him apart in one go.

    The thing was, though, it wasn''t just one opponent who managed to break through the obstructions of the divine Flame and the Rain of Thunder.

    "Freeze him to death!"

    Buzz, bzzzzz¡ª

    Dozens of magic circles manifested all around Su-hyeun next.

    "Blizzard!"

    Crack, craaackle¡ª

    Freezing and tough ice encased and solidified Su-hyeun''s body. A similar thing happened to the past life crossing swords with him, but the one bearing the brunt of this freezing attack was undoubtedly Su-hyeun.

    But right at that moment...

    Shu-rururu¡ª

    "What?"

    Su-hyeun''s figure that was trapped in ice melted down like snow.

    [Doppelganger]

    "Bingo."

    Su-hyeun''s voice came from somewhere in the air.

    With his hands frozen, the opponent quickly looked up; a surprised expression etched on his face.

    Slice¡ª

    His torso was chopped apart in half.

    Su-hyeun watched this past life transform into smoke in the blink of an eye, then reached behind him. "With that, about one-tenth remains."

    Compared to the beginning, the number of his opponents had definitely decreased.

    Sure, so many enemies remained that they resembled a black ocean, but their enormous sense of presence¡ªthe one that felt like an unstoppable tide¡ªhad become noticeably thinner.

    That must have been due to their numbers decreasing by quite a lot.

    "As for the remaining ones," Su-hyeun''s hand gripped Gungnir, "I''ll clean them up in one go."

    Squeeze¡ª

    Pazzzik, pazzzzzzik¡ª!

    The golden Gungnir''s shaft was enveloped in azure and orange-gold arcs of electricity.

    Rumble, bang¡ª!

    Streaks of lightning began crashing down from the storm clouds in the sky.

    They fell like raindrops before concentrating on Gungnir. The spear acted like a lightning rod, attracting all the lightning bolts and turning them into arcs of electricity.

    "You can do this."

    Squeeeeze¡ª!

    Although Su-hyeun was the one who gathered the electrical currents, he had to clench his teeth and endure.

    "Yes, you can do this!"

    He wasn''t talking to himself.

    In his hand was a weapon capable of attracting the power of lightning and containing it.

    With it, he did not need to exhaust his mental strength to attract lightning bolts and maintain the form of Thunderbolts, which wasn''t the easiest thing to do in the world. Gungnir already came in the form of a spear, after all.

    All he had to do in this case was to attract the power of lightning into Gungnir.

    It wouldn''t have been able to do it if it was an ordinary weapon. No matter how hard adamantium was, he did not doubt that the weapon would not endure the strain and shatter into pieces.

    However, if it was Gungnir¡ªif it was the weapon crafted by the Primordial God, Brahma, then...

    For the first time during this battle, Set, who was watching from the sidelines, finally opened his mouth, "Now that looks dangerous."

    He could only be referring to the powerful energy starting to concentrate on Gungnir.

    He broke the silence because he had instinctively figured out the true destructive power of that energy. Moreover, it wasn''t just Set who realized this. Every single past life still present thought the same thing.

    However, their responses to this quandary were not exactly the same.

    Pah-ahk¡ª

    Swiiiiiiiiiiiish¡ª

    Several quickly distanced themselves, trying to get out of Gungnir''s attack range. Others dashed in, trying to stab Su-hyeun in the back while gathering his power.

    When the latter group came close enough...

    "How nice of you to come to me."

    Whoosh¡ª

    FLASH¡ª!

    Su-hyeun swung Gungnir around just like that.

    Two lightning energies sporting distinctly different colors, one orange-gold and the other azure, whipped up into a frenzied storm.

    For a brief moment there, a blinding light flashed before disappearing. With that, countless past lives rushing toward Su-hyeun got vaporized to nothingness.

    Set, sitting on the intact audience seat, shot up to his feet.

    That attack just now was on a completely different scale to the Thunderbolt from earlier.

    Simply maintaining a Thunderbolt''s outer shape was quite taxing. Swinging it around once would already make its form blurrier and indistinct.

    But that wasn''t the case with Gungnir.

    To him, it was really dangerous.

    "Get out of its reach, now!" Set''s roar echoed loudly within the destroyed remnants of the coliseum.

    Unfortunately, it was already too late for such a warning.

    Khyaaaaaah¡ª!

    A figure of a dragon materialized all around Gungnir next.

    [Gungnir - Thunder Dragon Miru]

    Pazzzik, pazzzzzik¡ª!

    The image of the dragon floated above the highly concentrated energy. It was getting much harder to hold the spear now.

    "One..."

    Two¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s back arched greatly. He was getting into the spear-throwing stance.

    For a very brief moment there, he mistakenly thought that the whole world had come to a standstill with Gungnir as the center of it all.

    The tip of Gungnir, flashing and crackling in colorful light, now pointed toward the center of the coliseum.

    And finally...

    "Three!"

    He cried out the last number, and Gungnir shot out of his grip.

    FLASH¡ª!

    * * *

    KA-BOOOOOOM¡ª!

    FLASH, pazzzzzzik¡ª!

    A massive pillar of light shot up from the coliseum.

    Even if anyone wanted to dodge it, they would still be trapped within the coliseum. Su-hyeun''s past lives were swept up in the range of the attack and began vaporizing one by one.

    Swiiiiish, grab¡ª!

    Huff, huff...

    Gungnir flew out with so much power and returned to Su-hyeun''s hand without much fanfare.

    The sense of its weight before and after throwing it felt markedly different. It was undeniable proof that his stamina and magical energy reserve had diminished significantly.

    "Did I push myself a little too hard?"

    He began wondering if it was wise to pour out so much magical energy in one go like that.

    Should he have stuck to a drawn-out battle and carefully conserved his strength?

    The electrical sparks and currents gradually receded, revealing the sight of the coliseum.

    No, wait...

    "It can''t even be called a coliseum anymore, huh?"

    Shu-wuwu...

    The dust settled down, revealing the scorched-black coliseum''s debris. Since the vaporized past lives didn''t leave behind a corpse, the only way to figure out how many died just now was to count the living ones.

    "They managed to block that?"

    Around a few thousand remained.

    Compared to the beginning, this number was nothing but a drop in the ocean, but surviving Gungnir''s attack proved how strong they were.

    "Even though they did not manage to survive by themselves..."

    Considering the remaining number before the attack, it made sense that this group managed to avoid getting swept up in Gungnir''s attack and survive.

    If every single one of these individuals poured out all of their strengths to defend against the electrical currents spreading out from Gungnir, then for sure, the tale would be a different one.

    Whatever the case might be, they managed to do it¡ªafter experiencing considerable sacrifices.

    "Fuu-woo..."

    Su-hyeun sucked in a deep breath for one last time and slowly descended to the ground.

    Creak, gugugu...

    Rumble, gugugugu...

    The ground shook, and the wrecked coliseum began rising again.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly watched this scene unfold. Rebuilding the destroyed coliseum was not a big deal as long as he wanted it to happen. However, what was happening right now wasn''t his doing.

    "Isn''t such a shabby stage unfit for us?"

    Step¡ª

    The one responsible for rebuilding the coliseum, Set, began stepping forward.

    Su-hyeun wordlessly stared at him. Truth be told, he had been staring at him for a long time now.

    "He definitely cut it down," he thought.

    Just as Su-hyeun threw Gungnir, Set finally yanked his sword out.

    That sword in his hand was the very weapon that cleanly chopped apart Gungnir''s lightning current overflowing throughout the coliseum.

    Even if he wasn''t directly attacked by the spear and was simply within the range of the electrical charge, that was still something else.

    "You know, this thing called fate can be quite mysterious at times."

    Clack¡ª

    Set wielded a sword in one hand while his other hand gripped a shield. Pitch-black energy oozing out of his figure began forcing back the remaining electrical currents inside the coliseum.

    This was Osiris''s closest friend and Su-hyeun''s very first past life.

    "To think that our beginning and end can be this different," Set glared at Su-hyeun with a pair of eyes brimming with contempt and hatred.

    They might be of the same soul, but they couldn''t be any more different. That was true for every single individual present in this place, too.

    "You lot have been yapping away like crazy in my head for a while now. It''s getting a bit bothersome, you know. You and me, we''re all the same person, so I do get where you''re coming from, but..."

    Whoos¡ª

    Gungnir flew out of Su-hyeun''s grip once more.

    POW¡ª!

    The golden spear whooshed past Set''s head and blew apart the head of another opponent behind him.

    Having finished throwing the spear lightly, Su-hyeun addressed Set in a firm and resolute voice, "Even so, I''d very much like you to shut the hell up now."

 Chapter 503 - 503

    Set scanned their surroundings.

    The coliseum was rebuilt according to his will, and it largely looked the same as before. However, there was one crucial difference, and that would be the sense of desolation in the audience seats, as well as the arena itself.

    He muttered, "So many have disappeared already."

    Compared to the beginning, only a fraction of the past lives remained now.

    All of Su-hyeun''s innumerable past lives filled with negative thoughts of the world and the universe were gone. They had been forcibly subjugated by Su-hyeun and could no longer voice their opinions.

    With this, Su-hyeun''s dilemma stuck in a delicate balance began tilting to one side.

    "However, what good would any of this do?" Set wasn''t disappointed in the least, however. "After all, if we kill you here now, the ideals you held dear, in reality, would be crushed flat, leaving behind not even a husk."

    This space that seemed similar to the Dark World was actually Su-hyeun''s visualized inner world. His war against his past lives had been taking place in such a space.

    In other words, none of this was real.

    Quite literally, he had been fighting countless personalities and ideals of his past lives inside his mind.

    And so, as his ideal was clashing against the others inside the coliseum...

    "We have won."

    Two of the biggest headaches remained among their ranks.

    Step¡ª

    Another individual stepped forward from behind Set.

    This man''s eyes were strange. Their whites and irises had been swapped around.

    He had the same face as Su-hyeun, but he was making an eerie grin that he would never make in his life.

    Su-hyeun was exhausted, but the man with the same face as him looked completely fine. No matter who saw it, they would agree that the difference in their remaining stamina was too great.

    "You¡ªno, hang on a sec. You are all me anyway, so it''s kinda weird to say it like this, huh? In any case," Su-hyeun scratched his head, "I knew you were here since the beginning, but I never worried about you."

    "What?"

    "I think I know myself pretty well. Like, what I really want and what I really wish to achieve. And also..."

    Grip¡ª!

    "Huh?"

    Su-hyeun''s hand grabbed the throat of his other self. In the blink of an eye, he was already in the middle of his enemies, including Set.

    "I know what my desire is."

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    He then slammed the head of his other self on the ground.

    The barely restored ground exploded and overturned in an instant, causing a curtain of dust to kick up. With a loud rumble, incredibly hot crimson flames billowed up to force the enemies to step back, including Set as well.

    "What I want to achieve isn''t something grandiose like destroying the whole world or killing everyone I can see. It''s nothing like that. I don''t care about revenge, nor do I have lingering resentment."

    Kuk, kugh...!

    "What I really want, though, is to live a simple life in a perfectly normal world. Like, going to a cafe on my day off with a good book in my hand or just staying in bed for the whole day. Things like that."

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s desire urgently grabbed Su-hyeun''s wrist. It tried to pry off the hand gripping its throat somehow, but Su-hyeun remained steady and unmoving.

    The difference in raw strength between the two was just too stark.

    "That''s not that amazing, right? Meaning, you''re not that amazing, either."

    Crunch¡ª

    Bones broke, and desire''s eyes rolled back. Just like that, Su-hyeun had trampled on his deepest desires with utmost ease.

    "You see? Don''t you agree?"

    Shuffle¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s head shifted to his side.

    He saw Set and a few thousand others still remaining.

    All thanks to the continuous battle, his magical energy reserve and stamina had been depleted, almost reaching their limit. It didn''t really matter, however.

    [Trait, "Hero - Immortality," is activating.]

    [Vitality and stamina are rapidly recovering.]

    [All physical stats are being greatly enhanced.]

    Squeeeeeze¡ª

    His depleted stamina filled back up rapidly while much greater strength than the start of the battle welled up in him.

    There wasn''t much he could do about the exhausted magical energy reserve, but his physical abilities alone were more than enough to deal with the remaining enemies before him.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    His figure vanished from the spot, but he wasn''t using the Earth Shrink Technique.

    Slice¡ª!

    No, he was simply too fast for naked eyes to follow.

    Splat¡ª!

    Two, no, three more heads went flying in the next second.

    Su-hyeun''s figure was too fast to follow, but at least during the moment he swung his sword, he could clearly be seen.

    "That''s nothing more than his last-ditch struggle! He wears a set of armor, so aim only for his head or neck! If you cannot follow his movements, wait until he needs to stop to take a swing with his weapon!" Set immediately started commanding the battlefield.

    Out of everyone in the coliseum, only he could accurately track Su-hyeun''s movements. That was why he was able to respond in time.

    CLANG¡ª!

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    He was able to parry Su-hyeun''s sword as it slashed down.

    "You blocked it?"

    "It seems that I can at least hold my ground."

    Su-hyeun had been thinking of eliminating Set first, so he couldn''t help but tut unhappily.

    He suddenly began thinking that all the magical energy he used up to deal with the small fries until now had been a waste. He still had a little bit left in his reserves. Still, carelessly using that might make it harder for him to move around later.

    "I need to think about what will happen after the end of Immortality''s duration," Su-hyeun thought.

    His assessment was quick, his actions even quicker.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Swish, slice¡ª!

    He cut off several more heads in a row. A little swifter, he kept moving without rest.

    But then...

    "No need to fight back!" Set issued a new command. "Buy as much time as you can! Hold on until he runs out of his newfound stamina!"

    It sounded like he changed the battle tactic.

    Set and Su-hyeun were the same person in the end. It wasn''t that hard to figure out where Su-hyeun had gotten his second wind from.

    It was the same story for the others, too. They all figured out that Su-hyeun had activated Immortality to gain a sudden burst of strength and stamina. Their movements switched to something much more passive.

    Clang¡ª!

    Slice¡ª

    Of course, it didn''t matter one jot in the end.

    "Dodging or blocking. You think things will change by doing that?" Su-hyeun yelled out while cutting off a magician''s head using a wall of magic circles to protect itself.

    His sword had shattered all those dozens of magic circles and barriers in one strike.

    What happened afterward could only be described as a one-sided massacre.

    Even Set, the only one capable of detecting Su-hyeun''s movement, had to think that way.

    Su-hyeun ignored Set and dashed around. He was planning to eliminate everyone else except Set within the allotted time.

    Tick, tock...

    Fifteen minutes passed by like that.

    Tick, tock...

    And soon, it became 29 minutes.

    Splat¡ª!

    The head of the last remaining past life was sliced off.

    At a certain point, Set gave up chasing after Su-hyeun''s figure, his hands resting by his sides. He was the only one remaining now.

    Su-hyeun called out, "Hey! Have you been waiting long?"

    "Surely, now can''t be a good time for you to leisurely shoot the breeze with me."

    "Obviously."

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Claaang¡ª!

    Flying like a flash of light, Su-hyeun''s sword slammed down on top of Set''s sword. The ground beneath Set''s feet caved in deeply, his arms quaking unsteadily.

    "I... know that all too well!"

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Clang, claaaang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s sword strikes came flying in from seemingly every direction.

    Set stood resolutely on his two feet and defended against the strikes. He focused all of his magical energy on his weapon and did his best to keep up with Su-hyeun''s speed.

    And so, after they crossed swords about a hundred or so times...

    Pow¡ª!

    Sliiiiide¡ª

    Set''s foot kicked Su-hyeun''s abdomen, pushing the latter far back.

    "It''s been 30 minutes."

    The last minute passed by without too many surprises.

    Drip¡ª

    No, the truth was, something did happen. Su-hyeun''s sword managed to cut off Set''s ear.

    However, this level of blood loss was nothing much. Set wiped the blood off with his hand before staring at the stain. "Well, losing only one ear for this end result? This isn''t a bad trade-off at all. Don''t you agree?"

    When Set asked that, Su-hyeun simply reined in his heavy breathing.

    Immortality''s duration came to an end, and Su-hyeun''s fatigue rushed in like a tidal wave. His body, overflowing with vitality only a second ago, now felt as heavy as a lump of lead. His breathing became so heavy and shallow that he found it hard to breathe properly.

    In a way, you could call what was happening now Immortality''s side effects.

    The skill Immortality did recover Su-hyeun''s lost stamina, but it also came with a hefty penalty when its duration was over. Now that the skill had deactivated, all the strength and stamina he had been freely using had come back to bite him as a severe rebound.

    "Yeah, I agree." Despite the rebound, Su-hyeun was still grinning. "It''s not a bad trade-off."

    He looked fatigued, yet he seemed at ease.

    And at his relaxed demeanor...

    "Wait," Set finally recalled something he had forgotten about.

    "All of you, arise."

    Shu-shushushu¡ª

    Black smoke rose from all around Su-hyeun. Then, shadows with all sorts of shapes and sizes rose from the darkness.

    As for the number of summons he would be controlling...

    "Every single one of you."

    It consisted of all the summons Su-hyeun currently commanded.

    Thuuud¡ª!

    The first creature to grab Set''s attention was the biggest of them all, Gyges.

    Shwa-aaaah¡ª

    Next was Kali, who appeared grandly as blood poured down from the air.

    And then, Gluttony and Prince Nezha made their entrance. Aside from the quartet, more Predators now serving under Su-hyeun appeared as well.

    A small but powerful army filled up the coliseum''s arena.

    "Well, now, it''s the reversal of fortunes, isn''t it?"

    "Hah," Set watched this happen and chuckled hollowly.

    Without a doubt, many were fighting against one man not too long ago. However, the situation had reversed. Now, Set was alone while Su-hyeun had become many.

    Shu-wuk¡ª

    Set''s arms moved. Su-hyeun reacted to that and was about to command his summons, but then...

    "I give up."

    Clang¡ª

    Set dropped his sword on the ground, then raised his hands high.

    "Huh?" Su-hyeun made a confused face.

    Was this a ploy to waste time or something?

    "That''s not going to be advantageous for him, though," Su-hyeun thought.

    Indeed, Su-hyeun would benefit from wasting time like this.

    He was currently exhausted, but if his stamina recovered in time, Set would have zero chance of defeating him.

    "Well, he still doesn''t have a snowball''s chance in hell even now."

    Breaking through all these summons, which included the members of the Ten Great Evils like Kali and Gyges, to reach Su-hyeun was simply impossible.

    The current Set did not have the ability to do so. If he had existed for seemingly an eternity like Osiris, then maybe. However, Set wasn''t like that.

    He really was surrendering right now.

    "I''m sure you already know this. Even if you give up now, I can''t let you leave here alive. Doing this is basically pointless," said Su-hyeun.

    "Yes, I know. All I need is a little time to talk to you."

    "Time, you say?"

    "I want to ask a favor," Set grinned as he spoke. "Osiris... Can you find out why that idiot ended up in his current state?"

    "Why should I?"

    "Something must have happened to him because, out of everyone I knew, that idiot used to love the world more than anyone else."

    Su-hyeun wordlessly stared at Set, who was bowing down with a genuinely worried face.

    What an ironic situation this was.

    "Worrying about a friend you tried to kill with your own hands... Don''t you think it all kind of sound weird?"

    "That''s true. I won''t deny that."

    "Well, sure. I''ll do that. I''m also kind of curious, after all. And it''s an undeniable fact that you are me, anyway."

    "Thanks. Honestly, I''m hoping you''d lose to Osiris, and everything burns down to the ground, but I guess you won''t allow that, huh?"

    "Of course not."

    "I see," Set muttered before picking up his sword from the ground.

    Su-hyeun briefly wondered if he would try to fight back, but that wasn''t it. Set simply pointed the sword at himself and powerfully thrust it straight through his throat.

    Stab¡ª!

    Blood exploded forth from Set''s throat. His body gradually scattered away in smoke.

    "My favor... thanks for humoring it."

    "Take care now."

    Snap¡ª

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun snapped his fingers, setting Set''s figure on fire. He watched his first past life burn down to nothing and ordered his summons to go back.

    After that, the coliseum was left completely empty. In the beginning, this expansive space was teeming with activity, but only he remained now.

    And right at that moment...

    [You have satisfied the condition.]

    [The "Guide of Past Lives" is activating.]

    The fourth "option" of his Six Paths had awakened.

 Chapter 504 - 504

    "The Guide of Past Lives?"

    Did it say that the condition had been satisfied?

    Su-hyeun was a bit taken aback by the sudden message and scanned his surroundings. The moment the message had popped up, the deserted coliseum began to be filled with black smoke.

    It didn''t take him long to figure out what was going on here because he sensed a familiar aura coming from the nearest lump of black smoke.

    "That''s Set."

    The one who died and disappeared a second ago had reappeared, of course, not in the same "form" as before. His outer shell was no more. It was only the energy he possessed that was returning to Su-hyeun.

    But that wasn''t all.

    "All of them are my past lives."

    The energies of all of Su-hyeun''s past lives used to possess now filled up the coliseum instead of their physical bodies.

    The Guide of Past Lives¡ªone of the Six Paths¡ªimplied that it was meant to show the way for his past lives.

    Su-hyeun finally realized what was about to happen to him.

    "Hah..."

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    The black smoke densely filling up the entirety of the coliseum began rushing toward Su-hyeun.

    "I didn''t do it for this end result, you know," he muttered in disbelief, but honestly, he didn''t hate this.

    Rather, he greatly welcomed it. Whatever the case might have been, Su-hyeun was in need of a serious power boost.

    "It was only one percent, wasn''t it?"

    He simulated fighting Osiris many, many times in his mind.

    Out of around one hundred simulated battles, Su-hyeun emerged victorious only once. Even with simple math, the odds of him winning was only one percent.

    In other words, he would most likely lose.

    If Su-hyeun wanted to improve his chances, he definitely needed to attain much greater power.

    "In that case..."

    Shu-shushu¡ª

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes while accepting the powers of his past lives.

    "By how much will that percentage go up after this, I wonder?"

    * * *

    Quite a long time had passed.

    Sun Wukong, perched on top of Ruyi Jingu Bang, stared pensively at the black pillar that had materialized with Su-hyeun in the middle.

    It had been over a day now.

    From a certain point in time, the nature of the energy he felt from the pillar changed to something else. Originally, there seemed to be a mixture of all kinds of disparate energies, but now, they were "entangling" together to become a singular type.

    "Just what is he even doing inside this thing?"

    Since Su-hyeun asked to be protected, that was what Sun Wukong was doing.

    He might be fulfilling the request asked of him, but Sun Wukong''s uncertainty was still growing with every passing minute.

    Rumble¡ª

    Sun Wukong''s irises changed to a crimson color.

    He peeked into the interior of the pillar with his Fiery Golden Eyes. The situation there had changed a lot compared to the beginning. Su-hyeun seemed to be meditating or something, while the energy flow had suddenly changed even though everything seemed to be asleep a second ago.

    It was as if all those black energies were being rapidly sucked into Su-hyeun''s body.

    Was this a good phenomenon or an ominous one? Sun Wukong couldn''t tell. Even if he wanted to interfere, there was not much he could do from the outside.

    "Urgh."

    What frustrated him the most was knowing that he couldn''t do anything.

    Sun Wukong continued to falter sheepishly and stood halfway up only to plop back down on his butt.

    For the time being, he had no choice but to believe in his youngest sworn brother.

    "I swear, as soon as he comes out, Imma give him a good knuckle sandwich first."

    Just what kind of effect would this energy have on Su-hyeun?

    Shu-aaaahk¡ª

    Right at that moment, all that energy enveloping Su-hyeun rapidly vanished.

    The last wisps of energy wrapped around Su-hyeun''s figure. Soon afterward, his eyes slowly opened¡ªall that black in his eyes reverting to the normal whites.

    Only then did Sun Wukong get up from his spot. Ruyi Jingu Bang below him changed back to a slender staff when he gripped it tightly.

    "Hey, little bro," Sun Wukong cautiously approached Su-hyeun while keeping his Fiery Golden Eyes active and his staff pointing at his youngest sworn brother. "Are you really my little bro?"

    "..."

    No reply.

    Su-hyeun''s head turned toward Sun Wukong, but his eyes lacked focus and remained blurry. Sun Wukong stared at the wordless Su-hyeun, then slowly spoke up, "Extend, Ru¡ª"

    "W¡ªwait! I said, wait!" That prompted Su-hyeun to hurriedly wave his hands around in clear fright.

    Sun Wukong smirked and slung Ruyi Jingu Bang on his shoulder, "You dare try to pull a fast one on me?"

    "When did you notice?"

    "I can tell by looking at your eyes."

    Su-hyeun sheepishly scratched his head after his prank was discovered almost right away.

    Whatever the case might be, Sun Wukong was relieved to see that Su-hyeun came back all fine. He slammed Ruyi Jingu Bang on the ground and asked, "Did anything happen to you?"

    "Well, many things happened."

    "And no more of those complicated musings to worry about, I hope?"

    "Yes. Probably."

    Despite answering with "probably," Su-hyeun''s expression came across a lot more refreshed than before.

    This was why Su-hyeun decided to take a gamble in the first place. Although the end result turned out to be a bit different from his expectations.

    Sun Wukong asked, "Okay. But what was that just now?"

    "What do you mean?"

    Was he referring to the Guide of Past Lives?

    Su-hyeun accepted the powers of his countless past lives. All the strength that continued to build up every time he repeated a life had finally been concentrated into one individual.

    He began explaining to Sun Wukong all the events that took place. He talked about facing his desire and fighting all of his countless past lives that harbored opposing views.

    After listening to Sun Wukong''s simple-sounding advice of, "Do what you want to do," Su-hyeun chose to use brute force to suppress his past lives. Rather ironically, that turned out to be the key to activating the "Guide of Past Lives" ability.

    He thought, "To think that the method to activating the Guide of Past Lives was to completely defeat my past lives."

    Of course, it wouldn''t have mattered if he chose to go with another method.

    After the Guide of Past Lives activated, Su-hyeun instantly figured out others ways to activate it.

    He didn''t have to defeat or make his past lives submit through force. He just had to earn their acknowledgment somehow. Meaning he simply had to earn the right to "lead" all of his past lives, which would be enough to satisfy the activation condition.

    Sun Wukong asked, "Hmm... So, like, what happened just now was kind of a ceremony to absorb the powers of your past lives?"

    "Well, yes. But let''s not complicate it any further. Third Brother, you told me that I should just do what I want, didn''t you?"

    Sun Wukong smirked at Su-hyeun''s reply. He then energetically pounded on the latter''s shoulder, "Now you sound like my little bro."

    "Huh. Was I always this simple-minded?"

    "You tend to worry about lots of stuff, sure, but you always wanted only one thing in the end. And when it comes to that aspect of you, you''re like bamboo or something, all straight and unbending and stuff. Yesterday, you looked okay outwardly, but your head was a mess. You ain''t even a blade of grass, so why all that flip-flopping? Your pathetic streak was about to bore me to death."

    "Did I really?" Su-hyeun could only smile sheepishly at Sun Wukong, who still remained straightforward. Then, he suddenly began loosening his shoulder muscles, "You know, I was constantly fighting on the other side. But in reality, I haven''t moved a muscle for over a day, and I feel really sluggish at the moment, Third Brother."

    "What, you wanna start fighting right away?"

    "Yes. So can I ask a favor, Third Brother?"

    Snap, crack¡ª

    Su-hyeun cracked his joints and loosened his neck muscles while locking his gaze in a certain direction, "Can you leave us for a bit?"

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    A spot near the two men suddenly distorted. Almost at the same time, a familiar handsome man walked out of the doorway created by the folded space.

    It was Osiris.

    "Will it be fine, though?" Sun Wukong asked in a worried voice while glaring at Osiris.

    He wasn''t asking about whether Su-hyeun could win or not.

    Sun Wukong heard about Set''s story, Su-hyeun''s very first past life. That was why he couldn''t help but worry about whether Su-hyeun could properly fight against Osiris or not.

    Contrary to his worries, Su-hyeun simply nodded, looking quite composed. Sun Wukong faltered for a little bit, but eventually, he summoned a cloud and jumped on top of it.

    And so, after Sun Wukong''s figure disappeared from view...

    "You don''t want to be interrupted, right?"

    His voice entered Su-hyeun''s ears.

    "In that case, I''ll make sure no one interrupts you¡ªwhether it''s Buddha or that blonde idiot Thor, no exceptions.

    What a dependable ally Sun Wukong was, as expected of him.

    Su-hyeun smirked and nodded in silence.

    That should be enough as a reply. Sure enough, Sun Wukong stopped chatting to him as well.

    "Are you two done talking now?" Osiris asked while looking up at the cloud where Sun Wukong''s figure had disappeared. "That was entirely pointless, though. Even if he didn''t offer to do it, I wouldn''t have allowed anyone else to interfere, anyway."

    It seemed that he had eavesdropped on the Voice Transmission between Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong.

    "What, are you thinking of bringing out your small fries this time, too?" The glare in Su-hyeun''s eyes and the way he talked suddenly transformed.

    That prompted Osiris to look back at Su-hyeun again. He observed the latter''s sharply rising brows and smirked deeply, "So, you have returned to your old self, my friend."

    "Friend... right, we were once friends."

    But that was nothing more than a tale from the ancient past.

    Set was undoubtedly one of Su-hyeun''s past. His ideals and his philosophy were definitely a part of Su-hyeun''s memories. Even Set''s emotions were part of him, too.

    However, Su-hyeun managed to defeat all of Set''s desires and resentment in the end. The memories were still there, but his mind was already made up on what he wanted to do.

    "So, how about it? Have you come to a decision yet?"

    Osiris still hadn''t heard Su-hyeun''s reply.

    The answer was already set in stone, though.

    Su-hyeun flipped his middle finger at Osiris.

    "Hm?"

    "Eat sh*t, as*hole."

    Osiris had no idea what raising a middle finger meant, but he could more or less figure it out by looking at Su-hyeun''s face or what he said.

    It couldn''t have been something nice. That''s for sure.

    "Hah!" Then Osiris suddenly began guffawing uncontrollably at Su-hyeun''s reply.

    Buzz, brr, brrrrr¡ª

    His laughter caused the land to quake just as uncontrollably as well.

    It was as if he and the land below had become one. Not just one person, but hundreds, thousands¡ªno¡ªhundreds of thousands seemed to be laughing together with him.

    Osiris laughed for a long while before bending over to hold his aching belly. He raised his head and, with tearful eyes, stared straight at Su-hyeun''s face, "Although you''re slightly different, no doubt, you are still my old friend."

    Set''s personality was noticeably different from Su-hyeun''s. Still, it was also true that Set''s personality was gradually bubbling back up to the surface after running into Osiris.

    That was what Osiris found so puzzling right now. "But how can this be? The Set I know... You are not someone who''d forgive the world no matter what."

    "You see, this thing called desire is a monster with thoughts and emotions."

    It was a simple enough explanation.

    "So, I brought them together and killed them. All of them."

    "Is that so?"

    That explanation was enough to make Osiris realize that Su-hyeun had completely defeated his desires.

    The experiences and memories of Set remained. Even the way he spoke and his mannerisms all remained, too. However, his hatred and desire to destroy the world were gone for good.

    That wasn''t Set''s choice but Su-hyeun''s.

    "Alright. I accept it. Indeed, you''re a little different from the friend that I remember."

    "It''s the same story for you, being different from what I remember." Su-hyeun also had something to ask, "Just what happened to you, anyway?"

    "Oh, that? Doesn''t concern you," Osiris waved his hand around.

    The color of the surroundings changed according to his hand movement. Even though the light had not been blocked off, deep darkness materialized. This darkness could exert physical force, and it began restricting Su-hyeun''s body.

    "It seems that working together is definitely off the table now, I guess," Osiris replied, implying that he didn''t want to reveal the truth.

    And to learn all about it, it sounded like Su-hyeun needed to get violent from now on.

    "You''re right."

    Splat¡ª!

    Right at that moment, Su-hyeun''s sword cleanly cleaved apart the darkness around him in a single strike.

    That was the swordsmanship Set used in the ancient past.

    "We can never work together."

    "Ahaha!" Osiris guffawed briefly at the swordsmanship that made him briefly recall the past.

    Set''s visage seemed to be overlapping Su-hyeun''s face just then. Even though their facial features were not even remotely the same, they still had the same expressions and eyes right at this moment as he glared at Osiris.

    However, the current situation was the exact opposite of what happened in the past.

    Set, who used to hate the world and wished for its destruction, now occupied Osiris''s old role.

    Meanwhile, Osiris, who used to love the world and wished to protect it, came to understand Set''s viewpoint.

    "Both of you... Although things are not the same anymore..." Osiris spread his arms open. "I still want to congratulate you for coming back, old friend."

    The moment he said those words...

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª!

    The one thousand hells revealed themselves once more up in the sky.

 Chapter 505 - 505

    "Gee whiz, so dang noisy," Sun Wukong lightly tutted, displeased.

    The sky turned pitch-black in an instant and began cracking apart once more. From the cracks, all those Predators that had vanished along with Osiris after the earlier battle began revealing themselves once more.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    A loud thunder cracked from the side.

    Su-hyeun hadn''t created that thunder, though. Unlike his lightning bolts that mostly had an orange-golden hue, this lightning had a striking blue hue.

    "You''re late, dummy," said Sun Wukong.

    "The war ended not too long ago, yet here they come again." The one that appeared along with the crack of thunder was none other than Thor. He wielded Mj?lnir in one hand, his eyes scanning the ground below. "Is Osiris down there?"

    "Yeah. But don''t try to butt in, okay?"

    Thor looked puzzled by what Sun Wukong said just then.

    Osiris was an enemy even Odin found challenging to contend with. When dealing with such an opponent, the correct choice would be for everyone to work together.

    "Well, it''s complicated, okay? In any case! If you try to butt in, I''m gonna stop you myself, right here and now." Sun Wukong sounded genuine.

    He certainly had enough strength to do that, too.

    No matter how strong Thor was, he wasn''t quite strong enough to handle Sun Wukong. Not only that but now wasn''t the time for them to bicker.

    From Thor''s perspective, who was trying to rebuild Asgard and lead it in the future, he desperately needed the assistance of both Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong.

    "Very well. I''ll let it go for now."

    "Good thinking, bud. Hey, you''re smarter than you look."

    "Ku-hum. As the new ruler of Asgard, this level of wisdom is obviously expected of me." Thor stood straighter and prouder at the throwaway praise.

    Sun Wukong stared at Thor, his eyes displaying how unimpressed he was by the God of Thunder, then he silently shook his head.

    Kkiiiaaaaahk¡ª!

    The screeches of the incoming Predators broke their brief bantering.

    These monsters were creatures that desired more power but lost their intelligence in the process.

    Sun Wukong looked up at these Predators, "Here they come."

    Poof, poof, poof¡ª!

    Dozens of clones materialized all around Sun Wukong next.

    Controlling hundreds of clones at once was taxing for his stamina and mental strength, but only a few dozen would be a cinch.

    "Extend, Ru¡ª"

    "Hold on," Thor suddenly grabbed Sun Wukong''s shoulder.

    Sun Wukong was about to mess up the battlefield with his trusty Ruyi Jingu Bang, so he could only crumple his expression in irritation while shooting a glare in Thor''s direction.

    "I''d like to handle that particular one by myself."

    "That one?" Sun Wukong followed Thor''s glare and turned his head to look, "Uhm, which one are you even talking about? There are more than one or two here, you know?"

    The spot they were looking at was teeming with so many Predators that it was basically impossible to count them all.

    Thor mulled over his reply for a bit before explaining himself, "To put it simply, it''s the strongest one out of them."

    "Aha! Then, it has to be that one over there."

    The strongest one of them¡ªthat description helped Sun Wukong spot a certain creature among the Predators. For sure, this one really did stand out from the rest.

    It was a male humanoid with a pair of golden eyes and two horns, his skin remarkably pale.

    In one hand, he wielded a staff while in the other, a sphere of some kind about the size of a child''s head. This being emitted an unparalleled presence and aura even among the Predators.

    "His name is Loki."

    "Loki?"

    "And he''s my little brother."

    "Say what?" Sun Wukong, looking visibly stunned, stared at the man with two horns¡ªthe one Thor pointed out as his brother.

    Indeed, Loki''s glare, which was locked on Thor, could not be described as simple at all. It was quite difficult to believe that they were actually brothers, and that glare contained tangible killing intent.

    "I''m getting a feeling that you two don''t have a brotherly relationship?"

    "Worse than with complete strangers, actually. That fool tried to stab our father in the back but failed. After running away, he went under the wing of Osiris."

    "Hmph! I never had a father. Still, I can already tell what kind of relationship you have with him."

    Sun Wukong cared deeply about his brotherhood, his family, more than anyone out there. That was why he couldn''t exactly understand the emotions involved in a case like this one.

    However, that didn''t mean he hadn''t experienced a similar circumstance before.

    "Well, it didn''t involve my parents, but I do have a similar experience to yours."

    He recalled the Snub-nosed Monkey Spirit King, Sun Wukong''s other brother who murdered his own brethren and ran away, only to die and disappear altogether.

    Thinking about him made Sun Wukong''s heart ache a little even now. That was why he could understand how Thor felt, at least a little bit.

    "Okay, got it. Your family affairs aren''t something I should interfere with."

    "I''m grateful that you understand."

    "Hmm, that means only the small fries are left, huh?" Sun Wukong groaned at length as if he felt deflated.

    Osiris was Su-hyeun''s opponent, while Thor was going to deal with Loki, which left Sun Wukong with the other no-name Predators.

    "Well, then, one more time!" Sun Wukong roared together with his clones. "Extend, Ruyi!"

    * * *

    Baaaang¡ª!

    A loud noise came from the outside.

    The darkness didn''t seem to block off the external noise. Even the view up ahead was still visible, too.

    "So, this isn''t the Dark World..."

    Su-hyeun reached out and grabbed air.

    This fluffy sensation was being "sucked" into his grip. When he opened his hand, the darkness in his grip scattered away like smoke.

    "Is it like darkness in its purest form?"

    What a strange ability this was.

    Osiris''s abilities that Set remembered differed quite a bit from whatever this was.

    Osiris was an excellent magician and easily the best sorcerer there was. However, he definitely was no dark magician capable of manipulating darkness like this.

    The thing was, though, magic that utilized darkness as the basic element, like the Dark World, for instance, belonged to the school of dark magic.

    Then again, it would be nearly impossible to command the darkness to this degree with just dark magic. Maybe this was a combination of some kind of sorcery and dark magic.

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    Right at that moment, darkness began crashing down on Su-hyeun''s body.

    But it wasn''t as if gravity had suddenly increased. The darkness that shouldn''t have any weight began possessing actual, physical weight like ocean water.

    Right now, the darkness seemed to have transformed into the Ocean of Inner Demons.

    "If so..." Su-hyeun raised the sword he had in his grip. "It makes so much easier to cut it down, then."

    Shu-aaahk¡ª!

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything - Ocean Divider]

    Splaaaaat¡ª!

    Now that the darkness became "material," cutting it down became so much easier. He no longer needed to use Insight to find its Gyeol or spend a whole lot of magical energy to search for its "main" body.

    "Besides, the thing about darkness is..."

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Pazik, pazzzik¡ª

    A huge Thunderbolt was now being gripped by Su-hyeun''s other hand.

    "It always loses to the light, you know?"

    He fired the Thunderbolt straight into the darkness.

    FLASH¡ª!

    SMACK¡ª!

    A long line of energy was drawn in the air to match the path of the Thunderbolt. At the end of this line was Osiris''s head.

    "You said that to me, didn''t you, Osiris?"

    "You still remember that?"

    "I couldn''t forget even if I wanted to due to how bloody corny it was."

    Osiris rubbed his face, which was struck by the Thunderbolt. He looked like someone who got hit on the face by a rock, not by a streak of lightning.

    He muttered quietly, "Indeed, darkness will get erased by the light."

    It was obvious logic, really. Despite knowing this all too well, Osiris still chose to walk the path of dark magic.

    "However, darkness will devour the light in the end. I learned of this inescapable truth in the netherworld."

    Riiip¡ª!

    The space ripped open once more.

    This new opening in the darkness was about 10 meters in diameter. It also looked quite different from all the other gateways leading to one thousand hells where Predators were pouring out from.

    No, this one was connected to somewhere a little deeper.

    Krrrk, krrrr¡ª

    Creak, crack¡ª

    A head that slowly revealed itself in the opening eerily resembled a tree.

    This "tree" with eyes and nose limply jiggled about as if acid was melting it down. Its outer shape constantly shifted almost every second as Su-hyeun stared at it.

    At one time, it looked like a tree, then it looked like a humanoid with a zombie-like visage. But some other times, it even resembled a dokkaebi.

    Su-hyeun instantly recalled its name after clapping his eyes on this bizarre creature, "A Hell Tree?"

    It was a monster that lived in the bottom of hell, at its deepest layer.

    This would be the first time Su-hyeun was learning that the creature''s existence was real. Until now, Set didn''t believe that the Hell Trees were a real thing.

    Funnily enough, it wasn''t Set but Osiris who argued that Hell Trees existed for real in the ancient past.

    "You never believed these creatures were real. However, I managed to find them."

    Crack, riiiip¡ª!

    Just as Osiris spoke up, more tears in space opened up. All of them were gateways leading to the lowest layer of hell.

    The Hell Trees appeared from every single one. Their numbers must''ve been easily over 50.

    "Now, behold! These are the monsters of the netherworld that you did not believe to be real."

    Krrrk, krrrrr¡ª!

    Kkyarrrk, kkyak¡ª

    Bizarre hisses and screeches rang out everywhere.

    These creatures all boasted visages horrifying enough to churn Su-hyeun''s stomach. None of these appearances was probably the Hell Tree''s real form.

    A Hell Tree was a monster found in the lowest depth of the netherworld.

    It used its opponent''s fears and imaginations as its fertilizer to grow bigger. That was how it could transform its appearance, too.

    Meaning, this creature didn''t have a fixed form, making it a genuinely terrifying existence.

    Regular people would''ve been crushed to death by their fears from simply running into a single Hell Tree.

    "Wow, so they are real, after all," Su-hyeun scanned the 50 or so Hell Trees.

    The closer they got, the larger their sizes seemed to grow. Actually, it wasn''t a visual trickery of them looking bigger because they had gotten closer. No, they were really getting larger.

    Soon enough, the Hell Trees had gotten several times larger than when they first appeared. They were now as large as a small apartment building.

    Su-hyeun was surrounded by such monsters, but he simply beckoned with his hand dismissively, "Come get some, then."

    [Provocation]

    Kyaaahk¡ª!

    The Hell Trees couldn''t do anything to Su-hyeun but growl menacingly since Osiris hadn''t issued a command yet. However, they suddenly let out monstrous screeches.

    Every single one of them within Su-hyeun''s view had been caught in the range of his Provocation.

    However, Osiris didn''t try to stop the Hell Trees even after they had fallen for the Provocation. He was obviously thinking of testing out Su-hyeun''s strength through these monsters.

    And as soon as the Hell Trees pounced...

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª!

    Riiiiip¡ª!

    The body of a Hell Tree was ripped apart into dozens and hundreds of chunks. Instead of being sliced apart, it was far closer to being ripped apart mercilessly.

    "Blow them away..."

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Su-hyeun finished lightly swinging his sword, then infused the divine Flame into the weapon next. "Palm Leaf!"

    [Palm Leaf - Flame]

    KWA-AAAAAHT¡ª!

    Storm winds that exploded from the sword, permeating with intense heat, crashed into the surroundings and utterly ripped everything apart.

    This was the combination of Palm Leaf and the divine Flame.

    Winds and fire had this synergistic effect of enhancing each other. Winds helped the fire burn even hotter, while the fire infused even greater energy to storm winds.

    Just like that, several Hell Trees were ripped apart into pieces, their bodies catching fire. Even then, even as they got ripped apart and burned down to ashes, these monsters still tried to extend their hands toward Su-hyeun.

    "Well, they do have tenacious vitality. I''ll give you that."

    Pa-sususu¡ª

    The hands reaching out to him turned to ashes and scattered away. These creatures had already burned down to ashes but still forced themselves to move through their insanely tough vitality.

    "But as I thought, they are nothing much to write home about."

    In the end, that was all they amounted to.

    The Hell Trees were strong enough to worry Osiris of the ancient past, but now, they no longer posed any threat whatsoever¡ªat least, not to the current Su-hyeun.

    "Looks like I must increase the difficulty, then."

    Fifty or so Hell Trees weren''t enough to serve as a decent warm-up.

    This was definitely too inadequate to estimate the depths of Su-hyeun''s strength. Osiris pondered something for a bit before nodding, "I guess I should go with that one."

    Riiip¡ª

    Osiris opened a new gateway.

    What kind of creature would show up this time?

    Honestly speaking, Su-hyeun wasn''t interested at all.

    Just as Osiris was about to finish creating the doorway to the netherworld...

    "Stop summoning small fries, and¡ª"

    "Hm!"

    He was shocked by Su-hyeun''s voice that came from right in front of him. Osiris hurriedly leaned back.

    SMACK¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s blade slammed into Osiris''s chest and smashed him far away.

    "Start fighting yourself, you son of a b*tch!"

 Chapter 506 - 506

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    An opaque barrier materialized in front of Osiris''s chest.

    Rather, to be more precise, it had been protecting him for a very long time already¡ªjust that it had not received impact strong enough to reveal its presence until now.

    Drip¡ª

    A thin line of blood trickled down his chest from a minute nick there.

    He began thinking that he was getting injured rather often lately. Not too long ago, didn''t he even get impaled in the waist by Gungnir during his battle against Odin?

    "He injured me."

    In other words, his incredibly sturdy barrier¡ªsomething that could not be broken unless it was Gungnir that attacked him¡ªhad been broken through.

    Even if the injury itself was negligible, getting injured was still an indisputable fact, which meant he had to stay wary at all times now.

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    The opaque barrier began repairing itself.

    Soon, it lost all semblance of color and became completely transparent. As for his wound, it too recovered completely as if he never got injured in the first place.

    "Hmm, as expected. Not sure what happened just now, but¡ª?!"

    "But this."

    SMACK¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s sword came smashing down to slice Osiris''s midriff.

    The loud smack came from Osiris''s barrier, which was now even thicker than before. This barrier, crafted through the combination of witchcraft and magic, was tougher than any protective spell Su-hyeun had attacked before.

    Slice¡ª!

    Even so, such a barrier failed to ward off Su-hyeun''s blade completely.

    Yet another wound was inflicted on Osiris, whose eyes grew slightly wider at that. He muttered as his eyes barely kept up with Su-hyeun taking another swing with his sword, "But how?"

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Winds were blowing.

    Just as Osiris sensed the gentle winds that brushed past his cheek and urgently turned his head...

    SMACK¡ª!

    Snick¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s blade smashed into Osiris''s face, leaving behind a nick on his cheek.

    [Palm Leaf - Storm Blade]

    Clang, claaaaang¡ª!

    Slice, snick, sliiiice¡ª!

    The attacks came from front to back, left and right, and even above.

    Every single strike was not performed with a simple sword swing, either. Just as Osiris thought he was getting used to the strike''s speed or angle, Su-hyeun switched it up and attacked from a completely different direction or with unpredictable changes in his swordsmanship.

    The storm-like sword strikes coming in from every direction caused various wounds to appear on Osiris''s figure. They might have been minor nicks, but when there were dozens¡ªno¡ªhundreds of them, his overall blood loss would inevitably spiral dangerously out of control.

    Not only that...

    Splutter¡ª

    Osiris hurriedly clamped down on his wounded waistline.

    "The injuries are getting deeper!" he realized.

    Initially, these wounds were as shallow as paper cuts. However, with time, they got deeper and heavier. Now, they were around half a handspan deep¡ªdeep enough even to cut off.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Osiris''s hand shot out to his front. Right that the next second, Su-hyeun''s face appeared before his extended hand.

    Po-po-pow¡ª!

    Bang, boomboomboomboom¡ª!

    Magic circles materialized one after the other in the path of Su-hyeun''s movement, causing a chain of powerful explosions. He avoided those spots that Osiris''s hand was pointing at, then instead of his sword, wielded the spear on his left hand.

    Pazzzzik¡ª!

    It was a gigantic spear well over a dozen meters long.

    [Grand Thunderbolt]

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    The moment he fired the Thunderbolt, it disappeared with a trace. Osiris, hands rapidly moving around, had predicted the flight path of the attack and acted first. That was why.

    "If you''re going to stick to the same tactic, then¡ª!"

    Pazik, pazzzzik¡ª!

    For sure, Su-hyeun had been using the same tactic, but that didn''t mean the "number" would remain the same.

    "In that case, why don''t you try to stop them all?"

    Pazzzzzziiii¡ª!

    As if to answer Su-hyeun''s hand gesture, countless lightning bolts fell from the heavens to hover in the air.

    Every single one of them boasted a similar size to the Grand Thunderbolt he had fired just now.

    [Rain of Grand Thunderbolt]

    Rumble, boom, ka-boom¡ª!

    BOOOOOM¡ª!

    Osiris quickly spread his arms as the lightning bolts rained down from the air.

    He poured out his power to barely defend himself, but he was having a harder time keeping up. No matter how diligently he protected himself with layers upon layers of magic and witchcraft, he knew that getting struck wouldn''t end with just a few little nicks and scratches.

    But then...

    "Where are you looking?"

    "What?"

    That voice came from somewhere below.

    Osiris quickly looked down, and that was when he discovered Su-hyeun down there, holding the sword in reverse and getting ready to leap.

    [The Slaughter of the Ascending Dragon]

    For a very brief moment there, Osiris saw a dragon.

    Just like how an Imoogi earned its wings to become a dragon and ascend to the heavens, Su-hyeun''s sword began cutting open Osiris''s torso upward.

    Slice¡ª

    Splaaaaat¡ª!

    A fountain of blood gushed upward.

    Osiris''s abdomen, throat, and even his head were all sliced up. It wasn''t bad enough to chop his entire body in half, but it also didn''t mean the injury was light.

    The wound was about half a handspan deep.

    However, the injured area, including his face and throat, was quite extensive. Osiris couldn''t help but stagger while stumbling back.

    "Kugh...!" Osiris touched his face and throat.

    He would need a lot of time to heal this level of injury. Despite continuing with a barrage of attacks persistent enough to leave anyone breathless, Su-hyeun didn''t display any hint of fatigue.

    This was completely different from when Osiris first met him not too long ago.

    Back then, he figured a potential conflict wouldn''t be that difficult to manage even if Su-hyeun wielded Gungnir, but now...

    "How cumbersome."

    Shu-ru-ruk¡ª

    Osiris muttered while generating a "spear" in the air.

    If the spear that Su-hyeun generated was concentrated lightning boasted of a light element, the spear Osiris had generated was concentrated darkness.

    And he didn''t generate just one spear.

    "I learned a pretty good technique from you. Should I thank you for that, I wonder?" Osiris retorted while raising his hand.

    At the same time, the darkness blanketing the surroundings transformed into the shapes of spears and began raining down on his opponent.

    [Shower of Darkness]

    Splash, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s figure rapidly darted around to evade the dark spears that rained down like a sudden deluge. If one came in an unavoidable angle, he deflected it with his sword.

    "That''s fairly heavy," he thought.

    Each dark spear that was raining down contained a considerable force.

    Also, the magic containing a dark element caused strong corrosive power similar to a potent toxin to rapidly spread if you got unlucky enough to get hit by one. Getting hit with it somewhere on his body would undoubtedly render that body part crippled.

    "Dodging and deflecting won''t get me anywhere."

    This was the same as what he did to Osiris earlier. Unfortunately for him, the roles had reversed now.

    "Can''t be helped, I guess."

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun reached behind him.

    Smack. Pow¡ª

    He allowed a few of the spears to hit him.

    It wasn''t as if he was too weak to withstand a few blows anyway. For the sake of landing an even bigger blow, he had to suck it up for now.

    Grip¡ª

    His foot powerfully slammed into the ground, and then...

    "One, two...!"

    Pazik, paazzzzzik¡ª!

    He poured a huge amount of lightning current into Gungnir.

    The azure electrical charge danced around the spear along with the orange-gold electricity. An image of a dragon floated up in an instant, too.

    FLASH¡ª!

    [Gungnir - Miru]

    FWHOOOOSH¡ª!

    "Hm?"

    A path was made before him. The path itself wasn''t that wide. It was created when the dark spears that were raining down over Su-hyeun''s head temporarily came to a stop.

    It was the path of Gungnir''s trajectory.

    A part of Osiris''s abdomen was blown away. He hurriedly grabbed his torso with a large hole and wobbled from the impact force. "Euh...!"

    Swhoooosh, grab¡ª!

    Gungnir flew back and landed within Su-hyeun''s waiting hand. Then, he powerfully dashed toward Osiris.

    THUD¡ª!

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s hands were now wielding Gungnir. This weapon was far closer to a throwing spear, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t wield it like a regular spear.

    "Fuu-heuph¡ª!"

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Crimson flames burned fiercely on the tip of Gungnir.

    He powerfully slammed the burning spear down on Osiris''s head.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    RUMBLE, BOOM¡ª!

    Osiris urgently raised his hand.

    Blood continued to pour out from his waist. He had no choice but to use his power without any time to mind his injuries.

    "Kugh...!"

    "Alright. Now..."

    Su-hyeun''s arm muscles bulged.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    [Wave Spear - Explosion Style]

    "Time to break it down."

    Crack, split¡ª!

    The flames intensified, causing various cracks to appear on the barrier generated through Osiris''s raised hand.

    CLANG¡ª!

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Along with the intense flames burning down, Osiris''s figure was chopped apart in half. At the same time, black "scales" fell off him as if he was shedding a layer of dead skin.

    Creak, rip¡ª

    The chopped body parts began reattaching themselves.

    Su-hyeun glared at Osiris, already fully restored and grabbing onto the weapon''s shaft, "Just how many lives¡ª?"

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    A green light suddenly flashed all around Osiris.

    Baaang¡ª!

    Ku-rurururuk¡ª

    The green light poured out to pound on Su-hyeun''s figure. In response, Su-hyeun surrounded himself with a layer of clouds. Still, he got forced far back by the assault of the green energy.

    Nonetheless, he kept his glare locked on Osiris, "I said, how many lives have devoured so far?"

    "It''s rather difficult to count, actually," Osiris muttered while holding the wound on his waist with one hand. His other hand rubbed the sword wound on his head and torso. "It''s been so long, you see."

    "You have clad yourself in various lives, it seems."

    "Life" was the mysterious power that allowed an existence to breathe and live.

    An existence could only have one life. A dead heart would not start to pound again, and a cold corpse would not suddenly regain its warmth¡ªthere were no such things.

    However, Osiris was going against the natural order of things.

    He had added countless other lives to his own life, turning them into protective shields.

    "Compared to Third Brother''s Godhood of Immortality, it''s nothing to write home about, but... Yeah, it''s going to get rather troublesome, isn''t it?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Sun Wukong possessed an unkillable physical body and soul. That was one of the godhood he possessed. From how Master Subhuti explained it in passing, only a handful of beings in the whole universe seemed to have godhood with similar properties.

    "Having several lives, huh?" Su-hyeun picked up Gungnir once more while muttering to no one in particular, "I guess that means I''ll have to kill them all."

    * * *

    Whoosh¡ª!

    "Hm!"

    Osiris''s eyes shot wide because of a dull impact force on his head he failed to notice until then.

    Smaaaash¡ª!

    Fwhooooosh¡ª

    Yet another impact landed on his chest, forcing his whole figure to be flung high into the air. Su-hyeun''s blade pierced through the barrier wrapped around Osiris''s body, leaving even more sword wounds.

    This time, the strike was accurately aimed at Osiris''s heart.

    Shu-rururu...

    Another soul was sucked out of Osiris''s body. He had clad himself in countless souls and lives, but dealing with every single impact was consuming quite a lot of those lives.

    "He has suddenly gotten faster," Osiris thought.

    Su-hyeun was so fast now that Osiris could no longer keep his eyes on him.

    Su-hyeun already possessed enough power to rival the gods of the Five Godly Sages tier. His growth rate was so alarmingly fast that even Osiris had to keep a wary eye on him. Still, this was simply too fast even for him.

    His speed had gotten faster by another realm.

    Not only that, but his destructive power had also improved, rendering all the barriers around Osiris''s body meaningless at this point.

    "Where are you looking at?"

    Whoosh¡ª

    That voice came from behind Osiris.

    Land¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s palm pressed against Osiris''s back.

    Rumble¡ª

    Boom, ka-booooom¡ª!

    The undying crimson flames lit up Osiris''s figure. He staggered from the explosions, then quickly flew up high in the air. He roused up his power to get rid of the flames.

    "Kugh..."

    He felt pain in his flesh akin to being cooked alive.

    Just as he tried to navigate through the intense pain, Osiris spotted a streak of light flying in from a distance.

    In the next second...!

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Gungnir flew right past Osiris''s head, missing him by a hair''s breadth. The weapon initially targeted his heart, but he managed to cast a spell in the nick of time to alter the spear''s trajectory.

    Swiiiish¡ª

    Grab¡ª

    Gungnir returned to Su-hyeun''s grip.

    He lightly spun around the heavy spear with one hand, then got ready to throw it again by grabbing it in the appropriate section of the spear shaft. But then, a smirk suddenly appeared on his face, "Ah, so that''s how it was."

    He realized that Osiris''s response had been the same during his intense, unrelenting barrage of attacks.

    He lightly shook around Gungnir and asked, "You''re scared of this, aren''t you?"

 Chapter 507 - 507

    Osiris did not reply.

    A bout of silence descended between the two¡ªone that felt a little too long for a fierce battle.

    But that response of Osiris only helped reaffirm Su-hyeun''s thoughts. "So, I was right."

    "Haha..." Osiris sheepishly extended both of his hands to his front. "Why don''t we stop this, old friend?"

    He was requesting a ceasefire. Now that wasn''t like Osiris at all.

    "Stop what exactly?"

    "There''s no need for us to fight like this, no? I mean, considering our history and all."

    "Yeah, you have changed a lot. You used to be such an inflexible idiot back then."

    "I can say the same about you, too."

    "That''s right. At least you understand."

    Gi-gigik¡ª

    Su-hyeun assumed the spear-throwing posture once more. "That''s why this is my answer."

    "Hah¡ª" Osiris sighed dramatically. "Well, I knew you''d be like that."

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    Magic circles began materializing all around Su-hyeun.

    These weren''t black but green circles.

    Since from the ancient past, Osiris used the "green" hues to symbolize himself. It was also the unique color of his magic.

    "I knew, but that doesn''t make it any less unfortunate, you see."

    Snap¡ª

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    In that flicker of a moment, the whole world was dyed in the vibrant green light.

    KWA-AAAH, Ku-gugugugu¡ª!

    The heaven and earth powerfully shook around. Thousands¡ªno¡ªtens of thousands of magic circles were casting their magic all at the same time.

    Even Osiris could not see anything within the blinding explosion of green light.

    "Tsk," he tutted softly. "It''s too bad that we couldn''t work together in the end, old friend."

    "Sounds like you were being genuine about that."

    Su-hyeun''s voice came from within the noises of the raucous explosions.

    Osiris''s eyes shot wide open. Just as he hurriedly stared at where the voice was coming from...

    Whoosh¡ª

    Whoosh, whooooosh¡ª

    He saw Su-hyeun quickly spinning Gungnir in his hand.

    Despite staring at this scene with his own eyes, Osiris couldn''t believe it and gasped softly, "You blocked that?"

    Of course, Su-hyeun didn''t completely block everything.

    Burn marks of varying sizes pockmarked Su-hyeun''s figure, indicating that he couldn''t fully protect himself from the ripples of all those explosions.

    Osiris muttered, "You''re too much, old friend."

    "You''re the same, too," Su-hyeun retorted while sucking in a deep breath.

    A few thousand? No, there must''ve been well over a few tens of thousands of magic circles just now.

    Su-hyeun never imagined that it would be possible to activate so many magic circles at once. Even the Grand Wizard Arwen couldn''t activate more than 200 circles at once.

    Activating several magic circles simultaneously was similar to drawing several paintings simultaneously using just one brain.

    Having many hands didn''t automatically mean you could pull off such a feat. Maybe two or three paintings at once, sure, that might have been possible. But the more paintings you had to picture in your mind simultaneously, the more significant strain your brain would be under.

    But to think that Osiris could activate tens of thousands of magic circles, all of them boasting incredible destructive power. Not only that, but he didn''t even require a lot of time.

    "This must be the magic he used back when he fought against Buddha, Master Subhuti, and King Yama," Su-hyeun thought.

    These tens of thousands of magic circles weren''t unique or special, but they were all infused with killing power.

    Every single beam of green light shooting out from the circles possessed more than enough destructive power. Not even someone like Osiris would have found using this much energy in one attack an easy feat to pull off.

    "Since he started using such an attack, it could only mean¡ª" Su-hyeun abruptly broke into a grin after figuring out the meaning behind this magic. "He knows he''s being pushed into a corner."

    The fight had entered the second half¡ªno, wait¡ªit was about to enter the closing stage.

    Su-hyeun''s head quickly came up with new plans. He then used Insight to simulate all those plans one at a time.

    Although blurry, a future not too far from now floated up in his head, which unfolded in a rather somewhat similar manner to his plan.

    Attacking faster than his current speed was impossible. In that case, should he change the tempo by attacking slightly slower?

    "No. He still hasn''t gotten used to my speed even now."

    Here was the reason why Osiris barely managed to remain wary of Gungnir and not much else.

    Slowing down might not be the best idea, then.

    "But one''s speed isn''t the only way to change the tempo."

    What if he went in for a close-quarter fight but also mixed in a few long-range attacks now and then?

    It would become much more challenging for Osiris to locate Su-hyeun''s current position.

    His plan was now set. He had also discovered that Osiris''s weakness was Gungnir.

    "In that case..."

    Su-hyeun''s feet kicked the ground.

    [Leap]

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    He activated Leap to accelerate even faster. His figure rapidly closed in on Osiris.

    "Here I come."

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Right at that moment, countless magic circles materialized between Osiris and Su-hyeun. It was impossible to tell how many had appeared like the last time.

    Every one of these circles began shooting out energy beams powerful enough to blow mountains apart and split oceans in half.

    KWA-AAH¡ª!

    BOOM, KA-BOOM, BOOM¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s figure darted this way abruptly and that to evade the attacks.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    A single strand of energy brushed past his head, missing him by a hair''s breadth.

    A streak of cold sweat ran down his back as he glanced at the strand of energy. "It''ll get troublesome if I get hit by even one of those."

    Was this too much of a reckless gamble? Maybe he should''ve used brute strength to break through?

    "No," Su-hyeun reminded himself to strengthen his resolve. "I shall continue with this method."

    Dodge everything.

    The future he saw through Insight should not be false. He should trust not just what he saw through Insight but also his own five senses, including his eyes.

    It wasn''t on the level of something completely impossible to dodge, after all.

    "Those that I can''t dodge, I''ll just deflect them away."

    Pazzzzik¡ª

    While evading the green energy rays, Su-hyeun gripped a spear.

    [Thunderbolt]

    Azure arcs of lightning condensed into the spear in his hand.

    And the moment he hurled it at his target...

    "Hm!"

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    A streak of light came down, causing Osiris to flinch.

    A green aura enveloped his entire figure in the blink of an eye. The Thunderbolt failed to break through this barrier and scattered mid-air completely.

    But that result only sowed more confusion in Osiris''s mind.

    "That wasn''t¡ª?"

    The last part of his muttering was too soft and got buried under the surrounding noise, but Su-hyeun''s hearing caught it anyway.

    That wasn''t Gungnir?

    Osiris''s confusion made sense, however.

    Su-hyeun had changed the hue of his regular Thunderbolt to mimic the energy coming from Gungnir.

    Su-hyeun thought, "This level of control isn''t hard to manage, but..."

    Pazzzik¡ª

    Su-hyeun gripped yet another Thunderbolt in his hand.

    "But making a call in the blink of an eye should still be difficult even for you."

    FLASH¡ª!

    That Thunderbolt was hurled at his target again.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The explosion noise of the Thunderbolt resounded.

    The rays of light spread out with Osiris in the center. The noises and the impact force were indeed loud enough, but he still managed to defend against the attack regardless.

    He had enveloped himself in the green energy barrier once more.

    But that was precisely what Su-hyeun wanted.

    After all, that energy barrier was too much of an overkill to block something as simple as a "mere" Thunderbolt.

    "Trying to determine whether it''s Gungnir or a regular Thunderbolt with just a flash of light... That''s your weakness."

    The moment Osiris became aware of Gungnir''s entrance into this battle, Su-hyeun figured out what his opponent''s weakness was. Then, he mapped out a way to defeat said opponent by exploiting that weakness.

    Until not too long ago, Osiris allowed most of Su-hyeun''s attacks to land to some extent. It was as if he didn''t care about losing a few lives. He seemed to be prioritizing the preservation of his energy reserve as much as possible during the battle instead.

    That was precisely what Osiris wanted about how this fight should unfold.

    But now, the initiative of this battle had shifted over to Su-hyeun instead.

    "You want to keep fighting long-range, is that it?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Pazzzik¡ª

    Su-hyeun created several more azure lightning spears, but he also made a few orange-golden spears among them.

    "Did you think I can''t play along, old friend?"

    * * *

    "Dammit..."

    Rather uncharacteristically for him, Osiris muttered an expletive.

    He didn''t seem to care who was listening. That expletive contained both his current thoughts and raw emotions, indicating how turbulent Osiris felt right now.

    It also expressed how anxious he was feeling.

    "Just when is it coming?!"

    Sometimes it came half a beat slower than his energy ray, sometimes faster.

    Never mind the direction; even the tempo varied greatly. Suppose you were a human, a god¡ªno¡ªan existence that could think, you would have established some fixed habit. Yet that did not exist here.

    To put it in another way, Su-hyeun had calculated everything that was happening right now.

    As such, Osiris could not predict anything and had to remain deeply tense at all times.

    Pazik¡ª!

    Here it comes!

    Bang¡ª!

    It was another fake this time.

    The attack was made with azure lightning, but Gungnir wasn''t involved.

    However, Osiris was neither relieved nor rueful. No, he was grinding his teeth right now in frustration at Su-hyeun, who was responsible for setting this stage.

    "Dammit!"

    He swore again.

    There just wasn''t enough time for him to see the azure color and determine whether that was Gungnir or not.

    To do that, he absolutely required a thought process and reflexes faster than a ray of light. Unfortunately, he didn''t meet that condition. More correctly, not just Osiris but everyone else would be in the same situation as him.

    The moment one sees the light?

    How long would that light take to reach Osiris''s position after being seen?

    It would probably be too short to explain in simple words. Indeed, the time would be so indescribably brief that even if he managed to react the moment he saw the light, it would be cutting it real close.

    As such, when dealing with light-based magic, one was supposed to look at the opponent''s behavioral pattern, the hand movement, or the eye direction to dodge.

    But now...

    "Where is it coming from this time?"

    Su-hyeun disappeared from Osiris''s view over and over again.

    Whenever Osiris thought he had finally located Su-hyeun, the latter would disappear again only to close the distance between them and take a swing with his sword or Gungnir.

    Just like...

    Sliiice¡ª!

    Now.

    Thuuuud¡ª!

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s sword, hacking down from behind Osiris, was blocked mid-air. The blade was being pushed back little by little.

    It was stopped by Osiris''s hand that accurately reached out to meet the descending blade.

    Snick, slice¡ª

    Several nicks appeared on Osiris''s face. The winds condensed on Su-hyeun''s blade were the culprits.

    "You aimed for my back again," Osiris said, his lips curling upward a little. "Directly attacking me is meaningless. Shouldn''t you have learned that by now?"

    "Of course, I know."

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    Buzz¡ª

    The blade couldn''t dig in any lower toward Osiris''s figure because the power of magic transmitted through Osiris''s hand was simply too strong.

    Su-hyeun didn''t have enough wherewithal to chop that apart with brute strength alone. The prior sneak attacks¡ªrepeated several times by now¡ªconfirmed this fact for him more than anything else.

    "This is the ''Perfect Barrier of Exclusion.'' The sorcery you always have surrounded yourself with."

    The Perfect Barrier of Exclusion was the name of the sorcery technique that Osiris learned and practiced since ancient times to protect his physical body.

    This ability allowed him to observe and sense everything happening within a few meters around him like the back of his hand. He could even expand it to dozens of meters if he wanted to.

    This was the reason why Osiris could survive Set''s sneak attack all those years ago.

    "Oh, so you do remember it. Or is it more like you remembered it only now?"

    "It''s neither."

    "It''s not? What then? You attacked me like a fool despite knowing the truth? Betting everything on blind luck?"

    "Not luck, but..."

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun strengthened his grip on the sword as he replied, "It''s true that I was aiming for a single opening."

    "What?"

    "You sure are still slow-witted, aren''t you?"

    "What are you even¡ª?"

    Only then did Osiris realize something.

    Su-hyeun was talking to him right now in close proximity, but crucially, his back was empty. He wasn''t carrying anything there.

    "Where is Gungnir...?!" he thought in alarm.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Osiris''s head urgently spun upward.

    But by then, it was already too late.

    Pazzik, pazzzzzik¡ª

    Kyaaaa-aaah¡ª

    Up in the sky high above his head...

    While the speartip was accurately pointing at the top of Osiris''s head, a small dragon made purely out of the azure lightning was wrapped around the weapon''s shaft called Gungnir.

    The moment his eyes landed on the speartip, Osiris couldn''t help but mutter, "I''m done for."

 Chapter 508 - 508

    Currently buried inside thick fluffy clouds, Sun Wukong was treating his surroundings like some ocean to float around on lazily.

    "Aaargh, seriously..." He then rubbed the back of his hand while muttering in irritation, "I was having so much fun, so what the heck was up with that interference just now?"

    A beam of green energy flew out of nowhere and smacked him in the head, causing him to fly far, far away. But that wasn''t the only energy beam. Many more beams flew out without any warning to completely flip the battlefield''s situation on its head.

    The green rampage forced not just Thor and Loki to halt their fight, but even other Predators and Sun Wukong had to stop and be on standby for the time being.

    "Was that bastard, Osiris, responsible for this?"

    Su-hyeun didn''t use an ability like this.

    He displayed some magic talent, but that was nothing more than an ancillary ability to help him out occasionally. Indeed, his primary method of attack was using a sword and throwing a bunch of spears.

    Which meant that it had to be Osiris that fired all those green rays.

    "And he fired so many of them, too."

    Sun Wukong frowned while still feeling the numbness at the back of his head.

    He got hit only once, but the impact force was considerable enough to throw him so far away. He even hurriedly summoned some clouds to protect his head, too. Yet he still ended up in this state.

    The green beam was also too quick to dodge properly, while its power seemed a bit too much to block without him getting hurt.

    In the end, it was the same as attacks that were utterly impossible to block and dodge that rained down like crazy.

    "Little bro... Will he be alright?"

    Sun Wukong knew all too well that the tangled thread of fate belonging to the ancient past lives needed to be undone by the parties involved.

    Su-hyeun requested for it, after all. Sun Wukong, wanting to honor that request and show his trust in his little brother, chose to turn his attention away from Osiris.

    However, with things like this, he couldn''t help but worry.

    Even now, the battle between Su-hyeun and Osiris down on the ground was causing all sorts of explosions and ear-splitting noises to burst out.

    "Tsk." Still stuck in a dilemma, Sun Wukong smacked his lips and turned his head away.

    But right at that moment...

    Rustle¡ª!

    "Hul..."

    Sun Wukong shot back up to his feet and looked to his side, ceasing his lounging around on the cloud.

    Pazzik, pazzzzik¡ª

    He had spotted a particular spear floating in the air, with its shaft enveloped in azure lightning energy.

    Kkyaaaaah¡ª!

    It soon assumed an image of a dragon before rapidly descending to the ground below.

    * * *

    KA-RUUUMBLE¡ª!

    Pazzzziii, bzzzzzz¡ª

    Rumble...

    The azure lightning poured down below.

    The lightning currents condensed, then condensed some more, eventually resembling a massive azure pillar of light. In the middle of the pillar was Osiris, standing still as if he had become a magnet that was sucking in all those lightning currents.

    "Wow," Su-hyeun watched this scene unfold and exclaimed quietly to himself.

    This would be his first time witnessing such highly concentrated electrical currents on a massive scale. Even the Thunder Dragon Zeus used in the past shouldn''t have been this strong.

    This was the combined might of the thunder Zeus possessed, the Godhood of Sky, and the weapon crafted by Brahma and wielded by Odin until recently, Gungnir.

    "Even so, this is well beyond even my expectations."

    Su-hyeun worked hard to set up the stage just right to land this one shot.

    He held himself back from direct close quarter attacks, then tried to match Osiris''s pace by sticking primarily to ranged attacks instead.

    And the result of his patience was this.

    This might have been what he intended, but the destructive power on display felt several times greater than what he had anticipated.

    "Is this because of Gungnir''s effect?"

    The armament Gungnir was personally crafted by the Primordial God, Brahma.

    It might have been a weapon that symbolized Odin, but even so, the actual implication behind it was not what one would typically expect. After all, it was a weapon made by a Primordial God.

    Because of its origin, this weapon was bound to possess some extraordinary power, just like the divine artifacts Palm Leaf or the Somersault cloud that had existed since the beginning of time itself.

    But Gungnir seemed to possess an even greater killing power than Palm Leaf or the Somersault cloud.

    Pazik, bzzzz¡ª

    The azure currents slowly grew fainter.

    The electrical storm lasting for around 10 minutes receded, finally revealing Osiris''s figure from within.

    Bzzzik, sizzle...

    The remnants of azure currents sizzled, rising from his body like hot steam.

    Gungnir fell from the sky to impale him straight through the chest. His whole body was now charred black, making it almost impossible to tell whether it was an actual person or a lump of charcoal that happened to resemble a person.

    His state was indescribably wretched. Even so, Su-hyeun didn''t feel confident about Osiris''s death.

    "Is he really dead?"

    Osiris was the ruler of hell.

    King Yama continued to rule over many netherworlds despite experiencing several destructions and subsequent rebirths of the universe. But then, Osiris managed to take away one thousand hells from someone like that and ruled over them as his dominion.

    He was fundamentally on a different level compared to someone like Hades, who ruled over only one hell.

    Therefore, someone like that dying so quickly seemed rather unbelievable.

    Sure enough...

    Pa-sususu¡ª

    Crack, split...

    Starting from his head, Osiris''s charred body began to heal gradually.

    The burned skin regained its previous color while his hair grew to fill the charred and barren scalp.

    Only his clothing was not regenerated, leaving him buck-naked.

    "I... almost died just now," Osiris muttered before staring down at his chest. "But I guess I''m already half-dead?"

    "Looks like you can''t regenerate that?" Su-hyeun asked while staring at Osiris, who was busy regenerating his body except for his chest, where Gungnir was still impaling him.

    Osiris managed to heal himself to the point where he didn''t look injured at all¡ªother than Gungnir still impaling him in the chest, of course.

    No matter how many lives he exhausted, he couldn''t heal the fatal wound inflicted by Gungnir.

    "Indeed. You accurately pierced my heart. Your skill is quite commendable."

    "Since you can still talk, you must be feeling pretty good."

    "I''m glad that you think that way."

    Grab¡ª

    While retorting, Osiris grabbed Gungnir from his chest.

    Crimson blood began trickling down from Osiris''s wound as its shaft slightly moved around.

    He yanked the spear out and chucked it far into the air.

    Dribble...

    Quite a considerable quantity of blood poured out from his wound.

    The moment Osiris yanked Gungnir out, he wobbled and worked very hard to maintain his balance.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Grab¡ª!

    Gungnir flew back into Su-hyeun''s grasp once more.

    "Can you throw that again, I wonder?" Osiris suddenly asked. "Because it can''t be that easy even for you."

    Plop¡ª

    He then plopped down on the ground. Despite his whole body covered in cold sweat and blood and looking like a horror show at the moment, he was maintaining that permanent grin of his.

    "Even Odin could not throw that spear several times in a row. And let''s not forget, you didn''t directly throw the spear just now, too."

    "Don''t worry. I can throw it as many times as I want."

    "Well, even in my current condition, I can still dodge an ordinary thrown spear, you know. So the question is, can you accurately hit me?" Osiris pointed at his head. "Are you confident of hitting me, old friend?"

    Su-hyeun didn''t answer and simply furrowed his brow deeply.

    In all honesty, no, he wasn''t confident.

    He had to work pretty hard to make sure that Gungnir landed where he intended just now, and he had exhausted quite a lot of his energy in doing so.

    Throwing Gungnir just once required a surprising amount of stamina and energy.

    If he failed to end the battle even after throwing the spear several times, the one in trouble would have been him, not the other party.

    "Well, it''s not like I have no other avenues available, but..."

    He got this far already, so he wasn''t keen on taking another gamble.

    He couldn''t think of a reason to do so in the first place, "You''re already dying, anyway."

    "No. I won''t die from something on this level," Osiris only half-agreed with Su-hyeun''s assessment. "But I might need a long time to recover, that''s for sure."

    Regardless of what, it was certain that the balance had tilted in Su-hyeun''s favor.

    Osiris was grievously injured, his healing speed too slow to keep up. On the other hand, Su-hyeun wasn''t critically injured at all.

    He simply had exhausted most of his strength while his stamina had almost run out. A little bit of rest should be enough to recover from the fatigue of this level mostly.

    "I don''t think I''m the one in the tight spot, though?" Su-hyeun asked back, feeling a little confused.

    Since Osiris figured the situation out and brought it up first, he must''ve been analyzing the flow of the current events in a relatively composed mindset.

    But judging from how relaxed he sounded or acted just now, could it be that he had already come up with another scheme?

    It didn''t seem that way at the moment. Su-hyeun was continuously glaring at Osiris through Insight, but after getting impaled by Gungnir, the latter was not making any conscious movements.

    Osiris replied, "You''re right about that."

    "Have you given up or something?"

    "You were curious about what happened, weren''t you?" Osiris tried to continue the conversation.

    He was dragging things out.

    Although obvious, Su-hyeun would also benefit from this as his strength would recover in the meantime as well. He crossed his arms and made an expression that implied, "If you want to say something, go ahead."

    Osiris continued, "Do you still remember it, old friend?"

    "Remember what?"

    "How you and I ended up being worshiped as gods and when that happened, too."

    Su-hyeun mulled over Osiris''s question, but he couldn''t recall it properly.

    The only thing he remembered was...

    "Wasn''t it because we possessed different powers from everyone else?"

    That was the extent of it. That was all he could recall.

    Osiris and Set were two men born with extraordinary strength. They were extraordinary but also remarkably different from everyone else in the world¡ªmaybe other beings in countless many other dimensions even.

    That was why the two of them came to be known as gods. Afterward, the two friends began protecting other people as if they had become gods, too.

    "That''s right. Just because we were different from everyone else, just because we were much stronger... they called us gods. Even though they didn''t know what we looked like or what kind of powers we had."

    "Why are you suddenly bringing that up?"

    "But did you know?" Osiris''s eyes suddenly became bloodshot. "The ''god'' they had been talking about, in the end, it was no different from the ''monster'' in their heads."

    Su-hyeun listened on.

    "What those bastards wanted was an existence strong enough to protect them, a thing that could be used as a weapon. If you dared to show just a tiny bit different opinion from theirs, they would start labeling you as a monster, not a god."

    "Something like that happened to you?"

    "A large-scale conflict took place in the past," Osiris began talking about an incident from an ancient world that Set was unaware of. "Naturally, I tried to stop it. I believed that was my duty, after all."

    "Did you fail, then?" Despite knowing that it was not possible, Su-hyeun still asked back.

    That conflict probably didn''t start with the alliance of gods, and regular humans couldn''t have stopped Osiris, anyway.

    But the incoming reply wasn''t what Su-hyeun expected.

    "No, well, result-wise, I did stop them, but¡­"

    Result-wise, he said.

    He didn''t directly say yes or no. Meaning something problematic must''ve happened.

    "The two sides combined forces to kill me. How laughable that was. There I was, trying to protect both sides, yet they were trying to paint me as an evil deity or something."

    "Something like that really happened?"

    "That''s right. After that event, I began remembering your tale."

    Osiris and Set used to hold completely opposing ideals.

    But after that event, Osiris finally came to understand Set''s viewpoint. The viewpoint that this world was too corrupted to be protected anymore.

    "You asked me why I changed, didn''t you?"

    Shu-ruru¡ª

    Green energy began writhing ominously all around Osiris''s surroundings.

    "You''d have felt the same way if it was happening to you. Just because you were¡ª!"

    "You''re right."

    Whoooooosh¡ª

    Stab! Stabstabstabstab¡ª!

    Thousands of "spears" rained from the sky to slam into Osiris''s figure.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear - Spear Barrage]

    The spear bits ripped right through Osiris''s body, turning him into Swiss cheese. His aura that was trying to writhe instantly died down. Su-hyeun activated Earth Shrink Technique to appear right in front of Osiris.

    He then spoke up, "It would have been the same with me, sure. No, wait, if it were me, I''d have turned much sooner than you."

    "If so, why¡ª?"

    "If you are asking why I can''t sympathize with you, then, isn''t it too obvious?" Su-hyeun spat out a groan. "That''s because what happened to you is your business. I do feel sorry for you. I think you got a raw deal, but that''s about it."

    Su-hyeun stopped there, then raised Gungnir high up as if there was no more need to explain himself.

    "You already knew that, don''t you?"

    Swish¡ª!

    Osiris watched the tip of Gungnir rapidly closing in and recalled the words of certain someone.

    "Sorry about this, old friend. I feel sorry for you, and I think it''s not right, but that''s about it. I still can''t understand where you''re coming from."

    A somewhat familiar voice said those words.

    "I was the one that said those things, wasn''t I?"

    The moment Osiris finished recalling those words...

    CRUNCH¡ª!

    Gungnir''s shaft was thrust deep into Osiris''s skull.

    * * *

    Osiris''s vitality turned out to be incredibly tenacious.

    Despite Gungnir impaling his head, he was still alive. Sure, he was barely breathing, and his injuries were not healing due to Gungnir''s influence; the fact remained that he was still alive.

    Now that was incredible.

    Even though Su-hyeun restrained Osiris and impaled his head, to think that he was still breathing like this...

    "Wait, maybe this is for the better?"

    Su-hyeun''s goal was to either kill or incapacitate Osiris. Thinking about what he wanted to do after the battle, he supposed this result was better for him overall.

    Shu-wuk¡ª

    Su-hyeun reached out to Osiris''s head where blood was still gushing out.

    Bubble, sizzle¡ª

    The flowing blood suddenly began to boil over. Osiris''s blood had started reacting to Su-hyeun''s hand reaching out to it.

    "Sorry about this, but..."

    [Predation will now begin.]

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Osiris''s blood traveled past Su-hyeun''s fingertips and began dyeing his arm crimson.

    "It''s my win, old friend."

 Chapter 509 - 509

    Drip, drip...

    Blood dripped from the tip of Gungnir.

    As for Osiris, he was in such an awful shape that it was pretty hard to look at him without wincing. He now resembled an ancient dried-up mummy that might scatter into bits if a moderately strong wind blew.

    Su-hyeun couldn''t bear to keep looking, so he turned his head away.

    He felt confused about whether their connection was a good one or a bad one. They used to be the closest of close friends, only to become irreconcilable enemies, and now, they have come to understand each other''s positions better than anyone else out there.

    Even so, Su-hyeun still killed Osiris with his own hands, and then, the latter became a part of him.

    "Is it over now?"

    Su-hyeun looked up after hearing that question.

    Lying on top of a cloud resembling a comfy bed, Sun Wukong floated closer to the ground.

    Su-hyeun replied, "Yes. Most likely."

    "In that case, let''s go home and get some chow."

    "What about your end, Third Brother?"

    "Me? It''s done already."

    "Already?"

    Now that was quicker than expected.

    Sure, Su-hyeun''s battle against Osiris did take some time to finish. Even then, Sun Wukong''s opponents this time were countless Predators pouring out from one thousand hells.

    No matter how specialized Sun Wukong was in one versus many battles, no one would have anticipated for him to sweep away all those enemies by himself.

    "I guess Third Brother has also changed a great deal," Su-hyeun inwardly said.

    Sun Wukong received training from Buddha. He also received the final lesson from Master Subhuti.

    Thanks to their teachings, Sun Wukong''s Sage Arts had reached a far higher realm than ever before. However, that didn''t seem to be everything.

    "There''s another power at play here."

    After acquiring the Fiery Golden Eyes, something about Sun Wukong had changed.

    It looked like the person himself was not aware of this change yet, but Su-hyeun''s eyes could almost make it out.

    Even so, he couldn''t be 100% sure. Until he either fought Sun Wukong directly or watched the latter go all out in a fight, he would not be sure of his own findings.

    "What are you staring at me like that for?"

    "Nah, it''s nothing important," Su-hyeun quickly replied and turned his head.

    Rumble, boom¡ª!

    Ku-gugugu¡ª

    The roars of thunder were still going off within the thick gloomy clouds in the skies some distance away.

    Azure lightning bolts rocked the skies as effects of several different magic spells could be sensed from there.

    Sun Wukong seemed to remember something abruptly and explained what was happening, "He told me that it''s a fight between brothers, so we shouldn''t butt in."

    "A fight between brothers, you say?"

    "Yeah, something about being a little brother or something. It''s a bit, you know, uncool to get involved, so what will you do?"

    Sun Wukong was usually crazy about having a good fight, but even someone like him was sensitive about this nature.

    Su-hyeun knew Sun Wukong''s backstory well enough, which helped him figure out what the latter was thinking about here. However, there was this one thing getting on his nerves at the moment, preventing him from letting this one go.

    "I''ll be right back, Third Brother."

    "Eh? How come?"

    Paht¡ª!

    Instead of offering an answer, Su-hyeun just vanished from the spot.

    Sun Wukong stared at the empty spot for a while before roughly scratching his head. He then laid down on the cloud again and muttered to no one in particular, "Hey, he''s old enough to know what he''s doing."

    * * *

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Pazzzik, bzzzzz¡ª

    Mj?lnir hammered down to cause ripples of electricity to slam into the surroundings, but it stopped mid-air.

    A staff as slender as a single branch had countered Mj?lnir.

    Loki retorted, "Brother, watch your breathing. It''s gotten heavier."

    "No, I still have plenty more left in the tank!"

    "Brother, you''ve always been pretending to be someone strong. Even though you''ve been under our father''s shadow, you always loved to stand before the others like the blazing sun."

    Pazzzik¡ª!

    A comparatively darker electrical storm began gushing out from Loki''s staff. "And that''s what I don''t like about you, brother."

    KWA-AAAAH¡ª!

    The electrical storm pouring out from the staff instantly swallowed up Thor. Loki quickly created some distance from his older brother and watched Thor''s figure as it got scorched black.

    Thor staggered for a little while as if he would crash to the ground but regained his equilibrium soon enough. His stamina must''ve hit rock bottom by now, yet his mental toughness remained commendably strong.

    "Why... why did you betray Asgard, Loki?"

    "Brother, while you are the sun, we all know that I wasn''t even good enough to be the moon."

    He was the younger brother that the older sibling overshadowed.

    To make matters worse, he was just a "halfling" who didn''t even inherit Odin''s bloodline.

    "If my original destiny was to become a firefly to your sun, then I choose to block out that very sun with my own two hands."

    This was why Loki was stained by the darkness, and the one he sought out for more power wasn''t Odin but Osiris.

    "And so, look at me, brother. I''ve become strong enough to block your sun."

    "Loki, you can still become a sun yourself! I beg of you, do not lose yourself to darkness and let the light in you disapp¡ª"

    "Hang on, are you still saying those embarrassing things even now?"

    Someone''s voice suddenly came from the side, causing the heads of both Thor and Loki to snap in that direction.

    Su-hyeun was there, wielding a familiar-looking golden spear. He stood on a small cloud, his eyes locked on Loki, "Hey, you, it''s been a while, hasn''t it?"

    "You? But how?" Loki''s eyes widened considerably as he urgently scanned his surroundings.

    He had been concentrating so much on the fight against Thor that he neglected to notice the situation until now.

    "Where''s Lord Osiris?! What happened to him?"

    "I''m standing here, aren''t I? That should be a good enough answer, don''t you agree?"

    Indeed, Su-hyeun was right. That was more than enough for an answer.

    Loki shook his head in pure disbelief, "T¡ªthat''s not possible. It''s¡ª"

    "Save your denial for another time. I still have a score to settle with you, after all." Su-hyeun then called out to Loki using another name, "I''m sure you also agree with me on that one, Johnny Brad."

    Silence¡ª

    Johnny Brad was the awakener renowned for his illusion skills and friendship with Gordon Rohan.

    In front of Su-hyeun''s eyes, Loki had taken on the identity of Johnny Brad and lived among humans for a long time¡ªover ten years, as a matter of fact.

    To someone who could live for an eternity, a decade like that would have been just a drop in the ocean. More importantly, though, it wasn''t that hard to figure out why he even bothered to live on Earth with the fake identity of Johnny Brad.

    "Did Osiris put you up to it? To keep an eye on me?"

    "T¡ªthat..." Finally realizing that something had gone wrong here, Loki hurriedly scanned his surroundings.

    His fingers were twitching as if he was searching for a way to escape.

    But right at that moment...!

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    "Keo-hurk!"

    Su-hyeun''s fist rammed into Loki''s abdomen just then. The impact force spreading all over his bones and muscles caused Loki to shudder and twitch before he went completely limp.

    Shu-ruk...

    "I don''t know all the details, but well, it doesn''t feel that nice to be lied to, you see," Su-hyeun grunted unhappily while catching Loki''s limp body with one hand. He then handed him over to Thor, "I heard he''s your little brother. You take care of him, in that case. My apologies for butting in, though."

    Thor received Loki and slung the latter on his shoulder. He alternated his gaze between his little brother and Su-hyeun while looking a bit puzzled, "Friend, I sense that you have changed quite a lot."

    "You think so?" Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders with a little more refreshed look on his face. "I guess you''re right."

    * * *

    Thor chose to remain in Asgard.

    As for Loki, he was imprisoned in the deepest part of Asgard''s underground. In the end, Thor couldn''t bring himself to kill his only remaining family member and chose Loki''s imprisonment instead.

    He then brought together the surviving warriors and citizens of Asgard to prepare for a new beginning.

    As for Sun Wukong...

    "Well, Second Brother hardly stops by these days, and it gets mighty boring at home, you know."

    He chose to follow Su-hyeun to Earth, but there was no reason to talk him out of it.

    "Third Brother, please promise me that you won''t cause a problem for us."

    "Of course. No need to sweat it," Sun Wukong replied too casually, which caused alarm bells to go off in Su-hyeun''s head.

    Still, what could go wrong, anyway?

    When the duo returned to Earth, they were welcomed home by Lee Ju-ho and Gordon Rohan.

    "Oh, Su-hyeun. You came back just in time."

    "At least you know you''re late, then."

    "What?"

    Su-hyeun stared at Gordon Rohan and made a puzzled face. The latter bothered to come to South Korea?

    He was acknowledged as probably the world''s busiest man, yet he came this far. Su-hyeun was getting curious as to why. "Did something weird happen somewhere?" Su-hyeun asked.

    "It''ll be this year''s Ranking Wars soon," Gordon Rohan promptly answered him.

    Su-hyeun glanced at the calendar on the wall to confirm, and sure enough, there were about five days left before the start of the Ranking Wars. "Wow, you''re right."

    "Your current ranking has dropped to 27th. Although it''s not exactly low, your ranking has been dropping steadily after you stopped participating in last year''s battles," said Lee Ju-ho.

    Su-hyeun nodded in disinterest while settling down on the couch. However, Sun Wukong''s curiosity was piqued, and he hurriedly asked Su-hyeun about what the Ranking Wars could even be.

    At that moment, Gordon Rohan finally became interested in Sun Wukong, who had shown up along with Su-hyeun. "By the way, who is this guy?"

    "Oh, he''s my older brother. His name is, uh, Sun Wukong."

    "Sun Wukong? That''s a unique name, for sure."

    From the sound of it, Gordon Rohan didn''t seem to think that this Sun Wukong was the "real" Sun Wukong. Su-hyeun didn''t feel the need to explain in detail, so they ended the introductions there.

    "He''s your real brother? Is he also an awakener?"

    "Not blood-related but still a brother, yes. And he also happens to be incredibly strong."

    The words "he''s strong" actually left Su-hyeun''s lips just now.

    Gordon Rohan''s eyes narrowed to slits at this event. If this "Sun Wukong" was strong enough to earn Su-hyeun''s acknowledgment, then he should be at least an S-Rank, and Gordon Rohan should have been aware of such an individual by now.

    "Now this is getting interesting," Rohan thought.

    He suddenly became quite interested.

    According to Su-hyeun''s evaluation, this man should be stronger than most average S-Ranks. A more detailed examination was required to be sure, but Gordon Rohan was certain of an amusing result.

    He then asked Sun Wukong, "In that case, why don''t you participate, too?"

    "Eh? Me too?"

    Since Sun Wukong received the system''s assistance, he instantly understood what Gordon Rohan was saying. He still didn''t know anything about this Ranking Wars or whatever, but his ears were already perking up.

    "I guess something fun is about to go down. Am I right?"

    Gordon Rohan asked in slight disbelief, "You don''t know about the Ranking Wars?"

    "Nope, no clue. What is it?"

    "It''s a tournament to decide the world''s strongest individual. But it''s not like this is our first time holding it, so for you to be unaware¡ªAh, it seems you''re not from Earth, after all."

    As expected of Gordon Rohan, his wits remained quick.

    Just from the fact that he had never heard of an S-Rank awakener named Sun Wukong until now, and also with how the latter didn''t seem to recognize the Ranking Wars or know who Gordon Rohan was, he was able to deduce the truth on the spot.

    "Wait, when you say you''re Sun Wukong, could you be the actual Sun Wukong? The Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal from the Journey to the West?"

    "Eh? You know about me?"

    "Not knowing about you would be even weirder," Gordon Rohan nodded in satisfaction. "In any case, if you''re interested, why don''t you participate in the tournament? Also, Su-hyeun, it''d be good for you to regain your ranking, too."

    "You know I''m not interested in the ranking."

    A higher ranking would help better evaluate one''s worth, not to mention their face and name becoming more recognized, but none of that applied to Su-hyeun.

    Not participating in the tournament caused his ranking to fall, but in all honesty, everyone living on this planet already knew that Su-hyeun was the strongest in the world. He had already saved this world several times by now, after all. As a matter of fact, people stopped referring to him as an awakener but a hero these days.

    "I''m not thinking of forcing you. If you have another urgent business or require a break, then take care of that first. Still, do consider how sincere I am with this thing since I came all this way despite my busy schedule," Gordon Rohan said before standing up from the couch. "Well then, I''m heading back now. Too many matters related to the Ranking Wars still require my attention, you see. I hope we see each other again in the near future."

    Creak¡ª

    Now that he was finished with what he wanted to say, Gordon Rohan promptly left the office.

    Even though he flew all the way to South Korea to speak to Su-hyeun personally, he had to go back to America right away after delivering the message. That showed how busy he was with work even now.

    "What should we do?" Sun Wukong suddenly asked Su-hyeun.

    A tournament meant to decide the world''s strongest individual? Unsurprisingly, Sun Wukong was very much interested in such a thing.

    Su-hyeun sneaked a glance to his side and noticed Sun Wukong''s eyes sparkling as brightly as the Milky Way.

    "Urgh! Yes, yes, you can participate, Third Brother."

    "Alright!"

    Sun Wukong jumped up and down in joy after getting Su-hyeun''s permission. Lee Ju-ho, worried about the furniture breaking into pieces, hurriedly tried to dissuade the Monkey King, but calming the latter down was not going to be an easy task.

    Su-hyeun suddenly felt like he got suckered into doing something annoying just now.

    Sun Wukong''s participation in the Ranking Wars was basically set in stone the moment Gordon Rohan learned about him.

    Not to forget, Gordon Rohan was a businessman.

    To him, the annual Ranking Wars was the greatest tournament imaginable to raise the profile¡ªand the stock price¡ªof his Gordon Company. For the sake of the tournament''s success, he definitely needed the talents of someone on the level of Su-hyeun.

    "The Ranking Wars, hmm...." Su-hyeun glanced at Sun Wukong, who had finally calmed down after Lee Ju-ho''s hard work, and muttered to himself, "I guess it won''t be as boring this time around."

 Chapter 510 - 510

    The news of Kim Su-hyeun''s participation in the upcoming Ranking Wars caused yet another massive stir around the world.

    The news began circulating about three days before the tournament.

    However, in this age of instant communication, breaking news didn''t even need half a day to reach almost everyone on the planet.

    "Well, we already have our winner, then."

    "His ranking doesn''t matter to him, anyway. It''s all symbolic to him."

    "The question now is who will be in the second place..."

    The Ranking Wars'' participants all reacted one way to the Kim Su-hyeun news.

    "If I''m lucky, I might get to fight him this time."

    "It''s true that I''m kinda curious. Just how amazing is he really for everyone to talk about him?"

    And that was their wish to fight Su-hyeun.

    But that didn''t mean they wanted to win. All of them knew that they didn''t even have a snowball''s chance in hell against Su-hyeun in the first place.

    That was how "deified" Su-hyeun''s existence was even among the awakener community.

    Even so, they still anticipated fighting against Su-hyeun because...

    "Even if I lose, it''s not gonna be a loss for me, anyway."

    "By putting on a good show, I''ll still make a good impression even if I lose."

    They wouldn''t have to worry about criticisms or other problems even if they lost.

    If they managed to last a few exchanges, it might even serve as an opportunity to overturn the evaluation they had been getting until now completely. As such, the other participants greatly welcomed the news of Su-hyeun deciding to enter this year''s Ranking Wars.

    Of course, none of them were even remotely aware of an unknown participant who was about to make all of their calculations useless.

    "Whoaaaa¡ª!"

    Currently, within the Ranking Wars arena built under San Francisco, a loud cry suddenly reverberated.

    "Holy cow, it''s so big down here! Who on earth would''ve thought about building something this big underground?"

    From the sound of it, today was this individual''s first time to pay a visit to the arena.

    Also, judging from his shabby, worn-out clothes or a featureless staff tied to his back, he must have been a low-ranking awakener coming to spectate after hearing about the Ranking Wars.

    "Tsk... Standards are dropping lately, aren''t they?"

    "I thought they stopped any old trash from entering here, so what''s this?"

    "And I sank a ton of money to get the first look, too. How uncouth for a punk like him to¡ª"

    A group of men was murmuring among themselves while staring at the noisy individual. They weren''t trying to make themselves heard, but they also didn''t bother to lower their voices.

    The five of them were scions of some important American families. They had come today to take a tour of the Ranking Wars arena.

    "Hey, you lot!" At that moment, the man stopped looking around the arena with wide eyes and yelled at the group, "I heard what you were saying just now. Were you talking about me by any chance?"

    "He heard us?"

    "Well, he sure does have a good hearing."

    "Hey, dude, your voice was too loud."

    "Oh? What about you, then?"

    They cackled at each other''s jokes.

    They didn''t seem disconcerted by the fact that the person they were making fun of had heard them.

    After checking out their reactions, Sun Wukong walked up to them while scratching his head.

    "Okay, so, let me get this right," he snuck a glanced around the arena. "You were picking a fight with me just now, weren''t you?"

    They were scions of important families. Unsurprisingly, each of them had two bodyguards following them around, for a total of 10 security personnel. And they happened to be awakeners around the B-Rank.

    They swiftly surrounded Sun Wukong. After making a circle around their supposed target, they openly began raising their auras and bloodlust as if to threaten the one and only Sun Wukong.

    "Can''t you tell already, dumbass?"

    "Your hair is all grey and stuff, too. Not sure which backwater country you came from, but if you''re here as a tourist, why don''t you just stay quiet like a good little mouse?"

    "It''s too late for you to walk away unscathed now, so... Hey, why don''t we make a bet? He looks like an awakener, so let''s see how long he will last."

    Instead of shrinking away, Sun Wukong began nodding at all the jeering laughter, "So I was right. You want to fight."

    The corners of his lips curled up.

    Although he was told not to start an incident, his personality wasn''t so nice that he would brush aside someone openly being hostile to him.

    Maybe Sun Wukong''s relaxed attitude pissed them off?

    A blond man among the five scions opened his mouth, "Kick his ass."

    "Uraaaah¡ª!"

    Whoosh¡ª!

    The two bodyguards nearest to Sun Wukong pounced on him.

    A "B" rank was not low for an awakener. Even so, Sun Wukong smirked profoundly and tried to reach out to the incoming awakeners.

    But right at that moment...

    Grab, grab¡ª!

    "Kugh!"

    "Kuh..."

    The two bodyguards'' figures were suddenly raised in the air. Someone had suddenly jumped in and grabbed them by their throats to hold them up.

    "There, there, let''s not get into a fight, everyone."

    One person''s sudden interference caused everyone to stop laughing and talking immediately.

    Even those sitting on their chairs and treating Sun Wukong as a clown all shot up to their feet.

    "Huh?!"

    "W¡ªwhy is Kim Su-hyeun showing up here?!"

    "D¡ªdammit..."

    They began making troubled expressions at Su-hyeun''s intrusion.

    However, one of them let out an excited cry as if he was meeting a famous celebrity or something. Maybe he still didn''t find the current situation that serious.

    Step¡ª

    "Why are you suddenly getting involved, Mister Kim Su-hyeun?"

    "Well, he''s my older brother, you see."

    "Your older brother?"

    The gazes of the bodyguards and the five scions all shifted over to Sun Wukong right away.

    What they saw was a man with fairly long white hair wearing some shabby clothing.

    From his expression to how he behaved, he came across as an uneducated country bumpkin. Seeing how no one recognized his face, he couldn''t have been an S-Rank, either.

    But someone like that was Kim Su-hyeun''s older brother?

    "Dammit, this is bad."

    This bumpkin actually had a backer.

    The scions all thought it was easy enough to figure out if someone came from a significant background or not solely by their attire. At least this time, they were wrong.

    "What about you? Why are you attacking the other side without any warning?"

    Plop¡ª

    While asking that, Su-hyeun let go of the bodyguards. He raised his brows in disapproval and walked up to the group of scions, causing the blond one in the middle to flinch a little and say something, "I think there''s been some kind of a misunderstanding here."

    "Misunderstanding, huh?" Su-hyeun scanned the surroundings.

    Ten bodyguards were present, including the two panting heavily while getting back up, and they had been emitting thick bloodlust until now.

    "Do you think I''m blind or deaf? It has to be that."

    "What do you mean?"

    "You all came here to watch the tournament, right? In that case, you should quickly go back home. While taking care of the injured, of course."

    "Injured? Who¡ª?"

    Pow¡ª!

    Su-hyeun kicked the jaw of the nearest bodyguard. It all happened in an instant, causing the victim to pass out right there and then. The remaining nine bodyguards reflexively got into combat stances.

    Su-hyeun quipped, "You''ll have some now."

    "What do you think you''re doing?!"

    Pow¡ª!

    Another bodyguard''s jaw was kicked away again. The assault was happening right before their eyes, but the scions weren''t awakeners, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

    "Two down."

    "This is insane!"

    "Oh, you want me to count all 15, then?" Su-hyeun stared pointedly at every bodyguard here.

    None of them dared to even think about fighting back. The five scions trying to pick a fight with Sun Wukong realized that the number 15 also included them and began shuddering in fright.

    "H¡ªhey, maybe we should just leave now."

    "H¡ªhe''s right. We''ll just come and watch next year or something..."

    "Can''t you read the mood?"

    The murmurings of his friends caused the blond man''s face to redden up instantly. It seemed that he was deeply displeased that Su-hyeun threatened them to leave, and they had no choice but to heed it.

    The blond gestured at the bodyguards with his hand, then walked past Su-hyeun, "We will speak again someday. I swear it."

    "But that''s not going to be something good for you."

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun lightly tapped on the blond man''s face a couple of times. The latter''s face became even more livid at the kind of humiliation he had never experienced before. Without saying anything else, he led his group and left.

    "Wow, little bro, your personality sure has changed a lot."

    "You think so?"

    "The old you would have resorted to diffusing this whole thing by talking, you know?"

    "Do you find it weird?"

    "Nah," Sun Wukong raised his thumb. "That was some cool stuff, little bro."

    Su-hyeun smirked a little. He then turned his head toward where the group had disappeared, "You mustn''t kill, though."

    "Eh?"

    "Murder isn''t something I can resolve somehow, you see. And it leaves behind a sour taste, too."

    "Wait, I never said I''d kill them, you know?"

    "You weren''t going to control your strength while fighting them, were you? Third Brother, one flick from you is more than enough to break every bone in a regular person''s body."

    "What? Why are they so weak?"

    "Not everyone in this world is like me, Third Brother. Even if they are awakeners, from your standards, they are no better than regular, powerless people."

    That was the reason why Su-hyeun decided to interfere in the first place.

    Sun Wukong was not very good at controlling his strength, so things would have escalated rather quickly if he mistakenly killed someone today. Never mind losing his qualification to participate in the Ranking Wars; even Su-hyeun would have found himself in hot water since he was the chaperone in this case.

    "That''s why you gotta control your strength properly when you scold them again later, you know."

    "Eh?" Sun Wukong''s eyes went round for a moment before arching like a pair of new moons. "I was wondering why you were letting them go, and this was the reason, eh?"

    "Make sure it''s done quietly. However, no killings," Su-hyeun said while turning around. "I still need to go talk to someone first. I''ll see you later."

    He was worried about an incident breaking out and followed Sun Wukong. Sure enough, something did happen.

    But after observing the situation from the closest vantage point, he came to a decision.

    "I''m sure he''ll keep it to a moderate level."

    And that was to leave Sun Wukong be.

    * * *

    It didn''t matter how, but when a group of people gathered, a leader was bound to be found. That rule remained true even among friends in the same age group who knew each other for a long time.

    The guy with the most enormous physique, the best fighter among the group, the wealthiest one among them, or the smoothest talker was among some of the factors. Still, regardless of what, the central figure of a group had to exist, and that was the leader''s role.

    The leader of this group of wealthy scions, who were trying to pick a fight with Sun Wukong, was Michael.

    "Dammit, man, that''s some crappy luck."

    "Still, isn''t it way more amazing to meet Kim Su-hyeun instead of getting a tour of the arena? I mean, we now have something to brag about when we go back home."

    "Heh, you''re right. I never imagined that we''d get to see him before the tournament even started. Got lucky on that one."

    Step¡ª

    Michael abruptly stopped walking after listening to his group''s chatter. He turned his head and addressed them, "You goddamn idiots. Are you actually happy about this crap? He openly looked down on us, yet you think we got lucky?!"

    "Well, that''s that, but... Honestly, we were lucky that things didn''t get out of hand, right? We indeed tried to touch Kim Su-hyeun''s acquaintance and all."

    "But, yeah, it didn''t feel all that good, now that you mention it. Some random nobody lucked into acquiring power, and now he thinks he''s the hot sh*t or something? Hey, did you watch the documentary about that punk? About how he grew up and all that stuff?"

    "I''m telling you, his mindset is all wrong. He''s some dirt-poor bastard at heart, so he shouldn''t be playing the role of the Apostle of Justice or something. But like an idiot, he doesn''t know it."

    The overall vibe naturally flowed in the way Michael wanted to. That was the power afforded to the group''s leader.

    A leader could direct the conversation''s flow however he wanted to, then gradually create a common consensus that suited him. Whether they were aware of it or not, the group began minding Michael''s mood while badmouthing Su-hyeun.

    "Tsk... Whatever. I still don''t like it." Michael started walking again while muttering to himself.

    His considerable pride got chipped after colliding with Su-hyeun, but that did not mean he could take care of this thing like he always did in the past.

    "It''s too difficult to get back at Kim Su-hyeun directly. If it''s possible, that punk who''s supposed to be his older brother..." Michael thought.

    It meant that the only option left was to hurt the people around him.

    "Mm?"

    It was right at that moment Michael''s eyes caught the sight of a familiar face in the distance.

    Currently, they were in the middle of a deserted avenue.

    As for the familiar face, it belonged to a man wearing shabby clothes and carrying a thin but long staff on his back.

    "Hey, isn''t that punk from earlier?"

    "How did he get ahead of us?"

    The group murmured among themselves after recognizing Sun Wukong.

    However, things like why he was there or how he managed to overtake them didn''t matter that much to Michael.

    "Actually, this is good."

    To him, the only thing that mattered was that Sun Wukong was not with Su-hyeun right now.

    "Go and show him the world of hurt," Michael issued a new order, prompting the bodyguards to step forward again.

    It was also at that moment that Sun Wukong began muttering to himself, "Mustn''t kill... must not kill..."

    "Huh?"

    "What''s up with him?"

    "What is he even muttering about?"

    Sun Wukong''s muttering could be heard so vividly and somewhat ominously, too.

    Must not kill, he said.

    Despite not emitting any special aura, what Sun Wukong said was enough to send shivers down their spines.

    And a short while later...

    Pow¡ª!

    "Alright, got it.." Having repeated the same thing over and over again as if he wanted to memorize important homework, Sun Wukong suddenly smacked his fist on his other palm, "I''ve memorized it now."

 Chapter 511 - 511

    Shu-wuwuw...

    A curtain of fog filled up the surroundings.

    One could see through it from the inside, but it was impossible to look in from the outside.

    This much was easy enough to figure out because the sparse number of passersby walking past the thin curtain of fog didn''t even spare a single glance in this direction.

    "Kugh... kuh..."

    Crunch, bang¡ª!

    Barely regaining his consciousness, Michael could only open his eyes wide in shock at the scene of a merciless beatdown.

    Crunch¡ª!

    It was a scene of human bones breaking and human flesh blowing apart.

    To someone like Michael, who led a sheltered life until now, it was a truly horrific scene to behold.

    "Hmm..." But the one responsible for creating such a scene, Sun Wukong, rubbed his chin and muttered in disappointment, "What the heck? Why are they so weak? It''s no fun beating weaklings like you, you know?"

    He even smacked his lips while turning his head because he noticed that Michael had woken up from his brief nap. Sun Wukong was the one who punched the punk''s jaw ever so gently to knock him out in the first place.

    "Heeeeek?!" Michael got scared out of his wits and sucked in a deep breath in pure terror before squeezing his eyes shut.

    He couldn''t see anything, but his heart kept pounding madly. It was as if his heart had jumped up into his skull, judging from how loud it pounded in his ears.

    "Hey, dude."

    Gulp¡ª

    That voice came from right above Michael''s head.

    "I already saw you, dude. Get up already, will ya?"

    Slap, slap¡ª

    Sun Wukong lightly slapped Michael''s cheek.

    That was a gentle little slap to the former, but to the latter, it truly hurt like hell. Every time Sun Wukong''s palm landed on Michael''s cheek, the latter thought his face was about to be ripped apart.

    "You know, it''s kinda hard to hit someone while I''m holding myself back by this much. And it''s gonna be too much work to try to torment a bunch of weaklings like you. Alright, so, open your eyes and take a good look, okay? If you don''t, I''m gonna make you open your eyes in a not-so-nice way, got that?"

    That threat issued in a monotone voice was so scary that Michael had to open his trembling eyelids. However, he ended up sucking in a big gulp of air after taking a look into Sun Wukong''s eyes.

    "Huph...?!"

    Rumble¡ª

    Some crimson energy was swirling within Sun Wukong''s eyes.

    Michael inadvertently soiled his pants when he stared at the Fiery Golden Eyes. He was overcome with the terrifying hallucination of a massive monster baring its fangs to swallow him up right there and then.

    "No need to forget everything that happened here. Just forget about who I am or what I look like, that''s all," Sun Wukong stared straight into Michael''s eyes. "You can do that much, right?"

    Michael urgently nodded like a madman in response.

    But it wasn''t merely him nodding his head. The memories of Sun Wukong were being wiped out of his mind right now, with the scene of the merciless beatdown the only thing remaining.

    That was one of Fiery Golden Eyes'' powers.

    "And now, go back to sleep."

    Smack¡ª!

    Plop¡ª

    Sun Wukong slammed Michael''s head on the hard floor. The latter quivered pathetically before his whole body went limp. After confirming that, Sun Wukong left the scene.

    * * *

    The news of heavily injured people suddenly appearing in the middle of a street eventually reached Su-hyeun''s attention.

    Countless people had arrived in San Francisco as the Ranking Wars loomed. Therefore, the city''s security had been beefed up to prevent any conflicts between awakeners. Even so, something as alarming as that happened right under their noses.

    And so, on the day of the Ranking Wars...

    Perhaps thanks to the low instances of dungeon generation recently, most of the world''s S-Ranks could participate in this year''s Ranking Wars.

    "You weren''t found out," said Su-hyeun while reading an American news outlet.

    Of course, the culprit of a crime no one could solve was none other than Sun Wukong. After being told not to kill anyone, he really didn''t kill anyone.

    "Of course, I won''t get found out, you know. Besides all that, when is this thing called the Ranking Wars starting?" Sun Wukong looked bored out of his mind while saying that. He had already finished sightseeing the city by now, too.

    Nothing made the time move slower than waiting for something to happen. While Sun Wukong yawned over and over again, Su-hyeun confirmed the time and explained what was about to happen. "There''s still a bit left to go. But Third Brother, you shouldn''t get your hopes up too much. I don''t think any opponent here is good enough to raise your expectations."

    "Well, I''ll just fight you, then," Sun Wukong replied while sounding a little expectant.

    The whole reason why he decided to enter the Ranking Wars was to have a proper match with Su-hyeun. Fights against other awakeners didn''t even matter to him, really.

    That story also applied to Su-hyeun, however.

    "Well, there''s still no news regarding Brahma''s whereabouts, and..."

    "Participants of the preliminary, Kim Su-hyeun and Kyoi Ichiro, please come to the arena. Repeat, participants..."

    Finally, the announcement was broadcast into the waiting area.

    The first match was about to begin.

    The most-watched participant was about to enter the most-watched match. The group''s formation and order of entry were supposed to be randomized, but judging from what just happened, that didn''t seem true in some circumstances.

    "Hey, little bro, sounds like you''ll be first?"

    "Would you like to follow me outside and see what''s what?"

    "Hmm¡­ It kinda sounds boring." Sun Wukong''s half-reclined figure shot up from the chair, "But it''ll still be better than being stuck in here."

    * * *

    Waaaaaah¡ª!

    "He''s here! He''s here!"

    "It''s about to begin!"

    The audience seats were placed very far away, but their voices still could be heard so vividly.

    Only a few people in the entire world could watch the Ranking Wars from the grandstands. Even though the arena itself was massive, it only allowed a few tens of thousands to spectate the matches.

    Half of the spectators silently watched the proceedings with great interest, not wanting to sully what they thought of as refined appearances. Meanwhile, the other half cheered on loudly, and when Su-hyeun made his entrance, they erupted into a fever pitch.

    Su-hyeun''s response to their cheering was simple enough. "Wow, so loud."

    What he said was captured by the cameras and transmitted to countless TV screens. He knew this would happen but didn''t mind it much.

    He thought, "If I have been showing up in the Ranking Wars every year, I could have avoided going through this annoying preliminary match, but..."

    The top-ranked awakener entered the final straight away. This was the rule of the Ranking Wars held every year.

    The current number one in the world was, unsurprisingly, Gordon Rohan. Apparently, Hak-joon made it all the way to the final match last year, and the two of them had a pretty intense battle but couldn''t win in the end.

    "So, I gotta start from the preliminary, huh?"

    The preliminary match type was basically the same as before.

    A stage was set up inside the illusion magic circle created by Johnny Brad, who turned out to be Loki in disguise.

    The participants were supposed to overcome the given trials and score points. One with the highest points tally would progress to the main matches.

    "At least it''s still the same."

    Su-hyeun listened to the explanation on the type of the preliminary match. At the same time, an illusion began activating before his eyes.

    With that, a new stage opened its doors. Its theme was a cavern-style dungeon.

    One could score a point by hunting monsters. The rankings would be tallied at the end according to the points each participant had scored.

    Although old-school, this rule sounded reasonable and foolproof. That was why Su-hyeun liked it a lot.

    "What a relief it is to meet you in the preliminaries and form a team together, Mister Su-hyeun."

    Step¡ª

    Four people approached Su-hyeun.

    They were all S-Rank awakeners from various countries. One could even call them "minor" heroes for entering the Ranking Wars and boosting their respective nations'' international image.

    "It''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Su-hyeun. Please look after¡ª"

    "Nice to meet you, too. However, I don''t think our meeting will last long enough to share in-depth friendly greetings like this."

    "I''m sorry?"

    Su-hyeun shook the hand of the awakener that greeted him. He figured that refusing to shake hands would only make things awkward for everyone here.

    After the handshake, Su-hyeun placed his palm on the floor. He briefly wondered if he should break the illusion, but that would be going against the rules.

    Which meant that there was only one other way to save a significant amount of his time.

    "There are quite a few, aren''t there?" he thought.

    Pazzzzik¡ª

    Electrical currents leaked from Su-hyeun''s palm and traveled along the cave''s floor and walls.

    He used Insight to learn the cave''s layout and then sent the currents inside.

    The strength of the monsters created through illusion was only around the green dungeon''s level. Compared to the Predators, these things didn''t even count as small fries.

    Flash¡ª!

    The entire cave was bathed in bright light for a brief moment there.

    This scene was witnessed not just by the awakeners standing around the starting point but even the cameras broadcasting the Ranking Wars.

    Then, after the world was dyed in the white light for a little while...

    [The trial has concluded.]

    [First place: Kim Su-hyeun.]

    [Second place: Yamamora Taki.]

    [Second place: ¡­]

    [Second place: ¡­]

    One first place and then shared second places were announced.

    With that, the "trial" was over.

    That could mean only one thing.

    "It''s... it''s a complete annihilation?!"

    "A¡ªalready?"

    They couldn''t witness it directly, but the system of this illusion still informed them of what had just happened.

    If it wasn''t Su-hyeun but someone else before their eyes, they would''ve been convinced that some error had crept into the system.

    No, wait¡ªthat still happened despite Su-hyeun being the one responsible for this crazy event. As proof, several people were already lodging their complaints, asking if there had been some error here.

    * * *

    "What a deflating turn of events that was," Gordon Rohan muttered while resting his chin on his hand. He had been watching it all happen from a close vantage point.

    The first preliminary match ended far too soon. This was a rather deflating result for all the spectators that came here to witness Su-hyeun.

    A calculator inside Gordon Rohan''s head went into overdrive just then.

    What kind of impact would this preliminary match have on the success of this year''s Ranking Wars?

    After abusing the calculator for a while, Gordon Rohan began frowning a little, "No, wait, maybe this is for the better."

    He couldn''t come to a conclusion just yet.

    That preliminary match ended far too soon, but that might have been a better way to grab the attention of everyone.

    After all, a match ended in an instant.

    Such a thing should serve to enhance Su-hyeun''s prestige even more, which in turn greatly boosted people''s anticipation for the main matches.

    "Well, the real deal this time is someone else, so it''ll be fine."

    He made plenty of calculations, and the result was "profit."

    No matter how brief, the sense of anticipation had to be built up to a certain level. Only then would the anticipation pumped up like a vast balloon blow up in one hit right at the climax.

    Gordon Rohan looked down at the arena, and his gaze eventually caught a familiar face: a man with ragged clothing and long white hair that came down to his back.

    "He''s supposed to be Sun Wukong, wasn''t he? The Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal..."

    The tale Sun Wukong appeared in, the Journey to the West, was a rather famous mythical story.

    He was an existence capable of devastating the entire heavenly world all by himself and also strong enough to rival the Jade Emperor.

    Maybe this version wasn''t as incredible as that tale made him out to be. Even so, Su-hyeun called him "older brother."

    Then, there was Gordon Rohan himself. He faced Sun Wukong up close, yet he failed to discern the depths of the latter''s strength.

    That meant that, at the very least, Sun Wukong should be stronger than Gordon Rohan.

    "Well, now, let us have a good look."

    Without a doubt, the spectators wouldn''t even have dreamed of the kind of scene the new participant would show them during the preliminary match.

    * * *

    Getting ready to enter the Ranking Wars'' preliminary match, Sun Wukong wordlessly looked around his surroundings.

    He entered the tournament without changing his name. He didn''t have any proof of identification, but the Gordon Company guaranteed his abilities and acknowledged his participation in the Ranking wars.

    However, it wasn''t just the Gordon Company. Su-hyeun guaranteed it, too.

    His guarantee was not something a regular S-Rank awakener could ever hope to earn.

    "This guy... I''ve never seen him before."

    "His name is Sun Wukong? Really?"

    "Does that mean the stick on his back is the Ruyi staff? And I suppose he rides around in the Somersault cloud, too?"

    The arena was filled with the laughter of ridicule, along with disdain.

    That was understandable, however. Sun Wukong wasn''t even a verified awakener and, worse still, someone added to the proceedings at the last minute.

    It implied that he was a newbie who entered the S-Rank only recently.

    At least that was what everyone thought.

    "Passing the preliminary of the Ranking Wars proves that you are upper ranked now..."

    "One of the competitors will be a pushover."

    "I got lucky."

    Their inner thoughts were clearly reflected in their faces.

    And Sun Wukong wasn''t a halfwit who couldn''t recognize what they were thinking of.

    "Heh, this is getting interesting," Sun Wukong smirked profoundly and pulled out Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Almost right away, the second preliminary match began with the illusion manifesting itself.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    The scenery changed in an instant.

    The new stage was a forest, and from this forest so vast that one couldn''t see its end, countless bizarre screeches and howls could be heard.

    The first one was a cave, and now, it was a forest.

    "Let''s see..." Sun Wukong scanned the stage for a bit, then muttered to himself, "I guess one hundred should be enough."

    "Huh?"

    "What did he say?"

    Poof, poof, poof¡ª!

    Suddenly, thick smoke filled up the surroundings.

    The other four awakeners, thinking that Sun Wukong had activated a skill without warning, tried to rouse up their own magical energies. But then...

    "Huh?!"

    One hundred Sun Wukongs had appeared before them.

 Chapter 512 - 512

    The preliminary matches were made up of individual competitions.

    The participants didn''t fight each other physically but still competed to see who would score the most points.

    As such, no one chose to fight their competition. After all, if the two people wasted their time and energy fighting, then it would only result in them falling behind the other three in the group.

    Sometimes, a monster too powerful for one person to handle would show up in the preliminaries, resulting in competitors working together to overcome such obstacles.

    But now...

    Sun Wukong displayed an ability to utterly upend the script on the preliminaries.

    Crunch, boom¡ª!

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Noises of monsters falling in droves came from every corner of the forest.

    Dozens of cameras were working overtime to capture everything at the moment. The footage being broadcast also had to change drastically to match the action.

    And all those cameras were showing the same faces.

    "What kind of skill is this?"

    "Isn''t that, you know, the cloning technique?"

    "Is that why he named himself Sun Wukong?"

    "Well, at least he got the concept right."

    "And his skill level isn''t a joke, either."

    The four participants promptly gave up right there and then.

    It wasn''t because Sun Wukong had produced too many clones of himself.

    His main body hadn''t even moved an inch from the spot, but more importantly, each of the clones was so strong that one punch from them was enough to kill a monster.

    In other words, every clone was strong enough to rival a top-tier S-Rank awakener.

    "Just who the heck is he?"

    Only then did they realize something.

    Kim Su-hyeun recommended him. Not just anyone could earn Su-hyeun''s recommendation.

    "Hmm... I''m getting bored," Sun Wukong muttered while standing in front of his fellow four participants.

    After hearing his muttering, they finally realized that Sun Wukong''s real body hadn''t moved an inch until now.

    He lightly spun Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hand, but he wasn''t even staring at the forest. "This should take care of things on that end, so..."

    The unmistakable fighting intent could be felt emanating from his glare.

    "What about you lot? Are you any good?"

    "W¡ªwait, there''s no reason to fight us now, is there?"

    "With things like this, the odds of us passing the preliminary are¡ª"

    Sun Wukong replied disinterestedly, "I didn''t come here for nonsense like that, you know."

    "Nonsense like that?"

    "Huh?"

    From the get-go, these participants entered the Ranking Wars to advertise their names and enhance their value.

    That purpose was even tied to enhancing the international prestige of their respective nations, similar to competing in the Olympics or the World Cup. To put it simply, the awakeners competing in the Ranking Wars were like the top representatives of their respective nations.

    However, Sun Wukong''s goal obviously had nothing to do with any of those.

    "You see, I want to fight as much as I can." Sun Wukong beckoned at the awakeners, telling them to attack him, "So, hurry up. Let''s have some fun."

    * * *

    In the Ranking Wars preliminaries, the matches were supposed to go on for two days in total. Everyone expected Su-hyeun to steal the limelight, but somewhat surprisingly, that role belonged to someone else.

    "A new face, huh?"

    "He won 4 versus 1, right?"

    "I didn''t think anyone not affiliated with the Paragon Guild would be that strong."

    "But he''s Kim Su-hyeun''s acquaintance, apparently."

    "Does that mean he''ll soon join the Paragon Guild, too?"

    Sun Wukong was the protagonist of all their gossiping.

    Some were already asking if he was the real Sun Wukong, the one and only Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal. Still, others simply called him a cosplaying weirdo.

    Whichever side was the truth, it didn''t matter in the end. Both were more than enough to generate so much buzz already.

    Of course, the one responsible for all that buzz, Sun Wukong, didn''t seem to care about any of the hullabaloos.

    "It''s my loss."

    Currently, in the main match of the second round of the Ranking Wars, Hak-joon held up both of his hands. His whole body was soaked in sweat while his complexion was deathly pale.

    Everything happened in less than 10 minutes. The arena was utterly wrecked while Hak-joon, normally overflowing with stamina, had exhausted himself to the brink of passing out.

    "Still, you''re pretty good, aren''t you?" Sun Wukong grinned in satisfaction, which hadn''t happened in a while.

    Although this wasn''t a life-or-death struggle, this fight nevertheless proved to be quite enjoyable to him. At the very least, Sun Wukong didn''t see Hak-joon as yet another random rabble like the other awakeners.

    "I heard about you, but wow! You''re really strong," Hak-joon said while rubbing his abdomen, which got hit by Ruyi Jingu Bang early on.

    It must''ve been ages since the last time he felt such a strong impact force.

    He ended up vomiting what he ate before the match. His whole body toppled forward while all the magical energy he roused up got dispersed.

    Right after that, he realized how outmatched he was, then for the next 10 minutes, he proceeded to pour out every single ounce of his energy during each of his sword swings.

    And then, he lost.

    "To him, this fight was on the level of just horsing around," Hak-joon thought.

    Sun Wukong had been maintaining a grin throughout the fight.

    That grin looked so pure. Like a kid having fun in the playground, Sun Wukong thoroughly enjoyed himself during the fight.

    That helped Hak-joon reaffirm something.

    "If it weren''t for him having fun, our fight would''ve finished much sooner."

    Hak-joon grabbed Sun Wukong''s offered hand and got back on his feet.

    The first of the main match lasted for around 10 minutes. One could say it didn''t take that long.

    Most of the Ranking Wars'' matches lasted anywhere between 15 minutes to a few hours. The reason why a match could go on for that long was simple¡ªmost of the participating S-Rank awakeners were strong individuals, to begin with, and their strengths closely matched.

    However, despite the short length, none of the spectators thought they got short-changed during this match.

    "Wow..."

    "What did we just see?"

    "Could he be the real Sun Wukong? I mean, his staff, it¡ª"

    "Didn''t he also step on the clouds to fly around?"

    The spectators of the Ranking Wars wanted only one thing, and that was to be entertained.

    The battles between awakeners were much flashier and exciting than any video game or movie. Well, they knew how to use flashy skills, and their physical prowess verged on being superhuman, after all.

    Everything was more visceral because the fight wasn''t make-believe but happening for real.

    Also, the spectators derived additional enjoyment from trying to predict which high-ranking awakeners would fight each other and who would emerge victorious in such a situation.

    But now, a rising star announced himself by defeating an awakener of the Paragon Guild.

    "Third Brother, it looks like you''ve quickly become a big celebrity."

    "Eh? I have?" Sun Wukong turned his head to look at Su-hyeun. He was back in the participant waiting room.

    He was merely competing in the matches since he was told to do so. His head began tilting this way and that, unable to understand why he had suddenly become a celebrity. He was wondering if he had done something amazing to warrant that.

    However, to make him understand, first, one would also have to explain the significance of the Ranking Wars and then explain how the people of this world viewed the awakeners participating in the Ranking Wars.

    Su-hyeun realized how complicated explaining all of that was going to be. He mulled over his options for a bit, then simply nodded, "I think if you go outside now, everyone will start recognizing you."

    "Huh! That''s gonna get a bit annoying."

    "You could always use the transformation technique before going out, though. You know how to disguise yourself a bit, don''t you?"

    "Eh," Sun Wukong scratched his head while looking annoyed before settling down on a chair. He then popped a couple of biscuits in his mouth. "By the way, what were you doing in here?"

    "Do you remember the guy from before?"

    "How can I when you put it that way?"

    "I''m talking about Mister Luslec."

    "Luslec? Mm..." Sun Wukong combed through his memory bank for a while, then immediately nodded, "Aha! Yeah, we did fight side by side."

    "I''ve been trying to contact him," Su-hyeun was fidgeting with the marble Luslec gave him in his pocket. "But he doesn''t want to answer me."

    "Is it an urgent matter?"

    "Well, he is the Apostle of Brahma, after all. I wanted to find out if there''s been any news, but I can''t get a hold of him."

    Up until now, it always had been Lusclec contacting Su-hyeun first.

    He sometimes showed up for no special reason to visit Su-hyeun. He even replied within a few seconds when Su-hyeun tried to contact him as if he was waiting to be contacted in the first place.

    However, during the Ranking Wars, Luslec didn''t respond to any attempts at contact as if something was keeping him busy.

    "I wonder, did Zeus meet Brahma by now?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Zeus abruptly showed up on Earth to track Luslec down while saying he wanted to locate Brahma. Then, after getting a solid lead, he left in a hurry only to go missing in action, too.

    "As soon as I wrap things up here, I should try searching for them."

    There shouldn''t be any immediate problems.

    Without needing to find Brahma right away, the frequency of dungeon generation had decreased noticeably. Also, Su-hyeun had already taken care of his primary concern¡ªFafnir.

    Even Osiris had been dealt with. Out of the Three Destroyers, two of them had died by Su-hyeun''s hands.

    "Okay, so, the remaining ones are Shiva and..."

    It was the last boss whose name Su-hyeun didn''t even know.

    "The One Overlord..."

    Su-hyeun still hadn''t found out what the name of the apex of all Predators was. All he knew, for the time being, was that the One Overlord, just like Shiva, could lead a "world" on the scale of galaxies to their absolute destruction.

    Thinking about the One Overlord filled Su-hyeun''s head with complicated thoughts.

    He wondered half-heartedly if it would be okay to pretend not to have thought about an existence with an unknown presence and unknown name. Still, his anxiety only got more amplified with time.

    "Should I personally go out to find this One Overlord or something?"

    But where?

    "I guess there''s no choice but to meet Brahma directly, then."

    The most realistic and achievable goal right now seemed like meeting Brahma. There was the connection called Luslec, after all. Not to forget, Zeus was already chasing after Brahma''s shadow.

    Su-hyeun organized his thoughts and then got up from his chair.

    He was up next.

    * * *

    Waaaaah¡ª!

    The crowd''s cheering was getting louder.

    It was the second round of the main matches.

    Finally, it was Su-hyeun''s turn.

    Not only that, but the match-up was also good enough to excite the spectators greatly.

    "Thomas versus Kim Su-hyeun, huh?"

    "The very first Ranking Wars'' main match was these two, wasn''t it?"

    "Yeah. That match was a classic, too. I wonder what''s going to happen this time."

    "Maybe Thomas will win today?"

    "No way, man."

    They were both members of the Paragon Guild.

    Some were even saying that the match-up between Thomas and Su-hyeun was like an early final.

    Hak-joon recently overtook Thomas in the rankings to reach second place, but the margin between them was paper-thin, so to speak.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun stepped inside the arena. Thomas was already there, waiting.

    "Heeeey, Su-hyeun¡ª!" Thomas began waving his hand, looking really happy to see Su-hyeun.

    The latter also waved back. He then turned his head to confirm, and sure enough, Gordon Rohan was observing the match from the VIP seats high up.

    The announcer began his long and boring explanation next.

    It started by introducing both Su-hyeun and Thomas. The announcer then explained the relationship between the two and even tried to impart some significance into the match that was not necessary.

    And a short while later...

    [The match will now begin.]

    The announcement message floated up to signal the start of the second main match.

    "Let me apologize in advance."

    "Hmm?"

    Despite the considerable distance, Su-hyeun''s voice was clearly transmitted to Thomas, causing the latter to make a puzzled expression.

    But he didn''t need long to figure out what the apology was for.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    "Kugh."

    Thomas''s eyes rolled.

    A fist rammed into his abdomen, making him wobble helplessly before his whole frame collapsed to his front.

    Su-hyeun carefully caught Thomas''s falling figure.

    The latter wasn''t completely unconscious, though.

    Su-hyeun was holding back just then, and it seemed his attack lacked enough bite in the end.

    Still, the match was already over with this hit.

    "Wha¡ª?"

    "T¡ªthat''s really the end?"

    "In one hit?!"

    The spectators were left in disbelief.

    Without a doubt, the two men''s fight in the first Ranking Wars looked quite intense. Thomas activated the Dark World, and Su-hyeun battled hard to break through it.

    But now, their rematch ended far too quickly and in such a deflating fashion, too.

    "I''d like to make a suggestion," Su-hyeun scanned the spectators before turning his head to look up at Gordon Rohan.

    When their gazes met, Gordon nodded to indicate that Su-hyeun should continue.

    "Do you all remember the rule of the final match during the first Ranking Wars?"

    The very first Ranking Wars?

    The rule for the final match back then was rather simple.

    The match was in the form of "rotation." One competitor stood firm and accepted all challengers. The loser would leave the arena while the winner would take on the other challengers.

    The last one standing would be the winner.

    "Why don''t we do that from now on?"

    Su-hyeun''s expression suddenly changed.

    As if he wanted everyone to see him and hear him, he made a haughty expression and addressed the crowd, "Only one among you today is my real opponent, anyway."

 Chapter 513 - 513

    Su-hyeun''s declaration brought about a sizeable ripple to the arena.

    Usually, the main competition and the final match would take place over several days. However, by doing what Su-hyeun had suggested, this year''s Ranking Wars would be over in one day.

    He even placed a significant restriction on himself.

    "Well, it''s certainly intriguing, but..."

    "Wouldn''t the tournament end far too quickly in this case?"

    "More than anything else, though, would anyone agree to do something like that?"

    "He sure has great confidence in himself, doesn''t he?"

    The crowd was getting curious.

    The number of S-Rank awakeners currently in the main competition was about 30 percent of all S-Ranks dispersed throughout the world, and Su-hyeun was saying that he would face them all in a one-on-one fight.

    Was something like that even possible, though?

    They wanted to see it.

    Also, they were curious about the "one opponent" Su-hyeun was talking about and the potential battle between the two.

    "It must be Gordon Rohan."

    "There isn''t anyone else."

    The spectators thought that Su-hyeun''s only opponent today would be Gordon Rohan, the current number one, the organizer of the Ranking Wars, and the one called the strongest awakener in the world before Su-hyeun entered the scene.

    And right at that moment...

    The one they were thinking of, Gordon Rohan, finally said something. "Hmm¡­ That suggestion puts me in a bind. However, it''s also a rather intriguing idea, isn''t it?"

    He revealed himself from the top of the arena.

    The wings of an angel were on his back, allowing him to fly in the air. While being subjected to the attention of every single spectator in the arena, he looked down at Su-hyeun on the ground.

    Even though he wasn''t using a megaphone, Gordon Rohan''s voice was clearly heard throughout the arena. Just like how it was with Su-hyeun''s voice earlier.

    "Why don''t you tell us more? For one, shouldn''t you also put forward a reward or compensation for the participants who decide to accept your suggestion?"

    What Gordon Rohan said just now was indeed correct.

    The contestants'' goal for entering this year''s Ranking Wars was not to win the whole tournament. Gordon Rohan was to worry about, and with Su-hyeun also in the mix, they no longer even dreamed of winning.

    What they wanted now was to earn more fame through the Ranking Wars.

    However, the opportunity to do that would be gone if they went along with Su-hyeun''s suggestion.

    "You''re right. It''s fine even if you don''t win against me. If any of you manage to hit me and leave behind even a small nick or a scratch, I''ll pay you double the amount of the reward money."

    "From your own funds, I presume?"

    "Of course. And also," Su-hyeun scanned the contestants currently sitting among the grandstands. "If you want, I''ll let you join the Paragon Guild as well. However, if that''s not what you want, I can also give you one of the items in my possession."

    "What...?"

    "The Paragon Guild?"

    "One of Kim Su-hyeun''s items?"

    Now those were astounding incentives, alright.

    It didn''t matter even if they didn''t win. All they had to do was to hit him somehow.

    Winning might be out of the question, but wouldn''t something like scratching him a bit be possible to pull off? That was the thought that popped up in the contestants'' heads, along with the greed sprouting in their hearts.

    If they could join the Paragon Guild, their fame and fortune would get an instant boost. Not to forget, the Paragon Guild was seen as the world''s strongest elite guild¡ªa guild that hadn''t accepted anyone since its inception, to boot.

    The same also applied to Su-hyeun''s items. A portion of the awakeners said that the half of Su-hyeun''s incredible strength must''ve come from all the top-class items in his possession, after all.

    "This is a jackpot."

    "Hey, this is better than winning the tournament, isn''t it?"

    "And the reward payout is doubled, too..."

    There didn''t seem to be any negatives to consider, at least according to the offer.

    And so, only two issues remained: one, whether or not Gordon Rohan would agree to this suggestion, and two, solving the dissatisfaction of the spectators who didn''t like this suggestion at all.

    However, the solution to these two problems wasn''t that difficult at all.

    "We''ll hold it in the event match format," Gordon Rohan aired his idea after pondering the answer for a little while.

    The event match format?

    It sounded like a last-minute improvisation, but it didn''t sound so bad as a pretext to get things moving.

    By holding the competition in the event match format, it would be possible to accept both Su-hyeun''s suggestions and continue with the main matches.

    With this, the spectators feeling dissatisfied by the shortened length of the competition should be appeased to a degree.

    "However, your rankings will still be affected. Any objections?" Gordon Rohan asked loudly.

    No one voiced their objections.

    The atmosphere had become even hotter, instead.

    Gordon Rohan smirked deeply, "In that case, let''s not beat around the bush and get started."

    * * *

    Even though he said that time was still required before the event match could get underway, he said that to call for those contestants who were not scheduled to participate in today''s main matches. Gordon Rohan also granted the contestants who were already eliminated permission to participate.

    It was for the sake of hosting a grander event, even if the scale got grander only by a little bit.

    During this brief lull in the competition, Gordon Rohan glanced at Su-hyeun, who was currently standing all by himself in the middle of the arena, and pondered, "Did his personality change?"

    From Su-hyeun''s expression to the light in his eyes and the way he spoke or the offer he made, everything seemed different somehow.

    More importantly, his unrestrained display of power and judgment was sharp enough to subdue Thomas in one strike.

    Every single one of those actions and words seemed a little different to "Su-hyeun" that Gordon Rohan remembered.

    "Still, it suits him well."

    Su-hyeun didn''t look awkward at all.

    A few among the spectators might think that something was a bit off with Su-hyeun''s current behavior. It seemed to be at odds with how he came across in past interviews and such. However, Gordon Rohan didn''t think the same as they did.

    "The best of the best should act like one, after all."

    No matter what, Su-hyeun was the best of the best.

    Even Gordon Rohan, a man with overflowing pride, acknowledged that. Su-hyeun''s powers had reached a realm so high that no one could even look up anymore. And it happened a long time ago, too.

    However, Su-hyeun''s personality didn''t suit such a powerful man occupying the "best of the best" seat.

    His usual nature was rather laid-back, and when there was no urgent matter to deal with, he sometimes came across as a hippy. Not only did he lack ambition or desire, but he also didn''t have much of an ego or outward confidence.

    Yet there he was, standing all by himself in the center of the arena.

    The first challenger soon stepped forward.

    "Allow me to be the first one."

    He was someone Su-hyeun was familiar with: Bak Yun-gyu, the Korean S-Rank who ranked among the very best in the world¡ªafter excluding the Paragon Guild members, of course.

    His current ranking was sixth, which was definitely not low by any measure. On the contrary, it was incredibly high.

    The crowd erupted in cheers at Bak Yun-gyu''s challenge, but Su-hyeun remained standing still. He then slowly nodded as if he couldn''t hear them.

    He was silently telling his challenger to give his all.

    Step¡ª

    Bak Yun-gyu took a step forward.

    As he yanked his sword out, a humongous image materialized right behind him.

    [Heavenly Sword King - One Sword Cutting Through Everything]

    "I already know that tricks won''t work on you, Mister Su-hyeun."

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    The aura gushing out from him was strong enough to seemingly split the arena in half. A massive quantity of magical energy enveloped Bak Yun-gyu''s figure, the image of the giant behind him, and the humongous sword the giant was wielding.

    "That''s why I''ll go all out from the start."

    He had been participating in the Ranking Wars every year, but this would be his first time feeling excited to this degree. His competitive spirit burned stronger than any other time he could remember.

    The reason for Bak Yun-gyu going all out from the start was simple enough: It wasn''t to defeat Su-hyeun but to leave behind even a tiny scratch on him.

    "With this, maybe I can...!"

    The Heavenly Sword King''s blade grew larger and larger.

    Having devoured the offered magical energy, the giant powerfully swung the massive sword down.

    KWA-AAAAAH¡ª!

    Gu-wooooong¡ª

    For a moment there, the entire arena shook around.

    A powerful impact force caused the ground to rock while the scattering magical energy spread out in ripples to heavily suppress the air.

    A loud roar left behind ringing in the ears of all who watched. The arena''s floor exploded and overturned, creating a thick curtain of dust.

    Huff, huff...

    Bak Yun-gyu panted laboriously, having never exhausted this much quantity of magical energy in a single strike before.

    He had the look of agitation, however. His massive sword that went for a hit didn''t touch the ground. A slim gap separated the sword and the ground.

    "It''s not touching?"

    There could be only one reason for that small gap. No matter how much power Bak Yun-gyu exerted, the weapon couldn''t go any lower.

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    CLANG¡ª!

    Instead, the Heavenly Sword King''s blade, which aim was to split the arena in half, cracked and shattered into pieces.

    This weapon was created through magical energy and Bak Yun-gyu''s skill, so it quickly morphed into bluish smoke and scattered in the air once it came undone.

    Gu-gugu...

    The center of the arena was deeply caved in. That was where Su-hyeun could be seen standing tall, with his sword held up.

    In other words, he stood his ground and used nothing but that small sword to defend against a much larger sword.

    "I concede defeat," Bak Yun-gyu sheathed his sword and then bowed his head.

    There was no need to continue the fight. That strike of the Heavenly Sword King was produced by pouring in most of his magical energy reserve.

    Yet Su-hyeun just stood there and blocked it with his sword. In all honesty, he probably didn''t have to defend against it, either.

    Considering Su-hyeun''s powers, evading that strike would''ve been child''s play to him.

    Bak Yun-gyu''s magical energy reserve was empty, too. All things considered, there was no point in extending this fight. He failed to inflict a single wound even after going all out, which was basically the same as this fight being over right there and then.

    "Not dodging and blocking it was probably his way of thinking about me."

    That little bit of consideration only resulted in Bak Yun-gyu acutely learning about the insurmountable gap between them. However, he didn''t feel hollow or anything like that.

    "Thank you for coming," Su-hyeun called out to the next challenger while thinking that the Heavenly Sword King''s attack was surprisingly heavy. "Is there anyone else?"

    Maybe the aftermath of Bak Yun-gyu''s challenge was to blame here, but no one dared to step forward right away.

    Unsurprising, since those with a lower ranking than Bak Yun-gyu would have lost their confidence just then.

    When the silence continued for a while longer, Su-hyeun''s gaze shifted over to two people among the crowd. One was Gordon Rohan, while the other was Sun Wukong.

    "They don''t seem to be interested in joining the fun."

    In the case of Gordon Rohan, he had no reason to enter the event match in the first place.

    The results of the fights were supposed to affect the rankings, but he was already ranked number one in the world. Meaning there was no reason to challenge Su-hyeun here.

    Not only that, but the merit of potentially joining the Paragon Guild or the monetary rewards didn''t matter to him at all. Basically, Gordon Rohan should be entirely excluded from this event match.

    As for Sun Wukong, he seemed more interested in spectating the fights for a bit longer.

    He was clearly holding himself back. He was like a man patiently waiting for the fruit to ripen some more so that it would taste even better.

    For the time being, he was probably thinking of sitting back and observing Su-hyeun fight off other challengers first.

    "I''d like to change the condition," Su-hyeun looked at Gordon Rohan while saying that.

    The expected reply was swift.

    "It''s your event match, anyway. Tell us already," said Gordon Rohan.

    "It doesn''t matter if you want to form a team. I will also not place any limitation on the number of the challengers making up the team."

    "Will that be fine?"

    "I told you this already, didn''t I?" Su-hyeun replied dismissively since it''s annoying to repeat himself. "There''s only one opponent for me here today."

    What an overbearingly confident declaration that was, saying that it didn''t matter how many attacked him at once since none could harm him.

    All the contestants present were proud of their own strengths, so the new suggestion ended up touching their nerves.

    Not to forget, they were all S-Rank awakeners.

    One couldn''t reach the realm of the S-Rank unless your potential as an awakener were great, and you were prepared to put in the hard work. These men and women possessed excellent skills and powers and stood as the proud representatives of their respective countries.

    In the blink of an eye, the whole arena was filled with an intense desire to fight.

    Permission was granted in no time at all.

    "Very well."

    Clap¡ª

    Gordon Rohan clapped his hands, "You all heard him."

    Those words served as a trigger, prompting the contestants to step forward one by one.

    Here was their chance.

    This was what they were all thinking in their heads.

    If only one person faced Su-hyeun at a time, then it would be impossible without a doubt. However, several people working together might result in an opportunity. Even if it was Su-hyeun, there was simply no way he would not get injured while dealing with hundreds of S-Rank awakeners at once.

    And the one to inflict that wound would be one of them.

    Now would be their only chance.

    "That worked out."

    Su-hyeun smiled faintly while watching the contestants rushing toward him like a tidal wave.

    Facing one person at a time would be not only annoying but also time-consuming. The numbers game didn''t even matter to him, anyway.

    Indeed, this was actually better for him since he could get a sufficient warm-up before the main course was served.

    "Even Hak-joon joined them?"

    Hak-joon was the current number two in the rankings.

    Thomas was third, while the fourth rank belonged to the Necromancer, Daian Gedeck.

    All of them had stepped onto the stage. The arena was vast enough to accommodate not just a few hundred but tens of thousands. However, the entrance of all these giant heavy hitters instantly made it seem tiny.

    The moment all the contestants stepped into the arena...

    "I hope you won''t disappoint me."

    Step¡ª

    The biggest giant on this stage took the first step before the others could.

 Chapter 514 - 514

    Hak-joon''s condition wasn''t so good at the moment.

    He just finished his fight against Sun Wukong about one hour ago. He wasn''t heavily injured or anything like that, but the fight exhausted all of his stamina and magical energy reserve. He still hadn''t recovered in full, as a matter of fact.

    "About half of my normal state, I guess?"

    Still, resting for one hour helped recover his physical condition, and he could more or less fight to some degree.

    He didn''t feel rueful, however; even if he was in his peak condition, he still wasn''t sure if his powers were good enough to scratch Su-hyeun.

    "No, wait. I''m sure it''s still impossible."

    Unlike the other spectators here, Hak-joon had figured out the identity of the "only opponent" Su-hyeun was talking about, and it wasn''t Gordon Rohan.

    It was Sun Wukong.

    "That guy is still checking things out, huh?"

    The only contestant who hadn''t joined up with everyone was Sun Wukong.

    He had been watching all the fights with great interest until now. The story remained the same even as hundreds of contestants got ready to step up.

    He probably wanted to have a proper one-on-one fight with Su-hyeun.

    "In any case, I won''t be fighting alone."

    When would he get another chance to fight like this?

    Hak-joon was under no delusion that he could do something to Su-hyeun during a one-on-one bout. However, if it was during a hundreds-on-one battle, in such an environment, he might get the opportunity to meet the condition set out by Su-hyeun.

    And this was the kind of chance with Su-hyeun that Hak-joon had been thinking all this time.

    "Fuuu..."

    He took a deep, deep breath, then...

    Buzz¡ª

    He injected magical energy into the blade and slowly rouse its hidden strength.

    Hak-joon''s senses remained sharp since the fight against Sun Wukong. His physical body might not have recovered completely and was still fatigued, but his burning spirit and senses were several times sharper than his usual self.

    Once he was finished with sharpening his senses...

    "Let''s go."

    Hak-joon got ready to move.

    But then...

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun made a move before everyone else did.

    Crunch¡ª!

    And then, there came the sound of a heavy punch.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    At the same time, hot flames spread all around the arena.

    * * *

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s fist slammed into the abdomen of the nearest contestant.

    The noise was as loud as an explosion. Some licks of hot flames erupted from his fist as well.

    "Ku-huk!"

    An awakener with a face Su-hyeun didn''t recognize and whose name he didn''t know flew up high in the air. Judging from this result, it seemed that this individual became an S-Rank only recently.

    "That''s disappointing."

    He adjusted his strength appropriately, but to think that this person couldn''t even dodge or withstand the attack.

    "Tsk," Su-hyeun quietly tutted.

    He then dug into the ranks of the contestants and began wielding his sword.

    Smack, smack¡ª!

    Bang¡ª!

    His sword didn''t cut or chop anyone apart. It simply smacked and beat on the limbs, backs, and abdomen of his targets.

    Magical energy didn''t only have the function of boosting the sword''s cutting power. It could also wrap around the blade in any shape the wielder wanted¡ªand in this case, in the form of a blunt weapon by dulling the blade''s edges.

    Since Su-hyeun couldn''t kill anyone today, doing this was an absolute necessity.

    Bang¡ª!

    Kugh...

    Ji-jijijijik¡ª!

    It was right at that moment someone capable of defending against Su-hyeun''s sword attack finally appeared.

    Although he swung his weapon around lightly and lowered the cutting power by a considerable margin, this awakener managed to stop his attack nevertheless.

    Su-hyeun''s eyes gleamed a little as he took a look at this awakener.

    "Jenner Duvernay. She''s a French awakener, wasn''t she?"

    He recalled her name, as well as her face.

    France was widely acknowledged around the world as an awakener powerhouse nation like the U.S. and South Korea. She was a fighter specialized in hand-to-hand combat.

    "Should we check out how long she can hold on, then?"

    Since he was swinging around his sword to see if anyone could block it, Su-hyeun didn''t find her successfully defending against the attack weird at all.

    Actually, he was even thinking that failing to stop an attack of this caliber was not a good thing.

    Swish¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s figure dashed toward Duvernay.

    She kept her glare firmly locked on Su-hyeun as he arrived before her in the blink of an eye. She then quickly unleashed a powerful punch.

    [Crimson Wind Fist - Bloodthirster]

    KA-BOOOOOM¡ª!

    Splash, riiiiip¡ª

    Along with the fist winds, crimson currents rapidly pounced on Su-hyeun. These currents not only exerted a great deal of wind pressure, but they also felt like deadly blades.

    Having landed an attack rather unexpectedly, Jenner Duvernay muttered, surprised, "I got him...?!"

    There definitely was feedback on her fist, but even then...

    "Mm. That was stronger than I thought."

    Fwhoosh¡ª

    Smack¡ª!

    "What?"

    The dull-edged sword slammed straight into Duvernay''s midriff. She urgently bent her torso forward greatly and flung herself back to mitigate the impact force by as much as half.

    Her reaction time was pretty good.

    "And her toughness is pretty good, too."

    Swhooooooosh¡ª

    Pow, popopopopow¡ª!

    Countless arrows flew in from the air above before rapidly stabbing into the arena''s floor. By then, Su-hyeun had already found an unaffected area among the raining arrows and evacuated there, his torso slightly tilting to dodge the rest.

    [Trap of Heaven and Earth]

    [Crimson Crossbow - Shower of Bolts]

    Chwa-jajajajajak¡ª!

    A "net" suddenly restricted Su-hyeun while a deluge of arrows rained down from above once more.

    How should he dodge this? It was not that difficult, actually.

    Slice¡ª!

    Su-hyeun ripped the net apart in one sword swing. The trap was made out of an unknown material and magical energy, but unlike its reputation, it got torn into bits without much difficulty.

    "Pretty good coordination, and it''s tougher than I thought."

    Although he did tear the net pretty easily, he still sensed its toughness through the sword swing.

    Most average-level S-Rank awakeners wouldn''t have been able to tear through the net. It wasn''t designed to be ripped apart in the first place, after all.

    And then, there was the deluge of arrows pouring in at the perfect time, too.

    These two awakeners were working rather well together.

    Even so...

    "That''s not going to be enough."

    And "not enough" by a long shot, too.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Bzzzik, zzzzziii...

    Flames spreading all around Su-hyeun melted all the arrows raining down on him. He then immediately threw himself at the awakener that fired all those arrows.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Ku-gh!

    Su-hyeun''s foot made a heavy explosion-like noise as he kicked the crossbow-wielding contestant in the gut. The latter must''ve blacked out in an instant because he simply let go of the weapon as he collapsed on the floor.

    "Not much endurance to speak of, huh?"

    The two awakeners worked pretty well together, but unfortunately for them, their firepower and endurance left a lot to be desired.

    At this rate, never mind a Predator, they wouldn''t even be able to defeat a single Prey.

    Swhoooosh¡ª

    It was right at that moment a sword rapidly closed in on the back of Su-hyeun''s neck.

    It looked uncomfortably close.

    Claaang¡ª!

    However, a small barrier suddenly materialized behind his neck just then. Having safely blocked the attack, he then turned his head while asking, "I wouldn''t have exposed a vital spot unprotected by my armor without reason, don''t you agree?"

    Keuh-euh...

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    Hak-joon''s sword proved to be powerful and accurate. However, his problem right now was the magic spell cast all around Su-hyeun''s vicinity.

    A spell that automatically stopped any attack aimed at one''s vital spot was quite difficult to cast. The same goes for a barrier that deployed without the caster''s will, which wasn''t that strong, to begin with.

    Crack¡ª

    And that''s why the barrier quickly began cracking apart.

    Shatter¡ª!

    But by then, Su-hyeun was already in position.

    As soon as Hak-joon met Su-hyeun''s gaze, he quickly dashed back to make a larger distance between them. Now that was a commendably swift judgment and a correct one, to boot.

    "He still most likely hasn''t recovered most of his stamina after the fight with Third Brother, yet he..."

    It had been a while since Su-hyeun became aware of Hak-joon''s abilities and powers. After all, the latter was one of the few awakeners that Kim Sung-in had acknowledged back in the previous life.

    Perhaps due to Su-hyeun''s influence, Hak-joon had become stronger a lot quicker than the previous timeline.

    "It''s not exactly a passing grade, but I guess around 50 out of 100?"

    Even if the barrier wasn''t consciously made and therefore brittle, shattering it was still worthy of granting half of the passing grade.

    However, that only happened because Su-hyeun had set the barrier''s defensive strength to a level that could be feasibly shattered by Hak-joon.

    "So close."

    From Hak-joon''s perspective, he couldn''t help but feel really rueful about the missed attack.

    "That was your only chance, you know."

    Su-hyeun had deliberately left himself open to test Hak-joon''s firepower.

    So, unless Su-hyeun decided to do something similar again, he wouldn''t leave other similar openings in the near future.

    Tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s feet lightly darted across the floor.

    Hak-joon was moving along with the other contestants, but Su-hyeun''s target still was him.

    [Earth Shrink Technique]

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything - Great Mountain Splitter]

    Shu-aaaak¡ª

    "Ah!"

    Hak-joon''s brows shot up high when Su-hyeun, who was raising his sword high in the air, suddenly appeared right in front of his nose.

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    The sword''s descent caused massive currents of sword wind to crash into the surroundings. The wind pressure whipping into a frenzy in the center of the arena forced back the contestants trying to target Su-hyeun.

    Creak, creaaak¡ª

    Hak-joon''s arms were shaking around precariously.

    The descending sword was currently stopped in front of his nose. He somehow managed to defend against Su-hyeun''s attack, in other words.

    "Well, that gets a passing grade."

    "What... do you mean... by passing grade?"

    Hak-joon gritted his teeth while trying hard to keep his arms up when he slowly spat out that question.

    He was clearly out of his depth at the moment, yet he didn''t stop at blocking Su-hyeun''s sword and even managed to shove it back upward.

    But right at that moment, Su-hyeun''s sword vanished.

    Swish¡ª

    Clang, claaaang¡ª!

    From above, below, left, and right!

    The sword slashes flew in from all sides, and Hak-joon reacted accordingly. His defense right now was focused on speed, not power.

    [Magic Energy Sword - Qilin]

    Kyaaah¡ª!

    An illusory image of a monster boasting gorgeous five-colored fur suddenly materialized and swallowed up Su-hyeun''s figure. However, the moment he witnessed this creature, Su-hyeun''s eyes gleamed sharply as his sword sliced through the air.

    [Palm Leaf - Basic Slash]

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    Riiip, riiiiiip¡ª!

    The monster image that shot out of Hak-joon''s sword was ripped apart into pieces by the winds that burst out of the Palm Leaf Sword.

    Hak-joon was stunned by how easily his most trusted skill was broken through. On the other hand, Su-hyeun was also making a similar face.

    Su-hyeun even muttered, "That kinda surprised me."

    He even reflexively called for Palm Leaf''s power. He instantly realized his slip-up and went, "Damn it!"

    He didn''t rein in the Palm Leaf''s wind output properly, which could have easily resulted in Hak-joon getting swept up in the storm.

    But then, the Palm Leaf''s winds collided against Hak-joon''s skill, and both of them canceled each other out. Now that deserved a grade far better than simply a passing one.

    "Just what is with this passing grade, and what are you surprised about?" Hak-joon asked with some difficulty. His complexion was sickly pale after using a powerful skill when he didn''t have enough stamina or magical energy left. "Never mind this event, it feels like you could have ended everything right away, but for some reason, you''re dragging things out. Just what do you want from us?"

    "What I want, you ask?" Su-hyeun looked around at Hak-joon''s question.

    Plenty of contestants still remained standing in the vicinity.

    They were standing in a daze as if the exchange between Su-hyeun and Hak-joon had mesmerized them briefly.

    The thing was, Su-hyeun didn''t attend this tournament to have a leisurely chat or anything like that. However, with things like this, he felt the need to say something regardless.

    "First of all, to test you," Su-hyeun spoke up so that everyone could hear him.

    "Test me?"

    "Yes. Not just you, but all the S-Ranks. I wanted to figure out how strong the contestants of the Ranking Wars are since you''re all rated as the best in the world."

    Su-hyeun''s reply caused Hak-joon''s voice to become slightly tense, "Okay. So what do you think?"

    "You definitely get a passing grade. And I did notice a few other pretty good ones among you, but the rest..." The next part of his evaluation came with a long groan. "Not only ''poor,'' it''s verging on utterly pathetic."

    "What¡ª?"

    "How can he even say that?"

    A few awakeners seemed to have gotten riled up by Su-hyeun''s evaluation and said something, but none of them dared to openly argue back.

    That was because it was none other than Su-hyeun who said those things. They just couldn''t work up enough courage to step forward and demand an apology.

    The thing was, though, Su-hyeun could clearly see and feel "this" from their disgruntled mutterings and expressions.

    That was why he felt he had to ask them, "All of you, do you think our world is in peace right now?"

    Peace?

    It hadn''t been that long since the awakeners began thinking about that word.

    The dungeon generation rate suddenly started declining, and the awakeners found it harder to make a living.

    The threat posed by the dungeons was as good as non-existent now, which meant that the work of the awakeners had morphed into something like celebrities putting on mere TV shows.

    "All of you, wake the hell up!"

    And this was what made Su-hyeun angry.

    "The war isn''t over yet."

 Chapter 515 - 515

    At first, Hak-joon was puzzled.

    Just why was Su-hyeun doing this? For what exactly?

    The personality of the "Su-hyeun" Hak-joon knew was definitely not like this. Indeed, he would keep quiet if it was not necessary to raise his voice. He would also prefer to stay quiet in some corner if it was possible to do so.

    Wasn''t it obvious when looking at things he liked?

    He preferred coffee over booze. He chose deserted little streets over avenues teeming with people. He liked quiet stillness over a noisy environment.

    On top of it all, he also didn''t speak in a forceful tone. Even if his personality had changed somehow, he still wouldn''t have started this event match without a good reason.

    "Right, there must be a reason for it."

    That was the first thought that popped up in Hak-joon''s head when Su-hyeun suggested making some changes to the tournament''s format.

    That was why he asked for a reason. Sure enough, Su-hyeun provided the answer to Hak-joon''s question.

    "You said war?" Hak-joon had to ask again, sounding just as confused as before.

    However, it seemed that no one present had understood Su-hyeun''s meaning. In fact, they were getting angrier at Su-hyeun''s combative words. Their hostility toward Su-hyeun when he made confusing declarations seemed to have grown even more.

    "What the hell are you even talking about?"

    "You''ve been saying something about us being pathetic, and it''s fake peace, but..."

    "War? What war?"

    One person raised their voice, prompting many others to speak up one after another.

    Mob mentality was indeed a strange thing, as they demonstrated just now.

    Even if someone else held the same view as you, you would normally hesitate to say something, but with a snap of a finger, you would all start saying similar things without holding back.

    The overall issue was with their mindset.

    "Today is also the Ranking Wars, isn''t it?" Su-hyeun muttered quietly at their dissatisfied questioning.

    Daian Gedeck, standing among the awakeners, heard that and flinched a little. He wasn''t sure why, but what Su-hyeun said inexplicably made him recall something from the past.

    Su-hyeun continued, "Do you all remember the indigo dungeon that appeared during the first Ranking Wars?"

    "The indigo dungeon?"

    "Now that I think about it..."

    That was a story they all had forgotten about after a number of years passed by.

    During the first Ranking Wars, the indigo dungeon that showed up on that day caused so much chaos in America for a while. Thankfully, the incident didn''t result in massive losses, but one wrong move could have resulted in the destruction of not just San Francisco but many other nearby cities, too.

    "I was the one who stopped that."

    Was he suddenly trying to boast about his accomplishments?

    While everyone started making puzzled faces, Su-hyeun continued, "It was me who defeated the guild master of the Dump Guild in Guangzhou. And before that happened, I was the first one to raid the green dungeon. And also, I was the one who stopped the worldwide dungeon outbreak, too. Well, I have done much more than these, but by now, you surely get what I''m trying to say here."

    The contestants, who got triggered after their pride was hurt, hurriedly clamped their mouths shut after Su-hyeun said all those things.

    In the blink of an eye, the whole arena became deathly silent. Not just the awakeners, but even the spectators maintained their silence.

    "Let me ask all of you, what happens next?"

    What happens next?

    None of them had thought about it. No, wait, it would be a lie to say they had never thought about it.

    They thought that they didn''t need to worry about it.

    "Did you all think that I''d do something to save you again? Is that what it is?" the corners of Su-hyeun''s lips distorted.

    Even without trying, anyone could read his expression. Su-hyeun was sneering at them.

    To all those people who took him for granted and thought that he would take care of everything, as well as the whole world that should be watching the broadcast, Su-hyeun asked all of them, "What makes you think that?"

    "Isn''t it obvious? This is the world we live in, after all. The world you live in, too."

    Now that answer sounded like someone took a peek at the answers sheet.

    It certainly sounded a lot more pragmatic and "realistic" than things like for the sake of justice or the preciousness of life and so on and so forth.

    "Sure, that sounds about right. I also think that way. But what if something serious happens? Something that I can''t stop for a reason beyond my control?"

    "Are you trying to threaten us?!"

    Someone asked that, only for Su-hyeun to make an even deeper sneer.

    A threat?

    He never thought that his words could be interpreted that way if it wasn''t for that awakener''s complaints.

    "When you''re drowning, I might not be there to save you right away. Does that sound like a threat to you?"

    Everyone fell silent once more.

    "You better discard the notion of me somehow taking care of everything when the ''next time'' happens. You gave up climbing the tower just because the number of dungeons decreased. You felt content with what you already had, caught the celebrity bug, and decided to live easy lives. Yet you want someone to come and save your sorry butts? Aren''t you ashamed?"

    Sometimes, it wasn''t what was being said that mattered but who said it.

    Now was one of those times.

    If someone else said what Su-hyeun said right now, then it would just come across as incessant nagging. However, Su-hyeun was responsible for stopping several world-ending catastrophes already. He was someone who worked harder than anyone else.

    Anyone who knew that fact couldn''t dare argue that he was wrong. They even began to realize that, indeed, they had been unconsciously believing that Su-hyeun would solve everything somehow.

    "I think I get the gist of what you''re saying," Daian Gedeck took a step forward.

    He was surrounded by his undead summoned creatures materialized through a dense blackish aura. Unlike the last time when he focused on the numbers game, he seemed to have focused on raising the quality of his summons this time.

    He was known as the strongest necromancer before Su-hyeun showed up, and as if to prove that, he surrounded himself with summons that emitted even stronger aura than most average S-Ranks.

    "That''s why I want to ask you a question. This war you''re talking about, is it inevitable?"

    Su-hyeun nodded, "Yes. Unfortunately so."

    There was not a speck of hesitation in his reply.

    The thing was, his affirmation had never been wrong so far.

    "I see."

    It could be that only Su-hyeun knew about something about the future. However, even if that wasn''t true, one should never discount his gut feeling considering everything he had accomplished so far.

    It was logical to consider the possibility of a situation where Su-hyeun was not around to lend his assistance. In reality, the period Su-hyeun actively worked as an awakener was far shorter than when he did not.

    Simply put, it was unrealistic to rely on him for everything forever.

    "In that case, let us continue from where we left off."

    Until now, Su-hyeun was technically in the same shoes as the rest of the contestants. There might have been differences in rankings, but well, everyone here was a participant of the tournament called the Ranking Wars.

    But from this moment on, that would change.

    Su-hyeun was no longer a simple contestant. He now occupied the role of an examiner, judging every awakener currently in this arena.

    And Daian Gedeck was certainly up for the challenge.

    "Alright, let''s do that."

    Su-hyeun also never planned to go on a long rant in the first place.

    It seemed that not just Daian Gedeck but everyone else had more or less understood what Su-hyeun was trying to say.

    A few awakeners maintained disgruntled faces as if their pride took precedence over everything. However, there was no point in explaining to them if they still couldn''t figure it out by now.

    It would just be a waste of Su-hyeun''s time in that case.

    Fwhoooooosh¡ª!

    Daian Gedeck''s summons made their moves first. Their number was 10 or so.

    Looking like indistinct blobs of black ink, these things quickly pounced on Su-hyeun from various angles.

    At the same time...

    [Soul Catcher]

    Chwa-rururu¡ª

    Something traveled through the shadows to restrict Su-hyeun''s body. It was Daian Gedeck''s skill.

    "A combined assault of summons and a support skill, huh?"

    Su-hyeun lightly flicked his finger.

    His fingertip pointed in the various directions of Daian Gedeck''s summons that were rushing in at him.

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Bang, booooom¡ª!

    The summons pointed at by Su-hyeun''s finger burst into flames and exploded to bits.

    Daian Gedeck let out a hollow chuckle as if he knew this would happen. Even then, Su-hyeun''s evaluation was rather generous, "That''s not bad at all."

    Shuffle¡ª

    He shifted his gaze somewhere else. There were still plenty of contestants who hadn''t challenged him yet.

    Maybe it was because of the "discussion" earlier, but quite a few of them were rousing up their fighting spirit while intense flames burned in their eyes.

    Someone got provoked by Su-hyeun''s words, while some felt their pride had been wounded. Their individual reasons were different, but whatever the case might be, they had become much more combative than before.

    It was what Su-hyeun wanted, anyway.

    "No, wait, I guess it''s still a bit lacking?"

    Su-hyeun''s thoughts reached there. He lowered his sword and raised his empty hand. Then, he beckoned them with his finger, "Don''t be scared. I''ll go easy on you."

    He deliberately stepped a bit more on their pride.

    "Come at me already."

    * * *

    This was a massive scoop.

    Whenever the annual Ranking Wars was held, a scoop was bound to follow, but the events of this year''s tournament were incomparably more shocking than everything else that happened in the past.

    First of all, unlike last year, Su-hyeun was participating. That fact alone was already a big scoop, yet a new type of match, the event match, was created without any warning.

    Not only that...

    "Kim Su-hyeun''s declaration...!"

    Su-hyeun''s actions or words during the event match went beyond the level of some regular scoop.

    "Yes, it was the right call to cough up so much money to buy the ticket."

    A ticket for the Ranking Wars traded for an arm and a leg. Even if the seat you bought was located in a distant corner somewhere, it still cost over 10,000 U.S. dollars. A courtside seat would easily cost way past hundreds of thousands of dollars even.

    But now, paying so much money proved to be absolutely worth every penny in the end. The mere fact that you would get to report on breaking news like this right away basically guaranteed millions of hits online.

    Tap, taptaptap¡ª

    An American reporter named Isabella was hurriedly tapping on the keypad of her notebook PC, but her hands came to a brief pause just as her article neared completion.

    "I wonder if is it really okay to report on something like this."

    The contents of the article were rather provocative.

    In a way, one could interpret Su-hyeun''s declaration as arrogant and impudent. Also, his warning could potentially cause great instability around the world that only barely regained some semblance of peace recently.

    Of course, she wasn''t the only reporter watching the Ranking Wars, but even so, she had a feeling that the contents of her article were not something one should carelessly report.

    "You should just publish it as is."

    "Oh my god?!" Isabella, lost to her dilemma, jumped up in fright when a voice suddenly came from right next to her. She quickly turned her head and got another surprise. "M¡ªMister Rohan?"

    "It''s a good article. It''s right to the point, has a sense of realism, and has no distortion of facts."

    The one talking to her was none other than Gordon Rohan, the organizer of the Ranking Wars.

    She barely managed to calm her shocked heart and patted herself on the chest. "B¡ªbut, even so, this is a big matter, and I fear that the ripples will be immense."

    "And that''s what needs to happen."

    "I beg your pardon?"

    "That''s the whole reason why that guy decided to cause such a scene in the first place, after all. Can''t you tell?"

    Gordon Rohan''s expression seemed to be rebuking her for her slow wits, causing Isabella to momentarily forget what she wanted to say.

    "He deliberately spoke out loudly so that not just the contestants but even every spectator could hear him. Meaning he wanted everyone to hear. He obviously knows that reporters like you are also present today."

    "What you''re saying is he was deliberately trying to tell us his view?"

    "Something like that. That''s why, at the very least, you don''t have to mind Kim Su-hyeun''s moods anymore."

    After listening to Gordon Rohan, Isabella pondered some more, then proceeded to put the finishing touches to her article.

    Gordon Rohan, having succeeded in his task of mobilizing the hesitant reporters, shifted his attention back to Su-hyeun down by the arena, currently "entertaining" the rest of the contestants.

    If he wanted to, Su-hyeun could''ve swept everyone away in one go, yet he was still testing each and every contestant''s abilities right now, just like what he said earlier.

    "Why is he doing this, though?"

    Gordon Rohan now knew what Su-hyeun''s true intention was. He also understood the reason for Su-hyeun''s participation in the Ranking Wars despite how annoyed he was with the idea.

    Su-hyeun entered the tournament not because of the prize money or the ranking but for this very moment. There must''ve been a good reason for him to do so.

    The "Su-hyeun" Gordon Rohan knew was not someone who acted according to some unexplainable anxiety, after all.

    "Could it be that in not too distant future...?"

    Gordon Rohan looked at the unfolding mayhem down at the arena and quietly muttered to himself, "Something really serious might be in store for us in the near future, then."

 Chapter 516 - 516

    Whooosh¡ª

    Bang, clang, rooooll...

    A contestant clad in heavy armor went flying before crashing and rolling on the ground. Every time he rolled, the armor clattered on the floor, making a distinct metallic noise.

    This man, an awakener with a nearly two-meter-tall physique, used to boast about possessing the highest defensive capabilities in the world.

    He was Mirage Rowoon.

    "Crazy son of a..."

    "Mirage Rowoon got done in by only two hits..."

    "But he fought Gordon Rohan last year and lasted a few minutes, didn''t he?"

    During the first Ranking Wars, Mirage Rowoon couldn''t hold on for long against Gordon Rohan.

    Back then, he loudly proclaimed that he was strong enough to endure for one full day even if the whole world became his opponent. In the end, that defeat turned out to be the most humiliating and shameful event in his life.

    After that defeat, he began paying even closer attention to the quality of his armor and shields. Despite his diligence, he still couldn''t win against Gordon Rohan, but at the very least, he was able to endure for several times longer than before.

    That was why Mirage Rowoon thought he would have a good bout with Su-hyeun, and this was the result.

    "His defenses were pretty solid," Su-hyeun thought.

    Although Mirage Rowoon did give off the impression that he was far too focused on his defensive prowess, he should still serve as an excellent combatant in a large-scale combat situation where he fought alongside many others. However, a solo fight is another story.

    The reason for his low ranking was easy enough to explain¡ªhe pursued drawn-out battles where he endured enemy attacks, which meant it would be easier to get a draw than eking out hard-fought victories.

    "Still, I didn''t expect him to withstand the first hit."

    Since Rowoon was known for his defensive strength, Su-hyeun decided to attack with a fair amount of power from the get-go.

    However, Rowoon managed to defend against the first attack, then even endured the subsequent attack for a brief moment as well, even though Su-hyeun attacked in a way that would be very difficult to defend.

    "And with that, not many others remain," he silently observed.

    Only about 10 or so contestants remained. Hak-joon was among them.

    "Alright. I''ve seen all I want to see, so..."

    The remaining 10 or so contestants were some of the strongest awakeners in the world.

    Not a single one of them ranked lower than the top 30 in the world. Su-hyeun deliberately left them alone to test their skills a bit better.

    "Let''s finish this."

    Step¡ª

    From a certain moment, Su-hyeun stopped being under the barrage of other contestants'' attacks and began making his moves.

    Hak-joon tensed up. The meaning behind Su-hyeun getting active could only be that he wanted to end this match for good now.

    "I won''t let you have your way, though," Hak-joon inwardly promised.

    He was planning to endure no matter what.

    No, wait, the condition Su-hyeun brought up earlier, the one about inflicting him with a small scratch? Hak-joon was going to struggle like crazy to achieve that feat.

    "I can still¡ªI have one more shot left."

    The strongest skill in Hak-joon''s arsenal was "Qilin," and he had enough energy left to fire one more shot.

    He would have to sacrifice every ounce of his magical energy, but that should be enough. Hak-joon slowly concentrated magical energy on his sword and began walking toward Su-hyeun.

    That was what he wanted to, anyway.

    "Huh?!"

    Su-hyeun was gone.

    "But he was right there only a second ago, so¡ª?"

    Right at that moment, Hak-joon''s vision blacked out.

    SMACK¡ª!

    Plop¡ª

    Hak-joon''s eyes rolled back from a powerful impact that landed on his temple; then, he simply crumbled to the floor below.

    His magical energy gathering on the sword was released and scattered in the air.

    It all happened in the blink of an eye. Some awakeners could only blink dazedly, unable to figure out what just happened.

    "What was that?"

    "Why did he suddenly¡ª?"

    SMACK¡ª!

    Another heavy noise resounded.

    It came from very close by, but the moment the awakeners heard that noise, they all ended up in roughly a similar state.

    Plop¡ª

    All 10 contestants lost consciousness around the same time and faltered to the ground. Every single one of them got hit in the back of their heads or their temples¡ªexcept one man.

    "Kugh..."

    Hak-joon was trying to force his wobbly figure to stand back up.

    Su-hyeun thought that he managed to bring all of them down, so he couldn''t help but be a little surprised, "Hey. You alright?"

    "Asking me that after hitting me so hard feels a bit wrong, don''t you think?"

    Crack¡ª

    Hak-joon finally staggered back to his feet, then stabbed his sword on the ground to maintain his balance.

    "Do you want to keep going?"

    "No." Hak-joon used one hand to hold the sword and raised his other hand. "I just wanted to walk away on my own two feet, you see."

    It seemed that he wanted to keep a little bit of his pride at least.

    He must have thought that walking off on his own power instead of getting carried away was a lot less embarrassing.

    "Alright. Do that."

    Su-hyeun chose not to stop Hak-joon or anything like that. He already knew that the latter wouldn''t try to fight back in his current state, anyway.

    Besides, Su-hyeun''s attention had moved on to someone else by then.

    Step, step¡ª

    Someone was belatedly stepping outside the contestant waiting area.

    The spectators who had been thinking that the event match was finally over discovered this tardy contestant.

    He used to be under everyone''s attention thanks to his flashy entrance earlier, but the craziness of the event match meant that they had all forgotten about him until now.

    "Sun Wukong?"

    "Now that I think about it, there''s still one more person remaining, isn''t there?"

    "I thought he was simply uninterested in joining the event match..."

    "Was he waiting for it to end?"

    Spectators were feeling a bit down after the event match ended, but this late entrance brought renewed energy into their voices.

    Sun Wukong, with Ruyi Jingu Bang slung on his shoulders, stepped up to the arena. He scanned his surroundings while stepping over the fallen contestants, "Hey, isn''t this a bit too messy?"

    Su-hyeun, standing about a dozen meters away, shrugged his shoulders, "Why don''t we wait for a little until things are sorted out first?"

    The moment he said that, medical staff hurriedly entered the arena to carry the injured away. Way too many contestants ended up getting hurt and unconscious, so it seemed like they would need a lot of time to deal with the situation.

    "I''ve been waiting for too long, though. You want me to wait even longer?"

    "It can''t be helped, you know? If we fight now, the battle you''ve been waiting for might end with a whimper, Third Brother."

    "Sure, there are... too many obstacles here that might trip my feet."

    Even if Su-hyeun''s personality had changed, he still wasn''t going to fight while ignoring all these injured people without a very good reason. Unlike Yogoes, humans placed much importance and value on life, after all.

    Su-hyeun felt the same way in that regard.

    Sun Wukong looked bored as he spun Ruyi Jingu Bang around, "Okay, so? Are any of these punks decent prospects in your view?"

    He asked that because he knew why Su-hyeun decided to participate in the Ranking Wars.

    And that was why Sun Wukong chose not to butt in during the event match. Su-hyeun wanted to test the tournament''s contestants, the top awakeners of the world, and find out how good they were.

    "A few of them were pretty decent. The majority was a letdown, though."

    "What about that dude who walked off on his own feet? Even I thought he was pretty good, you know? I fought him earlier."

    "You''re right. And that guy over there," Su-hyeun''s gaze shifted over to that one person who didn''t participate even until the end, Gordon Rohan. "I think he''ll also exceed your expectations."

    "What, that Apostle of Heavenly God?"

    "How did you know that, Third Brother?"

    "There''s this smell coming from him that I freaking hate, you see? Not sure how someone like that dude got the Heavenly God''s attention, though. I don''t think he''s what you''d call a pure-hearted person or stuff like that."

    After listening to Sun Wukong, Su-hyeun began thinking that maybe his Third Brother had encountered the so-called Heavenly God before.

    Gordon Rohan explained it in passing in the past, so Su-hyeun had a rough idea of it. The Heavenly God might not have been one of the Five Godly Sages, but even so, that deity''s status was incredibly high.

    "Alright, so, we''re gonna do this properly this time, right?"

    Snap, crack¡ª

    While the arena was being sorted out, Sun Wukong began loosening his joints and muscles.

    This wouldn''t be their first "fight," but the atmosphere or the tension in the air between the two certainly felt unfamiliar.

    "Yes, let''s do it properly."

    Shu-shu, shushushut¡ª!

    A crimson line suddenly appeared on the arena''s edges as he answered.

    It was a "device" to prevent the ripples of the battle from leaking outside. However, a simple little sparring session wouldn''t have necessitated such a measure.

    "Well, now, I''m getting really pumped up here."

    "Getting too excited might lead to a big disappointment, though."

    "True, you''ve become far too strong lately, little bro."

    Sun Wukong had become so much stronger at an alarming rate, but Su-hyeun''s growth rate was even faster. That was what made Sun Wukong smile even wider.

    "But that''s why I''m so looking forward to this."

    Sun Wukong always preferred fighting against strong opponents, and Su-hyeun was arguably the best opponent to stimulate Sun Wukong''s hunger for battle. Every time they dueled, something about him had changed. He had become stronger, having progressed even further forward.

    However, Su-hyeun was also Sun Wukong''s younger brother. They had fought a few times under the guise of sparring but never before have they really trained their weapons at each other with the intention to hurt.

    "You know that I can''t die and all, right?"

    "Yes, I know."

    "Alright. So let''s have a proper go then!"

    Rumble¡ª

    Crimson lights began swirling within Sun Wukong''s eyes.

    Those auras of flame were the Fiery Golden Eyes getting activated.

    "If you don''t, then I ain''t gonna stop until you take things more seriously!"

    This year''s Ranking Wars was a special stage even for Sun Wukong.

    This tournament served as the pretext to temporarily forget about the relationship between the two that precluded a fierce all-out battle.

    His anticipation should not be dismissed, of course. Even Su-hyeun was greatly looking forward to today''s battle.

    "Alright, I hear you, Third Brother."

    While the two of them talked, all the fallen contestants strewn about on the arena were finally carried away.

    Shortly after that, only Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong remained in the arena.

    "Finally. All the obstacles are gone now."

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Sun Wukong rapidly spun Ruyi Jingu Bang in his grip. "In that case, let''s get started!"

    The spinning strength equated to how strong one really was. The moment the staff was aimed at Su-hyeun''s throat, his figure started moving.

    Pah-aht¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s figure vanished from the spot, but then...

    "Extend..."

    While in the middle of making his command, Ruyi Jingu Bang''s aim also changed.

    "Ruyi!"

    Ka-boooom¡ª!

    Giiii-iiing¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s sword and Ruyi Jingu Bang''s tip collided, causing amber sparks to dance everywhere. Gripping the weapon with both hands, Su-hyeun made a slightly surprised face, "You can follow me, Third Brother?"

    Clang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun powerfully deflected the staff upward. Ruyi Jingu Bang was currently only in the extended state but not any wider.

    Sun Wukong retracted the staff and gripped it in his hands. While spinning the weapon around, he replied, "I''ve seen our First Brother use Earth Shrink plenty of times, you know. I might not know how to do it, but seeing where you''re going? Pfft."

    "Is it because of your eyes?"

    "Probably?" Sun Wukong replied while scanning their surroundings. "By the way, will this be fine? Your barrier might shatter at this rate, you know?"

    "Was that why you didn''t widen the staff? You don''t have to worry. This isn''t a protective barrier but a large doorway."

    "A doorway?"

    "Yes. All ripples of energy or object flung out of the arena will go through the doorway and end up in another dimension. Since my magic circle is not designed to absorb impact, you don''t have to worry about it shattering."

    Even though Su-hyeun didn''t say anything too complicated, Sun Wukong still began scratching the back of his head while making a confused face.

    Without a doubt, he was just not meant for magic or sorcery, it seemed.

    "That all kinda sounds complicated, you know. In any case, I don''t have to worry about anything anymore. That''s the gist of it, right?"

    "Yes."

    That was more than enough for him.

    Sun Wukong roused his energy once more. Since Su-hyeun said there was nothing to worry about, he didn''t have to hold himself back anymore.

    "In that case, why don''t we have some serious fun then?"

    The look in Sun Wukong''s crimson eyes suddenly shifted.

    The color of Fiery Golden Eyes began to take on traces of golden light, although it was truly faint, and this was what Su-hyeun had been most curious about for a while now.

    "Just what kind of changes did Third Brother experience?"

    Su-hyeun also began rousing his strength at Sun Wukong''s response.

    Ruuumble¡ª

    Bzzzik, bzzzzzzikkk¡ª

    Winds wrapped around the Palm Leaf''s blade while the divine Flame began lighting up right afterward. As Su-hyeun wielded the sword enveloped in fire and wind, his left hand gripped onto a newly generated Thunderbolt.

    "I guess I''ll get to find out today."

    The preparations were over.

    Just like a minute ago, Sun Wukong pointed with Ruyi Jingu Bang and issued his command, "Extend¡ª"

    But this time, he didn''t hold back its destructive power.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    "Ruyi!"

 Chapter 517 - 517

    The spectators finally figured it out.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    They finally knew the "only opponent" Su-hyeun was talking about.

    "It wasn''t Gordo Rohan!"

    "It was Sun Wukong all along!"

    "Just who exactly is that guy?!"

    The arena had become badly destroyed that it was barely recognizable anymore.

    It was already damaged from trying to endure various skills of S-Rank awakeners. Even then, the extent of the damage wasn''t as bad as now, with the floor caving everywhere and deep craters forming here and there.

    Not to forget, the Ranking Wars tournament arena had been reinforced by countless Ether stones to prepare for the battles between powerful S-Rank awakeners.

    Yet, such an arena was utterly wrecked.

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Ku-gugugugu¡ª

    The ground exploded and overturned as Ruyi Jingu Bang slammed down, and then...

    Flash¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª!

    The floor got scorched right before a crater was gouged out every time a Thunderbolt fell.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    "Heeeeeiiik?!"

    A spectator gasped in pure fright when Ruyi Jingu Bang''s extended shaft flew right in front of his nose.

    The staff extended past several kilometers in length, and for a moment there, everyone thought that the weapon would crush a section of the grandstands, killing hundreds of people in the process.

    But then...

    Shu-woook¡ª

    Ruyi Jingu Bang didn''t get closer to the grandstands and got "cut off" in the middle.

    Judging from the scary noise it made, the staff must be getting longer even now, but the half of its shaft seemed to have "arched" around a curve. The spectators couldn''t understand what had just happened, but at the very least, they now realized that some safety device was already in place.

    "Whew..."

    "But, of course."

    "I mean, this is the Ranking Wars we''re talking about. Of course, they would have installed a safety device or two of this caliber."

    They were all under the impression that the organizer of the tournament, the Gordon Company, was also responsible for installing this safety device.

    However, Gordon Rohan, listening in on them, shook his head. He was definitely not responsible for creating something like this, after all.

    "I had no idea something like this was even possible."

    The oblivious spectators continued to think that this was a "device" meant to protect them. Of course, they were not wrong in that regard.

    They did not know how complicated and truly insane it was to pull off something of this magnitude.

    "Connecting to another dimension? Not just that but casting a doorway like that all around the arena, too?"

    Gordon Rohan heard about Su-hyeun''s ability to cast magic from the man himself a long time ago.

    For one thing, one of the summons Su-hyeun commanded happened to be a dragon. Therefore, it would not be weird for him to study magic through the dragon in some shape or form.

    Also, awakeners specializing in magic were pretty commonplace. Even so, a skill or a spell capable of folding space, then activating it over such a vast area, was simply beyond the common sense of an average person.

    "And then, what''s even crazier is that he¡ª"

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Ruuuumble¡ª!

    Gordon Rohan stared at Su-hyeun as he flung another Thunderbolt to deflect the incoming Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    "Despite activating such an incredible spell, he still has more than enough magical energy left."

    A "device" created to stop anyone from interfering and to keep the caster from worrying about anyone else was what this barrier was. It also signified how seriously those two felt about this fight.

    Their battle was getting more brutal with every passing second.

    * * *

    The arena was expansive.

    It was as large as dozens of World Cup stadiums or the Han River park located in Seoul.

    However, it was still lacking for Su-hyeun to go all out. Even so, both he and his opponent had to fight within the restricted boundaries of the arena. Knowing this, he wasn''t going to complain about unfairness, inconvenience, or anything like that.

    "Well, this is a bit of pandemonium."

    Their brief battle had utterly devastated the arena.

    For a moment there, Su-hyeun felt sorry for Gordon Rohan. The arena''s construction must have cost him an arm and a leg, after all. No, wait¡ªnever mind the cost involved, was it even possible to repair the damage before next year''s tournament?

    The arena resembled a craggy mountainside by now. No corner of it could be considered level, and plenty of its terrain jutted out in every way to serve as obstacles to one''s view.

    "Now!"

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Just as a piece of the floor rose to obscure his vision, Ruyi Jingu Bang rapidly extended and brushed right past Sy-hyeun''s head.

    That attack was aimed for the exact moment when he lost his line of sight. Sun Wukong might not be a deep thinker or the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was a certifiable genius when it came to fighting.

    He fought his battles instinctively. He just knew what to do to trouble his opponents and the best way to attack in a more threatening manner while using a similar level of strength as before.

    Su-hyeun''s fingertip lightly brushed the shaft of Ruyi Jingu Bang. That was when he sensed Sun Wukong''s presence at the other end of the staff.

    Bzzzik¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s figure transformed into golden-hued electrical currents.

    At the same time...

    [Grand Thunderbolt]

    Su-hyeun''s figure reappeared right above Sun Wukong''s head.

    "Huh?!" Sun Wukong jumped up in surprise at the presence that suddenly announced itself in the air and hurriedly looked up.

    However, by the time he confirmed with his own eyes, it was already too late.

    FLASH¡ª!

    Rumble¡ª!

    The entire arena was bathed in the blinding golden-orange light. The spectators had to shield their eyes from the light, unable to continue watching.

    A short while later, they could see the arena again.

    Over there, Sun Wukong''s figure was burned pitch-black.

    It seemed like the battle was over, but then...

    "You even knew how to do something like this, Third Brother?"

    Poof¡ª!

    Sun Wukong''s figure disappeared with a puff of smoke. The same thing happened to Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    As for the real Sun Wukong, he was riding on a cloud above Su-hyeun''s position.

    "Wow, that was close."

    One of Sun Wukong''s trusted techniques, the cloning technique, had saved him just then.

    In the blink of an eye, he swapped his position with one of his clones to dodge an incoming attack. This was Su-hyeun''s first time witnessing this type of application, however.

    "In that case, how about this?"

    Pazzik, pazzzzzik¡ª

    A countless number of golden-orange light beams materialized in the air above the arena.

    [Rain of Thunder ¨C Grand Thunderbolt]

    This was the rain of Grand Thunderbolts.

    Every single one of these lightning bolts contained enough power to decimate the arena.

    However, Sun Wukong looked up at the rain of golden-orange thunder and smirked deeply, "That''s pretty good."

    Poof, poof, poof¡ª!

    Hundreds of clones materialized all around Sun Wukong next.

    Each clone wielded their version of Ruyi Jingu Bang, their tips pointing upward. Soon afterward, Su-hyeun''s hand, clad in Zeus''s Thunder Glove, went up before coming down with powerful energy.

    The Rain of Thunder poured down to the ground below. However, at the same time, all the clones opened their mouths and commanded, "Expand, Ruyi!"

    KA-BOOM, KAAAA-BOOOOOOM¡ª!

    Hundreds of Ruyi Jingu Bang slammed into the Grand Thunderbolts that came down, creating a chain of deafening roars. Sparks of electricity danced everywhere as the Ruyi Jingu Bang created through the cloning technique shattered into bits, its debris scattering to the ground below.

    Clang¡ª!

    In the middle of all this chaos, Sun Wukong''s real body and Su-hyeun entered close-quarter combat.

    Creak, creaaaak¡ª

    Swhiiiiiish¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s sword enveloped in the Palm Leaf''s winds slammed down on top of Sun Wukong''s Ruyi Jingu Bang. As the two weapons remained locked in position, Su-hyeun opened his mouth to speak, "Blow away..."

    At the same time, clouds urgently wrapped around Sun Wukong''s vicinity.

    "Palm Leaf!"

    Riiiiip¡ª!

    The clouds were ripped apart into pieces. It didn''t stop there as numerous nicks and scratches appeared on Sun Wukong''s skin, causing some blood to spatter in the air.

    Winds swirled around the gap between the two; these winds acted like a gentle breeze while brushing past Su-hyeun but morphed into a deadly storm when nearing Sun Wukong.

    Right at that moment...

    Vuooooong¡ª

    The golden fillet floated up on Sun Wukong''s head.

    Splat¡ª!

    Five ultra-sharp blades chopped Su-hyeun''s figure apart. For a moment there, blood seemed to dance in the air, only for Su-hyeun''s body to disappear from the spot and reappear some distance away.

    "That could''ve been a bit dangerous."

    Su-hyeun was confident of his close-quarter combat ability, but the same applied to Sun Wukong.

    With the golden fillet in the picture now, Sun Wukong''s aura had gone through a qualitative change. To be more precise, it wasn''t just his aura that had changed.

    "Third Brother, what''s up with your eye?"

    Sun Wukong asked back as if he was not aware, "Eh? What about my eye?"

    Instead of a verbal reply, Su-hyeun snapped his fingers, creating a mirror in front of Sun Wukong''s nose. The latter looked at himself before crying out in shock, "Wha¡ª?! What''s this?"

    His expression distorted as he began touching his face.

    His eye color was naturally black. However, after acquiring the Fiery Golden Eyes, his eye color gradually shifted to red.

    The catalyst was the eight-way trigram Crucible.

    The "gods" of the Heavenly World captured him, then threw him inside a cage burning in flames as hot as hell''s conflagration for a long time. It was inevitable he would experience some change after that.

    Then, after his trip to the Hell of Scorching Heat, his eyes became even redder than before.

    But now, it had changed again.

    "One of his eyes is gold in color now."

    That change had only occurred after the golden fillet revealed itself.

    It seemed that the change was related to weakening the golden fillet''s seal.

    "Golden eyes are supposed to be the eyes of a Yogoe, right?"

    Su-hyeun recalled hearing that from the Roc Demon King during their drinking party in the past.

    He said that a Yogoe''s eyes would take on a golden hue if the said Yogoe lost its mind to its primal instincts, resulting in the creature acquiring an even greater power than ever before.

    Su-hyeun also recalled that the Bull Demon King''s expression was grave while listening to the Roc Demon King''s drunken explanation.

    Back then, Su-hyeun didn''t know why such an expression was necessary. However, later, he learned about the Bull Demon King being also a Yogoe with a tragic backstory.

    "A Yogoe, hmm..."

    Now that he thought about it, Sun Wukong was also a Yogoe.

    It''s just that he had always been a friendly person since the beginning, making it difficult to remember the truth about his true nature.

    The golden fillet was a tool created by Master Subhuti to restrict the nature and strength of a Yogoe. The current Sun Wukong had mastered a way to wield the powers of both the golden fillet and his nature as a Yogoe.

    "Is this the reason for the weird feeling I''ve been getting from the Third Brother recently?"

    Su-hyeun finally felt like he had grasped the truth behind that strange, unexplainable feeling from Sun Wukong.

    This new aura wafting off Sun Wukong felt markedly different from the earlier one.

    He was definitely a Yogoe, but through his mastery over the Sage Arts, his previous aura gave off this deep and pure feeling. The Sage Arts as a cultivation method was always meant to help one ascend to godhood, so it was no surprise that it purified one''s aura in the process.

    But now, the current Sun Wukong was more or less a complete opposite of that state. The aura wafting off him was pretty ominous and foul, something no human or god would possess.

    But for some reason, the current Sun Wukong seemed better suited to being the real Sun Wukong than his old self.

    "Are we not going to continue?" Su-hyeun asked while staring at Sun Wukong, who was still flustered by the shocking revelation of his own eye.

    As soon as he heard the question, though, Sun Wukong quickly wiped off his previous expression, replacing it with something new. "Ah, right. That."

    The expression of pure joy came back to his face.

    He scratched his cheek, "I gotta tell you, you better be careful now."

    "Are you sure you should be worried about me, Third Brother?"

    "Fuu-haat!"

    Sun Wukong exploded in a peal of laughter.

    Su-hyeun was right about that one.

    He didn''t need to worry about him; even though their fight until now seemed intense, Su-hyeun also hadn''t unleashed the true extent of his strength.

    His retort just now was a display of his confidence.

    "You punk, your personality really has changed, you know that?" Sun Wukong spun Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hand. "But I like that a lot."

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    "Ah!"

    Ruyi Jingu Bang extended in the blink of an eye, crashing straight into Su-hyeun''s midriff.

    The armor protecting his torso couldn''t do much. Although it was made of adamantium, it failed to absorb much of the impact.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s figure flew back before crashing and digging deep into the ground, but it wasn''t over yet.

    BOOM¡ª!

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    Sun Wukong''s figure came flying in and stomped down on Su-hyeun, who was still buried in the ground. The latter reached up to grab the former''s foot stepping on his throat, but then, Sun Wukong powerfully swung down with his staff.

    CRACK¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s head spun.

    The hand gripping Sun Wukong''s ankle lost its strength. Sun Wukong then kicked Su-hyeun''s figure even deeper into the arena''s floor. Then, he flew high in the air.

    "Expand, Ruyi¡ª!"

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang burrowed into the ground where Su-hyeun was, burying him even deeper underground.

    The enlarged Ruyi Jingu Bang was now stabbed in the middle of the arena.

    It all happened so fast that not only the spectators but even Gordon Rohan, who was paying close attention, failed to follow the action.

    Sun Wukong settled down on top of Ruyi Jingu Bang. He rested his chin and waited for a bit, but Su-hyeun still hadn''t come outside yet.

    "What are you doing down there, little bro?" His eyes remained accurately locked on Su-hyeun, who was still buried deep underground. "It''s time to get started, right?"

 Chapter 518 - 518

    Drip, tumble...

    Su-hyeun, currently buried deep into the ground, remained lying there in a state of daze.

    Everything happened so suddenly.

    No matter what it was, it always came with a flow, a rhythm. A battle between two entities was no exception.

    But then, for a very brief moment just now, it felt like he had lost track of the battle''s flow. That was how fast Sun Wukong''s attack was and how irregular it was.

    "Wow, that took me by surprise."

    Su-hyeun slowly rubbed his midriff, now feeling a bit stiff.

    That was where Ruyi Jingu Bang had hit him at the start of this blitzkrieg. The impact force transmitted through the armor was surprisingly heavy.

    "I guess I shouldn''t hold back anymore, then."

    Sun Wukong displayed a level of power never seen before. Meaning he was utterly serious about this fight and was giving it his all.

    Su-hyeun also needed to respond in kind.

    "What are you doing down there, little bro?"

    Su-hyeun heard Sun Wukong''s voice next. Even though he was buried fairly deep underground, he still clearly heard that voice.

    "It''s time to get started, right?"

    It sounded as if Sun Wukong knew that Su-hyeun hadn''t been serious until now.

    They were gradually upping the tempo during the fight, their strengths slowly being unleashed more and more. However, Sun Wukong broke out of that tempo by releasing the seal on his golden fillet without any warning whatsoever.

    And now, it was necessary to match that flow. Su-hyeun didn''t want to end the fight this way, either.

    "I hear you, Third Brother."

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Pitch-black energy began oozing all around Su-hyeun''s immediate vicinity.

    This was different from Death Aura; it was a little deeper in hue yet more malleable.

    "Let''s do that, then."

    * * *

    Sun Wukong sat on top of Ruyi Jingu Bang while resting his chin.

    Some time had passed by already. However, Su-hyeun, trapped under the staff, still hadn''t come out of the hole.

    Spectators were growing more restless with every passing second.

    "What''s going on here?"

    "Did he really get done in?!"

    "No way, Kim Su-hyeun lost?"

    "You saw that, didn''t you? He got hit so fast that we couldn''t even see, and since he''s trapped under that thing¡ª"

    The weight of Ruyi Jingu Bang erected in the center of the arena had to be extraordinarily heavy. The way it could freely alter its size was already amazing, but then, Sun Wukong''s strength or spearmanship to wield it however he wanted to was also top-notch.

    No matter how hard the spectators thought about it, it seemed very unlikely for anyone to emerge unscathed after getting hit by a weapon of such caliber. That was the core reason why they thought Su-hyeun had been defeated today.

    Gugugu, gugugugu¡­

    It was right at that moment that Ruyi Jingu Bang began bucking a little.

    Spectators cried out as they witnessed the gigantic staff rise bit by bit.

    "There he is!"

    "I knew it! No way it''d end like that!"

    "That''s what I''m talking about!"

    Spectators cheered wildly at the fact that the match would go on for a bit longer now.

    Sun Wukong, too, was making a deep grin. The power forcing his staff up from below obviously belonged to Su-hyeun.

    "I''m glad that you want to come outside, but..."

    Squeeze¡ª

    Sun Wukong began pushing down harder with his feet.

    At first, half a ton, then five tons, and eventually, 50,000 tons of additional weight began crushing down on the staff.

    "I won''t let you do as you please."

    Gugugugu...

    Ruyi Jingu Bang trembled viciously. The power lifting the staff from below and another force pushing it down from the top collided against each other.

    This contest of strength went on for a little while. However, the conclusion to this fierce contest turned out to be a bit of a letdown.

    SMACK¡ª!

    "What?"

    Crash, tumble, bang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong was hit in the head by a powerful strike, causing him to fly far away and roll around helplessly on the floor. He urgently slammed his hands down on the ground to stop himself from rolling and then held his aching head.

    "Ouch! That freaking hurts." Sun Wukong turned his head to stare at the one responsible for smacking him in the head.

    Ruyi Jingu Bang remained stuck in the ground, yet Su-hyeun was already outside without anyone noticing it.

    Sun Wukong muttered, "What the heck? That''s no fun."

    "But we weren''t trying to find out who was physically stronger, no?"

    There was more than one way to escape from below Ruyi Jingu Bang that was crushing Su-hyeun into the ground.

    Since Su-hyeun knew magic, several options were available to him. The simplest one would be teleportation-type magic.

    "Makes sense. You do know how to do a crap ton of stuff, after all."

    Su-hyeun had many different abilities. More accurately, one should say that he had many countless abilities at his disposal.

    Not only did he learn the Sage Arts, but he also acquired various skills while climbing the tower too. Then, he awakened the powers of his past lives, allowing him to master the experiences and memories of all those innumerable lives.

    Compared to him, Sun Wukong only knew how to fight using the Sage Arts, his naturally gifted physical prowess, and Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    "And that''s why I gotta think about plenty of stuff," Sun Wukong replied while narrowing his eyes glowing in golden and crimson hues.

    Shu-shuuut, shu...

    The black energy flowing all around Su-hyeun felt familiar. It was also something Sun Wukong had been waiting for the most.

    "Did he get that power after devouring Osiris?"

    Osiris was the monster responsible for tormenting Master Subhuti for the longest time and a creature so strong that not even the Five Godly Sages could defeat.

    Sun Wukong wanted to have a go at that bastard at least once. It might have been ostensibly for avenging Master Subhuti, but his competitive streak played a significant role in that wish, too.

    But now, in front of him was Su-hyeun, who had devoured Osiris''s powers. There couldn''t have been more ideal or exciting than this one for Sun Wukong.

    "Alright. In that case, one more time..."

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Slap¡ª

    Ruyi Jingu Bang stabbed into the center of the arena rapidly shrank back in size before flying back into Sun Wukong''s grip.

    "Here I come!"

    Baaang¡ª!

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Sun Wukong kicked the ground to fly, causing the ground to cave in. His figure that shot forward like a missile swung Ruyi Jingu Bang at Su-hyeun''s midriff once more.

    Smaaack¡ª!

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    The black energy current instantly created a barrier. It was almost as if the energy itself possessed a functioning ego.

    The barrier cracked but didn''t shatter instantly. Sun Wukong didn''t get flustered. He simply chose to create some distance before wielding his staff again.

    "Extend, Ruyi!"

    Whoosh¡ª

    Craaaash¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang extended dozens of meters only to pound away on the space just slightly away from Su-hyeun''s figure.

    The staff''s attacks were blocked every single time. The impact force that not even adamantium could keep out was easily repelled by the black energy circling Su-hyeun''s body.

    Craaaack¡ª

    However, the black energy barrier wasn''t genuinely indestructible.

    The number of cracks that appeared on the barrier shot up higher in the blink of an eye. Then, Sun Wukong aimed with his staff at the center of all the cracks, "Expand, Ru¡ª?"

    Before he could finish, though...

    Buzz¡ª

    Whirrrr, whiiiirrrrrr¡ª

    Hundreds of magic circles floated all around Sun Wukong.

    "Eh?"

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    A chain of massive explosions went off with Sun Wukong in the center. The entire arena was swept up in the blast itself, and even the dimension beyond the protective barrier was affected by the ripples.

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzik¡ª

    Thousands of Thunderbolts floated in the sky at the same time, but their color was quite different this time.

    "It''s black, huh?"

    As soon as Su-hyeun began wielding a new type of power, a change to the coloration followed right after.

    Thunderbolt''s attribute was "lightning," but it was still a skill based on one''s magical energy. Its color changed depending on the nature of one''s magical energy, so it shifted from golden-orange to azure and now, even to black.

    "It''s rather fitting, isn''t it?" Su-hyeun muttered as his raised hand came down.

    Then, thousands of Thunderbolts floating in the air instantly came crashing down.

    Rumble, ka-booooom¡ª!

    The ferocity of the Thunderbolts pouring into the explosion was so incredible that even Su-hyeun got slightly concerned.

    "Will he be fine?"

    Even if Sun Wukong was an immortal, one had to wonder whether or not he could survive such an insane bombardment. If his entire body became charred¡ªno¡ªif he turned into nothing but ashes, then...

    While he was worrying about stuff like that...

    "Strike down..."

    Flash¡ª!

    Along with Sun Wukong''s voice coming from within the explosion, a crimson light suddenly shone from above the arena.

    "Lightning bolt!"

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    The roar of thunder came afterward.

    Although it was just a bolt of single lightning, this attack was much stronger than any Thunderbolt Su-hyeun had created so far.

    The black energy current around his body quickly shifted above his head while his gaze shifted into the clouds of black smoke and electrical energy down below.

    Inside the thick smoke that even Insight had trouble seeing through was a pair of ominous lights coming from Sun Wukong''s eyes.

    "You even blocked that?" Sun Wukong chuckled hollowly as if he couldn''t believe it.

    The crimson lightning looked like it would break through that black energy enveloping Su-hyeun''s figure but failed in the end. This was one of the new powers Su-hyeun acquired after "devouring" Osiris through Predation.

    [Authority ¨C Darkness]

    Osiris was a magician and, at the same time, a sorcerer. Also, he was a god of an ancient world who became a Predator.

    Among his abilities was sorcery related to controlling darkness itself. Su-hyeun became somewhat familiar with this ability during their battle.

    "Consciously controlling it still a bit difficult, but..."

    The thing was, he didn''t have any opportunity to test out this ability ever since acquiring it. Without an opponent as exceptional as Sun Wukong, there was not much point in testing it, after all.

    "Still, it''s beneficial, isn''t it?"

    He struck gold by acquiring Osiris''s authority on darkness through Predation.

    Su-hyeun still hadn''t mastered Predation yet. No, wait¡ªeven if he could properly control this skill, Predation didn''t allow him to absorb every single power of the devoured opponent completely.

    "Besides, I haven''t fully absorbed it yet."

    Only a few days had passed since he got to devour Osiris. It was impossible to make every ability of Osiris he absorbed as his own in such a short time.

    "Isn''t that too much of a cheat?" Meanwhile, Sun Wukong was scratching his head in annoyance. "Absolute defense, huh?"

    A fight was only fun when the opponents constantly traded blows. At least, that was what Sun Wukong thought.

    However, with things like this, he had no means to hit Su-hyeun. All those currents of darkness circling Su-hyeun''s figure were swatting away Sun Wukong''s attacks.

    "Simple attacks are no good now."

    Sun Wukong''s brain went into overdrive.

    He came up with various ideas, but none of them seemed good enough to break through the black energy current around Su-hyeun''s body. Even if he succeeded in breaking through, Su-hyeun''s sword awaited him inside. There was also the matter of Su-hyeun''s sturdy armor.

    He had the absolute defense, indeed.

    There was no better description than that. It looked like Su-hyeun was not in perfect control of the dark currents, but it should still be easy enough for him if he only wanted to defend himself.

    "Hmm..." Sun Wukong continued to scratch his head during his planning process, then muttered to himself, "I guess I don''t have a choice."

    Through Sun Wukong''s expression, Su-hyeun realized that his Third Brother had made up his mind on something just now.

    Moving away from his head, Sun Wukong''s hand clutched a handful of hair.

    "His hair?"

    Su-hyeun stared at all the white hair clutched in Sun Wukong''s fist.

    The latter then scattered hundreds of hair pulled out from his scalp on the ground below. Su-hyeun could only make a puzzled face at this weird turn of events.

    "Why did he suddenly pull out his hair? Hmm¡­"

    It was right at that moment that a thought suddenly popped up in his head.

    Sun Wukong from the myth had to pull out his hair whenever he activated his cloning technique.

    Each hair strand was supposed to morph into a clone, but Su-hyeun thought that the stories got that part wrong. Until now, Sun Wukong never pulled out his hair when he wanted to use his cloning technique, after all.

    Snap¡ª!

    Su-hyeun reflexively snapped his fingers right then.

    Rumble¡ª!

    At the same time, flames erupted near the hair strands, burning them down to ashes.

    Hiss, sizzle¡ª

    Initially, the hair strands seemed to have burned away into nothingness by the flames. However, Su-hyeun realized that he was too late after looking at the smile plastered on Sun Wukong''s face.

    "Looks like I beat you to it, little bro."

    Pow, popopopow, poof¡ª!

    Thick smoke filled the arena, followed by many clones appearing everywhere.

    Usually, Su-hyeun wouldn''t have been worried about their entrance, but things were different this time.

    "I can''t tell."

    Su-hyeun held his forehead while thinking that things had gotten somewhat troublesome.

    His eyes below the hand holding his head could see Sun Wukong''s clones pointing their Ruyi Jingu Bangs in his direction.

    He used Insight to scan them all, but...

    "Which one is the real body?"

    Every single one of these numerous Sun Wukongs was real.

 Chapter 519 - 519

    Su-hyeun had been overlooking something all along¡ªSun Wukong''s special trait.

    Was it Godhood of Immortality?

    That was indeed something amazing. Su-hyeun paid that trait most of his attention until now, and nobody out there would blame him for worrying about the sheer scale of the shadow cast by that "ability."

    However, if one asked whether or not that ability was the most dangerous one in Sun Wukong''s arsenal, the answer was a no.

    Ruyi Jingu Bang?

    The godhood to control clouds?

    The cloning technique?

    Or his insane strength level and incredible reflexes that relied on his instincts?

    It was none of those.

    The factor that acted as the foundation for all of them was...

    "His infinite energy reserve."

    There was a heavenly elixir called the Peach of Immortality.

    Su-hyeun consumed it before, so he was well aware of the truth of how every single one of those peaches contained an indescribably vast quantity of magical energy.

    The peaches found in the Heavenly World''s Peach Garden needed a near-eternity of time to ripen, and Sun Wukong had gobbled up all the peaches found there.

    That was how his infinite energy reserve came about.

    It affected every one of Sun Wukong''s abilities, granting him the most incredible power imaginable.

    "The reason why Third Brother couldn''t utilize all of that power until now was that his physical body wasn''t strong enough to endure the infinite energy reserve."

    To put that in another way, the stronger Sun Wukong''s body became, the greater the quantity of energy he could use.

    And now...

    "I guess his body can support the energy reserve, then."

    Sun Wukong was unlocking the powers of being a Yogoe.

    Su-hyeun already experienced what that power was like. He found it rather impossible to imagine the upper ceiling of the power Sun Wukong''s body could handle now.

    The result of all that was the current situation.

    "Even so..." Su-hyeun train of thought continued.

    "Isn''t this a bit too extreme?" he let out a long groan.

    Every clone was real. More correctly, they all possessed strength that matched the real body.

    These bodies came from Sun Wukong''s hair. They possessed real, tangible physical bodies and shared pieces of his soul, too.

    It was impossible to determine the real body since all of them were "real."

    "Hey, I also didn''t know it was doable, you know?"

    "Hey, I also didn''t know it was doable, you know?"

    "Hey, I also..."

    All the "Sun Wukongs" opened their mouths in unison. They also acted at the same time.

    "Here I come."

    "Here I come."

    "Here I..."

    Bang, bangbangbangbang¡ª!

    Hundreds of Sun Wukongs attacked simultaneously.

    Whoosh...

    In that brief window of time, the world came to a sudden stop in Su-hyeun''s view.

    This moment, shorter than a blink, felt as long as a day. Su-hyeun slowly breathed out within this space where every second was as long as one hour.

    Others might think that he was quickly sucking in a deep breath, but for him, this length of time was long enough to calm himself down.

    Su-hyeun swung down his sword, "I will not hold back, too."

    [Thunder Sword ¨C Explosion Style]

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Earth Divider]

    FLASH¡ª!

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Striking down, his sword let out a thunderous roar and sliced apart the group of Sun Wukong in half. The attack that came down with the speed of light initially seemed to have chopped apart over half of Sun Wukong clones, but in reality, only a few ended up with minor nicks and scratches.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    BOOM, claaaang¡ª!

    Flash¡ª!

    Rain of Thunder poured down from the sky while a firestorm raged on as all sorts of deadly magic spells exploded forth.

    "Extend¡ª"

    That voice came from behind him, and Su-hyeun''s head turned in that direction.

    "Ruyi!"

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang shot out to crush Su-hyeun''s figure.

    It extended to crush him, but...

    Creak, creaaaak¡ª

    The staff couldn''t extend any further past a certain point because of the black energy circling Su-hyeun''s figure.

    "Dude, I''m telling you. That''s too much of a cheat!"

    "That''s not something you should say, Third Brother."

    Su-hyeun''s voice came from behind Sun Wukong, who attacked Ruyi Jingu Bang just now.

    At the same time, a sword came down hard on this Sun Wukong''s back.

    Smaaash¡ª!

    Slice¡ª

    Sun Wukong was flung far away with a fairly deep sword wound on his back.

    Su-hyeun, moving so fast that other Sun Wukongs couldn''t even react in time, scanned the rest of the clones and muttered softly, "Strike them."

    He gripped Gungnir in his hand.

    "Somersault cloud."

    FLASH¡ª!

    The azure light flashed ominously within the clouds, and right at that moment...

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Pazzzzzzik¡ª!

    The azure lightning bolt slammed down to the ground. Sun Wukongs instinctively sensed the incoming danger and hurriedly fled in every direction.

    There was no damage in the end, though. Not a single Sun Wukong clone got sucked into the azure lightning.

    "Eh?"

    "What was that all about?"

    The eyes of the Sun Wukong clones grew wider in confusion.

    They had all fled to the edges of the arena after picking up a bone-chilling aura, but the azure lightning wasn''t even aimed at them in the first place.

    The lightning landed somewhere above Su-hyeun''s position.

    Bzzz, pah-sususu¡ª

    The azure electrical currents enveloped Su-hyeun''s figure. The darkness completely changed its color to pure blue while emitting a frightening aura.

    Kyaaaah¡ª

    A roar came from his sword next¡ªa cry of a divine beast.

    And it was something Sun Wukong had heard a few times before, too.

    [Thunder Dragon ¨C Miru]

    A dragon was now permeating Su-hyeun''s sword.

    Sun Wukong had been alive for so long that not even he could remember just how long it was. However, despite his long life, he had never heard about something like this being possible.

    "Seriously now." Sun Wukong, feeling the intense wave of exhilaration washing over him, grinned deeply as both of his eyes became golden in hue, "You are the best, little bro."

    * * *

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The azure lightning energy exploded as Su-hyeun''s sword slammed down on Sun Wukong''s Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Crack¡ª

    The staff shattered. However, Su-hyeun''s sword didn''t stop there.

    Splaaat¡ª!

    Sun Wukong''s chest was sliced open. Blood splattered in the air, only for this clone''s body to turn into puffs of smoke and disappear.

    Shu-shushu¡ª

    It was the same story for the blood. Sun Wukong''s white hair revealed itself right after the disappearing act.

    No matter how close to the real deal these clones were, they were still clones at the end of the day. They would vanish if enough impact force landed on them.

    "Expand¡ª"

    "Ruyi!"

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Giiii-iiiing, whoooosh¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bangs flew in from left, right, front, and back. The four staves clattered against each other, causing a series of deafening noises.

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    All four staves even cracked, too.

    Suddenly agitated, the Sun Wukongs aimed and let go of their weapons. A certain ominous foreboding began assaulting them just then.

    Sure enough...

    Kwa-zzzzzzik¡ª!

    BOOM¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bangs gradually blew apart from their tips. Then, azure electrical currents and crimson flames exploded from the splitting shafts. If they had reacted a little slowly, then without a doubt, they would''ve been sucked into the maelstrom of electricity and fire.

    On the other hand, Su-hyeun, who got hit by four Ruyi Jingu Bang, was completely fine¡ªso fine, in fact, that he felt a bit embarrassed about being tense just now.

    "Only the clones'' bodies possess the same level of abilities as the real deal. However, he couldn''t recreate Ruyi Jingu Bang."

    The durability of the cloned Ruyi Jingu Bangs was relatively poor.

    That was why the attacks using the staves weren''t as dangerous as he thought. This was the crucial clue to finding out who the real Sun Wukong was, something not even Insight could do.

    Sun Wukong didn''t seem to have expected this turn of events because only now did he and all the clones drop their Ruyi Jingu Bangs to the floor.

    He finally realized that attacking his staff was pointless.

    "Without weapons, hmm..."

    Su-kak¡ª

    Su-hyeun glanced at his sword for a bit and contemplated before sheathing his weapon.

    "That doesn''t sound so bad."

    * * *

    Smack¡ª, bang¡ª!

    Swhoooosh, poooow¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s fist smashed into the midriffs and faces of Sun Wukong clones rushing in at him from all sides. He then vanished from the spot before kicking the face of another clone.

    Pa-zzzzzzik¡ª

    Rumble¡ª!

    The lightning energy within his fists punched a hole in the abdomen of another clone. The thunderous roar accompanied by the arcs of azure lightning, plus the image of a dragon, repeated the cycle of filling up the arena before vanishing from the view.

    Grab¡ª!

    Su-hyeun grabbed the throat of one of the clones. He leaped in the air along with his victim in tow before powerfully plunging back to the ground.

    FLASH¡ª!

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The center of the arena caved in deeply, and Sun Wukong''s figure was buried so deeply that the ground continued to rumble and shake.

    Kyah-aaaah¡ª!

    A dragon''s roar resounded.

    "Here it comes again."

    Gordon Rohan shielded his eyes with his hand. That roar was quickly followed up by the rays of light so bright that it almost blinded him.

    Sure enough...

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    Accompanied by a loud crack of thunder, an azure lightning dragon shot out from Su-hyeun''s hand. The ferocious dragon looked like it would devour the entire grandstands, but it got transported to another dimension through Su-hyeun''s doorway in the nick of time.

    Two more Sun Wukong clones got swept away by that dragon.

    Meanwhile, Su-hyeun was still busily moving around.

    "What a mess this is," Gordon Rohan lightly tutted while watching the match.

    He thought that someone like Sun Wukong would be a good opponent for Su-hyeun. He was confident that the fight between the two would serve as the highlight of this year''s Ranking Wars.

    But what''s happening now exceeded that expectation by a significant margin. Not just Gordon Rohan, but pretty much everyone else watching had never imagined that a battle of this nature could even be possible.

    "Well, looks like I''ll have to rebuild the arena."

    The arena floor was already caved in so deeply that the bottom couldn''t be seen anymore.

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    It wasn''t that surprising, considering the level of destruction Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong caused to the surrounding terrain as they traded blows.

    However, that didn''t mean Gordon Rohan was brave enough to stop their match. The expressions on their faces were far too serious for that, plus Gordon Rohan had a feeling that interfering at the wrong time could result in his untimely demise.

    In all honesty, their battle was not something he could do anything about.

    Gordon Rohan muttered to himself while watching the fierce battle between Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong, "A heaven above heaven, is that it?"

    "I''m sure that''s the case."

    Gordon Rohan''s head snapped to the side at that unfamiliar voice.

    Maybe his high tension from watching the match was to blame, or he was just taken aback by that voice. Whatever the case might have been, he was already gripping his spear without even realizing it.

    However, as if to betray his alertness, the voice owner happened to be a very old man.

    "They are beings who acquired both the qualifications of godhood and divinity, after all. Oh, and this is a battle between the two of the strongest among the next generation meant to guide this universe, so this shouldn''t come as a surprise, wouldn''t you agree?" the old man muttered before turning his head to stare at Gordon Rohan. He noticed the latter''s profoundly wary face and asked another question, "What are you so surprised about, fella?"

    "Just what are you?" Gordon Rohan asked back in a tense voice.

    Since people were watching, he couldn''t aim with his spear, but he did not doubt that this old man was rather odd.

    It wasn''t as if he emitted an especially dangerous air or bloodlust. It also wasn''t as if he possessed a massive aura or had a bizarre appearance.

    He was bald, and his skin was so wrinkly that it was nearly impossible to guess his age. His limbs were so thin that they were nothing but skin and bones.

    Even so, any living person was supposed to possess some energy or presence. At a bare minimum, they should make some sounds or make your skin itch with their gaze. Something as minor as that should exist for a human being.

    However, Gordon Rohan couldn''t sense anything from this old man.

    "You don''t have to be that suspicious, fella. I only came to see you since you''re the man in charge of this event."

    "In that case, I''d like you to make your introduction, now. Isn''t it unfair that only I don''t know who you are?"

    "If I tell you that I''m Buddha, will you believe me?"

    "Buddha...?"

    Gordon Rohan heard the old man''s reply and quickly scanned the latter from top to bottom.

    Buddha, he said?

    Initially, it did sound like some joke. Even so, this old man before his eyes couldn''t be a regular person since he didn''t give off any presence whatsoever.

    "Well, the actual Sun Wukong has shown up already, so why not Buddha, in that case?" Gordon Rohan nodded silently.

    Buddha chuckled affably, "Thank you for believing me."

    "Why did you seek me out, Lord Buddha?"

    "I wanted to pass on a message to those two, but I wasn''t sure when they would wrap up their fight. I''m also rather occupied at the moment and need to leave soon, so I thought that you could maybe deliver the message for me."

    "Where are you going?"

    "Well, I have to go somewhere, but even I''m not sure where exactly."

    What on earth was he even saying?

    He was going somewhere but didn''t know where?

    Gordon Rohan asked, puzzled, "What are you talking about?"

    "I''m not going to a destination, but I''m going to find someone. It''s not that easy tracking that person down, unfortunately."

    It sounded rather complicated, Gordon Rohan thought.

    He mulled something over, then hurriedly moved on with the conversation while thinking that he didn''t want to get involved in something troublesome, "In any case. What is the message?"

    "It''s only this one thing," Buddha spoke while getting up from the chair. "The Bull Demon King has been found. And...."

 Chapter 520 - 520

    Bang¡ª

    Rumble, ka-boom¡ª!

    Sun Wukong''s figure went up in flames after a punch landed on him. Behind the burning figure was a different clone of Sun Wukong throwing a punch in Su-hyeun''s direction.

    Rumble¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s body transformed into flames and vanished from the spot. What happened was that he used Transformation to dodge the attack and reappear above the head of the clone.

    Su-hyeun thew a punch one more time.

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    The clone was enveloped in deadly flames. Having dealt with two more Sun Wukong clones, Su-hyeun took a brief time composing himself and scanning his vicinity.

    "Ten left."

    Only 10 clones remained now, but the problem wasn''t with their number.

    "The real one must be among them."

    Only by locating the real Sun Wukong would this fight end. However, Su-hyeun hadn''t found him until now.

    "Wait, the real body...?"

    Only then did Su-hyeun realize that something was weird here.

    Out of the initial hundreds, only 10 remained.

    Despite this, he still hadn''t discovered the real Sun Wukong yet. It could be down to the weird quirk of the percentages, but that explanation didn''t quite feel right.

    For instance, if the real Sun Wukong only acted passively to avoid Su-hyeun''s attention, then that would''ve made it easier to find him a long time ago. Besides, Sun Wukong was definitely not that type of person to begin with.

    "Meaning he was never among them in the first place."

    The moment Su-hyeun realized this fact...

    "Expand."

    Whoosh¡ª

    Plough¡ª!

    The ground rumbled, and then, the spot Su-hyeun stood on suddenly caved in.

    "Ruyi!"

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang exploded out of the ground just then.

    However, as the staff began shooting up, Su-hyeun punched down right on top of it.

    [Thunder Dragon ¨C Miru]

    [Crimson Phantom Fist]

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    The collision stung his fist, proving that this Ruyi Jingu Bang was the real deal.

    "I thought we were fighting without weapons?" Su-hyeun asked Sun Wukong as the latter emerged from the ground after retracting his staff.

    His eyes, now completely transformed into golden irises, still burned with fierce fighting spirit despite how long it had been since the start of the fight.

    "Well, it''s the second round, you see."

    "Is that so?"

    Ka-ga-gak¡ª!

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword.

    "Second round, hmm¡­."

    They now aimed their staff and sword at each other.

    The 10 Sun Wukong clones took some distance and spread out. It seemed that they were planning to assist in the real body''s fight.

    "Even though he said that..."

    Sun Wukong might have said that, but he should''ve instinctively realized it by now¡ªthis joyous battle he had been waiting for so long was entering its closing stages.

    In other words, the battle was nearing climax.

    Paht¡ª!

    The two''s figures vanished from the spot.

    CLAAANG¡ª

    A sword and a staff collided in the center of the arena. However, the collision noises didn''t stop and continued as if it was one sound.

    "Huh...?"

    "What''s this? I can''t see a damn thing!"

    "Are they even fighting right now?"

    This was too different from watching a battle where Ruyi Jingu Bang suddenly enlarged, lightning bolts and firestorms raged on, fists went flying, and one was fighting against hundreds of enemies.

    Not a single person among the spectators could "watch" this part of the fight between the two men. That was because it was unfolding at a speed that transcended this world''s norm and reached a whole new realm¡ªperhaps, even a different time flow, too.

    After the two exchanged hundreds of blows, Su-hyeun''s sword came slamming down on top of Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything ¨C Great Mountain Splitter]

    Spliiit¡ª!

    Gu-gugugugu¡ª

    A truly incredible sense of weight caused Sun Wukong to stumble for a moment. However, that brief opening was all Su-hyeun needed.

    "Come!"

    In the air above the arena, dense, gloomy clouds had gathered before anyone had noticed them. Within the darkness of the clouds, dragons emitting golden-orange and azure lights writhed ominously.

    [Rain of Thunder Dragons]

    For a very brief moment just then, a blindingly gorgeous spectacle unfolded in the air above the arena. And then...

    "Descend!"

    "Expand¡ª"

    The moment Su-hyeun issued his command, innumerable dragons began descending on top of Sun Wukong''s head.

    "Ruyi¡ª!"

    * * *

    Shatter¡ª

    The sound of something breaking could be heard.

    Although it became a faint little noise amid the deafening roars of the thunderclaps, Su-hyeun still clearly heard it.

    The burst of light was so blinding, and it didn''t dissipate for a long while. It was the same story for the hot electrical currents utterly filling up the arena.

    The 10 remaining Sun Wukong clones were extinguished, returning to their original form of hair strands.

    It proved challenging to sense the flow of time when you were blinded by the burst of light, preventing you from seeing anything.

    Even so, the light grew weaker with every passing second.

    The whole arena was charred black. Su-hyeun hurriedly searched for Sun Wukong within this devastation.

    Finding him wasn''t that hard, however. After all, a burnt body next to the broken Ruyi Jingu Bang was easy to spot.

    Su-hyeun used Earth Shrink to reach the side of Sun Wukong quickly. Even if the latter possessed the Godhood of Immortality, Su-hyeun still couldn''t help but worry.

    "Third Brother," Su-hyeun gently shook Sun Wukong''s still figure.

    However, the Monkey King didn''t respond.

    "Third Brother?"

    Su-hyeun, feeling a bit more anxious, strengthened his hand shaking Sun Wukong.

    But then...

    "Got ya!"

    No reaction.

    "What the heck. You aren''t even surprised?" Sun Wukong shouted while opening his eyes.

    It seemed that he wanted to pull a prank, but Su-hyeun was visibly unmoved. While Sun Wukong looked disappointed by this flat reaction, Su-hyeun sighed in relief, "I thought something had happened to you just now, Third Brother."

    "I told you this before, though? I can''t be killed."

    "Even so, there''s always that off chance, isn''t there?"

    "If there really is something like that, then I would have died a long, long time ago, little bro." While saying that, Sun Wukong moved his aching body with some difficulty and laid down spread-eagle on the ground.

    Maybe lying face down wasn''t as comfortable for him.

    "Argh, I lost!"

    "Are you unhappy?"

    "Nah, not really. It''s like, you''d feel unhappy if you can think of a way to win in the first place," Sun Wukong began complaining with a pout.

    The impressions Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong got during their fierce battle were remarkably different from each other. While Su-hyeun always successfully defended himself and never allowed any fatal attacks to land, Sun Wukong couldn''t find a way to defeat Su-hyeun no matter what he tried.

    "It''s my complete loss."

    "You''ve become a lot stronger yourself, Third Brother. You are stronger than First Brother when I fought him before his ascension."

    "Is that so? Hey, are you really saying I''m stronger than First Brother now?" Sun Wukong''s expression brightened from Su-hyeun''s assessment, only for it to become gloomy again, "Urgh... I want to see First Brother again."

    After muttering that, Sun Wukong''s eyes slowly closed as if he ran out of energy. He slipped into a restful slumber while loudly snoring away.

    With that, the crazy event was over.

    [The Ranking Wars'' event match has concluded.]

    "Well, hmm," Su-hyeun looked around the arena, then muttered in a slightly concerned voice, "Can the tournament even continue like this, I wonder?"

    * * *

    [Ranking Wars halted, arena under repair after event match]

    [Potential venue change for the Ranking Wars? Gordon Company''s actions?]

    [Kim Su-hyeun''s warning: What is the ''war'' he speaks about?]

    [Who is Sun Wukong? He''s the real Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal?!]

    Although the Ranking Wars had to be stopped, people''s excitement levels continued to soar through the roof.

    The spectators went home and began talking about everything they saw. That battle was truly unprecedented in the history of the Ranking Wars.

    As for the tournament itself, it was postponed indefinitely.

    However, none of the spectators expressed dissatisfaction; the event match happened in the middle of the Ranking Wars, after all. They were already treated to a truly mesmerizing spectacle.

    Currently, inside the hospital operated by the Gordon Company located in San Francisco, not just Sun Wukong, but other contestants of the Ranking Wars were admitted.

    "What is this sharp thing?" Sun Wukong asked while staring at the IV needle stabbed in his arm.

    When he tried to pull it out, Su-hyeun hurriedly stopped him, "It''s there to help you, Third Brother.''

    "What, this little thing is?"

    "Yes. That''s why I beg you. Please stay still. Doesn''t it still hurt when you try to move around?"

    "Hey, dude, I''m alright already. Everything is in tip-top sha¡ª"

    Sun Wukong tried to spin his right arm around only to stop mid-sentence and frown deeply. All the burn wounds on his body hadn''t healed fully yet.

    Su-hyeun sighed again with an expression that said, "See?" then continued, "You''ve been unconscious for five days straight, you know. It goes without saying that an ordinary individual would have died from all those injuries, Third Brother. That''s why you need to rest for a few days more."

    "But it''s boring here."

    "I''ll bring you lots of snacks in that case. If you''re really bored, then why not watch the videos of the Ranking Wars?"

    "Videos? What''s that?"

    Sun Wukong tilted his head, wondering what "videos" even were. Su-hyeun handed over a tablet PC to him.

    It contained the video clips of his fight against Sun Wukong during the Ranking Wars. The Monkey King''s eyes bulged out of his sockets as he stared at the tablet''s screen. "Ohhhh? What''s this?"

    "It''s the video clips of our fight, Third Brother. Not only that but there are more videos of other people''s fights, too. I think this is a good way for you to relax for a bit longer, don''t you agree?"

    "Hey, this isn''t so bad, is it?"

    Sun Wukong seemed genuinely intrigued. It was probably his first time watching the clips of his own fight.

    Excluding his fights with the Bull Demon King, the battle against Su-hyeun should be Sun Wukong''s first real loss. Sure, he did lose in the war against the Heavenly World and got imprisoned in the eight-way trigram Crucible, but that didn''t count since it wasn''t a one-on-one fight.

    What he needed now was to look back on the defeat, starting from the beginning. However, instead of remembering the battle in his head, seeing it through the video clips should be far more helpful to him.

    "Besides all that, though, what''s gonna happen to the tournament?" Sun Wukong asked while staring at the arena displayed on the tablet PC.

    The arena where he collapsed was so badly destroyed that it had basically deeply caved in underground. The floor was burned and scorched, pockmarked by dozens of craters so deep that you couldn''t even see where the bottom was.

    It wouldn''t be strange to see it crumble altogether at this point.

    "It''s on hold for now for obvious reasons, Third Brother. Until a new avenue can be found, it''s being postponed indefinitely."

    "Didn''t you say you need to go somewhere as soon as this thing is over? What, are you planning to wait?"

    "I''ve already finished what I wanted to do, anyway. I was thinking of withdrawing."

    If those spectators still waiting for the Ranking Wars to resume heard him now, they would''ve keeled over in shock. However, Su-hyeun''s goal was never about winning the tournament in the first place, so nothing was stopping him from quitting now.

    "Little bro, what you said back then¡ªit''s because of ''that thing,'' isn''t it?" Sun Wukong began. "I could''ve fought you at any time, even without the excuse of a tournament, after all. Well, it''s true that I got a bit carried away by the atmosphere, but still."

    Su-hyeun nodded slowly, "Yes, I did want to warm them all. I also wanted to confirm the levels of the other contestants admitted to this hospital."

    "So? What''s your verdict, then?"

    "There are just way too many problems. Still, it''s not too late to start their improvements from here onward."

    "Hmm¡­ Should I leave a clone behind here, just in case?"

    When Sun Wukong suggested that, Su-hyeun''s brows shot up, "Can you really do that, Third Brother?"

    "In the past, maybe not, but I think I can do it now. A clone made from my hair can act independently, you see. Even if I''m far away, I think it''ll maintain itself somehow."

    Sun Wukong shrugged his shoulders before continuing, "Sure, the power of my cloning technique will deteriorate the longer it''s been left activated, but it''ll still be a hundred times better than the small fries of this planet."

    "In that case, please. I''ll leave it to you."

    From Su-hyeun''s perspective, he had nothing to lose by accepting this offer.

    Besides, Sun Wukong was capable of creating hundreds of clones at once. Missing one among that many shouldn''t lead to a big problem.

    On the other hand, just one Sun Wukong clone staying in this world would serve as a massive reassurance. After all, every contestant of the Ranking Wars would need to work together to barely defeat just one clone.

    "Alright, so, since you''re withdrawing from the tournament, what will you do now? Get going right away?"

    "That was my original intention, but I now have somewhere else to go¡­ With you, Third Brother."

    "With me? Where?"

    Sun Wukong tilted his head again, wondering what was up. His gaze might be locked on the tablet''s screen, but his ears were still paying attention.

    He couldn''t see it, but Su-hyeun was smiling. It was much brighter than any smile he had put on recently, too.

    "Didn''t you say you wanted to see First Brother again?"

    Sun Wukong''s eyes that were fixed on the tablet PC quickly sought Su-hyeun''s when he heard that.

    Su-hyeun continued, "Let''s go find him."

 Chapter 521 - 521

    Sun Wukong shot up from the hospital bed when he heard Su-hyeun say they would find the Bull Demon King.

    But then, he collapsed right back on the bed and screamed in agony. His entire body was hurting, he said.

    He could at least talk without a problem right now, thanks to his monstrous regenerative power. Even so, his injuries were so severe that he shouldn''t even be able to lift a finger.

    So, this was an unsurprising result.

    "Let''s get going after a few days'' rest, Third Brother."

    Of course, Sun Wukong vehemently opposed Su-hyeun''s suggestion.

    He loudly announced that he could get going right away, then asked if the Bull Demon King''s location had been found for real.

    He was so noisy that, never mind the room he was in, even the corridor outside and the rooms next to his could hear what he was shouting about.

    After a vocal back-and-forth, the two of them finally came to an agreement.

    "Just one more day. Let''s rest for one more day before setting off, Third Brother."

    When Su-hyeun suggested that, Sun Wukong looked conflicted but eventually nodded his head.

    The Monkey King was known for his stubborn side, but even he knew how poor his condition was right now.

    If he insisted on moving now, he might end up as a burden should something unexpected happen later.

    "Fuu-aaah¡ª" Su-hyeun came outside the hospital and sighed before heading toward a certain famous island located off the coast of San Francisco. "Man, that was harder than actually fighting him."

    Sun Wukong''s legendary stubbornness lived up to its reputation.

    Su-hyeun needed over two hours to talk him down. Another four days of rest and healing were necessary for Sun Wukong to get back on his feet, yet he wanted to get going right away.

    In the end, even Su-hyeun couldn''t win and had to compromise for one day''s rest, but still...

    "No way he can move around normally with his current condition," he thought.

    Sun Wukong should be able to move and run around with one day''s rest, at least. He might be strong enough to swing around Ruyi Jingu Bang if he didn''t care about worsening the state of his injuries.

    It seemed that there was no choice but to somehow improve Sun Wukong''s physical condition as much as possible in one day.

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Su-hyeun tested the ground with his foot. Although uneven, the soil seemed tough enough.

    As for the buildings in the surroundings, they had all collapsed to rubble a long time ago.

    This was Alcatraz.

    This island used to be a large prison complex in the distant past. However, the Lich King showed up to murder every person found in this place. Now, this whole island was utterly deserted.

    Thanks to that event, Su-hyeun got himself a private space not too far off the city of San Francisco where he could do whatever he wanted.

    "Renting out" this place wasn''t too difficult, either. Su-hyeun was swimming in the pile of money, after all. Buying an abandoned island or two wasn''t even worth sweating over for him.

    "One day left, huh?"

    He didn''t have a lot of free time.

    "It might be barely enough to raise my proficiency to where I like it to be."

    Su-hyeun came here for the past few days while Sun Wukong was still unconscious. There was only one reason for that, though.

    Shu-shushushu...

    Black aura began spreading all around him.

    He needed to keep testing his newly acquired power in this deserted place.

    "Come out."

    Shu-ruru...

    Two summons appeared from Su-hyeun''s shadow.

    They were Prince Nezha and Kali. Their eyes, without irises, stared at Su-hyeun.

    He couldn''t summon Gyges on a small island such as this one. Besides, he wasn''t trying to have a serious fight anyway, so these two were more than suitable for his goal.

    "Start attacking me from now on."

    Prince Nezha and Kali got into position.

    Su-hyeun''s Death Aura stat and application rate had all gone up relatively high, meaning both of these summons boasted a strength level similar to a mid-tier Predator ranked among the Ten Great Evils. Not to forget, Kali was originally a Ten Great Evils Predator, to begin with.

    Su-hyeun then modified the command a bit more.

    "With the intention of killing me."

    The moment he said that, the Yogoe Slaying Sword came flying in and split Su-hyeun''s figure in half.

    Kwa-jajajajajak¡ª!

    However, that was just a trick of the eye.

    The only thing that split apart was the ground beneath.

    Snick¡ª

    What happened was that the black energy current enveloping him had easily repelled the Yogoe Slaying Sword.

    Was it because the application rate had improved?

    Even before Su-hyeun had noticed it, the Yogoe Slaying Sword was coated in Kali''s blood. Without being told what to do, the two summons worked in sync and combined their abilities to fight.

    They had come up with this method all by themselves.

    "Does this mean the higher the application rate, the greater the scalability of their intelligence?"

    Somewhat unexpectedly, Su-hyeun learned something new about the summons created through his Necromancer trait.

    "Well, that''s not what I was looking for in the first place."

    The Yogoe Rending Saber was now in Kali''s grip.

    The crimson-hued currents flooded the surroundings, and then dozens of hands made of blood floated up seemingly everywhere.

    One of those hands was wielding Prince Nezha''s weapon, the Yogoe Beating Mace. It was the same story for the Wind Fire Wheel.

    Prince Nezha, who controlled six different weapons, and Kali, who possessed absolute authority over blood, combined their assault to rain down on Su-hyeun.

    Splaaaatter, ka-boom¡ª!

    Brrrrrrr¡ª

    The entire island of Alcatraz rumbled and quaked.

    The island''s defensive durability had already been reinforced through magic circles. Even so, there was always going to be a limit to how much abuse it could withstand.

    The whole world seemed to be rumbling as if it was the apocalypse. Huge waves swelled up in the surrounding ocean, too. Meanwhile, the skies turned blood-red in color as tornadoes of blood danced around.

    And in the middle of all this mayhem...

    "It can block this much, huh?"

    Only the spot Su-hyeun stood on remained completely fine.

    "Feels like I''ve gotten more used to it now."

    His proficiency over the newly acquired energy had gone up significantly. However, the method of controlling this energy turned out to be something he didn''t reasonably expect.

    "To think that this energy is based on Demonic Aura..."

    The Demonic Aura was the name given to the stat Su-hyeun acquired after defeating Fafnir. However, he hadn''t found a way to utilize that stat until now.

    He knew how to utilize this stat but hadn''t felt a need to go out of his way to use it. For one thing, the Demonic Aura stat was too insignificant and useless compared to all the other energy types Su-hyeun currently possessed.

    However, somewhat unexpectedly, the Demonic Aura was connected to the new authority he gained after devouring Osiris through Predation.

    The black energy current swirling around Osiris was none other than a version of Demonic Aura.

    "I''ve finished testing out its defenses, so..."

    Su-hyeun decided to change the usage of the black energy current.

    "From now on, let''s focus on attacking."

    His goal changed. To match that, the black energy protecting his body from the combined attacks of Prince Nezha and Kali began stretching out in all directions.

    Riiiip¡ª!

    The Demonic Aura extending from Su-hyeun''s figure began devouring Kali''s blood current flooding the surroundings.

    The Demonic Aura that possessed a tangible physical form split into thousands, tens of thousands, no, countless tentacles to attack Kali and Nezha from every direction.

    Spliiiit¡ª!

    Riiip, splat¡ª!

    Prince Nezha''s Wind Fire Wheel defended against the Demonic Aura, while Kali''s blood spun around in a whirlpool to push away the incoming Demonic Aura.

    The strength of these two summons was noticeably stronger than in the past. In the case of Kali, her application rate was around 80 percent, which meant she exhibited almost the same level of power from back when she was still alive.

    Even then...

    Stab, stab, stab, stab¡ª!

    Driiiip¡ª

    Dozens upon dozens of holes appeared on the bodies of Nezha and Kali.

    This resulted from their failure to block only a tiny portion of the black energy tentacles, which numbered in the hundreds of millions.

    "Well, that''s not too bad, I guess," Su-hyeun faintly grinned. But then, he corrected himself with a small whisper, "No, wait, this is actually great."

    Great, he said.

    Indeed, it was an extraordinary ability¡ªone that could both defend and attack. Not only were both options available to him at any given moment, but he didn''t even have to move from the spot.

    Everything was unrestricted and limited to only his imagination, from its area of effect to its defensive capabilities, its killing power, and even its ability to change its shape.

    "Then, the problem I have now is..."

    Shu-shushu...

    Su-hyeun scanned the surroundings that were quickly getting brighter.

    His Demonic Aura reserve ran out rather quickly. Using this much power ended up depleting the reserve in only a matter of minutes.

    However, that didn''t matter since the Demonic Aura was different from the other energy reserves Su-hyeun relied on most of the time. He still had magical energy as well as Death Aura, after all.

    Still, he did feel a bit rueful about how short the duration was.

    "Well, it''s not like I can do anything about it in the meantime."

    Su-hyeun stared at the ruined figures of Nezha and Kali currently collapsed on the ground, then canceled their summoning.

    He then turned around to head back to San Francisco.

    * * *

    After returning to his lodging, the first thing Su-hyeun did was to shower.

    The day was drawing to a close already. By sunrise tomorrow morning, he needed to leave to find the Bull Demon King.

    Although it wouldn''t be for long, he decided to enjoy a much-needed rest for the time being. This was definitely not a sign of idleness on his part but more like a type of mental leeway.

    Shwa-aaaah¡ª

    "I wonder if First Brother is doing well."

    None other than the Bull Demon King taught Su-hyeun about taking a break.

    While enjoying the warm water falling on his body, Su-hyeun slowly closed his eyes.

    He took his time washing himself off, then lay down on the bed of San Francisco''s most expensive hotel.

    The room was far too big for him to use alone. He said there was no need for such a luxurious room, but Gordon Rohan insisted that one needed a lodging befitting their status.

    Su-hyeun confirmed the time through an expensive-looking antique clock mounted on the wall. It was only nine in the evening.

    "Let''s just turn in early."

    It had been a while since he enjoyed a long slumber, so he thought he might as well do it now.

    He closed his eyes, and sleep came to him soon enough.

    However, the problem began as soon as he fell asleep.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun was definitely aware that he should be asleep.

    He was normally like that. His sharply attuned senses always checked every little thing happening around him, even during his sleep, allowing him to choose what to do about it.

    But the current event was a bit different from that.

    "What the hell is going on here?"

    His eyes were wide open. He lifted his hands, then slowly touched his face.

    He could definitely feel his facial skin.

    "This isn''t a dream, then?"

    Only after recognizing this fact did the scenery laid out before his eyes seem significant to him.

    It was the sight of the vast universe. Countless stars flickered in the darkness, and the closest one happened to be Earth.

    "This is definitely not an ordinary dream..."

    He didn''t need long to figure out what this scene signified after his drowsiness went away for good.

    "Is this what they call Foresight?"

    This power was commonly referred to as a gift to look into the future.

    It was used interchangeably with another term, "Prescience." Foresight was a powerful authority granted to only an extremely few deities.

    Insight was the power of eyes that allowed you to see through the truth of everything. Once one reached the absolute pinnacle of this power, one could start seeing into the future next. This was what happened to Apollo and Master Subhuti.

    Su-hyeun had no trouble figuring out that this spectacle laid out before his eyes was an event from sometime in the future.

    "Not sure what''s going on here, but it sure is pretty, isn''t it?"

    The universe looked so beautiful.

    It didn''t matter which famous tourist attraction you talked about. It was nothing more than a mere tiny dot on the planet called Earth.

    But take a look at this universe. Its beauty was blinding. Even the Milky Way, commonly seen in the night, was nothing more than a collection of fireflies compared to this spectacle.

    "I guess I should thank Insight for letting me see things so vividly."

    If his consciousness was not responsible for activating Foresight through his Insight, then maybe this event wasn''t supposed to show him a vision of the future.

    Su-hyeun felt deeply satisfied that he could vividly witness such beautiful scenery like this.

    But then...

    [We finally meet.]

    Shudder¡ª

    Su-hyeun hurriedly looked around at that voice coming from seemingly everywhere. This was not reality but the future seen through his Insight, yet the level of danger he felt right now was the most intense one he had experienced in his entire life.

    He couldn''t see anything. The universe remained peaceful and so beautiful even now.

    "Even so, I didn''t just imagine hearing that," he thought.

    Not being visible didn''t automatically mean something didn''t exist.

    Even now, that voice still vividly rang within his head, causing his breathing to clog up.

    We finally met, it said.

    "As if it was waiting for me or something?"

    This unknown being finally shattered the long silence to say something else.

    [Oh, wait, I was wrong. I see. This is Foresight, isn''t it? This is a future that hasn''t happened for you, and you are a being from the past.]

    A hint of amusement was contained within the voice.

    Su-hyeun failed to locate the source of this voice and had to ask in the end, "Just who are you?"

    One thing was for sure. This was the future that would definitely happen to him sooner or later. It also meant that he would get to meet the owner of this ominous voice.

    The voice answered Su-hyeun''s question.

    [I shall pray that you remember the answer to your question as soon as possible.]

 Chapter 522 - 522

    By the time Su-hyeun opened his eyes and sat up, the rays of the morning sun were already seeping through the curtains.

    His hotel room was incredibly quiet.

    Even after waking up, Su-hyeun didn''t move for a good while. Rather than a dream, it almost felt like he had traveled to another world and came back in the blink of an eye without even realizing it.

    He raised his hand and touched his eyes.

    "That was definitely not a dream."

    The power of Foresight was an ability only activated when one''s Insight had gotten stronger.

    A god on the level of Apollo could use this power whenever he wanted. Not only that, but he would be able to see the specific window of time in the future and even interfere with that future.

    However, Su-hyeun couldn''t do that. He might be better than Apollo in combat, but he was far inferior to the Sun God in the matter of Insight.

    Never mind being able to look into a specific time in the future, he couldn''t even activate Foresight whenever he wanted. But that was because Su-hyeun had only taken baby steps in the road to activating Foresight through the power of Insight.

    He got up from the bed and then boiled some water to prepare his morning coffee.

    His thoughts remained a jumbled mess, however.

    "Just what or who was that?"

    The owner of the voice knew who Su-hyeun was. He was sure about that.

    Since it was an existence from the future, it was possible that he hadn''t met this creature yet.

    "I can only think of three possibilities."

    While he was watching the hot coffee drip down to his cup, his thought reached a certain point.

    "First, Shiva. Then, the One Overlord. And finally, Brahma."

    Su-hyeun had already encountered two of the Three Destroyers, Uranus and Osiris.

    Also, he met the Five Godly Sages, except Brahma.

    Shiva and Brahma were known as the Primordial Gods. There was also the existence even greater than Shiva, the One Overlord.

    Su-hyeun still hadn''t found out the One Overlord''s true identity out of the three.

    He had his suspicions, sure, but he had no firm proof of anything.

    "Foresight suddenly activating can''t be a coincidence."

    No other term was capable of lulling you into a false sense of comfort than "coincidence."

    That bewitching term could make you lackadaisical about every single thing. That was why Su-hyeun did not subscribe to the idea of "coincidence."

    "A future that was bound to happen, hmm?" Su-hyeun muttered to himself while watching the coffee slowly dripping into his cup. "Bullsh*t."

    Some would call the future that had already been decided fate. However, Su-hyeun didn''t believe in fate where everything was set in stone.

    Besides...

    "I have acquired Foresight, too."

    It was nothing more than a tentative little step past the doorway of Insight, but whatever the case might be, it was still true that he managed to pry open the locked door.

    In that case, the new question should be, how long he would need before opening that doorway even wider.

    Now that he had unshackled the hefty lock and turned the doorknob once, the next time should be incomparably easier to pull off.

    Foresight was the power to peek into the future and potentially change it, and Su-hyeun trusted this power.

    "For now, I should focus on dealing with the matter at hand first."

    While lifting the cup filled with fresh coffee, he confirmed the current time.

    The morning sun had long brightened the world outside.

    It was time to get going again.

    * * *

    Sun Wukong was already standing outside his hospital ward.

    Nurses were currently in panic mode because of a missing patient. However, Sun Wukong didn''t care and headed to the hospital''s rooftop because he wanted to get some fresh air.

    That was where he chose to wait for Su-hyeun''s arrival.

    "Third Brother, why are you out here instead of resting in your room?"

    "It got really boring, you know? Lying there doing nothing and stuff. I''ve also finished watching every clip you left behind," Sun Wukong replied while loosening his muscles.

    Judging from his furrowed brows, various parts of his body must''ve still hurt whenever he tried to move a little too much. However, he didn''t seem to mind it at all.

    The weather was somewhat chilly, and Su-hyeun stuffed his hands inside his pockets out of habit. He then stood on the rooftop''s railing as if he wanted Sun Wukong to follow him.

    Split¡ª

    A portal opened up in front of him. The space beyond it was awash with gray. Sun Wukong noticed this and tilted his head in confusion, "Why are we going there?"

    "We need to speak to King Yama first, you see."

    "Yama? Really?"

    "Yes. According to Buddha, First Brother seems to have sought out King Yama first after ascending."

    "Oh, so Yama probably knows where he is?"

    "Most likely, yes."

    "Okay, then," Sun Wukong smirked deeply. "Been a while, so let''s find him and drink ourselves to stupor!"

    As soon as he finished saying that, he impatiently threw himself through the portal and stepped into the netherworld beyond it.

    Out of 9,000 netherworlds in existence, Su-hyeun chose a specific hell called "Freezing Hell."

    It was utterly "gray" from top to bottom because this world was filled with dirty, corrupted gray snow brought on by the freezing temperature.

    The cold weather didn''t really affect them, but they could still tell how freezing the winds blowing around them were. Su-hyeun reached down and scooped up some of the snow on the ground.

    "Even the Hell of Scorching Heat is preferable to this place."

    If he were asked to choose between the Hell of Scorching Heat that was so hot that bones might melt or the Freezing Hell that was so cold that you would freeze right down to your bones, Su-hyeun thought he would go for the colder of the two.

    In this world, no scientific concept like absolute zero applied.

    The temperatures in various hells exceeded what was physically possible to punish better the sinners ending up in such places. In this Freezing Hell, the punishment meted out to the sinners came in the form of absolute coldness.

    "Oh, hey? Isn''t that, like, a village or something?" Sun Wukong pointed to a small village located not too far from where they were.

    Because this was hell, he expected it to be a ridiculously harsh place, but to think people even formed a village here...

    Sun Wukong continued, "Looks like it''s freezing for them, doesn''t it?"

    Of course, forming a village didn''t stop them from being punished by the never-ending torment of the cold.

    The only reason those people formed a village in the first place was to hold onto each other and somehow endure the freezing temperature.

    It was all a useless endeavor in the end. Hundreds of people had gathered in one spot, but that still didn''t give them a way to endure the biting cold of this Freezing Hell.

    "Should we help them?" Sun Wukong asked while studying Su-hyeun''s moods.

    Judging from how Su-hyeun behaved until now, he would probably not forsake all those people suffering from so much torment.

    Not only that, but they weren''t even talking about something impossible here. For Su-hyeun, dealing with this level of coldness shouldn''t even be an issue. Hell, if he really wanted to, he probably could take all those souls out of here, too.

    There was no doubting that Su-hyeun had become one of the few supreme beings in the entire universe.

    "Mm. Not really. I don''t think I want to do that."

    "Eh? Why not?"

    "Well, those people somehow ended up in hell, yes? Which meant they must''ve committed some terrible sins when they were alive, and this is the only way for them to pay for their crimes."

    "Ah, is that how it is?"

    "Yes. And for some reason, in my eyes..."

    Su-hyeun''s eyes were taking in the sight of people shivering from the cold.

    Outwardly, they looked pitiful and tragic. However, after looking at their real self underneath, Su-hyeun saw that they definitely deserved this treatment.

    "Murder, rape, all types of acts of violence, fraud, and even cannibalism? Huh, that''s an outstanding collection of human excrement, isn''t it?" he thought.

    Su-hyeun''s eyes could see it all¡ªincluding the crimes those souls had committed when they were living and everything they would go through in the future and how long they would be stuck in this hell.

    "Two hundred years for the least notorious offender. As for the worst one of them all... After becoming a king, that guy drove tens of millions of people to their deaths, I see. I guess his duration will be over a hundred million years, then."

    Not a single one among them was worthy of saving.

    "I guess they have gotten used to the cold weather, so..."

    "Hmm?"

    "How about I sentence them with a different type of punishment?"

    Shu-wuwu¡ª

    All the snow and ice began melting with Su-hyeun as the center.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Intense flames instantly spread out everywhere. The world dyed in the monochrome hue of gray gradually changed its color.

    The new color was crimson.

    "Oh... it''s... so warm..."

    "F¡ªfinally, the end of this hell is upon us¡ª! Huh?!"

    "U¡ªuwaaaahk!"

    "The ground! The ground is getting too hot!"

    "What is going on here?!"

    "Get away from me!"

    The criminals of this hell huddling together hurriedly shoved each other away, then began struggling ungainly by jumping up and down to alleviate somehow the intense heat they felt.

    The whole world seemed to have become crimson, filled with scorching heat. The cold of the Freezing Hell was gone, and it transformed into a new Hell of Scorching Heat in no time at all.

    The heat was gradually getting worse, too.

    The criminals who had stayed here for a long time and had gotten used to the cold now had to endure the intense heat next.

    "You want to punish them that badly?" Sun Wukong asked, sounding somewhat surprised.

    No matter how evil these sinners were when they were alive, they were still sent to this place to repent for their crimes after death.

    They were sent to a hell that matched their crimes; they were given a varying length of time to suffer through their punishment.

    Even then, Su-hyeun was handing down an even stiffer punishment to these sinners.

    "That''s so weird."

    "I didn''t do this to punish them, though. Well, it''s true that they fully deserve whatever punishment comes their way, but still..."

    "Okay, then what?"

    "This is one of the netherworlds where King Yama is in charge. Although, he''s in charge of every hell out there other than the 1,000 he lost to Osiris¡ª"

    Split¡ª

    It was then that the sky suddenly split open.

    In the air above the hot flames blazing away, another hell revealed itself.

    And from it...

    "He''s here."

    King Yama''s massive frame appeared from the portal.

    Gu-wuwuwu...

    The entire hell was shaking around.

    It seemed to be King Yama''s fury manifesting physically. His entrance caused earthquakes to break out in this hell, and the heat spreading out with Su-hyeun in the middle temporarily stopped spreading.

    "Oh, you were doing this to call Yama over here?"

    "Yes. It''s easier this way."

    "Well, yeah, but it kinda looks like he''s furious at you, doesn''t he?"

    They can sense it despite the distance. They felt how enraged King Yama was currently. One could figure that out from how flushed and dark his complexion was right now.

    "What is the meaning of this?!"

    King Yama''s roar rang around the netherworld.

    The sinners nearby had to bow deeply while doing their best to ignore the heat. After all, all these people had encountered King Yama before ending up in this place.

    "It''s been a while."

    "I asked you what the meaning of your actions is!"

    "There was something we needed to discuss with you, you see, and this seemed like the quickest way to call you."

    In the past, Su-hyeun inadvertently laid waste to the Hell of Scorching Heat, which was one of the hells King Yama ruled.

    He ended up absorbing all the heat in that place, causing the hell to stop functioning as it intended.

    "Oh, is that right? To speak to me, you decided to wreck another hell of mine just like the last time?"

    "If I''m not mistaken, the old Hell of Scorching Heat is still broken, isn''t it? Maybe you can use this place as its replacement."

    "Since you wanted to discuss something with me, you must have a favor to ask, too. However, holding such an attitude will not be conducive to our discussion."

    King Yama''s eyes were getting redder by the second.

    His face revealed how angry he was right now. Unlike the last time where things happened unintentionally, Su-hyeun deliberately did something to a hell under King Yama''s management.

    To Yama, who had been ruling over all these hells through many destructions and rebirths of universes, every single hell was an invaluable and precious asset.

    Since that was the case, harming a hell under his rule was akin to spitting on King Yama''s pride.

    "Buddha already came to see me. You fools, you are curious about the current location of the Bull Demon King, aren''t you?"

    "Yes, that''s correct."

    "There are two ways of finding out where he is. One, wait until the Bull Demon King decides to contact you. Or, two, I personally start searching for him. However, you fools took the second option off the table with your foolish¡ª"

    "Aren''t you being too hasty there?"

    King Yama frowned deeply at what Su-hyeun said just then. He realized that there was something he had overlooked, judging from Su-hyeun''s confident face.

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "You are not on our side, but that doesn''t mean you''re our enemy, either. It''s true that I went a bit overboard due to my eagerness to see you. However, I do have an offer that will prove to be a good trade for both of us."

    "I heard that your personality has changed, and it turns out to be true. Alright, so? What''s this good offer you''re talking about?"

    It sounded like he wanted to hear the offer out, at least. However, his rage would probably not subside if the offer turned out to be a useless one.

    King Yama crossed his arms and glared straight at Su-hyeun.

    "All the hells you lost to Osiris," Su-hyeun began.

    Then, those firmly crossed arms came loose relatively quickly when King Yama heard what Su-hyeun said next.

    "Would you like to have them back?"

    Split¡ª

    Portals to hundreds of hells suddenly opened up behind Su-hyeun.

 Chapter 523 - 523

    The still silence went on for a while.

    King Yama was making a face quite different from when he first showed up here. Instead of rage, his expression reflected surprise, conflict, and so on.

    Behind Su-hyeun, the portals to the Needle Hell, Starvation Hell, Slumbering Hell, Sand Hell, and Ghostly Hell, among others, had appeared.

    All sorts of hells existed indeed. King Yama instantly recalled all of their names as soon he laid his eyes on them.

    That shouldn''t come as a surprise since they originally belonged to him, to begin with.

    "You sure possess a lot of them, don''t you?"

    All these numerous hells, which were now under Su-hyeun''s control, happened to be the ones King Yama lost to Osiris.

    "After I killed Osiris, they became mine for some reason. You said there were 1,000 of them, but as it turns out, it''s a little more than that."

    "Right. It''s one thousand and twenty-two."

    "I''m willing to hand over one hundred of them."

    King Yama''s brows quivered.

    "Not all of them?"

    "Aren''t you being too greedy, sir? To think that you''d try to take away all the cards I''m holding in one sitting."

    "But they were mine, to begin with!"

    "I''m sure you said the same thing to Osiris in the past."

    Rather obviously, demanding their return one-sidedly since he was the original master wouldn''t work here today.

    Like Su-hyeun said a minute ago, he and King Yama were not allies. They were neither allies nor enemies, but they simply kept up their ambiguous wariness of each other at all times.

    King Yama was much closer to being a neutral party in this case. Meaning he was in no position to demand anything from Su-hyeun one-sidedly.

    "One hundred, you said."

    Getting back 100 hells was not a bad offer. Although the remainder did make King Yama feel a bit rueful, he knew that the current situation was different from how it was with Osiris.

    For one thing, Su-hyeun didn''t care about ruling over hells or the vast army contained within. As long as he had them, they should end up in King Yama''s hands sooner or later.

    "Looks like I have no choice but to agree to it."

    The initiative this time belonged to Su-hyeun.

    He was strong enough to defeat Osiris, so subduing him through brute force was out of the question. Not only that, but Sun Wukong was right next to him, too.

    If King Yama refused to take up the offer and created bad blood between him and Su-hyeun, then those 1,000 hells Osiris had stolen away would never return to Yama''s possession.

    "You made the correct decision."

    "When can I get the remaining hells back from you?"

    "It should be when I have other favors to ask of you."

    "Sounds like things will get tiresome for me, then."

    "We''ll be in your care, in that case."

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    The portals to various hells that appeared near Su-hyeun closed up. At the same time, many small dots of light floated on top of King Yama''s large palm.

    Their number was exactly 100.

    That was the sign that 100 hells currently belonging to Su-hyeun came back to the fold.

    "I confirmed it."

    "So, please tell us."

    "I spoke to the Bull Demon King right after he finally ascended. After ridding himself of the lingering attachment over his family, meaning you lot, he directly came to see me."

    "Can you tell us why?"

    "He wanted to find someone. The Bull Demon King seemed to be under the impression that the woman he was searching for had reincarnated somewhere and wanted me to locate her. He''s probably staying next to her even as we speak."

    There was no need even to ask who that woman was.

    Sun Wukong spent practically an eternity with the Bull Demon King, so that was rather obvious to him. Even Su-hyeun had heard directly about the Bull Demon King''s history from the latter.

    "Where are they?"

    "The Path to Reincarnation. That''s where those who never committed a crime or finished paying for one must go. Initially, one doesn''t linger around there long as it''s simply a place you pass through. But that woman chose to stay there for a very long time."

    "Did they finally meet?"

    "They did. A destiny like that is practically impossible to come true, yet it happened nevertheless. And it happened after one died, and the other had to ascend to godhood, too. The will of those two managed to change their destiny, it seems."

    "It''s a wonderful tale, isn''t it?"

    Such a fated meeting wouldn''t have happened if one of them gave up midway. However, she waited for him patiently, and the Bull Demon King eventually ascended to become a god, allowing them to meet each other again.

    "The Path to Reincarnation, huh?" Su-hyeun thought.

    "In that case, we shall be on our way."

    "When you find him, say hello for me."

    "Yes, I will."

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong left the spot right away.

    Neither of them had ever been to the Path to Reincarnation before. That wasn''t the living world populated with people or one of the 9,000 hells where the dead could be found.

    Even so, the two still headed to the Path to Reincarnation to search for the Bull Demon King.

    "You''re not thinking of accompanying them?"

    "Even if I go with them, there''s not much I can do in the end, anyway. It''s now up to those two to convince the Bull Demon King."

    Buddha walked out into the open, his hands resting behind his back. His gait was slow and measured, seemingly taking only small steps forward.

    Yet he traveled thousands of leagues in a single step to stand next to King Yama.

    "The Bull Demon King has stopped caring about the world of the living by now. I should be the same as him, but how unfortunate, it''s not possible for me at the moment."

    "Sounds like you expect great things from those two."

    "Subhuti and Odin are both gone. I, too, am a sickly old man now. No one knows where Lord Brahma is, while both Olympus and Asgard are currently left in ruins."

    "It does sound more serious when you put it that way."

    "Without the Bull Demon King, our struggle will be hopeless. He''ll become the most important key in deciding the fate of this war that has gone far too long, after all."

    "Doesn''t matter which universe it is. It''ll come to an end eventually, Buddha."

    "And it''s our job to delay that end as long as possible, Yama. But as someone who only stays in your netherworlds, I''m sure you find it hard to understand our position."

    "Indeed, I can''t understand you at all," King Yama scratched his head.

    Unaffected by the repeated destruction of various universes, he was someone who waited for the birth of the new universes. As such, this whole thing didn''t matter to him in the slightest.

    "Even so, I have to say, this universe has been quite amusing so far."

    "Amusing, you say?"

    "Guys like Odin and Osiris showed up even though they weren''t even Primordial Gods. This universe is remarkably different from the others in the past. Maybe you lot can truly delay the incoming destruction somehow."

    It had been said before already, but the universe repeated the cycle of destruction and rebirth.

    The process itself had mainly remained the same since the beginning. King Yama was an existence in full knowledge of this incredibly long history, so he couldn''t help but be amused by the events of the current universe.

    "As long as the Bull Demon King decides to get involved," King Yama considered.

    * * *

    Finding the Path to Reincarnation wasn''t difficult at all. It was easier than finding a specific world.

    "The space between the living world and the netherworld... To think that such a vast expanse of space found between those two are all Path to Reincarnation."

    Su-hyeun could only groan at length.

    Staring at the vast expanse of the endless land covered in a thick fog made him feel that the future ahead of them was just as bleak and full of uncertainty.

    "And how are we supposed to locate First Brother in such a huge place?"

    The Path to Reincarnation was truly vast. Its vastness was incomparable. The world where Su-hyeun ran into Kali was hundreds of times larger than Earth, but even that planet was tiny compared to this place. Thus, making comparisons seemed like a moot point.

    The Path to Reincarnation existed between the worlds of the living and the dead. In other words, all the space existing between countless worlds out there was basically the Path to Reincarnation.

    The vastness of such a space was impossible to describe in words. Locating the Path to Reincarnation didn''t automatically mean they could locate the Bull Demon King right away.

    "It''d been so nice if I could use my Foresight right about now," Su-hyeun thought. It was truly a shame that he couldn''t take advantage of Foresight, the power to peek into future events.

    However, since Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong were both dead-set on finding the Bull Demon King, it was only a matter of time before that happened. It was the same thing as being written in stone.

    Still, the issue was with "when" and "how long." If only he could use Foresight now and find out where the Bull Demon King was, they should be able to bring forward the eventual meeting a lot earlier.

    "It''s First Brother," Sun Wukong suddenly muttered, prompting Su-hyeun to look at his side. "I can smell him."

    "His smell?"

    "I told you, didn''t I? My nose is better than a dog''s." Sun Wukong began noisily sniffing the air. "I can definitely pick up First Brother''s smell, but it''s just too faint."

    "Does that mean he came this way?"

    "There''s a smell of someone else, too. I guess that belongs to sister-in-law? But it must''ve been a long time ago. The smells are too faint."

    Su-hyeun''s expression of anticipation instantly switched to a deflated one. "Does that mean you can''t track them down with smell alone?"

    "Well, it might be difficult with their smell, but there''s another way to make them come to us."

    "How?"

    "Like this."

    Poof¡ª!

    A clone appeared next to Sun Wukong.

    It was carrying a copy of Ruyi Jingu Bang. The real thing was broken in half, which was currently tied to Sun Wukong''s back, but the clone handed over an intact copy to Sun Wukong, and then, he pointed its tip toward the sky. "Expand¡ª"

    "W¡ªwait a sec¡ª!"

    "Ruyi!"

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Gugugugu¡ª

    The ground rumbled, and the surrounding trees fell before tumbling into the deep crater that appeared below.

    The crater in the ground was so deep that its bottom couldn''t even be seen. Su-hyeun barely managed to grab hold of Ruyi Jingu Bang''s shaft, then climbed up to the top. "You know, you could''ve warned me earlier."

    "It''s not like I''m trying to hit you, anyways. Besides, you''re not so soft that you''d get injured by getting swept up in something like this."

    Sun Wukong stood on top of Ruyi Jingu Bang and scanned the surroundings from high up in the air. He was searching for the Bull Demon King.

    "Even so, that took me by surprise, you know?" Su-hyeun groaned again at Sun Wukong''s sudden act. Then, he also began scanning the surroundings.

    They had climbed past the clouds by then. The fog down below remained thick, and it obscured pretty much everything, but Insight made it so much easier to take a look around.

    "Make the other side come searching for us, hmm?"

    Without a doubt, Sun Wukong''s Ruyi Jingu Bang was eye-catching. Something this tall should be visible for several hundreds of kilometers in all directions. If the Bull Demon King hadn''t moved out of range by now, then he would see the staff and immediately realize that Sun Wukong was there.

    Although simple-minded, this was a good plan, indeed. There was a slight problem, however.

    "It seems that not just First Brother, but another unwanted company has noticed us as well."

    Monsters found in various parts of the Path to Reincarnation were rushing toward Ruyi Jingu Bang. The act of grabbing attention seemed to be the one to blame here.

    "Wait, do monsters live here in the first place?" Su-hyeun eventually shook his head.

    "No, that can''t be."

    His Insight caught sight of a faint purplish light seeping through the veil of fog in the far-off distance.

    That was a portal referred to as a dungeon in Su-hyeun''s world. It was also a type of "virus" that Shiva created after he schemed for the downfall of this universe.

    "Eh? Why are those monsters inside the Path to Reincarnation?"

    Their unexpected appearance flustered even Sun Wukong.

    Some other unwelcome intruders had shown up instead, rather than the Bull Demon King they were trying to summon. Sun Wukong might have been a fan of combat, but even he wasn''t too pleased by this turn of events.

    "It looks like even this place has run into a problem, Third Brother."

    "Urgh. That bastard, Shiva, must be one heck of a diligent dude."

    "For now, we should take care of them."

    The problem was that the Path to Reincarnation was on another realm compared to the destruction of a single world.

    This place was not the world of the living, but it wasn''t hell either. It would fall under "afterlife," just like hell if one wanted to categorize it.

    It was known that the dead could not die again. Excluding the instances of dying after reviving as an undead, the death of someone meant "complete extinction."

    This "complete extinction" severed in the middle that infinite loop of reincarnation that allowed one to live a new life then die again.

    All humans were bound to cross the Path to Reincarnation at one point. However, if this place was turned into pandemonium, then it was impossible to imagine just how many souls would get extinguished and never be reborn again.

    "Eh, how annoying."

    "Wow, this must be the first time you are annoyed by an upcoming fight, Third Brother."

    "That''s because we came here to find First Brother, didn''t we? So, let''s wrap this up quickly and be on our way," Sun Wukong replied unhappily, then placed his hand on Ruyi Jingu Bang. "Shrink... back? Eh?"

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    The staff began trembling.

    Something deep, deep underground was lifting this copy of Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    "What''s going on?"

    Su-hyeun was also standing on the staff, so he could feel it, too.

    Something down there possessed enough monstrous strength to lift Ruyi Jingu Bang expanded to such a colossal size.

    This was definitely not a display of some ordinary power.

    Just as he began thinking that something much graver than he expected might be taking place in the Path to Reincarnation...

    "Well, I''ll be," Su-hyeun chuckled hollowly at this strange turn of events. "Looks like First Brother will scold us pretty good later."

    "You two sure have raised an enormous ruckus, haven''t you?"

    Gu-gugugu¡ª

    Ruyi Jingu Bang was cleanly lifted in the air, and from the deep crater created by the staff, a voice they missed so much rang loudly.

    "It''s been a while, Third Brother and Youngest."

 Chapter 524 - 524

    "First Brother!" Sun Wukong cried out as his complexion brightened considerably.

    Su-hyeun felt the same way. Still, he hurriedly made a suggestion first, "Hang on a minute. Shouldn''t you shrink Ruyi Jingu Bang first?"

    "Ah, right. Shrink down, Ruyi!"

    The massive Ruyi Jingu Bang heard Sun Wukong''s command and instantly shrunk down in size before returning to his grip.

    Su-hyeun chuckled hollowly again at this funny situation, "Who would''ve thought that he was within the range of Ruyi Jingu Bang''s effects?"

    Was it purely coincidence?

    No, that couldn''t be it. The odds of the Bull Demon King coincidentally being in the same area as them in this vast expanse of the Path to Reincarnation had to be even worse than winning the lottery three or four times in a row.

    "In any case, he''s definitely going to bite our heads off later."

    Thanks to Sun Wukong''s rash action, the Bull Demon King got trapped under Ruyi Jingu Bang and was buried underground.

    Unsurprisingly, the Bull Demon King could be seen casually emerging from the crater. In his arms was a slender woman holding onto his torso.

    "Eh??"

    "We are definitely in for a lot of scolding later, Third Brother."

    Sure enough, the Bull Demon King was staring straight at Sun Wukong. His lips silently mouthed, "I shall speak to you both later."

    Shudder...

    Sun Wukong shuddered from that warning.

    Even though he was happy about meeting the Bull Demon King again after a long absence, he was also scared of the scolding about to come his way.

    The Bull Demon King floated while carrying the woman in his arms.

    Meanwhile, a suspiciously large quantity of Dao energy circulated him. It seemed that he was about to do something big.

    "I managed to clean them out, only for you two to bring all the flies back here."

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    They heard an ominous noise next.

    "Coming from above?"

    Crimson dots were visible in the skies beyond the fog.

    Their number seemed to be in the hundreds, no, thousands.

    Su-hyeun immediately figured out what those things were and quickly shook Sun Wukong''s shoulder, "Third Brother!"

    "Eh?"

    "We gotta flee. No, wait¡ª"

    It was too late to flee by now.

    "We need to defend ourselves."

    [Somersault cloud]

    [Ruyi Jingu Bang ¨C Clone]

    The surrounding fog coalesced and enveloped Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong. At the same time, Ruyi Jingu Bang widened in width and provided cover over their heads.

    Bang, ka-booooom¡ª!

    Gu-wuwuwu¡ª

    Countless meteors rained down from the heavens next.

    Many cracks appeared on the fake Ruyi Jingu Bang created through the cloning technique. Even though it was fake, watching the staff cracking apart like this was a good indication of how powerful the falling meteors were.

    Screams and howls of monsters reverberated throughout the surroundings. Su-hyeun didn''t believe any of these creatures were strong enough to survive the bombardment.

    Hiss, sizzle¡ª

    Hundreds, no, thousands of craters formed on the surrounding terrain. When the noises of destruction finally subsided, Su-hyeun withdrew the Somersault cloud, while Sun Wukong took down Ruyi Jingu Bang only to notice how cracked it was and promptly chucked it away.

    He then scanned their altered surroundings. "Wow, First Brother''s temper is still the same, isn''t it?"

    "It''s the same for you, Wukong."

    Sun Wukong jumped up in surprise, then quickly turned his head to look at the Bull Demon King, who was already standing next to him.

    The woman in his arms lowered her head a little to offer her greetings. Both Sun Wukong and Su-hyeun greeted back reflexively, then smiled sheepishly.

    "We had no idea you were so close by, First Brother."

    "I also didn''t expect you to cause such a stir as soon as arriving here. Although that did hasten our reunion by several minutes¡ª"

    "If you''re annoyed for my sake, you don''t have to be, dear," the woman spoke in a gentle voice.

    The Bull Demon King nodded back to her, "I wasn''t annoyed by them, dear."

    While saying that, he put the woman down. Su-hyeun observed them for a bit before noticing Sun Wukong''s expression distorting a bit.

    "What''s the matter, Third Brother?"

    "It''s, uh, kinda hard to get used to First Brother acting like that."

    "Why not? Looks good to me, though?"

    "It''s giving me goosebumps, you know? Euh..."

    No further explanation was necessary at this point.

    The gazes of both the Bull Demon King and the woman were dripping with sugary sweetness right now.

    The Bull Demon King noticed Su-hyeun''s faint smile while staring at them. He then asked his youngest sworn brother a question, "Well then, how have you been?"

    "The standard answer should be that, yes, we''ve been alright, First Brother. As for you, I guess it''s not necessary to ask."

    "Instead of a verbal reply, seeing with your own eyes is the best confirmation, isn''t it? And I''m relieved to hear that you see us that way."

    Su-hyeun nodded at the Bull Demon King''s reply, then scanned their utterly obliterated surroundings, "It''s a bit weird to catch up in this place, so how about we go somewhere else?"

    * * *

    The woman''s name was Lang Mei.

    They returned to the Bull Demon King''s residence located quite some distance away. After returning, the first thing she did was prepare their tea in a somewhat professional manner.

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong were taken aback by the size of this expansive estate, but then, they noticed the Bull Demon King''s troubled expression.

    "What''s wrong, First Brother?"

    "You shouldn''t hold high hopes for the tea''s flavor."

    That reply was more than enough for Su-hyeun to figure out the cause of the Bull Demon King''s troubles. "Is it that bad?"

    "It tastes like she has brewed a shoe made out of straw."

    "..."

    Now that was a definitive assessment, wasn''t it?

    As far as Su-hyeun knew, you prepared tea by boiling some water and dunking a teabag inside, so he couldn''t help but wonder how bad it could possibly be.

    Soon enough, Lang Mei brought out their tea, and the group took their first tentative sip.

    Sun Wukong''s expression crumpled instantly, "Wow, the thing about the shoe was¡ª"

    "It tastes great!" Su-hyeun hurriedly cut Sun Wukong off in the middle of his sentence.

    Lang Mei''s expression brightened, "Really?"

    Su-hyeun stammered in his reply, "A¡ªah, yes. It''s like, uhm, it''s been a while since I had a proper cup of tea like this one. Yes."

    "I''m so relieved to hear that," she sighed in relief as if she had been deeply troubled until now.

    Sun Wukong, belatedly reading the room, alternated his gaze between the Bull Demon King and Su-hyeun and then took another sip as his expression crumpled even more, "Y¡ªyeah, it''s delicious. Yep."

    The funniest thing about this whole situation was the Bull Demon King. Here was the person who plainly said that the tea tasted like a straw shoe, yet he was now drinking it with an utterly serene expression on his face.

    Su-hyeun realized that he, too, was part of this ridiculous event and snickered a little while avoiding Lang Mei''s gaze.

    "As I thought, the strongest person in the room is a woman," he quietly concluded.

    Even the one and only Bull Demon King was entirely under the mercy of a single lady. Lang Mei''s personality didn''t seem to be pushy or spunky. Still, the Bull Demon King seemed to be minding her moods all the time.

    Soon enough, the Bull Demon King introduced Lang Mei to Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong, "Lang Mei, this is Sun Wukong, the third one in our brotherhood, and this one here is the youngest, Kim Su-hyeun."

    "Kim Su-hyeun? That''s a unique name, isn''t it?"

    "I''m sure it sounds that way because my world''s way of naming people is slightly different from your original world, ma''am."

    "I''m Lang Mei. I''ve heard so much about you two."

    While they chatted away, Lang Mei unexpectedly revealed her playful side and brought up a topic that even embarrassed the Bull Demon King.

    "Would you like to know how my husband proposed to me the first time?"

    Sun Wukong perked up, "Eh? What did he say? I never heard about that before, you know?"

    "I''m kind of curious as well," said Su-hyeun.

    The Bull Demon King quickly interjected, "It happened a long time ago."

    "What''s the matter, dear? When I told you that I couldn''t remember it, you explained to me in full detail, didn''t you?"

    "Keu-hmm," the Bull Demon King fake-coughed then sheepishly tugged at Lang Mei''s sleeve.

    She grinned and lightly patted his hand as if to say she understood. She then got up from her seat, "I''ve been butting in for too long, it seems. The three of you must''ve been itching to catch up."

    "Ah, no, it''s alright."

    "No, I''m not alright with that. I''ll just hop outside for a little while, so you three should catch up in the meantime."

    "Dear, don''t go too far."

    "I know."

    Creeak¡ª

    Lang Mei bowed courteously to say goodbye, then closed the door behind her while leaving the residence.

    Su-hyeun also bade her goodbye by standing up and bowing a little, then turned to look at the Bull Demon King, "Isn''t it dangerous outside?"

    "I''ve already set up a barrier. It can''t be accessed from the outside, but one also can''t accidentally stray outside of it. But in case the barrier is breached, my wife will still be fine."

    "She will be? How so?"

    "She''s a sorcerer, you see. The first time I met her was when she showed up to seal me."

    "Is that so?"

    She was a sorcerer who stepped up to seal the Bull Demon King?

    It sounded like she was someone extraordinary, judging from the explanation. Outwardly, she seemed like a regular person, but she must''ve been a renowned expert in the field of sorcery back home.

    "But I didn''t pick up any energy coming off of her," Su-hyeun thought.

    Although not all of his questions were answered, Su-hyeun thought it didn''t matter, anyway. He didn''t come here to inquire about her, after all.

    He asked, "How is the situation on this side?"

    "Are you talking about those things that the people of your world refer to as a dungeon?"

    "Yes. It seems like they are also showing up here."

    The dungeon Su-hyeun spotted earlier was purple.

    Even though it was taken care of relatively quickly by the meteor shower the Bull Demon King had summoned, the fact that a high-ranking dungeon had appeared did not change at all.

    A purple-colored dungeon was difficult enough for a regular deity to deal with. Without the Bull Demon King, there probably wasn''t anyone present in the Path to Reincarnation capable of dealing with such dungeons.

    "Actually, Buddha stopped by not too long ago."

    "He was here?"

    "Yes. Yama must''ve told him where to find me. He said that he has been searching for me ever since my ascension."

    "Does that mean you were waiting for us at the¡ª"

    "I was aware of you two coming here. Yes, I was waiting for you there."

    Azure light swirled within the Bull Demon King''s eyes.

    Insight?

    No, that was no mere Insight. Su-hyeun quickly realized that those eyes were seeing somewhere much, much farther ahead than he was capable of. "First Brother, are those the eyes of Foresight?"

    "Even I didn''t think something like this would be possible. Nonetheless, I was able to see."

    "What did Buddha say to you?"

    "Something or rather about the lifespan of the universe, the world of the living, and about Shiva and things like that. He asked for my help."

    "Did you refuse him?"

    "According to what he said, this universe is destined to repeat the cycle of destruction and rebirth, anyway. Meaning it''d start anew eventually. It is indeed the natural order of things."

    In other words, he refused.

    After his ascension, the Bull Demon King turned his back on the world of the living and pursued the fulfillment of his own life. In other words, he was taking it easy.

    It was definitely not wrong to pursue a comfortable, carefree life. The Bull Demon King spent an uncountable time preparing for his ascension. As such, his decision to live how he wanted should be respected, even though his choice meant turning his back on the rest of the world.

    He was someone who spent a near eternity preparing himself mentally to abandon all of his lingering attachments to ascend. It hadn''t even been that long since that happened, so it would be far too cruel to ask him to look back at the world once more.

    "Is that so?" Su-hyeun replied while fidgeting around the teacup containing the tea he didn''t want to drink anymore.

    There were two reasons why he sought out the Bull Demon King first while delaying his initial plan of searching for Brahma.

    The first reason was as simple as just wanting to see his First Brother again. As for the second one, he wished to get the help of someone truly dependable like the Bull Demon King.

    "I guess asking for more is unreasonable," Su-hyeun realized.

    He already received plenty of help from the Bull Demon King. Considering all the things the latter had taught and gifted Su-hyeun with until now, wishing for more at this stage was simply an act of pure greed.

    The Bull Demon King looked genuinely happy right now, too.

    No matter what happens in the battle for this universe involving the likes of Shiva or the One Overlord, the Bull Demon King should possess enough wherewithal to protect himself at least.

    "Are you planning to stay here, First Brother?"

    "Most likely. For the time being, at least."

    "In that case, we should be on our way first. Because it looks like this side isn''t as peaceful as it seems."

    Dungeons existed even within the Path to Reincarnation.

    If they couldn''t get the Bull Demon King''s assistance, then Su-hyeun had to move on and deal with the matter that required his immediate attention. The happy reunion had to wait for another day.

    Both the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong knew this, too.

    Sun Wukong got up from his spot, then, while holding the broken Ruyi Jingu Bang in both of his hands, addressed the Bull Demon King, "We''ll be back soon, big brother."

    "Alright. Take care of yourselves now."

    The Bull Demon King had already emptied his teacup by then, even though he said the tea tasted horrible.

    After all, the tea''s taste was not important. What mattered was who brewed the tea in the first place.

    "Youngest," the Bull Demon King suddenly called out, halting Su-hyeun''s steps. "And Third Brother, Wukong."

    Sun Wukong and Su-hyeun turned around at the same time. The Bull Demon King finished drinking the little bit of tea remaining. Then, with a face and a tone of voice not any different from a second ago, he addressed the duo, "Just one more time."

    "Hm?"

    "If this is what you dearly wish for, then..."

    Before he finished his sentence, the Bull Demon King''s expression was very briefly filled with emotions and reflection of the attachments he had discarded already.

    He hesitated somewhat to finish what he wanted to say.

    This moment was short, yet it also felt long.

    After that long dilemma, he finally finished his sentence, "Just one more time, I shall help you."

 Chapter 525 - 525

    "..."

    "..."

    Silence descended in the room for a long while.

    Just one more time, he said.

    That promise sounded like nothing special. However, they all knew what that simple promise meant for the Bull Demon King.

    It was the same thing as dipping his toes back into the pool of lingering attachment that he had already left behind.

    To dip his toes back in the regrets and ties that the Bull Demon King couldn''t leave behind until the very last moment took some considerable determination on his part.

    "You don''t have to do that, big brother." And that was precisely why Sun Wukong rejected the offer while hurriedly waving his hands. "If you want to help, then why don''t you help me by repairing this thing, big brother?" he said.

    "Your Ruyi Jingu Bang?"

    "It broke while I was fighting our little brother, see. Can you repair it?"

    "A battle where Ruyi Jingu Bang actually broke? Just how fierce was your fight? I thought I told you so many times not to fight like that since you''re all brothers."

    "No, uh, it was only a little sparring session, just punching and kicking and stuff, you know? It was nothing serious, so you don''t have to worry. Anyways, big brother, please repair it for me? Please?"

    "You can leave it to me. I can always help you with something like this. This will not count as my earlier promise, however."

    "No, bro. I told you, this is fine for me."

    Sun Wukong took out the broken pieces of Ruyi Jingu Bang and handed them over to the Bull Demon King. Even though the two halves of the shaft should''ve been very heavy, he handled it without any trouble.

    Afterward, Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong exited the Bull Demon King''s residence.

    When they took another look at the house, they thought that it oddly seemed familiar to both of them for some reason.

    "You know, it looks like our old house. Doesn''t it, Third Brother?"

    "Yeah. You think so, too?"

    "It''s a bit bigger, but yes."

    "This big brother of ours. It looks like he still hasn''t woken up yet or something. Since he has ascended, he should''ve forgotten about us and just enjoyed his new life."

    "Yet you still came to see such a person?"

    "Well, I''m beyond help, to begin with," Sun Wukong smirked deeply, then began walking a bit faster. "Let''s go and quickly get this done with. I mean, it''ll take ages for us to go around a place this humongous, right?"

    "You''re right. But," Su-hyeun activated Insight to take a look at the distant horde of monsters rushing in after picking up their scent. "It looks like sister-in-law is about to start fighting them."

    "I guess big brother already knows?"

    "Seeing how he''s letting her be, maybe she''s not the type to go around picking unnecessary fights."

    "You worried, though?"

    Su-hyeun nodded, "I don''t know anything about our sister-in-law, after all."

    "Is that so?" Sun Wukong quickly stepped forward as if to say what was there to even think about. "Let''s go and take a look then."

    * * *

    The Bull Demon King''s barrier was surprisingly wide-ranging. It seemed that he wanted to give Lang Mei as much room to wander around as she would like.

    Even so, she still walked all the way up to the boundary of the barrier. That was where a massive horde of monsters that poured out from the dungeon had congregated.

    "You aren''t Yogoes and obviously not beasts either..."

    Lang Mei reached out to touch the hard surface of the barrier. Beyond the wall, monsters angrily headbutted it.

    However, this barrier would never be broken by something like that. Even then, these monsters continued to attack despite the threat of cracking their own skulls just so they could kill Lang Mei before their eyes.

    "Just what are you?"

    Rampaging around for the sake of killing and nothing else, these creatures didn''t even possess a simple desire like appetite or anything like that.

    Lang Mei wordlessly reached out some more toward the monsters.

    Shu-wuwu...

    Her hands passed through the Bull Demon King''s barrier without much trouble.

    But when that happened...

    "It''s too dangerous."

    Grab¡ª

    Su-hyeun grabbed Lang Mei''s wrist and brought her arm back inside.

    "You say it''s dangerous?"

    "Yes. You could easily lose your¡ª"

    "But what''s so dangerous about them?"

    When she asked that, Su-hyeun glanced at the monsters outside the barrier. The creatures that were letting out blood-curling howls and growls while baring their fangs in Lang Mei''s direction had all suddenly gone very quiet.

    But that wasn''t even the end of the story.

    "Blood?" Su-hyeun quietly observed.

    Blood began trickling down their eyes, noses, and even ears. Their eyes became bloodshot, all the focus in their irises now gone.

    But Lang Mei hadn''t done anything yet? At least it looked like she hadn''t.

    Indeed, no discernible type of energy circulated within her body.

    What did move was...

    "The energy inside the monsters?"

    She was supposed to be a sorcerer of some kind. Sure enough, she was a user of a unique technique.

    The monster horde consisting of thousands of individuals suddenly screamed at the same time before collapsing lifelessly on the ground.

    Now that was a surprising ability, indeed. She didn''t even directly touch these creatures, yet she still caused their energies to flow in the opposite direction.

    The reason why the Bull Demon King wasn''t too worried about her seemed relatively clear now.

    "First Brother said she was the sorcerer who showed up to kill him in the past, didn''t he? I guess there was no embellishment in that story."

    If she hadn''t died from the Bull Demon King''s mad rampage, then there shouldn''t be that many enemies capable of threatening her life back then.

    At the very least, she was one of the strongest humans Su-hyeun currently knew.

    "It seems that my worries were unwarranted."

    "Do you know something about these creatures?" She asked Su-hyeun with a rather serious look on her face.

    Her expression and tone of voice right now were noticeably different from when they chatted back in the house.

    Su-hyeun had to contemplate his answer for a moment before shaking his head, "No, ma''am. I don''t know much about them."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. But that doesn''t mean I can just let them be, though. Please stay here, sister-in-law. We''ll be back soon."

    "But brother-in-law," she called out to Su-hyeun, stopping him just as he was about to exit the barrier. "I''m different from my dear husband. I wish to help."

    Her voice became noticeably more forceful just then.

    "Even then, do you still not know?"

    "Unfortunately, no," Su-hyeun hurriedly bade her goodbye and left.

    Sun Wukong wordlessly alternated his gaze between the two before quickly following Su-hyeun.

    When the duo exited the barrier, the horrendous stench wafting out from the monsters stung them in the nose without warning.

    Sun Wukong hurriedly blocked his super-sensitive nose with one hand, "Why did you lie, little bro?"

    "If I told her the truth, sister-in-law would''ve also become a participant in this war, Third Brother."

    "That''s not supposed to happen?"

    "I wouldn''t be able to look at First Brother''s face if that happened, you know. Besides, we don''t know if sister-in-law is also strong enough to look after herself during the fight."

    "Well, yeah, you have a point there."

    Snap, pop¡ª

    While saying that, Sun Wukong loosened his muscles and popped his joints.

    Even though they were leisurely chatting away, they had already walked past the path filled with mountains of monster carcasses.

    Sun Wukong spoke up first, "Alright! So, how should we do this? I don''t think we need to stick around together for this one."

    "For now, let''s take our time dealing with the dungeons in this place first."

    "There won''t be any amusing enemies in this place, right?"

    "Yes. I''m sure there won''t be any tough monsters around here."

    "You think so? Ah, well, I''ll just keep pestering First Brother to spar with me or something while we stay here," Sun Wukong muttered as if he was disappointed by something, then created his clones.

    They easily numbered in the several hundred.

    That was a considerable number, but the current Sun Wukong found it not that hard to maintain them. Besides, they weren''t even created from the medium of his hair.

    Nonetheless, the clones of this strength level should be more than enough to deal with monsters pouring out from the dungeons.

    Su-hyeun followed that example.

    "Arise."

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    His summons began rising from his shadow.

    Prince Nezha, Kali, Gluttony, Gyges, and many other Predators that had become Su-hyeun''s summoned creatures showed up. He felt his Death Aura stat decreasing at an alarming rate, but he wasn''t really worried about that.

    "Let''s meet again in the First Brother''s house one day from now."

    After all, he was thinking of enjoying a break after taking care of all the dungeons that appeared in the Path to Reincarnation.

    "Alright, let''s do that. Later."

    Paht, pa-pa-pa-paht¡ª!

    Sun Wukong and his clones all vanished from the spot.

    Su-hyeun issued a new command to his summons next, "Complete and utter annihilation of all dungeons. That''s your task from now on."

    The summons all nodded at the same time after hearing his command. Prince Nezha, famed for his loyalty and personality befitting a warrior, even knelt before Su-hyeun.

    However, Su-hyeun hurriedly waved his hand since Death Aura was constantly seeping out of him even as they wasted time like this. "Okay, okay. Disperse."

    * * *

    Night descended on the Path to Reincarnation.

    The day deepened, and then the darkness covered the world. Frigid silence came to visit the residence now that Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong weren''t around.

    Lang Mei enjoyed the tea brewed by the Bull Demon King. She then went outside the house again.

    Since he told her not to go outside the barrier, she decided to take a stroll within the designated area.

    "How unfair, though," she pouted while thinking about Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong from earlier. "They don''t even want to share the truth with me."

    She could easily tell by looking at Su-hyeun''s eyes that he definitely knew something. He knew about the "dungeons" and the monsters that came out from there. That was what his eyes were saying.

    Not only that, but Su-hyeun was a lousy liar, to begin with.

    His words contained his consideration toward her. She knew that his reply was definitely a lie meant for her sake.

    Just in case, she also asked the Bull Demon King, but he, too, replied in a similar way.

    "Dear, I''m not sure what''s going on, either."

    While saying that, the Bull Demon King serenely drank the tea he had brewed himself¡ªthe tea that tasted so much better than anything she could brew.

    She got a bit upset by his reply, which was why she went for a stroll on her own.

    She wanted to help.

    The Bull Demon King seemed not as keen, but she was different. She had seen far too many discarded corpses of people on the Path to Reincarnation, whose deaths were caused by the monsters'' ambushes.

    The Path to Reincarnation was the world where those without sins or those who had paid for theirs temporarily stayed for the promise of moving onto the next world. Dying in this place was the same as being erased from existence itself. She knew this all too well. That was why she shed so many tears at their unmoving bodies.

    She couldn''t stay still and do nothing. However, the Bull Demon King didn''t seem to care about any of that. To him, the only thing that mattered was Lang Mei and nothing else.

    Step¡ª

    After walking for a long while, her steps gradually slowed down. She eventually came to a complete stop then raised her head.

    "Who goes there?"

    No one replied to her question.

    Not even a single breeze blew inside the barrier the Bull Demon King had created, so even the common sounds of rustling grass could be heard.

    Lang Mei asked again, "Are you just going to follow me around in silence, then?"

    "You''re surprisingly perceptive, lady."

    The stranger still didn''t reveal itself, only allowing his voice to be heard.

    But she didn''t care. It would be fine as long as they could hold a conversation. At least, that was what she thought. She was only curious about why this being was following her around, so what the owner of the voice looked like didn''t matter to her.

    "How did you get in here?"

    "It wasn''t that difficult, you see."

    "Meaning you''re strong enough to come and go as you please?"

    "Correct."

    "And your purpose is?"

    "Aren''t you a bold one? Are you not scared?"

    "I''m not really familiar with something like that."

    When she replied like that, a laughter-like sound came back to her as a response. This quiet little chortle sounded so clear within this still forest.

    "I thought I might be able to satisfy your curiosity."

    "My curiosity, you say?"

    "Indeed. Weren''t you curious? Why are the dead people staying in the underworld dying again? And just what are these dungeons that keep appearing in this world?"

    "You can tell me all about those things?"

    "Of course."

    Shu-wuwuwu¡ª

    At that moment, a massive shadow loomed over Lang Mei''s figure from behind.

    "That''s because I''ve created them all."

    She turned her head to look behind her.

    This being''s face wasn''t visible. It was impossible to tell whether this "person" was a man or a woman because of the hair cascading down their shoulders.

    This person''s chin seemed slender but, at the same time, angular and thick from some other angles. The faintly visible corners of this creature''s lips were curling up just a little.

    Lang Mei stared at this being and then asked, "It was you?"

    "Correct."

    "Hmm. I see," she nodded as if she understood, then turned her head elsewhere. "That''s what this person said, dear?"

    "Since when did you know I was here, dear?"

    Step, step¡ª

    The Bull Demon King stepped out from behind a tree.

    Ominous aura was spreading out from all around him. There shouldn''t be any winds blowing here. Yet, the bone-chilling winds suddenly filled up the surroundings to envelop not just Lang Mei but even the "shadow" standing behind her.

    "Hello, Shiva."

    "Well, hello there, Bull Demon King."

    "Why don''t we take our time introducing ourselves? For now, I''d prefer that you distance yourself away from my wife."

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    The ground began trembling loudly.

    While maintaining his serene expression, the Bull Demon King''s narrowed eyes opened wider.

    "Because I''m about to get very angry, you see."

 Chapter 526 - 526

    It wasn''t happening only inside the barrier. Even the reasonably vast expanse of the land outside began rumbling ominously.

    Shiva took a look around before extending his hand, not too quickly and with a hint of mischievousness, too.

    Then, right at that moment...

    Grab¡ª!

    The Bull Demon King was already next to him to grab the extended hand. "Haven''t I warned you already?"

    "Oh, you have."

    "Is that so?"

    Cruuuunch¡ª

    Riiiip¡ª!

    The arm broke. Almost simultaneously, the Bull Demon King strengthened his grip some more, causing Shiva''s arm to be ripped clean off the shoulder.

    "In that case, you won''t feel aggrieved about this treatment, then."

    "..."

    Shiva disinterestedly stared at his torn-off arm. Blood dripped while his bones were exposed. However, there was no discernible change to his expression, as if he didn''t feel any pain. "This is not what I heard about you. You''re surprisingly hot-headed, it seems. Is it because of that woman?"

    "I don''t see a reason to humor that question."

    "Ah, well, it doesn''t matter since I already know the answer."

    "What is your reason for showing up here? It can''t be my wife, so it must have something to do with me."

    "I heard that you made a promise with your little brothers."

    "A promise?"

    "I wouldn''t have done anything if you chose to stay out of the upcoming battle, but now..."

    Ssu-wuuuk¡ª

    Shiva''s torn-off arm instantly regenerated. He brought his new arm and hand near his face and inspected it by clenching then unfurling his fist. "Since you''re so keen, we don''t have a choice but to speak face to face like this."

    "And so, you wish to use my wife as my weak point, is that it?"

    "Let''s call it a polite little threat. I haven''t done anything to your little lady, after all."

    "Excuse me for a second," Lang Mei, standing next to her husband, suddenly interjected, prompting Shiva to glance at her. "So what you''re saying is I''m going to be your hostage?"

    "Indeed. What about it?"

    "Well, that notion is a little unfamiliar to me."

    "Hm?" a puzzled expression floated upon Shiva''s face.

    An ordinary woman would have gotten shocked or scared after listening to what he said. Yet, Lang Mei just stood there, making the same bold expression as earlier.

    But right at that moment...

    Drip¡ª

    Blood trickled down from Shiva''s nose.

    His vision became blurry. The ground and the sky seemed to flip and shake around, while the faces of Lang Mei and the Bull Demon King became distorted.

    What was going on here?

    The moment that thought popped up in Shiva''s head, Lang Mei continued, "I''ve never been forced to act that way before, you see."

    Shiva chuckled hollowly in disbelief, "Could it be...?"

    Was this the ability to perceive nature itself and then directly interfere with a target''s energy flow to make it go backward?

    Shiva had no idea that someone capable of such a feat even existed in this day and age. This was not magic but also not some common sorcery, either.

    "To think that I''d find a true shamaness in a place like this one."

    "Shamaness" referred to a female who mastered both sorcery and Taoist magic. However, only the term remained these days since real shamans and shamanesses had stopped existing a long, long time ago.

    Fakes paraded around as the genuine articles in plenty of worlds, but not a single one of them had a real shamaness, who had a natural talent for sorcery and controlling Dao energy, as well as the power to manipulate nature itself.

    A handful of humans were chosen by the universe itself and granted extraordinary powers to rule and care for their respective worlds, and one such shamaness just so happened to be the Bull Demon King''s wife.

    "Do I still look like a hostage to you, sir?"

    "In that case, do you even know who I am?"

    Shiva''s body broke down to puffs of smoke before scattering into the surroundings.

    "Of course not. You still haven''t told me, after all," Lang Mei shrugged her shoulders. "But I can tell that you''re a malevolent person."

    "You''ll come to know about me soon enough."

    The smoke quickly escaped past the Bull Demon King''s barrier and then floated higher into the sky.

    The Bull Demon King continued to stare at the disappearing Shiva before addressing Lang Mei, "It seems that we shouldn''t wander off too far, for the time being, dear."

    "Who was that, love?"

    "Someone very dangerous. And also an evil being."

    "But he didn''t look so strong?"

    "Indeed," the Bull Demon King muttered quietly, his face displaying signs of genuine concern, which was something he hadn''t shown in ages. "Because that ''being'' was simply a tiny little portion of the real thing."

    * * *

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong returned precisely one day later.

    Their clones and summons made light work of monster hunting. Even Su-hyeun was surprised by it since he had never hunted monsters over such a vast area before.

    Even so...

    "This is not the right way to do it," he thought.

    No matter how quickly they dealt with everything, there was still a limit they couldn''t overcome.

    The Path to Reincarnation was much larger than what Su-hyeun had expected. He used Earth Shrink Technique for several hours to learn more about the terrain and its size, but he still failed to reach the "end" of this realm.

    It felt like he was walking in the vastness of outer space. The "world" where you couldn''t even see its end and where such a thing didn''t even exist in the first place¡ªthat was the Path to Reincarnation.

    "Could it be really as vast as the universe itself?"

    If that was the case, then they had to revise their plan.

    There didn''t seem to be a way to stop the collapse of the Path to Reincarnation at this point. This matter was not something Su-hyeun could resolve with his powers.

    But then, his thoughts abruptly ended at the "system."

    "Not just one individual, but the growth and evolution of everyone."

    The Five Godly Sages, including Master Subhuti, worked together to create the system for this very purpose. Without a doubt, people became stronger through the system. Su-hyeun''s homeworld was a good example.

    What if these people in the Path to Reincarnation could also receive the influence of the system? What if they became stronger and gained enough power to protect themselves?

    "Maybe that''s the answer."

    Instead of trying to deal with every single dungeon that appeared in the vast expanse of the Path all by himself, this method should be far more realistic.

    Su-hyeun''s thought reached that far, and he began muttering softly, "In the end, it''s all about Brahma, isn''t it?"

    "Eh? What about Brahma?" Sun Wukong, walking alongside him, asked in a puzzled voice.

    Su-hyeun spoke of what he thought about just now to his Third Brother. Sun Wukong nodded sagely as if they agreed with the idea. He also felt that the two of them couldn''t take care of every dungeon appearing in this place.

    "Makes sense. Even uncle had to create this thing called the system for exactly that reason. Or so he told me."

    "For the sake of the system''s restoration, it seems that we must find Brahma no matter what."

    "But is there nobody else besides that dude?"

    "Sorry?" Su-hyeun asked back in surprise at Sun Wukong''s question.

    That wasn''t because he didn''t understand the question, however. It was because he had not looked at this problem that way.

    Someone else besides Brahma?

    Maybe, just maybe, such a thing was doable. That was what he began to realize just then.

    "But how can we even make it happen?"

    Brahma was a Primordial God with the power of creation, so rebooting the system should be a cinch for him.

    After all, he was an existence that created everything that currently existed in reality, including the ground, the skies, and beyond that, even the universe itself.

    Even if he had created the system, Master Subhuti couldn''t be called a "creator," so to speak. No, he was simply a hermit who founded a cultivation method called the Sage Arts.

    To put it another way, if someone like that could come up with the system, then another hermit who had attained a similar level of enlightenment should also be able to construct another system.

    "Sure, the other Five Godly Sages did help out in that task, but as long as there''s someone else capable of taking over Master Subhuti''s old role, then it should not be difficult to receive their help again."

    It was relatively easy to come up with a perfect candidate for the job.

    "Hey, little bro. You were thinking of our First Brother, weren''t you?"

    He sure understood his brother well.

    Sun Wukong stared at Su-hyeun''s expression as they walked in sync, then threw that question out.

    Su-hyeun was indeed thinking of the Bull Demon King, so he could only nod while making a slightly guilty face, "Yes. He seems like a perfect fit, after all."

    "Yeah, me too. I also think that. But, uh, I don''t think he will do it, though."

    "Yes, agreed."

    The Bull Demon King said he would help out only once.

    But the system''s restoration wasn''t a problem that would end with just "one help." Not only was it a complex task, but someone also had to maintain it continuously.

    Not to forget, Master Subhuti ended up as Osiris''s target simply because he was maintaining the system''s existence. The Bull Demon King wished to live quietly with Lang Mei, so he would not want to humor such a request from his perspective.

    "How about you do it, little bro?"

    "What, me?"

    "I mean, why not you? It''s not like the current you are any worse than uncle, anyway."

    "But in terms of my attainment in the Sage Arts, I''m so much worse than him. All I''m better at is fighting; that''s all."

    "Being better at the Sage Arts can''t be the most important thing, right? Don''t you already possess knowledge and experience in other types of cultivation methods to supplement what you think is lacking?"

    "Oh, wow."

    "What is it now?"

    "Third Brother, you sounded very wise just now. That''s not like you."

    "What was that?!" Sun Wukong''s expression crumpled quickly.

    Su-hyeun hurriedly waved his hands while saying that it was a joke.

    However, Sun Wukong had a point there.

    Su-hyeun lacked understanding or proficiency over the Sage Arts compared to Master Subhuti.

    The same thing could be said about almost everyone out there. Maybe only the Bull Demon King was the exception to that rule since he practiced the Sage Arts alongside Sun Wukong for a very long time, which ultimately led him to become a god.

    Master Subhuti was the creator of the Sage Arts, so that made sense.

    Even so...

    "Something else to fill the lacking parts, hmm?" Su-hyeun pondered.

    He was indeed overflowing with such things. Thanks to the Six Paths of Reincarnation, he possessed the memories and experiences of his past lives¡ªfrom magic to sorcery, and even various martial techniques and so on.

    There were so many topics that he couldn''t even count them all. Not only that, but no other creatures besides the Primordial Gods could rival him currently when it came to the vastness of his energy reserve or his combat ability.

    "If I get the help of the rest of the Five Godly Sages, then..."

    It seemed pretty doable.

    His head finished calculating everything.

    Su-hyeun also wanted to avoid asking the Bull Demon King for his help. To start things off, he should give it a shot first, but if it didn''t work out for some reason, he still had the option of searching for Brahma later.

    "I guess I''ll try my best first."

    "Yup, that sounds more like it," Sun Wukong wrapped his arm around Su-hyeun''s shoulder and quickened his pace. "Let''s quickly go back and have supper with First Brother. Ah, but without the tea that tastes like a boiled straw shoe."

    "Sister-in-law will get angry if she hears you."

    "Don''t worry. I''ll be careful."

    Su-hyeun was being dragged forward by Sun Wukong at this point. They went past the barrier and soon reached the vicinity of the Bull Demon King''s residence. But then...

    "Looks like something happened here." Su-hyeun scanned the surroundings and discovered the cracked ground everywhere.

    Since this area had the barrier cast over it, impacts from the outside couldn''t have caused this scene. Meaning something must''ve happened inside the barrier.

    Was it because they had wandered off too far while trying to figure out how vast the Path to Reincarnation was?

    Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong had no idea just what transpired in this place.

    "Looks like I need to be more alert."

    Su-hyeun inwardly told himself to think of a way. Then after undoing Sun Wukong''s arm around his shoulders, he hurriedly entered the house.

    But when they came in after pushing open the slightly ajar door, the first thing to hit them was the delicious aroma of food.

    "You two are back!" Lang Mei welcomed them back with a bright voice.

    But something must have happened here.

    Su-hyeun paused from this unexpected atmosphere at the doorway and quickly replied to her, "A¡ªah, yes, we''re back, sister-in-law."

    Sun Wukong scanned the interior of the house, "Where''s First Brother?"

    The Bull Demon King was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, Lang Mei seemed to have prepared a stew-like soup in a large pot and placed smoked meat on the dining table.

    They didn''t have to eat while inside the Path to Reincarnation, but the Bull Demon King and Lang Mei always enjoyed having meals like this regardless.

    "He''s gone outside for the time being. He wanted to repair and strengthen the barrier some more, you see."

    "Is he going to take long?"

    "No, he should be back soon. I''m sure he also noticed that you two have returned."

    Seeing that he was trying to mend the barrier, something did happen here.

    Lang Mei finished her reply and continued to busy herself with the dinner preparation. Su-hyeun quickly walked up to her, "Let me help you."

    "No, it''s fine. I only need to set the dishes, after all."

    "But I feel bad watching you do all the work."

    "Well, in that case..."

    Lang Mei instructed Su-hyeun with what to do next. He poured the soup into the bowls and then carried the dishes to the table.

    "Sister-in-law, did something happen today?" he cautiously asked.

    "Mm, yes. Someone named Shiva stopped by."

    "I''m sorry! What?" At first, Su-hyeun failed to understand what she said because she was so calm about it. One beat later, he almost jumped up in shock, "Shiva came here?!"

    Shiva was a Primordial God like Brahma and one of the Three Destroyers.

    He was also the source of all the dungeons being generated. If Brahma was responsible for the beginning of universes, then Shiva''s job led them to their eventual destruction.

    But then, someone like that suddenly showed up in front of Lang Mei?

    "Yes. But husband said what showed up was just a tiny little portion of the real thing."

    "But why did that guy even show up here?"

    "I still don''t know. But one thing''s for certain."

    Clack...

    Lang Mei pondered something for a little bit, then put the dish down before finally saying, "He''s currently somewhere in this world."

 Chapter 527 - 527

    It was already deep into the night.

    Everyone else had gone to bed, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep, but Su-hyeun didn''t need to sleep, to begin with, so he decided to go outside instead.

    He then went around dealing with dungeons by himself before eventually coming back to the residence.

    The night in this place was long. He would return in the early dawn when the morning sun hadn''t broken through yet.

    In the time being, he found a tree stump and settled down on it to think.

    "He''s here somewhere, she said."

    Shiva...

    The culprit responsible for creating dungeons was the existence responsible for destroying countless universes. He was a being who solely existed for that singular purpose, making him the biggest, most dangerous enemy of this universe.

    "And here I was, wondering why the dungeon generation frequency had gone down."

    Su-hyeun''s world had become relatively peaceful lately. That was why he thought Shiva was not being as active as before. But he was wrong.

    "So, Shiva was here all along."

    That bastard extinguished people in the Path to Reincarnation, thereby severing the vital cycle of reincarnation, which could be called the origin of life in the first place.

    By doing this, no new humans would be born, which in turn would lead to the eventual demise of not just humanity but all the other human-like races.

    This method of destruction was undoubtedly different from Osiris, who schemed to destroy Yggdrasil''s roots, but just as deadly.

    "Fuu..."

    Something felt so frustrating to Su-hyeun.

    Why did Shiva even bother to appear before Lang Mei? He must have known that the Bull Demon King was next to her, so why?

    "Was it to threaten First Brother?"

    That could very well be the case.

    If he was staying in the Path to Reincarnation, he was undoubtedly aware of the Bull Demon King''s presence. Considering First Brother''s strength or his status, Shiva probably wouldn''t have liked the idea of the Bull Demon King butting in.

    No, it would be more correct to say that he felt threatened by the prospect.

    If so, this whole thing made some sense.

    If Shiva''s goal was to prevent the Bull Demon King from doing something by making him constantly worry about Lang Mei''s safety, then...

    "Hang on a second."

    Something about this didn''t seem to add up.

    "He knew that much, yet he also didn''t know about First Brother''s lack of interest in fighting?"

    According to what the Bull Demon King said, Shiva became active in the Path to Reincarnation quite some time ago.

    The dungeon generation frequency had decreased a lot back in Su-hyeun''s homeworld, and that decrease started some time ago. The start of these two events should coincide pretty closely.

    Even so, the Bull Demon King had not interfered in Shiva''s scheme until now. However, the latter still came to provoke the Yogoe, which was the same thing as waking up a sleeping tiger by yanking at its nose hair.

    "Just what is that guy even thinking of?"

    "And what about you? What are you thinking about so intently, young man?"

    Su-hyeun turned his head to look.

    He didn''t know how Buddha broke through the barrier, but Su-hyeun saw him walking up to him.

    "When did you get here, sir?"

    "Just now. That Bull Demon boy had to go and create such a thick wall and all."

    Clunk¡ª

    "I''m not too pleased by the prospect of strange folks frequenting my home, you see," The Bull Demon King retorted while walking outside his residence. He seemed to have woken up from this "intrusion."

    Both Sun Wukong and Lang Mei seemed to be asleep. The Monkey King''s snoring could be heard even outside the house.

    "Are you calling me a strange person, then?"

    "To me, yes, you are."

    "Is that so?"

    "It seems that Lord Buddha can''t quite recall what our first encounter was like."

    "Well, I agree that it wasn''t that nice."

    Su-hyeun figured out that the Bull Demon King and Buddha''s first meeting ended with a bit of an ill-feeling from the brief chat between the two. Even so, Buddha being here must mean that the Bull Demon King had allowed it.

    "Shiva is in this world, you say?"

    "Yes. And I''d like you to do something about this situation."

    "I''m merely an old man, so what can I even do?" Buddha chuckled affably before raising an eyebrow of his narrowed eyes. "Wouldn''t it be better for you to make a move, instead personally?"

    "But you know very well that I have no desire to do that."

    "Really? Oh, well."

    Surprisingly, Buddha backed off relatively quickly.

    He dearly wished for the Bull Demon King to make a move, so he wouldn''t have wanted to miss this opportunity, which meant that Buddha''s response was somewhat unexpected.

    "Well, if that''s what you want, it can''t be helped, then. As for you, young man," Buddha shifted his attention to Su-hyeun, then turned around to leave, "Why don''t we have a private chat elsewhere?"

    Su-hyeun could tell what their chat was going to be about.

    He wordlessly followed Buddha. They didn''t have to go too far.

    Nearby was a small open field created by cutting down trees. That was where the Bull Demon King and Lang Mei often went on a stroll.

    Buddha settled down on one of the tree stumps, then asked Su-hyeun, "I heard that you wish to restore the system somehow?"

    "Did you hear it from First Brother?"

    "Yes."

    "Can I even do it, though?"

    Buddha pondered for a while at Su-hyeun''s question, then shook his head, "I''m not sure."

    "In other words, it''s worth a try."

    "Well, only that kid, Subhuti, would have known that," Buddha muttered before looking back at Su-hyeun. "Even then, will you still go ahead?"

    "Of course. It''s not like we can locate Lord Brahma right now, anyway."

    "In that case, give it your all. Our side will teach you the method."

    "I was thinking of speaking to you on my own later, anyway. But I didn''t expect you to come and see me first..."

    "Is that so?" Buddha chuckled before standing back up, his hands resting behind his back. "Since we''re here already, let''s get started right away."

    "Right away? You mean, right here, right now?"

    "This task doesn''t require a particular location. What''s the matter? Do you need time to prepare mentally?"

    Su-hyeun quickly waved his hand, "No, not really."

    "Since that''s the case, let''s get started right away. Besides, isn''t this an already perfect place? We''re inside the Bull Demon King''s barrier, so our safety is ensured, too."

    Buddha scanned their surroundings.

    Not even a single breeze blew inside this space. The Bull Demon King constructed his barrier so that no unauthorized existence could slip through easily.

    Also, because of yesterday''s event, he paid an extra level of attention to the barrier''s strength.

    "This place is probably the safest spot in the entire universe," said Buddha.

    "Now that I hear you, I guess you''re right," Su-hyeun chuckled in agreement.

    The Bull Demon King was here, as well as Sun Wukong and even Buddha.

    Su-hyeun already possessed more than enough strength to be ranked among the Five Godly Sages. The same also applied to both Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King.

    Su-hyeun didn''t need to worry about Buddha''s strength as the sole remaining member of the Five Godly Sages club. Su-hyeun had never witnessed Buddha fight, nor did they enjoy a bout of sparring before, but something Sun Wukong told him in the past remained etched in his memories even to this day.

    Sun Wukong said that his goal had always been defeating Buddha someday.

    "It sounds like my safety is paramount," said Su-hyeun.

    "Indeed, it is," Buddha replied while extending his hand. After placing his hand on Su-hyeun''s head, he said, "Don''t move from the spot, young man."

    Su-hyeun was about to avoid that hand reflexively, but Buddha''s firm voice stopped him.

    If he wanted to, he could''ve easily shaken off Buddha''s hand, but he chose not to remove the hand forcibly grabbing onto his head.

    That was because of all the new information entering his mind through the hand right now.

    "Is this... the system?" Su-hyeun thought.

    This information was like countless complicated mathematical formulas or like staring at the origin of magic itself.

    However, this was no mere magic. However, that didn''t mean it was Master Subhuti''s Sage Arts, Taoist art, or even sorcery.

    This wave of information and formulas was simply unknown to him.

    Su-hyeun accepted the new info without hesitation. His eyes slowly closed, and Buddha''s voice entered his consciousness.

    "The foundation of the system is Yggdrasil. You already know it as the Tower."

    "The Tower of Trials," he responded inwardly.

    "That''s good. Don''t try to speak and simply think while listening to me. The Tower consists of many countless floors. Each of the floors is actually many worlds within Yggdrasil. What Subhuti did was to connect these disparate floors as one structure to create the Tower. He then created the ''system'' to be inserted in the souls existing within the Tower."

    "Okay. What should I do, then?"

    "That''s what I''m about to show you. Well, Subhuti has already finished building the Tower, so there''s no need to worry about that one. Meaning, the issue is with fixing the system that Subhuti had been managing..."

    Shu-rururu...

    Su-hyeun felt a strange sensation like his body was getting sucked into the ground.

    That weirdly sticky feeling caused his eyes to shoot open again. The feeling of getting sucked under vanished instantly, and the only thing he could see was Buddha and his hand still placed on his head.

    "Keep your eyes closed, young man."

    "..."

    Su-hyeun closed his eyes again.

    The same sinking feeling washed over him once more. It felt threatening, like he would get sucked into a void and never be able to get out or something like that.

    But he endured it.

    Soon, the feeling of being sucked in took over pretty much every part of his body except his head, and then...

    Fwhooosh¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s body that was gradually sinking lower suddenly began floating up.

    * * *

    This place was really mystifying. He could see the roots and a trunk of an absolutely massive tree in the distance.

    That was Yggdrasil.

    Countless smaller World Trees surrounded Yggdrasil to form the universe itself, the one where Su-hyeun called his home.

    "That''s... beautiful."

    That was the only thought that popped up in his head.

    But what was he supposed to do in this space now that he was here?

    Just as he began wondering about that, innumerable images suddenly floated all around Su-hyeun.

    "Is that... mom?"

    One of the images displayed both of his mothers from his memories¡ªKim Sung-in''s mother and Shin Su-yeong.

    Kim Sung-in''s mother was a professor at a university. She was sitting by her desk, seemingly absorbed in her research. Meanwhile, Shin Su-yeong looked really occupied trying to run her store.

    However, those two weren''t the only familiar faces he saw.

    "My brothers?"

    He then saw the figures of the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong. Next to appear were Lee Ju-ho, Hak-joon, and then even Thomas.

    Even Roy, the boy who almost lost his body to the Lich King, showed up. He then saw the young crown prince and the lady from the fallen noble house. They were the people he met in passing during the past trials.

    The scenes from all sorts of worlds were now being shown to him.

    "What is that you want to tell me?"

    Su-hyeun looked at Yggdrasil and the other World Trees.

    They were the building blocks of this universe. Each tree was one gigantic world to themselves and the cornerstones of the universe itself.

    And it was the trees showing Su-hyeun all these various scenes right now.

    He began paying much closer attention to their voices. Then, he kept his eyes wide open to observe the worlds they chose to show him carefully.

    So, so many worlds were dying as he watched.

    "You want to live on?"

    Su-hyeun''s question caused the images to become blurrier for a moment.

    That brief response was enough to deliver their intentions clearly.

    What they wanted was crystal clear. These worlds, these trees facing destruction triggered by Shiva, wished to be saved.

    That was what he was trying to do, anyway. He definitely wanted to help them somehow.

    "But how am I supposed to¡ª?"

    Before his thoughts could finish, however, his hand reached out first. A system window resembling a computer monitor popped up before his eyes next.

    So, so many numbers were tangled up messily on the screen.

    This wasn''t the system granted to Su-hyeun but the one currently malfunctioning due to Master Subhuti''s passing.

    However, he knew what was wrong the moment he saw this screen.

    "Connections between the worlds and interfering with the worlds and the souls living in them..."

    The energy source to activate the system wasn''t some other strange thing but Yggdrasil and the other World Trees.

    They granted the necessary energy, and the system operated with their energy as the fuel source.

    "Fuu-woo..." Su-hyeun sucked in a deep breath.

    He was nervous.

    He had never done anything like this before. That was why he wasn''t sure whether he would make a mistake or not.

    Thankfully, though, he felt like he knew what to do here.

    "I already know what to do about the energy source, so the next hurdle is connecting various worlds found within the Worlds Trees, then also reconnecting the chains existing between World Trees and the souls of people living inside."

    Su-hyeun''s eyes were already darting here and there on the screen, his mind razor-focused on the system''s restoration.

    "Separate the personalities, latent abilities, and willpower of people about to receive the system. As for the method of granting the system and the timing for the connection..."

    His eyes darted around even faster.

    He continued to manipulate the broken system by adding or removing various components.

    The images spreading out before his eyes began to overlap one at a time gradually.

    Countless many worlds had come closer to whisper to him, begging him to save them, too.

    Master Subhuti and his fellow Five Godly Sages used the system to awaken the latent potential of the worlds so that they could stand up against Shiva''s scheme.

    And now...

    "Issue trials through various administrators. As for the trials found from the first floor all the way to 100, keep the same difficulty levels as before, but the contents should be randomized. Use advanced level illusions to..."

    Su-hyeun began his rapid repairing of the system.

    He turned out to be so much faster than even Buddha''s prediction¡ªso fast and smooth that even Su-hyeun himself would''ve been shocked.

 Chapter 528 - 528

    Despite Su-hyeun''s warning, people''s response still ended up splitting into two camps.

    One side said that the dungeons were disappearing, and it was all a needless concern being blown out of proportions. Meanwhile, the opposing side argued that the world needed to remain on guard according to Su-hyeun''s stark warning.

    "As I thought, we still lack that necessary push."

    Scanning the intelligence report, Lee Ju-ho began chewing on a blameless pen.

    It was one of his habits whenever he had too many things to think about. The report document depicted the changes to people''s awareness of numerical values.

    "It''s obvious when you think about it, though. Dungeons are in decline, while no new awakeners are appearing," said Hak-joon as he handed over new documents to Lee Ju-ho.

    No new dungeons appeared these days, so whenever Hak-joon wanted to take a break from climbing the Tower, he would either stay with his almost-girlfriend Yun-seon or pay a visit to Lee Ju-ho toiling away at the Jongno Tower.

    Lee Ju-ho asked, "Are they really disappearing, though?"

    "Even you think that''s true, don''t you?"

    "Huh, I guess so."

    He could only groan.

    Hak-joon was right: Lee Ju-ho was no different.

    If it weren''t for Su-hyeun''s warning, even Lee Ju-ho would''ve thought that dungeons and all the associated dangers were a thing of the past. Of course, that line of thinking was still bubbling in the corner of his mind even now, "It''s one thing with dungeons disappearing, but what about new awakeners not appearing...?"

    This timing when no new awakeners had appeared almost coincided with the start of the decrease in the number of dungeons.

    This event caused many people to assume that the strange phenomenon swamping the world for many years¡ªdungeons and awakeners¡ªwas finally ending.

    But then, Su-hyeun showed up during the Ranking Wars and declared that the war wasn''t over yet. He certainly caused a bit of stir, but even then, there wasn''t enough reason for everyone to tense up again.

    "It''s impossible to convince everyone with just words, isn''t it? Relying on nothing but people''s respect toward Su-hyeun and appealing to their emotions will get us nowhere."

    "You also think that way, big bro?"

    "Think about what?"

    "You know, about what Su-hyeun bro said. How the war is still not over and all."

    "Well, do you think it''s over?"

    "Maybe¡­" Hak-joon mumbled the rest of his sentence before shaking his head, "No, don''t mind me."

    "What do you mean, don''t mind you?" Lee Ju-ho tossed the documents aside on the table without much care. "It''s fine to think that way, know what I mean? Honestly, I wish he was wrong, too."

    "You too?"

    "You know how Su-hyeun can be so meticulous all the time. And considering all the things he had to go through, and how responsible he could also be¡ª"

    "But he still spoke with so much certainty back then, didn''t he?"

    "Well, all I can say is I wish he''s wrong this time."

    It was not over yet, he said.

    Everyone looked up to Su-hyeun. They trusted him and tried to follow his example. Even so, they prayed that he was wrong this time.

    "That''s the happy ending we all want, after all."

    "I guess you have a point there, bro."

    "Well, that doesn''t mean we should sit on our butts doing nothing, though. You, me, everyone."

    "You want me to get out of your hair?"

    "You sure are quick on the uptake. You should go and try to climb one more floor if you have time to kill."

    "You can''t be serious?! I only came back yesterday, you know!"

    "Besides all that, aren''t you gonna go and see your miss? It''s morning, yet you sure seem to have a lot of free time on your hands."

    "She found a job recently, you see. She''s now working at a kindergarten in Guro-gu¡ª"

    Bzzzz, bzzzzzing¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho''s smartphone abruptly went off just then. He glanced at the name on the phone''s screen, ended the conversation there, and answered the call, "Hold on. Yes, Mister Rohan."

    Answering the call, Lee Ju-ho grew more and more serious as he listened. He then shifted his gaze over to the computer monitor and began searching for something, "...Yes, I confirmed it just now. Yes. Thank you for the heads-up."

    "Was that call from Mister Rohan?"

    "Remember what we were talking about a minute ago?"

    "Sorry?"

    Creak¡ª

    Lee Ju-ho pivoted the computer monitor around so that Hak-joon could also see. "Looks like it''s finally begun."

    There was a news article displayed on the screen. Its headline read: "First new awakener appears after one year, two months! Kim Su-hyeun spoke the truth!"

    * * *

    The system was almost fully repaired.

    He could have wrapped up there and stopped, but Su-hyeun continued tinkering with the system.

    However, the part he was tinkering with wasn''t the newest part of the system. He focused on the original bits Master Subhuti had created, specifically the part about the Tower itself.

    "It wasn''t just Yggdrasil."

    The layout of the Tower was far more intricate and expansive than he initially thought.

    He believed that each floor of the Tower was a world found inside Yggdrasil, but several other World Trees were also involved in a highly complex manner.

    It would require more time to connect many disparate trees to the Tower to issue various trials. Not to forget, even the system that granted new abilities and powers had to be connected, too.

    "Just how far do these connections go?"

    He couldn''t see the end of the Tower. Not only that, but variations in the types of trials were so numerous that it seemed impossible to count them properly.

    Su-hyeun was currently staring at the Tower and the system as the omnipotent observer. That was why he could see how far the effects of the system extended and what types of trials were available.

    Trials were created mainly to help various worlds existing in Yggdrasil and other World Trees to overcome their crises. Su-hyeun''s trials corresponded to such goals as dealing with the Lich King or raiding dungeons.

    "Just how far...?"

    The higher the floor, the higher the difficulty would be.

    If Su-hyeun stuck to climbing the Tower and did the trials as scheduled, then he would eventually run into Osiris and probably Shiva next.

    "Amazing."

    Su-hyeun got to learn something new today.

    Master Subhuti was far more impressive than Su-hyeun had given him credit for. It was also likely that the other Five Godly Sages, such as Buddha and Zeus, had no idea how amazing Subhuti was.

    He ensured that an excellent awakener would eventually run into Shiva simply by climbing the Tower until the end.

    And also...

    "So, we meet again in this place."

    Su-hyeun got to meet the "presence" once more.

    * * *

    "Heo-urhk¡ª!"

    Su-hyeun''s eyes shot wide open as he sat up.

    He wondered how much time had passed by.

    The surroundings had gotten dark by the time he woke up to look around. He completed repairing the system that went out of whack after Master Subhuti''s passing, then ensured that the repaired system would be granted to various World Trees.

    Even he could tell that it had been a while. He poured all of his being into finishing just one task while never letting his focus go astray. Even then, he felt that too much time had passed by already. It was near impossible to figure out how many hours, no, how many days it had been.

    "And that thing..."

    That voice sounded familiar.

    Right, Su-hyeun remembered hearing that voice from the prediction of the future he saw through his Foresight.

    But if he tried to recall the pitch of the voice or just what it sounded like, he couldn''t quite do it. He couldn''t even tell whether it was actually a voice or words being transmitted to him.

    Even so, Su-hyeun was certain that the presence was the same being as the one from this Foresight-induced dream.

    "You''re finally awake?" Sun Wukong asked, then yawned.

    Sun Wukong, dozing off next to Su-hyeun, woke up and then stretched his limbs.

    Seeing how he couldn''t stay awake and had to sleep, he must''ve been guarding Su-hyeun''s side for a long time. As for the one who helped Su-hyeun repair the system, Buddha was nowhere to be seen.

    "Did you do it?"

    "Yes, I think¡ª"

    "Judging by your answer, I guess you really did it, then."

    As expected of Sun Wukong, he knew Su-hyeun rather well.

    Su-hyeun nodded, feeling inwardly confident of his success, then asked, "How long has it been, Third Brother?"

    "I''d say about half a year, maybe?"

    "Half a year?!"

    He was shocked by the fact that he didn''t have to eat or sleep for such a prolonged duration and that the task had taken him that long to finish.

    To think that he would d be gone for half a year...

    "They must be worried sick back home."

    While people on this side knew what was going on with him, the people back on Earth should''ve gone mad with worry by now. Sure, Su-hyeun would often be absent from his homeworld, but it was very unusual for him to go missing for half a year without letting anyone know of his whereabouts.

    Not to forget, he declared something, or rather, about the war not being over before his disappearance.

    "Still, you finished it really quickly, little bro."

    "Wait, Third Brother. Half a year is ''quick'' in your book?" Su-hyeun asked back since it felt like Sun Wukong was making fun of him.

    However, the Monkey King made a puzzled face instead, "But, uh, according to what Buddha said, you were supposed to take several years, at least? That''s the shortest estimate he gave us, you know?"

    "I''m sorry?"

    "The Five Godly Sages apparently needed hundreds of millions of years to get the system going. Sure, you already know what the system is, and you only had to restore it, but still¡­ You indeed did it waaaay faster than Buddha''s estimate," Sun Wukong continued to explain before turning around to head over to the Bull Demon King''s residence. "Not sure what you''re thinking about right now, but since it''s finished, come inside already. You must be starving to death after half a year of no food."

    He headed to the residence first.

    Su-hyeun now left alone, remained there in a daze. He lay back down and stared at the sky above. An indistinct figure ever so faintly wavered before his eyes.

    "Who are you?"

    The owner of that voice sounded like ''it'' was waiting for Su-hyeun''s arrival¡ªas if waiting inside a trial prepared by Master Subhuti in a place even higher than the Tower itself.

    "Just who are you?"

    Su-hyeun heard the familiar voice once more¡ªa voice that he recognized from a very long time ago.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun took his time thinking about everything before heading to the residence. That was where he found Sun Wukong waiting for him, having already laid out a table full of food.

    The meat was burnt and the rice undercooked, but regardless of what, this was Sun Wukong''s first time preparing supper, so Su-hyeun wasn''t going to say anything.

    He scanned the interior of the residence before settling down on a chair next to the table, "Did First Brother and sister-in-law go somewhere?"

    "Mm, did it start around four months ago? Sister-in-law had to go out frequently to do her thing, you see."

    "Sister-in-law, you say?"

    "Yeah. Obviously, our First Brother wasn''t going to sit still and do nothing, so he follows her around all the time."

    "Did something happen?"

    "Well, uh, her guts and drive were something else, alright," Sun Wukong replied while shoving the burnt meat and undercooked rice in his mouth. "But she''s still bad at cooking and all."

    "Hm?"

    It seemed that Lang Mei had prepared the meal they were about to have. Now that made sense since Sun Wukong would never burn his favorite food, meat, to this extent.

    After finishing the meal, Su-hyeun immediately got up to leave.

    Sun Wukong got up as well with a face that said, "I knew you''d do that," then asked him, "You want to go to where sister-in-law is, don''t you?"

    "Yes."

    "But do you even know where she is?"

    "I figured you''d guide me there."

    Sun Wukong chuckled in dismay at Su-hyeun''s shameless reply.

    However, the Monkey King hated being bored, so there was simply no way he would remain at home all by himself. Su-hyeun knew this and believed that his Third Brother would obviously accompany him.

    Su-hyeun summoned the Somersault cloud next. Since he didn''t know the destination, he couldn''t rely on his Earth Shrink Technique. This method was slightly slower, but he didn''t have a choice in the matter.

    "If you keep going thaaaat way, we''ll eventually see an altar."

    "An altar, you say?"

    "Yeah. First Brother constructed it. Sister-in-law was so adamant about it, crying her eyes out and all," Sun Wukong replied while lying on his tummy by the end of the Somersault cloud. He narrowed his eyes and continued, "Aha, there it is!"

    The altar in question was surprisingly large. It was about as big as a small athletics field, so indeed, it was pretty large for an altar.

    However, there didn''t seem to be any offerings placed on it. Only Lang Mei could be seen standing on top.

    "What is she doing?" Su-hyeun quietly observed.

    He stopped the Somersault cloud in the air and watched her for a little bit.

    The Bull Demon King watched her from a spot not too far but not too close either. He must have sensed the presence of both Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong by now, yet his attention never shifted away from Lang Mei.

    "Watch carefully, okay?" Sun Wukong whispered quietly. "Something interesting will happen from now on."

    "Something interesting¡ª?"

    Su-hyeun fixed his attention on Lang Mei.

    She had been kneeling demurely for who knows how long. She then slowly got back up to her feet. She held a small needle in her grip. Su-hyeun wondered what she would do with that, only to see her prick her fingertip with it.

    A trickle of blood flowed out from the wound.

    It was really that, a trickle. She brought the bleeding wound closer to the center of the altar.

    Drops of blood slowly fell.

    Drip...

    And right at that moment...!

    Wuuuuuoooooong¡ª!

    The calm skies suddenly began reverberating, and then...

    Ruuuuumble¡ª

    The entire world began resonating.

 Chapter 529 - 529

    "What''s going on?"

    Su-hyeun scanned his surroundings.

    The sky was reverberating. Of course, it was an empty space, so it couldn''t be physically shaking around.

    The atmosphere itself was rumbling, and it started exactly at the same time as Lang Mei''s blood fell.

    No magic or some sorcery was activated just then. Also, even though Su-hyeun was staring with his Insight activated, he couldn''t spot any devices or installations on the altar.

    "Yet, the whole world reacted?"

    She was supposed to be a Shamaness.

    A Shamaness was a sorcery wielder loved by the world itself. When Su-hyeun heard that description, he just nodded and said, "Oh, I see." Honestly, it didn''t feel real to him, so to speak.

    Loved by the world itself?

    What did that even mean? And what kind of powers would that grant you?

    It was all rather difficult to understand.

    But now...

    "Is it reacting to her blood?"

    It seemed that her blood contained a type of her will. Things like holding a ceremony like this must have been to announce her will to the world.

    Su-hyeun didn''t move from the spot and continued to observe her from far away.

    Even if it was only a minor wound, blood continued to flow from it. She didn''t try to stem the bleeding and instead squeezed her finger even harder to draw out more blood.

    The quantity of dripping blood increased by quite a lot.

    The world rumbled and shook harder and harder.

    "I beg of you," she finally said something, and when she did...

    Kyah-aaaah¡ª!

    Kyah-rak, krrrrrr¡ª

    Kkkeeeeehk¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s ears caught the screams of the distant monsters.

    They were struggling and thrashing about in torment. Some of these screams belonged to the monsters he passed by while riding on the Somersault cloud since he was in a hurry to meet Lang Mei and the Bull Demon King.

    The monsters started dying.

    "Sounds like she''s finished," Sun Wukong next to him muttered. "But the response she''s getting this time seems much greater."

    "What exactly is going on here, Third Brother?"

    "You know what''s a Shamaness, right?"

    Su-hyeun nodded. He already heard about it from the Bull Demon King and Lang Mei during supper in the past.

    "Someone who is loved by the world, that''s what I heard."

    "At first, I wondered what kinda nonsense was that. But as it turns out, it literally is that. However, there''s more."

    "More?"

    "The Shamaness''s power is to receive the world''s love, and then," Sun Wukong raised his head to look up at the sky. "Squeeze that world as much as she wants."

    The skies had become crimson.

    Su-hyeun intensified the strength of Insight to look even further ahead, wondering if it really was true.

    The reason for the monsters'' tormented howls could be found inside their bodies.

    This was something Lang Mei had already shown him before. Monsters were dying in droves as the magical energy flow in their bodies reversed, causing blood to pour out from their orifices like eyes, noses, ears, and mouths.

    Back then, though, the range of this ability wasn''t as extensive. Sure, she killed thousands of monsters in one go, so one couldn''t dismiss that as a minor thing. Even so, Su-hyeun was only a little bit impressed by her powers.

    Her ability was undoubtedly amazing, but it didn''t reach a level that was shocking enough to impress him. At least, that was what he thought.

    But now...

    "This easily exceeds my imagination," he thought.

    Lang Mei was currently ruling this entire world. She had turned this expansive world as her own and drove every single monster existing in the Path to Reincarnation to their demise.

    Su-hyeun continued to watch the event unfold in sheer amazement.

    And so, he had to wonder just how long time passed them by like this.

    Shuffle...

    Lang Mei''s figure fell without much energy, then...

    "You did well, dear."

    The Bull Demon King gently caught her crumbling figure.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun, the Bull Demon King, and Sun Wukong returned home together.

    Lang Mei hadn''t regained her consciousness even then.

    As soon as they settled down, the Bull Demon King placed a cool towel on Lang Mei''s forehead. Her body was burning up right now, with visible streaks of sweat trickling down her figure.

    "First Brother, this isn''t her first time, yes?"

    "Yes. This happens once every 10 days," the Bull Demon King replied with a slightly listless voice. "But I can''t tell her to stop, either."

    "Does she repeat this process whenever new dungeons show up?"

    "Yes."

    "It seems to have a fairly heavy backlash."

    "It actually eats away at her lifespan."

    Su-hyeun''s heart tumbled to the pit of his stomach the moment he heard that.

    Such was the case, so how much worse would it have been for the Bull Demon King explaining it?

    "In this world, her actions mean she''s gradually inching toward her complete extinguishment."

    "That means, she¡ª"

    Su-hyeun was about to say that she needed to stop, but his lips didn''t want to part.

    Just how many lives were being saved by Lang Mei''s actions?

    No, this matter was already beyond something simple as saving a few lives.

    Her act of preventing the severance of reincarnation''s cycle was not simply about saving thousands, tens of thousands, by sacrificing one life. It would be the same as potentially saving even more future lives as these souls would get to reincarnate over and over again.

    Knowing this, Su-hyeun couldn''t bring himself to say that she needed to stop for her own sake.

    "I know what you''re thinking about, little brother," the Bull Demon King said. Then, while using the back of his hand to carefully wipe away all the streaming sweat on Lang Mei''s neck, he explained, "Even though I do not like this, this is what she wants to do. I can''t force her to stop."

    "Are you okay with this, First Brother?"

    "I got together with her, knowing what kind of person she is. I always knew that my wife would eventually do something like this. It was this side of her that attracted me in the first place¡ªthe part of her that made me love her, a human being."

    The Bull Demon King made a wry face, "Ironic, isn''t it? This side of her attracted me, and I fell in love. Yet, watching her be like this is tearing my heart apart."

    "What will you do now?"

    "The only reason I turned my back on the world of the living after my ascension was because of my desire to stay next to my wife."

    The Bull Demon King didn''t wish for many things. He abandoned everything just for the sake of fulfilling one wish. Even then, that one little wish was not working out as he wanted.

    "But with how things have turned out, how can I sit still and do nothing?"

    "In a way, this could be what Shiva wants."

    "It doesn''t matter." Heavy murderous intent bubbled away in the Bull Demon King''s voice. "Once that creature called Shiva is dead, everything will be resolved, after all."

    It had been such a long time since the Bull Demon King spoke with so much intent to kill.

    The Bull Demon King usually seemed gentle and warm, but the moment he unleashed his murderous intent, even Su-hyeun sitting in front of him felt chills run down his whole body. The unconscious Lang Mei also began shifting uncomfortably around on the bed.

    Only then did the Bull Demon King remember Lang Mei being nearby and withdrew his killing intent.

    "First Brother will make a move," Su-hyeun pondered.

    The scope of his actions would be limited to dealing with Shiva, but that would still prove to be a massive help regardless.

    This was what Su-hyeun initially wished for, anyway. However, putting aside the result for a moment, the "how" remained a bit of a problem.

    "I wasn''t the one to make the First Brother act."

    It was Shiva. For some reason, he ended up making the Bull Demon King act.

    The ascended Yogoe wasn''t planning to do much even after Su-hyeun asked for a favor. However, when the issue involved Lang Mei''s life, the Bull Demon King decided to kill Shiva.

    "I can''t tell whether this is good or bad."

    Su-hyeun felt confused by this situation and could only sigh in his heart.

    The Bull Demon King seemed to know Su-hyeun''s inner dilemma, as he didn''t inquire further about the topic. "And so, little brother, what are your plans from now on?"

    The reason why Su-hyeun came to the Path to Reincarnation was to search for the Bull Demon King.

    Although the process itself took an unexpected turn, the initial goal of making the Bull Demon King help out has been achieved with this.

    This war couldn''t end without the death of Shiva, after all.

    "I''m thinking of starting my climb up the Tower again, First Brother."

    That must''ve been an unexpected reply because the Bull Demon King made a slightly confused face, "The Tower, you say?"

    "Yes."

    "But is there a reason for that? It didn''t seem like you have any more to earn from that system."

    "Well, the thing is..."

    Su-hyeun spoke of what happened while he was repairing the system.

    He started from the structures of both the system and the Tower as created by Master Subhuti and then the trials issued during the process of climbing the Tower.

    His tale ended at the part where he heard that mystery voice.

    "You said that wasn''t your first time hearing that voice?"

    "Yes. I''ve heard it once before when my clairvoyance skill, Foresight, was activated."

    "An existence from the future recognized someone from the present, hmm¡­ Indeed, that does sound rather worrisome."

    "I need to find out who that is, First Brother."

    "Do you think it''s the One Overlord?"

    "Either Shiva or the One Overlord, it has to be one of the two. Regardless of who it is, though," Su-hyeun hesitated a little before continuing, "I don''t know why, but the owner of the voice seemed familiar to me."

    It was only a vague feeling, so he found it a bit hard to discuss. Nonetheless, he could openly talk about this matter circling in his head because the Bull Demon King was his current conversation partner.

    Su-hyeun had no basis when he said it seemed "familiar." It wasn''t as if he could recall that voice. Even then, that voice was like a persistent splinter embedded under his skin.

    "There must be a reason why it sounds so familiar to you."

    "It could be down to nothing more than my feelings, First Brother."

    "But you''re about to climb the Tower once more based on just your feeling."

    "That, well¡ª"

    "It seems that you still don''t know much about yourself."

    Su-hyeun became confused at the Bull Demon King''s assertion. He still didn''t know about himself?

    "Even a microscopic organism possesses instincts. Beings like humans, gods, and even Yogoes boast a certain level of wisdom. Let''s not forget, little brother, you even possess intuition capable of seeing through the assigned fate, too."

    "Intuition capable of seeing through fate?"

    "You said you even opened the eyes of clairvoyance, didn''t you? If you''re worried about it, then look at it this way. There must''ve been a good reason for all of it¡ªthat they have their beginnings from something as minor as your gut feeling. You will reach the place you wanted to get to sooner or later if you stick to this path."

    What the Bull Demon King said just then reached in and engraved themselves deeply in Su-hyeun''s mind.

    Even only a second ago, he was in a dilemma. He didn''t know any cloning technique similar to Sun Wukong''s, which meant that he could do only one thing at a time.

    Should he remain in the Path to Reincarnation and search for Shiva?

    If not, should he stay on Earth and prepare for an unknown crisis that might appear at any time?

    Or, should he climb the Tower once more and seek out the owner of the voice, the one topic that had been bothering him for a little while now?

    Out of the three choices, Su-hyeun chose the last one. He had a feeling that this was the right move to make.

    However, he couldn''t help but be conflicted about making a choice based on just a vague feeling with no solid basis. However, now that he had heard the Bull Demon King''s advice, he felt sure of what to do.

    "Thank you, First Brother," Su-hyeun got up from the seat.

    At his surprisingly urgent movement, the Bull Demon King decided to ask, "Are you planning to head out right away?"

    "Yes. It feels like I must."

    Lang Mei was prepared to do something despite the danger of her soul being extinguished.

    He couldn''t afford to be lukewarm about it, considering her sacrifice. She couldn''t protect the Path to Reincarnation by herself forever, after all.

    He thought, "The system has been restored, so things should gradually improve moving forward, but..."

    In the end, this was not the fundamental solution to their problems.

    Split¡ª

    A portal opened up in front of Su-hyeun. It was much larger and deeper than in the past. It directly led to the 203rd floor of the Tower.

    "Whichever task it is, I need to hurry," he inwardly said.

    Although their methods were different, what Lang Mei, the Bull Demon King, and Su-hyeun wanted was ultimately the same: the complete and utter disappearance of all dungeons.

    Also, they desired Shiva''s death, which would lead to victory in the war for the fate of this universe.

    Step¡ª

    Su-hyeun bowed to the Bull Demon King to bid goodbye, then stepped inside the portal.

    The scenery then changed to reveal a brand new world.

    This, too, was an already-destroyed world, with scattered debris belonging to ruined buildings and darkened skies above.

    It didn''t matter where; all destroyed worlds looked similar to one another. It seemed that all destruction led to the exact same conclusion.

    He suddenly realized something while staring at this place: This universe was filled with so many already-destroyed worlds, just like this one.

    "I''ve returned."

    No administrator showed up this time. That was fine. Su-hyeun didn''t require their help, anyway. After all, the privilege of controlling the system didn''t only belong to them now.

    [The trial on the 204th floor will now begin.]

    Su-hyeun watched the scenery rapidly change, then sucked in a deep breath.

    His heart was racing.

    Just like how he used to prepare before a fight, he repeatedly tensed his body up before relaxing.

    "From now on..."

    And when the scenery stabilized and spread out all around him, his senses had become so much calmer than before.

    "I''m going to start running at full tilt."

 Chapter 530 - 530

    The current location was on top of a certain World Tree, where there existed a world populated by gods.

    This world didn''t have a name. It was too small for one, and the gods living there simply called it "town."

    This town was supposed to be in the middle of its apocalypse. However...

    "It''s him again."

    "With the Predator he killed this time, I hear the number he killed now exceeds four digits."

    Drag, draaag...

    A certain man was dragging along a massive Pterosaur-like monster with nothing but his bare hand.

    This monster was as big as a small mountain, at the very least. Even if he was a god, it shouldn''t have been easy to drag around something that humongous.

    But the gods wouldn''t be talking about this event with so much enthusiasm if the only noteworthy thing about the monster was its size.

    "Just how many gods have ended up in the belly of that beast already?"

    "It''s not for nothing that the monster earned the nickname ''devouring god.''"

    The nickname, "devouring god," was initially meant to reference a god of eating.

    However, it meant a completely different thing when attached to this monster.

    A monster that devoured gods was the true meaning of its nickname.

    "But he still managed to hunt down that devouring god?"

    "Since he''s gone and done it, the next one on the list should be... that thing."

    "Well, he''s killed the devouring god and all, so..."

    The man dragging the Pterosaur-like monster heard the murmurings of the gods and glanced at his surroundings.

    He realized they were talking about him right now, but Su-hyeun didn''t care either way and continued to drag the monster forward.

    "I''ve hunted it down."

    "You really did it, fella," a male god watched Su-hyeun walk up to him, surprised.

    This god was quite old. His name was Gawul, and he was the top deity in charge of running the "town."

    "And so, all I have to do now is to wait, yes?"

    "You sounded so confident of yourself. That''s why I told you about it, but honestly speaking, I''m still very much worried."

    "Is that creature so terrifying?"

    "Indeed. It''s one of the Ten Great Evils. In other words, it''s strong enough to be counted in the top 10 calamities of this wide, expansive universe!" Gawul shuddered softly. "Fella, you''ve never met this creature, and that''s why you don''t know its terror. No, wait, other than me, no one else knows¡ª"

    "What about other gods?"

    "They are all uninvolved. They don''t even know the true nature of the creature. They never had a chance to fight it, so that''s only par for the course."

    "Have you fought it before?"

    "I have," Gawul nodded, his legs shaking. "And that''s why I badly wish to run away from here right now."

    His fellow gods could be seen smiling among themselves.

    This town had been driven to a corner. The gods lost their homeworld to the horde of countless Predators led by a certain existence and had to hole themselves in a tiny village.

    But Su-hyeun''s appearance gave them hope.

    Only Gawul was the exception. He couldn''t see that hope. He was still too afraid.

    "In that case, why haven''t you run away yet?"

    "Because I know I need to fight back somehow," Gawul replied while clenching his fists tightly. "I can''t keep running away and hide for all eternity, now can I?"

    One could spy his determination from what he said just now.

    Since their first meeting, Gawul always had this look of a man being chased by something. Su-hyeun initially wondered why, but he understood this older god''s position better after listening to the reason.

    Gawul was the top dog in this town. That might give him many privileges, but it also came with many responsibilities.

    "Being a god isn''t that different from being a human, isn''t it?" Su-hyeun thought to himself.

    These beings, born with the promise of eternal life, were relatively poor at controlling their emotions, unlike the Bull Demon King, Buddha, or Master Subhuti.

    They were afraid of the unknown and decided to form a herd to survive.

    This town¡ªtheir small village¡ªwas the last of the last stronghold for these pitiful beings.

    "In that case, you''re all fully resolved, then."

    "Well, it''s not ''fully,'' but¡ª"

    "If not, that''s going to be a big problem."

    Shu-wuu...

    Darkness suddenly drew upon the spot Su-hyeun and Gawul stood on.

    Their shadows vanished, and the light in the skies also went away. Gawul''s complexion paled in an instant.

    "Here it comes."

    "Dammit, so bloody quick," Gawul muttered in a trembling voice as he stared at the darkened sky.

    The other gods also began to murmur noisily. That was because this phenomenon wasn''t unfamiliar to them.

    "It really showed up."

    "It would be weird not to notice something that huge showing up, you know."

    "Everyone, are you ready for battle?"

    "We''re always ready!"

    Gods were deeply tense at the creature showing up high above in the skies.

    Gawul pulled out his weapons. He wielded short spears in both hands, then raised his fighting spirit even higher.

    Almost at the same time, Su-hyeun also looked up.

    He spotted a certain existence looming large well beyond the skies to block out the light from reaching the town.

    "It sure is big," he thought.

    Although not as large as Uranus, that creature was easily one of the biggest lifeforms Su-hyeun had encountered so far. It hadn''t even fully revealed itself yet, but it still managed to fill up half of the sky already.

    "Is it about half the size of Uranus?"

    If Su-hyeun hadn''t already encountered Uranus, then he would''ve been shocked out of his mind by this sight. But now, he wasn''t getting much of an impression. He didn''t see anything too special about this event besides thinking, "Wow, it''s big."

    Of course, the only person in this place who had run into Uranus was Su-hyeun and nobody else.

    "Now, do you understand?" Gawul asked while staring at Su-hyeun. The latter was wordlessly looking up at the darkened sky, so he thought the younger god had become scared, too. "Do you now see what kind of monster you have summoned here?"

    "Well," Su-hyeun replied with an attitude not too different from a minute ago. "Now that I see it, sure, I can understand."

    "Hmm?"

    Gawul was puzzled at Su-hyeun''s reply.

    The creature emitted a sense of presence capable of numbing your entire body. Its magical energy reserve seemed truly limitless. And what about that massive size clearly visible to anyone with eyes?

    Despite all these factors, Su-hyeun looked just unperturbed right now.

    "You said this earlier, didn''t you? That I don''t know its true terror since I''ve never seen that creature." Su-hyeun recalled what Gawul told him just now and finally came up with his reply, "Well, now I''ve seen it."

    "What are you trying to say?"

    "In that case, have you seen me?"

    Su-hyeun pulled out the spear mounted on his back.

    Bzzzzik¡ª

    The spear, Gungnir, was enveloped in azure arcs of lightning. In the meantime, the Predator filling up the sky fully revealed its massive size.

    "Apophis!"

    Sha-aaaah¡ª!

    The monster was destined to block out the sun to devour it. In the myth, it was the great enemy of the sun god Ra, and as a Predator, its size was second only to Uranus.

    It was also one of the Ten Great Evils.

    This gigantic monster snake fully revealed itself. Then, while opening its indescribably huge maw, it slithered closer toward the ground below.

    Gawul stared at this scene in a daze for a short while, then quickly regained his wits. He was the only one among his group who had witnessed Apophis''s true appearance and fought it.

    "Do not look at the creature''s eyes! The moment you do, your body will petrify, and¡ª"

    FLASH¡ª!

    Even before Gawul could finish, the darkened surrounding was suddenly illuminated by the blinding light.

    The flash of light had an azure color.

    What followed next were thunderclaps loud enough to rip their eardrums off.

    RUMBLE, BOOM¡ª!

    Ruuuuuumble¡ª!

    The thunderclaps went off one after another, causing Gawul to cover his ears involuntarily. He feared that his eardrums would burst apart from the shockwave if he hadn''t.

    It wasn''t just Gawul who couldn''t do anything at the barrage of the light and thunderous booms. All the gods in town could only squeeze their eyes shut at the blinding light and anxiously wait for the noises to die down.

    The first one to open their eyes was Gawul.

    "Could it be?"

    Pazzzzik¡ª

    There was a humongous scorched-black corpse. It had already fallen on the ground, with its tough and thick hide weakly crumbling away. Meanwhile, its crimson eyes had turned milky white after its death.

    But that wasn''t the end of the story.

    "The other Predators too?"

    Countless other Predators showed up along with Apophis, yet they, too, had been burnt to death, their corpses littering everywhere.

    Some were even reduced to piles of darkened ashes only to scatter away. All of this happened because of the lightning bolt that shot out from the spear that Su-hyeun had hurtled forward.

    This sight was just too unbelievable to behold.

    "It¡ªit''s really over?!"

    Even if this town was much smaller compared to Asgard or Olympus, it was still a place of gods. So, it was unbelievable for a monster strong enough to almost drive such a world to its destruction to die in such a deflating manner.

    As far as Gawul knew, only five beings were capable of easily killing a Ten Great Evils Predator like this.

    "Five Godly Sages!"

    Only the five powerful gods, including the Primordial God, Brahma, could do it. Gawul''s mind was immediately filled with the stories about them.

    Gungnir was already back in Su-hyeun''s grip by then. He turned toward Gawul and asked, "Is that the end?"

    "Fella, just who are you?"

    Gawul had already asked this question several times. Just who was Su-hyeun?

    If this young god were someone famous, then Gawul would''ve instantly recognized him. But other than stating his name, Su-hyeun didn''t explain anything about himself.

    "Haven''t I already told you?"

    "But I''ve never heard of your name before."

    "In that case, please do remember it from now on."

    Split¡ª

    A portal opened up right before Su-hyeun''s nose.

    "Well, then, I''ll be on my way now."

    Watching Su-hyeun disappear through the portal, Gawul and the other gods stared after him, markedly stupefied with what just transpired.

    They had finally regained their homeworld, but it just didn''t feel real at all.

    Everything that happened just now seemed like a dream of some kind.

    * * *

    [You have cleared the 209th floor''s trial.]

    [You have acquired the "Iris of Apophis."]

    [Will you start the 210th floor''s trial?]

    "I knew it," Su-hyeun sighed softly.

    The trial reward wasn''t much to write home about. He killed a boss monster named Apophis, so he got an item related to it but nothing else besides. It seemed that he shouldn''t expect a boost to his stats at this point.

    The trials he cleared so far were not particularly difficult or anything like that. The hardest thing he was asked to do involved hunting Predators in the ranks of One Hundred Evils or, like the last trial, killing one of the Ten Great Evils.

    "Sure, there were a couple of annoying little missions, but that much is nothing, isn''t it?"

    It had been 10 days since he began climbing the Tower again.

    He needed one day to climb a floor, two days at the longest. The trial on the 209th floor took a bit of time, so in truth, clearing one of the floors didn''t even cost him a day.

    That was a considerably fast clearing speed. When remembering that these floors were all above 200, his speed should be seen as exceptional.

    Despite this, Su-hyeun wasn''t satisfied.

    "I need to be faster."

    Even Su-hyeun had no idea just how much further he needed to climb.

    Without the Bull Demon King''s advice, he would''ve hesitated due to uncertainty every time he broke through a floor, wondering if climbing the Tower was the right thing to do in the first place.

    But he trusted his gut feeling.

    "The other side should be worried about me, so..."

    He hadn''t gone back home for over half a year.

    He began thinking that they would be worried sick by now. Since Shiva''s area of activity was confined to the Path to Reincarnation, for the time being, Su-hyeun thought that there shouldn''t be anything too problematic to worry about back home. That was why he didn''t pay much attention to the "other side" for all this time.

    "I do need to stop by, even if it''s only a brief stop," he muttered to himself while immediately challenging the 210th floor''s trial.

    This was his first 10th floor after stepping past the 200th floor.

    The Tower always issued a specially challenging trial on every tenth and hundredth floor. Knowing this, Su-hyeun was inwardly anticipating something big from this trial.

    "But if nothing special has been prepared for this floor, I guess the next real hard one will be the 300th."

    That might be troublesome.

    Even if it was Su-hyeun, reaching the 300th floor would be no mean feat. Rather than the problem of difficulty, it would be the issue of time for him.

    If he assumed he would need one day to clear one floor, that would equate to a month. By taking into account the gradual rise in difficulty, he might as well assume one whole year to get to the 300th.

    As Shiva had begun moving, time was more precious than gold dust to Su-hyeun right now. Who knows when something terrible might happen to Lang Mei, destroying the Path to Reincarnation?

    Su-hyeun''s vision cleared up gradually as he reached the next floor, revealing the new world to him.

    And right at that moment...

    "Huh?"

    "What''s this? Isn''t that Kim Su-hyeun?"

    "No one knew where he was for so long, yet he was actually here?"

    He heard the murmurings of the crowd.

    With a look of surprise, Su-hyeun quickly looked around his vicinity. This street seemed somewhat familiar.

    "Seoul?"

    The street he was on was crowded. It was early evening, and the passersby out to have some dinner and maybe some booze stared at Su-hyeun while whispering among themselves.

    Was this place going to be the stage for the 210th floor?

    Su-hyeun quietly waited for the message window.

    [The 210th floor''s trial will begin.]

    [Please search for Brahma.]

    "What?!" Su-hyeun ended up gasping, overcome with astonishment.

    Find Brahma?

    Here on Earth?

 Chapter 531 - 531

    The system never lied.

    He learned about this a long time ago.

    That shouldn''t be so surprising. Humans made mistakes, but computers would not until they started malfunctioning in some way. The system''s job was to simply construct missions using the already-set perimeters and award compensation according to your actions.

    That was why you had no choice but to believe in it.

    "Brahma was here all along?"

    As it turned out, there was no need to go far to search for him.

    After tracking down Luslec, Zeus said he had a few guesses on where Brahma could be. It seemed like he would need a bit of time to search since he had more than one or two locations in mind.

    The thing was, it was always the darkest under the lamp.

    "Do I have to get a hold of Mister Luslec first?"

    After receiving the system message, he stood there sinking deeper into his thoughts. In the meantime, his surroundings progressively grew noisier, so he decided to look.

    Quite a crowd had already built up around him by then. Several bold passersby even walked up to him to take selfies without his permission.

    Su-hyeun made a sheepish face at this unintended commotion and addressed the crowd, "Sorry about this, everyone."

    Right afterward...

    Pah-aht¡ª

    He vanished from the spot.

    * * *

    The news of Su-hyeun''s sudden appearance in the middle of Seoul instantly spread.

    The news initially started from various personal social media posts. Then, articles containing photos taken by various citizens began getting published next.

    Meaning he didn''t even need to tell everyone he was back safe and sound anymore.

    Su-hyeun''s reappearance after over half a year''s absence was a big topic people around the world wanted an explanation for.

    "It''s way too vague even for me."

    Creak¡ª

    Su-hyeun didn''t sweat over it despite all the commotion and simply continued to think. He was currently sitting on a chair, with his legs slung over a desk.

    Lee Ju-ho decided to prepare some coffee with water boiled in a pot at his unannounced visit. Su-hyeun reached out to receive the coffee cup Lee Ju-ho was handing over.

    He then asked a question, "I should be able to check most of Earth if I use satellites, yes?"

    "I guess so? Probably?"

    "I can also check the locations of the dungeons this way, too."

    "Well, it might be tough to borrow satellites boasting that level of technology, but if it''s you asking, then they will probably listen. Besides, Mister Rohan also has a few satellites at his disposal."

    "In that case, the location of the dungeon with the strongest power output¡ªno¡ª" Su-hyeun stopped talking mid-sentence, then shook his head while making a troubled expression, "No, I would have found him already if it were this easy."

    "What are you talking about?"

    "It''s nothing. Just a bit of a tough problem, that''s all."

    "A problem that even you can''t solve easily, huh?"

    "You know, I''d have much preferred a full-on fight instead of solving this problem. This isn''t like trying to find a missing person, too."

    It might have been better if this were a task of locating a missing item or a person that detective agencies might do. Su-hyeun had done jobs like that in his previous life, after all.

    However, such experience meant nothing when it was about locating a god¡ªnot just any god either, but a Primordial God named Brahma, no less. Even after adding up all of his countless many past lives'' experiences, he just couldn''t think up of a suitable solution.

    "Meanwhile, Mister Luslec still hasn''t responded to me yet," Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun kept trying to talk to Luslec through the necklace, but he hadn''t received a reply so far.

    "Maybe he only replies to things he wants to," Su-hyeun groaned at length.

    He had no clue to go on.

    Zeus had been searching everywhere for Brahma until now, so if he met the God of Thunder, then maybe, a clue might...

    "Now that is spooky timing, alright."

    "Say what? What is?" Lee Ju-ho made a puzzled face after hearing Su-hyeun''s muttering.

    He then turned his head to look behind him when Su-hyeun wordlessly pointed with his chin.

    "Heu-urhk?!" Lee Ju-ho was startled by what he saw and leaped instantly before landing some distance away.

    Thanks to his excellent reflexes, his sudden jump didn''t disturb any of the furniture in the office.

    "Apologies for surprising you, young man."

    "W¡ªwho are you?!" Lee Ju-ho quickly asked a blond older man who had suddenly appeared right behind him.

    Although the older man had been standing behind him for who knows how long, Lee Ju-ho couldn''t sense the presence of this unknown blond foreigner at all.

    Meaning he couldn''t be an ordinary old man. Su-hyeun seemed to know who he was, though.

    "Bro, please say hello. This gramps is Zeus."

    "Z¡ªZeus...?"

    Lee Ju-ho''s eyes grew wider to display his shock, but then, he slowly nodded as if he had accepted it.

    Well, he already met Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Heaven''s Equal, so meeting other gods like Zeus didn''t feel like a major event that would shake him to the core.

    "Gramps, you say. That certainly is a warm-sounding way to call someone, benefactor."

    "Well, sir, you aren''t a spring chicken, after all."

    "To a god, one''s age is just a reflection of the number of years one has lived for."

    "Those who have lived for a long time are usually referred to as gramps on Earth, though. Besides all that, how did you find me?"

    "This place was quite famous, so it wasn''t that challenging to find. Please do forgive me for my sudden intrusion, however."

    When Zeus greeted rather politely, Lee Ju-ho could only nod in a rather stiff, unsure face.

    The "master" of a massive world called Olympus, Zeus, occupied the role of a dimension''s strongest god. So, when someone like that apologized so seriously, no one would be bold enough to argue or voice his displeasure.

    "Actually, I was also thinking of looking for you, Lord Zeus."

    "Is it possibly related to Lord Brahma?"

    "Yes."

    "Really now. It seems that fate cannot be denied," Zeus chuckled hollowly. "This is good, however. You should come with me."

    "Where to?"

    "You''ll see when we get there, benefactor."

    Zeus turned around to leave.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Almost at the same time, his figure transformed into golden-orange lightning arcs and vanished from the spot. While watching him disappear at the speed of light, Su-hyeun got up from the chair.

    Bang¡ª!

    Just like Zeus, Su-hyeun''s figure also disappeared from there while shooting off arcs of electricity.

    Lee Ju-ho stared at this spectacle from a step away; then, his eyes caught the sight of the scorched-black office floor.

    "This isn''t some underground rendezvous point, you know."

    * * *

    Su-hyeun had never been to India¡ªnot as a tourist or even to raid a dungeon.

    The dungeons that appeared in India weren''t much to write home about. Meaning Indians didn''t really need any special support to raid them.

    When he thought about it, it seemed too weird to be purely a coincidence.

    Back when he was Kim Sung-in, he visited so many countries around the planet for the sake of raiding various dungeons. Thanks to this reason, he got to go in and out of most nations as he pleased, as if they were his backyard.

    That had been the case, yet to think he had never been to India before...

    "Wow, so there really was a country I''m visiting for the first time."

    The desert before his eyes didn''t seem that mystifying or impressive to him. Not only had he seen many deserts in other countries before, but also he frequently came across dungeons featuring desert-like terrains.

    This was the Thar Desert, located in the northern part of India. Several cities could be found located in this desert''s oases.

    However, the location Su-hyeun and Zeus arrived at wasn''t one of these cities, but in the middle of the desert.

    Due to the time difference, the sun was about to set here.

    "Why are we here?"

    "Finding him proved to be challenging because he''s been here all along."

    "Are you saying Brahma is in this exact position?"

    "Not here. Not exactly," Zeus replied before walking forward while staring at the ground below.

    Step...

    After taking a few steps, the spot beneath his feet suddenly caved in.

    Su-hyeun briefly wondered what that was, and it was quicksand, a phenomenon often referred to as the sandy hell.

    An average person falling in there would''ve died for sure, but Su-hyeun wasn''t worried at all. Even an awakener could escape from there no problem, so what about someone like Zeus in such a case?

    However, Zeus didn''t bother to escape from the sandy trap.

    He actually...

    Shwa-aaaah...

    The desert''s sand got sucked in even faster with him in the center. He was deliberately breaking through the surface to go in the deeper underground.

    "Please follow me."

    "Hm?"

    While wondering if Brahma could really be found in a spot like this, Su-hyeun followed Zeus.

    Quicksand was a natural phenomenon that sucked underground a person walking on the desert sand, where they would eventually die.

    It obviously meant that the only things waiting underground would be lots of sand and claustrophobia.

    After getting sucked under the sand for a while, Su-hyeun stopped caring about not being able to breathe. That was because the unpleasantness of coarse sand rubbing against his face was much worse.

    However, after the passage of even more time, another weird feeling crept up on him besides the unpleasantness.

    "Just how far are we supposed to go down?"

    He was getting puzzled here. Just how deep were they supposed to travel?

    He wasn''t scared about potentially not going back to the surface or getting sucked into somewhere unknown. What puzzled him here was that he was going so much deeper underground than his initial expectation.

    It must''ve been hundreds of meters by now¡ªno, make that several kilometers instead.

    Even if it was a vast desert, could it really be this deep?

    Several more minutes passed by like this as he sank lower and lower. Wondering just how deep they would go, Su-hyeun relaxed his body and continued to observe.

    And eventually...

    Shwa-aaaaah...

    Along with pouring sand, he finally arrived in a void boasting a massive scale.

    He landed on firm ground, and when he took a glance at his surroundings, a soft exclamation leaked out from him on its own, "Wow."

    Just how vast was this space?

    It was like another underground world was spread out here unbeknownst to everyone above ground.

    The large void was littered with various minerals that sparkled on the walls and ceiling. Su-hyeun didn''t sense any particular energies coming from them, so they didn''t seem to be Ether stones, just some regular minerals that naturally emitted light.

    This underground space resembled a wide-open plain.

    Not only was it so vast that he couldn''t see the end, but he even spotted a little bit of curvature of the planet. Several "hills" at least hundreds of meters tall could also be found here.

    It was like a miniature world underground.

    "There was a place like this under India all along?" he thought.

    Just how deep underground were they?

    He was mystified by the existence of a location unknown to the rest of the world. However, at the same time, he sort of understood the reason why no one knew.

    It existed far too deep underground.

    People still hadn''t discovered everything under the deepest parts of the oceans yet. Then, how could anyone discover space like this located deep below a desert?

    Su-hyeun turned his head to search for Zeus. The latter had arrived here one step ahead of him.

    "Is Lord Brahma in this place?"

    "Mm. To say he''s here, it''s¡ª" Zeus shook his head as he began walking forward again.

    It seemed that his suggestion of "follow me" was still in effect. His steps were not hurried or quick, however.

    "The reason why I discovered this place was because I heard the name Brahma being mentioned in the land above."

    "Are you talking about Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva? The three progenitor gods?"

    "It wasn''t just that, however. I even found various myths regarding Olympus. I was amazed and mystified, honestly speaking. I''m amazed by the fact that histories of all the gods were being told in this world."

    "Histories of all the gods...?"

    Now that he thought about it, that was true.

    The gods Su-hyeun had met so far¡ªbeings like Zeus and the Five Godly Sages, Sun Wukong, and the Bull Demon King¡ªwere all found in various myths that Su-hyeun was aware of.

    His first reaction was simply, "Oh, all those myths were real, after all." Although he was surprised by how all those stories weren''t some made-up nonsense but reality, he never gave too much thought to this subject in the end.

    He didn''t even ask the fundamental question of why this was the case. To Su-hyeun, those stories were just that: stories being passed down through generations.

    Honestly speaking, he never really found this to be all that strange.

    "Do you know where we are?" Zeus asked, but Su-hyeun couldn''t answer.

    He had no way of knowing.

    "This is the birthplace of all creation. Indeed, this was the starting point of the world as we know it."

    That revelation was news to him. Sure, it was surprising, but other than that, Su-hyeun didn''t feel anything else.

    He even wondered why Zeus was explaining this. As the explanation went on, Su-hyeun even felt a little frustrated for some reason, too.

    Zeus continued, "What I discovered down here was not Lord Brahma, but..."

    "But?"

    "An ancient mural depicting the face of Lord Brahma."

    Su-hyeun''s steps came to a halt at that.

    Whether he knew that or not, Zeus continued to walk ahead without looking back. "And he looks exactly like you, benefactor."

    Su-hyeun''s heart began racing madly.

 Chapter 532 - 532

    Step, step...

    Su-hyeun and Zeus walked in silence for a while.

    Su-hyeun, walking behind Zeus, stared at empty air, his mind swimming in deep currents of thoughts. Zeus glanced back at him a few times but didn''t try to engage in small talk or anything like that.

    What Zeus said earlier was still circling in Su-hyeun''s head.

    "Looks exactly like me..."

    Also, he had been thinking about a certain saying a lot recently: There was no such thing as coincidence.

    Only inevitability disguised as coincidence existed. Then, the "result" stemmed from that inevitability¡ªthat was all.

    Just how many people in the world would look exactly like you?

    Even with the case of twins, there were more instances of slight differences manifesting than the two siblings being perfect facsimiles of each other. Even if the difference were minute, it would still serve as the basis to separate the two as separate individuals.

    So, to say he and Brahma looked the same?

    "It can''t be a coincidence, then," he thought.

    Su-hyeun never believed he was someone special.

    That was true in his past life, too¡ªfrom when he was Kim Sung-in, people called him humanity''s savior.

    He simply thought that he was different.

    But now, that belief had to change.

    "Could it be that I''m...?"

    He somehow began remembering countless past lives, then acquired a power called Six Paths, allowing him to wield the strengths of all those lives.

    Among the power he unlocked were truly amazing abilities capable of breaking the rules of reincarnation¡ªone, distorting time itself to travel back to the past, and two, recalling the memories of all of his past lives.

    Even if he had attained divinity and become a god, such a thing should''ve been impossible.

    "Benefactor, have you finished organizing your thoughts?"

    Su-hyeun shifted his focus on Zeus''s back only after hearing the god''s voice. He hadn''t noticed it yet, but they had already arrived before a relatively sizeable dome-shaped tomb.

    "No, wait, it''d be more correct to call it preparing yourself instead of organizing your thoughts."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I''m asking whether or not you''re prepared to accept who you are, benefactor."

    Su-hyeun could only sigh at that question.

    A feeling similar to what he felt when he regressed to Kim Su-hyeun was welling up deep inside.

    Who am I?

    What did I think about back then?

    The dilemma now was similar to the one from back then. Even if he agonized over it for a long time, he would still arrive at a similar answer as back then.

    "It doesn''t matter either way," he thought.

    I am me.

    As expected, he had no choice but to believe this to be true.

    Su-hyeun replied with a nod at what Zeus said, "I don''t need to do something like that."

    "Is that so?"

    Zeus then reached out to the tomb''s doorway.

    Gu-gugugu...

    He pushed aside the door, revealing a passage leading deeper into the tomb. Anyone could tell that this place was not naturally created.

    It was an artificially created tomb, in other words. It was created because someone needed it.

    "In that case, please enter," Zeus said.

    Su-hyeun remained quiet and then walked ahead by himself.

    From here on, he didn''t need Zeus''s company. After all, the latter was only here to show Su-hyeun the way to this place.

    Crunch...

    Inside the dry interior of the tomb with not a single hint of moisture, many withered leaves were strewn about on the floor.

    These leaves were too dry that they should have turned to dust from the extensive passage of time. Su-hyeun found this scene rather strange, only to notice trees growing within the tomb.

    "So lush..."

    It was a tomb filled with trees.

    It was rather charming, so much so that Su-hyeun even thought it would be nice to get buried somewhere similar to this after his death.

    "I see," Su-hyeun scratched his head when a vague but familiar feeling washed over him. "So, this is a tomb that reflects my taste, is that it?"

    He kept walking forward for a bit more and eventually reached the end of the tomb. That was where he saw the mural painted on the wall.

    Numerous writings dotted around several depictions, and in the center of the mural was a portrait of a man.

    "It''s me."

    He could see why Zeus said the painting looked exactly like Su-hyeun.

    The resemblance was striking.

    It was as if a talented painter drew the portrait of Su-hyeun on this wall. When he read the words inscribed on the mural itself, he figured out that this painted figure was indeed Brahma.

    However, he was not overcome with a massive flood of emotions. He just went, "Oh, I see."

    "Which means," Su-hyeun, reading the mural, chuckled hollowly next, "This life is the last one, huh?"

    At the end of hundreds, no, billions of reincarnations, he had reached his current life, and every step of the process seemed to have been prepared in advance.

    Su-hyeun couldn''t help but let out a mirthless laugh.

    All of that had been prepared in advance? Really?

    Like unavoidable fate, everything before him had been set in stone, all for the sake of the current life?

    "I''m getting really annoyed by this, but I can''t even tell who I should get annoyed with right now."

    He couldn''t remember it. He couldn''t remember if he was really Brahma and, if he was, why he had planned all of this.

    What was all this for?

    The mural said he would return to the beginning after experiencing countless lives. It didn''t say why he had to do this and what awaited him afterward.

    This universe was different.

    It was noticeably different from the previous universes that repeated the cycle of destruction brought by Shiva and rebirth at the hands of Brahma.

    "Just what the hell is going on in this universe?"

    King Yama, who had been watching numerous universes rise and fall, said that Brahma refrained from interfering with the worlds he had created. Not just him, but even the Five Godly Sages who knew a lot about Brahma said the same thing.

    However, if Su-hyeun was indeed Brahma, a specific unknown part of Brahma''s plan, then would it still be correct to say that he has not interfered with the universe created by his own hands?

    Su-hyeun''s gaze shifted over to the center of the mural.

    There was a hand-shaped drawing there. It was the same size as Su-hyeun''s hand.

    "He sure prepared something weird, huh?"

    He pressed his palm on the drawing of the hand. As he thought, it was an exact match. Then, the moment his skin touched the wall, the tomb began resonating loudly.

    Rumble...

    The leaves found in the windless interior of the tomb began shaking around. The mural letters began emitting a bright light, which gradually bathed the tomb''s dark interior with light.

    This place had transformed into what seemed like outer space.

    Su-hyeun scanned his surroundings in amazement. This transformation wasn''t as simple as the mural''s colors changing to emit some bright lights.

    "This is a completely different space."

    Simply put, the tomb was merely a passageway¡ªone that led into this unknown space.

    And the key to opening the passageway was none other than Su-hyeun himself.

    "So, you''re finally here."

    Su-hyeun observed a man that suddenly appeared before him.

    He would recognize that face anywhere.

    The man was completely naked with not a thread on him. He must''ve been sitting until now, as he was slowly getting back up to his feet.

    This man had the same face as Su-hyeun.

    "You''re Brahma?"

    "Who else could I be?"

    Even the voice was the same.

    This act of staring at another "him" felt odd, to say the least.

    "In that case, what am I?"

    "You''re also me."

    "So, I''m also Brahma?"

    "No, you''re¡­ Right, you''re Kim Su-hyeun."

    What a vague answer that was neither here nor there.

    When Su-hyeun asked him if he was Brahma, the naked man said yes. Then, he went on to say that Su-hyeun was also him.

    So why did he say no to the question of Su-hyeun being Brahma?

    "I don''t get what you''re trying to say here."

    "You came from me, so you''re me."

    "But you said I was not only a second ago?"

    "But that''s because you don''t think that way," Brahma smirked at Su-hyeun. "Am I wrong?"

    "I see. I am you, yet I''m also Kim Su-hyeun. I think I get it now. For sure, you do know me pretty well."

    "You look happy, though."

    "And you sound like an immature little kid. Even though you must be older than anyone in existence."

    "People speak like adults only because they don''t want to be belittled by others. However, I don''t care about things like that."

    "Makes sense. Who in their right mind would belittle a Primordial God, anyway?" Su-hyeun shrugged his shoulders and then walked up Brahma.

    Once their distance narrowed, a table and two chairs materialized out of thin air. Brahma had created them.

    These were not illusory but actual physical objects.

    Su-hyeun stared at them in some amazement and asked, "Is this the power of creation?"

    "The godhood of creation is the only power I possess."

    "Your only power? Really?"

    "What? You thought I''d be an incredible fighter like Shiva or something?"

    Su-hyeun had always assumed that to be the case, but after hearing this new revelation, he had to pause and think about it for a moment. He then nodded in acceptance.

    This certainly made sense.

    Brahma''s role was to create, while Shiva''s role was to destroy.

    These two gods were in charge of the creation and destruction of the universe, fated to repeat this cycle over and over again. Therefore, the two of them possessed powers that best suited their roles.

    "Still, something doesn''t seem right."

    "About what?"

    "Not only do I not have the power of creation, but I''m also pretty handy in fights. But then, I''m the same existence as you, Brahma of Creation?"

    Brahma turned silent at that.

    "So, tell me something, Brahma, just what the hell is going on with this version of the universe?" Su-hyeun threw out the one question he was dying to ask the Primordial God of Creation.

    * * *

    "You did well finding this place, Lord Zeus."

    Zeus, silently waiting in front of the tomb for a long while, turned his head at that familiar voice.

    Buddha was standing there. With his hands resting behind his back, Zeus asked the aged god, "Where have you been, Lord Buddha?"

    "I was searching for the One Overlord."

    Zeus''s brows rose slightly at that reply.

    He had been wondering why Buddha was seemingly traveling around everywhere. He had no idea that it was to locate the elusive One Overlord.

    Buddha asked, "We need to know how much time we have left, after all. Don''t you agree?"

    "Where is that creature, then?"

    "Almost here."

    "When you say almost¡ª?"

    "It could be a hundred years, or maybe a few decades. If not, it could also be tomorrow."

    "Meaning, at minimum, we only have around one hundred years?"

    "So you did understand."

    Zeus''s expression became grave at Buddha''s reply.

    One hundred years?

    Such a period was long enough for a person''s life to start and end. However, to these gods, a century was not long at all.

    These beings enjoyed a near-eternal life. They had been in existence almost since the creation of this universe, so a century to them was akin to a single day to regular people.

    "At the minimum..."

    Not only that, but a century was the minimum?

    This was far less time than they had anticipated.

    Buddha changed the subject next, "And so, what about Lord Brahma?"

    "They should''ve met by now."

    "Is that so?"

    Even this meeting had come sooner than expected.

    Su-hyeun and Brahma were two beings who were the same but at the same time different, and they were meeting right now.

    Finally, this moment had come.

    Buddha brought his hands together and muttered quietly, "Soon, it shall be decided. I wonder, what result will be in store for us?"

    "Yeah, I wonder about that, too."

    Buddha and Zeus turned their heads at the same time at that voice.

    A Thunderbolt materialized in Zeus''s grip with a loud "bzzz" sound as he guarded his back. Buddha also stopped pressing his palms together and prepared for a battle.

    A presence had approached them without alerting anyone and was now addressing them.

    This presence didn''t seem to care about the two gods'' readiness as he continued with his muttering, "I''m also looking forward to this."

    This new intruder had an all-too-familiar face.

    The two gods had never met this being before. Even so, they still could think of a particular existence that they had heard of only in name.

    Zeus aimed with his Thunderbolt, then slowly said, "You must be Shiva."

    This revelation seemed like a foregone conclusion.

    "What about it?"

    This being didn''t even bother to deny it.

    It was true then.

    Brahma and Shiva were beings that stood diametrically opposed to one another, yet they possessed the same faces.

    However, the glare in his eyes or his slightly twisted grin made Shiva look like a completely different person altogether.

    "What brings you here, Shiva?"

    "Well, isn''t it only normal for me to be interested? My family is in there, after all."

    "If you''re thinking of interfering¡ª"

    Just as Zeus was about to finish his sentence...

    Slice¡ª

    Pazzzzik¡ª

    Zeus''s midriff was cut wide open, causing orange-gold arcs of electricity to explode in every direction.

    "So what?" Shiva, not even wielding his weapon, asked while dismissively waving his hand around. "What will you do about it?"

 Chapter 533 - 533

    Flash¡ª!

    Pazzzik, hisssss¡ª

    For a moment there, a blinding ray of light exploded.

    Zeus''s chopped waist reverted to how it was. The Thunderbolt in his hand was still there, but its form was unstable.

    Drip¡ª

    Blood trickled down from his waist.

    The extent of the wound was seemingly nothing more than a bit of scratch. However, it had been such a long time since Zeus was wounded like this.

    "Shiva, your hand is surprisingly spicy, isn''t it?"

    "This is nothing much."

    "Still, it''s only polite for me to respond in kind, isn''t it?"

    Rumble, bang¡ª!

    Clouds formed from the skies above¡ªno¡ªfrom the ceiling, and lightning cracked loudly. The ceiling up there was too low to be called the "sky," but things like locations didn''t matter at all to Zeus.

    Grrrrrr¡ª

    A low growl of a dragon reverberated throughout the surroundings.

    [Thunder Dragon]

    A massive golden-orange dragon descended from the clouds.

    This massive dragon was long enough to fill up the place. The electrical current arcs filling the underground space began scorching the surroundings pitch-black with the sole exception of the tomb.

    "At least you live up to the title of the Five Godly Sages," Shiva smiled faintly while observing the Thunder Dragon.

    His expression implied how amused he was by all this.

    That was the face of someone who didn''t feel threatened at all. Realizing the meaning behind Shiva''s expression, Zeus''s brows shot up. Then, he raised his hand in the air. "Let''s see how long you can keep that expression of yours," he challenged.

    Just before the Thunder Dragon heeded his hand gesture and descended, however...

    "That''s enough. Don''t you think so?"

    Shiva raised both of his hands.

    His lighthearted gesture was meant to signal the end of the hostilities for now. Buddha, who was about to attack, acted unlike his usual self and began frowning rather profoundly, "What''s on your mind, Shiva?"

    "I never planned to fight you two from the beginning. I simply responded to your threatening words."

    Indeed, it was true that Zeus spoke threateningly as soon as they met.

    If Shiva merely responded to the threat, it kind of made sense. Without a doubt, Shiva could''ve lashed out with a more powerful attack, but he chose not to.

    Zeus also stopped his hand by then. The Thunder Dragon stopped moving altogether to match him; its massive body coiled up as it floated in the air above.

    Shiva continued to speak, "Honestly, it''s fine for me either way, but fighting you two right now will be a bit of a loss for me."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Well, there''s something like that. In any case, what''s your answer?"

    Zeus fell into a dilemma at Shiva''s question.

    Shiva¡ªtheir main enemy who stood as the chief instigator leading this universe to its destruction¡ªwas right before his eyes.

    Finding him proved to be a difficult task. Up until now, only Shiva''s name and the meaning behind his existence had been known to them. Today would be the first time he appeared so openly like this.

    Meaning this was a great opportunity.

    Even so...

    "Zeus, we should stay our hands."

    When Buddha''s voice was transmitted inside Zeus''s mind, the Olympian god nodded in agreement.

    Fighting in this location was asking for trouble.

    They would have to fight while doing their best not to damage the tomb in the current situation. They already didn''t enjoy favorable odds against Shiva, so insisting on fighting here would only disadvantage them even further.

    Pazzzzik¡ª

    The figure of the massive Thunder Dragon that filled up the underground space vanished without a trace.

    Once Shiva realized that Zeus had no intention of fighting him, he withdrew his attention from the Olympian god. His gaze remained locked on the tomb where Brahma should be asleep.

    "You did well by holding back, Lord Zeus," Buddha''s voice continued.

    "Even if the location weren''t here, it would''ve been the same situation."

    "Yes, I''m aware of that."

    The fact remained the same whether it was before or now¡ªthey had to find and kill Shiva. However, that didn''t mean Zeus could start fighting Shiva without a plan.

    "This ominous energy that sends shivers down my skin..."

    The powerful aura Shiva began emitting after announcing his presence even made Zeus''s body shudder.

    "So, this is the being in possession of the Godhood of Destruction?"

    Creation and destruction¡ªthese two opposing godhood were unique powers possessed only by the two Primordial Gods.

    As for the true depths of the power of Shiva, a Primordial God in possession of the absolute authority called destruction, no one in the current era knew how strong he was, with the sole exception of Brahma.

    One could only gleam his power through the remnants of the past universes destroyed by his hands.

    "We need to amend our plans from the ground up."

    The Five Godly Sages had been underestimating Shiva. This creature was not something even Zeus and Buddha combined could deal with.

    Just how many beings in the current universe would be strong enough to fight this monstrosity?

    They could think up of one being, at least.

    "The Bull Demon King!"

    The Bull Demon King already possessed strength rivaling the Five Godly Sages even before his ascension, so he could be strong enough to fight against Shiva right now.

    "If you never intended to fight us, why are you here?"

    Instead of fighting, Buddha chose to converse.

    Shiva, no longer interested in the two gods, replied while not bothering to shift his gaze away from the tomb, "My reason is the same as yours."

    "You wish to confirm the result with your own eyes?"

    Shiva nodded in answer.

    Since he looked like he would merely watch and do nothing else, Buddha decided not to remain wary of Shiva for now.

    However, he still had one more thing to say: "You may not get the result you''ve been waiting for, Shiva."

    "Is that so?" Shiva pondered something for a little bit before the corner of his lips curled up as if something amused him, "But that will also put you in a bind."

    ***

    "So, where should I even start," Brahma frowned deeply as if uncertain about something, his lips pouting noticeably.

    Su-hyeun couldn''t get used to that sight, however. He believed that he now carried the air of maturity and seriousness, but to see the same face as his own making a child-like expression like that...

    "Right, I should begin from why you had to be created in the first place."

    "Why I was created, you say?"

    "Yup."

    The surrounding scenery began changing as soon as Brahma replied.

    This wasn''t as simple as an illusion, however. The changing scenery was new physical surroundings being created while they remained sitting still.

    "I keep creating things like the world you and your friends call home. When Shiva destroys it, I create it again. As soon as I''m done, I start planning for the next universe."

    "The next universe?"

    "Yup."

    "What do you mean?"

    "You know, like planning what kind of world I''ll be making, what kind of humans and their assigned fates I should create... Those kinds of things."

    Su-hyeun suddenly realized that Brahma was not as simple as a "mere" god of creation when he heard that.

    He even assigned the fate of the world?

    Meaning regular people who were not strong enough to change their fate or some specific realms had no choice but to act according to Brahma''s plan.

    "I guess the term omnipotent was invented for exactly this type of existence."

    Brahma didn''t possess the necessary power to interfere in the worlds he had created. However, that was because he didn''t come equipped with other notable abilities other than Godhood of Creation.

    Nonetheless, Brahma was the strongest omnipotent being in the entire universe. Not only did he create universes, but he could also decide the universe''s fate as he saw fit.

    It was basically the same as Brahma controlling Su-hyeun''s homeworld and even the universe itself.

    "Why are you suddenly telling me this, Brahma?"

    "While in the middle of planning for the next universe, I suddenly began thinking about something."

    "About what?"

    "I create the next universe under the condition that the current one needs to be destroyed..."

    Brahma''s role began from the genesis of the very first universe.

    Only after a truly uncountable length of time¡ªonly after he reached this universe¡ªdid he begin getting second thoughts about his role.

    Sizzle¡ª

    A cigarette materialized in Brahma''s hand, then lit up. He took a long drag from the cigarette before letting out all the smoke.

    A buck-naked man puffing on a cigarette? It wasn''t exactly a pleasant sight to behold if Su-hyeun was honest here.

    Brahma must''ve known about it, too, since he began smirking while looking at Su-hyeun''s expression. "I got it. I got it. Even though this is breezy and comfortable for me, it can''t be helped since you seem to find me awkward to look at."

    Shuruk, shuuuk...

    Simple-looking clothing appeared on Brahma¡ªa white tee shirt and jeans. What an easy-going style that was.

    "You cool now?"

    "You didn''t have to do that."

    "It''s not something difficult, anyway. Ah, before I forget. I like smoking once in a while. See, the thing is, planning for the next universe is a lot harder than it looks. I find it rather relaxing to have a cigarette or two during my breaks."

    Brahma sucked in another lungful of smoke before continuing, "Okay, so, where were we?¡ªAh, right, Shiva''s role is to destroy; mine is to create. Shiva will wake up and start the process of the universe''s destruction only after judging this universe to be no longer worthy of existence.

    "I keep planning things out until a universe is about to be destroyed, but well, even I can''t come up with something perfect, you see. Once Shiva decides that the universe is broken¡ªthat it has strayed down the wrong path¡ªhe will start moving."

    "Fine. But what does that have to do with me?"

    Rather than directly answering the question, Brahma suddenly asked a question of his own, "Is it truly necessary for the universe I created to be destroyed?"

    Su-hyeun couldn''t reply.

    Of course, he believed that the universe must survive, and that judgment was compelling him to act like this, too.

    The thing was, Brahma''s question had nothing to do with Su-hyeun''s thoughts.

    "Even if the old universe gets erased and a new one is born, will it be better than the old one? Besides, why is Shiva destroying the universes I''ve been creating? Why is he the one deciding that the universes I planned and created to be inadequate and broken?"

    "Wow, you sure thought up of that quickly, haven''t you?"

    "Guilty as charged. Why couldn''t I have thought of that earlier? That''s why I''m thinking of deciding it for myself from this moment on."

    "What?"

    "For that purpose, though, I must see and witness it for myself. That''s what I thought. While doing that, I still have to do my original job, planning the next universe."

    "So, you chose to delegate that role?"

    "I''ve already finished drawing up the next universe. However, I don''t know what the current universe looks like¡ªbecause that was your role."

    When Su-hyeun realized that his role was that of a being meant to decide whether or not the universe deserved to exist, he felt his breathing clogging up.

    Now that he thought about it, it was all true.

    He had always been deeply connected to the worlds he used to live in. Some of his past lives were like Set or Cheon Mu-jin, who hated their worlds, while others were the complete opposite of them, like Su-hyeun.

    One being''s judgment would decide the fate of this universe, that was, whether it would continue to exist or get destroyed.

    "That''s the reason why I was separated from you?"

    "Separated from me, hmm? I guess you could say that. However, it isn''t exactly that, either."

    "What do you mean?"

    "You might have been separated from me, or it''s me who got separated from you, you see. Who was the original, and who came later is impossible to tell."

    Originally, Brahma had only one role: planning the next universe then creating it. However, Brahma divided that role into two: the creation and judgment of the universe''s worth¡ªwhether it was worth saving or not.

    While Brahma was tasked with the creation, Su-hyeun''s job was to decide the worth of the current universe.

    Su-hyeun felt relieved and thought this was a favorable turn of events, then opened his mouth to speak, "In that case, we don''t need to flap our gums for a long preamble. I''ve already decided, after all."

    "No, that''s not how it works," Brahma shook his head. "We make that decision together."

    "Together, you say?"

    "The thing is, I still don''t know anything about the universe you saw and experienced."

    "Well, what will you do about it, then?"

    "We combine, obviously," Brahma replied while dropping the finished cigarette. "Back to our original self, that is. That was the plan, after all."

    Brahma extended his hand.

    It was the hand that held the cigarette. It was also the hand created even before this universe was born¡ªa hand created in the past beyond one''s comprehension to grab hold of Su-hyeun.

    Feeling like he was entranced by something, Su-hyeun got up from the chair and then extended his hand toward Brahma''s waiting hand.

    But in the middle of this...

    "Here''s the thing, though..."

    Squeeze¡ª

    Reaching out, Su-hyeun began clenching his fist and then retracted his extended hand.

    "About that plan? That''s got nothing to do with me."

 Chapter 534 - 534

    "What did you say?"

    "It''s a plan only you conceived and acted on, so is there a reason for me to go along with it?"

    Su-hyeun''s flat but confident reply caused a flustered expression on Brahma''s face.

    Su-hyeun didn''t reach out to grab Brahma''s extended hand. However, this act alone threw a massive spanner in the plan Brahma had thought up of even before the current universe was born.

    "What do you mean, I alone planned it? In the end, you are me, and I am¡ª"

    "That''s like, your opinion," Su-hyeun abruptly cut Brahma off. "I will be the one to make that decision. Besides that, you said you don''t have any other powers other than the power of creation, didn''t you? Meaning it doesn''t sound like you''ll be much of help, anyway."

    "You wish to walk a different path from mine?"

    "Just think of it as a person called Su-hyeun was created from you. You''re Brahma, while I''m Kim Su-hyeun. Something like that."

    "But how is that even¡ª?"

    "It''s my call. When I think about it, there''s no reason why I should hold that hand of yours, you see?"

    Reach out and hold Brahma''s hand, then leave the fate of this universe to his discretion?

    Su-hyeun had no reason to go along with it if that had been Brahma''s plan all along. Not to forget, there was no guarantee of Su-hyeun''s ego remaining once they combined back together.

    "The odds of him making a different decision than me are uncomfortably high," Su-hyeun thought.

    The current Su-hyeun was the combined lives of Kim Sung-in and Kim Su-hyeun. Thus, he held an even bigger attachment to life itself.

    That wasn''t so surprising, however.

    Even if he could recall his past lives, they were still nothing more than his past. Those existences were different people from the current him.

    All those events happened a long time ago, which meant the emotions he felt back then would have faded into obscurity by now. Therefore, it was only apparent that he would have a more significant attachment to the current life and decide based on that.

    However, it was a different story for Brahma.

    He would surely check all the lives and make an objective decision based on what he saw. He would take the emotions out of the equation and then think about whether this universe was worth saving or not.

    This was what Su-hyeun felt.

    "I''m not confident about it at all."

    While living through so many disparate lives, Su-hyeun held similar beliefs as Shiva far too many times to count properly. He also had a view that a world as terrible as this should be destroyed¡ªjust like Set or Cheon Mu-jin, who harbored rage in their hearts and hated the world and its people.

    Would Brahma still think about protecting the universe after learning about their life stories? If he were to be asked about that very topic, then he wouldn''t be able to answer with any certainty.

    "This is deviating a bit from the plan, though," Brahma began scratching his head. However, a short while of deep pondering later, he nodded in acceptance, "Well, I guess it can''t be helped. I should respect your opinion, too."

    "I''m surprised that you accepted it so easily."

    "It''s not like I can subdue you with my strength, after all. Besides, we don''t have a reason to fight, anyway."

    "Aren''t you unhappy about all the time you invested in your plan going down the drain?"

    "Are you asking me that even though you know how long I''ve existed?"

    Su-hyeun fell into a pool of thought at Brahma''s question before nodding along.

    Although he couldn''t understand everything clearly, he could still instinctively figure it out. To Brahma, this universe was simply one of countless many that had repeated itself.

    "However, I do have a condition."

    "A condition?"

    "You need to convince me, too." Brahma''s expression quickly morphed into that of curiosity. "When you do that, I shall also tell you what is going on with this universe."

    **

    Shu-wuwuwu...

    The scenery surrounding Su-hyeun reverted to the beginning¡ªthe tomb''s interior with murals painted on the walls.

    The mural recorded the history of this universe and the ones that came before it. It even had records of Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu.

    Su-hyeun took his time studying them, then turned around to leave the tomb.

    That was when he saw two familiar faces waiting for him.

    "Buddha''s also here."

    It felt like they were running into each other pretty often lately.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "Mm?"

    However, the two gods didn''t try to say anything.

    Other than staring intently at Su-hyeun while making tense expressions, they didn''t do anything particular or try to talk to him.

    How strange.

    "What''s the matter with you two?"

    "If you don''t mind me asking, which one are you?"

    "Sorry?" Su-hyeun was puzzled at Zeus''s question.

    But he figured it out one beat later.

    "So, they already knew," Su-hyeun thought.

    Was it because they were in the group called Five Godly Sages?

    Su-hyeun wasn''t sure how it came about, but it seemed that they knew about Brahma''s plan all along.

    "Even though they knew, they withheld that information from me, is that it?"

    That certainly ticked Su-hyeun off a little.

    It wasn''t to the point of resenting them, but there was not much he could do about feeling somewhat upset over it.

    The corners of Su-hyeun''s lips curled up. Then, he put on the expression of a mischievous and carefree kid that Brahma was making not too long ago. "Hmm, who knows?"

    Step, step¡ª

    After making his reply, Su-hyeun walked past the two gods.

    Zeus and Buddha, still deeply tense, began following Su-hyeun.

    Zeus, who brought Su-hyeun here, asked while looking deeply worried, "Were you unable to come to a decision yet?"

    "Yes."

    That wasn''t a lie. Brahma hadn''t made a decision yet, after all.

    Except that they didn''t know the current Su-hyeun was not Brahma but still Kim Su-hyeun.

    "Shiva stopped by not too long ago," Buddha suddenly said, rather than asking about Su-hyeun''s opinion.

    Su-hyeun had been thinking of fooling them for a bit longer, but what Buddha said forced his steps to come to a standstill. "Shiva was here?"

    "Yes. And it''s been around five minutes since he disappeared."

    Five minutes? That more or less matched the length of time Su-hyeun spent checking out the tomb''s murals.

    It meant that he went away as soon as Su-hyeun''s conversation with Brahma ended.

    "How did he know when to come here, though?" he wondered.

    It could very well be that he knew about the exact location of Brahma''s whereabouts since the beginning. Without that explanation, it would be hard to figure out how to get the timing right.

    "But why did he go away without doing anything?"

    That question popped up in Su-hyeun''s mind, so he asked both Zeus and Buddha, but they shook their heads in sync. "We are not sure, either."

    If Shiva was aware of Brahma''s plan, he was also most likely aware of Su-hyeun becoming his enemy.

    Shiva''s purpose was to destroy the universes Brahma created.

    The only reason he began to act was that he judged that this universe was no longer worthy of existing.

    "Even so, he went away without causing a scene?"

    Questions after questions filled up Su-hyeun''s head.

    "It''s weird to think that Shiva can''t do anything to Brahma because that will mean that Brahma can''t touch Shiva, either."

    However, according to what Brahma implied, that didn''t seem to be the case.

    Su-hyeun stood there and thought about it for a good few minutes but couldn''t come up with a plausible explanation.

    His already complicated thoughts became even more tangled up now.

    Just what did Shiva want?

    **

    Su-hyeun continued to have fun at Zeus and Buddha''s expense before finally coming clean by telling them what happened during his chat with Brahma.

    The two gods looked surprised to hear what happened, but their reactions were quite positive at the same time.

    "Although it''s not the best outcome, it certainly is the second-best result we could''ve hoped for."

    "Is that something you should say in front of the party involved?"

    "Ah, I see. That''s how it is, isn''t it? We can only apologize for that," Zeus laughed awkwardly at Su-hyeun''s retort.

    In any case, they seemed to be welcoming the current development. Even if they didn''t get Brahma''s help, they could still count on a dependable ally in Su-hyeun.

    It wasn''t as if they had no way to request Brahma''s help.

    "It''s been a while, you two."

    "Yes, indeed, it''s been too long, oh Lord Brahma."

    "Good to see you again, Lord Brahma."

    Zeus and Buddha knelt politely toward a small ball of light floating above Su-hyeun''s head.

    The ball of light was Brahma''s soul. He had divided his soul into a smaller piece and attached it to Su-hyeun.

    He said he wanted to check out the universe he had created a long time ago through Su-hyeun''s daily interactions.

    Despite saying it had been a while, their greetings and the subsequent goodbyes were kept brief.

    Su-hyeun returned home afterward.

    "Just when did you even meet Zeus and Buddha?"

    He asked that while taking his clothes off to get ready for a shower.

    The ball of light replied to his question.

    "Those two sought me out first."

    "They did?"

    "The creation and destruction of this universe are involved, after all. For those who thought that their lifespan would be infinite and the world they ruled would also exist for that long, it''s only natural for them to fear the knowledge of an end existing for everything."

    "To stop that eventuality, they sought you out?"

    "Yup. I made sure they would¡ªboth of them."

    Su-hyeun, taking off his clothes, stopped moving for a second.

    Brahma ensured they would?

    That could only mean that Zeus and Buddha being born and then finding Brahma were all according to the Primordial God''s plan.

    "Are they also a part of the plan you told me about?"

    "Yup. Only then would they have created the system, after all."

    "Which means you''re the architect of the system, then."

    "About half of that claim is correct."

    "Only half?"

    "Master Subhuti wasn''t a part of my plan, you see."

    Su-hyeun, about to turn the tap on for hot water, got a fresh shock from that revelation.

    It was already surprising to learn that Zeus and Buddha were a part of Brahma''s plan, but unlike the two gods, Master Subhuti was outside the Primordial God''s plan.

    "Does that mean my brothers are also...?" he thought.

    Since Master Subhuti was an existence beyond the scope of Brahma''s plan, that would mean both Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King, who practiced the Sage Arts, were in the same situation.

    This would also mean that Su-hyeun learning the Sage Arts was also outside of the scope of Brahma''s plan.

    "Was this the real reason why they weren''t happy about me learning the Sage Arts?"

    The Tower of the trials and the system were a collaborative effort by Master Subhuti and the rest of the Five Godly Sages.

    The current version of the system was Su-hyeun''s handiwork. However, even if that was the case, he shouldn''t forget that the Five Godly Sages wanted to strengthen him through the prior version of the system.

    The architect of that plan was, of course, Brahma. The plan would''ve been pretty much on track until this point.

    "However, things went wrong from the 60th floor."

    More correctly, it had been when Su-hyeun began learning the Sage Arts from the Bull Demon King.

    From Master Subhuti to the Bull Demon King and then from the Bull Demon King to Su-hyeun, the variable called the Sage Arts forced Brahma''s plan to deviate significantly. Also, the other gods, including Zeus and Buddha, would''ve found it challenging to predict just where this deviation would have taken them.

    Just how would their universe change from this deviation? Would Brahma''s plan change to something good or something terrible?

    "If Master Subhuti didn''t butt in Brahma''s plan, then..."

    The more Su-hyeun learned about him, the more amazing Master Subhuti seemed to become.

    His academic knowledge was expansive enough to base the construction of the Tower''s system on it. Also, he managed to create the trials so incredibly varied that not even Su-hyeun could figure them out, despite the latter successfully repairing the system.

    Even the term "genius" was inadequate to describe Master Subhuti.

    "To think that a single human managed to disrupt a Primordial God''s plan¡­"

    Out of billions, trillions, quadrillion¡ªof countless humans existing throughout the universe''s history that one couldn''t possibly try to count, just one person among so many managed to create a school of cultivation that could exceed even the Primordial God responsible for constructing this vast universe.

    Just what was Master Subhuti thinking of back then?

    If only they could meet again, Su-hyeun would''ve rushed over there to ask, but he couldn''t, and that disappointed him rather greatly.

    "It''s not like there''s no other way, though."

    Shwaaaa¡ª

    Su-hyeun thought about what to do while letting the warm water hit him.

    Then, he had a realization.

    The existence from the future, the one he encountered through the eyes of clairvoyance, and the existence waiting for Su-hyeun''s arrival at the top of the Tower created by Master Subhuti were the same being.

    Something told Su-hyeun that this being would clarify what Master Subhuti was thinking of all along.

    Now that the warm water managed to wash away a lot of his complicated thoughts, Su-hyeun''s eyes regained their previous gleam once more.

    "Wait for me."

    I''ll climb up there as soon as possible and speak to you myself.

 Chapter 535 - 535

    "Where did you say this was?"

    "Earth. And inside the city called Seoul, located in South Korea of that planet."

    "There are so many people here. I reckon there must be at least one thousand people in this place."

    Currently, in the middle of Seoul''s busy Myeong-dong district, Su-hyeun, wearing a surgical mask and a beanie, was quietly walking within the gaggle of a bustling crowd.

    A bright ball of light was floating next to him. Although no one else could see it, this ball was Brahma.

    "It kind of feels like I''ve become a criminal somehow," Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun never had to walk around while covering his face to this extent.

    Not only did he not have much free time to roam around busy streets like this, but he was never a big fan of bustling areas to begin with.

    Besides, he could directly travel to his destinations whenever needed, making it almost impossible for the others to track him down.

    "To think that I now have to work as a guide, even though I''ve never done it before..."

    Since he had lived countless many lives, it shouldn''t come as a surprise to learn that he worked as a guide in one of them.

    But he never expected to act as one during this lifetime. If a guide were needed, it would be him needing one instead.

    However, he needed to show Brahma the sights of this world, leaving him with no choice but to leisurely walk around the city.

    "It''s so crowded and noisy¡ªbustling, too."

    "It sure is."

    "Are other places like this?"

    "No, not all of them. Some are a complete opposite, as in quiet and secluded. I prefer those types of places. Even so, this is where you''ll find lots of people."

    What Su-hyeun needed to show Brahma was "people."

    The first and the most important pretext that determined whether this universe should be destroyed or spared was the creatures inhabiting the said universe.

    "No, not these people."

    "Mm?"

    "I can see things like this whenever I want, you know? Instead of this sight, I was hoping you could show me the world you saw and lived through. Show me the people you''ve experienced life with so far."

    Brahma spoke with such curiosity.

    That made sense, though.

    From the get-go, Brahma should''ve had the ability to check out the world he had created. Su-hyeun could check out the status of his homeworld, after all.

    Yet, Brahma insisted on seeing the world through Su-hyeun''s eyes. There could be only one reason for that.

    It was to see and judge the world not through an omnipotent point of view but as just another person among many.

    "Well, that''s not a difficult request, but..."

    Su-hyeun began scratching his head.

    When he heard that demand, a thought suddenly popped up into his mind, "Wow, my circle of acquaintances is quite small."

    Su-hyeun had lived a hectic life. Needless to say, even back then, as Kim Sung-in, he didn''t know that many people personally. He began counting them in his head one by one.

    Lee Ju-ho, Choi Hak-joon, Thomas, the other members of the Paragon Guild...

    His mother, Shin Su-yeong¡­

    Also...

    "I guess the owner of the cafe that I frequent?"

    He began wondering whether or not he should include people like that as his group of acquaintances.

    Who else did he know?

    While Su-hyeun continued to dig through his memories, Brahma suddenly addressed him, "No need to think too deeply about it. Just think about the people who influenced you the most. It doesn''t matter whether in a good or bad way."

    "Someone who influenced me, hmm?"

    "Yeah. Just those people who had made an impact in your life so far."

    That sounded pretty reasonable. Instead of the people he thought until now, Su-hyeun began recalling everyone who had influenced him one way or the other.

    The Bull Demon King, Sun Wukong, Lee Ju-ho...

    And then there was¡­

    "Mother," Su-hyeun thought.

    Not Shin Su-yeong but Kim Sung-in''s mother...

    He recalled Yun Hui-yeon.

    * * *

    Su-hyeun met various people afterward¡ªfirst, Lee Ju-ho, then Thomas, and even Gordon Rohan.

    Hak-joon was still stuck in the Tower, so it was impossible to meet up with him and say hello. He was currently second only to Su-hyeun in terms of floor count.

    "As for my brothers..."

    The Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong should still be back in the Path to Reincarnation. Then, he remembered that the Roc Demon King must be in the middle of the rice-planting season right about now.

    "It should be fine to talk to them later."

    With this, he was done with meeting his acquaintances. Since he didn''t have many people to meet, it didn''t take him long to go through the list.

    And so, only one person remained.

    "Mother."

    When he recalled his mother, he did not think about Shin Su-yeong but another woman who gave birth to him. That was the thought that abruptly popped up in his head.

    "Now that I think about it, I didn''t have a father during this life, too."

    During his life as Kim Sung-in, he couldn''t even remember his father''s face. He passed on just as Kim Sung-in was old enough to remember things.

    That was why he couldn''t recall a face or any recollection of their shared past. The same thing applied to this life.

    "He passed on when I reached 18, right?"

    He learned about that fact during his frequent chat with Shin Su-yeong. She used to talk about her husband reasonably often.

    Being 18 years old meant that he was not too young to remember. Never mind just their fathers'' faces, but ordinary people around that age should have quite a lot of shared memories to recall.

    But such a thing didn''t apply to Su-hyeun.

    "It would''ve been nice if I got to meet him..."

    That thought abruptly popped up in his mind, and he had to shake his head to get rid of it.

    It was a useless thought, anyway.

    Su-hyeun climbed into a bus. Hoofing it would''ve been so much faster. Still, he decided to use public transportation after thinking about doing things like how he used to in the past.

    His destination was Dong-ha University. He used to attend this place back when he was still Kim Sung-in.

    He hadn''t been here in such a long time, but the place seemed like it used to be in the past. The campus remained quite crowded even now. Su-hyeun checked the time and realized that classes must have been over for the lunch break.

    He suddenly remembered that he hadn''t had lunch, either. Although he wasn''t hungry, Dong-ha University''s cafeteria food was quite tasty if he remembered correctly.

    "Should I eat something first before leaving?"

    "Not sure what food you''re thinking of, but you should eat here if that''s what you did in the past," Brahma urged him.

    Su-hyeun wasn''t a stranger to the idea of eating alone, but to do that in a crowded university?

    He hesitated slightly but chose to head to the university''s cafeteria in the end. Since it wasn''t possible to eat with a mask on, he had to take it off. He pulled the beanie down and kept his head lowered as much as possible during his meal.

    He thought it was a waste of time to come here, but thankfully, the food tasted as good as he remembered. Several students glanced in his direction a couple of times during the meal. Maybe they recognized him or were suspicious of his identity.

    And after he quickly finished his meal...

    "Hah," Su-hyeun sighed deeply while walking away.

    Brahma asked, "What''s wrong?"

    "I''m nervous since it''s been a while."

    "But why?"

    "I guess you won''t understand since it doesn''t apply to you."

    The whole concept of having parents didn''t apply to Brahma.

    He was a Primordial God¡ªa god in charge of creation, no less. Every object in existence came from him, making Brahma the mother and father of all living things.

    And the relationship between Kim Sung-in''s mother, Yun Hui-yeon, and the current Su-hyeun was too complicated to explain properly. Explaining such a situation at length to Brahma, who only held the faintest idea on the concept of having parents, would be a total waste of time.

    "What should I say to her when I see her, though?" Su-hyeun contemplated.

    It''s been a while?

    However, they were not in any relationship where he could casually greet her like that. Su-hyeun might know who she was, but Yun Hui-yeon had no idea who he was.

    No, wait¡ªshe probably knew about him. Not too many people on Earth hadn''t heard of Su-hyeun''s name by now, after all.

    Even so, what should he say after suddenly showing up in front of her face?

    "Ah, right."

    Su-hyeun came up with a plausible pretext and then quickly walked toward his destination: Dong-ha University''s Dungeon Research Department.

    It was a newly established department that researched the cause of dungeon generation, awakener manifestation, and finally, the future of the dungeon exploration itself. The graduates sought out jobs in the fields related to locating dungeons, dealing with Ether stones, and managing the supply chain, plus other matters concerning awakeners.

    Yun Hui-yeon was the professor of this department.

    "It''s still the same."

    Su-hyeun didn''t major in this field in his previous life. However, the department was located in the same building as the course he attended, so the place felt familiar and nostalgic in some parts.

    He walked up the flight of stairs to reach the fifth floor. When he stepped inside the department office, the teaching assistant welcomed Su-hyeun first.

    "How can I help you?"

    The way the assistant stared at him was a bit weird.

    Only then did Su-hyeun remember that he was still wearing a black beanie and a white surgical mask.

    He pondered briefly about what to say here and then took the mask and the beanie off altogether.

    And when he did...

    "Hueeeouhk?!"

    "Is Professor Yun Hui-yeon in?"

    "T¡ªthe p¡ªprofessor... Y¡ªy¡ªyes! Her number is..."

    While the flustered assistant was stuttering and rambling, Su-hyeun crossed his arms and silently waited.

    The assistant called the professor on the phone and explained while stuttering that Kim Su-hyeun was in the office before entering full-on geek-out mode. The call didn''t continue for too long, though.

    "She should arrive soon, so I might as well wait here," he thought.

    He was a little scared.

    "Mother."

    He couldn''t be sure when he started calling her like that. Only after he reached middle school did he realize that the obvious-sounding title was a little different from what everyone else called their mothers.

    "Everyone else said ''mom'' and even spoke without honorifics."

    That was normal, after all.

    Most children would call their mothers "mom" and speak to them familiarly. Some of his old friends did use polite speech when addressing their mothers, but he couldn''t recall any of them saying "mother."

    Su-hyeun''s home¡ªno, Sung-in''s home was a bit unique in that regard. That was how strict and inflexible it was.

    Creak¡ª

    After a little bit of waiting, the department office''s door opened, and someone entered.

    It was Yun Hui-yeon.

    "How do you do?"

    As they greeted, Su-hyeun quickly scanned her and discovered something was off about Yun Hui-yeon.

    "She looks more fatigued than usual," he quietly observed.

    Thick dark circles were visible below her eyes. She seemed exhausted, and her hair was slightly unkempt, too.

    Something about her seemed to have changed.

    "How do you do, Mister Su-hyeun? I heard you were looking for me."

    "A¡ªah, yes. Nice to meet you."

    Su-hyeun extended his hand toward her while saying hello. She guided him into her lab.

    "You wish to help us out with our research?"

    "Yes. I''ve checked out your thesis, you see. Although I don''t know much, I still would like to help however I can."

    No one out there should know more than Su-hyeun when it came to the topics of awakeners, the system found inside the Tower, or even the matters of the dungeon.

    Yun Hui-yeon might be doing her best in the field of dungeon research, but Su-hyeun was probably the absolute expert in that field.

    "Although, I can''t tell her everything."

    He figured that it would be wiser to exclude the stuff about Shiva and Brahma and that he was responsible for restoring the system. If he revealed such things, it would only fuel the confusion and chaos even more instead.

    "This person is your mother?" Brahma asked again.

    Su-hyeun replied yes in his head. The ball of light floating around next to him circled Yun Hui-yeon for a little while.

    "You know, she''s different from the other mother you met earlier."

    "Well, that''s true."

    Yun Hui-yeon''s personality was the complete opposite of Shin Su-yeong''s.

    She was pretty conservative and rather inflexible, a perfectionist, and an authoritarian, too.

    She raised Sung-in to become a "perfect" human being. One could say that Yun Hui-yeon exerted the most significant influence in his life.

    "In the past, I was scared of her, yet now..."

    Su-hyeun studied Yun Hui-yeon''s back that seemed somewhat smaller than his memories.

    "Was she always this delicate, I wonder?"

    "I''m sorry?" Yun Hui-yeon, bringing out tea for both of them, asked in a surprised voice when she heard Su-hyeun''s quiet muttering.

    He quickly shook his head, "Ah, no, it''s nothing."

    "We have already met before, haven''t we?"

    Su-hyeun''s heart tumbled in his chest at Yun Hui-yeon''s follow-up question.

    However, his line of thinking that such an event couldn''t have been possible didn''t last for long.

    "You showed up at my place before, remember?"

    "Ah..."

    That was right. She talked about when he went to her house right after he regressed to the past.

    "A¡ªah, yes. That did happen."

    "Because you suddenly appeared and asked for someone named Kim Sung-in, I wondered who you could be. But one day, I started seeing you appearing on TV."

    "I apologize for showing up unannounced like that. I mixed up your address with a friend''s place, you see."

    "A friend''s place, you say..."

    She began mulling over Su-hyeun''s reply as a complicated expression floated upon her face.

    What was she thinking about?

    This uncomfortable bout of silence extended for a while. Since Yun Hui-yeon wasn''t willing to speak up first, all Su-hyeun could do was awkwardly fidget with the teacup and remain silent.

    Eventually, though, she broke the silence, "I''ve been having a dream since that day."

    "A dream?"

    "That day" must''ve been when Su-hyeun showed up at her doorstep.

    Yun Hui-yeon quietly muttered, "Yes," before continuing, "It''s a dream about my son named Kim Sung-in."

 Chapter 536 - 536

    It felt like time had come to a standstill.

    However, time probably hasn''t stopped flowing for real. Other than Su-hyeun feeling like his heart had tumbled to the pit of his stomach and his chest clogged up until he found it hard to breathe.

    "A dream?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Yun Hui-yeon dreamed about Kim Sung-in?

    The previous version of him, Kim Sung-in, was wiped clean from existence itself. At least, that was what Su-hyeun believed.

    Never mind Dong-ha University, even when he went to see Yun Hui-yeon at her house, she didn''t recognize Kim Sung-in''s existence. Most likely, it was the fault of reincarnation activating erroneously.

    That was why Su-hyeun chose not to think about Yun Hui-yeon anymore.

    He thought that since she no longer knew who he was, he shouldn''t butt into her life anymore.

    But now...

    "It seems that I said something I shouldn''t have. It''s just a dream, after all. It''s just that..."

    Su-hyeun, trying his best to maintain his composure, hurriedly waved his hand, "N¡ªno, it''s fine."

    "You said you''d like to help with my research, yes? There are a few things I need to prepare beforehand. Do you mind waiting for me for the time being?"

    "No, I don''t mind."

    Su-hyeun reached out toward the still-steaming teacup. Meanwhile, Yun Hui-yeon got up and exited the lab.

    Now left all alone in her lab, he wordlessly drank the tea. He figured that the reason why Yun Hui-yeon left the lab was probably that she found it too difficult to hide her expression anymore.

    "What happened?"

    What an innocent-sounding voice that was and bad timing, too.

    Su-hyeun briefly wondered if he should ignore it, but he replied in his mind after a soft sigh.

    "It looks like she remembers me."

    "You?"

    "The me before the regression, I mean."

    He thought such a thing was impossible.

    Not just in the citizen residence register, but not a single person remembered Kim Sung-in. That was the situation, so naturally, he believed that Yun Hui-yeon would not remember Kim Sung-in.

    Also, in truth, she didn''t remember Kim Sung-in until the day Su-hyeun showed up in front of her doorstep.

    "It doesn''t sound like she can remember it clearly, though."

    The recollections of one''s memories through their dreams wasn''t a particularly strange phenomenon, though. Now and then, you would find people claiming to have experienced their past lives through dreams, after all.

    However, Su-hyeun never believed in such a thing until he went through the process of regressing to the past.

    Yun Hui-yeon didn''t return for a long while.

    And maybe about 30 minutes later...

    "I''m sorry for keeping you waiting."

    Yun Hui-yeon came back to the lab with a noticeably better complexion than before.

    Su-hyeun got up, said it was fine, and then followed her out of the lab. She guided him to her car. They were headed to her personal laboratory, not the one provided by the university.

    "She''s still the same," he silently observed.

    Su-hyeun scanned the piles of research documents stacked inside her car.

    Most of the research data were about the dungeons and awakeners. They were things like the biological changes within the awakener''s body, research into the monsters that showed up often from the dungeon, their patterns, the most efficient ways to raid them, and so on.

    Yun Hui-yeon researched everything related to dungeons and awakeners. Su-hyeun recalled that she was pretty renowned throughout the world in this particular field.

    Indeed, she was an elite.

    And like her son, Su-hyeun had to be the same.

    That was how he grew up.

    * * *

    The old Korean adage said that a legless horse could travel a thousand leagues.

    A pun on the Korean word for a "horse" that sounded the same as "speaking" meant that rumors tend to travel quicker than an actual horse. It had its origins in the olden days when horses were the fastest means of travel. The expression embellished how fast words could spread around.

    However, that adage was definitely applicable in this day and age. Compared to the speed of information these days, horses were too slow.

    The rumor spread halfway across the planet in no time at all. According to the somewhat exaggerated talk, Professor Yun Hui-yeon was forming a research team with Kim Su-hyeun.

    "Sorry about this, big bro," Su-hyeun replied apologetically when Lee Ju-ho called him on the phone.

    The sudden news caused the many members of the Paragon Guild''s research team to call their guild master, and Su-hyeun felt he was somewhat responsible for that.

    "Dude, I''ve constantly been rejecting any requests for joint research up until now, but for you to go ahead and do this... Haaaah. What should I say now while saying no to them?"

    While the actual running of the Paragon Guild mainly was left to Lee Ju-ho, if the matter at hand was big enough, Gordon Rohan would also participate, and a couple more office workers would be brought in. However, the truth was, Lee Ju-ho was the heart of the operation.

    Unsurprisingly, some of the most renowned researchers in the world had reached out to the Paragon Guild in the past. They requested to know if the guild was interested in joint research with them.

    Since Su-hyeun was never interested in such a topic, he always said no early on in his career. It was the same for Hak-joon as he, too, was solely focused on climbing the Tower. As for Thomas, his personality wasn''t suited for research, while Gordon Rohan had his research department.

    In the end, Lee Ju-ho was left with no choice but to keep rejecting all the requests due to these reasons.

    "Just how far did the rumor spread, big bro?"

    "Come on, man. Don''t you know that they even took a photo of you having lunch in Dong-ha''s cafeteria? The university knows that the rumor of their professor working together with you would greatly benefit them. So yeah, obviously, they would actively spread the rumor."

    Su-hyeun honestly didn''t think that far ahead.

    The fault lay with him thinking only about establishing a potential connection with Yun Hui-yeon.

    "Things have gotten rather annoying, haven''t they?"

    "This is no longer on the level of annoying, though. Besides all that. Why did you even go there? Were you interested in Professor Yun Hui-yeon''s research? Is there something notable with it?"

    "I thought there''s nothing here, but I was wrong."

    "Eh? What?"

    "I must hang up now. It''s time to go inside, you see."

    "Hey, hold on for a sec. You need to tell me what''s going on so I can¡ª"

    Beep¡ª

    Su-hyeun quickly ended the call.

    Although it felt like he had dumped some annoying burden on Lee Ju-ho''s shoulders, he was more concerned with Yun Hui-yeon at the moment.

    "It''s already midnight."

    Su-hyeun helped with the research in Yun Hui-yeon''s private lab.

    He didn''t hold back on his advice regarding the patterns of monsters emerging from the dungeons. He even told her the process of a dungeon''s materialization and the structure of the "portals" connecting to different dimensions.

    He even spoke about the differences in the dungeon''s colors and the monsters showing up accordingly to match the color.

    Su-hyeun spent the rest of the day helping out with Yun Hui-yeon''s research.

    He only remembered her after Brahma asked him to meet the people he was close to. Still, through this meeting, he realized belatedly how amazing Yun Hui-yeon was.

    "This is amazing, ma''am. What you have here almost matches what I know or is even more systematic in some cases."

    "I''m greatly relieved to hear you say that. It seems that it was not a waste of my time, after all."

    This was Su-hyeun''s first time checking out her research in greater detail.

    It might have been the work of his mother, someone who should''ve been the closest person to him, but Su-hyeun never really paid attention to her work until now.

    "Now that I think about it, today is also our first time chatting for this long, isn''t it?" he inwardly processed.

    It had always been difficult.

    The person called his mother always stood at a distance from him. She was a stiff, unforgiving person. Even during mealtime, they would exchange a few words briefly to catch up, but that was about it. Even those chats involved the matters of his studies or other business-like affairs.

    "Sung-in, you''re the hope of this world."

    "You know, don''t you? The hero. The one who saves the world. You must become someone like that."

    She was that figure that always went the extra mile to turn Su-hyeun¡ªKim Sung-in¡ªinto an even more "perfect" being. It almost felt like she was a projection of himself. To him, Yun Hui-yeon really seemed like a person with zero shortcomings.

    The hours ticked by rather quickly. It was three in the morning.

    Yun Hui-yeon gasped in surprise after noticing the time, "Looks like I''ve made you stay until unreasonably late, Mister Su-hyeun."

    "It''s alright, ma''am. It''s not like I have anything special to do tomorrow, after all. Besides all that, don''t you have lectures to attend tomorrow?"

    "I was planning to stay up through the night, you see."

    "Even so, you should get some rest. I''ll wake you up in 30 minutes or so."

    For a while now, her eyes had been faltering noticeably as if she would fall asleep at any second. The dark circles below her eyes had gotten even more prominent despite her make-up.

    "I¡ªI''m alright, so we¡ª" Yun Hui-yeon apologetically waved her hand while saying she was fine, but she suddenly closed her eyes.

    She slumped halfway on her chair and fell asleep. Su-hyeun brought over a blanket from nearby and covered her back with it. It was indeed late in the night, but Su-hyeun was the real cause for her sudden slumber.

    "I need to confirm the truth, after all."

    What was about to happen wasn''t for the sake of showing Brahma. He needed to confirm just what kind of dream she was having.

    [Insight]

    Su-hyeun''s vision slipped into Yun Hui-yeon''s dreamscape.

    * * *

    Currently, inside a brightly lit spacious living room, a much-younger Yun Hui-yeon was carrying a baby in her arms.

    Su-hyeun recalled seeing the face of that baby in her arms in an old photo.

    "So I used to look like that, huh?"

    Indeed, that baby was Sung-in.

    Su-hyeun observed Yun Hui-yeon''s expression.

    What he saw surprised him.

    "I didn''t know she could make expressions like that."

    Yun Hui-yeon was lovingly staring at the baby Sung-in. She then began making funny faces to make her child laugh. Sung-in started to giggle at her facial expressions.

    She might have been his mother, but Su-hyeun didn''t know much about the range of Yun Hui-yeon''s expressions.

    She always maintained a strict and uncaring face. She didn''t seem to experience too many changes to her emotional state. All she talked about were straight-arrow, "righteous" things that you might find inside the pages of a dictionary.

    As such, many things could be learned from her. However, never mind any personal stories, but they rarely shared laughter or chatted about mundane stuff.

    Su-hyeun shifted his head to look elsewhere. That was where he found the current Yun Hui-yeon, the older self, observing her younger self with a tender expression on her face.

    "Has she been seeing this scene until now?"

    He was certain that the same scene happened in the past. This was most likely how Sung-in was brought up, after all.

    The time flow in Yun Hui-yeon''s dream was faster than in reality. Yun Hui-yeon was now somewhat older, while Sung-in had enrolled in an elementary school.

    Sung-in was currently kneeling on the floor.

    Yun Hui-yeon was standing before him, arms across her chest and her face visibly fuming. This was the Yun Hui-yeon Su-hyeun remembered.

    "Did you miss the supplemental school today?"

    "I¡ªI''m sorry..."

    "Your tutor called me on the phone. I shall teach you the lessons you missed out on today, but you must never miss the supplemental school ever again. The English school is more important than the others, so you must..."

    Her nagging continued for a long while.

    What a familiar scene this was.

    "And such a scene gradually became even more familiar, didn''t it?"

    There was his school, then supplemental schools, then another one, and then another school.

    Such a lifestyle continued until high school. Su-hyeun accepted such a life as if it was all normal.

    And it was due to Yun Hui-yeon''s influence.

    "Seeing how I still ended up in Dong-ha after going through all this, I guess I just wasn''t smart enough, huh?"

    The viewpoint continued to shift.

    Sung-in grew up and began attending the university. Dungeons manifested, and a few years later, he became an awakener.

    His career path changed, and as an awakener, Sung-in displayed his true worth. He stopped outbreaks several times, and people began calling him "hero."

    Yun Hui-yeon was incredibly proud of her son''s achievements.

    "This is weird."

    At this point, Su-hyeun began sensing the vague strangeness of this dream.

    "This isn''t mother''s memory."

    From a certain point on, the dream no longer involved Yun Hui-yeon.

    The person on display was Sung-in. The life he had lived, and even the moment of his death, were shown.

    "And now..."

    There was Sung-in, sitting on top of a mountain of monster corpses.

    "Let''s go and die."

    Sung-in approached Fafnir''s army right afterward.

    That was the battle in the already-destroyed world, fought by himself alone. It was a battle that no one else would have witnessed¡ªa battle that only Su-hyeun would''ve known about.

    Yet such a thing was being replayed inside Yun Hui-yeon''s dream.

    "I knew it; these are all my memories."

    How come his memories were being shown inside Yun Hui-yeon''s dream?

    With this, it was no longer possible to say that she still held onto some faint recollection of memories from before his regression. Memories that she should not know no matter what somehow found their way into her head.

    Sung-in''s memories continued to repeat themselves inside Yun Hui-yeon''s dream. She had to stand back one step away and watch, or become the dream''s Yun Hui-yeon and continue to swim inside the dreamscape.

    "Damn it."

    It became harder to watch.

    Crack, craaack¡ª

    Cracks suddenly began forming all over Yun Hui-yeon''s dreamscape. Her dream couldn''t continue and came to a stop.

    Shatter¡ª!

    A broken fragment of the dream fell into Su-hyeun''s open palm. As he suspected, this dream wasn''t natural.

    Somebody, or something, had artificially created this dream.

    "I don''t know who did this," Su-hyeun crushed the fragment while growling menacingly. "But once I find you...."

 Chapter 537 - 537

    Yun Hui-yeon slept for a long time.

    Su-hyeun didn''t try to wake her up, though. It must''ve been a restful slumber for her, something she hadn''t enjoyed in a while because her expression looked relaxed, and she seemed comfortable.

    Su-hyeun glanced at the corner of some bookshelf found inside her private lab. A small bag of medicine rested there.

    "She never took something as simple as cold medication in the past, yet now..."

    He walked up to the medicine bag.

    The pills inside came from her psychologist. She did look so much more wane and exhausted compared to before his regression, and as it turned out, things must''ve been very difficult for her.

    "Was it because of that dream?"

    Su-hyeun put the medicine back where he found it.

    Sometime later, Yun Hui-yeon opened her eyes. "Mm..."

    As soon as she woke up, she turned her gaze over to the wall clock out of pure habit. After confirming what time it was, she jumped up in surprise, "Ah, it''s already¡ª!"

    "But you were sleeping so soundly."

    Yun Hui-yeon didn''t admonish Su-hyeun for not waking her up. For her to do that would be uncalled for as he had given her a lot already. She had received enough help from him by now.

    Most importantly, she got to enjoy deep, restful sleep¡ªso restful, in fact, that she couldn''t recall the last time she had such a relaxing sleep.

    "And you were talking in your sleep, ma''am."

    "I''m sorry?"

    "Who is... Sung-in?"

    When she heard Su-hyeun''s question, Yun Hui-yeon began recalling her dream.

    It sounded like he had heard her talking in her sleep. After mulling over her answer for a while, Yun Hui-yeon smiled softly, "He''s my son."

    "You have a son?"

    "I had. But I suffered a miscarriage in the end."

    Of course, a miscarriage didn''t happen in the original timeline.

    Until now, Su-hyeun believed his previous life¡ªthe one before the regression or the existence of Kim Sung-in¡ªhad been cut off from the world and erased completely.

    Not even once did he think about the possibility of a miscarriage.

    "I had already thought up of a name, too¡­ Kim Sung-in. Meaning, I prayed he''d grow up into a fine adult. But then, he didn''t even get to see daylight."

    "Is that why he appears in your dreams?"

    "Since the day I first saw you, Mister Su-hyeun," Yun Hui-yeon smiled bitterly. "I''m not blaming you. But it is true. He shows up in my dream every night. Even though I know, I shouldn''t..."

    "What do you mean, you shouldn''t?"

    "I don''t... know how to love, you see."

    As she dreamed, she wallowed in regret.

    "I would have raised my son not as a simple child but as an excellent student. I thought that doing so was for my son''s sake. If he grew up into someone who exceeded his potential, then he would be even happier than I could imagine. I believed that doing so would be the best for him."

    "It''s all just a dream, ma''am."

    "Sometimes..." She covered her face with both of her hands. "I thought that it was actually for the best that I didn''t get to have him. If I did, I would have raised him that way."

    "Why do you think so?"

    "I believed that if you persevere, you''d be rewarded with happiness eventually, that you''d be recognized for your hard work someday. And that''s why I taught Sung-in to live that way, too." She was already thinking of her life in the dream as her real life. "It was all for his sake... that it was for his happiness in life, yet..."

    "It wasn''t?"

    "It wasn''t." Her voice took on the traces of tearful emotions. "I was so wrong..."

    For a long while afterward, she didn''t say anything else.

    As the silence continued, Su-hyeun''s hearing caught her whispering to herself.

    "I''m sorry," she said.

    Su-hyeun wanted to know what was in her heart. He wanted to know what she thought about him right at this moment.

    "I''m so sorry, Sung-in."

    She was filled with regret and sorrow, and she had been living in this sad state until now.

    "I''m alright."

    That just came out of Su-hyeun''s mouth.

    Even though he was the one that said it, Su-hyeun became flustered with himself. In response, the sobbing Yun Hui-yeon instantly raised her head. She was flustered as well.

    "What did you say?"

    "I¡ªI," Su-hyeun hesitated slightly before finally finishing what he meant to say, "I''m alright, mom."

    Yun Hui-yeon stared back at him in a daze before fat teardrops trickled down her cheeks again. For a brief moment just then, Su-hyeun had become her son once more.

    She probably had no idea of Su-hyeun''s reasoning for saying "mom," not "mother."

    At this moment, Su-hyeun was no longer afraid of Yun Hui-yeon.

    The word "mom" no longer terrified him like it used to.

    * * *

    Yun Hui-yeon cried for a while before falling asleep again.

    Su-hyeun left behind his phone number on a memo pad and then left her lab.

    The dawn air just before the sunrise was chilly. As Su-hyeun''s breath escaped his lips, he stuffed his hands inside his pockets.

    "That was really moving. Do you know that?"

    Brahma''s voice suddenly came to him.

    It suddenly dawned on Su-hyeun that he had forgotten all about something important: A spectator watched his interaction with Yun Hui-yeon.

    "Don''t be embarrassed. Didn''t I say it already? It doesn''t matter whether it''s you or me; we are one and the same."

    "I told you, I don''t think that way," Su-hyeun snapped back while feeling his face burning up.

    Brahma quickly clarified what he was trying to say, "What I''m saying here is, since she''s your mother, she''s mine, too."

    "Say what?" While thinking to himself, "Could it be," Su-hyeun quickly asked Brahma, "Have you come to a decision?"

    "Yeah."

    "But you''ve seen only a tiny portion of the universe."

    "That small portion was everything to someone, wasn''t it?"

    Su-hyeun''s eyes grew wider at that reply.

    "He''s really the same as me, isn''t he?" he thought.

    Brahma''s mindset was very similar to Su-hyeun''s.

    At first, Su-hyeun felt that their personalities were just too different. He didn''t get the feeling of familiarity or similarity from Brahma while the Primordial God spoke and expressed himself like a mischievous little kid.

    But seeing how they came to the same conclusion after witnessing the same thing, they certainly had similar aspects.

    "I guess that means there''s no need to take a long way, then."

    Brahma''s decision seemed like a spur-of-the-moment thing, but it wasn''t bad for Su-hyeun, overall.

    If the two of them were the same existences as alluded by Brahma, then this decision was an inevitable one, too.

    "In that case, why don''t you tell me the truth already? Stop hiding everything from me."

    "It will happen soon, anyway. I''m sure ''it'' will find out soon enough."

    Brahma''s ball of light floated above Su-hyeun''s head.

    Su-hyeun sensed that the Primordial God''s gaze was directed at the sky above.

    "He will soon be here, you see," Brahma said.

    "Who are you talking about?"

    "My parent, the one who created me."

    When Su-hyeun heard that, he muttered softly simultaneously with Brahma, "Vishnu."

    "Vishnu..."

    Brahma''s role was to create universes and, at the same time, plan for the next one.

    Shiva would start acting the moment he didn''t see the worth of the planned universe, eventually leading it to its demise.

    These two beings repeated this cycle in a perpetual loop. A new universe would always be born at the end of each cycle.

    But now, a player decided to join.

    "Why is Vishnu suddenly making an entrance?"

    "Because he''s probably the same as me."

    "The same as you? What do you mean?"

    "We are not machines, after all. His thoughts must''ve changed after such a long time has passed him by, just like how I chose to divide you and me."

    "Vishnu changed his mind. Is that what you''re saying?"

    "Yup. Father thinks that universes are no longer necessary. I can sense it."

    The one who planned for the universes through Brahma was, technically speaking, Vishnu. He created both Brahma and Shiva, after all.

    However, now, Vishnu didn''t want to see any more universes.

    "And so, he''s directly getting involved in the destruction."

    "Vishnu is the One Overlord, isn''t he?"

    "It''s good that you''re so quick on the uptake."

    "Not figuring it out by now will be stranger, you know."

    Shiva was one of the Three Destroyers.

    Only one other existence could be considered above him at this stage. However, Su-hyeun had thought that it was weird for Vishnu to be seen as a Predator, the enemy of the universe. However, if his purpose was the complete and utter destruction of the universe, the inclusion made sense.

    Vishnu no longer wanted to see not just this universe but also the birth of the next one.

    "How long has it been since Vishnu started getting involved?"

    "Around a few tens of thousands of years?"

    "That long, huh?"

    The two of them held a very different concept of time, it seemed. Unlike Brahma, who scoffed at the idea of billions of years passing by, Su-hyeun found every day quite precious.

    "What are you thinking about?" Brahma asked when Su-hyeun kept quiet for a while.

    "There."

    "Eh?"

    "He''s there."

    Su-hyeun recalled the Tower. He had been delaying challenging the subsequent trial.

    The trials were a path laid out by Master Subhuti, and while Su-hyeun was restoring the Tower''s system, he ended up hearing a familiar-sounding voice.

    This also happened when his eyes of clairvoyance activated on their own.

    At first, he was curious about the identity behind the voice, but now, he knew.

    "It''s been Vishnu all along," he realized.

    That creature knew all about Su-hyeun''s existence. He even knew that they would encounter each other someday.

    "Just how far ahead could Master Subhuti''s Foresight see?"

    Su-hyeun felt his curiosity regarding the person called Subhuti grow even stronger.

    For how long had Subhuti been aware of Vishnu''s existence? Did the other Five Godly Sages also know about him?

    Master Subhuti was preparing for the eventuality of facing off against the calamity called Vishnu.

    "Dammit."

    Su-hyeun scratched his head in irritation.

    There wasn''t much time remaining.

    Vishnu being aware of Su-hyeun could only mean that the One Overlord was practically right around the corner.

    "How long do I have left, in that case?" he thought.

    A few years? If not, a few months? A few days even?

    Maybe, it could be right this moment for all he knew. How Vishnu would interfere and how he would destroy the universe all depended on his whims.

    "Looks like you''re getting anxious there."

    "How can you speak as if it doesn''t concern you?"

    "Well, sure. I guess it does concern me now."

    Brahma''s calm tone began irritating Su-hyeun somewhat.

    Brahma did say he came to a decision and all that, but unlike Su-hyeun, the Primordial God had already witnessed the destruction of countless universes. He didn''t feel the urgency from the impending situation at all.

    "That''s why I''ll help you," Brahma told him.

    Su-hyeun was puzzled about this, "But how?"

    There was no doubting Brahma''s true power, but his power was limited to the power of creation. That was it. As far as combat was concerned, Brahma was not that different from a regular person.

    "As you may have suspected, I can''t fight at all. I''ve never even gotten into a fight before, too."

    "Okay, what then?"

    "What I can do, though, is develop and nurture things."

    Brahma''s ball of light circled Su-hyeun before entering the latter''s chest.

    Su-hyeun wondered what this was all about, but Brahma wouldn''t try to harm him in any case. That was why he didn''t resist and accepted the ball of light.

    The light directly headed to Su-hyeun''s heart next.

    Hiss¡ª

    More specifically, it was where the seed of the World Tree had been planted.

    Throb¡ª

    "Euph..."

    The intense pain shooting out from his heart caused him to clench his teeth.

    The intensity of this pain was unbelievable. The seed that remained docile until now suddenly began sprouting its roots.

    Brahma was responsible for this.

    "What are you¡ª? Son of a..."

    "Don''t worry. You won''t lose to something like a World Tree, after all."

    Brahma had created World Trees, and Su-hyeun was one-half of Brahma. It would have been really dangerous for him if this had happened back when he was still a regular human.

    However, now that he possessed various qualifications of godhood and divinity, there was simply no way that a World Tree sapling would be able to devour him.

    As such, the World Tree''s seed had to remain as a seed inside Su-hyeun''s body¡ªnever to grow any bigger¡ªbecause he had been actively suppressing it all this time.

    "Allow it to grow bigger, then make it your own. That''s what this seed was meant for from the beginning."

    "What are you even talking about¡ª?" Su-hyeun''s eyes grew wider.

    It was right at that moment that he recalled how he acquired the World Tree''s seed.

    "Luslec..."

    That man was definitely Brahma''s Apostle, and didn''t Brahma say that back when he divided himself into two, he wished to see for himself and decide the fate of the universe he created?

    What if, after making that call, he also thought about the possibility of fighting against Shiva?

    "Was this all a preparation for that possibility?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Planting a World Tree''s seed inside Su-hyeun''s body and then cultivating that seed through Godhood of Creation and turning it into the power strong enough to fight against Shiva...

    "All this was prepared for you."

    Indeed, all of these were prepared for this very moment.

    "Because you must stand in my stead to stop my brother and father."

 Chapter 538 - 538

    Sizzle¡ª

    The seed''s roots dug in even deeper.

    The roots used Su-hyeun''s heart as their fertilizer to grow bigger. They devoured the magical energy stored in his heart to enlarge itself.

    It felt like a huge tree was growing up inside his body, and the resulting pain was indescribably horrifying.

    "God... damn... it..."

    He thought he was already used to pain, but this easily exceeded his threshold.

    Don''t lose to something like a World Tree?

    Easier said than done.

    The seed had already invaded his ego, ready to pounce and devour Su-hyeun''s mind at any moment. If he blacked out from the pain, no one could tell for sure what might happen afterward.

    "When I meet Brahma again, I''m going to beat his ass up!"

    It had been some time since he stopped hearing Brahma''s voice. It seemed that the Primordial God went home, thinking that his job here was over.

    That made some sense, though. This scenario must''ve been in his calculations when he said he would make his decision after witnessing the world through Su-hyeun''s eyes. Now that it had happened, there was no need for him to stay.

    "Still..."

    The pain grew more familiar and less severe as time ticked by.

    He proceeded to trample on the World Tree''s ego and accepted its powers as his own, causing the control of his body to revert to him gradually.

    Sprawled on the ground until then, Su-hyeun clutched his chest as if he wanted to claw his heart out. He then slowly got back up.

    "Not bad."

    The uncomfortable sensation akin to having a tree growing inside his body was definitely not pleasant.

    Even so, the World Tree that had finally sprouted its roots no doubt possessed far greater power than ever before.

    "So, this is the World Tree, huh?"

    Initially, it would''ve gone on to form a new world.

    No, more than that, it would have given birth to many, many different worlds. Even the power called the magical energy was merely another type of energy contained within World Trees like Yggdrasil.

    And one such World Tree had taken root inside Su-hyeun''s body, which also happened to be massive energy storage.

    Su-hyeun remembered someone who possessed something similar to this.

    "It''s like my Third Brother, isn''t it?"

    Indeed, it was similar to Sun Wukong''s situation.

    After absorbing every immortal peach found in the Heavenly Peach Garden, Sun Wukong came to possess a near-infinite supply of magical energy.

    Su-hyeun''s current state seemed somewhat similar to that.

    Infinite magical energy supply?

    It was a refreshing feeling to possess an energy that would never run out no matter what.

    "I guess I should beat him up gently, then?"

    Although his whole body was soaked in sweat, the gift itself wasn''t bad at all.

    Something like the growth of the World Tree should have initially taken billions of years to accomplish. After all, the time a World Tree needed to mature would have been incomparably longer than a single lifeform needing to grow.

    However, Brahma held power to shorten that time requirement greatly. Thanks to him, Su-hyeun came to acquire the powers of the World Tree in a matter of only a few minutes.

    "Infinite magical energy supply, hmm¡­."

    What kind of battles would he be able to fight when relying on this newfound strength?

    Su-hyeun began picturing the possibilities. He imagined numerous scenarios and thought up brand-new techniques, too.

    Split¡ª

    A portal generated before his eyes. It was the doorway leading to the 210th floor.

    As he slowly stepped forward, a particular image popped up in his mind, bringing a faint little grin on his lips, "This is totally amazing."

    * * *

    [The 210th floor''s trial is commencing.]

    The scenery before his eyes changed once more.

    The system message reached him first before colors were added to the blank-white space around him.

    [Prevent the apocalypse.]

    What a simple message that was.

    He was puzzled at first. Prevent the apocalypse? Was his goal to rescue a world from a Predator?

    "But that doesn''t really live up to my expectation."

    He had been inwardly looking forward to this¡ªthe 210th floor.

    This was his first 10th-floor trial after going past the 200th floor. As such, he expected the difficulty to be high and the quest itself to be complicated.

    However, that explanation didn''t live up to his expectation at all.

    Su-hyeun''s view cleared up little by little. That must have been the extent of the system''s message as no other notifications popped up.

    "I better finish this quickly and move on."

    Su-hyeun began thinking that he wouldn''t get the chance to test out his infinite reserve of magical energy, but then...

    "You finally came, huh?"

    A voice suddenly came to him from behind.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun quickly turned around to see. Initially, he couldn''t see the owner of the voice.

    No, more correctly, he saw way too many people to find him among them.

    "What the hell...?"

    Countless people surrounded Su-hyeun, but their eyes were blindfolded, their mouths gagged, and their whole bodies tied up. Their numbers must have been easily tens of thousands.

    Why were so many people in such a condition in this exact location?

    Su-hyeun''s shock didn''t last long as he quickly discovered the one who spoke to him earlier.

    He was shocked once more.

    "Brahma?!"

    "Nope. I''m the opposite," a man replied while smirking in Su-hyeun''s direction.

    Just like Brahma, this man looked exactly like Su-hyeun.

    But Brahma''s opposite?

    That revelation was enough for Su-hyeun to figure out the man''s identity with the same face as his. "Are you Shiva?"

    "Bingo," Shiva nodded, then scanned their surroundings. "I''ve been waiting for you for a while now. I even got worried about what to do if these people starved to death or something."

    "Are they supposed to be your hostages?"

    "For now. But don''t you worry. I will let them go soon enough."

    How could the same face emanate such a different atmosphere like this? Su-hyeun instantly figured out why Shiva described himself as the opposite of Brahma.

    "Preventing the apocalypse... means this?" Su-hyeun thought.

    The maker of an apocalypse was Shiva''s main role. While Brahma created, Shiva did the opposite and destroyed everything.

    In that case, the apocalypse the system mentioned had to be Shiva.

    "Honestly, I''m surprised. I had no idea that all that careful plan Brahma made would go astray by this much. Is it because you ran into Master Subhuti? Or because you learned the Sage Arts?"

    Shiva began talking about things that Su-hyeun had been thinking about for some time. However, there were simply too many distractions in their near vicinity to respond to his questions in a friendly manner.

    "Ah, don''t be too concerned about their fate. I shall release them before we start fighting later."

    "Didn''t you say they are your hostages?"

    "It won''t do if you just start swinging your fist at me the moment you lay your eyes on me, no? That''s going to prevent us from having a nice little chat, right?"

    Shiva shrugged his shoulders, and Su-hyeun nodded in agreement.

    For sure, Su-hyeun would''ve attacked right away if Shiva was the only one standing before him. Shiva and Vishnu were the main enemies he had to kill no matter what, after all.

    "It''d be wiser to get rid of Shiva when I have an opportunity like this, but for now..." Su-hyeun started inwardly calculating.

    Su-hyeun glanced at the people around him.

    Should he just ignore them and start fighting right away?

    Tens of thousands of people¡ªthat was a lot but still inconsequential when weighed against the fate of the entire universe. If their sacrifice was enough to kill Shiva, this couldn''t be described as a bad situation overall.

    However...

    "That small portion is everything to someone, after all."

    It hadn''t been that long since he heard those words.

    Sacrificing all these people just for a chance to kill Shiva would be no different than trampling on the reason why Brahma chose to help Su-hyeun in the first place.

    "What do you want to talk about, then? Hurry up and out with it."

    "As expected, you''re definitely Brahma."

    "Think what you want," Su-hyeun retorted while scanning the hostages around him. "However, you better stick to the promise of releasing all these people once you''re done. I''m not planning to hold myself back at that point."

    "I have to say; I like your personality a whole lot better than Brahma''s softer-than-marshmallow nature."

    "Don''t waste my time with nonsense, either."

    "Then again, you sure have a short fuse, don''t you? Now, let''s see..." Shiva seemed to ponder where he should start and asked, "Do you know where this is?"

    "Do I have to know?"

    "No, not really. It''s not like you came here with your power, anyway. The system sent you here, so you probably don''t have a quick way to find out."

    Did Shiva know of the system''s existence?

    Yet, that shouldn''t come as a surprise. After all, the system had spread all over the entire universe on a massive scale. Even if you weren''t granted the system''s power, it wasn''t that difficult to learn about its existence.

    "Right. The real issue here is that Shiva has been waiting for me," Su-hyeun reminded himself.

    It wasn''t as simple as Shiva knowing about the system. He also learned about the contents of the system''s trials, figured out where Su-hyeun would show up, and then waited for his arrival there.

    "Just how is that even...?"

    Su-hyeun racked his brain during this short lull, but no plausible explanation came to his mind.

    He restored the system, yet even he was not privy to the contents of the trials, but to think that Shiva knew it ahead of time?

    Only one person could do something like that...

    "No way."

    "Oh, so you finally figured it out?"

    "Master Subhuti?"

    Clap, clap...

    Shiva began clapping his hands when Su-hyeun mentioned a specific name, "You hit the nail in the head. Pretty smart, aren''t you?"

    "But why would he¡ª?"

    "Why would he join hands with me? Is that what you''re asking?" Shiva correctly guessed Su-hyeun''s question and replied immediately. "I wonder about that myself. Just how did he know so much about me? And where did he even find out about father''s existence, too? I don''t have any answers for that. But one thing''s for sure. I''m part of Master Subhuti''s consideration toward you."

    "You are?"

    "That''s right. Of course, this is not the final destination he has prepared for you, but still..."

    Shiva began shaking his head as if he was saying something unnecessary.

    Almost simultaneously, an ominous aura began spreading all around him.

    "First thing''s first. Brahma, which side are you on?"

    "What kind of answer do you expect from me?"

    "Well, all I want is an honest one. Master Subhuti ensured that Brahma''s plan would go astray, and the ripples would reach you, causing you to become a fully separate entity from Brahma."

    When Su-hyeun met Brahma for the first time, Shiva showed up in front of the tomb. Meaning he must have known everything from a long time ago.

    "Does that mean Brahma wasn''t the only one making plans?" he thought.

    Master Subhuti also prepared for the future with his means. He built the system and mapped out the Tower''s trials. All of that was in consideration toward Su-hyeun, causing variables to interfere with Brahma''s plan.

    Shiva joined forces with Subhuti and waited for the existence of Su-hyeun for a very long time.

    "I will ask again. Which side are you on?"

    "My answer is..." Su-hyeun extended his hand forward, "This."

    Right in the middle.

    Although Shiva didn''t know the exact meaning of that answer, he still understood what kind of answer it was.

    "Is that so?"

    A grin appeared on Shiva''s face.

    Fwhooooosh¡ª!

    At the same time, tens of people surrounding the duo instantly vanished from view.

    Su-hyeun scanned his vicinity at this sudden development.

    "Was that wide-area teleportation magic? Without a magic circle, too?" he inwardly pondered.

    He heard enough about what kind of existence Shiva was by now¡ªthe creature that would lead the universe to its destruction and excelled in not creation but in pure destruction.

    What Shiva did just now was definitely a type of magic. There was a good possibility that he possessed all sorts of abilities and techniques, which was somewhat different from Brahma, who only excelled in one category.

    Even so...

    "I can also do something like this, though."

    Su-hyeun knew what kind of magic spell this was. You would need a lot of magical energy to teleport such a large area, but it would not burden the current Su-hyeun.

    Meaning he had no reason to panic or get shocked here.

    Shu-kak¡ª!

    Su-hyeun unsheathed his sword. He then immediately drove in his magical energy into the weapon. A much greater quantity of energy than usual permeated the blade, making it glow in the distinct azure light.

    "You don''t seem to know how to control your overflowing power."

    "Right. As you can see..."

    Su-hyeun reined in his breathing.

    It had been a while since he felt this tense.

    The energy he got from Osiris, the Demonic Aura, began surrounding Su-hyeun''s figure like some armor.

    "I''m overflowing with power right now."

    In one hand, he had his sword.

    Pazzzzzzik¡ª

    And in the other hand, he held Gungnir. Su-hyeun drove the power of lightning into his two weapons.

    "Oh-hoh¡ª"

    Shwa-aaaah¡ª

    Shiva''s hands were now gripping a sword and a spear that emitted black light. The exterior of these weapons was precisely the same as Su-hyeun''s weapons.

    The corners of Shiva''s lips curled up as if he found this situation rather amusing.

    "Alright, then, let me see how good you are."

 Chapter 539

    [Rain of Thunder Dragons]

    Kyaaaaaah¡ª!

    Lightning dragons emitting blinding light rained down. They descended on top of Shiva''s head but got wiped out of existence when he took a swing with his sword.

    "One, two..."

    Su-hyeun''s whole body pulled back tautly like a bowstring,

    From the tip of his toes to his midriff, even his arms down to his wrists, he loaded the spear with all the strength he could muster.

    [Gungnir]

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    The spear flew at the speed of light.

    It drew an azure arc in the air among the descending thunder dragons to shoot toward Shiva.

    But right at that moment...

    Jjiiiiing¡ª

    The spear in Shiva''s hand also flew out, and its tip collided against Gungnir mid-air.

    A thunderous noise rocked heaven and earth. The shockwave generated from the two spears colliding tore the atmosphere apart, causing arcs of lightning bolts to shoot out everywhere.

    Whoooosh, grab¡ª

    Gungnir was flung back before entering Su-hyeun''s grip.

    However, it didn''t fly back to him on its own accord. Su-hyeun had dashed toward Shiva after throwing the spear, allowing him to retrieve it personally.

    Kkkyaaaaah¡ª!

    Shiva was inundated with the dragon''s roar. It came from much closer than before, making it far louder and raucous.

    The reddish-golden light was so bright that it could easily blind someone. At the same time, a figure of a dragon enveloped Su-hyeun''s sword.

    [Thunder Dragon Sword]

    [One Sword Cutting Through Everything - Earth Divider]

    [The Wave Sword]

    KWA-WOOOOOO¡ª

    A massive thunder dragon swallowed up Shiva''s figure, and the descending blade hacked that figure apart in half.

    "You sure are good at slinking away."

    "It''s difficult to hit someone when you''re that slow, after all."

    That retort came from somewhere behind Su-hyeun.

    Shiva stood up while propping his weight on the ground; then, he dusted himself off. The sword and spear in his hands had turned into crumbled powder by then.

    "It doesn''t look that difficult to me, though."

    "Mm?"

    Only then did Shiva belatedly touch his face.

    Some droplets of blood stained his palm. That strike just now managed to graze his cheek.

    "It seems so."

    Shiva looked surprised.

    However, it was Su-hyeun who was having a bigger shock right now.

    "Such a shallow wound will not cut it at all," he thought.

    Shiva knew how to use magic.

    Even a simple recovery magic spell could mend such a minor wound. Sure, the Demonic Aura''s side effect could worsen any wound inflicted, but a small wound like that would never be fatal to anyone, let alone Shiva.

    Su-hyeun ended up firing off several powerful techniques in a row, but he was still okay aside from his slightly heavier breathing. His magical energy reserve was still overflowing.

    "Should I go back to dragging things out?" he contemplated.

    His initial plan was to use various powerful techniques and finish the battle as soon as possible.

    However, their exchange just now made him think about revising his plan a bit. Shiva''s responses were just too good to end this battle in a flash.

    "What are you thinking so hard for?" Shiva stared at Su-hyeun standing still for a moment and then lightly tapped his head. "My eyes can see everything, you know."

    "You''re a lot more slippery than I thought, Shiva."

    "Fighting like this is more entertaining than I thought, you see."

    Shiva never had a chance to fight properly like this.

    Su-hyeun didn''t know the entire history of all the universes, so there could have been a few intense fights for Shiva in the past. Even so, just how many existences could legitimately threaten Shiva until now?

    Even if there have been a few, they couldn''t do much to Shiva in the end.

    "Because they have all perished in the end."

    Will he also end up walking down the same path as them?

    Or would he set off in another direction altogether? That would be decided from this moment on.

    Pazzik, pazzzziii...

    [Somersault cloud]

    [Rain of Thunder]

    The Somersault cloud enveloped Su-hyeun while countless Thunderbolts floated in the sky above.

    However, they didn''t descend immediately. Instead, their tips were all pointing at Shiva.

    "So, it''s my turn now?" Shiva chuckled as if he was having fun.

    Black energy currents oozed out all around him.

    This was his unique power of destruction¡ªthe power that erased everything coming in contact with it.

    Sheeerik, sheeeririk¡ª

    The oozing black current coalesced into the shape of a spear¡ªnot just one but the same number as the Thunderbolts and the same shape, too.

    Just as Su-hyeun felt a chill run down his spine from this ominous foreboding, one of the spears created by Shiva shot forward.

    POW¡ª!

    * * *

    Lightning bolts descending from the murky clouds filling up the sky began merging at one point.

    Pazik, bzzzzzziii¡ª

    [Grand Thunderbolt]

    A spear the length of dozens of meters generated in Su-hyeun''s grip. This spear contained an even greater electrical energy than hundreds of Thunderbolts lumped together.

    However, Su-hyeun didn''t even have enough time to count to three while assuming the position. He immediately threw the spear in his hand.

    FLASH¡ª!

    KWA-ZZZZZEEEEK, Pa-susu...

    The moment Su-hyeun''s Grand Thunderbolt collided with Shiva''s spear created out of the black energy current, the lightning spear was dyed in darkness before being extinguished from existence altogether.

    That was a somewhat threatening power, indeed.

    Directly clashing with Shiva while wielding his weapons seemed like a bad idea.

    "Right, my weapons will get extinguished if I do that."

    Su-hyeun dodged an incoming black spear while glancing at the sword he had in his grip.

    Its edge had been corroded. All he did was deflect one of the incoming black spears, yet this was the result.

    "I might have infinite magical energy reserve, but it''s not the same story for my stamina or concentration."

    Matching the speed of the incoming spears and dodging them, or simply defending against them, required quite a lot of concentration and stamina.

    Brahma helped him acquire a practically infinite reserve of magical energy, but Su-hyeun''s stamina differed. Indeed, boundless magical energy was just an advantage he now enjoyed, one where he could use all of his powers without holding back. Still, it was not an omnipotent solution for everything.

    "Even so..."

    Su-hyeun spotted that the speed of the incoming black spears was getting slower and slower.

    "I was right."

    Su-hyeun''s strategy of dragging things out was working out rather well at the moment.

    At the very least, he became sure of one thing. The one setting the pace in this battle wasn''t Shiva but him.

    "This is no fun," Shiva muttered as his expression crumpled ever so slightly.

    He was making that face for the first time in this encounter. The fact that Shiva, who hadn''t changed his expressions that much so far, frowned like that could only mean he was getting unsettled right now.

    "I''m always what you''d call not fun."

    CLANG¡ª!

    The Thunderbolt Su-hyeun was gripping deflected the black spear fired off by Shiva. He then generated a new Thunderbolt before finishing the rest of his sentence, "I don''t fight to have fun but to win, after all."

    The surrounding terrain was already so devastated that there didn''t seem any good place to stand up. Still, Su-hyeun landed on the ground and looked up at Shiva still floating up there in the sky.

    "He''s not that good in combat."

    With how things were going, even Shiva should be feeling the heat.

    This pattern had been repeating itself for a few hours already. Shiva would pour out one-sided attacks while Su-hyeun focused on defending.

    This should be boring and frustrating for Shiva. No matter what he did, Su-hyeun simply defended or dodged. By now, he should be feeling that attacking itself was rather pointless.

    It was like rinsing and repeating over and over.

    Su-hyeun was laying a trap.

    Slice¡ª

    "What?"

    Shiva looked back at an object that scratched past his cheek.

    It was a Thunderbolt, but it was already long gone, beyond the range of his view. Even so, he still felt the sting coming from the surprisingly deep wound on his cheek.

    "Oh, have you finally decided to change tact?" Shiva gripped the sword and spear in both hands and rushed toward Su-hyeun, thinking that maybe the time had come.

    At the same time, the black energy current spread thinly around, split into tens of thousands of strands, and bombarded Su-hyeun''s position.

    SPLASH¡ª!

    Su-hyeun wielded Gungnir in his hand.

    The azure lighting energy required only one thrust to carve out a path. No matter what a weapon was made out of, whether adamantium or whatever, Shiva''s energy could easily destroy them, but Gungnir was an exception.

    That was because Gungnir was a weapon permeating with the authority of Brahma, a Primordial God of a similar status as Shiva.

    "Are you still thinking of defending ag¡ª?"

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Shiva''s words came to an abrupt stop.

    He felt this hollowness around his waistline, so he looked down. His eyes widened at what he saw there.

    A large hole was carved out in his torso where winds passed through.

    He then recalled Su-hyeun''s counterattack from a few moments ago.

    "It... wasn''t a thrust but a throw?"

    The thrust of the spear was nothing but a feint.

    Su-hyeun pretended to thrust Gungnir forward, but at the same time, he threw the weapon.

    He didn''t even drive that much energy into the weapon. He believed that Gungnir already possessed enough destructive power on its own.

    Before anyone realized it, Gungnir was already back in Su-hyeun''s grip.

    "You shouldn''t have let your guard down, then."

    Shu-wuwu...

    The Somersault cloud spread thickly around Su-hyeun once more.

    His figure was hidden behind the blurry veil as he prepared to defend.

    "Even if he didn''t mean to, he probably still got caught off-guard, anyway."

    The familiarity could work for you but also against you.

    Once you become familiar with something, you would inevitably let your guard down. It was not suitable to be too tense in combat, but it was also bad to be too relaxed.

    That would only cause a delay in your reaction time. A continuous barrage of attacks might not get through, but an opportune sneak attack preying on the lull of one''s defenses would work like a charm.

    "Now, the problem will be with how long he sticks to the one-sided attacks," Su-hyeun thought.

    He then gripped Gungnir even tighter.

    "But this is the only way."

    Without Gungnir, it was impossible to break through Shiva''s defenses and inflict any significant damage to him.

    Su-hyeun had already used up one opening. From this moment on, Shiva would become wary of any counterattacks.

    Sure enough...

    "So, you used the pattern against me, is that it?" Shiva muttered to himself while rubbing the wound on his torso. "In that case..."

    Shureeek, shiriririk...

    The black energy current oozing all around Shiva suddenly coalesced in the air.

    It instantly morphed into a massive sphere. The sphere continued to balloon in size, eventually filling the entire sky already covered in thick storm clouds.

    "I guess it''s time for me to change the pattern, then."

    "Pattern, my foot," Su-hyeun retorted in dismay while staring at the massive energy sphere dominating the skies above. "You''re just thinking of trampling on me using nothing but brute force, aren''t you?"

    Su-hyeun''s whole body was shuddering.

    He was pretty sure that never before in his life did he come in contact with energy that large or chill-inducing. He could already tell what would happen without actually seeing it for himself when that thing fell to the ground below.

    "Serious now, what a ridiculously difficult trial this is."

    Since this trial on the 210th floor was the first tough hurdle past the 200th floor, Su-hyeun expected it to be rather tricky, but he never imagined the difficulty would shoot up by this much.

    Even so, he still had to stop that thing.

    Evading was not the correct answer here. Not only did he not have many evasive options available, dodging that would surely fail the trial, preventing him from moving onto the subsequent trial.

    Shiva was simply a mountain he had to overcome no matter what.

    What he needed to overcome at the end was not Shiva but Vishnu.

    Shwirik, shriririri...

    Shu-wuwuwu...

    Two types of energy began gathering on the tip of Gungnir. One was magical energy, while the other was Demonic Aura.

    The latter was the energy he acquired after using Predation on Osiris. If magical energy was the "power" birthed from Brahma, then Demon Aura was closer to what Shiva currently wielded.

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzzik¡ª

    Arcs of azure lightning combined with the Demonic Aura to envelop Gungnir. The black and azure light tumbled and tangled together to not just wrap around the weapon but also Su-hyeun''s arm.

    Hiss, sizzle¡ª

    The usable energy supply might be unlimited, but he was still restricted in terms of his body''s endurance that could withstand the usage.

    Blood vessels in his hand gripping the spear burst open, and his bones began vibrating, probably due to him forcibly exerting a lot of energy in one go. The intense pain traveled from his hand to the rest of his body.

    Even so...

    "Just a little bit more...!"

    Su-hyeun assumed the spear-throwing position.

    Yet he didn''t throw Gungnir right away. He didn''t count to three, either.

    He needed a lot more time than it took him to count to three. Su-hyeun assumed the throwing posture a lot slower than usual.

    "Well, then..."

    Go-oooooooh¡ª

    Shiva lightly flicked his hand, causing the massive black sphere to descend to the ground below.

    "Do your best to survive this."

    And right at that moment...

    "One."

    His slow spear-throwing posture suddenly gained momentum.

    "Two."

    RUMBLE¡ª!

    The moment he threw the spear, a mighty roar of thunder tore through the land.

    "Three!"

 Chapter 540

    BAAANG¡ª!

    It sounded like a vast balloon had blown up.

    If someone saw this scene from afar, they probably would''ve thought that a tiny little needle had burst a giant balloon.

    As for the "air" contained in the balloon, it lost the surface tension that held it inside and instantly began spreading everywhere.

    Sizzle...

    Su-hyeun''s skin pricked and itched.

    The hardened ground he stood on began melting down, while his body also got scorched black, all because of the energy bursting out from Shiva''s sphere.

    "Jeez, now that''s pretty strong!" Su-hyeun coughed loudly.

    It felt like he had sucked in a lungful of stinky gas. Although he never got drafted into the army, he figured this would be pretty similar to the gas-mask training he heard about.

    Even so, his physical self didn''t sustain any noticeable injuries.

    The insides and skins of most low-ranking gods would have started decomposing the moment they breathed in the gas, but it was not strong enough to affect Su-hyeun overall.

    "Even though it''s not to the degree of complete destruction, with how things are, no living being can survive on this land."

    Simply put, he only succeeded halfway. Nevertheless, it was still a success.

    Su-hyeun raised his head. The black current dispersed like smoke, eventually clearing up the view.

    Driiiibbbbble¡ª

    Drop, splat¡ª

    Blood was freely flowing and in quite a quantity, too. Each drop of falling blood was rather substantial.

    The ground was already soaked as if a deluge of blood had fallen.

    "Wait, did all this amount of blood come from such a small body?"

    This scenery reminded Su-hyeun of Kali.

    A large hole had opened up in Shiva''s chest. Its location wasn''t where his heart might be in. Still, a copious amount of blood poured out from the hole that was bigger than an adult fist.

    Shiva was staggering around, too. The impact force he felt must have been considerable.

    "I need to hurry and..."

    Wobble¡ª

    Stab¡ª

    A rush of dizziness forced Su-hyeun to stop moving and stab his sword on the ground to steady himself.

    "Dammit."

    His right arm that threw the spear earlier wasn''t listening to his commands. Not only could he not feel anything with that arm, but he also couldn''t even clench his fist. It seemed unlikely that he would get to use his right arm for the time being.

    To make matters worse, his unresponsive body had morphed into a lump of lead after forcibly drawing out too much power in one go.

    "At times like this, having too much power is a problem, huh?"

    His tired body couldn''t deal with the still-overflowing energy. It would be challenging to fight in his current state, in other words.

    At the very least, he needed to mend his arm or let his body recover from the fatigue. Both Shiva and Su-hyeun were not in good shape at the moment.

    "Whatever happens..."

    Yank¡ª

    Su-hyeun pulled out the sword from the ground meant to steady himself.

    "I must see this through till the end."

    He gripped the spear and sword in his hands and then activated Earth Shrink toward Shiva just as the latter began regaining his balance.

    And the moment he rapidly closed the distance...

    "That''s enough."

    Shu-wuk¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s vision suddenly turned pitch-black.

    Just as he began wondering, "What''s going on here?" he realized that it was the fault of Shiva''s palm.

    "Let''s call it a day here, shall we?"

    "What kind of bullsh*t are you on about?"

    Whoosh¡ª

    Sliiiiiice¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s sword sliced past Shiva''s chest.

    A hand blocking his vision didn''t matter at the end of the day. He already knew Shiva was right before him, so the direction of the sword swing had already been decided.

    The left hand that swung the sword felt the definitive feedback. He had definitely cut through some bones just now.

    "Is this it?" he thought.

    It couldn''t be that easy, could it?

    Despite the feedback he got, an uneasiness didn''t want to leave his mind. Shiva''s hand still covered his view, preventing him from seeing anything.

    Right at that moment...

    "What?"

    Su-hyeun spun around urgently while dropping his right arm.

    CLANG¡ª!

    Buzzzzz¡ª, throb¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s body was shoved far back. His already aching right arm was now screaming in pain.

    Even so, he still managed to defend himself.

    Su-hyeun glared at Shiva, who was somehow standing behind him.

    "Was that Foresight? But you haven''t awakened it by yourself, and it''s only on the level for instinctively sensing danger."

    Shiva''s palm was about to strike Su-hyeun''s unguarded back. The latter defended himself in the nick of time, but it was more like he got lucky just now rather than skill.

    Su-hyeun thought, "If Foresight didn''t suddenly activate just now..."

    Most probably, his back would''ve been left completely exposed.

    Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine. He realized that he acted too rashly by using Earth Shrink to close the distance.

    Su-hyeun assumed a combat stance.

    "I can''t use my right arm at all. Who will end up in a more favorable position if I drag things out to recover?"

    Su-hyeun racked his brain while comparing Shiva''s injuries to his own.

    "He''s injured a lot worse than me, but that movement earlier..."

    Shiva blocked Su-hyeun''s vision and slipped right behind the latter.

    It must have been some unknown trick since Su-hyeun couldn''t figure out how Shiva could move like that without letting out any sounds or traces whatsoever.

    "It''s not going to be great for me by dragging it out for too long."

    While he couldn''t use his right arm, Shiva didn''t seem unrestricted in his movements.

    It meant that it would not be favorable for Su-hyeun to drag this fight out any longer. If Shiva decided to turn this battle into a war of attrition, Su-hyeun would get exhausted much sooner with only one usable arm.

    "In that case..." Su-hyeun inwardly considered.

    "I told you. You don''t need to rack your brain that much," Shiva raised both of his hands. "Although this isn''t a surrender, let''s call it a day, shall we?"

    "What are you saying?"

    "Your test is over. You passed your trial."

    [You have passed the 210th floor''s trial.]

    [Stamina has risen by 1.]

    [Will you transfer to the 211th floor?]

    Now that seemed a little too lackluster for a trial reward.

    He already knew that both his magical energy and the Demonic Aura couldn''t increase any further, thanks to the World Tree residing within his body. Even so, just one point increase in his stamina was enough to allow a lot more vitality than a second ago to circulate within Su-hyeun''s body. Still, he didn''t have the leeway to mind that at the moment. A more pressing matter was at hand.

    "What are you scheming, Shiva?"

    The trial ended just like that. Meaning Su-hyeun prevented the apocalypse, which was the same as stopping Shiva.

    "Is he really not planning to fight anymore?" Su-hyeun thought incredulously.

    It couldn''t have been a system error. If the trial was set as the battle against Shiva and the goal was to kill Shiva, it shouldn''t just abruptly end here.

    Therefore, the trial ending at this point meant that there had to be another goal that didn''t involve Shiva''s death.

    "What do you mean, scheming? I merely did my job as per the trial''s contents."

    "Is this an arrangement you made with Master Subhuti?"

    "That''s right."

    "In that case, the goal of this trial was...?"

    "Getting my acknowledgment, obviously."

    Shiva''s acknowledgment was the real goal of this trial?

    Also, killing Shiva wasn''t the only way to prevent the apocalypse. All that was needed was to stop him somehow.

    "If that hadn''t been it, I would probably just have killed you already. It would have been a pretty tough job, even for me. Now I''ve fought you personally and saw for myself."

    "Your acknowledgment, hmm..."

    Su-hyeun, with his stamina, restored slightly, began massaging his right arm.

    The pain had lessened to some degree, and his previously paralyzed senses were coming back to him. That was how great of an effect one stat point increase had on him in his current state.

    "You think I''ll be happy to gain something like that?"

    "Nope. Of course not, when you''re so dead set on killing me sooner or later."

    Su-hyeun could only make a puzzled face at that playful reply from Shiva.

    Shiva knew so much about Su-hyeun''s personality and even his ultimate goal. Even so, Shiva had been waiting for Su-hyeun in this place. On top of that, he didn''t even try to carry on with the battle.

    Su-hyeun wondered, "Does that mean he has another goal in mind?"

    Regardless of what, wasting time talking like this would benefit Su-hyeun because once his right arm regained all of its feelings...

    While thinking that, Su-hyeun spoke up again, "But why?"

    "So, I assume you finally feel like talking, then?"

    "A little."

    "That''s a relief. My original plan was to beat you up until you''re half-dead¡ªuntil you couldn''t even lift a single finger. But now, I don''t have to do that, right?" Shiva shrugged his shoulders as if he was relieved.

    He even plopped down on the ground. If another fight broke out, he would have to get up, which would complicate things, yet he still sat down¡ªand what a bold move this was.

    Su-hyeun briefly wondered if he should sneak an attack right now.

    But maybe a little bit more...

    While thinking that it would be nicer for time to tick by a little faster, Su-hyeun asked another question, "What exactly do you want to talk about?"

    "What you want is my death, isn''t it?"

    "Stating something so obvious."

    "That''s because you probably think I''m planning to destroy the world you live in."

    Shiva was saying something rather obvious.

    Usually, Su-hyeun wouldn''t have wasted time listening anymore. That was why he wasn''t paying much attention right now.

    Until they got to the next part, that was.

    "In that case, what about Vishnu?"

    "What are you trying to say here?"

    Shiva suddenly brought up Vishnu.

    Su-hyeun found this odd since, in his eyes, both Vishnu and Shiva were enemies to kill. Both of those gods wanted to destroy the universe, after all.

    "That fool Brahma seems to think Vishnu as our father, but I don''t share his sentiment. Not only do I not know what he looks like, but I''ve also never even seen the dude before. I know he''s incredibly powerful, though."

    "But don''t you and that guy share the same goal?"

    "The same goal? No way! It''s not the same, but it''s kind of similar."

    "Be more specific."

    "Brahma creates, while I destroy. We''ve been repeating this cycle for an eternity, and we shall continue it in the future, too. At least, that''s what I believe."

    "Why?"

    "That''s because that''s the reason for my existence," Shiva answered while making the most serious expression he had made so far.

    Shiva clearly understood the reason for his existence, and just like Brahma or even Vishnu, his goal had not changed despite the passage of eons of time.

    His goal was only one thing¡ªto destroy universes no longer deemed necessary. That was all.

    "And that''s exactly my reason for wanting to kill you."

    "Even so, you can''t kill me. Even I don''t know how to kill myself. Maybe you can force me into another slumber lasting for a few billion years, but that''s about it."

    "That''s a good enough reason to try to kill you, then."

    "Listen till the end, will you? What I''m trying to say isn''t about us starting another fight."

    While listening, Su-hyeun began clenching and unfurling his right hand.

    He initially thought that a few hours would be needed for his right arm''s recovery, but it was happening much sooner than he anticipated due to the increase in his stat. Without showing it outwardly, Su-hyeun was preparing to strike Shiva at any given moment.

    "Three more minutes¡ªNo, wait."

    He could move right this instant if he wanted to do that. However, he was getting interested in what Shiva was alluding to here.

    "Carry on," Su-hyeun said.

    "Do you know what is Vishnu''s ultimate goal?"

    "Isn''t it the same as yours?"

    "No, I told you earlier, didn''t I? They''re not the same but merely similar. That''s because there''s no ''next'' in that guy''s mind."

    There''s no next?

    When he heard that, Su-hyeun fully understood where Shiva was going with this conversation. "Are you saying you don''t wish for a complete destruction?"

    "Vishnu''s goal is obviously the destruction of this universe and then Brahma''s death. He believes that no more universes are necessary, you see."

    Su-hyeun had already heard all these from Brahma.

    No new universes would be born if the universe was destroyed and Brahma died alongside it. According to what Shiva said just now, Primordial Gods like Shiva and Brahma might get revived sometime later after their deaths. However, the story could be different if it was Vishnu, the creator of both gods.

    "A being who wishes to destroy everything, while another being who solely exists for the sake of destruction..." Su-hyeun continued to mull over.

    Indeed, the two of them sounded somewhat similar. Still, that minute difference made them opposites as well.

    "If there is no next universe, what am I supposed to destroy?"

    Those words sounded like a rambling of a madman to Su-hyeun''s ears, but it still helped him become even more certain about something.

    "Let''s work together to kill Vishnu."

    Shiva was an enemy.. Nonetheless, he was an ally at the same time.C

 Chapter 541

    Before their discussion could continue, they changed the location first.

    Su-hyeun didn''t head to the next floor. Instead, he entered a city not too far from the battle location.

    "Hey, did you hear all that commotion coming from afar?"

    "Yeah. It sounded like some big things were going kaboom!"

    "Probably a bunch of archmages fighting each other or something."

    A crowd inside a tavern was whispering among themselves regarding Su-hyeun''s epic battle against Shiva.

    It seemed that the noises of their battle had reached this far. Su-hyeun ordered some drinks while thinking that this city was lucky enough to escape getting swept up in the battle.

    "One cup of booze with any side dishes with meat in them. And a cup of water."

    The waiter took the order and quickly left the table.

    Shiva scanned the surroundings in sheer curiosity, and when the booze and food showed up, he took a long gulp of the pungent liquid to start his meal.

    "Is this your first time being in a place like this?"

    "Well, not really, but this kind of experience doesn''t come by for me that often."

    Shiva then earnestly dug into the food.

    Seeing him up close like this, Su-hyeun began picking up an unexpectedly different vibe coming off Shiva.

    That chill-inducing aura Shiva emitted until not too long ago was nowhere to be felt now. Just coming in contact alone with that aura would''ve been enough to decompose your limbs and flesh. Yet, right now, Shiva outwardly looked like any other ordinary person, just like Su-hyeun.

    "Even our faces are the same," he thought.

    That was why Su-hyeun had to change his looks using magic. People thinking of them as twins wasn''t a problem, but that didn''t mean people seeing them in the first place was a good idea.

    "Okay, so? You are saying yes to joining forces with me, right?"

    "Correct."

    No hesitation was present in Su-hyeun''s reply.

    A creature that he always thought of as an enemy offered to become an ally. On the one hand, Su-hyeun wondered if Shiva had another ulterior motive. On the other hand, he felt somewhat reassured by this development.

    "No, hang on, he''s not exactly my real ally, is he?" he thought.

    Regardless of what, Shiva''s goal was still to destroy the current universe.

    He wanted to get rid of Vishnu because there was no "next" for the father of the Primordial Gods. It meant that, in the end, Shiva remained a deadly threat to this universe.

    "Still, I think I can understand him a bit."

    A couple of parts of Shiva''s actions still puzzled Su-hyeun until now.

    For one thing, why didn''t Shiva make a move much earlier, and why did he even bother to provoke the Bull Demon King?

    The latter wished not to get involved in the upcoming battle, but Shiva still went ahead and threatened Lang Mei, the Bull Demon King''s beloved spouse. Predictably, that enraged the Yogoe enough to make him change his mind.

    "I wonder how my First Brother will react if he learns about this development."

    "You mean, the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heavens? Is he still swearing to kill me even now?"

    "Basically, yes."

    "That''s good. If we play our cards right, we might even get his assistance, too."

    As Su-hyeun suspected¡ªShiva''s goal was to provoke the Bull Demon King and make him join the battlefield.

    Without a doubt, the Bull Demon King and Su-hyeun were the only two existences in this universe strong enough to oppose Shiva.

    "He started setting this stage up a long time ago, huh?" Su-hyeun realized.

    Shiva might have gotten Master Subhuti''s help. Even so, the Primordial God turned out to be quite a sharp thinker himself.

    Su-hyeun began thinking that maybe Shiva had prepared several other unexpected machinations just in case, too.

    "Hold up," as Su-hyeun thought that something popped up in his mind all of a sudden.

    "Hey, could it be...?"

    "Mm?" Shiva looked up with a puzzled face while pouring more booze into his cup.

    Su-hyeun asked in a low growl, "Was it you who interfered with my mother... Yun Hui-yeon''s dream?"

    "Well, Brahma is a caring guy, after all. You see, all the good aspects of humanity were based on Brahma, while humanity''s worst aspects come from me. I figured that Brahma would make the decision I want if I used that woman called your mother."

    "Ooh..."

    Squeeze¡ª

    Su-hyeun clenched his fist. "Is that so?"

    Smaaaash¡ª!

    His fist slammed straight into Shiva''s face.

    The impact force threatened to spill out to the surroundings. The air rippled viciously enough for the tavern building to come crashing down, but Su-hyeun had already made sure to prevent the force from leaking out. No one in the surroundings noticed what was going on.

    Shiva''s head turned to the side from the strike. He then began rubbing his cheek as if it hurt.

    "Well, shoot. This might be a problem because that one punch wasn''t enough to cool my anger."

    "You sound pissed off."

    "That I am."

    Su-hyeun swore that if he ever found out who made her go through those dreams, he would make the culprit pay a fair price.

    It was pretty surprising to learn that Shiva knew about Kim Sung-in, but right now, Su-hyeun was far too angry to care.

    "I will definitely kill you."

    Su-hyeun''s eyes were filled with potent killing intent.

    If he could, he wouldn''t have minded continuing their fight from earlier right now. The only thing holding him back was the prospect of becoming the strongest pair to defeat Vishnu. That was it.

    "It''s nice to know that we share a broadly similar goal. I''ve been thinking of doing that to you, too."

    Shiva''s expression was not good after getting hit without any warning.

    He probably couldn''t understand what Su-hyeun was feeling at the moment. He was a Primordial God, so no such concept as "mother" existed for him, which in turn made it impossible for him to understand the depth of Su-hyeun''s anger.

    Su-hyeun seriously debated whether to hit Shiva once more or not before finally choosing not to. It was pointless to hit him again for the time being, after all.

    "Venting my anger can come later," Su-hyeun thought and withdrew his fist. He then sat back down and calmly asked, "Did Master Subhuti also know?"

    "Obviously, and that''s why I''m sitting in front of you like this."

    Rub¡ª

    Shiva rubbed his cheek that Su-hyeun''s punch had bruised. He then grabbed another piece of meat.

    As for Su-hyeun, he wanted to use Insight and see how genuine Shiva was. However, no one in this universe would be able to do that, including himself.

    He thought, "Although I can''t trust him..."

    Whatever the case might be, Shiva waiting for Su-hyeun''s arrival in this place indicated that Master Subhuti was involved in the matter.

    "I guess it''s worth trusting him for now."

    Master Subhuti was a trustworthy being. At least, that was what Su-hyeun thought.

    Therefore, to think that he would join forces with Shiva to lead this universe to its destruction? Such a thing was improbable. That was why Su-hyeun initially got puzzled by Shiva waiting for his arrival inside a trial Subhuti had crafted.

    Still, if the things Shiva said were genuine, then it wasn''t as difficult as before to understand this part of Master Subhuti''s plan.

    "How much did you hear from uncle?"

    "Uncle?"

    "Master Subhuti."

    "Oh! Pretty much everything important. But honestly? That man makes me uncomfortable."

    "Uncomfortable? How?"

    "It''s like he''s not even good at fighting. Do you know what I mean? Sure, it''s enough to get him into the ranks of the Five Godly Sages, but that''s about it. Odin was a better fighter. Even Zeus is slightly better."

    "Okay, then why?"

    "That man was incredibly sharp. No, rather than being scarily sharp, should I say he''s better than anyone else in predicting the future, even though his Foresight isn''t even that great?"

    Shiva continued to explain while eating, but that only made Su-hyeun stare back in confusion.

    Somewhat unexpectedly, Shiva seemed to have evaluated Master Subhuti quite highly, which was in line with Su-hyeun''s impressions, too.

    "And it sounds like Shiva knows a lot about the other Five Godly Sages, too," Su-hyeun contemplated.

    Judging from the names he mouthed off just now, Shiva seemed to be well aware of other Five Godly Sages, not just Master Subhuti. He brought up Odin and Zeus, after all.

    "If you want me to cooperate with you, you better tell me everything you know."

    "Everything I know, huh?"

    "Tell me all the things related to Vishnu, like, where he is right now and what kind of powers he has."

    Shiva stopped biting into the meat and picked up the cup of booze when he heard Su-hyeun''s question. He took several large gulps of the alcoholic beverage and then fell into a bit of contemplation.

    He finally spoke up, "I also don''t know what kind of powers he has. However, we should assume that he possesses the powers of both me and Brahma."

    "What about his whereabouts?"

    "It''s not too far from my home. As for how much time we have left, between 10 days and two months, maybe?"

    Although the margin of error was significant, both ends of the time estimate being "too soon" remained indisputable. Between 10 days and two months, it would be wiser to assume that they only had 10 days left.

    "Even so, there is a variable at play. Depending on that, two months can stretch to a few years instead."

    "A variable?"

    "The one who knows Subhuti better than anyone else isn''t me, you see."

    When he heard Shiva, Su-hyeun began recalling the faces of several people.

    The one who knows Master Subhuti the best?

    Sun Wukong, the Bull Demon King, the Roc Demon King, and then...

    "Buddha?"

    * * *

    "So, you finally came, I see."

    Buddha opened his eyes.

    A humongous thing was dominating his view. This object''s size was practically impossible to estimate.

    Not even Uranus was this large. This object was approaching closer while casting its shadow over the darkness of the universe.

    "I heard that you''d show up in this place, but well..."

    "Is it that man again?"

    Buddha''s ears began ringing. It sounded like the universe itself was talking to him.

    "Was his name Subhuti? Indeed, a notable being like that is uncommon."

    "And he was my humble disciple."

    "Oh, you were his teacher?"

    "This kind of conversation isn''t important, hm?"

    Clap¡ª!

    Buddha clapped his hands, causing all of his wrinkles to disappear suddenly. His smooth skin soon began expanding as his size grew larger and larger.

    His massive hands clapped again. A small planet entered his palm while his gigantic torso and head finally revealed themselves.

    "You''ve been waiting for me, it seems."

    "Indeed, and we have prepared appropriate measures for you, too."

    Countless letters suddenly began floating all around Buddha.

    Every single one of these letters contained mystical power. The letters scattered and danced around before some of them engraved themselves on Buddha''s figure, while the rest spread all over the universe to hinder Vishnu''s movement.

    The space distorted as a massive hand approached. However, Vishnu''s extending hand couldn''t go forward as if an invisible wall was blocking him.

    "You wish to hold me back, is that it?"

    "That is precisely my role."

    "It seems that you''ve been preparing yourself for a very long time."

    Granting power to all those letters would have been incredibly difficult even for a deity like Buddha. Such a task couldn''t have been accomplished in one or two days either¡ªmaybe, not even in a few years.

    Just how much time was needed to prepare this scene?

    "It was my disciple''s request¡ªand his last wish, too."

    Master Subhuti''s final request was...

    "It''s to stop you in this place."

    To humor that request, Buddha had been waiting for a very long time in this spot for Vishnu''s arrival.

    His life was focused solely on stopping Vishnu here. Buddha was determined to block Vishnu''s advance in this place no matter what.

    While extending his hands forward, Buddha''s stiff expression turned toward Vishnu.

    "I was born a human and lived for far too long while indulging in my desires."

    Buddha was now speaking to himself.

    "And thus, I shall think of this place as my grave."

    * * *

    Su-hyeun picked up a cup of booze for himself.

    He always found alcohol bitter and unappetizing, and that was why he didn''t want to drink it if he could help himself. However, after listening to Shiva, he felt like drinking some today.

    "So, something like that happened?"

    He began thinking that Master Subhuti''s request was cruel for both the one humoring the request and the one making it.

    "And they should have run into each other by now." Shiva washed down the meat he had been chewing with another gulp of booze. "Buddha will die."

    Tap¡ª

    Driiiibble...

    He refilled his empty cup with new booze from a jar.

    "But no one knows how long he can hold out for."

    The preparations had been made a very long time ago.

    And this was coming from Shiva, who had lived for basically an eternity by now. That made it nearly impossible to guess just how long ago "a long time ago" was.

    "I see."

    Su-hyeun reached out and grabbed that jar of booze. Shiva stared at him silently with an expression that seemed to ask what Su-hyeun was doing right now.

    Gulp, gulp...

    Su-hyeun drank straight out of the jar itself.

    The booze was still bitter and didn''t taste good at all.

    He didn''t even get drunk, either. Probably, no alcohol in existence could make him drunk, anyway.

    "Fuu-woo," Su-hyeun sighed at length to exhale the stench of alcohol out of his mouth. He then stood up right away, "Looks like I need to go now."

    "You sure look like you''re in a hurry."

    "You and me both. Aren''t we both in a hurry?"

    "True that. Even as we speak, Buddha should be bitterly struggling against Vishnu, after all." Shiva stared at the empty bottle and muttered, "Just so that he can give you some extra time."

    No one knew how many floors remained in the Tower.

    Even so, he needed to hurry.

    "If I climb to the top, I will find Vishnu," Su-hyeun thought.

    Su-hyeun got up and prepared to head straight to the next floor, but then...

    "Let me finish this grub first, then we can go," Shiva suddenly said while biting into the last piece of meat.

    "What do you mean, we?"

    "You''re headed to the 211th floor, right? I hear there''s also a party system in place. Besides, I also need to say hello to Vishnu, don''t I?"

    A party system?

    That system didn''t hold much relevance to Su-hyeun until now. Whether it was before his regression or now, Su-hyeun always climbed the Tower at such high difficulties that no one could form parties with him.

    As such, he believed that such a thing would never happen in this lifetime. However, with Shiva, the story would change rather drastically.

    "Although I''m not entirely happy about it..."

    It''s true that every second counted.

    Su-hyeun stared at Shiva chewing on the last piece of meat and thought to himself, "He might be the strongest party member one could ask for."

 Chapter 542

    "Things have quieted down recently," the Bull Demon King muttered while resting his hands behind his back.

    It had been a few days already since he withdrew the barrier cast around his residence. Not only did the monsters not show up to attack in the last couple of days, but no new dungeons also manifested in that period.

    Snap, crack¡ª

    "Maybe it''s the handiwork of our little brother?" Sun Wukong replied while cracking and loosening his neck and hand muscles.

    Other things had changed as well. The newly repaired Ruyi Jingu Bang now boasted an even greater level of sturdiness than before. As for Lang Mei, she enjoyed a much-deserved break when no new dungeons manifested in the last few days.

    These peaceful days allowed Sun Wukong to have sparring sessions with the Bull Demon King.

    "I''m sure that''s the case."

    "Not sure where he is and what he''s doing right now, but First Brother, I''m getting a feeling that it''s related to that punk, Shiva," Sun Wukong muttered. He then asked in a slightly uncertain tone, "Wait, could he have already killed Shiva?"

    "No, that''s probably not it."

    "How do you know that, First Brother?"

    "I just know. Besides, he isn''t someone who will die that easily."

    "Even now, you still speak in such an ambiguous way, First Brother," Sun Wukong grumbled unhappily at the Bull Demon King''s vague answer and then pointed the tip of Ruyi Jingu Bang at his older brother. "Anyway, get ready, brother. If you don''t, I might embarrass you today."

    "After hearing you say that, I fear that won''t happen for the foreseeable future, Wukong."

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Do I look like I''m full of openings to you?" The Bull Demon King, still leisurely standing around with his hands behind him, slowly extended his hand forward and beckoned Sun Wukong, "Why don''t you come and see for yourself?"

    Sun Wukong didn''t respond right away to that provocation, but his eyes narrowed into slits.

    One of his eyes was dyed crimson, while the other eye was glowing in a golden light. He was activating the Yogoe''s power from the very start.

    The Bull Demon King was an opponent he couldn''t hope to fight against without doing that.

    "Well, in that case..."

    Baaang¡ª!

    Sun Wukong''s figure leaped high in the air.

    "Here I come!"

    * * *

    "Huh?"

    Sun Wukong opened his eyes again after his consciousness came back to him.

    He must''ve been buried really deep underground since almost no daylight reached where he was. However, he did spot some semblance of light peeking in from somewhere really high up above him.

    That was where he saw the Bull Demon King looking down at him at the bottom.

    "Are you alright, Wukong?"

    Of course, he knew Sun Wukong was fine even before asking that. Somewhat unsurprisingly, not a single hint of worry was present in his voice.

    Sun Wukong pushed up his aching body and recalled what happened not too long ago.

    "Were there three... no, five blows?"

    He remembered how many hits it took before he got knocked out.

    It took some power to knock him out like this instantly, but some part of the blame also lay with how the Bull Demon King exploited the perfect timing to smack Sun Wukong in the chin.

    Sun Wukong mulled over their exchanges while standing back up. He then jumped up out of the hole.

    Whoosh, land¡ª

    Tap, tap...

    He dusted himself off and then pointed Ruyi Jingu Bang once more.

    Although he got knocked out in no time, he didn''t feel dejected or anything like that. Sun Wukong began grinning widely instead, "Ha!"

    That was because both of the Bull Demon King''s hands were now resting by his sides.

    "Looks like you need to use both of your hands now, First Brother."

    "Indeed. You''ve improved, Wukong."

    "I didn''t see your other hand just now. But from here on out, that''s not gonna happen."

    "It was your mistake for thinking that I''d not use my other hand, Wukong."

    "You and your nagging," Sun Wukong grumbled again while swinging Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Whoooosh¡ª

    Winds split apart, and the noises of metal hitting metal resounded. Sun Wukong''s attacks grew harsher and more unforgiving, prompting the Bull Demon King to pull out his weapon, the Mixed Iron Rod.

    "Hah, so you''re finally getting serious, First Brother!"

    "It seems that bare hands alone won''t be enough to subdue you."

    "I''m not going to die anyway, so why worry?"

    "Hitting you too hard will weigh heavily on my mind, after all."

    Whoosh¡ª

    Ka-boooooom¡ª!

    The Mixed Iron Rod in the Bull Demon King''s hand slammed down, hard.

    Sun Wukong leaped high to evade; then, his staff rapidly extended toward the Bull Demon King while making sharp whistling noises.

    Lang Mei watched this scene unfold from afar and then muttered to herself while picking up a plate of confection, "Boys will be boys, it seems."

    She then silently turned her head.

    Since dungeons had stopped showing up for some time now, she found herself with a valuable opportunity to take some much-needed rest. Even so, she still paid great attention to the "sound."

    New dungeons still hadn''t appeared yet. They seemed to have entirely vanished without any warning.

    That fact made Lang Mei much more anxious.

    "It''s like the calm before the storm."

    For her, it was better to have winds blowing and waves rising and falling. That would be far closer to being peaceful.

    However, the peace that came so abruptly like this was only good for worsening her level of anxiety.

    That was why Lang Mei continued to listen to the sound, the voice of the world.

    The voice¡ªthe sound¡ªcould only be heard by her, the Shamaness beloved by the world itself.

    While listening, she raised her head and asked softly, "Why are you still crying?"

    * * *

    "Hah¡ªah..." Shiva let out a groan. He scanned the surroundings and began scratching his head while looking somewhat troubled by what he saw. "To think that I need to do this..."

    Grrrr...

    Krrrrng, kkyahk...

    It was a literal field of monsters¡ªPrey, Predators, and monsters that were neither of those two.

    This world populated by such creatures was, quite literally, Hell itself. Perhaps it also deserved to be called the land of pure pandemonium.

    "Why? Were you happy to see your kin or something?"

    "Of course, do you have any idea how much effort I put into creating these guys?"

    Shiva, the one in charge of the universe''s destruction, created the beings called Prey and Predator after long, meticulous planning.

    These creatures, lifeforms of obsessive desires and urge to destroy, acted according to Shiva''s plan and drove the universe toward destruction. But now, Shiva found himself in a situation where he had to kill all these things he had personally created with so much effort.

    [Destroy this planet.]

    Su-hyeun had to do a double-take when he first heard that system message.

    He wondered if he could really carry out a trial like this.

    However, upon learning what kind of world this was, all of his dilemmas got washed away in an instant.

    "If you don''t want to, leave it to me, then."

    Pazzik, bzzzzzik...

    Su-hyeun generated a Thunderbolt in one hand.

    Throwing only one would be enough to devastate their surroundings. The sheer number of the enemies might be a problem, and a few of them seemed tough enough to withstand the strike. Still, this trial didn''t seem that difficult overall.

    After all, Su-hyeun now possessed infinite magical energy reserve. He felt utterly confident about waging protracted battles.

    "Well, this is rather annoying," Shiva''s expression crumpled deeply.

    A situation where he needed to wipe out his cards?

    He suddenly became resentful of Master Subhuti, his supposed ally.

    "Still, I should do my part, I guess."

    After all, he climbed the Tower after forming a party with Su-hyeun.

    No one knew where the end destination lay. For that reason, Su-hyeun wasn''t the only one feeling the urgency right now. Their plight inevitably brought them to this very place.

    Just like how Olympus or Yggdrasil was the land of the gods, this place was the world populated by the Predators. Not only that, but even two of the Ten Great Evils called this place their home. The planet''s scale was several dozen times larger than Earth as a result.

    "What a relief," Su-hyeun inwardly sighed in relief while watching Shiva roll up both of his sleeves and get ready to act.

    Outwardly, he kept saying it didn''t matter either way, but the truth was, he wanted Shiva to help out here. With his help, they could drastically shorten the time required to clear the trial.

    "With him, we might finish in two days."

    Su-hyeun got ready to fire off the Thunderbolt in his hand.

    Shu-shushushu...

    Until he felt a dangerous aura right next to him, that was.

    "What''s this?"

    "You can at least look after yourself, can''t you?"

    "What?"

    Shiva pressed both of his hands on the ground.

    Su-hyeun retracted the Thunderbolt and hurriedly raised his hand almost at the same time.

    [Somersault cloud]

    [Kali''s Blood Armor]

    [Flame ¨C Flame Barrier]

    Hoo-woooong¡ª

    Chwa-rurururu¡ª

    Su-hyeun''s figure was shrouded in clouds, while the armor permeating with Kali''s authority hidden underneath his clothes quickly enveloped his exterior. The Flame Barrier spread out a few meters around Su-hyeun''s position.

    Su-hyeun still sensed something like an explosion going off despite his blocked view. What was for sure was the ground he stood on was rumbling ominously.

    Hissss, sizzle...

    Some black smoke penetrated the Somersault cloud''s barrier and even through the blood armor. Su-hyeun extended his hand forward and pushed the black smoke back.

    "That stings."

    His hand plugging up the leakage began getting scorched black. Once he sensed that the impact force had subsided outside, he withdrew the blood armor and the cloud and canceled the Flame Barrier.

    And when he did...

    "Hey, you are not injured anywhere, right?"

    As Shiva''s question reached him, Su-hyeun was greeted with unbelievable spectacle.

    "So quickly... and all of them, too?" he silently marveled.

    He could only see blood¡ªblackened or crimson blood and nothing else.

    Not even hides or internals of Preys and Predators remained. No traces of them were left whatsoever.

    They had all been reduced to pools of blood. Even then, those pools were getting erased after being swept up in the black smoke.

    Was this the power to erase everything it touched?

    Su-hyeun belatedly came down with a renewed understanding of Shiva''s authority just then. He also realized that once he overcomes one mountain called Vishnu, he would have to contend with another mountain called Shiva.

    "However, it will not be the same as before when that time comes," he said to himself.

    Su-hyeun had been looking back and replaying his battle against Shiva countless times in his head.

    Every time he did that, the simulated fight ended in a draw. It didn''t matter whether it was a protracted battle or a short, decisive one; Su-hyeun couldn''t find a way to defeat Shiva successfully.

    The reverse of that was also true.

    He couldn''t see himself losing to Shiva, either. It seemed like the victory could only be decided when both were completely drained of their energy and fatigued beyond what was even humanly possible. Even he couldn''t tell what might happen if things reached that far.

    But now...

    "I have a higher chance of losing."

    After witnessing this spectacle, he realized that his internal reflections had been entirely wrong.

    "Did he handicap himself during our fight?"

    From the beginning, Shiva had no plans of killing Su-hyeun. Indeed, he wanted to rope Su-hyeun in as his ally and use the latter as a powerful trump card against Vishnu.

    Su-hyeun thought that fight ended in a draw. However, he had been overlooking one thing all along.

    "He made sure to end it in a draw."

    Shiva looked fatigued back then, but he still managed to lead the battle to the kind of conclusion he wanted to see in the first place.

    It meant that Su-hyeun had to revise his calculations now.

    "Are you thinking about how to kill me?"

    Su-hyeun nodded at Shiva''s question, "Yeah. I need to rethink about some things, you see."

    He didn''t need to beat around the bush here.

    Both of them had acknowledged each other as enemies, anyway. It went without saying that they needed to kill each other someday.

    Since Su-hyeun got a glimpse of the true depths of Shiva''s strength, he needed to revise his strategy accordingly. The same should apply to Shiva, too.

    "Sure. Take your time thinking about it. Think about what you need to do to defeat me."

    When Shiva didn''t even bother to hide his true powers, Su-hyeun became somewhat puzzled and had to say something. "This is surprising."

    "What is?"

    "There''s no benefit to revealing your hand so early, is there?"

    Shiva''s ultimate goal was this universe''s destruction.

    They might be cooperating right now, but that fact didn''t change. Without a doubt, after Vishnu, Su-hyeun was Shiva''s biggest obstacle in achieving his goal.

    So, to think that Shiva lacked wariness to this degree?

    "Does that mean he''s that confident about himself?" he thought.

    No, that couldn''t be it.

    Su-hyeun couldn''t be sure how strong Shiva was at the moment. Still, that didn''t mean the latter was way out of Su-hyeun''s league.

    Not to forget, other variables should be considered, too¡ªlike the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong. Therefore, Shiva shouldn''t be this relaxed about his chances.

    "Well, we need you to possess that much ability, you see. For all of us."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Do you know what Vishnu''s original role was?" Shiva must''ve not been expecting an answer from Su-hyeun because he continued right away. "It''s to keep the ''order'' of things. If I make a wrong decision and try to destroy the universe, he''d make a move against me. That was his role."

    "I thought you can''t even recall his face?"

    "That''s because he killed me, you see. I lose all my memories when I die. Well, whatever the case may be, we''re trying to kill Vishnu, right? So, it''s prudent to think about what will happen afterward."

    Shiva pointed to himself.

    "I''m destruction. Brahma is creation."

    Then, he pointed at Su-hyeun next.

    "And you are order."

 Chapter 543

    After passing the trial on the 215th floor, Su-hyeun and Shiva enjoyed a brief break before they were ready to move on to the next floor.

    They had been moving forward constantly without rest for half a day already. Even if his magical energy reserve was infinite, and therefore didn''t require time to recover, Su-hyeun still had to exert his physical strength and needed a break as a result. It was the same deal for Shiva.

    They took about one hour of rest for every floor or so.

    The break itself wasn''t that long. Still, Su-hyeun had been waiting for this moment to get his question in.

    "Explain properly what you told me earlier," Su-hyeun said while sitting down in front of Shiva after they met up in an agreed location. "Are you really telling me to take over Vishnu''s role?"

    "Well, your face is the same as ours, and you do have the ability, so why not?" Shiva replied and then laid down on his back to make himself comfortable. "You''re still some ways off in the latter department, though."

    "You mean compared to you, right?"

    "Correct. And that''s why I said you need to be strong enough for the job. You need enough strength to stop me."

    Shiva was saying that Su-hyeun needed to stop him? What a laughable notion that was if you heard it out of context. Nonetheless, it seemed somewhat understandable.

    "Didn''t he say dying causes his memories to get wiped out?" Su-hyeun inwardly pondered.

    Probably, not all of his memories would get lost in the process. Things like his basic knowledge should still be preserved, for instance. At the very least, he would be aware of the reason for his existence, which was to destroy the universe.

    Shiva was different from Brahma. He experienced death at Vishnu''s hands and rebirth repeatedly.

    "I thought the reason for your whole existence is to destroy? If so, why do you wish me to stop you?"

    "Destruction is the reason for my existence... Well, that''s technically correct, sure. However, it''s only for the sake of an even better universe, you know."

    "An even better universe?"

    "That''s my role. Brahma''s job is to create a better universe, but when that universe becomes corrupted, it''s my job to destroy it." Shiva brought his hands under his head to support its weight and continued to mutter with a tone containing just a hint of emotion. "As for the order of things, it''s gone completely out of whack."

    The order he was talking about, of course, was Vishnu.

    Su-hyeun made a surprised and complicated expression. What he heard just now made him view Shiva in a different light.

    "I always thought he was just an insane murderer, though..."

    From Su-hyeun''s perspective, Shiva sounded like an evil being that wrought destruction. A crazed mass murderer who enjoyed destroying and killing¡ªthe worst mass murderer imaginable¡ªthat was how Su-hyeun thought of Shiva until now.

    "You sound like you''re not confident about that."

    "Even now, I''m not confident about it, and more so when it concerns the next version of me."

    "The next version?"

    "Dying will change me, after all. Who knows how I''ll end up as. Will my personality be the same as now, or will I become a madman blindly pursuing the path of destruction?"

    The latter possibility was what Su-hyeun initially believed Shiva would be like.

    "What do you see yourself as now?"

    "Now? I''m pretty normal, I think."

    "In that case, why do you wish for destruction? From what I can see, this universe is still quite livable."

    Until now, Su-hyeun thought saying these things were unnecessary. Even so, he chose to say them out loud now. He figured that it might be possible to change Shiva''s mind here.

    "Well, sure, that might be true. If that''s what you think, I fully respect that. Even so, my thoughts are different from yours."

    "Does it have to be this way?"

    "Even if this universe is fine, the next one could be even better. That''s what I think."

    People''s lives weren''t significant to Shiva. It wasn''t even the process of destruction or the continued existence that mattered to him, either.

    "An even better universe, hmm¡­"

    As he said earlier, he wished for a better universe. Brahma''s creation and Shiva''s role of destruction were all a means to achieve that end.

    It didn''t matter what the current universe was like. Once Shiva decided that the next universe could be better, he would start moving without hesitation. However, he was not an existence that desired wanton slaughter for no reason whatsoever.

    "Even so, I can''t back down here."

    Su-hyeun now understood Shiva''s intention.

    He now knew that Shiva was not a simple monster. He even thought that, just maybe, Shiva''s goal could lead the universe in a better direction than what he could ever do.

    Even so, nothing had changed.

    "Not sure if I can humor your request there."

    "Why not?"

    "Because I will never be able to go along with your plan. I''d rather search for another way, instead of agreeing with the idea of wiping out the existing universe to rebuild it again."

    "Meaning you''re denying Brahma and me then."

    "In a way, yes."

    "Hmm..."

    "What''s up with that? Sounding like an old man all of a sudden."

    Shiva sat up then began rubbing his chin. He seemed to be pondering something.

    He finally got up before waving his finger around in a circle. Then, an enormous magic circle at least dozens of meters in diameter was created around Su-hyeun and Shiva.

    "An illusion-type magic circle?"

    It seemed that Shiva wanted to show something.

    Su-hyeun didn''t try to reject the effects of the illusion magic coming from the magic circle, but a magic formula of this degree was easy enough to break if he wanted to.

    The surrounding scenery gradually changed. Shiva began floating in the air next. "See for yourself first and make up your mind afterward."

    A blue planet could be seen below Su-hyeun''s feet.

    "Is that Earth?"

    The planet he called home?

    That was what he initially thought, but it wasn''t Earth after all when he took a closer look.

    "It does resemble Earth, but the outline of the continents are completely different."

    It was indeed a spherical blue planet.

    However, only the outer shape seemed the same, while the continents making it up were quite different from what Su-hyeun remembered. Meaning this planet merely resembled Earth and nothing more.

    "This is a small part of the previous universe that I destroyed," Shiva explained what was going on, prompting Su-hyeun to take another look at the planet below, his expression now changing.

    It was so far down below, and he couldn''t see much. Even if he used Insight, this was still an illusion at work. He couldn''t see anything as a result.

    "Now, take a good look at what kind of world it was."

    Fuu-wooook...

    Along with some noise reminiscent of winds blowing, the surrounding scenery changed once more.

    This time, it was a village populated by people.

    Drip...

    Su-hyeun felt sticky wetness underfoot.

    "Blood?"

    The ground was soaked in blood. He scanned his surroundings and discovered people fighting without screaming or yelling.

    While wielding swords and spears, sometimes even farming tools, people attacked each other with these deadly weapons. Why they were fighting like this was unclear.

    What was evident, though, was that their crimson eyes were filled with only hatred and desire to kill.

    "Can you guess why they are fighting?"

    "No, of course not."

    "Even if it''s unpleasant, you need to keep watching. You can see that they are divided between those with farming tools and those with proper weapons, right?"

    When Shiva said that, Su-hyeun more or less figured out the overall situation here.

    "Are they trying to take away another village''s land?"

    "Correct."

    "So what? Fighting over territory is nothing new. It happened all the time throughout history..."

    "That''s not the main issue."

    When Shiva replied like that, Su-hyeun frowned a little and looked back at the Primordial God, silently asking for more clarification.

    "If it''s merely a fight over some land, then sure, it''s nothing special. However, what if that wasn''t the real purpose?"

    "Okay, what then?"

    "Tell me, does it look like that''s their true objective to you?"

    Su-hyeun heard that question and began observing the people''s expressions a lot closer than before.

    If it was a battle over some land, then the eyes of the aggressors should display some signs of the fervent drive. On the other hand, those defending their land should show desperation to survive.

    "I don''t see any of those in them."

    Despite the messy, bloody battle, those two emotions were nowhere to be seen on their faces.

    The whites of their eyes were dyed crimson as sheer madness burned in their irises. Only one thing could be sensed in those eyes.

    "Delight... hmm¡­"

    Feeling such a thing while taking another person''s life?

    This couldn''t be normal. This was what Su-hyeun initially imagined Shiva would be like: a crazed mass murderer and a bastard that derived much entertainment while killing others.

    All these people were behaving like that.

    "Taking over their land is no longer their goal. It''s just a pretext for them. It doesn''t matter what excuses they could''ve come up with; as long as they can kill someone, it''s all good for them."

    A war where the real goal was never about taking over the land: what they wanted was not some delicious food, warm clothing, nor even nice houses to live in.

    "They are not normal."

    "Correct. This isn''t a normal world."

    Su-hyeun muttered in dismay, to which Shiva promptly replied.

    Although he muttered that without realizing it, Su-hyeun didn''t get flustered. After all, he was being honest, and Shiva agreed with him, anyway.

    Not an ordinary world, he said.

    If they were not under some mind control, if this were their true selves, then it would be more fitting to call this place hell.

    "And that''s why I destroyed it."

    "Oh."

    "Still think I''m in the wrong here?"

    Thoughts tangled up messily inside Su-hyeun''s head.

    What was right and wrong here?

    Even now, the people before his eyes were fighting madly away. Su-hyeun knew that this was not a simple illusion.

    It was easy enough to figure that out by studying the type of magic circle on the ground.

    This was not a spell for creating fake images but for displaying someone''s memories. The spell simply used the medium of illusion to show them. It was not meant to harm someone.

    These were memories inside Shiva''s head¡ªthe previous universe, already destroyed and gone.

    Consequently, Su-hyeun reflected on the things he had gathered so far. "If it''s a world like this..."

    Maybe, it was better to destroy everything and create a new universe instead.

    "Sometimes, it''s better to throw away the old and start with something new. Not to forget, Brahma has been preparing for that new start for a very long time already. So, there''s a higher chance of a better universe being created, too."

    "You''re surprisingly rational, Shiva."

    "Well, that''s my role, after all. And Brahma''s, too."

    Su-hyeun''s thoughts were more or less made up now.

    He also confirmed how sincere Shiva was. Shiva''s way could be the correct answer if the world were really like this.

    "Keeping the order, huh?"

    The unavoidable fate of all the Primordial Gods was undoubtedly a heavy burden to bear.

    One such fate was "order," and Shiva wanted to leave that up to Su-hyeun.

    For the sake of this, he did not fear Su-hyeun surpassing him at all. As for why Shiva chose to show the old destroyed universe? It could only have been one reason.

    "He wishes to be understood. Probably."

    Maybe, this was Shiva''s way of explaining to Su-hyeun that the current universe must be destroyed¡ªthat the next universe could be even better.

    It wasn''t as if Su-hyeun completely sympathized with that idea, though. The universe was unimaginably vast, after all. What he was shown today amounted to nothing more than a tiny part of it.

    Still...

    "Even after seeing this, I still feel that I need to stop you."

    The time wasn''t right.

    Su-hyeun could see why Shiva went ahead and destroyed the previous universe. He wasn''t sure what his actions would be if he found himself in Shiva''s shoes. Still, he had a feeling that Shiva''s decision had been the right one.

    If he were Vishnu, he probably wouldn''t have stopped Shiva from destroying a universe like the one in the illusion.

    However, the current universe had not reached that point yet.

    "If it''s later, then maybe."

    At least, he learned one thing: that time could change not just people but even the world they lived in and also the universe itself.

    Shiva, Brahma, and even Vishnu existed to change those universes.

    "That alone is enough for me," Shiva nodded in satisfaction as if he liked that reply.

    Soon afterward, the surrounding scenery disappeared. Su-hyeun and Shiva returned to the world before the illusion.

    Shiva waved his hand around to erase the magic circle, "For now, let''s worry about stopping Vishnu first."

    "Right."

    For now, Vishnu came first.

    Su-hyeun wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment.

    Whatever Shiva''s goal was, dealing with it had to come later. If Vishnu succeeded in erasing this universe and killing Brahma, then all these conversations would be rendered pointless.

    "It should be soon," Su-hyeun thought.

    What a long and arduous battle it had been from before the regression when he was still Kim Sung-in. He then went on to kill Fafnir, defeat Uranus, and annihilate Osiris. He overcame one challenge after another.

    He could feel that the end was almost around the corner.

    [The 216th floor''s trial will now commence.]

 Chapter 544

    Craaack¡ª!

    A spear shaft was ripped apart before it was crushed.

    While being shoved back, Ares furrowed his brow deeply at the stinging pain coming from his palm. He strengthened his legs just in time to cancel out the force pushing him back, only for a club to close in on him rapidly.

    Whoosh¡ª!

    He bent backward to barely evade the incoming club.

    Just before he could swing his short spear to counterattack...

    Smack¡ª!

    "What?"

    Ares''s figure became airborne before getting flung backward.

    Tumble, crash¡ª!

    He flew back before tumbling and rolling on the ground. Soon after landing, Ares staggered back up to his feet. Half of his face was now swollen and hurt.

    "Thank you for your hard work," Hercules thanked Ares while bowing his head.

    However, Ares thrust forward his short spear and replied, sounding as if his pride had been wounded, "It''s not over yet."

    "No, it is over," Hercules pointed with his chin, signaling Ares to look.

    Only then did Ares check the state of the short spear in his grip. He couldn''t tell when it happened, but the spear had been bent completely sideways, making it useless as a weapon.

    Right at the same time, his barely sustained willpower finally let go, and he lost all of his strength in his body.

    Plop¡ª

    His legs continued to tremble, and he couldn''t rouse up any strength in his torso.

    Ares couldn''t understand how he was able to stand a second ago. He also couldn''t believe that getting hit only once was responsible for his current state.

    "Then again..."

    With his head still stuck on the floor, he barely managed to scan his surroundings.

    "It''s the same story for everyone else."

    Currently, they were below Olympus but on top of some clouds.

    Countless gods had descended here at the moment. Their purpose was to act as a sparring partner for one particular individual.

    The ranks of the gods included Ares, Artemis, Athena, and even Hades. Aside from them, other gods with some fame in Olympus were all lying sprawled on the floor at the moment.

    This scene was the product of a single man.

    "Excellent."

    Clap, clap...

    Someone clapping approached Hercules from behind.

    The latter already knew that someone was behind him, however. Hercules turned around and offered his greeting, "You''re back, father."

    "Yes, I am. And it seems that your efforts are paying off rather handsomely."

    "It''s all thanks to you, father. Uncle and my other older siblings were of great help, too."

    "Is that so?"

    Zeus narrowed his eyes.

    Right at that moment, Hercules raised his arm resting by his side and powerfully swung his club.

    Pazzzik¡ª

    Kaaaa-boooom¡ª!

    Arcs of lightning energy exploded as Zeus''s fist collided against Hercules''s club. The Thunder God''s arm was thrown up, exposing his unguarded chest.

    Hercules held back his fist. He could''ve punched just now but chose not to.

    The confirmation was already over, anyway.

    "Truly excellent."

    "Thank you, father." Hercules bowed his head before looking up to ask, "Is it about to begin?"

    "Yes."

    "It seems that I can finally repay your kindness, father. The reason why I was born as your son was for this upcoming battle, after all."

    "I''m sorry."

    For the first time in his life, Zeus bowed his head at a child carrying his bloodline.

    Zeus had sired countless children in his long life, but in truth, he wanted only one type of offspring. It was none other than the perfect inheritor of his bloodline, like Hercules.

    He also had a single goal, and it was to prepare for the battle against Vishnu. Ironically, Hercules was born last among his children and was also the least loved¡ªall because he was the perfect offspring.

    "It doesn''t matter, father. If we fail to stop that creature, my wife and children will disappear."

    "My son." Zeus called Hercules "son" for the first time. "Allow me to say this. I prayed that you weren''t it."

    "What do you mean?"

    "If my goal were to sire the perfect offspring, I wouldn''t have sought out a mortal woman."

    Hercules stood wordlessly after hearing that. He remained expressionless as he turned around. "That isn''t much of a consolation, I have to say."

    Those words felt like cold daggers stabbing Zeus''s heart. However, just as Zeus''s head faltered, Hercules finished the rest of his reply. "I never really needed consolation."

    "What¡ª?"

    "Let us hurry. We can''t afford to be late, after all."

    Hercules slung the club on his back and then put the lion''s hide on his head and shoulders.

    Zeus stood there in a bit of a daze. He stared at the back of Hercules, trudging away, his heart softening a little at the thought of finally receiving his son''s forgiveness.

    "My son."

    "Yes?"

    "It''s this way, not over there."

    Hercules made a sheepish face when he heard that and quickly turned around in the other direction.

    It was time to depart.

    * * *

    KA-BOOM¡ª!

    Gu-gugugugugu¡ª

    The ground was gouged out. Collapsing walls of soil flooded down into the crater. Watching this spectacle from afar, Lang Mei slowly shook her head, "They are getting even more violent now..."

    The sparring sessions between Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King began when the dungeons stopped appearing, and the two of them were still at it even now.

    She couldn''t figure out what they were sparring for. They would occasionally stop so that the Bull Demon King could enjoy mealtimes with Lang Mei. However, Sun Wukong wouldn''t touch any food whatsoever, including meat, his favorite.

    He was fasting, which was rather a rare thing for him.

    "Besides all that, just how many days has it been...?"

    Their sparring this time has been continuing for a while.

    In the Path to Reincarnation, days and nights were quite long. Yet, several nights had already passed by. Lang Mei even got tired of watching and fell asleep several times when she spectated from a distance.

    Even when she woke up, she would still find the two of them fighting. That seemed unsurprising since Sun Wukong, who had an infinite magical energy supply, was battling the Bull Demon King, who was much stronger than he was.

    "Still, I think he''s holding up a lot better than at the beginning."

    Initially, Sun Wukong couldn''t even lay a hand on the Bull Demon King. Their fights looked like that of an adult toying with a child.

    If the Bull Demon King wanted to extend the sparring session, he did so. If he wanted to end it quickly, he ended it quickly.

    Whichever it was, though, the sparring never went past one day.

    "And my husband looks a little tired, too..."

    Sun Wukong''s entire figure was already soaked in sweat by now. The Bull Demon King also seemed to be exerting a bit of strength as his face was covered in sweat, too.

    Was there a reason they had to fight this intensely?

    Just as she began questioning that...

    Whooooosh¡ª

    A breeze blew past Lang Mei. This particular breeze didn''t seem different from any other breezes, but she could hear a "voice" from it.

    Lang Mei stopped spectating the fight and urgently got up from the spot she had been sitting on for a while. Then, she loudly yelled, "Both of you! Please come over here!"

    Her voice stopped the Bull Demon King''s Mixed Iron Rod and Sun Wukong''s Ruyi Jingu Bang dead in their tracks.

    The two men hesitated slightly before withdrawing their weapons. Sun Wukong wobbled as if he would collapse at any second, so the Bull Demon King helped him up.

    "This much should be enough, Wukong."

    "I still haven''t won, you know? So what do you mean, enough?"

    "Winning against me right now is impossible. This issue cannot be overcome simply by giving it your all, after all. How many times did I tell you not to be too impatient?"

    "Urgh... More nagging..."

    Sun Wukong waved his hand to signal that he didn''t want to hear anymore. It felt like he would pass out at any moment now, but he endured it through sheer willpower.

    The Bull Demon King chuckled slightly after finding this sight rather commendable. Seeing that rare change in the First Brother''s expression brought on a more noticeable grin on Sun Wukong''s face.

    "Please hurry up, you two," Lang Mei urged them again, prompting the Bull Demon King to use the Earth Shrink Technique.

    After arriving before Lang Mei with Sun Wukong in tow with just one step, he carefully put his Third Brother down and asked his spouse, "What happened, dear?"

    "It''s¡ª" Lang Mei looked troubled, not knowing where to start but eventually, she slowly said, "Buddha, he..."

    * * *

    Driiip¡ª

    Hiss, sizzle...

    Buddha''s skin was burning up red-hot until it appeared to be cooked. Meanwhile, blood poured out from his severed wrist and ankle.

    With one of his eyes gouged out, Buddha had to keep his other eye open wide so that he could continue to stare at his front and do his best to endure.

    "You sure are working hard, aren''t you?" Vishnu praised him.

    How many months had it been?

    Buddha felt that it had been simply far too short. Compared to billions of years he spent preparing to stop Vishnu, these last few months were cruelly short, indeed.

    "It''s still not enough, you see."

    "No, you''ve done enough."

    Enough, he said. What a tempting notion that was.

    No matter how much you''ve become accustomed to pain, it would be impossible not to entertain the idea of stopping and taking a break from the pain itself. Of course, unless you actually enjoyed it.

    "No, maybe I haven''t overcome the pain yet."

    Buddha realized how crafty and insidious Vishnu''s statement was.

    Vishnu simply said that Buddha had done enough.

    However, that statement was enough to shake up Buddha''s psyche. To think that Vishnu would say, "You''ve done enough" after inflicting such horrifying pain that even made the hellfire burning in the depths of the netherworld seem as sweet as ice cream...

    Those words were so sweet that Buddha''s willpower almost melted down in an instant.

    "As I thought, I cannot permit you to go any further."

    "What makes you persist like this? Once you disappear, none of the things before me will matter to you."

    That was certainly a fundamental question that shook up the very concept of one''s real purpose.

    If Buddha lacked asceticism training, his resolve could''ve been shaken up, forcing him to give up right now.

    But...

    "No individual is more important than the collective, you see. I''m quite happy with where I am."

    "Sacrificing yourself? How noble of you."

    "I shall take that as a compliment, and I would much prefer for us to continue conversing like this. I can certainly talk for a lifetime."

    This was Buddha''s genuine wish.

    He didn''t want to fight any more if he could help it. He forbid the very act of murder his entire life, so fighting like this was never a pleasant thing for him.

    One saving grace here would be that he was one-sidedly getting beaten up at the moment. This fight caused his flesh to hurt, but at least his heart didn''t suffer as much.

    "Getting extinguished completely is far scarier than death itself. Are you not scared?"

    "My life shouldn''t even have lasted a hundred years, yet I''ve managed to hold on to it for this long. I''ve enjoyed an abundant life so far already, so what meaning is there for me to keep holding on?"

    Here was the reason why Buddha could throw himself away without any regrets.

    "It would''ve been nice if this universe was filled with people like you."

    "Would you have stopped yourself if that had been the case?"

    "Probably. But I''ve already given up."

    "What do you mean, given up?"

    "I thought that sooner or later, a perfect universe would be created. By repeating the process dozens, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of times, I hoped that at least once, we''d get the perfect, ideal universe."

    "And you''ve given up on that dream?"

    "Shiva has decided to destroy this universe, which indicates that this universe is also hopeless."

    "Sounds like you decided that without actually seeing it for yourself."

    "Making that decision isn''t my role, after all. And my dream was never attainable, it seems."

    Vishnu''s dream was grandiose and idealistic: a perfect, ideal universe.

    However, as "perfection" couldn''t realistically exist, he planned for a very long time and strived to achieve it someday.

    But in the end, Vishnu ran out of patience.

    "Let me ask you one thing."

    "Go ahead."

    Whooong¡ª

    Splurt, splaaat¡ª

    The moment Vishnu replied, blood began bursting out from the wounds on Buddha''s body. It seemed that Vishnu wanted to end their chat after this exchange.

    "The perfection you were thinking of, just what was it?"

    Buddha couldn''t understand Vishnu''s point of view.

    Just what was the goal of Vishnu when creating the universe? What kind of a universe did he even want?

    Buddha even felt a pang of pity for Vishnu, who couldn''t achieve what he desired in the end.

    "If I knew that, I would''ve created it in the first place."

    "I see. I asked something unnecessary, then."

    Clap¡ª!

    Buddha slammed his palms together for one last time.

    [Sahasrabhuja Sahasranetra]

    Thousands of hands materialized all around Buddha. The severed hand belonged to one of these many arms.

    So, this was indeed his last stand.

    However, he didn''t feel any special impression of it.

    Other than that, the time, which should''ve ended for him a long ago, had begun ticking forward again.

    "Come, Vishnu."

 Chapter 545

    [You have cleared the 219th floor''s trial.]

    [Strength has risen by one.]

    [Agility has risen by one.]

    [Stamina has risen by one.]

    [Reflex has risen by one.]

    Flaaaaash¡ª

    Rays of bright light flashed from within Su-hyeun''s figure.

    The light was faint but still bright enough to see with naked eyes.

    Excluding the stats referring to magical energy that could no longer be upgraded, all his other stats saw one point increase across the board.

    Numerically, it was only a single point increase, but the difference he felt was indescribably large.

    "Up until this floor, my stats that increased at the same time was three at most."

    He conquered nine floors, starting from the 211th floor to the 219th, and each floor increased one or two stats. Each improvement in his stats felt like he had overcome a steep staircase.

    But now, four of his stats improved simultaneously?

    [Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

    [Magic Count: ?]

    [Magic Level: ?]

    [Strength: 114(+5)]

    [Agility: 112(+5)]

    [Stamina: 112(+5)]

    [Reflex: 111(+5)]

    [Death Aura: ?]

    [Demonic Aura: ?]

    [Skill: Leap * advanced]

    [¡­]

    [Fatigue: 41]

    [Title: Hero]

    [Title: Taoist God]

    [God Title: Combat, Hero]

    His status window had become somewhat simplified.

    He hadn''t opened this window in quite a while. His stats, which hadn''t seen any notable changes since breaking past 100 points, had all improved significantly since the last time.

    "So? Are you satisfied?"

    "Oh. Yeah, sure," Su-hyeun replied to Shiva''s question while lightly dusting his hands. "More or less."

    "You feel confident now?"

    Su-hyeun pondered for a bit at Shiva''s follow-up question before nodding. That question regarding his confidence was about whether he felt confident about defeating Shiva or not.

    "Probably."

    "Oh, really?"

    "What''s wrong? Wanna find out right now?"

    Giii-iiing¡ª

    Pazzzik, bzzzzzik...

    Arcs of azure electricity buzzed around Su-hyeun''s hand. With the spot he stood on as the center, the atmosphere around him was being heated up by the electrical energy, causing the dust on the ground to float.

    Shiva quickly waved his hands, "Now isn''t the time for us to mess around. Hurry up and get some rest, prepare your mind, and so on."

    "And just who started it first?"

    "Should I go ahead and humor you, then?"

    "Forget it. Let''s get going already."

    Su-hyeun wasn''t serious about fighting Shiva for the time being, but without a doubt, he was still planning to fight later.

    However, he felt a certain strangeness from their exchange just now.

    For the past couple of months, which couldn''t be described as short, the two of them had been traveling together.

    "Did I get too friendly with him?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Even though they both had the same face, Su-hyeun initially found Shiva unfamiliar and alien. The latter''s beliefs were not to Su-hyeun''s liking either, so he remained hostile despite traveling around together for a while.

    Still, he got used to Shiva over time. And after learning that the Primordial God''s beliefs didn''t come from an evil place, Su-hyeun''s hostility also gradually diminished.

    However, they were destined to fight sooner or later.

    "Right, some level of hostility is necessary." Su-hyeun admonished himself for the earlier banter, "Must not get too close to him."

    Su-hyeun regulated his breathing and opened the doorway leading to the next floor.

    When he did...

    [Transferring to the 220th floor.]

    [You have reached the last floor.]

    [Will you challenge the final trial?]

    The last floor, and the final trial, it said.

    He had been expecting, more or less, that the next hurdle called the 220th floor could very well be the last.

    "And once this trial is over..."

    He should get to encounter Vishnu.

    "I''m challenging it."

    The scenery within the doorway transformed at Su-hyeun''s declaration. His figure, along with Shiva tied to him under the party system, instantly transferred to another realm.

    The new scenery didn''t seem particularly remarkable. Not a speck of clouds could be seen up in the sky while the ground was blanketed in pure-white snow. Meanwhile, winds cold enough to cut into skin blew around.

    "Isn''t this...?"

    Su-hyeun scanned his surroundings as warm breaths escaped from his lips.

    He used Insight to peer beyond the clouds below his eye line. This allowed him to see a city teeming with people living their lives.

    He made sure to search even farther away, but this was far too familiar to him as expected.

    "Why did it have to be here?"

    "What is it?" Shiva asked after noticing Su-hyeun''s grave expression.

    The reason for that was simple enough.

    "This is my homeworld."

    He certainly did suspect that something like this could happen.

    For instance, Earth was the trial''s backdrop during his battle against Fafnir. Back then, things were exceptionally grave. However, even that wasn''t as grave as this time.

    "Forget about winning or losing... This planet will definitely be destroyed," he told himself.

    The battle against Vishnu should undoubtedly be on another scale compared to everything before it.

    Shiva could destroy Earth in less than one hour if he got serious about it. Yet someone like that determined that he couldn''t deal with Vishnu alone.

    As such, even Su-hyeun couldn''t estimate the severity of the ripples from the battle against Vishnu.

    "Uh? What''s this?"

    He abruptly sensed a presence and voice coming from behind him. Su-hyeun quickly turned around to look.

    "You are here as well?"

    "Mister Hercules?" Su-hyeun smiled at an unexpected but welcome face''s arrival and walked up to Hercules.

    The last time they saw each other was back in Olympus. When Su-hyeun got near, he confirmed that Hercules was still at least one and a half times bigger.

    If someone saw Hercules''s footprint on the snow, they would mistakenly think it must''ve been a bear''s or something.

    "What brings you here, Mister Hercules?"

    "What about you, fella?"

    "This is my homeworld, actually."

    Hercules heard the reply and scanned his surroundings in surprise, "You were actually from land this cold? Now that''s surprising."

    "No, it''s not exactly this very spot, but¡ª"

    "Little bro!"

    Su-hyeun was about to explain, only to turn his head urgently at the even more welcoming voice.

    A face popped up in his mind the moment he heard that voice, "Third Brother!"

    Indeed, that voice belonged to Sun Wukong.

    Sun Wukong lightly ran on the snow before landing in front of Su-hyeun. Somewhat surprisingly, the snow underfoot wasn''t disturbed at all, even though the surface was fragile enough to break apart at the slightest pressure.

    "When did you arrive here, Fourth Brother?"

    Unlike Sun Wukong, who rushed in while raising a fuss, the Bull Demon King silently reached Su-hyeun''s position before anyone noticed it. He was even carrying Lang Mei with him, too. He had used the Earth Shrink Technique.

    "Just now, actually. However, how did you guys know...?" Su-hyeun asked in puzzlement.

    Lang Mei raised her hand and replied, "It was me. I told them."

    "You did, sister-in-law?"

    "Yes. I heard a voice, you see."

    "A voice? What kind of voice was it?"

    "You know, the usual voice I hear. But this time, it was not just one or two voices."

    Lang Mei possessed the ability to listen to the voice of the world. However, even though she was a Shamaness chosen by the world itself, it had been a long time since she last heard the direct voice of the world.

    "The voice said that Buddha has died."

    "Is that so?"

    "You don''t seem surprised?"

    "I expected it, yes."

    Shiva had already informed him before he started climbing the Tower again. Buddha began making preparations in ancient times to delay Vishnu, and he managed to stop the Primordial God.

    This was a promise he made with Master Subhuti¡ªa foundation laid in preparation for a particular moment in the future.

    "By the way, sister-in-law..."

    "Yes?"

    "Is it alright for you to be here? I mean, you''re currently..."

    Su-hyeun couldn''t finish the rest of his sentence as he was mindful of the Bull Demon King''s mood.

    The truth was, she had died at her husband''s hands a long time ago.

    The Path to Reincarnation was, technically speaking, still a part of the netherworld. There was a law prohibiting the dead from interfering in the matters of the living world.

    That was the only reason why the Bull Demon King stayed in the Path to Reincarnation all this time. He might be able to travel to and from the netherworld any time he wanted, but Lang Mei could not.

    "I''m sure he''ll show up soon."

    "Speaking of the devil."

    Split¡ª

    As soon as Lang Mei finished replying, a massive doorway materialized in the sky above.

    The doorway was as pitch-black as it could be. It looked like a dungeon entrance at a casual glance, but no black dungeons had materialized until now, so that thing couldn''t be it.

    Su-hyeun confirmed where that doorway connected to and muttered to himself, "Yama..."

    It was King Yama, the existence ruling over nine thousand hells. The Path to Reincarnation, a part of the netherworld, was also his territory.

    Having experienced countless universes as Brahma and Shiva, he had grown somewhat prickly about protecting his territory, as well as overseeing the laws governing the dead and the living.

    As one might have expected, the reason why Lang Mei wasn''t allowed to leave the Path to Reincarnation was to avoid King Yama''s wrath.

    "What do you think you''re doing?!"

    Rumble...

    The heaven and earth rumbled at his booming voice.

    The ground trembled like an earthquake, causing the snow covering Mount Everest to crumble and tumble down.

    Thick, gloomy clouds blanketed the skies above as if lightning bolts would start crashing down at any second now. However, not one person in this place got shocked or frightened by King Yama''s entrance.

    They were all powerful enough not to get affected, after all.

    Boom¡ª!

    Even if Hercules''s physique was impressively large, it was still nothing compared to King Yama. Sporting the distinctive reddish skin, Yama was far closer to a giant than a regular person.

    He swept his gaze over everyone present, including the reason for his trip this time, Lang Mei. Then, he chuckled slightly, his teeth bared, "What a sight this is, indeed. Hercules, the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven and his little brother, Heaven''s Equal, even the halfling Primordial God, too. And finally..."

    King Yama''s gaze landed on Shiva next.

    "Even the real Primordial God is here."

    Shiva, who had his back turned around while everyone was enjoying their reunion, turned his head when King Yama mentioned him.

    That was when everyone else got a surprise after seeing his face.

    "Huh?"

    "There are two last brothers?"

    That face was exactly the same as Su-hyeun''s.

    The puzzled Sun Wukong alternated his gaze between Su-hyeun and Shiva.

    Shiva, now the focus of everyone''s attention, shrugged his shoulders and greeted King Yama, "Been a while, Yama."

    "If this was any other time, I might have been glad to see you."

    "Of course, you would be. I mean, just who was responsible for giving you nine thousand hells in the first place?"

    This brief exchange was enough for Su-hyeun to uncover one of this universe''s secrets.

    He had been wondering why there were so many hells numbering nine thousand, to begin with, and here was the reason.

    "That must be the number of destroyed universes so far," he guessed.

    All nine thousand hells were destroyed universes.

    Brahma created a universe, Shiva destroyed it, and King Yama turned it into a new hell.

    After all, a world where no living being could survive presented the ideal condition to use as a new hell.

    "Are you somehow involved in this matter, Shiva?"

    "When you say this matter, you mean that woman over there?" Shiva asked while pointing at Lang Mei, prompting King Yama to nod.

    "A dead being is forbidden from interfering in the world of the living. As far as I know, this is the system you lot have created, isn''t it?"

    "No, more correctly, Vishnu created it."

    "Doesn''t matter."

    "Well, in a way, you can say I kind of have something to do with this. For one, I knew things would turn out this way."

    "You knew?"

    "Correct," Shiva looked around as he replied.

    Sun Wukong, Lang Mei, the Bull Demon King, Hercules, and King Yama were on this snowy field.

    All of them were some of the strongest individuals in this universe. The Bull Demon King and his sworn brothers getting together happened relatively often, but Hercules, King Yama, and Shiva also showed up simultaneously? Now that was exceedingly rare.

    "Is this Master Subhuti''s handiwork?"

    "Uncle?" Sun Wukong reacted sensitively more than anyone else when Master Subhuti was brought up.

    This was understandable since he held the most affection toward Subhuti among them all and even witnessed his mentor''s final moments.

    Sun Wukong''s eyes involuntarily shook after hearing about how Subhuti was related to what was about to happen. "What did uncle do? Yama, you know something?"

    "I see."

    King Yama raised his head.

    He saw the white snowy field and the sky bright enough to be blinding.

    King Yama had been waiting for this moment¡ªand for a very long time, too.

    "So, today is that day¡­."

 Chapter 546

    "Like, what is that? Tell me already, will ya?"

    Sun Wukong sounded rather frustrated while saying that.

    King Yama couldn''t continue ignoring his question since he sounded agitated. At that moment, Sun Wukong''s eyes were already gradually turning golden in hue.

    "For what reason did you and your brother come here?"

    "Dunno."

    "You don''t know?"

    "Sister-in-law said that we needed to come here, so I came. She didn''t tell me why, though."

    "Still as simple as always, I see."

    "Hey, that''s an insult, isn''t it?"

    Sun Wukong''s expression crumpled in irritation, but King Yama had already turned his head by then. He was looking to change his conversation partner.

    Hercules stood to the side with his arms crossed and said something, "There is a prophecy in Olympus."

    "What does that prophecy say?"

    "It says that this universe will one day be threatened with its true destruction. This prophecy has existed since the founding of Olympus. Father told me that day has come, and it''s today."

    "You are the son of Zeus, indeed."

    King Yama recognized Hercules from this brief exchange.

    He then continued to scan the surroundings, finally realizing that a face was missing.

    "Didn''t Zeus come with you?"

    "He needs to stop by somewhere first. That''s what he said, at least."

    "Is that so? In any case... If you want the details, you''ll get a better explanation from that being instead of me."

    King Yama glanced at Shiva before fixing his gaze on Lang Mei.

    "As for you, you''re going back with me."

    "I''m sorry?"

    "Look, Yama," Shiva suddenly interjected. "Can we talk for a bit first?"

    "Even if it''s you, I cannot humor this request. The dominoes will start falling one by one the moment you break the law, after all."

    "It''s not even a massive request, to begin with. All I want is a few minutes to chat to everyone here."

    King Yama pondered something and then nodded in acceptance.

    "Ten minutes."

    "That''s more than enough."

    Snap¡ª

    Shiva snapped his fingers and gestured at the others to come closer.

    Su-hyeun walked over, wondering what Shiva could be thinking of. The rest of the scattered group also came together, but Sun Wukong, in particular, stared at Shiva with a great deal of interest.

    "Wow, seriously, it''s an exact match."

    He circled Shiva, his eyes sparkling brightly, so much so that one had to wonder if his earlier serious attitude toward the story related to Master Subhuti was genuine or not.

    However, in stark contrast to him, the Bull Demon King''s expression got stiffer the closer he got to Shiva. Even Lang Mei was sticking very close to her husband''s side.

    "Fella, it seems that we''ve already met."

    "More or less."

    "It is quite unpleasant, isn''t it? Having that face is a serious violation of rules, too."

    The Bull Demon King was biding his time ever since that matter with Lang Mei. He was planning to get very violent if he ever found Shiva.

    However, he couldn''t do that right now because, for some unknown reason, Shiva looked the same as Su-hyeun. Not only would it feel like he''s attacking his little brother, but he also couldn''t help but worry that there had to be a reason for Su-hyeun and Shiva to share the same face.

    "My apologies for what happened back then. Still, that made you come out here, didn''t it?"

    "Are you talking about back when you tried to hold my wife hostage?"

    "Something like that," Shiva replied dryly.

    The Bull Demon King''s brows furrowed ever so slightly. However, the intense killing intent leaking out of him still rushed toward Shiva like deadly arrows.

    "It seems that you need to be taught a lesson first."

    Even if he usually didn''t lose his temper, the Bull Demon King would erupt like a volcano once he did. Especially when the matter concerned Lang Mei¡ªhe would not hold himself back.

    The Bull Demon King extended his hand toward Shiva, no longer caring about the situation. His sharpened hand blade shot straight at Shiva''s face as if he was going to rip out an eyeball or some such.

    "It''s not over yet, though?" Shiva spoke up, prompting the Bull Demon King to stop. "Ten minutes, I mean."

    "Why are you not evading?"

    "I don''t mind getting hit once, at least. Besides, it''s not just King Yama I''m trying to convince today, you see."

    "In that case?"

    "I''m also trying to convince you, oh Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven."

    The Bull Demon King''s expression became unreadable at what Shiva said. Su-hyeun, too, was puzzled by this development.

    "What is he planning?" he thought.

    The Bull Demon King had sharpened his blade ever since Shiva targeted Lang Mei back in the Path to Reincarnation. Shiva knew about her connection to the Yogoe, and that was why he approached her in the first place.

    Despite creating this situation, he was planning to convince the Bull Demon King somehow?

    "Does he have a way?"

    Some half-baked arguments would never win over the Bull Demon King.

    Feeling curious, Su-hyeun paid closer attention to Shiva.

    "Do you know what the Book of Life and Death is?"

    The Book of Life and Death, he said?

    Even Su-hyeun had heard that name before but only from a story. However, it seemed that the Bull Demon King was more knowledgeable about the subject.

    "Isn''t it a ''ledger'' managed by King Yama, which records the names of all the dead on its pages?"

    "Yes. Nine thousand universes transformed into hells, creating nine thousand Books of Life and Death. And King Yama possesses eight thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine of those."

    "What about the missing one, then?"

    Right after that question was asked...

    "I have it."

    Shu-rururu...

    Flap¡ª

    A long piece of paper materialized and unfurled from Shiva''s hand. This paper landing on the snow was so incredibly ancient and so long that one couldn''t even guess its actual length.

    Unknown letters were written on the paper''s surface. However, seeing how the letters seemed to be organized systematically, they must have been the "names" of people.

    "No, wait, it''s not just names, is it?" Su-hyeun inwardly considered.

    This long roll of paper didn''t just record names but also contained countless souls.

    Just how many souls were contained in it?

    Su-hyeun briefly used Insight to take a closer look, only for a dizzy spell to assault him.

    Shiva rolled the "ledger" back up while continuing from where he left off, "The first universe didn''t have its netherworld. That''s why those who died didn''t have a place to go to. As for reincarnating? Such a concept didn''t even exist back then."

    "An unfortunate tale, indeed, but what about it?"

    "King Yama wants this¡ªthe Book of Life and Death from the very first universe¡ªmore than anything else in this entire universe," Shiva lightly waved the scroll around. "Even I don''t know why he''s so hung up on it. Still, I can tell how much he cares about his hells. Also, he wishes to save all the souls trapped in this Book of Life and Death."

    "Save the souls?"

    "Even though the nine thousand universes had repeated themselves, these souls never got to experience reincarnation. Not even once. King Yama wishes to gift them with the cycle of reincarnation. Since that''s the case, what do you think I''ll be doing with this Book?"

    "Stop beating around the bush and out with it."

    "I''ll use this to bargain for Lang Mei''s name to be struck off the current Book."

    The Bull Demon King wasn''t the only one shocked by what he heard.

    Even the others listening alongside, Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong, who knew the relationship between their First Brother and Lang Mei, got the shock of their lives.

    Su-hyeun sneaked a glance in the Bull Demon King''s direction.

    The latter was doing his absolute best to hide his expression. Even so, no one had seen him as stunned like this.

    He closed his eyes for a few moments to calm his chaotic thoughts and then opened his mouth to speak, "What is it that you want in return?"

    Before dropping this bombshell, Shiva confidently said that he would convince the Bull Demon King.

    Meaning he had something the other party needed. As it turned out, the card in Shiva''s possession was an absolute must-have in the Bull Demon King''s view.

    About seven minutes had passed by at this stage.

    Only around three minutes remained out of the time King Yama had agreed to wait.

    "Fight for us this one time."

    "One time...?"

    "I shall explain the situation afterward. But it won''t be a bad proposition since even your Fourth Brother will be happy to have you."

    The Bull Demon King didn''t know about the matters involving Vishnu. Therefore, it was impossible to explain everything in depth in less than three minutes.

    Still, when Su-hyeun silently nodded, the Bull Demon King began thinking that Shiva''s request might not be as difficult as initially imagined.

    Just one time, Shiva said.

    Even if his name gets written on King Yama''s Book of Life and Death at the end of the battle, it doesn''t matter to the Bull Demon King as long as Lang Mei''s name gets struck off from it.

    "Alright, I shall."

    Finally, he gave his consent.

    Su-hyeun was inwardly going agog at how smoothly this conversation had flown by.

    "Was everything planned out from the start?"

    Provoking the Bull Demon King by going after Lang Mei, then using her, even dragging King Yama out to this place, and finally, getting the Bull Demon King''s help by getting Lang Mei''s name erased from the Book of Life and Death¡ªthe way everything unfolded felt like puzzle pieces perfectly falling to their spots.

    Even if it seemed like Lang Mei was being held hostage here, there couldn''t have been a better compensation imaginable for the Bull Demon King.

    Also, no one would walk away a loser in this deal.

    "The souls trapped in that Book of Life and Death will finally experience reincarnation, while the First Brother will be pleased about sister-in-law coming back to life. King Yama will also get his hands on the missing Book of Life and Death."

    The Bull Demon King and Su-hyeun were the only two existences in the entire universe capable of going up against Shiva. To fight against Vishnu, his help was absolutely essential.

    "It''s rather flawless."

    At this point, Su-hyeun was pretty close to admonishing himself for misjudging Shiva''s intellect altogether.

    He thought that Shiva was merely a god hellbent on mindless genocide and destruction, but the truth was, the latter was far smarter than he expected.

    "Alright, then, our discussion is over, so..." Shiva shifted his attention over to King Yama next, "two more minutes remain."

    * * *

    King Yama''s expression more or less resembled that of the Bull Demon King.

    It seemed that the shock from the possibility of acquiring the very first Book of Life and Death was as great as what the Bull Demon King felt a few minutes ago.

    His dilemma didn''t even last long.

    "Yes, let us do that."

    As Shiva had predicted, King Yama readily accepted the condition of erasing Lang Mei''s name off the Book.

    This was the first-ever moment the law governing life and death had been broken since the universe''s birth.

    This was unprecedented, in other words.

    Still, it was worth the trouble for King Yama. He didn''t even feel the need to weigh the worth of one soul versus all the souls that used to exist in a universe.

    Flaaaap¡ª

    Shiva''s Book of Life and Death unfurled in the air.

    The names written on this paper were rapidly erased. At the same time, the souls trapped within it got sucked into King Yama''s palm to enter a brand new Book of Life and Death being generated.

    Now, it was up to King Yama to guide these souls.

    "I''ve received them."

    Finished with acquiring the first Book of Life and Death, King Yama then proceeded to pull out a different Book from his inner pocket. It, too, had countless names written on it.

    He searched for Lang Mei''s name and erased it. Even though the records were quite ancient, King Yama seemed to know its contents like the back of his hand.

    "It''s done."

    "I hope that we never meet again under this sort of circumstances."

    "Well, we might never meet again after today, period."

    This conversation was between two beings that had existed for all eternity.

    Of course, King Yama was fully aware of who was about to arrive here.

    "No desire to fight alongside us?"

    "If you all arrive in my hell, then I may entertain the idea."

    "But don''t you know that there won''t be any more hells if we fail?"

    "If no more universes are born, then there won''t be a need for a new hell, either. In the end, this tale doesn''t concern me."

    "Seriously now, you''re still as uptight as always."

    "But you''re somewhat different from the past."

    "I don''t recall what I was like back in the past, but I see no need to stay the same all the time."

    Shiva''s memories got wiped out whenever he experienced death. It seemed that it prompted changes to his personality as well.

    "Well, then, I hope we meet again someday. And I mean all of you."

    The negotiation was over, so King Yama turned around to leave. The black doorway opened up before him, and he vanished into one of the hells he governed.

    It felt like a massive storm had come and gone just now.

    But one thing was for sure¡ªthey could now count on the Bull Demon King''s help.

    "Okay, so? Who are we going to fight here?" Sun Wukong impatiently asked. It seemed that, even after listening to everything, the most important thing to him was the opponent''s identity.

    He had been thinking of fighting Shiva until now, so the prospect of needing to work together would have confused him somewhat.

    "From this moment on, we..." Su-hyeun was about to answer Sun Wukong but began hesitating just then.

    He suddenly remembered that he had been telling himself something for a while now, and that was not to complicate this any more than necessary.

    So, Su-hyeun changed his answer.

    "We''re going to hunt for the One Overlord."

 Chapter 547

    He had experienced many battles where he almost died.

    Plenty of his fights had very low odds of victory, too. He even lost once, leading to his death.

    However, everything was all the same for him.

    Who his opponents were didn''t matter to him. If the enemy were strong, then he would get just as strong, too.

    Nothing had changed in that regard.

    This battle would simply be one of many he had fought.

    "Okay, so, that One Overlord is this creature called Vishnu? Was that what you were going to say?"

    "Yes, and it seems like every one of the Five Godly Sages was aware of this tale as well."

    The title of One Overlord was publicly known, but the actual identity had never been declared until now.

    Still, the fact remained that quite a few worlds had perished under this creature''s attack and that it was still ongoing as they spoke. However, Su-hyeun didn''t pay much attention to that part.

    More correctly, he couldn''t pay attention to it in the first place.

    "All Predators are like that, after all," he inwardly told himself.

    Most Predators stayed true to their desires, leading their worlds to eventual destruction. That was what Fafnir did, and the same applied to the rest of the Three Destroyers, Uranus and Osiris.

    Therefore, the One Overlord standing at their apex should be the same in that regard. If one thing separated Vishnu from the rest, it was that he wished for the complete destruction of the universe, and he possessed enough power to make it happen.

    Sun Wukong muttered softly, "It''s a big fight, then"

    "If we don''t win, there won''t be a next time, Third Brother."

    "No way. I can''t die, remember?"

    "Nope, you will die," Shiva interjected at Sun Wukong''s confident remark. "Our enemy is Vishnu. He has the power to kill Brahma and me. He can even ignore the power or the rules governing immortality and invincibility."

    "What? Is that even possible?"

    "It is possible. Nothing''s impossible for him."

    This was an unexpected development for Sun Wukong.

    He always fought his battles recklessly. Being "unkillable" no matter what was an advantage that could enhance one''s combat prowess by several folds.

    Not only that, but Sun Wukong was already used to fighting in this way, so this situation was no longer as simple as him losing this advantage.

    His reckless nature could cost him his life for real this time.

    However...

    "Oh, so you''re saying I might die, eh?" Sun Wukong was still grinning. "Wow, this is so thrilling, you know that?"

    He sounded even more excited than before as well.

    In combat, everyone had a clear rule: Unless the fight was a sparring session, fight as if your life was on the line.

    The victor held the loser''s life in their hands, with the right to choose whether to spare or execute the defeated, or one could die during the battle itself.

    Rather obviously, that rule didn''t apply to Sun Wukong. After possessing an immortal body, battles had become nothing but playtime for Sun Wukong.

    "It''s nothing to sweat over, though. In a battle, you either kill or be killed. That''s all."

    "Don''t get too nervous, then."

    "Don''t worry. Also..." Sun Wukong''s eyes sparkled brightly as if his competitive streak had awakened after a long slumber, "I really, really wanna fight you later, too."

    Those eyes of Sun Wukong staring at Shiva were uncannily similar to back when he first met Su-hyeun.

    Shiva not only looked the same as Su-hyeun but was also a being that held the fate of the universe in his hands. The notion of battling such a being was more than enough to ignite Sun Wukong''s competitive streak.

    "Well, if we have the opportunity later, sure," Shiva shrugged his shoulders before shifting his gaze over to Su-hyeun.

    In that brief lull, Su-hyeun seemed to have fallen into a deep pool of thoughts.

    "What are you thinking about?"

    "Oh. How much time do we have left?"

    "Probably less than half a day?"

    "Half a day, hmm..."

    Since Buddha had already been defeated, they probably didn''t have much time left now. In the remaining time, Su-hyeun had to decide on one important thing.

    The day was gradually growing darker. It wasn''t night just yet, but the moon still faintly appeared over the horizon.

    "How about over there?" Su-hyeun asked.

    "Over there?"

    "Yes. It''s wide open with no obstructions. Although it''s a bit harder to breathe... That won''t be a problem for us."

    "Doesn''t matter where we fight, though."

    "It matters to me."

    No matter where they fought, there was bound to be a massive loss of life. Moreover, the risk was not just on the level of one or two cities getting destroyed but countries getting wiped out at the very least.

    Su-hyeun inwardly contemplated, "Even so, if we change the location to the moon..."

    He probably wouldn''t have to worry as much about collateral damage during the battle.

    "It sounds like a good idea. I agree with my friend."

    Unsurprisingly, Hercules agreed with Su-hyeun''s opinion and spoke his mind. As a half-god, half-human, he worried about the losses of lives as much as Su-hyeun did.

    Shiva also didn''t want a situation where his comrades couldn''t unleash all of their strengths due to external factors. In the end, the location was selected according to Su-hyeun''s wish.

    Once the location was decided, Hercules spoke again, "I should go and inform father now."

    "Inform him? About what?"

    "Did you think we can fight with only this number of combatants?"

    Split¡ª

    At that moment, the sky split open. However, this doorway was different from the one King Yama used to travel from hell.

    "Hear ye, for I have come!"

    The heavens rumbled from the loud voice.

    It belonged to Thor, who was accompanied by the surviving warriors of Asgard.

    * * *

    The news regarding two "dungeon" portals appearing in the skies spread rapidly online.

    One was black, while the other one was white. Of course, these were not related to dungeons and were simply doorways, but people didn''t know that.

    "Something is going on here."

    Lee Ju-ho enlarged the satellite images sent by the Gordon Company.

    The black doorway opened, and a crimson-skinned giant popped out from there. Without a doubt, the person talking to this giant was Su-hyeun.

    There were other people present, and something caught Lee Ju-ho''s attention.

    "There are two Su-hyeuns?"

    There was someone else with the same face as Su-hyeun. Besides him, Lee Ju-ho also recognized Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King.

    Click¡ª

    He used the mouse to move on to the next image.

    A group of people emerged from the white "dungeon" this time. Although it was not rare to see "people" come out of dungeons, most of them had already turned into undead creatures or became a type of monster with broken minds.

    "It looks like Su-hyeun is acquainted with them...?"

    However, the person who looked like the group leader was greeting Su-hyeun enthusiastically in the image.

    "Just what is going on here?" Lee Ju-ho thought.

    "Big bro?"

    Lee Ju-ho''s head turned at the voice coming from the window.

    Su-hyeun was entering the office through the window. Even though they were dozens of floors up, he sure was fond of using windows instead of the perfectly fine door, it seemed.

    "Hey, this is you, right?" Lee Ju-ho asked while turning the computer monitor around.

    Since Su-hyeun had no idea about the satellites taking photos of him, he got slightly surprised by what he saw. He then nodded in affirmation.

    "What is going on this time?"

    "This could be the last one."

    "What do you mean, the last one?"

    Lee Ju-ho spotted a certain grim determination within Su-hyeun''s expression as the latter stepped over the window sill. Even his voice carried a greater force than before, too.

    "Bro, please alert all the awakeners and tell them to prepare themselves. Not just in Korea, but everyone in the world."

    "What, right now?"

    "Yes."

    "But how can I do that at such short notice?"

    "Please do your utmost best. Also, try to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible."

    "Sounds like something big is about to go down, then. Anything else? Do you need any help?"

    "Well, no. Not much you guys can help me with, unfortunately. This is all in preparation for that just-in-case, you see."

    "Makes sense, I guess. It''s not like we can do much in a battle involving all those people..."

    Su-hyeun, Sun Wukong, and the Bull Demon King were present. Besides this trio, the other people in the satellite images looked extraordinarily strong. On top of that, Su-hyeun''s words about this being the "last one" didn''t seem like an empty remark at all.

    "Last one, huh?"

    There was no time to ponder it leisurely.

    Lee Ju-ho quickly nodded, "Got it. I''ll send the word out. It will be impossible to meet face to face with everyone, so I''ll do conference calls with other countries'' Associations and deliver your message."

    "Thank you."

    "Still, can''t you tell me a simplified version of what''s going on here? If you ask the others to prepare for something without a sound reason, they won''t respond at all, you know."

    "This is what''s going on..."

    Su-hyeun explained the simplified version of the events so far.

    He omitted the bit about Vishnu, however. That part of the story would be too difficult to accept, anyway. Even if Su-hyeun explained it, it would be akin to grabbing at floating clouds.

    So, he explained that their target was the cause of all the dungeons and the main enemy of gods from various worlds. That should be enough for Lee Ju-ho to figure out the severity of the situation.

    "And now, big bro will decide on how to spread the word," Su-hyeun thought.

    How would the Awakener Associations of various nations respond after listening to this story?

    The battle against Vishnu most likely didn''t require their help, to begin with. Indeed, their presence wouldn''t be needed during the battle at all.

    "It''s not as if all dungeons have disappeared."

    Not only within the Path to Reincarnation, but all the dungeons throughout the universe also ceased appearing altogether. That was because Shiva had temporarily stopped them after joining forces with Su-hyeun to deal with Vishnu''s matter.

    As such, the dungeon materialization hadn''t ended at all. Shiva''s preparation to bring forth the universe''s destruction was still underway, meaning dungeons could reappear at any time.

    It would be too late to react after the battle against Vishnu was over.

    "Since that''s the case..."

    Su-hyeun turned his head and looked outside the window.

    It was around six o''clock¡ªearly in the evening, in other words.

    He took in the sight of Seoul''s skyline bathed in the fading sun, noticing the bright full moon rising in the distance.

    * * *

    "What a spectacle this is."

    The scene waiting for Su-hyeun on the moon was something even he couldn''t have anticipated: Thor and Asgard''s warriors.

    Their number was slightly less than one hundred. That already seemed like quite a lot, but somehow, that number had swelled up so much that it became too difficult to count now.

    Several familiar faces were among them, too.

    "You''re finally here."

    "You''re the last one to arrive, fella."

    Apollo, Ares, and Hades were here.

    Other Olympian gods were present, too. They discovered Su-hyeun and waved their hands to greet him.

    Su-hyeun greeted them back. He then walked up to Shiva next, "Where have all these folks come from?"

    "Zeus brought them here."

    "He did?"

    "He sure has brought a lot, hasn''t he? And here I was, wondering just where he''d been traveling to all this time."

    It wasn''t just Olympus or Asgard, either. Gods from various worlds were still streaming in. Most of them seemed to be in a close relationship with the Five Godly Sages, too.

    This couldn''t have been prepared in a day or two.

    Zeus must have worked hard for a very long time for this moment.

    "Where are my brothers, though?" Su-hyeun thought.

    Searching for Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King among these many gods wasn''t easy. For some reason, their presences were almost impossible to detect.

    Su-hyeun searched for a while and eventually found Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King in some corner, sitting in lotus positions.

    "Wait, even Third Brother is doing that?"

    Sun Wukong hated sitting down doing nothing more than death itself. Just sitting still for a few seconds would make his whole body writhe from impatience. Yet here he was, not even budging an inch.

    Su-hyeun didn''t go out of his way to disturb them. He figured that they were adjusting their mental state before the colossal battle commenced.

    "In that case, I should, too..."

    He settled down and crossed his legs¡ªlike back when he started cultivating the Sage Arts, with a calm mind. He let go of his tension.

    Just like that, quite some time seemed to have passed by. How long had it been exactly?

    "He''s almost here," Shiva was the first one to notice something and spoke.

    "Ah..."

    Gu-woooo...

    Su-hyeun slowly opened his eyes next; then, his head shifted in that direction, "So it seems."

    He couldn''t see "him" with his naked eyes. His senses didn''t even pick up any presence, either. Even so, he was sure of it.

    This feeling he was getting right now was a first for him.

    It was as if a certain intuitive sense of repulsion was engraved deep in his DNA, as well as a sense of fear. He had a feeling that a massive carnivorous predator was approaching him.

    "He''s here," he inwardly said.

    In the far-off distance, somewhere in the vast expanse of outer space was...

    "Vishnu."

    Su-hyeun saw distant eyes gleaming sharply as they gradually loomed closer.

    This was that moment¡ªthe one he saw through Foresight.

 Chapter 548

    That was a massive pool of light.

    The moment he sensed the distance closing, ''it'' instantly reached right in front of his nose.

    And when he thought its overall shape was indecipherable, it instantly created a solid shape.

    At first, it resembled a massive deer. Its two eyes seemed to gleam beautifully and a short while later, its huge antlers transformed in a head - eventually turning the deer into a dragon.

    This dragon encircled the moon with its whole body. It was almost impossible to estimate just how large this creature was. It felt like it was even bigger than the sun, and the pressure it emitted froze the gods to their spots, making them unable to move an inch.

    Its form changed once more. The dragon changed to a lion, then to a bear, even to a turtle - it continued to shapeshift over and over again.

    Su-hyeun initially thought that it possessed so many different forms, but suddenly realized that all these were fakes.

    ''No, its form isn''t transforming, but...''

    Vishnu hadn''t moved at all.

    ''...But it was me who failed to see the truth.''

    It felt like that if he reached out, he could touch Vishnu right away. Even though there was a considerable distance between them, Vishnu''s size was much larger than anyone could have even imagined.

    Just as Su-hyeun stood there in sheer stupefaction, he felt a hand grabbing his shoulder.

    "Hey. Don''t get too nervous."

    It was Shiva.

    Su-hyeun nodded. He unsheathed his sword, then wielded Gungnir in his left hand.

    ''Did I say it''s a hunt?''

    He had to revise his mindset now.

    ''This is not a problem that can be solved with sheer numbers.''

    Gods coming together to form a large group like this was a meaningless act when facing such an existence.

    The Primordial God...

    Su-hyeun have met Brahma, Shiva, and now, even Vishnu. He had already planned out his future battle against Shiva and felt quite confident about his chances, too.

    But Vishnu... he was on another realm compared to Shiva or Brahma. Both of them were originally born out of Vishnu, after all.

    "Take a proper look." Shiva stared straight at Vishnu that continued to shift his form. "His essence isn''t different from us."

    His essence...

    Su-hyeun heeded the advice, got over this feeling of fear clouding his judgement and glared at Vishnu.

    Only then could he see it clearly.

    ...Vishnu''s face, that was.

    "Ah..."

    The face of the existence that shifted his form starting from a deer... turned out to be that of a regular human being.

    His hair was long enough to extend past his pure-white back. The rest of his skin was just as pure white, while the facial features were beautifully androgynous that this creature could''ve been either a male or female.

    Anyone would''ve objectively say that its face was beautiful. But the first thought popping up in Su-hyeun''s head was neither how beautiful or handsome it was.

    No, it was ''awe''.

    It felt like he should kneel down right now. The feeling itself wasn''t strong, but that alone was already an alarming thing to behold.

    Plop-

    And sure enough, quite a few gods ended up kneeling when looking at Vishnu. They all came here for a fight, but it seemed that their resolve had already been snapped in half.

    ''What a mess.''

    They could no longer fight just from staring at Vishnu for a bit.

    The distance seemed to have closed up enough, so Su-hyeun began wondering if he should throw the spear in his hand. But then...

    Bang-!

    "Expand...!"

    Sun Wukong lightly kicked the ground and soared higher in the much-weaker gravity of the moon.

    "Ruyi!"

    KA-BOOM-!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang in Sun Wukong''s hands stretched on seemingly endlessly. Su-hyeun had fought alongside, and against, Sun Wukong many times already, but even so, this was his first time seeing that polearm extending this long

    It seemed that Sun Wukong had accurately seen through Vishnu''s real form as well.

    "Fuu-hat..."

    A wry chuckle leaked out from Su-hyeun''s lips. His whole body had frozen up from extreme nervousness, yet unlike him, Sun Wukong had not shrunken back not even an inch.

    Not even Shiva or the Bull Demon King had made a move yet despite already detecting Vishnu''s true essence. This was no longer the issue of who was stronger anymore.

    No, this was courage to stand proud even in the face of death. In other words, Sun Wukong''s guts.

    He''d never shrink back in fear regardless of who his enemy was.

    The polearm pierced straight through Vishnu''s arm extending toward the moon, then even pierced right through the Primordial God''s head, too.

    BOOM-!

    Vishnu''s head exploded. Su-hyeun, already feeling like someone had smacked him in the head after seeing Sun Wukong''s jump, ended up getting an even greater shock from this scene.

    He could scarcely believe what he just witnessed.

    ''Wait, it''s this easy?''

    His grip on Gungnir weakened instantly just then.

    But instead of thinking that this was for the better, a question mark popped up in his mind first. He was vaguely certain that this matter couldn''t have been this simple to solve.

    Fwhoooosh-

    Sure enough, Vishnu''s figure suddenly vanished from the view.

    It was like watching a mirage disappear. Sun Wukong spun around in the air before retracting Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    Land-

    "Tch." Sun Wukong tutted in disappointment after landing on the solid ground.

    Su-hyeun walked up to him. "What happened?"

    "I didn''t get him."

    "You didn''t?"

    Sun Wukong spun around the retracted Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hand while replying. "There was no feeling of hitting him. I thought it was a bullseye, but..."

    He smacked his lips in disappointment, too.

    "Can''t figure out where he''s gone off to."

    No matter how much he sharpened his senses, he couldn''t detect anything. Other gods were also visibly surprised when Vishnu disappeared from their view.

    Su-hyeun sneaked a glance at Shiva, but the latter didn''t seem to know, either. He was busy scanning the surroundings in a full-on vigilant mode, his aura creeping up gradually.

    ''For some reason, I''m really anxious.''

    Just when was the last time he felt this worried and anxious?

    Hundreds of thousands of gods had gathered, but there was little noise to speak of. It was so eerily quiet that the sounds of gulping saliva and shuffling feet could be heard so clearly.

    And as they stood there, all of their senses heightened to extreme, Su-hyeun''s head shifted to a side. "...Over here."

    "Huh?"

    "He''s already in the middle of us!"

    Sun Wukong reacted to Su-hyeun''s words and shifted his gaze over in that direction, too. Shiva nearby was also glaring at the same spot as Su-hyeun. Other gods on the moon noticed it one beat later.

    Zizizizi...

    Something was rising up from the grey-colored ground.

    It was difficult to determine the gender of this creature with pure-white skin. It slowly writhed and wiggled on the ground while standing up, and a short while later, Vishnu''s face appeared on it.

    It wasn''t all that tall. It didn''t even have defined muscles, either. Overall, it was like staring at a lanky and handsome androgynous young boy.

    He looked like a human, but at the same time, a god and a Yogoe, too.

    ''God created mankind in his own image...''

    Right at that moment, Su-hyeun finally got to realize the true meaning behind that saying he had heard so, so many times before.

    All those countless shifting forms of Vishnu he witnessed until now were nothing but illusion.

    This was Vishnu''s true appearance.

    Vishnu had appeared in the middle of all these hundreds of thousands of gods. He seemed to be within one''s reach, but on one dared to approach him.

    Actually, they began retreating hastily, instead.

    Su-hyeun sneaked a glance to his side and noticed that Sun Wukong was the same as everyone, too. The latter was still wielding Ruyi Jingu Bang, yet he didn''t rashly pounce forward, only gripping his weapon tighter and tighter.

    ''It''s not because he''s scared, now is it?''

    Indeed, Sun Wukong''s eyes didn''t quake once.

    He seemed so much calmer than his usual self. Those eyes indicated that he was vehemently racking his brain right now, that he wasn''t lost to his desire to fight or reckless competitiveness.

    He might seem simple-minded in normal settings, but when it came to battles, Sun Wukong was smarter than most people out there.

    ''Even Third Brother understands it. That it''s too dangerous to recklessly charge in.''

    Su-hyeun also had sensed it.

    Vishnu''s physique was small and the aura he emitted didn''t raise any alarms.

    But he still gave off this inexplicable sense of danger that surpassed those criteria. Not just Su-hyeun and Sun Wukong, but everyone else had picked up on that.

    "So many of you have come today." Vishnu spoke as he scanned the surroundings.

    He wasn''t looking at one individual, but everyone here. And every god meeting eyes with him shuddered on their spot.

    Just how could a small frame like that emit such an intense aura like this?

    Su-hyeun got ready to throw Gungnir at any given moment and fixed his glare on Vishnu. But just as he thought that his glare almost met Vishnu''s eyes, the latter''s head turned to elsewhere, instead.

    "Are you aware of your sins?"

    "What is it that you want to say here, Vishnu?" Shiva asked back.

    Vishnu''s gaze locked on Shiva, his expression one of sadness and lamentation. "Shiva. Oh, my son."

    "I''ve never regarded you as my parent, though."

    "That doesn''t matter to me. So, my son. Do you think you are different from me? Does this universe deserve to continue on in your opinion?"

    "No, it doesn''t." Shiva replied without hesitation. But it didn''t look like he''d humor Vishnu''s intention regardless of what he thought about the subject matter. "Even so, the next universe is a necessity."

    "However, I have waited for nine thousand times."

    "I recommend waiting until you hit round and even ten thousand."

    In other words, one thousand more universes, then.

    But Vishnu didn''t seem interested in changing his mind at Shiva''s recommendation. "It is meaningless. After all, it has been confirmed that my ideal can never be realized."

    "I figured you''d say that."

    "Does that mean you accept my will?"

    "Never." Shiva replied by materializing a black spear and sword in his grips. "Forgive me, but I must oppose you until the end."

    "How lamentable."

    Vishnu made a truly tortured expression.

    He covered his face with one hand and began shedding tears. Even though he made no sound at all, everyone could still hear his intense wailing nevertheless.

    What a heart-wrenching wailing it was, too. But it only managed to send an even more ominous chill down Su-hyeun''s spine.

    ''He... really is planning to kill everyone.''

    Vishnu hated the current universe. Those tears did not come from a place of sorrow. No, they came from this near-uncontrollable hatred.

    That''s why Su-hyeun found the current Vishnu even more terrifying than before.

    ''The moment he stops crying...!''

    When that happens, Vishnu would surely make his move.

    Despite knowing this, Su-hyeun couldn''t bring himself to make the first move. Even though Vishnu was covering his eyes, he had not shown a single opening so far.

    Su-hyeun wasn''t sure why he came to such a realization, however. It''s just that... he instinctively understood that he shouldn''t make a single move right now.

    But then...

    Ruuuumble-

    Massive pillars of flames suddenly erupted all around Vishnu.

    Crimson flame pillars numbering several hundreds looked truly menacing, but Vishnu didn''t even bother to take his hand away from his face. As he continued to shed tears, a god''s figure appeared among the pillars of flames.

    "Vishnu-!"

    Fwhooooosh-

    This god''s hand transformed into flames as he reached out to Vishnu.

    The flames were as hot as the sun. It wouldn''t be surprising to see Vishnu''s flesh melt away to nothingness the moment those flames touched him.

    Su-hyeun recognized who that god was.

    ''Helios!''

    He remembered seeing that god before. Helios was one of the top Olympian gods who also commanded fire just like Apollo.

    By the look of things, he must''ve thought that the current situation was an opportunity for him.

    How foolish of him that was.

    "That idiot...!"

    Su-hyeun tried to stop him.

    But it was too late by then.

    Driiiip...

    "...?"

    Helios''s hand stopped mid-air and couldn''t reach Vishnu in the end.

    His whole body came to a dead stop as if chains had bound him to the spot. He then discovered the state of his hand.

    "My, my arm...?"

    His hand and arm had melted down.

    His body that had previously transformed to flames was already back to its normal state. Helios ruled over flames and only knew how to burn and melt other things, yet for the first time in his life, he got to learn what it felt like to get melted down himself.

    And that was unimaginable pain.

    "Aaaaaaaahk!"

    Driiip-

    Rumble, ruuuumble-!

    Helios''s entire figure melted down, leaving behind crimson flames in his place.

    "All of you came from the beginning of everything. Me."

    Vishnu finally took his hand away from his face.

    Everyone present froze up when they saw Vishnu''s uncovered face.

    "As such... I shall devour you all."

    The crimson tear streaks on his face, and his eyes with whites gone, leaving behind only the pitch-black darkness...

    After shedding his tears, Vishnu had transformed into a monster.

 Chapter 549

    Rumbleeee...

    Vishnu looked so terrifyingly creepy right now that him shedding tears only a few seconds ago seemed like a lie.

    The air oozing off of him was a blend of dense killing intent and ''beauty''. Two feelings that couldn''t be mixed together were perfectly blended by Vishnu, making him look so much larger and menacing than before.

    Squeeeeze-

    Tumble, plop-

    Several gods that had stared at Vishnu''s blackened eyes lost their consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

    Some grabbed their own throats to choke themselves or even stabbed their own chest with blades, too.

    ''Are they choosing suicide instead of participating?''

    Without a doubt, all these gods must''ve come here fully prepared to die.

    This was a battle against THE Primordial God, after all. They wouldn''t have shown up today without the resolve, so the prospect of death shouldn''t have been much of a deterrent to them.

    ''Fear even more terrifying than death, is it...''

    In a way, they might be the smartest ones here today.

    ''It might be better than getting completely erased, after all.''

    Dying at Vishnu''s hands wasn''t simply ''dying'', as it were.

    When one''s flesh died, your soul would leave this plain to experience the cycle of reincarnation. This cycle didn''t have time limit, so in some ways, you could call it the ''eternal life''.

    But just now... Vishnu even erased Helios''s soul.

    It was the same as Helios being completely wiped out of all existence.

    RUMBLE-!

    Lightning bolts cracked in the air.

    Zeus standing above the thick storm clouds roared out while gripping a Thunderbolt. "Do not hesitate!"

    Kya-aaaaah-!

    Dozens of Thunder Dragons circled around his vicinity.

    The golden-orange light glowing in the heavens above managed to wake up the gods below. The indescribable pressure emanating from Vishnu''s figure had waned slightly.

    It was due to Zeus''s influence.

    "Charge!"

    "Woaaaaaah-!"

    Gods began making their moves.

    From a far, their movement resembled a humongous wave.

    Splaaaaash-!

    Riiiiip-!

    And that wave transformed into an ocean of blood before splattering everywhere.

    ...After Vishnu flung his hand just once.

    "You are all nothing more than specks of dust." Vishnu turned his head toward the incoming wave of gods. "Insignificant dust that will simply disappear with a single breeze."

    Fuu-hoo...

    He blew softly.

    But that soft breath created a massive gaping hole in the midst of thousands of gods.

    POW-!

    Riiiiip-!

    Bodies exploded, limbs cruelly torn asunder. And one figure shot out from all the carnage, still charging straightforward at his target.

    He jumped up above Vishnu''s head and powerfully swung down the club in his hands.

    KA-BOOOOOM-!

    The only one to reach Vishnu among countless many was... none other than Hercules.

    "An insect was hiding among all the dust, it seems."

    Vishnu''s bare hand had stopped the club mid-air.

    Grip, crack...

    Cracks began running on the club.

    That was purely from the gripping strength.

    "Your evaluation is rather unkind, isn''t it."

    Whoosh-

    Boom, bang, boom-!

    Hercules''s fists began pounding on Vishnu''s body.

    Loud noises exploded raucously as if the heaven and earth were shaking around. Every time his fist landed on Vishnu, the ground below the Primordial God sunk deeper by a bit.

    And so, just how many punches did he land on his target in this manner?

    Stumble-

    Hercules retreated several steps back. His fists were aching from dull pain right now.

    ''What kind of a body is...?!''

    Hercules was confident of his physical strength, at least. He believed that as far as that aspect was concerned, he''d not lose to anyone even if his opponent was his father, Zeus.

    That''s why in case of a close quarter combat, even if his enemy today was Vishnu, he''d still win as long as he could land some body blows, but now...

    "How stupidly tough you are."

    Vishnu didn''t even try to dodge as if Hercules''s punches weren''t worth the trouble.

    ...Or, as if he wanted to test something out.

    "I see. Directly clashing and fighting physically feels like this, then."

    "What was that?"

    "The one called Buddha managed to last for three months against me." Vishnu extended his hand toward Hercules. "Let us find out how long you can last."

    Fwhoosh-

    Hercules was left utterly shocked. That''s because Vishnu instantly appeared before his eyes, utterly filling up his vision.

    ''No, he didn''t move, but...'' Hercules reflexively punched while thinking to himself. ''I got pulled in, instead!''

    Whoooosh-

    SMASH-!

    Vishnu''s fist slammed into Hercules''s face just as the latter landed a hit on the Primordial God''s face.

    For a moment there, Hercules lost all his strength in his legs and wobbled about precariously. The unprecedented level of pain the likes of which he had never felt before nearly robbed him of his consciousness, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.

    Not only did Hercules feel confident about physical strength, but also with his sturdiness as well.

    With all the strength he could muster, Hercules punched one more time.

    Smash-!

    That sounded quite refreshing to one''s ears. Unfortunately, this punch failed to reach Vishnu.

    "That last hit was quite good."

    Squeeeeze-

    Crunch, crack, crunch...

    Vishnu had caught Hercules''s fist in the air. His hand looked so much smaller and frailer but it still managed to easily restrain a fist as big as an adult''s head.

    Sounds of bones in Hercules''s hand twisting and breaking loudly resounded out. But instead of screaming, he gritted his teeth even harder while opening his eyes wider.

    Right at that moment, Hercules looked up. "What are you waiting for?!"

    That loud roaring prompted Vishnu to follow Hercules''s gaze and look up, too.

    At that exact moment...

    Rumble, kabooooom-!

    A massive dragon slammed down on top of Vishnu''s head.

    By then, the gods in the surroundings had already retreated to some distance away.

    It was all thanks to Hercules attacking Vishnu to buy a little bit of time.

    Crackle, bzzzzzik-

    Stinging arcs of electrical currents danced all over the moon''s surface. A massive crater with Vishnu in the center was created.

    Tap, taptap...

    Vishnu dusted off himself. All that had happened to him was getting slightly charred despite the severity of the impact just now.

    "That stings."

    That was a Thunder Dragon created by Zeus. Not just any, but one created after storing up his powers for a while. Yet those two words were the extent of Vishnu''s impression of that strike.

    "Keuh-euh¡­"

    Hercules, who also got hit by Zeus''s Thunder Dragon, was staggering around, his whole body charred black. Still, he managed to survive thanks to his stupendously tough physique. Any other gods would''ve melted down to nothingness by that attack.

    "How are we supposed to hunt something like that...?"

    "We can only do something when attacks work on the damn monster first...!"

    Indeed, attacks almost did nothing to Vishnu.

    This fact loomed over like a cloud of despair to all those gods who understood the depth of Zeus''s powers.

    The Olympian god could dish out divine punishment with just a single Thunderbolt. Each and every single one of those lightning spears was a calamity in itself. And the Thunder Dragon, a concentrated form of the lightning power, could even fatally wound Uranus, one of the Three Destroyers.

    Yet such a Thunder Dragon couldn''t deal much damage to Vishnu. Seeing such a scene was bound to negatively impact one''s resolve.

    A brief bout of silence ensued.

    Step-

    When Vishnu voluntarily took a step on his own...

    Fwhooooosh-

    POW-!

    A long spear hurtled in towards Vishnu''s shoulder. The weapon leaving behind a single azure line in the air caused the Primordial God to stagger.

    "A spear?"

    "Who threw that...?"

    Gazes chased after the spear''s trajectory towards its origin.

    They found Su-hyeun there, wielding the next spear.

    [Dragon Slaying Spear ¨C Flame]

    [Festival of Fire]

    Ruuuumble-

    Flames gathering at the tip of the spear emitted a rainbow of colors. After confirming Vishnu staggering from Gungnir''s impact, Su-hyeun quickly got into the spear throwing stance once more.

    The gods had already evacuated far away from Vishnu''s vicinity while trying to dodge the Thunder Dragon.

    ''So, I shall throw it with all my power.''

    Su-hyeun''s eyes gleamed sharply as he fired the spear with everything he got.

    POW-!

    A loud sound exploded. But the spear reached Vishnu way before that.

    Chwa-rururururuk-

    Fwhooooosh-!

    Massive walls of flame swallowed Vishnu up. The Dragon Slaying Spear split apart into tens of thousands of pieces to rain down on its target.

    Hundreds of spears pummeled Vishnu, who already had Gungnir stabbed into his shoulder. But unlike that spear, the Dragon Slaying Spear couldn''t impale the Primordial God.

    Even so...

    "It definitely works."

    This attack dealt the most impact out of all the others so far.

    The sight of Vishnu staggering around was undeniable proof in itself. He was trying to pull out Gungnir impaling his shoulder but ended up letting go of the shaft from the impact force.

    Swhooooosh, grab-!

    Gungnir rapidly flew back into Su-hyeun''s hand.

    Vishnu''s black eyes without focus were now staring at Gungnir. "A weapon crafted by Brahma, is it."

    His expression distorted a little.

    This was the first time Vishnu''s expression had changed. All this time, he came across as an invincible and perfect being without equal. That change in expression alone was enough to let Su-hyeun know that Gungnir''s attack was effective against the Primordial God.

    "It hurts a lot, doesn''t it?"

    "You... are Brahma but not Brahma at the same time. So, not my son but... my grandson, is it?"

    "Sorry, but I don''t have an ancestor like you. That''s why..." Su-hyeun assumed the spear throwing posture. "Stop with your bullsh*t and get lost!"

    POW-!

    Gungnir hurtled forward.

    Vishnu standing still all along finally shifted out of the way to evade the incoming spear. In the beginning, he didn''t pay much attention to Su-hyeun''s existence, but now that he did, there was no more reason for him to just stand there and get hit by Gungir.

    ''As expected, it won''t be that easy, huh.''

    Whoosh, grab-

    Gungnir returned to his grip right away.

    He''d like nothing more than to rush toward Vishnu right now. But whenever he felt that way, Su-hyeun willingly stopped his legs from moving.

    "You, stay still and keep throwing your spears."

    That''s what Shiva had told him earlier.

    And when asked for a reason, he replied like this.

    "You aren''t fighting alone this time, after all. So, you should fight in the most sensible way. Think of it as being in a team."

    "A team, you say?"

    "Think about who will be the most useful cards in this fight. Like me, the Bull Demon King, Sun Wukong, Zeus, Hercules. Only these guys are strong enough to fight Vishnu in this entire universe."

    That''s when Su-hyeun learned about Shiva being aware of Hercules''s existence. It sounded as if the ones mentioned were existences ''planned'' by Shiva and Master Subhuti a long time ago for the purpose of defeating Vishnu.

    Su-hyeun muttered softly. "You know, I''ve never tried out this style before."

    "What, chucking spears around? Or fighting alongside other people?"

    "I''ve been using spears for a long while now, so it''s not that. The thing is, I''m not familiar with staying in the back and not jumping into the frontlines. Especially more so when others are working as a shield in front of me."

    "If you''re too used to fighting alone, why don''t you try to recall the past experiences? If something happens to you and you can''t use Gungnir anymore, well, that''s going to make things very hard for everyone."

    The past experiences, was it?

    Of course, Shiva didn''t mean Su-hyeun''s experiences, but those from countless many past lives he had lived through. Without a doubt, more than a few of those lives had him fighting alongside many others.

    Su-hyeun looked inwardly to recall all those memories and experiences. Although too much time had passed and those memories had gotten indistinct, he still became sure of what his role this time would be.

    ''For now, don''t step into the frontlines.''

    Su-hyeun remained in the spear throwing posture, glaring at Vishnu like a sniper.

    ''My job is to throw spears.''

    Vishnu seemed to be keeping a very close eye on Su-hyeun.

    Not only did he glance in Su-hyeun''s direction every once in a while, Vishnu even began redirecting his power as if he was getting ready to defend against Gungnir.

    That alone should be seen as a job well done.

    And the role of stepping forward didn''t belong to Su-hyeun. The ones doing that job, stepping forward to stop Vishnu''s movements, would be left up to...

    "It seems that we are thinking of the same thing, fella."

    The Bull Demon King stepped up.

    Step-

    And then, Shiva stood next to him.

    The two of them emitted such a noticeable presence even among all these many gods.

    "To my great displeasure, unfortunately."

    The Bull Demon King, who had already pulled out his Mixed Iron Rod some time ago, didn''t seem all that pleased by the prospect of working together with Shiva.

    He got this feeling that Shiva had been planning to work together with him for a while now. And his gut feeling proved to be correct.

    "Well, it''ll be hard for me to do it alone, you see."

    Shiva had been planning for this very moment since a long time ago. The two of them would work together to stop Vishnu, while Su-hyeun would throw his spears.

    "Don''t worry, I shall fully repay the debt of threatening your wife earlier."

    "Very well."

    Pa-sususu...

    Shiva walked towards Vishnu as jet-black armor enveloped his whole figure and a pair of sword and spear appeared in his hands.

    He then addressed Su-hyeun behind him getting ready to fire another spear.

    "Hey.. Be sure to get your aim right."

 Chapter 550

    "You said you''d oppose me, yet..." Vishnu scanned Shiva and the Bull Demon King. "Yet, it only amounts to... this?"

    Whoosh-

    SMASH-!

    Vishnu''s head floated up in the air. The Mixed Iron Rod smashed into his chin, causing his whole body to fly up.

    "Thank you for saying ''only''."

    Whoosh-

    KA-BOOM-!

    The Mixed Iron Rod smashed into the abdomen of Vishnu''s airborne body, causing a loud explosion noise. That impact flung Vishnu''s figure quite far away.

    The creature that didn''t budge from Hercules''s punches was forced to ''move'', in other words.

    "Because, that means you have let your guard down."

    Tap-

    The Bull Demon King slung the Mixed Iron Rod over his shoulder.

    He wasn''t thinking that Vishnu had been dealt with just this. It seemed like a one-sided beatdown, but just like how it was with Hercules earlier, it felt more like Vishnu was allowing the hits to land rather than getting beaten up.

    Crack, crackle-

    And sure enough, Vishnu stood back up quickly despite the blows from the Mixed Iron Rod.

    He held the back of his neck as if his muscles had cramped up, then realigned his distorted bones. It looked like his neck had been snapped backward but he recovered in the blink of an eye.

    "So it seems. Your attack certainly hurt."

    "That won''t be the only thing to hurt you today."

    Splaaaash-!

    A black line was suddenly drawn on Vishnu''s torso. It was from the black sword of Shiva who had appeared behind him without anyone noticing it.

    Vishnu reached behind and touched his back.

    Some blood stained his hand. As all humanoid-like existences such as Brahma and Shiva were based on Vishnu''s form, he too possessed flesh and blood.

    "I see that you also bleed like everyone else."

    Although the amount was negligible, Vishnu was still bleeding. That alone was enough for Shiva to feel certain about it.

    Certain that Vishnu could be killed.

    "All of you resemble me, so that''s obvious."

    "And that means you can be killed just like everyone else, too."

    "Hmm. I''m not sure about that. Can I really be killed, I wonder?"

    "Let us confirm it for you, shall we?"

    Kwa-wuwuwu-

    From the step he took forward, the pitch-black current began flooding out.

    The surface of the moon instantly decayed as Shiva charged straight towards Vishnu. But, as if he''d not stay still this time, Vishnu extended his hand towards the incoming Shiva.

    "Stop."

    Giii-iiiing-

    Shiva''s figure gradually slowed down until it completely stopped moving forward.

    Not only that, his body became frozen, rigid. Shiva''s brows shot up in shock just as Vishnu continued on with the next part of his command.

    "And now, burn."

    Rumble, fwhoooosh-

    Crimson flames erupted on Shiva''s figure.

    These flames were easily the hottest he had ever experienced. He couldn''t even move a finger on the spot while suffering from the intense heat.

    Vishnu simply said a few words. He didn''t even need any special preparation, either. And there was no way to dodge such an attack, too. To resist against Vishnu''s ''commands'', his power was simply too great.

    Whooooosh-

    Smaaash-!

    The Mixed Iron Rod smashed into Vishnu''s back.

    But the attack didn''t land. As if he''d no longer allow any freebies, Vishnu had reached behind him to grab the Mixed Iron Rod mid-air.

    But at the same time, Shiva was able to move his arm and wipe away the flames burning on him.

    Whoosh-

    "Hah..."

    It seemed that Vishnu''s power restricting Shiva had weakened while trying to stop the Mixed Iron Rod.

    Swish-

    Even though the initial attack was blocked, the Bull Demon King didn''t stop and continued to swing his weapon.

    Bang, boom, baaaang-!

    KABOOM-!

    The continued barrage was blocked over and over again. Vishnu eventually evaded the incoming Mixed Iron Rod, causing the weapon to land on the ground instead.

    A massive crater was instantly gouged out. The Bull Demon King''s eyes chased after Vishnu only for his brows to shoot up.

    "Come, descend."

    Goh-ooooooh-

    An absolutely massive presence could be sensed coming from above.

    The Bull Demon King looked up only to discover something even bigger than expected descending towards the moon.

    "...Astonishing."

    It was an asteroid.

    And it was also beyond massive, too. So big, in fact, that it wouldn''t be strange to see the moon disintegrate during the moment of impact.

    Leap-!

    Right at that moment, one figure among the gods jumped up high towards the sky.

    Poof, poof, poof-

    Dozens of clones materialized instantly.

    "Expand-"

    "Expand-"

    "Expand-"

    Dozens of Sun Wukongs took aim with their copies of Ruyi Jingu Bang.

    "Ruyi!"

    Ka-blaaaam-!

    Dozens of Ruyi Jingu Bangs began forcing the asteroid back. The Bull Demon King retracted his gaze from the falling rock, then began analyzing Vishnu''s ability that could stop Shiva''s movements, cause flames to erupt and even summon an asteroid out of nowhere.

    He tutted unhappily. "Rather versatile, isn''t he."

    "He''s capable of realizing any power he wants through his will alone," said Shiva, still remaining vigilant against Vishnu. "I don''t know how much energy he needs to expand to do that, but you should assume that he can basically do whatever he wants. Using his will alone, he can easily massacre measly humans or low-ranked gods."

    "Is that how he managed to paralyze you just now?"

    "There are just too many variables at play for us to attack Vishnu while assuming that he''s simply faster, stronger and tougher than us."

    "...Is that so?"

    Whoosh, whoosh...

    After listening to the brief explanation, the Bull Demon King began spinning his Mixed Iron Rod. "In that case, we should take it up a notch, then."

    BOOM-!

    The Bull Demon King charged forward.

    This charge seemed very straightforward and reckless. But this was his fighting style, the one he felt most familiar with.

    Whoooosh, whoosh-

    The Bull Demon King arrived next to Vishnu, then took powerful swipe with the Mixed Iron Rod at his target''s head, but the attacks missed. Right afterward, the Yogoe''s fist shot out toward Vishnu.

    KABOOM-!

    Crack, crackle, shatter-

    A tough, transparent barrier stopped the Bull Demon King''s punch. But this barrier soon developed cracks and shattered into pieces instantly.

    But right at that moment, the Bull Demon King saw Vishnu''s lips move.

    "Look up."

    "...?"

    Ping, pipipipiping-

    Countless rays of blue light beams were floating up there.

    By the time he noticed them, it was already too late to dodge.

    Kwa-wuwuwuwu-

    The streaks of light descended and a massive explosion ensued.

    Gods hurriedly fled in every direction to escape the radius of the explosion going off with the Bull Demon King in the center. However, tens of thousands of gods still got swept away after failing to flee in time.

    Grab-!

    "Mm...?"

    Vishnu formed a puzzled expression when a hand powerfully grabbed his arm. Someone had managed to survive that explosion.

    "I''ve caught you."

    It was none other than the Bull Demon King at the center of the explosion.

    "Now, throw."

    And right at that moment...!

    Fwhoosh-!

    A spear came hurtling in, only to brush past Vishnu''s head.

    * * *

    Grab-

    Gungnir that missed its target rapidly returned to Su-hyeun''s grip.

    There were no traces of blood on it. The one opening created through so much hard work and sacrifice went down the drain in a single moment, just like that.

    ''But just how did he...?''

    Su-hyeun believed he accurately hit his target.

    The Bull Demon King was definitely restraining Vishnu just then. In such a situation, the Primordial God would''ve found it too difficult to detect the spear and evade it.

    Not only that, but the spear itself came hurtling in from beyond the scope of his vision. So, to think that Vishnu still managed to dodge it despite the Bull Demon King before his eyes restraining him...

    Su-hyeun faltered only for a blink, then he re-assumed the spear throwing posture and used Insight to widen his vision as much as possible.

    Smash, bang, smack-!

    The Bull Demon King and Vishnu were exchanging punches right next to each other.

    Waft, fwhooooosh-

    Shiva shifted around within the pitch-black smoke. The smoke enveloped his hand just as he slammed his palm down on the ground, causing thousands of blades and spikes to shoot up and attack Vishnu.

    The three of them were moving around so fast that Su-hyeun found it challenging to predict their next movements.

    ''How am I supposed to hit Vishnu like this?''

    Su-hyeun obviously was capable of hitting targets moving at considerable speeds, not only the stationary ones.

    But the trio of Vishnu, Shiva, and the Bull Demon King were moving faster than anyone Su-hyeun had encountered so far. To make matters worse, Shiva and the Bull Demon King were fighting at close range as well, saddling Su-hyeun with another headache of needing to avoid them while still hitting Vishnu.

    Unless Vishnu was restrained like how the Bull Demon King had done earlier, it''d be difficult to throw another spear.

    This was bad.

    Su-hyeun didn''t even blink once, then eventually, fired another spear.

    KA-BLAM-!

    The atmosphere ripped apart as a solitary azure line arced in the empty air.

    But the spear still missed. He was aiming for Vishnu''s head once more, and he missed by a hair''s breadth.

    Grab-

    Su-hyeun tutted unhappily while gripping the returned Gungnir.

    ''Am I getting too scared?''

    He was being very cautious not to hit the Bull Demon King, and that seemed to have worsened the margin of error.

    This was already the third time he had missed.

    "No, this can''t go on."

    Fuu-hoop, whew...

    Su-hyeun regulated his breathing.

    He was in a rush until now. What he needed to do wasn''t simply ''looking'', but something beyond that.

    The answer was simple enough, however.

    ''...Foresight.''

    It was already difficult to follow the action with his naked eyes, and he needed to throw the spear while avoiding hitting the Bull Demon King, Shiva, and a few other gods that intervened every now and then to assist those two. So, he was left with only one option.

    ''If I can see the future...''

    His eyes of clairvoyance had already ''awakened'' by now. It was just that Su-hyeun didn''t know how to consciously activate this ability.

    It should be easier to will himself to use a power that''s already awakened, rather than trying to awaken it for the first time.

    Although the odds weren''t that great, it wasn''t hopelessly bad either, at least. Therefore, it was worth giving the idea a shot.

    ''I don''t even need to see the distant future, either.''

    Su-hyeun began staring at everything, not just Vishnu.

    His vision expanded beyond what his naked eyes could see. Within this expansive range, his senses seemed to vanish and images from a moment ahead of time began appearing in his mind.

    ''It should be possible now.''

    He would have had a difficult time trying to control Foresight if it was in the past.

    However, Su-hyeun believed that his Foresight suddenly manifesting happened due to him meeting the minimum condition required to control this ability in the first place.

    ''My Reflex stat has broken through 110.''

    The ''Reflex'' stat. Even when he was Kim Sung-in, this stat was the first one to break through the three digit mark.

    Once this stat breaks past 100 points, it''d go beyond the level of quicker reflexes and allow you determine the movements of your opponent about to happen a fraction of a second later.

    Although its performance heavily depended on who your opponent was, Su-hyeun still wondered if this stat had anything to do with Foresight-related powers.

    ''...I can see.''

    His vision opened up wide.

    He didn''t focus on the current situation but the one slightly ahead of time. He continued to picture it in his head, and the images grew more distinct until they seemed so clear and realistic to Su-hyeun''s vision.

    Vishnu''s movements...

    And also the movements of Shiva and the Bull Demon King fighting the Primordial God were all so clear in his vision.

    And a moment later...!

    ''I saw it!''

    Su-hyeun turned towards an empty space some distance away from Vishnu.

    * * *

    Shiva was sweating bullets at the moment.

    He couldn''t recall when was the last time he had to sweat this much. But with their opponent today being who it was, he had no choice but to tense up and focus like never before.

    He raised his head to look up.

    He discovered a huge pool of pure-white light above. All those hundreds of light beams were rapidly descending on top of Shiva''s and the Bull Demon King''s heads.

    "Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal!"

    Shiva''s roar prompted Sun Wukong to make another move after successfully shoving aside the incoming asteroid.

    Wheeee-riririririk-

    Poof, bang-!

    Dozens of clone Ruyi Jingu Bangs blew apart in the air. Each light rays pierced straight through the chests of the clones, extinguishing them outright in the middle of the sky.

    "Vishnu-!"

    And shortly afterwards, Sun Wukong''s real body rushed straight at Vishnu.

    "Let''s have a go, shall we!"

    Shu-aaaahk-!

    Sun Wukong extended his polearm and flew straight toward Vishnu. But the latter simply snatched up Ruyi Jingu Bang mid-air and began gripping hard.

    Crack, distort-

    Ruyi Jingu Bang began twisting ungainly. Granted, it had already become much thinner by extending in length, but even so, Vishnu was still able to twist the weapon to this degree with nothing but his grip strength, demonstrating how strong he really was.

    Smirk-

    But Sun Wukong didn''t seem to care about what''s happening to his weapon as he pounced empty-ended with a grin on his face.

    Bang, boooom-!

    Vishnu had to retreat a couple of steps back at this reckless charging attack. But as they exchanged several blows, he began studying Sun Wukong more closely. "You. You possess an undying body, don''t you?"

    Sun Wukong was suddenly overcome by this deathly chill - something he hadn''t sensed in ages - and had to stop his attacks. He quickly backed off from there.

    "However, such a thing means nothing before me."

    This was his first time sensing something like this.

    Simply looking into Vishnu''s eyes from up close was enough to sap all energy out of him. It felt like all of his five senses were getting dimmer. It was as if he was going to literally disappear from this world without leaving behind a single trace.

    "Time to die."

    With those words, Vishnu extended his hand forward.

    Death.

    The word Sun Wukong had not thought about for aeons of time suddenly popped up in his mind, but then...!

    Stab-!

    Vishnu''s arm reaching forward was impaled by a spear shaft.

 Chapter 551

    Gu-wuwuwu...

    Shatter! Bang-

    The whole building was shaking around.

    The cup resting on the desk tumbled to the floor. The office was turning into a mess. Meanwhile, Lee Ju-ho was staring at the moon outside the window.

    ''It''s begun.''

    The shape of the moon had changed visibly.

    Although he hadn''t reached the S Rank yet, Lee Ju-ho was still a upper tier among the A Rank awakeners. As such, his eyesight was much better than that of a regular person, allowing him to take a closer look at the moon.

    And its shape was changing little by little. All those craters on the moon''s surface that resembled a rabbit were... increasing in number.

    The terrain of a planetary body smaller than Earth was transforming in real time right now.

    That''s how intense the battle up there was.

    "Bro! Just what the hell is going on?"

    "Ju-ho!"

    Vrrrr, vrrrrr-

    What a spookily good timing this was.

    Lee Ju-ho checked number on the phone busy ringing in his pocket. The call came from Gordon Rohan. As for the duo opening the door to enter the office, they were Hak-joon and Thomas.

    They must''ve confirmed the events taking place on the moon by themselves, too.

    And Lee Ju-ho was the only one who knew what was going on after Su-hyeun had informed him earlier.

    "I told you two to get ready, didn''t I?"

    Hak-joon countered immediately. "But the real trouble isn''t happening this side, is it?"

    "Something serious is happening right now. Something real bad..."

    Thomas''s eyesight was among the very best within the awakeners. Maybe, he even got to directly witness the battle unfolding on the distant moon.

    Hak-joon''s face was pleading to be sent to the moon somehow. No matter how good you were as an awakener, you still didn''t have a way to travel to the moon. That''s probably why he came here, trying to ask for a favor or some such.

    "No." And that''s why Lee Ju-ho cut him off ahead of time. "We will leave that side to Su-hyeun. Our job is to stay here."

    "Even so...!"

    "Don''t be stubborn about this. There''s nothing we can do that side. It''ll already be a relief if we don''t get in his way."

    What Lee Ju-ho said clamped the mouths of both Hak-joon and Thomas.

    A relief if they dodn''t get in his way, he said. But it was as he said - that''s how immeasurable the gulf between Su-hyeun and them was.

    After shutting the duo''s mouths, Lee Ju-ho finally got around to answering the phone. The call had briefly ended before starting to ring again.

    "Hello?"

    -Why weren''t you answering the phone?

    "Hak-joon and Thomas showed up at the same time, you see."

    -Anyway. Kim Su-hyeun... he''s been raising a fuss earlier, and I''m guessing this is the reason?

    "It seems so."

    -Things have already gotten beyond the point of us interfering. But the heads of various countries are yapping about launching nukes or something right now.

    Even if awakeners boasted powerful abilities, they still couldn''t ignore the firearms designed by humanity. Something like a nuclear weapon held enough destructive power to make any S-Rank awakener look cute in comparison.

    The bone-chilling aura gushing out from the moon, and even the hectic battle taking place there, were more than enough to give those leaders an unprecedented level of panic and fear. It was difficult to imagine what could happen if that battle spilled over to Earth.

    "Mister Gordon, please stop them from doing such a thing. We can''t act like wet blankets from this side, now can we?"

    -Even that has a limit, you know. You gotta join me and help out, too. They won''t agree or accept a thing without a proper feedback, after all.

    "Got it."

    The call abruptly ended there. It seemed that Gordon Rohan was also really busy at the moment.

    Lee Ju-ho looked back at the moon.

    In that brief span of time, its shape had changed slightly once more. The ripples from massive explosions that rocked the ground and heated up the atmosphere remained unchanged, however.

    He didn''t even believe in any religions, but Lee Ju-ho still brought his hands together to pray.

    That''s all he could do under the current circumstances.

    ''I believe in you.''

    * * *

    Sun Wukong hurriedly regained his wits.

    The sense of enervation he felt only a second ago vanished without a trace. Instead of that feeling, he got to witness Vishnu''s arm right before his eyes, damaged and torn apart like a rag.

    Tap, tap-.

    Sun Wukong flung himself back to create some distance, then quickly shifted his gaze over to where that spear had flown in from.

    "Little bro?"

    Gungnir had returned to Su-hyeun''s grip by then.

    Vishnu shook his destroyed arm around for a bit. Repairing the torn limb proved to be harder than he thought.

    Swhooooosh-

    Pow-!

    Another spear came hurtling in once more.

    Vishnu thought he had definitely dodged it, yet the spear was actually flying in towards where he had dodged.

    This time, his shoulder was impaled.

    "...Is it Foresight?"

    Vishnu quickly detected the change that happened to Su-hyeun.

    The latter''s blue eyes of Insight had a layer of purple cast on top.

    The ''Foresight.'' The power to peek into the future, an ability that only an extreme few among the gods who had acquired Insight could awaken.

    The only gods to actually unlock this ability was Apollo, the Bull Demon King, and Master Subhuti - only about that many. However, it hadn''t even been a few years since Su-hyeun had awakened Insight, yet he was already using this ability like a pro.

    Despite figuring it all out, though, Vishnu didn''t find this situation strange at all.

    "Unsurprising. Since you''re half of Brahma."

    That''s because it was Vishnu who had granted the powers of Insight and Foresight to Brahma in the first place.

    Brahma was born with the Godhood of Creation. This ability was meant to give birth to everything in existence, and Brahma used it as the foundation to create universes.

    Before he did that, though, Brahma had to ''plan'' for what the universes would be like. And that was through the powers of Foresight.

    With that ability, Brahma looked at dozens, hundreds, thousands, billions of years into the future. Not only that, but he was also looking at the vast expanse of the entire universe itself. As such, it wasn''t far-fetched to think that Brahma could manipulate the entire universe according to his will.

    Su-hyeun was ''half'' of Brahma capable of such feats, so it was only obvious that he''d be able to use Foresight, too.

    Vishnu muttered. "How irritating this has become."

    "That won''t be the only thing to irritate you today."

    Fwhoooosh-

    The black smoke spread near the ground suddenly shot up at once to create a huge black hand.

    This hand pounced on Vishnu and grabbed hold of his entire figure. He began frowning at the sensation of his skin decaying and being erased from existence.

    "This piffling little thing...!"

    Vishnu didn''t see Shiva''s ability as all that threatening to him.

    The power of destruction was more than capable of erasing Vishnu out of existence, but even such a power could be made to disappear as long as the Primordial God willed it.

    "My power might dissipate soon, but..."

    Pazzzzzik-

    Creeeeak-

    Zeus''s Thunder Dragon and Hercules''s arrow were pointing straight at Vishnu right at that moment.

    Su-hyeun was almost finished getting into the spear throwing posture. Sun Wukong was about to extend his half-broken Ruyi Jingu Bang, while the Bull Demon King was gathering storm winds with the Palm Leaf Sword, borrowed from Su-hyeun just now.

    "But, that ''soon'' is more than enough."

    "Descend-!"

    "Expand-!"

    "Blow away-!"

    In that brief moment...

    FLASH-!

    The light flashed blindingly bright on the moon''s surface as a mighty explosion went off to swallow up all surrounding noises.

    * * *

    Gu-wuwuwu...

    The half of the moon had vanished.

    Zeus''s Thunder Dragon, Hercules''s arrow, Sun Wukong''s Ruyi Jingu Bang, the Bull Demon King''s Palm Leaf and Su-hyeun''s Gungnir combined to create this spectacle.

    Plop-

    After firing his arrow, Hercules plopped down on the spot.

    His body wasn''t in a good state after taking on Zeus''s Thunder Dragon earlier along with Vishnu. Even in such a state, he still summoned all of his strength to fire that arrow, so it was unsurprising that he''d falter like this.

    "I''m beginning to feel tired, too."

    It was a similar story for the Bull Demon King as well.

    While trying to restrain Vishnu, he overexerted himself and endured the Primordial God''s attacks. Injuries from then still remained on various parts of his body to continuously torment him.

    "It''s over, right?"

    "Although that''s a possibility... I don''t believe it is." Zeus replied with a shake of his head at Sun Wukong''s question.

    He was implying that even he couldn''t be sure. On one hand, he wished for it to be true.

    If Vishnu managed to survive despite the strength of their combined attacks, Zeus and the others would not be able to figure out how to kill the Primordial God off for good.

    While everyone was focusing their attention to where Vishnu might be, Su-hyeun turned his head and glanced at Shiva.

    Shiva''s face displayed a certain type of grim determination. It was as if only he was sure of this fight not being over yet despite everyone else wishing otherwise.

    ''Right. It''s not over yet.''

    Su-hyeun turned his head away. Just like Shiva, he also knew that, too.

    Vishnu wouldn''t have been killed by an attack of that scale. This judgement was based on his instincts rather than some kind of a physical evidence.

    "Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven." When Shiva called him out, the Bull Demon King glanced back. Shiva continued on. "You feeling tired, right?"

    "Although I''d like to say no... I am."

    "In that case, exchange your position with Kim Su-hyeun. As for you, you know how to use a spear in close-quarter battles, right? Not just knowing how to chuck it around, I mean."

    Su-hyeun nodded. "I fought a lot with spears in the past, actually."

    Quite a few of his past lives wielded spears. Honestly speaking, he couldn''t even count them all. And unsurprisingly, many of those lives used high-level close-quarter spearmanship instead of simply throwing them around.

    "Vishnu might not be dead, but he should be pretty exhausted by now, too. He might be the creator and the origin of everything, whatever. But we were created with Vishnu as the basis, so like us, he has flesh and blood. His stamina is not infinite. Meaning, he''s not truly invincible."

    The moment Shiva finished saying that, a massive explosion went off to get rid of the smoke, revealing Vishnu''s figure.

    Even though his limping, Vishnu was still slowly walking forward. With the exception of his chest where Gungnir had punched a hole through, most of his other injuries seemed to have recovered to some degree. More notably, though, his blackened eyes and expression were distorted greatly in sheer rage.

    Zeus tutted unhappily at Vishnu''s current appearance. "Looking at him, it''s hard to believe what you''re saying, Shiva."

    It seemed that Vishnu was truly angry.

    His previous calm demeanor was nowhere to be found. If his initial appearance gave off an impression of ''good god'', then the current him was without a doubt, the ''evil god''.

    Shu-wuwuwu...

    With him in the center, the ground all around him began to get erased. It was as if a black hole had opened up there.

    Shiva muttered again. "It''s begun, I see."

    "What has?"

    "The destruction. This is the power given to me. Although, this one seems much more destructive than mine."

    For sure, the aura currently being emitted felt similar to the power Shiva wielded. The aura starting off from one point began spreading around to swallow up everything before erasing them without leaving behind a single trace.

    ''With that speed, it probably...''

    The extinction starting from under Vishnu''s feet gradually sped up. It seemed slow in the beginning, but its rate sped up exponentially in a short span of time.

    ''Probably less than half a day before the moon is gone for good.''

    No, maybe it''d be quicker than that.

    Shiva said something else next. "This is for the better, actually."

    Su-hyeun stared at Shiva, wondering what on earth he was even talking about. It was the same story for the others, too.

    "Unable to control his anger and focusing his energy in that ability means he won''t be able to exercise the similar level of power as before. That guy, he''s gone completely off the rails right now."

    "Aha..."

    "So it seems."

    That seemed about right.

    Vishnu was basically the same as Su-hyeun or Sun Wukong in that they enjoyed an infinite energy reserve. The amount of energy they could use might be infinite, but the amount that could be used at any given time was still limited.

    And Vishnu was currently using the same aura as Shiva''s, the power of ''apocalypse''. Although it was unknown how much energy was required to use this power, by wasting his energy like this, Vishnu was bound to get weaker in other areas.

    "Nothing''s changed for us. No, this development is better for us. That''s why..." Shiva glanced at Su-hyeun. "Don''t hold back and go wild."

    Su-hyeun smirked at that.

    It felt like something clogging his chest tightly had suddenly come undone just now.

    "What you said just now? I think it''s the best thing you''ve said after all this time."

    Shu-wuwuwu...

    Pitch-black energy began swirling on Gungnir gripped in Su-hyeun''s hand.

    But it wasn''t the Death Aura, nor was it the power taken from Osiris, either.

    More correctly, it wasn''t even a type of energy, to begin with. It was simply some color visible to naked eyes. Even so, everyone excluding Shiva all took a step back at this strange haze rising up from the tip of Su-hyeun''s spear.

    It was all because of this instinctive repulsion they felt.

    The power that directly interfered with a living individual''s soul to harm them...

    The power that could distort the natural order of the cycle of reincarnation before utterly shattering it...

    [''Six Paths ¨C Soul of the Dead'' is now activating.]

    It was none other than the fifth ability of Su-hyeun''s Six Paths.

 Chapter 552

    The strongest weapon in Su-hyeun''s arsenal was not his infinite magical energy reserve.

    Neither was his stamina that had ticked past 110 stat points nor his incredible physical abilities.

    It wasn''t even the energy taken from Osiris or Gungnir, a weapon crafted by Brahma.

    No, it was the Six Paths.

    "I mean, it''s not even a game cheat code, yet it''s still such an insane power."

    That was what Su-hyeun thought after acquiring the Six Paths for the first time. Each ability of the Six Paths was seemingly beyond the boundary of this universe''s laws governing existence.

    The power of reincarnation that distorted the flow of time, the Six Paths of Past Lives that allowed him to retain the memories and experiences of the past, and even the Path to Hell that penalized the enemies based on their past sins¡ªall these abilities went against the laws of the universe.

    And among those, the Soul of the Dead was the ability most specialized for attacking.

    Bang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun lightly kicked the ground.

    He activated Leap to charge ahead toward Vishnu in the middle of the destruction and then thrust his spear forward.

    Swhoooosh¡ª

    Stab¡ª

    Gungnir impaled Vishnu''s arm extending forward. The spear continued past the hand and pierced into his shoulder next.

    Vishnu''s eyes shot open wide.

    He appeared stunned. He wasn''t bleeding, but the pain shooting from his hand and shoulder was quite considerable.

    "What have you done?"

    "All living things have souls. It''s the same for you, too."

    Yank¡ª

    When the spear was yanked out, both the impaled hand and the shoulder turned out to be undamaged.

    However, the arm and the shoulder still sagged lifelessly toward the floor. It was as if Vishnu couldn''t exert any strength on them. He touched his limp right arm to examine it.

    To avoid the power of destruction, Su-hyeun used magic to levitate in space. Maybe the impalement with the spear was to blame because the rate of the destruction''s spread stopped accelerating. It was gradually slowing down.

    "Next time, it''ll be your throat, not your arm."

    Swhooosh¡ª

    Su-hyeun activated Leap again to approach his target.

    Vishnu must have sensed the incoming danger because he quickly raised his left hand forward.

    Before Su-hyeun could arrive near Vishnu, hundreds of black spheres suddenly materialized all around him. It happened in the blink of an eye.

    "Son of a¡ª!"

    He ended up swearing without even realizing that he did.

    Vishnu didn''t even cast anything, nor was there any discernible movement of energy just then, but to think that he still activated such an attack through nothing but his will alone!

    Boom, ka-booooom¡ª!

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    Spheres containing the power of destruction exploded at once, swallowing Su-hyeun in the process. This power was not just the strongest ability in Shiva''s arsenal but Vishnu''s.

    Fwhoooosh¡ª

    And then, a similar power of destruction cast from a different source enveloped Su-hyeun to protect him. It came from Shiva, currently also pouncing forward along with Su-hyeun.

    "You bastard!" Vishnu turned his head and glared at Shiva.

    Shiva cocked his head and retorted, "You shouldn''t be looking at me, though."

    Whoosh¡ª

    The surrounding space began changing. It was awash in a corrupted purplish light. Vishnu, trapped within this space, began staggering ungainly.

    He then glared at Su-hyeun, responsible for creating this space, "Interfering with the soul of a living? But I don''t remember creating an ability like this?"

    "You shouldn''t think that you created everything in existence. Not even Brahma, who created this universe, was able to predict everything, after all."

    "It can''t be a simple task to interfere with a living creature''s soul, not just any but mine. Fooling my eyes is impossible."

    It was as Vishnu said.

    Using any power came with a price. One needed to pay the price matching the soul level you were about to interfere with.

    "Thankfully, the system I have can be rather friendly."

    The duration of Su-hyeun''s unique ability, the Soul of the Dead, had already been set.

    [Soul of the Dead: 00:08:53]

    This was the duration he could activate his unique ability without worrying about the penalty.

    One minute had already gone past out of the starting duration of 10 minutes, leaving slightly less than nine minutes until the end.

    "And this much should be enough."

    Su-hyeun gripped his spear even harder.

    He roused up all of his powers, planning to end this battle in less than 10 minutes.

    [Trait "Hero - Immortality" is activating.]

    [Life force and stamina will rapidly recover.]

    [Physical abilities will increase exponentially.]

    "Here I come."

    * * *

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    The atmosphere distorted and got crushed as the spear swept past.

    A spear was different from a sword. Each of its swings was considerably larger, allowing the attacks to carry a lot more momentum. Not to forget, Gungnir was probably the heaviest weapon that Su-hyeun had come across so far.

    It wasn''t really suited for swinging around in this manner. He would''ve left behind many openings if he had been fighting alone.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Gungnir swung past the empty space once more. Within that brief opening, Shiva and Sun Wukong stepped forward.

    "Expand, Ruyi!"

    Ruuuumble¡ª

    Ka-boom¡ª!

    Ruyi Jingu Bang, wrapped in the aura of destruction, shoved Vishnu''s figure far back. However, the staff couldn''t expand any longer after reaching a certain length due to the Primordial God''s physical strength.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Vishnu gripped the end of the staff with one hand and lifted it clean off the ground.

    In the meantime, Su-hyeun''s spear came swinging in from the side.

    Stab¡ª!

    "Keuhp...!"

    The spear impaled Vishnu''s chest, barely missing his heart. He had urgently tilted his torso out of the way, but Su-hyeun still detected such move at the last second and changed the spear''s trajectory accordingly.

    It was all thanks to Foresight''s powers.

    Wobble¡ª

    Vishnu lost the strength in his legs.

    The spear impaling his chest had attacked his soul. His soul was being shaken around by the effect of the Soul of the Dead already, yet the spear directly penetrated his soul. Therefore, it wasn''t surprising for his consciousness to get even dimmer.

    "You accursed bastard!"

    Vishnu grabbed Gungnir''s shaft.

    His hand began producing the power of destruction. Then, Gungnir''s shaft began transforming into black, and its existence slowly got erased, but then...

    "Sweep away..."

    Fwhoooosh¡ª!

    Powerful gusts of winds blew between Su-hyeun and Vishnu.

    "Palm Leaf."

    SWHOOOOSH¡ª!

    The winds shoved Vishnu back. At the same time, Sun Wukong reached right behind the Primordial God.

    "Expand, Ruyi!"

    KABOOM¡ª!

    The end of the broken Ruyi Jingu Bang was as sharp as a speartip. Not only that, but the power of destruction belonging to Shiva still lingered around the weapon.

    The weapon slammed into Vishnu, making him stagger again. Su-hyeun aimed for this very moment and fired his spear.

    Fwhoosh¡ª!

    "Kuh-urhk!"

    This time, Vishnu''s abdomen was impaled.

    Gungnir still didn''t inflict any physical injuries on Vishnu, but the space manifested by the Soul of the Dead stripped his defenses away and laid his soul bare. All the impact force he was inflicted with got transmitted in full to his soul.

    Shuaaaak¡ª

    Pow, bang¡ª!

    Su-hyeun didn''t waste time and charged straight at Vishnu to throw a punch. In the meantime, Gungnir returned to his grip, allowing him to swing it around deftly.

    [Soul of the Dead: 00:01: 07]

    Not much time remained in the ability''s duration, however.

    "One minute, huh?"

    He was running out of time.

    The only reason why they were able to beat Vishnu back to this degree was that the effects from the Soul of the Dead were still active. Vishnu couldn''t be damaged from most types of attacks in normal conditions, and to make matters worse, he could recover quickly.

    "Most of his injuries are healed by now."

    Physical injuries meant little in this situation. Vishnu''s recovery rate was far quicker than the speed of others injuring him, and besides, he had access to infinite energy to begin with.

    The only attack that worked was directly hitting his soul through the Soul of the Dead. No matter how omnipotent he was, Vishnu still couldn''t do anything about damage to his soul.

    "That''s why I...!"

    Su-hyeun charged straight at Vishnu from the front. It was the same pattern as before, a reckless charge.

    Shu-wuuu...

    Like before, Vishnu used the power of destruction to block Su-hyeun''s path.

    "I''ll bet everything on this final minute!"

    ["Predation" has been activated.]

    ["Destruction" will be absorbed.]

    Grab¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s hand went over Vishnu''s hand and gripped it tight. Just like that, the pitch-black haze rising from the Primordial God''s hand vanished.

    The power of destruction that Vishnu wielded was now getting sucked into Su-hyeun''s hand.

    His gamble had paid off.

    "I did it."

    Shu-wuwu...

    The Soul of the Dead was still active, with around 40 seconds left in its duration.

    "More than enough."

    The power of destruction rose from Su-hyeun''s hand.

    The aura of extinction that reverted everything to nothingness traveled through their hands and began devouring Vishnu''s soul.

    "Let me give it back to you in full."

    * * *

    It all happened in a brief period, not even 30 seconds long.

    The black "spot" visible on the moon''s surface gradually increased. Regular people couldn''t see it, but awakeners with excellent eyesight could confirm that the moon was being erased bit by bit.

    But without warning, that black spot suddenly vanished, and instead of that black nothingness, something even more shocking appeared in the skies above.

    Someone saw a massive deer thrashing about in torment. Someone else saw an enraged bull, while it was a tiger for another person, and another saw a dragon.

    Everyone saw something different from the others.

    Several people even said that it looked like a person. However, none of them could remember what this person looked like.

    But one thing was for sure.

    "It''s dead?"

    That gigantic existence that appeared in outer space was suffering from great pain.

    Its pained howling was loud enough to rock the outer space. However, this sound was different from what you could hear through your ears.

    It was like that voice was coming directly from the listener''s brain. The painful howling continued for less than a minute before ceasing altogether.

    Almost simultaneously, the creepy chill sending shivers throughout their bodies vanished, too.

    "It''s over."

    Plop¡ª

    Creak...

    Lee Ju-ho''s legs gave out from the wave of relief washing over him. When he plopped down, the chair under his butt slid back noisily. The gradual erasure of the moon had stopped, and the horrifying existence Su-hyeun warned them about seemed to have vanished, too.

    It felt somewhat strange, though.

    "It''s really over like this?"

    Lee Ju-ho believed that his gut feeling was usually on the money. Rather than his brain, his gut feeling played a far more significant role in him being able to oversee the Paragon Guild and lead the association.

    Therefore, he couldn''t just brush aside the strange feeling as just a feeling. All serious events began with the assumption of them being "just a feeling," after all.

    "It doesn''t seem to be over, though."

    Sure enough, Hak-joon next to him spoke in a grave voice, "Look at that."

    "Goddammit."

    The black spot that had vanished earlier had reappeared on the moon. It seemed that the paused annihilation event got going again. The battle up there hadn''t ended yet, in other words.

    "Still, it looks like we now have something to do down here."

    Hak-joon''s glare lowered below the Jongno Tower.

    The real problem wasn''t only on the moon at the moment.

    "But that something isn''t such a nice thing."

    Spliiiit¡ª

    Below the tower was the middle of Seoul, and it was currently being bathed in green light.

    A fairly large-scale green dungeon was manifesting there. Lee Ju-ho jumped up from his chair in shock, "But why so suddenly?!"

    "That''s not the only one, though."

    Split, craaack¡ª

    The panoramic view afforded by the tower''s height was changing with every passing second.

    Red, orange, yellow...

    Some green and even purple could be spotted here and there, too. The number of dungeons visible to their eyes had to be well over one hundred.

    "I''m gonna go crazy at this rate."

    Dungeons had never appeared en masse like this and all at the same time, too. Even the First Outbreak of Gangwon Province was a child''s play compared to today.

    "This was what Su-hyeun warned us about," said Hak-joon.

    To prepare for the unknown something, Su-hyeun asked Lee Ju-ho and Gordon Rohan to alert the awakeners throughout the world and get them ready for battle.

    Dungeons had not manifested back then, so they had to wonder why Su-hyeun made such a request, but after seeing the current situation, they thought that it was as if he had seen the future.

    Hak-joon spoke up, his expression graver than ever before, "The real apocalypse is here.. And it has begun."

 Chapter 553

    Vishnu thrashed about violently.

    When his soul''s final moments were extinguished, his figure ballooned up into a giant, just like when he first appeared here.

    However, a bigger body did not equate to a larger soul. He continued to thrash about in pain before collapsing powerlessly.

    Huff, pant...

    Su-hyeun gripped his hand.

    This was the power of Destruction, which was initially granted to Shiva alone.

    As a power that could extinguish all things, it was categorized as the top godhood along with that of creation.

    The Predation ability was indeed incredible. The power that devoured and turned another power into the wielder''s own somehow managed even to devour "Destruction," too.

    However, that didn''t mean it became Su-hyeun''s power instantly.

    "That freaking hurts."

    An indescribable pain continued to shoot up from the hand that devoured the power of Destruction.

    Burning one''s hand in a blazing inferno might have felt like this. Even now, the power of Destruction remained within Su-hyeun.

    He soon got used to the pain. His gaze then shifted over to Vishnu''s corpse.

    "In the end, that''s how he died," Su-hyeun inwardly said.

    The others probably saw Vishnu''s exterior continuously transforming, but Su-hyeun''s eyes caught sight of a single humanoid thrashing about in pure agony.

    That couldn''t be helped, though.

    Su-hyeun directly injected the power of Destruction into Vishnu''s soul using the Soul of the Dead. He didn''t know what it felt like for a soul to get extinguished, but judging from Vishnu''s agony, it must''ve been sheer hell.

    "He''s dead, then."

    If it were determined through what was visible, one would never be sure of what was happening to Vishnu. However, Su-hyeun was here as per the trial issued by the system, and that trial''s goal was to stop Vishnu.

    He then heard the message declaring that the trial of the 220th floor had concluded just now.

    "In that case..."

    After confirming Vishnu''s death, Su-hyeun turned his head, but right at that moment...!

    Stab¡ª!

    Cough!

    Accompanied by the sound of flesh being impaled, Zeus coughed out a mouthful of blood.

    A pitch-black spear was jutting out from his chest after puncturing him from behind.

    "Dammit!"

    Witnessing that scene, Su-hyeun spat out a curse word, realizing that he was already too late.

    A blurry black silhouette was standing behind Zeus.

    "He already made his move?"

    It was none other than Shiva. Unfortunately, he had acted sooner than anticipated.

    Su-hyeun did think that Shiva might make a move as soon as Vishnu was dead, but to think that he would turn on everyone this quickly.

    "Or maybe I was too slow?"

    He used the power of Destruction to erase Vishnu''s soul and waited to confirm the Primordial God''s demise. On top of this, Su-hyeun also suffered from the impact of the Destruction''s powers, rendering him unable to focus, so it was unsurprising that he only detected Shiva''s movements after that.

    Plop¡ª!

    "Father!" staggering about, Hercules called out to Zeus.

    Zeus''s heart must''ve been pierced straight through because he powerlessly collapsed to the ground. His complexion went deathly pale as Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King rushed to his side.

    BOOM¡ª!

    The half-broken Ruyi Jingu Bang slammed into the ground. Sun Wukong''s golden irises glared at Shiva, who had dodged that attack just now, "What do you think you''re doing?!"

    "Merely performing my role, that''s all."

    "Your role?"

    "Yes, and it''s destruction. Now that our common enemy is dead, we have become enemies once more."

    "Even so, you stab someone in the back just like that?!"

    "Well, he was the most intact one among you. If I had my ways, I would''ve loved to kill you first, Great Sage Heaven''s Equal, but it''s not easy to do that, you see."

    Hercules and the Bull Demon King were injured, and Zeus was inflicted with a grievous wound from this sneak attack.

    Su-hyeun was also quite exhausted from his battle against Vishnu, which left Sun Wukong as the least worn-out combatant in the current situation.

    "But what can you even do by yourself?" Su-hyeun asked while trying to clutch his hand, still aching like crazy.

    Indeed, Shiva was alone in this place. Everyone else here was his enemies, plus there were tens of thousands of other combat-capable gods present on the moon, even if their ranks were on the lower side.

    In other words, no matter how strong Shiva was, making a move in the current situation should''ve been an unwise choice even for him.

    "I''m not alone."

    Split, crack¡ª

    Suddenly, doorways began opening up all around Shiva.

    There were well more than one or two. All these doorways connected to another dimension, and they eerily resembled dungeons.

    Kyaaaahk¡ª!

    Step, stomp¡ª!

    Grrrrrr...

    Gigantic monsters resembling wild beasts and humanoid creatures began pouring out from these doorways. Su-hyeun instantly understood that none of them were simple monsters despite their varied appearances.

    "Predators!"

    They were all completed Predators that had broken past the "Prey" stage by now.

    Split, split¡ª

    The number of the doorways continued to swell. Their numbers shot past several hundred in the blink of an eye, and the Predators emerging from them must have been well over 10,000.

    But that wasn''t all.

    Shiva stood among the sea of Predators, his eyes locked squarely on Su-hyeun. "Our agreement comes to an end here."

    "..."

    Su-hyeun shifted his gaze over to Earth.

    Several bright-colored spots began manifesting on the planet. This phenomenon was happening all at once, making it near-impossible to count them all.

    All of them were dungeons.

    "Right. We did make an agreement like this when we started, didn''t we?"

    Before joining hands with Shiva to kill Vishnu, Su-hyeun put forward a single condition: to halt the generation of dungeons.

    Since ancient times, dungeons were the cards Shiva had planned and prepared to usher in the universe''s destruction. They were being constantly manufactured according to Shiva''s will.

    Even so, Shiva agreed to Su-hyeun''s condition without much hesitation.

    "Alright. It''ll be pointless even for me if we fail to stop Vishnu. Everything would still be destroyed without me doing anything, after all."

    He was rather pragmatic about it.

    That was how Su-hyeun joined forces with Shiva¡ªspecifically until they managed to kill Vishnu. Their cooperation had come to an end right then.

    "I wouldn''t have minded a bit of a break after a big fight. How about it?"

    "Don''t try to get cute with me. The Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven, Hercules, and Zeus are exhausted right now. It''s the same for you, too. If I don''t seize this chance, I will not have any hopes of victory," Shiva replied without hesitating for a second.

    Su-hyeun''s side would have held the advantage if they were in a good physical state. For instance, the Bull Demon King was enough to fight against Shiva one on one, after all.

    That was why Shiva bided his time for this moment.

    He waited until everyone had become weaker. He waited until everyone had gathered in one spot to devour them all at once.

    "All of you will die here today."

    "I guess it can''t be helped, then."

    Su-hyeun still wanted to take a bit of a break, but since Shiva was so adamant like this, he had no other choice now.

    "Third Brother."

    "Mm?"

    Sun Wukong, seemingly only a moment away from charging at Shiva, turned his head to look at Su-hyeun.

    "Can you stop those things for a little while?" Su-hyeun used his eyes to point at the doorways still increasing in number.

    The Predators'' numbers had already gone past tens of thousands to reach several hundreds of thousands.

    Their numbers should continue to shoot up. Since Shiva had been waiting for this one moment to end everything in one go, he must have made some extraordinary preparations.

    "What about you, though?"

    "I shall deal with Shiva myself."

    "Will you be alright alone?"

    "You''re better at me when it comes to the numbers game, and we have several injured here to worry about."

    "I''m fine," the Bull Demon King interjected.

    Indeed, his condition looked so much better than either Zeus or Hercules. He didn''t wobble about while walking forward, and his complexion was noticeably healthier.

    "It isn''t time yet for my little brothers to worry about me."

    "Will you be alright, First Brother?"

    "Don''t worry about me. This should be the final battle, so do what you need to do."

    Su-hyeun nodded silently.

    Shiva looked slightly stunned as if he didn''t anticipate the Bull Demon King to be fine like this. He made a fed-up face in the Yogoe''s direction. "This guy just loves to act outside my calculations, doesn''t he?"

    "Don''t freak out. After all, they aren''t the type to suddenly butt in during someone else''s fights."

    "Hmm, that makes sense. He has achieved his goal, anyway."

    The Bull Demon King even chose to join this battle solely because Shiva made a deal with King Yama to revive Lang Mei. The Yogoe didn''t care much about other matters besides killing Vishnu.

    The Bull Demon King wasn''t that interested in this universe. After all, he achieved his ascension by discarding his lingering attachment to the world of the living.

    "Even if this universe is destroyed, someone on the level of the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven can hide within the Path to Reincarnation for a while. Once Brahma finishes creating the next universe, he can start a new life with Lang Mei."

    "You talk as if you''ve already won."

    "Isn''t that obvious?" Shiva stared at Su-hyeun''s arm. "Will you really be alright alone, I wonder?"

    Su-hyeun''s arm was in a tattered state.

    It was the price of absorbing the power of Destruction. Even now, this power was constantly eating away at his insides.

    This power was not something anyone could control.

    "A power you can''t absorb will only eat away at your body. Even if you''re half of Brahma, I''m still the only one allowed to wield this power."

    "You''re right. This power is alarming."

    Su-hyeun got to see Shiva''s powers while climbing the tower with him. As he had already fought against him before, he knew better than anyone else how dangerous Shiva''s true power was.

    That was why he remained hesitant right until the end. He was unsure if he could use this power. He also knew that this power could start eating away at him, harming him.

    But to kill Vishnu, he had no choice in the matter.

    Shiva suddenly spoke up, "Let me ask you something first."

    "About what?"

    "Why go this far? I mean, you could have lived on in the next universe by turning your back on this one, just like the Great Sage who Pacifies Heaven. You could even¡ª"

    "I like this universe."

    That question wasn''t even worth pondering his answer for.

    Su-hyeun continued while glancing at Earth, "No, let me correct myself. I like that world. I enjoy living over there, you see."

    "That small world is important enough that you''d choose the entire universe''s fate based on it?"

    "It is, at least to me."

    In a way, that answer could''ve come across as a bit selfish. Unlike Shiva, who opted to sacrifice everything for a better universe, Su-hyeun chose to fight for the sake of one single planet that he enjoyed living in.

    Of course, he was well aware of this, too.

    "How human-like reply that was."

    "I lived as a human, after all. And I''ll continue to do so, too."

    "Are you saying you have rejected your role?"

    Shiva asked Su-hyeun to take over Vishnu''s role. To do so, Su-hyeun would have to climb to the position of an absolute being and rule over the "order" of things while discarding his emotions like a god.

    But Su-hyeun had been living as a human until now, and he said that he would remain that way, too.

    "Unlike you or Brahma, I was never assigned a fixed role. I''m simply Kim Su-hyeun, and living that life will be enough for me."

    "If you don''t take up that role and kill me now, the same thing will repeat itself billions of years from now."

    "If the universe fails to improve by then... Then, you do what you want. It might be better to establish a brand-new universe by then. But..."

    Shu-wuwu...

    The power of Destruction enveloped Su-hyeun''s hand.

    "Now isn''t the right time, at least."

    "So you''ve made up your mind, huh?"

    Su-hyeun would use the power of Destruction absorbed through Predation once more? That should accelerate the rate of his body breaking down, yet Su-hyeun still chose to go ahead, fully resolving himself.

    That wasn''t all.

    Sha-aaaah¡ª

    The Soul of the Dead spread all over the space around Su-hyeun and Shiva, even though the duration of this ability should''ve ended.

    Even so, he still activated it, meaning he was currently burning his soul to bring out the power of this ability.

    "Very well. I shall respect your decision."

    Right in this moment...

    Su-hyeun and Shiva, possessing the same faces, stared at each other and made mirroring expressions for the first time.

    "Let''s finish this... brother."

    [The final trial will now begin.]

 Chapter 554

    Whoosh¡ª!

    Black smoke tried to envelop Su-hyeun''s figure. However, he surrounded his body with the clouds to block the smoke, fired his spear forward, and charged straight ahead.

    Slice¡ª!

    The spear missed Shiva''s body by just a hair''s breadth.

    Not a hint of a smile could be seen on Shiva''s face. He was currently fighting with the gravest expression he had ever made in his life.

    "Looks like you''re indeed scared, Shiva."

    "Well, that power of yours is a bit too dangerous even for me."

    The "power" Shiva was talking about, of course, was the Soul of the Dead.

    This ability was powerful enough even to kill Vishnu. No matter how strong Shiva was, things would get very dicey for him if his soul was directly interfered with.

    Waft, ooze...

    The demonic energy wafting around Su-hyeun took on a visible shape and began moving. It instantly swallowed up the surroundings to create a pitch-black space.

    [The Dark World ¨C Thousand Hands]

    The Dark World was known as Thomas''s skill, but it was originally copied from Osiris. Su-hyeun had absorbed that Predator''s power, so it became pretty simple enough for him to use this skill after a few practice runs.

    Thousands of hands shot out from the pitch-black darkness to restrain Shiva.

    But then...

    "How laughable."

    Riiiip¡ª!

    All thousand hands were ripped apart, and the Dark World Su-hyeun had created disappeared instantly.

    It was because of the power of Destruction spreading all around with Shiva in the center. While taking on the Demonic Aura Su-hyeun was generating, Shiva grinned in enjoyment.

    "This power called Demonic Aura is just a poor imitation of the power of Destruction. There''s no way an imitation can win against the real deal."

    "It doesn''t matter."

    The Dark World was gone, but Su-hyeun wasn''t perturbed at all.

    "It did its job of diverting your attention for a bit."

    Grab¡ª!

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    A large, heavy hand landed on Shiva''s shoulder. Almost simultaneously, six spheres rose around Shiva and began tying him up.

    The hand belonged to Gluttony, while the spheres were Prince Nezha''s Yogoe Capturing Rope.

    "Something like this¡ª!"

    "I told you, didn''t I?"

    Stab¡ª!

    The spear left Su-hyeun''s grip and stabbed straight into Shiva''s abdomen.

    "I only need a little bit of diversion."

    "Keuph...!"

    Shu-wuwuwu...

    The power of Destruction permeating the spear flowed into Shiva''s body.

    The pain he felt was truly horrifying. Not even once did Shiva think that someone else besides him and Vishnu would get to wield the power of Destruction.

    Not only that, but when Destruction directly entered one''s soul, the target would feel a truly unimaginable pain.

    "What a... stunning... talent... you have!"

    Bzzzz¡ª

    Before Gungnir could return, Shiva quickly grabbed it. He had already witnessed Su-hyeun using and calling this spear back plenty of times, including during the battle against Vishnu.

    To disarm Su-hyeun, Shiva injected as much power of Destruction into Gungnir as he could afford through his hand. The spear shaft turned black in no time and began getting erased.

    Pow, bang¡ª!

    Shiva blew away the head of Gluttony that previously held his shoulder. He then beheaded Prince Nezha wielding Yogoe Slaying Sword behind him next.

    He didn''t even bother to look back. Only their presence was enough for him to figure out who they were. Not only that, but Shiva would be the only creature strong enough to blow away the heads of Su-hyeun''s summons with a flick of his hands.

    "However, you also won''t last long at this rate."

    After dealing with the summons, Shiva wobbled for only a brief moment before regaining his balance; then, he quickly took a look at Su-hyeun''s current state.

    Su-hyeun''s hand that absorbed the power of Destruction was visibly trembling right now. On top of this, Su-hyeun was also maintaining the Soul of the Dead.

    The authority to interfere with all the souls within the space he "perceived" now belonged to him but at the price of his soul being eaten away.

    "It doesn''t matter." Su-hyeun pulled out the sword he got back from the Bull Demon King now that Gungnir was gone. "I''ll finish this soon, anyway."

    His body might be tired, but the fire burning in his eyes was more alive than ever.

    For some reason, Su-hyeun began recalling his last battle against Fafnir as Kim Sung-in.

    His opponent had now changed from Fafnir to Shiva, but that was about the only thing that had changed. If he lost this battle, his fate would be the same as back then.

    And it was not feasible to bet again on a variable like Samsara - Heavenly Ways of Reincarnation.

    The power of the Six Paths already used up once could not be used again. Also, maintaining the Soul of the Dead required a massive price: his soul.

    Sliiice¡ª!

    Su-hyeun''s blade sliced past Shiva''s head.

    A sword also materialized within Shiva''s hand. Two blades collided, causing the two similar types of powers to clash.

    Kiiii-iiing¡ª

    Two powers of Destruction slammed into each other.

    The aura of extinction and another one similar to it roused up simultaneously. Su-hyeun''s power had the Demonic Aura mixed in, but Shiva devoured it all.

    "How reckless of you." The corners of Shiva''s lips curled up for the first time during this battle. "This kind of a direct confrontation suits me more. Without your spear, you no longer pose a threat to me."

    "Sure, that might be true."

    Grab¡ª

    "Huh!" Shiva''s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. It was all thanks to Su-hyeun''s sudden and unexpected move.

    He had grabbed his opponent''s sword. He used his bare hand to grab Shiva''s sword permeating with the power of Destruction.

    "Unfortunately, you never learn, do you?"

    "You... Again?!"

    "I already did it once, so why wouldn''t I do it again?"

    ["Predation" is activating.]

    ["Destruction" is being absorbed.]

    Su-hyeun''s hand began swallowing up the power of Destruction oozing out of Shiva''s sword.

    In turn, Su-hyeun''s comparably weaker power began pushing back against Shiva''s. Almost simultaneously, Shiva''s lips that were curling up only a second ago froze stiff in their place.

    "You¡ªAre you trying to kill both of us?!"

    Two exact powers collided, causing the ripples from the aftermaths to grow larger and larger in diameter. It no longer looked like Su-hyeun was being pushed back one-sidedly but two powers boasting similar levels evenly pushing back against each other.

    "Not really. I won''t die."

    "Maybe not right now, but you will definitely die later. Not only that but in this space...!"

    "You don''t have to say it. I already know."

    To burn away Shiva''s soul, Su-hyeun had to maintain the Soul of the Dead.

    As a consequence, Su-hyeun''s soul was also dissipating right now.

    Shiva clenched his teeth at how driven Su-hyeun was. He then said, "The power of Destruction will continue to eat away at you, including your soul. You can''t revert it anymore. How many more years do you think you can live on like this? A thousand? A hundred years, maybe? No, it could be right this minute, too."

    "A hundred years sounds good to me."

    Su-hyeun never expected anything more than that, to begin with.

    "Unlike you lot that can live on for eternity, that span of time is just about right for a human being. Someone once told me that."

    Giii-iiiing¡ª

    The two powers of Destruction clashing violently began to shave away and erase the lower halves of both Su-hyeun and Shiva.

    "You fight a battle while putting your own life on the line, or so I''ve been told."

    Believing that you wouldn''t get killed during a battle to kill your opponent would be egotistical and careless. Sun Wukong taught Su-hyeun that important truth.

    Sun Wukong possessed the Godhood of Immortality, but even during the battle against Vishnu, he didn''t care whether he would lose his life or not.

    It was the same for Su-hyeun, too.

    Trying to preserve his life while fighting Shiva was indeed being lackadaisical. One should be prepared to throw their life away if it meant they could secure that sure chance of victory against an enemy of a similar level.

    Su-hyeun was maintaining the Soul of the Dead even now. Still stuck within this space, Shiva chuckled hollowly while swallowing up the power of Destruction controlled by Su-hyeun, "You ruthless bastard..."

    "Thanks for the compliment."

    "Very well. Have a nice life, then!"

    The power of Destruction enveloped the figures of both Shiva and Su-hyeun.

    Shu-rururu...

    "Who knows how many years¡ª? No, no one even knows if you can survive this moment!"

    Go-ooooooh¡ª

    The two powers of Destruction collided. Then, a massive explosion went off right at that moment.

    FWHOOOSH¡ª!

    A massive hole gouged out from the moon''s center swallowed up both Su-hyeun and Shiva.

    * * *

    Dungeons vanished.

    Time ticked by quickly. Various projects to rebuild and recover from the damage incurred by the sudden appearance of dungeons and monsters all over the world continued to chug ahead without a rest.

    Several months had gone past by now.

    However, Su-hyeun hadn''t come back yet.

    "It''s already been four months, hasn''t it?"

    Seasons had cycled around to greet a new spring.

    Lee Ju-ho looked up at the moon floating over the sky as the night deepened. Sun Wukong was sitting inside Lee Ju-ho''s office, munching on some snacks.

    The Bull Demon King and Lang Mei had settled down somewhere by now. The Roc Demon King was still living with humans in the same rural village, leaving Sun Wukong with no place to go. So, he decided to stay with Lee Ju-ho and wait for Su-hyeun''s return.

    "Oh, hey, this is pretty good."

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Sun Wukong emptied the last crumbs from the crisps package in his mouth and then licked his oily fingers clean.

    When the Yogoe showed up unannounced on Lee Ju-ho''s doorstep while saying, "I''ll be in your care!" the latter ended up getting incredibly flustered, but he had gotten more or less used to this sight by now.

    Whenever Lee Ju-ho stared at the moon, he couldn''t help but think, "Is he really dead?"

    There hadn''t been any news for a long while.

    The only person to return to Earth after the battle of the moon ended was Sun Wukong. He then explained to Lee Ju-ho just what kind of battle it was.

    Su-hyeun vanished with Shiva. As its aftermath, a gigantic crater could be seen on the moon even with naked eyes.

    "Nope, he''s still alive," Sun Wukong''s thoughts were different from his, however. "The system is still functioning, you know. So, he''s not dead."

    "Huh?"

    Lee Ju-ho couldn''t understand what Sun Wukong was saying here. Unlike the Yogoe, Lee Ju-ho still had no idea that Su-hyeun was responsible for repairing the system, making him the "master" in the process.

    However, Sun Wukong didn''t bother to explain it in detail. He lightly jumped up from the chair instead.

    The system was still functioning. That alone was the definitive proof of Su-hyeun still being alive.

    "When you come home, I''m gonna¡ª!"

    ***

    Later that day, Sun Wukong rode on his cloud to fly up to the moon.

    He arrived at the exact spot where Su-hyeun had vanished. He had no doubt that Su-hyeun was still alive, but he hadn''t come back yet for some reason.

    "Hmm..."

    Even though he came, Sun Wukong didn''t know what he should even do here.

    There wasn''t any detectable presence here nor any noises to listen to. Also, the moon''s surface was a barren wasteland with no buildings or forests, so Sun Wukong didn''t even have to search around meticulously.

    Sun Wukong circled the area while riding on the cloud, but he couldn''t see Su-hyeun anywhere, somewhat unsurprisingly.

    "He''s still not here, I guess?"

    Sun Wukong came here every day, but the results remained the same, including this time.

    He scratched his head, thinking that it was another bust. Waves of disappointment and irritation rushed over all at once.

    "Eh, dang it," Sun Wukong kicked a small rock rolling around on the ground for no reason. He then loudly yelled out, "Heeey, little bro¡ª! Are you still alive somewhere?"

    "Yes, I am!"

    "Huh?"

    He shouted without expecting anything in return, yet he still got a response in the end. It came from the location he was surveying earlier while riding on the cloud.

    Puff¡ª

    The ground there suddenly caved in deeper. Sun Wukong''s wide-open eyes began shaking considerably, his crimson irises taking in the sight of a hand emerging from the lunar dirt.

    Grab¡ª

    Someone was pulling himself out of the ground.

    Dirt caked his hair, and gray ash completely covered him from top to bottom, making him unrecognizable.

    Even so...

    "I''m still alive, Third Brother."

    It was obvious who he was without even asking for identification.

    Sun Wukong wasn''t suddenly overcome with a great wave of relief or happiness. He already knew that Su-hyeun was alive, to begin with. Plus, four months for him wasn''t that long to wait for someone.

    Still, he completely forgot about his plan of smacking Su-hyeun in the head. Instead of a violent welcoming party, he grinned like usual, "Why are you coming out of there?"

    "Not sure myself. Why was I even buried down here?"

    Su-hyeun didn''t sound concerned at all. As for his expression, he seemed to be feeling incredibly refreshed, much more so than Sun Wukong had ever seen.

    "You worked hard, kid."

    "Really? Is that all? I thought I was going to die, you know."

    "Didn''t I tell you? You''re supposed to risk your life when fighting someone. Besides, you survived in the end, right?"

    "Well, true."

    Su-hyeun lay down sprawled on the ground.

    He didn''t know how much time had passed by or what had happened to everyone else, but for the time being, he wanted to enjoy this refreshing feeling fully¡ªthe kind of feeling one would get after realizing that an intense battle had finally ended.

    "Third Brother."

    "Yeah?"

    Su-hyeun smiled brightly, "Let''s go home."

    It really was over.

 Chapter 555

    Sun Wukong asked Su-hyeun about what had happened.

    The latter pondered his answer for a little bit before making his reply. Others didn''t need to know, but he felt Sun Wukong was an exception.

    "It was difficult trying to calm the powers I absorbed from Vishnu and Shiva. After the battle, I needed to work my butt off for a few months, trying to control this power. I think I even blacked out a few times, too."

    "Does that mean you will be fine now?"

    "No," Su-hyeun shook his head. "This power isn''t something I can wield, unfortunately. The power of Destruction is still eating away at my soul."

    "Wait, that means you will die?"

    "I think I can hold on for another hundred years or so."

    Su-hyeun sounded unperturbed in his reply.

    That was unsurprising. Su-hyeun never thought about living for thousands or even tens of thousands of years from the very beginning.

    However, to beings like Sun Wukong capable of living for eternity, this revelation carried a different meaning. "You only have 100 years remaining?!"

    "I don''t know about you, Third Brother, but it''s pretty long enough for me. You don''t have to worry."

    Su-hyeun was being genuine here. However, he chose not to mention one thing just now.

    "Well, I think there''s no need to bring it up now," he thought.

    A hundred years was basically the lifespan given to Su-hyeun, who should have been able to live on forever after ascending to godhood.

    However, he welcomed this development far more than the promise of eternal life. He wanted to live like an average person, so what meaning was there if he lived on forever, which was quite unlike an actual human being?

    "Why do you need to go that far?" Sun Wukong asked, sounding as if he couldn''t understand it.

    It was unsurprising.

    Unlike Su-hyeun, Sun Wukong didn''t have a fixed sense of justice or something similar to that motivating him. He simply enjoyed fighting.

    The reason why he fought against Vishnu along with everyone wasn''t due to his sense of justice but more like his desire to cooperate with Su-hyeun.

    That was why he couldn''t understand it. Su-hyeun had the option to turn his back on the world as the Bull Demon King had done, so why did he have to go that far?

    "Do you even need to ask?"

    However, Su-hyeun replied matter-of-factly at the question he heard so many times that he was almost fed up with it by now.

    "It''s not like I need a reason, now do I?"

    * * *

    Everything was taken care of.

    Only one task remained for Su-hyeun now.

    "What should I do now?"

    Su-hyeun was stunned. This was his first time thinking about that topic in the last several decades.

    After lengthy deliberation, he tried out traveling around the planet as a tourist.

    He had already been to many countries around the world, but when he thought about it, he only went there to raid dungeons. Also, he had to either re-enter the tower or hurriedly travel elsewhere as soon as finishing up the raid itself.

    Initially, people recognized him everywhere he went, making it a bit cumbersome. However, using magic to change his face solved that problem.

    "It''s beautiful here."

    He was currently in a small village in Switzerland.

    The scenery of exotic buildings in a lively village wasn''t an unfamiliar sight to him.

    Still, even a familiar sight would impart a different feeling depending on the current atmosphere.

    This village was no longer suffocating from the fear of dungeons but filled to the brim with vitality. This sight alone looked beautiful to Su-hyeun''s eyes.

    After he finished going around the world, he began reading. He sought out quiet little cafes to read all those books he didn''t get a chance to read, spending his time in a leisurely manner.

    Sometimes, Sun Wukong would suddenly show up and ask for a fight. It was his favorite pastime, but Su-hyeun also enjoyed it.

    However, it wasn''t possible to continue to while away his time doing nothing.

    "The thing is, the awakeners have turned to the life of crime after dungeons vanished, you see? We''re short on manpower, so if you have time, would you like to help us?"

    When Lee Ju-ho offered a job, Su-hyeun said yes without much hesitation, "Sounds like it''ll be a good distraction."

    He didn''t even need to ponder his options and quickly made up his mind.

    He didn''t have anything better to do, anyway, so it might be nice to apprehend criminals now and then. He was even looking forward to it, too.

    The truth was, there was a dream he had to give up on after reality got in his way. That dream that he held since his childhood was to become a police officer.

    * * *

    Right after the articles detailing Su-hyeun stepping forward to apprehend awakener criminals were published, crimes involving awakeners decreased by 40 percent in a month.

    Just his name alone had this much impact. However, that ended up decreasing his workload considerably.

    Twenty years flew by like that.

    "You''re back?"

    "Yes."

    After taking off and hanging up the formal black suit, Su-hyeun plopped down on a couch.

    Sun Wukong was expertly using a tablet PC to watch videos of someone fighting. "You said it''s that old man''s funeral, right? Was it Kim Dae-ho?"

    "Yes. Uncle was getting on in years, after all."

    "I guess. Does his age mean he lived for a long time?"

    "Not exactly, but he didn''t have a short life, either. That''s why I used to tell him to mind his health more."

    "You are grieving, aren''t you?"

    Su-hyeun looked a lot more lifeless compared to his usual self.

    Even though he was prepared for it, even though he knew that Kim Dae-ho had lived a fulfilling life already, there was not much Su-hyeun could do about feeling bitter and sad after realizing that he would never get to see him again.

    "Someone close to me passed on, so it''s only obvious. Third Brother, you will also be sad after I''m gone, right?"

    "Hmm...I wonder." Sun Wukong pondered his answer for a bit before continuing, "Instead of mopping about, I think I''ll probably try to find you."

    "Find me?"

    "Aren''t you going to reincarnate again, anyway? In the next life and then the one after that, I''ll keep searching for you... because you''re my little bro."

    Su-hyeun chuckled at that.

    That didn''t even make any sense.

    Finding a single person in this expansive universe? Not only that but someone who lost all of their memories during the reincarnation, too? How would anyone find someone like that, never mind recognizing them in the first place?

    "I''m grateful for the sentiment, at least."

    Nonetheless, his heart felt warmer just from hearing Sun Wukong say that.

    By some miracle, if he could meet Sun Wukong again after his death and reincarnation, he thought it would be great if they could meet again and become brothers once more.

    However...

    "No way that''ll happen for real," Su-hyeun thought.

    * * *

    One hundred years as a span of time was long. Still, to someone, in particular, it was also too short.

    The exact length of time was long for Su-hyeun but short for Sun Wukong. As time passed, Su-hyeun progressively grew weaker, and he began suffering from pain more and more as if he was ill.

    It was all because the power of Destruction permeating his body and soul was spreading unchecked.

    "First Brother, isn''t there anything you can do?"

    Sun Wukong, ready to grasp at straws if that could help, even resorted to summoning the Bull Demon King.

    After the battle against Vishnu ended, the Bull Demon King practically didn''t show himself to the mundane world, but this matter involved Su-hyeun. Therefore, for the first time in a century, he chose to make an appearance.

    "It''s impossible."

    Unfortunately, nothing had changed despite his appearance.

    "This is not something I can fix, Wukong."

    "Don''t worry, everyone. I''ve already lived a fulfilling life."

    The only one worried here was Sun Wukong.

    Lying on the bed, Su-hyeun appeared calm and relaxed. "This is how it''s supposed to be, you know."

    "I don''t care about how it''s supposed to be for humans. Punks who can''t even live for a century..."

    "Is that so?"

    Su-hyeun sensed that he didn''t have much time left.

    A century had passed, and most people he used to know had all passed on. The only ones remaining were Hak-joon and Gordon Rohan. Despite their advanced ages, they remained as healthy as ever.

    On average, awakeners lived for 10 to 20 years longer than regular people, and those two were among the strongest among the ranks of awakeners.

    "Third Brother, you told me something in the past, didn''t you?"

    "What did I say?"

    "That you''ll find me after I die."

    "Yeah, sure."

    "There''s something I didn''t tell you back then."

    Sun Wukong began tilting his head at what Su-hyeun said.

    "I don''t think I will be reincarnated, after all. My soul is disappearing, so this might be it for me."

    Su-hyeun couldn''t be sure he would revive like Shiva, who had disappeared due to the power of Destruction. As for his soul, most of it was gone by now after a century of being eaten away by the power of Destruction.

    "So? What about it?"

    However, Sun Wukong''s response was not what Su-hyeun anticipated.

    "You say it ''might,'' right? Meaning you might reincarnate somewhere. Besides, I won''t die, anyway. Aren''t I immortal? I have all the time in the universe, so if I keep searching, I''ll find you eventually."

    "How will you even find me, though?"

    "I''ll try whatever, maybe even threaten Yama or something. Besides, I should recognize you the moment I see you. Like, when I saw you the first time, I had a certain feeling, you see?"

    Su-hyeun could only chuckle wryly at that.

    Then again, it was like this when Su-hyeun first encountered Sun Wukong and the Bull Demon King. The two of them started trusting him without any solid basis, even going as far as accepting him as their little brother.

    If there really was something like a "certain feeling," they might meet again someday.

    "You aren''t dying. It''s just a brief goodbye." Sun Wukong pounded his chest as if to say they could trust him. "I''ll find you sooner or later."

    "Unbelievable."

    Even though Su-hyeun said that he didn''t feel so bad even as his final moments loomed, and for some reason, he also felt reassured by Sun Wukong''s baseless claim.

    He felt like they could really see each other again somehow.

    Su-hyeun slowly closed his eyes.

    And right at that moment...

    ["Six Paths - the Return of the Dead" is activating.]

    [Damaged soul will now be repaired.]

    * * *

    * * *

    Smack¡ª!

    A dull impact landed on a boy''s head, making him dizzy. His legs gave out, causing his rear to kiss the ground.

    "Son of a b*tch. Man, he just doesn''t want to go down, does he?"

    Ptooi!

    A glob of saliva splattered on the ground near the boy''s feet. However, none of it landed on him.

    The boy looked up.

    Three people were standing behind the one spitting just now. All of them were scions of aristocrats.

    The boy spoke, "Does ganging up on one person with five people make you happy or something?"

    "Yup, very happy."

    "You''re just a little punk acting tough because of your friends."

    "Then, what about you, dumbass? What makes you act so tough when your so-called great family fell into ruin long ago?"

    "What do you mean, what?" The boy got back up while forcing his shaking legs. "Obviously, it''s my fists!"

    Whoosh¡ª!

    The boy swung his fists as powerfully as he could.

    Soon, two of his opponents collapsed on the floor, even though they were older upperclassmen of the same academy as the boy.

    Smack, pow¡ª!

    Tumble, land¡ª!

    They exchanged several more blows, and another person collapsed by the end.

    However, the boy couldn''t hold on either and found himself sprawled on the ground, too. He just couldn''t make his muscles listen to his commands now.

    Huff, huff...

    "This son of a b*tch... Seriously, he sure is good at fighting, isn''t he?"

    "Hey, let''s break this bastard''s arm or something. That''ll stop him from trying to be a hero."

    "Sure, why n¡ª?"

    "Hey, over there! You punks!"

    Suddenly, a loud yell came from somewhere.

    This location didn''t see much foot traffic within the academy. Still, someone seemed to have rushed here after hearing all that commotion. The upperclassmen looked deeply flustered before turning around to leave.

    "H¡ªhey, let''s get out of here. Hurry!"

    "You bastard, try sticking out one more time, hear me? Consider yourself lucky!"

    The still-standing two upperclassmen picked up their friends, put them on their backs, and started running away, while the last of the five quickly limped away.

    The boy sighed in relief, thinking that he got lucky this time.

    Right after that...

    "T¡ªthank you."

    Someone walked up to the boy. Another boy had been huddling in fear in a corner nearby.

    "You should get going, too."

    "B¡ªbut, what about you?"

    "My legs are kind of shaky, you see. You gotta bounce before the professor sees you, though. It sounds like he''ll be here any second now."

    "T¡ªthanks again."

    "Also, let me know if those punks bother you again. I''ll definitely beat some sense into those five when they do. What are you doing? Come on, get out of here!" the boy grinned.

    The bullied boy looked uneasy, but eventually, he also left the location.

    The boy was sprawled on the floor, preparing himself for a stern lecture about to come. However, the professor didn''t materialize like he had been expecting.

    "What''s going on?" he thought.

    Step¡ª

    Footsteps suddenly grew closer.

    The boy jumped up in surprise and hurriedly turned his head to look. He had no idea when it happened, but a man with long white hair stood there.

    "Ugh! You startled me."

    "Hey, kid. That boy earlier, was he your friend?"

    "Who are you, uncle?"

    The boy studied the man standing before his eyes.

    The man''s white hair extended past his handsome face all the way down to his waist, while his irises glowed in a golden hue. For some reason, his facial features gave off an impression of a mischievous prankster, but his current expression was incredibly serious. There was a long staff tied to his back, too.

    He didn''t look like a student of this academy. He seemed too old for that.

    "And he''s not a professor either," the boy quietly observed.

    If a person with such unique looks worked as a professor, the boy would have remembered him.

    The man took his time studying the boy before asking one more time, "Is he your friend?"

    It was a repeat of the earlier question.

    The boy shook his head, thinking it didn''t matter either way. "Nope. It''s my first time seeing him. He''s probably from another class."

    "Then why?"

    "Eh? Sorry?"

    "Why did you help him? Don''t you know that it could''ve ended very badly for you if I hadn''t shown up?"

    The boy was surprised by what the white-haired man said, "Wait, that voice just now was yours?"

    "Just answer my question."

    It seems that this man pretended to be a professor to help the boy out.

    "Uhm, you know, I was walking by and happened to see what was going on. That''s all."

    "But you could''ve gotten hurt, you know? And if luck was not on your side, you could have died."

    What a weird man he was.

    Although the boy was thankful for his assistance, he wondered why the white-haired man asked all these questions.

    Still, whatever the case might be, the boy was unscathed thanks to the older man''s help. Besides, he felt a vague familiarity, a certain sense of closeness to the man.

    "You know, that''s what fighting is like, right? I might injure my opponents badly, or they might injure me. Wait, maybe that''s a bit off? In any case, that''s what someone told me."

    The white-haired man stood there, speechless.

    His lips quivered up and down in silence before continuing in a trembling voice, "Why did you have to go that far?"

    "Do you even need to ask me that?" the boy chuckled wryly in reply. "It''s not like I need a reason, now do I?"

    The boy spoke matter-of-factly and then carefully studied the white-haired man''s face.

    The boy was sure that this was his first time meeting this man. No one in this country dressed like this white-haired man, never mind the academy, so seeing him just once somewhere would have left quite an impression.

    Even so, the boy felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. "By the way, uncle? Have we met somewhere before?"

    It was right then that the white-haired man suddenly grabbed the boy''s shoulder.

    Grab¡ª

    Sun Wukong lowered his eye line to match the boy''s and smirked deeply, "Finally found you."

    The boy had no idea at that moment how much time Sun Wukong had to sacrifice to say those three little words¡ªfinally found you.

    (The Hero Returns - Complete)