chapter 216 – Building a Castle (4)


    Though he was well aware that the Hero Universe members wereunique characters, Kang Shin-hyuk also knew that there werepeople who shared quests with members of otherdimensions.


    “Wow, my grandpa was handsome all this time…”


    “Thank you.” Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly as the girl standing beforehim looked up towards his face. She lookedyoung, probably no more than ten years old.


    “Oh, you just thought of asking about my age.Prohibited, that’s not possible. An absolute no-no.” He didn’t evenwant to ask, but the girl mmed herhand down. She had blue hair like Oh Hye-na, but her eyeshad bright red irises.


    “Just call meShu.”


    “You got that from Super UltraGxyFist?”


    “Yes. What about the gloves?Grandpa’s gloves.” As soon as Shu confirmed he was Anvil,she murmured like a child and hung tohis waist. The administrator had noment, foronce.


    “Here.”


    “Wow, finally! The Anvil made products the others are boasting about!”


    “Ah.” Taking the gloves he offered, Shu’s eyes sparkled as she rubbed themagainst her cheek. It was the object she had requested,but when he told her they wereplete, sheasked him to do a quest with her. Perhaps he wouldn’t be active,but observing the power of other members would be of greathelp to his training, and it wasn’t bad to build friendships,so he agreed,but…


    ‘It was good to meet her for sure.’ The membersof the Hero Universe always surprised him. Meanwhile, Shu was experimenting withthe gloves’ durability as hethought.


    “It’ll stretch out? Nottear?”


    “Well, it should go up to maybe the X-rank?”


    “Oooooh, after all, grandpa has different standards! Thecurrent limit was easily exceeded!” That meant the limit of a mortal.Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head.


    “Isn’t the expression’ current limit’ not suitable for people that transcendit? Right now, most of mystatuses have reached that limit.”


    “Oh, that’s the standard. Icall less than X the current limit.”


    “Indeed.” It was an area that Kang Shin-hyuk hadn’t even recognized until a little whileago. The SSS-rank washardly one people would imagine tothose on Earth, but the standards of those in theHero Universe were undoubtedly very different.


    ‘So, how is sheactually,administrator?’


    -Please consider the fact that she is a VIP member. But…for someone like you, the current limitis a correct way to refer to the SSS-rank.


    ‘SSS+ rank is a turning point… it’s the VIP standard.’ Kang Shin-hyukughed at thefeeling he was only a frog in a well, and suddenly caught sight of her hands;her bare hands that were covered in scars. Maybe theywere old wounds that were impossible to heal, but he had heard thatthere were definitely elixirs on the trading board…


    “Do you care? But it’s okay; it’s like a medal.”


    “Have you been fighting without gloves so far?”


    “Yes. There was nothing that suited me.” The girl spoke lightly asshe put on the ck gloves. The gloves shrunk to fit hersmall hands the moment she put them on.


    “Ooh, they fitperfectly.”


    “Check thestatus.”


    “I won’t. I can’t believe it until Itry it myself. Ah! I’m not saying I don’t believe you! I don’tbelieve in Gaia,you know? Grandpa, you know?”


    “Yes, yes.” The idea of not believing in the Gaia system was soforeign to Kang Shin-hyuk he didn’t really know what to think of it.Shu grabbed his waist as he began to feel a strange distance between them.


    “So, let’s go now. This ce is a little safe.The location of the quest is right overthere.”


    “Yes, I’ll follow, so let go of…?!”Shu hit the floor. At that moment,Kang Shin-hyuk felt like his body was being shattered. Thendscape infront of him changed so quickly that he barely noticed he wasmoving. Apart from the sheer shockof moving that fast, he suffered no wounds.


    “We’ve arrived!” Shu let go of him and vigorously shouted as theycame to a stop. They were at a veryrge basin belowa lush mountain. Kang Shin-hyuk put aside the feelingthat he wanted to throw up andlooked around. The mountains spread magnificently before them.This ce was very different in size from what he wasfamiliar with, but assuming it was maybe ahundredth of the size, this ce looked like…


    “A volcanrater?”


    “That’s what it is. Those kids live here.” In addition to the twoof them, there were several humans in the basin.Or rather, human-like creatures with red skinand hair that burned withsparks.


    “They are the salted people, the Yeomin. To make good armaments, you need good ironand a good fire. They make agood fire, so I brought them.”


    “Isn’t that fire considered as a worthy reward?”


    “Before that, we have to stop them. See them,Grandpa?” He couldn’t see them, buthe could feel it. He could feel the signs of countless entities steadily climbingup from the bottom of the mountain.


    “Yes, I can feel it roughly.”


    “Wow, you feel it, not seeit? People who craft have different senses. Oh, let me introduce them to you.Hey!”


    “Ah.” Shu grabbed Kang Shin-hyuk and ran once more. It wasn’t as big of a shockas their destination was closer, but the scenery in front of himchanged so fast it was like they teleported. It was like theyhad moved through space as he thought that, a messageappeared.


    -Spatial Coordination (SSS) skill proficiency has increasedtoD-rank!


    -Did you have some insight into spatial movement?


    ‘Wouldn’t the body adapt to something that dangerous?’Well, he had to thank Shu now that she helped his skillgrow.


    “Fireball, say hello!” When he openedhis eyes, a woman called Yeominstood before him. At a distance, he only noticed theburning hair, but now that he was closer, he couldsee her vital spots were covered with a thin red rock in ce ofclothes. Excluding that, however, she was a beautiful woman byhumanstandards.


    [Grandpa? I heard that it was easy toknow a human’s age by appearance, but he looks young.]


    Kang Shin-hyuk smiled awkwardly ather.


    “It’s aplicated situation. Call me,Anvil.”


    [So I see. Anvil, I’m sorry, but we’re still busy. You lookweak, so why should I be talkingtoyou?]


    “Fireball, if you ignore grandpa, you will die by my hand.”


    [That’s why I am asking for an exnation.]


    It seemed that the Yeomin were the ones who ordered the quest, but itdidn’t seem that the two were on very good terms. Furthermore,he recognized his statuswas weakpared to them.


    ‘I thought I had gotten a little stronger.’


    -Spiritual power is not something easily revealed. She is ignorant anddoesn’t know. If you show yourmaximum power, you will be seen as one ofthe best among the people living in this world.


    ‘But I can’t do anything about it now.’


    -That’s right. But now, that resentment will driveyour growth. 500,000HP bonus!


    No, then why wasn’t this girl a member of the Hero Universe if she wasthisstrong?


    “It won’t matter anyway. Grandpa didn’te here to fight, but to build awall.”


    [You’ll block those things with a wall?]


    “Really, if grandpa doesn’t show his skills, you’ll grumble likethat to the end. Okay, look. This was made byhim.”


    [What?]


    When Shu put her gloved hands forward, theYeomin looked surprised. Honestly, Kang Shin-hyuk wasthe one who was the most surprised. How could a person whocouldn’t even recognize his spiritual power recognize this artifactat ance?


    [You mean to fight with that? With the abilities youshowed offbefore?]


    “Yep.”


    [Are you serious? It looks like it would get torn apart at once.]


    “I believe in my grandpa. So, look carefully. If it doesn’t tear, leaveit to my grandpa.” It didn’t seem as simple as he had firstanticipated joining another’s quest.


    [Okay, then let’swatch.]


    “Let’s go to a ce you can see. Yes, thatwill be nice.” This time, Shu grabbed onto Yeomin and Kang Shin-hyuk. Resigned,he closed his eyes. When they opened a momentter, they were alreadyat the steep mountain slopes at the edge of thebasin. Now he could confirm the attacker’s appearancewith his eyes. Lizards were crawling up throughthedarkness.


    [Fire lizards.]


    The Yeomin spoke up.


    [They eat fire. They cannot coexist with us.]


    “But why are they… oh, Jormungand.”


    [Jormungand? What is that…]


    “Well, it means a bigsnake.”


    [Snake. How perfect because it’s a snake thatcarries those lizards.]


    Yeomin ground her teeth. At that moment, Shu nodded and extendedher right hand forward. Then, raising her left hand, she grabbed her wrist andcriedout.


    “Gxy Rocket Punch…!” At the moment, he was about tment at the horrible naming sense that was worse than ire’s, her tightlyclenched right fist disappeared as if it had been cut offat thewrist.


    “Eh?” Suddenly, a veryrge dark mass fell over the heads of the lizardsclimbing the mountain. With a terrible roar, thousands of them were crushedatonce.


    “Hit! Wow, look at the gloves!”


    [To really hold up to your fist…!]


    “Wow!” Kang Shin-hyuk realized btedly that it was Shu’sfist.


    …Was it really a rocket punch?!