<h4>Chapter 232: The Marksman 1</h4>


    After Roan finished dismantling the sea monster…


    “Good work. I’ll leave it to your n to dispose of this monster’s body.”


    Woohyuk praised the surviving members of the Amaterasu nsmen and gave them a reward, the body of the sea monster.


    Even the leftovers of elite monsters possessed high value as alchemy and production material.


    At Woohyuk’s benevolent treatment, Ryosuke bowed down to his waist with a surprised expression.


    “T-Thank you! How can we ever repay this grace…”


    “Keep an eye on the ind until I return. That’s your only job.”


    Of course, it would be foolish to blindly believe in Ryosuke without taking any action.


    Before leaving, Woohyuk summoned Ryosuke and made him sign a master-ve contract.


    “Eh, were you a d-demon? I hadn’t felt any demonic energy…”


    “My situation is a little bit peculiar.”


    In his previous life, Woohyuk was an archangel, and in the present life, he was a human. After being called into this world, he seeded the position of a former Demon Lord.


    If one thought about this progression with somemon sense, his image and reputation seemed to be getting worse and worse.


    However, Woohyuk didn’t care about this perception.


    ‘Whatever others choose to call me, I’m just me.’


    A being who keeps moving forward with his own subjectivity.


    In this turbulent world, he thought this approach was enough.


    Before long, he arrived with his party at the ruins of Einherjar…


    “In the past, there was one king who conquered vast territories. Do you know what he did when he visited a small vige and saw a carriage tangled in rope?” Woohyuk summoned Verserios and asked Helena a question.


    She tilted her head in confusion at his sudden, outrageous words and looked at him.


    “Well, what did he do?”


    “He pulled out a sword and cut the rope. He didn’t consider untying the knot.”


    Sometimes, there were situations that required bold decisions.


    Those bold decisions could be counterproductive in the end, but it was an easier decision at the moment.


    ‘It’s probably impossible for Helena to lift the gods’plex security barriers.’


    If so, destroying it with demon power would be enough.


    As Woohyuk swung Verserios in the air,


    Ji-Ji-Ji-Ji-Ji-Ji!


    A spark shed momentarily on the steep rock wall, and the mainndscape began to crumble.


    It was a form of stealth magic.


    In addition, there were twoyers of exclusion magic that blocked the ess of unauthorized intruders into the ruins.


    “Keuk!”


    When the exclusion magic was triggered and the shockwave emanated out, Woohyuk clenched his jaw.


    If he was a normal human being, he wouldn’t be able to bear the damage and would have instantly perished.


    However, Woohyuk had a much higher mental power thanks to the hidden sses he had earned so far, so he managed to withstand the shockwave.


    Chwa-Ah!


    With Verserios, he destroyed the double barrier. Between the cracks, a ruin that was carved into the rock wall appeared.


    “So, that’s where the dimensional transmission device that leads to heaven is,” Helena remarked.


    “Do you want to go? To the upper level where the gods stay…” Woohyuk replied.


    “Not really. I’m fairly certain I won’t be weed.”


    It was rare for even holy disciples to be given preferential treatment by the gods.


    As Helena followed Woohyuk feet into the ruins, she asked aloud,


    “But where is the guardian who maintains this ce? The gods wouldn’t have left such an important base unattended with only a double barrier magic spell.”


    “There certainly is a guardian. However, it’s more like a ghost that can’t sleep,” replied Woohyuk.


    The ghost Woohyuk referred to was Einherjar.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a dry man’s voice echoed in the passage,


    “Amazing. Did you know of my existence from the beginning?”


    It was the voice of one of the many heroes recorded in this world’s history.


    However, even among these heroes, this man was very special.


    Without him, the Holy Aperia Empire would have copsed during the Demon War.


    “Of course, Reinhardt. You’re a proud pdin who existed in unfortunate times.”


    “…”


    Step. Step.


    Reinhardt silently walked toward Woohyuk.


    He was not a mere mirage, but a ghost that possessed a corporeal body.


    However, his lifeless body carried a cold energy.


    “I will set you free from the bondage thatsted for past thousands of years. I apply for a prestigious one-on-one duel.”


    “… What’s your name? I’ll refuse the duel unless you reveal how I arrived in this predicament,” Reinhardt said, raising his shield instead of his long sword.


    His actions represented a willingness to defend to the end.


    Woohyuk spoke with an expression of expectation,


    “I am Chun Woohyuk. I learned about this in the past when restoring the Nag Hammad Chronicles. You met me then.”


    “No matter how much I think about it, what you’re saying is a lie. Even though the gods have turned me into this state, the memories of my past have not been touched.”


    “What you’re saying is true. However, my words are absolutely true. After I defeated you in the past, I met the Goddesses of Fate and returned to the past,” Woohyuk said. He went on to briefly exin the past to Reinhardt.


    Reinhardt was silent for a moment before speaking,


    “There’s no way for you to prove that. Thus, I will ask… Why did you visit this ce without the Nag Hammadi Chronicles?”


    “Many things have changed from the past. The existing n I had has been derailed, and I don’t have much time to spare.”


    “… Such a troublesome man. What’s your purpose for doing such unreasonable things?”


    “I will radically change this world. I will prevent an exclusive transcendental person, like the Creator, from ever controlling the system again.”


    That was the ultimate goal of the Odyssey n.


    After hearing Woohyuk’s words, Reinhardt looked puzzled.


    ‘You’re an amazing human in many ways,’ Reinhardt thought.


    A long time ago, his friend had said something simr.


    He was Rnd of the Trinity Knights.


    He helped Etheria Rodinus, who was being pursued at the time by the Empire for stealing the Holy Grail and eventually faced a miserable death.


    Rnd was like himself, a person who was eliminated by his enemies after pursuing only noble ideals.


    ‘Also, the woman next to him looks very much like Sophia.’


    Sophia was a beautiful Saintess who became Solomon’s disciple.


    Helena mirrored Sophia’s figure and looks.


    Reinhardt nced at Helena and saw the ring that she was wearing.


    ‘Etheria Rodinus.’


    He wasn’t just feeling things or was mistaken.


    Once he roughly grasped the situation, Reinhardt spoke to Woohyuk,


    “I think I know why you guys are here. Now the question in my mind seems to be resolved to some extent.”


    “If so, will you choose to let us through without objection?” Woohyuk asked.


    “No, that’s impossible. The object you want is designed to be obtained only after defeating me,” Reinhardt replied


    Thus, no matter what the circumstances were, their battle was inevitable.


    Woohyuk nodded his head and summoned Verserios.


    “I will make you sleepfortably. I believe that you too are hoping for aplete death.”


    “Of course. But I cannot close my eyesfortably unless a true sessor appears.”


    The reason Reinhardt remained here without bing Einherjar was that he wanted to convey his will to posterity.


    It was the historical restoration of Solomon’s line.


    Reinhardt went on to describe the underhanded assassination ns that the Church of Light had continued to carry out after his absence. Thus, he thought he was obligated, as a proud pdin, to correct the Church’s wrongs.


    “That will, I will be the sessor and make your vision a reality. I didn’t know of all thisst time because you didn’t tell me,” replied Woohyuk after hearing Reinhardt’s will.


    “First off, I will take a look at your skills to see if you qualify. This mission is not something anyone can carry out,” Reinhardt remarked.


    Reinhard finally lifted his long sword to the height of his chest.


    His action expressed his willingness to fight the opponent.


    Woohyuk closely watched Reinhardt’s movement while holding Verserios with both hands.


    ‘Previously, I fought with him for three days and nights.’


    As the best pdin to have ever lived, Reinhardt was easily able to attack and defend at will. He also possessed tremendous strength. He was also very strategic, showing openings to lure his opponent before countering, something that Woohyuk had almost sumbed to many times in his past life.


    ‘But this time, I don’t have time.’


    Seeing that he was looking for a sessor, it was unlikely that he would die easily.


    However, if Woohyuk summoned the Demon King, he wouldn’t be recognized as Reinhardt’s sessor.


    Therefore, Woohyuk had no choice but to win a one-on-one battle with his own battle strength.


    “Ha-Ap!”


    Seeing that Woohyuk wasn’t nning on attacking first, Reinhardt rushed forward in a short spirit.


    The bnce was broken.


    Woohyuk stopped Reinhard’s ambitious attack after observing the blue aura that was left by the trajectory of his long sword.


    ‘It’s still not easy.’


    However, Woohyuk felt that he could deal with the situation much better thanst time.


    His confidence came from the experience of facing off with extraordinary opponents up to now.


    Even though his stats were much lower than Reinhardt’s, Woohyuk was able to predict the movement of Reinhardt’s sword and shield fairly well.


    ‘In a battle like this, the smallest difference determines the winner or loser.’


    He instinctively knew this from his long experience.


    The opponent was a pdin who beat dozens of Demon Kings during the Great Demon War.


    It was good to have confidence, but he had to remain vignt.


    Woohyuk leaned his upper body back to avoid the swinging shield. At the same time, Woohyuk shed at the bottom corner of Reinhardt’s shield using Verserios.


    Ka-Rang!


    As the sparks flew, the shield was lifted upwards momentarily.


    Using that timing, Woohyuk moved inward/ Immediately, the blue aura long sword wasing down on Woohyuk’s head.


    Hwi-Ing!


    The long sword cut the demonic energy barrier Woohyuk created. Reinhardt’s long sword, which carved diagonally away from Woohyuk because of the demonic barrier, then changed direction and immediately aimed at Woohyuk’s heart.


    However, as if he had expected it all along, Woohyuk twisted his body and safely avoided Reinhardt’s attack.


    ‘If you’re feeling relieved here, you’re not worthy,’ Reinhardt thought.


    The shield, which had lost its direction just a moment ago, was starting to descend on Woohyuk again.


    Avoiding the long sword would allow the shield attack to connect and avoiding the shield would cause the long sword to pierce his heart.


    If Woohyuk couldn’t ovee Reinhardt’s speed, he’d have to repeat this process over and over.


    ‘However, I finally found the paper-thin difference.’


    Although the difference was paper-thin, any margin, if used properly was very meaningful in the fight between skilled fighters.


    Woohyuk focused his nerves on his senses and drew the expected path of the long sword and shield in his mind.


    After several iterations of following the pattern…


    Pu-Ook!


    Finally, Woohyuk’s long spear struck Reinhardt’s side utilizing a razor-thin gap.


    “Keuk!”


    Reinhard sat down, vomiting dark red blood.


    Soon, blood flowed through the cracks of his silver te armor.


    It seemed very painful, but Reinhardt praised Woohyuk without changing his expression.


    “It was a duel that I will never forget, even if I perish forever.”


    “The same is true for me as well.”


    “Have I ever been defeated so quickly before? I’m curious to hear since you said you fought me before,” Reinhardt asked.


    “At that time, we fought non-stop for three days and nights. When the battle was over, we each had a lot of wounds,” Woohyuk respectfully replied.


    However, Woohyuk continued to grow after that fateful, drawn-out fight, reaching his present mental and physical level, though his reset stats and ss when he re-entered this world was an initial difficulty.


    Reinhardt nodded at Woohyuk’s exnation.


    “Excellent, young man. I hope you can achieve your goal. In that sense, I wish for you to take this,” Reinhardt said as he leaned on his long sword and held out the dagger on his waist.


    After receiving and observing the dagger, Woohyuk made a surprised expression,


    ‘Wait, what’s this?’